I/ A;~, A, i". }v.C /'-' 7,. - 4 /~~ g d>:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~' ;:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.-'~1~~ —- - -~ ~~:- ~ 11;::-'- _;-:Mg- i: 1,: ~ therap 1~~i D. 1-ZoleLs.Pin~ccl- 1)7 C'. T. F-:eallcl- J. 1; ( I E1 T, ( r.11I~::: ~ ~ ~ K., 1 I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AIIS1 - l p~~~~~~~j Il~~~~~~~~~ r Z7/' ~' " —""'~.. " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!~.... Jc~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,-i ~~~~~~~~~~~j i~~~~~~ ~~~iii;~~~~~~~~ i s~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a~~~~~~~'_Z%7'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jc ( " ~~~~~~ ~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~' IJ'~ "'1... i I j jh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ iil.'"i~ ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES,.DERIVED PRINCIPALLY FROM THE MANNERS. CUSTOMS, RITES, TRADITIONS, FORMS OF SPEECH ANTIQUITIES CLIMATE, AND WORKS OF ART AND LITEgRHATURE, 01 THE E A S TER N NA TIONS; BMEODYING ALL THAT IS VALUABLE IN THE WORKS OF HARMER, BURD;ER, PAXTON, AND ROBERTS, AND TEIE MOST CELEBRATED ORIENTAL TRAVELLERS; EMBRACING ALSO THE SUBJECT OF THE FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY AS EXHIBITED BY KEITH AND OTHERS; WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PRESENT STATE OF COUNTRIES AND PLACES MENTIONED IN THE SACRED WRITINGS, ILLUSTRATE BY NUMEROUS LANDSCAPE ENGRAVINGS, FROM SKETCHtES TAKEN ON THE SPOT. EDITED BY REV. GEOlRGE BUSH, PROFESSOR OF HEBREW AND ORIENTAL LITERATURE IN THE NEW YORK CITY UNIVERSITY. PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT, GRAMBO & CO. 1854. PREFACE. N'EXT in worth and importance to the possession, is doubtless to be estimated the correct interpretation of the sacred volume. Indeed, it is the latter which gives its value to the former. A revelation not understood, or not intelligible, is no revelation, as far as its recipients are concerned. The position, therefore, that the meaning of the Bible is the Bible, we consider as unquestionably true, and consequently any new accession of light, which goes to clear up its obscurities, and cause its genuine sense to stand forth in bolder relief upon the inspired page, is in reality enriching us with a larger amount of its treasures, and virtually bestowing upon us added communications —of the Divine will. In this view, the progressive elucidation of the scriptures, whether by the expository labours of critics, the researches of travellers, or the fulfilments of prophecy, may be compared to the gradual rolling away of the morning mist from a splendid landscape, As the sun advances, the shades retire, and new and interesting features of the scenery are continually opening upon the delighted eye of the spectator. Or, it may be said to resemble the slow, but momentous process of unfolding the ancient papyri, which the ravages of time and fire have spared among the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Here, as every successive word and letter, which can be redeemed from the crisp and crumbling texture of the blackened parchment, is noted down with the most scrupulous care, as forming a part of the continuous record, and going to make out its entire sense; so the sense of the sacred volume is gradually elicited, item by item, and needs only to be collected and treasured up with equal solicitude, in order to constitute a possession of infinitely more value than the choicest literary relics of antiquity. Perhaps it may be safely affirmed, that the materials are at this moment in existence, for the satisfactory solution of nearly every doubtful passage of holy writ; but the great desideratum is to have them brought together —to collect them from their wide dispersion over a countless multitude of writings, in various languages, which the great majority of Christians can neither procure nor understand. It is only in this way that they can be made really available to the great end which they are calculated to subserve; and far from idle are the claims of any one who professes to bring from scattered sources a new quota to the general stock of biblical illustration. As the Bible, in its structure, spirit, and costume, is essentially an Eastern book, it is obvious that the natural phenomena, and the moral condition of the East, should be made largely tributary to its elucidation. In order to appreciate fully the truth of its descriptions, and the accuracy, force, and beauty of its various allusions, it is indispensable that the' reader, as far as possible, separate himself from his ordinary associations, and put himself, by a kind of mental transmigration, into the very circumstances of the writers. He must set himself down in the midst of oriental scenery-gaze upon the sun, sky, mountains, and rivers of Asia-go forth with the nomade tribes of the desert-follow their flockstravel with their caravans-rest in their tents-lodge in their khans —load and unload their camels-drink at their watering-places-pause during the heat of the day under the shade of their palms-cultivate the fields with their own rude implements-gather in or glean after their harvests-beat out and ventilate the grain in their open thrashing-floorsdress in their costume-note their proverbial or idiomatic forms of speech, and listen to the strain -of song or story, with which they beguile the vacant hours. In a word, he must surround himself with, and transfuse himself into, all the forms, habitudes, and usages of oriental life. In this:way only can he catch the sources of their imagery, or -enter into full communion with the. genius of the sacred penmen. While, therefore, we readily concede the very high importance of critical and philological research in dissipating the obscurities of the scriptures, and fixing their exact sense, we cannot, at the same time, but think that the collateral illustrations derived from this source, are deserving of at least equal attention from the student of revelation. The truth is, the providence of God, which is never more worthily employed than about his Word, seems now to be-directing the eyes of his servants, as with pointed finger, to the immense stores of elucidation constantly accumulating from this quarter. The tide of travel within a few years, has turned remarkably to the East. Animated either by the noble spirit of missionary enterprise, of commercial speculation, of military adventure, or laudable curiosity, men of intelligence and observation have made their way into every region on which the light of revelation originally shone; exploring its antiquities, mingling with its inhabitants, detailing its manners and customs, and displaying its physical, moral, and political circumstances. From these expeditions they have returned laden with the rich results of their industry, and the labours of the pen and the pencil have made thousands partakers of the benefit. Somewhat more than half a century ago, when the justly celebrated Observations of Harmer were given to the public, the range of materials to which he had.access was comparatively limited. The travels of Chardin, Pococke, Shaw, Maundrell, Pitts, D'Arvieux, with Russel's Natural History of Aleppo, were his principal authorities-authorities, it is true, which have not yet been wholly superseded. But since his time, what an immense accession has the department of oriental travels received' The names of Volney, Niebuhr, Mariti, Clarke, Chateaubriand, Porter, Burckhardt, Buckingham, Morier, Seetzen, De Lamartine, Laborde, exhaust but a small part of the list of eastern tourists, whose labours have gone to make us familiarly acquainted with the land of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles. How desirable that the scattered gleams of illustrative light, which shine in their works, should be concentrated into one focus of illumination! This is the task which we have essayed in the present volume, 6 PREFACE. In entering upo)n and advancing in this task, we have been more and more impressed with the remarkable fact of the permanence of eastern usages. True to the traditions of their ancestors, and impenetrable thus far to the spirit of innovation, their manners and customs, opinions and institutions, retain all the fixedness of their mountains, and flow on as unvarying as the course of their streams. To the question, therefore, whether the state of things in the East, as described by modern travellers, really coincides with that which existed at the time the scriptures were written, so that one may be cited as conveying a correct idea of the other; we may reply, in the words of Sir John Chardin, one of the most respectable and authentic of the number:-" I have written nothing," says he, " of the Indies, because I lived but five years there, and understood only the vulgar languages, which are the Indian and Persian, without the knowledge of that of the Brahmins; but, nevertheless, I did not spend my time there in idleness: on the contrary, as the winters in that country will not permit one to travel, I employed that time in a work which I had long in my thoughts, and which I may call myfavourite design, by the pleasure wherewith I laboured in it, and the profit which I hope the public will receive thereby; which is certain notes upon very many passages of holy scripture, whereof the explication depends on the knowledge of the customs of the eastern countries; for the East is the scene of all the historical facts mentioned in the Bible. The language of that divine book (especially of the Old Testament.) being oriental, and very often figurative and hyperbolical, those parts of scripture which are written in verse, and in the prophecies, are full of figures and hyperboles, which, as it is manifest, cannot be well understood without a knowledge of things from whence such figures are taken, which are natural properties and particular manners of the countries to which they refer. I discerned this in my first voyage to the Indies: for I gradually found a greater sense and beauty in divers passages of scripture than I had before, by having in my view the things, either natural or moral, which explained them to me; ana in perusing the different translations which the greatest part of the translators of the Bible had made, I observed that every one of them (to render the expositions, as they thought, more intelligible) used such expressions as would accommodate the phrase to the places where they writ; amd which did not only many times pervert the text, but often rendered the sense obscure, and sometimes absurd also. In fine, consulting the commentators upon such kind of passages, I found very strange mistakes in them, and that they had long guessed at the sense, and did but grope (as in the dark) in search of it. And from these reflections I took a resolution to make my remarks upon many passages of the scriptures; persuading myself that they would be equally agreeable and profitable for use. And the learned, to whom I communicated my design, encouraged me very much, by their commendations, to proceed in it; and more especially when I informed them, that it is not in Asia, as in our Europe, where there are frequent chances, more or less, in the form of things, as the habits, buildings, gardens, and the like. IN THE EAST THEY ARE CONSTANT IN ALL THINGS; the habits are at this day in the same manner as in the precedent ages; so that one may i'easonably believe, that in that part of the world, the exterior form of things (as their manners and customs) are the same now as they were two thousand years since, except in such changes as have been introduced by religion, which are, nevertheless, very inconsiderable."-(Preface to Travels iL Persia, p. 6.) Morier, an eastern traveller, says, " The manners of the East, amid all the changes of government and religion, are stil; the same; they're living impressions from an original mould; and at every step, some object, some idiom, some dress, or some custom of common life, reminds the traveller of ancient times, and coi/rnrms, above all, the beauty, the acczracy, and the propriety of the language and the history of the Bible." This very striking testimony to the conformity, or rather identity, of the modern with the ancient usages of the East, is abundantly confirmed from other sources, as scarcely a traveller has set foot upon oriental soil, without professing himself to be at once struck with the remarkable coincidence between the picture of ancient manners, is drawn in the sacred writings, and the state of things which actually meets his eye. This steadfast resistance to the spirit of innovation and change, which thus remarkably distinguishes the nations of the East, will probably, in the providence of God, remain unsubdued, till it shall have answered all the important purposes of biblical elucidation, when it will give way to the all-pervading, all-regenerating influence of the Bible itself, borne upon the bosom of a new tide of civilization and improvement, which shall, ere long, set in upon the East from the nations of Europe, and the great continent of the West. " By a wonderful provision of Providence," says De Lamartine, "who never creates wants without at the same time creating the means of satisfying them, it happens, that at the moment when the great crisis of civilization takes place in Europe, and when the new necessities resulting from it are revealing themselves, both to governments and people, a great crisis of an inverse order takes place in the East, and a vast void is there offered for the redundancy of European population and faculties. The excess of life which is overflowing here, may and must find an outlet in that part of the world; the excess of force which overstrains us, may and must find employment in those countries, where the human powers are in a state of exhaustion and torpidity, where the stream of population is stagnant or drying up, where the vitality of the human race is expiring.") In the mean time, while the inevitable doom of revolution and transformation that awaits the East, lingers, it behooves us to make the most, for useful purposes, of that state of society which still exists, but which, ere long, will have passed away. With this view, we have endeavoured to imbody in the present volume a large mass of oriental illustration. The work is strictly of an eclectic character. Postponing the claims of originality to those of practical utility, the Editor, after arraying before him the amplest store of materials which he could command, set himself to the task of selecting and arranging the most valuable portions which he could bring within the limits of his plan. The kindred works of Harmer, Burder, Paxton, Taylor's edition of Calmet, scarcely any of which are in common accessible to the majority of biblical students, have been diligently gleaned, and all their important contents transferred to our pages. As these works are not likely ever to be reprinted in this country, there appeared no other way to arrest their progress io oblivion, and to secure a larger and wider circulation to the valuable matter which they contain. But the range of selection has been by no means confined to the works now mentioned. So prolific has been the press within the last twenty or thirty years, of books of eastern travels, illustrative of manners, customs, and religion, that our resources in this department have been almost indefinitely multiplied. But to one work in particular-Roberts' Oriental PREFACE. Illustrations of the Sacred Scriptures, collected during a residence of nearly fourteen years among the HIindoos-the Editor desires, as an act of justice, to which he is sure the reader will most heartily respond, to express his very deep obligations. He considers himself peculiarly fortunate in meeting with this work just as he was entering upon his own undertaking, so that he has been able to incorporate it nearly entire in the present volume. Though abounding chiefly in illustrations drawn from the parabolical, idiomatical, and proverbial phraseolgy common in the East, yet his notes are so pointed and pertinent in their scope, so felicitous and graphic in their turn of expression, and so remarkable for the vividness with which the leading idea is exhibited, that we doubt not the reader will find in this part alone an ample equivalent for the cost of the whole volume. The Rev. T.. H. Homrne says he feels himself " justified in recommending Mr. Roberts'' Illustrations,' as supplying an important desideratum in biblical literature. They furnish to very many difficult or obscure passages satisfactory explanations, which are not more original than they are entertaining and instructive." " Mr. Roberts' work," says the British Critic, "is replete with interesting matter, and, in a condensed form, contains more illustrations of Holy Writ than any other book we know of. He richly deserves our thanks, and the thanks especially of those who are not able to possess many volumes illustrative of the oriental rites and customs to be found in the Bible. We have only to add, that this volume is worth all the twopenny trash which the last half dozen years have given birth to." As the present work is designed to be marked by somewhat of the same Comprehensive character which distinguishes the other biblical works lately issued from the press of the Publishers, the illustrations bear upon numerous other points than those relating to manners and customs. Every thing of a purely doctrinal character, about which the different denominations of Christians might be supposed to disagree, has been studiously excluded; at least such has been the Editor's intention, and if any thing should be met with that seems to gainsay this declaration, he begs it may be set down to the account of a momentary inadvertence, rather than of a determinate purpose. But with this exception, he has given himself as much latitude in the selection of -matter, as was consistent with a prevailing unity of design in the structure of the whole. The subject of the Fulfilment of Prophecy, cannot well be lost sight of by any one conversantat once with the scriptures and the reports of modern travellers. The topographical descriptions of many of the most noted places of -scripture, a department to which particular attention has been given in the ensuing pages, suggests at once the divine predictions bearing upon their future doom. The researches of tourists, both skeptics and Christians, have poured a flood of light upon this subject. It is perfectly astonishing, to one who has never examined the subject, to find how literally and minutely the prophetic declarations of scripture have been fulfilled, so that even infidel travellers and historians, as Volney and Gibbon, in their accounts of nations and countries, have unwittingly used for description, almost the words of scripture in which the events are foretold. Volney, particularly, (one of the bitterest opposers of Christianity,) in his published travels in the East, has afforded, unwillingly and unthinkingly a wonderful attestation to the truth of the Eible, in the relation of facts which came under his own eye. There needs no better witness. Indeed, it is impossible for the most determined infidel carefully to examine and weigh this subject, and not be forced to feel that the Bible is divine; or, in the words of Bishop Newton, " he is reduced to the necessity, either to renounce his senses, deny what he reads in the Bible, and what he sees and observes in the world, or acknowledge the truth of prophecy, and consequently, of divine revelation." The researches of travellers in Palestine have been abundant, and the prophecies thereby verified are numerous and distinct, so that the facts may be related literally in the language of the prophecy. To use the words of a late writer in the London Quarterly Review, " we confess that we have felt more surprise, delight, and conviction, in examining the accounts which the travels of Burckhardt, Mangles, Irby, Leigh, and Laborde, have so recently given of Judea, Edom, &c. than we have ever derived from any similar inquiry. It seems like a miracle in our own times. Twenty years ago we read certain portions of the prophetic scriptures, with a belief that they were true, because other similar passages had, in the course of ages, been proved to be so, and we had an indistinct notion, that all these (to us) obscure and indefinite denunciations had been-we knew not very well when or how-accomplished: but to have graphic descriptions, ground plans, and elevations, showing the actual existence of all the heretofore vague and shadowy denunciations of God against Edom, does, we confess, excite our feelings, and exalt our confidence in prophecy, to a height that no external evidence has hitherto done..... Here we have-bursting upon our age of incredulity, by the labours of accidental, impartial, and sometimes incredulous" (infidel) "witnesses-the certainty of existing facts, which fulfil what -were considered hitherto the most vague and least intelligible of the prophecies. The value of one such contemporaneous proof is immense." Indeed, it would seem that in regard to such places as Babylon, Nineveh, Tyre, Moab, Edom, and others, the providence of God was no less conspicuous in bringing to light, in these latter ages, the evidence of the accomplishment of those prophecies, than formerly in working the accomplishment itself. The valuable labours of Keith in this department, arranged in accordance with our general plan, so as to exhibit the commentary under its appropriate text, will be found to have added much to the interest and profit of the reader in perusing our pages. The numerous highly finished engravings, executed by distinguished artists, from sketches taken on the spot, and accompanied, for the most part, with letter-press descriptions by the Rev. T. H. Horne, originally published in Finden'e Landscape Illustrations, will go also greatly to enhance the value of this portion of the illustrations. A critical note is occasionally thrown in, where the point of a passage seemed capable of a happy explication, especially from a more exact analysis of the import of the original terms. Those bearing the signature of the Editor will perhaps usually be found of this character, and for any seeming infraction in this of his general plan, he solicits the indulgence not unreasonably claimed for a favourite mode of scripture exposition. They are, however, for the most part, " few and far between." As a prominent object aimed at throughout has been, not only to increase the facilities for a complete understanding of the inspired volume, but also to multiply the evidences, and vindicate the claims of its divine original, a portion of our pages has been allotted to the direct consideration of infidel objections and cavils. The most important extracts of this 8 PREFACE. description have been taken from the valuable aqd now rare " Life of David," by Chandler, in which the insinuations of Bayle against the character of David, are canvassed and refuted with distinguished ability, though perhaps somewhat more verbosely than is consistent with the taste either of modern writers or readers. The original and acute remarks of Michaelis, on many points of the Mosaic laws and ritual, though sometimes bordering upon the fanciful, disclose a profound acquaintance with the genius of the East, and are generally entitled to deep attention. As the authorities employed in the preparation of the ensuing pages are usually quoted in a very general way-for the most part merely by citing the writer's name —it will probably be rendering an important service to many of our readers, to give a more ample view of the sources upon which we have drawn for materials. The list is by no means complete, nor, as many have served us at second hand, is it perhaps practicable or necessary that it should be; but the most important and valuable will be found here grouped together, and ordinarily, by turning to this catalogue, the entire title, including edition and date, of any work cited in the ensuing pages simply by the author's name, will be found. Such a catalogue may be of service for other purposes than those connected with the present volume. HARMER'S Observations on Various Passages of Scripture, with ad- KEPPEL'S Narrative of a Journey from India to England, 8vo. ditions by Adam Clarke, LL. D., 4 vols. 8vo. Charlestown, 1811. Philadelphia, 1827. PAXTON'S llustrations, 3 vols. 8vo. Edinburgh, 1825. MORIER'S Journey through Persia, 8vo. Philadelphia, 1816. BURDER'S Oriental Customs, 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1816. SMITH AND DWIGHT'S Researches in Armenia, 2 vols. 12mo. Boston,'~ Oriental Literature, with Rosenmuller's Additions, 2 vols. 1833. Svo. London, 1822. JOWETT'S Christian Researches in,Syria and the Holy Land, 8vo. ROBERTS' Oriental Illustrations, 8vo. London, 1835. London, 1825. CALMET'S Dictionary, Taylor's Edition, 5 vols. 4to. London, 1829. MODERN TRAVELLER, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor, 3 vols. l2mo. SHAW'S Travels through Barbary and the Levant, folio. Lon. 1738. Boston, 1830. MAUNDRELL'S Journeyfrom Aleppo to Jerusalem, 8vo. Oxford, 1749. HEEREN'S Asiatic Nations, 3 vols. 8vo. Oxford, 1833. VOLNEY'S Travels through Egypt and Syria, 8vo. New York, 1798. WADDINGTON' S Travels in Ethiopia, 4to. London, 1827. MARITI'S Travels through Cyprus, Syria, and Palestine, 2 volt. 8vo. HOSKINS' Travels in Ethiopia, 4to. London, 1835. Dublin, 1793. BURNES'S Travels in Bokhara, 2 vols. 12mo. Philadelphia, 1835. BARON DE TOTT'S Memoirs on the Turks and Tartars, 3 vols. 12mo. MUNROE'S Summer Ramble in Syria, 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1835. Dublin, 1785. HoGa's Visit to Alexandria, Damascus, and Jerusalem, 2 vols. 12mo. RUSSELL'S Natural history of Aleppo, 2 vols. 4to. London, 1794. London, 1835. CLARKE'S Travels in the Holy Land, 12mo. Philadelphia, 1817. WILKINSON'S T7zebes, and General View of Egypt, 8vo. London, 1835 TOURNEFORT'S Voyage to the Levant, 3 vols. 8vo. London, 1741. ARITNDELL'S Discoveries in Asia Minor, 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1834. BUCKINGHAM'S Travels in Mesopotamia, 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1827. DE LAMARTINE'S Pilgrimage to. the Holy Land, 2 vols. 12mo. Phila. c' Travels among the Arab Tribes, 4to. London, 1825. delphia, 1835. BURCKHARDT'S Travels in Arabia, 4to. *London, 1829. STACKHOUSE'S History of the Bible, 2 vols. folio. Lond(n, 1755. "' Travels in Nubia and Egypt, 4to. London, 1822. CHANDLER'S Life of David, 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1766. MADDEN'S Travels in Turkey, Egypt, and Palestine, 2 vols. 12mo. MICHAELIS'S Commentaries on the Laws of Moses, 4 vols. 8vo. LonPhiladelphia, 1830,. don, 1814. MADOX'S Excursions in the Holy Land, Egypt, Nubia, Syria, 4'c., GLEIG's History of the Bible, 3 vols. 12mo. New York, 1831 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1834. HORSLEY'S Sermons, 8vo. London, 1830. CALLAWAY'S Oriental Observations, 12mo. London, 1825. PococK:E'S Theological Works, 2 vols. folio. London, 1740. CAMPBELL'S African Light, 12mo. London, 1835. NEWCOME's Minor Prophets, 8vo. Pontefract, 1809..ANDERSON'S Tour through Greece, 12mo. Boston, 1831. KEITH'S Evidence of Prophecy, 12mo. New York. 1833. HARDY'S Notices of the Holy Land, 12mo. London, 1835. GooD'S Translation of Job, 8vo. London, 1812. CHATEAUBRIAND'S Travels, 8vo. New York, 1814. FINDEN'S Landscape Illustrations. London, 1831. The importance of the present work must be obvious, and being altogether illustrative, without reference to doctrines, or other points in which Christians differ, it is hoped it will meet with favour from all who love the sacred volume, and that it willbe sufficiently interesting and attractive to recommend itself, not only to professed Christians of all denominations, but also to the general reader. The arrangement of the texts illustrated with the notes, in the order of the chapters and verses of the authorized version of the Bible, will render it convenient for reference to particular passages, while the copious INDEX at the end, will at once enable the reader to turn to every subject discussed in the volume. It only remains for the Editor to remark, that he would by no means be held responsible for the truth or justice of every sentiment advanced by way of interpretation or illustration in the present work. He hopes not to be considered as adopting himself all the various explications of scripture which he has yet felt it his duty to propound. Many of them are proposed by their authors themselves merely as conjectures, and though he may occasionally have entertainec doubts of their correctness, yet, as they involved only points of minor importance, he has seldom felt himself called upon to turn aside to question or confute them. A very large mass of obviously true or highly probable illustration, is here presented to the reader. As to the pertinency or verisimilitude of particular portions, he will of course exercise a due discrimination; he cannot be expected to forego his own judgment, nor will he find it necessary to presume upon that of him who has thus endeavoured, however feebly, to minister, by so great a variety of provision, to his instruction and pleasure. G. B. New York, May 1st, 1836. -ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. GENESIS. CHAP. 1. Ver. 1. In the beginning God created tion which all things in common bear to the supreme Be. the heavens andi the earth. ing; and with this information he forbears from mixing up any other matter. For it will be perceived that the stateNotwithstanding the industrious attempts of many skep- ment is made without any specification of time or other cirtical writers to array the evidence deducible from geolo- cumstance; seemingly, because no addition of this kind gical discoveries against the Mosaic account of the cre- could be of use in aiding our conceptions of a truth purely ation, nothing has yet been advanced to invalidate the religious, or in strengthening our faith in the authority on testimony of the inspired'record, as nothing has yet been which it was proposed; but'chiefly because it was the sole brought to show that its statements, when rightly under- object of the writer, in this first sentence, to claim for God stood, are at all at variance with any of the clear and un- the creation of all things whatsoever, and that this claim doubted results of scientific research. We say, when must remain unshaken, however we may decide on other r'ightly urnderstood; for that the conclusions of the geolo- questions which may be raised about the creation; such gist, even the most legitimate and demonstrable, may be as that relative to the time when it occurred; how long inconsistent with the popular interpretation of the sacred before the origin of the human race; whether all the parts narrative, we by no means deny; but it is obvious that of the universe were brought into existence simultaneoussuch interpretation may be erroneous, and that all that ly, or at different and widely distant epochs. It is plain, is requisite to bring the two departments into perfect har- then, that in this place the sacred writer furnishes no helps mony, may be the fixing of the genuine sense of the writer for the decision of such questions. Let us look to what by a purely philological process. Until, therefore, it is es- follows. In proceeding to those arrangements by which tablished beyond controversy that the language of Moses the earth was to be fitted for the residence and support cannot, by any possibility of fair construction, be made to of man, and the other inferior tribes by which it was then tally with, or at least not to contradict, the.admitted truths to be tenanted, we find him describing its preceding condiof geological science, it is vain to charge revelation with tion; informing us that it was then' without form and uttering oracles at variance with the irrefragable teach- void,' and that' darkness was upon the face of the deep? ings of nature. But this, it is to be remembered, never Now, I confess that this always seemed to me very like has been, and we are confident never will be, done. The the description of a ruined world: and if such was the material fabric of the universe and the book of inspira- earth at that time, it would be difficult to suppose that it tion are the works of the same author, and we may be had not existed long before. But this is not all. When sure that the truths pertaining to the one cannot be at war he does come to the work of the six days, we find the dewith those belonging to the other. The following remarks scription of each day's work introduced by an expression of the Rev. Bartholomew Lloyd, Provost of Trinity Col- of a particular form, and concluded by another, by which lege, Dublin, on the drift of the sacred penman in the it appears that the original work of creation, spoken of first chapter of Genesis, cannot but commend themselves in the first verse, is excluded from the series of performto every enlightened reader: " The sacred writer pre- ances belonging to those days;-and, if excluded, then, faces his history of God's government over his chosen perhaps, removed to an indefinite distance; for had it people, by informing us, that'in the beginning God created immediately preceded, we might naturally expect to find the heavens and the earth,' and it seems equally certain it spoken of, either as the work of the first of a series of that he here speaks of the original creation of all things seven days, or as part of the work of the first of the six out of nothing. This, indeed, is a great subject, and though days. This, then, would seem to remove the work of the nothing circumstantial is here revealed to us concerning original creation far bevond that of the reconstruction of it, yet the sacred importance of the truth, assured to us the globe. It is true, that nothing is exhibited to our imaby this simple expression, is every way suitable to the prom- ginations to mark the interval between these performinent place assigned to it; for it is nothing less than the ances; but to deny that there was such an interval, and authoritative statement of the first and fundamental article for that reason, would be to conclude about as wisely as of all true religious faith. By it we are taught that self- the peasant, who supposes the clouds to be contiguous to existence is an attribute of the one supreme Being, and the stars, because when looking up he discerns nothing that all things besides owe their existence to His unlimited between them." power. How necessary it was to mankind to have an Dr. Chalmers, in his treatise on the Evidences of Chrisauthoritative declaration on this subject, we may readily tianity, speaks to the same effect. " Does Moses ever say, convince ourselves by adverting to the errors into which that when God created the heavens and the earth, he did the most celebrated men of all antiquity had fallen, who more, at the time alluded to, than transform them out of presumed to speculate on these matters, so far beyond the previously existing materials? Or does he ever say, that reach of human reason, without other guidances. Among there was not an interval of many ages between the first act these erroneous opinions, or rather among those wild con- of creation, described in the first verse of the book of GenJectures, we2 nd the following:-that matter was eternal; esis, and said to have been performed in the beginning, that the Delty was the soul of the world; agreeably to and those more detailed operations, the account of which which, the material frame of nature was to be regarded commences at the second verse, and which are described as his body, and not as his work. Now, in this his first to us as having been performed in so many days. Or, sentence, the inspired writer settles definitively what we finally, does he ever make us understand, that the gener are to believe on this subject, by stating the primary rela- ations of man went further than to fix the antiquity of the 2 10 GENESIS. CHAP. 1. species, and of consequence that they left the antiquity of now the will of the Creator that the earth should no longer the globe a free subject for the speculations of philoso- be " invisible" under its watery covering; and, accordingphers." ly, the command was given, that "the waters should be "We do not know," says Sharon Turner, "and we have gathered together unto one place," that the " dry land" no means of knowing, at what point of the ever-flowing might appear. In considering this great event, it becomes eternity of that which is alone eternal-the Divine subsist- a natural and fair question, as it has been left open to us ence-the creation of our earth, or of any part of the uni- by the record, as to the m.ode or means by which it must verse began, nor in what section of it we are living now. have taken place. The well-poised earth had already beAll that we can learn explicitly from revelation is, that gun to revolve upon its axis; and the laws of gravitation nearly 6000 years have passed since our first parent began and of fluids had consequently begun to act in our system. to be. Our chronology, that of Scripture, is dated from the By these laws, it was impossible that the waters could have period of his creation; and almost 6000 years have elapsed been gathered together by accumulation, or above the gensince he moved and breathed a full-formed man. But eral level, as the solids of the earth might'have been. We what sei-ees of time had preceded his formation, or in what can, therefore, come to no other conclusion than that to portion of the anteceding succession of time this was effect- which we are also led by various parts of the inspired wried, has not been disclosed, and cannot by any effort of hu- tings, viz. that God did " rend the depths by his intelliman ingenuity be now explored.-Creation must have be- gence," and formed a depression, or hollow, on a part of gun at some early part of anteceding eternity; and our the solid globe, within which, bythe appointed laws of earth may have had its commencement in such a primeval fluids, the " depths" were " gathered together." The folera, as well as in a later one." lowing beautiful reflections on this part of our subject are Professor Hitchcock, in an elaborate and very able essay from the enlightened mind of Mr. Granville Penn, who on the connexion between Geology and the Mosaic History, may, indeed, be called the first great advocate for the (Biblic. Reposit. Oct. 1835,) undertakes to establish, and Mosaic Geology, among the men of science of our day. we think with entire success, the following positions, which " The briefness of this clause, (Genesis i. 9,) and the nature we give in his own words:-" In the first place, we main- of the subject, have caused it to be little contemplated in tain that between geology and revelation there are several proportion to its importance, and to the fulness of the inunexpected and remarkable coincidences, such as could struction which it conveys; and, therefore, it has not been have resulted only from veracity on the part of the sacred observed that the same sublimity which is universally perhistorian; and that the points of agreement are far more ceived in the clause,' Let there be light, and there was light,' numerous than the points of apparent collision; and, there- subsists equally in this clause;' Let the waters be gathered fore, even geology alone furnishes a strong presumptive together unto one place, and let the dry land be seen, and evidence in favour of the truth of the Mosaic history. We it was so.' The sentiment of sublimity in the former maintain, secondly, that the first chapter of Genesis is a por- clause, results from the contemplation of an instantaneous tion of Scripture that has alwavs occasioned much difficulty transition of the universe from the profoundest darkness in its interpretation, apart from geology, and that those por- to the most splendid light, at the command of God. All tions of it about which commentators have differed most, men familiarly apprehend the sadness of the former, and are the very ones with which geology is supposed to come the delight of the latter; and they-are, therefore, instantly into collision; so that in fact scarcely any new interpreta- sensible of the glorious nature of the change which was then tion has been proposed to meet the geological difficulty. so suddenly produced. But the nature of the change which We admit, thirdly, that the geological difficulty is real; must necessarily have taken place, in suddenly?renderi'og that is, the established facts of geology do teach us that the visible a part of a solid globe, the universal surface of earth has existed through a vastly longer period, anterior which had been overflowed and concealed by a flood of to the creation of man, than the common interpretation of waters, is not so familiarly or so instantly apprehended; Genesis allows. We maintain, fourthly, that most of the the mind, therefore, does not care to dwell upon it, but is methods that have been proposed to avoid or reconcile the contented with receiving the general information that the geological difficulty are entirely inadequate, and irrecon- sea was formed. Hence, both commentators and geologists cilably at variance either with geology or revelation. We have equally failed to draw the immediate and necessary maintain, fifthly, that at least one or two of these proposed inference from the revelation of that great and undeniable modes of reconciling geology and Scripture, although not geological fact."-FAIRHOLME's GEOLOGY, p. 51-54. free from objections, are yet so probable, that without any Ver 14. And God said, Let there be lights in the auxiliary considerations, they would be sufficient, in the view of every reasonable man, to vindicate the Mosaic firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from history from the charge of collision with the principles of the night; and let them be for signs, and for geology. And finally, we maintain, that though all these seasons and for days and years: 15. And let modes of reconciliation should be unsatisfactory, it wouldent of the heavbe premature and unreasonable to infer that there exists any real discrepance: firsts because we are by no means en, to give light upon the earth: and it was so..certain that we fullv understand every part of the Mosaic 16. And God made two great lights; the greater account of the creation; secondly, because geology is so light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule recent a science, and is making so rapid advances, that the night: he ade the stars also. 17. A we may expect from its future discoveries that some more light will be thrown upon cosmogony: and thirdly, be- God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to cause, as geology has been more and more thoroughly un- give light upon the earth. derstood, the apparent discrepances between it and revederslation have becomapparent discrepances between it and reve- It is admitted that the Scriptures generally describe the phenomena of the natural world as they appear, rather than Ver. 9. And God said, Let the waters under the according to strict scientific truth. Thus the sun and moon heaven be gathered together unto one place, and are said to rise and set,-the stars to fall,-and the moon to ~.et the dry cland appear: and it was so. be turned into blood. Consequently, if this history of the creation were designed to describe the effects of the six We have before remarked, that, during the first and see- days' work as they would have appeared to a spectator, had ond days of the creation, the earth must have presented one been present,-a supposition rendered probable from its to the view, (had any human eye existed to look upon it,) a being said, " Let the dry land appear," (Heb. be seen,) when solid globe of spheroidal form, covered with a thin coat of as vetthere was no eye to see it,-then we may reasonably aqueous fluid, and already revolving on its axis as a mem- conclude that the sun was formed on the first day, or perber of the solar system. We are fully authorized in coming haps had been created even before our earth, and was in to thislatter conclusion, from the distinct mention made in fact the cause of the vicissitudes of the three first days and the record, of the days, comprising, like our present days, nights. But as the globe of the earth was during that time the evening and the morning, with the darkness and the surrounded by a dense mass of mingled air and water, the light following each other in regular succession. The rays of the sun wouldbe intercepted; only a dim glimmersun, it is true, had not yet been made visibly to appear, or ing light, even in the daytime, would appear; and the to shine through the, as yet, cloudy atmosphere. It was bodies of the heavenly luminaries would be entirely hidden, CHAP. 2. GENESIS. 11 just as they now are in a very cloudy day. Let it be sup- ing and revenging an injury. The Hebrews call the scorposed then that on the fourth day the clouds, mists, and va- pion Akrab, from two woids which signify to kill one's pours were all cleared away, and the atmosphere made father; now, both Pliny and Aristotle inform us, that it is pure and serene; the sun of course would shine forth in the character of that creature to destroy its own parents.. — all his splendour, and to the eye of our imagined spectator PAXTON. would seem to have been just created; and so at night of the moon and stars. This effect of the Divine power, ac- Ver. 20. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and cording to the usurJ analogy of the Scriptures, is descri- to the fowl of th air, and to every beast f te bed from its appearance, and the language employed, — "let there be lights in the firmament,"-and-" he made two field: but for Adam there was not found a great lights, and set them in the firmament"-is to be inter- help-meet for him. preted on the principle above stated. They might then be said to be " made," because they then first began to be visi- With respect to the original language which Moses deble, and to perform the office for which they were designed. scribes our first parents as making use of, from their very The original.word for " made" is not the same as that which first creation, we are nowhere informed in what manner is rendered "create." It is a term frequently employed to they first acquired it, nor how it was communicated to signify constituted, appointed, set for a particular purpose or them. It is, indeed, probable that the inspired historian use. Thus it is said that God "made Joseph a father to add- ussed himself to those who were much less skeptical Pharaoh"-" made him lord of Egypt"-" made the Jordan a on such subjects than ourselves; and that this remarkable border between the tribes" —". made David the head of the endowment, peculiar to the human race, and by which they.heathen;" and so in innumerable other instances. As, there- so far excel all other created beings, was never, in early fore, the rainbow was made or constituted a sign, though it times, doubted as having been directly communicated from might have existed before, so the sun, moon, and stars may the same wise and provident source from whence the hube said to -have been made and set as lights in the firma- man race itself had arisen; and the researches of the wisest ment, on the fourth day, though actually called into exist- and most learned men of all ages have invariably led them ence on the first, or previously.-Busia. to the same natural conclusion. We have no direct means of positive knowledge as to CHAP. 2. ver. 18. And the LORD Cod said, It what relation the primitive langurage of the earth may have is not good that the man should be alone; I had with existing tongues; but, in the absence of suchh will make him a help-meet for him. evidence, we mav form some conjectures on the subject, which are certainly marked with the highest probability. This is the polite way of speaking of a wife in the East, In the first place, we must consider that the numbers of the though it must be confessed that they associate with this antediluvian human race, and their consequent divisions term too much of the idea of a servant. Does an aged into nations, could not have been nearly so great as in the person advise a young friend to get married; he will not present day, from the comparatively short period they had say, " Seek for a wife," but " Try to procure a thunive, a existed, and from the comparatively unrefined condition help-meet." A man who repines at his single state, says, natural to a primitive race of beings, on whom the gift of' I have not any female help in my house." A widower reason was obviously bestowed by the Creator for the pursays, " Ah! my children, I have now no female help." A poses of exertion, and of gradual cultivation and improveman, wishing to say something to his wife, will address ment. We must not here suppose, however, with too many her as follows: " My help-meet, hear what I am going to advocates of an erring philosophy, that man was, at first, say." It is worthy of observation, that the margin has for inaturally savage, or in the state we now find the wild and help-meet, "as before him;" and this gives a proper view uncultivated natives of savage countries; or that religion. of her condition, for she literally has to stand before her and knowledge were, in the first days, in the debased conhusband to serve him on all occasions, and especially when dition we now too often find them in the remote corners he takes his food; she being then his servant. Say to a of the earth. woman, " Leave thy husband!" she Will reply, " No, no; The savage state is not natural to man; but, on the conI will stand before him."-ROBERTs. trary, is brought on by erring from the true path of knowxzledge, in which both Adam and Noah must have brought Ver. 19. And whatsoever Adam called every up their first descendants; and which, in both instances, was living creature, that wtas the name thereof *communicated in a direct manner, from the unerring source of every good which mankind now enjoys. In considering The verb was is not in the original text; and, therefore, the progressive stages of society, we are too apt to content the sentence may run in the present, with equal propriety ourselves with merely looking bach&, from our own times, as in the past; and, indeed, according to the genius of the into the darker ages of barbarism, and thus to form our language, with more propriety in the present-that is the ideas on the false supposition, that the primitive nature of name thereof. Hence the names by which the lower ani- man is one of perfect ignorance, and such as we now find mals were known in the days of Moses, were those which among the savages of Africa or America: whereas, if we Adam gave them in Paradise; and as these are pure He- trace the progress of society, in its proper and natural brew, the legitimate conclusion is, that Hebrew was the course, by descendingfrom the creation, and front the deluge, language spoken by Adaml before the fall. instead of ascending from our own times, we shall find that This argument receives an accession of' strength from the primitive state of mankind, even immediately after the the ideal character of the Hebrew language. It is admit- creation, was one of intelligence and understanding, if not. ted, that all languages participate more or less of the ideal in arts and sciences, at least on the leading point of religion, character; but it is one of the most remarkable circumstan- which is, of all others, that in which the savage falls most ces by which the Hebrew is distingutished. A number of short of the civilized man. It pleased histreator tobestow its words, as in other languages, are mere arbitrary signs upon primitive man a full and perfect conception of the of ideas; but, in general, they derive their origin from a relation in which he stood towards the Supreme Being; very few terms, or roots, that are commonly expressive of and it was in order to preserve a knowledge of the true some idea borrowed from external objects; from the hu- religion among men, that a certain family and race were man constitution;. from our senses or our feelings. The afterward expressly chosen; we find, accordingly, that to names of men, and of the lower animals, and the names of whatever state of idolatrous ignorance, or savage barbarimany places, particularly in the remoter ages, allude to ty, the various ancient nations of the earth were, from time some remarkable character in the creature named; or, in to time, reduced, there was always some portion of the reference to place, to some uncommon circumstance or world, and especially of the Jewish race, which adhered to event. Scarcely a proper name can be mentioned, which the true faith, and which was, consequently, preserved from alludes not tG something of this kind. To'give a few ex- that state of unnatural debasement from which man has a amples: Korb, the partridge, received its name from the constant tendency and desire to emancipate himself. It is, verb Kara, to call, in imitation of the note which thatbird therefore,'highly probable that, as we hear of no diversity uses in calling its young. The camel is in Hebrew, Gamal, of language on the earth until after the deluge, the whole from a verb of the same form, which signifies to recom- primitive race was " of one language, and of one speech," pense, because that creature is remarkable for remember. and that that language must, consequently, have been the 12 GENESIS. CHAP. 4. same spoken by those few individuals who were preserved ers of our race, are not imerpretations of primitive terms; from the flood. for he declares they are the very names which were given Now, whenwe consider the great scheme of the Almighty, at first; and as they are derivatives from pure Hebrew foretold from time to time, from the days of Adam to verbs, the language then spoken must have been the same those of Abraham, and continued from thence, in a well- in substance and structure. Had they been translations, defined course of history, to our own times; when we con- we have reason to think the same method would have been sider the wonderful and miraculous events that werefore- followed as in several instances in the New Testament, told, and were afterward so literally fufilled, in the line where the original term is used, and the interpretation of the chosen people of God; —that, through them, and avowedly subjoined. But Moses gives not a single hint of through their language, the Inspired Writings of the early his translating these terms; he asserts, on the contrary, times were to be for ever handed down to the generations that they are the original words employed; and the truth of men; that, of all the languages of the earth, the Hebrew of his assertion is rendered indubitable by the reasons tongue, like the Hebrew people, has hitherto withstood assigned for their imposition, which are inseparably conevery change and every calamity; and been, like them, nected with the Hebrew language. Nor does Moses, in miraculously preserved by the Almighty will for a great the whole course of his history, when speaking of the and beneficent end; and when we further consider the names of persons and places, utter a single word from strong analogy and filiation, so easily traced, in all the which we can infer the existence of an earlier language. languages of the earth, to the Hebrew, as the most probable When, the minute and extensive acquaintance with the postdiluvian original tongue;-when all these considera- natural character and temper of the numerous animals to tions are combined, is it unreasonable to conclude to the which our first father gave names in Paradise, which he high probability of the original language of the Sacred certainly had not time to acquire by his own industry, and Scriptures being the pure and original tongue first commu- which we have no reason to believe he owed to intuition, nicated to man by his Maker. In considering, then, the is considered, we must admit, that the language in which language-of the Hebrews as the most probable source from he conversed was not his own contrivance, but the immewhence all other tongues have been derived; and when we diate gift of Heaven. When Jehovah breathed into Adam trace in all these other tongues the gradual varieties that and Eve the breath of life, he inspired them in the same have arisen, and are still now proceeding in the dialects of moment with the knowledge of the tongue in which they the earth, by the secondary causes, and, seemingly, trivial were to express their thoughts. A similar favour was beaccidents, by which the different shades of language are stowed at the beginning of the New Testament dispensabrought about, are we not justified in drawing a compari- tion, on the apostles and other ministers of the gospel; who son betweeen the miraculously preserved primitive lan- were inspired in a moment with the perfect knowledge of guage, and the no less miraculously preserved chosen many different languages.-PAxToN. people, who are the constant living miracle, bearing unwilling witness to the truth of Inspiration, to all the generations CH~ r. 4. ver. 3. And in process of time it came of mankind. We are reminded, that it was repeatedly to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the foretold in prophecy, that the Hebrew nation should be dis- round an offering unto te LORD. ground an offering unto the LORD. persed into all countries; yet that they should not be swallowed up and lost among their conquerors, but should The margin* reads, " at the end of days;" and this is subsist, to the latest times, a distinct people; that, "though truly Oriental. " When the days are ended, I will fulfil God would make an end of the nations, their oppressors, my promise." "After those days are ended, I shall have He would not make an end of them." —FAIuHOLME. peace." "When the days come round, (in their circle,) The names which men and things received at the be- I will do that for you." —RoBERTS. ginning of time, are, so strikingly similar to those which they bore when the Hebrew was certainly a livinglanguage, Ver. 7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be acthat its claim to the honour of being the primeval speech cepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at of the human family, can scarcely be rejected. It is ever the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, reckoned a proof of similar origin, when many words in and thou shalt rule oer him. any two languages have the same form, the same sound, meaning, and reason. But the names of the first genera- D'Oylv and Mat interpret this, Your sin will find you tions of men, like those of the lower animals, are as pure out." D LTh intlrt tfif" Tb o s win Hebrew as the names of Peleg, Abraham, Isaac, and Ja- y" T punisImentisnot ar o. eyal'0ay si may be rendered SIN-OPFEmRIN; and several other comncob, or those of David and Solomon, or Malachi. TheymabernrdsN-FaN;adsvrlotrcrcob, or those of David and Solomon. or Malachi. They mentators take the same view, and think this is its true and have the Hebrew form, are constructed according to He- he vie a t sittr a brew rules, are founded on certain reasons, like Hebrew only meaning. The victim proper for a sin-offering was names; and, in fine, are not to be distinguished in any one lying at the door, and therefore was within his reach. ~respect from pure Hebrew. -There are some who affect to smile at the idea of SIN respect trom pure H~ebrew. lying at the door: it is, however, an Eastern -figure. Ask It deserves also to be remarked, that the reason assign- lying at the door: it is, however, an Eastern figure. Ask ed for these names will not correspond with any other lan- a man who is unacquainted with Scripture, what he unguaige. The garden of Paradise was called Eden; be- derstandsby sin lying at the guilthresh of sothe doogreat crimell cause among the Hebrews it signifies pleasure or delight, immediately speak of it as the guilt of some great crime The place of Cain's exile was for this reason called the hi t oer hd o ted n e o land of Nod, from a root which signifies to wander. having murdered a child, would be accosted in the followland. of Nlod, from a root which signifies to wander. iglnug:"I o aedn hstikntt s Adam received his name because he was taken out of the ing language" If you have done this, think not to es ground; but if the term for ground in the first language cape; no! for sin will ever lie at your door: it will descend had been terra, or y,, or earth, there had been no proprie- from generation to generation." To a man accused of having committed any other' dreadful crime, it would be tv in the designation. Eve was called by this name, be- having committed any other dreadful crime, it would be cause she was the mother of all living; but it is derived said, "Ah! if I had done it, do I not know sin wouldl ever lie at my door." The idea is sin personified in the shape from a pure Hebrew verb which signifies to live; and to at my dor The idea i the sa.pe this relation the name owes all its propriety and signifi- o feemal cance. Cain was named from the Hebrew verb Kana, ndpunishmentremain. tcp~ isesecuehsohrhaoimfo heLr' If Cain had done well, would there not have been "the tU: p)ssess, because his mother had got him from the Lord; tn cin this instance also, the name is inseparably connect: excellency?" (see margin;) but if not well, then sin, like a nd n tis nsanc alothe name is inseparably connecti ith thie Hebrew root. The proper name Seth is de monster, was crouching at his door. Taking the other eivd fromth the Hebrew verb Shooth, to appoint; becaus - view of it, seems to amount to this; now, Cain, if thou rived from the Hebrew verb Shooth, to appoint; because, S-aid omit first mother, God bath appointed me another seed doest well, that will be thy excellency, thou shalt be acceptid of Abel, whom Cain slew. The same mode of ed: but if thou doest not well, it is a matter of no very great i ns'ead of Abel, whom Cain slew. The same mode ofe relasoning might -be carried through all the names of the consequence,because there is a sin-offering at thy door. Adainitic age; but these instances are sufficient to show tie near affinity, if not the positive identity, of the lan- * I would here observe, once for all, that I have g.ne regularly E'-.a-e which Adam spoke, with the Hebrew of the Old through the marginal readings, and have found, with few exceptions. Te~sarnent. that they literally agree with Eastern language in idiom and figure. In the course of this work, most of them will be illustrated; and I he names ascribed by the inspied writer to the found- think few readers will doubt that they are the correct translations. _~~~A I43~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3 MOUNT ARARAT.-Gen. 8: 4. SYRIAN DOVE.-&en. 8:8, 9. GOPHER WOOD. (Cupressut sempervir~ns.) Gen. 6: 14. OLIVE. (Olea EuroTpea.) Gen. 8: 11. Dove. The nearest approximation to truth will be, perhaps, to consider the original word Yonah as a counterpart to Columba, the generic term for all the various kinds of dove. The fondness which these birds exhibit for home Is well known, and for this reason, probably, the patriarch made choice of the dove for the purpose alluded to in the sacred narrative. Gopher W7ood. The cypress possessed unrivalled durability and compactness, rendering it peculiarly adapted to sacred purposes. The Athenians used it for coffins, and the Egyptians for mummy cases. The straight, elegant tree of the cut seems best entitled to have furnished the wood for the ark. Olive. A very long lived tree. See, also, quite a full description of it, and a view of those very ancient olives r, Gethsemane, in Dr. Jenks's Comprehensive Commentary, vol. ii. This is one of those trees, as the terebinth, &c. to whose roots, at least, naturalists accord a life of three or even four thousand years. CHAP. 4-8. GENESIS. 13 God's design appears to have been to induce Cain to do up the rising grounds, a cataract or sheet of water, several well, by speaking of the reward of righteousness, and to feet deep, would be gushing all the way in his face, besides make him afraid of doing evil, by showing him the punish- impending waterfrom the+' flood-gates" of heaven, nomernment ofsin.-ROBERTS. tarily rushing over him; he would instantly become a prey to those mighty waters.-ScRIP. GEOLOGY, Lond. 1828. Ver. 13. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. CHAP. 8. ver. 4. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, The margin has, " Mine iniquity is greater than upon the mountains of Ararat. be forgiven." This form of speech is very common. Has a person committed a great crime; he will go to the offend- We walked into the fi, Ids to gaze upon Mount Ararat, ed individual, and piteously plead for mercy; and at in- and reflect upon the time wnhen Noah in this very valley tervals keep crying, "Ah! my guilt is too great to be for- builded an altar unto the Lord, and offered that acceptable giv en. My hopes are gone."-ROBERTs. sacrifice of a sweet savour, which procured for himself and his posterity a divine title to the earth and its productions, Ver. 14. And it shall come to pass, that every and the solemn covenant that " while the earth remaineth, one thut findeth me shall slay me. seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." We first saw It has been tauntingly asked, How could every one slay that mountain the morning we entered Nakhchev/n, and Cain'I Has a man escaped from prison; the people say, during the three weeks we were in the valley of the Aras, "Ah! all men will catch and bring that fellow back." nothing but cloudy weather during a few days obscured Has a man committed murder; " Ah! all men will kill it from our sight. It was nearer at any point between here that murderer." This means, the feeling will be univer- and Erivdn, but perhaps nowhere did we have a better sal; all will desire to have that individual punished.- view of it than from this place. The natives know it unROBERTS. der no other name than Mdsis in Armenian, and Aghu/rdagh (heavy mountain) in Turkish. The name of Ararat, CHAP. 7. ver. 11. The same day were all the by which it is called among Europeans, is applied in Scripfountains of the great deep broken up, and the ture only to a country, which is in one instance called a windows of heaven were opened. kingdom. The similar name of Arardd was given by the Armenians, long before they had received the ScripThe margin has, the " flood-gates of heaven were open- ture account of the flood by their conversion to Christianied." In the East, when the rain falls in torrents, the peo- ty, to the central, largest, and most fertile province of their ple say, "the heavens are broken."-RoBERT.s. country, the one which, with the doubtful exception of some 230 years, was the residence of their kings or govVer. 21. And all flesh died that moved upon the ernors from the commencement to the termination of earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, their political existence, and nearly in the centre of which and of every creeping thinfgf that creepeth upon this mountain stands. The singular coincidence, considering the ease with which so distinguished a province'the earth, and every man. might be named by foreigners for-the kingdom itself, argues much for the identity of the Ararat of Scripture with We have some reason to doubt, from the fossil remains the Arar'ad of Armenia. It was on the mountains of of animals now discovered, which have not yet been found Ararat that the ark rested after'the flood; and certainly alive upon the present earth, whether every living creature not among the mountains of Ararid, or of Armenia generwas included in this strong expression; and though, from, ally, or of any part of the world, have I seen one, the the remarkable circumstance of the similarity of all lan- majesty of whose appearance could plead half so powerguages in certain common expressions, and in the uni- fully as this, a claim to the honour of having once been versal tradition of the deluge found among the most dis- the stepping-stone between the old world and the new. It tant and savage nations, we feel assured that the whole lies N. 570 W. of Nakhchevin and S. 25~ W. of Erivdn, existing race of man on the whole earth, has sprung from on the opposite side of the Aras; and from almost every Noah and his family; we have no evidence to lead us to point between the two places, the traveller has only to look the Same conclusion with respect to' quadrupeds, or birds. across the valley, to take into one distinct field of vision, It appears probable, that we ought to consider the strong ex- without a single intervening obstacle, the mighty mass pression used in the record, "of every living thing of all from its base to its summit. At Erivan it presents two flesh.," in the same sense as we find it in various other parts peaks, one much lower than the other, and appears to be of Scripture; and, indeed, as such expressions are often connected with a range of mountains extending towards used in our own, and in other languages, that is, not as lite- the northwest, which, though really elevated, are in cornrally meaning every created being over the whole globe, but parison so low, as only to give distinctness to the impresmerely a great number.-FAIRHo LAIE. sion of its lonely majesty. From Nakhchevin, not far from a hundred miles distant, and also from our present Ver. 22. All in whose nostrils was the breath of point of observation, it appears like an immense isolated life, of all that was in the dry land, died. cone of extreme regularity, rising out of the low valley of the Aras; and the absence of all intervening objects to What a scene of terrific and awful desolation does this show its distance or its size, leaves the spectator at liberty narrative of the Bible convey! If the reader be affected to indulge the most sublime conceptions his imagination as the writer was, when he first contemplated the Scrip- may form of its vastness. At all seasons of the year, it is tural character of this sad transaction, he will literally covered far below its summit with snow and ice, which tremble when he meditates on the dread catastrophe. He occasionally form avalanches, that are precipitated down will, moreover, discover how inadequate, how puerile, its sides with the sound of an earthquake, and, with the and infinitely below the facts of the real case, are all those steepness of its declivities, have allowed none of the posrepresentations of the deluge to which we have been ac- terity of Noah to ascend it. It was now white to its very customed; and those comments which exhibit animals base with the same hoary covering; and in gazing upon and men as escaping to the highest grounds and hills, as it, we gave ourselves up to the impression, that on its top the flood advanced. Even Mr. Buckland supposes that were once congregated the only inhabitants of the earth, animals, when the waters began to enter their caves under and that, while travelling in the valley beneath, we were ground, might have rushed out and fled for safety to hills. paving a visit to the second cradle of the hulnan race. The impossibility of any such escape may be immediately Two objections are made to the supposition that Scripseen. Neither man nor beast, under such circumstances, ture refers to this mountain when it speaks of " the mouncould either advance or flee to any distance. Any ani- tains of Ararat." One is, that there are now no olive-trees mal found in the plain when the flood began, would thus in its vicinity, from which Noah's dove could have pluckbe merged in water seven or eight feet deep in a quarter ed her leaf. And it is tvue, so far as we could learn, that of an hour! independent of the overwhelming torrents, that tree exists neither ill the valley of the Koor nor of the dashing upon his head. And were he to attempt advancing Aras, nor on the coast of the Caspian, nor anywhere 14 GE N]SIS. CHAP. 8, nearer than Batoom and other parts of the eastern coast the 20th of March, 1829, and arrived at Tiflis on the 6th of the Black sea, a distance of seven days journey of a of June. Owing to peculiar circumstances they were uncaravan, or about 130 miles in the circuitous route that able to leave Tiflis till the first of September, the distance would thus be taken. But might not a dove make this to Mount Ararat being by the road about 280 wasts (say iourney in a day. Or might not the climate then have been 200 miles.) The following account of the ascent, extracted warmer than it is now! The second objection is drawn from a work recently published by Professor Parrot, at from the fact that some of the old versions and paraphra- Berlin, is from the Foreign O.Quarterly Review for June, ses, particularly the Chaldee and the Syriac, refer "the i 1835.] mountains of Ararat" to the mountains of Kurdistdn, At seven o'clock in the morning of the 12th September, where there is, not far from Jezeereh, a high mountain I set out on my journey, [from the Convent of St. James called Joody, on which the moslems suppose the ark to near the foot of the mountain,] accompanied by Mr. Schie have rested. But if the ark rested on that, the posterity mann. We took with us one of our Cossacks and a peaof Noah would, most likely, have descended at once into sant of Arguri, who was a good huntsman, and our route Mesopotamia, and have reached Shinar from the north; was first in the bottom of the valley, then up its right acwhile, from the vanley of the Aras, they would naturally clivity towards the spot where there are two small stone have kept along on the eastern side of the mountains of houses standing close to each other; the one formerly a Media, until they reached the neighbourhood of Hamadin chapel, and the other built as a protection for a spring or Kermanshih, which is nearly east of Babylon. Such which is considered sacred. is the route now taken every day by all the caravans from From the chapel we crossed the grassy elevation, which this region to Bagd/d. The Armenians believe, not only forms the right declivity of the cleft: we suffered so much that this is the mountain on which the ark'rested after the from the heat of the day, that our Cossack, who would probflood, but that the ark still exists upon its top; though, ra- ably have much rather been seated on horseback and galther froiom supernatural than from physical obstacles, no loping about on the steppes for three days than scrambling one has yet been able to visit it. A devout vartabd, their over the rocks for a couple of hours, wag ready to sink legends relate, once attempted, for this purpose, to ascend from fatigue, and we were obliged to send him back. At the, mountain. While yet far from the top, drowsiness about six o'clock in the evening, when we also were much came upon him, and he awoke at the bottom, in the very tired, and had almost reached the snowy region, we chose spot whence he had started. Another attempt resulted only our night's lodgings in the clefts of the rocks. We had atin the same miraculous failure. He then betook himself tained a height of' 11,675 Paris feet; in the sheltered places more fervently to prayer, and started the third time. Again about us lay some new-fallen snow, and the temperature of he slept, and awoke at the bottom; but now an angel stood the air was at the freezingpoint. Mr. Schiemann and I had before him with a fragment of the ark, as a token that his provided ourselves tolerably well for such an undertaking; pious purpose was approved and his prayer a-nswered, besides, the pleasure of the expedition warmed us; but our though he could never be'allowed to reach the summit of athletic Jagar, Schak of Arguri, (Isaac,) was quite dejected the mountain. The precious gift was thankfully received, from the cold, for he had nothing but his summer clothing; and is to this day carefully preserved, as a sacred relic, in his whole neck and also his legs, from the knee to the santhe convent of Echmi;idzin.-SMITH & DWIGHT. dal, were quite bare, and his head was only covered with Ararat forms the angle of an immense chain of moun- an old handkerchief. I had neglected to think about his tains, on the loftiest pinnacles of which the natives of the wardrobe before setting out, and, therefore, it was ilmy duty country believe that part of the ark yet -remains. It is a to help him as well as I could: but as neither of us had most sublime and stupendous object, which excites in the much clothing to, spare, I wrapped up his neck and his mind of the beholder the mingled emotions of admiration bare limbs in sheets of blotting-paper which I had taken and terror. One of the great features of this mountain is with me for drying plants, and this was a great relief to the immense chasm which extends nearly half-way down, him. At daybreak we pursued our journey towards the over which impends a cliff, discernible at a great distance, eastern side of the mountain, and soon reached the declivity whose enormous masses of ice are from time to time precip- which runs immediately from the summit; it consists en. itated into the abyss with a noise resembling the loudest tirely of pointed rocky ridges coming down from above, thunder. "Nothing," says Mr. Morier, "can be more and leaving between them ravines of considerable depth, beautiful than its shape; more awful than its height. in which the icy mantle of the summit loses itself, and glaCompared with it, all the other mountains sink into insig- ciers of great extent. There were several of these rocky nificance. It is perfect in all its parts: no hard rugged ridges and clefts of ice lying between us and the side features: no unnatural prominences; every thing is in har- of the mountain which we were endeavouring to reach. mony; and all combines to render it one of the most sub- When we had happily surmounted the first crest and the lime objects in nature. Spreading originally from an im- adjoining beautiful glacier, and reached the second crest, mense base, its slope towards the summit is gradual, until Schak had no courage to proceed. His benumbed limbs it reaches the regions of the snows, when it becomes more had not yet recovered their warmth, and the icy region abrupt. The cone is surmounted with a crown of ice, towards which he saw us hastening, did not hold out much which glitters in the sun with a peculiar and dazzling prospect of relief; thus one remained behind from heat brightness. As a foil to this stupendous work, a smaller and the other from cold-only Mr. Schiemann, though unhill rises from the same base, near the original mass, simi- accustomed to these hardships, did not for an instant lose lar to it in shape and proportion, and in any other situation his courage, or his desire to accompany me, but shared with entitled to rank among the high mountains. The moun- alacrity and perseverance all the difficulties and dangers tain is divided into three regions of different breadths. we had to encounter. Leaving the Jager behind us, we The first, composed of a short and slippery grass, or sand crossed! the second glacier, and gained the third rocky as troublesome as the quicksands of Africa, is occupied by ridge. Then immediately turning off in an oblique directhe shepherds; the second, by tigers and crows: the re- tion, we reached the lower edge of the icy crest, at a height'mainder, which is half the mountain, is covered with snow of 13,180 Paris feet, and which from this place runs withwhich has been accumulating ever since the ark rested out interruption to the summit. We had now to ascend upon it; and these snows are concealed during one half of this declivity covered with perpetual snow. Though the the year in very dense clouds." This stupendous moun- inclination was barely 30 deg., this was a sheer impossitaitL, Mr. Morier and his party endeavoured to scale; and bility for two men to accomplish in a direct line. We thereafter excessive fatigue arrived on the margin of eternal fore determined to advance diagonally towards a long snow. But they found it impossible to proceed and pen- pointed ridge which runs far up towards the summit. We etrate the highest region; and not easy to go back. At succeeded in this by making with our ice-poles deep holes length, utterly exhausted, they reached the bottom, and in the ice of the glacier, which was covered with a thin gave thanks to God for their safe return.-PAXTON. layer of new-fallen snow, too slight to afford the requisite [The remarkable achievement of the ascent of Mount firmness to our steps. We thus reached the ridge, and adArarat, has at length, it appears, been accomplished by vanced directly towards the summit by a track where the Professor Parrot of England. Taking with him Mr. new snow was rather deeper. Though we might by greal Behagel as mineralogist, Messrs. Hehn and Schiemann, exertions have this time reached the goal of our wishes, medical students of Moscow, and Mr. Federow, astron- yet the fatigue of the day had been considerable, and as rmer of St. Petersburg, he commenced his journey on it was already three o'clock in the afternoon, we were CHAP. 8. GENES IS. 15 obliged to think of providing a lodging for the approaching tempt to gain the summit, taking with him a cross ten feet night. We had attained the extreme upper ridge of the high, which it was proposed to set up on the top of the rocky crest, an elevation of 14,560 Paris feet above the mountain, with an inscription in honour of Field Marsha, level of the sea, (the height of the top of Mount Blanc,) and Count Paskewitsch, by whose victories the Russian doyet the summit of Ararat lay far above us. I do not think minions had been extended to this point. They chose this that any insurmountable obstacle could have impeded our time the northeast side of the mountain, by which the'way farther progress, but to spend the few remaining hours of was much longer, but not so steep. But as this second day light in reaching this point would have been worse attempt also failed, we pass over the account of it, and prothan madness, as we had not seen any rock on the summit ceed without further preface to the third, which succeeded. which could have afforded us protection during the night; They however erected the cross on an almost horizontal independently of which, our stock of provisions was not surface covered with snow, at the height of 15,138 Paris calculated to last so long. Having made our barometrical feet above the level of the Euxine, or about 350 feet higher observations, we turned back, satisfied from the result than the summit of MIount Blanc.] that the mountain on this side was not inaccessible. In In the meantime the sky cleared up, the air became descending, however, we met with a danger which we serene and calm, the mountain too was more quiet, the had not anticipated; for if in the descent of every mountain noise occasioned by the falling of the masses of ice and you tread less safely than in going up, it is Still more diffi- snow grew less frequent —in short, every thing seemed to cult to tread firmly, when you look down upon such a sur- indicate that a favourable turn was about to take place in face of ice and snow as that over which we had to pass for the weather, and I hastened to embrace it for a third atmore than a werst, and where, if we slipped and fell, there tempt to ascend the mountain. On the 25th September I was nothing to stop us but the sharp-pointed masses of sent to ask Stepan whether he would join us, but he-destone in which the region of eternal ice loses itself. The dlined, saying that he had suffered too much from the fordanger here is perhaps rather in the want of habit than mer excursion to venture again so soon; he however in real difficulties. My young friend, whose courage had promised to send us four stout peasants with three oxen and probably been proof against severer trials, lost his presence a driver. Early the next morning, four peasants made of mind here-his foot slipped, and he fell; but, as he was their appearance at the camp to join our expedition, and about twenty paces behind me, I had time to thrustmy soon after a fifth, who offered himself voluntarily. To pole firmly in the ice, to take a sure footing in my capital them I added two of our soldiers. The deacon'again acsnow-shoes, and while I held the pole In my right hand, companied us, as well as Mr. Hehn, who wished to explore to catch him in passing with my left. Mly position was the vegetation at a greater elevation; but he did not intend well chosen, but the straps which fastened my ice-shoes to proceed beyond the line of snow. The experience of broke, and, instead of being able to stop my friend, I was the preceding attempt had convinced me that every thing carried with him in his fall. He was so fortunate as to depended on our passing the first night as closely as possibe stopped by some stones, but I rolled on for half a werst, ble to this boundary, in order to be able to ascend and retill I reached some fragments of lava near the lower gla- turn from the summit in one day, and to confine our bagcier. The tube of my barometer' was dashed to pieces gage to what was absolutely necessary. We therefore -Imy chronometer burst open, and covered with blood- took with us only three oxen, laden with the clothing, wood, every thing had fallen out of my pockets, but I escaped and provisions. I also took a cross carved in oak.... without severe injury. As soon as we had recovered from We chose our route towards the same side as before, and, our flight, and thanked God for our providential escape, in order to spare.ourselves, Abowiam and I rode on horsewe collected the most important of our effects, and con- back, wherever the rocky nature of the soil permitted i', tinued our journey. We were soon afterward delighted as far as the grassy plain Kip-Giholl, whence we sent the to hear the voice of our good Schak, who had very pru- horses back. Here Mr. Hehn parted from us. It was dently waited for our return. Having made a fire, we scarcely twelve o'clock when we reached this point, and, passed the night in the grassy region, and on the third day after taking our breakfast, we proceeded in a direction reached the convent, where we were regaled with an ex- rather more oblique than on our former attempt. The cellent breakfast. We however took care not to tell the cattle were, however, unable to follow us so quickly. We Armenians any thing about our accident, as they would therefore halted at some rocks which it would be impossicertainly not have failed to ascribe it to a judgment from ble for them to pass-took each our own share of clothing Heaven for our presumptuous attempt to reach the summit, and wood, and sent back the oxen. At half-past five in which they say has been prohibited to mortals by a divine the evening we were not far from the snow line, and eondecree since the time of Noah. All the Armenians are siderably higher than the place where we passed the night firmly persuaded that Noah's ark exists to the present on our previous excursion. The elevation at this point day on the summit of Mount Ararat, and that, in order to was 13,036 Paris feet above the level of the sea, and the preserve it, no person is permitted to approach it. We large masses of rock determined me to take up our quarlearn the grounds of this tradition from the Armenian ters here. A fire was soon made, and a warm supper prechronicles in the legend of a monk of the name of James, pared. I had some onion broth, a dish' which I would who was afterward Patriarch of Nissibus, and a contempo- recommend to all mountaintravellers in preference to meat rary and relative of St. Gregory. It is said that this monk, broth, as being extremely warm and invigorating. This in order to settle the disputes which had arisen respecting being a fast-day, poor Abowiam was not able to enjoy it. the credibility of the sacred books, especially with refer- The other Armenians, who strictly adhered to their rules ence to their account of Noah, resolved to ascend to the of fasting, contented themselves with bread and the top of Ararat to convince himself of the existence of the brandy which I distributed among them in a limited quanark. At the declivity of the mountain, however, he had tity, as this cordial must be taken with great caution, espeseveral times fallen asleep from exhaustion, and found on cially where the strength has been previously much tried, awaking that he had been unconsciously carried down to as it otherwise produces a sense of exhaustion and inclinathe point from which he first set out. God at length had tion to sleep.' It was a magnificent evening, and, with my compassion on his unwearied though fruitless exertions, eyes fixed on the clear sky, and the lofty summit which and during his sleep sent an angel with the message, projected against' it, and then again on the dark night that his exertions were unavailing, as the summit was which was gathering far below and around me, I experiinaccessible; but as a reward for his indefatigable zeal, enced all those delightful sensations of tranquillity, love, he sent him a piece of the ark, the very same which is and devotion, that silent reminiscence of the past, that subnow preserved as the most valuable relic in the cathedral dued glance into the future, which a traveller never fails of Etschmaidsin. The belief in the impossibility of as- to experience when on lofty elevations, and under pleasing cending Mount Ararat has, in consequence of this tradi- circumstances, I laid myself down under an overhanging tion, which is sanctioned by the church, almost become an rock of lava, the temperature of the air at 4 1-2 degrees, article of faith, which an Armenian would not renounce which was tolerably warm, considering our great height. even if he were placed in his own proper person upon the At daybreak we rose, and began our journey at half summit of the mountain. past six. We crossed the last brolken declivities in half an [After recovering in some measure from the effects of hour, and.entered the boundary of eternal snow nearly at hissfall and an attack of fever which ensued, the profes- the same place as in our preceding ascent. In consequence vor set out on the 18th September to make a second at- of the increased warmth of the weather, the new-fallen 16 GENESIS. CHAP. 8. snow, which had facilitated our progress on our previous. ture being 3 7-10ths below the freezing point of the centriascent, had melted away, and again frozen, so that, in spite grade, thermometer. By comparing this observation with of the still. inconsiderable slope, we were compelled to cut that which Mr. Federow made at the same time at the consteps in the ice. This very much embarrassed our ad- vent of St. James, the elevation of the summit appears to vance, and added greatly to our fatigue. One of the pea- be 10,272 Paris feet above the convent, and, adding to that sants had remained behind in our resting-place, as he felt the height of the latter, the top of Ararat is 16,254 Paris unwell; two others became exhausted in ascending the feet, nearly five wersts, above the level of the sea. WVhile side of the glacier. They at first lay down, but soon re- the professor was engaged in his observations, the deatreated to our quarters. Without being disheartened by con planted the cross, not precisely on the summit, where these difficulties, we proceeded, and soon reached the great it could not have been seen from the plain, as it was only cleft which marks the upper edge of the declivity of the five feet high, but on the N. E. edge, about thirty feet large glacier, and at ten o'clock we arrived at the great lower than the centre of the summit. The professor and his plain of snow which marks the first break on the icy head five companions, viz. the deacon, two Russian soldiers, and of Ararat. At the distance of a werst, we saw the cross two Armenian peasants, having remained three quarter.s which we had reared on the 19th of September, but it ap- of an hour on the summit, commenced their descent, which peared to me so extremely small, probably on account of was very fatiguing; but they hastened, as the sun was goits black colour, that I almost doubted whether I should be ing down, and before they reached the place where the able to find it again with an ordinary telescope from the great cross was erected, it had already sunk below the plain of the Aiaxes. In the direction towards the summit, horizon.] a shorter but at the same time a steeper declivity than the It was a glorious sight to behold the dark shadows one we had passed lay before us; and between this and the which the mountains in the west cast upon the plain, anti extreme summit there appeared to be only one small hill. then the profound darkness which covered all the valleys, After a short repose we passed the first precipice, which and gradually rose higher and higher on the sides of Arawas the steepest of all, by hewing out steps in the rock, and rat, whose icy summit was still illuminated by the beams after this the next elevation. But here, instead of seeing of the setting sun. But the shadows soon passed over that the ultimate goal of all our difficulties, immediately before also, and would have covered our path with a gloom that us appeared a series of hills, which even concealed the would have rendered our descent dangerous, had not the summit from our sight. This rather abated our courage, sacred lamp of night, opportunely rising above the eastern which had never yielded for a moment so long as we had horizon, cheered us with its welcome beams. all our difficulties in view, and our strength, exhausted by [Having passed the night on the same spot as on their the labour of hewing the rock,. seemed scarcely commen- ascent, where they fou{id their companions, they arrived surate with the attainment of the now invisible object of our the next day at noon, at the Convent of St. James, and on wishes. But a review of what had been already accom- the following day, Sunday, the 28th of September, O. S., plished, and of that which might still remain to be done, they offered their grateful thanksgiving to Heaven for the the proximity of the series of projecting elevations, and a success of their arduous enterprise, perhaps not far from glance at my brave companions, banished my fears, and the spot where " Noah built an altar to the Lord."] we boldly advanced. We crossed two more hills, and the Ver. 11. And the dove came in to him in the cold air of the summit blew towards us. I stepped from behind one of the glaciers, and the extreme cone of Ara- evening, and, lo, in her mouth was an olive rat lay distinctly before my enraptured eyes. But one more leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waeffort was necessary.. Only one other icy plain was to be ters were abated from off the earth. ascended, and at a quarter past three on-the 27th of September, 0. S., 1829, we stood on the summit of Mount Ararat! The olive may be justly considered as one of the most [Having thus happily accomplished his fatiguing and per- valuable gifts which the beneficent Creator has bestowed ilous enterprise, says the Review, our author's first wish on the human family. The oil which it yields, forms an and enjoyment was repose; he spread his cloak on the important article of food; it imparts a greater degree of ground; and sitting down, contemplated the boundless but pliancy to the limbs, and agility to the whole body; it desolate prospect around him. He was on a slight con- assuages the agonizing pain, and promotes, by its sanative vex, almost circular, platform, about 200 Paris feet in di- influence, the cure of wounds; it alleviates the internal ameter, which at the extremity declines pretty steeply on sufferings produced by disease; it illumines, at once, the all sides, particularly towards the S. E. and N. E.;.it was cottage and the palace; it cheers, by the splendour of its the silver crest of Ararat, composed of eternal ice, unbro- combustion, the festive meeting; it serves to expel the ken by a rock or stone. Towards the east, the summit de- deadly poison of venomous reptiles; it was used in conseclined more gently than in any other direction, and was crating a thing to the service of God; and it mingled, connected by a hollow, likewise covered with perpetual ice, "perhaps, from the first of time, by the command of Heaven, with another rather lower summit, which by Mr. Fede- with many of the bloodless oblations which the worshipper row's trigonometrical measurement was found to be 187 presented at his altar. In these various and important toises distant from the principal summit. On account of uses, we may, perhaps, discover the true reason that the the immense distances nothing could be seen distinctly. dove of Noah was directed, by God himself, to select the The whole valley of the Araxes was covered with a gray olive leaf from the countless variety which floated on the mist, through which Erivan and Sardarabad appeared as subsiding waters of the deluge, or bestrewed the slimy tops small dark spots; to the south were seen more distinctly and declivities of Ararat, as the chosen symbol of returnthe hills behind which lies Bayazeed; to the N. W. the ing peace and favour. From the creation of the world,' ragged top of Alaghes, covered with vast masses of snow, the fatness of this tree signally displayed the divine goodprobably an inaccessible summit; near to Ararat, espe- ness and benignity; and since the fall of man, it symbolizes cially to the S. E. and at a great distance towards the west, the grace and kindness of our heavenly Father, and the are numerous small conical hills, which look like extinct precious influences of the Holy Ghost, in healing the spirvolcanoes; to the E. S. E. was little Ararat, whose head itual diseases of our degenerate race, and in counteracting did not appear like a cone, as it does from the plain, but the deadly poison of moral corruption. Hence, the people like the top of a square truncated pyramid, with larger and of Israel were commanded to construct their booths, at the smaller rocky elevations on the edges /nd in the middle; feast of tabernacles, partly with branches of olive; and all but what very much surprised Professor Parrot was to see the nations of the civilized world were secretly directed, bv a large portion of Lake Goktschai, which appeared in the the overruling providence of Heaven, to bear them in their N. E. like a beautiful shining dark blue patch, behind the hands as emblems of peace and amity. The olive is menlofty chain of mountains which encloses it on the south, tioned as the sign of peace, by both Livy and Virgil, in end which is so high -that he never could have believed several parts of their works, but one instance from the that he should have been able from the top of Ararat to latter shall suffice. see over its summit into the lake behind it. Mr. Parrot, "Tum pater XEneas puppi sic fatur ab alta having allowed himself time to enjoy this prospect, pro- Pacifermeque manu ramum pretendit olivae." ceeded to observe his barometer, which he placed precisely n. b. viii. 1 116. in the middle of the summit. The mercury was no higher The celebrated navigator, Captain Cook, found that than 15 inches' 3 4 of a line Paris measure, the tempera- green branches, carried in the hands, or stuck in' the CHAP. 9 —11. GENESIS. 17 ground, were the emblems of peace, universally employed and the two pieces were spread upon the outside of one of and understood by the numerous and untutored inhabitants their shields. One of them still continued holding the of the South Sea islands. The origin of a custom, thus head, while the other two were busy in curing the wound. received and religiously observed, by nations dwelling on This, too, was done not in an ordinary manner. The skin, opposite sides of the globe, who never had the smallest which had covered the flesh that was taken away, was left intercourse with one another, must be sought for near the -entire, and flapped over the wound, and was fastened to beginning of time, when the inhabitants of our earth, form- the corresponding part by two or more small skewers or ing but one family, lived under the gentle sway of their pins. Whether they had put any thing under the skin, common parent. Dr. Chandler, indeed, is of opinion, that between that and the wounded flesh, I know not; but, at the idea of reconciliation and peace was not associated with the river-side where they were, they had prepared a catathe olive branch till ages long posterior to the deluge. The plasm of clay, with which they covered the wound; they olive groves, he argues, are the usual resort of doves, and then forced the animal to rise, and drove it on before them, other birds, that repair to them for food; and thus endeav- to furnish them with a fuller'meal when they should meet ours to find a natural connexion between the dove of Noah their companions in the evening." (Travels, vol. iii. p. 142.) and the olive leaf. The olive might, he thinks, be the only " We have an instance, in the life of Saul, that shows the tree-which had raised its head above the subsiding waters, propensity of the Israelites to this crime: Saul's army, near the place where the ark was floating, although it is after a battle, flew, that is, fell voraciously upon the cattle only of a middling height; but if the dove saw a great they had taken', and threw them upon the ground to cut off number of other trees above the water, the habits of the their flesh, and eat them raw; so that the army was defiled bird naturally led it to the olive plantation for shelter and by eating blood, or living animals. 1 Sam. xiv. 33. To food, in preference to all others. But the greater part of prevent this, Saul caused to be rolled to him a great stone, this reasoning avowedly rests upon mere assumption; and and ordered those that killed their oxen, to cut their throats although the olive grove may be the favourite retreat of upon that stone. This was the only lawful way of killing the dove, how are we to account for the olive branch being animals for food; the tying of the ox, and throwing it chosen by almost every nation, from the remotest times, upon the ground, were notpermitted as equivalent. The for the symbol of reconciliation and peace. It is far more Israelites did probably, in that case, as the Abyssinians do probable, that the dove was directed by the finger of God at this day; they cut a part of its throat, so that blood might to prefer the olive leaf, or a sprig of olive leaves, as being be seen on the ground, but nothing mortal to the animal the symbol of peace with which Noah was already acquaint- followed from that wound: but, after laying his head upon ed, or that it might, in future, be the token of reconciliation a large stone, and cutting his throat, the blood fell from Jn between God and his offending creatures, and between one high, or was poured on the ground like water, and suffination and another.-PAXTON. cient evidence appeared that the creature was dead, before it was attempted to eat it. We have seen that the AbyssiCHAP. 9. ver. 4. But flesh, with the life thereof, nians came from Palestine a very few years after this, and which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. we- are not to doubt, that they then carried with them this, with many other Jewish customs, which they have conMr. Bruce has given a very extraordinary account of the'tinued to this day." (BRUCE's Travels, vol. iii. p. 299.) To practice of eating blood in Abyssinia. This custom, so corroborate the account given by Mr. Bruce, in these prevalent in several places, is forbidden in the scriptures. extracts, it may be satisfactory to affix what Mr. Agtes has A recital of the narrative will probably suggest to the said upon the subject, in his Observations on the Manreader the reasons of the prohibition. Mr. Bruce tells us, ners and Customs of the Egyptians, p. 17. " When tMr. that, "not long after our losing sight of the ruins of this Bru'ce returned from Abyssinia, I was at Grand Cairo. I ancient capital of Abyssinia, we overtook three travellers had the pleasure of his company for three months almost driving a cow before them: they had black goatskins every day, and having, at that time, myself an idea of - upon their shoulders, and lances and shields in their penetrating into Abyssinia, I was very inquisitive about hands; in other respects they were but thinly clothed; that country, on hearing many things from him which they appeared to be soldiers. The cow did not seem seemed almost incredible to me; I used to ask his Greek to be fattened for killing, and it occurred to us all, that it servant Michael, (a simple fellow, incapable of any invenhad been stolen. This, however, was not our business, tion,) about the same circumstance, and must say, that he nor was such an occurrence at all remarkable in a country commonly agreed with his master, as to the chief points. so long engaged in war. We saw that our attendants The description Mr. Bruce makes concerning the bloody attached themselves, in a particular manner, to the three banquet of live oxen among the natives, he happened soldiers that were driving the cow, and held a short con- never to mention to me, else I could have made the same versation with them. Soon after,-we arrived at the hither- inquiry; but I heard not only this servant, but many eyemost bank of the river, where I thought we we're to pitch witnesses, often speak of the Abyssinians eating raw meat." our tent: the drivers suddenly tripped up the cow, and gave On the general veracity of Bruce as a traveller, Madden the poor animal a very rude fall upon the ground, which observes, " Whatever have been the petty jealousy and was but the beginning of her sufferings. One of them sat egotism of Bruce, he was an enterprising and intelligent across her neck, holding down her head by the horns, the traveller; and his general descriptions are better entitled to other twisted the halter about her fore feet, while,he third, credit than those of the travellers who have reviled' him. who had a knife in his hand, to my very great surprise, in Mr. Coffin has just arrived here after a residence of eighteen place of taking her by the throat, got astride upon her belly, years in Abyssinia: this gentleman assures me, that those' before her hind legs, and gave her a very deep wound in points in his travels which are most disputed in England, the upper part of the buttock. From the time I had seen are the points which are most correct: he showed me how them throw the beast upon the ground, I had rejoiced, the flesh was taken from the glutaei muscles of the living thinking that when three people were killing a cow, they bullock, dissected out without wounding the bloodvessels. must have agreed to sell part of her to us; and I was much Mr. Coffin performed this operation here upon the lihing disappointed upon hearing the Abyssinians say, that we animal, in presence of Lord Prudhoe, and Mr. Burton, one were to pass the river to the other side, and not encamp of our most intelligent travellers." —MADDEN's TRAVELS. where I intended. Upon my proposing they should bargain for part of the cow, my men answered, what they had taready learned in conversation, that they were not then hundred and fifty years: and he died. to kill her: that she was not wholly theirs, and they could not sell her. This awakened my curiosity; I let my hoan people go forward, and stayed myself, till I saw, with the ofw many years, but, "Days how many I"-In speaking utmost astonishment, two pieces, thicker and longer than our ordinary beef steaks, cut out of the higher part of the will be gone. That young man has gray hairs; to him how many days. he has seen twenty-six.years."-Ro BERTS. buttock of the beast: how it was done I cannot positively say, because, judging the cow was to be killed from the CHAP. 11. ver. 1. And the whole earth was of one moment I saw the knife drawn, I was not anxious to view and of one speech that catastrophe, which was by no means an object of' curiosity: whatever way it was done, it surely was adroitly, See on ver. 4, and on chap. 2. 20. 