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 THE BOOK * 
 
 THE TWELVE i ceca 
 MINOR PROPHETS, 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW. 
 
 WITH 
 
 A COMMENTARY, 
 
 CRITICAL, PHILOLOGICAL, AND EXEGETICAL. 
 
 BY 
 
 Ἐ HENDERSON, D.D. 
 
 WITH 
 
 A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR, 
 
 By E. P. BARROWS, 
 
 HITCHCOCK PROFESSOR IN ANDOVER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. 
 
 
 
 Andover : 
 
 WARREN F. DRAPER. 
 
 BOSTON: GOULD & LINCOLN. NEW YORK: HURD & HOUGHTON. 
 PHILADELPHIA: SMITH, ENGLISH, AND COMPANY. 
 CINCINNATI: G. 8. BLANCHARD 
 
 1866, 
 
ἣ 
 
 ᾿ 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, jn.the year 1859, 
 ΑΝ 
 BY W. Hh. DRAPER, 
 
 In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED 
 
 BY W. F. DRAPER, ANDOVER, MASS. 
 
 “vy 
 
PUBLISHER’S NOTE. 
 
 THE increasing demand for the English edition of Dr. Henderson’s Com- 
 mentary on the Minor Prophets, suggested an application to the author for 
 permission to reprint it in this country. The following note contains his 
 very kind aggmgurieous consent : 
 
 € }\ 
 Mr. DRAPER: 
 Dear Sir, — ; 
 
 Impressed with a sense of your honorable conduct in con- 
 sulting me prior to the reprinting of a cheaper edition of my Commentary on The 
 Minor Prophets, I feel no hesitation in granting you the sanction you desire, on the 
 terms specified in your letter of November 4, 1856. 
 
 I remain, dear Sir, 
 Yours truly, 
 
 E. HENDERSON, D. D. 
 MortLake, Surrey, Nov’r 20, 1856. 
 
 1Datsy Enclosed you will find a list of corrections, copied from my husband’s 
 memoranda. 5... ἘΠ 
 
 Not only have the corrections referred to been made in the present edition, 
 but it was found desirable, also, to verify all the quotations in the Oriental 
 languages, so that the whole work has now been thoroughly revised. This, 
 with other causes, has contributed to delay the publication till the present 
 time. We have to regret that, meanwhile, the venerable author has ceased 
 from his labors, and passed to his reward. 
 
 It seems fitting that a short biographical sketch of his useful and event- 
 ful life should accompany this volume, as a tribute to his memory among 
 those who will receive the benefits of his studies and labors, but who may not 
 have access to the full biography prepared by his friends. 
 
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Tue lamented death of the author of the present Commentary occurred 
 while the plates were in process of preparation for an American edition 
 of the work. It seems highly proper, therefore, that a brief sketch of 
 his life and character be prefixed to it. The writer of this, not having 
 access to original sources of information, has drawn his materials from 
 the “Memoir of the Rev. E. Henderson,” by his daughter, Thulia S. 
 Henderson, which has lately been published in London. 
 
 EBENEZER HENDERSON was born on the 17th day of November, 
 1784, at Dunfermline, an ancient borough in the eastern part of Scot- 
 land, situated in the county of Fife, a little north of the Firth of Forth, 
 and well known as the residence of Anne of Denmark, and the birth- 
 place of King Charles the First. He was the youngest son of George 
 and Jean Henderson. His father was an agricultural laborer, and be- 
 longed to the Secession-body of Scotch Presbyterians. “Two years at 
 Dunfermline,” the memoir tells us, “and one year and a half at Dun- 
 duff, formed the sum-total of his schooling” in the days of his boyhood.+ 
 Then, at twelve years old, it was resolved that he should be initiated 
 into some trade. But it happened to him, as it has to others whom 
 Providence had foreordained to fill religious and literary spheres, that 
 one attempt after another proved abortive. First he was: placed with 
 an elder brother to learn the trade of a clock-and-watch-maker. But 
 here he staid only long enough to gain such an insight into the craft 
 as was afterwards of no little use to him in his missionary wanderings, 
 where recourse to a professed artisan for the rectification of his time- 
 piece was impossible. He was next placed as an apprentice to a boot- 
 and-shoe-maker for the space of three years. Of his progress in this 
 business nothing is known. Only it is certain that “he had not yet 
 found the niche in which he was to take his stand.” 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 13. 
 
VI BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 For this a spiritual preparation was needed. This, through the grace 
 of the Holy Spirit, he received in the deep religious awakening that 
 took place in connection with the labors of Robert and James Haldane, 
 the latter of whom visited Dunfermline in company with Mr. Aikman. 
 
 “A saw-pit at the top of Chalmers’ Street, and an open place in 
 Woodhead Street, are remembered in connection with various out-door 
 preachings to an assembled multitude. Many of the ungodly were awak- 
 ened, and the godly were stirred up to works of good-doing. Sunday 
 Schools were established, and they rapidly flourished. Of the ‘six’ 
 that are recorded as having been in a prosperous state within the par- 
 ishes of Dunfermline as early as 1798, there was one in which were 
 enrolled the names of Ebenezer Henderson and Douglas Cusine (pro- 
 nounced Cousin),—the two who are remembered as having borne the 
 palm for diligence and attention.” 
 
 This little incident shows the original aptitude of our author for the 
 pursuits of a scholar. The precise time of his first open profession of 
 religion is not known. But there is abundant evidence that from this 
 period he devoted himself with all his soul to the service of Christ. The 
 needful preparation for future duty was freely granted him in the Sem- 
 inary in Edinburgh, which had been originated, and was still supported, 
 by the generosity of Mr. Robert Haldane. The course of instruction 
 was brief, extending only through two years. But this was then thought 
 to be the utmost that was compatible with the urgent demand for home 
 and foreign laborers. “Dr. Henderson always urged the importance of 
 a prolonged collegiate course; and doubtless felt that had his own pre- 
 paratory studies been of longer continuance, he might have gone forth 
 better equipped for his work.”2 So speaks the memoir; to which may be 
 added, that it was only by a severe and long process of self-training, 
 continued after he left the Seminary, that he was enabled to qualify 
 himself for the work of a translator of the holy Scriptures, and a com- 
 mentator on their contents, in which he became so distinguished. The 
 class of 1803—the fifth in order of institution— was the one which he 
 joined. We need not be surprised when we find one of his surviving 
 * fellow-students bearing testimony that he was at that time “more of a 
 linguist than a theologian; more given to literature than to divinity.” ὃ 
 No one can read his commentaries, so rich in oriental lore, without per- 
 ceiving at a glance that it was the side of sacred literature rather than of 
 systematic theology to which he was drawn by the natural affinities of his 
 mind. ‘To him the memoir justly applies the remark made of one of his con- 
 temporaries, the late Rev. Alexander Dewar: “ He could comprehend and 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 17. 2 P. 23. 8 Rey. James Kennedy, of Inverness. 
 
OF THE AUTHOR. Vil 
 
 seize the leading features of a complicated question, though he rarely, if 
 ever, dealt in barren abstractions; strong, broad good sense was a distin- 
 guishing element of his mind; he was a man of facts and fundamental 
 principles.” ? 
 
 In the vacations the seminary students were sent out on preaching- 
 tours. We find him in the summer recess of 1804 appointed to visit 
 the Orkney Islands, which lie off the northern extremity of Scotland. 
 Thus was inaugurated that remarkable series of northern missions to 
 which the providence of God, contrary to his own original intentions, 
 had appointed him. 
 
 In the second year of his seminary life he was called to the foreign 
 service, in the following way: The Rev. John Paterson, pastor of a 
 church at Cambuslang, and the Rev. Archibald McLaey, pastor at Kir- 
 caldy, having been invited by the two Congregational churches in Edin- 
 burgh to go forth as missionary agents, resigned their charges, and came 
 to Edinburgh for a brief course of preparatory study with special refer- 
 ence to the service to which they had devoted themselves. Their desti- 
 nation was India. But Mr. McLaey being by the circumstances of his 
 family detained at home, Mr. Paterson’s friends urged him to select from 
 among the seminary students a man for his colleague. As he surveyed 
 the assembled class, he said of Mr. Henderson, then but twenty-one years 
 of age, and with whom he had no previous acquaintance, “This is the 
 man for me.” Thus commenced between the two missionaries a life- 
 long friendship. As soon as’ Mr. Henderson made known his willingness 
 to embark in this cause, his services were accepted, and the missionaries 
 elect were set apart by the imposition of hands, with prayer and fasting, 
 at an evening service in the Tabernacle, Leith Walk, on August 27, 
 1805. 
 
 But God, who understood perfectly the sphere in which these his two 
 servants could best labor, had destined both to a northern instead of a 
 tropical field. Here the following extract from a letter which he wrote 
 on the subject some twelve years later, is perfectly in place: 
 
 “When I originally devoted myself to the Redeemer’s service, and 
 entered on a course of study preparatory to engaging in it, I had no’ 
 specific station or sphere of labor in view; but was determined, in re- 
 liance on his promised grace, cheerfully to proceed to whatever place 
 he should be pleased to point out to me, whether at home in my native 
 country, or among the heathen in a distant land. Accordingly, when our 
 dear brother Paterson requested me to accompany him to India, it was 
 a matter of no great difficulty for me to give my consent to his proposal.” * 
 
 "1 Memoir, p. 25. 2 P, 87. 
 
Vill BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 This delightful passage shows that he was willing to be guided. And 
 let it be said, for the encouragement of all youthful candidates, that God 
 will certainly guide all who are willing to be guided, into the field in 
 whith they can serve him to the best advantage. The two missionary 
 brethren had marked out India for their field, but God sent them into 
 northern Europe. 
 
 The directors of the East India Company were at that time, as is 
 well known, hostile to missionary labors among the people whom they 
 ruled. Messrs. Carey and Marshman, with some coadjutors, were indeed 
 carrying on their good work without molestation, but with no open sanc- 
 tion on the part of the directors. Such a sanction the Messrs. Haldane 
 openly sought for themselves and others, and were decidedly refused, 
 and the door was thus closed to their intended enterprise. “The British 
 possessions,” says the memoir, “ were not approachable by a Christian 
 missionary in a British vessel. But there were Danish ships in which 
 such men could embark; there were Danish settlements where they could 
 effect a landing, and whence they could proceed to some neighboring dis- 
 tricts, whose governors might be disposed, if not to sanction, at least to 
 ignore the efforts that might be made.”1 They accordingly repaired to 
 Copenhagen, in the hope of securing a passage thence to Serampore. 
 But here disappointment awaited them. One vessel only was to sail 
 that season, and every berth was preéngaged. They offered to go in 
 the steerage; even that was full. 
 
 Meanwhile they found all around them a field white for the harvest. 
 Although as yet ignorant of the Danish language, they had already 
 commenced a service in the English tongue the second Sabbath after 
 their arrival. Next they procured the translation into Danish of a tract 
 entitled “The One Thing Needful,” and forthwith set it in active cir- 
 culation. Their English congregation increased, and they had secured, 
 early in November, the translation and printing of one thousand copies 
 of the “ Great Question Answered.” Still hoping to be able the ensuing 
 spring to embark for Serampore, they earnestly urged upon their friends 
 at home the importance of not leaving their present field unoccupied when 
 they should be withdrawn from it. In reply they received a letter inform- 
 ing them that but one of the two fields, India or Denmark, could be at 
 present occupied, and urging that they should consent to remain. in their 
 present position. They complied; and thus they found themselves, without 
 any planning of their own, inaugurated into the Danish field. The two 
 friends soon separated, Mr. Paterson remaining in Copenhagen, and Mr. 
 Henderson going to Elsineur. 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 41. 
 
OP THE AUTHOR: IX 
 
 At Elsineur he gave lessons, in private families and classes, in the English 
 language, while at the same time he sedulously devoted himself to the 
 acquisition of the Danish, and the other northern languages, which, when 
 once mastered, would greatly enlarge the circle of his influence. As the 
 sphere of his vision widened, he turned his thoughts towards Sweden, and 
 he and his companion determined to gain satisfactory information concerning 
 the spiritual condition of this kingdom, as well as of Denmark. Mr. Hen- 
 derson repaired to Helsingburgh in the southern part of Sweden, with a 
 supply of religious publications. Next, he and his colleague journeyed 
 through Skonen, leaving tracts at Lund and Malmé, in the hands of such 
 as were likely to translate them into Swedish. After this they undertook 
 an exploring tour in Denmark. Crossing the Great Belt and the Little 
 Belt, they advanced as far as the Moravian settlement at Christiansfeld, in 
 Schleswig. In one respect this journey was of striking importance, by 
 bringing them personally into connection with the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society, and also turning their attention towards Iceland. Learning that 
 the Fiinen Evangelical Society was purposing to print two thousand copies 
 of the New Testament for their long-neglected fellow-subjects in Iceland, 
 they ventured to suggest that five thousand instead of two thousand should 
 be the number struck off for the first instalment. The Danes not having 
 courage for this, it was determined that assistance should be sought from 
 London. The two friends accordingly wrote directly to the managers of 
 the Bible Society in the British metropolis, who agreed to defray the cost 
 of the additional three thousand copies. 
 
 The war which took place in 1807 between England and Denmark, com- 
 pelled the two missionaries to withdraw to Sweden. Mr. Henderson took 
 up his residence at Gottenburgh, while Mr. Paterson proceeded to Stockholm, 
 where he was eminently successful in organizing systematic efforts for the 
 circulation of Swedish Bibles and tracts. The ensuing summer.of 1808, the 
 two friends travelled in Sweden and Lapland, inquiring into the state of the 
 parishes, and scattering the seeds of divine truth. Having reached Tornea, 
 at the head of the Gulf of Bothnia, they entered Finland, and, turning around 
 the gulf, proceeded till they were close upon Wasa, when the approach of a 
 Russian army compelled them to a hasty retreat back around the head of 
 the same gulf. In October they reached their respective stations, after a 
 journey of two thousand three hundred miles. This tour gave them an 
 - affecting insight into the spiritual wants of the people. In many parishes 
 there was on an average only one Bible in every eighth house,—the wealthy 
 and middle classes only. being able to possess a copy, while the cottagers 
 remained, from poverty, destitute of this treasure. 
 
 During all Mr. Henderson’s residence in Denmark and Sweden, he was, 
 
 2 
 
x BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 along with his missionary labors, busily prosecuting his studies in Hebrew and 
 Greek, as well as in German, Danish, and Swedish. We have already seen 
 how he first became interested in the enterprise for furnishing Iceland with 
 the word of God. Of the five thousand copies of the Icelandic New Tes- 
 tament that had been printed, as noticed above, fifteen hundred had been 
 sent off before the breaking out of the war between England and Denmark. 
 The remaining three thousand five hundred were lying in store, ready for 
 shipment. For some time the prosecution of the enterprise was unavoidably 
 interrupted. But at last, in 1810, it seemed possible to resume it. The 
 Bible Society having authorized one of the two missionaries to visit Iceland 
 in person, while the other should forward the printing of the Bibles that were 
 to follow, Mr. Henderson was designated for the tour in Iceland. This 
 occasioned a preliminary visit to England, where he spent the summer 
 of 1810 among ‘his old friends. He returned to Sweden in October, but 
 varius circumstances delayed his visit to Iceland, so that he was at liberty 
 to spend two years more at Gottenburgh. 
 
 ‘Tt was early in the year 1811, and probably as the result of arrangements 
 made with the Edinburgh publisher, or with some Edinburgh friend, when in 
 Scotland during the fi summer, that Mr. Henderson’s earliest literary 
 production, the first fruits of his German studies, left the press ; viz., a trans- 
 lation of Roos’s ‘ Exposition of Daniel.’”! The rules laid down by Roos as 
 canons for the interpretation of prophecy were adopted and adhered to by 
 Dr. Henderson to the last; and thus this initial work seems to have exerted 
 an important influence upon him as an expounder of prophecy. 
 
 But to return to the Icelandic Bible. Mr. Paterson was about to start for 
 Russia on a Bible mission, and it became necessary, to expedite the work, 
 that Mr. Henderson should obtain leave of entrance into Denmark, and then 
 repair to Copenhagen, where he could urge on the printer and the reviser of 
 the press in their daily work. His application the King of Denmark referred 
 to the Chancery. The Chancery, after some delay, sent the petition back to 
 his majesty, with a strong recommendation that it should be granted, and the 
 royal assent was accordingly given. But annoying delays occurred in con- 
 nection with the printing that remained to be done, as well as heavy expenses 
 arising from the depreciation of the Danish currency, and the exorbitant 
 war prices charged upon every article of food. 
 
 “The two years which were thus spent by him in the Danish capital, would 
 have been tedious, had-there not been great facilities in that city for the con- 
 tinuance of other labors. The translation of ‘The Warning Voice, and 
 ‘The End of Time’ into Icelandic, was effected beneath his eye, as also that 
 of the tract entitled ‘ Serious Considerations’ into Danish. In preparation for 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 84. 
 
᾿ 
 Me, 
 
 Gk a Wr Ok. ΧΙ 
 
 his contemplated journey, he was studying the language and ecclesiastical 
 history of Iceland.” 1 
 
 So the memoir; and in addition to this, it adds that he was also prosecuting 
 vigorously the study of Hebrew. ‘A Morocco Jew,” says he, in a letter 
 dated Dec. 1, 1812, “who has a beautiful pronunciation, reads a Hebrew 
 chapter with me the one day, and I read an English chapter with him the 
 
 2 
 
 other. I begin to speak a little with him in Hebrew.”? Having received a 
 suggestion from his friend Mr. Paterson, when on a visit to him in Sweden 
 in March 1814, that when his Icelandic mission was completed he “ might find 
 bible-work to do in the regions to the north and west of Russia,” he imme- 
 diately began to turn his attention to the languages of those regions. About 
 the same time, also, we find that he began the study of Arabic. He speaks 
 of it as ‘remarkably easy, the structure being so much like the Hebrew, and 
 there being so many Hebrew words in 10. “The Grammar,” he says, “ will 
 be an easy task. Its richness in words will be the principal difficulty.” ὃ 
 
 An object which Mr. Henderson earnestly desired to see effected before 
 leaving the country was the organization of the earliest Bible Society in Den- 
 mark. This good work he was permitted to see accomplished under very 
 favorable auspices, one of the rooms of the episcopal palace being offered 
 for the purpose, and the meeting being attended by several men of high 
 eminence. Soon after “this launching of Denmark’s life-ark,” all the need- 
 ful preparations having been at last made, Mr. Henderson embarked for 
 Iceland on the eighth of June, 1814. ‘The freight of Bibles,” says the 
 memoir, “had been subdivided, and the several packages forwarded during 
 the spring to seven of the principal Icelandic ports,— an arrangement 
 adopted by reason of the difficulty that would have attended their trans- 
 mission across the interior of the island. The treaty of Kiel, in January 
 1814, had effectually done away with the restrictions and risks incident to 
 the late war; and the Icelandic ship-owners had displayed a patriotic lib- 
 erality in conveying the books free of expense.”4 After a five weeks’ pas- 
 sage, he arrived in safety at Reykiavik, on the south-western coast of Iceland, 
 and was well received by Bishop Vidalin, by his step-son, Sysselmand Thor- 
 grimson, by Mr. Knudsen the Danish merchant, and several men of note in 
 the Icelandic metropolis. 
 
 Mr. Henderson’s printed account, entitled “Iceland, or the Journal of a 
 Residence in that Island,” δ is so copious, and so well known to the public, 
 that it is not necessary to enter into the details of his journeyings. Sutflice 
 it to say, that in three journeys, each from Reykiavik as a point of departure, 
 he explored the whole island, travelling not less than two thousand six hun- 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 117. 8 P. 182. 5 In two vols. 8vo. Edinburgh, 1818. 
 2P. 118. 4P. 1387. 
 
XII BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 dred miles, ascertaining the spiritual condition of the people, and everywhere 
 making efficient arrangements for the distribution of the word of God. 
 
 “Tn almost every hamlet there was new proof that such effort was needed ; 
 in each hamlet, proof also that the effort would meet with response on the 
 part of willing purchasers. Here was a parish in which a folio Bible, greatly 
 injured by use, had all its defective pages accurately supplied by the pen of a 
 common peasant; and there another, whose lent copy had so long been 
 retained by the islanders of Grimsey, that the right of its possession had 
 become a disputed point. One copy in an island; two in a parish; twelve 
 among two hundred people; six among two hundred and fifty; a clergyman 
 seeking for seventeen long years to possess a copy of his own, and hitherto 
 unable to secure the treasure; peasants who had offered, but offered in vain, 
 to the amount of five-and-twenty shillings for a copy ;—such are the inci- 
 dents that crowd upon the page. The Testaments sent over in 1807 and 1812, 
 were traced to their destination, but were found to have gone a very little 
 way towards meeting the extensive demand. * * * The general intelligence 
 of the people rendered their need of Scripture the more obvious. In a par- 
 ish of four hundred, where all who were above eight years old had been 
 taught to read, there might well be a universal desire for the Book of books.’’! 
 
 In the month of July, 1815, the initial steps were taken at Reykiavik which 
 resulted in the formation of the Icelandic Bible Society, an institution which 
 still exists, and, according to the latest communications, received several 
 years since, had issued in all above ten thousand Bibles and Testaments. 
 Having finished his work of exploration, Mr. Henderson sailed for Copenha- 
 gen, where he arrived Sept. 6, 1815. In bringing to a close the notice of 
 this visit to Iceland, it is pertinent to add, that, while zealously and energeti- 
 cally executing his commission as agent of the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society, he improved every opportunity to make himself acquainted with the 
 remarkable natural phenomena of that wonderful island. 
 
 “Te, in consequence, visited and inspected with ardent and indefatigable 
 zeal the awfully sublime, yea, often terrific scenes, which abound in that land 
 of volcanoes, in which often a strange conflict is seen between the elements 
 of fire and water — between boiling hot springs and all the cold and freezing 
 changes of snow and ice. There we find our traveller climbing up and 
 descending mountains, standing between thundering masses of melting lava 
 and rushing floods, and exhibiting an indomitable courage, amounting, in the 
 opinion of his hardy Icelandic guides, to almost a provocation of dangers so 
 immediate and threatening, that even a spectator at a distance could scarcely 
 refrain from mingled feelings of admiration of his courage and calm self- 
 possession, amidst surrounding scenes of horror, and of disapproval and 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 155. 
 
ὈΣΤΈΟΙΣ XIII 
 
 condemnation of a spirit of presumption, exposing health and life to needless 
 risk and sacrifice. * * * Yet this very boldness, nay, rashness, enabled him 
 to witness and describe scenes which few, if any, of his predecessors in 
 travel had dared to approach so near, and to observe so closely.”? 
 
 It should be added that Mr. Henderson, being a good Icelandic scholar, was 
 thus enabled freely to converse with all classes of the native population, from 
 the learned clergy and gentry to the illiterate farmer and day-laborer. ‘“ Thus 
 joyfully and manfully proceeding on his errand of mercy, he was treated by 
 high and low, by the clergy and the laity, in the most respectful manner. He 
 was most kindly and hospitably entertained, often accompanied part of the 
 way by those who had afforded him in their houses every accommodation and 
 comfort in their power; or provided with safe guides, and dismissed with 
 prayers, benedictions, and other affecting marks of the liveliest gratitude and 
 Christian affection, by our Icelandic brethren, — and which they desired to 
 evince to one who had been sent to them from a far distant nation as a mes- 
 senger of peace, and an angel of mercy, with the gift of that Holy Book, 
 which had already proved to millions, and would in time to come prove to 
 generations yet unborn, an inexhaustible source of the purest instruction, 
 and the most solid consolation.” 7 
 
 From his return to Copenhagen in September 1815, to October of the fol- 
 lowing year, Mr. Henderson was assiduously employed in journeying through 
 Denmark and the adjacent regions of Pomerania and northern Germany, 
 being, as he expressed it, “constantly on the wing.” Wishing for a season 
 of rest, he had already bespoken his passage to Leith, in Scotland, with the 
 hope of spending some time among his friends at home, when he received 
 notice of an appointment to visit St. Petersburgh, on an agency for the Brit- 
 ish and Foreign Bible Society. A letter written to Mr. Paterson under date 
 of October 22, 1816, gives a delightful revelation of his feelings in view οἵ. 
 this sudden change in his plans, and of his whole-hearted devotion to the 
 cause of Christ. He says: 
 
 “‘ What a complete change has instantaneously been effected in my plans! 
 IT imagined my continental labors were at a close for this season; had spent 
 about eight days with my friends here in Altona; bespoke my passage on 
 board one of the smacks for Leith; made every needful preparation for my 
 departure, and was fondly dreaming of domestic enjoyments, when all at 
 once I heard a voice behind me saying, ‘ This is the way, walk ye in it.’ I 
 ‘turned to the voice that spake unto me,’ and behold, my path was plain be- 
 fore me. Instead of Edinburgh, I was to regard St. Petersburgh as the place 
 of my destination. On Sabbath last, after preaching my first sermon on 
 
 1 Rey. Dr. Steinkopff, as quoted in memoir, p. 105. 
 2 Dr. Steinkopff, as quoted above, p. 106. 
 
XIV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 Lot’s wife, I received two letters from London, one five, the other only six 
 days old, urging the necessity of my repairing without a moment’s delay to 
 St. Petersburgh, with the view of strengthening your hands in the work of 
 the Lord.” 
 
 Of course he complied without hesitation, and wrote to the committee in 
 London: “ Had I not come to the determination instantly to comply with 
 your request, how could I have borne the cutting reflection, ‘Demas hath 
 forsaken me, having loved the present world ?’ ”? 
 
 In the middle of December we find him in the Russian capital, where his 
 labors, after he had been duly initiated by Mr. Paterson (who was preparing 
 for a teraporary absence), date from about the commencement of the year 
 1817. Here he entered upon “ another man’s line of things made ready to 
 his hand,” for Mr. Paterson was an efficient Bible agent. 
 
 “The task was multiform. It consisted in seeing to the corrections of the 
 proofs as they left the press, and in superintending the town-issue of those 
 Scriptures, or portions of Scripture, that were already in stock; in trans- 
 mitting copies, when needful, to the associations already formed in various 
 parts of the empire, and in corresponding with the Astrachan and other mis- 
 sionaries about the translations or reéditions that were yet needed. French, 
 Greek, Moldavian, Georgian, Calmuc, and other Bibles were in progress. 
 Archimandrites and princes had to be consulted; translators had to be con- 
 ferred with; paper, types, and binding had to be cared for; the depot to be 
 looked after; and committee-meetings, of several hours in duration, to be 
 attended.” 
 
 How efficient was the Russian Bible Society at this period, may be inferred 
 from the fact, that in a letter dated St. Petersburgh, June 8, 1817, Dr. Hen- 
 derson states that from the establishment of the society, to the present time, 
 its committee had “ either published, or engaged in publishing, no fewer than . 
 forty-three editions of the sacred Scriptures, in seventeen different languages, 
 forming a grand total of one hundred and ninety-six thousand copies.”* 
 Much of the success of the good cause he attributes to the warm patronage 
 then extended by the Emperor Alexander to the Bible cause. 
 
 An incident that occurred during this visit to St. Petersburgh deserves a 
 passing notice, as a further illustration of his self-denying missionary spirit. 
 He received in January 1817 a very urgent and unexpected call to join the 
 mission which had been projected by the London Missionary Society to the 
 town of Irkutsk, in Siberia. Immediately he set apart a day for solemn self- 
 examination and prayer with reference to his duty. The record he has left 
 of this, shows how deep down into his soul the true spirit of Christianity had 
 penetrated. The result of this prayerful deliberation was a decision to go on 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 205. 2 P. 205. 3 P. 208. 4 Ῥ. 219. 
 
OF THE AUTHOR. XV 
 
 the mission, though he thereby renounced the fondly-cherished hope of a 
 visit to his native country. But scarcely was this determination formed 
 before he was called to reconsider it, on account of the strenuous efforts of 
 the Bible Society to retain him in their employment; and this cost him a 
 severer struggle than the first. But, with the same simplicity of purpose with 
 which he had formed the resolve to go on the Irkutsk mission, he renounced 
 it, and continued his labors in the service of the Bible Society. 
 
 During the residence in St. Petersburgh that has just been noticed, he re- 
 ceived from Copenhagen a document, sealed with the triangle and the seven- 
 stringed lyre of the Scandinavian Literary Society, nominating him one of 
 its corresponding members. In the month of June following, a diploma was 
 forwarded from Kiel, conferring upon him the title of Doctor in Philosophy. 
 
 The return of Dr. Paterson, in August, left him at liberty to revisit his 
 native land, where he arrived in December, taking Stockholm, Copenhagen, 
 and other places belonging to the field of his former labors, on his route. 
 
 The earliest news that reached Dr. Henderson upon his return to England 
 was the tidings of his mother’s death. His father’s decease had occurred 
 during his Icelandic explorations. Repairing to Edinburgh, he wrote the 
 concluding part of his work on Iceland} and superintended the printing of the 
 same. In the end of April, 1818, his volumes left the press, bearing a dedi- 
 cation to Prince Christian Frederic, of Denmark. So favorably were they 
 received, that a second edition was soon called for, and an abridgment was 
 published at a later date in the United States. 
 
 Soon afterwards (May 19) he was united in marriage to Miss Susannah 
 Kennion, the daughter of Mr. John Kennion, in whom he found a compan- 
 ion of cultivated mind and congenial spirit, every way worthy of himself. 
 The ensuing summer he spent in travelling for the Bible Society through 
 England and Scotland. On Monday, Sept. 28, he, with his companion, set 
 sail from Leith, on his third continental journey. It was intended that after 
 revisiting the Hanoverian and Holstein auxiliaries, he should winter at Co- 
 penhagen, then pass, vid Norway, to St. Petersburgh, and finally take up his 
 abode at Astrachan, on the Caspian Sea, where rooms were already assigned 
 him in the Mission House, and whither the bulk of his luggage was at once 
 forwarded, to await his expected arrival. Such was the plan. He was now 
 in the zenith of his popularity and influence as a Bible agent, and to human 
 appearance everything promised a favorable issue. But, as in the beginning 
 of his missionary career, so now he had to learn once more that God’s ways 
 are not man’s ways. To him it happened, as it has to many other eminent 
 servants of God, that, in the full tide of success, a series of reverses was to be 
 encountered, by which his Christian activity should be turned into another 
 channel, where, doubtless, God saw that his labors could best subserve the 
 
XVI BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 cause of his kingdom. When, in carrying out the plan above sketched, the 
 time had arrived for his long-planned journey to Norway, he started from 
 Gottenburgh on this expedition “in a small country conveyance, so low built 
 that its structure naturally suggested a notion of perfect security. “It is 
 hardly bigger than a wheelbarrow; if it were upset, you could scarcely be 
 hurt, was the remark casually made.”! But he had that very day to learn that 
 
 “ Safety consists not in escape 
 From dangers of a frightful shape.’? 
 
 About mid-day, the little vehicle was upset, and the traveller’s shoulder and 
 the radius of the fore-arm were dislocated and otherwise injured. Unable to 
 bear the motion of a carriage, he was conveyed to the river near by, and 
 taken back along the Gotha Elf. Eventually, the bones in the fore-arm lost 
 their power of flexion and rotation, and the delay which the accident had 
 occasioned left no time for the journey to Norway. 
 
 Dr. Henderson proceeded to St. Petersburgh, which place was reached on 
 the 11th of September, 1819. The studies which occupied the closing months 
 of 1819, like those of the preceding winter at Copenhagen, consisted in the 
 mastering of the Turkish, Tatar, and, Persic languages, all of which would 
 be needed for his anticipated Astrachan labors, upon which he hoped to enter 
 the ensuing season. But a delay of a whole year was occasioned by the 
 death of Dr. Paterson’s wife, which made it necessary that the bereaved hus- 
 band should have a temporary respite from his services at the Russian capi- 
 tal. It was not till March 1821 that Drs. Paterson and Henderson could 
 arrange to start with Mr. Seroff, one of the committee, on their projected 
 visit of exploration. Leaving St. Petersburgh, they proceeded, by Novgorod 
 and Tver, to Moscow; thence, by Kalouga and Koursk, to Pultawa, the field 
 so fatal to the Swedish hero; thence, by Tchernigov and Kiev, to Odessa, on 
 the Black Sea. After this they made an eight days’ Crimean trip, spending 
 the Sabbath at Akhtiar, the modern Sevastopol. Thence they journeyed 
 eastward to Taganrog, on the Sea of Azof, where Dr. Henderson was seized 
 with an ague which clung to him with pertinacity during all the remainder 
 of his journey. Crossing the Don, they entered Asia, and finally reached 
 the long-looked-for Astrachan on the 13th of August, where a great part of 
 Dr. Henderson’s furniture and library were awaiting his permanent residence. 
 
 Starting again from Astrachan, on the first of October, on their way 
 towards Persia, they crossed the Caucasian mountains; but, when they had 
 advanced as far as Tiflis, their expedition was brought to a elose by a differ- 
 ence of opinion between them and the Bible Society, which resulted in their 
 tendering their resignation as its accredited agents. This had respect to Ali 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 239, 
 
a 
 OF THE AUTHOR. XVII 
 
 Bey’s Turkish version of the New Testament, with which the two friends 
 were dissatisfied on grounds the validity of which was afterwards recognized, 
 at least in a practical way, by the managers of the Bible Society. Recross- 
 ing the Caucasus, and ordering the goods which had arrived at Astrachan to 
 be repacked and sent to St. Petersburgh, they hastened back to the Russian 
 capital, which they reached early in February 1822. Here they were imme- 
 diately retained in the service of the Russian Bible Society. To this Dr. 
 Henderson devoted the last three years of his residence in Russia. It was 
 not long before symptoms of a deep-laid scheme of opposition to the Bible 
 cause began to manifest themselves. The plot, according to Dr. Paterson, 
 embraced not only Greek ecclesiastics, but others of high eminence, among 
 whom he names Metternich, the great Austrian diplomatist. To trace 
 the history of this conspiracy against the word of truth, would be out 
 of place in the present brief notice. How successful it was in the end, we 
 all know. The Emperor Alexander remained personally friendly to the 
 agents; but so limited had become the operations of the society, with no 
 prospect of any enlargement in the future, that, in the spring of 1825, Dr. 
 Henderson sought and obtained, through Prince Galitzin, the emperor's per- 
 mission to resign his office. No time was Jost in making arrangements for the 
 homeward voyage, and on the the 5th of July, 1825, he and his were safely 
 landed in the British metropolis. Dr. Paterson tarried a little longer, but he 
 too was compelled to withdraw; and upon the accession of the Emperor 
 Nicholas, all operations at the Bible House were speedily suspended, at least 
 so far as concerned the distribution of the Scriptures to Russian subjects. 
 “Tt only remains to be hoped,” adds the memoir, “that the day may come 
 when the second Alexander shall emulate the Christian graces and religious 
 benevolence of the imperial relative whose name he bears; and that the 
 house of Romanoff may yet be linked with Russia’s highest and best pros- 
 perity.”+ 
 
 It ought to be added that, during his last three years’ residence in St. Peters- 
 burgh, the Ethiopic was the language to which Dr. Henderson particularly 
 devoted himself. 
 
 « Among his papers, and dated April, 1823, is a neatly-executed collation 
 of St. John’s Gospel, in the Ethiopic, as preserved in manuscript in the Pub- 
 lic Imperial Library. His standard of comparison was the Ethiopic of the 
 London Polyglott, and each instance of a various reading appears to be 
 noted down in its order.” 3 
 
 But he did not content himself with being simply a student of God’s word, 
 and an agent for its distribution. He sought opportunity to preach it also. 
 Turning his attention to the English sailors at Cronstadt, he began to preach 
 
 1 Memoir, pp. 299, 300. : 2 P. 276. 
 
, 
 XVIII BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 there regularly beneath the Bethel flag, going out on Saturday and returning 
 on the Monday’s boat. The interest which he thus felt in seamen was cher- 
 ished after his return to his native land, and he was often employed ip advo- 
 cating their cause on the platform or from the pulpit. 
 
 With Dr. Henderson’s return to England, his missionary labors, extending 
 over a term of twenty years, were brought to a close. We are now to con- 
 template him in the character of a teacher and an author. The decease of 
 Rey. Dr. Bogue, in October 1826, left vacant the Theological Tutorship of 
 the Missionary College at Hoxton, which was under the supervision of the 
 Directors of the London Missionary Society. On the recommendation of 
 several friends, Dr. Henderson was invited to take provisional charge of the 
 missionary students, until some permanent arrangement could be made. Here 
 he so approved himself to the Directors, that, in the following spring, they 
 agreed on inviting him to accept the permanent tutorship in that institution. 
 Thus, by one of those easy movements which are so characteristic of God’s 
 providential government, he was quietly inducted into an office for the fulfil- 
 ling of whose duties he had been for years unconsciously qualifying himself. 
 It was not, however, without hesitation, that he consented to occupy this re- 
 sponsible situation. In a letter addressed to the treasurer of the society, 
 while the question of his acceptance was still pending, he says: 
 
 “ Though I can truly say that nothing would give me greater delight than 
 to be in any way instrumental in preparing missionary candidates for the 
 great and weighty office towards which their attention is directed, I do feel 
 the duties and responsibilities attaching to the Theological Tutorship to be of 
 so very serious a nature, that I should consider it the height of presumption 
 in a mere stripling like myself to think of undertaking the task. 
 
 “ Surely, my dear sir, the Directors are not aware that the course of study 
 which I enjoyed before leaving Scotland was extremely limited; and that 
 during the twenty years I have spent in foreign parts, my time has been so 
 completely occupied with business of an altogether desultory kind, as to pré- 
 clude the possibility of my giving any attention to the study of systematic 
 theology.” + ἯΙ 
 
 That the objection thus ingenuously stated by him was in ,itself weighty, 
 need not be denied. The fact, however, that he so felt its weight, is the best 
 evidence that the Directors acted wisely in disregarding it. Had he been one 
 of those men who are always boasting of their limited advantages in early life, 
 instead of assiduously occupying themselves, as he did, in making amends for 
 what was then deficient by the diligent improvement of all the means at their 
 disposal, he would not have merited the confidence of the Directors. But, 
 understanding that he was one who could master any subject to which he gave 
 
 1 Memoir, pp. 807, 308. 
 
ie te AU THOR. XIX 
 
 close attention, and who would spare no pains to fit himself for the conscien- 
 tious discharge of any duty he might be prevailed on to undertake, they, by 
 their deputation, overcame his scruples, and induced his consent. He brought 
 to his work not only a true missionary spirit, but also a rich fund of experi- 
 ence. Hence he was able to enrich his lectures with apposite and forci- 
 ble illustrations, which gave pointedness and weight to the maxims that he 
 inculcated. First of all he sought to elevate the standard of piety among 
 the missionary students. ‘“ The business,” said he, “on which you go forth is 
 of so unearthly a nature, — it has so immediately to do with God, the souls 
 of men, and the eternal world, —that except you are influenced by motives 
 drawn from these sources, you must inevitably fail of becoming efficient 
 laborers in the missionary field. It is not to learn languages, translate books, 
 or introduce the arts and sciences of civilized life, that you go to the heathen. 
 Whatever of this description may engage your attention, is merely subordi- 
 nate and accessory. You go to instruct, to win, to save souls. To this 
 everything must bend; to this everything must be laid under contribution. 
 * * * And can you possibly expect to prove successful in such an enterprise, 
 to enter heartily into it, or prosecute it with enthusiasm, vigor, and persever- 
 ance, if your spirit be worldly, and your affections low and grovelling ?”? 
 While thus giving, as was meet, the foremost place to the culture of the 
 heart, he assiduously strove to foster a taste for theological and linguistic 
 acquirements. The following extracts, from the pen of one who had access to 
 Dr. Henderson’s class-room, will best illustrate his characteristics as a teacher: 
 
 “ As a teacher, he brought nothing into the class-room which had not been 
 carefully and even elaborately prepared. * * * It was rather his intense 
 application and indomitable industry, than any extraordinary talent, that 
 distinguished him. If by genius is meant the undoubted possession of the 
 creative or inventive faculty, then genius was not the property of my friend. 
 If anything, he was rather wanting in imagination. * * * He never indulged 
 much in illustration, and his illustrations never partook of the daring of 
 genius. But if, on the other hand, ‘ genius is the instinct of enterprise,’ and 
 if the instinct of enterprise is labor, then, in this sense, my honored friend 
 was the possessor of this mighty gift. * * * As Dr. Henderson was not a 
 man who lived without a purpose, so neither was he a man to spend his hours 
 without a plan. His time was faithfully divided ; and in each division he had 
 his self-appointed round of duties and engagements, to which he devoted 
 himself with unwearied and strenuous perseverance. His lectures were the 
 result of extensive reading and careful investigation. * * * He excelled in 
 weighing evidence, and impressing upon it its relative value. His discrimi- 
 nation was clear, and his judgment was sound. He was wholly free from 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 319. 
 
XXII BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 the date of this re-issue. Abbott’s “Corner Stone” underwent revision at 
 his hand, and the English editions of Prof. Stewart’s Commentaries also 
 passed under his eye. In 1836 appeared his well-known treatise on “ Divine 
 Inspiration,” which has passed through several editions. Ata later period, 
 after his labors at Highbury had been brought to a close, he superintended 
 the republication of five works from the pen of the Rev. Albert Barnes, 
 prefixing prefaces of his own to two of them, viz., the Commentaries on the 
 books of Job and Revelation. The other works were, “ Notes on the Book 
 of Daniel,” “The Way of Salvation,” and “ Essays on Science and The- 
 ology.” 
 
 Passing by other works of minor importance published or edited by him, 
 we come to his Commentaries. The first of these, on the Prophet Isaiah, 
 
 appeared in the year 1840, when the author was now fifty-six years of age. » 
 
 It was the result of long, patient, earnest study. This book had sometimes 
 formed the basis of his readings with the fourth year’s class at college, and he 
 justly felt that something further was needed in the way of elucidating it. 
 Vitringa was too prolix; Lowth far from satisfactory, and abounding in 
 many needless and conjectural emendations of the text. The modern Ger- 
 man commentaries were all more or less tainted with neology; and the com- 
 mentaries of Barnes and Alexander, in this country, had not yet appeared. 
 It is stated by the biographer that ‘some four or five years seem to. have 
 been occupied in the actual compiling of the volume.”! This commentary, 
 like all the succeeding, he terms, “ critical, philological, and exegetical.” In 
 the first of these departments, criticism of the sacred text, he steadfastly 
 abides by the ordinary text, where there is no overwhelming amount of man- 
 uscript evidence in favor of some other reading. In his philological remarks 
 he makes an abundant yet sober use of the cognate languages, relying, first 
 of all, on a collation of the several passages in which a given word occurs in 
 the sacred text, and having recourse to the cognate tongues only as a supple- 
 mentary aid. In the exegetical department it is his aim to evolve the exact 
 scope and force of the prophetic declarations as at first uttered, and under a 
 full view of the circumstances that attended their utterance. 
 
 The same general characteristics belong to the present commentary on 
 the “Minor Prophets,” which appeared next in order, in the year 1845. 
 This is the most learned and elaborate of all his works. In the wonderful 
 diversity of style and manner by which each of the twelve Minor Prophets 
 is so Clearly distinguished from all the rest,—a diversity very apparent in 
 
 the English version, but displaying itself in its full beauty only to him who: 
 
 reads them in the original,— Dr. Henderson’s pen found a fine field of ex- 
 ercise, which it did not fail to improve in a very thorough way. It is stated 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 890. 
 
OF THE AUTHOR. XXII 
 
 by the biographer that the popularity of this work among the students of the 
 sacred text ‘‘ has been fully as great as was that of his ‘ Isaiah, — among the 
 Americans even greater.”! This is due partly, perhaps, to its greater in- 
 trinsic merit, but still more to the paucity of commentaries on the Minor 
 Prophets, that unite rich and varied learning with the pure evangelical spirit. 
 
 It was after his retirement from Highbury that his commentaries on Jere- 
 miah and Ezekiel appeared — the former in 1851, the latter in 1855. These 
 are of a less elaborate character. 
 
 “The Commentary on Jeremiah contained, as it required, a proportion- 
 ately smaller number of notes than had been needful in the preceding vol- 
 umes. But the notes which it did thus contain have been deemed by no 
 means inferior to those of an earlier date, either in thought or expression. 
 * * * The five lamentations, or elegies, of the prophet, are appropriately in- 
 cluded in the work.” 5 
 
 Of the book of the prophet Ezekiel it can hardly be said that for its 
 full illustration it required fewer notes than Isaiah or the Minor Prophets. 
 The brevity of Dr. Henderson’s commentary on this book is ascribed in the 
 biography to the fact that “the tide of life was receding, and the fulness of 
 life’s labors was diminishing.”* It must not be supposed, however, that the 
 matter which it contains is of an inferior quality. It embodies the results 
 mainly of his previous investigations, stated in a clear and perspicuous 
 manner, though the biblical student could wish for fuller discussions of some 
 points. 
 
 To the above sketch, drawn from the materials furnished by the biography, 
 with only here and there the addition of a passing reflection, it may be proper 
 to add, by way of independent judgment, a single general criticism on Dr. 
 Henderson as an expounder of prophecy. In perusing his commentaries, not 
 a few will feel that he carries to an unwarrantable extent the principle of 
 restricting the prophetic declarations and delineations to specific events. This 
 makes necessary the assumption of very abrupt transitions backwards and for- 
 wards, where it would seem that the principle of a progressive fulfilment — 
 “ first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear ” — would have 
 the double advantage of being in harmony with all that we know of the plan 
 of God’s government, and also of carrying the interpreter consistently through 
 
 1 Memoir, p. 417. The present is a reprint from the English edition, with the exception 
 of some few corrections furnished by Dr. Henderson himself. With the exception of the 
 Ethiopic, the quotations from the cognate languages with which the commentary abounds, 
 as also those from the Greek and Latin, have been corrected by a comparison with the 
 original sources. 
 
 2 Memoir, pp. 488, 484. 
 
 8 P. 454. 
 
XXIV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 passages in which the near and more remote future are manifestly blended. 
 For example, in Isa. 4: 1, the reference is undeniably to judgments near at 
 hand; in the verses that follow, the future glory and safety of the church are 
 exhibited as following and effected by the mighty judgments of Jehovah 
 codperating with the efficacions working of his Spirit. Both passages are 
 closely connected by the introductory words of verse 2: Jn that day.1 Dr. 
 Henderson, in his commentary, makes a distinct chapter to begin with verse 
 2, remarking that, “having depicted the wickedness of the Jews, and the 
 awful judgments with which it would be punished, the prophet devotes this 
 short chapter (chap. 4: 2—6) to an announcement of the glory and felicity 
 of the Church in the time of the Messiah.” His note on the two introductory 
 words is the following: “2. sinm 0493, at or after that period. The prep. 
 2 does not always strictly express what is contained within any given time or 
 space ; it also points out nearness, society, or accompaniment, that which is 
 in connection with, or which follows upon something else. In prophetic vis- 
 ion, the two states of adversity and prosperity were so closely connected, 
 that one period might be said to comprehend them both.” The meaning of 
 the last clause, taken in connection with what precedes, seems to be that the 
 two states of prosperity and adversity are connected to the prophet’s vision, 
 because he does not discern the wide interval of time which actually sepa- 
 rates them. Would it not be a more exact statement to say that the prophet 
 sees the two states of prosperity and adversity in connection, because they 
 are thus connected in their inmost nature, being both parts of one indivisible 
 whole, viz., the progress of God’s people through severe discipline, to peace 
 and universal victory ; that, therefore, the predicted calamities which should 
 befall the Jews in connection with their first captivity, though having a true 
 historic fulfilment, yet stand as the representatives of like calamities to be 
 repeated in their history, and that of the Christian Church, which is their 
 true heir, as often as their sins shall make it necessary; and that the prom- 
 ised future glory of God’s people, though having its perfect accomplishment 
 only in the latter days of the Christian dispensation, yet includes in itself all 
 previous deliverances and enlargements from the prophet’s day onward, even 
 as the perfect day includes in itself the morning dawn which ushers it in, and 
 is a part of it? 
 
 To take another example: Dr. Henderson rightly regards Ezekiel’s temple- 
 vision as a symbolic representation, the model presented being ideal, not that 
 of an actual structure to be literally realized in all its details in the coming 
 future. But for limiting its direct reference to the resettlement of the Jews 
 in their own land, and the literal restoration of their sanctuary privileges 
 
 1 ΠΏ pha. 
 
OF THE AUTHOR. XXV 
 
 and sacrificial institutes in the metropolis of Canaan, he seems to have no 
 good warrant. The resettlement of the land of Canaan, and the rebuilding 
 of the city and temple after the captivity, were only a part, and a very small 
 part, of the “good things to come” which the vision shadowed forth. Its 
 fulfilment belongs to the whole history of the church from Ezekiel’s day 
 onward, and it will be completed only in that yet future day when God shall 
 make good to the uttermost his ancient promise: “ Ὁ thou afflicted, tossed 
 with tempest, and not comforted! behold I will lay thy stones with fair col- 
 ors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows 
 of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of precious stones. 
 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the 
 peace of thy children.”! Then shall the name of that spiritual city of God 
 be called, in the fullest sense of the words, “" THe LorpD 15 THERE.” 
 
 Such would be the general criticism which we should offer on Dr. Hendér- 
 son’s commentaries. At the same time we should warmly commend them to 
 the diligent study of the Biblical scholar, as rich sources of instruction and 
 profit. 
 
 1 Isaiah 64: 11—18. 
 4 
 
Tt ee 
 
 heals aie pki 
 + bin 
 arg Sats » ἡ ἡ wit ι 
 ΒΝ Werk toa ἐλ ee 
 ' TGs ὦ s ν᾿ ban “rtd! alt we “id teetinia. P γ᾽ 
 χει τ δι ΣΙ bogie hon bi de “οὐεξν 4 
 , εηῦσ oh i eee ik ω ινὴ en 
 woe? Tut μησὶ ἀντ ved ist ans 
 
 yi fal Nee) are * vende ant ν ors 
 
 1 iy ou 4) vn ; 
 ahaa at day ἯΙ 
 war ee sein tag 
 ον ae 
 - ὼ ΐ Pith a αν ἀμ a 
 meray’ δηόνδδα Ἶ Μὰ ek. eed ieee 
 
 ect Nene Ἔν elem Wet oF, Laden αἱ ἜΜΕΝ mabey! 
 (pny SL ον eine arn cit hie wages 5’ by iysaeed 
 ted wa 6 dw faalecuig’ tes Ἰσυμν ith He ome 
 + pena Ἰὰ norte eal: nlY ἐδοῦε 
 bowils fret Δα, edopd ἀφ αἱ gathha qd 
 
 fe nhl iat a δὲ ΤᾺ Bhi uae AB ne 5 
 
 fess Lalor οἱ 4 ἠϊ νὴ wah Fosgate at ma, 
 
 νυ. 
 
 τῇ γγδυς ὁ τῷ ἰλϑομν, ΠΡ ΛΥΤΕΝ τῆς 
 
 Ad ats Mel οἱ warren hese as et ip 
 
 cones αὐ Θὲ (it NNR eat μιλίομα." . ὧδ 
 
 4 
 
 5 > hw ow ao 
 
 “weg bi .tehdeoxn © 25 
 « ΠΡ λα Ὁ ifs ae 
 aS μα nah ah ϊ 7” ιν wh εν κα δ vee ἃ ἔν 
 foes Rate ee tie ραν ὧὡν χὔαλ ἢ 
 
 4 
 
 a 
 
 
 
GENERAL PREFACE. 
 
 THE Minor Prophets are first mentioned as the Twelve by Jesus the Son 
 of Sirach. Under this designation, they also occur in the Talmudic tract, 
 entitled Baba Bathra ;* and Jerome specifies, as the eighth in the second 
 division of the sacred books of the Jews, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, 
 which, he says, they call Thereasar.2 Melito, who is the first of the Greek 
 Fathers that has leftus a catalogue of these books, uses precisely the same 
 language. That they were regarded as forming one collective body of writ- 
 ings at a still earlier period, appears from the reference made by the proto- 
 martyr Stephen to the Book of the Prophets,> when quoting Amos v. 27. 
 The same style is employed by the Rabbins, who call Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezek- 
 iel, and the Twelve, the Four Latter Prophets. They are also spoken of as 
 one book by Gregory Nazianzen, in his poem, setting forth the component 
 parts of the sacred volume." 
 
 At what time, and by whom they were collected, cannot be determined 
 with certainty. According to Jewish tradition, the collection of the sacred 
 books generally is attributed to the men of the Great Synagogue, a body of 
 learned Scribes, said to have been formed by Ezra, and continuing in exist- 
 ence till the time of Simon the Just, who flourished early in the third century 
 before Christ. In the opinion of many, Nehemiah completed this collection, 
 by adding to those books which had already obtained a place in the canon, 
 such as had been written in, or near his own times.* If this actually was the 
 case, it cannot be doubted that he must have availed himself of the authority 
 of Malachi in determining what books were really entitled to this distinction ; 
 and this Prophet, who was the last in the series of inspired writers under the 
 ancient dispensation, may thus be considered to have given to the canon the 
 
 Kal τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν τὰ ὀστᾶ ἀναϑάλοι ex τοῦ τόπου αὐτῶν. Ecclus. xlix. 10. 
 “wy Caw. 
 “OF ΠΩ ; or, as it is generally contracted, Ὁ. 
 τῶν δώδεκα ἐν μονοβίβλιῳ. 
 Καϑὼς γέγραπται ἐν Βίβλῳ τῶν προφητῶν, Acts vii. 42. 
 E 2s ΡΝ 59 WPAN. 
 7 Μίαν μέν εἰσιν ἐς γραφὴν οἱ Δώδεκα" 
 
 None κ᾽ ᾿Αμὼς, καὶ Μιχαίας 6 τρίτος, 
 
 Ἔπεῖϑ᾽ Ἰωὴλ, εἶτ᾽ Ἰωνᾶς, ᾿Αβδίας, 
 
 Ναούμ τε; ᾿Αββακούκ τε καὶ Zopovias, 
 
 ᾿Αγγαῖος, εἶτα Zaxapatas, Μαλαχίας, 
 
 Μία μὲν οἷδε. Carmen xxx. iii. 
 - Kal ὡς καταβαλλόμενος βιβλωδήκην, ἐπισυνήγαγε τὰ περὶ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ 
 προφητῶν, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Δαυὶδ, καὶ ἐπιστολὰς βασιλέων περὶ ἀναϑεμάτων. 2 Mace. ii. 18, 
 
 Oo 
 
 an fF ὦ 
 
 
 
XX VII GENERAL PREFACE. 
 
 sanction of Divine approbation. Within a century and a half afterwards, 
 they were translated into Greek, along with the rest of the sacred books, and 
 have ever since obtained an undisputed place among the oracles of God. 
 
 To these twelve prophetical books the epithet ‘‘ Minor” has been applied, 
 simply on the ground of their size, compared with those which precede them, 
 and not with any view of detracting from their value, or of representing them 
 as in any respect inferior in point of authority. 
 
 The books are not arranged in the same order in the Hebrew and Septu- 
 agint texts, and in neither is the chronology exactly observed, as may be seen 
 from -the following table, in which the mean time is assumed as the basis of 
 the calculation : 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 HEBREW. LXX. CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. 
 
 1. Hosea 1. Hosea. Li JOC] seek ia) her τος OND BES BG. 
 2. Joel 2. Amos. 2. ἈΠΟΠΒΝ re ee adie = ee 510) 
 8. Amos. 8. Micah. Oe EAMOSN. | elite. ce πο se RO 
 4. Obadiah. 4. Joel. 4. ELOSCR: αὐλοῦ ὦ πὴ. Ὁ ΕΝ 
 5. Jonah. 5. Obadiah. Bat εἰν eshte cn tte emer ner 
 6. Micah. 6. Jonah. Ga το die meee 
 7. Nahum. 7. Nahum. ie Zephaniah | aden my τὴν ὍΝ 
 8. Habakkuk. 8. Habakkuk. 8:Habakkule uc Ἀν te ee ΚΟ ΝΒ 
 9. Zephaniah. 9. Zephaniah. Obadiah yo. 5. 928s) ee oD 
 10. Haggai. 10. Haggai. 10. Hag gay i a et he ae DAD 
 11. Zechariah. 11. Zechariah. ll. Zechariah ον 2... κα 520 
 12. Malachi. 12. Malachi. 12. Malachi sitet ots ves ote ddd 
 
 
 
 Newcome, Boothroyd, and some other translators, have adopted the order 
 which appeared to them to be chronologically correct; but in the present 
 work that is retained which is found in the Hebrew Bible, and followed in the 
 Vulgate, in all the authorized European versions, and in those of Michaelis, 
 Dathe, De Wette, and others, simply on the ground of the facility of refer- 
 ence, which the other arrangement does not afford, but which is practically 
 of greater importance than any advantage derivable from the change. 
 
 The Minor Prophets have generally been considered more obscure and 
 difficult of interpretation than any of the other prophetical books of the Old 
 Testament. Besides the avoidance of a minute and particular style of de- 
 scription, and the exhibition of the more general aspects of events only, 
 which are justly regarded as essentially characteristic of prophecy, and the 
 exuberance of imagery, which was so admirably calculated to give effect to 
 the oracles delivered by the inspired Seers, but which to us does not possess 
 the vividness and perspicuity which it did to those to whom it was originally 
 exhibited, there are peculiarities attaching more or less to each of the writers, 
 arising either from his matter, or from the manner of its treatment, which 
 present difficulties of no ordinary magnitude to common readers, and many 
 that are calculated to exercise the ingenuity, and, in no small degree, to per- 
 plex the mind of the more experienced interpreter. We are frequently left 
 to guess historical circumstances from what we otherwise know of the features 
 of the times, and sometimes we have no other means of ascertaining their 
 character than what are furnished by the descriptive terms employed in the 
 predictions themselves. Though in such cases general ideas may be collected 
 
x 
 
 GENERAL PREFACE. XXIX 
 
 respecting the persons or things which are presented to view in the text, yet 
 we want the historical commentary which would elucidate and give point to 
 its various particulars. The accounts contained in the books of Kings and 
 Chronicles are frequently too brief to furnish us with a key to many of the 
 prophecies which were fulfilled during the period which they embrace ; while 
 the pages of profane history only slightly touch, if they touch at all, upon 
 events which the scope and bearing of the predictions determine to periods 
 within the range of subjects professedly treated of by its authors. 
 
 Against none of these prophets has the charge of obscurity been brought 
 with greater appearance of justice than against Hosea, whose prophecies are 
 obviously, for the most part, mere compendia, or condensed notes of what he 
 publicly delivered, though preserving, to a considerable extent, the logical 
 and verbal forms which characterized his discourses. Besides a profusion of 
 metaphors, many of which are derived from sources little accordant with the 
 dictates of occidental taste, we find in his book a conciseness of expression, 
 an abruptness of transition, a paucity of connecting particles, and changes 
 in person, number, and gender, to which nothing equal occurs in any of the 
 other prophets. The visions of Zechariah also are not without their difficul- 
 ties; but these arise, not from the language, which is remarkably simple in its 
 character, but from the symbols which represent certain historical scenes and 
 events. 
 
 The period of time within which the authors of the books flourished, in- 
 cludes the entire prophetic cycle of more than four hundred years — Isaiah, 
 Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, having also lived in it. It is unquestionably 
 the most eventful in the history of the Hebrews. It embraces the introduc- 
 tion of image-worship, and that of Phcenician idolatry, with all its attendant 
 evils, among the Israelites; the regicidal murders and civil wars which shook 
 their kingdom to its centre; the corruptions of the Jewish state in conse- 
 quence of its adoption of the idolatrous practices of the northern tribes; the 
 Assyrian and Egyptian alliances; the irruption of the Syrian, Assyrian, and 
 Chaldean armies into Palestine; the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities ; 
 the Persian conquests ; the release of the Jews, and their restoration to their 
 own land; and the state of affairs at Jerusalem during the governorship of 
 Nehemiah. Upon all these various events and circumstances, the predictions, 
 warnings, threatenings, promises, and moral lessons, have, in a multiplicity of 
 aspects, a more or less pointed and important bearing. Events subsequent 
 to this period likewise form the subjects of prophetic announcement -—such 
 as the progress of Alexander the Great; the successes of the Maccabees; the 
 corruptions which prevailed in the last times of the Jewish state; the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem by the Romans; the dispersion, future conversion, and 
 restoration of the Jews; and the universal establishment of true religion 
 throughout the world. Intermingled with these topics, and giving to each a 
 significance and interest which it could not otherwise have possessed, are 
 some of the clearest and most illustrious predictions respecting the Messiah, 
 in his divine and human, his sacerdotal and suffering, and his regal and all- 
 conquering character that are to be found in the Old Testament. 
 
XXX GENERAL PREFACE. 
 
 It is impossible seriously to peruse this collection of prophetical writings 
 without discovering the Omniscient Eye to which all future events, with the 
 most minute of their attendant circumstances, are present; the Omnipotent 
 Arm, which, in the most difficult cases, secures the accomplishment of the 
 Divine purposes; the glorious attributes of Jehovah as the Moral Governor 
 of the universe, and the special Friend and Protector of his people ; the deep 
 depravity of the human heart; the multiform phases of moral evil ; and the 
 just retributions which befall mankind in the present state of existence. 
 These, and numerous subjects of a kindred nature, furnish abundance of 
 matter “ profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in 
 righteousness,” which, while it is able to make “men wise unto salvation, 
 through faith which is in Christ Jesus,” is also admirably fitted to “make the 
 man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Tim. 
 iii. 15—17. 
 
 The principles on which the Author has proceeded in preparing the pres- 
 ent work are the same by which he was guided in composing his Commentary 
 on the Prophet Isaiah. It has been his great aim to present to the view of 
 his readers the mind of the Spirit as expressed in the written dictates of 
 inspiration. With the view of determining this, he has laid under contribu- 
 tion all the means within his reach, in order to ascertain the original state of 
 the Hebrew text, and the true and unsophisticated meaning of that text. He 
 has constantly had recourse to the collection of various readings made by 
 Kennicott and De Rossi; he has compared the renderings of the LXX., the 
 Targum, the Syriac, the Arabic, the Vulgate, and other ancient versions: he 
 has availed himself of the results of modern philological research; and has 
 conducted the whole under the influence of a disposition to place himself in 
 the times of the sacred writers—surrounded by the scenery which they 
 exhibit, and impressed by the different associations, both of a political and a 
 spiritual character, which they embody. In all his investigations he has en- 
 deavored to cherish a deep conviction of the inspired authority of the books 
 which it has been his object to illustrate, and of the heavy responsibility which 
 attaches to all who undertake the interpretation of the oracles of God. 
 
 In no instance has the theory of a double sense been permitted to exert 
 its influence on his expositions. The Author is firmly convinced, that the 
 more this theory is impartially examined, the more it will be found that it 
 goes to unsettle the foundations of Divine Truth, unhinge the mind of the 
 biblical student, invite the sneer and ridicule of unbelievers, and open the 
 door to the extravagant vagaries of a wild and unbridled imagination. Hap- 
 pily the number of those who adhere to the multiform method of interpreta- 
 tion is rapidly diminishing; and there cannot be a doubt, that, in proportion 
 as the principles of sacred hermeneutics come to be more severely studied, 
 and perversions of the word of God, hereditarily kept up under the specious 
 garb of spirituality and a more profound understanding of Scripture, are 
 discovered and exposed, the necessity of abandoning such slippery and un- 
 tenable ground will be recognized, and the plain, simple, grammatical and 
 natural species of interpretation, adopted and followed. 
 
HOSEA . 
 
 JOEL 
 
 AMOS 
 
 OBADIAH 
 
 JONAH 
 
 MICAH 
 
 NAHUM . 
 
 HABAKKUK . 
 
 ZEPHANIAH 
 
 HAGGAI 
 
 ZECHARIAH 
 
 MALACHI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 

 
 
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HOSEA. 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 RESPECTING the origin of this prophet nothing is known beyond what is 
 stated in the title, ver. 1. If, as is now generally agreed, Jeroboam II. died 
 about the year B. c. 784, and Hezekiah began to reign about B. c. 728, it would 
 appear from the same verse that the period of his ministry must have em- 
 braced, at the very least, fifty-six years. To some this has seemed incredible, 
 chiefly on the ground that his prophecies are comprised within the compass of 
 fourteen brief chapters. It must be remembered, however, that the prophets 
 were not uninterruptedly occupied with the delivery of oracular matter. 
 Sometimes considerable intervals elapsed between their communications, al- 
 though there can be no doubt that, having once been called to the office of 
 public teachers, they devoted much of their time to the instruction of the 
 people among whom they lived. Besides, there is no reason for believing 
 the contents of the book are all that he ever uttered. They constitute only 
 such portions of his inspired communications respecting the Israelites, as the 
 Holy Spirit saw fit to preserve for the benefit of the Jews, among whose sacred 
 writings they were incorporated. . 
 
 Hosea was contemporary with Isaiah, Micah, and Amos, and, like the last- 
 mentioned prophet, directed his prophecies chiefly against the kingdom of the 
 ten tribes. 
 
 From the general tenor of his book, and from the history of the times con- 
 tained in the Books of Kings, he manifestly lived in a very corrupt age. 
 Idolatry, a fondness for foreign alliances, civil distractions, and vice of every 
 description abounded, the impending judgments on account of which he was 
 commissioned to announce. : 
 
 Though he occasionally mentions Judah, yet the entire scene is laid in the 
 land of Israel, where, there can be little doubt, he lived and taught. 
 
 With the exception of the first and third chapters, which are in prose, the 
 book is rhythmical, and abounds in highly figurative and metaphorical language. 
 The diction is exceedingly concise and laconic ; so much so, that Jerome justly 
 describes him as “ commaticus et quasi per sententias loquens.” The sentences 
 are in general brief and unconnected ; the unexpected change of person is of 
 frequent occurrence ; number and gender are often neglected ; and the sim- 
 iles and metaphors are frequently so intermixed, that no small degree of at- 
 tention is required in order to discover their exact bearing and force. He is 
 more scanty in his use of the particles than the other prophets, which adds 
 not a little to the difficulty of interpreting his prophecies. In many instances 
 he is highly animated, energetic, and sublime. Of all the prophets he is, in 
 point of language, the most obscure and hard to be understood. 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 1. 
 
 This chapter contains the inscription, ver. 1; a representation of the idolatrous kingdom of 
 Israel under the image of a female, whom the prophet was ordered to marry, but who 
 should proye false to him, 2, 3; and of the punishment with which it was to be visited, by 
 the symbolical names of the prophet? s children, together with a distinct intimation that 
 
 the kingdom of Judah should not be involved in the same destruction, 4-8. 
 
 It concludes 
 
 with a gracious promise of the joint restoration of all the tribes, and their flourishing con- 
 dition in the land of their fathers, subsequent to the Babylonish captivity. 
 
 
 
 1 Tue word of Jehovah which was communicated to Hosea, the son 
 of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, 
 kings of Judah; and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, 
 
 king of Israel. 
 
 2 The beginning of the word of Jehovah by Hosea. 
 
 1. Thekings here mentioned are those 
 specified in the inscription to the prophe- 
 cies of Isaiah, with the addition of Jero- 
 boam, the son of Joash, commonly called 
 Jeroboam the Second, to distinguish him 
 from the son of Nebat. This monarch 
 carried on very successful wars with his 
 northern neighbors, and recovered out of 
 their hands the territories of which they 
 had taken possession; but though thus 
 signally prospered, as an instrument in 
 the hand of Jehovah, he was a wicked 
 character, and greatly promoted idolatry 
 in Israel. See 2 Kings xiy. 23-28. 
 
 By 72%, word, is meant the prophetic 
 matter contained in the book. Thus the 
 Targ. pNaza DAE.— 77 is commonly 
 rendered “came” in Pe connection, but 
 it seems preferable to retain its usual sig- 
 nification, only adding another verb, as 
 communicated, imparted, or such like, to 
 suit the English idiom. 
 
 2. "27 is s equivalent to 37 and is ren- 
 dered as anoun in the LXX.} Targ., and 
 Syr. It occurs in the absolute form 
 270, Jer. v. 13, with a similar reference 
 to inspired matter. Some have attempted 
 to show from the words mim} "23 monn 
 sina that Hosea was the first ‘of the 
 prophets employed to convey Jehovah’s 
 messages to his ancient people; but con- 
 trary to the import of the words, which 
 
 Jehovah said 
 
 merely refer to the commencement of the 
 prophecies of Hosea. For the use of the 
 preposition 2 in such connection, see 
 Numb. xii. 2; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2. Comp, 
 ἐν προφήταις, Heb. Bite 
 
 The transaction here described, and 
 that narrated chap. iii. 1, are: clogged 
 with almost insuperable difficulties ; and, 
 as may be expected, have given rise to 
 very different modes of interpretation. 
 By most commentators, the things speci- 
 fied are considered to have actually taken 
 place in the outward history of the 
 prophet. Others, as Abarbanel, Kimchi, 
 Maimonides, Ruffinus, Cicolampadius, 
 Marckius, Pococke, and recently Heng- 
 stenberg, regard the whole in the light 
 of internal prophetic vision; while Cal- 
 vin, Luther, Osiander, Rivetus, Danzeus, 
 Rosenmiiller, Hitzig, and others, treat it 
 as a species of paxabolical representation, 
 in which the prophet appropriates to him- 
 self imaginary circumstances, aptly fitted 
 to impress the minds of those whom he 
 addressed with a sense of their wicked- 
 ness, and the punishment to which it 
 exposed them. 
 
 To the last of these opinions it may 
 justly be objected that the language, 
 « And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go,” ete. 
 is identical with that used Is. vii. 3, viii. 
 1, xx. 2; Jer. xiii. 1-7, xviii. 1, 2, xix.; 
 
fuar. I. 
 
 HOSEA. 3 
 
 to Hosea: Go, take thee a lewd woman, and lewd children, for 
 the land hath committed great lewdness, in a state of separation 
 
 from Jehovah. 
 
 Ezek. iv. y. xii. xxiv.; and in many 
 other passages, which cannot without 
 violence be understood parabolically. 
 Not the slightest hint is given, in the 
 present case, that the, circumstances are 
 fictitious. Besides, it has been observed, 
 that there is no instance of any of the 
 prophets ever making himself the subject 
 of a parable. 
 
 The same objection lies with equal 
 force against the assumption, that the 
 things described were merely exhibited 
 internally to the mind of the prophet. 
 The Divine mandate was doubtless in- 
 ternal; but there is no intimation that 
 what follows was in vision, any more 
 than in the instances above quoted. On 
 the contrary, it is set forth as real matter 
 of fact. When internal scenic represen- 
 tations were granted, the verbs sim or 
 msn, fo see, are always employed to de- 
 scribe the experience of the person who 
 viewed them, which is not the case here. 
 See Is. vi.; Jer. xxiv. 1; Ezek. ii. 9 — 
 the phraseology of the Apocalypse. 
 
 _ We are, therefore, shut up to the literal 
 interpretation, according to which the 
 transactions, though symbolical, were 
 real, and outward in the history of Hosea. 
 Those, however, who adopt this view, 
 are not agreed on the subject of the 
 females specified : — some being of opinion 
 that only one is intended in both passages ; 
 others, two; some, that Gomer was not 
 a lewd character before the prophet took 
 her, but became such afterwards ; others, 
 that she was originally unchaste; some, 
 as Thomas Aquinas, that he did not 
 marry her at all, but merely lived with 
 her asa concubine! Lyra and Newcome 
 think that nothing more is meant by “a 
 wife of lewdness,” than an Israelitess — 
 one of those who had become guilty of 
 spiritual fornication or idolatry. The 
 position that Hosea was commanded to 
 marry an impure female cannot be sus- 
 tained, for two reasons. First, the chil- 
 dren were clearly those afterwards de- 
 scribed as born to the prophet, and are 
 
 spoken of as lewd as well as their mother. 
 Secondly, on the supposition that Gomer 
 had been guilty of acts of impurity pre- 
 vious to her connection with the prophet, 
 there would be no congruity in consti- 
 tuting her a type of Israel, who is repre- 
 sented as lewd because she had lapsed 
 into idolatry, in violation of the marriage 
 contract entered into at Sinai. See 
 Gesen. Lex. p. 306, 2. Consistency of 
 interpretation absolutely requires the 
 adoption of this view of the subject, as is 
 admitted both by Hengstenberg and Hit- 
 zig. ὙΠῸ objections otherwise produced 
 by the former of these authors against the 
 literal character of the transactions are 
 more specious than real. Besides being 
 the most obvious and natural, it has 
 much to recommend it on the ground of 
 the public notoriety which infidelity on 
 the part of the wife of a prophet must 
 have created, and its aptness to typify 
 the conduct of the Israelites towards Je- 
 hovah. It may indeed be said, that his 
 marrying a notoriously lewd character 
 must have produced a much greater sen- 
 sation. True, but besides the encour- 
 agement which it must have been calcu- 
 lated to give to the formation of un- 
 hallowed and irreligious connections, it 
 would not, as was just observed, have 
 been in accordance with the design of the 
 transaction, which was, not to represent 
 the character of the Hebrews before the 
 period of their national reception into 
 alliance with Jehovah, but their conduct 
 as exhibited in the pages of their subse- 
 quent history. The phrases ὩΣ Mer, 
 mossy 07527 @ lewd woman and lewd chil- 
 dren, have the same import, and are not 
 to be interpreted as if the mother alone 
 were guilty, and the children merely the 
 product of her guilty conduct. Comp. 
 the phrase »δϑ 153, children of trans- 
 
 gression, i. 6. transgressors. Thus as to 
 OF ca ee 
 
 sense the Targ.; and the Syr. πο 
 
 7 
 eye? and children that commit lewd- 
 
 ness. 'Thus also Rosenmiiller. Both are 
 
4 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. L 
 
 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and 
 
 4 she conceived, and bare him a son. 
 
 And Jehovah said unto 
 
 him, Call his name JezreeL; for yet a little while, and I will 
 avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will 
 
 5 cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. 
 
 And it shall 
 
 come to pass in that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in - 
 
 the valley of Jezreel. 
 
 anticipative as to the relation of the 
 prophet, though typical of what had 
 already taken place on the part of the 
 ten tribes. Viewed as a kingdom they 
 are represented as a mother ; and as indi- 
 vidual subjects of that kingdom, they are 
 spoken of as her children. The plural 
 
 "2227 is emphatic, as Dv. in ts 
 D727, etc. Comp. 873537 man; chap. iv. 
 12, and ii. 4. That they are otherwise 
 to be identified appears from the use of 
 np» take, which properly applies only to 
 the female, but here governs both nouns, 
 as Jerome observes, ἀπὸ κοινοῦ. The 
 reason of the symbolic action is assigned 
 at the close of the verse — the atrocious 
 conduct of the Israelites in renouncing 
 the pure worship of Jehovah, and ad- 
 dicting themselves to idolatry. Comp. 
 Tevs Vil. 0s yew. -5,) ΟΣ ΝΕ οϑν: Ὁ: 
 yusn, the land, is put, by metonymy, for 
 ie inhabitants. 'The preposition 4:2 has 
 here the force of a negative, which 
 strongly expresses the state of separation 
 which had taken place. 
 
 8. That the names Gomer and Diblaim 
 are to be taken symbolically, as Heng- 
 stenberg interprets, does not appear. 
 His exposition of them is fanciful, as is 
 that of Jerome, who takes pretty much 
 the same view. The use of 15, to him, 
 i. e. to Hosea, proves that the child was 
 not of spurious origin. The word is 
 wanting, indeed, in three of Kennicott’s 
 MSS., and one of De Rossi’s, the Com- 
 plut. edition of the LXX., the Itala, and 
 the Arab.; but the omission in all prob- 
 ability originated in an attempt to render 
 the phraseology comformable to that of 
 verses 6 and 8. 
 
 4,5. Στοῦ, Jezreel, i. 6. God will 
 scatter, from ΣΤ, to scatter, disperse, as in 
 Zech. x. 9; Targ. s117202. It was 
 otherwise the proper name of a city in 
 
 the tribe of Issachar, on the brow of the 
 central yalley in the great plain of the 
 same name, and the royal residence of 
 Ahab and his successors. It was here 
 Jehu exercised acts of the greatest cruelty, 
 2 Kings x. 11, 14,17. These acts were 
 speedily to be avenged in the extinction 
 of the royal family, and the entire ces- 
 sation of the Israelitish state. It had 
 been announced to Jehu that his sons 
 should: occupy the throne till the fourth 
 generation, 2 Kings x. 30. Two of these 
 generations had passed away by the time 
 of the prophet—Jeroboam being the 
 great grand-son. In the following gene- 
 ration, the prediction received its accom- 
 plishment. By the “ bow of Israel’ is 
 meant her military prowess, which was 
 completely subdued by the Assyrian 
 army. The valley here mentioned, after- 
 wards called Esdraelon, was famous for 
 the battles fought there from the most 
 ancient times. It consists of the broad 
 elevated plain which stretches from the 
 Jordan to the Mediterranean, near Mount 
 Carmel, and is well adapted to military 
 operations. Accordingly, Dr. E. D. 
 Clarke observes, “‘ Jews, Gentiles, Sara- 
 cens, Christian Crusaders, and Anti- 
 Christian Frenchmen, Egyptians, Per- 
 sians, Druses, Turks, and Arabs, warriors 
 out of every nation which is under heaven, 
 have pitched their tents upon the plains 
 of Esdraelon, and have beheld the vari- 
 ous banners of their nations wet with the 
 dews of Tabor and Hermon.” — It was, 
 therefore, natural that the Israelites 
 should endeavor to make a stand against 
 the Assyrians in this valley; but being 
 overpowered by numbers were obliged to 
 succumb to the enemy. Of this discom- 
 fiture, and the consequent dispersion of 
 the ten tribes, the name of the prophet’s 
 son was symbolical. 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 HOSEA. 5 
 
 6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter; and He said 
 
 to him, Call her name Lo-Ruuamau; for I will no more haye 
 mercy upon the house of Israel, but will utterly take them 
 away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and 
 will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them 
 by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by 
 
 And she weaned Lo-Runaman, and conceived, and bare a 
 
 son. And He said, Call his name Lo-Ammr; for ye are not my 
 
 Nevertheless the number of 
 the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which can 
 neither be measured nor numbered; and it shall be, that in- 
 
 stead of its having been said to them, Ye are not my people, 
 it shall be said to them, Ye are the children of the living God. 
 
 7" 
 horsemen, . 
 8 
 9 
 10 people, and I will not be yours. 
 11 
 
 Then shall the children of Judah, and the children of Israel, be 
 
 6, 7. mann Nd, Lo-Runaman, i. 6. 
 unpitied. > s'y) elsewhere signifies to 
 forgive ; and were the verb preceded by 
 the copulative 1, it might be so rendered 
 here, only supplying the negative x> 
 from the preceding clause ; but as »5, but, 
 excludes such repetition, the phrase must 
 be rendered as in the translation. LXX. 
 ἀντιτασσόμενος ἀντιτάξομαι αὐτοῖς. Syr. 
 
 > o ο ν mn 
 
 (Oo δι. Nioatds. Vulg. 
 oblivione obliviscor eorum — reading δὰ 13, 
 which is found in De Rossi's MS. 596, 
 at first hand, instead of sw2. The king- 
 dom of Israel was never more to be re- 
 stored, though, in conjunction with the 
 Jews, the scattered Israelites were to 
 return to Canaan after the Babylonish 
 captivity, ver. 11. It was to be very 
 different with the Jewish power. Though 
 likewise attacked, and threatened with 
 utter extinction by Sennacherib, they 
 were mercifully delivered by a divine 
 interposition, without all human aid. 
 And though they were afterwards carried 
 away to Babylon, their civil polity was 
 restored, which was not the case with 
 the Israelites. mab, war, stands ellip- 
 tically for amd “Woy, warriors. 
 
 8. The mention here made of the 
 weaning of Lo-Ruhamah, seems designed 
 rather to fill up the narrative, than to 
 describe figuratively any distinct treat- 
 ment of the Israelites. 
 
 9. “ay Nb, Lo-Ammy, i. 6. not my peo- 
 ple, further sets forth the rejection of the 
 ten tribes by Jehovah. Nothing could 
 have been better calculated to make an 
 impression upon the minds of his country- 
 men, than for the prophet thus to give to 
 one child after another a name strongly 
 significant of the disastrous circumstances 
 to which they should be reduced. Instead 
 of p55 mans Nd, Twill not be yours, 1. 6. 
 your God, Houbigant and Newcome 
 would read E=*mbs sd, 7 am not your 
 God: but though the antithesis is com- 
 mon, it admits of an ellipsis, just as in 
 Ezek. xvi. 8, there is an ellipsis of 
 mend. Comp. Ps. cxviii. 6. The MSS. 
 and versions exhibit no variation. 
 
 10, 11. These verses contain a gra- 
 cious promise of the recovery of the 
 descendants of the Israelites, along with 
 those of their brethren the Jews, at the 
 termination of the Babylonish captivity. 
 Though entirely and for ever broken up 
 as a distinct kingdom, yet, during the 
 period of their residence in the regions 
 of the East, whither they were to be 
 transported, they should greatly multiply, 
 and afterwards be reinstated in the priv- 
 ileges of adoption, as members of the 
 theocracy. The eleventh verse teaches 
 the reunion of all the tribes, and their 
 return under Zerubbabel to their own 
 land. That this prince is meant by the 
 “πὰ Wx, one head, must be maintained, 
 
θ HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. IT. 
 
 gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one 
 12 head, and shall come up out of the land. For great shall be the 
 
 day of Jezreel. 
 your sisters, Runaman. 
 
 since the Messiah, who is by many sup- 
 posed to be intended, is nowhere spoken 
 of as appointed by men, but always as 
 the choice and appointment of God, 
 vas, land, signifies, in this connection 
 the country of Babylon, not excluding 
 those other regions of the East in which 
 the descendants of the different tribes 
 were found. dszrts, Jezreel, is obvi- 
 ously used here in a different acceptation 
 from that in which it is taken ver. 4. 
 That of sowing is alone appropriate. Tl- 
 lustrious should be the period when the 
 
 Say ye unto spe brethren, ἄμμι; and to 
 
 tribes should again be sown in their own 
 country. Comp. chap. ii. 22, 23; Jer. 
 xxxl, 27. 
 
 The principle on which part of ver. 10, 
 and chap. ii. 23, are quoted, Rom. ix. 
 25, 26, and 1 Pet. ii. 10, seems to be 
 that of analogy. As God had taken 
 pity upon the ten tribes, who had become 
 heathens, as it respects idolatrous and 
 other practices, so he had pitied the 
 Gentiles who had been in the same cir- 
 cumstances. What was said of the one 
 class was equally descriptive of the other. 
 
 ΄ 
 
 CHARTER .f1. 
 
 The prophet proceeds in this chapter to apply the symbolical relation described in the pre- 
 ceding. He calls the Israelites to reform their wicked conduct, 1,2; threatens them with a 
 series of calamities, the effect of which should be their repentance and return to the service 
 of Jehovah, 3-15; and promises a gracious restoration to his favor, and the enjoyment of 
 security and prosperity in their own land, 16-23. 
 
 1 Conrenp with your mother, contend ; 
 
 2 For she is not my wife, 
 
 Neither am 1 her husband: 
 That she may remove her lewdness from her face, 
 And her adulteries from between her breasts. 
 
 1, 2. The individual members of the 
 Israclitish state are here summoned to 
 urge upon their nation the consideration 
 of its wickedness in having departed 
 from God. Of these the nation of the 
 ten tribes was the ts, mother. Cocceius, 
 Dathe, Kuinoel, and Riickert, render 55, 
 that, and interpret: Argue the point 
 with your nation, and show her that in 
 consequence of her wicked conduct all 
 relations between us have ceased. The 
 casual signification of the conjunction, 
 however, seems preferable. The words 
 
 which it introduces form a parenthesis ; 
 and "ΌΤΙ, which, though future, is to be 
 rendered potentially : that she may remove 
 connects with 32°, contend ye. The 
 is, as frequently to be taken τελικῶς: 
 The repetition of 33°" is emphatic, as 
 ducite in Virgil : — 
 «Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, 
 ducite Daphnin.” 
 
 By ἘΠ ΒΒ 9) 02521, fornications and 
 adulteries, are meant ‘the tokens or indi- 
 cations of lewd character : — boldness of 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 3. Lest I strip her naked, 
 
 HOSEA, Ἷ 
 
 And set her as in the day when she was born, 
 And make her as the desert, 
 And make her like a dry land, 
 And cause her to die with thirst. 
 4 Upon her children I will have no mercy, 
 For they are lewd children. 
 5 Because their mother hath committed lewdness, 
 Their parent hath aeted shamefully ; 
 For she said: I will follow my lovers, 
 That give me my bread and my water, 
 My wool and my flax, my oil and my wine, 
 
 countenance, and an immodest exposure 
 of the breasts. Both forms are redupli- 
 cate, to express the enormity of the evil. 
 What the prophet has in view is the 
 reckless and unblushing manner in which 
 the Israelitish nation practised idolatry. 
 The LXX. have read *325%, “from my 
 face;”’ improperly in this connection, 
 though a similar phrase occurs elsewhere. 
 
 3. A striking accumulation of synony- 
 mous denunciations for the purpose of 
 describing the state of complete desti- 
 tution to which the idolatrous Israelites 
 would be reduced by the infliction of 
 divine judgments. They should be 
 placed in circumstances analogous to 
 those in which they had originally been 
 in Egypt. Comp. Ezek. xvi. 4; xxii. 
 25, 26, 28, 29. For “Ξ 2 comp. Jer. 
 ii. 6. ἧ 
 
 4. Individuals might expect that they 
 would escape, and not be treated as the 
 nation in its collective capacity; but 
 Jehovah here declares, that he would 
 treat them according to the demerits of 
 their individual wickedness. For 5:3 
 rsast comp. orn 7b:, ch.i.2. The 
 second noun is, as ‘frequently, used ad- 
 “aaa” 
 
 5. 53, since or because, and ἼΞ 5, there- 
 Sore, ver. 8, correspond to one other, 
 the former marking the protasis, the 
 latter the apodosis. The second => in- 
 troduces parenthetically an illustration 
 of the statement made at the beginning 
 of the verse. 51m is the feminine par- 
 ticiple of nan to conceive, be pregnant, 
 Comp. nin , Song iii. 4. According to 
 
 the Jewish exegesis, "445, Gen. xlix. 26, 
 is used of male progenitors. The Targ. 
 and Jarchi suppose teachers to be here 
 meant; but the term is merely a syno- 
 nyme of px, mother, in the preceding 
 hemistich. Interpreters are not agreed 
 respecting the rendering of sy7a7m. In 
 most instances in w hich the word occurs 
 it certainly has the transitive significa- 
 tion; but here the intransitive seems 
 more appropriate. Comp. Jer. vi. 15, 
 where it is explained by sw mayin 7D. 
 Comp. also 3.15 τ» YA, ΞῸΣ ΠΤ, as Hiph. 
 intransitives. “The paragogic min n>dy, 
 elongating the future, is expressive of a 
 decided purpose, desire, or bent of mind ; 
 it is my settled determination to follow 
 those who richly supply my wants in 
 return for my religious services. ΠΤ 
 lovers, which is “here employed meta- 
 phorically to denote idols, is seldom used 
 except ina bad sense. This interpretation, 
 which is that of Joseph Kimchi and 
 Abarbanel, is more in keeping with the 
 symbolical character of the prophecy, 
 than that suggested by the Targ. 723 
 BS Os, which takes the w ord in the 
 sense of “idolaters, or idolatrous nations, 
 such as Assyria, ete. Comp. as strictly 
 parallel, Jer. xliv. 17-19. The lan- 
 guage indicates complete alienation of 
 heart from Jehovah, the only giver of 
 all good, and a blind confidence in, and 
 devotion to the service of idols. The 
 articles: specified comprehend both the 
 necessaries and the luxuries of ancient 
 Hebrew life. 7233, o’/, is much in use 
 among the Orientals, both in its simple 
 
8 HOSEA. 
 
 6 Therefore, behold! 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 I will hedge up thy way with thorns, 
 
 And will raise a wall, that she may not find her paths. 
 
 “τ 
 
 take them; 
 
 And she shall eagerly pursue her lovers, but she shall not over- 
 
 And shall seek them, but shall not find them: 
 Then shall she say: I will go and return to my first husband, 
 For it was better with me then than now. 
 
 8 Because she knew not that it was I that gave her 
 The corn, and the new wine, and the oil; 
 And furnished her abundantly with silver and gold, 
 Which they made into images of Baal: 
 
 9 Therefore I will take back my corn in its time, 
 And my new wine in its season ; 
 And I will recover my wool and my flax, 
 Designed to cover her nakedness. 
 
 state, and as compounded with other in- 
 gredients. It is specially applied as 
 ointment to the body after bathing. 
 Cate. Psalm xxiii. 5; Prov. xxi. 17. 
 > denotes here all eae of artificial 
 es being used in distinction from 
 water. The. Aldine edition of the LXX. 
 reads 6 οἶνός μου; but the usual reading 
 is πάντα boa μοι καδήκει, with which 
 the ‘larg. and Syr. agree. The word 
 occurs, Ps. cii. 10; Prov. iii. 8 ; and 5 oul 
 
 Cane ; 
 Eth. ripe * to make to drink, to water. 
 
 6. For in 5297 the LXX. Arab. and 
 Syr. read =+, but most likely in order to 
 produce uniformity in the use of the 
 affix. The metaphor here employed is 
 borrowed from the condition of a tray- 
 eller whose progress is interrupted by a 
 hedge thrown across his path, or who 
 can no, longer pass through the gap of 
 an enclosure which used to be in his 
 way; and who is consequently reduced 
 to straits and difficulties. Tumed out 
 of his accustomed course, he is bewil- 
 dered, and strives in vain to extricate 
 himself. Comp. Job xix. 8; Lam. iii. 
 7,9. m1, α wall, is pointed #4714, in 
 the editions of J. H. Michaelis, and Jahn, 
 and this punctuation Hengstenberg at- 
 tempts, without success, to defend. The 
 wall means the external hindrances which 
 the captivity interposed between the ten 
 
 dently derived from ppg. Arab 
 
 tribes and the objects of their idolatrous 
 attachment. 
 
 7. Convinced by bitter experience of 
 the folly of idolatry, the Israelites would 
 renounce it, and return to the service of 
 Jehovah. τῷ πον is intensive, and expresses 
 the salad of the pursuit. The Vau in 
 πππ Ὁ 1, marking the apodosis, points out 
 the ‘Consequence or result of the failure 
 — a resolution to turn from idols to serve 
 the living God. It might be rendered 
 so that, but not in order that, as Manger 
 proposes. Τὰ, then, designates the period 
 previous to the apostasy ‘of the ten tribes, 
 when in reward for external obedience, 
 they enjoyed temporal blessings. Thus 
 the Targ. xndbp snvin 72 75 au “RS 
 ἘΠῚ ΣῸΣ nies xb ἼΣΞῸ π sl 
 
 8, 9. Ὁ and ξὸ at the beginning of 
 these yerses stand’ in the same relation 
 to each other as *> and 42%, verses 5th 
 and 6th. Before sw aneis TEN: By 
 
 tyo, Baal, the prophet means “ images 
 of Baal,” the singular being used col- 
 lectively for the plural. Comp. ch. viii. 
 4, where D2 3, ¢dols, correspond to $32 
 in the present case. Hitzig would re- 
 strict "ZN; understood, to an, gold, sup- 
 posing the golden calves’ set up at 
 Bethel and Dan to be meant; but, as it 
 does not appear that the name of Baal 
 was ever applied to them, his interpre- 
 tation is groundless. See chap. viii. 43 
 which also clearly proves that by ον 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HOSEA. 9 
 
 10 And now I will expose her vileness before her lovers, 
 And none shall deliver her out of my hand, 
 11 And I will cause all her joy to cease ; 
 
 Syn we are not to understand the conse- 
 cration of the silver and gold to the ser- 
 vice of Baal, but the actual conversion of 
 these precious metals into images of that 
 idol, or at least into plating with which 
 to cover such as were made of wood. 
 2 Chron, xxiy. 7, to which Secker appeals 
 in favor of the former meaning of the 
 phrase, is also to be so understood. The 
 rendering of Gesenius, “which they 
 offered to Baal,” is equally objectionable ; 
 the phrase }r'v2, when thus used, being 
 referred to sacrificial victims. Targ. 
 xnizud itay ma. Hengstenberg at- 
 tempts to support the position that conse- 
 cration is meant; but his reasons are al- 
 together futile. The very passage which 
 he quotes as parallel (Ezek. xvi. 17, 18,) 
 is directly opposed to his exegesis of the 
 phrase. Baal was perhaps the most ancient 
 of all the gods worshipped in the East. 
 He was, according to Dr. Miinter, the re- 
 presentative of the sun, the generative 
 power in the eastern mythology, and 
 had associated with him Astarte, the 
 female power, which was viewed as rep- 
 resenting the moon. Gesenius, however, 
 is of opinion, that under these names the 
 planets Jupiter and Venus were wor- 
 shipped. See on Isaiah xvii. 8. From 
 the frequency with which his name oc- 
 curs in compound Pheenician names, 
 as Hannibal, Hasdrubal, etc., the wor- 
 ship of Baal appears to have been com- 
 mon among that people; and from them, 
 especially the Tyrians, it was borrowed 
 by the Israelites. Mention is made of 
 this idolatry in the time of the Judges, 
 see chap. ii. 11, 13; iii. 7; vi. 25; it 
 became prevalent even in Judah in the 
 days of Ahaz; and, though abolished by 
 the pious king Josiah, was revived by 
 Manasseh. In Israel it rapidly gained 
 ground after the introduction of the wor- 
 ship of the golden calves by Jeroboam, 
 and reached its height in the reigns of 
 Ahab and Hosea. The verb a3, to return, 
 turn back, is frequently used adverbially. 
 So here "ΠΡ Ὶ asds, 7 will again take 
 
 aac 
 
 away, or take back, i. e. deprive of. The 
 
 2 
 
 meaning is, that instead of reaping the 
 fruits of the earth, ete. as they expected 
 at the usual season, they should be trod- 
 den down, consumed, or taken away by 
 the Assyrian army under Shalmaneser, 
 Jehovah vindicates his right to the vari- 
 ous articles specified, because they had 
 been bestowed by his providence; calling 
 them fis, with obvious reference to ver. 5, 
 in which Israel had called them hers. 
 The land and all it contained were spe- 
 
 cially his. $x3; Arab. Quias, liberatus 
 
 Suit, expresses the idea of rescuing or re- 
 covering what was unjustly held. The 
 in nid=> denotes end or purpose, and is 
 quite in its place; so that there is no ne- 
 cessity, with Houbigant, Dathe, Horsley, 
 Newcome, Boothroyd, and others, to 
 change it into "2, out of deference to the 
 LXX. who render τοῦ μὴ καλύπτειν. 
 
 10. nsba3 occurs only in this place, 
 but is obviously equivalent to 533, atro- 
 cious, shameful, detestable wickedness. Targ. 
 mibp, her shame, LXX. τὴν ἀκαϑαρσίαν 
 
 = 2 Ῥ-: > 
 
 αὐτῆς; Syr. σι..205.9, nudatio in ma- 
 Zum, pudenda. Castel.; Arab. ks) “3 
 
 her nakedness. Occuring in immediate 
 connection with the preceding 7inz, 
 nudity, it conyeys the superadded idea 
 of obscenity, 7. e. by metonomy, the re- 
 sults or consequences of idolatrous con- 
 duct, a complete destitution of all the 
 necessaries of life. Comp. Jer. xili. 26; 
 Nah. iii. 5. This exposure was to be 
 made in the very presence of the idols 
 which Israel had served, none of which 
 should be able to afford deliverance. By 
 a prosopopeeia, the idols are first endowed 
 with the faculty of vision, and then their 
 utter imbecility is strikingly set forth. 
 wen, not only signifies man, but any one, 
 and is frequently used of inanimate ob- 
 
 jects. In connection with s}, it signifies 
 none. 
 11, 12, explain- the denouncement 
 
 made ver. 10. The country was to be 
 desolated by the invading armies, and all 
 
10 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cian ake 
 
 Her festivals,. her new moons, and her sabbaths, 
 And all her appointed assemblies. 
 
 12 I will also lay waste her vines and her fig-trees, 
 Of which she said: They are my hire 
 Which my lovers have given me: 
 
 I will turn them into a forest, 
 
 And the beasts of the field shall devour them. 
 13 I will avenge upon her the days of the Baals, 
 
 On which she burned incense to them ; 
 
 And decked herself with nose-rings and trinkets, 
 
 And followed her lovers, 
 
 And forgat me, saith Jehovah. 
 
 the festivities and seasons of religious 
 observance were to cease. The different 
 terms here employed are those by which 
 the seasons of worship, etc. appointed 
 by Jehovah in the Mosaic law, are des- 
 ignated; but it is not hence to be inferred 
 that such were observed according to his 
 appointment. The Israelites professed 
 to worship him, but, at the same time, 
 served other gods. While from habit 
 they continued to keep them as portions 
 of time unappropriated to the ordinary 
 occupations of life, they were doubtless 
 converted into seasons of carnal indul- 
 gence. ‘The nouns are those of mul- 
 titude, and must be rendered in the plu- 
 ral. 423, and F2xn, are likewise to be 
 taken as collectives, or rather, as Horsley 
 suggests, plantations of vines and fig- 
 trees. These should be left uncultivated 
 on the removal of the inhabitants into 
 foreign regions. Comp. Is. v. 6; vil. 23, 
 24, ποτὰ, like 42x, is used only of the 
 hire of a harlot, and is peculiarly appro- 
 priate in this connection. Thus Tan- 
 
 chum on chap. viii. 9 s—JSduo lo 
 det ns mst. Comp. Is. xxiii. 
 17, 18. ‘The wild beast is here to be 
 taken literally, and not figuratively, as 
 Abarbanel does,— supposing the heathen 
 invaders to be meant. 
 
 13. pxbyan, the Baals, i. 6. the idols 
 which they had set up to Baal in the 
 cities and different parts of the country, 
 as well as in their private houses. Hence 
 the names Baal-Gad, Baal-Hermon, Baal- 
 meon, ete. By prbyan "τ, are 
 
 meant the days specially devoted to the 
 celebration of idolatrous rites. ΤῸ cause 
 grateful odors to ascend from the altars, 
 was considered peculiarly acceptable to 
 the objects of worship. It appears to 
 have originated partly in the gratification 
 afforded by agreeable smells, and partly 
 in the custom of burning perfumes in 
 rooms, ete. with a view to purify them 
 from noxious vapors. pr; and π 5 Π 
 appear to be employed here to denote 
 female ornaments generally; though 
 strictly taken, the former commonly sig- 
 nifies such rings as the oriental females 
 wear in the nostril. See on Is. iii. 21. 
 nibh, from nbn, to be smooth, polished ; 
 
 Arab. > ornavit monilibus mundove 
 
 suo (mulierem, ) Rs, mundo ornata, 
 denotes a trinket, necklace, or the like. 
 According to Firuzabad: x5 ωϑ le 
 
 s La=3f 9} quodcunque ornamentum 
 
 vel e metallis conflatum, vel e lapidibus pre- 
 tiosis confectum. TRosenm.; the Syr. and 
 Targ. have pearls. That courtesans 
 decked themselves with the most costly 
 ornaments they could command is men- 
 tioned by Juyenal, Sat. vi. :— 
 
 “ Moechis foliata parantur ; 
 Emitur his quicquid gracilis hue mit- 
 titis Indi.” 
 
 The prophet has in view the gay orna- 
 ments in which the Israelites decked 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 14 Nevertheless, behold! 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 11 
 
 I will allure her, 
 
 And, though I lead her into the desert, 
 Yet I will speak soothingly to her. 
 
 15 And I will grant her her vineyards from thence, 
 And the valley of Achor for a door of hope: 
 
 themselves on idolatrous holidays. Their 
 entirely abandoning themselves to the 
 service of idols, and their dereliction of 
 the God of their fathers, are brought 
 forward at the conclusion of this de- 
 scription of their conduct, in order to 
 heighten the aggravation of their guilt, 
 and render the announcement of the 
 kindly disposition of Jehovah towards 
 them, at the beginning of the following 
 ve a more surprising. 
 
 ἼΞ5 cannot with any propriety be 
 ἰὸς ἐπὶ “therefore” in this connection, 
 if the followiug words are to be regarded 
 as promissory of good, and not as con- 
 taining a further threatening of punish- 
 ment. And that they are to be so 
 regarded, the subsequent context suffi- 
 ciently shows. ‘This particle must there- 
 
 fore possess the force of the Arab. 
 
 verumtamen, but yet, notwithstanding, never- 
 theless. It thus marks the unexpected 
 transition from threats to promises, as 
 Is: yi. 14; x. 24; xxvii. 9; xxx. 18, 
 et freg.— rns, of which mne%s is the 
 Piel participle, signifies to open, be open, 
 easily persuasible; hence in Piel, both in 
 a good and a bad sense, to persuade, al- 
 lure, prevail upon by suitable induce- 
 ments. It is here necessarily to be taken 
 in the sense of inducing or gaining over 
 to that which is good, by the use of 
 soothing and persuasive means, as the 
 concluding words of the verse "7274 
 mah—by abundantly prove. As the Is: 
 raelites were to be forcibly removed from 
 their land by the king of Assyria, there 
 is a singular want of propriety in assign- 
 ing to 4, in ;-n=bh4, its usual copulative 
 power. It is obviously to be understood 
 exceptively, or as introducing a kind of 
 parenthetical sentence, expressive of what 
 was to take place in the history of the 
 ten tribes previously to their conversion 
 from idolatry; and which, though it 
 might seem severe, was indispensable for 
 the attainment of that object. For this 
 
 signification of 1, See Ruth ii. 13; 1 Sam. 
 i. 5; Eccles. ix. 16; Mal. ii 14; and 
 other instances in Noldius, No. 46. 
 Bauer thinks the desert between Assyria 
 and Judea is meant, through which the 
 Israelites were to be conducted on their 
 release; Doderlein, Theol. Biblioth. ex- 
 plains it of Judea itself, at that time 
 desolate and waste. I imagine the 
 country of Babylon is intended. Jehovah 
 is here said to do what he would employ 
 the Assyrians in doing. For the phrase 
 3> dy “57, see Is. ἘΠ 2. When re- 
 duced to circumstances of affliction in the 
 countries of the East, whither they were 
 to be carried, Jehoyah declares that he 
 would administer consolation to them; 
 holding out to them the cheering pros- 
 pect of restoration, on their repentance 
 to their native land. 
 
 15. The Israelites had altogether for- 
 feited their possessions ; nor could they 
 acquire a new right to them except in 
 the way of a fresh grant from the Lord. 
 This grant he here promises them, as he 
 had of old promised Canaan to their 
 fathers when in the wilderness. nOwva, 
 thence, means, returning from the wilder- 
 ness; just as 72w indicates the home- 
 ward direction of the exiles. To take 
 pwr as a particle of time, which Gese- 
 nius proposes, is less suitable. ‘*The val- 
 ley of Achor” lay in the vicinity of 
 Jericho, and was noted in the sacred 
 history for the judgment inflicted upon 
 Achan. From Is. lxv. 10, it appears to 
 have been a fertile and pleasant region ; 
 and on this account alone it is thought 
 by Calvin, Zanchius, Rivetus, and others, 
 to be referred to by our prophet. Most 
 of the Rabbins, however, and after them, 
 many Christian interpreters, consider al- 
 lusion to be made to the name, which 
 signifies trouble or molestation, and to this 
 Tincline. This valley had proved very 
 inauspicious to the Hebrews on their 
 former entrance into Canaan. They had 
 been forced to turn their backs before 
 
12 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. IL 
 
 And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, 
 Even as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 
 16 And it shall be in that day, saith Jehovah, 
 
 That thou shalt call me, 1581; 
 
 And shalt no more call me, Baatt. 
 
 17 For I will take away the names of the Baals from her mouth, 
 And they shall no more be remembered by their name, 
 
 18 And I will make a covenant for them in that day 
 With the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, 
 And with the reptiles of the ground ; 
 
 the native inhabitants, and their hearts 
 melted, and became as water, Josh. vii. 
 5, 8, 12, 24, 26. But on their return 
 from the captivity, the exiles would pass 
 through it with the undisturbed expec- 
 tation of a peaceable and joyful occu- 
 pation of the country. By mipm nine, 
 a door of hope, is meant a hopeful entrance 
 into the holy land.—n:3, the LXX. 
 Syr. Arab. and Symm. take in the sig- 
 nification to be humbled or afflicted; and 
 this idea is adhered to by Grotius, who 
 combines it with that of singing: ‘ In- 
 tellige autem carmen fletiis et precum ; ” 
 but that of celebrating the Divine good- 
 ness in songs of gratitude and joy, better 
 suits the connection. The πὶ in 712%, as 
 before observed, indicates the homeward 
 direction of the exiles — yet not without 
 special reference to their approach to 
 the valley of Achor. The point of 
 comparison, as it respects the singing, 
 seems to be the Song of Moses at the 
 Red Sea. As the people then united 
 in celebrating the goodness of Jehovah 
 displayed in their deliverance, so should 
 the returning Israelites do, on again 
 taking possession of their native land. 
 
 16, 17. The word $y, Baal, had orig- 
 inally been used in its unexceptionable 
 acceptation of husband, and is thus ap- 
 plied to Jehovah, Is. liv. 5; but as it 
 had become common in its application 
 by the Israelites to the heathen deities 
 which they had worshipped, and besides, 
 conveyed the idea of possession and rule, 
 rather than that of affection, God here 
 declares that in future he would be 
 called ws, /sh, the name more usually 
 employed to express the relation of hus- 
 
 band, and which was not liable to the 
 same objections : — 
 
 «‘ Sic mihi servitium video, dominamque 
 paratam, : 
 Jam mihi libertas illa paterna vale.” 
 Tibullus, lib. ii. Eleg. 4. 
 
 Before "s-x, two MSS. the LXX. Aq. 
 Syr. insert 55; while two MSS., and 
 originally seven, more, and four riited 
 editions, omit it after ἘΝ Γ τι. τ Ὁ" S33, 
 is not here to be taken as a plural of ex- 
 cellency, but is used, according to its 
 strict import, to denote the different im- 
 ages of Baal worshipped by the Israelites, 
 such as Baal-Gad, Baal-Ammon, ete. 
 Comp. Exod. xxiii. 13; Zech. xiii. 2. 
 The prophecy was fully accomplished at 
 the return from the Babylonish captivity. 
 18. Such should be the security of the 
 returned exiles under the immediate 
 care and protection of Jehovah, that 
 every thing capable of injuring them 
 should be rendered perfectly harmless. 
 The irrational animals should be re- 
 strained, as if under the bond of an 
 inviolable compact; and the Assyrian 
 armies should no more attack them. 
 Some understand the former part of the 
 verse figuratively — the different creatures 
 there specified denoting men correspond- 
 ing to them in disposition; but the 
 language is rather to be regarded as 
 hyperbolical, being merely intended to 
 heighten the effect. Comp. Job ν. 23; 
 Ezek, xxxiy. 25. Before*m2m ba, supply 
 “2, or "Wa, as in chap. i. 7. ‘Targ. 0129 
 ἈΞ τ ya Siaws is a pregnant phrase, 
 meaning, J will ‘break and remove away 
 οι. 32% is here expressive of the 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 13 
 
 The bow, and the sword, and the battle, I will break and remove 
 
 from the land, 
 
 - 
 
 And will cause them to recline securely. 
 19 I will also betroth thee to myself forever ; 
 I will even betroth thee to myself with righteousness and with 
 
 justice, 
 
 And with kindness, and with tender compassion. 
 20 Yea, I will betroth thee to myself with faithfulness : 
 
 And thou shalt know Jehovah. 
 
 21 And it shall be in that day, 
 
 I will respond, saith Jehovah, 
 
 reclining posture in which the orientals 
 indulge whenever they are released from 
 active exertion. At the time predicted 
 there would be no enemy or danger to 
 break in upon their repose. 
 
 “Ips lacte domum referent distenta 
 
 capellee 
 
 Ubera, nec magnos metuent armenta 
 leones. 
 
 Ipsa tibi blandos fundent cunabula 
 flores. 
 
 Occidet et serpens, et fallax herba 
 veneni 
 
 Occidet, Assyrium vulgo_nascetur 
 
 amomum.” Virgil, Eclog. iv. 
 
 19, 20. wns signifies to contract a 
 matrimonial alliance, and is here spe- 
 cially selected in order to impress the 
 minds of the Israelites with a sense of 
 the distinguished character of the Divine 
 benignity. Though they had rendered 
 themselves totally unworthy of his re- 
 gard, he declares that he would treat 
 them as if they had never apostatized to 
 idolatry. He would form a new con- 
 jugal relation, as with a female in her 
 virgin state. The triple repetition of 
 the verb expresses intensity of desire, 
 and gives the strongest assurance to the 
 party to which the promise is made 
 cbiv>, for ever, is to be taken as Gen, 
 xiii. 15; Exod. xxxii. 13; Is. xxxv. 10. 
 The several particulars here enumerated 
 further discover, by the amplification 
 winch they form, the great kindness of 
 Jchovah to his people. By “righteous- 
 ness’’ and ‘justice,’ is meant every 
 equitable obligation which God could 
 be expected to place himself under in 
 
 the new conjugal relation all that the 
 Israelites could possibly expect in the 
 way of supply from their Divine pro- 
 tector. To these, however, are added 
 ‘“‘kindness,’”’” and ‘tender compassion,” 
 which express the strong internal affec- 
 tion from which the former should pro- , 
 ceed, and the high degree of interest‘ 
 which God would take in his recovered 
 
 people. To remove every doubt ΠΌΤ" 
 their minds, he crowns the whole by a 
 
 gracious assurance that his engagements 
 
 should be ‘faithfully’ performed. Ὁ. Γι» 
 
 τὰ σπλάγχνα, lit. the bowels, but com- 
 
 monly employed figuratively to denote 
 
 tender affection or love. Horsley’s in- 
 
 terpretation of the terms in application 
 
 to our Saviour, is, like most of his 
 
 exegesis, in the highest degree fanciful, 
 
 being totally unsupported by the scope 
 
 and connection of the passage. The 
 
 knowledge of Jehovah here predicated 
 
 is not speculative, or a bare intellectual 
 
 acquaintance with his character, but ex- 
 
 perimental, or that which results from 
 
 the actual enjoyment of his love. Instead 
 
 of πῆ ποτῶν, twenty-six MSS., originally 
 
 thirteen more, now two, and perhaps 
 
 other two, two editions, supported by the 
 
 Vulg., read Gir 228 ἈΞ), ἢ. 6. they shall 
 
 know that I am Jehovah. 
 
 21, 22. One of the most beautiful 
 instances of prosopopeeia to be found in 
 Scripture. Comp. the address to the Nile 
 in Tibullus, lib. i. Eleg. vii. ver. 25 : — 
 
 “Te propter nullos tellus tua postulat 
 imbres, 
 Arida nec pluvio supplicat herba Jovi.” 
 
 While second causes have here their 
 
14 
 
 I will respond to the heavens, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 And they shall respond to the earth, 
 22 And the earth shall respond to the corn, and the new wine, and 
 
 the oil, 
 
 And they shall respond to Jezreel. 
 23 For I will sow her for myself in the land, 
 And will have werey upon Lo-Runaman, 
 ‘And will say to Lo-Aann, Thou art my people; 
 
 And they shall say, My God! 
 
 appropriate place allotted to them, as so 
 many connected links in the chain: of 
 Divine Providence, the sovereign in- 
 fluence of the Great First Cause is 
 strongly asserted by the emphatic repe- 
 tition of m22s, Zwill respond to, or answer. 
 
 It must, however, be observed, that this 
 verb does not occur the first time in one 
 of Kennicott’s MSS.; it has originally 
 been wanting in another of De Rossi’s; 
 and is omitted in the LXX. Syr. and 
 Arab. One of De Rossi’s MSS, omits 
 min? ἘΝ entirely ; and another, 
 
 mere 
 τι δὰ 
 v 
 
 the second 73 ZN originally. — Ss357 
 Jezreel, here means that which God’ Tah 
 sown, i. e. his people whom he had scat- 
 tered, but whom he would again restore 
 to their native soil. Comp. chap. i. ver. 
 4, and 11. 
 
 23. ἢ is causal, introducing a decla- 
 ration which is designed to account for 
 the appropriation of the name Jezreel at 
 the end of the preceding verse. The 
 metaphor is agricultural. ‘lhe rest of 
 the verse contains a repetition of what 
 is promised, chap. i, 10. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 This chapter contains a new symbolical representation of the regard of Jehovah for his peo- 
 ple, and of their condition at a period subsequent to their re-establishment in Canaan at 
 the return from Babylon. The prophet is commanded to become reconciled to Gomer, 
 though she had proved unfaithful to him, as predicted chap. i. 2, ver. 1, He obeys the 
 command, and purchases her from the individual with whom she was living in adultery, 
 but stipulates that she was to wait for a lengthened period before she could be restored to 
 the enjoyment of her conjugal rights, 2,3. In the two last verses, the symbolical pro- 
 ceeding is explained ofa long period during which the Hebrews were to live without the 
 celebration of their ancient rites, and at the same time be free from all idolatrous practices. 
 The direct prediction respecting their conversion to the Messiah, ver. 5, clearly proves, that 
 their condition during the present dispersion is intended. : 
 
 1  <Awnp Jehovah said unto me: 
 
 1. “49, again, obviously refers back to 
 chap. i. 2. The transaction here com- 
 manded, bearing so near a resemblance 
 to what is enjoined in that chapter, has 
 
 Go again, love a woman beloved 
 
 occasioned nearly the same diversity of 
 interpretation. ‘To me there appears no 
 consistent method of explaining it but 
 that which assumes an identity of the 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 15 
 
 by a friend, yet an adulteress, according as Jehovah loveth the 
 children of Israel, though they have turned to other gods, and 
 
 2 love grape cakes. 
 
 female here specified with Gomer, whom 
 the prophet had previously married. 
 For, first, such construction is absolutely 
 required by the analogy. It was Israel 
 that stood in the relation of wife to 
 Jehovah from first to last. No other 
 nation was admitted to the same relation. 
 Secondly, the female is one already 
 married, but who had proved unfaithful ; 
 which was precisely the case with Israel. 
 Thirdly, except she had been the proph- 
 et’s own wife, who had become un- 
 faithful to him, there would be no point 
 in comparing his love to her with that 
 borne by Jehovah to idolatrous Israel. 
 Fourthly, a command to love the wife of 
 another man, who, notwithstanding ‘her 
 infidelity was still attached to her, would 
 be totally repugnant to every idea of 
 moral justice and propriety. Lastly, the 
 command is not mp, take, as in the for- 
 mer instance, chap. i. 2, the usual formu- 
 la by which marriage is expressed; but 
 ans, love, i, e. renew thy kindness to 
 her; receive her back into thy house 
 
 and make kind provision for her. This 
 view of the passage is decidedly adopted 
 by. Ewald in his Propheten des Alten 
 Bundes, recently published. 
 
 The words 37 MANN WN ans af 
 NEN221, are equivalent to, “: “Go, love thy 
 wife, to whom, though an adulteress, thou 
 art attached;” but the indefinite form 
 ns, a wife, is purposely selected, instead 
 οὗ TAS thy wife, in order to intimate 
 
 the state of separation in which they - 
 
 lived. ¢ For the same purpose 34, a friend 
 or companion, is used, and not syns, her 
 husband ; it being here employed not so 
 much as a term of endearment, as indi- 
 
 cating that, whatever might be his dispo- ; 
 sition towards her, they were not living on ¥* 
 
 the same terms as formerly. - Comp. for 
 this acceptation of y+, Jer. iii. 26. The 
 LXX. mistaking the word for 5, evil, 
 and taking nan for the Benon. nak, 
 
 render, ἀγαπῶσαν πονηρὰ; for which the 
 0.0m 
 
 Syr. _has [oud Ἰώρως j2aay 
 
 So I bought her to myself for fifteen pieces 
 
 ορ 
 {Anic, an adulterous woman who lov- 
 
 eth evil things. The words nanmss 
 “a1 mim, are to be connected with 
 sa nan Ss and not with Ane: The kind 
 
 feeling of the prophet towards his faithless 
 wife corresponded, as a type, to the love 
 of God towards the idolatrous Israelites. 
 The sentence just quoted in part, as 
 well as the words pts $y D135 
 
 guage of the Pentateuch, as Hivernick 
 has shown in his Handbuch der histor- 
 crit. Hinleit. in das A. T.1 Theil. 2 Ab- 
 theil. p. 608. 7°22» "ww, have been 
 variously interpreted. LXX. πέμματα 
 μετὰ σταφίδος or σταφίδων, baked meats 
 with raisins. Aq. renders the former 
 word by παλαιὰ, evidently reading "$703. 
 According to the Hexap. Syr. Theod. 
 
 é adopts the same rendering: coASSaN 
 
 Lois\s. 
 O Deem Ὡς ἄν 
 vinacia uvarum ; Syr. 1Δ...99 Lions 
 
 placenta uvis passis condita. Junius, 
 Tremellius, and others, have Jflagons of 
 wine, aS in our common yersion. The 
 word ἡ 15 employed by Jonathan in 
 his Targ. on Exod. xvi. 31, to express 
 the meaning of ΠΌΤ ΞῈ, a flat cake. The 
 most probable derivation is from yx, to 
 press, compress; and the meaning will 
 be, pressed cakes of dried gr grapes. Such 
 cakes are highly esteemed in the East, 
 on account of their sweet taste, and 
 doubtless formed part of the offerings 
 presented to idols, and afterwards eaten 
 at idolatrous feasts. 
 
 2. Because the purchase of wives was 
 not uncommon, as it still is, in eastern 
 countries, (See Michaelis on the Laws of 
 Moses, Art. LXXXY. Grant’s Nesto- 
 rians, p. 214; Perkins’s Eight Years in 
 Persia, p. 236,) most expositors have 
 supposed that such a transaction is in- 
 tended in this place. The fact, however, 
 that the price here specified, one half in 
 
 Symm. ἀκάρτους ; Vulg. 
 
10 
 
 8. of silver, and for an homer and an half of barley. 
 
 unto her: 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 And I said 
 
 Thou shalt remain for me many days; thou shalt not 
 
 commit lewdness, nor become any man’s; and I also will remain 
 
 4 for thee. 
 
 money, and the other half in grain, was 
 the exact amount of what was allowed 
 for a female slave, Exod. xxi. 32, induces 
 the belief that the payment was made 
 by the prophet for the liberation of his 
 own wife, who had become the property 
 of the person with whom she had been 
 living in adultery. The sum was too 
 parsimonious to have been given as a 
 dowery. The signification of buying as 
 attaching to >, is sufficiently estab- 
 lished by Deut. ii. 6, and Job xl. 30, 
 
 and the use of the Arab. { 
 
 and viii., conduait rem, “LXX. ἐμισ- 
 Swodunv. Hengstenberg’s attempt to 
 explain it here of digging, in the sense 
 of boring the ear in token of a state of 
 slavery, is unsuccessful. A 5m, Jethek, 
 aceording to the Rabbins, contained 
 fifteen seahs, or half an homer. Theod. 
 γομὸρ ἀλφιτῶν ; Symm. ϑύλακος κριδῶν; 
 but the other Greek versions, ἤμίκορον, 
 half a cor, which was equal to an 
 homer. The LXX. unaccountably have 
 véBed οἴνου. The repetition of py, is 
 not unusual in Hebrew, but the abbrevi- 
 ated form of expression is better English. 
 
 3. 23> properly signifies fo sit, but 
 likewise ‘to dwell, remain, ete. ἜΤ ND 
 explains its meaning here to be a re- 
 fraining from all cohabitation with others. 
 nb, and 77>s, are correlates ; and “IS E33 
 forms an antithesis; ‘while I, on the 
 other hand,” ete. As the wife of the 
 prophet was to continue for a long time 
 in a state of separation equally from 
 paramours and from her husband, and 
 he was likewise to form no connection 
 with any other woman, so the Israelites 
 should long live without serving either 
 false gods or Jehovah; while, on his 
 part, he would enter into no national 
 relationship to any other people. This 
 application of the symbol is distinctly 
 marked by »5, and by the resumption of 
 =31, ver. 4. The choice of the fuller 
 preposition Ὁ by, in grb, i in preference to 
 4, seems designed to express the strength 
 : 
 
 » Conj. vi. 
 
 For the children of Israel shall remain many days 
 
 \ 
 of affection with which the symbolical 
 female was still to be regarded ; conse- 
 quently the powerful inclination of the 
 Lord towards his unfaithful people. 
 
 4, This verse describes a period of 
 great length, during which the Israelites 
 were to have no civil polity, either under 
 regal or princely rule; no sacred sacri- 
 fice; no idolatrous statue; no mediating 
 priest ; and no images or tutelary deities, 
 This period cannot be that of their dis- 
 persion previous to the return from 
 Babylon; for the restoration of the wife 
 of the prophet prefigured the restoration 
 which took place on that return, agree- 
 ably to chap. ii. 19, 20,23. It is true 
 that when they were brought back along 
 with the Jewish exiles, the Israelites had 
 no more any civil or ecclesiastical polity 
 of their own; neither did they relapse 
 into idolatry: but still, as in common 
 with their brethren, they were subject to 
 the same political rule, and offered their 
 sacrifices to Jehovah at Jerusalem, it 
 follows that the days here predicted 
 must be those which have succeeded to 
 the times of the Asmonean dynasty, or 
 the dispersion consequent upon the final 
 destruction of Jerusalem. During the 
 protracted period of more than eighteen 
 centuries, (Ὡ "5 =*%05) they have been 
 precisely in the circumstances here pre- 
 dicted —separated from idolaters, and 
 professedly belonging to Jehovah, yet 
 never acknowledged by him in a church 
 relationship. They have neither had 
 2 civil ruler, nor any of the consecrated 
 offices and rites of their ancient econ- 
 omy. Thus Kimchi on the passage, 
 he pears midan wo ἘΠῚ nbs 
 
 mons Ὁ ΝΘ aw ἈΒῚ 7b Nb 15d 
 onne pasta mvs: AN oan 
 — “And: these are the days of our pres- 
 ent captivity, for we have neither king 
 nor prince of Israel, but are under the 
 rule of the nations, even under the rule 
 of their kings and their princes.”’ This 
 interpretation, which alone suits the 
 views furnished of the subject by the 
 
Cuapr. III. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 1 
 
 without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, 
 and without a statue, and without an ephod, and without images. 
 5 Afterwards the ΒΕ ΣΝ of Israel shall return, and shall seek Je- 
 
 prophet, overturns the hypothesis of Dr. 
 Grant, that the Nestorian Christians are 
 the remains of the ten tribes. It cannot 
 properly be said of them that they have 
 continued 5725 O23, in a state of sepa- 
 ration from God, for they received the 
 gospel in the earliest ages of Christianity. 
 Some explain paz, both of legitimate 
 sacrifices and of such as were offered to 
 false gous ; but the grouping of this term 
 with 7231, a statue, as 745x, ephod, fol- 
 lowing, i is with ors boy teraphim, clearly 
 shows that the prophet meant the former 
 restrictively. Kimchi briefly explains : 
 13> awa pw beb nar ps, “ without 
 sacrifice to God, and without an image 
 for idolatrous worship.” From the pro- 
 hibition Ley. xxvi. 1; Deut. xvi. 22, and 
 the history, 2 Kings iii. 2; xvii. 10; x. 
 6, 27, it is manifest that mas does not 
 stand for altar, as the ancient versions 
 render it, but denotes a statue or image 
 of some false deity. Comp. Micah v. 13. 
 12x, the ephod, was that part of the 
 high priest’s dress which was worn above 
 the tunic and robe. It consisted of two 
 pieces which hung down, the one in front 
 over the breast, and the other covering 
 the back, and both reaching to the mid- 
 dle of the thigh. They were joined to- 
 gether on the shoulders by golden clasps, 
 set in precious stones, and fastened round 
 the waist by a girdle. In the breast part 
 was the ἽΣ Π, or pectoral, containing the 
 Urim and Thummim, by which divine 
 responses were vouchsafed to the Hebrews. 
 According to the Jews, the ephod in its 
 complete state ceased with the captivity : 
 for they specify the Urim and Thummim 
 among the five things with respect to 
 which the first temple differed from the 
 second. LXX. ἱερατεία, priesthood, 
 which I doubt not the Hebrew term was 
 intended metonymically to denote in this 
 place. p-54N, the teraphim, were penates, 
 or household gods. They were used at 
 a very early period, as appears from the 
 history of Rachel, Gen. xxxi. 19, 30, 32, 
 34, 35. Comp. 1 Sam. xix. 13; 2 
 Kings xxiii. 24; Ezek. xxi. 21; Zech. 
 3 
 
 x. 2. That they were not only kept as 
 tutelary deities, but also consulted for 
 the purpose of obtaining a knowledge of 
 future events, appears from several of the 
 passages just quoted. Hence the render- 
 ing of the LAX. δήλων. The etymology 
 of the word is altogether uncertain. 
 
 5. At a period still subsequent to that 
 of their existence in the state just de- 
 scribed, the Israelites (now amalgamated 
 with the Jews,) are to be converted to 
 the true worship and service of Jehovah, 
 under the spiritual reign of our Saviour, 
 the promised Messiah. To him they 
 will then submit themselves, and richly 
 enjoy the blessings of divine grace, 
 communicated through his mediation. 
 That s7in, David, here means neither 
 the royal house of David, nor any human 
 monarch of that name who is yet to 
 reign over the Jews, as some haye im- 
 agined, but the great Messiah himself, 
 appears evident from Scripture usage. 
 See Is. lv. 3, 4; Jer. xxx. 9; Ezek. 
 XxXxiv. 23, 24; xxxvil. 24,25. As the 
 name properly signifies The Beloved, it 
 quite accords with 6 ἀγαπητὸς, Matt. iii. 
 17, and 6 ἠγαπημένος, Eph. i. 6. Thus 
 the Targ. 777 52 ἈΠΟ 25. jamenssy 
 «And they shall obey Messiah the Son 
 of David.”’ The following i is the Rabbin- 
 ical interpretation : — x=br TAR POG 
 7A ἘΝῚ HY TAT SAH PA PS xmve 
 mew mit sin [mses]. “The Rabbins 
 say, that Heis the king Messiah; whether 
 he be of the living, his name is David, 
 and whether he be of the slain, his name 
 is David.” Berachoth Jerus. in Raym. 
 Martini Pugio Fidei, Fol. 277. See also 
 the Rabbinical Commentaries on the 
 above passages in Ezekiel. The use of 
 by, in the phrase Fin sty sans, and 
 not 7a, OF “35%, the usual form, is in- 
 tended to show that the fear here speci- 
 fied is not of the kind which “ hath tor- 
 ment,” and which causes those who are 
 under its influence to recede from its 
 object, but such fear as attracts or in- 
 duces them to approach to it. This the 
 addition iz x1 “and to his good- 
 
18 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 hovah their God, and David their king; and they shall trem- 
 blingly hasten to Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter day. 
 
 ness,” clearly shows. Comp. Micah 
 vii. 17. As, however, the idea of fleeing 
 or hastening from danger is also im- 
 plied in verbs signifying to fear, I have 
 rendered the words so as to include 
 both. In this way Rabbi Tanchum: 
 
 εὐἰπο dS po a ΟΣ Ὁ) 
 «They shall flee to him for help from all 
 that may be feared.’” Comp. Jer. xxxi. 
 12. LXX. ἐκστήσονται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ 
 καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαϑοῖς αὐτοῦ. Ewald 
 renders, und werden beben zu Jahve und 
 zu seinem Gute, u. 5. W.3 and Hitzig 
 explains, bebend in freudiger Erwartung 
 
 werden sie herbeieilen. While on the 
 one hand the Jews, under the infiuence 
 of alarm, shall be excited to flee from 
 the wrath to come, they shall be attracted 
 by the display of the divine goodness in 
 the mediation of Christ, to confide in 
 Him for all the blessings of salvation. 
 buen mans, the last of the days, i. 6. 
 the days of the Messiah, as the Rabbins 
 interpret the phrase. See on Is. ii. 2, 
 where Kimchi says expressly, ἘΠΡῸ >> 
 Pw nA Fi Oa MAAS. ΝΣ Ὁ 
 “‘-whereyer it is said, ‘In the last of the 
 days,’ it means the days of the Mes- 
 siah.” 
 
 © HAP a ai 
 
 The prophet now addresses himself more directly to the castigation of the flagrant evils 
 which abounded in the kingdom of Israel during the interregnum which followed upon 
 the death of Jeroboam, and the reigns of Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, and Pekahiah. 
 He calls the attention of his countrymen to the divine indignation, and the causes of it, 1, 
 2; denounces the judgments which were about to be executed upon them, 3; describes 
 their incorrigible character, especially that of the priests, 4-11; and expatiates on the 
 grossness of their idolatrous practices, 12-14. A solemn warning is then given to the 
 members of the Jewish kingdom not to allow themselves to be influenced by their wicked 
 
 example, 15-19. 
 
 1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel! 
 For Jehovah hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land; 
 Because there is no truth, nor kindness, nor knowledge of God 
 
 in the land. 
 
 1, 2. The initiatory words are those 
 of Hosea, summoning attention to the 
 divine message which he was commis- 
 sioned to deliver. Ἐπ Ὁ Ἔ2Ξ is equivalent 
 to ἘΝῚ 90 moa, ch. v. 1; ; ten. “uy, 
 ch. v. δ᾽; and Aina to tse and 
 ees; and all these different ‘epithets 
 are used of the kingdom of the ten tribes 
 in contradistinction to mam and m3 
 
 ms which designate the tribes of 
 Judah and Benjamin. 5." signifies here 
 ground of complaint, or “judicial pro- 
 ceeding. LXX. κρίσις. The wickedness 
 which abounded is first set forth nega- 
 tively, and then positively, under certain 
 items; and the infinitive absolute is em- 
 ployed with great effect, as expressing 
 more emphatically, by its abstract form, 
 
 -Ὡ ΝΥ διιννι .... 
 
Cuar. IV. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Ss lee 
 
 2 There is nothing but swearing and lying, 
 And murder, and theft, and adultery ; 
 
 They have burst forth, 
 And blood reacheth to blood. 
 
 8 Therefore shall the land mourn, 
 
 And every one that dwelleth in it shall languish ; 
 
 With the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven ; 
 
 The fishes of the sea also shall be removed. 
 4 Yet let no man contend with, nor reprove another ; 
 
 For thy people are like those that contend with the priest. 
 5 Therefore thou shalt fall by day, 
 
 And the prophet also shall fall with thee by nies 
 
 And I will destroy thy mother. 
 
 the heinousness of the evils described. 
 The force of this I have given in a free 
 translation. Ewald improperly limits 
 the signification of the verb v5 in this 
 place to the act of breaking into houses ; 
 but the metaphor seems rather to be 
 taken from the bursting forth of a torrent, 
 which, in its progress, spreads wider and 
 wider, and sweeps all before it. The 
 plural form 525, blood, has also a degree 
 of emphasis, signifying much bloodshed. 
 What the prophet means is, that murder 
 was so common, that no space was left 
 as it were between its acts. LXX, 
 αἵματα ἐφ᾽ αἵμασι μίσγουσι. Coverdale, 
 one bloudgiltynes foloweth another. And 
 Ritterhusius powerfully in his poetical 
 metaphrase : — 
 
 «¢ sic sanguine sanguis 
 Truditur, et scelerum nullus finisye 
 modusve est.” 
 
 See 2 Kings xy.; Micah vii. 2. 
 
 3. Comp. Is. xix. 8; xxiv. 4; Joel i. 
 10, 12, dx, in he Pulal. Cane is 
 usually employed after $x, in order more 
 forcibly to describe the calamitous state 
 of a country. 3 here signifies with, ex- 
 tending to, accompanied by, and includes 
 what follows in the general predicate. 
 Comp. Gen. vii. 21. Ox, is cognate 
 with 910, and signifies to gather up, 
 away, back, take away, as well as simply 
 to collect together, Zeph. i. 2, 3. LXX. 
 
 >> 
 
 ἐκλέιφουσιν ; Syr. (St Seed: Targ. 
 
 VIA ΣἘ).5- 8", signifies not only what we 
 call ‘the sea, but any lesser collection of 
 water, as pools, and even rivers. See Is. 
 xix. 5. 
 
 4, Ἐπ᾿ is here prohibitory, and not 
 simply negative, as some have rendered 
 it. The introduction of the sentence by 
 “x, yet, nevertheless, is designed to show 
 the hopeless character of the persons 
 spoken of. All reproof on the part of 
 their friends or neighbors generally would 
 prove fruitless, seeing they had reached 
 a degree of hardihood, which was only 
 equalled by the contumacy of those who 
 refused to obey the priest, when he gave 
 judgment in the name of the Lord, Deut. 
 xvii. 12. The passage is thus quite plain, 
 and requires no transposition or emen- 
 dation of the words as adopted by Houbi- 
 gant, 2 Newcome, and Boothroyd. *a7-% 
 ia) is the same as if it were nx Ora" 
 jmzn, Comp. 51233 73°89, chap. v. 10: 
 All the ancient versions, except the LX X. 
 and Aq. read "35. ‘The Hexap. Syr. has 
 
 ya? qs? [ad 
 
 5. By a sudden transition to the sec- 
 ond person, the prophet addresses himself 
 directly to his guilty people, and predicts 
 their utter destruction. i425, Kimchi, 
 Drusius, Ecolamp. Grotius, and Ewald, 
 improperly render “to-day.” As con- 
 trasted here with m3, night, it is equiv- 
 alent to Θ555, by day. Comp. Neh. iv. 
 16. That the article is not repeated be- 
 fore 53", may be owing to the common 
 adyerbial use of this noun without it. 
 
20 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 CHAP: WV: 
 
 6 My people is destroyed for lack of knowledge ; 
 Because thou hast rejected knowledge, 
 I will also reject thee, so that thou shalt not be a priest to me; 
 Because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, 
 
 I also will forget thy children. 
 
 7 According to their increase, so they sinned against me ; 
 I will change their glory into shame. 
 8 They devour the sin-offering of my people, 
 
 And long for their iniquity. 
 
 The false prophets by whom the Israelites 
 had been encouraged in wicked practices 
 should render them no assistance in the 
 season of calamity, but should be them- 
 selves involved in the same common ruin. 
 “nv, the LXX. renders ὁμοίωσα ; and 
 several translate, “I have reduced to 
 silence;”’ but the verb is obviously used 
 in the sense of destroying, as 37273 is, 
 ver. 6. Comp. Zeph. i. 11. By 5 sx, 
 thy mother, the Israelitish state is meant, 
 of which the citizens were the children. 
 See chap. ii. 1. Thus Kimchi, Jerome, 
 Grotius, Michaelis, Rosenmiiller, and 
 Maurer. Others, as Cornelius 4 Lapide, 
 Houbigant, Capellus, Pococke, Bauer, 
 and Newcome, suppose the metropolis 
 to be intended. 
 
 6. ngar*>2%, having here the article 
 before the noun, and occurring in con- 
 nection with nz, immediately follow- 
 ing, is not to be taken in the sense of un- 
 Ls Em as nyt °>2 is, Is. v. 13, but 
 strictly means that destitution of the 
 true knowledge of God which was the 
 source of the sins now about to be pun- 
 ished. This ignorance is principally 
 charged upon the religious teachers of 
 the nation, each of whom is directly 
 addressed in AoNansin mAs. Thus 
 Pagninus, O sacerdos ; 3; Ww hich Dathe also 
 inserts in his text. The persons addressed 
 pretended to be priests of Jehovah, though 
 they taught the people to combine with 
 his worship that of pagan deities, or at 
 least that of the golden calves, which, no 
 doubt, paved the way for the universal 
 spread of idolatry in Israel. The position 
 adopted by Horsley, that the Jewish 
 high-priest is intended, does not suit the 
 connection. The third » in ΝΘ ΘΝ, is 
 not found in a great number of Kenni- 
 
 cott’s and De Rossi’s MSS., nor in some 
 of the earlier printed editions ; in others 
 it is marked as redundant, and some few 
 have "4p joNxx. The antitheses in this 
 verse are pointed and forcible. *> is 
 understood as repeated in ΓΞ ΤΑ", and 3 
 before H=ox. f 
 
 7. As the priests are obviously the 
 nominative to the verbs in the three fol- 
 lowing verses, and form the subject of 
 discourse in that which precedes, they 
 must likewise be the persons spoken of in 
 this. It has been queried whether the 
 increase was in number, or in wealth, 
 power, etc. Michaelis thinks the latter 
 is meant? still the former may be in- 
 cluded, in harmony with the mention 
 made of their children, ver. 6. In pro- 
 portion as they multiplied in numbers 
 and grew in influence, they promoted the 
 increase of idolatry: but the wealth and 
 dignity (7422) which they acquired, and 
 which they thus prostituted, should be 
 destroyed by foreigners, by whom they 
 would be carried into captivity. ran, 
 and ©7433, form a slight paronomasiil. 
 
 8. rNen here signifies sin-offering, as 
 it frequently does in the Levitical code. 
 So Kimchi; and it is thus rendered in 
 
 Pococke’s Arab. Ms. slbs 
 
 ωϑ 
 yrs SP and Castalio, vn 
 culo. The priests greedily devoured what 
 the people brought for the expiation of 
 their sins; and instead of endeavoring to 
 put a stop to abounding iniquity, only 
 wished it to increase, in order that they 
 might profit by the multitude of the me 
 tims presented for sacrifice. ΦῈ2 8&2, 
 
 lift up the animal soul for any soe 
 means to Just after it, long, or have a 
 strong desire for it, Deut. xxiy. 15; Jer. 
 
Cuap. LV. 
 
 HOSEA. pal 
 
 9 Therefore it shall be, like people, like priest ; 
 I will punish them according to their ways, 
 And requite them for their deeds. 
 10 For they shall eat, but shall not be satisfied ; 
 They shall commit lewdness, but shall not increase: 
 Because they have ceased to regard Jehovah. 
 
 1 
 
 Lewdness and wine and new wine take away the heart. 
 12 My people consult their stock ; 
 
 Their staff announceth to them: 
 
 xxii, 27. 4 in 2955, is used distributively 
 to express the fact that such was the 
 character of each of the priests. The 
 reading DY2:, found in ten MSS., origi- 
 nally in seven more, and perhaps in one, 
 and supported by the LXX. Syr. Targ. 
 Vulg. and Arab., most probably origi- 
 nated in emendation. Not unfrequently 
 a proposition commences with the plural, 
 and ends with the singular, and vice 
 versa. 
 
 4): τοῖς Is. xxiv. 2. The rank and 
 wealth of the priests would not exempt 
 them from sharing the same fate with the 
 rest of the nation. 
 
 10. s5=x7 is a resumption of "5 Ξ δ", 
 ver. 8.—; main is here used intransitively 
 as in ver. 18, v. 3, and is to be under- 
 stood literally of the sensual indulgences 
 of the Israelitish teachers, as the. verb 
 axq5> shows. For the signification to 
 abound in children, as ἢ to this 
 verb, see Gen. xxvill. 14. fopndiae, 
 Arnold, (Blumen althebraisch. Dichtk.) 
 and Horsley, disjoin =": from the pre- 
 ceding verb, and connect it with the fol- 
 lowing nouns, thus : — 
 
 «“ They have forsaken Jehovah, 
 Giving heed to fornication,” etc. 
 
 But, notwithstanding the apparent force 
 of the bishop’s remarks, there is some- 
 thing so repugnant to Hebrew usage in 
 the combination w44en3 4721 7937 κὐρθς, 
 to observe fornication, and wine, and new 
 wine, that it is altogether inadmissible. 
 Though the verb nia may in no other 
 passage take τὴ τὸ for its object, yet it 
 takes τὰ τ “ban, lying vanities, i. e. idols, 
 Ps. xxxi. 7; Jonah ii. 9; in which latter 
 passage it is connected ‘with 31¥, as in 
 
 the present case. The division of the 
 words found in our common version is that 
 
 of the Hexap. Syr. 2.2... fagdors 
 
 pea aban and the Slavonic; and is ap- 
 
 proved by Michaelis, Tingstadius, New- 
 come, Dathe, Boothroyd, De Wette, 
 Hitzig, and Ewald. 
 
 11. This verse has the appearance of 
 amoral adage. The influence of habits 
 of impurity and intoxication in blunting 
 the moral feelings, and weakening the 
 intellectual powers, is a well-established 
 fact in the history of man. 
 
 ‘s Nox et amor vinumque nihil modera- 
 bile suadent ; 
 Illa pudore vacat, liber amorque metu.” 
 
 Ovid. 
 ‘Nox, vinum, mulier; nihil perniciosus 
 adolescentulo.”’ Plaut. 
 
 There can be little doubt that the prophet 
 has specially in view the impure and 
 bacchanalian orgies which were con- 
 nected with the Syrian idolatry. For 
 the prevalence of drunkenness in Ephraim 
 ie ΕΝ xxviii. 1; Amos iv. 1. 
 
 «The ie, and most versions 
 σι follow them, connect 32 with 23, 
 at the end of the preceding verse; ἃ 
 mode of construction adopted by Mi- 
 chaelis and Dathe, but otherwise dis- 
 approved by modern translators. ‘The 
 Syr. Targ. and Vulg. divide properly. 
 Hosea here adduces proofs of the mental 
 hebetude to which the sinful practices of 
 the Israelitish people had reduced them 
 — their application to their wooden idols 
 and images for oracular counsel, and their 
 
 use of rhabdomancy or divination by 
 
bo 
 bo 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 For a Jewd spirit hath caused them to err; 
 They have lewdly departed from under their God. 
 
 13 They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, 
 And offer incense upon the hills; 
 Under the oak, and the poplar, and the terebinth, 
 Because their shade is pleasant : 
 Therefore your daughters commit lewdness, 
 And your daughters-in-law adultery. 
 
 14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit lewdness, 
 Nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery ; 
 For they themselves go aside with harlots, 
 
 rods. Leo Juda: ‘Jigno suo oracula 
 querit.” That by 2, wood, is here 
 meant an idol made of such material, 
 the connection shows. Comp. Jer. ii. 
 27: x.8; Hab. ii. 19. ἘΞ is properly 
 a shoot or twig, then a rod, walking staff, 
 etc. Occurring as it does here, in refer- 
 ence to an idolatrous or superstitious 
 practice, it denotes such a staff employed 
 tor purposes of divination. Some have 
 been of opinion that it is to be taken as 
 strictly parallel to \y, and that a staff is 
 meant which had the: image of some god 
 carved upon it; but the use of the phrase 
 55. s"a1, announceth, pointeth out, shows 
 that a divining rod is meant. Rhabdo- 
 mancy (ῥαβδομαντεία) was very common 
 among the ancient idolaters, as it has 
 been in later times in different countries 
 of the East. The ancient Arabs consulted 
 their gods in this way, taking two rods, 
 on one of which was inscribed God bids, 
 and on the other God forbids, and drawing 
 them out of the case into which they were 
 put, acted agreeably to the direction 
 which first came forth. See Pococke, 
 Specimen. Hist. Arab. p. 327. Mai- 
 monides quotes an ancient book entitled 
 Siphri, in which a diviner is defined to 
 be one who takes his staff, and inquires, 
 Shall I go? or, Shall I not go? The 
 Runic wands of the Scandinavian nations, 
 on which were inscribed mysterious char- 
 acters, and which were used for magical 
 purposes, appear to have originated in 
 et, more ancient divination of Asia. 
 p35 an, lit. ἃ spirit of whoredoms, 
 ie a ῬΙᾺ erful impetus to commit acts 
 of idolatry. Instead of the simple form 
 mynm, some few MSS. the Babyl. Tal- 
 
 mud, the Syr. Vulg. and Targ. read 
 tenn; Ww hile the LXNX. and Arab. read 
 wnn. For Ἐπ ἐς mins, comp. 
 Numb. v. 19, 20; Ezek. xxiii. 5; and 
 ὕπανδρος, Rom. vii. 2. 
 
 13. Mountains and hills were selected 
 by idolaters on which to erect their altars, 
 and offer their sacrifices, on account of 
 their supposed proximity to the host of 
 heaven, which they worshipped. Theat 
 this custom was very ancient, appears 
 from the prohibition, Deut. xii. 2. For 
 imitating it, the Hebrews are frequently 
 reproved, Is. Ixv. 7; Jer. iii. 6; Ezek. 
 xviii, 11. sm2%%, being in Piel, ex- 
 presses the eagerness and frequency with 
 which the Israelites offered their idola- 
 trous sacrifices. They also selected groves 
 of oak, terebinth, etc., for purposes of 
 superstition and idolatry, under whore 
 umbraceous cover they might at once be 
 screened from the heat of the sun, and 
 indulge in lascivious practices. The 
 sacrifice of female virtue which was re- 
 quired in the religious service of the 
 Pheenician goddess Astarte, seems clearly 
 to be referred to in this and the following 
 verse. n>, LXX. Actin, the white 
 poplar, from 25, to be white. 
 
 14. Kuinoel, and others, taking x3, as 
 standing for stm, read the first part of 
 the verse interrogatively, which is not 
 unsupported by examples in Hebrew 
 usage. It seems better, however, to under- 
 stand it here as a simple negative, and 
 the meaning to be that, as the parents 
 and husbands indulged in the flagitious 
 practices here described, Jehovah would 
 not make examples of the females, or suf- 
 fer them to be punished, as if they alone 
 
Cuar. IV. 
 
 And sacrifice with prostitutes : 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 25 
 
 And as for the undiscerning people, they shall be overthrown. 
 
 15 
 
 Though thou, O Israel, art lewd, 
 
 Yet let not Judah be found guilty ; 
 
 Come ye not to Gilgal, 
 
 Neither go ye up to Beth-aven, 
 Nor use the oath, ‘ Jehovah liveth.” 
 
 were guilty; but would punish with 
 condign punishment their natural pro- 
 tectors, who not only abandoned them to 
 seduction, but themselves rioted in the 
 same wickedness. ‘Thus Munster: ‘ Du- 
 rissimé animadvertam in parentes et 
 sponsos, ut filize et sponse eorum punitze 
 videantur esse extra pcenam.” ‘The 
 transition from the second to the third 
 person, for the purpose of more graphi- 
 cally exhibiting the subject of discourse, 
 is not without examples. See Is. xxii. 
 16. The use of the separate pronoun tx, 
 also adds to the emphasis of the language. 
 “75, in Piel, strongly marks the studied 
 withdrawment of the Israelites from the 
 assembled throngs, to such places as were 
 devoted to scenes of impurity; while 
 mai, in the same conjugation, significs 
 in this connection, to commit lew Ee as 
 an act of idolatrous deyotion. Between 
 naz, and mya p> there seems to be this 
 difference, that the former were ordinary 
 females who prostituted themselves for 
 gain, but the latter those who devoted 
 themselves to the service of Astarte, by 
 offering their persons to be violated in her 
 pone at the sacred festivals. See Sel- 
 en de Diis Syris, Synt. ii. cap. 2; Her- 
 ne lib. i. cap. 199; Euseb. Vit. Con- 
 stantin. lib. iii. cap. 35; Spencer de Leg. 
 Heb. lib. ii. cap. 22 and 23; Lucian de 
 Dea Syra. Of this latter term, the mas. 
 DIP catamites, occurs, 1 Kings xiv. 
 24; xv. 12: xxil. 47; and in the ancient 
 boat of Job, chap. xxxvi. 14, which 
 shows at how very early a period such 
 abominations obtained. It likewise occurs 
 in both genders in the prohibition, Deut. 
 xxill. 18. To these practices the LAX. 
 doubtless had respect in rendering the 
 word τετελεσμένων, initiated. Its deri- 
 vation from % ap, to be sacred, consecrated, 
 or destined to the service of the temple, 
 confirms our interpretation.—wv2d ; Syr. 
 
 ——— coneitavit ; Arab. ha , conyjecit 
 
 in terram aliquem, in Niph. ¢o be cast 
 down, overthrown, or the like. ὙΠῸ verb 
 occurs only here, and Proy. x. 8, 10, 
 where see Schultens. 
 
 15. A solemn warning to the Jewish 
 kingdom to beware of mixing itself up 
 with that of Israel in the practice of 
 idolatry. Here 7:4, to enans lewdness, 
 is again used figuratively. Eis, properly 
 signifies to contract guilt, oe hecome sub- 
 ject to its consequences. %3ba, Gilgal, 
 was a town situated between the Jordan 
 and Jericho, near the confines of the 
 kingdom of Samaria. It was regarded 
 as a holy place as early as the days of 
 Joshua, chap. v. 15; and sacrifices were 
 offered there to Jehovah in those of Sam- 
 Welle παν. S 9. χνο 1, 99.-. mlm 
 process of time, however, it came to be 
 converted into a place of idolatrous wor- 
 ship, Amos iv. 4, 5; Hos. ix. 15; xii. 
 11. 428 m73, Beth-aven, i. 6. the house 
 of vanity or idols, aname given by the 
 minor prophets, by way of contempt, to 
 Bethel, i. e. the house of God, a place 
 sacred to true religion in the time of the 
 patriarchs, and the judges; but after- 
 wards selected by Jeroboam as the princi- 
 pal seat of the worship of the golden 
 calves, 1 Kings xii. 29, 32, 33; xii. 1; 
 Amos ili. 14; vil. 10,13; Jer. xlvii. 13. 
 It originally belonged to the tribe of Ben- 
 jamin, but was taken by that of Ephraim, 
 Judges i. 22-25. That there was a city 
 of the name of Beth-aven near to Bethel, 
 appears from Josh. vil. 2, which may 
 have suggested the appropriation of the 
 name to the latter. LXX. οἶκον Ων, 
 reading 34s, the native name of Heli- 
 opolis, Aq. and Symm. οἶκον ἀνωφελῆ ; 
 Theod. οἶκον. ἀδικίας ; and with this the 
 
 Arab. agrees pAb λον the house 
 
24 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 16 Since Israel is refractory, like a refractory heifer ; 
 Jehovah will now feed them, like a lamb in a large place. 
 
 17 Ephraim is joined to idols; 
 Leave him to himself. 
 
 18 When their carousal is over they indulge in lewdness ; 
 Her shields are enamored of infamy. 
 
 of iniquity. Comp. Amos iy. 4; v. 5. 
 From the warning here given to the 
 Jews not to participate with the Israelites 
 in their idolatry, it is evident the proph- 
 ecy was delivered at a time when they 
 were comparatively free from that evil. 
 The prohibition not to swear by the for- 
 mula min? 7, respects the combination 
 of the divine name with those of idols, or 
 the profession of attachment to Jehovah, 
 if the persons addressed were guilty of 
 idolatry. Comp. Zeph. i. 5. That it 
 was otherwise lawful to use it, appears 
 from Jer. iv. 2. Comp. Deut. x. 20. 
 
 16. ‘The metaphor is here taken from 
 a heifer that obstinately refuses to be 
 
 a » 
 yoked. Thus the Syr. -3 A225 
 ρ 
 ᾿:ω. For the force of 455, comp. 
 Deut. xxi. 18. The latter hemistich 
 
 contains the language of irony. As lambs 
 are fond of ranging at large, but are in 
 danger of being lost or devoured, so God 
 threatens to remove the Israelites into a 
 distant and large country, where they 
 would be separated from those with 
 whom they associated in idolatrous wor- 
 ship, and thus be left solitary and ex- 
 ae as in a wilderness. The phrase 
 
 τι 3Ξ mz, to feed in a large place, is 
 ales here used i in a good sense, Is. xxx. 
 23. 
 
 17. E945 δ, Ephraim, as the most nu- 
 merous and powerful of the tribes, and 
 that in which the kingdom was estab- 
 lished, is put for all the ten. "5 τι, from 
 ἜΞΠ, to be joined, closely united, adhere 
 to, to be allied to by voluntary choice, 
 Gen. xiv. 3. In this last sense the term 
 is here used. The Israelites had volun- 
 tarily addicted themselves to the service 
 of idols, and thus identified themselves 
 with their interests. While the word 
 tax, tdols, suggests the idea of their 
 being merely the fabrication of human 
 
 labor, it also intimates the pain or sorrow 
 resulting from idolatry. The root has 
 both significations. 4t—nhan strongly 
 implies the obstinacy and incorrigible 
 character of the ten tribes, and indig- 
 nantly abandons them to their fate. 
 They are irreclaimably devoted to the 
 gods of the heathen: let them take their 
 own way, and reap the consequences of 
 their perverse choice. Their case is des- 
 perate. Comp. Jer. vii. 16; Ezek. xx, 
 39. Thus Tanchum, Jarchi, Kimchi. 
 Calvin, Tarnovius, Zanchius, Coverdale, 
 Drusius, Lively, Leo Juda, Pococke, 
 Kuinoel, Michaelis, Tingstadius, New- 
 come, Stuck, and Ewald. Others, as 
 the Targ. Jerome, Mercer, Diodati, 
 Grotius, Rosenmiiller, Maurer, ete., re- 
 gard the words as simply containing a 
 warning to the inhabitants of Judah to 
 keep aloof from, and take no part in the 
 idolatries of the Ephraimites. ‘The LXX. 
 ἔϑηκεν ἑαυτῷ σκάνδαλα, reading A325 in 
 the preterite, and supplying the idea of 
 idols from the preceding part of the 
 verse. 
 
 18. Before =, the particle ἘΝ, when, 
 is to be supplied, which in poetry, for 
 the sake of conciseness and energy, is 
 frequently omitted. For the acceptation 
 past, passed away, over, etc. comp. 1 Sam. 
 xv. 32, vem Ὁ "Ὁ. Horsley, Ewald, 
 and some others, are of opinion that => 
 means vapid, degenerated, sour, ete., but 
 less aptly. The meaning is, that no 
 sooner were their compotations over than 
 they indulged in excessive lewdness. 
 Instead of ἘΝΞΌ, their drink, drinking 
 bout, one of De Rossi's MSS. has originally 
 read D-s34d, drunkards ; another DNS:, 
 their host ; and one of Kennicott’s o- NDD, 
 Sabeans ; but none of these variations 
 suits the entire construction of the verse, 
 The LXX. strangely, ἡρέτισε xavavatous, 
 which the Arab, as usual, follows. The 
 impurity in which, when inflamed with 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 HOSEA. 95 
 
 19 The wind hath bound her up in its wings, 
 That they may be ashamed of their sacrifices. 
 
 liquor, they indulged, was most probably 
 that connected with the worship of Ve- 
 nus. ΤῸ express the excess to which it 
 was carried, the verb is first put in the 
 infinitive absolute, and then repeated in 
 the finite form. 427 is not separately 
 expressed in the LXX. the Arab. or in 
 either of the Syriac versions ; though it 
 cannot hence be inferred that it was not 
 in the Hebrew text. It is wanting, how- 
 ever, in three of Kennicott’s MSS. If it 
 did not originate in some copyist having 
 written the two last syllables of the pre- 
 ceding word over again, it must be re- 
 garded as having originally formed part 
 of that word in the reduplicate form 
 WAM in which, not only is the second 
 syllable’ ‘of the verb repeated (12n27 ms), 
 
 but the pronominal sufformative is ‘re- 
 tained in the middle of the word, and the 
 first radical (s) rejected on that account 
 in the reduplication. Such form is of 
 extremely rare occurrence: "ΉΤΟ, 
 
 lit. they destroy, destroy me, Ps. ixxkviii, 
 
 17, being the only other instance of the 
 kind with which I am acquainted. In 
 this way the form is partly accounted for 
 by the ancient Jewish grammarian Abu- 
 walid Ibn Jannahi, as quoted by Pococke. 
 What confirms this view of the redupli- 
 cate form is the use of D-an2n, ἃ gemi- 
 nation somewhat resembling ‘it, by our 
 prophet, chap. viii. 13. The rendering 
 give ye, as if it were the imperative of 
 am, proposed by Abenezra and Kimchi, 
 and adopted by our transiators, is not so 
 suitable to the connection. Maurer; 
 mirifice amant ignominiam: Ewald; es 
 
 lieben lieben schmach seine Schilde. 
 Kuinoel very unjustifiably omits :25 in 
 his Heb. Text. 44>, shame, a collective 
 abstract noun, expressive of the infamous 
 acts connected with idolatrous worship. 
 Dr25%, shields, are tropically used for 
 princes, as the natural protectors of their 
 people, here and Ps. xlvii. 10. The femi- 
 nine suffix x, refers to πὸ understood ; 
 
 .the inhabitants being meant. 
 
 19. By an expressive figure, borrowed 
 from the sudden force with which any 
 thing is carried off by the wind, the 
 prophet announces the suddenness and 
 violence with which the ten tribes should 
 be removed from their land. The com- 
 bination M17 “B23, wings of the wind, is 
 too firmly established in Hebrew usage, 
 see Ps. xviii. 11; civ. 3, to allow either 
 of the acceptations spirit or vanity being 
 given to man, or that of borders to 5°33 
 in this place. min being of both genders, 
 accounts for the masculine of the verb, 
 and the feminine pron. affix. For mn4x, 
 two of De Rossi’s MSS., and the Vat. 
 and Alex. copies of the LXX. read πῶς, 
 which gives no suitable sense. In the 
 distant countries of the Medes, by whom 
 all image-worship was held in abomi- 
 nation, the exiles would be brought to a 
 due sense of the wickedness and absurd- 
 ity of their conduct. 4, in "03", is 
 used τελικῶς. Jer. xlviii. 13. Sacrvfices 
 are here put by synecdoche for the whole 
 system of idolatry in which they in- 
 dulged. For the reading ennayiea, of 
 their altars, adopted by ‘New come, there 
 is no authority except the Targ. and Syr. 
 
 CHAE TERN. 
 
 This chapter commences with an objurgation of the priests and the royal family, as the 
 principal seducers of the nation to idolatry, 1,2. Then follows a description of the un- 
 blushing wickedness of the people, interspersed with denunciations of impending punish- 
 
 ment, 3-7. 
 
 The approach of the divine judgments is ordered to be proclaimed, and their 
 
 certainty declared, 8,9. The prophet then abruptly turns to the two tribes and a half 
 
 4 
 
20 
 
 whose guilt and punishment he denounces; 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. V. 
 
 yet so as to show that his predictions were 
 
 chiefly directed against the northern kingdom, the rulers of which, like those of Judah, 
 instead of looking to Jehovah for deliverance from civil calamities, applied in vain for 
 
 foreign assistance, 10-14. 
 of the divine judgments. 
 
 1 Hear this, O ye priests! 
 
 The 15th verse sets forth the certainty and the beneficial effects 
 
 And hearken, O house of Israel! 
 
 Give ear, O house of the king 
 
 For the sentence is against you, 
 
 Because ye are a snare at Mispah, 
 
 And a net spread upon Tabor. 
 
 2 The apostates slaughter to excess, 
 But I will inflict chastisement on them all. 
 
 1. ΒΝ 55 na, house of Israel, i. 6. the 
 ten tribes. ° ΠΕΣ ΤΣ nv2, house of the king, 
 i. e, the king and his court. From the 
 references made to the idolatry and 
 punishment of Judah in this and the 
 following chapter; it would appear that 
 the king whom Hosea had specifically 
 in view was Pekah, the son of Remaliah ; 
 since it was in the reign of Ahaz, who 
 was contemporary with him, that idol wor- 
 ship was carried to such a height in that 
 kingdom as to call for the calamities in- 
 flicted upon it by the confederate forces 
 of Israel and Syria, as well as by the 
 king of Assyria. By vst ἘΞ5 is not 
 meant, as the Targ. interprets, followed 
 by Abenezra, Kimchi, Abarbanel, Pag- 
 ninus, Junius, Tremellius, and other: 
 that it belonged to them to know and 
 execute justice, but that the judgment 
 or punishment was directed against them. 
 They had merited it, and it was now 
 coming upon them. LXX. πρὸς ὑμᾶς 
 ἐστὶ τὸ Kpiua. Thus most Christian 
 expositors. m=x%, Mispah. As there 
 were several places of this name, some 
 degree of uncertainty attaches to it as 
 occurring here; but as the object of the 
 prophet seems to be to set forth the 
 means employed for seducing the whole 
 of the ten tribes to idolatry, it is more 
 probable that he had in his eye Mispah 
 of Gilead, on the east of the Jordan, just 
 as he specifies mount Tabor to the west 
 of that rivere See Judges x. 17; xi. 29. 
 
 On both of these elevated positions false 
 worship had been established for the pur- 
 pose of ensnaring the inhabitants of the 
 adjacent regions. The means employed 
 to bring them over to it are compared to 
 the snares and nets used for catching 
 birds and wild beasts upon the mountains. 
 By metonymy, the leaders of the people 
 are spoken of as such nets and snares, 
 because of their bad example, and the 
 influence which they otherwise exerted 
 for evil. 
 
 2. mune, slaughteri ing, the infinitive 
 absolute, with 7 paragogic, of und, to 
 kill, for food or sacrifice. Here, from its 
 close connection with the preceding verse, 
 it has the latter signification. Some 
 think murder is meant; but this is less 
 likely, though the verb is also used in 
 this sense in other places. ἡ ΠῺΣ 
 lit. they deepen to slaughter, Ἶ Le. by a 
 peculiar idiom, they slaughter to excess, 
 kill an immense number of sacrificial 
 victims. Comp. nyo spur; Is. xxxi. 
 6. Bruty, apostates, the Beiioni participle 
 of un, to turn aside, decline from the 
 right way, apostatize ; as Drs, scoffers, 
 from ‘yb, to scoff. Comp. Ps. xl. 5, 
 ΞτΞ "ty, those that turn aside to false- 
 hood; and mrvo—nvy, Ps. ci. 3. Two or 
 three MSS., the edit. of Soncin., and a few 
 others, have Ὁ instead of Ὁ, in our text. 
 
 o> O 
 
 Syr. wader}, seduxit, ora dors 
 
 declinatio, apostasia. The idolatrous 
 
 καὶ no ms, 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 3 I know Ephraim, 
 Israel is not hid from me; 
 
 HOSEA. QT 
 
 Surely now thou committest lewdness, O Ephraim! 
 
 Israel is defiled. 
 4 They frame not their deeds 
 To return to their God ; 
 
 For a lewd spirit is within them, 
 
 And they regard not Jehovah, 
 
 5 The pride of Israel testifieth to his face ; 
 Therefore Israel and Ephraim shall fall through their iniquity ; 
 
 Judah also shall fall with them. 
 
 Israelites multiplied their sacrifices in 
 order that they might enjoy prosperity 
 under the protection of the deities to 
 whom they offered them; but Jehovah 
 here declares that none of them should 
 escape the punishment which he was 
 about to inflict upon them. Before "Ὁ 5} 
 supply nny. The ancient versions are 
 here greatly at fault, from their authors 
 haying supposed that the reference to 
 hunters is still continued in this verse. 
 3. Ephraim, as distinguished from 
 Israel, means the tribe of Ephraim, 
 from which most of the apostate kings 
 sprang, and in which idolatry most 
 abounded. By Israel the other nine 
 tribes are meant. As having incurred 
 the more aggravated guilt, the former is 
 here addressed in the second person. 
 Two of Kennicott’s MSS. indeed, and 
 one of De Rossi’s, originally read s275 5 
 and one of Kennicott’s has mon) “for 
 s7202, but both are, in all probability, 
 from the hand of correctors. ποὺ is 
 here used figuratively. The polluting 
 influence of the Ephraimites was felt 
 through the whole nation. To express 
 an assertion more strongly the Hebrews 
 put it first in the form of an affirmative, 
 and then in that of a negative. nny, 
 now, is not without emphasis ; pointing 
 out the undeniable fact that they had 
 been the cause of the spread of idolatry. 
 4. The language now changes to the 
 plural, to express the character of the 
 people generally. By some Ἐπ’ ἘΣ is 
 construed as the nominative to 5:5, and 
 rendered, their deeds do not permit them, 
 etc. Thus the Syr. Abenezra, Drusius, 
 etc.; and among the moderns, Horsley, 
 
 Tingstadius. Manger, Kuinoel, Stuck, 
 Maurer, and Ewald. But in order to 
 establish this construction, we should 
 have to read Pasm7 or ENS 325, “ per- 
 mitted them,’ the accusative of the per- 
 son always following the verb in such 
 case. See Gen. xx. 6; Exod. iii. 19. 
 In the present instance jn2 is used in 
 the sense of placing, ordering, Sraming, 
 like psy and nw, as it is given in the 
 common version, and rendered by Tan- 
 chum, Leo Juda, Mercer, Tarnovius, 
 Michaelis, Rosenmiiller, Noyes, and 
 Hitzig. The meaning is, that the Is- 
 raelites did not reform, did not so regard 
 their wicked practices as to abandon 
 them and return to the pure worship of 
 Jehovah. 
 
 5. That 3 52% means to testify for or 
 against any person or thing, is obvious 
 from its use, Gen. xxx. 33; Job. xvi. 8. 
 It is properly a Judicial phrase, and re- 
 fers to the testimony given by a witness, 
 either for or against vanother, according 
 to circumstances. The rendering ἕο be 
 humbled, which is that of the LXX. Syr. 
 Targ. Jarchi, and recently of Michaelis, 
 Newcome, Noyes, and Maurer, cannot 
 be philologically sustained. The addition 
 17252, to his face, gives emphasis to the 
 phrase, openly, publicly, in such a manner 
 that he himself may see it, without the 
 adduction of further evidence. That 
 ἬΝ signifies pride, insolence, notwith-_ 
 standing what Horsley asserts to the con- 
 trary, is sufficiently apparent from Prov. 
 xvi. 18, and Is, xvi. 6. I should rather 
 think, however, that by the term as here 
 used, we are to understand the objects of 
 which the ten tribes were proud, their 
 
28 POS EA. 
 
 6 With their flocks and their herds, 
 
 They may go to seek Jehovah, 
 But they shall not find him: 
 He hath withdrawn from them. 
 
 7 They have proved false to Jehovah; 
 For they have begotten strange SE: : 
 Now shall a month destroy them and their portions, 
 
 splendid or magnificent idols, ete. As 
 Jehovah is spoken of as apn jisa, the 
 excellency, or boast of Jacob, Amos Viii- 
 7, so the idols might be called 3433 
 tem, the excelleney y, or proud boast of 
 Israci. They gloried in them as the 
 objects of their confidence and attach- 
 ment. These very gods, by their utter 
 impotence, bear open Ww. itness that they 
 could afford no help to those who trusted 
 in them; so that their worshippers could 
 not but have been convinced of their 
 folly, if their hearts had not become mor- 
 ally obscured by the practice of iniquity. 
 The religion itself (E253, their iniquity,) 
 from which they expected safety, would 
 prove the cause of their ruin. The words 
 are repeated with a similar reference 
 chap. vii. 10. 
 
 The concluding line of the verse con- 
 tains an abrupt and unexpected appli- 
 cation of the threatening to the Jews. 
 As they had suffered themselves to be 
 influenced by the example of the Israel- 
 ites, they should also share in their 
 punishment. The respective captivities 
 of both are here threatened. On com- 
 paring this threatening with chap. iv. 16, 
 it appears to have been delivered at a 
 period considerably subsequent to that 
 which is there spoken of, when the evils 
 of idolatry had made some progress in the 
 southern kingdom. To express more 
 strongly the certainty of the event, the 
 verb $¢> is put in the preterite; whereas 
 it had simply been used in the future 
 
 ἘΞ 9.2.5, in reference to the Israelites. 
 
 6. ‘The idolaters are here told that 
 though in the hour of calamity they 
 might bring their flocks and herds as 
 propitiatory sacrifices to Jehovah in order 
 to avert the punishment, it would be 
 altogether in vain. 4$h signifies to draw 
 or put off any person or thing, to 
 withdraw one’s self. Comp. the Arab, 
 
 vedas, salvus evasit, progressus est, 
 and s, extraxit, exuit. Pococke’s 
 
 Arab. MS. ‘has XS yn0 ol> xh} 
 » God hath withdrawn his help 
 
 JSrom them. The Israelites and Jews 
 could no longer reckon on the divine 
 presence, and the effectual aid which that 
 presence implied. 
 
 7. The prophet seems here to allude to 
 the mention made of ἘΠῚ Στ ob, and 
 Dr252T 23, lewd children, chap. i. 2'9/iis 
 4. ott, strange, foreign, is selected in 
 order to show that the idolatry was the 
 result of intercourse with foreigners. The 
 verb 733, to act unfaithfully, is also used 
 of the breach of the matrimonial cove- 
 nant, Jer. iii. 20. This idea is expressed 
 
 in the Arab. MS. of Pococke, 
 
 | 3) avs x |, they have broken the cove- 
 
 nant of God. "55 has here the signifi- 
 cation of itague, and marks the conse- 
 quence of the conjugal infidelity just 
 specified — the production of a race of 
 idolaters. The relation of the words is 
 well expressed by Stuck : “ quoniam Deo 
 infideles sunt, propterea liberos peregrinos 
 habent.” sx, now, is here to be taken 
 not as determining the exact point of 
 present time, but the speedy and certain 
 arrival’of the event. The term win, 
 month, has greatly, and, in my opinion, 
 very unnecessarily perplexed interpreters, 
 Houbigant at once cuts the knot by an 
 arbitrary emendation: t7nm th=s mrs, 
 omnino est legendum temm tes" mrss, 
 nune igitur absumet rubigo. We appeals 
 to the ἐρυσίβη of the LXX. as his author- 
 ity ; but ἐρυσίβη signifies mildew, with 
 which ΒΡ, a locust, the word he pro- 
 poses to substitute for τὶ in, has no manner 
 of affinity. That the same word which 
 
 Cuar- V.., - 
 
 _—— ee 
 
Cuap. Υ. 
 
 8 Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, 
 
 The trumpet in Ramah ; 
 Raise a shout at Beth-aven ; 
 
 He is behind thee, O Benjamin! 
 9 Ephraim shall become desolate 
 
 In the day of punishment; 
 Among the tribes of Israel 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 29 
 
 I have made known that which is sure, 
 
 is now in the Hebrew text was found in 
 it in the time of Aquila, is evident from 
 his rendering it veounvia. Symm. and 
 Theod. have μήν. Michaelis, Dathe, 
 Kuinoel, and Stiudlin, give to the word 
 
 the signification of the Arab. Cocks 
 
 what is new and unexpected, and explain 
 it of a sudden calamity. Most moderns 
 take it in the sense of new-moon. i. 6. 
 either at the feast of the new moon, 
 when the Israelites were assembled to 
 worship; or, at that time their calamities 
 should commence. It seems most natu- 
 ral to abide by the usual meaning of the 
 term, and consider the prophet as an- 
 nouncing, that within the space of one 
 month they should be visited with merit- 
 ed punishment. The calamity pre- 
 dicted seems to have been that occasioned 
 by the invasion of Tiglath-pileser, who 
 ravaged the country, and carried into 
 captivity the tribes of Reuben and Gad, 
 the half-tribe of Manasseh, and that of 
 Naphtali, besides the inhabitants of 
 several cities in other parts of the 
 country, 2 Kings xv. 29; 1 Chron. v. 26. 
 That Judah also suffered on this occasion, 
 see 2 Chron. xxviii. 19-21. Ἐπ Ἐπ 
 their portions, are commonly interpreted 
 to mean their possessions or property } 
 but I should rather think the prophet 
 has in view their idols, whom they re- 
 garded as the authors of their possessions 
 and enjoyments. See Is. lvii. 6, and my 
 Comm. on that verse. 
 
 8. An alarm is ordered to be given to 
 the southern kingdom of the approach of 
 theenemy. The yerse intimately coheres 
 with the foregoing, and is not to be taken 
 for the commencement of a new proph- 
 ecy. as Jerome, Abarbanel, Michaelis, 
 Dathe, Manger, and others, suppose. 
 The difference between the “54% and the 
 
 ma ssh seems to be, that the former was 
 the: same as the 4p, orn, being made 
 of the curved horn Sf anna eae vi. 
 
 5,6, 8: Arab: 
 
 nibus instructus; whereas, the latter 
 was made of metal, such as the two silver 
 trumpets which were employed for con- 
 voking the congregation, Numb. x. 2; 
 from τ Π, Arab. 
 
 , Uituus forami- 
 
 , in angustiam 
 
 redegit ; angusto pectore preditus fuit. 
 Gesenius considers the word to be an 
 onomatopoetic, imitating the broken 
 pulse-like sound of the trumpet, (d¢zot- 
 zérah,) like the Latin taratantara, and 
 the German ¢trarara. Their shape and 
 size may be seen in the representations 
 of the arch of Titus. Comp. Jer. iv. 5; 
 Joel ii. 1; Hos. viii. 1. The LXX. ren- 
 der nya, Gibeah, and 725, Ramah, 
 τοὺς βουνοὺς and τῶν ὑψηλῶν, as if heights 
 or elevated places in general were meant 5 
 but they are to be taken as proper names, 
 just as Beth-aven and Benjamin are. 
 They both lay in the tribe of Benjamin, 
 see on Is. x. 29, as did also Bethel, here 
 called Beth-aven. See on chap. iv. 15. 
 Before πὰ subaud. aréx, the enemy 
 “εἷς behind thee,” i. 6. close upon thee. 
 The fifth Greek version has κατὰ νότου 
 σοῦ, to the south of thee ; but if the local 
 signification were at all admissible, the 
 west is the only sense in which the word 
 could be understood. 
 
 9. Having apprised the Jews of the 
 danger with which they were threatened, 
 the prophet returns to describe the ca- 
 lamity which was to be inflicted upon 
 the ten tribes; and in the course of the 
 following verses directs his discourse to 
 the two kingdoms alternately. The 
 nominative to mn is y7s, implied in 
 pres: —rnsin, ‘primarily means proof 
 
80 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 σαν Vo 
 
 10 The rulers of Judah are like those who remove the boundary; 
 I will pour out my wrath upon them like water, 
 
 11. Ephraim is oppressed, 
 ' He is crushed in judgment ; 
 Because he consented, 
 He followed the order. 
 12 I am as a moth to Ephraim, 
 
 And as rottenness to the house of Judah. 
 13 And Ephraim saw his gckness, 
 
 And Judah his wound; 
 
 or demonstration, from 3, to be before 
 one, be clear, obvious ; in Hiph. to place 
 before one in the way of evidence, con- 
 vince, convict, and then rebuke, chastise, 
 punish. The word is synonymous with 
 θη, ver. 2. The latter hemistich of 
 the verse shows that the ten tribes were 
 the scene of the prophet’s ministry. 
 TIEN, the feminine used for the neuter. 
 “10: ‘By the “princes” or ‘rulers of 
 Judah,” king Ahaz and his courtiers are 
 intended. For bang "ΔΓ Θ25, comp. 
 Deut. xxvii. 17; "τι bros 37072 ANNs 
 Proy. xxii. 28; xxiii. 10; Job xxiv. 2. 
 It was reckoned a flagrant offence to re- 
 move the marks by which the divisions 
 of property were defined. The language 
 seems to have become proverbial to desig 
 nate unprincipled conduct. What the 
 prophet here reprobates appears to be the 
 means adopted by Ahaz and his sup- 
 porters to introduce idolatry into Judah. 
 See 2 Kings xvi. 10-18. If the > be 
 regarded as the Caph veritatis, it will 
 “ strongly express the fact that these 
 princes had actually removed the bound- 
 aries which separated the true religion 
 from the false. Divine judgments | are 
 frequently compared to the overflowing 
 of water irom a river. , to pour out, 
 expresses the fulness of their infliction. 
 Comp. Zeph. ili. 8. 429, prop. effer- 
 vescence, flowing over, also denotes the 
 greatness of the punishment. 
 11, Dew 2 vise, the genitive of cause, 
 broken in pieces by the judgment, or pun- 
 ishment inflicted. 4: refers not to any 
 divine commandment, but to the order 
 issued by Jeroboam to worship the golden 
 calves, 1 Kings xii. 28-33. Such an 
 order his subjects were bound by higher 
 
 FEW 
 
 authority to have resisted; but they 
 readily complied with it, and thus became 
 prepared to indulge in all the gross idol- 
 atries to which this worship proved the 
 introduction. From the circumstance 
 that the LXX. have rendered the pas- 
 sage ὀπίσω τῶν ματαίων, after vanities, 
 it has been conjectured that they read 
 sig instead of +3 5 but it is more likely 
 they intended to give the sense of the 
 whole, rather fee the signification of 
 this particular word. They are followed 
 by both the Syriac versions, and in part 
 by the Targ. Jerome, on the other hand, 
 has read the same letters which now stand 
 in the text; for he renders sordes, 
 pointing the word 4x, and regarding it 
 as merely a contracted form of Nis 
 or ANS, filthiness. 
 
 12. The reference ἴῃ ὃν, Arab. Xie» 
 
 moth, is to the consumption of garments, 
 Ps, xxxix. 12; Is. 1.9; in ap >, rotten- 
 ness, to that of wood. See Job xiii. 28, 
 where both words occur together as here. 
 The LXX. freely render the former by 
 ταραχή, the latter by κέντρον. The 
 meaning is not that God was regarded 
 as the moth and rottenness, ὃν e. with 
 disgust; but that he was the author of 
 those judgments by which the idolaters 
 should be consumed. 
 
 13. msn, ἕο see, has here the sense of 
 feeling, experiencing, as in the phrases 
 to see life, death, good, evil, etc. “572, lit. 
 a bandage, from “33, to compress, bind as 
 a wound, see Is. i. 6; hence, as here, ὦ 
 bandaged wound, corresponding to "Ἐπ, 
 sickness, disease, in the other member of 
 the parallelism. For the use of such 
 metaphors in application to the state of 
 
Car. V. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 31 
 
 Then Ephraim went to Assyria; 
 
 He sent to the hostile king ; 
 But he could not cure you, 
 
 Nor remove your wound from you. 
 14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, 
 
 And like a young lion to the house of Judah; 
 
 I, even I will tear the prey, and depart; 
 
 I will carry it away, and there shall be none to rescue. 
 15 I will depart, I will return to my place, 
 
 Till they suffer punishment ; 
 
 political affairs, comp. Is. i. 5, 6, iti. 7; 
 Hos. vi. 1, vi. 1. After moves, Saqntes 
 as its nominative, "1:71: Judah, from 
 the preceding part of the verse, which 
 forms an alternate quatrain; the third 
 line connecting with the first, and the 
 fourth with the. second. 277 is not a 
 proper name, but an appellative, signi- 
 fying one who contends, is contentious, 
 hostile ; from a>, fo strive with, quarrel, 
 contend. The form is the apocopated 
 future, and is contracted for 535} "ws, 
 he that acts hostilely. Tanchum (Xe 
 
 lx, the king that 
 
 Comp. 299259, Jovartb, Neh. xi. ὅ. Aq. 
 δικαζόμενον: Symm. ἔκδικον, Or ἐκδικη- 
 τήν; Theod. κρίτην. Jerome, ad regem 
 ultorem. De Wette, Der kénig der 
 vachen soll. That the king of Assyria is 
 meant there can be no doubt. Seechap. 
 x. 6. He was ever ready to mix himself 
 up with the affairs of neighboring states, 
 in order to extend or consolidate his 
 gigantic empire, and was justly regarded 
 by the Hebrews as their most powerful 
 adversary. The application made by the 
 northern kingdom was that which took 
 place in the reign of Menahem, when 
 that monarch sent to Pul a thousand 
 talents of silver for the purpose of en- 
 gaging him on his behalf, 2 Kings xv. 
 19. But this alliance proved.of no real 
 value; for the subsidy was raised by op- 
 pression, and in the course of the fol- 
 lowing reign, Tiglath-pileser invaded and 
 depopulated great part of the country, 
 ver. 29. The embassy from the king- 
 dom of Judah was that sent by Ahaz to 
 Tiglath-pileser, when attacked by the 
 united kings of Syria and Israel, 2 Kings 
 
 contended. 
 
 xvi. 7,8; 2 Chron. xxvii. 21. mma as 
 a verb, occurs only in this place; but a 
 noun derived from it is used Proy. vii. 
 22, in the sense of healing. If we may 
 
 - 
 judge from the Syr. Jon, recedere, 
 
 Sugere, Aph. liberare, it properly signifies 
 to remove, relieve, and so with respect to 
 a wound, to heal. LXX. ov μή διαπαύσῃ 5 
 
 m v ° 
 Syr. Seta) to, neque sanabit. 
 
 14. No effort to recover a state of pros- 
 perity while the anger of Jehovah was 
 excited against them, could possibly suc- 
 ceed. Su, the black lion, and 72>, 
 the young lion, are frequently employed 
 to convey the ideas of strength and feroc- 
 ity, Ps. xci. 13. The reduplication 3s 
 "28 is, as usual, emphatic. Comp. Is, 
 xliti. 25; xlviii. 15. rey, prey, is un- 
 derstood τες Ὁ and ἈΏ3- 
 
 15. As God’s coming to a people, and 
 being with them, implies their experi- 
 encing efficient protection and aid, so his 
 withdrawment of his presence implies the 
 deprivation of these blessings. tw, like 
 many other verbs, has a sensus pregnans ; 
 conveying not only the idea of contracting 
 guilt, but of suffering tts consequences. 
 The latter idea seems clearly to be con- 
 veyed in this passage. The Rabbins, in- 
 deed, and after them, Glassius, and many 
 others, attempt to attach to the verb the 
 superadded signification of acknowledging, 
 which is that ‘adopted by our translators ; 
 but it is by no means supported by Lev. 
 iv. 22; v.5; Zech. xi. 5; the passages 
 nsually adduced in proof. “p25 Ups, 
 to seek the face of any one, means to 
 strive to obtain his favor. See 1 Kings 
 
92 
 
 Then will they seek my face: 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 
 
 When they are in trouble, they will’seek me early. 
 
 x. 24; Prov. xxix. 26. The phrase 
 occurs very frequently in the Psalms, in 
 reference to application to Jehovah in 
 
 prayer. Comp. Dan. ix. 3. “hv. is 
 synonymous with tps, but is only used 
 in poetic diction. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The nation, in both its divisions, is here introduced as taking up language suitable to the cir- 
 
 cumstances described in the concluding verses of the preceding chapter, 1-3; but however 
 appropriate it was to the condition of the people, that it was not the result of sound and 
 thorough conversion, appears from ver. 4,in which they are expostulated with on the 
 ground of their inconstancy. Notice is then taken of the means, both of a moral and a 
 punitive nature, that had been employed for their recovery, 5,6; their deceitful and wicked 
 conduct, especially that of the Israelites, is placed in a strong light, 7-10; and a special de- 
 nunciation of punishment is directed against the Jews, who flattered themselves with the 
 
 hope that whatever might befall the northern tribes, no calamity would happen to them. 
 
 Com, let us return to Jehovah, 
 
 For he hath torn, but he will heal us; 
 He hath smitten, but he will bind us up. 
 
 1, 2. It has been disputed whether 
 these words be those of the prophet ex- 
 horting his countrymen to repent and 
 turn to God, or whether they are to be 
 regarded as employed by themselves to 
 give expression to their feelings of peni- 
 tence, their confidence in God for de- 
 liverance from punishment, and their 
 resolutions of amendment for the future. 
 The latter appears, from the bearing οὔ" 
 ver. 5, to be the preferable interpretation. 
 The intimate connection of the words 
 with the preceding context, and the repe- 
 tition, in part, of its language, induces to 
 the conclusion that the same subject is 
 here continued, viz. the castigation of 
 the Hebrew kingdoms on account of 
 idolatry, and the effect produced by it. 
 This connection the ancient versions have 
 endeavored to establish by inserting a 
 
 He will restore us to life after two days: 
 
 word corresponding to siex; though it 
 is not found in any Heb. MSS. From 
 the apparent agreement of the language 
 of ver. 2, with the circumstances of time 
 connected with the death and resurrection 
 of our Saviour, many interpreters, as 
 Lactantius, Tertullian, Origen, Jerome, 
 Augustine, Luther, Gcolampadius, Mer- 
 cer, Riberus, Tarnovius, Hammond, ete., 
 have maintained that it is to these respect 
 is had in the prophecy. I fully concur, 
 however, in the judicious remarks of 
 Calvin on this interpretation, “ Sed sensus 
 ille videtur mihi nimium argutus. Et 
 semper hoc spectandum est nobis, ne 
 volitemus in aére; placent arguts specu- 
 lationes primo intuitu, sed postea evanes- 
 cunt. Ergo quisquis volet proficere in 
 Scripturis, semper hane regulam teneat, 
 ut solidum sit quicquid colligit sive in 
 
Guar. Vi, 
 
 HOSEA. 33 
 
 On the third day he will raise us up, 
 
 And we shall live before him. 
 
 8. Then we shall know, we shall strive to know Jehovah: 
 Like the dawn, his going forth is fixed. 
 Yea, he will come to us like the rain, 
 Like the latter rain, which watereth the earth. 
 
 prophetis, sive in Apostolis.” The exe- 
 gesis of Grotius, Horsley, and many 
 others, who regard the words as primarily 
 applicable to the Jews, and secondarily, 
 or allusively, to the resurrection of Christ, 
 is equally unsatisfactory. The simple 
 meaning of the passage is, that on their 
 conversion from the service of idols to 
 that of Jehovah, the Hebrews should ex- 
 perience the removal of the national 
 calamities with which they had been 
 visited ; the nation which had been re- 
 duced to a state of political death would 
 be resuscitated, and enjoy a renewal of 
 its former prosperity. From the meta- 
 phor of disease, ver. 1, there is in ver. 2, 
 an advance to that of actual death, and 
 a consequent resurrection, in order to 
 place their present and also their antici- 
 pated condition in a more striking light. 
 For the use of the latter metaphor in 
 application to the national affairs of the 
 Jews, see Is. xxvi. 19; Ezek. xxxvii. 1- 
 14. *g-ben bea, on the third day, is 
 expletive of 21251, after days, i. e. two 
 days; LXX. μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας. That a 
 short period is meant, appears from two 
 and two three being used to denote a few, 
 or very few, 1 Kings xvii. 12; Is. vii. 21, 
 xvii. 6. Comp. Luke xiii. 32, 88. The 
 afflicted Hebrews confidently hoped that 
 their punishment would be of brief dura- 
 tion, and that God would assuredly 
 restore them to the enjoyment of his 
 favor. Such enjoyment is expressed by 
 living 1°2£5, before him, experiencing 
 his presence and blessing. The phrase 
 contrasts with that employed chap. v. 15, 
 and indicates the result of “25 pz, 
 there predicted. 
 
 8. In meth HET Στ: there is a 
 rise from a resolution simply to acquire a 
 true knowledge of Jehovah, to a determi- 
 nation to make such knowledge the 
 object of earnest and unwearied pursuit. 
 
 ὄ 
 
 The = of the elongated futures marks 
 this bent or inclination of mind. To 
 separate the verbs, and connect the former 
 with the preceding verse, as Horsley 
 does, would quite destroy the force of the 
 prophet’s language. At the same time 
 the ἡ at the beginning of the verse is 
 inferential, intimating that what follows 
 would be the result of the divine inter- 
 position on behalf of the Hebrew people. 
 Some few MSS. insert ἡ" before -=353. 
 “122, to be fixed, established, certain. 
 As certain and delightful as the dawn of 
 the morning would be the coming forth 
 of the favor of Jehovah after the dark 
 night of adversity. This beautiful meta- 
 phor is taken from the sunrise. See, fer 
 such application of ssi, Ps. xix. 7. 
 The other images were peculiarly appro- 
 priate in Palestine, where rain falls sel- 
 dom, except in spring and autumn. At 
 these seasons it is heavy, and” greatly 
 contributes to the fertility of the soil, on 
 which account its bestowment was re- 
 garded as among the most necessary of 
 temporal blessings, and its absence a 
 source of awful calamity. The former, 
 commonly called m59, or min, the 
 darting rain, from the root τινι 175 to dart, 
 cast, etc.; here pxinm, the rain, by way 
 of eminence; the hea, violent rain, as 
 the word properly signifies. It falls 
 from the middle of Getsher till about the 
 middle of December, and is called the 
 early or former rain. LXX. ὑετὸς 
 mpéiuos, because the Jews commenced 
 their year at that time. It prepares the 
 ground for the reception of the seed. 
 ΓΝ ΤῸ» the datter rain, LXX. ὑετὸς 
 ὄψιμος, falls in the latter half of February 
 and during the months of March and 
 April, just before the harvest; from 
 which circumstance it receives its name 
 
 —r, signifying to gather or collect, the 
 late fruit. Comp. uz, to collect, Syr. 
 
91 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. VL 
 
 4 What shall I do to thee, Ὁ Ephraim! 
 What shall I do to thee, O Judah! 
 For your goodness is like the morning cloud, 
 And like the dew which early departeth. 
 5 For this cause I have hewed them by the prophets, 
 I have slain them by the words of my mouth: 
 Thy judgments went forth like the lightning. 
 6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice ; 
 And the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings. 
 
 ° 
 
 Lach, serotinus. Before m34° supply 
 “ER. 
 
 “4. That the declarations contained in 
 the preceding verses are not to be viewed 
 as divine promises, but express the hopes 
 and resolutions of the afflicted Hebrews, 
 appears from the affecting expostulations 
 here addressed to them, and the descrip- 
 tion of the temporary and evanescent 
 character of their boasted reformation. 
 Like a tender parent who is anxious, if 
 possible, to reclaim a wayward child, Je- 
 hovah asks what other means could possi- 
 bly be employed for the recovery of his 
 rebellious people. They had been tried 
 both with mercies and judgments, but 
 without effect. Comp. Is. v. 4-7. 705 
 properly means kindness, benignity, mer- 
 cy; here piety, religion, as Is. xl. 6. 
 
 > > Ρ 
 Syr. encased, your goodness ; Po- 
 
 cocke’s Arab. MS. id, your relig- 
 
 ton. Theodoret not inaptly gives the 
 meaning thus: ἡἣ map’ ὑμῶν γενομένη 
 μεταμέλεια πρόσκαιρος ἐστι, καὶ οὐ διαρκής. 
 In Palestine, and other countries of the 
 same latitude, the dense clouds which 
 cover the heavens during the morning are 
 all gone by nine or ten o'clock; and the 
 dews, however copious, early disappear. 
 Ὁ Ξ,52 is here, as frequently, to be taken 
 adverbially ; early, in the morning. -As 
 
 the cognate Ethiop. Mn: signifies 
 to carry ὦ burden, and beasts of burden 
 are usually loaded in the morning, the 
 Hebrew t=% came in Hiphil to signify 
 the doing of any thing at an early hour. 
 5h is not to be construed with ἘΞ Ὁ ΤΊ, 
 but with bx. ἣν ὦ 
 
 5. The severity of the threatenings 
 communicated through the instrumen- 
 tality of the prophets is compared to the 
 incisions made in stone or wood with the 
 axe, and those made in the human body 
 with the sword. Comp. Is. xi. 4; Heb. 
 iv. 12, After "masn supply Ὁ or Dnk- 
 To make the pronominal affixes agree, 
 the LXX. Syr. and Targ. read "ve, 
 “my judgments,” and so likewise Dathe, 
 Kuinoel, Boeckel, Newcome, Boothroyd, 
 and Ewald, instead of J Ez, “thy 
 judgments.” Vulg. judicia tua. Hexap. 
 
 Syr. ~~ jasc. There is no variety 
 in the MSS., except that one of Kenni- 
 cott’s, and originally one of De Rossi’s, 
 have usw, “thy judgment,” in the 
 singular.’ "The reference of the affix is 
 to 33, ver. 4; and the meaning is, the 
 judgments which belong to thee, which 
 thou deservedst, and which were inflicted 
 upon thee. The genitive is that of object. 
 Comp. Fue%%, 1 Kings xx. 40; muEdn, 
 Jer. li. 9; and especially j~uEz%2, Zeph. 
 iii, 15. Thus Lyranus: “pone tibi 
 inferende.”” wsx>, though future, is 
 modified by the preceding preterite, and 
 is to be rendered accordingly. 4s has 
 here the sense of dightning, as in Job 
 xxxvii. 8, 15. The LXX. Syr. Targ. 
 and Arab. supply > before sss. Sudden 
 and awful as the lightning were the in- 
 flictions of merited punishment upon the 
 idolatrous Hebrews. 
 
 6. "ohm means here ἔγχε piety, of which 
 mercy or charity is only a branch. ΤΣ Ἢ 
 prrts corresponding to it in the second 
 member of the verse, likewise means ὦ 
 practical knowledge of God, in opposition 
 to that which is merely speculative. 
 Comp. Jer, xxii. 16. The present is one 
 
Cuap. VI. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 30 
 
 7 But they are like men that break a covenant : 
 
 There they proved false to me. 
 
 8 As for Gilead, it is a city of evil-doers; 
 
 Marked with footsteps of blood. 
 
 of several passages in the Old Testament, 
 in which the comparative worthlessness 
 of ceremonial observances is taught. 
 See Is. i. 11-17; Ps. xl. 7-9, 1. 8-23; 
 Mic. vi. 6-8. Comp. Matt. ix. 13. 
 xii. 7. 
 
 7. Translators and commentators have 
 been greatly divided respecting the pre- 
 cise meaning of ἘΠ as occurring in this 
 passage. Some, as Jarchi, Jerome, Leo 
 Juda, Castalio, Grotius, Clarius, Manger, 
 Tingstadius, Newcome, Rosenmiller, 
 Boothroyd, and Stuck, regard it as a 
 proper name, and suppose the reference 
 to be to the conduct of Adam in trans- 
 gressing the divine commandment ; while 
 Kimchi, Munster, Vatablus, Tremellius, 
 Beza, Drusius, Lively, Calvin, Rivetus, 
 Piscator, Zanchius, Gcolampadius, Mer- 
 cer, Lowth, De Wette, Maurer, Hitzig, 
 Ewald, etc., take it to be an appellative, 
 and interpret the passage of the treach- 
 erous violation of contracts among man- 
 kind. In favor of the former view, it is 
 alleged, that it places the guilt of the Is- 
 raelites in a much more aggravated light ; 
 and Job xxxi. 33, Ps. Ixxxii. 7, are ap- 
 pealed to in proof of a similar allusion. 
 It is, however, very doubtful whether 
 there be any such allusion in these pas- 
 sages; and as to the force of the com- 
 parison, it seems sufficiently supplied by 
 supposing men in general to be under- 
 stood, who break the engagements into 
 which they have entered with each other. 
 The Israelites had treated God as if he 
 had been one of themselves, and as if the 
 sanctions of his covenant were as little 
 to be regarded as those of ordinary con- 
 tracts were by men of unprincipled char- 
 acter. If we except the three passages 
 in question, it is universally admitted 
 that there is no other, after the first chap- 
 ters of Genesis, in which ἘΠῚ is used as 
 a proper name, or in which any reference 
 is made to our first parent. The abso- 
 lute and indefinite form too in which 
 m=" occurs, (comp. on the other hand 
 sna, “my covenant,” chap. viii. 1,) 
 
 shows, that both this noun and the pre- 
 ceding verb ἈΞ 5» stand in immediate 
 relation to Das, which, as very frequently, 
 is a collective, and is thus used instead 
 of a plural, which it nowhere exhibits. 
 It may also be objected to the first men- 
 tioned interpretation, that nowhere in 
 Scripture is God said to have entered 
 into a τ 3, or covenant with Adam. 
 The obligations under which he was 
 placed are represented as those of a 
 
 13%, command or interdict, rather than 
 any of a federal nature. Ὁ TN3, like 
 Edom, the reading proposed by Michaelis, 
 has found no supporters. Before s27, 
 supply “ts, of which there is Cane 
 an ellipsis in Hebrew poetry. See Nol- 
 dius, p. 103.— ty, there, points graphi- 
 cally to the northern or Israelitish king- 
 dom as the principal scene of idolatrous 
 defection, and anticipates the regions 
 more specifically referred to in the two 
 following verses. 
 
 8. nba, Gilead, is the nominative ab- 
 solute, ‘and is here the designation of a 
 city, in all probability Ramoth-Gilead, 
 the metropolis of the mountainous region 
 beyond Jordan, and south of the river 
 Jabbok, known by the name of Gilead, 
 Josh. xxi. 38; 1 Kings iv. 13. It was 
 here that Jacob and Laban entered into 
 a solemn covenant with each other, Gen- 
 xxxi»21, 23, 25. Burckhardt found 
 ruins of cities on two mountains in that 
 region, still known by the names of 
 Djebel, Djelaid, and Djelatid, one or 
 other of which may have been that here 
 mentioned. It was one of the cities of 
 refuge, Deut. iv. 43; Josh. xx. 8; but 
 appears from the present passage to have 
 afterwards become notorious for idolatry 
 and bloodshed. Some would restrict 
 728 “bz 5 to idolaters, in imitation of the 
 LXX. who render ἐργαζομένη μάταια: 
 but it seems better to take the phrase in 
 its more enlarged meaning, as including 
 all manner ag wickedness. Of this 
 indeed, idolatry has ever Been found to 
 be the fruitful parent. Various expla- 
 
9 
 
 6 : HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 
 
 9 As troops of robbers lie in wait for a man, 
 
 So is the association of priests: 
 
 They commit murder in the way to Shechem ; 
 Yea, they practise deliberate crime. 
 
 10 In the house of Israel I have seen what is horrifying ; 
 There is the lewdness of Ephraim ; 
 
 Israel is polluted : 
 11 
 
 nations of 37 Σ have been advanced ; but 
 the simplest is that which regards it as 
 signifying traced, from 273, the heel, step, 
 print of the foot, and describing the marks 
 or traces of blood left by the feet of the 
 murderers who resided there. Syr. 
 
 2 tot ρ οι 
 [ora Usdrso, stained with blood. 
 
 Jewish Span. immunda de sangre. To 
 what historical facts the prophet refers 
 we have no information, except perhaps 
 that contained in 2 Kings xv. 25, from 
 which it appears that fifty of the inhab- 
 itants of Gilead were implicated in the 
 regicidal conspiracy against Pekahiah. 
 
 9. mow, Shechem, was another city of 
 refuge, situated between Ebal and Ge- 
 rizim. It still exists under the name of 
 
 1.91.5, Nabloos, and has, from v 
 (Uys ery 
 
 ancient times been the seat of the 
 religious community of the Samaritans. 
 Having been for a time the residence of 
 Jeroboam, 1 Kings xii. 25, its inhabitants 
 becam@ so corrupted, that the priests 
 resident there banded together, waylaid, 
 and murdered With impunity the persons 
 who were fleeing to the asylum for refuge. 
 The 5 in πεν is that of direction, and 
 connects in sense with 47. The inter- 
 position of the verb ἘΠῚ Ὁ between these 
 two nouns occasions no difficulty, since 
 we have instances of nouns in construction 
 being separated. See Gen. vii. 6; Is. 
 xix. 8; Hos. xiv. 8. Our common ver- 
 sion, and many others, following the 
 Targ. tn 4m, one shoulder, translate 
 mas, with one consent, which well suits 
 the connection; but is not borne out by 
 Hebrew usage — the term occurring but 
 once, Zeph. iii. 7, in this metaphorical 
 acceptation, and then not m2 as here, 
 but tmx ἘΞ. 72M is generally consid- 
 
 Also for thee, O Judah! a harvest is appointed, 
 
 ered to be an imitation of the Chaldee 
 form of the Infin. in Piel, from =5n, to 
 wait, lie in wait for ; but it seems more 
 likely to be the abbreviated form of the 
 Piel Participle "5 12, the x being dropped, 
 as in 23%, Eccles. iv. 2, and in several 
 instances of the Pual Participles. See 
 Gesen. Lehrgeb. p. 316. wx "5. will 
 thus form the genitive of object. ‘Three 
 MSS. substitute π for 5; and instead of 
 the prepositive >, three MSS. and three 
 printed editions read 3.. Before -2an 
 pe: there is an ellipsis of 42, corres- 
 ponding to 5 in *=2.— 757 is used to 
 denote presumptuous or deliberate wicked- 
 ness, from ἘῸΤ; Arab. » proposuit 
 
 sibi, to form a purpose, lay a deliberate 
 plan of action; chiefly employed in a bad 
 sense. LXX. ἀνομία. Hitzig, Unthat. 
 
 10. maqansy, LXX. φρικώδη, occurs 
 under the forms τι}. Ὁ and ΣΡ Σ Ὁ, 
 Jer. v. 30, xxiii. 14, xviii. 18. It is ex- 
 plained immediately after of the atrocious 
 idolatry which, through the influence of 
 the tribe of Ephraim, had spread itself 
 over the whole kingdom of Israel. 
 
 11. For the various interpretations 
 which have been given of this verse see 
 Tarnovius or Pococke. Ewald is the 
 only modern that adopts branch as the 
 rendering of ὍΣ Ὁ» as Kimchi proposed, 
 and explains it of the introduction of 
 idolatry into Judah. How Horsley could 
 assert that Aarvest is used in a good 
 sense, as an image of the ingathering of 
 the people of God, is inconceivable. See 
 Jer. li. 33; Joel iii. 13; Rev. xiv. 15-20. 
 Nowhere in prophecy does it appear to 
 be used in this sense. In all probability, 
 the punishment predicted is that recorded, 
 2 Chron, xxviii. 6-8. nd is here used 
 impersonally. Instead of 5, four MSS. 
 originally two more, the Targ. and two 
 
Cuap. VII. 
 
 old editions, read md. The words "3:5 
 “ay ranw have no meaning, if con- 
 nected with the preceding, which form a 
 concise apostrophical warning to the 
 Jewish kingdom. They must, therefore, 
 
 HOSEA. t 
 
 37 
 
 be transferred to the following context, 
 with which they will be found to be in 
 harmony. Thus Moerlius, Michaelis, 
 Jahn, Eichhorn, Kuinoel, Stuck, De 
 Wette, and Boothroyd, divide. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The prophet continues his description of the wickedness of the ten tribes. 
 
 Regardless of Je- 
 
 hovah, they persevered in falsehood and violence, 1, 2; flattered their rulers, and thereby 
 obtained their ‘sanction to their nefarious conduct, 3,5; and indulged to the utmost in 
 licenticusness, 4-7. The murder of their kings successively is predicted, and their hardi- 
 hood and folly are further set‘ forth, 7-10. The prophet next adverts to their fruitless 
 application for assistance to Egypt and Assyria, and their equally fruitless, because false 
 professions of return to the service of God, 11-16, 
 
 1 Wuen I reversed the captivity of my people, 
 
 When 1 healed Israel, 
 
 Tien was the iniquity of Ephraim revealed, 
 And the wicked deeds of Samaria ; 
 
 For they practised deceit ; 
 The thief entered, 
 
 And the banditti plundered in the street. 
 2 And they considered not in their heart, 
 
 1. Some would render mag awa 
 "ay, “When I again lead my people 
 into captivity ;” but altogether contrary 
 to the established usage of the language. 
 See Deut. xxx. 3; Ps. xiv. 7; Jer. xxxi. 
 23; Zeph. iii. 20. The words are ex- 
 plained by the following ty4v75 "ΑΞ 5, 
 when I heal Israel. 5 and > frequently 
 alternate with each other, when used of 
 the time at which any thing is done. 
 The restoration here mentioned is in all 
 probability that of the two hundred 
 thousand Jewish captives, to which refer- 
 ence is made 2 Chron. xxviii. 8-15. The 
 conduct of the Israelitish rulers upon that 
 occasion held out some hope of improve- 
 ment in the character of the nation, and 
 a consequent change in the Divine con- 
 duct towards it; and this expectation 
 
 was confirmed by a temporary cessation 
 of the judgments of God, during which 
 they might be said to have been healed ; 
 but it was soon entirely frustrated by 
 the open increase of wickedness among 
 them. 553321 has the force of then, on 
 the contrar ‘Ys ‘become more manifest, ete. 
 For Samaria, see on Is. xxviii. 1. Being 
 the metropolis of the ten tribes, it was 
 the head spring of that corruption of 
 manners which overspread the kingdom. 
 ΝΞ" and yan <= describe the acts of 
 violence that were committed by breaking 
 into and plundering private houses, and 
 those which were perpetrated on persons 
 in the streets. The reference is not to 
 foreign enemies, as Horsley and others 
 expound, but to lawless Israelites. 
 
 2. For the phrase 353-728, comp. the 
 
98 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. VIL 
 
 That I remembered all their wickedness: 
 
 Now their deeds encompass them ; 
 
 They are before my face. 
 
 3 With their wickedness they cheer the king, 
 And with their falsehoods the princes. 
 
 4 They are all adulterers ; 
 
 They are like an oven, heated by the baker ; 
 
 Who resteth from heating it, 
 
 From the time he kneadeth the dough, 
 
 Until it be leavened. 
 5 On the day of our king, 
 
 Jk, and = Jb 
 
 χυκὰδι and our, say to one’s self. Ps. 
 xiv. 1, ef freg. Instead of pasts, the 
 form exhibited in the printed text, “to 
 their heart,” ten MSS., originally seven 
 more, now one, perhaps another, and the 
 Complut. Bible, read t2ad3, “in their 
 heart.” One of De Rossi’s MSS. states 
 in the margin that the latter reading is 
 found in other copies. It is also sup- 
 ported by the Syr. Vulg. Targ. and 
 Arab. versions. Both forms describe in- 
 ternal or mental conversation, only Ὁ 
 indicates an endeavor to persuade. So 
 far were the persons spoken of from 
 bringing themselves to act on the con- 
 viction, that God was privy to their 
 wicked deeds, that, they evinced the con- 
 trary disposition. Still, however, the 
 phrase may best be rendered by think, 
 consider, or the like. To the words 
 Ἐπ᾿ ΟΣ biaao, two interpretations 
 have been given. They either mean, 
 that the evil practices of the Israelites 
 crowded round them as so many causes 
 of punishment, as enemies surround and 
 shut up the object of their attack; or, 
 that they crowded about them as so 
 many witnesses to reveal the wickedness 
 of their character. The latter would 
 seem, from the following words, to be the 
 true meaning. 
 
 8. Their rulers, instead of repressing, 
 took delight in the immoral and irre- 
 ligious conduct of the people. 
 
 4. In this connection, ἘΠ Ὲ δ ΣῚ2 is to be 
 taken in its literal signification. Comp. 
 Jer. ix. 1, xxiii. 10. For the conjecture 
 of Stuck, that the word was originally 
 
 Arab. x3 
 
 npr, baked or cooked, there is no 
 foundation. To place the violent and 
 incontinent character of their lust in 
 the strongest light, thé prophet compares 
 it to a baker’s oven, which he raises to 
 such a degree of heat, that he only re- 
 quires to omit feeding it during the short 
 period of the fermentation of the bread. 
 Such was the libidinous character of the 
 Israelites, that their impure indulgences 
 were subject to but slight interruptions. 
 Comp. ἀκαταπαύστους ἁμαρτίας, 2 Pet. ii. 
 14. 5495, in the feminine agrees with 
 sham, which is of common gender. The 
 latter word Gesenius derives from the 
 Aram, ἡ, "ἕο smoke, and "13, jire. 
 
 o> Mm 
 Comp. the Arab. yg43 and Syr. [301.2 
 Sfornaz, clibanus. The oven here referred 
 to is not the pitcher-oven of the Arabs, 
 but the larger kind, pretty much like our 
 own, which was, as it still is, used in 
 public bake-houses. "pS ΠΣΞ is 
 elliptical for burning, having been kindled 
 by the baker. Before nt2u> supply vs. 
 The meaning is, who eae ceaseth from 
 heating, ete. Most interpreters take 
 ΠΣ in the sense of stirring, rousing up, 
 etc., and apply it to the stirring of the 
 fire in the oyen; but it is preferable to 
 
 regard it as the part. of n>», Arab. le 
 ? 
 
 to be hot, burning; hence in Hiph. to 
 cause to burn, heat, ete. Thus the LXX. 
 ἀπὸ τῆς φλογὸς. The interpretation from 
 the city, given in the Syr. Targ. and 
 Vulg. is altogether inappropriate. For 
 the feminine form of the Infin. ΣΧ ὉΠ, 
 Comp. brn, Ezek. xvi: 5. 
 
 5. By ΕἸ" is meant a festal day ; 
 either that of the king’s birth, or, as the 
 
Cuar. VII. 
 
 HOSEA. 99 
 
 The princes are sick with the fever of wine ; 
 He stretcheth out his hand with the scoffers. 
 6 For though they approach with their heart warm as an oven, 
 
 Yet it is in their plot; 
 
 Their baker sleepeth all the night ; 
 In the morning it burneth like a blazing fire. 
 
 Targ. Jarchi and Kimchi give it, that of 
 his inauguration. The preposition 3 is 
 understood. Michaelis thinks the refer- 
 ence is to the accession of a new king to 
 the throne. Instead of 32>%va, our king, 
 twenty-two MSS. and the Syr. read 
 2 ΞῈ Ὁ ow kings; UXX. ἡμέραι τῶν 
 βασιλέων ὑμῶν. atmm is used intransi- 
 tively. ‘The 0p. ‘Syr. Targ. Vulg. 
 Abarbanel, Leo Juda, Newcome, Machines 
 lis, and Boothroyd, refer this verb to the 
 root 4m; but, not to insist on its re- 
 quiring in such case to be read 357 on 
 there is something so intolerably tame in 
 the rendering, “ The princes began to be 
 heated with wine,” that it cannot be 
 admitted as the language of the prophet. 
 Besides, nam would likewise require to 
 be changed into niah, which would pro- 
 duce an anomalous infinitive. rn, dot- 
 tle, less agrees with Ὁ following than 
 
 nian, heat. Comp, Arab. Res Krag. 
 