3 18 GENESIS CHAP. 11. Ver. 3. And they said one to another, Go to, let destroy the earth by water; and beheld the ratification of us make brick, an burn them thoroughly. it in the racdiant bow of heaven, placed in the cloud to us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. An they h brick for stone, an slime had quiet the fears of guilty mortals. If the Noachidn had distrusted the promise and sign of heaven, they had not they for mortar. descended from the mountains, where only they could hope for safety firom the strength and height of their tow er, The soil of ancient Assyria and Babylonia consists hpe for safety from the strength and height of heir toe, of a fine clay, mixed Twith sand, with which, as the -Waters into the plains of Babylonia, and fixed their abode between of the river retire, the shores are covered. This compost, two mighty rivers, to whose frequent inundations that when dried b the heat of the sun becomes a hard and province is exposed. Nor could they be so infatuated as -%when~~~~~~~~~~~t drainedb thehat of tower subcomestahruted tof imainkwete solid mass, and forms the finest material for the beautiful to imagine, that a tower constructed of bricls, whether rics for which Babylon was so celebrated. We ll hardened in the sun, or burnt in the fire, could resist the w ate rs of a general deluge, whose impetuous assault, as put to the test the adaptation of this mud for pottery, by waters of a general delue, whose impetuous assault as taking some of it while wet from the bank of the river, and they must have well known, the strong harriers of nature then mouldin it ito any form we pleased. Having been could hardly endure. Equally inadmissible is the notion, Iexposed to tes nforhalfanh tec a that they constructed this tower to defend them from the exposed to the sun for half an hour, it became as hard as stone. These remarks are important, as the indications of geeral conflagration, of which they are suppose to have geenvera confarain ofwhch tey andprfet supotsed -toi thae buildings throughout this region are different from those received some obscure and imperfect notices; for in the of other countries, the universal substitution of bric for destruction of the world, who could hope to find safety in the of other countries, the universal substitution of brick. for stone being observable in all the numerous ruins we visit- recesses of a tower, or on the summit of the mountains 3 recessesld ratower, see for rhefsugei fom the meountinsg~ ed, including those of the gteat cities of Seleucia, Ctesi- the would rather seek for refuge rom the devourig hon, and of the mighty Babylon herself, for which we element, in the profound caverns of the earth. the authority of Scriptue, that her builders "hadn But it is vain to indulge in conjectures, when the true Eave the authority of Scripture, that her builders "1had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar." In con- reason is clearly stated in the page of inspiration "Let "' u~~~~~Ls build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto sequence of this circumstance, the ruins now before us, us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may rech unto -which our guide called Mumliheh, instead of showing which our guide called Mumliheb, instead of showing heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered fragments of pillars, or any marks by which we might con- abroad upon the face of the whole earth." These words jecture the order of architecture, ehibit an accmulation clearly show, that their object in building the tower was, jeeture the order of architecture, exhibit an accumulation t rnmtanm lutiu o ulm ocpina~ to transmit a name illustrious for sublime concept-ion and of moundbs, which, on a deai fiat, soon attract the eye of a o nstana usio fr tion n traveller, and'have at first sight the appearance of sandy bold udrtain, to succeeding enertions. In this sene, thillocks. On a nearer inspection they prove to be square the phrase, to make one's self a name, is used in other parts masses of brick, facing the cardinal points, and, though of Scripture. Thus, "David gat him a naie when he returned from smiting of the Syriats in the valley of salt;" sometimes much worn by the weather, built with much rebo- rtre rmsiigo h yin ntevle fsl; ularitv; the neighbourhood of these large mounds is nd the prophet informs s, that the God of Israel "led strew with fments of tile, broken pottery, and man- them by the right hand of Moses, with his glorious arm strewed with fragments of tile, broken pottery, and mann.factured vitreos sbstances. Cins, the incontestible dividing the waters before them, to make himself an everfactured vitreous substances. Coins, the incontestible 7 lasting name." They seem also to have intended it as a proofs of former population, are generally to be found. lasting name." They seem also to have intended it is a n this place, they areso abundant, that many pesons beacon or rallying point, to their increasing and naturally In this place, they are so abundant, that many persons come from Bagdad in the dry season to search for them.' Aboo'Nasir told us, that some time ago he found a pot Aboo`Nasir told us, that some time ago he found a pot boundless wilderness into independent and hostile societies. t, ~~~This may be inferred from these words, in wvhic~h they ifull of coins, and Mr. Hart picked up two, with apparently This may he inferred from these words, in wghich they Cufie inscriptions, but their characters were not very de- futher explain the otive of their underta ri.g:' st we be scattere~d abroad on the face of the whole earth." They cipherable. Near the place where they were found, was he s ate abroadeo th he whol ei The the fragment of- a vessel which had possibly contained, seem to have anticipated the necessity, and dre'ded the them.-KEPPEL. consequences of dispersion; and, like all who seet to avert evil by unlawful means, they hastened, by the rash and Ver. 4. And they said, Go to, let us build us a impious measure which they adopted, the very mischief city, and a tower, whose top may r-each unto they sought to avoid. To build a city and a tower was heaven; and let us mae us a name, lest e certainly no crime; but to do this with a view me,rely to heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we transmit an illustrious name to posterity, or to thwart the be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole counsels of heaven, was both foolish and wicked, and earth. justly excited the displeasure of the supreme Judge, uho requires his rational creatures to acknowledge and to The words in which they couched their daring resolu- glorify him in all their undertakings. tion, "Let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may It is by no means improbable that this tower was also reach unto heaven," mean no'more than a tower of ex- intended for idolatrous purposes. The worship of fire traordinary height. Such phrases may be found in every began in a very remote age, and most probably under the language; and their meaning can scarcely be misunder- direction and among the rebellious followers of Nimrod. stood. When the messengers whom Moses employed to This idea receives no small confirmation from the numerexamine the land of Canaan, returned and made their ous fire towers which in succeeding ages were built in report, they described the cities which they had visited, as Chaldea, where the sacred fire was Irept, and the religious great and walled up to heaven: and Moses himself, in his rites in honour of the sun were celebrated. If this confarewell address to the congregation, repeats it; "Hear, jecture be well founded, it accounts in the most satisfactory O Israel, thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to manner, for.the sudden and effectual dispersidn of the possess nations gtwieLer and mightier than thyself, cities builders, visibly and strongly marking the first combined act great and fenced up to heaven." The meaning of these of idolatry after the flood, of which we have any notice, with phrases plainly is, that the walls of those cities were un- the displeasure of the'"true God. Guilty of the same crime commonly strong and lofty. That the builders of Babel which procured the sudden dispersion of the first settlers at meant no more, is further evident from the words of Jeho- Babel, was the restorer of that great city, when he proudly vah, recorded by Moses. "Now nothing will be restrained boasted, "Is not this great Babylon which I have builded from them which they have imagined to do." It is here for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, plainly admitted, that the design was practicable, and had and for the honour of my majesty:" and he was instantly been accomplished, if God had not thought proper to visited with a similar punishment, but proportioned to the interrupt their operations. But to build a tower, the top of greater enormity-of his transgression; for the place should which should actually reach unto heaven, is beyond the have reminded him of the sin and punishment of his forepower of mortals. The opinion of Josephus is not much fathers, and taught him to guard against the pride and incre reasonable; that their design was to raise a tower vanity of his heart. Nebuchadnezzar was, for his wies edhigher far than the summits of the highest mountains, to ness, driven from his throne and kingdom, to dwell with defend them from the waters of a second flood, of which the beasts of the field, and eat grass like oxen, "till seven they were afraid. Had this been their design, they would times passed over him;" till the sun had seven times passed not have commenced their operations on the level plain, over his appointed circuit, and he had learned "that the hut on tne top of Ararat, where the ark rested. They had most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to the solemn promise of Jehovah, that he would no more whomsoever he will." But his irreligious ancestors'vere CIIAP. 13. GENESIS. 9 punished with dispersion, by confounding their language. for some ages, nearly the same. This appcears, fro iany'ill this memorable event, the inspired writer assures us, interviews between the Hebrews, and other nations, in the whole earth was of one language and one speech. which they spoke without an interpreter. Thus Nhilen When Jehovah came -down to see the tower which the Abraham left his native country to sojourn in the land of Babylonians were building, he said, " Behold, the people is promise, he conversed with the natives in their own lar:one, and they have all one language." They formed one guage, without difficulty, though they were the descendants great society, and conversed in the tongue which they had of Canaan, who, for his transgression at Babel, was driven] learned from those who lived before the flood; and which by the divine judgments, from the chosen residence of his was the only language spoken on earth from the beginning family. The Hebrew language, indeed, seems to have of the world: for no hint of any confusion of language, or been the vernacular tongue of all the nations in those Farts even material diversity of speech, before the building of of the world; for the patriarchs, and their descendants, so Babel, is given in the sacred volume. It is exceedingly late as the days of Moses and Joshua, conversed familiarly natural to.suppose, that the devout Seth, and his religious with the inhabitants of Midian and Canaan, without the descendants, would preserve with care the family tongue'help of interpreters.-PAxToN. in which God conversed with their renowned father; in which the first promise was given to sinners, and many CHAP. 13. ver. 3. And he went on his journey.s subsequent revelations were made. The language of our fom the south eve to Bt-el, unto the plac b ~~~~from the south even to Beth-el, unto the place-1 fathers is not easily changed, if we were so disposed; but where his tent had been at the eginin, beno man is willing to change it; and a religious man will be yet more averse to relinquish a language which contains tween. Beth-el and Hai. the only grounds of his hope, and that of the whole human race. We may therefore conclude, that since this langriage Abraham, and the other patriarchs, led a wandering had so many claims on the affectionate care of Seth, he shepherd's life in tents, such as the Arabs, Turcomans, would certainly hand it down, with the gospel it contained, and numerous tribes of eastern Asia, lead to this day in the to his children, that they might teach i.t to succeeding gener-, same countries. Divided into tribes, they traverse immense ations, till it was received by his celebrated descendant tracts with their numerous herds, consisting of camels, oxen, Noah, the second father of our family. For the same and especially sheep and goats; and when the pasture of reasons, which were daily receiving additional strength, a district is exhausted, the tents are taken down, and the Shem would preserve with pious care the sacred deposit, whole family, or the Twhole tribe, removes to another spot. till he delivered it into the hands of Abraham, with whom "Each of these tribes," says'ol/cy, "of the Bedouin he lived about two hundred years. The line of descent, Arabs appropriates to itself a certain tract, which it consid-. by which the primitive language might be transmitted from ers as its property. They differ firom agricultural nations Adam to Abraham, and from this patriarch to Moses, is only so far, as such tracts must be far more extensive to short and straight; for between Adam and Noah were procure subsistence for their flockrs all the year round. only eight persons, and the father of Noah was fifty-six One man's camps distributed over such a tract, form a years old when Adam died. The only interruption is the tribe; they traverse the whole in succession, as they have confusion of tongues, which happened after the flood. But consumed with their flocks the pastures in one place." though God confounded the speech of mankind at Babel, it The following account by PARsoNs (Travels from Alepis not said he extinguished the general language; nor that po to Bagdad, p. 109) of the movement of an Arab horde, is he confounded the speech of any but -the colony at Babel. illustrative of the manners of the old patriarchs. "It was These only were in the transgression, and. therefore, these entertaining enough to see the horde of Arabs decamp, only were liable to the punishment. Noah, and the rest of as nothing could be more regular. First went the sheen his family, persevering in their dutiful obedience to God, and goatherds, each with their flocks in divisions, accordundoubtedly retained their language, together with their ing as the chief of each family directed; then followed ancient habitations. It may be urged that, by the testimo- the camels and asses, loaded with the.tents, furniture, and ny of Moses, the Lord confounded at Babel, "the language kitchen utensils; these were followed by the old men, of all the earth." But the plainof Shinar could, with no women, boys, and girls, on foot: The children that cannot propriety, be called the whole earth; nor could the inhabit- walk are carried on the backs of the young women, or the ants of Shinar, by any figure of speech, be entitled to that boys and girls; and the smallest of the lambs and kids name. If mankind were in possession of a great part of are carried under the arms of the children. To each tent the globe when the tower was built, by what rule of justice belong many dogs, among which are some greyhounds; could they be punished for a crime in which they had no some tents have from ten to fourteen dogs, and from twenty share, and of which multitudes of the distant settlersecould to thirty men, women, and children, belonging to it. The not even have heard? "Shall not the Judge of all the procession is closed by the chief of the tribe, whom they earth'do right." The truth of this history depends upon call emir and father, (emir means prince,) mounted on two terms, which admit of different senses. In the first the very best horse, and surrounded by the heads of each verse of the eleventhichapter of Genesis, the sacred histo- family, all on horses, with many servants on foot. Berian says, The whole earth was of one language and of one tw-een each family is a division or space of one hundred speech. The word (':) Col, signifies the wfhole, and also yards, or more, when they migrate; and such great reguevery; by (ys) Arets, is often meant the earth, it also signi- larity is observed, that neither camels, asses, sheep, nor fies a land or province; and occurs frequently in this latter dogs, mix, but each keeps to the division to which it beacceptation. In this very chapter, the region of Shinar is longs, without the least trouble. They had been here called Arets Shinar, the land or province of Shinar; and eight days, and were going four hours journey to the norlththe land of Canaan, Arets Canaan, the country of Canaan. west, to another spring of water. This tribe consisted of The psalmist uses both terms in precisely the same sense: about eight hundred and fifty men, women, and children. "Their sound is gone out into every land," Col Arets. Their flocks of sheep and goats were about five thousand, The words of Moses, then, ought to be rendered, Therefore besides a great number of camels, horses, and asses. is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there Horses and greyhounds they breed and train up for sale: confound the language of the whole land. if this view of they neither kill nor sell their ewe lambs. At set times a the text be just, the dispersion was a partial event, and chapter in the Koran is read by the chief of each family, related chiefly to the sons of Cush, whose intention was either in or near each tent, the whole family being gatherto found a great, if not a universal empire; but by this ed round, and very attentive." judgment their purpose was defeated. The language of The Compte de FERRIERES SAUVEm0EUP describes the the whole country, Mr. Bryant thinks, was confounded, manner of an Arab horde moving to a fresh pasturage. by causing a labial failure, so that the people could not "Their wandering life, without ambition, brings to the articulate. It was not an aberration, in words or language, mind of the traveller that of the ancient patriarchs. Nobut a failure and incapacity in labial utterance; for God thing is more interesting than their manner of changing said, "Go to, let us go down and confound, ~a, their lip, their abode. Numerous flocks, which precede the caravan, that they may not understand one another's speech." By express by their bleating, their joy at returning to their. this, their speech was confounded, but not altered; for, as old pastures. Some beasts of burden, guided by the young soon as they separated, they recovered the true tenor of men, bear the little ones just dropped, and not able to traypronunciation;'and the language of the earth continued, el; then come the camels carrying the baggage, and the 20 GENESIS. CHAP. 14. old or sick women. The rest go on foot, carrying their ure, and besides it was doubtless watered by canals supinfants on their backs or in their arms; and the men, mount- plied from the Jordan. In this view Moses compares it ed on the horses, armed with lances, ride round, or bring with Egypt, which was watered by innumerable canals up the march of the cattle, which loiter behind, browsing led from the Nile, and cultivated like a garden.-BunDER. t o long a time. In this manner the Arabs journey, and find their homes, their hearths, and their country, in every CHAP. 14. ver. 3. All these were joined together lace."-BURDERz * a in the vale of Saiddim, which is the salt sea. Ver. 7. And there was a strife between the herdof Abrams cattle an the herdmen of Lot's The lake Asphaltites, or the Dead Sea, is enclosed on men of Abramn's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's the east and west with exceeding high mountains; on the cattle. north it is bounded with the plain of Jericho, on which side it receives the waters of the Jordan; on the south it is How often have I been reminded of the strife of the herd- open, and extends beyond the reach of the eye. It is said men of the scriptures, by seeing, on a distant plain, a num- to be twenty-four leagues long, and six or seven broad; and ber of shepherds or husbandmen struggling together re- is fringed with a kind of coppice of bushes and reeds. In specting some of the same causes which promoted strife in the midst of this border, not a furlong from the sea, rises the patriarchal age. The fields are not, as in England, a fountain of brackish water, which was pointed out to enclosed by fences; there is simply a ridge which divides Maundrell by his Arab conductor; a sure proof that the one fiom another. HIence the cattle belonging to one per- soil is not equally impregnated with saline particles. The son find no difficulty in straying into the field of another, ground, to the distance of half an. hour from the sea, is and'the shepherds themselves have so little principle, that uneven and broken into hillocks, which Mr. Maundrell they gladly take advantage of it. Nothing is more com- compares to ruinous lime-kilns; but whether these might mon than for a man, when the sun has gone down, thus to be the pits at which the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah injure his neighbour. The time when most disputes take were overthrown by the four kings who invaded their place, is when the paddy, or rice, has been newly cut, as country, he could not determine.-PAxToN. the grass left among the stubble is then long and green. As it has no outlet, Reland, Pococke, and other travThe herdmen at that time become very tenacious, and wo ellers, have supposed that it must throw off its superfluous to the ox, if within reach of stick or stone, until he shall waters by some subterraneous channel; but, although it get; into his owvn field. Then the men of the other party has been calculated that the Jordan daily discharges. into start up on seeing their cattle beaten, and begin to swear it 6,090,000 tons of water, besides what it receives from the and declare how often the others have done the same thing. Arnon and several smaller. streams, it is now known, that They now approach each other, vociferating the most op- the loss by evaporation is adequate to explain the absorption probrious epithets: the hands swiftly move about in every of the waters. Its occasional rise and fall at certain seadirection; one pretends to take up a stone, or spits on the sons, is doubtless owing to the greater or less volume which ground in token of contempt; and then comes the contest the Jordan and the other streams bring down from the -the long hair is soon dishevelled, and the weaker fall be- mountains.-MODERN TRAVELLER. neath their antagonists. Then begins the beating, biting, The water of the lake is intensely salt, extremely bitter and scratching, till in their cruel rae they have nearly and nauseous, and so heavy, that the most impetuous winds destroyed some of the party. The next business is with can scarcely ruffle its surface. It is callea by common the magistrate: all are clamorous for justice; and great writers the Dead Sea, because it nourishes neither animal must be his patience, and great his discernment, to find nor vegetable life. No verdure is to be seen on its banks. out the truth. nor fish to be found within its waters; but it is not true Another common cause of strife is that which took place that its exhalations are so pestiferous as to kill birds that between the herdmen of Gerar and those of Isaac. Water attempt to fly over it. Mr. Maundrell saw several birds is at all times very precious in the East, but especially in flying about, and skimming the surface of its waters, withthe drqy season; as the tanks are then nearly exhausted, and out any visible harm. The same fact, is attested by Volwhat remains is scarcely fit for use. At that time recourse ney, who states it as no'uncommon thing to see swallows must be had to the wells; which are often made at the ex- dipping for the water necessary to build their nests. The pense or labour of five, ten, or twenty people. Here, then, true cause that deprives it of vegetables and animals, is the is the cause of contention. One man has numerous herds; extreme saltness of the water, which is vastly stronger than he gets therefirst, and almost exhausts the well; the others that of the sea. The soil around it, impregnated also with come, and, seeing what is done, begin the affray. But the salt, produces no plants; and the air itself, which becomes most common cause of quarrel is when the owners of the loaded with saline particles from evaporation, and which well have to irrigate their lands from the same source. To receives also the sulphureous and bituminous vapours, canprevent these contests, they have generally each an ap- not be favourable to vegetation: hence the deadly aspect pointed time for watering their lands; or, it may be, that which reigns around this lake. The ground about it, howthose who get there first, shall have the privilege: but where ever, is not marshy, and its waters are limpid and in corthere is so little integrity, it is no wonder there should be ruptible, as must be the case with a dissolution of salt. Mr. so much strife.-ROBERTTS. Maundrell questions the truth of the common tradition, which is admitted by Volney in all its extent, that the Ver. 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld waters of the Dead Sea are destructive to animal existence, all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered having observed among the pebbles on the shore two or every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom three shells of fish,, resembling oyster-shells. [Mr. Madden, however, says, Travels, vol. 2, p. 210, " I found seveand Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, ral fresh water shells on the beach, such as I before noticed like-the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto on the Lake of Tiberias; and also the putrid remains of Zoar. two small fish, of the size of mullet;'which no doubt had been carried down from the Jordan, as well as the shells; The Jordan flows from the Lake of Genesareth to the for I am well convinced, both from my own observation Dead Sea, between two ridges of moderately high moun- and from the accounts of the Arabs, that no living creature tains, in a valley that may be about twelve miles in breadth. is to be found in the Dead Sea."] That respectable travelThis valley opens at Jericho, and encloses within it the ler, willing to make an experiment of its strength, went Dead Sea, which is surrounded by a circle of mountains. into it, and found it bore up his body in swimming, with an Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah there was, uncommon force; but the relation of some authors, that however, no lake here; but all this was a valley, which men wading -in it are buoyed up to the top as soon as the Moses calls the vale of Siddim. It is probable, that even water reaches to the middle, he found upon experiment unat that time there was a lake under this valley; in which true. Pococke, however, says: " I was much pleased with the Jordan discharged itself, which otherwise could have what I observed of this extraordinary water, and stayed in had no vent. This subterraneous lake was covered with it near a quarter of an hour. I found I could lay on it in a thick coat of earth, on which, besides Sodom and Gomor- any posture, without motion, and without sinking. Itbore rah, other cities stood. This being the nature of the me up m such a manner, that, when I struck in swimming, ground, it could never be'deficient in the requisite moist- my legs were above the water, and I found it difficult to CHAP. 14. GENESIS. 21 recover my feet. I did. not care to venture where it was perhaps been kept up so.long, because it furnished him deep, though these effects would probably have been more with a good allusion, or helped him to a beautiful simile. remarkable farther in. They have a notion that if any Several travellers, however, claim the honour of having one attempted to swim' over, it would burn up the body; discovered that far-famed apple. Hasselquist says, the and, they say the same of boats, for there are none on the apple of Sodom is not the fruit either of a tree or of a shrub, lake." Van Egmont and Heyman state, that on swimming but the production of the solanum melongena of Linnmos. to some distance from the shore, they found themselves, to It is found in great abundance round Jericho, in the vales their great surprise, lifted up by the water. "When I had near the Jordan, and in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea. swam to some distance, I endeavoured to sink perpendicu- Its apples are sometimes full of dust; but this appears only larly to the bottom, but could not; for the water kept me when the fruit is attacked by an insect, which converts the continually up, and would certainly have thrown me upon whole of the inside into dust, leaving nothing but the rind my face, had I not put forth allthe strength I was master of, - entire, without causing it to lose any of its colour. M. to keep myself in a perpendicular posture; so that I walked Seetzen supposes it is the fruit of a tree which grows on in the sea as if I had trod on firm ground, without having the plain of El Gor, near the southern extremity of the occasion to make any of the motions necessary in treading Dead Sea. The tree resembles a fig-tree, and the fruit is fresh water; and when I was swimming, I was obliged to like the pomegranate: it struck him, that this fruit, which keep my legs the greatest part of the time out of the water. has no pulp or flesh in the inside, but only a species of cotton My fellow-traveller was agreeably surprised to find that resembling silk, and is unknown in the rest of Palestine, he could swim here, having never learned. But his case might be the celebrated apple of Sodom. Chateaubriand and mine proceeded from the gravity of the water, as this imagines that he has made the interesting discovery. The certainly does from the extraordinary quantity of salt in it." shrub which bears, in his opinion, the true apple of Sodom. -MODERN TRAVELLER. grows two or three leagues from the mouth of the Jordan; About six in the morning, says Mr. Madden, I reached it is thorny, and has small taper leaves; its fruit is exactly,he shore, and much against the advice of my excellent like the little Egyptian lemon, both in size and colour: beguide, I resolved on having a bath. I was desirous of fore it is ripe, it is filled with a corrosive and saline juice; ascertaining the truth of the assertion, that "nothing sinks when dried, it yields a blackish seed, which may be comin the Dead Sea." I swam a considerable distance from pared to ashes, and which resembles bitter pepper in taste. the shore; and about four yards from the beach I'was He gathered half a dozen of these fruits, but has no name oeyond my depth: the water was the coldest I ever felt, for them, either popular or botanical. Next comes Mr. and the taste of it most detestable; it was that of a soiution Jolliffe. He found in a thicket of brushwood, about half a of nitre, mixed with an infusion of quassia. Its buoyancy mile from the plain of Jericho, a shrub of five or six feet I found to be far greater than that of any sea I ever swam high, on which grew clusters of fruit, about the size of a in, not excepting the Euxine, which is extremely salt. I small apricot, of a bright yellow colopr, "which, contrastcould lie like a log of wood on the surface, without stirring ing with the delicate verdure of the foliage, seemed like the hand or foot, as long as I chose; but with a good deal of union of gold and emeralds. Possibly, when ripe, they exertion I could just dive sufficiently deep to cover all my may crumble into dust upon any violent pressure." Those body, but I was again thrown on the surface, in spite of which this gentleman gathered did not crumble, nor even my endeavours to descend lower. On coming out, the retain the slightest mark of indenture from the touch; they wounds in my feet pained me excessively; the poisonous would seem to want, therefore;the most essential characterquality of the waters irritated the abraded skin, and ulti- isticofthefruitin question. Butthey werenot ripe. This mately made an ulcer of every wound, which confined me shrub is probably the same as that described by Chateaufifteen days in Jerusalem; and became so troublesome in briand. Lastly, Captains Irby and Mangles have no doubt Alexandria, that my medical attendant was apprehensive that they have discovered it in the oskar plant, which they of gangrene.-MADDEN. noticed on the shores of the Dead Sea, grown to the staThe question of its specific gravity, indeed, has been ture of a tree; its trunk measuring, in many instances, two set to rest by the chymical analysis of the waters made by feet or more in circumference, and the boughs at least fifDr. Marcet, and published in the London Philosophical teen feet high. The filaments enclosed in the fruit, someTransactions for 1807. In 1778, Messrs.Lavoisier, Mac- what resembld the down of a thistle, and are used by the quer, and Le Sage, had concluded, by experiment, that a natives as a stuffing for their cushions; "they likewise hundred pounds of the water contain forty-five pounds six twist them, like thin rope, into matches for their guns, ounces of salt; that is, six pounds four ounces of common which, they assured us, required no application of sulphur marine salt, and thirty-eight pounds two ounces of marine to render them combustible." This is probably the same salt with an earthy base. But Dr. Marcet's more accurate tree that M. Seetzen refers to. But still, the correspondence analysis has determined the specific gravity to be 1,211, to the ancient description is by no means perfect; there (that of the fresh water being 1000,) a degree of density being little resemblance between cotton and thistle-down, not to be met with in any other natural water; and it holds and ashes or dust. Ml. Chateaubriand's golden friuit, full in solution the following salts, in the stated proportions to of bitter seed, comes the nearest to what is told us of the 100 grains of the water:- degeitful apple. If it be any thing more than a fable, it must have been a production peculiar to this part of PalesMuriate of lime 3,120, rains4 tine, or it would not have excited such general attention. Mluriate of magnesia 10,246 Muriate of soda 10,3o On this account, the oskar and the solanum seem alike Sulphate of lime 0,054 unentitled to the distinction; and for the same reason, the 24,560 pomegranate must altogether be excluded-from consideration. The fruit of the solanuei melongeua, which belongs So that the water of the lake contains about one fourth of to the same genus as the common potato, is white, resemits Weight of salts, supposed in a state of perfect desicca- bling a large egg, and is said to impart an agreeable acid tion; or if they be desiccated at the temperature of 1800 flavour to soups and sauces, for the sake of which it is on Fahrenheit's scale, they will amount to forty-one per cultivated in the south of Europe. This could hardly be cent. of the water. Its other general properties are, that, what Tacitus and Josephus referred to. It is possible, 1., As stated by all travellers, it is perfectly transparent. indeed, that what they describe, may have originated, like 2. Its taste is extremiely bitter, saline, and pungent. 3. Re- the oak-galls in this country, in the work of some insect: aget; demonstrate in it the presence of the marine and for these remarkable productions sometimes acquire a consulphuric acids. 4. It contains no alumine. 5. It is not siderable size and beauty of colour. Future travellers saturated with common salt. 6. It did not change the col- will be inexcusable if they leave this question undecid d. ours of the infusions commonly used.o ascertain the prey- — MoDEaN TRAVELLER. alence of an acid or an alkali, such as litmus,,riolet, and The far-famed fruit of the tree of Sodom, "which tempts tumeric. the eye and turns to ashes on the lips," is neowhere to be Mr. Maundrell neither saw nor heard of the apples of found on the western shore; and Burckhardt appears to Sodom, so frequently mentioned by the ancients; nor did favour the opinion of its having only an imaginary existhe discover any tree near the lake, from which a fruit of ence: but it does exist in the vicinity of El GI'or. I saw that kind might be expected. It is a production which ex- one of the apples at Mar Saba; and, perhaps, the only sts only in the'Imagination and song of the poet; and has plant in Egypt producing this fruit I discovered at Koun 22 GE NG E'S iS. CHAP. 14 Crnbos, in Upper Eypt, growing in a corner of the small angerl" In this passage, the brimstdne, salt, and burning, r~rr~os, n Uyer Eypt, 9. 2. nirnr f hesml temple of Isis, facing the Nile; the plant was not quite the are mentioned as true and proper effects of the divine height of the Palma Christi, the fruit was the size of the wrath; and since this fearful destruction is compared to pomegranate; indeed, from the similarity' of the fruit and the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, the brimstone and leaves, I consider the Dead Sea apple as a spurious pome- salt into which the vale of Siddim was turned, must also granate. It was, indeed, tempting to the eye, but deceitful be the true and proper effects of divine anger. This, into the sense; on opening it, it was quite empty, the surface deed, Moses asserts in the plainest terms: " Then the Lord oif the rind having only a light floculent sort of cotton rained upon Sodom, and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and attr-hed to it, which was destroyed by the lightest touch; fire from the Lord out of heaven; and hlie overthrew those this was the true Dead Sea apple which I saw in Egypt, cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the and which I also found in Mar Saba; albeit Shaw and cities, and that which grew upon the ground." But since Pococke doubt its existence.-MADDEN. the brimstone and the fire were rained fieom heaven, so The extreme saltness of this lake, has been ascribed by must the salt, with which they are connected in the foirmer Volney to mines of fossil salt in the side of the mountains, quotation: and this is the opinion received by the Jewiish which exfend along the western shore, and from time im- doctors. The frightfiul sterility which followed the brimmemorial have supplied the Arabs in the neighbourhood, stone, salt, and burning, in the first quotation, is in thl and even the city of Jerusalem. He does not attempt to same manner represented as an effect of the divine, iudginvalidate the credit of the Mosaic narrative; but only meat upon the yale of Siddim; "it is not sown, nor bearinsinuates, that these saline depositions were either coeval eth, nor any grass groweth thereon." —PAXTO-N. with the mountains in which they are found, or entered Chateaaubriand says: "Several travellers, and, among into their original conformation. The extraordinary fruit- others, Troilo and d'Arvieux, assert, that they remarkfulness of the vale of Siddim, before the destruction of ed fragments of walls and palaces in the Dead Sea. This Sodom and Gomorrah, is asserted by Moses in terms so statement seems to be confirmed by Maundrell and Faclear and precise, that the veracity of the sacred writer ther Nau. The ancients speak more positively on this must be overthrown, before a reasonable doubt can be subject. Josephus, employing a poetic expression, says, entertained of the fact. No disproportionate quantity of that he perceived on the banks of the lake, the shades of saline matter, could then have been present, either in the the overwhelming cities. Strabo gives a circumference of soil or in the surrounding mountains. That it abounded sixty stadia to the ruins of Sodom, which are mentioned with bitumen, some have inferred from the assertion of also by Tacitus. I know not whether they still exist; but, Moses, that the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits: as the lake rises and falls at certain seasons, it is possible where the Hebrew word chemar, which we render slime, that it may alternately cover and expose the skeletons of others, and particularly the Seventy' interpreters, render the reprobate cities." Mr. Jolliffe mentions the sarie bitumen. But g'op/hritl, and not cl/en'ar, is the word that story. "'We have even," he says, "heard it asserted wish Moses employs to denote'brimstone, in his account of the confidence, that broken columns and other architectural judgment which overwhelmed the cities of the plain; and ruins are visible at certain seasons, when the water is by consequence, brimstoie is not *meant, when c/semwr is much retired below its usual level; but of this statement used, but bitumen, a very different substance. Hence the our informers, when closely pressed; could not adduce any brimstone which now impregnates the soil of the salt sea, satisfactory confirmation." WVe are afraid that, notwithand banishes anlmost. every ind of vegetation from its standing the authority of Strabo, we must class this legend shores, must' be regarded, not as an original, but an with the dreams of imagination; or perhaps its origin may accidental ingredient, remaining from the destruction of be referred to some such optical delusion as led to the misthe vale by fire and brimstone from heaven. The same take respecting the supposed island. In the travels oi remark applies to the mines of fossil salt, on the surround- Egmont and Heyman, however, thereis a statement Myhich ing mountains; the saline matter was deposited in the may throw some light' on the subject. They say: "We cavities which it now occupies at the same time, else the also saw here a kind ofjutty or prominence, which appears vale of Siddim, instead of verdant pastures, and abundant to have been a heap of stones from time to time thrown harvests, had exhibited the same friightful sterility from up by the sea; but it is a current opinion here, that they the beginning, for which it is so remarkable in modern are part of the ruins of one of the towns which are buried times Bitumen, if the Hebrew word chemar denotes that nder it. The bare possibility, that ay ec of the n'~~~~~~~~~~~under it." The bare possibility, that any wreck of the substance, abounds in the richest soils; for in the vale of ilty cities sould be brought to light is suficien to xguilty cities should be brought to light, is sufficient to exShiner, whose soil, by the agreement of all writers, is fer- cite an intense curiosity to explore this mysterious flood, tile in the highest degree, the builders of the tower of Babel which, so far as appears from any records, no bark has used it for mortar. The ark of bulrushes in which Moses ever ploulhed, mo plummet ever sounded. Should permiseveri01oughed,liopluimmet ever sounded. Should permiswas eimbrked on the Nile, was in like manner daubed sion ever be obtained from the Turks, to launch a vessel with bitumen (chemar) and pitch; but the mother of Mo- on the lake, its navigation, if practicable, w-ould probably ses, considering the poverty of her house, cannot be sup- lead to some interesting results.-MoiasN TVEL.LEva. posed to have procured it from a distance, nor at any great expense' she must therefore have found it in the soil of Ver. 10. And the vale of Siddim was fuell of Egypt, near the Nile, on whose borders she lived. It is slime slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gothe'efore reasonable to suppose, that bitumen abounded in -i and tek o do a - Goshen, a re:ion famed for the richness of its pastures. morrah fled, and fell there and they that reHence it may be fairly concluded, that the vale of Siddim, mained fled to the mountain. before its destruction, in respect of natural fertility, reseusbled the plain of Shinar, and the land of Egypt along People retired to the mointcains anciently when defeattheNile. But it is well known, that wherever brimstone ed in war: they do so still. Dr. Shaw indeed seems to supand saline matter abound, there sterility and desolation pose, that there was no greater safety in the hills than in reign. Is it not then reasonable to infer, that the sulphu- the plains of this country: that there were few or no reous and saline matters,, discovered in the waters and on places of difficult access; and that both of them, lay equal. th!e shores of the Asphaltites, are the relics of the divine ly exposed to the insults and outrages of an eneny. But vengeance executed on the cities of the plain, and not in this point this ingenious writer seems to be mistaken; original ingredients in the soil. If we listen to the testi- since, as we find that those that remained of the armies,mony of the sacred vwriters, what was reasonable hypothe- of' the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled to the mountsis rises into absodlute certainty. Moses expressly ascribes ains, in the days of Abraham, Gen. xiv. 10; so d'" rvieux the brimstone, the salt, and thle burning in the overthrow tells us, that the rebel peasants of the Holy Lam-,.., who of Sodon, to the immediate vengeance of Heaven; "~/When were defeated while they were in that counra by the theyr see the plagues of that land,... that the whole land Arabs, in the plain of Gonin, fled towards the iountains, is brim'one, and salt, and burning; that it is not sown, whither the Arabs could not purse them at that time nor beareth, nor any grass groweth thereon, (like the over- So, in like manner, the Archbishop of Tyre tells us, that'hrow, f Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, Baldwin IV. of the' croisade kings of Jerusalem, ravawhich the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath;) ging a place called the valley of Bacar, a country remark.. even all nations shall say, Wherefore has the'Lord done ably fruitful, the inhabitants fled to the mountains, whither thus unto this land l VWhat meaneth the heat of this great our troops could not easily follow them. Th is flying to CHAP. 14. GENESIS. 23 hills andl mountains for safety, is frequently alluded to in Ver. 22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, Scripture.-HARMER. o 1o*oX I have lifted up my hand unto the LORD, the Ver. 14. And when Abram heard that his brother most high God, the possessor of heaven and was taken captive, he armed his trained ser- earth, 23. That I will not take from a thread vants born in his own house, three hundred even to a shoe-latchet, and that Eowill not take and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich. If we should turn our thoughts to the strength of an Arab emir, or the number of men they command, we shall The use of shoes may be traced to the patriarchal age; Arab emir, or the number of men they command, we sall victory find it is not very great, and that were Abraham now alive, Abaham protested to the king of Sodom, afted his victory and possessed of the same degree of strength that he had over Amraphel and his associates, " I have lifted vp mine in his time, he would still be considered as a prince among unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of th and might, perhaps, even be called a mighty prince, heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even them, a mgherapvebcyprince, to a shoe-latchet." And when the Lord appeared to Moses he having three hundred and eighteen servants able to the nd bar 7 arms, Gen. xiv. 14, especially in the Eastera com-hin the bush, he commanded him to put off his shoes from bJaa arms, Gen. xiv. 14, especially in the Eastern complimental style: for this is much like the.stremgth of those hs feet, for the place on which he stood was holy ground. In Arab emirs of Palestine d'Arvieux visited. There were, imitation of this memorable example, the priests oficiated according to him, eighteen emirs or princes that governed in the temple baefoot; and all the orientals, under the te Aabs of Mot Carmel the rand emir, or chief of guidance of tradition, put off their shoes when they enter the Arabs of Mount Carmel; the grand emir, or chief of these princes, encamped in the middle, the rest round about their holy places. The learned Bochart is of opinion, that him, at one or two leagues distance from him, and from the Israelites used no shoes in Egypt; but being to take a each other; each of these emirs had a number of Arabs long journey, through a rough and barren vilderness, Gcd particularly attached to him, who called themselves his feet;commanded them to eat the passover with shoes on the.ir servants, and were properly the troops each emir com-feet; and those very shoes which they put On at that festimanded when they fought; and when all these divisions val, when they were ready to march, lie suffered not to were united, they made up between four and five thousand decay during the whole forty years they traversed the desert; and to increase the miracle, Grotius adopts the fighting men. Had each of these emirs been equal in engh io Abraham, their number of fighting men must idle conceit of some Jewish writers, that their clothes en.. strength to Abrahamg their number of fighting men must have been near six thousand, for three hundred and s they grew up to maturity, ad their shoes also eighteen, the number of his servants, multiplied by eighteen, underwent a similar enlargement. This -as not iposthe number of those emirs, make five thousand seven hundred and twenty-four; but they were but between four and cessary, for the clothes and shoesIof those that died, might five thousand, so that they had but about two hundred and serve their children when they gew up; and it aas suffifty each, upon an. average. Abraham then was superior ficiently wonderful, without such an addition, that their in force to one of these *elirs. But though s rbraham cas clothes should not decay, nor their shoes wear, nor their fperet swell, by travelling over hot and'sandy deserts oir the a man of' power, and did upon occasion make war, yet I feet swell, by tlavellin oves It and sany desertsofor tke hope a remark I before made concerning him will be re-long period of forty years. It only remains to be bseved on this part of the subject, that no covering for the foot can membered here, that is, that he was a pacific emir not- b withstanding, at least, that he by no means resembled sequence, the cust in of wshing and egions; aing the feet modern Arabs in their acts of depredation and violence. hich is, perhaps, coeval of washing and anointce of the et, which is, perhaps, coeval with the existence of the btuman race, is not to be ascribed to the use of sandals. WVhatVer. 15. And he divided himself against them, ever covering for the foot may be used, Chardin declares, ke and his servanits, by night, and smote them, it is still necessary to wash and anoint the feet tfer a and pu-rsued them unto Hobah, which is on the journey. It is also the custom everywuhere among the Asiatics, to carry a staff in their hand, and a handkerchief left hand of Damascus. to wipe the sweat from their face. The handkerchefsl are The manner in which the Arabs harass the caravans wrought with a needle; and to embroider and adornthell, of the East, is described in the same page. Chardin tells one ofthe elegant amusements of the other sex.-PAxTon. To lift up the right hand with the fingers towards heavus, " that the manner of their making war, and pillaging is p the right hand with th e fingers towards h the caravans, is, to keep by the side of them, or to followr equivalent to an oath. Hence Dr. Boothroyd has them in the rear, nearer or farther off, according to their rendered the passage, " I swear to Jehovah." To lift up forces, which it is very easy to do in Arabia, which is one the hand i confirmation of any thing is considered a most great plain, and in the night they silently fall upon the sacred way of swearing. In Isaiah lxii. 8. it is written, camp, and carr ff oe part of it before the est are got " The Lord hath sworn by his fight hand." It is an inculder amp, s." He supposes that Abraham fell up the teresting fact, that many of the images of the gods of the under arms. He supposes that Abraham fell upon the heathen have the sight hand lifted up, which to the undercamp of the four kings, that had carried away Lot, precisely' the same Arab manner, and by that means, with stnding of the peoples says, " Im God; I aa truth; impunequaforces, accomplished his design, and rescued Lot. self; lam. Fear not." Doesaman make asolemn promGen. xiv. 15, he thinks, shows this; and,he adds, that it ise, aid should the person to whom it is made express is to be remembered, that the combats of the age of doubt; he will say," Lft sp?posLr alnd; which means Abraham more resembled a fight among the mob, than swear that you will perform it.-RosRTs. the bloody and destructive wars of Europe. —HARMER. Ver. 23. That I will not take from a thread eoxem Ver. 17. And the king of Sodom wvent out to to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take any meet him. r thing that is thine, ].est thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich. The conduct of this king, of Abraham, of Lot, of Saul, of the father of the prodigal, and of many others, is beauti- This may refer to the red thread worn round the neck fully illustrated by the rnanners of the East, at this day. or the arm, and which binds on the amulet; or the stIid~ Not to meet a friend, or an expected guest, would be con- with which females tie up their hair. The latchet I supsidered as rude in the extreme. So soon as the host hears pose to mean the thong of the sandal, which goes over the of the approach of his visitant, he and. his attendants go top of the foot, and betwixt the great and little toes. It is iforth in courtly st~yle; and when they meet him, the host proverbial to say, should a man be accused of taking away addresses him, " Ah! this is a happy day for me; by your some valuable article, which belongs to another, " I have favour I am found in health." He will then, perhaps, put not taken away even a piece of the thong of your worn-out his arm round his waist, or gently tap him on the shoulder,sandals."-RoBERTs. as they proceed towards the house. When at the door, he CHAP. 15. ver. 3. And Abram said, Behold, to me again makes his bow, and politely ushers him in; and the thou hast iven no s rest joyfully follow, congratulating each other on the happy meeting. -ROBERTS. my house is mine heir. 24 GENESIS. CHAP. 16. Though the slaves in the oriental regions were treated a child, she is said to be making her house new, or rather, with more severity than hired servants, their condition she has caused the house to be newly built. When a man was by no means reckoned so degrading as in modern marries, "he is making a new house." —RoBERTS. times, among the civilized nations of the west. The slavemaster in the East, when he has no son to inherit his Ver. 12. And he will be a wild man; his hand wealth, and even when the fortune he has to bequeath is will be against every man, and every man's very considerable, frequently gives his daughter to one of hand against him: and he shall dwell in the his slaves. The wealthy people of Barbary, when they have no children; purchase young slaves, educate theln in presence of all his brethren. their own faith, and sometimes adopt them for their own The phrase, "a wild man," it is well known, is in the children. This cust6m, so strange and unnatural,accord- original text, "a wild ass man," thaf is, a man like a wild ing to our modes of thinking, may be traced to a very ass in temper and manners. The comparison seems to reremote' antiquity; it seems to have prevailed so early as fer, first to Ishmael himself, and to intimate certain leadthe days of Abraham, who says of one of his slaves, "One ing traits in his character; and the,. to his offspring in born in mine house is mine heir:" although Lot, his bro- every succeeding age. The troops of onagers, are conther's son, resided in his neighbourhood, and he had besides ducted by a leading stallion, that prefers the most arid desmany relations in Mesopotamia. In the courts of eastern erts of the mountains, keeps watch while his companions monarchs, it is well known, that slaves frequently rise to repose, and gives the signal at the appearance of an enemy. the highest honours of the state. The greatest men in the The Nomades of Asia report of these animals, that tihe Turkish empire are originally slaves, reared and educated first of a troop which sees a serpent or a beast of prey, in the seraglio. When Maillet was in Egypt, there was makes a certain cry, which brings, in a moment, the whole a eunuch who had raised three of his slaves to the rank herd around him, when each of them strives to destroy it of princes; and he mentions a Bey who exalted five or instantly.'Such were the character and manners of Ishsix of his slaves to the same office with himself. With mael. He was the first prince of his family, the founder these facts before us, we have no reason to question the of a powerful nation, of a rough, wild, and untractable veracity of the inspired writers, who record the extraor- disposition. Nor was this all: ambitious of supreme' audinary advancement of Joseph in the house of Pharaoh, thority, he loved to place himself at the head of his rising and of Daniel, under the monarch of Babylon. These community, to regulate its affairs, and direct its operations; sudden elevations, from the loweststations in society, from and, like the high-spirited leader of the onagers, he could the abject condition of a slave, or the horrors of a dungeon, brook no rival. He discovered his ruling passion, when he to the highest and most honourable offices of state, are quite was but a stripling in the house of his father. Determined to consistent with the established manners and customs of maintain his prerogatives as the elder son, and provoked to those countries.-PAxToN. see a younger, and a child of a different mother, preferred Ver. 17. And it came to pass, that, when the sun before him, he gave vent to his indignation, by deriding his dark, behold a smoking brother, and the feast which was made on his account. went down, and it was dark, behold a smokin waExpelled for his imprudence from his father's house, he furnace, and a burning lamp that passed be- made choice of the sandy desert for his permanent resitween those pieces. dence, and required the heads of all the families around him, either to acknowledge his supremacy, and treat him Several eminent critics believe the lamp of fir'e was an hietrtoakwldeisupmcyantethm Sieveral eminent critics believe, the lamp of fire was an with the highest respect, or be driven from his station and emblem of the Divine presence, and that it ratified the coy- neighbourhood. Wherever he pitched his tent, he expectneig-hbourhood. Wherever he pitched his tent, he expecten ant with Abram. It is an interesting fact that the burningxlaqorfire is stillused in thEst in onrmatioofed, according to'a custom of great antiquity, all the tents to be ing lmn or fie is still usedr in the East in confirmatioln of turned with their faces towards it, in token of submission; a covenant. Should a person in the evening make a solemn that the band might have their eye always upon their insthat the band might have their eye ahvwavs upon their maspromise to perform something for another, and should the ter's lodging, and be in readiness to sist him if he ere b ~~~~~~~~ter's lodging, anid' be in readiness to assist him if he w.ere latter doubt his word, the former will say, pointing to the attacked. In this manner did Ishmael dwell "in the presflame of the lamp, "That is the witness." On occasions of greater importe/nee, when two or more joini in a covenantence,"-" before," ($'I or, "over against the faces of all greater importnc, when two or more join in a covenant, his brethren." But the prediction embraced also the charshould the fidelity of any be questioned, they willsay, "We acter and circumstances of his descendants. The maninvoke: the lamI~ of the Temple" (as a witness.) When invoke the lamp of the Temple" (as a witness.) When ners and customs of the Arabians, except in the article of an agreement of this kind has been broken, it will be said, religion, have suffered almost n alteration, dring the n ~~~~~~~~~~~~religion, have suffered almost no alteration, during the " Who would have thought this' for the lamp of the Tem- of three thousand years. The have occped?n ~~~~~~~~ong period of three thousand years. They have occupied pie ivas invoked." Thatfire was a symbol of the Divine he same country, and folloed the se of life, ~iie the same country, and followed the same mode of life, presence, no one acquainted -with the sacred scriptures tai o presence, no one acquainterd wuth the sacred scrptures E,from the days of their great ancestor, down to the present can deny; and in the literature and customs of the East, times, and range the wide extent of burning sands which the same thing is still asserted. In the ancient writings,tea ne the wie enobing sns ih w separate them from all the surrounding nations, as rude, and where the marriages of the- gods and demigods are described, waaieotZD nd os b e- sa vage, and untractable as the wild ass himself. Claiming crlbed, it is always said the ceremony was performed in 11 it is always said the ceremony performed in the barren plains of Arabia, as the patrimonial domain the presence of the god of~fi'e. He was the witness. But assigned by God to the founder of their nation, they conit is also a general practice, at the celebration of respecta- sier themelves entitled to seize, nd app o sider themselves entitled to seize, and appropriate to their ble marriages at this day, to have afire as a witness of the u ther trans D tion. own usei whatever they can find there. Impatient of r etransaction. It is made of the wood of the Mango-tree, or the Aal or Ar~asuL, or P3annz~e or Paldsszu. The fire bein- straint, and jealous of their liberty, they form no connexto ion with the neighbouring states; they admit of little or kindled in the centre of the room, the young couple sit on nofidlite oursbtlvi as of eni stools; but when the Brahmininbegins to repeat the mecan- no friendly intercourse, but live in a state of continual stools; but when the Bra~hmin begins to repeat the incanb ~~~~~~hostility with the rest of the world. The tent is their tations, they arise, and the bridegroom puts the little finger hostility with the rest of the world, The tent is their dwelling, and the circular camp their city; the spontaineof his left hand round the little finger of the right hand of dwelling, and the circular camp their city; the spontanete bride, and they walk round the fire three times from ous produce of the soil, to which they sometimes add a litthe b-ride, and they walk round the fire three times from left to rihht. tire is the witness of their covenant; an tIe patch of corn, fiurnishes them with means of subsistleft to right. ".F ire is the witness of their covenant; and ecapysfiin o hi oeaedsrs n h if they breakl it, fie will be their destruction." In the ence, amply sufficient for their moderate desires; and the Scanda Purena, the' ~father of the virgin who was to be liberty of ranging at pleasure their interminable wilds, Scanda Purana, the,- father of the virgin who was to be fully compensates in their opinion for the want of all other married to the son of the Rishi, said to him, "Call your compatin te on fr t e w o the acomdations. Mounted on their favourite horses, they son that I may give him to my daughter in the presence of accommo sthe g~ ~~~~~~~~on, q? w e scour the waste in search of plunder, with a velocity surthe god of fire, that he may be the witness;" that being done, "Usteytir gave his daughter Verunte in marriage, passed only by the wild ass. They levy contributions on dthefire being the w~itrgaess."-Rodaugher Ts. imarge every person that happens to fall in their way; and frequently rob their own countrymen, with as little ceiemnony CHAP. 16. ver 2. I pray thee, go in unto my as they do a Stranger-or an enemy; their hand is still maid; it may be that I may obtain children by against every man, and every man's hand against them. maid; it may e that I mayobtain childenby ber. But they do not always confine their predatory excursions ~~~~~~~~her. ~~to the desert. When booty is scarce at home, they make The Hebrew has, Be builded by her." When a wife incursions into the territories of their neighbours, and havlhas been for some time considered steril. should she have ing robbed the solitary traveller, or plundered the c rava. CHAP. 18. GENESIS. 25 immediately retire into the deserts far beyond the reach of Shinar or in the valleys of Spain, on the banks of the their pursuers. Their character, drawn by the pen of in- Tigris or the Tagus, in Araby the Blessed or Araby the spiration, exactly corresponds with this view of their dis- Barren, the posterity of Ishmael have ever maintained positions and conduct: " Behold, as wild asses in the de- their prophetic character: they have remained, under every sert, go they forth to their work, rising betimes for a prey: change of condition, a wild people; their hand has still the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their chil- been against every man, and every man's hand against dren." Savage and stubborn as the wild ass which inhabits them. The natural reflection of a recent traveller, on the same wilderness, they go forth on the horse or the drom- examining the peculiarities of an Arab tribe, of which he edary with inconceivable swiftness in quest of their prey. was an eyewitness, may suffice, without- any art of con. Initiated in the trade of a robber from their earliest years, troversy, for the illustration of this prophecy: —" On the they know no other employment; they choose it as the bu- smallest computation, suchimust have been the manners of siness of their life, and prosecute it with unwearied activ- those people for more than three thousand years: thus in ity. They start before the dawn, to invade the village or all things verifying the prediction given of Ishmael at his the caravan; make their attack with desperate courage, and birth, that he, in his posterity, should be a wild man, and surprising rapidity; and, plunging instantly into the desert, always continue to be so, though they shall dwell for ever escape from the vengeance of their enemies. Provoked by in the presence of their brethren. And that an acute and their continual insults, the nations of ancient and modern active people, surrounded for ages by polished and luxutimes have often invaded their country with powerful ar- riant nations, should, from their earliest to their latest ruies, determined to extirpate, or at least to subdue them times, be still found a wild people, dwelling in the presence to their yoke; but they always return baffled and disap- of all their brethren, (as we may call these nations,) unpointed. The savage freebooters, disdaining every idea subdued and unchangeable, is, indeed, a standing miracleof submission, with invincible patience and resolution, one of those mysterious facts which establish the truth ot maintained their independence; and they have transmitted prophecy." (Sir Robert K. Porter.)-KEITH. it unimpaired to the present times. In spite of all their enemies can do to restrain them, they continue to dwell in Ver. 14. Wherefore the well was called Beerthe presence of all their brethren, and to assert their right lahai-roi: behold, it is between Kadesh and to insult and plunder every one they meet with on the bor- Bered. ders, or within the limits of their domains.-PAxToN. The fate of Ishmael is here identified with that of his If in some places where there are wells, there are no descendants: and the same character is common to thein conveniences to draw any water with, to refresh the faintboth. The historical evidence of the fact, the universal ing traveller, there are other places where the wells are tradition, and constant boast of the Arabs themselves, their furnished with troughs, and other contrivances, for the language, and the preservation for many ages of an origin- watering cattle that want to drink. Sir John Chardin tells al rite, derived from him as their primogenitor, —confirm us there are wells in Persia and in Arabia, in the driest the truth of their descent from Ishmael. The fulfilment places, and above all in the Indies, with troughs and basins of the prediction is obvious. Even Gibbon, while he at- of stone by the side of them. He supposes the well called tempts, from the exceptions which he specifies, to evade Beer-lahai-roi, mentioned Gen. xvi. 14, was thus furnished. the force of the fact that the Arabs have maintained a per- I do not remember any circumstance mentioned in that part petual independence, acknowledges that these exceptions of the patriarchal history that proves this; but it is suffiare temporary and local; that the body of the nation has ciently apparent there, that the well where Rebecca went to escaped the yoke of the most powerful monarchies; and draw water, near the city of Nahor, had some convenience tliat "the arms of Sesostris and Cyrus, of Pompey and of this kind; as also had the Arabian well to which the Trajan, could never achieve the conquest of Arabia." daughters of Jethro resorted. Other wells, without doubt, But even the exceptions which he specifies, though they had the like conveniences, though not distinctly mentioned. were justly stated, and though not coupled.with such -HARMER. admissions as invalidate them, would not detract from the truth of the prophecy. The independence of the Arabs CHAP. 18. ver. 1 And the LORD appearedunto was proverbial in ancient as well as in modern times; and him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the the present existence, as a free and independent nation, of tent door in the heat of the day. a people who derive their descent from so high antiquity, demonstrates that they had never been wholly subdued, as In he time of Chandler it was still the custom ofeastern all the nations around them have unquestionably been; and shepherds to sit at the door of their tents in the heat of the that they have ever dwelt in the presence of their brethren. day. That traveller, " at ten minutes after ten in the They not only subsist unconquered to this day; but the morning," was entertained with the view of a plain full of prophesied and primitive wildness of their race, and their booths, with the Turcomans sitting by their doors, under hostility to all, remain unsubdued and unaltered. " The sheds resembling porticoes, or by shady trees, surrounded are a wild people; their hand is against ever'y mnan, aned with flocks of goats. In the same situation the three angels every man's hand is against them." In the words of Gib- found Abraham, when they came to destroy Sodom and bon, which strikingly assimilate with those of the prophecy, Gomorrah, sitting under the portico, or skirts of his tent, they are " armed against mankind." Plundering is their near the door, to enjoy the refreshing breeze, and superinprofession. Their alliance is never courted, and can tend his servants. It was not the hottest part of the day, never be obtained and all that the Turks, or ersians, or when Chandler saw the Turcoman shepherds sitting at any of their neighbours can stipulate for fro them is a the doors of their booths; it was soon after ten in the partial and purchased forbearance. Even the British, who morning; and when Abraham was sitting at his tent door have established a residence in almost every country, it might be neafly at the same hour. In the hottest part of have entered the territories of the descendants of Ishmael the day, according to the practice of those countries, the to accomplish only the premeditated destruction of a fort, patriarch had been retired to rest. The goats of the Turand to retire. It cannot be alleged, with truth, that theircomans were feeding around their huts; and if Abraham's peculiar character and manner, and its uninterrupted per- cattle, which is extremely probable, were feeding around manency, is the necessary result, of the nature of their his tent in the same manner. it accounts for the expedition country. They have continued wild ofr uncivilizedf and with which he ran and fetched a calf from the herd, in have retained their habits of hostility towards all the rest order tc entertain his visitants.-PAXTON. of the human race, though they possessed for three hun- Often has my mind reverted to the scene of the good old dred years countries the most opposite in their nature from patriarch sitting in the door of his tent in the heat of the the mountains of Arabia. The greatest part of the tem- day. When the sun is at the meridian, the wind often perate zone was included within the limits of the Arabian becomes softer, and the heat more oppressive; and then. conquests; and their empire extended from India to the may be seen the people seated in-the doors of their huts, to Atlantic, and embraced a wider range of territory than inhale the breezes, and to let them blow on their almost ever was possessed by the Romans, those boasted masters bodies.-ROBERTS. of the world. The period of their conquest and dominion Ver. 2. And he lifted up his eyes, and looked. was sufficient, under such circumstances, to have changed the manne.rs of any people; but whether in the land of To lift up the eyes does not mean to look upw':, but 4 26 GENESIS. CHAP. 19, to look directly at an object, and that earnestly. A man of rubbing the pan in waich 1they fry them with butter, coming from the jungle might say, " As I came this morn- they rub it with soap, to make them like a honeycomb. ing, I lifted up my eyes, and behold, I saw three elephants." If these accounts of the Arab stone pitcher, the pan, and "H tave you seen any thing to-day in your travels q.-" I the iron hearth or copper plate, be attended to, it will not have not lifted up my eyes. " I do not see the thing you be difficult to understand the laws of Moses in the second sent me for, sir." —"Just lift up your eyes, and you will chapter of Leviticus; they will be found to answer persoonl find it."-ROBERTS. fectly well to the description which he gives us of the different ways of preparing the meat-offerings. The preVer. 4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, cepts of Moses evidently bear a particular relation to the and twash your feet., methods of preparing bread, used by those who live in tents, although they were sufficient for the direction of his How often, in passing throughb a village, may we see this people afier their settlement in Canaan; and his mention grateful office performed for the weary traveller! As the ing calkes of bread baked in the oven, and wafers that people neither wear shoes nor stockings, and as the sandal were baked on the outside of these pitchers, in the fourth is principally for the defence of the sole of the foot, the verse, with bread baked on a plate, and in a pan, in the upper part soon becomes dirty. Under these circumstances, fifth and seventh verses, inclines Mr. Harmer to think, the. to have the feet and ankles washed is very refreshing, and people of Israel prepared their meat-offerings in their tents, is considered a necessary part of Eastern hospitality. T'he which they afterward presented at the national altar, raservice is always performed by servants. (John xiii. 14.)- ther than in the court of the tabernacle.-PAxToN. ROBERTs. ~While we were talking of the Turcomans, who had alarmed us on our way, a meal was preparing within; Ver. 6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto and soon afterward, warm cakes baked on the hearth, Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three cream, honey, dried raisins, butter, lebben, and wheat measures of fine Imeal, knead it, and make boiled in milk, were served to the company. Neither the Sheikh himself nor any of his family partook with us, but cakes upon the hearth. 7. And Abraham ran stood around, to wat Lupon their guests, though among unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and those who sat down to eat, were two Indian fakirs, or beggood, and gave it unto a young man; and he gars, a Christian pilgrim from Jerusalem, and the slaves hasted to dress it. 8. And he took butter and servants of Hadjee Abd-el-RakhmLan, all dipping their fingers into the same dish. Coffee was served to us in milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set gilded china cups, and silver stands or finjans, and the it before them; and he stood by them under the pipes of the Sheikh and his son were filled and offered to tree, and they did eat. those who had none. If there could be traced a resenblance between the form of this tent, and that of the most In the cities and villages of Barbary, where public ovens ancient buildings of which we have any kno-wvledge, our are established, the bread is usually leavened; but among reception there no less exactly corresponded to the picture the Bedoweens and Kabyles, as soon as the dough is of the most ancient manners, of which we have any detail. kneaded, it is made into thin cakes, either to be baked im- When the three angels are said to have appeared to Abramediately upon the coals, or else in a shallow earthen yes- ham in the. plains of Mamre, he is represented as sitting sel like a fryingpan, called Tajen. Such were the sqn- in the tent-door in the heat of the day. "And w'nen he saw leavened cakes, which we so frequently read of in Scrip- them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed ture, and those also which Sara/h smade quickly uLpon the himself towards the ground." " And Abraham hastened hearth. These last a'&e about an inch thick; and being inZto the tent, unto Sarah, and said,'Make ready quickly commonly prepared in woody countries, are used all along three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes the shores of the Black Sea, from the Palus-Mneotis to the upon the hearth.' And he took butter and milk, and the Caspian, in Chaldea and in Mesopotamia, except in towns. calf -which he had dressed, and set it before them, and he A fire is made in the middle of the room; and when the stood by them under the' tree, and they did eat." W~.hen bread is ready for baking, a corner of the hearth is swept, inquiry was made after his wife, he replied, " Behold, she the bread is laid upon it, and covered with ashes and em- is in the tent." And when it was promised him, that Sarah bers: in a quarter of an hour they turn it. Sometimes should have a son, it is said, " And Sarah heard in the they use small convex plates of iron: which are most com- tent-door, which was behind him." The angels are repremon in Persia, and among the nomadic tribes, as being sented, as merely passengers in their journey, like ourthe easiest way of baking, and done with the least ex- selves: for the rites of hospitality were shown to them, pense; for the bread is extremely thin, and soon prepared. before they had made their mission known. At first sight The oven is used in every part of Asia; it is made in the they were desired to halt and repose, to wash their feet, as ground, four or five feet deep, and three in diameter, well they had apparently walked, and rest beneath the tree, plastered with mortar. When it is hot, they place the while bread should be brought them to comfort their bread (which is commonly long, and not thicker than a hearts. "And after that," said the good old patriarch, finger) against the sides; it is baked in a moment. Ovens, "shall ye pass on, for therefore are ye come unto yrour Ciardin apprehends, were not used in Canaan in the pa- servant;" so that the duty of'hospitality to strangers seems triarchal age; all the bread of that time was baked upon to have been as well and as mutually understood in the a plate, or under the ashes; and he supposes, what is eafliest days, as it is it is in the same country at present. The nearly self-evident, that the cakes which Sarah baked on form of'Abraham's tent, as thus described, seems to have the hearth, were of the last sort, and that the shew-bread been exactly like the one in which we sit; for in both. was of the same kind. The Arabs about mount Carmel there was a shaded open front, in which he could sit in the use a great stone pitcher, in which they kindle a fire; and heat of the day, and yet be seen from afar off; and the when it is heated, they mix meal and water, which they apartment of the females, where Sarah was, when he apply with the hollow of their hands to the outside of the stated her to be within the tent, -was immediately be'hindd pitcher; and this extremely soft paste, spreading itself, is this, wherein she prepared the meal for the guests, and baked in an instant. The heat of the pitcher having dried from whence she listened to their prophetic declaration.up all the moisture, the bread comes off as thin as our wa- BUCKINGHAM. fers; and the operation is so speedily performed, that in a very little time a sufficient quantity is made. But their CHAP. 19. ver. 19. Behold now, thy servant hath best sort of bread they bake, either by heating an oven, or found grace in thy sight. a large pitcher half full of little smooth shining flints, upon which they lay the dough, spread out in the form of Nothing can be more common than this form of speech. a thin broad cake. Sometimes they use a shallow earthen Ias a man been pleading with another and succeeded irn vessel, resembling a fryingpan, which seems to be the his request, he will say, " Ah! since I have found favour r)an mentioned by Moses, in which the meat-offering was in your sight, let me mention another thing." " /y lord,,)aked. This vessel, Dr. Shaw informs us, serves both for had I not found favour in your sight, who would have,)aking and frying; for the bagreah of the people of Bar- helped me." " Happy is the man who finds grace in your ary differs not much from our pancakes, only, instead sight!"-ROBERTS. C1IAP. 21. GENESIS. 27 Ver. 24. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and with sulphur, " inasmuch as both of them are found proupon Gomorrcah brimstone and fire from the miscuously upon the wash of the shore." But his conjecture is not founded on observation. The statement he LORD out of heaven. 25. And he overthrew gives, is founded on hearsay evidence; we cannot, there. those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabit- fore, admit him as (in this case) an original authority. ants of the cities, and that which grew upon "I was informed," he says, "that the bitumen, for which the ground. this lake hath beer always remarkable, is raised, at certain times, from the bottom, in large henmispheres; which, as With regard to the agents employed in this catastrophe, soon as they touch the surface, and so are acted upon by there might seem reason to suppose that volcanic phe- the external air, burst at once with great smoke and noise, nomena had some share in producing it; but Chateau- like the pulvis fiulminacns of the chymists, and disperse briand's remark is deserving of attention. " I cannot," he themselves round about in a thousand pieces. But this says, "coincide in opinion with those who suppose the happens only near the shore; for, in greater depths, the Dead Sea to be the crater of a volcano. I have seen eruptions are supposed to discover themselves only in such Vesuvius, Solfatara, Monte Nuovo in the lake of Fusino, columns of smoke as are now and then observed to arise the peak of' the Azores, the Mamalif opposite to Carthage, from the lake." Chateaubriand speaks of the puffs of the extinguished volcanoes of Auvergne; and remarked smoke " which announce or follow the emersion of asphalin all of them the same characters; that is to say, moun- tos, and of fogs that are really unwholesome like all other rains excavated in the form of a tunnel, lava, and ashes, fogs." These he considers as the supposed pestilential which exhibited incontestible proofs of the agency of fire." vapours said to arise from the bosom of the lake. But it, After noticing the very different shape and position of the admits of question, in the deficiency of more specific inforDead Sea, he adds::' Bitumen, warm springs, and phos- mation, whether what has been taken for columns of smoke, phoric stones, are found, it is true, in the mountains of may not be the effect of evaporation-MODERe TRAVELLER. Arabia; but then, the presence of hot springs, sulphur, and asphaltos, is not sufficient to attest the anterior existence of a volcano." The learned Frenchman inclines to adopt himn, and she became a pillar of salt. the idea of Professors Michaelis and Bfisching, that Sod- behind him." This seems to imply that she was oin and Gomorrah were built upon a mine of bitumen; that follon lightning kindled the combustible mass, and that the cities ring her husband, as is the custom at this day. Whe sank in the subterraneous conflagration. M. Malte Brun men, or women, leave their house, they never loo/c back, as sank in the subterraneous conflagration. M. Malte Brun ingeniously suggests, that the cities might themselves have been built of bituminous stones, and thus have been set in left any thing vhich his wife knows he will require, she flames by the fire of heaven. We learn from the beI osaic will not call on him to turn or look back; but will either take the article herself, or send it by another. Should a account, that the Vale of Siddim, which is now occupied take thave to ook herslck o send it by another. Should a by the Dead Sea, was full of "slime-pits," or pits of biti-man have to look bccck on some great emergency, he will by the Dead ce says: "fI t i s observed, that the bitum not then proceed on the business he was about to transact. men. Pococke says: "It is observed, that'the bitumen floats on the wxater, and comes ashore afte windy weather; When a person goes along the road, (especially in the evening,) he wvill take great care not. to loo/c baclr, " because the Arabs gather it up, and it serves as pitch for all uses, evening,) spirits would assureat care not to., because goes into the composition of medicines,. and is thought to he evil spirits would assuredly seize him." When the go on a journey, they will not look behind, though the have been a very great ingredient in the bitumen used in g neen, or bandy, embalming the bodies in Egypt: it has been mtich used 0r cerecloths, and has an ill smell when bult;. Itisa little on one side, and then look at you. Should a person th a anIt is p - have to leave the house of a friend after sunset, he will be able that there are subterraneous fires that throw up this advised in going home not to look bck: "as uch as posbitumen at the bottom of the sea, where it may dvised in going home not to look hac: "as much as posbitumen at the bottom of the sea, hee it ay form itself sible eep your eyes closed; fear not." Has a person into a mass, which may be broken by the motion of the e a person water occasioned by high winds; and it is very remaroffering to thable, made musn offern to the particular that the stone called the stone of Moses, found about two or care when to e is believes the place ot to look back A byle three leagues from the sea, which burns like'a coal, and lnown to me is believed to have got he crooked neck by lookcing back. Such observations as the following may be turns only to a white stone, and not to ashes, has the saome o observations as the following may be smell, when burnt, as this pitch; so that it is probable, a often heard in private conversation. " Have you heard stratum of the stone under the Dead Sea is one part of the that Co" Mattery he has looed back, anis the evil matter that feeds the subterraneous fires, and that this! wh y h e h as looked ba and the evil bitumen boils up out of it." To give force to this last con- spirit has caught him."-R jecture, however, it would be requisite to ascertain, whe- CHAp. 21. ver. 6. And Sarah said, God hath made ther bitumen is capable of being detached from this stone, in a. liquid state, by the action of fire. The stone in ques- ith e tion is the black fetid limestone, used at Jerusalem in the manufac ure of rosaries and amulets, and worn as a charm A woman advanced in vears, under the samne ci'cumaginst the plague. The effluvira whichit eemits onfriction, stances, would makle a similar observation: "I am made is oAwing to a strong impregnation of sulphureted hydro- to lazLg/." But this figure of speech is also used on any gen. If the bnildings were constructed of materials of this noolde;fll occasion. Has a man gained any thing he did description, with quarries of which the neighlbouring moun- not expect, he will ask, " What is this 1 I am made to tains ab:ound, they would be easily susceptible of ignition laigih." Has a person lost any thing which the moment by lightnian-. The scriptural account,' however, is ex- before he had in his hand, he says, " I am made to laugh." plicit, that "1 the Loid rained upon Sodom and upon Go- Has he obtained health, or honour, or wealth, or a wife, or morrah brimstone and fire from heaven;" which iwe may a chtild, it is said, "He is made to laugh." " Ah, his safely interpret as implying a shower of inflamed sulphur, mouth is now full of lag/hte'r; his mouth cannot contain all or niltre. At the same time it is evident, that the whole that laughter." (Ps. cxxvi. 2.)-ROBERTS. plain underwent a simultaneous convulsion, which seems referible to the consequences of a bituminous explosion. Ver. 8. And the child grew, and was wveaned: In perfect accordance with this view of the catastrophe, and Abraham made a great feast the same day we find the very materials, as it were, of this awful vis- that Isaac was weaned. itat-ion still at hand in the neighbouring hills; from Nwhich they might have been poured down by the agency When the time has come to wean a child, a fortuznte of a thunlder-storm, without excluding a supernatural cause day is looked for, and the eventis accompanied with feastfron the explanation of the phenomena. Captains Irby inK and religious ceremonies. Rice is given to the child and Mianoles collected on the southern coast lumps of in a formal way, and the relations are invited to join in nitre and fine sulphur, from the size of a nutmeg up to the festivities. For almost every event oflife the Hindoo, that of a sma11 hen's egg, which, it was evident from their have a fixed rule from which they seldom deviate. They situation, had been brought down by the rain: their great wean a female child within the year, " because, if they diid deposi:e must be sought for," they say, "in the cliff." Dr. not, it would become steril;" but boys are often allowed Shaw supposes that the bitumen, as it rises, is accompanied the breast till they are three years of age. —RoBERTS 28 GENESIS. CHAP. 2t. Ver. 9. And Sarah saws the son of HIagar the under some tree, where he might be in the shadp, was Egyptian, which sthe had borne unto Abraham. quite natural: in such a situation Thevenot (Travels, p. 164) fell in with a poor Arab in this wilderness, just ready It is not uncommon for a man of property to keep a con- to expire. "Passing by the side of a bush,' saysthis c pbine in the same house wtith his wife's and, strange as it writer, " we heard a voice that called to us, and being come ycubine in the same house with his wife'; and, iae P to the place, we found a poor languishing Arab, who told may appear, it is sometimes at the wife's r'equest.* Perhaps she has not had any children or they ay have died us that he had not eaten a bit for five days; we gave him haps she has not had any children. or they may have died, some victuals and drink, with a provision of bread for two and they both wish to have one, to perform their funeral victuals and drink, with a provision of bread for t ceremonies. By the laws of Menu, should a wife, during days more, and so went on our way." Ishimael was, withthe first eight years of her marriage, prove unfruitful; or out debate, fourteen years old when Isaac was born, (coinshould the children she has borne be a dead in the tenth pare Gen. xvi. 16, with chap. xxi. 5,) and probably sevenshould the children she has borne be all dead in the tenth teen when Isaac was weaned, for it w~as anciently the year after marriage; or should she have a daughter only when Isaac was weaned, for it leas anciently the year after marriage; or should she have a daughter only custom in these countries to suckle children till they wrere in the eleventh year; he may, without her consent, put her three years old, and it still continues so; the translation away, and take a concubine into the house. He must) however continue to support her.-RoBERTs. - then of the Septuagint is very amazing, for instead of lhowever, continue to support her. —RoBERTS., representing Abraham as giving Hagar bread, and a skin Ver. 14.~ And Abraham rbse up early in the bottle of water, and putting them upon Hagar's shoulder, that version represents Abraham as putting his son Ishmael morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, on the shoulders of his mother. How droll the representand gave it unto Hagar, (putting it on her ation! Young children indeed are wont to be carried so; shoulder,) and the child, and sent her awsay; but hoxw ridiculous to describe a youth of seventeen, or and she departed, and wandered in the wilder- even fourteen, as riding upon his mother's shoulders, when sent upon a journey into the wilderness, and she loaded at ness of Beer-sheba. 15. And the water was the same time with the provisions. Yet unnatural and odd spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under as this representation is, our version approaches too near one of the shrubs. 16. And she went, and sat to it, when it describes Hagar as Casting the youth under her down over against him a good way off, as one of the shrubs: which term agrees well enough with the getting rid of a half grown man from her shoulders, it were a bow-shot; for she said, Let me not see but by no means with the maternal affectionate letting go the death of the child. And she sat over against her hold of him, when she found he could go no farther,,hlim, and lifted up her voice, and wept. and desired to lie down and die under that bush: for that undoubtedly was the idea of the sacred writer; she left off Chardin has given u1s, at large, an amusing account of supporting him, and let him gently drop on the ground, these bottles, which, therefore, I would here set down. where he desired to lie. In a succeeding verse, the angel After observing that the bottle given to Hagar was a lea- ofthe LORD bade her lift up Ishmael, and hold him in her ther one, he goes on thus: " The Arabs, and all those that hand, support him under his extreme weakness; she had lead a wandering kind of life; keep their water, milk, and doubtless done this before, and her quitting her hold, Upon other kind of liquors in these bottles. They keep in them his lying down, is the meaning of the word (ee',) sialak, more fresh than otherwise they would do., These lea- translated casting that word sometimes, indeed, signifyther bottles are made of goat skins. When the animal is ing a sudden and rather violent quitting hold of a thing, killed, they cut off its feet and its head, and they draw it but at other times a parting with it in a gentle manner in this manner out of the skein, without opening its belly. It may also be wondered at, how Hagar came to give way They afterward sew up the places where the legs were to despair at that time, as she certainly did; for since there cut off, and the tail, and when it is filled, they tie it about were several shrubs in that place, we may suppose it was the neck. These nationswand the country people of Per- a sure mdication of water, and that therefore maternal the neck. These nations, and the country people of Persia, never go a journey without a small leather bottle of anxiety would rather have engaged her to endeavour to water hanging by their side like a scrip. The great leather find out the spring which gave this spot its verdure. But it bottles are made of the skin of a-he-goat, and the small is to be remembered, that though Irwin found many shrubs ones, that serve instead of a bottle of water on the road, are in that part of the wilderness through which he travelled, made of a kid's skin. Mons. Dandilly, for want of ob- yet the fountains or wells there were by no means equal serving this, in his beautiful translation of Josephus, has in number to the spots of ground covered with shrbs, a put goat skin in the chapter of Hagar and Ishmael, instead latent moisture in the earth favouring their growth, where of a kid's skin bottle, which, for the reasons assigned above, there were no streams of water above ground: she might, must have been meant." He reassumes the subject in ano-therefore, having found her preceding searches vain, very ther part of the same volume, in which he tells us, " that naturally be supposed to have given p all hope of relief, they put into these goat-skin and kid-skin vessels every when the angel made her observe where there was water thing which they want to carry to a distance in the East, to be found, rpon drnking which Ishmael revived.whether dry or liquid, and very rarely make use of boxes HARMER. and pots, unless it be to preserve such things as are -lia- Ver. 16. And she went, and sat her down over ble to be broken. The reason is, their making use of beasts of carriage for conveying these things, who often against hint, a good way off, as it were a bowfall downl under their loading, or throw it down, and also shot. because it is in pretty thin woollen sacks that they enclose what they carry. Ihere is another advantage, too, in put- This is a common figure of speech in their ancient ting the necessaries of life, in these skin vessels, they are writings, " The distance of an arrow.-So far as the arrow preserved fresher; the ants and other insects cannot make flies." The common wav of measuring a short distance is their way to them; nor can the,dust get in, of which there to say, "It is a call off," i. e. so far as a man's voice can are such quantities in the hot countries of Asia, and so reach. " How far is he off?" " 0, not more than three fine, that there is no such thing-as a coffer impenetrable to calls," i. e. were three men stationed within the rieach of it; therefore it is that butter, honey, cheese, and other like each other's voices, the voice of the one farthest off would aliments, are enclosed in vessels made of the skins of this reach to that distance.-RoBERTS. species of animals." According to this, the things that were carried to Joseph for a present, were probably enclosed in little vessels made of kid skins; not -only the balm a well of water: and she went and filled the and the honey, which were somewhat liquid; but the nuts bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. and the almonds too, that they might be preserved fresh, and the whole put into slight woollen sacks.-H ARMER. Few Europe an readers are, probably, able to form all That Ishmael should, when just ready to faint, and un-adequate idea )f the horrors of such a situation as is hek able to proceed onward in his journey, desire to lie down described. The following description may serve to paint X____ i____________ to us the terrors of the desert, and the danger of perishing I knew a couple with whom this occurred, and the wife delights in it with thirst. "The desert of Mesopotamia now prein nursing and bringing up the offspring of her husband's concubine. sents to our eyes its melancholy uniformity. It is a con CHAP. 21-23. GENESIS. 29 Ainuation, and, as it were, a branch of the Great Arabian gers, they at last arrived at the first station in Syria. — desert on the other side of the Euphrates. Saline plants BURDER. cover, at large intervals, the burning sand or the dry gypsum. Wormwood spreads here, as the furze in Europe, Ver. 21. And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paover immense tracts, from which it excludes every other ran: and his mother took him a wife out of the plant. Agile herds of gazelles traverse tfiose plains, where many wild asses formerly roved. The lion concealed in the rushes along the rivers lies in wait for these animals; but when he is unable to seize them, to appease When a father dies, the mother begins to look ou t for a his hunger, he sallies forth with fury, and his terrible roaring rolls like thunder from desert to desert. The water of arrangements will generally be acceded to-RoBERTs. the desert is, for the most part, bitter and brackish. The atmosphere, as is usual in Arabia, is pure and dry; fre- Ver. 28. And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of quently it is burning in the naked and sandy plains: the the flocks by themselves. 29. And Abimelech corrupt vapours of stagnant waters are diffused there; the said unto Abraham, What mean these seven exhalations of the sulphureous and salt lakes increase the by themselves pestilential matter. Whenever any interruption of equilibrium sets a column of such infected air into rapid motion, 30. And he said, For these seven ewe-lambs that poisonous wind arises, which is called Samum or shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be Samyel, which is dreaded less in the interior of Arabia a witness unto me that I have dig than on the frontiers, and especially in Syria and Mesopotamia. As soon as this dangerous wind arises, the air im- 31. Wherefore he called thatplaceBeer-she, mediately loses its purity, the sun is covered with a bloody. ba; because there they sware both of them. veil, all animals fall alarmed to the earth, to avoid'this burning blast, which stifles every living being that is bold Mr. BRUCE, ( Travels, vol. i. p. 199,) relating the manner enough to expose itself to it. The caravans which convey in which a compact was made between his party and some goods backward and forward from Aleppo to Bagdad, shepherds in Abyssinia, says," Medicines and advice being and have to traverse these deserts, pay a tribute to the given on my part, faith and protection pledged on theirs, Arabs, who consider themselves as masters of these soli- two bushels of wheat and seven sheep were carried down tudes. They have also to dread the suffocating wind, the to the boat."-BunDER. swarms of locusts, and the want of water, as soon as they leave the Euphrates." A French traveller affirms, that he CHAP. 22. ver. 3. And Abraham rose up early in was witness to a scene occasioned by the want of water, the most terrible that can be imagined for a man of feel- tie mornmg, and saddled his ass, and took t ing. It was between Anah and Dryjeh. The locusts, af- of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, ter they had devoured every thing, at last perished. The and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and immense numbers of dead locusts corrupted the pools, rose up, and went unto the place of which God from which, for want of springs, they were obliged to draw had told him. water. The traveller observed a Turk, who, with despair in his countenance, ran down a hill, and came towards him. " I am," cried he, " the most unfortunate man in the There is no ground for supposing that the ancient eastern world i I have purchased, at a prodigious expense, two saddleswere like ourmodern ones. Suchwerenot known hundred girls, the most beautiful of Greece and Georgia. to the Greeks and Romans till many ages after the Hebrew I have educated them with care; and now that they are judges. " No nation of antiquity knew the use of either sadalest or stirrupse (GoGaET;) and even in our own times marriageable, I am taking them to Bagdad to sell them to;) and even in our own times, advantage. Ah! they perish in this desert for thirst, but Hasselquist, when at Alexandria, say's, "I procured an I feel greater tortures than they." The traveller immedi- equipage which I had never used before; it was an ass ately ascended the hill; a dreadful spectacle here present- with an Arabian saddle, which consisted only of a cushion, ed itself to him. In the midst of twelve eunuchs and about on which I could sit, and a handsome bridle." But even a hundred camels he saw these beautiful girls, of the age of the cushion seems an improvement upon the ancient easttwelve to fifteen, stretched upon the ground, exposed to ern saddles, which were probably nothing more than a kind the torments of a burning thirst and inevitable death. Some of rug girded to the beast.-BuRDER. were already buried in a pit which had just been made; a great number had dropped down dead by the side of their CHAP. 23. ver. 2. And Sarah died-in Kirjath-arba; leaders, who had no more strength to bury them. On all the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: sides were heard the sighs of the dying; and the cries ofbraham came to mourn for Sarah, those who, having still some breath remaining, demanded in vain a drop of water. The French traveller hastened weep for her. to open his leathern bottle, in which there was a little water. He was already going to present it to one of these the ancient Greeks were accustomed to lay out the body unhappy victims. " Madman!" cried his Arabian guide, after it was shrouded in its grave-clothes; sometimes upon "wouldst thou also have us die from thirst " He immedi- a bier, which they bedecked with various sorts of flowers. ately killed the girl with an arrow, seized the bottle, and The place where the bodies were laid out, was near the threatened to kill any one who should venture to touch it. door of the house: there the friends of the deceased attendHe advised the slave-merchant to go to Dryjeh, where he ed them with loud larlentations; a custom which still would find water. " No," replied the Turk, "at Dryjeh continues to be observed among that people. Dr. Chandler, the robbers would take away all my slaves." The Arab when travelling in Greece, saw a woman at Megara, sitting dra ged the traveller away. The moment they were re- with the door of her cottage open, lamenting her dead hustiring, these unhappy victims, seeing the last ray of hope band aloud; and at Zante, a woman in a house with the vanish, raised a dreadful cry. The Arab was moved with door open, bewailing her little son, whose body lay by her compassion; he took one of them, poured a drop of water dressed, the hair powdered, the face painted and bedecked or her burning lips, and set her upon his camel, with the with gold leaf. This custom of mourning for the dead, intention of making his wife a present of her. The poor near the door of the house, was probably borrowed from girl fainted several times, when she passed the bodies of the Syrians; and if so, it will serve to illustrate an obscure her companions, who. had fallen down dead in the way. expression of Moses, relative'to Abraham: " And Sarah Our traveller's small stock of water was nearly exhausted, died in Kirjath-arba; and'Abraham came to mourn for when they found a fine well of fresh and pure water; but Sarah, and to weep for her." He came out of his own the rope was so short, that the pail would not reach the separate tent, and seating himself on the ground near the surface of the water. They cut their cloaks in strips, tied door of her tent, where her corpse was placed, that he them together, and drew up but little water at a time, be- might perform those public solemn rites of mourning, that cause they trembled at the idea of breaking their weak. were required, as well by decency as affection, lamented rope, and leaving their pail in the well. After such dan- with many tears the loss he had sustained.-PAXTON. 30 GENESIS. CifxP. 24. Ver. 7. And Abraham stood up, and bowed him- that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under self to the people of the land,.even to the chil- my thigh: 3. And I will make thee swear by dren of Heth. the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto'Thq politeness of Abraham may be seen exemplified the among the highest and the lowest of the people of the my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, East: in this respect, nature seems to have done for them, among whom I dwell. what art has done for others. With what grace do all classes bow on receiving a favour, or in paying their Thepresentmodeofswearing amongtheMohammedan respects to a superior! Sometimes they bow down to the Arabs, that live in tents as the patriarchs did, according to f ~ground; at other tilmes they put their hands on their de la Roque, is by laying their hands on the Koran. They bosoms, and gently incline the head; they also put the right cause those who swear to wash their hands before they give hand on the face in a longitudinal position; and sometimes them the book; they put their left hand underneath, and give a long and graceful sweep with the ghand, from theright over it. Whether, among the patriarchs, one hand the forehead to the ground.-ROBERTS. -was under, and the other upon the thigh, is not certain; possibly Abraham's servant niight swear with one hand Vear. 9. lThat he may give me the cave of Mkaclh- under his master's thigh, and the other stretched out to pela9h, whichat he hath, which is ie te ed oh Heaven. As the posterity of the patriarchs are described pelah, which he hath, which is in the end of as coming out of the thigh, it has been supposed, this cerehis field: for as much money as it is worth he mony had some relation to their believing the promise of shall give it me, for a possession of a burying- God, to bless all the nations of the earth, by means of one that was to descend from Abraham.-H.ARMER. place among you. This is the most ancient example of a family vault or an Ver. 11. And he made his camels to kneel down hereditary sepulchre in a cave. In the southern mountain- without the city by a well of water, at the time ous part of Palestine, there are many natural caves in the of the evening, even the time that women go out rocks, which may easily be formed into spacious burying-draw ater. places. There are still found in Syria, Palestine, and Et vpt, many such sepulchral caves, which have been freEgypt, many inch sepulchral cavs, which have been fre- It is the work of females in the East to draw water both quently described by travellers who have visited those the orn of emales in the East to draw ater oth countries. These sepulchres are differently contrived. morning and evening; and they may beseen going in Sometimes they descend; only those which are made in the groups to the wells, with their vessels on the hip or the declivities of the mountains, often go horizontally into the shoulder. In the morning they talk about the events of rock. In Egypt, also, there are many open sepulchres the past night, and in the evening about those of the day: rock. In Egypt, also, there are many open sepulchres, which run horizontally into the rock, but most of the mum: many a time would the story of Abraham's servant and Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, be repeated by the women my-pits are open perpendicularly,; and you must let your- of daughter of Bethuel, be repeated by the women self down through this opening. In Palestine and Syria, Mesopotamia in their visits to the well.-ROBERTS. on the contrary, the sepulchres which descend, are provided The women among the orientals, are reduced to a state with steps, which are now for the most part covered with of great subjection. In Barbary they regard the civility heaps of rubbish. Many of them consist in the inside of and respect which the politer nations of Europe pay to the many chambers which are united by passages; in some of weaker sex, as extravagance, and so many infringements them the back chambers are deeper than the front ones. of that law of nature, which assigns to man the pre-eniithem the back chambers are deeper than the frontry, though they are and you are obliged to descend some more steps to come to nence. The matrons of that country, thouh they are them. These chambers, as they are still found, are pretty considered indeed as servants of better station, et have spacious; in most of them recesses, six or seven feet long, the greatest share of toil and business upon their hands. are made in he walls all round, to receive the dead bodies While the lazy husband reposes under some neighbouril g in others store slabs of the same length are fixed against hade an the walls; sornetimes several, one above another, on which the wives are occupied all the day long, either in toiling the wdead bodies were laid; in somve few there are stone- on their looms, or in grinding at the mill, or in preparing the dead bodies were laid; in some few there are stone- bread or other kind of farinaceous food. Nor is this all-; coffins, which are provided with a lid. It is nearly in this bread or other kind of farinaceous food. Nor is this all; manner that the arrangement of graves is prescribed in the r to finish at tahe tme of evening," to use the Talmud; on]s there is always to be an antechamber and re-words of the sacred historian, even at the time that cesses made m the walls of the square sepulchres, the num- women go out to draw water,' they must equip themselves ber of which may be different.-BURDER. with a pitcher or goat's skin, and tying their sucking children behind them, trudge out in this manner, two or Ver. 15. My lord, hearken unto me: the land s three miles, to fetch water.-P oN. worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is Ver. 16. And the damsel was very fair to look that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy upon, a virgin; neither had any man known dead. her: and she went down to the well, and filled Respectable people are always saluted with the dignified her pitcher and came up. title, "My lord;" hence English gentlemen on their arrival, are apt to suppose they are taken for those of very high The rank. The lman of whom Abraham offered to purchase of, for the purpose of carrying water, is described as like Machpelah, affected to give the land. "1Nay, my lord, our jars, and is, it seems, of earth. Bishop Pococke, in hear me, the field I give thee." And this fully agrees with his eourney from Acre to Nazareth, observed a tell, the conduct of those, who are requested to dispose of a thing carried water up a hill, in earthen jars, to whene wome to a person ofsuperior rank. Let the latter go and ask th carried water up a hill, in earthen jars, to water some to a person of superior rank. Let th'e latter go and ask the plantations of tobacco. In the next page he mentions the price, and the owner will say, " Myr lord, it will be a great plantations of tobacco. In the next page he mentions the price, and the owner will say, 11 My lord, it will'be a great same thing in general, and speaks of their carrying the jars favour if you will take it." " Ah, let me have that pleasure, same their heads. Theral, and speaks of their carryin the jars my lord." Should the possessor believe he will one day of' vessel was appropriated to r eason to suppose this kind neet['a fayour from the great man, nithing will induce need a favour from the great man, nothing will induce of vessel was appropriated to the carrying water for the him to sell the article, and he will take good care (through purposes of agriculture, it might do equally well when the servants or a friend) it shall soon be in his house. they carried it for domestic uses. Such seems to have Should he, however, have no expectation of a favour in been the sort of vessels in which the women of ancient future, hae will say as Ephron, " The thing is worth so times fetched water, for it is called a alad in the history on iauch; your pleasure,-my lord."-RoBERTS..Rebecca, Gen. xxiv. 14, &c. and I have elsewhere shown, that the word signifies a jar of considerable size, in which CHAP. 2. vr. 2. And Abrham said unto his they keep their corn, and in which, at least sometimes, they CHAP. 24. ver. 2. And Abraham said unto his fetched their water. feldest servanttche their water. eldest servant,of his house, that ruled over all Since the above was written, I have observed a uassag ( CHAP. 24. GENESIS. 31 in Dr. Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor, that confirms Ver. 43. Behold, I stand by the well of water; and illustrates the preceding account: " The women," and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin says the Doctor', "resort to the fountains by their houses, cometh fortgn, each with a large two-haldled earthen jar, on the back, or to draw water, and I say to her, thrown over the shoulder, for water." This account of the Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thv jars made use of by the Greek women of the island of pitcher to drink. Tenedos may, very naturally, be understood to be a modern, but accurate comment on what is said concerning It is still the proper business of the females to supply the Rebecca's fetching water. The Eastern women, according faniily with water. From this drudgery, however, the to Dr. Pococke, sometimes carry their jars,upon their married women are exempted, unless when single women heads; but Rebecca's was carried on her shoulder. In are wanting. The proper time for drawing water in those such a case, the jar is not to be supposed to have been placed burning climates, is in the morning, or when the sun is upright on the shoulder, but held by one of the handles, going down; then they go forth to perform that humble with the hand over the shoulder, and suspended in this office, adorned with their trinkets, some of which are often manner on the back. Held, I should imagine, by the' right of great value. Agreeably to this custom, Rebecca went inhand over the left shoulder. Consequently, when it was to stead of' her mother to, fetch water from the well, and the be presented to Abraham's servant, that he might drink out servant of Abraham expected to meet an unmarried female of it, it was to be gently moved over the left arm, and being there who might prove a suitable match for his master's suspended by one hand, while the other, probably, was son. In the East Indies, the women also draw water at placed under the bottom of the jar, it was in that position the public wells, as Rebecca did,, on that occasion, for presented to Abraham's servant, and his attendants, to travellers, their servants and their cattle; and women ot drink out of. She said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and no mean rank literally illustrate the conduct of an unforlet down her pitcher uyon her hand, and gave him driink. tunate princess in the Jewish History, by performing the Ver. 18.-HARMER. services of a menial. The young women of Guzerat daily draw water from' the wells, and carry the jars upon the Ver. 18. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she head; but those of high rank carry them upon the shoulder. hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, In the same way Rebecca carried her pitcher; and probaand gave him drink. ~ bly for the same reason, because she was the daughter of and gave himdrink,. an eastern prince. —PxToN. We met on this road (from Orfa to Bir) with several Ver. 47. And I put the ear-ring upon her face, wells, at which the young women of the neighbouring villages, or of the tribes of the Curds and Turkomans, and the bracelets upon her hand.who were wandering in these parts, watered their flocks. Nothing is more common than for heathen females to They were not veiled like those in the towns. hey were have a ring in the nose; and this has led sorme to suppose, well made and beautiful, though tanned by th sun. As that the jewel here alluded to was put into that member, soon as we accosted them, and alighted from our horses, and not on the face. "I put a jewel on thy forehead; they brought us water to drink, and likewise watered our Ez. xv. 11. The margin has, for forehead, "nose." It horses. Similar civilities had indeed been shown to me does not appear to be generally known, that there is an in other parts. But here it appeared to me particularly ornament which is worn by females in the East on the remarkable, because Rebecca, who was certainly brought foehad. It is made of thin gold, and is studded with up in these parts, showed herself equally obliging to trayv- precious stones, and called Pattaod, which signifies digellers. Perhaps I have even drank at the same well from nity. Thus, to tie on the Paotam, is to " invest with high which she drew water. For Haran, now a small place, two dignity." Pta-Istere, "is the name of the first lawful days' journey to the south-south-east of Orfa, which is still wife of the king." In the Sathur-Agaraathe, this ornament visited byJews, was probablythe town which Abraham left is called " the ornament of the forehead." Tyerman and to remove to the land of Canaan, and his brother Nahor's Bennet say of a bride they saw in China,'" Her headdress familyprObcablYremiained in these parts. LEONARD RAUWOLF, sparkled with jewels, and wvas most elegantly beaded with a German traveller, who visited these countries about two rows of pearls encircling it like a coronet; from which a hundred years before, observes, in his Travels, (part i. p. brilliant angular ornament hung over her forehead, and 259,) " This town (Orfa) is supposed by some to have been between her eyebrows." —RoBZRTs. formerly called Haran, from which the holy patriarch Abraham, with Sarah, and Lot, his brother's son, removed by Ver. 57. And they said, We will call the damsel, the command of God; so that the abundant well is still called Abraham's well, at which his servant first recog- and inquire at her mouth. aised Rebecca, when she gave him and his camels water to drink from it. The water of this well has more of a Do people wish to know the truth of any thing which whitish colour than others, and also, as I drank it from the has been reported of another, they say, "Let us go and well in the middle of the great Khan, had a peculiar yet inquire of his mouth."-" Let us hear the bith of his smontlh." Do servants ask a favour of their mistress, she sweet and pleasant taste."-BUnDER. will say, " I know not what will be the birth of the master's Ver. 22. And it came to pass, as the camels had month; I will inquire at his mouth." So the mother and-.one that the m*an took', a golden nbrother of Rebecca inquired at the mouth of the damsel, done drinking, that the man took a golden ear- whether she felt willing to go with the man. "And she ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets said, I will go." —RoERTs. for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold. Ver. 59. And they sent away Rebecca their sis-'The weight of the ornaments that the servant of Abra: ter, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and ham put upon Rebecca appears to us rather extraordinary. his men. Sir J. Chardin assures us as heavy, and even heavier, were worn by the women of the East when he was there. The How often have scenes like this led my mind to the ear-ring, or jewel'for the face, weighed half a shekel, and patriarchal age! The daughter is about for the first time the bracelets for her hands ten shekels, Gen. xxiv. 22, to leave the paternal roof: the servants are all in confuwhich, as he justly observes, is about five ounces. Upon sion; each refers to things long gone by, each wishes to dc which he tells us, " the women wear rings and bracelets of something to attract the attention of his young mistress. as great weight as this. through all Asia, and even much One says, " Ah! do not'forget him who nursed you wher. heavier. They are rather manacles than bracelets. There an infant:" another, " How often did I bring you the beauare some as large as the finger. The women wear sev- tiful lotus from the distant tank! Did I not always conceal eral of them, one above the other, in such a manner as your faults." The mother comes to take leave. She sometimes to have the arm covered with them from the weeps, and tenderly embraces her, saying, " My dauglhter, wrist to the elbow. Poor people wear as many of glass or I shall see you no more;-Forget not your mother." The horn. They hardly ever take them off: they are their brother infolds his sister in his arms, and promises soon riches."-HARTME n. to come and see her. The father ic ahsorbed-in thoughts 82 G E NES I S. CHAP. 24-26. and is only aroused by the sobs of the party. He then Ver. 30. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I affectionately embraces his daughter, and tells her not to fear. The female domestics must each smell of the poor girl, and the men touch her feet. As Rebecca had her nurse The people of the East are exceedingly fond of pottage, to accompany her, so, at this day, the Aya (the nurse) who whichthey call Kool. It is somethinglike gruel and is has from infancy brought up the bride, goes with her to the made of various kinds of grain, which are first beaten in a made of various kinds of grain, which are first beaten in a new scene. She is hdr adviser, her assistant, and friend; mortar. The red pottage is made of Kurakan, and other and to her will she tell all her hopes, and all her fears.- grains, but is not superior to the other. For such a con~ROBERTS. temptible mess, then, did Esau sell his birthright. When Ver. 60. And they blessed Rebecca, and said a man has sold his fields or gardens for an insignificant' rpl r * 1 s Z 7 sum, the people say, " The. fellow has-sold his land for unto her, Thou art our sister: be. thou the pottage." Does a father give his daughter in marriage to a mother of thousands of millions. low caste man, it is observed, " He has given her for pottage." Does a person by base means seek for some paltry From the numnerous instances which are recorded in the e. es a person by base means seek for some paltry enjoyment, it is said, "'For one leaf* of pottage, he will scriptures, of those who were aged, or holy, giving their do nine days' work. Has a learned man stooped to any blessing, may be seen the importance which was attached thingwhich was not expected from him, it is said," The to such benedictions. Has a son, or a daughter, to leave- learned one has fallen into the pottage pot." Has he given a father, an aged friend, or a priest, a blessing is always instrction or advice to others-" The Lizard, which gave given. To be the mother of a numerous progeny is con- warning to the people, has fallen into the pottage pot." Of sidered a great honour. Hence parents often say to their a man in great poverty, it is remarked, "Alas! he cannot daughters, " Be thou the mother of thousands." Beggars, get pottage." A beggar asks, "Sir, will you give me a also, when relieved, say to the mistress of the house, " Ah little pottage?" Does a man seek to acquire great things madam, millions will come from you."-ROBERTS., by small means-" He is trying to procure rubies by potVer 64. And Rebecca lifted up her eyes; and tage." When a person greatly flatters another, it is common to say, 1" He praises him only for his pottage." Does a king when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. greatly oppress his subjects, it is said, " He only governs for the pottage." Has an individual lost much money by It was always customary, in all the East, on perceiving trade-" The speculation has broken his pottage pot." a superior, to alight from the animal upon which they were'Does a rich man threaten to ruin a poor man, the latter riding, ANDERSON and IVERSON relate, that " when the will ask, —" Will the lightning strike my pottage pot?"governor of Mossul and his suite passed our caravan, we ROBERTS. were obliged to alight from our horses, mules, and asses, and lead the animals till they had gone by." Even now, Ver. 41. And Esau said in his heart, The days of women show this mark of respect to men. NIEBUHR says, mourning for my father are at hand.' that. an Arabian lady who met them in a broad valley in the desert of Mount Sinai, retired from the road, and let When the father (or the mother) has become aged, the her servant lead the camel till they had passed."-BuRDER. children say, "The day for the lamentation of our father is at hand." "The sorrowful time for our mother is fast Ver. 65. For she had said unto the servant, What approaching." If requested to go to another part of the man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? country, the son will ask, " How can I go? the day of Anrd the servant had said, It is my master: sorrow for my father is fast approaching." When the therefore she took a veil, and covered herself aged parents are seriously ill, it is said, " Ah! the days of mouzrning have come."-RoBERTS. Rebecca's covering herself with a veil, when Isaac came CHAP. 26. ver. 15. For all the wells which his to meet her, which is mentioned Gen. xxiv. 65, is to be father's servants had digged in the considered rather as a part of the ceremonial belonging tos servants had dgged i the days of the presenting a bride to her intended husband, than an Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped effect either of female delicacy, or desire to appear in the them, and filled them with earth. most attractive form. The eastern brides are wont to be veiled in a particular manner, when presented to the bride- To stop the wells, is justly reckoned an act of hostility. groom. Those that give us an account of their customs, The Canaanites, envying the -prosperity of Abraham and at such times, take notice of their being veiled all over. Isaac, and fearing their power, endeavoured to drive them Dr. Russell gives us this circumstance in his account of a out of the country, by stopping" up all the wells which their Maronite wedding, which, he says, may serve as a speci- servants had digged, and filling them with earth." The men of all the rest, there being nothing materially different same mode of taking vengeance on enemies, mentioned in in the ceremonies of the different sects.-HARMER. this passage, has been practised in more recent times. The Turkish emperors give annually to every Arab tribe CHAP. 25. ver. 21. And Isaac entreated the LORD near the road, by which the Mohammedan pilgrims travel for his -wife, -because she was barren. to Mecca, a certain sum of money, and a certain number of vestments, to keep them from destroying the wells which lUnder similar circumstances, the husband and the wife lie on that route, and to escort the pilgrims across their fast and pray, and make a vow before the temple, that, country. D'Herbelot records an incident exactly in point, should their desire be granted, they will make certain gifts, which seems to be quite common among the Arabs. Gia(specifying their kind,) or they will repair the walls, or nabi, a famous rebel in the tenth century, gathered a numadd a new wing to the temple;- or that the child shall be ber of people together, seized on Bassorabh, and Caufa; and dedicated to the deity ofy he place, and be called by the terward insulted the reigning caliph, by presenting hmsame fname. Or they go to a distant temple which has self boldly before Bagdad, his capital; after which he reobtained notoriety by granting the favours they require. I tired by little and little, filling up all the pits with sand, have heard of husbands and wives remaining for a ear which had been dug on the road to Mecca, for the benefit have heard of husbands and wives remaining for a year togetner at such sacred places, to gain the desire of their of the pilgrims. Near the fountains and wells the robber hearts!-ROBERTS. - and assassin commonly took his station; and in time of war, the enemy placed their ambush, because the flocks and Ver. 28. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did herds, in which the wealth of the country chiefly consisted, et of his venison;* but Rebecca loved Jacob. were twice every day collected to those places, and might et of his venison; but Rebcca l ovedJacob. be seized with less danger when the shepherds were busily argin, "Venison was in his mouth.'" Has a man been engaged in drawing water. This circumstance, which must have been familiarto the inhabitants ofthose countries, supported by another, and is it asked, Why does Kandan love Muttoo?"'the reply is, " Because Muttoo's rice is in mentioned by Deborah.kismouth." " Why have you such a regard for that man?" *" Is not his rice in my mouth?"-RoBERTS. * It is common to fold a large leaf so as to hold the pottage. CHAP. 27. GE iNESIS. 33 hat are delivered from the noise of archers in the place of two last passages are easily reconciled, though honey and the drawing of water, there shall they rehearse the righteous fresh oil are by no means like each other in taste, when acts of the Lord." But a still more perfect comme at on we consider the cakes of the ancients were frequently a these words is furnished by an historian of the croi ades, composition of honey, and oil, and flour; consequently, who complains, that during the siege of Jerusalem by the in tasting like one of these wafers or thin cakes, it might Christian armies, numbers of their men were daily cut off, be said to resemble the taste of both, of oil mingled with and their cattle driven away by the Saracens, who lay in honey. The word m=nys matdmmrneem, then, translated saambu-sh for this purpose near all the fountains and water- voz'ry in a confined sense, signifies generally whatever is ing places.-PAXTON. gustful, or pleasing to the taste, whether by being salt and Vr. 1. And Isa died again the wells of picy, which the English word savoury means, or pleasant. 1. And Isaac die aain the wel by its sweetntess; or by being acidulated. However, it is water which they had digged in the days of very probable, that in this account of what Isaac desired, Abraham his father; for the Philistines had it means savoury; properly speaking, since though one stopped them after the death of Abraham: and might iagine,'that in so hot a climate, and among people wont to observe so much abstemiousness in their diet, food he called their names after the names by which highly seasoned should not be in request; yet the contrary his father had called them. is known to be fact. Almost all the dishes of the people of Aleppo, Dr. Russell informs us, "are either greasy with This -would appear a trifle among us, because water is fat, or butter, pretty high-seasoned with salt and spices; so abundant, that it is scarcely valued, and nobody thinks many of them made sour with verjuice, pomegranate, or of perpetuating his name in the name of a well. But in lemon juice; and onions and garlic often complete the those deserts, where water is so scarce, and wells and seasoning." As it was something of the venison kind springs are valued more, and as they are there the general Isaac desired, it is very probable, the dish he wished for permanent monuments of geography, it is also an honour was of the savoury sort. Some of their dishes of meat, to have given them names. —BDnEnR. however, are of a sweet nature. "A whole lamb, stuffed with rice, almonds, raisins, pistaches, &c. and stewed, is *Ver. 20. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive a favourite dish with them." It was very just then, in our with Isaac's herdmen. translators, to render this word by a more extensive term in Prov. xxiii. 3, " When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, See on chap. 13. 7. consider diligently what is before thee," v. 1. "Be not deV[er. 31.'And they rose up betimes in the morn- sirouls of his dainties, for they are deceitful meat," v. 3. It is translated in much the same manner in v. 6, dainty ing, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent meats. I would observe further, as to this subject, that them away, and they departed from them in there is a great propriety in Solomon's describing these peace. dainty meats as very much appropriated to the tables of rulers, or a few others of the great, since the food of the In the same manner, family alliances are frequent among common people of Aleppo, a large and rich commercial the Arabian shepherds, and indeed rendered necessary by city, is very simple and plain; for Russell tells us, " bread, the state of continual warfare in which they live with the dibbs, the juice of grapes thickened to the consistence of neighbouring tribes. The eighteen Arab emirs of the fain- honey, eb, coagulated sour milk butter, rice, ad a ver ilv which d'Arvieux visited, kept near one another, en- little mutton, make the chief of, their food in winter; as cainping at no greater distance from their chief than a rice,. bread, cheese, and fruits, do in the summer." De league or two, and all removing together everymonth, some- la Roue gives much the same account of the manner of times every fortnight, as their cattle wanted fresh pasture, living of the Arabs, whose Tay of life very much resemthat they might be able to assemble with ease. But while bles that of the patriarchs; " roast meat being alrmostpecuAbrahaim and Isaac cultivated the friendship of theirneigh-liar to the tables of their emirs or princes, and lambs or bours, entered into treaties of peace and amity with the kids stewed whole, and stuffed with bread, flour, mutton kings and princes of Canaan, and entertained them in their fat, raisins, salt, pepper, saffron, mint, and other aromatic tents,-Ishmael, animated by different principles and herbs." I would only add further, with respect to the meat views, commenced a course of action, after leaving his Isaac desired, that perhaps his desiring Esau to take his father's house, so new and unprecedented, that it was made bow and arrows, and to kill him some venison,-an antethe subject of a distinct prediction. Standing on the verge lope, or some such wild animal; when a kid from his of a burning desert, which he claimed as his proper inherit- own flock would, as appears from the event, have done as ance, he assumed from the beginning a hostile attitude, ell, —might as much arise from the sparinness natural to spurned the ties of peace and friendship, and laid all the those that live this kind of life, together with the pleasure surrounding tribes under contribution. When he drew he proposed to himself from this testimony of filial affecupon himself and his adherents the resentment of the fixed tion from a beloved son, as from the recollection of some inhabitants, and was afraid to risk their attack, he with- peculiar poignant flavour he had formerly perceived in drew into the depths of the great wilderness, where none eting the flesh of wild animals, though now his organs of could follow him with hopes of success. In the same man- taste were so much impaired as not to perceive the diffrner have his descendants lived; when threatened with an ence. So Dr. Shaw observes, that "the Arabs rarely diunequal contest, they will strike their tents upon less than minish their flocks, by using them for food, but live chiefly two hours' warning, and retire immediately, with all their upon bread, milk, butter, dates, or what they receive in effects, into the deserts, with whose wells and forage they exchange for their wool."-HARMER. only are acquainted. Within those impenetrable barriers, which are for ever guarded by hunger and thirst, the Ara- Ver. i9. And Jacob said unto his father, I aim tians regard with utter contempt, the'warlike array of the Esau thy first-born; I have done according as most powerful nations.-PAXTON. 1,. thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat CHAP. 27. ver. 4. And make me savoury meat, of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may The ancient Greeks and Romans sat at meals. Hoeat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. mer's heroes were ranged on separate seats along the wall, with a small table before each, on which the meat and Our version of Gen. xxvii. 4, 7, 9, 14, 17, 31, may be drinkwere placed. This custom is still observed in China,. presumed to have given us the true sense there of the word and perhaps some other parts of the greater Asia. When translated savoury, though it is undoubtedly of a more large Ulysses arrived at the palace of Alcinous, the king disand less determinate signification. That it is of a more placed his son Laodamas, in order to seat Ulysses in a: large signification, is evident from hence, that a kindred magnificent chair. The same posture was preferred by word expresses the tasting of honey, 1 Sam. xiv. 43; and the Egyptians and the ancient Israelites. But, afterward, the taste of manna, which tasted like fresh oil, Numb. xi. when men became soft and effeminate, they exchanged 8, and like wafers made with honey, Exod. xvi. 31. These their seats for beds, in order to drink with more ease; yet 5 34 GE NESI S. CHAP. 27-29. even then, the heroes who drank sitting were still thought insists that the, name and veneration of the sacred stones, entitled to praise; and those who accustomed khemselves to called baetyli, so celebrated in all pagan antiquity, were a primitive and severe way of living, retained the ancient derived. These baetilli were stones of a round Iorm; they posture. The custom of reclining was introduced from the were supposed to be animated, by means of magical incannations of the east, and particularly from Persia, where it tations, with a portion of the deity: they were consulted on seems to have been adopted at a very remote period. The occasions of great and pressing emergency, as a kind of Old Testament scriptures allude to both customs: but they divine oracles, and were suspended, either round the neck, furnish undeniable proofs of the sitting posture, long before or some other part of the body. Thus the setting up of a common authors took notice of the other. It was the cus- stone by this holy person, in grateful memory of the celestial tom in Isaac's family to sit at meat; for Jacob thus address- vision, probably became the-occasion of the idolatry in suced his aged'father: "Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my ceeding ages, to these shapeless masses of u.nhewn stone, venison, that thy soul may bless me." At the entertain- of which so many astonishing remains are scattered up and ment which Joseph gave his brethren, on their return to down the Asiatic and the European world. —BraDER. Egypt, they seem fo have followed the custom of their fathers; for "they sat before him, the first-born according to CHIAP. 29. ver. 1. Then Jacob went on his journey, his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth." and came into the land of the people of the east. In the court of Saul, many ages after this, Abner sat at table by his master's side; and David also had his place al- The margin has, " lifted up his feet;" which, in Eastern lotted to him, which is emphatically called his seat. As language, signifies to walk quickly-to reach out* —to be in this is undoubtedly the most natural and dignified posture, good earnest —not to hesitate. Thus Jacob journeyed to so it seems to have been universally adopted by the first the'East, he lifted up his feet, and stretched forth in ood generations of men; and it was not till after the lapse of earnest, having been greatly encouraged by the vision of many ages, and degenerate man had lost much of the firm- the ladder, and the promise, " Thy seed shall be as the ness of his primitive character, that he began to lie flat up- dust of the earth." —RoBERTs. on his belly. —PAxToN. Ver. 2. And he looked, and behold, a well in the Ver. 27. And he came near, and kissed him: and field, and lo, there wvere three flocks of sheep he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed lying by it; for out of that well they watered him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the the flocks: and a great stone was upon the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed. well's mouth, The Orientals endeavour to perfume their clothes in In Arabia, and in other places, they are xwont to close various ways. They sprinkle them with sweet-scented and cover up their wells of water, lest the sand, which is oils, extracted from spices, they fumigate them with the put into motion by the winds there, like the water of a most valuable incense or scented wood, and also sew the pond, should fill them, and quite stop them up.'his is wood of the aloe in their clothes. By some of these means, the account Sir J. Chardin gives us in a note on Ps. lxix. Jacob's clothes were perfumed. Pliny observes, (Nat. Hist. 15. I very much question the applicableness of this tusb. xvii. chap. 5,) "that the land, after a long drought, tom to that passage, but it will serve to explain, I think, moistened by the rain, exhales a delightful odour, with extremely well, the view of keeping that well covered which nothing can be compared:" and soon after, he adds, with a stone, from which Laban's sheep were wont to be "that it is a sign of a fruitful soil, when it emits an agrxeeable watered; and their care not to leave it open any time, but smnell, when it has been ploughed."-BURDER. to stay till the flocks were all gathered together, before The natives are universally fond of having their gar- they opened it, and then, having drawn as much water as ments strongly perfumed: so much so, that'Europeans can was requisite, to cover it up again immediately, Gen. xxix. scarcely bear the smell. They use camphor, civet, sandal 2, 8. Bishop Patrick supposes it was done to keep the wood or sandal oil, and a great variety of strongly scented water clean and cool. Few people, I imagine, will long waters. It is not common to sa.lhute as in England: they hesitate in determining which most probably was the view simply smell each other; and it is said that some people in keeping the well covered with so much care. All this know their children by the smell. It is common for a care of their water is certainly very requisite, since they mother or father to say, " Ah! child, thy smell is like the have so little, that Chardin supposes, " that the strife beSen-Paga-Pqo." The crown of the head is the principal tween Abraham's herdmen and Lot's was rather about place for smelling. Of an amiable man, it is said, " How water, than pasturage;" and immediafely after observes, sweet is the smell of that man! the smell of his goodness is "that Mwhen they are forced to draw the wrater for very universal."-ROBERTS. large flocks, out of one well, or two, it must take up a great deal of time." —HARMER. CHAP. 28. ver. 18. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had Ver. 2. And he looked, and behold, a well in the put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, field, and lo, there were three flocs of shee and poured oil upon the top of it. lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the One of the idols in the pagoda of Juggernaut is described well's mouth. 3. And thither were all the by Captain Hamilton as a huge black stone, of a pyramidal form, and the sommona codomn. among the Siamese is of the same complexion. The ayeen Arbery mentions an octago- the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and nal pillar of black stone fifty cubits high. Tavernier oh- put the stone again upon the well's mouth in served an idol of black stone in the pagoda of Benares, his place. and that the statue of Creeshna, in his celebrated temple tf Mathura, is of black marble. It is very remarkable, To prevent the sand, which is raised Prom the parched that one of the principal ceremonies incumbent upon the surface of the ground by the winds, from filling up their priests of these stone deities, according to Tavernier, is to wells, they were obliged Ito cover them with a stone. In anoint them daily with odoriferous oils: a circumstance this manner the well was covered, from which the flocks which immediately brings to our remembrance the similar of Laban were commonly watered: and the shepherds, practice of Jacob, who, after the famous vision of the celes- careful not to leave them open at any time, patient'v wait tial ladder, took the stone which he had put for his pillow, and ed till all the flocks were gathered together, before they set it sep for a pillar, and pou'red oil u1pon the top of it. It is removed the covering, and then having drawn a sufficient added, that he called the name of that place BETH-EL, that quantity of water, they replaced the stone immediately. is, the house of God. This passage evinces of how great The extreme scarcity of water in these arid regions, enantiquity is the custom of considering stones in a sacred tirely justifies such vigilant and parsimonious care in the light, as well as the anointing them with consecrated oil. management of this.precious fluid; and accounts for the Fromn this coni;2ut of Jacob, and this Hebrew appellative, fierce contentions about the possession of a well, which so the learned Bochart, with great ingenuity and reason, frequently happened between the shepherds of different CIAP. 29. GENESIS. 35 masters. But after the question of right, or of possession, " and the well is deep; from whence then hast thou that was decided, it would seem the shepherds were often de- living water s —PAXTON. tected in fraudulently watering their flocks and herds from their neighbour's well. To prevent this, they se- Ver. 18. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I cured the cover with a lock, which continued in use so will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy late as the days of Chardin, who frequently saw such pre- younger da cautions used in different parts of Asia, on account of the uhter. real scarcity of water there. According to that intelli- Because he had no money or other goods which he gent traveller, when the wells and cisterns were not locked could give to the father for his daughter. For amorl up, some person was so far the proprietor, that no one many people of the East, in ancient and modern times, we dared to open a well, or a cistern, but in his presence. find it customary, not for the bride to bring a dowry to the This was probably the reason, that the shepherds of Pa- bridegroom but the bridegroom must, in a manner, putdanaram declined the invitation of Jacob to water the chase the girl whom he intenrs to marry,from the father flocks, before they were all assembled; either they had Therefore Shechem says, (ch. xxxiv. 12,) to Dinah's father not the key of the lock which secured the stone, or if they arid brothers, " Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and had, they durst not open it, but in the presence of Rachel, I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give ne to whose father the well belonged. It is ridiculous to sup- the damsel to wife. In the same manner Tacitus rel pose the stone was so heavy that the united strength of that among the ancient Germans, the wife d41 not urie g several Mesopotamian shepherds could not roll it from the the dowry to the man, but the man to the woman. "The mouth of the well, when Jacob had strength, or address, to remove it alone; or; that though a stranger, lit ventured parents and relations are presefit, who examine the gifts, remoe it alone; or that thO h a strand choose, not such as are adapted to female dress, or to to break a standing rule for watering the flocks, which the adorn the bride but oxen, and a harnessed hdrse, a shield natives did not dare to do, and that without opposition. and a sword. In return for these presents he receives thie The oriental shepherds were not on other occasions so wife." This custom still prevails among the Bedouirs. passive; as the violent conduct of the men of Gerar suffi- "When a young man meets with a girl to his taste, he ciently proves.-PAXTON. asks her of her father through one of his relations: they now treat about the number of camels, sheep, or horses, Ver. 7. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day. that the son-in-law will give to the father for his daugller; for the Bedouins never save any money, and their w-ea lf Heb. " Yet the day is great." Are people travelling consists only in cattle. A man that marries must therefore through places where are wild beasts, those who are timid literally purchase his wife, and the fathers are most foru-:will keep troubling the party by saying, "Let us seek for nate who have many daughters. They are the srinci1pl a place of safety:" but the others reply, "Not yet;" for riches of the family. When, therefore, a young man "the day is great." " Why should I be in such haste. the negotiates with the father whose daughter he intends to day is Vet great." When tired of working, it is remarked, marry, he says,'Will you give me your daughter for fifiv' Whhy, the day is yet great."-" Yes, yes, you manage to sheep, six camels, or twelve cows' If he is not rich leave off while the day is yet great." —RonERTs. enough to give so much, he offers a mare or foal. The qualities of the girl, the family, and the fortune of him that Ver. 10. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw intends to marry her, are the principal considerations in Rachelthe daughter of Laban his mother's,.making the bargain." (Customs of the Bedosin Ar'abs, by Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother's D'Arvieux, p. 119.) This is confirmed by Seetzen, in his brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's account of the Arab tribes whom he visited in 1808. The brother, that Jacob wvent near, and rolled the ceremonies at the marriage of a wandering Arab are stone from the well's mouth, and watered the remarkable; ayoungArab nows a 0irl who lileases him; he goes to her father, and makes his wishes known to himl flock of Laban his mother's brother. The latter speaks to his daughter. " Daughter," says he, "there is one who asks you for his wife: the man is good, Twice in the day they led their flocks to the wells; at and it depends upon yourself if you will become his wife; noon, and when the sun was going down. To water the you have my consent." If the girl refuses, there is an end flocks, was an operation of much labour, and occupied a of the matter; if she is contented, the father returns to his considerable space of time. It was, therefore, an office of guest, and informs him of the happy intelligence. " But," great kindness with which Jacob introduced himself to the he adds, " I demand the price of the girl." This consists notice of his relations, to roll back the stone which lay of five camels; but generally, by the intervention of others, upon tile mouth of the well, and draw water for the flocks a couple more are added, and those given are frequently which Rachel tended. Some of these wells are furnished miserable enough. —BuRDER. with troughs and flights of steps down to the water, and other contrivances, to facilitate the labour of watering the Ver. 19. And Laban said, It is better that I gve cattle. It is evident the well to which Rebecca went to her to thee, than that I should gie her t draw water, near the city of Nahor, had some convenience of this kind; for it is written, " Rebecca hastened and another man: abide with me. emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the to T n f h eSo said Laban, in reference to his daughter Rachel; and[ the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels." A ndersitiair stance Th so say fathers in the East, under sirilc;~ circu mstance s The trough wa, also placed by the well, from which the daugh- whole affair is managed in a bitsiuess-ltlA seenl, without any ters of Jethro watered his flocks; and if we may judge thing like a consultation with the maiden. Hem likes and from circumstances, was a usual contrivance in every part dislikes are out of the question. The father understands of the east. In modern times, Mr. Park found a trough the matter perfectly, and the mother is very knowing; near the well, from which'the Moors watered their cattle, the e i the sandy deserts of Sahara. As the ells a re t efore theymanage the transaction. This systerm,howin the sandy deserts of Sahara. As the wells are often very deep, from a hundred and sixty to a hundred and ever, is the fruitful source of that iere/c absence of doseventy feet, the water is drawn up with small leathern mestic happiness which prevails there. She has, perhaps, never seen the man with whom she is to sfend her. days. buckets, and a cord, which travellers are often obliged to never semay be young; he man with whom she is to send her days. carry' alae with them, in their journey, becausethey He may be young; he may be aged; he may be repulsive carry' along with them, in their journey, because they or attractive. The whole is a lottery to her. Have the meet with smore cisterns and Rwells than spr ings. Dr. oservants or others whispered to h er somet.ing about the Richardson saw one of these buckets lying beside a deep servants or othe will make hered to her somethinquiries; b u t t he well near a Christian church in Egypt to draw water for match I she will make her inquiries; but the result wil the congregation. And Buckingham found a party of never alter the arrangements: for though her soul abhor the congregation. And Buckingham found a party of the thoughts of meeting him, yet it must be done. — twelve or fifteen Arabs drawing water in leathern buckets thoughts of meeting h. by cords and pulleys. To this custom, which they are forced to submit to by the scantiness of the population in Ver. 23. And it came to pass, in the evening, that those regions, the woman of Samaria: refers in her answer to our Lord: " Sir, thou-hast nothing to draw with;" thou he took Leah his daughter, and brouglt lier to hast no bucket and cord, as travellers commonly have; him; and he went in unto her. 36 GENESIS. CHAP. 29-31. This deceit of giving Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel names of the Orientals have always a distinct meaning. was the mo re easy, because the bride was introduced veil- Thus, Ani Muttoo, the precious pearl; Pun Amma, thi ed to the bridegroom. The following passage from Olea- golden lady; Perrya Amma, the great lady; Chinny rius (Travels iii Persia) is particularly applicable here. Tamby, the little friend; Kanneyar, the gentleman for the "If Lhey are people of any consideration, they bring up eye. Vast numbers of their children are named after their their daughters, locked up in their chambers, to hide them gods. "Stood from bearing." When a mother has ceased from view, and they cannot be seen by the bridegroom till to bear children, should a person say it is not so, others thley are received in the chamber. In this manner many will reply, " Sh/e stood from bearing at such a time."a one is deceived. and receives, instead of a handsome, a ROBERTS. detormned and ugly girl, nay, instead of the daughter, some other relation, or even a naidA Also, when the bridegroom CHrAP. 30. ver. 14. And Reuben went, in the days has sat down, the bride is seated by his side veiled, and of wheat-harvest, and found mandrakes in the muagni-ficently dressed, and that neither may see the other, field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. a piece of red silk is drawn between them, which is held by, Give me, I pray twvo boyS." —ROSENM-LLER. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray t thee, of thy son's mandrakes. Ver. 24. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zilpa his maid for a handsnaid. This plant is a species of melon, of which there are two -Zilpah his maid for a handmaid. sorts, the male and the female. The female mandrake is Chardin observes, that none but very poor people marry black, and puts out leaves resembling lettuce, though a daughter in the East, without giving her a female slave smaller and narrower, which spread on the ground, and for a handmaid, there being no hired servants there as in have a disagreeable scent. It bears berries something like Europe. So Solomon supposes they were extremely poor services, pale and of a strong smell having kernels within th'iat had not a servant. ~ProaL. xii. 9. —WHAMER. like those of pears. It has two or three very large roots, twisted together, white within, black without, and covered Ver. 26. And Laban said, It must not be so done with a thick rind. The male mandrake is called Morion, itt our country, to give the youngrer before the or folly, because it suspends the senses. It produces berries twice as large as those of the female, of a good scent, first-born. and of a colour approaching towards saffron. Pliny says, the colour is white. Its leaves are large, white, broad, The existence of this rule, and its application to practice, and smooth, like the leaves of the beeh-tree. he root in those parts of the world, is confirmed by the Hindoo law, resembles that of the female, but is thicker and bigger, which makes it criminal to give the younger daughter in descendim six or eight feet into the groun. Both te marriage before the elder; or for a younger son to marry smell and the taste are pleasant thb while his elder brother remains unmarried.-PAxTON. n tupifies those that tle hs been saidbr (and erith uch truth,) that could Alex- use it, and often produces phrensy, vertigo, and lethargy, it has been Said,' (and with much truth,) that could Alex- Which) if timely assistance is -not given, terminate in conander revisit India, he would find the same customs and hich, if timely assistance is not given, terminate in convulsions and death. It is said to be a provocative, and is manners ihat preailed in his day. From acd e to age therd used in the east as filters. The Orientals cultivate this fta.shions and uselds are catelly and reverently adhered plant in their gardens, for the sake of its smell; but those tof. rWhe tle eldest dnhter ias deformed, or blind, or which Reuben found were in the field, in some small deaf. or dumb, then the youngoer may be given first: but copse of wood perhaps, or shade, where they had come tc under other circumstances it would be disgraceful in the copse of wood perhaps, or shade, whe they had come to extreme. Should any one wish to alter the order of things, maturit before hey were found If they resemble thos the answer of Laban is given. Should a father, however, of Persia rather than those of Egypt, which are of a very thave a nsery advantageous oer for a younger daughter, he inferior quality, then we see their value, their superiority. have a very advantageous offer for a younger daughter, he will exert all his powers to get off the elder; but until this and perhaps their rarity, which induced Rachel to pu can be accomplished, the younger will nbot be married. Younger brotlhers are sometimes married first, but even this Ver. 20. And Leah sai, Cod hath endowed me takes place but very seldom.-ROBERTS.. X with a good dowry; now will my'husband Ver. 30. And he went in also unto Rachel, and dwell with me, because I have borne him six he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and sons. served with him yet seven other years. Should it be reported of a husband, that he is going to forsake his wife, after she has borne him children, people parl gave-occasion for jealousy and contention. It re- will say," She has borne him sons; he will never, never iarly nave~oecasion for jealousy and contention. It re-leave her." To have children is a powerful tie upon a quired, indeed, the utmost exertion of prudence on the part husband. Should she, however, not have hildren is a powerful tie is almost of the husband so to conduct himself towards his wives, as certain to forsake her.-ROBERTS. to prevent continual strife and discord. Wherever the practice obtains, the same care will. always be requisite. Ver. 30. And the LORD hath blessed thee since Thus a late traveller, (Sir R. K. Porter's Travels in Persia, vol. ii. p. 8,) speaking of the number of wives a Persian keeps, says, " To preserve amity between these ladies, Heb. " at my foot." By the labour of Jacob's foot, the which had so excited my admiration, our communicative cattle of Laban had increased to a multitude. Of a man host told me, that himself, in common with all husbands, who has become rich by his own industry, it is said, "Ah hto preferred pe~acei to passgion, ardhered to a certain rule, by the labour of hisfeet these treasures have been a cqu ired." of each wife claiming, in regular rotation, the connubial How have you gained this prosperity" "By the favou atten.tions of her spouse: something of this kind is intima- of the gods, and the labour of my feet." " How is it the ted in the domestic history of the ancient Jewish patriarchs, king is so prosperous " " By the labour of the feet of his as a prevailing usage in the East, after men fell from the ministers."-ROBERTS. order of nature and of God, into the vice of polygamy." — BrRDEit. CHAP. 31. ver. 2. And Jacob beheld the counte/er. 35. And she conceived again, and bare a nance of Laban, and, behold, it was not towards son; and she said, Nowv will I praise the LORD: him as before. therefore she called his name Judah, and left Heb. "as yesterday and the day before.". See also marbearing. ginal reading of Isa. xxx. 33. Of old, " from yesterday.." The latter form of speech is truly Oriental, and means time M.argin, "She called his name Praise,"-" and left bear- gone by. Has a person lost the friendship of another, he irg.' Heb. " stood from bearing," Scriptural names have will say to him, " Thy. face is not to me as yesterday and generally a meaning. Thus, Didym.us, means a twin; the day before." Is a man reduced in his circumstances, Boanerges, a son of thunder; and Peter, a stone. The he says, " The face of God is not upon me as yesterday au4 C(AP. 31. GENESIS. S7 the day before." The future is spoken of as to-day and to- the having all his household stuff brought to him, which ecor2oio; " His face will be upon me to-day and to-morrow. according to the present Eastern mode, we may believe which means, always. "I will love thee to-day and to-mor- was very portable, beds not excepted; and having told row." "Do you think of me?" —" Yes, to-day and to-mor- Leah then his views, in the company of Rachel, and both row." "Modeliar, have you heard that Tamban is trying consenting'to go with him, he had every thing ready for to injure you."-" Yes; and go and tell him that neither his journey, and could decamp immediately, taking his o-day nor to-morrow will he succeed." Our Saviour says, flocks and herds along with him. Somebody, upon this, "Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to- went to inform Laban of Jacob's departure, who being at morrow." A messenger came to inform him -Ierod would a considerable distance, did not receive the news till the kill him; but this was his reply, intimating that the power third day. This accounts at once, in the most simple and~ could never be taken from him. Jacob said to Laban, My natural way, for Jacob's sending for his wives to his flock; righteousness answers for me in time to come;" but the for his being able to get his goods together without jealH-Tebrew has for this, "to-nmo'roio;" his righteousness would ousy; and for his and his father-in-law's being furnished be perpetual. In Eastern language, therefore, "yesterday with tents for the journey.-HARMER. and the day before" signify time past; but " to-day and tomorrow" time to comie. (See Ex. xiii. 14. Jos. iv. 6., also Ver. 7. And your father hath deceived me, and xxii. 24. margin.)-RoBEaRTS. changed my wages tenll times: but God sufiei'ed him not to hurt me. 8. If he said thus, Tlhe Ver. 4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fieldc unto his flock. speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringBesides those that live wholly in tents, numbers of the streaked shall be thy hire; then. bare all the Eastern people spend part of the year in them. I have ob- cattle ring-streae. cattle ring-streaked. served it particularly in the accounts of Mesopotamia. In that country Bishop Pococke tells us, he fell in with a sum- The flocks which ranged the fertile pastures of Mesopemer village of country people, whose huts were made of tamia, seem also to have generally produced twins every loose stones covered with reeds and boughs; their winter year. Laban, who lived in that country, is said to have village being on the side of a hill at some distance, consist- changed the wages of Jacob ten times in the, space of six ing of very low houses; and that they chose this place for years; but since the wages of Jacob consisted of the lambs the convenience of being with their cattle, and out of the and the kids, they could not have been changed more than high road. Five pages after, he observes, that many of six times in six years, if his flock had brdught forth only the Curdeens live honestly in Mesopotamia as well as one a-year. Should it be thought tht, according to this Syria, removing in summer to some places at a distance rule, thle wages of Jacob must have been changed twelve from their village, where they liye under tents, generally times, let it be remembered, that the flocks of Laban had in places retired from the road., to avoid the injuries of the brought forth their first lambs before the bargain was conmsoldiery, and of the people of the pacha. May not this eluded between him and Jacob, and by consequence, the ciremnstance serve to explain a passage of the Old Testa- latter had only the lambs of one yeaning that year; and m.nnt, relating to this country? In Gen. xxxi. it is said, again, the flocks had yenned only oncein the last year of that Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock, his abode with Laban, because he was compelled to leave that he there told them of his design of returning from the service of his envious relative before the close of tlhe Mesopotamia to his native country, and that upon their season, and consequently,beforethesecond yeaning. ThUs Ponsenting to go with him, he set out upon this journey so the flocks yenned only ten times from the date of their silently, that Laban had no notice of it, until the third day agreement, till the departure of Jacob to his own country. atter; yet it appears, that he had all his effects with him, Or, we may consider the phrase "ten times," as a definite and tents for the accommodation of his family; and that. for an indefinite number; in which sense it is often used by Laban, who pursued him, had. tents also for his company. the sacred writers. Thus, Jehovah complains of his anHere one is surprised to find both parties so suddenly cient people whom he had brcught out of Egypt, that they equipped with tents for their accommodation in travelling, had tempted him" now these ten times," that is, many times, and is naturally led to inquire, why Jacob sent for his "and had not hearlkened to his voice." Job uses it in the wives to his flock? Bishop Patriclk's account of the last same sense: " These ten times have ye reproached me,'2 circ.umstance, that it was for greater secrecy, and perhaps that is, ye have often reproached me. In the same manto avoid the danger of being seized upon by Laban and his ncr, when Jacob comnplalned that Laban had changed his sons, will hardly be thought satisfactory. Could not a wages ten times, he might only mean that he had done'o husband speak to his wives with sufficient privacy in La- frequently. Had we therefore no stronger proof, that the ban's house Were matters come to such an extremity, sheep of Laban yenned twice in the year, the fact might that Jacob durst not venture himself within the doors of seem to rest merely on the state of the flolks in the adjacem t his uncle's house, for fear of being seized upon, and made regions, which, it cannotbe doubted, generally yeane twwins, a prisoner? And in fact Jacob seems actually to have com- and for the most part twice in the year. A stronger proot; municated his intention to Rachel in her fathe:'s house: therefore, may be drawn from these words: "And it came for when he sent for his wives, she brought her father's to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that teraphim. with her, which she would by no means have Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the guidon'e, had she been unapprized of the design. The ease ters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when seems to have been thus. While Laban and his daughters the cattle were feeble, he put them not in; so the feebler dwelt in a house, they that tended the floclks had tents for were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's." Two veanings their accommodation. Laban's fl.ocks were in two parcels, are supposed to be suggested in this passage, by the terms one under the care of Jacob, the other committed to the stronger and feebler; the lambs of the first were always care of Laban's sons, three days' journey off; Jacob's own stronger than those of the second: and consequently, they afterward were also, for the same reason, probably at an fell to Jacob by the special bounty of Heaven, causing the equal distance. At the time of shearing sheep, it is rea- cattle, not by any law of nature, hut by an act of Alm.igh:y sonable to suppose, that more and better tents were erected power, to conceive among the rods, the use of whbich was for the reception and entertainment of their friends, it be- merely the test of Jacob's faith in the divine promise. Ths ing a time of great feasting, 1 Sam. xxv. 4, 8, 36; to which is evident, by the sense in which the Syriac interpreter, a., d they were wont to invite their friends, 2 Sam. xiii. 25; and the Chaldee Paraphrast understood the text; for, i.se t the feasts being held. at a distance from their own houses, in of the term "feebler," they uise the word "later," rendet r IeL the places w'here the sheep were fed, as appears from the the clause, "so the later were.Laban's." Jeorome, Acina, passage last cited, and also from Gen. xxxviii. 12. Lahan and other expositors, interpret the clause in the same amnwentcthen with his relations at the time of sheep-shearing tier. Kimchi and other Jewish writers often speak of he to his flocks; Jacob at the same time shore his own'sheep, first and second yeanings; referring theformer to the mnc- nh ani sent to his wives to come to the entertainment, with all Nisan, which corresponds to our Mlarch; and the latter:o th Jse utensils that they had with them of his, which would the month Tisri, which nearly corresponds to September; be wanted, having before communicated his intention to and they assert, that the lambs of the first veanin- are Rachel his beloved wife. This was a fair pretence for called mnrp, kes/.orisa, orbound, because they had a mor', 38 GENESIS. CHAP. 31 compact body; and those of the second, nnvy, aetophizi, water; and in the evening, shall re-deliver them to the or deficient, because they were feebler. The autumnal master, in the same manner as they were intrusted to' lambs, however, were preferred by many before the vernal, him; if, by the fault of the cow-herd, any of the cattle be and the winter before the summer lambs, as being more lost or stolen, that cow-herd shall make it good. When vigorous and healthy. But it must be confessed, that no a cow-herd has led cattle to any distant place to feed, i1 cert -:n trace of two yeanings in the year can be discover- any die of some distemper, notwithstanding the colw-herd ed in the sacred volume..The fact is attested by many applied the proper remedy, the cow-herd shall carry the c-onmmon authors, and seems necessary to account for the head, the tail, the fore-foot, or some such convincing prooi rapid increase of oriental stock, and the prodigious num- taken from that animal's body, to the owner of the cattle; bers of which the Syrian flocks consisted. The words of having done this, he shall be no further answerable; if. ne Ml ses may refer, at least with equal probability, to the vig- neglects to act thus, he shall make good the loss." In this orous and healthy constitution of the ewes which Jacob se- very situation was Jacob with Laban, his father-in-law, as leeted for his purpose; and signify, that robust mothers pro- we learn from his memorable expostulation, addressed to duced robust lambs, and feeble mothers a weak and spirit- that deceitful and envious relation.-PAxTON. less offspring. Aware of the advantages of a vigorous and healthy stock, especially with a long and perilous journey Ver. 40. Titus I was: in the day the drought before him, "Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the consumed rme, and the frost by night; and my stronger ewes in the gutters, that they might conceive among s eparted from mine eyes. tire rods; but when the cattle were feeble, he put them not i!a; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's." See on Jeremiah 36. 30. -PArXTON. Does a master reprove his servant for being idle, he will ask, " What can I do' the heat eats me up by day, and the Ver. 2'7. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, cold eats me up by night: how can I gain strength. I aTm and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, like the trees of the field: the sun is on my head by day, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and he de by night."-RonEs. In the midst of the burning deserts, where the heat is and with songs, and wcth tabret, and with harp iincreased tenfold by the sandy surface on which it beats, The Easterns used to set out, at least on their longer jour- the traveller encounters much inconvenience, and even distress, from the chilling' cold of the night. MJr. Bruce, neys, with music. When the prefetto of Egypt was pre- te ct paring for his journey, he complains of his being incom- e stly celebrated Abyssinian traveller, lost all his imoded by the songs of his friends, who in this manner took camels in one ight by the cold, in the deserts o Snar. leave of their relations and acquaintance. These valedic- In the year 1779, the Bedouin Arabs plundered an Engt-ory songsl were often extemporary. If -Tre consider them, lish caravan in the desert, betaween Suez and Cairo. Seven of the Europeans, stripped entirely'naked by their inhuas they probably were used not on common but more sol- ofthe Europea1ns, stripped entirely naked C Iy their inheoin. occasions, there appears peculiar propriety in the com- spoilers, i the hope of reachi aio, pushed orof bard into the desert. Fatigue, thirst, hunger, and the plaint of Laban. -HARM~aER. heat of the sun, destroyed one after another; one alone V er. 34. Now Rachel had taken the images, and survived all these horrors During three days and two put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon nights, he wandered in this parched and sandy desert, frozen at night by the north Tind, (it being in the month them. And Laban searched -all the tent, but of January,) and burnt by the sun during the day, withfound thent not. out any other shade but a single bush, into which he thrust his head among the thorns, or any drink but his MIounted on this mild and perseverin& animal, (the own urine. At length, on the third day, lie was descried camel,) the traveller pursues his journey over the sandy by an Arab, who conducted him to his tent, and took de elers of the east, with speed and safety. For his con- care of him for three days, with the utmost humanity. venience, a sort of round basket is slung on each side with At the expiration of that time, the merchants of Cairo, a cover, which holds all his necessaries, between which apprized of his situation, procured him a conveyance to ie is seated on the back of the animal. Sometimes two that city, where he arrived in the most deplorable condi1on., chairs, like cradles, are hung on each side with a tion. From these important facts we may conclude, that covering, in which he sits, or, stretched at his ease, re- even in those parched countries, a fire in the night, in the signs himself to sleep, without interrupting his journey. middle of May, might be very requisite, and highly acThese covered baskets, or chairs, are the camel's furni- ceptable. The hapless wanderer, whose affecting story ture, where Rachel put the images which she stole from Volnev records, was frozen at night by the north wind, her father. —PAxTo N. and burnt by the dreadful heat of the sun during the day; Ver. 35. ~Ant she said to her father, Let it not and the patriarch Jacob complains, that he was for many VY~~~ert~~. S3~~. A s s a oefei n years exposed to similar hardships in the plains of Mesodisplease my lord that I cannot rise up before potamia; " In the day the drought consulmed me, and the thee; for the custom of women is upon me. frost by night." Nothing assuredly was remoter from the And he searched, but found not the images. design of Volney, a proud and insolent enemy of revelation, than to confirm the truth of Scripture history; his In Persia, a son never sits in the presence of his father statement clearly proves, that Jacob's complaint was not or his mother; even the king's son always stands before hastily made, but strictly agreeable to truth.-PAXTON. him; and is regarded only as the first of his servants. This is the reason that Rachel addressed her "father in Ver. 46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather these words: "Let it not displease my lord, that I cannot stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: riso up before thee."-PAXTON. and they did eat there upon the heap. iVer. 38. This twenty years have I been with Our version of Genesis xxxi. 46, represents Jacob as thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast sitting, with his relations and fiiends, when he held a their young, and the rams of thy flock have I solemn feast, ox a help of stones: one would be inclined not eaten. 39. That wbich was torn of beasts j to suspect the justness of the translation, as to this circumnot eten. 39. That hich was torn of bests I stance, of the manner in which he treated his firiends; but brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it: of it is made less incredible, by the account Niebuhr has my hand didst thou require it, zwhether stolen by given us, in the first volume of his travels, of the manner day, or stolen by night. in which some of' the nobles of the court of the Iman seated d aythemselves, when he visited the prince at Sana of Arabia. The shepherds of the East were accountable for the flocks his capital. city. It is certain the particle br, dl, translated.ruder their charge. Of this fact, the following extract from in this passage qipon, sometimes signifies iaear' to, or somethe Gentoo laws, furnishes a remarkable proof: "Cattle thin0 of that sort; so it is twice used in this sense, Gen. xvi. hail be delivered over to the cow-herd in the morning; "And the angel of the LORD found her bs, a fountain in Ilie cow-herd s''end them the whole day with grass and the way to Shur." So Gen. xxiv. 13, " Behold, I stand CHAP. 32. GENE S IS. 39 here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of that time to take this precaution against hostile attacks. the city come out to draw water." The same may be ob- Sir H. Blount relates in his Travels, that he travelled with served in many other places of the book of Genesis. Con- a caravan which had divided itself in like manner into two sequently the sitting of Jacob and Laban, with their relations troops; one of which that went before, being attacked by and friends, might be understood to have been only near the robbers, had an action with them, and were plundered, heap of stones, which was collected together upon this oc- whereas the other escaped uninj ured.-ROSENaMUL.LEa. casion, and designed for a memorial of present reconciliation, and reciprocal engageiment to preserve peace and Ver. 15. Thirty milch-camels with their colts, amnity in future times: but their actual sitting on this heap forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and of stones may perhaps appear somewhat less improbable, ten foals. after reading the following passage of Niebuhr's travels, relating to his being admitted to an audience of the Iman Milch-camels, among the Arabs, constitute a principal of Yemen. " I had gone from my lodgings indisposed, and part of their riches; the creature being every way so serby standing so long, found myself so faint, that I was viceable, that the providence of God l appears peculiarly obliged to ask permission to quit the room. I found near kind and wise in providing such a beast for those countries, the door some of the principal officers of the court, who where no other animal could be of equal use. Niebuhr rewere sitting in a scattered manner, in the shade, uepon lates, " that among other dishes presented to him by the stones, by the side of the wall. Among them was the Arabs at Menayre, there was also camels' milk. That it nakib, the general, or rather master of the horse, Gheir was indeed considered cooling and healthy in these hot Allah, with whom I had some acquaintance before. He countries, but that it was so clarmnmy, that when a finger is immediately resigned his place to me, and applied himself dipped into it, and drawn up again, the milk hangs down to draw together stones into a heap, in order to build him- from it like a thread." Host, in his Account of ]kIorocco and self a new seat." This management to us appears very Fez, says, "that the Moors also drink camels' milk; and strange; it might possibly be owing to the extreme heat of when they have milked them for a short time, they suffer that time of the year in that country, which made sitting the young camels to suck, and then begin to milkl again, on the- ground very disagreeable; it can hardly however partly to share it with the young camels, and partly to be supposed that they sat upon the heap of stones that had make the camels give the milk better." Pallas, in his 1?sesbeen gathered together on Mount Gilead, for'this reason, siac Travels, says, that it is customary among the Kirgise since high grounds are cooler than those that lie low; to milk the camels: " their milk is said to be bluish, thick, since it was in spring time, when the heat is more mod- and of an agreeable taste. The Kirgise consider it to be erate, for it was at the time of sheep-shearing: but it might. very wholesome; and it is also shid that a more intoxicabe wet, and disagreeable sitting on the ground, especially ting beverage is drawn from it than from mares' millk." as they were not furnished with sufficient number of In fact, the camel is of such multifarious use to the Oriencarpets, pursuing after Jacob in a great hurry; and sev- tals, and of such importance, that among the Bedouins, eral countries furnishing stones so flat as to be capable of wealth is not estimated by money, but by the number of being formed into a pavement, or seat, not so uneasy as we camels. These observations are cdnfirmed by Seetzen, in may have imagined. Mount Gilead might be such a his Account of the Arab Tribes. "' No animal among the country. It might also be thought to tend more strongly to Arabs surpasses the camel in utility; besides the wholeimpress the mind, when this feast of reconciliation was some diet which his flesh, his milk, and their products, eaten upon that very heap that was designed to be the afford them, they turn every part of it to account. Out of lasting memorial of this renewed friendship. As for the its hair, they manufacture carpets, large strong sacks for mnaking use of heaps of stones for a memnorial, many are corn, &c. Out of its skin, soles (serbul,) large water botfound to this day in these countries, and not merely by ties (rawijch,) two of which are a load for a camel, and land, for they have been used for sea marks too: So Nie- large leather sacks (karpha.,) in which they transport and buhr, in the same volume, tells us of a heap of stones preserve butter, corn, and similar articles; thley die them red placed upon a rock in the Red Sea, which was designed to on the outside; and two of these also are a load for a camel. warn them that sailed there of the danger of the place, that They likewise cut straps out of the skin, and out of five or they might be upon their guard.-HARMER. six such straps they prepare long, tough thongs, which they employ in drawing up water fri m deep wells. They Vet. 55. And early in the morning, Laban rose also stitch the skin over a frame of bent sticks, and thus up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and form large vessels, which they use to water the camels, -blessed them: and Laban departed and return- and which are called Hhod. The two sinews of the neck -blesseduntohi ace departdan - of the camel (aelba) serve instead of ropes, and are ex-ed unto his place. tremely strong. Their dung is used for fuel. Even the urine of this animal is of utility: all the Arabs, Nomades Early rising is a ulniversal custom. Thus, in every of both sexes, and likewise many Arab peasants, wash the season of the year, the people may be seen at ssenrise, head every two or three days with the urine of the female strolling in all directions. At the time of the heavy dews, camel, and considerthis to be very healthy."-RosENMUaLER. they bind a part of the robe round the head, which also From the present which Jacob made to his brother Esau, falls on the shoulders. When a journey has to be taken, consisting of five hundred and eighty head of different were they not to rise early, they would be unable to travel sorts, we may form some idea of the countless numbers of far before the sun had gained its meridian height. They great and small cattle, which he had acquired in the sertherefore start a little before daylight, and rest under the vice of Labal. In modern times the numbers of cattle in shade during the heat of the day. Here also we have the Turcoman flocks which feed on the fertile plains of another instance of the interesting custom of blessing those Syria, are almost incredible. They sometimes occupy who were about to be separated. A more pleasing scene three or four days in passing from one part of the countrvthan that of a father blessing his sons and daughters can to another. Chardin had an opportunity of seeing a clan scarcely be conceived. The fervour of the language, the of Turcoman shepherds on their march about two days' expression of the countenance, and the affection of their distance from Aleppo. The whole country was covered e'races, all excite our strongest sympatahy. "Msy child, with them. Many of their principal people, with whom he may God keep thiy hands (anld thy feet!" "May the beasts Xconversed on the road, assured him, that there were four of the forest keep far from thee!" " May thy wife and thy hundred thousand beasts of carriage, camels, horses, oxen, cbhiyldren be preserved' May riches and happiness ever cows, and asses, and three millions of sheep and goats. he thyv' perrtica!"-R.oa as~s. This astonishing account of Chardin, is confirmed by Dr. CHAP. 32. ver. 7. Then Jacob was rgreatly afr~aid, Shaw, Who states that several Arabian tribes, who can and distressed: bring no more than three or four hundred horses into the and distressed: and he divided the people that field, are possessed of more than so many thousand camels, ewas with him, and the flocks, and herds, and and triple the number of sheep and black cattle. Russel, in the camels, into two bands. his history of Aleppo, speaks of vast flocks which pass that city every year, of whicl many sheep are sold to supply the This plan seems not to have been first invented by Ja- inhabitants. The flocks and herds which belonged to the cob; but it may be conjectured that large caravans used at Jewish patriarchs, were not more numerous:-PAXTON. 40 GENESIS. CHAP, 32-34 Ver. 19. And so commanded he the second, and "Their flocks," says Chardin, speaking of those -who the third, and all that followed the droves, say- now live in the East after the patriarchal manner, "feed O this ann shall ye speak unto sa down the places of their encampments so quick, by the ing, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, great numbers which they have, that they are obliged to when ye find him. remove them too often, which is very destructive to their flocks, on account of the young ones, which have not I almost think I hear Jacob telling his servants what strength enounh to follow "-HARMERs they were to say to Esau. He would repeat it many times over, and then ask, " What did I say 2" until he had con- Ver. 14. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over be. pletely sc/hooled them into the story. They would be most fore his se I will lead on softly, cattentive; and at every interval, some of the most officious core dis servant; and I wll lead on sofy, acwould be repeating the tale. The head servant, however, cording as the cattle that goeth before me, and would be specially charged with the delivery of the mes- the' children be able to endure, until I come sage. When they went into the presence of Esau, they unto my lord unto Seir. would be very-particular in placing much stress on Jacob's saying, " the present is sent unto my lord!" and this would People having taken a journey, say, " We came to tnis touch his feelings. Servants who see the earnestness of place according to the walking of our feet." " It was done their master, imitate him in this when they stand before according to the foot of the children;" which means, they the person to whom they are sent. They repeat a number did not come in a palankeen, or any other vehicle, but on of little things respecting him; his great sorrow for his foot. From this it appears, that the females, and the offence, his weeping, his throwing himself into the dust, children, performed their journey on foot, and that, accordand his fearful expressions. Should the occasion, how- ing to their strength. —ROEnTS. ever, be of a pleasing nature, they mention his great joy, and his anxiety for an interview. The dependants of Ver. 15. And Esau said, Let me now leave vith Esa-r, also, would hear the story, and every now and then thee some of the folk that aie with me. And be making exclamations at the humility of Jacob, and the value of his present. They would also put their hands he said, What needeth it? let me find grace together in a supplicating posture, for Esau to attend to the in the sight of my lord. request. He, feeling himself thus acknowledged as lord, seeing the servants of his brother before him, and knowing As Esau had received valuable gifts from his brother, that all his people had witnessed the scene, would consider he wished to make some present in return; and having himself greatly honoured. In this way many a culprit in received cattle, it would not have looked well to have givthe East gains a pardon, when nothing else could purchase en the same kind of gift that he had received; he therefore it. Should the offender be too poor to send a present, he offered some of his people, (who were no doubt born in his simply despatches his wife and children to plead for him; house,) as a kind of recomhpense for what he had received, and they seldom plead in vain.-RoBERTS. and as a proof of his attachment. —RoBERTS. CHAP. 33. ver. 3. And he passed over before Ver. 19. And he bought a parcel of a field, where them, and bowed himself to the ground seven he had spread his tent, at the hand of the chiltimes, until he came near to his brother. dren of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. There is something very touching, and, to an Eastern mind, very natr'al, in this action of Jacob's. His arrange- There is very great reason to believe that the ea iest ments, also, may be seen to the life, at this day. His wives coins struck were used both as weights and money and and children were placed behind him: they would be in a indeed this circumstance is in part proved by the;ery separate group, in order that Esau might the more easily names of certain of the Greek and Roman coins. Thus see them. He would then walk forward, and cast himself the Attic saina and the Roman libra equally signify a on the earth, and rise again, till he had bowed seven times; pound; and the -raTrp (stater) of the Greeks, so called from after which, (as he would walk a short distance every time, weighing, is decisive as to this point. The Jewish shekel, he arose,) he would be near to his brother. Esau could was also a weight as well as a coin: three thousaild she-* not bear it any longer, and ran to meet him, and fell on his kels, according to Arbuthnot, being equal in weight and neck, and kissed him, and wept. Then came the hand- value to one talent. This is the oldest coin of which we maids and their children, (I think I see them,) and bowed anywhere read, for it occurs Gee. xxiii. 16, and exhibits themselves before Esau; the wives, also, according to their direct evidence against those who date the first coinage of age, and their children, prostrated themselves before him. money so low as the time of Crcesus or Darius, it being'What with the looks of the little ones, joined with those of there expressly said, that Abraham weighed to Ephron four the mothers, Esau could not help being moved. —RoBERTs. hundred shekels of silver, cqt'rr'east Oqnlle/1z-ilh, tiCe menCchlant. Having considered the origin and hightantiquity of coined Ver. 10. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if money, we proceed to consider the stomvp or ipiv'pession now I have found grace in thy sight, then re- which the first money bore. The primitive race of men ceive my present at my hand. being shepherds, and their wealth consistingin their cattle, in which Abraham is said to have been rich, for greater It is the custom of the East, when one invites a superior, metals were substituted for the conmoditv itto make him a present after the repast, as an acknowledg- self. It was natural for the representative sion to bear ilnment of his trouble. Frequently it is done before it, as it pressed the object which it representec; and thns accirdpresely the earliest coins rere stmnped n-ith ths. figure of an is no augmentation of honour to Co to the house of an in- ingly the earliest coins were samped with te. figure of an ox or a sheep: for proof that thlev actuall did thus impress ferior. They make no presents to equals, or those who are ox or a sheep: for proof that the below themse'lves.-BE RDER. them, we can again appeal to the high authority of scripNot to receive a present, is at once to show that the thing ture:for there we are informecd that Jacob boss A/t a pyrcel desired will not be granted. Hence, nothing can be more of a field for ca /cmt-dred pieces of rnone/. The original repulsive, nothing more distressing, than to return the gifts Hebrew translated pieces of one hich ito the giver. Jacob evidently laboured under this impres- rifies lambs, with the figure of which the metal i as doultsion, and therefore pressed his brother to receive the gifts, less stamped.-MAURICE'S Idian Antiquities. if he had found favour in his Sight.-RoBERTS. CTIAP. 34. ver. 1. And Dinah the cauo-xter of Ver. 13. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to that the children are tender, and the flocks and see the daughters of the land. 2. Antl when herds with young'are with me; and if men Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite,i prince should overdrive them one day, all the flock of the country-, saw her, t her, a la wsill die. with her, and defiled her. CHAP. 34. GE NES IS. 41 Voltaire objects, in like manner, to the probability of the doubtedly by trading with the ancient cities of Canaan in Old Testament history, in the account given us there of such articles of provision, that Abraham became so rich the dishonour (lone to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, by a in silver and gold. The lucrative commerce which Jacot Hivite prince in Canaan, Gen. xxxiv. 1, 2, who he sup- his grandson carried on with the inhabitants of Shechem, poses was too young to have suffered such an injury, or to is mentioned by Hamor their prince, and urged as a reahave excited the affections of Shechem. The two following son of alliance and union: " these men are peaceable with citations will prove there was nothing incredible in it, us; therefore, let them dwell in the land, and trade thereand that an ardent young Eastern prince may be sup- in; for the land, behold it is large enough for them." posed to have been guilty of such a fact. The first cita- While the wealth of the country, where they tended theil tion shall be from Niebuhr's account of Arabia: " I have flocks and herds, flowed into the coffers of these shephera heard speak in Persia of one that was a mother at thir- princes, in a steady and copious stream, their simple and teen: they there marry girls at nine years of age; and I frugal manner of living, required but little expense for the knew a man whose wife was no more than ten years old support of their numerous households; and their nomadic when the marriage was consummated." The other is state prevented them from contracting alliances, or formfrom Dr. Shaw's Travels and observations. Speaking of ing connexions of an expensive nature. H-ence, in a few the inhabitants, of Barbary, he says, "The men, indeed, years they amassed large quantities of the precious metals; by wearing only the tiara, or a scull cap, are exposed so they multiplied their flocks and t herds, till they coymuch to the sun, that they quickly attain the swarthiness ered the face of the country for many miles; they enof the Arab; but the women, keeping more at home, pre- gaged a numerous train of servants from the surroundserve their beauty until they are thirty: at which age they ing towns and villages, and had servants born in their begin to be wrinkled, and are usually past childbearing. houses, of the slaves whom they had purchased, or taken It sometimes happens that one of these girls is a mother at prisoners in war. When Abraham heard that his brother eleven, and a grandmother at two-and-twenty." If theybe- Lot was taken captive by the king of Shinar and his come mothers at eleven, they might easily become the ob- confederates, he armed his trained servants born in his jects of attachment at ten, or thereabouts; and this cannot house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto be supposed to be very extraordinary, when the daughter Dan. The truth of the scripture accounts is verified by of suchl a one is supposed to become a mother too by the present state of the Arabian chieftains in those very eleven. It cannot then be incredible that Shechem should places where Abraham and his descendants formerly wancast his eyes on Dinah at ten years of age, and ihould dered. By the unimpeachable testimony of Russel, they desire to marry her at that, age; if human nature in the are equally rich, and powerful, and independent, as were East then was similar, in that respect, to what it is now. these renowned patriarchs; they are surrounded with serBut she might be considerably older than ten when this af- vants and retainers, equally numerous, resolute, and faithfair happened, for aught that is said in the book of Genesis ful; they are, in fine, the modern patriarchs of the East. In relative to this matter.-IIARMER. Persia and in Turkey, cwhere the country is full of Turcoman shepherds, their chiefs appear with a great train Ver. 11. And Shechem said unto her father, and of servants, richly clothed and mounted. Chardin fell in unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your with one of these pastoral chieftains between Parthia and Hyrcania, whose train filled him at once with surprise and eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give. alarm. The Turcoman had more than ten led horses, with 12. Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and harness all of solid gold and silver. He was accompanied I will give according as ye shall say unto me: by many shepherds on horseback, and well armed. They but give me the damsel to wife. treated the traveller civilly, and answered all the questions his curiosity prompted him to put to them, upon their In the remote ages of antiquity, women were literally manner of life. The whole country, for ten leagues, was purchased by their husbands; and the presents made to full of their flocks. An hour after, the chieftain's wives, their parents or other relations were called their dowry. and those of his pincipal attendants, passed along in a The practice still continues in the country of Shechem; line: four of the rode in great square baskets, carried for when a young Arab wishes to marry, he must purchase two upon a camel, which were not close covered. The his wife; and f6r this' reason, fathers, among the Arabs, rest were on camels, on asses, and on horseback; ost of are never more happy than when they have many daugh- them with their faces unveiled, among whom were some ters. They are reckoned the principal riches of a house. very beautiful women. From this display of pastoral magAn Arabian suitor will offer fifty sheep, six camels, or a nificence, which Chardin had an opportunity of contemdozen of cows; if he be not rich enough to make such of- plating, we are enabled to form a very clear idea of the fers, he proposes to give a mare or a colt, considering in lendour and elegance in which Abraham and other pa the offer, the merit of the young woman, the rank of her trinrchs lived; and of the beauty which the sacred histofamily, and his own circumstances. In the primitive times rian ascribes to Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel,'who had very of Greece, a well-educated lady was valued at four oxen. fair complexions.-PAXTON. When they agree on both sides, the contract is drawn up Ver. 24. When they were sore. by him that acts as cadi or judge among these Arabs. In some parts of the East, a measure of corn is formally men- Circumcision in infants is easy and soon healed, and tioned in contracts for their concubines, or temporary some have thought, that in adults, it was worst the third wives, besides the sum of money which is stipulated by day; but Sir John Chardin says, that he had heard from way of dowry. This custom is probably as ancient as divers renegadoes in the East, who had been circumcised, concubinage, with which-it is connected; and if so, it will some at thilty and some at forty years of age, that'the cirperhaps account for the prophet Hosea's purchasing a wife cumcision had occasioned themi a great deal of pain, and of this kind for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer that they were obliged to keep their bed at least twenty or of barley, and a half homer of barley.-PAXTON. twrenty-two days, during which time they could not walk without feeling very severe pain; but that they applied noVer. 21. These men are peaceable with. us, there- thing to the wound to make it cicatrize, except burnt paper. fore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; -BURDER. for the land, behold, it is large enough for Ver. 27. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain them: let us take their daughters to us for and spoiled the city, because they had defiled wives, and let us give them our daughters. their sister. The shepherds of Syria and the East have, from the re- Among the Bedolin Arabs, the brother finds himself motest antiquity, carried on a considerable trade with the'more dishonoured by the seduction of his sister, than a circumjacent cities. The people of Aleppo are still sup- man by the infidelity of his wife. As a reason, they allege, plied with the greater part of their butter, their cheese, " that a wife is not of the family, and that they are obliged and their cattle for slaughter, by the Arabs, Kushwans, to keep a wife only as long as she is chaste; and if she is or Turcomans, who travel about the country with their not she may be sent away, and is no longer a memberr of flocks and herds, as did the patriarchs of old. It was un- the family; but that i siQter constantly remains a m.el::>.er 6 42 GENESIS. CHAP. 34-36. of the family; and even if his sister became dissolute, and the villages about Aleppo, and all the Arabs and Chingawas defiled, r..body could hinder her from still being his nas, (a sort of gipsies,) as wearing a large ring of silver sister." (D'Arvieux.) This is confirmed byNiebulr. "I or gold, through the external cartilage of their right noslearnt at Basra, that a man is not allowed to kill his wife, tril. It is worn, by the testimony of Egmont, in the same even on account of adultery; but that her father, brother, manner by the women of Egypt. The difference in the or any of her relations, were suffered to do it without being statements of these travellers is of little importance, and punished, or at least paying a small sum as an atonement, may be reconcifed by supposing, what is not improbable, because her relations had been dishonoured by her bad be- that, in some eastern countries they wear the ring in the haviour; but that after this satisfaction, nobody is permitted left, and in others in the right nostril; all agree that it is to reproach the family. They remembered examples of it worn in the nose, and not upon the forehead. Some rein Basra and Bagdad; in this latter place, a rich merchant, mains of this custom have been discovered among the a few years since, had found a young man with a relation Indians in North America, where Clark and Lewis, ill of his, and not only hewed her in pieces on the spot, but their travels to the sources of the Missouri, fell in with also, by witnesses and money, caused the young man, who some tribes that wore a long tapering piece of shell, or was the son of a respectable citizen, to, be hanged the same bead, put through the cartilage of the nose. —PAxToN. night by the magistrates."-ROSENMULLER. Ter. 8. But Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died, and Ver. 30. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye she was buried beneath Beth-el, under an oak: have troubled me, to make me to stink among and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth. the inhabitants of the land. Savary, speaking of the Egyptian women, and their So said Jacob to Simeon and Levi. Of a man who has manner of nursing their children, says, " When circum-.lost his honour, whose fame has entirely gone, it is said,. stances compel them to have recourse to a nurse, she is " Ah! he has lost his smell-where is the sweet smell of not looked upon as a stranger. She becomes part of the former years." " Alas!" says an old man, " my smell is family, and passes the rest of her life in the midst of the for ever gone." —RonERTs. children she has suckled. She is honoured and cherished like a second mother." So the Syrian nurse continued CHIAP. 35. ver. 2. Then Jacob said unto his until her death with Rebecca, and was buried with great holuselhold, and to all that were with him, ]Put solemnUity of mourning: since that oak was from that time distinguished by the name of the Oak of Wteeping.-I-Hnaway the stranae gods that are among you, and be, clean, and chanoe your garments. Z~clean,.nd change your g~armeVer. 19. And Rachel died, and was buried in the The household of Jacob had strang-e gods among them, way to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem: 20. And and he ordered them to put them away, and to make them-ar upon her grave selves clean, and to change their garments in -token of their purity. When people have been to any unholy place, they pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day. always on returning wash their persons and change their garments. No man can go to the temple, wearing a dirty The following account IroM the n aluable Tr'avels in Palesticee, by Mr. Buckingham, on the subiect cloth: he must either put it on clean, or go himself to a of Rachels tomb, will'be found highly interesting. In tttankl and sash it, or put ol one which is quite new. of Rachel's tomb, will be found highly interesting. " In tank and wash it; or put on one which is quite new. Hence, near temples, men may be seen washing their the way, on the right, at a little distance from. the road. clothes, in order to prepare themselves for some ceremony. is hewn the reputed tomb of Rauliel, to which we turned (Exodtus xix:. lO.) —RROERTs. olff, to enter. This may be near the spot of Rachel's interment, as it is not far from Ephrath, and may correspond Ver. 4. Afndl they gave unto Jacob all the strange well enough with the place assigned for her sepullchre by gods which te.e in their hand, and all their Moses, who says, in describing her death in childbirth of Benjamin,'and Rachel died, and was buried in the way ear-rinms w hich eere iln their ears; and Jacob to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem; and Jacob set a pillar hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. upon her grave, that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto The nose-jeue isaothronamntecularthis day.' Gen. xxxv. 19. Instead of a pillar, the spot is Thenose-jewel is another ornament peculiar to the East, which the Jewish females were accustomed to wear, and now covered by a Mohammedan buildin resembling in its exterior the tombs of saints and scheiks in Arabia and of which the Asiatic ladies are extremely fond. It is men- and sa Egypt, being small, square, and surmounted by a dome. tioned in several parts of scripture; thus the prophet We entered it on the south side by an aperture, through Ezekiel: "And I put a jewel on thy forehea," or, as ita t to cra, -which it was difficult to crawl, as it has no doorway; and should have been rendered, on thy nose. This ornament found on the inside a square mass of masonry in the cenwas one of the presents which the servant of Abrahdam tre, built up from the floor nearly to the roof, and of such gave to Rebecca, in the name of his master: "I put," said a size as to leave barely a narr psae for waliig.1the ar-g upon her fXe" more literallyIput a size as to leave barely a narrow passage for walking he, "the ear-ring upon her face" more literally, I put the around it. It is plastered with white stucco on the outer ring on her nose. They wore ear-rings besides; for the urface, and sufficiently large and high to enclose withhousehold of Jacob at his request, when they were prepar- in it any ancient pillar that might have been found on the ing to go up to Bethel, gave him all the ear-rings which rave of Rachel. This central mass is certainly different were in their ears, and he hid them under the oak whichy thing that I have ever observed in A from any thing that I have ever observed in Arabian was by Shechem. -The difference between these orna-? was by echem. Te difference beteen these orna- tombs; and it struck me on the spot, as by no means imments is clearly stated by the prophet: " I put a jewe' on mets is clely stated by the prophet: I ut a jew on probable, that its intention might have originally been to thy nose, and ear-ri7ns in thine ears." The nose-jewel, enclose either a pillar, or fragment of one, which tradition therefore, was different from the ear-ring, and actually hd pointe out athe pillar f Rachel's grae; an that worn by the females as an orn. ment in the East. This is as the place is held in equal veneration by Jews, by Chrisconfirmed by the testimony of Sir John Chiardin, who says, tians, and by Mohammedans, the last, as lords of the coun"It is the custom in almost all the East, for the women to try, might have subsequently built the present structure wear rings in their noses, in the left nostril, which is bored try, might have subsequently built the present structure low down in the middle. These rings are of gold, and have over it in their own style, and plastered the high square pillar within. Around the interior face of the walls, is an tcomonly two pearls and one ruby between them, placed arched recess on each side, and over every part of the in the ring; I never sawn a girl or young woman in Arabia, stucco are wr d a profusion of nmes i or in all Persia, who did not wear a ring after this man- Arabic, and Roman characters the first execuner in her nostril." Some writers contend, that by the nose- tec incurious devices as if a sort of abracaclabra. P. 216. jewel, we are to understand rinos; which women attached -. (See E to their forehead, and let them fall down; upon' their nose; DE (See Eng but Chardin, who certainly was a dili ent observer of East- C:AP. 36. ver. 6. And Esau took his wives, and ern customs, nowhere saw this frontal ring in the East, but, and all the peon everywhere the ring in the nose. His testimony is supported by Dr, Riussel wb.o describes the women in some of of his house. CHAP. 36. GENESIS. 43 The Margin has, for persons, " souls." Has a man gone to of mules when procreated, but the rearing of them: " Ye a distant place, it is said, " Viravan, and all the souls of his shall keep my. statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle house, have gone to the far country." "-Have you heard gender with a diverse kind." The mules which David that the old man and thirty souls have gone on- a pilgrim- and the nobles of his kingdom rode, were therefore, in all age 2" " Sir, I can never get rich, because I have fifteen probability, imported from other countries where they soulls who daily look to me for their rice."-RoBERTS. abounded, long before the time of that illustrious monarch. Bochart offers another interpretation, which he thinks ought Ver. 24. And these arre the children of Zibeon; to be preferred; that the origihal term which our translators both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that render mules, is in reality the name of a people, probably found the mu~les in. the Tw~ilderness, as he fed the same as the gigantic Emim, mentioned in the fourteenth the asses of Zibeom l his father. chapter of Genesis.'The Samaritan Pentateuch, accor&ingly reads here, (vnmxn) the Emnian; and the Targum in The Hebrews'ascribe the invention of mules to Anah, Genesis, renders the term by (s~:i) giants; and Aquila the son of Zibeon, whose daughter, Aholibamah, was and Symmachus retain the Hebrew name, Emim; so, that given in marriage to Esau. " This was that Anah, that the passage should be rendered: This is that Ahab, who found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of found, or lighted upon, the Emim in the desert. The verb Zibeon his father." In this text, Moses evidently censures (S) mzatsa, when spoken of enemies, is used for lighting the misguided and preposterous industry of Anah, who, upon them, or even attacking them suddenly: several exnot satisfied with the numerous flocks and herds which the amples of- which, are quoted by Parkhurst.' Thus, Anah bounty of Providence had bestowed on his family, or, per- is said to have found the Emim, or to have fallen upon haps, actuated by impure and licentious motives, contrived them, or attacked them suddenly. By this daring exploit, a new and spurious breed of animals unknown to nature, which was greatly celebrated at the time it happened, and contrary to the laws which regulate her operations. whether he. discomfited these gigantic enemies by his Whatuver might be the motive, the conduct of this Horite valour, or eluded the snare they had prepared for him b; prince was certainly criminal. WVe cannot, on any other his address, he transmitted his fame to succeeding gencasupposition, account for the peculiar and emnphatical phrase tions; and by this criterion-the historian distinguishes hint which Moses employs: " This was that Anah, that found from others of the same name.-PAXTON. the mules in the wilderness." In opposition to this idea, [But for this interpretation there is no evidence in hisBochart contends, that if Anah had found out the method tory, and we shall exhibit as more plausible, though by no of procreating mules, the sacred historian would not have means conclusive, the opinion of Mr. Bryant, (Obsevatiols said he found them; because the verb (Nse) matsfa, among upon somne Passages in Scriptu'e, p. 26.) There is reason the Hebrews, does not signify to invent, but to find some- to think, that the nature of these thirsty regions above thing already in existence. Nor to strengthen this con- mentioned is alluded to in the history of Anah, who was jecture, is it sufficient, that Anah is said at the time to of the family of Seir the Horite, into which Esau had have tended the asses of Zibeon his father; for mules are married. " And these are the children of Zibeon" (the not procreated of asses only, but of an ass and a mare, or son of Seir) " both Aiah and Anab: this was that Anahb, of ah.orse and a female ass. But of horses or wild asses, who found mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of by whose union with the domestic ass a mule is generated, Zibeon, his father." Gen..chap. xxxvi. ver. 241. Why the no mention is made in this passage. In addition to these word nan, Yamime, is here rendered mules, I know not; arguments, our author insists on the improbability, that the and why in some other versions it is expressed giants. It method of generating mules was discovered in Idumea at manifestly denotes wcater*s; and is so translated in the that early period; because, the use of these animals does Syriac version; and by aquas calidas in the Vulgate. The not seem to have become common in Judea, till the reign translations of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus, retain of David, about five hundred years after the death of Anah. the original word, which they express in Greek characters No mention is made of mules in the flocks and herds of a/petv, or taEtr,e, as if it were a proper name. The word, I Abraham, of Isaac, of Job, and other shepherd princes of make no doubt, was in common use among the Edomites, the East. In the various enumerations, horses, camels, and Horites of Mount Seir. It is the same as mn of the asses, oxen, sheep, and goats, ate expressly mentioned, but scriptures, and as the word Hammim, by wThicll baths and in relation to mules, the profoundest silence is uniformly waters are denoted at this day by the Arabians, Persians, observed; hence, Bochart argues, that the origin of mules and other nations in the east. The account given in is involved in great uncertainty. But the assertion of that scripture is short, and' was well understood by lhe persons celebrated writer, that the Hebrew verb (?sin) matsa, sig- to whom it is addressed, and undoubtedly related to water. nifies only to find, not to invent, is incorrect. In Leigh's The circumstance mentioned must have been of conseCritica Sacra, it, signifies also'to procure for himself by quence, otherwise there would have been no necessity to labour and industry; and in Parkhurst, the seventh sense specify the person, by whom it was effected. We should is, to obtain, to procure. According to these respectable therefore read, that, instead of muales Anah found out wcater authors, the text may be rendered, This was that Anah, in the wilderness: but to what does the history amount S who, by labour and industry, procured for himself mules Every known spring must have had somebody to have disin the wilderness, which is quite consistent with the com- covered it; so that Anah, if this be all, did no lmore than mon exposition. If Anah did not invent the method of hundreds had done before. But to me there seems to be procreating mules, but only found them already existing, something of more importance in the accounlt than at first what can the sacred writer mean by the emphatical phrase, appears; and for that reason the name of the person is He, Anah; or, as in our version, This was that Anahll recorded, as being of moment to those who lived in the What was so remarkable or important in a person merely vicinity of Edom, and were acquainted weith the rites of finding a knot of mules in the wilderness, that Moses Midian. It is to be observed, that the sacred writer, in should reckon it necessary to use such emphatical terms?. speaking of Anah's first discovery of these waters, does And what reason can be given, that he takes not the smallest not inform us, when, or where, he was feeding his father's notice of those -who found horses, or camels, or asses. in the asses; but only that the event took place, as he was feeding wilderness, although some individual must have found and them. This may be found of some moment. I imagine, reduced them to a state of servitude? Something unusual that the latent purport of the history is this. As Anah nwos and peculiar is certainly intended in the phrase which attending-these animals, in the desert, he observed that Moses employs: and w~hat can that be. but the invention of faculty with which they were endued, of snuffing the a new breed of animals. The want of mules in the numer- moisture of the air, and being by these means led to latent ous herds of the patriarchs, and the late period at which waters. Accordingly, either by the intimation of those they came into general use among the Jews, will not prove which he fed, or by the traces of the wild brood, he was that A.nah was not the inventer of that spurious breed, but brought to the know-'edge of those resources. And as those only, that it was not in much request till the reign of David. animals, which had been beneficial. were entitled in man) That the procreation of mules was actually discouraged countries to a particular regard, so these among others among the holy people, we have the highest authority for met with uncommon reverence among the Eor'ites of asseti ng. The God of Israel, who is a God of order and Mount Hor, and the people of Seir: for they were looked not of confusion, enacted a law, which he introduces with upon as the instruments of Heaven, towards the finding in.ore than usual solemnity, not indeed to prohibit the use out in those barren wilds the greatest blessing. Hence 44 GENES 1S. CHAP. 37, 38. arose a town, and temple, where the divinity was wor- necessaries, were chiefly laden with water to refresh thein shipped under this emblem. They stood in a valley be- selves and their cattle in the sultry heat of the sun, as they neath Mount Hor, which was a part of the mountains do not easily meet with springs or brooks inll'crossing the Kiddim, upon the skirts of Edom. Thus, as I have before desert: though they may by chance meet with pits or cis mentioned, what was natural sagacity, they looked upon as terns, which are for the most part wVithout water, which only a supernatural impulse, an intimation from Heaven. And runs into them from the rain."