 47272 man is an instance of the construct 
 state with a preposition intervening be- 
 tween the nouns. Comp. rab ANTS, 
 _ Ezek. xiii. 25 Ἴλ 52 83 rmsd, igor. 
 and see Gesen. ee p. 679. Thew ords 
 mean the heat or fever produced by in- 
 toxication. While the courtiers thus 
 indulged to excess, the monarch, for- 
 getting his dignity, participated in their 
 cups, and joined in their scoffs. Because 
 ἘΠΕ Σ 5. occurs nowhere else, Houbigant 
 would have it changed into the usual 
 form ἘΠῚ Ὁ, most uncritically. Comp. 
 
 vp and yap. Ag. χλευαστῶν; LXX. 
 ce properly, λοιμῶν. The reduplicate 
 form is intensive, and expresses the 
 awfuliy profligate character of the per- 
 sons described. 
 
 6. I consider the prophet to be con- " 
 
 tinuing in this verse his description of 
 the abandoned courtiers, in imagery 
 borrowed from that introduced ver. 4. 
 In their intercourse with the monarch, 
 
 they approached him with the warmest 
 professions of loyalty; but in private 
 they were scheming how to get rid of 
 him. ‘The ringleader waited till he could 
 conveniently carry the plot into exe- 
 cution: and speedily they effected the 
 nefarious purpose. Were it not that all 
 the ancient versions render 4247 as a 
 verb, 1 should have been inclined to point 
 it 1277 r, and translate, ‘For their inward 
 part is like an oven; their heart is in 
 their plot.” Comp. $298 E°w 429733, 
 Jer. ix. 7. The rendering I have given, 
 however, equally suits the connection. 
 Though there is no word in the text 
 corresponding to ‘ warm,’’ its insertion 
 in the translation is fully justified by the 
 comparison in 4125, “ke an oven, and 
 the intensitive force of 25p in Piel. That 
 this verb ever signifies to make ready or 
 prepare, 1 do not find. All attempts to 
 justify the rendering of the LXX. and 
 
 v 
 Syr. ἀνεκαύϑηραν, Saws, by the con- 
 jectural readings sa4n, 1243, and 
 imp» have proved abortive. According 
 
 to the Hexapla, Symm. (Fy CD pS), 
 Aq. and Theod. (e509 δ -ἀδο), 
 
 read as we now do; as did likewise the 
 Targ. ΞΡ ΩΝ. — Ἐπὶ ‘EN, their baker, 
 (many MSS. and various printed editions 
 have © "58, which may also be regarded 
 as a singular form, » taking the place of 
 the third radical =, as in other nouns or 
 participles derived from verbs in “7>,) 
 
 the Tange and Syr. render 45n7537 
 > 
 
 OAKS}, a as if the reading were EEx, 
 
 their anger. Ἐφραὶμ, found in the LXX. 
 shows that the former must have been 
 the reading of the MS. which they used, 
 as the latter could not have so easily been 
 mistaken for this proper name. "M"=s, 
 which Dathe proposes, and Kuinoel 
 
40 HOSEA. 
 
 7 They all glow as an oven, 
 They devour their judges ; 
 All their kings have fallen: 
 
 Cuar. VIL 
 
 None among them calleth unto me. 
 8 Ephraim mixeth himself up with the nations; 
 
 Ephraim is a cake unturned. 
 9 Strangers devour his strength, 
 But he knoweth it not ; 
 
 Yea, gray hairs are sprinkled upon hin, 
 
 ‘Yet he knoweth it not. 
 
 t 
 
 adopts into his Heb. text, nowhere occurs 
 in the sense, ira, furor, eorum. By 
 “their baker” seems to be meant the 
 leader of the conspiracy, whom some 
 suppose to be Menahem, others Shallum, 
 2 Kings xv. 10-15; but I should rather 
 infer from what is stated ver. 7, that the 
 prophet includes all the conspiracies which 
 took place in Israel. Having prepared 
 the rest of the conspirators, he, like the 
 baker, abided his time, when, of a sudden, 
 the plot burst forth like a flame. 
 
 7. Comp. 2 Kings xv. 053, all of 
 them, corresponds to £52, ver. 4: NOPD, 
 is the future in Kal of man, to be warm, 
 hot, etc. The prophet still ‘continues the 
 comparison, As the fire in the oven 
 devours the fuel, so the persons spoken 
 of destroyed those who were in authority. 
 $22 is not to be taken in the sense of fal- 
 ing off or apostatizing from God, as Jer- 
 ome, Ribera, Menochius, Tirinius, and 
 some others interpret, but in that of fall- 
 ing by the hands of murderers. This, 
 shox, they devour, in the preceding hemi- 
 stitch, shows. ‘The source of the evil, 
 however, lay in apostasy from Jehovah, 
 which had reached such a height, that 
 none implored the Divine aid even when 
 
 in calamity. 
 
 8. Ewald renders bbiams, veraltet, 
 ‘‘hath become old,” which might seem 
 to derive some support from the latter 
 part of ver 9; but the verb can, with no 
 propriety, be referred to any other root 
 
 than dba, Arab. hits, madefecit, com- 
 
 n~ ‘4 
 mistus fuit, ϑγτ. Yas confudit, to 
 mix by pouring, mix, confound. LXX, 
 
 ‘ 
 
 συνεμίγνυτο. Syr. ous “δ, Targ. 
 JINN. Comp. Psalm cyi. 35, where 
 ἘΠᾺΣΞ s47N2 is similarly used of promis. 
 cuous intercourse with idolaters. That 
 such intercourse generally, including the 
 ‘adoption of their idolatrous practices, and 
 not specifically the entering into leagues 
 with them, is meant, appears from the 
 following clause, in which, to express the 
 worthlessness of the Ephraimitish char- 
 acter, the people are compared to a cake, 
 which, from not having been turned, is 
 burnt, and good for nothing. The Arabs 
 bake their bread on the ground or hearth, 
 covering it with hot embers, and turning 
 it every ten minutes or quarter of an hour, 
 to prevent its being burnt. When neg- 
 lected it is unfit for food, and is thrown 
 away. Such was the state of the apos- 
 tate Israelites. They had corrupted 
 themselves, and were only fit for rejec- 
 tion. LXX. ἐγκρυφίας, bread baked in 
 hot ashes, Cyril, τῶν ἐπὶ λίϑοις ὀπτομέ- 
 νων ἄρτων. 
 
 9. ont, strangers, foreigners, i. 6. the 
 Syrians, ‘Assyrians, etc. See 2 Kings 
 xiii, 7; xv. 19, 20; xvi. 3-6. The 
 state, drawing to its close, without the 
 fact being observed by its citizens, is com- 
 pared to a person.on whose head gray 
 hairs begin to make their appearance, 
 without his becoming sensible of the ap- 
 proach of age. 
 
 “ Sparserit et nigras alba senecta co- 
 mas.” Propertius. 
 
 10-12. <A repetition of part of chap. 
 v. 5, which see. Though the apostate 
 Israelites had abundant proof of the 
 
 2 ee aEeEEEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEyEeeeeEE EEE ewe 
 
Cuap. VII. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 41 
 
 10 The pride of Israel testifieth to his face, 
 Yet they turn not to Jehovah their God, 
 
 Nor seek him for all this. 
 
 11 Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding ; 
 They call in Egypt, they go to Assyria. 
 
 12 As they go, I will spread my net upon them, 
 I will bring them down like the fowls of heaven: 
 
 I will chastise them, 
 
 As it hath been heard in their assembly. 
 
 13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; 
 Destruction unto them! for they have rebelled against me. 
 Though it was I that redeemed them, 
 
 Yet have they spoken lies against me. 
 
 14 They cry not to me with their heart, 
 
 But howl upon their beds: 
 
 inefficieficy of their idols, yet they re- 
 turned not in the exercise of true repent- 
 ance to God, who alone could deliver 
 them in the hour of trouble, but formed 
 alliances with foreign powers in the de- 
 lusive hope of protection. The simplicity 
 of the dove is Bare tee | Thus the 
 
 baw there ts sation more ἘΉΡΙΣ 
 
 sa the dove. The word πῦρ is here, 
 however, used: in a bad sense, “as ab PN 
 without heart, i. e. without understand- 
 ing, shows. The point of comparison is 
 the inconsiderate flight of the dove from 
 one danger into another; from the alarm 
 which makes her leave her abode for the 
 net of the fowler. Such would be the 
 case with the Israelites. Jehovah had 
 distinctly announced to them, that for- 
 eign alliances would prove their ruin ; 
 yet they heedlessly rushed into destruc- 
 tion. “azy stands either for nm 9 or 
 “wsxb. The spreading of the net refers 
 to the taking of birds that are on the 
 ground; the bringing down, to those 
 that are in the air, by the use of missile 
 weapons. Instead of the Hiphil n-"o"s, 
 which occurs only here, the Soncin. edit. 
 of the Prophets and some few MSS. 
 read ©45°s_ in Piel, which may also be 
 interpreted “causatively. chs> says 
 
 lit. according to the report to their eer 
 
 6 
 
 bly, i. 6. the public congregations, to 
 which the Divine messages were delivered. 
 God had given them sufficient warning 
 by Moses and the prophets. ‘The versions 
 vary in rendering the last word, which 
 has given rise to the Eongecimiet readings 
 tn ass, mnbyd, and nns2d. Aq., 
 however, renders, κατὰ ΠΣ τῆς συνα- 
 γωγῆς. 
 
 13. That 3 Ὁ ἰβ᾽ ἀοπυποίατίνο and not 
 plaintive, the following wz plainly shows. 
 7712 is often used of the flight of bird’ 
 that wander from their nest, see Proy. 
 xxvii. 8; Is. xvi. 2; Jer. iv. 25; and is 
 here employed with reference to the silly 
 dove, ver. 12. The redemption from 
 Egypt, and that which, in numerous in- 
 instances, they afterwards experienced, 
 Jehovah adduces in aggravation of their 
 guilt. ‘Their preferring the service of 
 idols to that of the true God, was not 
 merely a practical denial of his all-suffi- 
 ciency, but a violation of the solemn 
 pledge which they had given of undi- 
 vided obedience to his law, when, as 
 stated, chap. vi. 1-3, they professed to 
 return to him. 
 
 14. When pressed down by the calam- 
 ities which their sins had brought upon 
 them, they cried to God for deliverance, 
 but without any genuine repentance or 
 sincere resolution to obey him in future. 
 Ἐπ ines $y, upon their beds, i. e. in the 
 night- season, when their anxiety pre- 
 
42 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Vil. 
 
 Cuar. 
 
 For the sake of corn and new wine they assemble ; 
 
 They rebel against me. 
 
 15 Though I instructed them, and strengthened their arms, 
 Yet they devised evil against me. 
 16 They may turn, but it is not to the Most High; 
 
 They are like a deceitful bow; 
 
 Their rulers shall fall by the sword, 
 
 vented them from sleeping. ΡΩΝ, 
 the LXX. reading 31743, render κατε- 
 τέμνοντο, they cut themselves, supposing 
 that in token of grief, or like the mad- 
 dened priests of Baal, 1 Kings xviii. 28, 
 they inflicted wounds upon their bodies. 
 This is also, in all probability, what the Syr, 
 7 
 πολϑδὸὸ 
 But though sttians is found in six 
 MSS. has been in | eight more originally, 
 and is the reading of two early editions, 
 one of which is the Soncin. of 1486, it 
 is not sufficiently supported to warrant 
 its adoption into the text. The Targ, 
 Abul-walid, Jarchi, Abenezra, Kimchi, 
 Munster, Piscator, Leo Juda, Junius, 
 Tremellius, Boothroyd, Resenmiiller, 
 Maurer, and Gesenius, support the text- 
 ual reading, and render congregate. This 
 decidedly agrees better with the follow- 
 ing “2.37207. Instead of returning to 
 Jehovah, the Israelites assembled before 
 their idols to propitiate them by sacri- 
 fices, in order to obtain a fruitful harvest. 
 Lee renders, they become withdrawn, 
 withdraw themselves, i. e. for idolatrous 
 purposes. To mark more strongly the 
 atrociousness of their apostasy, *2, “against 
 me,” is employed, instead spiova, of “from 
 me,” the preposition that otherwise fol- 
 lows "Ὁ, which is frequently used of 
 apostasy from God to idolatrous practices. 
 The whole phrase is in this case best ren- 
 dered by rebel against, as in our common 
 version. 
 
 15. “Ὁ does not signify to bind, but 
 to chastise or instruct, The LXX, in- 
 stead of rendering the last words of the 
 preceding verse, have ἐπαιδεύδησαν. Po- 
 
 cocke’s Arab. MSS. wool LI,. Those 
 
 whose character is here eA οἷς had 
 been instructed not only by words, but 
 
 translator intended by 
 
 also in a more severe manner, by the 
 judgments which had been inflicted upon 
 them; but that the former kind of in- 
 struction is meant, seems clear from the 
 phrase Bint Pin, to strengthen the arm, 
 i.e. toimpart strength or power for the 
 performance of any undertaking. Comp. 
 Ezek. xxx. 24, 25, where both the im- 
 partation and the deprivation of such 
 power are mentioned. What the >, evil, 
 or wickedness was, which they epg gitated, 
 is not specified; but it most likely con- 
 sisted in some new idolatrous alliance, 
 such as that with Egypt, referred to in 
 the next verse. LXX. πονηρὰ; Targ. 
 Ἴ9᾽5, evil things. 
 
 16. ΠΣ 359)» “ὁ convertunt se ad non- 
 summum, i. e. ad non-deum, collect. non- 
 deos, i. 6. ad deos fictos, vanos.’”’ Maurer. 
 Thus also Gesen. in voc. ἘΣ. Comp. for 
 the use of this idiom, Is. x. 15, note. 
 Hosea, who is fond of brevity, uses here 
 and chap. xi. 7, $y, instead of the longer 
 form 35*by, Most High. Kametz is used 
 instead of Pattach, on account of the 
 
 accent. Arab. altus, excelsus futt, 
 to be high in dignity. (Jl, adtus, 
 Pococke’s Arab. MS. in chap. xi. 7. 
 ee Syr- Jou} > God ; 
 
 De Rossi's MSS. ty. What the apos- 
 tate Israelites worshipped, so far from 
 being the Most High, was the direct 
 opposite — wood or stone, the produce of 
 the earth, The LXX. ᾿ἀκεῤπραξωσον 
 
 εἰς οὐδὲν, and Syr. at ἋΣ ansaid] 
 Sopho to the same effect, though giving 
 
 the sense rather than an exact translation. 
 The Latin translation of the Syr. nudla 
 de causa, is quite erroneous. Most mod- 
 erns, less aptly, take $y in its adverbial 
 
 one of 
 
Cuar. VIL 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 On account of the insolence of their language: 
 This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. 
 
 acceptation, and render, they return not 
 upwards ; which yields, however, nearly 
 the same meaning. Thus Rosenmiiller, 
 Winer, Manger, Stuck, and others. New- 
 come’s conjectural emendation, S-34> xs 
 that which cannot profit, has not -been 
 approved ; while the translation of Dathe, 
 Penitentiam agunt, sed non sinceram, 
 though approved by Kuinoel, Tingstadius, 
 and others, is not borne out by Hebrew 
 usage. 17709 ΡΤ some render @ slack 
 bow, supposing that its inutility, owing to 
 the absence of elasticity, is what is in- 
 tended ; but false or deceitful better suits 
 the connection, and Ps. lxxviii. 57; and 
 the reference is to something faulty in 
 the construction of the bow, which causes 
 it to shoot or throw out the arrow wide 
 
 of the mark. Root na, Arab. is 
 jecit, projecit ; to throw, shoot, etc. “There 
 
 seems no ground for the opinion of Ge- 
 senius, that the phrase is used poetically 
 for treacherous bowmen, who feign fight 
 in order to deceive. The Israelites hypo- 
 critically pretended to turn to Jehovah, 
 but their actions took a different direction. 
 Comp. ποδὶ sb, a deceitful tongue, 
 Ps. cxx. 2, 3. The insolence (Aq. and 
 Symm. ἐμβρίμησιν,) of their language 
 doubtless consisted in their proud boast 
 of Egypt as a source of protection from 
 the Assyrian invasion, which God was 
 about to bring upon them. ts2, their 
 derision, i. 6. the subject of derision to 
 the Egyptians, to whom they should in 
 vain apply for help. Comp. 2 Kings 
 xvii. 4; Is. xxx. 1-7, though the latter 
 passage is immediately directed against 
 a contemporaneous application on the 
 part of the Jews, 
 
 OHAPTER ’ VIII. 
 
 The prophet announces the sudden irruption of the Assyrians, 1; by whom the Israelites 
 were to be punished, on account of their hypocrisy and apostasy, 2, 8; their illegitimate 
 government, and their idolatry, 4. He then exposes the folly of their idolatrous confi- 
 dence, and predicts their captivity, 5-10; remonstrates with them for their devotion to 
 
 the worship of idols, 
 
 in opposition to the express and numercus 
 
 prohibitions of the evil 
 
 contained in the divine law, 11, 12; and insists that their pretended service of Jehovah, 
 while in reality they forgot him, so far from being of any avail to them, would only bring 
 
 destruction upon them, 13, 14. 
 
 1 Put the trumpet to thy mouth; 
 
 “Like an eagle against the house of Jehovah ;” 
 
 1. It is not unusual for the prophets 
 without naming the invading foe, to 
 announce his approach. See Is. xiii. 2. 
 The words sB% Zon—>x, to thy palate 
 the trumpet! are singularly abrupt, and 
 
 indicate the suddenness of the threatened 
 invasion. ‘4n, palate, is here, as Job 
 xxxi. 30, Prov. viii. 7, put for the mouth, 
 Comp. chap. v. 8. The LXX. (εἰς κόλ- 
 πον αὐτῶν, ὡς γῆ) appear to have read 
 
44 HOSEA. Cuar. VIII. 
 
 For they have transgressed"my covenant, 
 They have rebelled against my law. 
 
 2 They may cry to me: “O my God; 
 We — Israel — acknowledge thee.” 
 
 3 Israel hath rejected what is good ; 
 
 The enemy shall pursue him. 
 
 4 They made kings, but it was not from me; 
 
 “Ey> tpn ts, which makes no sense. 
 The following words n47? moa7by “822, 
 which contain the announcement, are 
 equally abrupt. The point of compari- 
 son is the rapidity of flight for which the 
 eagle is celebrated, and which is fre- 
 quently employed to denote the speedy 
 approach of an enemy. Comp. Deut. 
 xxviii. 49; Jer. iv. 13, xlvii. 40; Lam. 
 iv. 19. mim nea, the house of Jehovah, 
 cannot here mean the temple at Jerusa- 
 lem, which is otherwise so designated, 
 since the threatenings are specially de- 
 nounced against the kingdom of the ten 
 tribes. It must, therefore, be taken to 
 denote the people of Israel, the whole 
 nation viewed as the family or church of 
 God. Comp. chap. ix. 15; Numb. xii. 
 7; Heb. iii. 2; just as the christian 
 church is called the house of God. 1 Tim. 
 iii. 15, and of Christ, Heb. iii. 6. For 
 ‘m3 2723, comp. chap. vi. 7. The 
 nominative to an ay they have trans- 
 gressed, is rin) m3, the family, 1. 6. 
 the members of ‘the church, of Jehovah. 
 The Israelites had violated the obligations 
 of the theocracy. m3 and πη τ are 
 synonymous. ‘ 
 
 2. apy isthe future used potentially 
 and not withirony. ὅπ Ἔν, “Ὁ my God,” 
 is construed as a distyibutive with the 
 plural verb — each of the persons spoken 
 of being regarded as using the language. 
 Inattention to this has led the Syrian 
 
 4 Ἂν» 
 ss O our God. 
 
 Sano, Israel, is ᾿. Sodan with 
 woe we acknowledge thee, and not 
 the nominative to we es from which it is 
 too far removed. It is entirely omitted 
 in the LXX. Syr. and Arab. as it is in 
 one of Kennicott’s MSS., and originally 
 in one of-De Rossi's bene) “7 EN O God 
 
 oP eee 
 
 translator to render, 
 
 of Israel, the conjecture of Houbigant, is 
 unnecessary. ‘The present position of the 
 word is more in keeping with the style 
 of Hosea, and the use of it well agrees 
 with the vain confidence which the un- 
 believing Israelites were ever prone to 
 place in their relation to the patriarchs. 
 
 3. mt, Arabs 33 35, corruptum fuit 
 
 et faetuit, to be corrupt, loathsome, and to 
 reject as such. ‘To treat as loathsome 
 what was truly excellent, such as the 
 worship of God and the practice of re- 
 ligion, argued an awfully depraved state 
 of moral feeling. The use of xy, 
 Israel, finely contrasts with that made 
 of it in the preceding verse. =t, good, 
 is, by Jerome, Abenezra, anche and 
 others, taken for God himself, who is 
 described as Ξ 22} 240, good and doing 
 good, Ps. exix. 68. Deum summum 
 bonum, CEcolampadius. It seems, how- 
 ever, to be used in a more general accep- 
 tation. Before 374s there is an ellipsis 
 of the illative y= δ, Forty-seven of De 
 Rossi’s MSS. and'two more by correec- 
 tion; eight of the most ancient, and 
 sixty-two other editions; the Syr. Vulg. 
 and Targ. read 35 πον" instead of 1575, 
 exhibited in the Textus Receptus. See 
 De Rossi’s Scholia Critica. 
 
 4. Some think the kings and princes 
 here referred to were Shallum, Menahem, 
 Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea, and such of 
 their partisans as were invested with au- 
 thority ; but from the allusions made in 
 the following verses to the origination of 
 image worship in Israel, it is more prob- 
 able that the entire series of Israclitish 
 kings and rulers is intended. Though in 
 the providence of God, and agreeable to 
 the declaration of Ahiah the prophet, 
 the ten tribes revolted from the house of 
 David, and set up a separate and inde- 
 
Cuarv. VIII. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 45 
 
 They set up princes, but I acknowledge them not: 
 Of their silver and their gold they have made for themselves idols, 
 In order that they may be cut off. 
 5 Thy calf, O Samaria! is abominable; 
 Mine anger burneth against them: 
 How long shall they be incapable of purity ? 
 
 6 For it came from Israel, 
 
 pendent kingdom, yet they were actuated 
 merely by rebellious motives, and had no 
 regard to a divine sanction, 1 Kings xi. 
 31-39, xii. 20. 977, signifies not only 
 to know, but also to approve of that 
 which is known, regard, allow, own. 
 Job. ix. 21, xxxiv. 4; Ps. i. 6, et freg. 
 
 ο 
 LXX. καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώρισαν μοι. Syr. lo 
 ν᾽ 
 ies 30| and did not acquaint me, i. e. 
 
 held no communications with me upon 
 the subject. The Heb. however, wil not 
 bear this interpretation. ἢ in both cases 
 before s+, has the force of a relative, 
 which must either be adopted in transla- 
 tion, or the personal pronoun must be 
 supplied. For their conversion of their 
 silver and gold into idols, comp. chap. 
 ii. 8. 43725 does not appear ever to 
 be taken in a retrospective sense, and 
 so to be referred to what goes before, but 
 is always used with direct reference to 
 what follows. mx 422% is, therefore, 
 to be rendered, in order that they may be 
 cut off ; not so that they shall, ete. Comp. 
 Jer. vii. 10, xliv. 8. In all such cases 
 the preposition is employed to give pecu- 
 liar emphasis to the subject. The Israel- 
 ites could not seriously, or in reality, have 
 intended their own destruction, but they 
 acted as if they had; and it would as- 
 suredly overtake them. The nominative 
 to m=,>° may either be Israel, understood ; 
 or it may have respect to the people col- 
 lectively. : 
 
 5. The calf of Samaria was not any 
 set up in that city, but that set up at 
 Bethel with another at Dan, or both, if 
 we take the noun as a collective, which 
 its inhabitants, and those of the country 
 generally, worshipped. The metropolis 
 appears to be used here by synecdoche for 
 the whole land occupied by the ten tribes ; 
 
 but, at the same time, there can be little 
 doubt that its inhabitants were pre-emi- 
 nent in their devotion to idolatry. 1, 
 is used in its primary acceptation, ἕο be 
 loathsome, abominable. See on yer. ὃ. 
 Such construction is preferable to that 
 which would make 53» the accusative 
 to m2t, assuming 45> understood to be 
 the nominative, or that in our common 
 version, which makes it the nominative, 
 and Samaria in its pronominal reference 
 the accusative. The introduction of the 
 worship of the golden calves by Jeroboam, 
 in imitation of Apis, at Memphis, and 
 Mneyvis, at Heliopolis, which he must 
 have seen during his residence in Egypt, 
 paved the way for the imitation and 
 adoption of the gross idolatries practised 
 by the Phoenicians, Syrians, and Chal- 
 deans. Fin? Fs on, the anger of Je- 
 hovah burneth, is an anthropopathic mode 
 of expression of frequent occurrence in 
 the Hebrew Scriptures, denoting the un- 
 conquerable opposition of God to all moral 
 evil, and the severity of the punishment 
 with which it is visited. ἘΞ, against 
 them, i. e. the Israelites who worshipped 
 the golden calves. "8:3" Nd ὙΠ 79 
 “iopa, how long shall they be incapable of . 
 purity? i, 6. how long shall they be ob- 
 stinately attached_to the impure service 
 of idols, and reject the means by which 
 they might be recovered from its stain 
 and punishment. 
 
 6. The golden calf had its origin in Israel: 
 it was not made by any of the surround- 
 ing idolaters. The ἢ in 8171 is emphatic. 
 mye ΞΞῸ» shall be or become flames, 
 i. e. shall be burnt. ἘΠΞΞ9 is a ἅπαξ 
 Aey. and has no root in Heb. ; but comp. 
 
 ““ 
 
 the Arab λυ, accendit ignems paddies 
 
 ardor, flamma. As the calf was made 
 by man, so it should by man be conyerted 
 
40 
 
 The carpenter made it ; 
 It is not God: 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 Surely the calf of Samaria shall become flames, 
 
 7 Because they have sown wind, 
 They shall reap the whirlwind. 
 They shall have no stalk ; 
 
 The growth shall produce no grain ; 
 Should it peradventure produce it, 
 
 Strangers shall swallow it up. 
 8 Israel is swallowed up ; 
 
 They are now among the nations, 
 Like a vessel in which is no delight. 
 
 9 For they went up to Assyria, 
 Like a solitary wild ass; 
 
 Ephraim hath given the hire of love. 
 
 into fuel for the flames. It consisted, in 
 all probability, of wood, thickly overlaid 
 with gold. When taken as a present to 
 the king of Assyria, (see chap. x. 6,) in- 
 stead of being worshipped or held in 
 respect, it would be stripped of the gold, 
 and consigned to the flames. The LXX. 
 followed by the Arab. Horsley, and New- 
 combe, improperly translate "2 ts, 
 ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ, dof ὁ im Israel, 
 
 and join the words to those of the preced- 
 ing verse. 
 
 7. mne;0 is the emphatic form of 
 MEA, ὦ “tornado, whirlwinds Leo Juda, 
 magnumturbinem. Comp. ; mas, Exod. 
 v.16: nA, Ps, iii. 3. The nomina- 
 tive to “5 is Sy, understood ; but it 
 is best to take it collectively, in harmony 
 with the plural of the preceding verbs. 
 Observe the paronomasia in ™>2 ΠῺΣ 
 natn 3. The Israelites should be 
 unsuccessful in all their undertakings ; 
 and whatever partial gains they might 
 acquire, would be eagerly seized by the 
 Assyrians. 
 
 8. What Hosea had just foretold is 
 here realized in prophetic vision. He 
 sees them in a state of exile — the objects 
 of contempt to their oppressors. Comp. 
 Jer. xxii. 28. 
 
 9, 10. τὸν, to go wy, is elsewhere used 
 of foreigners coming to the land of Israel; 
 
 but is here employed with singular pro- 
 priety of the Israelites going to Assyria, 
 to intimate their depressed condition, and 
 their acknowledgment of the superiority 
 of the Assyrian power. ‘The reference is 
 not to their going into captivity, but to 
 the embassy which they sent for the pur- 
 pose of obtaining aid from that quarter. 
 “aos stands for m4 aux, the τι of direction 
 being omitted. The point of comparison 
 in the * wild ass” is his untractableness, 
 and his disposition to take his own way, 
 in consequence of which he forsakes the 
 society of others, and loves the solitari- 
 ness of the desert. See Job xxxix. 5-8. 
 Thus it was with Israel. Despite of all 
 the councils and warnings given them 
 by the prophets, they persisted in enter- 
 ing into foreign alliances. 2m, to give 
 presents, hire, ete. is purposely chosen, to 
 convey the idea οὗ a violation of the 
 marriage contract by unlawful commerce 
 with another party—the derivatives 
 7208 and mans, properly denoting a gift 
 or reward given to a whore. See on | 
 chap. ii. 12, The aggravation of the 
 evil is signified by representing the female 
 as offering these rewards to her paramours 
 to induce them to commit lewdness, in- 
 stead of her being prevailed upon by 
 presents made hy them. Comp. Ezek. 
 xvi. 33, 34. Though in Hiphil, the 
 verb has here the same signification as in 
 
,. 
 
 Cuap. VIII. 
 
 HOSEA, 
 
 AT 
 
 10 Yet though they have hired among the nations, 
 
 I will now gather them ; 
 
 And they shall suffer in a little 
 
 By reason of the tribute of the king of princes. ᾿ 
 
 ΤΙ 
 
 Kal. ἘΠΞπ δ, lit. Zoves, a plural not in 
 use in English. Jerome, who renders, 
 numera ΕΣ amatoribus, either read 
 pans which is found in one of De 
 Rossi’s MSS., or he took Doan SN ina 
 concrete sense, aS our translators appear 
 to have done, for which there is no neces- 
 sity. Instead of 2m» at the beginning 
 of ver. 10, two of De Rossi’s MSS. the 
 LXX. Syr. Vulg. Targ. and Arab, read 
 ams, as if from 1.23; according to which, 
 the Israelites are represented as delivered 
 over to, or placed in the power of the 
 nations. The fifth Greek-yersion, how- 
 ever, has ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν μισϑώσηται ἔϑνη, 
 which is preferable, as it is most likely 
 that the prophet repeated the verb he had 
 just used, and as the other rendering is 
 less suited to the connection. ΤΙΣ, now, 
 i. e. shortly. Comp. bp =) immediately 
 after. The suffix in DEAS s, 41 will 
 collect them,” belongs to pian, the na- 
 tions, and not to the nominative to aan, 
 
 or the Israelites. ‘yap is used in Piel in 
 a bad as well as in a good sense. Comp. 
 Ezek. xvi. 87. Thus Kimchi and Abar- 
 banel. Instead of affording any assistance, 
 the Assyrians would be collected against 
 the apostate Israelites, invade their land, 
 and carry them into captivity. Into that 
 state of suffering, imposed upon them by 
 the king of Assyria, they were shortly 
 to be brought, as a punishment for their 
 idolatrous desertion of the true worship 
 of God. py jb New ὭΣ adn 
 has been Saray interpreted. ‘Gesenius 
 renders, ‘and they (the hostile nations, ) 
 shall presently set them free from the 
 burden of the king, i. e. from his oppres- 
 sive yoke;” but without any suitable sense 
 — the whole passage being of a commin- 
 atory nature, and not promissory of good. 
 $nn, the Hiph. of $4n, has nowhere 
 the signification of loosing or setting free. 
 Nor is there any propriety in taking it in 
 the usual sense of beginning, and so con- 
 
 When Ephraim multiplied altars to sin, 
 
 struing it with wy, as if the latter word 
 were the infinitive of the verb D3, to 
 be diminished. 'The ancient versions refer 
 to sn, as the root, in the sense of wait- 
 ing, desisting from, etc. LXX. κοπά- 
 Theod. δια- 
 
 σουσι. Symm. μενοῦσιν. 
 λείψουσι. Syr. ΣΝ “Δ Vulg. quies- 
 
 cent. And in this reference I concur, 
 especially as ten MSS. and forty-four 
 editions, read 335 155 without the Dagesh 
 in the Lamed ; only I would abide Ἐς the 
 signification, fo be in pain, affliction, 
 which is that given to the verb in our 
 common yersion. Such construction alone 
 suits the connection. By some Ὡ" "ἢ Σ 
 132 are considered to be an instance of 
 asyndeton; and twenty-one MSS. and 
 originally ten more, the LXX. Aq. Syr. 
 Vulg. Targ. and Talm. Babl. supply the 
 copulative ἢ before my. So Kimchi, 
 Mercer, Piscator. Grotius, Houbigant, 
 Dathe, Michaelis, Kuinoel, Newcome, 
 Tingstadius. It has been doubted, how- 
 ever, whether, according to this resolution 
 of the word, they should be referred to 
 the native king and princes, or to those of 
 Assyria. Some, as Maurer, take them 
 to be the nominative to " 5151, and make 
 the sense end with wz, the burden or 
 tribute, supposing the heavy taxes imposed 
 by the Israelitish rulers to be intended. 
 The best sense is brought out by reading 
 tomw $2 in construction, the hing of 
 princes, and applying the phrase to the 
 king of Assyria, who had many kings 
 and princes subject to his sway. Comp. 
 Is. x. 8. Thus Pococke’s Arabic MS., 
 Leo Juda, Drusius, Jun. and Tremel., 
 Piscator, Eichhorn, Boeckel, Goldwitzer, 
 Hitzig, and Ewald. The δ’ 12, burden, 
 was the tribute exacted by’ Menahem, 
 and paid to Pul, amounting to a thousand 
 talents of silver, 2 Kings xv. 19-22. Comp. 
 srr TOS, or ibute money, 2 Chron. xvii. 11. 
 
 “11 By multiplying altars, in opposi- 
 
48 HOSEA. Cuar. VII. 
 
 They became to him altars to sin, « 
 12 I may prescribe for him the numerous things of my law; 
 They are treated as a strange thing. 
 
 13 As for my sacrificial offerings, 
 They sacrifice flesh and eat it; 
 
 Jehovah accepteth them not: 
 
 He will speedily remember their iniquity, 
 
 And will punish their sin: 
 They shall return to Egypt. 
 
 tion to the express prohibition, Deut. xii. 
 13, 14, the Ephraimites not only con- 
 tracted great guilt, but paved the way 
 for the introduction of other sins. Syr. 
 
 any 00 y 
 
 Lo3 Jou, ad crimen ingens. 
 There is an easy but beautiful variation 
 in the repetition of the words. As used 
 the second time, su possesses consider- 
 able emphasis. Comp. for a similar in- 
 stance of varied repetition, Is. xxvii, 5. 
 It shows how much the mind of the 
 prophet was affected by the wickedness 
 of his people. Some suppose that there 
 is a play upon the double meaning of 
 sb as signifying to sin, and to be pun- 
 ished for sin, just as our Lord uses νέκροι 
 in two senses, Matt. viii. 22; but the 
 second signification cannot attach to the 
 verb in this connection. 
 
 12. a1n38; Keri anse, is continuative 
 and potential, and is equivalent to, I have 
 prescribed, I still prescribe by my proph- 
 ets, and I may go on prescribing ; ; it will 
 be of no avail. Keri “a>, in many MSS, 
 s21n, the plural of 34, which is properly 
 the infinitive of 22%, to be great, numer- 
 ous, ete. Here the idea of number is 
 evidently designed to express the abun- 
 dant provisions God had made in his 
 written law, and its enforcement by the 
 prophets, against the commission of idol- 
 atry. According to the Chethiv 43, 
 we should render, “I may prescribe to 
 him my laws by myriads ;" Ewald, by 
 thousands ;”’ Hitzig, by ten thousands, 
 
 Poh O 
 
 » 
 The Syr- 49 asody iow. Targ. 
 
 ΡΝ Pawsao. Vulg. multiplices leges 
 meas. Pococke’s Arab. MS. Bie 
 
 Ke 3 Aq. πληϑυμένους νόμους. 
 Symm. πλῆϑος νόμων μου. nbn, statutes, 
 are understood. =n signifies not only ¢o 
 think, regard, etc., but also to treat ina 
 manner corresponding to the estimation 
 in which a person or thing is held. ‘Tan- 
 
 chum, <0 aly See 
 
 x cape) Δ they reject them like a 
 
 strange thing to which no regard is paid. 
 13. "3027 "nar, form the nominative 
 absolute. “anon my gifts, or offerings, 
 i. e. such as they professedly offer to me, 
 The word is contracted for "aman, and 
 is derived from 273, to give. “tt ‘seems 
 preferable to abide by this usual signifi- 
 cation of the verb, which it has likewise 
 in Aramaic, Arabic, and Ethiopic, than 
 to follow Kimchi, who refers the noun 
 to a root aman, to which he assigns the 
 signification to burn, scorch, roast; or 
 Ewald, who, appealing to the Chald. 
 
 37137, and the Arab. _,9 and AGae 
 renders, raw offerings. ἡ "27737 is a more 
 choice term for m4h3%a, or naomi. For 
 the reduplicate form, comp. sarsON, 
 chap. iv. 18; which word the LXX. 
 Syr. and Targ. appear to have followed 
 in this place; of which Hitzig stems to 
 approve. Aq., observant of the gemina- 
 tion, renders, ϑυσίας φέρε φέρε ϑυσιάζουσιν. 
 Symm. ϑυσίας ἐπαλλήλους. Theod. ϑυσίαν 
 μεταφορῶν ἐδυσίασαν. Jehovah rejected 
 the sacrifices that were offered, not ac- 
 cording to his own appointment, but to 
 gratify the carnal appetite of the wor- 
 shippers. Reference is had to the sacri- 
 fices offered to him, as represented by 
 the golden calf. In ὩΣ x} is a meiosis. 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 49 
 
 14 Because Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and built temples, 
 And Judah hath multiplied fortified cities ; 
 Therefore will I send a fire into his cities; 
 And it shall consume the palaces of each. 
 
 my, now, is here used in the sense of 
 speedily, shortly. From the references 
 made chap. ix. 3, 6, xi. 11, it is clear 
 that the last clause of the verse predicts 
 the actual return of a number of the 
 Israelites to Egypt, whither, in all prob- 
 ability, they fled when the kingdom was 
 broken up by the Assyrians. The threat- 
 ening pointedly reminded them of the 
 depressed condition in which their ances- 
 tors had been in that country. Comp. 
 Deut. xxvii. 68. The LXX. add, καὶ 
 ἐν ᾿Ασσυρίοις ἀκάϑαρτα φάγονται ; but the 
 words are wanting in the Aldine edition, 
 
 ἌΠΙ 59. the apodosis. The "ἘΞ were 
 doubtless édolatrous temples erected after 
 the models of those in use among the 
 Syrians and Pheenicians. See, for the 
 word, my note on Is. vi. 1. Though 
 idolatry had not made the same progress 
 in Judah, the inhabitants nevertheless 
 evinced a want of confidence in Jehovah 
 by fortifying a number of cities, to which 
 they trusted for defence. The masculine 
 suffix in 1492 refers to Judah; the fem- 
 inine in mines to each of ane cities, 
 taken singly. Ewald strangely asserts, 
 that the words of this verse appear to 
 
 have been inserted from some book of 
 Amos no longer in existence! Compare, 
 however, for the latter distich, Jer. xlix. 
 27; pAmosiis, 4,675 10, ἀν elie) ὩΣ 
 and see note on Amos i. 4. 
 
 andin seven MSS. They have evidently 
 found their way into the text from chap. 
 ix. 3, where they stand in accordance 
 with the reading of all the Heb. MSS. 
 14, ἢ in 453931 marks the protasis ; in 
 
 CHAPTER Ix. 
 
 The prophet checks the propensity of the Israelites to indulge in excessive joy on account of 
 any partial relief from their troubles, 1; predicts the failure of the crops, etc. in consequence 
 of the Assyrian invasion, 2; their removal to Egypt and Assyria, where they should have 
 no opportunity, even if they were inclined, to serve Jehovah according to their ancient 
 ritual, 3-5; and the hopelessness of their returning to enjoy the property they had left be- 
 hind, 6. He then announces the certain infliction of the divine judgments, and points 
 out the true character of the false prophets, by whom the people had been led astray to 
 their ruin, 7,8. Illustrative references are next made to the early history of the Hebrew 
 nation, accompanied with appropriate comminations couched in varied forms, in order to 
 render them more affecting, 9--17. 
 
 1 Carry not thy joy, O, Israel! to exultation, like the nations, 
 
 1. S-3—bx3—newnda, lit. rejoice not Vulg. read S~3 dx, exult not; but con- 
 to exultation. The LXX. Syr. Targ. and trary to the wsus doguendi, which requires 
 
 7 
 
σι 
 ΦΡ 
 - 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. LX, 
 
 For thou hast lewdly departed from thy God; 
 
 Thou hast loved the hire, ἢ 
 On all the corn floors. 
 
 2 Neither the floor nor the vat shall nourish them ; 
 And the new wine shall fail therein. 
 
 3 They shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah, 
 But Ephraim shall return to Egypt, 
 And in Assyria, they shall eat what is unclean. 
 
 the verb following 5x to be in the future 
 tense, as Secker properly observes. Some 
 find in the comparison “ like the nations,” 
 an imitation of their idolatrous festivi- 
 ties; but the language is rather predictive 
 of the joyless condition to which the Is- 
 raelites were to be reduced. ‘While those 
 by whom they were surrounded and 
 especially their Assyrian invaders, should 
 indulgein unrestrained mirth, they shouid 
 experience affliction and sorrow. There 
 is most probably a reference to the joy 
 occasioned by the league entered into 
 with Pul, by which peace seemed to be 
 secured. Their joy was to be of short 
 duration, and therefore required to be 
 moderate. Instead of Erzz>, thirteen 
 MSS., originally five more, one by cor- 
 rection, and five editions, read ἘΠῚ2ΣΞ» 
 “among the nations,’ of which Rosen- 
 miiller, following Abarbanel, approves. 
 The prophet adds the reason why they 
 should have no cause for exultation — 
 their abounding idolatries, by which they 
 incurred the judgments of God. These 
 idolatries they carried to such a pitch, 
 that they erected shrines at their thresh- 
 ing floors, in order to offer at them the 
 oblations of their grain. The crops were 
 considered to have been bestowed by the 
 idols in compensation for the worship 
 rendered to them, (see chap. ii. 5, 12, 13;) 
 and are therefore spoken of as ἡ: τὰ, @ 
 meretricious reward. ΝΥ 
 
 2. For ὁ ΓΞ, in reference to the failure of 
 the productions of the earth, see Hab. iii. 
 17. The verb properly signifies to lie, de- 
 ceive, etc. ; figuratively, to fail. Twenty- 
 six MSS., originally sixteen more, and 
 perhaps two, three editions, with the 
 support of the LXX. Syr. Targ. and 
 Vulg. read ba, in them, i. e. them, the 
 Israelites, instead of m2, in her, the re- 
 
 ceived reading. It is, however, too plainly 
 an emendation to entitle it to adoption. 
 Nothing is more common than for our 
 prophets to use first a plural, and then a 
 singular suffix of the same subject: ac- 
 cording to the rule laid down by Tan- 
 chum, that when in a continued discourse 
 a nation or people is spoken of, either in 
 the feminine affix agreeing with 77>, con- 
 gregation, or the masculine agreeing with 
 ty, people, may be used; as also, that 
 the singular may be used of them, viewed 
 as a body, and the plural, when they are 
 regarded as consisting of distinct individ- 
 uals. See in Pococke. At the same 
 time it is better in a translation to render 
 them alike, as in the ancient versions just 
 quoted. 
 
 3. Canaan was called min. ys, the 
 land of Jehovah, because he had appro- 
 priated it for an inheritance to those whom 
 he had chosen to be his peculiar people. 
 It was his gift to Abraham and his pos- 
 terity, to be enjoyed by them on condition 
 of their fidelity in his service. For this 
 end he attached to it his special blessing, 
 Deut. xi. 10-12. Comp. Jer. ii. 7, xvi. 
 18; Ezek, xxxvi. 20. The return to 
 Egypt being here mentioned in connec- 
 tion with an exile in Assyria, proves that 
 it is to be taken literally, and that it is 
 not designed to express a servitude similar 
 to that of Egypt. See on chap. viii. 13. 
 The fulfilment of this prediction in the 
 history of the ten tribes, is nowhere 
 mentioned in Scripture. No doubt the 
 number that fled to Egypt was small, 
 compared with the body of the nation 
 carried into the Assyrian exile. By 3120 
 is meant prohibited food, meats pro- 
 nounced unclean by the Mosaic law, 
 Comp. Ezek. iv. 13. To such necessity 
 should they be reduced as captives. 
 
Cuapr. IX. HOSEA. 
 
 ol 
 
 4 They shall not pour out wine to Jehovah, 
 Neither shall their sacrifices please him ; 
 They shail be to them as the bread of mourners, 
 All that eat thereof shall be unclean : 
 For their bread shall be for themselves ; 
 It shall not come unto the house of Jehovah. 
 
 5 What will ye do on the day 
 
 of assembly ? 
 
 On the day of Jehovah’s festival ? 
 6 For, behold! they go away from destruction, 
 But Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them ; 
 As for their coveted treasuries of money, nettles shall possess them: 
 
 Thorns shall be in their tents. 
 
 4. 5D2 is used of the pouring out of 
 wine for a libation, Gr. σπένδειν. Exod. 
 Xxx. 9. any, properly to mix, mingle, 
 came to signify, sweet, agreeable, pleasing, 
 from the circumstance, that what was 
 pleasant to the taste, often consisted of 
 mixed ingredients. ὉΠ: End>, bread, 
 or food of sorrows, i. 6. such as was eaten 
 by mourners for the dead, and conse- 
 quently regarded as unclean, on account 
 of the contact in which they were sup- 
 posed to come with the dead body. See 
 Numb. xix. 14, 15, 22; Jer. xvi. 7, 8; 
 Ezek. xxiv. 17; Hagg. ii. 12,13. In- 
 stead of feasting upon the sacrifices as 
 their fathers had been accustomed to do, 
 when they slew them according to the 
 law, which was always an occasion of 
 joy, they should be placed in circum- 
 stances in which no such sacrifices could 
 be offered, and no such feasts enjoyed. 
 Their food should all be common — 
 bwEsd, for their soul, or life, i. 6. merely 
 for its sustenance ; not fit to be presented 
 to the Lord. Thus Schmidius, Grotius, 
 and others. 
 
 5. In captivity they would find it im- 
 possible to observe their solemn feasts— 
 a great aggravation of their punishment. 
 Comp. chap. ii. 11. The exposition of 
 Jarchi, Abenezra, Kimchi, Mercer, Capito, 
 and others, according to which, the day 
 of punishment, represented under the 
 idea of sacrifice, is meant, cannot be sus- 
 tained. 
 
 6. The prophet here specially describes 
 those Israelites who should take alarm at 
 the invasion of the country by the As- 
 
 syrians, and flee for safety into Egypt. 
 They imagined that their stay there would 
 only be temporary ; but it is predicted 
 that they should no more return to their 
 possessions, and be buried in their fathers’ 
 sepulchres, but should die in the land, 
 and have their interment among the 
 mummies of Egypt. For Memphis as 
 the great necropolis of that country, see 
 my note on Isaiah xix, 13. yap, to 
 gather, is here used in reference to the 
 removal of the soul at death, into the 
 world of spirits, and is equivalent to 
 OND Numb. xx. 26, or the full phrases 
 ‘eo—be HON2, and ὙΠ το FON3, fo 
 be gathered to one’s people or fathers, 
 which is always spoken of as something 
 different from death and burial. Comp. 
 Jer. viii. 2; Ezek. xxix. 5, in which latter 
 passage SDs, and yap, are used as syn- 
 onymes. According to the signification 
 of the cognate Arab. verb. (yA45 cepit, 
 apprehendit manu rem, it conveys the 
 idea of God’s taking away the soul. 
 
 Hence the, phrase AS fxrdas, mortuus 
 
 est, literally, God took him; and Vans 
 simply, mortuus est (ad Dei misericordiam 
 delatus). Freytag. When it is said that 
 Egypt should gather and Memphis bury 
 the Israelitish fugitives, the meaning is 
 that they should be removed out of this 
 world, and that their bodies should be 
 buried there. The personification is em- 
 ployed, as usual, for the sake of effect. 
 svar, desire, covetousness ; that which 
 is the object of desire, what is covetable, 
 coveted, from "af, to desire, covet. AS 
 
52 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuapr. IX. 
 
 7 The days of punishment are come, 
 The days of retribution are come ; 
 
 Israel shall know it: 
 The prophet is foolish, 
 
 The man of the spirit is frantic, 
 
 Because of the greatness of thy punishment, 
 And because the provocation is great. 
 
 the verb en" “has a plural suffix, this 
 noun is here to be taken as a collective, 
 and rendered in the plural. The idea of 
 treasury is supplied by the connection. 
 
 τ ΞΞ is used generally of money, as in most 
 other places, when 2731, gold, is not com- 
 bined with it. Targ. ἭΠΕΌΞ nwsn m3, 
 
 the house of their desirable mone γ. Symm. 
 τὰ ἐπιδυμήματα τοῦ ἀργυρίου αὐτῶν. 
 Others, less aptly, explain the words of 
 houses, palaces, ete. adorned with silver. 
 On leaying those treasures which they 
 could not carry with them, the Israelites 
 would naturally bury them in the earth, 
 which accounts for the very significant 
 phrase, ‘the nettles shall inherit them.” 
 For the combination 412"p or S47 and 
 min, comp. Is. xxxiv. 13. The whole 
 verse is miserably translated by the LXX. 
 
 7. MIRE, visitation, ee Comp. 
 
 Is. x. 3; 1 Pet. ii.12. sys, shall know 
 experimentally. By the Soe} 3 is obviously 
 to be understood in this place, the false 
 prophet or prophets by whom the people 
 of the ten tribes were seduced from the 
 right worship of Jehovah, who taught 
 them to worship the golden calves, and 
 otherwise encouraged them in their idol- 
 atrous practices. Thus Pococke’s Arab. 
 
 MS. Seas sto Nf he that pretends 
 
 to prophesy ; and Kimchi, sro sta, 
 lying prophets. With this, the phrase 
 masmwx, the man of the spirit, is syn- 
 onymous; one pretending to inspiration, 
 or professing to deliver oracles under the 
 influence of a divine efflatus. rmeney 
 
 ἄνδϑρωπος ὃ πνευματοφόρος. Syr. ἸΣ cot 
 tans σι Lawns the man that is 
 
 clothed, or endued with the spirit, only 
 adding by ey of explanation, but er- 
 
 usly, WR Ὁ 
 roneo pL oewey of folly. Comp. 
 
 Mic. ii, 11. pan 555 So; 1 Cor. xiv. 87. 
 εἴ τις δοκεῖ προφήτης εἶναι ἢ πνευματικὸς ; 
 2 Pet. i. 21, ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι; 
 and see my Lectures on Divine Inspira- 
 tion, p. 25. yaw insane , frantic ; Arab, 
 
 a, locutus “Pit rhythmice, to speak 
 
 Ἐπ an impassioned manner, like an in- 
 spired poet ; hence, from the violence of 
 the gesticulations, tones. etc., to act like 
 a madman, to be mad, insane. Comp. 
 Jer. xxix. 26, where ΣᾺΣ wx and 
 Sain are synonymous. “The meaning 
 is, that the pretenders to inspiration, by 
 whose false predictions of uninterrupted 
 prosperity the people had been deluded, 
 should be convicted of folly, and reduced 
 to a state of absolute frenzy by the inflic- 
 tion of the divine judgments upon the 
 nation. Hosea introduces this declaration 
 respecting the Israelitish prophets paren- 
 thetically, thereby giving force to his 
 own prediction of impending calamity. 
 The affix in 7252 refers to dew, to 
 whom the prophet turns jn the way of 
 direct address. 449 means here, not the 
 crime, but its punishment, Comp. for 
 this signification of the term, Is. y. 18, 
 and my note there. In 737; subaud. 
 “>, because. The adjective ἘΞ is here 
 placed before its substantive for the sake 
 of emphasis. See on Is. liii. 11. From 
 the use of gv Ὁ in the sense of hating, 
 evincing hostility y, ete., there can be little 
 doubt that the derivative > au Ὁ 2, W hich 
 occurs only in this and the ‘following 
 verse, has the signification of hostility, 
 provoking conduct, provocation. 'That of 
 snare or trap, which Gesenius assigns to 
 it, is not borne out, even by the Syriac 
 Sa Ao which signifies vinxit, compe- 
 ᾽ 
 divit, but not to ensnare. Comp. the 
 
 Arab. plan, acies gladii ; acutiores et 
 
Caap. IX. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 53 
 
 8 Ephraim expecteth help from my God; 
 The prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways: 
 The cause of provocation in the house of his god. 
 9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, 
 
 As in the days of Gibeah ; 
 
 He will remember their iniquity, 
 
 He will punish their sins. 
 10 
 
 I found Israel, like grapes in the desert ; 
 
 Like the first early fruit of the fig tree, at its commencement, 
 
 Fervidiores hominum. LXX. μανία; Aq. 
 ἐγκόσησις ; AAA ἔκστασις ; all of which 
 convey the idea of great excitement, and 
 yield support to the interpretation I have 
 given. The idolatrous practices of the 
 Israelites are meant, by which they pro- 
 voked the righteous indignation of Jeho- 
 yah. 
 
 8. BOSE Dds, arenot in construction, 
 and to be rendered as in most versions, 
 “the watchman of Ephraim,” to justify 
 which construction various modes of 
 exegesis have been resorted to; among 
 others that of Horsley, who would have 
 the watchman to be Elijah. Nor can 
 the rendering of Ewald be sustained, 
 who gives the passage, Ein Spiher ist 
 Ephr aim gegen mein Gott. ““ Ephraim 
 is a spy against my God.’”’ When gy 
 signifies against, it follows verbs of more 
 active import. LE. schaut nach Weissa- 
 gungen aus neben meinem Gott; ““ Eph- 
 raim looks for prophecies besides my 
 God,” — the rendering of Hitzig, is 
 equally objectionable. τ quite agree swith 
 Gesenius and Lee, in assigning to mfx 
 in this place the signification of looking 
 out, expecting, as in Ps. v. 4; Lam. iv. 
 17, in Piel. py, with, is used lliptically 
 for nya, from with, i. 6. from. A sim- 
 ilar ellipsis undeniably occurs Job xxvii. 
 13. bymey 399 pis pon mt, this is 
 the portion of the wicked man fr om (ὩΣ, 
 
 with,) God, as appears, not only from the ' 
 
 synonymous phrase »3'3%, ‘“FRoM the 
 Almighty,’ in the corresponding hemi- 
 stich, but from the actual use of 7a, from, 
 in the parallel passage, chap. 2.0.6. 29. 
 What the prophet asserts is, that the 
 * Ephraimites indulged in expectations of 
 good from Jehovah, notwithstanding their 
 dereliction of his worship in its pure and 
 
 legitimate forms, and their adoption of 
 the idolatrous practices of the heathen 
 around them. In this they were encour- 
 aged by the false prophets, who caught 
 them by their ensnaring doctrines, as is 
 declared immediately after. τ ΣῊ is 
 here used in the same acceptation ‘as in 
 the preceding verse, only there is a me- 
 tonymy of the effect for the cause. ve 
 wbts mea, “the house of his god,” 
 not rieant the temple or people of da 
 true God, but the temple or temples in 
 which the false worship was performed, 
 which the prophets here reprobated were - 
 specially active in promoting. 
 
 9. ΠΤ ap srr, an instance of the 
 constructio asyndeta, The former of the 
 two verbs is to be rendered adverbially, 
 For its use before infinitives, see on chap. 
 vy. 2" Mercer, “ Quam corruptissimi 
 sunt.” 4smnmy may either be taken in- 
 transitively, or ὉΠ 5. » ἘΠ 5.8 5. or 
 the like, must be sanplted. So great ‘was 
 the depravity evinced by those whose 
 conduct the prophet here describes, that 
 it could only be paralleled by the atroc- 
 ity of the inhabitants of Gibeah, specified 
 Judges xix. 22-30. 
 
 10. beni wy, Israel, here means the 
 ancestors of the Hebrew nation. It has 
 been asked, “συν could God be said to 
 find the Hebrews in the wilderness, since 
 he conducted them into it from Egypt?” 
 To remove the difficulty, some very un- 
 warrantably explain the wilderness of 
 Egypt itself; but others connect 722 ¥> 
 “a3, like grapes in the desert, and 
 explain ἘΣ of finding by experience, 
 trial, etc. ‘Such they were, proved them- 
 selves to be, in my judgment. And this 
 seems to be the proper division and inter- 
 pretation of the words At the same 
 
δ4 
 
 I regarded your fathers ; 
 But they came to Baal-peor, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 CuHap. 
 
 And separated themselves to the object of shame ; 
 They became abominable, like the object of their love. 
 11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away, like a bird; 
 There shall be no birth, no womb, no conception. 
 12 Yea, though they should rear their children, 
 I would take them away from among men ; 
 But woe to them! when I depart from them. 
 
 time =2772 YYN3 N72 occurs in reference 
 to the same ‘subject, Deut. xxxii. 10, 
 where the verb must be taken in the 
 sense of reaching with sufficient aid. 
 Comp. the Eth. {1} R Δ! venit ; Arab. 
 Liaw, perduxit, tractavit, negotium ; and 
 chap. xiii. 5; Jer, xxxi. 2. The point 
 of comparison in the verse is the delight 
 with which a traveller enjoys grapes found 
 in a desert, in which they were unex- 
 pected, and where they served most op- 
 portunely to quench his thirst; or the 
 early fig, which is accounted a great del- 
 icacy in the East. When Jehovah entered 
 into covenant with the people of Israel 
 at Sinai, they were regarded by him with 
 delight, being free from idolatry, and 
 engaging me adhere to his service. mp. 
 chap. xi. 1; Jer. xxxi. 3. The scene, 
 however, was soon changed. > 27, illi, 
 these very persons. At ‘Baal- -peor, they 
 proved faithless, and indulged in the very 
 atrocities of which their ‘posterity were 
 guilty in the days of the prophet. For 
 the transactions referred to, see Numb. 
 xxv. 1-5. Priapism, which Hosea justly 
 characterizes as in the highest degree 
 abominable, was the worship peculiarly 
 acceptable to the god of Peor. Sce Cal- 
 met and Winer in voc. — 13 signifies 
 to separate one’s self from ΑΥ̓͂ ‘person or 
 thing, and also, followed by 5, to separate 
 Or devote one’s self to some religious object. 
 Hence the substantive ποτ, @ Nazarite, 
 ΤΣ consecration. mya is the abstract 
 for the concrete, and denotes the obscene 
 or shameful idol which the Moabites 
 worshipped. ΠΣ τὸ, lit. abominations, 
 but used here adjectiv ely, Ioatiivome, 
 capes τὸ rans is properly the sub- 
 stantive, ans — ‘the points being changed 
 
 on account of the suffix. Vulg. facti sunt 
 abominabiles sicut ea, que dilexerunt. 
 The Hebrews became as abominable as 
 the impure idol whose rites they cele- 
 brated. apy xin yapw 32197, he that 
 serveth an abomination, is himself an 
 abomination. Kimchi’s MS. note in Po- 
 cocke. 
 
 11, 12. p»4Bs, Ephraim, is of the 
 nominative absolute, which gives promi- 
 nence to the name, and τω signification. 
 As for Ephraim, (2-728, from MIE, to 
 be fruitful Gen. xii. 53) such may be 
 his name, but, etc. “n>, glory, is in 
 contrast with mya, shame, in the preced- 
 ing verse. The lewd and idolatrous con- 
 duet of the Israelites should meet with a 
 fit retribution. Instead of having an 
 increase of children, that might grow up 
 and become the glory of the land, those 
 who might now be accounted such should 
 speedily be removed into Assyria, and 
 there would be nothing but sterility to 
 characterize the nation. The preposition 
 ya, prefixed to the three last substantives, 
 is privative in signification. ju2, womb, 
 stands here for pregnancy, or for the fetus 
 in the womb. The order of the words 
 presents an instance of the gradatio in- 
 versa, Ὁ ΠΝ), among men, as ἘΞ τι Pree 
 ἘΠ 52, “thy mother shall be childless 
 among women,” 1 Sam. xy. 33. Ewald 
 and Hitzig translate “saea, when I look 
 away from them, contending that we 
 should read y instead of ἢ ; bad no MS, 
 is thus pointed, and the present punctu- 
 oe is so far supported by the LXX. 
 
 (ἡ σάρξ μοῦ, i. 6 05), Aq. Vulg. and 
 ‘larg. Three MSS.'and one edit. have 
 "9152, to which *=sya is doubtless here 
 equivalent. Many instances occur of 
 the substitution of Ὁ for Ὁ, and vice versds 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 HOSEA. 50 
 
 13 I see Ephraim, like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place ; 
 But Ephraim shall bring out his children to the murderer, 
 
 14 
 
 Give them, O Jehovah! — what wilt thou give? 
 
 Give them a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts. 
 15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal; 
 Surely I have hated them there: 
 On account of the wickedness of their deeds, 
 have driven them out of my house ; 
 
 I will love them no more: 
 All their princes are rebels, 
 
 16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up; 
 
 They shall produce no fruit : 
 
 The meaning is, when I withdraw my 
 protection from them ; no longer showing 
 them any favor, but delivering them over 
 to their enemies. For the abortive at- 
 tempt of Lyra to prove a corruption of 
 the passage by the Jews, and to palm 
 upon the rendering of the LXX. ἡ σάρξ 
 pod ἐξ αὐτῶν, the doctrine of the incar- 
 nation of the Messiah, see Pococke. 
 
 13. After E-4=53 supply " Ἢ, from 
 the following 44x S Sree "ZN2. Though 
 ms commonly governs the ‘accusative, 
 yet, in Ps. lxiv. 6, it is followed as here 
 by the dative, without any difference of 
 signification. LXX. εἰς ϑήραν, reading, 
 siz, instead of "ἧς. Ag. Symm. ἀκρό- 
 τομον ; Theod. πέτραν ; Arnoldi, and 
 after him Hitzig, would derive ἢ: from 
 
 the Arab. , as signifying the Palm ; 
 
 but it only signifies the root of that tree, 
 or describes it as small in size, an accep- 
 tation which would ill suit the present 
 connection. Ewald renders, Bild, image 
 or likeness. 'The point of comparison is 
 the beautiful situation of Tyre. See 
 Ezek, xxvii. 3, xxvii. 12,13. The no- 
 tion of planting seems to have been sug- 
 gested by the name of Ephraim. See on 
 the preceding verse. The territory occu- 
 pied by that tribe, and several of the 
 other nine, was distinguished for its beauty 
 and fertility; and the prosperity of its 
 inhabitants, who traded extensively with 
 the Pheenician ports, was only surpassed 
 by Tyre herself. Yet the fruit of this 
 lovely region was only to be produced in 
 order to its being destroyed. The inhab- 
 
 itants were to be slain in great numbers 
 with the sword. The Ὁ before the infin- 
 itive in xos4m5, is future in signification, 
 indicating what was about to be, or would 
 be done. 
 
 14. These words strongly mark the 
 effect produced upon the mind of the 
 prophet by the contemplation of the wick- 
 edness of his people. In holy ardor of 
 soul, he feels himself excited to impre- 
 cate what he had predicted ver. 11. 
 Some, less appropriately, render 772, not 
 as an interrogative, but as signifying that 
 which, i. e. give them whatever thou 
 wilt. Barrenness was accounted a great 
 misfortune among the Jews. 
 
 15. For Gilgal, see on chap. iv. 15. 
 Being one of the chief places of idolatrous 
 worship, the τς ΤῊ. of the nation 
 might be said to be concentrated in it. 
 When God is represented as hating the 
 wicked, it must be understood in regard 
 to the odiousness of their moral character. 
 and his infliction of positive punishment 
 upon them on account of it. Hitzig 
 considers x2w to be here used inchoa- 
 tively. For the sense in which rea, 
 house, is to be taken, see on chap. viii. 1- 
 Hatred and love are contrasted as here, 
 Mal. i. 2, 3. In px» 4d ὉΠ’ ὦ is ἃ 
 paronomasia. ᾿ ; 
 
 16, The figurative language here em- 
 ployed is suggested by the meaning of 
 the name Ephraim, as in verses, 11, 13. 
 255 is in the future, while s=n and 
 25 are in the preterite, to mark the 
 state of unfruitfulness as following upon 
 
HOSEA. 
 
 CHar.iXs 
 
 Yea, though they should beget children, 
 I will kill the beloved of their womb. 
 
 17 My God will abhor them, 
 
 Because they have not listened to him: 
 They shall be wanderers among the nations. 
 
 the injury done to the tree. The resolu- 
 tion of the figure in the latter half of the 
 verse possesses much force. Most of the 
 MSS. and some few editions read, with 
 the Keri, ἘΞ instead of "$2, which occurs, 
 however, before a verb, Job xli. 18. For 
 D722, comp. on "23, ver. 6. 
 
 17. Though the pronominal affix in 
 “ibs is omitted by the LXX. and Arab. 
 and one of Kennicott’s MSS., it is, in 
 such connection, more in the style of 
 Hosea than Θὰ. The dispersion of 
 
 the ten tribes is here expressly predicted. 
 
 CHAPTER’ X. 
 
 ¢ 
 
 In this chapter the prophet continues to charge the Israelites with idolatry, anarchy, and 
 
 want of fidelity, 1--4. He expatiates with great variety on the judgments that were to 
 come upon them in punishment for these crimes, 5--11; and then abruptly turns to them in 
 a direct hortatory address, couched in metaphorical language, borrowed from the mode of 
 representation which he had just employed, 12. The section concludes with an appeal to 
 the experience which they had already had of the disastrous consequences of their wicked 
 
 conduct. 
 
 1 Israxt is a luxuriant vine ; 
 He putteth forth his fruit ; 
 
 According to the increase of his fruit, 
 
 He increased altars ; 
 
 According to the excellence of his land, 
 
 They prepared goodly statues. 
 
 1, The wickedness which manifested 
 itself in idolatry, etc. is here traced to the 
 abuse of the prosperity which God had 
 conferred on the Israelites, Instead of 
 spending the bounties of providence for 
 the glory of God, they appropriated them 
 to idolatrous uses, and that in proportion 
 to the abundance of their bestowment. 
 
 ῬῊΞ» be, multus fudit, facundus fuit, 
 
 multum pluviam’ demisit, florere capit 
 planta, is here used to express the luxu- 
 riance of the vine, and not, as in our 
 common version and some others, its un- 
 fruitfulness. The idea of emptying, which 
 the verb also has, derived from that of 
 pouring out entirely or abundantly the 
 contents of a vessel, does not suit the 
 present connection. LXX. εὐκληματοῦσα, 
 
 . 
 
Cuar. Χ. HOSEA. 
 
 5T 
 
 2 Their heart. is divided, they shall now be punished: 
 
 He will cut off their altars, he will destroy their statues, 
 3 Surely now shall they say: We have no king ; 
 
 For we fear not Jehovah: 
 
 As for the king then, what can he do for us? 
 4 They utter empty speeches; 
 
 Swearing falsely, making covenants ; 
 
 Therefore judgment blossoms like the poppy 
 
 On the ridges of the field. 
 
 or, as in other copies, ἐγκληματοῦσα. Aq. place thus struck; and ¢o drop generally. 
 ἄνυδρος. Symm. ὑλομανοῦσα. Vulg. fron- It is here, with much force, used metony- 
 doso. Comp. Gen. xlix. 22; Ps. lxxx. mically, in application to the destruction 
 9-11; Ezek. xvii. 6. In every other of the altars on which the animals were 
 instance 753 is construed as a feminine; offered. Ewald renders, Er wird ihre 
 but here the masculine name teow 3 altéire enthaupten; ‘he will decapitate 
 Israel, required it to be taken as of that their altars.” For the distinction between 
 gender. 1, to resemble, be equal to, ninsya and méaz%, seeon chap. 111. 4. 
 
 : eee moh ay now, in this and the following verse, 
 sufficjent ; me Piel, like the Eth. NOP, has the signification of soon, Ἐν ΚΝ 
 to bring, ἕο ΠΕ ΜΉ. produce fruit. ΠΣ 3. The language of desperation is here 
 in the phrase 45-7397, is pleonastic, as put into the mouth of the apostate Israel- 
 in {>—5 57, ete., but may here berendered ites, at the time of the infliction of divine 
 Se ce : _ judgment. Their king, to whom they 
 _ 2. 7>n is here to be taken intransi- ‘had naturally looked for protection, was 
 tively, as in our common version, and _ remoyed; they had forfeited the favor of 
 refers, not to any difference of opinion ® God, who was now become their enemy ; 
 among the Israelites respecting the claims aq, therefore, it was vain to expect help 
 of their numerous idols, but to their in- - ¢.5m an earthly monarch. Some think 
 sincerity in the service of Jehovah, — the prophet refers to the time of anarchy 
 professing to worship him, while they during the interregnum, between the 
 ikewice addicted themselves, to the j.arder of Pekah and the accession of 
 
 worship of idols. Thus Tanchum : — Hoshea. 
 ot galys g hits , gh prow 4, "a5 "27, lit. to speak a word, or 
 
 speech, 1. e. what is merely such; empty, 
 “their mind false pretences. Comp. the Lat. verba 
 
 Brat Ls ᾿γ5 4], 
 
 and their understanding, and their opin- 
 ton are divided, while they associate 
 others with God.” 'The acceptation to be 
 smooth, which some propose, is to be re- 
 jected, on the ground that, though the 
 verb is used in this signification of the 
 tongue, it nowhere is of the heart. For 
 the meaning of Des, see on chap. v. 15. 
 
 The nominative to xan, He, is ests, 
 
 dare. 'The prophet begins with the finite 
 form of the verb,.and then, for the sake 
 of more specific description, changes it 
 for the infinitive. Comp. Is. lix. 13. 
 For réts, as an absolute infinitive, in- 
 stead of sts, comp. ning, Is, xxii. 13; 
 r4nq, chap. xlii. 20. m3, covenant, 
 is here used as a collective noun, and is 
 to be rendered in the plural. Whether 
 the false swearing and the entering into 
 
 God, in “FSS, chap. ix. 17. Jehovahis covenants refer to the conduct of the 
 here said to do, what he would effect by Israelites in regard to each other, or 
 means of the Assyrians. Ὁ" is properly whether they respect their conduct in 
 a sacrificial term, signifying to cut off reference to foreign powers, has been dis- 
 the head of a victim, by striking it on the puted. The latter would seem to be the 
 neck; hence, to drop as blood from the more probable, since it is the making of 
 
 8 
 
58 HOSEA. Cuar. X. 
 
 5 For the calves of Beth-aven, 
 The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in fear; 
 The people thereof shall mourn on account of it; 
 The priests thereof shall leap about on account of it — 
 On account of its glory, 
 Because it hath departed from it. 
 5 It shall itself also be carried to Assyria, 
 A present to the hostile king: 
 Ephraim shall take disgrace, 
 And Israel shall blush for his own counsel, 
 
 ΄ 
 
 covenants and not the breaking of them, from the rest.. νῷ, zs people, those 
 of which the prophet speaks as something devoted to its worship. Comp. Numb. 
 criminal. He seems to have in his eye xxi. 29. "525 is only used in Hebrew 
 the historical circumstances narrated 2 to designate idolatrous priests, and occurs 
 Kings xvii. 4. By vv is meant the but twice besides, viz. 2 Kings xxiii. δ; 
 divine judgment which was to be inflicted 44% Ε a Pe 
 upon the people of Israel. So Jarchi, Pen a ΣΡ ee ee Ἰρέοα, 
 ΡΣ sbi V1 WS Ὁ Ὁ. This he com- kumro, signifies a priest of the true God. 
 pares to the rapid and luxuriant growth as well as one engaged in the service of 
 of the poppy, which overruns the fields, idols. Gesenius derives the noun from 
 and is destructive as a poison. Celsius, 23, to burn, be scorched, black, suppos- 
 in his Hierobot. supports the tommon ing the reference to be to the black dress 
 rendering hemlock, as the signification of of monks or ecclesiastics; but this seems 
 tix; but that of poppy, proposed by too modern to be entitled to adoption. 
 Gesenius, is preferable, both to such con- The derivation of Iken, in his Dissert. de 
 struction of the term, and to that of ““Cemarim, who refers the word to the 
 colocynth advanced by (Edmann, orthatof Persic sacrum magorum ignicolarum 
 lolium or darnel suggested by Michaelis. 3 
 The term is usually rendered poison in cinguium, of which frequent mention is 
 our common version; sometimes gall. made in the Sadder of Zoroaster, is much 
 LXX. &ypworts. ἘΠ rather signify MOFe natural. Comp. the Chald. SVE 
 the ridges between the furrows than the Ὁ’ @ belt or g irdle. Some think the 
 furrows themselves. See Pococke. Lat. camitlus, an inferior order of priests, 
 5, 6. In these verses the object of idol- who attended upon and assisted the fla- 
 atrous worship is spoken of, now in the ™? 15 derived from this root. Ewald 
 plural, and now in the singular number, renders the word by Pfaffen, which ba 
 which Hitzig accounts for on the ground, used of priests by way of contempt, in 
 that though the Israclites might have German. Those who render 5553", they 
 multiplied golden calves, that set up by rejoiced, which is the usual’ signification 
 Jeroboam would still be held in peculiar of the verb, supply “wx before it; but 
 honor. Four MSS. have nbs¥, calf, in the Vau conversive connects it so closely 
 the singular, which is also the rendering with 3s , as to render such supplement 
 of the LXX. Syr. and an anonymous inconsistent with the construction. It is, 
 Greek version in the Hexapla. This therefore, better to revert to the primary 
 reading is very uncritically adopted by signification of 272, to move about, leap, 
 Kuinoel, Dathe, Newcome, and some dance, or the like. Comp. the Arab. 
 other moderns. For ἽΝ m3, Beth- JL. circumivit. Such would be the 
 aven, see on chap. iv. 16. j=v isacol- excitement of the idolatrous priests at the 
 lective. The nominative to the pronom- capture of their God, that they would 
 inal affixes in 152, Sz, 14722, etc. is leap about in a state of desperation, like 
 the ἘΣ», calf of Jeroboam, singled out those of Baal, 1 Kings xviii, 26. The 
 
Cuap. X. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 59 
 
 7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off; 
 He is like a chip upon the surface of the water. 
 
 8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, are destroyed; 
 Thorns and thistles shall grow upon their altars: Lg 
 They shall say to the mountains, Cover us; 
 
 And to the hills, Fall upon us. 
 
 9 Since the days of Gilead, thou hast sinned, O Israel! 
 
 There they remain: 
 
 Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gilead ὃ 
 
 glory of the idol consisted in its ornaments, 
 wealth, etc. {nik EA is emphatic: itself 
 also, i. 6. the idol or golden calf. For 
 the meaning of 357, Jareb, see on chap. 
 Wowie The worshippers of the golden 
 calf would be ashamed of him, when 
 they found that, instead of protecting 
 them, he was himself carried into cap- 
 tivity. That πρ 95 is not to be changed 
 into m3¥5, and rendered in a sound sleep, 
 as Honey does, nor into 7282, wm this 
 year, with Michaelis, the parallelism suf- 
 ficiently shows, 
 
 7. For the sake of emphasis, 35523 is 
 put absolutely. The whole phrase is 
 equivalent to the king of Samaria, etc. 
 That 77272 agrees with ms, and not 
 with -4$-12'3, “the gender shows. ΣΡ 
 has nowhere the signification of foam or 
 scum. It is derived from >=, Arab. 
 nes Fregit, to cut, cut off, and signi- 
 fies any chip or small fragment of wood. 
 
 Comp. isp, a fragment, Joel 1. 7. 
 
 Arab. ς ὁλιϑ fractus aboris ramus, 
 “ ᾽ 
 Kaas tenwitas arboris, LXX. φρύ- 
 ed 
 
 Aavoy. Syr. ey Jestucam. The com- 
 
 parison of the king to a small chip of 
 wood, which cannot resist the force of the 
 current, is very beautiful and forcible. 
 Spuma, which is the rendering of the 
 Targ. Jerome, Symm. Abulwalid, Tan- 
 chum, and many moderns, is less apt, 
 even if it could be philologically sus- 
 tained. 
 
 8, ἽΝ Aven, is an abbreviation of the 
 full form, TINTM3 Beth-aven, or Bethel. 
 PNEn , the occasion of sin to Israel. See 
 ver. *10. In the midst of the calamities 
 that should come upon the people, death 
 
 would be preferable to life. 
 vi. 15, 16. 
 
 9. That reference is here made to the 
 transactions recorded Jud. xix. xx., there 
 can be no doubt. The prophet declares 
 that as a nation his people had all along, 
 from the period referred to, evinced a 
 disposition to act in the same rebellious 
 and unjust manner as the Gibeonites had 
 done. Comp. chap. ix. 9. _The words 
 ΠΩΣ ἘΦ, there they remain, continue, 
 persist, graphically express the character 
 of the inhabitants in his day. The Gib- 
 eonites are still, what they have ever been, 
 a wicked and abandoned people. They 
 are here singled out as a fit specimen of the 
 whole nation; and are called 73$3—"23, 
 sons of wickedness, to mark the’ enormity 
 of their conduct. Instead of πὶ», the 
 Brixian edition, thirty-nine MSS. origi- 
 nally seventeen, and perhaps a few more, 
 have nd19, the common form, which is 
 supposed to have been changed by a 
 simple transposition of the letters. Albert 
 Schultens, however, in his notes ad Harir. 
 i. p. 15, justifies the present reading by 
 deriving it from the Arab. Us, modum 
 
 excessit, extulit se; and Michaelis, in his 
 Suplem. by referring it to the Syriac, 
 
 as] and the Eth. ΓΛ Ὁ } jidem 
 
 ’ 
 Sefellit, perfidus fuit. Comp. 44} 
 Ula: Rex 
 U AoOT: transgressio @qui et boni, 
 
 scelus, perversitas. That the Targumist 
 read the text as it now stands is clear 
 from his rendering the word alc , they 
 went up. The words ΠΣ ΞΙΣ 2 CWA SRS 
 miby c2a—by manda are somewhat 
 
 Comp. Rey. 
 
 tyrannus, scelestus. 
 
60 
 
 10 My desire is to punish them; 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 The nations shall be collected against them, 
 When they are bound for their two iniquities. 
 11¢Ephraim is a well-trained heifer, loving to thresh; 
 But I will pass on beside her fair neck ; 
 
 I will place a rider on Ephraim : 
 
 Judah shall plough, 
 
 + And Jacob shall break the clods. 
 
 involyed, but the meaning is obvious. 
 Destruction should ΦΉΣ overtake the 
 vere Israelites. ©, the verbal suffix in 
 tacwn, is anticipative of πὶ» 83. N> 
 i Se for sbr, the interrogatory ‘nega- 
 tive. 
 
 10. "nasa, the LXX. have read "ns ; 
 rendering it ἦλϑε; Or, according to the 
 Alexandrian MS. and the editions of 
 Aldus and Breitinger, 7ASev. ΟΥ̓ this 
 Houbigant, Dimock, Newcome, Tings- 
 tadius, and Boothroyd, approve, and adopt 
 it as an emendation ; but contrary to all 
 other authority, ancient or modern, and 
 without necessity. 3 prefixed is the Beth 
 Essentie, indicating the substantive char- 
 acter of the affection. See my note on 
 Is. xxvi. 4. mas, to bestrongly propense, 
 desire greatly, expresses the irresistible 
 inclination of infinite purity to punish 
 sin. ὈΠῸΝ is the future in Kal of p>, 
 to chastise, punish, compensation having 
 been made for the first radical >, by in- 
 serting Dagesh in the Ὁ BION, the 
 infinitive of “on, to bind, bind as a pris- 
 oner or captive, which is the sense in 
 which the word is here to be taken, 
 ΓΟ; has occasioned great variety of 
 interpretation. Michaelis translates it 
 plough-shares, attempting to, derive it 
 from the Arabic. Jarchi, Lively, and, 
 among the moderns, Ewald, render eyes, 
 “‘ before their two eyes,” i. 6. openly ; but 
 the word is always written Ἐ 255 when 
 applied to real eyes, and only ον: 
 when applied to ‘fountains or artificial 
 eyes. Some translate habitations ; but 
 most, furrows, which is the rendering 
 adopted by Abenezra, Kimchi, Abulwalid, 
 Tanchum, Munster, Vatablus, Zanchius, 
 ete., after the Targum — some expound- 
 ing the passage one way, and some 
 another. The only satisfactory exegesis 
 
 is that founded on the Keri, pity “ms, 
 
 Sor their two iniquities, i. 6. the two golden 
 calves which Jeroboam had erected, and 
 which proved the source of all the evils 
 which they had afterwards committed. 
 They had many other idols, but these 
 were the principal; and they are called 
 iniquities by a metonymy of the cause 
 for the effect. Comp. ver. 8, where 
 mNon, sin, is similarly applied. This 
 reading is in the text of a great many 
 MSS. and is expressed in all the ancient 
 versions. 
 
 11. The general meaning of this verse 
 seems to be, that the Ephraimites had 
 been accustomed in the plenitude of their 
 power to crush and oppress others, espec- 
 ially their brethren of the two tribes; 
 but they were now themselves to be 
 brought into subjection to the king of 
 Assyria, by whom they should be placed 
 in circumstances of great hardship in 
 foreign countries. The metaphors are 
 agricultural. For Ἐηπ, to tread or beat 
 out the corn, partly by the feet of oxen, 
 and partly by sledges with instruments 
 adapted to the purpose, see on Is, xxviii. 
 aoe one Sean. ἌΞΙΑ, is paragogic, 
 as "mayo and smspp, Jer. xxii. 28; 
 ἈΩΣΞ, ‘chap. li. 13, ‘though i in these pas- 
 sages it has been left unpointed by the 
 Masoretes. See Ewald, ὁ 406. The “form 
 is otherwise the participle rans. by 729 
 signifies here to pass on beside one, as the 
 driver does beside an ox in. the yoke. 
 Thus Jehovah would, in his providence, 
 lead forth the Israelites, from the midst 
 of their prosperity, to the toils and hard- 
 ships of captivity. En SES =7>78 lit. 
 I will cause to ride Ephraim, meaning I 
 will place a rider upon him —a conqueror, 
 who shall lead him forth from his find. 
 Thus Calvin, Zanchius, Lyra Tarnovius, 
 
CuHap. X. 
 
 13 
 
 Reap according to piety ; 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 61 
 
 Sow to yourselves for righteousness : 
 
 Break up for yourselves the fallow ground : 
 
 For it is time to seek Jehovah, 
 
 Till he come, and teach you righteousness. 
 13 Ye have ploughed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity ; 
 Ye have eaten the fruit of falsehood: 
 Because thou trustedst in thy way — 
 In the multitude of thy mighty ones. 
 
 Rosenmiiller, and Ewald. The judgments ἡ 
 
 of God were not, however, to be confined 
 to the northern kingdom: the southern 
 should also be involved in them. In 
 short, they should overtake the whole pos- 
 terity of Jacob. The prediction was ful- 
 filled during the two captivities. 45, in 
 45 117, is pleonastic. 
 
 12. Continuing his agricultural meta- 
 phors, the prophet here abruptly calls 
 upon the nation to reform its manners. 
 n> is the Dat. commodi. ὃ in + np 
 po:ts out the end or object to be obtained 
 by sowing. Sow what will produce the 
 fruits of righteousness. The second im- 
 perative is here equivalent to the future : 
 «“ Sow, and ye shall reap;”’ or the sub- 
 junctive, “Sow, so that ye may reap.” 
 That stom, piety or goodness, is to be 
 referred, not to God, but to man, its being 
 parallel with mp1, 7éghteousness, man- 
 ifestly proves. ‘To change mz) into ὈΣπν 
 and join this word with -"2, preceding, 
 as Newcome, following the LXX. eral 
 Arab., does, is eed and inept. 
 The Israelites had long neglected Jehovah: 
 it was now high time to return to his fear ; 
 and though they might not meet with 
 immediate tokens of his favor, they were 
 to persevere in seeking him, in the assur- 
 ance that he would be gracious to them. 
 Such is the force of 7», wntil. This favor 
 was to be manifested by his coming and 
 communicating to them instruction re- 
 specting the only righteousness which 
 could avail the guilty at his bar. That 
 the words 525 p3x 7475 are not to be 
 rendered he will grant you suitable rain, 
 but, he will teach you righteousness, and 
 that they contain a prophecy of the advent 
 and prophetical office of the Messiah, has 
 been maintained by Jerome, and many 
 
 other interpreters. In support of the 
 rendering, He will teach you righteousness, 
 
 may be adduced the Syr. { 2) ἐς, 
 
 » ay ἊΣ » 
 ass ousoo till he 
 SS ᾽ 
 come and show to you his righteousness ; 
 
 Pococke’s Arab. MS. c=) wy! σ᾽ 
 Sars} pSOuainss, till he come ind 
 
 guide you to righteousness. The Targ. 
 to the same effect, "551 “ban? ἼΣΞ 
 155 1131.) now he shail be revealed, and 
 shall br ing righteousness to you; Vulg. cum 
 venerit qui docebit vos justitiam. ‘Thus 
 also Dathe, Hitzig, Winer, and others, 
 Kimchi remarks, 5 rs neath ἘΝ 47 
 ESOS TAM NS Son ase ἼΓ ΣΙ rs} 
 pus, there are those (of the Rabbins) who 
 expound, If ye seck the Lord, to know his 
 law and his commandments, he will come 
 and teach you righteousness. And Aben- 
 ezra asserts the same, in nearly the same 
 words. Such construction of the passage 
 seems, from the preceding use of πῦρ 72 
 to be more apt, than to take prs a ae 
 lutely for mpi} , in due proportion, ad- 
 equately y, fully, according to the claims or 
 necessities of your condition. See on 
 Joel ii. 23. 
 
 13. Instead of following such a course 
 as that to which they had just been ex- 
 horted, the Israelites had pursued one 
 directly opposite, and now reaped the 
 disastrous consequences. ‘The same met- 
 aphors are here continued. “nmz—"78,; 
 Fruit of falsehood, seems rather to mean 
 the effects of their false and hypocritical 
 conduct in professing attachment to the 
 true God, while they addicted themselves 
 to the worship of other deities, than fal- 
 
 σι.25.5..9] 
 
62 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. X 
 
 14 Therefore a tumult shall arise among thy people, xT? 
 And all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, 
 As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle: 
 When the mother was dashed in pieces with her children, 
 
 lacious and disappointing results. Sec- 
 ker would read J2272> in thy chariots, 
 instead of J2T712, im thy way, on the 
 LXX. ἐν ἅρμασί cov, which reading is 
 found in Compl. Ald. Barb. Reg. Laud. 
 Cyrill. Ital. Ambros. Arab. Slay. Hexap. 
 Syr. and a Copt. MS.; and Kuinoel has 
 
 actually adopted it into his Hebrew text. 
 
 It is, however, unsupported by any Heb. 
 MSS., or any of the ancient versions, and 
 is justly to be rejected. Four MSS., 
 originally = ae ΕἾΝ and Targ. read 
 = The way of the 
 Isr aelites was the w icked course of con- 
 duct which they had adopted in opposi- 
 tion to the will of God. Kimchi: 
 SUIT τη ΝΑ mean an, the way of 
 wickedness and bad reli gion. The Vat. 
 copy of the LXX. has ἐν ἁμαρτήμασί σου. 
 Comp. Is. lvii. 10; Jer. ii. 23. 
 
 14. ‘he prophet now denounces a 
 severe threatening against his rebellious 
 countrymen, foreshowing that they should 
 be inyolved in all the horrors of war. 
 DSP}, with s epenthetic, after the man- 
 ner of the Arab. ml; or it may be 
 regarded as merely a mater lectionis, 
 Some few MSS. and some others in the 
 margin, read ¢p1. ‘Twenty-four MSS§., 
 one originally, four of the early editions, 
 and all the ancient versions, read 315, 
 thy people, instead of 5-223, thy peo- 
 ples. ¥or minor varieties in the readings, 
 see Kennicott and’De Rossi. The nom- 
 inative to 729" is S>, taken as a collec- 
 tive, comprehending the whole. That 
 ya >, Shalman, and beats ma, Beth- 
 Arbel, are proper names, is now univer- 
 sally admitted. The best interpretation 
 of them is that given by Tanchum: 
 
 yobe Lif, TUN ἜΣΝΣ ΣΕ Ὁ 
 
 da 
 
 “=N3 ΜῊ 5 ms} 
 Lashol bawls ake 
 
 a 
 
 beau ἘΝΞῚΝ el 3. “ As for 
 
 Shalman, it is a proper name, and is said 
 to stand for Shalmanassar, king of As- 
 syria, only it is abbreviated ; and perhaps 
 Sha/manssar is compounded of two names, 
 one of which is omitted because it was 
 well known: and Ardel is the name of a 
 city, and is said to be that which is called 
 Arbel at the present day.”” The abbrevi- 
 ation of proper names is not uncommon 
 in Scripture, as in 122, Coniah, for 
 ypecin, Jéhoiaehivs: “etc. It was this 
 monarch that besieged Samaria for the 
 space of three years, and took it in the 
 ninth of Hoshea, Β. c. 722, carrying the 
 king and most of his subjects into exile. 
 2 Kings xvii. 1-6. To this interpreta- 
 tion it has been objected that our prophet 
 wrote before the time of Shalmaneser, 
 and therefore could not speak of his des- 
 troying Arbel as something that had 
 already happened. It must, however, be 
 recollected, that though Hosea prophesied 
 before the time of that king, he contin- 
 ued to deliver his predictions as far down 
 as the time of his successor Sennacherib, 
 and must, therefore, have been well ac- 
 quainted with the previous Assyrian 
 invasions. With respect to tans moa, 
 or, as some MSS. read, tansy, Beth-Ar- 
 bel, commentators are divided in opinion. 
 Some think that the Assyrian city Arbela, 
 situated between the Lycus and the Tigris, 
 celebrated for the victory obtained there 
 by Alexander the Great over Darius, is 
 meant; but it is far more probable that 
 the prophet refers to the ᾿Αρβήλα of 1 
 Mace. ix. 2, which Josephus places near 
 Sephoris in Galilee; Eusebius, in the 
 plain of Esdraclon. Of the battle here 
 mentioned, no account indeed is given 
 either in sacred or profane history; but 
 as the contemporaries of Hosea are sup- 
 posed to have been acquainted with it, 
 there is reason to believe that it took place 
 on the invasion of the kingdom of Israel 
 by the Assyrian army. ‘The ancient 
 
Caap. ΧΙ, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 63 
 
 15 Tims shall he act towards you at Bethel, 
 On account of your flagrant wickedness: 
 In the morning shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off. 
 
 versions of this clause of the verse are 
 more or less at fault; but have afforded 
 abundant scope for the exercise of emen- 
 datorial criticism. See Newcome, who 
 renders, Like the destruction of Zalmunna 
 by the hand of Jerubbaal ; and supposes 
 the reference to be to Jud. viii. ἘΞ here 
 signifies with, in the sense of being super- 
 added. See Gen. xxviii. 9. xxxi. 50. 
 15. The nominative to rv» is Shalman 
 in the preceding verse, or perhaps m4n7, 
 Jehovah, understood, but not ty~nms, 
 Bethel, as in our common version, since 
 this does not so well agree with what fol- 
 ‘lows. The words contain a special pre- 
 diction against Bethel, where the wick- 
 edness of the Israelites had been most 
 conspicuously exhibited. ponzn rzn, 
 lit. the wickedness of your ‘wickedness, 
 i, 6. your excessive, or most flagrant wick- 
 edness. A rare example of a noun put 
 in construction with itself repeated in 
 the singular, in order to form the super- 
 
 lative degree. There is no necessity with 
 Newcome, to resort to emendation. In- 
 stead of -nwa, “im the morning,” fif- 
 teen MSS., and perhaps one more, six 
 originally, the Proph. of Soncin. 1486, 
 the Venet. edit..of 1818, in the margin, 
 and the Vulg. read snus, “dike the 
 morning.” Were the following verb 
 7721 to be taken in the sense of resem- 
 bling, being like, etc., the latter reading 
 might possess some claim on our atten- 
 tion; but as the idea of being destroyed 
 best comports with the connection, that 
 of the Textus Receptus is preferable. 
 The difference of reading has arisen from 
 the similarity of the letters 2 and 5. 
 The reference is to the suddenness with 
 which Hoshea was to be seized by the 
 king of Assyria, and an entire end put 
 to the regal dignity. See 2 Kings xvii. 
 4. The doing of anything early or soon 
 is frequently expressed by its being done 
 in the morning. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 To aggravate his representations of the guilt of the Israelites, the prophet adduces the divine 
 benefits conferred upon them from the earliest period of their history, 1—4. He then 
 threatens them with unavoidable punishment on account of their obstinacy, 5, 6; but, all 
 of a sudden, introduces Jehovah, compassionating his rebellious children, and promising 
 them a restoration from their captivity in foreign lands, 7—11. 
 
 1 WuaeEn Israel was a child, I loved him, 
 And called my son out of Egypt. 
 
 1. That these words relate to the na- no person who impartially examines the 
 
 tion of Israel— being a description of 
 what Jehovah had done for it ages before 
 the prophet wrote, and not a prophecy 
 of any future event, is so evident, that 
 
 preceding and following context, can for 
 a moment call it in question. Nor but 
 for their having been applied by the Evan- 
 gelist Matthew (ch. ii. 15.) to our Lord’s 
 
64 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuapr. XI, 
 
 2 According as they called them, they went from their presence, 
 
 They sacrificed unto Baals, 
 
 And burned incense to graven images, 
 3 Though I taught Ephraim to walk, 
 
 Taking them by their arms, 
 
 Yet they knew not that I healed them, 
 
 return from Egypt, would it ever have 
 been imagined that they had or could 
 have had any other reference. It is only, 
 therefore, with respect to such application 
 that any difficulty can exist respecting 
 their exegesis; and, in my judgment, 
 there appears to be nothing in the N. T. 
 application beyond the mere appropria- 
 tion of the language of the prophet, for 
 the purpose of giving to Jewish readers 
 a more vivid impression of the strikingly 
 analogous circumstances of the sojourn 
 of our Saviour in Egypt, and his return 
 from it, to those of the ancient Israelites. 
 The Evangelist docs not affirm, that the 
 words as used by Hosea were a prophecy 
 of Christ; he only adduces them, to 
 show how aptly they described the his- 
 torical eyent which he was narrating, 
 just as he does Jer. xxxi. 15, in applica- 
 tion to the murder of the infants at Beth- 
 lehem, and Ps. lxxyiii. 2, in application 
 to our Lord’s teaching in parables. ‘He 
 must be a stranger to the Hebrew writers, 
 that does not know, that nothing is more 
 common among them than such accom- 
 modations of the text upon all occasions. 
 They abound in such applications ; I may 
 say their Midrashim do very much ez- 
 ceedin them.”’ Kidder’s Demon. of the 
 Messiah, Pt. II. p. 216. ‘ Parodiarum 
 in N. T. omnia sunt plena, e. g. Matt. 
 li. 15 and 23, ubi impleta dicuntur Scrip- 
 ture tum etiam, cum nulla historica aut 
 typica est impletio, sed analogica tan- 
 tum.” Hottinger in Primit. Heidelberg, 
 p- 80. See Surenhusii. βιβλος καταλλής, 
 p- 338. Horne’s Introd. vol. ii. pp. 341, 
 
 342. Robinson’s Greck Lex. in ἵνα, C. 
 2,d. Instead of "53:5, the LXX. appears 
 to have read "" 2nh; ; but instead of τὰ 
 τέκνα αὑτοῦ, his children, which is their 
 reading, that of Aq. Symm. Theod. the 
 Slavon. and Matthew, agree with the 
 Hebrew text. The Hebrew people are 
 also called the son of God in the same 
 
 figurative sense, Exod. iv. 22, 23. The 
 early period of their existence is frequently 
 represented as their youth. See Is. liv. 
 13; Jer. ii. 2, iii, 24, 25, xxii. 21; Hos. 
 ii. 15. 
 
 2. The use of the verb sp, ¢o call, 
 in the preceding verse, suggested the idea 
 of the subsequent messages which had 
 been delivered to the Israelites by the 
 prophets, to which Hosea now appeals, 
 in order to contrast with the means which 
 had been employed for their reformation, 
 the obstinate character of their rebellion. 
 Before sx7p. subaud. sv3y.2 , to corres- 
 pond to;5. Thus the TX. Kad’ ase 
 The nominative is the prophets, under- 
 stood. The very presence of the proph- 
 ets being an annoyance to them, they 
 withdrew from it, that, unmolested, they 
 ἐς δ indulge in idolatry. 
 
 3. ΔΈ τι, an instance of the Tiphit 
 conjugation, equivalent to Hiphil in sig- 
 nification, and, in all probability, formed 
 by hardening the preformative = into pn. 
 Indeed, one of De Rossi’s MSS. reads 
 
 Nb 39 There 
 ag, only two other poe Sy in the 
 Hebrew Bible, viz. pannn, Jer. xii. 5, 
 and ; nn, xxi, 15, if ἘΞ ΕΒ Εν 
 xxv. 34, is not to be so taken. Compare 
 the Shaphel Conjugation in Syriac, in 
 which language this very verb occurs in 
 
 ie See Kniés Chrest. 
 
 Syr. p. 112. Itis a denominative from 
 
 ban, the foot, and signifies to cause, or 
 
 teach to use the feet, or walk. Syr. and 
 - v 
 
 Targ. apo? mo 21> I led, only the 
 
 latter paraphrases, 972 Md ἪΝ 325 SINT 
 mat wip,» and I led, etc. by an 
 angel sent from my presence. The use 
 of the personal pronoun *>}s before the 
 verb gives additional force to the lan- 
 guage. > in ἘΠῚ is the infinitive used 
 as a gerund, asin Ezek. xvii. 5. Both 
 
 the form 
 
Caar ΧΙ. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 4 I drew them with the bands of man, 
 
 With the cords of love; 
 
 I was also to them as those who lift up the yoke from their neck, 
 1 held out meat to them, I made them eat. 
 
 5 
 Assyria shall be their king: 
 
 They shall not return to the land of Egypt; 
 
 Because they would not be converted. 
 6 The sword shall be whirled in their cities, 
 It shall destroy their barriers, and devour, 
 
 Because of their devices, 
 
 the suffixes ἢ and 4 refer to Ephraim. 
 See on chap. ix. 2. Four MSS. for 
 wns =, “his arms,” read *ny3, “my 
 arms,” ‘which is also in another originally, 
 and now in another, and in the Soncin. 
 edition of 1486. It is also supported by 
 the LXX. Syr. Vulg.. Another MS. 
 reads Eniy4t, but they are all correc- 
 tions of the original, and are only to be 
 tolerated in translation. The metaphor 
 taken from teaching children to walk is 
 continued, as those who do so take hold 
 of their arms to keep them from falling 
 while they move their feet. It beauti- 
 fully expresses the condescension of God 
 to the circumstances of his people, and 
 the kind care which he exercised over 
 them. Comp. Deut. i. 31, xxxii. 11. 
 His healing them, refers to his recovering 
 them from the calamities which they had 
 brought upon themselves by their sins. 
 
 4. tas stan, the bands of man, are 
 explaincd by the parallel phrase nina» 
 MSM, cor ds of love, i. e. humane, gentle, 
 persuasive methods, such as men gencr- 
 ally employ when they would induce to 
 action. Thereseems to be still a reference 
 to the case of children, who, when taught 
 to walk, are not only held by the arms 
 but also by soft cords or leading-strings, 
 are led about, or drawn in a gentle man- 
 ner by those who have the care of them. 
 The terms, however, naturally suggesting 
 the idea of the ropes by which oxen are 
 bound and led about, the metaphor is 
 immediately changed into one borrowed 
 from agricultural life. “ix Ὁ 5252 
 does not mean to remove the yoke en- 
 tirely, but to raise it from the neck and 
 cheeks of the animal, so as to allow it 
 freely to eat its food. This bettc. suits 
 
 9 
 
 the following connection than the idea 
 of taking the yoke off any place that 
 may have been galled by it, in order to 
 afford relief. The 53, yoke, not only 
 included the piece of wood upon the neck, 
 by which the animal was fastened to the 
 pole, but also the whole of the harness 
 about the head, which was connected 
 with it. The yokes used in the East are 
 very heavy, and press so much upon the 
 animals, that they are unable to bend 
 their necks. θὰ ws1. Ewald renders, 
 und sanft gegen thn, “ and gently towards 
 him,” etc.; but it is preferable to take 
 wx as the apocopated future in Hiph. of 
 mu2, to stretch out, extend, reach any 
 thing to another. The verse sets forth 
 the kind relief afforded to the Hebrew 
 nation in Egypt, and the provision with 
 which they were miraculously supplied 
 in the wilderness. 
 
 5. ὩΣ, to turn, return, which is used 
 at the beginning of the verse in its proper 
 acceptation, is employed at the close 
 metaphorically to express conversion to 
 God. ‘The Israelites seem to have been 
 very generally inclined to migrate for a 
 time to Egypt, in order to enjoy the pro- 
 tection of its monarch; the prophet as- 
 sures them that they should not carry 
 their purpose into effect, but that they 
 should be subject to the Assyrian rule, as 
 a punishment for refusing to listen to the 
 calls given them to repent and turn from 
 their idolatries. 
 
 6. Most of the Rabbins take δ: πὸ in 
 the sense of resting, remaining ; but it 
 seems preferable to adopt the signification 
 to turn, be turned, or whirled about, as a 
 sword when it is brandished or when it 
 is employed in cutting down the enemy. 
 
00 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. XL 
 
 7 For my people are bent upon defection from me ; 
 Though they call them to the Most High, 
 Yet none of them will exalt him. 
 
 8 How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? 
 
 Tlow 
 How 
 Tlow 
 
 shall I deliver thee over, O Israel ? 
 shall I make thee as Admah ? 
 
 shall I make thee as Zeboim ? 
 
 My heart is turned within me; 
 
 All my feelings of compassion are kindled. 
 9 I will not execute the fierceness of my anger ; 
 I will no more destroy Ephraim ; 
 
 Comp. the Arab. he. conversa fuit 
 res. V. se convertit ; versus mutatusque 
 fuit. 0°72, barriers, Gesenius and Lee 
 take metaphorically, as denoting chiefs 
 or princes. 
 
 7. poxidm—=—oratn, which one of De 
 Rossi’s MSS. reads originally, the Pahul 
 Par? of mtn, to hang, used here meta- 
 phorically in the sense of bending, or 
 bewng propense to anything. The idea of 
 doubt or suspense, which some attach to 
 the word in this connection, ill agrees 
 with the character of the Israelites as 
 otherwise depicted in this book. τΞΉ 2 
 is always used in a bad sense, defection 
 apostasy, etc. Comp. chap. xiv.5. The 
 suffix in "pay is to be taken passively ; 
 defection which has me for its object, and 
 cannot with any propriety be rendered 
 as by Horsley, “my returning.” For 
 ἘΣπες,, ad summum, see on chap. Vii. 
 16; and for ἡ.» on ver. 2. After 
 pins, supply τὰν Aim, from bz, the 
 Supreme, preceding. Jehovah had been 
 degraded by his being worshipped through 
 the medium of images, and having idols 
 associated with him; yet none of his 
 apostate people were inclined to raise him 
 from this degradation, by rejecting them 
 and celebrating His praise, as the sole 
 and glorious object of adoration. Po- 
 
 cocke’s Arab. MS. hs ωἷϑ oe 
 
 t re . 
 not one of them that glorified the name 
 of God. 7m: with a negative is to be 
 rendered not one; without it, all alto- 
 gether, wholly, as in the following verse. 
 
 , there was 
 
 8, 9. Now follows one of the most 
 affecting instances of the infinite tender- 
 ness of the divine compassion to be found 
 in Scripture; the point of which is en- 
 hanced by its being introduced immedi- 
 ately after a description of the odious 
 conduct of the Israelites. It is, as Bishop 
 Lowth characterizes it, exquisitely pa- 
 thetic. The repetitions and synonymous 
 features of the parallelism greatly add to 
 the effect. The words belong to the 
 period after the subjugation of Samaria, ἡ 
 and the carrying away of the Israelites 
 by Shalmaneser, 2 Kings xvii. 5, 6, xviii. 
 9-12. They were designed to inspire 
 the captives with hope in the mercy of 
 God, and thus lead them to true repent- 
 ance. ‘522728, the LXX. render ὑπερ- 
 ασπιῶ cov; AQ. ὅπλω κυκλώσα σε; Vulg. 
 protegam te; deriving the idea from the 
 signification of the substantive 4372, @ 
 shield; but it is used of delivering over 
 enemies, Gen. xiv. 20. Symm. ἐκδώσω 
 σε. Before ὩΣ is an ellipsis of F>s, 
 which had already been twice repeated. 
 The destruction of Admah and Zeboim 
 is only referred to as an example in one 
 other case, viz. Deut. xxix. 23, and then 
 in connection with Sodom and Gomorrah. 
 To the awful catastrophe recorded Gen. 
 xix. the sacred writers frequently appeal. 
 in order to produce a sense of the evil of 
 sin, and the severity with which it de- 
 serves to be punished; or when they 
 would convey the idea of complete and 
 irretrievable ruin. Comp. Is. i. 9, xiii. 
 19; Jer. xlix. 18; Lam. iv. 6; Amos, 
 iv. 11, Matt. x. 15; 2 Pet. ii. 6; Jude 
 7. Some would render "Ξ Ὁ “$2 ἼΞΤΙΣ,» 
 
Cuap. XI. 
 
 For I am God and not man, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 67 
 
 The Holy One in the midst of thee ; 
 
 I will not come in wrath. 
 
 10 They shall follow Jehovah, when he roareth like a lion ; 
 When he roareth, the children shall hasten from the sea. 
 
 «“‘my heart is turned against me,” i. 6. 
 my pity rises in overpowering opposition 
 to the determination to which I had come 
 to inflict punishments; but the phrase- 
 ology will scarcely bear such construction, 
 though it cannot be questioned, that it is 
 designed to express a powerful. inward 
 
 revolution. Comp. °>2 ~anmn-n "2 τ 
 xlii. 6, 12, xlili. 5; “Aa ty τ πΞΏΣΣ 
 ΧΙ. 4; "93, "25 by, Jer. viii. era in 
 
 all which passages the preposition con- 
 veys the idea of mental contiguity, near- 
 ness, in, within, as "3773 Bok) FENR, my 
 heart is turned WITHIN me, Lam. i. 20, 
 incontestably shows. From the connec- 
 tion in which it occurs, in the last cited 
 passage, it is obvious the phrase is there 
 designed to express great mental distress. 
 “725 is used in Niphal, of the stirrings of 
 natural affection, Gen. xliii. 30; 1 Kings 
 iii, 26. The idea seems to be derived 
 from the commotion produced by the 
 kindling of a fire, and the heat or warmth 
 in which it results. ‘Tanchum explains 
 
 the word by , Ls concitatus fuit. LXX. 
 
 συνεταράχϑη, or, as in the Complut. 
 διεταράχϑη. ἘΠ 2"Γ15 » the same in effect 
 as Dam, compassion, feelings of tender 
 pity and affection. Targ. “ann, my 
 compassions. It is derived from ! pm, fo 
 be inwardly affected, whether with grief, 
 pity, consolation, or anger. In the idea of 
 displeasure with one’s self, has originated 
 the signification, ἐο repent, which accounts 
 for the renderings, μεταμέλεια, panitudo, 
 repentings, etc. See my note on Is, i. 
 24. The language is in the highest de- 
 gree anthropopathical. The 9th verse 
 contains a declaration of the purpose of 
 God founded upon his compassion, and 
 quite in keeping with the manner in 
 which expression had just been given to 
 it. aid in nnd saws Nd is, as fre- 
 quently to be taken adverbially. The 
 captivity was the last judgment that was 
 to come upon the ten tribes as a pun- 
 
 ishment for their idolatry. The render- 
 ing, “I will not enter into the city,” 
 affords no suitable sense, and would re- 
 quire the article -"73 , as indeed, one of 
 De Rossi’s MSS. reads. Bishop Lowth’s 
 translation, ‘though I inhabit not thy 
 cities,” (Lectures, vol. ii. p: 38.) is equally 
 unsatisfactory with the interpretation of 
 Jerome and Castalio: I am not like those 
 who dwell in cities; living after human 
 laws, and: deeming cruelty to be justice. 
 Such construction Maurer states to be 
 in his opinion “artificiosior quam ele- 
 gantior. I, therefore, adopt the interpre- 
 tation hinted at by Jarchi, and since ap- 
 proved by Schroeder, Secker, Dathe, Man- 
 
 * ger, Tingstadius, Eichhorn, De Wette, 
 
 Noyes, Boothroyd, Gesenius, Maurer, and 
 Ewald, which takes ="» not in the sense 
 of city, but of anger or wrath ; compar- 
 
 ing the Arab. le, ferbuit estu dies. 
 
 Comp. Jer. xv. 8; Hos. vii. 7; and =», 
 an enemy, 1 Sam. xxviii. 16; Ps. cxxxix, 
 20. The words are thus strictly parallel, 
 and synonymous to gx 851, and not 
 
 man. The derivation from , to 
 
 which Michaelis assigns the signification 
 angry. ὃ , wa in Deo, Orient. Bib. 
 
 Pt. XIX. p. 9, is less appropriate, though 
 the sense which he gives is the same. 
 
 10, 11. These verses contain gracious 
 promises of the return of the Israelites to 
 the true worship and service of God, and 
 their restoration to their own land from 
 the different places in which they had 
 been scattered during the captivity. 7>n 
 min “yn, to walk after Gana, is 
 always used in the religious sense of ad- 
 dicting one’s self to his worship, and keep- 
 ing his commandments, and is not to be 
 interpreted, as Hitzig does, of a mere fol- 
 lowing of providence by taking advan- 
 
 tage of the opportunity that would be 
 afforded of returning from Babylon. So 
 the Targ. "11 sambis ns, after the 
 
68 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. ΧΤΕ 
 
 11 They shall hasten, like a sparrow, from Egypt, 
 And like a dove, from the land of Assyria: 
 And I will cause them to dwell in their own houses, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 worship of Jehovah. For the contrary, 
 see yer. 2. As sya, to roar, like the 
 lion, always conveys the idea of terror or 
 awe, it cannot be here applied either to 
 any invitation to the Jews as a people, 
 or to the preaching of the gospel gen- 
 erally ; but must be referred to the awful 
 judgments which God executed upon 
 Babylon, Egypt, ete. through the instru- 
 mentality of Cyrus and his successors ; 
 thereby opening the way for the libera- 
 tion of the Israelites who were found 
 in these countries. Comp. Is. xxxi. 4; 
 Jer. xxv. 30; Joel iv. 16; Amos i. 2, iii. 
 8. By D232, sons, or children, are meant 
 the Israelites, who had been for a time 
 rejected, but were again acknowledged 
 in that character, because they were to 
 be reinstated in the privileges of adoption. 
 Comp. chap. i. 10. πη is here preg- 
 nant with meaning — signifying to come 
 or hasten under the influence of great 
 agitation. The idea of trepidation, though 
 implied, and connecting well with that 
 of the roaring previously mentioned, is 
 not so prominent as that of quick or nim- 
 ble motion. Excited to the utmost by 
 the revolutions of empires, which allowed 
 them to take possession of their native 
 country, they would use all haste in re- 
 pairing thither. LXX. ἐκστήσονται; but 
 in the following verse ἐκπέτεσονται. Syr. 
 > 
 
 > 
 esol, they shall move or be moved. 
 
 «Sic Lat. trepidare etiam sumitur pro- 
 JSestinare, observantibus Bocharto in Hie- 
 roz, et Schultensio in Animadverss, philol. 
 ad. Is. xix. 17. Winer, in voc. The 
 same idea of velocity is further carried 
 out by comparing the return of the Is- 
 raelites to the flight of birds remarkable 
 for their swiftness. “45x is here used 
 not in its generic sense of bird, but spe- 
 cifically of the sparrow, as the use of 
 m4, dove, immediately after, shows. 
 The D>, sea, is the Mediterranean, or 
 the islands and other maritime regions in 
 the west. Kimchi, πο» πο, the west; 
 
 Pococke’s Arab. MS. > wy 
 
 Ι, Srom the isles of the sea. Comp. 
 
 Is. xi. 11-16 ; a passage strictly parallel, 
 only including the Jews as well as the 
 Israelites. The three quarters of the 
 globe here specified embrace all the coun- 
 tries mentioned by Isaiah; and as the 
 ten tribes form the subject of Hosea’s 
 discourse, the present prophecy furnishes 
 an: additional proof of their return also, 
 after the Babylonish captivity. To argue, 
 therefore, from this passage, that they 
 are still in existence, and are yet to be 
 restored in their tribal capacity, is her- 
 meneutically unwarranted. ἘΣ in the 
 phrase tm*na—ty, instead of 3, seems 
 to have special reference to the custom 
 of the Orientals, who enjoy their time 
 upon, rather than zm their houses. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 This chapter commences with renewed complaints against both Ephraim and Judah, more 
 especially against the former, 1,2. The conduct of their progenitor Jacob is then adduced 
 in order to excite them to apply, as he did, for the blessings which they required, 8, 4; to 
 copy which they are further encouraged by the unchangeable character of Jehovah, 5, 6. 
 The prophet next reverts to the deceitful and hypocritical character of the ten tribes, not- 
 withstanding the numerous means that had been employed to promote true piety, 7—10; 
 renews his castigation of their idolatrous practices, 11; again appeals to the kindness of 
 
Guar. ΧΙ. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 69 
 
 God to the nation in its obscure origin in the person of Jacob, 12, 18; and denounces anew 
 the judgments that were to be inflicted upon it, 14. 
 
 1 Eruram hath encompassed me with falsehood, 
 And the house of Israel with deceit ; 
 And as for Judah, he is still inconstant with God, 
 
 Even with the Holy Ones. 
 
 1. The LXX. Vulg. Targ. and our 
 common yersion join this verse to the 
 preceding chapter ; but improperly—there 
 being no connection whatever with the 
 previous verses, whereas it is manifest 
 from the renewed reference to Judah, 
 ver. 3, that the three verses intimately 
 cohere. The proper exegesis of this verse 
 depends upon the signification assigned 
 to “πη, and the consequent application 
 of ἼΩΝ). That the former cannot gram- 
 matically be referred either to 774 or 
 m7, ἴο subdue, bear rule, or to 373, to 
 descend, as Jerome renders it, is now 
 agreed on all hands; and there is no 
 alternative left but to derive it from 435, 
 which occurs only in three other passages, 
 viz. one in Kal, Jer. ii. 31, and twice in 
 Hiph. Gen. xxvii. 40, and Ps. lv. 3. In 
 the two first, the ideas of becoming or 
 being unfaithful, rebelling, wandering at 
 large, are obviously conveyed. In the 
 third, the verb is applied figuratively to 
 an agitated or unsettled state of mind, to 
 which the notion of wandering seems 
 much more natural, than that of mourn- 
 ing, whicl: is that expressed by our trans- 
 lators. Thus also the derivative 144% 
 may best be rendered circwmvagatio, 
 erratio, Lam. i. 7, 11. 19. Compare the 
 Arabic Os 3 Os , quesivit pabulum ; 
 uliro citroque ivit ; mobile fuit ; discurrit 
 huc illuc mulier apud vicinas suas. (δ { 
 
 locus, quo in pascuis cameli modo prode- 
 
 unt modo retrocedunt. Eth. AP θυ: 3 
 persequi, insurrexit, ete The significa- 
 tion dominatur, which has been given to 
 “15, is altogether gratuitous. The mean- 
 ing of the prophet will, therefore, be, that 
 Judah or the inhabitants of the southern 
 kingdom acted with vacillancy in regard 
 
 to Jehovah. So far were they from ad- 
 hering steadfastly to his covenant, and 
 seeking their happiness in obedience to his 
 will, that they resembled animals that 
 are dissatisfied with their pasture, break 
 loose, and run wildly up and down in 
 search of what is more agreeable to their 
 appetite; or like a female who, discon- 
 tent at home, seeks for satisfaction by 
 gaddirfg about among her neighbors. The 
 description applies to the state of things 
 among the Jews towards the end of the 
 reign of Jotham, and»during that of 
 Ahaz, who introduced a Syrian altar, 
 and other idolatrous objects, by which the 
 people were tempted to infidelity towards 
 Jehovah, but had not yet altogether re- 
 nounced his service. Hence the force 
 of sy, yet, sti? Though the idea of 
 hostility implied in the verb would not 
 justify the use of the preposition, ©», with, 
 a as in the phrases ἘΣ ἘΠῚ 82, ty 4, 
 to fight with, contend with ; yet it well 
 agrees with its use after verbs of acting 
 towards, or in reference to any one, such 
 as ἘΞ FS, DY sin myy, etc. Thus 
 Schroeder, ‘Dathe, Eichhorn, De Wette, 
 Boothroyd, Kuinoel, Gesenius, Noyes, 
 Hitzig, Maurer, and Ewald. Such con- 
 struction of the passage is fully bome 
 out by ver. 3, which cannot be consist- 
 ently interpreted, if Judah were here 
 represented as faithfully maintaining the 
 principles of the theocracy. But if the 
 signification which has been given to 74 
 be alone justifiable, then it is evident 
 Vans » faithful cannot apply to Judah, but 
 must be taken as qualifying E»v‘n7p , the 
 adjective noun immediately πεν Ἐπ 
 ‘o this it cannot be objected, that the 
 one is in the plural, while the other is in 
 the singular ; for we find a precisely sim- 
 ilar combination in prs Dontsy, the 
 
70 
 
 2 Ephraim feedeth upon wind, 
 He pursueth the east wind ; 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuapr. XII. 
 
 Every day he multiplieth falsehood and violence ; 
 Yea, he maketh a covenant with Assyria, 
 
 And oil is carried into Egypt. 
 
 3 Jehovah hath also a controversy with Judah, 
 And he will punish Jacob, according to his ways; 
 According to his deeds, he will recompense him. 
 
 4 Inthe womb he took his brother by the heel, 
 And by his strength he strove with God ; 
 
 righteous God, Ps. vii. 10. That o»winp, 
 the Holy Ones, cannot here be applied 
 either to human saints, or to angels, but 
 must be interpreted of God himself, the 
 law of parallelism clearly requires. Comp. 
 Josh xxiv. 19, δ 7 τ ἘΡΠΒΝ; ; Prov. 
 ix. 10, πὴ Ee wp ὩΣ PSAs) Eee Beret 71 
 sis merap. Kimchi himself allows that 
 Dienr must be so understood in this 
 place. Between the inconstancy of the 
 Jews, and the faithfulness of God, the 
 contrast was placed in a very striking 
 point of view. They had never known 
 him to fail in giving effect to any of his 
 promises ; while they, on the contrary, 
 had all along shown more or less of a 
 fickle and roving disposition. The ancient 
 versions exhibit considerable diversity of 
 rendering in this place ; but none of them 
 suggests a meaning preferable to that 
 just given, or warrants any alteration in 
 the reading of the Hebrew. 
 
 2. By “the wind,” and “the east 
 wind,” are meant empty, unsatisfying 
 and pernicious objects. Such were the 
 idolatrous confidence and foreign alliances 
 of the Israclites. t-7p, the LXX. ren- 
 
 \, the 
 
 Samoom, or scorching wind, called the 
 ‘east wind,” because it blows from the 
 desert to the east of Palestine. See on 
 Is. xxvii. 8. In proportion to the insin- 
 cerity and faithless conduct of the nation 
 was the destruction which it brought 
 upon itself. Such eonduct was specially 
 exhibited in the leagues that were formed, 
 and the friendships that were entered into 
 with the two most powerful of the an- 
 cient monarchies. 25» οὐξ, was one of 
 the most valuable productions of Canaan, 
 
 der καύσων, the Arab. 
 
 and formed a profitable article of export- 
 ation. It is here spoken of as a present 
 sent to the king of Egypt, doubtless 
 among other costly articles, with a view 
 to obtain a favorable hearing to the em- 
 bassy which was despatched to secure 
 zs aid against the Assyrians. 
 
 3. “Judah” and “Jacob” stand for 
 the two kingdoms respectively, the latter 
 name denoting the'ten tribes, as Is. xvii. 4. 
 The declaration here made manifestly 
 shows, that in ver. 1 the conduct of Judah 
 is to be viewed in an unfavorable light. 
 At the same time the language of both 
 verses in reference to that power is not 
 so strong as that which is employed re- 
 specting Israel. 
 
 4, 5. Having introduced the name of 
 Jacob in reference to his posterity, Hosea 
 adverts to three interesting incidents in 
 his personal history, with the view of 
 encouraging his countrymen to apply 
 themselves with all assiduity to the ser- 
 vice of God, who alone could, and would 
 extricate them from the calamitous cir- 
 cumstances into which their sins had 
 brought them. Though Ξ}3» from which 
 the name 2727, Jacob, is derived, Arab. 
 
 κοκᾶς, e vestigio sequutus fuit, a calce 
 
 venit, οἷο. signifies to come behind any 
 one, take him by the heel, trip, circumvent, 
 etc., it is obviously used here in a good 
 sense, to denote the supernatural indica- 
 tion which his taking his brother Esau 
 by the heel afforded of the superiority, 
 which, in the course of divine providence, 
 he and his posterity were to obtain. Gen.. 
 xxy. 22, 23,26. To this effect the Targ. 
 “gorT aves Tone ebay 5.95 Ron 
 
 “ri an Wa, was it not said of Jacob before 
 
Cusp. ΧΙ. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 “1 
 
 5 Yea, he strove with the Angel and prevailed; 
 He wept and made supplication to him ; 
 He found him at Bethel, and there he spake with us; 
 
 he was born, that he should be greater 
 than his brother? ὙΠῸ Israelites were 
 reminded of the promise, ‘The one peo- 
 ple shall be greater than the other peo- 
 ple;’’ and had they acted on the faith 
 of it, they would have found that, with 
 Jehovah on their side, they were not only 
 stronger than the Edomites, but even than 
 the Assyrian power itself. ‘The idea of 
 power having thus been suggested to the 
 mind of the prophet, he was reminded 
 of the remarkable occurrence which took 
 place at Peniel, when Jacob wrestled with 
 the divine messenger of the covenant, 
 and prevailed. nw, to put forth power, 
 exercise rule as a prince, or commander, 
 the verb from which Ἐπ τ ὩΣ, Israel, the 
 other name of Jacob, is derived, is that 
 employed Gen. xxxii. 29, where the lan- 
 guage is nearly identical with that used 
 in these two verses. In the resumption 
 of the subject, ver, 5. “y> is employ ed, 
 which, though equivalent to Ὁ m1 In sig- 
 nification, must be referred to the root 
 “aw. Comp. Jud. ix. 22, and Hos. viii. 
 4. ἽΝ properly signifies manly vigor. 
 Here ΝΕ, the Angel, corresponds to 
 mrids, God, ver. 4, and designates the 
 Uncriarep ANGEL, of Shoe we read 
 so frequently in the Old Testament, to 
 whom, as here, names distinctive of Deity 
 are ascribed, and who is represented as 
 possessing the divine attributes. See on 
 Is. lxiii. 9, and Dr. M‘Caul’s Observa- 
 tions appended to his translation of Kim- 
 chi on Zechariah, chap. i. > specially 
 points to the Angel as the object towards 
 whom the conflicting efforts of the pa- 
 triarch were directed. Of the eircum- 
 stances of his weeping and making sup- 
 plication, no particular mention is made 
 in Genesis, but they may be regarded as 
 implied in the words, « I will not let thee 
 go, except thou bless me.” The struggle 
 was not merely corporeal, it was also 
 mental. The outward conflict was only 
 a sign of that which was internal and 
 spiritual. The prophet, as in the former 
 reference, leaves the Israelites to make 
 the application. If they would only now 
 
 redeem their character as descendants of 
 Israel, and show that they were entitled 
 to the name, by sincerely and earnestly 
 engaging in supplication to the God of 
 their ancestor, they too should prevail, 
 and obtain every necessary blessing. ‘The 
 third satan is to the narrative Gen. 
 Xxvili. 11-22, which contains an account 
 of the scene at Bethel, and the promises 
 which God then made, not to the patri- 
 arch only, but also to his posterity. The 
 nominative to xxv, he found, is God, 
 and not Jacob, as “Abenezra, Tanchum, 
 and several others have attempted to 
 maintain. The meaning is, that Jehovah 
 afforded to the solitary traveller the gra- 
 cious aid which his exposed situation ren- 
 dered desirable. ty—n-3, Bethel, is here 
 the accusative of place, and is used with 
 singular effect, in reference to the con- 
 trasted appropriation of it by the patri- 
 arch, and by his apostate posterity. ‘The 
 LXX. not perceiving this, have rendered 
 it οἶκος Ὧν, the house of On, as elsewhere 
 in this book. 5525), ‘wth us,” Aq. 
 Symm. Theod. Syr. Tanchum, Abul- 
 walid, and several moderns, render as if 
 it were yey, “with him;” but there is 
 no variety of reading in the MSS., and 
 39> is nowhere used of the third person 
 singular. The LXX. have πρὸς αὐτοὺς, 
 to them, as if they had read px, which 
 so far as pronunciation is concerned, goes 
 to confirm the Masoretic punctuation. 
 That the prophet here speaks per κοινώσιν, 
 identifying himself and his contempora- 
 ries with their progenitor, in whose loins 
 they may be said to have been, when he 
 received the gracious promises which re- 
 lated not to himself only, but also to his 
 posterity, is the interpretation advocated 
 by Manger, Horsley, Hitzig, Maurer, and 
 Rosenmiiller. Comp. Ps. Ixvi. 6; Heb. 
 vii. 9, 10. Onthe other hand, Ewald, 
 following Jarchi and Joseph Kimchi, ren- 
 ders the words 13:23 7297, he will speak 
 with us, in the future, onal considers the 
 prophet to be announcing, that God would 
 renew his communications at Bethel, pro- 
 vided the Israelites returned to obedience. 
 
72 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. XIL 
 
 6 Even Jehovah the God of hosts: 
 
 Jehovah is his memorial. 
 
 But though this scems less entitled to 
 adoption, it cannot be denied that his 
 design in the adduction of this instance 
 was to lead his people to repentance, in 
 order that they might inherit the prom- 
 ised blessings. 
 
 6. 1 in τοῦτο is expletive. Ewald 
 strangely gives to the combination the 
 form of an oath: “bei Jahve,” explain- 
 ing it in his note, “wahr ist das bei 
 Jahve,’” By Jchovah it is true! The 
 incommunicable name is here introduced 
 for the express purpose of showing that 
 He who had made promises respecting 
 the posterity of Jacob, would not prove 
 unfaithful to his word. While “bs 
 minasi, the God of hosts, LXX. Tlayro- 
 κράτωρ, conveys the idea of supreme and 
 infinite power by which he is able to 
 carry all his purposes into effect, his pe- 
 culiarly distinctive name min, conveys 
 that of immutable constancy Ys and, by 
 implication, fidelity to his promises. Some 
 refer the word to the root min, fo exist, 
 be; but that it is to be derived from the 
 cognate and more ordinary verb of exist- 
 ence τη, appears evident from Exod. 
 iii. 14, W here, in the explanation of the 
 name, the form of the future is not s-7, 
 but poms. But as 4 is nevertheless 
 inserted in 4m, which also retains », 
 preformant of the third person singular, 
 it is impossible not to acquiesce in the 
 opinion, that the noun is made up of 
 min, He was, min, He #8, and si, 
 He will be. What confirms this hypothe- 
 sis, is the peculiar designation of God, 
 Rey. i. 4, 8. ‘'O dv καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ epydue- 
 vos, Ie that is, and that was, and that is 
 to come, which is merely a translation 
 into Greek of these different forms of the 
 verb. See Pococke on Joel i. 19. In 
 this derivation Abenezra and other Rab- 
 bins concur; and, accordingly the second 
 article of the Jewish creed concludes with 
 the words min mn went 1135 1m) 
 som, “And he alone is our God; He 
 was, Hr 1s, and He suatu ze.” It is 
 a coincidence in no small degree remark- 
 able, that this threefold description of the 
 divine existence obtained both among the 
 
 ancient Egyptians and Brahmins. On 
 the Saitic temple of Isis was the inscrip- 
 tion, ᾿Εγώ εἰμι πᾶν τὸ γεγονὸν καὶ ὃν καὶ 
 ἐσόμενον, καὶ τὸν ἐμὸν πέπλον οὐδείς πω 
 δινητὸς ἀνεκάλυψε, 441 am all THAT was, 
 AND IS, AND SHALL BE, and no mortal 
 hath ever uncovered my veil.’’ Plutarch 
 de Iside. In the Bhagavat the Supreme 
 Being thus addresses Brahma : — « Even 
 I was at first, not any other being; THaT 
 WHICH EXISTS unperceived; Supreme: 
 afterwards I AM THAT WHICH Is; and 
 He wo must REMAIN am I.”  Asiat. 
 Researches, vol. i. p. 245. Comp. Ζεὺς ἦν" 
 Ζεὺς ἐστί" Ζεὺς ἔσσεται: ὦ μεγάλε Ζεῦ- 
 “Zeus was ; Zeus is; Zeus shall be; O great 
 Zeus!"’ Pausan. Phoc. x. 12. Whether 
 the name $7 was in use before the time 
 of Moses, has *been, and still is matter of 
 dispute. ‘That the patriarchs were un- 
 acquainted with it, has been concluded 
 from Exod. vi. 8, where God declares, 
 that the name under which he revealed 
 himself to them was "πὸ ts, Gop 
 Aumicuty, but that he was not known 
 to them by his name Fini, JeHovAH, 
 Since, however, we meet with this name 
 not only in the history of the patriarchs, 
 but also expressly employed by them- 
 selves, as in Gen. xv. 2, xvi. 2, xxii. 14, 
 Xxiv. 3, xxvii. 7, Xxiil. 20, 21, etc. it seems 
 undeniable that they were acquainted with 
 it; so that what is meant by the words 
 end “HET Nb mony wows, is, that God 
 had not caused ert to experience the im- 
 port of his name mins, Jenovan. For 
 this signification of ‘the phrase DY S71", 
 
 to know aname, or, to know, comp. Ts. 
 lii. 6, Ixiv. 1; ΤΣ: xvi. 21. It had 
 special weference to something future — 
 the fulfilment of the promises which he 
 had given them; and as these promises 
 began to be fulfilled when he interposed 
 for their deliverance from Egypt, there 
 was singular propriety in its being selected 
 as the name by which Moses was to an- 
 nounce him to his people, on opening his 
 commission to them. ‘The same futurity 
 of reference may be said to have contin- 
 ued to attach to it all along till the advent 
 of Messiah, in whom all the promises are 
 
 —_— ΗΝ Ἰπτν 
 
Cuap. XIL 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 7 Thou, therefore, return to thy God; 
 
 Observe mercy and judgment, 
 
 And wait continually on thy God. 
 
 8 
 He loveth to oppress. 
 
 As for Canaan, deceitful balances are in his hand; 
 
 9 Ephraim saith, Surely I am rich, 
 
 I have acquired wealth ; 
 
 In none of my labors am I chargeable with guilt. 
 
 yea and amen, 2 Cor. i. 20; just as it is 
 still prominently exhibited in‘O ἐρχόμενος, 
 THz cominc One, of the Apocalypse, 
 which obviously respects the revelation 
 of the Lord from heaven to fulfil the 
 mystery of God. Such interpretation 
 alone goes to fully justify the emphatic 
 pasion made in the text of our prophet, 
 sist mint, >, compared with Exod. iii. 15, 
 SS 55 5 “357 mh, in which the Most 
 High declares, that this name was to 
 be employed for the purpose of perpetu- 
 atimg the knowledge of his character with 
 respect to promised blessings. Comp. 
 also Ps. exxxv. 13. That it should have 
 come into oral disuse among the Jews, 
 could only have originated in a feeling 
 of superstitious veneration, which led 
 them to regard it as too sacred to be pro- 
 nounced without profanation. The ear- 
 liest trace of such superstition is thought 
 to be found in the words, Ecclesiasticus 
 Xxili. 9, ὀνομασίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου μὴ συνεϑισϑῆς, 
 “use not thyself to the naming of the 
 Holy One; ” but Philo de Nomin. mutet. 
 makes express mention of it. Whenever 
 the Jews meet with it in the text, they 
 read =358, Lorp, instead of it, except 
 when it follows Ἔ 4s, in which case 
 they point it min>, and read 5°7 DNs 
 Gop. Some are ‘of opinion, that the 
 present punctuation τοῦ ττῦ is merely that 
 of "2", the simple Sheva taking the 
 place of Hateph-Patach, which only 
 occurs in connection with gutturals ; but 
 the employment of the two first syllables 
 with precisely the same points in the 
 formation of compound proper names 
 manifestly goes to show that our present 
 pronunciation is correct. Compare 934m» 
 Tinian, ymin, ete. The changé of 
 the Segol into Kametz may be accounted 
 for on the ground of the grave manner 
 
 10 
 
 in which the fina} syMable required to be 
 accented, if it was not intended to stand 
 for the second vowel of the preterite 5-7. 
 
 7. An exhortation to duty derived from 
 what God had been, and would still, in 
 accordance with the significant aspect of 
 his name, in continuance be, to those who 
 served him in sincerity. 
 
 8. 5225, Canaan, is the nominative 
 absolute, introduced abruptly for the pur- 
 pose of graphically describing the real 
 character of the Ephraimites. The word 
 may, indeed, be rendered merchant, but 
 then ux, man, must be supplied; u-» 
 ἼΣ2Ξ.» aman of Canaan, meaning a mer- 
 chant — the inhabitants of that country 
 being the celebrated merchants of antiq- 
 uity. The prophet seems rather to place 
 the names of Canaan and Israel in an- 
 tithesis ; in which there is great point, as 
 the Israelites were accustomed to hold 
 the Canaanites in the utmost contempt. 
 Comp. Ezek. xvi. 8. Horsley renders 
 a trafficker of Canaan, which weakens 
 rather than strengthens the antithesis. 
 The fraudulent practices of merchants 
 were quite proverbial among the Jews. 
 “As anail sticketh fast in ‘the joinings 
 of the stones, so doth sin stick close be- 
 tween buying and selling.” “Ecclesiasti- 
 cus xxvii. 2. 
 
 9. The character assumed in the pre- 
 ceding verse is here directly applied, only 
 the ten tribes are represented as flattering 
 themselves that they had employed no 
 illegal means in acquiring their affluence. 
 asz7a",, they shall find, is used imperson- 
 ally. 44» is employed to denote the act 
 of distortion or iniquity, son its guilt 
 or culpability. The words literally ren- 
 dered are, with respect to all my efforts, 
 they shall not find attaching to me inig- 
 uity which is sin; and the meaning is, 
 
τε 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. Xi 
 
 10 Yet I, Jehovah, am thy God from the land of Egypt; 
 I will still cause thee to dwell in tents as on feast days. 
 
 11 I have spoken to the prophets, 
 I have multiplied visions ; 
 
 And through the prophets I have used similitudes. 
 
 might be punished. ‘The merchant 
 imagines that it is not possible to get 
 through business without some deceit ; 
 but he takes care not to commit any gross 
 or deadly act of delinquency, hoping that 
 God will not be strict in regard to the 
 rest.”” — Michaelis. 
 
 10. Commentators have been greatly 
 divided in opinion as to whether these 
 words are to be taken as a promise, or as 
 athreatening. Those who take the latter 
 view interpret the living in tabernacles 
 of such a life as those lead who have no 
 settled habitations, like the Israelites in 
 the wilderness, or like those who assem- 
 bled at the annual festivals, and who 
 could only be accommodated in tents 
 without the city. But, though such ex- 
 egesis might at first sight seem to suit 
 the connection, yet there is something so 
 forced in, comparing a state of captivity 
 to that of the Hebrew nation during the 
 celebration of the most joyful of all their. 
 festivals, that 1 am compelled to regard 
 the verse as containing a promise of what 
 God would still do for the Israelites on 
 their repentance and reformation. Those 
 who are familiar with the sudden and 
 abrupt transitions which abound in Hosea, 
 and the frequency with which he inter- 
 mingles promises with threatenings, will 
 not be surprised at this unexpected assur- 
 ance of the divine clemency. The argu- 
 ment is this: the Israelites have indeed 
 acted a most wicked and deceitful part, 
 and justly deserve to be forever cast off 
 from all participation in my favor ; but I 
 am still, what I have been from the begin- 
 ning of their history, their covenant-God, 
 and will yet cause them to renew their 
 joy before me. That they were not to 
 enjoy any such privilege in their apostate 
 condition is taken for granted. The 
 promise was fulfilled on the return from 
 the captivity. 
 
 11. Jehovah adduces a further proof of 
 the kindness of his disposition towards 
 the nation—the abundant means of 
 
 instruction which he had afforded them ; 
 while at the same time, the language is 
 so worded as to draw their attention to 
 the messages which the prophets had 
 delivered. These messages contained the 
 most powerful dissuasives from idolatry, 
 and the greatest encouragements to 
 cleave unto the Lord. ἘΣ in τη 
 cwsaenty, following a τέ of an- 
 nouncement, is equivalent to ty, ¢o, and 
 is not to be pressed so as to ade it sig- 
 nify the coming down or resting of inspir- 
 ation upon the prophets. Comp. Job 
 xxxvi. 33. LXX. πρὸς προφήτας. If 
 Hosea was one of the earliest of the He- 
 brew prophets, whose books are now in 
 our hands, reference must here be had,to 
 those who had flourished before his time, 
 such as Ahijah the Shilonite, Shemaiah, 
 Iddo, Azariah, Hanani, Jehu, Jahaziel, 
 Eliezer, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Joel, and 
 Amoz, not to include the hundred proph- 
 ets of the Lord whom Obadiah hid in a 
 cave, after Jezebel had put a number to 
 death. Not only had Jehovah made 
 numerous communications of his will 
 through the instrumentality of these 
 messengers, but he had employ ed such 
 modes in making these communications 
 as were calculated at once to gain and 
 secure attention. For 4531, see on Is. i. 
 1. mets from mat, to be like, resemble ; 
 in Piel, to liken, emplor y, similes, or com- 
 parisons ; or, in general, to use figura- 
 tive language. In such language, includ- 
 ing metaphor, allegory, comparison, pros- 
 opopceia, apostrophe, hyperbole, etc., the 
 prophets abound. They accommodated 
 themselves to the capacity and under- 
 standing of their hearers by couching the 
 high and important subjects of which 
 they treated under the imagery of sensi- 
 ble objects, and invested them with a 
 degree of life and energy which could 
 only be resisted by an obstinate determi- 
 nation not to listen to religious instruc-. 
 tion. Though 273 is in the future, it 
 borrows its temporal signification from 
 
 -«ἱ 
 "1 σ 
 
Cuap. XII. 
 
 12 Verily Gilead is iniquitous, 
 Surely they are false : 
 In Gilgal they sacrifice oxen ; 
 .Their altars are like the heaps 
 On the ridges of the field. 
 
 13 
 Israel served for a wife ; 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 τὸ 
 
 Jacob fled to the country of Syria; 
 
 And for a wife he kept the flocks. 
 
 14 
 
 * 
 
 the two preceding verbs, "M727 and 
 °n-aq7, which are in the preterite. 
 12. px is not used here as a particle 
 expressing doubt : it rather expresses the 
 certainty of what is affirmed, as πὰ fol- 
 lowing, evidently shows. The two places 
 here mentioned were celebrated in the 
 history of the Hebrews : — Gilead, on 
 account of the solemn agreement which 
 Laban and Jacob entered into there with 
 each other; and Gilgal, on account of 
 the general circumcision of the people, 
 and the solemn observance of the pass- 
 over when they had passed over Jordan. 
 They are adduced by the prophet to re- 
 mind the Israelites of the sacred obliga- 
 tions under which they lay, and the 
 sacred character which, as the peculiar 
 people of God, they ought ever to sustain. 
 Pointing, as it were, to the heap of stones 
 which Jacob had erected in testimony of 
 the transaction between him and Laban, 
 Hosea asks, Is Gilead the scene of iniq- 
 uity? Are its inhabitants actually wor- 
 shippers of idols? And then he fear- 
 lessly charges them with idolatry. Both 
 ἽΝ and s$w are specially used of idols, 
 in order to express their nothingness and 
 vanity. The abstract stands for the con- 
 erete. By s253, Gilead, is meant not 
 merely the place, but its inhabitants. 
 Comp. for the wickedness of the Gilead- 
 ites, chap. vi. 8. tata, Gilgal, had also 
 become desecrated by idolatrous practices, 
 chap. iv. 15, ix. 15, which abounded to 
 such an extent, that the number of the 
 altars was like that of the heaps of stones 
 which have been collected and left in 
 various parts of the ridges of a field. In 
 ἘΠ53, heaps, comp. Josh. vii. 26, there is 
 an obvious reference to the name 5353, 
 
 By a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up from Egypt, 
 And by a prophet he was kept. 
 
 Both are derived from $3, éo roll, roll 
 stones, ete. For "πὶ "25m, comp. chap. 
 x. 4. \ 
 
 18, 14. The argument of both these 
 verses is the same, though it is only in 
 the latter that it is expressly stated, viz. 
 the divine goodness in preserving Jacob 
 and his posterity. God was with the 
 patriarch, according to his promise, and 
 protected and prospered him all the time 
 he was in servitude in Padan-aram ; and 
 he likewise delivered his descendants from 
 Egyptian bondage, and conducted them 
 safely to the land of Canaan. max, 
 Aramea, Syria, the high country, from. 
 can, to be high ; here specially the region 
 between the Euphrates and the Tigris, 
 called on this account, 674752 Eos Aram 
 of the two rivers, Be: 'Μεσοποταμία, 
 Mesopotamia. Being lower than the 
 rest of Syria on the west, it is here called 
 mi, field, which corresponds to 425, ὦ 
 level or plain, Gen. xlvili. 7; hence 
 Padan-aram. “123, to keep, is used 
 without 48%, sheep, in the sense of keep- 
 ing a flock. See Gen. xxx. 31; 1 Sam. 
 xvii. 20. To the verb as thus employed 
 in its literal acceptation, ver. 13, the fig- 
 urative use in 9733 » ver. 14, corresponds, 
 The church of God is frequently com- 
 pared to a flock. The ΝΞ, prophet, 
 here referred to was Moses, who was so 
 κατ᾽ ἐξοχήν. See Exod. iv. 15, 16; 
 Numb. xii. 6-8; Is. Ixiii. 11, 12, The 
 repeated reference to the Hebrew legisla- 
 tor in this character, was evidently in- 
 tended to impress the minds of the Israel- 
 ites with a conviction of the necessity of 
 attending to the messages which the Lord 
 sent to them by his prophets. 
 
"ὍΣ, HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. XIIL 
 
 15 Ephraim hath given most: bitter provocation, 
 Therefore will his Lord leave his blood upon him ; 
 And bring back upon him his reproach, 
 
 15. Ean, lit. bitterness, 1. e. most 
 Litter, or bitterly. The object of provo- 
 cation is not expressed, but that it is 
 Jehovah is clear from the following clause. 
 The blood of Ephraim was, in all prob- 
 ability, that of human victims which had 
 been shed in the service of Moloch. 17:53, 
 his Lord, is improperly applied by Hors- 
 ley to the king of Assyria. By "ΓΞ" Πν 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 ΄ 
 
 his reproach, is meant the disgraceful 
 conduct of the ten tribes in abandoning the 
 true God, as unworthy of their service, 
 and transferring it to idols. 7378 is the 
 nominative to S** as well as to Ξ 35, 
 and in our language the τ ἘΣ τ δ 
 term Lord requires to be used before the 
 former, and understood before the latter 
 of the two verbs. 
 
 LTT. 
 
 After contrasting the prosperity of the tribe of Ephraim, during the period of its, obedience 
 to the divine laws, with the adversity which it had suffered in consequence of idolatry, 1, 
 the prophet proceeds in the same manner, as in the preceding chapter, to intermingle 
 brief descriptions of sin and guilt, 2, 6, 9,12; denouncements of punishment, 3, 7, 8, 13, 
 
 15, 16; and promises of mercy, 4, 9, 14. 
 
 
 
 1 πεν Ephraim spake, there was tremor ; 
 
 He was exalted in Israel ; 
 But he offended through Baal, 
 
 1. Ephraim means here the tribe prop- 
 erly so called, in distinction from the 
 other tribes of Israel, mentioned imme- 
 diately after. Such was the power and 
 influence which it originally exercised 
 over the rest, that they showed it the 
 utmost deference. mn, a ἅπαξ λεγό- 
 μενον, but corigualy cognate with bun, 
 
 Jer. xlix. 24, § Syr Ἰ2...25, Targ. 8°77, 
 fear, trembling. In Pococke’s Arab. 
 MS. the words are rendered (hac 
 
 83 δ. "9" Libs 
 
 ees) Le, when Ephraim spake, 
 
 trembling feul upon men, And so Tan- 
 
 chum, syle ust δ) girs! 
 
 and died, 
 
 oS ue Af ys, the mean~ 
 ing is, that men revered him, and trem- 
 bled at his word. 'The same construction 
 is adopted by Jerome, Kimchi, Abarbanel, 
 Munster, Vatablus, Clarius, Drusius, 
 Lively, Grotius, Rivetus, Tingstadius, 
 Dathe, Kuinoel, Horsley, De Wette, 
 Maurer, Noyes, and Hitzig. It is im- 
 possible to approve the translation of 
 Ewald: “Wie Efraim redete Empé- 
 rung, es aufruhr machte in Israel,” 
 When Ephraim gave utterance to sedi- 
 tion, tt produced rebellion in Israel. 
 Neither mn> nor xv admit of being so 
 translated. ΤῸ take mn4 adverbially, 
 and -render it trembling? ys OF trembling, 
 as in our common version, though it 
 affords an apt sense in itself, is less suited 
 
Caar. XIII. 
 
 2 And now they continue to sin, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 ae 
 
 And make for themselves molten images, 
 Idols of their silver according to their skill; 
 All of them the work of artificers ; 
 
 The men that sacrifice, say of them, 
 
 Let them kiss the calves. 
 
 to the connection. 3 occurs in the 
 sense of elevating one’s self, Ps. lxxxix. 10; 
 Nah. i. 5, or being exalted. Hence sw, 
 @ prince. 2 in ty23, has the force of, 
 in union with, in the matter of, and 
 marks the participation of the Ephraim- 
 ites in the service of Baal. nay, to die, 
 is here to be taken in a civil or political 
 sense; to lose one’s influence, become 
 subject to misery, punishment, etc. It 
 forms an antithesis to Sv, to be exalted. 
 No sooner did the Ephraimites forsake 
 the true God and take up with idols than 
 he inflicted judgments upon them, by 
 which their power was weakened, and at 
 last became entirely extinct — ‘‘ex quo 
 peccavit, nulla jam est autoritate in pop- 
 ulo Dei.” GEcolampadius. ‘ Vita erum- 
 nosa et tristis pro morte censetur ; idcirco 
 exules mortui dicuntur, et exilium sep- 
 ulchri nomine notatur, Ezech. cap. 37.” 
 Rivetus. 
 
 2. This verse sets forth their persever- 
 ance in idolatrous practices, notwith- 
 standing the chastisements with which 
 they had been visited. tix “M24, the 
 LXX. Vulg. Jarchi, Abenezra, Abavba- 
 nel, Tanchum, Calvin, Piscator, Leo Juda, 
 and among the moderns, Schmid, J. H. 
 Michaelis, Horsley, Hitzig, Stuck, and J. 
 Fr. Schroder, render sacrifice, or sacrifi- 
 cers of men, on the principle, that the 
 presentation of human sacrifices is meant. 
 ‘This, however, was called in question by 
 Kimchi, who explains, b-s25 E78 732 
 nats, the men who come to sacrifice. 'To 
 the same effect Munster, Piscator, Junius 
 and Tremelius, Rivetus, Mercer, Glassius, 
 Lively, Drusius, Bochart, our own and 
 most of the authorized versions, Lowth, 
 Newcome, Boothroyd, Noyes, De Wette, 
 Gesenius, Maurer, and Ewald. The rule 
 of syntax laid down by Gesenius respect- 
 ing this mode of construction, Lehrgeb. 
 p. 678, is, that when a genitive following 
 an adjective is a noun of multitude, or 
 of the plural number, such adjective is 
 
 particularly used in poetry for the pur- 
 pose of designating those of the mul- 
 titude to which the specified quality 
 belongs. Instances are Isaiah xxix. 19, 
 ἘΠῚ (338; the poor of men, i. 6. 
 those of men who are poor; Micah 
 v. 5, Etsy "E702, the anointed of men, 
 i. e. such of men as are anointed. So 
 in the present case, DIN "M23, sacri- 
 Jicers of men, i. 6. those of, or among 
 men that sacrifice, which is merely a 
 periphrasis for priests. Although, there- 
 fore, it is a fact, that the ten tribes did 
 sacrifice their children to Moloch, 2 Kings 
 xvii. 17, it would be more than precarious 
 to draw any such inference from the pres- 
 ent passage, especially as the prophet men- 
 tions the calves, of whose worship human 
 sacrifices, so far as we know, formed no 
 part. 773° πο 2}, let them kiss the calves. 
 It was customary for idolaters to give 
 the kiss of adoration to the objects of 
 their worship. This was sometimes done 
 by merely touching the lips with the 
 hand, to which reference is made Job 
 xxxi. 27, Comp. Lucian περὶ Ορχήσεως 
 i. p. 918, edit. Bened. Minutius Felix, 
 cap. 2, ad fin. Apuleius Apol. p. 496. 
 At other times the idol itself was kissed 
 by the worshippers. Comp. 1 Kings xix. 
 18. Thus Cicero tells us, that at Agri- 
 gentum in Sicily there was a brazen 
 image of the Tyrian Hercules whose 
 mouth and chin were worn by the kisses 
 of his worshippers — ‘* non solum id ven- 
 erari, verum etiam oscwlar? solebant.” 
 Act. ii. in Verrem, lib. iv. cap. 43. Noth- 
 ing is more common in the Russian 
 churches than for the devotees to kiss the 
 picture of the virgin, or of St. Nicholas. 
 The construction of the words Em tr 
 
 (apa? Eceae SoS “nay Gc is some- 
 what difficult. As usually divided they 
 are interpreted thus: they, ¢. 6. the Eph- 
 raimites, say of them, the images, let the 
 sacrificers kiss the calves; but it is better 
 to take Pay ἼΠΞΤν che sacrifecrs, as in 
 
78 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuapr. XI. 
 
 3 Therefore shall they be like the morning cloud, 
 And like the dew which early departeth, 
 Like chaff blown by a whirlwind from the threshing-floor, 
 And like smoke from the window. 
 
 4 Yet I, Jehovah, have been thy,God from the land of Egypt, 
 Thou knewest no God besides me ; 
 Nor was there any Saviour bearded me, 
 
 σι 
 
 In the land of burning thirst. 
 
 fon) 
 
 I regarded thee in the wilderness, 
 
 As they were fed, so were they satiated ; 
 
 They were satiated, and their heart was lifted up; 
 
 Therefore they forgat me: 
 
 “τ 
 
 So that I became to them as a lion, 
 
 I watched for them as a leopard by the way. 
 
 ie 2) 
 
 apposition with and exegetical of on 
 Dk, they say, i. 6. they, the men that 
 sacrifice, say to the people, let them kiss 
 the calves. While the priests presented 
 the sacrifices; they encouraged the wor- 
 shippers to come forward and kiss the 
 objects of their adoration. 
 
 3. Comp. chap. vi. 4. et the thresh- 
 ing floor, being an open area, generally 
 on an eminence, was peculiarly exposed 
 to the wind, which carried off the chaff, 
 on its being trodden out, or separated 
 from the grain. MEIN, Aq. ἀπὸ καταῤ- 
 ῥάκτου, which Jerome explains, ‘ foramen 
 in pariecte fabricatum per quod fumas 
 egreditur;”” Symm. ὀπῆς, ὀπὴ, an orifice ; 
 Theod. καπουδόχην, a hole for the passage 
 of smoke. It is very common in the 
 Fast for the light to be admitted, and the 
 smoke to make its escape by the same 
 passage or orifice in the wall. The idea 
 of a speedy removal is that conveyed by 
 all the images here employed. 
 
 4, Comp. chap. xii. 10. The long 
 addition in the LXX. is totally unsup- 
 ported, and was most probably inserted 
 in that version by some scholiast. 
 
 5. Here "ὩΣ πο, I knew, contrasts with 
 2am in the prec ceding verse, only it is to 
 be taken in the sense of knowing effect- 
 ively, taking notice of, caring for. Comp. 
 Amos iii, 2. miaisdn, lit. thirstiness, 
 great thirst, extreme drought, from axb, 
 
 Arab. wy, sitivit, Comp. 5113. to burn, 
 
 I met them as a bear bereaved of her cubs, 
 
 Arab. es, arsit, sitivit, siti, arsit. 
 
 Munster renders, ‘‘ terra siti ardente.” 
 Comp. Deut. viii. 15. 
 
 6. ἘΠ Σ 55, according to their feed- 
 ing, i. 6. in proportion to their enjoyment 
 of the provision which I made for them, 
 feeding them with manna from heaven, 
 and afterwards abundantly supplying 
 their wants. It is equivalent to, “as 
 they were fed.’”’ For the rest of the verse 
 comp. Deut. xxxii. 13-15. 
 
 7, 8. 1 in "m1 is inferential, showing 
 that what follows was the result of w hat 
 is stated in the preceding verse. The 
 context requires the verb to be taken in 
 the past time. The images here employed 
 are of frequent occurrence. Comp. Job 
 x. 16; Ps. vii. 2; Is. xxxviii. 13; Lam. 
 ili. 10. “122, the leopard, so called from 
 his spots or streaks. Arab. re macul- 
 
 osus fuit, maculis punetisve respersus 
 Suit; pardus. See Jer. xiii. 23, SE 
 ἽΝ ὨΡΞΉΒΙ “3. The leopard is noted 
 for his” sw iftness, ferocity, and especially 
 his cruelty to man. He lurks in the 
 dense thicket of the wood, and springs 
 with great velocity on his victim. With 
 respect to the bear, Jerome remarks, 
 ** Aiunt, qui, de bestiarum scripsere na- 
 turis, inter omnes feras nihil esse ursa 
 seevius, quum perdiderit catulos vel in- 
 dignerit cibis.” 5 being of common 
 gender, the participle $:23 is put in the 
 
Crap SAT, 
 
 HOSEA. 79 
 
 And rent the caul of their heart; 
 I devoured them there, as a lioness; 
 The wild beast rent them in pieces. 
 9 O/Israel! Thou hast destroyed thyself, 
 Nevertheless in me truly is thine help. 
 
 10 Where is thy king now ? 
 
 That he may save thee in all thy cities; 
 And thy judges, of whom thou saidst, 
 
 Give me a king and princes, 
 
 11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, 
 And took him away in my wrath. 
 
 masculine, though the female bear is 
 meant. Comp. prxsadi 1375258, Ps. 
 exliy. 14. 4430 is the’ pericardium, or 
 membrane which contains the heart in 
 its cavity, and is thus fitly called its 
 ‘enclosure. For δὲς, I watched, sixteen 
 of De Rossi’s MSS. ‘and one in the mar- 
 gin, three ancient editions, and twenty- 
 four others, the LXX. Syr. Vulg. and 
 Arab. read "θῖν, Assyria, which some 
 prefer, on account of the number of lions, 
 panthers, tigers, etc. with which the re- 
 gions of southern Asia abound. The 
 text would then read, as a leopard, in 
 the way to Assyria; but the common 
 reading is more in accordance with the 
 spirit of the passage. 
 
 9. qnny, I take to be a noun with 
 the suflix, thy destruction! i. e. the de- 
 struction is thine own; thou hast brought 
 it upon thyself by thy sins. It is, there- 
 fore, equivalent to ‘‘ thou hast destroyed 
 thyself,” and cannot be better rendered. 
 Thus the Vulg. Perditio tua, Israel. 
 Dathe, Ips? estis o Israelite! exitit vestri 
 causa. Some, however, as Kimchi, sup- 
 ply basn, the calf; others, 525%, thy 
 king, from the following verse; others, 
 some other noun; and take mnw ta be 
 the third person eogulae of Piel: Comp. 
 for the form 59, Deut. xxxii. 35; -27, 
 Jer. v. 135 nan, Hos. 1. 2; up, Jer. 
 xliv. 21. N ewcome uniwarrantebly, adopts 
 the rendering of the Syriac, «I have de- 
 stroyed thee.” Most of the moderns 
 give a hostile sense to the 3 in the fol- 
 lowing 57172 °2, against me, against 
 thy help ; but, eae how frequently 
 declarations of kindness are mixed up 
 with charges of eyil, and that some verb 
 
 denoting rebellion would be required ta 
 support such construction, it seems pre- 
 ferable to give to »> the common adver- 
 sative signification of yet, nevertheless, 
 and to ποτοῦ the 3 in 33773 as the Beth 
 Essentie, which renders the phrase much 
 more emphatic than the pronoun, or the 
 substantive verb would have done. It 
 is equivalent to, In me is thy real help. 
 Other sources may be applied to, and 
 they may promise thee assistance; but 
 from me alone efficient aid is to be ex- 
 pected, and in me it is to be found. So 
 our translators. See on Is. xxvi. 4. 
 This exegesis is strongly supported, if not 
 rendered absolutely necessary, by the 
 pointed interrogations in the following 
 verse. The LXX. tis BonSjoet; turn- 
 ing "2 into "a, and omitting the second 
 3 altogether. Thus also the. Syr. 
 
 10, 11. "πᾷ is in all probability a me- 
 tathesis nk my , where? It is thus ren- 
 dered by the LXX. Syr. Vulg. Targ. 
 Abulwalid, Tanchum, Luther, Pee 
 Mercer, Osiander, Rivetus, Castalio, and 
 hy most modern expositors. It is also so 
 taken by Gesenius, Lee, Winer, and 
 Fiirst ; and alone suits the connection. 
 Comp. in support of this interpretation, 
 the combination sib mes, Jud. ix. 38 ; 
 Job xvii. 15; Is. xix 12. One of Ken- 
 nicott’s MSS. and perhaps another, one 
 of De Rossi’s in the margin, read 7>3 
 instead of "mx, though probably by cor- 
 rection. ‘ Another of De Rossi’s has a 
 note in the margin, stating that the word 
 is so explained. The 1 527425"4 is pleo- 
 nastic, except it be etd as introduc- 
 ing the apodosis. 4x is so intimately 
 connected w with the past transactions im- 
 
80 
 
 12 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. ΠΕ 
 
 The guilt of Ephraim is bound up, 
 
 His punishment is laid up in store, 
 13 The pangs of a woman in labor shall come upon him ; 
 
 He is an unwise son, 
 
 Otherwise he would not remain long 
 
 In the place of the breaking forth of children, - 
 14 I will deliver them from the power of Sheol ; 
 
 I will redeem them from death: 
 
 plied in "ξτσπὸ nx, thou saidst, give 
 me, that, though future in form, it can- 
 not with any propricty be rendered oth- 
 erwise than in the preterite. Some refer 
 the circumstances here mentioned to the 
 selection and removal of Saul; but it is 
 more in keeping with the specialty of the 
 prophet’s address to consider the king to 
 be Jeroboam and his successors in the 
 regal dignity ; and that the removal re- 
 gards the frequent changes which took 
 place in the history of the Israelitish 
 kings, which proved a source of great 
 calamity to the nation. See 2 Kings xv. 
 
 12. The metaphors are here borrowed 
 from the custom of tying up money in 
 bags, and depositing it in some secret 
 place, in order that it might be preserved. 
 The certainty of punishment is the idea 
 conveyed by them. Comp. for the former, 
 Job xiv. 17; and for the latter Deut. 
 xxxil. 34, Job xxi. 19. 
 
 13. Another instance of two metaphors 
 closely connected, the transition from the 
 one to the other of which is, in the man- 
 ner of the Orientals, rapid and unexpected, 
 See Dathe’s ‘very judicious note. It is 
 not unusual in Scripture to compare the 
 calamities of a people to the sorrows of 
 childbirth. In addition to this the dan- 
 ger and folly of Ephraim in protracting 
 repentance, in the midst of the afflictive 
 circumstances in which he was placed, is 
 fitly compared to the extremely critical 
 condition of a child on the point of being 
 born, but, owing to the want of strength 
 on the part of the mother, or other causes, 
 is detained in its passage from the womb. 
 The LXX. οὗτος ὁ vids σου ὃ φρόνιμος has 
 doubtless originally been οὗτος ὁ υἱός οὐ 
 φρόνιμος. “> introduces the contrary of 
 the preceding proposition, and is used 
 elliptically for the sentence, “ For if it 
 
 were not so,” etc. It may best be ren- 
 dered into English by otherwise, else, or 
 the like. my, time, is here to be taken 
 adverbially, in ‘the sense of for a time, 
 long, ete. Winer, aliquod tempus, ali- 
 
 quamdiu. Comp. the Arab. wm”), when 
 used in opposition to κτλ 5. 730%, the 
 
 os uteri, Comp. 2 Kings xix. 3; Is. 
 xxxvi. 3, lxvi. 9. Without a national 
 παλιγγενεσία, no prosperity could be ex- 
 pected. It was for the Israelites by true 
 repentance to accelerate and ensure their 
 deliverance from threatened destruction, 
 and their enjoyment of a new period of 
 peace and happiness. 
 
 14. The ideas of Sheol and Death were 
 naturally suggested by the perilous cir- 
 cumstances described in the preceding 
 verse. Extinction as a people is there ap- 
 prehended. Here it is viewed as having 
 already taken place; and a gracious prom- 
 ise is given of the restoration of the Is- 
 raelites, and the complete destruction of 
 the enemies by whom they had been car- 
 ried into captivity. 7592, from the hand, 
 a common Hebraism for from the power. 
 7B properly signifies to redeem, or buy 
 loose, by the payment of a price; bya, 
 to avenge the murder of a relative, and 
 also to recover or redeem property by re- 
 payment. Both verbs, however, are used 
 in a more extended signification, and 
 especially in reference to the deliverance 
 of the Hebrews from Egypt; and from 
 the captivity in Babylon. That dirs, 
 Sheol, and m2, Death, are here to be 
 taken in a figurative sense, with applica- 
 tion to the state of the Israelites in the 
 Assyrian and Babylonish captivity, de- 
 prived as they were of all political exist 
 ence, and subject to the most grievous 
 
Cuar. XU, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 81 
 
 Where is thy destruction, O Death ? 
 Where is thine excision, O Sheol? 
 Repentance is hid from mine eyes. 
 
 calamities, the exigency of the passage 
 imperatively demands. Comp. Is. xxvi. 
 19. Respecting *mt3 interpreters are far 
 from being agreed. Symm. the Vulg. 
 Coverdale, eee Tingstadius, Horsley, 
 Dathe, Kuinoel, De Wette, Noyes, Ros- 
 enmiller, Hesselberg, and Maurer, take 
 it to be the first person future of the sub- 
 stantive verb mam, to be; whereas the 
 LXX. Aq. the fifth edition, (Paul, 1 
 Cor.. xv. 55,) Syr. Arab. Abulwalid, 
 Tanchum, Junius and Tremellius, Mer- 
 cer, Newcome, Boothroyd, Ewald, and 
 Hitzig, consider it to be used as in ver. 
 10, for => ποῦ, where? With the latter 
 authorities I concur, partly on the ground 
 that it is not likely the prophet would 
 employ the same word in the same form 
 in two different acceptations in verses 10 
 and 14; and partly because I find "πὸ 
 nowhere used absolutely as an apocopated 
 future; but always with the Vau con- 
 versive prefixed. See for the full form 
 mins, chap. xiv. 6. To which add, that 
 the interrogation is more in keeping with 
 the animated style of the passage. In- 
 stead of the plural 4725, thy destruc- 
 tions, one hundred and twenty-two MSS, 
 originally five more, now two, and four 
 of the early editions read " F237 thy de- 
 struction in the singular. Cee Arab. 
 
 ὦ, death ; specially the plague, pesti- 
 
 lence; the awful destruction of human 
 life effected by it. Hence the LXX. 
 mostly render it Sdvaros; here δίκη, but 
 in all probability originally νίκη, for which 
 Paul reads νίκος, only transposing νίκος 
 and κέντρον, by which latter term the 
 LXX. render au, excision, cutting off, 
 destruction. The cause of this transpo- 
 sition is obyious. The apostle had just 
 quoted the passage in Isaiah, agreeably 
 to the version of Theodotion, in which 
 νίκος occurs, whereby he was reminded 
 of the same words as occurring in Hosea, 
 and, under the influence of strong emo- 
 tion, he commences his quotation with 
 νίκος prominently in his mind, Olshau- 
 sen thinks νίκος is a later form for νίκη. 
 
 11 
 
 Root ave, Arab. ιν, to cut, cut off, 
 
 destroy. That 437 is the genuine read- 
 ing, and that 2713 , ὦ goad, which some 
 would substitute for it, in order to make 
 the Hebrew correspond to κέντρον, is to 
 be rejected, may very conclusively be 
 gathered from the similar occurrence of 
 the words -23 and ΞῸ together, Ps. 
 xci. 6. Comp. Deut. xxxii. 24. The 
 import of this animated apostrophe, as 
 used both by Jehovah in the prophet, and 
 by the apostle, is, Where are now the 
 effects of the destructive influence which 
 you have exerted? Your victims are 
 recovered from your dominion: they are 
 alive again, and shall no more be subject 
 to your power. The speakers place them- 
 selves as it were in the period after the 
 resurrection : the former in that after the 
 restoration from Babylon; the other in 
 that after the literal restoration of the 
 dead to life at the last day. Both look 
 back, and triumphantly exult over the 
 conquerors. With respect to the appro- 
 priation of the words by the apostle in 
 reference to the doctrine of the final res- 
 urrection, it appears to be made, not in 
 the way of proof, but merely to give ex- 
 pression, in the triumphant language of 
 the prophet, to the animated feelings 
 which had taken possession of his breast. 
 His direct quotation in the way of argu- 
 ment is made from Is. xxv. 8, and con- 
 sists of the words κατεπόϑη 6 ϑάνατος eis 
 νίκος. It would, therefore, be improper 
 to identify the subject of which he treats 
 with that treated of by our prophet. 
 «‘ Neque enim ex professo semper locos 
 adducunt apostoli, qui toto contextu ad 
 institutum quod tractant pertineant: sed 
 interdum alludunt ad unum verbum 
 duntaxat, aliquando aptant locum ad sen- 
 tentiam per similitudinem, aliquando 
 abhibent testimonia. — Atqui satis con- 
 stat, Paulum illo 15 cap. 1 ad Corinth 
 non citasse prophetz testimoniam ad con- 
 firmandum illam doctrinam de qua dis- 
 serit.” Calvin in loc. See also Horsley’s 
 critical note. tris, LXX. παράκλησις, 
 
82 
 
 15 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. XIIL 
 
 Though he be fruitful among his brethren, 
 
 Yet an east wind, a wind of Jehovah, 
 
 Shall come up from the desert, 
 
 And dry up his fountain ; 
 
 And his spring shall become dry: 
 He shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels, 
 
 16 Samaria shall be punished, 
 
 Because she hath rebelled against her God: 
 
 They shall fall by the sword ; 
 
 Their infants shall be dashed in pieces, 
 And their pregnant women shall be ripped up. 
 
 Syr. ἴα. Vulg. consolatio; but re- 
 
 pentance better suits the connection. It 
 expresses the immutability of the divine 
 purpose, which had the deliverance of 
 his people for its object. Comp. Rom. 
 xi, 29. Horsley strangely refers the re- 
 pentance to man, and not to God. 
 
 15. This and the following verse set 
 forth the devastation and destruction of 
 the kingdom of the ten tribes, which was 
 to precede the deliverance promised in 
 that which precedes. While the promise 
 was designed to afford consolation to the 
 pious, and encouragement to the penitent, 
 the threatening was equally necessary for 
 the refractory and profane. wan, he, 
 refers to Ephraim, ver. 12. x57 an 
 ἅπαξ Aey. but obviously equivalent to 
 752, the Hiphil of 448, ¢o be fruitful. 
 It is here used with cal reference to 
 the name of n> px, being the root whence 
 it is derived, and not improbably exhibits 
 τὸ instead of -., because it forms the first 
 letter of the noun. The tribe of Eph- 
 raim was the most numerous in regard to 
 population, and was for a time in the 
 most flourishing circumstances. That 
 such is the signification of the verb, and 
 that it is not to be rendered divide or 
 separate, as in the ancient and several of 
 the modern versions, nor act like a wild 
 ass, Which others exhibit, appears from 
 the mention of a spring and a fountain, 
 which naturally suggests the idea of a 
 tree, the roots of which are plentifully 
 supplied by their water. For ὩΣ.» see 
 on chap. xii, 2, and Is, xxvii. 8. man 
 mim, like orn ts tx, Job. i. 19, is the 
 
 genitive of cause, a wind caused, sent by 
 or proceeding from Jehovah; not “a great 
 wind,” us some interpret. The Assyrian 
 army is meant. row? Nin, He, 1. 6; 
 the Assyrian, couched under the meta- 
 phor of the destructive wind, shall plun- 
 der every valuable article belonging to 
 the Israelites. 
 
 16. [Chap. xiv. 1.] This verse begins 
 the following chapter in the Hebrew 
 Bible, but it more intimately coheres with 
 the preceding context. nyan, LXX. 
 ἀφανισϑήσεται, Vulg. pereat. The word 
 signifies to be guilty of crime, and to be 
 treated as guilty, to suffer punishment, be 
 punished. Samaria as the metropolis, 
 and the source of all the calamities which 
 were coming upon the Israelites, is put 
 as representing the whole nation; but 
 not to the exclusion of the peculiarly 
 severe punishment which the inhabitants 
 of that city had to expect. "72, some 
 render to embitter, provoke bitterly; but 
 rebelling, resisting, striking against any 
 one, are the ideas more properly conveyed 
 by the verb. Thus the LXX. ἀντέστη 
 πρὸς Tov ϑεὸν αὐτῆς. The addition of 
 the affix in m*mbs, “her God,” gives 
 great emphasis in such connection. Comp. 
 chap. xii. 10, xiii. 4. The aggravations 
 of sin are increased by the relations sus- 
 tained by the sinner. For the conclud- 
 ing portion of the verse, comp. 2 Kings 
 viii. 12, xv. 16; Amosi. 13. That such 
 cruelties were not unknown among other 
 nations, see Lliad vi. 58 ; — 
 
 
 
 μηδ᾽ ὅντινα γαστέρι μήτηρ 
 Κοῦρον ἐόντα φέροι, μηδ᾽ ὅς φύγοι" ; --- 
 
Cuar. XIV. 
 
 and Horace, Carm. iv. Ode 6. The con- 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 83 
 
 grammar, and may have been occasioned 
 
 struction ἡ 93 mieqm 15 ad sensum, by the form of wer? immediately pre- 
 
 though not ΠΥ τας to the strict rule of 
 
 ceding. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 This chapter contains an urgent call to repentance, the supplication and confession expres- 
 sive of which are put in a set form of words into the mouths of the penitents, 1—3. To 
 encourage them thus to return te God, he makes the most gracious promises to them, 4—7; 
 their entire abandonment of idolatry is then predicted, and the divine condescension and 
 goodness are announced, 8; and the whole concludes with a solemn declaration, on the 
 part of the prophet, respecting the opposite consequences that would result from attention 
 
 or inattention to his message. 
 
 Rervry, O Israel! to Jehovah thy God: 
 For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. 
 2 Take with you words, and return to Jehovah ; 
 
 Say to him, 
 
 Forgive all iniquity, and graciously receive us, 
 Then we will render to thee the calves of our lips. 
 
 1,2. The = of direction in the im- 
 perative τ|ϑ is, as usual, intensive, 
 marking a strong desire on the part of 
 the speaker that the action expressed by 
 the verb might take place. For the 
 emphasis attaching to the affix in F>73, 
 «ἰ thy God,” see on chap. xii. 16. δ 
 752 isa phrase of such frequent occur- 
 rence with the meaning to pardon inig- 
 wity, that it is surprising how Horsley 
 could insist upon its meaning to ‘ take 
 away the sinful principle within us — the 
 carnal heart of the old Adam.” His 
 construction of 340 hp, “ accept as good, 
 what, so regenerate, we shall be enabled 
 to perform,” though sound divinity, is 
 equally indefensible on the ground of 
 philology. ‘wu is used adverbially, be- 
 nigne, in bonam partem; and the mean- 
 ing is, graciously receive us back into thy 
 favor. With respect to the interposition 
 of the verb xwn, between 55 and y+», 
 it may be observed, that it is not a soli- 
 tary instance of such construction. See 
 on 15, xix. 8, and comp. Job xv. 10. 
 
 pens, calves or bullocks, used here met- 
 aphorically for victims, sacrifices. The 
 word occurring in the absolute form, 
 some render s3°rBw DMB, dullocks our 
 lips, as if the two nouns were in apposi- 
 tion; but there are instances of nouns 
 thus put, which cannot be explained 
 otherwise than in the construct, as to 
 sense. Thus Deut. xxxiii. 11, prin 
 wap , the loins of those who oppose him; 
 is v. 13,59 πε, the princes of 
 the people ; Proy. xxii. 2s nes DS 
 words of truth. Gesenius supposes the }, 
 governing noun to be mentally repeated, 
 and that the full form would be Ὁ". 
 anne “Bp, bullocks, the bullocks of our 
 lips. Such construction in full he ad- 
 duces in the instance Exod. xxxviii. 21, 
 naayn j207 jan, the tabernacle, the 
 tabernacle of testimony. Some would 
 changen™5 into »45, Fruit, on the ground 
 of the reading found in the LX X. ἀνταπ- 
 οδῶμεν καρπὸν χειλέων ἡμῶν, Which is fol- 
 lowed by the Syr. and Arab. and is sup- 
 posed to have been borrowed by the apostle, 
 
84 
 
 3 Assyria shall not save us; 
 We will not ride upon horses 5 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuar. XIV. 
 
 Neither will we say any more, “ Our gods,” 
 
 To the work of our hands: 
 
 For by thee the destitute is pitied. 
 
 4 J will heal their apostasy ; 
 I will love them freely ; 
 
 For my anger is turned away from them. 
 
 5 I will be as the dew to Israel ; 
 
 Heb. xiii. 15. There is, however, no 
 variety in the flebrew MSS. ; while the 
 Targum and all the other authorities sup- 
 port the textual reading. The LXX. 
 have committed a similar mistake in ren- 
 
 dering TI", her bullocks, τοὺς kapmovs - 
 
 αὐτῆς, her tr uits, Jer. 1. 27. The con- 
 jecture of Pococke, that they used καρ- 
 avs in the sense of κάρπωμα, which they 
 employ to express SACRIFICE, ob/ation, 
 etc., is less probable. See the important 
 note of Horsley. The prophet’s meaning 
 is, We will render, in grateful return for 
 thy forgiving and restoring mercy, the 
 only sacrifices worthy of it — our tribute 
 of thanksgiving and praise. For such 
 use of E513, to requite, render back, comp. 
 Ps, lvi. 12, πὸῷ Γι obzs, 1 will ren- 
 der thanks unto thee: so that the con- 
 struction proposed by some, “we will 
 offer the sacrifices which our lips have 
 vowed,” cannot be regarded as unexcep- 
 tionable, even if it were in keeping with 
 the spirit of the passage. The only par- 
 allels fully corresponding to it are Ps. li. 
 15-17, lxix. 31, 32. 
 
 3. Three of the sins to which the ten 
 tribes were specially prone are here im- 
 plied: dependence upon the aid of the 
 Assyrians ; application to Egypt for horses 
 in direct violation of the divine command, 
 Deut. xvii. 16; Is. xxxi. 1; and idol- 
 atry. These they now forever renounce, 
 and avow their determination henceforth 
 to trust in Jehovah alone; adding as the 
 reason of such deteemmatinn, the ex 
 rience which they had had of the divine 
 favor in time of need. “wy is here used 
 in a causal sense, because for, forasmuch 
 as. Comp. Gen. xxxi. 29; Eccles. iy. 
 9. ὉΠ, orphan is applied in this place 
 metaphorically to the unprotected and 
 
 destitute circtimstances in which the Is- 
 raelites had been, while in a state of 
 separation from the Lord. 
 
 4. Bn39¥8% is not, with Horsley, to 
 be rendered ‘their. conversion,’ ’ but their 
 apostasy. See on chap. xi. 7. mat, 
 lit. spontaneousness, willingness, is used 
 adverbially for willingly, hberally, freely. 
 
 It is derived from 273, Arab. Ws, 
 
 instigavit, impulit, ad aliquid ; agilis in 
 conficienda re promptusque vir; genero- 
 sus; and is expressive of the free, un-» 
 merited, and abundant love of God 
 towards repentant sinners. 329292, “ from 
 him,” i. e. Israel, the caliente noun, 
 ver. 2, resolved by the Syr. Lat. and 
 other translators into a plural. 
 
 5, 6. The love of God to his people, 
 and its effects in their happy experience, 
 are here couched in similes borrowed 
 from the vegetable kingdom. The dew 
 is very copious in the East, and, by its 
 refreshing and quickening virtue, sup- 
 plies the place of more frequent rains in 
 other countries. Kimchi thinks that the 
 constancy with which the dew falls is 
 the point here more specially referred to, 
 and to which the divine blessing is com- 
 pared. 72243, “ilies, abound in Palestine, 
 even apart from cultivation. There are 
 two kinds; the common lily, which is 
 perfectly white, consisting of six leaves, 
 opening like bells ; and what the Syrians 
 
 call Lads ewe 
 
 the stem of which is about the size of a 
 finger in thickness, and which grows to 
 the height of three and four feet, spread- 
 ing its flowers in the most beautiful and 
 engaging manner. Comp. Matt. vi. 29. 
 
 ‘o these productions the moral beauty 
 of regenerated Israel is yery aptly com- 
 
 the royal lily, 
 
ΒΑ». XIV. 
 
 He shall blossom as the lily, 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 85 
 
 And strike his roots like Lebanon. 
 
 6 His suckers,shall spread forth, 
 
 And his beauty shall be as the olive tree, 
 
 And his fragrance as Lebanon. 
 
 7 They that dwell under his shade shall revive as the corn, 
 
 And shoot forth as the vine: 
 
 Their fame shall be as the wine of Lebanon, 
 
 8 Ephraim shall say, 
 
 What have I any more to do with idols? 
 
 pared. For Lebanon, see on Is. x. 34. 
 The mountain stands here by metonymy 
 for the trees which grow upon it, such as 
 the celebrated cedars, whose roots striking 
 far in depth and length into the ground, 
 give them a firmness which no storms can 
 shake. The ideas of strength and sta- 
 bility are those conveyed by the simile, 
 whether we refer the roots to the trees, 
 or, metaphorically, to the mountain it- 
 self; but the amplification in the follow- 
 ing verse renders the former the prefer- 
 able construction. 5m isoften used, not 
 merely of continued, but of increased 
 action, and here denotes fo spread out as 
 the suckers or small branches of trees. 
 The olive is frequently referred to, on 
 account of its beautiful green, and the 
 pleasing ideas associated with its produce. 
 Though the former only is expressed, yet 
 the idea of fragrance is implied, only it 
 is with the strictest propriety extended 
 in the following clause to the whole of 
 Lebanon, on account of the number of 
 odoriferous trees and plants with which 
 it abounds. In these verses, the render- 
 ing frankincense, which Newcome prefers 
 to Lebanon, is not to be admitted. The 
 stability, extension, glory, and loveliness 
 of the church of God are forcibly set 
 forth. 
 
 7. The Israelites are represented as 
 again enjoying the protection of the Most 
 High, and affording the most convincing 
 proofs of prosperity. 25%) is used as aux- 
 iliary to 524 ; both verbs, in such connec- 
 tion, signifying nothing more than revive, 
 thrive again, or the like. The pronomi- 
 nal affix in 43x, his shade, refers to Je- 
 hovah; but in 4731, his celebrity, fame, 
 to Israel, understood, as before, collec- 
 
 tively, but best rendered in the plural. 
 433 au, the construct with the pre- 
 position, as in 42 “o4n, Ps. ii. 12. Mod- 
 ern travellers concur in their high com- 
 mendations of the excellence of the wines 
 of Lebanon. Von Troil, in particular, 
 says, “ΟἹ this mountain are very valu- 
 able vineyards, in which thé most excel- 
 lent wine is produced; such as I have 
 never drunk in any country, though in 
 the course of fourteen years I have tray- 
 elled through many, and tasted many 
 good wines,’ 
 
 8. Several interpreters take po5x to 
 be in the vocative sense, but, as it seems 
 harsh to refer the words immediately fol- 
 lowing to Jehovah, it is better to regard 
 it as a nominative absolute, and to supply 
 =728> thus :— As for Ephraim — the tribe 
 distinguished above all the rest for its 
 addictedness to idolatry, and the fit rep- 
 resentative of the whole people — his 
 language in future shall be, etc. For "5, 
 to me, the LXX. read 4%, to him, which 
 facilitates the construction, and is adopted 
 by Ewald, but without sufficient author- 
 ity. 2x, J, is not without emphasis in 
 this connection, in which mention is 
 made of idols. “ny signifies to view with 
 regard and care, care for, watch over. 
 Every provision should henceforth be 
 made for the protection and prosperity 
 of restored Israel. wina, the cypress, 
 with all its tall and fair ever-green ap- 
 pearance, not being a fruit-bearing tree, 
 it is added with singular effect, that in 
 this respect there existed a difference be- 
 tween the object and the subject of the 
 metaphor. The children of Israel should 
 not only enjoy protection and refreshment 
 as the result of the divine favor, but rich 
 
80 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 Cuap. XIV. 
 
 I have answered him, and will regard him; 
 
 I am like a green cypress 5 
 From me thy fruit is found. 
 
 9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things; 
 «Prudent, that he may know them ? 
 
 For the ways of Jehovah are right ; 
 
 The righteous shall walk in them; 
 
 But the rebellious shall stumble in them. 
 
 supplies of spiritual provision for their 
 support. Such supplies were to be found 
 in God alone. Manger thinks there is 
 here a dialogistic parallelism, which he 
 exhibits thus : — 
 
 Erxuram. What have I further to do 
 with idols? 
 
 Gop. I have answered him, and will 
 regard him. 
 
 Eruram. I am like a green cypress. 
 
 Gop. From me is thy fruit found. 
 
 9. These words form an epilogue or 
 conclusion to the whole book. The in- 
 terrogation is employed for the purpose 
 of excitement and to give energy to the 
 truths conveyed. It is worthy of remark 
 that this is the only verse in which the 
 prophet uses ὉΠ ΤΣ» the righteous, or 
 
 any synonymous term, in the course of 
 his recorded prophecies. So awfully de- 
 praved were the times in which he lived, 
 that the very character had disappeared. 
 The contrasted characters and states of 
 the godly and the wicked are pointed and 
 affecting. ‘$m, to walk, signifies here to 
 go forward pr osperously ; bB5, to stumble, 
 So as to fall to one’s injury and utter ruin. 
 
 “----- anfractu et liberam ab omni 
 Hance justus teret, hoc semper se in calle 
 tenebit, 
 Felicique gradu ad requiem contendat 
 amicam. 
 At defectores yideas impingere in iiss 
 dem, 
 Exitiumque sibi factis properare scelestis.” 
 — Rittershusius. 
 
 ΄ 
 
JOEL. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 WE possess no further knowledge of Joel than what is furnished by the 
 title of his book, or may be gathered from circumstances incidentally men- 
 tioned in it. That he lived in Judah, and, in all probability, at Jerusalem, we 
 may infer from his not making the most distant reference to the kingdom of 
 Israel ; while, on the other hand, he speaks of Jerusalem, the temple, priests, 
 ceremonies, etc. with a familiarity which proves them to have been before his 
 eyes. 
 
 With respect to the age in which he flourished, opinions have differed. 
 Bauer places him in the reign of Jehoshaphat; Credner, Winer, Krahmer, 
 and Ewald, think he lived in that of Joash; Vitringa, Carpzov, Moldenhauer, 
 Eichhorn, Holzhausen, Theiner, Rosenmiiller, Knobel, Hengstenberg, Gesen- 
 ius, and De Wette, in that of Uzziah; Steudel and Bertholdt in that of Hez- 
 ekiah; Tarnovius and Eckermann assign the period of his activity to the days 
 of Josiah; while the author of Sedar Olam, Jarchi, Drusius, Newcome, and 
 Jahn, are of opinion that he prophesied in the reign of Manasseh. The most 
 probable hypothesis is, that his predictions were delivered in the early days 
 of Joash; that is, according to Credner, B. c. 870 — 865. No reference being 
 made to the Babylonian, the Assyrian, or even the Syrian invasion, and the . 
 only enemies of whom mention is made being the Pheenicians, Philistines, 
 Edomites, and Egyptians, it seems evident that Joel was unacquainted 
 with any but the latter. Had he lived after the death of Joash, he could 
 scarcely have omitted to notice the Syrians when speaking of hostile powers, 
 since they not only invaded the land, but took Jerusalem, destroyed the 
 princes, and carried away immense spoil to Damascus, 2 Chron. xxiv. 23, 24. 
 The state of religious affairs as presented to view in the book is altogether in 
 favor of this position. No mention is made of idolatrous practices; while, on 
 the contrary, notwithstanding the guilt which attached to the Jews, on account 
 of which Jehovah brought judgments upon the land, the principles of the 
 theocracy are supposed to be maintained; the priests and people are repre- 
 sented as being harmoniously occupied with the services of religion; and 
 Jerusalem, the temple and its worship, appear in a flourishing condition. Now 
 this was precisely the state of things during the high-priesthood of Jehoiada, 
 through whose influence Joash had been placed upon the throne. See 2 Kings 
 xi. 17, 18, xii. 2-16 ; 2 Chron. xxiv. 4-14. It will follow that Joel is the oldest 
 of all the Hebrew prophets whose predictions have come down to us. 
 
 The delivery of his prophecy was occasioned by the devastations produced 
 by successive swarms of locusts, and by an excessive drought which pervaded 
 the country, and threatened the inhabitants with utter destruction. This 
 
88 PREFACE TO JOEL. 
 
 calamity, however, was merely symbolical of another, and a more dreadful 
 scourge — the invasion of the land by foreign enemies, on which the prophet 
 expatiates in the second chapter. In order that such calamity might be re- 
 moved, he is commissioned to order an universal fast, and call all to repent- 
 ance and humiliation before God; to announce as consequent upon such 
 repentance and humiliation, a period of great temporal prosperity ; to predict 
 the effusion of the Holy Spirit at a future period of the history of his people ; 
 to denounce judgments against their enemies; and to foretell their restoration 
 from the final dispersion. 
 
 In point of style Joel stands preéminent among the Hebrew prophets. He 
 not only possesses a singular degree of purity, but is distinguished by his 
 smoothness and fluency; the animated and rapid character of his rhythmus; 
 the perfect regularity of his parallelisms; and the degree of roundness which 
 he gives to his sentences. He has no abrupt transitions, is everywhere con- 
 nected, and finishes whatever he takes up. In description he is graphic and 
 perspicuous ; in arrangement lucid ; in imagery original, copious, and varied. 
 In the judgment of Knobel, he most resembles Amos in regularity, Nahum in 
 animation, and in both respects Habakkuk ; but is surpassed by none of them. 
 That what we now possess is all he ever wrote, is in the highest degree improb- 
 able: on the contrary, we should conclude from the cultivated character of 
 his language, that he had been accustomed to composition long before he 
 penned these discourses. Whatever degree of obscurity attaches to his book, 
 is attributable to our ignorance of the subjects of which it treats, not to the 
 language which he employs. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 After summoning attention to the unexampled plague of locusts with which the country had 
 been visited, 2—4, the prophet excites to repentance by a description of these insects, 5—7, 
 and of the damage which they had done to the fields and trees, 8—12; calls the priests to 
 institute a solemn season for fasting and prayer, 18, 14; and bewails, by anticipation, a 
 more awful visitation from Jehovah, 15, while he further describes the tremendous effects 
 of the calamity under which the country was suffering, 16—20. 
 
 ¥ 
 
 1 Tux word of Jehovah which was communicated to Joel, the son 
 
 of Pethuel: 
 2 Hear this, ye aged men! 
 
 Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land! 
 Did such as this happen in your days, 
 Or, in the days of your fathers ? 
 
 3 Tell your children of it, 
 
 And let your children tell their children, 
 And their children another generation. 
 
 1. by min gy mint nat, the usual 
 introductory 9 formula employed to express 
 the communication of divine revelations 
 to the prophets, or the divinely inspired 
 matter which they were commissioned to 
 teach. Comp. Hos. i. 1; Mic.i.1; Zeph. 
 i.1; Mal. 1.1. The name tx‘, Joel, 
 Jerome interprets ἀρχόμενος, id est incip- 
 iens, referring it to the verb $37, which 
 signifies to begin ; but that he ‘was not 
 ignorant of another derivation is evident 
 Po his commentary, in which, after 
 giving incipiens, he adds, vel est Deus. 
 It is, however, beyond all doubt com- 
 pounded of mim, in one of its more con- 
 eS forms, and tx, and signifies, Je- 
 
 hovah is God. Wio tsins, LXX. 
 Βαϑουὴλ, Pethuel, the father of our 
 prophet was, we are not informed. The 
 introduction of his name was necessary 
 in order to distinguish the present Joel 
 from others of the same name, and can- 
 not be admitted in proof of his having 
 been a prophet or some person of emi- 
 nence. It was common among the 
 Hebrews, as it still is among the Orient- 
 als, to add the name of the father to that 
 of the son. 
 
 12 
 
 2, 8. These verses contain an animated 
 introduction to the following subject. 
 Nt, properly zhzs, the feminine accord- 
 ing tothe Hebrew idiom being used for 
 the neuter, -but it occurs here elliptically 
 for ΓΞ, like this, such, the like, and 
 refers to the astounding calamity of the 
 locusts about to be described. ay and 
 TINT frequently occur as parallel ‘initi- 
 atives in Hebrew poetry. See Gen. iv. 
 23; Deut. xxxii. 1; Is. i. 2. For the 
 latter verb, UPA k sometimes used. 
 See 15. xxviii. 23; Mic. i. 2. ppt is 
 here to be understood, not in the official 
 sense of elders, but in that of aged men, 
 as the connection shows. Those who 
 were most advanced in years, and might 
 be expected to have their memories stored 
 with ancient occurrences, are appealed to 
 for a parallel to the case referred to. 
 Comp. Deut. xxxii. 7; Job. xxxil. 7. 
 
 fiax is often used in the sense of ances- 
 tors, forefathers. in 77by, like πιᾶτ, 
 refers to the plague of locusts. 2 “3, 
 children’s children, is not unfrequent, ee 
 the language here employed by Joel is 
 cumulative beyond example. 
 
 «Et nati natorum, et qui nascentur 
 
90 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. L 
 
 4 That which the gnawing locust hath left, 
 The swarming locust hath devoured: 
 And that which the swarming locust hath left, 
 
 ab illis.” JEneid iii. 98. 
 καί παῖδες παίδων, τοί κεν μετόπισϑε 
 γένωνται. Iliad, xx. 308. 
 4, The plague, which occasioned the 
 following discourses of the prophet, is 
 now described in terse, though repetitious 
 terms. This verse may be considered as 
 the text on which he afterwards expati- 
 ates. Interpreters have found great diffi- 
 culty both in determining the precise 
 signification of the several terms employed 
 to describe the scourge, and the light in 
 which it was designed to be understood. 
 While some are of opinion that different 
 kinds of insects are meant, most are 
 agreed in considering locusts to be in- 
 tended. Yet here again discordant views 
 obtain : some insisting on different species 
 of locusts, and others on different states 
 of the same species. Credner, for in- 
 stance, in a work on our prophet, full of 
 erudition, considers Dra to be the migra- 
 tory locust ; πξ ἢ the young brood ; Ῥὸ 
 the young locust’ in the last state of trans- 
 formation ; and S-on the perfect locust. 
 The locust belongs to the genus of insects 
 known among entomologists by the name 
 of grylli, witch includes the different 
 species, from the common grasshopper to 
 the devouring locust of the East. The 
 largest of the latter is about three inches 
 in length; has two antennz, or horns, 
 about an inch long, and two wings, 
 which, with their cases, are applied ob- 
 liquely to the sides of the body when in 
 repose. The fect have only three joints, 
 but are six in number. The two hind 
 ones are much larger than the rest, and 
 are formed for leaping. The locusts are 
 of different colors, brown, gray and spot- 
 ted. In all stages, from the larve to the 
 perfect insect, the locusts are herbivorous, 
 and do immense injury to vegetation. 
 The subject so far as it occurs in Scripture, 
 may be said to have been almost exhausted 
 by the learned Bochart, in his Hierozoi- 
 con, Pars Post. Lib. iv. cap. i. — viii. 
 The fourth chapter he specially devotes 
 to the explanation of the passages in 
 
 Joel, See also GEdmann’s Vermischte 
 Sammlungen, and Credner’s Joel. The 
 first name, £12, Occurs only here and 
 Amos iy. 9, and is rendered by the LXX. 
 κάμπη; and by the Vulg. eruca, cater- 
 pillar. ‘This interpretation is supported 
 by the Targ.* xdnz, the crawling insect, 
 by which, however, may be meant the 
 locust in its wingless state. The Syr. 
 
 o>} Oo 
 renders the word by LJawSo Jocusta 
 ’ 
 
 It is evidently derived from 
 the same root with the Arab. οἱ res- 
 "ΡΞ. 
 
 non alata. 
 
 ecuit, amputavit, eye, pecans ; Eth. 
 
 QHR : excidit, abscidit ; Syr. Shy 
 
 incidit ; Talmud. £33, amputavit ; and 
 expresses the knawing or cutting action 
 of the sharp teeth of the locusts on the 
 leaves, and even the bark of trees. Comp. 
 Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. ii. cap. 29: omnia 
 vero morsu erodentes. 398 is the gen- 
 eric name of the aseust, so called from 
 the almost incredible numbers which breed 
 in different parts of the East; being de- 
 rived from 737, ¢o multiply, be numerous, 
 etc. Comp. Jer. xlvi. 23, many 324, 
 more numerous than the locusts. From 
 its migrating in swarms it is called by 
 Forskial gryllus gregarius, and by Lin- 
 nus, gryllus migratorius, By the LXX. 
 the word is rendered seventeen times 
 by ἀκρὶς, the common locust ; thrice by 
 βροῦχος, the unwinged locust, which 
 browses on the grass; once by ἐρυσιβη»ν 
 mildew ; and once by ἀττέλαβος, the 
 young or small locust. That m4 is 
 generic, appears from Ley. xi. 22, where 
 we read, $2.2 mansm, the locust accord= 
 ing to its species. The third name, Ὁ Ὁ» 
 
 from pbs , equivalent to pz, ἐο dick, des- 
 ignates the locust as licking off the leaves, 
 and whatever is green on the trees, grass, 
 ete. This derivation is preferable to that 
 proposed by Michaelis, who refers the word 
 
 to the Arab. Bs, properavit, volubilis 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 91 
 
 The licking locust hath devoured ; 
 And that which the licking locust hath left, 
 The consuming locust hath devoured, 
 
 Suit, or ba, albus fuit, and thinks 
 that the chaferis meant. In Nah. iii. 
 16, it is represented as winged, and in 
 Jer. li. 27, it is described as -720 , rough, 
 bristly, terrific. LXX. βροῦχος four 
 times; ἀκρὶς thrice. Ὁ ΓΤ», the remain- 
 ing term comes from bon, to consume, 
 devour. LXX, βροῦχος, or Bpovkos- 
 
 BRO 
 
 Vulg. rubigo, mildew. Syr. | 30,5 Rae 
 
 which Risius, the Archbishop of ae 
 cus, describes as resembling the locust, 
 only differing from it, inasmuch as it 
 never migrates, and confines its ravages 
 to the fruits and herbs, but leaves the 
 trees untouched. It is also noted for the 
 noise which it makes at night. A com- 
 parison of the different passages in which 
 these names occur, renders it more than 
 probable that they are here employed by 
 the prophet, not with any reference to 
 the species into which the locusts may be 
 scientifically divided, but to designate 
 four successive swarms, according to cer- 
 tain destructive qualities, by which, as a 
 genus of insects, they are distinguished, 
 and thereby to heighten the terror which 
 his description was intended to produce. 
 Just as Job accumulates the terms 
 mas, bag, mwas, 31> and wad, 
 chap. iv. 10, 11, with a similar view. 
 They are rather poctical synonymes, than 
 distinctive of different species. At all 
 events, that locusts are meant, may be 
 inferred from the facts, that wherever poo 
 vecurs, with the exception of a sine 
 passage, it occurs along with many; and 
 that m2", which Moses uses in describ- 
 ing one of the plagues of Egypt, Exod. 
 x. 10-20, is not only employed by the 
 Psalmist, Ixxviii. 46, cv. 34, but also 
 S-on and Ὁ", as synonymous terms, for 
 the sake οἱ variety. Add to which that 
 the verb Son from which 557 is derived, 
 
 is employed to express the action of the 
 mans, Deut. xxviii. 38, naqsn aston, 
 
 “the locust shall consume it.” In the 
 translation I have given the meaning of 
 
 the several names in terms expressive of 
 the qualities suggested by each. The 
 passage might otherwise be rendered with 
 Noyes :— 
 
 «¢ That which one swarm of locusts left, 
 a second swarm hath eaten ; 
 
 And that which the second left, a third 
 swarm hath eaten ; 
 
 And that which the third left, a fourth 
 swarm hath eaten.” 
 
 It is a question of greater importance: 
 Are the statements of Joel in the first 
 and second chapters to be understood 
 literally of these insects, or figuratively 
 of enemies that were to invade and lay 
 waste the Holy Land? The latter is the 
 more ancient opinion. It is that of the 
 Targum, the Jews whom Jerome con- 
 sulted, and Abarbanel; and is, with vari- 
 ous modifications, adopted by the follow- 
 ing christian interpreters: Jerome, Eph- 
 raim Syrus, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexan- 
 dria, Hugo de St. Vincent, Ribera, San- 
 chez, a Lapide, Luther, Grotius, Markius, 
 Bertholdt, Theiner, Steudel, and Hengs- 
 tenberg. On the other hand, Abenezra, 
 Jarchi, Kimchi, Lyranus, Vatablus, Joh, 
 Schmidius, Jahn, Eichhorn, Rosenmiiller, 
 von Coelln, Justi, Credner, and Hitzig, 
 maintain that the language is to be un- 
 derstood literally of locusts. This inter- 
 pretation has certainly much in its favor, 
 and if it could without violence be ap- 
 plied throughout, might fairly be adopted. 
 But the announcement of a second and 
 more awful judgment, chap. i. 15, ii. 1, 
 2; the distinct recognition of a foreign 
 rule, ii. 17; and the assignment of the 
 North as the native country of the enemy, 
 ii. 20; present insuperable obstacles to its 
 adoption. See on these verses. There 
 seems no possibility of effecting a consist- 
 ent interpretation on any other principle 
 than that laid down and defended by 
 Cramer, Eckermann, and Holzhausen, 
 viz: that in the first chapter, Joel describes 
 a devastation of the country which had 
 been effected by natural locusts; but 
 predicts in the second its devastation by 
 
99 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. L 
 
 5 Awake, ye drunkards! and weep; 
 
 Howl, all ye drinkers of wine! 
 
 On account of the sweet wine, 
 
 For it is made to cease from your mouth, 
 6 For a nation hath come up upon my land, 
 
 Mighty and innumerable ; 
 
 Their teeth are the teeth of a lion; 
 They have the grinders of a lioness. 
 
 political enemies, in highly-wrought met- 
 aphorical language, borrowed from the 
 scene which he had just depicted. 
 
 5. yorn the Hiph. of jp, is here 
 used, ike the cognate root 3» Gen. ix. 
 24, in the sense of awaking from a sleep 
 occasioned by wine. Since, however, the 
 persons addressed had been deprived of 
 the means of intoxication, the prophet 
 is rather to be understood as borrowing 
 the term from the state in which they 
 had too often been found. p™‘>% being 
 parallel with 47> ἘΠ, drinkers of wine, 
 does not here mean persons actually in- 
 toxicated, but such as were in the habit 
 of using intoxicating liquors, and by 
 implication, to excess. Thus Kimchi: 
 3 nsnend ὈΠΒλ πὶ ems, ye who are 
 accustomed to make yourselves drunk with 
 wine. It is derived from “2%, to drink 
 
 to the full. Arab. 
 
 ebrius fuit. Hence 3%, strong, or in- 
 toxicating drink, whether wine itself, or, 
 more commonly, liquor resembling wine, 
 which is distilled from barley, honey, or 
 dates, and sometimes mingled with spices, 
 By o-cz, is meant the fresh wine, or 
 juice of the grape, or other fruit, which 
 has just been pressed out, and is remark- 
 able for its sweet flavor, and its freedom 
 from intoxicating qualities. R. tex, to 
 tread, tread down, or out. Targ. ay lal 
 m7, pure wine. It differs from wiarn, 
 
 inasmuch as the latter term is confined 
 to the juice of the grape; and being 
 derived from v7, to take possession of, 
 indicates that however new, it had already 
 obtained an inebriating quality. The 
 locusts are here represented as specially 
 attacking and destroying the vines and 
 other fruit-trees, from the produce of 
 which these wines were prepared. To 
 
 . implevit, vas, 
 
 such they are known to. be very destruc- 
 
 tive. Comp. Theocrit. Idyll. 5, 108, in 
 
 which a shepherd beseeches them not to 
 
 injure his vines : 
 
 ᾿Ακρίδες, ἃς τὸν φραγμὸν ὑπερπεδῆτε τὸν 
 ἀμόν, 
 
 Μή μευ λωβάσεσϑε τὰς ἀμπέλα-" ἐντὶ yap 
 ἅβαι. 
 
 n> properly signifies to cut, cut off, but 
 here, as wine is ‘the subject spoken of, it 
 must be taken in the sense of destroying, 
 or causing to cease. 
 
 6. “43, nation, especially used of for- 
 eign, barbarous and profane nations, and 
 here selected on purpose to express the 
 number and hostility of the locusts, and 
 at the same time to prepare the minds of 
 the Jews for the allegorical use made of 
 these insects in chap. ii. If it had not 
 been for some such end, the prophet might 
 have adopted the term ἘΣ, people, which 
 Solomon applies to the ants, Proy. xxx. 
 25, 26, and which would equally have 
 conveyed the idea of multitude. Comp. 
 chap. ii. 2. This metaphorical use of 
 the term is common in the classics. See 
 instances in Bochart and Gesen. Heb, 
 Lex. in voc. %43. The Arabs employ 
 Xo} ina similar way. ἘΣ ΤῈΣ is used 
 in a hostile sense of an army, Is. vii. 1; 
 but here figuratively of the locusts. In 
 "sox, “my land,” the pronominal affix 
 belongs to Jehovah, not to the prophet, 
 Comp. Is. xiv, 25; Jer. xvi. 18; Ezek, 
 xxxvi. 6, xxxvili. 16. Joelii. 18. psy, 
 strong, powerful. The strength of the 
 locust consists in the immense numbers, 
 which, forming themselves into compact 
 bodies, darken the air, and advance for- 
 ward, one swarm after another, attacking 
 whatever comes in their way. They may 
 well be described as "ΞΘ 4-31, innue 
 
Cuar. I. 
 
 7 They have laid waste my vine, 
 And broken down my fig-tree ; 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 93 
 
 They have completely stripped it, and thrown it down; 
 Its branches they have left white. 
 
 merable. All who refer to them, both 
 in ancient and modern times, speak of 
 them in the same language. 
 
 ᾿Ακρίδων πλῆϑος ἀμύϑητον. 
 Agathare. vy. 27. 
 
 «Immense locustarum multitudines.” 
 Orosius, ν. 11. Shaw speaks of ‘infi- 
 nite swarms following each other,’ Bar- 
 row states that those which he saw in 
 South Africa, might literally be said to 
 cover the ground for an area of 2000 
 square miles. A later writer in the Cape 
 Town Gazette, describes a cloud of them 
 as passing before him in a train of many 
 millions thick, and about an hour in 
 length; and mentions further that, though 
 millions perished in consequence of at- 
 tempts made to destroy them, their num- 
 ber appeared nothing decreased. And 
 Dr. Bowring states in his Report, that 
 some years ago the army of Ibrahim 
 Pasha, in the attempt to extirpate an 
 immense swarm, gathered up no less than 
 65,000 ardebs, equal to 325,000 bushels 
 of English measure! How appropriate 
 the name ma5s! What is innumerable 
 is frequently compared to them by the 
 sacred writers. See Jud. vi. 5, vii. 12; 
 Ps. ev. 34; Jer. xlvi. 23; Nah. iii. 15. 
 ΤΟΣ ΒΩ, teeth, Gesenius considers as 
 standing by transposition for nisnbna, 
 and derives the noun from an obsolete 
 root 21>, ¢o bite ; but it may more prop- 
 
 erly bereferred tothe Arab. a3, longum 
 
 Fuit, and denotes the grinders or jaw- 
 teeth of animals. The metaphor, how- 
 ever, has no respect to the size of the 
 teeth of lions, but only to the terrible and 
 complete destruction which they effect. 
 Pliny, speaking of the locust, says: — 
 «*‘ Omnia morsu erodentes et fores quoque 
 tectorum.” According to Fabricius, in 
 his Genera Insectorum, p. 96, the teeth 
 of the locust are three-forked and sharp. 
 The same metaphor is used Rey. ix. 8, 
 ὀδόντες αὐτῶν ds λεόντων ἦσαν. 
 
 7. For the pronominal reference in 
 "254 and sn:sn, see on Ἐπ "δὶ in the pre- 
 ceding verse. The vines and fig-trees 
 might be called Jehovah's, because, in a 
 special sense, the land on which they 
 grew was his. The vine has, from time 
 immemorial, abounded in Palestine. It 
 often grows to a great size, and produces 
 grapes of corresponding bulk. Schulz 
 describes one at Beitshin, near Ptolemais, 
 the stem of which was about a foot and 
 a half in diameter, its height was about 
 thirty feet, and by its branches and branch- 
 lets, which had to be supported, it formed 
 a hut upwards of thirty feet broad and 
 long. The clusters of these vines are 
 so large, that they weigh ten or twelve 
 pounds, and the berries may be compared 
 with our small plums. When such a 
 cluster is cut off, it is laid upon a board 
 about an ell and a half broad, and three 
 or four ells long, and several persons seat 
 themselves about it to eat the grapes, 
 Rosenmiiller, In Bib. Cab. vol. xxvii. p. 
 223. Comp. Numb. xiii. 23, 24. Pal- 
 estine was equally celebrated for its fig- 
 trees, which are not reared in gardens, as 
 with us, but grow spontaneously in the 
 open country. The figs were not only 
 eaten fresh, but also preserved for food. 
 tnw, to put, is often used with nouns 
 instead of the simple forms of the verbs 
 to which the nouns are related. r5:p, 
 
 breakage, Arab. gas fregit. Sera ϑ, 
 
 a branch broken off from a tree. See on 
 Hos. x. 7. LUXX. συγκλασμός, Compl. 
 
 0 Oo > 
 κλασμός. Syr. [eats concissio, di- 
 ᾽ 
 
 vulsio. ὙΠῸ locusts not only consume 
 the fruit and leaves of the trees, but strip 
 them of the very bark.—‘ Nec culmus, - 
 nec gramen ullum remaneat, et arbores 
 frontibus et cortice tanquam vestibus nu- 
 datz, instar truncorum alborum conspici- 
 antur.”” Judolf, Comment. p. 178. 
 j7>2n is here taken in its proper causa- 
 tive signification. What they do not 
 
94 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 CHAP. 1, 
 
 8 Lament, as a virgin girded with sackcloth, 
 On account of the husband of her youth, 
 
 9 The offering and the libation, 
 
 Are cut off from the house of Jehovah: 
 The priests howl, the ministers of Jehovah. 
 
 10 The field is laid waste, 
 The ground mourneth ; 
 For the corn is laid waste, 
 
 devour, they so injure that it falls off the 
 tree. brary, branches, properly the 
 intertwining tendrils of the vine, from 
 sv, to interweave. The vine, being the 
 more valuable of the two kinds of trees, 
 the suffix refers back to it; and the fig- 
 tree is treated as subordinate. 
 they have made or left white. 
 8. The land, under the metaphor of a 
 female, is here addressed. "διὰ is the 
 second person feminine of the Imperative 
 in Kal of =$s, which usually means 
 to swear, call’ on God as witness; but 
 here it takes the signification of the Syr- 
 
 ciao 
 
 = ᾽ 
 
 is we ululatus, lamentum. The deri- 
 ᾽ 
 
 abn, 
 
 ο 
 jac {| wlulavit, deploravit. 
 ᾽ 
 
 vation from $x, God, in the sense God 
 have mercy, is less natural. Oneof Ken- 
 nicott’s MSS. reads "bax. LXX. ϑρη- 
 νήσον. A country is frequently said to 
 mourn, when it is subject to devastation. 
 See Is. xxiv. 3; Jer. iv. 28, xii. 4 ; Hos. 
 iv. 3. mbana,@ virgin, a young woman, 
 attisniced to a husband, and, in this sense, 
 viewed as married to him. The idea of 
 the strength of youthful affection, is that 
 designed to be conveyed by the passage. 
 In proportion to the force of such affec- 
 tion, would be the excessive degree of 
 grief for his loss. Holzhausen thinks 
 that she would also grieve την ἘΞ $y, 
 on account of her virginity, and compares 
 Jud. xi. 38; but this the text does not 
 suggest. LXX. νύμφη. Compl. rapSévos. 
 Wrapping oneself in sackcloth was atoken 
 of deep mourning. %22, properly Jord, 
 master, possessor ; and secondarily hus- 
 band, because in the East, wives were, 
 and still are, considered as the property 
 rather than the companions of their hus- 
 
 bands, Comp. the Greek κύριος γυναι- 
 
 xés; and for the application of ἀνὴρ to 
 one only betrothed, Matt.i.19. Accord- 
 ing to the Roman law, consensus facit 
 nuptias. 
 