-R-NosENnu LLER. the animal, like the Apis and Mnevis in Egypt, was esteemed a living emblem of the Deity, and oracular. From Ver. 34. And Jacob rent his clothes. the situation of Petora, which was very recluse, the place being almost surrounded by high moturtains, we may sup- This. ceremony is very ancient, and is frequently menpose, that the water was, first found out in' the manner tioned in scripture. Levi (Rites and Ccerenoonies of the Jews, above: in consequence of which the animal was looked p. 174) says, it was performed in the following manner: upon as an oracle, and accordingly reverenced. And "they take a knife, and holding the blade downrward, do when the false prophet proved disobedient, and was going give the upper garment a cut on the right side, and then to utter his curses against God's people, he was terrified by rend it a hand's-breadth. This is done for the five folan angel, and rebuked by the beast he strode.'Instead of lowing relations, brother, sister, son, or dcalghAter, or qwife; that divine energy, which it was at times supposed to enjoy, but for father or mother, the rent is on the left side, and in and for which at Petora it was in an idolatrous manner all the garments, as coat, waistcoat, &c."-BURDER. reverenced, God gave the ass a human voice, a far superior and more surprising gift. Hence his power was CI-IAP. 38. ver. 14. And she put her widow's shown above that of the gods of Edom and Midian; and garments. off from her, and covered her with a the miracle'was well calculated, in respect to the person veil, and wrapped her, and sat in an open on whose account it was exhibited. That the history did not relate either to mules, or to the Emims, but on the con- place, which is by the way to Timnath: fbr trary, to water and fountains, may be seen in the name of she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was the person. This was n:p, Anah, directly from lpy, Ain, a not given unto him to wife. fountain; and is analogous to 11,7yaLoc in Greek, and Fontanus, or Fonteius,:in Latin. It is what the Greeks called The habit of eastern females was also suited to their a?erolvo7ota, and was bestowed in consequence of the station; and women of all ages and conditions, appeared discovery; and is applicable to nothing else.]-B.' in dresses of the same fashion; only a married woman wore a veil upon her head, in token of subjection; and a CHAP. 37. vei. 3. Now Israel loved Joseph more widow had a garment which indicated her widowed state. than all his children, because'he was the son The daughters of a king, and ladies of high rank, who of his old age: -and he made him a coat of were virgins, wore a garment of many colours, reaching, as is supposed, to the heels or ankles, with long sleeves down to the wrists' which had a border at the bottom, and Rauaw~olf safyis, " that Turks of rank at Aleppo dress a facing at the hands, of a colour different from the gartheir sons, when they are a little grown, and can walk, in meat: it was likewise embroidered with flowers, which in ment' it was likewise embroidered with flowers, which in their sons, when they are a little grown, and can walk, in ancient times, was reckoned both splendid and beautiful. loose coats of a fine texture, in which various colours are ancient times, was reckned b ot h splendid and beautiful.,orsen, ad hilovyaseBefore the Jews were carried captives to Babylon, their hwoven, and which look very handsoine."-pROcs,"anditiEs. wives and daughters had arrived' at the greatest degree of The mar-in has, instead of colours, "pieces;" and it is probable the coat was patch-work of different colours. For extravagance in dress. The prophet Isaiah gives a long probable the coat was patch-work of different colours. For beautiful or favourite children, precisely-the same thing is list of the vestments trinets, and ornaments in use among the ladies of Israel, in that remote age; the greater part done at this day. Crimson, and purple, and other colours,the ladies of Israel, in that remoteto describe. A common are often tastefully sewed together. Sometimes children of of which, it is extremely difficult to describe. A common the Moelasumedans have their jackets embroiddred with prostitute among the Jews was known, as well by the pegold and silk of various colours. A child being clothed in a culiar vesture she wore, as by havin gar it her head, and her eyebrows painted with stibium, which garevlt( oif mnny colours, it is believed that neither ton ues dilated the hair, and made the eyes look black and beautinor evil spiiits will injure him, because the attention is ful. In the days of Jacob, the harlot seemed to have been taken from the beauty of the person, to that of the garment. distinguished by her veil, and by wrapping herselfin some Children seldom wear them after they are eight years of an ae; though it must hpve been the custom aon the an- eculiar manner; for these are the circumstances that inage; though it must have been the custom auong the ancents referred to in the Bible to wear them lner, as we duced Judah to consider Tamar his daughter-in-law as a cipnts referred to in the Bible to wear them longer, as we her, he thought read of Tamar having " a garment of divers colours upon woman of this character. When Judah saw her, he thouh her to be a harlot, because she had covered her face. It her; for with such robes were the king's daughters that her to be a harlot, because she had covered her face. It were virgins apparelled."-RoBEmTs. may be justly inferred from this passage, that modest women did not constantly wear a veil in those days. Rebecca, Ver. 10. Shall i, and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed, put a veil upon her face when she met Isaac in the indeed came' tbfield: but it was a part of the marriage ceremony to deindeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to liver the bride covered with a veil, from head to foot; and the earth. Rebecca, in this instance, only followed the established custom of her country. Had it been the practice of modest The Hebrew word here translated bow down, (by Luther, canbetlen, i. e. uorship,) means the manner customarywomen in that age to cover their faces, in the presence of in all Asia of testifying respect to kings and princes, by the other sex, she would not have needed to veil herself inall Asiaofteifin respectto ings andprinces, when her future husband met her in the field. She seems to falling on the knee, and stooping till the forehead touches havehadnoveilwhen Abraham'sservant accosted her atthe the ground. Ovington says, " The mark of respect which well; nor, for any thing that can be discovered, was Rachel is paid to kings in the East approaches very near to ado- veiled at her first interview with Jacob; or if they did apratiion. The manner of saluting the Great Mogul is, to pear in veils, these prevented not a part of the face f om touch with the hand first the earth, then the breast, and then being seen. The practice of wea vis, xept at the to lift it above, which is repeated three times in succession marriage ceremony, must, therefore, be referred to a later as you'approach him." —EBURDER.'period, and was perhaps not introduced till after the lapse Ver. 24-. And they took him, and cast him into a of several ages. These observations mav serve to illustrate the address of Abimelech to Sarah: "Behold, he pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee; in it. and with all other." Sarah, you have not been used to wear the veil constantly when at home, as a person of your What is here meant by a pit is an empty cistern or re- beauty and. accomplishments should do, and by that cirservoir dug in the ground, in which the rain-water isd col- cumstance we were tempted; but now I insist that you wear lected, of which there are many in the Arabian deserts. a covering, which, by concealing your beautiful counteRauwolf, in the account of his J arney throegth the Desert nance, may prevent such desires; and henceforth be correct, of 7Mesopotamia, says, " That the camels, besides' other (as the word may be rendered, that is, circomsypect,) and do CHAP. 38-4-1. GENESIS. 45 not show yourself; or, as in our translation, thus she was CHAP. 41. ver. 40. Thou shalt be over my house, corrected, reproved, by a very handsome compliment paid and according unto thy word shall all my peoto her beauty, and a very handsome present paid to her brother, as Abraham is sarcastically termed by Abimelech. ple be ruled; only in the throne will I be -PAXTON. greater than thou. Ver. 18. And he said, What pledge shall I give Pococke, when he describes the Egyptian compliments, thee? and she said, Thy signet, and thy brace- tells us, that upon their taking any thing from the hand of lets, and thy staff that is in thy hand: and he a superior, or tht is sent from such a one, they kiss it, and as the highest respect put it to their foreheads. This is gave it her, and came in unto her: and she not peculiar to those of that country: for the editor of the conceived by him. Ruins of Balbec observed, that the Arab governor of that city respectfully applied the firman of the Grand Seignior The signet used by kings and persons of rank in the East to his forehead, which was presented to him when he and was a ring which served all the purposes of sealing. All his fellow-travellers first waited on him, and then kissed the Orientals, instead of signature by sign manual,. use the it, declaring himself the Sultan's slave's slave. Is not this impression of a seal on which their name and title (if they what Pharaoh refers to in Gen. xli. 40? "Thou shalt be have one) is engraved. Among intriguing and mali- over my house, and according unto thy word," (or on accious people, it is so easy to turn the possession of a man's count of thy word,) " shall all my people kiss," (for so it is seal to his disgrace, by making out false documents, that in the original;) " only in the throne will I be greater than the loss of it always produces great.concern. This shows thou:" that is, I imagine, the orders of Joseph were to be how much Judah pnit himself in the power of Tamar, when received with the greatest respect by all, and kissed by the lie gave her his signet; and one reason of his anxiety,, most illustrious of' the princes of Egypt. Drusius might "Let her take it to her, lest webe ashamed," may therefore well deny the sense that Kimchi and Grotius put on these mean something beyond the mere discovery of the im- words, the appointing that all the people should kiss his moral action; " Lest by some undue advantage taken of mouth. That would certainly be reckoned in the West, the signet, I may be endangered." In an Indian court, in every part of the earth, as well as in the ceremonious the monarch still takes the ring from his finger, andd affixes East, so remarkable for keeping up dignity and state, a it to the decree, and orders the posts to be despatched to most strange way of commanding the second man in the the provinces, as in the reign of Ahasuerus. When an kingdom to be honoured. It is very strange then that eastern prince delivers the seal of empire to a royal guest, these commentators should propose such a thought; and lie treats him as a superior; but -when he delivers it to a the more So, as the Hebrew word,s pee is well known subject, it is only a sign of investiture with office. Thus to signify word, or cotmandment, as well as monuth. As the king of Egypt took off his ring from his hand and put this is apparent from Gen. xlv. 21; so also that the prepoit upon Joseph's hand, when he made him ruler over all siticn $'y l, often signifies according to, or on account of, his dominions; and the king of Persia took off the ring is put out of the -question by that passage, as well as by which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto Mor- Sam. iv. 12, Ezra x. 9, &c. These are determinations that decai.-PAxToN.. establish the exposition I have been giving. "Upon thy commandment," or when thou sendest out orders, "my CHAP. 39. ver. 6. And he left all that he had in people, from the highest to the lowest, shall kiss,' receiving 0seph's hand; and he knew not aught he had, them with the profoundest respect and obedience.-HRAMERa. Joseph's In Psalm ii. 12, it is written, "Kiss the son, lest he be save the bread which he did eat. angry, and ye perish from the way." Bishop Patrick says on this, "Kiss the son; that is, subuit to him, and obey All respectable men have a head servant called a Kani- him." Bishop Pococke says, "The Egyptians, on taking ka-Pulli, i. e. an accountant, in whose hands they often any thing from the hand of a superior, or that is sent from place all they possess. Such a man is more like a rela- him, kiss it; and, as the highest respect, put it to their tion or a friend, than a servant; for, on all important foreheads." It is therefore probable that Pharaoh meant, subjects, he is regularly consulted, and his opinion will that all should submit to Joseph, that all should obey him, have great weight with the family. When a native gen- and pay him reverence, and that only on the throne he tleman has such a servant, it is common to say of him, himself would be greatest. When a great man causes a " Ah! he has nothing-all is in the hand of his Kianika- gift to be handed to an inferior, the latter will take it, and Pilli." —' Yes, yes, he is the treasure pot." "He knows put it on the right cheek, so as to cover the eyes; then on (of nothing but the food he eats."-ROoBERTS. the left; after which he will kiss it. This is done to show the great superiority of the donor, and that he on whorh CHAP. 40. ver. 13. Yet within three days shall the gift is bestowed is his dependant, and greatly reverences Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto him. When a man of rank is angry with an inferior, the thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's latter will be advised to go and kiss his feet; which he does by touching his feet with his hands, and then kissing them. cup into his hand, after the former manner When the Mohammedans meet each other after a long abwhen thou wast his butler. sence, the inferior will touch the hand of the superior, and then kiss it. All, then, were to kiss Joseph, and acknowThe ancients, in keeping their reckonings or accounts ledge him as their ruler.-RoBERTS. of time, or their list of domestic officers or servants, made use of tables with holes bored in them, in which they put Ver. 42. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his a sort of pegs, or nails with broad heads, exhibiting the hand, and put it upon Joseph',s hand. particulars, either number or name, or whatever it was. These nails or pegs the Jews call heads, and the sockets That is, his signet. In the ring there is generally a seal, of the heads they call bases. The meaning therefore of on which the name of the sovereign is engraved. This Pharaoh's lifting sup his head is, that Pharaoh would take signet is dipped in a coloured matter, and impressed over out the peg, which had the c-tp-bearer's name on the top the royal orders, instead of the king's title. Whoever is in of it, to read it, i. e. would sit in judgment, and make ex- possession of this seal, can issue commands in the name of amination into his accounts; for it seems very probable the king. What is said in this text, would be expressed in that both he and the baker had been either suspected or modern language by, " Pharach raised Joseph to the digaccused of having cheated the king, and that, when their nity of grand vizier." The symbol of power and authority accounts were examined and cast up, the one was acquit- given to the grand vizier, is the seal of the sultan with ted, while the other was found guilty. And though Joseph his cipher, which is intrusted to his care. The signet was uses the same expression in both cases, yet we may observe considered, in the East, from the most ancient times, as the that, speaking to the baker, he adds, that Pharaoh shall lift sign of delegated power. That given to the grand vizier uLp thy head from off thee, i. e. shall order thy name to be is so great, that no officer of state, no minister, dares to struck out of the list of his servants, by taking thy peg out resist, or even to contradict his orders, without risking his of the socket.-BBLIOTHracA BIBLIcA, cited by STACKnOUSE. head, because every one of his commands is obeyed, as 4f 46 GENESIS. CHAP. 41-43. it had proceeded from the throne, or from the mouth of the says the word iK~nx abrec, which we translate bow the knee, sultan. He likewise receives almost royal honours; all might as well be translated any thing else. In chapter xlv. about him bears the stamp of the highest honour, power, 8, Joseph says himself, " God hath made me a father' to and splendour. Liidecke, in his Description of the Tur'kishl Pharaoh." A younger brother is called the little father; he Empirl-e, says,," The grand v:izier is the principal of all being the next in authority. The king's minister (if a the officers of state, and his dignity is similar to that with good man) is called the little father. There are five perwhich Pharaoh invested Joseph. He is called Your High- sons who have a right to this parental title. The father ness. The emperor scarcely differs from him except in himself, a king, a priest, a gooroo or teacher, and a benename. There is nothing at the European courts similar factor. Joseph was indeed the father of the Egyptians.to his dignity, and the premiers ministres, as they are ROBERTS. called, are nothing to him. Being keeper of the imperial signet, he always has it suspended round his neck. The CHAP. 42. ver. 15. Hereby ye shall be proved: investing him with it, is the sigri of his elevation to office, by the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go forth and the taking it off, of his discharge. Without further hence, except your youngest brother come orders or responsibility, he issues all orders for the emire." In like manner, when Alexander the Great, on hither. lis death-bed, delivered his signet to Perdiccas, it was concluded that he had also given to him his royal powers, Extraordinary as the kind of o ath which Joseph male and intended him for his successor. (CuRTIUS.)-The ar- use of may appear to us, it still continues in the East. Mr. raying of Joseph in fine linen, was probably a part of the Hanway says, the most sacred oath among the Persia's is ceremony of investing him with his high dignity. Thus " by the king's head;" and among other instances of it we yred in the Travels of the Ambassadors taat " there were the grand vizier on the day of his appointment is invested with a double golden caftan, or robe of honour.-ROSEN- but sixty horses for ninety-four persons. The mehcemzader hMULLER. (or conductor) swore by the head. of the king, (which is the This practice is still common, but was much more so greatest oath among the Persians,) that he could not possiin former times. "Aruchananan, a king, once became bly find any more." And Thevenot says, "his subjects greatly enamoured with a princess called Alli, and desired never look upon him but with fear and trembling; and to have her in marriage; but being in doubt whether he they have such respect for him, and pay so blind an obedishould be able to have her, he sent for a woman who was ence to a.-,. i1s orders, that how unjust soever his commands well skilled in palmistry! She looked carefully into his might be, ey perform them, though against the law both hand, and declared,' You will marry a princess called of God and nature. Nay, if they swear by the king's kead, Alli-you shall have her.' The king was so delighted, their oath is more authentic, and of greater credit, than if that he took his ring off his finger, and pLut it upon that of they swore by all that is most sacred in heaven.and upon the fortuneteller." Should a rich man be greatly pleased earth"'-BURDER. with a performer at a comedy, he will call him to him, and Ver. 37. And Reuben spake unto his father, saytake off the ring fron his finger, and present it to him. Does a poet please a man of rank; he will take the ring ing, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to off his finger,'and put it on his. A father gives his son-in- thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will law elect P ring from off his finger. When the bridegroom bring him to thee again. g_)es to the honl.se of his bride, her brother meets him, and peurs water on his feet; then the former takes a ring from p wtr on his feet; then the former takes ring from Is a man placedin great difficulty, and does he make a off his finger, and puts it on that of the latter. Does one solemn promise, in which another person is also involved; man send to another for any particular article, or to solicit he wil say, if I do not this thin then kill my clila favour, and should he not have time to write, he will he will say, " Ah! if I do not this thing, then kill my chila favour, and should he not have time to write, he will dren. "Yes, my lord, y children shall die if 1 do not give his ring to the messenger, and say, " Show this -in dren." "Yes, my Iord, my children shall die if I do not give his n to the messengerand say, o thisin accomplish this object." "Ah! my children, your lives proof of my having sent you to make this request." Is a are concerned in this matter."-RoBEnTS. master at a distance, and does he wish to introduce a person tp the notice of another; he says, " Take this ring, andah spake unto him, vou will be received." Pharaoh's ring carried with it the unto highest mark of favour towards Joseph, and was a proof of saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, the authority conferred on him. —ROBERTS. saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. Ver. 43. And he made him to ride in the second See on 2 Sam. 14. 24. chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler Ver. 7. And we told him according to the tenor over all the land of Egypt. of these words. As to magnificent riding, chariots are not now made use The margin has, for words, " mouth." Send a messenger of in the East, either by men, or even the fair sex. It mav with a message to- deliver, and ask him, on his return, be difficult to say what this is owing to': whether to the di- what he said, he will reply, " According to your mouth!"ficulty of their roasts, or to the clumsy and unmechanical ROBERTS. manner of constructing their carriages; or to a junction of both causes. Certain it is, that they are not now used in Ver. 18. Seek occasion against us, and fall upon ius. these countries: and the magnificence of the furniture of their horses makes up the want of pompous chariots. The margin has this, "Roll himself upon us." (Job Anciently, however, chariots were used by the great: xxx. 14. Psa. xxii. 8. xxxvii. 5. Prov. xvi. 3.) For to say they were thought most deadly machines of war; it was a man rolls himself upon another, is the eastern way of courage in war that in those ruder times gave dignity, and saying he falls upon him. Is a person beaten or injured seems to have been chiefly looked at in conferring royal by another: he says of the other, " -le rolled himself upon honours; it was natural then for. their kings to ride in me." Of the individual who is always trying to live upon chariots, as theirf great warriors at that time in common another, who is continually endeavouring to get something did; which royal chariots were without doubt most highly out of him, it is said, " That fellow is for ever rolling himornamented. In the most magnificent of all that Pharaoh self upon him." So, also, " I will not submit to his conduct had, but one, Joseph was made to ride. But when chariots any longer; I will beat him, and roll myself upon him." were laid aside in war, their princes laid aside the use of Has a man committed an offence, he is advised to go to the them by degrees, and betook themselves to horses, as upon offended, and roll himself upon him. A person in great the whole most agreeable, and they endeavoured to transfer sorrow, who is almost destitute of friends, asks in his disthe pomp of their chariots to them, and richly indeed they tress, " Upon whom shall I roll myself?" When men or do adorn them.-HARMER. women are in great misery, they wring their hands and The Hebrew has for bow the knee, "Tender Father," roll themselves on the earth. Devotees roll themselves which I believe to be the true meaning. Dr. Adam Clarke round the temple, or after the sacred car.-ROBERTS. CHAP. 44. GENES IS. 47 Ver. 19. And they came near to the steward of took and sent messes unto them from before Joseph's house, and they communed with him him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so at the door of the house. much as any of theirs. And they drank, and Who, in India, has not seen simila'r scenes to this - were merry with him. When people come from a distance to do business, or to Public entertainments in the East, are not all conducted have an interview with a person, they do not (if it can be in the same way. At Aleppo, the several dishes are avoided) go to him at once, but try to find out the head ser- brought in one by one; and after the company has eaten vant, and after having made him some little present, try to a little of each, they are removed; but among the Arabs, ascertain the disposition of his master, what are his habits, the whole provisions are set on the table at once. In Perhis possessions, and his family. Every thing connected sia, where the last custom is followed, the viands are diswith the object of their visit is thoroughly sifted, so that tributed by a domestic, who takes portions of' different when they have to meet the individual, they are complete- kinds out of the large dishes in which they are served up, ly prepared for him! —RoBEs. and lays four or five different kinds of meat in one smaller dish; these are set, furnished after this manner, before Ver. 25. And they made ready the present against the company; one of these smaller dishes being placed Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they before two persons only, or at most three. The same should eat bread there. practice obtains at the royal table itself. It is not improbaCble that the ancient Egyptians treated their guests in a Presents are commonly sent, even to persons in private similar way; and in the entertainment given by Joseph to station, with great parade. The money which the bride- his brethren, we may discover many points of resemblance.,rooms of Syria pay for their brides, is laid out in furni- The Persians were placed in a row on one side of the room, ture for a chamber, in clothes, jewels, and ornaments of without any person before them; a distinct dish, with difgold for the bride, which are sent with great, pomp to the ferent kinds of food, was set before every guest; circumbridegroom's house, three davs before' the'wedding. In stances which entirely correspond with the arrangement Egypt they are not less ostentatious; every article of fur- of Joseph's entertainment.-PAToN. niture, dress, and ornament is displayed, and they never fail to load upon four or five horses, what might easily be carried by one: in like manner, they place in fifteen dishes, from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five the jewels, trinkets, and other things of value, which a times so much as any of theirs. And they single plate would very well contain. The sacred writer drank, and vere merry with him. seems to allude to some pompous arrangement of this kind, in the history of Joseph: "And they made ready the pres- The manner of eating among the ancients was not for ent against Joseph came at noon." They probably sepa- all the company to eat out of one and the same dish, but rated into distinct parcels, and committed to so'many for every one to have one or more dishes to himself. The bearers, the balm, the honey, the spices, the myrrh, the whole of these dishes were set before the' master of the nuts, and the almonds, of which their present consisted. feast, and he distributed to every one his portion. As Jo-PAXTON-. seph, however, is here said to have had a table to himself, Ver. 29. Alnd he lifted up his e~yens, and saw his we may suppose that he had a great variety of little dishes or plates set before him; and as it wIas a custom for great brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, men to honour those who were in their favour, by sending Is this your younger brother, of whom ye such dishes to them as were first served up to themselves, Jospake unto me And he said, God be gra- seph showed that token of respect to his brethren; but te cious unto thee, my son. express a particular value for Benjamin, he sent him five cious -unto thee,'my son. dishes to their one, which disproportion could not but be The forms of salutation in the East wear a much more marvellous and astonishing to them, if what lerodothis tells us be true, that the distinction in this case, even to Egyp"Goions u " d be gracious unto thee, my son," tian kings themselves, in all public feasts and banquets, was tions of Europe. "God be gracious nto thee, my on no more than a double mess.-SoAcKnOUSE. were the words which Joseph addressed to his brother Benjamin. In this country, it would be called a benediction; but Chardin asserts, that in Asia, it is a. simple salutation, and used there instead of those offers and assu- ard of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks rances of service which it is the custom to use in the West. with food, as much as they can carry, and put The Orientals, indeed, are exceedingly eloquent in wishing's money in his sack's mouth. good and the mercy of God on all occasions to one-another, every man even to those they scarcely know; and yet their compli- There are two sorts of sacks taken notice of in the hisments are as hollow and deceitful as those of any other tory ofJoseph, which ought not to be confounded; one for people. This appears from scripture, to have been always the corn, the other for the baggage. There are no wagtheir character: " They bless with their mouths, but they ons almnost through all Asia as far as to the Indies; every curse inwardly." These benedictory forms explain the thing is carried upon beasts of burden, in scs o ool reason, why the sacred writers so frequently call the salu- covered in the midle ith leather, the beter o mKe retation and farewell of the East, by the name of blessing. sistance to water. Sacks of this sort are called tambellit; — PAxTON. they encloseh them their things done up in large pai'cels. " God be gracious unto thee, my son," was the address of It is of this kind of sacks we are to understand 7vhlat Is said Joseph to his brother Benjamin; and in this way do people here and all throu this history, and not of their sea-s in of respectability or years address their inferiors or juniors. which they carry their corn.-HARpmER. "Son, give me a little water." " The sun is very hot; I will rest under your shade, my son."-RoBERTS. Ver. 18. Then Judah came near unto- him, and Ver. 32. And they set on for him by himself,.and said, I my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not which did eat with him, by themselves: be- thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou cause the Egyptians might not eat bread with art even as Pharaoh. the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto A company of people have always some one among the Egyptians. 33. And they'sat before him, them, who is known and acknowledged to be the chief the first-born according to his birthright, and speaker; thus, should they fall into trouble, he will be the the youngest according''tohis youth: and the person to come forward and plead with the superior. nHe he mo ngestn according o:neis youth' another 34will say, " My lord, I am indeed a very ignorant person, and men marvelled one at another. 34. And ho am not worthy to speak to vou: were I of high caste, perhaps 48 GENESIS. CHAP. 44-46. my lord would hear me. May I say two or three words 2" Nearly all the merchandise, which goes by land, is car(some of the party will then say, "Yes, yes, our lord will ried by beasts of burden; and, no doubt, will continue to be hear you.") Ie then proceeds,-" Ah, my lord, your mercy so till regular roads are constructed. Hence may be seen is known to all; great is your wisdom; you are even as a hundreds of bullocks, or camels, carrying rice, salt, spices, king to us: let, then, your servants find favour in your and other wares, traversing the forests and deserts to dissight." He then, like Judah, relates the whole affair, for- tant countries. Some of the buffaloes carry immense burgetting no circumstance which has a tendency to exculpate dens, and though they only make little progress, yet they him and his companions; and every thing which can tounci are patient and regular in their pace. Bells are tied round thefeelings of his judge will be gently brought before him. the necks of some of the animals, the sound of which proAs he draws to a conclusion, his pathos increases, his com- duces a pleasing effect on the feelings of a traveller, who panions put out their hands in a supplicating manner, ac- now knows that he is.not far from some of his fellows. companied by other gesticulations; their tears begin to The sound of the bells also keepsthe cattle together, and flow, and with one voice they cry, " Forgive us, this time, frightens off the wild beasts.-RoBERTS. and we will never offend you more." —RoBER'rs. CHAP. 46. ver. 4. I will go down with thee into Ver. 21. And thou saidst unto thy servant, Bring Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up him donwvln unto me, that I may set mine eyes | again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon upon him. thine eyes. Has a beloved son been long absent, does the father anx- A father, at the point of death, is always very desirous iously desire to see him, he says, " Bring him, bring him, that his wife, children, and grandchildren should be with that the corse of m eyes may be upon him. "A, my him. Should there be one at a'distance, he will be immeeyes, do you again see my son.2 Oh, my eyes, is not this diately sent for, and until he arrives the father will mourn pleasure for woUu-rODERSn. and complain, " My son, will you not come? I cannot die (CHAP. 45. ver. 2. And he wept aloud: and the without you." When he arrives, he will take the hands of his son, and kiss them, and place them on his eyes, his face, Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. and mouth, and say, "Now I die."-ROBERTS. Hebrew, " gave forth his voice in weeping." In this er. 6. And came into Egypt way do they speak of a person who thus conducts himself: er. 6. And cae to Egypt, Jacob, and all his " IHow loudly did he give forth his voice and weep." seed with him. "That child is for ever giving foth its voice." The violence of their sorrow is very great, and their voice may be deceIn this waved by another, he will be spokedn of. Howas a man bncould you heard at, a considerable dista~nce. —RosEa~x. deceived by another, he will be asked, " How could you trust him 2 did you not know him to be bad (veethe) seed." " This," says Chardin, " is exactly the genius of the peo- "That fellow is of the seed of fiends. The reason you ple of Asia, especially of the women. Their sentiments of joy or of grief are properly transports; and their trans- see such good things in that youth is, that he is of good ports are ungoverned, excessive, and truly outrageous. see." "The old man and his seed have all left this village WVhen any one returns from a long journey, or dies, his many years ao."-RoBERTS. family burst into cries, that maybe heard twenty doors off; Ver. 24. For every shepherd is an abominati and this is renewed at different times, and continues many days, according to the vigour of the passion. Especially unto the Egyptians. are these cries longin the case of death, and frightful, for'he mourning is right down despair, and an image of hell. Cuneus, with great plausibility, ascribes this detestation I was lodged in the year 1676' at Ispahan, near the Royal on the part of the Egyptians, to the ferocious dispositions square; the mistress of the next house to mine died at that and rebellious conduct of the shepherds who tended their time. The moment she expired, all the family, to the num- flocks in the plains and marshes of lower Egypt. " These," ber of twenty-five or thirty people, set up such a furious says that writer, " were active and able men, but execrable cry, that I was quite startled, and was above twro hours to all the Egyptians, because they would not suffer them to before I could recover myself. These cries continue a lead theiridle courseof life in security. These en often long time, then cease all at once; they begin again as sud- excited great commotions, and sometimes created ins for denly, at daybreak, and in concert. It is this suddenness themselves. It was on this account, that the Romans, in which is so terrifying, together with a greater shrillness succeeding times, when they easily held the rest of Egypt and loudness than one could easily imagine. Thsenraged in obedience, placed a strong garrison in all these parts. kind of mourning, if I may call it so, continued forty days; When you have taken the most exact survey of all circumnot equally violent, but with cdiminution from day to day. stances, you will find this was the reason that'made the The longest and most violent acts were when they washed Egyptians, even from the first, so ill affected to shepherds; the body, when they perfumed. it, when they carried it out because these sedentary men and handicrafts could not to be interred, at making the inventory, and when they di- end active spirits. Pharaoh himself vided the effects. You are not to suppose that those that when he had determined to abate and depress the growing were ready to split their throats with ciying out, wept as numbers of the Israelites, spake to his subjects in this manmuch; the greatest part of them did not shed a single tear ner:'The Israelites are stronger than we; let us deal through the whole tragedy." This is a very distinct de- wisely, that they increase not, lest, when war arises, they scription of eastern mourning for the dead: they cry out join themselves to our enemies, and take up arms against us.' But this view does not account for the use of the too, it seems, on other occasions; no wonder then the house.' But this view does not account for t he use of the of'PhraaoAh heard, when Joseph wept at making himself term which is properly rendered abomination, and which known to his brethren. —HRMER. indicates,not a.ferocious and turbulent character, which is properly an object of dread and hatred, but a mean and Ver. 14. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's despicable person, that excites the scorn and contempt of neck, and awxept; and Benjamin wept upon his his neighbours. It is readily admitted, that the detestation neck. 15Mrovrhksedalisbrt in which shepherds were held in Egypt, could not arise neclc. 15. Moreover, he kissed all his brethren, from their employment in the breeding of cattle; for the and wept upond them; and after that his brethren king -himself, in the days of Joseph, had very numerous talkedt with him. flocks and herds, in the management of which he did not think it unbecoming his dignity to take a lively interest. When people meet, after long absence, they fall on This is proved by the command to his favourite minister; each other's shoulder or neck, and kiss or smell the part.' If thou knowest any men of activity among them, then A husband, after long absence, kisses or smells the fore- make them irlers over my cattle.' Nor were his numerhead, the eyes, the right and left cheeks, and the bosom, of ous subjects less attentive to this branch of industry; every his wife.-ROBERTS. one seems to have lived upon his paternal farm, part of Ver. 17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say which was converted into pasture. Hence, when money Ve'r. 17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say failed in the vears of famine,'all the Egyptians came to uInto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts. Joseph and said, Give us bread; for why should we die in CHAP. 47-49. GENESIS. 49 thy presence? for the money faileth. And Jo, eph said, idea of the importance which was attached to the "birthGive your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, right."-ROBERTS. if money fail." But if Pharaoh and all his subjects, were themselves engaged in the rearing of stock, a shepherd Ver. 8. Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren could not be to them an object of general abhorrence. Be- shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of sides, it was not unlawful in Egypt to deprive an ox or a thine enemies sheep of life, and feast upon the flesh; for, in the temples, these animals were offered in sacrifice every day; and for The oriental conqueror often addressed his unfortunate what purpose did the Egyptians rear them on their farms, captives in the most insulting language, of which the pro. but to use them as food? The contempt in which this or- phet Isaiah has left us a specimen: " But I will put it (the der of men were held, could not then be owing to the super- cup of Jehovah's fury) into the hand of them that afflict stition of the nation in general. It may even be inferred thee; which have said to thy soul, bow down that we may from the command of Pharaoh to Joseph, requiring him to go over." And their actions were as harsh as their words appoint the most active of his brethren rulers over his cat- were haughty; they made them bow down to the very tle, that the office of a shepherd was honourable among the ground, and put their feet upon their necks, and trampled Egyptians; for' it could not be his design to degrade the them in the mire. This indignity the chosen people of God brethren of his favourite minister. This idea is confirmed were obliged to suffer: " Thou hast laid thy body as the by Diodorus, who asserts that husbandmen and shepherds ground, and as the street to them that went over." Conquerwere held in very great estimation in that country. But ors of a milder and more humane disposition put their hand that writer states a fact, which furnishes the true solution upon the neck of their captives, as a mark of their superiorof the difficulty-that in some parts of Egypt, shepherds ity. This custom may be traced as high as the age in were not suffered. The contempt of shepherds seems, which Jacob flourished; for in his farewell blessing to therefore, to have been confined'to some parts of the king- Judah, he thus alludes to it: "Judah, thou art he whom dom; probably to the royal city, and the principal towns in thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of Upper Egypt, where the luxury of a court, or the wealth thine enemies." This benediction, which at once foretold and splendour of the inhabitants, taught them to look down the victorious career of that warlike tribe, and suggested with contempt and loathing upon those humble peasants. the propriety of treating their prisoners with moderation But the true reason seems to be stated by Herodotus, who and kindness, was fulfilled in the person of David, and acinforms us that those who. worship in the temple of the The- knowledged by him: " Thou hast also given me the necks ban Jupiter, or belong to the district of Thebes, the ancient of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me." capital of Egypt, abstained from sheep and sacrificed goats. Traces of this custom may be discovered in the manners But sheep and oxen were the animals which the shepherds of other nations. Among the Franks it was usual= to put, usually killed for general use. It was natural, therefore; the arm round the neck, as a mark of superiority on the for that superstitious people to regard with abhorrence those part of him by whom it was done. When Chrodin, decliwho were in the daily practice of slaughtering the objects ning. the office of mayor of the palace, chose a young of their religious veneration. But this custom was con- nobleman named Gogan, to fill that place, he immediately fined to the district of Thebes; for, according to the same took the arm of the young man, and put it round his own writer, "in the temple of Mendes, and in the whole Men- neck, as a mark of his dependance on him, and that he desian district, goats were preserved and sheep sacrificed." acknowledged him for his general and chief. —PXTON. Shepherds, therefore, might be abhorred in one part of Egypt and honoured in another. The sagacious prime Ver. 9. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, minister of Egypt, desirous to remove his brethren from the my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, fascinations of wealth and power, directed them to give such he couched ts a lion, and as an old lion: who an account of themselves, that the counsellors of Pharaoh, from'their dislike of the mean employment in which they shall rouse him up? had been educated, might grant their request, and suffer them to settle in Goshen, a land of shepherds, far removed thefollowin translation from the dangerous blandishments of a court.-PAXTON. A young lion is Judah, CHAP. 47. ver. 29. And the time drew nigrh that From prey, my son, art thou become great; T1. 1) I~- l e bends his feet under him and conches Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, Like a lion and like a lioness; and said unto him, If now I have found grace Who shall rouse him up? in thy sight, put, Ii pray thee; thy hand under Judah is compared to a young lion, which becomes great thh, and deal kindly and truly by prey, and which, when grown up and satiated with booty, my vthih, and deal kindly and truly with me; is found reposing wwiih his feet bent under his breast. Tle bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt. lion does this when he has' eaten sufficiently; he then does not attack passengers, but if any one would venture to rouse See on chap. 24. 2, 3. him out of wantonness, he would repent of his temerity. CHAP. 49. ver. 3. Reuben, thou art mry first-born, The meaning of the image is, that the tribe of Judah would at first be very warlike and valiant, but in the sequel, satiamy might, and the becginning of my strength, ted by conquests and victories, would cease to attack its the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of neighbours, yet had made itself so terrible that nobody power. would venture to attack it. Among the eastern nations, the lion was always the emblem of warlike valour and might. It is generally believed that the first-born son is the — BRDER. strongest, and he is always placed over his brethren. To him the others must give great honour, and they must not Ver. 1 i. Binding, his foal unto the vine, and his sit in his presence without his permission, and then only ass's colt unto the choice vine. behinrd him. [Shen the younger visits the elder, he goes with great respect, and the conversation is soon closed. One species of vine is not less distinguished by the Should there be any thing of a particular nature, on which luxuriance of its growth, than by the richness and delicacy he desires the sentiments of his elder brother, he sends a of its fruit. This is the Sorek of the Hebrews, which the friend to'converse with him. The younger brother will not prophet Isaiah has chosen to represent the founders of his enter the door at the same time with the elder; he must al- nation-men renowned for almost every virtue which can ways follow. Should they be invited fo a marriage, care adorn the human character: " My well-beloved has a will be taken that the oldest shall go in the first. The vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and he planted it with younger will never approach himn with his wooden sandals Sorek, or the choicest vine." It is to this valuable species on, he must take them off. He will not speak to the wife that Jacob refers, in his prophetic benediction addressed to of the elder, except on some special occasion. When the Judah; and the manner in which he speaks of it is remarkfather thinks his end is approaching, he calls his children, able: "Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt and, addressing himself to the elder, says, " lMy strength, unto the choice vine." In some parts of Persia it was my glory, my all is in thee." From this may be gained an -formerly the custom to turn their cattle into the vineyards 50~~f3~~ ~GENESIS. CHAP. 49 after the vintage, to browse on the vines, some of which the land, the fertile and delightful vale of Esdraelon, lying are so large, that a man can hardly compass their trunks -between ranges of hills, in the peaceful and industrious ocin his arms. These facts clearly show, that agreeably to cupancy of which they might very justly be likened to an the prediction of Jacob, the ass might be securely bound to ass reposing betw-\en the sides of his stall. "-Here, on this the vine, and without damaging the tree by browsing on plain," says Dr. Clarke," the most fertile part of all the land its leaves and branches. The same custom appears, from of Canaan, which, though a solitude, we found like one the narratives of several travellers, to have generally pre- vast meadow covered with the richest pasture, the tribe of vailed in the Lesser Asia. Chandler observed, that in the Issachar'rejoiced in their tents.'" There is no authority vineyards around Smyria, the leaves of the vines were whatever for rendering it "burdens," which seems to have decayed or stripped by the camels, or herds of goats, been suggested solely by the words" couching betw'een," as wuhich are permitted to browse upon them after the vin- it was unnatural to suppose that if an ass couched between tae.'Vlhen he left Smyrna on the thirtieth of September, any two objects, it would of course be between two burthe vineyardtls were already bare; but when he arrived at dens. But asthe blessings of several of the othlier sons have PhVyela, on the fifth or sixth of October, he found its terri- respect to the geographical features of their destined intory still green with vines; which is a proof, that the heritance, it is natural to look for something of the sdme vineyards at Sm /{rna must have been stripped by the cattle, kind in that of Issachar, and viewed in this light the words which delight to feed upon the foliage. This custom fur- yield a clear and strikingsense, the approprimateness of which nishes a satisfactory reason for a regulation in the laws of to the matter of fact is obvious to every eye. Chal. " IsMoses, the meaning of which has been very imperfectly sachar rich in substance, and his possession shall be beunderstood, wvhhich forbids a man to introduce his beast tween the bounds;" Syr. " Issachar, a gigantic man, lying into the vineyard of his neighbour. It was destructive to down between the paths;" Targ. Jon. "He shall lie down thle vineyard -before the friuit was gathered; and after the between the limits of his brethren;" Jerus. Targ. "and his vintage, it was still a serious injury, because it deprived boundary shall be situgted between two limis."i He saw the owner of the fodder, which was most grateful to his that rest was good." Instead of interpreting this prediction flocks and herds, and perhaps absolutely requisite for their with many commentators to the disparagement of Issachar, subsistence diuring the winter. These things considered, as though he were to be addicted to ignominious ease, we we discern in this enactment, the justice, wisdom, and understand it in a sense directly the reverse, as intimating kindness of the great legislator: and the same traits of that he should have so high an esteem of the promised excellence might no doubt be discovered in the most ob- "rest" in another life, that h-e should give hinmself to unretcure and minute regulation, could we detect the reason mitlling labour in this; that he should be so intent upon on which it is founded. —PAXTON. "inheriting the earth" after the resurrection, the reversion of the saints, that he should willingly suibect himself to Ver. 14. Issachar is a strong ass, couching down toil, privation, and every species of endurance, wsith a view beteen two burdns: 15. An he saw tat to secure the exceeding great reward. Thus his character between two burdens: 15. And he saw thatI1 would correspond with his name, the import of which is, rest zwas gqood, and the land that it wsas pleasant; " he shall bear or carry a reward."-Busii. and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servaent unto tribute. Ver. 17. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse-heels,'Fhe ass is not more remarkable for his power to sustain, so that his rider shall fall backward.'-han for his patience and tranquillity when oppressed by an unequal load. Like the camrel, he quietly submits to The only allusion to this species of serpent,(the Ccrastes,.he heaviest burden; he bears it peaceably, till he can pro- or horned snake,) in the sacred volume, occurs in the ceed no farther t and when his strength fails him, instead valedictory predictions of Jacob, where he describes the ofresistino or endeavouring to throw off the oppressive character and actions of Dan and his posterity: "Dan weight, hlie contentedly lies down, and rests himself under shall be a serpent by the way, an adder (;,'xm' scp/mimplon) it, reer.uits his vigour with the provender that may be of- in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider fered him, and then, at the call of his master, proceeds on shall fall backward." It is indisputably clear that the pahis journey. To this trait in the character of that useful triarch intended some kind of serpent; for the circunanimal, the dying patriarch evidently refers, when, under stances.will not apply to a freebooter watching for his prey. the afflatus of inspiration, hlie predicts the future lot and con- It only reinains to investigate the species to which it beduet of Issachar and his descendants. "Issachar is a strong longs. The principal care of the Jewish writers, is to asass, couching down between two burdens. And he sav certain the etymiology of the name, about wihich their senthat rest was -ood, and the land that it wvas pleasant, and timents are much divided. The Arabian authors quoted bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto trib- by Bochart, inform us, that thle Sephiphon is a most peraniute." This tribe, naturally dull and stupid, should, like cious reptile, and Vrery dangerous to mail. It is of a sandly'lie creature by which they were characterized, readily colour, variegated with black and white spots. The par-,ubsmit to the vilest master and the meanest service. Al- ticulars in the character of Danrt however, agree better noough, like the ass, possessed of ability; if properly exert- with the Cerastes, or horned snake, than with any other (-d and rightly directed, to shake off the inglorious yoke of species of serpent. It lies in wait for passengers in the servitude, they would basely submit to the insults of the sand, or in the rut of the wheels on the highwvay, From Phenicians on the one handi, and the Samaritans on the its lurking-place, it treacherously bites the horse's heels, och.er. Issachar was a strong ass, "ible," says a sprightly so that the rider falls backdoare, in consequence of the writer, "to refuse a load, as well as to bear it; but like animal's hinder legs becoming almost immediately torpid thie passive drudge which symbolized him, he preferred by the dreadful activity of the poison. The Cerastes is inglorious case to the resolute vindication of his liberty; a equally formidable to man and the lowffer animals and burdenr, of trisbute, to the gains of a just and well-regulated the more dangerous, because it is not easy to distinguish freedom; and a yoke of bondage, to the doubtful issues of him from the sand in which he lies; and he never spares war."P —PxrON. the helpless traveller who unwarily comes within his reach.:,Couching down between two burdens." The original "He moves," says Mr. Bruce, "with great rapidity, and word rendered" burdens," we believe, after careful investi- in all directions, forward, backward, and sides ise. When gation, properly signifies the double partition forming the hlie inclines to surprise any one who is too har from him, he sides of a stall for cattle or asses, or the bars and timbers creeps with his side towards the person, and his head avertof which they were made. A similar structure was erect- ed, till, judging his distance, he turns round, sprisgs upon ed about the dwelling. of the Jews, in which their pots, him, and fastens upon the part next to him; or it is no, I-kettles, and other kitchen utensils, were hung, and there- true, what is said, that the Cerastes does not leap or spring fore rendered by Gusset, in Ps. 68. 14, "pot-ranges." This I sawv one of them at Cairo, crawl upi the side of a box, h. expression, as applied to a region of country, would natu- which there were many, and there lie still as if hiding rally be supposed to imply two very marked and conspicu- himself, till one of the people who brought thenm to us, came ous limits, as for inltance two ranges of mountains enclo- near him, and though in a very disadvantageous posture, sing a valley, and by a very remarkable coincidence the sticking, as it wvere,perpendicular to the side of the box, he tribe of Issachar received for its lot, iii the distribution of leaped near the distance of I hree feet, and fastened between CGHAP. 49. GENESIS. 51 the man's fore-finger and thumb, so as to bring the blood. fully chosen in fields of a loose crumbling soil, on a rich The fellow showed no signs of either pain or fear: and we plain, or on a slcping hill rising yith a gentle ascent; or, kept him with us full four hours, without applying any sort where the acclivity was very steep, on terraces supported of remedy, or his seeming inclined to do so. To make by masonry, and turned as much as possible from the myself assured that the animal was in its perfect state, I setting sun. The plot was enclosed with a wall; the stones made the man hold him by the neck, so as to force him to and other encumbrances were removed, and the choicest open his mouth, and lacerate the thigh of a pelican, a bird I plants were selected to form the plantation. Within the had tamed, as big as a swan. The bird died in about thirteen vineyard, low walls were sometimes raised for the purpose minutes, though it was apparently affected in fifty seconds; of supporting the vines; a practice which seems to have and we cannot think it was a fair trial, because a very few been adopted before the days of Jacob; for in the jlessing minutes before, it had bit, and so discharged a part of its of Joseph, he.speaks of it in a manner wx hich shows that it virus, and it was made to scratch the pelican by force, was quite familiar to the vine-dresser: "Joseph is a fruitwithout any irritation or action of its own." These ser- ful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; wlhose branches pents have always been considered as extremely cunning, run over the wall." By this beautiful image then it appears, both in escaping their enemies and seizing their prey: they that while the dying patriarch justly appreciated and highly have even been called insidious; a character which, from praised the admirable qualities of his beloved son, he intitlhe preceding statement, they seem to deserve. The Orien- mated to his family in the most delicate but significant tals call him the tie ~ iii ambush; for, in this manner, both manner, their obligation to Joseph for the protection and the Seventy and Samaritan render the text in Gefisis; and comfort they enjoyed under his goverminment. —PAXTON. this appellation well agrees with his habits. Pliny says, r 22. Joseph is a fritl bou a fruitfl that the Cerastes hides its whole body in the sand, leaving only its horns exposed, which attract birds, who suppose bough by a well, whose branches run over the them to be grains of barley, till they are undeceived, too wall: 23. The archers have sorely grieved late, by the darting of the serpent upon them. Ephraim, him, and shot at him, and bated him. the Syrian, also mentions a kind of serpents whose heads only are seen above the ground. Like the Cerastes, Dan I have shown, in. preceding observations, that vines was to excel in cunning and in artifice, to prevail against in Judea sometimes grow against low stone walls; but 1 his enemies,'rather by his policy in the cabinet than by his do not apprehend the ingenious Mr. Barrington can be valour in the field. But all the Jewish expbsitors refer the right, when he supposes, in a paper of his on the patriarchal words of Jacob to Samson, who belonged to that tribe, and custons and manners, that Joseph is compareI to a vise was undoubtedly the most illustrious personage of whom gr'owing against the wall, Gen. xlix. 2. As vines are they could boast. This remarkable man, Jehovah raised sometimes planted against a low wall, thbey might possibly up to deliver his chosen people, not so much b his valour, be planted against a low wall surroundiing a well though although his actions clearly showed, that he was by no it is difficult to guess, why a wall should be built round means deficiedt in personal' courage, as by his artful and a well, in a vineyard, of such a height as to be.proFer for unexpected stratagems. This interpretation has been the support of a vine; and if it were, xhly archers direct adopted by several Christian expositors; while it has been their arrows against it, when it would be so easy to gather opposed by others as a needless refinement. It is unneces- the fruit by hand, without injury. But I suppose this is sary, and perhaps improper, to restrict the prediction to not an exact representation. In the first ylace, a vine'is Samson, when it can with equal propriety be applied to the not mentioned; it is only a fri'it/il ltrce, in general, to whole tribe. Whether the words of Jacob, in this instance, which Joseph is compared. Secondly, The being situated were meant to' express praise or blame, it may be difficult near water, is extremely conducive, in that dry and hot to determine; but, if the deceitful and dangerous character country, to the flourishing of vegetables in general' and of the Cerastes, to which Dan is compared; be duly con- trees among the rest. " We came," says M]aundrell, "to sidered, the latter is more probable. —PXTON., the fountain Bf Elisha. Close by the fountain grows a large tree, spreading into boughs over the water, and here Ver. 2-2. Joehis a fruitful boug-h, even a fruitful ia re pedngit ogsoe te x'f n xited Ve J. 22. J oseph is a fruitful bouoh, even a fiuitful in the shade we took a Collation." A tree, we find, plnted bough by a well, whose branches run over the near plenty of water, grows there to a large size. Thirdly, wvall. the wild Arabs of those countries are great plunderers of' fruit. Maillet assigns that as the reason wlhli the firuit of To the northward and westward are several villages, the land of Egypt, in these later times, is not better, narmely, interspersed with extensive orchards and vineyards, the that they are wont t6 gather it before it is properly ripened, latter of which are generally enclosed by high walls. The on account of the AMabs, who would otherwise rob them of Persian vine-dressers do all in their power to make the it. Fourthly, It is very well knoxw n, that walls easily stop vine run up the walls, and curl over on the other side, Arabs, who are continually on horseback in their roving which they do by tying stones to the extremity of the ten- about, and do not care to quit them, nor are used to climb dil. The vine, particularly in Turkey and Greece, is fre- walls. They had no better way then to get the fruit of quently made to intwine on trellises, around a well, where, those trees, whose luxuriant boughs ran over the walls of in the heat of the day, whole families collect themselves, their enclosures, than by throwving their bludgeons at them, and sit under the shade. — Moais.' and gathering up the fruit that fell on the outside of the All this fal!ls very naturally on an eastern ear. Joseph wall. To these things should be added, Fifthly, That the was the fruitful bough of Jacob, and being planted near a word translated arrows, means, not only those hings that well, his leaf would not wxvither, and he would bring forth we are wvont to call arrowvs, but such sticks as are throvn his fruit in his season. Great delight is taken in all kinds by the hand, as well as those missile weapons that are:-f creepers, which bear edible fruits, and the natives allow darted by means of a bow; for we find the word is made them to irun over the walls and roofs of their houses. The use of to express the staff of a spear, 1 Sam. xvii. 7, and telrm "braic/ches" in the verse is in the margin rendered consequently any piece of wood long in proportion to its'L dCoi.~crs;" and it is an interesting fact, (and one which diameter, especially if used as a missile instrrument. The w;ill tlu o,: ii;/ht on souse o!hes' 7pssao'es,) that the same term lords of arrows at>m %vn bactlee chiltsee,, for that is the is used here to denote the same thing. " That man has Hebrew expression, conformable to an eastern mode of only one Chlicle, i. e. branch daughter." " The youngest speech, which we translate archers, is a natural description C0ede (branch) has got married this day." " Where are of the wild Arabs, those lords of bludgeons, in committing yorn branches." "They are all married." "What a' their depredations on the eastern gardens and vineyards. voung branch to be in this state! —bow soon it has given But this manner of'treating the vine xould not be advanfruit!" When a mother has had a large family, " That tageous; bunches of grapes are by no meaucs thus to be branch bhas borne plenty of fruit." A husband will say to dislodged, and the fall xwould spoil the fruit. But there are his wife, vho is'sleril, "Of what use is a branch which other trees whose fruit might thus be gathered; among the bears not fruit."' The figure is much used in poetry.- rest, I suppose the pomegranate, whose fruit has so hard a RoanF Ts. shell, as neither to be injured by the fall, or destroyed by The people of Israel, and other oriental nati6ns' of those an accidental blow of the sticks they used for pelting the dayrs, appear to have bestowed particular attention on the tree. The destroying a man is sometimes coniparied to the ecltivation of the vine. The site of the vineyard was care- cutting down a tree: "I knew not," said the Prophet Jere' ,5'2''GE NES IS. CHAP. 50. riah, " that they had devised devices against me, saying, and bloody feud, reduced their own tribe to the very brink Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut of ruin, and inflicted a deep wound on the other members him off from the land of the living, that his namne may be of the state.-PAXTON. no more remembered," Jer. xi. 19. But the envious brethren of Joseph did not imbrue their hands in his- blood, they did CIHAP; 50. ver. 10. And they came t6ithe threshnot destroy him as men destroy a tree when they cut it ing-floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan; and down, but they terribly distressed him; they sold him for there they mourned with a great and very sore a slave into Egypt: he had flourished in the favour of his father and of his GOD, like a tree by a reservoir of water; lamentation: and he made a mourning for his but they f;)r a time dishonoured him, as a tree, is disgraced father seven days. by the breaking' its boughs, and knocking off its leaves, by the wild Arabs, who want to derive some advantage from battering it after this manner; when they cannot come at it to destroy it. —IIARIER. Ver. 26. So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years olcd: and they embalmed him, and he Ver. 27. Benjamin shall raven as a wolf: in the was put in a coftin in Egypt. was put in a coffin in Egypt. morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil. The people of the East do not in general put their dead in a coffin; they simply fold ulp the corpse in a mat. When The wolf is weaker than the.lion or the bear, and less dying, the head is always placed towards the south, and in courageous than the leopard; but he scarcely yields to the grave also in the same direction. When a person is them in cruelty and rapaciousness. So Benjamin, although very ill, should another ask how he is, he will rc.ply, " Ah! not destitute of coulage and address, nor disinclined to his head is towards the south;" meaning there is no hope. war, possessed neither the strength, nor the manly spirit of -ROBERTS. Judah, whose symbol was the lion's whelp; but yet he was When Joseph died, he was not only embalmed, but pat. greedly of blood, and delighted in rapine; and in the early in a coffin. This was an honour appropriated to persons periods of Jewish history, he distinguished himself by an of distinction, coffins not being universally used in Egypt. active and restless spirit, which commonly, like the wolf Maillet, speaking of the Egyptian repositories of the dead, among lambs and kids, spent itself in petty or inglorious having given an account of several'niches that are found warfare, althoulgh it sometimes blazed forth in deeds of there, savs, "it must not be imagined that the bodies heroic valour, and general utility. He had the honour of deposited in these gloomy apartments were all enclosed in giving the second judge to the nation of Israel, who deliv- chests, and placed in niches; the greatest part were simply ered themp from the oppressive yoke of Moab; and the first embalmed and swathed after that manner that every one king who sat on the throne of that chosen people, whose hath some notion of; after which they laid theim one by the valour saved them friom the iron sceptre of'Ammon, and side of another without any ceremony: some were even more than once revenged the barbarities of the uncircum- put into these tombs without any embalming at all, or such cised Philistines upon their discomfited hosts. In the de- a slight one, that there remains nothing of them in the dine of the Jewish commonwealth, Esther and Mordecai; linen in which they were wrapped but the bones, and those who Nwere both of this tribe, successfully interposed with half rotten." Antique coffins of stone, and sycamore wood, the Klng of Persia, for the deliverance of their brethren, are still to be seen in Egypt. It is said that some were and took their station in the first rank of public benefactors. formerly made of a kind of pasteboard, fortned by folding But the tribe of sBe-jamnin ravened like wolves, that are so and gluing cloth together a great number of times; these ferocio is as to idct our one another, when they desperately were curiously plastered and painted with hieroglyphics.espoused the cse:cf Gibeah, and in theiishonourable THEVENOT. EXODUS. CHAP. 1. ver. 14. And they made their lives bit- See on Gen. 14. 23. ter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, No heathen would presume to go on holy ground, or! enter a temple, or any other sacred place, without fiyst taking and in all manner of service in the field: all off his sandals. Even native Christians, on entering a their service, wherein they made them serve, church or chapel, generally do the same thing. No reswas with rigour. pectable man would enter the house of another without having first taken off his sandals, which are generally left Of a bad man it is said, in the East, " He makes the lives at the door, or taken inside by a servant.-RoBERTs. of his servants bitter." Also, "Ah! the fellow: the heart of his wife is made bitter." "My soul is bitter." "My CHAP. 7. ver. 1. And the LORD said unto Moses, heart is like the bitter tree."-RoBERTS. See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Ver. 16. And he said, When ye do the office of Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see the'mn A man who is afraid to go into the presence of a king, upon the stools, if it be a son, then ye shall kill or a governor, or a great man, will seek an interview with him; but if it be a daugrhters, then she shall live. the minister, or some principal character; and should he be much alarmied, it will be said, "Fear-not, friend; I will There have been great difficulties started in the nature and make you as a god to the king." "'What! are you afraid use of the instrumPnts here rendered stools, (Heb. stones.) Ac- of the collector? fear not; you will be as ac god to him." cording to the rendering of the established version, it would " Yes, yes, that upstart was once much afraid of the great seem that they were designed for procuring a more easy ones; but now he is like a god among them." -ROBERTS. delivery for women in labour. But besides that stone seats were obviously very unfit for such a purpose, the Hebrew Ver. 12. For they cast down every man his rod, word plainly signifies a vessel of stone for holding water, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod (Ex. vii. 19.) A far more probable interpretation, we think, swallowed up their rods. is made out by referring the pronoun them, not to the mothers, but to the children. The sense of the passage would The rods of the magicians were hardly travelling staves, then be this:-" When ye see the new-born children, for but doubtless such as they bore by virtue of their office as the purpose of being washed, laid in the troughs or vessels priests and servants of God. The Roman augurs were, of stone for holding water, ye shall destroy the boys." A in the like manner, accustomed to carry a staff called lipassage from Thevenot seems fo confirm this construction. tures, which was crooked at the top, as described by Cice"The kings of Persia atie so afraid of being deprived of ro (on Divination, b. i. chap. 17.) That these staves were that- power which they abuse, and are so apprehensive of a Roman invention, is improbable; they were derived, being dethroned, that they destroy the children of their like others of their sacred customs, from the religion of female relations, wvhen tltheq are brougSAt to bed of boys, by older nations.-BuRDER. pntttiibg t/ene into anb ecart/hen trough/, where they suffer them Ver. 18. nd the ish that is in the river shall to starve;" that is, probably, under pretence of preparing to wash them, they let them pine away or destroy them in the die, and the river shall stink; and the Egypwater.-B. tialls shall loathe to drink of the water of the Ver. 19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, river. Because the Hebrew women asre not as the There are few wells in Egypt, but their waters are not Egyptian wv omen: for they are lively, and are drank, being unpleasant and unwholesome; the water of delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. the Nile is what they universally make use of in this coun-. try, which is looked upon to be extraordinarily wholeOriental women suffer little from parturition; for those some, and at the same time, extremely delicious. " The of better condition are frequently on foot the day after de- water of Egypt," says the Abbh Mascrier, " is so delicious, livery, and out of all confinement on the third day. They that one would not wish the heat should be less, nor to be. seldom call midwives, and when they do, they are somne- delivered from the sensation of thirst. The Turks find it times delivered before they come to their assistance; the so exquisitely charming, that they excite themselves to pouter sort, while they are labouring or planting, go aside, drink of it by eating salt. It is a common saying among deliver themselves, wash the child, lay it in a cloth, and them, that if Mohammed had drank of it, he would have return to work again. The same facility attended the He- begged of GoD not to have died, that he might always have brew women in Egypt; and the assertion of the midwives done it. They add, that whoever has once drank of it, he. seems td have been literally true.-PAxToN. ought to drink of it a second time. This is what the peoCHAPBI'. 2. ver. 5. And the daughter of Pharnob ple of the country told me, when they saw me return from <)HfAP. 2. ver. 5. And the dauoghter of Pharaoh ten years' absence. When the Egyptians undertake the:ame down to vwash herself at the river; and pilgrimage of Mecca, or go out of their country on any - her maidens walked along by the rivet's side. other account, they speak of nothing but the pleasure they shall find at their return in drinking the Nile water. There All this is very natural. Wherever there is a river, or is nothing to be compared to this satisfaction; it surpasses a tank, which is known to be free from alligators, there fe- in their esteem that of seeing their relations again, and males go in companies to some retired place to bathe. There their families. Agreeably to this, all those that have tasted are so many ceremonies, and so many causes for defile- of this water allow that they never met with the like in vient, among the Hindoos, that the duty has often to be at- any other place. In truth, when one drinks of it the first tended to. In the Scanda Purana, the beautiful daughter time, it seems to be some water prepared by art. It has of Moingaly is described as going to the river with her something in it inexpressibly agreeable and pleasing to the maidens to bathe.-RosERT. taste; and we ought to give it perhaps the same rank CHAP. 3. vier. t5. And he, said, Draw not nigh among waters, which champaigne has among wines. I 1hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for must confess, however, it has, to my taste, too much sweethithier: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for ness. But its most valuable quality is, that it is infinitely the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. salutary. Drink it in what quantities you will, it never Jn 54 EXODUS. CHAP.. the least incommodes you. This is so true, that it is no un- but it must have excited on that occasion, a disgust which common thing to see some persons drink three buckets of rendered life an almost insupportable burden. The eye it in a d(lay, without finding the least inconvenience... was tormented with beholding the march'-of their impure When I give such encomiums to the water of Egypt, it is legions, and the ear with hearing the harsh tones of their right to observe, that I speak only of that of the Nile, which voices: the Egyptians could recline upon no bed where they indeed is the only water there which is drinkable. Well- were not compelled to admit their cold and filthy embrace; water is detestable and unwholesome; fountains are so rare, they tasted no food which was not infected by thfeir touch; that they are a kind of prodigy in that country; and as for and they smelled no perfume, but the foetid stench of their the rain-water, it would be in vain to attempt preservingthat, slime, or the putrid exhalations emitted from their dead since scarce any falls in Egypt." The embellishments of carcasses. Theinsufferableannoyanceof suchinsignificant a Frenchman may be seen here, but the fact, however, in creatures illustriously displayed the power of God, while it general is indubitable. A person that never before heard covered the haughty and unfeeling persecutors of his peoof this delicacy of the water of the Nile, and the large pie with confusion, and filled them with uttei dismay. quantities that on that account, are drank of it, will, I am How much the Egyptians endured from this visitation, is very sure, find an energy in those words of Moses to Pha- evident from the haste with which Pharaoh sent for Moses raoh, Exod. vii. 18, The Egyptian shall loathe to drinkh of tke and Aaron, and begged the assistance of their prayers: water of the river, which he never observed before.' They "Entreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from will loathe to drink of that water which they used to prefer me and from my people; and I will let the people go that to all the waters of the universe, loathe to drink of that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord."' Reduced to great whidh they had been wont eagerly to long for; and will extremity, and receiving no deliverance from the pretended rather choose to drink of well-water,'which is in their miracles of his magicians, he, had recourse to that God, zountry so detestable. And as none of our commentators, concerning whom he had so proudly demanded, "Who is that I know of, have observed this energy, my reader, I Jehovah, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?" hope, will not be displeased that I have remarked it here. Subdued and instructed by adversity, he implores his -HARMER. compassion, and acknowledges the glory of his name; but, is the event proved, not with a sincere heart: "Then said Ver. 19. And tlhct there may be blood through- Moses, Glory over me;" an obscure phrase, which is exout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of plained by the next clause," when shall I entreat for thee'" wood, and in vessels of stone. that is, according to some writers, although it belongs not to thee, Pharaoh, to prescribe to me the time of thy deliverPerhaps these words do not.signify, that the water that ance, which entirely depends on the will and pleasure of ha3 been taken up into their vessels, was changed into God alone; yet I, who am a prophet, and th'e interpreter blood. The water of the Nile is known to be very thick of his will, grant thee, in his name, the choosing of the and muddy, and they purify it either by a paste made of time when this plague shall be removed. But this interalmonds, or by filtrating it thAough certain pots of white pretation is more ingenious than solid. M.oses intends raearth, which i's the preferable way, and therefore the pos- ther to suggest an antithesis between the perverse boasting session of one of these pots is thought a great happiness. of the proud monarch, and the pious gloriation of the humNow, may not the meaning of this passage be, that the wa- bled penitent, who was now reduced to cry for mercy. ter of the Nile should not only look red and nauseous, like Thus far, said Mdses, thou hast trusted in thine qwn powblood in the river, but in their vessels too, when taken up er; then, fascinated with the deceitful miracle of the main small quantities; and that no method whatever of purl- gicians, thou hast perversely exalted thyself against the fying it should take place, but whether drank out of vessels God of heaven; now rather glory that thou hast in me an of wood, or out of vessels of stone, by means of which they intercessor with God, whose prayers for thy deliverance he were wont to purge the Nile water, it should be the same, will not refuse to hear: and in proof that he is the only and should appear like blood. Some method must have true God, and that I bear his commission, fix thou the time been used in very early days to'clarify the water of the of deliverance. Nile; the mere letting it stand to settle, hardly seems suffi- "And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according cient, especially if we consider the early elegance that ob- to thy word: that thou mayst know, that there is none like tamned in Egypt. So simple an invention then as filtrating unto the Lord our God." To-morrow, said Pharaoh: but vessels may easily be supposed to be as ancient as the time why not to-day! It was to be expected, that the vexed and of Moses; and to them therefore it seems natural to sup- humbled monarch would ask for instant relief. It is probpose the threatening refers.-HARMER. able, the king had called Moses'and Aaron in the evening, The chalnging of the river into blood, in colour, I saw and that he durst not ask the promised deliverance on the partially accomplished. For the first four or five days of same day, because he thought it was not to be obtained the Nile's increase the waters are of a muddy red, owing without many prayers. Whatever might be the'true reason to their being impregnated with a reddish coal in the upper of Pharaoh's procrastination, the renowned Calvin' seems country; as this is washed away, the river becomes of a to have no ground for his opinion, that his only reason was, greenish yellow for four or five days. When I first ob- after obtaining his desire, to depart as formerly from his served this, I perceived that the animalculae in the water engagement to let the people go; and that Moses, content were more numerous than at any other period; even the with his promise, retired to intercede with Jehovah in his Arabs would not drink the water without straining it favour. That great man was persuaded, that the plague through a rag: "And the river stank, and the Egyptians was immediately removed, not suffered to continue till next could not drink of the water of the river."-MADn: N. day. It is better, however, to abide by the obvious meaning of the clear and precise terms used on that occasion, CHiAP. 8. ver. 4. And the frogs shall come up, both by the king and the prophet: "and he said, To-morboth on thee, and upon thy people, and upon row. And he said, Be it according to thy word." Moses all_1 th23y servants, and Aaron, it is true, "'lvent out from Pharaoh, and immeall thy'servants. diately cried unto the Lord, because of the frogs which he This loathsome plague exiended to every place, and to had brought against Pharaoh." But it is not said, the Lord every class of men. The frogs came up and covered the immediately removed the plague; but only, that he "did land of Egypt; they entered into their houses, and into according to the word of Moses." Now, Moses had promtheir bed-clhambers; they crawled upon their persons, upon ised relief next day, in the clearest terms, and we have their beds, and into their kitchen utensils. The whole' every reason to suppose, that his intercession proceeded country, their palaces, their temples, their persons-all was upon his promise; therefore, when the Lord did according polluted and hateful. Nor was it in their power to wash to the word of Moses, he removed the frogs on the next day, away the nauseous filth with which they were tainted, for They were not, however, swept away, like the locusts every stream and every lake was full o'f pollution. To a which succeeded them, but destroyed, and left on the face people who affected the most scrtpulous purity in their of the ground. They were not annihilated, nor resolved persons, their habitations, and manner of living, nothing'into mud, nor marched back into the river, from whence almost can be conceived more insufferable than this plague. they had come; but left dead upon the ground, to prove the T'he frog is, compared with many other reptiles, a harm- truth of the miracle,-that they had not died by the hands ess animal; it neither injures by its bite nor by its poison: of men, but by the power of God; that the great deliverance CHAP. 9. EXODUS. 55 was not like the works of the magicians, a lying wonder, mentary to Pharaoh, but it would have a strong tendency but a real interposition of almighty power, and an effect of to convince him that the Lord had heard the prayer of Mo. divine goodness. The Egyptians were, therefore, reduced ses, because he himself had appointe(d the time. The Tamm to the necessity of collecting them into heaps, which had translation* has this, "Let the honour he to you (or over the effect cf more rapidly disengaging the putrid effiuvia, me) to appoint a time when I shall pray." —IRosETs. and thus for a time,\ increasing the Wretchedness of the country. Their destruction was probably followed by a Ver; 16. And the LORD said unto MIoses, Say pestilence, which cut off many of the people, in addition to unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the those that died in consequence of the grievous vexatious dust the land, that it may become lice throu dust of the land, that it may become lice tbroug. they endured from their loathsome adversaries; for, in one out all the land of Egypt.of the songs of Zio:,,it is said, " He sent froms, which de- out ait tue ianu 01 ~igypt. stroyed them." laid waste their lands, and infected themThe learned have not been a-reed in their opihio'n conselves with pestilential disorders. In another Psalm, the ce t e ot pn u o Eyt odii cernin- the thir'd of the plagues of Egypt- Exod. viii. 16, sweet singer of Israel brings the frogs Which destroyed the et g f a r tf hh s e &C. Some of the ancients suppose that gnats, or some anEgyptians, from the land; whereas, Moses avers, they were meant; whereas our translaUp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~imals resembling them, were meant; whereas our translaproduced by the river: " Their land brought forth frogs in n tops, and many of the moderns, understand the or/iena, abundance, in the chambers of their kings;" but the differ- tors, and many of the moderns, understand the oriina I word m,..5~ kinneem, as signif~dng lice. Bishop Patrick, in ence is only apparent, and may be easily reconciled; for ord i ie, as igifig lice. Bisho Patic, in the Psalmi v be unerstoo as referrin, not to any his commentary, supposes that Bochart has sufficiently the Psalmist may be understood as referring, not to any ind of lad btto the iry soil on the bans, or the d proved, out of the text itself, that our version is right. since kind of land, but to the miry soil on the banks, or the mud in the bottom of the river. Bgnats are bred in fenny places, he might have said with in the bottom of the river.'But the truth is, he -uses a term", truth, and with much greater energy of' argument, in wawhich signifies a region or country, comprehending both ~~~D zn ~~~~~~~ter, whereas the animals Moses here speaks of, were land and water. His true meaning then is, Their land or ter, whereas the animals oses here spea of, were counnti of which the Nile is a part, a f: brobght out of the dust of the earth. A passage I lately country, of which the Nile is a part, brought forth frogs:' for the land of Egypt certainly produces whatever the Nile met with, in Vinisaur's account of the expedition of our contains te it necessary to prove so clear a positio, King Richard the First into the Holy Land, may, perhaps, cthe aoids ofW oses might be quoted, in which he reminds a give a truer representation of this Egyptian plague, than the words of'Moses might be quoted, in which he remind those that suppose they -were giiats, or those that suppose the people of israel, that they came in the course of their ose that suppose they were gnats, or those that suppose tjounevoinl to Jobath; a land of rivers; and the sublime they were lice, that God used on that occasion, as the injourneyings to Jobath;- a land of rivers; and the su blirmento httidcreto.Sekn ftem~h ascripiodn olf Htbaek-iukr:: " Thou didst cleave the earth tlrument of that third correction. Speaking of the marchascription of Habakkuk' " Thou didst cleave the earth z with rivers The sea itsel belongs as it were to te ing of that army of Croisaders, from Cayphas to where the neighbouring countries; for it is said, that Solomon con- ancient Csara stood, that writer informs us, that eac night certain worms distressed them, comnmonly called ta' — structed a fleet "in the land of Edom;" that is, in the sea which washed the shores of Edom. entes, which crept upon the ground, and occasioned a very which washed the shores of Edom. It has been inquired, why David in the same passage burning heat by most painful punctures. They hurt nosays, the frogs penetrated into the chambers of their kings. body in the day time, but when night came on they xtremely pestered them, being armed witsincneyu The answer is easy: the plural is often used for the singu- a- ny pestered them, being armed with stings, conveyin', a poison which quickly occasioned those that were Woundiar in Hebrnaew thus the Psalmist himself: " We will go ed by them to swell, and was attended with the most acute irto his tabernacles;"' although there was but one tabernacle where the people of Israel assembled for religious pains.-HAuI-ER. worship. The servants of Nebuchadnezzar accused the CIHAP. 9. ver. 8. And the LORD said unto Moses three children in these terms: "they do not worship thy and unto aon, e to ou andfuls of ashes gods," meaning only the golden image, which the king had set up in the plain of Dura. The language of David, there- of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it tofore, in the text under consideration, meant no more than wards the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. the Iking's palace. Some interpreters propose another solution: That the kingdomn of Egypt was at that time divided When the magicians pronounce an imprecation on an. into a number of small independent states, governed each individual, a village, or a country, they take ashes of cow's by its own prince, and that all of them were equally sub- dung, (or from a common fire,) and thr'ow themt in the air., jected to the plague; but although it must be granted that saying to the objects of their displeasure, such a siclkness, this country was in succeeding ages, divided into a number or such a curse, shall surely come upon you.-RozERTs.. of small principalities, no evidence has been adduced in support of such a state of things in the time of Moses; on Ver. 25. And the hail smote throughout all the the contrary, the whole tenor of his narrative leads to the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both opposite conclusion. Nor is it unreasonable to suppose, man and beas and the hail smoe evr herb man and beast: and the hail smote every herb that the principal grandees of Egypt, many of whom were persons of great power and influence in the state, received of the field, and brake every tree of the field. from the royal Psalmist the title of kings; it is certainly not more incongruous, than to give the title of princes I do not apprehend that it is at all necessary to snppose, to the merchants of Tyre; or the title of kings to the princes that all the servants, ad all thecattle of the EgYptians, that wlh erevantsoad atl the ~ctietle halfll twhec Mopuses of A'ssyria. The meaning of the passage then is briefly that were abroad at the time the hail fell, whichI Moses this the potent monarch of Egypt, inthe midst of his vas- threatned, and which as attended iththner and thretened, died; with was atticende ito s:poeth uney a ndfetti sal,rinces, in the innermost recesses of his palace, could litng, died; it is sufficient to upose te all felt t find no means of defence against the ceaseless intrusion of hailstones and that several of them ere illed. This the impure vermin which covered the face of his dominion was enough to justify the words of Moses, that it should be 1, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~a "grievous bail, such as bad not fallen before in E gypt and equally infested the palaces of the rich, and the cottage grievous hail, suh s had not alen before in Ept of the poor; the awful abode of the king, and the clay-built from its foundation." For thongh it hails sometimes in hovel of the mIendicant.-PAXTON. Egypt as well as rains, as Dr. Pococke found it hailed at Fioume, when he was there in February; and thunders Ver. 9. And Moses ~said unto Pharaoh, Glory to, as Thevenot says it did one night in December, when wehe was at Cairo; yet fatal effects are not wont to follow in ~over ne: withen shall I entreat. for the~e, and for..over me: weshlIenrtfoteead that country, as appears from what Thevenot says of this thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the thunder, Nwhich, he tells -us, killed a man in the castle there, frogs. from thee and thy houses, that they may though it had never been heard before that thunder had ~remain in the river only? killed anybody at Cairo. For div6,is people then to have'remain in the river only?~ been killed by the lightning and the hail, besides cattle, was an event that Moses might well say had never' happenzed The margin has, for 1' glory," "honour," and for " over there befog'e, f~'om tle tize it bega% to be inhabzted. me," "C(niust me." Pharaoh had besought 1\loses to pray there before, from the time it began to be inhabited. I will me," "against me." Pharaoh had besought Moses to pray that the Lord might takle away the frogs, and Moses wished. the king to have the honour or glory (in preference to - Which is made from the original; and the genius of the languag is o itin he should thus pray to every way more suited to the Hebrew, than ouirs. And nearly all the nimself) of appointing a time when he should thus pray to rientalisms in the marginal references of the English Bible are inihe Lord to take them awtw. This was not only comnpli- serted in the text of the Tamul translation. 56 EXODUS. CHAP. 10-11. only actd, that Moses, by representing this as an extraordli- stretch forthi the right hand towards heaven, to show that nary hail, supposed that it did sometimes hail there, as it is they have power, and that God favours them. The Tamul found in fact to do, though not as in other countries: the translation has this, " darkness which caqseth to feel;" i. e. not r'ainling in Egypt, it is well knfown, is to be understood so dark that a man is obliged tofeel for his way, and until in the same manner.-HARMER. - he shall have so felt, he cannot proceed. Thus the darkness was so great, that their eyes were not of ailz use; they CHAP. 10. ver. 11. Not so: go now ye that are were obliged to grope for their way.-ROBERTS. men, and serve the LORD: for that ye did de- [This is probably a correct view of the passage, as a sire. Andt they were driven out from ~Phas- darkness consisting of thick clammy fogs, of vapours and exhalations so condensed as to be perceived by the organs raoh's presence. of touch, would have extinguished animal life in a few rmoments.]-B. Among natives 6f rank, when a person is very imporhtunate or troublesome, when he presses for somethin Ver 28. And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee which the former are not willing to grant, he is told to from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no begone. Should he still persist, the servants are called, and the order is given, " Drive that fellow out." He is more: for in that day thou seest my face, thou, then seized by the nLeck, or taken by the hands, and dranged shalt die. from the premises; he all the time screaming' and bawling as if they were taking his life. Thus to be driven out is Has a servant, an agent, or an officer, deeply offended the greatest indignity which can be offered, and nothing his superior, he will say to him, " Take care never to see my but the most violent rage will induce a superior to hav face again; for on the day you do that, evil shall come uprecourse to it.- ROBERTS. on you." "Begone, and in future never look in thisface," pointing to his own. —RosERTS. Ver. 19. And the LORD turned a mighty strongo west wind, which took away the locusts, and CHAP. 11. ver. 2. Speak now in the ears of the cast them into the Red Sea;- there remained people, and let every man borrow of his neighnot one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. bour, and every woman of her neighbour jewels of silver, and jewels of' gold. It was not the purpose of God to complete every punishment at once, but to carry on these judgments in a series, Dr. Boothroyd, instead of borrow, translates " ask." Dr. and by degrees to cut off all hopes, and every resource A. Clarke says, "request, demand, require." The Israelupon which the Egyptians depended. By the hail and ites wished to go three days' journey into the wilderness, thunder and fire mingled with rain, both the flax and that they might hold a feast unto the Lord. WVhen the barley were entirely ruined, and their pastures nust have Orientals go to their sacred festivals, they always put on been greatly injured, The wheat and rye were not vet in their best jewels. Not to appear before the gods in such a. ear; and such was the fertility of the soil in Egypt, that a way, they consider would be disgraceful to themselves and rery short time would have sufficed for the leaves of the displeasing to the deities. A person, whose clothes or trees, and the grass of the field, to have been recruited. jewels are indifferent, will BORROW of his richer neighT'o complete, therefore, these evils, it pleased God to send bours; and nothing is more common than to see poor peoa host of locusts, to devour every leaf and blade of grass, ple standing before the temples, or engaged in sacred cere-which had been left in the former devastation, and what-monies, well adorned with jewels. The almost pauper ever was beginning to vegetate. It is hard to conceive brideor bridegroom at a marriage may often be seen declhow wide the mischief extends, when a cloud of these ed with gems of the most costly kind, which have been insects comes upon a country. They devour to the very BORROWED for the occasion. It fully accords, therefore, root and bark, so that it is a long time before vegetation with the idea of what is due at a sacred or social feast, to can be renewTed. Howor dreadful their inroads at all timnes be thus adorned in their best attire. Under these circumwere, may be known from a variety of authors, both stances, it would be perfectly easy to BORROW of the Egypancient and modern. They describe them as beingbrou-ht tians their jewels, as they themselves, in their festivals, by one wind, and carried off by another. They swarm would doubtless wear the same things. It isalso recorded greatly in Asia and Africa. In respect to Europe, Theve- the Lord gave them favour in the sight of the Egyptians." not tells us, that the region upon the Boristhenes, and It does not appear to have been fully known to the Heparticularly that inhabited by the Cossacks, is greatly brews, that they were going finally to leave Egypt: they infested with locusts, especially in a dry season. They might expect to return; and it is almost certain that if come in vast clouds, which extend fifteen and sometimes theiroppressors had known they were not to return, they eighteen miles, and are nine to twelve in breadth. The would not have LENT them their jewels. air, by their interposition, is rendered quite obscure, how- The Lord, however, did say to Moses, in chap. iii. 11., ever bright the day may have been before. In two hours that He would" bring forth the children of Israel out of they devour all the corn, where —er they settle, and often a Egypt," and that thev should worship Him upon that mounfamine ensues. At night, when they repose upon the tai; but whether Moses fully understood Him is not cerearth, the ground is covered with them four inches deep, tai. But the Lord knew!-certainly He didt And as or more: and if a carriage goes over them, and they are a father, or a master, who saw his children, or slaves, demashed under foot, the smell of them is scarcely to be prive each other of their rightful pay, (as the Egyptians did borne, especially when thev are reduced to a state of the Israelites,) had a right to give to the injured what they putrefaction. They come from Circassia, Mingrelia, and had been unjustly deprived of: so'the Lord, in whose hands Tartary, on'wnlich* account the natives rejoice in a north are all things, who daily takes from one, and gives to anor northeast wind, which carries them into the Black Sea, other; and who builds up, or destroys, the families of the where they perish. The vast region of Asia, especially earth; oud have anundoubtedrihttogive toheebrearwthat property of uhich the Egyptians had so -unjustly the southern part, is liable to their depredations. China brews that property of which the Egyptians had so unjustly is particularly infested with them; and the natives use and cruelly deprived them.-RoBERT.s. various means to obviate the evil, which is generally too powerful to be evaded. But the most fearful accounts are from Africa, where the heat of the climate, and the nature shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that of the soil in many places, contribute to the production of sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first-born these animals in astonishing numbers.-BUERDER. of the maid-servant that is behind the mill.; Ver. 21. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch and all the first-bon of beasts. out thy hand towards heaven, that there may be In the first ages, they parched or roasted their grain; darkness over the land of Egypt, even dark- a practice which the people of Israel, as we learn from the ness?which may be felt. scriptures, long continued; afterward they pounded it in a mortar, to which Solomon thus alludes: " Though thou When the magicians deliver their predictions, they shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat, with a pes CaP.. 12. EXODUS. 57 tie, yet will not his foolishness depart from him."- This was that hangs over them." And after this manner he supposes succeeded by mills, similar to the handmills formerly used the Israelites were prepared for their going out of Egypt, in this country; of which there were two sorts: the first when'they ate'the first passover, Exod. xii. 11L. He takes were large, and turned by the strength of horses or asses: notice, in the same passage',;of the singularity of their hay the second were smaller, and wrought by. men, commonly ing shoes cn their feet at that repast. They in common, h,: by slaves condemned to this hard labour, as a punishment observes, put off their shoes when they eat, for which h,, for their crimes. Chardin remarks in his manuscript, that assigns two reasons: the one, that as they do not use tables the persons employed are generally female slaves, who are and chairs in the East, as in Europe, but cover their floors least regarded, or are least fit for any thing else: for the with carpets, they might not soil those beautiful pieces of work is extremely laborious, and esteemed the lowest erm- furniture; the other, because it would be troublesome to ployment about the house. Most of their corn is ground keep their shoes upon their feet, they sitting crosslegged by'these little mills, although they sometimes make use of on the floor, and having no hinder quarters to their shoes, large mills, wrought by oxen or camels. Near Ispahan, which are made like slippers. H-e takes no notice in this and some of the other great cities of Persia, he saw water-,note, of their having to eat this passover with a staff in their mills; but he did not meet with a single windmill in the hand; but he elsewhere observes, that the eastern people East. Almost every family grinds their wheat and barley' very universally make use of a staff when they jo rney at hdme, having two portable millstones for that purpose; on foot; and this passage plainly supposes it. —.H-MER. of which the uppermost is turned round by a small handle of wood or iron, that is' placed in the rim. When this stone Ver. 34. And the people took their dough before is large, or expedition is required, a second person is called it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being' in to assist; and as it is usual for the women only to be bound up in their clothes uon thir shoulders. bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. concerned in this employment, who seat themselves over against each other, with the millstone between them, we The dough, we are told, which the Israelites had prepared mayv see the propriety of the expression in the declaration for baking, and on which it should seem they subsisted afof Moses: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt ter they left Egypt for a month, was carried away by them shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh, that sitteth upon in their kneading-troughs on their shoulders, Exod. xii. 34. his throne, even unto the first-born of the maid-servant, Now, an honest thoughtful countryman, who knows how that is behind the mill." The manner in which the hand- cumbersome our kneading-troughs are, and how much less mills are worked, is well described by Dr. Clarke: " Scarce- important they are than many other utensils, may be ready -ly had we reached the apartment prepared for our recep- to wonder at this, and find a'difficulty in accounting for it. tion, when looking from the window, into the courtyard But this wonder perhaps may cease, when he conies to tnbelonging to the house, we beheld two women grinding at derstand, that the vessels which the Arabs of that, country the mill, in a manner most forcibly illustrating the saying make use of, for kneading the unleavened cakes they preof our Saviour:'TIwo women shall be grinding at the pare for those that travel in this very desert, are only mill, the one shall be taken and the other left.' They were small wooden bowls; and that they seem to use no other preparing flour to make our bread, as it is always custom- in their own tents for that purpose, or any other, these ary in the country when strangers arrive. The two women, bowls being used by them for kneading their bread, and seated upon the ground opposite to each other, held between afterward serving up their provisions wThen coo!ed: for them two round flat stones, such as are seen in'Lapland, then it will appear, that nothing could be more convenient and such as in Scotland are called querns. In the centre than kneading-troughs of tbis sort for the Israelites, in their of the upper stone was a cavity for pouring in the corn; journey. I am, however, a little doubtful, whether these and by the side of this, an upright wooden handle for mov- were the things that Moses meant by that word which our ing the stone. Asthis operation began, one of the women version renders kleeading-t'rougkhts; since it seems to me, opposite received it from her companion, who pushed it that the Israelites had made a provision of corn snufficient towards her who again sent it to her companion; thus for their consumption for about a month, and that they communicating a rotatory motion to the upper stone, their were preparing to bake all this at once: now their own left hands being all the while employed in supplying fresh little wooden bowls, in which they were wont to knead the corn, as fast as the bran and flour escaped from the sides bread they wanted for a single day, could not contain all of the machine."