 9. To a pious mind the gloomiest view 
 of external calamities will be taken from 
 their influence upon the cause of God. 
 The cessation of the usual solemnities of 
 the temple worship, occasioned by the 
 destruction of the fruits of the earth, 
 must have occasioned great grief to the 
 religious Jew. Jerome and others think 
 that as the priests would be deprived of 
 their regular support, by the cessation of 
 the offerings, they mourned on that ac- 
 count; but of this I should say with 
 Maurer, ‘“ Vates hic non videtur cogi- 
 tasse.” =13%, stands here for offerings 
 in general, whether bloody or unbloody, 
 —comp. Gen. iv. 4; LXX. ϑύσια, --- 
 even when restricted ‘a its signification 
 to meat offering, such as consisted of 
 meal, salt, oil, and incense, the proper 
 sacrifices. p°M2t, are understood, as 
 they were always connected with them, 
 except in the case of the sin and trespass- 
 offerings. The libation, or drink-offering, 
 was called 553, on account of its being 
 poured out, from the root 02, ἕο pour. 
 From the circumstance that J oel prefixes 
 the article to E275, priests, but not to 
 ms, husbandmen, and t- "3, vine=- 
 dressers, Credner argues that he must 
 either have been personally related to 
 them, or that prophets and priests must 
 have been more closely united at the time 
 hewrotethan afterwards. Comp. =*:75h, 
 ver. 18, il. 17. mn, ministers, is 
 a more dignified official term than ἘΞ» 
 servants, which is employed to denote 
 common slaves, as well as persons in 
 more elevated situations about a king. 
 
 10-12. The prophet enters here more 
 minutcly into a description of the devas- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 The new wine is dried up, 
 The oil languisheth. 
 
 11 
 Howl, ye vine-dressers ! 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 95 
 
 Be ashamed, ye husbandmen ! 
 
 On account of the wheat and the barley ; 
 For the harvest of the field. hath perished. 
 
 12 The vine is dried up, 
 And the fig-tree languisheth ; 
 
 tation occasioned by the locusts. worn, 
 new wine, which is already in a state of 
 fermentation, and so intoxicating; from 
 47, to take possession of anything. See 
 on ver. 5, where it is distinguished from 
 
 “ Syr. ἵ Δαδὶ τό, sic dictum, 
 
 quod se possessorem hominis facit, ejus 
 cerebrum. occupondo, ut 1116 non amplius 
 sui compos sit. Sic Arab. vinwm dicitur 
 
 Rw, a captivando, et ys, a tenendo 
 
 ΘΓΌ5: 
 
 et vinctum habendo.” Winer in voc. 
 mie, field, and m7, ground, are syn- 
 onymes ; but differ in this respect, that 
 the former denotes the open, free, unin- 
 
 closed part of a country, Arab. Qua, 
 
 extendit, dilatavit ; the latter, the rich 
 red soil which is particularly fit for cul- 
 tivation. Hence mitn dos, @ man of 
 the field, means a hunter, Gen. xxv. 27; 
 MINT WN, aman of the ground, an ag- 
 
 riculturist. Root ens, to be red. The 
 land is here, as frequently in the He- 
 brew prophets, made the subject of per- 
 sonification. Some would render j~a4n, 
 as applied to the new wine, ἕο be 
 ashamed: but occurring as it does in 
 parallelism with bb, to droop, lan- 
 guish like plants, it is better to retain 
 the primary motion of a7, to become 
 
 dry, dry up. Both wen and ss stand 
 
 for the vine and the olive tree, from 
 which the wine and oil are obtained. In 
 the second instance "3 ἢ takes the sig- 
 nification of g4a, to be ashamed, being 
 another form of the Hiphil for tan. 
 Both are used intransitively. The LXX. 
 retaining the signification of v3, im- 
 
 properly. render ἐξηράνϑησαν γεωργοί. 
 
 jim, the pomegranate tree, is indigen- 
 ous in Palestine in Syria, and is reck- 
 oned one of its noblest botanical produc- 
 tions. It grows to the height of twenty 
 feet, has a straight stem, spreading 
 branches, lancet-formed leaves, with 
 large and beautiful red blossoms. The 
 fruit is of the size of an orange, brown 
 in color, and affording a highly delici- 
 ous and cooling juice. It is also planted 
 in gardens, and in the courts of the 
 houses; and its fruit is greatly improved 
 by cultivation. It is still one of the 
 trees most frequently seen in those coun- 
 tries. So celebrated. were the dates of 
 Palestine, that Pliny, speaking of the 
 “en, date, or palm-tree, says, “ Judea 
 vero inclyta est vel magis palmis.” It 
 was adopted as ἃ symbol of the country 
 in coins struck under Vespasian and 
 Domitian ; and is frequently referred 
 to in the Old Testament. It sometimes 
 reaches the height of an hundred feet, 
 is remarkable for its straight, upright 
 growth, and forms one of the most 
 beautiful trees in the vegetable king- 
 dom. The fruit, which grows in clust- 
 ters under the large leaves, is of an ex- 
 ceedingly sweet and agreeable taste, and, 
 as an article both of sustenance and 
 traffic, is of great value to the inhabi- 
 tants. In Abyssinia, the natives extract 
 a juice from it which they manufacture 
 into a spirituous liquor resembling cham- 
 pagne. Its importance is here signifi- 
 cantly expressed by the particle Da be- 
 ing used intensively before it. mim, 
 
 Arab. Las, the apple-tree. Rosen- 
 
 miiller derives the word from 53, fo 
 breathe, and in this Gesenius concurs, 
 supposing the fragrant breath, i, e. smell 
 
90 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 The pomegranate, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, 
 All the trees of the field are withered ; 
 Yea, joy is withered away from the children of men. 
 
 13 
 
 Gird ye, and mourn, O ye priests! 
 
 Howl, ye ministers of the altar! 
 Enter, spend the night in sackcloth, 
 
 Ye ministers of my God! 
 
 For the offering and the libation 
 Are withholden from the house of your God. 
 
 14 Appoint a sacred fast, proclaim a day of restraint ; 
 Assemble the elders —all the inhabitants of the land, 
 
 or scent, to have originated the name. 
 The former of these writers adopts the 
 opinion of Celsius, that the quince tree 
 is specially intended ; but as the Arabs 
 
 include under cs oranges, lemons, 
 
 peaches, apricots, etc., the Hebrew term 
 is likewise in all probability generic in 
 its signification. To give to his de- 
 scription the utmost latitude, Joel adds, 
 mit csy—b>, all the trees of the field, 
 i. e. as Jerome explains “omnia ligna, 
 vel infructuosa, vel fructifera ;’’ and, to 
 bring it more home to the feelings of his 
 countrymen, he represents the conse- 
 quence to be, the entire removal of their 
 joy. Some improperly limit ἡ to 
 the joy of harvest. The construction 
 “7% dain, to dry away from, is what 
 is usually termed pregnant, and more 
 forcibly expresses the removal of the ob- 
 ject on which the verb terminates. 
 
 13. The prophet now addresses him- 
 self to the priests, and calls them first 
 to personal mourning, and then, in the 
 following verse, to institute a sacred fast, 
 in order that such mourning might be 
 general, After 243m supply with the 
 Syr. Κ᾿ Ὁ, as in one of Kennicott’s MSS., 
 or ὩΣ Ὦ as in one of De Rossi's. Both 
 forms occur in connection with the verb, 
 which is not here to be restricted to mere 
 girding, but rather signifies to wrap 
 round one. Comp. Jer. iv. 8; Is. xxii. 
 12. 40, primarily ἐο smite, strike, then 
 to strike the breast, in token of mourning. 
 See on Is, xxxii, 12. The LXX. always 
 
 render it by κόπτεσϑαι, except in two 
 instances, in which they give it by 
 κλαίειν, to weep. For 433% “nt, 
 comp. of νῷ ϑυσιαστηρίῳ παρεδρύοντες, 
 1 Cor. ix. 13. Some think that 4:3, 
 come, is to be taken idiomatically as a 
 particle of exhortation, like :=$ before 
 another verb, and appeal to chap. iii. 13, 
 for another instance in our prophet. 
 As however, the verb is, to say the 
 least, not necessarily to be so under- 
 stood in that passage, and as mention 
 is made of the altar, immediately before, 
 it appears more proper to take it in the 
 sense of entering, i. 6. into the court of 
 the temple, where, in the more imme- 
 diate presence of Jehovah, the priests 
 were to bewail their sins, and those of 
 the people. Thus the LXX. εἰσέλϑετε, 
 and Kimchi, "Ὁ pwi"7 ma 383, en- 
 ter ye the house of God, and there mourn. » 
 > or 45, signifies to spend, or remain 
 over the night, and retains this signi- 
 fication in the present passage, though, 
 from the connection, it is obvious not 
 one night only, but many nights are 
 meant. The priests were not only to 
 wear the habit of mourning during the 
 day, they were also to remain in it all 
 night. Ahab is said to have lain in 
 sackcloth, when he humbled himself 
 before God, 1 Kings xxi. 27. LXX. 
 ὑπνώσατε. 
 
 14. δ᾽, to hallow, consecrate; to 
 keep holy ; to appoint sacred or religious 
 services ; here, to institute a sacred fast 
 by fixing the time and circumstances, 
 and preparing the people for its proper 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 97 
 
 To the house of Jehovah your God, 
 
 And cry unto Jehovah. 
 
 16 Alas for the day ! 
 
 For the day of Jehovah is near, 
 And cometh as a mighty destruction 
 
 From the Almighty. 
 
 16 Is not the food cut off before our eyes ? 
 Are not joy and gladness from the house of our God ? 
 17 The seeds are become dry beneath their clods ; 
 
 observance. The Pual participle is used 
 even of warriors; see on Is. xiii. 3. The 
 interpretations of the Rabbins, Jarchi 
 and Kimchi, η5" 1π, and Abenezra, 
 43°Dm, are defective, by leaving out the 
 idea of sacredness, which the verb al- 
 ways conveys. "S25 restraint, or be- 
 ing held back or prevented from labor : 
 
 ni», day, or period, understood. See on 
 Is. i. 13. The Jews were to abstain from 
 their worldly avocations, and spend the 
 portion of their time thus consecrated 
 to the immediate and solemn duties 
 of humiliation, confession, and prayer. 
 b-2p1, edders, in this connection, might 
 be taken in an official sense, denoting 
 those holding office among the people, 
 who were expected to take the lead, and, 
 by their example, to excite others to en- 
 gage in the religious solemnities ; but a 
 comparison of this verse with chap. ii. 
 15, in which “children” and “suck- 
 lings are mentioned, would rather require 
 us to understand the term as referring to 
 age. The central point of convocation 
 was the temple—the special theocratic 
 residence of Him whose wrath was to 
 be deprecated, and his mercy implored. 
 
 y2t, Arab. (55. Sed, to cry out, 
 
 ery earnestly for help. UXX. κεκράξετε 
 ἐκτενῶς. ‘ Ardentissimas fundite pre- 
 ces.”” Rosenmiiller. 
 
 15. Joel now exclaims, p4>> AMS» 
 alas! for the day! ‘QO infaustum et 
 tristissimum illum diem!” Rosen- 
 miiller. To give intensity to the ex- 
 clamation, the LXX. have the triple 
 οἴμοι, οἴμοι, οἴμοι. That the πὲ πὸ Ὁ", 
 
 day, of Jehovah, i. e. the period ‘of pun- 
 13 
 
 ishment, does not mean that of the 
 plague of the locusts, but a more awful 
 period still future, the term amp, near, 
 at hand, which is never used to denote 
 the actual presence of anything, but its 
 speedy approach, sufficiently proves. 
 What the Jews were then suffering 
 was only a prelude to still more dread- 
 ful calamities. For "πὸ 7w>, which 
 forms an elegant paronomasia, see on Is. 
 xiii. 6, where the same form occurs. 
 The » is, as there, the Caph veritatis, 
 and expresses the greatness of the evil. 
 
 16. The verb m > is understood in 
 the latter hemistich, The annual fes- 
 tivals were occasions of great rejoic- 
 ing. See Ley. xxiii. 40; Deut. xii. 
 12, 18. 
 
 17. This, and the three following 
 verses, describe the drought which was 
 simultaneous with the judgment of the 
 locusts. It exhibits the singular phe- 
 nomenon of four ἅπαξ λεγόμενα within 
 the short space which it occupies. For 
 the elucidation of v2», some compare 
 the Chaldee ws», to rot, but it is with 
 more propriety referred to the Arab. 
 
 Ums; siccus fuit; and so is of the 
 
 same signification with 3", ¢o be dry, 
 dried up. Thus Abulwalid. By the 
 desiccating influence of the heat, the 
 seeds that had been sown in the ground 
 would lose all their moisture, and perish, 
 That mi>5 mean seeds or grains of 
 corn, etc. seems a ek determined 
 
 by the use of the Syr. ᾿ς 2 15; granum, 
 Matt. xiii. 31; John xii. 24; 1 Cor. xv. 
 
98 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuarp. 1. 
 
 The granaries are desolate, the store-houses are destroyed, 
 
 Because the.corn is withered. 
 
 18 How the cattle mourn! 
 
 How the herds of oxen are perplexed! 
 
 Because they have no pasture ; 
 
 Yea, the flocks of sheep are destroyed. 
 
 19 To thee, O Jehovah! 1 ery, 
 
 For fire hath consumed the pastures of the desert, 
 And a flame hath burnt all the trees of the field. 
 
 37, in the Peshito; and the signification 
 of “5, to separate, an action which 
 takes place when, in sowing, the hus- 
 bandman scatters the seed in distinct 
 grains. ‘To the same effect Tanchum, 
 
 Rely δ Δα." Cyst 
 
 Ue) I Θ᾽ .5) 23 | ζλ ν, grains 
 prepared for sowing, so called because 
 they are scattered in the ground. ne Δ» 
 
 clods, or lumps of earth. Comp. the 
 Arab. a) οὐ)! 
 Thus also 
 
 gleba terre ; 
 
 oe terra diversa varia, 
 Χϑ..5.. : 
 
 fen) ἢ = signifies a mark on the body, 
 occasioned by the contracting or drying 
 up of the skin, and resembling a round 
 lump of earth or dung. nin3%072 is 
 synonymous with niaxN, granaries ; 
 and, according to the force of the local 
 Ὁ prefixed, signifies places or houses 
 containing store rooms, or granaries, in 
 which grain was deposited. The Dagesh 
 in the second Ὁ is euphonic. The 
 simpler form 773292, occurs Hag. ii. 19 ; 
 and both are to be referred to the root 
 saa, to gather, collect. For the diver- 
 sitied and unsatisfactory renderings of 
 the ancient versions, see Pococke in loc, 
 The verbs ty and 047 are here to be 
 taken in the sense of being left or neg- 
 lected like places that have been laid 
 waste or destroyed. 
 
 18. ‘pa, in Niphal, expresses the per- 
 plexity to which any one is reduced who 
 does not know how to extricate himself 
 from difliculty. The brute creation are 
 
 graphically represented as being in this 
 condition from the total failure of pas- 
 turage. The ἘΔ before 82-2473 is in- 
 tensive; even the sheep, which subsist 
 on herbage unsuitable for the oxen, are 
 deprived of food. As the idea of pun- 
 ishment is conveyed by the verb ἘΦ, it 
 was in all probability used by the pro- 
 phet, in order to teach the Jews that 
 innocent creatures are involved in the 
 consequences of guilt incurred by trans- 
 gressors. Comp. Exod. xii. 29; Jonah 
 111: ἧς 
 
 19. It isnot unusual for the Hebrew 
 prophets to give expression to their own 
 feelings, while describing the judgments 
 that were brought upon their country. 
 Comp. Is. xv. 5, xvi. 11, xxi. 3, 4, xxii. 
 4; Jer. xxiii. 9. It has been questioned 
 whether the “fire” and “flame” are 
 here to be taken literally of the actual 
 burning of the grass, which often hap- 
 pens in extreme heat, or whether they 
 are used figuratively of the heat itself. 
 The former is more probably the mean- 
 ing. nis, Kimchi explains, mip 
 swrn, grassy places, places of pastur- 
 age; hence pasturage itself. It is de- 
 saved from 713, to be pleasant, (comp. 
 πὰ} to dwell: but signifying in this 
 connection the green, grassy spots, so 
 eagerly desired by the cattle, and pleas- 
 ant both to man and beast. From the 
 circumstance that such places would 
 naturally be selected for occupancy by 
 tents, dwellings, etc. the word came also 
 to signify habitations. Comp. the Arab. 
 
 % \, diversatus fuit, hospitio excipit: 
 
 lL, mansio, sedes commorationis. 
 
 S 
 
Cuap. IL. 
 
 JUEL. 
 
 99 
 
 20 The very beasts of the field look up to thee, 
 Because the streams of water are dried up, 
 And fire hath devoured the pastures of the desert. 
 
 20. 99, Arab. hme Eth. UC): 
 ascendit : to look up with panting or 
 earnest desire. Arab. ἅς... inclinatio, 
 
 propensioinrem. The word beautifully 
 expresses the natural action of animals 
 parched with thirst, and deprived of all 
 supply of water. They hold up their 
 heads, as if their only expectation were 
 from the God of heaven. LXX. ἀνέ- 
 βλεψαν. Comp. Ps. xlii. 2, where the 
 force of pra "p"Es—>y is lost by the 
 rendering of our common version, “after 
 
 the water-brooks.” It should be αὐ or 
 beside, as the Psalmist evidently intended 
 to represent the deer standing on the 
 brink of the channels in which water 
 usually flowed, but which had become 
 dry. To their pitiable condition he com- 
 pares his own circumstances when de- 
 prived of the usual means of spiritual 
 refreshment. The idea of their crying 
 
 to God, which the Syr. 9 and the 
 
 Rabbins attach to the word, ,is derived 
 from such passages as Job. xxxviii. 41 ; 
 Ps. οἷν. 21, exlvii. 9, rather than from 
 anything expressed by the word itself. 
 
 CLAP TER 11. 
 
 THE prophet reiterates his announcement of the approach of a divine judgment more 
 terrific in its nature than that of the locusts, but employs language borrowed from the 
 appearance and movements of these insects, in order to make a deeper impression upon 
 his hearers, whose minds were full of ideas derived from them as instruments of the 
 calamity under which they were suffering, 1-11. He then summons anew to humilia- 
 tion and repentance, 12-17; giving assurance that on these taking place, Jehovah would 
 show them pity, destroy their enemy, and restore them to circumstances of great tem- 
 poral and religious prosperity, 18-27; and the chapter concludes with a glorious promise 
 of the abundant effusion of the influences of the Holy Spirit in the apostolic age, 28, 29, 
 and a prediction of the Jewish war, and the final subversion of the Jewish state, 30, 31, 
 in the midst of which such as embraced the worship and service of the Messiah should ex- 
 
 perience deliverance, 32. 
 
 
 
 1 ‘Brow ye the trumpet in Zion! 
 And sound the alarm in my holy mountain ! 
 
 1. To give the greater effect to the ing. The persons addressed are the 
 alarm here commanded to be sounded, priests, on whom it devolved to blow 
 Jehovah himself is introduced as speak- with trumpets. 4 σάλπιγξ ὄργανον ἔστι 
 
100 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuape. 11. 
 
 Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble ; 
 For the day of Jehovah cometh ; it is near. 
 
 2 A day of darkness and gloom, 
 
 A day of clouds and dense obscurity ; 
 Like the dawn spread over the mountains 
 A numerous and mighty people: 
 
 None such have ever been, 
 
 Neither shall there ever be after them, 
 During the years of successive generations. 
 
 πολέμου. Philo de Septenario. They 
 were to warn all of the threatened judg- 
 ment. Comp. chap. i. 15, where the 
 prophet anticipates what is now about 
 to be the subject of a special descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 2. Synonymes are here accumulated 
 to give intensity to the expression of the 
 thought. The awful calamity which 
 was to come upon the Jews is set forth 
 under the metaphor of darkness, which 
 is of frequent occurrence in the Hebrew 
 Scriptures, when sufferings and misery 
 are the subjects of discourse. Comp. 
 sev. 2.2; Σ᾿ 2. Jer: xii. 16) ‘Amos 
 v. 18; Zeph. i. 15. In the present 
 instance, however, there was a singular 
 propriety in adopting the language, since 
 the prophet was just going to introduce 
 an allegory founded upon the fact, that 
 swarms of locusts had come over the 
 land, and intercepting, by their density, 
 the light of the sun, had occasioned an 
 universal darkness. See on ver. 10. 
 Some interpreters have stumbled at the 
 apparent incongruity of comparing the 
 coming affliction with the -py, aurora, 
 since the idea usually suggested by the 
 figurative use of that term is joy, or 
 prosperity ; but as this idea is not ex- 
 clusively conveyed by the use of it, as 
 it is also employed to express the cer- 
 tainty, Hos. vi. 3, and suddenness of 
 anything, Hos. x. 15, so here the ob- 
 vious points of comparison are merely 
 the suddenness and extent of the change 
 produced by the diffusion of the rays 
 of light, without any reference to the 
 nature of the change itself. 
 
 Joel now proceeds to introduce and 
 
 describe the hostile army of the Assy- 
 rians in the same terms in which he had 
 metaphorically described the locusts, 
 chap. i. 6; only exchanging 58, nation, 
 fer ty, people, which is also used of 
 foreign and idolatrous nations, Numb. 
 xxi. 29; 1 Chron. xvi. 20; Jer. xviii. 42. 
 In this description, he not only transfers 
 the metaphor back to the proper subject 
 from which it was taken, but converts it 
 into an allegory, and at considerable 
 length, and in the most minute manner, 
 exhibits the invasion, the formidable 
 character, and the ravages of the bar- 
 barian foe. So perfectly is the allegorical 
 veil woven throughout, that most com- 
 mentators have been able to discover 
 nothing more than natural locusts in the 
 passage. At the time in which the 
 prophet delivered his message the locusts 
 covered the land; they were before his 
 eyes; the idea of them had so taken 
 possession of his mind, that, considering 
 the striking resemblance which they 
 bore to an invading army, nothing was 
 more natural than to exhibit the latter 
 in sensible images taken from the scene 
 by which both he and his hearers were 
 surrounded. And, accustomed as they 
 had been to the parabolic style of pro- 
 phecy, they could have been at no loss 
 to discover, that when in this part of 
 his discourse he appeared to speak of 
 locusts, it was not natural but political 
 locusts he had in view. While the de- 
 cidedly future aspect of the calamity, 
 chap. i. 15, ii. 1, proves that it had not 
 taken place at the time the words were 
 delivered, a comparison of the language 
 in the concluding part of verse 2, with 
 
Cuap, Π. 
 
 3 Before them fire devoureth, 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 101 
 
 And behind them a flame burneth ; 
 Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, 
 But behind them a desolate wilderness : 
 And there is no escape from them. 
 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses, 
 
 And they run like horsemen. 
 
 that employed chap. i. 2, equally proves 
 that a plague of locusts could not have 
 been intended. We must, therefore, 
 with the alteration of a single word, 
 adopt the language of Jerome, “ dum 
 lecustas legimus, Assyrios cogitamus.” 
 That the Assyrian invasion under Sen- 
 nacherib, and not that of the Chaldeans 
 under Nebuchadnezzar, is meant, ap- 
 pears from the emmense number of the 
 army, its entire destruction in the land 
 of Palestine, and there being no refer- 
 ence whatever to the captivity in Baby- 
 lon, the omission of which is unimag- 
 inable, on the supposition that the lat- 
 ter of the two invasions was intended. 
 The army of Sennacherib must have 
 been the largest that ever entered Pa- 
 lestine, since only that division of it 
 which invested Jerusalem, amounted to 
 nearly 200,000 men, Is. xxxvii. 36. It 
 was marching forward to the conquest 
 of Egypt, and, like a swarm of locusts, 
 covered the whole land. All the fortified 
 tities of Judah were taken, Is. xxxvi. 1; 
 the cultivated fields and vineyards were 
 trodden down or consumed, xxxvii. 30; 
 and nothing short of utter destruction 
 seemed to await the inhabitants. The 
 design of the Divine Spirit, to whose 
 infinite mind the future event was 
 present, in dictating the prediction in 
 the language here employed, appears to 
 have been, to deepen the impressions 
 produced by the plague of locusts, and 
 thereby to excite to that repentance and 
 amendment of life, which alone could 
 secure to the Jews the continuance of 
 their national blessings. 
 
 3. A description of the desolate state 
 to which Judea was to be reduced, in 
 language borrowed from that given of 
 the drought, chap. i. 19. 725%, before 
 
 him, and 3x, behind him, are used to 
 express universality ; whicungue. Comp. 
 1 Chron. xix. 10. This construction is 
 confirmed by what follows: πο Ξ ἘΔ 
 43 anna Ns, and there is no escape from 
 them, or, more literally, in reference to 
 them. τ ἘΞ properly signifies those 
 who have escaped in the war; who have 
 not been killed, or taken prisoners; but 
 it is also used of fruits of the earth 
 which have not been destroyed, Exod, 
 x. 5. The contrast between the beauty 
 of Paradise and the desolation of a des- 
 ert, is exquisitely forcible and affect- 
 ing. 
 
 4. The allegory now becomes special 
 and minute in its features, which are 
 selected from the phenomena and opera- 
 tions of an invading army, the subject 
 of which it is to be understood ; but 
 having the invasion by the locusts as its 
 basis, and therefore presenting these 
 prominently to view, and comparing 
 them to the army, which is thus stu- 
 diously concealed. On this principle 
 there is no difficulty in accounting for 
 the particle of comparison, so liberally 
 used in this and the following verses. So 
 strong is the resemblance of the head of 
 the locust to that of a horse, that they 
 are on this account called cavalettes by 
 the Italians. This feature Theodoret 
 thus notices : εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς κατίδοι τὴν 
 κεφαλὴν τῆς ἀκρίδος, σφόδρα τῇ τοῦ 
 ἵππου ἐοικυῖαν εὑρήσει. In Rev. ix. 7, 
 the locusts are compared to horses har- 
 nessed for battle: τὰ ὁμοιώατα τῶν 
 ἀκρίδων ὅμοια ἵπποις ἡτοιμασμένοις εἰς 
 πόλεμον. Such comparison is very com- 
 mon among the Arabs. The point of 
 comparison in the second member of 
 the parallelism, is the swiftness with 
 which cavalary advance to the attack. 
 
109 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 5 They bound hke the rattle of chariots on the tops of the mountains; 
 Like the crackling of the flame of fire devouring the stubble ; 
 Like a mighty people arranged for battle. 
 
 6 Before them the people tremble ; 
 
 All faces withdraw their color. 
 7 They run like mighty men ; 
 
 They scale the wall like warriors ; 
 
 They all march in their courses, 
 
 They break not their ranks. 
 8 They press not each other: 
 
 They march on, each in his path ; 
 Though they fall among the missiles, 
 
 They break not up. 
 
 9 They run eagerly through the city ; 
 
 They run upon the wall ; 
 
 5. =p. is used of the rapid and bound- 
 
 ing course of chariots over a rough sur- 
 face, Nah. 111. 2. See also Rev. ix. 9. 
 
 «* — per purum tonantes 
 Egit equos volucremque currum.” 
 
 Horace, Carm. i. 34, (lc 
 
 [1 
 
 
 
 vacuos dat in aéra saltus 
 
 Succubiturque alte, similisque est cur- 
 rus inani.”’ 
 
 Ovid. Metam. ti. 165. 
 
 Speaking of the noise made by a swarm 
 of locusts, Forskiil says: ‘‘ Transeuntes 
 grylli super verticem nostrum sono 
 magne cataracte ferebant.”” To the 
 same effect Morier; “On the 11th of 
 June, while seated in our tents about 
 noon, we heard a very. unusual noise, 
 that sounded like the rustling of a great 
 wind at a distance. On looking up, we 
 perceived an immense cloud, here and 
 there transparent, in other parts quite 
 black, that spread itself all over the sky, 
 and at intervals shadowed the sun.” It 
 is however, not improbable, that the 
 sound here referred to is that produced 
 by the large hind legs of the locust in 
 leaping. ‘The comparison at the end of 
 the verse, is to the clashing of arms, and 
 the shouting of an army on the point of 
 engaging in battle. 
 
 6. 555π, they tremble, from bah, to 
 turn round, twist one’s self, writhe with 
 
 pain; then ‘to tremble. Arab. JL, 
 med. Wau, ἐο be turned. -7NB, warmth» 
 
 ruddiness of countenance. Arab. ys 
 
 estuavit, efferbuit. —mNB yap, to with- 
 draw their ruddiness, or color, i. 6. to 
 change color, grow pale with terror. 
 Nah. ii. 11. Comp. 55, ἕο turn pale. 
 The ancient versions concur in rendering 
 the words, every face like the blackness of 
 a pot; deriving the last word from “55; 
 hence =:2, pot, without x. Of the 
 terror inspired by locusts, we cannot 
 have a better proof than the Arabic 
 
 proverb : ols wf oye, more 
 
 terrible than the locusts. 
 
 7-9. Here the description quite excels 
 inthe graphic. The comparison to war- 
 riors is admirably carried out. First, 
 their rapid advance upon the city is 
 specified ; next, their scaling the walls 
 in the most regular order; then their 
 consentaneous encounter with the troops 
 of defence, their invulnerability, their 
 progress through the streets, their climb- 
 ing the walls, and entering the win- 
 dows of the houses, are set forth in terms 
 
Cuap. ἢ. 
 
 They go up into the houses ; 
 They enter the windows like 
 
 of singular and appropriate beauty. 
 way, Arab. bars, fidit, vulneravit, 
 hous, jissus, has here the significa- 
 
 tion of breaking up the order or regu- 
 larity with which a body of troops pro- 
 ceed when marching to the attack. 
 Abenezra and Kimchi compare σὴ», to 
 to pervert, turn aside which comes nearly 
 to the same thing. LXX. ἐκκλίνωσι. 
 
 Syr. .  Gesenius thinks the 
 J coe 
 
 verb is here used in a sense cognate with 
 the significations in Kal and Hiphil, ¢o 
 give or take a pledge; but’ the idea of 
 exchange, change, is not clearly brought 
 out. The regular military order with 
 which the locusts advance, has been fre- 
 quently described. ᾿Αβασίλευτον γὰρ 
 n ἀκρὶς, ἐστρατεύει μὲν γὰρ ἐξ ἑνὸς 
 εὐτάκτως κελεύσματος" φασὶ δὲ αὐτὰς 
 στοιχηδὸν ἰέναι, καὶ ὡς ἐν τάξει ditrrac- 
 Sau, καὶ ἥκιστα μὲν ἀπονοσφίζεσϑαι, περ- 
 ιέπει δὲ οὕτως ἀλλήλας, ὡσανεὶ καὶ 
 ἀδελφαὶ, φύσεως αὐτῆς βραβευούσης τὸ 
 φιλάλληλον. Cyril. The testimony of 
 Jerome, as an eye-witness in Palestine, is 
 peculiarly valuable: ‘Hoc nuper in hac 
 provincia vidimus. Quum enim locus- 
 tarum agmina venirent, et aerem, quo 
 inter coelum et terram est, occuparent 
 tanto ordine ex dispositione jubentis Dei 
 volitant, ut instar tesserularum, que in 
 pavimentis artificis figuntur manu, suum 
 tocum teneant, et ne puncto quidem, ut 
 ita dicam, ungueve transverso declinent 
 ad alteram.” Morier also remarks on 
 those which he saw: ‘“ ‘They seemed to 
 be impelled by one common instinct, 
 and moved in one body, which had the 
 appearance of being organized Py, a 
 leader.’”” Comp. mies xxx. 27, 7x 7373 
 Shp ys sxni mans, there is no ΠΣ to 
 the pasts yet they y go "forth, all of them 
 dividing, i. e. themselves into regular 
 companies or swarms, with all the dis- 
 cipline of a well-ordered army. [m7, 
 signifies so to press upon one as to com- 
 pel him to move from his place. Not- 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 103 
 
 a thief. 
 
 withstanding the immense crowds of the 
 locusts, not only does none of them break 
 the ranks by deviating from the straight 
 course which they pursue, but none 
 forces his fellow from his rank. Their 
 watchword may be said to be onward ; 
 for they never turn back.. If they enter 
 houses, they go straight through them, 
 and out at the opposite side. Thus 
 Abulphargius relates in his Chron. Syr. 
 p- 134: * postquam a latere meridionale 
 domos intraverant, a latere septemtri- 
 onale egrediebantur. ">, properly means 
 any missile weapon thrown at an en- 
 emy, from dw, ¢o send or cast forth ; 
 but it is also frequently used of the 
 
 sword. Comp. the Arab. et arma. 
 
 “za, is of somewhat difficult determi- 
 nation. The ground idea seems to be 
 that of mediation, a being, or doing any- 
 thing between two ; hence “£2 bbenn, ; 
 to make supplication for any one, i. e. by 
 interposing between him and the party 
 to whom the supplication is addressed. 
 To this the signification derived from the 
 
 Arab. (has, post, nearly approximates, 
 
 as occurring in the Hebrew. Between, or 
 among, will suit most of the passages in 
 which the word occurs. See Winer and 
 Credner. Taking pty as a collective 
 noun, the meaning of Risa "¥3 ἘΞ), will 
 be to fall among the missiles, i. e. to Tight, 
 or come down among them; and referring 
 ΕΞ. to the whole swarm, what it ex- 
 presses is, that they are not broken up, 
 or interrupted in their course. Compare 
 a similar use of 42%, to break, Dan. xi. 
 22. “p32, in the city, i. 6. any city or 
 town that may lie in their way. Cred- 
 ner’s appeal to chap. iv. [ili.] 17, in proof 
 that Jerusalem is specifically meant, can- 
 not be sustained, since that part of the 
 prophecy relates to a totally different sub- 
 ject. The scene is rather the land of 
 Judah, with its fortified cities, which 
 were overrun and plundered by the As- 
 syrian troops. 
 
101 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuar. IL 
 
 10 Before them the earth trembleth, 
 
 The heavens shake, 
 
 The sun and the moon are darkened, 
 And the stars withdraw their shine. 
 11 Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army ; 
 
 Surely his camp is very large ; 
 
 Surely it is mighty, executing his order ; 
 Surely the day of Jehovah is great, and very terrible: 
 
 Who can endure it ? 
 1τ 
 
 Now, therefore, saith Jehovah, 
 
 Turn ye to me with all your heart, 
 
 And with fasting and weeping and mourning ; 
 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, 
 
 And turn to Jehovah your God ; 
 
 For he is pitiful and compassionate, 
 
 10,11. Though the language here 
 employed may in part admit of a literal 
 application to the obscuration of the air 
 by the locusts, yet it is, as a whole, to be 
 regarded as a specimen of the highly 
 wrought hyperbolical, which forms one 
 of the more distinguishing features of 
 Hebrew poetry. min? ben, the voice of 
 Jehovah, is here, as frequently, thunder, 
 and not any word of command, as some 
 have imagined. Com. Exod. ix 
 29, 33; Ps. xviii. 14; Ps. lxxvii. 18, 19. 
 The locusts are called the $m, army of 
 Jehovah, with further reference to the 
 numbers and power of an army. One of 
 the laws of Mohammed is thus expressed : 
 
 Ge Lele οἱ» 5} fas Y, 
 plas x}, Ye shall not kill the 
 
 locusts, for they are the army of God 
 Almighty. Damir. And ὟΣ -» 
 
 Lord of the locusts, is one of the names 
 of God among the Mohammedans. The 
 entire description closes with the brief 
 but pointed interrogation, 
 Who can endure it? to which the im- 
 plied answer is, None. Comp. Mal. iii. 
 2, txta oor toto ox, and Jer. 
 x. 10, St ΝΗ γξτπν Nb. 
 
 12. Jehovah himself is here intro- 
 
 apbo5. 5 
 
 duced, urging the necessity of immediate 
 humiliation. τι τ Δ.» is intensive. The 
 ἡ is that of consequence, deducing an 
 argument from what had preceded; ἘΔ 
 is augmentative and emphatic, as usually 
 in Joel; and ny, has special reference 
 to the existing circumstances of the 
 persons addressed, and the instant atten- 
 tion which the divine message required. 
 The combination marks strong feeling in 
 the speaker, and the urgent nature of 
 the subject to which it is introductory. 
 It is to be connected with ὅπ m2, and 
 not with min ἘΝ. 
 
 13. The ‘prophet resumes his address, 
 and founds upon the call of Jehovah, 
 contained in the preceding verse, an 
 exhortation to sincere inward repentance, 
 which he supports by encouragements 
 deduced from the benignity of the divine 
 character. Rending the garments was 
 usual on occasions of great mourning, 
 see Gen. xxxvii. 29, 34; 1 Sam. iv. 12; 
 1 Kings xxi. 27; Ezra ix. 3, 5; Is. 
 xxxvii- 1. This custom obtained not 
 only among the Hebrews, but also among 
 the Babylonians, Persians, Egyptians, 
 Greeks and Romans. m3 7, is neither 
 the plague of locusts, nor the invasion of 
 the Assyrians, but the calamities in gen- 
 eral which God brings upon mankind. 
 This interpretation the preceding con- 
 text requires. 
 
Cuap. Π. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 105 
 
 Long-suffering, and of great mercy, 
 
 And repenteth of the evil. 
 
 14 Who knoweth? He may turn and repent, 
 And leave a blessing behind him — 
 
 An offering and a libation, 
 For Jehovah your God. 
 15 
 Appoint a sacred fast ; 
 Proclaim a day of restraint. 
 
 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, 
 
 16 Assemble the people: convene a sacred assembly; 
 Collect the aged; gather the children, 
 And those that suck the breasts ; 
 Let the bridegroom come forth from his chamber, 
 And the bride from her nuptial bed. 
 17 Between the porch and the altar, 
 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep ; 
 And let them say, Have pity, O Jehovah! upon thy people, 
 
 14. The question 334» »7a, who knoweth, 
 while it suggests the idea of the great- 
 ness of the sin to be pardoned, also con- 
 veys that of the possibility of such par- 
 
 don, 
 {ς 
 
 
 
 ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι καὶ νῦν, 
 
 Ταῦτ᾽ εἴποις ᾿Αχιλῆϊ δάϊφρονι, αἴκε 
 πίϑηται. 
 
 Tis δ᾽ οἰδ᾽ εἴ κέν of, σὺν δαίμονι, ϑυμὸν 
 ὀρίναις, 
 
 Παρειπών ;᾿ 
 
 Iliad. xi. 789. 
 
 God’s leaving a blessing behind him, 
 presupposes his return to visit his people 
 in mercy. The first-fruits of prosperity 
 are due to Him through whose blessing 
 it is conferred. 
 
 15, 16. Comp. ver. i. and chap. i. 14. 
 Here the distribution into classes is more 
 minute than in the latter of these pas- 
 sages. The mourning was to be uni- 
 versal. The m=n, was the bridal couch, 
 richly provided with a canopy, curtains, 
 etc. Root 52n, to cover, protect. See 
 for the force of the reference to the last 
 class mentioned, Deut. xxiv. 5. 
 
 17. pbax, Arab. J, Ἰ prior, anterior ; 
 
 the mpovdos, or porch, before the temple, 
 more strictly taken. It was an hundred 
 
 14 
 
 and twenty cubits high, twenty broad 
 from north to south, and ten long from 
 east to west. The mat, altar, was that 
 of burnt-offering in the court of the 
 priests. Here, with their backs toward 
 the altar, on which they had nothing to 
 offer, and their faces directed towards 
 the residence of the Shekinah, they were 
 to weep, and make supplication on be- 
 half of the people. 5" ὩΞ 9.25, Jar- 
 chi, Secker, Michzlis, Rosenmiiller, Justi, 
 Credner, Winer, Gesenius, Maurer, Noyes, 
 Hitzig, and Ewald, render, that the na- 
 tions should make a proverb of them ; but 
 such construction is totally unauthor- 
 ized by Hebrew usage. In upwards of 
 fifty instances, in which 3 by occurs 
 in the Hebrew Bible, it is never once used 
 in the sense of employing derision, or 
 satirical language, but uniformly in that 
 of likening, or of exercising rule or do- 
 minion. In fact, the verb is nowhere 
 used either with or without the prepo- 
 sition in the signification of deriding. It 
 is the noun alone that is thus employed 
 in the forms *y105 yma, mn, Ci, ΔῸΣ ΤΙ» 
 to be, set, give, etc. to a derision. Ezek. 
 xvi. 44, forms no exception. The ancient 
 versions all agree in the translation, that 
 the heathen should rule over them. LXX. 
 τοῦ κατάρξαι αὐτῶν evn. ‘Targ. ΝΘ 
 
100 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. Π, 
 
 And deliver not thine heritage to reproach, 
 That the nations should rule over them. 
 Why should they say among the people, 
 
 Where is their God ? 
 18 
 
 Then Jehovah will be jealous for his land, 
 
 And take compassion upon his people : 
 19 Yea, Jehovah will answer, and say unto his people, 
 
 Behold! I will send you the corn, 
 
 And the new wine, and the oil, 
 
 And ye shall have abundance thereof: 
 
 And I will no more deliver you to reproach among the nations. 
 20 I will also remove the Northern from you, 
 
 And drive him into a dry and barren land ; 
 
 ρ > τὴ 
 nomz ying. Sy [aSaade 
 we 
 
 ων . 
 λοι "9 Vulg. ut dominentur eis na- 
 
 tiones. Hexap. Syr. ors «ϑοσιο 
 
 [Saka $ [Lad Thus also Kimchi, 
 Abenezra, Leo Juda, Junius and Tre- 
 mellius, Jewish-Spanish, Lyranus, Dru- 
 sius, Calvin, Newcome, Dathe, Booth- 
 royd, and Hengstenberg ; and there 
 does not appear to be any reason why it 
 could ever have been rendered other- 
 wise, but for the influence of the hypo- 
 thesis, that the preceding part of the 
 prophecy relates to locusts, and not to 
 political enemies. ‘Ideo ridiculum est 
 quod multi putant contexti sermonem 
 de locustis: illud prorsus alienum est a 
 Prophet mente.” Calvin, in Joc. 
 
 18. sap, Arab. Lis, valde rubuit ; in 
 
 Piel sop , ¢o be jealous, from the redness 
 
 or flush by which the face is suffused, 
 
 when a person is under the influence of 
 ion. 
 
 19, 20. In the former of these verses, 
 respect is had to the removal of the 
 calamity, from which the Jews were 
 suffering at the time the prophecy was 
 delivered ; in the latter, that of the 
 foreign enemy by whom the country was 
 to be invaded. The article is placed 
 before 437 wian, and “mx, to give 
 them prominence, as the principal objects 
 
 which had suffered from the locusts, and 
 which were now to be restored. The 
 term "3537, the Northern, Northlander, 
 or, as Coverdale renders, Him of the 
 North, is of prime importance in the 
 interpretation of the prophecy. It has 
 been urged against its having any refer- 
 ence to the locusts, that they visit Pales- 
 tine from the south, and not from the 
 north ; but this objection can scarcely be 
 regarded as valid, since, though they do 
 not usually come from that quarter, yet 
 they may be carried by a south wind 
 across Arabia Deserta, and then, when 
 to the north of Palestine, be driven south, 
 or south-west into that country. That, 
 however, which determines the question, 
 is the addition of the patronymic » to 
 ΕΣ, indicating that the North was not 
 merely the quarter whence the subject of 
 discourse came, but that its native country 
 lay to the north of Palestine: just as 
 syaomn , the Temanite, means. the South- 
 ern, or he who dwells to the right of Pal- 
 estine ; "3%, @ native Egyptian; in 
 
 Arabic οἷ»; a Meccite, shu, a 
 
 Medinite, i. e. a native or inhabitant of 
 Mecca and Medina. Now it is agreed 
 on all hands, that the native country of 
 the locusts is the regions of Arabia, the 
 Lybian deserts, and the Sahara of Egypt ; 
 so that according to the usus loguendi, 
 they cannot be meant by the term here 
 employed. Indeed, so much has this 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 107 
 
 His van towards the Eastern sea, 
 And his rear towards the Western sea ; 
 
 And his odor shall come up, 
 And his stench ascend, 
 
 Because he hath done great things. 
 
 been felt by some of those who have ad- 
 vocated the hypothesis, that locusts are 
 intended, that they have been under the 
 necessity of having recourse to far-fetched 
 expedients, in order to support it. Justi, 
 contrary to all analogy, proposes to ren- 
 der, ‘‘ the locusts that march northwards.” 
 or to explain the term north of what is 
 dark, hostile, or barbarous; which con- 
 struction of the meaning is, in part, 
 adopted by Hitzig. Maurer, on the other 
 hand, setting aside these and other me- 
 
 . 
 
 thods, has recourse to the Arab. 
 
 deposuit excrementum, and thence deduces 
 for 34x, the signification of stercoreus, 
 or, in case this derivation should not be 
 
 approved, to cpr, decorticare radendo, 
 
 and considers the reference to be either 
 to the injurious influence of their dung 
 on the trees, herbage, etc., or to their 
 stripping them of their verdure. 
 
 On the supposition that by "25: πιν the 
 Northern, the Assyrians are meant, every 
 difficulty vanishes. And that they may 
 with the strictest propriety be so termed, 
 is proved by Zeph, ii. 13: ‘ And he 
 will stretch out his hand 445s—>, upon 
 the North, and destroy Assyria, and will 
 make Nineveh a desolation, and dry as a 
 wilderness.’ The Jews weré accustomed 
 to call Assyria and Babylonia the North, 
 and the North country, because they lay in 
 that direction from Palestine. ‘ Queres, 
 quisnam hie Aquilonaris? §. Hieron. 
 Theodor. Remigius, Albertus et Hugo 
 accipiunt Sennacherib, quem Dominus, 
 longe fecit a Jerusalem: quia dum eam 
 obsideret, angelus Domini una nocte per- 
 cussit centum octuaginta quinque millia 
 militum, itaque eam fugere compulit. 4 
 Reg. xix. 85." — A Lapide. 
 
 The geographical specification which 
 follows in the verse is designed to express 
 the universality of the destruction of the 
 
 Assyrians. They were to be dispersed 
 in every other direction but that from 
 which they had come. By “43pm ban, 
 the Eastern Sea, is meant the Asphaltic 
 lake; by ;4nnsn 057, the Western Sea, 
 the Mediterranean ; ana by mas VN 
 τ 28, a dry and desolate land, the 
 deserts of Arabia. Literally the words 
 “27h, and “S487, signify what is 
 before and behind, ‘and are applied geo- 
 graphically in reference to the Orientals 
 reckoning the different quarters according 
 to the positions of front and rear, right 
 and left, while they face the east, which 
 is with them the principal point of the 
 compass. The language of the prophet 
 is figurative, the metaphor being: still 
 borrowed from the locusts, which perish 
 when blown by a storm into the sea, or 
 the sandy desert. Jerome refers to a 
 similar scene, which literally happened 
 when he was in Palestine. “ Etiam 
 nostris temporibus,” he says, ‘ vidimus 
 agmina locustarum terram texisse Ju- 
 deam, que postea vento surgente in 
 mare primum et novissimumi precipitata 
 sunt.” And he immediately adds, what 
 illustrates the statement of Joel relative 
 to the ascending of the stench: ‘Cum- 
 que littora utriusque maris acervis mor- 
 tuorum locustarum quas aque evomuer- 
 ant, implerentur, putredo earum et foetor 
 in tantum noxius fuit, ut aeram quoque 
 corrumperet, et pestilentia tam jumen- 
 torum, quam hominum gigneretur. 0°23 
 and 5‘, face and end are here used in 
 the military sense of van and rear, and 
 cannot, without violence, be interpreted 
 of the swarm of locusts, and a brood 
 which succeeded them. mins, is a 
 ἅπαξ Aey. comp. Mix, 40 be foul, putrid, 
 
 Arab. KEV, sordes. Giv- 
 
 ing an account of the locusts, Thevenot 
 says, ‘ They live not above six months, 
 and, when dead, the stench of them so 
 
 to stink. 
 
108 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 21 Fear not, O land! rejoice and be glad, 
 For Jehovah doeth great things ! 
 
 22 Fear not, ye beasts of the field ! 
 For the pastures of the desert spring up, 
 
 For the tree beareth its fruit ; 
 
 The fig-tree and the vine yield their strength. 
 23 Rejoice, ye sons of Zion! and be glad in Jehovah your God ; 
 
 corrupts and infects the air, that it often 
 occasions dreadful pestilences.” The con- 
 cluding words of the verse convey the 
 idea of moral agency, and can with no 
 propriety be interpreted of the locusts. 
 ives taan. LXX. ἐμεγάλυνε τὰ 
 
 ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Syr. posses Send 2)» 
 
 he exalted himself in acting. 'The phrase 
 is obviously used here in a bad sense, and 
 indicates the pride of the Assyrians ; 
 comp. 2 Kings xxi. 6, where n‘zz> ΤΙ τ» 
 a similar idiom, occurs. As employed in 
 the following verse of our prophet, it is 
 placed in antithesis with the sense in 
 which it is here used, and is to be dif- 
 ferently understood : viz. of the great 
 things that God would do for his people, 
 comp. Ps. exxvi. 2, 3. 
 
 21-23. In these verses there is a 
 beautiful gradation. First, the land, 
 which had been destroyed by the enemy, 
 is addressed in a prosopopeeia; then the 
 irrational animals which had suffered 
 from the famine ; and lastly, the inhabi- 
 tants themselves. All are called upon 
 to cast off their fears, and rejoice in the 
 happy change which Jehovah would 
 effect. Desolation, barrenness, and fam-= 
 ine, would disappear, and times of pros- 
 perity and happiness return, ws "23, 
 Sons of Zion, properly the inhabitants of 
 Jerusalem, but here evidently used to 
 denote those of the Jand generally, of 
 which Jerusalem was the metropolis, and 
 Zion the centre of religious influence. 
 mpis> mi, is rendered in the Targ. 
 4572 phe2Bb, your teacher in righteous- 
 ness ; which Abarbanel explains, 3 
 
 ma 55" Join re ΠΡ Ὁ pees sti 
 Views. Mes ΠΣ msi. And he is 
 
 the king Messiah, who shall teach them 
 the way in which they shall walk, and 
 
 the works that they should do. The 
 same, or a similar construction of the 
 words is found in the Vulg. Rufinus, 
 Jarchi, Pagninus, Munster, Leo Juda, 
 Castalio, the Jewish-Spanish, Remigius, 
 Rupertus, Vatablus, Ribera, Mercer, 
 CZcolamp., Luther, and most of the early 
 Lutheran interpreters; and, among the 
 modern, Pick and Hengstenberg, the 
 latter of whom contends for it at con- 
 siderable length, and decidedly considers 
 the passage to be one of the Messianic 
 prophecies. That τι 1}2 signifies teacher, 
 is beyond all doubt, see 2 Chron. xv. 3 ; 
 Job xxxvi. 22; Is. ix. 15, xxx. 20; and 
 from the occurrence of the word in this 
 place in connection with mp τὸ, righteous- 
 ness, Which is so frequently referred to 
 the Messiah both in the Old and New 
 Testaments, there is something very 
 plausible in the application of the term 
 to him who is specially called by Malachi 
 mp 1s v3, THe Sun or Ricuteousness, 
 chap. iv. 4, ὁ, 6. the author of that illu- 
 mination of knowledge which has right- 
 eousness for its object. To such interpre- 
 tation, however, there appear to me to be 
 the following insuperable objections : — 
 First, it is repugnant to the circumstances 
 of the context ; ‘non videtur tamen ferre 
 hunc sensum circumstantia loci.”’ Calvin; 
 who says of the reason adduced in support. 
 of it, that it would be out of place to give 
 such prominence to merely temporal 
 blessings: “sed ratio illa est nimis fri- 
 gida;’’ and goes on to show that, in ac- 
 cordance with the custom of the pro- 
 phets, Joel begins with these inferior bless- 
 ings, and afterwards, in ver. 28, proceeds 
 to treat of those which are spiritual. Sec- 
 ondly, the repetition of the same term, 
 min, immediately after, where, as all 
 allow, it must be taken in the accepta- 
 tion of rain. And thirdly, the pecul- 
 
Crise, 11. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 109 
 
 For he giveth you the former rain in due measure ; 
 Yea, he causeth the heavy rain to descend for you— 
 The former and the latter rain as before : 
 
 24 So that the floors shall be full of grain, 
 
 iar ee and cee es of the ‘tele 
 The tne given to m5 7, ne pr sete 
 not only the article 5, but also the de- 
 terminating particle nx, shows that the 
 prophet had some immediate and definite 
 object in view, which we cannot imagine 
 to have been any other than the autum- 
 nal rain, which was indispensable any 
 year, and more especially after such a 
 season of drought, to prepare the ground 
 for nourishing the seed. It must have 
 been an object of universal and anxious 
 desire, and has, in consequence, a high 
 degree of importance and prominence 
 allotted to it in the text. See on the 
 force of rs the Lexicons of Lee and 
 Gesenius. ‘The same consideration will 
 account for the form, and the particular 
 signification of πριν in this place, 
 The Ὁ is to be taken adverbially, as point- 
 ing out the rule or measure according to 
 which the rain was to be ; TPT, so that 
 the meaning will be, im just quantity, 
 adequately, in the proportion suitable to 
 the exigency of the case. Τπξ » the root 
 from which this noun is derived, signifies 
 to be just, right ; to come up to ee 
 claims, to be what a person or thing ought 
 to be. Comp. Lev. xix. 36, where P71 
 is used of weights and measures that 
 were exact, or came up to the demands 
 of the law. Some propose to render 
 
 ΤΡ ΞΡ, dountifully, but this would give 
 tie Chaldee rather than the Hebrew sig- 
 nification. Ewald translates, the ear hy y 
 rain for justification, and explains it of 
 the Jews being again accounted right- 
 eous by God. To the objection of Hengs- 
 tenburg, that if πρὸ 12 in the first half of 
 the verse does not designate a different 
 divine benefit from τοῦ 5% in the second, 
 an idle tautology will ensue, it is only 
 necessary to reply, that the words occur 
 in parallelism, and that in the second 
 instance ©3574 is merely a resumption for 
 the sake of dividing the ἘΠῚ mentioned 
 
 immediately before into its two regular 
 divisions, the former and the datter. ‘The 
 term elsewhere used for the former or 
 autumnal rain, which falls from the 
 middle of October until the middle of 
 December, is 4757, lit. waterer, being 
 the Benoni Participle of mar, to dart, 
 cast, or scatter, as drops of water. τοι", 
 however, which is the Hiph. Participle 
 of the same verb, does occur in the same 
 acceptation, Ps. Ixxxiv. 7. Comp. my 
 note on Hosea vi. 3, where wipbna , the 
 latter or vernal rain is also explained. 
 The reading 45,35, which is found in- 
 stead of the former π =7 7a, in tw enty -three 
 MSS., originally i in eleven more, now in 
 three, in the Jerusalem Talmud, and as 
 Keri in the margin of two of De Rossi’s 
 Codices, is in favor of the rendering 
 rain, which is that of all the early ver- 
 sions, but may possibly have originated 
 in emendation, With respect to the 
 latter occurrence of the word, there is no 
 
 variety of reading. ty3, Arab. haan 
 corpus, et omne id quod longum, largum 
 et profundum est ; Chald. the body: ap- 
 plied to such rain as is heavy, or violent, 
 and pours down as it were in a body. 
 The verbs 43, and 14352, are prophetic 
 futures. To render (Na , tn the first 
 month, would involve a contradiction, 
 since only one of the two rains could 
 happen in that month. It seems, there- 
 fore, necessary to suppose an ellipsis of 5, 
 the participle of comparison, and read 
 “JEN 25, as formerly, or as in for mer 
 times. “Comp. Jer, 1. 225 Jer. xxxiii. 11, 
 where 73¥x 25 is similarly used; and 
 for 572879, in the sense of former, 1 ton 
 xvil. 30; Hagg. 1.3. Thus the LXX. 
 Syr. Vulg. Arab. One of Kennicott’s 
 MSS. and perhaps another, reads 73875. 
 The ellipsis of 5 is not infrequent in the 
 Hebrew Scriptures. 
 
 24. Were the happy results of the 
 plentiful and scasonalle rains are set 
 
110 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuar. IL, 
 
 And the vats shall run over with new wine and oil. 
 
 25 
 
 Thus he will make good to you the years 
 
 Which the swarming locusts hath devoured, 
 The licking locust, the consuming locust, and the gnawing locust, 
 My great army which I sent against you. 
 
 26 
 
 And ye shall eat plentifully and be satisfied, 
 
 And praise the name of Jehovah your God, 
 Who hath dealt wondrously with you: 
 And my people shall never be ashamed. 
 
 to 
 -τ 
 
 Then shall ye know, that I am in the midst of Israel, 
 
 And that I, Jehovah, am your God, and none else ; 
 And my people shall never be ashamed. 
 
 28 
 
 And it shall come to pass, afterwards, 
 
 That I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh ; 
 
 forth. The ἡ in ss5%3, is consequential. 
 
 sp-dr,, comp. the Assh: ie propulit, 
 vil. Conj. ¢mpulsus fuit, fluxit, to cause 
 to flow, or run over. For ap>, see on 
 Tasive2s i 
 
 25. That the prophet has here in view 
 the plague of locusts described in chap. i. 
 cannot well be doubted. The names, 
 though placed in a different order, are 
 identical with those there specified. 
 They are called God’s great army, a 
 name still given to them by the Arabs. 
 See on yer. 11. Though the scourge 
 lasted only one year, yet as they not 
 only destroyed the whole produce of 
 that year, but also what was laid up in 
 store for future years, there is no im- 
 propriety in the plural form of tz, 
 years. ‘The term is used metonymically 
 for the produce and supply of years. 
 The loss of these Jehovah promises to 
 recompense or make good by not only 
 furnishing the Jews with an abundance 
 of temporal enjoyments, but affording 
 them the delightful experience of his 
 presence and favor as their covenant 
 God. This promise is amplified in 
 verses — 
 
 26, 27, In which the future prosperity 
 of the Jewish church is described in 
 terms, which obviously characterize the 
 period which succeeded that of the 
 Babylonish captivity. The divine re- 
 compense was not merely to cover the 
 
 evils sustained by the ravages of the 
 locusts; it was to extend to those which 
 both the Assyrians and the Chaldeans 
 were to inflict upon the nation. This 
 interpretation is confirmed by what im- 
 mediately follows respecting the out- 
 pouring of the Holy Spirit. By God’s 
 being in the midst of his people, is 
 meant the special manifestation of his 
 presence in the communications of his 
 favor. The resumption of *23 in "2 282, 
 forms a beautiful anadiplosis. * 
 
 28, 29. The prophet now proceeds to 
 predict the impartation of richer gifts in 
 future times than those temporal bless- 
 ings which had just been promised to 
 the Jews. 45— "ns, afterward, LXX. 
 μετὰ ταῦτα, Hengstenberg would place 
 in antithesis with 47843, ver. 23, which 
 he renders first; but the latter phrase 
 has reference to what had already taken 
 place, and was not future to the time of 
 the prophet. ἼΞ πα, though indefinite, 
 is nearly equivalent in force to nny 
 barn, Is. 11, 2, as appears from its hav- 
 ing been rendered by the apostle Peter 
 rip ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραι, in the last 
 days. Jarchi, sab ΠΩΣ Ὁ, in Suturity 5 ‘ 
 Abenezra, mrinizn mst b> saw Ἢ or 
 3 SS eR Gaon mes “1 ΟΣ Ὁ, won 
 DAMN. πὶ PA AD MAAN AK med 
 pan. ‘Rabbi Jeshua saith, All this 
 is a prophecy of the future; and Rabbi 
 Moses the priest saith, If so, why does 
 he say after this? but it is the same as, 
 
Cuar. II. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 111 
 
 And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy 
 Your old men shall dream dreams, 
 Your young men shall see visions ; 
 
 29 And even upon the male and the female servants 
 I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 
 
 and it shall come to pass in the latter 
 days ;”’ in which interpretation Kimchi 
 concurs, adding, "> prt") ἜΝ 75d 
 sbi ἼΣἼ nny sex wax baw saps 
 ἜΘ NOAM awn ΠΣ 9 ΠΩ Ὁ τι ΤΊ 
 ἼΣΩΣ Por Sa mp A MRP mS bag 
 Nims asin ἈΦῚ ΤῸ my oma 
 BST van Nbr 1D ΩΝ 5 Ὁ Mee mad 
 min ms, “ Because it is said, And ye 
 shall know that I am in the midst of you. 
 What he says is, Now ye know, but 
 not with a perfect knowledge, for ye 
 will again commit sin before me; but 
 after this knowledge there shall come a 
 time when ye shall know me with a 
 perfect knowledge, and shall sin no 
 more, namely, in the days of the Mes- 
 siah.” That the two phrases are iden- 
 tical in meaning, clearly appears from 
 a comparison of Jer. xlviii. 47, with 
 xlix. 6. See on Is. ii. 2. ΞΘ signifies 
 to pour out, to communicate in a plentiful 
 and abundant manner, and is here used 
 with the greatest propriety to denote the 
 larger and richer supplies of divine in- 
 fluence, which were to be afforded to 
 the church under the gospel dispensation. 
 fim, sperit, means here the influences and 
 gifts of the Holy Spirit, as in numerous 
 other passages, in which the Spirit is 
 said to be put, given, etc.; and these 
 communications are described in lan- 
 guage which shows that they were both 
 to be more general and more special in 
 their character. In a more general 
 point of view, they were to be bestowed 
 upon “ta—d5, all flesh, i. 6. mankind 
 generally, without distinction of nation or 
 country. ‘To restrict this phrase to the 
 Jews, as is done by Abenezra, Kimchi, 
 Albo, Hitzig, and others, is irreconcilable 
 with Scripture usage, according to which 
 it constantly signifies mankind gener- 
 ally, or the whole human race; just as in 
 
 Arabic, Ui» and Les signify homo, 
 Saeed Ἵ) 2) Sigaiy, 
 
 all 
 
 humanum genus, and Adam is called 
 A ys the father of flesh, i. e. of 
 
 mankind. Credner would have the 
 phrase to include the animal creation, 
 than which no construction could be 
 more preposterous in such connection, 
 or more at variance with other passages 
 in which the communication of the in- 
 fluences of the Spirit are limited to the 
 human family. The infiuence, of which 
 universality is here predicated, is the 
 saving energy which is exerted by the 
 Holy Spirit, in commencing, carrying 
 on, and consummating the work of 
 grace in the souls of men. It accom- 
 panies the presentation of divine truth 
 to the mind, and removes the obstacles 
 which the force of innate depravity 
 opposes to the reception of the gospel. 
 See my Lectures on Divine Inspiration. 
 pp- 525-530. Besides the influence 
 which was thus to be vouchsafed for the 
 purposes of salvation, the prophet spe- 
 cifies that which should be more limited 
 in its communication, consisting in the 
 miraculous endowment of a certain 
 number of Jews, of different classes 
 and conditions, with the knowledge of 
 divine things, and the ability infallibly 
 to communicate them to,others. The 
 persons on whom these gifts were to be 
 conferred are their “sons and daugh- 
 ters ;”” their “aged men,” and their 
 “youths ;” their “male” and “ fe- 
 male servants ;”’ terms which are mani- 
 festly designed to teach that their 
 bestowment was to embrace persons of 
 different classes, ranks, and conditions 
 
 of life. sa, Arab. Ls, indicavit, an- 
 nunciavit, Eth. INN: locutus est, 
 
 τὶ ΠΡ = vaticinatus est, predixit, is 
 
 used not merely to denote the foretelling 
 
112 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 80 And I will show prodigies in the heavens and in the earth, 
 Blood and fire, and columns of smoke. 
 81 The sun shall be turned into darkness, 
 
 And the moon into blood, 
 
 of the future events, but to express the 
 giving of utterance to divine truth under 
 a miraculous impulse, or the pretending 
 to such impulse, whether the utterance 
 was made in the way of direct com- 
 munication, as was the case when the 
 prophets addressed their hearers, or by 
 the rehearsal or singing of sacred hymns 
 under extraordinary divine impulse, as 
 when Miriam sung at the Red Sea, 
 Exod. xv. 20, 21; or when the sons of 
 the prophets and Saul prophesied, 1 Sam. 
 x. 5, 6, xix, 20-24. Comp. Acts xix. 6, 
 xx129); 1 Cor. xi..4, (by xiy011,.5, 6, 225 
 24, 31, 39 ; which passages furnish strik- 
 ing illustrative examples of the fulfil- 
 ment of the prophecy of Joel. See also 
 1 Chron. xxv. 1-3; and Mede’s works, 
 Book I. Discourse xvi. That we are 
 fully warranted to interpret it of the 
 extraordinary supernatural gifts which 
 were vouchsafed in the apostolic age, is 
 placed beyond doubt by its allegation by 
 Peter, in justification of the phenomenon 
 which took place on the day of Pente- 
 cost. τοῦτό ἐστι, this is the fact pre- 
 dicted by Joel, Acts ii. 16. The quo- 
 tation was the more apt, since the words 
 of the prophet had just been read in the 
 pentecostal service of the Synagogue. 
 See my Biblical Researches and Travels 
 in Russia, Ὁ. 326. meth, dreams, and 
 τότ τιν visions, belonged to the different 
 modes in which God revealed his will 
 to the prophets. Numb. xii. 6; 1 Sam. 
 xxviii. 6, 15; Jer. xxiii. 25-28; Dan. 
 vii. 1, 2. See my Lectures on Inspi- 
 ration, pp. 147-165. Though no ex- 
 .press mention is made of dreams in the 
 apostolic writings, yet repeated reference 
 is to visions. See acts ix. 10, 12, x. 3, 
 17, xi. 5, xvi 9, xviii. 9, xxvi. 19; 
 2 Cor. xii. 1; Rev. ix.17. ἘΔ, and even, 
 indicates a rise in the prophecy, which 
 was intended to exclude none, not even 
 the lowest and most despised “ servants,” 
 from a participation in the large bestow- 
 
 ment of divine influence. In beautiful 
 harmony with this feature of the pro- 
 phecy is the special recognition of of 
 πτωχοὶ, the poor, in the New Testament. 
 The repetition*han ny ΠῚΞ ΘΝ 1 will pour 
 out my Spirit, shows, that the influence 
 of which, in general, they were to be 
 partakers, was not merely that which 
 consisted in the miraculous gifts, but also 
 that ordinary and saying influence which 
 is experienced by all believers. What 
 incontrovertibly proves that the prophecy 
 includes both a more ordinary, and a 
 more extraordinary or miraculous divine 
 agency, is the extension given to it by the 
 apostle Peter, Acts ii. 38, 39; where he 
 teaches that it was to comprehend “ all 
 that are afar off,” 7. ὁ. the Gentiles, 
 “even as many as the Lord our God 
 shall call.” 
 
 30, 31. In connection with this period 
 of the rich enjoyment of divine influence, 
 Joel introduces one of awful judgment, 
 called as usual 479 pss, the day of Jeho- 
 vah, the precursors of which he describes 
 in very alarming language. That the 
 destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish 
 polity is intended, most interpreters are 
 agreed ; but there exists a diversity of 
 opinion respecting the character of the 
 language, some taking it literally, as 
 setting forth physical prodigies, such as 
 those which Josephus relates to have 
 taken place before the destruction of 
 Jerusalem, and tremendous massacres 
 and conflagrations in different parts of 
 the country; while others maintain 
 that it is symbolical, and consequently 
 is to be figuratively explained. The 
 latter position is more in accordance 
 with the style of prophecy, in which we 
 not only find a fixed set of symbols, but 
 also, very frequently, an accumulation 
 of images is introduced for the purpose 
 of producing a more powerful effect on 
 the mind. See on Is. xiii, 10, xxxiv. 
 3--5. The heavens and the earth, 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. 
 
 32 And it shall come to pass, 
 
 That whosoever shall call upon the name of Jehovah shall be 
 
 delivered : 
 
 For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be the escaped, 
 
 therefore, mean the political world, with 
 its civil and religious establishments ; 
 the sun and moon, the higher and supe- 
 rior ruling powers; while the other 
 images are employed to denote the 
 disastrous prognosticatory changes that 
 were to happen in relation to both. 
 Comp. Matt. xxiv. 29; Mark xiii. 24, 25 ; 
 Luke xx. 25-27, where the subject is 
 the same as that exhibited by Joel, and 
 the symbolical language in a great mea- 
 sure parallel. Similar images are used 
 by pagan writers, when describing the 
 forerunners of civil wars, as, for instance, 
 Lucanus, Pharsal. lib. ver. 529 : — 
 
 ce 
 
 
 
 Super igne minaces 
 
 Prodigiis terras implerunt, zethera, 
 pontum. 
 
 Ignota obscure viderunt sidera noc- 
 tes, 
 
 Ardentemque polum flammis, cceloque 
 volantes, 
 
 Obliquas per inane faces, crinemque 
 timendi. 
 
 Sideris, et terris mutantem regna 
 cometen. 
 
 Fulgura fallaci micuerunt crebra se- 
 reno, 
 
 Et varias ignis denso dedit aére for- 
 mas.” 
 
 penis, prodigies, whatever objects are 
 unusual, portentous, or miraculous, in 
 their character. The word is most prob- 
 ably a derivative from 75", Arab. Conj. iii, 
 
 Sy eminuit, to be conspicuous, admi- 
 rable, wonderful. LXX. τέρατα. It 
 cua occurs in combination with 
 
 καὶ σημεῖα, signs. ΤΟ ΓΔ ΤΑ » only occurs 
 once besides, and, as here, in construc- 
 tion with 72, viz. Song iii. 6; where, 
 however, nineteen MSS. and originally 
 another read ninvan, without the Yod, 
 which is doubtless the more correct or- 
 thography, the Yod having been inserted 
 
 15 
 
 as a help to the pronunciation. There 
 can be little doubt that it is derived from 
 "727, to be erect, whence "727 the palm- 
 tree, from its tall and erect growth. 
 Comp. the Chaldee myn, @ column of 
 
 smoke; “2am, Arab. prob and , 
 8) ols, turris ; and “yan, to rise like 
 
 a column. ‘The phrase will, therefore, 
 be equivalent to yw» >a, of which we 
 have the singular yw» s2y, Jud. xx. 40. 
 LXX. ἀτμίδα καπνοῦ ; but in Song iii. 6, 
 στελέχη καπνοῦ. Vulg. vaporem fumt. 
 Targ. 4277 5, ἘΣ τς of smoke, the 
 singular of which is used Jud. xx. 40. 
 
 Tanc.: al ule od] Fchacl, 
 
 pillars of smoke ascending up. ‘Those 
 who are familiar with the account given 
 by Josephus of the disorders, convulsions, 
 excesses, and rebellions, which preceded 
 the subversion of the Jewish state, will 
 readily admit, that the figurative lan- 
 guage here employed most appropri- 
 ately sets forth the awful circumstances 
 of the inhabitants of Palestine at that 
 period. To render more prominent the 
 tremendous nature of the final judg- 
 ment of the Jews, when their city and 
 polity were destroyed, it is not merely 
 called min of, but titan mint oh 
 Siam the great and fearful “day Ψ of 
 Jehovah ; terms which are employed 
 by the prophet Malachi, iv. 5, (Heb. 
 iii. 23,) reference to the same 
 event. 
 
 32. The phrase m4n> DY3 NIP, usually 
 means to evoke Jehovah according to his 
 true character, and designates such as 
 he would regard in the light of accep- 
 table worshippers; but on comparing 
 the quotation of the words with direct 
 reference to our Saviour, Rom. x. 13, 
 with Acts ix. 14, 1 Cor. i. 2, it appears 
 
΄ 
 
 114 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap, 11, 
 
 According as Jehovah hath promised, 
 Together with those that are left, 
 
 Whom Jehovah shall call. 
 
 to be here employed as a periphrasis for 
 those Jews who should embrace the faith 
 of the Messiah, and render to him as 
 mins, Jehovah, the same supreme worship 
 which lad been rendered to God by their 
 pious ancestors. From the passage just 
 quoted from the Acts, it is clear that the 
 disciples of Christ were characterized as 
 invokers of his name, i. e. as his wor- 
 shippers, before they were cailed Chris- 
 tians. ‘The prophecy contains a gracious 
 promise, that, however terrible might be 
 the final catastrophe in which the un- 
 believers should perish, provision would 
 be made for the safety of those who be- 
 lieved in the Messiah. And church his- 
 tory records its fulfilment; for, on the 
 approach of the Roman army, the chris- 
 tian inhabitants of Jerusalem took to 
 flight, in compliance with the Saviour’s 
 warning, and retiring to Pella, on the 
 eastern side of the river Jordan, found 
 there a safe asylum, while the devoted 
 city was being besieged and destroyed. 
 — οὐ μὲν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς ἐν Ἵερο- 
 σολύμοις ἐκκλησίας, κατά τινα χρησμὸν 
 τοῖς αὐτόδι δοκίμοις δι ἀποκαλύψεως 
 δοϑέντα πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου, μεταναστῆναι 
 τῆς πόλεως, καί τινα τῆς περαίας πόλιν 
 οἰκεῖν KekeAevopevov. Πέλλαν αὐτὴν dvo- 
 μαζουσιν' ἐν ἣ τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πεπι- 
 στευκότων ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ μετωκισ- 
 μένων, k. τ᾿ A. Euseb. lib. iii. cap. v. 
 mu.be , is a collective noun, signifying 
 those who have escaped ; in other words, 
 
 ἡ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐκκλησία, “ the church 
 ‘a Jerusalem,” as Eusebius phrases it in 
 
 the above quotation, who not only made 
 their escape from the impending calamity, 
 but from the “ untoward generation ”’ to 
 which they had belonged, Acts ii. 40; 
 Is, iv. 8; so that the meaning is, not that 
 there should continue to be deliverance 
 for those who remained in Zion and Je- 
 rusalem during the infliction of the 
 punishment, but that those who resided 
 there should make their escape from it, 
 having previously been delivered from 
 the condition of those on whom it was 
 inflicted. The words min “78 "Ne, 
 refer to the promise just made. ὩΣ Ὁ» 
 together with those that have been left, 
 
 from sn, Arab. Ort, aufugit, vaga- 
 
 tusque fuit, oy Li, and Ogy%s aufu- 
 
 gens, to flee, make one’s escape, survive 
 a slaughter, or any other calamity. The 
 reference seems not to be to converted 
 Gentiles, as Schmidius, Michzelis, Holz- 
 hausen, and others interpret, but to those 
 Jews who did not perish in the national 
 judgments, but were called into the 
 church of Christ. sp, as employed in 
 the last clause of the verse, signifies ¢o 
 call, in the sense of effectually prevailing 
 upon any one to choose and participate 
 in the blessings of the divine kingdom. 
 Comp. Καλέω, as used by Paul, Rom. 
 viii. 28, 30, ix. 24; 1 Thess, ii, 12. 
 sip, the Participle here stints -the 
 future. 
 
Cuapr. Ul. JOEL. 
 
 CHAPTER III, 
 
 In this chapter the prophet returns from the parenthetic view which he had exhibited of 
 the commencement of the Christian dispensation, and the overthrow of the Jewish polity, 
 to deliver predictions respecting events that were to transpire subsequent to the Baby- 
 lonish captivity, and fill up the space which should intervene between the restoration of 
 the Jews, and the first advent of Christ. He announces the judgment to be holden on 
 their enemies after the return to Judea, 1, 2; specifies the reasons why they were to be 
 punished, and expressly mentions by name the neighboring nations of Tyre, Sidon and 
 Philistia, 3-6: promises the restoration of those Jews whom these states had sold into 
 slavery, while they are threatened with slavery in return, 7,8; summons the nations to 
 engage in the wars in which they were to be destroyed, 9-15; shows, that since these con- 
 vulsions were brought about by the providence of Jehovah, whose earthly throne was at 
 Jerusalem, his people had no ground for alarm, and would experience his protection, 16, 
 17; predicts times of great prosperity to them, 18; and concludes with special denuncia- 
 tions against Egypt and Idumea, with whose fate is placed in striking contrast the pro- 
 tracted existence of the Jewish polity, 19-21. 
 
 1 For, behold! in those days, and at that time, 
 When I shall reverse the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 
 
 2 J will gather all the nations, 
 
 And bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, 
 And will plead with them there, 
 
 1, 2. son Nya mann Dea, is a 
 double mode of expression, employed to 
 give greater prominence to the period. 
 That the ‘ days and time” here specified, 
 are not identical with the period spoken 
 of in the last five verses of the preceding 
 chapter, is evident from their being con- 
 nected by the relative conjunction "ws, 
 with the following words, which relate 
 to the restoration of the Jewish state. 
 "5, at the beginning of the verse, is pro- 
 perly rendered for, and refers back to 
 chap. ii. 21-27, in which verses times 
 of great temporal prosperity are prom- 
 ised to the Jews. With this prosperity 
 was intimately connected the punishment 
 of the nations by which they had been 
 afflicted ; and, accordingly, such punish- 
 ment forms the subject of the present 
 chapter. Instead of aziz, the Keri sub- 
 stitutes af , in which it is supported by 
 
 twenty-five of Kennicott’s MSS.; but 
 the frequent occurrence of niayaAw, in 
 which the Kal form is to be taken causa- 
 tively, shows that there was no necessity 
 for the emendation. See Ps. xiv. 7, 
 πὰ, 7, exxvi. 7; Is. li. 8. Some in- 
 terpret the phrase of a general restora- 
 tion to circumstances of prosperity, with- 
 out any reference to previous circum- 
 stances of actual captivity, as in the case 
 of Job xlii. 10; but considering its 
 common application to the return from 
 Babylon, and the express mention of the 
 scattering of the nation among the 
 heathen, ver. 2, it seems more natural to . 
 refer it to the same event in this place. 
 That the restoration of the Jews from 
 their present dispersion is meant, and 
 that the judgments to be inflicted on the 
 nations are those which are predicted, 
 Rey. xvi. 14, 16, is rendered impossible 
 
110 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. ILI. 
 
 On account of my people, and Israel mine inheritance, 
 Whom they have scattered among the nations, 
 
 And have divided my land ; 
 
 8 And have cast lots for my people, 
 
 And given a boy for an harlot, 
 And sold a girl for wine, 
 That they might drink. 
 
 4 And truly, what are ye to me, O Tyre and Zidon! 
 
 by the introduction of the Tyrians, Si- 
 donians, Philistines, etc. verses 4 and 19, 
 since these states all received their punish- 
 ment prior to the advent of Christ. By 
 DE om prs the valley of Jehoshaphat, 
 some understand the narrow valley 
 through which the brook Kedron flows, 
 between the city of Jerusalem and the 
 mount of Olives. To this valley or glen, 
 in which is the celebrated burying-place 
 of the Jews, the Rabbins have appro- 
 priated the name, and maintain, that in 
 it the final judgment of the world is to be 
 held ; —a conceit in which they have 
 been followed by many Christian writers, 
 as well as by the Mohammedans. Others 
 suppose it to be a designation of the valley, 
 
 otherwise called 5373 ΡΣ,» the valley of 
 blessing, 2 Chron. xx. 26; but as neither 
 of these localities at all comport with the 
 magnitude of the subject treated of by 
 the prophet, we have no alternative but 
 that of considering the words, not as 
 constituting a proper name, or the name 
 of any specific locality, but as symbolical 
 in their import, and designed to charac- 
 terize the theatre of the bloody wars 
 that took place after the Babylonish cap. 
 tivity, by which the hostile nations con- 
 tiguous to Judea had signal vengeance 
 inflicted upon them. They literally sig- 
 nify, the valley where Jehovah judgeth, 
 and mean the scene of divine judgments. 
 The term valley appears to have been 
 selected on account of such locality 
 being mentioned in Scripture as_ the 
 usual theatre of military conflict. This 
 view of the subject is supported by the 
 Targ. in which the words are not re- 
 tained, but translated Ἀ55π 3:38 “260, 
 the plain of the distribution of judgment, 
 
 and by the translation of Theodot. τὴν 
 
 χώραν τῆς κρίσεως. The nations to be 
 punished are restricted, ver. 2, to such 
 as should have scattered the Jews, and 
 occupied their land. Comp. chap. ii. 17. 
 
 3. The Jews were frequently treated 
 in the most ignominious manner by their 
 enemies. Such conduct is here affect- 
 ingly set forth. That it was customary 
 to cast lots for those who were taken 
 captive, see Obad. ver. 11; Nah. iii. 10. 
 The giving of a boy for a whore, does 
 not mean the exchange of the one for 
 the other, but the payment of the captive 
 for an act of sensual indulgence ; just as 
 the selling of a girl for wine, means 
 giving her in compensation for a draught 
 of it. Comp. Gen, xxxviii. 17 ; comp. 
 also Deut. xxii. 18, where 7241 jay, the 
 hire of awhore, is coupled with ab> ὙΠ, 
 
 the price of a dog; and the Arabic proy- 
 erb, oh ΧΟ. url, the son of a 
 
 whore hired with oil. Meid. xciv. Char- 
 den mentions that when the Tartars came 
 into Poland, they carried off all the chil- 
 dren they could, and, finding at length 
 that they were not redeemed, sold them 
 at the low price of a crown. In Min- 
 grelia, he adds, they sell them for pro- 
 visions, and for wine. 
 
 4. Among the nations bordering on 
 the country of the Jews, which had ren- 
 dered themselves particularly obnoxious 
 to the divine wrath, were those on the 
 west, for which see on Is. xxiii. and 
 xiv. 28. sb ἘῸΝ πὸ pan, and truly what 
 are ye to me? Think ye ‘that I make any 
 account of you? or that ye can success- 
 fully oppose yourselves to me? The 
 interrogation is altogether different in 
 meaning, as it is in form, from the idiom 
 
Cuar. UI, 
 
 And all the coasts of Philistia ? 
 Will ye retaliate upon me ? 
 
 If, indeed, ye retaliate upon me, 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 117 
 
 Speedily and swiftly I will bring your retaliation 
 
 Back upon your own head. 
 
 Because ye have taken away my silver and my gold; 
 
 And my goodly objects of delight 
 Ye have carried into your temples ; 
 
 To the sons of the Javanites, 
 
 And have sold the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem 
 
 That they might be removed far from their own border. 
 
 Whither ye have sold them ; 
 
 tobi "bone, what have we in common? 
 with which Kimchi compares it. ni>">a, 
 circuits, districts. Comp. Josh. xiii. 2, 
 where the word is rendered coasts in our 
 version. ‘They were properly provinces, 
 of which there were five in number, each 
 governed by a 329, prince, or lord. 3, 
 all, before nid=b3, expresses contempt. 
 
 tx, isnot here correlate with τι» ἴῃ 59am, 
 
 but puts ἃ fresh case for the sake of ar- 
 gument. The case supposed, however, 
 was true in fact. The interrogative τ 85- 
 sumes here the form of the article, as in 
 several other places. See on Amos vy. 25, 
 byaa, signifies to do good or evil to any one; 
 then to recompense him, either with good 
 or evil; to reward, retaliate. The mean- 
 ing here seems to be, that if these bor- 
 dering states, taking advantage of certain 
 untoward circumstances in the history of 
 the Jews, attempted to revenge the vic- 
 tories gained over them by the latter, 
 they should be dealt with in the way of 
 divine retaliation. Jehovah here speaks 
 of what was done to his people as done 
 to himself. Comp. Zech. ii. 8; Matt. 
 xxy. 40. mona dp, is an asyndeton. 
 Comp. Is. v. 26, where the order of the 
 words is reversed. 
 
 5. As in the preceding verse God had 
 identified himself with his people, so here 
 he speaks of their property as his. Some 
 suppose the precious vessels belonging to 
 τ temple to be intended by "5218 
 
 ~2n, but the articles of private property 
 
 Behold! I will arouse them from the place 
 
 most highly esteemed by the Jews are 
 more probably meant ; since it does not 
 appear that ever the enemies specified by 
 Joel plundered the temple at Jerusalem, 
 though express mention is made of the 
 plunder of the royal palace by the Phi- 
 listines, etc., 2 Chron. xxi. 17. Comp. 
 Hos. xiii. 15; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 19. It 
 was customary to hang up or deposit in 
 the idolatrous temples, as presents dedi- 
 cated to the gods, certain portions of the 
 spoils taken in war. Arrian, ii, 24. Cur- 
 tius, iv. 2. 
 
 6. Bo2 4771 2,2, the sons of the Javanites, 
 Imes the Grecians. Comp. vies ᾿Αχαιῶν» 
 of Homer; and see on Is. Ixvi. 19. 
 Credner, Hitzig, and some others, think 
 that the prophet refers to Javanites of 
 Arabia Felix, mentioned Ezek. xxvii. 19; 
 but the reasons they adduce in favor of 
 their opinion are insufficient to establish 
 the point. In Ezek. xxvii. 13, Javan is 
 mentioned, along with Tubal and Me- 
 shech, as trading in the persons of men 
 with the merchants of Tyre. Slavery 
 formed an important article of Phcenician 
 commerce, and equally so of that carried 
 on by the Greeks, to whom the former 
 might easily convey the Jewish captives. 
 So famous did the island of Delos become 
 as aslave mart, that sometimes 10,000 
 were bought and sold in a single day. 
 
 7,8. Ὁ ἈΞ, Sabeans ; Pococke’s Arab. 
 
 MSS. url As}, the people of Jemen. 
 
118 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cap. 
 
 And bring back your retaliation 
 
 Upon your own head ; 
 
 8 I will sell your sons and your daughters 
 Into the hand of the sons of Judah, 
 And they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a distant nation ; 
 
 For Jehovah hath spoken it. 
 
 9  Proclaim ye this among the nations ; 
 Prepare war ; rouse the mighty ; 
 Let all the warriors approach ; let them come up. 
 10 Beat your coulters into swords, 
 And your pruning-hooks into spears ; 
 Let the feeble say, I am mighty. 
 11 Hasten and come, all ye nations around, 
 
 See on Is. lx. 6. As the Sabeans traded 
 with India, it is not improbable that 
 inn, distant, may be designed to include 
 that part of the East; though it is said 
 of the Queen of Sheba, that she came 
 ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς, Matt. xi. 42. 
 This prophecy was fulfilled before and 
 during the rule of the Maccabees, when 
 the Jewish affairs were in so flourishing 
 astate, and the Pheenician and Philistine 
 powers were reduced by the Persian 
 arms under Artaxerxes Mnemon, Darius 
 Ochus, and especially Alexander and his 
 successors. On the capture of Tyre by 
 the Grecian monarch, 13,000 of the in- 
 habitants were sold into slavery. When 
 he took Gaza also, he put 10,000 of the 
 citizens to death, and sold the rest, with 
 the women and children, for slaves. 
 Favorable, on the other hand, as he 
 was to the Jews, there can be no doubt 
 that he ordered the liberation of such of 
 them as were captives in Greece. 
 9. mss, this, refers to what immediately 
 follows: the assembling of the different 
 nations, in order to engage in the wars 
 in which, in succession, they were, as 
 political states, to be subdued and perish. 
 37D, is not simply to prepare, as Kimchi 
 explains it, but to prepare by the use of 
 religious rites and ceremonies, such as the 
 heathen employed when they undertook 
 a military enterprise. 
 10. Here a state of things is presented 
 to view, directly the opposite of what 
 
 was to exist in the days of the Messiah, 
 Is. ii. 4; Micahiv. 38. Such was to be 
 the extent of the conflict, that, in the 
 lack of a sufficient number of arms, the 
 ordinary implements of husbandry would 
 be converted into weapons. 
 
 
 
 “ squalent abductis arva 
 colonis, 
 
 Et curve rigidum falces confiantur in 
 ensem.” 
 
 Virgil. Georg. i. 507. 
 
 *‘Sarcula cessabant, versique in pila 
 ligones, 
 Factaque de rastri pondere cassis 
 erat.” 
 Ovid. Fast. i. 699. 
 
 11. tay, a ἅπαξ Aey. in all probability 
 the same in signification with wap, to 
 hasten. ‘The ancient versions follow the 
 LXX., who render, συναϑροίζεσϑε. 
 
 Arab. uals, vitam duxit, vixit ; hence 
 
 the idea of Ziveliness, activity, agility, ete. 
 ΣΤ: τιν isthe Imperative in Hiphil of npz, 
 to descend, go or come down. The place 
 whither, is the scene of warfare, the 
 valley of Jehoshaphat, implied in pp, 
 which with the = is frequently the same 
 in signification with py. The abrupt 
 transition to Jehovah has a powerful 
 effect. Whatever might be the individual 
 views of those engaged in the conflict, 
 they were the instruments of Divine 
 
Crap. 17. 
 
 VOL. 
 
 119 
 
 _ And gather yourselves together ; 
 Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Jehovah! 
 12 Let the nations be roused, let them come up 
 
 To the valley of Jehoshaphat ; 
 
 For there I will sit to judge all the nations around, 
 
 13 
 
 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: 
 
 Come, descend, for the wine-press is full, 
 
 The vats run over ; 
 
 For their wickedness is great. 
 
 14 Multitudes! multitudes 
 In the valley of decision ! 
 
 For the day of Jehovah is near, 
 
 wrath, and are on this account called the 
 «mighty ones” of Jehovah. Comp, Is. 
 xX. O-(. 
 
 12. To give prominence to the in- 
 terest which God had in what was to 
 take place, the metaphor is here changed 
 into that of a judicial process, in which 
 he acts as judge, and gives a just deci- 
 sion against the enemies of his people. 
 For wbyin” 72%, see on ver. 2. Here, 
 as in that verse, the nations to be pun- 
 ished were those 2727 , cireumjacent to 
 Judea. 
 
 13. The prophet now employs meta- 
 phors taken from the harvest and the 
 vintage, which strikingly express the 
 hayoe and destruction effected by war: 
 the one denoting the slaughter or cutting 
 down of armies, and the other the effu- 
 sion of their blood. The same images 
 are similarly employed, Is. xvii. 5, 6, 
 lxiii, 2; Lam. 1. 153 and especially 
 Rey. xiv. 14-20. Sav, @ sickle, Arab. 
 
 sre, Sy. te. In Arab. the root, 
 
 Oss signifies to cut, The sickles of 
 
 the East, as represented on Egyptian 
 monuments, pretty much resembled ours, 
 only some of them were smaller, and 
 had more the appearance of a knife 
 hooked at the end. πὸ, from 4», to 
 descend, some take to be used here in the 
 
 acceptation of the Arab. s®) , calcavit. 
 
 Pry 
 
 Thus the LXX. ware?re. But as in 
 
 order to tread the grapes it was necessary 
 to go down into the wine-press, it seems 
 better to abide by the ordinary significa- 
 tion of the Hebrew verb, and to consider 
 the action of treading to be implied, 
 rather than expressed. At the close of 
 the verse the metaphor is dropped, and 
 the cause of the thing signified is boldly 
 presented to view. 
 
 14, 33 m5 multitudes, multi- 
 tudes, a Hebraism for immense multitudes. 
 This rendering is preferable to that of 
 tumults, In ‘the preceding verses, the 
 nations are called upon to assemble, and 
 here the prophet, beholding them con- 
 gregated in obedience to the summons, 
 breaks out into an appropriate exclama- 
 tion in regard to their number. yarn, 
 Piscator, the Geneva English, Calvin, 
 Leo Juda, Michelis, Justi, Holzhausen, 
 and Credner, take in the sense of thresh- 
 ing. Kimchi, Tanchum, Abulwalid, 
 Newcome, and some others, render ez- 
 cision; but the LXX. Theodot. Syr. 
 Targ. Theodoret, Dathe, Rosenmiiller, 
 Gesenius, Hitzig, Maurer, Ewald, and 
 Furst, translate the word by decision or 
 judgment, which seems more in keeping 
 with the name of the valley, and the 
 idea of a judicial process, set forth ver. 
 12. Comp. for the acceptation to de- 
 termine, decide, as attaching to the verb 
 yun, 1 Kings xx. 40; Is. x. 22. The 
 meaning is the decision or doom of the 
 nations to which the prophecy refers. 
 The repetition of inn p%2,, heightens 
 the effect. 
 
In the valley of decision. 
 15 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 Cuap. ΠῚ. 
 
 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, 
 
 And the stars shall withdraw their shine. 
 
 16 
 
 For Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, 
 
 And utter his voice from Jerusalem, 
 
 And the heavens and the earth shall shake ; 
 But Jehovah is a refuge for his people, 
 
 A stronghold for the sons of Israel. 
 
 BY 
 
 And ye shall know that I Jehovah am your God, 
 
 Dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain ; 
 
 Then shall Jerusalem be holy ; 
 
 Foreigners shall invade her no more. 
 
 18 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, 
 
 That the mountains shall drop new wine, 
 And the hills shall flow with milk, 
 
 15. A figurative mode of representing 
 the removal of the political rulers of the 
 world. Comp. chap. ii. 10, 31. 
 
 16. These words, as Chandler properly . 
 
 remarks, seem to intimate very plainly, 
 that at least part of the judgments here 
 threatened to be exerted upon the 
 neighboring nations, should be executed 
 by the Jews themselves. They doubtless 
 refer to the victories obtained by Matta- 
 thias, and his sons the Maccabeans. As 
 king of the Jewish nation, Jehovah had 
 his residence in Jerusalem, whence he 
 caused his power to be exerted to the 
 discomfiture of his enemies, and the de- 
 liverance and protection of his people. 
 Comp. Ps. xviii. 13; Hab. iii. 10, 11. 
 ΝΣ, to roar, is properly used of the lion, 
 but is metaphorically applied to God, to 
 express the terrible majesty with which 
 he encounters his foes. Comp. Jer. 
 xxv. 30; Amos i. 2. iii. 8. 
 
 17. >7%, is here, as in Is. 111, 6. lx. 16; 
 Hos. ii. 20, to be taken in the accep- 
 tation of experiencing, knowing by ex- 
 perimental proofs of the divine kindness. 
 This the Jews did in the deliverances 
 effected on their behalf, after the return 
 from the captivity, especially on the 
 death of Antiochus Epiphanes, and in 
 the enjoyment of their national and re- 
 ligious privileges, till the termination of 
 
 their polity. That the strong language 
 at the close of the verse does not imply 
 a state of immunity from invasion, to 
 which there was absolutely to be no end, 
 will appear on comparing Is. lii. 1, and 
 Nah. i. 15. See my note on the former - 
 of these passages. From the death of 
 Antiochus till the coming of the Messiah, 
 nd hostile power should take possession 
 of the holy city. To express the perfect 
 immunity from idolatry, by which Jeru- 
 salem should be characterized, 377, holi- 
 ness in the abstract, is used. Comp. 
 Obad. 17. By ext, strangers, or bar- 
 barians, foreign enemies are meant. 
 
 18. A splendid figurative represen- 
 tation of the extraordinary prosperity 
 to be accorded to the Jewish people 
 after the destruction of their enemies. 
 
 Thus Tanchum in Pococke, ¥ sy Lec 
 
 ltt, wos] δ για, “ me- 
 
 taphorical language, denoting abundance 
 of plenty and blessings.” Comp. Is. 
 xxx, 23-25, xliv. 3, and especially Amos 
 Tee 18, 
 
 “ Flumina jam lactis, jam flumina nec- 
 taris ibant, 
 Flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella.” 
 Ovid. Metam. i. 111. 
 
Cuar. ITI, A) \O) 10 - 
 
 And all the channels of Judah shall flow with water, 
 And a fountain shall go forth from the house of Jehovah, 
 And water the valley of Acacias. 
 
 191 
 
 19 
 
 Egypt shall become desolate, 
 
 And Edom a desolate wilderness, 
 For the violence done to the sons of Judah, 
 Because they shed innocent blood in their land. 
 20 But Judah shall be inhabited for ever, 
 And Jerusalem to successive generations. 
 21 And I will regard their blood as innocent, 
 
 Καὶ τότε δὴ χαρὰν μεγάλην Seds ἂν- 
 δράσι δώσει 
 
 Καὶ γὰρ γῆ καὶ δένδρα καὶ ἄσπετα 
 ϑρέμματα γαίης 
 
 Δώσουσιν καρπὸν τὸν ἄληδινὸν ἀνϑρώ- 
 ποισι 
 
 Οἴνου καὶ μέλιτος γλυκέως, λευκοῦ τε 
 γάλακτος 
 
 Καὶ σίτου, ὅπερ ἔστι βροτοῖς κάλλιστον 
 ἀπάντων. 
 
 Sibyl. Orac. 
 
 meus bra, the valley of Shittim, i.e. 
 Acacias. ‘There was a place of this name 
 in the country of Moab, Num. xxv. 1, 
 xxxilil. 49 ; Josh. ii. 1; but most inter- 
 preters think that the valley is meant 
 through which the Kidron flows to the 
 Dead Sea. Consistency of interpretation 
 requires us to understand this part of 
 the verse figuratively of the most desert 
 and arid spots, such as the acacia is fond 
 of. Fertility was to go forth from the 
 presence of Jehovah into the whole land. 
 Viewed in this light, there is no incon- 
 gruity in representing the water as ex- 
 tending even across the Jordan, however 
 impossible it might be as a physical phe- 
 nomenon. Comp. Ezek. xlvii. 1-12; 
 Zech. xiv. 8. 
 
 19. The wrongs done to the Jews 
 by the Egyptians and Idumeans, which 
 the prophet here declares were to be 
 avenged, were those committed at dif- 
 ferent times after the captivity. Pales- 
 tine suffered greatly during the wars 
 between the Syrian and Egyptian kings, 
 especially in the reign of Ptolemy Epi- 
 phanes, when they exposed themselves 
 
 16 
 
 to the indignation of that king by 
 siding with Antiochus the Great. In 
 the time of Cleopatra also, her son La- 
 thyrus gained a victory over the army 
 of Alexander Janneus, in which the Jews 
 lost upwards of thirty thousand men; 
 and who, to increase the terror of his 
 name, massacred the women and children, 
 cut their bodies in pieces, and boiled the 
 flesh. The Idumeans, though less for- 
 midable, never omitted any favorable 
 opportunity that offered of showing their 
 hostility to the Jews. The condition to 
 which both these countries were speedily 
 reduced, and in which they have re- 
 mained to the present day, verifies the 
 prediction here delivered. Instead of 
 mycnv>s, a number of MSS. exhibit the 
 synonymous τηλοῦ Ὁ. ---- Fah 523. Ὁ ΓΙ» 
 the violence of the sons of Judah, is the 
 Genitive of object, meaning the violence 
 done to them. Comp. Obad. 10. πὴ} is 
 spelt x"p2 here and Jonah i. 14; but in 
 the present text, nine of Kennicott’s 
 MSS. and four of De Rossi’s, with eight 
 more originally, read "532. Among these 
 are four Spanish MSS., two of which 
 De Rossi characterizes as accuratissimi. 
 The pronominal affix in ἘΣ ἼΝ,, refers to 
 the Jews spoken of immediately before. 
 
 20. num, is used passively, as in Is. 
 xiii. 20. pbty and $7174, are to be 
 limited by the subject to which they are 
 predicated. Thus the state of desolation 
 during the seventy years’ captivity in 
 Babylon, is said to be τ», for ever, 
 Jer. xviii. 16. 
 
 21. Inthewords*n-F3 8b ἘΠ2 on ps: 
 
 rma 
 
122 
 
 Cuar, 1Π. 
 
 Which I have not regarded as innocent ; 
 And Jehovah shall dwell in Zion. 
 
 there is an ellipsis of sz, after ps7, the 
 affix in which refers to ie Jews, not to 
 their enemies. Almost all the inter- 
 preters have stumbled at »npf3, the verb 
 here employed, but they have generally 
 got over the difficulty, by giving to it the 
 signification of "mp3, 1 have avenged — 
 a signification which nowhere attaches to 
 it in the Hebrew Bible. For the dif- 
 ferent explanations see Pococke. π|ρ3, 
 
 Arab. Ss purus, mundus fuit, ii. and 
 
 iv. mundavit. Syr. in Pael, sacrificavit, 
 
 dibavit. In Niph. the Heb, verb. signifies 
 
 to be morally pure, to be free from pun- 
 ishment ; in Piel, as here, to regard, pro- 
 nounce, or treat as innocent, to pardon. 
 The words were doubtless suggested by 
 we ἘΠ in the ‘preceding verse, and are 
 to be rendered, I will regard their blood 
 as innocent, which I have not regarded as 
 innocent ; 1. 6. I will pardon those whom 
 I have treated as guilty. My people, 
 whom I have punished on account of 
 their apostasies, I will henceforth regard 
 with favor and love. The affix Ὁ in 
 Det. arrange to the same in psn, 
 ver. 19. — 4233, the Participle used With 
 futurity of signification, 
 
7 AMOS. 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 Amos, (Heb. 01%», burden, a word purely Hebrew, and not of Egyptian 
 origin, and the same as Amasis or Amosis, as Gesenius conjectures,) was, 
 as we learn from the inscription, a native of Tekoah, a small town in the 
 tribe of Judah, at the distance of about twelve miles south-east of Jerusalem. 
 The country round being sandy and barren, was destitute of cultivation, 
 and fit only to be occupied by those addicted to pastoral life. Among these 
 our prophet was originally found; and, though it was counted no disgrace 
 in ancient times, any more than it is at the present day in Arabia, to follow 
 this occupation, kings themselves being found in it, (2 Kings iii. 4,) yet there 
 is no reason to suppose that Amos belonged to a family of rank or influence, 
 but the contrary. No mention is made of his father; but too much stress 
 is not to be laid upon this circumstance. That he had been in poor circum- 
 stances, however, appears from the statement made chap. vii. 14; from 
 which also it is incontrovertible, that no change of circumstances intervened, 
 which may be supposed to have been more favorable to mental culture, but 
 that he was called at once to exchange the life ofa shepherd for that of a 
 prophet. 
 
 Though a native of the kingdom of Judah, he discharged the functions of 
 his office 7 in that of Israel —a hea) which is to be accounted for, not, as Ber- 
 tholdt conjectures, on the ground of some personal relations, but by an ex- 
 press Divine commission to occupy it as the scene of his labors. Eichhorn 
 ingeniously supposes the reasons of his selection to have been, that the ap- 
 pearance of a foreign prophet was much more calculated to excite attention 
 than that of a native, and that such a prophet was more likely to command 
 respect than any belonging to a kingdom in which impostors and fanatics 
 abounded. 
 
 The time at which he prophesied is stated in general terms, chap. i. 1, to 
 have been in the reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam IL, king 
 of Israel, the former of whom reigned B. c. 811-759, and the latter B. c. 
 825-784, but in which of these years he was called to the office, and how long 
 he continued to exercise it, we are not told. Even if any dependence could 
 be placed upon the Jewish tradition, Joseph. Antiq. ix. 10, 4, and Jerome 
 on Amos i. 1, that the earthquake mentioned here, and Zech. xiv. 5, took ' 
 place when Uzziah attempted to usurp the sacerdotal functions, we should 
 still be unable to fix the exact date, since it is uncertain in what year the at- 
 tempt was made. 
 
 That he was contemporary with Hosea, appears not only from the dates 
 
194 PREFACE TO AMOS. 
 
 assigned in both their books, but from the identical state of affairs in the 
 kingdom of the ten tribes, which they so graphically describe. Whether he 
 flourished also in the days of Isaiah and Micah cannot be determined. 
 
 As we have already found, from the prophecy of Hosea, idolatry, with its 
 concomitant evils, effeminacy, dissoluteness, and immoralities of every des- 
 cription, reigned with uncontrolled sway among the Israelites in the reign of 
 Jeroboam the son of Joash. It is chiefly against these evils that the denun- 
 ciations of Amos are directed. 
 
 The book may properly be divided into three parts: First, sentences pro- 
 nounced against the Syrians, the Philistines, the Pheenicians, the Edomites, 
 the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Jews, and the Israelites, chapters 1. and ii. 
 Second, special discourses delivered against Israel, chapters iii—vi. Third, 
 visions, partly of a consolatory, and partly of a comminatory nature, in 
 which reference is had both to the times that were to pass over the ten 
 tribes, previous to the coming of the Messiah, and to what was to take place 
 under his reign, chapters vii.—ix. 
 
 In point of style, Amos holds no mean place among the prophets. The 
 declaration of Jerome, that he was inperitus sermonie, has not been justified 
 by modern critics. On the contrary, it is universally allowed that, though 
 destitute of sublimity, he is distinguished for perspicuity and regularity, em- 
 bellishment and elegance, energy and fulness. His images are mostly orig- 
 inal, and taken from the natural scenery with which he was familiar; his 
 rhythmus is smooth and flowing; And his parallelisms are in a high degree 
 natural and complete. In description, he is for the most part special and 
 local; he excels in the minuteness of his groupings, while the general vivid- 
 ness of his manner imparts a more intense interest to all that he delivers. 
 In some few instances, as in chapters iv. vi. and vii. the language approaches . 
 more to the prose style, or is entirely that of narrative. 
 
 From chap. vii. 10-13, it appears that the scene of his ministry was Bethel. 
 Whether he left that place in consequence of the interdict of Amaziah, the 
 priest, we know not. According to Pseudo-Epiphanius, he afterwards re- 
 turned to his native place, where he died, and was buried with his fathers ; 
 but no dependence can be placed on the statement. 
 
CHAPTER, L. 
 
 Aw7reEr a chronological and general introduction, ver. 1, 2, this chapter contains a heavy 
 charge, accompanied with denunciations, against the Syrians of Damascus, 3-5; the 
 Philistines, 6-8; the Pheenicians, 9, 10; the Idumeans, 11, 12; and the Ammonites, 
 13-15. 
 
 
 
 1 Tne words of Amos, who was among the shepherds.of Tekoah, 
 which he saw concerning Israel, in the days of Uzziah, king of 
 Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of 
 
 Israel, two years before the earthquake. 
 
 1. With the exception of the book of 
 Jeremiah, that of Amos is the only one 
 of the prophets commencing with “27> 
 “The words of —.” Comp. however, 
 Hag. i. 12. The meaning is, the subjects 
 
 ΠΟΥ matters of oracular le eee 
 which he was employed by the prophetic 
 Spirit to deliver, and which were now, 
 under the influence of the same Spirit, 
 committed to writing. Their divine ori- 
 gin is clearly determined by what is add- 
 ed, + min ats, “ which hesaw,” ὃ. 6. which 
 were supernaturally presented to his men- 
 tal vision. See on Is. i. 1. The preposi- 
 tion 5 in a p5S » does not denote dis- 
 tinction, intimating that Amos was great- 
 er in point of wealth or respectability 
 than the rest of the shepherds, as Kimchi 
 would have it, but simply that he was of 
 their number ; he belonged to their con- 
 dition of life, and followed Cae occu- 
 pation. The phrase p-~7}2 m7 ex- 
 presses, in fact, nothing more de aha 
 
 “pi. Comp. for similar usage 1 Sam. 
 xix. 24; Ps. exvili. 7; and the Arabic 
 
 ule ee leg. =p3 occurs only 
 
 here, and 2 Kings iii. 4, By some it is 
 
 supposed to denote the shepherd or keeper 
 of a species of sheep and goats, distin- 
 guished by certain marks, and to be de- 
 rived from “p32, 40 prick, or mark with 
 punctures, aad so to distinguish by such 
 marks. By others, it is more properly 
 referred for illustration to the Arab. 
 
 ARS, genus ovium deforme et brevipes, 
 and OLS, oviwm, hits, wpellatarum 
 
 pastor, From the disesteem in which 
 such animals were held, arose the proverb, 
 
 ACFE) uy Jit, more vile than the 
 
 Nrxap. At the same time, as their wool 
 wasvaluable, they were kept in great 
 numbers. In both instances in which 
 the term occurs, it seems to be used in a 
 more general acceptation. Aq. ἐν ποιμ- 
 votpégos; Symm. and the fifth edit. 
 ἐν τοῖς ποιμέσιν. The explanation of 
 Cyril is not inept : ᾿Αμῶς γέγονεν αἰπόλος 
 ἀνὴρ καὶ ποιμενικοῖς ἐϑεσί Te δὲ νόμοις 
 ἐντεϑραμμένος. The LXX. ἐν ᾿Ακκα- 
 ρείμ, mistaking it for the name of ἃ 
 place where they supposed the prophet to 
 have been when he received his Divine 
 
nO AMOS. 
 
 2 And he said: 
 Jehovah roareth from Zion, 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 And uttereth his voice from Jerusalem ; 
 The pastures of the shepherds mourn, 
 And the summit of Carmel withereth, 
 
 8 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 For three transgressions of Damascus, 
 
 communications. The ruins of ‘pn 
 
 Arab. ξ 59; Teki’ a, Dr, Robinson 
 
 found covering an extent of four or five 
 acres on an elevated hill, not steep, but 
 broad at the top, about two hours distant 
 from Bethlehem. On approaching it, he 
 describes the landscape as rocky and 
 sterile, yet rich in pasturage, as was tes- 
 tified by the multitude of the flocks. 
 (Palestine, ii. pp. 181, 182.) The sur- 
 rounding region, especially that in the 
 direction of the Dead Sea, is called 
 spr 1272, 2 Chron. xx. 20, and 7 ἔρεμος 
 pow. 1 Mace. ix. 33. In this pas- 
 turing district, our prophct originally 
 tended his flocks, and collected the syca- 
 more figs. For the dates here specified, 
 see the Introduction. The prophecy is 
 specially directed against Israel, or the 
 kingdom of the ten tribes, though that 
 of Judah, and likewise several foreign 
 states, are also expressly denounced. We 
 possess no data by which to fix the year 
 in which the earthquake, here mentioned, 
 occurred. Zechariah, chap. xiv. 5, refers 
 to it as having happened in the days of 
 Uzziah, but he does not specify the year. 
 According to Josephus, it took place on 
 occasion of the invasion of the sacerdotal 
 office by that monarch, Antiq. ix. 10, 4. 
 As earthquakes are by no means un- 
 common at Palestine, it must have been 
 unusually severe to entitle it to the spe- 
 ciality of reference here employed. Some 
 interpret ¥>> of a civil commotion, but 
 without sufficient ground, as the connec- 
 tion Zech. xiy. 4, 5, shows. 
 
 2. Zion, or Jerusalem, being the cen- 
 tral point of the theocracy, was the spe- 
 cial residence of Jehovah, to whom the 
 judgments afterwards denounced, are, in 
 highly figurative language, immediately 
 referred, aNd, commonly employed to 
 
 express the roaring of the lion, is here 
 used to set forth the awful character of 
 those judgments. Dathe, stumbling at 
 the boldness of the figure, renders, Jove 
 ex Zione dira pronunciat ; thereby de- 
 stroying the poetical force of the lan- 
 guage. Comp. Jer. xxv. 30; Job xxxvii. 
 4, γ in 15283 1, marks the apodosis. For 
 Dyan miss, comp. No τ δ, Ps. xxiii. 
 2. bens , Micheelis, Justi, and others take 
 to be the Carmel, now called by the Arabs 
 
 oP Ss Kurmul, which lies near Yutta, 
 
 or Juttah, between two and three hours 
 to the south of Hebron; but though the 
 mountainous region about that place was 
 more in the proximity of the prophet, 
 yet the established scripture reference to 
 the fertility of the celebrated Mount 
 Carmel in the tribe of Asher seems to 
 entitle the latter to the preference. In 
 fact, there does not appear to be gny 
 mountain deserving the name in the hill 
 country of Judah. The hill of Maon, 
 which is close by, is not less than two 
 hundred feet higher than the site of the 
 ruins of the castle of Kurmul. See 
 Robinson, wt sup. pp. 193-200. Besides 
 the identical phrase, tiand msn, the 
 summit of Carmel, which again occurs 
 chap. ix. 38, in immediate connection 
 with the sea, is employed in application 
 to the western Carmel, 1 Kings xviii. 42. 
 
 3. Here begins a series of minatory 
 predictions against different states, which 
 extends to chap. ii. 8, where it merges 
 in a continued denunciation of judg- 
 ments directed almost exclusively against 
 the Israelites. Instead of proceeding at 
 once to charge the ten tribes with the 
 flagrant evils of which they had been 
 guilty, Amos commences with the Sy- 
 rians, and after exposing their wicked- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 AMOS. 127 
 
 And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 
 Because they threshed Gilead with sledges of iron ; 
 4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, 
 
 And it shall devour the palaces of Benhadad. 
 
 ness, and that of the Philistines, the 
 Pheenicians, the Edomites, the Ammo- 
 nites, the Moabites, and the Jews, he 
 comes to his proper subject, on which he 
 dwells throughout the rest of the book. 
 Having roused the indignation of those 
 among whom he prophesied against sin 
 as exhibited in others, he charges it 
 home upon themselves. Each of the 
 eight predictions is ushered in by the 
 solemn mint ἼΩΝ mz, thus saith Jehovah ; 
 and consists in part, in a repetition of 
 the same symmetrical stanzas, with an 
 intermixture of matter, varying according 
 to the nature of the subjects treated of. 
 Interpreters differ in regard to the precise 
 meaning of the use made by our prophet 
 of the numerals ¢hree and four. Similar 
 formule are frequent in Hebrew. See 
 Exod. xx. 5; Job v. 19, xxxiii. 14, 29; 
 Prov. xxx. 15, 18, 21; Eccles. xi. 2; 
 Is. xvii. 6; Mic. vy. 4. Comp. the τρὶς 
 καὶ τετράκις of Homer; the terque qua- 
 terque of Virgil; and the ter et quater of 
 Horace. The notion, that the two num- 
 bers are to be added, so as to bring ouf 
 the perfect number seven, and thus to 
 express the completeness or full measure 
 of the iniquity, is not borne out by 
 Hebrew usage. That the numbers“are 
 to be taken literally, as in Prov. xxx. 
 where there is an enumeration of each 
 of the particulars, is equally out of the 
 question ; the specification of the prophet 
 being, in each case, limited to a single 
 act of wickedness. Nor can the con- 
 struction be admitted, I have not pun- 
 ished Damascus, etc. on account of three 
 transgressions, but on account of a fourth 
 I will punish her; since Ἀν Ξ δ Nb, ob- 
 viously connects with both numerals, 
 The only satisfactory mode of explication 
 is, to regard the phrase as intensively 
 proverbial, and designed to express mul- 
 tiplied or repeated delinquencies, of which 
 the last, as the most atrocious, is uni- 
 formly described. The noun to which 
 
 the suffix in ΡΞ ΘῈ relates, is not ex- 
 pressed, either before or after the verb, 
 on the principle, that the subject referred 
 to would naturally suggest itself to the 
 mind of the reader. It is anticipative 
 of the sentence of punishment delivered 
 in the following verses. Comp. Num. 
 xxiii, 20, in which is an ellipsis of the 
 noun >" 3, the idea of which is expressed 
 by the verb. Bp. Lowth proposes to 
 render, “1 will not restore it ;’’ but with- 
 out sufficient authority. many as, “to 
 reverse the captivity,” is the phrase em- 
 ployed insuch case. In the phrase, “I 
 will not reverse,” is a litotes — the mean- 
 ing being, “I will certainly execute.” 
 For Damascus, which, as the metropolis, 
 is put for the kingdom of Syria, see on 
 Is. xvii. 1. The cruel treatment of the 
 inhabitants of Gilead here referred to, is 
 that to which they were subjected by 
 Hazael and Benhadad, 2 Kings x. 32, 33. 
 xiii. 3-7, both of which princes Amos 
 mentions by name, ver. 4. It consisted 
 in their being thrown before the thresh- 
 ing sledges, the sharp teeth of iron in 
 the rollers of which tore and mangled 
 their bodies. See on Is. xxviii. 27, and 
 comp. 2 Sam. xii. 31, where we find the 
 same punishment inflicted by David, by 
 the law of retaliation. mispm, the LXX. 
 render mploot σιδηροῖς, and add unwar~ 
 rantably, τὰς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας ; Symm. 
 and Theod. τροχοῖς σιδηροῖς. 8 :π, to 
 thresh, is the very term used in the his- 
 tory of the transaction, 2 Kings xiii. 7. 
 Gilead comprehended the whole of the 
 territory beyond the Jordan, belonging 
 to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and 
 the half tribe of Manasseh; and as it 
 bordered on the kingdom of the Sy- 
 rians, was particularly exposed to their 
 attacks. 
 
 4, The Benhadad here mentioned was 
 the son and successor of Hazael, and 
 not the king of that name whom Hazael 
 succeeded. Comp. 2 Kings viii. 7, 10, 
 
128 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. L 
 
 5 I will also break the barrier of Damascus, 
 And cut off the ruler from the valley of Aven, 
 And the sceptre-holder from Beth-Eden, 
 And the people of Syria shall go captive to Kir, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 6 Thus saith Jehovah ; 
 
 For three transgressions of Gaza, 
 And for four I will not reverse it ; 
 Because they effected a complete captivity 
 
 To deliver it up to Edom, 
 
 with xiii. 3, 24. A similar prediction 
 was afterwards delivered by Jeremiah, 
 chap. xlix. 27, from which and from 
 Hos. viii. 14, it is evident that the phra- 
 seology employed by Amos here, and 
 verses 7, 10, 12, 14, chap, ii. 2, 5, is not 
 peculiar to that prophet. 
 
 5. According to the testimony of a 
 native, whom Michaelis consulted, there is 
 a most delightful valley called Oon, about 
 four hours distant from Damascus, to- 
 wards the desert, which has given rise 
 to a proverb, “Have you ever been in 
 the valley of Oon?’’ meaning, Have you 
 ever been in a place of delight? As, 
 however, this has not been confirmed by 
 any traveller, most expositors are inclined 
 to refer the place to what is otherwise 
 called 442255 m373, “the valley of Le- 
 
 banon,” or ell, el Buka’a, between 
 
 the ridges of Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. 
 Here are the celebrated ruins of the tem- 
 ple of Baalbee, the Syrian Heliopolis, to 
 which the LXX. have expressly referred 
 518 Aven, only pronouncing it δὰ, On 
 -ἐκ πεδίου Ὧν ; just as they have ren- 
 dered the latter word when it is employed 
 to denote the city of the same name in 
 Egypt, which was dedicated to the sun. 
 The Hebrews in Palestine, to express 
 their abhorrence of the idolatrous wor- 
 ship practised at both places, pronounced 
 the werd 53s, Aven, which properly sig- 
 nifies nothingness, vanity, and hence an 
 idol, on account of its inutility. Comp. 
 with the present passage Ezek. xxx. 17. 
 =5*> does not here denote inhabitant, or 
 inhabitants generally, but as the parallel 
 
 Daw pein, sceptre-holder, shows, one who 
 sits upon, or occupies a throne — a judge, 
 prince, or king — the person exercising 
 authority in the district specified, For 
 the latter phrase, the σκηπτοῦχος of 
 Homer may becompared. 473 mi3, Beth- 
 Eden was, in all probability, the locality 
 in the mountains of Lebanon, which 
 Ptolemy, v. 15, calls Παράδεισος ; where 
 the royal family had a palace, and where 
 one of its members usually resided. 
 The name is still given to a delectable 
 valley to the west of Damascus. The 
 Aram, or Syria, here referred to, is that 
 of which Damascus was the capital. By 
 
 ~~ , Kir, is meant the river and region 
 of the Cyrus in Iberia, now called Kur. 
 See on Is, xxii. 6; and for the accom- 
 plishment of the prediction in the suc- 
 cessful expedition of Tiglathpileser, king 
 of Assyria, 2 Kings xvi. 9. , The version 
 of the LXX. is here extremely faulty, 
 as the slightest compariso. vith the orig- 
 inal will show. 
 
 6. my, Arab. Bye, Ghuzzeh, Gaza, 
 
 was the southernmost of the five princi- 
 pal cities of the Philistines, which formed 
 the capitals of so many satrapies of the 
 same names. It was situated at the dis- 
 tance of about an hour's journey from 
 the south-east coast of the Mediterranean, 
 from which it was separated by low hills 
 and tracts of sand. It was built upon a 
 hill, and strongly fortified, as the name 
 imports. The modern city is built partly 
 on the hill, but mostly on the plain be- 
 low ; and according to Dr, Robinson, con- 
 tains a population of about 15,000 souls, 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 AMOS. 129 
 
 ἡ But I will send a fire into the wall of Gaza, 
 And it shall devour her palaces ; 
 
 8 And I will cut off the ruler from Ashdod, 
 And the sceptre-holder from Ashkelon : 
 And will turn back my hand upon Ekron. 
 And the residue of the Philistines shall perish, 
 
 Saith the Lord Jehovah. 
 9 Thus saith Jehovah : 
 
 For three transgressions of Tyre, 
 
 It must have been a place of high an- 
 tiquity, for its name occurs in the gene- 
 alogical table, Gen. x.; and it occupied 
 so commanding a position, that it formed 
 the key to Palestine on the south. It 
 stands here by synecdoche for the whole 
 of Philistia. By mabw mba, we are nei- 
 ther to understand, With the LXX. aix- 
 μαλωσίαν τοῦ Σαλωμών ; nor with Justi, 
 “ἃ holy or pious captivity; τ᾿ nor with 
 Grotius and Michaelis, captivitatem pa- 
 cificam ; but the immense number of cap- 
 tives which were carried away from Judea 
 in the reign of Ahaz, 2 Chron. xxviii. 18. 
 The capture was indiscriminate and uni- 
 versal; none escaped. Comp. for the 
 phrase Jer. xiii. 19. What aggravated 
 the guilt of the Philistines, was that they 
 did not treat the Jews as prisoners of 
 war, but sold them as slaves to the Edo- 
 mites, who were their bitterest enemies, 
 and would treat them with the utmost 
 cruelty. They were doubtless conveyed 
 to Petra, the great emporium of com- 
 merce, and there sold to such as might 
 purchase them. Comp. Joel iii. 4-6. 
 
 7. ws, fire, is here metaphorically used 
 for war, in carrying on which, however, 
 it is often employed as one of the most 
 destructive elements. Comp. Num. xxi. 
 28; Is. xxvi. 11. 
 
 8. For the meaning of 531", see on 
 ver. 5. Three others of the principal 
 cities of the Philistines are now threat- 
 ened, πὸ πον, Ashdod, for which see on 
 
 Is, xx. 1; 4>pes, Arab. epliws, 
 
 Askelon, occupying a strong position on 
 the top of a ridge of rock, which encir- 
 cles it, and terminates at each end in the 
 
 17 
 
 sea, and distant from Gaza about five 
 hours in the direction of NN. E.; and 
 "7Py Ekron, now called by the natives 
 
 ils, Akir, the most northerly of the 
 
 five, and at some distance inland from 
 
 the line of hills which run along the coast 
 of the Mediterranean. See Dr. Robin- 
 son’s Palestine, III. 21-25. The reason 
 why Gath, the remaining city of the five, 
 is not mentioned, is assigned by Kimchi 
 to be, its having been already subdued by 
 David ; but as it was afterwards occupied 
 both by the Syrians, 2 Kings xii. 17, and 
 the Philistines, 2 Chron. xxvi. 6, it seems 
 more natural to refer its omission to the 
 fact of its reduction by Uzziah, in the 
 days of our prophet, as narrated in the 
 latter of the above passages. It is also 
 omitted Zeph. ii. 4,5. yx πὸ axtn, to 
 turn the hand upon, means to exert one’s 
 power anew, whether in the way of 
 favor or of hostility. Here it is ob- 
 viously to be taken in the hostile sense. 
 No part of Philistia was to remain un- 
 visited by Divine judgments. Comp. 
 Jer. xlvii. 4; Ezek. xxv. 16. In which 
 of the reductions of the Philistines, the 
 prediction received its fulfilment, we 
 cannot determine. One of these took 
 place during the reign of Uzziah, 2 
 Chron. xxvi. 6, 7; another in that of 
 Hezekiah, 2 Kings xviii. 8; they were 
 afterwards successively reduced by Psam- 
 meticus, king of Egypt, by Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, by the Persians, by Alexander, 
 and ultimately by the Asmoneans. 
 
 9. A similar charge is here brought 
 against the Pheenicians, with the super- 
 added aggravation of a breach of an- 
 
 \ 
 
120 AMOS. Cuar. I. 
 And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 Because they delivered up a complete captivity to Edom, 
 And remembered not the covenant of the brethren, 
 But I will send a fire into the wall of Tyre, 
 And it shall devour her palaces. 
 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 For three transgressions of Edom, 
 And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 Because he pursued his brother with the sword, 
 
 And did violence to his pity, 
 
 And his anger tore continually, 
 And he retained his wrath for ever. 
 
 12 
 
 But I will send a fire into Teman, 
 
 And it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah, 
 
 cient faith. Comp. Joel iii, 4-6. The 
 poms ΓΞ, covenant of brethren, includes 
 the terms of friendship and mutual as- 
 sistance which were agreed upon between 
 David and Hiram, 2 Sam. y. 11; and 
 afterwards between Solomon and the 
 same monarch, 1 Kings vy. See espe- 
 cially ver. 12, (Heb. ver. 26,) where it 
 is expressly stated, that ma 39593 
 prov, “they two made a league,” or 
 covenant. 
 
 10. For Tyre, and the accomplishment 
 of this prediction, see on Is. xxiii. 
 
 11. For Edom, and the fulfilment of 
 the prophecy here pronounced against it, 
 see on Is, xxxiv. 5. The guilt of the 
 cruelties exercised by the Idumeans upon 
 the Jews was greatly aggravated by the 
 circumstance of their original relation- 
 ship, Obad. 10, and the unrelenting per- 
 petual character of their hatred. mnw 
 pan, lit. to spoil, or destroy compas- 
 sions ; ὃ. 86, 80 to repress all the tender 
 feelings of pity, as to become hardened 
 against objects of distress. Comp. the 
 phrase, m72=m% mms, to destroy wisdom, 
 Ezek. xxviii. 17. The LXX. Ital. Arab. 
 Diderlein, Dathe, Vater, Justi, and some 
 others, take Ὁ" ann, in the sense of ὉΠ, 
 the womb, and explain it either of preg- 
 nant females, or of the fruit of the womb, 
 #. ὁ. children; but the plural is never 
 used in this acceptation. Aq. σπλάγχνα 
 αὐτοῦ; Symm, σπλάγχνα ἴδια. ‘The root 
 
 tri, Arab. >): Syr. ae signifies 
 
 to love, in Piel, to regard with tender 
 affection, to cherish feelings of compas- 
 sion towards any one. The πὶ in nyo 
 is generally considered to be an sielutes 
 of a paragogic in the third person, but 
 it is preferable to construe it as the pro- 
 nominal feminine affix, agreeing with 
 722 in the nominative absolute. The 
 absence of the Mappic forms no objec- 
 tion, as there are several instances of 
 its omission where we might have ex- 
 pected it. The accent on the penul- 
 timate favors this construction, being 
 occasioned solely by the absence of the 
 Mappic. The verb, to be taken as a 
 feminine, must be pointed "28 , but this 
 would require 722 to be the subject i in- 
 stead of the object, which would be in- 
 tolerably harsh. Comp. for the senti- 
 ment, and an elliptical form of the phra- 
 seology, Jer. iii. 5. The Hebrews speak 
 of keeping a quality, whether good or bad, 
 when they would express its φύσις 
 or continued exercise. See Neh. ix. 92 
 Dan. ix. 4. 
 
 12. That yan, Teman, was a city, 
 seems evident from its being mentioned 
 along with nis3, Bozr ah, for which see 
 on Is, xxxiv. 6. * Though Jerome speaks 
 of it as a region, he mentions, in his Ono- 
 masticon, a town of this name, at the 
 distance of five miles from Petra. On 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 13 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 131 
 
 For three transgressions of the sons of Ammon, 
 And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 Because they ripped up those who were pregnant in Gilead, 
 That they might enlarge their border. 
 14 But I will kindle a fire on the wall of Rabbah, 
 And it shall devour the palaces thereof ; 
 With a shout in the day of battle, 
 With a tempest in the day of the storm. 
 
 the map of Burckhardt and Grimm, it is 
 placed to the south of Wady Masa. It 
 was doubtless the principal place in the 
 district inhabited by the descendants of 
 ‘Teman, one of the grandsons of Esau, 
 _ Gen. xxxvi. 11, 15, who were celebrated 
 on account of their superior wisdom, Jer. 
 xliv. 7. Comp. Obad. 8, 9, and Baruch 
 iii. 22. Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends, 
 was a Temanite. The reason why no 
 mention is made of Sela, or Petra, Cred- 
 ner thinks is to be found in the fact, that 
 it had already been captured by Ama- 
 ziah, 2 Kings xiv. 7, of whose conquests 
 in that direction advantage was taken 
 by his son Uzziah, ver. 22; 2 Chron. 
 ἘΌΝ 2. 
 
 13. y423 5323, the Ammonites, descend- 
 ants of Lot, Gen. xix. 3, occupied the 
 territory on the east of the Jordan, be- 
 tween the rivers Jabbok and Arnon, but 
 more in the direction of the Arabian 
 desert. That portion of country which 
 lay along the Jordan, of which they had 
 possessed themselves, originally belonged 
 to the Amorites, which accounts for its 
 being given to the tribe of Gad, Josh. 
 xiii. 25. They frequently annoyed the 
 Hebrews, but were repelled by David 
 and several of his successors. For the 
 sake of plunder, they joined the Chal- 
 deans on their invasion of Judea; and, 
 even after the captivity, they evinced the 
 same hostile disposition. They were 
 severely chastised by Judas Maccabeus, 
 1 Mace. v. 6, 7. Justin Martyr speaks of 
 them as still a numerous people in his 
 day, ᾿Αμμανιτῶν ἔστι viv πολὺ πλῆϑος. 
 Dial. cum Tryph. p. 347. Ed. Paris, 1615, 
 
 The atrocious cruelty here charged upon . 
 
 the Ammonites, appears to have formed 
 
 no unusual part of the barbarities prac- 
 tised by the ancients in war. Comp. 
 2 Kings viii. 12, xv. 16; Hos. xiii, 16, 
 (Heb. xiv. 1;) and my note on the last 
 passage. See also 1 Sam. xi. 2. The 
 object of the Ammonites was to effect 
 an utter extermination of the Israelites 
 inhabiting the mountainous regions of 
 Gilead, in order that they might ex- 
 tend their own territory in that direc- 
 tion. 
 
 14. 35, Rabbah, i. 6. “ the Great,” 
 was the metropolis of the country of the 
 Ammonites, the extensive ruins of which 
 have recently been discovered by Seetzen 
 and Burckhardt on the banks of the river 
 Motet Amman, which empties itself into 
 the Jabbok. The full form of the name 
 was 4422 923 m3, Deut. iii. 11, by which 
 it was distinguished from Rabbah of Moab, 
 and a city of the same name in the tribe 
 of Judah. It is called Pafadduava by 
 Polybius and Stephen of Byzantium ; 
 but it otherwise went among the Greeks 
 by the name of Φιλαδέλφια, which it 
 derived from Ptolemy Philadelphus, It 
 
 is now known by that of ees Am- 
 
 man, the same given to it by Abulfeda in 
 his Tab. Syr. p. 91. By τϑὴ τῶ, is meant 
 the tremendous shout which eastern ar- 
 mies give at the commencement of battle, 
 partly to excite their courage, and partly 
 to strike terror into the enemy. Comp. 
 Exod. xxxii. 17; Josh. vi. 5, 20. Thus 
 the Iliad, iii. 1, ete. — 
 
 Αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κόσμηϑεν bu’ ἡγεμόνεσσιν 
 ἕκαστοι, 
 
 Τρῶες μὲν κλαγγῇ τ᾽, ἐνοπῇ τ᾽ ἴσαν, 
 ὄρνιϑες ὥς" 
 
 Ἠὐτε περ κλαγγὴ γεράνων, Ke τ. A. 
 
182 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 15 Their king shall go into captivity, 
 
 He and his princes together, 
 Saith Jehovah, 
 
 "20 , hurricane, and ΤῈ", storm or temp- 
 est, mark the resistless force of the onset, 
 and the utterly destructive consequences 
 resulting from it. That they are poet- 
 ically applied to the warlike operations 
 against Rabbah, is clear from πῖξ Ξ) Ὁ DS, 
 the day of storm, being parallel with 
 mardi bi, the day of battle. 
 
 15. tadm, their king, the Syr. and 
 Vulg. have understood of Maleam or Mil- 
 com, i. e. Moloch, an idol of the Ammon- 
 ites and Moabites; but the LXX. and 
 Targ. support the common rendering, 
 which 15 Ὁ, Ais princes, following, would 
 seem absolutely to require. It is true, this 
 term might be taken figuratively to sig- 
 nify priests, as in Is. xliii. 28; and 
 such interpretation might appear to be 
 countenanced by the occurrence of 193735 
 
 his priests, in the parallel prophecy of 
 Jeremiah, chap. xlix. 3; but the use of 
 iw, Ais princes, immediately after by 
 that prophet, shows that, if the former 
 term be not an interpolation, it denotes 
 the idolatrous priests who were in attend- 
 ance upon the king, just as the princes 
 were the chiefs and civil officers about the 
 court. Οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν, which the LXX. 
 have added in Amos, and which is copied 
 in the Syr. and Arab., was probably 
 borrowed from the passage in Jeremiah ; 
 or it may have been inserted in the Greek 
 text by some copyist before these other 
 versions were made. The combination 
 of Β" Ὁ, princes, with ὯΞ Ὁ, judge, chap. 
 ii. 3, confirms the above interpreta- 
 tion. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 In this chapter we have the continuation of charges and denunciations against different na- 
 tions, as the Moabites, 1-3; the Jews, 4,5; and finally, the Israelites, who were to form 
 the principal objects of the prophet’s ministry, 6-8. Amos then proceeds to insist on their 
 ungrateful conduct, notwithstanding the experience which they had had of distinguished 
 favors at the hand of God, 9-13; and the futility of all hopes of escape which they might 
 
 be led to entertain, 14-16. 
 
 1 Tuus saith Jehovah: 
 
 For three transgressions of Moab, 
 And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 
 1 For Moab, see on Is. xv. The par- 
 ticular act here charged against the Moa- 
 bites is nowhere recorded. Michaelis 
 is of opinion, that reference is had to 
 2 Kings iii. 27; but the prince there 
 spoken of was the son of the king of 
 Moab, and not the future heir to 
 
 the Idumean throne. The wickedness 
 appears to have consisted in a wanton 
 violation of the sanctity of the tomb, by 
 the disinterment and buming of the 
 royal remains. It was indicative of an 
 enmity which was not satisfied with 
 inflicting every possible injury upon its 
 
Cuapr. II, AMOS. 
 
 Because they calcined the bones of the King of Edom, 
 2 But I will send a fire into Moab, 
 
 And it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth ; 
 
 And Moab shall die in the tumult, 
 
 1.9 
 
 At the shout, at the sound of the trumpet, 
 3 I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, 
 And kill all the princes thereof with him, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 4 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 For three transgressions of Judah, 
 _ And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 Because they have despised the law of Jehovah, 
 
 And have not kept his statutes ; 
 
 And their false deities have caused them to err, 
 After which their fathers walked. 
 
 5 But I will send a fire into Judah, 
 And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. 
 
 victim while living, but pursued him 
 even into the regions of the dead. Comp. 
 15. xxxiii. 12. 
 
 2. nap, Kerioth ; LXX. τῶν πόλεων 
 αὐτῶν; are. N55, the fortress or citadel; 
 in all probability, the chief city, elsewhere 
 called ax“ -77 , Kir-Moab, and here put 
 in the plural, to describe its size, or ap- 
 pearance, as comprehending more than 
 one. Comp. Jer. xlviii. 24, and on Is, 
 xv. 1. Ny, here means the tumult of 
 battle. Is. xiii. 4; xvii. 12. 
 
 3. From the circumstance that ὯΞ "Ὁ, 
 Judge, and not 7272) king, is selected to 
 describe the chief’ magistrate of Moab, it 
 has not without reason, been supposed, 
 that, at the time the prophet wrote, or, 
 at least, at the time to which his prophecy 
 
 ' refers, a change had taken place in the 
 government of that country ; but whether 
 it was occasioned by the extinction of the 
 royal house, or the appointment of a 
 ruler by a foreign power, it is impossible 
 to decide. The reference which some 
 have made’ to Ps. ii. 10, in proof that 
 judge and king are identical, is not in 
 point; for, though the terms as there 
 used are so far synonymous, that they 
 both designate persons high in office, yet 
 
 there is an obvious distinction both as it 
 respects the degree of their rank, and the 
 nature of the offices with which they 
 were invested. The connecting of the 
 princes with Moab (av) and not with 
 the judge (177 Ὁ) as in chap. 1. 15, goes 
 to confirm the view just given. 
 
 4, 5. The charges brought against the 
 Jews differ from any of the preceding, 
 in the crimes which they involve having 
 been committed directly against God, 
 and not against man. They had become 
 weary of his service, abandoned his 
 worship, and addicted themselves to 
 idolatrous practices. Between the syno- 
 nymes here employed there is this dif- 
 ference of meaning : min, Jaw, stands 
 for the institute of Moses generally, of 
 which the moral code formed the basis ; 
 ppm, statutes, for the ceremonial and 
 ἘΞ enactments. By mats, “es, idols 
 are meant, and the word is so rendered 
 here in the Vulg. The LXX. have taken 
 the same view of it, rendering it μάταια, 
 vanities. Comp. for this acceptation 
 Ps. xl. 5. Idols were so called because 
 their pretensions and oracles were found- 
 ed on falsehood, and because they deluded 
 with false hopes those who worshipped 
 them. Instead of being weaned from 
 
124 
 
 6 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 For three transgressions of Israel, 
 ‘And for four, I will not reverse it ; 
 Because they sold the righteous for money, 
 And the poor for a pair of sandals : 
 7 Who pant for the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, 
 And turn aside the way of the afflicted ; 
 A man and his father go in to the same damsel, 
 In order to profane my holy name. 
 8 They stretch themselves upon pledged garments, © 
 
 Close to every altar ; 
 
 their attachment to the gods which their 
 ancestors had, at different times, served, 
 the Jews became increasingly addicted 
 to them, and thereby brought upon 
 themselves the punishment inflicted by 
 Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 6. The prophet, having secured the 
 attention of the Israelites by his predic- 
 tions against those communities which 
 they regarded with feelings of hostility, 
 comes now to his proper subject, which 
 was to charge upon themselves the guilt 
 which, in various ways, they, as a people, 
 had contracted. Nal -b) , Israel, i. e. the 
 Israelites, consisted, after the revolt in 
 the time of Rehoboam, of the ten tribes, 
 whose capital was Samaria, and whose 
 worship, originally that of Jehovah, 
 under the visible image of the golden 
 calves, speedily merged in the basest and 
 most licentious idolatry. "3%, ¢o sedl, has 
 no reference, as some have thought, to 
 the conduct of a corrupt judge, who for 
 money gives a verdict against the in- 
 nocent, the term never being used to 
 express any such act; but describes the 
 selling of a person into slavery. They 
 even deprived the poor of their liberty 
 for the most paltry consideration. Comp. 
 chap. viii. 6. o->22, sandals, are greatly 
 inferior in value to shoes, consisting 
 merely of soles of leather or wood, 
 fastened by two straps to the feet, one 
 of which passes over the forepart of the 
 foot, near the great toe, and the other 
 round the ankle. 
 
 7. δῦ, signifies to breathe hard, to 
 pant, eagerly to desire, which well suit® 
 
 the connection, so that there is no neces- 
 sity, with Houbigant, Newcome, and 
 others, to change the verb into τι, ¢o 
 attack, bruise, etc. ‘The meaning of the 
 prophet is, that the persons whom he 
 describes were so avaricious, that, after 
 having robbed others of ther property, 
 and reduced them to a state of poverty, 
 they even begrudged them the small 
 quantity of dust which they had cast on 
 their heads in token of mourning. Comp. 
 2 Sam. i. 2; Job 11. 12. 3, as ints, is 
 elsewhere used in the acceptation of on 
 or upon, and is here the more appro- 
 priately adopted, on account of the more 
 usual preposition ἘΣ having just been 
 employed. Comp. chap. viii. 4. 4.3 nun, 
 to turn, or thrust aside as to the way ; 
 i. 6. to turn any one out of his right 
 course, into a trackless region, where he 
 can expect nothing but inconvenience, 
 perplexity and danger; here, to render 
 the afflicted still more miserable. From 
 the reference made in the following 
 verse to idolatrous deities and altars, it 
 is most probable that H-22", the damsel 
 here spoken of, was not an ordinary or 
 common strumpet, but one who prosti- 
 tuted herself in honor of Astarte, at one 
 of her shrines. LXX. τὴν αὐτὴν παιδίσκην. 
 Such an act of daring profligacy was the 
 more atrocious from its having been com- 
 mitted in a heathen temple, with the ex- 
 press design, as the prophet st&tes, of do- 
 ing indignity to Jehovah. See Gesenius, 
 Lex. in 3379, A) 2. 
 
 8. To retain pledged raiment over 
 night was expressly prohibited by the 
 
»ῇ 
 
 Cuap. II, 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 195 
 
 And drink the wine of the amerced 
 
 In the house of their gods. 
 
 9 Yet it was I that destroyed the Amorite before them, 
 Whose height was as the height of cedars, 
 And who was strong as the oaks; 
 
 I destroyed his fruit above, 
 And his roots beneath. 
 
 10 It was I also that brought you up from the land of Egypt, 
 And led you in the desert forty years, 
 To inherit the land of the Amorite. 
 
 11 And I raised up of your sons to be prophets, 
 
 Mosaic law, Exod. xxii. 26, 27, as it 
 deprived the owner of his covering: to 
 stretch one’s self upon it in an idol’s temple 
 Was a great aggravation of the crime. 
 pda, pledged, lit. bound, held in bon- 
 
 dage, from oC to bind. Arab. dis, 
 
 Syr. tis cus, debitum. It was not un- 
 
 usual for the heathen to sleep near the 
 altars of their gods, that they might ob- 
 
 tain communications in dreams; but as: 
 
 it was customary to eat in a recumbent 
 posture, the stretching here referred to 
 would rather seem to have respect to par- 
 ticipation in idolatrous feasts, especially 
 as the drinking of wine in the temples is 
 specified in the following line. E>v3>2 477) 
 the wine of the amerced, means wine 
 purchased with money exacted by the 
 imposition of fines. m3, for mi23, as 
 frequently. Regardless of the sufferings 
 of those whom they oppressed, the apos- 
 tate Israelites revelled in sensual indulg- 
 ences. 
 
 9. in "D387, is strongly adversative, 
 and introduces the contrast between the 
 Divine conduct and that of the Israelites. 
 The signal benefits which, as a nation, 
 they had received from Jehovah, ought 
 to have attached them for ever to his 
 service. The conjunction and pronoun 
 are repeated for like effect, verse 10. 
 “sort, the Amorites, are here taken in a 
 wide sense, as including all the inhabi- 
 tants of Canaan, on account of their be- 
 ing the largest and most powerful of the 
 nations which occupied that country. 
 Comp. Gen. xy. 16, xlviii, 22, In a more 
 
 x 
 
 special point of view, they inhabited both 
 sides of the Jordan, and particularly the 
 mountains afterwards possessed by the 
 tribe of Judah. Their gigantic height 
 and extraordinary strength, to which 
 reference is frequently made in the his- 
 tory of the Hebrews, are here beauti- 
 fully compared to cedars and oaks, the 
 most majestic and sturdy trees of the 
 forest. The Hebrew as well as the 
 profane poets, often compare men to 
 trees. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 35, xcii. 12-15 ; 
 Isa. x. 83, 34; Ezek. xvii. 3, xxxi. Six- 
 teen MSS., originally twelve more, and 
 now five; five of the oldest editions, and 
 the Rabboth tread M3251, “ before you,” 
 instead of ἘΠ Ξ.2, “ before them,” but 
 these authorities, under all the circum- 
 stances of the text, are insufficient to 
 warrant an alteration. 
 
 10. Jehovah goes back to still earlier, 
 but no less remarkable displays of his 
 kindness to the nation, showing that from 
 the commencement of its history he a 
 been its benefactor. Comp. Jer. ii. 6. 
 85, to come or go up, is always used in 
 Hebrew in reference to local or political 
 elevation, and not, as Rosenmiiller as- 
 serts, to the North. The circumstance 
 that many of the regions or places to 
 which persons are said to have gone up, 
 lay to the north of those from which they 
 came, is purely accidental ; whereas the 
 propriety of the use of the term lies in 
 the fact of the mountainous character of 
 the land of Canaan, while Egypt and the 
 intervening regions were low and flat. 
 
 11. The prepositive 2 in ἘΞ 53), and 
 msc-:n2, is partitive, indicating that 
 
vw AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. IL 
 
 And of your young men to be Nazarites. 
 Is it not even so, Ὁ ye sons of Israel ἢ 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 12 But ye made the Nazarites drink wine, 
 
 And ye charged the prophets, 
 
 Saying, Prophesy not. 
 
 13 Behold, I will press you down, 
 
 As the cart presseth which is full of sheaves, 
 
 14 And refuge shall fail the swift, 
 
 The strong man shall not exert his strength, 
 
 some or certain persons out of the num- 
 ber were selected. The Divine conde- 
 scension in the selection of any of their 
 race to fill the offices here specified, laid 
 them under additional obligatious to de- 
 vote themselves to the service of the true 
 God; and not only was thereby a dis- 
 tinguished honor conferred upon them, 
 but such institutions furnished them with 
 the means of religious instruction, and 
 examples of holy living. For ὉΠ 3535, the 
 prophets, see on Hos, xii. 11. Donn, 
 Nazarites, LXX. ἡγιασμένος, εἰς ἁγιασ- 
 pov, from "12, to separate, set one's self 
 apart, abstain, were a class of persons 
 among the Hebrews who ordinarily bound 
 themselves by a voluntary vow to ab- 
 stain either for a time, or for the whole 
 period of life, from wine and all in- 
 toxicating liquors, and everything made 
 of the produce of the vine; and not to 
 shave their head nor touch any dead 
 body. Sometimes persons were, before 
 their birth, devoted by their parents to 
 this abstinence; as in the cases of 
 Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist. 
 For the law of the Nazarite, see Num. vi. 
 and Winer’s Realworterb. The object 
 of the institute appears to have been, to 
 exhibit to the view of the nation the 
 power of religious principle operating im 
 the way of self-control, indifference to 
 sensual gratification, and an entire con- 
 secration to the service of God. The 
 importance which was attached to it in 
 a moral point of view, is evident from 
 those who thus exercised themselves in 
 self-denial being classed along with the 
 prophets. Respecting the undeniable- 
 ness of the fact a pointed appeal is made 
 at the close of the verse. 
 
 12. What could have been more 
 flagrant than to tempt the pious to break 
 their solemn vow, and attempt to induce 
 the inspired ambassadors of Jehovah to 
 withhold the communications of his will ? 
 
 13. Here commence the denunciations 
 against the apostate Israelites. The 
 Participle + pos, after man, is future 
 in aienitivation. See on 15, vii. 14, pay 
 occurs only here as a verb; but that it 
 Signifies ¢o press, oppress, etc., is clear 
 from the signification of the derivatives 
 apy, Ps. lv. 4, and mpyar, Ps. lvi. 2, as 
 well as from the connection in which it 
 here occurs. Comp. 71», and the Syr. 
 
 > 3 ° 
 “2... angustratus est. bos, angus- 
 Comp. also the Arab. 
 uk, retinutt, impedivit : eu 
 
 accidentia fortune, que impediunt hom- 
 inem. ‘The verb is used transitively in 
 both instances, according to the ordin- 
 ary signification of Hiphil. There is 
 more force in speaking of a fully laden 
 cart pressing the ground under it, than 
 its being itself pressed by its contents. 
 ron is to be taken in the sense of down, 
 as in Job xl. 12. mb is pleonastic. The 
 renderings of the LXX. and Vulg. ἐγὼ 
 κυλίω ΓΕΘΤΕΣ: ὑμῶν ; ego stridebo subter 
 vos, though advocated by some, are less 
 appropriate. Newcome translates the 
 latter hemistich thus: “As a loaded 
 com-wain presseth its sheaves ;” but 
 “ry is the objective case to nsbyon, and 
 not to p-yn. As the object of the verb, 
 supply’ VISITNs 
 
 14-16. Every attempt to resist or es- 
 cape from the evils that were coming 
 upon the nation, would prove utterly 
 
 tia, pressura. 
 
Cxuap. III. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 137 
 
 15 Neither shall the mighty deliver himself; 
 
 He that handleth the bow shall not stand, 
 
 And the swift-footed shall not escape: 
 
 Neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself, 
 16 And he that is courageous among the heroes, 
 
 Shall flee away naked in that day, 
 
 Saith Jehovah, 
 
 fruitless. This sentiment is expressed 
 under various forms, which are obviously 
 accumulated for the sake of effect. 1 at 
 the beginning of ver. 14, is not merely 
 conjunctive, but marks the consequence 
 or result. Verse 15th is wanting in 
 some of Kennicott and De Rossi’s MSS. 
 and in the Arab. ; but the omission is no 
 doubt owing to the homoioteleuton of 
 _ this and the preceding verse; just as, 
 
 for the same reason, the words corres- 
 ponding to 4352 wd%7—s3 at the end of 
 ver. 14 are omitted in the Alexandrian 
 copy of the LXX. ὙΠῸ preposition 3 in 
 ἘΠῚ Ξ. 5, gives to 425 ">, the force of 
 the superlative. Comp. m%22 “424, 
 the ee of beasts, Prov. xxx. 30; 
 power mB, the most beautiful ὩΣ women, 
 Sore i. 8, v. 9, vi. 15 εὐλογημένη ἐν γυ- 
 ne, Luke i i ᾿28. 
 
 CHA Prine, 1{1Ὶ1Ὶ- 
 
 THE prophet resumes the subject of the Divine goodness towards the Hebrew people, and 
 grounds upon their misimprovement of it, the certainty of their punishment, ver. 1; he 
 then, in a series of pointed and appropriate interrogations, illustrates this certainty, 3-6; 
 which he follows up by a vindication of his commission, 7,8. Foreign nations are then 
 summoned to witness the execution of judgment upon the kingdom of Israel, which would 
 
 be signally severe, 9-15. 
 
 1 Hear ye this word, which Jehovah speaketh against you, O sons 
 
 of Israel, 
 
 Against all the at which I brought up out of the land of 
 
 Egypt ; 
 
 Saying : 
 
 1 Instead of tsny> "23, “sons of Is- 
 rael,” forty-three MSS., one in the mar- 
 gin, originally seven, and five by correc- 
 tion, read y= wna,“ house of Israel;”’ 
 which reading i is supported by the LXX. 
 and Arab. versions. Both forms are em- 
 ployed in the book of Amos, but the for- 
 mer is the less frequent ; which awakens 
 the suspicion that the latter has been in- 
 troduced here by way of correction, That 
 
 18 
 
 the phrase is intended to include the 
 whole Hebrew people, is evident from 
 the words which follow in apposition, 
 and describe the distinguished favor 
 conferred upon the entire race of Jacob. 
 
 meen, Eth. ζῇ; to spread out 
 
 a tribe, or clan; but here obviously used 
 in a national sense, as in Jer. Vill. 3, XXv. 
 9; Micah ii. 3. 
 
198 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. IIL 
 
 2 Only you have I known of all the families of the earth, 
 Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 
 
 3 Will two walk together 
 Except they be agreed ? 
 
 4 Will the lion roar in the forest 
 
 When he has no prey? 
 
 Will the young lion ery out from his den, 
 
 2. »17, to know, is here employed in 
 the sense of knowing with the idea of 
 volition, or goodwill; to acknowledge, 
 regard, care for, and by implication, to 
 show favor to. Comp. Ps. i. 6, exliv. 3; 
 and γινώσκω, John x. 14, xv. 17; 2 Tim. 
 ii, 19. The Israelites alone were ac- 
 knowledged by Jehovah as his people, 
 and as such treated with peculiar favor; 
 but in proportion to the distinction which 
 they enjoyed, was the degree of punish- 
 ment which their ungrateful and rebel- 
 lious conduct merited. 
 
 3. In this and the three following 
 verses, a series of parabolic interroga- 
 tions are employed, highly calculated to 
 produce conviction in the minds of those 
 to whom they were addressed. They 
 are familiar indeed, but so much the 
 more appropriate and forcible. Instead 
 of γπ2"», the LXX. Arab. and Vulg. read 
 19142, with apparent reference to the sig- 
 nification of 5» πὴ in the preceding verse. 
 The primary signification of 13>, Syr. 
 me condixit, constituit, Arab. che 9 
 significavit affecturum alicui guid, is to 
 point, point out, appoint a time ‘or place, 
 hence in Niphal, to meet by appointment ; 
 to do anything by common consent ; to be 
 agreed. ‘This last seems to be the accep- 
 tation in which the verb is to be taken in 
 this place: for to render, How can two 
 set out upon a journey, except they meet 
 by appointment ? would express that to 
 be impossible, which is very often true in 
 fact. Interpreters are divided in opinion 
 respecting the persons to whom the num- 
 ber 73%, two, refers. Munster and 
 some others think, that the prophets gen- 
 erally, or Joel and Amos in particular, are 
 meant; Vatablus, Drusius, Lively, New- 
 come, Bauer, Rosenmiiller, Ackermann, 
 and Maurer, explain it of God and the 
 
 prophet ; while Clarius, Grotius, Danzus, 
 Marckius, Lowth, Harenberg, and Dahl, 
 are of opinion that God and Israel are 
 intended. The last construction of the 
 passage best agrees with the bearing 
 of the other interrogations. Between 
 Jehovah and his apostate people there 
 could no longer be any fellowship; and 
 instead of the blessings which accrued to 
 them from such fellowship, they had now 
 nothing to expect but punishment. As 
 they had walked contrary to him, so he 
 would now walk contrary to them. They 
 had broken his covenant, and must take 
 the consequences. 
 
 4. The lion is quiet till he secs his 
 prey, but roars at the sight of it, and 
 thereby inspires it with such terror, that 
 it is deprived of the power of escape. 
 In like manner the young lion, which 
 has been weaned, and is just beginning 
 to hunt for prey, will lie silent in his den, 
 till it is brought near, when the smell of 
 it will rouse him from his quiet. Poiret, 
 in his Travels in Barbary, Strasb. 1789, 
 vol. i. p. 283, states, that the lion has 
 two different modes of hunting his prey. 
 When not very hungry, he contents 
 himself with watching behind a bush for 
 the animal which is the object of his 
 attack, till it approaches, when, by a 
 sudden leap, he attacks it, and seldom 
 misses his aim; but if he is famished he 
 does not proceed so quietly, but, im- 
 patient and full of rage, he leaves his 
 den, and fills, with his terrific roar, the 
 echoing forest. His voice inspires all 
 living beings with fear and dread; no 
 creature deeins itself safe in its retreat ; 
 all flee, they know not whither, and by 
 this means, fall into his fangs. mtx, 
 the lion, and not “b>, the young lion, 
 is the nominative to tle verb ==%. The 
 certainty of destruction is the point at 
 
Cuar. IIL. 
 
 Except he have taken it ? 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 139 
 
 5 Will the bird fall into an earth-snare, 
 
 And there is no gin for it ? 
 
 Will the snare spring from the ground, 
 When nothing whatever is caught ; 
 6 Shall the trumpet be blown in a city, 
 
 And the people not tremble? 
 Shall there be evil in a city, 
 
 And Jehovah hath not inflicted it ? 
 7 Surely the Lord Jehovah inflicteth nothing, 
 
 Except he reveal his purpose 
 To his servants the prophets. 
 
 8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear ? 
 
 which the prophet aims in the simili- 
 tude. 
 
 5. Between ps and wpiva there is no 
 essential difference. The sense would 
 have been the same had the latter word 
 been omitted, and we had simply read, 
 mS 77833 but the insertion of the pia 
 nyme gives more force to the sentence. m> 
 connects with 745s, as its antecedent, 
 τ 15 to be taken as the future of Kal, 
 and regarded as expressing the sudden 
 spring of an elastic snare, or net, which, 
 on the bird’s touching it, suddenly rises 
 and incloses it. Instruments were pre- 
 pared by the providence of God for the 
 capture of the Israelites, which would 
 certainly do their work: there would be 
 no escape. 
 
 6. The prophet here closes his interro- 
 gatory appeals ;—first by a reference to 
 the effect produced upon the inhabitants 
 of a city by the sounding of the trumpet, 
 as a signal of war; and then, by directly 
 ascribing the infliction of temporal ca- 
 lamities to Jehovah, as the punisher of 
 sin. For 79" in the sense of temporal 
 evil, or calamity, see Gen. xix. 19, xliv. 
 34, Exod. xxxii. 14; Ezek. vii. 5. Arab. 
 Ma, experimentum, calamitas afflic- 
 tio. 
 
 7. Though the infliction of punish- 
 ment of his guilty people was determined 
 in his holy and righteous counsel, yet 
 Jehovah would not proceed to excute it 
 until he had given them full warning, and 
 afforded such of them an opportunity of 
 
 escaping as should repent and return to 
 his service. He thus mixed mercy with 
 judgment. 40, Theod. Βουλή, counsel, 
 
 purpose, decree ; from 797, Arab. Ow, 
 
 posuit, firmiter statuit; to found, lay a 
 foundation, establish a plan, ordain. It 
 is rather, I imagine, on this acceptation 
 of the verb that the idea of purpose or 
 decree is based, than upon that of a divan, 
 or an assembly of persons, sitting and 
 deliberating on couches; but see Gesenius 
 in πο. As the Divine plan or purpose 
 is necessarily secret till it be revealed, 
 hence the acceptation secret came to be 
 attached to the word. In this verse a 
 high honor is vindicated to the pro- 
 phetical office. The holy men of God 
 were, by inspiration, entrusted with a 
 knowledge of the Divine purposes, in so 
 far as it was necessary for them to divulge 
 them to the world. sy 2, is the frequent- 
 ative future, indicating what God is ac- 
 customed to do, and is best rendered by 
 our present. For the sentiment, comp. 
 Gen. xviii. 17. 
 
 8. With reference to what he had 
 expressed ver. 4. and in keeping with the 
 mode of representation which he had 
 employed chap. i. 2, Amos formally 
 announces the awful character of the 
 message he had heard from the Lord, 
 and the impossibility of withholding 
 the communication. The roar of the 
 lion is loud and terrific, especially in:the 
 solitary forests which form his proper 
 domain. See on ver. 4. 
 
140 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 σεν. III, 
 
 The Lord Jehovah hath spoken, who will not prophesy ? 
 9  Proclaim ye in the palaces of Ashdod, 
 And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, 
 
 And say : 
 
 Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria, 
 And behold the great commotions within her, 
 And the oppressions in the midst of her. 
 
 10 For they regard not the practice of rectitude, 
 
 Saith Jehovah, 
 
 That amass rapine and spoil in their palaces. 
 11 Therefore thus saith he Lord Jehovah: 
 
 9. ay aDM, cause it to be heard, pub- 
 lish ye! those are addressed who had 
 intercourse with the places here specitied, 
 and had thus an opportunity of conveying 
 the message. Comp. 6 ἀκούων εἰπάτω" 
 Ἔρχου! Rey. xxii. 17. For Ashdod, 
 see on chap. i. 8. It is here used syn- 
 ecdochically for the whole of Philistia. 
 Instead of 343392, the LXX. have read 
 "TSN, ἐν ᾿Ασσύριοις, which Secker at- 
 tempts to justify ! For msn ἘΣ 5 στιν 
 comp. κηρύξατε ἐπι τῶν δωμάτων, Matt. 
 x. 27. It was, and is still, custom- 
 ary in the East to assemble on the 
 flat roofs of the houses. To the princes 
 and courtiers thus assembled on their 
 palaces, as well as to all within hearing, 
 the invitation was to be conveyed, 
 There is something exceedingly forcible 
 in these heathen rulers, ete. being called 
 to witness the enormities that were prac- 
 tised in Samaria. If their judgment, 
 pagans as they were, could not but be 
 unfavorable, what must be the judgment 
 of the holy and righteous God? What 
 the punishment which he must inflict ? 
 Nothing can be more graphic than the 
 description of the position which these 
 foreigners were to occupy. They were 
 to assemble i> ὅπ ὃ», upon the 
 mountains of Samaria, η"-}2 ὃν Samaria, 
 the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, 
 was built on a round hill, near the mid- 
 dle of a large valley, surrounded by moun- 
 tains on every side, by which it was com- 
 pletely overlooked. Fram these cleva- 
 tions persons might distinctly see what 
 was done in the city, That Τὴ mam 
 
 and ἘΣΘ» are intimately connected, and 
 are both to be referred to the rich and 
 powerful inhabitants of Samaria, appears 
 evident from what is stated in the fol- 
 lowing verse. The latter term is prop- 
 erly the Pahul Participle, oppressed, but 
 is here used as a noun, as in Job xxxv. 9; 
 Eccles. iy. 1. Comp. the forms %33;, 
 dwelling 2112 , kingdom. ; 
 
 10. axq> xb, they know not, is not in- 
 tended to express simple ignorance, but 
 that state of mind which is hostile to 
 the entertainment of knowledge. The 
 magnates of Samaria had no regard for 
 the practice of what was just and right, 
 but the contrary. mn=3, rectitude, that 
 which is straight, in opposition to what 
 is crooked, distorted, or morally wrong. 
 Comp. 1s. πεν 10. xxx. 10, dix ΤῊ 
 “31 Ὁ Πν violence and desolation, mean, 
 by ametonymy of the cause for the effect, 
 what has been obtained by violating the 
 rights and desolating the property of 
 others. Such spoils they accumulated 
 in their palaces, but they should not 
 enjoy them. On the contrary, as the 
 prophet shows in the following verses, 
 they should be plundered and carried 
 away by the enemy. Dathe well ex- 
 presses the meaning of the verse: “ Recte 
 factis nequaquam delectantur, inquit Jo- 
 va, sed thesauros in xdes suas congerunt 
 vi atque injuria partos.”’ 
 
 11. sx,the LXX., who are followed 
 by Aq. and the Arab., preposterously 
 render Τύρος, Tyre; one of De Rossi's 
 MSS, reads "x, and one of Kennicott’s, 
 s4s. The Syr. Chald. tribulation, which 
 
Cuar. III. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 141 
 
 There shall be an enemy, and that around the land; 
 And he shall bring down thy strength from thee, 
 And thy palaces shall be plundered. 
 
 12 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 As the shepherd rescueth from the mouth of the lion 
 Two legs, or the portion of an ear, 
 
 So shall the sons of Israel be rescued, 
 
 Who sit in Samaria on the corner of a bed, 
 
 And in Damascus on that of a couch. 
 
 has been adopted in many modern wer- 
 sions. Thus Dathe, Hesselberg, Dahl, 
 Justi, and Hitzig. But Calvin, New- 
 come, Michaelis, Struensee, Bauer, Ros- 
 enmuller, Vater, and Noyes, translate 
 enemy, which better suits the connection, 
 as it supplies a proper nominative to the 
 verb 37-77, immediately following. ‘Com. 
 w 
 
 as to derivation, the Arab. nocutt, 
 
 ’ 
 noxa affecit, lesit. The words, 2°20; ἜΣ 
 ὙΠ τ are abrupt and elliptical, but, for 
 this very reason, possess more point. At 
 “3, supply han, ἈΞ» or the like. 4 in 
 2720; has the force of et quidem, or isque. 
 The reading s»35> , suggested by Houbi- 
 gant, considered ‘probable by Newcome, 
 and adopted by Bauer, is altogether un- 
 sustained by any example of a similar 
 case in verbs whose second and third radi- 
 cals are the same. ne 37nd is equiv- 
 alent to TST? =3, 2 Kings Xvi. 5. 
 where the invasion by Shalmaneser is 
 described. τ», strength, denotes what- 
 ever Samaria confided in, or made her 
 boast of, such as her treasures, fortifi- 
 cations, warriors, etc. All was to be 
 brought down into the valley, and what 
 was capable of being removed, carried 
 away by the enemy: 7. 6. Shalmaneser, 
 the king of Assyria. A just retribution 
 for the spoliations which her inhabitants 
 had committed. 
 
 12. A very appropriate image is here 
 borrowed from a scene in pastoral life, 
 such as the prophet himself may have 
 witnessed. Nothing but a mere remnant 
 of the Israelites should with difficulty 
 escape from the enemy. Although a lion 
 may not be induced to quit his prey, if 
 he is hungry and has but just seized it, 
 
 Is. xxxi. 4; yet if he has almost devoured 
 it, leaving nothing but what is here spec- 
 ified, no difficulty would be found in ef- 
 fecting a rescue. For ym. 7273 5°32, 
 comp. ἐῤῥύσϑην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος, 2 
 Tim. iv. 17; 1 Sam. xvii. 34,35. $12 
 occurs only this once, but signifies a paré 
 or piece; from $73, ¢o separate. There 
 is a species of goat in the East, the ears 
 of which are often a foot in length, and 
 broad in proportion; so that more im- 
 portance would be attached to them by 
 the shepherd, than would be the case 
 with us in the West. The concluding 
 words of the verse have greatly perplexed 
 interpreters. Most of the moderns ex- 
 plain py of the silk manufactured at 
 Damascus, which from the name of the 
 place, is called damask, and render 
 wre peat, in damask couches. What 
 has been supposed to confirm this ex- 
 planation of the term is the occurrence 
 of the same word in Arabic, only with 
 the letters, or similar letters transposed, as 
 
 UAH nod wliod, ete,, 
 all signifying sz/X. Gesenius has a long 
 article on the word in his Thesaurus, p. 
 346; but fails in establishing the point 
 of identity: Instead of pos past Shin, 
 
 upwards of twenty of De Rossi’s MSS. 
 read, or have read, py Pyset with Sin ; 
 
 which reading is also that of eighteen 
 printed editions, and is the proper ortho- 
 graphy of the name of Damascus. What 
 appears to have originated the above 
 view of the word was the idea, that as 
 the wealthy and voluptuous inhabitants 
 of Samaria are supposed to be intended, 
 there was a special propriety in adverting 
 to the sumptuousness of the couches or 
 
19 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. IL, 
 
 Hear ye, and testify against the house of Jacob, 
 
 Saith the Lord, Jehovah, the God of hosts, 
 
 14 Surely in the day when I punish the transgressions of Israel, 
 I will punish the altars of Bethel ; 
 The horns of the altar shall be cut down, 
 And they shall fall to the ground. 
 
 15 I will also smite the winter-house with the summer-house, 
 The ivory mansions shall perish, 
 
 sofas on which they reclined. But this 
 idea is totally alien from the bearing of 
 the passage, which requires something to 
 correspond to what had been expressed 
 in the comparison of the fragments left 
 by the lion. Besides, -~8 signifies the 
 outer or extreme corner, and not the 
 inner, which is regarded as the seat of 
 honor, so that the observations of Har- 
 mer, chap. vi. Obs. xxx., are totally in- 
 applicable, even if there were much point 
 in them. The words are elliptical, and 
 the parallelism, expressed in full, would 
 stand thus : 
 
 aitenes eget 
 
 5 pws py om 
 
 The pen Sts to are the sick and 
 infirm poor, who had nothing left but the 
 side or part of a couch, and whom the 
 king of Assyria would not think it worth 
 his while to be at the trouble of removing, 
 All the rest, the robust and active, the 
 opulent and powerful, should be carried 
 into captivity. For the fulfilment see 
 2 Kings xvii. 5, 6, xviii. 9-12. The 
 reason why Damascus is mentioned along 
 with Samaria, is, that, at the time of 
 the Assyrian invasion, that city was in 
 the power of the Israelites, having been 
 conquered by Jeroboam II. See 2 Kings 
 xiv. 28. On the conquest, no doubt 
 many belonging to the ten tribes went 
 there to reside. 
 
 13. The same persons are here ad- 
 dressed, who were summoned from Phi- 
 listia and Egypt to witness the enormi- 
 ties practised in Samaria, ver. 9. They 
 were now to testify to the facts of the 
 case, that the punishment to be inflicted 
 upon the inhabitants might be seen to 
 have been richly deserved. 3 ποτ, as 
 
 frequently means to testify against any 
 
 one, Ninasn cbs mins sais, LXX. 
 Κύριος ὃ Θεὸς ὁ Haprinpirsep 2 an ac- 
 cumulation of Divine appellatives for the 
 purpose of striking awe into the minds 
 of the guilty. 
 
 14, Signal vengeance was to be taken 
 upon the place whence all the evils which 
 spread through the ten tribes originated. 
 For Bethel, see on Hos. iv. 15. From 
 the term m37%en having the determina- 
 tive article, rendering it emphatic, while 
 mins in the plural also occurs, it may 
 be inferred that at Bethel, besides the 
 great altar erected by Jeroboam, there 
 was a numbg of lesser ones at which 
 sacrifices were offered. Comp. Hos. viii. 
 1S tx. Oe ἘΠΕ np, horns, were four 
 projecting points in the shape of horns 
 at the corners of ancient altars. They 
 may be seen in the representations of 
 those dug up by Belzoni in Egypt. As 
 they were ornamental, the action here 
 described was designed to express the 
 contempt in which the altar would be 
 held by the Assyrians. 
 
 15. Eastern monarchs and princes, as 
 well as others of the great, have summer 
 as well as winter residences. The latter 
 are in cities and sheltered situations; the 
 former in forests, or upon mountains. 
 75, properly zooth, but used specially of 
 the tusk of the elephant ; ‘very. LXX, 
 οἶκοι ἐλεφάντινοι. By ivory houses are 
 not meant houses or palaces composed of 
 that material, but richly ornamented 
 with it. The ancients used it for 
 decorating the ceilings, panels, doors, 
 ete., of their rooms, by inlaying it with 
 other costly articles. See 1 Kings xxii, 
 39; Ps. xlv.9. Odys. iv. 73. Diod. Sic. 
 iii. 47, Pausan. i. 12.4, Od. ii, 18.1. 
 All these sumptuous palaces in which 
 the leaders of the people rioted, and 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 143 
 
 And the great houses shall come to an end, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 indulged in all manner of profaneness, 
 were to be completely destroyed. Ὁ "Ὁ, 
 to come to an end, cease. The render- 
 ing of p35" Ma, by “large houses,” 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 is more agreeable to the connection than 
 that of “many houses,” though this is 
 equally expressed by the phrase. 
 
 ΤΥ, 
 
 Tuts chapter contains a continuation of the denunciation pronounced against the Israelites, 
 at the close of the preceding, 1-8; an ironical call to them to persevere in their will- 
 worship, which was the primary cause of their calamities, 4,5; an enumeration of the 
 different judgments with which they had been visited, but which had effected no reforma- 
 tion, 6-11; and a summons to them to prepare for the last and most awful judgment, 
 which the omnipotent Jehovah was about to inflict upon them, 12, 18. 
 
 
 
 1 Hear ye this word, ye kine of Bashan ! 
 That are in the mountain of Samaria; 
 That oppress the poor; that crush the needy ; 
 
 That say to their master, 
 Bring now, that we may drink. 
 
 1, 53, Bashan, was celebrated for the 
 richness of the pasturage, and its excel- 
 lent breed both of large and small cattle. 
 Deut. xxxii. 14; Ps. xxii. 12; Ezek. 
 xxxix. 18. It lay on the east of the Jor- 
 dan, between Hermon and the mountains 
 of Gilead, and extended eastward as far 
 as the cities of Salchah and Edrei, which 
 it included. Some are of opinion, that 
 by ywan ning, the kine, or cows of Ba- 
 shan, the proud and luxurious females of 
 Samaria are intended ; and that they are 
 introduced on account of the corrupting 
 influence which, through their husbands, 
 they exerted on the state of public affairs. 
 Of these may be mentioned, most of the 
 Rabbins, Theodoret, Liveley, Grotius, 
 Michaelis, Vater, Dahl, Justi, Cesenius 
 and Winer. Others, as the Targ. Jerome, 
 Munster, Calvin, Vatablus, Clarius, 
 Drusius, Danzus, Mercer, Marckius, 
 
 Se 
 
 Harenberg, Dathe, Rosenmiiller, and 
 Maurer, maintain that the prophet has 
 the princes and rulers in view, whom he 
 describes in this debasing language, in 
 order to set forth the effeminacy, wanton- 
 ness, and obstinacy of their character. 
 At first view the former exposition might 
 appear to recommend itself for adoption ; 
 but I am induced to give my adhesion 
 to the latter, chiefly on the ground, that 
 it is scarcely possible, otherwise, to ac- 
 count for the repeated intermixture of 
 masculine forms with the feminine. Thus 
 we have 1728, B28, MNSn, ἘΞ ἘΣ» 
 tons, all occurring very closely together. 
 Now, though it must be admitted that 
 there are instances in which the gender 
 is neglected, as in Ruth i., yet none of 
 them will bear comparison with the 
 present case. On the principle, that 
 males are the real, and females the fig- 
 
141 
 
 t 5 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuapr. LV, 
 
 2 The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by his holiness: 
 Behold, the days are coming upon you, 
 When ye shall be taken away with hooks, 
 And your posterity with fish-hooks, 
 
 3 And ye shall go out through the breaches, 
 
 Each one right before her ; 
 
 Ye shall even be thrown out of the palace, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 urative subjects of discourse, it is easy 
 to perceive how the genders would be 
 used just as the one or the other were 
 prominently in the mind of the prophet. 
 Some translators suppress the figurative 
 language altogether, as Dathe: Audite 
 hoe, vos divites et potentes Samaria ; but 
 such practice is quite unwarrantable, as 
 it destroys the effect of the prophetic 
 mode of representation. mixx‘, one of 
 those onomatopoetic verbs, the very 
 sound of which strongly expresses the 
 character of the action which they are 
 intended to describe. It signifies to 
 break, crush, dash in pieces. Comp. the 
 
 Arab. >)» conduit, fregit. yim in 
 
 tm*27s, though plural in form, is sin- 
 gular in signification, and means the king 
 of Israel, whom his courtiers and oth- 
 ers, indulging in their compotations, 
 importune for fresh supplies of wine, 
 reckless of the oppression and rapine by 
 which it might be procured. Comp. 
 Hos, vii. 5. τ suffixed in 7727, is the 
 τ directive, or optative. 
 
 2, 3. >> is pleonastic. It is surprising 
 that so judicious an interpreter as Calvin 
 should attempt to vindicate the rendering 
 of iwrp, Ais sanctuary, when that of his 
 holiness is so natural and proper. Comp. 
 Ps. Ixxxix. 36, and Ix. 8. Jehovah 
 appeals to all that is involved in the 
 infinite excellence of his moral character 
 for the certainty of his punishing sin. 
 The Nominative to x2 is the enemy, 
 understood ; but as the yerb is put in the 
 impersonal form, it is best rendered 
 passively. Déderlein and some others 
 object to the adoption, in this place, of 
 hooks and fish-hooks, as the signification 
 of τ and 347 mind, as too violent a 
 
 change of the figure; and propose that 
 we should retain the primary acceptation 
 of thorns, which they think is more in 
 keeping with the idea of cows. ‘They 
 accordingly render the passage: “ Ye 
 shall be driven into thorny districts, and 
 among the gloomy thorn bushes.” There 
 is, however, no necessity for supposing 
 that the prophet had the alleged idea in 
 his mind when he delivered the words, 
 but the contrary; and as fishing and 
 hooks are elsewhere employed figuratively 
 in reference to human beings, there can 
 be no real ground for rejecting such 
 tropical application of the disputed terms 
 in this place. See 2 Chron, xxxiii, 11; 
 Is, xxxxii. 29; Jer. xvi. 16; Ezek. xxix. 
 4, π|πλ2 MYNX each one right before her, 
 means, in a captive state, not being 
 permitted by the enemy to turn to the 
 right or the left. mansbzn is pointed 
 ποθι in De Rossi’s ‘Spanish MS, 
 
 marked 93, which punctuation has been 
 adopted in Halin’s small printed edition. 
 Comp. "b¥n, Dan. viii. 11. It is sup- 
 ported by the LXX, Syr. Symm. Vulg. 
 and Arab. all of which versions exhibit 
 the passive. at the end of the verb is 
 that of the fuller form of the pronoun 
 mons, the fragment of which is used as a 
 suffix. It occurs but seldom in the pre- 
 terite. Of m3 i975 almost every possi- 
 ble interpretation has been given, LXX. 
 τὸ ὄρος τὸ Ῥεμμὰν; Cod. Vat. ‘Poupady ; 
 in many of the MSS. of Flamin. Nob. 
 
 a> 
 “Apuava. Syr. «1 το] bay ; Chald. 
 “2-247 "410, the mountains of Armenia, 
 
 Vulg. Armon. Arab. after the LXX, 
 of | duc. Aq. ᾿Αρμανὰ ὄρος. 
 
 Symm. Ἑ ρμηνίαν, doubtless for ᾿Αρμενίαν. 
 
ΦΈΡ ee "Ca, 
 , ech ci Leila > * 
 ἂν a \ 
 * ob 
 Cuap. IV. AMO sh 145 
 ΠΑ Νὰ AG Ὁ ΤΟΝ As 
 4 Come ye to Bethel, and transgress}~ κεν i, ¢¢ Ne OU 
 
 At Gilgal, multiply transgression ; 
 
 Bring your sacrifices every morning, 
 
 Your tithes every third year. 
 
 5 Offer incense of the leavened thank-offering ; 
 Proclaim the voluntary offerings: publish them abroad ; 
 For ye love to have it so, O ye sons of Israel, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 6 And though Ihave given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, 
 
 Theod. ὄρος Μονά. Edit quint. ὑψηλὸν 
 tpos. Luther and Vater, Hermon. Mi- 
 chaelis, Stryensee, Dathe, Bauer, De 
 Wette, Armenia. Justi and Hezel, Ha- 
 rem. Volborth, Net. Hitzig takes it to 
 be a corruption of ; mIyetIT, Hadadrim- 
 mon, which he explains ‘of a place near 
 Samaria where Adonis was worshipped. 
 Newcome cuts the knot and renders 
 ‘will utterly destroy it.” The only sat- 
 isfactory solution of the difficulty pre- 
 sented by this ἅπαξ Aey. is that of Kim- 
 chi, which is approved by Gesenius, 
 Winer, and Lee, viz. that ἡ 1)5- τ, stands 
 for 72, a palace, or citadel. Comp. the 
 
 Arab. preys a lofty edifice, a pyra- 
 
 mid, Changes in letters of the same or- 
 gan are not unfrequent in Hebrew, as 57x, 
 74 1 “IGN, 7160 5 ’ me, Π me 335 ᾽ “IS; V1 > ; 
 ete. The πὶ at the end is not the femin- 
 ms termination, but simply paragogic, as 
 
 mas, Job xxxiv. 13, xxxvii. 12; Is. 
 viii. 23; and roxnn, Judges xiv. 18. 
 The noun will thus be the accusative ab- 
 solute, and the construction will be * cast 
 down as to the palace,” i. e. from it, over 
 its walls, or the like. The place in which 
 the princes had rioted, and in the 
 strength of which they confided, should 
 afford them no safety. 
 
 4,5. The language of these verses is 
 that of the keenest irony. The Israelites 
 were addicted to the worship of the 
 olden calf, and to that of idols, whereby 
 they ‘contracted guilt before Jehovah, 
 and exposed themselves to his judg- 
 ments; at the same time they hypo- 
 critically professed to keep up the ob- 
 servance of certain feasts which had 
 heen appointed by Moses. For Gilgal, 
 
 19 
 
 as a place of idolatrous worship, see on 
 Hos. iv. 15. The opinion of Abenezra, 
 approved by Rosenmiiller and Maurer, 
 that by "35 ΣΡ, we are to under- 
 stand every third day, seems forced and 
 unnatural. That the words by them- 
 selves might have this meaning is un- 
 questionable : but the idea of tithes being 
 brought every third day is inadmissible, 
 even into a passage so strongly ironical 
 as the present. I cannot doubt that the 
 prophet has in view the enactment 
 recorded Deut. xiy. 29, xxvi. 12. pon", 
 days, mean, here, as Ley. xxy. 29; 
 Judges xvii. 10, the fullest complement 
 of days, i. 6. a year. = uj is most probably 
 the infinitive, used for the second plural 
 of the imperative; or it may be the 
 second singular of the same. There is 
 no necessity for attaching to yn, the 
 meaning of violence, though Gesenius 
 would justify it, on the ground of 573 
 being used, Ps. xxi. 4, to designate an 
 oppressor ; and because the rendering of 
 the Chald. in this place is p2‘x, »apine 
 or oppression. It is not impossible that 
 the translator mistook yn for on, 
 which has this signification. The point 
 of reference is doubtless the ordinance, 
 Lev. vii. 13, that, besides the unleavened 
 cakes, the Hebrews were to offer ‘ Jeav- 
 ened bread” with the sacrifice of thanks- 
 giving. What the Israelites, therefore, 
 are supposed to be in the habit of doing 
 was, so far as the material of the thing 
 was concerned, not contrary to the law, 
 but in strict accordance with its require- 
 cee For ἘΞ 72, comp. sans %2 
 , Jer. ¥. 31. 1 
 
 sf From this verse to the 11th inclu- 
 
 sive, Jehovah describes the different 
 
146 
 
 -τ 
 
 ΑΜΟ 5. 
 
 And want of bread in all your places, 
 Yet ye have not returned unto me, 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 And though I have withholden the rain, 
 Three months before the harvest ; 
 And have caused it to rain upon one city, 
 But upon another city I have not caused it to rain ; 
 One portion was rained upon, 
 And the portion upon which it rained not, withered : 
 
 βαρ. IV. 
 
 8 And two or three cities wandered to one city, 
 To drink water, but have not been satisfied, 
 
 Yet ye returned not to me, 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 9 Ihave smitten you with mildew and much blight ; 
 Your gardens, your vineyards, and your figs, and your olives, 
 
 The locusts hath devoured ; 
 
 Yet ye have not returned unto me, 
 
 Saith Jehovah, 
 10 
 
 I have sent among you the plague, such as that of Egypt ; 
 
 I have slain your young men with the sword, 
 
 corrective measures which he had em- 
 ployed for the purpose of effecting a 
 change in the Israelites, and at the close 
 of each mentioned in the series, the ob- 
 stinate impenitence, under the influence 
 
 of which they persisted in their wicked . 
 
 courses, is emphatically marked by the 
 declaration, ἃ nim O82 "πὸ ὩΠΙΞῈ s—Nb-, 
 yet ye returned not unto me, saith J aia 
 vah. Such repetition gives great force 
 to the reprehension. p*335 1.}}3» clean- 
 ness of teeth, and ond 79h, lack of bread, 
 are synonymous ; both expressing the 
 famine with which the nation has been 
 visited. "πὸ, to me, the Chald. para- 
 phrases, syribsEd, to my worship, or ser- 
 vice. 
 
 7, 8. The famine was followed by the 
 judgment of drought, which at once pro- 
 duced sterility, and cut off the necessary 
 supply of drink for man and beast. The 
 rain that had been withheld, was the 
 ΟΡ ΘΔ.» vernal, or latter rain, which falls 
 in the latter half of February, the whole 
 of March and April, and thus precedes 
 the harvest, as here stated. See on Hos. 
 vi. 3. Whatever rain fell was exceed- 
 
 ingly partial and insufficient. Instead of 
 “yun, the reading >>u 728 is found in 
 two MSS. and is supported by the ren- 
 derings of the LXX. Arab. and Vulg. 
 
 The textual reading must be taken im- 
 personally. Ὁ 2» cities, stands for their 
 inhabitants. Comp. for a lengthened and 
 graphic description of the judgment here 
 specified, Jer. xiv. 1-6. 
 
 9. A bad harvest, arising from the 
 destruction of the corn by the blighting 
 influence of the east wind (5*£73, scorch- 
 ing, blasting, from τῷ, to scorch ; Chald. 
 
 Arab. Lada, niger, 
 LXX. πύρωσις. Arab. Ver. Nf, 
 
 the Simoom,) and the mildew, or smut. 
 "ipan, Arab. yep, 
 
 the infinitive absolute of pa in /iphil, 
 with the force of an adjective sr an 
 adverb. This word some improperly 
 connect, as a construct noun, with 
 the following substantives. τὰν 8 
 name given to the Jocust. See on 
 Joel i, 4. 
 
 10. Though the plague has from time 
 
 πῶ, to burn; 
 
 rubigo. nian, 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 14? 
 
 Together with your captive horses: 
 And I have made the stench of your camps to come up into 
 
 your nostrils ; 
 
 Yet ye have not returned unto me, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 iil 
 
 I have overthrown some among you, 
 
 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah ; 
 And ye have been as a brand snatched from the burning ; 
 Yet ye have not returned unto me, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 115, 
 
 Therefore, thus will I deal with thee, O Israel! 
 
 Forasmuch as I will do this to thee, 
 Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel ! 
 
 immemorial been endemic in Egypt, and 
 might.so far be described as 324372 711» 
 the way of Egypt; yet comparing 15: χ, 
 26, in which the same phrase is used as 
 here, it obviously means, as the Egyptians 
 were treated, or as God punished them 
 with the plague. See Exod. ix. 3, etc. 
 ἘΞ ΟὉ 539, lit. the captivity of your 
 horses: i. 6. those taken and destroyed 
 by the enemy. See 2 Kings xiii. 7. 
 ΦΝΞ the LXX. render ἐν πυρὶ, having 
 read ᾿Ξ, which is the pointing of three 
 of De Rossi’s MSS., and of three others 
 originally ; as also of the Brixian edition. 
 Aq. σαπρίαν. The. in p>ss3:, Houbi- 
 gant, Dahl, and some others would can- 
 cel, on the ground of its harshness, and 
 its not having been expressed by the 
 LXX. Arab. Syr. and Vulg. It is 
 translated in the Targ., and is to be re- 
 tained, as an intensive particle, adding 
 force to the preceding verb. Comp. the 
 somewhat similar use of the Greek 
 καὶ. 
 
 11, 5 ἴῃ ἘΞ5 is used partitively : inter, 
 among, or the like; indicating that the 
 subverting was not total. nssn725 
 cons, like God’s overthrowing: prop- 
 ery Hiphil participle, but construed as 
 a.. icfinite. Comp. Deut. xxix. 22; Is. 
 xiii. 19; Jer.1.40; 2 Pet. ii.6; Jude 7. 
 tonbs, which stands for the affix of the 
 first personal pronoun, Newcome im- 
 properly converts into a superlative, and 
 
 renders, ‘the great overthrow!” His 
 
 remark on my, as sometimes the sign of 
 the genitive case, is likewise totally in- 
 applicable, as in the present case it can 
 only mark the accusative. ‘To what 
 physical phenomena reference is here 
 specifically made, it is impossible to de- 
 termine, owing to the absence of all his- 
 torical data. Some think the earth- 
 quake, mentioned chap. i. 2, is intended ; 
 but this is altogether out of the question, 
 since the prophecy was delivered two 
 years before that event. From the allu- 
 sion to fire, it has been deemed probable 
 that some of the cities of the Israelites 
 had been burnt, either by lightning from 
 heaven, or by the army of the king of 
 Syria. At all events, that the language 
 is not to be understood figuratively is 
 evident from the close connection of the 
 verse with those preceding, each of which 
 describes a separate physical calamity, 
 and closes, as this one does, with a re- 
 prehension of the impenitence by which 
 88 nation continued to be characterized. 
 prea bar my, a brand snatched from 
 the burning, is proverbial, and expresses 
 the narrow escape from utter extinction 
 which had been experienced. Comp. 
 Zech. iii. 2; and 1 Cor. ii. 15: αὔτός 
 δὲ σωϑήσεται, οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός. 
 12. All the means that had been em- 
 ployed to reform the Israelites having 
 proved ineffectual, they are here sum- 
 moned to prepare for the final judgment, 
 which was to put an end to their na- 
 tional existence. To this judgment re- 
 
148 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. VY. 
 
 13 For, behold! it is He that formed the mountains ; 
 
 And created the wind ; 
 
 And declareth to man what is his thought ; 
 
 That maketh the morning darkness, ᾿ 
 And walketh upon the heights of the earth : 
 
 Jehovah, God of hosts, is his name. 
 
 ference is emphatically made in the 
 terms mb, thus, and mst, this. There is 
 a brief resumption of the sentence 
 livered verses 2 and 3. That by 34257 
 any such preparation is intended as 
 would involve genuine and universal 
 repentance, by which the threatened 
 judgment might have been averted, 
 cannot be admitted in consistency with 
 the bearing both of the preceding and 
 the following context. The removal of 
 the Israelites, as a nation, is denounced 
 as certain, and inevitable. It is rather 
 to be understood as 5 325, prepare 
 thee, Jer. xlvi. 14. God is now com- 
 ing against you as the avenger of your 
 wickedness. Consider how you shall 
 meet, or endure the infliction. Comp. 
 Ezek. xxii. 14; Heb. x. 31. Individ- 
 uals might by repentance obtain the 
 forgiveness of their personal transgres- 
 sions, and thus have their minds brought 
 into a state in which they would enjoy 
 support and comfort in the midst of na- 
 tional calamity; but this was all that 
 could now be expected. 
 
 13. To give full effect to the preced- 
 ing call, one of the most sublime and 
 magnificent descriptions of Jehovah, to be 
 met with in Scripture, is here introduced. 
 The participial form of the five verbs 
 employed by the prophet greatly en- 
 
 hances the beauty of the passage; but it 
 cannot be successfully imitated in a 
 translation. Some have doubted whether 
 man does not here signify spirit, rather 
 than wind ; but it seems more natural to 
 take the term in the latter acceptation, 
 on account of the close coherence of this 
 clause of the verse with that immediately 
 preceding. The rendering of the LXX. 
 ἀπαγγέλλων εἰς ἀνϑρώπους τὸν χριστὸν 
 αὐτοῦ, announcing to men his anointed, 
 has originated in their mistaking ἢ piy—-73 
 for ποθῶ. Theodoret, in commenting 
 upon the version, thinks Cyrus is in- 
 tended, and not Christ, as we may other- 
 wise imagine the fathers would expound 
 it. By imw is not meant God’s thought, 
 or his purposes, as some have taken it, 
 but the thoughts or meditations of man, 
 of which alone the verb mw and its 
 derivatives, when applied to intelligent 
 beings, is used. πῶΣ is followed by a 
 double accusative: that of the material 
 out of which the thing is made, and that 
 of the matter into which it is converted. 
 It must, however, be observed, that up- 
 wards of twenty of Kennicott’s MSS. 
 read, or have read, =5*31, which is the 
 reading of the LXX. and Arab. Accord- 
 ing to this construction, the passage must 
 be translated thus: “He that maketh 
 the aurora and the darkness.” 
 
 
 
 ΟΡ ΤΉ ον, 
 
 Arter giving utterance toa brief elegy over the prostrate and helpless condition of the 
 kingdom, which had just been predicted, 1-3, the prophet introduces Jehovah still ad- 
 dressing himself to the inhabitants; calling upon them to relinquish their superstitious 
 and idolatrous practices, and return to his service, 4-9. He then adverts the picture of 
 wickedness which the nation exhibited, 10-18; repeats the call to cultivate habits of piety 
 and righteousness, 14, 15; describes, in plaintive strains, the destruction that was coming 
 
Cuar. V. AM 
 
 OSs. 149 
 
 upon the land, 16-20; exposes the inutility of ceremonial rites when substituted for moral 
 rectitude, or combined with unauthorized worship, 21-26; and expressly threatens the Is- 
 
 raelites with transportation into the East, 27. 
 
 1 Hear ye this word, which I utter concerning you— 
 A lamentation, O house of Israel! 
 
 2 The virgin of Israel is fallen ; 
 She shall rise no more ; 
 Prostrate upon her own land, 
 There is none to raise her up. 
 
 3 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, 
 The city that went out by a thousand, 
 
 Shall have an hundred left ; 
 
 And she that went out by an hundred, 
 
 Shall have ten left 
 To the house of Israel. 
 
 1. =5"p is properly an elegy, or song of 
 mourning and lamentation, from vp in 
 Piel, to compose or chant such a song. It 
 consisted of plaintive effusions poured 
 forth by mourning relatives, or by per- 
 sons hired for the purpose, at funerals; 
 and was distinguished for the tender, 
 pathetic, broken and exclamatory nature 
 of the expressions of which it was com- 
 posed, as well as the touching features 
 of the subject which they were designed 
 to embody. Of this mode of composition 
 the Hebrew prophets frequently avail 
 themselves, especially Jeremiah, who, 
 besides introducing it into several of his 
 prophecies, has left us a whole book of 
 mia-p, elegies, or lamentations. See 
 Lowth, Lect. xxii. For the introduction 
 of the present subject, comp. πὴ Sw 
 be or by, Ezek. xix. 1, xxvii. 2. xxxii. 
 2, and the common oracular forms sy 
 nivta, bute, etc. Some are of opinion 
 that the elegy thus introduced extends 
 to the end of the chapter, but it is far 
 more likely that it consists merely of 
 the plaintive exclamations contained in 
 verse 2. Compare the beautiful lament 
 of David on the death of Jonathan, 2 
 Sam. i. 17-27. 
 
 2. The Israelitish state is called stars, 
 a virgin, because it had neyer been sub- 
 
 dued by any foreign prince. See on 
 Is. xxiii. 12. The passages, Jer. xviii. 
 13, and Lam. ii. 13, which Rosenmiiller 
 adduces against this interpretation of the 
 term, are not in point, since both refer to 
 the character which Jerusalem sustained 
 previous to the deplorable condition to 
 which she had been reduced by the 
 violence of the enemy. It cannot, there- 
 fore, be regarded as merely synonymous 
 with ma, daughter, as idiomatically ap- 
 plied to describe the inhabitants of a city 
 or state. This brief, but touching elegy 
 describes the utterly prostrate and help- 
 less condition to which the Assyrians were 
 to reduce the kingdom of the ten tribes. 
 
 3. The depopulated state of the coun- 
 try is here affectingly depicted. >», 
 the city, stands by metonymy for its in- 
 habitants. The LXX. ἡ πόλις ἐξ ἧς éte- 
 πορεύοντο χίλιοι, and so the other an- 
 cient versions. τὰκ ὅπ, that went out, 
 is used elliptically for mantzd ΤᾺΣ ΡΠ, 
 that went forth to war. The population 
 or size of a city was estimated according 
 to the number of warriors it could fur- 
 nish. Thus the Scholiast on Iliad ix. 
 383, 384: οὐ τὸ πλάτος τῶν πυλῶν ϑέλει 
 σεμαίνειν, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἅμα πάντας ἐξιέναι 
 φησίν: ἀλλὰ τὸ μέγεϑος τῆς πόλεως, καὶ 
 τὸ πλῆϑος τῶν ἀνδρῶν. 
 
150 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. V. 
 
 4 For thus saith Jehovah to the house of Israel, 
 
 Seek ye me, and live. 
 5 And seek not Bethel ; 
 And go not to Gilgal ; 
 
 . Neither pass through to Beersheba ; 
 For Gigal shall surely go into captivity, 
 And Bethel shall come to nought. 
 
 6 Seek ye Jehovah, and live, 
 
 Lest he rush down, like fire, upon the house of Joseph; 
 
 4, While the divine judgments are not 
 executed, there is still room for repent- 
 ance and reformation. 12: π, ¢o seek, is 
 very often used as a religious term, im- 
 plying application to God, or to a false 
 deity, for assistance, direction, ete. and 
 then generally to worship him, and have 
 respect to his will. Ps. xxiv. 6; Is. 
 vill. 19, lv. 6. Comp. Heb. xi. 6, ἐκῴγ- 
 τεῖν τὸν Θεόν. 3 15. similarly used. 
 37m, deve ye, is employed as a second im- 
 perative, in order emphatically to ex- 
 press the certainty of the result that 
 would ensue from compliance with the 
 command given by the first. 
 
 5. A strong dissuasive from idolatry, 
 derived from the predicted fall of the 
 objects and places of false worship. 
 y23 “83, Beersheba, lit. «the Well of 
 the Oath; ”” LXX. τὸ φρέαρ τοῦ ὅρκου ; 
 see Gen, xxi. 22-31. It was situated 
 about twenty-five geographical miles 
 south of Hebron, on the frontier of the 
 Holy Land towards Idumea, and is still 
 
 called by the Arabs ! yh Bir- 
 
 es-seba’. Dr. Robinson fell in with its 
 ruins on the north side of a Wady of the 
 same name, but found nothing bearing 
 the marks of high antiquity, except two 
 wells, one of which he ascertained to be 
 forty-four feet and a half in cepth to 
 the surface of the water, and the other 
 forty-two feet. As it lay in the extreme 
 south of Palestine, the verb a2, to pass 
 over or through, is most appropriate. 
 From this verse, and from chap. viii. 14, 
 it appears to have been a place of idol- 
 atrous resort, but wherein the idolatry 
 consisted we are not told. In tatan 
 mta> ΠῈΣ is a forcible paronomasia, 
 
 though the words are from different 
 roots. ‘Gilgal gallando gallabitur, si 
 posset fingi aliquod tale verbum; hoc 
 est, vertetur volubili versione.”’ Calvin, 
 in loc. There is likewise a play upon 
 the word 43s, which is used to denote 
 wickedness, idolatry, idol, nothing, ete. 
 What had originally been ts—nm3, 
 Bethel, a house of God, but had by the 
 Israelites been converted into }33—n73, 
 Beth-aven, a house of idolatry, see Hes. 
 iv. 15, x. 5; should be reduced to 518, 
 aven nothing. y 
 
 6. The prophet here repeats, for the 
 sake of effect, the call which he had in- 
 troduced, ver.4. mtx, which more com- 
 monly has the significations attaching to 
 
 the Arab. Gace recté se habet res, 
 
 aptus fuit, etc. has here that of the Syriac 
 y. 
 
 “a 
 ay 
 eral idea of motion, either forward or 
 downward, seems to be conveyed by it, 
 only, in certain cases, with the superad- 
 ded notion of violence or force. Thus 
 mimo man ὙἘΣ nbxmi, is not improp- 
 erly ‘rendered in our common version, 
 «And the Spirit of the Lord came 
 mightily upon him.” Dahl prefers the 
 rendering perdidit, which he derives 
 
 from the Arab. é she, exitiale malum ; 
 
 ΠῚ pala, pen- 
 
 etrans, vehemens, might rather be com- 
 pared. Jehovah is often compared to 
 Jire. See Is. x. 17; Lam. ii. 8. dy, 
 being of common gender, is the nom- 
 inative to so that the object of 
 
 descendit, perrupit. The gen- 
 
 but the form 
 
 meee 
 
 pil ν. ᾽ 
 
Cuapr. V. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 151 
 
 And it devour, and there be none in Bethel to quench it. 
 7 Ye who turn justice into wormwood, 
 
 And cast righteousness to the ground, 
 8 Seek Him that made the ΠΕΣ ἢ relish Orion ; 
 
 That turned deathshade into morning 
 
 That maketh day dark as night ; 
 
 That calleth the waters of the sea, 
 
 And poureth them forth upon the earth ; 
 
 Jehovah is his name, 
 
 comparison takes the place of τοῦ πὸ» who 
 is the subject, and the proper nominative. 
 Goin ma, the house of Joseph, is a less 
 frequent ‘designation of the ten tribes, 
 the principal of which was that of Eph- 
 raim, the son of Joseph. It occurs 
 several times in the historical books, but 
 only twice besides in the prophets, vz. 
 Obad. 18; Zech. x. 6. The name 553°, 
 Joseph, ἘΠ itself, is similarly employed, 
 Amos v. 15, vi. 6. Comp. Ezek. xxxvii. 
 16. For ty-m2, Bethel, the LXX. 
 Arab. and one of De Rossi’s MSS. read 
 Ἐπ το nea, Beth Yisrael, which reading 
 is ‘adopted by Newcome. One of ae 
 cott’s MSS. has taqy Israel, which 
 Houbigant, Dathe, and Bauer, approve. 
 Jerome, Rosenmiiller, Dahl, Justi, Stru- 
 ensee, and others, retain the received 
 reading, which is supported by the 
 Targ., Syr., and Vulg. Some would con- 
 nect $ymn7a with m35%, and render, 
 «there shall be none to quench Bethel ; ” 
 but the verb 73> is never poaeacted 
 with 4, which marks here the Dative of 
 possession. The true construction is, 
 mata by—n735 7S The people of 
 Israel put their trust in the idols which 
 they worshipped at Bethel, but none of 
 them could remove the Divine judg- 
 ments from the land. 
 
 7. ovaphnn, ye that turn, is to be re- 
 ferred to 1347 and Ξ|Θ 5 ΓΞ in the pre- 
 ceding verse. This construction is more 
 natural than that which would take r-3 
 soi> alone as the nominative, in the 
 third person. Such changes of person 
 as that presented ΠῚ ΤΙΣ am, are too fre- 
 quent to occasion any difficulty ; nor is 
 it always necessary to express them in a 
 translation. Ewald takes an effectual 
 
 method of. removing the supposed dif- 
 ficulty, by striking out the verse, and in- 
 serting it at the ‘beginning of verse 10. 
 Of course, the whole will then read very 
 smoothly ; but the question still remains, 
 Did Amos so connect the words? 22>, 
 
 Arab. ᾿ abegit, execratus est, is the 
 
 Hebrew name of wormwood, and is given 
 to it on account of its disgustingly bitter 
 and injurious quality. The LXX. now 
 read ὁ ποιῶν eis ὕψος κρίμα; but there 
 can be little doubt that the original read- 
 ing was ἄψινϑος. The meaning is, that 
 the persons spoken of so perverted their 
 judicial proceedings, as to render them 
 both obnoxious and injurious to those 
 whom they affected. For y5s5 man, 
 see on Is, xxviii. 2. ‘ 
 
 8. Another sublime description of the 
 Most High, almost verbally identical 
 with that furnished Job ix. 9. The 
 participles are to be referred to min>, 
 Jehovah, ver. 6, as their antecedent. 
 Newcome, following the Targ, and Syr., 
 inserts “ that have forsaken” at the com- 
 mencement of the verse, but these au- 
 thorities are not sufficient to warrant the 
 addition, which, indeed, the text does 
 not require, The article, used as a re- 
 lative in s4ifm and a-ba2n, is omitted 
 before sz ae ΞΞ a, because they are in 
 ΠΕΣ πάτο Two of the principal con- 
 stellations as selected from the heavenly 
 bodies as specimens of the effects of 
 Omnipotence. τὴ 5, the Pleiades, or 
 Seven Stars. This word occurs only here 
 and Job ix. 9, xxxviii. 31. The deriva- 
 tion from a supposititious root hx=2 , cog- 
 nate with fan, sen, Ten, to be warm, 
 hot, adopted by Castellus, Schultens, 
 
152 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 9 That bringeth destruction suddenly upon the mighty, 
 And destruction cometh upon the fortress, 
 
 Parkhurst, and others, is to be rejected 
 for that preserved in the Arab. * 55 
 
 Conj. II. cumulum fecit ; hence, X0 
 
 cumulus ; with which may be compared 
 
 pass socius, according to which the 
 
 name expresses what is brought or bound 
 together, especially tz abundance. The 
 name given to this constellation by the 
 Arabs is L Sad 
 
 an abundance or multi- 
 
 tude, from { ὁ » multus ac numerosus 
 
 evasit, numerosus reddidit. For the 
 same reason it was called by the Greeks 
 Πλειάδες, according to one of the deriva- 
 tions of Eustathius on Homer, Iliad. 
 Xvill. 446: Αἱ δὲ πλειάδες ἤτοι ἀπὸ τῆς 
 μητρὸς αὐτῶν Πληϊόνης ἢ ὅτι πλείους ὁμοῦ 
 κατὰ μίαν συναγωγήν εἰσι, κι. τ. A. And 
 most of the ancients express the same 
 idea; as Seneca, densi pleiadum greges ; 
 Propertius, pleiadum chorus, ete. Ac- 
 cording to the Greek mythology, the 
 Pleiades were seven daughters of Atlas, 
 who, being pursued by Orion, were 
 changed by Jupiter into doves, and hay- 
 ing been transplanted to the heavens, 
 form the assemblage of the Seven Stars 
 in the neck of Taurus. In the passage 
 in the Iliad just referred to, they are por- 
 trayed on the shield of Achilles along 
 with Orion, in the same order as in our 
 prophet : 
 
 Πληϊάδας, δ᾽ “γάδας τε, τότε σϑένος ᾿Ωρίω- 
 
 vos. 
 
 In the mythology of the Sabians or 
 
 Mendaites Ladue, the Seven, and 
 LS DOA Lacas, the Seven Stars, 
 
 cut no inconsiderable figure. See Nor- 
 berg’s Liber Adami. For S92, see on 
 Is xiii. 10. Both terms have been en- 
 tirely mistaken by the LX-X. who render 
 ὃ ποιῶν πάντα καὶ μετασκευάζων, Which is 
 
 fecal copied by the Arab, "δ" 
 
 KAA ging Vo ns weds, the shadow of 
 
 death, one of the very few Hebrew com- 
 pounds. See on Is, ix. 1. % is to be 
 supplied before > "Ὁ, 88, indeed, it is in 
 fourteen MSS., primarily i in three more, 
 and now by correction in one; in both 
 the Soncin. editions ; in both of Bom- 
 berg, 1518 in the margin, and in 
 the appendix to Munster’s, 1536. In 
 J)wnmn, there is a transition from the 
 participial to the finite form of the verb. 
 ‘To render the clause uniform, the con- 
 struction would be, 7375 bis psn. 
 The passage quoted from Pindar, by 
 Clemens Alexandrinus, is beautifully 
 parallel : — 
 
 Θεῷ δὲ δυνατὸν ἐκ μελαίνας 
 
 Νυκτὸς ἀμίαντον ὥρσαι φῶς" 
 
 Κελαινῷ νέφει δὲ σκότου καλύψαι 
 
 Καϑαρὸν ἀμέρας σέλας. 
 
 The following words are descriptive, not 
 of rain, as Jerome, Theodoret, Kimchi, 
 Drusius, Lively, Marckius, Dahl, and 
 Rosenmiiller maintain, but of a deluge 
 or inundation, the waters of which may 
 emphatically be said to be poured over 
 the earth. Thus Grotius, Clarius, Bauer, 
 and likewise Lowth, though he admits 
 the possibility of the other view being 
 right. ‘The Alex. reading of the LXX. 
 ὁ δεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ is found in the 
 Arab., in a Copt. MS., and in the Sla- 
 von. Bible, has the support of three 
 MSS., yet it is more likely an addition 
 from chap. iv. 13, than otherwise. 
 
 9. After the prophet had apparently 
 completed his magnificent description of 
 the Divine character, with the words 
 ‘xB mim, he appends i in this verse an 
 additional view of it, in erder to make it 
 tell more practically on the fears of those 
 who boasted of the strength of Samaria. 
 
 soa, Arab. : nituit, fulgit aurora, 
 
 not only conveys the idea of shining, be- 
 ing bright, cheerful, etc. but also that of 
 suddenness, suggested by the rapidity 
 with which the dawning light is diffused 
 over the horizon. The Hebrews applied 
 such terms figuratively to the sudden 
 production of misery, as well as to that 
 
Cuap. VY. 
 
 10 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 They hate him that reproveth in the gate, 
 
 And abhor him that speaketh uprightly. 
 
 11 Wherefore, because ye trample upon the poor, 
 And take from him the tribute of corn: 
 Though ye have built houses of hewn stone, 
 
 Ye shall not dwell in them ; 
 
 ’ Though ye have planted pleasant vineyards, 
 Ye shall not drink of their wine. 
 12 For I know that your transgressions are many, 
 
 And that your sins are great: 
 
 Oppressing the righteous, 
 Taking a bribe, 
 
 And turning aside the poor in the gate. 
 13 Therefore the prudent shall be silent at that time ; 
 
 For it is an evil time, 
 
 of happiness. See on Joel ii. 2. Winer, 
 orirt faciens, inducens super potentes 
 vastationem. ‘The ancient versions are 
 all at fault here. 
 
 10. Ewald thinks that by n>‘ 3233, 
 the reprover in the gate, Amos himself 
 is meant ; but, from the recurrence of 
 sow, and -y23, in connection with 
 , WED, ver. 15, it is far more natural to 
 interpret the phrase of a magistrate, sen- 
 ator, or judge. Comp. also ver. 12, and 
 see on Is, xxix. 21. In pan, which 
 is to be taken adverbially, as Judges ix. 
 9, is an ellipsis of =. 
 