-PxxTo.. this dough, nor could they well carry a number of these Cxp. 12. ver. 1. And thus shall ye eat it; things, borrowed of the Egyptians for the present occasion, with them. That they had furnished themselves with corn with your loins girded your shoes on -your sufficient for a month, appears from their not ~wanting feet, and your staffin your hand: and ye shall bread till they came into the wilderness of Sin; that the eat it in haste; it is the LOD's passover. eastern people commonly bake their bread daily, as they want it, appears from an observation I have alread v made, When people take a journey, they have always their and from the history of the patriarch Abraham; and that loins well girded, as they believe that they can walk much they were preparing to bake bread sufficient for this putfaster and to a greater distance. Before the palankeen pose at once, seems most probable; from the universal bushearers take up their load, they assist each other to make tle they were in, and from the much greater conveniences t.ght a part of'the sali or robe round the loins. When men for baking in Egypt than in the wilderness, which are are about to enter into an arduous undertaking, bystanders such, that though Dr. Shaw's attendant sometimes baked say, " Tie your loins well up." (Luke xii. 35. Eph. vi. 4. in the desert, he thought fit, notwithstanding, to carry bis1 Pet. i. 13.) —RIonEaTS. cuit with him, and Thevenot the same. They could not They that travel on foot are obliged to fasten their gar- well carry such a quantity of dough in those wooden ments at a greater height from their feet than they are bowls, which they used for kneading their bread in comwont to do at other times. This is what some have under- mon. What is more, Dr. Pococke tells us, that the Arabs stood to ba meant by the girgding their loins: not simply actually carry their dough in something else: for, after their having girdles about them, but the wearing their gar- having spoken of their copper dishes put one within anmeats at a greater height than usual. There are two wiays other, and their wooden bowls, in which; they make their of doing this, Sir J. Chardin remarks, after having inform- bread, and which make up all the kitchen furniture of an ed us that the dress of the eastern people is a long vest, Arab, even where he is settled; he gives us a description reaching dovwn the calf of the leg, more or less fitted to the of a round leather coverlet, which they lay on the ground, body, and fastened upon the loins by a girdle, which goes and serves them to eat off, which, he says, has rings round three or four times round them. " This dress is fastened it, by which it is drawn together' with a chain that has a higher up two ways:. the one, which is not much used, is hook to it to hang it by. This is drawn together, he says, to draw up the vest above the girdle, just as the monks do and sometimes they carry in it their meal made into dough; when they travel on foot; the other, which is the common and in this manner they bring it full of bread, and, when way, is to tuck up the foreparts of their vest into the goirdle the repast is over, carry it away at once, with all that is left. and so fasten them. All persons in the East that journey WVhetl:ier this utensil is rather to be understood by the on foot always gather up their vest, by which they walk word nm-omn misharoth, translated knzeadi.g-tr'oVghs, than more commodiously, having the leg anld Irnee unburdened the Arab wooden bowl, I leave my reader to determine. I and unembarrassed by the vest, which they are not when would only remark, that there is nothing, in the other three 8 58 EXODUS. CHAP. 13-15. places, in which the word occurs, to contradict this expla- dance, but always in exact time, and infinitely more agreenation. These places are Exod. viii. 3, Deut. xxviii. 5, 17, able than any of our dances." (Letters, vol. ii. p. 45.) This in the two last of which places it is translated store. It is gives us a different apprehension of the meaning of these more than a little astonishing, to find Grotius, in his corn- words than we should otherwise form. " Mbiriam the ment on Exod. xii. 39, explaining that verse as signifying, prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, that they baked no bread in their departing from Egypt, and all the women went out after her, with timbrels and but stayed till they came to Succoth, because they had not dances." She led the dance, and they imitated her steps, time to stay till it was leavened in Egypt; when it is cer- which were not conducted by a set well-known form, but tain that they were so hurried out of Egypt, as to be desired extemporaneous. Probably David did not dance alone not to stay to bake unleavened bread; nor can we imagine before the Lord when the ark w7as removed, but led tlie they would stay till leaven put into it at Succoth, had pro- dance in the same authoritative kind of way. (2 Sam vi. duced its effect in their dough, since travellers now in that 14. Judges xi. 34. 1 Sam. xviii. 6.) —BuRDER. desert often eat unleavex,.ed bread, and the precepts of Moses, relating to their commemoration of their going out bf Ver. 25. And he cried unto the LORD; and the Egypt, suppose they ate unleavened bread for some time. LORDshowed him a tree, wehicl when he had Succoth, the first station then of the Israelites, which Dr. Shaw supposes was nothing more than some considerable cast into the waters, the waters -were made encampment of Arabs, must have been aplace where there sweet: there he made for them a statute and an was a considerable quantity of broom, or other fuel, which ordinance, and there he proved them. is not to be found in that desert everywhere.-HIARMEaR. This water, which was bitter or brackish, (Dr. Shaw CHAP. 13. ver. 18. But God led the people about, says the latter,) was thus made sweet by the casting in of through the way of the wilderness of the Red the tree. Some suppose it was a bitter wood; such as Sea: and the children of Israel went up har- quassia, which corrected the water. Water is often bracknessed out of the land of Efgfypt. ish in the neighbourhood of salt-pans or the sea, and the natives correct it by throwing in it the wood called Perru.The margin of our translation remarks, that the wor Nelli, Phylanthus Emblica. Should the water be very rendered harnessed, in Exodus xiii. 18, signifies 1 fiv.es, but bad, they line the well with planks cut out of this tree. In when it adds, live in a rank, it seems to limit the sense of swampy grounds, or when there has not been rain for a the term very unnecessarily, as it may as well signify five long time, the water is often muddy, cad very unwolen a company, or their cattle tied one to another in some. But Providence has again been bountiful by giving men in a company, or their cattle tied one to another in to the people the Teatta Mlaikram, Strychnos Potatorum. strings of five each. If there were 600,000 footmen, be- All' who live the neighbourhood of such wster, or who sides children, and a mixed multitude, together with cattle, o ve he a o have to travel where it is, always carry a supply of the the marching of five only abreast; supposing only one yard nuts of this tree. They grind one or two of the for each rntom iw akthwhl ofnuts of this tree. They grind one or two of them on the for each rank to move in, wouled make the whole length of side of an earthen vessel: the water is then poured in, and this enormous file of people more than sixty-eight miles. thmprities soon subside-o If we should suppose two such columns, and place the chil- El-vah is a large village or town, thick planted with dren, mixed multitude, and cattle between them, the length palm-trees; the Oasis Prva of the ancients, the last ithen of this body of people would be above thirty-four palm-trees; the Oasis Parva of the ancients, i-he last in then ofAt this body of people would be above thirts-fonur habited place to the west that is under the jurisdiction of miles. At the same time we cannot conceive any reason Egypt; it ields senna and coloquintida. The Arabs call for such a narrow front, on the one hand, in such a wide E ty ity for snuch a narrow font, on te one hand, in such a wide El-vah, a shrub or tree, not unlike our hawthorn, either in desert,,nor, on the other, why they are described as march- flower. It was of this woo hey say, that Moses' ing five abreast, if there w1ere many such columns. It n0 five areast if tere wre may suc coluns. ~rod was made, when he sweetened the waters of' Marah. would seem in such a case, to be a circumstance that re- rod was made, when h e sweetened the waters of cla-ah. quired no particular notice. Pitts tells us, that in the march the great destroyer of Christians, say, eetenedn cteseater of the Mohammedan pilgrims from Egypt, through this the great destroyer of Christians, sweetened these waters of the Mohammedan pilgrims from Egypt, through this at El-vah, once bitter, and -ave it the iaae from this very desert, they travel with their camels tied four in a at El-va, once bitter, and gave it the name fro this miracle. A number of very fine springs burst from the parcel, one after the other, lilke so manyteams. He says also earth at El-vab, which renders this small spot verdant and that usually three or four of the pilgrims diet together. If we beautiful, though surrounded with dreary deserts on every will allow thtat like circumstances naturally produce like twill allowgyprble that liken tu y p ueike quarter: it is situated like an island in the midst of the effects, it will appear highly probable, that the meaning of ocean." (BcE.)-Or colonists, who first peopled some the word used in the passage of Exodus is, that they went parts of America, corrected the alities of the er they parts of America, corrected the qualities of the water they up out of Egypt with their cattle, in strings offive each; or found there, by infusin in it branches of sassafras; and it that Moses ordered that five men with their families should is founderstood that the first it branches of the Chinese to form each a little company, that should keep together, and the general use of tea, was to correct the water of theit assist each other, in this difficult march. In either of these rivers. That other water also stands in some need of corsenses we may understand the term, in all the other places rection and that such correction is applied to it, appears in which it appears; whereas it is not natural to suppose from tie custom of Egypt, in espect to the wter o the they all went out of Egypt properly armed for war, and it is always that they ere girded Nile. " The water of thie Nile," says Niebuhr, " is alwavs is idle to say, as somne have done, hat they were girded somewhat muddy; but by rubbing with bitter almonds, about the loins, that is always supposed to be done by the th eastern people whe tev orey. Not to sy that the prepared in a particular manner, the earthen jars in which it is kept, this water is rendered clear, light, qnd salutarv." kindred word continually signifies five, and this word -BURDER. should in course signify that they were, somehow or other, for'med into fives, companies of five men each, or companies gravelly and a int. At one'hour and three quarters, we that had each five beasts, which carried their provisions and gravelly and flinty. At one hour and three qa arters, fO~~~~~~iherneeess fpassed the well of Howara, around which a fe~.w date-trees other necessaries, fastened to each other.-HARMER. grow. Niebuhr travelled the same route, but his guides CHAP. 15. ver. 20. And Miriam the prophetess, probably did not lead him to this well, which lies among hills about two hundred paces out of the road. The water.the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; of the well of Howara is so bitter, that men cannot drink and all the women went out after her with tim- it; and even camels, if not very thirsty, refuse to taste it. brels and -cith dances. This well Burckhardt justly supposes to be the Marah of the Israelites; and in this opinion Mr. Lealke, Gesenius, Lady M. W. M ontague, speaking' of the eastern dances, and Rosenmfiller, concur. From Ayoun Mousa to the says, " Their man ner is certainly the same that' Diana is well of Howara we had travelled fifteen hours and a quarsaid to have dance I on the banks of Eurotas. The great ter. Referring to this distance, it appears probable that lady still leads the dance, and is followed by a troop of this is the desert of three days mentioned in the scripture~ young girls, who in itate her steps, and if she sings, make to have been crossed by the Israelites immediately aftel up the chorus. Thoe tunes are extremely gay and lively, their passing the Red Sea; and at the end of which they yet with something ia them wonderfully soft. Their steps arrived at Marah. In mrnoving with a whole nation, the arte varied.'ccorling to the pleasure of her that leads the march may well be supposed to have occupied three days; CHAP. 16 EXODUS. 09 and the h,.tfer well at Marah, which was sweetened by Mo- pass, that att even the quails came up, and covered,he ses, corresplonds exactly to that at Howara. This is the canip." From these words it appears, that the qTails were usual route to Mount Sinai, and was probably, therefore, sent to supply the wants of the people, at the same time the that which the Israelites took on their escape from Egypt, manna began to be showered down from heaven, aro.ndct provided it be admitted that they crossed the sea at Suez, their encampment in the desert of Sin; and ii is clear, frlmni as Niebuhr, with good reason, conjectures. There is no the beginning of the chapter, that this event took place soon other road! of three days' march in the way from Suez to- after their departure from Egypt, upon the fifteenth day of wards Sinai, nor is there any other well absolutely bitter the second month, before they came to mount Sinai. This,n the whole of this coast. The complaint of the bitterness miracle was repeated at Kibroth-hattaavah, a place three of the water by the children of Israel, who had been accus- days' journey beyond the desert of Sinai; but they struck tOmed to the,sweet water of the Nile, are such as may be their tents before Sinai, in the second year after their dedaily heard from the Egyptian servants and peasants who parture from Egypt, on the twentieth day of the second travel in Arabia. Accustomed from their youth to the ex- month; so that a whole year intervened between the first cellent water of the Nile, there is nothing which they so and second supply. In the first instance, the quails -were much regret in countries distant from Egypt; nor is there scattered about the camp only for one day; but in the secany eastern people who feel so- keenly the want of good ond, they came up from the sea for a whole month. They water, as the present natives of Egypt. With respect to the only covered the camp at their first appearance; but when means employed by Moses to render the waters of the well they came the second time, they lay round about it to the sweet, I have frequently inquired among the Bedouins in distance of a day's journey. No signs of divine wrath atdifferent parts of Arabia, whether they possessed any means tended the first miracle; but the second nwas no sooner o,f effecting such a change, by throwing wood into it, or by wrought, than the vengeance of their offended God overany other process; but I never could learn that such an took these incorrigible sinners: " While the flesh u7as vet art was known. At the end of three hours we reached between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the WVady Gharendel, which extends to the northeast, and is Lord was kindled against the people; and. the Lord smote almost a mile in breadth, and fill of trees. The Arabs the people with a very great plague." Hence it is evident, told me that it may be traced through the whole desert, and that the sacred historian records two different events; of that it begins at no great distance from El Arysh, on the which, the one was more stupendous than the other, and Mediterranean; but I had no means of ascertaining the seemed to Moses so extraordinary, that on receiving the truth of this statement. About half an hour from the place divine promise, he could not refiain from objecting: "The where we halted, in a southern direction, is a copious people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footsp5ling, with a small rivulet, which renders the valley the men; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that tlhey principal station on this route. The water is disagreeable, may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be and if kept for a night in the water skins, it turns bitter and slain for them to suffice them. Or shall all the fish of the spoils, as I have myself experienced, having passed this sea be gathered together for them to suffice them." M9\oses way three times. If, now, we admit Bir Howara to be the had seen the power of Jehovah successfully exerted in Marah ofi Exodus, (xv. 23,) then Wady Gharendel is prob- feeding his people with flesh for one day; but he could ably Eliia, with its well and date-trees; an opinion enter- scarcely imagine, from whence supplies of the same kind tained by Niebuhr, who, however, did not see the bitter could be drawn for a whole month. That eminent servant well of Ho-owara. The non-existence, at present, of twelve of Jehovah, astonished at the greatness of the promisedl wells at Gharendel, must not be considered as evidence favour, seemed to forget'for a moment, that uwith God all against the just-stated conjecture; for Niebuhr says, that things are possible. his companions obtained water here by digging to a very The quails were scattered around the camp of Israel, in small depth, and there was great plenty of it when I passed. the most astonishing numbers: " He rained flesh also upon Water, in fact, is readily found by digging, in every fertile them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the valley in Arabia, and wells are thus easily formed, which sea." The holy Psalmist had used the metaphorical word.are filled up again by the sands. to rain, in relation to the manna, in a preceding verse, both The W'ady Gharendel contains date-trees, tamarisks, to intimate its descent from heaven, and its prodigious acacias of different species, and the thorny shrub Galarkad, abundance. And because a single metaphor is not suffithe Pegazmicn'etusutioa of Forskal, which is extremely cornm- cient to give us a just idea of the sudden and extraordinary mon in this peninsula, and is also met with in the sands of supplies which descended on the tents of Israel, theyr are the Delta on the coast of the Mediterranean. Its small compared to the dust of the field, and to the sand of the sea, red berry, of the size of a grain of a pomegranate, is very which cannot be numbered. To suggest at once the countjuicy and refreshing, much resembling a ripe gooseberry less myriads of these birds, and, the ease with which they in taste, but not so sweet. The Arabs are very fond of it. are caught, it is added: " He let it fall in the midst of their The shrub Glca1lcad delights in a sandy soil, and reaches camp round about their habitations." The account of loses its maturity in the height of summer, when the ground is is still more striking. " And there went forth a wind from parched up, exciting an agreeable surprise in the traveller, the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall at finding so juicy a berry produced in the driest soil and by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as season. Might not the berry of this shrub have'been used it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the by Moses to sweeten the waters of Marah' [The Hebrew camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the in Ex. xv. 25, reads: " And the Lord showed him a tree, earth." Hence, these birds covered the awtole camp and the and he cast into the waters, and they became sweet." The surrounding waste, to the distance of;a davy's journey on A abic translates," and he cast of it into the waters," &c.]every side. The only ambiguity lies in the phrase " a As this conjecture did not occur to me when I was on the day's journey;" whether it mleans the space over s-hich an spot, I did not inquire of the Bedouins, whether they ever individual could travel in one day, in which cse it would sweetened the water with the juice of berries, which would be much greater-or the wholearmy could travelse, uhich prx uably effect this change in the same manner as the juice would be much less. If the journev of an individual is inof pomegranate grains expressed into it.-C.ALMET. tended, it might be about thirty miles; but if the sacred historian refers to the whole- army, a third part of this CHAP. 16. ver. 13. And it came to pass, that at space is as much as they could march in one day in the even the quails came up, and covered the camp; sandy desert, under a vertical sun. In the opinion of Boand in the morning the dew lay round about chart, this immense cloud of quails covered a space of at the host. least forty miles diameter; for a day's journey is at least twenty miles. Ludolf thinks, it ought to be reduced to sixIt is evident from the history of Moses, that the demands teen miles; and others, to half that number, because, Moses of Israel were twice supplied with quails by the miraculous refers to the march of Israel through the desert, enecumberinterposition of divine providence. The first instance is ed with their women and children, their flocks and herds, recordedin the book of Exodus, and is described in these and the baggage of the whole nation; which must have words; "' I have heard the murmurings of the children of greatly retarded their movements, and rendered the short Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, distance of eight miles more than sufficient for a journey and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye of one day. It is equally doubt-ful, whether the distance shall know that I am the Lord'your God. And it came to mentioned by Moses, must be measured frcmu the centre, or 30 EXODUS. CHAP. 16 from the extremities of the encampment; it is certain, having been kept in the cool shade and moderate tempera. however, that hlie intends to state the countless numbers of ture of that place, it had become quite solid, and formed.a these birds which fell around the tents of Israel. small cake; it became soft when kept some time in the Some interpreters have doubted, whether the next clause hand; if placed in the sun for five minutes, it dissolved; refei to the amazing multitude of these birds which strewed but when restored to a cool place, it became solid again in the desert, or to the facility With which they were caught; a quarter of an hour. In the season at which the Arhbs the wind let theni. fall by the camp-" as it were two cubits gather it, it never acquires that state of hardness which will hlgh upon the face of the earth." The Seventy, and after allow of its being pounded, as the Israelites are said to have them the ~ulgate, render it, They flew, as it were two cu- done, in Num. xi. 8. Its colour is a dirty yellowand the bits high above the earth. Others imagine, the quails were piece which I saw was still mixed with bits of tamarisk piled one above another over all that space, to the height of leaves its taste is agreeable, somewhat aromatic, and as two cubits; while others suppose, that the heaps which sweet as honey. If eaten'in any considerable quantity, it Were scattered on the deseit with vacant spaces between, for is said to be slightly purgative. the convenience of those that went forth to collect them, The quantity of manna collected at present, even in searose to the height of two cubits. The second opinion seems sons when the most copious rains fall, is trifling, perhaps entitled to the preference; for the phrase "to rain," evi- not amounting to more than five or six hundred pounds. dently refers to these birds after they had fallen to the It is entirely consumed among the Bedouins, who consider ground, upon which they lay numerous as the drops of rain it the greatest dainty which their country affbrds. The harfrom the dense cloud. Besides, the people could scarcely vest is usually in June, and lasts for about six weeks. In have gathered ten homers a piece, in two days, if they had Nubia, and in every part of Arabia, the tamarisk is one of not found the quails lying upon the ground; for a homer is the most common trees; on the Euphrates, on the Astabothe largest measure among the Jews, and contains nearly ras, in all the valleys of the Hedjaz and the Bedja, it grows six pints; according to some Hebrew writers, the load of in great plenty. It is remarked by Niebuhr, that in Mesoan ass, from whose name the term is supposed to be deriv- potamia, manna is produced by several trees of the oak speed.-PAxTON. cies; a similar fact was confirmed to me by the son of a Ver. 15. Ancd when the children of Israel saw it, Turkish lady, who had passed the greater part of his youth at Erzerum in Asia M\inor; he told me that at Moush, a they said one to another, It is manna; for they town three or four days distant from Erzerum, a substance wist not what it wars. And Moses said unto is collected firom the tree which produces the galls, exactly them, This is the bread which the LORD hath similar to the manna of the peninsula intaste and consist- ence, and that it is used by the inhabitants instead of honey. given you to eat. BURCKHARDT. We cannot mistake in this description the, natural pro- The notion, however, that any species of vegetable gum duction which is called, in all the European languages, is the manna of the scriptures, appears so totally irreconcimanna. Manna is the common name for the thick, clam- lable with the Mosaic narrative, that, notwithstanding the my, and sweet juice, which in the southern countries oozes learned names which may be cited in support of the confinom certain trees and shrubs, partly by the rays of the sun, jecture, it cannot be safely admitted as any explanation of partly by the puncture of some kinds of insects, and partly the miracle. It is expressly said, that the manna was by artificial means. The manna common in our druggists' rained from heaven; that when the dew was exhaled, it shops, comes fromn Calabria and Sicily, where it oozes out appeared lying on the surface of the ground,-" a small, of a kind of ash-tree, from the end of June to the end of July, round thing, as small as the hoar-frost, -" like coriander when the bicada appears, an insect at first sight resembling seed, and its colour like a pearl;" that it fell but six days the locust. but is distinguished from it by a thorn under the in the week, and that a double quantity fell on the sixth belly, witlh which it punctures this tree. The juice issuing day; that what was gathered on the first five days became from this wound, is in the night fluid, and looks like dew, offensiVe and bred worms if kept above one day, while that but in the morning it begins to harden. But the European which was gathered on the sixth day kept sweet for two manna is not so good as the oriental, which is gathered in days; that the people had never seen it before, which could particular in Syria, Arabia, and Persia; partly from the not possibly be the case with. either wild-honey or gumoriental oak, anc partly from a shrub, which is called in arabic; that it was a substance which admitted of being Persia, Terengabin or Terendschabin. Rauwolf says, that ground in a handmill or pounded in a mortar, of being the manna grains resemble coriander seeds, as mentioned made into cakes and baked, and that it tasted like wafers in the Mosaic account; and this is confirmed by several made with honey; lastly, that it continued falling for tihe modern travellers. Ginolin remarks, that the manna is as forty years that the Israelites abode in the wilderness, but white as snow, and consists of grains like coriander seeds. ceased on their arriving. at the borders of Canaan. To The peasants about Ispahan gather it at sunrise, holding perpetuate the remembrance of the miracle, a pot of the a sieve under the branch, into which the grains fall when manna was to be laid up by the side of the ark, which.'he branches are struck with a stick; if the gathering it b' clearly indicates the extraordinary nature of the producput off till after sunrise, no manna can be obtained, because tion. In no one respect does it correspond to the modern it melts. —BouDEB. manna. The latter does not fall from heaven, it is not The Wady el Sheikh, the great valley of, western Sinai, deposited with the dew, but exudes from the trees when is in many parts thickly overgrown with the tamarisk or punctured, and is to be found only in the particular spots,arfa, (Hedeysarxn Alha/gi of Linn.) It is the only valley in where those trees abound; it could not,, therefore, have,he peninsula of' Sinai where this tree grows, at present, in supplied the Israelites with food in the. more arid parts of any great qutntity; though small bushes of it are here and the desert, where they most required it. The gums, morehere met with in other parts. It is from the tarfa that the over, flow only for about a month in the year; they neither.nanna is obtained. This substance is called by the Be- admit of being ground, pounded, or baked; they do not mell douins miann, and accurately resembles the description of in the sun; they do not breed worms; and they are noi manna.given in the scriptures. In the month of June, it peculiar to the Arabian wilderness., Others have supposed drops from the thorns of the tamarisk upon the fallen twigs, the manna to have been a fat and thick honey-dew, and.?eaves, and thorns which always cover the ground beneath that this was the wild-honey which John the Baptist lived that tree in thie natural state; the manna is collected before upon,-a supposition worthy of being. ranked with the sunrise, when it is coagulated; but it dissolves as soon as monkish legend of St. John's bread, or the locust-tree, and the sun shines upon it. The Arabs clean away the leaves, equally showing an entire ignorance of the nature of the Cdirt, etc. which adhere to it, boil it, strain it through a coarse country. It requires the Israelites to have been constantly piece of cloth, and put it in leathern skins: in this way they in the neighbourhood of trees, in the midst of a wilderness preserve it till the following year, and use it as they'do ho- often bare of all vegetation. Whatever the manna was, it iey, to pour over unleavened bread, or to dip their bread into. was clearly a substitute for bread, and it is expressly called I could not learn that they ever,made it into cakes or loaves. meat, or food. The abundant supply, the periodical sus. The manna is found only in years when copious rains have pension of it, and. the peculiarity attaching to the sixth fallen; sometimes it is not produced at all. I saw none of day's supply, it must at all events be admitted, were preter it among the Arabs, but I obtained a small piece of the natural facts, and facts not less extraordinary than that the last y;ar's produce, in the convent (of Mount Sinai,) where, substance also should be of an unknown and peculiar de CHAP. 17-19. EXODUS. 61 scription. The credibility of the sacred narrative cannot has been described by travellers of the fifteenth century receive the slightest addition of evidence froin any attempt the deception must have originated among the monks of an to explain the miracle by natural causes. That narrative earlier period. As to the. present inhabitants of the conwould lead any plain reader to expect that the manna vent and of the peninsula, they must be acquitted of any should no longer be found to exist, having ceased to fall fraud respecting it, for they conscientiously believe that it upwards of 3,000 years. As to the fact that the Arabs give is the very rock from whence the water gushed forth. In that name to the juice of the tar/fa, the value of their au- this part of the peninsula, the Israelites could not have sufthority may be estimated by the pulpit of Moses and the fered from thirst. The upper Sinai is full of wells and footstep of Mohammed's camel. The cause of Revelation springs, the greater part of' which are perennial; and on has less to fear from the assaults of open infidels, than from whichever side the pretended rock of Moses is approiached, such ill-judged attempts of skeptical philosophers, to square copious sources are found within an hour of it:" The fact, the sacred narrative by their notions of probability. The that this part of the peninsula abounds with perennial giving of the manna was either a miracle or a fable. The springs, which is attested by every traveller, proxes decproposed explanation makes it a mixture of both. It ad- defly that this cannot be the vale of Rephidim. It is astonmits the fact of a Divine interposition, yet insinuates that ishing to find such travellers as Shaw and Pococke crediMoses gives an incorrect or embellished account of it. It lously adopting this imbecile legend. "Here," says the requires us to believe, that the scripture history is at once former, " we still see that extraordinary antiquity, the rock 6f true and a complete misrepresentation, and that the golden Mertibah, which hath continued down to this day, without the vase of manna was designed to perpetuate the simple fact, least injury from time or accident. It is a block of granite that the Israelites lived for forty years upon gum-arabic! marble, about six yaids square, lying tottering as it were, and The miracle, as related by Moses, is surely more credible loose in the middle of the valley, and seems to have formerthan the explanation. —MoDERN TRAVELLER. ly belonged to Mount Sinai, which hangs in a variety of precipices all over this plain. The water'swihiich glts/zed out, and Vey. 16. Gather of it every man according to his the streamn which fowed, (Psalm lxxviii. 20,) have hollowed, eating; an omer for every man, (H~eb. a head,) across one corner of this rock, a channel about two inches according to the number of your persons; take dep and twenty wide, appearing to be incrustated all over, o'I~~ngotnueofyuprosta like the inside of a teakettle that hath been long in use. ye every man for them which are in his tents. Besides several mossy productions that are still preserved by the dew, we see all over this channel a great number of A man, when offering money to the people to induce holes, some of them four or five inches deep, and one or them to do something for him, says, "To every head, Iwill two in diameter, the lively and demonstrative tokens of give one fanam." In time of sickness or sorrow, it is said, their having been formerly so many fountains. It likewise "Ah! to everv head there is now trouble." "Alas! there may be further observed, that art or chance could by no is nothing left for any head." "Yes, yes, he is a good means be concerned in the contrivance, for every circummaster: to every head he has given a cow." " What did stance points out to us a miracle, and, in the same manner you pay your coolies i"-" To every head one fanam."- with the rent in the rock of Mount Calvary, at' Jerusalem,'OBERTS.' never fails to produce a religious surprise in all who see it." That this rock is as truly the Rock of Meribah, as the CHAP. 17. ver. 1. And all the congregation of.spot alluded to is Momunt Calvary, may be freely admitted; the children of Israel journeyed from the wil- but the surprise which they are adapted to awaken in an derness of Sin, after their journeys, according intelligent observer, is at the creduLlity of travellers. "These supernatural mouths," says Sir F. Henniker, "appear to to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched me common crevices in the rock: they are only two inches in Rephidim: and there was no water for the in depth, and their length is not confined to the wvaterpeeple to drink. course. That the incrustation is the effect of water, I have not the slightest doubt, for the rocks close at hand, where At twenty minutes' walk from the convent of El E'bayn, water is still dripping, are marked in the same manner: a block of granite is shown as the rock out of which the and if a fragment of the cliff were to fall down, we should water issued when struck by the rod of M.oses. It is thus scarcely distinguish between the two. I therefore doubt the described by Burckhardt:' It lies quite insulated by the identit of the stone, and also the locality; for, in this side of the path, which is about ten feet higher than the place, the miracle would be that a mouintain so lofty as lower bottom of the valley. The rock is about twelve feet Mount Sinai should be without water!"-MoDERN TRAVin height, of an irregular shape, approaching to a cube. ELLER. There are some apertures upon its surface, through which the water is said to have burst out; they are about twenty Ver. 16. For he said, Because the LoRD hath in number, and lie nearly in a straight line round the three sworn that the LORD will have wrar vwTith sides of the stone. They are for the most part ten or twelve Amalek from generation to generation. inches long, two or three inches broad, and from one to two inches deep, but a few of them are as deep as four inches. Literally, " Because the hand of the Lord is upon the Every observer must be convinced, on the slightest exami- throne." These words are susceptible of a very different nation, that most of these fissures are the work of art; but meaning, which has not escaped the notice of some valua.three or four perhaps are natural, and these may have first ble commentators: " For he said, Because his hand hath drawn the attention of the monks to the stone, and have in- been agnainst the throne of the Lord, therefore, wi.ll he have duced them to call it the rock of the miraculous supply of war with Amalek from generation to generation." The water. Besides the marks of art evident in the holes them- prophet is there giving a reason of the pertpetia.l wa selves, the spaces between them have been chiselled, so as which Jehovah had just proclaimed against that devoted to make it appear as if the stone had been worn in those race; their hand had been agai st the throne of the Lord, parts by the action of the water; though it cannot be doubt- that is, they hiad attacled the people iwshom he had chosen, ed, that if water had flowed from the fissures, it must gen- and among whom he had planted his throne; disregarding era Ily have taken quite a different direction. One travel- or probably treating with contempt, the' miraculous signs of ler saw on this stone twelve openings, answering to the the divine presence which led the way, and warranted thu number of the tribes of Israel; another describes tthe holes operations of Israel; they attempted Io stop their progress, as a foot deep. They were probably told so by the monks, and defeat the promise of Heaven; therefore they lared and believed what they heard, rather than what they saw. to lift their hand against the throne of God himself. and About 150 paces farther on in the valley, lies another piece were for their presumption, doomed to the destruction of rock, upon which it seems that the work of deception which they intended for others. Hence, the custom of was first begun, there being four or five apertures cut in it, laying the hand upon the gospels, as an appeal to God, if similar to those on the other block, but in a less finished not the contrivance of modern superstition, is derived frtom state. As it is somewhat smaller than the former, and lies the practice of some obscure Gentile nation, and has no in a less conspicuous part of the valley, removed from the claim whatever to a more reputable- rigin.-PAxToON. public path, the monks thought proper, in process of time, to assign the miracle to the other. As the rock of Moses CHAP. 19. ver. 1. In the third month, when the 62 EXODUS. CHIAP. 19. children of Israel were gone forth out of the must have cost prodigious expense and pains. Next day land of Egypt, the same day came they into the our scheichs brought me an Arab, whom they. qualified with the title of scheich of Mount Sinai. Under the conwilderness of Sinai. duct of this newly-created lord of Sinai, with our scheichs, We were near twelve hours in passing thi many wind- I attempted to clamber to the summit of that mountain. It ings and difficult ways which lie betwixt the deserts of Sin is so steep, that Moses cannot have ascended on the side and Sinai. The latter is a beautiful plain, more than a which I viewed. The Greeks have cut a flight of steps up league in breadth, and nearly three in length, lying open the rock. Pococke reckons three thousand of these steps to wards the N.E., where we entered it, but is closed utip to the to the top of the mountain, or, rather, bare-pointed rock. southward by some of the lower eminences of MIount Sinai. Five hundred steps above the convent we found a charm-'in this direction, likewise, the higher parts of it make such ing spring, which, by a little pains, might be improved into encroachments on the plain, that they divide it into two, a very agreeable spot. A thousand steps higher, a chapel, each of them capacious enough to receive the whole en- dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; and five hundred above campment of the Israelites.'That which lieth to the east- this, two other chapels, situated in a plain, which travellers ward of the mount, may be the desert of Sinai, properly so enter by two small gates of mason work. Upon this plain called, where ioses saw the angel of the Lord in the burning are two trees, under which, at high festivals, tbe Arabs are busi, when he was guarding the flocks of Jethro. The con- regaled at the expense of'the Greeks., My Mohammedar. vent of St. Catharine is built over the place of this divine guides, imitating the practice which they had seen the pilappearance: it is near three hundred feet square, and grims observe, kissed the images, and repeated their praymore than forty in height, being partly built with stone, ers in the chapels. They would accompany me no farther, partly with mud only and mortar mixed together. The but maintained this to be the highest accessible peak of the more immediate place of the Shekinah is honoured with a mountain; whereas, according to Pococke, I had yet a little chapel, which this old fraternity of St. Basil hath in thousand steps to ascend. I was, therefore, obliged to resuch esteem and veneration, that, in imitation of Moses, turn, and content myself with viewving the hill of' St. Catha-'they put off their shoes from off their feet, when they enter rine at a distance:;-NIEunR. or approach it. This, with several other chapels, dedica- After reposing in the convent and its delightful garden, ted to particular saints, are included within the church, as the first duty of a pilgrim is, to climb the summit of the they call it, of the Transfiguration, which is a large beau- Djebel M-Tousa, or mountain of Moses, the road to which betiful structure, covered with lead, and supported by two gins to ascend immediately behind the wvalls of the convent. rows of marble columns. The floor is very elegantly laid Regular steps (it is said, to the number of 15,000) have been out in a variety of devices in Mosaic work; of the same cut all the way up; but they are now either entirely deworkmanship, likewise, are both the floor and the walls of stroyed, or so much damaged by the'wiinter torrents, as to the presbyterium, upon the latter whereof is represented be of verylittle use. They are ascribed to the munificence the figure of the Emperor Justinian, together with the his- of the Empress Helena. "After ascending for about twentory of the transfiguration. On the partition, which sepa- ty-five minutes," says Burckhardt, "we breathed a short rates the presbyteriuan from the body of the church, there time under a large impending rock, close by which is a is placed a small marble shrine, whereon are preserved the small well of water, as cold as ice. At the end of three scull and one of the hands of St. Catharine. iMount Sinai quarters of an hour's steep ascent, we came to a small plain, han-s over this convent, being called by the Arabs, Jebbel the entrance to which from below is through a stone gater/[ousa, the mountain of Moses and sometimes only, by way, which in former times was probably closed: a little wary of eminence, El Tor, the mountain. St. Helena was beneath it, stands, amid the rocks, a small church dediceaat the expense of the stone staircase, that was formerly car- ted to the Virgin. On the plain is a larger building of rude ried up entirely to the top of it; but, at present, as most of construction, which bears the name of the convent of St. these steps are either removed, walhed out of their places, Elias: it was lately inhabited, but is now abandoned, tl.e or defaced, the ascent up to it is very fatiguing, and entire- monks repairing here only at certain times of the year to - imposed o u their votaries as a severe penance. How- read mass. Pilgrims usually halt on this spot, where a tall ever, at certain distances, the fathers have erected, as so cypress-tree grows by the side of a stone tank, which remany breathing places, several little chapels, dedicated to ceives the winter rains. On a large rock in the plain are one or ounier of taielr saints wileC are always invoked on several Arabic inscriptions, engraved by pilgrims three or these oc;asions; ana, after some small oblation, are en- four hundred years ago; I saw one also in the Syriac langaged to lend their assistance. The summit of Mount guage. According to the Koran and Moslem traditions, Sinai is somewhat conical, and not very spacious, where it was in this part of the mountain, wrhich is called Djehel the Mohammedans, as wellas the Christians, have a small Oreb, or Horeb, that Moses communicated with the Lord. chapel for public worship. Here we were shown the place From hence a still steeper ascent of half an hour, the' steps where Mloses fasted forty days; where he received the law; of which are also in ruins, leads to the summit of Djebei where he hid himself from the face of God; where his Mousa, w\here stands the church which forms the principcal hand was supported by Aaron and Hur, at the battle with object of the pilgrimage: it is built on the very peak of Amalek. After we had descended, with no small difficul- the mountain, the plane of which is at most sixty pades in ty, down the western side of this mountain, we came into circumference. The church, though strongly built with the other plain. formed by it, which is Rephidim.-SHAw. granite, is.now greatly dilapidated by the unremitted atThe Arabs call Jebbel'Musa, the mount of Moses, all that tempts of the Arabs to destroy it; the door, roof, and ways range of mountains at the exterior extremity of the valley are greatly injured. of Paran; and to that part of the range on which the con- Some ruins round the church indicate tGat a much larger vent of St. Catharine stands, they give the name of Tur and more solid building once stood here; and the rock apSina. This similarity of name, owing most probably to pears to have been cut perpendicularly with great labour, to tradition, affords ground for presuming, that the hill which prevent any other approach to it than by the southern side. we had now reached was the Sinai of the Jews, on which The view from this summit must be very grand, but a Moses received the law. It is, indeed. not easy to compre- thick fog prevented me from seeing even thme nearest mounbend how such a multitude of people as the Jews, who ac- tains. About thirty paces from the church, on a somecompanied Moses out of Egypt, could encamp in those - what lower peak, stands a poor mosque, without any ornanarrow. gullies, amid frightful and precipitous rocks. meits, held in great veneration by the Moslems, and the'But, perhaps, there are plains on the other side of the moun- place of their pilgrimage. It is frequently visited by the tain, that we kInow not of. Two German miles and a half Bedouins, who slaughter sheep in honour of Moses, and up the mountain stands the convent of St. Catharine.'The who make vows to him, and entreat his intercession in body of this monastery is a building one hundred and twen- heaven in their favour. There is a feast-day on which the ty feet in length, and almost as many in breadth. Before Bedouins come hither in a mass, and offer their sacrifices. it stands another small building, in which is the only gate I was told that formerly they never approached the place,of' the convent, which remains always shut, except whent without being dressed in the Ihram, or sacred mantle, with the'bishop is here. At other times, whatever is introduced which the Moslems cover their naked bodies on visiting within the convent, whether men or provisions, is drawn Miecca, and which then consisted only of a napkin tied utip to the roof, in a basket, with a cord and a pulley. The round the middle;'but this custom has been abandoned for whole building is of hewn stone, which, in such a desert, the last forty years. Foreign Moslem pilgrims often repair a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Ad =-,_-. - flt j Iil)UNT SINAI A,.D MOUNT lIO~tEB.-Exod. xssi. 18. I~eut. i%. 8, 9. MOUNT SINAI AND MOUNT OIIOEB.-Exod. xxxi. 18. Deut. ix., 9. CHAP. 19-21. EXODUS. 6~ to the spot; and even Mohammed Ali Pasha, and his son It is universally believed that children suffer for the Tousoun Pasha, gave notice that they intended to visit it, iniquities of their ancestors, through many rene-ations, but they did not keep their promise. Close by the iootpath, "I wonder why Tamban's son was born a cripple " —' You in the ascent from St. Elias to this summit, and at a small wonder! why, that is a strange thing; have you not heard distance from it, a place is shown in the rock, which some- what a vile man his grandfather was." " Have you heard what resembles the print of the forepart of the foot; it is that Valen has had a son, and that he is born blind." —" I stated to have been made by Mohammed's foot when he did not hear of it, but this' is another proof of the sins of a visited the mountain. We found the adjacent part of the former birth." "What a wicked wretch that Vensi is! rock sprinkled with blood, in consequence of an accident alas for his posterity, great will be their sufferings." "Evil which happened a few days before to a Turkish lady of one, why are you going on in this way; have you no pity rank, who was on her way from Cairo to Mecca, with her for your seed?" " Alas! alas! I am now suffering for the son, and who had resided for some weeks in the convent, sins of my fathers." When men enjoy many blessings, it during which she had made the tour of the sacred places, is common to say of them, "Yes, yes, they are enjoying barefooted, although she was old and decrepit. In attempt- the good deeds of their fathers." " The prosperity -: my ing to kiss the mark of Mohammed's foot, she fell, and house arises from the virtues of my forefathers." In the wounded her head, but not so severely as to prevent her Scanda Purana it is recorded, " The soul is subject to from pursuing her pilgrimage. Somewhat below the births, deaths, and sufferings. It may be born on the earth, mosque is a fine reservoir, cut very deep in the granite or in the sea. It may also appear in ether, fire, or air. rock, for the reception of rain-water. Souls may be born as men, as beasts or birds, as glass or Mr. Fazakerley says, it is difficult to imagine a scene trees, as mountains or gods." By these we are reminded more desolate and terrific then that which is discovered of the question, "Who did sin, this man or his parents, from the summit of Sinai. A haze limited the prospect, that he was born blind S" " Jesus answered,:Neither hath and, except a glimpse of the sea in one direction, nothing this man sinned, nor his parents."-RoBERTs. was within sight but snow, and huge peaks and crags of naked granite. Sir F. Henniker describes it as a " sea of Ver. 18. And all the people saw the thunderings, desolation." " It would seem," he says, "as if Arabia Pe- and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumtrnea had once been an ocean of lava, and that while its pet, and the mountain smoking: and -when the waves were running literally mountains high, it was com- r manded suddenly to stand still." He did not ascend the Djehel Katerie; but the former traveller did, and speaks Large splinters of wood, either of a resinous nature in of it in the following terms: " The view from hence is of themselves, or perhaps prepared, in some cases by art, are the same kind, only much more extensive than from the made use of in the Levant instead of flambeaux; and if top of Sinai: it commands the two seas (gulfs) of Akaba they are in use in these times, in which great improveand Suez; the island of Tiraan and the village of Tor were mentS have been made in all the arts of life. it is natural to pointed out to us: Sinai was far below us; clouds prevent- suppose they were in use anciently, particularly among ed our seeing the high ground near Suez: all the rest, the peasants, shepherds, and travellers of the lower class. wherever the eve could reach, was a vast wilderness, and Dr. Richard Chandler found lighted brands made use of a confusion of granite mountains and valleys destitute of in Asia Minor, by some villagers, instead of torches, and verdure." Burckhardt thus describes the country as seen he refers to Virgil, representing the Roman peasants as from this same summit: " From this elevated peak, a very preparing, in his days, the same sort of flambeaux, in extensive view opened before us, and the direction of the winter time, for their use. If they still continue in use in different surrounding chains of mountains could be dis- the East, there is reason to believe they were used antinctly traced. The upper nucleus of the Sinai, composed ciently, and indeed, it seems to be a torch of this kind,'at almost entirely of granite, forms a rocky wilderness of an is meant by the Hebrew vword n's, lfcppccd, which o-ur irregular circular shape, intersected by many narrow val- translators sometimes render firebrand, sometimes lamp, leys, and from thirty to forty miles in diameter. It con- thus confounding things that are very distinct, and which ta.ins the highest mountains of the peninsula, whose shag- are expressed by different words. I would remark further, gy and pointed peaks, and steep and shattered sides, ren- that as this word is made use of, Exod. xx. 18, and a very der it clearly distinguishable from all the rest of the coun- different word is used to express lightning in the HIebrew, try in view. It is upon this highest region of the peninsu- it is unfortunate that our version should render it lightning la, that the fertile valleys are found, which produce fruit- there, when it is to be understood, I apprehend, of the trees: they are principally to the west and southwest of the flaming of the trees on ount Sinai, on that memorable convent, at three or four hours' distance. Water, too, is occasion, whole trees flaming around the Divine presence, always found in plenty in this district, on which account it bearing some resemblance to the torches made of splinters is the place of refuge of all the Bedouins, when the low of wood, which were made use of on less august occasions: country is parched up." —MODERN TRAVELLER. "All the people saw the thunderings, and the trees flaming er. 1. T~herte shall not a hand touch it, biut he like so many torches, and the noise of the trumpet, and the Ver. 13. There shall not a hand touch it, but he mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they reshall surely be stoned, or shot through. moved and stood afar off." Lightning is understood here without doubt, and that the trees were set on fire by the "To be stoned to death was a most grievous and terrible lightning will hardly be contested; on the other hand, if infliction. WVhen the offender came within four cubits of the word directly meant lightning, still it is evidently supthe place of execution, he was stripped naked, only leaving posed the trees and shrubs were fired by it; from whence a covering before, and his hands being bound, he was led up else would lave come the smoke? But as the word signito the fatal place, which was an eminence twice a man's fies torches, not flashes of lightning, it should not hlave height. The first executioners of the sentence were the been translated here lightning, differently from what it witnesses, who generally pulled off their clothes for the properly signifies. Agreeable to this account is the descrippurpose: one of them threw him down with great violence tion given us, Exod. xix. 18, " And Mounrt Sinai was altoupon his loins: if he rolled upon his breast, he was turned gether on a smoke, because the LoRn descended upon it in upon his loins again, and if he died by the fall there was fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a an end; but if not, the other witness took a great stone, furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly."'-HWAnRMER. and dashed upon his breast, as he lay upon his back; and then, if he was not despatched, all the people that stood by CIAP. 21. ver. 10. If he take him another nwife threw stones at him till he died."-LEwis's Ori,-ines her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. CHAP. 20. ver. 5. Thou shalt not bow down thy- Though flesh meat is not wont to be eaten by these nations self to them, nor serve themn: for I the LORD so frequently as with us in the West, or in such quantities, thy God amv a jealous God, visiting the iniquity yet people of rank, who often have it in their repasts, are of the fathers upon the children unto the third d of it, and even those in lower life, when it can be procured. Our translation then does not express the spirit of and fourth generation of them that hate me. the Mosaic precept, relating to the superinducing a second 64 EXO D US. CHAm. 2. wife in the lifetime of the first, Exod. xxi. 10. "-Ier food, Ver. 6. If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so her raiment,'and her duty of marriage, shall he not dimin- that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or her raiment, ~~~~~~~~~that the, stacks of corn., or the standin corn, or ish; in the original it is her c,'esh, her rai'inent, &c. meaning the field, be consumed theei b.e that that he should not only affo'rd her a sufficient quantity of the field, be consumed teeci; e that food as before, but of the same quality. The feeding'her kindleth the fire shall surely make restitution. with bread, with herbs, with milk, &c. in quantities not only sufficient to maintain life, but as much as numbers of It is a common management in the East, to set the dry poor people contented themselves with, would not do, if he herbage on fire before the autumnal rains, which fires, for took away theflesth, and others of the more agreeable arti- want of care, often do great damage. MIoses has taken dcles of food he had before been wont to allow her.- notice of fires of this kind, and by an express law has proHArMiER}. vided, that reparation shall be made for the damage done by those who either maliciously or negligently occasioned it. Ver. 20. And if a man smite his servant, or his Chandler, speaking of the neighbourhood of Smyrna, says, mid, with a rod, and he die nder his hand "In the latter end of July, clouds began to appear from the maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand:- e- south; the air was repeatedly cooled by showers wkhich had he shall surely be punished. 1 otit- fallen elsewhere, and it was easy to foretell the approachstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall ing rain. ThIis seas the seasonfor conzscsiszig thle dry her'bag'e~ not he punished: for he is his money. and ndergrowth on te nountains: and we dften saw the fire blazing in the wind, and spreading a thick smoke The people of Israel, liue all the nations of antiquity. along their sides." He also relates an incident to which had the power of life and death over their slaves; for sla he was an eyewitness. Having been employed the latter very proceeded from the right of conquest, when the vic- end of August, in talking a plan at Troas, one day after tors, instead of putting their enemies to death, chose rather dinner, says he, a Turk coming to us, "emptied the ashes to give them their lives, that they might have the benefit of from his pipe, and a spark of fire fell unobserved in the their services. Hence it was supposed that the conqueror grass, which was long, parched by the sun, and inflammaalways reserved the power of taking away their lives, if ble like tinder. A brisk wind soon kindled a blaze, which they committed any thing worthy of death; and that he ac- withered in an instant the leaves of the bushes and trees in quired the same power over their children, because the~y its way, seized the branches and roots, and devoured all had never been born, if he had not spared the father, and before it with prodigious crackling and noise. We were transmitted it when he alienated his slave. Such is the much alarmed, as a general conflagration of the country foundation of' the absolute power claimed by the Orientals seemed likely to ensue." After exerting themselves for over the unhappy persons whom they detained in slavery. an hour, they at length extiugSeished it. it is an ireIt must be granted, that such reasons never can justify the propriety worth correcting in this passage, where the word exorbitant power of a slaveholder, or even his right to Stacks of corn is used rather than shocks, which is more condeprive his fellow-creature of his liberty, who has been formable to custom, as the heaps of the Eat are only the 1uiltv of no adequate crime. The claims of Israel rested disposing of corn into a proper form to be immediately upon diff'erent grounds, the positive grant of Jehovah him- trodden out. The stacking of corn, in our agricultural lanself, who certainly has a right to dispose of his creatures guage means, the collecting corn in the straw into heaps, as he pleases. But among that people, the power of the larger or smaller as it happens, designed to connne for master was limited by laws, which secured the- safety and some considerable space of time They ate not wont to comfort of the slave, perhaps as much as that condition stack corn, in our sense of the word, in those countries. could possibly admit. Though the Israelitish master had The term shck,:by which the word',u: g"adceshis translated the power of life and death, it has been alleged by some wri- in two other places, is less exceptionable, but not perfectly te rs, that he seldom abused it; for his interest obliged him expressive of the original idda. We put together, or heap:o preserve his slave; who made a part of his riches..This up our corn, not fully ripe, in parcels which are called is the reason of the law, That he should not be punished shocks, that it may, nmore perfectly ripen after being cut, isho had smitten a servant, if he continued alive a day or but the oriinal word gadecsh, means a hep of corn, but ty oripege o. 6 enin al word th,~ ean heaps of torn two after. He is his money, says the lawgiver, to show fully ripe, see Job v. 26; means, in a word, the heaps of the that the loss of his property was deemed a sufficient punish- eastern threshing-floors, ready to be trodden out. —HrMsEn. meat; and it may be presumed, in this case, that the mas- ter only intended his correction. But if the slave died un- Ver. 26. If thou at all take thy neighlour's raider the strokes, it was to be supposed the master had a real ment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him design to kill him, for which the law commanded him to br that the sun goeth down: 27. or that is be punished. But considerations of interest are too feeble a barrier to resist the impulse of passions, inflamed by the his covering only; it is his t for his skin: consciousness and exercise of absolute power over a fellow- wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to mortal. The wise and benevolent restraints imposed upon pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear: a master of slaves, by the law of Moses, clearly prove that for I a ious. master of slaves, ~~~~~~~for I avwi gracious. he very often abused ltis power, or was in extreme danger of doing so; for laws are not made for the good, but.for the The clothes which the Orientals wear by day, serve them evil-doer-PAxroN. as bed-clothes for the night. Does a man wish to retire to rest, he needs not to trouble himself about the curtains, he CHAP. 22. ver. 5. If a man shall cause a field or requires not the bed-steps, he does not examine whether vineytard to be eaten, atd shall put in his beast, his bdlsters or pillows are in order, he is not very particuand shall feed in another man's field- of the lar about the adjustment of his sheets and counterp}ane; he an s im.throws a mat on the floor, places his little travelling bag or best of his own field, and of the best of his turban for a pillow, takes off his cloth, (iwhich is generally own vineyard, shall he make restitution. about nine yards long,) puts one end under him; then covers his feet, and folds the rest rottd his body, leaving See on den. 49. 11. the upper end tq cover his face. Thns m aybe seon coolies Chandler observes, (Tracvels in Asia _Minor',) that the in the mor-ning, stretched side by side, havirh, during taime cattle were very fond of vine leaves, and were per- the night, defied all the stings of their foes, the moschetoes. nmited to eat them in the autumn. "'We remaried," he -ROBERTS. says, about Smyrna, the leaves were decayed, or stripped The upper garment of the Israelites was a large square by the camels and herds of goats, which are admitted to cloth which folded round the whole body, antd served the browse after the vintage." If those animals are so fond of poor as a bed-covering during the night. Less alteravine leaves it is no wonder that Moses, by an express law, tion than could have been expected has taken place in forbad aseacc's caUsicug anothcr' Cemra's vinecar'd to be eaten the dress- of the eastern people. This garment was still l! 7?dtimr, -m ih, ]is beast. The turning any of them in before found by Shaw in the eighteenth century, among the Re-.he fruit w-xais gathered, must have occasioned much mis- douin Arabs in the north of Africa, under the Arabian chief; and even after it must have been an injury, as it name of Hyke, i. e. texture, covering. In fair weathevould have been eating up another's feed.-HARMER. this cloth is therefore mostly worn on the shoulders, as CHAP. 23-24. EXODUS. 65 Niebuhr. observes in his Description of Arabia. "It will "seethe a kid in his mother's milk." The meaning of this not, perhaps, be iriagined;" says he, " that the above-men- law has been greatly disputed, although the terms in which tioned little clothing constitutes the whole bedding of a it is couched, are sufficiently clear and precise. It is the common Arab. He spreads out his great girdle, and so he opinion of some writers, that the prohibition refers to a kiL has a bed to lie down upon: with the cloth which he wears in the womb of its mother, which in that state is nourishets on his shoulders, he covers his whole body and face, and only with milk; but the opinion of Clemens, that the people sleeps naked between these two cloths, quite happy and of Israel had been in the practice of eating the fetus of a contented."-Ro sENMUtLLER. goat, which this precept' was intended to prohibit, is supIn all parts of Southern Africa, the skin cloak is the ported by no proof. The disgusting custom of eating the covering of males and females by day, and that in which fretus of a sow, is indeed mentioned by Plutarch; but we they sleep by night: they have no other bed-clothes. The have no proof that it was known to epicures in the times of Hottentot cloak is conmposed of sheep skins, retaining the Moses. Other expositors imagine, that the Jews were by wool on the inside of it, in which he sleeps comfortably this precept forbidden to take away the life of a kid, before under a bush or tree wherever he goes. Deprive him of it was eight days old, when, according to them, it may subthat covering, and he would find himself most uncomfort- sist without the aid of its mother's milk. This exposition ably placed. It would be a cruel act. The nations farther is supposed to be confirmed by another precept: " When a in the interior, have cloaks made from hides of oxen or bullock, or a sheep, or a goat is brought forth, then it shall cows, which they have a method of rendering soft and be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day, pliable, and use exactly for the same purposes as the others, and thenceforth, it shall be accepted for an offering made viz. for clothing and for sleeping in. The Israelites sleep- by fire unto the Lord." But since the law, which prohibited. ing in the wilderness in this simple manner, would be the people of Israel to offer in sacrifice, "the young of the always ready to remove when the trumpet intimated the herd, or of the flock," before the eighth day, is immediately moving of the pillar of fire; like the dogs, when they shook subjoined to the precept concerning the oblation of the first themselves, they might be said to be dressed and ready to ripe fruits, and the first-born, in the twventy-second chapter march. The God who gave such a humane, considerate of Exodus; so, in the twenty-third and thirty-fourth chaplaw to the Israelites, might well be called a gracious God. ters, the law which forbids to seethe a kid in his mother's — AFRICAN LicGT. milk, follows the same precept; and by consequence, not only the sacred, but also the common use of the kid, is prohibited before the eighth day. Such is the opinion, and or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring the reasoning by which it is supported; but it must be eviit back to him again. dent to every reader, that a kid is as much in his mother's milk all the time he is suckled, as during the first eight Among the Hindoos, malice often finds its victim in a days; nor can any reason be imagined, why he may not the tail. Hence mat be seen, in every village, cattle which use. The she-goat suckles her young about three nonths; thus proclaim the diabolical passions of man.-Ro ars. and till this period, it was not to be subjected to the sacriVe. 17. Three times i the year all thy males ficing knife. But it is very improbable, that the Jews were Vr. Trt e ye forbidden the use of a kid for so long a time; for that which shall appear before the LoRD God. the law permits to be offered in sacrifice to God, may surely To those that may wonder how Jerusalem could receive be eaten by his people. Nor was any species of' food prosuch multitudes, as were obliged by the Jewish law to at- hibited by the law, but for ceremonial impurity. But that tend there three times a-year, and as we know did some- cannot be reckoned legally unclean, which the law permits times actually appear in it, I would recite the account that to be offered in sacrifice at the altar. He permitted a suckPitts gives of Mecca, the sacred city of the Mohammedans, ng kid or lamb, to be offered on the eighth day; a sure and the number he found collected together there, for the proof they were not reckoned unclean, while they remained celebration of their religious solemnities; in the close of the under the dam. The prophet Samuel offered a sucking 17th century. This city, he tells us, he thought he might lamb as a burnt-offering to the Lord on a day of public safely say, had not one thousand families in it of constant humiliation; andf God condescended to give themn a strong inhabitants, and the buildings very mean and ordinary. proof of his acceptance, in utterly discomfiting their eneThat four caravans arrive there every vear, with great mies, by a furious tempest of thunder and lightning If, numbers of people in each, and the Mohammedans say, therefore, a sucking kid might be offered in sacrifice to God, it might be used as food by his people. Nor is their there meet not fewer than seventy thousand souls at these Gd, it might be used as food by his people. Nor is their solemnities; and that though he could not think the num- opinion more tenable, who say, that by this law the dam ber quite so large, yet that it is very great. How such and her suckling were not to be slain at the same time. numbers of people; with their beasts, could be lodged and To cherish kind and humane feelings amona the chosen seed, Jehovah forbade them to kill a cow, a sheep, or a entertained in such a little town as Mecca, is a question he saeed, Jehovah forbade them to kill a cow, a sheep, or ecept thus answers. "As for house-room, the inhabitants do goat, on the same day with their voung; but the precept straiten themselves very much, in order at this tinme to under consideration cannot naturally bear such a meaning. make their market. As for such as come last, after the Had this been the design of Moses, why did he not say in town is filled, they pitch their tents without the town, and plain terms, Thou shalt not seethe a kid and his mother at there abide until they remove towards home. As for pro- the same time? He must, therefore, have meant what the vision, they all bring sufficient with them, except it be of words naturally suggest, that a kid is not to be seethed in flesh, which they may have at Mecca- but all other provi-the milk of his mother. The barbarous custom to which sions, as butter, honey, oil, olives, rice, biscuit, &c. they the lawgiver allud probably in some neihbourbring with them, as much as will last through the wilder- ing countries, and particularly in Egypt from whose iror. ness, forward and baclkward, as well as the time they stay yoke they had just been delivered; either because the flesl' at Mecca; and so for their camels they bressed in this manner was more oftender and juicy, than at Mcca; and so for their camels they bring~ store of prov- when roasted with fire, or boiled in water; or, which is ender, &c. with them." The number of Jews that assem- rhen roasted with fire, or boiled in ater; or, which is bled at Jerusalem at their passover was much greater: but more probable, while at the feast of ingathering, they gave had not Jerusalem been a much larger city than Mecca is, thanks to God for the mercies they had received, and ex as in truth it was, yet the present Mohammedan practice pressed their dependance upon him for future blessings of abidingr under tents, and carrying their provisions and tthey were not to expect his favour by imitating the super: bedding with them, will easily explain how -they might be stitious rites of the heathens, among whom they had lived accommodate d-BUREz. so long, who at the end of their harvest seethed a itid in his mother's milk, and sprinkled the broth in a magic.al Ver. 19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his way upon their gardens and fields, to render them more mother's milk, fruitful next season.-PAxToN. The Jewish legislator three times forbids his people to CHAP. 24. ver. 28. And I will sehd hornets be. 9 66 EXODUS. CHAP. 24-25. fore thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the riads t ees. But since the wasp is more vexatious than Canaanite, anti the, Hittite, from before thee. the bee, its sting more severe, and its hostility more virulent-it is by no means incredible, that many of the CaAnother insect which Heaven has sometimes employed nannites were forced, by so formidable an enemy, to reto avenge'the quarrel of his covenant, is the hornet; which move beyond the reach of their attack.-PAxToN. is a larger species of wasp. The irascible temper and poisonous sting of the wasp, are too well known to require de- CHAP. 25. ver. 5. And rams' skins died red, and scription; they have been mentioned by the natural histo- badgers' skins, and shittimn-wood. rians, and celebrated by the poets of every age and country. In three parallel places of scripture, the sacred wri- To enter into the history of this animal is unnecessary, ter mentions the hornet which Jehovah sent before his as it is mentioned in scripture only on account of its skin. people, to expel the Canaanites from their habitations: This part of the animal seems to have been in great re"And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive quest among the people of Israel, for it is mentioned among out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before the valuable articles which they were permitted to offer for thee." This promise was afterward renewed a short time the tabernacle: "Rams' skitw died red, and badgers' skins." before that people passed the Jordan: "Moreover, the These last formed the exterior covering of' that splendid Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, till they structure, and of all the sacred utensils, which the Levites that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed." were commanded to spread over them during their march. Both these promises, we learn from Joshua, were punctu- Of these also the shoes of the mystical bride were formed, ally fulfilled: "And I sent the hornet before you, which when, according to the representation of the prophet, she drave them out from tefore you, even the two kings of the was richly adorned for the marriage. Jehovah had chosen. Amorites,'but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow." At Israel to be his peculiar people, and had bestowed upon what particular time during the wars of Joshua, the Lord, them innumerable favours, but they had become ungratein fulfilment of his promise, sent the hornet against the in- ful and perfidious, like a woman who proves inconstant habitants of Canaan, and what impression its attack made and unfaithful to her husband, who had raised her from upon the enemies of Israel, we are nowhere informed in the meanest condition, to the greatest affluence and splenscripture. On this account, several writers of great emi- dour: " Thou becamest mine. Then I washed thee with nence consider the words of Moses as a metaphor, denoting water; yes, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, the terror of the Lord, or some remarkable disease which and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with he commissioned to lay waste the'country before the armies broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin; and I of Israel. But neither the words of Moses nor Joshua, be- girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with tray the smallest indication of metaphor: and in a plain silk." In this passiage, badgers' skin is- mentioned as a narration, we are fiever, without the most obvious neces- very precious and splendid substance, such as might be sity, to depart from the literal sense. The inspired histo- made into shoes for ladies of the highest rank, and worn rian could not mean the terror of the Lord, as Augustine on their marriage day; \While, in the book of Exodus, it is is inclined to suppose; for he had mentioned this in the represented as very coarse and homely, fit only to be made verse immediately preceding: "I will send my fear before a covering for the tabernacle, and its furniture, during the thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt journeys of the tribes. These very different representacome, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs tions cannot easily be reconciled, and involve the subject unto thee." Upon which it is added, " And I will send in doubt and uncertainty. And indeed the original word hornets before thee." Nor could any particular disease be (zvnn) tabuasl, which our translators render badgers' skins, intended; for no disease was ever called by this name. is of very uncertain meaning. It is evident from scripture, Junius gives a different version: I will send before thee that it was a kind of skin which, being capable of resisting fear or disease as a hornet; but the comparative particle rain, was manufactured by the people of Israel into coveres, is not in the text, and must not be supplied by the ca- ings for the tabernacle and its furnitur'e, and into shoes price of translators. The words of Joshua are express, for persons of the highest rank in the state. Butthe inspir-,without either metaphor or comparison: "I have sent the ed writers furnish no details from which it can be inferred, hornet before you." It is no valid objection to the literal to what animal it originally belonged; it is even extremely sense, that the circjmmstances of time and place are not doubtful, whether the word rendered badger, denotes an mentioned by the sacred writer, for this is by no means an animal at all. The Seventy interpreters considered it unusual omission in the rapid narrative of an inspired his- merely as the name of'a colour, and uniformly translate it torian. To mention, but one example: the patriarch Ja- hyacinth, or hyacinthine. In this opinion, they were folcob gave to his son Joseph a. portion of land, which he took lowed by all the. ancient translators of the scripture, withfrom the Amorite by force of arms; but when or in what out one exception; and the same idea has been adopted by place this battle was fought, we are not informed. The the learned Bochart, and other eminent moderns. The hornet, it is probable, marched before the armies of Israel, reasons on which their interpretation is founded, seem to till the five nations that had been doomed for their numer- be quite conclusive. In the first place, no evidence can be ous and long-cntinued crimes to destruction, were sub- found that the badger dyer existed in Palestine, Arabia, or dued; which rendered such a circumstantial detail unne- Egypt Dr. Shaw made particular inquiry, but could hear cessary and improper. But who can believe, say they, of no such animal in Barbary. Harmer was unable to that the hornets of Canaan were so vexatious to the inhab- discover in modern travellers, the smallest traces of the itants, that they were forced to abandon their dwellings, badger in Egypt, or in any of the adjacent countries; Bufand seek for other habitations! The testimony of an in- fon represents it as unknown in that part of Asia. So little spired writer ought to silence all such objections; but, in was the badger known to the ancients, that the Greeks had reality, the same thinghas not unfrequently happened in the not a word in their language by which to express it; and history of the world. Both Athenraus and Eustatheus in- the Latin term which is supposed to denote this animal, form us, that the people about Pmonia and Dardania were is extremely doubtful. But if the badger is not a native compelled by frogs to forsake their native country, and fix of the East, if it is not to be found in those countries, from their abode in a distant region. If -Pliny may be credited, whence could the people of Israel in the wilderness, prothe ancient city of Troy was forced to open her gates, after Cure its skin to cover the tabernacle? It is an animal of a war of ten years, not so much by the victorious arms of small size, and is nowhere found in great numbers; and, the Greeks, as by an innumerable host of mice, which by consequence, its skin could not, in remote times, more compelled the Trojans to desert their houses, and retire to than at present, constitute an article of commerce in the the neighbouring mountains; and in Italy, whole nations ports of Egypt, and come at last into the possession of that were driven from their possession by the same destructive people. The exterior covering of the tabernacle, and its creature, which in immense numbers overran their fields, bulky utensils, must have required a greater number of devoured every green thing, and, grubbing up the roots, skins than could be procured even in the native country converted some of the fairest regions of that country into of the badger; and therefore, it must have been formed of tan inhospitable waste. The Myusians, according to Pan- leather, fabricated from the skin of some other animal, sanias, were forced, by swarms of gnats, to desert their which not only existed, but also abounded in Egypt, and city; and the Scythians beyond the Ister, are recorded to the adjacent countries. The coarseness of the leather, have been expelled from their country by countless my- fabricated of badgers' skin, which in the East is reluctantly CHAP. 26. EXODUS. 67 employed for the meanest purposes of life, forbids us to thorns; and hence it perhaps had the Hebrew name Shalt consider it as the material of which the elegant shoes of from making animals decline or turn aside by the sharp an oriental lady are formed. WVhen the prophet says in ness of its spines. The interpretation now given, seems.,he name of the Lord, " I clothed thee also with broidered to be confirned by the following remark of Dr. Shaw: work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee "The acacia being by much the largest and the most corn about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk," he mon tree of these deserts, we have some reason to conjeccertainly meant, that the shoes, corresponding to the other ture, that the shittim-wood, of which tlfe several utensils of parts of the dress, were formed of costly materials. The the tabernacle were made, was the wood of the acacia. Targum accordlingly translates the passage, " I put pre-'this tree abounds with flowers of a globular figure, and of cious shoes upon thy feet;" but this could be said with no an excellent smell; which is another proof of its being the propriety of shoes made of badgers' skins. Nor can it be shitta tree of the scriptures, which, in the prophecies of supposed, that the-skin of an animal, which the law of Isaiah, is joined with the myrtle and other sweet-smelling Moses pronounce:; unclean, strictly enjoins the people of plants." Besides, we have no reason to conclude, that the Israel not to touch, or if they did happen to touch it, not to people of Israel possessed any species of wood for making worship at the tabernacle, till the ceremonial pollution which the utensils of the tabernacle, but what they could procmine they accidentally contracted was removed according to the in the desert; but the desert produces none in the quantity precept,-would be employed to cover that sacred struc- required, except the acacia. In one place they found seventure, and its consecrated utensils, and that the Levites ty-two palm-trees: but the sacred writer distinguishes them should be obliged cften to handle it in performing the du- by their vulgar name; therefore they could not be the same ties of their office. The sacred implements of Jewish wor- tree; nor is the palm, which is a soft spongy wood, at all ship, certainly were defended from the injuries of the wea- fit for the purpose,-for the nature of the utensils, as the ther by the skins of clean beasts, which were easily pro- ark of the testimony and the mercy-seat, required wood of cured, and that in sufficient numbers, even in the wilder- a fibre the hardest, the most beautiful and durable which ness. This idea, so conformable to the spotless purity re- could be found, had it been in their power to make a choice; quired in the ceremonial law, has been adopted and main- and these are the very characters of the acacia. To these tained by all the earlier Jewish writers, whose authority important qualities may be added, the fragrant odour emitin matters of this kind is entitled to great respect. Many ted by this wood, which to Orientals who delight in rich disputes inceed have been agitated among them, in relation perfumes, must have been a powerful recommendation. to the particular animal employed; but none of them be- But if the acacia was perfectly suited to the purpose of.Mofore the time of Jarchi,'who flourished about the middle of ses, and if the desert produces no other, as Dr. Shaw dethe eleventh century, supposed that it was the skin of the dares, the shittim-wood mentioned in the scriptures must badger. These considerations leave no room for doubt be the acacia of the natural historian. —PAxToN. in the mind of the writer, that the original term denotes neither the.badger, nor any other animal, but merely a CHAP. 26. vet. 1 Moreover, thou shalt make the colour. What particular colour is meant, it may not be tabernacle with ten curtains of fiEe twined linen, easy to ascertain; but when it is considered, that the peo- and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherple of rank and fashion in the East, were accustomed to ubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. appear in purple shoes, it is extremely probable, that purple was the colour intended by the sacred writer. The It seems that the tabernacle, as it was ordered in the plan Chaldee Paraphrast accordingly, expounds the words of given, might be called a tent or a house, because it had the Song, " How beautiful are thy feet with shoes," how wooden walls or partitions like a house, and curtains and beautiful are the feet of Israel, when they go up to appear hangings like a tent; but as it extern'ally resembled a teat, three imes before the Lord in purple sandals! The Ro- and that a common oblong tent, such as those of the Arabs; man empeiors, and the kings of Persia, reserved by a for- for the most part, now are, and the wooden walls were rmal edict, shoes of a purple colour for their own use; and without a roof, and properly only supports for the many it is said, red shoes were among the insignia of the an- curtains and hangings which spread over them, it is better cient kingdom of Bulgaria. Hence, Isaac Comnenus, the and more properly called a tent. Even the ordinpry tents Roman emperor, deprived the patriarch of Constantinople of the wandering tribes of the East have at least two n ain of his dignity, because he presumed to put on shoes of a divisions; the innermost or hindmost is for the women; crimson colour, although' these were formerly worn at and, among the Orientals, it is in this sense sacred, i. e. Rome by persons of the senatorial order.-PAxToN. parted off, inaccessible. The first space is divided from the innermost only by a curtain, and is for the men; what Ver. 10. And they shall make an ark of shittim- is found in the tents of the common people is found also, wviood: t~wo cubits and a half shall be the length but far more rich and splendid, in the tents of the men of thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth rank. Thetentofanemirorprincehas moreconveniences; the innermost space is only accessible to himself, or to those thereof, and a cubit and a half the height whom he especially honours: into the first space, or oftter thereof. tent, others may come. The furniture is costly, the floor is covered with a rich carpet, and a stand, with the censer Concerning the shitta tree, mentioned by the prophet and coals, on which incense is strewed. Here we have the IsAiah with the cedar and the myrtle, different opinions are simple idea after which this royal tent, this abode of God, entertained by commentators. The name is derived from who was at the same time king of the Hebrew people, was the Hebrew verb S/lata, to decline or turn to and fro, hav- made. It was not to be a house or a palace, but a tent, and ing for the plural Shittia. It is remarkable for being the that with all the magnificence which the skill of the Hewood of which the sacred vessels of' the tabernacle were brews in architecture could erect. T.he boards for the made. The Seventy interpreters generally render it by standing -walls were covered with plates of gold; twenty the term acrnra, incorruptible. Theodotion, and after him boards, which served as pillars to the supporters, standing the Vulgate, translate it by Spina, a thorn. The shittim- upright, joined together, each three feet broad and twenmty wood, says Jerome, resembles the white thorn in its colour high, made. on each side the length, and eight the breadth, and leaves, but not in its size; for the tree is so large, that so that eight-and-forty such boards, twenty in the length on it affords very long planks. Hasselquist also says it grows each side, and eight for the breadth of the back wall, (for in Upper Egypt, to the size of a large tree. The wood is the front side had only a curtain,) resting upon two silver hard, tough, smooth, without knots, and extremely beauti- sockets, formed the partition. This oblong quadrangle was ful. This tdnd of wood grows only in the deserts of Ara- separated into two parts or divisions; the innermost, or the bia; but in no other part of the Roman empire. In another most holy; and the front, or the holy. The innermost was place he remarks, it is of an admirable beauty, solidity, properly the dwelling of the Lord, the front one was more strength, and smoothness. It is thought he means the -for his service. The inner division was very considerable, black acacia, the only tree found in the deserts of Arabia. sixty feet long, twenty feet broad, and twenty high; and, This plant is so hard and solid, as to become almost incor- as over this extensive frame-work several covers were ruptible. Its wood has the colour of the Lotus tree; and spread, which hung down on three sides, (that is, all round so large, that it furnishes plank twelve cubits long. It is except at the entrance,) this also gave the tent a greatei very thorny, and even its bark is covered with very sharp appearance, so that it was undoulbtedly distinguished hb 68 EXODUS. CHAP. 26-)9 its size. In the coverings of the tents, the Orientals, who of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem are fond of msnanificence, regard both the stuff and the thereof* and bells coldur: this royal tent was to be distinguished in both par- d ticulars. The curtain, which lay immediately under the about. beams, was the most beautiful and the most costly. On the finest linen stuff were embroidered cherubims of the most The bell seems to have been a sacred utensil of very beautiful colours, dark blue, purple, and scarlet. Thus ancient use in Asia. Golden bells formed a part of the ornathe tent s of easternda princes, eve n in our days, arle distis ments of the pontifical robe of the Jewish high-priest, with guished by most beautiful colours. Olearius, accompanygulished by umXst beautiful colours. Olearius, accompany- which he invested himself upon those grand and peculiar ing the ambassadors of Holstein Gott-rf, who were invited festivals, whenhe enteredintothesanctuary. Thatrobewas by the Persian monarclh to a hunting party, found in an Ar- very magnificent, it was ordained to be of sky-blue, and the menian village many tents, ready for the reception of the border of it, at the bottom, was adorned with pomegranates company, which afforded a pleasing sight on account of and gold bells intermixed equally, and at equal distances. The use and intent of these bells is evident from these their manifold. colours. Over the under curtain a cover- words "And it shall be upon Aaron to minister and his ing of goats' hair was spread, which is the usual covering words: " nd shall be upon Aaron to minister, and his of the Arabian tents, commonly coarse, but here of the finest texture; and, that these coverings might not be in- before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not." The sound of the numerous bells that covered the hem of jured by the sand or dust, two others, made of skins, were laid over them. The portable temple of the Israelites had, his garment, gave notice to the assembled people that the indeed, in its Whole arrangement, a resemblance with the most awful ceremony of their religion had commenced.:znples of other nations of antiquity. As they had spacious When arrayed in this garb, he bore into the sanctuary the orecorts, so had the tbernacle an oblong quadrangular vessel of incense; it was the signal to prostrate themselves forecourt, two hundred feet long, and one hundred broad, before the Deity, and to commence those fervent ejaculaforecourt, two hundred feet lou g,, and one hundred broad, tions which were to ascend with the column of that incense which was formed by the hangings or curtains which hun tios which were to th throne of heaven. "One indispensable ceremony on pillars. The tabernacle itself was divided into two the rn o he nindsesabl e parts, the holy and the most holy; in the latter was the ark in the Indian Pooja is the ringing of a small bell by the of the covenant, with the symbols of the divine qualities, olciating brahmin. The women of the idol, or dancing the cherubims; and no human being dared to enter this girls of the pagoda, have little golden bells fastened to their especially sanctified place, except the high-priest, once a feet, the soft harmonious tinkling of which vibrates in year, on the feast of reconciliation.) Thus, also, in manyunison with the exquisite melody of their voices." (MAuyear, (on the feast of reconcilCs Indian Antiquities.) "The uncient kings of Persia, Grecian temples, the back part was not to be entered by wCES In Actiinies.) " The ancient kings of Persial anybody. (Lackemacher's Antiq. Graucor. Sacr.) This who, in fact, united in their own persons the regal and part, n erein the heathen temples, the statue of the deity sacerdotal office, were accustomed to have the fringes of e, their robes adorned with pomegranates and golden bells. was placed, was generally towards the west, and the en- The Aabian courtesans, lie the Indian women, have trance towards the east. (Spencer de Leg.Hebraeor. Ri The Arabian courtesans, like the Indian women, have trance towards the east. (Spencer de Leg. Ilebrueor. Ritual.) In the same manner the entrance of the tabernacle was little golden bells fastened round their legs, neck, and In the same manner the entrance of the tabernacle was towards the east, and, consequently, the -most holy place to the west. In the most holy, a solemn darkness reigned, The Arabian princesses wear golden rings on their fingers, as in most of the ancient temples. A richly-worked cr- to which little bells are suspended, as well as in the flowing tas in most odivided the ancienmost holy fro the holy, and thus, the tresses of their hair, that their superior rank may be known, tain divided the most holy from the holy, and thus, in the Egyptian temples, the back part, where the sacred animal and they themselves, in passing, receive the homage due to their exalted station."-CALMET. to which the temple was dedicated, was kept, was divided from the front part by a curtain embroidered with gold.- Ver. 41. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt Ver. 36. And thou shalt make a hanging for the anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scar- them, that they may minister unto me in the let, and fine twined linen, wrought with needle- priest's office. work. The Hebrew has for " consecrate," "fill their hands.' See also Judges xvii. 5, 12, and 1 Kings xiii. 33, and many We passed Lahar, close to a small valley, where we other places where the word " consecrate" is in the margir. found several snug encampments of the Eelauts, at one of rendered ".fill the hand." Is it not a remarkable fact that which we stopped to examine the tent of the chief of the obah, the word Kai-Reppi, which signifies, in Tamul, to conseor family. It was composed of a wooden frame of circu- crate a priest, also means to fill the hand? When a layman lar laths, which were fixed on the ground, and then cover- meets a priest, he puts his hands together as an act of ed over with large felts, that were fastened down by a cord, reverence, and the priest stretches out his right hand, as if ornamented by tassels of various colours. A curtain, cu- full of something, and says, " Blessings." —ROBERTS. riously worked by the women, with coarse needle-work of various colours, was suspended over the door. In the king CHAP. 29. ver. 22. Also thou shalt take of the of Persia's tents, magnificent perdahs, or hangings of neefile-work, are suspended, as well as on the doors of the ram the fat and the rump. great mosques in Turkey; and these circuimstances comZlined, will, perhaps, illustrate Exodus xxvi. 36. —MOaIE. Or the large tail of one species of the eastern sheep. Russell, (Iistl. of Aleppo, p. 51,) after observing that they CHaAP.'27. Vet. 20. And thou shalt command the are in that country much more numerous than those with chi~ld~tre- n of IsraelF that. they= bring thee pure smaller tails, adds, "this tail is very broad and large, ter-,.,- ^ X 1,. D minating in a small appendix that turns back upon it. It, oil-olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp is of a substance between fat and marrow, and is not eaten to burn always. separately, but mixed with the lean meat in many of.their dishes, and also often used instead of butter. A common gy the expression oil-oive, this oil is distinguished from sheep of this sort, without the head, feet, skin, and entrails other Iinds. The addition beaters, indicates that it is that weifhs about twelve or fourteen Aleppo rotoloes, of which oil obtained from olives pounded in a mortar, and not the tail is usually three rotoloes or upwards; but sucL as pressed from olives in the oil-inill. The oil obtained from are of the largest breed, and have been fattened, will somepounded olives is, according to Columella's observation, times weigh above thirty rotoloes, and the tall Df these ten. much purer and better tasted, does not emit much smoke, These very large sheep, being about Alepo kept up in'hnd has no offensive smell.-tBURDER. yards, are in no danger of injuring their tails: but in some other places, where they feed in the fields, the shepherds CHAP. 28. ver. 33. And bereath, upon the hem of hare obliged to fix a piece of thin board to the under part of iCHt:H. 28. y et. 33. And beneantf, upon the hem of their tail, to prevent its being torn by bushes and thistles, it, thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and as it is not covered underneath with thick wool like the CHAP. 33. EXODUS. 69 upper part. Some have small wheels to facilitate the occasion, that God would destroy the Canaanites; and dragging of this board after them." A rotoloe of Aleppo theen, no other people would conceive any desire to attack is five pounds. With this agrees the account given by the the land of Israel during the seasons of the festivals. Abb6 Mariti, (7Travels through Cyprues.) " The mutton is Now such a law of'nations once introduced, God vziagn/ - unicy and tender. The tails of some of the sheep, which fulfil his promise in the common course of providence, and ire remarkably fine, weigh upwards of fifty pounds." This without the aid of a miracle. This sacred truce, which is,;hows us the reason why, in the kevitical sacrifices, the tail however, quite unsuitable to the more connected operation:s was always ordered to be consumed by fire.-BURDER. of modern warfare, was likewise probably the cause; wherefore the commandment respecting the Sabbath could Ver. 24. For I will cast out the nations before be given without any particular limitation. For on that thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall day, all laibour was prohibited. Moses does not, indeed, any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go expressly specify fighting, marching, intrenching; but any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God neither does he expressly except them. Now although, in a rational consideration of the matter, the justice of these in the year. exceptions, in cases of necessity, is manifest; this silence seems, nevertheless, to be a defect in the law; and a nation I find in Exod. xxxiv. 24, a very remarkable promise of who in this point had even the smallest scruple of conGod, which could hardly have been fulfilled in the common science, would make but a poor figure in war. We see course of providence, and without a miracle, unless the in fact, that after the Babylonish captivity, when, as St Israelites and other neighbours had in their wars observed Paul says, (Heb. viii. 7-13,) the law began to be useless a certain law of truce, quite strange to us, and which I from its antiquity, the observance of the Sabbath became only know from the customs of the Arabs. Moses com- very prejudicial to the Jews in their wars with the Syrians mands all the males of Israel to leave their homes thrice and Romans. For the former on the Sabbath attacked a year, and celebrate a festival for a week at, the place them, and burnt thousands of them in a cave, without their where the tabernacle should be erected; assuring them, making any resistance: and the latter, in their first siege withal, that during this period, go msan should desire their of Jerusalem under Pompey, carried on the works of inlaund; and that, therefore, however distant their abodes vestment undisturbed, and only, guarded against attemptmight be from the sanctuary, they might undertake this ing to storm the city, because against a storm the Jews dejourney with perfect safety. According to the present fended themselves even on the Sabbath. But since,before course of things in the world, this is quite incomprehensi- the captivity, we never find, that in their numerous wars, ble. Were all the males to leave certain parts of the the Sabbath had been detrimental to the Jews, or that any country, and still more, the fortified cities, the greatest of of their enemies availed himself of the advantage it gave all wonders would be, the enemy with whom the nation him; the Israelites must either, from ancient and undoubihappened to be at war, refraining from seizing the oppor- ed usage, have known that the commandment concerning tunity to occupy the fortresses,-to plunder and burn the the Sabbath did not extend to the operations of war; or open country,-and to. forage the corn-fields. And it is else, betwixt them and all the neighbouring nations there most obvious, that the danger of all this will be still must on thisdayrhavebeenasacredtruce. Almong the latter, greater among nations who do not maintain settled peace this day, which the Israelites dedicated to the Creator of the with each other; of which description were the marauding heavens and the earth, was probably sacred to S&tusut, to Arabs: or who carry on war rather by incursions than whom the Phcenicians paid the highest veneration; beiregular campaigns, and have no other object than to make cause, before his being raised to divine honours, or numbooty in money, produce, women, and children. Shall we bered among the stars, he is said to have been king of their then venture so to expound the words of Moses, as if he country. According to the testimony of Diodorus Siculus, had promised a periodical miracle from God, which they accounted him the chief of the planets; and the Arashould, tor three weeks every year, convert all the enemies bians had, in like manner, dedicated to him their national of the Israelites into statues? A promise so incredible, temple, the Caaba at Mecca.-MIcHAELIS. will, perhaps, not appear to be necessary, when, to illustrate this point, we call in the aid of the customs of the CHAP. 38. ver. 8. And he made the laver of brass Arabs, who are Abraham's descendants, and the immediated the foot of it brethren of the Israelites. In all their wars, and even and the foot of t of brass, of the lookin-glasses amid their family feuds, during the holy month, in which of the Swomen assembling, which assembled at they solemnized the festival at Mecca, they had a truce. the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. MlIohammed's greatest transgression is, that he is said to have broken this truce. Yet, in the Koran, he has commanded The eastern mirrors were made of polished steel, and for his followers'to keep it only when their adversaries keep it; the most part convex. If they were thus made in the and he permits them to fight against the enemy during the country of Elihu, the image mnade use of by him will holy month, only when he makes the first attack. Thus appear very lively. " Hast thou with him spread out the we see, in like manner, from 1 Kings xii. 27, that among sky, which is stiong, and as a molten looking-glass?" the Israelites, during the high festivals, a suspension of (Job xxxvii. 18.) Shaw informs us, that "in the Le-vant arms took place; and the ten tribes who had revolted from looking-glasses are a part of female dress. The Moorish the family of David, might, without hinderance, have kept women in Barbary are so fond of their ornaments, and the feast at Jerusalem, and would:have done so, had not particularly of their looking-glasses, which they hang upon Jeroboam, for political reasons, endeavoured to prevent their breasts, that they will not lay them aside, even when, them.. The Judahites, therefore, did not put any obstacle after the drudgery of the day, they are obliged to go two or in their way; and they would the?s, have been in as perfect three miles with a pitcher, or a goat's skin, to fetch wate r." security at Jerusalem, as, before Mohammed's time, every The Israelitish women used to carry their mirrors Awith Arab during the holy month was at Mecca. It would ap- them, even to their most solemn place of worship. The pear, then, that the nations related to the Israelites, paid word smirror' should be used in the passages here referred equal respect to the worship of God, and made a truce to, rather than those which are inserted in the present during war, whenever the people celebrated a festival. translation of the Bible. To speak of lookingglcasses made But probably the Canaanites were, both in religion and of steel, and glasses snolten, is palpably absurd; *whereas the manners, so different from the Israelites, that they did not term mirror obviates every difficulty, and expresses toe observe any such truce; for Moses expressly says on this true meaning of the original. —BusDER. LEVITICUS. CHAPTER II. as for the loathsome company of which our host and mule teer had thus attempted to rid themselves, we found them Ver. 4. And if thou bring an oblation of a meat- too constantly affecting our senses to think of imagining offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleaven- them away; for the traveller can hardly journey a day edt cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or un- here, or in any part of Turkey, without their annoying letavened wafers anvointed with oil, him, and his only relief is in a constant change of his linen. The apartment was finally cleared and swept, but the old man could give us neither carpet nor mat, and our own What attracted our attention most this stormy day, was painted canvass and travelling carpets were all that coverthe apparatus for warming us. It was the species of oven ed the ground on which we sat and slept.-SMITHn AND called tanmnoo;:, common throughout Armenia and also in DWIGHT. Syria, but converted here for purposes of warmth into what Mr. Jackson, in his Journey over land from India, gives is called a tandoor. A cylindrical hole is sunk about three an account of an eastern oven, equally instructive and feet in the ground in some part of the room, with a flue en- amusing, as it confirms the statements of ancient travellers, tering it at the bottom to convey a current of air to the fire and shows the surprising expertness of the Arabian women which heats it. For the emission of smoke no other pro- in baking their bread. " They have a small place built vision is made than the open sky-light in the terrace. When with clay, between two and three feet high, having a hole used for baking bread, the dough, being flattened to the at the bottom for the convenience of drawing out the ashes, thickness of common pasteboard, perhaps a foot and a half something similar to a lime-kiln." The oven, (which he long by a foot broad, is stuck to its smooth sides by means thinks the most proper name for this place,) is usually of a cushion, upon which it is first spread. It indicates, by about fifteen inches wide at top, and gradually widening cleaving off, when it is done, and being then packed down to the bottom. It is heated with wood; and when suffiin the family chest, it lasts at least a month in the winter, ciently hot, and perfectly clear from the smoke, having and ten days in the summer. Such is the only bread nothing but clear embers at the bottom, which continue to known in the villages of Armenia; and even the cities of reflect great heat, they prepare the dough in a large bowl, Erivfn and Tebriz offer no other variety than a species and mould the cakes to the desired size on a board, or perhaps only twice as thick, and so long that it might almost stone, placed near the oven. After they have kneaded the be sold by the yard. To bake it, the bottom of a large oven cake to a proper consistence, they pat it a little, then toss is covered with pebbles, (except one corner, where a fire is it about with great dexterity in one hand, till it is as thin kept constantly burning,) and upon them when heated, the as they choose to make it. They then wet one side of it sheets of dough are spread. The convenience of such thin with water, at the same time wetting the hand and arm bread, where knives and forks are not used, and spoons are with which they put it into the oven. The side of the calke rare, is, that a piece of it doubled enables you to take hold adheres fast to the side of the oven, till it is sufficiently of a mouthful of meat more delicately than with your bare baked, when, if not paid proper attention to, it would fingers; or, when properly folded, helps you to convey a fall down among the embers. If they were not exceedingly spoonful safely to your mouth, to be eaten with the spoon quick at this work, the heat of the oven would burn their itself. When needed for purposes of warmth, the tannoor arms; but they perform it with such an amazing dexterity, is easily transformed into a tandoor. A round stone is laid that one woman will continue keeping three or four cakes upon the mouth of the oven, when well heated, to stop the in the oven at once, till she has done baking. This mode, draught; a square frame, about a foot in height, is then he adds, requires not half the fuel that is consumed in Eu. plated above it; and a thick coverlet, spread over the rope.-PAxTON. Pwhole, lies upon the ground around it, to confine the warmth. The family squat upon the floor, and warm themselves by CHAPTER VII. extending their legs and hands into the heated air beneath Ver. 9. And the meat-offering that is baken in it, while the frame holds, as occasion requires, their lamp or their food. Its economy is evidently great. So full of crevices are the houses, that an open fireplace must con- pan, and in the pan, shall be the priest's that sumne a great quantity of fiuel, and then almost fail of offereth it. warming even the air in its immediate vicinity. The tandoor heated once, or at the most twice in twenty-four hours, Our translation of this passage, presents a confusion by- a small quantity of fuel, keeps one spot continually more easily perceived than regulated by the general readwarm for the relief of all numb fingers and frozen toes. er: —" And all the meat-offering that is baken in the oven. The house, apparently the best in the village, wxsas built and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, throughout, floor, walls, and terrace, of mud. Fortunately, shall be the priest's that offers it." It is evident that here as its owner had two wives, it had two rooms. The one are three terms used, implying three different manners of assigned us, being the principal family apartment, was of dressing food.-Do we understand theme The term, course filled with every species of dirt, vermin, and litter; "meat-offering" is certainly unfortunate here, as it raises and withal, as they were in the midst of the process of bak- the idea of flesh-meat, without just reason, to say the least, ing, the insufferable smoke of the dried cow-dung which especially as it stands connected with baking in the oven. heated their tannroor, or cylindrical oven, detained us a -,mm. Passing this, the following sentence, also, as it standS long time before we could take possession. Persuaded at connected, expresses a meat-offering, dressed in a fryinglast by impatience that the bread must be done, I entered, pan, r'~nw2n; and then we have another kind of meat-offerand found our host and chief muleteer shaking their shirts ing, dressed in the pan, n:rn. Of what nature is this pan? in the oven, to dislodlge the "crawling creatures" that in- To answer this question, we must dismiss the flesh-meat. habited them. Though new to us then, we afterward found Whether the following extract from Denon may contribute reason to believe that this use of the tannoor is common, assistance on this subject, is submitted with great deferand for it alone we have known it to be heated. In such ence. It is his explanation of his plate Lxxxv. " The ovens was our bread baked, bybeing stuck upon their sides, manner of making macaroni, in Egypt.-The manufactory,:ind titllugh we would fain have quieted our fastidiousness and the shop for selling it, are both at once in the street b'y imagining that they were purified by fire, the nature of an oven, over which a great plate of copper is heated; the. tile fuel of which that was almost invariably made, left maker sheds on it a thin and liquid paste, which is strain. li.tle room upon which to found such a conception. And ed through the holes in a kind of cup which he passes ut CHAP. 7. LEVITICUS. 71 and down on the plate: after a few minutes, the threads infallible means to accustom the Israelites to oil-pastry, of paste are hardened, dried, and baked, by a uniform de- with which, whoever is once acquainted, will always pregree of heat, maintained without intermission, by an equal fer it to that made with butter. For if the oil is fresh and quantity of branches of palm-tree, by which the oven is good, it tastes much better; to which add, that as butter is kept constantly heated. The same degree of heat is given very liable to spoil, it then communicates to pastry, aind In the same space of time to an equal quantity of macaroni; every other sort 6f meat, a disagreeable by-taste.-The which is perpetually renewed on the plate, and sold direct- worst faults in cookery arise from bad butter. This is a ly as it is made."-TAYLoa IN CALMET. general maxim with our German housewives,.particularly in Southern Germany.. The natural consequences, then, Ver. 12. If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he of the use of oil-pastry, as now mentioned, were, in tbe first shall offer ith the sacrifice of thaisgiving place, that the olive-tree, which formed so principal a shiall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving source of the riches of the new country of the Israelites, unleavened cakes mrningled with oil, and un- came to be more -carefully cultivated, and thus its natural leavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes treasures properly improved; and, in the next place, that migled with oil, of fine flour, fried the people at length lost their desire of returning back to Egypt. That in the time of Moses, they often thought of With the exception of two rare cases, oil was order- Egypt with regret, and were even inclined to return to ed to accompany everymeal-offering, in order to its being theh; ancient bondage, we know from his own accounts. therewith prepared, and baked into cakes. With this Indeed, theirpentchant for this their ancient country was so law, in so far as it is perhaps typical, and regards a holy strong and permanent, that he found it necessary to introceremony, I have here nothing to do, because I consider it duce into the fundamental and unalterable laws of the govmerely with respect to its political influence in the state; ernment, as affecting the king, an express ordinance against and that, among a people brought out of Egypt into Pales- all return to Egypt, Dent. xvii, 16. -No sooner, however, tine and still always hankering after Egypt, was important. would the Israelite become rightly acquainted with the chief It imperceptibly attached them to their new country, and of nature's gifts to his new country, and accustomed to the served to render even the idea of a future residence in use of wine and oil, than his longing after a country, which Egypt, irksome; while it also imperceptibly gave them an produced neither, would totally cease. In fact, the object inclination to cultivate the olive-tree, for which nature which the statutes, now considered, most probably had in seems to have pre-eminently adapted Palestine. In the view, was so completely attained, that, greatest part of Egypt, according to Strabo, no olives were 1. Butter was entirelc disused among the Israelites. In cultivated. It was only in the Heracleotic canton, that the whole Hebrew Bible, which contains so many other they came to such perfection as that oil could be made from economical terms, we do not once find the word for butter; them. In the gardens aronund Alexandria, (which, how- for;snn, which in Job xx. 17. xxix. 6. Deut. xxxii. 14. ever, did not exist in the time of the ancient kings, that Judg. v. 25. Isa. vii. 15, 16 2, is commonly so translated, part of the country being an uncultivated waste till the does not mean butter, but thic/ stilk. It would therefore reign of Alexander the Great,) there were olive4rees, but appear, that butter had been as rarely to be seen in Palesno oil was made. The consequence of this want of oil tine, as it now is in Spain; and that'the people had made was, (as it still is,) that in Egypt they made use of butter, as use of nothing but oil in their cookery, as being more dewe do, and also of honey, in their pastry: and even at this licious. The reason why the LXX. have improperly ren. day, travellers, going from Egypt into Arabia, carry butter dered it butter, was this; that their Greek version was along withthem; although, indeed, it is not very tempting made by Egyptian Jews, who, from the want of oil in their to the appetite, because, in consequence of the great heat, it new country, were accustomed to the use of butter only. generally melts in the jars by the way. In those parts of 2. From the time of Joshua until the destruction. of their Arabia likewise, which the Israelites traversed, and in government, the desire of returning to Egypt never once which they might, perhaps, have thought of settling as wan- arose among the Israelites. It was only after Nebuchaddering herdsmen, scarcely any olives were produced. The nezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, and when the remnant of oil of Palestine, on the other hand, was not only most the people no longer thought themselves secure against abundant, but also peculiarly excellent; and Hasselquist similar disasters within Palestine, that, contrary to the diprefers it even to that of Provence. By this gift of na- vine prohibition, the Jews took refuge in Egypt, Jer. xlii. ture, stony places and mountainsr which would otherwise xliv.; and when the kingdom of the ten tribes was destroyhave been barren, became not only useful, but even more ed, and Samaria conquered by the Assyrians, many of the productive, than the best fields could be made. The only Israelites, as we must infer from Hosea, in like manner part of Palestine which Strabo, that much misquoted au- withdrew thither.-MICA.ELIS. thor, describes as unfruitful, is that about Jerusalem; and it really is so, in regard to the production of grain: but e. 26. Moreover, ye shall eat no manner of still the Jews say, that an acre about Jerusalem was for- blood, whether' it be of fowl, or of beast, in any merly of much more value that in any other part of Pales- of your dwellings. tine. This I should not believe on their word, if any degree of improbability attached to it; for Jewish accounts With the prohibition of fat, we find in two passages from hearsay and oral tradition, have little weight with (Lev. iii. 17, and vii. ~6, 27,) another prohibition joined, me. But as long as Palestine was properly cultivated, an that of eating blood; which, however, occurs also in five acre near Jerusalem, from its produce in wine and oil, other passages, (Lev. xvii. 10-14. xix. 26. Deut. xii. 16, must naturally have been more profitable, than as a corn- 23, 24. xv. 23;) and was binding, not only on the Israelites field. We need only call to mind the MIount of Olives, themselves, but also on all foreigners living among them, which lay to the east of the city. An acre planted with under the penalty of death: Lev. xvii. 10. This unusually olives or vines, however rocky and arid the soil may be, frequent recurrence of the prohibition, together with the will very easily be made worth ten times as much as an punishment of extirpation from among the people, aqnexed acre of the richest corn-land.-The account given by Abul- to the transgression of it; and the denunciation of God's feda, in his Description of Syria, confirms this statement; peculiar vengeance against every man who should eat for he says, that the country about Jerusalem is one of the blood, is quite sufficient to show, that the legislator must most fertile in Palestine. Let us now representto ourselves have been more interested in this, than in the other prohi the ediects of alaw which enjoined, that the pastry of of- bitions relative.to unclean meats, and likewise- that the ferings should be baked with oil, (and, therefore, not with Israelites had had peculiar temptations to transgress it. butter,) and that to every meal-offering so much oil should These we really should not have, were blood forbidden to be added. The priests, who; among the Hebrews, were us; and one should think that the person who had not, persons of distinction by birth, were accustomed to oil-pas- from infancy, eaten blood, would rather have an antipathy try; and as their entertainments were generally offering- at it. Bloodpuddings, it is true, (like goose and hare,) boiled feasts, the people thus became acquainted with it. Now, black, we eat with great relish; but I cannot recollect to what people have once tasted as a luxury at a feast, and have found any person pre-eminently fond of them, but in found savoury, or heard of as eaten by the great, they the single case of their being quite fresh; and that would begin first to imitate sparingly, and then, if they can, more be the precise case, in which, to a person not previously and more frequently in their daily meals. This was an accustomed to eat them, they would at first be most likely 72 LEVITICUS. CHAP. 11: to cause sensations of abhorrence. Add to this, that blood- cient to. kill him; which others might also do from inadpuddings of ox-blood are by no means so savoury, as ours vertence, or from superstitious zeal. This was sufficient made of swine's blood are; which cannot, however, be here reason to keep Moses from making the drinking of blood in question. For they have something of a mealy taste; a part of religious worship; and this being the case, it was, which, indeed, is very perceptible, when ox-blood is fraud- as a heathen rite, on his principles, necessarily prohibited ulently mixed with swine's blood. The temptation, there- in the strictest terms. Nor need we, after this, be surprised fore, which the Israelites had had to violate this law, must to find the eating of blood forbidden, not only in the Acts have proceeded firom another cause, than from an appetite of the Apostles, (chap. xv. 20 —29,) but also among the for blood; and so much the more so, as the eating of' blood Arabs, and in the Koran, and classed with the offerings would appear to have never been a custom of their ances- made to idols: for it actually was a part of idolatrous tors; for even the Arabs,who are descended from Abraham, worship very common in the East.-MICHAELIS. do not eat blood; and Mohammed (as we have seen,) has CHAPTER XI. forbidden them to taste of idol-offerings and blood of beasts CHAPTER XI. strangled, torn, or dead, and of swine's flesh. But before Ver. 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, I proceed to state the cause of this so remarkably rigid These are the beasts which ye shall eat among prohibition of blood, I must observe, that it only extended all the beasts that are on the earth. to the blood of quadrupeds and birds; for the blood of fishes was, on the contrary, permitted to be eaten; Lev. vii. 26, Of th'e laws relative to clean and unclean beasts, which xvii. 13. This point is so clear, that even our. modern are recorded in Lev. xi. and Deut. xiv., the following may, Jews, who in most things overstretch the law of Moses, perhaps, serve as an abstract, sufficient foibr a reader who mnake no conscience of eating carp stewed in their own has not to observe them, but means only to contemplate blood. I now come to notice the reason of this prohibition, them philosophically. which we find so urgently repeated. it is connected with In regard to qnadrcupeds, Moses reduces the previous cusone of the grand objects, which the Hebrew legislator toms of the Israelites, together with the additional ordialways had in view, namely, the exclusion of all manner of nances which he found it necessary to make, into a very idolatry from among his people. Eating of' blood, or rather simple and natural system. According to him, All beasts drinking it, was quite customary among the pagan nations that have their feet completely cloven, above as well as below, of Asia, in their sacrifices to idols, and in the taking of and at the same time chew the cud, are clean. Those which oaths. This, indeed, was so much an Asiatic, and in a have neither, or indeed want one of these distinguishing articular manner, a Phcenician usage, that we find the marks, are unclean. That in so early an age of the world, Roman writers taking notice of it, as something outlandish we should find a systematic division of quadrupeds so exat Rome, and peculiar to these nations; and as in the cellent, as never yet, after all the improvements in natural Roman-1 persecutions, the Christians were compelled to history, to have become obsolete, but, on the contrary, to be burn incense, so were they, in the Persian, to eat blood. still considered as useful by the greatest masters of the In the West the one, and in the East the other, was re- science, cannot but be looked upon as truly wonderful. garded as expressive of conversion to heathenism; because In the case of certain quadrupeds, however, a doubt may both were idolatrous practices. It was for this very reason, arise, whether they do fully divide the hoof, or ruminate. that Moses now prohibited blood so rigidly, and under the For example, whether the hare ruminates or not, is so unpain of death, not only among the Israelites themselves, decided, that if we put the question to any two sportsmen, but among all foreigners that lived within their land; and we shall rarely receive the same answer. In such cases, in order to render the prohibition the more sacred, and the to prevent difficulties, a legislator must authoritatively demore revered, by connecting with it a moral implication, cide; by which I do not mean, that he is to prescribe to God declared, (Lev. xvii. 11-14,) That the Israelites, on naturalists what their belief should be, but only to deteraccount of the sins?Shich they daily committed, and which mine, for the sake of expounders or judges of the law, what could never bef ily expiated by offerings on thle altar, owed to animals are to be regarded as ruminating or parting the him all the blood of the beasts which they slaucghtered, and were hoof. The camel ruminates, but whliethe it fully parts the not to eat o it, ecause it was destined as an atonement for hoof, is a question so undecided, that we do not, even in tieir sins. But for this very reason also, because it was an the Memoirs of tlhe Acadesmy qf Par'is, find a satisfactory idolatrous usage among the neighbouring nations, were answer to it on all points. The foot of the camel is actuthe Israelites in the greater danger of being led, by eating ally divided into two toes, and the division even below is blood, into idolatry, from their great propensity to that complete, so that the animal might be accounted clean; universally-prevalent crime, and not from mere fondness but then it does not extend the whole length of the foot, but for blood as a desirable article of food. In regard to many only to the forepart; for behind it is not parted, and we other heathenish customs, Moses acted quite otherwise, find, besides, under it, and connected with it, a ball on eonsecrating, instead of prohibiting them, by commanding which the camel goes. Now, in this dubious state of cirthat they should be kept uip, under an altered signification, cumstances, Moses authoritatively declares, (Lev. xi. 4,) in honour of the true God; but it is not to be wondered that the camel has not the hoof fully divided. It would apthat hlie should not have done so with regard to the drink- pear as if he had meant that this animal, heretofore acing of blood in sacrifices and oaths, but rather have counted clean by the Ishmaelites, Miidianites, and all the forbidden the use of it altogether. The eating of blood is rest of Abraham's Arabian descendants, should not be eaten a matter of indifference in a moral view, and, if not carried by the Israelites; probably with a view to keep them, by to excess, in a medical. view also. It will not make a man this means, the more separate from these nations, nith cruel and pitiless; nor yet will it occasion disease and whom their connexion, and their coincidence in un,,ners, death. But driniingeg of blood is certainly not a becoming was otherwise so close; and perhaps too, to prevent them ceremony in religions worship. It is not a very refined from conceiving any desire to continue in Arabia, or to custom, and if o:fien repeated, it might probably habituate devote themselves again to their favourite occupation of a people to cruelty, and make them unfeeling with regard wandering herdsmen. For in Arabia, a people will alwavs to blood; and certainly religion should not give, nor even be in an uncomfortable situation, if they dare not eat tfhe have the appearance of giving, any such direction to the flesh and drink the milk of the camel. manners of a nation; Add to this, that it is actually With regard tofishes, Moses has in like manner made, a dangerous to drink blood; for if taken warm,.and in large very simple systematic distinction. All that have scales and quantity, it may prove fatal; particularly ox-blood, which, fins are clean: all others senclean. by coagulating in the stomach, causes convulsions and Of birds, without founding on any systematic distr::.u sudden death, and was with this view given to criminals tion', he merely specifiescertain sorts as forbidden, thereby in Greece, as a poisoned draught. It is true, the blood of permitting all others to be eaten; but what the prohibited other animals may not always produce the same effects; birds are, it is, from our ignorance of the lainguage, in but still, if it is not in very small quantity, its effects will be some instances impossible to ascertain; and the Jews, who hurtful. At any rate, the custom of drinking blood in still consider the Mosaic law as obligatory, are here placed sacrifice, and in taking oaths, may, from imprudence, in the awkward predicament of not understanding a statute sometimes have the same effects which Yalerius Maximus which they have to observe, and of expounding it merely ascribes to it, in the case of Themistocles; only that he by guess. purposery drank as much during a sacrifice, as was suffi- Insects, serpents, worms, &c. are prohibited; and MoseA CHAP. 13. LEVITICUS. 73 is especially careful to interdict the use of various sorts of this account, the Brahmins, and others, conceal their earth lizards; which, of course, must have been eaten in some en ware when not in use.-RoBERTS. parts of Egypt, or'by the people in the adjacent countries; but concerning which, I must admit, that I have not met Ver. 35. And every thing whereupon any part,with any account besides. There is, indeed, as we find of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether from Hasselquist's Travels in Palestine, (under the class it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be Ampn ibia, lvii.) one species of lizard in that country, viz, broken.own; for they are unclean, an shall the Gecko, which is poisonous; so much so, that its poison kills when it happens to be among meat. This is not the be unclean unto you.:ase with the poison of serpents, which is only noxious in i wound, and may, as well as the animals themselves, The scarcity of fuel in the East induces the people to be which are edible, be safely taken into the stomach, if only very frugal in using it. Ratwolff gives the following acthe mouth be perfectly sound, and fiee from bloody spots. count of their management: "They make in their tents or This Lacer'ta Gecko must certainly not have been eaten by houses a hole about.a foot and a half deep, wherein they any of the neighbouring nations, and Moses had therefore put their earthen pipkins or pots, with the meat in them, no occasion to prohibit it. With regard, however, to those closed up, so that they are in the half above the middle. winged insects, which besides fous' walking legs, (Pedes Three fourth parts thereof they lay about with stones, and saltatorii,) Moses malkes an exception, and under the de- the fourth part is left open, through which they fling in nomination of locusts, declares them clean in all their four their dried dung, which burns immediately, and gives so stages of existence, and under as many different degrees of great a heat that the pot groweth so hot as if it had stood hardness. In Palestine, Arabia, and the adjoining coun- in the middle of a lighted coal heap, so that they boil their tL;es, locusts are one of the most common articles of food. meat with a little fire, quicker than we do ours with a great ana the people would be very ill off if they durst not eat one on our hearths." As the Israelites must have had as them. For when a swarm of them desolates the fields, they much occasion to be sparing of their fuel as any people, prove, in some measure, themselves an antidote to the and especially when journeying in the wilderness, Mr. famine which they occasion; so much so, indeed, that poor Harmer considers this quotation as a more satisfactory people look forward with anxiety to the arrival of a swarm commentary on this passage than any which has been givof locusts, as yielding them sustenance without any trouble. en.-BuanER. They are not only eaten fresh, immediately on their appearance; but the people collect them, and know a method CHAPTER XIII. of preservinmg them for a long time for food, after they have Ver. 3. And the priest shall look on the plague drile d them in an oven. in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in The law further prohibited the touching the carcass of the plau is turned white, and the plaue in any unclean beast, Lev. xi. 8, 24, 25, 27, 31. This, however, does not mean that a carcass was, in a literal sense, sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is never to be touched, (for then it must always have been in a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look the way, and we shall see in the sequel that it was expressly on him, and pronounce him ordered to be buried;) but only, that the person who touched it, was to be deemed unclean until the evening. To The leprosy, a contagious and dreadf l disorder, which e;tra.ngers who dwelt among the Israelites, unclean beasts slowly consumes the human body, which is common, parwere not forbidden: for certainly the legislator never ticularly in Egypt and Syria, but is also met with in other thought of making his prohibition of certain meats a moral hot countries, generally manifests itself first in the manner law, by which every man, of whatever nation, was to be described in the text. Peysonnel, a French physician, bound to regulate his conduct. If his design in these st- who was sent by his government, in the year 1756, to the tutes was to separate the Israelites from other nations, it island of Gaudaloupe, to examine the leprosy Xhich had must have been his wish and intention to rohibit the for- appeared there, writes in his report of 3d February, 1757, (in mer from the use of those very meats which were eaten by Michaelis Mosaic Law, part iv. p. 224:) " The commencethle latter; and had the people in any of the surrounding ment of the leprosy is imperceptible; there appear only a countries deemed all such meats unclean, Moses would few dark reddish spots on the skin of the whites; in the probably have given a set of laws on this subject quite dif- blacks they are of a coppery red. These spots are at first ferent from those which he did give. When a co m-mander lp.ot attended with pain, or any other symptom, but they cangives his soldiers a cockade to distinguish them from other The disease increases imtroops, he by no means wishes that everybody should in- eptibly, and c discriminately wear it, but would rather have it takren from pere ontinues for some yarsto be more and more manifest. The spots become larger, and spread inany foreigner who should mount it. The law relative to discriminately over the skin of the whole body: they are clean and unclean beasts was never, not even under the sometimes rather raised. though fiat; when the disease Old Testament, a precept of religion which every individual increases, the upper part of the nose sells, the nostrils dito whatever nation he belonged, was bound to observe for tend, and the nose itself becomes soft. Swellings appear *the sake of his eternal salvation; it was only, if I may so on the jaw-bones, the eyebrows are elevated, the ears gro on the jaw-bones, the eyebrows are elevated, the ears grow term it, a cocacade for the Israelites; but Still one that they thick, the ends of the fingers, as vyell as the feet and toes, could not omit wearing without committing a trespass of a swell, the nails grow scaly, the joints on tilh hans and divine commandment; and indeed it was so'firmly pinned feet separate and die off; on the palms of the hands and upon them by their earliest education, that it must certainly the soles of the feet there are deep dry ulcers, which rapidhave been dificult for them ever tolay it aside.-MIcHAELIs. ly increase, and then vanish again. In short, when. the disease reaches its last stage, the patient becomes horrible, Ver. 33. And every earthen vessel whereinto any and falls to pieces. All these circumstances come on very of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be un- slowly, for many years are often required before they all clean; andi.ye shall break it. occur; the patient has no severe pain, but he feels a kind of numbness in his hands and feet. These persons are not hindered, during the time, in any of the functions of naThis refers to any unclean or dead animal falling into. ture, they eat and drink as usual, and even when some of or touching an earthen vessel. Most of the cooking uten- their fingers and toes die off, the loss of the member is the sils of the Hindoos are of earthen ware. Should an un- only consequence, for the wound heals of itself without a1clean, or dead animal, or insect, touch or fall into them, tention or medicine. But when the poor people reach this they must be broken, Nay, should a person of low caste last period of the disease, they are horribly disfigured and get a look at the cooking vessels of a Brahmin, or one of most worthy of pity. It has been observed, that this disthe Saiva sect, they will immediately be broken; and no ease has other dreadful properties, such, in fact, that it is small portion of abuse be poured upon the offending indi- hereditary, and, therefore, some families are more afflicted vidual. Should an unfortunate dog, in his prowlings, find with it than others; secondly, that it is infectious, and that his way into the kitchen, and begin to lick the vessels, wo it is propagated by persons sleeping together, or even havbe to him! for he will not only have hard words, but hard ing long-continued intercourse; thirdly, that it is incurable, blows; and then follows the breaking of the vessels. On or, at least, that no means to cure it have been discovered. 10 74 LEVITICUS. CH)AP. 1i1 A very well-grounded fear of being infected with this cruel there."-" Alas, the tigers got among my cattle last night, disease, the difficulty of recognising the persons attacked and great is the slaughter." " The king is angry with with it, before the disorder has attained its height; the Raman —-his hand is now on his mouth." "I may well put length of time that it remains secret, from the care of the my hand on my mouth; I have been taken by the neck, and patients to conceal it; the uncertainty of the symptoms at driven from the presence of my lord.' My requests have the beginning, which should distinguish it from other dis- all been denied." Job xxi. 5.-ROBERTS. orders, excited extraordinary claims among all the inhabitants of this island. They were suspicious of each, because Ver. 47. The garment also that the plague of virtue and rank were no protection again.st this cruel leprosy is in, lwhlether it be a woollen garment, scourge. They called this disease the leprosy, and pre- or a linen garment; 48. Whether it be in the sented to the commander and governor several petitions, of linen, or of in which they represented all the above circumstances; the general food, the uneasiness caused'in this newly-settled whether in a skin, or in any thing made of country; the inconven iences and the hatred which such in- skin: 49. And if the plague be greenish or culpations produced among them; the laws which had been i reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in made against lepers, ahd their exclusion from civil society. They demanded a general inspection of all those who the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of were suspected of having this disease, in order that those skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be who were found to be. infected might be removed into a showed unto the priest: 50. And the priest particular hospital, or some separate place." Alll look upon the plague, and shut up it that these people required, and which was also granted them, we find to be prescribed in the laws relative to the leprosy, hath the plague seven days. *coltained in the thirteenth chapter.-ROSENMULLERa The two statutes of Moses relative to the leprosy of Ver. 38. If a man also or a woman have in the clothes and houses, may appear to us at first view very strange, because in Europe we have never heard of any skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright such leprosy, and the name immediately suggests to us the spots; 39. Then the priest shall look: and, be- idea of something akin to human leprosy. Learned men hold, if the brioght spots in the skin of their flesh who write upon the Bible in their closets, sometimes know hold if hebihtspot inthekinotheirfles nothing but books; being quite unacquainted with nature, be darkish white: it is a freckled spot that and often with their own houses, in which, perhaps, the groweth in the skin: he is clean. Mosaic leprosy may actually be; and they are too much wrapped up in themselves to think of asking the unlearned The Hebrew word here translated "freckled spot," is about such things. Perhaps the leprosy in question does Boltak, and the Arabs still use the same word to denote a not, properly speaking, fall to be treated under the present kind of leprosy, of which Niebuhr says, " Bohak is neither head, but under the statutes of police respecting buildings, contagious nor dangerous. A black boy at Mocha, who manufactures, and clothes. Here, however, it will be was affected with this eruption, had here and there on his looked for; and although it were not, I must nevertheless body white spots. We were told that the use of sulphur offer some general remarks on bot/i the laws given by AMo had brelieved this boy for a time, but had not entirely ses respecting it, which would lose their effect, were I to removed the disease." He adds, subsequently, from Foss- separate the one from the other. In the irst place then, kal's papers, the following particulars: "On the 15th of when we hear of the leprosy of clothes and houses, we must May, 1765, I myself first saw the eruption called bohak in not be so simple as to imagine it the very same disease a Jew at Mocha. The spots of this eruption are of unequal which is termed leprosy in man. Men, clothes, and stones, size; they do not shine, are imperceptibly higher than the have not the same sort of diseases; but the names of huskin, and do not change the colour of the hair. Their man diseases are, by analogy, or as the grammarian terms colour is a dirty white, or rather reddish. The rest df the it, by a figure of speech, appliedto the diseases of other things. skin of the patient I saw was darker than the inhabitants of In1 Bernle, for instance, they speak of the ca nccr of buildthe country usually were, but the spots were not so white is.rs, but then that is not the distemper so called in the huas the skin of a European when it is not tanned by the sun. man body. The cancer of blildisigs, is with equal proprieThe spots of this eruption do not appear on the hands or ty a Swiss, as the leprosy of bnildings is a Hebrew, expresnear the navel, but on the neck and face, yet not that part sion. The late Dr. Forshal wrote me from Egypt, that of the, face where the hair grows thick. They spread two sorts of diseases of certain trees proceeding from ingradually. Sometimes they remain only two months, sects, are there termed lepqros;J * but I do not print the words sometimes one or two years, and go away by degrees of of his letter, because I am aware that a fuller account of themselves. This disorder is neither contagious nor he- this matter will be found in the Diary of his Travels, which reditary, and does not cause any bodily inconvenience." is very soon to be published, and which I should nust -wish Hence it appears why a person affected with the bohak is to anticipate. Hasselquist likewise, has, in p. 221 cf his declared in the above law not to be unclean.-ROSEN- Travels in the Holy Land, spoken of a leprosy in the figMULLER. trees. TVer. 45. And the leper in 0whonrl the plague is, In the second place, although Moses gives laws relative to the leprosy in clothes and houses, we must not imagine, Lis clwothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and considering that he lets not fall a single word on the subhlo shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and ject, that any such leprosy could infect mall. Of this Moshall cry, Unclean, unclean. ses is so far from being afraid, that we find him, on the contrary, when a house lies under the suspicion of leprosy, ThF prophet Ezekiel, in reference to the death of his commanding all the articles of fiirnitnlre to be removed cut wife, was ordered not to " cry," neither to cover the lips; of it, previous to its inspection, that The priest may not be (the margin has, " tpper lip.") The prophet Micah (iii. 7) obliged to pronounce them unclean. If there adhered to describes the confusion and sorrow of those who had by the walls any poisonous matter that could pass to huma.n their wickedness offended the Lord. " Then shall the seers beings, and infect them with leprosy, this would be a very be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea., they shall strange injunction indeed. Let us only conceive, in the all cover their lips, for there is no answer of God." Margin case of a house infected with the plague, orders given to again has, "upper lip." All these passages refer to the bring out every article within it previous to its being examsdrrow of those concerned. A person in deep distress puts ined, that it might not be declared infected. What else his hand over his mouth, and hangs douwn his head, as if would the consequence be, than the direct propagation ol looking' on the ground. When a man suddenly claps his, the infection. It would be the very same, though in a less hand on his mouth, it denotes great. sorrow or surprise. degree, if the ho'use-leprosy infected man. But will those To put the fingers in a line with the nose, conveys the idea who have already any knowledge of Moses as a legislator, of silence and submission. " VhWy is your hand on your suppose him capable of committing such an oversight' mouth " —" Not for joy." " But why "-I" My son, my The leprosy of clothes is described in Lev. xiii. 47-59, as son, my wiclked son! He has gone with the evil ones to consisting of green or reddish spots that remain in spite of the distant country." "Ah, friend, why is your hand washing, and still spread; and by which the cloth becomes CHAP. 14. LEVITICUS. 75 bald, or bare, sometimes on the one side, sometimes on the to guard against such a loss. Moses therefore enjoined, other. This Moses terms dropping or losing the hair; that is, first, that the place ol which there were marks of leprosy if we are to give the literal truth of the Hebrew text, in a that no washing could obliterate, should be torn out;, and passage which might have its difficulties to aman of learning, tlen, if the leprosy still recurred a second time, that the if he knew nothing of the manufacture of woollen. These whole piece should be burnt. With regard to leather and symptoms too, ofleprosy, are said to be found sometimes only linen, I can say nothing with historical certainty: because in the warp, and at other times only in the Wivoof. To a per- I know no great wholesale manufacturer or merchant in son who has nothing to do with the nmanufactures of woollen, either line, and I do not choose to trouble my reader with linen, or leathler, but with books only, this must doubtless be conjectures, because they may occur to himself, just as well obscure; or, at most, he willbe led to think of specks of rot- as to me. Perhaps, however,, my book may find some tenness, bqt still without being rightly satisfied. I have not readers better acquainted with sudh persons than I can be been able to obtain complete information on this subject; here in Gottingen, and who may hereafter communicate but in regard to wool, and woollen stuffs, I have consulted with me on the subject; for which purpose, I particularly the greatest manufacturer in the electorate of Hanover; and request the attention of my readers in IHolland, where I am hlie informs me, that what he has read in my German Bible, inclined to think the best judges may be found. Now that at this passage, will be found to hold good, at any rate with the origin of the evil has been traced in wool, there will be regard to woollen articles'; and that it proceeds from what no great difficulty in carrying on the investi'ation further. is called dead wool, that is, the wool of sheep that have died Only I must deprecate closet-accounts, and learned conby disease, not by the knife; that such wool, if the disease jectures. It is only from those who are acquainted withli has been but of short duration, is not altogether useless, but the manufacture or sale of linen, leather, and furriery, on in a sheep that has been long diseased, becomes extremely a large scale, that I look for any useful information. —M:ibad, and loses the points; and that, according to the estab- csAELIs. lished usage of honest manufacturers,,it is unfair to man- CHAPTE XIV. ufacture dead wool into any article worn by man; because vermin are so apt to establish themselves in it, particular- Ver. 4. Then shall the priest comnrmand to take Iv when it is worn close to the body and warmed thereby. for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive'When -I told him, that in the countries, with a view to ad clea, nd cedaood, ad scaet and which I qutestioned him, the people, for want of linen and from poverty, had always worn, and still wear, woollen hyssop. stuffs next tihe skin, he stated it as his opinion that there the disagreeable effect just mentioned, must take place in a Interpreters have not been able to determine in what partsef'sriptreteshae Hobenbrew to eermineDs tipr ouhat t still higher degree than in countries where, according to parts of scripture, the Hebrewterm () Si oght to' ~~~~~~~~~~~~be translated sparrow. Some suppose that A/i~oses intends our German fashion, which would there be a luxury, a be traislatd sparrow. Some suppose that noses intends linen shirt is worn between the woollen clothes and the rs-1 hnsaltepis omn otk o i lineir shirt is worn betwreen the woollen clothes and the this bird in the law concerning the purification of the lepbody. He added, that dead wool was usually manufactur- rosy: "Then shall the priest command to take for him bo'd. Headdd, tat dad ool as uualy maufacur-that is to be cleansed, two bird-s alive." One of these birds ed into sacks and horse-cloths; and he expressed his wish that s to be cleansed, two birds alive." One of these rds was to be killed over running water; and the living bird? for a statute, in the style of Moses, which should discour- age the use of dead wool, or inflict a punishment on those after certain ceremonies described in the law, as odered to be let loose into the open field. The same ceremonies who either sold it, or knowingly manufactured it into ha- were commanded to te observed in cleansing the leprous man clothing. —I am likewise uinformed by Hamburghers, man loting- amlikeiseinfrmedby ambu0 hrswere commanded to be observed in cleansing the leprous thatin their neighbourho ninnyfrauds are o d house. Jerome and many succeeding interpreters, render that in their weighbourhood, many frauds are committedlaw, sparrows. Bu t it is evident with dead wool, from its being sold for good wool; in con- the ord a sed in the law, sparrows. But sqence of which, the stus made of it not only become from an attentive perusal of the fourth verse, that it signisequence of which, the stuffs made of it not' only become'very soon bare, but full first of little depressions, and then fies birds in general. "Then shall the priest command to,of holes. brtake for him that is to be cleansed, two birds alive and clean." Now, if the sarrow was a cleona bird, there could These accounts serve to render this law pretty intelligi- clean." Now, if the sparrow was aea bird, there could ble, as far as regards wool -and woollen stuffs. We see howv beno use in commisanding a clean one to be taken, since be no use in commanding a clean one to be tak-en, since the disease may appear sometimes only in the warp, and every one of the species was ceremonially lea; u if it sometimes only in the woof, from good wool being used for/ wasunclean bylaw,then it coldnotbecalled clean. The the one, ad dead ool for the other. Whether this dead term here must therefore signify birds in general, of which the one, and dead wool for the other. Whether-this deadt n some were ceremonially clean, and some unclean; which wool will, in process of time, infect goodwool, I do not soue were ceremonially clean, and some unclean; which rendered the specification in the command, proper andt knowr; but to bring in to complete discredit and disuse, edrdteseiiaini h omnpoe n kaom; but to b~ln,~ into complete disdt a n ecess ary. From the terms of the law it appears, that any stuffs, which so soon become threadbare, and burst out in necessary. f t trs te i sh an holes, and at the same time so readily shelter vermin al- species of clean birds might be taken on such occasions' domestic or wild; provided only thney were clean, and thlE though they cannot proceed from the wool itself, but only domestic or wild; provided only they were clean, and the find'it a very suitable breeding-place, rmquestionably be- use of them conceded by the laws of Moses to the people Z-) _~~~~-PAXToN.. comes the duty of legislative policy. How this end could be attained, without destroying staffs thus manufactured Ver. 33. And the LORD spake unto Moses and contrary to law, our present system of police can scarcely nto Aaron, sying, 3. Whenye be come ito conceive; and in that early age of the world, when every thing was yet in its infanacy, —when merchants were not so the'land of Canaan, which I give to you for a knowing as now,-and when among the petty independent possession, and I put the plague of leprosv in tribes, there was no police established for manufactures, a house of the land of your possession 35. And nor any boards of inspection, the trick of using dead wool he that owneth the house shall come and tell. was probably more frequent than at present; while yet the cause of its effects was but imperfectly known; and these the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as effects in those climates must have been still worse than it were a plague in the house. with us, particularly in Egypt, which breeds such abundance of vermin.. The best remedy was, in the language The house-leprosy is said in Lev. xiv. 33-57, to cons;ist of Moses, to destroy the leprous article: for that would soon of greenish or reddish dimples, which appear on the walls, make every one careful to manufacture nothing either for and continqally spread wider and wider; and its nature himself, or for sale, that might be pronounced leprous; and would probably have been understood long ago, but for the people would soon observe where the fault lay, when they prevalence of the notion of its being a disease commumninawere losers, and found no sale for their goods, in conse- ble to man, which notion arose from talking the word lepre'quence of former purchasers hainug suffered by..them. sy in too literal a sense. The bare description of it given The prohibition of dead wool, although the legislator be by' Moses is so clear, that, I have known more than one ever so fullv satisfied that it is entirely to blame for the ef- example of children, who, shortly after reading it, having fects in question, is not sufficient of itself; for it will still be had occasion to go into the cellar, where, with terror, they privately manufactured and then denied, particularly thought they had observed it on the walls, on their return, where there is no board of survey. But where the stuff, in described it distinctly or figuratively to their parents, and which leprous symptos make their appearance, s destroy- were laughed at for their pains. Laughed at they certainly ed in spite of the owner, every one will become attentive ought not to have been, but instructed. Their acutevision 76 LEVITICUS. CHAP. 14 had shown them what many a learned man has in vain that the plaster of them requires very frequent repairing, sought to find out. In short, what we usually term the Salt- because the lime with which they are coated blisters, asit petre, the,; appears on walls, has much the same symptoms is called, that is, detaches itself from the wall, swells, and as the Mosaic house-leprosy, and is at the same time attend- then falls off. I myself lived in a house at Halle, that was ed with such noxious effects as require the attention of a more than a hundred years old, and may probably stand a well-regulated police. I expressed this idea first in my 12th hundred years longer; in which, nevertheless, the saltpequestion to the Arabian Travellers; but I did so very tre had on one side, at a period beyond all remembrance, briefly, and as addressing men of sense and skill. I have penetrated as far as the second story. The walls, ho\vever, not yet, however, received any answer, because Forskal, were from three to fcur feet thick, and really of excellent the person to whose province the question belonged, is stone; for which, indeed, Halle is remarkable. In other dead, and his journal is not yet printed. The ofiener, how- places, this evil may no doubt be more serious; fmnd Ivery ever, I consider the matter, I am the more impressed with much suspect, that such may have been the case in the the probability of this idea being the true one, and here is damp parts of Egypt, where the Israelites dwelt. When I the place to expatiate more fully upon it. Our walls and figure to myself those marshes, which the Greeks called houses are often attacked with something, that corrodes Bsscolia, at the mouth of the Nile, and the great quantity of and consumes them, and which we commonly denominate saltpetre, or at any rate, of salt akin thereto, which Egypt Saltpetse. Its appearances are nearly as Moses describes produces, I cannot help thinking, that the saltpetre in buildthem, only that we seldom find the spots greenish or red- ings, must have been much more destructive there than dish, although I think I have met with them of the latter with us. Only our travellers very seldom go into the marcolour. As, however, I cannot exactly recollect where, I shy districts, but rather to Alexandria, Cairo, and along the must appeal to the testimony of Mr. Professor Bekmann, Nile as far as Assouan, where the soil is quite different; who, on my asking him, informed me that he had seen an and, of course, we can expect from them no information instance of reddish ones at Lubeck. With us, this disease relative to the matter. Even the way along the coast, from of walls is most frequently found in cellars, but it also as- Damietta to Alexandria, of which Abulfeda gives such a cends into the higher parts of buildings, particularly in the beautiful description, is, as far as I recollect, described by case of a privy being directly under the wall, or where any no other traveller. As my work has had the good fortune other sort of filth can affect it. In my native city, Halle, it to find numerous readers in Holland, of whom, perhaps, is extremely common, because the soil of all the country some have it in their power to obtain more particular inaround is full of what is called saltpetre; which is scraped formation concerning those parts, I have to request, that off from the turf walls of the cottages, by people who make they will take some pains for that purpose, and have the it their business to collect it. Properly speaking, it is not goodness to communicate to me whatever accounts they saltpetre, but it contains the acid from which saltpetre is may procure, that are authentic, and illustrative of the prepared. Wherever any part of these walls, that is preg- subject. nant with this substance, is suffered to remain, it always 2. Many things that lie near walls affected with saltpetre, efiloresces anew; and such parts the collectors take care thereby suffer damage, and are spoiled. I have myself seen to leave, when they repair the cottages with new earth, great piles of books nearly ruined from this cause, and it that after a few years they may find a fresh crop on the is the same with other articles that cannot bear dampness, walls. But I have never seen it to such a degree as at and acids. The loss here may often be greater and more Eislebei, in the church in which Luther was baptized. In considerable, than by the slow decay of the building itself; the year 1757, I observed, on the left side of the choir of for it shows itself very perceptibly in the course of a few that church, a gravestone, I think cf marble, and dated years, by rendering such articles often perfectly useless. in the present century, in which the inscription, though 3. If the saltpetre be strong in those apartments wherein deeply cut, was in many places, by reason of numberless people live, it is pernicious to health, particularly where dimples, scarcely legible, while I read with peyfect ease they sleep close to the wall. Of this, I had long ago a other two inscriptions, four times as old. On my asking general notion, at Halle, from observing that such apartthe sexton the reason of this, he said, the saltpetre hal come ments were not usually inhabited; but Professor Bekmann into the stone, and told me a great deal more about it, which has just informed me of a remarkable case of a person, I did not sufficiently attend to, because I had no idea of its who, by occupying a room infected by saltpetre, was seized ever being useful to me in explaining the Bible. In Bern, with (Salzflisse) saline defluctions, which the physicians Mr. Apothecary AndreSi heard the people cormplain of a ascribed to the apartment alone. This unfortunate patient, disease that in an especial manner attacked sandstone, so who could not procure himself any better abode, he had as to make it exfoliate, and become as it were cancerous. often visited in company with a physician, whose attendThey call it the Gall, and, in like manner, ascribe it to the ance he had procured for him. Those people among us, saltpetre contained in the stone. The Society of Natural- who are in good circumstances, or not quite poor, may ists at Dantzig some time ago proposed a prize question on avoid the effects of the saltpetre corrosion, which seldom the Causes of the Destru'ctive Corrosio, of Walls by Saltpetre, ascends higher than the lowest story, by living in the seeand on the Means, znot only qfpreventing it in New Buildin(gs, ond floor, which is not so apt to be affected by it, and using but of cur'ing it in Old. It was answered, among others, the ground-floor for kitchen, waiting-parlour, &c. &c. But by Mr. Pastor Luther, who obtained the prize: but his in a country where there was but little knowledge of archiessay, although, as the best, it might merit that distinction, tecture, and where they were obliged to be satisfied, in has nevertheless given but little satisfaction to those who general, with houses of but one story, the pernicious effects are versed in the subiect, and particularly to Mr. Professor of the house-leprosy could not be thus averted. Bekmann, as we see from the third volume of his Physical The consideration of these circumstances will render the and (Economical Library, p.'574. Mosaic ordinances on this subject easily intelligible. Thei r It is not, properly speaking, saltpetre that is in these walls object was to check the evil in the very bud; to extirpate and buildings, but an acid of nitre, from which, by the ad- it while it was yet extirpable, by making every one, from dition of a fixed alkali, we can make saltpetre. But the the loss to which it would subject him, careful, to prevent disease is likewise owing sometimes to other acids, to the his house from becoming affected with leprosy, which he: acid of sea-salt, for instance, as Professor Bekmann informs could easily be, where the houses had no damp stone cellars me; and, from other experiments, Mr. Andrei has found below ground; and thus also, to place not only himself in the component parts of the efflorescence, to approach very perfect sedurity, but his neighbours also, who might very near to those of Epsom salt, that is, vitriolic acid and ma- reasonably dread having their houses contaminated by nesia.-See Bekmann's Biblioth. above quoted, vol. iv. p. the infection. For this'purpose, Moses proceeded in the 250. The detrimental effects of this efflorescence in walls, followingnmanner: or; if I may use the common name, of this saltpetre, are the 1. In tie first place, he ordained that the owner of a following:- house, when any suspicious spots or dimples appeared on 1. The walls become mouldy, and that to such a degree, the walls, should be bound to give notice, of it, in order as, in consequence of the corrosion spreading farther and that the house might be inspected by a person of skill; and farther, at least to occasion their tumbling down. Perhaps, that person, as in the case of human leprosy, was to be the however, this, at least in most parts of Germany, is the priest, wiose duty it was to apply himself to the study of most tolerable evil attending the disease; for it is certain, such things. Now this would serve to check the mischief that many houses affected with it last to a great age; only in its very origin, and to, make every one attentive to oh. CHAP. 16. LEVITICUS. 77 serve it. If we had any such regulations in our newly- their slaves, but among us it would be) our hired servants, founded cities, it is probable that the saltpetre would never or perhaps our children's preceptor, occupy an infected acquire such a footing as it does. The cause of its estab- apartment that was for no other use, and sleep close to an lishment anywhere would soon be discovered and remov- unwholesome wall. With such a law, no man can have ed, instead of its being, as it now is, in our cities, suffered any just ground of dissatisfaction; and we might at all to increase to such a degree as to vitiate the whole atmo- events ask, why we have it not put in force in newly-built sphere. cities. It is certainly very singular, that in this country, 2. On notice being given,,the priest was to inspect the or, at any rate, in some places of it, we have a law, which house, but the occupant had liberty to remove every thing is a most complete counterpart to it. No doubt our housepreviously out of it; and that this might be done, the priest leprosy is not attended with the same evils as it was among was empowered to order it ez officio; for whatever was the Hebrews, by reason of the change of circumstances, found within a house declared unclean, became unclean and because the saltpetre, being necessary for the manualong with it. Thus much is clear, that the legislator did facture of gunpowder, is often scraped off; and herein we not suppose that the furniture of an infected house could have a strong example of the diversity occasioned in legiscontaminate any other place, else would he not have al- lative policy, by difference of time and climate. We have lowed its removal, while the matter was doubtful; but here occasion for great quantities of saltpetre, in consequence of probably he yielded to the fears of the people, (as every the invention of gunpowder; and, as in some parts of GerlegJislator should do in such cases, instead of saying, There many where the soil abounds with it, such as the circle of the can be no infection he're, and ye must believe so; for the dread Saal, in the dutchv of Magdeburg, the cottages of the peasof infection, whether well founded or not, is an evil against ants have, from time immemorial, had their walls built which we are fain to be secure; and if a legislator neglects only of earth, in which, by reason of that want of cleanlito make us so, we will either take forcible measures to ef- ness, in many respects, which prevails in country villages, feet security, or else take fright, and shut ourselves up:) the saltpetre establishes itself, and effloresces; there is an or perhaps he only meant to compel the possessor of a ancient consuetudinary law, that the collectors of this subhouse, to a more honest intimation of the very first suspi- stance may scrape it off; which they can do without any cious symptoms of the evil. For if he gave no such inti- damage whatever to the houses; only they take care never mation, and his house, on being broke into, either at the re- to scrape it off'to the very roots, nor dare the occupants of quest of a neighbour, or any other-informer, interested in the houses extirpgte it altogether. The wvalls are so thick, making a discovery, happened to be found unclean, its and so often cleaned by this operation, that, for my part at whole contents became unclean of course. least, I never heard that the health of the people was affect3. If, on the first inspection, the complaint did not ap- ed by the saltpetre; and in the houses themselves, though pear wholly without foundation, but suspicious spots or inhabited by very substantial tenants, there is not much to dimples were actually to be seen, the house was to continue spoil.-At the same time, I should be glad to be more fully shut up for eight days, and then to be inspected anew. If, informed by any physician of that country, whether he had in this interval, the evil did not spread, it was considered ever traced any pernicious effects to the cause in question. as having been a circumstance merely accidental, and the -MICHAELIs. house was not polluted; but if it had spread, it was not ac- CHAPTER X~I. counted a harmless accident, but the real house-leprosy; and the stones affected with it, were to be broken out of the Vr. 10. But the goat on which the lot fell to be wall, and carried to an unclean place without the city; the scape-goat, shall be presented alive before and the walls of the whole house were scraped and plaster- the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and ed anew. These are the very same things that must be to let him go for a scapegoat. done at this day, if we want to clear a house of the saltpetre-evil. The stone or spot which produces it, must be ab- When a person is sick he vows on his recovery to set a solutely removed: and the scraping, and fresh plastering, goat at liberty, in honour of his deity. IHaving sele6ted a is also necessary; for it is in the very lime that the saltpe- suitable one from his flocks, he makes a slit in the ear, or tre, (or, to speak more properly, the acid of nitre,) estab- ties a yellow string round its neck, and lets it go whithersolishes itself most firmly. In our large buildings, indeed, ever it pleases. Whoever sees the animal knows it to be it is not just necessary to new-plaster the whole house; but a Nate-kadi, the vowed goat, and no person will molest it. the houses of the Hebrews were very small; and even the' Sometimes two goats are thus made sacred; but one of temple of Solomon itself,,built some centuries posterior to them will be offered soon, and the other kiept for a ftture the time of Moses, notwithstanding all the fame of its mag- sacrifice. But it is not merely in time of sickness that they nificence, was by no means nearly so large as many a house have recourse to this practice: for does a man wish to in Gottingen; although certainly we cannot boast of palaces, procure a situation, he makes a similar vow. Has a perand have only good bourgeois houses. son heard that there are treasures concealed in any place, 4. If, after this, the leprosy broke out afresh, the whole he vows to Virava (should he find the prize) to set a goat house was to be pulled down, and the materials carried to at liberty, in honour of his name. When a person has an unclean place without the city. Moses, therefore, it committed what he considers a great sin, he does the same would appear, never suffered a leprous house to stand. thing; but in addition to other ceremonies, he sprinkles The injury which such houses might do to the health of the animal with water, puts his hands upon it, and prays the inhabitants, or to the articles they contained, was of more to be forgiven.-RoBzrTS. consequence in his estimation, than the buildings them- The Aswamedhia Jug is an ancient Indian custom, in selves. Those to whom this appears strange, and who la- which a horse was brought and sacrificed, with some rites ment the fate of a house pulled down by legal authority, similar to those prescribed in the Miosaic law. " The probably think of large and magnificent houses like ours, horse so sacrificed is in place of the sacrificer, bears his of many stories high, which cost a great deal of money, and sins with him into the wilderness, into which he is turned in the second story of which, the people are gqnerally se- adrift, (for, from this particular instance, it seems that the cure from all danger of the saltpetre; but I have already sacrificing knife was not always employed,) and becomes mentioned, that the houses of those days were low, and of the expiatory victim of those sins. Mr. Halhed observes, very little value. that this ceremony reminds us of the scape-goat of the 5. If, on the other hand, the house, being inspected a Israelites; and indeed it is not the only one in which a second time, was found clean, it was solemnly so declared, particular coincidence between the Hindoo and Mosaic and an offering made on the occasion; in order that every systems of theology may be traced. To this account may one might know for certain, that it was not infected, and be subjoined a narrative in some measure similar friom the public be freed from all fears on that score. Mr. Bruce. "We found, that upon some dissension, the By this law many evils were actually prevented,-the garrison and townsmen had been fighting for several days, spreading of the saltpetre-infection, and even its beginning; in which disorders the greatest part of the ammunition in for the people would guard against those impurities whence the town had been expended, but it had since been agreed it arose, from its being so strictly inquired into;-the dan- on by the old men of both parties, that nobody had been to er of their allowing their property or their health to suf- blame on either side, but the whole wrong was the wo] hk of e~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Z for in an infected house, from mere carelessness;-the dif- a camel. A camel, therefore, was seized, and brought fieulty of making (among the Hebrews it would have been, soithout the town, and there a number on both sides hax:ng c~~`J' ---— "D "'^"' 78 LEVITICUS. CHAP. 17, 18 met, they upbraided the camel with every thing that had 1. a remnant; 2. the remnant of a meal; 3. a piece of any been either said or done. The camel had killed men; he thing eatable, such as flesh; 4. a piece of atny thing in genhad threatened to set the town on fire; the camel had eral. Hence we find it subsequently transferred to relathreatened to burn the aga's house and the castle; he had tionship in the Arabic language; in which, though with a cursed the grand seignior and the sheriff of Mecca, the slight orthographical variation, that nearest relation is sovereigns of the two parties; and, the only thing the poor called Tair or Thsir', whom the Hebrews denominate animal was interested in, he had threatened to destroy the Goil. In this way, Sheer, even by, itself, would signify i wheat that was going to Mecca. After having spent great relation.-Basar, commonly rendered flesh, is among th: part of the afternoon in upbraiding the camel, whose mea- Hebrews equivalent to body; and may thence have been sure of iniquity, it seems, was near full, each man thrust applied to signify relationship. Thus, thoe art my flesh, or him through with a lance, devoting him diis manibus et body, (Gen. xxix. 14,) means, thon6 art nvi near' kinsmanaA diris, by a kind of prayer, and with a thousand curses upon When both words are put together, Sheer-basar, they may his head, after which every man retired, fully satisfied as be rendered literally, corporeal relation, or by a half Ht, to the wronigs he had received from the camel!"-BURDniR. brexv phrase, kinsmant after the flesh. In their derivation, there are no further mysteries concealed, nor any thing CHAPTER XVII. that can bring the point in question to a decision; anti Ver. 7. And they shall no more offer their sacri- what marriages Moses has permitted or commanded, we flees unto devils, after whomn they have gone cannot ascertain from ShLeer-basar, frequent and extensive -woi.This shall be a statute for evet as is its use in his marriage-laws: but must determine. a-whoring.: This shall be a statute fo~r ever from his own ordinances, in whieh he distinctly mentions unto them throughout their generations. what Shee:-basar, that is, what relations, are forbidden to The Hebrew word Seirim, here translated devils, (field.-MicHAELIS devils,) properly signifies wooolly, hairyj, in general; whence Ver. 16. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness it is used as well for he-goats, as also for certain fabulous beings or sylvan gods, to whom, as to the satyrs, the popu- of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedlar belief ascribed the form of goats. But, in the above ness. 18. Neither shalt thou take a wife to her passage, he-goats are probably meant, which were ob- sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, bejects of divine honour among the, Egyptians, uinder the sides th er in her fe-tie. name of lMendes, as emblems of the frctiffyinz power' of nature, or of the fructifjyineg power of the sucn. From this ate, or of the ctfi powe of the W. From this ith regard to the marriages mentioned in this chapter, divinity, which the Greeks compared with their Pan, a there arises the question, whether Moses only prohibits the province in Egygpt had its natne. Goats and he-goats, saysthere arises the question, whether Moses only prohibits the eroidotus, are not dslaughtered by the Egyptians whom we marriages which he expressly mentions, or others besides,'erodotus, are not slaughtered by the Egyptians whom we not mentioned, where the degree of relationship is the same. have mentioned, because they consider Pan as one of the not mention, where the degre lationship is the same oldest gods. But painters as wxell as statuaries represent This question, which is of so great importance in the marthis deity with the face and the legs of a goat, as the Greeks used to represent Pan. The Mandeseans pay divine honourperfect knowledge of oriental customs, has been the subto he-goats and she-goats; but more to the former than to lect of so much controversy, properly regards the following the lat~ter.-RoseNLM~U LL~E. -marriages never mentioned by Moses, Viz, 1. With a brother's daughter. CHAPTER XVIII. 2. With a sister's daughter. 3. With a maternal uncle's widow. Vzer. 6. Nolne of you shall approach to any th~at 4. With a brother's son's widow. is near of kin to him, (Heb. remnant of flesh,) 5. With a sister's son's widow. to uncover their nakedness. 6. With a deceased wife's sister. These marriages we may, perhaps, for brevity's sake, be In his statutes relative to marriage, and'sometimes, also, allowed to denominate the six marriages, or the conseqnenin otherparts of his law, Moses expresses near relationship, tial marriages. They are as near as those mentioned in either by the single word,'an, (Sheer) pars, scil. carnis, or the foregoing article, and prohibited. Moses never menmore fully by the two words, evnr tma, Sheer-basar, pars tions them in his marriage statutes; yet the ground of his carnis, (part or remainder offlesh.) The meaning of these prohibitions is nearness of relationship. The question, terms has been the subject of. much controversy. Some therefore, is, Are these marriages to be, or not to be, conwould translate them flesh of flesh; others, remnant of flesh. sidered as prohibited, by just inference from theletter of his But those that say most of their etymology, are in general laws l In my opinion, they are not; and in proving this, I not so much oriental philologists, as divines and lawyers; will most willingly concede to those of a contrary, opinion, and yet we should rather like to have an illustration of any a multitude of objections against their consequences, as deobscure etymological question, from those who unite with duced from the letter of the Mosaic statutes; such, for inthe knowledge of Hebrew, an acquaintance with its kin- stance, as this, that according to the principle of judicidal dred eastern languages. There are some also, who would hermenteutics, prohibitions are not to be extended beyond tho make this distinction between Sheer, and Sheer-basar', that letter of the law; for I readily acknowledge that this rule, the former means only persons immediately connected'with how valid soever in our law, is neverthelaess not universal Qts, such as childr'en, parents, grandchildren, grandparents, and not always safely applicable to very ancient laws, if we and husbands or qvives; and the latter, those who are related wish to ascertain the true meaning and opinion of the law,to mes only mediately, bnt in the nearest degree, such as, our giver: Or this, again, that in these marsiages there is no brothers and sister's, who are, properly speaking, ozer father's violation of Respectus parentela; for I have already admitfleshi. Others again think, that Sheer-basal means nothing ted that that principle, to which the Roman lawyers appeal, but childrean and grandchildren. These conjectures, how- was not the foundation of the Mosaic prohibitions. I will ever, are by no means consonant to the real usage of the go yet one step further in courtesy, and promise to appeal language, in the Mosaic laws themselves; for in Levit. on no occasion whatever to the common opinion of the Jews, xxv. 48, 49; Sheer-basar follows as the name of a more or to those examples of ancient Jewish usage, whereby the remote relation, after brother, paternal uncle, or paternal marriages here mentioned are permitted; for all the Jewish uncle's son; and in Num. xxvii. 8-11, it is commanded, expositors, and all the examples they can produce, are that " if a man die without sons, his inheritance shall be much too modern for me to found upon, where the question' given to his daughters; if he have no daughters, it shall is concerning the true meaning of a law given some hunpass to his brothers, of whom, if he has none, then to his dred, or rather thousandsyears before them. So much paternal uncles; and if these are also wanting, it shall generosity on my part, many readers would, perhaps, not then be given unto his nearest Sheer in his family." It is have anticipated; but I owe nothing less to impartiality, manifest that, in this passage, Sheer includes those relations and the love of truth. My reasons, then, for denying, and that follow in succession to a father's brother. If the protesting against the conclusions in question, at-p I X - reader wishes to know what these words etymologically lowing:- signifjy, I shall here just state to him my opinion, but with- 1. Moses does not appear to have framed or given his Dait repeating the grounds on which it rests. Sheer means, marriage laws with any view to our deducing, or acting CHAP. 19, 20 LEVITICUS. 79 upon, conclusions which we might think fit to deduce from Gen. xxxviii. Rather would she fall to her husband's brothem: for if this was his view, he has made several repetitions ther, and were he not alive, naturally devolve to hi,; son. in them, that are really very useless. What reason had he, It is therefore manifest, that the father's brother could nlever for example, after forbidding marriage with a father's sis- have had that expectancy of his brother's son's widow, ter, to forbid it "also with a mother's, if this second prohibi- which might be attended with such pernicious consequention was included in the first, and if he meant, without say- ces as I have already remarked. ing a word. on the subject, to be understood as speaking, not 4. The strongest and most decisive argument against the of particular marriages, but of degrees. conseqnential systems, and the reckoning by degrees, is drawn 2. Moses has given his marriage laws in two different from the case of marriage with a deceased wife's sister; places of the Pentateuch, viz. in both the xviii. and xx..The relationship here is as near as that of a brother's chapters of' Leviticus; but in the latter of these passages widow; and yet Moses prohibits the marriage of a bro-we find only the very same cases specified, which had been ther's widow, and permits that of a deceased wife's sister, specified in the former. Now, had they beenmmeant mere- or rather (which makes the proof still stronger,) he presuply as examples of degrees of relationship, it would have poses it in his laws as permitted; and consequentltv wished been more rational to have varied them; and if it had been to be understood as forbidding only those marriages which said,' for instance, on the first occasion, Thloa shcalt zt aotr- he expressly specifies, and not others of the like proximity, ry thy[F fat/er's sister, to have introduced, on the second, the though unnoticed. The reader who is not satisfied xwiih converse case, and said, 7'hoe s/halt snot marry thy brothler's these remarks, may consult the 7th chapter of my Treatise daghzes-. This, however, is not done by Moses, who, in on the Marriage Laws, where he will find many particuthe second enactment, just specifies thefather's sister, as be- lars more fully detailed. But here I cannot say more, fore; and seems, therefore, to have intended that he should without dwelling too long on one part of my subject.-M.-M be nnderstood as having in his view no other marriages CIIAELIS. than those which he expressly names; unless we choose to CHAPTER XIX interpret his laws in a, manner foreign to his own meaning and design. Vet. 9.And when ye reap the harvest of your 3. If, in opposition to this, the advocates of the contrary land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners opinion urge, that the six consequentiail marriages are just of thy field, neither shalt thou gather as near as those expressly prohibited; my answer is, that ings of th the gleanthough here they may seem to be in the right, there is yet, i ngs of thy harvest. according. to the customs of the Hebrews, so gre'at a distiiiction betweenu these two classes of marriages, that any The right of the poor in Israel to glean after the reapers, tinctiota_ between these two classes of marriages, that any wa thes secured byapositive law. It issthe opiaion of conclusion drawn from the one to the other, is entirely nu- t thus secured by a positive law. It is the opinion of ~j~iio~~gatory. For, iiom ~ile one to the other, is u- some writers, that although the poor were allowed the lib(1.) In the irst pliacepamon, the oriental nations, the erty of gleaning, the Israelitish proprietors were not obligniece was regarded as a more distant relation than the ed to admit them immediately into the field, as soon as the aunt. The latter, whether fathers' or mothers' sister, her reaners had cut down the corn, and bound it up il sheaves, nephew might see unveiled, iln other words, had much but when it was carried off; they might choose also among nearer access to her; whereas the former, whether bro- thepoor, whom they thought most deserving or most nethers' or sisters' daughter, could not be seen.by her uncle awithout a veil. Now, this distinction re-fers to the very the request which Ruth presented to the servant of Boaz, essence of the prohibitions; for it is not the natural degree permit her to gean "among the sheaves;" and from the of relationship, but the right of familiar intercourse, that char. e of Boaz to his young men, " et her glean even constitutes the danger of corruption. If, therefore, these among the sheaves;" a mode of speaking which seems to laws were given for the purpose of preventing early de- insinuate, that though they could not legally hinder Ruth bauchery under the hope of marriagre, with an aunt, and from gleaning in the field, they had a right, if they chose with a niece, they are byno means on the same for eercise it, to prohibit her form gleanig cmong the -to efercise immoeprohibit heoo trmpeing';Amon. to the former, by the law of relationship, an Israelite had a sheaves, or immediately after the reapers-PAxTon. degree of access, which in the case of the latter was not permitted. Both stood in the same degree of affinity accord- Ver. 28. Ye shall not make any cuttings in y our ing to the genealogical tree, but not so by the intimacy of flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upoit intercourse permitted with them. you: I anm the LORD..(2.) In the second place, there was a difference equally great, or even greater, made between the paternal uncle's The heathen print marks on their bodies, (by puncturing widow on the one hand, and the widow of the maternal the skin,) so as to represent birds, trees, and the gods they uncle, or of the brother's or sister's son, on the other. For serve. Some also, especially the sacred females of the temif by that ancient law, of which the Levirate-marriage may ples, have representations on their arms of a highly offenbe a relic, the widow was regarded as part of the in- sive nature. All Hindoos have a black spot, or some other heritance,-I, in the event of my father being dead, receiv- mark, on their foreheads. And the true followers of Siva ed his brother's widow by inheritance, but not my mother's rub holy ashes every morning on the knees, loins, navel, brother's, because he belonged to a different family; nor yet arms, shoulders, brow, and crown of the head. —RoBERTS. could I thus receive the widow of my brother or sister's son, because inheritances do not usually ascend; or, at any rate, Ver. 29. Do not prostitute thy daug'hter, to cause an inheritance of this kind; to make use of which, a man her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoremust necessarily not be old, if the person who has left it was dom, and the land hecome full of Wickednes. young. In the case, therefore, of the prohibited marriages specified by Moses, there was by the ancient law an expec- Parents, in consequence of a vow or some other circumtancy, and by the Levirate-law it become a duty, to marry stance, often dedicate their daughters to the Cds. They the widow of a paternal uncle, who had died childless, and ar sent to the temple, at the age of eight or ten years, to to raise up seed to him; but in the case of the marriages be initiated into the art of dancing before the deities, and not prohibited by Moses, there could be no room for either. ofsiningsongs in honour oftheir exploits. Fro thatpeIf, by reason of this distinction, there be, in regard to the s If, by reason of this distinction, tere be, in regard to the nriod these dancing girls remain in some sacred building neai brother's son's widow, as belonging to one family, the least the temple; and when they arrive at maturity, (the parents I>b eii ithe mind of the reader, I hope to re- being made acquainted with the fact,) a feast is made, and move it likrewise, into the~bargain. WSTI~ere I to receive her the poor girl is given into the embraces of some influential by inheritance, it must be presupposed that she would have man of the establishment. Practices of the most disgusting first fallen naturally to my father, and only in consequence nature then take place, and the youn victim becomes of his being no longer alive, have devolved upon me, one prostitute for life.-ROERTS. degree more distant. But any inheritance so abominable as that of a son's widow devolving to his father, we can CHAPTER XX. scarcely figure to ourselves; although Thamar, from resentment and despair, conceived' the idea of her having er. 2. Aain thou shalt say to the children o such a claim, and contrived by secret artifice to enforce it, Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Is 8C LEVITICUS. CHAP. 20. rael, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, us. It is another mistake to imagine that the Jews durst that giveth any of his seed unto Molech, he not have any unclean animals in their houses, nor have shall surely be put to death: the'people of the strae German proverbwith them;e ad hence has arisen our land shall stone hi'm with stones. let us only recollect the instances of the ass, and camel, the common beasts of burden among the Hebrews, in addition One of' the most common punishments in use among the to which, in later times, we have the horse. All the three Jews, was stoning, which appears to have been a most species were unclean. Even the keeping of swine, as artigrievous and terrible infliction: " when the criminal ar- cles of trade, was as little forbidden to the Jews as dealing rived within four cubits of' the place of execution, lie was in horses, which they carried on very commonly. stripped naked, only leaving a covering before; and his The main design of Moses, in converting the ancient hands being bound, he was led up to the fatal spot, which national customs of the Hebrews into immutable laws, was an eminence aboutomsicf the Hheibrwt of a man. The.aw, was an eminence about twice the height of a man. The uight, no doubt, be, to keep them more perfectly separate first executioners of the sentence, were the witnesses, who from other nations. They were to continue a distinct generally pulled off their clothes for that purpose: one of people by themselves, to dwell altogether in Palestine, them threw him down with great violence upon his loins; without spreading into other countries, or having too much if he rolled upon his breast, he was turned upon his loins intercourse with their inhabitants; in order to prevent their again: and if he died by the fall, the sentence of the law being infected, either with that idolatry, which was then was executed; but if not, the other witness took a great the senses commnis of all mankind, or with the vices of the stone and dashed it on his breast as he lay upon his back; neighbouring nations, among whom the Canaanites were and then, if he was not despatched, all the people that particularly specified. The fiest of these objects, the prestood by, threw stones at him till lie died."-LewIs. vention of idolatry, and the maintenance of the worship of Ver. 25. Ye shall therefore put difference beteen one only God, was the fundamental maxim of the Mosaic legislation, and the second, namely, the preservation of' his clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean people from the contagion of various vices, previously unfowls and clean: and ye shall not make your common among them, such as bestiality, sodomy, incest, souls -abominable by beast, or by'fowl, or by incestuous marriages, which are always destructive to the any umalnner of living thino that creepeth on happiness of a country, divinations, human sacrifices, &c. &c.; together with the maintaining among them their the ground, which I have separated from you present morals, if but tolerably good, must be an object of as unclean. great importance with every legislator, if a profligate race, such as Moses and the Rom-an writers describe the The Mosaic ordinances respecting clean and unclean Canaanites to have been, happen to live in their vicinity. beasts, other authors refer to the head of Ecclesiastical And this Moses himself seems to point out as his object, in Laws; but as they relate, not to any ceremonies of religious the xxth chapter of Leviticus, ver. 25, 26, and that too after worship, but.merely to matters of a secular nature, I-choose warning the Israelites against imitating the Canaanites in rather to treat of them under the head of Police Law, as the vices now mentioned: "Ye shall," says he, "disti.Pone would naturally do in the case of any other laws, that guish beasts clean and unclean, and birds clean and unprohibited the use of certain meats. And first of all, I clean, from each other, and not defile yourselves by must illustrate the terms clean and qznclean, as applied to four-footed, flying, or creeping creatures, which I have beasts; because we are apt to consider them as implying a separated as unclean; ye shall be holy to me, for I Jehodlivision of animals with which awe are entirely unacquaint- vah am holy, and have separated you from other peoples, ed, and then to wonder that Moses, as an historian, in to be mine own." describing the circumstances of the deluge, which took The distinction of clean and unclean meats may be a place many centuries before the era of his own laws, very effectual means of separating one nation from another. should mention clean and unclean beasts, and, by so doing, Intimate friendships are, in most cases, formed at table; presuppose that there was such a distinction made at that and with the man, with whom I can neither eat or drink, early period. The fact however is, that we ourselves, let our intercourse in business be what it may, I shall seland indeed almost all nations, make this very distinction, dom become so familiar, as with him whose guest I am, although we do not express it in these terms. Clean and and he mine. If we have, besides, from education, an unclean beasts is precisely tantamount to beasts usual and abhorrence of the food which others eat, this forms a new not Lusnall for food. And how many animals are there not obstacle to closer intimacy. Now, all the neighbours of poisonous, but perfectly edible, which yet we do not eat, the Israelites did make use of meats, which were forbidden and at the flesh of which, many among us would feel a to them from their infancy. The Egyptians differed most strong abhorrence, just because we have not been accus- from them in this respect: for they had fromn immemorial tomned to it from infancy. ages, a still more rigorous system of national laws on this What Moses did in regard to this matter, was, in the point, which restrained them even more strongly from main, nothing more than converting ancient national cus- intercourse with foreigners. Some of the animals which tom into positive law. The very same animals had, for the Israelites ate, were among them not indeed uncleanr the most part, previously been to the Israelites or their but yet sacred, being so expressly consecrated to a deity, ancestors, clean or unclean, that is, usual or unusual for that they durst not be slaughtered; because, according to food; ahd we' find that even in Joseph's time, the Egyp- the Egyptian doctrine of the transmigration of souls, a man tians, who had different customs with regard to meats, and could not but be afraid of devouring his own forefathers, observed them very rigidly, could not so much as eat at'if he tasted the flesh of those beasts, in which the souls of the same table with the Israelitish patriarchs, Gen. xliii. 32. the best of men usually resided. Even before the ancestors These ancestorial usages Moses now prescribed as express of the Israelites descended into Egypt, this had proceeded laws; excluding, perhaps, some animals formerly made so far, that the Egyptians not only could not eat the same use of for food, and reducing the whole into what, upon the sort of food; but could not even so much as sit at the same principles of physiology, was actually a very easy and nat- table with Hebrews, Gen. xliii. 32; and these wandering ural system; concerning which, as I shall have to speak in herdsmen, who ate the flesh of goats, sheep, and oxen, the sequel, I only observe at present, that its limits were, which were all forbidden in one or other of the provinces of perhaps, before trespassed, both on the side of prohibition Egypt, were so obnoxious to them, that they would not and permission. As soon as we know what is the real allow them to live among them, but assigned them a sepameaning of clean and snclean beasts, many errors, some of rate part of the country for a residence, Gen. xlvi. 33, 34. them ludicrous, and from which, even men of great learn- An Egyptian durst not so much as use a vessel, in which ing have not been wholly exempt, instantly vanish. The a foreigner ate his impure victuals; still less durst he kiss word ~unclean, applied to animals, is no epithet of degrada- a foreigner: although I will not venture to assert, that this tion: of all animals, man -was the vmost cunclean, that is, last command was, in all cases, inviolably observed, where numan flesh was least of all things to be eaten; and such a tawny Egyptian found a fair Grecian alone, how impure is the case, in every nation not reckoned among cannibals. soever her food rendered her.-We may therefore conjecThe lion and the horse are unclean beasts, but were to the ture, that Moses here borrowed somewhat from the legis. Hebrews just as little the objects of contempt as they are to lative policy of the Egyptians, and with a view to a more CHAP. 21- 24. LEVITICUS. 81 complete and permanent separation of the two peoples, Among most nations of antiquity, persons who had bodily made that a law among the Israelites, which before was defects were excluded from the priesthood. Among the nothing else than a custom of their fathers. Greeks " it was required, that whoever was admitted to Besides this main object, there might, no doubt, in the this office should be sound and perfect in all his members,,case of certain animals, interfere dietetical considerations it being thought a dishonour to the gods to be served by any to influence Moses; only we are not to seek for them in all one that was lame, maimed, or any other way imperfect; the prohibitions relative to unclean beasts. In regard to and therefore at Athens, before their consecration, they that respecting swine's flesh, they are pretty obvious; and were wbexss, i. e. perfect and entire, neither having any deevery prudent legislator must endeavour either to divert feet, nor any thing superfluous." POTTER. Seneca says, by fair means a people in the circumstances and climate "that Metellus, who had the misfortune to become blind, of the Israelites, from the use of that food, or else express- when he saved the Palladium from the flames, on the burnly interdict it. For whoever is affected with any cutane- ing of the temple of Vesta, was obliged to lay down the ous disease, were it but the common itch, if he wishes to priesthood:" and he adds, " Every priest whose body is not be cured, must abstain from swine's flesh. It has likewise faultless, is to be avoided like a thing of bad omen." been long ago observed, that the use of this food produces a Sacerdos non integri corporis quasi mali ominis est vitandus peculiar susceptibility of itchy disorders. Now, throughout est. M. Sergius, who lost his right hand in defence of his the whole clnate under which Palestine is situated, and country, could not remain a priest for that reason. The for a certain extent both south and north, the leprosy is an bodily defects which disqualified a virgin from becoming endemic disease; and with this disease, which is pre-emi- a vestal are named by A. Gellius, Noct. Att. i. chap. 12. nently an Egyptian one, the Israelites left Egypt so terribly ROSENMULLER. overrun, that Moses found it necessary to enact a variety Even those of the seed of Aaron who had any personal of laws respecting it; and that the contagion might be defect, were not allowed to take a part in the offerings weakened, and the people tolerably guarded against its in- of the Lord. The priesthood among the Hindoos is fluence, it became requisite to prohibit them from eating hereditary, but a deformed person cannot perform a cereswine's flesh altogether. This prohibition, however, is suf- mony in the temple; he may, however, prepare the flowers, ficienily distinguished, from all others of the kind, in these fruits, oils, and cakes, for the offerings, and also sprinkle two respects; in the first place, the Arabs, who eat other the premises with holy water. The child of a priest sorts of food forbidden the Jews, yet hold swine's flesh to be being deformed at the birth will not be consecrated. A unclean; and, in conformity with their ideas, Mohammed priest having lost an eye or a tooth, or being deficient in forbade the use of it in the Koran: in the second place, any member or organ, or who has not a wife, cannot perevery physician will interdict a person labouring under form the ceremony called Teevasam, for the manes of deany cutaneous disease, from eating pork; and it has been parted friends. Neither will his incantations, or prayers, remarked of our Germany-a country otherwise in gener- or magical ceremonies, have any effect.-ROBERTS. al pretty clear of them,-that such diseases are in a peculiar manner to be met with in those places where a great CHAPTER XXIII. deal of pork is eaten. Ver. 22. And when ye reap the harvest of your Some -have been inclined to discover moral reasons for the laws in question, and to ascribe to the eating of certain land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of animals a specific influence on the moral temperament. the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neiThus the camel is extremely revengeful; and it has been ther shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harpretended. that it is their eating camels' flesh so frequently, vest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and that makes the Arabs so prone to revenge. But of this stranger there is too little proof. Other nations in the south of Europe, charged with the same national passion, and who Fields in the East, instead of hedges, have ridges. In the either, as in the case with the Italians, have a pleasure in corners they cannot easily work with the plough, and thererevenge, even in secret revenge, or, like the Portuguese, fore prepare that part with a mnan-vetty, i. e. an earth-cutter, are, by a strange point of honour, necessitated to the ex- or large kind of hoe. The corn in these corners is seldom ercise of implacable revenge, neither eat the flesh nor very productive, as the ridge for some time conceals it drink the milk of camels. Perhaps the vindictive propen- from the sun and other sources of nourishment, and the sity of the Arabs is rather an effect of climate, or of their rice also, in the vicinity, soon springing up, injures it by point of honour in regard to blood-avengement, than of the shade. Under these circumstances, the people think but eating camels' flesh. At the same time, I do not entirely little of the corners, and were a person to be very particular, deny the influence of food on the moral temperament; but he would have the name of a stingy fellow. From this I am by no means yet convinced, that the daily use of cer- view, it appears probable, that the command was given, in tain kinds of animal food will ever so far alter it, as to order to induce the owner to leave the little which was give a legislator reason to prohibit them; nor yet can I produced in the corners for the poor. No farmer will believe, that eating the flesh of any animal'directly in- allow any of his family to glean in the fields, the pittance spires us with the passions of that animal, although it may left is always considered the property of the poor. In caroperate upon us in other respects.-MmIcAELIS. rying the sheaves, all that falls is taken up by the gleaners. ROBERTS. CHAPTER XXI. Ver. 18. For whatsoever man lie be that hath a blemish, he shall not approache a blind man, Ver. 16. And he that blasphemeth the name of blemish, he shall not approach; a blind man, the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and or a lame, or he that. hath a fat nose, or, any all the congregation shall certainly stone him; thing superfluous. as well the stranger, as he that is born in the Among the heathen, persons of the most respectable land, when he blasphemeth the name of the appearance were appointed to the priesthood; and the LORD, shall be put to death. emperor, both among the Greeks and Romans, was both king and priest. Considering the object of religious wor- Among most' nations blasphemy is regarded as one ot ship, it is not possible that too much circumspection can be the greatest crimes, and punished capitally. Whether in maintained in every part of it. If great men deem it re- this they act rationally, and what; force there is in the obproachful to have things imperfect presented to them, it jection, that blasphemy does not hurt God, I shall not here may most reasonably be supposed that such offerings:would stop to inquiire; as, perhaps, some notice of these points be rejected with anger by God. The general opinion was, will be taken in my proposed essay on the Intention ot that a priest who was defective in any member was to be Punishments;. and, therefore, I proceed to observe, that in avoided as ominous. At Elis, in Greece, the judges chose the Mosaic polity, whereby God became both King ann the finest looking man to carry the sacred vessels of the Lawgiver of the Israelites, and where, of course, blasphedeity: he that was next him in beauty and elegance led my, was a crime against the state, we find it, in like manthe ox; and the third in personal beauty carried the gar- ner, considered as a capital crime, and the punishment ol lands, ribands, wine, and the.other things used in sacrifice. stoning annexed to it; Lev. xxiv. 10-14. Nor was the 11 82 LEV I T I CUS. CHAP. 24. circumstance of the blasphemer being a foreigner, to make course, the creator of heaven and earth, and the only true any difference in the punishment. Indeed, this was actually God; and asking him what answer he should return to the case, on the boccasion of the punishment of this crime the Israelites, if they wished to know what was his name, being first settled. A man, whose father was an Egyptian, Exod. iii. 13. but his mother a woman of Israel, had, in a quarrel with In the second place, a name of the deity, which is never an Israelite, blasphemed Jehovah. He was, after an inquiry mentioned in common life, will have something extremely into the mind of God, adjudged to be stoned; and the edict solemn in it, particularly where it is so significant, as was published on this occasion, concludes with these words, the word Jehovah. It will, of course, in worship, in prayer, One uniform law shall you all have, foreigners as well and in the case of an oath, make so much the deeper irmas natives; for I am Jehovah your God." Allowing that pression; and that, with respect to the last of these, may a foreigner does not believe in our God, although, indeed, serve to prevent perjury, or, at least, to make it but rare: with regard to the God of Israel this was not likely to hap- for whateveris unknown and uncommon, affects the human pen, because paganism was syncretistic, and did not deny heart with terror and with awe. In fact, I myself believed the divinity of other gods; and, besides, the Israelites be- that this law ought to be understood in this way, when I was lieved in the God who created the world, and whom we translating the book of Leviticus, about three years ago; know, and acknowledge from reason, without revelation; but since that time, the consideration of the great severity but allowing, I say, a foreigner to be an infidel, still he has of the punishment has raised a doubt in my mind on this no right to insult the people, under whose protection he point. Moses prohibits naming the name Jehovah; but lives, by blaspheming the object of their veneration, and was that to be a capital crime. If so, where was there whose name they hold supremely sacred. any gradation of punishments; stoning being thus the It is with hesitation, and not without danger, that I punishment of the blasphemer of God, and of the man also venture to adopt a Jewish explanation, which has been wuho but uttered his name? —But this doubt becomes still commonly ridiculed as a piece of mere superstition, in weightier, when we read both verses, namely, verses 15 regard to this law, in Lev. xxiv. 16,, which declares, that and 16 of Lev. xxiv. together. And here I must acknowwhoever shall utter the name JEIOVAH shall die; the ledge a mistake in my translation: for the words in ver. 15, whole congregation shall stone him: foreigner as well as "he shall bear his sin," I rendered periphrastically, "he native shall die, if he utter the name JHOvAH. Instead of shall atone for his qrime," because I adhered to the com ictter, we may translate curse, for the Hebrew word Nahcab mon opinion, that they related to the stoning, which was (1p:) signifies both, and then we shall have the blasphemer adjudged as the punishment of the blasphemer. If, howspoken of a second time; but to this translation there seems ever, 1 translate the passage quite literally thus, "Wrhoever to be this objection, that the 16th verse would thus be no- blasphemeth his God, shall bear his sin. Whoever utters,hing but a needless repetition of the preceding one. Thus the name Jehovah, shall die; the whole congregation shall much is certain, that at a very ancient period, long be- stone him;" it looks as if the utterer of the name was to be fore the birth of Christ, the Jews understood the law be- punished differently from, and more severely than, the fore us, as if it prohibited them from uttering the name blasphemer; as, indeed, Philo has remarked, though with Jehovah, which the true God had given himself as his quite another view. But then, it is to be considered, furwomen proprin,m on any other than solemnly-sacred, or ther, that the crime is not so much as distinctly expressed _t any rate sacred, occasions; and, of course, from ever unless we explain the 16th verse by, and, in some measure, naming him at all in common life. The Greek version include it in, the one before it. The verb Nackab may as ascribed to the persons called the Seventy Interpreters, and well mean to write, as to idter'; and, therefore, even wriwhich was made at least 250 years before Christ, here ren- ting the name Jehovah, might seem to have been prohibitders, "Whoever nameth the name of the LoRD shall die;" ed; and yet Moses has done that in every page of his wriand we see that, by this time, the Jews were accustomed, tings. Let it, however, be rendered stter'; was then all utwherever they found the word Jehovah in the Bible, to pro- terance of the name Jehovah forbidden? How then was nounce, instead of it, the name Adonai, (:nN) or Lord: for, it to be used, and for what purpose did God assume it? in place of Jehovahlt, ()nri) the Seventy always put, 5 Kvpo;o. This law, then, is surely to be understood with some limiPhilo, who lived in the time of Christ, explains the passage, tation? But with what limitation? Was the priest alone connecting it with the preceding verse, in the following to utter the name, as the Jews think?. or durst laymen also terms, "Strange gods are not to be blasphemed, lest men utter it, if they only did so in a holy manner? Durst it be should be accustomed to think meanly of the Deity. But mentioned in an oath, or in prayer? Was it permitted in if any one, (I do not say blaspheme, for that is not here in instructing children? or was only the inconsiderate use of question, but) even so much as utter unseasonably the name it prohibited'? With regard to all this, we find nothing in of the Lord of men and gods, he shall die." We may, this law, and yet it is the only one that treats on this subtherefore, approve of this explanation, or not, as we please; ject; nor is it like other laws, illustrated by usage; for the'but we must not look upon it as a piece of superstition name Jehovah was new, and it was Moses who first disoriginating with the Jews, who lived after the destruction tinguished the God who sent him, by this philosophically of Jerusalem, and whose opinions, in regard to the Mosaic sublime and expressive title. Here, then, we should have law, I do not, for the most part, so much as notice. This some crime, to which the punishment of death was annexed,, prohibition of uttering the name of God, whether it please and yet it was not rightly understood what it was, nor us or not, does not, by any means, appear altogether im- wherein it consisted. probable; for it is in conformity with the customs and These doubts have prompted me to connect the 16th legislative policy Of the Egyptians, who had secret names verse more closely with the 15th; so that to utter the nanz_ for their gods, which'~was lawful for the priests alone to Jehovah, becomes equivalent to ucttering it in blasphepronounce; no man being permitted to do so in common my; and this explanation is the more probable, because in life. And, in like manner, Rhadamanthus, who herein the story which gave occasion to the law, we find, ver. 11. wished to imitate the Egyptians, would not, on occasions that the Egyptian had uttered the amne, and' blasphemed. of taking oaths, allow the names of the gods to be mention- The meaning then of the words, of which I shall first give ed, but only those of the animals consecrated to them, such a literal translation thus,-A zman, a man, (that is, any man as dogs, rams, geese, &c. whatever, whether native or stranger,) who blaspiemeth his Nor would I be disposed to maintain, that no advantage God, shall bear his sin, and whoever cttereth the name JEHOcould flow from such a prohibition. For in the first place, VAH shall die; the whole congregation shall stone hiun-will be that name of the Deity, which was considered as his proper theqfollowing: "If any man blaspheme God, the God whom name, would be, at any rate, thereby guarded from profa- he deems his God, (the Israelite, the true, and the heathen nations and misapplications, which sometimes leave behind a false God,) it is a heinous sin. It is a sin even in the hea them ludicrous and contemptuous impressions, that can then, to blaspheme what, according to his own opinion, is never be effaced; and, in an age when polytheism was so god. Such a person shall not escape his judge; although prevalent, this was a matter of much more importance than the magistrate has no right to interfere in the matter, but at present; for then God was not, as with us in Germany, must leave it to the true or false God, that he may be his equivalent to a women proprium, but every god, whether own judge. It is, besides, uncertain whom the man may true or false, had his own peculiar name; and hence we have meant, when he cursed God, and here the law asfind Moses addressing the God who appeared to him, and sumes the milder supposition. But if any one, in blasphewho declared himself the "God of his fathers," and, of ming, expressly mention the name Jehovah, so that no CHAP. 24. LEVITICUS. 