 11-13. oz: is, ‘in all probability, a 
 faulty orthography of to5, the Polal. of 
 
 sz, Arab. ore vilipendit rem, to tread 
 
 down, trample upon, etc. De Rossi’s co- 
 dex 380, τοδ άπ Ὁ Ὁ 55 with Sin. mv, 
 what is raised, as a tax, tribute, ete. from 
 svi, to raise. Instead of remitting to 
 the poor the tax which they were unable 
 to pay, the rulers and proprietors rigidly 
 exacted it, that they might consume it 
 upon their lusts. But in whatever state 
 and luxury they might have lived, and 
 whatever preparations they might be 
 making for further indulgences, Jehovah 
 declares that they should not continue 
 to enjoy them. The enemy would 
 speedily remove them from all the ob- 
 jects on which they proudly doated, or 
 from which they expected πὰ 
 
 For the contrary of the threatening, see 
 Is, Ixv. 21, 22; Amos ix. 14. The ad- 
 jectives 5.35 and pwasy, are placed be- 
 fore their substantives, because they are 
 predicatives, and not qualificatives. Be- 
 fore both, the conjunction 75 is to be 
 supplied. The ellipsis was probably oc- 
 casioned by its having been used at the 
 beginning of the verse. “55 is most 
 commonly used in the sense of λύτρον, 
 ἀντίλυτρον, ransom, or price of redemp- 
 tion, on which account Ewald and some 
 others render it so here; but the close 
 connection in which the whole phrase 
 stands with the perversion of justice, 
 specified in the last clause of the verse, 
 decides in favor of the signification bribe, 
 bribery, which the word unquestionably 
 has, 1 Sam. xii. 3. Targ. ἜΘ 77112, the 
 
 mammon of falsehood. Syr. 1 pcs, 
 
 a bribe. LXX. ἀλλάγματα. The other 
 Greek versions, ἐξίλασμα. If pax 047s 
 could be taken to mean, * shutting up, or 
 imprisoning the righteous,’’ then “55 
 
 might mean ransom; but such usage 
 does not obtain. The only course left 
 for the pious to pursue in the midst of 
 such atrocious perversion of order and 
 justice, was that of quietly submitting to 
 the hand of God, which they were taught 
 to recogn'ze in the permission of these 
 evils, and patiently to abide the issue of 
 
154 
 
 14 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live ; 
 
 And it shall be so; Jehovah, God of hosts, shall be with you, 
 
 According as ye say. 
 Hate evil and love good, 
 
 And establish justice in the gate ; 
 Perhaps Jehovah, God of hosts, may pity 
 
 The residue of Joseph. 
 16 
 
 Therefore thus saith Jehovah, God of hosts, the Lord: 
 
 In all the broad places there shall be wailing ; 
 And in all the streets, they shall say, Oh! Oh! 
 They shall call the husbandman to mourning ; 
 _And all who are skilled in elegy to wailing. 
 
 events. Any attempt, under these cir- 
 cumstances, to stem the current, or effect 
 a reformation, or even to plead for private 
 or public rights, would only aggravate 
 their calamities. S->y1am, the intelligent, 
 prudent, is to be understood, in the best 
 sense, of one who acts upon the princi- 
 ples of enlightened piety. 
 
 14, 15. Reiterated calls to reformation, 
 in order to ensure the return of Divine 
 favor. Both the style and the sen- 
 timents have their parallel in Is. i. 16, 17. 
 Notwithstanding the sad apostasies of 
 the Israelitish people, they still had their 
 profession of the religion of Jehovah to 
 fall back upon, in case of necessity. 
 They boasted that he was with them, but 
 it was an empty pretence while their pro- 
 fession was insincere, being combined 
 with the worship of idols. For the 
 force of the conditional particle ~tax, 
 perhaps, in such connection, compare 
 Gen. xvi. 2, and εἰ ἄρα, Acts viii. 22. 
 Comp. also Joel 11. 18, where the same 
 idea is expressed by 374 0, who know- 
 eth? τὴ" nN, the remainder of Jo- 
 seph, For this use of the patronymic, 
 see on ver. 6. Numerous as the Israel- 
 ites still were, they might well be called 
 a remainder, in consideration of the 
 havoc made by Hazael, who, when “the 
 Lord began to cut”’ them ‘short, smote 
 them in all the coasts of Israel; from 
 Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, 
 the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the 
 Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the 
 river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.” 
 2 King x. 32, 33. 
 
 16. 454, therefore, refers not to the 
 contents of verses 14, 15, but to verses 
 7, 10, and 12. We may suppose a con-— 
 siderable pause to intervene before ver. 
 16. Foreseeing that the people would 
 not repent, Jehovah here declares that the 
 threatened punishment was inevitable. 
 The slaughter involved in this punish- 
 ment would be general. Samaria, how- 
 ever, and its vicinity, seem specially 
 intended. The position in which *:-s 
 is here placed, is altogether unusual. 
 Indeed, I am not aware that it is so 
 found in any other passage. Yet I would 
 not, with Newcome, cancel it, on the 
 slender authority of seven MSS. the 
 LXX. Arab. and Syr. It seems rather 
 to have been purposely added, in order 
 to give greater solemnity to the sentence 
 which was to be pronounced. nian, 
 broad, or open places, or wide streets in 
 a city; and distinguished from nissn, 
 which signify ordinary or narrow streets, 
 such as are common in the East. Gr. 
 πλατεῖα. “ED, Strictly means a smiting 
 of the breast, (LXX. κοπετὸς,) from 
 "£0, to beat, smite ; see on Is, xxxii. 12. 
 Here, however, it is used to denote 
 wailing or mourning in general. in im, 
 Oh! Oh! This onomatopoctic I have 
 rendered by the corresponding English 
 interjection, which, when prolonged and 
 swelled in the pronunciation, as it is by 
 persons giving utterance to excessive 
 grief, is much more appropriate than 
 
 oo 
 
 Alas! Alas! Alas! Syr. wre .0 ΟἹ; 
 
 Chald. 5. 5; Vulg. ve! ve! in other 
 
Crap. V. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 17 In all the vineyards there shall be wailing, 
 For I will pass through the midst of thee, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 18 Wo unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! 
 What is the day of Jehovah unto you ? 
 It shall be darkness and not light. 
 
 19 As when one fleeth from a lion, 
 
 And a bear meeteth him ; 
 
 Or he entereth the Rouse and leaneth his hand on the wall, 
 
 And a serpent biteth him. 
 
 20 Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light ; 
 Even thick darkness, without any brightness ? 
 
 Latin versions, eheu! eheu! The MEN, 
 husbandmen, were to be called to partici- 
 pate in the mourning, not as Newcome, 
 Rosenmiiller, and some others have 
 thought, on account of the desolation 
 of the fields, but either on account of 
 the loudness of their rustic voices, or 
 because the slaughter of the citizens of 
 Samaria would be so great, that a suffi- 
 cient number would not be left to per- 
 form the funeral rites. Such construc- 
 tion of the meaning is required by the 
 following parallelism: >y33-—$x ἼΞ Ὀ.2) 
 "m2. There is no necessity for suppos- 
 ing that the words of this sentence have 
 been transposed, and that they originally 
 stood thus: 1=¢%”—ts "m2 °y7i71. The 
 preposition by is ‘understood before = Ξ Ὁ, 
 
 and 3st es as repeated to govern ty, 
 which it often does, as well as the ac- 
 cusative. 
 
 ο 
 mma, Syr. lous, to utter lamentable 
 
 cries. The persons here spoken of as 
 «skilled in wailing,” were mourners by 
 profession, who were hired for the oc- 
 casion, and sung doleful tunes around 
 the corpse of a deceased person, which 
 they preceded when it was carried to 
 the grave, giving utterance to dismal cries 
 and howlings, beating their breasts, 
 throwing ashes on their heads, and 
 showing every artificial token of ex- 
 cessive grief. These were the mourn- 
 ers whom Solomon describes as going 
 about the streets, Eccles. xii. 5. That 
 females were especially employed on 
 
 "72, wailing, lamentation, from* 
 
 such occasions, appears from Jer. ix. 17- 
 19, where "72 is twice used as here by 
 Amos. The same custom obtained 
 among the Greeks and Romans. Thus 
 Homer speaking of the funeral of Hector, 
 says: 
 
 
 
 τὸν μὲν ἔπειτα 
 
 Tpntois ἐν λεχέεσσι Séoay, παρὰ δὲ εἶσαν 
 ἀοιδοὺς, 
 
 Θρήνων ἐξάρχους, οἵτε στονόεσσαν ἀοιδὴν 
 
 Οἱ μὲν ἄρ᾽ eSphveov, ἐπὶ δὲ στενάχοντο 
 γυναῖκες. 
 
 Iliad. xxiv. 720, ete. 
 
 See also Horace de Arte Poet. ver. 433. 
 In his edition of Harmer’s Observations, 
 vol. iii. p. 42. Dr. A. Clarke gives a de- 
 scription of the ancient funeral solem- 
 nities of the Irish, and the translation of 
 a song of wailing prepared for the occa- 
 sion, ἘΠΈΩΝ bears a strong resemblance 
 to those used by the Orientals. Comp. 
 Wilkinson’s Ancient Egyptians, second 
 series, vol. ii. pp. 402-407. 
 
 17. The vineyards, which usually ex- 
 hibited scenes of rejoicing, should now 
 be frequented by disconsolate mourners. 
 For Jehovah’s passing through the land, 
 comp. Exod. xii. 12, 23; only in the 
 latter case the punishment was miracu- 
 lously inflicted ; in the former, by the 
 king of Assyria, as an instrument in the 
 hand of God. 
 
 18-20. These verses intimately cohere 
 with the preceding. The day of Jehovah 
 means the time when his judgments 
 should be inflicted. The Israelites could 
 only have given expression sarcastically 
 
156 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 I hate, I loathe your festivals ; 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 Neither do I delight in your days of restraint, 
 
 When ye offer to me holocausts and bloodless sacrifices, 
 
 I will take no pleasure in them ; 
 Neither will I regard the thank-offerings of your fatlings. 
 
 23 
 
 Take away from me the noise of the songs ; 
 
 I will not hear the music of thy harps, 
 
 to the wish that this day might soon 
 reach them. It was an, impious daring 
 of Jehovah to do his worst. Comp. Is. v. 
 19: Jer. xvii. 15. The prophet tells 
 them plainly that it would be to them a 
 day of unmitigated affliction. The fal- 
 lacy of every hope of escape is illustrated 
 by two simple, but forcible comparisons, 
 borrowed from the pastoral life. Bochart 
 regards the language as proverbial, and 
 supports his opinion by two Arabic sto- 
 
 ries: the one beginning, Quas du 
 ls5 6bas “© A lion, pursuing 
 
 aman, he took refuge in a tree, in the 
 branches of which a bear having fixed 
 himself, was plucking its fruit,” etc. ; 
 
 and the other, ω»" >, Sy 
 
 «A man fled from a lion, and fell into 
 a well, into which the lion went down 
 after him. And there was a bear in the 
 well,” etc. Hierozo. lib. iii. cap. ix. pp. 
 810, 811. Kimchi tersely expresses the 
 meaning thus, max $s mos issn, Fe 
 shall go out of calamity into calamity. 
 Comp. Job xx. 24; Is. xxiv. 18. The 
 adjective ἘΞ is explained by the follow- 
 ing words. It occurs only in this place; 
 but the substantives stes, bes. dense ob- 
 scurity, are used in several passages of Job, 
 the Psalms, and the prophets. τ ἘΝ, 
 however, in the sense of concealed, occurs 
 Exod. ix. 32. Comp. the Arab. ΕΝ 
 occidit sol, etc. Thus in Hariri, Con- 
 
 sess, xy. the noun Jest is employed 
 
 SpHly Aang dy peball Lat il 
 Xanga g aL, ‘¢ Extirpatio erudi- 
 
 tionis et obliteratio ejus: Lunarumque 
 ac Solium ejusdem occasus.” 22, on the 
 contrary, signifies to shine, be light ; and 
 its derivative 733 is used of the rising of 
 the sun, Proy. iv. 18, and is contrasted 
 with mbes, ver. 19. 
 
 21-23. The same aversion from the 
 ceremonial observances of the insincere 
 and rebellious Israelites which Jehovah 
 here expresses, he afterwards employed 
 Isaiah to declare to the Jews, chap. i. 
 10-15. ‘The two passages are strikingly 
 parallel; only the latter prophet ampli- 
 fies what is set forth in a more condensed 
 form by Amos. It is also to be observed, 
 that where Amos introduces the musical 
 accompaniments of the sacrifices, Isaiah 
 substitutes the prayers ; both concluding 
 with the divine words, *22°s= 31233 Nd 
 78, I will not hear. The verbs "πα Ὁ 
 “nowt follow each other immediately, for 
 the sake of more emphatically expressing 
 the Divine abhorrence. Com. 8°57 n235n 
 “S and "£3 myzv in Isaiah. py 8b, 
 lit. I will not smell; but meaning here, 
 I will take no delight in. Dinsz, res- 
 traints, periods, days of restraint, or as- 
 semblies collected on such days. See on 
 Is. 1. 13. mb, used here collectively 
 for the plural p~=}¥.— ἘΣ -on, lit. 
 remove from upon me; conveying the 
 idea of a burden which vexes and annoys 
 the bearer. Isaiah expresses it in full: 
 maid ἘΣ om, “They are a burden 
 upon “me.” Comp. further for the force 
 of the compound preposition, Exod. x. 
 28. The music here referred to was 
 that performed at the Hebrew festivals 
 by the Levites, before and during the 
 
Crary Vv. 
 
 24 Let justice roll on like water, 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 157 
 
 And righteousness like a mighty stream. 
 25 Did ye not present sacrifices and offerings to me, 
 
 offering of the sacrifices, and on other 
 public occasions. 
 
 24, While no direction is given re- 
 specting the regulation of the sacrifices, 
 in order that they might be presented in 
 an acceptable manner, a special injunc- 
 tion is imparted in regard to justice and 
 rectitude, on the principle that to obey is 
 better than sacrifice, and to hearken than 
 the fat of rams,” 1 Sam. xv. 22. ** Nec in 
 victimis, licet optime sint, auroque prz- 
 tulzeant, Deorum est honos, sed pia ac 
 recte mente venerantium.’” Seneca de 
 
 Beneiiciis, i. 6. That ἡ αν Arab. ,, 39; 
 
 perennis fuit, is to be here rendered per- 
 ennial, or everflowing, and not mighty, 
 has been maintained by some interpre- 
 ters; but a comparison of the several 
 passages in which it occurs, goes to show 
 
 that it is rather to be referred to ) 3 9 Ι, 
 
 valida, fuit, multus fuit, and is to be 
 rendered great or maids. It thus better 
 corresponds with % ἘΣ; roll, to roll on, 
 used in the former 2 ΠΕ, LXX. ὡς 
 
 χειμάῤῥοις ἄβατοις. Syr. Wass yal 
 ike uA . . 
 fAraats Vulg. quasi torrens fortis, 
 
 Ν sly chive, 
 
 Arab. 
 
 lols like a Wady that cannot be 
 passed. The ideas of abundance and 
 
 moral power are those conveyed by the 
 prophet. I must differ from Prof. Lee, 
 who (Heb. Lex. in voc. 3n7s) renders, 
 ἐς for judgment rolleth (away) as the 
 waters (roll away), and righteousness 
 (disappears) like the mighty torrent.” 
 The verse as thus rendered ill suits the 
 centext, and is not in keeping with pa- 
 rallel passages in which, after a repre- 
 hension of hypocritical observances, the 
 moral qualities of truth and righteous- 
 ness are required. The construction put 
 upon it by Theodoret, Kimchi, Munster, 
 Veil, and Hitzig, that the coming of the 
 Divine judgments is intended, is, for the 
 ~ same reasons, to be rejected. 
 
 25-27. These verses have not a little 
 perplexed expositors, both ancient and 
 modern. The first difficulty lies in what 
 is said respecting the presentation of 
 sacrifices. Greve, Dahl, and Maurer, take 
 the = in D1n35n to be the article, and 
 not the particle of interrogation, and 
 render, the sacrifices and offerings ye 
 presented to me, etc., viz. those pres- 
 cribed in the law: but now ye bear the 
 shrine, ete. According to this mode 
 of construction, the present idolatrous 
 course of the Israelites is contrasted 
 with their former obedience to the 
 Divine will. In order, however, to 
 justify this interpretation, the: article 
 must have been repeated before mm:1, 
 which it is not. The insertion of the 
 compensative Dagesh in the letter Zain 
 cannot be pleaded in its favor, since 
 there are several instances in which the 
 interrogative = takes the form of the 
 article, before words beginning with 
 Sheva, as 3257, Gen. xvii. 17; “a5, 
 Ezek. xviii. 29; by2am, Joel iv. 4, ete. 
 The ancient translators have all read in- 
 terrogatively. LXX. Μὴ σφάγια καὶ 
 ana RSL ae pol, kK. T. ALS he 
 
 moe ™ 
 
 «ολϑρό Lisseaso buss Ἰδοῦ 
 
 A -- Vulg. Numguid hostias et sacri- 
 
 facia obtulistis mihi, ete Targ, resin 
 SIS το MITE PPL TIS BE] TEP. 
 And so almost all the moderns, some of © 
 whom suppose the force of the question 
 to lie in Io to me, taken emphatically, 
 ss Was it to ME,’”’ etc. while others think 
 that an absolute denial of the presenta- 
 tion of sacrifices in the wilderness is im- 
 plied in the words. In support of the 
 latter opinion, it has been attempted to 
 prove, that the Israelites could not have 
 offered any sacrifices for want of cattle. 
 Such a position, however, is contrary to 
 the express declarations found in Exod. 
 Xii. 38, xvil. 3. xxxiv. 3; Lev. xvii. 1-9. 
 Num, vii. passim, xx. 4, 19. The life 
 which they led in the desert was that of 
 Nomades, so that there could have been 
 
158 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuapr. V. 
 
 During forty years in the desert, O house of Israel ? 
 26 And yet ye bare the shrine of your king, 
 
 no lack of animals for sacrifice. The 
 true construction of the passage is found- 
 ed on the principle, that not untrequently 
 in Hebrew the interrogation implies, 
 and calls for an emphatic affirmative, 
 either expressed or understood; and is 
 thus equivalent to a negative interroga- 
 tion in our language, and indeed to ἐξ τ 
 in Hebrew. See 1 Sam. ii. 27, 28; Job 
 xx. 4; Jer. xxxi, 20; Ezek. xx. 4. In 
 the present case, as in these just cited, 
 the persons addressed are supposed to 
 admit’ the fact couched in the appeal ; 
 but the question is so put in order the 
 more forcibly to introduce the adversative 
 sentence which follows in the 26th verse. 
 The connection of the two verses is this: 
 “ Did ye not present sacrifices and 
 offerings to me in the wilderness forty 
 years, Ὁ house of Israel? Yes; and yet 
 ye bare the shrine,” ete. That the con- 
 junction 4 is frequently to be rendered 
 and yet, but yet, or the like, see Gen, 
 xvil. 21; Judges xvi.15: Ps. 1. 17; Is. 
 liii. 7. What is here charged upon the 
 ancient Israelites was their indulging in 
 idolatrous practices while they pro- 
 fessedly attended to the ritual obsery- 
 ances of the Mosaic law — the very sin 
 which Amos was commissioned to charge 
 upon their descendants in his day, and on 
 account of which they were to be carried 
 into captivity. The opinion of Forsayeth 
 (quoted by Newcome), Dahl, and others, 
 that the sin reproved in ver. 26 was 
 - exclusively that of those who lived in the 
 time of the prophet, is less admissible 
 than that which refers to their ances- 
 tors, yet so that the reproof was intended 
 to be applied on their own case by those 
 whom the prophet addressed. —'The 26th 
 verse has been very differently rendered, 
 as well as variously interpreted. The 
 translation of the LXX. is as follows: 
 Kal ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὺχ, 
 καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ ϑεοῦ ὑμῶν ‘Pagar, 
 τοὺς τύπους αὐτῶν, obs ἐποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς ; 
 as if the Hebrew had read, rs ὩΣ Ὁ 25 
 wa. EStriby 5559 nei qh mize 
 rest ony? vege envcbs. No vestige, 
 however, of any such order of the words 
 
 is found in any Hebrew MS., or in any 
 other monument of antiquity, except the 
 speech of Stephen, as recorded by Luke, 
 Acts vii. 43, which is an almost verbal 
 quotation from the LXX. Theod. ren- 
 ders thus: Kal ἤρατε τὴν ὅρασιν τοῦ Ba- 
 σιλέως ὑμῶν, ἀμαύρωσιν εἰδώλων ὑμῶν, 
 ἄστρον τοῦ ϑεοῦ ὑμῶν ; so that he must 
 have read the words as they now stand 
 in the Hebrew text. The same may be 
 said of the Syr., Vulg., and Targ., though 
 their renderings differ from each other in 
 one or two minor particulars. The re- 
 mark of Jerome on the discrepancies be- 
 tween the Hebrew text and the ancient 
 Greek versions deserves to be quoted 
 here: ‘Observandum est, apostolos et 
 apostolicos viros in ponendis testimoniis 
 de Veteri Testamento, non verba consid- 
 erare sed sensum, nec eadem sermonum 
 calcare vestigia, dummodo a sententiis 
 non recedant.”” Comment. in loc. Most, 
 interpreters follow the LXX. in giving 
 masd by σκηνὴ, a tent ; deriving it, like 
 m2d, and 5%, of the same signification, 
 from 20, to intertwine, as branches, so as 
 to form a booth or hut. Others, such as 
 Jarchi,.Calvin, Mercer, and Rosenmiiller, 
 take it to mean an image or idol, and 
 render, Siccuth your king. They explain 
 it by referring to the Chald. sn5o, a 
 wooden post, which they suppose formed 
 the pedestal on which the idol stood, 
 and so the word might be transferred to 
 the idol itself. Ewald takes much the 
 same view. ‘The former derivation is 
 alone admissible. The text appears to 
 have had something of the texture, as it 
 had the design of the σκηνῆς ἱερᾶς, 
 sacred tent, in the Carthaginian camp, 
 mentioned by Diodorus Siculus, lib. xx. 
 cap. 25, and described as consisting ἐκ 
 καλάμου καὶ χόρτου, of reeds and grass. 
 Comp. Wilkinson’s Ancient Egypt, sec- 
 ond series, vol. ii. pp. 270-275. Only, 
 as it is certain Moses would. not have 
 tolerated anything of the kind if its size 
 had been such as to bring it to his 
 cognizance, it may be inferred, that it 
 was only a small temple or shrine, which 
 might easily be concealed in the interior 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 AMOS. ; _ 159 
 
 And Chiun of your images, the star of your god, 
 
 Which ye made for yourselves. 
 
 of a tent. Such diminutive temples were 
 in use among the Egyptians, from whom 
 no doubt the Hebrews took the idea. 
 Herodotus, describing an idol worshipped 
 at Papremis, says, τὸ δὲ ἄγαλμα ἐὸν 
 ἐν ΝΉΩι ΜΙΚΡΩι ξυλίνῳ κατακεχρυσω- 
 μένῳ προεκκομίζουσι τῇ προτεραίῃ ἐς 
 ἄλλο οἴκημα ἱρόν, The image, being in 
 a small temple of gilt wood, they carry 
 out on the previous day to another sacred 
 habitation.” Compare the ναοὶ ἀργυροῖ, 
 shrines, or small temples of Diana, 
 mentioned Acts xix. 24. That any 
 connection is to be traced between τ", 
 Siccuth, and niza nid, Succoth-benoth, 
 2 Kings xvii. 30, the tents in which the 
 daughters of the Babylonians prostituted 
 themselves in worship of Venus, does not 
 appear. C>>v0, your king, thus Symm. 
 Theodot. and Leo Juda, and most 
 moderns ; but the LXX. Moadx, Syr. 
 
 Soaa&, Maleum, Aq. Μέλχεμ, Vulg- 
 Moloch, exhibit the word as the proper 
 name of the god of the Ammonites, 7. 6. 
 bia, also called psd, Milcom, 1 Kings 
 xi. 5, and pad, Malcam, Zeph. i. 5; 
 and this construction some moderns have 
 adopted ; but as ‘7572, Aéng, is also em- 
 ployed by the Hebrews in application to 
 idols, Is. xxxvii. 13, Zeph. i. 5, it is bet- 
 ter to retain its usual signification. The 
 Pheenicians gave the title of tS» 4b", 
 hing of the world, to the sun, and 
 map poa=napbn, hing of the city, to 
 Hercules Comp. Zed ἄνα. liad. ii. 351, 
 xvi. 233; and *A”vat ASE παρ᾽ ἡμέας 
 ἱκέτης, Herod. 1. 159. In Ethiopic 
 
 Δ ΦΟΩΛ Ὧ : Amiak, the proper name 
 
 for God, is derived from (© Ari im- 
 
 peravit, rexit, and is applied in the plural 
 to idols. The learned are generally 
 agreed, that the Moloch of Scripture 
 was the image of the planet Saturn, and 
 thus identical with Chiun, mentioned 
 by Amos in the following clause of the 
 verse. The Pheenicians were in the 
 habit of offering to him human sacrifices, 
 
 LS 
 
 especially children, to which horrible 
 custom repeated reference is made in the 
 historical books of the Old Testament. 
 See Michaelis on the laws of Moses, Art. 
 
 cexlvii. Suppl. No. 1115; Selden de “ 
 Diis Syris, cap. vi. ; Spencer de Legibus | 
 
 Hebreor. lib. ii. cap. 10; Gesenius, in 
 his Thesaurus, swb voc.; Winer, Real- 
 worter-buch. p> bs 372, Chiun of 
 your images, i. 6. represented by them ; 
 the model after which they were made. 
 While the idol so called, which the 
 Hebrews carried about in a sacred shrine, 
 was itself a symbol or representative of 
 one of the heavenly bodies, it was in ‘its 
 turn represented by a number of copies, 
 or smaller images, which they used as 
 penates or household gods in the practice 
 of astrology. Such appears to me to 
 be the meaning of the words. To this 
 construction, however, C. B. Michaelis, 
 Vitringa, Rosenmiiller, Hesselberg, Heng- 
 
 stenberg, and others object, that 1t makes 7 
 
 ἽΥ̓Ξ ἃ proper name, which, with the 
 older grammarians, they allege cannot 
 be put in regimen. But to this rule, it 
 must be admitted, there are many excep- 
 tions, as ninney, jie ἘΞ 5.» ἼΔ' 24, 
 Pag mines aba, mises nim, DP, 
 ἘΠ 1532» etc. Nor can it justly be object- 
 ed that as razo is an appellative, 555 
 being parallel to it. must necessarily be 
 the same. The necessity of the case 
 is not obvious. Both are mentioned as 
 objects which the Hebrews carried about 
 for idolatrous purposes, —the one, the 
 portable temple of the idol; the other 
 
 the idol itself placed in this temple, of ἃ, 
 
 which numerous miniature resemblances 
 were privately distributed throughout 
 the camp. The LXX. unquestionably 
 regarded the word as a proper name, 
 whatever they may thereby have intend- 
 ed to designate. And this view of the 
 subject is confirmed by ΞΞ3, ὦ star, be- 
 ing put in apposition with 3375, in order 
 to explain it, an explanation which can- 
 not apply, if by the latter term we un- 
 derstand merely the pedestal or stand on 
 which the idol was placed. It is now 
 
100 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. V. 
 
 27 Therefore, I will carry you away captive beyond Damascus, 
 
 almost a settled point, that by "5.355, Chiun, 
 the planet Saturn is meant. If we except 
 
 the Syr., which reads ols. Kevon, the 
 
 earliest authorities which we have for 
 this interpretation of the passage are the 
 rabbins Abenezra and Kimchi; but their 
 testimony as relating to a matter of 
 fact is irrefragable, however slightingly 
 Hengstenberg seems to treat it, Authen. 
 des Pentat. p. 113. The former thus 
 comments upon the passage: 1.5 τι 5) 21 
 asd sim 0D OND Da ἘΣΘ᾽ Fives 501" 
 pbs id4e7 5 ἼΞῸ sim, “ And as for 
 the term Chiun, it is known in the Ara- 
 bic and Persic languages by the name 
 Kivan, which is Saturn, to which they 
 made an image.” And the latter, in 
 nearly the same words: "m5 3595 S175 
 ἼΞΥΞ obi Seve Jiwds NAP. 151 
 «ΤΕ is the star Saturn, and thus he is 
 called Kivan in the Arabic and Persic.” 
 
 wis 4S, Keiwan, seems to have been 
 
 adopted from the latter into the former 
 of these languages, in the Lexicons of 
 which, as a foreign word, it is explained 
 by oe , the usual name for Saturn in 
 Arabic. 5 It occurs in the Persian work 
 entitled Dabistan, the author of which, 
 describing the temples which the ancient 
 Persians dedicated to the ee says: 
 
 Kin if Ila ead hy 
 Sliw, that “the image of Kezwan was 
 
 of neue ay Lee’s Hebrew Lex. in 
 voc. ID He speaks, in fact, of the 
 
 wl, ie and yee 
 
 the planet, just as Amos does of razb 
 and η:2. According to the Zendavesta 
 the seven planets are Tir, Behram, Ac- 
 huma, Anahid, Kewan, Gurtsher, and 
 Dodidom Mushewer. Bundehesh. V. 
 In the codex Nasareus, containing the 
 doctrines of the Sabzeans, which was 
 published by Norberg, we find a list of 
 the demons tas rule these a 
 
 roe Peatou th 
 
 fifth is Kwan, p, 64. It is afterwards 
 
 image, of 
 
 among whom 
 
 jaa3 
 
 |Auaso ἜΦΕΡΕ yous uso 
 ones το {ASsaselo 
 Ἰδοῦ eo fai} Al 
 
 added in the same page : 
 
 dias 
 eSaS 4 5 “The demons of Kivan in- 
 Sree ας ἢ 
 
 ject lamentation, weeping and mourning 
 into the hearts of men, and rob them of 
 happiness.” And we farther read, p. 212, 
 
 oLltks> |.Zoalo — oe 
 ἔαςϑο presen lon, “To Kivan is 
 
 attributed malice, because from it come 
 diminution and want.” scribing the 
 same evil influence to Saturn, the Arabs 
 likewise give to it the name of if 
 
 St, the great disaster; and the idea 
 
 frequently occurs in the Latin classics. 
 See Lucan i. 650 ; Juven. vi. 569 ; Ma- 
 crob. Saturn. i. 19. If the Hebrew 31-5 
 be pointed 31°>, the exact pronuncia- 
 tion of the name of the planet in the other 
 Oriental dialects will be brought out, and 
 thus the evidence of identity be complete. 
 With respect to ‘Paipay, the rendering 
 of the LXX., or‘ Pégay, as it is to be spelt, 
 on the authority of the best MSS., Acts 
 vii. 43, there is every reason to believe 
 that they mistook 5 for -, as they have 
 done in other instances; and so have 
 given Rephan, instead of Kephan. That 
 PH®@AN should occur in the Arabico- 
 Coptic table of the planets exhibited by 
 Kircher in his Ling. Agypt. Restit. p. 49, 
 by no means proves that this was the 
 ancient Egyptian name of Saturn; for 
 as that table is of no great antiquity, and 
 as the other names are chiefly derived 
 from the Greek, we may reasonably in- 
 fer that the one in question was copied 
 from the Coptic version of this very pas- 
 sage of the LXX. At all events, no 
 such name of a deity has yet been found 
 in the Egyptian pantheon. the 
 
 -».-. 
 -- 2s 
 
Cuap. VI. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 161 
 
 Saith Tehzvah: God of hosts is his name. 
 
 star, is expletive of 4393, in so far as it in- 
 forms us that the figure of the idol was 
 that of a star, and thus proves the idola- 
 trous worship to have been the Sabzean, 
 with which the Hebrews became ac- 
 quainted during their stay in the Ara- 
 bian desert. 
 
 27. Instead of pyaid nba, LXX. 
 ἐπέκεινα Aosta rf beyond Damas- 
 cus,” with which all the other authori- 
 ties agree, Stephen has ἐπέκεινα Βαβυ- 
 λῶνος, “beyond Babylon,” Acts vii. 43, 
 obviously by way of interpretation. nubn 
 naturally suggests the idea of remote~ 
 ness, though it is sometimes used in re- 
 ference to ‘what is at no great distance. 
 
 Root spn, Arab. chs, recessit, Syr. 
 
 ™ V7 
 \wotdsar, removit, elongavit. The π 
 
 added is paragogic. While what Amos 
 states is included in the statement made 
 by the proto-martyr, the latter embraces 
 what was known from fact to be the ful- 
 filment of the prophecy: the Israelites 
 having been carried, not merely beyond 
 Damascus, but beyond Babylon, into the 
 country of the Medes. The chapter 
 closes with a vindication of the supre- 
 macy of Jehovah above all the objects of 
 Sabean worship: ὑοῦ ΤΑΣ 7 ἜΝ 
 God of Sabaoth is his nogne ! ; 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THIS chapter embraces the character and punishment of the whole Hebrew nation. The 
 inhabitants of the two capitals are directly addressed in the language of denunciation, and 
 charged to take warning from the fate of other nations, 1,2. Their carnal security, in- 
 justice, self indulgence, senshality, and total disregard of the divine threatenings, are next 
 described, 3-6; after which the prophet announces the captivity, and the calamitous cir- 
 cumstances connected with the siege of Samaria, by which it was to be preceded, 7-11. He 
 then exposes the absurdity of their conduct, and threatens them with the ruption of an 
 
 enemy, that should pervade the whole country, 12-14. 
 
 1 Wo to them that are at ease in Zion, 
 And to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria ; 
 The distinguished men of the first nations, 
 
 1. Though chiefly directed against the 
 northern of the two kingdoms, the 
 language of this prophecy is so con- 
 structed as to apply to both: and in the 
 present verse express mention is made 
 of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who 
 resembled those of Samaria in careless- 
 ness and carnal security. 5:33 and hua 
 are similarly connected and applied, Is. 
 xxx. 9, 11; so that the rendering of the 
 LXX. τοῖς ἐξουϑενοῦσι Σιὼν, adopted by 
 
 21 
 
 Dathe, cannot be justified. For the 
 primary meaning of js», compare the 
 cognate 492, τῇ Niphal, ¢o lean, lean up- 
 on, trust. ‘The reduplicate Nwn expresses 
 intensity. 552 has here the acceptation 
 of the Arab. nd, rerum gentis ad- 
 
 ministrator, princeps gentis : from wd) 
 perfodit, creatus est ; ereatus fuit ἄμα. 
 Whence also χοὶ ἃ», prefectura. ‘The 
 Hebrew phrase tY3 272, ἐο be marked, 
 
AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. VL 
 
 To whom the house of Israel come ! 
 
 2 Pass over to Calneh, and see ; 
 
 And go thence to Hamath the great ; 
 
 Go down also to Gath of the Philistines : 
 
 Were they better than these kingdoms ? 
 
 Were their boundaries more ample than yours ? 
 3 Wo to them that put off the day of evil, 
 
 distinguished by name, is always used in 
 reference to persons who had been chosen 
 or designated for some special service. 
 Num. 1. 17 ; 1 Chron. xii. 81, xvi. 41; 
 2 Chron. xxviii. 15, xxxi.19. The term 
 is here employed for the purpose of speci- 
 fying more particularly the leading men 
 in the two kingdoms, whose profligacy 
 and irreligion preéminently aggravated 
 the national guilt. By s:iam mods we 
 are not, with Newcome, to understand 
 «the chief of the idolatrous nations,’’ and 
 that the persons spoken of were called 
 after them, but the Hebrew nation, which 
 is so called because it was the principal, or 
 , most distinguished of all the nations of 
 the earth ; having been constituted the 
 peculiar people of God, and possessing 
 laws and privileges unknown to any 
 other. It might well be said to occupy 
 the first rank. Comp. ΤΣ Ὁ MeN, 
 Num. xxiv. 20, where the reference is to 
 the distinguished place which the Amale- 
 kites held among the nations of Canaan. 
 tr is to be construed with t-a7z3, and 
 not with ovis, or with j93 and i>. 
 The people of Israel were in the habit of 
 going up to their princes and leaders for 
 the decision of differences, ete. They 
 exerted an influence over the entire 
 people. Both the LXX. and the Syr. 
 ave greatly at fault in the translation of 
 this verse. 
 
 2. Three heathen cities are here 
 selected as specimens of the greatness 
 and prosperity of the nations to which 
 they belonged, and the Israelites are 
 challenged to institute a comparison of 
 the circumstances of these nations and 
 the extent of their territory, with those 
 of their own, as also, te reflect on the 
 present prostrate condition of the tities 
 mentioned, in order that they might 
 become sensible of the superiority with 
 
 which Jehovah had distinguished them, 
 and the greater punishment to which they 
 had exposed themselves by their ungrate- 
 ful returns. For 7355, Calneh, and min, 
 Hamath, sce on Is. x. 9. Hitzig at- 
 tempts to prove that by the latter name, 
 snane, Echatana or Hamedan is meant ; 
 but there is no reason to believe that the 
 Hebrews had any knowledge of this city 
 in the days of Amos. It is here called 
 ma, great, not to distinguish it from 
 other cities of the same name, but to ex- 
 press its size and magnificence. Comp, 
 m2. its, Sidon the great, Josh. xi. 8. 
 ra, Gath, was the chief city of one of the 
 five satrapies of the Philistines, with 
 whose name it is here associated, to 
 distinguish it from Gath-Hepher, and 
 Gath-Rimmon. It had more than once 
 been reduced before the time of Amos, 
 and disappeared at an early period from 
 the annals of geography. No trace of it 
 has been discovered by any modern tray- 
 eller. The τ ἴῃ ἘΠ Ξ τι has been regarded 
 as the Article by the LXX., Syr., and 
 Vulg. translators, and is thus found in 
 twelve of De Rossi's MSS. ; but the more 
 natural construction is that of the Targ. 
 and most modern versions, which makes 
 it interrogative. Before the Ἴ)2 of com- 
 parison is an ellipsis of fim; and 
 nish, ΠΣ ἈΠ) these kingdoms, must 
 be understood as designating those of Is- 
 rael and Judah, with which the prophet 
 had immediately to do, and to which he 
 thus emphatically points. In this way 
 only can an appropriate reference be 
 found for the distinctive affixes in Ἐ s23 
 and psdasa. : 
 
 3. Supply ‘in, wo to, from ver. 1. 
 monn, the Targ. not inappropriately 
 explains by 7" 7,712, remove to a distance. 
 The root is 7=3, which in the other dia- 
 
Caxrs Vis 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 163 
 
 And bring near the seat of oppression ; 
 
 4 That lie upon beds of ivory, 
 
 And are stretched upon their couches ; 
 
 That eat lambs from the flock, 
 
 And calves from the midst of the stall; 
 ει 5 That strike up songs to the sound of the lyre ; 
 Like David they invent for themselves instruments of music ; 
 
 6 That drink in bowls of wine, 
 
 And anoint with the first of oils; 
 But are not grieved for the destruction of Joseph! 
 
 lects signifies ἕο separate, remove as an 
 object of disgust. Aq. of ἀποκεχωρισμέ- 
 vo, Symm. ἀφωρισμένοι. The persons 
 addressed could not bear the idea that 
 the period of threatened punishment was 
 impending; they endeavored as much 
 as possible to keep it out of view. Comp. 
 Ezek. xii, 21-28. In striking antithesis 
 to this, they are represented in the fol- 
 lowing hemistich, as acting in such a 
 manner as speedily to bring it upon 
 them. 
 «Sed quam ccecus inest vitiis amor > 
 
 omne futurum 
 Despicitur, suadentque brevem presentia 
 
 fructum ; 
 Et ruit in vetitum damni secura libido, 
 Dum mora supplicii lucro, serumque 
 
 quod instat 
 Creditur.” 
 
 Claud. Eutrop. lib. ii. 
 
 I cannot agree with Jerome, Grotius, 
 Newcome, Justi, and some others, in 
 referring d'am N2¥, the seat or throne of 
 oppression, to the rule of the king of 
 Assyria: it is more natural to regard 
 the prophet as describing the wickedness 
 of the people themselves in yielding 
 support to a system of flagrant injustice 
 and oppression, on the part of their own 
 rulers and judges. Thus most expositors. 
 may occurs nowhere else in the sense of 
 throne; but 33>, of which it is properly 
 the infinitive, is used in application both 
 to kings and judges, as is also the par- 
 ticiple Ξιϑ 1". The term is synonymous 
 with x5, which is also used both of the 
 throne and the bench. tam is here 
 taken by most interpreters to have the 
 same signification as in Kal, to approach ; 
 
 but as in every other instance in which 
 the verb is used in Hiphil it vindicates 
 to itself the causative acceptation, and 
 in the present case is obviously intended 
 to form a contrast to Ὁ" π|5}2, which con- 
 veys the idea of removing to a distance, I 
 must retain the rendering of our common 
 version. ‘Thus Hitzig and Ewald. The 
 meaning is, that instead of putting away 
 from them all illegal and oppressive 
 judgment, they encouraged those who 
 were guilty of them, by assisting in car~ 
 rying them into execution. 
 
 4. For 73 niwia, beds of wvory, see on 
 chap. iii. 15; and comp. lecti eburnei of 
 Horace, and Jectt eborati of Plautus, 
 
 bonne, from 19, Arab. or libere 
 
 dismisit, to be thrown negligently along, 
 is descriptive of the self-indulgent mode 
 in which the Orientals recline upon their 
 sofas or couches, being stretched upon 
 them at full length. The whole verse 
 sets forth in well chosen expressions the 
 luxurious habits of the opulent. LXX. 
 κατασπαταλῶντες5. 
 
 5, 6. 03 is ἃ ἅπαξ Aey., and has been 
 thought by Gesenius, Hitzig, and Ewald, 
 to have been selected on purpose, instead 
 of 21, ¢o sing, in order to express the 
 contempt in which the music deserved 
 to be held. Such interpretation, how- 
 ever, does not appear to be philologically 
 sustained, and ill suits the corresponding 
 hemistich. According to the LXX. 
 ἐπικρατοῦντες, presiding over, or at, the 
 verb is synonymous with hss, in Piel, to 
 superintend, lead in music. Hence 
 Hz, the chief musician. Comp. the 
 
 Arab. bys, prevertit, precessit. The 
 
164 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. V1. 
 
 7 Therefore now they shall go captive at the head of the captives, 
 And the shouting company of those that recline shall depart. 
 
 8 The Lord Jehovah hath sworn by himself, 
 Thus saith Jehovah, God of hosts, 
 
 I abhor the splendor of Jacob, 
 
 And I hate his palaces : 
 
 Therefore will I deliver up the city, and all that is in it. 
 . 9 It shall be, that if ten men should be left in.one house, 
 
 persons reprobated were so passionately 
 fond of song, that they could not be 
 content to listen to the performances of 
 professed musiqians, but took the lead in 
 striking up songs to the sound of the 
 lyre. ‘The reference to David, who was 
 the sweet singer of Israel, and of whose 
 musical instruments express mention is 
 made Neh. xii. 36, is mahifestky iron- 
 ical; implying that, while that monarch 
 deyoted his musical talent to the glory 
 of God, the dissipated grandees of Israel 
 consulted only their personal gratification, 
 and that of those who joined their giddy 
 circle. ἘΠ ΤΊΣ. were properly basins, or 
 bowls, of a larger size, used for sacrificial 
 purposes, Exod. xxxviil. 3; Num. vii. 
 13, 19. The persons referred to, indulged 
 to such excess, that ordinary cups were 
 unsuited to their compotations, They 
 likewise anointed themselves with the 
 most precious oils, and evinced a total 
 apathy in regard to the calamities to 
 which their people had already been 
 suhject, or the still more serious evils 
 which threatened them. For the mean- 
 ing of 501%, Joseph, see on chap. v. 6. 
 ΠΗ 172 Arab, 5 re vox, the shout 
 
 or cry, in which the merrymakers in- 
 dulged over their cups. The persons giv- 
 ing the shout seem to be intended, and, as 
 the term is also used in reference to a 
 ery of lamentation, Jer. xvi. 5, it may 
 be implied that their joy would be turned 
 into sorrow. They are spoken of col- 
 lectively. Symm. ἑταιρεία τρυφητῶν. 
 Those who had taken the lead in revelry 
 and all manner of wickedness, were to 
 be first in the procession of captives. In 
 such a position, their disgrace would be 
 more conspicuous. 
 
 8. The double form of asseveration 
 here employed is unusual, and is strongly 
 emphatic. asm, the Piel participle of 
 =xn, a root of the same signification with 
 azn. Compare for a similar interchange 
 of these letters $y; and $23, sa and 
 ya. Though the phrase 2 Vina, the 
 excellency of Jacob, cannot be otherwise 
 understood than of God himself, as the 
 only legitimate object of glorying on the 
 part of his people, chap. viii. 7, yet, in 
 the prestnt instance, it is to be taken in 
 application to the country and peculiar 
 privileges of the Hebrews. It was once 
 a country piously celebrated in song as 
 the excellency of Jacob, Ps. xlvii. 5, and 
 the peculiar object of divine regard; but 
 now defiled by the wickedness of its in- 
 habitants, it had become the object of 
 his abhorrence. By "Ὁ, the city, Amos 
 had most probably Samaria in his eye. 
 Hitzig attaches to "m,n, the significa- 
 tion of Kal, ἐο besiege, shut up, but the 
 usual Hiphil signification better agrees 
 with the following connection. sa, 
 fulness, conveys the idea of multitude, 
 ox great abundance, and comprehends 
 here both the numerous inhabitants 
 themselves, and the wealth and means 
 of gratification in which they abounded. 
 Comp. Ps, xxiv. 1. For the accomplish- 
 ment of the prediction, see 2 Kings xvii. 
 5, 6. . 
 9, 10. The scene is not necessarily 
 laid in the city ; it might also have been 
 realized in any of the towns or villages 
 in the country that had been depopu- 
 lated by the Assyrians. It depicts, in 
 the most affecting manner, the deplorable 
 condition of the few that had escaped 
 the enemy, and had now been attacked 
 by the plague—a usual attendant on 
 
 =p. 
 
Cuar. VI. 
 
 They also shall die. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 165 
 
 10 And one’s relative, even he that burneth him shall take him up, 
 To remove his bones out of the house ; 
 And shall say to him that is in the innermost part of the house, 
 
 Is there yet any with thee; 
 And he shall say, None! 
 Then shall he say, Hush! 
 
 For we must not mention the name of Jehovah. 
 
 11 
 
 For behold! Jehovah hath commanded, 
 
 And he will smite the great house with breaches, 
 And the small house with fissures. 
 
 war in the East. The prophet declares, 
 that if as many as ten had been left in 
 one house, which might be regarded as 
 a rare instance, they should die, one 
 after another, of this fatal disease. 147 
 is not here to be taken in the special 
 sense of uncle, but denotes any near 
 relative on whom it devolved to attend 
 to the funeral rites. Targ. s-a-np. Vulg. 
 propinguus. In the present case, such 
 would be the paucity of hands, that he 
 would have to perform the whole him- 
 self. The copulative 5, prefixed to ‘57572, 
 is epexegetical, and is to be rendered 
 even, as in Zech. ix. 9. Instead of 5757, 
 many both of Kennicott’s and De Rossi's 
 MSS. read correctly 5772. But comp. 
 
 = 
 the Syr. 2 500- Some have attempted 
 
 to prove from this, and some other pas- 
 sages, that it was the practice of the 
 Hebrews to burn their dead. But what 
 is said 2 Chron. xvi. 14, xxi. 19; Jer. 
 xxxiv. 5, obviously refers to the burning 
 of spices, and not of dead bodies. 1 Sam. 
 xxxi. 12, and our present text, exhibit 
 special cases. In the former of these, 
 the object was so to dispose of the 
 corpses that it might not be in the 
 power of the Philistines further to dis- 
 honor them; while in the latter, it was 
 either, as Grotius supposes, to prevent 
 
 contagion, or to dispose of the body in 
 
 the only way of which the circumstances 
 of the time would allow. That by p~a=3, 
 not mere bones are meant, nor bodies so 
 emaciated as to be nothing but skin and 
 bone, which is Winer’s opinion, but dead 
 bodies, seems established beyond all 
 
 doubt by a reference to Gen. 1. 25; 
 Exod. xiii. 19; 2 Kings xiii. 21; Jer. 
 viii. 1, 2. n=37°M5773, is well rendered 
 in the Vulg. in penctralibus domus. See 
 on Is. xiv. 18. Having burnt and re- 
 moved one body after another, the rela- 
 tive, discovering a patient in one of the 
 innermost rooms or corners of the house, 
 inquires whether he is the only survivor? 
 and on receiving for answer that he is, 
 he suddenly enjoins silence upon him. 
 There is some difficulty in dertermining 
 what occasioned this injunction, and 
 for what reason the Divine name was 
 not to be mentioned. Most probably 
 the patient had begun to give vent to 
 his feelings in expressions of praise to 
 Jehovah, for sparing his life in the midst 
 of such prevailing mortality ; when the 
 other, from some superstitious notion, or 
 from the supposed incongruity of prais- 
 ing God in such circumstances, inter- 
 rupted his pious effusions. Eva “7537, 
 means to mention, or record with appro- 
 bation, as an object of trust. Comp. 
 Josh. xxiii. 7; Ps. xx. 8. The phrase 
 cannot, therefore, be construed into the 
 language of despair— as if the person 
 who gave utterance to the words be- 
 sought God to take him away likewisey 
 and thus terminate the melancholy scene. 
 Nor, for the same reason, can it imply, 
 as Michaelis interprets, that he had 
 confirmed what he had stated with an 
 oath. 
 
 11. Grotius, Dahl, Justi, and Ewald, 
 adopt the interpretation of the Targ., 
 Jerome, and Cyril, that by the ‘great 
 house” is meant the kingdom of Israel, 
 
166 
 
 12 Shall horses run upon a 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 
 
 arock? | : 
 
 Will one plough there with oxen? 
 Yet we have converted justice into poison, 
 And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. 
 
 13 
 That say, 
 
 Ye that rejoice in a thing of nought, 
 
 Have we not by our own strength, 
 
 Taken to ourselves horns ? 
 14 
 
 But behold! I will raise up against you, O house of Israel! 
 
 A nation, saith Jehovah, God of hosts ; 
 
 And they shall oppress you, 
 
 From the entrance of Hamath, 
 
 To the river of the desert. 
 
 and by the “small house”’ that of Judah; 
 and comp. chap. ix. 8, 9, where the 
 same participial form 73373 is employed 
 as here before another verb. ὉΠ Ὁ“, 
 mean atoms, or the minute parts to which 
 the materials of a building are reduced, 
 when it is utterly destroyed. The word 
 otherwise signities the small drops of any 
 liquid that is sprinkled, and is derived 
 from 997, ¢o spr inkle. E737 pa, are Jis- 
 sures, or rents in an edifice, which threat- 
 en its fall. There was to bea markad dif- 
 ference in the treatment of the two king- 
 doms; the one was to be utterly de- 
 stroyed, while the other, though greatly 
 injured, was still to stand. Rosenmiiller, 
 however, regards the interpretation as 
 “arguta magis, quam vera,’ Calvin, 
 Vatablus, Marckius, Cocceius, Lowth, 
 Micheelis, and Maurer, likewise take the 
 words literally, as applying to the houses 
 both of the rich and the poor. The 
 destruction, more or less, was to be uni- 
 versal. 
 «“Regum turres ac pauperum tabernas.”” 
 Horace. 
 This construction of the verse is con- 
 firmed by a comparison with chap. iii, 
 15. 
 
 12. The folly of expecting real pros- 
 perity while committing acts of injustice, 
 is forcibly represented by comparing it 
 to the absurdity of attempting to run 
 horses upon a rock, or to plough it with 
 
 oxen. To add to the strength of the 
 representation, it is put in the interroga- 
 tive form. winm? is to be taken im- 
 personally. / 
 
 13. The participles, with the τὸ demon- 
 strative, are again employed as in verses 
 3, 4,5, 6. a sd, non-re, what is so 
 perishable and evanescent, that it may 
 well be said to have no existence. Horns 
 are the symbol of power and dominion. 
 
 14. Few instances will be found in 
 Hebrew, in which the object of a verb 
 is so far removed from it as "Δ here is 
 from p77%- Some have referred tmz 
 MAIN, the river of the Desert, to the 
 Rhinocorura, otherwise called the river of 
 Egypt; and others to “" the brook of the 
 willows,” ὈΠΞΌΣ ΤΙ "73, or the Wady εἰ- 
 Ahsa, which flows into the Dead Sea, 
 near Zoar; but it is obvious from 2 
 Kings xiv. 25, in which the limits here 
 specified are described as constituting 
 those of the kingdom of the ten tribes, 
 that it must mean the brook Kidron, 
 which falls into the Dead Sea to the 
 south of Jericho. One of the names given 
 to this sea is manyn 2, the Sea of the 
 Desert ; M2527, the “desert, forming 
 
 what is now commonly called ) 52} ᾿» 
 
 El-Ghor, or the low sterile region in 
 which the valley of the Jordan ter- 
 minates, and which extends as far as the 
 Elanitic Gulf. 
 
 Ζ 
 
Cuap. VII. 167 
 
 
 
 VII.—VIII. 3. 
 
 TuIs portion of the bOOK ¢;,,,ains four symbolical visions respecting successive judgments 
 that were to be inflicted on the kingdom of Israel. They were delivered at Bethel, and 
 in all probability at the commencement of the prophet’s ministry. Each of them, as they 
 follow in the series, is more 8 severe than the preceding. The first presented to the mental 
 eye of the prophet a swarm of young locusts, which threatened to cut off all hope of the 
 harvest, 1-3; the second, a fire, which effected an universal conflagration, 4-6; the third, 
 a plumb-line, ready to be applied to mark out the edifices that were to be destroyed, 7-9; 
 and the fourth, a basket of ripe fruit, denoting the near and certain destruction of the 
 kingdom, viii. 1-8. The mtervening’ eight verses, which conclude the seventh chapter, 
 contain an account of the interruption of Amos by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, whose 
 punishment is specially predicted. In point of style, this portion differs from that of the 
 
 rest of the book, being almost exclusively historical and dialogistic. 
 
 1 Tavs the Lord Jehovah showed me, and, behold, he formed 
 locusts at the beginning of the shooting up of the latter grass: 
 and, behold, it was the latter grass after the king’s mowings. 
 
 2 “And it came to pass, W hen they had entirely devoured the 
 
 gr ass of the land, I said: 
 
 1. All the four visions are introduced 
 in nearly the same language: *28975 75 
 mami mim os. The repetition of mam, 
 behold, is ‘peculiar to this verse. In the 
 latter of the two instances, it is employed 
 for the sake of emphasis, instead of the 
 substantive verb, »25, a name of the lo- 
 cust, occurring only here, and Nah. iii. 17, 
 and synonymous with x3, Is. xxxiii. 4, 
 
 Comp. the Arab. ole and ol 
 
 locusta, from lis, egressus fuit, in 
 reference to its coming forth out of the 
 egg, which had been deposited in the 
 earth to be hatched. The term is, there- 
 fore, strictly descriptive of the locust in 
 its caterpillar state, and thus agrees with 
 the use of the verb “33, ¢o form, which 
 is here used. Prof. Lee derives it from 
 
 «5 Credner on Joel, pp. 
 
 299-302, elaborately attempts to set 
 aside the above derivation of Bochart, 
 yet allows that the word denotes the 
 insect in the first stage of its existence. 
 The plural termination ὙΞ, is found in 
 several masculine nouns, as “47, ὋΣ 57. 
 
 secuit. 
 
 “Enc, etc.; but the anomaly has not yet 
 been satisfactorily accounted for. See, 
 however, Gesen. Lehrgeb. p. 523. Lee’s 
 Heb, Gram. Art. 139, 4, 2d edit. wpb, 
 an after-math, or second crop, which 
 comes up immediately after the mowing 
 of grass. tp$, cognate with vps, Arab. 
 
 μ a}, legit, collegit, signifies in Piel to 
 gather the late fruit. 
 
 Oo 
 bao, serotinus, and vipa, the latter 
 
 4 
 
 rain. The phrase 55:27 572 may either 
 mean the mowings of the grass which 
 grew on the roy al domains, or the first 
 mowings of that belonging to the people, 
 to which the king tyrannically laid 
 claim. Considering the character of the 
 times, there can be little doubt that the 
 latter are meant. 
 
 2. That the locusts here referred to 
 are not intended to represent a literal 
 swarm of these insects, but are to be 
 taken figuratively, as denoting a hostile 
 army, just as the fire in the second 
 vision is to be regarded as symbolical of 
 war, may be inferred from the figurative 
 
 Comp. the Syr. 
 
108 
 
 Ο Lord Jehovah! forgive, I Ὁ 
 Who is Jacob, that he should st 
 
 For he is small. 
 8 Jehovah repented of this: 
 
 It shall not be, saith Jehovah. 
 4 Thus the Lord Jehovah showed me, 
 “Jehovah called to contend by fire ; and 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cuap. VIL 
 
 old, the Lord 
 sumed the great 
 
 abyss, and devoured the portion, 
 
 5 Then 1 said: 
 
 O Lord Jehovah! desist I beseech thee! 
 Who is Jacob, that he should stand? 
 
 For he is small. 
 6 Jehovah repented of this: 
 
 It also shall not be, saith the Lord Jehovah. 
 7 Thus he showed me, and behold the Lord stood upon a per- 
 
 character of the two visions, ver. 7, and 
 chap. vii. 1. Most probably the army 
 of Pul, king of Assyria, is meant. The 
 Israelites had been greatly reduced by 
 repeated invasions on the part of the 
 Syrian kings, and were on the point of 
 being attacked by the Assyrians, but 
 purchased their retreat with the sum of 
 one thousand talents of silver. See 2 
 Kings xv. 19, 20. 3559" ἘΠῚ “2, con- 
 cisely for bap "3 APy2 1, ie is Jacob, 
 that he sind ἡ ἀπά ? meaning, how can 
 he possibly sustain the threatened attack, 
 reduced and weak as he is in resources. 
 ἘΠῚ signifies to stand fast, continue, 
 endure, as well as to rise. One of De 
 Rossi’s MSS., and another originally, 
 read ἢ» 8ηἃ another nap, and thus 
 the LXX. Syr. Symm. and Vulg.; but 
 less appropriately in such context. 
 
 3. om, Pick renders, gave consolation, 
 which is not so suitable here as the 
 signification, to repent. Such repentance 
 is to be understood ϑεοπρεπῶς, appear- 
 ing, as Veil observes, ‘in effectu, citra 
 mutationem in effectu.”” Comp. 1 Sam. 
 XV Mie ser, 1111, L105. Tare. 
 MTA, ‘the Lord turned away his wrath. 
 rst, the feminine pronoun, stands for the 
 neuter of other languages. 
 
 4. sp corresponds in form to Ἐξ 1", 
 ver. 1. 24>, an abbreviated form of the 
 Hiphil infinitive, ayn. Comp. Is. iii. 
 
 ssl ane 
 
 13. The verb signifies to contend judici- 
 ally, to treat according to one’s deserts, 
 to punish. By the fire here spoken of we 
 are not to understand a great heat which 
 produced a drought in the land, but zwar, 
 of which it is an appropriate symbol. 
 See Num. xxi. 28; Judges ix. 15, 20; 
 Is. Ixvi. 16. To express the extent of 
 the threatened calamity, the fire, by a 
 bold figure, is represented as drying up 
 the ocean (737 O17), and consuming 
 whatever was found on the dry land. 
 This acceptation of ron, a division, por- 
 tion, or allotment of, land, the antithesis 
 requires; still, however, the term is chosen 
 with special application to the land of 
 Canaan, which was divided to the chil- 
 dren of Israel as their portion. The de- 
 finite form of the noun p>nn~ns, indi- 
 cates as much, The invasion of the land 
 of Israel by Tiglath-Pileser, and the first 
 captivity of that people seem to be the 
 subjects of the vision. See 2 Kings xv. 
 29; 1 Chron. v. 26. That in the former 
 vision, the calamity had not been in- 
 flicted, the use of the verb nbs, forgive, 
 intimates. In this, it had in part, as 
 the use of ban, desist, obviously im- 
 plies. 
 
 5, 6. In these verses, as in vers. 2 and 
 8, we have a beautiful instance of the in- 
 fluence of prayer in averting or mitigat- 
 ing the judgments of God. 
 
Cuap. VIL 
 
 8 pendicular wall; and in his hand was a plumb-line. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 169 
 
 And 
 
 Jehovah said to me, What seest thou, Amos? And I said, A 
 plumb-line. And the Lord saith : 
 Behold, I will seta plumb-line 
 In the midst of my people Israel ; 
 I will pass by them no more. 
 9 The high-places of Isaac shall be desolated, 
 And the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste ; 
 And I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the 
 
 sword. 
 10 
 
 7, 8. This vision, and that described 
 chap. viii. 1-3, differ from the two 
 preceding, in the distinct and express 
 application of the symbols to the punish- 
 ment of the Israelites. The Divine 
 patience is exhausted. Jehovah takes 
 active measures for executing his threat- 
 enings, and at last inflicts the exter- 
 minating judgment on a people ripe for 
 destruction. The prophet, in consequence, 
 intercedes no more, F238 ΤΠ, ὦ per- 
 pendicular wall, lit. a wall of the plum- 
 met, so called from the plumb-line being 
 applied in order to secure its perpen- 
 dicularity. 32s, which occurs only in 
 these verses, properly signifies /ead or 
 
 tin. Arab. ILI, Syr. 123), plumbum. 
 Aq. γάνωσις, stannatura, The line and 
 plummet were used not only when houses 
 were building, but also when they were 
 to be destroyed. See 2 Kings xxi. 13; 
 Is. xxviil. 17, xxxiv. 11; Lam.ii 8. The 
 LXX. and Symm. ἀδάμαντα, which the 
 Syr. also exhibits. In the explanation 
 of the vision, it is expressly stated, that 
 the plummet was to be applied to the 
 people of Israel in order to mark them 
 out for destruction ; and its being placed 
 in the midst of them denoted, that this 
 destruction was not to be confined to 
 a part only of the kingdom, as it had 
 been in the case of Tiglath-Pileser’s in- 
 vasion, but that it should reach the very 
 centre. This took place when Shal- 
 maneser, the successor of that king, after 
 a siege of three years, took Samaria, put 
 an end to the kingdom of the ten tribes, 
 and carried them away captive into 
 6 
 
 22 
 
 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam, the 
 
 Assyria, 2 Kings xvii. 3, 5, 6, 23. “a2, 
 to pass, pass on or away, means, in ap- 
 plication to sin, to pass it by, to forgive, 
 not to punish it. Prov. xix. 11; Micah 
 vii. 18. See on this latter passage. 
 
 9. A definite prediction of the destruc- 
 tion which was to overtake the places of 
 idolatrous worship, and the royal house 
 by which that worship had been estab- 
 lished and supported. These are spe- 
 cially mentioned, because to them, as the 
 procuring causes, the destruction was to 
 be traced. For the meaning of ni, 
 high places, see on Is. lxv.7. Op, 
 the parallel term, denotes the temples, or 
 structures, consecrated to the worship of 
 idols. Comp. w7p7a, ver. 13. pny, in- 
 stead of pns>, is not peculiar to our 
 prophet ; the same orthography is found 
 Ps. ev. 9; Jer. xxxiii. 26. There is no 
 reason whatever to suppose that the word 
 was purposely so written, or that it was 
 intended to be taken otherwise than as 
 a proper name; yet the LXX. have 
 βωμοὶ τοῦ γέλωτος ; and so the Syr. 
 Michaelis finds a paronomasia in it ; 
 Dahl, an instance of irony; and even 
 Calvin thinks that the name was used 
 by Amos μιμητικῶς. It is here, and ver. 
 16, parallel with Ἐπ 195, and denotes the 
 ten tribes. . 
 
 10, 11. Verses 10-17 contain an in- 
 teresting historical episode. As there 
 was doubtless a number of priests who 
 conducted the idolatrous services at 
 Bethel, ym'> must here be understood 
 κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν of the chief or high priest, 
 attached to the royal temple. In the 
 spirit which has characterized a false 
 
170 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. VIL 
 
 king of Israel, saying: Amos hath formed a conspiracy against 
 
 thee, in the midst of the house of Israel : 
 For thus hath Amos said : 
 
 the land cannot con- 
 
 But pro- 
 
 11 tain all his words. 
 Jeroboam shall die by the sword; « 
 ᾿ And Israel shall surely be led away captive from his land. 
 12 And Amaziah said to Amos: Seer! Go, flee to the land of 
 13 Judah, and eat there bread, and prophesy there. 
 14 
 
 royal residence. 
 
 phesy no more at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and a 
 And Amos answered and said to Amaziah : 
 
 I am no prophet ; neither am I the son of a prophet ; but I am 
 
 4s an herdsman, and a cultivator of sycamores. 
 
 priesthood in every age, Amaziah brings 
 against the prophet the groundless charge 
 of treason. ‘hat 5-57 is to be rendered 
 contain, and refers to number and not 
 to atrocity, appears from $5, all, being 
 employed before the following noun. 
 Com. for this signification of the verb in 
 Hiphil, 1 Kings vii. 26, 37; Ezek. xxiii. 
 32. In the Syr. in which a verb signify- 
 ing to endure is used, $= is omitted, as 
 not suiting the Oriental idiom. 
 
 12,13. It does not appear that the 
 king took any notice of the message that 
 was sent him, so that Amaziah was left 
 to try what the interposition of his own 
 authority would effect. He addressed 
 the prophet by the title mz}, seer, most 
 probably with contemptuous reference to 
 his visions ; though it was adopted in the 
 later Hebrew, as “equivalent to x72, and 
 corresponds in signification to mh, which 
 was anciently used, 1 Sam. ix. 9. Not 
 imagining that Amos could be actuated 
 by any higher principle than that of 
 selfishness, which reigned in his own 
 heart, the priest advised him to consult 
 his safety by fleeing across the frontier 
 into the kingdom of Judah, where he 
 might obtain his livelihood by the unre- 
 strained exercise of his prophetical gifts. 
 The words 34-43 5, though pleonas- 
 tic are emphatic. At all events, he could 
 not be permitted any longer to prophesy 
 in the city of Bethel, which was (lis- 
 tinguished not only as the principal 
 seat of the king's religion, but also as be- 
 ing one of his royal residences. Though 
 the ordinary residence of the Israel- 
 itish monarchs was at Samaria, yet as 
 
 And Jehovah 
 
 they went at certain stated seasons to 
 Bethel to worship the golden calf, they 
 had had a palace. built there for their ac- 
 commodation. 
 
 14. Amos modestly but firmly repels 
 the charge of selfishness, by declaring, 
 that he was not a prophet by profession ; 
 that he had not been educated with a 
 view to such profession; that he was a 
 person of rustic habits: and that his 
 Divine mission was altogether of an 
 extraordinary character. x»22 33, the son, 
 i.e. pupil or disciple of a pr cnn In 
 all probability some of the schools of the 
 prophets, of which we read in the first 
 book of Samuel, were still in existence, 
 in which young men were educated, who 
 devoted themselves to the service of the 
 theocracy in the capacity of public in- 
 structors, and to these or to more pri- 
 vate studies, under the guidance of some 
 prophet, Amos may be supposed to 
 refer. “pin, strictly taken, means an 
 ox-herd; but as ΡΞ came, in a larger 
 acceptation, to denote cattle in general, 
 it might signify a keeper of any kind of 
 eattle. There is, therefore no occasion, 
 with some, to suppose that the word was Ὁ 
 originally sp4:, as in chap.i. 1. od45 
 occurs nowhere else in the Hebrew Scrip- 
 
 tures; but the Arab. yk, signifies a 
 
 white fig, andthe Eth. (\/\ [12 both 
 
 the fig-tree and its fruit. As, however, 
 the participial form of the word is that 
 which denotes agency, it must mean one 
 who is occupied with, or cultivates figs. 
 The particular mode in which the an- 
 
Cuar. VII. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 1} 
 
 took me from following the flock ; and Jehovah said to me: 
 Go, prophesy to my people Israel. 
 
 And now, hear the word 
 
 of Jehovah. Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel; and, 
 
 saith Jehovah: 
 
 Drop nothing against the house of Isaac. 
 
 Therefore thus 
 
 Thy wife shall commit lewdness in the city, 
 
 And thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sward ; 
 Thy land, also, shall be divided by line, 
 
 And thou shalt die in a polluted land ; 
 
 And Israel shall surely be taken away captive from his 
 
 land. 
 
 cients cultivated fig-trees, the LXX. ap- 
 pear to have had in their eye, when they 
 rendered it by κνίζων, a nipper or scratch- 
 er ; for we are informed by ‘Theophrastus, 
 that iron nails or prongs were employed 
 to make incisions or scratches in the tree, 
 that by letting out some of the sap, the 
 fruit might be ripened: πέπτειν ov 
 δύναται ἂν μὴ emivicdi* ἄλλ᾽ ἔχοντες 
 ὄνυχας σιδηρᾶς ἐπικνίζουσιν᾽ ἃ δ᾽ ἂν ἐπι- 
 κνισδῇ. τεταρταῖα πέπτεται, iv. 2. See 
 also Plin. Hist. Nat. xiii. 14; Forskal, 
 Flor. Egypt. p. 182. ΠΡ 9, sycamores, 
 a species of tree, abounding in the East, 
 pretty much resembling the mulberry 
 tree, the fruit of which is similar to the 
 fig. It is, however, very inferior in 
 quality, and is only eaten by the poorest 
 class of the people. From this circum- 
 stance it may be inferred that Amos 
 occupied a humble station in life pre- 
 vious to his being called to prophesy in 
 Israel. 
 
 15. Sy 822 is used both in a good and 
 in a bad sense, and is here to be rendered 
 indefinitely, to prophesy to. The pro- 
 nominal suffix in “sy, ‘my people,” is 
 not without emphasis. The Israelites 
 were Jehovah’s by right ; he still claimed 
 his propricty in them; and, by the 
 ministry of his prophet, would have re- 
 covered them to his service. 
 
 16. Instead of listening to the prohibi- 
 tion of Amaziah, and retiring from his 
 sphere of duty, Amos continued to dis- 
 
 charge the duties of his office at Bethel ; 
 but before proceeding to give an account 
 of another vision which he had had, he 
 directs a pointed prediction against the 
 idolatrous priest by whom he had been 
 interrupted. Ὁ 12π, ¢o distil, to cause to 
 come down in pleasing and flowing dis- 
 course; here parallel with s23, to pro- 
 phesy. Comp. Ezek. xxi. 2, 7; Micah 
 
 avy 
 ii 6,11. Sy. aa, Arab. κ 5155, 
 Eth. INN: stillavit, WA} 
 
 percolavit. 
 
 17. Between =v: in this verse, 
 and πὴ my in ver. 16, is a marked 
 antithesis. 27m is not to be understood 
 of voluntary acts of infidelity on the part 
 of the wife of Amaziah, but of the vio- 
 lence to which she would have to submit 
 on the part of the enemy. This being 
 done -">2, in the eity, i.e. openly and 
 publicly, was a great aggravation of the 
 evil. 
 
 *Od5é σφὶ ἐγκέφαλος χαμμώδις ῥέοι, ὡς 
 
 main? 
 EOL 
 
 ὅδε οἴνος 
 Αὐτῶν, καὶ τεκέων, ἄλοχοι δ᾽ ἄλλοισι 
 μιγεῖεν. Iliad. b. iii. 800, 301. 
 
 Every country, except Canaan, was re- 
 garded by the Hebrews as revs 7278, @ 
 polluted land, though, at this time, their 
 own land had become such. Is. xxiv. 5, 
 where o:mis similarly used ; Jer. li. 7. 
 The land of Assyria is that to which 
 Amos points. 
 
172 AMOS. Cuar. VIII. 
 
 CH APTA Waa 
 
 AFTER giving an account of a fourth vision, in which was represented the ripeness for dew 
 truction at which the Israelites had arrived, and the certainty of such destruction, 1-3, 
 the prophet resumes his denunciatory addresses to the avaricious oppressors of the peo- 
 ple, 4-7; predicts the overthrow of the nation, 8-10; and concludes with threatening a 
 
 destitution of the means of religious instruction, 11-14. 
 
 1 Tuus the Lord Jehovah showed me, and, behold, a basket of 
 
 2 ripe fruit ! 
 A basket of ripe fruit. 
 Then said Jehovah to me: 
 
 And he said, What seest thou, Amos? And I said, 
 
 The end is come to my people Israel ; 
 
 I will pass by them no more. 
 
 3 And the songs of the palace shall howl, 
 
 In that day, 
 The carcasses are many! 
 Throw them out anywhere! 
 Hush! 
 
 saith the Lord Jehovah ; 
 
 4 Hear this! ye that pant after the needy, 
 
 1. This vision may be regarded as a 
 continuation of the subject with which 
 the last concluded, in the development 
 of which the prophet had been interrupted 
 
 ν Vv 
 553, Syr. 1Δ. 59. a 
 cage, or basket; Arab. cals, inseruit 
 
 loro inter duas corit partes ; AS; lorum 
 
 vel filamentum lignosum palme, quo con- 
 suitur : what is braided from twigs, such 
 as wicker work. ‘>> 
 
 by Amaziah. 
 
 is used both of 
 summer, and of the fruit which is 
 gathered in swmmer. It is to the ripe- 
 ness of the fruit at this season that pro- 
 minence is here designed to be given. 
 The verb occurs but once in Heb. viz. 
 
 Is. xviii. 6. Arab. bas, media @s- 
 
 tas : Lk, admodum ferbuit, estiva ha- 
 butt. 
 
 2. The paronomasia in +> and +> is 
 marked and forcible. Comp. Ezek. vii. 6: 
 
 Fa Ὁ ἐδ οἰ Ee 
 ΕΞ TAT Tek VR PR 82 82 Ὑ 
 
 3. Instead of the pathetic elegies loudly 
 and continuously poured forth at the 
 princely funerals, nothing was to be 
 heard but the frantic howl, announcing, 
 but instantly checked in announcing, the 
 greatness of the disaster. Into such 
 howling the joyous songs of the palace 
 were to be converted. Symm. ὀλολύ- 
 ἔουσιν αἱ δαί. The dead bodies were 
 to be cast forth indiscriminately, without 
 any regard to the places where they 
 might lie; and even this was not to be 
 effected without exposing those who 
 performed it to the attacks of the ene- 
 my. Hence silence was to be enjoined. 
 Some improperly render t=-m, temple. 
 For π᾿, comp. chap. vi. 10. 
 
 4. The prophet resumes his usual 
 style of direct comminatory address. 
 Comp. chapters iv. v. and vi. For 5x3, 
 see on chap. ii. 7, nsayb—mragnt, to 
 cause to cease, bring toan end, annthilate, 
 destroy. The ἡ in mad; is to be taken 
 τελικῶς, aS denoting the end or aim of 
 
Cuar. VIII. 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 That ye may destroy the poor of the land, 
 5 Saying, When will the new moon be over, 
 
 That we may sell corn? 
 
 And the Sabbath, 
 
 That we may open out grain ? 
 
 Making the ephah small, 
 And the shekel great, 
 
 And falsifying the palates for deceit. 
 
 6 That we may purchase the poor for money, 
 And the needy for a pair of sandals ; 
 And sell the refuse of the grain. 
 
 7 Jehovah hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob : 
 
 I will never forget any of their deeds. 
 
 the oppressions practised by the avari- 
 cious Israelites. 
 
 5. From this and other passages it is 
 obvious that the Israelites, notwithstand- 
 ing their idolatrous practices, still kept 
 up the observance of the times and 
 seasons appointed in the law of Moses. 
 Nay and 329 “avn, lit. ¢o break a 
 breaking, but meaning ¢o sell grain, is 
 supposed to he so named from its being 
 broken to pieces when ground at the 
 mill. Some, however, think the name is 
 derived from its being broken up or 
 separated by a measure into portions, 
 with a view to sale; while others are of 
 opinion that it is so called because it 
 breaks or puts an end to hunger, com- 
 paring Ps. civ. 11. By 7a ns, opening 
 the corn, is meant opening the sacks or 
 granaries in which it was kept, and 
 bringing it out for sale. Thus the LXX. 
 Syr. and Targ. The m5-x, ephah, was a 
 corn measure, containing three seahs, 
 and according to Josephus, equal to the 
 Attic medimnus, or somewhat above three 
 English pecks., It is uncertain whether 
 the word be originally, Hebrew, or 
 whether it be Egyptian, t;3, from Ἐξ, 
 to weigh, Axab. \ his, ponderosus fwit, 
 gravitatem et pondus eeplonuvit: is here 
 used of weights in general. It was 
 eriginally any piece of metal weighed 
 as an equivalent for what was bought; 
 but came afterwards to signify standard 
 money, and differed in value, according 
 as it was of silver or gold, and as it was 
 
 estimated by the sacred or the royal 
 tandard, Exod. xxx. 13; 2 Sam. xiv. 
 26. For the sake of greater emphasis, 
 instead of saying, to make or to use 
 deceitful balances, the verb may, to bend, 
 twist, pervert, is employed, which, in 
 point of meaning, is pleonastic. LXX. 
 ποιῆσαι (ζυγὸν ἄδικιμον. 
 6. See chap. ii. 6. 
 fall ; 
 ete. 
 7. The iniquitous conduct of the Is- 
 raelites having been minutely described, 
 the severe punishment which they had 
 merited is now threatened. 2537 7783, 
 the excellency of Jacob, has been variously 
 interpreted. The Targ. Grotius, Dahl, 
 Newcome, and Bauer, understand the 
 excellence conferred upon Jacob; Justi 
 and Ewald, very preposterously, the pride 
 or haughtiness of the people; the Rab- 
 bins and some others, the temple; but 
 the only appropriate construction of the 
 phrase, in this connection, is that whieh 
 refers it to Jehovah himself, in whom 
 alone the Hebrews gloried while they 
 adhered to the purity of his worship, and 
 in whom they still ought to glory. Thus 
 > vy ney. δ Φ 
 ἴμο Syr- σα ΟΣ..5 σεϑ 2 [309 
 the Lord, the Mighty One of Jacob; 
 Munster, Vatablus, Mercer, Drusius. 
 Lively, Gesenius, Hitzig, Maurer. Com. 
 chap. vi. 8, where W523 Σ ΞΘ 5 occurs 
 instead of the present phrase, which, 
 however, is also there used in a bad 
 
 ben, from ἘΞ, to 
 what has fallen off, refuse, chaff, 
 
4 AMOS. 
 
 8 Shall not the Jand tremble for this, 
 
 10 
 
 And every one that dwelleth therein mourn? 
 
 Shall not all of it rise like the river ? 
 
 Shall it not be driven, and subside, 
 
 Like the river of Egypt? 
 
 It shall come to pass in that day, 
 
 Saith the Lord Jehovah, 
 
 That I will cause the sun to go down at noon, 
 And will darken the land in the clear day. 
 
 I will turn your festivals into mourning, 
 
 And all your songs into lamentation : 
 
 I will bring sackcloth upon all loins, 
 
 And baldness upon every head ; 
 
 I will make it as the mourning for an only son, 
 And the end of it a bitter day. 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 VI. 
 
 sense. Mats ἘΝ, 1 forget, is the usual 
 formula of swearing, implying that it 
 should not take place. 3, in this con- 
 nection, implies both totality, and the 
 singlé items of which that totality is 
 made up. Comp. Ps. ciii. 2. 
 
 8. The guilt of the people was so en- 
 ormous, that it was sufficient to induce 
 an entire subversion of the existing 
 state of things. To express this more 
 strongly, the land is metaphorically re- 
 presented as rising and swelling like the 
 Nile, and again falling like the same 
 river. Of course, the idea of the heay- 
 ing and subsiding of the ground during 
 an earthquake is what is intended, as 
 the beginning of the verse shows. For 
 the sake of energy and impression, the 
 interrogative form is, as frequently, em- 
 ployed. That -8>, by an elision of the 
 letter Yod, is a defective form of “ἰδ, is 
 evident from the parallel passage, chap. 
 ix 5. Fifteen MSS. originally two more, 
 and perhaps other three, and one of the 
 early editions, read "νὴ in full. For the 
 origin and meaning of the word, see on 
 Is. xix. 6. ta is used in Niphal, to ex- 
 press the violent agitation of the sea 
 when raised by the wind, Is. lvii.” 20. 
 It here denotes the rise of the Nile, 
 which is generally above twenty feet. 
 For E22 the Keri and a great many 
 
 MSS. in the text, read ;2pzs, which is 
 undoubtedly genuine. The root >P9 
 occurs in a similar connection, chap. 
 ix. 5. It signities to sink down, or sub- 
 side. 
 
 9. Some think the prophet here pre- 
 dicts the total eclipse of the sun, which 
 took place at one of the great festivals 
 in the year that Jeroboam died, (see 
 Usher’s Annals, a. M. 3213); but what- 
 ever there may be in the language bor- 
 rowed from such an event, consistency 
 of interpretation requires it to be taken 
 metaphorically, as descriptive of a change 
 from circumstances of prosperity to those 
 of adversity. Comp. Jer. xv. 9; Ezek. 
 xxxii. 7-10. 
 
 10. The Hebrew festivals were occa- 
 sions of great joy, and were no doubt on 
 this very account kept up among the ten 
 tribes after they had lost their religious 
 importance. The calamitous result of 
 the Assyrian invasion under Shalma- 
 neser is here most graphically de- 
 picted. Comp. Is. xv. 2; Jer. xlviii. 37 ; 
 Ezek. vii. 18. The death of an only 
 son was regarded by the Hebrews as the 
 most mournful of events. Comp. Jer. 
 vi. 26; Zech. xii. 10. The pronominal 
 reference in πολ Ὁ and HH Re is YTS 
 understood. = in "2 0173, is the Caph 
 veritatis, 4 ν 
 
παν. VII. 
 
 11 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord Jehovah, 
 
 When I will send a famine into the land ; 
 Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 
 But of hearing the words of Jehovah. 
 12 And men shall wander from sea to sea, 
 And shall run up and down, from the North even to the East, 
 
 Seeking the word of Jehovah, 
 
 But they shall not find it. 
 
 13 In that day the fair virgins shall faint, 
 And the young men also, for thirst ; 
 
 14 That swear by the sin of Samaria, 
 And say, By the life of thy God, O Dan! 
 
 ‘‘ Nunc et amara dies, et noctis amarior 
 umbra est ; 
 
 Omnia jam tristi tempora felle madens.”” 
 
 Tibullus, Eleg. lib. ii. Eleg. iv. 11. 
 
 11, 12. The Israelites now despised 
 the messages of the prophets, and by a 
 just retribution, in addition to all their 
 other calamities, they should experience 
 a total withdrawal of all prophetic com- 
 munications. Comp. Ezek. vii. 26 ; 
 Micah iii. 7. In whatever direction they 
 might proceed, and whatever efforts they 
 might make to obtain information rela- 
 tive to the issue of their trouble, they 
 should meet with nothing but disappoint- 
 ment. τη Τ᾽, swn-rise, is used, where 
 geographically we should have expected 
 77727, or 239, the south ; but the term may 
 have been chosen in order to intimate 
 the complete alienation of Israel from 
 Judah, in consequence of which no one 
 would think of repairing to Jerusalem 
 for oracular information. That any trans- 
 position of the words has taken place, 
 I cannot, with Houbigant and Newcome, 
 suppose. It is, however, just as probable 
 that the cardinal points were not in- 
 tended to be strictly marked, but that 
 the object was to indicate generally the 
 hopelessness of the attempts mentioned. 
 The Athnach is improperly placed under 
 mata, instead of under 3:90 zt, as the 
 Vau prefixed to 7i5x and the form of 
 the verb show. 
 
 13. ΩΣ in this verse, is to be under- 
 stood of the natural thirst to be expe- 
 rienced by the inhabitants of Samaria 
 
 during the siege predicted in the pre- 
 ceding verses; 435527, properly means, 
 they shall feet themselves involved in dark- 
 ness, Which is physically true of those 
 who are seized with syncope. The root 
 
 soz, Arab. δι, signifies zo cover, 
 
 envelop ; here, with darkness, under- 
 stood. After sanan subaud. “EDD. 
 
 14. Vine maw, the sin or crime of 
 Samaria ; i. 6. the golden calf and other 
 objects of unlawful “worship which were 
 the occasion of sin and guilt to the Is- 
 raelites. Hitzig thinks that Astarte is 
 specifically meant ; but the term was 
 doubtless intended to comprehend the 
 calf at Bethel, the religious veneration 
 of which led to the grosser forms of 
 idolatry. At the same time, ms, As- 
 tarte, is spoken of, 2 Kings xiii. 6, in 
 distinction from the worship specially 
 instituted by Jeroboam. See on Is. xvii. 
 8. The god of Dan was the other gol- 
 den calf, erected by Jeroboam in Dan, 
 1 Kings xii. 26-28. By yau—-y2 5727, 
 Kimchi, Michaelis, and Bauer, under- 
 stand literally the way or pilgrimage to 
 Beersheba ; -but the phrase being parallel 
 with the two former instances, in which 
 objects of false worship are meant, it 
 must here be taken in the same sense. 
 Hence the LXX, render Gj Seds σου. 
 Strictly speaking, it denotes the way or 
 mode of worship, or the worship itself, 
 that was performed at Beersheba. Com. 
 Ps, cxxxix. 24; Acts ix. 2, xix. 9, 23. 
 See on chap. y. 5. "πὶ is a formula of 
 
176 
 
 swearing: By the life of 
 sure as such an one lives, and was pe- 
 
 AMOS. Cuar. IX. 
 
 And, By the life of the way of Beersheba! 
 They shall fall, and rise no more. 
 
 
 
 , or, As culiarly absurd and sinful when applied 
 
 to inanimate objects. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER) LX: 
 
 ΤῊΙΒ chapter commences with an account of the fifth and last vision of the prophet, in which 
 
 the final ruin of the kingdom of Israel is represented. This ruin was to be complete and 
 irreparable; and no quarter to which the inhabitants might flee for refuge, would afford 
 them any shelter from the wrath of the Omnipresent and Almighty Jehovah, 1-6. Asa 
 sinful nation, it was to be treated as if it had never stood in any covenant relation to him; 
 yet, in their individual capacity, as the descendants of Abraham, how much soever they 
 might be scattered and afflicted among the heathen, they should still be preserved, 7-10. 
 The concluding part of the chapter contains a distinct prophecy of the restoration of the 
 Jewish church after the Babylonish captivity, 11; the incorporation of the heathen which 
 was to be consequent upon that restoration, 12; and the final establishment of the Jews 
 
 in their®wn land in the latter day, 13-15. 
 
 
 
 1 Isaw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: 
 Smite the capital, that the thresholds may shake ; 
 And break them in pieces, on the heads of them all ; 
 Their posterity I will slay with the sword ; 
 None of their fugitives shall make his escape, 
 Nor shall any that slip away be delivered. 
 
 1. By the Targ., Calvin, Drusius, Gro- 
 tius, Justi, Rosenmiiller, and Hengs- 
 tenberg, the scene of this vision is laid 
 at the temple of Jerusalem; by Cyril, 
 ‘Munster, Tarnovius, Schmidius, Lowth, 
 Michaelis, Dahl, Bauer, Hitzig, and 
 Ewald, at the idolatrous temple at Be- 
 thel, and, in my opinion, rightly. Calvin 
 does not show his usual tact in objecting 
 to this interpretation, on the ground that 
 it represents Jehovah as indirectly ap- 
 proving of superstition ; for, though the 
 true God was seen beside the idolatrous 
 altar, it was not for the purpose of re- 
 cciving homage, but of commanding 
 that the whole of the erection and wor- 
 
 ship at Bethel should be destroyed. 
 No argument in favor of Jerusalem 
 can be built on the use of the article in 
 maran “the altar,” but the contrary. 
 The idolatrous object to which sacrifices 
 were offered at Bethel, having been 
 mentioned in the preceding verse, nothing 
 is more natural than a reference here to 
 the altar on which they were presented. 
 “SMEs, an ornamented head or capital of 
 a column, in the shape of a sphere, or 
 bowl surrounded by flowers. It is 
 usually derived from 7£5, ἐο cover, and 
 “no, tocrown. LXX. ἱλαστήριον, mis- 
 taking the word for ms=3. When used 
 of the omamental part of the golden can- 
 
Cuap, IX. 
 
 to 
 
 AMOS. 177 
 
 Though they break through into Sheol, 
 Thence shall my hand take them ; 
 Though they climb up to heaven, 
 Thence will I bring them down. 
 
 3 Though they hide themselves on the summit of Carmel, 
 There I will search them out and take them; 
 Though they conceal themselves from mine eyes in the bottom 
 
 of the sea, 
 
 There [ will command the serpent, and he shall bite them. 
 4 Though they go into captivity before their enemies, 
 
 There I will command the sword, and it shall kill them: 
 
 I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, 
 
 And not for good. 
 
 ὅὄ For it is the Lord Jehovah of hosts, 
 That toucheth the earth and it melteth; 
 
 dlestick, they render it σφαιρωτήρ. For 
 ἘΠΞΌ, see on 15, vi. 4; the similarity, in 
 some respects, between which passage 
 and the present, appears to have sug- 
 gested the idea that the temple at Jeru- 
 salem is here meant. The temple was 
 to be smitten both above and below, to 
 indicate its entire destruction. ps2, 
 break them, i. 6. the capitals, etc., upon 
 the head of all the worshippers. It 
 does not appear that yx and n= my are 
 here used antithetically. The latter de- 
 notes the children of those who perished 
 in the attack upon the idolatrous temple. 
 When threatened by the Assyrians, they 
 would flock in crowds to Bethel, to im- 
 plore protection from the golden calf, 
 and, while thus assembled, they should 
 perish, along with the vain object of their 
 trust ; they should, in fact, be buried in 
 the ruins. 
 
 2-4. These verses exhibit a beautiful 
 series of supposed cases of attempt at 
 escape from the judgments of God, and 
 the utter futility of every attempt of the 
 kind. Sixw and πο Ξ τι, are, as usual, 
 employed as extreme points of opposition. 
 Comp. Job xi. 8; Ps. cxxxix. 8; Is. xiv. 
 13, 14; Matt. xi. 28. Ἐπ ws. Not 
 only was Mount Carmel celebrated on 
 account of its general fertility, but also 
 on account of the dense forests and large 
 caverns with which it abounded. These, 
 together with its height, which is about 
 
 twelve hundred feet, afforded the fittest 
 possible places of concealment. Richter, 
 in his Pilgrimage, p. 65, says: ** Mount 
 Carmel is entirely covered with green ; 
 on its swmmits are pines and oaks, and 
 further down, olive and laurel trees, 
 ete. These forests would furnish safe 
 hiding places, equally with the caves, 
 which are chiefly on the west side facing 
 the sea.” ban yap, the bottom of the 
 Mediterranean Sea, forms a striking con- 
 trast to the summit of Carmel, which 
 
 beetles above it. ζῇ", Arab. Se 
 
 terra equabilis ; when spoken of a house, 
 the foundation or floor ; here the bottom 
 or basis, on which the sea rests. For 
 m3, sea-serpent, see on Is, xxvii. 1. 
 
 “ Immensis orbibus angues 
 Incumbant pelago, pariterque ad littora 
 tendunt.” 
 
 
 
 JEneid. ii. 204. 
 
 The ‘a in DY, in verses ὃ and 4, loses 
 its proper prepositive signification, as in 
 77%", ΟΞ, Mims, etc. and merely 
 denotes position or place. 
 
 5, 6. A sublime description of the al- 
 mighty and uncontrollable power of 
 Jehovah. For the reference to the 
 Nile, see on chap. viii. 8. Instead of 
 anitra, the Keri and not a few MSS. 
 read 3°ni>3% in full. Comp. "ΡῈ, 
 Ps. civ. 3, 13. 
 
178 
 
 And all that dwell in it mourn ; 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuar. IX. 
 
 It riseth, all of it, like the river, 
 And subsideth like the river of Egypt. 
 6 He that buildeth his upper chambers in the heavens, 
 And foundeth his vaults upon the earth ; 
 That calleth to the waters of the sea, 
 And poureth them out on the surface of the earth ; 
 
 Jehovah is his name. 
 
 7 Are ye not as the Cushites to me, 
 O sons of Israel? saith Jehovah. 
 Did 1 not bring Israel from the land of Egypt ? 
 
 The Philistines from Caphtor ? 
 
 And the Syrians from Kir ? 
 
 8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are upon the sinful king- 
 
 dom, 
 
 AlSepos οἶκον ὑπέρτατον ναιετάεις. 
 Oppian. Halieut. i. 490. 
 Θεοῦ οἰκητήριον τοῦ κόσμου τὸ ἄνω. 
 Aristot. 
 m8; a body or mass, the parts of which 
 are firmly compacted; Arab. Olaf Ρ 
 fornix firme compaginis et structure 5 
 an arch or vault ; obviously used of the 
 2°71, or hemispheric expanse or vault of 
 heaven; which, from its appearing to 
 the eye to rest upon the earth, is here 
 said to be founded upon it. To render it, 
 with the Targ., congregation, and apply 
 it to the Church, as a body of believers, 
 firmly united together, is altogether un- 
 suitable to the connection. The render- 
 ing of the LXX., Syr., and Arab. would 
 seem to indicate ‘that ninas min orig- 
 inally stood in the text, at the end of 
 ver, 8; but only one of De Rossi’s MSS. 
 has fis reading at first hand. 
 
 7. By appealing to the fact, that, in 
 his providence, he had removed different 
 nations from their original abodes, and 
 settled them elsewhere, Jehovah repels 
 the idea, which the israclites were so 
 prone to entertain, that, because he had 
 brought them out of Egypt, and given 
 them the land of Canaan, they were pe- 
 culiarly the objects of his regard, and 
 could never be subdued or destroyed. 
 He now regarded, and would treat them 
 as the Cushites, who had been trans- 
 
 planted from their primary location 
 in Arabia, into the midst of the bar- 
 barous nations of Africa. Dep, Cush- 
 ttes, are here the inhabitants ‘of the 
 African Cush, or Ethiopia. See on Is, 
 
 xviii. 2. Arab. yas sts Abys- 
 
 sinians. 
 
 Αἰϑίοπας, τοὶ διχϑὰ ἀπ με ἔσχατοι 
 ἀνδρῶν, 
 
 Οἱ μὲν δυσομένου ὑπερίονος, οἱ δ᾽ ἂνι- 
 OvTOS- 
 
 Odyss. 1. 23, 24. 
 
 For p->nw>s, see on Is. xiv. 28. Gese- 
 nius hesitates between Crete and Cap- 
 padocia, as designated by the Hebrew 
 Caphtor, but inclines to the former. 
 Thesaurus, p. 709. LXX. Καππαδοκία. 
 Eqs, Aram, or Syria, put for the Syrians, 
 i, 6. the inhabitants of the countries 
 about Damascus. They are here repre- 
 sented as having migrated from -~p, Kir, 
 the country lying on the river Aw, or 
 Cyrus. See on Is. xxii.6, 
 
 8, 9. 3 Bray, the eyes of a person are 
 said to be én any one, when he keeps 
 him steadily in view, in order either to 
 do him good, or to punish him. In 
 the present instance, the phrase conveys 
 the idea of hostility. Though the king- 
 dom of the ten tribes was to be utterly 
 and forever destroyed, yet, as descend- 
 ants of their patriarchal ancestors, they 
 should not become extinct. In the midst 
 
Orarsirx. 
 
 AMOS. 179 
 
 And I will destroy it from the face of the earth ; 
 Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 9 For, behold, I will command, 
 
 And will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, 
 
 As one sifteth corn in a sieve, 
 
 And not a grain falleth to the ground. 
 10 But all the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, 
 That say, The evil shall not reach nor overtake us. 
 
 11 
 
 In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is falling, 
 
 And will close up its breaches ; 
 
 of the wrath which their sinfulness should 
 bring upon them, God would remember 
 mercy. 5 DDN is strongly adversative. 
 πῆ, a sieve, which is used to separate 
 the chaff and other refuse from. the pure 
 grain, is most probably derived from 
 -22, to be many, from the number of 
 small holes in it. LXX. λικμὸς. Aq. and 
 Symm. Κόσκινον. “nx is used as a di- 
 minutive of "Ὥξ, the smallest stone, 2 
 Sam. xvii. 13; here it signifies the small- 
 est grain or particle of com. While the 
 figurative language here employed ex- 
 presses the violence of the sifting process 
 to which the Israelites should be sub- 
 jected in order that their idolatry and 
 other sins might be removed from them ; 
 it likewise sets forth the great care that 
 would be exercised for their preserva- 
 tion. The universal character of their 
 dispersion is likewise strongly marked. 
 
 10. Those are here specially intended, 
 who scoffingly denied the possibility of 
 the Assyrian conquest, namely, the 
 dissipated magnates of Samaria. Such 
 should perish in the war. “32 ὈΠπΡ τ 
 is unusual. Perhaps the meaning is, 
 Shall not come forward, or advance 
 in our rear, so as to cut off our re- 
 treat. 
 
 11. The Israelites now disappear from 
 the scene, in order to give place to a 
 brief but prominent exhibition of the 
 restoration of the Jews from their de- 
 pressed condition, during the anticipated 
 captivity in Babylon, and the great 
 design of that restoration — the intro- 
 duction of the Messianic dispensation, 
 
 during which the blessings of the cov- 
 enant of mercy was to be extended to the 
 Gentile world. With this reference in 
 view, the apostle James expressly quotes 
 the prophecy, Acts xv. 15-17. The quo- 
 tation is made from the version of the 
 LXX.; but as regards verbality, differs 
 fully as much from it, as the latter does 
 from the Hebrew text ; his object being 
 to give the general sense of the passage, 
 and not the identical phraseology. It 
 must further be observed that, though he 
 quotes the entire passage, consisting of 
 the 11th and 12th-verses, his obvious 
 design was to give prominence to what 
 is contained in the latter, viz. the con- 
 version of the Gentiles, the very point 
 required by his argument; so that all 
 attempts to apply what is said respect- 
 ing the booth of David to the Christian 
 church, are unwarranted and futile. 
 s>i1, David, is used by the prophet, not 
 in its figurative, but in its proper mean- 
 ing, as denoting the Hebrew monarch of 
 that name. By sann 55°, that day, for 
 which James has, quite indefinitely, μετὰ 
 ταῦτα, we are to understand the period of 
 the dispersion of the Israelites among the 
 nations, subsequent to the fall of their 
 kingdom. Though that kingdom would 
 never be restored, yet the Jewish polity 
 would be re-established at Jerusalem. 
 This polity is here called πλλπτ Ὁ, the 
 booth, or hut of David, to denote the 
 reduced state of his family, and the 
 affairs of the people. Comp. Is. xi. 1, 
 and my note there. When the prosnerty 
 of that family is spoken of, the more 
 
180 
 
 And I will raise up its ruins, 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. IX 
 
 And build it as in the days of old, 
 12 That the remnant of Edom may be possessed, 
 And all the nations upon which my name shall be called, 
 
 Saith Jehovah that doeth this. 
 
 dignified phrase, 1712 rma, the house of 
 David, is employed. See 2 Sam. iii. 1; 
 1 Kings xi. 38 ; Is. vii. 2, 18. 1913 Sak, 
 the tent, or tabernacle of David, Is. xvi. 5, 
 would seem to express an intermediate 
 state of things. That ποῦ π|, David, is here 
 to be understood of the Messiah, I cannot 
 find. m=, tugurium, a hut, or booth, so 
 called from its being constructed by 
 interweaving the boughs and branches 
 of trees with each ihe and its thus 
 forming ἃ rude shelter from the storm. 
 It was in such booths the Hebrews were to 
 dwel]l during the seven days of ΞΘ. 5h, 
 
 the feast of booths, commonly ‘called 
 «the feast of tabernacles.” See Levit. 
 xxiii. 40-43. Root 550, to weave, in- 
 terweave, protect, Still more definitely 
 to mark the depressed condition of the 
 Jewish kingdom, is described as rt=:, 
 
 falling. The present participle is here: 
 as frequently, used to denote an action 
 which was happening at the time of 
 narration, and which would be continued, 
 About the time of Amos the Jewish af- 
 fairs had begun to decline; and, though 
 they occasionally and partially revived, 
 yet, taken as a whole, they continued to 
 deteriorate till the Babylonish invasion, 
 when they were reduced to the deplorably 
 fallen state in which they continued till 
 the return from the captivity, when the 
 restoration here predicted took place. 
 From the phraseology employed by the 
 prophet, the Rabbins derived one of the 
 names which they give to the Messiah : 
 "ἘΞ. 42 the son of the fallen. Thus in the 
 Talmud, Sanhed. fol. 96, 2: «*R. Nach- 
 man said to R. Isaac: Hast thou heard 
 when Bar-naphli comes? To whom he 
 said, Who is Bar-naphli. He replied, 
 The Messiah : you may call the Messiah 
 Bar-naphli ; for is it not written, In that 
 day I will raise up, οἵα. δ᾿ quoting the 
 present verse of Amos. For other 
 passages to the same effect, see Schoet- 
 
 genii Hore Hebraice et Talmud. The 
 feminine suffix in y7°s78 is to be re- 
 ferred to the different parts or cities of 
 the kingdom, understood. The mas- 
 culine in 3°n547, has 771 for its antece- 
 dent, and the feminine in m3 refers 
 to neo. 
 
 12. The grand end of the restoration 
 from the captivity in Babylon is now 
 stated, viz. the introduction of the 
 universal economy of the gospel. The 
 church of God had formerly consisted of 
 persons belonging to a particular nation : 
 henceforth it was to comprehend those 
 of all nations, even such as had been 
 most hostile to its interests, whom God 
 would call to be his people. 27, ¢o take 
 possession of, inherit, is here used figura- 
 tively of the influence for good which the 
 church should exert over the Gentiles, 
 bringing them within her pale, and using 
 them for her holy and benevolent pur- 
 poses. In the words, m1" bia 5 
 ‘thy seed shall possess,” ΟΥ̓“ inherit the 
 nations,” Is. liv. 3, we have a strictly 
 parallel prophecy, couched in the same 
 language. Comp. also Is. xlix. 8, and 
 Rom. iv. 13, where, in reference to the 
 blessing of the Gentiles with faithful 
 Abraham, that patriarch is called “ the 
 heir of the world.” Among the first of 
 the foreign nations that were to experi- 
 ence his beneficent influence, the Idu- 
 means are expressly mentioned. Owing 
 to the enmity which had existed between 
 them and the Jews, they had mutually 
 harassed and wasted each other, in con- 
 sequence of which, and of invasions and 
 wars on the part of other powers, nothing 
 but m=, @ remnant, of the former was 
 left. Of this remnant, a portion was pro- 
 selytized to the Jewish faith in the time 
 of John Hyrcanus, and the remainder 
 amalgamated with the tribes of Arabia, 
 which embraced the Christian faith. It 
 is to these last that specific reference 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 13 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Behold, the days are coming, 
 
 181 
 
 saith Jehovah, 
 
 That the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, 
 And the treader of grapes him that soweth the seed ; 
 And the mountains shall drop with new wine; 
 
 And all the hills shall melt. 
 
 is here made. sw" is to be taken 
 impersonally, and rendered passively ; 
 and the power of its future must be 
 carried forward to x72. The calling of 
 aname upon any person or thing, nde 
 notes the assertion of the claims of the 
 individual whose name is mentioned 
 upon the person or thing specified. 
 ΠῚ πὸ is the accusative, ms being 
 understood as repeated. ΠΝ ἼΣ29 
 Eins τόσσον the ΤΧΧ, have ren- 
 
 dered ὅπως ἐκζητήσωσιν of κατώλοιποι 
 τῶν ἀνθρώπων, or, as some MSS. read, 
 ἐκζητήσωσι με, aS if their Hebrew ἐπὶ 
 had been pax τη Ὁ ons 977 Ww, 
 that the residue of men ma Ψ seek me. 
 Newcome supposes that the reading 
 ΣΝ is a contraction for mim? ms; but 
 though τὸν Κύριον, which we find in 
 ~ the quotation, Acts xv. 17, might seem 
 to favor this supposition, there is no 
 evidence to prove that the contraction 
 " ms, SO common in Rabbinical writ- 
 ings, is of such antiquity. Τὸν Κύριον 
 I consider to be merely an interpreta- 
 tion of we. No Hebrew MSS. afford 
 any countenance to the Greek transla- 
 tion, nor do any of the versions, except 
 the Arabic, which, as usual, follows the 
 LXX. For this reason, and regarding 
 the latitude used by the writers of the 
 New Testament when quoting from the 
 Old, I cannot perceive how the passage 
 can justly be charged with corruption. 
 To which add, that the words as they 
 stand in the Hebrew text, admirably 
 suit the connection, as they equally do 
 the argument of the apostle; though 
 quoting, according to custom, from the 
 Greek version, he adopted in the main 
 the construction which it exhibits as 
 sufficiently expressive of the fact which 
 he had in view. 
 
 13. Comp. Levit. xxvi. 5. The lan- 
 guage imports the greatest abundance ; 
 
 and this verse, with the two following, 
 refer to a period subsequent to that of 
 the calling of the Gentiles. This the in- 
 troductory phraseb-~a £21 737, Behold, 
 the days are coming, distinguished as it 
 is from Sinn ΠῚ 9a, In that day, ver. 11, 
 the position of the prophecy, and other 
 features which characterize it, sufficiently 
 show. The verses are parallel with Is. 
 lxi. 4, lxii. 8, 9, Ixv. 21-23; and are to 
 be interpreted of the future restoration 
 of the Jews to their own land, and their 
 abundant prosperity in the latter day. 
 For sain 22, to draw out the seed, 
 comp. 2137 v2, Ps. exxvi. 6. The 
 idea seems to be that of conveying the 
 seed with the hand from the sack or ves- 
 sel in which it was carried, yet not to the 
 exclusion of the act of sowing. Comp. 
 
 the Eth. TAY Jaculatus est sagit- 
 
 tas. For ots, fresh or sweet wine, 
 see on Joel i. 5. ‘The metaphorical 
 language here employed is at once, in 
 the highest degree, bold and pleasing. 
 The Hebrews were accustomed to con- 
 struct terraces on the sides of the 
 mountains and other elevations, on which 
 they planted vines. Of this fact the 
 prophet avails himself, and represents 
 the immense abundance of the produce to 
 be such, that the eminences themselves 
 would appear to be converted into the 
 juice of the grape. 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 Subitis messor gaudebit aristis : 
 
 Rorabunt querceta favis, stagnantia pas- 
 sim 
 
 Vina fluent, oleique lacus.” 
 
 Claudian, in Rujin. lib. i. 382. 
 
 How striking the contrast between the 
 scene here depicted, and that which 
 the face of Palestine has presented 
 during the long period of the disper- 
 sion ! 
 
182 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 Cuap. IX. 
 
 14 I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel, 
 And they shall build the desolate cities, and inhabit them ; 
 And they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine of them ; 
 They shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 
 
 15 For I will plant them in their own land, 
 And they shall no more be plucked up from their land 
 
 Which I have given them, 
 Saith Jehovah thy God. 
 
 14, 15. It is impossible to conceive 
 of prophecy more distinctly or positively 
 asserting the future and final restoration 
 of the Jews to Canaan than that con- 
 tained in these verses. Once and again 
 they have been removed from that fa- 
 vored land, on account of their wicked- 
 ness ; but still it is theirs by Divine dona- 
 tion to their great progenitor. And when 
 
 they return to the faith of Abraham, be- 
 holding in retrospection the day of the 
 Messiah, which he saw and was glad, but 
 deeply bewailing their guilt in having 
 crucified him, and persevered for so many 
 centuries in the rejection of his gospel, 
 they shall regain possession of it, and re- 
 main its happy occupants till the end of 
 time. 
 
OBADIAH. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE prophecy of Obadiah, consisting only of twenty-one verses, is the 
 shortest book of the Old Testament. Jerome calls him, parvus propheta, 
 versuum supputatione, non sensum. Of his origin, life, and circumstances, 
 we know nothing; but, as usual, various conjectures have been broached 
 by the Rabbins and Fathers: — some identifying him with the pious Oba- 
 diah who lived at the court of Ahab; some, with the overseer of the work- 
 men, mentioned 2 Chron. xxxiv. 12; and some, with others of the same 
 name; while there is no lack of legendary notices respecting the place of 
 his birth, sepulchre, ete. See Carpzovii Introd. tom. il. pp. 332, 333. 
 
 That he flourished after the capture of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, may 
 be inferred from his obvious reference to that event, verses 11-14; for it 
 is more natural to regard these verses as descriptive of the past, than as pro- 
 phetical anticipations of the future. He must, therefore, have lived after, 
 or been contemporary with Jeremiah, and not with Hosea, Joel, and Amos, 
 as Grotius, Huet, and Lightfoot, maintain. Suflicient proof of his having 
 lived in or after the time of that prophet, has been supposed to be found in 
 the almost verbal agreement between verses 1-8, and certain verses inserted 
 in the parallel prophecy, Jeremiah xlix.; it being assumed that he must 
 have borrowed from him. This opinion, however, though held by Luther, 
 Bertholdt, Von Coelln, Credner, Hitzig, and Von Knobel, is less probable 
 than the contrary hypothesis, which has been advocated by Tarnovius, 
 Schmidius, Du Veil, Drusius, Newcome, Eichhorn, Jahn, Schnurrer, Rosen- 
 miiller, Holzapfel, Hendework, Hiivernick, and Maurer. Indeed, a com- 
 parison of the structure of the parallel prophecies goes satisfactorily to show 
 the priority of our prophet, as has been ably done by Schnurrer, in his 
 Disputatio philologica in Obadiam, Tubing. 1787, 4to. Add to which, that 
 Jeremiah appears to have been in the habit of partially quoting from preced- 
 ing prophets. Comp. Is. xv. xvi. with Jerem. xlviii. This view is confirmed 
 by the opinion of Ewald, that both these writers copied from some earlier 
 prophet, since he admits that Obadiah has preserved, in a less altered con- 
 dition, the more energetic and unusual manner of the original than Jeremiah. 
 In brief, the portion in question is so entirely in keeping with the remainder 
 of the book, that they must be considered as having been originally delivered 
 by the same individual ; whereas Jeremiah presents it in the form of disjecta 
 membra poet. 
 
 In all probability the prophecy was delivered between the year B. C. 588, 
 when Jerusalem was taken by the Chaldeans, and the termination of the 
 
184 PREFACE TO OBADIAH. 
 
 siege of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar. During this interval, that monarch sub- 
 dued the Idumeans, and other neighboring nations. 
 
 Of the composition of Obadiah, little, as Bishop Lowth observes, can be 
 said, owing to its extreme brevity. Its principal features are animation, 
 regularity, and perspicuity. — 
 The subjects Of the prophecy are the judgments to be inflicted upon the 
 Jdumeans on account of their wanton and cruel conduct towards the Jews at 
 the time of the Chaldean invasion; and the restoration of the latter from 
 captivity. The book may, therefore, be fitly divided into two parts: the 
 first comprising verses 1-16, which contain a reprehension of the pride, self- 
 confidence, and unfeeling cruelty of the former people, and definite predic- 
 tions of their destruction ; the latter, verses 17-21, in which it is promised 
 that the Jews should not only be restored to their own land, but possess the 
 territories of the surrounding nations, especially Idumea. 
 
 The reason why the book occupies its present unchronological position in 
 the Hebrew Bible, is supposed to be the connection between the subject of 
 which it treats, and the mention made of “ the residue of Edom,” at the con- 
 clusion of the preceding book of Amos. , 
 
OBADIAH. 185 
 
 GB ASD AGE. 
 
 Tux prophecy commences by announcing the message sent in the providence of God to the 
 Chaldeans, to come and attack the Idumeans, ver 1; and describes the humiliation of 
 their pride, 2,3; the impossibility of their escape by means of their boasted fastnesses, 4; 
 and the completeness of their devastation, 5. It then proceeds with a sarcastic plaint over 
 their deserted and fallen condition, 6-9; specifies its cause — their unnatural cruelty to- 
 wards the Jews, 10-14; and denounces a righteous retribution, 15,16. The remaining 
 portion fortells the restoration of the Jews, their peaceful settlement in their own land, and 
 
 the establishment of the kingdom of Messiah, 17-21. 
 
 
 
 1 Tue Vision of Obadiah. 
 
 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning Edom : 
 We have heard a report from Jehovah, 
 And a messenger is sent among the nations : 
 “Up! let us rise against her to battle ! ” 
 2 Behold, I have made thee small among the nations ; 
 
 1. Eichhorn, Rosenmiiller, Jaeger, 
 and Hendewerk, have raised unneces- 
 sary doubt respecting the genuineness 
 of the title and introduction contained 
 in this verse, which have been fully 
 obviated by Schnurrer, Maurer, and Hit- 
 zig. For 737m, see on Is, i. 1. 42725, 
 Obadiah, “the servant of Jehovah,” 
 equivalent to xan», Addeel, Jer. xxxvi. 
 26; Arab. x} Quc, Abd-allah; Ger. 
 Gottschalck. For ois, Edom, see on 
 Is. xxxiv. 5. The words yd nye 
 min? mya, we have heard a report from 
 Jehovah, are not to be regarded as de- 
 signed to describe the reception of the 
 Divine message by the prophet, but ex- 
 press the communication made to the 
 nations by the ambassador sent to sum- 
 mon them to the attack upon Idumea, as 
 the following clause shows. The mn, 
 yeport, or communication itself, is con- 
 tained in the last line of the verse. The 
 plural form %39733, ‘“‘we have heard,” 
 for which Jeremiah has τ ον, “ I have 
 heard,” is so qualified by the passive 
 verb 5x in the second member of the 
 parallelism, that it is equivalent to the 
 passive form 731302, hath been heard. 
 
 24 
 
 There is, therefore, no necessity to in- 
 quire whether Obadiah meant himself 
 and other prophets, or whether he iden- 
 tified himself with his countrymen. 
 All that is intended is the circulation of 
 the hostile message in regard to Idumea ; 
 and the tracing of the movement to the 
 overruling providence of God, by which 
 Nebuchadnezzar and his allies were led 
 to turn their arms against that country. 
 See Calvin, in loc. “>x, a messenger, or 
 
 ambassador; Arab. pie: yee tvit, pro- 
 
 fectus est. LXX. περιοχὴν, but in Jer. 
 ἀγγέλους ; Symm. here ἀγγελίαν. Com. 
 Is. xviii. 2, and my note there. sp, 
 arise! up! like 155, come! go! etc., is 
 frequently used as a term of excitement. 
 With it the address of the herald com- 
 mences; who, identifying himself with 
 the nations which he summons, pro- 
 ceeds to employ the plural of the same 
 verb in its strictly hostile sense, followed 
 by the preposition $y. cits, though 
 properly masculine, is here viewed as 
 vas, @ country; hence the feminine 
 suffix in 4759. 
 
 2. Here the masculine gender is 
 adopted, which is continued througho.t 
 
186 
 
 Thou art exceedingly despised. 
 
 OBADIAH,. 
 
 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, 
 Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, 
 
 Whose habitation is high ! 
 That saith in his heart, 
 
 Who shall bring me down to the ground ? 
 4 Though thou shouldest soar like the eagle, 
 And shouldest set thy nest among the stars, 
 
 Thence I will bring thee down, 
 
 the prophecy — ἘΣ, people, being under- 
 stood. The past time of the verbs ex- 
 presses the certainty of the events ; and 
 Ἵν small, and 5:13, despised, are not 
 designed to mark the comparatively 
 limited and despicable character of 
 Idumea, geographically considered, as 
 Newcome interprets, but describe the 
 miserable condition to which it was to. 
 be reduced by its enemies. 
 
 3. The Idumeans are taunted with the 
 proud confidence which they placed in 
 their lofty and precipitous mountain 
 fastnesses, and the insolence with which 
 they scouted every attempt to subdue 
 them. These positions, strong by nature, 
 and many of them rendered still more 
 so by art, they deemed absolutely im- 
 pregnable. Such inaccessible places are 
 appropriately called s45~131, cliffs of 
 
 the rock, Syr. the Arab. 
 
 lau, confugit ; and hence the idea of 
 
 refuge, which is secondary, and less 
 proper to be adopted here. LXX. ἐν 
 
 ο > 
 Syr. [Ives 
 
 ρ oe 
 Lowoms in fortissima rupe. Some in- 
 
 = 
 
 rupes ; 
 ? 
 
 ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῶν πετρῶν. 
 
 terpreters are of opinion that by xb», 
 Sela, we are to understand the city of 
 that name, otherwise called Petra, situ- 
 ated in Wady Misa, and celebrated as 
 the capital of Idumea. See on 15. xvi. 
 1. ὙΠΟ Δ Π|, cliffs, would, on this in- 
 terpretation, ‘be the high and inaccessible 
 rocks which beetled over that metropolis. 
 I prefer taking the word in its literal 
 acceptation, and view it as a collective, 
 equivalent to the plural of the LXX, 
 and other ancient versions, and thus 
 
 saith Jehovah. 
 
 describing the rocky character of the 
 country generally, as well as that about 
 Petra in particular. Instead of Syn, 
 
 hath deceived thee, four of De Rossi’s 
 MSS. and originally two more, read 
 TST 5 but though this reading is sup- 
 ported by the TK Arab., Vulg., and 
 Hexaplar Syr. it is inferior to that of the 
 Textus Receptus, which has the suffrages 
 of the Syr. and the Targ., especially as 
 there are no other instances in which 
 s"wr is used in the sense of raising, or 
 elevating, The > in 555 Ὁ is simply a po- 
 etic paragogic, of which several examples 
 occur in the Benoni participle. See. Gen. 
 xlix. 11; Deut. xxxiii. 16; Is. xxii. 16; 
 Micah vii. 14. In ima there is a transi- 
 tion from the second person to the third, 
 for the sake of more graphically pointing 
 out the proud position of Edom. Comp. 
 
 Is. xxii. 16. 
 
 4. By a bold but beautiful hyperbole, 
 the Idumeans are told, that, to what 
 height soever they might remove, and 
 how entirely they might imagine them- 
 selves to be beyond the reach of their 
 enemies, Jehovah would dislodge them, 
 and deliver them into their power. For 
 the soaring of the eagle, and his building 
 his nest on the inaccessible crags of the 
 rock, comp. Job xxxix. 27, 28: 
 
 "O2 F332 JETSST πὰ 
 ᾿ spp mess “53 
 925m. 19207 rts 
 mass ‘shoe 
 
 “Ts it at thy command the eagle soars, 
 
 And erects his nest on high ? 
 
 The rock he inhabits, and makes his 
 abode 
 
 On the point of the rock, and the fast- 
 ness.” 
 
OBADIAH. 
 
 ὅ If thieves had come to thee, 
 
 187 
 
 Or robbers by night (how art thou destroyed !) 
 Would they not have stolen what was sufficient for them? 
 
 If vintagers had come to thee, 
 
 Would they not have left some gleanings ? 
 
 6 How is Esau explored! 
 
 pw Ewald and Hitzig take to be a passive 
 participle; but that it is the infinitive 
 construct, is rendered certain by its 
 having the preposition ya before it, Job 
 xx. 4. In the present instance, and in 
 Num. xxv. 21, in which, as here, it is 
 followed by 527, it stands elliptically for 
 teem ow; which sufficiently accounts for 
 the rendering of the LXX., Syr., Targ. 
 and Vulg., ancl exhibit the second 
 person singular of the verb. The term 
 ἘΠΞΞῚΞ is to be understood literally of 
 the stars, as the highest objects which 
 present themselves to the eye, and not 
 of the tops of the highest rocks, or even 
 heaven itself, as some have maintained, 
 τ ΠΝ is a direct reply to the vaunting 
 Fee 270777 a, ver. 8. Theodoret 
 well expresses the sense thus: Ἐπειδὴ 
 τοίνυν, φησὶ ταύταις Sappav ἀλαζονεύῃ 
 καὶ μέγα φρονεῖς Gs ἀχείρωτος, εὐάλωτόν 
 σε καταστήσω καὶ εὐχείρωτον τοῖς ἐχ- 
 Spots, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων οὐ διαφεύξῃ 
 τὰς χεῖρας, οὐδὲ εἰ δίκην ἀετοῦ μετέωρος 
 ἀρϑείης, κ- τ. λ.. 
 
 5. ‘The Idumeans are here taught, that 
 ae devastation would be complete. 
 This prophetic intelligence is com- 
 municated in the form of interrogative 
 illustrations, derived from customs with 
 which they were familiar. The manner 
 in which they should be treated would 
 be very different from that adopted by 
 private thieves, or by a party of maraud- 
 ing nomades, who usually seize as much 
 as they can, and especially what they 
 have set their minds on, in the hurry of 
 the moment, leaving the rest of the 
 property to its possessors. ‘They should 
 
 even fare worse than the vines, on which © 
 
 the vintages, though they cut down the 
 bunches generally, still left some that 
 might be gleaned afterwards. In Jere- 
 miah the order of the illustrations is 
 reversed, the vintagers being taken first. 
 mb-b -475, night-robbers. In such a 
 
 country as Idumea, a predatory attack 
 could only have been attempted in the 
 night, especially on such places as were 
 most strongly fortified by nature, and 
 commanded a view of the immediately 
 surrounding regions. Hitzig thinks the 
 prophet has Petra specially in his eye, 
 on account of its having been the great 
 emporium of that part of the world. In- 
 stead of τι Ὁ “I70 tx Ab wa Eras, 
 Jeremiah has only ; aire pena: ἘΝ, 
 which is less forcible, He also substitutes 
 ancmen for anz37. The position of the 
 words + mn. "ἢν How thou art des- 
 troyed, has offended some fastidious crit- 
 ics, some of whom would remove them 
 to the beginning of the verse, and others 
 to the commencement of the following. 
 What might be accounted their natural 
 place would be the end of the present 
 verse; but the prophet, struggling to 
 give expression to the feeling which agi- 
 tated his mind, breaks in upon his illus- 
 trations with the interjected exclama- 
 tion, and then carries them on to a close, 
 The words are omitted by Jeremiah. 
 m3 has two leading significations: ¢o 
 be like; and, according with the Arab. 
 
 ὃ; vulneravit, perdidit, to cause to 
 
 cease, destroy, etc. LXX. ποῦ ἂν ἀπεῤ- 
 pions ; having read =n~7073, a verb, 
 which now here occurs in Niphal. Det, 
 their sufficiency, 1. e. What was requisite 
 for supplying their present wants, or 
 such a quantity as they had sufficient 
 strength to remove. LXX. τὰ ἱκανὰ 
 
 > Me σι 
 ἑαυτοῖς. Syr. om d.stho» sufficentia 
 eorum. The apodosis is omitted; but 
 
 there is a beautiful propriety in leaving 
 it to be supplied by those to whom the 
 appeal was made. 
 
 6. The prophet here resumes his strain 
 of sarcastic plaint over the fal! of Idumea, 
 which he had abruptly adopted in the 
 
188 
 
 OBADIAH. 
 
 And his hidden places searched ! 
 
 7 All thine allies have driven thee to the frontier ; 
 Those who were at peacé with thee have deceived thee ; 
 They have prevailed against thee : 
 They that ate thy bread have laid a snare under thee; 
 There is no understanding in him ! 
 
 preceding verse, repeating the 57s there 
 employed, which is again understood 
 before 3722. The patronymic 123 is con- 
 strued as a collective noun with the 
 plural of the verb, and, at the same 
 time, with the singular pronominal affix. 
 In the translation I have been obliged to 
 employ the singular in both cases. 
 D25372, like p°2%90, may either signify 
 places where treasures are hidden, or the 
 treasures themselves; or the term may 
 be explained of hiding places, to which 
 men resort in order to elude an enemy. 
 I prefer the last of these significations, 
 as better agreeing with the persons of the 
 
 Edomites, mentioned in the former 
 
 hemistich ; though the hiding of their 
 treasures is also naturally implied. The 
 form is that of the Arabic passive 
 
 phate. Such places abound in Idu- 
 mea. “ Revera,” says Jerome, “ ut dica- 
 mus aliquid de natura loci, omnis aus- 
 tralis regio Idumeorum de Eleuthero- 
 poli usque Petram et Ailam (hee est 
 enim possessio Esau) in specubus habi- 
 tatiunculas habet. Et propter nimios 
 calores solis, quia meridiana provincia 
 est, subterraneis tuguriis utitur.” In- 
 stead of the exclamatory form here 
 employed, Jeremiah adopts that of 
 direct personal assertion : "ΤΕ ΣΙ "IN—"D 
 {Hoe My Nba ἸΣ στα ; changing, 
 at the same time, vn into hyn, and 
 ὙΞ ΕΣ into Ἴλη τοῦ. 
 
 7. nba, which in Kal has the signi- 
 fication to send, send away, signifies in 
 Piel, to dismiss, eject, expel, conveying 
 the superadded idea of compulsion or 
 violence. Connected, as here, with +, 
 the verb implies expulsion beyond the 
 frontier specified; and the whole sen- 
 tence is descriptive of transportation into 
 a state of captivity. Thus the Targ. 
 qrbas NaI Wo, they shall lead thee 
 
 captive from the border. By 3n273 "B28, 
 the men of thy covenant, are meant those 
 who had formally pledged assistance to 
 the Edomites; confederates, allies; by 
 abu czy, the men of thy peace, neigh- 
 boring states, which were cn terms of 
 peace and friendship with them. LXX. 
 ἄνδρες εἰρηνικοί, those who were peace- 
 ably inclined towards them. Before 
 an supply ~g2s from the preceding 
 — the men of thy bread ; or ">=, may 
 be understood, those who eat thy bread ; 
 and thus the phrase will be descriptive 
 of dependents ; some of the poorer 
 tribes of the desert, who subsisted on the 
 bounty of the Edomites, and whose aid 
 they might reasonably expect in case of 
 any emergency. Comp. Ps. xli. 10, where 
 a similar combination of yan> b= with 
 site wes occurs ; though there the idea 
 of familiarity, rather than that of de- 
 pendence, seems intended to be ex- 
 pressed. Five of De Rossi’s MSS. and 
 originally two more, read pN*en, instead 
 of 55x72 7, as also one of the early editions, 
 the LXX. and Arab. ; but the common 
 reading is to be preferred. To >>, thirty 
 MSS.. originally eleven more, four by 
 emendation, the Soncin. and Complut. 
 editions, the Soncin. Prophets, and the 
 Syr., prefix the copulative, which the dif- 
 ference of sense in the two verbs re- 
 quires. There is some difficulty in de- 
 termining the meaning of -i72. LXX. 
 Ou 
 ἔνεδρα; Syr. i) Sas, insidie, Vulg. 
 insidie ; Targ. xbpn, offendiculum — all 
 agreeing in the idea of treachery, or the 
 employment of means by which one 
 might be subverted or ensnared. This 
 seems to be the only suitable meaning 
 in this place, as the signification of 
 wound, which attaches to the word, 
 Jer. xxx. 13, Hos, y. 13, the other pas- 
 
OBADIAH. 
 
 189 
 
 8 Shall I not in that day, saith Jehovah, 
 Cause the wise men to perish from Edom ? 
 And the men of understanding from Mount Esau ? 
 
 sages in which it occurs, will not, with 
 any tolerable degree of propriety, apply. 
 Two derivations have been proposed, 
 
 the Arab. »» distendit, equaliter, dis- 
 tendit, to which Tingstadius appeals in 
 Supplement. ad Lexx. Hebrr. p. 23 ; 
 but which is far-fetched, as there is no 
 proof that the verb is used in the sense 
 of spreading out a net, or the like; and 
 
 ty, mentitus fuit, ..., fallum, mendac- 
 IP "»» 
 
 tum, with which the Hebrew 43}, ¢o 
 decline from the way of truth, has been 
 compared. The use of JAMIN wow, they 
 place under thee, most naturally suggests 
 the idea of a gin or trap, which may be 
 said to deceive or act falsely by those 
 who tread upon it; so that the notions 
 of treacher Ys plot, net, snare, may be 
 combined in furnishing the true sig- 
 nification. First, who derives the word 
 from "τ, gives the significations thus: 
 * circumligare, obligatio vulneris, fascia, 
 hine medicina; moraliter: Jaguweorum 
 connexio, perfidia fallax, insidiosa, frau- 
 dulenta.” ‘To no quarter could the Idu- 
 means look for aid. Their allies, their 
 neighbors, their very dependents, so far 
 from assisting them, would act treach- 
 erously towards them, and employ every 
 means, both of an open and covert 
 nature, to effect their ruin. At the close 
 of the verse, the prophet turns off again 
 from the direct mode of address, and 
 employs the third person, for the purpose 
 of more emphatically exposing their folly 
 in placing confidence in those who were 
 totally unworthy of it. It would be 
 highly uncritical, with the Targ., Hougi- 
 bant, and Newcome, to change 4a, in 
 him, into 53, i thee. 
 
 8. The Idumeans confided, not only 
 in the natural strength of their country, 
 but in the superiority of their intel- 
 lectual talent. That they excelled in 
 the arts and sciences, is abundantly 
 proved by the numerous traces of them 
 in the book of Job, which was undoubt- 
 
 edly written in their country. They 
 were, indeed, proverbial for their 7:==n, 
 philosophy, for the cultivation of which, 
 their intercourse with Babylon and Egypt 
 was exceedingly favorable, as were like- 
 wise their means of acquiring informa- 
 tion from the numerous caravans whose 
 route lay through their country, thus 
 forming a chain of communication be- 
 tween Europe and India. Speaking 
 of wisdom, the author of the book of 
 Baruch says, in reference to their celeb- 
 rity as sages of antiquity, chap. iii. 22, 
 23: 
 “Τὸ hath not been heard of in Canaan, 
 Neither hath it been seen in Teman. 
 The Hagarenes that seek wisdom upon 
 earth, 
 The merchants of Meran and of Teman, 
 The mythologists, and investigators of 
 intelligence, 
 None of these have known the ways of 
 wisdom, 
 Nor remembered her paths.” 
 These sages are here called Desh, and 
 their accumulated stores of wisdom are 
 expressed by 7:32, intelligence, the term 
 which had just been employed at the 
 close of the preceding verse. The inter- 
 rogative xb is here strongly affirmative ; 
 and ἢ in "ΛΞ ΑΙ is merely conversive. 
 "wy “mn, the mount of Esau, is the moun- 
 tainous region of Seir, to the south of 
 
 Palestine, now called yxfUg t dhs, 
 
 Jebel Sherah, and ΝΙΝ Sf, esh-Sherah, 
 
 extending as far south as Akabah. It 
 was originally inhabited by the Horites, 
 or Troglodytz, so called because they 
 dwelt in the caves of the mountains, 
 whom the posterity of Esau expelled, and 
 taking possession of the country, spread 
 themselves as far towards the north as 
 the borders of Moab. It was particularly 
 to the more northerly portion of this 
 
 reign that the name of , lu >, Jebel, or 
 Gebalene, was given. "nm, mountain, 
 
190 
 
 9 Thy mighty men, O Teman! 
 
 OBADIAH. 
 
 shall be dismayed, 
 
 That every one may be cut off from mount Esau, 
 10 For the slaughter, for the injury of thy brother Jacob, 
 Shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever, 
 
 ΓΝ 1 In the day when thou didst take a hostile position, 
 
 In the day when foreigners took captive his forces, 
 And strangers entered _his.gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, 
 
 Even thou wast as one of them 
 
 being here, and verse 9th, obviously used 
 in a collective sense I have translated it 
 in the plural. 
 
 9. For ya-m, Teman, see on Amos i. 
 12. dup has been variously construed. 
 Ewald unnaturally renders it, without 
 battle, Schnurrer treats it as a participle 
 in Pael or Poel, pointing it tupr or 
 Subv, and regarding it as equivalent to 
 
 the Arab. JsLin, vir prelio aptus. He 
 would thus make it parallel with £>4 42 
 mighty men, in the preceding rir σιν 
 Rosenmiiller, De Wette, and some others, 
 translate, by slaughter. Leo Juda, most 
 οἵ the older modern translators, followed 
 by Jager, Hesselberg, Hendewerk, and 
 Maurer, render, propter cedem, and 
 suppose the prophet to be here assign- 
 ing the cause of the destruction of the 
 Idumeans which he had just predicted, 
 intending more fully to dilate on the 
 subject in the following verse. To this 
 construction, however, it must be ob- 
 jected, that it clogs the parallelism, 
 which properly ends with "zz 4m, as in 
 the verse preceding ; and also that the 
 words p22 ΤΟ 779 are too closely allied, 
 both in form and reference, to admit of 
 such a pause as that which is introduced 
 by the Soph-Pasuk. I, therefore, do not 
 hesitate to follow the division of the 
 verses adopted by the LXX., Syr., Hex- 
 aplar Syr., Vulg., Dathe, Lively, New- 
 come, and Boothroyd, by which bu py 
 is removed from verse 9th, and pines ‘at 
 the beginning of verse 10th. 
 
 10. πὸ Dn typ. Both nouns 
 are in construction with 77nMs, and the 
 genitive thus formed is that of object: 
 the slaughter of, and the violence done to, 
 thy brother. The Edomites had not only 
 
 slain the Hebrews, but injured them in 
 every possible way; and their crueltics 
 were highly aggravated by the considera- 
 tion, that those who were the objects of 
 them were descended from the same com- 
 mon parent. Comp. Amos i. 11. Ja- 
 cob is used as a patronymic to denote 
 the Jews. Two distinct periods in the 
 future history of the Idumeans are here 
 pointed out: that during which they 
 should be the subjects of ignominy as‘a 
 conquered people: and that during which 
 they were to be entirely extinct. From 
 the former they recovered about a cen- 
 tury before the Christian era; but they 
 were reduced by John Hyrcanus, and 
 afterwards lost every vestige of their 
 separate existence. 
 
 11. This and the three following verses 
 contain a series of pointed expostulations, 
 which, while they inculpate the Idu- 
 means, describe the various modes in 
 which they had manifested their malice 
 towards the Jews. Some have thought 
 that 1322 722 means here to stand aloof, 
 to assume a neutral position, whence one 
 may observe the movements of two op- 
 posing parties; but the declaration at 
 the end of the verse, as well as what is 
 stated in verses 13th and 14th, clearly 
 shows that the phrase i is to be taken in a 
 hostile sense, as in 2 Sam. xviii. 13 ; Dan. 
 x. 13. That tm is not to be sendared 
 wealth or riches in this passage, but forces, 
 army, or the like may be inferred from re- 
 ference being made to the division of the 
 substance of the citizens of Jerusalem by 
 lot in the following hemistich, Bir 
 and e>>3 describe the Chaldeans, by 
 whom Jerusalem was taken. hm is in 
 Piel, contracted for 5πῈὲ". Comp. 4791, 
 Lam, iii, 63. Instead of 142%, the read- 
 
OBAD 
 
 12 
 
 LAH, 191 
 
 Thou shouldest not have looked on in the day of thy brother, 
 
 In the day of his being treated as an alien ; 
 
 Thou shouldest not have rejoiced over the sons of Judah, 
 In the day of their destruction : 
 
 Neither shouldest thou have spoken insolently 
 
 In the day of distress, 
 13 
 In the day of their calamity ; 
 
 Thou shouldest not have entered the gate of my people, 
 
 Thou, even thou, shouldest not have looked on their affliction, 
 
 In the day of their calamity ; 
 
 Nor stretched forth thy hand to their wealth, 
 
 In the day of their calamity. 
 
 ing of the text, many MSS., four of the 
 earliest printed editions, and some more 
 recent ones, exhibit 75 BU, the full form, 
 as proposed by the Keri. That the word 
 may originally have been read as the sin- 
 gular, is clear from its occurrence in this 
 number, ver. 13; but then, in both 
 cases, it is to be taken as a collec- 
 tive. 
 12. The future forms myn— x, 
 Ἐξ nevn—tsy, ΜΊΞΙΣ, 
 mntun-te, sigga—by, and ngon—by, 
 are all qualified in signification, ‘by the 
 circumstance, that the speaker has a past 
 event prominently in view, in reference 
 to which he places himself and those 
 whom he addresses in the time of its 
 passing, and points out what was their 
 duty in reference to it. They are prop- 
 erly subjunctives of negation, expressive 
 of what should not have been done, and 
 therefore have the usual force of the im- 
 perative. ‘ Verba Hebreorum szepe non 
 actum, sed debitum vel officium signi- 
 ficat.” Glassii Philolog. Sacr. lib. iii. 
 tract. 8, can. 6. WNicholson’s Ewald, 
 ὁ 264. 3 m4, means here ἕο look upon 
 with malignant pleasure, to feast one’s 
 eyes with the calamity of another, 
 πὸ wir, the day of thy brother, is 
 afterward explained by in33, piss, 
 MAY, DTN, which describe the calamit- 
 ous circumstances in which the Jews 
 were placed. tis, day, is often used to 
 express a disastrous or calamitous period. ' 
 πΞ:, which is taken actively to denote 
 
 ἀρ, 
 
 -. 
 
 Pag 
 
 severe treatment, punishment, Job xxxi. 
 3, is here used passively of the experience 
 of such treatment. Comp. the Arab. 
 
 5, difficilis ac durus fuit ; gravis ac 
 difficilis ; improbavit. The idea radically 
 inherent in the term is that of treating 
 any one as a Stranger, 2. 6. an alien or 
 enemy. bssan, to enlarge, or make 
 great the mouth, Ger. den Mund voll 
 nehmen : to use insolent or contumelious 
 language, such as those employ who 
 
 —s 
 Tee 
 
 exult over a fallen foe. Comp. Ezek. 
 ΧΧΧΥ. 13. 
 13. τὰ in snxcp, is emphatic, 
 
 mindwn, some take to be the third plu- 
 ral feminine, having for its object =>; 
 but the entire construction of the pas- 
 sage requires the second person singular 
 
 masculine, ΓΦ. The syllable =3 is 
 added with a view to give intensity to 
 the verb, as in Jud. v. 26; thus express- 
 ing the eagerness with whicli the Idu- 
 means seized upon the spoil. Rosen- 
 miiller is of opinion that the = is pa- 
 ragogic, and the 3 epenthetic; but 
 Gesenius is rather inclined to compare 
 it with the energetic Future of the 
 Arabs. Lehrgeb. Ὁ. 801. LXX. μὴ 
 
 = ᾽ 2 
 συνεπιϑδῇ ; ὅγτ. «ασιαο tl; 
 Vulg. non emitteris ; Targ. ῬΑτλτο Ὁ ἽΝ πὴ. 
 See for more instances of this intensive 
 form Job xvii. 16; Is. xxviii. 3; Exod. 
 
 i. 10. For the omission of eg hie see 
 2 Sam. vi. 6: Ps. xviii. 17. 
 
192 
 
 OBADIAH, 
 
 14 Neither shouldest thou have stood at the pass, 
 To cut off those of his that. escaped ; 
 Neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his 
 That were left in the day of distress. 
 
 15 
 
 For the day of Jehovah is near against all the nations ; 
 
 As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee ; 
 Thy deed shall come back upon thine own head, 
 16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, 
 So shall all the nations drink continually ; 
 Yea, they shall drink and swallow greedily, 
 And shall be as though they had not been. 
 
 14. ps is commonly rendered biviam, 
 a parting of a way, or a place where a 
 
 road breaks off into two. I should rather. 
 
 think, from the idea of violence implied 
 in p18, that it signifies a break or dis- 
 ruption in a rock or mountain, through 
 which a passage might be effected into 
 the region beyond. Comp. n-47 7757, 
 1 Kings xix. 11. LXX. διεκβολαί. Syr. 
 
 ο ΠΝ Δ 
 Ἰδιϑασο, a narrow passage between 
 
 two mountains. In all probability, the 
 reference is to the means employed to 
 cut off the retreat of those Jews who at- 
 tempted to pass through Idumea on 
 their way to Egypt, whither they fied 
 from the Chaldeans. Pp Bm ἘΣ "23, to 
 stand at the ravine or pass, graphically 
 describes the attitude of those who are 
 watching in order to intercept a caravan, 
 or a body of travellers, especially in the 
 rugged mountainous regions to the south 
 of Judea. The Idumeans not only in 
 this way prevented the escape of the 
 fugitives ; they carried them back as 
 prisoners, and delivered them up to the 
 enemy. 
 
 15. In this verse, the conquest of Idu- 
 mea and all the neighboring nations 
 by Nebuchadnezzar is declared to be 
 at hand. In the war which he was to 
 carry on against them, due retribution 
 would be rendered to the Edomites, 
 Comp. Ps. exxxvii. 7,8. For the phrase 
 son? pi", the day of Jehovah, see on Is. 
 ii, 12. 
 
 16. The Targ., Kimchi, Munster, Vata- 
 blus, Calvin, Michaelis, Hendewerk, and 
 Hitzig, consider the Idumeans to be still 
 
 addressed, and most of them explain 
 their drinking on Mount Zion of the fes- 
 tivities with which they celebrated the 
 victory gained over the Jews. Grotius 
 refers the words to the same people, 
 only he takes the verb nv in the bad 
 sense, as denoting the drinking of the 
 cup of divine wrath, and renders -n—>3, 
 "wp, on account of my holy mountain, 
 which he explains thus: “ propter Ju- 
 dzeam a vobis lacessitam.”’ But it seems 
 more natural to regard the words as di- 
 rected, by a sudden apostrophe, to the 
 Jews, assuring them, that, though the 
 sufferings to which they had been sub- 
 jected were great, still greater punish- 
 ment would be inflicted upon the hostile 
 nations by which they had been attacked. 
 The punishment which they suffered was 
 only temporary; that of their enemies 
 would be perpetual. The structure of 
 the passage requires the verb to be taken 
 
 ‘in the same sense in both parts of the 
 
 verse. Such, in effect, is the construc- 
 tion put upon the words, Jer. xlix. 12. 
 Compare also chap. xxy. 15-29. In 
 
 _ this manner the verse is interpreted by 
 
 Abenezra, Mercer, Tremellius, Drusius, 
 Lively, Rosenmiiller, Schnurrer, De 
 Wette, Hesselberg, and Maurer. In- 
 stead of πο, continually, the reading 
 a°25, around, is exhibited in not fewer 
 than seventy-eight MSS. ; in seventeen 
 more originally ; in three others in the 
 margin; in seven of the earliest printed 
 editions ; and a few other authorities: but 
 all the ancient versions support that of 
 the Textus Receptus, which, according 
 
OBADIAH. 
 
 17 
 And it shall be holy: 
 
 195 
 
 But in Mount Zion shall be the escaped, 
 
 And the house of Jacob shall enjoy their possessions. 
 
 18 
 
 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, 
 
 And the house of Joseph a flame ; 
 
 And the house of Esau shall become stubble, 
 
 And they shall set them on fire, and devour them; 
 
 So that there shall not be a relic of the house of Esau ; 
 
 For Jehovah hath spoken it. 
 19 
 
 And they of the south shall possess Mount Esau, 
 
 And they of the plain, the Philistines ; 
 They shall also possess the country of Ephraim, 
 
 to De Rossi, is found in all the most 
 accurate and best MSS., both Spanish 
 and German. In all probability ax», 
 was substituted by some copyist from 
 Jer. xxv. 9. What proves that the LXX. 
 had the word ποτ in their Hebrew text, 
 is their having mistaken it for + abel ain 
 rendering it Pie wine. 31>, to swal- 
 low or etek down with greediness. Arab. 
 
 25 and se) avidus; lg oh 
 
 multum Te bibit. Comp. 2d the 
 throat ; 332, to swallow, etc. The idea 
 intended to be conveyed by the use of 
 the verb here is that of drinking com- 
 pletely off the cup of wrath, asa ‘thirsty 
 person would a vessel of water. 
 
 17. Obadiah here commences his pre- 
 dictions respecting the restoration of the 
 Jews from the Babylonish captivity ; 
 their re-occupancy of Canaan; and the 
 reign of the Messiah. While the sur- 
 rounding nations were to disappear, the 
 Jews should regain possession of their 
 holy city, and the land of their fathers. 
 τ "ἘΞ means such as had survived the 
 captivity. wip, holiness, i. e. holy, re- 
 fers to Mount vom which had been pol- 
 luted by the idolatrous Chaldeans. See 
 on Joel iv. 17. Jeger and Hesselberg 
 refer the suffix in mmo in, their pos- 
 sessions, to the hostile nations Spoken of 
 in the preceding verse; but less natur- 
 ally. 
 
 18. Though the houses of Jacob and 
 Jeseph are here spoken of separately, it 
 was not the intention of the prophet 
 
 25 
 
 to teach that the two kingdoms of 
 Judah and Israel would be re-estab- 
 lished; yet the special mention of Jo- 
 seph clearly shows that the ten tribes 
 were to return at the same time, and, 
 jointly with Judah and Benjamin, to 
 possess the land of Palestine and the 
 neighboring regions. See Is. xi. 12-14; 
 Hos. i. 11. The restored Hebrews would 
 unitedly subdue the Idumeans, which 
 they did in the time of John Hyrcanus, 
 who compelled them to be circumcised, 
 and so incorporated them with the Jews, 
 that they henceforward formed part of 
 the nation. See Joseph. Antiquities, 
 book xiii. chap. ix. 1. For the meta- 
 phorical language, comp. Num. xxi. 28 ; 
 Is. x. 17; and, for the ground of it, Is. 
 ν. 24. 
 
 19. By Ξ15, the south, or the southern 
 part of Palestine, is meant those who 
 should occupy it; and by mbswn, the 
 plain, those who should occupy the low 
 country along the shore of the Medi- 
 tetranean. LXX. Of ἐν NayéB; οἱ ἐν 
 τῇ Zepadd. According to the relative 
 positions of those who should take pos- 
 session of the different parts of the holy 
 land, was to be the enlargement of 
 their territory by the annexation of the 
 adjoining regions, which had formerly 
 been occupied by alien or hostile powers. 
 As there is no subject specified before 
 Vines Ὑπὸ rei CMEN Ὑπὸ rs, it would 
 seem to ἘΞ intimated that the regions 
 of Ephraim and Samaria were to be oc- 
 cupied by the Jews and Israelites jointly, 
 
10. 
 
 And the country of Samaria; 
 And Benjamin, Gilead. 
 
 OBADIAH. 
 
 » 
 
 20 And the captives of this host of the sons of Israel, 
 That are among the Canaanites, 
 
 As far as Zarephath, 
 
 And the captives of Jerusalem, 
 
 That are in Sepharad, 
 
 Shall possess the cities of the south, 
 
 without any regard to tribal distinctions: 
 and the reason why the tribe of Benja- 
 min is mentioned, is merely on account 
 of the proximity of Gilead to the terri- 
 tory which it originally possessed. That 
 miwv is here employed to denote, not a 
 plain or level country, but a region or 
 district in general, is obvious ae the 
 nature of the territory to which refer- 
 ence is made. The mountainous country 
 of Idumea is called pis iS Tv, Gen. 
 xn.) δ 
 
 20. $n, i.e. 85, an army, host, etc., 
 is here used to express the number of 
 Israelitish captives which were found in 
 Pheenicia, into which they had been sold 
 at different times as slaves, and thence 
 into Greece. See Joel 111, 6,7. trazz5 
 is elliptical for ἘΠῚΣΣ 223, aie is the 
 reading of three MSS. Before FEDS ἜΣ, 
 supply s257 from the following. ΓΞῚΣ, 
 Zarephath, or Sarepta, now called 
 
 ity, Surafend, a town belonging to 
 
 Sidon, and situated between that city 
 and Tyre, close to the shore of the Medi- 
 terranean. According to the etymology 
 of its name, it must have been a place 
 for smelting metals. In the rocks along 
 the foot of the hills, Dr. Robinson found 
 many excavated tombs, which he makes 
 no doubt once ven to this ancient 
 city. Palestine, vol. Ῥ. 414. The 
 name is still given oi a Pad village on 
 a hill at some little distance. What 
 city or country is meant by ππξ Ὁ, it has 
 been hitherto found impossible’ to de- 
 termine. The LXX. ’Eppadd, which in 
 all probability is a corruption of Séppa- 
 Sd. Agq., Symm. and Theod. σαφαράδ. 
 
 Hexap. Syr. 95-2 [00 but the Peshito 
 
 ἴω" Spain, with which agrees 
 
 NESS of the Targ.: an interpretation 
 unaniinously adopted by the Rabbins, 
 who in like manner concur in interpret- 
 ing rpe"x of France. Jcrome, as in- 
 structed by his Jewish teacher, renders 
 it the Bosphorus. Some refer it to 
 Sipphara in Mesopotamia, some to 
 Sparta, in support of which hypothesis 
 they appeal to 1 Mace. xii. 21; while 
 others propose τι 1 Ὁ; Sephara, Gen, x. 
 80, or the town of Sampap,. mentioned 
 by Ptolemy, as lying between the terri- 
 tory of the Homerites and Sabeans. To 
 judge from the other geographical rela- 
 tions stated in this and the preceding 
 verse, we should conjecture, that some 
 place to the south or east of Judea is 
 intended. The following list of cities 
 and places in the possession of the Jews 
 in the time of Alexander Janneeus is 
 given by Josephus: κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν 
 καιρὸν ἤδη τῶν Σύρων καὶ ᾿Ιδουμαίων 
 καὶ Φοινίκων πόλεις εἶχον ᾿Ιουδαῖοι" πρὸς 
 ϑαλάσσῃ μὲν Στράτωνος πύργον, ᾿Απολλω- 
 νίαν, Ἰόππην, ᾿Ιάμνειαν, "Αζωταν, Γάζαν, 
 ᾿Ανϑηδόνα. Ῥαφίαν, Ῥινοκόλουραν" ἐν δὲ τῇ 
 μεσογείᾳ κατὰ τὴν ᾿Ιδουμαίαν, ἔΑδωρα, 
 καὶ Μάρισσαν, καὶ Σαμάρειαν, Καρμήλιον 
 ὄρος, καὶ τὸ ᾿Ιταβύριον ὄρος, Σκυϑόπο- 
 λιν, Γάδαρα, ΤΓαυλανίτιδα, Σελεύκειαν, 
 Γάβαλα, Μαωαβίτιδας, ᾿Ἐσσεβὼν, Μή- 
 δαβα, Λεμβᾶ, ᾽Ορώνος, Γελίϑωνα, Ζῦρα, 
 Κίλικιον Αὐλῶνα, Πέλλαν --- ἄλλας τε 
 πόλεις πρωτευούσας τῆς Συρίας, αἱ ἦσαν 
 κατεσραμμέναι. --- Antig. book. xiy. ch. 
 iv. 4. @ 
 
 21. Though forty-four MSS., besides 
 several others at second hand, and eight 
 printed editions, read p-w41a instead of 
 = da jn, there is no difference in the 
 meaning, the former reading being 
 
OBADIAH. 
 
 195 
 
 21 And deliverers shall come up in Mount Zion. 
 
 To judge Mount Esau ; 
 
 And the kingdom shall be Jehovah’s. 
 
 merely defective in orthography. The 
 LXX., Aq., Theod., Syr., and Arab., ap- 
 pear to have read p»yyis or ἘΣ 5)2 in 
 the passive, which is unsuitable to the 
 connection. Jerome observes that the 
 word is active. Such saviors, or de- 
 liverers are meant, as those who were 
 raised up in the time of the Judges. 
 There can be little doubt that the ccle- 
 brated family of the Maccabees are in- 
 tended, whose valiant princes governed 
 the Jews for the period of an hundred 
 and twenty-six years, during which 
 time signal victories were guined over 
 the Idumeans, as narrated 2 Macc. x. 
 
 15-23. Joseph. Antiq. book. xiii. chap. 
 ix. 1. wed is here used in the sense 
 of punishing, as in 1 Sam. iii. 13; and 
 ὯΞ 9 in the phrase 3 ΘΒ Ὁ ney, Exod, 
 xii. 12; Num. xxxiii. 4. Comp. κρίνω, 
 Acts vii. 7. The concluding words of 
 the prophecy, masb:en mint AAW, ΤΟ 
 fer to he reign of the Messiah, called so 
 frequently in the N. T. ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ 
 Θεοῦ. Comp. Dan, ii. 44, vii. 27. But 
 for the introduction of this kingdom, no 
 restoration of the Jews would have taken 
 place; the temple would have remained 
 jn ruins, and the land a scene of desola« 
 tion. 
 
 δ χι 2 = leo 
 
IS Oa ae 
 
 PREFACE. 
 AGatnsT no book of Scripture have the shafts of infidelity and the sap- 
 
 ping arts of anti-supernaturalism been more strenuously directed than against 
 that of the Prophet Jonah. As early as the days of Julian and Porphyry 
 it was made the subject of banter and ridicule by the pagans, who accused 
 the Christians of credulity for believing the story of the deliverance by 
 means of a fish; and, in modern times, while the enemies of revelation have 
 evinced the same spirit, many of its pretended friends have had recourse 
 to methods of interpretation, which would not only remove the book from 
 the category of inspired writings, but, if applied to these writings generally, 
 would annihilate much that is strictly historical in its import, and leave us 
 to wander in the regions of conjecture and fable. Blasche, Grimm, and 
 some others, suppose the whole to have been transacted in a dream; but, 
 as Eichhorn justly observes,* there is not a single circumstance in the nar- 
 rative that would suggest such an idea; and, besides, whenever any account 
 is given of a dream in Scripture, the fact that such is the case, is always in- 
 timated by the writer. The manner in which the book commences and 
 closes, is also objected to this hypothesis, which J. G. A. Miiller ¢ scruples 
 not to assert we are on no ground whatever (durch gar nichts,) warranted 
 to adopt. The theory of an historical allegory was advanced and maintained 
 with great learning, but, at the same time, with the most extravagant license 
 of imagination, by the eccentric Herman von der Hardt, Professor of the 
 Oriental languages at the university of Helmstedt.{ According to this 
 author, Jonah was an historical person, but is here symbolical partly of 
 Manasseh, and partly of Josiah, kings of Judah; the ship was the Jewish 
 state ; the storm, the political convulsions which threatened its safety; the 
 master of the ship, Zadok the high-priest; the great fish, the city of Lybon 
 on the Orontes, where Manasseh was detained as a prisoner, ete. Semler 
 Michaelis, Herder, Hezel, Stiudlin, Paulus, Meyer, Eichhorn, Niemeyer, 
 etc. have attempted to vindicate to the book the character of a parable, a 
 fable, an apologue, or a moral fiction; while Dereser, Nachtigal, Ammon, 
 Bauer, Goldhorn, Knobel, and others, consider it to have had _ historical 
 basis, and that it has been invested with its present costume in order that 
 it might answer didactic purposes. On the other hand, Rosenmiiller, Ge- 
 
 * Einleit. Band iv. § 575. + Palus Memorabilien. Stuck vi. p. 154. 
 τ Anigmata prisci Orbis. Jonas in Luce, etc. Helmstedt. 1723, fol. For the full title of 
 his remarkable book, see Rosenmiiller’s Prolegom. 
 
PREFACE TO JONAH. 197 
 
 senius, De Wette, Maurer, and Winer, derived it from popular tradition ; 
 some tracing it to the fable of the deliverance of Andromeda from a sea 
 monster, by Perseus, Apollod. ii. 4, 3; Ovid, Metamorph. iv. 662, ete. ; and 
 some, to that of Hercules, who sprang into the jaws of an immense fish, and 
 was three days in its belly, when he undertook to save Hesione, Iliad, xx. 
 145, xxi. 442; Diod. Sic. iv. 42; Tzetz. ad Lycophr. Cassand. 33 ; Cyril 
 Alex. in Jon. ii. 
 
 Much as some of these writers may have in common with each other, there 
 are some essential points on which they are totally at variance ; while all 
 frankly acknowledge the difficulties which clog the subject. 
 
 The opinion which has been most generally entertained, is that which ac- 
 cords to the book a strictly historical character; in other words, which af- 
 firms that it is a relation of facts which actually took place in the life and 
 experience of the prophet. Nor can I view it in any other light, while I 
 hold fast an enlightened belief in the divine authority of the books compos- 
 ing the canon of the Old Testament, and place implicit reliance on the au- 
 thority of the Son of God. Into the fixed and definite character of the 
 canon, I need not here enter, having fully discussed the subject elsewhere ; * 
 but assuming that all the books contained in it possess the Divine sanction, 
 the test to which I would bring the question, and by which, in my opinion, 
 our decision must mainly be formed, is the unqualified manner in which the 
 personal existence, miraculous fate, and public ministry of Jonah, are spoken 
 of by our Lord. He not only explicitly recognizes the prophetical office of 
 the son of Amittai (Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου), just as he does that of Elisha, Isaiah, 
 and Daniel, but represents his being in the belly of the fish as a real miracle 
 (τὸ σημεῖον) ; grounds upon it, as a fact, the certainty of the future analogous 
 fact in his own history ; assumes the actual execution of the commission οἷ 
 the prophet at Nineveh; positively asserts that the inhabitants of that city 
 repented at his preaching; and concludes by declaring respecting himself, 
 “ Behold! a greater than Jonah is here.” Matt. xii. 39-41, xvi. 4. Now, 
 is it conceivable, that all these historical circumstances would have been 
 placed in this prominent light, if the person of the prophet, and the brief 
 details of his narrative, had been purely fictitious? On the same principle 
 that the historical bearing of the reference in this case is rejected, may not 
 that to the Queen of Sheba, which follows in the connection, be set aside, 
 and the portion of the first book of Kings, in which the circumstances of her 
 visit to Solomon are recorded, be converted into an allegory, a moral fiction, 
 or a popular tradition ? The two cases, as adduced by our Lord, are al- 
 together parallel; and the same may be affirmed of the allusion to Tyre and 
 Sidon, and that to Sodom in the preceding chapter. 
 
 It may be said, indeed, that a fictitious narrative of the moral kind would 
 answer the purpose of our Saviour equally well with one which contained 
 a statement of real “transactions; just as it has been maintained, that the 
 reference made by the Apostle James to the patience of Job, suited his pur- 
 
 * Divine Inspiration, pp. 450-488. 
 
103 PREFACE TO JONAH. 
 
 pose, irrespective of the actual existence of that patriarch; but, as in the 
 one case, a fictitious example of patience would prove only a tame and 
 frigid motive to induge to the endurance of actual suffering, so, in the other, 
 a merely imaginary repentance must be regarded as little calculated to en 
 force the duties of genuine contrition and amendment of life. 
 
 Certainly in no other instance in which our Saviour adduces passages out 
 of the Old Testament for the purpose of illustrating or confirming his doc- 
 trines, can it be shown, that any point or circumstance is thus employed 
 which is not historically true. He uniformly quotes and reasons upon them 
 as containing accounts of universally admitted facts; stamps them as such 
 with the high sanction of his divine authority ; and transmits them forthe 
 confident belief of mankind in all future ages. 
 
 It is only necessary further to add, that if the book had contained a para- 
 ble, the name of some unknown person would have been selected, and not 
 that of a prophet to whom a definite historical existence is assigned in the 
 Old Testament. On perusing the first sentence, every unprejudiced reader 
 must conclude that there had existed such a prophet, and that what follows 
 is a simple narrative of facts. The formula -%s} mina ont is so 
 appropriated, as the usual introduction to real prophetical communication, 
 that to put any other construction upon it would be a gross violation of one 
 of the first principles of interpretation. Comp. 2 Chron. xi. 2; Is. xxxviii. 
 4; Jer. i. 4, 11, ii. 1, xiv. 1, xvi. 1, xxviii. 12, xxix. 30; Ezek. ii. 16; Hag. 
 i. 1, 3, ii. 20; Zech. iv. 8. 
 
 Against the plenary historical character of the book, the miraculous nature 
 of some of the transactions has been objected; but, referring for an investi- 
 gation of these transactions to the commentary, and taking for granted an 
 interposition of miraculous agency in the deliverance of the prophet, when 
 cast into the sea, may it not be fairly asked whether there is nothing in the 
 circumstances of the case to justify such interposition? The commission 
 was most important in its own nature, but likewise most unusual, and con- 
 fessedly most hazardous in its execution; one from which it was extremely 
 natural for Jonah to shrink, and which required the most confirmatory 
 evidence of its divine origin to induce him to act upon it. The miracle 
 selected for the purpose of furnishing him with this evidence, however extra- 
 ordinary in itself, was in exact keeping with the circumstances in which he 
 was placed; and, in so far, was parallel with those wrought in connection 
 with the mission of Moses, Exod. iii. iv.; of Elijah, 1 Kings xvii; and of 
 Christ and his apostles. And it is undeniable, that most of the writers 
 who have called it in question, have either flatly denied the existence of 
 all Scripture miracles, or attempted, in some way or other, to account for 
 them on mere natural principles. The same mode of reasoning which goes 
 to set aside one, will, if fully carried out, go to set aside all. 
 
 That our prophet is the same who predicted the restofation of the ancient 
 boundaries of the kingdom of the ten tribes, 2 Kings xiv. 25, is rendered 
 certain by identity of name, parentage and office ; and as that prediction re- 
 ceived its accomplishment in the reign of Jeroboam IL., it is obvious he must 
 
 
 
PREFACE TO JONAH. 199 
 
 at least have been contemporary with the monarch, if he did not flourish at 
 a still more early period. He is justly considered to have been one of the 
 most ancient of all the Hebrew prophets whose writings are contained in the 
 canon. 
 
 Whether Jonah composed the book himself, or whether it was written at 
 a more recent period, has been matter of dispute. Of the circumstance, that 
 he is spoken of in the third person, no account is to be made, since it is a 
 style of writing frequently adopted by the sacred penmen, as it also is by 
 profane authors. Nor can the occurrence of two or three Chaldee words, as 
 το ἘΌ͵ a ship, ΤΩΣ to think, ἘΣ, command, be justly objected against the early 
 Baliga: for the prophet must have had considerable intercourse with 
 persons who spoke foreign languages, which could not but exert some in- 
 fluence on his style. With respect to πὸ ΞΘ, as it is also the Syriac 
 
 Δ σου, and Arabic xiratw, there is every reason to conclude that it 
 Sees Δ 
 
 was the nautical term in use among the Phenicians, and so might have been 
 adopted at an early period into all the cognate dialects, though they had 
 other words by which to express the same thing. The use of the compound 
 particles “232 and >532 does not necessarily argue a late date, since there 
 was nothing to prevent their being appropriated under the circumstances of 
 the ponte just as they came to be adopted, under somewhat similar cir- 
 cumstances, by other writers. The employment of Ὁ, the abbreviated form 
 of =2x, in Judges v. 7, is an undeniable example of its adoption at an early 
 period ; and it is indeed very doubtful whether it be proper to regard it as a 
 Chaldaism at all, though it is found in some portions of the Hebrew Scrip- 
 tures and not in others!* It has also been alleged against the antiquity of 
 the book, that the writer uses the substantive verb in the past tense, when 
 describing the size of Nineveh, n>i73—-79 ΠᾺΡ 7722724, chap. 111. 3; as if 
 the city had been destroyed before his time ; but the ‘past tense is ΠΕ 
 employed for the simple purpose of preserving uniformity in the style of the 
 narrative, and, as De Wette acknowledges, bedeutet nichts.t 
 
 In point of style, the book is remarkable for the simplicity of itssprose : the 
 only portion of poetry is chap. ii. 3-10, which possesses considerable spirit 
 and force, though some parts of it are evidently a repetition of certain sen- 
 tences in the Psalms of David, with which the prophet appears to have been 
 familiar. 
 
 Of the numerous traditions, both Jewish and Christian, which profess to 
 give us information respecting Jonah, I would say with Luther, Das glaube 
 wer da will, ich glaube es nicht. All that we learn from Scripture is, that his 
 father’s name was Amittai, and that his birth-place was Gath-hepher (m3 
 senn, 2 Kings xiv. 25; £m nna, Josh. xix. 13), a city in the tribe of Ze- 
 bulon, from which latter circumstance it appears that he was an Israelite, 
 and not a Jew. 
 
 In this book the patience and clemency of God are strikingly contrasted 
 
 * See Holden on Ecclesiastes, Introd. Dissert. pp. 10-18. + Lehrbuch, § 287. 
 
900 PREFACE TO JONAH. 
 
 with the selfishness and unbelief of man; and, as inserted in the canon of 
 Scripture, it was no doubt primarily designed to teach the Jews the moral 
 lessons, that the Divine regard was not confined to them alone, but was 
 extended to other subjects of the general government of God; that wicked- 
 ness, if persisted in, will meet with condign punishment; that God has no 
 pleasure in inflicting such punishment, but delights in the repentance of the 
 guilty; and that if pagans yielded so prompt a compliance with a single 
 prophetic message, it behooved those who were continually instructed by the 
 servants of Jehovah, seriously to reflect on the guilt which they contracted 
 by refusing to listen to their admonitions. It has been usual to speak of 
 Jonah as a type of our Saviour, and numerous points of resemblance have 
 been attempted to be established between them, to the no small injury of 
 the blessed character of the latter: whereas, there is nothing more in the 
 passage of our Lord’s discourse (Matt. xii.), from which the notion has been 
 borrowed, than a comparison of his own consignment to the tomb for the 
 same space of time which the prophet spent in the belly of the fish.* The 
 record of the event in the Jewish Scriptures could never have suggested to 
 its readers, before Christ made the reference, the subject in the anticipative 
 illustration ‘of which he applies it. 
 
 * See the excellent remarks of the Rev, W. Lindsay Alexander, M. A. on types, in his 
 Congregational Lectures, Lect. VIII. 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 WE have here an account of the prophet’s commission to preach at Nineveh, and his attempt 
 to evade it by embarking for Spain, 1-3; an extraordinary storm by which he was bafiled 
 
 in his purpose; 
 
 the alarm of the sailors, and the means which they adopted for their 
 
 safety; the detection of Jonah; his being thrown into the sea; and his preservation in the 
 
 belly of a fish, 4-17. 
 
 1 Tue word of Jehovah was communicated to Jonah, the son of 
 2 Amittai, saying: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and 
 proclaim against it; for their wickedness is come up before me, 
 
 1. From the circumstance that the 
 book commences with the conjunction 
 ἢ». commonly rendered and, some have 
 inferred that it is merely the fragment 
 of a larger work, written by the same 
 hand; but though this particle is most 
 commonly used to connect the following 
 sentence with something which precedes 
 it, and is placed at the beginning of his- 
 torical books to mark their connection 
 with a foregoing narrative, as Exod. 1.1; 
 1 Kings i, 1; Ezra i. 1; yet it is also 
 employed inchoatively where there is no 
 connection whatever, as Ruth i. 1; Esth. 
 i. 1 ; and, as specially parallel, Ezek. i. 1 
 It serves no other purpose in such cases 
 than merely to qualify the apocopated 
 future, so as to make it represent the 
 historical past tense. The proper names 
 
 main, Jonah, and nay, Amittai, signify 
 a “dove, and veracious or truthful, but 
 why they were given to the prophet and 
 his father we are not informed. 
 
 2. By an emphatic idiom, tp, arise, 
 is used before another verb, as a term 
 of excitement. 71373 Nurveven, the 
 ancient capital of the Assyrian empire, 
 was situated on the eastern bank of the 
 Tigris, opposite to the modern town of 
 Mosul. The name is generally allowed 
 to signify “the residence of Ninus,”’ 
 from 473, Ninus, and 743, @ dwelling ; 
 but, according to Hebrew usage, the 
 words should be reversed in order to 
 bring out this meaning. By the Greek 
 and Roman writers, it is called Nivos, 
 
 26 
 
 Ninus, after its founder, who must have 
 been indentical with Nimrod, to whom 
 the foundation of the city is ascribed, 
 Gen. x. 11. For, that “72, Ashur, is 
 there to be understood of the country so 
 called, or Assyria, and not of a person of 
 that name, is evident from ver. 22, 
 where Ashur is mentioned as a descen- 
 dant of Shem, and not of Ham. The 
 omission of the local π, which might 
 have been expected to form τ "δὰ, can- 
 not be brought as an objection, since it 
 is frequently omitted. See Num. xxxiv. 
 4; Deut. iii. 1. In point of size, it might 
 well be designated τι ἢ 737 ST, that 
 great city, having been as stated, chap. 
 iii. 3, “ three days’ journey ” in circum- 
 ference. If we reckon.a day’s journey 
 at about twenty miles, which is the 
 average rate of travelling in the East, it 
 will give us sixty miles; which, how 
 immense soever it may appear, quite 
 agrees with the estimate stated by 
 Diodorus Siculus, ii. 3: viz. 480 sta- 
 dia in circuit, 150 stadia in length, 
 and 90 stadia in breadth. He further 
 calls it Nivos μεγάλη, and adds, τηλί- 
 καύτην δὲ πόλιν οὐδεὶς ὕστερον ἔκτισε 
 κατά τε τὸ μεγεδος τοῦ περιβολοῦ, καὶ 
 τὴν περὶ τὸ τεῖχος μεγαλοπρέπειαν. 
 Making every allowance for the large 
 spaces occupied by gardens, etc., it must, 
 according to the computation specified, 
 chap. iv. 11, have contained a population 
 of upwards of six hundred thousand 
 souls, which is nearly equal to that of 
 
JONAH. 
 
 Cuar. i¢ 
 
 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish, from the presence of 
 Jehovah}; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going 
 to egetich. and paid the fare thereof, and went down into her, 
 to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah. 
 
 Paris. As it had long been the mistress 
 of the East, and its situation was favor- 
 able for commerce, it possessed immense 
 wealth, but was, at the same time, no- 
 torious for the most flagrant corruption 
 of manners. After a siege of three years, 
 it was taken by Arbaces the Mede, 
 about the seventh year of Uzziah; and a 
 second time by the united forces of 
 Cyaxares the Mede, and Nabopolassar, 
 viceroy of Babylon, B. c. 626. me SIP» 
 make a proclamation against it. This 
 proclamation consisted in the announce- 
 ment, that, within the space of forty 
 days, the city should be destroyed. ty 
 the LXX. and Vulg. render in; and 
 some would assign to the word the sig- 
 nification to, which Ἐπ has, chap. iii. 3 ; 
 but it better agrees with the flight of 
 Jonah to retain that of against. The 
 idea of his going to so great a city for 
 the purpose of denouncing punishment 
 against its wicked population so appalled 
 him that he shrunk from the task. It 
 is also more in keeping with the reason 
 assigned in the following clause of the 
 verse. The phrase 747 9355 m2, Zo go, 
 or come up before Jehovah, is expressive of 
 whatever is supposed specially to attract 
 his notice, and require his interference. 
 Comp. *:55 ἈΞ, Gen. vi. 13 ; 
 xix. 21. Βαβυλὼν 4 μεγάλη duthaSs 
 ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Rev. xvi. 19. Aj 
 ἐλεημοσύναι cov ἀνέβησαν eis μνημόσυνον 
 ἔμπροσϑεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Acts x. 4. 
 
 8. For sown, Tarshish, see on Is, 
 xxiii, 10. The Rabbins vacillate between 
 Tarsus and Tunis. Jonathan has δ)", 
 the sea. Jonah resolved to make his 
 escape into the most distant regions of 
 the West. Com. Ps. cxxxix.7. mn7 728, 
 which strictly means the face, person, or 
 presence of Jehovah, is* sometimes em- 
 ployed to denote the special manifestation 
 of his presence, or certain outward and 
 visible tokens by which he made himself 
 locally known, ‘Thus God promised 
 
 "Ἐκ mN3, 
 
 that his presence (2), ¢, 6. the sensible 
 tokens of his presence, should accompany 
 the Hebrews on their march to Canaan. 
 Exod. xxxiii. 14. Comp. Ps. ix. 3, 
 Ixviii. 2, 8. It is also employed in 
 reference to the place or region where 
 such manifestations were vouchsafed, as 
 Gen. iv. 14; where it obviously signifies 
 the spot where the primitive worship was 
 celebrated, and sensible proofs of the 
 Divine favor were manifested to the 
 worshippers. 1 Sam. i. 22, ii. 18; Ps. 
 xlii. 3. In like manner, the place where 
 Jacob had intimate communion with 
 God, was called by that patriarch 5 525, 
 the face, or manifestation of God, Gen. 
 xxxii, 31. The interpretation, therefore, 
 of David Kimchi, y-313 839 exe en "5 
 ms ts nsw xd ὙΠ Ὁ msind ts nz, 
 msiz3, he imagined that if he went out 
 of the land of Israel, the spirit of proph- 
 ecy would not rest upon him, is perhaps 
 not wide of the mark. Jarchi to the same 
 effect, vaxd ΠΣ ΓΞ mv πο 9 δ, 
 The Shekinah does not dwell out of the 
 land. Though, as Theodoret observes, he 
 well knew that the Lord of the universe 
 was everywhere present, yet he supposed 
 that it was only at Jerusalem he became 
 apparent to men ; ὑπολαμβάνων δὲ ὅμως 
 ἐν μόνῃ ᾿Ιερουσαλὴμ αὐτὸν ποιεῖσϑαι τὴν 
 ἐπιφάνειαν. For the reason of Jonah’s 
 flight, see on chap. iv. 2. "πὴ" is used of 
 going down to the sea-coast from any in- 
 land place, so that it cannot be inferred 
 from the use of the term that it was 
 at Jerusalem Jonah received his com- 
 mission. “5°, Japho, LXX.Idmmn, Arab. 
 GL, Yapha, Jaffa, Joppa, a celebrated 
 harbor on the east coast of the Medi- 
 terranean, at the distance of ten hours 
 from Jerusalem, of which it is properly 
 the seaport. However insecure, it was 
 used as a harbor as early as the days of 
 Solomon. 2 Chron, ii. 16. It was like- 
 wise thus appropriated in the Persian 
 period, Ezra iii. 7; and was deemed so 
 
Cuapr. 1. 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 203 
 
 4 But Jehovah caused a great wind to come down upon the sea, 
 and there was a great tempest in the sea, and it was appre- 
 5 hended the ship would be wrecked. Then the mariners were 
 afraid, and cried, each to his god, and threw out the wares that 
 were in the ship into the sea, to lighten her of them; but as for 
 Jonah, he had gone down into the innermost part of the vessel, 
 
 and lay fast asleep. 
 
 important in the time of the Maccabees, 
 that, when recovered from the Syrians, 
 it was fortified, and afterwards under- 
 went various fates. Its present population 
 amounts to about 7000 souls. si, which 
 usually signifies to come, come into, enter, 
 is obviously here used in the acceptation 
 go, go out. Com. Num. xxxii. 6. my, 
 her hire, i. e. of the vessel, the fare which 
 Jonah had to pay for a passage in her; 
 not, that he engaged the vessel, as 
 Benjoin, after Jarchi, would have it. 
 “poms ynv> aynm xinw mm. po, only 
 what he was obliged to pay as his share. 
 Abenezra. This fare, it has been thought, 
 he paid beforehand, that he might secure 
 his flight from the land of Judea; but it 
 may have been owing to a prudential 
 condition on the part of the captain. 
 The affix in prs» refers to the ship’s 
 erew, understood. : 
 
 4. The force of Ἐπ τι, to cause to come 
 down at full length, on application to the 
 storm, will appear on consulting Josephus, 
 who, speaking of the dangerous naviga- 
 tion of Joppa, says: κατὰ τοῦτον σαλευ- 
 οὖσι τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰόππης ὑπὸ τὸν ἕω 
 πνεῦμα βίαιον ἐπιπίπτει. μελαμβόρειον 
 ὑπὸ τῶν ταύτῃ πλωϊζομένον καλεῖται. 
 «As they were driven about here, a 
 violent wind fell upon them, which is 
 called by those that sail there, the béack 
 north wind.’ De Bello Jud. iii. ix. 3. 
 The whole section deserves to be read. 
 Coverdale renders, ‘* But the Lord hurled 
 a greate wynde into the see.”® maen, the 
 ship, i. e., by metonymy, the persons on 
 board, thought she would founder. Thus 
 Kimchi; but Jarchi, s*m ites > ΓΤ 2: 
 n-aws, she appeared as if she should be 
 
 é ο ἐν ὡς. 
 Syriac om ἰωϑσιλδο 
 
 > 
 ὁμ5 ΖλεοΣ, was going to be broken, 
 
 broken. 
 
 or was tossed, etc. LXX. ἐκινδύνευε. 
 It is best to render the verb imper- 
 sonally. 
 
 5. tomb, mariners, from t473, salt, the 
 quality of the water which they navigate. 
 Syr. and Arab. the same. Comp. Ezek, 
 XXvii. 9, 27,29. Kimchi, ΒΦ τι Εν, 
 those who handle the oars, with reference 
 to the ancient mode of propelling vessels 
 at sea. Being in all probability Phe- 
 nicians, they had each his tutelary deity, 
 whose interposition he invoked in the 
 hour of danger. From the circumstance 
 that ->> signifies vessels, Benjoin infers, 
 that the ship had not taken in a regular 
 cargo, Jonah having paid the entire 
 freight ; but *>> is used with such lati- 
 tude of signification in the Hebrew Scrip- 
 tures, that it may be understood of any 
 kind of manufactured articles, such as 
 those enumerated Ezek. xxvii. which 
 formed the merchandise of Tyre. These 
 the Phoenicians conveyed to Spain, 
 whence they brought back cargoes of sil- 
 ver, iron, tin, and lead. That something 
 more ponderous than a few vessels on 
 the deck is meant, is evident from what 
 follows in the verse, ἐκβολὴν ἐποιήσαντο, 
 the words employed by the LXX. in 
 translating which are the same which are 
 used by Luke, Acts xxvii. 18. The dual 
 form in =3°£87 “N57; the sides or two 
 sides of the vessel, is not to be pressed ; 
 the word in this number being adopted 
 in Hebrew usage to express a recess ΟΥ̓ 
 remote part of any place. Comp. Ps. 
 exxviii. 3; 1 Sam. xxiv. 4; Is. xiv. 15; 
 the innermost part, best expresses the 
 meaning. Kimchi otherwise explains it, 
 ἘΓΓΞ πὶ ya rms ἘΝ, fo one of the sides, 
 and appeals to Judges xii. 7, and Zech. 
 ix. 9, in proof of the plural being 
 used instead of the singular. See Ge- 
 senius, Lehrgeb. p. 665. It has been ob- 
 
201 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 6 And the captain went close up to him, and said to him: How 
 
 is it, thou art fast asleep ? 
 
 Arise, call to thy God; perhaps Gop 
 
 will think upon us, that we perish not, 
 
 7 And they said to each other: 
 
 Come, and let us cast lots, that 
 
 we may know on whose account this calamity hath happened to 
 
 8 us: and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah, 
 
 And they 
 
 said to him: Tell us now on what account this calamity hath 
 happened to us? What is thine occupation ? And whence com- 
 9 est thou? What is thy country ? And of what people art thou ὃ 
 And he said to them: I am an Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the 
 
 jected to the historical character of the 
 book, that it is not to besupposed that the 
 prophet could possibly have composed 
 himself to sleep in the circumstances 
 here described; but nothing was more 
 natural than for a person after the fa- 
 tigues of a journey, with a mind wom 
 out by excessive anxiety, to be thrown 
 in spite of himself, into such a condi- 
 tion. E3971, W hich the LX_X. render καὶ 
 ἔρεγχε. is "designed to qualify the preced- 
 ing verb, by expressing the profound 
 stupor into which Jonah had sunk. 
 There is a singular beauty in putting 
 ma, the name of the prophet, in the 
 nominative absolute. “But as for Jo- 
 nah’’ — while all were full of consterna- 
 tion, expecting every moment to become 
 a prey to the raging elements, he lay 
 perfectly unconscious of what was trans- 
 piring. For 73"=8, ship, which occurs 
 only in this place, see the Preface. 
 
 6. bainn lit. the master of the rope- 
 men —bsin being used as a collective. 
 Com. ΡΞ Ὁ 21, chief of the body-guard, 
 2 Kings xxv. 8; pod 24, chief of the 
 eunuchs. Dan. i. 38. Kimchi explains 
 thus: ΕΡ ἘΛΈΗ Nfs ἘΠΡΞΌΤΙ 
 ΕΞ Joins bah oar κι ἘΣ 5 
 Driven, “the ship-men are called rope- 
 men, because they draw and loosen the 
 ropes, of the mast, according to their 
 skill.” LXX. Πρωρεὺς. Vulg. gubern- 
 ator. nsznn, to show oneself consider- 
 ate, to think of, set one’s mind upon ; in 
 Kal, to invent, fabricate, produce splen- 
 did work; hence the noun ry, artifi- 
 cial work, Song v.14. The idea of shin- 
 ing seems to be a secondary mean- 
 ing; see Jer. v. 28. Comp. ΤΣ ΤΟΣ, 
 
 thoughts, Ps. exlvi. 4. The verb has 
 
 the signification of thinking, purposing, 
 
 etc. both in Chaldee and Syriac. LXX. 
 y 
 
 διασώση. Targ. ἘΠ, Syr- oe, 
 
 to deliver. Hitzig prefers the idea of 
 shining, being friendly, gracious, and the 
 like. Having found that their heathen 
 deities rendered them no assistance, the 
 crew were anxious to try the effect of 
 supplication on the part of Jonah to the 
 God of the Hebrews, either from the 
 supposition that he was stronger than 
 their own gods, or that he might be dis- 
 pleased with the prophet, and required 
 to be placated. It deserves to be noticed, 
 that the word for God is here used with 
 the article p°n‘tyn, which is certainly 
 designed to give emphasis to it; Gop — 
 the true God. Comp. Deut. iv. 35, 
 
 "sbsm sam mint, and 1 Kings xviii, 
 39, mond won τὰ πὸ oon Sean nim. 
 
 Are we to infer from this circumstance, 
 that the captain was a worshipper of Je- 
 hovah? 
 
 7-9. The casting of lots was com- 
 mon among the nations of antiquity, 
 not only when they -wished to know 
 some future event, but also when they 
 would determine cases of difficulty, and 
 especially criminal causes, in which no 
 witnesses could be obtained. The mode 
 of using them is not deseribed in Scrip- 
 ture, but from the verb ἘΞ5, δ᾿ Ἐπ, to fall, 
 cause to fall, being commonly employed, 
 it is probable it was by shaking the lots 
 in some box or vase, and then causing 
 them to fall on the ground. Comp. 
 Proy. xvi. 33, where Ἐπ πι, ἐο throw down, 
 is used, in connection with pn, the bosom, 
 
Cuar. I. 
 
 JONAH. 205 
 
 10 God of heaven, who made the sea, and the dry land. And the 
 men were greatly afraid, and said to him: What is this thou 
 
 hast done ? 
 11 
 said to him: 
 from raging 
 
 12 tempestuous. 
 
 For the men knew that he was fleeing from the 
 presence of Jehovah, because he had told them. They further 
 What shall we do to thee, that the sea may cease 
 against us? for the sea groweth more and more 
 
 And he said to them: Take me up, and throw 
 
 me into the sea, and the sea shall cease from raging against 
 you; for I know it is on my account this great tempest is upon 
 
 you. 
 13 
 
 or large fold of the garment in front of 
 the body ; intimating, that lots were also 
 mixed there for the sake of secrecy: 
 2533, lit. for that which ts to whom, i. 6. 
 "Ὦ Ἴ55; for whose guilt. The words in 
 ver. 8, > man mean 1b “ZN, are 
 
 omitted in two of Kennicott’ s MSS., in 
 the Soncin. edition of the Prophets, and 
 in the Vatican copy of the LXX.; and 
 Kennicott’s MS. 154, omits <>, most 
 probably both by emendation, in order 
 to avoid the repetition of what had been 
 said in ver. 7. We should rather have 
 expected ; ΤΩ πϑδβ, ‘‘on account of 
 what ;” but" “a may be taken in a neuter 
 
 wig 
 in Ethiopic, as indeed, it is in the phrase 
 Fav ~a, “ What is thy name?” Jud. 
 xiii. 16. Comp. also 1 Sam. xviii. 17, 
 
 sense, like the corresponding 
 
 "3 "Ὁ, “ What is my life >’ Micah i. 5, - 
 
 {πὶ ΠΤ" robber! By ogee » ΘΚ 5, OS What 
 is the sin of Jacob } ce What are the 
 high places of Judah?” Hexaplar Syr. 
 
 [Ado ido, on account of what. Leo 
 
 Juda: ‘ wnde sit nobis hoc malum.” 
 The seamen were anxious to learn every 
 particular connected with the history of 
 Jonah, in order that they might discover 
 the real cause of the storm. 87>, ἕο fear, 
 followed by the accusative, signifies to 
 cherish feelings of reverence, to reverence, 
 honor, etc., and is not here to be inter- 
 preted in the sense of being afraid, which 
 would have required the preposition 47a 
 before the object in such a case as the 
 present. 
 
 And the men rowed hard to regain the land; but they 
 
 10. τῶ» στ, what is this thou 
 hast done? is not put for the purpose of 
 obtaining information respecting his 
 flight, for it is immediately added, that 
 he had previously informed them of it, 
 but is a formula which is intended to 
 produce a strong feeling of disapproba- 
 tion in the breast of him to whom it is 
 addressed, conveying, at the same time, 
 the idea of surprise that he could have 
 been guilty of such conduct. Comp. 
 Gen. iii, 18, xii. 18, xx. 9. The ques- 
 tion shows that what Jonah had said 
 respecting the character of the true God, 
 had made a deep impression upon the 
 minds of the sailors. 
 
 11. They had clearly the conviction, 
 that as the prophet was the cause of the 
 storm, some step must be taken in order 
 to get rid of him ; but how to dispose of 
 him they knew not. That they wished, 
 if possible, to save his life, is clear from 
 the sequel. +37 -nw conveys the idea of 
 subsiding, so as no longer to bear down 
 upon with violence, and graphically de- 
 scribes the threatening attitude of a tem- 
 pestuous sea, rising above the ships that 
 are exposed to it. pnw properly signi- 
 fies to settle down, be still, cease from rag- 
 ing. ὍΣ Ὅν 74m, lit. going and storming, 
 meaning, to go on, increase, become more 
 and more tempestuous ; a common idiom 
 in Hebrew. Comp. Exod. xix. 19; 
 1 Sam. ii. 26, xvii. 41; Esth. ix. 4; 
 Prov. iv. 18. 
 
 13. -mn, to dig, or break forcibly 
 through anything, is strongly expressive 
 of the great effort made by the seamen 
 
206 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against 
 
 14 
 
 them. And they cried to Jehovah, and said: O now Jehovah! 
 
 let us not perish, we beseech thee, for this man’s life; and lay 
 not innocent blood to our charge: for thou, O Jehovah! hast 
 
 done as it pleased thee. 
 
 him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 
 
 And they took up Jonah, and threw 
 
 Then the 
 
 men feared Jehovah greatly, and offered a sacrifice to Jehovah, 
 
 and made vows. 
 
 to avoid sacrificing the life of Jonah. 
 LXX. παρεβιάζοντο. At ard supply 
 TIENT DN. | . 
 
 14. An affecting prayer for pagans 
 to present to the true God! The words, 
 miani xav>bs min? mas, are peculiarly 
 eamest and tender. max, the same as 
 NBN, which Gesenius takes to be com- 
 pounded of mx, of! and 83, the usual 
 particle of entreaty. Comp. the Arab. 
 
 ω 4}; obsecro. The Keri marks ws in 
 
 s"72 as redundant, and a great number 
 MSS. read "72. 55}, Zife, means here life 
 that is taken away, having "53 ἘΠ, in- 
 nocent blood, corresponding to it in the 
 following clause. Comp. Deut. xix. 21; 
 2 Sam. xiv. 7. Coverdale, well as to the 
 sense, “this man’s death.” The refer- 
 ence is not to anything that Jonah had 
 done, but to what they were about to do 
 to him. $y £2 yn2, to give blood upon, 
 means to charge with murder. Syr. 
 
 yeaa we ἥ, impute not. The sense is, 
 let us not be found guilty of killing an 
 innocent person. In the concluding 
 words of the verse, they refer the whole 
 affair to the mysterious providence of 
 
 God. They had not been brought into 
 their present circumstances by any con- 
 
 duct of their own; nor could they 
 
 account for the guilt of Jonah, since 
 he was chargeable with no act of immo- 
 rality. Yet he was the object of Divine 
 displeasure. 
 
 15, 16. They now proceed calmly, 
 though with great reluctance, to act in 
 accordance with what they had been led 
 to regard as the will of the Most High. 
 The calm appears to have taken place 
 instantaneously. According to the Rab- 
 bins, Grotius, and some others, they 
 did not actually offer a sacrifice, but 
 only purposed to do it before Jehovah, 
 7. 6. at Jerusalem; but it is more natural 
 to conclude that they sacrificed some 
 animal that was on board, and vowed 
 that they would present greater proofs 
 of their gratitude when they returned 
 from their voyage. Michaelis thinks 
 they intended to perform their vows 
 when they reached Spain. 
 
 “Quin; ubi transmisse steterint trans 
 zequora classes, 
 Et positis aris jam vota in litore solves.” 
 JEneid. iii. 408. 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER II, 
 
 ὙΤΊΤΗ the exception of the first and last verses, which give an historical account of the fate 
 of Jonah as preserved by a great fish, this chapter contains a brief but beautiful hymn of 
 deliverance. It was in all probability composed immediately after his reaching the dry 
 Jand, but embodies some of the leading topics in reference to which he called upon Jeho- 
 
 vah during his stay in the deep. 
 
 1  (Cnar.1.17.) Now Jehovah had appointed a great fish to 
 
Cuar. II. 
 
 swallow Jonah. 
 days and three nights. 
 
 1, (Chap. i. 17, in our common ver- 
 sion.) It has been supposed by some 
 that the fish here spoken of was created 
 at the moment for the purpose of swal- 
 lowing the prophet, though, according 
 to Rabbi Tarphon, it was mwwia mai 
 ΤΟΣ a “6%, prepared for the purpose at 
 the creation of the world; but there is 
 nothing in the original word 72% which 
 at all suggests the idea of creation or 
 production. Like the Arab. 
 
 b) 
 
 certa guanitate certogue modo definivit 
 aliqui rem; decretus fut, it properly 
 signifies to appoint, order, arrange, and 
 the like, so that all that can be legiti- 
 mately inferred from its use in this place, 
 is, that, in the providence of God, the 
 animal was brought to the spot at the 
 precise time when Jonah was thrown 
 into the sea, and its instrumentality 
 was wanted for his deliverance. In 
 other words, it was the result of a special 
 pre-arrangement in the Divine plan, 
 according to which the movements 
 of all creatures are regulated, and 
 rendered subservient to the purposes 
 of God’s universal government. LXX, 
 προσέταξε. Comp. chap. iv. 6-8. On 
 the subject of the fish itself various opin- 
 ions have been broached. Mutianus, 
 and after him Hermann yon der Hardt, 
 would have it to be nothing more than 
 an inn, with the sign of “ The Whale,” 
 into which Jonah was received after 
 having been cast on shore! Less pro- 
 posed the theory of a ship with this 
 name, which happened to be close by and 
 rescued the prophet; while Thaddeus 
 supposed that, on being thrown out of 
 the vessel, he lighted upon a large fish, 
 on which he rode for the time specified, 
 and was at last cast on shore! Till the 
 time of Bochart it was commonly sup- 
 posed to have been the balena, or whale 
 properly so called, owing to a mis- 
 interpretation of κῆτος, Matt. xii. 40, 
 which signifies any great fish in general. 
 With much ingenuity that learned author 
 endeavors to prove, that it must have 
 been the carcharias, or dog-fish, which, 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 207 
 
 And Jonah was in the bowels of the fish three 
 
 though not the size of a whale, yet has 
 so large a gullet, and so capacious a 
 stomach, that’ one of them has_ been 
 found to contain a warrior, clad in all his 
 armor. Bochart, Hierozo. p. ii. lib. vy. 
 cap. xii. Others have supposed that it 
 was a Shark, a species of fish abounding 
 in the Mediterranean, exceedingly vora- 
 cious, and in the belly of which whole 
 men have been found. See Parkhurst’s 
 Greek Lexicon, swb. voc. Kiros. But 
 we may well acquiesce in the decision of 
 Rosenmiiller ; “Tota hzec de pisce Jonze 
 disquisitio vana videtur atque inutilis.” 
 The Scriptures leave it entirely undecided 
 to what species of marine animals the 
 fish belonged ; merely stating that it was 
 Sata a3, a great fish, one sufficiently large 
 for the occasion. Much has been written 
 to relieve the transaction of the miracu- 
 lous; but that it is physically possible 
 for a human subject, which has been 
 accustomed for years to breathe the vital 
 air, to exist without respiration, or upon 
 the foul air in a fish, for the length of 
 time here specified, has never been 
 proved. The position of Abenezra is 
 the only one that can, with any consist- 
 ency, be maintained : Γιὰ τι casa p> ὙΝ 
 pa ΕΘ τι mi SD ANI SY ED arn ΝΣ 25 
 $0 ΣΓΥΣῺΞ, “ No man has the power of 
 living in the bowels of a fish for a single 
 hour : how much less for such a number 
 of hours, except by the operation of a 
 miracle.’” The transaction was, as Kim- 
 chi observes, p"D5m 432 “7m, one of the 
 miracles. As such it is unequivocally 
 recognized by our Lord, when he calls it 
 ἃ onuetov, a sign or token of divine inter- 
 position, a supernatural event, manifes- 
 tive of the power of God, Matt. xii. 39 ; 
 and it behooves all his disciples implicitly 
 and cordially to receive his decision. 
 For the period of “three days and three 
 nights,” see Whitby on Matt. xii. 40. 
 
 2. For $$5n>5, comp. ἘΦΞ ΤΑ, 1 Sam. 
 ii. 1. Some of the Rabbins, Hezel, and 
 others, would argue from the use of 47, 
 From, out of, and not 3, im, before "7%, 
 that the prayer of Jonah was not pre- 
 
908 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 Cuap, 11. 
 
 2 And Jonah prayed to Jehovah his God from the bowels of the 
 
 fish, and said : 
 
 3 1 cried because of my distress to Jehovah, 
 
 And he answered me ; 
 
 From the interior of Sheol I cried out: 
 
 Thou heardest my voice. 
 
 4 Thou didst cast me into the deep, 
 
 Into the midst of the seas ; 
 
 So that the current surrounded me ; 
 
 sented while he was in the belly of the 
 fish, but after his deliverance; but this 
 interpretation is justly rejected both by 
 Abenezra and Kimchi. The preposition 
 marks the place from which he directed 
 his thoughts to the Most High. Comp. 
 Sinw 72, ver. 3; Dopp, Ps. cxxx, 
 1; ἀκ 32, Ps. exviii. 5. The final πὶ 
 in ma7m is not feminine, as has been 
 supposed, and upon which assumption 
 certain Rabbins have built the theory, 
 that a still larger female fish swallowed 
 that in which Jonah was preserved ; 
 but the = paragogic, which corresponds 
 to the status emphaticus of the Aramaic, 
 and is designed to strengthen the termi- 
 nation. For other instances in which it 
 is added, at the same time that the noun 
 takes the article, comp. md Inn, Judges 
 xiv. 18; nian, Ps. cxvi. 15. The 
 position of the accent is of no account. 
 3, 4. The hymn which commences 
 here is partly descriptive, partly pre- 
 catory, and partly eucharistical. These 
 two verses are introductory, as is clear 
 from the use of "m4 72x *3N%, and give 
 expression to the feelings and pious 
 exercise of the prophet in the awful 
 circumstances into which he had been 
 brought. That the language, not only 
 of the prayer, but also of the intro- 
 duction, is in part borrowed from the 
 Psalms, appears from the following com- 
 parison : 
 Jonah ii. 3. 
 Nb 7H NIE 
 
 3929322 nome 
 
 Psalm cxx. 1, 
 "BAAN TA Hn by 
 ὁ 5555) "NN IP 
 
 xlii. 8. ver. 4. 
 THAI Pape SS Phar asso be 
 samay by 
 “ἢν. τ 
 
 sassy sy 
 
 πες κὶς VAS ver. 5. 
 “HN VES INT TAMAR "IRL 
 ὁ ΠΣ THO ΤΣ Fas Tape "My 732 
 
 lxix, 2; ver. 6. 
 ΘΕ 5Σ OM ἢδ 5 E792 "EN 
 τ NWR 
 exlii. 4. ver. 8. 
 S°GE2 Ὁ» Hurnma twee "ἘΣ cen 
 b.o.0 yy (et ver. 9. 
 Dp ndn pad 
 
 isan rege bon 
 ill. 9. 
 
 mywen mins 
 τ : τ 
 
 ver. 10. 
 
 rmimd mnsaw? 
 On the supposition that Jonah was 
 familiar with the Psalms, it was very 
 natural for him to incorporate sentences 
 taken from them with his own language, 
 just as we frequently do in extempore 
 prayer, without thinking of the portion 
 of Scripture from which they are derived. 
 Sind us, lit. the belly of Sheol, i. 6. the 
 vast and hidden receptacle of the de- 
 parted. Targ. sainn n-y-y%, from the 
 lowest part of the abyss, but less properly. 
 The remark of Jerome is: “ Ventrum 
 inferi alvyum ceti intelligamus, que tan- 
 te fuit magnitudinis, ut instar obtineret 
 inferni.” Before την), ver. 4, supply 
 =. “m3, commonly ‘used of a river, but 
 here it is to be understood of the strong 
 current or stream of the sea, which flows 
 like a river. There is no foundation for 
 the opinion of Abenezra and Kimchi, 
 that it was intended to describe the con- 
 
 fluence of the waters of a river with those 
 of the sea. 
 
 
 
 καὶ ἂν ποταμοῖο peeSpa 
 ᾽Ωκεανοῦ, ὅσπερ γένεσις πάντεσσι τέτυκ- 
 
 ται. Iliad, xiv. 2465. 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 209 
 
 All thy breakers and thy billows passed over me. 
 
 5 Then I said: 
 
 I am cast out from before thine eyes, 
 Yet I will look again towards thy holy temple. 
 6 The waters press around me to the very life ; 
 
 The abyss encompasseth me ; 
 
 The weed is bound to my head. 
 
 7 I go down to the clefts of the mountains ; 
 
 As for the earth, her bars are shut upon me for ever. 
 
 But thou wilt bring up my life from destruction, 
 
 O Jehovah my God! 
 
 Μέσσῳ yap μεγάλοι ποταμοι καὶ δεινὰ 
 ῥέεϑρα, 
 
 ᾿Ωκεανὸς μέν πρῶτα. Odyss, xi. 156. 
 
 Thy δὲ κατ᾽ ᾿Ωκεανὸν ποταμὸν φέρε κῦμα 
 ῥόοιο. Ibid, 638. 
 
 5. Having described his condition, the 
 prophet now proceeds to give the words 
 of his prayer. yim 73°79 733, to be be- 
 fore the eyes of Jehovah, means to be 
 the object of his special notice and care. 
 Jonah had fled from the Divine presence 
 in Canaan, but now he feels that he is 
 expelled even from the abodes of life, 
 and cut off, as it were, from the regard 
 of that Providence which watches over 
 the children of men. 
 abandon himself to despair. He con- 
 fidently expects to be restored to the 
 enjoyment of his privileges in the temple 
 at Jerusalem, and there to render thanks 
 to God for his deliverance. Green would 
 supply the negative 8> before Ὡ Ὁ "ΝᾺ, 
 and Hitzig would point 4x, yx for Fs, 
 how; but both without any authority. 
 Such sudden transitions from fear to 
 hope are frequently expressed in Scrip- 
 ture. 
 
 6. GEI—s2, even to, or to the very soul, 
 i. e. the animal life; meaning, to the ex- 
 tinction of life. 5:5, is the alga, or 
 weed, which abounds at the bottom of 
 the sea, and from which the Arabian 
 Gulf takes the name of τ) στ", the sea 
 of weeds. Kimchi explains it by wis, 
 the papyrus, or bulrush. Gesenius refines 
 too much when he attaches to wsan in 
 this place the idea of binding round the 
 head like a turban. Assurediy Jonah 
 
 27 
 
 Still he does not. 
 
 had no such idea in his mind. He rather 
 describes how he felt, as if entangled by 
 the sedge or weeds through which he 
 was dragged. 
 
 7. Doaxp, sections, cuttings, clefts, from 
 
 asp, to cut; Arab, ᾿ς ὦ. abscidit, 
 resecuit, Thus the LXX. σχισμὰς 
 ὀρέων. Vulg. extrema montium. Targ. 
 
 sasay "py, the roots of the mountains. 
 The word describes the deep indentations 
 or clefts made in the roots of mountains 
 which project into the sea, or those 
 divisions which are found in the rocks 
 at its bottom. yusn, the earth, is 
 emphatically put in the nominative ab- 
 solute, as the object to which the affec- 
 tions of the prophet still clung. He 
 was expelled from it, as from a habi- 
 tation, and its bars had been shut upon 
 him, so that he could not return. Ge- 
 senius takes the bars = be those of Sheol ; 
 of Sheol, 15. xxxviii. 10, the ‘phrase here 
 must have been "τ ΓΞ Ὁ ἐπ, and not 
 m3 YRS, if such had been the 
 meaning. 72 is put elliptically for 
 sya E130, the verb, 4: "Ὁ being obvi- 
 ously implied. Jonah adds, Dbisd, for 
 ever, to express the impossibility of his 
 ever again reaching the dry land, by any 
 effort of his own. Yet, exposed as he 
 momentarily was to death in the region 
 of corruption (mm, the pit, or grave,) 
 he confidently- expresses his hope that 
 God would restore him. He asserts his 
 interest in Jehovah by calling him “ his 
 God.” 
 
210 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 Cav. IL 
 
 § When my soul was overwhelmed within me, 
 
 I remembered Jehovah ; 
 
 And my prayer came in unto thee, 
 
 Into thy holy temple. 
 
 9 They that regard lying vanities 
 
 Forsake their Benefactor. 
 
 10 But as for me, I will sacrifice to thee with the voice of thanks- 
 
 giving ; 
 
 What I have vowed I will perform: 
 Salvation belongeth to Jehovah. 
 
 ΠΤ 
 
 And Jehovah commanded the fish, and it vomited forth 
 
 Jonah upon the dry land. 
 
 8. The prophet here resumes his de- 
 scription of the circumstances of distress 
 to which he was reduced, his application 
 to Jehoyah, and the answer which he 
 received to his prayer. The composition 
 of this and the following verses, like that 
 of verses 3 and 4, belongs to a period 
 subsequent to his deliverance; yet while 
 describing his condition, he occasionally 
 directs his language to Jehovah, towards 
 whom, as his deliverer, his thoughts nat- 
 urally rose, 22mm, to be in a state 
 of faintness, swoon, from Fux, to cover, 
 to involve in darkness, overwhelm. LXX. 
 well, as it respects the sense: Ἔν τῷ 
 ἐκλείπειν ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν μου. 
 
 9. A striking description of idolaters, 
 but which may also be extended to all 
 who prefer created objects, in any shape, 
 toGod. tron, lit. their mercy or good- 
 ness ; by metonymy for their Benefactor : 
 i. e. God, the author and source of all 
 goodness: the Supreme Good. Comp. 
 Ps. cxliv. 2, where David calls God his 
 -on. The word properly signifies kindness 
 or benignity, and most appropriately desig- 
 nates Him who is good to all, and whose 
 
 tender mercies are over all his works.. 
 
 id 
 The Syriac reads, y 2easoanj Sor thy 
 mercy, Which Green, on this authority 
 alone, admits into the text ! 
 
 10. Deeply sensible of the merciful 
 interposition of Jehovah on his behalf, 
 Jonah now solemnly engages to give ex- 
 pression to his feelings of gratitude by 
 accompanying his presentation of sacri- 
 fice with a song of praise, and faithfully 
 
 performing his vows, of which we may 
 conclude, the execution of his commission 
 to go to Nineveh formed none of the 
 least. The paragogic πὶ in mnsn> is in- 
 tensive. Comp. Ps. iii. 3. In both pas- 
 sages, the deliverance is ascribed to Je- 
 hovah as its author, as the $ in mint} 
 imports. 
 
 On reviewing this prayer, and weigh- 
 ing the import of its several terms, it is 
 obvious, that though Jonah was in a 
 state of consciousness while in the belly 
 of the fish, he had no idea that such was 
 his situation. On the contrary, he ap- 
 pears to have been under the impres- 
 
 -sion that he was engulfed in the sea, 
 
 now forcibly carried along by its current, 
 now entangled among its weeds, and 
 now sinking into the profound ravines 
 of its rocks. 
 
 11. Green and Boothroyd, on mere 
 conjecture, remove this verse from its 
 present position, and insert it before the 
 hymn. Such a transposition Hitzig pro- 
 nounces to be violent, unnecessary, and 
 in short, a perversion of the passage. 
 It is not stated where the prophet was 
 cast on shore, but in all probability it 
 was somewhere on the coast of Palestine. 
 According to some, the fish carried him, 
 during the three days and three nights, 
 down the Mediterranean, and through 
 the Archipelago, and the Propontis, into 
 the Euxine sea, and deposited him on 
 the south coast, at the nearest point to 
 Nineveh! Not to mention how the 
 Rabbins make him reach that city by 
 the Tigris ! ! 
 
Cuavr. III. JONAH. 211 
 
 CHARTER, ELE 
 
 TuIs chapt. contains an account of the renewal of the prophet’s commission, 1, 2; his preach- 
 ing to the Ninevites, 3, 4; the universal humiliation and reformation effected by it, 5-9; 
 and the reversal of the Divine sentence by which the city had been doomed to destruc- 
 tion, 10. 
 
 1. Awnp the word of Jehovah was communicated to Jonah a second 
 time, saying: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and make the 
 3 proclamation to it which I order thee. And Jonah arose, and 
 went to Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nin- 
 eveh was a great city even to God, of three days’ journey. 
 
 το 
 
 4 And Jonah began to enter the city, a journey of one day ; and 
 he proclaimed, and said: Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be 
 
 ‘overthrown. 
 
 5 And the men of Nineveh believed in God, and proclaimed a 
 fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them, even to the 
 
 6 least of them. 
 
 And the subject reached the king of Nineveh, 
 
 and he arose from his throne, and put off his robe, and covered 
 
 7 himself with sackcloth, and sat in the ashes, 
 
 3. Dots mbina ay, ὦ city great to 
 God. This phrase has been variously ex- 
 plained. Some, with Kimchi, deem it 
 merely a superlative form ; Gesenius con- 
 strues the instrumentally, great through 
 God, ¢. 6. through his favor. Others con- 
 sider it to be equivalent to "mts 7255, 
 before God, Gen. x. 9. Thus the Targ. 
 "> <onp. Of this last interpretation I 
 approve, as it was most natural to refer 
 the size of a city, to which the Hebrews 
 could form no adequate conception, to 
 the Divine estimation. I have accord- 
 ingly rendered the words literally, as our 
 preposition zo is often used to note opin- 
 ion or estimate. For the dimensions of 
 Nineveh, as here given, see on chap. i. 
 2. The opinion of Abarbanel, that the 
 diameter of the city is intended, is justly 
 exploded. 
 
 4. It is impossible to determine how 
 far Jonah penetrated into Nineveh, since 
 it is provable that in making his an- 
 
 And a proclama- 
 
 nouncement he would stop at different 
 places, as the crowds might collect around 
 him. 
 
 5. When Donts3 Ἐπ πι believing in 
 God, is spoken of in reference to such as 
 had previously been ignorant of him, it 
 must be taken as involving the recogni- 
 tion of his being and character as the 
 true God, and not simply their giving 
 credit to the announcements of his mes- 
 sengers. ΤῸ express the latter, > Ἴ2 Ἐπὶ 
 
 is employed. See Gen. xlv. 26; Is. liii. 
 1. All, without distinction of age or 
 rank, put on sackcloth, the usual attire 
 of deep mourning. 
 
 6-8. Who the king of Assyria was at 
 the time, is not certain. Pul, the first 
 monarch of that empire mentioned by 
 name in Scripture, did not begin to reign 
 till 8. c. 769. Some are of opinion that 
 it was Sardanapalus ; if so, his repent- 
 ance was the more remarkable, for ac- 
 cording to the ancients he was pro- 
 
212 
 
 10 
 
 JONAH. Cuar. HE 
 tion was made through Nineveh, by order of the king and his 
 grandees, saying, Let neither man nor beast, ox nor sheep, taste 
 anything ; let them not feed, neither let them drink water. 
 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry 
 mightily unto God; and let them turn every one from his 
 wicked way, and from the violence which is in their hands. 
 Who knoweth but that God may turn and repent, and turn 
 away from the fierceness of his anger, that we perish not ?. 
 And God saw their works, that they turned from their wicked 
 way, and God repented of the evil which he had said he would 
 
 inflict upon them, and he inflicted it not. 
 
 verbially notorious on account of his pro- 
 
 fligacy. 
 
 «Et venere, et coenis, et plumis Sarda- 
 napali,”’ Juvenal. Sat. iii. 
 
 It is said that he composed for his 
 epitaph, “ Eat, drink, play ; after death 
 there is no pleasure.” The description of 
 the mourning here given is very affect- 
 ing. That the irrational animals should 
 be represented as partaking in it, is far 
 from unnatural. 
 
 «Non ulli pastos illis egere diebus 
 
 Frigida, Daphni, boves ad flumina: nulla 
 neque amnem 
 
 Libavit quadrupes, nec graminis attigit 
 herbam.” Virg. Ecl. v. 24. 
 
 «Post bellator equus, positis insignibus, 
 /Ethon 
 
 It lacrymans, guttisque humectat gran- 
 dibus ora.” JEneid. xi. 89. 
 
 Plutarch informs us that when Masistias, . 
 
 a Persian general, was slain, the horses 
 and mules were shorn, as well as the 
 Persians themselves. 
 
 9. The Jewish interpreters follow the 
 construction put upon the words 9757 3, 
 who knoweth, in the Targum: Στὴ 2 
 3 3in ma ns7, whoever is conscious 
 
 that there are crimes in his hands ; only 
 Kimchi proposes another, ᾿Ξ πὸ 3777" "73 
 maiwnn, He who knoweth the ways of 
 repentance ; but it is obviously a formula 
 expressive of great guilt, yet involving 
 the hope of pardon. Comp. Joel ii. 14. 
 
 10. God is anthropopathically said to 
 repent, when he changes his mode of 
 procedure, or acts differently from what 
 his promises or threatenings had given 
 reason to expect. The threatening in 
 the present case having been conditional, 
 was repealed on the performance of the 
 implied condition. ‘To what extent the 
 repentance of the Ninevites was genuine 
 in its character, and how long the refor- 
 mation of manners here specified lasted, 
 we are not informed ; but there is reason 
 to fear it was of short continuance, for 
 after their city had been besieged for 
 three years by Arbaces the Mede, it was 
 taken and destroyed. Diod. Sic. ii. 26, 
 etc. Thus fell the ancient Assyrian 
 dynasty, and gave place to that of the 
 Medes, which continued till the time of 
 Cyaxares, when Nineveh, which had 
 been rebuilt, was again destroyed, and 
 finally ceased to be an imperial residence, 
 See Preface to the Book of Nahum. 
 
Cuar. IV. 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 213 
 
 CHAPTER: Hiv. 
 
 Tux selfish and repining spirit of the prophet, and the means employed by Jehovah to re- 
 
 prove and instruct him, are here set forth. 
 
 
 
 1 Bur Jonah was exceedingly displeased and vexed. And he 
 2 prayed to Jehovah, and said: Ah! now, Jehovah! was not this 
 my word while I was yet in my own country? Wherefore I an- 
 ticipated it by fleeing to Tarshish ; for I knew that thou art a 
 gracious and merciful God, long-suffering, and of great kindness, 
 
 3 and repentant of the evil. 
 
 And now, O Jehovah! take, I pray 
 
 thee, my life from me; for my death were better than my life. 
 4 And Jehovah said to him: Art thou much vexed ? 
 
 1. Unwarrantable attempts have been 
 made to soften down the character of 
 Jonah, as exhibited in this chapter. The 
 utmost that can be advanced in extenua- 
 tion of his conduct, is, the strong tinc- 
 ture of national prejudice with which his 
 spirit appears to have been imbued. Com. 
 Luke ix. 54.¢ mm, however seems to 
 be here used, not in the sense of being 
 enraged or angry, but in that of being 
 the subject of grief or sorrow. Comp. 
 1 Sam. xv. 11; 2Sam.vi.8. Grief and 
 anger are passions nearly related; and 
 in illustration of this application of τ 1, 
 to burn, the following instances may be 
 adduced ; 
 
 Tis σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυ- 
 ροῦμαι; 2 Cor. xi, 29. 
 "AAN ὦ Καλονίκη κάομαι τὴν καρδίαν, 
 Kal πολλ᾽ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ἄχϑο- 
 
 μαι. Aristoph, Lysist. v. 9. 
 « Eheu disperii! voltus neutiquam hujus 
 placet. 
 
 Tristis incedit, pectus ardet.” 
 Plaut. Mercat. Act iii. Se. 4, v. 14, 
 «ς Tum vero exarsit Juveni dolor ossibus 
 ingens.” JEneid. v. 172. 
 And the declaration of Cicero: ‘ Non 
 angor, sed ardeo dolore.” — Epist. ad 
 Attic. vi. 9. 
 2. “27, my word, i. 6. what I spake 
 
 within myself, my cogitation. tsp is 
 here taken in the sense of doing anything 
 in order to anticipate another. Jonah 
 acknowledges that he used all despatch 
 in his attempt to leave Palestine. The 
 description of the Divine goodness here 
 given agrees verbally with that exhibited 
 Joel ii. 18. He recollected the numerous 
 instances in which, instead of executing 
 his threatenings, Jehovah had, in the 
 exercise of his patience, borne with the 
 guilty, and even interposed with illus- 
 trious acts of pardon ; and he was afraid 
 of compromising his character by an- 
 nouncing what he had reason to expect 
 might never take place. 
 
 4 58 ποτὶ 20°11} most modern versions 
 improperly render, “ dost thou well,” or, 
 «is it right in thee to be angry?” their 
 authors not adverting to the fact that the 
 Hiph. Infinitive of 207 is often used 
 adverbially in the acceptation, greatly, 
 exceedingly, thoroughly, or the like. See 
 Deut. ix. 21, xiii. 15; 2 Kings xi. 18. In 
 like manner the finite form ni nnd m20°n, 
 Jer. i. 12. Thus the LXX. εἰ σφόδρα 
 
 ρ 
 
 vy mn 
 λελύπησαι ot; the Syr. Ay Soo } 
 8 
 yi and the Targ. 94> 997.7 Siobn 
 
 Kimchi explains, sia 45 nnn px, Art 
 thou much grieved? and adds, 20°" 
 
214 
 
 5 
 
 JONATI., Cuar. IV. 
 
 And Jonah went out of the city, and sat to the east of the 
 city, and there made a booth for himself, and sat under it in the 
 shade, till he should see what would happen in the city. And 
 Jehovah God had appointed 4 ricinus plant, and he caused it to 
 rise up over Jonah, to be a shade over his head, to deliver him 
 from his affliction: and Jonah rejoiced exceedingly on account of 
 the ricinus. 
 
 But God appointed a worm, at the rising of the dawn, on the 
 morrow, and it injured the ricinus, so that it withered. And it 
 came to pass at the sun-rise, that God appointed a sultry east 
 wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, and he fainted, 
 and requested that he might die; for he said, My death were bet- 
 
 5 =. aif? 
 
 been 
 ““0} “7? 
 
 pan As for 20°, τέ 
 imports the strengthening of a subject. 
 The renderings, Will grieving do thee 
 any good? and, Does beneficence offend 
 thee? are totally to be rejected. 
 
 5. We cannot determine on what day 
 Jonah abandoned his labors among the 
 Ninevites ; but it is evident from the 
 conclusion of this verse, that it must 
 have been before the lapse of the forty 
 days specified in his announcements. 
 
 6. +y21 I take to be the apocopated 
 Future of Hiphil, having p*rts min 
 for its nominative. ἡ 7» the kikaion or 
 ricinus plant (Ricinus communis, Linn.), 
 commonly known by the name of Padma 
 Christi. The word is the same as the 
 Egyptian KIKI, and the Talmudic Kik, 
 with the Hebrew termination. In Arabic 
 
 it is called 3{, El-Kheroa, which 
 Cre 
 
 is not to be confounded with “ἴα 
 ΒΕ 
 
 El-Karra, the eucurbita, LUXX. Κολο- 
 κύνϑη. Our English rendering gourd is 
 equally inappropriate. This plant is in- 
 digenous in India, Palestine, Arabia, Af- 
 rica, and the east of Europe, and on ac- 
 count of its singular beauty is cultivated 
 in gardens. It is a biannual, and usually 
 grows to the height of from eight to ten 
 feet. It is chiefly remarkable on account 
 of its leaves, which are broad, palmate, 
 and serrated, and divided into six or 
 seven lobes. Only one leaf grows on 
 a branch, but being large, sometimes 
 measuring more than a foot, and spread 
 
 out in the shape of an open hand with 
 the fingers extended, their collective 
 shade affords an excellent shelter from 
 the heat of the sun. It is of exceedingly 
 quick growth, and has been known in 
 America to reach the height even of 
 thirteen feet in less than three months. 
 When injured it fades with great rapidity. 
 See on ver. 10, Celsii Hierobot. pt. ii. 
 p- 273; Michaelis, Supplem. No. 2268 ; 
 Rosenmiiller, in the Biblical Cabinet, 
 vol. xxvii. p. 125; Michaelis, Bibel 
 Ubersetz., note on the passage, where 
 there is a plate with an excellent repre- 
 sentation of a ricinus. How much such 
 a shrub, throwing its palmy branches 
 over the small hut which the prophet 
 had erected, must have contributed to 
 his relief in the sultry environs of Nine- 
 vah, may easily be imagined. His joy 
 is emphatically described in the last 
 clause of the verse. 
 
 8. The π΄ πῇ Han, or east wind, is the 
 sultry and oppressive wind which blows 
 in the summer months across the vast 
 Arabian desert, and produces universal 
 languor and relaxation. It resembles 
 the Sirocco, only is free from its damp- 
 ness, and consequently more destructive 
 to vegetation. Superadded, as in the 
 present instance, to the heat of the 
 morning sun, it is exceedingly oppres- 
 sive. According to the versions, το Π 
 signifies withering ; otherwise, as derived 
 from Bh, it signifies to be guzet, silent, 
 etce., which better agrees with the idea of 
 sultriness, 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 215 
 
 9 ter than my life. And God said unto Jonah: Art thou much 
 10 vexed on account of the ricinus? And he said: Tam much 
 vexed, even to death. And Jehovah said: Thou art affected on 
 account of the ricinus, with which thou hadst no trouble, and 
 which thou didst not rear, which came in a night, and perished 
 
 ni 
 
 in a night; and I, should not I be affected on account of Nine- 
 
 veh, that great city, in which are more than twelve times ten 
 
 thousand human beings who 
 
 cannot distinguish between their 
 
 right hand and their left, and much cattle! 
 
 9. The words nsva—72 "b= =u", 
 the LXX. translate, Σφόδρα λελύπημαι 
 ἐγὼ ἕως ϑανάτον, which nearly agree 
 with those of our Lord, Mark xiv. 34. 
 
 10. o5n, properly signifies ¢o be affected 
 by the sight of anything; hence to 
 feel concern on account of it, to take 
 pity or compassion. I have employed 
 the passive form of our verb to affect, 
 in order to present in the translation a 
 word equivalent to that which is here 
 used in the original. ‘There seems to ne- 
 cessity for taking the Hebrew verb in two 
 acceptations. The formula, m>7>-j29 
 nay πιϑι δ πΊΞη το πα, lit. which was the son 
 of a night, and perished the son of a night, 
 is obviously intended to express the extra- 
 ordinary rapidity with which the ricinus 
 put forth its leaves and afterwards with- 
 ered, That the tree itself was instantane- 
 ously produced, cannot be proved from 
 this mode of speech, any more than from 
 the use of the verb =20, ver. 6; other- 
 wise we should be obliged, for the sake 
 of consistency, to maintain, that the 
 whole tree was miraculously destroyed, 
 and had entirely disappeared during the 
 night. sm and “33 are strictly anti- 
 thetical. But, as all that was required 
 in the one case, was that the broad 
 spreading leaves should wither, so as no 
 longer to afford protection to Jonah, 
 though the trunk remained; so all that 
 was necessary in the other was to give 
 to the tree which had been previously 
 
 produced, such an extraordinary accele- 
 rated power of germination, that the 
 leaves which would otherwise have re- 
 quired some longer time to come to ma- 
 turity, were brought to perfection in the 
 course of a night. 43, 4@ son, is used 
 idiomatically to express what is produced, 
 or exists, during the time predicated of 
 it. Thus it is resolved in the Targ. "π, 
 Tay NDTIS STH hs NIT PTT ἈΠ ἘΛῈΞ 
 which this night was, and in another 
 night perished. 
 
 11. The peculiar force of the appeal 
 lies in the immense number of rational 
 creatures Which must have perished had 
 Nineveh been destroyed, Estimating 
 the age of the children at about three 
 years, and assuming them to have formed 
 a fifth part of the population, which 15 
 the allowance generally made, we shall 
 have six hundred thousand as the num- 
 ber of inhabitants. In order to enhance 
 this number, and render it more affect- 
 ing, that of the irresponsible children is 
 estimated ; and if this did not produce a 
 suitable impression upon the mind of the 
 prophet, the number even of irrational 
 animals is adverted to, the latter being far 
 superior in point of mechanism and util- 
 ity to the shrub for which he was so 
 much concerned. 
 
 There is something in the abrupt man- 
 ner in which the book closes which is 
 highly calculated to produce its effect on 
 the mind of a reflecting reader. 
 
MC A ae 
 
 
 
 ; | PREFACE. 
 
 AccorDING to the introductory statement, chap. i. 1, Micah was a native 
 of Moresheth, which some take to be the same as Mareshah, ver. 15; but it 
 is rather the town called Moresheth-Gath, ver. 14, which, accordiug to Je- 
 rome, lay in the vicinity of the city of Eleutheropolis, to the west of Jeru- 
 salem, and not far from the border of the country of the Philistines. 
 
 His name, πιξ 2, Micah, or, as it is given in full in the Chethib, Jer. xxvi. 
 18, m2", Micaiah, signifies, who is like Jehovah ? 
 
 The time at which he flourished is stated in the introduction to have been 
 that of the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; i. 6. somewhere between 
 B. Cc. 757 and B. c. 699; in addition to which statement, we have a positive 
 testimony to his having prophesied in the days of Hezekiah, Jer. xxvi. 18, 
 where chap. iii. 12 is verbally quoted. He must, therefore, have been a con- 
 temporary of Isaiah and Hosea, and is not to be confounded with Micaiah 
 the son of Imlah, 1 Kings xxii. 8, who flourished upwards of a hundred years 
 before the reign of Jotham. 
 
 Hartmann and Eichhorn would refer the period of his ministry to the 
 region of Manasseh; but their hypothesis is justly rejected by Jahn, Rosen- 
 miiller, De Wette, and Knobel, on the ground, that all the circumstances 
 brought to view in his prophecies, perfectly harmonize with the state of 
 things in the days of the kings whose names are here specified. The unres- 
 trained license given to idolatry in the reign of Ahaz, will sufficiently ac- 
 count for the numerous gross and crying evils for which Micah reproves the 
 Jews, without our having recourse to the atrocities perpetrated in that of Ma- 
 nasseh. It is true, Hezekiah issued orders, that idolatry should be put down, 
 and the worship of the true God re-established ; but there is no reason to be- 
 lieve that the reformation was carried out to the full extent of his wishes. 
 The relations also of the Hebrews to the powerful empires of Assyria and 
 Egypt, are in exact accordance with the history of the same times. 
 
 The prophecies of Micah are directed partly against Judah, and partly 
 against Israel; but by far the greater number are of the former description. 
 He predicts the destruction of the kingdom of Israel, and of Samaria its cap- 
 ital; the desolation of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and the consequent cap- 
 tivity of the Jews; the restoration of the Jewish state ; the successes of the 
 Maccabees; and the advent and reign of the Messiah. He also administers 
 reproof to different ranks and conditions of men, and furnishes some striking 
 representations of the Divine character. 
 
PREFACE TO MICAH. 217 
 
 His style is concise, yet perspicuous, nervous, vehement, and energetic; 
 and in many instances, equals that of Isaiah in boldness and sublimity. He 
 is rich and beautiful in the varied use of tropical language ; indulges in pa- 
 ronomasias; preserves a pure and classical diction; is regular in the forma- 
 tion of his parallelisms; and exhibits a roundness in the construction of his 
 periods which is not surpassed by his more celebrated contemporary. Both 
 in administering threatenings and communicating promises, he evinces great 
 tenderness, and shows that his mind was deeply affected by the subjects of 
 which he treats. In his appeals he is lofty and energetic. His description 
 of the character of Jehovah, chap. vii. 18— 20, is unrivalled by any con- 
 tained elsewhere in Scripture. 4 
 
 Several prophecies in Micah and Isaiah are remarkably parallel with each 
 other; and there is frequently an identity of expression, which can only be 
 fairly accounted for on the ground of their having been contemporaneous 
 writers, who were not strangers to each other’s prophecies, and their having, 
 in a great measure, had the same subjects for the themes of their ministry. 
 See on Isaiah ii. 2-4. 
 
 The book may be divided into two parts; the first consisting of chapters 
 i—y.; and the second, the two remaining chapters, which are more general 
 
 and didactic in their character. 
 
 28 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 1 ἢ 
 
 THE prophet commences by summoning universal attention, while, in sublime language, 
 he describes the descent of Jehovah to punish the nation, 1-5; he predicts the destruction 
 of Samaria by the Assyrians, which he pathetically laments, 6-8; and then the advance 
 of Sennacherib against Jerusalem, 9-12; concluding with an enumeration of certain 
 towns of Judah, the inhabitants of which had more especially enjoyed his ministry, but 
 were to share in the desolating effects of the Assyrian invasion, and ultimately, with the 
 whole land, those of the Babylonian captivity. 
 
 1 Tue word of Jehovah which was communicated to Micah the 
 Morashthite, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings 
 of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. 
 
 2 Hear, all ye people! 
 
 Attend, O Earth! and its fulness! 
 And let the Lord Jehovah testify to you, 
 The Lord from his holy temple. 
 3 For, behold! Jehovah is coming forth from his place ; 
 
 1. *ngaix, contracted τυ τυ, a gen- 
 tilic, and not a patronymic, as some have 
 imagined. See the introduction, and on 
 ver. 14, 
 
 2. It is not a little remarkable, that 
 Micah should adopt as the first sentence 
 of his prophecy, that with which his 
 namesake concluded his denouncement 
 against Ahab, 1 Kings xxii. 28. Hengs- 
 tenberg is of opinion that he quoted the 
 words designedly, in order to show that 
 his prophetic agency was to be considered 
 as a continuation of that of his prede- 
 cessor, who was so zealous for God, and 
 that he had more in common with him 
 than the bare name. The words ὩΣ, 
 peoples, and Ὑπὸ earth, are by many, 
 and recently by Hitzig, confined to the 
 tribes and lund of the Hebrews ; but the 
 sublimity of the style, and the parallel 
 passages, Deut. xxxii. 28, Xxxiil. 1; and 
 Is. i. 2, induce to the conclusion, th 
 the prophet had all the inhabitants of t 
 globe in his eye. Thus Justi, Maurer, 
 and Ewald. tp, all of them, is an 
 instance of irregular construction, in 
 which the third person is put for the 
 second, ἘΞ᾿Ὲ 5, all of you. The same con- 
 
 struction is repeated in τιν 5, which the 
 LXX. render according to the sense, 
 καὶ πάντες of ἐν αὐτῇ. Comp. Amos 
 νἱ. 8 ; Is. xlii. 10, Instead of min? 7258, 
 four of Kennicott’s MSS. read 73m} 
 Dents; and, instead of “37% repeated, 
 upwards of fifty of his and De Rossi’s 
 read =4n7; but as the former cannct be 
 altered on the slight authority by which 
 it is supported, so it would be unwarrant- 
 able to adopt the latter reading, since the 
 second "δ πὰ is manifestly a repetition of 
 the first. LXX. Κύριος κύριος. Syt 
 oO v = 
 | 20 bo lpdo the Lord of lords. 
 It has been doubted whether by t="n 
 jo7p, his holy temple, in this place, the 
 temple at Jerusalem or heaven be meant ; 
 but the language expressive of descent, 
 which is employed in the following verse, 
 would seem to determine the correctness 
 of the latter interpretation. Comp. 1 
 Kings viii. 30; Ps. xi. 4. Jehovah 
 would bear testimony against the He- 
 brews, not any longer by his prophets, as 
 he now did, but by the judgments which 
 ke would inflict upon them. 
 
 3, 4. These verses are explanatory of 
 
€rvr. I. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 219 
 
 He will descend, and tread upon the heights of the earth. 
 4 he mountains shall be molten under him, 
 And the valleys shall cleave asunder, 
 
 Like wax before the fire, 
 
 Like water poured down a precipice. 
 
 5 By the transgression of Jacob is all this, 
 An‘ by the sin of the house of Israel. 
 What is the transgression of Jacob ? 
 
 Ts it not Samaria ? 
 
 And what are the high places of Judah ? 
 
 Are they not Jerusalem ? 
 
 6 Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field, 
 
 that which precedes them, and set forth, 
 in highly figurative language, the course 
 of the Divine judgment, and the tre- 
 mendous consequences that would fol- 
 low. The terrible majesty and resistless 
 power of Jehovah are expressed in im- 
 ages chiefly borrowed from earthquakes 
 and voleanic eruptions. Comp. Amos iv. 
 13; Ps. 1. 3, xevii. 5; Is. Ixiii. 19, xiv. 
 2; Hab. iii. 5. Fora striking image of 
 the same nature, see Jer. 1. 25, 26, which 
 cannot properly be explained, except on 
 the principle of reference to a volcano. 
 That of wax occurs Ps. Ixviii. 3, xcvii. 
 5. Comp. 
 « Quasi igni 
 
 Cera super calido tabescens multa liques- 
 
 cat.” Luer, vi. 512. 
 Some MSS. read nivasn, the hills, in- 
 stead of D-prarn, the valleys ; but ob- 
 viously as an emendation: the latter 
 being the more difficult reading. 715 1%, 
 a descent or precipice, from 7°, to 90, or 
 come down. ‘The events referred to were 
 the destruction of the kingdom of Israel 
 by Shalmaneser, and the invasion of 
 Judah by the armies of Sennacherib and 
 Nebuchadnezzar, by the latter of whom 
 the Jews were carried away captive. The 
 form ἈΞ’ τοῦ τ marks the futurity of the 
 event, and transmits a future significance 
 to the following verbs. 
 
 5. Jacob and Israel are applied to both 
 kingdoms in common, and are merely 
 used as synonymes for the sake of variety. 
 After explicitly declaring, that the awful 
 punishment which was about to be in- 
 
 flicted was on account of the sins of the 
 people generally, the prophet, by the 
 forcible employment of double interrog- 
 atives, the latter of which, being in the 
 negative, greatly strengthens the appeal, 
 traces these sins to their respective sour- 
 ces — metropolitan corruption. By me- 
 tonymy the effect is put for the cause, 
 For "2 used as a neuter, see on Jonah i. 
 8. For nixon the LXX., Targ., a con- 
 siderable number of MSS., and four of 
 the earliest printed editions, have the sin- 
 gular. The Syr. and Vulg. agree with 
 the Textus Receptus. nia, the 
 high places of Judah, were the elevated 
 spots on mountains and hills on which 
 the Jews erected chapels and altars for 
 unlawful, and very often for idolatrous 
 sacrifice, ete. 1 Kings xii. 3, xiv. 4; 
 Ezek. vi. 6. That these existed at Jeru- 
 salem, see Jer, xxxii. 35; and for the 
 length to which the practice was carried 
 in the time of Ahaz, see 2 Kings xvi. 4. 
 Instead of nia, the LXX., Syr., and 
 Targ. translate, as if nXun, sin, were the 
 true reading: What is the sin of Judah? 
 but though the latter word is found in 
 one of Kennicott’s MSS., and in the mar- 
 gin of another, it most probably origin- 
 ated in a desire to render the parallelism 
 complete, and cannot be allowed to en- 
 croach upon the present text. 
 
 6. Both in this and the preceding 
 verse Samaria is taken up first, because 
 its destruction was to precede that of 
 Jerusalem, and also, perhaps, to afford 
 the prophet an opportunity of afterwards 
 
 ey im ty 
 rr tart. 
 τ . 
 
220 
 
 The plantations of a vineyard : 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cup. £ 
 
 I will hurl her stones into the valley, 
 
 And lay bare her foundations. 
 
 “τ 
 
 All her images shall be broken to pieces, 
 
 All her rewards shall be burnt with fire, 
 
 And all her idols will I lay waste ; 
 
 For with the reward of a harlot she collected them, 
 And to the reward of a harlot they shall return. 
 
 expatiating more at large on the state of 
 things in Judah during the approaching 
 invasion. So complete should be the 
 overthrow of the northern capital, that 
 its site would resemble a heap of stones 
 or rubbish that had been gathered out 
 of a field; it would even be reduced to 
 what we may suppose it originally to 
 have been, a place for the cultivation of 
 the vine. Vineyards were most com- 
 monly planted on the south sides of 
 hills or mountains, on account of their 
 exposure to the sun; and in all pro- 
 bability that of Samaria had been appro- 
 priated to this purpose before it was 
 purchased by Omri, 1 Kings xvi. 24. 
 The stones of the city are graphically 
 said to be hurled down into the deep 
 valley below ; and that such was actually 
 the case, the present phenomena of the 
 ruins strongly attest. ‘'The whole face 
 of this part of the hill suggests the idea 
 that the buildings of the ancient city 
 had been thrown down from the brow of 
 the hill. Ascending to the top, we went 
 round the whole summit, and found 
 marks of the same process everywhere.” 
 — Narrative of the Scottish Mission of 
 Inquiry, pp. 293,294. "M937, and B39, 
 ver. 4, are from the root "22, to flow, 
 pour, or hurl down. For max mb, 
 comp. Ezek. xiii. 14. The very ’ founda- 
 tions of the edifices were to be laid bare, 
 great and ponderous as the stones might 
 be. 
 
 7. The prophet now delivers a special 
 prediction against the objects and accom- 
 paniments of the idolatrous worship, 
 which drew down the judgment of God 
 upon the devoted city, The >>*>s were 
 the images or idols, whether carved, 
 graven or molten, which were erected in 
 the temples, for the purpose of receiving 
 
 religious adoration. LXX. τὰ γλυπτά. 
 42s, properly means the wages or re= 
 ward of prostitution ; from τι τι, to give 
 a present or reward. ‘The word is here, 
 as elsewhere, employed in application to 
 idolatry, viewed as spiritual adultery or 
 fornication. Comp. Is. xxiii. 17, 18; 
 Ezek. xvi. 31, 34; Hos. ix. 1. Kim- 
 chi, Abarbanel, Michaelis, Maurer, and 
 others, are of opinion that the riches, ete., 
 of Samaria are thus spoken of, because 
 her idolatrous inhabitants imagined, that 
 they were rewards bestowed upon them 
 by their gods for their zeal and devoted- 
 ness to their service. It is more likely, 
 however, that the rich gifts or presents 
 are meant, which the apostate Israelites 
 dedicated to their idols, and with which 
 they adorned their temples. Comp. 
 Ezek, xvi, 38,34. Newcome seems to 
 incline to the idea, that the rewards of 
 harlotry, literally taken, are intended, 
 because these were appropriated to the 
 support of idolatry. ὈΠΞῈΣ is synony- 
 mous with ἘΛΕΠῸΞ ; only Hitzig thinks, 
 
 that a more costly kind of idols is meant 
 by the term, such as were made of silver, 
 and were of sufficient value to be carried 
 away as spoil. The entire establishment 
 of idolatry was to be broken up ; the idois 
 were to be cut in pieces; such as were of 
 wood, to be burnt in the fire ; and what- 
 ever was costly was to be removed by 
 the enemy to Assyria, there to be again 
 devoted to idols. Instead of map, three 
 of De Rossi’s MSS., three more originally, 
 and perhaps one more, the Brixian and 
 another ancient edition, without place 
 or date, read ΠΣΞῈ in Pual, which two 
 of Kennicott’s exhibit with Vau Shurek 
 instead of the Kibbutz. The Syr., Targ., 
 and Vulg., likewise have the passive, but 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 221 
 
 8. Therefore will I wail and howl; 
 
 I will go stripped and naked ; 
 
 I will set up a wailing like the wolves, 
 And a mourning like the ostriches. 
 9 For her wounds are desperate ; 
 
 Surely it hath come to Judah ; 
 
 He reacheth to the gate of my people, 
 
 Even to Jerusalem. 
 10 Tell it not in Gath ; 
 
 in the plural. The LXX. render, συνή- 
 yaye; which agrees with the common 
 punctuation. 
 
 8. So terrible should be the destruc- 
 tion with which the northern kingdom 
 would be visited, that it called for the 
 most marked tones and signs of sorrow. 
 In these the prophet declares he would 
 indulge, that he might thereby affect the 
 minds of his countrymen. s=5°x, with 
 Yod, may have been occasioned by the 
 preceding form =5*>"s; but there are 
 other verbs which do not reject it in the 
 future, as “p77, Ps. Ixxii. 14. tq, or, as 
 the Keri has it, $473, some interpret of 
 mental bereavement, a state in which the 
 mind is despoiled of its reasoning powers ; 
 but, combined as it here is with Biss, 
 nvked, it must be referred to the body, 
 and was in all probability designed to 
 describe the fect as stripped of shoes. 
 Thus the LXX. ἀνυπόδετος. The Syr. 
 
 ete for which compare n°, Is. xx. 
 
 2. For Oran, wolves, and mp M525, 08- 
 triches, see on Is. xiii. 22, and Pococke’s 
 very elaborate note on the present verse. 
 
 The Arab. has here, slid} Jin, 
 like the wolves, and so! τον λον cca 
 - ? 
 
 like lhe jackals. The former Michaelis 
 renders crocodiles, but less properly ,on ac- 
 count of the combination. The ancient 
 rendering, dragons, is altogether to be 
 rejected. Both kinds are selected on ac- 
 count of the piteously howling noice 
 which they make, especially in the 
 night. 
 
 9. myazy, the Pahul Participle of ¢:x, 
 to be desperately sick ; spoken of a wound, 
 to be incurable. ‘There is no necessity, 
 
 with Michaelis; to have recourse to 15, 
 and so to regard the form as the elongated 
 future of the first person singular. The 
 following noun, 77m1>3%, being in the 
 plural, the same number might be ex- 
 pected in the Participle; but it is a rule 
 of Hebrew syntax, that when, as in this 
 instance the predicate precedes the noun, 
 the number of feminine plurals is fre- 
 quently neglected. Comp. Jer. iv. 14. 
 ‘What the prophet has in view is the irre- 
 trievable ruin in which the Israelites as 
 a nation would be involved. But he not 
 only beholds, in prophetic vision, the 
 devastation of Samaria and its depend- 
 encies by the Assyrians; he sees their 
 invasion of Judah under Sennacherib, 
 and their investment of Jerusalem. Com, 
 Is. x. 28-32. The nominative to mya 
 is the calamity implied in 7"ni>%2 : that 
 to 5232 is 35, the enemy, understood. 
 There is the utmost propriety in the dis- 
 tinctive use of the genders in this place; 
 for though the inhabitants of Judah suf- 
 fered from the Assyrian invasion, the 
 calamity did not reach those of the capi- 
 tal: it was merely invested by the troops 
 of Rabshakeh, and was relieved by their 
 miraculous destruction. See Is. xxxvi. 
 XXXVil. 
 
 10. Comp. 2 Sam. i. 20, where the 
 words πολ τ δὶ m3 occur, though not 
 in the same order of arrangement. The 
 Philistines would hail with joy tidings 
 of any disaster that might befall the 
 Hebrews, and especially that occasioned 
 by the Assyrian attack. Deeply, there- 
 fore, as the Jews might be afflicted, they 
 are cautioned by Micah not to give 
 such public expression to their grief as 
 would reach the ears of their natural 
 
222 
 
 Weep not in Acco: 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuar, I. 
 
 At Beth-aphrah roll thyself in the dust. 
 11 Pass on, thou inhabitant of Shaphir, naked and ashamed ; 
 
 enemies, but to repair to Beth-Aphrah, a 
 city in the tribe of Benjamin, and there 
 deplore in secret the calamity which had 
 overtaken the land. Reland, Harenberg, 
 Hitzig, Maurer, and Ewald, take *>3 to 
 be a contraction of 13:53, which Gesenius 
 (Lex. swb. voc. 22) is inclined to adopt. 
 According to this construction, the ren- 
 dering will be, weep not in Acco, i. e. 
 Ptolemais, a maritime city in the tribe of 
 Asher. Other instances of » being drop- 
 ped, we have in "5 for "5.3, ἘΞ for ἢ 
 etc. ; and certainly the parallelism with 
 ra, the continued list of the names of 
 cities, and the regularity of the paro- 
 nomasias ἢ ΠΆΤΑ τ ἈΞ} 1DBH— IES; N23 
 “Ey πΉΣΣ Ὁ, are all in favor of this in- 
 terpretation, Though Acco was allotted 
 to the Asherites, they never took posses- 
 sion of it, Jud. i. 31, and its inhabitants 
 are, therefore, appositely classed along 
 with those of Gath, as taking pleasure 
 in the reverses of the Israelites. The 
 reading of the LXX. of Ἐνοκεὶμ μὴ», is in 
 all probability a corruption of of ἐν “Ake 
 uh, Which quite accords with the preced- 
 ing of ἐν Γὲϑ ph. The Arabic has 
 
 mat i Att, And those who 
 
 are in Akim. The name”Axn occurs in 
 Strabo, xvi. 2, 25. The town is still 
 
 called Lice. Akka, by the Arabs, and is 
 known to Europeans by the name of S¢. 
 Jean d’ Acre, which it obtained in the 
 time of the crusades, and is celebrated in 
 later times by its holding out a siege of 
 sixty-one days by the French army, and 
 its destruction by the explosion of a mag- 
 azine during the bombardment in 1840. 
 It is situated on the north angle of a 
 bay of the same name near the foot of 
 Mount Carmel. ποξΣ Ὁ nna, lit. the 
 House of Aphrah, or simply TIE Oph- 
 yah, Josh. xviii. 28; 1 Sam. xiii. 17, a 
 city in the tribe of Benjamin. The Ὁ is 
 here merely the sign of the genitive. 
 The verb $2 which occurs only in Hith- 
 pael, signifies to wallow or roll, as in dust, 
 
 Ὡ 5" 5 
 Anta 
 
 ashes, or the like. See Jer. vi. 26, xxv. 
 84; Ezek. xxvii. 30, While the He- 
 brews were not to expose the wretched- 
 ness of their condition to the contempt 
 of foreigners, it became them to bewail it 
 within their own borders. ~2b=nn, rod 
 thyself, is to be preferred to smstenn, ὦ 
 roll myself. It is the reading of the 
 Keri, and many MSS. have it in the 
 text. The Syr., Targ., and Vulg., have 
 the third person plural, which is more 
 easily traceable to "3>Enn than to 
 sro SENT a. Besides, it seems more nat- 
 ural ‘to ‘connect this verb with "422 in 
 the following verse, than to suppose that 
 the prophet resumes his lamentation ver. 
 8. Some take the verb to be the second 
 feminine of the preterite, with the Yod 
 paragogic; but every difficulty is re- 
 moved by adopting the imperative. 
 
 11. Ines “422, the second singular 
 feminine of the verb is followed by the 
 second plural masculine of the pronoun, 
 on the principle that though the collec- 
 tive participial noun may4> is feminine, 
 it was designed to include the inhabitants 
 of both sexes. ἘΞ is not redundant, as 
 Justi asserts, but emphatic, as the Dativus 
 incommodi, “5%, Shaphir, means fair 
 or beautiful. Dr, Robinson states that 
 there are still three villages of the name 
 of Sawdfir, which are noted on the map 
 as lying nearly halfway between Ashdod 
 and Eleutheropolis, a position not much 
 differing from that assigned by Eusebius 
 and Jerome to Saphir. Palestine, vol. 
 ii. p. 370. Hitzig and Ewald think that 
 ποῦ, Shamir, is meant, which is enu- 
 merated among the cities of Judah, Josh, 
 xv. 48, which Eusebius calls Ξαφείρ. The 
 Chald. of the Targ. j-2n>3 wid 359 
 “Eda isv ery improperly rendered i in the 
 Latin, “Transite vobis qui habitatis in pul- 
 chritudine,” though the LXX. had trans- 
 lated the word by καλῶς. The Syr. has 
 
 Yo Pes 
 ito? [izsehas, inhabitress of Sha- 
 
 phir. 'To Samaria there seems no good 
 reason to refer it, since all the other 
 
 
 
Cuapr. I. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 223 
 
 The inhabitant of Zaanan goeth not forth ; 
 
 The wailing of Beth-ezel will take away continuance from you. 
 12 Surely the inhabitant of Maroth pineth for her goods. 
 
 Because evil hath come down from Jehovah, 
 
 To the gate of Jerusalem. 
 
 13 Bind the chariot to the swift steed, O inhabitant of Lachish! 
 
 places specified in the connection were in 
 Judah. nga-n747, lit. nakedness, shame, 
 for shamefully naked, ὃ. e. entirely so. 
 Comp. as to form, PITT, Ps. xlv. 5. 
 What is here predicted is, that the 
 inhabitants of Shaphir were to be led 
 away as captives by the Assyrians ; only 
 for the sake of effect the Imperative is 
 used. See on Is. vi. 10. For the naked 
 condition in which captives were re- 
 moved, see on Is. xx. 4. 13 SS; Zaanan, 
 in all probability the same as 43, Zenan, 
 a city in the tribe of Judah, Josh. xv. 37. 
 It properly signifies the place of flocks ; 
 but to form a paronomasia with it, the 
 prophet employs the verb ἈΝ"; or the 
 peculiar orthography of the noun may 
 have been adopted in order to make it 
 correspond in appearance and sound with 
 the verb. Comp. 38x, 82s, and ποῖ, 
 which are only different modes of express- 
 ing sheep or flocks. The inhabitants of 
 this city, under the influence of fear, did 
 not venture forth from their retirement 
 to condole with their neighbors who had 
 been taken prisoners by the enemy, or 
 they did not come forth to their rescue. 
 10.0 Σενναὰρ. Aq. Σεναάν. ἘΣ ΤΙ m3, 
 Beth-ezel, in all probability the same as 
 bun, Azel, Zech. xiv. 5, but where the 
 town so called was situated, we are not 
 informed. To judge from the connec- 
 tion, it must have been in the vicinity 
 of Shaphir and Zaanan, and not near 
 Samaria, as Ephraim Syrus conjectured. 
 The words ἘΞ np? bax nz 7b" 
 in7ey, have areal ‘perplexed interpre- 
 ters. Some regard ἼΞῸ3 as the Aramaic 
 Infinitive, and connect it with the pre- 
 ceding πῆ; and, supposing 371K, the 
 enemy, understood, to be the nominative 
 to Hp, explain τ} Ὁ) of a military post. 
 But this construction affords no tolerable 
 sense. Others render m7 Ta, measure, 
 conjecture, and the like, contrary to all 
 
 usage. For other interpretations, see 
 Pococke, zm Joc. It seems best to abide 
 by the idea suggested by the root 7123, to 
 remain, continue, endure, and interpret, 
 As for the wailing of Beth-ezel, it taketh 
 away its continuance from you ; i, e. the 
 inhabitants of that city cease to mourn 
 on your account. The Shaphirites are 
 addressed, as having gone at once into 
 captivity and oblivion. Most likely their 
 city was larger and more populous, and 
 on this account was attacked by the 
 Assyrians, while the smaller towns in 
 the neighborhood escaped, Gesenius 
 thinks that in ΣᾺ there is an allusion 
 
 to the Arabic etymology ro! , firmly, 
 
 or deeply rooted in the earth, as what was 
 so might be expected to continue ; but 
 this is very doubtful. 
 
 12, Of τι πὸ, Maroth, (bitternesses,) 
 we have nowhere any account. m7, 
 Maarath, Josh. xv. 50, to which New- 
 come refers, appears to have been a dif- 
 ferent place. From the relation in 
 which it is here put to Jerusalem, it 
 probably lay between the afore-men- 
 tioned towns and the capital, against 
 which a great army under Rabshakeh 
 proceeded from Lachish, and doubtless 
 ae all that came in their way. 
 aixt mtn, Newcome, after Houbigant, 
 changes into nm a> mom, and Seiden! is 
 
 sick unto death ; but altogether without 
 authority. The meaning is, that the 
 inhabitants were pained or grieved on 
 account of the property of which they 
 had been robbed by the enemy. Thus 
 Rosenmiiller, Gesenius, De Wette, and 
 Hesselberg. The former ~5 is not causa- 
 tive, but is used, as frequently at the 
 beginning of a verse, to express certainty. 
 For the last clause, compare ver. 9. 
 
 18. For Lachish, see on Is. xxxvi. 2. 
 
 ton ands, form aparonomasia. 234, 
 
224 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. L 
 
 (She was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion) 
 
 Surely in thee were found the transgressions of Israel. 
 14 Therefore thou shalt give a divorce to Moresheth-Gath ; 
 
 The houses of Achzib shall prove false to the kings of Israel. 
 15 Farther, I will bring the possessor to thee, O inhabitant of 
 
 Mareshah ! 
 
 He shall come to Adullam, the glory of Israel. 
 
 signifies a fleet courser. Arab. ass : 
 
 cucurrit. => is in the musculine, though 
 connecting with n234> in the feminine, 
 because placed first in the order of the 
 words. The word occurs only here, but 
 obviously has the signification of the Arab. 
 
 μ᾽» ligavit. ΑΒ anoun ἘΠῚ signifies 
 
 broom, because this shrub was used 
 for binding. In the middle clause of 
 the verse there is a change of person 
 from the second to the third, but in the 
 last clause the second is resumed. For 
 a similar instance, in which, for the sake 
 of graphic effect the third person is 
 thus abruptly introduced, see Is. xxii. 16. 
 Lachish appears to have formed the link 
 of idolatry between Israel and Judah, 
 Lying on the frontier of the former 
 kingdom, she was the first city in Judah 
 that was led away by the sin of Jeroboam, 
 and from her the infection spread, till at 
 length it reached Jerusalem itself. In 
 the prospect of a sudden attack, it be- 
 hooved the inhabitants to use all despatch 
 in removing their families, and what 
 property they could take with them, to a 
 distance. Lachish was besieged by Sen- 
 nacherib before the threatened attack on 
 Jerusalem, 2 Kings Xvill. 14. 
 
 14. Ὁ πῆ is used of the presents or 
 dowry sent with a wife, 1 Kings ix. 16, 
 and of letters of divorce sent with her 
 when she is dismissed by her husband. 
 In the acceptation ἐξαποστελλομένους, 
 messengers, as given by the LXX,, it 
 nowhere occurs. The term appears to 
 be here employed metaphorically to de- 
 note the breaking up, or dissolution of all 
 connection between Lachish and More- 
 sheth-Gath ; the former city having 
 been taken by the Assyrians, was no 
 
 longer able to afford protection or support 
 to the latter. The nominative to "2mm, 
 is M2¢i> in the preceding verse. Ly is 
 equivalent, in this connection, to tx. 
 rims, Moresheth, the birth-place of 
 Micah, (see Preface) is here said to belong 
 to Gath, most probably because it was 
 in its vicinity, and under its jurisdiction, 
 when in possession of the Philistines, 
 D158) Achzib. There were two cities of 
 this name, one on the sea-coast, between 
 Acco and Tyre, now called by the Arabs 
 
 ay, Ez-Zib. Josh. xix. 29 ; Jud. i. 
 
 31; and the other in the tribe of Judah, 
 between Keilah and Mareshah, Josh. xy. 
 44, That the latter is here intended, is 
 evident from the connection ; for though, 
 at first view, the mention of the kings of 
 Israel might lead us to suppose that a 
 city bordering on the northern kingdom 
 is meant, yet the fact that Israel is 
 sometimes put for the whole people of 
 the Hebrews, and sometimes even for 
 the kingdom of Judah, as 2 Chron. 
 XXviii. 19, proves, that the mere use of 
 the term can form no objection to this 
 construction of the passage. It was most 
 probably the same place that is called 
 5.15, Chezib, Gen. xxxviii. 5. By an 
 elegant paronomasia, a*t=s 73, the 
 houses of Achzib, are said to become 
 at=x, deceitful. Comp. a1>8 $n, a de- 
 ceitful torrent, i.e. one which, haying 
 dried up, disappoints the hope of the trav- 
 eller. Jobvi. 17-19; Jer. xv. 18. Arab. 
 οὖσ fefellit, irritus vanusque fecit. 
 The expectations of further aid from the 
 families, or inhabitants of that place, 
 should prove fruitless. 
 
 15. “2x is a defective reading of x72, 
 which many MSS, have in the text. In 
 
ΒΕ II. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 225 
 
 16 Make bald thy head, and shave it because of thy darling child- 
 
 ren 5 
 
 Enlarge thy baldness like that of the eagle ; 
 For they are gone into captivity from thee. 
 
 75> and many is another paronomasia, 
 Mareshah lay in the plains of Judah, 
 Josh. xv. 44. It was fortified by Reho- 
 boam, 2 Chron. xi. 8, and was famous 
 for the victory obtained over the Ethio- 
 pians by Asa, 2 Chron. xiv. 9,10. Ac- 
 cording to Josephus, Antiq. xii. 8, 6, it 
 had been in the power of the Idumeans, 
 but was retaken by Alexander the son 
 of Aristobulus, Antiq. xiii. 15, 4, xiv. 
 1, 4. The possessor or occupier here 
 predicted is Sennacherib, who took Ma- 
 reshah and the other fortified cities of 
 Judah, 2 Kings xviii. 14. To point him 
 out with greater emphasis the article is 
 used: inion, “ The possessor.” cry, 
 ᾿ Adullam, was another city of Judah in 
 the same direction, and near the former, 
 . Josh. xy. 35. It was a royal residence 
 in the time of the Canaanites, Josh. 
 xii. 15; was fortified by Rehoboam, 
 2 Chron. xi. 7; and had villages de- 
 pendent upon it, Neh. xi. 30. Of 435 
 tou various interpretations have been 
 given; such as the wealth or riches of 
 Israel, their multitude, their nobility, 
 their weight of calamity, etc. Some take 
 the words to be in the nominative, some 
 in the accusative, and some in the 
 vocative case. The most natural con- 
 struction is that of our common version, 
 according to which they are in apposi- 
 tion with ἘΞ 5, Adullam, and express 
 the superior situation of the place and 
 its neighborhood. Thus also Schmidius, 
 Rosenmiiller, and Hesselberg. 
 
 16. The prophet concludes this geo- 
 graphical part of his denunciations by 
 addressing himself to the land of Judah, 
 and calling upon her to put on signs of 
 deep-felt grief on account of the removal 
 of her inhabitants. ‘>>, dand, is to be 
 supplied, rather than er ra, daughter 
 of Zion. Baldness, and cutting off the 
 beard, are tokens of mourning in the 
 East, as they were among the nations 
 of antiquity. Ezra ix. 3; Job i. 20; 
 Jer. vii. 21, xvi. 6, xlviii. 37. “ Regulos 
 quosdam barbam posuisse et uxorem cap- 
 ita rasisse, ad indicium mazximi luctus.” 
 Suetonius, in his Life of Caligula, chap. v. 
 *“ When Khaled ben Walid ben Mogairah 
 died, there was not a female of the house 
 of Mogairah, either matron or maiden, 
 who caused not her hair to be cut off at 
 his απ σα]. Harmer’s Observ. iii. p. 5. 
 One species of eagle is called the bald 
 eagle, from the circumstance of its having 
 its head almost entirely bald; but they 
 all more or less exhibit baldness during 
 the moulting season. DBM, delights, 
 from 3:9, Arab. ic 
 
 » amatorius, fo- 
 mine gestus, to delight, be delighted, live 
 delicately. It is in the former of these 
 acceptations that the noun is here used. 
 
 As but few of the inhabitants of Judah 
 could have been carried away by Sen- 
 nacherib, it is obvious the prophet must 
 have a much more desolating calamity 
 in view in this verse, viz., the Babylonish 
 captivity. 
 
 CHART ΤΙ. 
 
 HAVING announced the punishments which were to be inflicted upon his people for the 
 evils in which they indulged, Micah now proceeds to specify some of these evils, 1, 2; 
 and renews his denunciations, 3--5. He then censures those who could not endure to hear 
 
 29 
 
226 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Gaar. TE 
 
 the truth, but wished for predictions of good, and shows that no such predictions could 
 reasonably be expected by them, 6-11; concluding, however, with gracious promises of 
 
 restoration after the captivity, 12, 13. 
 
 
 
 1 Wo to those who devise wickedness, 
 And fabricate evil upon their beds ; 
 In the morning light they effect it, 
 Because it is in the power of their hand, 
 
 2 They covet fields, and take them by force, 
 And houses, and take them away : 
 They oppress a man and his house, 
 
 A man and his possession. 
 
 3 Wherefore thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 Behold! I devise an evil against this family, 
 
 1. Comp. Is. x. 1, 2. In the verbs 
 23m, >28, and mz, is evidently a gra- 
 dation. ‘The first describes the concep- 
 tion of the evil purpose in the mind; the 
 second, the preparation or τς of 
 the scheme; and the third, the carrying 
 of it into effect. Comp. Ps. lvii. 3; Is. 
 xli. 4; Hos. xi. 9. The πὶ in πη. is 
 the feminine used as a neuter, to agree 
 with the nouns 458 and 34, as forming a 
 neuter plural accusative. The phrase 
 
 “ΒΕ πὸ ds occurs also Gen, xxxi. 29 ; Proy. 
 iii. 27; and with the negative, Deut. 
 xxviii. 32; Neh. vy. 5. It is rendered by 
 the LXX. οὐκ ἦραν πρὸς τὸν ϑεὸν χεῖρας 
 which the Syr. gives without 
 
 Vee 
 
 «ὁσιαραὶ τὸ τς ΑΞ ς 
 Tout ee and lift up their hands to 
 
 God. YVulg. quoniam contra Deum est 
 manus eorum. Some consider the words 
 to be equivalent to the Dextra mihi Deus 
 of Virgil, and appeal to Job xii. 6, and 
 Hab. i. 11, where, however, the phrase- 
 ology is different; while others take $x 
 to be the shorter form of the demonstra- 
 tive pronoun But the true mean- 
 ing seems to be ‘that given in our com- 
 mon. version, according to which $y is to 
 be taken in its literal signification of 
 power, strength, ete. ‘Thus Pococke, 
 Rosenmiiller, Bauer, Dathe, De Wette, 
 Gesenius, Hitzig, and Ewald, after the 
 
 αὐτῶν, 
 
 the negative: 
 
 TON. 
 
 Targ. Wine πὴ eben mos “x, and Kim- 
 chi, O297 priest ἘΠὼῚΞ A> w “5, be- 
 cause there is power in their hand to 
 oppress the poor. Just as the LXX. 
 render, ἰσχύει ἣ χεὶρ, Gen. xxxi. 29, and 
 Deut. xxviii. 32. That »> is to be taken 
 causatively, and not conditionally, is 
 evident from the connection. 
 
 2. Before nema repeat san. Fifty- 
 two MSS., six by correction, two origin- 
 ally; four ancient and nineteen other 
 printed editions; the Alex. MS. of the 
 LXX., the Targ., Vulg., and Arab., omit 
 ἡ before cox. The parallelisms in this 
 verse are very elegant. 
 
 3. 23m and myn correspond here to 
 
 59} and 34 in ver. 1. ἘΠΕ Θ᾽ Rosen- 
 miiller and Maurer adrenal to signify 
 “‘certum genus hominum nequam et per- 
 versum ;”’ as if the prophet intended to 
 single out such of the people as com- 
 mitted the atrocious acts specified ver. 
 2; but it is more likely that the whole 
 people, viewed as rebellious and corrupt, 
 ismeant. Seeon Amos iii: 1. The figure 
 of a yoke is here employed for the purpose 
 of expressing the heavy and oppressive 
 nature of the bondage to which the He- 
 brews were to be subjected. 7, 
 
 thence, has the force of a pronoun in 
 om 
 
 LXX. ἐξ ὧν. ὅγε. oLL&S. 
 1 Kings xvii, 18; 
 
 this place. 
 Comp. Gen, iii. 23; 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 227 
 
 From which ye shall not withdraw your necks, 
 Neither shall ye walk haughtily ; 
 
 For it shall be an evil time. 
 
 4 In that day shall one sing a ditty respecting you, 
 And employ a doleful lamentation, 
 
 And say: 
 
 Weare utterly destroyed. 
 
 He hath changed the portion of my people, 
 How hath he withdrawn it from me! 
 To an apostate he hath divided our fields ! 
 5 Therefore thou shalt not have one to cast the line by lot, 
 In the congregation of Jehovah. 
 
 Ezek. v. 3. So oppressive should be the 
 yoke, that it would be impossible for 
 them to hold themselves erect. LXX. 
 bpSoi. Targ. + maip3, Test. The term 
 
 main is selected with special reference to 
 the elated and haughty manner in which 
 they had conducted themselves. It is 
 properly a substantive, from tan, to be 
 high, but is here used adverbially. 
 
 4. For 5: nwa, see on 15. xiv. 4. The 
 verb is here used impersonally. That 
 this Mashal was to be employed by the 
 Jews themselves, and not by their ene- 
 mies, is evident from its tenor, as it fol- 
 lows in the verse. ἘΞ 52), therefore, is 
 not to be rendered against you, but on 
 your account. 972 ὅτι} m3, naka, nehi, 
 nihyah, form an “elegant paronomasia. 
 There can be no doubt that 73, damenta- 
 tion, is derived from 772, ἕο lament ; but 
 whether mm) be likewise derived from it, 
 and consequently merely the feminine of 
 “73, or whether it be the Niphal of the 
 substantive verb m:n, ἐο be, is disputed. 
 The harshness that would arise from 
 rendering the words, One shall lament 
 with a lamentation, it is done! militates 
 against the latter derivation ; whereas, 
 by taking all the three words as cognates, 
 having the same signification, the sentence 
 is at once easy and forcible. The relative 
 position of the verbs Xw2, 773, and “ὩΣ 
 confirms this construction. Thus the 
 LXX. and Vulg. καὶ ϑρηνηϑήσεται Sphvos 
 ἐν μέλει, et cantabitur canticum cum 
 suavitate. And the Arab., employing 
 for the two first words terms cognate with 
 
 the Hebrew, ass cr clk: δ 
 
 τοῦ τ 15 the feminine of 513, just as π᾿ ξ 
 is of "28, and 772% of sou. The femi- 
 nine is added to the masculine for the 
 sake of emphasis. Comp. Is. iii. 1, 
 only there the nouns are joined by the 
 copulative 1. The three verbs above 
 specified are used impersonally. The 
 nominative to the following verbs, “2, 
 
 tan, and pi, is Jehovah, understood. 
 
 πρῶ, Syr. po, to buy ; in Aphel - α Roll Ξ 
 to sell, or deliver an article into the hand 
 of the purchaser ; Arab. ἡ yk: hue illue 
 
 mota fuit res, transivit. The verb is 
 here employed to convey the idea of a 
 change of masters, or the passing of the 
 land of the Hebrews into the power of 
 their enemies. 323% is a verbal noun, 
 from the Pilel of a4, to turn, turn back ; 
 here used in a bad sense, one who has 
 turned back, or away from God; apos- 
 tate, rebel, cdolater. Comp. Is. xivii. 10, 
 lvii. 17; Jer. xlix. 4. The idolatrous 
 king of Babylon is meant. 
 
 5. => is a repetition of that used at 
 the beginning of ver. 3, and for the same 
 purpose. The nominative to 73, thee, is 
 ty, people, occurring in the preceding 
 verse; and the denunciation relates to 
 their being completely at the disposal of 
 their enemies : none of themselves being 
 permitted to allot to them portions οἵ, 
 the land for inheritance. According to 
 Hitzig the words are addressed by the 
 ungodly Jews to Micah himself, and 
 
ΕΣ 
 
 228 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 6 Prophesy not; those shall prophesy 
 Who will not prophesy of these things: 
 
 Reproaches are incessant. 
 
 7 What language, O house of Jacob! 
 Is the Spirit of Jehovah shortened ? 
 
 Are these his operations ? 
 
 Do not my words benefit him that walketh uprightly ὃ 
 
 intimate that they would put him and 
 his family to death for prophesying 
 against them. 
 
 6. The words ἼΞ.325 ἸΏ πὸ 
 mbsb 2p 22-85, which contain a smooth 
 and elegant paronomasia, are very enig- 
 matical, but must neither be rendered, 
 “ Prophesy not, they say to those who 
 should prophesy : they shall not prophesy 
 to such.” Or: ‘ Prophesy not; they 
 shall prophesy who will not prophesy of 
 such things.”” In the former case the 
 interdicting language of the rebellious to 
 the prophets is simply given, and then 
 we have the Divine declaration, that it 
 should be as they desired. They should 
 be judicially abandoned to their own 
 ways; and, as they would not hearken 
 to the prophets when they predicted evil, 
 they should be deprived of their ministry 
 altogether, and not receive from them 
 any predictions of good. In the Iatter, 
 the language is entirely that of the 
 people, by which they not merely stop 
 the mouths of the true prophets, but de- 
 clare that those only should be permitted 
 to prophesy to them who abstained from 
 denunciations of evil. The former re- 
 quires 3x5 to be supplied before 5.95 ; 
 the latter, “EN : before 53 τὴ. The 
 formula δ pon is used ver, 11, both in 
 reference to the persons to whom the pre- 
 diction is addressed, and to that which Ἢ 
 the subject of the prophecy: 95> τα 
 3724, «I will prophecy ¢o thee of w ine.” 
 Though contrary to the Masoretic division 
 of the words, I prefer the second of the 
 above modes of construction, as being the 
 easier of the two. The use of the para- 
 gogic ἡ in ὭΞ. 195 forms no objection ; 
 for though it is most commonly found at 
 the end of a sentence, yet there are many 
 instances in which it occurs at the be- 
 ginning, or in the middle. See Gen. 
 
 28-31; Exod. xviii. 26; Deut. 
 Vill. 3; 1 Sam. ii. 22 Ps; xi. 2, lxvii. 
 13; Is. vii. 12, For S>:wn, see on 
 Amos vii. 16. In the concluding words 
 of the verse, nivcd> 30° 84, literally, ca- 
 lumnies depart not, the Jews indignantly 
 tax the prophets with exposing them to 
 contempt by incessant castigation and re- 
 proof. Of this interpretation Maurer 
 observes, ‘ut facillima et simplissima 
 per se est, ita ad nexum est aptissima.” 
 The verb occurring first, is in the mas- 
 culine singular, though the noun is a 
 feminine plural. See Gesen. § 144. 
 Ward's edit. 
 
 7. The prophet boldly meets the charge 
 expressed in the concluding clause of the 
 preceding verse by asking, Whether the 
 absence of auspicious predictions could 
 possibly be ascribed to any deficiency on 
 the part of the Spirit of prophecy ? 
 whether the judgments denounced were 
 operations in which Jehovah delighted, 
 and were not rather procured by the 
 wickedness of those on whom they were 
 to be inflicted ? and whether it was not 
 a fact which experience had ever verified, 
 that the Divine communications were 
 productive of good to men of science and 
 consistent piety? In syn the τῷ is 
 used as a qualifying demonstrative with 
 all the force of an indignant exclama- 
 tion, in order to point out the flagrant 
 character of the language employed by 
 the Israclites. =z is the Pahul Part. 
 signifying what is satd or spoken, and 
 with the = prefixed, O dictum! Almost 
 all the versions and Lexicons assign to 
 this participle the signification of being 
 called or named ; but tHis notion attaches 
 to the verb only in Niphal, which, in 
 such case, is uniformly followed by the 
 preposition +. See Is. iv. 3, xix. 18; 
 Hos. ii. 1. The LXX., Aq., Vulg., and 
 
 XViil. 
 
εν, iis 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 229 
 
 8 But of old my people hath risen up as an enemy ; 
 Ye strip off the vestment as well as the robe 
 From those who walk along securely, 
 From those who are returning from battle. 
 9 The women of my people ye thrust out from their darling home; 
 From their children ye take away my glory for ever. 
 
 Targ., have read =a, which is found in 
 four of Kennicott’s MSS. Ewald: “0 
 des Wortes!” As 725 "3p, short of 
 breath or spirit, is contrasted with 72S 
 ἘΞ, long-suffering, Prov. xiv. 29, and 
 is ‘obviously equivalent to D7E8 ἘΣ, ver. 
 17, (comp. Hin ἜΣ Ὁ, Exod. vi. 9 ») most 
 of the moderns render in the present in- 
 stance, Is Jehovah prone to anger? but 
 prophecy being the subject to which re- 
 ference had just been made, it is more 
 natural to understand Fin? mim, the 
 Spirit of Jehovah, in its appropriated 
 meaning, as designating the Divine Au- 
 thor of prophetic communications ; and 
 to take the verb in the sense of weakness 
 or inability. Comp. πὸ is short of 
 hand, Is. xxxvii. 27. mx, these, like 
 mbx, ver. 6, refers to the judgments 
 which the Lord had threatened to in- 
 flict. The interrogative form, as fre- 
 quently, requires a decided negative; such 
 judgments are not Jehovah’s usual opera- 
 tions. Comp. Is. iit 21; Lam. iii. 
 33; Mic. vii. 18. In 9bin wen, the 
 substantive, which is used adverbially, 
 is placed first, for the sake of emphasis, 
 and on this account also it takes the 
 article, which properly belongs to Sin. 
 A similar instance of transposition occurs 
 in halo , Job xxxi. 26, where the sub- 
 stantive is likewise used adverbially. 
 For the meaning of the pa comp. 
 Dh Ἔτι» Prove te 7}. ines goss, 1s. 
 νι. 2. ; 
 
 8. ἢ at the beginning of this verse is 
 strongly adversative. Very different was 
 the character of those whom the prophet 
 was now reproving. baznx, properly 
 yesterday, is taken by some to signify 
 lately ; but it is more in keeping with 
 the spirit of the passage to render it an- 
 ciently, of old, or the like. See on Is. 
 xxx. 33. The rebellious conduct of 
 
 the Hebrew nation was no new thing, 
 It had characterized every period of its 
 history. LXX. gumpooSev. Abulwalid, 
 contrary to the usage of the language, 
 divides the word into my and Ἐπ, and 
 renders, on the contr ary. “Thus also the 
 Vulg. The in 2>4s% is expressive of 
 manner; comp. pist, 15: Sesrare 1, 
 bara is selected to correspond i in allit- 
 eration with > naps, and is here equiy- 
 alent to *:£5%3, or ἘΣ. It refers, not to 
 Ἐπὶ immediately following, but to the 
 persons of those who were plundered. 
 Though divided by the accent, mb and 
 “78 are to be regarded as asyndeta; the 
 former, signifying the large loose gar- 
 ment which was worn immediately over 
 the tunic, and which being indispensable 
 to the Orientals, is placed first, for the 
 sake of emphasis; the latter, the costly 
 robe of fur, or other rich stuff, the rob- 
 bery of which, under the circumstances 
 described, was a matter of course. So 
 great was the rapacity of the lawless 
 characters spoken of, that they were not 
 satisfied with the more valuable part of 
 the dress, but likewise possessed them- 
 selves of what was less costly. Comp. 
 Matt. v.40. For προδῷ (by Set 
 tion of the first two letters of mbm, 
 
 which is much more frequently in use,) 
 comp. the Arab. Li, vestimentum, 
 
 pec. totum corpus involvens, from \_ χὺ 
 
 circumdedit. Before 29% repeat the pre- 
 position 4. The passive participle is here 
 used intransitively to describe those who 
 were returning after having defeated their 
 enemy in battle, and who might there- 
 fore be considered perfectly secure. Even 
 they were waylaid by their countrymen 
 and neighbors, and robbed of the spoils 
 which they had taken in war. 
 
 9. In m2 and πο Ὁ >, there is, as 
 
990 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 10 Arise! depart! for this is not the place of your rest ; 
 Because of pollution it will destroy. 
 And the destruction shall be grievous. 
 
 11 Ifany one, conversant with wind and falsehood, lie, saying : 
 I will prophesy to thee of wine and strong drink, 
 Even he shall be the prophet of this people. 
 
 frequently, a transition from the plural 
 to the singular pronoun. As the prophet 
 refers to war, it is most likely he intended 
 by the ““ women,” the widows of those 
 who had fallen in battle, and who ought 
 to have been objects of special sympathy 
 and care. Instead of which, both they 
 and their fatherless children were expelled 
 from their homes, and robbed of their 
 property. “37m, my ornament, collec- 
 tively for the ornamental clothes which 
 they wore, and with which they had 
 been provided by Jehovah. The Holy 
 Land, and everything connected with it, 
 was his, so that whatever was enjoyed 
 by its inhabitants, was to be regarded as 
 peculiarly a Divine gift. Comp. Hos. ii. 
 8. 4:5, for ever, i. e. never to make 
 restitution. Some think there is refer- 
 ence to the command to restore the 
 pledge before sun-set, Exod. xxii. 25, 
 but this is doubtful. 
 
 10. As the Imperative is frequently 
 used by the prophets to express more 
 strongly the certainty of a prediction 
 than a simple future would have done, 
 ots s:sp are to be so understood here. 
 See on Is. vi. 10. Hitzig preposterously 
 considers the words to be addressed by 
 the pitiless Jews to the persons whom 
 they oppressed by expelling them from 
 their homes. They are obviously to be 
 viewed as the language of Jehovah, 
 threatening them with a removal from 
 their own country, which they had pol- 
 luted by their crimes, to a foreign and 
 heathen land. Canaan was conferred 
 upon the Hebrews as a rest, or place of 
 quiet enjoy ment, after their fatigues and 
 troubles in the wilderness, Num. x. 33; : 
 Deut. xii. 9; Ps. xev. 11. Before rs, 
 supply ys. The definite article in 
 is equivalent to the pronominal 
 Ἐξ, and is to be rendered accord- 
 
 srnsen 
 TAS fare 
 
 affix 
 
 ingly. A land may be said to destroy 
 its inhabitants, when it withholds from 
 them the means of subsistence, and forces 
 them to leave it. With such reference it 
 is described as devouring them and spew- 
 ing them out of it, Lev. xviii. 28, xx. 22, 
 xxvi. 38; Ezek. xxxvi. 12-14. The 
 comparison of these passages shows the 
 propriety of the Piel tann, and renders 
 unnecessary the passive forms $2mm and 
 tonn, which some have proposed. For 
 
 wed » comp. the Arab. eye morbus 
 
 Suit, only its signfications would seem to 
 be taken from the idea of a violent or 
 deadly disease. Thus ΤΣ 22 nbbp, a 
 grievous curse, 1 Kings ii. 8. Gesenius 
 renders ye. Ὁ 73h corruptio velenieg: 
 tissima. 
 
 11. Micah reverts to the subject of 
 smooth and flattering predictions, which 
 he had spoken of ver. 6, and shows that 
 so corrupt had the people become, that 
 no prophet might expect to be acceptable 
 to them who did not sanction their 
 sinful indulgences. To those who did, 
 they would give a ready ear. As [3 
 signifies both wind and spirit, there is 
 great force in representing those who 
 pretended to inspiration as walking or 
 being familiar with the wind : so utterly 
 worthless was the peeackan which they 
 communicated. 2 7>F is otherwise 
 equivalent to man wos, Hos. ix. 7, and 
 “pe bh to "pga sag, Jer v. 31. 
 
 Dathe thinks this verse would better fit 
 in after ver. 6, but there is no authority 
 for the transposition ; and, besides, there 
 is a singular propriety in bringing forward 
 the crowning sin of the Jews, viz. their 
 preferring false prophets to the faithful 
 messengers of Jehovah, just before intro- 
 ducing | the glorious prediction of their 
 restoration from captivity in the follow- 
 ing verse. 
 
Cuapr. II. 
 
 .» 
 
 12 
 
 MICAH. . 
 
 a) 
 Co 
 μ- 
 
 I will surely gather thee entirely, O Jacob! 
 
 I will surely collect the remainder of Israel ; 
 I will put them together like the sheep of Bozrah, 
 Like a flock in the midst of their pasture ; 
 
 They shall be in commotion, 
 
 Because of the multitude of men. 
 13 The Breaker is gone up before them ; 
 They break through and pass to the gate ; 
 
 12, 13. Theodoret, Kimchi, Calvin, 
 Drusius, De Dieu, Grotius, Tarnovius, 
 and others, consider these verses to be a 
 denunciation of punishment, and not a 
 promise of deliverance; while Struensee, 
 Hezel, Michaelis, and Forsayeth (in 
 Newcome) regard them as the language 
 of the false prophets, continued from 
 ver. 11. Ewald, who takes the same 
 view, thinks they were originally written 
 by Micah on the margin of his manu- 
 script, and has printed them in Italics, 
 within brackets. Most modern inter- 
 preters, however, and among them 
 Rosenmiiller, Dathe, Justi, Hartmann, 
 Maurer, and even Hitzig, are unanimous 
 in’ viewing them as predictive of the 
 restoration of the Jews after their disper- 
 sion. The manner in which the prophet 
 concludes the preceding verse, proves 
 that he had finished what he had to 
 deliver respecting the favor shown to 
 false prophets; and his sudden and 
 abrupt transition to better times is so 
 entirely in accordance with the manner 
 of the prophets, that the last-mentioned 
 interpretation at once recommends itself 
 as the true. The point most difficult to 
 determine is the point to which the 
 prophecy has respect. Most Christian 
 expositors explain it of the appearance 
 of Christ, and his collecting of believers 
 into his church; but this construction is 
 altogether arbitrary, resting on no other 
 foundation than the principle of giving 
 a spiritual interpretation to whatever 
 “may, by possibility, be so interpreted. 
 So far is there from being anything in 
 
 the phraseology of the text to warrant 
 
 such appropriation of it, that the very 
 terms compel to an adoption of the 
 literal sense. Kimchi, Jarchi, and the 
 Jews generally, as also several modern 
 
 Christian writers, maintain, that the 
 prophecy relates to the future literal re- 
 storation of the Jews under the Messiah. 
 For my part, I cannot but regard the 
 more immediate restoration from the 
 literal Babylon as the theme of the in- 
 spired announcement. The deliverance 
 predicted is the same to which reference 
 is made chap. iv. 10, the scene of which 
 is there expressly declared to be Babylon. 
 «« Jacob’ stands here for the ten tribes, as 
 in Is. xvii. 4; Hos. xii. 2; and “Israel” 
 for the kingdom of Judah, as in Obad. 18, 
 2 Chron. xii. 1, xix. 8, xxi. 2,4. The 
 two tribes and a half being few com- 
 pared with the ten, might well be de- 
 scribed as τσ, the remainder, which 
 had been left in the land at the time of 
 the Assyrian invasion, To express the 
 great extent of the population after the 
 return, it is compared to the large col- 
 lections of sheep in the folds of Bozrah ; 
 a region celebrated for the abundance of 
 its flocks. The Targ., Vulg., Gesenius, 
 Winer, Hitzig, and Ewald, render 422, 
 sheep-fold, but this signification of the 
 word is totally unsupported by usage, 
 and is not allowed by Lee. The 
 LXX., mistaking 5 for the preposition, 
 translate, ἐν ϑλίψει. It is seldom we 
 meet with the article prefixed to a noun 
 taking the pronominal affix, as in ina973 
 yet see Josh. vii. 21, viii. 88. By yin, 
 the Breaker, some understand Cyrus ; 
 but the identity of structure between this 
 sentence and the two with which the 
 verse closes, compels us to interpret the 
 term of Jehovah himself, who, through 
 the instrumentality of that monarch, re- 
 moved every obstacle which prevented 
 the return of the Hebrews to their own 
 land. When his providence so visibly 
 interposed, it was easy for them to break 
 
232 
 
 They go out at it; 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. 1Π. 
 
 Their King passeth on before them, 
 
 Even Jehovah at their head. 
 
 down the minor barriers which had con- 
 fined them in Babylonia, and triumph- 
 antly to march out through the gates of 
 the hostile city. To intimate that they 
 should suffer molestation from no enemy 
 by the way, God is represented as going 
 before them, like a monarch at the head 
 of his army; just as he was said to go 
 before his people when they went up 
 from Egypt, Deut. i. 30. In the illus- 
 trious Deliverer here exhibited, Rosen- 
 miiller recognizes the Messiah: ‘ Per- 
 ruptor, δεικτικῶς, est enim cum πὶ de- 
 monstrativo. Loquitur ergo de certa 
 
 quadam persona, et antonomastice sic 
 dicta, que mox vocabitur pst, rex 
 illorum et min>, ut non sit dubium, 
 Nostrum de Messia cagitasse, seu divino 
 illo heroe, quo auspice, devictis omnibus 
 Judeorum hostibus, aureum seculum or- 
 bem beabit.’’ And to his interpretation 
 I accede, only restricting the work of the 
 Messiah, as here predicted, to his leading 
 forth the Jews from Babylon. Comp. 
 Exod. xxxiii. 14; Is. lxiii. 9, in which 
 we are taught that the Divine Logos 
 delivered, and conducted the Israelites 
 through the wilderness. 
 
 
 
 Cr AP Pes “elt. 
 
 HAVING inserted in the two preceding verses 
 
 a gracious prediction for the comfort of the 
 
 few pious who might be living in the midst of the ungodly, the prophet proceeds to ex- 
 patiate at greater length against the latter, directing his discourse especially to the civil 
 and ecclesiastical officers, who, by their example, exerted so baneful an influence upon 
 
 the nation. The chapter may be divided into three parts. 
 
 Ver. 1-4, an objurgation of 
 
 the princes; 5-7, that of the prophets; and 8-11, that of princes, prophets, and priests 
 together. The chapter closes with a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem by the 
 
 Babylonians. 
 
 Anp I said: Hear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob! 
 
 And ye judges of the house of Israel! 
 Is it not yours to know justice ? 
 
 Who hate good and love evil; 
 
 Who strip their skin from off them, 
 And their flesh from off their bones, 
 
 Who devour the flesh of my people, 
 
 And flay their skin from off them ; 
 Who break their bones in pieces, 
 
 1—3. The Ὁ in ἘΠῚ is expressive of 
 duty or obligation ; what the persons 
 spoken of were bound to do, and what 
 might naturally be expected from them 
 in the station which they filled. y¥=> is 
 
 here used, not of merely speculative 
 knowledge, but of that which is prac- 
 tical. It was the province of the mag- 
 istrates to exercise their judicial author- 
 ity for the protection gf the inioent, 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 233 
 
 And separate them as in the pot, 
 And as flesh in the midst of the kettle. 
 
 4 Then they may cry to Jehovah, 
 
 But he will not answer them, 
 
 But will hide his face from them at that time ; 
 Because they have corrupted their doings. 
 5 Thus saith Jehovah respecting the prophets, 
 
 Who cause my people to err; 
 
 Who bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace ; 
 But against him that putteth not into their mouth 
 
 They prepare war. 
 
 6 Surely ye shall have night without vision ; 
 Ye shall have darkness without divination ; 
 Yea, the sun shall go down upon the prophets, 
 And the day shall become black over them. 
 
 and the punishment of evil-doers. But 
 instead of thus discharging the duties of 
 their office, they were themselves perpe- 
 trators of the most flagrant acts of op- 
 pression and cruelty. Their inhuman 
 conduct is very forcibly described by the 
 prophet, in language borrowed from the 
 process of slaying and preparing animals 
 for food, and the feasting consequent 
 thereon. Comp. Ps. xiv. 4; Prov. xxx. 
 14. The pronominal affixes in ver. 2, 
 refer to the people, understood, and not 
 to 35% and 724, immediately preceding, 
 which are obviously employed as cee 
 neuters. Though many MSS. read > 
 with the Keri, yet there are others which 
 exhibit m4, the proper pointing of the 
 Chethib. No codex supports the emen- 
 dation -y¥> instead of ngsp. The LXX. 
 may, or may not, have so read. The 
 etymology of nip is uncertain, but that 
 it signifies a ἜῸ for boiling in is clear 
 from its being here parallel with “7d, and 
 in 1 Sam, ii. 14 with “it5, “7 and 
 “1m. 
 
 4, τὰ, then, and sonm ny3, at that 
 time, are anticipative of the period of 
 divine judgment. The infliction of such 
 judgment is implied, not expressed. The 
 more emphatically to convey an impres- 
 sion of its certainty, the prophet takes it 
 for granted, God is said to hear or an- 
 swer prayer, when he grants what is sup- 
 
 30 
 
 plicated; and to hide his face, when he 
 disregards or affords no relief to the sup- 
 pliant. MEN, with the LXX., Syr., 
 Justi, Dathe, and others, I take to be 
 causal, as in Num. xxvii. 14; 1 Sam. 
 XXxvili. 18; 2 Kings xvii. 26. 
 
 δ. Ἐπ οθβ pradin, who bite with their 
 teeth, the antithesis requires to be under- 
 stood in the sense of eating the food 
 supplied by the people. While such 
 supplies were granted, the false prophets 
 predicted prosperity ; but if they with- 
 held them, measures of a hostile nature, 
 under a religious pretext, were adopted 
 against them. Thus the Targ. S271 4727 
 aby onity y2ime neat ye yn, 
 They prophesy peace to him who feeds 
 them with dinners of flesh. 'The phrase 
 is purposely selected in order satirically 
 to expose the selfishness of the deceivers. 
 For the meaning of ὦ wap, to sanctify, as 
 here used, see on Is. xiii. 3; Joel i. 14; 
 and comp. Jer. vi. 4. 
 
 6, 7. So completely should the pre- 
 dictions of the false prophets be dis- 
 proved by the judgments that were to be 
 brought on the nation, and so painfully 
 should they themselves experience these 
 judgments, that they could no longer 
 have the effrontery to practise their 
 deceptions. Under such circumstances 
 they could not pretend to deliver any 
 divine oracle to the people. The words 
 
234 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 7 Then shall the seers be ashamed, 
 
 And the diviners confounded ; 
 
 They shall all cover their beard ; 
 For there shall be no response from God. 
 8 But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of Jehovah, 
 
 And of judgment and might ; 
 
 To declare unto Jacob his transgression, 
 
 And to Israel his sin. 
 
 9 Hear this, I beseech you, ye heads of the house of Jacob! 
 And judges of the house of Israel! 
 
 Who abhor justice, 
 And pervert all equity ; 
 10 Building Zion with blood, 
 
 do not imply that they ever had really 
 received any such oracles: they merely 
 professed to have received them. ‘% is 
 here to be taken privatively, and not in 
 the signification of οὗ, propter, etc., as 
 interpreted by some. The obscuration 
 of the heavenly bodies, or of the light of 
 day, is frequently employed by the proph- 
 ets, as it is by oriental writers generally, 
 to denote affliction or calamity. Amos 
 viii. 9. τῶν, LXX,, in 2 Sam. xix. 26, 
 μύσταξ, the mustache or beard, which is 
 held in high estimation in the East, and 
 in exhibiting which, properly grown 
 and trimmied, the Orientals greatly pride 
 themselves. To hide it, therefore, by 
 covering it, was regarded as a striking 
 mark of shame or sorrow. See Lev. 
 xiii. 45; 2Sam. xix. 25; Ezek. xxiv. 
 17, 22. 
 
 8. Full of conscious sincerity, and 
 of his divine commission, in the execu- 
 tion of which he was sustained by the 
 supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit, 
 and zealous for the glory of God, and 
 the recovery of his people, Micah avows 
 his readiness, with all boldness, to an- 
 nounce to them his inspired message re- 
 specting their sins. His character and 
 conduct formed a perfect contrast to 
 those of the false prophets. The com- 
 pound particle Ἐ Ξη 7, and the pronoun 
 “ix, are here emphatic. m>, means the 
 supernatural power necessary for the gen- 
 eral discharge of the prophetic office ; 
 comp. dvvauis, Luke i. 17, xxiv. 49 ; 
 
 Acts i. 8; wezva, a sense of moral rec- 
 titude, distinguishing clearly between 
 right and wrong, and impelling to the 
 advocacy and maintenance of such ac- 
 tions, as are conformable to the Divine 
 law ; and 47223, moral courage, or a bold 
 and intrepid spirit, inciting its possessor 
 to throw aside all timidity in defending 
 the cause of God and truth. Comp. 2 
 Tim. i. 7. ° 
 
 9. The prophet now proceeds to de- 
 liver in full the message which he had 
 commenced, ver. 1, employing the same 
 formula, S2—3372'3, as he also does chap. 
 vi. 1. The remaining verses of the 
 chapter furnish a noble specimen of that 
 bold and uncompromising fidelity which 
 characterized his ministry. 
 
 10. 12,5, the LXX., Syr, Targ., and 
 Vulg., render in the plural, but no He- 
 brew codex exhibits the variation. The 
 authors of these versions doubtless re- 
 garded the participle as a collective, 
 which mode of construction we must 
 adopt, or, with Michaelis, we must sup- 
 pose that the prophet had Shebna, Is, 
 xxii. 16-18, Jehoiakim, or some other 
 particular prince in his eye; the former 
 interpretation is preferable. 23, blood, 
 used for the wealth obtained by shedding 
 the blood of its owners. Comp. Jer. xxii. 
 18; Ezck. xxii. 27; Hab. ii, 12, in the 
 latter of which passages H™37 and 7512 
 are used as parallels, with the same par- 
 ticle, 735. 
 
Cuap. 111. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 239 
 
 And Jerusalem with wickedness. 
 
 11 Her heads judge for reward, 
 
 And her priests teach for hire ; 
 
 Her prophets also divine for money ; 
 Yet they lean upon Jehovah, saying : 
 Is not Jehovah in the midst of us ? 
 No calamity shall come upon us. 
 
 12 Surely on your account 
 
 Sion shall be ploughed as a field, 
 
 11. sh, is a gift or bribe given to a 
 judge to obtain freedom from punish- 
 ment. Receiving bribes was strictly 
 prohibited by the Mosaic law, Exod. 
 <x 8) Weut: xvi, 19. What the 
 ὈΠ:π|3, priests, were authorized by that 
 law to act in the capacity of ordinary re- 
 ligious teachers, does not appear. Their 
 being thus employed by Jehoshaphat is 
 narrated as something altogether extra- 
 ordinary, 2 Chron. xvii. 7-9. Besides 
 attending to the ceremonial observances, 
 they had devolved upon them the de- 
 cision of controversies, Deut. xvii. 8-11, 
 xxi. 5; Ezek. xliv. 24, cases of leprosy, 
 divorce, etc. Lev. x. 11. They were to 
 lay down the law in such cases, and pro- 
 nounce the final sentence. Comp. Mal. 
 li. 7; Deut. xxxili. 10; and see Mi- 
 chaelis on the Laws of Moses, Art. lii. 
 They are here associated with the judges, 
 because in certain cases they gave a 
 joint verdict; and in the time of the 
 prophet were equally avaricious and cor- 
 ruptible. The verb Ftp, to divine, be- 
 ing only used of false prophets, shows 
 that those reproved by Micah were of 
 that description, Comp. Jude1l. With 
 all their wicked perversion of right, they 
 hypocritically claimed an interest in the 
 favor of God, and scouted the idea that 
 the calamities denounced by his true 
 prophets could ever overtake them. 
 Comp. Jer. vii. 4, 8-11, where the same 
 presumptuous confidence in the Divine 
 presence in the temple, is exposed and 
 condemned. 
 
 12. We have here at last an awful 
 epiphonema, in which the destruction of 
 the metropolis is expressly and _par- 
 ticularly predicted. The wicked leaders 
 
 of the people were now building and 
 beautifying it, by expending upon it 
 their unrighteous gains, yer. 10; but 
 the time was coming when it should be 
 completely desolated. ‘ Zion” desig- 
 nates the site of the city of David on 
 the south ; ‘* Jerusalem,” the houses oc- 
 cupied by the inhabitants generally in 
 the centre and the north; and “the 
 mountain of the house,” Moriah on the 
 east. Instead of 155», the Chaldee ter- 
 mination, five MSS., five others origin- 
 ally, and the Babylonian Talmud, read 
 ἘΠῚ». man, the house, i, 6. κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν, 
 the temple. That which was their boast 
 and confidence, was to be converted into 
 a wilderness. Σ᾿ signifies not only a 
 forest, but also a thicket of shrubs, a 
 rough or rugged locality, from the Arab. 
 
 yee asper, salebrosus fuit ; difficilis 
 
 incessu, asper locus. The whole verse 
 contains a description of utter ruin and 
 desolation. The enunciation of such a 
 prophecy evinced the greatest intrepidity 
 on the part of Micah, and is quoted as 
 an instance of prophetic boldness, Jer. 
 xxvl. 18, 19. The ploughing of the city 
 by the enemy, which has its parallel in 
 Horace, lib, i. Od. 16, 
 
 “ὁ Imprimeretque muris 
 Hostile aratrum exercitus insolens,” 
 
 has by some interpreters been referred 
 to what is recorded in the Talmud, 
 noticed by Jerome, and repeated by 
 Maimonides, that Titus Annius Rufus, 
 an officer in the Roman army, tore up 
 with a ploughshare the foundations of 
 the temple; but little or no credit is to 
 be given to the story. See Deylingii 
 
290 
 
 Jerusalem shall become heaps, 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 And the mountain of the house woody heights. 
 
 Observationes Sacr. pt. v. pp. 448, 450. 
 Robinson’s Palestine, vol. ii. pp. 2, 8. 
 The circumstance, however, that what 
 Micah predicts, relates to the city as 
 distinguished from the temple, clearly 
 militates against the application of his 
 language. Equally inapposite as to the 
 
 to the present partially cultivated state 
 of Mount Zion, since the destruction to 
 which it points was not the more distant 
 devastations under Titus and Adrian, 
 but the more proximate under Nebu- 
 chadnezzar. For the accomplishment, 
 see Neh. ii. 17, iv. 2; Lam. v. 18. 
 
 fulfilment of the prophecy are the appeals 
 
 
 
 CHAP TEAR aA Vi 
 
 By a sudden transition, as at chap. ii. 13, the prophet passes from his denunciation of pun- 
 ishment, to a description of the glorious state of the church subsequent to the restoration 
 from the captivity in Babylon. He predicts the establishment of the kingdom of Christ 
 upon the ruins of idolatry, and the accession of the Gentiles, 1,2; the peaceful nature of 
 his reign, 3, and the security of his subjects, 4. He then abruptly introduces his captive 
 countrymen, who, having been recovered to the worship of the true God, declare, that, 
 however the idolaters around them might adhere to their seyeral systems of creature- 
 worship, they would never renounce the service of Jehovah, 5. The Most High promises 
 to gather even the weakest of them from their dispersions, restore their national exist- 
 ence, and reign over them for ever, 6-8. The intermediate invasion of Judea, the cap- 
 tivity in Babylon, and the liberation of the Jews, are next depicted, 9--11. Upon which 
 follows a prediction of the victories which they should gain over their enemies in the 
 time of the Maccabees,and of the reverse which took place on the establishment of Herod by 
 the Roman power. 
 
 1 Awnp it shall come to pass in the last of the days, 
 That the mountain of Jehovah’s house 
 Shall be established on the summit of the mountains, 
 And be elevated above the hills, 
 And the people shall flow to it. 
 
 2 Yea, many nations shall go, and say : 
 Come let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, 
 
 1-3. On the general identity of this 
 prophecy with Is. ii, 2-4, see the note 
 on that passage, to which the reader is 
 also referred forthe interpretation. ‘The 
 verbal discrepancies, which are few and 
 trivial, will be best seen on consulting 
 Newcome, who exhibits the Ilebrew text 
 
 of both prophets in parallel columns. 
 The sense is the same throughout. 
 Twenty MSS., originally ten more, one 
 by correction, and the Complut. edition, 
 read 17> instead of yts. For axe7 xt, 
 thirty-six MSS., probably another, seven 
 originally, and six by correction, together 
 
Cc 
 
 war. IV. MICATL. 
 
 To the house of the God of Jacob, 
 That he may teach us his ways, 
 
 237 
 
 And that we may walk in his paths ; 
 For out of Zion shall go forth the law, 
 And the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. 
 3 And he shall arbitrate among many people, 
 And give decision to many distant nations, 
 So that they shall beat their swords into coulters, 
 And their spears into pruning-knives ; 
 Nation shall not raise a sword against nation, 
 Neither shall they learn war any more. 
 4 And they shall sit each under his vine, and under his fig-tree, 
 And none shall make him afraid ; 
 For the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken it. 
 
 σι 
 
 Each in the name of his god, 
 
 Though all the people should walk 
 
 Yet we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God, 
 
 For ever and ever. 
 In that day, saith Jehovah, 
 I will gather the halting, 
 
 oO 
 
 with four of the early editions, read ἐξ; 
 and for :s'y> five MSS., four originally, 
 and now one, read sv. 
 
 4. This beautiful addition, which is 
 not in Isaiah, appears to have been a 
 common adage among the Hebrews to 
 express a state of complete outward 
 security. 1 Kings iv. 25; Zech. iii. 10. 
 For a state of things precisely the re- 
 verse see my Biblical Researches and 
 Travels in Russia, ete. Ὁ. 436. 
 
 5. Many interpreters have been puz- 
 zled how to reconcile the statement 
 made in the beginning of this verse with 
 the prediction contained in verse 2; and 
 Hartmann goes so far as to assert, that it 
 was originally a marginal gloss, written 
 by a different pen, and afterwards inserted 
 in the text. The difficulty will be re- 
 moved, if we consider the words to be 
 those of the Jews during their dispersion. 
 «* Hic spectanda est diversitas temporis.” 
 Calvin, i Joc. They witrfessed the ea- 
 gerness with which the idolaters around 
 them devoted themselves to the service 
 of their gods —an eagerness which led 
 them to despair of their ever being 
 
 reclaimed ; and they nobly resolved that 
 nothing should ever again move them to 
 abandon the service of Jehovah; but 
 that, with equal earnestness, they would 
 addict themselves to his worship, and 
 the observance of his laws. “5 is here a 
 formula of concession: be ἐξ so that, 
 although, or the like. Comp. for this 
 use of the particle, Gen. viii. 21; Exod. 
 xiii. We 2 sets xvii. 18; Deut. xxix. 18. 
 
 = = Ov 25 ois to walk in the name of any 
 one, means to frame one’s conduct accord- 
 ing to his will, to act by his authority, and 
 in accordance with his character. ἘΠ, 
 name, is often used for the person him- 
 self. Com. the phrases =r ¢ 113 eats 
 nim “TEN bn, to walk in the way of, to 
 follow mapas It seems here to be 
 specially employed in reference to relig- 
 ious worship. Comp. Zech. x. 12. 
 
 6-8. That the subject of these verses 
 is the restoration from Babylon, and the 
 reéstablishment of the Jewish state, and 
 not any spiritual gathering of men gen- 
 erally to the church of God, is placed 
 beyond dispute by the prediction that the 
 scattered and afflicted remnant of Israel 
 
238 
 
 And collect the outcasts, 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 And those whom I have afflicted. 
 
 7 And I will make the halting a remnant. 
 And those that had been far removed a strong nation ; 
 And Jehovah shall reign over them in Mount Zion, 
 
 From henceforth, and for ever. 
 
 8 And thou, O tower of the flock ! 
 
 O hill of the daughter of Zion! 
 
 To thee it shall come, 
 
 Even the former rule shall come, 
 The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. 
 
 was again to become a strong nation, 
 ver. 7, and by the use of the phrase 
 
 . 
 
 mpwNjn Hogg, the former rule, ver. 
 8, which can only be interpreted of the 
 theocratic government at Jerusalem. 
 When the Hebrews first returned to 
 their own land, they were few in num- 
 ber, amounting only to 42,360; but they 
 rapidly increased, and in the time of the 
 Maccabees not only became an inde- 
 pendent state, but acquired such power 
 that they vanquished the formidable 
 Syro-Grecian armies. The Asmonzan 
 family possessed supreme authority from 
 Mattathias to Herod the Great. To the 
 above interpretation no valid objection 
 can be taken on the ground that Jehovah 
 is said, ver. 7, to reign for ever over 
 those who were to be assembled. tbiz, 
 eternity, or long indefinite duration, 
 whether applied to the past or the future, 
 must always be determined by the nature 
 of the subject. It is very often used of 
 the Mosaic institutes, Exod. xii. 14, 17, 
 XXvil. 21, xxviiie43 ; Lev. iii. 17. It is 
 even employed to denote the period of the 
 seventy years’ captivity, Jer. xviii. 16. For 
 ΤΣ ἘΣΤΙ and ΠΡ τ τ, comp. Ezek. xxxiv. 
 16; Zeph. iii. 19. τ δ πιο τι is the Niphal 
 
 pees of xbn, to be removed, Syr. 
 Ἄν σι San, elongavit, removit. Arabic 
 Ao Π|, recessit, abstessit. Having 
 
 employed metaphors taken from the 
 treatment of sheep, Micah calls the 
 Jewish peopls, in their collective capa- 
 city, “πὶ a flock. Comp. π , the 
 
 flock of Jehovah, Ser. xiii. WT; and in 
 
 im ser 
 
 reference to the strength of Jerusalem, 
 and the watchful care exercised by the 
 government, he characterizes her as 
 sty dana, the tower of the flock. Some, 
 indeed, think with Jerome, that a place 
 of this name, to which ieee is made 
 Gen. xxxy. 21, and which that father 
 says lay about a mile distant from Beth- 
 lehem, is intended ; but, from its being 
 in apposition with 4i»s—na ἘΞ Ὁ, mound 
 of the daughter of Zion, a fortified hill or 
 elevation on the eastern part of Mount 
 Zion, and here put for the whole, such 
 interpretation is inadmissible. For te», 
 comp. Is, xxxii, 14; 2 Chron. XXvii. 3, 
 xxxiil. 14; Neh. iii. 26, 27, in which last 
 passage bai xem, the tower, is mentioned 
 along with it, which is doubtless identi- 
 cal with yn, Is. xxxii. 14. The word is 
 derived from te», to swell, become tumid. 
 Arab. as, tumore laboravit, pinguendo 
 cirea perineum capri, ete. Τὸν ᾿Οφλᾶν 
 καλούμενον ὑψῆλαν. Joseph. de Bell, 
 Jud. lib. vi. cap. 6, § 8. The LXX., 
 Aquil. Symm., Bars and Vulg.,, confound 
 the word with by, thick aur brine: The 
 Targum applies the passage to the Mes- 
 siah: qe aveon Ἐπ Ὁ ἘΠ, men 
 
 “hy Fb ὭΣ NID3 Ὁ sain esp 
 ist b=) nmis bn, «“ And thou, O Messiah 
 of Israel, who art hid on account of the 
 sins of the congregation of Zion, to thee 
 the kingdom will come ;”’ but there is no 
 more foundation for this interpretation, 
 than for that of Jonathan on ==s—bs:%, 
 Gen. xxxy. 21: snp yen Nore 
 naghs ἢ 103 NAD nob “bans, “the 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Why, now, dost thou cry aloud ? 
 Is there no king in thee ? 
 Have thy counsellors perished ? 
 That pains should have seized thee 
 Like a woman in travail ? 
 Be in pain, and bring forth, O daughter of Zion ! 
 Like a woman in travail ; 
 For now thou shalt go forth from the city, 
 And shalt dwell in the field, 
 Thou shalt even go to Babylon ; 
 There thou shalt be delivered, 
 There Jehovah shall redeem thee, 
 From the hand of thine enemies. 
 
 239 
 
 11 And now many nations are gathered against thee, 
 
 place from which King Messiah is to be 
 revealed at the end of the days,” whatever 
 use may be made of it in the way of argu- 
 mentum an hominem in reasoning with 
 the Jews. Ὁ in m3} is a periphrasis of 
 the genitive. i 
 
 9. mz is not here used in its temporal 
 signification, but merely as a particle 
 designed emphatically to draw attention 
 to what follows. Five MSS. and another 
 originally, supported by the LXX. and 
 Targ., read =m¥7, which is the usual 
 form. The prophet plunges at once into 
 the circumstances of consternation in 
 which the inhabitants of Jerusalem would 
 be placed on the approach of the Chaldean 
 army. ‘The questions relative to a king 
 and his council are put ironically, and 
 provoke the answer, “ Yes, we have, but 
 they are nothing worth: they cannot 
 protect us, nor contrive any means of 
 escape.” 4917 the LXX. treat as a col- 
 lective : 7 βουλή σου. 
 
 10. "3, instead of "8, for the sake 
 of euphony. Comp. in reference to 
 childbirth, Job xxxviii. 8; Ps. xxii. 10. 
 Having employed the metaphor of a 
 parturient female, the prophet carries it 
 on in this verse, strikingly depicting the 
 condition of anguish and distress which 
 the Jews had to anticipate before they 
 should enjoy deliverance. The Baby- 
 lonish captivity, and its happy termina- 
 tion, are predicted in express terms. Both 
 were likewise expressly foretold by Isaiah, 
 
 the contemporary of Micah, chap. xxxix. 
 7, xliii. 14, xlviii. 20. The repetition of 
 rw, there, is emphatic. The inhabitants 
 of Jerusalem, when removed from the 
 city, should be located in the open coun- 
 try, till the whole were collected, and 
 then they should all be conveyed to 
 Babylon. 
 
 11. The nations here referred to were 
 those which composed the army of 
 Nebuchadnezzar, or which joined that 
 army in its attack upon Jerusalem. The 
 more immediate neighbors of the Jews 
 are no doubt specially intended. Comp. 
 Lam. ii. 16; Ezek. xxxv.; Ohad. 12, 18. 
 These defiled Jerusalem when they shed 
 the blood of her citizens and profaned 
 her sacred places. 5 min is used, like 
 5 mq, Obad. 12, in an emphatic sense, to 
 denote the malignant delight with which 
 the enemies of the Jews feasted on their 
 calamities. For the use of the feminine 
 singular 7m with the dual masculine, 
 comp. 2 Sam. x. 9; Jobxx. 11. Nothing 
 is more common in Arabic than to em- 
 ploy the feminine form of the verb when 
 the agent is anything irrational or in- 
 animate. The singular number is em- 
 ployed as the simpler form of the verb, 
 It may be observed, however, that, in- 
 stead of 5525» in the plural, four MSS., 
 two of the most ancient editions, the Syr. 
 and Targ., read 5::"y in the singular. 
 The LXX, have the plural. Both 5:54 
 and tn are optative in force. fh; 
 
240 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 ὕπαρ. LY. 
 
 That say: Let her be profaned ! 
 And: Let our eyes look upon Zion. 
 12 But, as for them, they know not the designs of Jehovah, 
 Neither do they understand his purpose : 
 For he shall collect them as sheaves into the threshing-floor. 
 13 Arise! thresh, O daughter of Zion! 
 
 For I will make thy horn iron, 
 
 And thy hoofs copper, 
 
 And thou shalt beat in pieces many nations ; 
 
 Thou shalt devote their gains to Jehovah, 
 
 And their substance to the Lord of all the earth. 
 14 Assemble yourselves now, O daughter of troops ! 
 
 We are besieged ! 
 
 12, τοῦτ is a nominative absolute, used 
 for the sake of emphasis. The enemies 
 of the Jews had not the most distant idea, 
 that the object of Jehovah in permitting 
 his people to be so treated was to recover 
 them from idolatry, and thus prepare 
 them for a triumphant restoration. The 
 metaphor taken from the process of 
 threshing out grain is frequently used 
 by the prophets to denote the complete 
 destruction of a people. Comp. Jer. li. 
 33. For the manner in which this 
 process is carried on, see on Is, xxviii. 
 27, 28. 
 
 13. A continuation of the metaphor. 
 Comp. for a real parallel, Is. xli. 15, 16. 
 There is, however, a very natural instance 
 of mixed metaphor, derived from the 
 destructive power lodged in the horn of 
 the ox, though it is not employed in 
 threshing, which greatly adds to the force 
 of the passage. That 377, orn, should 
 here be employed to signify the horny 
 substance forming the hoof of the ox, 
 cannot be admitted. Comp. 1 Kings 
 xxii. 11. The horn was a symbol of 
 power exercised in subduing and pun- 
 ishing enemies. The Orientals give to 
 
 Alexander the Great the epithet of 3 Pa 
 
 rey 5 bicornis ; and the kings of 
 
 Macedon were actually in the habit of 
 wearing the horns of a ram in their 
 casques. "2 ΠΤ I take to be the sec- 
 ond person feminine, the Yod being a 
 
 fragment of the old form of the personal 
 pronoun my, regularly preserved in the 
 Syriac, Compare, for other instances, 
 “ney, Ruth iii. 3; ‘nstn, Jer. xxxi. 21, 
 
 though they are pointed with a Sheva, 
 
 and the Keri directs that they should be 
 read mizyand ἈΞ ΤΙ. TheLXX., Aquila, 
 Symm., Theodot., “the Syr., and Vulg., 
 all have the second person. ἘΠ nm, Arab, 
 
 p> prohibuit ; sacrum, quod non est 
 
 promiscue usus ; to make sacred, devote, 
 whether in a good or a bad sense. As 
 conquerors used to consecrate a portion 
 of their spoils to their deities by hanging 
 them up in their temples, so the triumph- 
 ant Hebrews would employ the riches 
 which they acquired by their victories in 
 beautifying the temple of Jehovah, and 
 supporting his worship. The Maccabean 
 times are specially referred to. 
 
 14. I consider -m3, troop, to be a col- 
 lective. Jerusalem is called a daughter 
 of troops, on account of the great body 
 of military quartered within her walls, 
 and in the surrounding districts. That 
 it is Jerusalem, and not the enemy, that 
 is addressed, the close coherence of the 
 forms with those of the preceding context 
 sufficiently shows. For the paronomasia 
 ia wmy—N3 "17 ANA, comp. Gen, xlix. 19. 
 The common acceptation of 173, is to cut 
 or make incisions ; but that it also signi- 
 fies to assemble as troops, see Jer. v. 7. 
 
 ρον» 
 Syr. | HNN α portion or detachment of 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 241 
 
 With arod they have smitten on the cheek 
 
 The judge of Israel ! 
 
 an army. Though at bx the enemy is 
 understood, it is better to construe it 
 impersonally, and give it in our language 
 in the passive. In way and use is 
 another paronomasia. Most understand 
 by the v2z, judge, Zedekiah, who was 
 treated contumeliously by the Baby- 
 lonians ; but it seems preferable to refer 
 it to some of the chief rulers of the Jews 
 at the time of the siege of Jerusalem 
 described by the prophet; or the term 
 may be used collectively. The position 
 of Hengstenberg and some others, that 
 it is selected on purpose to mark a period 
 during which no king of the house of 
 
 David reigned, might be allowed, were 
 it not for the influence of the foregoing 
 waz, with which it forms the parono- 
 masia. Though the LXX. have rendered 
 the term by φυλὰς, Aq., Symm., and 
 Theod., have κριτήν. The siege in ques- 
 tion Michaelis thinks was that by Sosius, 
 the Roman general, Β. c. 37, when An- 
 tigonus, the last of the Asmonzan dy- 
 nasty, was obliged to submit to the su- 
 perior power. Whether this prince be 
 specifically intended I shall not determine. 
 So much is certain, that he “was most 
 contemptuously treated by Sosius; see 
 Josephus, Bell, Jud. lib. i. cap. xviii. 2. 
 
 “» 
 
 
 
 Crea Per ΣΕ ΤΥ: 
 
 HAVING just adverted to the calamitous circumstances in which the Jews should be placed 
 at the commencement of the reign of Herod, the prophet foretellsin a very explicit man- 
 ner, the birth of the Messiah, which was to take place during the lifetime of that king, 1. 
 A prediction is then introduced respecting the final dealings of God towards the nation 
 previous to that illustrious event, 2, on which the permanent and universal nature of the 
 new dispensation is announced, 3. The subject of the victories of the Jews over the 
 Syro-Grecian armies is again taken up,4-8; and the chapter concludes with threaten- 
 ings both against the Jews in the time of Micah, and the enemies by whom they were to 
 
 be punished, 9-15. 
 
 
 
 1 Awp thou, Bethlehem Ephratha ! 
 Art small to be among the thousands of Judah, 
 
 1. Michaelis remarks, ‘If not even a 
 word was found in Matt. ii. 5, 6, ex- 
 planatory of our text, I should believe 
 the subject to be Christ, who was born 
 in the reign of Herod. The whole 
 thread of the prophecy in the preceding 
 chapter leads me to him, and the time 
 of his birth.’’ The Messianic application 
 of the prophecy was formally made by 
 the Jewish Sanhedrim, in their official 
 reply to Herod, Matt. ii. 5, 6; and is 
 
 31 
 
 admitted both by the Rabbinical and 
 the rationalistic interpreters, though, as 
 might be expected, they differ as to the 
 person of the Messiah. The Targum has, 
 See ames Pies ἼΒΠΕΣ 138 
 sey rey ty treet ἘΣ τοῦ 
 weby coins Ἴ 5 ἼΡ 55, “From thee the 
 Messiah shall come forth before me, to 
 exercise dominion over Israel, whose name 
 was announced long ago, from the days of 
 
242 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. VY. 
 
 Yet from thee shall He come forth to me 
 
 To be Ruler in Israel, 
 
 old.” The position of Theodore of Mop- 
 suesta, Grotius, Dathe, and some others, 
 that Zerubbabel was intended, is now 
 given up by all; and most interpreters 
 of the German school find their notion 
 of an ideal Messiah sufficiently con- 
 venient in explaining this and other 
 passages, as it relieves them from all in- 
 vestigation in regard to positive histori- 
 cal personality. “EnSons, Bethlehem, 
 literally, the House of Bread, Arab. 
 
 SI aes aS Beit Lahm, the House of 
 
 Flesh. It was a small town in the tribe 
 of Judah, built on the slope of a ridge, 
 about six Roman miles to the west by 
 south of Jerusalem, and originally cele- 
 brated as the birth-place of David, the 
 first of the line of Jewish kings. nm =x. 
 Ephrath, Gen. xlviii. 7, or, as it is com- 
 monly written, with the = paragogic, 
 mn fs, Ephratha, appears from the pas- 
 
 sage just cited to have been the original 
 name of the place. The word has much 
 the same signification as Beth-lehem, 
 being derived from 743, to be fruitful ; 
 and no doubt the place received both 
 names from the fertility of the region. 
 Dr. Robinson observes respecting the 
 present aspects of the town: “The 
 many olive and fig orchards, and vine- 
 yards round about are marks of industry 
 and thrift; and the adjacent fields, 
 though stony and rough, produce never- 
 theless good crops of grain.” Biblical 
 Researches in Palestine, vol. ii. p. 161. 
 The names occur as parables in the 
 stanzas, Ruth iv. 11:— 
 
 It was δυροδο called Bethlchem Judah, 
 Judges xvii. 7, xix. 1; Ruthi.1; Matt. 
 ii. 5, in order, it is ¢hought, to distinguish 
 it from another place of the same name 
 in the tribe of Zabulon, Josh. xix. 16. 
 ΣΧ, as well as Ms, is of the masculine 
 gender, contrary to rule in Hebrew, but 
 in accordance with Arabic usage, in 
 which the names of cities are sometimes 
 
 put in the masculine. In the present 
 instance, however, the change was doubt- 
 less occasioned by m23, which is of that 
 gender, being strongly prominent to the 
 view of the prophet. Pococke, in the 
 notes to his Porta Mosis, chap. ii., and in 
 his commentary on the passage, labors 
 hard to support the opinion of Tanchum 
 and Abulwalid, that ΡΣ has the two 
 contrary significations of /ittle and great ; 
 but the opinion rests upon nothing be- 
 yond the construction which these writ- 
 ers have put upon the term as occur- 
 ring in Jer. xlviii. 4, and Zech. xiii. 7, 
 which passages, when closely examined, 
 admit of no other signification being 
 attached to the word but that of Jittle, 
 of small note, or esteem, though it may 
 seem to be supported by the Targumic rer - 
 dering 717721059 in the former of these 
 passages, and by ποιμένας the reading of 
 the Alexandrian MS. of the LXX., and 
 
 ο ο 
 
 ἔξ ες that of the Syriac, in the latter. 
 
 In none of the cognate dialects has the 
 word the signification of greatness or 
 dignity. nitmd ΣΝ is literally Wttle 
 in respect of being, little to exist, or be 
 reckoned. ‘There is no occasion to resort 
 to the hypothesis that 5 here forms a 
 comparative, and is equivalent to 47 
 What the prophet asserts is, that Beth- 
 lehem was positively little in “point of 
 size or population, to rank with the other 
 subdivisions of the tribe of Judah. 
 Comp. 1 Sam. xxiii. 25. The tribes 
 were subdivided into mints, families, 
 or clans, the chiliads or thousands of 
 which had heads or princes, to whom, 
 from this cireumstance, was given the 
 name of cvEts Ὁ, ΡΞ Ἐπ "uN, princes 
 
 and heads of thousands. It is highly 
 probable that at the time to which the 
 prophecy refers, if not in that of the pro- 
 phet, the place might not have been able 
 to muster a thousand men. No mention 
 is made of it among the cities of Judah 
 enumerated Josh. xv., though, with many 
 others, it is found in the text of the LXX. 
 Nor does it occur in the list, Neh, xi. 26, 
 
ΘΗΛ V. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 243 
 
 Whose comings forth have been of old, 
 
 _From the ancient days. 
 
 etc. It is spoken of in the New Testa- 
 ment as Kaun, ὦ village, or hamlet, John 
 vii. 42. In the present day its inhabit- 
 ants are rated at eight hundred taxable 
 men. See Dr. Robinson, εὐ sup. Yet, 
 small and inconsiderable as Bethlehem 
 was, it was to have the distinguished 
 honor of giving birth to the Messiah. 
 
 “Ὁ sola magnarum urbium 
 Major Bethlem, cui contigit 
 Ducem salutis ccelitus 
 Incorporatum gignere.” 
 Prudentius, Hymn. Epiph. 77. 
 
 Between the former and the latter 
 half of the verse is a marked antithesis. 
 In this respect, ἀπ" and "τ 772, corres- 
 pond; the former, designating the future 
 coming forth of the Illustrious Ruler 
 here predicted, when he should actu- 
 ally assume human nature; the latter, his 
 ancient comings forth, when he created 
 the world, and appeared to Moses and 
 the patriarchs, and revealed to them the 
 Divine will. The idea conveyed by the 
 noun must be identical with that ex- 
 pressed by the verb. Abenezra, Abar- 
 banel, Grotius, Hartmann, Rosenmiiller, 
 Gesenius, Hitzig, Maurer, and Ewald, 
 give origines as the signification of 
 ΤᾺΣ ἡ, and regard the term as refer- 
 ring to the Davidic extraction of the Mes- 
 siah. ‘This signification is likewise stren- 
 uously maintained by Hengstenberg ; but, 
 instead of finding any reference to the 
 ancient family of David, he adopts the 
 opinion that the object of the prophet is 
 to teach the eternal existence of the Mes- 
 siah. His position, however, is perfectly 
 untenable, since nothing can be more in- 
 congruous than the ascription of locality 
 to eternity, which he expressly does in 
 the translation, “ his goings forth (in the 
 sense of places of going forth), are the 
 ancient times, the days of eternity, ὁ. 6. 
 the very ancient times.” None of the 
 passages which he alleges proves the 
 Jocal signification ; they ‘all describe the 
 act, not the place or time of egress. 
 "72 before Ἐπ and in ἘΞ᾿Ὶ» ‘a, is used 
 in its temporal acceptation, marking the 
 
 The LXX. ἔξοδοι αὐτοῦ 
 
 terminus a quo. 
 
 ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἐξ ἐν πὶ αἰῶνος. eae 
 π᾿ ρ 
 
 .- ρ γ.. 
 [Ses watoau, ‘Whose going forth 
 
 is from the beginning, from the days of 
 the ages.” Vulg. “Et egressus ejus ab in- 
 itio, a diebus eternitatis.” The Arab. 
 though unwarrantably free as a ver- 
 sion, gives pretty much the true sense: 
 
 die tye! ob aeylaury 
 
 prot eGl, “Whose eae i in 
 
 Israel are from the days of the age.” It 
 is, however, not unlikely, that the words 
 
 JL} ol Ss have crept into the text - 
 
 from the preceding, clause. Though 
 tip is used of past duration absolutely 
 in reference to God, Deut. xxxiii. 27, 
 yet it is most frequently employed to de- 
 note past, especially ancient time, and is 
 synonymous with e+», with which it 
 occurs in poetic parallelisms. Comp. the 
 Arab. ncaa . precessit ; tempus anti- 
 
 ρ 
 quum. Syr. So re ante, coram, In 
 
 Ps. xliv. 2, Ἐπ’ "2. occurs, just as 
 Ed i> "Ὁ" does i in the present verse ; and 
 in Ps. Ixxvii. 6 we have Ἐπ ha ἘΠ25 and 
 medi nisd ΘΠ ΠΡ ΟΣ to each 
 other. Comp. also Micah vii. 14, 20; 
 Mal. iii. 4. That the dogma of eternal 
 generation or emanation is taught by 
 our prophet, does not appear; but the 
 actual preéxistence of our Saviour, and 
 his active comings forth, in the most an- 
 cient times, for the accomplishment of 
 the Divine purposes, he not obscurely 
 teaches. Thus Piscator: ‘“ Verto egres- 
 siones, nempe egressiones a Deo Patre 
 ad sanctos Patres Adamum, Noachum, 
 Abrahamum, Isaacum, Jacobum, quibus 
 apparuit seseque familiari sermone pate- 
 fecit.” For the interpretation of Calvin, 
 that the eternal decree respecting the 
 future birth of the Messiah is intended, 
 there is no foundation whatever. The 
 
244 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cap. V. 
 
 2 Nevertheless he will give them up 
 Till the time when she who is to bear hath brought forth, 
 
 And the rest of his brethren 
 
 Shall return to the sons of Israel. 
 
 term τ 1)2, Ruler, here employed, is that 
 used by David in his Messianic Ode, 2 
 Sam. xxiii. 3: — 
 
 pong bara byte 
 
 τ 
 
 ὁ Donte mss » Sy in 
 
 Comp. Jer. xxx. 21: — 
 329972 IAA ATS 
 REI ABT been 
 “by darn mSIp7} 
 33 mI 273 
 tim? ox “bs nab 
 
 Comp. also Is. xi. 1-4. 54, fo me, is not 
 without emphasis. The Messiah was to 
 come for the express purpose of carrying 
 into effect the will of his Father in the 
 salvation of men; and though Israel is 
 specially mentioned as the sphere of his 
 rule, it is not to the exclusion of the 
 Gentile world, as ver. 8, and numerous 
 passages in other prophets clearly show. 
 
 For the verbal discrepancies between 
 the Hebrew text of Micah, and the quo- 
 tation Matt. ii. 6, the reader is referred 
 to the commentators on the latter pas- 
 sage. It may suffice to remark here, 
 that the Hebrew words cannot with any 
 propriety be rendered interrogatively, as 
 some have proposed, and that the quo- 
 tation in question, made by the Sanhe- 
 drim, and not by the evangelist, is ob- 
 viously given from memory, and not 
 with any view to verbal accuracy. 
 
 2. Notwithstanding the glorious pros- 
 pect afforded by the promise of the 
 Messiah, it was not to supersede the 
 state of suffering to which the nation 
 was to be previously reduced on account 
 of its sins. Into that state it was to be 
 brought by the Chaldeans, and was not 
 to be fully restored till about the time 
 of his birth. The return from Babylon 
 was only partial at first ; but, encouraged 
 by the prosperity which attended the re- 
 establishment of the theocracy, others who 
 resided in the East were induced to fol- 
 
 low, and multitudes returned from Egypt 
 and other parts, before the Christian era. 
 The words 7735» 5715, are susceptible of 
 two interpretations. They may either 
 be referred to the Jewish church, and 
 regarded as descriptive of her deliver- 
 ance from suffering, set forth under the 
 metaphor of a travailing woman; or, 
 they strictly and literally apply to the 
 mother of the Messiah. The former 
 interpretation is adopted by Lipman, 
 Munster, Vatablus, Grotius, Drusius, 
 Dathe, Justi, and others; the latter by 
 the greater number of expositors— among. 
 other moderns, by Secker, Michaelis, 
 Hartmann, Rosenmiiller, Hitzig, Maurer, 
 and Ewald. ‘This construction of the 
 passage alone suits the entire connection. 
 It would appear altogether incongruous 
 to introduce a tropical designation of the 
 church, in a verse in which the Jewish 
 people are more than once spoken of in 
 language strictly literal. The birth of 
 the Messiah, in so far as regards its 
 place, and the preéxistence of his per- 
 son, had been predicted ver. 1: the 
 prophet, who, as already noticed, was 
 contemporary with Isaiah, and in all 
 probability was acquainted with his cele- 
 brated prophecy respecting the mb», 
 Is. vii. 14, now further adverts to the 
 interesting fact by a somewhat indefi- 
 nite, but by no means obscure refer- 
 ence to his virgin mother. This view 
 is further confirmed by the use of the 
 pronominal affix in bat) which un- 
 questionably belongs to the Messiah, the 
 immediate antecedent, and not, as a» 
 collective, to Israel, as given in the 
 LXX. and Targ. By his “ brethren” 
 cannot be meant the Gentile believers, 
 which some interpreters have alleged, 
 referring in proof to Ps. xxii. 22; Heb. 
 ii. 11; but his brethren according to 
 the flesh, those who still remained in 
 foreign parts, but who were to be brought 
 back to J udea, in order that they might 
 
Cuar. V. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 3 And He shall stand, and feed in the strength of Jehovah, 
 In the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God. 
 
 they shall continue ; 
 
 or now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth. 
 4 And This Same shall be the peace. 
 When the Assyrian shall invade our land, 
 
 And tread our palaces, 
 
 We will raise against him seven shepherds, 
 
 And eight anointed men, 2 
 
 5 And they shall afflict the land of Assyria with the sword, 
 And the land of Nimrod at the entrances thereof: 
 
 be there to receive him, when he should 
 come forth to be ruler in Israel. The 
 preposition +» conveys here the idea of 
 superaddition. The foreign Jews were 
 to be gathered in addition to those who 
 had already been collected. It is thus 
 more expressive than $s. That the 
 phrase $342 723, the children of Israel, 
 is not here to be taken in its distinctive 
 application to the ten tribes, but denotes 
 the descendants of Jacob generally, may 
 be inferred from the fact, that it is thus 
 appropriated after the Babylonish cap- 
 tivity, the period to which the prophecy 
 refers. It is well known that the Mac- 
 cabeean coins bear the inscription, ¢pw 
 tsnu-, the Shekel of Israel. Comp. for 
 this use the term ts Ὁ, ver. 1 of the 
 present chapter. Ἵ 
 
 3. The verb "2 signifies not simply 
 to stand, but also to stand firm, to endure, 
 continue. ‘This latter acceptation is ad- 
 opted here by many, who think it bet- 
 ter suits the character of the predicted 
 king, who is otherwise represented as sit- 
 ting upon his throne, and not standing. 
 But, as the following verb τι Ἢ, signifies 
 to feed a flock, there is the greatest 
 propriety in presenting him to view in 
 the attitude of the good shepherd, who 
 stands, that he may survey the whole of 
 his sheep, and be in readiness to defend 
 them against all attacks. Comp. Is. 1xi. 
 5. ‘The pastoral metaphor is beautifully 
 expressive of royal care and protection. 
 Comp. Iliad i. 263 : 
 
 Οἵον Πειρίϑοόν τε, Δρύαντά τε, ποιμένα 
 λαῶν, 
 
 where the scholiast has, βασιλέα ὄχλων». 
 See for this use of the Hebrew verb [ΠΣ , 
 2 Sam. ν. 2, vii.7. The power and glory 
 of the Messiah here predicted are those 
 with which, as Mediator, he is invested. 
 Comp. Is. xi. 2; Matt. xxviii. 19 ; Heb. 
 ii. 7-9. Jehovah being called “his 
 God,” intimates his subordinate official 
 relation. Comp. John xx. 17. If ἘΦ 
 mim, the name of Jehovah, be not here 
 a periphrasis for Jehovah himself, it may 
 be regarded as descriptive of his attri- 
 butes, or the character in which he hath 
 revealed himself to mankind. The nom- 
 inative to sou7 1 must be the subjects 
 over whom Messiah reigns, understood. 
 These were to consist not of believing 
 Jews only, but likewise of believing Gen- 
 tiles in the remotest regions of the globe, 
 as it follows in the verse. Comp. for 
 VAS (OER, ‘‘the ends of the earth,” in 
 reference to the amplitude of the nee 
 dom of Christ, Ps. ii. 8, xxii. 28, Ixxii. 8. 
 The verb conveys the idea of security 
 and permanence. Such was to be the 
 character of the new dispensation. It 
 remains to add on this verse, that instead 
 of my, to feed, two MSS. and some 
 printed editions read msn, to see, while 
 the LXX. and Arab. exhibit both read- 
 ings; and that three MSS. and another 
 originally, the Syr., Targ., and Vulg., 
 read ἼΞ 59} or yawn, they shall return, 
 or be converted, instead of the current 
 reading 12071, they shall remain. The 
 LXX. have ὑπάρξουσι. 
 
 4,5. The words Bite πὶ nimi, And 
 This Same shall be the peace, are inti- 
 
246 MICAH. Car. V- 
 And there shall be deliverance from the Assyrian, 
 When he shall invade our land, 
 And when he shall tread our borders. 4, 
 
 mately connected with the preceding 
 words, but have no relation to those 
 which follow, except in so far as the 
 victories there assumed were to pave the 
 way for that state of the Jewish affairs 
 during which the Messiah was to appear 
 in the world. πτ, This, This Same, is 
 used emphatically, with reference to the 
 Messiah, who had just been spoken of. 
 Comp. for a similar use of the pronoun, 
 Gen. v. 29; Exod. xv. 2. pits, peace, 
 is put, by metonymy, for the author and 
 introducer of reconciliation. Comp. Gen. 
 xlix. 10; Is. ix. 5; Zech. ix. 10; Eph. 
 ii. 14,17; Col. i. 20. tz, signifies zo 
 restore things to their former state, to 
 make restitution ; in Hiph. to restore, or 
 cause to be at peace. Comp. the Arab. 
 
 pres redintegrare, sanare. The sub- 
 
 stantive is without the article, as fre- 
 quently in the prophetic writings, when 
 the object is to impart energy to the lan- 
 guage, by condensing the mode of ex- 
 pression. If saws be taken to signify 
 the ancient Assyrian empire, the refer- 
 ence will be to the threatened invasion 
 in the time of the prophet; but this 
 construction ill suits the connection, in 
 which respect is had to the more distant 
 future ; and what follows, relative to the 
 resistance of the Jews, does not agree 
 with any successful events in the history 
 of that people during the Assyrian rule. 
 I cannot, therefore, but think, that the 
 term is employed by our prophet to 
 denote the empire of the Seleucide, 
 founded by Seleucus, one of the generals 
 of Alexander the Great, by whom he 
 was invested with the government of 
 Babylonia and Media, and who, under 
 the title of King of Syria, subjugated 
 ull the countries from the Hellespont 
 to India and the Jaxartes. On the 
 same principle that Darius is called 
 “six toe, the king of Assyria, Ezra vi. 
 22, though that empire had long ceased 
 to exist, the title might be applied to 
 Seleucus and his successors. ‘To them, 
 
 during the period of their reign, belonged 
 “ the land of Assyria,” which is also here 
 called «the land of Nimrod,’ becafise, 
 according to the proper rendering of 
 Gen. x. 11, that monarch went forth 
 from Babylon into the country of Assy- 
 ria, where he built Nineveh and other 
 cities there named. According to this 
 interpretation, the prophecy in these two 
 verses relates to the noble and suc- 
 cessful opposition which the Maccabees 
 offered to Antiochus Epiphanes, when 
 he marched against Jerusalem, pillaged 
 the temple, and desecrated every object 
 sacred in the estimation of the Jews. 
 By rousing a spirit of patriotic piety in 
 the breasts of their countrymen, they 
 not only recovered their sacred city from 
 the enemy, but, after a series of the 
 most brilliant victories, drove him to the 
 gates of his own fortified cities, and fin- 
 ally succeeded in securing the national 
 independence. It is to this protracted, 
 but triumphant struggle, the reference 
 is made, Dan, xi. 32. The assertion of 
 Hartmann, that NEI ΕΝ is not 
 Hebrew in its construction, and that, 
 consequently, πε is to be connected 
 with πιῶ, is without foundation; for 
 we meet with the very same construc- 
 tion in sbE2 ἢ HEN is oes, Numb. vi. 
 
 τ 
 
 oe ΠΝ also in Arab. ων 
 
 dat, hy le Nyaa 101 
 Lielsl, “ two cities when their inhabit- 
 
 ants are of one accord,” Locman, Fable 
 I. The numbers seven and eight appear 
 to be used to denote indefinitely a full 
 and sufficient number, as in Eccles, xi. 
 2. ‘Give a portion to seven, and also 
 to eight. Comp. also Job vy. 18; Prov. 
 vi. 16, xxx. 15, 18, 21; Amos i. 3, 6, 
 9, ete. So the Greek τρὶς καὶ τετράκις, 
 and the Latin ter guaterque. Were they 
 to be taken literally, there would be no 
 great difficulty in selecting the number 
 from the Maccabiean period ; but the com- 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 247 
 
 6 And the remnant, of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people, 
 
 Like the dew from Jehovah ; 
 Like the small rain upon herbs, 
 Which waiteth not for man, 
 
 And tarrieth not for the sons of man. 
 7@Yea, the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, 
 
 In the midst of many people, 
 
 Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, 
 Like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, 
 Which, if he pass through, treadeth down and rendeth, 
 
 And there is none to deliver. 
 
 8 Thy hand shall be high against thine adversaries, 
 
 . parison of the above passages shows that 
 such a process would be unwarranted. 
 mova, shepherds, and DAN 5509, princely 
 men, are synonymous, signifying those 
 who took the lead in opposing the 
 enemy, and who administered the affairs 
 of the Jews at the time. Because ΠῸ3 
 also signifies to pour out a libation, 
 Michaelis is inclined to render the phrase 
 Eos "D762, sacrifices of men, and to 
 interpret it of such as sacrificed their 
 life in defence of their country. Not 
 only, however, is the parallelism opposed 
 to this construction of the meaning, but 
 also the use of Ὁ" Ξ"Ὁ3 in other ‘passages. 
 Thus Josh. xiii. 21, ἡ Π Ὁ “D702, princes 
 (Comp. Ver. dukes) of Sthon ; and Ezek. 
 Xxxil. 80, [IBS "572 Nev, there are the 
 princes of the north. The title properly 
 signifies anointed, those who had been 
 consecrated to their office by anointing 
 with oil; and thus is equivalent to 
 ἘΠ 92. In the present instance it is 
 used tropically, without any reference to 
 the ceremony. Syr. ἴω); Liste}. 
 Targ. S2i8 "2922; Arab. ue Lbs 
 eit, great men. τὴ, to feel, being 
 here used in connection with “ the 
 sword,” must be taken metaphorically, 
 and means to consume, devastate, or the 
 like. To refer 495 to 334 as its root, is 
 altogether inadmissible. The repetition 
 
 in these two verses possesses peculiar 
 elegance. “En is used impersonally, 
 
 Instead of 5:53:25 in the singular, "55 8538 
 in the plural, is the reading of thirty- 
 four MSS., originally four more; the 
 Soncin., Brixian, and Complut. editions ; 
 the Soncin. Prophets, and all the ancient 
 versions. 
 
 6, 7. The former of these verses depicts 
 the beneficial influence which the re- 
 mainder of the nation, after its restora- 
 tion, should exert, by spreading the 
 knowledge of the true God among the 
 nations in the midst of which they were 
 situated; their signal victories against 
 such formidable armies, attracting atten- 
 tion to Him whom they worshipped, and 
 to whom they ascribed their success. 
 During the existence of the new Jewish 
 state, the members of the theocracy had 
 much intercourse with foreigners, multi- 
 tudes of whom became proselytes to the 
 faith of Jehovah, and were thus prepared 
 to receive the gospel, when preached by 
 the apostles. The idea of number lies 
 both in tu, the dew, and peanan, the 
 rain; and the sudden raising up of the 
 Jews was to be as entirely a work of Di- 
 vine providence, and independent of 
 human aid, as the production of the ma- 
 terial elements. The seventh verse des- 
 eribes the formidable character of the 
 Jews in reference to the hostile nations 
 by which they were attacked. For the 
 accumulation and the rise in the mean- 
 ing of the verbs Ὁ 119} ¢7241 722, comp. 
 
 Exod. xv. 9: boat Pens a ws Uae. 
 
 8. Here the a τοὺς aspect of the 
 prophecy closes. The words are ad- 
 
248 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 CuHap . Vv. 
 
 And all thine enemies shall be cut off. 
 9 And it shall be in that day, saith Jehovah, 
 That I will cut off thy horses from the midst of thee ; 
 And I will destroy thy chariots. 
 10 I will cut off the cities of thy land, 
 
 And raze all thy fortresses, 
 
 11 I will cut off the sorceries from thy hand, 
 And thou shalt have no diviners. 
 12 I will cut off thy graven images and thy statues from the midst 
 
 of thee, 
 
 And thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 
 13 I will break down thine images of Astarte from the midst of 
 
 thee, 
 And destroy thy cities. 
 
 dressed optatively to Jehovah, and may 
 be considered as those either of the 
 prophet, or as designed to be adopted by 
 the Jewish church. Comp. Is. xxvi. 
 11. Her enemies were the enemies of 
 Jehovah. 
 
 9-14. The prophet now returns to 
 times nearer his own, and predicts the 
 beneficial moral changes that were to 
 be effected in the condition of his coun- 
 trymen by the Babylonish conquest and 
 captivity. They had, contrary to the 
 
 express command of the Lord, Deut.: 
 
 xvii. 16, kept up a formidable body of 
 cavalry, and war-chariots; trusted in 
 their fortified cities ; encouraged sorcery, 
 and indulged in abominable idolatry. 
 These were all to be removed, when the 
 Jewish state was broken up; and after 
 God had employed the heathen in pun- 
 ishing his apostate people, they in their 
 turn should be punished for their obsti- 
 nate adherence to idol worship, notwith- 
 standing the testimony borne against 
 their conduct by the Jews who lived 
 among them. This portion of the chapter 
 15 strikingly parallel with Is. xlvii. 6-22. 
 For c-£2>, seeon Is. xlvii. 9; for 525 Σ᾽, 
 comp. pun y, Is. ili. 6; and for ots, 
 see on Is, xvii. 8. As t=» had already 
 occurred in the acceptation of cities, 
 ver. 10, we should scarcely expect it to 
 be again used ver, 13. To remove the 
 difficulty Michaclis compares the word 
 
 arbor semper 
 a 
 speluncus ; others propose to read b>" >", 
 woods, i. 6. groves, supposing the initial 
 Yod to have been absorbed by that with 
 which the preceding word terminates ; 
 while others would change the word into 
 Dry, witnesses, understanding thereby 
 the statues etc., belonging to idol-wor- 
 ship. There seems, however, to be no 
 absolute necessity for departing from the 
 signification cities, only we thereby un- 
 derstand such as were specially appro- 
 priated to idolatrous uses, as Jerome 
 suggests. Comp. $y2m ΓΞ ὍΣΣ, the city 
 of the house, or temple of Baal, 2 Kings 
 x. 25, by which is meant a separate part 
 of Samaria, where the temple was situ- 
 ated. This construction is required in 
 order to form a parallelism with O->"3x, 
 images of Astarte, occurring immediately 
 before in the verse. In all the ancient 
 versions the word is rendered by cities, 
 except the Targum, in which it is trans-' 
 lated enemies. Some refer the relative 
 =zis at the end of ver. 14 to ἘΠ, and in- 
 terpret, unheard of vengeance, but it is 
 more natural to connect it with Ds43, 
 nations, the immediate antecedent, and 
 to regard the prophet as describing the 
 refusal of the pagans, who had enjoyed 
 opportunities of learning the true religion 
 
 with the Arab. ἃ gy 
 virens ; Arnold, with the Arab. 
 
C'nar. VI. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 249 
 
 6 - And I will execute vengeance in anger and in wrath, 
 Upon the nations which have not been obedient. 
 
 from the Jews, to listen to the instruc- 
 tiors which had been tendered to them. 
 Thus the Targ. 95528 7p wba 8270709 
 nn ais, “the peoples hae have not re- 
 ceived the doctrine of the law.” LXX. 
 ἐν τοῖς ἔϑνεσιν, avd’ ὧν οὐκ εἰσήκουσαν. 
 
 Ω ig 2 Qe Ψ' BG Me 
 yr Sow Hy ode] fotos 
 the peoples who have not hearkened. In 
 
 the same way Michaelis, Hartmann, Justi, 
 Dathe, Hitzig, Maurer, Ewald. 
 
 
 
 ΘΕΆ ΕἸ 
 
 Ir was not sufficient for the prophet to predict the punishments that were to be inflicted on 
 the Jews; he was required to press the subject upon their attention, which he does ina 
 very affecting manner, by calling a public court, in which the inanimate creation is sum- 
 moned to supply evidence, 1,2. An appeal is then made by Jehovah to the accused party, 
 respecting his kindness to the nation from the earliest period of its history, 3-5. Con- 
 victed of guilt, the people are represented as deeply anxious to obtain, at any cost, recon- 
 ciliation with God, 6,7; and are pointed by the prophet to the only source whence it was 
 to be obtained; while, at the same time, they are reminded of the high properties and ob- 
 ligations of true piety, 8. He next demands attention to the threatened judgments, 9; 
 specifies some of the crimes on account of which they were to be brought upon them, 
 10-12; repeats the threatening, 19; shows the blasting effects of the Divine wrath upon all 
 their undertakings, 14, 15; and traces the evil to its true souree—the idolatries of the 
 kingdom of Israel, 16. 
 
 1 Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: 
 Arise! plead in the presence of the mountains, 
 And let the hills hear thy voice. 
 
 2 Hear, O ye mountains! Jehovah’s controversy, 
 And ye rocks, the foundations of the earth ; 
 
 1, 2. It is not unusual with the pro- 
 phets to make appeals respecting the en- 
 ormity of human guilt to the inanimate 
 parts of creation, as if it were impossible 
 for it not to inspire them with life, and 
 call them forth as intelligent witnesses of 
 what hath taken place in their presence. 
 See Deut. xxxii. 1; Is.i. 2; Jer. ii. 12, 13. 
 By a similar personification the moun- 
 tains and durable foundations of the earth 
 are here summoned to appear in the 
 court of heaven. Jehovah, however, 
 instead of bringing forward the charge, 
 
 32 
 
 abdicates, as it were, his right, and leaves 
 it to the guilty party to state the case. 
 Comp. Is. xliii. 26. In the appeal to 
 the lofty and ever-during mountains, in 
 which ‘the puny affairs of man could 
 excite no prejudice, and which might 
 therefore be regarded as quite impartial 
 judges, there is something inexpressibly 
 sublime. San mx an, "does not mean, 
 contend with the mountains, as if they 
 were the party to be accused, but to 
 carry on the cause in their presence. 
 rw is here to be taken in the signification 
 
250 ‘ 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 CHAP. V> 
 
 For Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, 
 
 And will contend with Israel. 
 
 3 O my people! What have I done to thee? 
 With what have I wearied thee ? 
 
 Testify against me. 
 
 4 Nay, I brought thee up from the land of Egypt, 
 And redeemed thee from the house of slaves ; 
 
 And sent before thee Moses, Aaron and Midian: 
 O my people! remember now how Balak the king of Moab/ con- 
 
 σι 
 
 sulted, 
 
 } 
 
 ! 
 
 And how Balaam the son of Beor answered him ; 
 
 [Remember what happened | 
 From Shittim to Gilgal, 
 
 That ye may know the benefits of Jehovah. 
 
 of apud, coram, and is equivalent to 
 
 255, before, just as the forms τξηηη 
 pnts ms, Gen. v. 24, and ΕἸΣΙ 
 
 pnts ἘΣ, xlviii. 15, are ἬΕΙ τὸ ‘in 
 meaning. ἘΠ, or as it is spelt ΞΌΣ ΓΝ 
 in a great many MSS., and in four nee 
 editions, standing absolutely, must be 
 taken as a substantive, and not as an ad- 
 jective qualifying yoy 770". Arab. 
 
 yb, petra. 
 
 up, stetit, consistit ; 
 pl > est omne td, quod ΕἸ at, et per- 
 
 manet sua in sede. Schultens, Origg. 
 Hebbr. p. 112. Instead of 45x Ὑπὸ 12», 
 the en of the Tes ‘the Arabs 
 
 call the mountains Ue) JI ob, 
 
 the stakes, or posts of the earth. 
 
 3,4. The Israelites are asked, in the 
 kindest and most affecting style, what 
 ground of complaint they had against 
 Jchovah, which could have induced them 
 to act the part they did. Comp. Jer. 
 ji. 5, 31. He had demanded of them 
 nothing that was unreasonable. >> at 
 the beginning of ver. 4, is very expres- 
 sive, and is equivalent to nay, on the 
 contrary, or the like. Instead of having 
 done anything to alienate them, God had 
 shown the utmost kindness to them from 
 the beginning; not only rescuing them 
 from Egyptian bondage, but providing 
 them with inspired leaders. Miriam is 
 mentioned, on account of the prominent 
 
 part she took in celebrating the Divine 
 interposition for their deliverance. She 
 is called -x*227, the prophetess, Exod. 
 xy. 20, because she Ied the female chorus 
 which rehearsed the inspired song of 
 Moses. The Targ. on Micah adds: 
 sized ma "wb, to instruct the women. 
 Comp. Numb. xi. 2. 
 
 δ. The kindness of Tchowah to his 
 people was manifested, not only in 
 furnishing them with inspired teachers, 
 but also in counteracting the designs of 
 Balak, who wished to engage the pro- 
 phetic influence of Balaam against them ; 
 for that avaricious prophet was compelled, 
 contrary to the cherished desire of his 
 heart, to pronounce blessings upon them 
 instead of curses. See Numb. xxii. 
 xxiii, xxiv. The words τῷ pen ἼΣ 
 
 Saba, from Shittim to Gilgal, are not 
 io be constructed with those immediately 
 preceding ; for Balaam did not cross 
 over Jordan to Gilgal, but was slain in 
 the land of Midian, as we read Numb. 
 xxxi. 8. Nor are we, with Ewald, to 
 suppose them to be a marginal gloss; 
 but have merely to supply the ellipsis 
 mim m1, what happened, and repeat >, 
 remember, from the first clause of the 
 verse, To this effect the Targ. j4:23 8a 
 ma 39 yw “pian Ἵ 559 NT -aghe 
 sbata, “ Were not mighty deeds per- 
 for med for 4 you from the plain of Shittim 
 to the house Gilgal?” ‘Thus also Mun- 
 
Cuap. VI. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 2ol 
 
 6 With what shall I come before Jehovah ? 
 With what shall I bow to the high God ? 
 Shall I come before him with burnt offerings ? 
 
 With calves of a year old ? 
 
 7 Will Jehovah be satisfied with thousands of rams ? 
 With ten thousand rivers of oil ? 
 Shall I give my first-born for my transgression ? 
 The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? 
 
 ster, Vetablus, Grotius, Calvin, Dathe, De 
 Wette, Michaelis, Hartmann, and others, 
 ‘There was a peculiar propriety in specify- 
 ing these two ‘places. Shittim was the 
 name of a valley in the country of Moab, 
 where on account of the impurities com- 
 mitted with the Midianitish women, 
 twenty-four thousand Israelites were de- 
 stroyed. The evil was so great that it 
 might have caused the Lord to abandon 
 them entirely ; but he mercifully spared 
 them as a people, miraculously divided 
 the Jordan to afford them a passage, 
 and gave them actual possession of 
 Canaan, the land promised to their 
 fathers. In proof of this last act of the 
 Divine goodness, Gilgal is singled out 
 from other places, because it was there 
 they made their first encampment in the 
 promised land. It was situated between 
 Jericho and the Jordan, but no trace 
 of its site now remains. nin? ΤΡῚΣ, the 
 benefits of Jehovah. Comp. Jud. v. 11; 
 1 Sam, xii. 7; Ps. xxiv. 7. In this way 
 the phrase is interpreted by Tanchum, 
 Grotius, Drusius, and by most of the 
 moderns. Calvin observes: ‘Per Jus- 
 titias intelligit beneficia quemadmodum 
 multis aliis locis ; and paraphrases thus: 
 “Ut ipsa experientia tibi demonstret 
 quam verax, quam beneficus, quam mi- 
 sericors semper fuerit Deus erga genus 
 vestrum.”’ 
 
 6, 7. The Jews convicted of guilt, 
 are represented as most anxious to pro- 
 pitiate the Divine favor. They could 
 not deny the charges that had been 
 brought against them; nor could they 
 put in any plea of justification. They 
 stood condemned before God and the 
 universe. The language which they 
 employ is not such as the prophet would 
 have taught them, but such as well 
 
 accorded with the notions which were 
 prevalent among them, some of which 
 had been learned from their heathen 
 neighbors, How much soever they might 
 formerly have grudged the expense of 
 prescribed offerings, they are now will- 
 ing to bring the most costly and abund- 
 ant, rams by thousands, and oil sufficient 
 to fill myriads of rivers; nay, what is 
 more, human victims, and of these the 
 most endeared, their own offspring. In 
 yav—tna ninan, myriads of torrents of 
 oil, is a double hyperbole, quite in the 
 style of the Orientals. For mina, as 
 thus used, comp. 1 Sam. xviii. 7; and for 
 ‘abs Ὁ) ex. 17. \ The fact at 
 the presentation of humah sacrifices is 
 fully established in the ancient history 
 of all nations. This barbarous custom 
 Was especially prevalent among the Phe:- 
 nicians, and was by them introduced 
 into the north of Africa, where it con- 
 tinued till the proconsulate of Tiberius. 
 According to Porphyry, the book of 
 Sanchoniathon was full of examples of 
 such sacrifices. That they obtained 
 among the idolatrous Israelites is clear 
 from Jer. xix. 5, xxxil. 85, who offered 
 their children to Moloch or Saturn, after 
 the example of their Pheenician neigh- 
 bors. Eusebius, in his Praepar. Evangel. 
 lib. iv. 16, enters at length into the 
 subject ; and adduces a passage from 
 Philo Byblius which has a special bear- 
 ing upon the present text: Ἔϑος ἦν τοῖς 
 παλαιοῖς, ἐν ταῖς peydAats συμφοραῖς τῶν 
 κινδύνων, ἀντὶ τῆς πάντων φϑορᾶς TO 
 HTAMHMENON TON ΤΕΚΝΩΝ τοὺς 
 κρατοῦντας ἢ πόλεως ἢ ἔϑνους, εἰς σφα- 
 γὴν ἐπιδιδόναι, λύτρον τοῖς τιμωροῖς δαί- 
 foot, ‘It was customary among the 
 ancients, on calamitous or dangerous em- 
 ergencies, for the rulers of the city or 
 
=P52 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 
 
 8 He hath showed thee, O man! what is good: 
 And what doth Jehovah require of thee, 
 But to do justice, and love mercy, 
 And be diligent in walking with thy God? 
 
 the state, to prevent the destruction of 
 all, to offer up the most dearly beloved of 
 their children, as a ransom to divine 
 vengeance.” ὩΞΝ is the future in Niphal 
 of the root SE, fo bend, bow one’s self 
 down. Comp. Ps. lvii. 7, exlv. 14. In- 
 stead of yo3—"bm3, rivers of oil, the 
 LXX. who have χιμάρων πιόνων, or, as 
 the Alex. MS. reads, αρνῶν, have read 
 “2d—tnn, fat sheep ; which rendering 
 is followed by the Vulg. and Arab., but 
 is unsupported by any other authority. 
 The translator was ‘evidently misled by 
 an improper view of the parallelism. 
 
 8. The questions put in the preced- 
 ing verses do not involve anything like 
 irony, as Rosenmiiller and Maurer im- 
 agine, but manifestly argue a deep anxi- 
 ety about an atonement, and at the same 
 time the grossest ignorance of what was 
 necessary to constitute that atonement. 
 In replying to them, the prophet first of 
 all shows, that the ignorance of the 
 people was culpable. They had been fur- 
 nished with revelations of the mind of 
 God upon the subject. 55 t-an, He (i.e. 
 Jehovah) hath shown or manifested it to 
 thee ; or, the verb may be taken imper- 
 sonally, and rendered in the passive: I¢ 
 hath been shown thee. No MS. supports 
 =as, Iwill show, the reading of the Syr., 
 Vulg. and Arab. Had they searched 
 the Divine records they could not have 
 failed to discover, that, whatever pre- 
 scriptions relative to sacrifices had been 
 delivered to them, they had never been 
 taught to attach to them any moral 
 efficacy, but the contrary. Both reason 
 and revelation combined to invest them 
 with an ulterior reference. What that 
 xeference really was, the Apostle plainly 
 teaches us, Heb. x. 1: Σκιὰν yap ἔχων 
 
 ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ATAOQN : — 
 the Ξῖ: τ of the prophet. Comp. 
 Heb. ix. 23, where the sacrifice of 
 
 Christ is, by way of eminence and dis- 
 tinction, called κρείττοναι δυσίαι. 
 
 Of this, the only intrinsically valuable 
 atonement, the Levitical sacrifices, were 
 ὑποδείγματα, instructive examples, or 
 types, which were intended to suggest 
 and foreshadow it; and, connected as 
 they were with the progressive develop- 
 ments, which, from time to time, were 
 made of the sacerdotal character, and 
 the personal oblation of the Great De- 
 liverer promised from the beginning, 
 the worshippers were without excuse if 
 they did not, like Abraham, rejoice in 
 the anticipation of his day. Having 
 referred the inquirer to the revealed 
 method of reconciliation, with a tacit 
 intimation of the importance of availing 
 himself of it, Micah proceeds to describe 
 the conduct which alone could meet with 
 the divine approval. The piety required 
 by Jehovah, he sums up under three 
 heads: strict equity in all our transac- 
 tions with our fellow men; a heart set 
 on doing them good, according to the 
 claims which they have upon us: and 
 diligent attention to everything belonging 
 to converse with God. Comp. Deut. 
 x. 12, 18. See also, as contrasting a 
 right state of the heart and life with 
 ceremonial services, 1 Sam. xv. 22; Is, 
 i. 11-20; Jer. vii. 21-23; Amos vy. 
 22-24; Hos. vi. 6. Astill more com- 
 pendious description of genuine religion 
 is given by our Lord under the three- 
 fold division of κρίσις, ἔλεος and πίστις, 
 Matt. xxiii. 23; or, as Luke has for 
 the last, τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ Θεοῦ, chap. 
 xi. 42; which shows how completely 
 mistaken Campbell is in referring it to 
 the social virtues, and rendering it fidel- 
 ity. There can be little doubt that 
 Christ had the passage of Micah in his 
 
 eye. 525, Arab. cu, fecit, elabora- 
 
 vit in re aliqua; paravit ; also, indus- 
 ρ 
 
 trius οὐ solers ; ὅγυ. L149 3 astutus, 
 
 callidus ; Eth. X30: validus, constans 
 
Cuap. VI. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 9 The voice of Jehovah crieth to the city, 
 (And he who is wise will regard thy name) 
 Hear ye the rod, and Him who hath appointed it. 
 
 fuit ; to be apt, ready, diligent, to bend 
 the mind to anything; here, to apply it 
 earefully and sedulously to devotional 
 and other spiritual exercises, which are 
 essential to communion with God. Thus 
 the LXX, ἕτοιμον εἶναι; Theod. acda- 
 Algov: the fifth Greek version, φρον- 
 
 τίζειν ; the Syr. 5 AS, paratus ; Vulg. 
 
 solicitum. The idea of humility, which 
 is that adopted in our common version, 
 seems to have been derived from the Arab. 
 
 fate eh to train one’s horse, ὃ, 6. 
 
 by rendering him submissive and patient 
 
 of restraint ; hence eo "γα 
 
 bene exercitatus. Sce A. Schultens on 
 Proy. xi. 2, While this grace is an in- 
 dispensable attribute of true religion, and 
 lies indeed at its very foundation, it is 
 only one of the several important quali- 
 ties of which it is composed. The term 
 employed by the prophet, comprehends 
 them all. Michaelis renders, mit gewis- 
 senhafter sorgfalt, ** with conscientious 
 solicitude.”” The comment of Jerome is 
 not unworthy of notice ; — “Ita preci- 
 pitur ut preeparati simus ambulare cum 
 Domino Deo nostro, nulla hora dormire, 
 nullo tempore securi esse debemus, sed 
 semper expectare patremfamilias venien- 
 tem et diem formidare judicii, et in nocte 
 hujus seculi dicere: ego dormio, et cor 
 meum vigilat.” »::7 is the Hiphil In- 
 finitive, used adverbially. Bps. Butler 
 and Lowth, Mr. Peters, and some others, 
 are of opinion that the sixth, seventh, 
 and eighth verses contain a dialogue be- 
 tween Balak and Balaam; but there 
 does not appear to be sufficient ground 
 for it. The connection of these verses 
 with verse fifth is not so close as they 
 suppose. 
 
 9. On the ground of the foreseen de- 
 termination of the Jews, notwithstand- 
 ing their present professions of repent- 
 ance, to persevere in a line of conduct 
 diametrically opposite to that required by 
 
 the Most High, the prophet proceeds to 
 summon their attention to the certainty 
 ee the judgments that were to be inflicted. 
 
 55 for ἜΣΤΙ 5» to the city, i. 6. Jeru- 
 a by w ay of eminence. As she was 
 preéminent in privilege, so she was also 
 in regard to wickedness and guilt. n> gal 
 Gesenius refers to an obsolete root mo" 
 which he thinks may probably have 
 meant to stand, stand out, and so ¢o be. 
 From such a root both this noun, and 
 Ὁ", being, subsistence, substance, may 
 most naturally be derived. ‘The signi- 
 fications will then be, that which reaily 
 is, something solid or substantial, reat 
 wisdom, wealth, power, security, deliver- 
 ance, or whatever else best agrees with 
 
 Comp. the Arab. ss: 
 
 in the acceptations juvit restituitque wegro- 
 tum medicina; abundavit opibus vir; 
 
 “αἰ ὦ 99 opulentia, abundantia opum ; 
 
 sy largitus est. 
 in parallelisms with mesh, wisdom, τι: Σ᾽» 
 counsel, ; mT, assistance, 73, strength, 
 yon, ὦ shield, etc. The LXX., who 
 render it by ἀληϑὲς, βοήϑδεια, ἰσχὺς, 
 σωτηρία, ἀσϑάλεια, βουλὴ, give in the 
 present text the verb σώσει, as if they 
 had read y-3in, from ye; but they 
 may, after all, have attached the same 
 signification to mé:. The Syriac has 
 
 = " 
 Δ 5: ἃ, doctrine ; the Targ. s*=512 
 
 teachers. The construction of the word 
 here will depend upon the reading of the 
 following verb. If, with seven MSS., 
 originally one more, and apparently an- 
 other, one corrected, and one in the mar- 
 gin, the LXX., Syr., Targ., Vulg.. and 
 Arab., we read F733 "377, those who fear 
 thy name, the passage will best be ren- 
 dered, there will be safety or deliverance, 
 i. e. for such. In this case we have to 
 supply the substantive verb, and the ellip- 
 sis of Ὁ, fo or for. On the other hand, 
 if we retain the current reading mes? 
 
 the context. 
 
 The noun is used 
 
254 
 
 MICAH, 
 
 Crap. ὟΣ, 
 
 10 Are there still in the house of the wicked treasures of wicked- 
 
 ness, 
 
 And the accursed scanty ephah ? 
 11 Can I be innocent with wicked balances, 
 And with a bag of deceitful weights ? 
 12 Whose rich men are full of violence, 
 And her inhabitants speak falsehood ; 
 
 S722, he shall see thy name, we must, 
 with our ow n, and other translators, un- 
 derstand τὶ before mawin, and take 
 the noun in the signification solid, or 
 sound wisdom. That zs is frequently 
 to be thus understood abstract nouns, 
 comp. Ps. οἷς. 4, mSEn s23, Tam prayer, 
 for meen αὶ SONS MINS lama man of prayer ; 
 Prov. xiii. 6, Sun, sin, for rxen ocx, 
 the man of ἐλ i, 6. the sinner; xix. 
 15. mbx2, indolence, for mos> ms, the 
 
 man of indolence, ete. What ise 
 favors the reading 3729 "x77? is its occur- 
 ring only in this place, whereas “29 Ss 
 ead other forms of δ" with oy, are 
 of frequent occurrence. It was quite 
 natural for copyists and punctators to 
 substitute the former for the latter, but 
 not the latter for the former. As to the 
 ancient versions, the LX X. may, as fre- 
 quently, have translated from hearing, 
 and thus have mistaken the pronuncia- 
 tion of την" for that of "ST) which it 
 ΕΟ nearly resembled. The common read- 
 ing best suits the connection. Before an- 
 nouncing his message, the prophet paren- 
 thetically declares, that, whatever might 
 be the treatment it would receive from 
 the bulk of the people, the truly wise 
 would regard it as God’s message, and 
 having special respect to his revealed 
 character as thereby disclosed, would 
 find in it security and consolation in 
 the approaching calamities. The name 
 of the Lord is frequently used to ex- 
 press the sum total of the Divine attri- 
 butes, and often stands for God himself. 
 ms, signifies not merely ἕο see, but to 
 recognize practically, to experience. 1 
 Sam. xxiv. 12; Ps. xxxiv, 13, Ixxxix,. 
 49 ; Lam. iii. 1. Gontrasted with τοι} 
 
 Wee, see Is, xxvi. 10; a ats π 
 1 Pa 
 
 ss" tn. 
 s 
 
 my, the LXX., Syr., Vulg., and among 
 the moderns, Newcome and Ewald, take 
 to signify ¢zbe, or collectively tribes, and 
 render in the vocative. ‘The ‘larg. adopts 
 a metaphorical signification, correspond- 
 ing to that which attaches to 
 rendering, ΣΈΟ ἈΞ Έ, O King ‘and 
 
 ΓΝ 
 στ 
 
 Prince! The acceptation rod, as em- 
 blematical of punishment, is best suited 
 to the connection. Comp. Is. ix. 3, x. 
 5, 24. ΠΣ" is also variously translated 
 and explained : some deriving it from 
 the root to adorn ; some ion “3, 
 to testify ; some adopt the signification 
 
 of the Arab. (hs 9 minatus fuit; while 
 
 —o ay 
 mi, 
 
 my, congregation. There is no necessity 
 for departing from the ordinary signifi- 
 cation of πξ", to fix, appoint. ‘The only 
 real difficulty lies in the feminine suffix 
 =, Which does not grammatically agree 
 with Fi; but even this may be re- 
 moved by taking the suffix as a neuter, 
 or as referring to τιν Ἢ, the calamity, un- 
 derstood. Comp. Jer. ix. 11. Ewald, 
 hire Gemeine und wer sie bestellt! * let 
 the community hear, and he that ap- 
 points it,” understanding thereby the 
 king as principal ruler. Hitzig and 
 Maurer, as in our common version, both 
 make Jehovah the nominative to the 
 verb. Comp. Jer. xlvii. 7. 
 
 10—12. Several crimes are here speci- 
 fied as a sample of those which abounded, 
 and on account of which the Divine 
 judgments were to be brought upon the 
 land. For =*» at the beginning of a 
 sentence, comp. Gen, xix. 12. Forty- 
 nine MSS., thirteen more originally, and 
 perhaps one other, with one in the mar- 
 gin, read ux the man, instead οὔτ ἢ 
 and this is also the reading of the Son- 
 
Cuap. VI. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 259 
 
 Their tongue in their mouth is deceitful. 
 13 I will surely smite thee incurably, 
 Rendering thee desolate on account of thy sins. 
 14 Thou mayest eat, but thou shalt not be satisfied, 
 For thou shalt be inwardly depressed ; 
 Thou mayest remove, but thou shalt not rescue, 
 Or what thou rescuest I will give to the sword. 
 15 Thou mayest sow, but thou shalt not reap ; 
 
 cin., the Brixian, and five other printed 
 editions, and has the approval of Jarchi, 
 Abenezra, and Abarbanel, but it affords 
 no suitable sense ; and with 3-7 in Ken- 
 nicott’s MS. 201, must be regarded as 
 the result of interpretation. Owing to 
 the same cause, numerous MSS. and 
 editions have gun. The LXX., Syr., 
 and Vulg., have ead wan, the fire; but 
 there cannot be any doubt, that it is 
 only another form of won, there being 
 merely an omission of the Yod, as there 
 clearly is, 2 Sam. xiv. 19; and the 
 Aleph corresponds to the same letter in 
 the cognate forms: Chald. nes, Syr. 
 
 dul; Arab. ual, est, exsistit. The 
 
 ellipsis of a before m3 is not unfrequent. 
 The Hebrews were much given to the 
 falsification of their weights and mea- 
 sures, though such conduct was repeat- 
 edly prohibited by the law, Lev. xix. 
 35, 36; Deut. xxv. 13-16; and else- 
 where severely condemned in their sac- 
 red writings. See Proy. xi. 1, xx. 10; 
 and for the practice, comp. Ezek. χ]ν, 
 9,10; Hos. xii. 8 ; Amos viii. 5. mT, 
 accursed, from txt, to be angry, indig- 
 nant. This participial form presents the 
 object as suffering the effects of anger, or 
 as marked with the Divine displeasure. 
 mars, ver. 11, the LXX., Syr., and 
 Targ., have read in the third person 
 m27, though the two last render it in 
 the plural. As the MSS. show no va- 
 riation, the present reading must be re- 
 tained; but as this verb is never used 
 transitively in Kal, we cannot refer the 
 nominative to God, and interpret it of 
 his inquiring whether he could treat the 
 persons in question as innocent, but must: 
 regard the prophet as putting the ques- 
 
 tion, for the sake of effect, into the 
 mouth of one of themselves, and making 
 him ask, how he could possibly lay claim 
 to the character, while he had none but 
 instruments of fraud in his possession ? 
 the antecedent to “EN, whose, ver. 12, 
 is 4797, city, ver. 9. 
 
 13. In this, and the following verses, 
 seyere judgments are threatened against 
 the people on account of their iniquitous 
 practices. The LXX., Syr., Vulg., and 
 Arab., render »n7>.157, 1 have har, or, I 
 will begin, as if it were the Hiphil of 
 tin, but it is that of τι Π, to be in pain, 
 sick, etc. As here used with the infini- 
 tive of m2n, ¢o smite, inflict punishment, 
 it gives intensity to the threatening, and 
 expresses the incurable nature of the pun- 
 ishment. 
 
 14. mgt, is not to be referred, with 
 Simonis and Gesenius, to the Arab. 
 
 YAS 9 fame exinanitus fuit, but to 
 eo» sequior, et imbecillis, infirmus ; 
 
 and was most likely intended to express 
 ° yo 
 hat find in the Syr. “Lite BS 
 what we in the Syr { ee 9, 
 
 “ the diarrhea shall be within thee.” The 
 LXX, ΤΆΕΙΒΒ, W722 for yum, renders, 
 kal σκοτάσει ἐν σοι. SOT is te apocopated 
 Hiphil of :93, to remove, and expresses 
 the attempt to save goods by removing 
 them out of the way of the enemy. 
 All the ancient versions have adopted 
 the signification of Ἀπ with Ὁ, fo seize, 
 lay hold on, but that conjugation of Δ» 
 has also the signification, to remove any- 
 thing. See Job xxiv 2, 
 
 15. m%4 am. Oil was expressed 
 from the olive, by stamping or treading 
 it out with the foot, in the same way as 
 
256 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuap. VII. 
 
 Thou mayest tread the olive, but thou shalt not pour out the 
 
 oil; 
 
 And the grape of the new wine, but the wine thou shalt not 
 
 drink ; 
 
 16 The statutes of Omri are strictly kept, 
 And all the work of the house of Ahab, 
 And ye walk in their counsels ; 
 That 1 may make thee desolate, 
 And the inhabitants thereof an object of hissing ; 
 Therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people. 
 
 grapes were trodden. Hence the name 
 Ἴ29 ma, Gethsemane, or the oil-press, 
 Matt. xxvi. 36. Oil is indispensable to 
 oriental comfort, being used for anointing 
 the body, and perfuming the garments. 
 It is also a very common ingredient in 
 food. 
 
 16. Hartmann stumbles at the intro- 
 duction of this verse; but it is quite in 
 the manner of the prophet, to recur to 
 the wicked character of his people. 
 “soma? is best rendered impersonally, 
 though it refers to Dx, people, understood. 
 Hithpael i is here intensive of Piel. Omri 
 is specially mentioned, because he was 
 the founder of Samaria and the wicked 
 house of Ahab, and a supporter of the 
 
 16-28. 43905, in order that. The He- 
 brews did not, indeed, commit the wicked- 
 ness described with the intention of bring- 
 ing upon themselves divine punishment ; 
 but the punishment was as certainly con- 
 nected with the sin, in the purpose of 
 God, as if its infliction had been the end 
 at which they aimed. δ ΘΙ ΠΣ ron, 
 ye shall bear the reproach of my people, 
 i. €. your own reproach, that which you 
 have deserved ; only the meaning is so 
 expressed, in order to derive a high aggra- 
 vation of their guilt from the relation in 
 which they stood to Jehovah. The 
 LXX. have λαῶν, which intimates that 
 they either read D753, or 2», as a de- 
 fective masculine plural. 
 
 superstitions of Jeroboam, 1 Kings xvi. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 BEFORE concluding, the prophet once more reverts to the wickedness of his people, which 
 he depicts with the darkest colors, 1-6. He then represents them in their state of cap- 
 tivity, brought to repentance, and confidently expecting the Divine interposition, which 
 would be rendered the more conspicuous by the complete destruction of their enemies, 
 7-10. The restoration of Jerusalem, and the conversion of the hostile nations, are next 
 predicted, 11,12; while the previous desolation of Judea is traced to the sins of the in- 
 habitants, 13. Turning to Jehovah, he prays for the undisturbed and prosperous con- 
 dition of the restored nation, 14; to which a gracious response is given, 15. The over- 
 throw of the nations hostile to the Jews, and their reverence for Jehovah, are then 
 pointed, out, 16,17; and the prophecy closes with a sublime and exulting appeal to his 
 gracious character, 18, and an assurance that the covenant people should experience the 
 full accomplishment of the sacred engagements into which he had entered with their 
 progenitors, 19, 20. 
 
Cuap. VII. 
 
 1 Aas for me! 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 207 
 
 For I am as when they gather the summer fruit. 
 As when the vintage is gleaned: 
 
 There is no cluster to eat, 
 
 No early fig which my soul desireth. 
 2 The pious hath perished from the land. 
 And there is none upright among men ; 
 
 They all lie in wait for blood ; 
 
 They hunt each other into the net. 
 3 For evil their hands are well prepared ; 
 
 The prince asketh, 
 
 1. In no part of his prophecy does 
 Micah so fearfully describe the universal 
 corruption of manners which prevailed 
 among the Jews as in the first six verses 
 of this chapter. The picture is peculiarly 
 applicable to their character in the 
 wicked reign of Ahaz, during which the 
 prophet flourished, and was awfully 
 anticipative of that which they again 
 exhibited during the reigns immediately 
 preceding the captivity. The preposition 
 5 in ΝΞ ΠΡ 59 PIE "Ete, denoting 
 time as well as comparison, the two 
 nouns in construction must be rendered 
 as if they were verbs, though a literal 
 translation would be, the gatherings of 
 the summer fruit, and the gleanings of 
 the vintage. For m5:>3, the early fig, 
 see on Is. xxviii. 4. The prophet com- 
 pares the strong desire which he felt 
 to meet with a single pious man, to that 
 eagerness with which the traveller looks 
 in vain for one of those delicious figs 
 after the summer has advanced. 
 
 2. Comps, ῬΒ. χῖϊ 1, xdve 2 ; 15. lyri. 1. 
 ἘΠῚῚ. rendered in most of the versions 
 destruction, signifies also a net, which is 
 so called from its enclosing or shutting 
 up whatever it catches. Occurring, as 
 it here does, in connection with the verb 
 sis, to hunt, it is preferable to take it 
 in this acceptation. The Orientals em- 
 ployed the net for hunting, as well as 
 for fishing. The word is here in the ac- 
 cusative case. 
 
 3. This verse is very differently ren- 
 dered by translators. The version of it 
 which I have given appears to express 
 as literally as possible the ideas, which, 
 
 99 
 
 it is generally admitted, the prophet in- 
 tended to convey. Ξ 2" π is frequently 
 used to express the doing of anything 
 well, skilfully, aptly, and the like. Here 
 it is intransitive. Ewald, with Michae- 
 lis, Vogel and Doéderlein, mistakes the 
 meaning of the clause altogether, when 
 he explains it of endeavoring by bribery 
 to prevail upon the magistrates to pro- 
 nounce that to be good which in itself is 
 evil. %s%3, which he is obliged to con- 
 vert into ποῦ, a Pual form, of which no 
 example occurs in the Hebrew language, 
 can only refer to the avaricious passion 
 of the ruler, It it, therefore, the wicked- 
 ness of their governors and judges, and 
 not that of the people themselves, which 
 the latter clauses of the verse describe. 
 After ts“ supply 1m‘; and after ὯΒ Ὁ, 
 ὯΞ 5. Thesubstantive 747, like the Arab. 
 se , desideravit, voluit, has here the sig- 
 
 nification, wish, desire, will. See Schul- 
 tens on Prov. x. 3; and the Koran ii. 87: 
 
 prmnisl srt: “and whenever a 
 
 messenger cometh to you with that which 
 your souls desire not.’ Comp. Ps. lii. 
 9; Prov. xi. 6; and for the cognate 
 253 max, Deut. xii. 15, 20. nas, sig- 
 nifies to intertwine, bind together, as the 
 branches of trees, ropes, etc. ; here, me- 
 taphorically, to effect by united effort. 
 
 Comp. the Arab. Gynec, miscuit com- 
 y 
 miscuit, Syr. as, concordavit. 
 
258 MICAH. Cuar. VIL 
 
 And the judge also, for a reward ; 
 And the great man giveth utterance to the desire of his soul ; 
 They combine to act perversely. 
 
 4 The best of them is like a prickly thorn ; 
 The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge ; 
 The day of thy watchmen, thy visitation cometh ; 
 
 Now shall be their perplexity. 
 
 5 Place no faith in a companion ; 
 
 Trust not a familiar friend ; 
 
 From her that lieth in thy bosom 
 
 Guard the doors of thy mouth. 
 
 6 For the son despiseth his father ; 
 The daughter riseth up against her mother ; 
 The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law : 
 A man’s enemies are the members of his own family. 
 
 Dathe: conjunctis viribus exequuntur. 
 The princes, judges, and great men, con- 
 spired to set aside all law and right in 
 their treatment of the poor of the land. 
 The suffix τῷ is to be taken as a neuter, 
 and refers to the injustice practised by 
 the rulers. Thus Calvin : * Deinde com- 
 plicant ipsam pravitatem: hoc est hinc 
 fit ut grassetur furiosa crudelitas, quoniam 
 conspirant inter se et gubernatores et qui 
 volunt sibi acquirere peccandi licentiam : 
 quasi contexerent inter se funes, con- 
 firmant hoe modo pravitatem.” 
 
 4, Both iv, good, and -3>, upright, 
 are here used superlatively. Comp. for 
 this use, Gen. xlv. 23; Is. i. 19; Exod. 
 xv. 4. It frequently occurs in Arabic. 
 77h is now allowed to designate a species 
 of thorn, and not a brier. As the 1s now 
 stands before ;>:072, it must be taken as 
 an emphatic comparative, which derives 
 its force, not from any adjective ex- 
 pressed, but from the noun to which it is 
 prefixed, as in Ps. lxii. 10; Is. xli. 24; 
 or it may have originally belonged as a 
 suffix to the preceding noun "ἰδ", in which 
 case πΞ3 1 and τ 37 must have corres- 
 ponded to each other, leaving an ellipsis 
 of the > which had just been used in 
 pan>. By “the day of thy watchmen,” 
 the period of calamity predicted by the 
 prophets is meant. With this, the fol- 
 
 lowing = 
 
 ΡΞ, visitation, is explicatively 
 For pm Dit, a day of per- 
 plexity, see on Is. xxii. 5. The reference 
 in Ὁ is not to the watchmen, improperly 
 interpreted by some of false prophets ; 
 nor is it to be confined to the persons 
 of rank and office described ver. 3; but 
 to the people generally. 
 
 5,6. sad, Arab. was, Samiliaris 
 
 socius, from wall, conjuncit, sociavit, 
 
 parallel. 
 
 etce., a familiar, and, by implication, a 
 
 confidential, friend. bana Sex, 
 ἀτιμάζει. Comp. Deut. xxxii. 15. The 
 
 root $23, primarily signifies to wither, fall 
 off as leaves, and tropically to act wickedly, 
 trreligiously, as one that has fallen oif 
 from God. Comp. 83:3, Ps. xiv. 1. 
 
 “Ὧν 
 
 "9 “ὁ ον 
 an atrocious deed, Gen. xxxiy. 7; Jud. 
 xix, 23, 24. The state of things here 
 described is that of the most wretched 
 perfidiousness, anarchy, and confusion, 
 in which the most intimate could have 
 no confidence in each other, and the 
 closest ties of relationship were violated 
 and contemned. Comp. Jer. ix. 2-6, 
 --ὠοὀλλοτρίους ἀλλήλων εἶναι πάντας τοὺς 
 μὴ σπουδαίους, καὶ γονεῖς τέκνων, καὶ 
 ἀδελφοὺς ἀδελφῶν, οἰκείους οἰκείων. Diog. 
 Laert. vii. 82, In language strikingly 
 similar, Ovid describes the iron age : 
 
Cuar. VII. 
 
 7 But I will look for Jehovah ; 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 I will wait for the God of my salvation ; 
 
 My God will hear me. 
 
 8 Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy! 
 Though I have fallen, I shall rise again ; 
 Though I sit in darkness, Jehovah’is my light. 
 9 I will bear the indignation of Jehovah, 
 Because I have sinned against him ; 
 Till he plead my cause, and give effect to my sentence; 
 He will bring me forth to the light ; 
 I shall behold his righteousness. 
 
 10 Mine enemy also shall see it, 
 And shame shall cover her. 
 
 She that said to me, Where is Jehovah thy God ? 
 
 Mine eyes shall behold her ; 
 
 «“ Vivitur ex rapto; non hospes ab hos- 
 pite tutus, 
 
 Non soror a genero; fratrum quoque 
 gratia rara est. 
 
 Imminet exitio vir conjugis, illa mariti ; 
 
 Lurida terribiles miscent aconita no- 
 verce, 
 
 Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in 
 annos,”” 
 
 Metamorph, i, 144. 
 
 Our Saviour appropriates the words to 
 the treacherous and cruel treatment which 
 he taught his disciples to expect from 
 their nearest relatives, Matt. x. 35, 36; 
 Luke xii. 53. 
 
 7. Having described the wickedness 
 of the Jews, the prophet abruptly changes 
 the scene, and introduces them to view 
 in that state of captivity in Babylon in 
 which it was to issue. There, at a dis- 
 tance from the land of their fathers, they 
 are brought to repentance, and the ex- 
 ercise of true piety; and seeking again 
 to their covenant God, they express the 
 fullest confidence that he would in due 
 time deliver them from banishment. 
 mps, here used in Piel, signifies to look 
 out for an answer to prayer, divine aid, 
 etc. Comp. Ps. v. 4. 
 
 8, 9. Who the enemy intended by the 
 prophet is, cannot be positively decided, 
 Some interpreters think Babylon ; others, 
 Edom. For the former, see Jer. 1. 11; 
 
 for the latter, Obad. 12; for both, Ps. 
 exxxviil. 7, 8. taamna, daughter of 
 Babylon, or p7x—n3, daughter of Edom, 
 for Babylon and Edom themselves, is 
 understood in the feminine participle 
 mais, mine enemy. For the idiom, see 
 on Is. i. 8. The Jews understand Rome 
 as professing Christianity to be meant by 
 the enemy. See Pococke on verses 9th 
 and 10th. “Light” and « darkness” 
 are used, as frequently, for prosperity and 
 adversity. The 9th verse contains a beau- 
 tiful specimen of submissiveness and pa- 
 tient endurance of suffering, from a 
 humbling conviction of the demerit of 
 sin ; accompanied by the firm persuasion, 
 that when the chastisement had answered 
 its end, Jehovah would graciously afford 
 deliverance. mpix, righteousness, is here 
 to be understood with reference to the 
 kindness or favor which God was to 
 show to his people, in strict accordance 
 with the tenor of his promises, rather 
 than to the punishment of their enemies. 
 
 10. The deliverance of the Jews was 
 to be the occasion of the destruction of 
 their foes, who, because the former had 
 no visible object of worship, and had 
 been delivered into their power, taunt- 
 ingly asked: sry mint tx, where ts 
 Jehovah thy God? The feminine suffix 
 refers to 449s—n3, daughter of Zion, un- 
 derstood. 
 
260 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Wak 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 She shall now be trodden upon as the mire of the streets. 
 
 11 
 
 In the day when thy walls shall be rebuilt, 
 
 In that day the decree shall be extended ; 
 12 In that day they shall come to thee 
 
 From Assyria to Egypt ; 
 
 Even from Egypt to the river, 
 
 From sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. 
 
 11, 12. Micah resumes the language 
 of prophecy, and, addressing Jerusalem, 
 announces her restoration, and the way 
 that would be paved for the conversion 
 of the surrounding hostile nations to the 
 true religion, Such appears to me to be 
 the meaning of these verses, which have 
 been very variously interpreted. fh, 
 statute, decree, order, appointment, LXX. 
 νόμιμα, Symm. ἐπιταγὴ, Theod. πρό- 
 σταγμα, some refer to the tyrannical 
 enactments of the Babylonians ; some to 
 the order of Artaxerxes, Ezra iv. 21; 
 some to the punishment decreed upon 
 the enemies of the Jews; some to the 
 idolatrous statutes, with which the Jews 
 complied ; some to the boundary of the 
 Holy Land; and some to the preaching 
 of the gospel among all nations, of which 
 last interpretation Calvin says: ‘Sed 
 locus hic non patitus se ita violenter tor- 
 queri.”” Secker, New come, Vogel, Déd- 
 erlein, and others, join ph to p: m7, and 
 form a reduplicate verb pPrpnn, of the 
 whole; with whom, as to meaning, 
 Gesenius agrees, who rejects pm alto- 
 gether, and renders, dies lle procul abest, 
 Thesaur. p. 1284. What would seem to 
 determine the meaning of the term, as 
 here used, is the light thrown upon fn, 
 to be distant, remove to a distance, etc., 
 by the geographical specifications con- 
 tained in verse 12th. The subject of 
 both verses is sufficiently proved to be 
 identical, by the repetition of ssn 57>, 
 that day, which indisputably is the Dis, 
 day, spoken of at the beginning of verse 
 111. Whatever the decree or command 
 was, the effect of its promulgation was to 
 be the coming of foreigners from different 
 regions to the Jewish people, reassemb- 
 ling at Jerusalem, sin ΠΣ. The most 
 natural construction is, that the decree 
 of God respecting the political changes 
 
 that were to take place, was not to be 
 confined to Babylon, but Was to be ex- 
 tended to all the countries round about 
 Judea, in consequence of which great 
 numbers would become proselytes to the 
 Jewish faith. There is an ellipsis of the 
 preposition 5, 7z, before ἘΠ", day, in all 
 the three instances in which it here oc- 
 curs. ἢ before 5772 is not pleonastic, 
 but is used, as in several other instances, 
 after words which imply condition or time. 
 See Exod. xvi. 6; 1 Sam. χχυ. 27. sin: 
 is used impersonally : “one, they shall 
 come ;”’ it is rendered in the plural in 
 the LXX., Targ., and Arab., and one of 
 Kennicott’s MSS. reads "3". That 
 “321 has originally been ὑπ}, the pa- 
 rallclism, compared with other instances 
 of its occurrence, sufficiently shows. The 
 change of 7 into ", and vice versd, by 
 transcribers, owing to their great resem- 
 blance to each other, is very common. 
 For example in n=>5 and ne", 1 Chron. 
 1.6; Β55 πη and pati, ver. 7; ExT 
 and mont, Ps. liv. 5; "ἢ πὸ and ple 
 Ixxxi. 73 ἼΣ 15 and 33549, Prov. x. 32 
 
 and Ἐπ δ as corresponding to sa 
 present case, 777 and 3772, Ps. exxxix. 
 20. The latter reading is found in fif- 
 teen MSS., has been originally i in eleven 
 more, and τὰ in one printed edition. No 
 objection can be taken from the preposi- 
 tion assuming the poetic form *7, while 
 in the following sentence we have =»; 
 the same variety appears in “4m and 
 sns, 1 Sam. xi. 7. It is also worthy of 
 notice that the LXX. have read "7 ἘΣ at 
 the beginning of the verse, as if it had 
 been 572, having rendered it af πόλεις 
 gov. By ix, I understand Egypt, and 
 not fortification. Comp. 2 Kings xix, 
 24, Is, xix. 6, on which see my note. 
 
Cuarv. VII. 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 13 Nevertheless the land shall be desolate 
 
 On account of her inhabitants, 
 
 Because of the fruit of their doings, 
 
 14 
 The flock of thine heritage ; 
 That dwell alone in the wood 
 
 Feed thy people with thy crook, 
 
 , in the midst of Carmel; 
 
 Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in ancient days. 
 
 15 
 
 Upon this construction, Assyria and 
 Egypt are contrasted, just as they are Is. 
 xix. 23, where the same subject is treated 
 of in almost the same language. “1112, the 
 river, kat’ ἐξοχὴν, t. 6. the Euphrates, 
 corresponding in the parallelism to >72s. 
 Assyria. The Syr. and Targ. have mis- 
 taken 34% in “is, for Tyre ; as the lat- 
 ter has "3}2, for Armenia. The conclud- 
 ing» words of the verse, 5: Mra Oats 
 stand irregularly for τι) pias cis 
 “a7731. It does not “appear that any 
 specific mountains are intended; the 
 prophet describes in general terms the 
 natural boundaries of the countries from 
 which the persons spoken of were to 
 come. For a prophetical illustration of 
 these verses, see on Is. xix. 23-25. 
 
 13. The conjunctive ἢ in sn} is used 
 antithetically to introduce a sentence pre- 
 dictive of what should take place previous 
 to the arrival of the events mentioned in 
 the verses immediately preceding. It 
 has the force of but yet, nevertheless, or 
 the like. However bright the prospects 
 which opened upon the Jews in futurity, 
 they were not to forget the punishment 
 that was to intervene, but ought to repent 
 of their sins, to which it was to be traced 
 as its cause. Some interpret yosn, the 
 land, of Babylonia; but this construction 
 seems less apt. 
 
 14. In the believing anticipation of 
 the fulfilment of the Divine promises 
 made to the covenant people, Micah 
 addresses a prayer to Jehovah, which, 
 though brief, is distinguished for the 
 poetical elevation of its style, and the 
 appropriateness of its petition. Like 
 many other prayers in the Old Testa- 
 ment, it is prophetic in its aspect. The 
 Jewish people are frequently spoken of 
 under the metaphor of a flock, and Je- 
 
 As in the days of thy coming forth from Egypt, 
 
 hovah as their shepherd. ὅθ Ps. xxx. 
 1. xev. 7, c. 8. They are also often re- 
 presented as his special heritage, Deut. 
 iv. 20, vii. 6, xxxii.9. Some understand 
 s12$ -:Du, dwelling alone or solitarily, as 
 descr’ iptive of the condition of the Jews in 
 captivity, and -35, forest, of the dangers 
 and annoyances to which they were ex- 
 posed while in that state. That it rather 
 refers to the security and prosperity of 
 their restored condition may fairly be 
 concluded from the meaning of similar 
 language in other passages. Thus, in 
 the celebrated prophecy of Balaam, Num. 
 Xxill. 9, which, in all probability, Micah 
 had i in view, we read, 5.9" 7225 09-45 
 
 rim? xd 3255» Behold! the people 
 pee dwell alone, and shall not be reck- 
 oned among the nations. Comp. Deut. 
 xxxili. 28; Jer. xlix. 31; and for "ον 
 as used figuratively for a place of safety 
 and cool repose, see Ezek. xxxiv. 26. 
 The meaning of the prophet is, that on 
 being brought back to their own land, 
 they should no longer be mixed with, 
 and exposed to enemies, but live by 
 themselves in a state of undisturbed tran- 
 quillity. For instances of the paragogic 
 Yod affixed to participles, see Gen. xlix. 
 11; Deut. xxxiii. 16; Obad. 3; Zech. 
 xi. 17. That the Carmel here mentioned 
 must be the celebrated mountain on the 
 coast of the Mediterranean, see on Amos 
 1. 2. The regions of Bashan and Gilead, 
 on the east of the Jordan, were likewise 
 celebrated for their rich pasturage, and 
 were, on this account, chosen by the 
 tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half 
 tribe of Manasseh, Numb, xxxii.; Deut. 
 iii. 12-17. Comp. as strictly parallel, 
 Jer. J, 19. 
 
 15. The answer of Jehovah to the 
 prophet’s prayer, assuring the nation, 
 
262 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 Cuar. VIL 
 
 I will show them marvellous things. 
 16 The nations shall see it, and be ashamed of all their power; 
 They shall lay their hands upon their mouth; 
 
 Their ears shall become deaf. 
 17 
 
 They shall lick dust like the serpent ; 
 
 Like reptiles of the earth they shall tremble from their hiding” 
 
 places ; 
 
 They shall turn with fear towards Jehovah ; 
 
 They shall be afraid of thee. 
 
 18 Who isa God like thee, 
 
 Pardoning iniquity, and passing by transgression, 
 
 In regard to the remnant of his heritage ἢ 
 
 He retaineth not his anger for ever, 
 Because he delighteth in mercy. 
 He will again have compassion upon us, 
 
 that the same Almighty power which 
 had interposed in so remarkable a man- 
 ner for their deliverance from Egypt, 
 would again wonderfully appear on their 
 behalf. Comp. Jer. xvi. 14, 15. Such 
 changes of person as in 7, ¢hy, and 5:, 
 him, are common. 
 both is to the people of the Jews. 
 
 16. The τη 3» power, spoken of, is 
 that of the hostile nations, of which they 
 were so proud, and which they regarded 
 as invincible, and not that of the Jews 
 when restored, as Junius and Tremellius, 
 Tarnovius, Stokes, and some others, have 
 imagined. The latter half of the verse 
 most graphically describes the silence, 
 astonishment, and utter consternation, 
 with which they should be seized. Com. 
 Jud. xviii. 19; Job xxi. 5; Ps. evii. 42; 
 Is, lii. 15. 
 
 17. An equally graphic description of 
 the state of degradation and terror to 
 which the enemies were to be reduced. 
 Comp. Ps. Ixxii. 9 ; Is. xlix. 23, lxv. 25. 
 For π΄ Ἐπεὶ, crawlers, or reptiles, comp. 
 Deut. xxxii. 24. The distinctive use of 
 ty, to and ys, from or of, as here used, 
 shows that there is not a change of person 
 in ‘312%, and that the affix Ἴ refers, not 
 to Jehovah, but to the people of the Jews. 
 The fear ultimately produced in the minds 
 of their enemies was to be a religious fear 
 or veneration which should attract them 
 
 The reference in. 
 
 towards Jehovah as its object. Comp 
 for this construction of $x "m8, to exer 
 cise reverential regard towards God, Hos. 
 iii. 5. Combined with the circumstan- 
 ces under which the nations were to ac- 
 knowledge the supremacy of Jehovah, 
 was their standing in awe of the political 
 power of the Jews. See on Is. xix. 17. 
 18. Impelled by strong feelings of 
 gratitude at the anticipated deliverance 
 of his people, the prophet breaks out 
 into a strain of the sublimest praise and 
 admiration, and gives a description of 
 the gracious character of God, unrivalled 
 by any contained in the Scriptures. The 
 phrase 3E—b2 ἘΞ, passing by trans- 
 gression, is a metaphor, taken from the 
 conduct of a traveller who passes on 
 without noticing an object to which he 
 does not wish to give his attention. The 
 idea which it communicates is not, that 
 God is unobservant of sin, or that it is 
 regarded by him as a matter of little or 
 no importance, but that he does not mark 
 it in particular cases with a view to pun- 
 ishment; that he does not punish, but 
 forgive. Comp. Prov. xix, 11, Amos vii. 
 8, in which lattef passage the verb alone 
 is used. The opposite is expressed by 
 432 7123, to watch iniquity, Ps. cxxx. 3, 
 ἡ. 6. to keep it in view in order to punish 
 it. moqsz, remnant, does not necessarily 
 imply a small or inconsiderable number, 
 
Cuar. VII. 
 
 19 He will subdue our iniquities ; 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 263 
 
 Yea, thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 
 20 Thou wilt grant the truth to Jacob, 
 
 The kindness to Abraham, 
 
 Which thou didst sware to our fathers 
 
 From the days of old. 
 
 but merely conveys the general notion of 
 a surviving body of men: here it means 
 those of the Jewish nation who should 
 be alive at the termination of the cap- 
 tivity. En, ἐο delight, according to the 
 Arab. (Aas, flexit, inflexit, lignum, 
 projecit, properly expresses the bent or 
 propension of the mind, or what we 
 commonly call its zxcination towards an 
 object; hence desire, affection, delight. 
 The combined force of so VEN, bent on 
 kindness, is inimitable, the primary idea 
 of ποτὶ being that of eager desire or love 
 towards an object. It is the term which 
 is so often rendered loving-kindness in 
 our common version. 
 
 19. This verse may be regarded as 
 containing a beautiful epiphonema, in 
 which the people of the Jews exultingly 
 avow their full confidence in the forgiv- 
 ing mercy and subduing power of their 
 God. 73, to turn, in "52 Γ 1 2x5", is, 
 as usual before another verb, employed 
 adverbially to signify again. God had 
 often pitied and delivered his people. It 
 is here intimated that his compassion 
 was not exhausted, but should be exer- 
 cised towards them anew. A1l the mean- 
 ing found by Rosenmiiller, Gesenius and 
 Maurer, in Ἴ2 ὩΣ» 9532, is that of dis- 
 regarding or not avenging, but there is 
 no ground for rejecting the radical idea 
 of trampling under foot as enemies. Sin 
 must ever be regarded as hostile to man. 
 It is not only contrary to his interests, 
 but it powerfully opposes and combats 
 
 the moral principles of his nature, and 
 the higher principles implanted by grace; 
 and but for the counteracting energy of 
 divine influence, must prove victorious. 
 Without the subjugation of evil propen- 
 sities, pardon would not be a blessing. 
 If the idolatrous and rebellious disposi- 
 tion of the Jews had not been subdued 
 during their stay in Babylon, they would 
 not have been restored. The total and 
 irrevoeable forgiveness of sins is forcibly 
 expressed by casting them into the 
 depths of the sea. What is deposited 
 there is completely hid from the view, 
 and cannot in any way affect ust Instead 
 of enon, their sins, five MSS. read 
 ἘΣ ΓΙ, our sins, which is the read- 
 ing of the LXX., Syr., Vulg., and Arab. 
 It may, however, only be a correction ; 
 the change of person we have frequently 
 had occasion to notice. 
 
 20. The return from captivity, while 
 it furnished a striking specimen of the 
 covenanted fidelity and kindness of Je- 
 hovah, was only preliminary to the in- 
 finitely greater display of these attributes 
 in the mission of the Messiah, the Seed 
 of Abraham in whom all the families of 
 the earth were to be blessed. ‘The words 
 of this verse are quoted, with scarcely 
 any variation, in the inspired song of 
 Zacharias, with direct application to Him 
 of whom his son had just been born to 
 be the forerunner, Luke i. 72, 73. Be- 
 fore the names of the patriarchs, a verb 
 signifying to declare, promise, or the like, 
 is understood. 
 
NAHUM. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 OwrneG to the paucity of information respecting the prophet Nahum, 
 little can be said in regard to his life and times. All that we know of 
 him personally is, that he was the native of a town or village called Elkosh, 
 chap. i. 1. 
 
 The only historical data furnished by the book itself with respect to the 
 period at which he flourished, are the following: the humiliation of the king- 
 doms of Israel and Judah, by the Assyrian power, chap. ii. 3; the final in- 
 vasion of Judah by that power, i. 9, 11; and the conquest of Thebes in 
 Upper Egypt, iii. 8-10. But the removal of the glory of the Hebrew king- 
 doms, to which reference is made, could only be that which was effected by 
 Tiglath-pfileser and Shalmaneser, by whom the Israelites were carried into 
 captivity ; when the Jews also were harassed and spoiled by the Syrians, as 
 well as impoverished by the large sum of money paid by Ahaz to the former 
 of these monarchs. See Is. vii—ix.; 2 Chron. xxviii. Sargon, who appears 
 to have succeeded Shalmaneser, not satisfied with the reduction of Pheenicia 
 by that king, and fearing lest Egypt should prevail upon the conquered proy- 
 inces of the west to join her in a confederacy against him, undertook an ex- 
 pedition into Africa ; and, though history is silent as to the event, it would 
 appear from chap. iii. 8-10, that the expedition proved so far successful, that 
 he took Thebes, the celebrated metropolis of Upper Egypt. It was by his 
 successor, Sennacherib, that the last attempt was made by the Assyrians to 
 crush the Jewish people, which issued in the total defeat of their army. 
 
 Now, since the last of these events took place in the fourteenth year of 
 Hezekiah, and the circumstances connected with it are clearly referred to by 
 Nahum, partly prophetically, and partly as matter of historical notoriety, 
 chap. i. 9-13, it follows that he must have lived in, or about the year B. c. 
 714. Jarchi, Abarbanel, Grotius, Junius and Tremelius, and Justi, place 
 him in the reign of Manasseh, and some, as Ewald, would make him contem- 
 porary with Josiah; but Bp. Newton, Eichhorn, Bertholdt, Rosenmiiller, 
 Newcome, Horne, Gesenius, de Wette, Jahn, Gramberg, Winer, Maurer, 
 and Knobel, unanimously agree with Jerome in referring his ministry to the 
 latter half of the reign of Hezekiah. Neither the opinion of Josephus, that 
 he foretold the destruction of Nineveh in the reign of Jotham, nor that of 
 Clement of Alexandria, that he lived between Daniel and Ezekiel, has met 
 with any supporters. But if, as is highly probable, he flourished in one of 
 the latter years of Hezekiah, his prophecy must have been delivered nearly 
 
PREFACE TO NAHUM. 265 
 
 one hundred years before its accomplishment ; for Nineveh was overthrown, 
 and the Assyrian power destroyed, by the joint forces of Cyaxares and Na- 
 bopolassar, in the reign of Chyniladanus, B. c. 625. 
 
 Considerable difference of opinion obtains with respect to the ἐπ ες of 
 the prophet. That »3psn, the Elkoshite, was designed to point out the place 
 of his nativity, and not his paternity, as the Targumist interprets, is evident 
 from a comparison of the form with similar instances of the Yod aflixed, 
 1 Kings xvii. 1; Jer. xxix. 27; Micahi.1. There are two cities of the name 
 of Elkosh, each of which has had its advocates, as that which may lay claim 
 to the honor of having given birth to Nahum. The one, ιὸ it \, Elkosh, is 
 situated in Koordistan, on the east side of the Tigris, about three hours’ jour- 
 ney to the north of Mosul, which lies on the same side of the river, opposite 
 to Nunia, supposed to be the site of ancient Nineveh. It is inhabited by 
 Chaldean or Nestorian Christians, and is a place of great resort by Jewish 
 pilgrims, who firmly believe it to be the hirth-place and the burial-place of 
 the prophet, to whose tomb they pay special respect. It is, however, gener- 
 ally thought that the tradition which connects this place with his name is of 
 later date ; and that it owes its origin to the. Jews or the Nestorians, who 
 imagined that he must have lived near the principal scene of his prophecy ; 
 and that the name had been transferred to the place from a town so*called in 
 Palestine just as our colonists have given the name of towns in Britain to 
 those which they have erected in America and Australia. The other place 
 is Elcesi, or Elkesi, a village in Galilee, which was pointed out to Jerome as 
 a place of note among the Jews, and which, though small, still exhibited some 
 slight vestiges of more ancient buildings.»* Eusebius mentions it in his ac- 
 count of Hebrew places; and Cyrill (ad cap. i. 1,) is positive as to its 
 situation being in Palestine.t It has been thought, and not without reason, 
 by some, that Capernaum, Heb. tin 755, most properly rendered the village 
 of Nahum, derived its name from our prophet having resided in it, though he 
 may have been born elsewhere in the vicinity, just as it is said to have been 
 ἡ ἰδία πόλις of our Lord, though he was born at Bethlehem. 
 
 Where the prophet was when he delivered his predictions, is not specified ; 
 but, from his familiar reference to Lebanon, Carmel, and Bashan, it may be 
 inferred that he prophesied in Palestine ; while the very graphic manner in 
 which he describes the appearance of Sennacherib and his army, chap. i. 
 9-12, would seem to indicate that he was either in, or very near to Jerusalem 
 at the time. What goes to confirm this supposition, is the number of terms, 
 phrases, ete., which he evidently borrowed from the lips of Isaiah. Comp. 
 mvp. nbs nad 50%, 1. 8, and myssia nd>, ver. 9, with 1291 502, Is. viii. 8, 
 and πῶ» π nbs, Is. x. 235 nphgis nps np, ii. 11, with mp bin vue pris, 
 
 *“ Porro quod additur, Nawm Elcesai, quidam putant Eleceseum patrem esse Naum, et 
 secundum Hebrxam traditionem etiam ipsum prophetam fuisse; quum Elcesi usque hodie 
 in Galilza viculus sit, parvus quidem et vix ruinis veterum edificiorum indicans vestigia, 
 sed tamen notus Judzis, et mihi quoque a circumducente monstratus.” — Hieron. Pref. in 
 Naum. 
 
 ἱ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑλκεσὲ' κώμη δὲ αὔτη πάντως ποῦ τῆς Ἰουδαίαν χώρας. 
 
 94 
 
266 PREFACE TO NAHUM. 
 
 Is. xxiv. 1; prane—d23 nbndim3, ii. 11, with ntntn sme abi, Is. xxi. 35 
 pity yin san κὰν ΝΗ prance mint, ts with ba Dane Mwy 
 pity pao Aes, “Is. lii. 7, ete. 
 
 The subject of the prophecy is the destruction of Nineveh, which Nahum 
 introduces, after having in the first chapter, and at the beginning of the 
 second, depicted the desolate condition to which, in the righteous providence 
 of God, the country of the ten tribes had been reduced by the Assyrian 
 power; the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, whose destruction, and that 
 of his army, he predicts; and the joyful restoration of both the captivities to 
 their own land, and the enjoyment of their former privileges. His object ob- 
 viously was, to inspire his countrymen with the assurance, that, however 
 alarming their circumstances might appear, exposed as they were to the for- 
 midable army of the great eastern conqueror, not only should his attempt 
 fail, and his forces be entirely destroyed, but his capital itself should be 
 taken, and his empire overturned. The book is not to be divided into three 
 separate parts, or prophecies, composed at different times, as some have im- 
 agined, but is to be regarded as one entire poem, the unity of which is plainly 
 discoverable throughout. 
 
 The style of Nahum is of a very high order. He is inferior to none of the 
 minor prophets, and scarcely to Isaiah himself, in animation, boldness, and 
 sublimity ; or, to the extent and proportion of his book, in the variety, fresh- 
 ness, richness, elegance, and force of his imagery. The rhythm is regular 
 and singularly beautiful; and with the exception of a few foreign or provin- 
 cial words, his language possesses the highest degree of classical purity. His 
 description of the “Divine character at ‘the commencement is truly majestic Ὁ 
 that of the siege and fall of Nineveh inimitably graphic, vivid and impres- 
 sive. 
 
 — 
 
CoH A ΠΣ ἘΠ οἴ 
 
 THE prophet opens with a sublime description of the attributes and operations of Jehovah, 
 with a view to inspire his people with confidence in his protection, 2-8. The Assyrians 
 are then unexpectedly addressed and described, 9-11; and their destruction, together 
 with the deliverance of the Jews connected with that event, are set forth in the language 
 
 of triumph and exultation, 12-15. 
 
 1 Tae SENTENCE oF NINEVEH: 
 
 The Book of the Vision of Nahumethe Elkoshite. 
 2 Jehovah is a jealous and avenging God; 
 Jehovah is an avenger and furious ; 
 Jehovah is an avenger with respect to his adversaries ; 
 
 1. For the meaning of sux, see on 
 Is, xiii, 1; and for the historical cireum- 
 stances connected with Nineveh, see on 
 Jonah i, 2. Between the time of the 
 prophet just referred to and that of Na- 
 hum, there elapsed a period of about one 
 hundred and fifty years. The inscrip- 
 tion consists of two parts; the former of 
 which is supposed by some to be from a 
 later hand. If genuine, we should rather 
 expect the order to have been reversed. 
 
 1. The exordium, which begins here 
 and reaches to ver. 8, is highly magnifi- 
 cent. The repeated use of the Incom- 
 municable Name, and of the participle 
 Crs, avenging or avenger, gives great 
 force to the commencement. Nothing 
 can exceed in grandeur and sublimity 
 the description which the prophet fur- 
 nishes of the Divine character. The 
 attributes of infinite purity, inflexible 
 rectitude, irresistible power and bound- 
 less goodness, set forth and illustrated 
 by images borrowed from the history of 
 the Hebrews, the scenery of Palestine, 
 and the more astounding phenomena of 
 nature, present to view a God worthy 
 of the profoundest reverence, the most 
 unbounded confidence, and the most in- 
 tensive love. How inferior the other- 
 wise sublime description given of the 
 anger of Jove by Aischylus: 
 
 χϑὼν σεσάλευται" 
 
 βρυχία δ᾽ ἠχώ παραμυκᾶται 
 βροντῆς, ἕλικες δ᾽ ἐκλάμπουσι 
 στεροπῆς (άπυροι, στρόμβοι δὲ κόνιν 
 εἱλίσσουσι᾽ σκιρτᾷ 8 ἀνέμων 
 πνεύματα πάντων, εἰς ἄλληλα 
 στάσιν ἀντίπνουν ἀποδεικνύμενα. 
 
 Prom. vinctus, 1089. 
 wisp, jealous, from 2p, to be warm, 
 (nddw, burn with zeal, anger, jealousy. 
 The term is here used davSPwroradas, 
 principally in the last of these accepta- 
 tions, though not to the entire exclusion 
 of the others. The term describes a keen 
 feeling of injured right, coupled with a 
 strong inclination to see justice done to 
 the parties concerned. ssn 833» lit. a 
 lord, or master of fury, an idiom by which 
 the possession of an attribute or quality is 
 frequently expressed. Com.r}iction ἘΣΞ 
 a master of dreams, i. 6. a dreamer ; +23, 
 yivdn, @ master of the tongue, i. 6. elo- 
 quent. In these verses the prophet ap- 
 pears to have an eye specially to the judg- 
 ments which God had brought upon his 
 country by means of the Assyrians, both 
 when they carried away the ten tribes, 
 and now when they had again rushed 
 into the land, and taken the fortified 
 cities of Judah. “123, properly signifies 
 to watch, observe, in a bad sense, to mark 
 
 for punishment. Arab. ye: oculos con= 
 
208 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuar. I, 
 
 He keepeth his anger for his enemies. 
 3 Jehovah is long-suffering, but great in power; 
 He will by no means treat them as innocent: 
 Jehoyah hath his way in the whirl-wind and in the storm, 
 And the clouds are the dust of his feet. : 
 4 He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, 
 
 He parcheth up all the rivers: 
 
 Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, 
 And the bloom of Lebanon languisheth. 
 
 5 The mountains quake at him, 
 And the hills are melted ; 
 
 The earth heaves at its presence, 
 The world and all that inhabit it. 
 6 Before his indienation who can stand ? 
 And who can subsist in the heat of his anger ὃ 
 
 His fury is poured out like fire, 
 
 And the rocks are overthrown by him. 
 
 7 Jehovah is good, a fortress in the day of distress ; 
 And knoweth those that trust in him, 
 
 8 But with an overflowing inundation 
 
 vertit ad rem ; 43, custodem et obser- 
 
 vatorem egit. Comp, Ps. ciii, 9; Jer. iii. 
 5, 12; δῃηᾷ "52, Ps. cxxx. 3. 
 
 3. mp2? xb nips, holding pure will not 
 hold pure, i. e, will not treat as inriocent 
 those who are guilty, but, on the con- 
 trary, punish them according to their 
 demerit. LXX. aSoay οὐκ ἀδοώσι. Com. 
 Exod. xx. 7, xxxiv. 7. The idea con- 
 veyed by the metaphor, the clouds are the 
 dust of his feet, is exceedingly sublime. 
 Large and majestic as the clouds may 
 be, in reference to Coa, they are but as 
 the most minute particles of dust raised by 
 the feet in walking. [2x, signifies light 
 dust or powder, what is easily raised. 
 
 4, What is here predicated of Jehovah 
 is attributed to our Saviour, Luke viii. 
 24: ἐπιτίμησε ---τῷ κλύδωνι τοῦ ὕδατος. 
 The action involves omnipotence. τ  Ξ5Ὶ 
 is a contracted form of the Piel, for 
 amigas, as 7393 for macos, Lam. iii. 33, 
 in both of which the radical Yod gives 
 its vowel to the preformative letter. 
 
 5 There is no authority for rendering 
 
 seni, ¢o be burnt up : none of the MSS. 
 or ancient versions directing us to any 
 root signifying ¢o burn. The verb is 
 likewise thus rendered in our common 
 version, 2 Sam. y. 21, but the marginal 
 reading is, took them away. The Targ. 
 indeed has mais, vastata est, but the 
 LXX. render ἀνεστάλη. Symm., ἐκινήϑη. 
 
 The Syr. AS} shaketh. Vulg. con- 
 
 tremuit. The root is xw2, to raise, lift 
 up; intransitively, to lift up one’s self ; and 
 appropriately expresses here the raising or 
 heaving of the ground by an earthquake. 
 
 6. The pouring out of wrath, like fire, 
 would seem to be a comparison taken 
 from volcanoes, which pour out furiously 
 their streams of liquid fire over the cir- 
 cumjacent regions. The breaking in 
 pieces of the rocks, in the following 
 hemistich, confirms this idea. Comp. 
 Jer. li. 25, 26. 
 
 7, 8. There is a marked antithesis in 
 these two verses, in the course of which 
 the prophet arrives at his main topic, the 
 destruction of Nineveh, Ver. 7 beauti- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 269 
 
 He will effect a consummation of her place, 
 And darkness shall pursue his enemies. 
 
 9 What devise ye against Jehovah? 
 He will effect a consummation ; 
 
 Distress shall not twice arise. 
 
 fully depicts the safety and happiness of 
 those who make God their refuge, how 
 severe soeyer may be the calamity which 
 threatens or may have overtaken them ; 
 and was primarily intended to administer 
 comfort to the pious Jews in the prospect 
 of the Assyrian attack by Sennacherib. 
 Στὸ, to know, is here, as frequently, taken 
 in the sense of knowing with regard, 
 kindness, or love. Comp. ΕΣ τς Os Gxlive 
 3; Amos ili. 2. In-2% ἘΞ, the met- 
 aphor of a river impetuously overflowing 
 its banks, rushing into the adjacent 
 country, and passing through, carrying 
 all before it, is employed to denote the 
 ruthless invasion of a country by a hos- 
 tile and powerful army. It is used by 
 Isaiah, chap. viii. 8, to describe the re- 
 sistless entrance of the Assyrian army 
 into Palestine; and here Nahum appro- 
 priates the language for the purpose of 
 describing the triumphant progress of 
 the Medo-Babylonian troops when ad- 
 vancing towards Nineveh. He not only 
 beholds, in prophetic vision, their approach 
 to the devoted city, but announces its 
 complete destruction. It is usual with the 
 prophets, as it is with the Oriental poets, 
 when powerfully affected, to introduce 
 into their discourse persons or objects as 
 acting, without having previously named 
 them. See on Is. xiii. 2; and comp. 
 Syo"2, ver. 11 of the present chapter. See 
 Nordheimer’s Heb. Gram., ἡ 867. They, 
 as it were, take it for granted, that every 
 one must, like themselves, clearly perceive 
 the reference. On this principle there can 
 be no difficulty in accounting for the fem- 
 inine pronominal affix in mip, “ her 
 place,” ὁ. e. the place of Nineveh, the 
 ΟΣ, city, or metropolis of Assyria, the 
 overthrow of which the prophet was af- 
 terwards to describe, and which he here 
 merely touches upon by way of anticipa- 
 
 tion. The use of pip, place, is not 
 without emphasis. Comp. chap. 111. 17. 
 Those who desire to see the difference of 
 opinion existing both among ancient and 
 modern writers respecting the actual site 
 of Nineveh, may consult Bochart, Phaleg. 
 lib. iv. cap, xx. Lucian, speaking of it, 
 says, 7 Nivos μὲν ἀπόλωλεν ἤδη, καὶ οὐδὲν 
 ἴχνος ἔτι λειπὸν αὐτῆς, οὐδ᾽ ἂν εἴπης ὅπου 
 ποτ᾽ ἤν. Dialog. entitled ᾿Επισκοποῦντες. 
 Bochart, referring to the city of the name 
 mentioned by Ammianus, expresses him- 
 self thus: Merito dubitatur an restaurata 
 fuerit eo im loco, in quo prius condita.” 
 In the Hebrew MSS. there is no various 
 reading of m2 IP 5 but the rendering of 
 the LXX., τοὺς ἐπιγειρομένους, and of 
 Aq., ἀντισταμένων, supported by Theod. 
 and the fifth Greek version, would indi- 
 cate, that their authors read TOR or 
 
 m8" PN, in favor of which Ἴ5Ξ 8 in 
 the following hemistich might be ad- 
 duced. The Syriac, however, Vulg., 
 and Symm., read with the received 
 text. 
 
 9. By a sudden apostrophe Nahum 
 here turns to the invaders, and boldly 
 challenges them to account for their 
 temerity in daring to oppose themselves 
 to Jehovah. On which he repeats what 
 he had declared in the preceding verse 
 respecting the total destruction of the As- 
 syrian power, and adds, for the special en- 
 couragement of the Jews, that it should 
 never annoy them again. The parallel 
 to this brief apostrophe we have more 
 at length, Is. xxxvii. 23-29. For the 
 force of D- az, twice, comp. DMN ἘΣΞ 
 ἐδ mage ἐδ τ, 1 Sam. xxvi. 8. That the 
 renewal of the affliction does not refer to 
 any supposable future overthrow of the 
 Assyrians, as Michaelis, Rosenmiiller, 
 Hitzig, Ewald, and others maintain, but 
 to any further calamity to be apprehended 
 
270 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuapr. I, 
 
 10 For though they are closely interwoven as thorns, 
 And thoroughly soaked with their wine, 
 They shall be consumed like stubble fully dry. 
 
 11 From thee he came forth, 
 
 The deviser of mischief against Jehovah, 
 
 The wicked counsellor, 
 12 Thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 Though they are complete and so very numerous, 
 Yet in this state they shall be cut down, 
 
 And he shall pass away : 
 
 from them by the Jews, appears from ver. 
 12 to be the true construction of the mean- 
 ing. 
 
 10. However strong and vigorous the 
 Assyrian army might be, its complete 
 destruction would easily be effected by 
 Jehovah. "ἰῷ, to, even to, is here used as 
 a comparative particle of degree: ¢o the 
 same degree as, or like thorns. Comp. 
 1 Chron. iv. 27. Briers and thorns are 
 employed by the prophets to denote the 
 soldiers composing a hostile army. See 
 15. x. 17, xxvii. 4. The metaphor is 
 here taken from a thicket of thorns, the 
 prickly branches of which are so closely 
 intertwined as to present an impenetra- 
 ble front to those who would enter it. 
 Such were the celebrated military pha- 
 lanxes of antiquity, consisting of bodies 
 of troops armed with long spears, and 
 arranged in the form of a square. The 
 other metaphor is taken from drunkards 
 who drench or saturate themselves with 
 wine, and denotes the degree of moisture 
 which those thorny warriors possessed, 
 and by which they were prepared to re- 
 sist the action of fire. No account is to 
 be made of the reading Ey, princes, 
 which Newcome adopts from the Targ. 
 and Syr. It is found in no Heb. MS. 
 tox, do eat, is often used to express con- 
 sumption by fire. The application of the 
 language of this and the preceding verse 
 to the literal inundation of the Tigris, 
 the drunkenness of the Assyrian camp, 
 and the burning of the palace, ete., at 
 Nineveh by Sardanapalus, as related by 
 Diodorus Siculus, lib. ii, is not justified 
 
 either by the import and usage of the 
 terms, or by chronology, the catastrophe 
 described by Nahum not having taken 
 place till long after the time of that 
 monarch. 
 
 11. 512%, from thee, O Nineveh! in the 
 feminine. Sennacherib, whose machina- 
 tions against Jehovah had been adverted 
 to ver. 9, is here intended. The Heb. 
 Se2ba, frequently rendered in our com- 
 mon version Belial, properly signifies 
 worthlessness, tnutility, and by implica- 
 tion, badness in a moral sense, wickedness, 
 Hence the idiomatic combinations, Din 
 tyata, a man of Belial, a wicked man; 
 Ly-bo-qs, a son of Belial, a bad man; 
 teata-ra, a daughter of Belial, a wicked 
 woman. The word is compounded of 
 “$3, without, and ἘΣ", profit. 
 
 12. Another description of the formid- 
 able appearance of the hostile army, ac- 
 companied with a prediction of its sud- 
 den and complete annihilation, the flight 
 of Sennacherib, and the future immunity 
 of the Jews from an invasion on the part 
 of the Assyrians. t-$z, complete, ex- 
 presses the unbroken condition of the 
 army of the enemy, and their being fully 
 provided with everything requisite for 
 the successful siege of Jerusalem. ‘The 
 word may also be designed to convey the 
 idea of mental completeness, 7. 6. in this 
 connection, security, martial courage. 
 Thus Kimchi, t> Ὁ =". oshs° Sd 
 ὙΦΞ5 ΤΊΣ δ, they are not afraid of 
 man, for they have subdued all the coun- 
 tries, =, as used the second time, sig- 
 nifies thus, so, in this state, as thus con- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 Though I have afflicted thee, 
 I will afflict thee no more. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 13 For now I will break his yoke from off thee, 
 
 And burst thy bands asunder. 
 And with respect to thee, Jehovah hath commanded : 
 
 14 
 
 There shall no more be sown any of thy name; 
 From the house of thy gods I will cut off the graven and the 
 
 molten image ; 
 
 stituted. The change of number from 
 the plural 3743, ‘‘ they are, or shall be 
 cut down,” to ἘΞ», “he passeth away,” 
 is obviously intended to distinguish be- 
 tween the overthrow of the Assyrian 
 army, and the immediate departure of 
 Sennacherib to his own land. The 
 nominative to na» is by2$2 ὙΣ 70 in the 
 preceding verse. 7A, to Ae, or mow 
 down, is a metaphor “derived from the 
 hay harvest, and forcibly sets forth the 
 sudden and entire destruction of an army. 
 