83 doubt can remain, whether he meant to blaspheme the true so shall it be done to himself in return;" Lev. xxiv. 19, 20. or a false God, he shall be stoned to death." WVhat Moses then says (incidentally, in fact, and presupIn this way the criminal law, with respect to blasphe- posing a more ancient law of usage) concerning the punmers, would undergo a very material alteration; nor would ishment of retaliation, I understand under the two followit be every blaphemy, but only that which was distinguish- ing limitations:ed by a certain specific aggravation, that incurred capital 1. When the injury is either deliberate, or ab east in conpunishment; all other cases being left to the judgment of sequence of our fault; (an instance of which last is that God, because the blasphemer cannot be convicted of having mentioned above, from Exod. xxi. 23, where a woman is blasphemed the true God, and because God is certainly hurt by two men fighting; an act of outrage of which they able to avenge himself, if he think fit, without having oc- ought not to have been guilty;) but not where there is.Easion for our aid; Judg. vi. 30, 31. And this appears either no fault, or at any rate but an inadvertence; as quite suitable to the spirit of those times, and is a great mit- where one man pushes out another's eye undesignedl>y igation of the rigour of the law. In our times, a legislator This limitation every one will admit, who remembers thzt would, perhaps, grant to the blasphemer the salvo of not Moses was so far from meaning to punish unpremeditated being in his right mind.-At any rate, blasphemy, inferred homicide by the law of retaliation, that he established ail merely by deductions, or what is called blasphemous doc- asylum for the unfortunate manslayer, to secure him fro'm trine, could. not be punished by the law. In later times, the the fury of the Goil. Jews were extremely prone to construe every thing that 2. The person who suffered any personal injury, retained did not please them, at once into blasphemy; and their (for he is nowhere deprived of it) the natural right of abZealots, as they were called, arrogated& to themselves the staining, if he chose, from all complaint, and even of reright of punishing on the spot, and without the smallest tracting a complaint already made, and remitting the punjudicial inquiry, any supposed blasphemy; although per- ishment, if the other compounded with him for what we haps they had stopped their ears against it, and were, there- should call a pecuntiary indemnity, or, to use the Hebrew fore, but bad judges of its real nature. Both the one and expression, a rcansom. Not to mention that this right is the other of these measures are repugnant to the Mosaic quite natural and obvious, and scarcely requires to be nostatute. Even the utterer of aggravated blasphemy was ticed in a penal statute, it maybe observed, that among the not put to death on the spot, but taken into custody, until Israelites such pecuniary expiations had been previously God couldbe consulted as to his fate. We must not, there- common, even in the case of deliberate murder, as they fore, charge the Mosaic law with those illegal outrages, to still are among the Orientals, and that in this case alone which the zeal of the later Jews prompted them to resort.- did Moses find it necessary to prohibit the acceptance of MIICHAeLIs. any such compensation; Numb. xxxv. 31. If it was Customarv in cases of deliberate murder, we may conclude,er. 19. And if a man cause a blemish in his with certainty, that it would frequently be accepted for the neioghbour: as he hath done, so shall it be done loss of a tooth or an eye; but as Moses did not prohibit this, we must suppose that the ancient usage still continued unto him; 20. Breach for breach, eye for eye, toprevail. tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish But is not the punishment of retaliation extremely rude? in a man, so shall it be done to him acgain. Does it not savour strongly of ancient barbarism. and must not every legislator, who out of philanthropy wishes In cases of corporal injuries done to free persons, (for the the nobleman to preserve his own eyes, though he may presame rule did not extend to servants, they being less pro- viously havebeaten outthose of the wortl-less peasant, n a turtected members of the community,) that far severer law of ally keep atas great a distance here aspossible frolthebrutal retaliation operated, whose language is, "Eye for eye, and law of ancient times. And was not Moses then very much tooth for tooth;" and upon that law I must here expatiate to blame, I will not say in givinzg such a law, for that canmore fully, because it is so far removed from our laws, that not be laid to his charge, but in retaining it from ancient it sometimes appears to us really barbarous, or, as others usage. would say, unchrtistian. Barbarous, however, it was not; Let us listen with candour, to what may be said both for for those very nations of antiquity whom we look upon as and against this species of punishment. most civilized, viz. the Athenians and Romans, had this I. Inffavour of it, then, we may observelaw in the days of their' freedom. But the singular cir- 1. That it is the first punishment that will naturally occumstance respecting it is, that it is, strictly speaking, only cur to every legislator when left to himself; nor can any suited to a free people, and where the poorest citizen has one justly complain, that that shoulcd happen to himself, equal rights with the greatest man that can -injure him; al- which he has done to another: for he has certainly ca.us though, no doubt, it may subsist under an aristocracy and to be thankful, that he does not suffer more: since not only a monarchy also, as long as no infringement is made on self-revenge, as authorized by the jus natzur?,; but also pun.liberty, and on the equality of the lowest with the highest, ishments in civil society generally go much greater in point of rights. Where, however, the eve of a nobleman lengths, and retaliate for evils that have been suffered, is of more value than that of a peasant, it would be a very perhaps tenfold. preposterous and inconvenient law; and where, for the 2. That it has a more powerful effect than any other benefit of the great, attempts might out of friendship be punishment in deterring from personal injuries; and is, made to pervert justice, it is much more consonant to equity, indeed, almost the only adequate means of attaining this in the case of such corporal injuries, to leave the determi- end of punishment. Pecuniary punishments will not be niation of the punishment to the decision of the judge. It very formidable, to the man of opulence, particularly if would seem that Moses retained the law of retaliation, from they are regulated by the rank of the person injured; rnor a -more ancient, and a very natural, law of usage. It will will they, of course, do much to promote the security of the be well worth our while to hear what he himself says on poor: nay, even though corporal punishmleents be legal, if the subject of a law, so strange to us, and yet so common they only rest Withh the discretiovn of the judge, (and here, among ancient free nations. Hisfirst statute respectingit, that is a very alarming arid despotically-sounding expresclearly presupposes r'etaliation as consuetudinary, and only sion,) not only is not the security of the poor man thereby applies it to the very special case of a pregnant woman be- promoted, because the judge's discretion is generally pretty ing pushed, by two men quarrelling with each other, and favourable to the great, but his humiliation4becomes,' in fact, thereby receiving an injury; the man who pushed her, be- only the greater. Should the nobleman, for instance, put ing adjudged to pay "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for out the eye of a peasant, and the judge estimate the loss at tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, brand for brand, wound 1000 rix-dollars, which, though a sum pretty considerable for wound, bruise for bruise," Exod. xxi. 23-25. The in itself, can give the former but little concern; but the second statute likewise occurs but incidentally; when, on peasant, on the other hand, who puts out a nobleman's eye, occasion of blasphemy uttered by an Egyptian, it wa~s or- be dragged to the gallows in a cart, though quite ready to dained that both Israelites and strangers should have one pay him the same sum, which indeed many a peasant, in and the same criminal law; and it is added, by way of ex- some countries, could very easily raise; such an inequality ample, " Whoever shall injure his neighbour in his person, in the law would, to a man of spirit, who feels his hands, shall receive even as he hath given: eye for eye, wound and' who is both able and willing to defend his country'with for wound, tooth for tooth; even as he hath injured another, them, prove rather intolerable. Unde.r such a law, can the 84 L LEVITICUS. CHAP: 24. i'mani in an humble station possibly have that security for of none but people all truly regenerated; but such a state sound limbs, that he must wish, and has a right to demand, the world has never yetseen. from the comumunity. When, on the contrary, the greatest 4. If the law of retaliation were abrogated, nothing could and richest man in thile land knows, that if he puts out the be more natural, if the lower classes had not, by long coneye of a peasant, th~ latter has a right to insist that his eye straint and oppression, become too much humbled, than be put out inl return,that a sentence to that effect will acta- for the poor man, who had received any personal injury, ally be pronounced, and the said punishment inflicted, with- still to revenge it at his own hand, and more especially to,out the least respect to his rank, or his noble eyebeing con- lie in wait for his rich oppressor, at whom he could not:.iered as one whit better than the peasant's; and that he come with open force, and put out his eye, with as little K:as no possible way of saving it, but by humbling himself warning and ceremony as he had - done his. And vhat before the other, as deeply as may be necessary to work could in such a case be done; were justice tobe observed, upon his compassion, and make him relent, besides paying and the poor man who only requited the injury he had rehim as much money as he deems a satisfactory comipensa- ceived, to experience ino severer punishment than he who tions for his loss; every one will be convinced (without my set him the example. It might, no doubt, be said, that his swearing to prove it) that the-nobleman will bethink him- conduct, in thus lying in wait, and in deliberately avenging self, before he put out any one's eye. The argument is his own quarrel, in contempt of a legal prohibition, aggraprecisely the same in the case of other injuries, down to vated his guilt in every respect; but where the injured, the loss of a tooth; concerning which the ancient jus ta- person, aware that the laws gave him vzo reparation, only lionis came at last to teach so differeut a doctrine. id in istanti, what every man of spirit would very natuIf here it be objected, (and no doubt the objection has rally do, and what, if lie did not go beyond blows, even our weight,) that notwithstanding the,2xclusion of the jus ta- laws would excuse him for doing-if he only flew with all liomis, from our law, and its superior mildness in all re- possible fury upon the person who had put out his eye, and spects, we scarcely ever see an.nstance of an eye put out tried to put out his in return; we should not, perhaps, think in deliberate malice; I beg leave to observe in answer, him deserving of so severe a punishment for having thus that this is, in fact, to be as_.ibed in agreat measure, to requited like for like, as the person who had begun the the superior mildness and refinement of our manners: but quarrel. Now this immediate self-revenge would, among such manners are not found in all nations; they certainly a. people wbO retained any feeling of their dignity, and were not found in the ancient nations that approached their natural equality with even the most distinguishled of nearer to the state of nature; nor yet do we find them among their fellow-citizens, be the usual plan: and if no one atthe people of southern countries; whose rage is more ma- tempts any such thing, we can scarcely impute it to the relicious, and loves to leave a lasting memorial behind it, in fined manners of the brawny peasantry, and even of the those on whom it is vented. By the gradually refined man- very lowest of the people, but rather to the melancholy cirners, therefore, of our more northerly regions, we can cumstance, of their having become too tame, and having hardly expect that the ancient law of retaliation, should in forgotten that they are not slaves, but, in point of rights, southern nations have been regulated. Add to this, that on a footing of equality with the rest of their countrymen. among us, since the introduction of luxury and more effemi- 5. Even our own laws admit the right of retaliation, and nate education, or in consequence of hereditary disease, that too, in rather an equivocal case, and where an injury thire nobleman has very seldom such bodily strength as to is not actually done, but only intended, and perhaps not be a match for a peasant; and if it came to the driving even that. They allow us, in the case of having been caout of teeth or eyes, would run the risk of losing two of lumniated, to sue the person who has falsely and malieither, before the latter lost one. There are, besides, to be ciously charged us with any crime, for the same penalty, taken into consideration several other fortunate circum- which the crime itself incurs according to the laws. No stances, which though not, properly speaking, connected with' doubt, judgment is rarely pronounced in terms of our comour law, serve nevertheless to remedy its defects. For in- plaint, and much here depends on the discretion of the stance, most of the people of diltinction among us are at the judge; but still it is clear, that the laws, in authorizing any same time servants to the sovereign, and as such have both such suit, presuppose the equity of the jies talionis. honour and revenues, and would sink into a sort of nothing- II. The chief arguments against the law in question ness if they lost their posts; butsuch are the humane ideas may, perhaps, be found comprehended under the following of many sovereigqs, that they would no longer retain in objections, which are usually urged against it. their service the person who had put out a poor man's eye, 1. There are many injuries, where it would be absurd unless circumstances appeared that were highly alleviative to give the sufferer a right to retaliation: in the case of of the outrage, or that he ma'de a satisfactory compensation adultery, for instance, to permit the injured husband to for it. But the advantage which we thus derive from our sleep with the wife of the adulterer in return. In regard manners is not tobe met with in every democracy or aristoc- to this objection, however, some misconception seems to lie racy; for there, as posts are conferred either by laws, or by at bottom. It is not every description of injuries that we votes, of which no individual is ashamed, so neither are here speak of, but only of personal injuries: nor yet of any theytaken away without legal authority. retaliation that the sufferer himself may choose to exact, 3. That in the state of nature every man'has a right to such, for instance, as thrusting out another's eyes or teeth; takte revenge at his own hand for any deliberate personal but only of a punishment that depends upon, and is to be injury, such as the loss of an eye, &c. is. perhaps undenia- inflicted by the magistrate. Were any person to deduce b!e. In fact, by the law of nature such revenge might be all sorts of punishments from the jus talionis, this objeccarried still further: but.if it be confined within the limits tion would hold: but it does not hold in the case of a legisof strict retaliation, the law of nature'at any rate (for of lator appointing the punishment of retaliation for personal morality I do not now speak) can certainly have nothing injuries. to object against it. Now; in the state of civil society, every 2. In manly cases it is difficult to requite just as much, nian divests himself of the' right in question; but then he and no-more, than has been suffered; for instance, where justly expects, in return, that society will, after proper in- a man has thrust out one of another man's teeth, he may, quily, duly exercise revengein~his room. Morality may say in suffering retaliation, very easily lose two teeth by one what it viil. to our revenge, (and certainly it does not abso- stroke. In like manner, it would be difficult to inflict a lutely condemnit,) but we are all naturally vindictive, and wound of exactly the same size and depth with that given, f;at tc such a degree, that when we are grossly injured we and neither larger nor deeper. And what shall be done, feel a most irksome sort of disquietude and feverish heat, where a man, having' but one eye, happens to thrust out until we have gratified our revenge. Now, when creatures, one of his neighbour's? Shall he lose his only eye by way thus constituted, are the citizens of any government, can we of retaliation? This would be to make him suffer a much imagine that they will ever give up the prerogative of re- more serious injury than he had caused:' for now he would venge, without looking for some equivalent in returnS? If be quite blind, whereas he had only made the other onethe state means to withhold that equivalent, and yet pro-'eyed, like himself. Here I will make much greater conhibit the exercise of revenge, it must begin by regenerating cessions than the opponents of the law of retaliation are human nature: or, if it be said, that God and his grace wont to demand. For had they known human nature, they can alone effect such a change, andthat-whoever lays open would have stated in addition, and I, for my own part, readhis heart to grace, will never desire revenge, I can only ily grant them, that punishment by retaliation' is in almost say, that we'must then figure to ourselves a state consisting every case, a much more sensible evil, than the original CHAP. 24. LE V I I C US. $8 injury: for every pain and every evil to which we look man may, from'his own feelings, know of the nature of reL'orward, is, by mere anticipation and fear, aggravated venge, if he pay but ever so little attention to what passes more than a hundred fold; the pang of a moment is ex- within him. The injurious party has no right to demand tended to hours, days, weeks, &c.; and when it actually that the retaliation to which he subjects himself, shall not rakes place, every individual part of the evil is felt in the exceed the injury;. for upon the same principle on which:itmost perfection, by both soul and body, in consequence he did an injury to another, without any precedent or prov-:,f its being expected. The adversaries of the lex talio- ocation, may the sufferer, following his example, requite.is were bad philosophers, when, with all their benevo- him, in terms of his own law, with ten times, or ten thou-,ence, this observation escaped them.-But after all, it sand times, as great an injury. The relations between Ioarould, even in conjunction with what went before, form tiring and something, and between something and infinit/, to objection to the law in question; for this, in fact, is no- are alike: they both slrpass all numeration. As to the thing more than what commonly takes place in all pun- morality of such a procedure, and whether God approves i.shments, and in all the variety of revenge that we dread, of evils being thus infinitely increased, I am not here conwven in the state of nature. If I had, in that state, beat out cerned with deciding. The present question relates not to;he eye of one of my neighbours, I should always be afraid an evil infinitely augmented, but only of one requited with;hat he, or his son, or his father, or his brother, or some, some addition. If, however, the injurious party have it >ther friend, or, perhaps some person hired for the purpose, requited him even in an infinite degree, lie can have nomight lie in wait for me, and beat out one of mine in re- thing more to say, than that as he had done, so had he snfrun; and, under this unnecessary fear, I should really and fereed, wrong. But putting this infinity entirely out of truly be much more unhappy, than the man whose eye I the question; in all the circumstances wherein human bebeat out; in my very dreams, I should, who knows how of- ings can be placed together, proceeding from the rudest ten, lose an eye with pain and horror; and although, when state of nature, and what is a relic of it, the consuetudinary I awoke again, I found myself possessed of it, I should, at lawlof duelling, through every stage of society, until we first, be uncertain, perhaps, whether it had been a dream arrive at the best-regulated commonwealth, it holds as a or not; and, stupified with fear, in the darkness of the fundamental principle, that the man who has caused evil night, I should be anxious to try whether it could see or to another, has no reason to complain if he should suffer a not. Nay, not only should I be afraid of this, but well greater evil in return. In the state of nature, self-revenge aware that revenge always studies to retaliate beyond what goes certainly much beyond the offence, and. would go infiit suffers, I should anticipate a more serious injury than I nite lengths, if not restrained at last by pity, or by conhad caused, the loss of an eye perhaps for a tooth, or even tempt of its victim, or by the suggestions of magnanimity. the loss of life itself, in short, every thing that is bad: and, In'the old German proverb, which is strongly expressive under these continual apprehensions, I should be extremely of a national idea, it is said, (Anf eine IvIaulschelte gehlrt miserable, even though the injured person might never ac- eim Dolch,) "Every blow has its dagger." The point of tually retaliate the injury. Should lie ever get me into his honour, in duelling, insists on revenge with the sword; hands, and repay- me merely according to the jus. talionis, and the whip, with the pistol; but where people's ideas are this would be a fresh addition to my misery; unless, in- not so artificial, they find a satisfaction in, and plume thetadeed, it might be said, that I. ought to look upon it as good selves on, having given for one blow, two or more in return. luck, because I should no longer have to live in perpetual -In the state of civil society, the design of punishment is to terror. Now these are nothing more than the terrors of deter from crimes; for which purpose, a bare requital in conscience, that natural and awful avenger of all the crimes kind will not be sufficient, because the criminaj may hope we commit, and, in the mythologies of the Greeks and Ro- to escape detection, or to escape from justice, and of course mans, represented under the image of the Fxries; and his fear of punishment is by its uncertainty materially thus, for wise ends, hath nature constituted our minds, to lessened; and hence punishments are here much more prevent us from injuring one another. Even in the case severe, and by one example, many thousands are deterred of murder, it is precisely the same. Whoever, in the state from a repetition of the crime: so, that unless a man choose: of nature, has perpetrated that crime, will continually be to take the consequences, and to serve the public as an in fear of the son or friend of the deceased, as his Gotl; example in ter'rorem, he must abstain from injuring his will, while awake, fancy a hundred times that he sees neighbour. In the case of theft, restitution, with considerdhim, and tremble at the thoughts of him, how distant so- ble additions, would not be accounted too severe, but on ever he may be; and will be as often disturbed when -the contrary a very mild punishment for the crime; and asleep, by seeing him in his dreams, and thinking that he yet here more is given back than was taken away.-But feels him giving him the fatal stab. In a word, he will, I here stop short, because I mean to offer some general both sleeping and waking, die a thousand deaths. If he remarks on the relation of punishments to crimes, in the think this unjust, and too severe, let him blame God and Essay which I have already mentioned my intention of nature, for having annexed such variety of wretchedness adding as an Appendix to this nwork. This observation to the commission of guilt; and blame himself for being only shall I yet offer in the meantime. The objection arsuch a fool as to let such stuff come into his imagination. gues not only against the retaliation of personal injuries, If, again, it is committed by a member of civil society, now the' subject of dispute, but against all punishments and if (which is the mildest punishment of all those now in whatever, which consist of any evil that is at all a matter use) it costs him his head, he certainly, in suffering even of feeling, or which, by fear and anticipation, may become this retaliation, suffers much more than the person whom aggravations of such evils; and many inferences flow from he murdered; who had only a few minutes agony, which it,, which to the objector himself must appear very strange, his. rage, in self-defence, would scarcely let him feel; and would go at any rate to destroy all the security of huwhereas he, in his prison, anticipates his death for weeks, manlife. Assassination,for instance,and child-murder, and feels in imagination, which aggravates every evil, the would on this principle be mere trifles, and by- no means sword of j.astice every moment on his neck; and af last, worthy of being punished with death. The assassin might when he is actually brought out to execution, is so much say," The person, whom I murdered, did not know what overwhelmed by the previous feelings of death, that there befell him. He was no sooner stabbed than he fell; and he have been instances of malefactors, who, having a pardon died, without knowing it, altogether unexpectedly, and in given them on the scaffold, were alrealy so near death, the midst of joy; and if I must die on his account, let my that they could not be saved even'by blood-letting, but died deat~ be equally easy and unexpected. I only beg that as thoroughly as if they had actually been beheaded. But people may not talke it into their heads to declare ue an outrthus to die of agony, is a much more terrible death than to law, else shall I at every step be accompanied with the die of mere wounds by the hand of a murderer. This oh- dread of death, and, in imagination, die a hundred thoujection, therefore, amnounts to nothing at all,; only there is sand times instead of once."-The child-rmurderer, again, another, which it is understood to imply, viz. that the iaj.r- might say all this, and thus much more: " The child whom rious party is mader ito obligationt to sutfei mtore evil thair he I despatched, knew nothing of the worth and enjoyment has domre; and this was actually the reasoning of the phi- of life, and had been in a state of such obscure sensibilities. losopher Favorimus, whom A. Getlirs introduces as speak- that his pain was next to nothing;" thus insinuating, thai ing on this subiect, in his Noctes Attica. But what igno- whenever he himself should happen to come.into the same rance doth such reasoning show of all the laws that have state, that is, to return to his mother's womb and be born been introduced into all nations, and above all, that any again, by a sort of Pythagorean Metenpsyjchosis lie might 86 LEV ITICUS. CHAP. 24, then be punished for the crimne in question; but that, till alffects the innocent, and provokes to fresh acts of yenthen, justice required his punishment to be delayed, because geance. To this, however, we must add what has beex to make him die at present, wouldbe doing him very great already observed, that although those, who are in the least injustice. injured, will inexorably abide by the law of retaliation, 3. The law of retaliation is barbarous. I do not see why they will still be satisfied with professions of repentance. it should be considered as more barbarous than hanging with apologies, and with pecuniary compensations. Th" or beheading.; and with the very same justice with which laW does not peremptorily command an injured person te this assertion is made, it may in like manriner be asserted, avail himself of the right of retaliation, without any alter. that to demand payment of a debt is base and avaricious, native. It only fixes the punishnent to which the auithol or that every punishment which is less severe than that of of an injury must submit, if he cannot compound matter, like for like, is fit only for a state where the people are op- with the injured party. It thus deters from outrages, be. pressed and enslaved. The one assertion is just like the cause every one must be afraid, lest the sufferer insist upor other, and neither of them proves any thing. The latter his right, and in the case of personal mutilation, compel indeed would, in ihese times, manifest a stronger tone of the person who has caused it, to agree to such terms o: sympathy, and perhaps more truth, than in former ages. compensation, as he would otherwise have refused to offer 4. The sight of so many mutilated persons who, by the 6. Christ, in his sermon on. the mount, condemns thai law of retaliation, liad had an eye beat out, or a hand chop- revenge which requires eyle for eye, and tooth for tooth.; ped off, or a nose bitten away, &c. &c., would be extremely (Matt. v. 38, 39;) and consequently the law of retaliation i disagreeable; and would not onlybe apunishment to the cul- unchristian. This is, in fact, the same objection with the prits themselves, hut to every person of the least degree of preceding, and therefore already answered. Christ does nol sensibility, and especially to the fair sex at the time of con- find fault with the Mosaic statute of eye fog' eye, and tooth ception, when they are afraid of having their imaginations for tootlh; —fu he has throughout his whole sermon nothing affected by disgusting objects. This I readily grant; but I to do with Moses, and neither expounds nor cpntroverts believe, at the same time, that where other circumstances, his doctrines-he only condemns the bad morality of the and the character of the people are the same, these are Pharisees, which they thought fit to propound in his words. sights that will be much more rarely seen where the len In the present instance, these expositors, confounded, as ialioais is established, than where it is not. For every one on many other occasions, civil law and morality tcgether; will then be the more careful to avoid wounding or maim- and when the moral question was, How far mrnay I be aling his neighbour, in a quarrel, or in a passion; and cer- lowed to carry my resentment, and gratify my thirst foi tainly nobody will attempt any such thing afi.er deliberate revengel. they answered in the wiords which Moses adlpremeditation, when he knows that he must himself lose dressed, not to the injured, but to the i'njurig party, or to the same member of his body, of which hlie deprives his the judge, and said, eye for eye, tooth fos tooth. That Christ neighbour. Besides, it is certain that the law of retaliation has no intention of controverting, or censuring the laws ol will be but seldom enforced, and be chiefly confined to Moses, but merely the expositions of the Pharisees, is threatenings, and measures in terrorema. The man who has manifest, from comparing his own doctrine with that ol beat out the eye or tooth of another, or cut off his arm, willbe Moses. Moses addresses the magistrate, or the delinqnent at all possible pains to obtain his forgiveness, and a remis- who has mutilated his neighbour, and says, Treo, deliision of the legal punishment. He will humble himself be- quent, art bounbd to give eye for eye, tooth foe' tooth; and' fore him, and beg his pardon; not as we see sometimes thou, judge, to prognounce sentence to that e/jct. Christ, on done, with an air of proud contempt; but even'the man of the other hand, manifestly addresses the person injured, highest rank will heartily do so before the meanest of his and forbids him to be vindictive; Ye have heasd, that it dependants; will ever after honour him as his forgiver, is said, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; but I comimand?/ou noi and at the same time gladly make him any pecuniary re- to requite evil; btt whoever strikes you o7 thire rig'ht cheek, compense in his power. In such a case, the sufferer of ofer to hiv also the left. How this last clause is to be unthe injury will be compassionate and generous, or, if not derstood; whether it prohibits suing for revenge, and sufficiently either the one or the other, at any rate he will whether one should actually hold up the left cheek to the have as much love of money as, when the violence of person who has slapped the right, it is not my business here his revenge has been a little mitigated by the humiliation to decide, because I am not explaining the sermon on the and entreaties of his adversary, to accept the proffered mount. But as long as a people is not composed of citipeace-offering, and let self-interest settle the account be- zeus, whose temper and conduct are altogether in conformtween them. Men are naturally vindictive; but whenever ity to the doctrine of the sermon on the mount, civil laws, we meet with humble apologies, and the injurious person which do not, as Christ himself says, permit many thiugs, throwxs himself on our mercy, we are in general sufficiently on accoun6t of the hardness of the people's hcarts, and which inclined to forget our wrongs; so much so, indeed, that to presuppose such an exalted pitch of perfect virtue, will be some people it is nothing less than intolerable punishment improper and unwise. I am far from meaning, by what I to hear s-uch apologies, and. they forget the injuries they have now said in defence of the lex talioois, to assert have suet fered, merely when they know that their author that' it is the only proper punishment in the case of personal regrets them. Even those whose sentiments are not so re- injuries, or that it ought to be introduced into every state, fined, will still, when their fury is abated, yield to the in which it is not yet in use; but only that wx here it already power of gold. It was thus that at Rome the lex talionis operates, and especially in the MIosaic policy, it does not came gradually into perfect desuetude, and gave place to a merit censure. Here also it ought to be considered, that pecuniary compensation, depending on the discretion of the same style of law is not equally suitable to every state. the prutor; and that, though there had been nothing else, To southern countries the law of retaliation appears to be was pee bad consequence of the change; for to a free man, better adapted, and, in some respects, more necessary, than the discretion of a 7udge is a term that sounds very sus- to northern; because in southern countries, such as Italy, piciously. Portugal, Palestine, and Arabia., the desire of revenge is 5. Sound morality cannot approve of that revenge, which generally more violent, and of longer duration, than with nothing short of a repetition of the same injury will satisfy, us in the' 50th degree of latitude, who sooner forgive and and which insists on beating out the eye of another, if he forget injuries, and are really magnanimous in our revenge. has beaten out ours. This too I readily admit; but then Where it is once established, as where Moses found it inorality and civil law are not one and the same thing; already in force, it is dangerous to attempt its abrogation and the latter, as long as it has to do with people who are because the people accustomed to it might not be willing not all paragons of perfect virtue, must tolerate many to give it up, and would, of course, enforce it themselves. 0.hings on account of hardness of heart, to avoid greater But to introduce it among us would appear to be needless; evils. Thus, for instance, as long as the greatest, or the because we hear of or see so few instances of personal ingreater part of the people are still prone to revenge, the juries; for though we have people among us who want an law must give injured persons the means of obtaining sat- eye, there are none who owe the loss of it to delilerate isfaction for their wrongs, else will the consequence be, malice, nor is it by any means a trait of our national charthat they will take revenge at their own hands; and thus, acter, that we delight in inflicting permanent injuries on instead of authoritative punishments, none other will be one another. A German is commonly too maganimous known than that of personal revenge, which is always to think of any such thing. Blows he will give, and show dangerous, by being carried beyond due bounds, and often his superiority over his enemy; but even the peasant in the CHAP. 25. LEVI T ICUS. 87 utmost violence of rage, and though he hardly knows of any land of promise, in which he was about to settle them by particular punishment for such an offence, will not, at any his most special providence; while the people were to be rate, willingly beat out his neighbour's eye, or think of merely his tenants, and without any right to alienate their giving him any such lasting mark of his revenge, as the possessions in perpetuity, Lev. xxv. 23. It was, indeed, inhabitant of a southern country, or that rare character allowable for a proprietor to sell his land for a certain peamong us, to whom, in lower Saxony, the epithet glupisch riod; but every fiftieth year, which Moses denominated is applied, would exult in having left behind him. Ex- the year of jubilee, it returned without any redemption cept in cases of necessity, it is always a hazardous and to its ancient owner, or his heirs. Hence Moses very justdoubtful experiment to alter laws, or to increase the se- ly observes, that this was a sale, not of the land, but only ot verity of punishments; and with regard to uncommon its crops, between the period of sale and the year of jubicrimes, a iegislator will always decline taking any notice lee. It was reasonable that the value of a field should be of them, o0 will, at any rate, make no new laws in relation estimated higher or lower, according as it came to sale at to them, lest he should thus only make them known; he a longer or shorter period preceding that year: and Moses will think it better to let them quietly rest under the an- therefore admonished the Israelites, (Lev. xxv. 14-16,) cient national abhorrence, with which they are regarded. against taking unjust advantage of the ignorant and simple Thus as we are not accustomed to the law of retaliation, it in this particular on such occasions. This purchase of would appear to us cruel, and no injured person would, crops, however, must have been a very profitable speculafor fear of the universal outcry it would raise against tion, because no man would lay out his money for such a him, attempt commencing an action to enforce it: so that, length of time, and encounter all risks, (that of war not as frequently happens in such cases, the increased severity excepted,) as he was obliged to do, unless he purchased at of the punishment would prove nothing else than a sort of a very cheap rate. It was not in his power to rid himself impunity to the person who had committed the crime. The of those risks, by abandoning the bargain, as a lessee may more nearly that a people approaches to a state of nature, his lease, and re-demanding the money expended, because the more suitable to their circumstances is the law of re- at the year of jubilee all debts became instantly extintaliation: in like manner, it agrees better with a democra- guished. He would, therefore, always take care to purcy, than with any of the other forms of government: al- chase on such terms, as, allowing for the very worst that though, no doubt, to these it can accommodate itself, and could happen, might secure him from loss, and even yield did subsist in Rome under a strong mixture of aristocracy. him some profit-at least the interest of his money, prohibThe following distinction, likewise, which has not, per- ited as all usury was by the law. Hence, and as a conhaps, been theoretically considered, is a very striking one. sequence of the principle, that thle lands were to feed those Where every citizen is a. soldier, and defends his country to whose families they belonged, there was established a law with the strength of his arm, the law in question may an- of redemption, or right of re-purchase, which put it in the swer well enough; but where there is one particular class power of a seller, if before the return of the year of jubilee of men, who follow the profession of arms, whether as his circumstances permitted him, to bdi back the yet rehired soldiers, according to our present system, or, accord- maining crops, after deducting the amorist of those already ing to the feudal plan in the middle ages, as gentlemen, reaped by the purchaser, at the same price for which they with land given them in fee instead of pay, there, at least, were originally sold: and of this right, even the nearest if crimes were very frequent, it could not be conveniently relation of the seller, or, as the Hebrewvs termed him, his enforced without many exceptions. For if the soldier had Goal, might likewise avail himself, if he had the means. an eye dug out, or his right arm, hand, or thumb, mutilated, Lev. xxv. 24-28. he would not only be punished himself, but his country The advantages of this law, if sacredly observed, would wculd also sufter, in his being rendered unfit for its defence. have been great. It served, in the first pla.ce, to perpetuate Here, therefore, there would require to be one law for the that equality among the citizens, which Moses at first esprotectors, and another for the protected; at least, unless tablished, and which was suitable to the spirit of the democsoldiers could be had in more than sufficient numbers. racy, by putting it out of the power of any flourishing citiMany cHper dangers of the same kind would attend an zen to become, by the acquisition of exorbitant wealth, alteration of the law; which is, in every case, a very and the accumulation of extensive landed property, too hazardous experiment. At the same time, I readily own, formidable to the state, or in other words, a little prince, that in cases of personal injury, I have no great partiality whose influence could carry every thing before it. —In the for the plecasure of the judge, but would infinitely prefer the second place, it rendered it impossible that any Israelite decision of laws, that should place the high and the low on could be born to absolute poverty, for every one had his an equal footing, and estimate the tooth of a peasant at the hereditary land; and if that was sold, or lie himself from sam.e rate with that of a lord, particularly where the former poverty compelled to become a servant, at the coming of must gnaw crusts, and the latter can have crumb if he the year of jubilee he'recovered his property. And hence, chooses.-MICHAzELIs. perhaps, Moses might have been able with some justice to tCH'-IIAPTER XX~. say, what we read in most of the versions of Deut. xv. 4, CHThee wvill not be a poor maan am.og you. I doubt, howVer. 23. The land shall not be sold for ever; for ever, whether that be the true meaning of the original the land is mine; for ye are strangers and so- words. For in the 11th verse of this same chapter, he asjourners with me. 24. And in all the land of sures them that tLey shonld never be withOnt p0oo; to prevent which, indeed, is impossible for any legislator, beyour possession, ye shall grant a redemption for cause, in spite of every precaution that laws can take, some the land. 25. If thy brother be waxen poor, people will become poor, either by misfortunes or misand hath sold awav some of his possession, and if conduct. But here, if a man happened to be reduced to allny o'f his lkin come to redeem it, then shall he poverty, before the expiry of fifty years, either he himself, or his descendants, had their circumstances repaired by the redeem that'whidh his brother sold. 26. And legal recovery of their landed property, which though inif the man have none to redeem it, and himself deed small, then became perfectly free and unincumbered; be able to redeem it; 27. Then let him count — In the thi'rd place, it served to prevent the strength of the the years of the sale thereof, and restore the country from being impaired, by cutting Qff one, and perthe years of the sale thereof, and restore the haps the greatest cause of emigration, viz. poverty. No overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that Israelite needed to leave his home on that ground. Here, he may return unto his possession. 28. But to be sure. the extraordinary case of any public calamity if he be not able to restore it to him, thfen that that might make'the lands lose their value, must be excepted. But it was enough that in ordinary cases the law, took hich is sold shl remain in the hand of him away the chief inducement to emigration, by such a judithat hath bought it until the year of jubilee: cious provisiofi as made it the interest of the people to reand in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall main contented at home.-In the fouerth place, as every return unto his possession. man had his hereditary land, this law, by its manifest tendency to encourage marriage, rather served to promote the Moses declared God, who honoured the Israelites by call- population of the country, than to impair it.-In the fifth ing himself their king, the sole lord-proprietary of all the place, the land being divided into numerous small portions, 88 LE VITICUS. CHAP. 26. each cultivated by the father of a family, acquainted with Ver. 34. Then shall the lanAdenjoy her sabbaths, it from his infancy, and naturally attached to'it as the in- aslong as it lieth. desolate, and ye b inyu alienable property of his family, could not fail in conse-e be in your quence of this law, to be better managed, and more produc- eremies' land; even then shall the land rest tive, than large estates in the hands of tenants and day-' and enjoy her sabbaths. labourers could ever have been.-And, lastly, this institution served to attach every Israelite to his country in the Sab strongpst manner, by suggesting to'him that, if he had to batical year renders the full'purport of this prediction per fight in its defence, he would at the same time be defending fectly intelligible and obvious. "But in the seventh year his own property, which it was, moreover, out of his power shall be a Sabbath of rest untO -the land; thou shalt neither to convert into money, wherewith he might betake himself sow thy field nor prune t vineyard. the land of to a more peaceful habitation elsewhere.-MICHAELIS. Judea hath even thus enjoyed its Sabbaths so long as it hath lain desolate. In that country, where'every spot was cultivated like a garden by its patrimonial possessor, where Ver. 33. And I wvill scatter you among the heathen, every little hill rejoiced in its abundance, where every steep and will drawv out a sword after you; and your acclivity was terraced by the labour of man- and where the very rocks were covered thick with mould, and rendered land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. fertile; even in that selfsame land, with a climate the same and with a soil unchanged, save only by neglect, a dire By the concurring testimony of all travellers, Judea may contrast is now, and has for a lengthened period of time now be called a field of ruins. Columns, the memorials of been displayed, by fields untilled and unsown, and by waste ancient magnificence, now covered with rubbish, and buried and desolated plains. Never since the expatriated descendlunder ruins, may be found in all Syria. From Mount ants of Abraham were driven from its borders, has the land Tabor is beheld an immensity of plains, interspersed with of Canaan been so "plenteous in goods," or so abundant in hamlets, fortresses, and heaps of ruins. The buildings on population, as once it was; never, as it did for ages unto that mountain were destroyed and laid waste by the Sultan them, has it vindicated to any other people a right to its of Egypt in 1290, and the accumulated vestiges of succes- possession, or its own title of the land of promise-it has sive fobrts and ruins are now mingled in one common and rested from century to century-; and while that marked, extensive desolation. Of the celebrated cities Capernaum, and stricken, and scattered race, who possess the recorded Bet'lsaida, Gadara, Tarichea, and Chorazin, nothing re- promise of the God of Israel, as their charter to its final mains but shapeless ruins. Some vestiges of Emmaus may and everlasting possession, still'' be in the land of their enestill be seen. Cana is a very paltry village. The ruins of mies, so long their land lieth desolate." There may thus alTekoa present only the foundations of. some considerable -most be said to be the semblance of a sympathetic feeling buildings. The city of Nain is now a hamlet. The ruins between this bereaved country and banished people, as it c.f the ancient Sapphura announce the previous existence the land of Israel felt the miseries of its absent children, of a large city, and its name is still preserved in the appel- awaited their return, and responded to the undying love lation of a miserable village called Sephoury. Loudd, the they. bear it by the refusal to yield to other possessors' the ancient Lydda and Diospolis, appears like a place lately rich harvest of those fruits, with which, in the days of their ravaged by fire and sword, and is one continued heap of allegiance to the Most High, it abundantly blessed them. rubbish and ruins. Ramla, the ancient Arimathea, is in And striking and peculiar, without the shadow of even a almost as ruinous a state. Nothing but rubbish is to be semblance upon earth, as is this accordance between the found within its boundaries. In the adjacent country there fate of Judea and of the Jews, it assimilates as closely, and, are found at every step dry wells, cisterns fallen in, and may we not add, as miraculously, to those predictions re-east vaulted reservoirs, which prove that in ancient times specting both, which Moses uttered and recorded ere the dhis town must have been upwards of a league and a half tribes of Israel had ever set a foot in Canaan. The land in circumference. Cmsarea can no longer excite the envy shall be left of them, angd shall enjoy her rest while she lieth' of a conqueror, and has long been abandoned to silent deso- desolate without them. lation. The city of Tiberias is now almost abandoned, To the desolate state of Judea' every traveller bears witand. its subsistence precarious; of the towns that bordered ness. The prophetic malediction was addressed to the on its lake there are no traces left. Zabulon, once the rival mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys; of Tyre and Sidon, is a heap of ruins. A few shapeless and the beauty of them all has been blighted. Where the stones, unworthy the attention of the traveller, mark the inhabitants once dwelt in peace, each under his own vine site of the Saiffre. The ruins of Jericho, covering no less and under his own fig-tree, the tyranny of the Turks, and than a square mile, are surrounded with complete desola- the perpetual incursions of the Arabs, the last of a long list tion; and there is not a tree of any description, either'of of oppressors, have spread one wide field of almost unpalm or balsam, and scarcely any verdure or bushes to be mingled desolation. The plain' of Esdraelon, naturally seen about the site of this abandoned city. Bethel is not to most fertile, its soil consisting of " fine rich black mould," be found. The ruins of Sarepta, and of several large cities level like a lake, except where Mount Ephraim rises in its in its vicinity, are, now " mere rubbish, and are only dis- centre, bounded by Mount Hermon, Carmel, and Mount tinguishable as the sites of towns by heaps of dilapidated Tabor, and so extensive as to cover about three hundred stones and fragments of columns." But at Djerash, (sup- square miles, is a solitude "almost entirely deserted; the posed to be the ruins of Gerasa,) are the magnificent re- country is a complete desert." Even the vale of Sharon is mains of a. splendid city.' The form of streets, once lined a waste. In the valley of Canaan, formerly a beautiful, Nwitll a double row of columns, and covered with pavement delicious, and fertile valley, there is not a mark or vestige still nearly entire, in which are the marks of the chariot- of cultivation. The country is continually overrun.with wheels, and on each side of which is an elevated pathway- rebel tribes; the Arabs pasture their cattle upon the spontwo theatres'and two grand temples, built of marble, and taneous produce of the rich plains with which it abounds. others of inferior note-baths-bridges-a cemetery with Every ancient landmark is removed. Law there is none many sarcophagi, which surrounded the' city —a triumphal Lives and property are alike unprotected. The valleys arch —a large cistern-a picturesque tomb fronted with are untilled, the mountains have lost their verdure, the colurnns, and an aqueduct overgrown with wood-and up- rivers flow through a desert and cheerless land. All the wards of two hundred and thirty columns still standing beauty of Tabor that man could disfigure is defaced; imamid deserted ruins, without a city to adorn-all combine mense ruins on the top of it are now the only remains of a in presenting to the view of the traveller, in the estimation once magnificent city; and Carmel is the habitation of wild of those who were successively eyewitnesses of them both, beasts. "The art of cultivation," says Volney, "is in the " a much finer mass of ruins" than even that of the boasted ~ most deplorable state, and the countryman must sow with Palmvra. But how marvellously are the predictions of the musket in his hand; and no more is sown than is necestheir desolation verified, when in general nothing but ruin- sary for subsistence." " Every day I found fields abandoned ed ruins form the most distinguished remnants of the cities by the plough." In describing his journey through Galilee, of Israel; and when the multitude of its towns are almost Dr. Clarke remarks, that the earth was covered with such all left, with many a vestige to testify of their number, but a variety of thistles, that a complete collection of them without a marl- to tell their name.-KEITH. would be a valuable acquisition t D bctany. Six new spe CHAP. 2 10. NUMBE R S. 8 cies of that plant, so significant ofwvildness; were discovered a man shall devote unto the LORD, of all that by himself in a scanty selection. " From Kane-Leban to' he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field, Beer, amid the ruins of cities, the country, as far as the eye possession, shall be so or redeemed: of the traveller can reach, presents nothing to his view but naked rocks, mountains, and precipices, at the sight of every devoted thing is most holy unto the LOR-D. which pilgrims are astonished, balked in their expectations, and almost startled in their faith." " From the centre of the Whatever has- been devoted to the gods can ever neighbouring elevations (around Jerusalem) is seen a wild, sold, redeemed, or applied to any other purpose. In every rugged, and mountainous desert;* no lherds depasturing on village there are chroniclers of strange events, of the visitarugged, andmonio der;nhsn men who did not act fairly and troy the summit, no forests clothing the acclivities, no waters ions of the gods on,flowing through the valleys; but one rude scene of savage with their devoted things. There is a story generally remelancholy waste, in the midst of' which the ancient glory ceived of a deranged man, who in a lucid interval made of Judea bows her head in widowed desolation." It is a vow that he would give his- gold beads to the temple of needless to multiply quotations to prove the desolation of a Siva, and he became quite well. After this he refused to country which the Turks have possessed, and which the perform his vow, and he died." " Another person, who wasArabs have plundered for ages. Enough has been said to very ill of a fever, devoted a goat to the gods, and immeprove that the land mourns and is laid waste, and has be- diately became well; but some tine after he refused the co-me as a desolate wilderness.-K-EITH. gift, and his fever returned." When a child becomes sick, the parents forthwith inquire, " Have we given all the C:HAPTER XXVII. things we devoted to the gods! " The medical man also (when the disease baffles his skill) inquires, " Have you Ver. 28. Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that given all the things you devoted to the gods ~'-RoBERTS. N U MB E R S. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER V. Ver. 31. All they that were numbered in the Ver. 2. Every one that hath an issue, and whocamp of Dan, woere a hundred thousand and soever is defiled by the dead. fifty and seven thousand and six hundred: they fifty and seven t ousand and six hundareds: they All who attend a funeral procession, or ceremony, be-'shall go hindmost with their standards. 34. And come unclean, and before they reitrn to their houses must the children of Israel did according to all that wash their persons and their clothes. Neither those in the the LoRD commanded Moses: so they pitched sacred office, nor of any other caste, can, under these cirby their standards, and, so they set forward, cumstances, attend to any religious ceremonies. They cannot marry, nor be present at any festivity, nor touch a saevery one after their families, according to the cred book.. A person. on hearing of the death of a son, or house of their fathers. other relative, immediatelybecomes unclean. The Brah-. mins are unclean twelve days; those of the royal family, Mr. Harmer thinks, the standards of the tribes were not sixteen days; the merchants, twenty-two; and all other flags, but little iron machines carried on the top of a pole, castes, thirty-two days.-RoBERTS. in which fires were lighted to direct their march by night, and so contrived, as sufficiently to distinguish them from CHAPTER VI. one another. This is the kind of standard by which the Ver. 26. The LORD lift up his countenance upon Turkish caravans direct their march through the desert to Mecca, and seems to be very commonly used by travellers thee, a in the East. Dr. Pococlke tells us, that the caravan with "As I came along the road, I met Raman, and he lifted which he visited the river Jordan, set out from thence in up his fale upon me; but I knew not the end;" which up his fa~,z upon me; but I knew not the end;" which the evening soon after it was dark for Jerusalem, being, ZI-) means, he looked pleasantly. Does a man complain of lighted by chips of deal full of turpentine, burning in a another who has ceased to look kindly upon him, he says, round iron frame, fixed to the end of a pole, and arrived Ah! my friend, you no longer lift up your countenance at the city a little before daybreak. But he states also, that a short time before this, the pilgrims were called be- upon me.-RoBRTs. fore the governor of the caravan, by means of a white stand- CHAPTER X. ard that was.displayed on an eminence near the camp, in order to enable him to ascertain his fees. In the Mecca Ver. 7. But when the congregation is to be caravans, they use nothing by day, but the same moveable gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye. shall beacons in which they burn those fires, which distinguish not sound an alarm. the different tribes in the night. From these circumstances, Harmer concludes, that, "since travelling in, the night must The form of the republic established by Moses was demoin general be most desirable to a great multitude in that des- cratical. Its head admitted of change as to the name and ert, and since wre may believe that a compassionate God for nature of his office; and we find that, at certain times, it the most part directed Israel to move in the night, the stand- could subsist without a general head. If, therefore, we' ards of the twelve tribes were moveable beacons, like those would fully understand its constitution, we must begin, not of the Mecca pilgrims, rather than flags or any thing of from above, but with the lowest description of persons that that kind." At night the camp was illuminated by large had a share in the government. From variouts passages wood fires; and a bituminous substance secured in small of the Pentateuch, we find that Moses, at making known cages or beacons, formed of iron hoops, stuck upon poles, any laws, had to convene the whole congregation of Isthrew a brilliant light upon the surrounding objects.- rael, (5,p or rn-y;) and, in like manner, in the book of MUNROE'S SUMMER RAMBLE IN SYRIA. Joshua, we see, that when Diets were held, the whole con, 12 90 NUMBERS. CHAP. 10. gregation were assembled. If on such occasions every in- number of passages in books of travels, that every one dividual had had to give his vote, every thing would cer- whose reading has at all turned this way, must be apprized tainly have been democratic in the highest degree; but it of them; for which reason I shall cite none in particular. is scarcely conceivable how, without very particular regu- The application then of Moses to Hobab the Midianite, lations made for the purpose, (which, however, we nowhere that is, to a principal Arab of the tribe of Midian, would find,) order could have been preserved in an assembly of have appeared perfectly just, had it not been for this 600,000 men, their votes accurately numbered, and acts of thought, that the cloud of the Divine Presence went before violence prevented. If, however, we consider that, while Israel, and directed their marches; of what consequence Mloses is said to have spoken to the whole congr'egation, he then could IHobab's journeying with them be. A man could not possibly be heard by 600,000 people, (for what would take more upon himself than he ought to do, that human voice could be sufficiently strong to be so 2) all our should affirm the attendance of such a one as Hobab wa; fears and difficulties will vanish; for this circumstance of no use to Israel, in their removing from' station to alone must convince any one that Moses could only have station: it is very possible, the guidance of the cloud might addressed himself to a certain number of persons deputed not be so minute as absolutely to render his offices cf no to represent the rest of the Israelites. Accordingly, in value. But I will mention another thing, that will put the Numb.'. 16. we find mention made of such persons. In propriety of this request of Moses quite out of dispute. zontradistinction to the common Israelites, they are there The sacred history expressly mentions several journeys denominated Ke'ile I idelda, (n'ii m-n1p) that is, "those wont undertaken by parties of the Israelites, while the main to be called to the convention." In the xvi. chapter of the body laid still: so in Numb. xiii. we read of a party that same book, ver. 2, they are styled, Nesie Eda Kerlie MoMd, was sent out to reconnoitre the land of Canaan; in chap. (' nn,~ om)',,v)) that is, "chiefs of the community, that xx. of the messengers sent from Kadesh unto the king of are called to the convention." I notice this passage par- Edom; in chap. xxxi. of an expedition against the idolaticularly, because it appears from it, that 250 persons of trous Midianites; of some little expeditions, in the close of this description, who rose up against Moses, became to him chap. xxx.; and more journeys of the like kind, were withobjects of extreme terror; which they could not have been, out doubt undertaken, which are not particularly recounted. if thteir voices had not been, at the same time, the voices of Now Moses, foreseeing something of this, might well beg their families and tribes. Still more explicit, and to the the company of H-obab, not as a single Arab, but as a point, is the passage, Dent. xxix. 9, where Moses, in a prince of one of their clans, that he might be able to apply speech to the whole people, says, "Ye stand this day all of to him from time to time, for some of his people, to be conyou before the Lord your God, your heads, your tribes, ductors to those he should have occasion to send out to (that is, chiefs of tribes,) your elders, your scribes, all Israel, different places, while the body of the people, and the cloud infants, wives, strangers that are in your camp, from the of the LolD, continued unmoved. hewer of wood to the drawer of water." Now as Moses could Nor was their assistance only wanted in respect to water, not possibly speak loud enough to be heard by two millions when any party of them was sent out upon some expediand a half of people, (for to so'many did the Israelites tion; but the whole congiegation must have had frequent amount, women and childre4 included,) it must be manifest need of them, for directions- where to find fuel. Manna that the first-named persons'represented thepeople, to whom continually, and sometimes water, were given them miracthey again repeated the word of Moses. Whether these ulously; their clothes also were exempted from decay representatives were on every occasion obliged to collect while in the wilderness; but fuel was wanted to warm and ice are the sense of their constituents, or whether, like them some part of the year, at all times to bake and seethe the members of the Eng'lish House of Commons, they acted the manna, according to Exod. xvi. 23, and was never ohin the plenitude of their own power for the general good, tained but in a natural way, that we know of: for this then without talking instructions from their constituents, I find they wanted assistance of such Arabs as were perfectly nowhere expressly determined; but methinks, from a pe- acquainted with that desert. So Thevenot, describing his rusal of the Bible, I can scarcely doubt that the latter was travelling in this very desert, says, on the night of the 25th the case. of January they rested in a place where wvas some broom, Who these representatives were, may in some measure for'that their guides never brought them to rest anywhere, be understood from Josh. xxiii. 2., and xxiv. 1. They willingly we are to suppose, but iii places where they could would seem to have been of two sorts. To some; their find some fuel, not only to warm them, but to prepare their office as judges gave a right to appear in the assembly; coffee and mafrouca. He complains also of their restingand these were not necessarilyr of the same family in which place on the night of the 28th of January, on account of they exercised that office. Others, again, had a seat and a their not being able to find any wood there, not so much as voice in the Diet, as the heads of families.-MicHa:ELIs. to boil coffee. A like complaint he makes of the nlight Ad he said, Leave us not, between the eighth and ninth of February, when not being Ver. 31. Aid he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; able to get into Suez, he was obliged to lie without the forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to gates till it was day, suffering a great deal of cold, because encarmp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be they had no wood to. make a fire. Moses hoped Hobab ~to us in~stead of eyes. - ~would be instead of eyes to the Israelites, both with respect to the guiding their parties to wells and springs in the An aged father says to his son, who wishes to go to some desert, and the giving the people in general notice where other village, "My son, leave me not in my old age; you they might find fuel: for though they frequently make use are now my eyes." "You are on the looir-out for me, your in this desert of camels' dung for fuel, this could not, we eyes are sharp." It is said of a good servant, "he is eyes to imagine, wholly supply their wants; and in fact, we find his master." —RoseRTs.s. the Israelites sought about for other firing.-IHaMEa. When Moses begged of Hobab not to leave Israel, be- Ignorance is a kind of blindness often no less fatal than cause they were to encamp in the wilderness, and he might privation of sight; and partial, or deficient informationi is be to them instead of eyes, Numb. x. 31, he doubtless meant little better than ignorance: so we find Moses saying to that he might be a guide to them in the difficult journeys Hobab, "Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou they bad to take in the wilderness: for so Job, when he knowest how we ought to encamp in the wilderness, and wond express his readiness to bring forward on their thou mayest be to us instead of eyes," Numb. x. 31. The journey those that were enfeebled with sickness, or hurt by necessity and propriety of such a guide, will appear from accidents, and to guide them in their way that were blind considerations easily gathered from the following extract; or ignorant of it, says, "' I wafs eyes to the blind, and feet and the description of a person of this character will be was I to the lame, Job xxix. 15. Everybody, accord- interesting, though it cannot be equally interesting tc us inglv, at all acquainted with the nature of such deserts as who travel on hedge-bounded turnpike roads, as to an indiIsrael had to pass through, must be sensible of the great vidual about to take his passage across the great desert. impotance of having some of the natives of that country If it be said, in the case of Mloses, the angel who conducted for guides: they know where water is to be found, and can the camp might have appointed its stations without the aslead to places proper, on that account, for encampments. sistance of Hobab; we answer, it might have been so; but, Without their help, travelling would be much more diffi- as it is now the usual course of Providence to act by means, cult in these deserts, and indeed often fatal. The import- even to accomplish the most certain events; and as no man ance of having these Arab guides appears, from such a who has neglected any mean, has now the smallest right to CHAP. 11. NUMBERS. 91 expect an interposition of Providence on his:ehalf, so we with some bits of roasted meat, which the Turks in Egypt strongly query, whether it would not have been a failing, call cobab, and with this dish they are so delighted, that I of presumption, in Moses, had he omitted this application have heard them wish they might enjoy it in paradise. to Hobab; or indeed, any other, suggested by his good They likewise make soup of them in Egypt, cutting the sense and understanding. onions in small pieces; this I think one of the best dishes "A ey/beer is a guide, from the Arabic word heubba', to I ever eat. inform, instruct, or direct, because they are used to do this By melons we are probably to understand the water-meoflice to the caravan travelling through the desert, in all its lon, which the Arabians call batech. It is cultivated on the directions, whether to Egypt and back again, the coast of banks of the Nile, in the rich clayey earth which subsides the Red Sea, or the countries of Sudan, and the western during the inundation. This serves the Egyptians for meat, extremities of Africa. They are men of great considera- drink, and physic. It is eaten in abundance during the 6ionl, knowing perfectly the situation and properties of all' season, even by the richer sort of people; but the common kinds of water, to be met on the route, the distances of people, on whom providence has bestowed nothing but povwells, whether occupied by enemies or not, and if so, the erty and patience, scarcely eat any thing but these, and acwvay to avoid them with the least inconvenience. It is also cpunt this the best time of the year, as they are obliged to necessary to them to know the places occupied by the put up with worse fare at other seasons. This fruit likesimoom, and the seasons of their blowing in those parts of wise serves them for drink, the juice refreshing these poor the desert; likewise those occupied by moving sands. He creatures, and they have less occasion for water than if generally belongs to some powverful tribe of Arabs inhabit- they were to live on more substantial food in this burning ing these, deserts, whose protection he makes use of, to as- climnate.-HAssELQUIST. sist his caravans, or protect them in time of danger; and Among the different kinds of vegetables, which are ot handsome rewards are always in his power to distribute on importance to supply the want of life, or to render it more such occasions; but now that the Arabs in these deserts agreeable, he tells us, is the melons, which, without dispute, are ev'erywhere without government, the trade between is there one of the most salutary and common among them. Abyssinia and Cairo given over, that between Sudan and All the species that they have in Europe, and in the seathe metropolis much diminished, the importance of that ports of the Mediterranean, are to be found in Egypt. Beoffice of hybeer, and its consideration, is fallen in proportion, sides them, there is one, whose substance is green and very and with these the safe conduct; and we shall see presently delicious. It grows round like a bowl, and is commonly a caravan cut off by the treachery of the very hybeers that of an admirable taste. There are also -water-melons, exconducted them, the first instance of the kind that ever hap- tremely good. But above all the rest, at Cairo, and its pened." (Bruce.)-TAYLOR IN CALMET. neighbourhood, they boast of a species of melons, pointed at each end, and swelling out in the middle, which-the peoCHAPTER XI. pie of the country call abdelar'ins. This is an Arabian WreP. i kTe iemember the fish which wre did eat word which signifies the slave of sweetness. In fact, these Ver. 5. We remember the fish which we did eat melons are not to be eaten without sugar, as being insipid in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the mel- without it. Macrisi says, this last kind was formerly transons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. ported hither, by a man whose name they bear. They give it to the sick, to whom they refuse all other kinds of To an Englishman the loss of these articles would not fruit. The rind is very beautifully wrought; its figure give much concern, and he is almosf surprised at the Israel- very singular; as well as the manner of ripening it, which ites repining at their loss, as at the loss of great delicacies. is by applying a red-hot iron to one of its extremities. The The people of the East do not in general eat flesh, nor even people of the country eat it green as well as ripe, and in fish, so that when they can procure it they consider it a the same manner as we eat apples. These melons, of a delicacy. Cucumbers are eaten in abundance in hot wea- foreign extraction,. continue two whole months, and grow ther, and melons are most delicious and plentiful. I have nowhere else in Egypt. They say the same species is never seen leeks in the East, and I am doubtful whether found in Cyprus.-MAILLET. they are to be found; but whether or not, there is much difference of opinion as to the translation of the word. Ver. 6. But now our soul is dried away: there D'Oyly and Mant have a quotation to this effect:-" Whe- is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our ther the following word, rendered leeks, have that significa- eyes tion, may be doubted. Some think it was the lotus, which is a water plant, a kind of water-lily, which the Egyptians In great hunger or thirst the people say, " Out soul is used to eat during the heats of summer." In the Universal withered." "More than this, sir, I cannot do; my spirit is History, (vol. i. p. 486,) it is said, that those " Egyptians withered within me." " What! when a man's soul is withwho dwelt in the marshes, fed on several plants which an- ered, is he not to complain " —RoBERTS. nually grow, particularly the lotus, of which they made a sort of bread." Of the Arabs also, (in the same work,) it Ver. 8 nd the people went about, and athered is recorded-" They make a drink of the Egyptian lots, it, grond it in mills, or bent it in a morwhich is very good for inward heat." The Tamul name of the lot'ns is the Tamari. The Materia Medica, under tar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: the article Nelumbium Speciosum, says this plant is the and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. true lotes of the Egyptians, and the Nymphea Nilufer of Sir William Jones. Its beautifiul and fragrant flower is The eastern mill consists of two circular stones, about sacred to Lechimy, the goddess of Maga Vishnoo. It has eighteen inches in diameter, and three inches th'ik. The a bulbous root, and is highly esteemed as an article of food. top stone has a handle in it, and works round a pivot, which As it grows in tancks, it can only be had in the hottest wea- has a hole connected with it to admit the corn. The morther, when the -water is dried up; and, in this we see a tar also is much used to make rice flour. It is a block of most gracious provision in allowing it to be taken when- wood, about twentyinches high and ten inches in diameter, most required. Its cooling qualities are celebrated all over having a hole scooped out in the centre. The pestle is a India, and the Materia Medica says of it, " This is an ex- stick of about four feet long, made of iron-wood, having cellent root, and is also prescribed medicinally, as cooling an iron hoop fixed to the end.-RoBERTS. and demulcent." The natives eat it boiled, or in curry, or melee it into floor for gruels. I am, therefore, of opinion, make it into flour for gruels. I am, therefore, of opinion, Vex. 16. And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather that it was the lobes of Egypt respecting which the Israel- unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, iteS were murmnring.-RoBERTS. whom thou knowest to be the elders of the peoWhoever has tasted onions in Egypt must allow that none can be had better in any part of the universe. Here they are sweet, in other countries they are nauseous and unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that strong; here thev are soft, whereas in the north, and other they may stand there with thee. parts, they are hard of digestion. Hence they cannot in any place be eaten with less prejudice and more satisfaction Moses established in the wilderness another institution, than in Egypt. They eat them roasted, cut into four pieces, which has been commonly held to be of a judicial nature; 92 NUMBERS. CIIAP. 11. and under the name of Sanhed'rin or Synedrium, much When Moses mentioned Israel's being fed with fish, col, spoken of both by Jews and Christians, although it proba- lected from the Red Sea, he seems to have supposed somebly was not of long continuance. We have the account of thing of annextraordinary kind; but analogous to what had its establishment in Num, xi.; and if we read the passage happened to several people, in small companies, not any impartially, and without prejudice, we shall probably en- thing miraculous. In answer to the divine -declaration tertain an opinion of the Synedrium different from that Moses proposed a difficulty in accomplishing this promise, generally received, which exalts it into a supreme college in the natural course of things, not as imagining it could not of justice, that was to endure for ever. A rebellion that be done by a miracle; he could not but know, that he that arose among the Israelites distressed Moses exceedingly. rained down manna, could, by a miracle, gorge them with In order to alleviate the weight of the burden that oppressed flesh; but in the common course of things, or in the natuhim, he chose from the twelve tribes collectively, a council ral, though more unusual operation of Providence, could of seventy persons to assist him. These, however, could it be brought about. That was what puzzled Moses. hardly have been judges; for of them, the people already Some flocks, and a few oxen, they had with them for the had between sixty and seventy thousand. Besides, of what solemnities of sacrifice; but could a part of them, with any use could seventy new judges. or a supreme court of appeal, addition that might be procured from the people on the have been in crushing a rebellion. It seems much more skirts of the desert, be sufficient to support them a whole likely, that this selection was intended for a supreme sen- month? Fish might be obtained from the Red Sea, from ate to take a share with Moses in the government; and as which, it seems, they were not very distant, but could it be it consisted of persons of respectability, either in point of expected they would come in such numbers to the shore, family or merits, it would serve materially to support his within their reach, as fully to satisfy the cravings of their power and influence among-the people in general. By a appetites, day after day, for a whole month. The ground mixture of aristocracy, it would moderate the monarchical of this inquiry, with respect to the flesh of quadrupeds, is appearance which the constitution must have assumed visible to all: they had frequently tasted of their flesh in from Moses giving his laws by command of God, and it feasts, generally of a sacred nature, sometimes, perhaps, of would unite a number of powerful families together, from a less devout kind. But how came Moses to think offish? their being all associated with Moses in the government. Irwin explains it, by observing, that a little lower down, It is commonly supposed that this Synedrium continued, toward the straits of Babelmandel, he found fish in abunpermanent; but this I doubt. For in the whole period dance-in the Red Sea; that the Arabs were very expert in from the death of Moses to the Babylonish captivity, we catching them; and that great quantities were to be picked find not the least mention of it in the Bible; and this si- up, from time to time, on the sand-banks, which are exience, methinks, is decisive; for in the time of the judges, tremely numerous in the Red Sea. There is no reason to but particularly on those occasions when, according to the believe, that Israel had not tasted fish in some of their enexpression of the book of Judges, there was neither king campments, of which some are expressly said to have been nor judge in Israel; and again, during those great political near the Red Sea, Numb. xxxiii. 10, 11; and others are revolutions, when David by degrees became king over all known to have been on that coast, or not far from it, where the tribes, and when the ten tribes afterward revolted from no mention is made of that circumstance in the sacred his grandson, Rehoboam; and lastly, under the tyrannical writings. And there can be no reason to doubt, that since reigns of some of the subsequent kings; such a supreme many of them foilnd fish so grateffl to their palates, but council of seventy persons, if it had been in existence, that they would endeavour to make use of that opportunity must have made a conspicuous figure in the history; and for gratifying themselves. Manna was an additional supyet we find not the least trace of it: so that it merely ply, only intended to make up a sufficiency of food; not appears to have been a temporary council instituted by designed to be exclusive of every other species of it. If Moses for his personal service and security; and as he did the modern Arabs are so dexterous at catching fish now, not fill up the vacancies occasioned in it by deaths, it the ancient Egyptians, we have reason to believe, were so must have died out altogether in the wilderness. No in their time; and the low and oppressed state of Israel in doubt the Jews, after their return from the Babylonish cap- that country, will not allow us to believe, that they did not tivity, did institute a sanhedrimn at Jerusalem, of which exert themselves with equal assiduity, and in consequence'frequent mention is made, not only in the New Testament, of continual -use, with equal success. We remember thefish but also in Jewish writings. But this was merely an imi- we did eat in Egypt freely, was a part of their moan, Num. tation of the ancient Mosaic Synedrium, with the nature xi. 5. If Moses knew what the common people of Egypt of whose constitution the latter Jews were no longer ac- now know, and which their sages in ancient days must, at quainted; for they had indeed become ignorant of almost least, have remarked, he could be no stranger to that change all the customs of their ancestors. The detail of this see- of place that may be observed as to fish, and their crowdond sanhedrim established by the latter Jews belongs not ing together at certain times; and to some such a natural, to our present work, but to their history after the Babylo- but surprising andunknownoccurrence, as to the inhabitnish'captivity.-MICIAELIS. ants of this sea, the words of Moses seem to point: Shall the flocks and herds be slain for' them?.... or s7anll l1 the Vkr. 20. Bt evs-en a zwhole month, until it come afishi of the sea be gathered together, by some natural impulse. to this place, for a month or more, -which none of us have had out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto any notion of, nor received any information about, to snfyou. fice them? Such is, I apprehend, the spirit of these words. -HARMER. What does this mean. Is it not a figurative expression, to show that they were to eat till fully satisfied' Bishop Ver. 31. And there went forth a wind from the Patrick says, " till you be glutted and cloyed with it." Is LIORD, and brought quails from the sea, and le! it not a striking illustration that this figure of speech is used them fall by the camp, as it were a day's jouey at this day to convey the same meaning? A host says to his guests, "Now, friends, eat mnookamattam, to the nose," on this side, and as it were a day's journey on literally, to eat till they are full up to the nose. " 0, sir, the other side, round about the camp, and as it how can. I eat any more. I am full to the nose, I have no were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. more room." Of a glutton, it is said, " That fellow always fills up to the nose! "-ROBERTS. There are no birds of passage which arrive in greater and at the same time more unaccountable numbers, -than Ver. 21. And Moses said, the people, among quails. They assemble together on the sandy shore of wvrhom I a~m, are six hundred thousand foot- Egypt, in very large flocks. It is difficult to imagine how a bird which, being so heavy in its flight, cannot fly to any men; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, distance, and which in our fields we see alight almost as that they may eat a whole month. 22. Shall soon as it has taken wing, should venture to traverse a pretty the flocks and& the herds be slain for them, to great extent of sea. The islands scattered ovethe Medisuffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be terranean, and the vessels sailing along its surface, serve them, indeed, for places of rest and shelter,'when the gathered together for them, to suffice them? winds become boisterous, or contrary to the direction of CHAP. 11. " NUMBERS. 93 their route. But these asylums, which the quails have not the wrath of the Lord was ikindled against the perple that always sufficient strength to reach, and the distance of gathered the quails, " and the Lord smote themrwith a very which is frequently fatal to them, likewise prove to them great plague." And the people journeyed from Kibrothplaces of d etruction. Too much exhausted to fly, they hattaavah; but these things are surely said of the whole suffer themselves to be caught without difficulty upon in- people. Dissatisfied with this solution, Bochart proposes hospitable shores: they are also easily taken by hand upon another, with which he is better pleased: The ten homers the rigging of ships; and when excess of fatigue prevents are not ten, cors, but ten heaps; for in this sense, the word them from rising to that height, they strike with violence is sometimes used. Thus, in the prophecies of Habakkuk, against the vessel's hull, fall back, stunned by the shock, homer signifies a heap of many waters; and in the book and disappear in the waves. Whatever may be the dan- of Exodus, a. heap of frogs. Onkelos and other interpreger of the long voyage to which these birds do not seem ters, accordingly render it in this passage ten heaps. If destined; whatever losses these bodies of fqeble travellers this be admitted, Moses has not determined the quantity of may sustain in the course of the passage, there still arrives these birds which every one gathered; but only says, that so great a multitude in the environs of Alexandria, that every one at least gathered ten heaps, that is, by a familiar the number to be seen there is truly incredible. The Egyp- phrase among the Hebrews, a very great number; for ten tian fowlers catch them in nets. During the first days of is often used in scripture for many. This version ought their arrival, such quantities are for sale in the markets of to Pe preferred, both on account of what has been already Alexandria, that three and sometimes four were to be pur- stated, and because the cor is a measure of corn, not of chased for a medine, or about fifteen or sixteen derniers.- flesh. The view now given is of some value; for if every SONNINI. Israelite gathered ten cors of quails, the number of these That quails really are used to migrate in countless flocks, birds must have been so great as to exceed all belief. But is known, not only in Asia, but in the southern parts of Eu- it has been shown, that instead of ten cors. an Israelite did rope; -for instance, in the kingdom of Naples, and especi- not collect and use the third part of one. It is not meant to ally in the beautiful islands in the bay of Naples.'Yet the limit the power of God; but surely no violence should be opinion of those commentators who think that they were offered to human belief, by requiring more from it than not quails, but locusts, that the wind brought -to the Israel- God has revealed in his word. ites, may be worthy of attention, especially on account of The vast multitude of these birds, appears also from the the circumstance mentioned in the holy scriptures, that long time that the many thousands of Israel subsisted upon the Israelites " hung them up round the camp," (so Luther them in the desert. Jehovah promises, with uncommon has it, and not " spread them abroad," as in the English emphasis, " Yeshall not eat one day, nor two days, nor translation,) as the Orientals still do with locusts, which five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; but even a they dry in the sun.-(Stollberg's Hist. of Religion.) The whole month." The complete fulfilment of this promise, common opinion that they were quails which collected in although not recorded by Moses, may be justly inferred such numbers round the camp of the Israelites, is, however, from the great quantity- which the people gathered and laid favoured by this circumstance, that these birds are still de- up in store, after drying them in the sun, for their subsistsignated by the Arabic word, which is the same as the He- ence. The Psalmist distinctly alludes to it in these words: brew SClav.-RoSENMULLER. " So they did eat and were filled; for he gave' them their own desire." Thus were six hundred thousand footmen, Ver. 32. And the people stood up all that day, besides women and children, supplied with quails for a and all that night, and all the next day, and whole month, by the power and goodness of Jehovah. In thevy gathered the qutails: he that gathered colder regions of Europe, where the quail is less frequent, this could not have been done without a new crealeast gathered ten homers; and they spread tion; but in warm climates, the case is very different. them all abroad for themselves round about the There these birds are found in immense numbers. From camp. -Aristophanes it appears that no bird was more common in Greece; and Juvenal asserts, that none were of less value The surprising abundance of these birds may be inferred at Rome. Nor will that appear wonderful, when the asfrom the quantity which the tribes collected. The persons sertion of some writers is considered, that, in the beginning emplo yed, were not a few of the people, but a great mul- of spring, within the space of five miles, a hund red thoutitude that were not prevented by other domestic engage- sand of these birds are sometimes caught in one day; and ments or important reasons; and that discovered on this this astonishing number continues to-be taken for nearly a occasion, much alacrity and perseverance. Unwilling whole month. Varro asserts, that turtles and quails return to lose so valuable an opportunity of gratifying their inor- from their migrations into Italy, in immense numbers. dinate desires, and providing for their future wants, they Hence, their flight, when they approach the land, is alleged continued their'active exertions for several days; and that by Pliny, to be " attended with danger to mariners; for we nmay know the result of their diligence, and form some these birds, wearied with'their journey, alight upon the idea of the abundant supply with which divine providence sails, and this always in the night, and sink their frail veshad favoured them, the sacred historian states, " he that sels." The same fact is stated by Solinus, as qoted'by Bogathered least, gathered ten homers." This word (c>,n;) chart: "' When.they come within sight of land, they rush homer, is properly distinguished firom (any) omer, a much forward in large bodies, and with so great impetuosity as smaller measure,'and from (>-inn) huamor, an ass, or the ~often to endanger the safety of navigators; for they alight load which is commonly laid upon that animal. But some upon the sails in the night, and by their weight overset the writers make it equal to the cor, which is more than dou- vessels." Many places also have borne the name of Ortyble the weight, and is the common load of a camel..But gia, from; the multitude of quails which crowded their it was not necessary that every one should gather ten camel fields. Thus, Delus was called Ortygia; the island ot loads of quails; for God had promised his people flesh for a Syracuse was -known by the same name; also the city of month, and would have fulfilled his promise by bestowing Ephesus, as well as a grove very near it, and another in on every individual the third part of a cor, or camel's. bur- the vicinity of Miletus. For the same reason, the whole den. The truth of this assertion will'appear, when it is country. of Libya, received from the ancients the name of considered, that every' Israelite received for his daily- sub- Ortygia. But quails abounded nowhere in greater numsistence, an omer of manna, which is the tenth part of an bers than in Egypt, and the surrounding countries, whither epha. But an epha is the tenth part ofa cor;- andby con- theywere allured by the intense heat of the climate, or sequence, a cor contains a hundred omers. -If then an the great fertility of the soil. Hence, the remark of Joomer is sufficient for one day, a cor must be s-ufficient for sephus, that the Arabic gulf is peculiarly favourable to a hundred days, that is, for more than three months. the breeding of these birds. We have also heard the tesHence, if every Israelite gathered ten cors of quails, they timony of Diodorus, concerning the countless number of collected thirty times more than God had promised. Bo- quails about Rhinocolura; and the ancients mention a chart endeavours to remove this: difficulty, by observing, species of quail peculiar to Egypt, which is so numerous lhat Moses, in this verse, speaks only of the'heads of fami- at a certain season of the year, that the inhabitants, unlies, leaving out of his enumeration, the women, children, able to consume' them all, are compelled to salt them for and slaves. But it is evident that Moses did not use the future use. This was done in times when, according to wford people in this restricted sense; for he states, -that Theocritus, the vale of Egypt contained more than thirty 94 NUMBERS. CHAP. 12, 13. thousand cities; -and by the testimony of Josephus, seven village near Ptolemass, we took our supper under a large hundred and fifty myriads of people, without including vine, the stem of which was nearly a foot and a half in dithe inhabitants of Alexandria. From this statement it ameter, the height about thirty feet, and covered with its must be evident, that in order to supply the many thou- branches and shoots (for the shoots must basupported) a sands of Israel with quails for a whole month, no act of hut more than fifty feet long and broad. The bunches ot creation was necessary; but only a strong breeze, to direct these grapes are so large that they weigh from ten-to twelve the flight of those innumerable flocks, which encumber the pounds, and the grapes may be compared to our plums. African continent, to the camp of Israel. We read that, Such a bunch is cut off and laid on a board, round which our Lord multiplied the loaves and the fishes, when he they seat themselves, and each helps himself to as many fed the attending multitudes; but no inspired writer insin- as he pleases." Forster, in his Hebrew Dictionary, (under uates, that Jehovah created or multiplied the quails with the word Eshcol,) says, " that he knew at Nurnburg, a which he sustained his people in the wilderness. He had monk of the name of Acacius, who had resided eight years only to transport them on the wings of the wind, from the in Palestine, and had also preached at Hebron; where he vale of Egypt, and the shores of the Red Sea. It was in- had seen bunches of grapes which were as much as twc deed a stupendougmiracle, to collect such immense num-: men could conveniently carry." Christopher iNeitzschutz, bers, to bring them into the desert precisely at the time who travelled through Palestine in the year 1634, speaking which he had appointed; and to let them fall about the of his excursions onthe Jewish mountains, says,' These camp, that they might be gathered by his people; but the mountains are pretty high on the right, and most beautifully provision itself existed already in the stores of common situated; and I can say with truth, that I saw and ate oi providence, and required only to be conveyed to the spot bunches of grapes which were each half an ell long, and where it was needed.-PAxToN. the grapes two joints of'. a finger in length." Reland says, "that a merchant, who lived several years at Rama, asCHAPTER XII. sured him that he had there seen bunches of grapes which VTer. 14. And the LoRD said unto Moses, If her weighed ten pounds each." Vines and grapes of an extrafather had but spit in her face, should she not ordinary size are found in other parts of the East. Strabo says, "that in the Margiana, a country southwest of the be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out Caspian sea, now called Ghilan, there are vines which two from the camp seven days, and after that let her men can scarcely span, the bunches of which are of extrabe received in again. ordinary length." Olecarins, in 1637, saw in this part vines, the stem of which was as thick as a man's body. At Miriam had greatly offended God, and, therefore, she Iran, he states, there is a kind of grapes called Enkuri ali was to be as a daughter, whose father had spit in her face. deresi, which are of a brown red colour, and as large as In Deuteronomy xxv. 9, the widow was to spit in the face Spanish plums. The carrying of a bunch of grapes beof her late husband's brother, if he refused to marry her. tween two men was not merely for its weight, but that it And Job (xxx. 10) in his great misery says of his ene- mi-ht be brought uninjured, and without being crushed, mies, "they spare not to spit in my face;" and in ref- into the Israelite camp.-RoSENMULI,ER. erence to our Saviour, they did " spit in his face." The The pomegranate, the malus punica of the Romans, the most contemptuous, the most exasperating and degrading poa or pota of the Greeks, and the Rimon of the Hebrews. action, which one man can; do to another, is to spit ix is a kind of apple-tree, whose fruit is covered without, with Ibis face. A person receiving this insult is at once worked a rind of a reddish colour, and which, opening lengthwise, up to the highest pitch of anger, and nothing but the shows red grains full of juice resembling wine, with little rank or power of the individual will prevent him from kernels. The Hebrew term Rimon, which expresses both seeking instant revenge. Indeed, such is the enormity the tree and the fruit, from Rama, to project, seems to hlave attached to this offence, that it is seldom had recourse to, its name from the strong projection or reflection of light except in extreme cases. A master, whose slave has deeply either from the fruit or from the starlike flower with six offended him, will not beat him, (for that would defile him,) leaves, or rays, at the top of the apple. The Greek name but he spits in his face. When his anger is at the greatest poa, which denotes the tree, and po,,KOc, the fruit, by which height, he will not even condescend to do that, but order a the Seventy render the word Rimon, aim perhaps at the fellow-servant, or some one near, to spit in his face. Is a same thing, being derived from pae, to flow. We learn person too respectable for this indignity; then the offended from Dr. Shaw, that August produces the first ripe pomeindividual will spit upon the ground. Schoolmasters, also, granates, some of which are three or four inches in diamwhen very angry with a scholar, do not, as in England, be- eter, and of a pound weight. The pomegranate, or malurn gin to beat him, but spit in his face, or order some one else punicum, as originally brought from Phmnicia, was forto do it. To a person making use of offensive language, merly numbered among the most delicious fruits which the bystanders say, " Spit in hisface." —Ro ERT.s. earth produces. That from Arabia is large, full of juice, CHAPTER XIII. and highly flavoured. The juice especially, when expressed from the seeds and interior film, by which the bitter Ver. 23. And they came unto the brook of Esh- flavour is avoided, is a delicate beverage: And one of those col, and cut down from thence a branch with pomegranates will sometimes fill a small basin. The'high one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between:,estimation in which it was held by the people of Israel,,may be inferred from its being one of the three kinds o: two upon a-staff; and they brought of thepome- fruit brought by the spies from Esheol, to Moses and the granates, and of the figs. congregation in the',ilderness; and from its being spec'fled by that rebellious people as one of the greatest luxuries It appears that the cultivation of the vine was never they enjoyed in Egypt, the want of which they felt so so.abandoned in this country. The grapes, which are white, verely in the sandy desert. The pomegranate, classed by and pretty large, are, however, not much superior in size Moses with wheat and barley, vines and figs, oil olive and to those of Europe. This peculiarity seems to be confined honey, was, in his account, one principal recommendation to those in this neighbourhood, for at the distance of only of the promised land. But no circumstance more clearly six miles to the south, is the rivulet and valley called proves the value which the Orientals put upon this fruit, than Escohol, celebrated in scripture for its fertility, and for the choice which Solomon makes of it to represent certain producing very large grapes. In other parts'of Syria, also, graces of the church: " Thy temples are like a piece of I have seen grapes of such an extraordinary size, that a pomegranate within thy locks;" and in the thirteenth verse, bunch of them would be a sufficient burden for one man. the children of God are compared to an orchard of pomeIt is not at all surprising, therefore, that when the spies, granates with pleasant fruits. Three sorts ofpomegranates sent by Moses to reconnoitre the promised laud, returned are used in Syria, the?sour, the sweet, and another of at. to give him'an account of its fertility, it required two of intermediate taste, for the purpose of giving a grateful acid-,them to carry a bunch of grapes, which they brought with ity to their sauces or liquids. A very refreshing draught, them suspended from a pole placed upon their shoulders.; such as the Syrians use in hot weather, composed of Jwine (Mariti.) Many eyewitnesses assure us, that in Pales- mixedwith the juice of the pomegranate, it would seem the tine the vines, and bunches of grapes, are almost of an in- spouse proposed to make for her beloved: " I would cause rredible size. Stephen Schultz relates, " At Beitdjin, a thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegra. CHAP. 13-18. NUMBERS. 