 See for the historical facts, 2 Kings xix. - 
 
 35; Is. xxxvii. 36, 37. At the close of 
 the verse, Jehovah directs the discourse to 
 his people, graciously assuring them that, 
 though he had employed the Assyrian 
 power to punish them, he would do so 
 no more. Newcome, almost entirely on 
 the authority of the Pegi ., improperly 
 changes 57533 ἽΞῚ D227 752 cvds CN 
 232° into 451 33 ἼΞ eee pv dyn Bx 
 “39, “Though the Ruler of many waters 
 has thus ravaged, and thus passed 
 through.” That these ancient transla- 
 tors did, from hearing ἘΣ ὦ tx read 
 as x2 dx, render, κατάρχων ὑδάτων 
 πολλῶν, there can be no doubt; but 
 then, they place the words in apposi- 
 tion with τάδε λέγει κύριος ; and make 
 the Lord, and not the king of Assyria, 
 to be “the ruler of many waters.’’ The 
 Syr. following the LXX., only changing 
 the singular into the ot has ἕως, 
 hw [iso ae 
 
 heads of many ΤΕΣ ΠΡ» is merely 
 a defective reading of 4>m~2», which is 
 found in a number of MSS., and in some 
 
 “ respecting the 
 
 editions. The object of the verb is 
 Judah, understood, which Jehovah here 
 kindly addresses, and not Nineveh, as 
 Michaelis and Hitzig suppose. The Jews 
 are addressed as a female, as they are in 
 the words 5512. 1258 Hun nt AN, 
 Celebrate thy Festivals, O Judah ἢ perform 
 thy vows. Chap. ii. 1. On the introduc- 
 tion of a predicate without previous men- 
 tion of the subject, see on ver. 8. The 
 meaning is, that the Jews were to be no 
 more afflicted by the Assyrians, and not 
 that Divine judgments were never af- 
 terwards to be inflicted upon them by 
 others. 
 
 13. The suffix ἢ has here the same 
 reference as in the preceding verse, and 
 nm in ania, “Ais yoke,” to the king of 
 Assyria. Comp. Is. x. 27; Jer. ii. 20. 
 For wu %,some think the LXX. and 
 Vulg. read "το 2, which is the reading 
 of several MSS.; but they both signify 
 a staff or pole; only the former denotes 
 what is placed on the neck, in order to 
 bear a burden. 
 
 14. We have here another apostrophe 
 to the Assyrian monarch, announcing to 
 him, that his dynasty should not be per- 
 petuated, that his favorite idols should 
 be destroyed, that the very temple in 
 which he worshipped them should be- 
 come his grave. When it is said, that 
 “no more of thy name shall be sown,” 
 the meaning is not, that none of his sons 
 should succeed him in the government, 
 but that his dynasty should cease on the 
 arrival of the event predicted by Nahum, 
 the destruction of Nineveh. The Medes 
 being great enemies to idolatry, those of 
 them who composed the army of Cyax- 
 
272 
 
 I will make it thy grave, 
 Because thou art worthless. 
 
 ares would take singular pleasure in des- 
 troying the idols which they found in the 
 chief temple at Nineveh. No mention 
 is made in history of the sepulture of 
 Sennacherib, but we are expressly told, 
 2 Kings xix. 37, Is. xxxvii. 38, that he 
 was slain by two of his sons while in the 
 act of worship in the temple of Nisroch 
 his god ; and there can be no doubt that 
 it is to this event reference is here made. 
 tvws stands elliptically for sp-ws, I 
 will make it, i. 6. the temple of thy gods, 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 thy grave. Some take n“bp, thou art 
 light, in the same sense in which the 
 Chaldee tp is used Dan. vy. 27, but 
 without sufficient ground in Hebrew 
 usage. In application to persons it al- 
 ways signifies to be the object of shame 
 or disgrace. Though to be buried ina 
 temple naturally conveys to our minds 
 the idea of honorable interment, it is 
 otherwise here, owing to the peculiar 
 circumstances of the case. 
 
 
 
 CHART wi ΤΙ. 
 
 AFTER prophetically describing the joyful announcement of the overthrow of the Assyrian 
 power, 1; and calling upon the Jews manfully to defend Jerusalem against the attack of 
 Sennacherib, in the assurance that there would be a glorious restoration of the whole He- 
 brew people, 2, 3; the prophet arrives at his main subject, the destruction of Nineveh, the 
 siege and capture of which he portrays with graphic minuteness, and in the most sublime 
 and vivid manner, 4-11. In a beautiful allegory he then, with triumphant sarcasm, asks 
 where was now the residence of the once conquering and rapacious monarch? 12, 13; after 
 which, Jehovah is introduced, expressly declaring that he would assuredly perform what 
 he had inspired his servant to predict. 
 
 1 Benorpd! upon the mountains are the feet of him that an- 
 nounceth good, 
 That publisheth peace : 
 Celebrate thy feasts,O Judah! perform thy vows, 
 For the wicked shall no more pass through thee ; 
 He is entirely cut off. 
 
 1. Some interpreters refer these words immediate connection to apply them to 
 
 to the messengers which should arrive 
 from the East, announcing to the inhabi- 
 tants of Judah the joyful intelligence of 
 the destruction of Nineveh, which had 
 been briefly hinted at in the course of 
 the preceding chapter; but it better ac- 
 cords with the spirit and bearing of the 
 
 what took place on the miraculous 
 deliverance of Jerusalem, recorded Is, 
 xxxvii. 36. They are almost identical, 
 so far as they go, with the language of 
 Isaiah, chap. lii. 7, relative to the return 
 from Babylon. During the Assyrian in- 
 vasion, the inhabitants of Judah were cut 
 
Cuaap. II. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 273 
 
 2 ‘The disperser hath come up before thee ; 
 Keep the fortress, watch the way, 
 
 Make fast the loins, 
 
 Strengthen thee with power to the utmost. 
 
 8 For Jehovah will restore the excellency of Jacob, 
 As he will the excellency of Israel ; ᾿" 
 Though the emptiers have emptied them, 
 
 And destroyed their branches. 
 
 4 The shield of his heroes is dyed red, 
 
 off from all access to the metropolis ; 
 now, they would be at liberty to proceed 
 thither as usual, in order to observe their 
 religious rites. ty2$2, Belial, doubtless 
 means the same as $3252 ὙΣ ὁ", wicked 
 counsellor, chap. i. 11; ὁ. e. as there ex- 
 plained, Sennacherib. Restricted as the 
 declaration here made must necessarily 
 be to this monarch, the passage is no- 
 wise at variance with the fact, that Ma- 
 nasseh was for a time in the power of the 
 Assyrians, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11. 
 
 2. Most moderns adopt the interpreta- 
 tion of Jerome, who is of opinion, that the 
 
 prophet here turns to Nineveh, and di-° 
 
 rects the attention of her monarch to the 
 approach of the Medo-Babylonish army. 
 1 rather think with Abarbanel, Kimchi, 
 Jarchi, Hezel, Dathe, and others, that 
 the words are addressed to Hezekiah, and 
 the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the 
 purpose of inspiring them with courage 
 to hold out during the Assyrian attack. 
 
 yren, from yrs. Arab. (ans, abiit, 
 
 peregrinatus fuit, to scatter, disperse, 
 properly signifies the Disperser, and is 
 appropriately applied to the king of As- 
 syria, by whose army the inhabitants of 
 the different countries which it invaded 
 were scattered from their abodes. Some 
 prefer rendering the word by hammer, 
 and compare Prov. xxv. 18, and Jer. 
 , li. 20, in the latter of which passages we 
 have 2% from 453, to break in pieces, 
 disperse, etc., rendered in our common 
 version buttle-axe. The address is beauti- 
 fully abrupt, and derives great force from 
 the use of the Infinitive instead of the 
 
 35 
 
 Imperative of all the four verbs which 
 here occur. The fuller forms would be 
 AEM ΠΝ, HELM MBS, etc, masio whs2 
 form a paronomasia. ‘ 
 
 3. Further to encourage the inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem, a promise is here 
 given of the restoration of the Hebrew 
 people to their former independence and 
 glory. aby2 718s, etc., is not to be in- 
 terpreted of the pride of the Hebrews, 
 nor of the proud and insulting conduct 
 of their enemies towards them ; but, as 
 in Ps. xlvii. 5 ; Amos vi. 8, it means the 
 land of Canaan, as distinguished above 
 all other countries. This land, as the 
 prophet ‘immediately adds, had been 
 spoiled by the Assyrians, who had not 
 only carried away the ten tribes into 
 captivity, but taken the fortified cities 
 of Judah; but it was again to be re- 
 stored, partly on the destruction of the 
 Assyrians, and completely on the return 
 from Babylon. 38, ἐο return, has here 
 the force of the Hiphil ποτ, éo restore, 
 as in Numb. x. 36; Ps. Ixxxv. 5. Con- 
 nected as this verb is with the future, 
 implied in the abbreviated form ““=:, 
 etc., in the preceding verse, it is to be 
 rendered in this tense. Jacob and Israel 
 are, as frequently, put for the people of 
 the two kingdoms. The devastation ef- 
 fected by the Assyrians is described by a 
 metaphor taken from the pruning of 
 vines, or the cutting off of the young 
 twigs or shoots. Parallel to the promise 
 made in this verse is that given by Isaiah, 
 chap. xxxvii. 31, 32. 
 
 4, The prophet now proceeds to de- 
 scribe the siege and capture of Nineveh, 
 
274 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuap. II, 
 
 The warriors are clothed with scarlet ; 
 The chariots are furnished with fiery scythes, 
 
 In the day of his preparation ; 
 
 And the cypresses are brandished. 
 
 which involved the downfall of the As- 
 syrian empire. The formidable, terrific, 
 and invincible appearance of the Me- 
 do-Babylonish army is first noticed. 
 ama 3, his heroes, i, 6. the mighty 
 men of Cyaxares. The suffix is the less 
 frequent form, instead of 45, but repre- 
 sents more of the primitive pronoun sm, 
 of which both are fragments. Ἐπ is 
 the Pual participle of tx, to be red; 
 and is applied to the shields, to intimate 
 that they were dyed red. The bull’s hide 
 with which they were commonly covered 
 was easily susceptible of this process ; 
 and, on being anointed with oil, would 
 shine brightly. See on Is. xxi. 6. This 
 interpretation of the word, which is con- 
 firmed by the meaning of the correspond- 
 ing principle, in the following hemistich, 
 is preferable to that which would make 
 it express the idea of fiery, sparkling, or 
 the like. ‘ Bloodstained is altogether 
 to be rejected. The LXX. mistaking 
 rasa for τ τ )2», preposterously render 
 ὅπλα δυναστείας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνϑρώπων. 
 corzinn, lit. are erimsoned, is ἃ ἅπαξ 
 λεγ.» but is the Pual participial form, 
 and is evidently derived from sbin, the 
 name specially used to denote the coccus, 
 or worm which was used in dying, to 
 give to cloth a deep scarlet color. The 
 manufacture of such stuffs was chiefly 
 carried on by the Tyrians and Lydians. 
 The LXX. have also mistaken this word 
 for =*b>sn7, ἐμπαίζοντας, in which they 
 are followed by the Syr. Pollux describes 
 the Medes as wearing a cloth called Sa- 
 rages, which was of scarlet color, striped 
 with white; Sapayns, Mndev τι φορημα, 
 moppupovs, μεσολευκος χιτων. Lib. 1, 
 cap. 13. rate 985, with fiery scythes. 
 That nate stands here by transposition 
 of the first two letters for r£$, cannot 
 be admitted ; the plural of s-£5, @ amp, 
 or torch, being always p:775%, in the 
 
 masculine, so that the Syr., Targ., etc. 
 give an erroneous interpretation. 
 
 - 
 
 = 
 
 matt 
 7 
 
 iron, steel. Syr. } ess the same, ὩΣ 
 Arab. du, ee in partes conci- 
 dit. OS 3, ferrum durum, chalybs. 
 ὧ hie, e chalybe confectus, de gladio, 
 
 For the manufactory of swords of the 
 finest steel, not only Damascus but cer- 
 tain towns on the east of the Caucasus 
 have long been celebrated ; and that this 
 compound metal is of high antiquity, is 
 universally allowed. Its name, Chalybs, 
 is derived from the Chalybes, a people 
 bordering on the Euxine sea. It is 
 doubtless what the prophet Jeremiah 
 
 ‘means by ἼΞΕΣ br23, won from the 
 
 North, and which he distinguishes from 
 bina, common tron, chap. xy. 12. Now 
 there appears to be no part of the war- 
 chariots entitled to the character of 
 irons flashing with fire, but the falces or 
 scythes, which were “fixed at right 
 angles to the axle, and turned down- 
 wards, or inserted parallel to the axle 
 into the felly of the wheel, so as to re- 
 yvolye, when the chariot was put in mo- 
 tion, with thrice the velocity of the 
 chariot itself; and sometimes also pro- 
 jecting from the extremities of the axle.” 
 Dr. William Smith’s Dict. of Greek and 
 Roman Antiquities, art. Falz. The ἅρ- 
 ματα δρεπανηφόρα were justly reckoned 
 among the most terrific implements of 
 ancient warfare, as they mowed down 
 all that came in their way. The =x fire 
 of these scythes was the coruscations pro- 
 duced by their excessive brightness and , 
 the rapidity of their motion. Instead of 
 @xz, “with fire,” seven MSS., origin- 
 ally one more, and the Soncin. edition 
 of the Prophets, read wx “ dike fire.” 
 The suffix in 42°55 may either form an 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 275 
 
 5 The chariots dash madly on the commons, 
 They run furiously in the open places ; 
 Their appearance is like that of torches, 
 
 They flash like lightnings. 
 6 He remembers his nobles; 
 They stumble in their march ; 
 
 accusative to 2557, or the genitive of an 
 agent not sae oned satel hostile com- 
 mander. The latter construction is pre- 
 ferable, as it refers the day of his pre- 
 paration to the period fixed upon by the 
 general for commencing the attack. It 
 would only be then that the scythes 
 would be fixed in the chariots: it being 
 not only useless but dangerous to have 
 them attached at other times. By 
 Be oin3 2, cypresses, are meant spears or 
 lances, the staves of which were made of 
 the branches of the cypress. The LXX., 
 followed by the Syr. and Arab., have 
 taken the word for D°S55, horsemen, 
 rendering it of ἱππεῖς, which Michaclis 
 is inclined to prefer, and Newcome has 
 actually adopted. There is, however, no 
 just cause for stumbling at the boldness 
 of the figure. Homer, describing the 
 spear of Achilles, calls it an ash : 
 Ἔκ δ᾽ ἄρα σύριγγος πατρώϊον ἐσπάσατ᾽ 
 ἔγχος; 
 Βριϑδὺ μέγα στιβαρόν" το μὲν οὐ δυνατ᾽ 
 ἄλλος ᾿Αχαιῶν 
 Πάλλειν, ἄλλά μεν οἷος ἐπίστατο πῆλαι 
 ᾿Αχιλλεὺς, 
 Πηλιάδα ΜΕΛΙΗΝ, κ. τ. λ. 
 Iliad, xix. 387—390. 
 
 Hesiod also designates the lance ἐλάτη, 
 a pine, Scut. Herc. 188; and Virgil uses 
 the jir for the spear of Camilla : 
 
 ‘¢cujus apertum 
 Adversi longa transverberat abiete pec- 
 tus.” JEneid, xi. 667. 
 
 sbyan, a ἅπαξ Aey., from the root by5, 
 ASS, tremuit, to move tremu- 
 
 lously, wave, shake; hence ὃ)" and 
 πεν πῶ, trembling, Zech. xii. 2; Ps. lx. 
 5. The reference seems to be to the cus- 
 
 f 
 tom of the spear-men to wave their lances 
 before engaging in battle, for the pur- 
 pose of evincing their eagerness for the 
 contest. 
 
 5. This verse Ewald δεν μη of the 
 preparations made by the Ninevites for 
 the defence of the city; but the war- 
 chariots could not be used within the 
 walls : they could only be effective in the 
 open field. r4z5h signifies not merely 
 streets, as being without the houses of a 
 city, but also the οὐδ fields or commons 
 without the city itself. Comp. Job ¥. 10; 
 Ps. exliv. 13; Prov. viii. 26. In like 
 manner niah7, as its parallel, denotes 
 any wide or open spaces in the suburbs 
 without the gates. Comp. 2 Chron. 
 Xxxil.6; Ps, exliv. 14. tbinnn signi- 
 fies to act the part of a madman, to show 
 one’s self violent, rage, and the like. The 
 reduplicate form 4:7¢7m37 is obviously 
 intended to give great force to the ex- 
 pression ; on which account, to render 
 it run up and down is too weak. I have 
 added furiously, which makes this hemi- 
 stich better agree with the preceding. 
 Nor is the reduplication of the third 
 radical of 5735, to run, in Piel, ἮΝ Ν 7)» 
 without a baie naeaee degree of energy. 
 It expresses the rapid zig-zag course of 
 the chariots, resembling the quick flash- 
 ing of lightning. As 254 is masculine, 
 the feminine suffix in pete must be 
 taken for a neuter, or regarded as an in- 
 stance of neglected gender.” 
 
 6. The king of Nineveh is here repre- 
 sented as roused from a profound stupor ; 
 and, contriving the necessary’ means of 
 defence, as first of all turning his atten- 
 tion to his principal officers, whom he 
 summons to their posts. Michaelis, 
 Maurer, and others, think that by these " 
 
276 
 
 They hasten to her wall, 
 And the defence is prepared. 
 7 The flood-gates are opened, 
 And the place is dissolved, 
 Though firmly established. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 8 She is made bare; she is carried up, 
 While her handmaids moan like doves, 
 
 And smite upon their hearts. , 
 
 officers, the generals commanding in the 
 provinces are intended; but it is more 
 likely the prophet means the military 
 leaders within the city, since it is repre- 
 sented in the preceding verses as already 
 invested by the enemy; and they are 
 spoken of as hastening to the wall, and 
 not to the city, which the former inter- 
 pretation would require. =27 is here used, 
 not in the sense of simply recollecting, 
 or calling to mind, but with the acces- 
 sory idea of carrying out or giving effect 
 to the recollection, in’regard to the object 
 of remembrance. It therefore implies, 
 that the monarch ordered them to oc- 
 cupy each his place in the defence of 
 Nineveh. On receiving the orders, they 
 make such haste, that they and their 
 troops stumble while marching to the 
 walls. Instead of = in ττῦι}} τι, eight of 
 De Rossi’s MSS., another originally, the 
 Brixian, and another ancient edition, ex- 
 hibit the local τ, which is supported by 
 the Targ., Syr., and Arab. By the 758, 
 protector, or protection, here mentioned, 
 some understand the vinea, or the ἐ68- 
 tudo, military coverings used by the be- 
 siegers of a city, under the shelter of 
 which they might safely carry on their 
 operations in undermining, or otherwise 
 destroying the walls. As, however, the 
 term is here applied to something em- 
 ployed by those who acted on the defen- 
 sive, it cannot be so interpreted. In all 
 probability, some kind of breastwork, 
 composed of the interwoven boughs and 
 branches of trees, erected between the 
 towers upon the walls, is intended. Ac- 
 cording to Diodorus Siculus, Nineveh had 
 + fifteen hundred towers, each of which 
 
 was two hundred feet high. 42 sig- 
 nifies to weave, intertwine, fence, and the 
 like, and so to protect, shelter. LXX. καὶ 
 ἑτοιμάσουσι Tas προφυλακὰς αὐτῶν. Syr. 
 
 1 ἄλλαν, fortifications. Targ. wds33, 
 towers. 
 
 7. Though it is not unusual in He- 
 brew to represent invading armies. or 
 multitudes of people under the image of 
 floods or waters, an interpretation adopted 
 here by Rosenmiiller, De Wette, and 
 others, there does not appear to be suf- 
 ficient ground to depart from the literal 
 meaning. By nien 2, rivers, or streams, 
 are meant the canals dug from the Tigris, 
 which intersected the city, and more es- 
 pecially those which afforded a supply 
 of water for the defence of the palace. 
 The gates or sluices of these canals were 
 doubtless strongly constructed, to prevent 
 a greater influx of water than what was 
 required ; but having upon the present 
 occasion been burst open by the besiegers, 
 the waters of the Tigris rushed in, and, 
 completely inundating the royal resi- 
 dence, dissolyed and ruined it. The 
 verb 34723 describes the physical effects 
 of the inundation, not metaphorically 
 those produced by the event upon the 
 minds of the inhabitants. 
 
 8. ΞΕ τ has occasioned a great diver- 
 sity of interpretations. Gesenius, dissat- 
 isfied with all those derived from its be- 
 ing the Hophal of 3:5, ἐο place, settle, fiz, 
 has recourse to a new root, 32s, which 
 
 he borrows from the Arab. λαῷ, flucit, 
 stillavit, aqua, z 2, fudit, effudit ; and, 
 
Cuapr. II. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 277 
 
 9 Though Nineveh hath been like a pool of water, 
 
 From the most ancient time, 
 Yet they are fleeing : 
 
 “Stop! stop!” but none looketh back. 
 10 Plunder the silver, plunder the gold ; 
 
 There is no end to the store ; 
 
 There is abundance of all covetable vessels. 
 11 Emptiness and emptiedness and void, 
 
 Heart-melting and tottering of knees ; 
 
 There is intense pain in all loins, 
 
 And all faces withdraw their color. 
 
 then removing the word to the end of the 
 preceding verse, reads thus, 3473 ἘΞ ΠΩ 
 asm, the palace is dissolved and made to 
 flow away. “That the verb is to be con- 
 nected with the preceding 3412, the gen- 
 der at once shows ; but there is no neces- 
 sity of departing from the usual signifi- 
 cation of a2, to place, fix, stand firmly ; 
 in Hiph. to cause to stand, establish. 
 However strongly the place might have 
 been constructed, it would not be able to 
 resist the fury of the water. ἢ has here 
 the force of though, and though. Comp. 
 
 ΡΞ NT Mal. iii. 14. ὙΠῸ nom- 
 inative to the feminines n>; and mnb2n 
 is Nineveh understood. The first of these 
 verbs some render, is carried into cap- 
 tivity ; but this signification is confined 
 to the Kal and Hiphil conjugations. It 
 here describes the ignominy with which 
 the Ninevites were treated, when, stripped 
 of everything, they were forced from their 
 capital. Comp. Is. xlvii. 3. Nineveh is 
 represented as a queen degraded from 
 her dignity ; and led away captive by 
 the enemy; her female slaves following 
 
 and deploring her fate. That the queen - 
 
 of Nineveh herself, supposed to be here 
 called Huzzab, is intended, in a position 
 which cannot be sustained, though adopt- 
 
 ed by several interpreters, and recently” 
 
 by Ewald. Persons are never introduced 
 by name into prophecy, except for some 
 important purpose, as in the case of Cy- 
 rus. 
 
 the Arab. ee graviter, continuo an- 
 
 helavit, vix interrupto spiritu ; 
 
 Syriac 
 ¥. 
 GL), clamavit, rugiit. 
 
 AR 
 
 9. The comparison of the population 
 of Nineveh to a collection of water is 
 here appropriate. S77 7a" is an anti- 
 quated mode of expressing the feminine 
 pronominal affix — the absolute form of 
 the pronoun being retained instead of the 
 fragmental τ being attached to the noun, 
 nm ΩΤ 2 ; lit. from her days, 
 z. 6. during the whole period of her ex- 
 istence, or, from the most ancient time. 
 The prophet compares the royal city to 
 a reservoir of water, on account of the 
 confluence of people from the surround- 
 ing provinces. All who could make 
 their escape, now took to flight, and no 
 entreaties could induce them to remain. 
 
 10. Nahum here apostrophizes the 
 victorious enemy. They had now only 
 to possess themselves of the immense 
 riches which had been abandoned by the 
 inhabitants, or which they might plunder 
 at pleasure. The repetition of the verb 
 n= gives force to the diction. ma:5n, 
 from 43>, in Hiphil, to set up, prepare ; 
 anything Jaid up, prepared, and ready for 
 use, as costly garments, ornaments, etc. 
 Comp. Job xxvii.16. LXX. τοῦ κόσμον 
 αὐτῆς. Vulg. divitiarum. Targ. ἈΝ ὁδὶ. 
 treasures, 125, followed by 72, is here 
 
 - a nominative absolute: as for the abund- 
 
 : - ance, it consists of, etc. 
 For 372, to pant, sigh, moan, comp. — 
 
 11. The three synonymes πρὶ ἼΞ2 “E33 
 mp bar, all from roots signifying to 
 
NAHUM. 
 
 Cuar. II. 
 
 Where is the den of the lionesses ? 
 
 And the feeding-place of the young lions ? 
 Where the lion and the lioness walked, 
 The lion’s cub also, and none disturbed them. 
 
 13 
 
 The lion tore for the supply of his cubs, 
 
 And strangled for his lionesses ; 
 
 He filled his dens with prey, 
 
 And his habitations with rapine, 
 
 14 
 
 Behold! I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts; 
 
 > 
 
 I will burn her chariots into smoke ; 
 
 The sword shall devour thy young lions, 
 
 And I will cut off thy prey from the land: 
 
 The voice of thy messengers shall be heard no more. 
 
 empty, empty out, are exquisitely chosen, 
 and from their increase in length, as well 
 as from their similarity both in sound and 
 meaning, give great force to the expres- 
 sion of total desolation —the idea here 
 intended to be conveyed. Gesenius con- 
 siders them to be onomatopoetic, imitat- 
 ing the sound of emptying out a bottle. 
 Comp. Is. xxiv. 1, for the etymology of 
 the verbs p72—p12 and pba ; and for 
 a similar use of words varied in form, 
 but nearly alike in sound, Is. xxiv, 3, 4, 
 xxix, 2; Ezek. xxxiii. 29; Zeph. i. 15. 
 7Sntn,an intensive a from sh, 
 to be in pain. For "ὮΠΝΞ see on Joel 
 ii. 6. 
 
 12-14. A beautiful allegory, setting 
 forth the rapacious, irresistible, and lux- 
 urious character of the king of Assyria, 
 and the destruction of Nineveh, the seat 
 of his empire, with all his armies, and 
 
 their means of supply. In the last verse 
 the literal is intermixed with the figura- 
 tive. Comp. for the metaphor, Is. v. 29; 
 Jer. ii. 15. san, in ver. 12, has the force 
 of that which ; “7, ver. 18, a sufficiency, 
 supply, ete. 57% and mEqY are em- 
 ployed idiomatically i in the two genders 
 to express different kinds of prey. Comp. 
 Is. iii. 1. For 4223 the Targ. has 
 NHUNI, with fire. The meaning is, that 
 such should be the number of chariots 
 consumed, that the smoke arising from 
 the fire in which they were to be burnt, 
 should be visible to all. Comp. Ps. 
 xxxvii. 20. The MSS. and editions dif- 
 fer in their punctuation of m==>s73, but 
 there can be little doubt that it is a de- 
 fective reading, τι ΞΘ 2, for πιϑ ΞΘ. 
 Comp. ==£3, Ps, exxxix, 5. The Syr. 
 and LXX. have read ΠΣ ΕΞ, “thy 
 works.” 
 
 
 
 CHAPTER IIT. 
 
 THE prophet, resuming his description of the siege of Nineveh, 1-8, traces it to her idolatry 
 as its cause, 4, and repeats the divine denunciations which he had introduced chap. ii. 13, 
 
 ver. 5-7. 
 
 He then, to aggravate her misery, points her to the once formidable and cele- 
 
 brated, but now conquered and desolate Thebes, 8-10, declaring that such should likewise 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 279 
 
 be her fate, 11-18; calls upon her sarcastically to make every preparation for her defence, 
 but assuring her that it would be of no avail, 14, 15; and concludes by contrasting with 
 the number of merchants, princes, and generals, which she once possessed, the miserable, 
 remediless state of ruin to which she was to be reduced, 16-19. 
 
 1 Wo tothe city of blood! 
 
 She is wholly filled with deceit and violence ; 
 
 The prey is not removed. 
 
 2 The sound of the whip, and the sound of the rattling of the 
 
 wheels, 
 
 The horses prancing, and the chariots bounding ; 
 ' 3 The mounting of horsemen, the gleaming of swords, 
 
 And the lightning of spears ; 
 The multitude of slain, 4 
 And the mass of corpses; 
 
 There is no end to the carcasses ; 
 They stumble over their carcasses : 
 
 4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the harlot, 
 The very graceful mistress of enchantments ; 
 
 1. A portraiture of the atrocious char- 
 acter of the Ninevites. p >= tm> form 
 an asyndeton. The non-removal of the 
 prey refers to the fact, that the Assyrians 
 had not restored the ten tribes. 
 
 2,3. The description which the prophet 
 here gives of the approach of the enemy, 
 his attack on the city, and the slaughter 
 of the besieged, is exquisitely graphic. 
 Every translator must acknowledge with 
 Jerome: “Tam pulchra juxta Hebraicum 
 et pictura similis ad preelium se prepar- 
 antis exercitus descriptio est, ut omnis 
 meus sermo sit vilior.” The passage is 
 unrivalled by any other, either in sacred 
 or profane literature. Comp. however 
 Jer. xlvii. 3. τι πὶ occurs only here, but 
 in Judges v. 22, we find PASS Maw, 
 the charges of his mighty warriors, in 
 connection with 93d, the war-horse. It 
 would seem to have some affinity to the 
 
 Arab 
 
 μέσον, σε Pa 
 
 ao celeriter incessit, and 
 
 expresses the coursing or prancing of the 
 cavalary, when rapidly advancing to the 
 attack. Their eagerness the LXX. ex- 
 
 presses by rendering it διώκοντος. 
 
 Syr. 
 D. Kimchi; 
 ΓΞ πὶ ΠῚΞΞ d10n ΓΌ 15, the power- 
 jul trampling or prancing of the horse 
 and his course. The collectives require 
 to be rendered in the plural. δ} is not 
 to be understood as repeated .before Ὁ:Ὁ 
 and the following substantive, Instead 
 of 5:5" or τ. 9.5, as it is read in some 
 of the old editions, the Keri, many MSS., 
 and the Soncin., Brix., and Complut. 
 editions, read 3b51, which is favored by 
 the renderings of the LXX. and Vulg. 
 
 4. The idolatrous practices of the Nine- 
 vites, and the means which they em- 
 ployed to seduce others to worship their 
 gods, are here represented as the princi- 
 pal cause of their destruction. At the 
 same time, the commerce, luxury, ete. 
 which they carried to the greatest height, 
 are not to be excluded; for in making 
 contracts and treaties with the more 
 powerful of their neighbors, they not 
 only employed these as inducements, but 
 did not scruple to deliver into their 
 power, nations and tribes that were un- 
 
 Vo 
 πριν ebullivit, anhelavit. 
 
280 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuap. IIT. 
 
 Who sold nations through her fornications, 
 And tribes through her enchantments. 
 5 Behold! I am against thee, saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 I will throw up thy skirts upon thy face, 
 And show the nations thy nakedness, 
 
 And the kingdoms thy shame. 
 
 6 I will cast abominable things upon thee, 
 
 And disgrace thee; 
 
 And will make thee a gazing-stock. 
 7 And every one that seeth thee shall flee from thee 
 And shall say, Nineveh is destroyed ! 
 
 Who will commiserate her ? 
 
 Whence shall I seek comforters for thee ? 
 8 Art thou better than No-Ammon, 
 
 That dwelt in the rivers, 
 That had water around her ; 
 
 able to defend themselves.. Comp. Joel 
 iii. 8, 6-8 ; Amos i. 6. The metaphor of 
 an unchaste female, and the seductive 
 arts which she employs, is not unfre- 
 quent in the prophets. 
 
 5,6. The language of commination 
 here used, is suggested by the metaphor 
 of an harlot, employed in the preceding 
 verse. It would seem to refer to an an- 
 cient mode of punishing strumpets, by 
 stripping them of all their gaudy attire, 
 and exposing them, covered with mud 
 and filth, to the gaze of insulting spec- 
 tators. The abhorrent character of the 
 figure constitutes the very reason of its 
 selection. Comp. Ezek. xvi. 37-41, 
 The 5 in ssh is the Caph veritatis. 
 LXX. εἰς παράδειγμα. 
 
 7. ΓΝ carries out the idea implied 
 in "x4, ver. 6. It is in the plural, but 
 is followed by a singular verb, to agree 
 with $5. Comp. for the sentiment Is. 
 li, 19. 
 
 8. jh: 83, No Amon, Egyp. NOZ 
 
 AMOXWN, te lon, or portion of 
 Amon, thus etymologically the LXX, 
 μερίδα, ᾿Αμμών, though in Ezek. xxx. 15, 
 they render Διόσπολις, ¢. e. the residence 
 
 or possession of the Egyptian deity known 
 by the name of Jupiter Ammon. The 
 statement of Macrobius, that he was the 
 representative of the sun, is confirmed 
 by the name of Amon-Re, i.e. ‘ Amon, 
 the Sun,”’ being given to him in Egyp- 
 tian inscriptions. On Egyptian monu- 
 ments this god is represented by the 
 figure of a man sitting upon a chair, 
 with a ram’s head, or by that of an 
 entire ram. In Jer. xlvi. 25, we have 
 nova iN, Amon of No, where, as well 
 as in the present passage in Nahum, our 
 translators have regarded "1% as equiv- 
 alent to ἡ 2 π, @ multitude. Bochart, 
 Schroeder, and some others, have con- 
 tended that Διόσπολις, near Mendes, 
 in Lower Egypt, is intended, but all 
 the later commentators are in favor of 
 Thebes. The Targum preposterously ren- 
 ders, ἈΠ ΡΠ ΌΞΌΝ, Alexandria the 
 Great, which Jerome, deferring to his 
 Rabbi, has adopted in the Vulg. The 
 city, which from its being the principal 
 seat of his worship, was called by the 
 Greeks Διόσπολις, is the celebrated Thebdes, 
 the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, sit- 
 uated on both sides of the Nile, about 
 two hundred and sixty miles south of 
 Cairo. It was renowned for its hundred 
 
Cuapr. III. 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 281 
 
 Whose strength was in the sea ; 
 
 Her wall was on the sea? 
 
 9 Cush strengthened her, and Egypt, 
 
 With countless hosts ; 
 
 Put and the Lybians were thine auxiliaries, 
 
 gates, and was of such extent, that its 
 remaining ruins still describe a circuit of 
 twenty-seven miles : 
 
 
 
 
 
 οὐδ᾽ ὅσα Θήβας 
 
 Αἰγυπτίας, 631 πλεῖστα δόμοις ἐν κτήματα 
 κεῖται, — 
 
 Ai ¥ ἑκατόμπυλοί εἶσι, sede δ᾽ ay 
 ἑκάστην 
 
 ᾿Ανέρες ἐξοιχνεῦσι σὺν ἵπποισιν καὶ οἴχεσ- 
 φιν. Iliad, ix. 381. 
 
 Of the magnificent ruins, the most re- 
 markable are the temples of Luxor and 
 Karnac, on the eastern side of the river. 
 The architecture is of the most gigantic 
 and superior description. Fragments of 
 colossal obelisks and statues are found in 
 every direction. The stupendous colon- 
 ade at Luxor is in the highest degree 
 imposing ; but the grand hall of the 
 temple at Karnac is of surpassing inter- 
 est. Wilkinson, in his Thebes, p. 174, 
 describes it as ‘‘ one hundred and seventy 
 feet by three hundred and twenty-nine, 
 supported, by a central avenue of twelve 
 massive columns, sixty-six feet high, 
 (without the pedestal and abacus,) and 
 twelve in diameter, besides one hun- 
 dred and twenty-two of smaller or rather 
 less gigantic dimensions, forty-one feet 
 nine inches in height, and twenty-seven 
 fect six inches in circumference, distri- 
 buted in seven lines on either side of the 
 former.’’ The walls of the temples are 
 covered with hieroglyphics, chiefly re- 
 presenting the victories gained by the 
 Egyptian kings over their enemies. One 
 of the walls exhibits the result of the ex- 
 pedition of Shishak against Jerusalem, 
 1 Kings xiv. 25, ete. ; 2 Chron. xii. 2-9, 
 in the leading away of the Jewish cap- 
 tives. 
 
 Of the conquest of this famous city, 
 here referred to by Nahum, no mention 
 
 is made in profane history, but it not 
 improbably took place on the advance 
 of the Assyrian army under Sargon, in 
 the year 8. c. 714. Seeon Is. xx. It was 
 afterwards taken by Cambyses, B. c. 525, 
 and its ruin completed by Ptolemy La- 
 thyrus, B. c. 81. According to the re- 
 presentation of our prophet, Nineveh, 
 could not vie with it either in point of 
 grandeur or of strength. They both 
 possessed the advantage of mighty rivers 
 for their defence — a circumstance to 
 which he gives a special prominence, as 
 it was that on which the inhabitants 
 placed great dependence. By 5%, sea, is 
 meant the Nile; see on Is. xix. 5; by 
 ἘΠ", streams, the same as nin, Nah. 
 ii. 7, vize the canals by which the water 
 of the river was carried round or through 
 the principal parts of the city. Ewald 
 proposes to connect 07 with p21, thus, 
 Ἐ5}2 Ὁ", and renders from sea to sea, which 
 he attempts to justify by appealing to 
 Micah vii. 12, but the cases are not pa- 
 rallel.  -r stands elliptically for τι ϑ 1. 
 The preposition % in p12 expresses “the 
 material out of which the defence was 
 made ; and the triple reference to the 
 Nile as a sea, in this verse, indicates the 
 great importance which attached to it as 
 a means of protecting the city. 
 
 9. Not only was Thebes strong by 
 nature and art, and in the number of her 
 native troops ; she also possessed immense 
 military resources in her African auxil- 
 ilaries. For 5:5, Cush, see on Is, xi, 
 
 11. wap, Put, Egypt. PRIA 
 the region immediately to the west of 
 Lower Egypt, and conterminous with 
 Lybia Proper, with the inhabitants of 
 which, it is here mentioned. Gesenius de- 
 
 rives the name from ΠῚ Φᾧ oF Ore, 
 
 36 
 
282 
 
 ~ 10 Yet she became an exile, 
 She went into captivity ; 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 Cuap, III. 
 
 Her young children also were dashed in pieces, 
 
 At the top of all the streets ; 
 
 They cast lots for her honorable men, 
 And all her great men were bound with chains. 
 
 1 
 Thou shalt hide thyself, 
 
 Thou also shalt be drunken, 
 
 Thou also shalt seek a refuge from the enemy. 
 
 All thy fortresses are like fig-trees with early figs ; 
 
 If they shake them, they fall into the mouth of the eater. 
 
 13 
 
 Behold! thy people are as women in the midst of thee; 
 
 The gates of thy land shall be thrown wide open to thine 
 
 enemies ; 
 
 Fire shall consume thy barriers, 
 
 14 Draw water for the siege ; 
 
 a bow, and thinks the people were so 
 called from their being expert as archers. 
 That they were descended from Ham, 
 see Gen. x. 6. Josephus speaks of them 
 as Mauritanians, Antiqq. i. 6, 2; and 
 the river of the same name, which he de- 
 scribes as flowing through their country, 
 is called Fut by Pliny, v. 1, and Phtuth 
 by Ptolemy, iv. 1. They are spoken of 
 as forming part of the Egyptian army, 
 Jer. xlvi. 9, and as being in the Syrian 
 marine, Ezek. xxvii. 10, Winer’s Real 
 W. B..ii. p. 308. trad, Lybdians, the 
 inhabitants of Africa to the south and 
 west of the former country, stretching 
 as far as Numidia. Hitzig, on Is. lxvi. 19, 
 has endeavored in vain to establish the 
 hypothesis that the people of Nubia are 
 meant. Comp. 2 Chron. xii, 3, xvi. 8. 
 er 27, Egypt, is here taken for Lower 
 Egypt, as distinguished from the Upper, 
 of which Thebes was itself the capital. 
 There is no reason, with some, to change 
 the 1 in 7nwWys3 into. =, though the 
 LXX. and Syr. have the third person, 
 The prophet concludes his description by 
 
 apostrophizing Thebes. 5 is the Beth 
 essenti@. ; 
 10, 11. If the celebrated metropolis 
 
 of Egypt, with all its means of defence, 
 
 was captured, and its inhabitants sub- 
 jected to all the cruelities and indignities 
 usually inflicted by the victors, what was 
 there in Nineveh to claim exemption? 
 Instead of “25, to drink, be intoxicated, 
 a mode of speech not uncommon in the 
 prophets, denoting participation in severe 
 punishment, Newcome, without author- 
 ity, reads Ἐξ Ὁ, to hire, and renders, thou 
 shalt become an hireling. In 1 Sam. ii. 
 5, to which he refers, the latter, and not 
 the former verb, occurs. 
 
 12, 13. Two figures strikingly expres- 
 sive of the extreme ease with which the 
 Assyrians should be subdued. For the 
 former, see on Is. xxviii. 4; and comp. ἢ 
 Rev. vi. 13; for the latter,-Is. xix. 16; 
 Jer.1.37. ty, with, in the phrase ΘΛ τι 
 b-4:D2 ἘΣ denotes accompaniment, ete. ; 
 the phrase itself is equivalent to D-:xn 
 ΘΠ pnb ogy. Thus the LXX. 
 συκαῖ σκοποὺς ἔχοντες. Comp. for this 
 rare use of the preposition, 1 Sam. xvii. 
 42. "m3, Michaelis translates thy 
 
 fugitives, but as fugitives are always re- 
 
 presented as perishing by the sword, and 
 never by fire, the signification barriers 
 must be retained. 
 
 14. The prophet ironically summons 
 the Ninevites to make every effort in 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 Strengthen thy fortifications ; 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 283 
 
 Enter the mire, and tread the clay ; 
 
 Repair the brick-kiln. 
 
 15 There shall the fire consume thee, ἢ 
 
 The sword shall cut thee off; 
 
 It shall consume thee like the licking locust ; 
 Be thou numerous as the licking locusts ; 
 Be thou numerous as the swarming locusts. 
 16 Thou hast increased thy merchants more than the stars of 
 
 heaven ; 
 
 The licking locusts spread themselves out, 
 
 And took their flight. 
 
 17 Thy princes were as the swarming locusts, 
 And thy satraps as the largest locusts ; 
 That encamp in the hedges in the cold day ; 
 The sun ariseth, then they flee, 
 
 And the place where they are is unknown. 
 
 18 Thy shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria! 
 
 the way of preparing for a long and 
 vigorous defence of the metropolis itself. 
 As water is one of the first necessaries, 
 it behooved them to see to it, that the 
 cisterns, etc., were well filled. They 
 were also to put the fortifications in a 
 perfect state. 
 
 15-17. D3, there, points emphatically 
 to the fortified city. ‘The nominative to 
 “a2n7 is the masculine noun ἘΣ, people, 
 the feminine -*» city, understood. In- 
 stead, however, of 125mm, six MSS., 
 originally four more, and one by correc- 
 monn For the names of 
 i. 4, and Amos vii. 1. The reduplication 
 “Ξ Ὁ ria, locust of locusts, is designed to 
 express the largest or most formidable of 
 that kind of insect. For the plural form 
 "275, see on Amos vii. 1. te 415% is a 
 ἅπαξ λεγ-.» derived from "113, to consecrate, 
 separate and devote to a high or noble 
 office; hence "519, prince, “3, consecra- 
 tion, diadem. Tt denotes here the princes, 
 crowned with diadems, who formed the 
 glory of the Assyrian court. Thus Kim- 
 chi: Emwsn by πο ΣῚ TD AVS Ξε, 
 
 « Princes with diadems and crowns on 
 their heads.” The Arab. din, moni-= 
 
 tor, ὦ. 6. counsellor, is less apt, as the 
 comparison to the locusts shows. Six of 
 De Rossi’s MSS, and three ancient edi- 
 tions omit the Dagesh in the Nun. The 
 parallel term O--5=v_ occurs only here, 
 and in Jer. li. 27, in the singular -e5u. 
 It is obviously a foreign word, and is in 
 all probability compounded of what we 
 
 still find in the Persic, “ὦ, or Ok, 
 strength, power, and χ» chief, captain, 
 
 prince. It occurs in the Targum of 
 Jonathan, Deut. xxviii. 12, as the name 
 of a superior angel. For other deriva- 
 tions see Gesen. Thesaur. im voc. Dr. 
 Lee prefers deriving it from the Chald. 
 50, egregius, and “wv, dux. Whatever 
 might be the power of these princes and 
 generals, and whatever number of troops 
 they might have at their command, they 
 would on the approach of the enemy, 
 betake themselves to flight, and leave 
 Nineveh to her own defence. No trace 
 of them would be found. 
 
 18. The masculine suffixes in this and 
 
284 
 
 Thy nobles have lain down ; 
 
 NAHUM. 
 
 4 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 Thy people are dispersed upon the mountains, 
 And there is none that collected them. 
 19 Thergis no alleviation of thy ruin; 
 
 Thy wound is grievous ; 
 
 All that hear the report of thee 
 
 Shall clap their hands at thee, 
 
 For upon whom did not thy wickedness unceasingly pass ? 
 
 the following verse, refer to the king of 
 Assyria. The πὸ» ἢ, shepherds, were the 
 satraps or viceroys appointed to govern 
 the provinces under the king of Assyria; 
 the ΞΘ τὸ were the nobles, who as 
 parallel with the ΘῈΣ Ἢ, are to be regarded 
 under the same image. See Jer. xxv. 34, 
 where principals would have been better 
 than principal in our common version. 
 j=, corresponding to 7,25, they slumber, 
 is a vox pregnans, implying, not only 
 that they had lain down, but that they 
 were taking rest or were asleep. w:5 is 
 cognate with 5, to scatter, disperse, 
 
 Arab. Lis, propagata et multiplicata 
 sunt pecora, but is not to be substituted 
 
 for it, as some propose. Comp. the Arab. 
 US, pastum noctu incesserunt cameli 
 
 aut oves sine pastore. ‘The figure is car- 
 ried on throughout the verse. 
 
 19. mS 7s, lit. nothing of infirmity, 
 by litotes, for powerful, great is thy 
 breach. The deliverance of the king 
 of Nineveh was utterly hopeless. Noth- 
 ing remained but for the prophet to an- 
 nounce his end, and the joy which the 
 surrounding states would express at the 
 irretrievable ruin of an empire, whose 
 iron sway had been so extended, and 
 whose cruel oppressions had been unin- 
 termitting. 
 
HABAKKUK. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Or the prophet Habakkuk, we possess no information but what is purely 
 apocryphal. The position of Delitzsch, founded upon the subscription, chap. 
 iii. 19, that he was of the tribe of Levi, and engaged in the temple service, 
 is too precarious to warrant its adoption. The statement made in the inscrip- 
 tion to Bel and the Dragon in the LXX., which has been preserved from the 
 Tetrapla of Origen, in the Codex Chisianus, ἐκ προφητείας ᾿Αμβακοὺμ υἱοῦ Ἰη- 
 σοῦ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Λευί, may be nothing more than conjecture. Considerable 
 difference of opinion obtains respecting the time at which he flourished — 
 the Rabbins; Grotius, Kalinsky, Kofod, Jahn, and Wahl, placing him in the 
 first years of Manasseh; Friedrich, De Wette, Bertholdt, Justi, and Wolf, in 
 the period of the exile; while Usher, Newcome, Eichhorn, Horne, Winer, 
 Maurer, and Ewald, are of opinion that he prophesied in the reign of 
 Jehoiachin, about 608—604 before Christ. This last hypothesis seems best 
 supported, since the Chaldeans are spoken of chap. i. 5, 6, as being upon 
 the point of invading Judah, but not as having actually entered it. The 
 position of Rosenmiiller, that chap. i. was composed under Jehoiakim, chap. 
 ii, under Jehoiachin, and chap. ili. under Zedekiah, is altogether gratuit- 
 ous. The whole forms one prophecy, and does not admit of being thus dis- 
 sected. 
 
 The book embraces the wickedness of the Jews which demanded the inflic- 
 tion of punishment, the infliction of this punishment by the Chaldeans, the 
 destruction of the latter in their turn, and an ode composed by the prophet 
 in anticipation of the consequent deliverance of his people. Its position im- 
 mediately after Nahum is most appropriate, setting forth the judgments of 
 God inflicted by and upon the Chaldeans, just as the latter treated of those 
 to be inflicted upon the Assyrians. The two prophets take up separately 
 what Isaiah had expatiated upon at large. 
 
 In point of general style, Habakkuk is universally allowed to occupy a 
 very distinguished place among the Hebrew prophets, and is surpassed by 
 none of them in dignity and sublimity. Whatever he may occasionally have 
 in common with previous writers, he works up in his own peculiar manner, 
 and is evidently no servile copyist or imitator. His figures are well chosen, 
 and fully carried out. His expressions are bold and animated ; his descrip- 
 tions graphic and pointed. The parallelisms are for the most part regular 
 and complete. The lyric ode contained in chap. iii. is justly esteemed one 
 of the most splendid and magnificent within the whole compass of Hebrew 
 poetry. See the introduction to that chapter. 
 
 The words 71237, 1.9 w-u33, ii. 6, and ‘bpp, ii. 16, are peculiar to this 
 prophet. 
 
CHAPTER 
 
 Yue prophet commences by briefly, yet emphatically and pathetically, setting forth the 
 cause of the Chaldean invasion, which was to form the burden of his prophecy — the 
 great wickedness which abounded in the Jewish nation at the time he flourished, 24. 
 He then introduces Jehovah summoning attention to that invasion as the awful punish- 
 ment of such wickedness, 5; describes, in a very graphic manner, the appearance, char- 
 acter, and operations of the invaders, 6-11; and then, by a sudden transition, expostu- 
 lates with God, on account of the severity of the judgment, which threatened the anni- 
 
 hilation of the Jewish people, 12-17. 
 
 1 Tue Sentence, which Habakkuk the prophet saw. 
 
 2 How long shall I ery, O Jehovah! And thou hearest not ὃ 
 How long shall I ery to thee of violence, and thou savest not ? 
 
 3 Why dost thou permit me to see wickedness, 
 
 And beholdest misery ? 
 
 1. For the signification of x'z12, see on 
 Js, xiii. 1; and for the form piPan, com- 
 pare sanz9, Jer. v. 30, xxiii. 14. 
 
 2. The evils complained of in this and 
 the two following verses, are, by many 
 interpreters, considered to be those con- 
 sequent upon the invasion of Judea by 
 the Chaldeans. Such a construction, 
 however, breaks up the symmetry of 
 the connection, as marked by ver. 5, and 
 leaves out of view the wickedness of the 
 Jews as the cause of the calamity, con- 
 trary to the universal custom of the He- 
 brew prophets, They were the intestine 
 broils, litigations, and acts of oppression, 
 which sprang up in the kingdom of Ju- 
 dah, after the death of the pious reformer 
 Josiah, and had been long the subject of 
 complaint on the part of Habakkuk. 
 That such was the state of things at that 
 time is evident from Jer. xxii. 2, 13. 
 The argument in favor of the contrary 
 hypothesis, derived from the recurrence 
 of the words din, b%, etc., and the 
 phrase v5 Ns, etc., in the following 
 part of the chapter, with undoubted appli- 
 cation to the Chaldeans, is of no weight, 
 since they are rather to be regarded as 
 
 modes of expression familiar to the 
 prophet, than indicative of identity of 
 subject. The influence of -:s—"2, how 
 long, upon the Preterite and Future ten- 
 ses in this verse, so modifies them as to 
 give them the force of a present time, 
 though the one includes what had taken 
 place down to such time, and the other, 
 the possibility of its being still carried 
 forward into the future. Because on, 
 violence, occurs without a preposition, 
 Hitzig thinks it was what was done to 
 the prophet himself; but it is better, with 
 Kimchi, to suppose an ellipsis of “ADEs 
 or, to supply ts, on account of, because 
 of, with the Targum, Comp. Job xix. 
 7; Jer. xx. 8. sig and ft are syno- 
 nymes, but the latter is the more expres- 
 sive of the two. 
 
 3. Some, regarding 55 τὶ and ΡΞ 
 as strictly parallel, understand the suffix 
 “> to be omitted in the latter verb, and 
 render : Why dost thou cause me to see 
 wickedness, and make me look upon 
 wrong? but wen, though the Hiphil 
 conjugation, is never used in a causative 
 sense. Besides, "7325, and not w72n, 
 is the proper synonyme, corresponding to 
 
Cuar. I. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 287 
 
 Destruction and violence are before me 5 
 Contention and strife exalt themselves. 
 
 4 On this account the law faileth, 
 
 And true judgment goeth not forth ; 
 Because the wicked circumvent the righteous, 
 Therefore perverted judgment goeth forth. 
 
 ":sam. Between the two clauses, the 
 prophet introduces Jehovah, with whom 
 he expostulates, as an inactive spectator 
 of the evil, because his providence did 
 not interfere for its removal, and it was 
 allowed, unayenged, to take its course. 
 The expostulation thus gains in force, 
 and scope is afforded for the striking 
 contrast, ver. 5, in which the Most High 
 is represented as interposing for the pun- 
 ishment of the wicked. st> 5773 has 
 been variously explained. The LXX., 
 taking 47% for 5-72, render it 6 κριτὴς 
 
 λαμβάνει ; which the Syriac explains, 
 o> 
 
 | paso ee Lia the judge taketh 
 
 a bribe. Abenezra translates thus; 2774 
 Dos Ne TEN vives a is and 
 there are men of strife and contention 
 who lift up their head. The structure of 
 the sentence, however, obliges us to re- 
 gard sz? as parallel to "771, so that it 
 stands in the same relation to yi, that 
 the substantive verb does to a4. The 
 nouns in both cases are nominatives to 
 the verbs, and xv is here to be taken 
 intransitively 1 in the sense of exalting or 
 raising one’s self up. Comp. Ps, 1xxxix. 
 10; Hos. xiii, 1; Nah. i. 5. Thus Dahl, 
 combining the two nouns, Und Hader, 
 und Gezank erheben sich ; and Perschke, 
 Es gibt Streit, und Zwist erhebet sich. 
 The language is descriptive of the prev- 
 alence of a litigious spirit, in consequence 
 of which no one was permitted quietly to 
 possess or enjoy his rights. What was 
 not seized upon by main force, was ob- 
 tained by perversion of law. 
 
 4, 52—>y, therefore, on this account, 
 refers not to the state of things set forth 
 in the verse immediately preceding, but 
 to Jehovah’s forbearing to punish, spoken 
 
 ? 
 
 of ver. 2. Of the law, which ought to 
 have been maintained in 811 its vital en- 
 ergy, it is said δῆθτι, tt chilleth, groweth 
 Frigid, languisheth, faileth ; by which is 
 meant, that it was not enforced, but left, 
 as it were, to grow stiff and torpid, from 
 want of use. The words, maid ἘΣ ta 
 ws, may either be rendered, * judgment, 
 i. 6., what is strictly and properly such, 
 Rehtcous judgment never goeth forth ; 
 or, fudanent goeth not forth according to 
 truth ; mph L, signifying ¢o perpetuity, for 
 ever, and, “with a negative, never, like 
 Ebisd sb, and truly, edie to truth. 
 
 Comp. the Arab. sincerus fidelis 
 
 3.) 
 
 fuit; and the Eth. Lx (Δ: purus, 
 
 mundus fuit. The latter signification of 
 the word is that adopted by the Syr. 
 o> A ° = v 
 {Zosop> .λ.9 woo) tio, and 
 judgment goeth not forth in purity ; and 
 is approved by Sheltinga, Hesselberg, 
 Wolf, Rosenmiiller, De Wette, Winer, 
 Gesenius, Lee, and Ewald, chiefly on 
 the ground of tps ws, wrong or 
 perverted judgment, occurring, as a con- 
 trasted formula, at the close of the verse, 
 By the going forth of judgment is meant 
 the publication of legal decisions delivered 
 by a judge. In the time of the prophet, 
 justice was utterly corrupted, in conse- 
 quence of which there was no security 
 either for person or property. "MS %, 
 from =n, to surround, is here used ina 
 bad sense, to express the ensnaring of a 
 person by fraud and artifice; it depicts 
 the windings of intrigue, and is best 
 rendered by circumvent. Thus Dae 
 cum impius pium circumvent. ΤΣ, 
 distorted, perverse, wrong, from ne ‘root 
 
288 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 5 Look among the nations, and behold! 
 
 Be ye greatly astonished ; 
 
 For I will perform a work in your days, 
 
 Which ye will not believe, though it should be told you. 
 6 For. behold! I will raise up the Chaldeans, 
 
 Tht bitter and impetuous nation ; 
 
 W hich traverseth the wide regions of the earth, 
 
 ‘fo seize upon habitations belonging not to it. 
 
 tps. Comp. the Syr. Sere pervertit, 
 Arab. Jés, constrinzit, distortos habuit 
 pedes ; xiic, distortio lingue in lo- 
 guendo. LXX. κρίμα διεστραμμένον. 
 
 5. By a sudden apostrophe Jehovah 
 calls upon the Jews, in anticipation of 
 the punishment which their sins deserved, 
 and which should assuredly be inflicted 
 upon them, to direct their attention to 
 the events that were taking place among 
 the surrounding nations, Nabopolassar 
 had already destroyed the mighty empire 
 of Assyria and founded the Chaldeo- 
 Babylonian rule; he had made himself 
 so formidable, that Necho found it ne- 
 cessary to march an army against him, 
 in order to check his progress; and 
 though defeated at Megiddo, he had, 
 in conjunction with his son Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, gained a complete victory over 
 the Egyptians at Carchemish. These 
 events were calculated to alarm the Jews, 
 whose country lay between the domin- 
 ions of the two contending powers; but, 
 accustomed as they were to confide in 
 Egypt, and in the sacred localities of 
 their own capital, Is. xxxi.1; Jer. vii. 4, 
 and being in alliance with the Chaldeans, 
 they were indisposed to listen to, and 
 treated with the utmost incredulity, any 
 predictions which described their over- 
 throw by that people. Such overthrow 
 God claims as his work, though he might 
 employ men as his instruments in effect- 
 ing it. πη and wszn are frequently 
 combined as here for the sake of effect. 
 The phrase 6°22, among the nations, is 
 translated by the LXX., οἱ καταφονηταὶ, 
 
 ye despisers, in which they are followed 
 by the Syr. and Arab. ; and this render- 
 ing is adopted by Paul in his quotation of 
 the verse, Acts xiii. 41. On the other 
 hand, the Targ. ne s2 “Th, Aquila, 
 Symm., Theod., and Vulg. aspicite in 
 gentibus, which is sustained by all the 
 Heb. MSS. that have been collated, ex- 
 cept five of Kennicott’s, which have Ὁ" Ἀν 
 nations, without the preposition. To ac- 
 count for the rendering of the LXX., 
 some are of opinion that instead-of e425, 
 they must have read "πὸ, E°73°5, or 
 por i2; others, with Pococke, in his Porta 
 Mosis, chap. iii., suggest a supposititious 
 root, saa, the corresponding Arabic 
 
 Lins, signifying, zmjustus fuit, superbe, 
 insolenter se gessit; most unjustifiably 
 insisting on the preference of some such 
 reading to that of the Hebrew text. 
 With respect to the quotation, Acts xiii. 
 41, it was obviously made by the apostle 
 on account of the exact similarity of the 
 case of the Jews in his day, both as re- 
 gards the destruction of Jerusalem by 
 the Romans, and the incredulity of the 
 nation in reference to that event. ‘ Pau- 
 lus fideliter accommodat in usum suum 
 Prophetz verba, quia sicutisemel mina- 
 tus fuerat Deus per prophetam suam 
 Habacuc, ita etiam semper fuit sui sim- 
 1115. Calvin, in oc. The double form, 
 mn smenn, is used for intensity. 
 mann is ‘the Hithpacl for smmnn. 
 Comp. sams amomann, Is. xxix. 9, and 
 my note on that verse, ‘Before $y sub- 
 aud. "28. 
 
 6. Now follows a lengthened and fear- 
 ful description of the character and op- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 7 It is terrible and dreadful ; 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 289 
 
 Its judgment and its dignity are from itself, 
 8 Swifter than leopards are its horses, 
 And lighter than evening wolves ; 
 Its horses spread proudly along ; 
 Yea, its horse that come from afar: 
 They fly like an eagle hastening to devour. 
 9 It cometh entirely for violence ; 
 The aspect of their faces is like the east wind; 
 It collecteth the captives as sand. 
 
 erations of the instrument which Jehovah 
 would employ in executing his work. 
 ἘΠ c22m, which has unquestionably 
 the force of the future, must be referred 
 to the special raising up of the Chaldeans 
 to undertake the expedition against Ju- 
 dea, and not to their organization as a 
 political power, since they had already 
 been upwards of twenty years in posses- 
 sion of such power under Nabopolassar. 
 On this account, some prefer rendering 
 the phrase, Behold! I will excite. For 
 an account of this people, see on Is, xxiii. 
 23. In =a “197 is a paronomasia. 
 By “13, better, the fierce and cruel dis- 
 position of the Chaldeans is expressed ; 
 comp. Jer. 1.42; by “m3, rash, hasty, 
 the rapidity or impetuosity of their op- 
 erations. In the latter part of the verse, 
 their widely extended conquests under 
 Nebuchadnezzar are clearly predicted. 
 
 le mst, the LXX. render λῆμμα, 
 
 Symm. δόγμα, Vulg. onus, Syr. lope, 
 
 vision. Targ. 43, decree or sentence, all 
 deriving it from nwa, in the sense, of 
 Sip wz, to lift up, or utter anything 
 with the voice, and regarding it as equiv- 
 alent to x72, from the same root. The 
 signification decree, though approved by 
 Hesselberg, De Wette, Winer, and Ge- 
 senius, is less appropriate than that of 
 dignity, which is that of our common ver- 
 sion, and is adopted by Hitzig, Maurer, 
 and Ewald. Comp. Gen. xlix. 3; Job 
 xiii, 11; Ps. lxii.5. Τὰ Ὁ nowhere occurs 
 in reference to a judicial decree. What 
 
 37 
 
 the prophet has in view appears to be 
 the self-assumed political superiority of 
 the Chaldeans in the Babylonian empire. 
 As they had raised themselves to this 
 dignity, so they would permit none to 
 share in their counsels and determina- 
 tions, but would act in the most arbitrary 
 manner. 
 
 8. Frequent reference is made in Scrip- 
 ture to the “evening wolves,” on account 
 of the sudden ravages which, in the 
 keenness of their hunger, they commit 
 on the flocks at that time of the day. 
 See Gen. xlix. 27; Jer. v. 6; Zeph. iii. 
 3; and comp. Virgil’s Georg. iii. 537, iv. 
 431; and the Afneid, ii. 355, ix. 59. 
 The LXX. render improperly, λύκους τῆς 
 ᾿Αραβίας. w=, from the root was, having 
 
 here the signification of the Arab. | Ls, 
 
 superbivit, gloriatus fuit, describes the 
 proud and spirited mien of the horses 
 composing the Chaldean cavalry. Comp. 
 the inimitable description of the Arabian 
 war-horse, Job xxxix, 19-24, The mean- 
 ing of the two last lines of the verse is, 
 that the eagerness of the cavalry to 
 plunder the Jews should be so great, that 
 they would make no account of the fa- 
 tigue occasioned by the length of their 
 march. ν 
 
 9, 10. τὴδξ is the less correct ortho- 
 graphy of Ὁ » which occurs several times 
 in the course of the Hebrew Bible. The 
 affix refers to "2, ver. 6. So great was 
 to be the invading army, that it would 
 seem as if it were composed of the entire 
 
Ww 
 
 ‘S50 
 
 10 It maketh a mockery of kings, 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 And princes are a laughter to it ; 
 
 It smileth at every fortress ; 
 
 It heapeth up earth and taketh it. 
 
 11 Then it gaineth fresh spirit ; 
 
 nation. Considerable difficulty has been 
 experienced in the interpretation of the 
 words, ma°1p ἘΠῺΞ mean. By the 
 LXX. the ἅπαξ λεγο: τ ‘is rendered 
 ἀνϑ)εστήκοτας ; by Symm, πρόσοψις ; by 
 
 the Syr. Joye aspect ; by the Targ. 
 
 tap, front, what is opposite to any- 
 thing. The Vulg. omits the word al- 
 together, obviously on the principle of 
 its being sufficiently expressed by facies 
 immediately following. With these Aben- 
 ezra and Kimchi agree; and thus also 
 generally, Munster, Vatablus, Pagninus, 
 Castalio, Calvin and others. On the 
 other hand, Gesenius derives the word 
 from the supposititious root Ova, Arab. 
 
 > to congregate, heap up, and renders 
 
 it host, troop ; but, as Lee observes, the 
 host of their faces is anything but He- 
 brew phraseology. Rosenmiiller, Lee, 
 Maurer, Hitzig, and Ewald, derive it 
 from the same root in the significations, 
 impetus, desire, a striving after ; Ger. stre- 
 ben : while our own, and some other mod- 
 ern translators, adopt the idea of absorp- 
 tion, supping up. etc. from the signification, 
 of xa, nah. Considering the marked 
 and independent coincidence of the an- 
 cient versions above quoted, borne out, 
 
 as they are, by the Arab. Le, adparutt ; 
 
 quod de re quavis extrinsicus apparct ; 
 corpus rei, seu res individua existans et 
 conspicua, I cannot but regard aspect or 
 appearance as the term best adapted to 
 convey the meaning of the prophet. 
 ma", in every other passage in which 
 it occurs, has the signification of east- 
 ward, and it is taken in this acceptation 
 by Abarbanel, Parkhurst, Dahl, Wolff, 
 and Hitzig, who explain it either of the 
 direction in which the Chaldeans would 
 
 return home with their booty, or of their 
 first coming down along the coast of the 
 Mediterranean, and then turning direct 
 east upon the Jews. Both constructions 
 are forced. Gesenius renders forwards, 
 and gives the whole sentence thus: the 
 host of their faces is forwards. Tere 
 again I Pee the rendering of Symm. 
 ἄνεμος καύσων; the Targ. 5} ποθ 
 
 martp, the Vulg. ventus urens, which, 
 or east wind, its equivalent, is the render- 
 ing of many of the moderns. It is true, 
 that the east wind is elsewhere uniformly 
 expressed by t-77, without the =; but 
 this letter seems clearly to be here used 
 paragogically, just as it is in 252, 57> 
 mies, the primitive forms of which are 
 75x, 222, 57>. In some instances, in- 
 deed, it is the πὶ directive, indicating 
 motion towards the quarter specified, 
 but in others it has lost all such power. 
 For the east wind, or samoom, see on 
 Is. xxvii. 8. Nothing could more ap- 
 propriately describe the terrific appear- 
 ance of the destructive Chaldean army, 
 than this phenomenon, which occasions 
 awful devastation in the regions over 
 which it passes. The collecting of the 
 captives like sand, which the prophet im- 
 mediately adds, corroborates the opinion 
 that the samoom is intended, as it is fre- 
 quently accompanied with whirlwinds 
 of sand, which is collected and carried 
 with great rapidity across the desert. 
 The 10th verse sets forth. the haughty, 
 fearless, and irresistible character of the 
 Chaldeans. The last clause of the verse 
 describes the throwing up of walls or bat- 
 teries before fortified cities, from which 
 to attack them. “=» seldom signifies 
 fine dust; it is more commonly used of 
 earth generally, including clay, mire, ete. 
 
 11. tx, 767 εν usually, rendered then, 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 ae ἘΞ. 
 
 291 
 
 Τὸ passeth onward, and sonemerah guilt, [saying,] 
 Is this his power ane his God ? 
 
 12 Art not Thou from eternity, 
 
 O Jehovah! my God, my Holy One? 
 
 We shall not die: 
 O Jehovah! 
 
 thou hast appointed it for judgment. 
 
 O Rock! thou hast ordained it for correction. 
 13 Thou art of purer eyes than to regard evil; 
 Thou canst not behold injustice. 
 Why dost thou behold the plunderers ? 
 Why art thou silent when the wicked destroyeth 
 Him that is more righteous than he ? 
 14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, 
 
 has here the force of thereupon, marking 
 the transition from what had just been 
 described to what immediately follows, 
 and their intimate connection with each 
 other. [15 is the accusative to 5>n, 
 which denoting fo succeed, exchange, 
 change, renew, etc., the phrase means, 
 to assume, or gain a fresh accession of 
 courage or military spirit. or this sig- 
 nification of Han, comp. Josh. ii. 11, v. 1. 
 Elated by the fortresses they had taken, 
 and the victories they had won in heathen 
 countries, the Chaldeans are represented 
 as passing onwards into Judea; and 
 treating with contempt the puny resist- 
 ance made to them by the Jews, asking 
 sarcastically, «Is this all your boasted 
 power conceded to you by the God in 
 whom you confide?” Comp. Is. x. 10,’ 
 11, xxxvi. 19, 20; Ps. lxxix. 10, exv. 
 2. The aggravated guilt which they 
 contracted (Os) lay in their vilifying 
 Jehovah, by speaking of him as incapa- 
 ble of protecting his people. This simple 
 construction of the verse at once frees it 
 from the numerous difficulties with which 
 it has been clogged by interpreters, and 
 gives peculiar force to the interrogatory 
 appea! in that which follows. The ellip- 
 sis of "ἰδ 5 is of frequent occurrence in 
 Hebrew. The absence of the interroga- 
 tive ris more seldom; but comp. Gen, 
 
 Xxvii. 24, πὶ oS for πὶ nin; 2 Sam. 
 vate ats mst, this is, for main; ts this ; 
 
 and xvi. 17, 5y5—rs Grom my “ This 
 is thy kindness to thy friend,” for, Is 
 this, etc. 
 
 12. The contemptuous manner in 
 which the enemy had treated the Most 
 High calls forth an impassioned appeal 
 from the prophet, in which he vindicates 
 the eternal existence and purity of Je- 
 hovah, as that God who had formerly 
 wrought deliverance for his people, and 
 who was now employing the Chaldeans, 
 not for their annihilation, but only for 
 their punishment and correction. Since 
 “;v, Rock, is elsewhere used metaphori- 
 cally of God, I have retained it in the 
 translation. See on Is. xxyvi. 4. It is 
 here parallel tos$n>. The Tikkun Soph- 
 erim nvvon Nd is unsupported by any au- 
 thority. 
 
 13. Habakkuk resumes the expostula- 
 tory mode of address which he had em- 
 ployed, verses 2,3. The Ὁ"π}ὴ53, plun- 
 derers, were the Chaldeans who had been 
 the allies of the Jews, but now treated 
 them with violence. Comp. Is. xxi. 2, 
 and xxiv. 16. The LXX., Syr., and 
 Arab., have nothing corresponding to 
 439272, but it is expressed in Aquil., Sym., 
 Theod., the Targ., and Vulg. Wicked 
 as the Jews were, they were righteous in 
 comparison of the Babylonians. Comp. 
 for the sentiment, Ezek. xvi. 51, 52. 
 
 14. God is often said to do what he 
 permits to be done by others. ‘way is 
 
292 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuar. IL 
 
 As the reptiles which have no ruler? 
 15 It bringeth up all with its hook, 
 
 It gathereth them into its net, 
 
 It collecteth them into its drag ; 
 Therefore it rejoiceth and exulteth. 
 
 16 Therefore it sacrificeth to its net, y 
 And burneth incense to its drag ; 
 Because through them its portion is fat, 
 
 And its food fattened meat. 
 
 17 Is it for this it emptieth its net, 
 And spareth not to slay the nations continually ? 
 
 used of aquatic animals, such as crabs 
 and other shell-fish, Ps. civ. 25, a sense 
 which the parallelism and connection 
 here require. 
 
 15-17. b> is allowed by all to be 
 here the accusative, though it was, in 
 the same position, the nominative, ver. 9. 
 Converting the simile employed in the 
 preceding yerse into a metaphor, the 
 prophet describes the rapacity of the 
 Chaldeans, the indiscriminate and uni- 
 versal havoc which they would effect, 
 and their proud confidence in their own 
 prowess. =n, an unusual punctuation 
 for πϑϑ τ. "The hook, the net, and the 
 drag, are separately mentioned, to indi- 
 cate that every means would be em- 
 ployed in taking captives, and whatever 
 
 
 
 else came in their way. To their arms, 
 signified by these implements of fishers, 
 they rendered divine honors, ascribing to 
 them solely the success which they had 
 in war. Comp. Justin. 43. 3. “ Ab 
 origine rerum pro diis immortalibus ve- 
 teras coluere.” Lucian in Trag. Σκύϑαι 
 μὲν ἀκινάϑῃ ϑύουσι. By the emptying of 
 the net, ver. 17, is meant the depositing 
 of the captives, etc., in Babylon, in order 
 to go forth to fresh conquest and plunder. 
 It is strongly implied in the questions 
 with which the chapter concludes, that 
 God would not permit the Chaldeans to 
 proceed in their selfish conquests without 
 a check, but the answer is reserved for 
 the sequel. 
 
 Ot Aw T ER. iste 
 
 Tuts chapter contains an introductory statement respecting the waiting posture in which 
 the prophet placed himself, in order to obtain a divine revelation in reference to the fate 
 of his people and of the Chaldeans, their oppressors, 1; a command which he received to 
 commit legibly to writing the revelation which was about to be made to him, 2; an assur- 
 ance, that though the prophecy should not be fulfilled immediately, yet it would cer- 
 tainly be at length accomplished, 3; and a contrasted description of the two different ἡ 
 classes of the Jews to whom it was to be communicated, 4. The insolence of the Chal- 
 deans, and their insatiable lust of conquest, are next set forth, 5; on which the proper 
 nvr , sentence, or prophetical denunciation, commences, in the form of a taunt on the 
 part of the nations, in which they anticipate the downfall of that hostile power, 6-8; and 
 the punishment of its rapacity, 9-11; of its cruelty and injustice, with a special view to 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 293 
 
 the universal spread of true religion, 12-14; of its wanton and sanguinary wars, 15-17, 
 and of its absurd and fruitless idolatry, 18,19. The last verse of the chapter beautifully 
 contrasts with the two preceding, by representing Jehovah as the only God, entitled to 
 
 universal submission and homage. 
 
 1 I wit stand upon my watch-post, 
 And station myself upon the fortress, 
 And will look out to see what he will say to me, 
 And what 1 shall reply in regard to my argument. 
 
 1. ΤΡ properly signifies observance, 
 guard, watch, from =72'5, to watch, observe, 
 preserve, etc., but here, as a concrete, 
 the place, or post of observation. Comp. 
 Is. xxi. 8, where it is similarly used, 
 with 7279 for its parallel. Thus the Syr. 
 
 > 
 walicos, my place. From the use of 
 
 “ΣΧ in the corresponding hemistich, it 
 is obvious that the post of a sentinel 
 or watchman appointed to keep an eye 
 upon what may transpire without a for- 
 tified city, is that from which the idea 
 is here borrowed. It has been ques- 
 tioned whether our prophet has any real 
 locality in view, or whether the words 
 are to be understood metaphorically. 
 The former is advocated by Hitzig, who 
 after describing it as a high and steep 
 point, such as a tower, and comparing 
 2 Kings ix. 17, 2 Sam. xviii. 24, says 
 “Here, in a solitary position, far from 
 the bustle and noise of men, with his 
 eye directed towards heaven, and his col- 
 lected spirit fixed upon God, he looks 
 out for revelations.” With the excep- 
 tion, however, of Wolff, who preceded 
 him, the hypothesis has met with no ap- 
 probation. All that the passage seems 
 to teach is, that Habakkuk, anxious 
 to ascertain the Divine purpose relative 
 to the enemies of his people, brought 
 his mind into such a state of holy ex- 
 pectancy as was favorable to the reception 
 of supernatural communications. 75x, 
 to look about, from which τπξ ἐν, a spec- 
 ulator, watchman, is derived, as likewise 
 
 here in Piel, to express the looking out 
 for an answer to prayer, Ps. v. 4. The 
 paragogic 5 of the Futures, marks the 
 intensity of his desire. The formula 
 3.727, which the Syr. and Targ. render 
 
 maha VSkaks, vay bbens, in the 
 sense of speaking or conversing with a 
 person, the LXX. give by λαλήσει ἐν 
 ἐμοὶ, “will speak iz me.’ That the 
 preposition 3 is here purposely used, in 
 preference to ty, Ὁ, £3, or mx, to denote 
 the internal mode of the Divine com- 
 munication which the prophet received, 
 has been maintained by some who com- 
 pare 937937 nin? rams “the Spirit of 
 Jehovah spake in me,” 2 Sam. xxiii. 2; 
 
 Num. xii. 6, and particularly Zech. i. 9, 
 13, 14, ii. 2, 7, iv. 1, 4, 5, v. 5, 10, vi. 
 4, where the interpreting angel that ad- 
 dressed him in vision is uniformly styled 
 "95.77 geben, the Angel that spake in 
 me, which the LXX. as uniformly ren- 
 der 6 λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί. This view was an- 
 ciently expressed by Jerome, who says, 
 ‘«‘Sed et hoc notandum, ex eo quod dix- 
 erat, ut videam quid loquatur in me, 
 propheticam visionem et eloquium Dei 
 non extrinsicus ad Prophetas fieri, sed 
 intrinsicus et interiori homini respon- 
 dere.” The same construction is put 
 upon the phrase by Delitzsch, in his 
 able commentary on our prophet. But 
 it seems after all more than doubtful 
 whether any such construction can fairly 
 be put upon the phrase in most of the 
 passages in which it occurs. In 2 Sam. 
 
 mes, a watch-tower, is employed, as pi. 2, it may be admitted, though 
 
294 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 2 And Jehovah answered me and said : 
 Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, 
 That he who readeth it may run, 
 
 through or by will equally well suit. 
 The other declarations made Num. xii. 
 6, show that it cannot there be so un- 
 derstood, while what Moses states, taken 
 in connection with 1 Samuel xxv. 39, 
 and the passages in Zechariah, goes to 
 prove that if any stress at all is to be 
 laid upon the preposition, it must be 
 regarded as conveying the idea of fa- 
 miliar or intimate communication. In 
 *mnzin, the suffix is not to be taken pas- 
 sively, but actively; z.e.the nmin, ar- 
 gument, complaint, reproof, or in what 
 way soever the word may be rendered, 
 was not any employed by others, but 
 what the prophet himself hath employed 
 in the preceding chapter. "What he was 
 desirous of obtaining, was an answer to 
 the statement which he had there made 
 respecting the Divine conduct in permit- 
 ting the Chaldeans to multiply their con- 
 quests without end. Maurer: ** causa 
 querimonie me.” 
 
 2. 5771, the vision, or prophetic matter 
 which was about to be communicated to 
 the prophet. That the idea of digging, 
 boring, or graving, is to be attached to 
 “2, the position of the verb in such con- 
 nection clearly forbids. Had the cha- 
 racter of the writing been durability, 
 such an idea might fitly have been ex- 
 pressed by a word signifying to grave or 
 dig deep, into a hard substance, but as it 
 is unquestionably legibility that is in- 
 tended, we are compelled to understand 
 the verb as relative to ar, and that 
 either as a new Imperative, or as an ad- 
 verbial Infinitive qualifying it. In the 
 latter case the clause should be rendered, 
 Write the vision, and that clearly. Thus 
 the LXX.: Γράψον ὅρασιν, καὶ σαφῶς. 
 The Targ. has sy 75.22 ἈΓΒΞ) Nan, 
 with which the Sy τ. 80 far agrees, ren- 
 
 dering the verb by wey to explain. 
 
 Comp. —au"h "wa—nand., write — 
 
 very plainly, Deut. xxvii. 8. The com- 
 mand therefore, has respect to the size, 
 and not to the depth of the writing. 
 rinbn, tables, having the article, Ewald 
 thinks the prophet refers to the tables 
 which were openly exhibited in the mar- 
 ket-place, on which public announce- 
 ments were graven in large and clear 
 characters, in common use among the 
 people. The article. however, may only 
 designate the tables which were to be 
 employed for the purpose. It may 
 merely indicate these as definite in the 
 mind of the speaker. This is often the 
 case in Hebrew, when it cannot be ren- 
 dered by the definite article in other lan- 
 guages. For the writing tablets of the 
 ancients, see on Is. vill. 1. The LXX. 
 have πυξίον, borwood. The reason why 
 the prophecy should be easily legible, is 
 stated to be, that whosoever read it might 
 run and publish it to all within his reach. 
 It was a joyful message to the Jews, in- 
 volving as it did the destruction of their 
 oppressor, and their own consequent de- 
 liverance. Compare Dan, xii, 4, soy > 
 
 gam mann} a4, “Many shall run 
 to and fro,” Viz. ‘with the explanation 
 of the prophecy when unsealed, ‘“ and 
 knowledge shall be increased.” The two 
 passages are remarkably parallel as to 
 their general meaning, though the times 
 and events to which they refer are to- 
 tally different. Comp. also Rev. xxii, 
 17, Kal ὁ ἀκούων εἴπατε' “Epxou! 4735, 
 to run, is equivalent to 22, to prophesy, 
 Jer. xxiii. 21, obviously on the principle 
 that those who were charged with a 
 divine message were to use all despatch 
 in making it known. Thé common in- 
 terpretation, indeed, represents the mean- 
 ing to consist in the writing being so 
 large as to be easily read even by persons 
 who were hasting past it. But in or- 
 der to bear this construction, the words 
 must read thus: yan “5 NIP spats 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 295 
 
 3 For the vision is still for an appointed time, 
 But it shall speak at the end, and not lie; 
 Though it should delay, wait for it, 
 
 For it will surely come, and not tarry. 
 
 that the runner, or, he that runneth, may 
 read it. Besides, such an addition would 
 scarcely be requisite after πὰ, and cer- 
 tainly would not correspond to the force 
 of 42725, in order that, with which the 
 hemistich commences. 
 
 3. The particles 55, and 4, in ΠΕ", 
 are correlative. y3%, from 19°, to fiz, 
 appoint, denotes, in such connection, a 
 season or period of time definitely fixed 
 in the purpose of God for the occurrence 
 of the predicted events. It is frequently 
 employed by Daniel in this acceptation, 
 along with >, the end, or termination 
 of the state of the things comprehended in 
 the prophecy. Comp. Dan. viii. 17, 19, 
 xi. 27, 35 ; and somewhat similar phra- 
 seology, chap. viii. 26, x. 14. The term 
 obviously implies that the period was 
 still future, which is also expressed by 
 the use of πὴ», still, yet. This adverb 
 is too closely connected in sense with 
 “viv, to admit of the rendering of Mi- 
 chaelis : «* There will still come a vision, 
 which shall determine the time ;”” which 
 he refers to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the 
 seventy years. ΓΞ has been variously 
 
 translated. LXX. ἀνατελεῖ; Syr. 121; 
 
 to come; Vulg. apparebit ; Targ. >n%, 
 prepared. As, like its cognates n=> and 
 m2, the root ms, of which ΓΞ is the 
 future in Hiphil, signifies to breathe, 
 blow, puff, Michaelis, Bauer, Stiudlin, 
 De Wette, Hesselberg, Maurer, Winer, 
 Hitzig, Ewald, and Hengstenberg, in his 
 Psalms, vol. i. p. 255, contend, that it is 
 here to be taken in the acceptation of 
 panting, hasting, eagerly moving forward 
 to an object, and that the meaning is, 
 that the prophecy hastened to its accom- 
 plishment. Such construction, however, 
 requires us to attach to yp the idea of 
 the object or objects on which a pro- 
 phecy terminates, the end or extreme 
 
 point beyond which its import does not 
 extend. But the word nowhere occurs 
 in this acceptation, but, as Delitzsch has 
 shown, it always designates, in a pro- 
 phetico-chronological sense, the time of 
 the end, whatever may be the compass 
 of events to which reference may be had. 
 Besides, +775 and 77935 are so obviously 
 parallel, that they do not admit of being 
 differently construed, Ὑ 5 here, is only 
 an abbreviation of the phrase yp—nz>, 
 Dan. viii. 17, of which we have again a 
 varied form in yp ἼΣ "25, ver. 19. I 
 therefore agree with Abarbanel, Jarchi, 
 Kimchi, Vatablus, Calvin, Cocceius, Ro- 
 senmiiller, Wolff, and Delitzsch, in as- 
 signing to N=" in this place the accepta- 
 tion of speaking, breathing out words, in 
 which acceptation the verb is used Prov. 
 xii. 17, xiv. 5, 25, xix. 5,9. This inter- 
 pretation derives support from the anti- 
 thetical 3357 $1, in which the idea of 
 speaking is obviously implied. The 
 meaning of the verse will accordingly 
 be, that though the destruction of the 
 Chaldean power, about to be predicted, 
 was not to take place immediately, yet 
 it was definitely fixed in the Divine 
 counsel, and would infallibly happen at 
 the termination of the period appointed 
 for the exercise of its oppression, and for 
 the deliverance of the captive Hebrews ; 
 it was to be an object of confident ex- 
 pectation, though his arrival might be 
 somewhat protracted. For msrzn, 
 see on Is, xxix. 9. ἘΞ" δ 5, is emphatic, 
 denoting the certainty of the event. 
 “nk, signifies to stay long, and intimates 
 that the predicted event would not be 
 protracted to any great length. Instead 
 of -ns* xt, upwards of forty of Ken- 
 nicott and De Rossi’s MSS., four ancient 
 editions, the LXX., Aquil. Syr., Targ., - 
 and Vulg., read ams} Ν 85. 
 
296 * 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 4 Behold the proud! his soul is not right within him ; 
 But the righteous shall live by his faith. 
 
 4. Most interpreters apply the former 
 hemistich of this verse to the Chaldeans, 
 supposing the denunciation against them 
 to begin here; but its coherence with 
 the preceding verse is too close to admit 
 of this construction, while the latter 
 hemistich, were such application admit- 
 ted, would awkwardly interrupt the 
 prophecy at its very commencement. 
 On the other hand, the whole verse 
 most naturally and appropriately applies 
 to the Jewish people, and contains a des- 
 cription of those who would proudly re- 
 ject the prophetic vision, and of those 
 who would give it a cordial reception : 
 the two members forming a marked and 
 striking antithesis. bes, of which nbey 
 may either be the third feminine singular 
 of Pual, or a noun formed from that 
 part of the verb, occurs elsewhere only 
 in Hiphil, Num. xiv. 44; but it is evi- 
 dent, from the use of the derivative BE? ΡῈ 
 as denoting a swelling, tumor, mount, 
 hill, etc., and the comparison of the con- 
 text of both passages, that it is employed 
 metaphorically to express the idea of 
 mental inflation, elation, pride, presump- 
 tion, or the like. Such Hebrew usage sup- 
 ports the relation of the verb to the Arab. 
 
 Jas, tumore laboravit, rather than to 
 
 wes . neglexit vel omisit rem, per so- 
 
 cordiam non curavit, for which Pococke 
 contends at great length in his Porta 
 Mosis ; though the rendering of the 
 LXX., ὑποστείληται, and that of Aquila, 
 νωχελευόμενου, may both be referred to 
 the radical notion conveyed by this root. 
 Its reference to tex, to set, become dark 
 as proposed by Abarbanel, and approved 
 by Deutsch and Wolff, cannot be sus- 
 tained. Nor must it be overlooked, that 
 though the following words, = 39 8d 
 42 “WE2, are not to be regarded as epexe- 
 getical of the term in question, they 
 nevertheless appear to have been sug- 
 gested by it. > signifies not only to 
 be straight or right, in opposition to being 
 
 crooked, but also, even, level, plain, smooth, 
 in opposition to what is rough, rugged, 
 and difficult. See 1 Kings vi. 35; Ezra 
 viii. 21; Ps. v. 9; Proy. xxiii. 31, where 
 ὉΠ ΘΟὩΞ bmn: means, goeth sweetly or 
 pleasantly down, or as Jerome gives it, 
 ingreditur blande ; De Dicu, subdit facil- 
 
 lime. Com. the Arab. pe Facilis fuit 
 
 res; facilitas, lenitas. Of the reading 
 ἘΞ ἘΣ, found in one of Kennicott’s MSS., 
 or mE>s, as it is written in another, no 
 account is to be made, though in his 
 Dissert. Gen. § 72, that author prefers 
 it to that which is attested by all the 
 
 other codices. The Syr. tiex, wicked- 
 
 ness, is founded upon a mistake of π bey 
 for ΠΣ. mb=y I consider to be an ΕΝ 
 stract noun, used elliptically for oN 
 nbEy, a man of arrogance or pr esumption, 
 and ‘so to be rendered adjectively, the 
 proud, presumptuous, etc. For instances 
 of similar ellipsis, comp. τι Ξ τὸ “23, Iam 
 prayer, for τιὸξ EM DN 5, ‘Tam aman 
 of prayer, Ps. cix. 4; V7 arrogance, 
 for 7173 Sy, man of arrogance, i.e. ar- 
 rogant, Jer. 1. 31, 32; Dan. ix. 23. 
 
 mms ninvgn, thou art delights, for Bor 
 
 MAS Miven, thow art a man of delights, 
 i.e. greatly beloved, as it is expressed in 
 full, chap. x. 11, 19. See on Micah vi. 
 9. The term is thus strictly antithetical 
 to πε, ¢he just, in the following hem- 
 istich, precisely as the predicate ; mygsoNd 
 32 his soul is not right within him, 
 is to mart Sz vaya, by Ais faith he shail 
 live. With respect to this latter point of 
 antithesis, it must be evident, that, as 
 min, the latter predicate, signifies not 
 merely to live, but to live well, be happy, 
 the former must convey the idea of its 
 opposite. This was clearly perceived by 
 Luther, who often discovers a wonderful 
 sagacity in seizing upon the meaning of 
 a passage, though in his translation he 
 may not adhere to the strict significations 
 
 ΠΣ 
 WES, 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 5 Moreover wine is treacherous ; 
 
 of single words. He renders the words 
 thus: Siehe wer halsstarrig ist, der 
 wird keine Ruhe in seinem Herzen haben, 
 *« Behold he who is stubborn shall have 
 no tranquillity in his heart.” So also 
 Gesenius: ‘ Lo, the lofty-minded, his 
 soul is not tranquil within him.” Mau- 
 rer: ‘Non planus, complanatus, com- 
 positus, tranquillus, etc., est animus 
 ejus.” To this interpretation I adhere, 
 as best meeting the exigency of the pas- 
 sage. While those Jews who, elated 
 by false views of security, refused to 
 listen to the Divine message should 
 have their security disturbed, and their 
 minds agitated by the calamities with 
 which they would be visited, such as 
 lived righteously before God and men, 
 should experience true happiness in the 
 exercise of faith in that message, and 
 others which God might communicate to 
 them by his prophets. Thus a Lapide: 
 *‘ Incredulus habet animam, id est vitam, 
 non rectam, sed distortam, anxiam, mis- 
 eram, et infelicem; justus autem in fide et 
 Spe sua agit vitam rectam, puta letam, 
 quietam, sanctam et felicem.” a, im, or 
 within him, is added to show that the verb 
 = is not to be taken here as referring to 
 anything of an objective character, such 
 as the Divine estimation, agreeably to 
 the meaning of the phrase 5353 "25 
 mim, to be right in the sight of Jehovah, 
 but must be understood as marking the 
 subjective sphere of the predicate. For 
 the fullest view of the various construc- 
 tions, both logical and philological, that 
 have been put upon this verse, I refer the 
 more curious reader to Delitzsch. From 
 the discrepancy existing between the He- 
 brew, and the version of the LX X., some 
 have argued a corruption of the former, 
 and have proposed emendations; but the 
 difference has arisen either from a desire 
 on the part of these translators to render 
 the sense plainer, or from their mistaking 
 one letter for another that is similar. 
 They render, ἐαν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ 
 ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίσ- 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 297 
 
 Tews μου (ζήσεται. ‘To such rendering, its 
 quotation by Paul in Heb. x. 38, gives no 
 sanction, since he not unfrequently quotes 
 passages from that version containing ren- 
 derings to which there never could have 
 been anything corresponding in the He- 
 brew text. In the present instance he 
 takes a liberty with the version itself, 
 placing the latter part of the verse first, 
 and the former last, and omitting pov 
 after πίστις. Nor, it must further be ob- 
 served, is it his intention either here, or 
 in Rom. i. 17, and Gal. iii. 11, in em-: 
 ploying the words, ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως 
 σεται, to maintain, that the doctrine 
 of justification by faith in Christ is 
 taught by Habakkuk ; he merely appiies 
 the principle laid down by the prophet 
 respecting the instrumentality of faith in 
 securing the safety and happiness of the 
 pious portion of the Jewish people to the 
 subject of which he is treating — the in- 
 fluence of faith in the gospel scheme of 
 salvation. As pons is the nominative 
 
 inal reference, but must be joined with 
 mim, as for the righteous, he shall live 
 by his faith. From the circumstance, 
 however, that the two former words are, 
 in most MSS. and editions, joined by the 
 accents Merca and Tiphca, while the lat- 
 ter, as a disjunctive, separates the second 
 from the third, it might seem that the 
 Rabbins construed the clause thus: but 
 the just by his faith, shall live. And this 
 construction would seem to confirm the 
 hypothesis that in his quotation, Rom. i. 
 17, Gal, iii. 11, the Apostle connects ἐὶς 
 πίστεως With ὁ δίκαιος, and not with ζήσε- 
 ται; but as quoted by him, Heb. x. 38, 
 the former division of the words alone 
 suits the connection, in which his object 
 evidently is to show the necessity of faith 
 as a means of perseverance under all the 
 afflictions and persecutions of the chris- 
 tian life. See Owen on the passage. 
 
 5. The two first lines of this verse 
 partake of the nature of a proverb, being 
 
 38 
 
208 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 The haughty man stayeth not at home, 
 Because he enlargeth his desire as Sheol ; 
 He is even as death, and cannot be satisfied ; 
 He gathered for himself all the nations, 
 And collecteth for himself all the people, 
 6 Shall not all these utter an ode against him, 
 A song of derisive taunt against him, and say : 
 Wo to him that increaseth that which is not his! 
 
 How long ? 
 
 And ladeth himself with many pledges! 
 
 expressed in a short and pithy manner, 
 and admitting of general application. It 
 is, however, obvious from the connection 
 with what follows, that they are intro- 
 duced with special reference to the Chal- 
 dean power, the nefarious conduct of 
 which the prophet immediately proceeds 
 to describe. The phrase 3342 452m, wine 
 ts a deceiver, has its parallel, Prov. xxx. 
 1, 77271 Ὑ 8, wine is a mocker. “777 Occurs 
 only here, and Proy. xxi. 24, where, from 
 its connection with πτο proud, as its syn- 
 onyme, it clearly signifies elated, haughty, 
 LXX. ἀλαζών. Chald. -n>, as used 
 by the Rabbins, superdivit. See Buxt. 
 in woe. Thus also in the Nazarean Syr. 
 
 sonia, Ethpa. superbivit. There is, there- 
 
 fore, no necessity for recurring to the 
 Arab., the attempted derivations from 
 which are very precarious. The intro- 
 ductory particles *> 51 are designed 
 to connect the proper prophecy with 
 what had just been developed of the 
 vision, as that which formed the most 
 important part of it. ὯΝ is expressive 
 of addition, and 55 of certainty. That 
 the prophet has his eye upon the intem- 
 perance to which the Babylonians were 
 greatly addicted, there can be little doubt. 
 Comp. Dan. v.; with Herod. i, 191; 
 Xenoph. Cyrop. vii. 5,15. « Babylonii 
 maxime in vinum et que ebrietatem 
 sequuntur effusi sunt.’ Curtius, ν. 1. 
 How strikingly was the deceptive cha- 
 racter of wine exemplified in the case of 
 Belshazzar! 132, primarily signifies to 
 dwell, remain at rest, which signification 
 
 better suits the present passage than the 
 secondary one of being decorous, proper, 
 etc., adopted by the Vulg., Ewald, and 
 some others. Still it is aquestion, whether 
 the not remaining tranquil is to be viewed 
 as a voluntary or as an inyoluntary act. 
 The Targ., Rashi, Kimchi, Ben-Melec, 
 De Wette, Justi, Maurer, and Delitzsch, 
 refer it to the forcible ejection for the 
 Babylonians: Abenezra, Abarbanel, Ro- 
 senmiiller, Wolff, Wahl, Gesenius, and 
 Hitzig, to their restless disposition, by 
 which they were continually impelled to 
 go forth upon new expeditions of con- 
 quest. The latter seems, from what 
 follows, to be the preferable interpreta- 
 tion. For 585 159. aman, see on Is. 
 v. 14, and comp. Prov. xxvii. 20, xxx. 15. 
 The insatiable desire of conquest, which 
 specially showed itself in the reign of 
 Nebuchadnezzar, is here forcibly pre- 
 dicted. tr4an—b> and t-ayn—d> must 
 be restricted to all the nations with which 
 the Jews were familiar. 
 
 6. Comp. Is. xiv. 4, and see my notes 
 on Sy as there occurring. 3793 oc- 
 curs only here, and Prov. i. 6, in which 
 verse also all the three synonymes 
 bw, murda, and mann are found. It 
 properly signifies derision, taunt, scorn, 
 from 471%, to stammer, speak barbarously 
 or unintelligibly ; hence to mock, deride ; 
 and thus the substantive obtained the 
 acceptation, taunt, taunting song. LXX. 
 σκοτεινὸν λόγον. In the later Hebrew 
 the word is used to denote poetry in gen- 
 eral. "Mm means oratio inflexa, per- 
 
Cuaap. II. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 299 
 
 7 Shall not they rise up suddenly that have lent thee on usury ? 
 And awake that shall shake thee violently ? 
 And thou shalt become their prey. 
 
 8 Because thou hast plundered many nations, 
 
 plexa, an enigma, highly figurative and 
 difficult language, requiring acuteness 
 and ingenuity fully to understand it. 
 
 Comp. the Arab, ols, ὃ 2.35.9 supera- 
 
 υἱέ negotit difficultatem. Delitzsch not 
 unaptly instances the words u*n23, ver. 
 6, Ἴ᾽Ξ3, ver. 7, and yep 16, 
 as enigmata of this description. The 
 derisive ode or song commences imme- 
 diately, and occupies the rest of the 
 chapter. It consists of five stanzas, the 
 three first of which are composed of 
 three verses each, the fourth of four 
 verses, and the last of two. Each stanza 
 has its distinct and appropriate subject ; 
 and with the exception of the last, they 
 all commence with >in, wo, the denuncia- 
 tive interjection ; and have each a verse 
 at the close, beginning with "5; thus 
 forming an organic whole of singular force 
 and beauty.  “7a8™ is to be taken im- 
 personally or collectively. w-u29 has 
 been variously interpreted. Several of 
 the Rabbins, the Syr., Vulg., and after 
 them Luther, and other translators, take 
 it to be compounded of ay, dense, and 
 wu, clay, which ten of Kennicott’s MSS. 
 read as two words. and most commenta- 
 tors who follow them suppose riches or 
 earthly goods to be meant : but it is more 
 in accordance with the grammatical form 
 of the word to regard it as a quadriliteral 
 noun, from the root 123», to exchange, 
 give a pledge; in Hiph., to lend on a 
 pledge. ‘The signification of the noun is 
 thus correctly given by Lee: “an ac- 
 cumulation of pledges in the hand of an 
 unfeeling usurer.’”” The form is that of 
 b-bup as in d9b5n from “7702. 
 or “"472> from “a5; 9°430 from 5205 
 “752 from “EW. The reduplication ex- 
 presses intensity or augmentation. Mau- 
 rer, copia pignorum captorum, an inter- 
 pretation already given by Nic, Fuller in 
 
 ver. 
 
 tsn; 
 
 his Miscell. Sac. lib. v. cap. viii. The 
 Chaldean power is thus represented as a 
 rapacious and cruel usurer, who had ac- 
 cumulated the property of others, and 
 from whom it would again be taken, 
 Comp. Deut. xxiv. 10-183, for the use of 
 way, and the law against cruelty in 
 usurers. The hypothesis of Delitzsch, 
 that vw. is, as an enigmatical term, 
 to be understood both as a compound, 
 and as a quadriliteral, is not in keeping 
 with his usual good sense. 
 
 7. ynms, suddenly, corresponds to 
 nr, how long? in the preceding 
 verse, and not improbably refers to the 
 unexpectedness of the attack made upon 
 Babylon by the Medes and Persians. 
 See on Is. xxi. 3,4. "232 properly sig- 
 nifies ¢o bite, and thus it is rendered in 
 most versions. Some ‘translate, oppress ; 
 but, since it likewise signifies to lend on 
 usury, there can be little doubt the 
 prophet intended it to be understood in 
 this acceptation, as a striking antithesis 
 to w yay at the close of the preceding 
 Ξ Ψ" 
 Asa, 
 Arab. υὸγϑ» 
 the same. The same mode of speech 
 was not unknown both to the Greeks 
 and Romans. Aristoph. Nub. i. 12, 
 δακνόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν χρεῶν. Lucan. i. 
 171, usura vorax. The meaning is, that 
 as the Babylonians had cruelly amassed 
 the property of others, so other nations, 
 like devouring usurers, would unmerci- 
 fully deprive them of all they had ac- 
 quired. ΣΝ, defective for ASP» 
 as in Jud. xvi. 20. "ΣῪ Σ ΤῊ, the Phil. 
 participle of Στ, to shake, agitate. The 
 reduplicate form conveys the idea of 
 violent or excessive agitation. The allu- 
 sion is to the violent seizure of a debtor 
 by his creditor. See Matt. xviii. 28. 
 
 8. The remainder of the nations con- 
 
 verse. Comp. the Aram. m=:, 
 
 momordit, usuras exegit. 
 
900 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 All the remainder of the people shall plunder thee ; 
 Because of the blood of men, and of the violence done to the 
 
 earth, 
 
 To the city and all that dwell in it. 
 9  Woto him that procureth wicked gain for his house, 
 
 That he may establish his nest on high, 
 To be preserved from the power of calamity. 
 
 10 Thou hast devised what is a disgrace to thy house, 
 Cutting off many people, and sinning against thyself. 
 
 11 For the stone crieth out from the wall, 
 And the brick from the timber answereth it ; 
 
 sisted of those who had escaped the de- 
 vastation of the Chaldeans. The terms 
 man, earth, and city, are to be understood 
 generally, and are not to be restricted to 
 the Jews, with their country and its me- 
 tropolis. yqN7D727, is the genitive of 
 object. 
 
 9. In the stanza, comprising this and 
 the two following verses, the avarice 
 and selfishness of the Chaldeans are de- 
 nounced. The phrase >s3 3x5 is very 
 common in Hebrew. The verb denotes 
 to cut, or break off, as the Orientals, 
 especially the Chinese do, pieces of silver 
 and other metals in their money trans- 
 actions with each other. Hence it came 
 to be applied, in a bad sense, to such as 
 were greedily occupied with such transac- 
 tions, and its derivative >s2, to signify 
 wicked gain, lucre. To mark it, in the 
 present instance, as specially atrocious, 
 on, wicked, is added. 73, house, stands 
 here for the royal family; +, nest, for the 
 arz regia, to express its inaccessible 
 height, the allusion being taken from the 
 nest of the eagle, which is built on high 
 rocks, difficult of access. See Job xxxix. 
 27, and comp. Numb. xxiv. 21; Jer. 
 xlix. 16. 
 
 10. ‘Thou hast devised disgrace to 
 thy house,’ means thy schemes and 
 projects shall issue in the infamy of thy 
 family. Instead of nizp, the infinitive 
 of πικρὸν the ancient versions have read 
 risp, the preterite of 5 ἘΠ The infini- 
 tive may either follow in construction 
 
 \ 
 
 my preceding, or the following xuin. 
 I have adopted the latter, and rendered 
 it participially. It properly denotes the 
 direct aim of the action predicted by the 
 preceding finite verb. For the last = 
 comp. Prov. viii. 36, xx. 2. 
 
 11. An exquisite instance of bold and 
 daring personification, by which the ma- 
 terials used in the construction of the 
 royal palace, and other sumptuous build- 
 ings, at Babylon, are introduced as re- 
 sponsively complaining of the injustice 
 which they had suffered, either in their 
 having been taken from their original 
 owners, or in their being made subser- 
 vient to the scenes of wickedness that 
 were enacted in their presence. Comp. 
 Luke xix. 40. The Targ. adds to the 
 first line, m-> D287 ἘΣ, because violence 
 has been done to it. c"E> occurs only 
 here, but from the signification of the 
 cognate Syr. eae connexuit, it has 
 been supposed to mean the eross beam by 
 which the walls of a building are held 
 together. Thus Sym., Theod., and the 
 5th vers., σύνδεσμος, LXX. κάνϑαρος, 
 scarabeus, but which some think was 
 originally κανϑήριον, which Vitruvius ex- 
 plains as signifying a cross-beam, Arab. 
 
 \, 8 pss | ω»» the pin from 
 the wood,” According to the Mishnak, 
 the word signifies a half brick, which 
 Parchon also gives as the meaning. He 
 thus describes it: tssup t=5ad Ὁ ΒῈΞ 
 Ems p15) oan “SSS jyossa Ὁ» 
 
Crap. II. 
 
 12 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 90] 
 
 Wo to him that buildeth a town through bloodshed, 
 
 And establisheth a city through injustice. 
 13 Behold! is it not from Jehovah of hosts ? 
 So that the people shall labor for the very fire ; 
 Yea, the nations shall weary themselves for mere vanity. 
 
 14 For the earth shall be filled 
 
 With the knowledge of the glory of Jehovah, 
 
 As the waters cover the sea. 
 15 
 
 Wo to him that giveth drink to his neighbor, 
 
 Pouring out thy wrath, and making him drunk ; : 
 In order to look upon their nakedness. 
 
 essa, small bricks prepared in the 
 kiln, like pottery, and used in building 
 ’ edifices. This interpretation is copfirmed 
 ' by the rendering of Aquila, μάζα, what 
 is baked, and by the abundant use of 
 bricks by the Babylonians, which are still 
 visible in the ruins of their city. Citing 
 this passage in the Taanith, Rashi ex- 
 plains it to be “half a brick which ‘is 
 usually laid between two layers of wood,” 
 Delitzsch. That it was not the wood 
 itself is evident from the following +37, 
 From or out of the wood, except we take 
 the preposition as indicating the material 
 of which the beam consisted. In this 
 latter case, the words should be rendered, 
 And the wooden beam answereth itt; but 
 against such construction the parallel 
 “pra, out of the wall, is an insuperable 
 objection. 
 
 12, 18. The subject of the third stanza, 
 which begins here, was naturally sug- 
 gested by the concluding verse of the 
 preceding. The riches which enabled 
 the king of Babylon to rebuild and en- 
 large the royal city, were procured in 
 the bloody wars in which he had en- 
 gaged; and the works themselves were 
 carried up by people from different parts 
 of the empire, and by captives from other 
 nations. The preposition 3:2 prefixed in 
 min? mx, points out the ultimate cause 
 of the destruction of the Babylonian em- 
 pire — the overruling providence of God, 
 who, in order to give prominence to 
 his resistless omnipotence, is designated 
 
 mixas mint, Jehovah of hosts. For 
 this epithet, see on Is.i.9. 5:3 is nota 
 poetic form for 3, but is intensive, "π, 
 signifying sufficiency, abundance. The 
 preposition here points out the final issue 
 or result of the labor and fatigue con- 
 nected with the erections in question, 
 the conflagration and depopulation of 
 the city of Babylon. The last two lines 
 of verse 13 are found in Jer. li. 58; 
 only ws and px have exchanged places, 
 ἘΞ} stands for 1227, and the defective 
 form ἘΣ Δ} for 5.55, For the destruc- 
 tion by fire, comp. Jer. li. 30, 58; for 
 her desolation, ver. 438. Hitzig, from the 
 mere circumstance of the use of the same 
 terms Micah vii. 10, applies the prophecy 
 to Jehoiakim ! 
 
 14, This verse is clearly predictive of 
 the gospel dispensation, to the introduc- 
 tion of which the destruction of the 
 Babylonian power was indispensable, in- 
 asmuch as it involved the deliverance 
 of the Jews from captivity, and their 
 re-occupation of their own land before 
 the advent of the Messiah. See on Is. 
 xi. 9, 11, the former of which verses 
 contains a similar prediction of the same 
 event. Ἐ" sea, is used for the bed of the 
 sea. 
 
 15. The commencement of the fourth 
 stanza. Though the idea of the shame- 
 less conduct of drunkards, here depicted, 
 may have been borrowed from the profli- 
 gate manners of the Babylonian court, 
 yet the language is not to be taken lit- 
 
302 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 (ἜΑΡ. IL 
 
 16 Thou art filled with shame, not with glory ; 
 Drink thou also, and show thyself uncireumeized ; 
 The cup of Jehovah’s right hand shall come round to thee, 
 And great ignominy shall be upon thy glory. 
 
 erally, as if the prophet were describing 
 such manners, but, as the sequel shows, 
 is applied allegorically to the state of 
 stupefaction, prostration, and exposure, to 
 which the conquered nations were re- 
 duced by the Chaldeans. See on Is. li. 
 17, 20; and comp. Ps. lxxy. 8; Jer. 
 xxv. 15-28, xlix. 12, li. 7; Ezek. xxiii. 
 os 32; Rev. xiv. 10, xvi. 9, xviii. 6. 
 
 mn, is a collective, and thus is equiva- 
 ‘ai to ἡπηϑὴ in the. plural, which is 
 required to agree with the suffix in 
 Ἐπ ΔΊΣ. The latter noun is derived 
 
 from 4:3 Arab. gle to be naked, as its 
 
 synonyme 7273. is from τ». In ἽἼΣ 9 
 is a change from the third person to the 
 second, for the sake of effect. There not 
 being anything in the ancient Greek 
 versions corresponding to the 4, is no 
 ground for its rejection, since their au- 
 thors frequently took liberties even when 
 professedly most verbal. ram is not 
 the construct of msn or neti, bottle, 
 but of man, heat, or wrath. Comp. 
 "Mel ὈΠΞΘΝῚ, Is. lxiii. 6, and li. 17; 
 Jer, xxv. 15; Rev. xvi. 19. Delitzsch 
 attempts in vain to set aside the signifi- 
 cation of pour, as inhering in the root 
 
 ΠΕΡ; Arab. ah effudit. Cognate 
 
 seo. Targ. bt. 2g is the infinitive 
 used instead of the participle. The 
 language of the concluding clause of 
 the verse is expressive of the deep- 
 est humiliation on the one hand, and 
 of the most haughty wantonness on the 
 other. 
 
 16. The preposition in =‘n>% is nega- 
 tive, as in ΞΟ 5 Mane, Ps. lii. 6. 
 The full force of the hemistich is, «Thou 
 art satiated, but it is with shame, not 
 with glory.” Kimchi and others, com- 
 
 paring bean ofs, Is. li. 17, and 99° 
 
 Ἐξ", Zech. xii. 2, suppose that in Ὁ Στ 
 be thou uncircumcised, there is ἃ trans- 
 position of the letters » and =, and that 
 the verb has originally been ty>z, reel 
 or stagger. And thus the LXX. (καρδίᾳ 
 σαλεύϑητι καὶ σείσϑητι) have interpreted 
 it, and have been followed by the Arab., 
 Syr., and Vulg. There is, however, such 
 a manifest agreement with Dy Tis, 
 pudenda eorum, at the close of the pre- 
 ceding verse, that the interpretation can- 
 not be admitted, In the mouth of a He- 
 brew no term could have expressed more 
 ineffable contempt. Comp. 1 Sam. xvii. 
 36. As the Chaldeans had treated the 
 nations which they conquered in the 
 most disgusting manner, so they, in their 
 turn, should be similarly treated. To 
 express the certainty of the event, the 
 verbs are ee the imperative. See on Is. 
 vi. 10. ΞΘ is the future in Niphal,? 
 and conveys the idea of the cup of suf- 
 fering being transferred from one nation 
 to another, each in its turn, being made 
 to drink of it. Comp. Jer. xxv. 6; Lam. 
 iv. 21. ἘΠ}. the Vulg. renders, vomi- 
 tus ignominie, as if compounded of =p 
 for xvp, vomit, and ΔῈ}, shame. In 
 nine MSS. it is read as two words, and 
 this etymology is approved by most Jew- 
 ish and Christian interpreters. It is, 
 however, more in accordance with the 
 genius of the Hebrew language, to regard 
 it as a reduplicate form of Ἴ:Ξ}, em- 
 ployed for the sake of intensity, after the 
 form bby : only instead of yit;tp we 
 have the softer 4¢*~. Comp. the Syr. 
 
 for ἘΣ πος, Thus the LXX. ἀτι- 
 
 ame 
 
 glory of the Babylonians was to be com- 
 pletely eclipsed by the deep disgrace in 
 which they should be involved. 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 ἘΓΑΓΡΕ AGO ΣΕ. 
 
 909 
 
 17 For the violence done to Lebanon shall cover thee, 
 As the destruction of beasts terrifieth them ; 
 
 Because of the blood of men, 
 
 earth, 
 
 and the violence done to the 
 
 To the city, and all that dwell in it. ‘ 
 
 18 What profiteth the graven image which its maker graveth — 
 The molten image, and the teacher of falsehood ? 
 ‘In which the maker of his work trusteth — 
 
 Making dumb idols, 
 19 
 
 “It teach! There it is, 
 
 17. yi2ad oan and yaxmoen are 
 genitives of object. That πδέσον is not 
 here to be understood literally, but figur- 
 atively, of Jerusalem, seems fully estab- 
 lished by the prophetic style in other 
 passages, especially Jer. xxii. 23; Ezek. 
 xvii. 8, 12; Zech. xi. 1. The aptness of 
 the figure consists partly in the circum- 
 stance, that cedars from that mountain 
 were employed in the construction of 
 the temple and other houses in Jerusalem, 
 1 Kings vi. 9, 10, 18, vii. 2, ix. 10, 11; 
 2 Chron. i. 15 ; and partly in its stateli- 
 * mess and grandeur as the metropolis. 
 Against this interpretation, the objections 
 do not apply which Delitzsch makes to 
 the opinion of those who maintain that 
 by Lebanon the land of Palestine is 
 meant. D>, ἕο cover, is used emphati- 
 cally to express the completeness of the 
 destruction which should overtake the 
 Chaldeans. Similar violence to that 
 which they had exercised should be 
 brought upon themselves. The » in 
 1 is a particle of comparison, retaining, 
 indeed, its ordinary conjunctive power, 
 but also introducing a clause designed to 
 illustrate the preceding. Of this idiom, 
 the following are instances: baz} tax 
 Fay W332 Ὁ 9. 553} 57. Man is born 
 to trouble, AND (4s) birds of prey fly aloft, 
 Jobv.7. ὩΣ" ΠῚ Wan bn Wk. 
 bond. For the ear trieth words, AND (As) 
 the ‘palate tasteth food. This construc- 
 tion entirely obviates the difficulty which 
 
 Woe to him that saith to the wood, Awake ! 
 Wake up! to the dumb stone. 
 
 necessarily attaches to the attempts that 
 have been made.to interpret the nixq3, 
 beasts, of the inhabitants of Palestine. 
 The prophet compares the confusion and 
 destruction which should come upon the 
 enemy of the Jews to those experienced 
 by the wild beasts when brought into 
 circumstances from which they cannot 
 escape. mnn signifies to be broken, 
 broken in pieces, destroyed, confounded, 
 terrified. In the present form yn"n, 
 the Yod is substituted for the Dagesh in 
 the regular form jn, as Ἴ2 "ΠῚ for 
 VENT, 15. xxxiii. 1. The Nun appended 
 is not paragogic, but the verbal suffix of 
 the third feminine plural, agreeing with 
 ning. There is no sufficient ground 
 for changing ἡ into Ἢ, though the authors 
 of some of the ancient versions may have 
 thus read. For the last clause, see on 
 verse 8: 
 
 18, 19. These verses expose the folly 
 of idolatry to which the Babylonians 
 were wholly addicted. It might be sup- 
 posed, from all the other stanzas having 
 been introduced by a denunciatory "ὅτ, 
 wo, that a transposition has here taken 
 place, and that the nineteenth ought to 
 be read before the eighteenth: and 
 Green has thus placed them in his trans- 
 lation ; but there is a manifest propriety 
 in anticipating the inutility of idols, in 
 close connection with what the prophet 
 had just announced respecting the down- 
 fall of Babylon, before delivering his 
 
904 
 
 Overlaid with gold and silver, 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. III, 
 
 But there is no breath at all within it. 
 ‘20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple ; 
 Keep silence before him all the earth, 
 
 denunciation against their worshippers 
 themselves, 53» in both instances, is used 
 as a relative pronoun, as in Gen. iii. 19. 
 iv. 25; Is. lvii. 20. The idol is called 
 ** a teacher of falsehood,”’ on account of 
 the lying oracles that were connected 
 with its worship. or these verses, com- 
 pare Is. xliv. 9-20; Jer. x. In the 
 latter part of the nineteenth verse, the 
 language is highly and pointedly ironi- 
 cal. πὴ nam, ἐξ teach! is an em- 
 phatic form of putting a question which 
 requires a negative reply. τ} forms a 
 paronomasia with τι Δ) in the preceding 
 verse. NIM 3H, there it is. Such is 
 
 place — it not being followed as usual by 
 the accusative, but for the sake of mak- 
 ing the idol more prominent, by the 
 nominative case. 
 
 20. In striking contrast with the utter 
 nihility of idols, Jehovah is here intro- 
 duced, at the close of the prophecy, as 
 the invisible Lord of all, occupying his 
 celestial temple, whence he is ever ready 
 to interpose his omnipotence for the de- 
 liverance and protection of his people 
 and the destruction of their enemies. 
 Comp. Is. xxvi. 21. Such a God it 
 becomes all to adore in solemn and pro- 
 found silence. Ps, Ixxvi. 8, 9; Zeph. 
 
 * the force of the interjection mam in this i.7; Zech. ii, 18. 
 
 CB APT π᾿ 71: 
 
 TuouGH forming a distinct whole, this chapter is intimately connected with the two pre- 
 ceding, the subjects contained in which it presupposes, and is evidently designed to afford 
 consolation to the Jews during the national calamities there anticipated. It exhibits a 
 regular ode beginning with a brief but simple and appropriate exordium; after which 
 follows the main subject, which is treated in a manner perfectly free and unrestrained, as 
 the different topics rose one after another in the powerfully excited mind of the prophet; 
 and finishes with an epigrammatic resumption of the point first adverted to in the intro- 
 duction, and the practical lesson which the piece was intended to teach. 
 
 With respect to the body of the ode, interpreters are greatly divided in opinion. The 
 Fathers generally, and after them many Catholic commentators, and among Protestants, 
 Cocceius, Bengel, Roos, and others, apply the whole chapter, with certain modifications, 
 to New Testament times, and subject it to all the uncertainty of imaginary interpreta- 
 tion. But the principal point of disagreement relates to the theophania, or Divine inter- 
 position, so sublimely set forth, ver. 3—15. According to the Targum, Abarbanel, Aben- 
 ezra, Tarnoyius, Munster, Clarius, Drusius, Schnurrer, Herder, Michaelis, Green, Lowth, 
 Tingstadius, Eichhorn, Justi, Hesselberg, Ackermann. and Ewald, the prophet adverts to 
 the wonderful displays of the power and majesty of God during the early history of the 
 Hebrews. Maurer, Hitzig, and Delitzsch, on the other hand, contend that the future in- 
 terposition of Jehovah for the destruction of the Chaldeans, is what he exclusively con- 
 templates. The last-mentioned author has not only gone at great length, and with much 
 minuteness, into the subject, but appears to have exhausted all his critical and exegetical 
 
Cuap. III. EAN ASE IS Ue, 9052 
 
 ingenuity in his attempt to establish his hypothesis. Taking for granted that δὰ sist » ver. 
 8, cannot, by any possibility, be construed otherwise than to express the strict futurity 
 of the advent predicated, he proceeds to show, from what he considers to be the or- 
 ganic structure of the ode; from the connection of "M272 and 7391, ver. 16; and from 
 certain features of the picture itself, that what he calls the lyric-prophetical view is alone 
 to be admitted. I must, however, confess, that after a careful examination. of his argu- 
 ments, I can discover nothing in them that goes to overturn the historical position 
 adopted by the numerous writers above mentioned. That nothing in the shape of a reg- 
 ular and specific recital of distinct facts is exhibited in the tableau, cannot fairly be 
 urged against this interpretation, since such a recital would ill accord with the enthusi- 
 asm and impetuosity which are so characteristic of the ode asa species of poetry. The 
 abrupt and rapid transitions of the prophet did not admit of more than a slight, though 
 sublimely figurative allusion, to one or two localities, which it was necessary to specify, 
 in order to call up the general scene of events to the mind of the reader: all the rest is 
 left to be supplied by his familiar acquaintance with the sacred national records. What 
 he aims at is to produce a powerful impression by condensing, within the shortest pos- 
 sible limits, a view of the magnalia Dei, as exhibited in these records. And this he does 
 by giving utterance to the total impression which they produced upon his own mind, 
 rather than by furnishing a detailed historical description. Regarding the composition 
 in this light, the obscurity and apparent incoherence which attach to certain parts of it 
 are at once accounted for, 
 
 As parallels to this ode, we may adduce Deut. xxxiii. 2—5; Jud. v. 4,5; Ps. Ixviii. 7, 
 8, Ixxvii. 13—20, exiv.; Is. Ixiii. 11—14. That the Holy Spirit availed himself, so to 
 speak, of some of these passages in presenting the subject to the view of the prophet, 
 there can, I think, be little doubt. The agreement in point of phraseology, especially as 
 it respects Ps. lxxvii. is most palpable. Some, indeed, have maintained the priority of 
 our ode to the Psalm; but Delitzsch has proved, by an elaborate collation of passages 
 and expressions, that this hypothesis is entirely without foundation, and that Habakkuk 
 had the Psalm brought to his mind, just as he had the song of Moses called up to his 
 recollection. 
 
 The following description of this sublime ode, by the master pen of Bishop Lowth, is 
 not more beautiful than just: “‘The prophet, indeed, illustrates this subject throughout 
 with equal magnificence; selecting from such an assemblage of miraculous incidents, 
 the most noble and important, displaying them in the most splendid colors, and embel- 
 lishing them with the sublimest imagery, figures, and diction, the’ dignity of which is so 
 heightened and recommended by the superior elegance of the conclusion, that were it 
 not fora few shades, which the hand of time has apparently cast over it in two or three 
 passages, no composition of the kind, would, I believe, appear more elegant or more per- 
 fect than this poem.” Lect. xxviii. Whether the hand of time has really cast any shades 
 over it will appear in the sequel. 
 
 That it was designed for use in public worship, appears both from the inscription and 
 the subscription, as well as from the musical term mbo, Selah, occurring verses 3, 9, 13. 
 
 The chapter begins with the title and introduction, ver. 1,2. Habakkuk then repre- 
 sents Jehovah as appearing in glorious majesty on Sinai, 8,4; describes the ravages of 
 the plague in the desert, 5; the consternation into which the nations were thrown by the 
 victorious approach of the Hebrews to Canaan, and their wars with the inhabitants, 
 6—10; specially refers to the celestial phenomenon at Gibeon, 11; and then sets forth the 
 auspicious results of the interposition of God on behalf of his people, 12—15. The pro- 
 phet concludes by resuming the subject of the introduction, 16; and strongly asserting 
 his unshaken confidence in God in the midst of anticipated calamity, 17—19. 
 
 1 <A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet: with triumphal music. 
 
 1. £m, usually rendered prayers, supplications, etc., or not. Hence it is ap- 
 comprehends all kinds of devotional com- plied to all the Psalms of David collect- 
 position, whether abounding in petitions, ively, Ps. lxxii. 20; and is otherwise 
 
 39 
 
906 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 2 O Jehovah! I heard the report of thee, I was afraid ; 
 O Jehovah! revive thy work in the midst of the years ; 
 
 only used in the inscriptions of Psalms 
 xvii. Ixxxvi. xc. cii. exlii. The term is 
 derived from $=, to separate, distin- 
 guish ; cognate to 758; and so to form 
 an opinion or judgment, to judge, give a 
 verdict. In Hithpael the verb signifies 
 to apply to a judge for a favorable decis- 
 ion, to supplicate, pray, etc.; and is em- 
 ployed at the commencement of the song 
 of Hannah, 1 Sam, ii. 1. Though the 
 only precatory sentences are those con- 
 tained in ver. 2, yet there are several in- 
 stances of direct address to God, which 
 impart to the ode one of the characteris- 
 tic feature of prayer. The Lamed pre- 
 fixed in ppan> is that of authorship. 
 réstag ty. That this is a musical term 
 seems beyond dispute, from similar terms 
 occurring in the titles of the psalms, such 
 as moran—tz, tbs nit? $9, ete. For 
 the explanation of the noun, which only 
 occurs here, and in the singular 7.738, in 
 the title of Ps. vii., different methods 
 have been proposed. Bauer, Herder, 
 Perschke, De Wette, Rosenmiiller, Lee, 
 Hitzig, and Maurer, have recourse to the 
 
 Arabic os, anxius, tristis, mastus 
 fuit, and render pista 9, after the man- 
 ner of elegies, but there seems no reason 
 deducible either from the present ode or 
 from the Psalm, why they should be 
 thus characterized, or why they should 
 be sung to a plaintive tune, but the con- 
 trary. Others, as Wahl, Justi, Gesenius, 
 
 derive the word from the Syriac Le, 
 
 9 
 carmen, cantus, to which it has justly 
 been objected, that it is too vague and 
 indefinite to admit of adoption. The 
 LXX , indeed, have ψάλμος in the Psalm, 
 and here ὠδῆς ; but without any apparent 
 reference to the specific meaning of the 
 term. Other philologists more reason- 
 ably content themselves with =3%, an in- 
 
 Pasa > 
 in Pael, -- cecinit, whence | dow 
 
 digenous Hebrew verb in common use, 
 signifying to err, wander, reel, etc. This 
 interpretation Aquila, Symm., and the 
 fitth Greek version so far support, ren- 
 dering ἐπὶ ἀγνοημάτων, which Jerome 
 adopts, on the principle that τιν signi- 
 fies to sin through ignorance. To this 
 derivation Hengstenberg has recently 
 given his adhesion (Comm. on Psalms, 
 vol. i. p. 144), but most preposterously 
 affirms, that in our ode the sins cr crimes 
 of the Chaldeans are intended. There 
 is nothing either in the Psalm or in the 
 song of Habakkuk to warrant the ap- 
 propriation of any such signification of 
 the term. ‘The most probable explana- 
 tion is that given by Delitzsch, who is 
 of opinion that 5"): means a dithyram- 
 bos, or cantio erratica, a species of rhyth- 
 mical composition, which, from its enthu- 
 siastic irregularity, is admirably adapted 
 for songs of victory or triumph. It 
 is obvious, however, from the estab 
 lished use of the preposition $y «pon, 
 after the manner of, or accompanied with, 
 in the titles of the Psalms, that the plu- 
 ral m*>%3z, to which, in like manner, it 
 is here prefixed, must be understood as 
 describing a corresponding kind of music 
 with which the ode was to be accompa- 
 nied. The translation of Theodotion, 
 ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑκουσιασμῶν, t.e. as Jerome in- 
 terprets the words, pro voluntariis, has, 
 in all probability, some such reference. 
 
 2. The yz, report of Jehovah, here 
 referred to by the prophet, does not 
 mean what God had communicated to 
 him, but a report respecting Jehovah, or 
 the punishment which he had threatened 
 to inflict upon the Jews for their sins. 
 The genitive is that of object. That it 
 cannot refer to what follows in the ode 
 is certain, since the exhibition there giy- 
 en of the Divine interposition for the 
 overthrow of the enemies of his people 
 was calculated to inspire the prophet 
 with joy, and not with the fear of which 
 
Cuapr. III. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 307 
 
 In the midst of the years make it known: 
 
 In wrath remember mercy. 
 3 God came from Teman ; 
 
 The Holy One from mount Paran: Pause. 
 
 he declares he was conscious. His prayer 
 also, that while punishment was being 
 inflicted, God would exercise pity, shows 
 that the Jews, and not the Chaldeans, 
 were to be the subjects of the infliction. 
 It may, therefore, be regarded as certain, 
 that what he has in view is the predic- 
 tion chap. i. 6-11. The fear with which 
 the prophet was seized, he particularly 
 describes ver. 16. By “5.5, thy work, 
 Abarbanel, Kimchi ,Schnurrer, Justi, and 
 some others, understand the Jews, on the 
 ground that they are designated the ὃ: 3, 
 work of Jehovah’s hands, Is. xlv. 11; but 
 the simple occurrence of the same word, 
 irrespective of the specific claims of the 
 connection, cannot justify such a con- 
 struction of the meaning. In chap. i. 5, 
 the term is used of the Divine judgment 
 upon the Jews, as it also is Is. v. 12, and 
 of that upon their enemies, Ps. lxiy. 9. 
 This latter sense, which involves the ex- 
 ercise of the power and goodness of God 
 on behalf of his people, alone suits the 
 present context. Comp. Ps. xc. 16. 
 What the prophet prays for is the re- 
 newal of such interposition. This he 
 expresses by the strong term FAM, guich- 
 en, restore to life, which suggests the 
 idea of a cessation of the avenging and 
 delivering power of the Most High. It 
 had been, in regard to its exertion, asif 
 it had been dead, and required to be 
 called forth afresh into action. Thus 
 Jarchi: 3453 anny Pwsin Jeb on 
 Dw WS AAS aw 2473 15 ΞἼΝΩ 1d 
 aw ams aid inves. Thy 
 former work, when thou didst avenge us 
 of our enemies, in the midst of the years 
 of the calamity in which we live, revive 
 ἐξ, 1. 6. rouse it up, cause it to return. 
 Comp. Is. li. 9, 10. No stress is to be 
 laid on the phrase p72 57,3, in the 
 midst of the years, from which Bengel 
 deduced so much fanciful support to his 
 
 chronological calculations; maintaining 
 that the middle point of the years of 
 the world is meant. Ὡ 3: are unques- 
 tionably the years, or period of affliction, 
 which was to come upon the Jewish peo- 
 ple. 2773 is not to be taken in the 
 strict acceptation of the middle point of 
 any given period of time, but is, as fre- 
 quently, only a more emphatic preposi- 
 tive form, instead of 5, 7m. The meaning, 
 therefore, simply is, During the period 
 of suffering, or, in the course of our 
 punishment by the Chaldeans, interpose 
 for our deliverance. Symm. ἐντὸς τῶν 
 ἐνιαυτῶν. To give pathos to the lan- 
 guage, the phrase is repeated ; and ys"4in 
 is added, as synonymous with 55m, 
 the suffix of which is to be understood, 
 though not expressed. The verb 5 Ἴ, ¢o 
 know, is here used in the sense of expe- 
 riencing, knowing by experience. En, 
 the infinitive, is to be regarded as an ac- 
 cusative. Comp. Ps. xxv. 6: ΤΣ δὰ 1-755 
 men chive “> Joni nin. It is 
 merely necessary to exhibit ie version 
 of this verse as now found in the text of 
 the LXX. to show that it can only have 
 originated in the amalgamation of dif- 
 ferent readings, some of them probably 
 marginal glosses, and that it would be 
 most unwarrantable to attempt any cor- 
 rection of the Hebrew text by it: Κύριε, 
 εἰσακήκοα τὴν ἀκοήν σου, καὶ ἐφοβήϑην, 
 κατανοήσα τὰ ἔργα σοῦ καὶ ἐξέστην" ἐν 
 μέσῳ δύο ζώων γνωσϑθήσῃ ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν 
 τὰ ἔτη emvyypwodyon ἐν τὸ παρεῖναι τὸν 
 καιρὸν ἄναδειχϑήσῃ, ἐν τῷ ταραχϑῆναι τὴν 
 ψυχήν μου, ἐν ὀργῆ ἐλέους μνησϑήσῃ. 
 
 3. mite is not used by any of the 
 minor prophets except Habakkuk, and 
 by him only here, and chap. i. 11. It 
 occurs four times in Daniel, and once in 
 Isaiah, but never in Jeremiah or Ezekiel. 
 There is no foundation whatever for the 
 
908 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. IIL 
 
 His splendor covered the heavens, 
 And the earth was full of his praise. 
 
 position assumed by Gesenius and some 
 others, that this use of the singular be- 
 longs to the later Hebrew, though it is 
 allowed to belong to the poetic diction. 
 It is employed forty times in the book of 
 Job, one of the most ancient specimens 
 of Hebrew composition extant, and twice 
 by Moses, Deut. xxxii. ONE Holy, 
 which is here parallel to 745s , God, also 
 
 occurs in this application to express the 
 absolute purity of the Divine Being, Job 
 vi. 10; Is. xl. 25; and in the plural, 
 Ἐ" wap, Proy.ixsl0;, sxx; ko 3) Os. 9 Sa 
 1. Delitzsch contends, that, as Nat is 
 unimfluenced by any preceding preterite, 
 it cannot possibly be taken otherwise 
 than as strictly future in signification, as 
 itisin form. But this is not the only 
 instance in which the future stands ab- 
 solutely at the commencement of a sen- 
 tence or paragraph, yet clearly indicating 
 a past transaction, Thus Num. spits 7, 
 
 ἘΠΕ ye, pba Π:; Jud. ii. 1, nbz 
 pris. camry; 2 ‘Sam. iii. 33, néy 2271 
 338 nie San; Job ili, 3, Ds. sas 
 
 Samba; Ps, Ixxx. 9, ΣΟ DTS 2 FEA. 
 The idiom, i in these and similar cases, is 
 sufficiently accounted for on the princi- 
 ple that the speaker places himself, in 
 imagination, anterior to the action ex- 
 pressed by the verb, and thus, regarding 
 it as still future, puts the verb in that 
 tense. Having prayed that God would 
 remember the mercy which he had 
 shown to his people in ancient days, the 
 prophet has his mind carried back to 
 their affliction in Egypt, in their deliy- 
 erance from which that mercy was sig- 
 nally displayed; and assuming that as 
 his point of observation, he proceeds at 
 once to describe the Theophania as fu- 
 ture in regard to such position. The 
 past, thus implied, though not expressed, 
 as completely modifies a future tense, as 
 if a preterite, or any qualifying particle, 
 had preceded it. ἡ, Teman, the 
 LXX. retain as a proper name: the 
 
 Targ., Syr., Theod., Vulg., and many 
 modern versions road: the south. The 
 word is doubtless to be taken as desig- 
 nating the country to the south of Judea, 
 and east of Idumea, in which latter 
 country Mount Paran (ἼΣΝΞ "m) was 
 situated. Some, indeed, haye endeavored 
 to indentify this mountain with Sinai, on 
 
 the ground that ων sol 5 Wady 
 
 Pheiran, which ae nor Sig est from 
 Sinai, is the same as TIS ἽΞ 5, the 
 desert of Paran, mentioned in Scripture. 
 But although this desert might have 
 stretched so far towards the south-west as 
 to touch upon the Wady, and so give it 
 the name, it is certain, from Paran being 
 mentioned in connection with Kadesh 
 and Beersheba, that the wilderness of 
 that name extended to the southern con- 
 fines of Palestine, including the moun- 
 tainous region tothe west of the Ghor, 
 or great valley stretching from the Dead 
 Sea to the Elanitic gulf. In 1 Kings xi. 
 18, it is spoken of as lying between Mi- 
 dian and Egypt. From Sinai occurring 
 along with Seir and Paran, Deut. xxxiii. 
 
 2, and with Seir and the country of 
 Edom, Jud. v. 4, 5, it is probable that 
 Habakkuk here Aone to the regions to 
 the south of Palestine generally, as the 
 theatre of the Divine manifestations to 
 Israel, only, like Moses and Deborah, 
 specifying the two points nearer to that 
 country. In this view, his omission of 
 Sinia, which they notice, is not of mate- 
 rial moment. The glorious displays of 
 the power and majesty of Jehovah which 
 had been made in that quarter occupied 
 his thoughts, and inspired him with feel- 
 ings of the most exalted devotion. sto, 
 Selah. This word, which occurs thrice 
 in this ode, and seventy-three times in 
 the Psalms, has been variously inter- 
 preted. That it is a musical sign is 
 now almost universally admitted. It is 
 found at the end of certain sections, or 
 stropes, and always at the close of a verse, 
 
Caap. III. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 909 
 
 4 The brightness was like that of the sun, 
 
 Rays streamed from his hand, 
 
 Yet the concealment of his glory was there. 
 
 except Hab. iii. 3,9; Ps. lv. 20, lvii. 4; 
 where however, as always, it ends the 
 hemistich. Sometimes it occurs at the 
 end of a Psalm, as Ps. iii. ix. and xxiv. 
 The current, and apparently the tradi- 
 tionary interpretation, is that of the 
 Targ. ὙΌΣ; Aq. ἀεί; Symm. some- 
 times εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; Theod. sometimes 
 eis τέλος; the V. Greek version, διαπαν- 
 tos; but Symm. and Theod. most com- 
 monly coincide with the LXX., who 
 uniformly render, διάψαλμα. This last 
 translation is decidedly entitled to the 
 preference, in so far as it confines the idea 
 to the music, though the exact meaning 
 even of this Greek term has been matter 
 of dispute. Suidas, however, seems to 
 come nearest to the mark, when he gives 
 as its meaning μέλους ἐναλλαγή, a change 
 of the modulation, and with him Hesy- 
 chius agrees, explaining it by μέλους 
 διαλλαγή. The hypothesis that 7p is 
 merely an abbreviation, consisting of the 
 initial letters of three Hebrew words, is 
 altogether gratuitous, there not being the 
 least shadow of evidence that the Jews, 
 in ancient times, ever employed abbrevi- 
 ations. Pfeiffer, in his work, Die Musik 
 der Alten Hebr. p. 17, proposes to ex- 
 
 plain the term by the Arab iy 
 membrum, or section; Prof. Lee, by 
 s she, $YLo, which he renders, Dez 
 tnvocatio, and derives from bo; 
 
 he blessed; but neither of the deriva- 
 tions will suit all the passages in which 
 it occurs. Indeed, dless! or praise! 
 would come in most incongruously in 
 such connections as Ps. vil. 5, xxxix. 5, 
 11; hi. 8. Of thetwo Hebrew roots to 
 which the word has been referred, tbo ᾿ 
 to raise, elevate, and mbo , Which, besides 
 signifying to raise, has been supposed to 
 “be equivalent to nb3, to rest, pause, the 
 latter, on the whole, seems to deserve 
 
 the preference. There are several in- 
 stances in which the letter ὦ has been 
 softened into Ὁ, as in 34> ak) and T7495 5 
 “uD and =15 ; just as, in most cases, we 
 . This 
 
 derivation, in which Gesenius finally 
 acquiesced, has been approved of by 
 Delitzsch and Hengstenberg. The term 
 may be regarded as a substantive, signi- 
 fying silence or pause ; designed, in all 
 probability, to command a cessation of 
 the song or chant, while the instruments 
 either repeated what had just been 
 played, or introduced an interlude be- 
 tween the parts. At the end of a psalm 
 it may have been intended to prevent a 
 repetition on the part of the singers, 
 while the instrumental music continued. 
 Having, by a solemn pause, prepared the 
 mind for the contemplation of the mani- 
 fested glory of Jehovah, the prophet pro- 
 ceeds to describe this glory in the most 
 sublime and magnificent language. By 
 min splendor or brightness, as the Targ., 
 Kimchi, and Hitzig interpret; nor dees 
 it here express ἐπε actual praises of the 
 inhabitants of the earth produced by the 
 effulgence of Deity, for the effect of this 
 effulgence is described, ver. 6, to be fear 
 and trembling; but matter of praise, or 
 the glory which was calculated to call 
 forth universal adoration. 
 
 4, By 4s we are not here to under- 
 stand light simply, but the swn as the 
 source of light. Comp. Job xxxi. 26, 
 xxxvii. 21. The Kametz of the article 
 in > renders the noun more definite. 
 nIIM which Heidenheim would con- 
 nect with yusn and Hitzig withtntan, 
 in the BENE ve verse, can have no other 
 nominative than πιὰ, which, like other 
 substantives in the Oriental languages, 
 expressive of fire or light, is conceived 
 to be of the feminine gender, or it may 
 be regarded as neuter in signification. 
 
 find it expressed in Arabic by 
 
910 
 
 5 Before him went the plague ; 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. IIL. 
 
 The burning pestilence followed him. 
 
 6 He stood, and made the earth to tremble; 
 Tle looked, and caused the nations to shake ; 
 The old mountains were shattered in pieces, 
 
 The ancient hills sank down — 
 
 His ancient ways. 
 
 and so taking the feminine of the verb. 
 That by moan, horns, we are here to 
 understand rays, is obvious from the 
 connection, from the comparison of the 
 rising sun scattering his rays upon the 
 eatth to the gazelle, Ps. xxii. 1, and 
 from its being common with the Arabs 
 to compare them to the horns of that 
 animal. Thus the Arab. wy cornu 
 
 animalis, latus superior pars solis, primi 
 radiis solis. Kamoos and Djauhari. 
 Hence, the verb 4p signifies to emit 
 rays, Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30, 35. Though 
 in the dual, the noun, like others of that 
 number which describe objects naturally 
 existing in pairs, is here expressive of the 
 plural. Comp. o~$aq vans, Lev. xi. 
 23; 0720 δ, 1 Sam. 11,18; Dia 72 83, 
 Ezek. xxi. 12; and see my note on Is, 
 vi. 2; p1a°y nyse, Zech. iii. 9. The 
 phrase $5372 from his hand, is equiva- 
 . lent to 425292 , from him; and a verb of 
 flowing, streaming, or the like, must be 
 supplied. 4% is the dative of possession. 
 nw, there, refers to the scene of splendor 
 just described, which, though so exces- 
 sively bright, instead of exhibiting the 
 Divine glory, only veiled or concealed it. 
 Comp. Ps. civ. 2. The LXX., Syr., Aq., 
 and Symm., have read ty} , and he put, 
 instead of ew-, and there, and are fol- 
 lowed by Hitzig and Maurer, but this 
 rendering is less apt. τῷ, in such con- 
 nection denotes majesty or glory rather 
 than power. Comp. Ps. exxxii. 8, 
 Ixxviil. 61, For =39 many MSS. read 
 47>, the regular affix. Whether the 
 substratum of the vivid representation 
 here furnished of the glorious majesty of 
 of Jehovah be the symbol of the Divine 
 
 presence exhibited upon Mount Sinai, 
 Exod. xxiv. 17, or the Shekinah which 
 accompanied the Hebrews through the 
 desert, chap. xvi. 7,10; Lev. ix. 23, x]. 
 35, etc., cannot be τ κεν. See on 
 ver. 3. 
 
 ὃ. τ , from ἘΣ» to inflame, has 
 two leading significations, that of light- 
 ning, or flame, and that of hot, or burn- 
 ing fever. he latter is required in the 
 present case to correspond to -27 , plague 
 in the preceding hemistich: a circum- 
 stance which forbids the adoption of the 
 precarious rendering, birds of prey, 
 though supported by the Syr., Aq., 
 Symm., Theod., the V. Greek version, 
 Michaelis, Schnurrer, Herder, Kofod, 
 Dahl, Rosenmiiller, and others; as well 
 as that of lightning, adopted by Kalinsky, 
 Wahl, Bauer and others; and burning 
 
 coals, aS in our common version. ‘Thus 
 Kimchi: S325 ἼΣΣπὶν sat 25 ses 
 sini, Fun wands 451, ΤΊΣΙ nidcs 
 
 TAs" NP WMVT Ash Sy ΓΤ ἡ Sn 
 moana, ὅν e. Sw corresponds to -a7, 
 the same thing being expressed in differ- 
 ent words. ‘The word has the same sig- 
 nification. Deut. xxxii. 24, and denotes 
 the fever, which consists in a burning 
 heat, and speedily causes death.” The 
 Vulg. has, “ Et egredietur diabolus ante 
 pedes ejus!” %a5> xz> or 5m, means 
 to track or follow any one. Here it is 
 opposed to 4>: eB, before him. What 
 the prophet has in view, would seem to 
 be the plagues with which the enemies 
 of the Hebrews were visited, of which 
 we have an instance 1 Sam. y, 9, 11. 
 
 6. 374a51 M22, forms an easy and ele- 
 gant paronomasia, and, at the same time, 
 exhibits one of the boldest, most abrupt, 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 311 
 
 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble ; 
 The tent-curtains of Midian trembled. 
 8 Was it against the rivers it burned, O Jehovah ? 
 
 and sublime turns to be found in sacred 
 poetry. While Jehovah is marching 
 ‘forth for the deliverance of his people, 
 he stops all of a sudden in his progress, 
 the immediate effects of which are uni- 
 versal consternation and terror. Nature, 
 in her strongest and most ancient forma- 
 tions, is broken in pieces before him. 
 The inhabitants of the earth tremble at 
 his look. "πη may either be the Poel 
 of 17170 , to measure, or the Pilel of 71%, 
 
 which, like the Arab. dle, signifies to 
 be agitated The latter derivation best 
 
 suits the connection. LXX. ἐσαλεύϑη 
 n γῆ: Targ. Seas ΚΟΤΕ. Arab. 
 
 δ) masses. Comp. the cog- 
 nate 12:2. Thus Gesenius, Lee, Maurer, 
 Ewald, Heidenheim, Hesselberg, Del- 
 itzsch. The primary idea conveyed by 
 sna is that of bounding, springing up, 
 as a person does when overtaken by sud- 
 den fear. In 5 sBn? we have all the 
 force of intensive verbs, heightened in 
 effect by the harsh sound of the redupli- 
 cated Tzade. ‘58 signifies to break or 
 dash in pieces, and also to hte dis- 
 perse. For sy—>-457 and D+» ΓὴΣ 
 comp. Gen. xlix. 26; Deut. xxxiii. τὰ 
 55 ΒΒ nis sn, ΗΝ ancient ways, I 
 consider to be epexegetical of the preced- 
 ing; and nsx is to be taken in the 
 same sense as p37 in the sentence 
 bgmeos mews wa, Job xl. 19, which 
 describes the hippopotamus as ‘the first 
 or principal of the ways of God,’’ ὁ, e. his 
 creative acts, his works. The words may 
 be resolved into 43 gy Ὁ» nisdn, 
 or into 4243 rasts . The mountains 
 which Jehovah had created of old, and 
 which had resisted the revolutions of 
 ages, were now shattered in pieces, and 
 dissipated like dust before him. The 
 irresistibility of his power, and the utter 
 imbecility of the most formidable ene- 
 
 \ 
 
 mies of his people, are the ideas conveyed 
 by the language of the prophet. 
 
 ἧ- Woman, “ under aftliction,” is 
 more pexpressive than 4:82, “im afilic- 
 tion,” as it suggests the idea of a heavy 
 load by which those spoken of were op- 
 pressed. 425, Cushan, is now generally 
 admitted to be the same as w35, Cush, 
 as 34>, Lotan, Gen. xxxvi. 20, is only 
 another form of v4 , Lot ; but whether 
 it be intended to designate the African 
 or the Arabian Cush is disputed. Ge- 
 senius, Maurer, Delitzsch, and others, 
 contend for the former; but the connec- 
 tion of the name with that of 4.47, 
 Midian, is decidedly in favor of the latter. 
 For a satisfactory refutation of the position 
 adopted by Gesenius, that Cush, and all 
 the tribes connected with this name, are 
 only to be sought in Africa, see Robinson’s 
 Calmet, art. Cush. That any reference 
 to Cushan-rishathaim, Jud. iii. 10, is in- 
 tended, does not appear. Midian appears 
 to have stretched from the eastern shores 
 of the Elanitic Gulf to Mount Sinai, 
 and the frontiers of Moab. Edrisi speaks 
 of a town called (.»sch0, Madian, 
 
 about five days’ journey from Ailah, or ° 
 Akabah, and six from Tubuk. The 
 “tents” and ‘curtains’ describe the 
 nomadic mode of life as still found 
 among the Bedawin of the Arabian des- 
 erts. τὸ, the coverings of the tents, 
 so called from their tremulous motion 
 when hanging down like curtains and 
 affected by the wind. The word is here 
 used merely as a synonyme of tthe, 
 tents ; and both are put by metonymy 
 for the persons dwelling in them. 
 
 8. The prophet rising in his graphic 
 description of the ancient manifestations 
 of Jehovah, now by a bold apostrophe 
 inquires why the rivers were affected by 
 them? ‘Was it on account of any cause 
 in the rivers? The implied answer is, 
 No; and the true cause is assigned at the 
 
919 
 
 ἨΑΒΑΚΚΥυκΚκ. 
 
 Cuap. III, 
 
 Was thine anger against the rivers ? 
 Was thy wrath against the sea ? - 
 That thou didst ride upon thy horses, 
 
 In thy chariots of victory. 
 
 9 Naked and bared was thy bow, 
 “Sevens of spears” was the word: Pause. 
 Thou didst cleave the earth into rivers, 
 
 close of the verse — the safe and victori- 
 ous deliverance of the Israelites from 
 Egypt, and their introduction into Ca- 
 naan. 77> is in the vocative, and the 
 subject of the verb nn is Fes, in the 
 second hemistich. Den, the rivers, 
 mean the waters of the Red Sea, and the 
 Jordan, which were dried up to allow 
 them to pass over on foot. The former 
 is not indeed a river, but may not in- 
 aptly be included under the term, on 
 account of the flowing of the tide, which 
 is said to rise at Suez to about the height 
 of seven feet. On the miraculous diyis- 
 ion of the sea, recorded Exod. Xiv., it 
 was made to go or flow back the whole 
 night, ver. 21, For the application of 
 =m2 tothe stream tide of the Mediter- 
 ranean, See Jonah ii. 4, That the rivers 
 of Cush should be intended is altogether 
 out of the question. Specifically, how- 
 ever, to mark out the Red Sea, it is after- 
 wards expressly called => in the third 
 hemistich. Comp. as parallel with the 
 present verse, Exod. xv. ; Ps. xxvii. 13, 
 exiv. 3,5. Jehovah is here, and in the 
 following verses, represented as a mighty 
 and victorious warrior, giving orders to 
 his army, and, in triumphant progress, 
 carrying all before him. Comp. Exod. 
 xv. 3, Xiv. 14. oy, anger, and m 32, 
 wrath, are synonymes, only the latter is 
 the stronger of the two, signifying unre- 
 strained indignation ; from “22, to pass 
 over, or beyond a boundary. By * horses” 
 and “ chariots,” there is no necessity for 
 our understanding either the angels, or 
 thunder and lightning, as some would 
 interpret. They are merely figurative 
 expressions, designed to carry out the 
 metaphor adopted from military opera- 
 
 tions. In the phrase meas) PNB, 
 supply ἘΣ» wpon, before the former word, 
 and repeat ns" , chariots, before the 
 latter. Comp. for instances of similar 
 construction, bon “ys, 2 Sam. xxii, 
 33. a3 "Om, Ps. Ixxi. 7; Det Font, 
 Ezek. xvi, 27.—r3537 has in such con- 
 nection, the specific signification of vic- 
 tory, though the idea of salvation or 
 deliverance, as the result, is not to be 
 lost sight of. 
 
 9. The combination aésn ming, which 
 forms a paronomasia, determines the sig- 
 nification of "ἢ, as here employed, to 
 be that of being dare or naked, and not 
 that of rousing or exciting. For though 
 the Piel "τὸν is used of the lifting up 
 of a spear, there would be no propriety 
 in thus applying it to a bow: whereas 
 the substantive πον, nakedness, having 
 just been employed, nothing was more 
 natural than to add ston, to be bared 
 — =a» being thus cognate in signification 
 with maz, from which ΤῊΣ is derived, 
 and with n42. ΤΣ, is used adjectively, 
 as in mwa35 phy ms, Ezek. xvi. 7. 
 ~ 42m isnot the second, but the third per- 
 son singular in Niphal, having for its 
 nominative mvp, which is of the com- 
 mon gender, Some of the moderns have 
 explained nop, of the rainbow, than 
 which nothing can be conceived more 
 incongruously out of place in a passage 
 containing a sublime poetical description 
 of warlike operations. The making bare 
 the bow, refers to the removal of the cover 
 in which it was carefully wrapped, to 
 prevent its receiving injury, or of such a 
 leathern case as the ywpurds, κωγρυτὺς 
 corytus, of the Greeks and Romans. Of 
 the following words, 438 mya τὴ ΣῸΣ 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 ᾿ 
 ᾿ 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 313 
 
 10 The mountains saw thee, they were in pain ; 
 The inundation of water overflowed ; 
 
 The abyss uttered its voice, 
 It raised its hands on high. 
 
 upwards of one hundred different inter- 
 pretations have been proposed. That 
 which I have adopted appears to me best 
 to suit the connection. It keeps up the 
 spirit of the poem, and is fully justified 
 on the simplest and most legitimate ety- 
 mological grounds. That mhy2% cannot 
 signify oaths, is determined by the cir- 
 cumstance that * the oaths of the tribes,” 
 the rendering of our common version, 
 affords no tolerable sense as here intro- 
 duced, whether we regard the tribes as 
 the persons swearing, or as those to 
 whom oaths were sworn. The other sig- 
 nification of myqaw , is seven, a heptade, 
 or what is made up of seven. It is else- 
 where literally applied only to this num- 
 ber of weeks; but in connection with 
 language so highly figurative as that of 
 our prophet in the present chapter, no 
 objection can reasonably be taken against 
 its being used otherwise than as a desig- 
 nation of time. It appears to have been 
 appropriated by him, to express the per- 
 fection, fulness, or abundance, of the 
 number, instead of the usual numeral 
 229 or F223, when employed symboli- 
 cally as a “sacred and indefinite number. 
 mu72 signifies a tribe, but also, as v2¥, 
 2 Sam. xviii. 14, a lance or spear; and 
 that the latter signification is that in 
 which Habakkuk here uses it may be 
 inferred from his using it in this accep- 
 oe in the 14th verse. Thus the Syr. 
 
 (3 . ‘vas has been variously rendered 
 
 by word, promise, epicinium, commander, 
 ete. I take it in the first of these signi- 
 fications, as specifically designating the 
 military order, or Bes of command. 
 Compare Ps. Ixviii. 12. —gk—\n> τὸ πὶ 
 “the Lord gave the sere ” ete. Thus, 
 
 sys, like the Arab. " signifies to 
 
 crder, command. The meaning of the 
 
 40 
 
 prophet will therefore be, that Jehovah 
 prepared his bow for battle, and ordered 
 numerous spears to be produced ; in other 
 words, that he brought the most formid- 
 able and effective instrumentality to bear 
 against the enemies of his people. The 
 nominative to s72" is not VS, as some 
 would construe the words, ne mn un- 
 derstood from the suffix in ‘Sn Up 
 Comp. 927923 pons ypas, Ps. Ixxviii. 
 15. Before nnn ‘supply 5 or 3; to 
 cleave into rivers. The effect of the Di- 
 vine command is sublimely represented 
 under the idea of that which is frequently 
 produced by earthquakes, when immense 
 quantities of water gush out of the fis- 
 sures, and flow like rivers through the 
 country. The whole verse is distin- 
 guished for its sublimity and beauty ; 
 and the sentiment conveyed in the two 
 first lines was regarded as so weighty that 
 anbo, Selah, or pause, is added, to give 
 time for its producing its proper effect be- 
 fore supplementing the concluding line. 
 10. The mountains being the most 
 
 ‘prominent objects on the surface of the 
 
 globe, Habakkuk reiterates, in a somewhat 
 different form, what he had expressed, 
 ver. 6, in order to preserve the impression 
 of the tremendous character of the trans- 
 actions, to illustrate which they had been 
 figuratively introduced. In the former 
 case mS4 is used of Jehovah; in this, of 
 the mountains, which are, by a bold fig- 
 ure, represented as inspired with life, and 
 capable of taking sensible cognizance of 
 the manifestations of Deity. To express 
 the instantaneous character of the effect, 
 ib-, they quaked, is put in the future. 
 The root $45 or ἘΠῚ properly signifies 
 to twist, writhe, as with pain, and is fre- 
 quently used of a woman in travail. It 
 is also employed in the sense of guaking 
 or trembling, which idea is conveyed by 
 it in this place. 
 
914 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 11 Sun and moon stood back in their habitation 
 At the light of thine arrows which flew, 
 At the glittering brightness of thy lance. 
 
 12 Indignant thou didst march through the earth ; 
 Wrathful thou didst tread down the nations. 
 
 13 Thou wentest forth for the deliverance of thy people, 
 
 « Silvarum juga coepta moveri 
 
 Adventante Deo.” Virgil, 
 tw. Dar, @ torrent of water, i. 6. an ex- 
 tremely *heavy rain, in contradistinction 
 from 743 O77, @ hail storm, 15. xxviii. 
 2. rin, elevation, is used adverbially, 
 By snot, the elongated pronominal 
 form of 3777, ts hands, is meant the 
 waves of the ocean. ὐπὸ, the ocean, 
 its antecedent, is of both genders. The 
 whole of nature is here exhibited as 
 thrown into consternation at the ap- 
 proach of God. The mountains tremble ; 
 the heavens pour down sweeping torrents 
 of rain; the sea roars, and causes its bil- 
 lows to “run mountains high.” Comp. 
 Ps. lxxvir. 17: 
 
 11. πρὶ 229 form an asyndeton, and 
 are probably so put for the sake of effect. 
 In many MSS., however, the ellipsis 
 of the ἡ is supplied. The paragogic = in 
 n ἘΞ τ isthat of direction or motion, and 
 the ‘idea which it conveys, as here used 
 with the verb ay, is not that the sun 
 and moon remained stationary in a part 
 of the firmament, which is represented 
 as their dwelling or habitation, but that 
 they stood back or withdrew into that 
 locality. It was usual with the Arabian 
 astronomers to assign houses or chambers 
 to the celestial orbs. Thus Sei . man- 
 
 sio, domus, is the name of the signs ᾿ 
 
 the Zodiac; and cat! hs, ¢ 
 
 circle of the Baie which the sun occu- 
 pies. Job, likewise, speaks of 53h “471m, 
 the chambers of the south, antithetically 
 with the northern constellations, ch. ix. 
 9; as also of τὴ 2, chap. xxxviii. 32, 
 the same as myb1a, inns or lodgings, 
 2 Kings xxiii, 5. That specific reference 
 
 is made to what is recorded Josh, x. 12, 
 is, after the Targ., very generally admit- 
 ted; but, though it were granted that 
 the event there described may have sug- 
 gested the language of the prophet, yet 
 the point of view in which he presents 
 the heavenly luminaries is altogether dif- 
 ferent. In the history, the construction 
 to be put upon their standing still or 
 being arrested in their course, is obyi- 
 ously their continuing to shine, in order 
 to afford light to Joshua, while following 
 up his victory over the enemy ; whereas, 
 in the present connection, they are sub- 
 limely introduced as retiring into their 
 abode before the brighter refulgence of 
 the arrows and lances employed in the 
 conflict. So completely were they eclipsed 
 by this refulgence, that it seemed as if 
 they had set. Schnurrer and Justi inter- 
 pret the language of their remaining in 
 their habitation, in the sense of not ris- 
 
 - ing, but the = of motion is directly 
 
 ‘opposed to such construction. The 5 in 
 mis and = ma3> is the dative of cause, as 
 in "a> t1n> rtd, “at, or owing to 
 this, my heart trembled, ” Job xxxvii. 1. 
 Supply ss before y>5m°, which is put 
 in Piel for the purpose in marking the 
 velocity of the motion of the arrows. 
 The words ἣν and #35, which are else- 
 where used of the light of the sun and 
 the moon respectively, are here trans- 
 ferred to the glitter of the weapons spec- 
 ified. 
 
 12. sy: , to march, is used of the sol- 
 emn and majestic proceeding of Jehovah 
 before the Hebrews, Judges v. 4; Ps. 
 Ixvili. 8. wins, to thresh or tread down, 
 is applied metaphorically to the destruc- 
 tion of enemies, Micah iy. 13. 
 
 15, Having described, in language of 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 315 
 
 For the deliverance of thine anointed ; 
 Thou dashedst in pieces the head of the house of the wicked, 
 Laying bare the foundation to the very neck: Pause. 
 
 the most sublime and terrible import, the 
 manifestations of Jehovah in reference to 
 his enemies, Habakkuk now proceeds to 
 specify in express terms the end which 
 they were designed to answer, viz., the 
 deliverance and safety of his chosen peo- 
 ple; and then depicts their fatal effects 
 in the destruction of every hostile power. 
 The second y3-4 is employed instead of 
 the infinitive y> 34-5 , and thus governs 
 the accusative Fu sdie—nys. These last 
 words Aq. and the author of the fifth 
 Greek version render εἰς σωτηρίον σὺν 
 Χριστῷ cov, and the Vulg. im salutem 
 |cum Christo tuo, which has led many in- 
 terpreters, both ancient and modern, to 
 refer 712, the anointed, to our Sa- 
 viour. This construction of the passage is 
 adopted even by Delitzsch, on the prin- 
 ciple that as the term here designates the 
 regal office of those who were of the 
 Davidie dynasty, and Christ is repre- 
 sented as the greatest king of that family, 
 consequently THe ANOINTED by way of 
 eminence, he is to be regarded as included 
 in the prophetic reference. By the law 
 of parallelism, however, we are compel- 
 led to identify πο}, thine anointed, 
 with 5:22, thy people, in the preceding 
 hemistich. The noun is thus a collective, 
 and is rendered in the plural by the 
 LXX. τοὺς χριστούς σου, or, as in the 
 Alex. MS., τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς cov. The 
 plural "ΤΙ" 37 is actually found in two 
 of Kennicott’s MSS., and apparently in 
 two more: in one of De Rossi’s and two 
 more originally. It is denied, indeed, by 
 Delitzsch, that n>2% , anointed, is ever 
 used of the people of Israel; and cer- 
 tainly none of the passages which have 
 usually been adduced in support of this 
 application of the term, can be fairly vin- 
 dicated to it, except, perhaps, Ps. xxviii. 
 8, where *m>z72 corresponds to 475 or 
 ΩΣ Β, according to the reading of six 
 MSS., originally three more, and the 
 
 rendering of the LXX., Syr., Vulg., 
 Arab. Still, as the Hebrews were 
 ἘΠ πΞ mobs, ὦ kingdom of priests, 
 Exod. xix. 6, they may with as much 
 propriety be said to have been anointed, 
 as the patriarchs are, 1 Chron. xvi. 22 ; 
 Ps. cv. 15. The term, as thus applied, 
 expresses their destination. The Dagesh 
 forte is found in the initial 4 of 3x5 in 
 some editions, and is one of the few in- 
 stances of its occurrence in this letter, 
 contrary to rule. Comp. 1 Sam. i. 6, 
 x. 24; 2 Kings vi. 32; Prov. iii. 8, xiv. 
 10; Song v. 2; Jer. xxxix. 12; Ezek. 
 xvi. 4. Delitzsch accounts for it on the 
 principle of the word being short, and 
 occurring after a Milel. The prepositive 
 2 in ΓΞ} intimates, that the ruler here 
 spoken of as the head, was not merely 
 over the house, which the simple con- 
 struct form would have expressed, but 
 that he sprung from it. It is most prob- 
 able that one or other of the Canaanitish 
 kings is intended ; perhaps Jabin, whose 
 city Hazor is said to have been νι, the 
 head of all the confederate kings, Josh. 
 xi, 10; and was the most formidable of 
 all the kings with whom the Hebrews 
 had to contend, Judges iv. 3,13. The 
 general sense of the concluding hemistich 
 is apparent; but considerable difficulty 
 attaches to the interpretation of =s13, 
 neck, as here connected with s4o> , foun- 
 dation. ‘This connection is so strongly 
 marked by the force of the preposition 
 =z, even to, that the former substantive 
 cannot be separated from the latter, and 
 referred to some supposable higher part 
 of the figurative building. It must, from 
 the structure of the language, describe 
 the very lowest part of the foundation, 
 or that on which the foundation itself 
 rests ; but how either of these could be 
 called the neck, it is impossible to con- 
 ceive. There is, therefore, very great 
 probability in the conjecture of Cappel- 
 
910 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Crap. III. 
 
 14 Thou piercedst with his own spears the chief of his captains, 
 That rushed on like a tempest to scatter me; 
 Whose joy it was to devour the poor in secret. 
 
 15 Thou wentest with thy horses through the sea, 
 The boiling up of many waters. 
 
 16 I heard, and my inward parts trembled, 
 
 lus, which has been approved by Herder, 
 Green, and some others, that instead of 
 “xis, neck, the text originally read “3, 
 vock, which makes all plain. Both words 
 are derived from the same root; and 
 “Nix occurs with the κα, Neh. iii. 5. All 
 the MSS. and versions support the pres- 
 ent reading. r4-» is the infinitive abso- 
 lute, which is often employed in the 
 prosecution of a statement, instead of 
 the finite form of the verb. The histor- 
 ical facts which the prophet here poeti- 
 cally describes, appear evidently to be 
 those narrated Josh. xi. ; Judges iv., in- 
 volving the complete destruction of the 
 Canaanitish nations, and more especially 
 the discomfiture of Sisera, celebrated by 
 Deborah in her splendid triumphal song, 
 Judges v. 
 
 14. After a solemn pause, marked by 
 nto, Selah, Habakkuk prosecutes his 
 subject, which still embraces the discom- 
 fiture of the enemies of Israel. "512, 
 his own spears, the same as ΤΟ » ver. 
 9. Interpreters are divided in regard to 
 the signification of "τ , or, as it is in the 
 Keri, and in the text of a great number 
 of MSS., and of four of the early edi- 
 tions, "στ Ξ. The traditionary interpre- 
 tation is that of villagers, or the inhabi- 
 tants of the country; hence hordes, 
 which Delitzsch adopts, and explains it 
 of armies or soldiers. Thus the Vulg., 
 capiti bellatorum ejus. Perschke, Ge- 
 senius, Ewald, and other moderns, how- 
 ever, derive the word from the Arab. 
 
 . segreyavit, discrevit, modum pre- 
 scripsit, statuit, ete., and explain it of 
 
 Judges, captains, ete., which appears to be 
 the more appropriate meaning. Thus the 
 
 ao 
 LXX., δυνάσται ; the Syr. Lhe. 
 
 --» 
 
 just as the former in the Vatican codex 
 render the cognate noun 44;~= , Judges 
 v. 7, 11, by δυνατοὶ, and the Ὗ ulg. by 
 Sor tes. The pronominal suffix refers to 
 von , the wicked, in the preceding verse. 
 Before 4720" supply zs. In using the 
 first personal suffix singular in the fol- 
 lowing verb, the prophet so identifies 
 himself with his people as to represent 
 what was aimed at them as designed for 
 him. Comp. ch. i. 12. The nominative 
 to ensrdy is 148, his captains. In 
 the last’ ‘hemistich, ‘the object of compar- 
 ison is the robber who lies in wait for the 
 poor defenceless traveller, and exults 
 when he sees him approach. Such was 
 the exultation of the Canaanitish chiefs 
 when the Israelites entered the country. 
 Comp. Ps. x. 8—10. 
 
 15. 579: must either be taken as an 
 αὐδυβδι ἦν absolute, as to thy horses ; or 
 it must have a 3 supplied before it. The 
 latter I have adopted as the easier mode 
 of resolving the form. ‘12h describes 
 here the boiling up or foaming of the sea 
 in astorm. The immediate connection, 
 however, shows, that what the prophet 
 has in view is not the Red Sea, but the 
 hostile army of the Canaanites, which 
 presented a furious and impenetrable as- 
 pect to the Hebrews. Through this army 
 Jehovah is represented as walking with 
 his warriors, as if a general were coolly 
 to march his cavalry through the thick- 
 est of a proud and vaunting foe, which 
 he knew would prove utterly powerless 
 in the attack. Comp. Ps. ii. 4, where 
 Jehovah is said to smile at the puny 
 attempts of his enemies. . 
 
 16. Having finished the poetic rehear- 
 sal of the mighty acts of Jehovah on 
 behalf of his people in ancient times, 
 
Cuap. IIL. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 317 
 
 At the sound my lips quivered ; 
 
 Rottenness entered my bones, 
 
 I trembled in my place: 
 
 Yet I shall have rest in the day of distress, 
 When the people that shall attack us come up. 
 17 Though the fig-tree should not blossom, 
 
 which he had composed in order to inspire 
 the pious with unshaken confidence in 
 him as their covenant God, Habakkuk 
 reverts to the fear which had seized him 
 on hearing of the judgments that were 
 inflicted upon his country by the Chal- 
 deans. “203 73971 "Mz is a varied 
 repetition of - “ANT? F220 (nny min ᾿ 
 ver. 2. Instead of there entering into a 
 description of his feelings, he broke out 
 in an earnest prayer that God would 
 exercise pity toward Israel, from which 
 there was an easy transition to the an- 
 cient Divine interpositions. He now 
 describes those feelings in very forcible 
 and affecting language. ἢ, the voice, 
 is to be referred to the Divine threatening 
 recorded chap. i. 6. The quivering of 
 the prophet’s lips is merely expressive 
 of the effect of the fear with which he 
 was seized, and has no reference to his 
 delivery of the threatening. -”nn, lit- 
 erally wnder me, i. 6. my under parts, 
 limbs, or the like. Comp. the Arab. 
 
 ᾿ξ. pars inferior. LXX. ὑποκ- 
 ἕξις μου. The 
 
 Syr. ees my knees. Jarchi and 
 
 Kimchi saipea , in my place. pitas “ΞῈ 
 has been variously rendered, “ That I may 
 rest ;” ** That I must expect ;” “Ὁ that 
 I might rest ;” ‘Yet I shall rest,” or 
 “have rest.” The last construction is 
 alone suitable. zs, which the LXX. 
 have entirely omitted, is here a conjunc- 
 tion, connecting the following clauses 
 with those which are antecedent to it, 
 but obviously intended to qualify what 
 had been there expressed. It thus forms 
 a particle of transition from one class of 
 circumstances to another of a different 
 character. See Noldius, swb voce. Deep- 
 
 dtwsév μου ἐταράχϑη ἡ 
 
 ly as the prophet was affected, and over- 
 powering as were the feelings of appre- 
 hension with which he anticipated the 
 awful calamity that was coming upon 
 his people, he did nog abandon himself to 
 despair, but, on the contrary, consoled 
 his mind with the assurance, that God, 
 in whom he trusted, would keep him in 
 perfect peace in the day of trial. Noth- 
 ing can be more uncritical than the 
 emendation of 428 into max , proposed 
 by Houbigant, the verb mis or πιὸ hav- 
 ing no such signification as that which 
 he ascribes to it. The preposition > in 
 mas pied and nity> is to be taken as 
 signifying the time when the events were 
 to happen; in ty it is the sign of the 
 genitive ; so that ¢ zd nity is equivalent 
 ἴο ἘΞ nity, the coming up of the people. 
 ‘The infinitive is the infinitive construct. 
 By the people, the Chaldeans are meant. 
 They are, as usual, said to come up, be- 
 cause of the elevated position of Jerusa- 
 lem, both in a local and a religio-political 
 point of view. Comp. 2 Kings xxiy. 1. 
 Before 427339 supply ax. The verb 
 sry, like its cognate 735 ᾿ signifies to cut, 
 or break im upon an enemy, attack. 
 Hence the substantive 7373, a troop or 
 band of warriors, chiefly used of such as 
 engage in plundering expeditions. It is 
 the very term employed in the account 
 given us of the fulfilment of the proph- 
 ecy, 2 Kings xxiv. 2; “ And the Lord 
 sent against him essys5 -1a7a—ns, 
 the bands of the Chaldeans,” etc. | 
 
 17, 18. From a statement of the as- 
 surance which he possessed of the mental 
 tranquillity which he should enjoy dur- 
 ing the anticipated calamity, Habakkuk 
 rises to a triumphant assertion of the 
 holy joy and exultation which would be 
 
918 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 Cuar. III. 
 
 And there should be no produce on the vines ; 
 Though the fruit of the olive should fail, 
 
 And the fields should yield no food; 
 
 Though the flocks should be cut off from the fold, 
 And there should be no cattle in the stalls: 
 
 18 Yet I will exult in Jehovah ; 
 
 I will be joyful in the God of my. salvation. 
 19 Jehovah the Lord is my strength; 
 He will make my feet like those of gazelles, 
 
 vouchsafed to him amidst all the desola- 
 tion to which his country might be sub- 
 jected. The desolation here so graphi- 
 cally and forcibly described, is that which 
 was to be effected by the Chaldeans, 
 whose army would consume or destroy 
 the best and most necessary productions 
 of the land; not only seizing upon the 
 eattle,.and devouring the fruits of the 
 earth, but so injuring the trees as to ren- 
 der them incapable of yielding any pro- 
 duce. The passage contains the most 
 beautiful exhibition of the power of true 
 religion to be found in the Bible. The 
 language is that of a mind weaned from 
 earthly enjoyments, and habituated to 
 find the highest fruition of its desires in 
 God. When every earthly stream is 
 dried up, it has an infinite supply in his 
 all-sufficient and exhaustless fulness. No 
 affliction, however severe or trying, can 
 cut the believer off from this blessed re- 
 source. On the contrary, its tendency is 
 to bring him into closer contact with it. 
 τι 272 is not the Jabor bestowed upon the 
 olive-tree, but the Sruit which the tree 
 produces. Comp. the phrase »—5 nee, 
 to make or produce fruit. The irregular 
 construction of the singular masculine 
 miz2 with the feminine plural τῆ 
 is to be accounted for on the principle, 
 that in the mind of the prophet both 
 number and gender had merged in the 
 totality and impressiveness of his subject. 
 Comp. bax ΓΘ 9, Is. xvi. 8. It is 
 what is commonly called, constructio ad 
 sensum. Some would refer ΣΙ 9 to 
 an obsolete root 633, which they take 
 
 to be cognate with 13, to burn; but it 
 seems preferable to regard it as a deriva- 
 tive like -7z, both signifying a smooth 
 or level field, such as was prepared for 
 grain or vines: from “10 , to break, and 
 “12, to be level, as ground is which is 
 broken up and levelled by the plough, the 
 hoe, and the harrow. τὰ is here used in- 
 transitively, and is equivalent to the Ni- 
 phal -333. m= stands for xbav , just 
 as τιτὴ Ὁ for sin, and npn for $ SOP 
 or mxwp- The root is nba , do shut up, 
 confine. ΤΑΣ and mb-sx are syno- 
 nymes in the elongated future— the + 
 directive expressing the strong bent of the 
 mind towards the exercise. The words 
 ἜΣΘ. smtsa are rendered in the Vulg. 
 in Deo Jesu meo! The LXX. have ἐπὶ 
 τῷ Θεῷ τῷ σωτῆρί μου. 
 
 19. The formula ss man » instead 
 of mint "TaN, is of infrequent oceur- 
 rence, Comp. Ps, Ixviii. 21, exl. 8. The 
 language of this verse is found in Ps, 
 Xvili. 33, 34; and in part, Deut. xxxii. 
 133 Is. ly. 14. Τί expresses the con- 
 fident hope that Jehovah would prove 
 the support and defenee of the prophet, 
 and of all who made Him the object of 
 their trust, and that he would grant them 
 complete deliverance from their enemies, 
 and restore them to the full and undis- 
 turbed possession of their own land. 
 mba δ, the gazelle, is so swift-footed, that 
 grey-hounds are liable to be killed by 
 over-exertion in the chase. "55, my 
 high places, stands for “Στ riya, the 
 heights of my country. Except for 
 purposes of warfare, the elevated parts 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 319 
 
 And cause me to walk on my heights. 
 To the precentor, with my stringed instruments. 
 
 of a land are the last that are occupied. 
 The present is the only instance in which 
 a musical direction is placed at the end 
 of a psalm or ode. m3%%, which oc- 
 curs fifty-five times in the titles to the 
 Psalms, is derived from the root 533 , to 
 overcome, excel, take the lead, direct,super- 
 intend, preside, etc. It is used in refer- 
 ence to the prefects or overseers, whom 
 Solomon appointed over the workmen, 2 
 Chron. ii. 2, 18; and specially of the 
 masters or directors of the music em- 
 ployed in the temple, 1 Chron. xv. 21; 
 Neh. xii. 42. By the LXX. m2} is 
 almost always rendered εἰς τὸ τέλος ; Aq. 
 τῷ γικοποιῷ § Symm. ἐπινίκιον ; Theod. 
 εἰς τὸ νίκος ; Targ. nnag$. In 2 Chron. 
 ii. 17, however, the LXX. render the 
 noun by ἐργοδιώκτης, and ver. 1, and 
 xxxiv. 13, by ἐπιστάτης. The form is 
 that of the participle in Piel, the  tak- 
 ing the Patach of the article— a circum- 
 stance which shows that it cannot be, as 
 some have supposed, an infinitive. 72733 
 (from 432, 742, to strike the strings, 
 play on a stringed instrument, and then, 
 generally, to perform either vocal or in- 
 strumental music, but chiefly the latter) 
 
 signifies what is thus performed : music, 
 melody, song, and also the stringed in- 
 struments with which it was accompan- 
 ied. The preposition 3 is that of accom- 
 paniment. Delitzsch infers from the use 
 of the affix in "njo-a2, my music, that 
 the prophet himself was to take an 
 active part in the performance of it ; and 
 further, from this circumstance, that he 
 was of the tribe of Levi, and engaged in 
 carrying on the temple music, But these 
 inferences cannot be sustained, since, if 
 the reasoning were valid, it would equally 
 prove that Hezekiah must have belonged 
 to that tribe, and been thus officially en- 
 gaged: for he uses the very same form: 
 sm42"33 , * my stringed instruments,” Is, 
 xxxviii. 20. On what ground either the 
 prophet or the king claimed these instru- 
 ments, it is impossible to determine. The 
 conjecture of Schnurrer, that 742742 Was 
 originally »m3>,>, and that the termina- 
 tion *n— is merely paragogic asin "m4, 
 is overturned by the fact, that this para- 
 gogic form is never found except when 
 the word in which it appears is in the 
 construct state, 
 
ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Au that we know of Zephaniah is furnished by the title to his book, in 
 which it is stated that he was the son of Cushi, grandson of Gedaliah, great 
 grandson of Amariah, and great great grandson of Hezekiah. Asin no other 
 instance do we find the pedigree of a prophet carried so far back, it has not 
 unfairly been inferred that he belonged to a family of considerable respecta- 
 bility.* Whether, however, the Hezekiah there mentioned were the king of 
 that name, or some other person of note so called, cannot be determined 
 with certainty. The circumstance that the words, “ king of Judah,” are not 
 added to the proper name, rather militates against the position that he was 
 descended from that monarch, since this addition always occurs when pri- 
 mary reference is made to any of the Jewish kings; and, what is specially to 
 the present point, when such reference is made to Hezekiah. See Prov. xxv. 
 1; Is. xxxvur. 9. The number of generations also forms an objection 
 against the hypothesis, since it is scarcely possible to make room for them in 
 the short space of time which elapsed between Hezekiah and Josiah. 
 
 As our prophet is stated, chap. i. 1, to have received his prophecies in the 
 days of Josiah, he must have flourished between the years B. c. 642, and B. c. 
 611. This statement is corroborated by certain circumstances in the book 
 itself, For instance, he predicts the fall of Nineveh, and the overthrow of 
 the Assyrian empire ; consequently he must have prophesied prior to the year 
 B. C. 625, when these events took place; i. e., in the former half of the reign 
 of Josiah. The mention, too, of the destruction of “ the remnant of Baal,” 
 chap. i. 4, evidently implies, that the abolition of idolatry had been carried 
 on to a considerable extent, but had not yet been completed. Now this ex- 
 actly tallies with the state of things in Judah from the twelfth to the eigh- 
 teenth year of Josiah ; for though this monarch began, in the former of these 
 years, to effect a reformation, it was not till the latter that it was prosecuted 
 with more successful results. If, therefore, we suppose that Zephaniah de- 
 livered his predictions between these two terms, we shall not be wide of the 
 mark. To the objection, that no mention is made of him or his labors in the 
 historical books, which we might expect on the ground of the valuable ser- 
 vice he must have rendered to the zealous monarch, it is sufficient to reply, 
 
 * Οὐκ ἄσημος dv τὸ κατὰ σάρκα γένος. --- Cyril, Pref. ad Zeph, 
 
PREFACE TO ZEPHANIAH. 991 
 
 that the same objection would lie against the prophetical existence of Jere- 
 miah at the same period, though we know that he then flourished at Jerusa- 
 lem, under the very eye of his sovereign. The mention made of “ the king’s 
 sons,” chap. i. 8, cannot be urged in favor of a later date; for it is altogether 
 uncertain whether we are not to understand by the phrase the princes of the 
 royal house generally, or such of the royal children as should be alive at the 
 time of the fulfilment of the prophecy. The connection and manner in 
 which they are introduced favor the latter construction. 
 
 The predictions contained in the book are chiefly directed against the Jews, 
 on account of their idolatry, and other sins of which they were guilty. The 
 awful judgments to be executed upon them and the neighboring nations by the 
 Chaldeans are denounced with great force and effect. Hitzig, indeed, has re- 
 cently revived the opinion advocated by Cramer and Eichhorn, that the inva- 
 sion of these countries by the Scythians, about the year B. c. 630, whose incur- 
 sion into Western Asia is described by Herodotus, i. 102, is what the prophet 
 has in his eye ; but the Jews appear to have been so little affected by their pro- 
 gress, that it by no means corresponds to that of the enemy described by 
 Zephaniah, in the course of which not only Judea, but the adjacent countries 
 were to be entirely laid waste. His predictions received their accomplish- 
 ment during the successes of Nebuchadnezzar. Towards the close of the 
 book the restoration and prosperity of the Jewish people are introduced. 
 
 In respect to style, Zephaniah is not distinguished either for sublimity or 
 elegance. His rhythm frequently’sinks down into a kind of prose ; but many 
 of the censures that have been passed upon his language are either without 
 foundation, or much exaggerated. In point of purity it rivals that of any of | 
 the prophets. He has much in common with his contemporary Jeremiah, and 
 some, after Isidore, have regarded him as his abbreviator. A careful com- 
 parison of the two, however, proves the futility of this hypothesis. Occa- 
 sionally he borrows the language of former prophets. Comp. chap. ii. 14, 
 with 15. xiii. 21, xxxiv. 11; chap. ii. 15, with Is. xlii. 8, 
 
 41 
 
CHAPTER? τς" 
 
 ᾿ 
 ΤΗῊῈ prophet begins by announcing the universality of the judgments which God was about 
 to bring upon the land, 2, 3; specifies the different classes of transgressors whose conduct 
 had merited the infliction of these judgments, 4—6; and calls attention to the speedy ap- 
 proach, and the features of the period of punishment, which he intermingles with further 
 descriptions of the character of the ungodly, 7—13. He then dwells upon the awfully 
 calamitous nature of the visitation, and points out the impossibility of escape, 14—18. 
 
 1 ‘xe word of Jehovah which was communicated to Zephaniah 
 the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the 
 son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of 
 
 Judah : 
 
 2 I will utterly take away everything from the face of the land, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 3 I will take away man and beast ; 
 I will take away the birds of heaven, and the fishes of the sea, 
 And the cause of stumbling along with the wicked ; 
 And I will cut off man from the face of the land, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 4 1 will also stretch forth my hand against Judah, 
 
 1. See the Preface. * 
 
 2, 3. 958, which is variously em- 
 ployed in Scripture in the sense of gath- 
 ering, collecting, etc., is here used, as in 
 Jud. xviii. 25; 1 Sam. xv. 6; Ps. xxvi. 
 9; Ezek. xxxiv. 29, to denote the taking 
 away by death, or other violent means ; 
 to destroy. Thus Jarchi, 1589 47739, 
 its signification is destruction.’ What 
 clearly shows this, is the use of the cog- 
 nate verb 510, to scrape, or sweep off, in 
 the form 5°>s=5os , which the Rabbi 
 just mentioned erroneously takes to be 
 the Hiphil of 50s, by elision for goss. 
 The latter verb is never used in Hiphil ; 
 but the same combination of the two 
 verbs in the infinitive and finite forms 
 occurs Jer. viii, 13, Cp"ox gts. Com- 
 pare for similar usage ywat wiry, Is. 
 xxviii. 28; ssn S32 , Jer. xlix. 9. The 
 enumeration of particulars i is designed to 
 augment the fearful and universal char- 
 acter of the punishment. => 2273 does 
 
 not appear to differ in this connection 
 from S432, @ stumbling block, cause of 
 moral offence, what occasions, excites to, 
 
 or promotes sin, Syr. tia ees Symm. 
 τὰ σκάνδαλα. ‘There can be no doubt 
 that the different objects and rites of idol- 
 atrous worship are what the prophet has 
 inview. Thus Jarchi, niny nimay tr. 
 The repetition of Ὁ πὶ shows the proph- 
 ecy had special reference to human be-" 
 ings, as the guilty party. The particle 
 nx before p>» Ὁ has the signification of 
 with, together ‘with, thus denoting accom- 
 paniment. Comp. Jud. i. 16. The idols 
 and their worshippers were to be involved 
 in one common destruction. Newcome 
 improperly renders ms as a sign of the 
 genitive. 
 
 4. To stretch forth the hand against 
 any one, means not merely to threaten, 
 but to exert one’s power to his injury. 
 my Bipan, this place, means Jerusa- 
 
\ 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 323 
 
 And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; 
 
 And will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, 
 
 The name of the idolatrous with that of the other priests; 
 5 And those that worship the host of heaven on the roofs, 
 
 And those that worship and swear to Jehovah, 
 
 And swear by their king ; 
 
 lem. By yan =sv, the remnant, or 
 rest of Baal, we are to understand the 
 statues, images, etc, dedicated to the chief 
 domestic and tutelary god of the Phceni- 
 cians, to whose worship the Hebrews were 
 addicted as early as the time of the Judg- 
 es (ii. 13), and among whom it afterwards 
 spread more and more, especially in the 
 ten tribes. Altars and high places were 
 reared to this deity by Manasseh, even in 
 the temple of Jehovah itself, 2 Kings 
 xxi. 8, 5,7; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 3,7. These 
 Josiah destroyed in the reformation which 
 he undertook in the twelfth year of his 
 reign, 2 Chron. xxxiy. 4; but it appears 
 from this passage of our prophet, com- 
 pared with 2 Chron. xxxiv. 8, that idols 
 continued to be worshipped, most prob- 
 ably in places which were more remote 
 from public observation, or which had 
 been formed after the destruction of the 
 others, and the cessation of the reforma- 
 tion referred to. Marckius and Gesen- 
 ius interpret the phrase tyan “ws, of 
 the people of Baal, but this seems less 
 probable. The phrase corresponds to 
 n$z>% in the preceding verse, and is 
 in like manner immediately followed by 
 the ns of accompaniment, pointing out 
 the persons that encouraged ney For 
 axw the LXX., who have τὰ ὀνόματα, 
 must have read ΤΑ , or they may have 
 been misled by the Dw following. ow, 
 however, is found in two of Kennicott’s 
 MSS., and in the margin of another. 
 Upwards of twenty MSS., four ancient 
 editions, and all the versions read ἘΦ ms 
 instead of py mx. For pan, the 
 idolatrous priests, see on Hos. x. 5. Both 
 in the ancient and in the latter Hebrew, 
 the term 475 is used of the priests of 
 idols, as well as of those belonging to 
 
 Jehovah. See Gen. xli. 45, 50 ; 1 Kings 
 ΧΙ, 2, 33; 2 Kings x. 19, xi. 18. It 
 may to some appear doubtful whether the 
 former be not here intended ; but as such 
 are undeniably included in the 525, 
 it is more probable that in using the term 
 72", the prophet had in his eye those 
 who were professedly priests of the true 
 God, but who, instead of checking, or 
 endeavoring to eradicate idolatry, encour- 
 aged it by their indifference, or the incon- 
 sistency of their conduct in other respects. 
 Comp. Jer. ii. 8, v.31. The Targ. ren- 
 ders 7477252 BY amd, their wor- 
 shippers with their priests. Neither were 
 he left in the land by the Chaldeans, 
 Their very names were to be forgotten. 
 5. Having directed his prophecy against 
 the priests, the prophet now denounces 
 those of the people who indulged in idol- 
 atrous practices. He first takes up those 
 who were the votaries of Sabiism, or the 
 worship of the heavenly bodies: a sys- 
 tem which had, at an early period, be- 
 come extensively prevalent, and contin- 
 ued to exert its influence, not only over 
 the nomades of Arabia, but over the 
 philosophers and wise men of the East; 
 but which, in whatever form or degree it 
 obtained, had the lamentable effect of 
 deifying the creature, and obscuring the 
 existence, claims, and glory of the Crea- 
 tor. That it was adopted, and its rites 
 practise to a great extent by the Jews, 
 appears from 2 Kings xxiii. 5, 6; Jer. 
 vii. 17, 18, xliv. 17—19, 25. The nha, 
 roofs or house-tops, in the East are flat, 
 and are used for various purposes. The 
 idolaters may have chosen them for se- 
 crecy in the time of the prophet, or they 
 may have selected them for the purpose 
 of obtaining a fuller view of the plane- 
 
324 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. 1. 
 
 6 And those that have turned back from Jehovah, 
 And that neither seek Jehovah nor apply to him. 
 7 Keep silence before the Lord Jehovah, 
 For the day of Jehovah is near; 
 For Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, 
 He hath consecrated those whom he hath invited. 
 8. And it shall come to pass on the day of Jehovah’s sacrifice, 
 That I will punish the princes and the king’s sons, 
 And all that wear foreign apparel. 
 
 tary objects of their worship. Jer. xix. 
 13, xxxii. 29. The planet to which they 
 specially burnt incense on the roofs of 
 their houses is supposed to have been the 
 Moon, or it was more probably Venus, 
 called pva3 nob, “the Queen of 
 heaven,” Jer. Vil. 17, 18, 19, 25. The 
 prophet next instances a mongrel class 
 of worshippers, such as professed attach- 
 ment to Jehovah, as the national God, 
 but, at the same time, were devoted to the 
 service of Moloch, whom in reality, they 
 regarded and honored as their king. For 
 the forms 557, bad, Osta, ἘΞΞΈὩ, 
 see on ἡ ας v. 26, and Gesenius under 
 the word 53:2. Instead of immediately 
 connecting these opposite objects of wor- 
 ship with the participle p»inmvn , as 
 he had done in the preceding clause, 
 Zephaniah stops short, as if uncertain 
 how to describe the persons whom he had 
 in view, and then proceeds to characterize 
 them as combining, by acts of solemn 
 profession, the worship of the true God 
 with that of Moloch. Comp. 1 Kings 
 xviii. 21. 3 323, 20 swear by a deity, 
 means to acknowledge him in a public, 
 solemn, and binding manner ; openly to 
 pledge one’s self to his service. 
 
 6. This verse is more comprehensive 
 in its import, being descriptive of all who 
 were in any way guilty of defection from 
 Jehovah, and lived in total neglect of 
 him and his ways. 
 
 7. For 0°28 Om, comp. Hab. ii. 20 ; 
 Zech. ii, 13. In the symbolical lan- 
 guage of prophecy, a sacrifice denotes 
 the slaughter or destruction of an army 
 or people. In the words xp op, 
 
 he hath consecrated his called ones, how- 
 ever, there is no allusion to guests invited 
 to partake of a sacrificial feast, as there 
 unquestionably is Ezek. xxxix. 17—20; 
 Rev. xix. 17, 18. The orxvp, called 
 ones, were the Chaldeans, who, as the 
 Divine army, or the instruments of his 
 retributive justice, were called into the 
 field against the enemies of the Most 
 High. In this sense Cyrus is said to 
 have been called, Is. xli. 9, xlviii. 15. 
 Comp. also Is. xiii. 3, and my note there, 
 in which Jap , ¢o sanctify, consecrate, is 
 explained of the selection of troops for 
 war, and the religious rites engaged in 
 when they set out upon the military ex- 
 pedition, 
 
 8. That by the phrase yb%2n 555» 
 the sons of the king, we are to ἜΣ Ξ ἢ 
 the immediate children of Josiah, does 
 not appear. He could not have had sons 
 of an age sufficiently mature at the time 
 the prophet uttered his prediction, to 
 allow of their contracting guilt to such a 
 degree as that which the connection nec- 
 essarily requires; for he could not him- 
 self have been above seventeen years old. 
 It may either mean the princes of the 
 royal house generally, or the children of 
 the king who should be on the throne at 
 the time of the accomplishment of the 
 prophecy. That the latter supposition is 
 the more probable, appears from 2 Kings 
 xxv. 7, where it is stated, that the king 
 of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah 
 before his eyes. By those that wore for- 
 eign attire, the prophet means the rich 
 and great generally, who, in violation of 
 an express ordinance relative to national 
 
Cuap, J. 
 
 ZEPHAN 
 
 IAH. 320 
 
 91 will also punish all who leap over the threshold in that day, 
 Who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit. 
 
 10 
 
 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith Jehovah, 
 
 That there shall be the sound of crying from the fish-gate, 
 And of wailing from the second, 
 And of great destruction from the hills. 
 11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the Mortar ! 
 For all the people of Canaan are destroyed ; 
 All who are laden with money are cut off. 
 
 costume, which was designed to preserve 
 them distinct from other people, Numb. 
 xy. 37—40, arrayed themselves in the 
 more costly and gorgeous garb of idola- 
 ters, and thus more easily mixed with 
 them in the performance of their idola- 
 trous rites. 
 
 9. Because the priests of Dagon ab- 
 stained from treading on the threshold of 
 his temple, 1 Sam. v. 5, it has been by 
 some inferred that Zephaniah alludes 
 here to some such superstitious custom 
 as Si by the Jews. Thus the Targ. 
 "ynsde "2525 P2>m7 89. all who 
 walk in Fhe laws of the Philistines. But 
 this construction has little to support it 
 beyond the simple occurrence of the word 
 WAR, threshold, in both passages; for 
 in Samuel it is merely said, s2977 Nb — 
 Wist yn= , “ they tread or walk not over 
 the threshold of Dagon ;” whereas the lan- 
 guage of the prophet, yrbwn—by sthan, 
 ‘‘ him that leapeth over the threshold,” is 
 expressive of a more violent action ; and 
 as the parallel hemistich shows, charac- 
 terizes the eagerness with which the ser- 
 vants of the great rushed out of their 
 palaces in order to seize upon the property 
 of others, and thereby increase the wealth 
 of their masters. If we may apply the 
 signification of the cognate word in Arab. 
 
 ᾧ, principio, or sub finem noctis iter 
 fecit, we should interpret the term as 
 denoting their setting out on their pred- 
 atory expeditions under cloud of night. 
 Thus, as to the general sense, the Syr. 
 
 oo > 
 
 7.515 Ἰϑωλὰ oad: all who com- 
 
 mit violence and plunder. Kimchi ex- 
 plains the word of their forcibly entering 
 the houses of the poor, and robbing them 
 of their goods. 
 
 10, 11. These verses describe the state 
 of Jerusalem when besieged by Nebu- 
 chadnezzar. pan ἜΣΘ, the fish-gate, 
 occurs 2 Chron. xxxiii. 14; Neh, iii. 3, 
 xii. 39; but there is nothing in these 
 passages by which we can determine its 
 exact position. From the name it might 
 be inferred, that it was situated either on 
 the north or the north-east side of the 
 city, that being the direction from which 
 those would arrive who brought fish from 
 Tiberias and the Jordan, and corresponded 
 to what isnow called the Damascus Gate, 
 or to that of St. Stephen. It was from 
 this side, being that which was most ac- 
 cessible, that Jerusalem was attacked by 
 the enemy. That 3272 , the second, is 
 not to be referred to’ ΣΦ » gate, as its 
 antecedent, but to “155, city, understood, 
 appears from Neh. xi. 9, where we have 
 in full 53% 270 IT, the second city, i. 6. 
 the second division of the city. Ewald 
 renders the word by Neustadt, «« New- 
 town.” In all probability it was what 
 was afterwards called Akra, or the lower 
 city, which lay to the north of the an- 
 cient city on Mount Zion, and was sep- 
 
 ’ arated from it by the Tyropccon, a valley 
 
 which ran down between them to the 
 present pool of Siloam. In our common 
 version the word is improperly rendered 
 college, 2 Kings xxii. 14, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 
 22, after the interpretation of the Rab- 
 bins. The nhyaa , λύζίβ, here mentioned, 
 were not those around the city, such as 
 
990 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 12 And it shall come to pass at that time 
 That I will search Jerusalem with lights, 
 And punish the men who are hardened on their lees, 
 
 Who say in their hearts, 
 
 Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do eyil. 
 13 And their wealth shall become a spoil, 
 
 And their houses a desolation ; 
 
 They may build houses, but they shall not inhabit them, 
 And plant vineyards, but they shall not drink the wine of them. 
 14 The great day of Jehovah is near ; 
 
 the Mount of Olives, the Mount of Evil 
 Counsel, etc., but Zion, Moriah, Ophel, 
 and other elevated localities within the 
 walls, occupied by the temple, the royal 
 palace, and the houses of the richer por- 
 tion of the inhabitants. The prophet 
 graphically represents the progress of the 
 Chaldeans, from the gate at which they 
 entered, into the second division of the 
 city, until they had ultimately taken 
 possession of the whole, and destroyed 
 the principal buildings. This destruction 
 is very appropriately expressed by the 
 noun “2%, from 7318 , to break, break in 
 pieces, 2 Kings xxv. 4, 8, 9. ono is 
 not a proper name, as the article prefixed 
 shows, but an appellative, signifying mor- 
 tar, from on>, to bray, pound. See 
 Proy. xxvii. 22. It appears to have been 
 applied, from its resemblance to that ves- 
 sel, to one or other of the valleys in or 
 about Jerusalem. Theod. ἐν τῷ βάϑει. 
 Aq. εἰς τὸν ὅλμον. According to the 
 Targum, 4:97p7 sdm3a, it was that 
 through which the brook Kidron flows. 
 Others think it was the Tyropceon, the 
 locality of the bazaars, where the mer- 
 chants carried on their business. From 
 what follows in the verse, the latter is 
 most probably the true interpretation. It 
 is thought by some that the term was 
 purposely chosen by the prophet, on ac- 
 count of its resemblance in sound to 
 wap, ὦ holy place, and that Jerusalem 
 itself is meant ; but this word is exclusive- 
 ly appropriated to the tabernacle, or tem- 
 ple, and other sacred places, and never to 
 the city, though it is called 37m ὍΣ» 
 
 the Holy City, just as it is still known 
 in the East by the names ode], 
 
 El-Kuds, and Δ] crag, Beit- 
 el- Mukeddes, of similar signification. By 
 4222 pz, the people of Canaan, the 
 prophet does not mean the inhabitants 
 of Canaan generally, nor Pheenician mer- 
 chants in particular, who carried on trade 
 with those of Jerusalem, but ironically 
 the Jerusalem merchants themselves, wha 
 not only resembled the former in their 
 modes of acquiring gain, but adopted 
 their idolatrous manners and customs. 
 See on Hos. xii. 8. 
 
 12, The Divine judgments were to 
 reach those who practised wickedness in 
 the most hidden places, and in the most 
 covert manner, This is metaphorically 
 expressed by searching out with lights 
 what is concealed in the. dark. The 
 metaphor following is taken from the 
 firm crust which is formed on the surface 
 of fermented liquors when they have 
 been long left in an undisturbed state. 
 NEP, signifies, ¢o contract, become con- 
 erete, hard, etc., and strikingly expresses 
 the hardened state of the rich who have 
 settled down into infidelity and atheism. 
 Comp. Jer. xlviii, 11. Their practical 
 denial of a superintending and govern- 
 ing providence is expressed in so many 
 words at the end of the verse. 
 
 It is here implied that those of whom 
 the prophet speaks would go on building 
 and planting till the judgment of God 
 overtook them, and deprived them of all 
 their property. Comp. Matt. xxiv. 38, 39. 
 
 14. πὴ is not the participle in Piel, 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 15 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 327 
 
 Tt is near and hasteth greatly ; 
 
 The sound of the day of Jehovah: 
 There the mighty man shrieketh bitterly. 
 That day is a day of indignation, 
 
 A day of trouble and distress, 
 
 A day of desolation and ruin, 
 
 A day of darkness and gloom, 
 
 A day of clouds and obscurity ; 
 
 16 
 Against the fortified cities, 
 And against the lofty towers. 
 
 ΤΊ 
 
 A day of the trumpet and the war-shout, 
 
 And I will bring trouble upon men, 
 
 So that they shall walk as the blind ; 
 Because they have sinned against Jehovah, 
 Their blood shall be poured out as dust, 
 - And their flesh shall be as dung. 
 
 18 
 Shall be able to rescue them 
 
 Neither their silver nor their gold 
 
 In the day of Jehovah’s indignation ; 
 But the whole land shall be consumed 
 
 By the fire of his jealousy: 
 
 For a consummation altogether sudden will he make 
 
 . 
 
 with the affirmative Mem rejected, but 
 the infinitive of the same conjugation, 
 used as an abbreviated form of 4773 
 —ma2. 2, bitter, is here used adver- 
 bially. So irresistible should be the at- 
 tack of the Chaldeans, that the Jewish 
 warrior would be compelled to abandon 
 himself to shrieks of hopeless grief. 
 
 15, 16. A beautiful amplification, for 
 the purpose of aggravating the character 
 of the calamity. Passages somewhat 
 similar occur in the prophets, but none 
 equal to this. sp4ys722 ΤΣ » as well as 
 παρα 9.25. my, are instances of parono- 
 masia, Comp. Job xy. 24, xxx. 3, 
 xxxvili, 27. min bani nize form a 
 Hendiadys, and describe the high towers 
 or turrets, at the angles of fortified walls, 
 Gesenius assumes an obsolete root 425, 
 to separate, divide into classes, as that 
 from which M25, a turret, is derived ; but 
 
 there is no occasion to depart from its 
 usual derivation from the Piel of mss, 
 to cause to turn. It thus signifies what 
 is at the turning, corner, or angle of a 
 building, and that whether at the top 
 or the bottom. ‘Tacitus, describing the 
 walls of Jerusalem, says: “ Per artem 
 obliquos et introrsum sinuatos, ut latera 
 oppugnantium ad ictus, patescerent.” 
 Hist. lib. v. cap. 11, § 5. 
 
 17. mind, or, as in some MSS. and 
 
 editions, pnd » flesh. Arab. as, caro. 
 
 Root pnd, to eat. 550 may, by zeugma, 
 be made to govern praind as wellas Ὁ)21, 
 but it is preferable to supply the substan- 
 tive verb after Ὁ ΓΞ. For the latter 
 figure, comp. Job xx. 7. 
 
 18. ex—t3, also—also, meaning 
 both the one and the other. As here 
 with a negative, nevther—nor. “ Fire” 
 
328 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 Of all the inhabitants of the land. 
 
 is often used figuratively to denote war, 
 
 16, xxvi. 11. ‘53 is to be taken in the 
 
 because of its devastating effects. Is. x. sense of wholly, entirely, altogether. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A solemn admonition is now given to the Jewish people to repent during the short space 
 of time that would be allotted to them before the Chaldean invasion, 1, 2; followed by 
 an exhortation to the pious to persevere in their devotedness to God, and the interests 
 of righteousness, 3. The prophet then proceeds to foretell the destruction of those nations 
 
 which had always been hostile to the Jews, as the Philistines, 
 
 7; the Moabites and 
 
 Ammonites, 8—10; parenthetically, the idols of the nations, 11; the Ethiopians, 12; and 
 
 the Assyrians, 13—15. 
 
 
 
 1 Benn yourselves, and be ye bent, 
 
 O nation not desired ! 
 
 2 Before the birth of the decree ; 
 The day passeth away as chaff; 
 
 Before there come upon you the burning anger of Jehovah; 
 Before there come upon you the day of anger of Jehovah. 
 
 ‘1. aphpa sévipnn , the Hithpolel and 
 Kal conjugations joined for the sake of 
 intensity. Comp. Is. xxiv. 19. The 
 words have been variously rendered. 
 LXX. συνάχϑητε καὶ συνδέϑητε. Vulg. 
 convenite et congregamini. De Wette, 
 priifet euch, ja priifet. Gesenius, collect 
 yourselves and be ye collected; i. e. col- 
 lect your thoughts, look into your own 
 mind, prove yourselves; thus agreeing 
 with De Wette, after the interpretation 
 of Pagninus, Vatablus, Cocceius, and 
 others. Ewald, erbleichet und bleichet. 
 Most refer to 3¢7 as the root, which sig- 
 nifies in Poel to collect stubble, wood, etc. ; 
 but it is never used with respect to human 
 beings. I prefer deriving it from 4p, 
 to bend, be bent. Arab. ω» 3. I. incur- 
 vavit arcus more ; incurvatus fuit senex. 
 Hence mzp, @ bow, from its being bent. 
 
 Bend yourselves, and be ye bent, will then 
 be the proper rendering. Comp. the use 
 of Hnw, to bow down, Is. lx. 14. The 
 prophet calls the Jews to deep humility 
 before God on account of their manifold 
 sins. Because 52> signifies to be pale, 
 Gesenius renders the words xb “435 
 Fo=2, O nation not ashamed! but 5 
 never denotes to be pale from a feeling 
 of shame, but as the effect of desire, the 
 verb everywhere else expressing the idea 
 of pining, longing, being intensely desir- 
 ous of any object. The phrase 55> x3, 
 not desired, is here used by litotes for 
 abominated, hated. 
 
 2. The Divine decree or purpose of 
 punishment announced in the preceding 
 chapter, is here tropically represented as 
 a pregnant female near the time of her 
 delivery. The words £55 “23 7 }%2>, as 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 3 Seek ye Jehovah, all ye humble of the land, 
 Who perform his judgments ; 
 Seek righteousness, seek humility, 
 If perhaps ye may be hid 
 In the day of the anger of Jehovah. 
 For Gaza shall be forsaken, 
 And Askelon a desolation ; 
 As for Ashdod, they shall drive her out at noon-day, 
 And Ekron shall be rooted up. 
 
 329 
 
 5 Woe to the inhabitants of the line of the sea! 
 
 The nation of Kerethites! 
 
 The word of Jehovah is against you; 
 O Canaan! the land of the Philistines, 
 I will destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. 
 
 chaff the day passeth, do not refer to the 
 coming of the period of calamity, but 
 the rapid lapse of the time of repentance. 
 The image of chaff is always used of 
 that which flies quickly away, never of 
 what comes to any one. They are in- 
 troduced parenthetically. The sentence 
 min? ys Fog ἘΞ» share} equa 
 is wanting in six of Kennicott’s MSS., 
 
 probably in two more, and originally i τ 
 eight of De Rossi’s. It is also omitted in 
 the Arabic version. The declaration, with 
 the trifling change of a single word, is 
 properly repeated for the sake of emphasis. 
 
 3. The prophet here addresses himself 
 to the afflicted and humble among his 
 people, from whom some hope of a better 
 state of things might be expected. 
 rendered perhaps, is not intended to ex- 
 press a doubt respecting the safety of the 
 pious, but the extreme difficulty of escap- 
 ing the threatened judgment. The poor 
 of the land were left by Nebuzar-adan 
 to be vine-dressers and husbandmen. 2 
 Kings xxv. 12, 
 
 4, The connective force of the particle 
 “> , for, with which this verse commen- 
 ces, lies in the universality of the calam- 
 ity which was about to come, not upon 
 the Jews only, but upon all the nations 
 with which they had been brought into 
 contact. ‘There would be no country to 
 
 42 
 
 soon, 
 
 which they might flee for safety, for all 
 were to be visited by the Chaldeans. For 
 the cities of the Philistines here specified, 
 see on the parallel prophecy, Amos i. 
 6—8; and Is. xx. 1. prans , the me- 
 ridian or noon, being the hottest part of 
 the day, is generally spent by the Orien- 
 tals in sleep, and is the less likely time 
 for any military operations to be carried 
 on. 2 Sam. iv. 5; Jer. vi. 4, xv. 8. 
 
 The paronomasias, 73332 773 and PP 
 “pen, are not to be overlooked. 
 
 5. This and the two following verses 
 contain an amplification of the predic- 
 tion against the Philistines. Ἐ5π tan, 
 LXX. τὸ σχοίνισμα τῆς ϑαλάσσης, the line 
 of the sea, i. e. the region or coast along 
 the sea-shore, and so called from the 
 custom of using a cord or line in meas- 
 uring off or dividing a territory. Comp. 
 with the same application, B35 Ὁ ΤΙ» the 
 coast of the sea, Jer. xlvii. 7 ; Ezek. xxv. 
 16. By oon > “43, nation of Cretians, 
 we are not to understand the actual in- 
 habitants of Crete, but the Philistines, 8. 
 nation descended from those who origi- 
 nally emigrated from that island, and 
 took possession of the south-west coast 
 of Palestine. ὉΠ ἘΞ, the name of 
 the Philistines, properly signifies the 
 
 Eth. AM, 
 
 emigrants, from 555. 
 
990 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuapr. I. 
 
 6 And the line of the sea shall be pastures, 
 
 With cisterns for shepherds, 
 And folds for sheep. 
 
 “τ 
 
 Thereupon shall they feed ; 
 
 Yea, the line shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah. 
 
 In the houses of Askelon shall they lie down at even; 
 For Jehovah their God shall visit them, 
 
 And reverse their captivity. 
 
 8 I have heard the reproach of Moab, 
 And the revilings of the sons of Ammon, 
 
 Who have reviled my people, 
 
 And carried themselves haughtily against their border. 
 9 Wherefore, as I live, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 The God of Israel : 
 
 Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, 
 And the sons of Ammon as Gomorrah ; 
 A region of overrunning brambles and salt pits, 
 
 And a perpetual desolation ; 
 
 The remnant of my people shall plunder them, 
 And the residue of my nation shall possess them. 
 
 10 
 
 This shall happen to them for their pride, 
 
 Because they reproached and carried themselves haughtily, 
 Against the people of Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 to rove, migrate. According to Stephen 
 of Byzantium, Gaza was originally 
 called Minoa, after Minos, king of 
 Crete, who, with his two brothers, Ara- 
 kus and Rhadamanthus, undertook an 
 expedition to the coast, and gave the city 
 his own name. Comp. Deut. ii. 23; 1 
 Sam. xxx. 14; Jer. xlvii. 4; Ezek. xxv. 
 16; Amos ix. 7. 4235, Canaan, which 
 is not only employed to designate the 
 whole country taken possession of by the 
 Hebrews, but more specially Phcenicia, 
 is here to be understood as restricted to 
 the country of the Philistines. 
 
 6. It is thought by some that there is 
 an allusion to S*n>= in the word n> 1D» 
 which properly signifies wells or cisterns, 
 from => 2, to dig. Instead of continu- 
 ing to be a thickly populated and well 
 cultivated country, the land of the Phil- 
 istines should be converted into a region 
 fit only to be occupied by nomades. 
 
 7. Instead of being any longer annoyed 
 by the Philistines, the Jews, restored to 
 their land, would occupy the territory as 
 described in the preceding verse. 
 
 8—10. Comp. the parallel prophecies 
 against Moab, Is. xv. xvi. ; Jer. xlviii. ; 
 Amos ii. 1—3; and Ammon, Jer. xlix, 
 1—6 ; Amos i. 18—15. ἘΣ Ἐππλτι means 
 to carry one’s self haughtily against any 
 one. There is no occasion to supply == 
 or any other noun. The suffix in pbysa 
 has "ὩΣ for its antecedent. The formu- 
 las “SS "ML, 1 living, or as I live, ver. 9, 
 and mint on, ota cn, as Jehovah, 
 as God liveth, are solemn modes of ex- 
 pression, by which the Divine Existence 
 is pledged for the certainty of the dec- 
 larations which they introduce. py, 
 a drawing, or extending out, from rp ᾽ 
 cognate 7292 , to draw out, extend. As 
 connected with bramble, it denotes the 
 overspreading or overrunning of that 
 
 ΚΙ 
 - ᾿ς 
 he 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 11 Jehovah is to be feared above 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 991 
 
 all the gods of the earth, 
 
 For he will cause them to waste away ; 
 
 And all the inhabitants of the 
 
 maritime regions 
 
 Shall worship him — each from his place. 
 
 12 Also ye, O ye Cushites! 
 
 Shall be slain by my sword. 
 
 13 And he will stretch forth his hand over the north, 
 
 And destroy Assyria ; 
 
 He will also make Nineveh waste, 
 
 An arid region like the desert. 
 
 14 And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her ; 
 All the wild beasts of the nations; 
 Both the pelican and the porcupine 
 Shall take up their abode in her capitals ; 
 A voice shall sing in the windows, 
 
 shrub. pb 45%, @ pit or excavation, 
 such as are found in the vicinity of the 
 Dead Sea, in which, when it overflows 
 in spring, its water is collected, and pure 
 salt obtained by evaporation. The idea 
 conveyed by both metaphors is that of 
 sterility and desolation. 
 
 11. This verse connects so slightly 
 with the preceding, and, as the former 
 part is usually rendered, affords so little 
 suitable a sense, that I cannot but regard 
 the suffix in Ὡπ ἘΞ) as possessing an an- 
 ticipative pronominal reference to “ats 
 VIN» the gods of the earth, with re- 
 spect to whom Jehovah was to show him- 
 self worthy of exclusive veneration by 
 effecting their destruction. In Hebrew 
 poetry the pronoun or pronominal affix 
 frequently occurs before the noun. See 
 on Is. xxviii. 26. While announcing 
 the destruction of the surrounding idol- 
 atrous nations, the prophet was inspired 
 to predict the gradual, but certain des- 
 truction of idolatry universally through- 
 out the earth. The period predicted 
 should be one in which all peculiarity of 
 local worship would cease, and Divine 
 worship be acceptable wherever presented 
 in sincerity and truth. Comp. Mal. i. 
 11; John iv. 21—24; 1 Cor. i. 2. For 
 3742, comp, Ps. xcvi. 
 
 ΟΣ. 
 " Ω 
 
 4. The Ὁ prefixed in 4ya4>ra72, expresses 
 simply the locality in which the persons 
 spoken of resided. Compare max, 
 baa, 770, DTN, etc. mio, Arab. 
 I, to make thin, lean, diminish, cause 
 
 to waste away, and to destroy. LXX. 
 etoNbSpevoe:. The knowledge and wor- 
 ship of the true God were to be extended 
 not only over the vast continental regions 
 of the globe, but over those which border- 
 ed on, or existed in the sea. In p> 5 o>, 
 the isles, or maritime regions, there is, as 
 usual, a special reference to the West; 
 though in connection with $5. all, the 
 universality of such regions is intended. 
 The passage is strictly Messianic, since 
 the accomplishment of the prediction has 
 been, and is being effected by means of 
 the gospel. 
 
 12. For wap, Cush, see on Is. xi. 11, 
 xviii. 1. The prophecy received its ful- 
 filment when Nebuchadnezzar invaded 
 and conquered Egypt, with whose mili- 
 tary operations and fate the Ethiopians 
 were more or less mixed up. Jer. xlvi. 
 9; Ezek. xxx. 5, 9. There is, indeed, 
 reason to think that Egypt herself is de- 
 signed to be included in the term as here 
 employed. 
 
 13—15. From the remote South into 
 
 = 
 - 
 
332 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 Desolation shall be in the thresholds, 
 For the cedar-work is laid bare. 
 15 This is the exulting city which dwelt securely, 
 
 Which said in her heart, 
 
 I am, and besides me there is none, 
 
 How she is become desolate! 
 
 A resting-place for wild beasts ! 
 Every one that passeth by her shall hiss, 
 
 He shall shake his hand. 
 
 which the prophet had carried his hear- 
 ers, he turns suddenly back to the North, 
 where there still existed a mighty em- 
 pire, which must of necessity be over- 
 thrown, before the Divine sword, i. e. the 
 arms of Babylon, could reach the coun- 
 tries against which he had denounced the 
 judgments of God. This empire was the 
 Assyrian, which was drawing towards its 
 end, and was actually subverted when 
 Nineveh was taken and destroyed by 
 Cyaxares and Nabopolassar, B. c. 620. 
 It is this catastrophe, with its disastrous 
 consequences, which Zephaniah so graph- 
 ically describes in these verses. So @om- 
 pletely was the celebrated metropolis of 
 the ancient world to be desolated, that 
 not even the Nomades would seek a tem- 
 porary shelter among her ruins. They 
 should only be inhabited by the wild 
 beasts of the desert. That by p-n7z we 
 are to understand herds of savage ani- 
 mals, and not flocks of sheep, goats, etc., 
 is apparent from the mention made in the 
 parallelism of -*a-\n-n—> , every wild 
 beast of the nation. 43, nation, has by 
 some been thought to stand poetically for 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 a collection of animals, just as gy, peo- 
 ple, does, Prov. xxx. 25, 26; but it is 
 rather to be regarded as synonymous with 
 Vu» land, country ; only restricting it 
 to the particular ‘country in which Nin- 
 eveh had been situated; so that the 
 phrase will be equivalent to ee, n> 
 Gen. i. 24. The LXX. render πάντα τὰ 
 Snpla τῆς γῆς. Targ. sna ΤΊ" ΞΕ , alt 
 the beasts of the jield. "The 4 in τ πὶ 
 is merely paragogic. For myp Δηα "ΞΡ » 
 see on Is, xxxiv. 11. Some interpret 54p 
 
 of the Arab Joe , the demon of the des- 
 
 ert, and et 27h, desolation, into 3-3, 
 raven, but without sufficient ground. See 
 Maurer, who, in opposition to Hitzig, 
 takes both words in their usual accepta- 
 tion. πὴ, the Piel of πὴ, is here 
 used impersonally, and is best rendered 
 in the passive. nina> , chapiter, see on 
 Amos ix. 1. By ni-s is meant the 
 wainscoting and fine “carved cedar work 
 with which the walls, ceiling, etc., of the 
 houses were ornamented. For the lan- 
 guage of pride and carnal security ex- 
 pressed in ver. 15, comp. Is, xlvii. 8. 
 
 Tit, 
 
 HaAvina digressed to predict the fate of the surrounding nations, Zephaniah returns to his 
 own countrymen, and specially directs his prophecy against Jerusalem, the leading per- 
 sons in which had persevered in wickedness in spite of all the warnings which they had 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 “ 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 B09 
 
 received. 1—7. After addressing the pious members of the theocracy, and encouraging 
 them to wait for the development of the Divine purposes, 8, he proceeds to predict the 
 conversion of the Gentiles, 9,and of the Jews, 10; describes their character when con- 
 verted, 11—13; congratulates them on their deliverance, and enjoyment of the presence 
 of their heavenly King, 14—17; and concludes by adverting to the circumstances con- 
 nected with their return to Palestine after their conversion, 18—20. 
 
 
 
 1 Wo to the rebellious and polluted, 
 
 The oppressing city ! 
 
 2 She listened not to the voice, 
 She received not instruction ; 
 She trusted not in Jehovah, 
 
 She drew not near to her God. 
 8 Her princes in the midst of her 
 
 Are roaring lions; 
 
 Her judges are evening wolves ; 
 They gnaw no bones in the morning. 
 4 Her prophets are vain-glorious, 
 
 Hypocritical men ; 
 
 Her priests profane what is sacred ; 
 
 They do violence to the law. 
 
 1. It has been thought by some that 
 in myn, rebellious, as here applied to 
 Jerusaiem, there is a play upon the name 
 of m2>1%2, Moriah, on which the temple 
 was built. If so, it was calculated to 
 suggest to the minds of the Jews the 
 gross inconsistency of their laying claim 
 to any connection with that sacred place, 
 while they obstinately refused to obey the 
 law of God. The root is x77, cognate 
 with =n, to prove refractory, rebel. 
 The LXX. rendering the word by ém- 
 gavys, illustrious, have doubtless mis- 
 taken it as coming from τον Ἢ», fo see; as 
 the Syr. likewise has done, rendering 
 
 Ὶ ἊΣ. Sh ρας noted, celebrated. 734", the 
 
 Benon. participle of m2, to rage, be 
 cruel, oppressive, etc. What the prophet 
 has in his eye is the rage and cruelty with 
 which the idolatrous inhabitants perse- 
 cuted such as adhered to the worship and 
 service of Jehovah, as well as their op- 
 
 pression of the widows, orphans, etc. 
 See Jer. xxii. 3. 
 
 2—4. Not only did the inhabitants 
 generally refuse to receive instruction 
 from the Lord, and alienate their affec- 
 tions from him and his service, but the 
 rulers, both civil and_ ecclesiastical, 
 evinced the grossest dereliction of duty, 
 and the most flagrant inconsistency of 
 character. ay “ANT, evening wolves, 
 i. e. wolves which come forth from the 
 forests or other lurking places in the even- 
 ing, and, greedy with hunger, seize or 
 devour during the night, whatever ani- 
 mals they fall in with. Comp. Hab. i. 
 8, λύκοι νυκτερινοὶ, Oppian. Cynoget. 3, 
 266. The voracious and insatiable cu- 
 pidity of the judges is further expressed 
 by “phd ana Nd, nothing is craunched 
 in the morning ; i. 6. all is devoured in 
 the night, and not so much as a bone 
 left to be gnawed in the morning. ta 
 is here used impersonally. Thus, as to the 
 
dot 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 5 Jehovah, the righteous One, is in the midst of her, 
 
 He doeth no injustice 
 
 Every morning he bringeth his judgment to light, 
 
 It is not lacking ; 
 
 But the unjust know no shame. 
 
 6 I have cut off the nations ; 
 
 Their corner-stones are laid waste ; 
 
 I have made their streets desolate, 
 
 Without any one passing through them. 
 
 Their cities are destroyed ; they are without a man; 
 
 There is no inhabitant. 
 I said: Only fear me ; 
 Receive instruction ; 
 
 ~T 
 
 That her habitation might not be cut off, 
 According to all that I had appointed concerning her : 
 
 But they rose up early ; 
 
 They corrupted all their doings. 
 
 sense, the LXX. and Vulg. οὐχ ὑπολίπον- 
 τοὶ non relinguebant, ‘The prophets, in- 
 stead of evincing that gravity and humil- 
 ity which became those who professed to 
 deliver Divine messages, were p-in4=, 
 light and vain-glorious persons, trifling 
 with the most serious subjects, and car- 
 rying themselves haughtily towards oth- 
 ers. The verb tm properly signifies to 
 botl up like water. Comp. Gen. xlix. 4; 
 
 Jud. ix. 4 ; Jer. xxiii. 32. Arab. ναι, 
 
 superbivit. 
 rupt. They made no distinction between 
 the holy and profane, and distorted the 
 meaning of the law, when expounding 
 it to the people. Comp. Ezek. xxii. 26, 
 where similar language is used, and ex- 
 plained. 
 
 5. Jehovah had his residence in the 
 temple, connected with the daily wor- 
 ship, in which were those unfailing rev- 
 elations of the rectitude of his character 
 that brought to view a glorious pattern, 
 which it was the duty of the Jews to 
 imitate; but, hardened in wickedness, 
 they were conscious of no feelings of 
 shame. “p32 77,22, i the morn- 
 ing in the sila i, e. according to 
 
 The priests were equally cor--~ 
 
 acommon Hebrew idiom, 
 ing. 
 
 6. Besides the plentiful instruction 
 with which the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
 had been furnished by the public institu- 
 tions that existed among them, and from 
 which they might conclude what pun- 
 ishment they had te expect if they per- 
 sisted in sin, they had examples from 
 which to take warning in the desolate 
 condition to which other nations had 
 been reduced on account of their wicked- 
 ness. Under the long and happy reign 
 of Josiah, the Jews enjoyed rest and tran- 
 quillity until the last year, while other 
 neighboring nations were laid waste ; for 
 it was during his reign that the great 
 incursion of the Scythians into western 
 Asia took place, while Judea was spared. 
 Michaelis. 528 is here to be taken in 
 its literal acceptation of corner-stone, but 
 the ruin or desolation of the building 
 resting upon it is implied. 472 is the 
 Niphal of mx , to cut down, lay waste. 
 
 7. "ΠΛ and spn are both futures 
 used asimperatives. Ins 2499 and nby 
 is achange, by no means uncommon, of 
 the second person to'the third. In $5 
 there is an ellipsis of > 2, according to 
 
 every Tmorn- 
 
σμαρ. III. 
 
 8 Nevertheless, 
 
 In the day when I rise for the 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 990 
 
 wait for me, saith Jehovah, 
 
 prey’; 
 
 For my determination is to assemble the nations, 
 
 To gather the kingdoms ; 
 
 To pour out upon them my fury, 
 
 All the heat of my anger ; 
 For by the fire of my jealousy 
 
 The whole earth shall be consumed. 
 9 For then 1 will turn to the nations a pure language, 
 
 That they may all invoke the name of Jehovah ; 
 
 - That they may serve him with 
 
 ἘΣ 778 is not to be here taken in the 
 sense of punishing, but of appointing for 
 punishment. Comp. Jer. xv. 3. The ap- 
 pointed and threatened judgments should 
 be averted from Jerusalem, if the inhab- 
 itants would only turn from their evil 
 ways, and walk in the fear of the Lord. 
 Such was the announcement which he 
 graciously made to them by his servants 
 the prophets; but, instead of reforming, 
 they addicted themselves more sedulously 
 and entirely to the practice of iniquity. 
 
 brawn , fo rise early, is frequently used. 
 in the Hebrew Scriptures in a tropical 
 sense, to indicate that a person does any- 
 thing with preparedness or full purpose of 
 mind. The primary idea conveyed by 
 the verb seems to be that of placing the 
 burdens on the shoulders of camels, etc., 
 before setting out on a journey, which, 
 in the East, is done very early in the 
 morning. Root psw, shoulder, Eth. 
 
 P11) $ dajulavit. ANN® $ onus 
 imposuit humeris. 
 
 8. Most expositors interpret the words 
 “b sDM, expect or wait for me, as if they 
 were addressed to the profligate charac- 
 ters described in the preceding verse, but 
 this construction is admissible only on 
 the principle of their being applied iron- 
 ically, since the phrase is never used 
 except in a good sense. Yet even this 
 but ill suits the entire connection. I 
 consider them to form an apostrophe to 
 the pious among the Jews, calling upon 
 them to look forward, amid all the calam- 
 
 one accord. νι 
 ities which were approaching, to the glo- 
 rious period which these calamities were 
 designed to usher in, and which the 
 prophet specially describes in the follow- 
 ing verses. The LXX., and all the other 
 Greek versions, as also the Syr., render 
 =v, by testimony or witness ; a significa- 
 tion which only attaches to the letters 
 when pointed =». The signification of 
 prey is more appropriate here. Compare 
 for this signification Gen. xlix. 27; Is. 
 XXxili. 23. What is meant by rising up 
 to the prey is explained in the following 
 clause of the verse. Indeed, the very 
 derivation of the word from =79 , to pass 
 on in a hostile manner, to rush upon, at- 
 tack; Arab. {λιν irruit in aliquem ; 
 
 crs, mimici, hostes; at once sug- 
 gests the ideas of conflict and destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 9. From this verse to the end of the 
 book the prophecy relates exclusively to 
 Messianic times. The m4553 mb, pu- 
 rified lip or language, means the "profes- 
 sion of pure religion, a language freed 
 from the polluted names of idols, and of 
 every abomination connected with their 
 worship. As this was to be realized by 
 the nations, the p>.» , as distinguished 
 from the Jews, it follows that the spread 
 of Christianity, and the consequent sub- 
 version of idolatry throughout the world, 
 are here specifically predicted. This pre- 
 diction, however, has hitherto been only 
 partially fulfilled. By the gospel, indeed, 
 idolatry has been dislodged from many 
 
336 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, 
 My suppliants, the daughter of my dispersed, 
 
 Shall bring my offering. 
 
 parts of the globe, but its place has to a 
 great extent been occupied by the pollu- 
 tions of antichristian systems of worship, 
 while vast regions are still the scenes of 
 varied and most degrading idolatrous 
 abominations. And, as to the unity so 
 strikingly expressed by “MS pd, one 
 shoulder, whatever there may be of that 
 real substantial unity which binds all 
 true believers to Christ as their Head, 
 and to one another as members of the 
 same family, there is still a deplorable 
 want of the visible manifestation of one- 
 ness in obeying the laws of Christ, and 
 obeying the ordinances of his house. 
 These laws are spoken of as a burden, 
 Matt. xi. 20; Acts xv. 28; Rev. ii. 24; 
 and the metaphor here employed by the 
 prophet is taken from two persons jointly 
 carrying a burden between them, shoulder 
 to shoulder. Compare the use of ὁμοϑυ- 
 paddy, Acts i. 14; ii. 1, 46; iv. 24; v. 12; 
 xv. 25; Rom. xv. 6. What -has pre- 
 vented the outward visibility of the unity 
 of believers has been, that some of them 
 have added burdens of their own to that 
 of the Redeemer, while others have sub- 
 mitted to those imposed by men profess- 
 ing to be acting by his authority, but who 
 have had no Scripture warranty for their 
 pretensions. Until there is a return to 
 an unanimous adherence to the simplicity 
 which is in Christ, there can be no such 
 unity as that taught in this verse. Yet 
 for such the Bible teaches us to look; 
 and it behooves every Christian to do 
 whatever lies in his power, in order to 
 bring about so blessed a consummation. 
 Comp. 2 Cor, vi. 14, Μὴ γίνεσϑε ére- 
 ροζυγοῦντες ἀπίστοις ; and 1 Cor. i. 10, 
 ἦτε δὲ κατηρτισμένοι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ vot καὶ 
 ἐν τῇ αὐτῃ γνώμῃ. 
 
 10. Having foretold the conversion of 
 the Gentiles, the prophet in this verse 
 predicts that of the Jews; quite in ac- 
 cordance with other passages of Scrip- 
 
 ture, in which they are placed in juxta- 
 position with each other. " [nv , my 
 suppliants, from -ny, to burn incense 
 to a divinity ; pray, " supplicate. Arab. 
 
 ye , bonos odores ΕΝ: Syr. ms 
 
 Sumavit odore suavi. Comp. Rey. νυ. 8, 
 where the prayers of saints are called 
 ϑυμιάματα, odors or incense, and Ps. exli. 
 2, where David compares his prayer to 
 nop , the Hebrew synonyme for incense. 
 Who the worshippers are, the prophet ex- 
 plains in the following words: *s;5—n3 , 
 the daughter of my ᾿ἀιυροῤεοῖ; i.e. by ἃ 
 common Hebrew idiom, my dispersed 
 people, the Jews; and ‘the locality in 
 which we are directed to look for them 
 is Bs=—-47425 az, beyond the rivers of 
 Cush, i. 6. Ethiopia or Abyssinia itself, 
 the rivers of which enclose it on the 
 north, See on Is, xviii. 1, where the 
 same phraseology occurs, but where the 
 Ethiopians, and not the Jews, are the 
 subjects of the prophecy. It is a well 
 ascertained fact, though all the historical 
 circumstances with which it is connected 
 have not yet been brought to light, that 
 there has long existed in the west of 
 Abyssinia, a people called Falashas, or 
 
 emigrants (from the Eth. LAr, H 
 to migrate ; hence EAL: ὁ @ sojourn- 
 
 er, stranger, the root from which “mvbs : 
 Philistine, is derived, and for the same 
 reason), who maintain that they derived 
 their origin from Palestine, and all of 
 whom profess the Jewish religion. They 
 are identified, as to physical traits, not 
 with the African races living in Ethio- 
 pia, but with the tribes of Arabia. They 
 have their own government conceded to 
 them by the Negus, or king of Ethiopia. 
 When Bruce was there they had a Jew- 
 ish king named Gideon, and his queen, 
 Judith. Considering how greatly the 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 11 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 337 
 
 In that day thou shalt not be ashamed 
 On account of all thy doings, 
 
 By which thou hast transgressed against me ; 
 For then I will remove from the midst of thee 
 
 Thy proud exulters ; 
 
 And thou shalt no more be haughty in my holy mountain. 
 
 12 
 An humble and poor people. 
 
 And I will leave in the midst of thee 
 
 And they shall trust in the name of Jehovah. 
 
 13 
 ᾿ They shall not speak lies ; 
 
 The residue of Israel shall not commit injustice ; 
 
 Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth ; 
 But they shall feed and lie down, 
 And none shall make them afraid. 
 
 14 
 Shout, O Israel! 
 
 Rejoice, O daughter of Zion! 
 
 Be joyful and exult with all thy heart, 
 
 O daughter of Jerusalem! 
 
 15 Jehovah hath removed thy judgments ; 
 
 Christianity of Abyssinia has been mixed 
 up with Judaism, there is every reason 
 to believe that most of the early converts 
 in that country belonged to this very peo- 
 ple. That the Falashas are part of the 
 dispersed people whose conversion is here 
 predicted, I can have no doubt. They 
 are singled out as a separate portion of 
 the scattered seed of Abraham, most 
 probably on account of the peculiar cir- 
 cumstances in which they have lived 
 during the dispersion. Their bringing 
 of Jehovah’s offering does not necessarily 
 imply that they are, on their conversion, 
 to come with gifts to Jerusalem ; all that 
 is intended may only be πη ΠΏ Ann, 
 the pure offering, which, under the new 
 dispensation, was to be presented in ev- 
 ery place. See Mal. i. 11; and comp. 
 ver. 9. 
 
 11—13. These verses contain a des- 
 cription of restored and regenerated Is- 
 rael. The not being ashamed of their 
 sinful practices does not mean their not 
 feeling a compunctious sense of their 
 intrinsic odiousness and demerits, but 
 is expressive of the great change that 
 
 43 
 
 should take place in the outward con- 
 dition of the Jews. That condition into 
 which they have been brought by their 
 obstinate rebellion against Jehovah and 
 his Messiah, is one of disgrace. When 
 recovered out of it, all the marks of 
 shame and infamy shall be removed. 
 The Pharisaic spirit of pride, and the 
 vain confidence in the temple and the 
 temple worship, which proved the ruin 
 of the nation, shall be taken away. The 
 converted residue shall be a people hum- 
 ble and poor in spirit, Matt. v. 3, xi. 5, 
 and of a truly righteous and upright 
 character; and having fled for refuge to 
 the hope set before them in the gospel, 
 shall be safe under the protecting care of 
 their heavenly Father. 
 
 14, A call to the converted Israelites, 
 restored to their own land, and especially 
 to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to exult 
 in their distinguished experience of the 
 Divine loving-kindness. 
 
 15. This and the following verses fur- 
 nish the reasons why the Jews should 
 indulge in exultation. 25, in Kal, to 
 turn ; in Piel, to cause to turn out of the 
 
998 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 He hath cleared away thine enemies ; 
 The King of Israel, Jehovah, is in the midst of thee, 
 Thou shalt see calamity no more. 
 
 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not 
 O Zion! let not thy hands be feeble ; 
 
 17 Jehovah thy God is in the midst of thee, 
 The Mighty One, that will save ; 
 He will rejoice over thee with gladness, 
 
 He will be silent in his love! 
 
 He will exult over thee with a shout of joy. 
 18 I will gather those that are grieved for the festivals, 
 
 (They were of thee ;) 
 
 Burdened with reproach for her sake. 
 19 Behold! I will deal with all thine oppressors at that time, 
 
 way, remove, destroy. Instead of F278, 
 thine enemy, thirty-two MSS., originally 
 six more, and two by correction, read 
 ΞΊΞ᾽ δὰ, thine enemies, which reading is 
 also supported by two early editions, the 
 Babyl. Talmud, and all the versions. For 
 “xan, sixty-eight MSS., and among 
 these some of the most accurate 
 Spanish, read "πο. In the full en- 
 joyment of the presence of their God, 
 the converted Jews should have nothing 
 to fear. 
 
 17. A beautiful description of the de- 
 light which Jehovah shall take in his 
 recovered people, and of their consequent 
 and continuous happiness. The phrase 
 smans2 3-77 has occasioned some dif- 
 ficulty to interpreters. Houbigant, after 
 the LXX. and Syr., and following him 
 Newcome, and recently Ewald, propose 
 to read 3-7, “he will renew his love ;” 
 but this verb nowhere occurs in Hiphil, 
 and the conjectural emendation is wholly 
 unnecessary. wm, to be dumb, keep 
 silence, has the same signification in Hi- 
 phil, to be silent, not to speak, and is here 
 very appropriately employed to express 
 the non-remembrance of iniquity. Justly 
 as God might set the sins of his people 
 before them, he, in the exercise of his 
 love, makes no mention of them, having 
 freely forgiven them for the sake of the 
 atonement made by his only-begotten 
 
 Son. Comp. Ps. xxxii. 2; Jer. xxxi. 
 84; Ezek. xxxiii. 16. 
 
 18. ma, of which p*352 is the Niphal 
 participle, has two significations, that of 
 being pained or grieved, and that of be- 
 ing separated, removed, etc. Both deri- 
 vations may be supported by the Arab, 
 
 Sty doluit, and Conj. iv. procul a se 
 
 avovit. The former, which is here most 
 approved, fully meets the exigency of the 
 passage, and may be said to imply the 
 latter. The Jews, in a state which ren- 
 dered it impossible for them to celebrate 
 their sacred festivals at Jerusalem, are 
 represented as filled with grief when they 
 reflected on the privileges of their ances- 
 tors. “x41, festival, is here a noun of 
 multitude. το ἘΣ, on her account, is intro- 
 duced, for the sake of emphasis, between 
 the words πξ τ Π ΤᾺ Ὁ 3, the lifting up, 
 or utterance ‘of reproach, which would 
 otherwise have appeared in the construct 
 state. By metonymy, the Jews, who are 
 ie objects of such reproach, are intended. 
 Comp. Micah vi. 16. The feminine suf- 
 fix in mdy refers to Jerusalem or Zion, 
 understood: the change of person is, as 
 frequently, for the sake of effect. The 
 various reading 57>» , though supported 
 by more than tw vi MSS., the Targ. and 
 Syr., is most probably an emendation. 
 19, ms mys, means ¢o deal with, in 
 
- 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 ZEPHANIAH. 
 
 999 
 
 And will save her that halteth, 
 
 And collect the expelled, 
 
 And make them a praise and a name, 
 
 In every country where they have been put to shame 
 20 At that time I will bring you in, 
 
 Even at the time when I collect you ; 
 
 Yea, I will make you a name and a praise 
 
 Among all the nations of the earth, 
 
 When I reverse your captivity in their sight, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 the way of retribution’ or punishment. 
 Vulg. interficiam. Targ. s77703, 7729 SIS 
 ty, 1 will make an end of. The restora- 
 tion of the Jews is uniformly represented 
 as taking place in connection with the 
 destruction of those nations that are hos- 
 tile to the cause of God, and that shall, 
 in a special manner, oppose the accom- 
 plishment of his purpose respecting the 
 final deliverance of that long depressed 
 and scattered, yet beloved people. Comp. 
 Is, lix. 17—21, Ixvi. 15, 16. mods, 
 halting, and ;m712, driven away, cast 
 out, express the deplorable circumstances 
 of the Jews during the dispersion; and 
 the verbal forms indicate that such shall 
 be their condition till the time of resto- 
 ration. The illustrious character of that 
 restoration, however, shall redound to the 
 celebrity of the covenant people in all 
 the countries where they have been the 
 objects of reproach and ignominy. yx, 
 land, is used collectively for nis4x, 
 lands, and pn33 ὙΠ» the land of their 
 shame, means ‘the harass in which they 
 have been the objects of contumely and 
 disgrace. Ezek: xxxiy. 29. The occur- 
 
 rence of the article in y4xn , which is in 
 construction with pn ὃ, is contrary to 
 rule, but is otherwise not without exam- 
 ples. See Josh. iii. 17; 1 Sam. ii. 13; 
 2 Kings vii. 18, In such cases, however, 
 the article is generally repeated before 
 the following noun. See Josh. viii. 11; 
 Jer. xxv. 26. Some would account for 
 the irregularity by an understood repeti- 
 tion of the noun, thus, 753 vues ἘΞ Ξ 
 cna. 
 
 20. After ESns 8738 supply Dos4e2. 
 The 5 in mya is exegetical. The period 
 of the reintroduction of the Jews into 
 their own land is here rendered distin- 
 guishingly prominent by repeated and 
 pointed reference. So wonderful, how- 
 ever, Shall be the circumstances connected 
 with the event, that they shall scarcely 
 believe it when it happens, how greatly 
 and how long soever they may have de- 
 sired it. Jehovah, to remove all doubts, 
 declares that he will bring it about before 
 their eyes ; 1. 6. it shall certainly become 
 the object of their delightful contempla- 
 tion, 
 
H.-A G-G Andes 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 Ir is generally thought that the prophet Haggai was among the Hebrew 
 exiles who returned with Zerubbabel, and Joshua the high priest, from Baby- 
 lon in the year B. c. 536, when Cyrus granted them their liberty, and ordered 
 them to be furnished with what was necessary for the restoration of the 
 temple at Jerusalem. His book itself vouches for the fact that he proph- 
 esied in the reign of Darius Hystaspis, who ascended the Persian throne 
 B. C. 521. Having been interrupted in building the temple by an interdict, 
 which the Samaritans obtained from Smerdis the usurper, the Jews became 
 in some measure indifferent to the work; and when Darius came to the 
 throne, an event which must have deprived the prohibition of all authority, 
 instead of vigorously recommencing their labors, the more influential persons 
 among them pretended that, as the prophecy of the seventy years applied 
 to the temple as well as to the captivity in Babylon, and they were only yet 
 in the sixty-eighth year, the proper time for rebuilding it had not arrived, 
 and gave their whole attention to the erection of splendid mansions for 
 themselves. 
 
 To rouse them from their selfish indifference to the claims of religion, 
 Haggai and Zechariah were commissioned, in the second year of Darius, 
 i. e. B. C. 520, to deliver to them rousing appeals from Jehovah. These 
 appeals had the desired effect, and the work proceeded with vigor. 
 
 The book is made up of five messages, which were all delivered, at suc- 
 cessive periods, within the short space of three months. They are so exceed- 
 ingly brief, that they are, not without reason, supposed to be only a summary 
 or epitome of the original discourses. 
 
 ‘The style of Haggai is not distinguished by any peculiar excellence; yet 
 he is not destitute of pathos and vehemence, when reproving his countrymen 
 for their negligence, and exhorting them to the performance of duty. To 
 these, the interrogatory form which he frequently adopts, in no small degree 
 contributes. He is not without elevation when predicting the future. Cer- 
 tain portions of the book are purely historical ; and the rest, though exhibit- 
 ing more or less of the parallelism of members which characterizes the 
 usual prophetic style, are but faintly rhythmical. The phrases, m$n> DN 
 réxgz ἢ 02225 2", are fr equently repeated. mn? BN? occurs not less than 
 thrice in a single verse, chap. ii. 4. 
 
 WSS AmeD, ii, 3; ὍΣ OMe, 11. 6; O&M poe, ii, 16, are peculiar, and 
 indicate the Chaldee age. 
 
ΟἿΑ ἘΠΕ RL. 
 
 THE prophet calls the attention of the principal civil and ecclesiastical authorities to the 
 negligence of the people in not building the temple, 1—4; directs that of the people to 
 this as the cause of their want of outward prosperity, 5—11; and subjoins a notice respect- 
 ing the success with which the delivery of his message was accompanied. 
 
 
 
 hi In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, 
 on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord was com- 
 municated through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel, the son 
 of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of 
 Josedech, the high priest, saying : 
 
 1. The Darius here mentioned is Da- 
 rius the son of Hystaspis, of the family 
 of the Acheemenide, who, in consequence 
 of an oracle, was raised to the throne of 
 Persia, on the death of the usurper Smer- 
 dis, n.c. 521, and reigned thirty-six years, 
 That this must be the monarch intended 
 is obvious from the facts, that Darius the 
 Mede, mentioned Dan. v. 31, ix, 1, lived 
 before the return of the Jews from Baby- 
 lon ; and that Darius Nothus and Darius 
 Codomannus flourished, the former nine- 
 ty-three years after the completion of the 
 temple, and the latter at a much later 
 period. Darius Hystaspis is represented by 
 Herodotus as a mild and benevolent ruler. 
 He protected the Jews from the opposition 
 of their enemies, and carried into effect 
 the edict of Cyrus, Ezra vi. The name 
 Θηλππ, Daryavesh, or, as it appears in 
 the cuneiform inscriptions of Persepolis, 
 Daryawus, is derived by Lassen (Ὁ. d. 
 Keilform. Inschriften, p. 158), from the 
 root darh, to preserve, with the affirma- 
 tive awu, the 8 being the sign of the nom- 
 inative; and thus signifies conservator. 
 Comp. Herodotus, vi. 98, where the sig- 
 nification épfetns, coercer, is given to the 
 name. The date in the prophecy is taken 
 from the reign of this monarch, because 
 at the time he swayed his sceptre over 
 all the countries with which the Jews 
 were brought into contact, from Lybia 
 
 in Egypt, and the frontiers of Europe, to 
 the Oxus and the Indus on the east. 
 The months specified by Haggai and 
 Zechariah are those not of the Persian, 
 but of the Hebrew year. See Zech. i. 7, 
 vii. 1, viii. 19. Zerubbabel, whose Chal- 
 dee name was Sheshbazzar, Ezra i. 8, v. 
 14; comp. v. 16, iii. 8, 10, was the grand- 
 son (73 is used by Haggai in its more 
 extended signification) of Shealtiel, of 
 the royal house of David, 1 Chron, iii. 
 9—19. Cyrus committed to his care the 
 sacred vessels of the temple, and ap- 
 pointed him governor of the colony 
 which returned to Judea. The title of 
 mnb, prefect or governor, by which he 
 is designated, is applied to persons bear- 
 ing rule in provinces or divisions of 
 the Persian empire of less extent and 
 importance than satrapies. Comp. the 
 Pracrit. Pakkha, and the present Turk- 
 
 ish Pusha, though the latter word, ἔς : 
 Basha, is rather to be referred to ul, 
 
 Bash, head, commander, ruler. Joshua 
 the high priest is repeatedly mentioned 
 in the book of Zechariah, as presiding 
 over the Jewish affairs at the same time 
 with Zerubbabel. That S471 Ἵπξπν 
 the high priest, is to be connected, not 
 with the more proximate, but with the 
 more remote noun, ὦ. 6. with yin , 
 Joshua, is clear, not only from the sim- 
 
949 HAGGAI. 
 
 2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 This people say, The time is not come, 
 The time for the house of Jehovah to be built. 
 3 Yea, the word of Jehovah was communicated through Hag- 
 
 gai the prophet, saying 
 4 Is it time for you, O ye, 
 
 To dwell in your wainscoted houses, 
 
 And this house lie waste? 
 
 5 Now, therefore, thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Consider your ways. 
 
 6 Ye haye sown much, but brought in little; 
 Ye have eaten, but not had enough; 
 Ye have drunk, but not to the full; 
 Ye have put on clothing, but none is warm; 
 
 ilar coherence of N=, but from all other 
 instances in which offices and genealogi- 
 cal statements are blended. 
 
 2. Simple as are the words s3 mz Nd 
 “ΗΔ ΤΣ», the construction is somewhat 
 difficult, owing to the position of the 
 infinitive x=. Either we must, with 
 
 Hitzig, give to the former ry the points 
 
 AZ=TnNy, now, as in Ps, lxxiy. 6; Ezek, 
 xxiii. 43; or convert sz into sz of the 
 preterite, as one of De Rossi’s MSS. reads, 
 and agreeably to the rendering of the 
 LXX., Syr., Vulg., Targ., and Arab. ; 
 or, what is preferable, regard sa as put 
 absolutely for the purpose of more em- 
 phatically expressing the sentiment that 
 the time was not yet really come in 
 which to erect the temple. As two of 
 the seventy years’ captivity had yet to 
 elapse, the colony which had arrived at 
 Jerusalem encouraged themselves in their 
 neglect of present duty, by assuming that 
 the building of the temple was included 
 in the calculation, and that, till the full 
 time had expired, they were under no 
 obligation to reeommence the work. 
 
 4. Repeating the word ny, time, which 
 he had employed twice, verse 2, the 
 prophet makes an appeal full of point 
 and cogency to those whom he addresses, 
 The use of ems before r=> adds to the 
 force of the language. ED signifies to 
 
 cover, cover over, wainscot, or overlay 
 with boards, so that what is predicated of 
 the houses is not to be confined to the 
 ceiling, but must be extended to the 
 walls which were thus covered, at once 
 for comfort and ornament. How beau- 
 tifully the feelings of Dayid, 2 Sam. vii. 
 2, contrast with those of the persons re- 
 proved by Haggai. 
 
 5. The 1 in mm31 is inferential, while 
 mms is employ ed, not in its temporal 
 acceptation, but argumentatively, as in 
 Ps, ii. 10. ὈΞΊΞ τ Σ ὈΞΞΞῚ cw, 
 lit. place your heart upon your ways, an 
 idiomatic, but very expressive mode of 
 speech. Comp. ver. 7, and ii. 18, twice, 
 in the elliptical form D232 ἡ Ὁ. 
 
 6. xan, bss, ing and wish, are 
 historical infinitives, which carry forward 
 the force of the finite form in pm>"71 at 
 the commencement of the verse, and, at 
 the same time, give a greater degree of 
 prominence to the actions which they ex- 
 press. Nothing prospered, and nothing 
 could be expected to prosper, while the 
 Jews were living in the flagrant neglect 
 of their duty. They had brought prop- 
 erty with them from Babylon, with 
 which they had erected splendid houses 
 for themselves, but God blasted their 
 agricultural and other expectations ; and 
 they had nothing in prospect but a sea- 
 
- 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 HAGGAT. 
 
 343 
 
 And he that earneth wages, earneth them 
 To put them into a purse with holes. 
 7 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Consider your ways. 
 
 8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, 
 And build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, 
 That I may be glorified, saith Jehovah. 
 
 9 Ye looked for much, but, behold ! little ; 
 And ye brought it home, and I blew upon it. 
 Wherefore ? saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 Because of my house which lieth waste, 
 And ye run each to his own house. 
 
 10 Therefore, it is on your account the heavens withhold the dew, 
 
 And the earth withholdeth her produce. 
 
 11 And I have called for drought, 
 
 son of scarcity and want. The necessa- 
 ries of life were already become so dear, 
 that those who wrought for day’s wages 
 parted with all that they earned, as if 
 they had put it into a bag or purse with 
 holes. a2 , bored or perforated. 
 
 7. A reiteration of the exhortation 
 contained in ver. 5. 
 
 8. The reason why the Jews are called 
 to provide wood only is thought by Jer- 
 ome to be, that the walls of the temple 
 remained standing; but this hypothesis 
 is contradicted by repeated statements in 
 the books of Ezra and Zechariah, as well 
 as in Haggai ii. 18, in which express 
 mention is made of laying its founda- 
 tions. It rather seems to have been on 
 account of the time which would be nec- 
 essary to procure the article in question 
 from Lebanon, since it required first to 
 be hewn down, and afterwards trans- 
 ported by sea to Joppa. By "πη, the 
 mountain, Rosenmiiller thinks Moriah is 
 meant ; Hitzig, the mountainous country 
 in the vicinity of Jerusalem; but it is 
 more natural to interpret the term of 
 Lebanon, whence the wood was actually 
 fetched. It is true the Jews themselves 
 did not go to that mountain for the tim- 
 ‘ber; it was conveyed by the Zidonians 
 and Tyrians, Ezra iii. 7; but persons 
 
 are often said to do what they perform 
 through the instrumentality of others. 
 For 32531, the textual reading, which 
 should ‘be pointed 72237, the Keri has 
 mizasi. The copula marks here the 
 end to be obtained, or the result that 
 would follow the performance of the 
 enjoined duty. In such cases the future 
 has the force of a potential mood. 
 
 9. 758, the infinitive absolute, as in 
 ver. 6. Even the small crop which was 
 reaped had no sooner been brought into 
 the barns or granaries, than it was dis- 
 sipated. Their running each to his own 
 house is expressive of the eagerness with 
 which the Jews pursued their own affairs, 
 and sought for self-indulgence. "πὺξ 
 and 4n*5 stand here in striking contrast. 
 
 10. t5>>y is not to be referred to the 
 heavens, and so rendered over you, but 
 on your account, for your sake. Comp. 
 pebtaa 72>, Micah iii. 12. The mean- 
 ing is, on account of your neglecting to 
 build the temple. The preposition in 
 bun, following xb5, signifies «with re- 
 spect to, but does not require to be trans- 
 lated. 
 
 11. In the use of a5, drought, there 
 is an obvious reference to 244, dry, 
 waste, desolate, verses 4 and 9. They 
 form a paronomasia. The lengthened 
 
234 
 
 12 
 
 19 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 HAGGAI. Cuar. IL 
 Upon the land, and upon the mountains, 
 
 Upon the grain, and upon the new wine, 
 
 Upon the oil, and upon what the ground bringeth forth, 
 
 Upon man and upon beast, 
 
 And upon all the labor of the hands. 
 
 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son 
 of Josedech the high priest, and all the residue of the people, 
 hearkened to the voice of Jehovah their God, and to the words © 
 of Haggai the prophet, according as Jehovah their God had 
 sent him ; ; and the people feared Je ehovah. 
 
 Then spake Haggai, the messenger of Jehovah, in the mes- 
 sage of Jehovah to the people: 
 
 I am with you, saith Jehovah. 
 
 And Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son 
 of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the 
 son of Josedech the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of 
 the people, and they came and did the work in the house of 
 Jehovah of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the 
 
 sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. 
 
 amplification is employed in order to add 
 to the force of the threatening. The 
 LXX., supposing it to be incongruous to 
 speak of bringing a drought upon man 
 and beast, read 355 instead of 347, and 
 rendered the word by μάχαιραν, a sword, 
 not adverting to the circumstance that 
 the latter term was still less applicable 
 to the other subjects here enumerated. 
 What the prophet threatens is a univer- 
 sal drought, the effects of which would 
 specially be experienced by living crea- 
 tures. 
 
 12. The prophet now describes the 
 happy effect which was produced by the 
 message which he had just delivered. 
 All the people who had returned united 
 with their rulers in rendering obedience 
 to the Divine command. 
 
 13. To encourage them to proceed in 
 the path of obedience on which they had 
 entered, Haggai delivers to them the 
 brief, but most cheering promise, "ϑὲὲ 
 nin? ἘΝῚ ESAS, Iam with you, saith 
 Jehovah. 
 
 14. Ran ἜΣΤΙ» to excite, or stir up the 
 spirit of any one (comp. Ezra i. 1, 5), 
 means to render him inclined effectively 
 to undertake the performance of any act, 
 or to pursue a certain line of conduct. 
 
 15. From the date here assigned it 
 appears, that most of the month elapsed 
 before the work was fairly undertaken. 
 Several of the early editions of the He- 
 brew Bible, as also the London Polyglot, 
 improperly place this verse at the begin- 
 ning of the next chapter. 
 
 Ob SA PT hh. oe 
 
 Tuts chapter contains three different oracles of the prophet. 
 
 The first, designed to encour- 
 
 age the people and their leaders to proceed with the building of the temple, by considera- 
 tions derived from the Divine presence, 1—4; from their national covenant continuing in 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HAGGAI. 
 
 345 
 
 force, and that of the prophetic and gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, 5; from the 
 
 advent of the person and king 
 
 m of the Messiah, 6, 7; and from the universal proprie- 
 
 torship of Jehovah, the glory of the Messiah, and the reconciliation which he should 
 effect, 8, 9. The second oracle cautions them against intermission in their labors, by 
 showing that if they did so, nothing they did could be acceptable to God, 11—14; and by 
 referring them to the infelicitous state of their affairs before the late revival, 15—18; and 
 promises them prosperity, 19. The third is addressed to Zerubbabel individually, to ani- 
 mate and encourage him in conducting the work. 
 
 1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, 
 the word of Jehovah was communicated through Haggai the 
 
 2 prophet, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, 
 the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Josedech, the 
 high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying: 
 
 3 Who is there among you that remaineth, 
 That saw this house in its former glory ? 
 
 And how do ye see it now ? 
 
 Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes? 
 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel! saith Jehovah; 
 And be strong, O Joshua! son of Josedech, the high priest ; 
 Be ye strong, also, all ye people of the land! 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts, and work : 
 For I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 5 The covenant which I made with you, 
 
 1, 2. This oracle was delivered nearly 
 a month after the rebuilding of the tem- 
 ple had commenced, and was evidently 
 designed to remove the despondency in 
 which some of the people indulged, and 
 to animate them to prosecute the work. 
 
 3. It appears from Ezra iii. 13, that 
 there were many present at the laying of 
 the foundation of the second temple, who 
 had seen the first. To such of them as 
 were still alive, few as they must have 
 been, Haggai appeals respecting the dis- 
 parity between the two, in regard to the 
 rough and unpromising appearance of the 
 new structure, contrasted with the ele- 
 gant and splendid aspect of that of Sol- 
 omon, previous to its destruction by the 
 Chaldeans. -3337 is not in apposition 
 
 44 
 
 with p23, but connects with the inter- 
 rogative "2. The phrase Ἴ" 9 4ri23 is 
 peculiar, but not difficult of resolution, 
 the word for temple being understood. 
 
 4, The comparison instituted in the 
 preceding verse, so far from being de- 
 signed to discourage those to whom the 
 appeal was made, was on the contrary 
 intended to inspire them with confidence 
 in their covenant God, whose prerogative 
 it is to call things that are not’as though 
 they were. It is tacitly implied, that 
 whatever might be the estimate they 
 might make of the work, it was very 
 different with respect to his. Comp. 
 Zech. viii. 6. And what is here only 
 implied is expressly declared ver. 9. 
 
 δ. The government of s22n—ns has 
 
946 
 
 HAGGAT. 
 
 Cap. 
 
 When ye went forth out of Egypt, 
 And my Spirit remain among you: 
 
 Fear not. 
 
 6 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Yet once, within a little, 
 
 And I will shake the heavens, and the earth, 
 
 And the sea, and the dry land, 
 
 unnecessarily puzzled interpreters. Ewald 
 thinks the sentence is incomplete, and 
 would supply "πΞῚ, emember. Hengs- 
 tenberg actually supplies the word in a 
 parenthesis. Maurer endeavors to make 
 it out to be an accusative modi 5. norma, 
 and explains, secundum illud verbum: 
 and connects it with the preceding verse, 
 thus: I am with you, according to that 
 word, etc.; and so our own translators, 
 ec Calvin. Rosenmiiller would supply 
 vz from the preceding verse. The par- 
 ficle ny I consider to be prefixed to sa57, 
 in order to give it a greater degree “of 
 prominence, and to be equivalent to 
 that or the same covenant, etc.; while 
 M2IAKFrs, together with *":", form 
 the nominative to the participle n7333 
 only, as separated from it by the inter- 
 vening predicate “339 [AIS AWS, the 
 participle is put in the feminine singular, 
 to agree with =m4, the nearer antece- 
 dent. For this use of ms before the 
 nominative, though rare, see Neh. ix. 19. 
 ΒΏΣ ΤΣ so=Nd Ἴ25π the pillar of 
 cloud did not depart, ete.; ver. 34, 
 "29 ἘΞ: Ξ Sherry , And our kings 
 —have not kept, ete.: Dan. ix. 13, 
 ἐν mea rita ait ry, All this 
 evil hath come upon us. “27, word or 
 matter, is here employed to denote the 
 Sinaic Covenant, as the accompanying 
 verb my>, to cut, or make a covenant 
 obviously shows. Notwithstanding the 
 flagrant violation of that covenant of 
 which the Jews had been guilty, on ac- 
 count of which they had been punished 
 in Babylon, it still continued in all its 
 foree. They possessed it in its written 
 form, and thus had the pledge which 
 Jehovah had given them, that he was 
 
 their covenant God, and would confer 
 blessings upon the obedient. They also 
 had his R3-, the spirit of inspiration in 
 the prophets who were raised up in the 
 midst of them to declare his will, and 
 call to the discharge of duty, Ezra, v. 1; 
 and of efficient influence to induce them 
 to listen to, and enable them to comply 
 with such call, Zech. iv. 6; Hag. i. 14. 
 6. In this and the following verse the 
 Jews are encouraged to proceed with the 
 work by the assurance that Jehovah 
 would, as the Governor among the na- 
 tions, in a brief space, exert his Almighty 
 power in effecting a great revolution in 
 the state of the kingdoms of this world, 
 preparatory to the establishment of the 
 kingdom of the Messiah. This mighty 
 change is first described in the usual fig- 
 urative language of prophecy, as a con- 
 vulsion of the physical universe, and then 
 literally as a convulsion of all nations. 
 In the phrase vy mn 749, it is only 
 the numeral pmy which occasions any 
 difficulty. The combination us 73, 
 yet a little, i. 6. time, occurs: more than 
 once. See Ps, xxxvii. 10; Is, xxix. 17; 
 Jer. li. 33. But tha esented be- 
 ing peculiar to this passage, naturally 
 suggests some peculiarity in the mean- 
 ing. Most supply cys, time, after the 
 LXX. ἔτι ἅπαξ, quoted and reasoned 
 upon, Heb, xii. 26, 27, and the Syr. 
 
 ν᾽ y > 
 —) τὰ 20.2 Comp. for nny 
 
 t=, one time, once, Josh. vi. 3; 1 Sam. 
 xxvi. 8; and for the ellipsis of ἘΣΞ, 
 where mms stands by itself, as here, 
 Exod. xxx. 10; Job. x]. 5; Ps. Ixii. 12, 
 Ixxxix. 36. And certainly, as wz0 , ζὐέ- 
 tle, is designed to express brevity of time, 
 
Cuap. 11. 
 
 HAGGAT. 
 
 347 
 
 7 Yea, I will shake all the nations, 
 And the things desired by all the nations shall come ; 
 
 nothing can be more appropriate than 
 such cénstruction. Hengstenberg labors 
 hard to bring the idea of brevity of 
 time out of ns, but fails to produce 
 any examples to confirm his hypothesis, 
 What the prophet has in view appears to 
 be the convulsions which were yet to 
 take place in the Persian and Greek 
 empires, some of which were soon to 
 commence, but all of which were more 
 proximately, or more remotely connected 
 with the complete establishment of the 
 Jews in their own land, and the splendor 
 of their temple as erected by Herod. The 
 previous convulsion, implied in the phrase 
 yet once, does not appear to be the shak- 
 ‘ing, etc., which took place at the giv- 
 ing of the law on Sinai, but the violent 
 change which had lately taken place in 
 the condition of the Babylonian empire, 
 just as that yet to come is not to be ex- 
 tended to the downfall of the Roman 
 empire, the destruction of Antichrist, 
 etc., but must be confined to events 
 which were to happen before the com- 
 ing of Christ. We have only to call to 
 mind the wars of the Persians in Asia 
 Minor, Greece, Egypt, and other parts ; 
 and those of Alexander and his succes- 
 sors which followed, till the period when 
 the establishment of the power of the 
 Romans at length gave peace to the 
 world, in order to read, in legible char- 
 acters, the fulfilment of the present 
 prophecy. Nor does the comment of 
 the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews 
 require any other application of it. His 
 object is to show that the dispensation or 
 kingdom of the Messiah is stable and 
 immovable; and in order to illustrate 
 Hiis point, he introduces, by way of con- 
 trast, the natural phenomena which took 
 place on the promulgation of the Sinaic 
 covenant, as described by Moses, and the 
 political phenomena predicted by Haggai, 
 all of which indicated the mutable char- 
 acter of the elements upon which they 
 were exerted. That the prophet intended 
 
 to include the dissolution of the Jewish 
 state in his prediction, does not appear ; 
 indeed, the reference to such an event 
 must have increased the despondency of 
 his people, instead of inspiring them with 
 hope and courage, which formed his only 
 object in addressing them. 
 
 7. Having figuratively set forth the 
 great political changes which were still 
 to take place among the nations before 
 the introduction of the kingdom of the 
 Messiah, Haggai here repeats his predic- 
 tion in literal terms, and then at once 
 announces the arrival of the eagerly ex- 
 pected blessings of that kingdom. The 
 passage has long been regarded as one of 
 the principal prophecies relative to the 
 time of the Redeemer’s advent. That 
 it was so applied by some of the early 
 Jewish Rabbins, is undeniable. Thus in 
 the chapter of the Talmudic treatise 
 Sanhedrin, entitled -tn, the following 
 interpretation is given as that of Rabbi 
 Akiba, who flourished before the time of 
 Jerome: $snw7d ἘΠῚ yns mish ww 
 "sam mba amin omsdo jaan ans> 
 Awa Na VAN ΠῺΣ wesna, For a 
 little I will give the kingdom to Israel, 
 after our desolation, and after the king- 
 dom, behold I will shake heaven and 
 earth, and MessiaH SHALL comE. The 
 rendering of the Vulg. supports the same 
 view: ‘Et veniet Desideratus cunctis 
 Gentibus.” Leo Juda: *‘ Et veniet 
 qui desideratur ab omnibus gentibus.” 
 Dathe: “ἘΠ deinde veniet gentibus om- 
 nibus expetendus.”” On the other hand, 
 Kimchi, Vatablus, Calvin, Ribera, Dru- 
 sius, Gataker, Vitringa, and others, ren- 
 der : ** The Gentiles shall come with their 
 delightful things,” ὁ, e. their silver, gold, 
 precious stones, ete. Some, violently, 
 ‘Come to the desire,” etc., meaning 
 thereby Jerusalem. Most of the mod- 
 erns, rejecting this construction as alto- 
 gether unwarranted, translate after the 
 LXX. ἥξει τὰ ἐκλεκτὰ πάντων τῶν ἐδνῶν, 
 “the choice things,” or ‘the pleas- 
 
945 
 
 HAGGAT,. 
 
 ‘Cuap. IL 
 
 And I will fill this house with glory, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 ant things of all nations shall come.” 
 Ewald: dass die liebsten aller Volker 
 kommen :” 7. e. “That the most lovely 
 of all people may come.” Hengsten- 
 berg, who renders, “the beauty of all 
 the heathen,” is at great pains in en- 
 deavoring to make good his translation, 
 which he interprets of what he says is 
 always beautiful among them — all their 
 costly good things. But he fails alike 
 in his attempt to set aside the idea of 
 desire as expressed by m7", and in 
 that to prove that the prophet here fore- 
 tells the rich contributions which the 
 heathen would bring into the church. 
 That the root 2m, primarily and most 
 commonly signifies to desire or covet, both 
 
 in a good and a bad sense, must be evi-’ 
 
 dent to every one who will take the 
 trouble to consult the Hebrew concord- 
 ance ; and that m7", which is derived 
 from it, signifies eae an object of de- 
 sire, see the Lexicons of Gesenius and 
 Lee. This acceptation must be vindi- 
 eated to 1 Sam. ix. 20. nien-ts “by 
 ben 25) to 2 Chron. xxi. 20, maven Nba; ; 
 and to Dan. xi. 37, ἘΠῚ 2 men. 
 The want of concord in rien asa 
 rrtsn—ts, the verb expressing the 
 predicate, being in the plural masculine, 
 while 767, the subject of the proposi- 
 tion, is in the singular feminine, occa- 
 sions no small difficulty, and presents an 
 insuperable objection to the usual Mes- 
 sianic interpretation. That ys2 should 
 have been produced by zeugma with 
 ἘΠῚ5 π|, is totally unsupported by anal- 
 ogy, just as a plural of excellence in 
 verbs is equally without example. The 
 only practicable solution warranted by 
 grammatical usage, consists in assuming 
 mann to be a collective noun, convey- 
 ing a plural idea, the gender of which 
 not having yet presented itself to the 
 mind of the prophet when he enunciated 
 the verb, he naturally expressed it in the 
 masculine as the more worthy gender, 
 The construction in such cases is ad sen- 
 
 sum; i, 6, it is not formal, but logical. 
 The proper translation, therefore, of 
 prtan—tz mayor 3824 will be, And, or, 
 And then the things desired by all nations 
 shall come. The Genitive being the Gen- 
 itive of object, must be thus expressed. 
 Now these objects of desire on the part 
 of all nations, cannot mean their riches, 
 for no such riches were brought to Jeru- 
 salem by all the nations — the gifts 
 bestowed by some few of the heathen 
 princes after the time of Alexander not 
 in any degree exhausting the force of the 
 language here employed. Neither could 
 the prospect of contributions in more re- 
 mote future time have operated in the 
 way of encouragement upon the minds 
 of those whom the prophet addressed, so 
 as to induce them to proceed with their 
 work. The objects in question, there- 
 fore, must have been of a higher order — 
 τὰ μελλόντα ayatd, the good things to 
 come, i, e. the blessings of the New Cov- 
 enant. There was found to pervade the 
 minds of the heathen, a deep and dark 
 feeling of the necessity of supernatural 
 light and influence. Bewildered in the 
 mazes of error and superstition, they 
 could find nothing satisfactory respecting 
 the Divine Being, pardon, emancipation 
 from the power of moral evil, and a fu- 
 ture state of existence; and more or less 
 earnestly desired to obtain information in 
 regard to these important and necessary 
 points. Τὸ adduce only one testimony 
 from among many to be found in ancient 
 pagan writers. Socrates, endeavoring to 
 satisfy the mind of Alcibiades on the 
 subject of acceptable worship, says: avary- 
 καῖον οὖν ἐστι περιμένειν ἕως ἄν Tis μάϑῃ 
 ὡς δεῖ πρὸς ϑεοὺς καὶ πρὸς avSpwmovs δια- 
 κεῖσϑαι, It is therefore necessary to wait 
 till some one may teach us how it behooves 
 us to conduct ourselves, both towards the 
 gods and men. To which Alcibiades re- 
 sponds: πότε οὖν παρέσται ὁ χρόνος οὗτος 
 ὦ Σώκρατες ; καὶ τίς ὃ παιδεύσων ; ἤδιστα 
 γὰρ ἄν μοι δοκῶ ἰδεῖν τοῦτον τὸν ἄνϑρωπον 
 
Cuap. ILI. 
 
 HAGGAI. 
 
 910 
 
 8 Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the 
 
 former, 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 τίς ἐστιν; When shall that time arrive, 
 O Socrates? and who shall that Teacher 
 be? for most eagerly do I wish to see such 
 a man. — Plato, Alcibiades, ii. near the 
 end. And, as the time of the Redeem- 
 cr’s advent drew near, there was a gen- 
 eral expectation of a Teacher and Deliv- 
 erer, not only in the Jewish nation, but 
 throughout the world. To Christ, as the 
 Light of the world, and to the spiritual 
 blessings which flow through his media- 
 tion, the prophecy strictly applies; and, 
 with this reference, was admirably cal- 
 culated to stimulate the Jews to persever- 
 ance in building the temple, with which 
 was inseparably connected the restoration 
 of their ancient polity, during the exist- 
 ence of which the Messiah was to appear. 
 The “ glory” with which the temple was 
 to be filled, was not the rich and splen- 
 did furniture, etc., but a respiendence, 
 consisting in the manifestation of Jeho- 
 vah himself. Comp. Zech. ii. 5, with 
 Ezek. xiii. 4, 5; Exod. xl. 34, 35; 1 
 Kings viii, 11. 
 
 8. The Jews needed to be under no 
 concern about the means requisite for the 
 erection of the temple. The earth is the 
 Lord’s and the fulness thereof, so that 
 whatever amount of earthly riches was 
 wanted, he would in his providence sup- 
 ply. The declaration contained in this 
 verse is introduced parenthetically, to re- 
 lieve their minds from any momentary 
 anxiety, arising out of the circumstances 
 in which, as a poor and despised people, 
 they were placed. 
 
 9. The LXX. refer the terms ἡ) ΠΝ τιν 
 the latter, and 443 san, the former, not 
 tonin moan, this house, but to 7422, 
 the glory. And thus Hitzig, Maurer, 
 and Ewald; but Ezra iii, 12, determines 
 to the contrary. The glory here pre- 
 dicted was to be greater than that of the 
 
 former temple, not merely in degree, but 
 in kind. That the second temple, even 
 as renewed and beautified by Herod, at 
 all equalled in magnificence that of Sol- 
 omon, there is no reason to believe. This 
 must appear on comparing the descrip- 
 tion given of the former by Josephus, 
 Antiq. Jud. lib. xv. cap. xi., with that 
 furnished of the latter, 1 Kings vi. vii. 
 13—50. In point of size, indeed, the 
 temple of Hered exceeded the structure 
 erected by the celebrated Jewish mon- 
 arch; but this was ali. The statement 
 made by Josephus, Bell. Jud. lib. vi. cap. 
 iv. 8, that it was the most admirable of 
 all the works he had seen or heard of, 
 does not include Solomon’s temple, but 
 has respect to other erections in different 
 parts of the world. But if the second 
 house was inferior in point of sumptu- 
 ousness to the former, and wanted, as the 
 Jews admit, the Urim and Thummim, 
 the ark, the pot of manna, Aaron’s rod, 
 and the visible glory, which was the 
 symbol of the Divine presence, it follows 
 that the greater glory by which it was to 
 be distinguished, must denote something 
 altogether different in kind, and which 
 could only be supplied by Him, in whose 
 person the glory of God appeared, 2 Cor. 
 iv. 6, who is the “ Brightness of the Di- 
 vine glory,” Heb. i. 2; whose glory was 
 beheld as that of the only-begotten of the 
 Father, John i. 14; who could say of 
 himself, *‘ that in this place is one greater 
 than the temple,” Matt. xii. 6; and who 
 sat in it daily teaching, Matt. xxvi. 50. 
 In support of this interpretation, and in- 
 deed of the Messianic character of the 
 entire prophecy, ver. 7, 9, the declara- 
 tion made in the concluding clause of the 
 latter verse may with all propriety be 
 adduced. When “peace” is spoken of 
 in an absolute sense, in the prophets, it 
 
390 
 
 10 
 
 A 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 HAGGAI. Cuap. II. 
 
 And in this place I will give peace, 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year 
 of Darius, the word of Jehovah was communicated through 
 Haggai the prophet, saying: Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ask 
 now the priests as to the law, saying: If any one should carry 
 sacred flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt 
 bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any eatable, shall it be 
 holy ? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said 
 Haggai: If any one who is unclean on account of a dead body, 
 should touch any of these, shall it be unclean ? And the priests 
 
 14 
 and said: 
 
 answered and said, It shall be unclean. 
 
 Then Haggai continued, 
 
 Thus hath this people, and thus hath this nation been, 
 
 Before me, saith Jehovah ; 
 
 denotes the reconciliation between God 
 and sinful men, to be effected by the 
 Messiah. Comp. Is. ix. 6, 7, lili. 5, lvii. 
 19; Micah v. 5; Zech. vi. 13; with 
 Luke ii. 14; Acts x. 36; Rom. v. 1; 
 Eph. ii. 14, 17. This peace was to be 
 granted. ; min Dip, in this place, i. 6. 
 in Jerusalem, It was there the Messiah 
 made peace through the blood of his 
 cross, Col. i. 20. It has with some been 
 matter of dispute, whether the temple 
 erected by Zerubbabel, and that built by 
 Herod, are to be regarded as identical, 
 or whether the latter is not to be consid- 
 ered as a third temple. Strictly and 
 architecturally considered, that of Herod 
 was entirely new, for he caused that of 
 Zerubbabel to be taken down to the very 
 foundations ; but in the popular and re- 
 ligious language they were identical ; just 
 as Josephus speaks of those built by Sol- 
 omon and Zerubbabel as one, Bell. Jud. 
 lib. vi. cap. iv. 8. Accordingly nothing 
 is more customary than for Jewish writers 
 to speak of only the first and the second 
 temple. In the present verse, Haggai is 
 to be understood as speaking in an archi- 
 tectural sense, inasmuch as the second 
 temple was then being actually built. 
 10. This prophecy was delivered rather 
 more than two months after that con- 
 
 tained in the preceding verses of the 
 chapter. 
 
 11—13. To convince his countrymen 
 of the impossibility of their conduct be- 
 ing well-pleasing to God, and of their 
 obtaining his blessing, while in any one 
 point they neglected to comply with his 
 will, the prophet directs them to consult 
 the priests on two legal questions; the 
 one, relative to the communication of 
 ceremonial sanctity to any object, by its 
 having been brought in contact with 
 what had been sanctified; and the oth- 
 er, respecting the communication of cer- 
 emonial impurity by one who was him- 
 self impure. The former was denied; 
 the latter affirmed. Whatever the Jews 
 might otherwise nightly perform, would 
 not compensate for their neglect in build- 
 ing the temple; on the contrary, their 
 neglect in this matter would taint or viti- 
 ate all their other actions. Comp. in 
 illustration of these questions, Lev. vi. 
 27; Numb, vi. 6, xix. 13; in which lat- 
 ter passages the abbreviated form 9 Ὲ3., ὦ 
 dead body, is expressed in full by TER 
 nn, or by mame Cnn ὉῈ2. 
 
 14. The application of the legal decis- 
 ions of the priests to the case of the Jews, 
 who had neglected the building of the 
 temple, It describes them, not as they 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 HAGGAITI. 
 
 And thus hath been every work of their hands, 
 And what they have offered there hath been unclean. 
 
 15 
 
 And now consider, I beseech you, 
 
 From this day and backward, 
 Before one stone was laid upon another 
 
 In the temple of Jehovah. 
 16 Since these days were, 
 
 One came to a heap of twenty sheaves, 
 
 And there were but ten ; 
 
 One came to the vat to draw fifty purahs, 
 
 And there were but twenty. 
 17 
 
 I smote you with blight, and mildew, and hail, 
 
 In all the labors of your hands ; 
 
 Yet ye turned not to me, 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 Consider, I beseech you, 
 From this day backward, 
 
 18 
 
 From the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, 
 From the day when the temple of Jehovah was founded, 
 
 Consider ! 
 
 19 Is the seed still in the granary ? 
 
 now were, engaged in the work, but as 
 they had been, and is designed to put 
 them upon their guard against falling 
 back into the same state. The adverb 
 Ἐν, there, points graphically to the altar, 
 which had been erected at Jerusalem, and 
 which was, in all probability, within view 
 of the audience which the prophet ad- 
 dressed. Ezra iii. 3. 
 
 15—17. The Jews are earnestly ex- 
 horted to reflect upon the state of their 
 affairs during the period in which they 
 had intermitted the work. God had 
 frowned upon them, and rendered them 
 infelicitous. nbz, a substantive, with 
 the local 5 , used adverbially. Properly 
 it signifies upward, being derived from 
 mb», to ascend; but used, as here, of 
 time, it means back, backwards. In 
 tninn, the word tx", days, is under- 
 stood. ἈΞ is to be taken impersonally, 
 At pty nay, a heap of twenty, sup- 
 ply nhwabs or ἘΣ», sheaves. ΤῊ Ξ» 
 which is used for the wine-press itself, 
 
 Is. Ixiii. 3, is here employed to denote a 
 liquid measure in which the wine was 
 drawn out. LXX. μετρητής. The quan- 
 tity being unknown, I have retained the 
 original word. For ver. 17, comp. 
 Amos ivy. 9, where we have the words 
 "IZ DAIZ-ND, ye turned not unto me, 
 instead of “by Tony—7s , used by Hag- 
 gai, in which there is an ellipsis of the 
 participle ovag. For this use of nx, 
 as a nominative, or as indicating the sub- 
 ject of discourse, see on ver. 5. In ver. 
 18, the exhortation is once and again re- 
 iterated for the sake of effect; and to 
 render it still more definite, the exact date 
 is added to the formula s3n pin, this 
 day, which had been employed ver. 15. 
 ΤΌΣ is here to be taken, as in that verse, 
 in reference to past time, and not, as the 
 Vulg., Hitzig, etc., in reference to the - 
 future. 
 
 19. To the question put at the begin- 
 ning of the verse, a negative is to be 
 given. The seed was no longer in the 
 
302 
 
 HAGGAT. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 And as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, 
 And the pomegranate, and the olive have borne nothing ; 
 From this day will I bestow the blessing. | 
 
 20 
 
 And the word of Jehovah was communicated a second time 
 
 to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying: 
 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, saying : 
 I will shake the heavens and the earth, 
 
 22 
 
 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, 
 
 I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, 
 
 And overthrow the chariots 
 
 and those who ride in them ; 
 
 The horses, also, and their riders shall come down, 
 Each by the sword of another. 
 
 23 
 
 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 I will take thee, Ὁ Zerubbabel! the son of Shealtiel, 
 
 My servant, saith Jehovah, 
 
 granary. It had been sown in the course 
 of the month, and there were no signs 
 of its springing up any more than there 
 were of the produce of the fruit-trees. 
 Jehovah had formerly blasted their har- 
 vest ; but now that the people were dili- 
 gently engaged in building his temple, 
 they might confidently calculate upon 
 one of plenty. He gives them a positive 
 promise to this effect. The repetition of 
 min ΠΡ πτ 12» from this day, which had 
 been twice used in the preceding verses, 
 gives emphasis to the declaration. sz, 
 usually signifying wnti/, is here employed 
 in the sense of while, or as yet, as in 
 Judges iii, 26; 2 Kings ix. 22; Job. i. 
 18, where it corresponds to πὴ» in verses 
 16 and 17. 
 
 20—23. These verses contain a special 
 message to Zerubbabel, in which there 
 is a repetition of the prediction, some- 
 what amplified, respecting the revolutions 
 that were about to take place, which had 
 been delivered in verses 6 and 7. In 
 ver. 22, the verb "τη, to go or come down, 
 is equvialent to =, to fall. That the 
 promise made, ver. 23, cannot be viewed 
 as having respect to Zerubbabel in his in- 
 dividual capacity, has been thought to be 
 quite obvious from the fact, that he lived 
 upwards of an hundred years before the 
 time of Alexander, who overturned the 
 
 Persian throne, and ,subdued the rest of 
 Asia; but the predicted convulsions did 
 not commence with the conquests of that 
 monarch. Many of them took place dur- 
 ing the reign of Darius, whose arms were 
 carried not only into Scythia, Asia Mi- 
 nor, and Greece, but, according to Her- 
 odotus, into India. It is, therefore, not 
 at all improbable that Zerubbabel sur- 
 vived several of these wars, and thus 
 lived in the beginning of sinn chen, 
 that day, or the period in the course of 
 which the prophecy was to be fulfilled ; 
 and as the Persians occasionally experi- 
 enced serious reverses, as, for instance, in 
 the Scythian expedition, it was natural 
 for the Jews who were under the protec- 
 tion of Darius, to have their minds un- 
 settled by apprehensions respecting the 
 ultimate state of their affairs. To inspire 
 them with confidence, Jehovah here as- 
 sures their governor of his regard and 
 protection amid all the commotions that 
 might take place in the surrounding na- 
 tions. pb , to take, is merely employed 
 for the purpose of introducing the action 
 expressed by the following verb. For 
 pnans Ἴ 3 Ὁ, I will place thee as a sig- 
 net, comp. Song viii. 6; Jer. xxii. 24. 
 thin, from onn, to seal, or close by 
 sealing, signifies a ring with the seal or 
 signet in it, with which the impression 
 
Cuap. II. HeASG GAT: 303 
 And will make thee as a signet ; 
 
 For in thee I take pleasure, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 was made. Seals were commonly made 
 of silver, but sometimes of the most pre- 
 cious stones, and, consequently, held in 
 high estimation by their owners. Being 
 worn on one of the fingers of the right 
 hand, they were likewise objects of con- 
 stant inspection and care. In all these 
 points of view Zerubbabel was to be re- 
 
 garded by God. He was to be an object 
 of his incessant care and delight. ‘Lhe 
 latter idea is more definitely expressed 
 by the addition "Ὁ πΞ 33 —-na, sig- 
 nifying not only to ¢ry objects, and then 
 to select what is valuable, but also to take 
 pleasure in what is thus selected. 
 
 45 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ZECHARIAH was of a sacerdotal family. His father Berechiah was a son 
 of Iddo, one of the priests who returned with Zerubbabel and Joshua from 
 Babylon. Neh. xii. 4. When he is said to have been the son of Iddo, Ezra 
 ν. 1, vi. 14, the word 42 is used, according to a common Hebrew idiom, in the 
 sense of grandson. He must have been born in Babylonia, and been young, 
 rather than otherwise, at the time of his arrival in Judea. He was contem- 
 * porary with Haggai, and, like him, received his prophetic commission in the 
 second year of Darius Hystaspis, B. c. 520, only the latter began his ministry 
 two months earlier. Both prophets were employed in encouraging Zerubba- 
 bel and Joshua to carry forward the building of the temple, which had been 
 intermitted through the selfish and worldly spirit of the returned exiles —a 
 spirit which they boldly and variously reproved. 
 
 The most remarkable portion of the book is that containing the first six 
 chapters. It consists of a series of visions which were vouchsafed to the 
 prophet in the course of a single night, in which, by means of symbolical 
 representations, the dispensations of Divine Providence relative to the na- 
 tions that had oppressed the Jews, the entire removal of idolatry from the 
 latter, the re-establishment of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the 
 certainty of the Messiah’s advent, were strikingly and impressively revealed. 
 
 The next portion contains the seventh and eighth chapters, and contains 
 an answer to a question which the inhabitants of Bethel had proposed re- 
 specting the observance of a certain fast, together with important ethical 
 matter necessarily arising out of the subject. 
 
 The remaining six chapters contain predictions respecting the expedition 
 of Alexander the Great along the west coast of Palestine to Egypt; the 
 Divine protection of the Jews both at that time, and in that of the Maccabees ; 
 the advent, sufferings, and reign of the Messiah; the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem by the Romans, and dissolution of the Jewish polity; the sufferings of 
 the Jews during the dispersion; their conversion and restoration; and the 
 sacred character of their worship, in which the Gentiles shall join, after the 
 destruction of the wicked confederacy which will be opposed to their final 
 establishment in Canaan. 
 
 The authenticity of this last portion has been, and still is, strongly con- 
 tested. Not only has it been denied to be the production of Zechariah, but 
 
PREFACE TO ZECHARIAH. Soo 
 
 it has been broken up into fragments, the independent authorship of which 
 has been vindicated to as many anonymous authors. ‘The first who ventured 
 upon such a denial was Joseph Mede, whose opinion was adopted by Ham- 
 mond, Kidder, Whiston, and Bridge, and more recently by Secker and New- 
 come in this country, and on the continent by Fliigge, Déderlein, J. D. 
 Michaelis, Seiler, Eichhorn, Bauer, Bertholdt, Forberg, Rosenmiiller, Gram- 
 berg, Hitzig, Credner, Maurer, Ewald, and Knobel. The authenticity, on 
 the athe hand, has been maintained by Carpzovius, Blaney, Jahn, Beckhaus, 
 Koester, Hengstenberg, and Burger. 
 
 The eS ehjpeuen is τ to the language and character of the 
 materials, as being very different from those which are found to distinguish 
 what is universally allowed to have been written by Zechariah. To tig, 
 however, it has been replied, that granting such to be the case, there may 
 have elapsed a long period of time between the composition of the former 
 and latter portions of the book, during which any observable change in the 
 style of the prophet might have taken place. It is evident, from there being 
 no reference whatever in the chapters in question to the completion of the 
 temple and the restoration of the Jewish affairs after the captivity, that, if 
 they had not been written previously, they must have been composed long 
 after these events had become matter of history, and in circumstances alto- 
 gether different from those which occupied the attention of the prophet at the 
 commencement of his ministry. 
 
 That these chapters were written long before, and, indeed, during the ex- 
 istence of the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel, is a position maintained by 
 most of those who dispute their authenticity ; but it is based upon too feeble 
 and precarious a foundation to recommend it to the adoption of any who will 
 impartially examine into all the circumstances of the case. The mere men- 
 tion of Judah and Ephraim, upon which so much stress is laid, can yield it no 
 Teal support. Not the smallest hint is anywhere dropped which would lead 
 us to infer the existence, at the time, of a separate political or religious estab- 
 lishment in the northern part of Palestine; nor is there any thing, but the 
 contrary, to induce the conclusion that a ie reigned in Judah in the days 
 of the author. That Ephraim should be spoken of as existing after the cap- 
 tivity, cannot be matter of surprise, when it is considered, that a very large, 
 if not the larger, portion of the ten tribes availed themselves of the liberty 
 granted by the Persians to the Jews in Babylon, and likewise returned to the 
 land of their fathers. This view of the subject is confirmed by the applica- 
 tion of the term “Israel” to all the tribes, chap. xii. 1, just as it is used in the 
 identical formula Mal. 1. 1. Compare Mal. ii. 11, 12, iii. 6. The few refer- 
 ences to a return relate to those Jews which were in a state of banishment 
 or slavery under the Greco-Syrian and Grco-Egyptian kings. The histor- 
 ical circumstances connected with the Egyptian expedition of Alexander are 
 so strongly marked in the prophetic announcements, that they cannot without 
 violence be identified with any previous events. The absence, too, of the 
 slightest allusion to the Babylonish captivity, either in the way of threatening 
 or warning, while the prophet minutely describes the character of the Jewish 
 
900 PREFACE TO ZECHARIAH. 
 
 rulers, and the condition of the Jewish people, in immediate connection with 
 the sufferings of the Messiah, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the conse- 
 quent fate of the people, goes convincingly to show that the captivity must 
 have taken place, and that the whole of this portion of the book has respect 
 to times future to those in which he flourished. So strongly, indeed, has this 
 feature of the case presented itself to Eichhorn, and other sharp-sighted crit- 
 ics, that, rejecting, as their neology compelled them to do, all ideas of actual 
 prophecy, they scruple not to affirm that the disputed chapters must have 
 been composed in the days of Alexander, Antiochus, Epiphanes, or Hyreanus 
 I. It also deserves notice that no reference whatever is made to the exist- 
 ence of royal government among the Jews, at the time the author wrote, or 
 to any circumstances in the history of that people previous to the captivity. 
 
 When, therefore, the difference both in regard to time and subject-matter 
 are taken into consideration, it must be regarded as sufficient to account for 
 any difference of style that may be detected. It is, however, after all, a 
 question whether there really does exist such a difference in this respect, as 
 that to which it has become so fashionable to appeal. Be it that the intro- 
 ductory formulas which occur in the first eight chapters do not occur in the 
 last six, the objection, if fully carried out, would go in like manner to dis- 
 member the Book of Amos, and assign its composition at least to three differ- 
 ent authors. The first two chapters of that prophet, it may be alleged, 
 cannot have been written by the same person that wrote the three which fol- 
 low, since in the former every prediction is ushered in by the marked formula, 
 “Thus saith Jehovah,” whereas in the latter no such formula occurs, but 
 another equally marked: ‘“ Hear ye this word.” And upon the same princi- 
 ple, the seventh and eighth chapters must have come from the pen of a third 
 writer, since the distinguishing formula there is, ‘‘ Thus hath Jehovah showed 
 me.” : 
 
 The very peculiar character of the first six chapters of Zechariah, is such 
 as to exclude all comparison of any other portion with it, while the more 
 adorned and poetical style of the concluding chapters, which is so admirably 
 adapted to the subjects treated of, ought equally to be regarded as exempting 
 them from the category of comparison. In these no dates were requisite, 
 though they were in the former, in which they occupy their appropriate place 
 in necessary connection with the events which transpired at the time. With 
 respect to the titles, chap. ix. 1, and xii. 1, they are precisely such as might 
 be expected to mark the strictly prophetic matter to which they are prefixed. 
 The exactly parallel title, Malachi, 1. 1, naturally suggests the idea, that they 
 belong to a common period, especially as nothing analogous is found in any 
 of the earlier prophets. 
 
 On the whole, I cannot but regard the objections to the authenticity of the 
 disputed chapters as the offspring either of a holy jealousy for the honor of 
 the Evangelist Matthew, who attributes chapter xi. 12, 13, to Jeremiah, and 
 not to Zechariah,* or of a spirit of wanton and unbridled hypercriticism, 
 
 * See Comment. on the passage. 
 
PREFACE TO ZECHARIAH. 307 
 
 which would unsettle everything, in order to satisfy the claims of certain 
 favorite principles of interpretation that may happen to be in vogue. 
 
 In point of style, our prophet varies, according to the nature of his subjects, 
 and the manner in which they were presented to his mind. He now expresses 
 himself in simple conversational prose, now in poetry. At one time he 
 abounds in the language of symbols; at another in that of direct prophetical 
 announcement. His symbols are, for the most part, enigmatical, and require 
 the explanations which accompany them. His prose resembles most that of 
 Ezekiel ; it is diffuse, uniform and repetitious. His prophetic poetry possesses 
 much of the elevation and dignity to be found in the earlier prophets, with 
 whose writings he appears to have been familiar; only his rhythmus is some- 
 times harsh and unequal, while his parallelisms are destitute of that symmetry 
 and finish, which form some of the principal beauties of Hebrew poetry. 
 
ΘΟΕ ΕΟ Ht ors 
 
 w 
 
 In the first six verses, which serve as a general introduction to the whole book, the prophet 
 is charged to warn the Jews by the consequences which resu!ted from the impenitence 
 of their forefathers, not to be backward in complying with the Divine will. We have 
 then the first of the prophetic visions, with which Zechariah was favored, containing ἃ 
 symbolical representation of the tranquil condition of the world at the time, 7—11; fol- 
 lowed by an expostulation respecting the desolate state of Judea, 12, 18, and gracious 
 promises of its restoration, 14—17. The last four verses set forth, by appropriate symbols, 
 in a second vision, for the encouragement of the Jews, the destruction of the hostile pow- 
 ers by which they had been attacked, at different periods of their history. 
 
 
 
 1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word 
 of Jehovah was communicated to Zechariah (the son of Bere- 
 chiah, the son of Iddo,) the prophet, saying : 
 
 2 Jehovah hath been greatly displeased with your fathers. 
 
 3 Say therefore unto them, 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Return unto me, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 And I will return unto you, saith Jehovah cf hosts. 
 
 1. See preface, and on Haggai i. 1. 
 
 2 The special object which the prophet 
 has in view in this and the following 
 verses, is to call those Jews who had re- 
 turned from Babylon to Jerusalem, to 
 repent of the selfish negligence which 
 they evinced in regard to the building 
 of the temple. Comp. Hag. i. 4, 5, 7. 
 This repentance is urged upon them by 
 the consideration of the severe punish- 
 ment which had overtaken their fathers. 
 The argument is of the kind called en- 
 thymeme, in which the antecedent only 
 is expressed, and the consequent proposi- 
 tion is left to be supplied by the reader. 
 «Jehovah hath been very angry with 
 your fathers, and so he will be with you, 
 except ye repent and reform your con- 
 duct.” ὩΣ The construction of 
 a verb with a noun derived from it, is 
 found in other languages, as μάχεσϑαι 
 μαχὴν, gaudere gaudium; but its fre- 
 quency in the Hebrew is such as to 
 entitle it to be regarded as one ofits 
 idioms; and, generally, it expresses aug- 
 
 - ao tm 
 ΞΡ ΣΡ. 
 “ΡΠ IS 
 
 mentation or intensity. Hence the LXX. 
 render here, ὠργίσϑη --- ὀργὴν μεγάλην ; 
 and the Syr. {23 ἵμιο- δ. In 
 ver. 15, the intensity is still more strongly 
 marked by the addition of $473, great: 
 -- ΣΡ cay d4ca ἘΣ. The persons 
 addressed in ps*nias, your fathers, are 
 the Jews to whom the prophet had been 
 sent. There is no occasion, with Blay- 
 ney, to suppose that the text is defective. 
 
 3. The ἡ in m-%x1 is not merely con- 
 tinuative, but argumentative, and infer- 
 ential. For the defective form emty, 
 twenty-eight MSS., and three editions 
 read Ἐπ ὃ Ν in full. The phrase -}n> 
 ΤΆΞΙΝ , Jehovah of hosts, is of unusually 
 frequent occurrence in the eight first 
 chapters of this book, and in that of 
 Haggai, written about the same time. 
 In the last six chapters, however, it oc- 
 curs not fewer than nine times. See on 
 Is. i. 9, Its use appears to have been 
 designed to inspire the mind with un- 
 shaken confidence in the supreme and 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 4 Be not like your fathers, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 309 
 
 To whom the former prophets cried, saying, 
 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Turn now from your evil ways, 
 
 And from your evil practices ; 
 But they did not hearken, 
 
 Neither did they give heed to me, saith Jehovah. 
 5 As for your fathers, where are they ? 
 And as for the prophets, do they live forever ? 
 '6 But my words, and my decrees, 
 Which I gave in charge to my servants the prophets, 
 
 irresistible power of God. The 4 in 
 
 next marks the apodosis, and has the 
 force of and then, or in that case. Comp. 
 James iv. 8. 
 
 4, The prophets here referred to are 
 those who lived before the captivity, and 
 the fathers are those who lived in their 
 time, whose wicked practices had brought 
 upon the nation that dire calamity. 
 The appropriation of the phrase t=x723 
 t-2hsan, the former prophets, as a des- 
 ignation of the books of Joshua, Judges, 
 Samuel, and Kings, is of much later 
 date. The returned Jews are here re- 
 minded that the same announcement 
 which was made to them had been made 
 to their ancestors, and that they might 
 have escaped all the evil by a timely 
 repentance, to which Zechariah now ur- 
 gently calls them. The former " in 
 Ds-b"by is marked in the margin as 
 redundant, and is omitted in the text of 
 more than twenty MIS. and some print- 
 ed editions. The plural of Ἐξ 3%, viz. 
 Spit) 22, is the only form in which the 
 word occurs. Comp. ver. 6. 
 
 5. Jerome refers bp" aim to the false 
 prophets by whom the Jews who lived 
 before the captivity had been deceived 
 —an interpretation which appears to 
 have been suggested by Jer. xxxvii. 19: 
 “Where are now your prophets, which 
 prophesied unto you, saying, The king 
 of Babylon shall not come against you, 
 nor against this land?”” The most nat- 
 ural construction of the verse, however, 
 
 is that which connects it closely with 
 what goes before, and identifies the 
 prophets’ here spoken of with “ the for- 
 mer prophets” there mentioned, just as 
 the “fathers” in both verses correspond 
 to each other. The question, TIN 
 where are they? is equivalent to Ἴ55 5 
 they are not; i. 6. in the land of the 
 living. This the following question 
 clearly shows. In Hebrew, simple inter- 
 rogatives frequently imply the contrary: 
 so that the language of the prophet is 
 equivalent to “ your fathers are no more, 
 neither do the prophets live forever.” 
 The latter declaration seems to involve 
 the idea, ‘‘ but my words never fail,” as 
 it follows in ver. 6. This had been 
 proved by the fulfilment of the Divine 
 threatenings in the mournful experience 
 of their fathers, and would again be 
 proved in theirs, except they repented, 
 which idea is amplified in the following 
 verse. 
 
 6. "BM, my decrees, i. e. my firm and 
 determined purposes to punish your fath- 
 ers, if they did not repent, which I com- 
 municated to them by the prophets. The 
 root is prem , to hack, cut, cut letters, etc., 
 in stone or other hard substances. Thus 
 laws were originally written on tablets, 
 and hung up for public inspection. The 
 confession made in this verse is that 
 which the captives were compelled to 
 make by the sufferings which they en- 
 dured in Babylon. How far their -25275 
 conversion, extended we are not informed. 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. L 
 
 Did they not overtake your fathers ? 
 
 So that they turned and said, 
 
 According as Jehovah of hosts proposed to do to us, 
 According to our ways, and according to our practices, 
 
 So hath he dealt with us. 
 
 7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is 
 the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word 
 of Jehovah was communicated to Zechariah (the son of Bere- 
 chiah, the son of Iddo), the prophet, saying : 
 
 8 Isaw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, 
 
 It is, however, generally admitted that, 
 as regards the great body of the nation, 
 it involved the entire abandonment of 
 idolatry. That av is here to be strictly 
 taken as signifying to turn, return from 
 evil to good, and not according to its 
 idiomatic usage before another verb, as 
 simply expressing the repetition of the 
 action described by such verb, is required 
 by the exigency of the passage. "wN> 
 and 4> are correlates ; the 2 repeated, 
 qualifies a subordinate, but important 
 part of the proposition. 
 
 7. From this part of the book to chap. 
 vi. 8, we have a series of eight symboli- 
 cal visions, the language of which is 
 exceedingly simple, but, in many cases, 
 the interpretation is matter of no small 
 difficulty. The general plan on which 
 it is constructed, is, first to present to 
 view the symbol or hieroglyphic, and 
 then, on a question being put respecting 
 its import, to furnish the interpretation, 
 Though the visions are described as dis- 
 tinct from each other, the one following 
 the other in regular succession, yet they 
 are so closely connected as to form one 
 grand whole; and, as we learn from ver. 
 8, were all presented to the mind of the 
 prophet in the course of a single night. 
 The period of these nocturnal revelations 
 was between two and three months after 
 the prophet first received his commission. 
 Comp. ver. 1. vas, Shebat, is the 
 eleventh month of the Jewish year, ex- 
 tending from the new moon in February 
 to the new moon in March. Like other 
 
 names of the months, the word is Chal- 
 dee; Syr. ina; Arab. ἰδίων and 
 
 bles. The etymology is not certain ; 
 but the resemblance of the word to the 
 Hebrew wav, α shoot, rod, staff, sug- 
 gests the idea of the month being so 
 called because it was that in which the 
 trees began to put forth their shoots or 
 sprouts. As the following statement 
 does not contain the identical words 
 merely of the communications made to 
 the prophet, but an account of the scenes 
 with all their accompanying circumstan- 
 ces, the formula -=;2x> must be taken as 
 signifying, “10 the following effect,” 
 ‘as follows,” or the like. 
 
 VISION I. 
 
 . It has been doubted whether the 
 ἘΠῚ m in sn is to be regarded as 
 definitely marking the particular night 
 on which the visions were voucheafed! to 
 the prophet, or whether it is not rather 
 to be taken as expressing the adverbial 
 determination of the noun — zn the night, 
 or, by night, The latter seems prefer- 
 able, Comp. mbs$2, Job y. 14. The 
 person here described as riding upon a 
 red horse, is spoken of as "ὅλ, @ man, 
 z. e. in the shape or appearance of a man; 
 for that an angel, and not a human be- - 
 
 ing, is intended, is evident from verses 
 11 and 12, in which he is expressly 
 
 called “the angel of Jehovah.” And that 
 he was no ordinary angel, but the Divine 
 Mediator, the Angel of the Covenant, 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 901 
 
 and he stood among the myrtles in the shade, and behind him 
 
 and of the presence of Jehovah, will not 
 be denied by any who have rendered 
 themselves familiar with the attributes 
 and circumstances in connection with 
 which the Person so designated is pre- 
 sented to view, both in our prophet and 
 in other parts of the Old Testament. 
 One of the most remarkable of these 
 circumstances, is his being identified 
 with Jehovah himself. This Gesenius, 
 so far from denying, or attempting to 
 explain away, expressly asserts both in 
 his Thesaurus, and in the last edition of 
 his Hebrew Lexicon, under the word 
 sda . Sometimes,” he writes, ‘the 
 same divine appearance, which at one 
 time is called m4n> 5xd72, is afterwards 
 called simply mn, as Gen. xvi. 7, θέ 
 seq. coll. v. 13; xxii. 11; coll. 12; xxi. 
 11, coll. 16; Exod. iii, 2, coll. 5; Jud. 
 vi. 14, coll. 22; xiii. 18, coll. 22. This 
 is to be so understood, that the Angel of 
 God is here nothing else than the invisi- 
 ble Deity itself, which thus unveils itself 
 to mortal eyes; see J. H. Michaelis de 
 Angelo Dei, Hal. 1702. Tholuck, Com- 
 ment. zum Ey. Johannis, p. 36. Hence 
 Oriental translators, as Saadias, Abusai- 
 des, and the Chaldee-Samaritan, where- 
 ever Jehovah himself is said to appear 
 upon earth, always put for the name of 
 God, the Angel of God.” See the very 
 satisfactory observations of Dr. M‘Caul 
 on this subject, in his translation of Kim- 
 chi on Zechariah, pp. 9—27, in which 
 he has shown that there is but one being 
 who is called in Scripture m4n7 F352 , 
 the Angel of Jehovah ; that the proper 
 name of this one Being is τ» Jeho- 
 vah ; that this Being says of himself, dis- 
 tinctly and unequivocally, that He is the 
 God whom Jacob worshipped, the God 
 of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and that 
 some of the Rabbins themselves have 
 been compelled to admit the facts. See 
 also Dr. J. Pye Smith’s Scripture Testi- 
 mony to the Messiah, vol. i. pp. 445— 
 468; and Stonard on Zechariah, pp. 15 
 —19. In the Babylonian Talmud, San- 
 46 
 
 hedrin, fol. 93, col. 1, the following brief 
 exposition is given of the man here re- 
 ferred to by the prophet: “This man is 
 no other than the Holy One, blessed be 
 He; for it is said, ‘The Lord is a man 
 of war.’” The position of this Captain 
 of the Lord’s host, is stated to be “" among 
 the myrtles which were in the shady val- 
 ley.’ Many conjectures have been ad- 
 vanced respecting both the myrtles and 
 the valley, but, in my opinion, they are 
 all gratuitous, since it does not appear 
 that these objects were designed to be 
 symbolically understood, but are merely 
 added as incidental circumstances, to 
 give vivacity and force to the represen- 
 tation. sys: being always used, like 
 nbhsv and mbax, of depth in reference 
 to water or mire, it is clear from the con- 
 nection that such cannot be the significa- 
 tion of = 52.2 , which is a derivative, not 
 from $13, to sink, be deep, but from $43, 
 to be shaded, darkened ; hence the shade 
 or shady place, probably that of a moun- 
 tain. Such derivation is indicated by 
 the Dagesh compensative in the Lamed, 
 and is supported by the renderings of the 
 
 LXX. and Syr. κατασκίων, NG Ce 
 
 Hitzig and Ewald, comparing the Arab. 
 xr, umbraculum, tentorium, inter- 
 pret the word as meaning tent or taber- 
 nacle, and suppose heaven, as the dwell- 
 ing-place of Jehovah, to be intended; 
 but the exegesis is far-fetched and inept. 
 Equally unsatisfactory is the attempt of 
 the latter of these writers to palm upon 
 b-o71n the signification of p45 , moun- 
 tains, by comparing the term with 4357 1 
 height, Is. xlv. 2. Τῶν ὀρέων of the 
 LXX. must have originated in their hay- 
 ing mistaken ἘΠ τὶ for Ὁ ΤΙ.» or it may 
 be an interpretation derived from chap. 
 vi. 1. Behind the rider, who appears as 
 their leader or captain, follow three com- 
 panies of horsemen, distinguished from 
 each other by the color of the horses. It 
 is not to be inferred, that, because Ὡ" Ὁ 55, 
 horses, only are mentioned, we are to 
 
362 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. 1. 
 
 9 were horses that were red, bay and white. Then I said, What 
 are these, my lord? And the angel who spake with me, said 
 
 conceive of them as being presented to 
 view without their riders. This is evi- 
 dent from the reply given by the riders, 
 ver. 11. +p, like our English horse, is 
 sometimes used in a military sense, to 
 denote cavalry. Still, as the color of the 
 horses forms an important feature in the 
 representation, they must have been spe- 
 cially prominent to the mental vision of 
 the prophet. On a comparison of the 
 present verse with chap. vi. 1—8, and 
 Rey. vi. 2—8, it will appear that horses 
 with their riders are employed in the 
 symbolical language of Scripture to de- 
 note dispensations of divine providence. 
 The peculiar nature of the dispensations 
 is indicated by the color of the horses, 
 and the armor and appearance of the 
 riders. Red, the color first mentioned, 
 being that of fire and blood, is the ap- 
 propriate symbol of war and bloodshed. 
 That of the second company of horses is 
 expressed by ποῦ πἰ Ὁ, bay, or brown, per- 
 haps not differing from what is com- 
 monly called chestnut. See Bochart, 
 Hieroz. tom. i. lib. ii, cap. 7. What 
 induces the belief that this color is meant 
 is, that =-panw signify vines which bear 
 purple, or dark colored grapes. Comp. 
 
 the Arab. B yi, rufus color ; peal, 
 valde rubens seu rufus camelus. The 
 LXX. ψαροὶ ; Vulg. varit. The addi- 
 tion, καὶ ποικίλοι, in the text of the 
 LXX. is doubtless a gloss. This color 
 is symbolical of a middle state of things 
 —a dispensation neither characterized 
 by bloodshed, nor by victory and joyous 
 prosperity, which the white color is uni- 
 versally allowed to represent. From 
 what is stated, ver. 11, it is obvious we 
 cannot interpret the dispensations, thus 
 emblematically set forth, of events still 
 future at the time of the vision. The 
 different cohorts speak of their commis- 
 sion as already fulfilled. The colors 
 must, therefore, denote the Medo-Per- 
 sian war, in which the Babylonian em- 
 
 pire was subverted; the mixed or tran- 
 sition state of affairs which followed ; and 
 the complete establishment of the new 
 dynasty in the room of the tyrannical 
 power by which the Jews had been en- 
 slaved. In consideration of the awful 
 vengeance which had been inflicted upon 
 that power, the color of the horse on 
 
 which the commander rode is represented © 
 
 as being red, rather than bay or white — 
 evidently with the design of affecting 
 the minds of the Jews with a sense of 
 the great deliverance which had been 
 wrought for them by their Divine Pro- 
 tector. 
 
 9. Marckius, Ch. B. Michaelis, Rosen- 
 miiller, Maurer, and Ewald, are of opin- 
 ion, that the angel here spoken of is 
 identical with the man riding on the 
 horse mentioned in the preceding verse, 
 but the contrary is properly maintained 
 by Vitringa and Hengstenberg, as a com- 
 parison with ver. 10 is sufficient to show. 
 Though the angel who made the com- 
 munications to the prophet had not been 
 formerly mentioned, he had presented 
 himself to him, or stood beside him, 
 ready to discharge the duties of his 
 office. This angel is uniformly spoken 
 of as "2 “a=m Astin, the angel that 
 spake with me. See verses 13, 14, chap. 
 ii, 2, 7, iv. 1, 4, 8, v. 5, 10, vi. 4.. The 
 language is peculiar to our prophet ; and 
 from the office specially assigned to the 
 angel, he is usually called the angelus 
 interpres, or the angelus collocutor. That 
 stress is to be laid upon the use of the 
 preposition = following the verb -217, ¢o 
 speak, as if it were designed to mark the 
 internal character of communications 
 made by the angel to the prophet—a 
 position maintained by Jerome, Ewald, 
 Delitzsch, and some others — cannot be 
 satisfactorily made out. The utmost that 
 can be conceded respecting the force of 
 the preposition, in such connection, is its 
 expressing the familiarity or intimacy of 
 the intercourse between the Divine mes- 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 363 
 
 10 to me, I will show thee what these are. And the man that 
 stood among the myrtles answered and said, These are they 
 
 7] 
 
 whom Jehovah hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. 
 
 And they answered the Angel of Jehovah that stood among the 
 myrtles, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, 
 and, behold! the whole earth sitteth still and is tranquil. 
 
 12 
 
 Then the Angel of Jehovah answered and said: O Jehovah 
 
 of hosts! how long wilt thou not compassionate Jerusalem, and 
 the cities of Judah, with which thou hast been angry these 
 13 seventy years? And Jehovah answered the angel who spake 
 
 senger and the prophet. When the angel 
 says xs, 1 will show, or cause thee to 
 see these things, the reference is to a men- 
 tal perception or understanding of their 
 meaning. 
 
 10, 11. m2, signifies to commence or 
 proceed to speak, as well as to answer. 
 Comp. the use of ἀποκρίνομαι in the New 
 Testament. Instead of the requisite in- 
 formation being communicated by the 
 interpreting angel, it is imparted by the 
 Angel of Jehovah himself, and by those 
 who acted under his command. Because 
 the phraseology j7482 3>7nnNn is almost 
 identical with that employed to describe 
 the roaming of Satan through the earth, 
 Job. i. 7, ii. 2, it has been inferred that 
 the horsemen represent celestial spirits 
 sent forth for the execution of the di- 
 vine purposes; but the ground is too 
 precarious to admit of any such theory 
 being built upon it, as a comparison with 
 Rey. vi. 2—8, is sufficient to show. The 
 simple occurrence of the same terms can- 
 not of itself justify this interpretation. 
 From the reply being given to the Angel 
 of Jehovah, we may conclude, that he 
 had signified to them that they should 
 make their report for the information of 
 the prophet. In consequence of their 
 several operations, the obstacles had been 
 removed out of the way which prevented 
 the restoration of the Jews; the wars in 
 which the Persians had been engaged 
 had ceased ; and, at the time the prophet 
 had the vision, in the second year of Da- 
 rius, universal peace obtained in all the 
 regions with which the people of God 
 
 had any connection. For the use of 
 ups to denote a state of tranquillity after 
 war, comp. Jud. v.26. A similar com- 
 bination of may> with 7152 occurs ch. 
 vii. 7, and is ‘intended to. express the 
 profound character of the peace which 
 was then enjoyed. 
 
 12. ny, to answer, is here, as in other 
 instances, used in the simple acceptation 
 of speaking, or continuing a discourse. 
 The language is that of intercessory 
 expostulation. While all the heathen 
 nations around Judea enjoyed prosperity, 
 that country was still much in the same 
 state in which it had been during the 
 captivity. Some of the captives had re- 
 turned, but they were too few to produce 
 anything like a marked change in its 
 circumstances. Vitringa, Stonard, and 
 some others, without sufficient reason, 
 think that a different term of seventy 
 years is here intended from that pre- 
 dicted Jer. xxv. 11, xxix. 10. What in 
 reality were the years of indignation upon 
 the cities, but the years of the captivity 
 of their inhabitants? piv ἘΠΣΞΦ AT, 
 “ these seventy years,” express emphati- 
 cally the period during which the cap- 
 tivity had continued. Two of these 
 years, dating from the destruction of 
 Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, had yet 
 nearly to run before the expiration of 
 the predicted period, so that the language 
 of the expostulation is most appropriate, 
 when viewed as calculated to meet the 
 feelings of the Jewish people. 
 
 13. That it is the same being who is 
 styled gah» the Angel of Jeho- 
 
 -νς 
 my ἘΕῊῈ 
 
364 
 
 14 with me with good and comfortable words. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 And the angel who 
 
 spake with me said to me, Cry, saying, 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 I am zealous for Jerusalem, 
 
 And for Zion, with great zeal; 
 
 15 
 
 And I am very greatly displeased 
 
 With the nations that are at ease; 
 Because I was a little displeased, 
 And they helped forward the affliction. 
 
 16 
 
 Wherefore, thus saith Jehovah: 
 
 I have returned to Jerusalem in compassion : 
 My house shall be built in her, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 And a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. 
 
 17 Cry again, saying, 
 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity ; 
 For Jehovah will yet comfort Zion, 
 
 And will yet take pleasure in Jerusalem. 
 
 vah, that is here designated by the in- 
 communicable name myn , Jehovah, just 
 as in the passages quoted by Gesenius, 
 ver, 8, seems past dispute. As the Di- 
 vine Mediator, after having made inter- 
 cession with the Father, who is addressed 
 by the title ninax mint, Jehovah of 
 hosts, he communicates to the interpret- 
 ing angel the consolatory answer which 
 was to be made to the prophet. p72" 
 pyanm2, are in apposition: lit. words, 
 consolations, i. 6. consolatory words. 
 LXX. λόγους παρακλητικούς. Comp. 
 Ts 1ν11, 8; Hos. x18, 
 
 14, This and the three following verses 
 contain the consolatory words just refer- 
 red to, which the prophet is commanded 
 by the interpreting angel to communicate 
 to the Jews. s2p construed with 3, or 
 with the accusative, signifies to envy, be 
 Jealous, indignant at any person or thing; 
 with $ as here, it is taken in a good sense, 
 to be zealous for anything, actively to 
 interest one’s self on behalf of any one. 
 Comp. Numb. xxv. 11,13; 2 Sam. xxi. 
 2; 1 Kings xix. 10. 
 
 15. The adjective ἡ: signifies not 
 
 merely ἕο be at rest, as the whole earth 
 is described, ver. 11, but, in a bad sense 
 to live at ease, be carnally secure. The 
 enemies of the Jews had not simply 
 executed the Divine indignation against 
 that people, but they had done it wan- 
 tonly. Such seems to be the force of 
 rank an. 
 16. The building of the temple had 
 been begun, but it still lay for the most 
 part in ruins, and was not finished till 
 the sixth year of Darius. See Ezra vi. 
 15. 1p, for which the Keri has, by 
 emendation, the more usual form “>, 
 occurs 1 Kings vii. 23 ; Jer. xxxi. 39. 
 17. Few as were the inhabitants of 
 Judea at the time of the vision, the land 
 was speedily re-occupied ; and the popu- 
 lation had greatly increased by the time 
 of the Maccabees. Josephus informs us, 
 that, overflowing with numbers, Jerusa- 
 lem gradually crept beyond its walls, 
 till a fourth hill, called Bezetha, was 
 covered with habitations. ΓΞ, Arab. 
 yok, AAs, effusus Futt, to overflow. 
 That the overflowing, however, is to be 
 interpreted of prosperity, and not of the 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 365 
 
 18 Το] lifted up my eyes and looked, and, behold! four horns. 
 19 And I said to the angel who spake with me, What are these? 
 
 And he answered me, These are the horns which have scat- 
 20 tered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem. And Jehovah showed me 
 
 21 four workmen. 
 
 Then I said, What are these coming to do? 
 
 And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered 
 
 inhabitants, appears from the "5, indicat- 
 ing the subject-matter, being prefixed 
 to 34. 
 
 VISION Il. 
 
 18, 19. (Heb. ii. 1, 2.) This vision is 
 so intimately connected with the preced- 
 ing that the break in the Hebrew Bible 
 here, occasioned by the commencement 
 of a new chapter, is very unhappy. As 
 usual in these visions, the hieroglyphic 
 is first presented. yp, ὦ horn, is the 
 symbol of a kingdom, or political pow- 
 er, the figure being taken from bulls, 
 and other horned animals having their 
 strength in their horns, Thus the ten 
 horns of the fourth beast in Daniel’s 
 vision, are symbolical of the ten king- 
 doms into which the Roman empire was 
 divided on the overthrow of the imperial 
 throne, chap. vii. 20; and in the repre- 
 sentation made of the same subject to 
 John, the ten horns of the seven-headed 
 beast are said to have upon them ten 
 crowns, Rey. xiii. 1, xvii. 3. Comp. ver. 
 12, where it is expressly stated, that ‘the 
 ten horns which thou sawest are ten 
 kings,” ὁ. 6. kingdoms, the ruling power 
 being put for the whole government. The 
 powers referred to by Zechariah were 
 those which had been hostile to the 
 Jews, and had scattered them abroad 
 from their own land. Jerome, Kimchi, 
 Abarbanel, Vatablus, and others, have 
 been led by the occurrence of the num- 
 ber four, to interpret the horns of the 
 Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Ro- 
 man empires; but to this exegesis it has 
 justly been objected, that of these powers 
 two were not yet in existence, and can- 
 not be prophetically spoken of, because 
 the hostility described was that which 
 had already taken place. Neither is it 
 
 true that the Jews were scattered by the 
 Persian power as they had been by.the 
 Babylonian. What took place under 
 Darius Ochus cannot be taken into the 
 account here. The number is rather to 
 be referred to the four quarters of the 
 earth in their immediate relation to Pal- 
 estine. Comp. chap. ii. 6. Thus Theo- 
 doret, Clarius, Ribera, Sanchez, a Castro, 
 Munster, Calvin, Newcome, Rosenmiil- 
 ler, Hitzig, and Maurer. ‘“ Jerusalem” is 
 added to render the description more 
 emphatic, being the metropolis, the site 
 of the temple, and the royal residence. 
 
 20, 21. (Heb. ii. 3,4.) Here, again, the 
 same Divine Person is called 47>, who 
 was formerly spoken of as τι πὸ ΠΝ . 
 See on ver. 13. man, workmen in 
 iron, brass, stone, or wood, from 34h, ἕο 
 cut, grave, fabricate. From the special 
 employment assigned to these artificers, 
 we may not inaptly compare *t35 
 monwa, workmen of destruction, which 
 is rendered in our common version, “skil- 
 ful to destroy,” Ezek. xxi. 36. The at- 
 tempt of Blaney to justify his rendering 
 the word by ploughmen, first suggested by 
 Michaelis, must be regarded as a failure. 
 On the inquiry being made, what these 
 artificers were coming to do, a reply is 
 given, which further describes the tyr- 
 anny exercised over the Hebrew people, 
 and then states that they were the instru- 
 ments commissioned to destroy the hostile 
 powers. By again pressing the number 
 four, interpreters have involved them- 
 selves in inextricable difficulties. All 
 that is meant to be conveyed, is the ad- 
 equacy of the means employed to effect 
 the punishment of the nations which 
 had afflicted the people of God. That 
 no appeal can be made, in illustration, 
 
900 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these are come 
 to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations, which 
 raised the horn against the land of Judah to scatter it. 
 
 to the history of the four great monarch- 
 ies, is proved by the fact that the work- 
 men are represented as distinct from the 
 horns, whereas these monarchies succes- 
 sively destroyed each other. The rabbin- 
 ical reference to the days of the Messiah 
 is altogether aside frdm the point, as is 
 likewise the reference which some have 
 made to angels. There can be no doubt 
 that the several human instrumentali- 
 ties are intended, which God called into 
 operation to crush the powers in the 
 different countries around Palestine, by 
 which it had been invaded, and its in- 
 habitants carried away captive. The 
 conjecture of Blaney, who would read 
 “"1rn instead of προ πτι, and, changing 
 the punctuation of κῶν into Ens, ren- 
 ders, ‘to sharpen their coulter,” has not 
 
 been approved. Nor is anything of the 
 kind necessary. Terror implies a sense 
 of inferiority, weakness, and exposure to 
 suffering, and is here appropriately rep- 
 resented, as a precursor of that overthrow 
 to which the enemies of the Jews wera 
 to be subjected. Comp. Jud. viii. 12; 1 
 Sam, xiv. 15; Ezek. xxx. 9. n> sig- 
 nifies to throw, cast, stretch, the particu- 
 lar manner of which is to be determined 
 by the context. Here that of casting 
 down, or effecting an overthrow, is the 
 mode most naturally suggested. The 
 signification to handle, exercise the hand, 
 which some have proposed, is less apt, 
 πὸ, hand, being derived from the verb, 
 and not the verb from the noun. yx, 
 land, is here, as frequently, put for its 
 inhabitants. 
 
 CHA P.T EH 1" 
 
 Jn a third vision, a man with a measuring line is represented as going forth to take the di- 
 mensions of Jerusalem with a view to its restoration to its former condition, ver. 1—3; 
 an act which is virtually declared to be unnecessary, by the prediction that such should 
 be the increase of the population, and such their prosperity, that the city should extend, 
 like unwalled towns, into the surrounding localities; and that, under the immediate pro- 
 tection of Jehovah, walls would be altogether unnecessary, 4, 5. In the faith of this 
 prophetic announcement, and with a view to their escape from the judgment which was 
 still about to be inflicted upon Babylon, the Jews which remained in that city are sum- 
 moned to return from their captivity, 6,7; an assurance of Divine protectionfand of the 
 destruction of their enemies, is given them, 8, 9; and they are cheered by the promises, 
 that Jehovah would again make Jerusalem his residence, and effect, in connection with 
 the restoration of his people, the conversion of many nations to the true religion, 10, 12. 
 A solemn call to universal reverence concludes the scene. 
 
 Tuen I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and, behold! a man 
 
 VISION III. houses, but of the whole extent of the 
 1—4. (Heb. ii. 5—7.) The measure- city. Jerusalem is not here considered 
 ment here specified was not that of the as already rebuilt, as Stonard supposes, 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 2 with a measuring line in his hand. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 367 
 
 And I said: Whither art 
 
 thou going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem, to see 
 3 how much is the breadth thereof, and how much is the length 
 thereof. And, behold! the angel who spake with me went forth, 
 4 and another angel came forth to meet him. And he said to 
 him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, 
 Jerusalem shall be inhabited into the open country, 
 ‘Because of the multitude of men and cattle in the midst of her. 
 5 And I will be to her, saith Jehovah, 
 
 A wall of fire around, 
 
 And will be the glory in the midst of her. 
 
 The dimensions are those of the city be- 
 fore its destruction by the Chaldeans, and 
 were now being taken, in order to ascer- 
 tain the extent of the work that was to 
 be effected in its complete restoration. 
 The symbolical action was calculated to 
 encourage the Jews to proceed with the 
 building of the temple which they had 
 commenced. Who the measurer was has 
 been disputed. Jarchi, J. H. Michaelis, 
 Rosenmiiller, are of opinion that the 
 angelus interpres is intended. Hengs- 
 tenberg thinks that, in all probability, he 
 is none other than the Angel of Jehovah 
 himself. But for neither of these opin- 
 ions is there sufficient foundation, any 
 more than there is for the supposition of 
 Blayney, that he was Nehemiah. He 
 appears to be merely an additional per- 
 son introduced in the scenic representa- 
 tion, for the purpose of calling forth, by 
 the significant action which he was about 
 to undertake, the important information 
 contained in the following part of the 
 chapter. sx‘, as twice used here, has 
 reference to two different localities: in 
 the former instance, in which it is em- 
 ployed of the interpreting angel, the 
 presence of the prophet is the terminus 
 a quo ; in the latter, that of the Angel of 
 Jehovah. In opposition to the hypoth- 
 esis of the Rabbins, Vatablus, Ribera, a 
 Lapide, Drusius, Blayney, Rosenmiiller, 
 Hengstenberg, and Knobel, who main- 
 tain that Zechariah himself is meant by 
 tom ἜΣ πι, this young man, and argue 
 from it, that the prophet was of youth- 
 
 ful age at the time he had the vision, I 
 cannot but concur with Stonard, Hitzig, 
 Maurer, and Ewald, in thinking, that 
 the person intended is the man with the 
 measuring line, spoken of vers. 1, 2. 
 The verb 735, run, implies the necessity 
 of despatch, which could only have been 
 occasioned by the intended procedure of 
 the measurer. Heis arrested in his prog- 
 ress, and virtually told, that the former 
 dimensions of the city would be totally 
 inadequate to contain the number of its 
 inhabitants. ἘἘ 955} avn nore, lit. 
 Jerusalem shall dwell, or inhabit open 
 places, i, e. the inhabitants will not con- 
 fine themselves within her walls, but will 
 occupy the localities in the open country 
 around. Thus Symm. ἀτειχίστως ; Jar- 
 chi and Jerome, m1 77S, absque muro, 
 Comp. 1 Sam. vi. 18, where 777 753, 
 the country village, is contrasted with 
 “sa ΠΣ.» @ fortified city. See also 
 Esth. ix. 19; Ezek. xxxviii. 11. 
 
 5. (Heb. ver. 9.) Though “the wall 
 of fire,” and ‘the glory,” are doubtless 
 both to be taken figuratively, the former 
 denoting certain protection, and the lat- 
 ter, illustrious displays of the Divine 
 presence in affording all needful supplies 
 of grace, strength, and comfort, we: are 
 not hence to conclude with Stonard, that 
 more is meant by the city than the literal 
 Jerusalem, as the centre of the restored 
 theocracy. The entire connection, and 
 all the circumstances of the prophecy, 
 demand this limitation. 
 
908 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. II. ; 
 
 6 Ho! ho! flee from the north country, ἡδὺ Jehovah, 
 
 Tor as the winds of heaven 
 
 Have I spread you abroad, saith Jehovah. 
 
 7 Ho! deliver thyself, O Zion! 
 
 That dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 
 8 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 6, 7. (Heb. 10, 11.) It is generally 
 thought that the urgent calls here given 
 to those Jews who still remained in 
 Babylon, were designed to induce them 
 to leave that devoted city before its ap- 
 proaching siege and capture by Darius. 
 In all probability many of them had 
 acquired wealth, and might have been 
 induced to remain in the enjoyment of 
 their possessions. It was necessary that 
 such should take the alarm, and, with 
 the rest of their countrymen, avail them- 
 selves without delay of the opportunity 
 they now had of returning to their own 
 land. The urgency of the call is ex- 
 pressed by the repetitious form, *45 "47, 
 Ho! Wo! which occurs, so far as I am 
 aware, in no other part of Scripture. The 
 verbs Eat, arise, visa, hear, or the like, 
 being readily suggested by the interjec- 
 tion, will account for the use of the con- 
 junctive Vau in 5021. The land of the 
 north is Babylon, and the regions adja- 
 cent. See Jer. vi. 22, xvi. 15. Between 
 the former and the latter clause of the 
 verse there seems, at first sight, a palpa- 
 ble discrepancy. How, it may be asked, 
 could the scattering of the Jews like the 
 four winds of heaven be a reason why 
 those, in particular, who lived in the 
 north quarter should return? But this 
 apparent incoherence has originated in 
 the supposition that the prophet here 
 asserts the dispersion of that people into 
 the four quarters of the globe. Had this, 
 however, been his meaning, he would 
 have employed Ὁ after the verb, as in 
 Ezek. xvii. 21. Nor can such construc- 
 tion be supported by substituting the 
 various reading 2, viz. ya-~s2, instead 
 of >; for the words could then only 
 properly be rendered, “I have scattered 
 you by,” and not “ἐπ᾿ or “ into the four 
 
 winds.” This reading, though supported 
 by fifteen MSS., originally by seven more, 
 and perhaps by another, by thirteen print- 
 ed editions, and by the Syr. and Vulg., is 
 inferior in point of authority to that of the 
 Textus Receptus. The meaning seems to 
 be, that the scattering of the Hebrew 
 people had been so violent and extensive, 
 that it could only be fitly compared to 
 the force and effect of the combined 
 winds of heaven being brought to bear 
 upon any object susceptible of dispersion. 
 The scattering had been most severely 
 felt by those resident at the time of the 
 vision in Babylon, and other regions in 
 that quarter ; on which account it is de- 
 scribed with special reference to them. 
 “> is here used, not as a causative, but 
 as a concessive participle, as in Gen. viii. 
 21; Exod. xiii. 17. Nothing can be 
 more forced, or unsuited to the connec- 
 tion, than the interpretation, which as- 
 sumes that "n'y is future in significa- 
 tion, and that the words contain a pre- 
 diction of a future spreading abroad of 
 the Jews as missionaries among the 
 heathen. "What can be conceived more 
 incongruous, than a return of the Jews 
 from Babylon, induced by the motive of 
 a still more extended dispersion among 
 the nations of the earth, without the 
 smallest hint of this as their destination ! 
 By 342%, Zion, are meant the inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem, at that time still in 
 Babylon. The words baa—na n3349 
 are not in apposition, but i in ‘construction, 
 and are equivalent to Hubitatrix Babelis. 
 For this idomatic use of ma see on Is, 
 i. 8. Comp. pxyse7ra nasin, Jer. 
 xlvi. 19. τ κι 
 
 8. (IIeb. 12.) Some suppose the proph- 
 et to be the person who here speaks of 
 himself as haying been sent; others, the 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 369 
 
 After the glory he hath sent me 
 To the nations which spoiled you; 
 
 Surely he that toucheth you 
 
 Toucheth the pupil of his eye. 
 
 9 For, behold! I will shake my fist at them, 
 
 angel rilintioned ver. 4; but that the 
 Messiah is intended, must be inferred 
 from what is predicated of him, ver. 9, 
 that he would shake his hand at the 
 nations which had afflicted the Jews. 
 Comp. Is. xlviii, 16, where the divine 
 mission of the Second Person of the 
 ‘Trinity is described in parallel language. 
 Blayney, Newcome, Gesenius, Hitzig, 
 Maurer, and Ewald, strangely concur in 
 rendering ἜΓΙΞῸ 72> ans, He hath 
 sent me after glory, i in the sense of, with 
 a view to acquire it. In no other pas- 
 sage, however, is sms employed, except 
 as an adverb or preposition of place or 
 time; nor is it ever connected as a prep- 
 osition with πξῷ. This verb is not even 
 here construed with it, but with the prep- 
 osition +s immediately following. It 
 can only, therefore, be employed to 
 denote the posteriority of the mission 
 specified to the restoration of the glorious 
 presence of the manifested Jehovah to 
 his recovered people. Thus the LXX. 
 ὀπίσω δοξούς. Syr. ΕΝ 3 CS after 
 the glory, which is falsely rendered in 
 the London Polyglott, ad prosequendum 
 honorem. Targ. “81 SIP? na 
 jiotby mun ad, after the glory which he 
 hath promised ‘to bring to you. Vulg. 
 post gloriam. Such exegesis is most 
 naturally suggested by the use of 425 , 
 glory, ver. 5. After what had been there 
 promised should have been accomplished, 
 the Divine Legate had a commission to 
 punish the nations in the immediate 
 vicinity of the Holy Land, such as the 
 Moabites, Idumeans, Ammonites, Philis- 
 tines, and Syrians, by whom the Jews 
 had been attacked and plundered on va- 
 rious occasions, and especially on that of 
 the Chaldean invasion. The Jews in 
 Babylon needed, therefore, to be under 
 
 47 
 
 no apprehension from these enemies, and 
 might return with confidence to their 
 own land. The tender regard which 
 Jehovah cherished for them, is expressed 
 with exquisite beauty in the concluding 
 clause of the verse. No member of the 
 body is more susceptible of pain, or more 
 vigilantly protected, than the eye, espec- 
 ially the pupil, or aperture through which 
 the rays of light pass to the retina. =22, 
 in the phrase 4~» naa, the pupil of the 
 eye, Gesenius now derives from 23: , to 
 bore, make hollow, and considers it to 
 stand for mani, @ hole gate, like the 
 Arab. wey ‘but his former etymology 
 
 is preferable, according to which it is to 
 be derived from m2 , Arab. LL, dixit 
 baba, Gr. aa ep to say papa, spoken 
 of a child. Hence the Arab. 3, δοο- 
 
 b00 (the origin of our English booby), pu- 
 ellus, boy. The phrase thus corresponds 
 to the other Hebrew mode of expressing 
 the same thing, 573 34wr8 , the little man 
 of the eye, Deut. xxxii. 10; Prov. vii. 2. 
 
 Both modes of expression, UME 5 
 and Bee ὡἷμϑ!, are used in Ara- 
 
 bic; and the Arabs say in language quite 
 parallel to that of the prophet, γε} = 
 
 sist Pre eric, He ts 
 dearer to me than the pupil of mine eye. 
 Both modes are more expressive than the 
 Latin of Catullus ; multo quod carius illi 
 est oculis, or, nt te plus oculis meis ama- 
 rem. ‘The pronominal affix in ἢ: Σ ’ his 
 eye, is to be referred to nisas my 
 Jehovah of hosts, at the beginning of the 
 verse, the nominative to 53 nd ὌΝ ond not 
 with Kimchi, Blayney, Stonard, and oth- 
 ers, to the enemy himself. 
 
 9. (Heb. 13.) For the phrase 79 52:2, 
 comp. Is. xi. 15, xix. 16. It is indica- 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. 11. 
 
 And they shall be a spoil to their slaves: 
 And ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me. 
 
 10 
 For, behold! I come, 
 
 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! 
 
 And I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith Jehovah. 
 
 11 
 And shall become my people ; 
 
 And many nations shall join themselves to Jehovah in ee day, 
 
 And I will dwell in the midst of thee, 
 And thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto 
 
 thee. 
 12 
 In the holy land ; 
 
 And Jehovah shall possess Judah his portion, 
 
 And shall again take pleasure in Jerusalem. 
 
 13 
 
 Let all flesh be silent before Jehovah, 
 
 For he is roused from his holy habitation. 
 
 tive of the threatening attitude of Jeho- 
 vah when about to inflict vengeance upon 
 his enemies. By Ὀπ’πΞ»» their slaves, 
 are meant the Jews, whom the nations, 
 either by capture or purchase, had 
 brought into a state of slavery. Comp. 
 Is. xiv. 2. 311, here and in ver. 11, 
 signifies, as frequently, to know by expe- 
 rience. 
 
 10, 11. (Heb. 14, 15.) The divine res- 
 idence here predicted, must be interpreted 
 of that which took place during the so- 
 journ of the Son of God in the land of 
 Judea. The almost entire identity of 
 the language here employed, with that 
 used chap. ix. 9, where, in like manner, 
 the daughter of Zion is called to hail the 
 advent of her King, compels to this con- 
 clusion. Comp. Ps. xl. 7; 15, xl. 9, 10. 
 So evidently is this the only fair con- 
 struction of the meaning, that Kimchi 
 himself refers the passage 1523 πο Σ Ὁ 
 mown, to future events in the times of 
 the Messiah, The phrases sinn thn, 
 trim can, that day, those days, fre- 
 quently point out the period of his man- 
 ifestation and reign. With this appear- 
 ance and residence of the Messiah are 
 
 connected, as their consequents, the ex- 
 tensive conversion of the heathen nations 
 and their being constituted a people de- 
 voted to his service and glory. The rep- 
 etition of the prediction relative to his 
 residence in Zion, is designed to express 
 the certainty of the event. 
 
 12. (Heb. 16.) As mention had just 
 been made of the adoption of the nations 
 to be the people of the Messiah, the 
 prophet, to preclude the idea, that the 
 Jews were no more to enjoy that privilege, 
 proceeds to describe a future period, dur- 
 ing which they should again be the ob- 
 jects of the Divine favor and delight. 
 Restored to the Holy Land, they shall 
 again be the possession of the Lord. 
 Comp. Exod. xxxiv. 9; Deut. iv. 20, ix. 
 26, 29, xxxii. 9. The ideas suggested 
 by their being the possession of Jehovah 
 are those of their being the objects of his 
 regard and care. Ps, xxviii. 9. 
 
 13. (Heb. 17.) A call to universal 
 reverence and submission in prospect of 
 the wonderful interpositions of Jehovah 
 on behalf of his church, Comp. Ps. 
 Ixxvi. 8, 9; Zeph. i, 7. 
 
Cuap., III. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 371 
 
 CHAPTER, II. 
 
 In this chapter a fourth vision is described, in which Joshua the high priest is represented 
 as occupying his official position in the Divine presence at Jerusalem, but opposed in his 
 attempt to recommence the service of Jehovah, by Satan, who accused him of being dis- 
 qualified for the discharge of his functions, ver. 1. The accusation is met by a reprimand, 
 drawn from the Divine purpose to restore Jerusalem, and the narrow escape which the 
 priesthood had had from total extinction, 2. The guilt attaching to the high priest, in his 
 representative capacity, and its removal, is next figuratively set forth, 3—5. He has then 
 a solemn charge delivered to him, followed by a conditional promise, 6, 7; after which 
 we have a prediction of the Messiah, as a security that the punishment of the Jews would 
 be entirely removed, their temple completely restored, and a period of prosperity intro- 
 
 duced, 8—10. 
 
 1. Awnp he showed me Joshua the high priest, standing before 
 the Angel of Jehovah, and the Adversary standing on his right 
 
 hand to oppose him. 
 
 VISION IV. 
 
 1, The nominative to "3 5) is the 
 interpreting angel, understood. Comp. 
 ch. i. 9. As the phrase "255 1%», fo 
 stand before, is sometimes used of appear- 
 ing before a judge, Numb. xxxv. 12; 
 Deut. xix. 17; 1 Kings iii. 16; it has 
 been inferred that we have here the rep- 
 resentation of a judicial transaction, an 
 exegesis which is supposed to derive con- 
 firmation from the circumstance of an 
 accuser being mentioned in the following 
 verse. But as the person here described 
 is the high priest, and the phrase in ques- 
 tion is that which is appropriated to ex- 
 press the position of the priests when 
 ministering to Jehovah, Deut. x. 8; 2 
 Chron. xxix. 11; Ezek. xliv. 15; it is 
 more natural to conclude that Joshua is 
 here represented as having entered the new 
 temple which was in the course of erec- 
 tion, and taken his position in front of 
 the altar before the holy of holies. The 
 high priest not only entered the most 
 sacred place once a year on the day of 
 atonement, but was authorized to perform 
 all the duteis of the ordinary priests; so 
 that he may here be conceived of as about 
 to offer sacrifice for the people, when he 
 ‘was opposed by Satan. That the altar 
 of burnt offering was erected before the 
 
 building of the temple was proceeded 
 with, is clear, from Ezra iii. 2, 3, 6, 7. 
 The sim ysb2, before whom Joshua 
 stood, was no other than 45> himself, as 
 ver. 2 evidently shows. It has been 
 matter of dispute, whether by juwn we 
 are here to understand the great enemy 
 of God and man 6 ἀντίδικος, 1 Pet. v. 8; 
 ὃ κατήγωρ, Rev. xii. 18; or, whether a hu- 
 man adversary or adversaries are intended. 
 Those who advocate the latter position 
 think that Sanballat, or some other ene- 
 my of the Jews, is meant; but the em- 
 phatic form of the term, investing it, as 
 it does, with the nature of a proper name 
 (Gesen. Heb. Gram. § 107, 2), decidedly 
 favors the former interpretation. We 
 find this name given to the chief of the 
 evil spirits in the book of Job, the most 
 ancient in the Bible. See chap. i. and 
 ii. Some have compared Ps. cix. 6, but 
 the parallel term yq is against such 
 construction in that passage. From the 
 identity of the phraseology, however, 
 which represents the adversary as taking 
 his place at the right hand of the accused, 
 it has been concluded, that it was cus- 
 tomary in the Jewish courts for the accu- 
 ser to assume this position. What the 
 ground of opposition on the part of Satan 
 ‘was, we are not here informed; but if 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. πὶ 
 
 2 And Jehovah said to the Adversary, 
 Jehovah rebuke thee, O Adversary! 
 Even Jehovah that taketh delight in Jerusalem, rebuke thee; 
 15 not this a brand snatched from the fire ? 
 
 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and he stood 
 
 4 before the Angel. 
 
 And he answered and spake to those that 
 
 stood before him, saying, Remove the filthy garments from him. 
 And he said to him, See! I have caused thine iniquity to pass 
 
 the construction put by some eminent 
 commentators upon Jude 9, which re- 
 solves ‘* the body of Moses,’”’ there men- 
 tioned, into the Jewish church, and 
 supposes the apostle to refer to the 
 passage before us, be the true one (and 
 of this I cannot entertain a doubt), it 
 will follow, that the character of the 
 Jewish people, as not having been legally 
 purified from their idolatries, and the 
 backwardness which they evinced in re- 
 building the temple, were urged as pleas 
 against them. It is true, the opposition 
 is said to have been made to Joshua; but 
 it must be remembered that he appears 
 here, not in his personal, but in his offi- 
 cial character, as the representative of 
 the whole body of the people. 
 
 2. Almost all the commentators, even 
 Maurer and Hitzig, agree in the opinion, 
 that the incommunicable name τὴ τι, 
 Jehovah, is here given to the angel spoken 
 of in the preceding verse. See on ch. i. 8. 
 So obvious did this appear to the Syriac 
 translator, from the spirit of the context, 
 
 that he renders ois ϊ το Lazio, the 
 
 Angel of the Lord, a rendering which 
 Newcome would, very uncritically, have 
 admitted into the text. The interpreta- 
 tion of Rosenmiiller, ‘* vocatur legatus 
 de nomine principis sui,” is a pure fiction, 
 and directly opposed to Scripture usage. 
 The verb =: signifies to chide, rebuke, 
 so as to silence those who are the objects 
 of the reproof, and restrain them from 
 carrying their designs into effect. It is 
 repeated for the sake of emphasis, to 
 express the absolute certainty that the 
 machinations of Satan should prove utter- 
 
 ‘ly abortive. In the reference to the Divine 
 
 choice of Jerusalem, there is a recogni- 
 tion of the promise, ch. i. 17, ii. 12. The 
 pointed interrogation has respect to Josh- 
 ua, and forcibly, though tacitly, conveys 
 the idea, that his deliverance, and that 
 of the people whom be represented, from 
 the destruction which threatened them 
 in Babylon, was the result of sudden 
 and efficient interposition on the part of 
 Jehovah. It was not, therefore, for a 
 moment to be supposed that he would 
 now withdraw his favor from them, and 
 abandon them to their enemies. He had 
 rescued them, in order that they might 
 be preserved. 
 
 3, 4. Because the Romans used to 
 clothe persons who were accused in a 
 sordid dress, Drusius and others have 
 imagined that the idea of a criminal is 
 still kept up. That the filthy garments 
 in which Joshua appeared were symbol- 
 ical of the guilt and punishment of the 
 Jews, seems beyond dispute ; just as their 
 removal, and his investment with splen- 
 did attire, indicates a state of restoration 
 to the full enjoyment of their religious 
 privileges. πρὸς, ἡ δ, is used meta- 
 phorically to denote the moral pollution 
 contracted by sin. See Prov. xxx. 12; 
 Is. iv. 4. He is represented as appearing 
 in the squalid garments in which he had 
 returned from a state of captivity in 
 Babylon, and as having restored to him 
 the gorgeous dress of the high priest. 
 ΤῊΣ ἘΠ.» costly or splendid habiliments, 
 such as were worn on special occasions, 
 and put off as soon as the occasion was 
 over. See on Is. iii. 22. Those who are 
 here commanded to change the dress of 
 
Cuxe: ΤῊ 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 979 
 
 5 away from thee, and I will invest thee with costly habiliments. 
 
 He then said, Let them place a pure mitre upon his head. 
 
 And 
 
 they placed the pure mitre upon his head, and invested him with 
 
 6 the habiliments. 
 
 Then the Angel of Jehovah stood up. 
 
 And 
 
 the Angel of Jehovah protested to Joshua, saying: 
 Ἷ Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 If thou wilt walk in my ways, 
 And if thou wilt observe my charge, 
 Then thou shalt both judge my house, 
 
 Joshua are not, as Ewald supposes, atten- 
 dant priests, but attendant angels. The 
 nominative to Ἴ5Ξ: and 152 εν is mam", 
 and not yo4n 2 =22n does. not 
 mean, as Gesenius interprets, to let in- 
 iquity or sin pass by, but to remove its 
 guilt or punishment, and thus effectively 
 to remit or forgive. This guilt or pun- 
 ishment is represented as having lain as 
 a heavy load upon Joshua, and to have 
 been removed Sy, from upon him. 
 abn is not to be τὴ {τ into wads, 
 as in the Targ. and Syr., but is to be re- 
 garded as a not unusual elliptical form 
 of the idiomatic aby tabn. 
 
 5. The punctuation =72$1 is obviously 
 incorrect, since it introduces the prophet 
 as taking a part in the transactions ex- 
 hibited in the vision, which is altogether 
 foreign to the position he occupied. The 
 word should be pointed -7s1, and has 
 been so read by the Targ., Syr., and 
 Vulg. translators. 5733, tae or tur- 
 ban, is used instead of mp;s%, the term 
 employed in the Pentateuch to denote 
 this part of the high priest’s dtess. LXX. 
 kidapis. At O>722 the adjective bane 
 is to be supplied "from the preceding, or 
 the article may be understood. 725 is 
 more appropriately rendered ‘stood up,” 
 than, as in our common version, ‘stood 
 by.” The latter rendering presents the 
 Angel of Jehovah to view as a simple 
 spectator; the former in the solemn pos- 
 ture of one who is about to deliver an 
 important charge. And this, as the fol- 
 lowing verses show, was precisely the 
 character in which he appeared. He had 
 been sitting upon his throne, but now 
 
 rises to announce the divine decree re- 
 specting the responsible duties which 
 devolved upon Joshua in his sacerdotal . 
 capacity. Ido not agree with Dr. Ston- 
 ard, who supposes that the Angel as- 
 sumed the character and position of a 
 witness. The participial form of the 
 verb is adopted for the purpose of vary- 
 ing the style. 
 
 6,7. 71, as here used in Hiphil, sig- 
 nifies, to make a solemn declaration. 
 LXX. διεμαρτύρατο. ‘Targ. and Syr. 
 sonos. Vulg. contestabutur. -m-nsn, 
 my charge, means the laws, prescriptions, 
 or rites, which I have given in charge, 
 namely, the Mosaic Institute. Obedi- 
 ence to this the high priest was bound to 
 render himself, and upon him supremely 
 devolved the obligation to see that it was 
 obeyed by others, nm av, from "29, 
 to guard, keep, observe, i is frequently used 
 by Moses to denote the office, duty, or 
 charge, to which the priests were to at- 
 tend. See Lev. viii.35; Numb. i. 53, 
 iii. 28, 31, 32, 38. By the “house” of 
 the Lord here, we are not to understand 
 the temple, as some have imagined, but 
 the people of Israel, viewed as composing 
 his household or family. Comp. Numb. 
 xii. 7; Hos. viii. 1,ix.15. η5π, to judge, 
 is always employed in reference to per- 
 sons; never with respect to things. 
 There appears to be in the declaration 
 here made, an anticipation of the part 
 which the sacerdotal family of Joshua 
 was to take in the government of the 
 Jewish state Ἐ5Ξ Ὁτιὴ is the Hiphil par- 
 ticiple of yon, just as cvctris is of 
 pon, Jer. xxix, 8; and penis of siz, - 
 
974 
 
 And keep my courts, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 And I will give thee guides among these who are standing by. 
 Hear now, O Joshua! the high priest, 
 Thou and thy companions that sit before thee ; 
 
 2 Chron. xxviii. 23. It must, therefore, 
 signify those who cause to go or walk, 
 leaders, conductors, guides. Who these 
 were we are not informed, farther than 
 that they were standing in the pres- 
 ence of the Angel, and were pointed at 
 by him. Some have thought that the 
 subordinate priests who attended upon 
 Joshua are intended; but such interpre- 
 tation is altogether unsuitable to the dig- 
 nified character which, as high priest, he 
 sustained. As none but superior beings 
 could be his leaders or conductors, it fol- 
 lows that the angels must be meant. 
 This view is confirmed by the circum- 
 stance of their being represented as 
 τε standing,’ namely, in the presence of 
 Jehovah, ready to execute his behests, 
 whereas the subordinate priests are 
 spoken of in the following verse as “ sit- 
 ting’’ before Joshua. The import of the 
 promise is, that he and his successors in 
 office should enjoy the care, direction, 
 and aid of celestial spirits in the manage- 
 ment of the national affairs. Munster, 
 Vatablus, Rosenmiiller, Ewald, and Hit- 
 zig, take ΕΞ to be the plural of the 
 noun 35 bm, a@ walk, or walking place ; 
 but this affords no appropriate sense, ex- 
 cept it be referred to the heavenly state 
 — a construction put upon the clause by 
 the Targum, Kimchi, and several Chris- 
 tian interpreters, but which is little suited 
 to the language of the connection, and is 
 a mode of representation otherwise for- 
 eign to Scripture. ἡ 
 
 8. The companions of Joshua were the 
 ordinary priests, who were associated 
 with him for the purpose of carrying on 
 the service of the temple. They are rep- 
 resented as ‘sitting before’ him, not at 
 the time the words are addressed to him, 
 for they are spoken of in the third per- 
 son, but usually, when consulting to- 
 gether about religious matters. On such 
 
 occasions he occupied a more elevated 
 seat or throne as their president, while 
 they sat on chairs or benches before him. 
 By re‘ 3 men of sign, or portent, 
 are meant symbolical men, persons pre- 
 figuring, or foreshadowing some person 
 or persons still future. Comp. Is. viii. 
 18, xx. 8: Ezek. xii. 6, xxiv. 27. That 
 only one person is here referred to as 
 typified by the Jewish priests, and that 
 this one person is none other than the 
 Messiah, the following clause of the verse 
 incontrovertibly shows. In their sacerdo- 
 tal character, and in the presentation of 
 sacrifices before Jehovah, they foreshad- 
 owed the High Priest of our profession, 
 Christ Jesus, and the one sacrifice which 
 he offered for sins, when he presented 
 himself as a propitiatory victim in the 
 room of the guilty. For the derivation 
 of rf}, see on Joel ii. 30. Though 
 τοῦτ» they are, refers immediately to the 
 subordinate priests, we are not to suppose 
 that Joshua is excluded, or that he was 
 not a symbolical person as well as they. ᾿ 
 This use of the third person of the pro- 
 noun instead of the second is not with- 
 out example. See Zeph. ii. 12. The 
 author of the Targum admits that by 
 mas, Branch, the Messtan is meant. 
 His words are, “bones Sig (as Ht, 
 
 “ My Servant, the Messiah who shall be 
 revealed.’’ ‘The same interpretation is 
 found in other Jewish authorities, as both 
 Kimchi and Rashi admit. Some few 
 Christian interpreters, among whom Gro- 
 tius and Blayney, adopting the opinion of 
 the two Rabbins just mentioned, suppose 
 Zerubbabel to be intended; but in my 
 opinion yery preposterously, for that 
 prince was already in existence, and in 
 the full exercise of his official duties; 
 whereas the person to whom Jehovah 
 refers had not yet appeared. Even Ges- 
 enius, Hitzig, and Maurer, make no scru- 
 
Cnar. IIL 
 
 (For they are typical persons) 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 970 
 
 For, behold! I will introduce my servant THE BRANCH. 
 9 For, behold! the stone which I have laid before Joshua, 
 
 Upon the one stone shall be seven eyes: 
 
 Behold! I will form the sculpture thereof, 
 
 ple in applying the title to the Messiah. 
 It is that given to him, Is. iv. 2; Jer. 
 xxiii. 5, xxxiii. 15; and Zech, vi, 12; 
 and is equivalent to Son. See on Is. iv. 
 2, where it is shown that in the writings 
 of the ancient Persians, “ the branch” of 
 any one means his son, or one of his pos- 
 terity. The verb mrs, from which the 
 noun is derived, signifies to spring forth 
 or up, as plants; but the LXX. have 
 adopted the word ἀνατολὴ, which ex- 
 presses the swn-rise. Hence the Saviour 
 is called ἀνατολὴ ἐξ ὕψους, “the Day- 
 spring from on high,” Luke i. 78. Comp. 
 Mal. iv..2, where np 7x gas m1, “the 
 Sun of righteousness shall arise,” is ren- 
 dered by the LXX. ἀνατελεῖ ἥλιος δικαι- 
 octvns. The Vulg. adducam servum 
 meum orientem. For 333, my servant, 
 as a designation of the Messiah, comp. 
 Is. xlii, 1—7, xlix. 1—9, 1. 5—10, lii. 
 13—liii.; and see my Comm. on the first 
 of these passages. 
 
 9. Most interpreters regard this verse 
 as a continuation of the subject treated 
 of at the close of the preceding, and ex- 
 plain the jas, stone, of the Messiah in 
 accordance with such passages as Ps. 
 exviii. 22; Is. xxviii. 16. This view is 
 largely insisted upon by Stonard; but 
 what, in my judgment, renders it alto- 
 gether untenable, is the circumstance that 
 the stone is spoken of as having been laid 
 before, or in the presence of, Joshua — 
 language which can with no propriety be 
 employed with reference to the Messiah. 
 Neither can the reference be to 42370 
 S-san, the plummet, spoken of ch. iv. 
 10, that being represented as in the hand 
 of Zerubbabel, and not placed or laid be- 
 fore his associate in the government. I 
 cannot, therefore, imagine any other stone 
 to be here intended than the foundation 
 stone of the temple, which had been laid 
 
 ‘ 
 
 by Zerubbabel in the presence of Joshua 
 and his brethren the priests, who celebra- 
 ted the joyful event in songs of praise to 
 Jehovah. Ezra iii. 8—13. When it is 
 said, that upon this ‘*one stone” were 
 ‘seven eyes,” we are not to conclude 
 that they were exhibited upon it. ‘The 
 meaning is, that they were directed 
 towards it, or intent and fixed upon 
 it, as an object cf special attention and 
 care. While with us an eye is the 
 hieroglyphic of Divine Providence, the 
 Hebrews, to express the perfection of 
 knowledge and wisdom in which all its 
 affairs are conducted, employed the hie- 
 roglyphic of ‘seven eyes,” — seven, in 
 the Oriental style, denoting fulness or 
 perfection. Such symbolic representa- 
 tions were common among the Persians. 
 Comp. Rev. i. 4, v. 6. Jehovah here de- 
 clares, that the erection of the temple, 
 the commencement of which had been 
 made, in the course of his providence, 
 by the laying of the foundation, should 
 be an object of his special care and re- 
 gard... For ty ἼΣ.. the eye being upon 
 any person or thing, as denoting the 
 exercise of kind and vigilant care, see 
 Ps. xxxii. 8. The attempt of Vitringa 
 and Blayney to explain £7373, of foun- 
 tains, and so apply the passage to liv- 
 ing waters flowing from Christ as the 
 antitype of the rock smitten in the wil- 
 derness is a complete failure. The sin- 
 gular 4°, signifies, indeed, fountain as 
 well as eye, but it is a settled principle 
 of Hebrew grammar than when foun- 
 tains are intended, the plural feminine 
 is uniformly employed, just as the dual 
 ἘΠῚῚΣ is as uniformly and exclusively 
 used to express eyes. See for the princi- 
 ple, Gesen. Lehrgeb. pp. 539, 540. That 
 the dual is employed to express things 
 that exist in pairs, even when more 
 
376 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts ; 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 And I will remove the punishment of that land in one day. 
 10 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 * Ye shall each invite his neighbor, 
 Under the vine, and under the fig tree. 
 
 than two is intended, see on Is. vi. 
 2. RMME mea 522:|, Behold! I will 
 form the sculpture thereof ; lit. «I will 
 open the opening thereof.” What kind 
 of architectural ornaments are hereby in- 
 tended, it is impossible to say; but that 
 they were cut out or engraven in the 
 foundation-stone, the exigency of the 
 place requires, except we regard the stone 
 as here used by synecdoche for the whole 
 temple, in which case reference will be 
 had to the finishing off of the structure, 
 the foundation of which had been laid 
 in the presence of Joshua. LXX. ὀρύσσω 
 
 . ¥ xe y, ° 
 βόϑρον. Syr. eras 3.2 1] ads Ἶσι, 
 “Behold, I open the gates of it.”” 972 
 is here used in Kal, but with a causative 
 significafion : to remove, cause to depart. 
 ;*2 is to be understood, not of iniquity, 
 but of the punishment of iniquity — 
 
 the troubles and sufferings to which the 
 Jews were subjected on account of it. 
 Thus the iniquity of Sodom, Gen. xix. 
 15, was the punishment to be inflicted 
 upon it; and that of Babylon, Jer. li. 6, 
 the same. The land of Judea had borne 
 its punishment during the captivity, but 
 was now to be occupied and cultivated. 
 To sufferings the Jews were still exposed 
 on the part of their enemies, who caused 
 an interruption of the building of the 
 temple, and prevented the comfortable 
 settlement of the people in their own 
 land. For their encouragement Jehovah 
 promises to put an end to their distress, 
 “rs 452, in one day; i. 6. soon, in the 
 shortest space of time. sonn y Nn is 
 specifically the land of Palestine. 
 
 10. A promise of the tranquillity and 
 social enjoyment that were to be experi- 
 enced by the restored Hebrews. 
 
 
 
 CAAT Ei Rai 
 
 UNDER the symbol of a golden candlestick is represented the pure and flourishing state of 
 the Jewish church as restored after the captivity, 1—3. The signification of this symbol 
 the prophet is left to find out, 4,5; only a clue is given him in the message which he was 
 commissioned to deliver relative to the completion of the temple, in spite of the formid- 
 able difficulties which interposed, and to the Messiah who was to come after the temple 
 was in a finished state, 6,7. He was further instructed to announce the certainty of the 
 former event, on the ground that Zerubbabel, who superintended the work, was under 
 the special care of Divine Providence, which should so arrange the course of human 
 affairs as to render them subservient to the undertaking, 8—10. Under the additional 
 symbol of two olive trees, which supplied the candlestick with the necessary Oil, are rep- 
 resented Joshua and Zerubbabel, the two principal official persons in the new state, 11—14. 
 
 
 
 1. Awp the angel who spake with me awoke me again, like one 
 VISION V. this verse, that the communicating angel 
 1, We are not to conclude from the had removed to a distance from the 
 
 use of the verb 3:Ὁ at the beginning of prophet, and now returned to him. 
 
 7 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 2 who is waked out of his sleep. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 377 
 
 And he said to me, What dost 
 
 thou see? And I sai, I see, and behold! a candlestick wholly 
 of gold, and its bowl upon the top of it, and its seven lamps 
 
 When employed by itself, sw certainly 
 signifies to return; but, according to a 
 common Hebrew idiom, when used be- 
 fore another verb, it merely indicates the 
 repetition of the action expressed by such 
 verb. See Gen. xxvi. 18, xxx. 31; 2 
 Kings i. 11, 18. Connecting the verb in 
 this manner with *25>9"1, reference will 
 be had, not to any absence of the angel, 
 but to his renewed excitement of the 
 prophet to give his attention to another 
 vision which was to be presented to his 
 view. He had become so absorbed in the 
 contemplation of the preceding vision, 
 that he required to be roused, as in the 
 case of a person in profound sleep. 
 
 2. Instead of the second “yx, a 
 vast number of the MSS. read correctly 
 “cis, as the word is found also in some 
 ‘of the earliest editions. Many MSS. 
 and several printed editions exhibit mba 
 without Mappick in the m, and thus 
 bring the word into accordance with the 
 feminine form, as occurring in the fol- 
 lowing verse. It has been thus read by 
 the LXX. and Syr. ; still it seems prefer- 
 able to regard it as a masculine noun, and 
 read 53, with the pronominal affix. It 
 signifies an oil-cup, bow], or basin, and 
 was placed at the top of the candlestick 
 for the purpose of supplying with oil the 
 small tubes or pipes leading to the sev- 
 eral lamps. Considerable difficulty has 
 been found in endeavoring to account for 
 the double numeral form πϑ 3 πϑ 3» 
 seven and seven. Some think the num- 
 ber is to be multiplied by itself, and ren- 
 dered forty-nine; but this is not only 
 abhorrent from the representation other- 
 wise given of the candlestick, but is un- 
 warranted by Hebrew usage. Others, 
 as Stonard, take the words in a distribu- 
 tive sense, and make the number to be 
 fourteen, understanding by seven and 
 seven, twice seven. To this hypothesis, 
 however, the copulative Vau forms an 
 
 48 
 
 insuperable objection, since it conveys 
 the idea not of distribution merely, but 
 also that of diversity or variety. The 
 instance adduced from 1 Kings viii. 65, 
 is not exactly parallel, as the noun is 
 there repeated, which is not the case in 
 Zechariah ; nor, so far as I can find, do 
 we meet with any instance parallel to 
 nips. ΤΙΣΞΙΘῚ ΤΙΣ ΞΘ. Our translators 
 remove the one seven, and place it before 
 “lamps ;’’ but such construction is alto- 
 gether unwarranted, and, indeed, they 
 appear to have placed only a qualified 
 reliance upon it, for they render in the 
 margin, seven several pipes. There is 
 every reason to suspect that the former 
 myav is an interpolation which has found , 
 its way into some ancient MSS. and been 
 copied into all the rest. This suspicion 
 is confirmed by two circumstances. The 
 word occurs only once both in the LXX. 
 and the Vulg. The former renders: καὶ 
 ἑπτὰ ἐπαρυστρίδες τοῖς λύχνοις τοῖς ἐπάνω 
 αὐτῆς; the latter, ef septem infusoria 
 lucernis, que erant super caput ejus. The 
 other circumstance is, that, as in con- 
 formity to the number of lamps belong- 
 ing to the candelabrum in the tabernacle, 
 Exod. xxv. 37, from which the symbol 
 was evidently borrowed, it is expressly 
 stated, that there were only ni-3 mya, 
 seven lamps attached to that presented to 
 view in the vision, we cannot conceive of 
 there being to each two pipes or conduc- 
 tors for the oil. The px2p, reeds or 
 tubes of Moses, Exod. xxv. "32, 99; B05 
 Xxxvil. 18, and the nips, pipes or 
 tubes of Zechariah, both signify the same 
 objects, viz., those used for conveying the 
 oil into the lamps. The latter word is 
 derived from ΤΣ" ¢o pour or flow. Vulg. 
 infosoria. That the candlestick was sym- 
 bolical of the Jewish church cannot be 
 doubted. Comp. Rev. i. 20; xi. 4, where 
 the same symbol is used in reference to 
 Christian churches. The idea which it 
 
978 
 
 ZECHARIAH. Cuap. IV. 
 upon it, and seven pipes to the lamps which are upon the top 
 of it. And two olive trees beside it, one on the right side of 
 the bowl, and one on the left side of it. And I addressed my- 
 self farther to the angel who spake with me, saying, What are 
 these, my lord? And the angel who spake with me answered 
 and said to me, Dost thou not know what these are? And I 
 said, No, my lord. And he answered and spake to me, saying, 
 
 This is the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying : 
 Not by might, nor by power, 
 But by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 7 Who art thou, O great mountain ? 
 Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain : 
 
 conveys is that such churches are placed 
 in the world for the sake of its illumina- 
 tion. Thus it was with the Jewish church 
 in the midst of the surrounding darkness 
 of Paganism ; and thus it hath been with 
 Christian churches in every age of their 
 history. 
 
 3. Of what the two olive-trees were 
 emblematical, we learn from ver. 14. 
 
 4, 5. πὸ, like ἀποκρίνομαι in the New 
 Testament, signifies to proceed or begin to 
 speak, as well as to answer. It is obvi- 
 ously thus used at the beginning of ver. 
 4, Comp. chap. i. 10. While the angel 
 had it in commission to explain what was 
 meant by these trees, he was to reserve 
 the explanation till after he had made 
 certain communications relative to the 
 building of the temple, and the advent 
 of Messiah. 
 
 6. From the purport of the message 
 ‘which the prophet was to deliver to Ze- 
 rubbabel, it may be inferred that he was 
 laboring under despondency, produced by 
 the consideration of the powerful opposi- 
 tion with which he had to contend, the 
 greatness of the undertaking in which he 
 had embarked, and the inadequacy of 
 the human means which he had at his 
 disposal. Between $m and p> there is 
 no clearly defined difference of meaning. 
 They are both used equally of physical 
 and of mental and moral power ; and are 
 here employed as synonymes, to express 
 the idea that human might, of whatever 
 
 description, was of no account with the 
 Almighty; that he can effect his pur- 
 poses by few as well as by many, by those 
 whom the world accounts foolish as well 
 as by those of superior intellect ; and that 
 it is by the exercise of his own spiritual 
 agency exciting to action, and sustaining 
 and giving efficiency to it, that its per- 
 formance is secured. ‘There seems to be 
 here a reference to what we read, Hag- 
 gai, ii. 5: “ My Spirit remaineth among 
 you: fear ye not.” The truth, however, 
 is of universal application, and is clearly 
 taught in the New Testament in refer- 
 ence to the conversion of sinners, 1 Cor. 
 iii. 6; 2 Cor. x. 4; Eph. i. 19: Col. i. 12. 
 
 7. However lowly the feelings enter- 
 tained by Zerubbabel, he is here taught 
 by the sublime and noble figure of the 
 depression of a large mountain into a 
 level plain, that none of the formidable 
 impediments which he apprehended, 
 should, in the smallest degree, obstruct 
 his progress "x3, who, sometimes refers 
 to things, yet so as to include the idea of 
 the human agency connected with them. 
 Before -43-195 supply scm or πο Ὁ 
 The interpretation of Stonard, who ap- 
 plies the mountain to the Christian 
 church, is altogether forced and inept. 
 By mzxnn jax is meant, not any stone 
 uniting the two sides of a building at the 
 top, but the Japis angularis, or founda- 
 tion stone, on which at the angle both 
 rest, and which, being necessarily much 
 
Cuar. IV. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 And he shall bring forth the Chief Stone, 
 
 With shouts of Grace! Grace to it! 
 8. And the word of Jehovah was communicated to me saying, 
 9 The hands of Zerubbabel have founded this house, 
 
 And his hands shall finish it : 
 
 And ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to you. 
 10 For who hath despised the day of small things ? 
 
 larger and more ponderous, as well as 
 more serviceable than any other, was 
 fully entitled to the distinctive character 
 of the chief or principal stone. The 
 foundations of the literal temple having 
 already been laid by Zerubbabel, it must 
 be obvious, that the language is merely 
 borrowed from that event, and that his 
 attention is directed to Him of whom 
 David had prophesied as 35 ts4 428, 
 the chief or principal corner stone, Ps. 
 exviiil. 26, and who is called in the New 
 Testament, Κεφαλὴ γωνίας, and Λίϑος 
 ἀκρογωνιαῖος. Symm. renders: τόν λίϑον 
 τὸν ἄκρον; Theod. τὸν λίϑον τὸν πρῶτον ; 
 Aq. τὸν λίϑον τὸν πρωτεύωντα ; all con- 
 veying the idea of the primary or prin- 
 cipal stone of the building. The LXX. 
 
 mistaking TON ων for τϑ render, τὸν © 
 
 λίϑον τῆς κληρονομίας. "The nominative 
 to xs47 is not Zerubbabel, but Jehovah. 
 This was perceived by the Targumist, 
 who puts the same Messianic interpreta- 
 tion upon the passage, paraphrasing it 
 thus: ΠΩ “087 ΠΟΤ ΎΖ5 mo 3ba7 
 ἘΠῚ 952 tsa widen ial bm And he 
 shall reveal his Messiah, who was named 
 of old, and he shall rule over all king- 
 doms. ‘The introduction of this stone 
 was to be accompanied with acclamations 
 of « Grace, Grace toit.” nisin, shouts 
 or acclamations, from τιν ὃ, to make a 
 noise, shout aloud, cry as a crowd; hence 
 the noun came to signify the shouting 
 of a multitude. The repetition of 47, 
 favor or grace, is for the sake of inten- 
 sity; and the ascriptions of this favor to 
 the stone (7) implies that it was pos- 
 sessed of this ‘quality, and was to be the 
 medium or means of its conveyance to 
 others. This prediction was clearly ful- 
 
 filled in our Redeemer. ‘* Grace,’ or 
 favor, “was poured through his lips.” 
 Ps, xlv. 8. At his birth the alta 
 acclamations of the heavenly choir, were, 
 “Glory to God in the highest, on earth 
 peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke ii. 
 14. As he approached Jerusalem, the 
 multitudes were loud in their acclaims 
 of Hosanna to the Son of David. 
 Blesssed be he that cometh in the name 
 of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.” 
 Nor is the phrase, **The grace of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ,’”’ of unfrequent occur- 
 rence in the New Testament. The usual 
 application of the words to the comple- 
 tion of the work of grace in the soul of 
 a believer, or to the addition of the last 
 convert to the church, is quite incongru- 
 ous. Whatever grace is possessed by the 
 people of God is altogether derived, and 
 is not to be ascribed to themselves, but to 
 him to whom alone they are indebted for 
 its communication. It may farther be 
 observed, that perhaps the repetition in 
 the phrase 4m 34, Grace, Grace, may 
 have been intended to express the infinite 
 value of the Corner Stone. In Prov. 
 xvii. 8, we read that “a gift is 37m jas, 
 a precious stone in the eyes of him that 
 hath it;” apd one of the qualities of a 
 stone laid for a foundation in Zion is, 
 that it is maps , precious. Is. xxviii. 16. 
 
 9, 10. so> is the Preterite of Piel. 
 ps3 signifies to cut, cut off, bring to an 
 end, Jinish, in which last acceptation it 
 is here used. The verse contains a posi- 
 tive assurance that the temple should be 
 completed by Zerubbabel. ‘“ The day of 
 small things” means the short period 
 which had elapsed since the Jews had 
 begun to rebuild the temple, and the 
 
950 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. IV. 
 
 For those seven eyes of Jehovah 
 Which run to and fro through-the whole earth rejoiced, 
 When they saw the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. 
 
 bY 
 
 Then I proceeded and said to him, What are these two olive- 
 
 trees on the right side of the candlestick, and on the left of it ? 
 
 12 
 
 And I proceeded a second time, and said to him, What are the 
 
 two branches of the olive-trees, which, by means of the two 
 
 13 
 14 
 
 commencement, which had been incon- 
 siderable and inauspicious. The efforts 
 bore no proportion to the magnitude of 
 the undertaking, and could only provoke 
 the scorn and contempt of unbelievers. 
 y2 is derived from 772, as 39 is from 
 220; only with the signification of F923 
 and. mia, to despise. 472 otherwise sig- 
 nifies to plunder, spoil. With the human 
 estimate of the enterprise, forcibly ex- 
 pressed in the interrogative form, that of 
 Jehovah is strikingly contrasted. His 
 eyes rejoiced when they saw the work 
 marked out by Zerubbabel with the plum- 
 met. This instrument was called jas 
 Sonam, the stone of separation, because 
 it consisted of the alloy of lead or tin, 
 which was separated by smelting from 
 the silver ore with which it was com- 
 bined. The Vau prefixed in 5855 is to 
 be rendered when, as in 33» Judges 
 xix. 1. The nominative to ἢ Soh ial ἢ 
 
 is pby~nva¥v, with which 7m ἜΝ» 
 as expletive, i is in apposition. This, which 
 appears to me to be the only tenable con- 
 struction, is that given in the margin by 
 our Translators. It relieves the passage 
 from the burden of fancifuleconjectures 
 which had been advanced in regard to 
 the meaning, and brings out the simple 
 but encouraging truth, that, how much 
 soever men might despise the commence- 
 ment of the work in which Zerubbabel 
 ahd his compatriots were engaged, it was 
 the object of peculiar regard and delight 
 to Divine Providence, which was ac- 
 quainted with all human designs, and 
 from its universal activity could not only 
 defeat the machinations of enemies, but 
 
 tubes of gold, empty the golden liquid out of themselves ? And 
 he spake to me, saying, Kuowest thou not what.these are? And 
 
 command the agency of those who should 
 help forward the cause of truth and right- 
 eousness, Comp. chap. iii. 9; 2 Chron, 
 xvi. 9; Prov. xv. 3. 
 
 11, 12. It is not a little remarkable 
 that the prophet had to put the question 
 three times respecting the two olive-trees, 
 tefore he received any reply ; first, ver. 
 4; a second time ver. 11; and a third 
 time ver. 12. The question is varied 
 each time, and becomes at last minute 
 and particular. The reason seems to be, 
 that it could scarcely be conceived pos- 
 sible for him not to understand their 
 symbolical reference to the two most re- 
 markable persons with whom he was con- 
 versant, Joshua and Zerubbabel. r>25, 
 a branch, LXX. κλάδος, so called from 
 its resemblance to an ear of grain. “23, 
 a tube or canal, through which oil or any 
 other liquid is poured. The etymology 
 of this quadriliteral is uncertain. LXX. 
 μυξωτῆρε. With the tubes the two 
 branches were exhibited as connected, to 
 indicate the source whence the candle- 
 stick was supplied with oil. By snan. 
 the gold, is meant the oil, which is so 
 called because its purity and brightness 
 resembled those of gold. 
 
 14, ΠΣ 2 720, two sons of oil, 
 i. e. two "qnbinted ones, Joshua and Ze- 
 rubbabel, who are so called, because, 
 when installed into office, they had oil 
 poured upon their heads as a symbol of 
 the gifts and influences of the Holy 
 Spirit, which alone could fit them rightly 
 to discharge their important functions, 
 Their services to the new state were of 
 such yalue that they might well be rep- 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 981 
 
 I said, No, my lord. Then he said, These are the two anointed 
 ones, that stand before the Lord of the whole earth. 
 
 resented as furnishing it instrumentally 
 with what was necessary for enabling it 
 to answer the purposes of its establish- 
 ment. ἘΣ by is elliptical for — 
 
 ΄ 
 "ssby Ἐπ ϑπι, who stand before. The 
 phrase expresses the posture of servants 
 waiting to receive orders from their mas- 
 ters. 
 
 COPA bol  ν. 
 
 THE two visions exhibited in this chapter are of a very different character from any of the 
 foregoing, and were designed to furnish striking and instructive warnings to such of the 
 Jews as might refuse to render obedience to the law of God, and might not have been 
 thoroughly weaned from idolatry. In verses 1—4, is the description of a flying roll, pre- 
 sented to the view of the prophet, on which were inscribed the threatenings of the Divine 
 law, which still remained in all their force, and were ever ready to be executed upon 
 transgressors. In verses 5—11, the means are emblematically set forth which Jehovah 
 had employed for the entire removal of idolatry from the Holy Land, and its abandon- 
 
 ment to mingle with its native elements in Babylon — the land of graven images. 
 
 
 
 1. Awnp I again raised my eyes, and looked, and, behold! a fly- 
 
 2 ing roll. 
 
 And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I 
 
 see a flying roll, the length of which is twenty cubits, and the 
 
 VISION VI. 
 
 1. For the adverbial use of 355 see 
 on chap. iv. 1. 7-527, ὦ volume or roll, 
 from the root $s, ¢o roll. The ancients 
 wrote upon the inner bark of trees, which 
 was rolled up for the sake of convenience, 
 and for the better preservation of the 
 writing. They also used rolls of papyrus 
 and of the dressed skins of animals. Aq. 
 and Theod. render the word by διφϑέρα, 
 a skin or parchment ; Symm. by κεφαλὶς, 
 the term by which the LXX. have ren- 
 dered it, Ps. xl. 8. Mistaking $319 for 
 bays, they have here translated it δρέπα- 
 vov, a scythe or sickle. 
 
 2. The roll here described was of large 
 dimensions, more than ten yards in 
 length, by upwards of five in breadth. 
 To compose such a roll several skins had 
 
 to be sewed together, as we find to be 
 the case with the Jewish Megillahs, or 
 rolls containing the Pentateuch and 
 other portions of the Old Testament, 
 read in the synagogue at the present 
 day. One of these synagogue rolls, pre- 
 served in the British Museum, contains 
 the Pentateuch, written on forty brown 
 African skins. In the Rabbinical diyi- 
 sion of the books of the Old Testament, 
 the title of the five Megilloth is given 
 to those of the Song of Solomon, Ruth, 
 Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther ; 
 but in Ps. x1. 8, the term 522 is applied 
 by way of eminence to the roll or book 
 of the law. The large size of the roll 
 seems to have been intended to indicate 
 the number of the curses which it con- 
 tained. The circumstance, that the di- 
 
959 
 
 3 breadth of it ten cubits. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. V. 
 
 And he said to me, This is the curse 
 
 which goeth forth over the face of the whole land; for every 
 one that stealeth shall be cleared away on this side, according to 
 it, and every one that sweareth shall be cleared away on that 
 
 4 side, according to it. 
 
 I bring it forth, 
 
 saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 and it shall enter the house of him that stealeth, and the house 
 of him that sweareth falsely by my name, and it shall continue 
 in the midst of his house, and destroy it, and its wood, and its 
 
 stones. 
 
 mensions of the roll correspond to those 
 of the porch of the temple, 1 Kings vi. 
 3, seems rather to be accidental than in- 
 tended to convey any specific instruction. 
 The participle sy , flying, expresses the 
 velocity with which the judgments de- 
 nounced in the volume would come upon 
 the wicked. 
 
 ae stan mt, this zs, or signifies, rep- 
 resents the curse, a phrase altogether 
 parallel with that used by our Lord 
 when instituting the sacred supper: 
 τοῦτο ἔστι τὸ σῶμα μου; in Heb. ΓᾺτ 
 on , this is, i. e. represents my body. 
 
 mis, curse, is to be taken as a collective, 
 
 comprehending all the curses denounced 
 against transgressors of the sw law. 
 After mss}: supply ; nin ΕΞ Ὁ» 
 
 «from the presence of Jeliovsh: ” Be- 
 cause 74731 τιῦ 2, on this side and on that, 
 is used when fee writing of the law on 
 both sides of the tables is spoken of, 
 Exod, xxxii. 15, Abenezra, Kimchi, Ro- 
 senmiiller, Hengstenberg, and some other 
 interpreters, have argued in favor of the 
 position, that the roll, like that of Ezek. 
 ii. 9, 10, was also written in this man- 
 ner; but the immediate construction of 
 the pronoun with m3 in both instances 
 shows that it cannot be maintained. 
 Reference is had to the place where the 
 transgressor may be. From that place, 
 whether on the right hand or on the left, 
 he should be swept away by the Divine 
 judgment. Nowhere should he find pro- 
 tection. The curse went forth over the 
 whole land. It has been properly re- 
 marked, that an individual example of 
 transgression is selected from each of the 
 
 two tables of the law: ξεῖν, he twho 
 stealeth, standing for those who break the 
 rule of duty in regard to their neighbor ; 
 and satan, he who sweareth, for those 
 who are guilty of a violation of such du- 
 ties as have immediate reference to God. 
 mz is not to be taken here in the sense 
 of treating as innocent, but with the sig- 
 nification of emptying, clearing, sweeping 
 clean away. Comp. Is. iii. 26; Jer. xxx. 
 11. It is in the Niphal conjugation, the 
 form of which is the same as that of Piel. 
 The ancient translators are at fault here, 
 having mistaken =p2 for ἘΠῚ - Thus 
 the LXX. ἐκδικηϑήσεται ; Symm. δίκην 
 δώσῃ. Nor can the rendering of Ston- 
 ard, “yleadeth not guilty,” be sustained. 
 min » like, or according to it, if fully 
 expressed, would be 21m > 73s , accord- 
 ing as it is written, referring to the curse 
 or threatening inscribed upon the roll. 
 Thus Jerome, sicut ἐδὲ scriptum est. 
 
 4, The pronominal affix in πον πε ἐπ 
 refers to myn in the preceding verse. 
 “pzd yada is an aggravation of yav2. 
 The punctuation of 735 is irregular’ for 
 
 mid, the third feminine of the preterite 
 of an, which one of De Rossi’s MSS. 
 exhibits. 4:5 not merely signifies to turn 
 aside and spend the night in any place, 
 but also to remain permanently. See Ps, 
 xlix, 13. smb>=snnd>. A like curse 
 was pronounced by the Delphie oracle 
 against perjury : 
 
 
 
 Κραιπνὸς δὲ μετέρχεται, 
 εἰσόκε πᾶσαν, 
 
 Συμμάρψας ὀλέσει 
 ἅπαντα. 
 
 γενεὴν καὶ οἴκον 
 Herodot. vi. 86. 
 
Cuap. V. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 383 
 
 5 Then the angel who spake with me came forth, and said to 
 me, Raise thine eyes, now, and look what this is that cometh 
 6 forth. AndI said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah 
 
 that cometh forth. 
 
 He said, moreover, This is their appearance 
 
 7 in all the land. And, behold! a round piece of lead, and there 
 8 was a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. And he said, 
 
 VISION VII. 
 
 5. suai, came forth, i. 6, came again 
 into view to explain the new vision. 
 
 6. The ephah was one of the larger 
 ‘Jewish corn measures, containing about 
 an English bushel, or seven gallons and 
 ahalf, The LXX. give it simply by τὸ 
 μετρόν. Symm. leaves it untranslated, 
 οἰφὶ, which presents it pretty much in 
 
 its Egyptian form, which was (ΠῚ ΠῚ. 
 
 Comp. the Arab. x45 9° Some have 
 
 supposed that it is not to be specifically 
 understood of the measure so called, on 
 the ground that such a measure could 
 not have contained the woman mentioned 
 ver. 7; but the assumption is altogether 
 gratuitous, since there is no necessity for 
 maintaining that the female represented 
 was actually in appearance of the ordi- 
 nary size, There is equally little foun- 
 dation for the interpretation of the Tar- 
 gum, that the use of false measures was 
 intended by this item of the vision. 
 
 29», their eye, has been variously re- 
 garded by different translators and expos- 
 itors. The LXX., Arab., and Syr., have 
 read phy , their iniquity, which many 
 think much more suited to the connec- 
 tion, but this reading is supported by 
 only one of De Rossi’s MSS. It is clear 
 from what Jerome says on the subject, 
 that the text was the same in his day as 
 we have it at present. The latter read- 
 ing is adopted by Houbigant, Newcome, 
 and others of the same school. That 
 473, signifies appearance, or that which 
 presents itself to the eye, is fully estab- 
 lished by reference to Lev. xiii. 55; 
 Numb. xi. 7; Ezek. i. 4, 7, x. 9; and 
 this signification is appropriately appli- 
 cable in the present passage. Hengsten- 
 
 berg, taking the word in its primary 
 acceptation, considers the meaning to be 
 that their eye was universally set on evil; 
 it was the effort of the whole people to 
 fill up the measure of their sins, and 
 thereby bring upon themselves a full 
 measure of divine punishment. "When 
 it is said that the ephah (for this is the 
 nominative to the latter my, ¢his is), 
 was their appearance, the language is 
 metonymical; the container being used 
 for the thing contained, ¢. e. nv: 
 wickedness, or idolatry, as further ex- 
 plained, ver. 8. 
 
 (othe ΞΞ contracted for “DD; what 
 ts round or globular, from “12 » t0 go 
 round, was the heaviest weight in use 
 among the Hebrews, being equal to 
 3000 shekels, or, according to Jahn, 125 
 pounds, English troy weight. Luther 
 renders it here by centner, or hundred- 
 weight ; but it is obviously to be taken, 
 not in its strict estimate as a measure, 
 but in its etymological import, as sig- 
 nifying a flat, roundish lump or cake of 
 lead, yet not without some respect to its 
 heaviness, in consideration of the end it 
 was designed to serve — the security of 
 the woman in the vessel over which it 
 was placed. To express the idea of 
 weight it is called V28, @ stone, in the 
 following verse. mxiz2 is the feminine 
 participle in Niphal. rsx, does not re- 
 fer to the talent or weight going before, 
 but to sux immediately following, and 
 is equivalent to there was. The woman 
 was placed in the ephah in order to be 
 conveyed to Babylon. 
 
 8. By πρὶ in this place is meant 
 idolatry, which was the most flagrant 
 kind of wickedness with respect to God, 
 and the fruitful pareyt of every other 
 
984 
 
 This is wickedness. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cnap. V. 
 
 And he threw her down in the midst of 
 
 the ephah, and threw the weight of lead on the mouth of it. 
 9 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and, behold! two women 
 came forth, and the wind was in their wings, for they had wings 
 like the wings of a stork; and they bore away the ephah be- 
 
 10 tween earth and heaven. 
 
 Then I said to the angel who spake 
 
 11 with me, Whither are these conveying the ephah? And he 
 said to me, To build for it a house in the land of Shinar ; for it 
 shall be set up, and placed there on its own base. 
 
 species of iniquity. To mark it more 
 emphatically, the article is prefixed. 
 s"bemn, as used both times, conveys 
 the idea of a forcible action, In the 
 preceding verse the woman is represented 
 as already sitting in the midst of the 
 ephah; the action here described may 
 either be carried back to a period pre- 
 ceding the vision, or it may be intended 
 to indicate what was further done, in 
 order to cause her to occupy a lower 
 position in the vessel, so as to allow of 
 the leaden cover being thrown over her. 
 The latter is the more probable inter- 
 pretation. Jarchi is of opinion that the 
 feminine suffix in m"E , Aer mouth, refers 
 to the woman; but it can alone with 
 propriety be referred to the ephah. 
 
 9. The two females here mentioned 
 are regarded by Maurer and Hengsten- 
 berg as merely belonging, by way of col- 
 oring, to the symbol as such, two persons 
 being required to carry so large a measure 
 asthe ephah. I should rather, however, 
 infer that the Assyrian and Babylonian 
 powers are intended, by which, as instru- 
 ments, God removed idolatry in the per- 
 sons of the apostate Hebrews out of the 
 holy land. By their having the wind in 
 their wings is conveyed the idea of the 
 celerity of their motion. s-"on, the 
 stork, so called from the affection which 
 both the parent bird and her young show 
 to each other. Aq., who frequently gives 
 the etymology of Hebrew words, renders 
 it ᾿Ἐρωδίος, in which he is followed by 
 
 Theod. and Symm. This Greek term is 
 derived from ἔρως, Jove. The large wings 
 of the stork greatly accelerate its flight, 
 when aided by the wind. In τοι στ: is” 
 an clision of the letter x, the third radi- 
 eal, for F2swm1, which is found in a 
 great number of MSS. and some of the 
 earliest printed editions. 
 
 10. Instead of the defective orthogra- 
 phy r4=$4%, many MSS. and some edi- 
 tions read in full, m4s-d4y0. 
 
 11. -¥23 os, the land of Shinar, is 
 rendered in the LXX. γῇ Βαβυλῶνος, and 
 in the Targ. $33 n3772, which is the 
 proper siteraeteeen: 4210 15 to be con- 
 strued with n=3, and π 135 with πξ ΛΝ» 
 including the idea of the woman, or of 
 idolatry, of which she was the symbol. 
 To the latter also the affix in ἘΠ} 
 belongs, 
 
 In this striking hieroglyphic we are 
 taught how idolatry, with ali its accom- 
 panying atrocities, was removed from the 
 land of the Hebrews, which it had des- 
 ecrated, to a country devoted to it, and 
 where it was to commingle with its 
 native elements, never to be re-imported 
 into Canaan. How exactly has the pre- 
 diction been fulfilled! From the time 
 of the captivity to the present, a period 
 of more than two thousand years, the 
 Hebrew people have never once lapsed 
 into idolatry! The whole vision was 
 intended to convince them of the great- 
 ness of the evil. 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 385 , 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 HAVING warned the Jews against indulging in the evil practices which had occasioned their 
 removal to Babylon, Jehovah now, in another vision, exhibits to their view the warlike 
 and unsettled state of political affairs in the immediate future, during the reigns of Darius, 
 and his successors, 1—8. Most commentators seem to have concurred in the opinion ex- 
 pressed by Munster: ‘‘ Hee visio est valde obscura.” The symbols are in themselves simple, 
 consisting of four chariots drawn by horses of different colors, which issue from between 
 two mountains of copper, and proceed in different directions with respect to the land of 
 Palestine. That they betoken certain dispensations of Divine Providence, in reference 
 to the nations by which the Jews were immediately surrounded, and by whose fate they 
 were more or less affected, appears to be the most consistent position that can be assumed 
 in interpreting them, especially as such is the application of similar symbols elsewhere in 
 the prophetic records. The colors of the horses denote, as usual, the character of these 
 dispensations, as either calamitous, prosperous, or mixed. Comp. chap. i. 8; Rev. vi. 
 
 This vision, which is the last, is followed by a splendid prophecy of the Messiah in his 
 co-ordinate offices of Priest and King, to typify which the symbolical action of making 
 two crowns and placing them upon the head of Joshua, is ordained by Divine authority, 
 
 9—15. 
 
 1 Ann I raised my eyes again, and looked, and, behold! four 
 chariots came forth from between two mountains, and the moun- 
 
 2 tains were mountains of copper. 
 
 In the first chariot were red 
 
 3 horses; and in the second chariot black horses ; and in the third 
 chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot were piebald 
 
 1, For the idiom sexi aus1, see on 
 ch. iv. 1. Considering that ‘the events 
 referred to are those of war, it is most 
 natural to infer that war-chariots are 
 here intended. By mountains of copper 
 are meant solid, strong and durable 
 mountains, such as those in which cop- 
 per and other metals are ordinarily found. 
 Comp. Jer. i. 18. Of what these moun- 
 tains were designed to be the symbols, 
 or whether they are introduced merely 
 as an ornamental part of the vision, have 
 been matters of dispute. Jam strongly 
 inclined-to regard them as emblems of 
 the Medes and Persians, and thus cor- 
 responding to the two horns of the ram 
 which are employed by Daniel to denote 
 the same people. See chap. viii. 3, 4. 
 From between these, or from the power- 
 ful empire which they formed, the instru- 
 ments of Divine Providence were to pro- 
 ceed to execute his purposes in punishing 
 
 the nations. That mountains are em- 
 ployed in the figurative language of 
 prophecy to signify kingdoms or govern- 
 ments, see Is, ii. 2, xli. 15; Jer. Ji. 25; 
 Dan. ii. 35. 
 
 2, 3. The red horses are symbolical of 
 war and bloodshed ; the black, of general 
 calamity and distress; the white, of vic- 
 tory and prosperity; and the piebald 
 grays, of a dispensation, mixed in its 
 character, partly prosperous, and partly 
 adverse, The last word, t>x7x, would 
 seem most naturally to be referrible to 
 the root 12s , to be strong, active, etc. ; 
 and this mode of solution would at once 
 be satisfactory were there no qualifying 
 circumstances in the immediate context 
 to require another interpretation. But 
 as all the other terms here employed in 
 describing the horses are expressive of 
 colors, we should expect something of the 
 same character to be intended by the 
 
 49 
 
986 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. VI. 
 
 4 gray horses. I then proceeded and said to the angel who spake 
 
 5 with me, What are these, my lord ? 
 
 And the angel answered 
 
 and said to me, These are the four spirits of heaven, coming 
 6 forth from presenting themselves before the Lord of the whole 
 earth. That and the black horses in it are going forth into the 
 north country ; and the white go forth to the west of them; and 
 
 word in question. I, therefore, prefer 
 adopting a derivation from the Arab. 
 ars leviter splenduit, and regard it 
 as qualifying t*773 , immediately pre- 
 ceding. Thus, the Targ. y-22u07 , ash- 
 colored gray ; so that the most appropri- 
 ate rendering of the two terms will be 
 spotted, or piebald grays. 
 
 5. Though the phrase τὴ πη vans 
 rvcin is that employed chap. ii. 10, 
 (Heb.) to denote the four quarters of the 
 horizon, yet, that it cannot have this 
 meaning in the present instance, is evi- 
 dent from its being added that the nynsn 
 are such as had taken their station, or 
 presented themselves before the Lord, in 
 order to receive their commissions for the 
 execution of his will. In our common 
 version, therefore, the words are properly 
 rendered as to the meaning, spirits of 
 the heavens ; or, as we now commonly 
 say, celestial spirits, thereby meaning 
 angels. These are represented, as in 
 Job i. 6; ii. 1, as employed by God to 
 carry into effect his high behests, which 
 they receive in his immediate presence, 
 and then proceed to the different quarters 
 of the globe in which the special opera- 
 tions of Divine Providence are to be car- 
 ried forward. 
 
 6. By ὭΞε yous, the north country, 
 we are to understand, as usual, the land 
 of Babylon. Comp. Jer. iii. 18, vi. 22, 
 x. 22, xlvi. 10; Zech. ii. 10. Though 
 that empire had been subdued by Cyrus, 
 yet the Babylonians revolted in the be- 
 ginning of the fifth year of Darius, on 
 
 which that monarch besieged them with 
 all his forces; and, after much devasta- 
 tion, completely depopulated it, and re- 
 duced it to solitude. To set forth sym- 
 bolically this fearful event, black-colored 
 
 horses are represented as conveying into 
 the country the executioner of the Divine 
 indignation upon that devoted people. 
 It is remarkable that the red-colored 
 horses, which had been introduced into 
 the vision, ver. 2, are entirely passed 
 over. The reason may, perhaps, be, that, 
 disastrous as was the final destruction οἵ" 
 Babylon, it was unaccompanied with 
 anything like the quantity of bloodshed 
 which characterized the battles of con- 
 flicting armies in the open field, though 
 at the commencement there was every 
 appearance of much blood being shed. 
 Notwithstanding, therefore, the chariot 
 with the red horses appeared along with 
 the others, it seems to be intimated, by 
 no further notice having been taken of 
 it, that it was not employed. The white 
 horses, denoting victory and prosperity, 
 point out the successes of Darius in dif- 
 ferent parts of Greece, which, though 
 checked by the battle of Marathon, con- 
 tributed to the strengthening of his power 
 in that quarter. The phrase, Ἐπ τη nN=>s; 
 literally means behind them, but geo- 
 graphically, to the west of them. That 
 it is to be so taken here, the use of tx, 
 to, corresponding with the use of the 
 same preposition after the verb, both be- 
 fore and after in the verse, sufficiently 
 shows. The dappled horses were sym- 
 bolical of the varied condition of the 
 Persian affairs, which followed the bat- 
 tle of Marathon, especially the changes 
 which took place on the death of Darius, 
 and the expedition of Xerxes for the re- 
 duction of Egypt. This last circumstance 
 is particularly pointed at in the reference, 
 yann yrs, the country of the South. 
 That by Ἴ2 ΑΛ, Teman, we are not here 
 to understand the city or region so called 
 on the east of Idumea, but a land to the 
 
Cnap. VI. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 387 
 
 7 the piebald go forth to the south country. And the grays went 
 forth, and asked to go to walk to and fro through the land; and 
 he said, Go, walk to and fro through the land; and they walked 
 
 to and fro through the land. 
 
 8 Then he summoned me and said to me, See, those that went 
 to the north country have appeased my anger in the north 
 
 country. 
 
 9 And the word of Jehovah was communicated to me, saying: 
 10 Take from the captivity, from Heldai, from Tobijah, and from 
 
 south of Palestine, is obvious from the 
 article being prefixed, and from a com- 
 parison of the use of the term in such 
 passages as the following, Job ix. 9; Is. 
 xliii. 6. It is synonymous with y~2>, 
 on the right hand, which geographically 
 means the South, and here specifically 
 signifies Egypt, to express which Daniel 
 uses the word 333, chap, xi. 40." 
 
 Te VIN the land here referred to, but 
 not described by any qualifying epithet, 
 must be understood of the country of 
 Palestine, the peculiar features of the 
 dispensation of Providence with respect 
 to which are marked by two circumstan- 
 ces: the gray color of the horses, which 
 indicated the mixed state of the Jewish 
 affairs till the time of Artaxerxes Mne- 
 mon; and the form of the verb 537 , ¢o 
 go or walk, which is in Hithpael, and 
 signifies to go about, or to walk up and 
 down, They were not to be molested by 
 the hostile incursion of foreign armies, 
 but neither were they to be free from 
 annoyances. Accordingly, we find them 
 involved in troubles by Sanballat, and 
 other chiefs of the Samaritans; and, as 
 the Persian army marched through Pal- 
 estine to attack the Egyptians in the 
 reign of Darius Nothus, the inhabitants 
 must have been exposed to numerous 
 inconveniences, which they could not but 
 feel the more severely, owing to their 
 having only just begun to take possession 
 of their patrimonial inheritances. On 
 the other hand, the appointment of Ne- 
 hemiah to be governor of Judea, and 
 other favors conferred by the Persian 
 monarch, were calculated to mitigate 
 
 their distress, and inspire them with the 
 hope of a complete and happy restora- 
 tion to the enjoyment of their ancient 
 privileges. ‘These dappled horses supply 
 the place of the red, specified ver. 2, but 
 are omitted in the explanation, ver. 6, so 
 that the number of chariots is still four. 
 
 8. The nominative to py»y21 must 
 either be Jehovah, cr the Angel of Jeho- 
 vah, understood as the pronominal affix 
 in man, “my anger,” shows. That 
 among other significations h1" has that 
 of anger, see Jud. viii. 8; Eccles. x. 4; 
 Is, xxxiii. 11. The phrase, p14 Π 37» 
 to cause anger to rest, is equivalent to 
 man man, Ezek. v. 18, xvi. 42, xxiv. 
 13; and means Zo satisfy, pacify. ‘The 
 final judgment having been inflicted 
 upon Babylon, the Divine displeasure 
 should no more be manifested in that 
 direction. 
 
 The tendency of the whole vision was 
 to assure the Jews of the care and pro- 
 tection of their covenant God, and thus 
 lead them to exercise confidence in him, 
 while prosecuting the restoration of the 
 temple and their former institutions. 
 
 9—11. Here commences a separate 
 prophecy, calculated, like the preceding 
 vision, to stimulate the Jews in their 
 work. That what was commanded was 
 actually performed by the prophet, and! 
 that it was not done in vision, seems the 
 only tenable construction that can be 
 put upon it. The infinitive mip}, at 
 the beginning of the 9th verse, is to be 
 taken in connection with the finite form 
 of the same verb at that of the 11th, 
 both having an11 49> for their object. 
 
388 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. VI. 
 
 Jedaiah, who are come from Babylon,.and enter thou on that 
 11 day, yea, enter the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; yea, 
 
 take silver and gold, and make crowns, and place them upon the 
 
 head of Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high priest ; and speak 
 12 to him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying : 
 
 The preposition which is prefixed to 
 the following nouns is not to be taken 
 partitively, as if some of the captivity, 
 and one of each of the families, the heads 
 of which are supposed to be here speci- 
 tied, were meant, but is used in its pri- 
 mary and most common signification. 
 The persons named appear to have form- 
 ed a deputation from the 7542, captives 
 still remaining in Babylon, who had sent 
 them with contributions in gold and sil- 
 ver to help forward the building of the 
 temple at Jerusalem. These deputies 
 had deposited their gifts in the house of 
 Josiah, to which the prophet is com- 
 manded to repair and take what was 
 necessary for making the two crowns 
 which were to be placed on the head of 
 the high priest. It is not improbable 
 that Josiah was public treasurer at the 
 time. The language of Zechariah is 
 here more heavy and verbose than usual, 
 which has occasioned some difficulty to 
 interpreters. Instead of ba. sz 7ts, 
 two of Kennicott’s MSS., the ΠΣ 
 Syr., and Targ., read x2 in the singular, 
 and restrict the declaration to Josiah, 
 mentioned immediately before ; but there 
 can be little doubt that this various read- 
 ing is merely an emendation of some 
 copyist, who took Josiah, and not the 
 three persons spoken of at the beginning 
 of the verse, to be the subject of the pred- 
 icate. To remove the ambiguity, our 
 translators have properly connected the 
 words immediately with the names of 
 the persons to whom they belong. Heng- 
 stenberg contends that only one crown 
 is intended, and that the plural form 
 τὴ Ὁ 2, is to be referred to several small 
 crowns or diadems of which it consisted. 
 With many other interpreters, he ad- 
 duces in support of the opinion the δια- 
 δήματα πολλὰ, many crowns, Which are 
 
 described as being upon the head of the 
 Saviour, Rey. xix. 12; but the reference 
 there is purely to the crown of a con- 
 queror, composed of many diadems, 
 which Christ is represented as wearing, 
 as a symbol of the numerous victories 
 he had won over the enemies of his 
 church. It appears, however, essential 
 to the thing signified, namely, the priest- 
 ly and regal offices, that they should 
 have been distinct crowns, in which case 
 either the one may have been placed upon 
 the head of Joshua after the other, or 
 they may have been joined together so 
 as to form a double crown, and so placed 
 upon his head at once. What favors the 
 latter view of the subject is the circum- 
 stance, that the plural ny is construed 
 with m:n, the singular of the substan- 
 tive verb, ver. 14. Maurer not inaptly 
 illustrates this by ἃ reference to the triple 
 crown or the tiara of the popes, by which 
 they arrogate to themselves a higher de- 
 gree of dignity than that of Him whose 
 servants they profess to be. 
 
 12, The symbolical action performed 
 upon Joshua as representative of the 
 Messiah is here followed by an explan- 
 atory prophecy, in which his person, 
 offices, and work are distinctly set forth. 
 For the signification of max, BRaNncn, see 
 on Is. iv. 2, That the Messiah is meant 
 must be evident to all who will impar- 
 tially compare Is, iv. 2; Jer. xxiii, 5, 
 xxxiil. 15 ; Zech. iii. 8. Thus the Targ. 
 expounds : s*ny ra9 Nw NIA NA 
 “bam, “Behold the Man, Mrsstan is 
 his name ; who is to be revealed.” The 
 same view is taken by Moses Hadarsan : 
 mon “sy and ps ἘΞῸ ΡΝ oor ἘΝ π 
 moss nmr: wy mas wx, “The 
 Redeemer whom I will raise up from 
 you shall have no father, as it is said ; 
 Behold the man, whose name is Zemach, 
 
(Β.». VI. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 389 
 
 Behold the man whose name is THE BRANCH, 
 For he shall grow up out of his place, 
 And he shall build the temple of Jehovah. 
 
 13 Even he shall build the temple of Jehovah, 
 
 And he shall bear the glory ; 
 
 and he shall grow up from his place.’ 
 The Rabbins Jarchi, Abenezra, and Kim- 
 chi, and after them, Bauer and Ewald, 
 suppose Zerubbabel to be intended. ~The 
 last-mentioned writer, after the example 
 of Eichhorn and Theiner, conjectures 
 that, instead of yvim> tna, on the 
 head of Joshua, the text has originally 
 read, 334n7 ΘΕ" $321 BNIB, on the 
 head of “Zerubbabel, and on the head of 
 Joshua. But who does not perceive that 
 this conjecture is to be traced to the mere 
 love of hypothesis. Maurer scruples not 
 to regard it us doing violence to the pas- 
 sage. The application of the words to 
 Zerubbabel is decidedly rejected by Abar- 
 banel, notwithstanding his bigoted hos- 
 _ tility to the Messianic interpretations. 
 Ὁ The words of the text can apply to no 
 one who was not a priest; for it is ex- 
 pressly declared that such was to be the 
 official character of him who is the sub- 
 ject of discourse. And that neither 
 Joshua nor any of his descendants could 
 } be meant, is evident from the fact, that 
 , they could not exercise the regal power, 
 none of them being entitled to occupy 
 the throne. Simon Maccabeus, to whom 
 ‘Michaelis applies the prophecy, never 
 filled the kingly office; he was merely 
 commander of the army, and civil gov- 
 ernor, subject to the kings of Syria. In- 
 stead of building the temple, as is here 
 predicted of the Branch, he erected a 
 splendid palace for himself on the moun- 
 tain on which the temple stood. Nor 
 did the work of repairing it, after it had 
 been pillaged by Antiochus Epiphanes, 
 devolve upon him, but upon his brother 
 Judas. Besides, the declaration that the 
 Branch should be invested with the honor 
 or glory connected with the building of 
 the temple, would be at variance with 
 the uniform ascription of the glory of 
 
 all great undertakings to Jehovah and 
 not to man, wherever in Scripture such 
 works are represented as carried on under 
 the special direction of the Most High. 
 In the phrase, πῶσ avminniss, and he 
 shall sprout forth from his place, while 
 there is a direct reference to the name 
 mas, here given to the Messiah, there 
 seems to be no very indistinct allusion to 
 the miraculous conception. vann, his 
 place, the place which was peculiar to 
 him. The interpretation, that “ under 
 him there shall be growth,” which is 
 adopted by Cyril, Jerome, Luther, Calo- 
 vius, Hitzig, Maurer, and Ewald, apply- 
 ing it to the church, the body of believers, 
 or the affairs of Messiah’s kingdom, is to 
 be rejected on the ground of its not being 
 warranted by Scripture usage. By $5°5 
 mint, the temple of Jehovah, which the 
 Messiah was to build, the material tem- 
 ple then in the course of erection cannot 
 be understood, for that was to be carried 
 on and completed by Zerubbabel, chap. 
 iv. 9. But, as we have just seen, Zerub- 
 babel and the Branch are not identical, — 
 We are, therefore, compelled to interpret 
 the phrase in application to the New 
 Testament church, which is frequently 
 spoken of as a temple, 1 Cor. iii. 17; 2 
 Cor. vi. 16 ; Eph. ii. 22; 2 Thess. ii. 4; 
 and respecting which the Messiah him- 
 self declares, “ Upon this rock will I build 
 my church, and the gates of hell shall 
 not prevail against it.” Matt. xvi. τ 
 18. The repetition ἘΞ ποσὰ εξ 845 
 
 mine is not, as has been conjectured, to 
 be ascribed to an error of some tran- 
 scriber, and on the authority of the 
 LXX., Arab., and Syr., to be expunged 
 as superfluous, but is singularly in its 
 place, as giving a high degree of em- 
 phasis to the statement made respecting 
 the personal work of the Messiah. The 
 
390 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. VL 
 
 And he shall sit and rule upon his throne, 
 And shall be a priest upon his throne, 
 And the counsel of peace shall be between them both. 
 14 And the crowns shall be for Helem and for Tobijah, and for 
 Jedaiah, and for Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in 
 
 erection of the spiritual temple was to be 
 effected exclusively through his media- 
 tion. With the declaration, that he 
 should “bear the glory,” compare Ps. 
 xxi. 5, cii. 16; Is. lii. 18; Heb. ii. 9. 
 The declaration has reference to the 
 crowns, the insignia of glory and ma- 
 jesty, which were to be placed on the 
 head of Joshua. In the following clauses 
 of the verse the union of the regal and 
 sacerdotal offices in the person of the 
 Messiah is distinctly set forth, thus ex- 
 hibiting the peculiar feature of the Mel- 
 chizedekian priesthood, Gen. xiv. 18 ; 
 Ps. cx. 4; Heb. v. 6, 10, vi. 20, vii. 
 While our Lord continues to officiate in 
 the heavenly temple as the Great High 
 Priest of his people, ever living to make 
 intercession for them, he exercises his 
 mediatorial rule over the world and the 
 church — that over the former being 
 rendered subservient to the administra- 
 tion of that which he exercises over the 
 latter. Vitringa, Reuss, Dr. McCaul, 
 and others, refer the pronominal affix in 
 sxo>, “ his throne,” to Jehovah, or the 
 Deity absolutely considered, but, in my 
 opinion, without sufficient ground. The 
 natural construction requires the person 
 who is prominently before the reader to 
 be the object of reference. The render- 
 ing of Newcome, Hitzig, and Ewald, 
 ‘and a priest shall be upon his throne,” 
 is forced and unwarranted; the Vau 
 clearly connecting the substantive verb 
 with the preceding verbs xv and 22", 
 the nominative to which is xin, the 
 Branch, or Messiah. The nominatives 
 to tr*:3, “them both,” are neither Je- 
 hovah and the Messiah, as maintained 
 both by ancient and by many modern 
 interpreters, among others, Cocceius, De 
 Dieu, Vitringa, Bengel, Reuss, Dr. Me 
 Caul, and Dr. J. Pye Smith; nor Jews 
 
 and Gentiles, as Dr. Stonard strangely 
 interprets; but the ΤΡ ΤΙ.» priesthood, and 
 the bzw, regal dignity, which had just 
 been mentioned as unitedly exercised by 
 the Branch. Thus Jerome, Marckius, 
 Drusius, Lowth, Dathe, Rosenmiiller, 
 Hengstenberg, and others. The reason 
 assigned by Dathe forms an insurmount- 
 able objection to the first opinion : “ Quo- 
 niam enim Deus in toto hoc loco loqui- 
 tur, affixum tertiz persone in Ἐπ Σ Ὁ 
 non potest ad Jovam referre.”” The same 
 objection lies against the reference of the 
 afix in ἸΝῸΞ to Jehovah. By nzz 
 city , the counsel or purpose of peace, is 
 to be understood the glorious scheme of 
 reconciliation between God and man, 
 effected by the joint exercise of the sacer- 
 dotal and regal offices of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Comp. Is. ix. 6; Micah v. 5; 
 Eph. ii. 14—17; Col. i. 20, 21; Heb. 
 xiii, 20. 
 
 14. Helem is, in all probability, the 
 same as Heldia, ver. 10, and Hen another 
 name of Josiah, there also mentioned. 
 There seems no ground for rendering 
 in , favor, and interpreting it of the hos- 
 pitality shown to the deputies by Josiah ; 
 the construction adopted by Hengsten- 
 berg, Maurer and Ewald. The words 
 end minn nhtgn, the crowns shall 
 be to Helem, etc., do not mean that they 
 were to belong to the persons specified, 
 but that they were to be for a memorial 
 to them of the symbolical act that had 
 just taken place, and were for this pur- 
 pose to be deposited in the temple, where 
 it is possible they remained till the Mes- 
 siah, as high priest and king of his peo- 
 ple, had taken possession of his mediato- 
 rial throne, when temple, and crowns, 
 and the whole Jewish polity, were taken 
 or destroyed by the Romans. 
 
Cuap. VIL. 
 
 ZECHARIAH, 
 
 391 
 
 15 the temple of Jehovah. And those who are far off shall come 
 and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that 
 
 Jehovah of hosts hath sent me to you. 
 
 And it shall come to 
 
 pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your 
 
 God * * * * 
 
 15. This verse contains a striking 
 prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, 
 together with a solemn warning to the 
 
 unfinished, their rejection in consequence 
 of unbelief is forcibly implied. It is a 
 striking instance of ἀποσιώπησι. 
 
 Jews, in which, the sentence being left 
 
 C7 Ady. Fae ND, 
 
 TuHIs and the following chapter are occupied with replies to questions which had been pro- 
 posed for solution, relative to certain fasts which the Jews had observed, but which they 
 supposed might no longer be binding after the restoration of their prosperity, 1—3. From 
 this circumstance Zechariah is commanded to take occasion to reprove them for their 
 selfish observance of the days appointed for fasting, 4—7; to enforce attention to the 
 weightier matters of the law. 8—10: and to warn them. by placing before them the rebel- 
 lious conduct of their fathers, and the punishment with which it had been visited, 11—14. 
 
 1  Awnp it came to pass in the fourth year of Darius the king, 
 that the word of Jehovah was communicated to Zechariah on 
 2 the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chisley; when 
 
 Bethel sent Sherezer, Regem-melech and his men, to conciliate 
 
 1. The occurrence here described took 
 place two years later than those described 
 in the preceding chapters. "ΞΌΞ,, Chis- 
 lev, the name of the ninth month of the 
 Hebrews, which corresponds to part of 
 November and part of December. Some 
 think it is of Persic origin, but the idea 
 of torpor, rigidity, stiffness, which is con- 
 veyed by the Heb. ΞΌΞ, is sufficient to 
 justify its being referred to this root; 
 such being the character assumed by na- 
 ture in the course of this month. The 
 = prefixed may be regarded as the Beth 
 essentie. 
 
 2. The words Ἐπ movo1 have 
 occasioned considerable perplexity to in- 
 terpreters. Some of the earlier Jews 
 
 took Bethel to be the name of a person. 
 Lightfoot supposes that it means the con- 
 gregation of the Jews who had remained 
 in Babylon. To the same effect Mich- 
 aelis, “ὙΠῸ congregation of God at Sha- 
 rezer,’ though he acknowledges he had 
 no idea of the geographical position of 
 the city so called. Hengstenberg and 
 Maurer think the people of the Jews are 
 intended. The Vulg., Grotius, Dathe, 
 Newcome, De Wette, and Arnheim, sup- 
 ply ts before the word, and render, ‘to 
 the house of God.” The LXX., Syr., 
 Targ., Drusius, Blayney, Hitzig, and 
 Ewald, regard it as the name of the city 
 so called, in the tribe of Benjamin; only 
 the ancient versions just specified repre- 
 
392 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. VII. 
 
 3 the regard of Jehovah, speaking to the priests which were in 
 the house of Jehovah of hosts, and to the prophets, saying: 
 Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself as I have done 
 
 these many years ? 
 
 4 Then the word of Jehovah of hosts was communicated to me, 
 saying : Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, 
 5 saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the 
 seventh month, even those seventy years, was it at all to me that 
 
 6 ye fasted ? 
 
 sent it as the place to which the deputa- 
 tion was sent. Against the interpreta- 
 tion which explains it of the temple, 
 there lies the insuperable objection, that 
 that sacred edifice is uniformly called 
 mhno non, the house of Jehovah, — never 
 tsonsa, the house of God; and that it 
 should have been so designated after the 
 recovery of the Jews from idolatry is 
 altogether incredible, considering the in- 
 famy attached to the city so named, I 
 entirely concur in the last opinion, which 
 refers it to the city of Bethel, which is 
 used by metonymy for its inhabitants. 
 The word occupies its proper place as the 
 nominative to the verb, which cannot 
 here be taken impersonally, as such con- 
 struction would exclude all reference to 
 those who sent the deputation, a cir- 
 cumstance not to be reconciled with the 
 express specification of the names of the 
 persons who composed it. στὴ, lit. 
 to stroke the face, to ingratiate onself with 
 another, conciliate his regard. 
 
 3. The city having been introduced in 
 the preceding verse as sending the depu- 
 tation, speaks here in the first person sin- 
 gular. Comp. 1 Sam. x. 10; 2 Sam. 
 xx. 19; Zech. viii. 21. The question 
 related to the continuance of the fast in 
 the fifth month, which had been insti- 
 tuted to commemorate the destruction of 
 Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. As the 
 city was now being restored, it was pre- 
 sumed there would no longer be any 
 necessity for keeping up the humiliating 
 memorial. =>2x7 is not simply, Shal/ 
 I fast? but, Shall I continue to fast? 
 The following words indicate, that it 
 
 And when ye ate, and when ye drank, was it not 
 
 was felt to be a tedious and irksome per- 
 formance of duty. The persons speaking 
 were thoroughly weary of it. =z2", the 
 infinitive in Niphal of “13, ¢o separate, 
 consecrate, vow; in Niphal, to abstain 
 from food, and the ordinary employments 
 of life. 
 
 5, 6. Though the question had been 
 proposed by the leading men of a single 
 city only, yet the burden was generally 
 felt, on which account the prophet is 
 directed to address the Divine reply to 
 all the inhabitants of the land, the priests 
 not excepted, who appear to have been 
 desirous of getting rid of the fast as well 
 as others. Their fasts had not been per- 
 formed from a purely religious motive, 
 but were relf-righteous and hypocritical. 
 While they observed them, they neg- 
 lected the weightier ‘matters of the law. 
 At s4£5 is an ellipsis of the finite form 
 of the same verb. In “ss “sms thisn 
 there is a double idiom, which Yenders it 
 peculiarly emphatic. Not only is the 
 finite form used after the infinitive of the 
 same verb; but the nominative of the 
 personal pronoun is employed after the 
 usual verbal suffix. Comp. Gen. xxvii. 
 34. ‘28 ἘΔ "s522- The fast in the 
 seventh month was in commemoration 
 of the murder of Gedaliah, and those 
 who were with him at Mispah, See 
 2 Kings xxv. 25, 26; Jer. xli. 1—3. 
 Neither in fasting nor in feasting had 
 the Jews any regard to Jehovah, but did 
 all from self-interested motives. The 
 feasting referred to is that which took 
 place on the festival days, which were 
 always days of rejoicing. 
 
Cuap. VII. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 393 
 
 7 ye that ate, and ye that drank? Are not these the words which 
 Jehovah proclaimed by the former prophets, when Jerusalem 
 was inhabited and at peace, and her cities around her, when 
 both the south and the plain were inhabited ? 
 
 8 And the word of Jehovah was communicated to Zechariah, 
 
 saying, 
 
 9 Thus spake Jehovah of hosts, saying: 
 
 Execute true judgment, 
 
 And show kindness and mercy one to another ; 
 
 10 
 The stranger and the poor; 
 
 Oppress not the widow and the orphan, 
 
 And think not in your heart of the injury 
 Which one hath done to another. 
 
 11 But they refused to attend, 
 
 And turned their back rebelliously ; 
 
 They made their ears heavy, 
 That they might not hear. 
 12 
 
 They made their heart an adamant, 
 
 That they might not hear the law, 
 Nor the words which Jehovah sent by his Spirit 
 
 Through the former prophets ; 
 
 And there was great wrath from Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 13 And it came to pass, 
 
 When he called and they would not hear, 
 So they called, and I would not hear, 
 
 Saith Jehovi.h of hosts, 
 
 7. The former prophets had taught the 
 worthlessness of attention to meats and 
 drinks while God was forgotten, and the 
 weightier matters of his law neglected. 
 If the Jews had listened to, and com- 
 plied with, the messages of the prophets, 
 none of the evils which had come upon 
 them would have been inflicted. For 
 “the former prophets,” see on chap. 
 i. 4. By the “south and the plain,” are 
 meant the southern and western parts of 
 Judah. 
 
 9. ἸῺΝ is here to be taken in the 
 strictly past tense, as the beginning of 
 the 11th verse clearly shows. 
 
 10. Though ὅπ intervenes between 
 rz and "πὸ they are to be regarded 
 as in construction, Comp. Is. xix. 8; 
 
 50 
 
 Hos. xiv. 8. No one was to harbor any 
 feelings of resentment against another 
 for any injury he might have done him. 
 11. §n> {n3, ¢o give the shoulder, is 
 equivalent to turning the back upon any 
 one. The cause of such action is traced 
 to a refractory, rebellious, and intractable 
 disposition, The % prefixed in σὴ): 8 
 is privative. ᾿ 
 12. πο signifies both a thorn and ἃ 
 
 diamond, from the Arab. , to pierce, 
 
 Here the idea of hardness is that con- 
 veyed by its use. In e=s"225 313 4nsn3 
 the double agency by which the Divine 
 will was communicated is recognized — 
 that of the inspiring Spirit, and that of 
 the instruments inspired. 
 
991 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. VIII. 
 
 14 But tossed them among all the nations which they knew not, 
 And the land was desolate after them; 
 No one passed through or returned, 
 For they had made the land of delight desolate. 
 
 14. eszos is an anomalous form, 
 after the Aramean manner, according 
 to which Zére is placed where there 
 would otherwise be a movable Sheva. 
 Regularly, it would be ΣΌΝ. It is 
 of the Piel conjugation. non ὙΠ» 
 
 the land of delight, Canaan. Comp. Jer. 
 ili, 19. Maurer proposes to take ἡ)» "05" 
 impersonally. Others more properly con- 
 sider the Jews to be the nominative, who 
 by their crimes, had brought judgments 
 upon the land. 
 
 CHA Peres Vs 
 
 Tuts chapter is a continuation of the subject introduced and treated of in the preceding. 
 Having shown.the awful consequences of disregarding the Divine will, which had been 
 clearly announced by the prophets, God promises the renewal of his favor towards those 
 who had returned from the captivity. Restored to purity, 3, Jerusalem should enjoy 
 security and prosperity to a degree far exceeding the conceptions of those whom the 
 prophet addressed, 4—6. Those who were still in heathen countries should be brought 
 back, and share in the general prosperity, 7—17. The chapter closes with a direct answer 
 to the question relating to the fasts, and a prediction of the great number of proselytes 
 that should be made to the true religion by the display of the Divine goodness towards 
 the Jews, 18—23. 
 
 1  Awnp the word of Jehovah was communicated to me, saying: 
 2 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 I have been zealous for Zion with great zeal, 
 
 Yea, with great indignation have I been zealous for her. 
 3 Thus saith Jehovah, I am returned to Zion, 
 
 And will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem ; 
 
 And Jerusalem shall be called, The city of truth, 
 
 And the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, The holy mountain. 
 4 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts : 
 
 1, Before six the word "Ἐπ᾿, to me, 
 is found in thirty-three Heb. MSS.; it 
 has been in ten more originally, and is 
 now in three by correction; it is the 
 reading of the Soncin., Brixian, and 
 Complutensian editions, and is supported 
 by the Syr. and Targ. 
 
 2. Comp. i. 14, 15. 
 
 3. Comp. Is. i. 26, and the remarks 
 there made on the idiomatic use of xp , 
 to call. 
 
 4, 5. These verses beautifully depict 
 the security and happiness of the inhab- 
 itants of Jerusalem. Longevity and a 
 
Cuap. VIII. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 395 
 
 Aged men and aged women shall yet be sitting in the streets 
 
 of Jerusalem, 
 
 Each man with his staff in his hand for very age; 
 5 And the streets of the city shall be filled 
 With boys and girls, playing in the streets of it. 
 6 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 Though it should be wonderful 
 In the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, 
 Should it also be wonderful in my eyes? 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 " Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Behold, I will deliver my people 
 
 From the land of the rising, 
 
 And from the land of the setting of the sun, 
 g And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of 
 
 Jerusalem, 
 
 And they shall become my people, 
 
 And I will become their God, 
 Tn truth and in righteousness. 
 
 9 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 numerous offspring were specially prom- 
 ised under the old dispensation, but uni- 
 formly in connection with obedience to 
 the law. Deut. iv. 40, v. 16, 33, vi. 2, 
 xxxiii, 6, 24; Is. lxv. 20. The idea 
 conveyed by ep ΤΙ Ὁ in such connection 
 is exquisite. What ‘can be more grati- 
 fying to the uncorrupted simplicity of 
 human feelings, than to witness a num- 
 ber of young children enjoying * their 
 innocent gambols? For a contrary state 
 of things, see Jer. vi. 11, ix. 21. 
 
 6. xbB, though like its cognate mde, 
 js not used in Kal, yet, from its significa- 
 tions in Niphal, Piel, Hiphal, and Hith- 
 pael, it cannot be doubted that it must 
 have conveyed the idea of separation, dis- 
 tinction, difficulty ; hence in Niphal, it 
 signifies to be distinguished, to stand out 
 
 prominently, from common events, to be ° 
 
 impossible to human power, to be mirac- 
 ulous. +4x>22, the participial noun, is 
 often used for miraculous occurrences. 
 tenn 272, in those days, i. 6. at the 
 time when I fulfil my promise. To jus- 
 tify the rendering of our common version, 
 
 «in these days,” the Hebrew should have 
 been ms 77023. See ver. 9. 
 
 7. The east and west are here put as 
 parts for the whole. The meaning is, I 
 will deliver my people from every region 
 whither they have been scattered. "Were 
 there any reason to believe that the 
 prophecy has respect to a restoration of 
 the Jews yet future, there would be a 
 singular propriety in the use of sin, 
 nun, the setting of the sun, the Jews 
 being now, for the most part, found in 
 countries to the west of Jerusalem ; but 
 there is every reason to conclude that it 
 has an exclusive reference to what was 
 to take place soon after it was delivered. 
 ‘Vast numbers were carried away captive 
 after the time of Alexander. Not fewer 
 than 100,000 were carried by Ptolemy 
 to Egypt, and were settled in Alexan- 
 dria and Cyrene. 
 
 The words mptz23 Τρ Ξ belong to 
 both the members of the sentence, and 
 express the reality and sincerity of the 
 relation on both sides. 
 
 9. ὩΞ᾿ τὸ mpi » let your hands be 
 
 NG 
 
396 
 
 Let your hands be strong, 
 Ye that hear in these days 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 CHapP. VIIl. 
 
 These words from the mouth of the prophets, 
 
 Which were spoken on the day when the foundation was laid 
 Of the house of Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 The temple, in order to its being built 
 
 10 For before those days 
 
 There was no hire for man, 
 
 Neither was there any hire for beast 5 
 
 And to him that went out or came in 
 There was no peace, because of the enemy: 
 Yea, I sent all men each against another. 
 
 rT 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 10 
 
 But now I will not be as in the former days 
 To the residue of this people, 
 
 For the seed shall be prosperous, 
 The vine shall yield her fruit, 
 
 And the earth shall yield her produce, 
 And the heavens shall yield their dew, 
 And I will cause the residue of this people 
 
 To possess all these things. 
 
 13 And it shall come to pass, 
 
 As ye have been a curse among the nations, 
 O house of Judah, and house of Israel, 
 
 strong, a figurative mode of expression, 
 denoting, courage, resolution, effort. Jud. 
 vii. 11; 2 Sam. xvi. 21. The prophets 
 here referred to were Haggai and Zech- 
 ariah. See Ezra v. 1, 2. The words 
 which the people heard were those of 
 consolation and encouragement. Haggai 
 ii. 18,19. After sus subaud. 5437. 
 10. Such was the ‘danger to which the 
 Jews were exposed befure the actual 
 commencement of building the temple, 
 that all intercourse between the city and 
 the country was interrupted. The Sa- 
 maritans pressed sore upon them, and 
 annoyed them in every possible way. 
 See Ezra iv. 1—5. By Ἐξ is not meant 
 affliction, ϑλίψις, tribulatio, as the Eng., 
 LXX., and Vulg.; but the enemy, or as 
 we have it, q-2"3245 HTM SS, the ene- 
 mies of Judah and Benjamin. Ezra iv. 1 
 
 In the last clause of the verse reference 
 is had to the intestine broils and conten- 
 tions which prevailed. 
 
 11, 12. πΏ Σ᾽) stands forcibly in con- 
 trast with seb at the beginning of the 
 preceding verse. The providence of God 
 brought about a complete change in the 
 circumstances of the Jews who had re- 
 turned. As they obeyed his voice and 
 prosecuted his work, he gave them out- 
 ward tranquillity, and prospered their 
 agricultural pursuits. After pide ΣΤ 
 the seed of prosperity, i. 6. healthy, pros- 
 perous seed, such as would not fail, sup- 
 ply mrt» there shall be. Their fields 
 should not be trodden down by the ene- 
 my, nor suffer from drought, mildew, 
 locusts, and other calamities. 
 
 13. By the Jews being a curse and a 
 blessing, is not meant that they were the 
 
Cuap. VIII. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 397 
 
 So I will deliver you, and ye shall be a blessing : 
 Fear not, let your hands be strong. 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 ΓΟ 
 
 17 
 
 For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 As I purposed to afflict you, 
 When your fathers provoked me to wrath, 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts, and I repented not ; 
 So again I have purposed, in these days, 
 
 To do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah: 
 
 Fear ye not. 
 
 These are the things which ye shall do: 
 
 Speak truth one to another ; 
 
 Execute true and sound judgment in your gates. 
 And think not in your hearts of the injury 
 Which one hath done to another ; 
 
 And love not the false oath; 
 
 For all these are things that I hate, , 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 18 And the word of Jehovah of hosts was communicated to me, 
 19 saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: The fast of the fourth 
 month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, 
 and the fast of the tenth, shall become joy and gladness to the 
 
 instruments of communicating either evil 
 or good to the nations, but that they 
 themselves experienced either the one 
 or the other. They were subjects of the 
 curse and the blessing. ‘The house of 
 Israel,” or the ten tribes, as distinguished 
 from “the house of Judah,” shared in 
 the happy fulfilment of the prophecy. 
 It follows, that they also returned to 
 Palestine, 5587 7723 , in the very days 
 to which it refers. All attempts to dis- 
 cover them at more recent periods have 
 proved utterly fruitless; and the idea 
 that they must still exist somewhere in 
 the world, and are still to be restored in 
 their tribal state, has arisen,from a mis- 
 construction of those prophecies which 
 refer to the return from Babylon. 
 
 14, 15. An amplification of what had 
 been stated in the preceding verse. 
 
 16, 17. These verses contain a virtual 
 and instructive reply to the question rel- 
 ative to the celebration of the fast, chap. 
 vii. 3. Τὸ was not in such merely exter- 
 
 nal, ritual, or ceremonial observances that 
 Jehovah delighted, but in the love and 
 practice of moral rectitude. The “ gate” 
 was, and still is, the forum in the East. 
 pits wes means sound, wholesome 
 judgment. -is, in ver. 17, is wanting 
 in three MSS., originally in two more, 
 and now by correction in one; in the 
 LXX. Syr. and Arab. 
 
 19. Now follows a formal reply to 
 the question just referred to. The fast 
 of the fourth month was on account of 
 the taking of Jerusalem, Jer. xxxix. 2, 
 lii. 5—7; that of the tenth was in com- 
 memoration of the commencement of 
 the siege, Jer. lii. 4. For the other two 
 fasts, see on chap. vii. 3 and 5. The 
 Jews are distinctly informed that these 
 fasts should be turned into festivals of 
 joy. The ἴῃ ΓΕ is adversative, 
 having the force of | — but in order that 
 ye may enjoy the predicted and promised 
 blessing, see that ye be sincere before me, 
 and live in harmony among yourselves. 
 
908 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. VIII. 
 
 house of Judah, even cheerful festivals; but love ye truth and 
 
 20 peace. 
 21 
 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 There shall yet come people, 
 
 And the inhabitants of many cities, 
 
 And the inhabitants of one shall go to another, saying, 
 Let us go speedily to conciliate the regard of Jehovah, 
 And to seek Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 I will go, even 1 also. 
 22 
 
 Yea, many people and mighty nations shall come 
 
 To seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem, 
 And to conciliate the regard of Jehovah. 
 
 23 
 In those days ten men, 
 Out of all the nations, 
 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 Shall take hold, shall even take hold 
 
 20. The prophecy concludes with the 
 announcement that, in consequence of 
 the distinguished favor shown to the 
 Jewish people after their restoration to 
 their own land, multitudes of Gentiles 
 should be induced to embrace the worship 
 of Jehovah. Just before the appearance 
 of Christ, the heathen began powerfully 
 to feel the emptiness of their false relig- 
 ions, and the unsatisfactoriness of their 
 systems of philosophy, and many of them, 
 who were lrought into contact with the 
 people of God, found in their religion, 
 with all its imperfections, a satisfaction 
 which they had sought in vain from any 
 other quarter. It is evident, from various 
 parts of the Acts of the Apostles, that 
 proselytes were numerous in their day. 
 Between = and zx, supply mcm. 
 Two MSS., the LXX. and Arab. read 
 pan, many, after tee, which in all 
 probability existed originally in the text. 
 
 21. The second nny is equivalent to 
 mons. Comp. Exod. xvii. 12, xviii. 4. 
 
 23. sus is redundant. Ten is put as 
 a round number, or a definite for an in- 
 definite, but indicating many rather than 
 few. Comp. Gen. xxxi. 7; Mic. νυ. 4. 
 cian mad ba, of all the languages 
 of the nations, means, of all the nations 
 speaking different languages. Comp. 
 
 rhsvtna puso , all the nations and 
 the languages, Is. lxvi. 18. See also 
 Gen. x. 5, 20; Dan. iii. 7; Rey. v. 9, 
 vii. 9, xiii. 7. To take hold of the skirt, 
 is not intended to convey the idea of 
 entreaty, or the gesture of application 
 for assistance, but is significant of a feel- 
 ing of inferiority, and a desire to enjoy 
 the happy privileges possessed by another. 
 The Gentile nations would be anxious to 
 participate in the blessings of the theoc- 
 racy. The repetition of the verb Fin 
 is emphatic. - 17 tos, @ man, a Jew, 
 is merely a periphrasis for a Jew. Comp. 
 ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιουδαῖος, Acts x. 28. The prophecy 
 is generally regarded as having respect 
 to something yet future, and is often in- 
 terpreted of the instrumentality of the 
 Jews when converted in effecting the 
 conversion of the world. I can find no 
 such reference in the passage. ‘* Jerusa- 
 lem’? cannot be understood otherwise 
 than literally, just as the term “ Jew” 
 is to be so understood ; but, according to 
 our Lord’s doctrine respecting the New 
 Dispensation, that city is no longer the 
 place where men are exclusively to wor- 
 ship the Father, John iv. 21—23. In- 
 cense and a pure offering are now pre- 
 sented to his name in every place where 
 his people assemble in the name of Jesus 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 Of the skirt of a Jew, saying, 
 
 We will go with you; 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 399 
 
 For we have heard that God is with you. 
 
 and with a view to his glory, Mal. i. 10, 
 11. It was otherwise before the advent 
 of Christ. Jerusalem was the place 
 which Jehovah had chosen to put his 
 name there, and thither all his true wor- 
 shippers were expected to come to the 
 great festivals, in whatever country they 
 might reside. Thus, the treasurer of 
 Candace went all the way from Abys- 
 sinia, Acts viii. 27; and thus numbers 
 from all parts of the Roman empire as- 
 sembled in that city at the first Pentecost 
 after our Saviour’s resurrection. As the 
 Hellenistic Jews and the Gentile prose- 
 
 could not but excite the curiosity of the 
 pagans through whose countries and 
 cities they passed; and celebrated as 
 the metropolis of Judea had become for 
 the favors conferred upon it by some of 
 the greatest monarchs of the times im- 
 mediately gone by, and for the prosperity 
 and warlike prowess of the Jewish peo- 
 ple, it was impossible that it should not 
 attract the attention of the surrounding 
 nations to the character and claims of the 
 God who was there adored, and who 
 accorded such blessings to his worship- 
 pers. 
 
 lytes travelled along in companies, they 
 
 ΘΟ TYR EX: 
 
 For the arguments in opposition to, and those in favor of, the authenticity of that portion 
 of the book of Zechariah which begins with this chapter, and comprises it and the re. 
 maining chapters, see the Preface. 
 
 Having in prophetic vision exhibited some of the more remarkable events connected with 
 the continued rule of the Persians, Zechariah now proceeds to predict those which were 
 to take place under that of the Greeks, during the military expeditions of Alexander and 
 his successors, in so far as they had a bearing upon the affairs of the Jews. He describes 
 the conquest of Syria after the battle of Issus, 1; and the progress of the army of Alex- 
 ander along the coast of the Mediterranean, involving the capture of the principal cities 
 of the Phoenicians and Philistines, but leaving the Jews unmolested, through the protect- 
 ing care of Jehovah, 2—8. He then contrasts with the character and military achieve- 
 ments of that conqueror the qualities which should distinguish the Messiah and his king- 
 dom, whom he expressly predicts, 9,10. After which he resumes the thread of his his- 
 torical discourse, and describes the wars of the Maccabees with Antiochus Epiphanes, 
 and the victory and prosperity with which they were followed, 11—17. 
 
 1 Tue sentence of the word of Jehovah, 
 Against the land of Hadrach, 
 
 1, and Mal. i. 1. As =237 occurs in the 
 sense of oracle, and xv signifies what 
 is taken up and uttered by the voice, the 
 
 1. For the signification of ww, see 
 on Is, xiii, 1. The combination xx2 
 mimcs27, occurs only here, chap, xii. 
 
 α 
 
400 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. IX, 
 
 And Damascus shall be its resting place, 
 When towards Jehovah shall be the eye of man, 
 
 And of all the tribes of Israel. 
 
 phrase might be rendered, The announce- 
 ment of the oracle of Jehovah ; but it is 
 better for the sake of uniformity to re- 
 tain the term sentence, which I have 
 adopted in my translation of Isaiah. 
 With respect to 337", Hadrach, it is 
 uncertain whether it was intended to 
 denote a country, a city, ora king. The 
 last is the most probable, on the ground 
 that it is not likely that the name either 
 of a country or its metropolis, in a region 
 near Damascus, would have entirely dis- 
 appeared from the pages of history. But 
 no such name has been found in any 
 Arabic work either of history or geogra- 
 phy. Joseph Abassus, indeed, a native 
 of that country, informed Michaelis that 
 there was a place so called at the dis- 
 tance of some miles from Damascus; that 
 it was now of smalJl consequence, but 
 had once been a city of great celebrity; 
 but there is every reason to believe that 
 if he did not intend to impose upon his 
 learned interrogator, the place he had in 
 view was "7-73, in Arabic cole of, 
 called by Eusebius ᾿Αδραὰ, and by Pto- 
 lemy *Adpa. It lay about thirty miles 
 from Damascus. ‘The same remark ap- 
 plies to the statement of Rabbi Jose, 
 mentioned by Kimchi in his Comm. on 
 this verse, that he was from Damascus, 
 and that there was a place there, of which 
 the name was Hadrach. The Rabbins 
 consider the term to be a compound appel- 
 lative of the Messiah, who was to be sn, 
 sharp or severe towards the Gentiles, but 
 
 =, tender towards Israel! Hengsten- 
 berg, who treats on the subject at large 
 in his Christology, vol. ii. pp. 69—77, 
 Keith’s Translation, denies that it is a 
 proper name at all, and regards it as a 
 symbolical appellation of the Persian em- 
 pire, which he thinks Zechariah would 
 not designate by its proper name for fear 
 of offending the government under which 
 he lived. His reasoning in support of 
 
 his hypothesis is very unsatisfactory, and 
 his construction of »27 3, Jer. li. 1, is 
 perfectly ridiculous. I am compelled to 
 acquiesce in the opinion, that a king of 
 this name is meant, as the most probable 
 of those that have been advanced, es- 
 pecially as the phrase, ‘the land of a 
 king,” is not without example in Scrip- 
 ture; see Neh. ix. 22; and very much 
 suspect that the word 5271, Hadrach, 
 is after all only a corruption of “1m, the 
 common name of the kings of Syria, 
 though such corruption must have taken 
 place at a very early period, for it was 
 found in the copy from which the version 
 of the LXX. was made. The affix in 
 inn is 133 in the preceding hemi- 
 stich, © Damascus was to be the place in 
 which the Divine word or sentence was 
 to rest or settle; in other words, where 
 the threatened punishment would perma- 
 nently be inflicted. That ancient city 
 was taken by Alexander the Great after 
 the battle at Issus, and formed part of 
 the kingdom of the Seleucidz, from 
 whom it passed into the hands of the 
 Romans. The native rule, which thus 
 ceased on the Greek conquest, was never 
 afterwards recovered. Several commen- 
 tators, following the τ saa versions, 
 render the words, eis Ὁ» mint) “= 
 tye? “UBD ἘΞΗ Fixe ἫΝ eye of Jeho- 
 vah is upon men and all the tribes of 
 Israel, and explain them with reference 
 to the universal judgments which the 
 providence of God had brought or would 
 bring upon the people in and around 
 Palestine. But it is more natural to 
 regard 4*» in construction with “131 CIN, 
 The reference will then be to the effect 
 produced upon the minds of others as 
 well as of the Israelites, by the success 
 and progress of the army of Alexander. 
 Apprehensive of danger, they should be 
 compelled to look to Jehovah alone for 
 deliverance. When Alexander threat- 
 
 w@ 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 401 
 
 2 Hamath also which is contiguous to it ; 
 Tyre and Zidon, though she be very wise. 
 8 Yea, though Tyre hath built a fortress for herself, 
 
 And heaped up silver as dust, 
 
 And fine gold as the mud of the streets ; 
 4 Behold, Jehovah will dispossess her, 
 
 And strike her wealth into the sea, 
 
 And she herself shall be burned with fire. 
 5 Askelon shall see it and be afraid ; 
 
 Gaza also, and shall be in great pain ; 
 
 ened to punish the Jews on account of 
 the refusal of Jaddua the high priest to 
 swear fealty to him, they were thrown 
 into the greatest consternation, and of- 
 fered many sacrifices and prayers to God 
 for deliverance. *> is here used as a 
 particle of time. 
 
 2. Hamath was the capital of a king- 
 dom of the same name, which lay be- 
 tween Zobah and Rehob, and to the 
 rorth of Damascus. It was called by 
 the Greeks Epiphania, but is now known 
 by its ancient name, which it has all 
 along retained among the natives. That 
 the kingdom was conterminous to that 
 of which Damascus was the metropolis 
 is here expressed by ra—baan , the fem- 
 inine affix referring to wos A Zand, in the 
 preceding verse. The whole of Syria 
 was subjugated by the Greeks, or sub- 
 mitted to Alexander. Tyre and Zidon, 
 which lay directly in the way of that 
 monarch, as he marched along the coast 
 of the Mediterranean towards Egypt, are 
 next mentioned. See on Is. xxiii, The 
 latter city voluntarily surrendered, and 
 had Abdolonymus appointed as viceroy. 
 Though originally the chief of all the 
 Pheenician cities, and the mother of 
 many colonies, yet at the time here 
 referred to, she had become far inferior 
 to Tyre, and quite sunk in comparison 
 with her; on which account the predi- 
 cate "wa MDM, she is very wise, though, 
 in point of position, it might seem to be- 
 long to 3472 , Zédon, is nevertheless to 
 be rohan to =x, Tyre, as the more im- 
 portant of the two cities. The Tyrians, 
 
 51 
 
 who had long been celebrated for their 
 worldly wisdom, Ezek. xxviii. 3, 4, 5, 
 12, 17, gave a specimen of it on the 
 approach of the Grecian monarch. On 
 his intimating that he wished to offer 
 sacrifice in the temple of Hercules, they 
 replied that the ancient and true temple 
 of that god was at Old Tyre on the con- 
 tinent, and sent him a crown of gold in 
 testimony of their respect for so great a 
 conqueror; hoping by these means to 
 induce kim to pass on without visiting 
 their island. 
 
 8. This verse is graphically descriptive 
 of the insular and strongly fortified posi- 
 tion of New Tyre, at the distance of 
 seven hundred paces from the shore, and 
 of the immense stores of wealth which 
 it contained as the great emporium of 
 Pheenician commerce. Ezek. xxvii. 
 
 4. Instead of »3+s , many MSS., and 
 some of them the best of the Spanish, 
 read x47, which I have adopted as the 
 true lection. Here is set forth the con- 
 quest of Tyre by Alexander, who con- 
 structed a causeway with the rubbish of 
 Old Tyre from the shore to the island, 
 and after a siege of seven months took 
 the city by storm, put eight thousand of 
 the inhabitants, who had not taken flight 
 to Carthage, to the sword, sold thirteen 
 thousand into slavery, crucified two 
 thousand, and after plundering the city, 
 burnt it to ashes. Jahn’s Heb. Com- 
 monwealth, sect. 70. 
 
 5. It may easily be imagined what 
 terror the news of the fall of Tyre must 
 have struck into the inhabitants of the 
 
409 
 
 ZECHARIA. 
 
 Cuap. IX. 
 
 And Ekron, because her expectation hath made her ashamed ; 
 The king shall perish from Gaza, 
 And Askelon shall not be inhabited. 
 6 A foreigner shall sit as ruler in Ashdod, 
 And I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 
 7 I will remove his blood from his mouth, 
 And his abominations from between his teeth ; 
 And he, even he, shall be left for our God, 
 And shall be as a prince in Judah, 
 And Ekron shall be as a Jebusite. 
 
 cities further along the coast southward, 
 who knew the destination and route of 
 the victorious army. ‘The prophet ac- 
 cordingly precedes the march of the 
 conqueror from Pheenicia into Philistia. 
 The principal cities of the Philistines 
 are here enumerated. Gath only is 
 omitted, owing, probably, to its being 
 farther inland, and thus lying somewhat 
 out of the route of the army. For Ash- 
 kelon, see on Amosi. 8. For Gaza and 
 Ekron, on Amos i. 6. Ekron, lying 
 farthest north of these cities, is repre- 
 sented as exercising confidence in Tyre. 
 While that city withstood the attack, she 
 might expect Alexander to be arrested 
 in his course, and hope that he would 
 give up his plan of invading Egypt. 
 But when it fell, her hopes were gone. 
 History is silent respecting the fate of 
 these cities on occasion of the present 
 expedition, but of Gaza it is recorded, 
 that it resisted, and was captured after 
 a siege of two months. Not fewer than 
 ten thousand of the inhabitants were put 
 to death, and the rest were sold into sla- 
 very. Betis, the commander or governor 
 of the city, was bound to a chariot with 
 thongs thrust through the soles of his 
 feet, and in this manner dragged around 
 the city. It is not improbable, that it is 
 specially to this circumstance that the 
 words max 7b Tan, the king shall 
 perish from Gaza, refer. The title of 
 king is frequently used in Scripture in a 
 subordinate sense, to denote any chief 
 ruler or governor. See Gen, xiv. 2. 
 
 6. For Ashdod, see on Amosi. 8. The 
 
 word 4712'2 , Which occurs only here and 
 Deut. xxiii. 2, has been considered of 
 uncertain etymology. Lee thinks it may 
 probably be a compound of η)2, from, 
 ἘΣ, @ people, and “1, @ foreigner ; but 
 this conjecture, however ingenious, is not 
 warranted by Hebrew usage. In Deut. 
 the LXX. render it by ἐκ πόρνης, one 
 born of a whore, but ἄλλογενεῖς, a differ- 
 ent race or people, best suits both pas- 
 sages. See Blayney. According to the 
 form, it must be regarded as the Hiphil 
 participle of "102, a root not occurring 
 in the Hebrew Scriptures, but signifying 
 in more modern Hebrew, to mix. Comp. 
 the Arab. ,(\uo, corruptus fuit. Heng- 
 
 stenberg renders, rabble. By 44a , the 
 pride of the Philistines, we are to under- 
 stand the splendor of their cities, ape 
 ially of their temples. 
 
 7. This verse contains a prediction of 
 the future conversion of the Philistines 
 to the knowledge and service of the true 
 God. The pronominal affix ἢ refers to 
 “102, the foreign prince, as does s4m, 
 he, further on in the verse. Their aban- 
 donment of idolatry, and their embrac- 
 ing the true religion, is represented by 
 their no longer drinking blood, and eat- 
 ing things sacrificed to idols, both of 
 which were common among the pagans, 
 but prohibited by the Mosaic law, Numb. 
 xxv. 2; Lev. vii. 26, xvii. 10, 12; and by 
 the apostles, Acts xv, 29. It is implied 
 that what the ruler did, would be done 
 by the citizens subject to his power. He 
 was to belong to God, as one who had 
 
Crap. IX. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 403 
 
 8 And I will encamp about my house because of the army, 
 Both when it passeth through, and when it returneth ; 
 And no oppressor shall pass through them any more. 
 
 ΟΝ For now do 1 look with mine eyes. 
 
 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! 
 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem ! 
 
 Behold thy King will come to thee ; 
 Righteous, and having salvation, 
 
 joined himself to him by an act of self- / 
 
 dedication. Comp. Is. xliv. 4, lvi. 3. 
 On his becoming a Jewish proselyte, he 
 should be regarded as sustaining the dig- 
 nity of one of the princes of Judah; no 
 distinction should exist between them. 
 The same idea is expressed in the paral- 
 lel clause. The Jebusites were the orig- 
 inal inhabitants of Jerusalem, who, on 
 their subjugation by David, were incor- 
 porated among the Jews, and enjoyed 
 their privileges. 2 Sam. xxiv. 16, etc. 
 8. For max, the Keri has the proper 
 orthography wax, ὦ host, or army. Je- 
 hovah here promises to afford protection 
 to the Jews (called, as in Hos. viii. 1, 
 mint nea, the house of Jehovah). They 
 were not to be injured by the army of 
 Alexander, either on its march to or from 
 Egypt, a promise which was fulfilled to 
 the letter; for while that monarch pun- 
 ished the Samaritans, he showed great 
 favor to the Jews. Nor was any foreign 
 opvressor to invade their land, as the 
 Assyrians and Chaldeans had done, dur- 
 ing the period which was to intervene 
 before the advent of the Messiah, pre- 
 dicted in the verse immediately follow- 
 ing. They were, indeed, subject to much 
 suffering, both from the Egyptian and the 
 Syrian kings, especially from Antiochus 
 Epiphanes, but their nationality was not 
 destroyed, and the evils to which they 
 were exposed only paved the way for the 
 Maccabean victories, and the establish- 
 ment of the Asmonean dynasty. For 
 this preservation they were indebted to 
 the providence of God which watched 
 over them for good. This is emphatically 
 expressed in the last clause of the verse. 
 
 9. From the great Grecian conqueror, 
 and the temporal protection which Je- 
 hovah would accord to his people, the 
 prophet abruptly, and in the most sub- 
 lime and animated strain, calls the atten- 
 tion of the Jews to a Royal Personage 
 of a very different character, the Mzs- 
 SIAH, meek and righteous, the Prince 
 and pattern of peace, and the Author of 
 spiritual salvation to all his subjects. 
 His advent was to be accompanied by 
 such glorious results, that it was to be 
 hailed with the most joyful anticipation. 
 That the subject of the prophecy is the 
 
 _ Messiah, is not only established by the 
 
 inspired authority of the Evangelist Mat- 
 thew, chap. xxi. 4, but has the suffrages 
 of all the early Jewish authorities. It 
 was not till the twelfth century that it 
 was otherwise interpreted. Thus the 
 Book of Zohar: το by sane τ θ᾽ ΔΒ 
 sien by spinicsy. “On this account 
 it is said of Messiah, Lowly and riding 
 upon an ass;” a statement which is re- 
 peated in the same work. The same 
 construction is put upon the passage by 
 Joshua Ben Levi, Saadias Gaon, and 
 others. The testimonies will be found 
 in Wetstein on Matt, xxi. 4, who says in 
 reference to them: ‘*Magno consensu 
 Judei dictum Zachariz de Messia inter- 
 pretantur.” And Solomon Jarchi has 
 the ingenuousness to acknowledge, πὰ 
 men by sts onmips awes, that ‘it 
 is impossible to interpret it of any other 
 than the Messiah.” Of Him as the king 
 of Zion it is predicted that he should be 
 po1x, righteous, a quality frequently 
 ascribed to him in the Old Testament. 
 See Is. xlv. 21, 1111, 11; Jer. xxiii. 6, 
 
494 
 
 Lowly, and riding upon an ass, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. IX. 
 
 Even upon a colt the foal of an ass. 
 
 xxxiii. 15; Mal. iv. 2. With respect to 
 5.2.3, OF, as it is pointed in some copies, 
 yz4:, of which Kimchi approves, on the 
 ground of its being the preterite con- 
 verted into the future by the 1 conversive, 
 most modern commentators construe it 
 as strictly passive in signification, and 
 the more orthodox interpret it with ref- 
 erence to Christ’s deliverance from the 
 grave, after his sufferings upon the cross, 
 rendering the passage, “righteous and 
 saved.”’ But to such construction it 
 must be objected, first, that the passive 
 signification does not suit the connection, 
 If the people had been the nominative 
 to the verb, this signification would have 
 been admissible; but it is the king who 
 is here described, and to speak of him as 
 saved or delivered without any reference 
 to previous danger or suffering, would be 
 most inappropriate. There is, therefore, 
 a real exigentia loci: the context imper- 
 atively requires the verb to be understood 
 in an active sense. Secondly, though the 
 usual signification of Niphal is passive, 
 yet there are numerous instances in which 
 verbs of that conjugation have a reflexive 
 signification, which represent the agent 
 as showing himself possessed of the qual- 
 ity of the action, or in which the signifi- 
 cation is purely active, especially verbs, 
 which are not used in Kal. Thus "πὸ, 
 to show one’s self glorious ; 4443 , to show 
 one’s self obstinate, to murmur, complain ; 
 822 , to prophecy ; FiO=2 » to desire great- 
 dy ; 2772, to approach ; 3353, to swear ; 
 529 , to obey, show one’s self obedient ; 
 422, to lean, etc. And thus in the 
 present case 5.5» showing himself a 
 Saviour, having salvation, saving, a Sa- 
 viour. Thirdly, that the verb is so to be 
 interpreted here the combination of the 
 term with Ὁ πὸ righteous, clearly shows; 
 for it occupies the same position in rela- 
 tion to that adjective, which the active 
 participle 355, riding, does to "ὩΣ, lowly, 
 in the following clause of the verse. As 
 
 in the latter case the Messiah’s riding 
 upon an ass was a proof or manifestation 
 of his humility, so, in the former, his 
 actually having salvation for others was 
 a manifestation of his possessing that 
 righteousness which was indispensable 
 for the justification of the guilty. See 
 1 Cor. i. 830; 2 Cor. v. 21; Phil. iii. 8, 
 9;1Johnii,2. As the one feature con- 
 trasted with the haughty character of 
 the Grecian conqueror, so the other con- 
 trasted with the cruelties that were in- 
 flicted by him on the cities which he 
 captured. The Son of Man came not 
 to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. 
 Fourthly, all the ancient versions render 
 the verb actively. LXX. σώζων, Targ. 
 
 o > 
 pon» Syr. Loo;s: Vulg. Salvator. 
 That »:>, is here to be taken in the sense 
 of meek, lowly, and not in that of poor, 
 or afflicted, the connection sufficiently 
 shows. Thus the LXX. xpais. In proof 
 of the mild and gentle character of the 
 Messiah’s reign, he is represented as rid- 
 ing upon an ass, which, though not in 
 the East the degraded and despised ani- 
 mal which it is with us, being used by 
 princes and other persons of rank, is 
 nevertheless comparatively so as it re- 
 gards the horse, and specially contrasts 
 with the war-horse in the following verse. 
 It was proverbially the symbol of peace, 
 so that what the prophet here describes 
 was at once calculated to inspire the 
 mind with the conviction that the King 
 of whom he spake was none other than 
 the Prince of Peace, predicted Is. ix. 6. 
 The 5 in s*3 $25, “and upon a colt,” is 
 exegetical of the preceding. Comp. Gen. 
 xhix 11. niohs, she-usses, does not, 
 as Michaelis would have it, convey the 
 idea of the pedigree of the colt, as one 
 of excellent breed, whose mothers could 
 be traced back through several genera- 
 tions, but is merely an idiomatic form, 
 the plural being used for the singular. 
 Comp. ὍΔ “a7, mountains, of Ara- 
 
Cuap. IX, ZECHA 
 
 10 And I will cut off the chariots 
 
 ΤᾺ ἘΠῚ 
 
 from Ephraim, 
 
 And the horse from Jerusalem ; 
 
 The battle-bow also shall be cut off; 
 
 And he shall speak peace to the nations ; 
 And his rule shall be from sea to sea, 
 
 And from the river to the ends of the earth. 
 
 byl’ 
 I will send forth thy prisoners 
 
 raé, 1. 6. one of the mountains, etc., Gen. 
 viii. 4. πΣῸΔ ὍΣ. cities of Gilead, t. 6. 
 one of them, Jud: xii. 7. For the ful- 
 filment of the prophecy, see Matt. xxi. 
 4, and the Commentators on that pas- 
 sage. 
 
 10. This verse contains a distinct an- 
 nouncement of the nature and extent of 
 the Messiah’s reign. Instead of leading 
 forth the Jews to battle and conquest, as 
 their Rabbins have long taught them to 
 believe, he was in his providence com- 
 pletely to disarm them, and render them 
 incapable of engaging in hostile conflict. 
 How literally this was accomplished their 
 history subsequent to the destruction of 
 Jerusalem by the Romans convincingly 
 shows. The reign of the Messiah was 
 not to be that of a worldly conqueror, 
 like Alexander, nor was it to be confined, 
 as to its boundaries, within the narrow 
 limits of Palestine; but it was to be that 
 under which the inestimable blessing of 
 peace was preéminently to be enjoyed; 
 it was to embrace the Gentiles, who had 
 been excluded from the commonwealth 
 of Israel; and, in point of extent, was 
 to cover a vastly greater portion of terri- 
 tory than ever was possessed by the war- 
 rior of Macedon. On the circumstance 
 that Ephraim is here mentioned, no valid 
 argument can be built in favor of the 
 hypothesis that this prophecy must have 
 been delivered before the captivity of the 
 ten tribes, since it is evidently the design 
 of the prophet merely to describe the 
 whole land of Canaan, the northern part 
 of which still went by the ancient name, 
 in contradistinction from Judah, which 
 is here designated from Jerusalem, the 
 
 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant, 
 
 out of the pit 
 
 capital pits ax, to speak peace, 
 means to announce the message of the 
 reconciliation effected by the Messiah. 
 From the express inclusion of the τ 53}, 
 nations, among those who were to enjoy 
 the benefits of the spiritual reign of the 
 King of Zion, it is manifest that what- 
 ever may have been the originally re- 
 stricted sense of τῷ “9 2" ἘΠ Σ E27 
 VISTOES , as descriptive of the utmost 
 bounds of the Hebrew kingdom, the 
 words must here be taken in the widest 
 possible extent of meaning, just as in Ps. 
 Ixxii. 8, where it is declared in the con- 
 nection, that al/ nations should serve the 
 Messiah. 
 
 11. Having been led by his predic- 
 tions respecting the expedition of Alex- 
 ander in the direction of Egypt, to 
 exhibit in boldest contrast the character 
 and reign of the Prince of Peace, Zecha- 
 riah returns to the subject which he had 
 in hand — the state of the Jewish people 
 in the times succeeding the captivity in 
 Babylon. 3, also, connects what fol- 
 lows with verses 6—8. The feminine 
 pronoun mx refers to j49s—n2, or 
 pbdavons, ver.9. The covenant here 
 called yma, thy covenant, means the 
 covenant made with the Hebrews at 
 Sinai, and ratified by the sprinkling of 
 the blood of the victims slain upon the 
 occasion. By that act the nation was 
 consecrated as a peculiar people to Jeho- 
 vah, and taken under his special protec- 
 tion. The covenant is called theirs, 
 because it had their government ayd 
 happiness for its object. In virtue of the 
 blood then shed, it is here declared that 
 their covenant God would release such 
 
400 
 
 In which there is no water. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. IX. 
 
 12 Return ye to the strong-hold, ye prisoners of hope, 
 Even to-day I declare I will render to thee double ; 
 13 For I have bent Judah for myself, 
 I have filled the bow with Ephraim, 
 And raised up thy sons, O Zion! 
 
 Against thy sons, O Greece ! 
 
 And made thee as the sword of a hero. 
 
 of them as were still captives in foreign 
 lands. By 5217s is meant, not pris- 
 oners whom the Jews had taken, but 
 such of their own nation as were in the 
 condition just described. After the death 
 of Alexander many thousands of Jews 
 were in a state of exile in Egypt, and 
 many thousands more in that of actual 
 slavery in Greece and other parts of the 
 East. Their condition is described as 
 that of prisoners confined in dungeons, 
 which were commonly cisterns without 
 water, See Jer. xxxvili. 6 ; Gen. xxxvii. 
 24. In consequence of the mud which 
 remained in them, they were exceedingly 
 noxious to health, and those consigned 
 to them were considered as subjects of 
 the deepest misery.  mm>z is not here 
 the proper preterite, as some interpreters 
 construe it, but the prophetic future, 
 which is thrown into the form of the 
 preterite to express the certainty of the 
 event. 
 
 12. With the Divine promise of release 
 is connected the duty of the captives to 
 embrace the opportunity afforded them 
 of returning to their own land, where 
 they should enjoy the protection and 
 favor of the Most High. 4-2 occurs 
 only in this place. It is derived from 
 “2, to cut off, to prevent the approach 
 of an enemy, to erect an inaccessible 
 fortification ; hence the signification of 
 the noun, strong-hold, or fortress. LXX. 
 ὀχύρωμα. It forcibly contrasts with 443, 
 the pit, in the preceding verse, and for 
 this reason is not to be interpreted of 
 Jerusalem considered as again fortified, 
 but is used figuratively to express the 
 security and prosperity which those 
 
 should enjoy who returned from captiv- 
 ity. Though captives, their condition 
 was not hopeless. They were not to 
 abandon themselves to despair, but to 
 exercise confidence in the promise of 
 God that he would assuredly deliver 
 them, nor were they to wait for the 
 arrival of any distant period when they 
 might return as a body; even then 
 (42m Ea) they might individually avail 
 themselves of the invitation, and share 
 in the blessings. The abundance of 
 these blessings is expressed by the term 
 m™2¥% , double, which is elsewhere simi- 
 larly employed to convey the idea of full 
 or ample compensation, Is. ]xi. 7. There 
 is no foundation for the opinion of Mich- 
 aelis, adopted by Blayney, who takes 
 7392 to be a noun haying the significa- 
 tion of πλῷ, something precious, and not 
 the participle of Hiphil. 
 
 13. The declaration here made, that 
 Jehovah would lead forth the Hebrews 
 to military operations, and crown these 
 operations with success, cannot be recon- 
 ciled with the statement: made ver. 10, 
 on any other principle but that which 
 refers them to two totally different peri- 
 ods of time. The one, as explained 
 above, is predictive of the condition to 
 which the nation was to be reduced after 
 the advent of Messiah, instead of having 
 become, under his reign, as they vainly 
 expected, the conquerors of the world; 
 the other sets forth the successful wars 
 in which they would engage with the 
 Grecian rulers of Syria under the com- 
 mand of the Maccabees. The prophecy 
 is parallel with that of Daniel, chap. xi. 
 32. For the fulfilment see 1 Mace. i. 
 
Cuap. IX. 
 
 14 And Jehovah shall appear on 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 407 
 their behalf, 
 
 And his arrows shall go forth as lightning ; 
 Yea, the Lord Jehovah shall blow the trumpet, 
 And march in the storms of the south. 
 
 15 
 
 Jehovah of hosts shall protect them, 
 
 And they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones ; 
 They shall drink, they shall be noisy, as those who drink wine; 
 They shall be full as the bow], 
 
 As the corners of the altar. 
 
 16 And Jehovah their God shall 
 
 save his people, 
 
 He shall save them as sheep in that day ; 
 For they shall be as the stones of a crown, 
 Carrying themselves highly over his land. 
 
 62, ii. 41—43, iii. 33, ete. By a bold 
 and expressive figure, the Hebrews are 
 represented as the bows and arrows of 
 Jehovah, the military implements which 
 he would employ in resisting and over- 
 coming the Grecians under Antiochus 
 Epiphanes. By 417-723, the sons of 
 Greece, we are to understand, not the 
 Greeks resident in Ionia or Greece, but 
 those composing the army of the mon- 
 arch just mentioned. Grotius remarks, 
 that at the time here referred to, the 
 Jews were accustomed to call the kings 
 both of Syria and Egypt, "1" π΄ 332» 
 kings of Greece, because they were of 
 Grecian extraction. 
 
 14. Here commences a number of 
 special promises of Divine interposition 
 and protection. Considering what the 
 Jews had experienced from hostile ar- 
 mies, it was necessary to disarm their 
 fears by such assurances, that God was 
 on their side. He is represented as ap- 
 pearing in the thunderstorm, with the 
 lightnings of which his arrows are com- 
 pared, and with the noise of its thunders, 
 the sound of his trumpet, summoning to 
 the attack. For ‘the storms of the 
 south,” see on Is. xxi. 1. 
 
 15. After stow , they shall eat, supply 
 “ws, flesh, i. 6, of their enemies; and 
 aftersm3 supply t=, their blood. This 
 highly figurative language is frequently 
 employed in Scripture to express the de- 
 
 struction of enemies in battle. 4:7~4y5, 
 like wine, is elliptical for 7:5 το» 
 like those who drink wine. Before non ᾿ 
 thirty-two MSS., originally four more, 
 three by correction, eight printed edi- 
 tions, and the Rabbins Nathan, Kimchi, 
 and Abarbanel, supply the conjunctive 
 5. By stp "228 , sling-stones, the ene- 
 mies are meant, as clearly appears from 
 the contrasted form of expression, "5 Ξὰ 
 =12 , stones of a crown, descriptive of the 
 Jews, in the following verse. ‘The phrase 
 conveys the idea of feebleness and con- 
 tempt. ‘The stones used for slinging are 
 otherwise of no use or value. Carrying 
 forward the idea of blood, reference is 
 made to p43, the bowl, which was 
 used to receive that of the sacrifices, and 
 to mez, the corners of the altar, on the 
 horns of which it was sprinkled. Abun- 
 dant as was the blood thus shed and 
 sprinkled should be that of the enemies 
 of the Hebrews, 
 
 16. For tay WNs>, as sheep, his peo- 
 ple, comp. 7°23. iNxz>. The words are 
 neither in construction, nor in apposition, 
 
 «but are to be separated, so as to connect 
 soy with sod4m, understood as repeated 
 from the beginning of the verse. By 
 “tia "228, crown stones, are meant the 
 precious stones or gems which were set 
 in crowns, and were of great value. The 
 elevation of these, and consequently of 
 the crown which contained them, was 
 
408 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. X. 
 
 17 For how great is his goodness! and how great his beauty! 
 Corn shall cause the young men to thrive, 
 
 And new wine the maids. 
 
 strongly indicative of victory. For 93 
 in the acceptation of being Aigh, comp. 
 
 the Arab. x ., elevavit rem; in the 
 
 yes 
 viii. Conj. elatus fuit; (pad, elevatus 
 thronus. 
 
 417. The affix in {230 and 47 is 
 τοῖν naturally to be associated with that 
 in γα πῆ at the close of the preceding 
 verse, “and referred to Jehovah. The 
 meaning is, the goodness and beauty 
 which he bestows. Compare Jer. xxxi. 
 12; Ps. xxv. 7. 23439, though occur- 
 ring in the latter half, is common to both 
 parts of the sentence. Piel has here the 
 
 causative power of Hiphil. The root is 
 252, to sprout, germinate, grow up. The 
 prophet refers to the plenty which there 
 should be in the land after the destruc- 
 tion of the enemy. The drinking of 
 must by young females is peculiar to this 
 passage; but its being here expressly 
 sanctioned by Divine authority, furn- 
 ishes an unanswerable argument against 
 those who would interdict all use of the 
 fruit of the vine. s4-7n, new wine or 
 must, so called from 9.1}, to take posses- 
 sion of, because when taken to excess, it 
 gains the mastery over the person who 
 indulges in it. 
 
 CoH APT 2A. 
 
 Turs chapter continues the subject with which the preceding concluded. The Hebrews are 
 exhorted to apply to Jehovah for the constant supply of temporal blessings, 1, and are 
 warned against an imitation of the conduct of their forefathers, who had recourse to 
 false oracles, on account of which they and their rulers had been carried into captivity, 
 2,3. Promises are then made of government by rulers of their own nation, and the vic- 
 torious operations of their armies, 4,5; the complete re-establishment of the theocracy, 
 6,7; the restoration of such of the nation as still remained in foreign countries, espec- 
 ially in the East, and in Egypt, 8—11; and the chapter concludes with an assurance of the 
 security and happiness which they should enjoy under the divine protection, 12. 
 
 1 Asx ye from Jehovah rain in the time of the latter rain : 
 
 co - 
 ~~. 9 
 v 7 
 
 Jehovah maketh the lightnings, 
 
 And giveth them the heavy rain, 
 
 To every one grass in the field. 
 
 1. This verse stands in the closest tiful rain. 
 connection with the preceding. trr"im, 
 lightnings, the precursors of rain. 
 
 "0, 
 lit. rain of heavy rain, i. e. plen- 
 
 9 
 
 ~e 
 
 2 Surely the household gods spake vanity, 
 
 Comp. Job xxxvii. 6, where 
 the same words occur, only their order 
 is inverted, 
 
 Db nn, 
 eh 
 
 the teraphim, or house-~ 
 
Cuap. X. 
 
 And the diviners saw a lie ; 
 They told false dreams, 
 They gave vapor for comfort ; 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 409 
 
 Therefore they wandered as sheep ; 
 They were afflicted because there was no shepherd. 
 3 My anger burned against the shepherds, 
 
 And I punished the he-goats ; 
 
 Nevertheless Jehovah of hosts hath visited his flock, the house 
 
 of Judah, 
 
 . 
 
 And made them as his splendid horse in war. 
 
 4 From him shall be the corner-stone, 
 
 From him the peg, 
 From him the battle-bow, 
 
 hold gods, are opposed to Jehovah in the 
 preceding verse. The term occurs only 
 in the plural, and is of uncertain deri- 
 vation. Gesenius refers it to the Arab. 
 
 Ψ 
 
 “5 signifying the indicators or givers of 
 pleasure or happiness; Lee to the Eth. 
 
 “EG ἵν ' reliquus, superfuit, and thinks 
 relics are meant. They appear to have 
 had the form of the human body, and 
 to have been consulted as oracles. See 
 on Hos. iii. 4. The preterites and futures, 
 which are intermixed, are all to be taken 
 in the strictly past time, reference being 
 had to the evils which had prevailed 
 among the Jews, on account of which 
 they had been carried away to Babylon, 
 and against any further indulgence in 
 which they are here warned. They were 
 exposed afresh to the influence of idola- 
 trous practices by their intercourse with 
 the Syro-Grecian and Egyptian troops, 
 which repeatedly traversed the land. 
 Antiochus Epiphanes actually set up a 
 heathen idol in the temple at Jerusalem, 
 and ordered temples and altars to be 
 erected in the different cities throughout 
 the country. 
 
 3. The verb sp is here used both in a 
 good and a bad sense; followed by the 
 preposition ty, it signifies to visit for 
 evil, to punish ; governing the accusative, 
 to visit with good. The» in ἘΣ" is prop- 
 
 52 
 
 3, to live in comfort, and considers 
 
 erly the » conversive, so that “472s is to 
 be rendered in the preterite, to agree with 
 main. By “he-goats” are meant the 
 chiefs or leaders of the nation. 5:5" all 
 
 _the versions render, as if it had been 
 
 4255 in the preterite, which the con- 
 nection requires. The “shepherds” and 
 ‘“‘he-goats” are used synonymously of the 
 civil rulers. In the middle of this verse 
 is a sudden transition from the calami- 
 tous condition to which the Jews had 
 been reduced as a punishment for their 
 sins, to that of prosperity and military 
 prowess to which they were raised in the 
 time of the Maccabees. In the preceding 
 chapter they had been set forth under the 
 images of the bows and arrows; here 
 they are represented under that of the 
 battle-horse. The horse selected by the 
 commander of an army on which to ride 
 at its head, was stately and richly capar- 
 isoned. The 5 in Ὀ9ῸΞ is the Caph ver- 
 itatis. 
 
 4. 52%2"2 thrice repeated, possesses much 
 emphasis. The nominative is main? in 
 the preceding verse. The Hebrews were 
 not now to be subject to governors of 
 foreign extraction or appointment, but 
 were to be independent, enjoying the ben- 
 efits of a native rule. By 7-25, corner- 
 stone, is meant the prince or governor, 
 on whom the political edifice may be 
 said metaphorically to rest. The word is 
 derived from 7:5 , ἐο turn, and primarily 
 
410 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. X. 
 
 From him shall go forth each and every ruler. 
 5 And as heroes shall they trample the enemy 
 In the mud of the streets in battle ; 
 They shall fight, for Jehovah is with them, 
 And put to shame the riders on horses, 
 6 I will strengthen the house of Judah, 
 And deliver the house of Joseph, 
 And will settle them, because I have pitied them ; 
 And they shall be as if I had not cast them off; 
 For I Jehovah am their God, and will answer them. 
 
 Ly 
 
 And Ephraim shall be as a hero, 
 
 And their heart shall rejoice, as those who drink wine ; 
 Their sons shall see it and be glad ; 
 Their heart shall exult in Jehovah. 
 
 8 I will whistle for them and gather them, 
 
 signifies a turning-point, angle or corner 
 of a building. With us a nail would be 
 an insignificant image, but tn>, the Ori- 
 ental nail, is a large peg in the inside of 
 a room, wrought into the wall when the 
 house is built, and on which is hung all 
 kinds of household stuff, together with 
 the different implements of war. See on 
 Is, xxii. 23. One of these, the bov, is 
 mentioned immediately after, and stands 
 for the whole. ‘a4: is used here simply 
 in the sense of wer, Compare the Eth. 
 
 FH. * king. 
 
 5. Supply e-a"N, enemies, as the ob- 
 ject to mxoha, trampling, and compare 
 Is, xiv. 25, xiii. 6. proad 2255 refer 
 to the numerous ‘cavalry which composed 
 the chief strength of the Syro-Grecian 
 army (see 1 Mace. iii. 39), but which 
 were put to the route by a mere handful 
 of Jews. 
 
 6. “The house of Joseph’ stands for 
 the ten tribes, in contradistinction to 
 those of Judah and Benjamin, to which 
 is given the name of “Judah” as the 
 more important of the two. It is clear 
 from the reference thus made, that part, 
 if not most of all the tribes, returned and 
 took possession of their patrimonial lands 
 after the captivity. p°n$av4n is a mixed 
 form, supposed by Kimchi, Abarbanel, 
 
 and some others, to have been artificially 
 compounded of pxnartn, the Hiphil 
 
 of anv, to return, and ponayin, the 
 
 Hiphil of 5:85, to sit or dwell, in order 
 to express in one word both verbs as used 
 by Jeremiah, myn pipanmbs on ΞΟ τι 
 mosd onagni, chap. xxxii. 37; but 
 it is far more probable that the word 
 is a corruption of p*nawn , introduced 
 through inadvertence by some transcri- 
 ber. Such is, indeed, the reading of 
 many MSS. and of four printed editions, 
 and is supported by the LXX. κατοικεῶ. 
 The reading p*n "tn, has the support 
 of the Syr., Vulg., and Targ., but is less 
 suitable to the connection. 
 
 7. As the state of things here described 
 was brought about by the heroic conduct 
 of Ephraim, it is obvious the return from 
 the captivity cannot be intended, for the 
 Hebrews were altogether passive on that 
 occasion. The reason why special men- 
 tion is here made of the ten tribes may 
 be their longer rejection by the Lord, 
 and the exiled state in which many of 
 them still were in the days of the prophet. 
 ἘΠῚ ΞῈ, as a collective noun, is the nom- 
 inative to ΠῚ. For ysrmc> see on 
 chap. ix. 15. ὁ ; 
 
 8. An express promise of the restora- 
 tion, settlement, and increase of the ten 
 
Cuap. Χ, 
 
 For I have redeemed them, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 411 
 
 And they shall increase, as they did increase. 
 
 9 Though I have scattered them among the nations, 
 Yet they shall remember me in the distant regions, 
 And shall live with their children and return. 
 
 10 
 
 I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, 
 
 And gather them from Assyria ; 
 And I will bring them to the land of Bashan and Lebanon, 
 And room shall not be found for them. - 
 
 11 
 
 And he shall pass over the sea, 
 
 He shall cleave and smite the waves of the sea, 
 And all the deeps of the river shall dry up ; 
 The pride of Assyria shall be brought down, 
 And the sceptre of Egypt shall depart. 
 
 tribes, many of whom were still at that 
 time in a state of exile. They were to 
 be brought back to Palestine, and placed 
 in a condition in which they should be 
 able to act valiantly in defence of their 
 country. The verb p13 signifies to whis- 
 tle, or give a shrill sound, as those who 
 
 keep bees do, who, by means of a whis-- 
 
 tle, or pipe, call them out from and back 
 to their hives. See on Is. v. 26. Jose- 
 phus informs us, that two hundred years 
 after the time here referred to, Galilee 
 was peopled to an amazing extent, stud- 
 ded with cities, towns, and villages; and 
 adds, that the villages were not what 
 were usually called by that name, but 
 contained, some of them, fifteen thou- 
 sand inhabitants. Jewish Wars, book 
 ἯΙ. ch. iii. § 2. 
 
 9. The first two Vaus are employed 
 antithetically, the former having the sig- 
 nification of though or indeed ; the lat- 
 ter, that of bué or yet. 3-1 cannot here 
 mean saved, as Hengstenberg contends, 
 but must be rendered scattered, which 
 the verb primarily signifies, and the con- 
 nection here requires. The last clause of 
 the verse indicates the settled enjoyment 
 of chartered privileges as before the dis- 
 persion, when the Hebrews should return 
 to their own land. 
 
 10. We have no historical account of 
 any specific removal of any belonging to 
 
 the ten tribes into Egypt, but it cannot 
 be doubted that, as in the case of the 
 Jews in the time of Jeremiah, many of 
 them betook themselves to that country 
 for refuge on the invasion of Tiglath- 
 pileser; and when Ptolemy attempted 
 to seize the whole of Syria, and carried 
 away 100,000 captives, whom he settled 
 in Alexandria and Cyrene, vast numbers 
 of them must have consisted of the 
 descendants of those Israelites who had 
 returned from the Eastern captivity. 
 Those who had remained in the East 
 were also to return. Comp. Is. xi. 11. 
 s=702 has here the signification of there 
 being sufficient or enough, as in Kal, 
 Numb. xi. 22; Jud. xxi. 14, thpn, 
 room, or place, is understood. So great 
 should be the number of inhabitants, 
 that the territory, however ample and 
 fertile, would not be able to furnish them 
 with the necessary supplies. _ 
 
 11. There is here an allusion to the 
 original deliverance of the Hebrew peo- 
 ple at the Red Sea. Comp. Is. xi. 15. 
 The Divine interposition in behalf of 
 those who were still in Egypt is not ex- 
 pressly compared with what then took 
 place, but such comparison is implied. 
 mx has been variously rendered. The 
 
 LXX. orev, Vulg. freto, Syr. [Sot 
 
 angustia, Calvin, afflictio, Hengstenberg, 
 
412 
 
 Z ExCilt A R ASE. 
 
 Cuap. XL 
 
 12 And I will strengthen them through Jehovah, 
 And they shall walk up and down in his name, 
 
 Saith Jehovah. 
 
 the distress, Blayney, Tyre, Hitzig, Zara, 
 by which he understands the Nile. The 
 difficulty is at once removed by taking 
 maz as a verb, with the Aramaic signifi- 
 
 ρ . . 
 cation of ΝΣ» 13, cut, cleave, divide, 
 ; >) 
 Comp. the Arab. Sy resecuit, ampu- 
 
 tavit. In which case three verbs, having 
 Jehovah understood as their nominative, 
 will follow in regular order: p23 7223 
 psa pia Rami mis. And he shall 
 pass over the sea; he shall cleave and 
 smite the waves of the sea. ‘he last 
 words are literally, he shall smite the sea 
 into waves; or, as to the sea, he will 
 smite its waves. Comp. Exod. xiv. 16, 
 21; Is. xi. 15, 16. That by “the river,” 
 
 the Nile, and not the Euphrates, is 
 meant, the use of the Egyptian word 
 -*s> places beyond dispute. See on Is. 
 xix. 6. With respect to τ τὸν» Ashur, 
 it may justly be queried whether the 
 Syro-Greek kingdom be not intended — 
 that kingdom occupying not only the 
 territory which belonged to ancient As- 
 syria, but extending still further towards 
 the east. The pride of that power, as 
 well as the Egypto-Greek sceptre, was 
 to be swept away. 
 
 12. The phrase, pva 45mm , to walk 
 in the name of a deity, is a Hebrew mode 
 of speech, descriptive of a course of action 
 pursued in accordance with his character 
 and will. Comp. Micah iv. 5. 
 
 
 
 CsA PD Rent ake ie 
 
 It is obvious, from the nature of the predictions contained in this and the following chap- 
 ters, that they must have been delivered at a time subsequent to the erection of the tem- 
 ple. As they are exclusively occupied with denunciations of evil against the Jews, with 
 the exception of interjected prophecies of the Messiah, and one relative to the final deliv- 
 erance of the covenant people, they must have dispirited rather than encouraged those 
 who were engaged in building the sacred edifice. It may be said, indeed, that there were 
 many carnal and secure persons among the Jews, who required to be warned, and that 
 the following denunciations were designed for their benefit; but, as the predictions do 
 not relate to the times in which those persons lived, it is not conceivable how they could 
 have so appropriated them as to derive effectual advantage from them. - Besides, they 
 contain no instances of direct address, or personal application of the truths delivered, 
 such as we find in the other prophets when addressing themselves to their contemporaries 
 for their immediate benefit. It may, therefore, be concluded, that they were communi- 
 cated by Zechariah on some occasion or occasions of which we have no knowledge. 
 
 The scenes here depicted lay in the more distant future. In the présent chapter the prophet 
 furnishes a bold figurative description of the destruction of the temple by the Romans, 
 and the utter consternation into which the priests and rulers of the people should thereby 
 be thrown, 1—3. He then describes certain symbolical actions performed by him in yision, 
 by which he personated the Messiah who had been promised as the Shepherd of his peo- 
 ple, setting forth his commission to teach and rule them, 4; their deplorable condition in 
 consequence of the rapacious disposition of their leaders, 5; and the judgments that 
 should overtake them in consequence of their wickedness, 6. Under the emblems of 
 two staves the relation of the whole nation to God, as their protector, and the relation of 
 the different tribes among themselves are exhibited, and the cessation of these relations 
 is pointed out by the act of breaking the staves, 7—14. The three last verses set forth the 
 character of Herod, and the judgment of God upon him for his wickedness, 
 
Cuap. XI. 
 
 1 OrxEn, O Lebanon! thy gates, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 That the fire may devour thy cedars. 
 2 Howl, ye cypresses! for the cedars have fallen, 
 Because the magnificent are destroyed : 
 Howl, ye oaks of Bashan! for the fortified forest hath come 
 
 down. 
 
 3 -There is the sound of the howling of the shepherds, 
 Because their magnificence is destroyed ; 
 There is the sound of the roaring of young lions, 
 Because the pride of Jordan is destroyed. 
 
 1. Some interpret this verse literally 
 of the locality so called; others under- 
 stand it figuratively, but apply it either 
 to Jerusalem, or to the whole land of 
 Palestine. The construction which most 
 commends itself is that which applies it 
 to the temple restrictively. Such is the 
 ancient rabbinical interpretation. To the 
 same effect is the remarkable declaration 
 of Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai: “«O 
 sanctuary, sanctuary! why dost thou 
 trouble thyself? I know of thee that 
 thine end is to be left desolate, for Zech- 
 ariah, the son of Iddo, has prophesied 
 against thee long ago. Open thy doors, 
 O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy 
 cedars.” Talmud, Bab. Yoma. fol. 39, 
 col. 3, This interpretation seems to be 
 referred to by Josephus, in his Jewish 
 Wars, bk. vi. ch. v. § 8. The temple 
 might with all propriety be figuratively 
 called Lebanon, not only because the 
 cedars with which it was built were 
 brought from that mountain, but be- 
 cause as J.ebanon was the most stately 
 and magnificent of all in the vicinity 
 of Palestine, so the temple was the most 
 glorious of all objects.in or about Jeru- 
 salem. Its gates were kept carefully shut 
 against all who had no right to thread 
 its courts. Now it was to become a prey 
 to the flames. The prediction received 
 its literal fulfilment in spite of the utmost 
 solicitude of the Roman general to pre- 
 serve the edifice. In vain did he attempt 
 to save it from the flames, so that in a 
 short time it was entirely consumed. 
 
 2. Bina, the cypress, was greatly in- 
 
 ‘1; Luke xxi. 5. 
 
 ferior to the cedar, but was employed 
 for the floor and ceilings of the temple. 
 ‘The oaks of Bashan’’ were also used 
 for purposes of building. These terms, 
 however, are likewise to be interpreted 
 figuratively of the priests and rulers of 
 the temple, its superior and inferior offi- 
 cers, together with the judges of the 
 people. "ὐπὸ is used both of animate 
 and inanimate objects. It is here em- 
 ployed to denote those who were elevated 
 in dignity and magnificent in apparel. 
 Comp. Wks “aS. By sssan ἜΣ", 
 the fortified or inaccessible forest, is meant 
 Jerusalem, the houses of which were nu- 
 merous and close together as the trees of 
 the forest, and round which the Jews 
 had thrown up a wall of great strength. 
 Comp. Micah iii. 12, For -3s3, many 
 MSS., and two early editions, read —"S3, 
 which is only another form to express the 
 same thing. 
 
 3. The Jewish rulers are called “shep- 
 herds,” with reference to their office, and 
 ‘‘ young lions,” in regard to their fierce 
 and rapacious disposition. The m-=x, 
 was the magnificence of the temple of 
 which they boasted. Comp. Mark xiii. 
 [T7207 Us , the pride 
 of Jordan, i. 6. the thickets which orna- 
 ment its banks, and furnish excellent 
 lairs for lions, has the same figurative 
 reference, and is selected to correspond to 
 the young lions immediately preceding. 
 Comp. Jer. xii. 5, xlix. 19. The leaders 
 of the Jews are represented as indulging 
 in loud wailings of despair, on account of 
 the destruction of their temple and polity. 
 
414 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. 
 
 4 Thus saith Jehovah my God, 
 
 Feed the sheep of slaughter ; 
 
 5 Whose possessors kill them, and are not held guilty ; 
 And each of those who sell them saith, 
 Blessed be Jehovah, I am enriched ; 
 And none of whose shepherds spareth them. 
 
 4,5. The prophet now proceeds to 
 point out the cause of the destruction 
 which he had figuratively described, and 
 that of the people which was connected 
 with. it—the obstinate refusal of their 
 rulers to receive the doctrine of the Mes- 
 siah. By mannn jes, the sheep of 
 slaughter, are meant the people devoted 
 to destruction. Comp. mnav 4s, Ps. 
 xliv. 23. At the fall of Jerusalem not 
 fewer than 1,100,000 Jews perished, 
 and near a million and a half altogether 
 in the course of the war. It has been 
 questioned, who is the person directed 
 in this verse to assume the office of a 
 shepherd, and who declares, ver. 7, that 
 he performed the duties of that office? 
 Frischmuth, Marckius, Michaelis, and 
 others, are of opinion that it is the Mes- 
 siah, and, unquestionably, if ultimate 
 reference be had to him, this is the true 
 interpretation; but it is equally clear 
 that the prophet is to be regarded as 
 having received the commission, and 
 performed, in vision, what was enjoined 
 upon him. What proves this, is the 
 putting into the hands of the same per- 
 son the instruments of a foolish shep- 
 herd, ver. 15, an action which can with 
 no propriety be referred to the Messiah. 
 On this principle, most of the difficulties 
 connected with the exegesis of the inter- 
 vening verses vanish. Zechariah had all 
 the transactions presented to his view in 
 prophetic vision, but what he describes 
 was actually done, not in his own per- 
 sonal history, or in any outward occur- 
 rences between him and the Jews of his 
 time, but inthe personal history and 
 office of the Messiah whom he person- 
 ated. He did not really feed or teach 
 those who were to be slain, but the 
 
 Messiah and his apostles did; and had 
 the Jews believed their message, the 
 awful calamity would have been averted. 
 The hypothesis of a prophetic vision was 
 first advanced by Maimonides, and is 
 ably supported by Hengstenberg, in his 
 Christology, and by Dr. McCaul, in his 
 translation of Kimchi on our prophet. 
 That by the buyers and sellers of the 
 Jewish people, we are not to understand 
 the Romans, but their own unprincipled 
 teachers and rulers, the facts of the case 
 show. The corresponding term Ἐπ Σ πν 
 their shepherds, is merely expletive of 
 what the same persons were officially. 
 The avarice of the Pharisees was exces- 
 sive, yet they had the barefaced hypoc- 
 risy to thank God for their ill gotten 
 wealth, and because they were not pun- 
 ished, they imagined they might perse- 
 vere with impunity. The construction 
 of the plural nouns πὸ» Ἵπὴ 38» and 
 
 7°35, With the singulars “yas and 
 Ἐκ πο, cannot, with any propriety, be 
 accounted for on the principle advanced 
 by Hengstenberg, that Jehovah himself 
 was the principal actor, and that the 
 wicked rulers were merely his instru- 
 ments. It is only a more emphatic mode 
 of construction, by which each of the 
 individuals specified in the plural is rep- 
 resented as performing the action, see 
 Gen. xxvii. 29; Exod. xxxi. 14; Prov. 
 iii. 18. The masculine affix pn refers 
 to the people, strictly so taken ; the fem- 
 inine 47, to them considered under the 
 idea of the sheep that were to be fed, 
 {Ns being of the common gender. There 
 is, therefore, no ground for correcting the 
 text by changing pn*y4 into Ἵππον Ἢ, the 
 reading of fifteen MSS. and some printed 
 editions, 
 
Cuap. XI. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 415 
 
 6 For I will no more spare the inhabitants of the land, saith 
 
 Jehovah, 
 
 But behold! I will deliver the men, 
 Each into the hand of his neighbor, and into the hand of his 
 
 king ; 
 
 And they shall destroy the land, 
 And I will not deliver them out of their hand. 
 7 And I fed the sheep of slaughter, truly miserable sheep! 
 
 6. The particle »5, for, connects what 
 follows with the command, ver. 4. The 
 Jews were no longer to have Divine pity 
 extended to them, but were to be aban- 
 doned to all the evils of civil discord, and 
 to the oppressions of a foreign rule. That 
 the king here referred to was the Roman 
 emperor, is obvious from the acknowl- 
 edgment of the Jews themselves: «* We 
 have no king but Cesar.” John xix. 15. 
 The verb τ, ¢o beat, or dash in pieces, 
 is most appropriately chosen to express 
 the destructive measures adopted by the 
 Romans, by which the Jewish polity was 
 broken up, The nominative is the troops 
 of the foreign ruler that had just been 
 spoken of, 
 
 7. The prophet declares, in the name 
 of the Messiah, that he executed the 
 task committed to him. ‘his was ful- 
 filled during the personal ministry of 
 our Lord. 48x77 "22:9 425 have been 
 variously rendered, LXX. εἷς τὴν 
 
 Xavaavitw: Syr. CAS Ἰδάχ δ, 
 Li» ἴω Vc, the little ones on account 
 
 of the collection of the sheep. Vulg. 
 propter hoc 6 paupere egregis. Leo Juda, 
 adeoque pauperes gregis. Tremellius and 
 Junius, vos inquam, 6 pauperes gregis. 
 Schmid, J. H. Michaelis, Newcome, Hit- 
 zig, and others, propter vos, 0 miseri gre- 
 gis. Maurer, pavi igitur miserrimus ovi- 
 um, Arnheim, fitrmahr Die elendesz 
 tert Der Heerde. Ewald, wirflich die 
 
 unglitcflichsten Gchafe. The only 
 real difficulty lies in the word ;=3. The 
 LXX. have read it, and the following 
 word, as one, thus, ἘΣ, and made 
 
 Canaanite of it. This rendering is 
 adopted by Blayney, only he attaches to 
 the term the idea of merchant, which it 
 sometimes has (among those who traf- 
 Jicked with the flock), and explains it of 
 the buyers and sellers of the flock, de- 
 scribed ver. 5, The interpretation is so 
 far specious, and is approved by Jahn, 
 but cannot be philologically sustained. 
 Some take j>% for the infinitive in Hi- 
 phal of 7,5, which furnishes no tolerable 
 sense; others, for the dative of the sec- 
 ond personal feminine pronoun, suppos- 
 ing the Segol to have been changed into 
 a Tzére, but this is liable to the same 
 objection. Most regard it as the particle 
 ἼΞ5 ν» and construe it either with its cau- 
 sal, or its adversative signification ; but 
 neither do any of the interpretations thus 
 brought out satisfactorily meet the exi- 
 gencies of the case. I cannot help think- 
 ing that the is here redundant, as it is 
 in many instances, and that we must 
 construe 35, as in ver. 11, where it 
 occurs without the Ὁ. The term is 
 properly a participial noun, derived from 
 
 jn>, in the sense of the Arab. |, 5 
 
 esse, and implies reality, certainty, or the 
 like, but admits of being variously ren- 
 dered, according to the context in which 
 it is found. See Lee’s Heb. Lex. in voe, 
 And thus it is understood by Kimchi, 
 Jarchi, Castalio, De Dieu, Drusius, Storr, 
 Dathe, Arnheim, De Wette, and Ewald. 
 Even were the Ὁ retained, the same result 
 would be brought out, the rendering in 
 this case being, with respect to truth, i. e. 
 truly ; just as in ΠΙΣΣ Ὁ.» with respect to 
 perpetuity, i, e. forever. The words 
 ΝΞ πὰ ἜΣ» are the superlative of con- 
 
410 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuapr. XI. 
 
 And I took to myself two crooks; the one I called Grace, and 
 
 8 the other I called Bands, and I fed the sheep. 
 
 And I eut off 
 
 the three shepherds within one month; and my soul loathed 
 9 them, and their soul also rejected me. So that I said: 
 
 I will not feed you; 
 
 That which is dying, let it die; 
 And that which is being cut off, let it be cut off; 
 And as for the rest, let them eat each the flesh of another. 
 
 struction, as in ἘΠῚ 734, the most 
 wicked of nations, Ezek. vii. 24; “nan 
 sein, the choicest of his cypresses, 
 Jer. xxxvii, 7; or, what is quite parallel 
 with the present case, ἽΝ ΤΙ [77D , Ten- 
 dered in our common version, the least 
 of the flock. The article is as usual to 
 be referred to the former of the two 
 nouns, and both might be rendered, the 
 most miserable of sheep, or the most mis- 
 erable sheep. Such was the state to 
 which the Jewish people were reduced 
 in the days of our Lord. They were 
 ἐσκυλμένοι καὶ ἐῤῥιμενοι, ὡσεὶ πρόβατα μὴ 
 ἔχοντα ποιμένα. Matt. ix. 86. They 
 were worrted and harassed in every 
 possible way, πρόβατα ἀπολωλότα, Matt. 
 x. 6. The two staves were symbolical 
 of the different modes of treatment which 
 the Hebrews had experienced under the 
 guidance and protection of the provi- 
 dence of God. One of them was called 
 tz5, Grace, or Favor, to indicate the 
 kindness of Jehovah to them in restrain- 
 ing the surrounding nations from over- 
 powering them, and carrying them again 
 into captivity. See ver. 10. To the 
 other was given the name of p>3h, 
 which Drusius, Marckius, the Dutch 
 translators, and others, render Binders, 
 but better, Bands, expressing the ties 
 which unite parties together. The LXX., 
 Aq., Symm., σχοίνισμα ; Vulg. funiculi ; 
 Maurer, conjuncti, faderati. Reference 
 is had to the fraternal confederacy into 
 which the Jews and Israelites had en- 
 tered with each other after the retum 
 from Babylon. See ver. 14. The last 
 clause of the verse is a repetition of the 
 first, for the sake of emphasis. 
 
 8. Who “the three shepherds” here 
 definitely pointed out were, cannot be 
 determined with certainty. All kinds 
 of interpretations have been given, from 
 Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, suggested to 
 Jerome, by his Hebrew Rabbi, to the 
 Roman emperors Galbus, Otho, and Vi- 
 tellius, in Calmet. The only construc- 
 tion which is at all entitled to any notice, 
 is that which regards the language as 
 descriptive of the three orders of rulers 
 in the Jewish state—the priests, the 
 teachers of the law, and the civil magis- 
 trates. These were the persons of influ- 
 ence by whom the affairs of the nation 
 were conducted, and to whose wicked- 
 ness, which reached its culminating 
 point when they crucified the Lord of 
 Glory, the destruction of the state is to 
 be ascribed. thx πριν one month, doubt- 
 less refers to the last period of the siege 
 of Jerusalem, when everything was 
 thrown into confusion, and all authority 
 came to an end. ἼΠΙΞ » ἕο hide, conceal ; 
 in Hiphil, as here, ἀφανίζειν, to cause to 
 disappear, to cause to cease with respect 
 to office, to remove from it. The last 
 two lines of the verse point out the 
 mutual dissatisfaction and disgust with 
 which the wicked rulers and the Messiah 
 regarded each other. ma, occurs only 
 here, and Prov. xx. 21. Comp. the 
 cognate root $y2, fo reject, and the 
 Arab. ξεν impulsus valadus, propul- 
 sio vehemens ; , maledixit, 111. exe- 
 cratus fuit. Je: 
 
 9. The entire abandonment of the 
 Hebrew people is here most affectingly 
 set forth. For the threefold destruction 
 here predicted, comp. Jer. xy. 1, 2, 
 
, ΒΑΡ: ΚΤ: 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 417 
 
 I then took my crook Grace, and cut it asunder in order to 
 break my covenant which 1 had made with all the nations. 
 
 And 
 
 it was broken in that day, and the miserable sheep that gave 
 heed to me, knew of a truth that it was the word of Jehovah. 
 
 12 
 
 13 and if not, forbear. 
 
 of silver. 
 
 xxxiv. 17; Ezek. vi. 12. 
 fulfilment, see Josephus. 
 
 10. By this symbolical action, the 
 removal of the restraint which Jehovah 
 had exercised over the nations, whereby 
 the destruction of the Jewish people had 
 been prevented, is strikingly represented: 
 The exercise of restraint with respect to 
 hostile forces is elsewhere spoken of under 
 the idea of a covenant. See Job v. 23; 
 Ezek. xxxiv. 25; Hos. ii. 18. When 
 this restraint was removed, the Romans 
 
 _invaded ‘Judea, and destroyed the city 
 and polity of the ancient people οἵ. God. 
 That by Ἐπ: people or nations, we are 
 to understand foreign nations, and not 
 the Hebrew tribes, is now agreed among 
 the best interpreters. 
 
 11. The anticipated accomplishment 
 of the prediction, and the conviction 
 wrought in the minds of the pious por- 
 tion of the Jewish people, that the pre- 
 diction was indeed divine. For the force 
 of 52 see on ver. 7. The LXX. again 
 join the two words, and render, of Xava- 
 ανοῖοι- 
 
 12, 19. On the question of the appli- 
 cation of these verses to the circumstan- 
 ces narrated Matt. xxvii. 7—10, a very 
 decided difference of opinion has ob- 
 tained. This difference has been occa- 
 sioned, partly by the fact of certain dis- 
 crepancies existing between the accounts 
 whichgfhey furnish of the transactions, 
 and paftly by the more important con- 
 sideration that the Evangelist expressly 
 ascribes the words which he quotes to 
 Jeremiah, and not to Zechariah. Wit 
 respect to the former of these points, it 
 may, to a considerable extent, be obvi- 
 ated by the general observation, that the 
 
 53 
 
 And for the 
 
 And I said to them, If it be good in your eyes, give my reward ; 
 So they weighed my reward, thirty pieces 
 And Jehovah said to me, Cast it to the potter, the 
 
 discrepances are not greater than we meet 
 with in several other quotations made 
 from the Old Testament by the writers 
 of the New, and are by no means such 
 as to affect the end which either the 
 prophet or the Evangelist had in view. 
 In producing the citation, the latter had 
 his eye more intent upon the historical 
 circumstances which he had just detailed, 
 than upon the strict grammatical con- 
 struction and verbality of the language 
 employed in the prophecy. He fixes | 
 upon the principal points, the despicable 
 price at which the Messiah had been 
 sold, and the appropriation of the money 
 as a compensation to the potter for the 
 possession of his field; and having faith- 
 fully exhibited these to the view of his 
 readers, he is less solicitous about the 
 wording of the prophet. The very 
 changes which he introduces into the 
 phraseology are such as his position in 
 the character of an historian required. 
 Thus, instead of pry "Ap? TN, 
 at which I was estimated by y them, Mat- 
 thew has ὃν ἐτιμήσαντο amd υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ, 
 at which he was estimated by the sons of 
 Israel. Instead of Ὡς Ξτ ἘΣ δ 
 And I took the thirty aa of ‘silver, we 
 find, καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ τριάκοντα ἄργύρια, aaa 
 they took the thirty pieces of silver, In- 
 stead of ων poses , and I threw itt, 
 the Gospel has, καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὰ, and they 
 gave them. The freedom with which the 
 Evangelist renders 54% by δίδωμι is the 
 more noticeable, since he employs the 
 participle ῥίψας in reference to the same 
 subject in the fifth verse, where, at the 
 same time, he renders nn na by ἐν 
 τῷ vag. The conjecture of some that 
 ssh, potter, is a corruption of “zis, 
 
 “TPN 
 
418 
 splendid price at which I was 
 
 treasurer, is worse than gratuitous, as the 
 latter word nowhere occurs in Hebrew in 
 reference to such an office, and as the pot- 
 ter was the most suitable person to whom 
 to cast the despicable sum, occupying as he 
 did a workshop in the valley of Hinnom, 
 Jer. xviii. 1, 3, xix. 2, which was held 
 in abomination by the Jews. That the 
 Evangelist should have ascribed the pre- 
 diction to Jeremiah has proved a source 
 of great perplexity to critics. No person 
 who has read the passage in Zechariah 
 can peruse that in Matthew without 
 at once being reminded of it. And so 
 exactly do they tally in every important 
 point, that no doubt of their relationship 
 can for a moment be entertained. On 
 the other hand, no such passage is to be 
 found in any part of the prophecies of 
 Jeremiah. The solution of the difficulty 
 proposed by Hengstenberg, that it was 
 the object of our prophet to bring forward 
 to view the predictions contained in Jer. 
 xviii. xix., in order to point out the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem by the Romans, 
 and that on this ground the Evangelist 
 might, with all propriety, ascribe the 
 authorship to Jeremiah, is very unsatis- 
 factory ; and we are shut up to one or 
 other of the following conclusions : First, 
 that the one name was substituted for the 
 other by a lapsus memoria. Secondly, 
 that the portion of the book of Zechariah, 
 in which the words are found, though now 
 bearing his name, was actually written 
 by Jeremiah, and by some means or other, 
 to us unknown, has been appended to 
 the real prophecies of Zechariah. Third- 
 ly, that the citation is made from an 
 apocryphal book of the prophet Jere- 
 miah. Or lastly, that there is a corrup- 
 tion of the name in the Greek text of 
 Matthew. ‘The first of these positions 
 will not be admitted by any who believe 
 in the plenary inspiration of the Apos- 
 tles; a doctrine fully established on 
 Scripture authority, and which, if de- 
 nied, would completely annihilate our 
 confidence in their testimony. If their 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cap. XI.. 
 
 estimated by them! And I took 
 
 memory might fail, or they might be 
 mistaken in one instance, such might be 
 the case in hundreds. For a refutation 
 of the second hypothesis, see the Preface, 
 in which it is shown that there. is no 
 solid foundation for the opinion, that the 
 last six chapters of Zechariah were not 
 written by that prophet. With respect 
 to the third supposition, it cannot be 
 denied that there was an apocryphal 
 book of Jeremiah, containing an analo- 
 gous passage. Jerome found it among 
 the Nazarenes, and a portion of it still 
 exists in a Sahidic Lectionary, in the Co- 
 “dex Huntingtonianus 5, in the Bodleian 
 Library, Oxford, and in the Coptic lan- 
 guage in the MS. 51 fol. in the library 
 of St. Germain in Paris. The words 
 are as follows: ‘‘ Jeremiah spake again 
 to Pashur, Ye and your fathers have 
 resisted the truth, and your sons, which 
 shall come after you, will commit more 
 grievous sins than ye. For they will 
 give the price of him that is valued, and 
 do injury to him that maketh the sick 
 whole, and forgiving iniquity. And 
 they will take thirty pieces of silver, the 
 price which the children of Israel have 
 given. They have given them for the 
 potter’s field, as the Lord commanded. 
 And thus it shall be spoken: The sen- 
 tence of eternal punishment shall fall 
 upon them, and upon their children, be- 
 cause they have shed innocent blood.” 
 But who does not perceive in this frag- 
 ment the clumsy attempt of one of the 
 early Christians to support the cause of 
 truth by what was deemed a harmless 
 fraud? Jerome at once rejected it as 
 spurious, and expresses his belief that 
 Matthew made his citation from Zecha- 
 riah. It only remains that ssume 
 a corruption in the Greek of the 
 Evangelist. That a variety of reading 
 exists has long been matter of notoriety. 
 Augustine mentions, that in his tima 
 some MSS. omitted the name of Ἱερεμίου. 
 It is also omitted in the MS. 33, 157; in 
 the Syriac, which is the most ancient of 
 
Cuap. XI. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 419 
 
 the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them into the house of Je- 
 
 hovah, to the potter. 
 14 
 
 Then I cut asunder my second crook Bands, in order to break 
 
 the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. 
 
 15 
 of a foolish shepherd ; 
 16 
 
 And Jehovah said to me, Take to thee yet the instruments 
 
 For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land ; 
 
 Those which are perishing he will not visit, 
 That which strayeth he will not seek, 
 
 That which is wounded he will not heal, 
 That which standeth he will not nourish ; 
 
 all the versions; in the Polyglott Persic, 
 and in a Persic MS. in my possession, 
 bearing date a. Ὁ. 1057; in the modern 
 Greek ; in the Verona and Vercelli Latin 
 MSS. and in a Latin MS. of Luc. Brug. 
 The Greek MS. 22, reads Ζαχαρίου, as 
 also do the Philoxenian Syriac in the 
 margin, and an Arabic MS. quoted by 
 Bengel. Origen and Eusebius were in 
 favor of this reading. I think it very 
 probable that Matthew did not insert 
 either name, but simply wrote in his 
 Hebrew Gospel, s=227 772 , by the proph- 
 et, just as in chap. i. 22, ii. δ, 15, xiil. 35, 
 xxi.) 4, παγῇ. o0;.and that his Greek 
 translator, mistaking 7 iff 172 for 4, 
 read =:2, which he considered to be a 
 contraction for :777472, and so rendered 
 it διὰ Ἱερεμίου του προφήτου ‘This read- 
 ing having found its way into the first 
 Greek MS., will account for its all but 
 universal propagation. Another conjec- 
 ture supposes Ἴριου to have been written 
 by some early copyist instead of Zpuov. 
 . I only add, that there can be no doubt 
 the passage in question existed in the 
 book of Zechariah in the Jewish canon 
 in the days of the Evangelist, since it is 
 found to occupy that place in the text 
 of the LXX. which was formed three 
 hundred years previously. 
 
 14. Forthe meaning of 5"ba% Bands, 
 see on ver. 7. The circumstances here 
 predicted were those of the utter breaking 
 up of the social condition of the Hebrews. 
 This dissolution was in no small degree 
 
 brought about by the internal dissensions 
 which prevailed among themselves, the 
 rage of the different parties against each 
 other, and the barbarities that they prac- 
 tised, which none could have indulged 
 in but such as had their hearts steeled 
 against every feeling of brotherhood or 
 humanity. ‘Yet by these men,” says 
 Josephus, ‘ the ancient prediction seemed 
 rapidly drawing to its fulfilment: That 
 when civil war should break out in the 
 city, and the temple be profaned by the 
 hands of native Jews, the city should be 
 taken, and the temple burned with fire.” 
 
 15. πὸ», again, refers back to what is 
 recorded ver. 7. The p»b5, here as ἃ 
 collective in the singular ἘΞ, were the 
 articles usually belonging to shepherds, 
 viz. a crook, a bag or wallet containing 
 food, a pipe or reed, a knife, etc. In- 
 stead of ">>, one of De Rossi’s MSS., 
 the Halle Bible of 1720, the Vatican 
 copy of the LXX., the Syr., Vulg., and 
 Arab., read 5, the punctuation of the 
 plural. chi , foolish, by implication 
 wicked, as wickedness is often represented 
 in Scripture as folly. 
 
 16. ΒΤ is employed here, like simi- 
 lar ae in Hiphil, to denote not any 
 direct moral excitement to action, but 
 the operation of concurring circumstan- 
 ces, under the Divine government, in 
 consequence of which certain events are 
 brought about by responsible human 
 agency. n47M>2%, those that are per- 
 ishing, the Niphal participle of 4m2, 
 
ZECHARIAH. 
 
 ΓΕΑ». XL 
 
 But he will eat the flesh of the fat, 
 And will break off their hoofs. 
 
 iy 
 
 Woe to the worthless shepherd, that leaveth the flock ; 
 
 The sword shall be upon his arm, 
 
 And upon his right eye ; 
 
 His arm shall be utterly palsied, 
 And his right eye utterly darkened. 
 
 which in Hiphal and Niphal signifies ἕο 
 cut off or be destroyed. 33 is not to be 
 taken in the sense of young, as it is 
 interpreted by Kimchi and Hitzig, since 
 it is never so used, except with reference 
 to human beings, but signifies expulsion, 
 that which has been cast out, by impli- 
 cation, strayed, wandered. Comp. the 
 
 Arabic pie repulsus, in fugam versus. 
 
 man00> that which standeth still. 33 
 cea signifies to set or place, in Ni- 
 phal, ¢o ἘΠΩ͂Ν stand firm, be strong, firm, 
 sound ; and thus the LXX. here ὁλόκλη- 
 pov, but this interpretation is quite at 
 variance with the exigency of the place, 
 which requires the idea of weakness 
 rather than strength to be expressed. 
 And this the verb naturally suggests, 
 reference being had to the standing, or 
 standing still of sheep that are obliged, 
 through weakness or faintness, to lag 
 
 behind. 
 
 posuit, fixit, and then dolore affecit, las- 
 sus fuit, laboravit. Such it devolves 
 upon the shepherd to provide with nec- 
 essary ners or, as it is here ex- 
 pressed, ob=, to sustain, furnish with 
 erieionn: ‘Root S35 n>, Co measure grain, 
 The words p45" Ἵπ Ὁ Β are expres- 
 sive of the greatest cruelty, being de- 
 scriptive of an act which must not 
 only occasion the most acute pain, but 
 disable the animals, and prevent their 
 
 Comp. the Arabic a3, 
 
 going about in quest of pasture. Who 
 the ruler here depicted is, cannot with 
 certainty be determined. If taken as 
 pointing to an individual king, there is 
 none to whom it will more aptly apply 
 than to Herod, who was totally regard- 
 less of the real interest of the Jews, and 
 whose reign was marked by the perpe- 
 tration of the most shameful and barba- 
 rous cruelties. What goes to confirm 
 this view is the circumstance of his being 
 said to be raised up “ ἐπ the land.” 
 
 17. This denunciation seems to be di- 
 rected against the wicked rulers of the 
 Jews who might be in office between the 
 time of the prophet, and that of the dis- 
 solution of the Jewish state, rather than 
 against the person referred to in the pre- 
 ceding verse. The " in "» ἡ is not the 
 pronominal affix, but the poetic para- 
 gogic, as in’ the following »a;y, and 
 other participles. See Gen. xlix. 11; 
 Deut. xxxiii. 16; Ps. cxiv. 8, exxiii. 1. 
 datum seh, the worthless or good-for- 
 nothing shepherd. Comp. Job xiii. 4. 
 The root must unquestionably have been 
 bos. Comp. tba from 333; a.20 
 from a35. The character described is 
 that of negligence, arising from the total 
 absence of a sense of official claims, and 
 of personal responsibility. The rest of 
 the verse from 53" onward, is to be 
 taken optatively. ‘The doom imprecated 
 is truly awful — an utter deprivation of 
 power and intelligence. 
 
Cuap. XII. ZECHARIAH. 421 
 
 CWA PTE R.- XPT, 
 
 Tuts chapter contains a series of predictions, which relate to the future restoration of the 
 scattered people of the Jews, the destruction of whose national polity, and their conse- 
 quent wretchedness, had been so graphically set forth in that which precedes it. On their 
 return to their own land, Jerusalem shall prove formidable to the nations that oppose 
 them, 2—4, having a regular government, by which, in reliance upon Jehoyah, the inhab- 
 itants shall be protected, 5,6. To prevent the inhabitants of the metropolis from glory- 
 ing over their brethren in the country. the latter shall be first delivered from their inva 
 ders, 7; but Jerusalem being the principal point of attack, special promises of deliverance 
 are made to it, 8,9. When the Jews shall have been collected, and delivered from the 
 opposing powers, there will be a remarkable effusion of the influences of the Holy Spirit, 
 in consequence of which a season of great and universal mourning, on account of the 
 crucifixion of the Messiah, will be observed, each family bewailing separately the guilt 
 entailed upon it by the nefarious deed, 10—14. 
 
 As might be expected to be the case with unfulfilled prophecy, a considerable degree of 
 obscurity necessarily attaches to certain portions of this and the two following chapters; 
 but the leading features of the Divine dealings with the Jews in times yet future, are 
 marked with a sufficient degree of distinctness to enable us to form a general idea of the 
 circumstances in which they will be placed. 
 
 
 
 1 Tue Sentence of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel ; 
 Saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, 
 Who layeth the foundations of the earth, 
 And formeth the spirit of man within him: 
 
 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of intoxication 
 
 To all the people around ; 
 
 1. That stva does not necessarily 
 involve a sentence of judgment, see on 
 
 Is. xiii. 1; and for the entire phrase,’ 
 
 mim? a7 sw, seeon chap.ix.1. That 
 it cannot be so taken here is manifest 
 from the connection. Hengstenberg, in 
 order to establish the contrary hypothe- 
 sis, is obliged to have recourse to the des- 
 perate resort of interpreting Israe/ of the 
 enemies of God! The term is obviously 
 employed in its original acceptation, as 
 designating the whole Hebrew people. 
 With no other reference could it have 
 been introduced. To remove all the 
 doubts which unbelief might suggest 
 respecting the possibility of the deliver- 
 ance here predicted, a sublime descrip- 
 tion is given of the omnipotent Creator 
 by whom it would be effected, than 
 
 which no introduction could have been 
 more appropriate. For Ἐπ τσ" 134, 
 compare Πατὴρ τῶν πνευμάτων, Heb, xii. 
 9, and Numb. ‘xvi. 22, xxvii. 16; and 
 for the several predicates, Is. xlii. 5. 
 
 2. $y 5D, some render a shaking 
 threshold, in imitation of the LXX..és 
 πρόδυρα σαλευόμενα, and interpret the 
 declaration here made of the concussion 
 which Jerusalem should receive from the 
 attack of the enemy ; but it is more nat- 
 ural to regard the phrase as only another 
 form for ΠΣ ππ pip, Is, li. 17, 22, by 
 which is meant a cup filled with intoxi- 
 cating liquors, causing those who drink 
 it to reed and stagger to their injury. 
 Root by5, to shake, reel, stagger. The 
 attempt of Hengstenberg to deny that 
 52 is ever used to denote a cup, is a com- 
 
ZECHARIAH: 
 
 Cuar. XII. 
 
 And also with Judah it shall be thus, 
 
 In the siege of Jerusalem. 
 
 3 And it shall be in that day, I will make Jerusalem 
 A burdensome stone to all people, 
 All that lift it shall be cut in pieces : 
 Yet all the nations of the earth shall be gathered against it. 
 
 4 In that day, saith Jehovah, 
 
 I will smite every horse with consternation, 
 
 And his rider with madness ; 
 
 But upon the house of Judah I will keep my eyes open, 
 
 While I will smite every horse of the people with blindness. 
 5 And the chiefs of Judah shall say in their heart, 
 
 My strength is the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 
 Through Jehovah of hosts their God. 
 
 plete failure, as must be obvious to any 
 one who will take the trouble to consult 
 the Concordance. The second part of 
 the verse has occasioned no small per- 
 plexity to interpreters. The chief diffi- 
 culty is created by the position of the 
 preposition Ἐξ in the phrase ἘΔ" 
 maynr—tz. The Targ., Jerome, Kim- 
 chi, Drusius, Rosenmiiller, Hitzig, Mau- 
 rer, and Ewald, suppose the meaning 
 to be, that the inhabitants of Judah 
 would be compelled to join the enemies 
 in the attack upon Jerusalem, and with 
 them share in the punishment : making 
 tya-g the nominative to m-n7. But 
 this interpretation ill suits the context, 
 in the whole of which Judah is repre- 
 sented as triumphant, and not as placed 
 in the degrading position of auxiliaries 
 in a war against its own capital. I con- 
 sider the preposition to be here used for 
 the purpose of conveying the idea of 
 addition or accompaniment, so that, con- 
 necting Judah with Jerusalem, it repre- 
 sents the former, as well as the latter, as 
 a cup of intoxication to the invaders, 
 See for this use of ἘΣ, Gen, xxxii. 12; 
 Exod. xxxy. 22; Job xxxviii. 32. In 
 support of this interpretation, see espec- 
 ially ver. 6. The same result will be 
 brought out, if we take ἘΣ in the accep- 
 tation in reference to, with respect to; 
 
 thus: “And with respect to Judah it 
 shall also be in the siege;” 7. 6. Judah 
 shall also be a cup, etc. 
 
 3. Another metaphor employed like 
 the preceding to represent the victory 
 which the Jews shall obtain over their 
 enemies, wiose attack will only issue in 
 their own injury. Jerome mentions it 
 as a custom, which still obtained in his 
 time, in Palestine, for young men to try 
 their strength by lifting enormous stones 
 so high from the ground, as to place 
 them upon their heads. It may be from 
 such an exercise that the metaphor is 
 borrowed. wu w describes the cuts or 
 gashes made by the sharp edges or cor- 
 ners of the stones thus employed. Though 
 expased to the punishment here predicat- 
 ed, the nations shall confidently advance 
 to the attack. The confederacy against 
 the Jews will be universal in its charac- 
 ter. 
 
 4. While Jehovah will specially inter- 
 pose for the discomfiture of the enemy 
 by rendering their cavalry incapable of 
 performing any effective service, he will 
 exercise the greatest watchfulness over 
 his people. 
 
 5. ἘΞ is a substantive, but occurs 
 only this once. The LXX. have read 
 suv, and render εὑρήσομεν. The suc- 
 cessful resistance offered to the enemy by 
 
Cuar. XII, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 6 In that day I will make the chiefs of Judah 
 
 Like a fire pot among sticks of wood, 
 
 And like a torch of fire in a sheaf, 
 
 And they shall consume all the people around, 
 
 On the right hand and on the left ; 
 
 For Jerusalem shall occupy her place in Jerusalem. 
 7 And Jehovah shall deliver the tents of Judah first, 
 
 In order that the splendor of the house of David, 
 
 And the splendor of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 
 May not be magnified above Judah. 
 8. In that day Jehovah shall protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem : 
 
 So that he that stumbleth among them in that ὩΣ shall be as 
 
 David, 
 
 And the house of David shall be as God, 
 As the Angel of Jehovah before them. 
 
 the inhabitants of the metropolis, will 
 inspire those of the country with the 
 assurance, that, through the Divine aid, 
 they shall obtain deliverance. ~+ , which 
 is the Dative of advantage, ΣῈ ΕΝ col- 
 lectively for 135. Two MSS. and the 
 Targ. read ~aw75, but no doubt from 
 correction. In two other MSS. "5. 15 
 omitted. 
 
 6. Jerusalem, in the first instance, 
 stands for the inhabitants. After the 
 Jews shall have completely routed their 
 enemies, they shall dwell in peace in 
 their own land, and in the city of their 
 ancient solemnities. Houbigant proposes 
 to change ESwan7, as occurring the sec- 
 ond time, into πὴ 83, but, like most of 
 his other conjectures, the change is not 
 based upon any authority. One MS., 
 the Arab, and the Greek MS. Pachom, 
 omit the word altogether. 
 
 7. The inhabitants of the country 
 being more exposed to the evils of the 
 war than those in the fortified city, shall 
 be the first to experience the Divine 
 help. Standing in antithesis with the 
 capital, their comparative helplessness 
 is clearly implied; and the reason for 
 the preference being given to them is 
 assigned to be the prevention of that 
 spirit of pride and self-exaltation, in 
 
 which the inhabitants of a royal metrop- 
 olis are too prone toindulge. The read- 
 ing TMIVRAD » ‘as at the first,” which is 
 found in two MSS., and is the original 
 reading of three more, and is favored by 
 the LXX., Arab., Syr., and Vulg., is not 
 entitled to consideration. 
 
 8. A gracious promise of Divine assis- 
 tance, supported, with admirable effect, 
 by a beautiful climax. From the cireum- 
 stance, that the LXX. have in several 
 instances rendered Ext, by angels, 
 some interpreters have supposed that the 
 term is to be so understood here. The 
 more enlightened moderns, however, dis- 
 eard this signification altogether. See 
 Gesenius, Thesaurus Ling. Heb. p. 95, 
 and Lee’s Heb. Lex. p. 32. What 
 clearly shows that no such idea can 
 attach to the word in this place is the 
 corrective phrase, m4m? Δ Ξ2Ξ., as the 
 Angel of Jehovah, immediately follow- 
 ing. The house of David was to be as 
 God, yet not as God in the abstract, of 
 which no proper conception can be form- 
 ed, but as God manifested to men in his 
 glorious forthcomings under the ancient 
 dispensation, in the Divine Person of the 
 Son, who went before the children of 
 Israel as their Almighty leader and Pro- 
 tector, and to whom are vindicated the 
 
424 
 
 9 And it shall be in that day, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. ΧΗ 
 
 I will seek to destroy all the nations 
 
 That come against Jerusalem. 
 
 10 And I will pour out upon the house of David, 
 And upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 A spirit of grace and of gracious supplications, 
 And they shall look unto me whom they have pierced, 
 
 sum total of the Divine attributes. See 
 Exod. xxxii. 34; where the words "=x sda 
 72> 352 form the type of min asta 
 Ἐπ oe here adopted by Zechariah. 
 ines also Exod. xxxiil. 15, xxiii. 
 ; Is. lxiii. 9; Mal. iii, 1; and my 
 cae on Zech. i. re 
 9. πο τ tpas, I will seek to de- 
 stroy, is spoken more humano, but con- 
 veys no idea of weakness in the speaker. 
 «*«Summo studio ero attentus. Calvin. 
 10. We have here a clear and definite 
 prophecy of the future conversion of the 
 Jews, in consequence of a special and 
 extraordinary outpouring of the influ- 
 ences of the Holy Spirit. Nothing that 
 has hitherto taken place in the history 
 of that people can be regarded as in any 
 degree answering to the description here 
 furnished, not even the numerous con- 
 versions that accompanied the Apostolic 
 preaching on the day of Pentecost, and 
 subsequently as narrated in the Acts. 
 By nan, spirit, is not meant a gracious 
 and prayerful disposition produced in 
 the minds of the Jews, but the Divine 
 influence itself by which that disposition 
 will be created. It is called * spirit’ 
 by metonomy of cause for effect. 45 and 
 D753 are from the same root, 42 n, to 
 regard with favor, exercise mercy, οἷο. 
 The verb w23, here used in Hiphil, is 
 intensive in signification: to look to, or 
 regard with fixed attention, to contem- 
 plate with deep interest, and with beliey- 
 ing expectation. Such is the nature of 
 that act of the mind which is exerted 
 by every converted sinner, when the Sa- 
 viour is spiritually discerned. In the 
 case of the Jews there will be a special 
 recognition of him as the Messiah whom 
 
 
 
 their ancestors crucified, and whose deed 
 they have appropriated by their personal 
 unbelief and opposition to the truth of 
 the Gospel, but whom they will then 
 regard as all their salvation and all their 
 desire. The textual reading "Ἐπ, in the 
 phrase "bx wan, “they shall look to 
 Mz,” has been the subject of much con- 
 troversy. It is found in most MSS., 
 
 and among these the best, and is sup- 
 ported by the LXX., Aq., Symm., 
 Theod., Syr., Targ., Vulg., and Arab. 
 It is the more difficult reading, and one 
 which has always proved revolting to the 
 mind of a Jew, as there is no other ante- 
 cedent to whom it can be referred than 
 man, JEHOVAH, verses 1 and 4, In 
 aoe to avoid this reference, Kimchi 
 gives to the following words, zx rs 
 ΠΡ Ἢν the interpretation, because ‘they 
 pierced, leaving it undetermined who 
 was pierced. But this construction is 
 altogether inadmissible, as it deprives 
 the verb of its accusative case, which is 
 expressed in every other instance in 
 which it occurs. It has accordingly been 
 condemned by Abenezra, Abarbanel, 
 Alschech, and other Rabbins. The ren- 
 dering given to sp= by the LXX. κατωρ- 
 χήσαντο, they insulted, has been eagerly 
 seized upon by some, especially by Thei- 
 ner, Rosenmiiller, Eichhorn, Gesenius, 
 De Wette, Winer, and by none more 
 than Maurer, who is at great pains to 
 prove that, like a7; and 5355, the verb 
 “p71 is to be taken in the metaphorical 
 sense of blaspheming or cursing. Against 
 such interpretation it is justly objected 
 that this verb, which occurs in ten other 
 passages, is never used except in the lit- 
 eral acceptation of piercing the body, It 
 
Cuap. XII. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 And they shall lament for him, 
 As one lamenteth for an only son, 
 
 And be in bitterness for him, 
 
 As one is in bitterness for a first-born. 
 
 is thus used in chap. xiii. 3, of this very 
 book. The same objection lies against 
 the metaphorical sense of grieving or 
 provoking, which even Calvin adopted, 
 though he admits that the prophecy was 
 literally fulfilled in Christ. 
 
 That the passage has a Messianic ref- 
 erence has been admitted both by the 
 ancient and the more modern Jews. In 
 the Gemara of Jerusalem, written some- 
 time in the third century, we read : Ἴ" Ὁ 
 mwa Sv Atbon nT OSS IM paws 
 son as. ἘΦ amon ΠῚ oN ΤΙΝ ὙἸΓΙῚ - 
 Two opinions are expressed: one states 
 that they mourned on account of Messiah, 
 and another that they mourned on account 
 of corrupt nature. A similar passage 
 occurs in the Gemara of Babylon, ‘Tract 
 Succoth, fol. 52, col. 1, in which the 
 words of Zechariah are cited, after the 
 declaration respecting the mourning: 
 Fon ja mwa Sy cent ἽΝ webwa 
 samnsw. May he be in peace who refers 
 it to Messiah the son of Joseph, who shall 
 be slain. See also the commentaries of 
 Abarbanel and Abenezra, who give the 
 same interpretation, as also does the Tal- 
 Καὶ Chasdash, fol. 24: -ps-w ‘nN 7D 
 Nao "5. CARN ΠΟ "a Awa win’ pan 
 717 ja Pwa went m4. For after 
 they have pierced Jonah, who is Messiah 
 the son of Joseph, then David will come, 
 Messiah the son of David. WHengsten- 
 berg’s Christo]. vol. iii. p. 222. The 
 fiction of two Messiahs, one the son of 
 Joseph, who should suffer and die, and 
 another the son of David, who should 
 prove victorious and reign forever, was 
 invented purely with a view to reconcile 
 those passages which describe the Mes- 
 siah now as suffering, and now as reign- 
 ing in glory, and thus to evade the Chris- 
 tian application of them to our Saviour. 
 
 It only remains to inquire how the 
 Jews, who did not acquiesce in the 
 
 54 
 
 interpretation adopted by Kimchi, have 
 endeavored to get rid of the pronominal 
 reference in "Ἐπ. To this the reply is: 
 By changing the reading into bx, 
 which, however, they did not at first 
 venture to insert into the text, but merely 
 gave it as the Keri, or corrected reading 
 in the margin. This Keri, however, is 
 only found in sixteen of Kennicott’s and 
 De Rossi’s MSS.; but at length a more 
 daring step was taken by receiving it 
 into the text itself, in which it is found 
 in thirty-four of Kennicott’s MSS., orig- 
 inally in three more, perhaps in five 
 others, and now by correction in six; in 
 six of De Rossi’s own, in two more 
 originally, now in five others, and in 
 twenty collated by him in other libra- 
 ries. Of this insertion a serious com- 
 plaint is made by Raymundus Martini, 
 in his Pugio Fidei, p. 411, Leipsic, 1687, 
 fol. And so ashamed have Lipmann, 
 Abarbanel, and other Rabbins been of it, 
 that they pass it entirely by in their con- 
 troversies with the Christians, or candidly 
 acknowledge that it is not to be regarded 
 as forming any part of the sacred text. 
 It is much to be regretted, that while it 
 has been rejected by the best Jewish and 
 Christian critics, the most free-thinking 
 of the German school not excepted, it 
 should have been adopted by Newcome 
 and Boothroyd, who accordingly trans- 
 late: ‘*They shall look unto Him whom 
 they have pierced.” It is true, they 
 may seem to have the sanction of the 
 Evangelist John, who quotes the passage 
 thus: “Opovra eis ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν, Xix. 
 37, and employs the words, καὶ οἵτινες 
 αὐτόν ἐξεκέντησαν, Rev. i. 7; but it must 
 be obvious that he gives the prophecy 
 historically, as having’been literally ful- 
 filled in Jesus of Nazareth, without de- 
 signing to exhibit the exact wording of 
 the prophet. See on Zech. xi, 12, 18. 
 
426 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. XII. 
 
 11 In that day there shall be great lamentation in Jerusalem, 
 As the lamentation of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon, 
 
 12 
 
 And the land shall lament, every family apart ; 
 
 The family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart ; 
 The family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart ; 
 
 19 
 
 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart ; 
 
 The family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart ; 
 
 14 All the families that are leit, 
 
 Every family apart, and their wives apart. 
 
 It might be supposed that "Ἐπ being the 
 true reading, "ἘΣ, and not ity, would 
 be required in the foliowing sentence; 
 but the use of the expletive phrase rsx 
 
 sax, necessarily led to the change of 
 construction. “on is the infinitive of 
 Hiphil, which carries forward the de- 
 scription instead of the finite form. It 
 is here used intransitively; the root is 
 “τ - The verb -50 signifies primarily 
 to beat ; then, as a sign of intense grief, 
 to smite or beat the breast. There being 
 usually great wailing and lamentation 
 connected with such significant action in 
 the East, it is also used to denote the 
 noise made by mourners. The instances 
 selected for illustration are of the most 
 tender and touching kind. 
 
 11. To represent the greatness and 
 universality of the lamentation which 
 he describes, the prophet compares it 
 to the greatest ever known among the 
 Jews, viz. that which took place on the 
 death of the excellent king Josiah, the 
 result of the wound which he received 
 at Hadad-rimmon. 2 Kings xxiii. 29 ; 
 2 Chron. xxxv. 23—25. See also the 
 Lamentations. of Jeremiah, composed on 
 the occasion. Hadad-rimmon was the 
 name of a place in the great plain of 
 Esdraelon, near Megiddo, and was prob- 
 ably so called after the Syrian idol of 
 
 that name. In the time of Jerome it 
 was called Maximianopolis. 
 
 12—14. In these verses the universal 
 character of the mourning is described, 
 while, at the same time, its particular 
 and individual features are likewise set 
 forth. To show that all will be the sub- 
 jects of it, the prophet begins with the 
 descendants of David, and then proceeds 
 to those of the priests, on account of the 
 influence which their example would 
 have on the rest of the people. Instead 
 of Shimei, the LXX. have Συμεὼν, sup- 
 posing that a tribal division was in- 
 tended; and some have thought that 
 yisy,, Shammua, one of the sons of 
 David, 2 Sam. v. 14, is meant; but it is 
 more natural to regard the individual as 
 one of the sons of Levi, who is classed 
 along with that patriarch, just as Na- 
 than, one of the sons of David, is with 
 him, ver. 12. For sy:23, Shimei, see 
 Numb. iii. 18, 21, in which latter verse 
 “viem nme, the family of the Shi- 
 meites, occurs just as in Zechariah. It 
 is implied in the last verse, that some 
 families shall have become extinct at the 
 period referred to. The men and women 
 mourning apart has reference to the Jew- 
 ish custom, according to which not only 
 did the females dwell in separate apart- 
 ments from the males, but Ἂν worship- 
 ped separately. 
 
Cuap. XIII. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 427 
 
 9.45 i 
 
 Tus chapter contains a continuation of the prophecy respecting the future conversion of 
 the Jews, ver. 1; predictions relating to the entire abolition of idolatry and false doctrine, 
 2—6; a resumption of the subject of the Messiah’s sufferings, 7; and an account of the 
 destruction of the greater part of the Jews during the Roman war, the preservation of 
 
 the rgst, and their ultimate restoration, 8, 9. 
 
 1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened 
 To the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 
 
 For guilt and for uncleanness. 
 
 2 And it shall be in that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 I will cut off the names of the idols from the earth ; 
 And they shall not be remembered any more, 
 And I will.also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit 
 
 To pass away from the earth. 
 
 1. This verse is intimately connected 
 with the subject of the concluding verses 
 of the preceding chapter. It is designed 
 to relieve the anxious and troubled minds 
 of the penitents there described. “p72, 
 a well, or fountain, from 4p, to dig ; 
 not, perhaps, without reference to chap. 
 xii. 10. msun, guilt, from sun, fo 
 miss a mark or way, to sin; hence the 
 substantive comes to signify the guilt 
 contracted by sinning, the punishment 
 to which it exposes the transgressor, and 
 a sin offering, for the purpose of making 
 expiation. That it is here to be taken 
 in the sense of guz/t, is shown by the 
 accompanying term 72, wncleanness, 
 or the impurity contracted by sin. That 
 moral, and not ceremonial guilt and pol- 
 lution are intended, the circumstances 
 of the case evince; and the Jews are 
 taught, that their deliverance from these 
 is not to be effected by the Levitical 
 sacrifices and purifications, but by the 
 cleansing influence flowing from the 
 death of the Messiah. See Heb. ix. 
 13, 14; 1 Johni. 7. The verse exhibits 
 the two grand doctrines of the gospel : 
 justification and sanctification. The 
 
 fountain here spoken of was opened when 
 the Redeemer presented his sacrifice on 
 the cross ; but the Jews, with compara- 
 tively few exceptions, after the apos- 
 tolic age, have shut it against them- 
 selves by their impenitence and unbelief. 
 When, however, these shall be removed 
 by the outpouring of Divine influence, 
 promised, chap. xii. 10, they shall find 
 it mm: , opened, full, and overflowing 
 with all spiritual blessings. 
 
 2. As no idolatry has existed among 
 the Jews since their return from Babylon, 
 and it is in the highest degree improbable 
 that they will ever fall into it again, 
 y187 should not be rendered, as in our 
 common version, the land, but the earth ; 
 so that this and the following verses de- 
 scribe the total extinction of that horrible 
 evil, and all the other systems of supersti- 
 tion and false religion which now impose 
 upon the human family, together with 
 those who teach and defend them. By 
 meen Ayn, the spirit of impurity, is 
 meant a person pretending to inspiration, 
 and in league with Satan, the god of this 
 world, to whom, in contradistinction to 
 toFm ran, the spirit of holiness, the 
 
428 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. XIII. 
 
 3 So that should any one still prophesy, 
 His father and his mother — his parents 
 Shall say to him, Thou shalt not live ; 
 For thou speakest falsehood in the name of Jehovah; 
 And his father and his mother — his parents 
 Shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. 
 
 4 And it shall be in that day, 
 
 That the prophets shall be ashamed, ᾽ 
 Eyery one of his vision, when he prophesieth ; 
 And they shall not wear a hairy garment to deceive. 
 
 5 But each shall say, I am not a prophet, 
 
 I am a tiller of the ground ; 
 
 For I have been in a state of slavery from my youth. 
 
 6 Then shall it be said to him, 
 
 What are these wounds in thy hands ? 
 
 And he will say, 
 
 Those with which I have been wounded in the house of my 
 
 friends, 
 
 designation may well be applied. Com- 
 pare πνεῦμα πύϑωνος, Acts xvi. 16; τὸ 
 πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης, 1 John, iv. 6; and 
 especially, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ ψευδο- 
 προφήτου πνεύματα τρία ἀκάϑαρτα, Rev. 
 xvi. 18. 
 
 3. There is in this verse a recognition 
 of the law against those who seduced 
 others to idolatry, Deut. xiii. 6—11. 
 eotba, parents. “>>, signifies both to 
 beget, and to bear children. The evil 
 here denounced will not be connived at 
 even by the nearest relatives. The ten- 
 derest parental feelings shall give place 
 to the infliction of merited punishment. 
 
 4,5. The shame with which false 
 teachers shall be covered is here set 
 forth. The hairy mantle, the garb of 
 the ancient prophets, and that of certain 
 orders of monks still, which is assumed 
 in order to inspire the multitude with 
 an impression of the superior sanctity 
 of those by whom they are worn, shall 
 be thrown aside, as dangerous to appear 
 in. The false prophets wished to pass 
 off as those who had really been invested 
 with a Divine commission. The form 
 of the infinitive arkaam is according 
 
 to the analogy of verbs in “nt. To the 
 singular "ΩΝ Ἢ.» at the beginning of ver. 
 5, each of the prophets previously men- 
 tioned is the nominative. %2377, lit. 
 one sold me as a slave, but taken in con- 
 nection with the following, “452%, 
 from my youth, it signifies to be held in 
 a state of slavery, to be a slave. The 
 speaker declares that he had always been 
 in a condition of life with which the 
 exercise of the prophetic office was alto- 
 gether incompatible. tx, which some 
 translators have preposterously retained 
 as the proper name, Adam, is here used 
 impersonally, precisely as the German 
 man, and is best rendered into English by 
 the passive of the accompanying verb. 
 
 6. This verse is commonly applied to 
 the sufferings of Christ, but without any 
 further ground than its mere proximity 
 to that which follows, in which he and 
 his sufferings are clearly predicted. In 
 no tolerable sense could the Jews be 
 called his ἘΞ πο, lovers, or friends ; 
 on the contrary, they hated both him 
 and his Father. The words connect with 
 the preceding thus: The false prophet, 
 though he might rid himself of his idol- 
 
Cuap. XIII. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 7 Awake, O sword! against my shepherd, 
 
 And against the man who is united to me, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts: 
 
 atrous vestments, would not be able to 
 efface the marks that had been made 
 on his hands in honor of the idol which 
 he served, yet as it was customary to 
 cut and maim the body, especially the 
 hand, in token of grief for departed rel- 
 atives, he might hope to escape detection 
 by attributing his scars to the latter 
 cause. 
 
 7. Various opinions have been formed 
 respecting the person here referred to. 
 Calvin thought he was Zechariah him- 
 self, as representative of all the prophets, 
 and that the prophecy referred only in- 
 directly to Christ. Grotius, Eichhorn, 
 Bauer, and Jahn, apply it to Judas Mac- 
 cabeus; Maurer to Jehoiakim ; Ewald to 
 Pekah ; Hitzig to the pretended prophets 
 spoken of in the preceding verses! The 
 only satisfactory solution of the question 
 is that which regards the words as di- 
 rectly and exclusively prophetic of the 
 person and sufferings of the Messiah. 
 This solution is induced not only by our 
 Saviour’s express appropriation of them 
 to himself, Matt. xxvi. 31, but also by 
 the manifest identity of the subject 
 treated with that exhibited chap. xi. 4, 
 7, 10—14. The same subject there 
 handled is resumed, and treated, just as 
 it is there, in connection with the down- 
 fall of the Jewish state. The prophecy 
 contained in this and the following verses 
 has no coherence with what immediately 
 precedes, and was evidently delivered 
 upon a different occasion. A new sec- 
 tion may, therefore, be considered as 
 commencing here, though it only extends 
 to chap. xiv. 5. The language employed 
 is altogether peculiar. Not only is the 
 Messiah designated the Shepherd of 
 Jehovah, to indicate the relation in 
 which he stood to the Father in the 
 economy of redemption, but he is de- 
 scribed as ἢ ὩΣ 723, the man of his 
 union; i. e. conjoined or closely united 
 to him. ‘The term translated man, is 
 
 not that usually employed in Hebrew, 
 which in such construction would merely 
 be idiomatic, but Ἔξ, @ strong, or 
 mighty man, one who is such by way of 
 eminence. 77» is used elsewhere only 
 in the Pentateuch, namely, in Lev. vy. 
 Ὁ XV? Os ΧΙΧῚ 11, e LO Silden χαὰν 10. 
 xxy. 14, 15, 17; in all which passages 
 it is employed to denote persons who 
 were united together under common 
 laws, for the enjoyment of common 
 rights and privileges. It is derived 
 from my, cognate with prey, to bind, 
 bind together, unite in society; Arab. 
 
 , communis fit, communem fecit 
 
 rem: hence the derivates ἘΣ, a people, 
 ὃ. 6. those united for their common inter- 
 terest; may, conjunction, communion, 
 association ; ὩΣ, the conjunction with, 
 indicating accompaniment, society. The 
 renderings of the versions vary. LXX. 
 ἄνδρα πολίτην μου. Aq. ἄνδρα σύμφυλόν 
 
 μου. Symm. ἄνδρα τοῦ λαοῦ μου. 
 
 δ cs 
 Theod. ἄνδρα πλησίον μου. Syr. | 2 
 
 ο 
 «αὐλὸν the man my friend. Targ. 
 
 mo> MOTT ΤΙΣ ΛΞ wan Rtuds, the 
 ruler his companion, his associate who is 
 like him. Vulg. virum coherentem mihi. 
 Leo Juda, virwm coequalem mihi. Heng- 
 stenberg, ὦ man, my nearest relation. 
 Burger, mon confident. De Wette, 
 
 Den Mann meines Gleichen, the 
 man my equal. Arnheim, Dem Manne, 
 
 den ich mir gugesellt, the man whom 
 I have associated with myself. ‘The two 
 last are the more remarkable, coming, as 
 they do, the one from a Rationalist, and 
 the other from a Jew. The idea expres- 
 sed by the latter I conceive to be pre- 
 cisely what was intended by the Holy 
 Spirit, by whom the words were indited. 
 But of whom can this association be 
 predicated, except of Him whose human 
 
490 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 παρ. XIIL 
 
 Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, 
 But I will turn back my hand upon the little ones. 
 8 And it shall be that in all the land, 
 
 Saith Jehovah, 
 
 Two parts therein shall be cut off and expire, 
 But the third part shall be left in it. 
 9 And I will cause the third part to go through the fire, 
 
 nature was assumed into the most inti- 
 mate and perfect union with the Divine 
 —-IMMANUEL, who was one with the 
 Father, and who could say, “ He that 
 hath seen me, hath seen the Father! 
 The union or association is that of the 
 two natures, and not that of the Divine 
 nature or substance. This the use of the 
 word =23,, man, clearly proves. ‘To the 
 objection, that the words cannot be ap- 
 plied to our Saviour, since he was not 
 cut off by a sword, it has been sufficiently 
 replied, that 24, sword, is here used 
 figuratively for any means of taking 
 away human life, just as in Exod. v. 21; 
 2 Sam. xii. 9, compared with 2 Sam. xi. 
 24, That the wicked Jews are intended, 
 see Ps. xvii. 13, where the wicked are 
 called the sword of Jehovah. They are 
 regarded as in a state of sleep or inac- 
 tivity, and are summoned to perpetrate 
 the awful deed. According to an idiom 
 common in the Hebrew prophets, the 
 imperative is used instead of the future, 
 in order to express with greater force the 
 certainty of the event. See my note on 
 Is. vi. 10. For a parallel instance of the 
 personification of the sword, see Jer. 
 xlvii. 6,7. As a>n is feminine, and 57 
 masculine, Hitzig would refer the latter 
 to the human agent handling the sword, 
 but the irregularity in point of gender is 
 sufficiently accounted for by the remote- 
 ness of the antecedent. 5m, smite, is 
 quoted, Matt. xxvi. 31, asif it were Fx, 
 I will smite, the first person singular of 
 the future in Hiphil. There is no diver- 
 sity of reading in the Hebrew MSS., but 
 the Ald. and Pachom. MSS. of the 
 LXX. read πατάξον, instead of πατάξω, 
 which the Evangelist Matthew and Mark 
 
 have copied. The difference is unimpor- 
 tant, yet there seems to be more propriety 
 in the reading 57, with reference to the 
 sword addressed in the preceding clause, 
 than in connecting this verb, whatever 
 may be supposed to have been its form, 
 with what follows in the verse. Com- 
 paring the present verse with chap. xi. 
 4, 7, and especially with what is pre- 
 dicted in the two following verses of the 
 present chapter, in which the same sub- 
 ject is continued, it is evident the 33, 
 sheep, or flock, cannot be restricted to the 
 disciples of Christ. The circumstances, 
 however, in reference to which our Sa- 
 viour appropriated the prophecy, afforded 
 a striking type of the dispersion of the 
 Jewish people, which is that intended by 
 Zechariah. The disciples as Jews formed 
 part of the flock which the good shep- 
 herd was commissioned to feed, but they, 
 together with the Jewish Christians, con- 
 verted by their ministry, who formed the 
 first: church at Jerusalem, were the 
 rons, tittle ones, on whom the Lord 
 promises to turn back his hand, in 
 order to protect them in the time of 
 calamity. That the phrase ἘΣ πὸ a-an, 
 to turn, or turn back the hand, upon any 
 one, is used in a good as well as in a bad 
 sense, see on Is. i. 25. 
 
 8, 9. In these verses are predicted the 
 destruction of two-thirds of the inhabi- 
 tants of Judea by the Roman arms, and 
 by the famine and pestilence, the usual 
 concomitants of war in the East, and 
 the preservation of the remaining third 
 part, which, after having been submitted 
 to very trying and afflictive processes, 
 should come forth out of the furnace a 
 regenerated and spiritual people. The 
 
Cuap. XIV. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 ; 431 
 
 And will refine them as silver is refined, 
 And will try them as gold is tried; 
 It shall invoke my name, and I will answer it , 
 
 I will say, It is my people ; 
 
 And it shall say, Jehovah is my God, 
 
 former was fulfilled not only during what 
 is commonly called the Jewish war, but 
 also, to a fearful extent, under more than 
 one of the succeeding emperors ; the 
 processes pointed at in the latter have 
 been more or less carried forward ever 
 
 since, but are, it is to be hoped, soon to 
 terminate in the conversion of the Jews 
 to God. Then shall they enter into a 
 new relation to him, according to the 
 terms of the better covenant, Jer. xxxi. 
 33; Heb. viii. 10, 11. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 In the first two verses of this chapter the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and the 
 calamities consequent upon that event are set forth; after which the destruction of the 
 forces composing the hostile army is predicted, 3. A promise of special interposition in 
 behalf of the people of God is then given, by which effectual provision is made for their 
 escape, 4,5. The prophet next describes a period of great calamity, which is to give place 
 to one of unmixed and perennial happiness, 6,7; when the means of spiritual life and 
 enjoyment shall be universal and continual, 8; and the true God the exclusive object of 
 obedience and worship, 9; and while every barrier to the free intercourse of Christians 
 throughout the world shall be removed, special honor will be conceded to Jerusalem as 
 the metropolis of converted Israel, 10, 11. The dreadful judgments to be inflicted on 
 their final enemies, and the complete discomfiture of these enemies, are depicted, 12—15: 
 after which follow predictions respecting an annual visit which all the nations shall pay 
 to Jerusalem, 16; the punishment of those which neglect to perform it, 17—19; and the 
 universally holy character which shall distinguish her inhabitants, their occupations and 
 services, 20, 21. 
 
 1. Benorp the day of Jehovah cometh, 
 And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 
 2 For I will collect all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, 
 
 1. For the phraseology τοῦτ Ὁ ἈΞ 64>, meant all that her inhabitants had accu- 
 
 comp. Is. xxii. 5. The criticism of Heng- 
 stenberg, who denies that it is equivalent 
 tomin= DA ἈΞ» is without any founda- 
 tion, By the day of Jehovah is meant 
 the period of the infliction of judgment. 
 See, in reference to the same event which 
 is here predicted, Joel ii. 31, iii, 14; Mal. 
 iy. 1, 5. By the spoil of Jerusalem is 
 
 mulated, and which would be fit spoil 
 for the enemy, especially the treasures of 
 the temple. Notwithstanding all that 
 was consumed by fire, the plunder ob- 
 tained by the Romans was so great, that 
 gold fell in Syria to half its former value, 
 
 2. All the nations here mean soldiers 
 from all the different nations forming 
 
432 
 
 And the city shall be taken, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 ‘Cuar. XIV. 
 
 And the houses plundered, and the women ravished ; 
 And half the city shall go forth into captivity, 
 But the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 
 
 And fight with those nations, 
 As in the day when he fought 
 In the day of battle. 
 
 And Jehovah shall go forth, 
 
 And his feet shall stand in that day 
 
 On the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east ; 
 And the mount of Olives shall be split in its midst, 
 Toward the east and toward the west, 
 
 Into a very great valley ; 
 
 Half of the mountain shall recede towards the north, 
 And half of it towards the south. 
 
 And ye shall flee to the valley of my mountains, 
 
 For the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal ; 
 Yea, ye shall flee as ye fled from the earthquake, 
 In the days of Uzziah, king of Judah ; 
 
 the Roman empire, which composed the 
 army of Titus. The verse contains a 
 fearful description of the capture of 
 Jerusalem under the command of that 
 general. After its destruction, the more 
 distinguished, handsome, and able-bodied 
 Jews were sold into slavery, or con- 
 demned to work in the mines; but the 
 poorer and more contemptible sort were 
 permitted to remain among the ruins. 
 As usual, where =352¥7 occurs in the 
 text the Keri has τὸ 2307 , for the sake 
 of euphemism. The latter word has 
 found its way into a great many MSS. 
 
 3. The Roman power was doomed in 
 its turn to destruction. Formidable as 
 it might appear, Jehovah would in his 
 providence overthrow it, as he had done 
 the enemies of his people in former ages. 
 Comp. Exod, xiv. 14, xv. 3, ete. 
 
 4, 5. These verses convey, in language 
 of the most beautiful poctical imagery, 
 the assurance of the effectual means ot 
 escape that should be provided for the 
 truly pious. We accordingly learn from 
 Eusebius, that on the breaking out of 
 the Jewish war, the Christian church at 
 
 Jerusalem, in obedience to the warning 
 of our Saviour, Matt. xxiv. 16, fled to 
 Pella, a city beyond Jordan, where they 
 lived in safety. As the mount of Olives 
 lay in their way, it is represented as 
 cleaving into two halves, in order to 
 make a passage for them. Comp. chap. 
 iv. 7. 5ππ is not to be considered as the 
 less usual form of the masculine plural, 
 but as a proper plural with the pronom- 
 inal affix. Jehovah calls them Ais, be- 
 cause he had formed them, by cleaving 
 Olivet into two. The valley lay between 
 them. xs was the proper name of a 
 place, close to one of the gates on the 
 east side of Jerusalem, to which the cleft 
 cr valley was to extend westward, so as 
 at once to admit those who should flee 
 from the enemy. Most commentators 
 think of some locality to the east of the 
 mount of Olives, but far less aptly. The 
 word properly signifies to join or be 
 Joined to, be at the side, near. Its prox- 
 imity to the city must have originated 
 the name. For ene31, ye shall flee, we 
 find the reading pre: » Shall be stopped 
 up, in four of De Rossi’s MSS. and in 
 
Cuap. XIV. 
 
 For Jehovah my God shall come, 
 And all the holy ones with thee. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 433 
 
 6 And it shall be in that day 
 
 That there shall not be the light of the precious orbs, 
 
 But condensed darkness. 
 7 But there shall be one day, 
 
 the margin of Bomberg’s Hebrew Bible; 
 but, though supported by the LXX., 
 Arab., Targ., Symm., and the other 
 Greek interpreters, it is utterly to be re- 
 jected, as unsuited to the connection. 
 The very opposite of what would thus be 
 expressed, is required. Yet it is adopted 
 by Blayney and Boothroyd! We have 
 nothing in Scripture relative to the earth- 
 quake here referred to except as a date, 
 Amos i. 1. Instead of "122 , with thee, 
 nearly forty MSS, and all the versions 
 read $13, with him; and instead of 
 mun , the holy ones, one MS., the Syr., 
 Arab., and Targ., read vnap , his holy 
 ones. ‘To refer 2», with the Rabbins, 
 Drusius, and Blayney, to Jerusalem, is 
 quite inadmissible, since such construc- 
 tion affords no tolerable sense. The 
 change of person was occasioned by a 
 sudden transition in the mind of the 
 prophet to the Lord, whom he addresses 
 as present. For the application of this 
 part of the prophecy, compare the par- 
 allel prediction of our Lord himself, Matt. 
 xxiv. 30, 31, where those whom Zecha- 
 riah designates p-ynp, holy ones, are 
 called τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ. That a fu- 
 ture personal and pre-millennial advent 
 of the Redeemer is here taught, I cannot 
 find. 
 
 6. Now follows the prediction of a 
 period of unmitigated calamity, which 
 may be regarded as comprehending the 
 long centuries of oppression, cruelty, 
 mockery, and scorn, to which the Jews 
 haye been subjected ever since the de- 
 struction of Jerusalem. It has also, for 
 the most part, been a period during which 
 the gross darkness of superstition and 
 delusion has reigned over the land of 
 their fathers. 4*NEpy méap> have been 
 
 δῦ 
 
 variously rendered and _ interpreted. 
 LXX. Pixos καὶ πάγος. Vulg. frigus et 
 
 gelu. Syr. 1 ἊΝ 5 EN WWI , cold 
 and ice. Thus also Maurer, and several 
 other moderns. But whatever connec- 
 tion there may be between the absence 
 of light and the production of cold and 
 ice in the depth of winter, the contrast 
 is not so natural as that between light 
 and darkness. Besides, nape cannot 
 with any show of truth be rendered cold. 
 It is an adjective plural from the root 
 "Eto be precious, valuable, costly. The 
 idea of cold rests upon no better author- 
 ity than a mere Rabbinical conjecture 
 embodied in the Keri of Prov. xvii. Die 
 which exhibits m5 =>, instead of "Pi 
 rian, the proper and only term suitable 
 in such connection. That nin? may 
 fitly be understood as designating the 
 celestial luminaries, whence we obtain 
 what, in common parlance, we call «the 
 precious light of heaven,” will appear on 
 comparing Job xxxi. 26, where the moon 
 is described as 545 “p>, walking pre- 
 ciously or splendidly across the heavens. 
 With Prof. Lee, (Heb. Lex. p. 533,) I 
 read r4h=p> =4x in construction, placing 
 the accent on the latter of the two words, 
 instead of retaining it over the former. 
 JiN=p properly signifies congetation, con- 
 densation, excessive density, from NED, 
 to draw together, contract, become thick, 
 dense, and the like. Blayney renders, 
 thick fog. The textual reading Ἴ" ΑΞ τ, 
 they shall withdraw themselves, is inferior 
 to that of the Keri πε 5", which is 
 found in the text of one hundred and 
 thirty-four of Kennicott’s MSS., and in 
 twenty-two more originally, in nine of 
 De Rossi’s Spanish MSS., which are 
 
454 
 
 (It is known to Jehovah), 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. XIV. 
 
 When it shall not be day and night ; 
 For at the time of the evening there shall be light. 
 
 8 And it shall be in that day 
 
 That living waters shall proceed from Jerusalem, 
 Half of them to the Eastern sea, 
 
 And half of them to the Western sea; 
 
 In summer and in winter shall it be. 
 
 reckoned the best in the Soncin., Brix- 
 ian, and Complutensian editions, and in 
 Machzors of the fifteenth and sixteenth 
 centuries. None of the ancient versions 
 employ a verb. 
 
 7. Another period is here predicted, 
 but one entirely different from the pre- 
 ceding —a day altogether unique, ἘΔ" 
 “πὶ , one peculiar day, the only one of 
 its kind. See Gesenius in thx, No. 5. 
 Its peculiarity is to consist in the absence 
 of the alternations of day and night. 
 It is to be all day—a period of entire 
 freedom from war, oppression and other 
 outward evils which induce affliction 
 and wretchedness, interrupt the peace of 
 the church, and prevent the ee of 
 truth and righteousness. Νὺξ yap οὐκ 
 ἔσται ἐκεῖ, Rev. xxii. 25. ΞΏΣΤΩΣ, the 
 time of the evening, does not refer to the 
 close of the happy period just described, 
 but to that of the preceding period of 
 afflictive darkness. At the very time 
 when a dark and gloomy day is expected 
 to give way to a night of still greater 
 darkness and obscurity, light shall sud- 
 denly break forth, the light of the one 
 long day, which is to be interrupted by 
 no night. ‘That this period is that of the 
 Millennium, or the thousand years, the 
 circumstances of which are described 
 Rev. xx. 3—7, i cannot entertain a 
 doubt. The time of its commencement 
 has been variously but fruitlessly caleu- 
 lated. The knowledge of it the Father 
 hath reserved in his own power. “It is 
 known to Jehovah,”’ and, by implication, 
 to him alone. 
 
 8. pwn etn, living, i. 6. running, 
 perennial, refreshing, and salubrious wa- 
 
 ter, in opposition to that which is stag- 
 nant and noxious. ‘s4o7pm Δ, the 
 Eastern sea, i. e. the Asphalltitic Lake; 
 and Vos p:, the Western sea, i. 6. 
 the Mediterranean ; so called because 
 when a person resident at Jerusalem 
 faces the East, which is the primary 
 point of the horizon with the Orientals, 
 the Dead Sea is before him, (*34777), 
 and the Mediterranean (πὸ) behind 
 him. The more important portions of 
 the globe lying to the east and west of 
 Jerusalem, there is an obvious propriety 
 in the selection of these two directions. 
 The declaration that these waters are to 
 flow a maa VP» is expressive of con- 
 stancy. They shall neither be dried up 
 by the heat of summer, nor congealed 
 by the frost of winter. The LXX. have 
 ἐν ϑέρει καὶ ἐν ἔαρι, “in summer and in 
 spring,’ which is to be accounted for on 
 the ground that what was winter in more 
 northerly regions, was spring in Egypt, 
 in which country that version was made. 
 In the figurative language of Scripture, 
 water is not only used as an emblem of 
 purification, but also for the purpose of 
 representing the means of spiritual life, 
 refreshment, and fertility —the doctrines 
 and ordinances of the gospel. The de- 
 scendants of Abraham, restored to their 
 own land, and become his children in the 
 faith, will go forth, full of zeal and spir- 
 itual activity, as missionaries to other na- 
 tions, to promote revivals in the churches 
 of Christ by rehearsing what great things 
 God hath done for them, and to carry on 
 the work of conversion among those na- 
 tions and tribes that shall not then have 
 been turned to the Lord, 
 
Chix: XIV. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 435 
 
 9 And Jehovah shall become king over all the earth; 
 In that day Jehovah alone shall be, 
 
 And his name alone. 
 10 
 
 And all the earth shall be changed 
 
 As it were into the plain from Geba to Rimmon, 
 
 South of Jerusalem ; 
 And she shall be exalted, 
 
 And be inhabited in her place, 
 
 From the gate of Benjamin 
 
 ‘To the place of the former gate, 
 
 To the gate of the corners ; 
 
 And from the tower of Hananeel 
 
 To the king’s wine-vats. 
 
 9. In consequence of the universal 
 spread of the Gospel, the multiplicity of 
 heathen gods will be swept away from 
 the face of the earth, the unity of Jeho- 
 vah universally acknowledged, and the 
 glorious harmony of those attributes 
 which constitute his one Divine charac- 
 ter (1a , Ais name) clearly discovered, 
 and heartily adored. According to the 
 ordinary mode of translating the words 
 “πὸ awa “πὰ nn mim?» chere shall 
 be one Lord and his name one, they may 
 seem clogged with little or no difficulty, 
 as the true God is thus set forth in oppo- 
 sition to the “gods many and lords 
 many’ of the heathen; but we have 
 only to introduce the incommunicable 
 name JeHovaH into the translation when 
 the greatest incongruity at once appears. 
 If we then render, there shall be one Je- 
 hovah, the conclusion is inevitable, that 
 previous to the predicted period, there 
 must have existed more Jehovahs than 
 one. Or, if we render, Jehovuh shall be 
 one, we make the passage teach either 
 that Jehovah was not one before, or, that 
 he will no longer be three, or triune — 
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the 
 undivided unity of the Godhead. All 
 ambiguity, however, will at once be re- 
 moved, if smx_be taken adverbially, and 
 rendered onl; y, alone, or the like. And 
 thus I conceive it must be rendered in 
 the primary article of the inspired creed 
 
 of the Hebrews: tnx nin asntsnint, 
 Jenovan is our God, JpHovaH alone. 
 The doctrine, therefore, taught in the 
 present verse is simply that Jehovah shall 
 be the only existing object of religious 
 worship and obedience, and no charac- 
 teristics but his be any longer recognized 
 as divine. 
 
 10, 11. These verses intimate that 
 every obstruction shall be removed which 
 prevents the free and full flow of the 
 living waters throughout the world. 
 What is high shall be levelled, and what 
 is low shall be elevated.. This idea was 
 suggested by the natural impossibility of 
 water flowing in a westerly direction from 
 Jerusalem to the Mediterranean, owing 
 to the hilly country which intervenes. 
 In 35> we have a rather unusual sig- 
 nification of aad, to be turned, i. 6. 
 changed. The verb 55 is ordinarily 
 used to express what is here intended. 
 23, Geba, was a Levitical city in the 
 tribe of Benjamin, near to Gibeah, on 
 the northern border of the kingdom of 
 Judah. 4325 , Rimmon, was a town in 
 the tribe of Simeon, in the south of Pal- 
 estine, and to be distinguished from the 
 rock Rimmon, to the north-east of Mich- 
 mash. πϑ Στ, the Arabah, is the level 
 or plain of the Jordan, extending from 
 the lake of Tiberias to the Elanitic gulf, - 
 though in the present day this name is 
 only applied to that part of it which lies 
 
490 
 
 11 And they shall dwell in her, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuap. XIV. 
 
 And there shall be no more curse, 
 And Jerusalem shall dwell in safety. 
 
 And this shall be the plague 
 
 With which Jehovah will plague all the people 
 
 That shall fight against Jerusalem ; 
 
 Their flesh shall consume away 
 
 While they stand upon their feet, 
 
 And their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, 
 And their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. 
 
 13 And it shall be in that day 
 
 That there shall be great confusion from Jehovah among them, 
 So that each shall seize the hand of another, 
 And his hand shall be raised against the hand of another; 
 
 14 
 
 And Judah also shall fight in Jerusalem, 
 
 And the wealth of all the nations around shall be collected, 
 Gold, and silver, and garments, in great abundance. 
 
 15 
 
 And the plague οἵ the horses, 
 
 The mules, the camels, and the asses, 
 And all the cattle which shall be in those camps, 
 
 Shall be even as this plague. 
 
 16 And it shall be 
 
 to the south of the Dead Sea. The nom- 
 inative to mas4 and F397, isnot yasn, 
 but nds 3am, immediately Sreaeaini For 
 the orthography of 7281 , comp. Hos. x. 
 
 14, and other passages in which the x is 
 inserted as a mater lectionis. Great un- 
 certainty exists relative to the exact posi- 
 tion of some of the places here mentioned. 
 pan is used as in Mal. 111. 24, in the ac- 
 ceptation, curse, LXX. ἀνάϑεμα. Comp. 
 πᾶν κατανάϑεμα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι, Rev. xxii. 3. 
 There will be no more any civil or na- 
 tional punishments inflicted on account 
 of sin, these having been rendered unnec- 
 essary by the universal prevalence of 
 righteousness and truth. 
 
 12--15, The hostile powers whose pun- 
 ishment is here denounced are those which 
 shall form the great final confederacy. 
 Com. Is. lix. 18; Ezek. xxxviii., xxxix.; 
 Rey. xix. The representation of the 
 punishment is the most horrible that can 
 be imagined — a living skeleton, rapidly 
 
 wasting away! From what is stated 
 ver, 14, it appears that the Jews (n74=7, 
 Judah), shall not only defend themselves 
 at Jerusalem, but make ἃ successful 
 attack upon the enemy. 3 er>:, when 
 used in reference to place, signifies to 
 fight αὐ or in such place. LXX. παρ- 
 ατάξεται ἐν ᾿ἸἹερουσαλήμ. 72202 το 
 ΩΓ 52» Jud. v. 19. The collection of 
 the wealth of the surrounding nations, 
 refers to the gathering of the rich spoil 
 of the contingents furnished by them to 
 compose the hostile army. The entire 
 encampments of the enemy, including 
 the cavalry and beasts of burden, were 
 all to share in the awful catastrophe. 
 Whether God will employ the plague 
 and other destructive diseases for the 
 annihilation of the enemies of his peo- 
 ple, time must show. The genitive in 
 myn τ mam, is that of cause, a conster- 
 nation sent or produced by Jehovah. 
 16—18. πρὸ md ὑπὸ, lit. from the 
 
Crap. XIV. 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 437 
 
 That the whole residue of all the nations 
 That shall come up against Jerusalem, 
 
 Shall go up from year to year 
 
 To worship the king, Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 And to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. 
 17 And it shall be that those who go not up 
 
 Of the families of the earth to Jerusalem, 
 
 sufficiency of a year in a year, i. e. 
 when time has fully satisfied the claims 
 of one year and enters upon another. It 
 is only an idiomatic mode of expressing 
 Jrom year to year, or annually. What 
 is here predicted is expressly restricted to 
 the particular nations which shall have 
 engaged in the last great attack upon 
 the Jews. And, though the language 
 of the following verse may appear to be 
 more general, yet the circumstances of 
 the context require the restriction to be 
 carried forward beyond the limits of the 
 present. Still, however, even with this 
 restriction, the prophecy cannot, without 
 manifest absurdity, be interpreted of the 
 totality of the inhabitants of the nations 
 in question. Let steam vessels and rail- 
 roads be multiplied to any imaginable 
 extent, the idea of the possibility of con- 
 veying such immense numbers to Pales- 
 tine cannot be entertained. Or, suppos- 
 ing them to have been conveyed thither, 
 few of them would after all have an 
 opportunity of worshipping at Jerusalem 
 during the short period allotted for the 
 Feast of Tabernacles. Not only would 
 the country be too small to contain their 
 encampments, and to furnish them with 
 necessary provisions, but the pressure, 
 noise, and bustle of the crowds would be 
 such as to destroy everything in the 
 shape of devotional propriety and enjoy- 
 ment. I cannot, therefore, but take the 
 meaning to be, that the nations in ques- 
 tion will go up to Jerusalem in the per- 
 sons of their representatives, just as in 
 former times the Jews resident in foreign 
 countries had those who went to the 
 annual festivals in their name, or on 
 their behalf. Why the Egyptians should 
 be specially introduced. ver. 18, it is diffi- 
 
 cult to determine, except it be, that as 
 their country is watered by the Nile, and 
 is not dependent for fertility upon rain 
 falling in the country itself, they might 
 be considered as exempt from the threat- 
 ened plague of drought. But, if the 
 rains fail in Ethiopia, it will in effect be 
 the same as if they fail in Egypt itself. 
 After the words t*m~>> xb4, the repe- 
 tition of ewan, the rain, from the end 
 of the preceding verse, is understood. 
 
 It is worthy of notice, that the Feast 
 of Tabernacles or Booths is the only one 
 of all the Jewish festivals which is rep- 
 resented in this prophecy as being ob- 
 served at the period therein specified. 
 No mention is made of the great day of 
 Atonement, the Passover, the Pentecost, 
 etc. These have all been superseded by 
 their fulfilment as types in the substan- 
 tial blessings of the Christian economy. 
 Their re-establishment would be a denial 
 of the reality or efficacy of their anti- 
 types. It may, however, be asked, Why 
 should the Feast of Tabernacles form an 
 exception? To this it may be replied, 
 first, that such a festival may be observed 
 without any compromise of the principles 
 of the New Dispensation. Secondly, it 
 may be considered as peculiarly adapted 
 to the retrospections of the converted 
 Jews, who will have to commemorate 
 the sojourn of their fathers, not merely 
 for forty years in the wilderness, but 
 their sojourn for two thousand years in 
 the countries of the dispersion. And 
 thirdly, it may serve as a striking me- 
 mento to them, that, though they have 
 been restored to the rest of Canaan, they 
 are still only strangers and pilgrims upon 
 the earth, and that there yet remaineth 
 a rest for the people of God. In this 
 
438 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 Cuar. XIV. 
 
 To worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, 
 Upon them there shall be no rain, 
 18 And if the family of Egypt should not go up, nor come, 
 Upon them also there shall be none ; 
 There shall be upon them the plague, 
 With which Jehovah shall plague the nations, 
 
 That will not go up 
 
 To celebrate the feast of tabernacles. 
 
 19 
 
 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, 
 
 And the punishment of all the nations 
 
 That will not go up 
 
 To celebrate the feast of tabernacles. 
 
 20 
 Hotness To JEHOVAH ; 
 
 In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, 
 
 And the pots in the house of Jehovah 
 Shall be as the bowls before the altar. 
 
 point of view, believing Gentiles, who 
 may go up to the festival, can find no 
 difficulty in celebrating it with them to 
 their mutual edification. That the sac- 
 rifices which were offered at that feast, 
 or any other animal sacrifices, will then 
 be renewed, is a position, to maintain 
 which would be to counteract the express 
 design, and contradict the express decla- 
 rations of the dispensation of grace. 
 
 It may be said, that Ezekiel gives a 
 full description of the re-establishment 
 of the sacrificial system and of the whole 
 of the temple worship. Nothing can be 
 more certain. But when was this re- 
 establishment to take place? Any one 
 who will only cursorily examine the 
 commencement of the fortieth chapter 
 of that prophet will at once perceive, 
 that, though it follows immediately after 
 chapters relating to the destruction of 
 Gog and Magog, it was nevertheless de- 
 livered to the prophet not fewer than 
 thirteen years afterwards, and may, 
 therefore, naturally be expected to refer 
 to a subject altogether different. That 
 subject I conceive to be the restoration 
 of the temple and the temple worship 
 after the return from Babylon — a sub- 
 ject which cannot but have lain near 
 the heart of the exiles, and worthy to be 
 
 made the theme of prophecy, but which — 
 is nowhere else referred to in the book 
 of Ezekiel. Difficulty there may be in 
 making the measurements there given 
 agree with those specified by Josephus 
 as the dimensions of the second temple ; 
 but far greater difficulties attach to every 
 attempt to refer them to a temple still 
 future, or to view them as wholly em- 
 blematical. ἥ 
 
 19. ‘The connection shows that nye 
 is not here to be taken in the sense of 
 sin, but of the punishment of sin. Comp. 
 Lam. iii. 38, iv. 6. 
 
 20. The τὴ 5:2 were small metallic 
 plates, suspended from the necks or 
 heads of horses and camels, for the sake 
 of ornament, and making a tinkling 
 noise by striking against each other like 
 cymbals. Root t4=, to tingle, tinkle. 
 As the inscription τῆ το wip, Hotness 
 ro JEHOVAH, was the sacred symbol en- 
 graven upon the golden crown of the 
 Jewish High Priest, the design of the 
 prophecy is evidently to teach, that when 
 the Jews shall be restored to their own 
 land, there shall be no greater degree of 
 holiness attaching to what was formerly 
 accounted most sacred, than what will 
 attach to the ornamental trappings of 
 the horses. Devotion of person and 
 
σιν Ἐ αν, 
 
 ZECHARIAH. 
 
 439 
 
 21 Yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah 
 Shall be holiness to Jehovah of hosts; 
 And all who slaughter shall come, 
 And take of them and boil in them, 
 And there shall no more be a Canaanite 
 In the house of Jehovah of hosts in that day. 
 
 property to the service of God will be 
 the only holiness then recognized. Cere- 
 monial sanctity shall no longer exist. 
 The same thing is expressed in the sec- 
 ond clause of the verse. The vessels in 
 which the flesh was cooked, and which 
 were accounted the meanest about the 
 temple, shall, as to the degree of holiness, 
 be upon a par with those which had 
 been destined for the most sacred pur- 
 pose, namely, the reception of the blood 
 of the sacrificial victims. All distinction 
 shall be done away. 
 
 21. The same idea is here more fully 
 carried out. Not only the common uten- 
 sils used by the priests, but those em- 
 ployed for cooking in private houses, 
 both at Jerusalem and throughout the 
 country, shall all be regarded as equally 
 holy. From its being expressly stated, 
 that the flesh of the animals to be slaugh- 
 
 tered is to be boiled in the pots, and no 
 mention is made of the sprinkling of the 
 blood, it must be inferred that killing for 
 food, and not for sacrifice, is what the 
 prophet has in view. Considering what 
 stumbling-blocks a mercenary and covet- 
 ous priesthood has ever proved to the 
 world, and to what a fearful extent the 
 ministry in holy things has been made a 
 matter of merchandise, there is great force 
 in the declaration with which the prophet 
 closes: ‘‘There shall no more be a Ca- 
 naanite in the house of Jehovah!” By 
 "2222, Canaanite, is meant a merchant ; 
 the Pheenicians, who inhabited the north- 
 ern part of Canaan, having been the 
 most celebrated merchants of antiquity. 
 See for this acceptation of the term, Job 
 xl. 30; Prov. xxxi. 24; Is, xxiii, 8. It 
 is here used metaphorically. 
 
MAD AC 
 
 MAtacut (ΟΞ, Messenger), is the last of all the Hebrew prophets, but 
 we are left in profound ignorance respecting his personal history, and can 
 only judge of the circumstances of his times from what is contained in his 
 book. According to the tradition of the synagogue, he lived after the proph- 
 ets Haggai and Zechariah, and was contemporary with Nehemiah. This 
 statement is fully borne out by the affinity of the book written by the prophet, 
 with that written by the patriot. Both presuppose the temple to have been 
 already built. The same condition of the Jews is described. They both 
 condemn foreign marriages, and enforce the due payment of tythes, which 
 had been neglected. They likewise correct abuses which had crept in with 
 respect to the sacrifices, and reprove their countrymen for their want of 
 sympathy with the poor. 
 
 In all probability, Malachi occupied the same place with respect to Nehe- 
 
 -miah, which Haggai and Zechariah did with respect to Zerubbabel. That 
 the former was assisted in the discharge of his duties by prophets, may be 
 inferred from the charge brought against him by Sanballat, Neh. vi. 7. He 
 may therefore be conceived of as having flourished somewhere about the 
 year B. σ. 420. His book is composed of a series of spirited castigations, in 
 which the persons accused are introduced as repelling the charges, but thereby 
 only affording occasion for a fuller exposure, and a more severe reproof of 
 their conduct. Both priests and people are unsparingly reprimanded, and 
 while they are threatened with divine judgments, encouragement is held out 
 to such as walked in the fear of the Lord. His predictions respecting John 
 the Baptist, the Messiah, and the destruction of the Jewish polity, are clear 
 and unequivocal. 
 
 Considering the late age in which he lived, the language of Malachi is 
 pure; his style possesses much in common with the old prophets, but is dis- 
 tinguished more by its animation, than by its rhythmus or grandeur. 
 
CHAP TE Reis 
 
 WITH a view to work a conviction of ingratitude in the minds of his countrymen, the 
 prophet begins by setting forth the peculiar favor which Jehovah had shown to them as 
 a people in contradistinction to the Edomites, 1—5. He then reproaches the priests for 
 their unworthy conduct in presenting the refuse of the animals in sacrifice, 6—8; charges 
 * them with a mercenary spirit, and threatens to reject them, and supply their place with 
 true worshippers from among the most distant heathen, 9—11; and concludes with a re- 
 newed reprimand, and the denunciation of a curse upon those who practised deception 
 
 with respect to the offerings, 12—14. 
 
 1 Tue Sentence of Jehovah’s oracle to Israel by Malachi. 
 2 . Ihave loved you, saith Jehovah, 
 
 Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? 
 
 Was not Esau brother to Jacob? saith Jehovah, 
 
 Yet I loved Jacob, 
 
 1. For the formula nym "at xen, 
 see on Zech. ix. 1. That “yb . Mal- 
 achi, is the proper name of the prophet, 
 and not a mere official appellative, as the 
 LXX., Vitringa, and others, interpret, 
 may safely be inferred from the analogy 
 of the title with others prefixed to the 
 prophetical writings. As for the form 
 of the name, Vitringa, Hiller, Michaelis, 
 and Gesenius, take it to be compounded 
 of ΒΞ} and 7, of which they consider 
 5. to be a contraction, and accordingly 
 explain the name as meaning The Mes- 
 senger of Jehovah. To this, however, it 
 has been objected, that no examples of 
 an abbreviation of the Divine name to 
 this extent are to be found; and, there- 
 fore, it has been deemed more natural to 
 regard the » as the pronominal affix of 
 the first person singular, and to render, 
 My Messenger. This latter solution has 
 been adopted by Hengstenberg, who 
 labors in vain to establish a connection 
 between the name of the prophet, and 
 the same word as occurring in its official 
 signification, chap. ili, 1. The form ap- 
 pears to be really nothing more than an 
 instance of what Ewald calls “the last 
 and newest mode of deriving adjectives 
 
 from nouns,” and denoting origin or 
 source. Compare "739, "7%9, "ΓΙΌ » 
 "THD, "ES, “ban, etc. byqe7, Israel, 
 is here used to denote the whole of the 
 twelve tribes, which had returned to their 
 native land, Jer. 1. 4, 5, 19, 20. 
 
 2, 8, The sovereign benevolence of 
 Jehovah, and the ingratitude of the 
 Hebrews in the time of the prophet, are 
 strikingly contrasted. To the petulant 
 question, ‘Wherein hast thou loved 
 us?’’ which is only the first of a series 
 which are put in the course of the book, 
 the answer is direct and conclusive — in 
 showing greater kindness to their pro- 
 genitor Jacob, than he had done to his 
 brother Esau. The temporal advantages 
 of Palestine were vastly superior to those 
 of Idumea, which was comparatively a 
 sterile and desert country ; and the Jews 
 had, besides, experienced distinguished 
 favor in having been restored to their 
 land, and had prosperity conferred upon 
 them, while the Edomites, who had suf- 
 fered from the invasion of their country 
 by the Chaldeans, five years after the 
 capture of Jerusalem, had not been re- 
 
 stored. It is to the desolations occa- 
 sioned by this invasion that reference is 
 
 56 
 
442 
 
 3 But I hated Esau, 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuap. I. 
 
 And made his mountains a desolation, 
 And his heritage abodes of the desert. 
 
 4 Because Edom saith, We are impoverished, 
 But we will rebuild the desolate places ; 
 
 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 
 They may build, but I will overthrow ; 
 
 And men shall call them, The border of wickedness, 
 
 And, The people against whom Jehovah is indignant forever. 
 5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, 
 
 Let Jehovah be magnified, from the border of Israel. 
 
 6 Α βοὴ honoreth his father, 
 And a servant his master : 
 
 If then I be a father, where is my honor? 
 And if I be a master, where is my fear ? 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts to you, O ye priests, 
 That despise my name; yet ye say, 
 Wherein have we despised thy name ? 
 
 made ver. 3. ws7w, ἐο hate, is here used 
 in a comparative sense, qualifying the 
 preceding verb ans, ἕο dove. As the 
 opposite of love is hatred, when there 
 is only an inferior degree of the former 
 exhibited, the object of it is regarded as 
 being hated rather than loved. See for 
 this idiom, Gen. xxix. 30, 31; Deut. 
 xxi. 15, 16; Prov. xiii. 24; Matt. vi. 
 24; Luke xiv. 26, compared with Matt. 
 x. 37. m4an is considered by some to 
 be the feminine of Ἐπ τὰ, and is rendered 
 . serpents, jackals, or the like; but it is 
 preferable to adopt the derivation from 
 
 the Arabic, (43, substitit, habitavit. 
 Hence 8.5, habitatio, mansio. By 
 
 the ‘habitations of the desert,” are 
 meant deserted, ruined dwellings, such 
 as are still found in great abundance in 
 Idumea. The phrase is parallel to my2:2'5 
 in the preceding hemistich, and corre- 
 sponds to the njaqn, waste places, or 
 ruins, ver. 4. 
 
 4, 5, Every attempt on the part of the 
 Idumeans to recover themselves, and en- 
 joy permanent prosperity, should prove 
 
 abortive, and their continually depressed 
 condition should afford additional proof 
 to the Israelites of the kindness of God 
 towards his own people.  y2:, bound-* 
 ary, is here used in the sense of territory, 
 or the space marked out by the surround- 
 ing boundaries. Comp. Gen. x. 19; 
 Numb. xxi. 24. env ἘΞΑ dyn, 
 according to Rosenmiiller, Hitzig, Mau- 
 rer, and Ewald, means beyond the He- 
 brew territory, — construing the words 
 with 53.35, but it seems more natural to 
 connect them with ymin ems. Ye 
 who dwell upon the land of Israel shall 
 say from the locality you occupy, and to 
 which, through Divine goodness, ye have 
 been restored, Jehovah be magnified. 
 The 4 prefixed to $322, adds nothing to 
 the force of the preceding preposition. 
 See Gesen. in ἘΣ. 
 
 6. Upon the fact of the respect usually 
 shown by inferiors to their superiors, Je- 
 hovah had a right to expect that honor 
 and reverence which corresponded to the 
 high position which he occupied as Au- 
 thor and Moral Governor of the universe. 
 These having, however, been withheld, 
 
Cuap. I. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 443 
 
 7 In offering polluted bread upon my altar ; 
 But ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee ? 
 
 In your saying, 
 
 The table of Jehovah is contemptible. 
 
 8 When ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? 
 And when ye offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? 
 Present it now to thy governor ; 
 
 Will he be satisfied with thee, 
 
 Or accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 9 Now, then, conciliate the regard of Jehovah, that he may pity us: 
 This hath been by your means; 
 Will he accept your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 10 
 
 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors? 
 
 Yea, ye will not kindle the fire on my altar for nought. 
 I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 Neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 
 
 11 
 
 But from the rising of the sun to its setting, 
 
 My name shall be great among the nations ; 
 And in every place, incense shall be offered to my name, 
 
 And a pure offering ; 
 
 chiefly owing to the irreligious and pro- 
 fane conduct of the priests, the charge is 
 ἢ principally laid against them. 
 
 7. That on, dread, or food, is here to 
 be taken as the Arab. 
 
 sense of animal flesh, is obvious, from its 
 being presented on the p17, altar of 
 sacrifice, to which also the 475 nbs, table, 
 must be referred, and not to the table 
 of shew-bread. Contempt of sacred 
 things involves contempt of Him to 
 whom they appertain. 
 
 8. Another argumentum ad hominem. 
 The priests had the effrontery to present 
 to Jehovah what they would not have 
 dared to offer to their civil governor. 
 To offer animals with any blemish, was 
 expressly prohibited in the law. Levy. 
 xxii. 22, 24; Deut. xv. 21. 
 
 9. How much soever the words -n31 
 aspies Saemase NIT, may at first 
 sight appear to contain a serious exhorta- 
 tion to the priests to repent of their 
 wicked conduct, and to pray for the Di- 
 vine favor to themselves and the people, 
 yet the connection requires them to be 
 
 , caro, in the 
 
 understood ironically. No prayers or 
 supplications of theirs could avail any- 
 thing while they presented such unlaw- 
 ful sacrifices. This is expressly declared 
 in the form of a pointed interrogation at 
 the close of the verse. 6°25 ἘΞῚ2 8t17 
 is a more emphatic form, instead of 
 ἘΞῚΞΞ Sen. 
 
 10, 11. The rendering of the LXX., 
 adopted by Newcome, “Surely the doors 
 shall be closed against you,’”’ cannot be 
 admitted. The authority for the change , 
 of 2, who, into >, surely, is of no 
 weight ; and the verb 436 is never con- 
 strued with 2, in order to express the 
 idea of exclusion. Such was the avari- 
 cious disposition of the priests, that they 
 would not perform even the most trivial 
 services without payment. How could 
 such expect to be acceptable to God? 
 These verses contain an explicit predic- 
 tion of the rejection of the Jewish wor- 
 ship, and of the reception of the Gen- 
 tiles to perform spiritual worship in the 
 Church of the Lord. His name, which 
 the priests had treated with contempt, 
 
444 
 
 For my name shall be great among the nations, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 But ye have profaned it by your saying, 
 
 The table of Jehovah is polluted, 
 And its fruit, even his food, is contemptible. 
 
 13 
 
 Ye have also said, What a weariness! 
 
 And have contemned it, saith Jehovah of hosts ; 
 
 And ye have brought the torn, and the lame, and the sick, 
 Yea, ye have brought the offering ; 
 
 Should I accept it at your hand? saith Jehovah. 
 
 14 
 
 But cursed be the deceiver, who hath a male in his flock, 
 
 And voweth, and sacrificeth to Jehovah that which is corrupt ; 
 For 1 am a great king, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 And my name shall be feared among the nations. 
 
 ver. 6, should receive universal homage 
 among the nations that had been addicted 
 to idolatry, and who were now the ob- 
 jects of abomination on the part of the 
 Jews. The sacrificial terms are transfer- 
 red from their original application to 
 ceremonial objects and acts, to such as 
 are spiritual, agreeably to the nature of 
 the new economy. Comp. John iv. 
 20—24; Heb. xiii. 10, 15, 16; 1 Pet. 11. 
 5. All that Hitzig can discover in these 
 verses is, that God was worshipped by all 
 nations, under the different names of 
 Jehovah, Ormuzd, Zeus, etc. !! ! 
 12—14. A renewal of the charge 
 against the priests, nearly in the same 
 words, my>rv is an abbreviated om 
 for nxn ma. Comp. τι, Exod. iv. 2 
 ἘΞ, Ts. iii. 15. anh, ἐξ, after BME A. 
 refers to 4+ =x in the preceding verse, and 
 is not to be “changed into "nix, me, as 
 
 proposed in the Tikkune Sopherim. The 
 ἡ in ΠΌΞ ΠΤ ΓΝ is omitted in ninety- 
 three MSS., in seven printed editions, 
 and in all the versions except the Syriac. 
 Though it is not said that the sno, 
 meat offering, consisted of inferior in- 
 gredients, yet it is either implied, or the 
 idea is intended to be conveyed, that the 
 presentation of the other sacrifices ren- 
 dered this, however pure in itself, unac- 
 ceptable to God. MHitzig and Maurer 
 regard mn to be a contraction of the 
 feminine Ann 1005 but I should oe 
 think it ought to be pointed nnwr, 
 in Lev. xxii. 25, where it occurs, in yt 
 plication to the same subject, in the mas- 
 culine gender. Many MSS. and some 
 of the early editions read -4n>% instead 
 of *34x%, which has no doubt been sub- 
 stituted for it by some superstitious Jew- 
 ish scribe, 
 
 CHAPTER TT. 
 
 TuE prophet continues to urge the charge against the priests, warning them that if they 
 did not reform, they should be deprived of all enjoyment, and rendered the objects of 
 shame and contempt, 1—4. The original institution, and the sacred nature and obliga- 
 tions of the priestly office, are then brought forward, with which to contrast the base- 
 
Cuap. II. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 445 
 
 ness of their conduct in violating its responsibilities; and the section closes with another 
 threatening of punishment, 5—9. In a new section the prophet takes up the subject of 
 diyorce, and marriage with foreign women, and severely reproyes the priests for the evil] 
 
 example which they had set in this respect, 10—16. 
 
 immoral doctrine, 17. 
 
 They are finally charged with teaching 
 
 1 AnD now, unto you is this charge, O ye priests! 
 2 If ye will not hearken, nor lay it to heart, 
 To give glory to my name, saith Jehovah of hosts ; 
 I will send the curse among you, and will curse your blessing, 
 
 Yea, I will curse them singly, 
 Because ye lay it not to heart. 
 
 3 Behold! I will rebuke the seed to your hurt, 
 And I will scatter dung upon your faces, 
 
 The dung of your festivals ; 
 
 And ye shall be taken away with it. 
 4 And ye shall know that I have sent you to this charge, 
 Because my covenant was with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 5 My covenant of life and peace was with him, 
 
 And I gave them to him, 
 
 For the fear which he showed for me, 
 And the awe in which he stood of my name. 
 
 2. mxton is emphatic, and doubtless 
 has reference to Deut. xxvii. 15, etc. 
 The feminine suffix in m*n4nx is to be 
 taken distributively, with reference to 
 the mi>52 , dlessings, immediately pre- 
 ceding. 
 
 Ὡς The Sin n=> is that of the Dati- 
 vus incommodi, * to your detriment or 
 disadvantage.” yy, seed, is not to be 
 changed into 3477, and rendered shoul- 
 der, as Houbigant and Newcome do, 
 merely on the authority of the LXX. 
 There is great force in the reference to 
 the dung of the festivals, as the maw, 
 which contained it, belonged to the 
 priests, Deut. xviii. 3. bs in by has 
 the signification of with, together with, 
 as in Lam. iii.41. Such usage, however, 
 israre. svi is to be taken imperson- 
 ally. 
 
 4. »πὸ, to know, has here the signi- 
 fication, to know by experience, to feel 
 
 the consequences of transgression. From 
 the words which follow, we must infer 
 that knowledge issuing in reformation of 
 conduct is meant. On no other condi- 
 tion could the Levitical covenant con- 
 tinue in force. 
 
 5. In this and the following verses the 
 prophet forcibly contrasts with the base 
 and unworthy conduct of the priests, the 
 noble character of their progenitor, with 
 whom officially Jehovah had entered into 
 covenant. The reference, howeyer, is 
 not to Levi personally, but to Phinehas, 
 Numb. xxy. 12, 13, where we have an 
 account of this covenant, there called 
 city sn4Aa, my covenant of peace, and 
 ἘΞῈΡ rans n-72, the covenant of an 
 everlasting priesthood. Both ideas are 
 expressed in the present verse, and the 
 meaning is, that the covenant was secured 
 in perpetuity. Before 59 πὸ ovnn 
 the word Ὁ" m3 is understood from th? 
 
440 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuap. II. 
 
 6 The law of truth was in his mouth; 
 No iniquity was found in his lips; 
 He walked with me in peace and uprightness, 
 And turned many from iniquity. 
 7 For the lips of the priest should preserve knowledge, 
 And men should seek the law at his mouth, 
 For he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts. 
 8 But, as for you, ye have departed from the way, 
 Ye have made many to stumble in the law ; 
 Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 9 Therefore have I also rendered you contemptible and base to all 
 
 the people ; 
 
 Forasmuch as ye have not observed my ways, 
 And have acted partially in the law. 
 
 10 
 
 preceding. sh, fear or reverence, is 
 here the accusative absolute. mp is the 
 Niphal of rnn , ¢o be terrified, dismayed. 
 This verb is here purposely employed to 
 express the extraordinary degree of pro- 
 found and holy awe with which Phine- 
 has was inspired when zealously vindi- 
 cating the honor of Jehovah. 
 
 6, 7. A comprehensive and beautiful 
 description of the character and spiritual 
 duties of Phinehas, which ought to have 
 been realized in the persons and minis- 
 trations of all his successorssin office, and 
 which suggests topics of the most serious 
 self-examination to all who engage in 
 the work of the Christian ministry. The 
 higher and more important functions of 
 the sacerdotal office are here recognized, 
 to the exclusion of such as were merely 
 ceremonial. These the priests in the 
 days of Malachi had neglected, while 
 they discharged the latter in a perfunc- 
 tory and niggardly manner. That m>4n 
 is not here to be rendered doctrine, but is 
 to be taken in its appropriated sense of 
 law, appears from the use of the term in 
 the two following verses. =+» is in the 
 accusative case, with which xxv, as in 
 other instances of passive verbs, does not 
 agree in number. See Gesen. Gram. ᾧ 
 140, 1b. The priests were the ordinary 
 
 Have we not all one Father? 
 
 expounders of the law to the people; it 
 was only on special and extraordinary 
 occasions that the prophets gave their 
 decision. Each of them was, therefore, 
 to be regarded as 5x51 , a messenger, or 
 interpreter of the Divine will. 
 
 8. The character of the priests whom 
 Malachi was sent to reprove was the 
 very reverse of that exhibited by Phi- 
 nehas. Not only did they violate the 
 law themselves, but, as is universally the 
 case, induced others by their bad exam- 
 ple to violate it likewise. They thus 
 forfeited all right to the sacerdotal im- 
 munities of the Levitical covenant. 
 
 9. "2n“pa is strikingly antithetical 
 to pms at the beginning of ver. 8. The 
 priests are here threatened with a retri- 
 bution corresponding to their base and 
 contemptible character, an additional and 
 aggravating feature of which is added, 
 viz. partiality in the decisions which they 
 gave on points of law. Instead of pen, 
 the people, twenty-three MSS., and a few 
 printed editions, the LXX., Targ., Arab., 
 and Hexapl. Syr., read Ὁ ὩΣ τιν the peo~ 
 ples or nations, but much less appropri- 
 ately. 
 
 10. The prophet now proceeds to ad- 
 minister reproof to the people, and espec- 
 ially to the priests, for their flagrant 
 
Cuap. II. MALA 
 
 Hath not one God created us? 
 
 Cli. 417 
 
 Wherefore do we act unfaithfully one to another, 
 
 Profaning the covenant of our 
 
 Judah hath acted unfaithfully ; 
 
 And an abominable thing hath 
 salem ; 
 
 11 
 
 fathers ? 
 
 been done in Israel and in Jeru- 
 
 For Judah hath profaned that which was holy to Jehovah, 
 
 That which he loved, 
 
 And hath married the daughter of a strange god. 
 
 12 
 
 Jehovah will cut off the man that doeth this, 
 
 Him that watcheth, and him that answereth, 
 
 From the tents of Jacob, 
 
 And him that presenteth an offering to Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 violation of the law, which prohibited in- 
 termarriages with foreigners. See Exod. 
 xxxiv. 16; Deut. vii. 8. For the his- 
 torical account of this violation, see Ezra 
 ix. 1, 2; Neh. xiii. 23—31. That by 
 “MIN as, one Father, we are to under- 
 stand Jehovah, and not Abraham, or 
 Jacob, as some have supposed, is ΤΈΡΕΝ 
 mined by the force of the parallelism, 
 in which we have the corresponding and 
 elucidatory phrase tmx bs, one God. 
 As the Jews put away their wives, that 
 they might marry others, they are here 
 distinctly taught that both males and 
 females stood in the same relation to God 
 as their common Father and Creator. 
 He had an equal propriety in them, and 
 when the men acted the part for which 
 they are here reproved, they acted un- 
 justly by their Maker. But, in addition 
 to this, they broke the covenant made 
 with their fathers, which interdicted such 
 practices. ns , brother, is not here to be 
 pressed, as if reference were had to the 
 father of the female who had been re- 
 pudiated. VMSA ON is the usual idiom, 
 one against another. Comp. 1 Thess. iv. 
 6. The questions so pointedly put at the 
 commencement of this verse are highly 
 condemnatory of that degradation which 
 is experienced by Oriental females. Not 
 only do most of the Mohammedans deny 
 them the privilege of immortality, but 
 the Jews universally to this day give 
 
 thanks every morning — the man, that 
 God has not made him a woman; and 
 
 _the woman, that God has made her 
 
 ἘΣ.» according to his pleasure. 
 
 11. The nominative to mia is VU» 
 understood in πππι5 πὸ. By mai UIDs 
 the holiness of Jehovah, is meant the 
 people of the Hebrews, who were sep- 
 arated to be a people devoted to his ser- 
 vice. Comp. ¥1>m yay, the holy seed, 
 Ezra ix. 2; and oe κοῦ 9}, Ts- 
 rael is holiness, i. 6. holy to Jehovah, 
 Jer. ii. 8. For ams svi comp. Ps. xlvii. 
 5. The daughter of a strange god” 
 means an idolatress, a female addicted to 
 the worship of a false deity. 
 
 12. πο ϑ 99 has been variously ren< 
 dered. The LXX. mistaking >» for =>, 
 have ἕως καὶ Tarewwdt. Vulg. magis= 
 trum et discipulum. ‘arg. δον "2443, 
 
 TL σι Vv 
 son and son’s son. Syt. j-mdso δὶ ἐξ ο 
 
 σι;.2. both his son and his son’s son. 
 Thus also Abarbanel, Sachs, Ewald, and 
 others. The phrase is obviously, from 
 its very form, like 9527992, DNTP AIST, 
 
 proverbial, and has its parallel i in the Ara- 
 
 bic ust Jy clo Lee ums» 
 There is not in the ἕω a caller, nor is 
 
 there aresponder, Life of Timur, quoted 
 by Gesenius in his Thesaur. p. 1004. 
 
 Turkish, alge 9 ὁ 2} re 
 
448 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuap. IL 
 
 13 And this ye have done a second time, 
 Covering the altar of Jehovah with tears, 
 
 With weeping and groaning, 
 
 So that there is no longer any regard paid to the offering, 
 Nor is it favorably received at your hand, 
 
 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? 
 
 Because Jehovah was witness 
 
 Between thee and the wife of thy youth; 
 To whom thou hast acted unfaithfully, 
 Though she was thy companion and covenanted wife. 
 
 Yet did he not make one? 
 
 Though he had the residue of the spirit ; 
 
 And why the one? 
 
 That he might seek a godly seed ; 
 Therefore take heed to your spirit, 
 That none act unfaithfully to the wife of his youth. 
 
 »ελοί, both the watcher, and the an- 
 
 swerer. The meaning is, that none should 
 be left alive; all should be cut off. Ge- 
 senius thinks that the reference is prob- 
 ably to the Levites who kept watch in 
 the temple by night, and who called and 
 responded to each other at certain inter- 
 vals; but the mention that is made of 
 «the tents of Jacob” immediately after, 
 shows that the words are not to be thus 
 restricted. -y is the participle of 1, 
 to wake, be awake. 
 
 13. m2¥ is to be taken strictly in the 
 sense of a second time. Measures had 
 been adopted to cure the evil in the time 
 of Ezra, chap. ix. x.; but the Jews had 
 relapsed into the same sin of marrying 
 foreign wives in that of Nehemiah, and 
 it is this latter which the prophet here 
 reproves. Neh. xiii. 23—31. The lan- 
 guage implies an aggravation of the 
 offence. The crying and weeping were 
 those of the Jewish wives who had been 
 repudiated by their husbands. 
 
 14. The legitimate marriages had been 
 contracted with special appeal to Jehovah 
 as witness of the transaction. The phrase 
 953 ngs, the wife of thy youth, has 
 reterene to the early marriages among 
 
 the Hebrews. In Poland, at the pres- 
 ent day, they marry at the age of thir- 
 teen and fourteen, and the females still 
 
 younger. 
 
 15, 16. Michaelis, Hitzig, Maurer, and 
 Hengstenberg, concur in the opinion ex- 
 pressed in the Targum, and adopted by 
 most of the Rabbins, that by sms, one, 
 and "Nn > the one, Abraham is intend- 
 ed; and maintain, that what is here 
 stated, was designed to repel an objection 
 raised by the priests, viz., that Abraham 
 took an Egyptian female in addition to 
 Sarah. The prophet, according to them, 
 admits the fact, but denies the conse- 
 quence, by showing that Abraham still 
 retained the Spirit of God, because his 
 object in contracting this alliance was to 
 obtain the seed which God had promised 
 him, and not to gratify carnal passion, 
 to which the evil here condemned was to 
 be traced. Ewald refers tmx, one, to 
 God, considering the term to be used 
 here in the same sense as in ver. 10, but 
 fails in giving a satisfactory explanation 
 of the passage. Nor does the other in- 
 terpretation at all do justice to its claims ; 
 so that we are shut up to the conclusion, 
 that by thn , the one, we are to under- 
 stand “Hy Twa, the one flesh, or conju- 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 MeAniInA CRTs 
 
 449 
 
 16 For I hate divorce, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, 
 And for a man to cover over his garment with violence, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts; 
 
 Therefore take heed to your spirit, 
 
 That ye act not unfaithfully. 
 17 
 
 Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words, 
 
 Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? 
 
 In your saying, 
 
 Every one that doeth evil 
 
 Is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them ; 
 Or, Where is the God of justice ? 
 
 gal body into which the first couple were 
 formed, Gen, ii. Instead of forming only 
 two into one, the Creator might have 
 given to Adam many wives. There was 
 no lack of spiritual existence from which 
 to furnish them with intelligent souls. 
 When he gave to Eve such an existence, 
 he did not exhaust the immense fountain 
 of being. There remained all with which 
 the human race hath been furnished 
 throughout its generations. What, then, 
 the prophet asks, was the design of the 
 restriction ὃ to this he replies, the secur- * 
 ing of a pious offspring. Divorces and 
 polygamy have ever been unfavorable to 
 the education of children. It is only by 
 the harmonious and loving attention be- 
 stowed by parents upon their children, 
 that they can be expected to be brought 
 up in the fear of God. The reply bore 
 hard upon the priests who had married 
 idolatrous wives. In such a connection 
 there was everything to counteract and 
 destroy the interests of piety. 
 
 16. x» should be pointed δ", with 
 the personal pronoun *38 understood. 
 By wand, garment, it is now generally 
 admitted we are to understand the wife, 
 who had the most glaring injustice done 
 to her by giving her a divorce, or by 
 taking one or more in addition to her. 
 Thus the Arab. , texit, induit ; 
 yeu, vestimentum, * conjux tum mu- 
 lier viri, tum vir mulieris, quod sibi invi- 
 cem pro tegumento sunt.” Freytag. Ac- 
 « cordingly we read in the Koran, Sur. 
 
 183, respecting the wives : ee p> 
 
 urd wus pitt, as, they are 
 
 your garment, and you are theirs. In 
 the ecclesiastical language of the East, 
 matrimony was called τὸ ϑνητὸν καὶ δου- 
 λικὸν ἱμάτιον. 
 
 17. The old objection taken against 
 the providence of God from the afflic- 
 tions of the righteous, and the prosperity 
 of the wicked. 
 
 CHAPTERIII. 
 
 THs chapter commences with a lucid prophecy of John the Baptist, as the forerunner of 
 the Messiah, and of the Messiah himself, who was, as he had long been, the object of de- 
 lightful expectation to the Jews, 1. The aspect of his advent in regard to the wicked, 
 and especially to the ungodly priesthood, is next introduced, together with the severe 
 judgments that were to be brought upon the nation, 2—6. The people are then reproved 
 for haying withheld the legal tithes and offerings, and are promised a profusion of bless- 
 ings in case of repentance, 7—12. To the infidel objection that there is no utility in relig- 
 
 57 
 
450 
 
 MALACHY. 
 
 Cuap. III: 
 
 ion, seeing the wicked prosper, while the godly are oppressed, the prophet replies by 
 pointing to the day of retribution, when all should be treated according to their charac- 
 ter, which would then be fully disclosed, 18—18. 
 
 1 Benotp! I will send my messenger, 
 And he shall prepare the way before me, 
 And suddenly there shall come to his temple 
 
 The Lord whom ye seek, 
 
 1. That by *=sd:2, my messenger, we 
 are to understand John the Baptist, is 
 placed beyond dispute by the appro- 
 priation of the words of the prophecy 
 to him, Mark i. 1. Comp. Is. xl. 3. 
 Hengstenberg strangely gives in to the 
 notion of Eichhorn and Theiner, that 
 the collective body of the prophets is 
 intended, though he thinks that the idea 
 of the messenger chiefly concentrates in 
 John. Not one of his five reasons is at 
 all satisfactory. The office of this mes- 
 senger is described as preparing the way 
 for the Messiah. The language is bor- 
 rowed from the custom of sending pio- 
 neers before an Eastern monarch, to cut 
 through rocks, and forests, and remove 
 every impediment that might obstruct 
 his course, 725, which in Kal is never 
 transitive, signifies in Piel to clear, clear 
 away, put in order, prepare. This John 
 did by preaching repentance, and an- 
 nouncing the near approach of the king- 
 dom of God. Comp. chap. iv. 5. In 
 this prophecy of the Messiah are three 
 palpable and incontrovertible proofs of 
 his divinity. First, he is identified with 
 Jehovah: ‘he shall prepare the way be- 
 fore ME’? — “saith Jehovah.’ Second- 
 ly, He is represented as the Proprietor 
 of the temple. Thirdly, He is charac- 
 terized as ἽΛΝΤΙ» Tue Sovereicn, a 
 title nowhere given in this form to any 
 except Jehovah. In its anarthrous state 
 the noun ἡ πὸ is applicable to any 
 owner, possessor, or ruler, and it is ap- 
 plied in the construct state to Jehovah as 
 yrs be jis, the Possessor of the 
 
 * 
 
 whole earth, Josh. iii. 11, 13 ; but when 
 it takes the article, as here, it is used 
 κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν, and exclusively of the Di- 
 vine Being. See Exod. xxiii. 17, xxxiv. 
 23.) Is. 1s 24, iis 1) Xe L650 do. oxen eins 
 See Dr. J. Pye Smith’s Messiah, vol. i. 
 pp. 442-444. Abenezra thus explains 
 the term, and identifies the Sovereign 
 Lord with the Angel spoken of immedi- 
 ately after: Gud sin 255 Sn PANT 
 Sipp crum "5 minon, The Lord is both 
 the Divine Majesty, and the Angel of the 
 Covenant, for the sentence is doubled. It 
 is likewise admitted in Mashmiah Je- 
 shua, fol. 76, 75% $9 raNm wibd ATES 
 rowan, The Lord may be explained of 
 the King Messiah ; and Kimchi not only, 
 with Abenezra, identifies the Lord and 
 the Angel, but applies both to the Mes- 
 siah: sam) Rowan 5 sin ΤΙΝ 
 menan Nt, The Lord is the King 
 Messiah, he is also the Angel of the Cov- 
 enant; though, in order to elude the 
 Christian application of the passage, he 
 suggests another interpretation, accord- 
 ing to which Elijah is meant. It has 
 been questioned, whether the phrase 
 mean yb, the Messenger of the Cov- 
 hci is to be viewed retrospectively or 
 prospectively ; in other words, whether 
 it be the Old or the New Covenant to 
 which reference is made. Considering 
 the fact, that in such parallel forms as 
 nai nimaid, the tables of the covenant, 
 nm 437 jams, the ark of the covenant, 
 niq371 "00, the book of the covenant, 
 nasn Ἐπ, the blood of the covenant, 
 etc., the ancient dispensation which Je- 
 
παρ. ΠΙ. 
 
 ΜΡΆΒΙ ΟΣ 
 
 Even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom ye delight, 
 Behold! he shall come, saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 2 But who may endure the day of his coming? 
 And who may stand when he appeareth ? 
 For he is like the fire of the refiner, 
 And like the soap of the fullers ; 
 3 And he shall sit, refining and purifying the silver ; 
 He shall purify the sons of Levi, 
 And refine them like gold and like silver, 
 That they may present to Jehovah an offering in righteousness, 
 
 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem 
 
 Be pleasing to Jehovah, 
 
 hovah granted to the Hebrews at Sinai 
 is intended, it would seem natural to in- 
 fer that n-727 ἢ ΝΞ 15 to be understood 
 in the same way. This view of the sub- 
 ject would seem to be corroborated by 
 the circumstances, that a 4x51, Angel 
 or Messenger, who is said to possess the 
 Divine name, ὃ. 6. whatever is distinctive 
 of Deity, is frequently spoken of under 
 that economy; that He is represented 
 as leading the Israelites out of Egypt, 
 giving them the law, and superintend- 
 ing the whole of the theocracy. All the 
 theophanies or manifestations of the in- 
 
 visible Deity were made in his Person. 
 He was the proper nuncius sent to reveal 
 
 the will of the Father. Moses was only 
 a ϑεράπων, 729, or servant employed by 
 him, while he was God manifested in 
 glory. I can put no other consistent 
 construction upon such passages as the 
 following: Gen. xlviii. 15, 16; Exod. 
 iii, 2—15, xxii. 20, 21; Is. Ixiii. 9; 
 Zech. i. ii. iii. vi.; Acts vii. 38; Heb. 
 xi. 26, xii. 26. In strict consistency 
 with the representations of Scripture, 
 therefore, the Messiah may be called the 
 Messenger of that ancient economy of 
 which he was the Founder and Head. 
 Most interpreters, however, understand 
 the New Covenant, or the dispensation 
 of grace, with special reference to Heb. 
 ix. 15, where our Saviour is called δια- 
 ϑήκης καινῆς μεσίτης, the Mediator of the 
 New Covenant ; among others, Grotius, 
 
 Rosenmiiller, and Gesenius. The Jews 
 may be said to have sought and delighted 
 in the Messiah, because he was the object 
 of national expectation and desire, though 
 the great body of them formed no higher 
 conception of him than that of an earthly 
 monarch, under whose reign they should 
 enjoy a profusion of temporal blessings. 
 When it is declared that he should come 
 * suddenly” to his temple, it is not im- 
 plied that he was to come in or near the 
 times of the prophet, but merely that 
 his coming would be sudden and unex- 
 pected in the circumstances under which 
 it took place. 
 
 2—4, Employing a strong metallurgic 
 metaphor, the prophet shows that the 
 Covenant Messenger would be very dif- 
 ferent from that which the carnal Jews 
 expected. Instead of flattering their 
 prejudices, and gratifying their wishes, 
 he would, by his pure and heart-search- 
 ing doctrines, subject their principles and 
 conduct to the severest test. Those of 
 the priests should be specially tried. The 
 object he was to have in view in this 
 trial, was their purification, that they 
 might serve him in righteousness. Matt. 
 ili. 12; John xy. 8. And such was the 
 result with respect to many of them. 
 “A great company of the priests were 
 obedient to the faith,” Acts vi. 7. The 
 influence of their conversion upon the 
 people must have been very great, though 
 we have no information respecting it in 
 
452 
 
 As in the days of old, 
 And as in the former years. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuap. III. 
 
 5 But I will draw nigh to you for judgment, 
 
 And will be a swift witness 
 
 Against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, 
 And against those who swear to a falsehood, 
 And against those who wrest the wages of the hireling, 
 
 The widow and the orphan, 
 
 Who turn aside the stranger as to his right, 
 And fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 6 Because I am Jehovah, I change not ; 
 Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. 
 7 Even from the days of your fathers 
 Ye have departed from my statutes, and have not kept them; 
 Return to me, and I will return to you, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 
 But ye say, Wherewith shall we return ? 
 
 8 Will a man defraud God? 
 Yet ye have defrauded me. 
 
 But ye say, Wherein have we defrauded thee? 
 
 In the tithes and the oblations. 
 9 Ye are cursed with the curse ; 
 
 For ye —the whole nation — have defrauded me. 
 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, 
 
 the Acts. ‘The religious, services of the 
 churches composed of Jewish converts in 
 Jerusalem and throughout Judea, are 
 represented as peculiarly well-pleasing to 
 God. For the meaning of τι Γ13}2 , offer- 
 ing, as here used, comp. chap. i. 10, 11. 
 5. Malachi here returns to his own 
 times, and threatens his ungodly con- 
 temporaries with divine judgment, speed - 
 ily to be executed upon them. Magic 
 greatly prevailed among the Jews after 
 the captivity, as did also the other crimes 
 here specified. How much they obtained 
 in the time of our Lord, we learn from 
 the Evangelists and Josephus. The 
 prophet traces them all back to their 
 true source — absence of the fear of God. 
 \ After exyavaa;, the phrase "oda is 
 ‘found in nineteen MSS, in some printed 
 editions, and in the LXX., Syr., Hexapl., 
 and Arab, 
 
 6. As the incommunicable name τῆ τι" 
 Jenovan, implies a futurity of reference 
 with respect to the communication of 
 blessings (see on Hos. xii. 5), the Divine 
 immutability secured the preservation of 
 the Jewish people from destruction, not- 
 withstanding their flagrant wickedness, 
 till he had accomplished all his purposes 
 of mercy. 
 
 7. The in x" is prosthetic, with 
 somewhat of its temporal signification. 
 There was still mercy in store for the 
 Jews, if they only would repent. 
 
 8. yap, Which occurs only in our 
 prophet, and in Prov. xxii. 23, signifies 
 to cover, do anything covertly, defraud. 
 
 Comp. the Arab. raced , retrahit, at: 
 
 occultus. 
 9. Comp. chap. ii. 2. 
 10. "πο ΞτοΣ, usgue ad defectum 
 
Cuap. III. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 453 
 
 That there may be meat in my house, 
 
 And try me now with this, saith J ehovah of hosts, 
 Whether I will not open for you the windows of heaven, 
 And pour out a blessing for you, 
 
 Till there shall be a superabundance. 
 
 11 
 
 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sake, 
 
 And he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground ; 
 Neither shall your vine in the field be unfruitful, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 12 
 
 And all the nations shall pronounce you happy, 
 
 For ye shall be a delightful land, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts. 
 19 
 
 Your words against me have been hard, saith Jehovah ; 
 
 But ye say, What have we spoken against thee ? 
 
 Ye have said: 
 It is vain to serve God; 
 
 14 
 
 And what profit is it that we keep his ordinance, 
 And that we walk mournfully before Jehovah of hosts? 
 
 For now we pronounce the proud happy ; 
 
 They also that work wickedness are built up ; 
 They eyen tempt God, yet they are delivered. 
 
 16 
 
 Then they that feared Jehovah 
 Conversed one with another ; 
 
 And Jehovah hearkened, and heard, 
 
 sufficientia, i.e. not as Gesenius explains 
 it, till my abundance be exhausted, 
 which being impossible, the phrase is 
 equivalent to, forever, without end; but 
 where sufficiency can have no more 
 place, more than sufficient, superabund- 
 antly. To this effect Jerome, Winer, 
 De Wette, Hitzig, and Maurer. 
 
 11. By the ts, devourer, noxious 
 animals and insects are meant, especially 
 the locusts. ἘΞ properly signifies ¢o 
 cause abortion, render childless, and met- 
 aphorically, to make barren or unfruit- 
 ful, when spoken of trees. 
 
 13—15. pin signifies to bind fast, 
 make firm, and, in a bad sense, to be 
 hard, obstinate, or the like. Such was 
 the language of the Jews against Jeho- 
 yah. Comp. Jude 15, περὶ πάντων τῶν 
 σκληρῶν ὧν ἐλάλησαν κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ. Some 
 
 awful specimens of their hard speeches 
 are here exhibited, in which the usual 
 objection against the rectitude of Provi- 
 dence is dressed up in some of its more 
 taking forms. Comp. Job xxi. 14, 15; 
 Ps. Ixxiii. 1—14. 4r12 is here used like 
 πὸ in the bad sense of tempting, or 
 braving the Most High by presumptuous 
 speeches and conduct. The walking 
 mournfully has reference to their going 
 about in sackcloth and ashes, pretending 
 to sorrow on account of theirsins. =17, 
 to be dirty, to go about in filthy gar- 
 ments, like persons who mourn; such 
 being universally the custom in the East. 
 
 16. ts, then, specially marks the time 
 in which the impious conversations were 
 being held. Here ;-273 beautifully con- 
 trasts with the same term in the thir- 
 teenth verse. The verb is in Niphal, to 
 
45:1 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuar. III. 
 
 And a book of remembrance was written before him, 
 For those that feared Jehovah, 
 
 And thought upon his name. 
 Wy, 
 hosts, 
 
 And they shall be a peculiar treasure to me, saith Jehovah of 
 
 In the day which I have appointed ; 
 
 And I will be kind to them 
 
 As a father is kind to his son who serveth him. 
 
 18 
 
 Then shall ye again perceive the difference 
 
 Between the righteous and the wicked, 
 Between him that serveth God, 
 
 And him that serveth him not. 
 
 express the reciprocal or conversational 
 character of the language. As the un- 
 godly did not confine their hard speeches 
 to the mere utterance of them to such 
 individuals as they might happen to 
 meet, but made their infidel objections 
 the subject of mutual discussion, so the 
 pious are here represented as holding 
 mutual converse respecting the interests 
 of truth and godliness. “It does not ap- 
 pear that Niphal ever has the frequenta- 
 tive signification, expressed in our com- 
 mon version. The writing of a book of 
 remembrance is a metaphor borrowed 
 from the custom at the Persian court of 
 entering in a record the names of any 
 who have rendered service to the king, 
 with an account of the nature of such 
 service. See Esther vi. 1, 2. 
 Wf. 7230 is to be construed with ἡ" πὸ 
 
 $, and Ἐ Ὁ» is connected by means of 
 “gs with ἘΝ. The phrase ἢ" mv 
 to make a day, which occurs chap. iv. ὁ; 
 Ps. exviii. 24, means to γα, ordain, ap- 
 point, such a period for the execution of 
 a special purpose. =>: "Ὁ , signifies pri- 
 vate, special, or peculiar property. bao ὴ 
 like the kindred root "πλῷ, has the pri- 
 mary signification of shutting up, closing, 
 
 and then, secondarily, that of getting, or 
 acquiring, what is shut up, in order to 
 its being carefully preserved. Hence the 
 idea of what is peculiarly valuable or 
 precious. ‘The term is applied to the 
 people of Israel, Exod. xix. 5; Deut. 
 vii. 6, xiv. 2,xxvi. 18. It is used of the 
 choice treasure of kings, etc., Eccles. ii. 
 8. Itis expressive of the high estima- 
 tion in which God holds his people, and, 
 in this connection, of their perfect safety 
 in the day of judgment. 
 
 18. 3y¥ is used idiomatically in con- 
 nection with mx to express the repeti- 
 tion of the action, the idea of which is 
 conveyed by the latter verb. Notwith- 
 standing the charge brought by the 
 wicked against the ππ ἢ ΤΩΣ of God, 
 as if he treated all alike, the righteous 
 had already had opportunities of perceiv- 
 ing from observation and experience, that 
 the position was false, viewed in applica- 
 tion to the entire state and circumstan- 
 ces of the different characters; but they 
 should have another and most convinc- 
 ing proof in the salvation of all who 
 loved and feared the Lord, and in the 
 overthrow and destruction of his ene- 
 mies, 
 
Cuap. IV. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 425 
 
 rv, 
 
 Most editions of the Hebrew Bible, and most of the MSS., exhibit this concluding portion 
 
 of the book as a continuation of the third chapter. 
 blank space before it, and several editions make a separate chapter of it. 
 
 Not a few MSS., however, leave a 
 As this division 
 
 obtains in all the versions, it is more convenient to retain it. 
 
 The chapter continues the threatenings against the Jewish unbelievers, 1; exhibits a lumi- 
 nous prophecy of the Messiah, and the prosperity of his people, 2, 8; and concludes with 
 a solemn call to the Jews, to observe the institutes of the old economy, till the forerunner 
 of the Messiah should appear, when the Jewish polity should be destroyed, and a new and 
 
 better dispensation established, 4—6. 
 
 1 For, behold! the day cometh, it shall burn as an oven, 
 And all the proud, and every one that doeth wickedly, shall be 
 
 stubble, 
 
 And the day that cometh shall burn them up, 
 
 Saith Jehovah of hosts; 
 
 That it may not leave them either root or branch. 
 2 But unto you that fear my name, 
 The Sun of righteousness shall arise, 
 
 1, Instead of ποθ mex, nearly 
 eighty MSS., the most ancient and sev- 
 eral other editions, the Babylon, Talmud, 
 the LXX., Syr., and Targ., read zy 
 mewn in the plural. The phrase 343 
 35. , root or branch, is proverbial, and 
 signifies any, the least remnant. The 
 persons referred to were to be consigned 
 to utter destruction. The Targhum has 
 52.522 73, 807) ΟΥ̓ son’s son. 
 
 2. The term 725, Sun, is metaphor- 
 ically applied to God, Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, on 
 account of that luminary being the most 
 glorious and beneficent object which 
 meets the human eye. It is with good 
 reason supposed to be thus used of the 
 Messiah in the declaration, 2 Sam. 
 xxiii. 4; 
 
 SAV=NIT WES NSA, 
 
 *«©And as the morning light he shall 
 arise — ἃ Sun.” 
 
 In the present verse there can be no 
 doubt with respect to the application. 
 Our Lord is elsewhere called 4s , Light, 
 which in Hebrew poetry is used of the 
 sun, as the source of light. See Is. ix. 
 1, xlix. 6; John i. 9, viii. 12. What 
 the sun is to the natural world, that the 
 Messiah is to the moral. The invaluable 
 spiritual blessings which he dispenses are 
 
 . all comprehended under the two heads 
 
 here specified — righteousness and moral 
 health. Comp. Is. lvii. 19. Both of 
 these are indispensably requisite to the 
 happiness of our guilty and depraved 
 race, and from no other quarter can they 
 be obtained, than from Him, “who of 
 God is made unto us wisdom, and 
 righteousness, and sanctification, and re- 
 demption.” 1 Cor, i. 30. By “wings” 
 we are to understand the beams of the 
 sun, on account of the velocity and ex- 
 pansion with which they spread over the 
 
456 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 Cuar. IV. 
 
 And there shall be healing in his wings; 
 
 And ye shall go forth and leap as calves of the stall. 
 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked ; 
 
 Surely they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, 
 
 In the day which I have appointed, saith Jehovah of hosts, 
 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, 
 
 Which I gave him in charge in Horeb for all Israel, 
 
 The statutes and the judgments. 
 δ Behold! I will send to you Elijah the prophet, 
 
 earth. Comp. Ps. exxxix. 9. Those for 
 whose immediate benefit the Sun of 
 righteousness was to arise, were such as 
 “feared the name” of Jehovah — like 
 Simeon, who was δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβὴς, 
 sighteous and devout, waiting for the 
 consolation of Israel. Lukeii. 25. Ἀπ, 
 to go forth, is here used in the sense of 
 escaping from the judgment to be in- 
 flicted upon the unbelieving part of the 
 Jewish nation. This the Jewish Chris- 
 tians did when they left Jerusalem, and 
 proceeded to Pella, where they were pre- 
 served in safety. wn, signifies to spread, 
 take α wide range, and is used of the 
 proud prancing of horses, and as here of 
 the leaping and sporting of calves. The 
 simile is designed to convey the ideas of 
 freedom from outward restraint, and the 
 enjoyment of self-conscious hilarity. 
 
 3. This verse expresses the depressed 
 condition to which the Jews were to be 
 reduced after the destruction of their 
 polity, contrasted with the prosperous 
 condition of those who embraced Chris- 
 tianity, and who were no longer subject 
 to oppression on the part of their unbe- 
 lieving brethren. 
 
 4, As the Jaw and the prophets were 
 to remain in force till the appearance of 
 John the Baptist, no prophet intervening 
 after Malachi to make any further com- 
 munications of the Divine will, it was 
 necessary to pay the closest attention to 
 the enactments and observances of the 
 Mosaic institute, That there were no 
 more inspired messengers under the Old 
 Economy may be inferred, not only from 
 
 the nature of the injunction here given, 
 especially as taken in connection with 
 the promise of a new messenger in the 
 following verse, but also from Ecclesias- 
 ticus xlix. 10, where, after mentioning 
 Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the author closes 
 with τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν, the twelve 
 prophets, as the last in the category. 
 
 5. The coherence of this verse with 
 the first clause of chap. iii. is too palpa- 
 able to be overlooked. Accordingly, the 
 Jews in the time of Jerome. interpreted 
 the messenger of Jehovah there predic- 
 ted, of Elijah the Tishbite, as they ex- 
 plain the present verse to this day, be- 
 lieving, that as the ancient prophet as- 
 cended into heaven both as to body and 
 soul, he is destined to reappear in the 
 same upon earth before the advent of 
 Messiah the Son of David. That Elijah 
 here presented to view is to be understood 
 ideally and not historically, and that the 
 individual personally intended is John 
 the Baptist, are positions the certainty 
 of which is rendered indubitable by the 
 repeated declarations of our Lord. When 
 John denied that he was Elias, John i. 
 21, he is to be understood as making the 
 denial in reference to the personal sense 
 of the term as employed in the question 
 that had been proposed to him. The 
 historical theory is entirely set aside by 
 the express testimony of the angel, Luke 
 i. 17, according to which all that is meant 
 by Malachi is, that the forerunner of the 
 Messiah was to come ‘in the spirit and 
 power of Elias.” Like that prophet, he 
 was to be endowed with extraordinsry 
 
Cuapr. IV. 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 457 
 
 Before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come: 
 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, 
 
 power and energy, to fit him for the great 
 work of reformation which his ministry 
 was designed to effect. Adverting to the 
 erroneous Jewish notion, which even then 
 obtained, relative to the appearance of 
 Elijah in person, our Lord says of John, 
 «If ye will receive it, αὐτὸς ἐστιν "HAlas 
 ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσϑαι, he is Elias who was 
 to come,” Matt. xi. 17. And when the 
 disciples asked him, ‘* Why do the Scribes 
 then say that Elias must first come? he 
 replied, Elias shall, indeed, first come 
 and restore all things. But I say unto 
 you that Ἠλίας ἤδη ἦλϑε; Elias is already 
 come, and they knew him not, but have 
 done unto him whatsoever they listed.” 
 Matt. xvii. 10—13. Upon the circum- 
 stance that our Lord uses the future 
 tense, ἔρχεται; shall come, some Chris- 
 tian interpreters have attempted to estab- 
 lish the hypothesis, that the prophecy is 
 still to be fulfilled before his second ad- 
 
 vent; but he is obviously speaking in | 
 
 the style. of language employed by the 
 prophet, to whom the event was future, 
 and in adaptation to the opinion of the 
 Scribes, though he immediately corrects 
 what was erroneous in their notion, de- 
 claring that the event was no longer 
 future, but had actually taken place in 
 the person and ministry of John. It is 
 truly surprising that any should persist 
 in giving to the prophecy an aspect still 
 future, in the very face of an exposition 
 at once positive and infallible. That 
 John the Baptist was "32, ὦ prophet, 
 Christ admits, though he at the same 
 time declares, that he was ‘‘ more than 
 a prophet.” Matt. xi. 9. The “great 
 and terrible day of Jehovah’’ was the 
 dreadful period of his judgment, effecting 
 the destruction of Jerusalem by the Ro- 
 mans. Comp. Joel ii. 31. 
 
 6. The design of the ministry of John 
 is described as consisting in the produc- 
 tion of universal peace and concord. 
 Family feuds had increased to an enor- 
 
 58 
 
 mous extent by the time of John the 
 Baptist, the removal of which by genu- 
 ine repentance and reformation of con- 
 duct might be taken as a specimen of the 
 ἀποκατάστασις, or restoration of things 
 to a better state throughout Judea. 
 Some have proposed to take the preposi- 
 tion ty, ἕο, as equivalent to ty , with, a 
 signification which if sometimes has, and 
 so to explain the passage as simply pre- 
 dicting the universality of the conver- 
 sion spoken of; but such an interpreta- 
 tion would introduce an intolerable tau- 
 tology into the language of the prophet, 
 and be at variance with the construction 
 put upon it by the angel, Luke i. 17, in 
 which only one member of the sentence 
 isquoted. With respect to the extent of 
 the effects produced by John’s ministry, 
 there can be no doubt it was very great. 
 Not only did immense multitudes come 
 to his baptism, confessing their sins, but 
 the great body of the common people 
 appear to have been prepared by him 
 for the labors of our blessed Lord him- 
 self, and thus the foundation was laid 
 for the recovery of tens of thousands 
 from Judaism to the faith of the gospel, 
 previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. 
 See Acts xxi. 20. 
 
 The prophecy, and with it the entire 
 Old Testament, closes with the awful 
 alternative—the denunciation of the 
 Divine curse, to be realized in the ex- 
 termination of the impenitent Jews from 
 their own land. tn signifies uéter de- 
 struction, from ἘΠ π , to shut or stop up, 
 exclude from common use, place under 
 a ban, devote to destruction. It is one 
 of the most fearful words in use among 
 the Jews, and was specially applied to 
 the extermination of the Canaanites, 
 whose cities were razed to the founda- 
 tions, and their inhabitants utterly de- 
 stroyed. Under this ban, the land of 
 Palestine has lain ever since the capture 
 
458 MALACHI. Cuap. IV. 
 
 And the heart of the children to the fathers, 
 Lest I come and smite the land with a curse. 
 
 of Jerusalem; and the sufferings to incomparably more dreadful is the New 
 which, in consequence, the Jews have Testament esp — ANAOEMA, MAPAN 
 been subjected are truly appalling; but A@A! 1 Cor. xvi. 22. 
 
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 vised by Pror. R. Ὁ. C. Roppins. 12mo. pp. 570. $2.25. 
 
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 peared on either side of the Atlantic.” —American Presbyterian. ἘΝ 
 
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 able, than in some of the works which were written in the unabated freshness and exuberant 
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 The Introduction discusses the general nature of the book; its special design and method, 
 
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 Ce ne (Critical and Grammatical) OF C. J. ELLICOTT, 
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 A 
 CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY 
 
 THE BOOK OF GENESIS, 
 
 WITH A NEW TRANSLATION. 
 
 BY JAMES: GG: MURPHY; Gili. D.) "TL. OD. 
 Professor of Hebrew, Belfast. 
 
 WITH A PREFACE BY J. P. THOMPSON, D.D 
 
 NEW YORK CITY. 
 
 One Vol. Svo. pp. 535. Price $3.50. 
 
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 of astronomical and geological science..... 
 
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 humble spirit of the true disciple of Christ.” fe 
 
 THE ESSAYS OF THE LATE ARCHBISHOP WHATELY 
 
 ON SOME OF THE DIFFICULTIES IN 
 
 THE WRITINGS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, 
 
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