95'tate;" a delicious and cooling beverage to the parched in- CHAPTER XVIII. habitant of the equatorial regions; or perhaps she means a species of wine made of pomegranate juice, which we learn from Chardin, is drank in considerable quantities in a month old shalt thou redeem, according to the East, and particularly in Persia. Which of these is thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, really intended, it is not easy to determine. Liquors of after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is this kind are still very common in the East. Sherbet, twenty geahs. which is a syrup, chiefly that of lemons mixed with water, twenty gerahs. is used by persons of all ranks. is nsecl bjT jlt0TS1 S Of all ranks. According to Leo of Modena, this was performed in the "I think," says Mr. Harmer in a note, "it is highlyprob- Accordig to Leo of Modena, this was performed in the I, says Mr. Harmer in a note, " it is hihlyprob- following manner. When the child is thirty days old, the able, that in the time of remote antiquity, pomegranate father sends for one of the descendants of Aaron; several juice was used in those countries where lemon juice is now persons being assembled onthe occasion, the fther brigs used, with their meat, and in their drinks; and, that it was acup, containing several pieces of gold and silver coin. not till afterward, that lemons came among them. I know containing, and addres s The priest then takes the child into his arms, and addressnot how else to account for the mention of pomegranates, in e priest takes the child into his arms ing himself to the mother, says, "Is this thy son 3" Alrodescribing the fruitfulness of the Holy Land: they would tier. "Yes.l Priest. "Hast thou never bhd another child, not now, I think, occur in such descriptions; the juice of male or female, a miscarriage or untimely birth 3" coilemons anid oranges have at present almost superseded the n cse, this child, as use of that of pomegranates." But the opinion of this re- first-bor belon to me." Then turning to the father, he spectable writer, is opposed by no less an authority than Dr. s If it be thy desire to have this child, thou must revitssel, who spent many years in Syria, and wrote the na says, "If it be thy desire to have this child, thou must ressel, ho spent many years in Syria, and wrote the - deem it." Fatler. "I present thee with this gold and siltural history of that country. According to that able his- ver for this purpose." Pirest. "Thou dust wish, therefore, torian, lemons have by no means superseded the pomegra- to redeem. the child 3" FatIher. "I do wish so to do." The nate; the latter is more easily preserved through the in- priest then turning himself to the assembly, says, " Very bntee-, and it is often in cookery preferred to the lemon. In well: this child, as first-born, is mine, as it is written in describing the fruitfulness of a country, the pomegranate Bemibar, Numb. xviii., To shlt edem he st-r would be mentioned; and it is diligently cultivated even ofa mont/a old for ive sheels; but Ishall content myself Mwhere lemzons are plenty. What Chardiin calls Roubnar, of a montb old for five shekels; but I shall content myself where l emons are plenty. Whan t Chardin calls Roubnar, with this in exchange." He then takes two gold crowns, or he Twould not understand to be wine;.Rab-al-nar is the in- thereabouts, and returns the child to his parents.-BunDER. spissated juice of the pomegranate, or the juice of grapes preserved with sugar. —PxxTON. Ver. 19. All the heave-offerings of the holy Ver. 32. The land, through which we have gone things, which the children of Israel offer unto to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabit- the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and ants thereof. thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: Of a very unhealthy place it is said, " That evil country it is a covenant of salt for ever befoe the LORD eats up all the people." "We cannot remain in these unto thee, and to thy seed with thee. parts, the land is eating us up." I go to that place! never! it will eat me up." Of England it is said, in reference to Among other descriptions of a covenant, there is one her victories, " She has eaten up all countries." —RoBERTs. which demands explanation, Numb. xviii. 19, " The offerings I have given to thee, and thy sons and thy daughters CHAPTER XIV. with thee, by a statute for ever; it is a covenant of salt, for Ver. 9. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, ever, before the Lord." 2 Chr. xiii. 5, " Ought you not to neither fear ye the people of the land: for they know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over are bread for us: their defence is departed from Israel to David, for ever, to him, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?" It is very properly, as we suppose, suggested, them, alnd the LORD is mwith us; fjear them not. in answer to the inquiry, What means this covenant of HIebrew, "shadow." A poor man says of his rich friend, salt that salt preserves from decay and putrefaction; it He is my shadow;" i. e. he is my defence. "My sha- maintains a firmness and durability. There is a kind of dow is gone;" meaning, he has lost his defence. " Alas! salt so hard, that it is used as money, and passes from hand thos'e poor people have lost their shadow."-ROBERTS. to hand notmore injured than a stone would be, says Mr. Literally, their shadow, a metaphor highly expressive of Bruce. Salt may therefore very properly be made an emprotection and support in the sultry eastern countries. blem of perpetuity. The Arabs and Persians have the same word to denote the But the covenant of salt seems to refer to an agreement same thing: using these expressions, " May the shadow of made, in which salt was used as a token of confirmation. thy prosperity be extended." " May the shadow of thy We shall give an instance from Baron du Tott. " He, prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers." (Moldovanji Pacha,) was desirous of an acquaintance with "May thy protection never be removed from my head; me, and seeming to regret that his business would not perMay God extend thyshadow eternally." mit him to stay long, he departed, promising in a short At court, when mention is made of the sultan, the appella- time to return. I had already attended him half way down tion of alem-penah, refuge of the world, is usually added to the staircase, when stopping, and turning briskly to one of his title of padisha, or emperor. His loftiest title, and the my domestics who followed me,'Bring me directly,' said most esteemed because given to him by the kings of Per- he,' some bread and salt.' I was not less surprised at this sia, is zil-ullac, shadow of God.-BURDER. fancy, than at the haste which was made to obey him. CHAPTER XVII. What he requested was brought; when, taking a little salt between his fingers, and putting it with a mysterious air on Ver. 6. And Moses spake unto the children of a bit of bread, he ate it with a devout gravity, assuring me Israel, and every one of their princes gave him that I might now rely on him. I soon procured an explaa rod apiece, for each prince one, according, to nation of this significant ceremony; but this same man, their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: anc'the taken in my favour, was tpted to violate this oath thus rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7. And always religiously observed, it serves, at least, to moderate Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the the spirit of vengeance so natural to the Turks." The Batabernacle of witness. 8. And it catme to pass, ron adds in a note: "The Turks think it the blackest inlthat on the morrow Moses we~nt into the taber- *Xgratitude, to forget the man from whom we have received that on the morrow lMvoses went into the taber- food: which is signified by the bread and salt in this cerenacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron, mony."-(Baron du Tott, part i. page 214.) The Baron for the house of Levi, was budded, and brought alludes to this incident in part iii. page 36. Moldovanji forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded Pacha, being ordered to obey the Baron, was not pleased at it. " I did not imagine I ought to put any great confialmonds. dence in the mysterious COVENANT of the bread and salt, by See on Jer. 1. 11, 12. which this man had formerly vowed inviolable friendship to, 96 NUMBERS. CHAP. 20. me." Yet he "dissembled his discontent," and " his pee- us." Even a cup of cold water cannot always be obtailed vishness only showed itself in his first letters to the Porte." in Syria, without paying a certain price. It is partly on It will now, we suppose, appear credible, that the phrase " a this account our Lord promises, "Whosoever shall give covenant of salt" alludes to some custom in ancient times; to drink unto one of those little ones, a cup of cold water, and without meaning to symbolize very deeply, we take the in the name of a disciple, should in no wise lose his reward" liberty of asking, whether the precept, Lev. ii. 13, " With -PAXTON. all thine offerings thou shalt offler-salt," may have any ref- How little do the people of England understand feelingly erence to ideas of a similar nature? Did the custom of those passages of scripture which speak of want of'water, feasting at a covenant-making include the same. accord- of paying for that necessary fluid, and of the strife for such ing to the sentiment of the Turks hinted at in the Baron's a valuable. article as a well! So we read, "Abraham renote. We ought to notice the readiness of the Baron's do- proved Abimelech, because of a well of water, which mestics, in proof that they, knowing the usages of their Abimelech's servants had violently taken away." Gen. xxi. country, well understood what was about to take place. 25. So, chap. xxvi. 20: " The herdsmen of Gerar did Also, that this covenant is zusually punctually observed, strive with Isaac's herdsmen; and he called the well Esek, and where it is not punctually observed, yet it has a re- contention."-To what extremities contention about a supstraining influence on the party who has made it; and his ply of water may proceed, we learn from the following exnon-observance of it disgraces him. tracts:-" Our course lay along shore, betwixt the mainWe proceed to give a remarkable instance of the power land and a chain of little islands, with which, as likewise of this covenant of salt over the mind: it seems to imply with rocks and. shoals, the sea abounds in this part; and a something attributed to salt, which it is very difficult for for that reason, it is the practice with all these vessels to us completely to explain, but which is.not the less real on anchor every evening: we generally brought up close to that account: " Jacoab ben Laith, the founder of a dynasty the shore, and the land-breeze springing up about midnight, of Persian princes called the Saffarides, rising, like many wafted to us the perfumes of. Arabia, with which it was others of the ancestors of the princes of the East, from a strongly impregnated, and, very fragrant; the latter part of very low state to royal power, being in his first setting out it carried us off in the morning, and continued till eight, in the use of arms, no better than a freebooter or robber, is when it generally fell calm for two or three hours, and yet said to have maintained some regard to decency in his after that the northerly wind set in, after obliging us to depredations, and never to have entirely stripped those anchor under the lee of the land by noon; it happened that that he robbed, always leaving them something to soften one morning, when we had been driven by stress of weather their affliction. Among other exploits that are recorded into a small bay, called Birk Bay, the country around it of him,.he is said to have broken into the palace of the being inhabited by the Budoes, [Bedoweens] the Noquedah prince of that country, and having collected a very large sent his people on shore to get water, for Which it is always booty, which he was on the point of carrying away, he customar'y to pay." found his foot kicked something which made him stumble; Tthis extract, especially illustrates the passage, Num..xx. he imagined it might be something of value, and putting it 17, 19; —" We will not drink of the water of the wells:to his mouth, the better to distinguish what it was, his if I, and my cattle, drink of thy water, then will 1 pay for tongue soon informed him it was-a lump of salt. Upon this, it."-This is always expected; afd though Edom might in according to the morality, or rather superstition, of the friendship have let his brother Israel drink gratis, had he country, where the people considered salt as a symbol and:recollected their consanguinity, yet Israel did not insist on pledge of hospitality, he was so touched, that he left all his such accommodation. How strange would it sound in booty, retiring without taking away any thing with him..England, if a person in travelling, should propose to pay'The next morning, the risk they had run of losing many for drinking water from the wells by the road-side! Nevervaluable things being perceived, great was the surprise, thelessi still stronger is the expressioi, Lain. v. 4; " We and strict the inquiry, what could be the occasion of their have drank our own water for money:" we bought it of fui being left. At length Jacoub was found to be the person foreign rulers; although we were the natural proprietor, concerned; who having given an account, very sincerely, of the wells which furnished it.-TAYLOR IN CALMET. of the whole transaction to the prince, he gained his esteem so effectually, that it might be said, with truth, that it Ver. 22. And the children of Israel, even the was his regard for salt that laid the foundation of his: after whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, fortune. The prince employing him as a man of couragee unto mount H. and genius in many enterprises, and finding him successful in all of them, he raised him, by little and little, to the spake unto Mosesand Aaron in mount Hor, by chief posts among his troops; so that, at that -prince's the coast of the land of Edom, saying, 24. Aaron death, he found himself possessed of the command.in chief, shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall and had such interest in their affections, that they pre- not eter into the land which I have ferred his interests to those of the children of the deceased'' prince, and he became absolute master of that province, the children of Israel, because ye rebelled from whence he afterward spread his conquests far'and against -my word at the water of Meribah. wide."-(D'Herbelot, Bibl. Orient. p. 466. Also,Harmer's 25. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and'Obs.)-TAYLOR IN CALMET. Ob)-T IN CL bring them up unto mount Hor: 26. And strip CHAPTER XX. Aaron of his garments, and'put them upon Ver. 19. And the children of Israel said unto hirn, Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered We will go by the highway; and if I and my, unto his people, and shall die there. 27. And cattle drink of thy wvater, then I will payfor it Moses did as the LORD commanded: and they I will only (without, doing any thinga else) go went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the through on my feet. congregation. 28. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put-them upon Eleazar The scarcity of water, and the great labour and expense: his g e and p the he top of the cf digging away so much earth, in order to reach it, ren-s son; and Aaron died there in the top of the der a well extremely valuable. As the water is often sold: mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down at a very high price, a number of good wells yield to the' from the mount. proprietor a large revenue. Pitts was obliged to purchasel water at sixpence a gallon; a fact which illustrates the; The evidence already adduced leaves unquestionable the force of the offer made by Moses to. Edom; "If I, and my possibility that excavations in rocks may continue unimcattle, drink of thy water, then will I pay for it." It -is prop- -paired for many ages. That monuments so extremely anerly mentioned as a very aggravating circumstance in, cient as the days of Moses and Aaron should still bear the overthrow of Jerusalem, that the ruthless conqueror their testimony to facts of other times, is too wonderful to forced the Jews to purchase with money, the water of their be received without due circumspection. —If they were reown wells and the wood of their own trees: "We have ferred to buildings, to structures erected by human power, drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto they would be something more than dubious: but this CHAP. 21. NUMBERS. 97 hesitation does not apply to chambers cut in rocks, or on commonly keep upon the date trees; and as it would be la. the sides of rocky mountains: if the identity of such places borious for them to come down from a very high tree, in can be established, their antiquity need occasion no difficul- order to ascend another, they twist themselves by the tail ty; if the tomb of Aaron be not the tomb of any other per- to a branch of the former, which making a spring by the son, it may be admitted to all the honours of the distant age motion they give it, thtows them to the branches of the secto which it is ascribed. The rock and the mountainorigi- ond. Hence it is, that the modern Arabs call them j/~ nated with the world, and will endure to the end of time. ing serpents, Heie thiare. Admiral Anson also speaks of At least, it is proper that what is said of the tomb of Aaron, the flying serpents, that he met with at the island of Q.uibo; should find its place in a work like thepresent. but, which were without wqvings." From this account it Our travellers left Petra, and taking a south-westerly may be inferred, that theflying serpent mentioned in the direction, arrived at the f6ot of Mount Hor, by three prophet, was of that species of serpents which, from their o'clock in the afternoon. Theyclimbed the rugged ascent, swift darting motion, the Greeks call Acontias, and the Roand found "a crippled Arab hermit, about eighty years of mans, Jaculus. The seraph is classed by the Hebrews, age, the one half of which time he had spent on the top of the among those animals which emit an offensive odour; mountain, living on the donations of the few Mohammedan which corresponds with the character given of the hydrus pilgrims who resort thither, and the charity of the native by the poet:' "graviter spirantibus hydris." This eircumshepherds, who supply him with water and milk. He con- stance is confirmed by.Elian, who states, that in Corcyra, ducted us into the small white building, crowned by a the hydrae turn upon their pursuers, and exhale from their cupola, that contains the tomb of Aaron. The monument lungs an air so noisome, that they are compelled to desist is of stone, about three feet high, and the venerable Arab, from the attack. It is an obvious objection to these arguhaving lighted a lamp, led us down some steps to a chamber ments, that the hydrR are produced, and reared in marshy below, hewn out of the rock, but containing nothing ex- places; not in burning and thirsty deserts, where the peotraordinary. Against the walls of the upper apartment, pie of Israel murmured because they could find no water. where stood the tomb, were suspended beads, bits of cloth But, although that people might find no water to drink, it and leather, votive offerings left by the devotees;, on one will not follow, that the desert contained no marshy place, side, let into the wall, we were shown a dark looking or muddy pool, where the hydrae might lurk. Besides, it stone, that was reputed to possess considerable virtues is well known, that When water fails, these serpents do not in the cure of diseases, and to have formerly served as a perish, but become chersydri, that is, seraphim or burners. seat to the prophet."-TAYLoa IN CALMET. _Elian says they live a long time in the parched wilder~~CHAPTER XXI. ~ ness, and lie in wait for all kinds of animals. These cher~~~CHAPTER XXI. ~ sydri, it is extremely probable, were the serpents which bit Ver. 6. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the rebellious Israelites: and in this state they were more the people, and they bit the people; and much. the people, and they bit the people; and much terrible instruments of divine vengeance; for, exasperated by the want of water, and the intense heat of the season, people of Israel died. they injected a deadlier poison, and occasioned to the misThe seraph, to a biblical student, is one of the most inter- erable sufferer more agonizing torments. The time of the esting creatures that has yet fallen under our notice. It year when Jehovah sent these serpents among his people, bears the name of an order among the hosts of heaven, proves that this is no vain conjecture. According to Niwhom Isaiah beheld in vision, placed above the throne of cander, the hydre become chersydri, and beset the path of Jehovah in the temple; the brazen figure of this serpent, the traveller about the dog days. Now, Aaroh died on the is supposed to be a type of our blessed Redeemer, who was first day of the fifth month, that is, the month Abib, which for our salvation lifted ulJ upon the cross, as the serpent correspondswith the nineteenth day of July. The Israelites was elevated in the camp of Israel, for the preservation of mourned for him thirty days; immediately after which, that people. It is the only species of serpent which the'al- they fought a battle with Arad, the Canaanite, and destroymighty Creator has provided with wings, by means of ed his country: then recomfaencing their journey, they which; instead of creeping or leaping, it rises from the murmured for want of water, and the serpents were sent. ground, and, leaning upon the extremity of its tail, moves This, then, must have happened about the end of August; with great velocity. It is a native of Egypt, and the des- the season when the hydrae become seraphim, and inflict erts of Arabia; and receives its name from the Hebrew the most cruel wounds. Nor is it a fact, that the frightful verb saraph, which signifies to burn, in illusion to the vio- solitudes which Israel traversed, were totally destitute of lent inflammation which its poison produces, or rather its water; for, in their fourth journey they came to the river fiery colour, which the brazen serpent was intended to rep- Arnon; in the fifth, to Beer, a well greatly celebrated in resent. Bochart is of opinion, that the seraph is the same scripture; and soon after the death of Aaron, they arrived as the hydrus, or, as Cicero calls it, the serpent of the wa- at a region watered by numerous streams. In these irrigters. For, in the book of Isaiah, the land of Egypt is call- uous places, which were at no'great distance from the ed the region from whence come the viper and flying ser- camp of Israel, the hydrae might be produced, and sent to aph, or burning serpent../Elian says, they come from chastise the rebellious tribes. The words of Moses also the deserts of Libya and Arabia, to inhabit the streams of seem to countenance the idea, that the hydrm employed on the Nile; and that they have the form of the hydrus. this occasion, were not generated on the spot, but sent from hey'have the form of the hydrus. entfiry erent, r sra The existence of winged serpents is attested by many a distance: "And the Lord sent fiery serpents, or serawriters of modern times. A kind of snakes were discover- phim, among the people." From these words it is natural ed among the Pyrenees, from whose sides proceeded carti- to conclude, that they came from that " land of rivers," lages in the form of wings; and Scaliger mentions a peas- through which the congregation had lately passed. Nor ant who killed a serpent of the same species which attack- will this be reckoned too long a journey, when it is recoled him, and presented it to the king of France. Le'Blanc, leeted that they travelled from both the Libyan and Arabian as quoted by Bochart, says, at the head of the lake Chia- deserts, to the streams of the N1ile. They inflicted on this may, are extensive woods and vast marshes, whichit is very memorable occasion, an appropriate chastisement on the dangerous to approach, because they are infested by very perverse tribes. That rebellious people'had opened their large serpents, which, raised from the ground on wings re- mouth against the heavens; they had sharpened their sembling those of bats, and leaning on the extremity of tongues like serpents; and the poison. of asps was under their tails, move with great rapidity. They exist, it is re- their lips: thereforethey were made to suffer, by the burnported, about these places in so great numbers, that they ing poison of' a creature which they so nearly resembled. have almost laid waste the neighbouring province. And, -PAxToN. in the same work, Le Blanc affirms that he has seen some Ver. 18. The princes digged the well, the nobles of them of immense size, which, when hungry, rushed impetuously on sheep and othertame animals. But the origi- of the people digged it, by th direction of the nal term:rBPi Moopheph, does not always signify flying lawgiver, with their staves. And from the with wings; it often expresses vibration, swinging back- wilderness they went to Mattanah. ward and forward, a tremulous motion, a flittering; and this is precisely the motion of a serpent, when he springs Michaelis observes on this passage, that Moses seems to from one tree to another. Niebuhr mentions a sort of ser- have promised the Israelites that they would discover in pents at Bassorah, which they call Heie thiare. "They this neighbourhood, and that by ordinary human industry 13 98 NUMBERS. CHAP. 22 24. and skill, a spring hitherto unknown; and that this promise of cry; they are obstinate. to excess, when beaten behind, was fi.ulfilled. The discovery of springs, which often flow or when they are put out of their way, or when attempts at a considerable depth below the surface of the earth, is of are made to control them against their will: they are also great importance to a country so poor in water as Arabia. familiar and attached to their master. These particulars Often a spot that is dry above has even subterraneous lakes, exactly correspond with several incidents in the history to reach which it is necessary to dig to some depth. We of Balaam's:ass; from whence it may be inferred, that have a remarkable instance in a part of Africa which Shaw he rode one of the superior breed, and by consequence. describes at the end of the eighth chapter of his geographi- was a person of considerable wealth and eminence in his cal remarks on Algiers:-" The villages of Wadreag are own country. The high value which people of rank supplied in a particular manner with water: they have, and fashion in the East set upon that noble race of asses, properly speaking, neither fountains nor rivulets; but by excludes them from the purchase of the commonalty, and digging wells to the depth of a hundred, and sometimes two restricts the possession of them to the great, or the affluent. hundred fathoms, they never want a plentiful stream. In This fact is confirmed by the manner in which the sacred order, therefore, to obtain it, they dig through different layers writers express themselves on this subject.-PAxToN. of sand and gravel till they come to a flaky stone, like slate, which is known to lie immediately above the bahar CHAPTER XXIII. tacht el erd, or the sea below the ground, as they call the Ver. 21. The LORDhis God is with him, and the abyss. This is easily broken through, and the flux of wa- shout of a king is among them. ter, which follows the stroke, rises generally so suddenly, and in such abundance, that the person let down for this purpose has sometimes, though raised up with the greatest When people pass along the road, if they hear a great dexterity, been overtaken and suffocated by it." In some noise of joy or triumph, they say, "This is like the shout parts of Arabia, as at Faranard in the valley of Dschiron- of a king." " hat a noise there was in your village last del, water is found, according to Niebuhr, -on digging only evening why, it was like the shout of a king."-RoBETs. a foot and a half deep.-ROSENMULLER. CHAPTER XXIV. CHAPTER XXII. Ver. 6. As the valleys are they spread forth, as Ver. 4. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, gardens by the river's side; as the trees of Now shall this company lick up all that are lign-aloes which the LORD hath planted, and round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass as cedar-trees beside the waters. of the field. Gabriel Sionita, a learned Syrian Maronite, thus describes the cedars of Mount Lebanon, which he had examined on A native gentleman, who has many people depending the spot. " The cedar-tree grows on the most elevated part upon him, says, " Yes, they are all grazing upon me." of the mountain; is taller than the pine, and so thick, that " If I am not careful, they will soon graze up all I have." five men together could scarce fathom one. It shoots out Of people who have got all they can out of one rich man, its branches at ten or twelve feet from the ground; they and who are seeking after another, " Yes, yes, they have are large, and distant from each other, and are perpetually done grazing there, and are now looking out for another green. The cedar distils a kind of gum, to which different place." "' These bulls are grazing in every direction."- effects are attributed. The wood of it is of a brown colour, ROBERTS. very solid, and incorruptible if preserved from wet; it Ver. 6. Caome now therefore, pray thee, curse bears a small apple, like that of the pine. De la Roque rep6CIray thee, curse Xlates some curious particulars concerning this tree, wThich me this people; for they are too mighty for me: he learned from the Maronites of Mount Libanus: " The peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite branches grow in parallel rows round the tree, but lessen them, and that I may drive them out of the gradually from the bottom to the top, shooting out parallel and: for ot that he hom thou blessest to the horizon, so that the tree is, in appearance, similar to land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is a cone. As the snows, which fall in vast quantities on this blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed. mountain, must necessarily, by their weight on such a vast surface, break down these branches, nature, or rather the The Orientals, in their wars, have always their magi- God of nature, has so ordered it, that at the approach of cians with them to curse their enemies, and to mutter in- winter, and during the snowy season, the branches erect cantations for their destruction. Sometimes they secretly themselves, and cling close to the body of the tree, and thus convey a potent charm among the opposing troops, to prevent any body of snow from lodging on them." Mauncause their destruction. In our late war with the Burmese, drell, who visited Mount Libanus in 1697, gives the followthe generals had several magicians, who were much en- ing description of the cedars still growing there: "These gaged in cursing our troops; but, as they did not' succeed, noble trees grow among the snow, near the highest part of a number of witches were brought for the same purpose.- Lebanon, and are remarkable, as well for their own age ROBERTS. and largeness, as for those frequent allusions to them in the word of God. Some of them are very old, and of a Ver. 21. And Balaam rose up in the morning, prodigious bulk; others younger, and of a smaller size. and saddled his ass, and went with the princes Of the former I could reckon only sixteen, but the latter of Moab. are very numerous. I measured one of the largest, and found it twelve yards and six inches in girth, and yet sound.; We learn from lNiebuhr, that in Egypt the asses are and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its branches. At very handsome, and are used for riding by the greater part about five or six yards from the ground it was divided into of the Mohammedans, and by the most distinguished women five limbs, each of which was equal to a great tree." of that country. The same variety serves for the saddle The aloe-tree here meant is the aloe which grows in the in Persia and Arabia; and must therefore have been com- East Indies, to the height of eight or ten feet, and (not to mon in Palestine. They are descended from tamed ona- be confounded with the aloe-plant originally from Amergers, which are taken young, and sold for a high price, to ica) its stem is the thickness of a thigh. At the top grows the nobles of Persia, and the adjacent countries, for their a tuft of jagged and thick leaves, which is broad at the studs. They cost seventy-five ducats; and Tavernier. bottom, but becomes gradually narrower towards the point, says, that fine ones are sold in Persia dearer than horses, and is about four feet long; the blossom is red, intermingled even to a hundred crowns each. He distinguishes them with yellow, and double like cloves. From this blossom properly from the baser race of ordinary asses, which are comes -a red and white fruit, of the size of a pea. This employed in carrying loads. These saddle asses, the issue tree has a very beautiful appearance, and the wood has so of onagers, are highly commended by all travellers into fine a smell, that it is used for perfume. The Indians conthe Levant. Like the wild ass, they are extremely swift sider this tree as sacred, and are used to fell it with various and rapid in their course; of a slender form, and animated religious ceremonies. The Orientals consider this aloe as gait. They have vigorous faculties, and can discern ob- a tree of Paradise, on which account the Dutch call it stacles readily; at the sight of'danger they emit a kind the tree of Paradise. Therefore, Rabbi Solomon Jarchi CHAP. 31 -35. NUMBERS. 9. explains the Hebrew word as' myrrh and sanderswood, derer put to death by the magistrates, or lake his life; themwhich God planted in the garden of Eden."-ROSENMULLER. selves, because they would deliver his family from a bad member, and, consequently, from a great burden. The CHAPTER XXXI. family of the person murdered generally reserve to themVer. 50. We have therefore brought an oblation selves the right to declare war, as it were, against the for the LORD hat every man hath otten, of murderer and his relations. But an honourable Arab for the ~oRD, what every man hath gotten, of must observe some equality of strength; it would be conjewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, sidered disgraceful if a- strong person should attack one ear-rings, and tablets, to make an atonement for old or sick, or many, a single individual. They are. howour souls before the LORD. ever, permitted to kill even the most distinguished, and, as it were, the support of the family: for they require that There is not a man in a thousand who does not wear an he in particular, who is considered as the chief, ani who ear-ring or a finger-ring, for without such an ornament a acknowledges himself as such, should have a watchf'l eye person would be classed among the most unfortunate of on the conduct of all the members. The murderer is, his race. Some time ago a large sacrifice was made for however, arrested by the magistrates, and released again, the purpose of removing the cholera morbus, when vast after paying a certain sum, for instance, two hundred dolnumbers came together with their oblations. The people lars. This is, probably, the reason why the law is not seemed to take the greatest pleasure in presenting their ea- abolished. After this, every member of both families rings, fnger-rin0s,~ braycelets, and other olraments, because must live in constant fear of anywhere meeting his enemy, they were dearer to thetm than money, and consequently till at length one of the family of the murderer is killed. were believed to be more efficacious in appeasing the gods. There have been instances that similar family feuds have When people are sick, they vow to give a valuable jewel lasted fifty years, or more, because they do not challenge to their god on beingr restored. —RoBERTs. each other to single combat, but fight only when opportunity offers. A man of consequence at Loheia, who used CHAPTER XXXII. to visit us frequently, besides the usual Arabian weapon, Ver. 55. Then it shall come to pass, that those that is, a broad and sharp-pointed knife, always carried a small lance, which he hardly ever put out of his hands, which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in even in the company of his friends. As we were not acyour eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall customed to see such a weapon in the hands of the other vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Arabs, and inquired about it, he complained that some years before he had had the misfortune to have one of his People in the East, in consequence of their light clothing, family killed. Then reserved to of the exposed state of their feet, andthe narrowness of the revenge themselves in single combat, of the murderer or paths, have a great dread of thorns. Those who carry the his relations. One of his enemies, and the very one whom plankeen, or who travel in grzolups, often cry aloud, Al he principally feared, was also in this town. He once ntull! A thorn, a thorn! The sufferer soon thros him met him in our house also, armed with a lance. They self on the earth, and some one, famous for his skill, ex- might have terminated their quarrel immediately, but they tracts the thorn. Does a person see something of a distress- did not speak one word to each other, and much less did in0 nature, lie savs, " That was a thorn in mv eyes." A any combat ensue. Our friend assured us, that if he should father says of his'bad son, " He is to me as a thorn." "His meet his enemy in the open country, he must necessarily vile expressions were like thorns in my body." A person fight him; but he owned at the same time, that he strove going to live in an unhealthy place, or where there are to avoid this opportunity, and that he could not sleep in quarrelsome people, is said to be going "to the thorny des- peace for fear of being surprised." After the bombardment ert."-RBETS. of Mocha by the French, and when peace was already concluded, the captain of a French ship was stabbed befo:re CHAPTER XXXV. his own door, where he sat asleep, by an Arab soldier, one of whose relations had been killed by a bomb. —RssENVer. 19. The':revenger of blood himself shall MULLER. slay the murderer: when he meeteth him he I must now speak of a person quite unknown in our law, shall slay him. but very conspicuous in the Hebrew law, and in regard to whom Moses has left us, I might almost say, an inimitable, The interest of the common safety has for ages estab- but, at any rate, an unexampled proof of legislative wisdom. lished a law among the Arabians, which decrees that the In German, we may call him by the name which Luther blood of every man who is slain must be avenged by that so happily employs, in his version of the Bible, Der Blutof his murderer. This vengeance is called tar, or retalia- rhcher, the blood-avenger; and by this name we must tion, and the right of exacting it devolves on the nearest here understand " the nearest relation of a person. mura-kin to the deceased. So nice are the Arabs on this point dered, whose right and duty it was to seek after and kill of honour, that if one neglects to seek his retaliation, he is the murderer with his own hand; so much so, indeed, that disgraced for ever. He therefore watches every opportu- the neglect thereof drew after it the greatest possible infanity of revenge; if his enemy perish from any other cause, my, and subjected the man who avenged not the death of still he is not satisfied, and his vengeance is directed against his relation, to unceasing reproaches of cowardice or the nearest relation. These animosities are transmitted avarice." If, instead of this description, the reader preas an inheritance from father to children, and never cease fers a short definition, it may be to this effect; " the nearest but by the extinction of one of the families: unless they agree relation of a person murdered, whose right and duty it wlas to sacrifice the criminal, or purchase the blood for a stated to avenge the kinsman's death with his own hand." Among price in money or in flocks. Without this satisfaction, the Hebrews, this person was called 5), G;ol, according, there is neither peace, nor truce, nor alliance between at least, to the pronunciation adopted from the pointed them, nor sometimes even between whole tribes. There Bibles. The etymology of this word, like most forensic:s blood between us, say they, on every -occasion; and this terms, is as yet unknown. Yet we cannot bua be curious expression is an insurmountable barrier.-VoLNEY. to find out whence the Hebrews had derived the namne, "Among the Bedouin Arabs," says D'Arvieux, " the re- which they applied to a person so peculiar to their own venge of blood is implacable. If one man has killed an- law, and so totally unknown to ours. Unquestionably the other, the friendship between the two families and their verb 5se, Gaal, means to.buy off, ransom, r'edeem; but this descendants is dissolved. If an opportunity should occur signification it has derived from the noun; for originally to join in some common interest, or if one family propose it meant to pollute, or stain. If I might here mention a a marriage to the other, they answer quite coolly,' You conjecture of my own, Goal of blood, (for that is the term at know that there is blood between us, we cannot accept your full length,) implies blood-stained; and the nearest kins. proposal, and must consider our honour.' They do not man of a murdered person was considered as stained witT, forgive each other till they have had their revenge, with his blood, until he had, as it were, washed away the stai'. which, however, they are not in haste, but wait for time and revenged the death of his relation. The name, theiand opportunity." This is confirmed by Niebuhr, Descrip- fore, indicated a person who continued ir, a state of diP -tion of Arabia. " The Arabs seldom wish to see the mur- honour, until he again rendered himself honourable, bj 100 NUMBERS. CHAP. 35. the exercise and accomplishment of revenge; and in this father was too old to be able to enforce obedience, had any very light do the Arabs regard the kinsman of a person of them been refractory; and besides, a father is not expectmurdered. It was no doubt afterward used in a more ex- ed to inflict capital punishment on his sons or grandsons. tensive sense, to signify the nearest relation in general, and Add to this, that Noah's sons and their families were not although there was no murder in the case; just as in all to continue all together, and to form one commonwealth, languages, words are gradually extended far beyond their but to spread themselves in perfect independence over the etymological meaning. Etymology may show the circum- whole earth. In order, therefore, to secure their lives, God stances firom which they may have received their signifi- himself gave this command, Gen. ix. 5, 6: "Man's blood cation; but it is by no means a definition suited to all their shall not remain, unrevenged; but whoever killeth a man, derivative meanings, else would it be prophetic. In Arabic, be it man or beast, shall in his turn be put to death by other this personage is called Tair, or according to another pro- men." If the reader wishes to know more of this passage, nunciation, ThsaEir.. Were this Arabic word to be written which has been generally misunderstood, and held out as Hebraically, it would be'v, (Shair') that is, the sur'vivor. containing a precept still obligatory on magistrates, let him It appears, therefore, according to its derivation, to be consult my Commentationes ad leges divinas de pcena Homiequivalent to the surviving relation, who wacs bound to avenge cidii, in Part I. of my Syntagma Commentationum. Here, the death of a murdered person. The Latin word, Superstes, the only difference from the law now under consideration expresses this idea exactly. In Arabic writings, this word is, that God imposes this duty, not upon the nearest relation, occurs ten times for once that we meet with Goil in He- but on mankind in general, as bound to provide for their brew; for the Arabs, among whom the point of honour common security, and that he gives every individual a right and heroic celebrity, consists entirely in the revenge of to put a murderer to death, although we have no connexblood, have much more to say of their blood-avenger than ion with the person murdered-a law which remained in the Hebrews; among whom, Moses, by the wisdom of his force, until mankind introduced civil relations, made laws, laws, brought this character in a great measure into obliv- nominated magistrates, and thus established a better secuion. The Syrians have no proper name for the blood- rity to the lives as well as the property of individuals.avenger, and are of course obliged to make use of a MICHAELIs. circumlocution, when he is mentioned in the Bible. Hence they must either not have been acquainted with the office Ver. 25. And the congregation shall deliver the itself, or have lost their knowledge of it at an early period, slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, during their long subjection to the Greeks, after the time and the congregation shall restore him to the of Alexander the Great. If this character, with which the Hebrews and Arabs city of his refuge, Whitherhe was fled: and he were so well acquainted, be unknown to us, this great dis- shall abide in it unto the death of the highsimilarity is probably not to be ascribed to the effects of priest; which was anointed with the holy oil. difference of climate, but rather to the great antiquity of these nations. Nations, how remote soever in their situa-, Moses found the Goil already instituted, and speaks of tion, yet resemble each other while in their infancy, much him in his laws as a character perfectly known, and therein the same way as children in every country have certain fore unnecessary to be described; at the same time that lie resemblances in figure and manners, proceeding from their expresses his fear of his frequently shedding innocent age, by which we can distinguish them from adults and blood. But long before he has occasion to mention him as old people; and of this infancy of mankind, or, to speak the avenger of murder, he introduces his name in his laws more properly, of that state of nature, whence they soon relating to land, as in Lev. xxv. 25, 26, where he gives him pass into the state of civil society, the blood-avenger seems the right of redeeming a mortgaged field; and also in the to me to be a relic, Let us figure to ourselves a people law relative to the restoration of any thing iniquitously without magistrates, and where every father of a family acquired, Num. v. 8. The only book that is possibly more is still his own master. In such a state, men's lives would ancient than the Mosaic law, namely, the book of Job, of necessity be in the highest degree: insecure, were there compares God, who will re-demand our ashes from the no such blod-avenger as we have above described. Ma- earth, with the Goil, chap. xix. 25. From this term, the gistrate, or public judicial tribunal, to punish murder, there verb ~n, which othervise signifies properly to pollute, had is none; of course acts of murder might be daily perpe- already acquired the signification of redeeming, settingf/ree, trated, were there no reason to dread punishment of ano- vindicating, in which we find Moses often using it, before ther description. For their own security, the people would he ever speaks of the blood-avenger, as in Gen. xlviii. 15. be forced to constitute the avengement of blood an indis- Exod. vi. 6. Lev. xxv. 25, 30, 33. xxvii. 20, &c.; and even pensable duty, and not only to consider a murderer as an re-purchase itself is, in Lev. xxv. 31, 32, thence termed outlaw, but actually to endeavour to put him to death, and ncxs geulla. Derivatives in any language follow their whithersoever he might flee, never to cease pursuing him, primitives but very slowly: and when verba denominativa until hlie became the Victim of vengeance. As, however, descend fromterms of law, the law itself must be ancient. every one would not choose to undertake the dangerous of- In the first statute given by Moses concerning the pun-ishfice of thus avenging a murder, the nearest relations of the ment of murder, immediately after the departure of the unfortunate sufferer would find it necessary to undertake Israelites from Egypt, although he does not mention the it themselves. It would naturally be deemed a noble deed, Goil by name, he yet presupposes him as well known. and the neglect of it, of course, highly disgraceful, and just- For he says, God will, for the man who has unintentionally ly productive of such infamy and reproach as blood alone killed another, appoint a place to which he may flee, Exod. could wash away. Nor would any one obstruct, but rather -txi. 12, 13. There must, of course, have been some one aid them, in the prosecution of their revenge, if he had a who pursued him, and who could only be stopped by the proper regard to his own security. Allowing, however, unhappy man reaching his asylum. At any rate, he needthat the murderer's relations wereto protect him against ed not to flee from justice; and it was quite enough if the the blood-avenger, or to revenge his death by a fresh murder magistrate acquitted him, after finding him innocent. The in their turn, this would still be a proof that they regarded first passage in which Moses expressly speaks of the Goil, such revenge as an honourable duty, and that they would as the avenger of blood, is in the xxxvth chapter of Numhave looked'upon the family of the murdered person as bers: but even there he certainly does not institute his despicable cowards, if they had left his death unrevenged. office, but only appoints (and that too merely by-the-by, And this is in fact the language of nature among nations while he is fixing the inheritances of the Levites) certain who have not even the most remote connexion with the cities of refuge, to serve as asyla from the pursuit of the Hebrews and Arabs. I remember to have read somewhere blood-avenger, (ver. 12,) for which there was -no necessity, in Labat's Voyages, that the Caraibs practise the same sort had there bepi no such person. In the second statute, of revenge, and that it gives rise to family contests of long Deut. xix. 6, he manifests great anxiety lest the Goil duration, because the friends,of the murderer take his should pursue the innocent slayer in a rage, and overtake part, and revenge his death on the relatives of the first vie- him, when the place of refuge happened to be too far distim. We can scarcely conceive the human race in a more tant. Now these are evidently the ordinances of a legislator perfect state of nature than immediately after the deluge, not instituting an office before unknown, but merely guardwhen only Noah and his three sons were on the face of the ing against the danger of the person who happened to hold earth. Each of them was independent of the other; the it, being led by the violence of prejudice or passion, to CHAP. 35. NUMBERS 101 abuse its rights-that is, in the case in question, being This confinement to one place may, perhaps, be thought hurried, by a false refinement of ideas on the score of a hardship: but it was impossible in any other way to honour, to shed the blood of an innocent man. I think I secure the safety of an innocent manslayer, without can discover one trace of the terrors which the Goal occa- attacking the popular notions pf honour; that is, without sioned, as-early as the history of the patriarchal ftmilies. making a law which would have been as little kept as are When Rebecca learned that Esau was threatening to kill our laws against duelling. But by this exile in a strange his, brother Jacob, she endeavoured to send the latter out city, Moses had it besides in view, to punish that impruof the country, saying, "Why should I be bereft of you dence which had cost another man his life; and we shall, both in one day " Gen. xxvii. 45. She could not be afraid in the sequel, meet with more instances of the severity of of the magistrate punishing the murder; tbr the patriarchs his laws against such imprudences. Allowing that it was were subject to no superior in Palestine; and Isaac was an accident purely blameless, still its disagreeable consemuch too partial to Esau, for her to entertain any expecta- quences could not fail to make people more on their guard tion, that he would condemn him to death for it. It would, against similar misfortunes; a matter to which, in many therefore, appear, that she dreaded lest he should fall by cases, our legislators, and our police-regulations, pay too the hand of the blood-avenger, perhaps of some Ishmaelite. little attention. For that very reason, Moses prohibited Now to this Goail although Moses leaves his rights, of which the fugitive from being permitted, by any payment of a indeed-he would in-vain have endeavoured to deprive him, fine, to return home to his own city before the appointed considering that the desire of revenge forms a principal time, Numb. xxxv. 32. His exile in the city of refuge trait in the character of southern nations; he nevertheless continued until the death of the high-priest. As soon as avails himself of the aid of certain particulars of those that event took place, the fugitive might leave his asylum, rights, in order to bring the prevalent ideas of honour un- and return to his home in perfect security of his life, under der the inspection of the magistrate, without hurting their the protection of the laws. It is probable that this regulaenergy, and to give an opportunity of investigating the tion was founded on some ancient pfinciple of honour circumstances of the crime meant to be avenged, before its attached to the office of the Goal; of which, however, I punishment should be authorized, have not been able to find any trace remaining. It would We see that sacred places enjoyed the privileges of seem as if the death of the priest, or principal person in asylc: for Moses himself took it for granted, that the mur- the nation, had been made the period, beyond which the derer would flee to the altar, and, therefore, he commanded avengement of blood was not to extend, in the view of thus that when the crime was deliberate and intentional, he preventing the perpetual endurance of family enmities and should be torn even from the altar, and put to death, Exod. outrages. We shall perhaps hereafter find an opportunity xxi. 14. Among the Arabs we find that revenge likewise of giving a more particular illustration of this point. ceased in sacred places, as for instance (long before Mo- By these regulations, borrowed from those very notions hammed's time) in the country round about Mecca, par- of honour which influenced the Goal, Moses did not, it is ticularly during the holy month of concourose. In such true, effect the complete prevention of the shedding of inioplaces, therefore, honour did not bind the avenger to put a cent blood, (for so Moses terms it, in the case of the Goil's murderer to death.-Now Moses appointed, as places of killing the innocent manslayer in his flight;) for civil laws refuge, six cities, to which ideas of sanctity were attached, cannot possibly prevent all moral evil; nor yet was he able because they were inhabited by the priests, Numb. xxxv. to protect the man who had through mere inadvertence 9-35. Deut. xix. 1-10. To these every murderer might deprived another of his life, from all the vexatious conseflee, and they were bound to protect him, until the circum- quences of such a misfortune: but thus much he certainly stances of the case should be investigated; and, in order did effect, that the Goal could but very rarely kill an innothat the Goil might not lie in wait for him, or obstruct his cent man, and that a judicial inquiry always preceded the flight, it was enjoined, that the roads to these six cities exercise of his revenge; and that inquiry, even when it should be kept in such a state, that the unfortunate man terminated in condemnation, drew after it no fresh bloodmight meet with no impediment in his way, Dent. xix. 3. shed'on the part of the murderer's family, because eyery I do not by this understand, such a state of improvement one knew that no injustice was done him. Of course, ten as is necessary in our highways on account of carriages, murders did not now proceed from one, as was the case but, 1. That the roads were not to make such circuits, as when the Goal's procedure was altogether arbitrary, and that the Goil could overtake the fugitive on foot, or catch subject to no restraint. It would appear that Moses had him by lying ii wait, before he reached an asylum; for, thus completely attained the object of his law. At least, in in fact, the Hebrew word ()i:) properly signifies to inake the history of the Israelitish nation, we find no examples of straight; 2. That guide-posts were to beset up, to prevent family enmities proceeding from the avengement of blood, or him from mistaking the right way; and, 3. That the of murders either openly or treacherously perpetrated from bridges were not to be defective;-in short, that nothing that national idea of honour; and but one single instance should retard his flight. If the Goail happened to find the of the abuse of Goailism, or rather where it was used merely fugitive before he reached an asylum. and put him to for a pretext, and the transaction carried on in complete death, in that case Mloses yielded to the established preju- opposition to the acknowledged principles of honour. This dices respecting the point of honour. It was considered as instance we find in the history of David, in which the done in the ardour of becoming zeal, and subjected him to three following particulars relative to this subject deserve no inquisition, Deunt. xix. 6. If he reached a place of notice. refuge, he was immediately protected, and an inquiry was 1. David, in his elegy on the death of Saul and Jonathan, then made, as to his right to protection and asylum; that seems, in one of his expressions, to allude to the avengeis, whether he had caused his neighboufs death undesign- ment of blood. The Arabs, in their poems, very commonly edly, or was a deliberate murderer. In the latter case he observe, that no dew falls on the place where a murder has was judicially delivered to the Goil, who might put him to been committed, until the blood has been avenged; and death in whatever way he chose, as we shall state at more David thus exclaims, Ye mountains of Gilboa, on you fall length, under the head of capital punishments. Even neitheer dew nor racin, 2. Sam. i. 21; which was as much as although he had fled to the altar itself, which enjoyed the saying, the Philistines may look for my avengement of the jPs asyli in the highest degree, it could not sanre him, if he death of Saul and Jonathan. This, however, is merely a ~had committed real murder, Deuit. xix. 14. If, however, poetical allusion; for the law of Goailism did not extend to the person was killed accidentally, and unintentionally, the those slain in battle. author of his death continued in the place of refuge, and 2. Joab assassinated Abner under the pretext of revenge the fields belonging to it, which extended to the distance of for his having killed Asahel his brother in battle, 2 Sam. 1,000 ells all around the walls of Levitical cities; and -he iii. 19 —23. iii. 22-27. This, however, was a mere prewas there secure, in consequence of the sanctity of the text; forJoab's only object was to get that man put omit of place, without any reflection upon the honour of the CGol, the way, whom David had appointed to the chief command even in the opinion of the people. But further abroad he of the war. He afterward acted in the same mannor to durst not venture; for if the Goal met with him without Amasa, who had killed no brother of his, but had been only thelimits of the asylum, Moses paid no respect to the pop- guilty of the same crime of getting himself made generalular point d'honneur; he might kill him without subjecting issimo to Absalom, 2 Sam. xvii. 25. xx. 10. David, when himself to any criminal accusation. The expression of he lay on his death-bed, made this remark on Joab's conMc, es is, It is no blood, or blood-guilt, Numb. xxxv. 26, 27. duct in these two instances, that blood shed in war was not. 102 NUMBERS. CHArP. 36. accord ing to the ITebrew ideas of honour, to be avenged in silly fiction, directly confuted by the Mosaic writings. peace; and that he therefore regarded Joab as a wilful mur- Even the high-priest himself was not obliged to confine himderer: and he gave it in charge to Solomon his son to have self to his own tribe; nothing more being enjoined him, him punished as such, 1 Kings ii. 5, 6. than to look out for an Israelitish bride. It was only in the 3. When we take a connected view of the whole story single case of a daughter being the heiress of her father's related in 2 Sam. xiii. 37 to xiv. 20, we should almost sup- land, that she was prohibited from marrying out of her pose that David had for a time pursued his son AUsalom, tribe, in order that the inheritance might not pass to anoon account of his murdering his elder brother, not so much ther tribe, Num. xxxvi. From that law, it clearly follows, in discharge of his duty as a king, as in the capacity of that any Israelitess that had brothers, and of course was Go;J1, aed that the idea of his honour, as such, had prevent- not an heiress, might marry whomsoever she pleased, and ed him from forgiving him. Absalom stayed out of the to me it is incomprehensible how this chapter should ever country with the king of Geshur, and yet David withdrew have been quoted as a proof of the assertion, that the Israelfor a time in quest of him, chap. xiii. 39. This is proper- ites durst not marry out of their tribes. A strange overly not the business of a magistrate, who is not required to sight has been committed, in support of this erroneous opinpunish a murderer who has fled from the country, but of a ion, which was devised for the purpose of proving (what ~GoaOl. scarcely required a proof) that Jesus was of the tribe of Allowing, however, that I were here in a mistake, thus Judah; for, say its advocates. " Had not Mary his true momuch still i.s certain from chap. xiv. 10, 11, that there was ther been of the tribe of Judah, Joseph, a descendant of vet a GoEl; that to mothers he was an object of terror; and David's, could not have married her." Here, by the way, that David, on some occasions, took upon him to prohibit they might improve the proof, and make it still more subhim by an arbitrary decree from pursuing an actual mur- servient to their purpose, by adding that Mary must have, derer, when there were any particular circumstances in been an heiress, and consequently, for that reason, durst the case. So much concerning the rights of the Goul, as not marry out of her tribe. But how surprising is it, that modified by thue Mosaic statute. There is yet to be noticed such incongruous blunders could possibly have been comone additional circumstance relative to it, entirely conform- mitted? Luke expressly says, chap. i. 36, that Mary and able to oriental ideas of honour, and of great importance Elizabeth were relations, and Elizabeth's husband was a to the security of lives. Moses (Numb. xxxv. 31) positive- priest. Hence her connexion with Mary is a most manifest ly prohibits the receiving of a sum of money from a mur- proof, that Israelites of one tribe might marry into another, derer in the way of compensation. By the ancient Arabian and that a priest, for instance, might marry a virgin of the manners, too, we have seen that this was deemed disgrace- house of Judah, or a descendant of Judah marry the daughful. Here, therefore, Moses acted quite differently from ter of a Levite. Mohammed, and, as will be universally acknowledged, It was even in the power of an Israelite to marry a womuch more judiciously.-MICmIELIS. man born a heathen: although this also is denied by those who press upon Moses a law of their own. The statute in Ver. 31. Moreover, ye shall take no satisfaction Deut. xxi. 10-14, already illustrated, puts this liberty befor the life of a murderer, which is guilty of yond a doubt: and he who disputes it, confounds two death; but he shall be surely put to death. terms of very different import and extent, heathen and Canaanite. An Israelite might certainly marry a heathen woman, provided she no longer continued an idolatress; Moses absolutely forbids the acceptance of any compen- which, however. she not, as a captive and slave withsation for the life of a murderer. Through the influence which, hoever she could not, as a captive and slave withof money it apears tht punishment as often evded in in Palestine, have been even previously suffered to be; but of money it appears that punishment was often evaded in all marriages with.Canaanitish women was, by the statute soime countries, and probably till this time among the Jews. all marriags ith women was, b the statute The Baron du Tott tells us, that in case of a duel, if one. xiv. 16, prohibited. In that statute, Moses had it of the parties is killed, the other is tried for the offence, prticularly in view to prevent the Caaanites, who were and if condemned, " the criminal is conducted to the place both an idolatrous, and a very wicked race, fro continuof punishment; he who performs the office of execution- ing to dwell in Palestine, and by intermarriages with Iser takes on him likewise that of mediator, and negotiates raelites, at last becoming one people with them: for he till the last moment with the next of kin to the, deceased, dreaded lest they should infect them with their vices and or his wife, who commonly follows, to be present at the superstitions. Should I here be asked, " Wherein then did execution. If the proposals are refused, the executioner Solomon sin, who, i 1 Kings, xi 1, 2, is certainly eensnred performs the sentence; if they are accepted, he reconducts for marrying heathens?" my answer would be, (1.) that the criminal to the tribunal to receive his pardon."-BUR- among the wives and concubines whom he took, there were DER. Sidonians, who belonged to the race of Canaanites, and these were expressly forbidden; (2.) that, contrary to the CHAPTER XXXVI. positive prohibition of Moses, he kept a great seraglio; Ver. 8. And every daughter, that possesseth an (3.) that he permitted his wives to practise idolatry; and, inheritance in any tribe of the children of srael, (4.) that he was himself led into it also: as we have only inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, to read down to verse 8, to be convinced. I have only shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe further to observe, what I remarked before, that the peoof her father, that the children. of Israel may ple of Israel must, in consequence of the toleration of poenjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. lygamy, have been in a state of continual decrease, had not marriages with foreigners, and particularly with the The assertion that no Israelite durst marry out of his captive daughters of the neighbouring people, been per-:ribe, and which we find repeated in a hundred books, is a mitted.-MIcHAELIS. DEUTERONOMY. CHAPTER I. unto Hormah." The Amorites, it appears, awlere the most Ver. 19. And when we departed from JIo4reb, we bitter adversaries to Israel, of all the nations of Canaan; like bees that are easily irritated, that attack with great went through all that great and terrible wilder- fury, and increasing numbers, the person that dares to ness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain molest their hive, and persecute him in his flight, to a conof the Amorites, as the LORD OUr God com- siderable distance-the incensed Amorites had collected manded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. their hostile bands, and chased, with considerable slaughter, the chosen tribes from their territory. The Psalmist also The divine blessing has not bestowed the same degree of complains, that his enemies compassed him about like fruitfulness on every part of Canaan. This fertile country bees; fiercely attacking him on every side. The bee, is surrounded by deserts of immense extent, exhibiting a when called to defend her hive, assails with fearless indreary waste of loose and barren sand, on which the skill trepidity the largest and the most ferocious animal; and and industry of man are able to make no impression. the Psalmist found from experience, that neither the purity The only vegetable productions which occasionally meet of his character, the splendour of his rank, nor the greatthe eye of the traveller in these frightful solitudes, are a ness of his power, were sufficient to shield him from the. coarse sickly grass, thinly sprinkled on the sand; a plot of covered machinations, or open assaults, of his cruel and senna, or other saline or bitter herb, or an acacia bush; numerous enemies.-PAXTON. even these but rarely present themselves to his notice, and afford him little satisfaction whenf they do, because they CHAPTER III. warn him that he is vet far distant from a place of abun- Ver. 11. For only Og king of Bashan remained dance and repose. Moses, who knew these deserts well, of the remnant of giants behold, his bedstead calls them " great and terrible," "a'desert land," "the waste howling wilderness." But the completest picture of as a bedstead of iron: is it not in Rabbath of the sandy desert is drawn by the pencil of Jeremiah, in the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the' which, with surprising force and brevity, he has exhibited length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of every circumstance of terror, which the modern travellerubit of a man. details with so much pathos and minuteness; "Neither say they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land This is a very curious account of a giant king: his bedof Egypt, that led.us through the wilderness, through a stead was made of IRON, and we are able to ascertaia its land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and exact length, nine cubits, i. e. "after the cubit of a man." of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed This alludes to the eastern mode of measurinc fromb the through, and where no man dwelt." —PaxToNt. tip of the middle finger to the elbow, which will be found Ver. 44. And themorites, hich delt in that to be in general eighteen inches. Thus his bedstead was ert. 44. And the Amorites, which drwelt in that thirteen feet six inches in length, and six feet in breadth. mountain, came out against you, and chased The hawkers of cloth very seldom carry with them a yard you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even wand; they simply measure from the elbow to the tip of the unto Elormah. mtiddle finger, counting two lengths of that for a yard.ROBERTS. It is said of numerous armies, that they are like bees; and of a multitude, who go to chastise a few, " Yes, they came upon us as bees." To a person who has proved a good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly man of numerous connexions, "Yes, you will have them mountain, and Lebanon. as bees upon you." Of any thing which has come suddenly, and in great numbers, "Alas, these things come as The beauties of Lebanon seem to have left a deeper bees upon us."-ROBERTS. impression in the mind of D'Arvieux. " After travelling The bee is represented by the ancients, as a vexatious, six hours in pleasant valleys," says that writer, "and over and even a formidable adversary; and the experience of mountains covered with different species of trees, we every person who turns his attention to the temper and entered a small plain, on a fertile hill w'holly covered with habits of that valuable insect, attests the truth of their asser- walnut-trees and olives, in the middle of which is the viltion. They were so troublesome in some districts of Crete, lage of Eden.-In spite of my weariness, I could not but that, if we may believe Pliny, the inhabitants were actually incessantly admire this beautiful country. It is truly an compelled to forsake their habitations. And, according to epitome of the terrestrial paradise, of which it bears the IElian, some places in Scythia, beyond the Ister, were for- name. Eden is rather a hamlet than a village.. The merly inaccessible, on account of the numerous swarms of houses are scattered, and separated from each other by bees by which they were infested. The statements of these gardens, which are enclosed by walls made of stones piled ancient writers is confirmed by Mr. Park, in the second up without mortar.- We quitted Eden about eight o'clock volume of his Travels. Some of his associates imprudently in the morning, and advanced to mountains so extremely attempted to rob a numerous hive, which they found in high, that we seemed to be travelling in the middle regiomn their way. The exasperated little animals rushed out to of the atmosphere. Here the sky was clear and serene defend their property, and attacked the spoilers with so above us, while we saw below us thick clouds dissolving much fury, that they quickly compelled the whole com- in rain, and watering the plains. After three hours of la pany, men, horses, and asses, to scamper off in all direc- borious travelling, we arrived at the famous cedars about tions. The horses were never recovered, and a number eleven o'clock. We counted twenty-three of them. The of the asses were so severely stung that they died next day: circumference of these trees is thirty-six feet. The bark and so great was the loss our intrepid traveller sustained of the cedar resembles that of the pine; the leaves and in the engagement, that he despondingly concluded his cone also bear considerable resemblance. The stem is journey was at an end. The allusion of Moses, therefore, upright, the wood is hard, and has the reputation of being to thbir fierce hostility, in the beginning of his last words incorruptible. The leaves are long, narrow, rough, very to Israel, is both just and beautiful: " And the Amlorites green, ranged in tufts along the branches; they shoot in which dwelt in that mountain came out against you, and spring, and fall in the beginning of winter. Its flowers and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even fruit resemble those of the pine. From the full growl 104 DEUTERONOMY. CIAP. 4-6 trees, a fluid trickles naturally, and without incision; this CHAPTER V. is clear, transparent, whitish, and after a time dries and Ver. 14. But the seventh day is the sabbath 01 hardens: it is supposed to possess great virtues.-The place where these great trees are stationed, is in a plain of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any nearly a league in circumference, on the summit of a work, thou, nor.thy son, nor thy daughter, nor mount which is environed on almost all sides by other th man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor mounts, so high that their summits are always covered thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, with snow.' This plain is level, the air is pure, the heavens always serene. On one side of this plain is a fright- nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that fil precipice, from whence flows a copious stream, which, thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest descending into the valley, forms a considerable' part of as well as thou. the Holy River, or Naltar Kadisha. The view along this valley is interesting; and the crevices of the rocks are In order to render the situation of slaves more tolerable, filled with earth of so excellent a quality, that trees grow Moses made the three followin decrees for their benefit. Moses made the. three following decrees for their benefit. in them; and being continually refreshed with the vapours 1. On the sabbath day they were to be exempted from rising from the streams below, attain to considerable di- all manner of wor. Of course every week they enjoyed C! ~~~~~~~~~~~~all manner of work. Ofcourse every week they enjoyed mensions. Nor is the sense of smelling less gratified than one day of that rest which is so suitable to the natre of the one day of that rest which is so suitable to the natuLre of the that of sight, by the fragrance diffused from the odoriferous humanframe, and so requisite to the preservation of health plants around." He afterward says, "the banks of the river and strength, Exod. xx. 10. Deut. v. 14, 15. In the latter appeared enchanted. This stream is principally formed apeared enchanted. This sream is principally formed of these passages it is expressly mentioned, that one design by the source which issues below the cedars, but is contin- of the sabbath was to give a day of rest to slaves and the ually augmented by a prodigious number of rills and ually augmented by a prodiious number of rills and Israelites are reminded of their own servitude in Egypt, fountains, which fall from the mountain, gliding along the when they longed in vain for days of repose. clefts of the rocks, and forming many charming natural 2. The fruits growing spontaneously during the sabcascades, which communicate cooling breezes, and banish batical year, and declared the property of none, were des: the idea of being in a country subject to extreme heat.. If tined by Moses for the slaves and the indigent. to these enjoyments we add that of the nightingale's song, 3. The Israelites were wont, at their high festivals, to it must be granted that these places are infinitely agree- make feasts of their tithes, firstlings, and sacrifices; indeed able." The cedars which he visited, encircle the region almost all the great entertainments were offeria-feasts. almost all the great entertainments were offering-feasts. of perpetual snow. Lebanon is in this part free from To these, by the statutes of Deut.:ii. 17, 18 and xvi. 11, rocks, and only rises and falls with small easy uneven- the slaves were to be invited. Such occasions were therenesses, but is perfectly barren and desolate. The ground, fore a sort of satur'ealia to them: and we cannot but extol where not concealed by the snow, for several hours' ridi the clemency and hmanity of that law, whic procured' the clemency and humanity of that law, which procured appeared to be covered with a sort of white slate, thin and them twice or thrice n-year a few days' enjoyment of those smooth. Yet these dreary summits are not without their luxuries, which they would doubtless relish the more, the. use; they serve as a conservatory for abundance of snow, poorer their ordinary food might be. which,~~~~~~~~~~~~poe thawing orintebary ofoo sumefrishes -ape. which, thawing in the heat of summer, furnishles.ample It was a part of the good treatment due to domestic anisupplies of water to the rivers and fountains in the valleys mals, that they were to be allowed to share the enjoyment of below. In the snow, he saw the prints of the feet of sev- the sabbatical rest. On the people's own account this was erat wild beasts, which are the sole proprietors of these no doubt necessary; because in general beasts can perform upper parts of the mountain. Maundrell found only six- no work without man's assistance: but still Mloses expressly teen cedars of large growth, and a natural plantation of declares that his commandment respectIng the sabbath haa smaller ones, which were very numerous. One of the a direct reference to the rest and refreshment of beasts as largest was twelve yards six inches in girth, and thirty- well as of man. I-s words are," On the seventh day thou seven yards in the spread of its boughs. At six yards from shalt rest from thy labour; that thine ox and thine ass ma the ground, it was diyided into five limbs, each equal to a also rest, and thy servant and stranger mabe refreshed also rest, and thy servant and stranger may'be refreshed," great tree. Dr. Richardson visited them in 1818, and found Exod. xxiii. 12. xx. 10. Deut. v. 14. In fact, soni such a small clump of large and tall and beautiful trees, which he alternation of labour and rest seems necessary to the prespronounces the most picturesque productions of the vege- tion of beasts: for those that perform the same kind table world that he had ever seen. In this clump are two of work day after day, ithout any inerruption, soon heof work day after day, without any interruption, soon begenerations of trees; the oldest are large and massy, rear- come stupid and useless. At least, we see this the case ing their heads to an enormous hIeight, and spreading their with horses: and the reader kvill not take it amiss, that a branches to a great extent. He measured one, not the branches to a gre t extent. He measured one, not thit e e town-bred writer, having better access to observe the effects largest in the clump, and found it thirty-two feet in cir- of labour on them, than on oxen, should prefer taking an cumference. Seven of these trees appeared to be very old, example from the'former. A horse that has to travel three the rest younger, though, f9r want of space, their branches German miles every day will not hold out long: but, with are not so spreading. This statement sheds a clear and intervening days of rest, in the same time, he will be able n ~~~~~~~~~~intervening days of rest, in the same time, he will be able steady light on those passages of scripture which refer to go over a much greater space without injury. He will, to Lebanon; and enables us to reconcile with ease several for example, in ten days travel thirty-five German miles, apparent contradictions. So famous was this stupendous with three resting days, that is, at the rate of five miles mountain in the days of Moses, that to be permitted to see each day of the other seven. This fact is so well known, i a, was the object of his earnest desires and repeated that in riding schools, one or two days of rest, besides Sunprayers; and as the strongest expression of his admiration, day, are usually allowed to the horses, in order to preserve he connects it in his addresses to the throne of his God, their spirit and activity; whereas the post-horses, which with Zion, the future seat of the divine glory. "I pray are constantly at work, soon become stiff and unserviceable. thee, let me go over and see'the good land that is beyond The case is probably the same with other beasts of burden, Jordan; that goodly mountain and Lebanon."-PAxTo N. although they do not require so many intervals of rest as CHAPTER, IV. horses. And hence the good treatment of beasts enjoined er. 20 But the Lord hath taen you, and in the Mosaic law, and the sabbatical rest ordained for Ver. 20. But the Lord hath taken you, and their refreshment, was highly expedient, even in an ecobrought you forth out of the iron furnace, even nomical point'of view, and wisely suited to the circum-' out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of in- stances of a people, whose cattle formed the principal part Z:) ~~~~~~~~~~of their subsistence. —MICHtAEnIs. heritance, as ye are this day. of ther subsistence. E. It has been observed by chymical writers, not only that CH-APTER VI. iron melts slowly even in the most violent fire, but also Ver. 7. And thou shalt teah them diligently unto that it ignites, or becomes red-hot, long before it fuses: and any one may observe the excessive brightness of iron thy children. when red, or rather white htot. Since, therefore, it requires the strongest fire of all metals to fiuse it, there is a peculiar If you inquire how a good schoolmaster teaches his pupropriety in the expression, a furnace for iron, or an iron pils, the answer will be, very koormey"na, i. e. "1sharply, a.,rnace, for violent and shaagrp'alictions.-BRDERa.. makes sharp, they are full'of points." A man of a keen CHAP. 6-S. DEUTERONOMY. 105 and cultivated mind, is said to be full of points. "He is every child, such measures would be quite superfluous; well sharpened."-RoBERTs. but if we would enter into the ideas of Moses, we must place ourselves in an age, when the book of the law could Ver. 8. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon only come into the hands of a few opulent people. —Mithy hand, and they shall be as frontlets be- CHAELIS. tween thine eyes. CHAPTER VII. I look upon the words in Deut. vi. 8, as not properly a Ver. 20. Moreover, the LoRn thy God will send law, but an admonition; because they merely occur in an the hornet among them, until they that are left, harangue which Moses addressed to the people. The and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed. Orientals make great use of amulets; —a subject on which I cannot here expatiate, but of which I generally treat un- To the people of England this may appear a puerile der Art. 26, of my Hebrew Antiquities. These amulets way of punishing men, but they should recollect that the consist sometimes of jewels and other ornaiments, and some- natives of the East wear scarcely any clothes, having, gentimes of certain sentences, or unintelligible lines, and Abra- erally speaking, only a piece of cloth round their loins. cadabra, written on billets, or embroidered on pieces of They are, therefore, much more exposed than we are to linen. Some such things the Israelites, in those days, seem the sting of insects. The stirig of the hornet and wasp of to have worn on their foreheads, and on their hands; and those regions is much more poisonous than in Europe, and the Mohammedans do so still. For how often do we find on the insect is larger in size. I have heard of several who their breasts a passage from the Koran, which is said to died from having a single sting; and not many days ago, make them invulnerable, or rather actually does so; for as a woman was going to the well " to draw water," a horthis I know for certain, that no Turk, wearing any such net stung her in the cheek, and she died the next day. I billet, was ever yet slain or wounded in battle, excepting have many times seen the hornet attack and kill the taranin the single case (which, indeed, they themselves except) tula. Under large verandahs the former may be seen flyof his death-hour being come, according to the decree of ing near the roof, searching in every direction for his foe, God. It would appear, that with regard to these' embroi- and never will he leave them, till he has accomplished his dered phylacteries, the Israelites, in the days of Moses, did destruction. Sometimes they both fall from the roof tonot entertain such superstitious ideas, (else would he prob- gether, when the hornet may be seen thrusting his sting ably have forbidden them,) but only wore them as orna- most furiously in the tarantula, and it is surprising to see ments, and for fashion's sake. As Moses, therefore, wished with what dexterity the' former eludes the bite of the latter. to exhort the Israelites to maintain the remembrance' of The people often curse each other by saying, Unsuttarhis laws in every possible way, and, in a particular man- Aniverum-Kullive Kuttam, i. e. " May all around thee be ner, to impress it on the hearts of their children, he sug-. stung by the hornet!" (meaning the person and his relagested to them a variety of expedients for the purpose; and tions.) The toddy drawers use this imprecation more than this among others, that if they chose to wear any embroi- other people, because the hornet's nest is generally found in dered ornament on the hand or forehead, it should not con- the top of the palmirah or cocoa-nut tree, whence they prosist of any thing useless, and still less of any superstitious cure the toddy. When they ascend. their hands and feet nonsense, but rather of sentences out of the laws, which being engaged, they cannot defend thbemselves against their their children'would thus be in the way of learning. If, attacks. The god Siva is described as having destroyed however, the fashion changed, and embroidery was no many giants by hornets.-RoBERTs. more worn, the Israelites were no longer bound to wear embroidered linen, or billets inscribed with sentences from CHAPTER VIII. the Mosaic law; and that the Jews, during the time of Ver. 7. For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into prayer, still use them under the name of Thejillin, pro- a good land a land of brooks of water, of ceeds from a misconception of the statute in question. A further detail on this subject, with the proofs that the words'fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys of Moses in this passage are not to be understood as only and hills. figurative, I cannot here give: but I give it, as I have said, in my Hebrew Antiquities. To most of the read- The account which has been now given of the soil and ers 9f the present work, who may be desirous of having productions of Canaan, will enable the reader to perceive a philosophical glance at the ancient laws of mankind, with greater clearness, the force and justice of the promresearches merely antiquarian would not afford much ise made by Moses to his nation, a little before he died: gratification.-MmICHaELIs. "The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land; a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, that spring out of Ver. 9. And thou shalt write them upon the posts valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines, anid of thy house, and on thy gates. fig-trees, and pomegranates, a land of oil olive, and honey." If to the natural fertility of this highly-favoured country be The observation made in the beginning of the preceding added, the manner in which it was divided among the tribes article is equally applicable to the subject of the present of Israel, it will furnish an easy and satisfactory answer to one. The words of Moses in Deut. Vi. 9, immediately fol- the question which the infidel has often put: " How could lowing those just illustrated, are in like manner to be under- so small a country as Canaan maintain so immense a popustood, not as a positive injunction, but as an exhortation to lation, as we find in the writings of the Old Testament 2" inscribe his laws on the door-posts of their houses. In That rich and fertile region was divided into small inheriSyria and the adjacent countries, it is usual at this day to tances, on which the respective proprietors lived and.reared place' inscriptions above the doors of the houses, not, as their families. Necessity, not less than a spirit of industry, the vulgar among us do, in doggerel rhymne, but consisting required that no part of the surface capable of cultivation of passages from the Koran, or from the best poets; and shouldbe suffered to lie waste. The husbandman carried his some of them, that are- quoted in books of travels, are truly improvements up the sidesof the steepest and most rugged elegant. This must now be a very ancient practice, as it mountains, to the very top; he converted every patch of existed in the time of Moses. For when he exhorts the earthinto avineyard, oroliveplantation; he coveredthebare Israelites to take every opportunity in inculcating his laws rocks with soil, and thus turned them into fruitful fields; on their children, we find him suggesting to them this as where the steep was too great to admit of an inclined plane, one means of doing so; "Write them on the doors of your he cut away the face of the precipice, and built walls around houses, and on the gates of your cities." In these words the mountain to support the earth, and planted his terraces we have not properly a statute; for if the Israelite did not with the vine and the olive. These circles of excelleant choose to have an inscription over his door, he had no oc- soil were seen rising gradually from the bottom to the top casionto make one; but they are merelyintroducedin an ex- of the mountains, where the vine and the olive, shading hortatory discourse to the people, as furnishing an instance the- intermediate rocks with the liveliest.verdure, and bendof the means which they might take, to impress the laws ing under the load of their valuable produce, amply rewardupon the -minds of their posterity in their earliest years. ed the toils of the cultivator. The remains of those hang.. Among us, where, by the aid of printing, books are so ing gardens, those terrace plantations, after the lapse of so abundantly multiplied, and may be put into the hands of many centuries, the revolutions of empire, anad the long de14 !06 DEUTERONOMY,. CHAP. S. dine of industry among the miserable slaves that now oc- tile, and so covered with plants and fruit-trees, that it cupy that once highly-favoured land, may still be distinctly seemed to be a garden cultivated by art." Remains of the traced on the hills and mountains of Judea. Every spot of practice of making terraces on the hills for the purpose of ground was in this manner brought into a state of cultiva- cultivation, were also found by Maundrell, as he states in tion; every particle of soil was rendered productive; and the account of his journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem. The by turning a stream of water into every field where it was produce of Palestine is still considerable, not only serving practicable, and leading the little rills into which they di- for the supply of the inhabitants, but also affording an overvide it, to every plantation, every tree, and every plant, they plus for exportation. Corn and pulse are excellent in their sedured, for the most part, a constant succession of crops. kind, and much corn is annually sent from Jaffa to Con" Thus much is certain," says' Volney, " and it is the ad- stantinople. Though the Mohammedan religion does not vantage of hot over cold countries, that in the former, favour the cultivation of the vine, there is no want of virervherever there is water, vegetation may be perpetually yards in Palestine. Besides the large quantities of grapes maintained, and made to produce an uninterrupted suc- and raisins which are daily sent to the markets of Jerusacession of fruits to flowers, and flowers to fruits. In cold, lem and other neighbouring places, Hebron alone, in the nay even in temperate climates, on the contrary, natuire, first half of the eighteenth century, annually sent three benumbed for several months, loses in a steril slumber hundred camel loads, that is; nearly three hundred thouthe third part, or even half the year. The soil which has sand weight of grape-juice or honey of raisins to Egypt. produced grain, has not time before the decline of sum- The cotton which' is grown on the plains of Ramle and mer heat to mature vegetables; a second crop is not to be Esdraelon; is superior to the Syrian, and is exported partly expected; and the husbandman sees himself condemned raw and partly spun. Numerous herds of oxen and sheep to a long and fatal repose. Syria is exempt from these in- graze on the verdant hills of Galilee, and on the well-wraconveniences; if, therefore, it so happens, that its produc- tered pastures of the northern valley of the Jordan. Counttions are not such as its natural advantages would lead us less swarms of wild bees collect honey in the trees and clefts to expect, it is less owing to its phFysical than to its political of the rock; and it is still literally true that Palestine slate."-PAXTON. abounds-in milk and honey.-RosENAIIULLER. It is, I think, highly probable, that in the time of the most Ver. 8. A land of W"heat, and barley, and vines, remote antiquity, pomegranate juice was used, in those and fig-trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil- countries where lemon juice is now used, with their meat, olive, aid honey. and in their drinks, and that it was not till afterward, that lemons came among them: I know not how else to account If Palestine were now cultivated and inhabited as much for the mention of pomegranates in describing the fruitfulas it was formerly, it would not be inferior in fertility and ness of the Holy Land, Deut. viii. 7, 8; Numb. xx. 5. They agreeableness to any other country. The situation and would not now, I think, occur in such descriptions: the nature of the country favour agriculture, and amply re- juice of lemons and oranges have, at present, almost superward the farmer. Between the 31st and 32d degrees of seded the use of that of pomegranates. Sir John Chardin north latitude, it is sheltered towards the south by lofty supposes that this pomegranate wine means, wine made,of mountains, which separate it from the sandy deserts of that fruit; which he informs us is made use of in considArabia e breezes from the Mediterranean cool it from the erable quantities, in several places of the East, and particuwest side; the high Mount Lebanon keeps off the north larly in Persia: his words are, On fait, en diverses parts wind, and Mount Hermon the northeast. Mountains de lOrient, du vin de grenade, nomme roubnar, quL'on which decline into hills, are favourable for the cultivation transporte par tout. Il y en a sur tout en Perse. Myreader of the vine and olive, and the breeding of cattle; the plains must determine for himself, whether pomegranate wine, or and valleys are watered by innumerable streams. The wine commonly so called mixed with pomegranate juice, fame of the fertility of Palestine, and its former riches in was most probably meant here. The making the first of corn, wine, and'dates, is even immortalized by ancient these was a fact unknown to me, till I saw this manuscript, coins which are still in existence. But since the land has I confess, though it seems it is made in such large quantibeen several times devastated; greatly depopulated, and ties as to be transported.-HARMER. come under the Turkish dominion, and the Arab tribes, Hasselquist, in the progress of his journey from Acre to who rove about it, not only make it insecure for natives Nazareth, lells us, that he found " great numbers of bees, and strangers, but also have continual feuds among each bred thereablouts, to the great advantage of the inhabitants. other, agriculture has decreased, and the country has ac- They make their bee-hives, with little trouble, of clay, four quired its present desert appearance, particularly near the feet long, and half a foot in diameter, as in Egypt. They roads;but the traces of its original fertility and beauty are lay ten or twelve of them, one on another, on the bare not even now wholly obliterated. As a proof, we may ad- ground, and build over every ten a little roof." Mr. duce the following passage from D'Arvieux. " We left Maundrell, (observing also many bees in the Holy Land,) the road to avoid the Arabs, whom it is always disagreea- takes notice, " that by their means the most barren places ble to meet with, and reached, by a side path, the summit of that country in other respects became useful, perceiving of a mountain, where we found a beautiful plain. It must in nimany places of the great salt-plain near Jericho, a smell be confessed, that if one could live secure in this country, of honey and wax, as strong as if he had been in an apiait would be the most agreeable residence in the world, part- ry." Hasselquist alscwtells us, that he ate olives at Joppa, ly on account of the pleasing diversity of mountains and (upon his first arrival in the Holy Land,) which were said valleys, partly on account of the salubrious air which we to grow on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem; and that, breathe there, and which is at all times filled with balsam- independent of their oiliness, they, were of the best kind he ic odours from the wild flowers of these valleys, and from had tasted in the Levant. As olives are frequently eaten the aromatic herbs on the hills. Most of the mountains in their repasts. the delicacy of this fruit in Judea ought are dry and arid. and more rock than mould adapted for not to be forgotten; the oil that is gotten from these trees cultivation; but the industry of its old inhabitants'had tri- much less, because still more often made use of. In the umphed over the defects of the-soil. They had hewn these progress of his journey, he found several fine vales aboundrocks from the foot to the summit into terraces, carried ing with olive-trees. He saw also dlive-trees in Galilee, mould there, as on the coast of Genoa, planted on them the but none farther, he says, than the mountain where it is fig, olive, and vine; sowed corn and all kinds of' pulse, supposed our Lord preached his sermon.-ROSEMNrULLER. which, favoured by the usual spring and autumnal rains, by the dew Which never fails, by the wxarmth of the sun Ver. 9. A land wherein thou shalt eat bread withand the mild climate, produced the finest fruit, and mostthin excellent corn. Here and there vou still see such terraces, in it: a land whose stones are iron, and out of whlich the Arabs, who live in the neighbouring villages, keep up, and cultivate with industry. We then came whose hills thou mayest dig brass. through a valley about six hundred feet long; ahd, to judge from the fineness and fresh verdure of the grass, it appear- Iron is the only mineral which abounds in these mouned to be an excellent pasture; at the end of which we found tains, (Lebanon,) and is found in'hose of Kesraouan, and a deeper, longer, broader, and by far more agreeable val- of the Druzes, in great abundance. Every summer the iney than the former,; in which the soil was so rich and fer- habitants work those mines, whioa are simply.ochreous CHAP. 11. DEUTERONOMY. 107 Report says, there was anciently a copper-mine near Alep- quantity he dashes tlhe water plentifully witl his foot!po, which Volney thinks must have been long since aban- ROBERTS. doned: he was also informed by the Druzes,,that in the The custom of watering with the foot, Dr. Shaw thus declivity of the hill formerly mentioned, a mineral was explains, from the present practice of the Egyptians: discovered which produced both lead and silver; but as "Wshen their various sorts of pulse, safranon, musca, melsuch a discovery would have proved the ruin of the whole ons, sugar-canes, &c. (all of which are commonly planted in district,'by attracting the attention of the Turks, they quick- rills) require to be il~reshed, they strike out the plugs that ly destroyed every vestige of it. These statements estab- are fixed in the bottoms of the cisterns, [wherein they prelish the accuracy of Moses, in the account which he gave serve the water of the Nile,] and then the water gushing his nation of the promised inheritance:'"A land whose out is conducted from one rill to another by the gardener,.stones are iron, and out of' vhose mountains thdu mayest who is always ready as occasion: requires, to stop and,.didig brass." A different temperature prevails in difflerent vert the torrent, by turning the earth against it with/ hisfoot, parts of these mountains; hence, the expression of the Ara- and opening at the same time, with his mattock, a new bian poets, That Lebanon bears winter on his head, spring trench to receive it. This method of conveying moisture upon his shoulders, and autumn in his bosom, while sum- and nourishment to a land rarely or never refi eshed with mer lies sleeping at his feet.-PAxToN. rain, is often alluded to in the holy scriptures; where also it is made the distinguishing quality betwixt Egypt and the Ver. 15. Who led thee throughl the great and ter- land of Canaat, Deut. xi. 10, 11." Mr. Parkhurst is inrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, dlined to adopt another interpretation of the expression, and scorpions, and drought; here there as watering with, the foot. He says, "it seems more probable and scorpions, and drougTht; where t/~e~e was that Moses alluded to drawing up water with a machine no water; who brought thee forthwater out of which was worked by the foot. Such a one, Grotivs long the rock'of flint. ago observed, that Philo, who lived in oypt, has described as used by the peasants of that country in his time; and The sacred historian gives here a most accurate anc the ingenious and accurate Niebith', has lately given us a iuminons description of an African desert. It is not only representation of a machine which the Egyptians make use descriptive of that desert at the north end of Africa, in of for watering the lands, and probably the same, says he, which the Israelites sojourned for forty years, but equally that Moses speaks of. They call it sakoXi tdir beridsjel, or so of those at the southern end, on its western side, the an/ hydraulic machine worked by the feet." BURDEn. greater part of which, for about two thousand miles along Inthe gardens in Africa, into which they can lead water the coast, is covered with deep sand. A desert is great for irrigation, they have small trenches between each row when it is extensive; and such a desert may be called ter- ofplants, made by a rake or hoe. The water being ledinto rible, from the anxiety, dread, or fear, which it causes to the first trench, runs along it until it reaches the other end, the persons travelling in it, from what they experience, when a slave, WITH HIS rOOT, removes any mould which and from their doubts as to the result. He comes to pools, might have slid into the little trench, that it may have a free but he finds that they are like broken cisterns, which, unobstructed course; then again clearing a way for it with. though they once contained water, contain none now; it hisfoot round the end of the second row of plants, the wahas sunk into the ground. He observes two rows of trees ter freely runs into the next trench; and inthis nway I have and bushes at a distance, which raises hope in ihis mind, seen a slave lead the little stream from one trench to anoexpecting there to find a river. He hastens to the spot; ther, zigzag, over the wholegarden which is much easier but on reaching the banks, he finds the stream is dried up, done with the foot than by stooping down and doing it with not a drop of water is visible, for it only runs after rains. the hands.' The first time I witnessed this operation, it He then digs a few feet under the surface in the bed or cleared up, to my satisfaction, the meaning of the above channel of the river, in hopes of reaching some remnant of text.-AFRIcAN LiGHT. its waters, but finds his labour is fruitless; the water has Sometimes the drought of summer renders frequent waeither sunk beyond his reach, or has been exhaled into the terings necessary even in Judea. On such occasions, the heavens. He has no expectation of rellef from a shower water is drawn up from the wells by oxen, and carried by falling that evening, or week, or mnonth, for it is a land of the inhabitants' in earthen jars, to refrigerate their plantaDROUorT, as no rain hgs fallen for the preceding six, twelve, tions on the sides of the hills. The necessity to which the or eighteen months. Would it be surprising to hear the Jewish husbandman is occasionally reduced, to water his traveller's assistants express themselves thus-" This is grounds in this manner, is not inconsistent with the words indeed a great and terrible wilderness, a land of drought, of Moses, which distinguish the Holy Land from Egypt, by where no water is!" There were also fiery serpents, and its drinking rain from heaven, while the latter is watered scorpions. It is believed in Africa that the most poisonous by the foot. The inspired prophet alludes, in that passage, serpents were in the most arid parts, and where the heat not to gardens of herbs, or other cultivated spots on the was greatest. In such parts I uniformly found the scor- steep-declivities of the hills and mountains, where, in so pious most numerous. The knowledge of this being the warm a climate as that of Canaan, the deficiency of rain case might render the wilderness through which the Is- must be supplied by art, but to their cornfields; which, in raelites travelled, more terrible to them.-AFrm.cAN LoGHT. Egypt, are watered by artificial canals, in the manner just described; in Canaan, by the rain of heaven. Thelands CHAPTER XI. of Egypt, it must be granted, are supplied with water by Ver. 10. For the land wvhither thou goest in to the overflowing of the Nile, and are so saturated with moistpossess it, is not as the land,-of Egypt, firom. ure, that they require no more watering for the producing hence ye came out, where thou soedst of corn, and several other vegetables; while the gardens whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy require fresh supplies every three or four days. But then seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden it is to be remembered, that immense labour was requisite of herbs. to conduct the waters of the river to many of their lands; and those works of.the ancient kings of Egypt, by which To water a large garden requires three men, one of they distributed the streams of the Nile through their whom stands on a lever near the well, (which has a rope whole country, are celebrated by Maillet, as the most magand a bucket attached to it;) on this he moves backward nifieent and the most admirable of their undertakings; or forward, as the bucket has to ascend or descend. Ano- and those labours which they caused their subjects to under. ther person stands on the ground near the well, to pour the' go, doubtless were designed to prevent much heavier, to water into a basin. From this a channel, of'about eight which they must otherwise have submitted. The words of inches deep and nine broad, runs through the garden; and Moses, addressed to the people of Israel, probably containconnected with it are smaller water-courses, which go to ed a significancy and force of which we can form but a the different beds and shrubs. The business of the third very imperfect idea, and which has not of late been at all person, then, is to convey the water to its destined place, understood. Maillet was assured, that the large canal which he does by stopping the mouth of each course (where which filled the cisterns of Alexandria, and is at least fifsufficient water has been directed) with a little earth; so teen leagues long, was entirely paved, and its sides were that it flows on to the next course, till the whole be water- lined with brick, which were as perfect as in the days of ed. On those herbs or shrubg which require an extra the Romans. If bricks were used in the construction of 108 v DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 1l-13. their more ancient canals, a supposition extremely proba- When a heathen sits down, he makes mention of the ble; and if those made by the people of Israel were design- name of his god. Thus, the worshippers of Siva say,, ed for purposes of this kind,-they must have heard with a when they sit down, " Siva, Siva;" and when they arise, peculiar satisfaction, that the country to which they were they repeat the same name. At night, when they retire to going, required no canals to be dug, no bricks to be prep:.r- rest, also when they arise in the morning, or when they ed for paving and lining them, in order to water it;. a- stumble in the way, they utter, "Siva, Siva." They have hours which had so greatly imbittered their lives in Egy pt. a proverb to the same purport, " When I stumble in the This idea is favoured by the account which Moses gives of way, I know only to mention thy holy name." —RoERTs. their former servitude: hard bondage, in mortar and brick, is joined with other services of the field, among which CHAPTER XII. may be numbered the digging and cleansing of their canals; Ver. 31. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD and in this view, the mortar and brick are very naturally thy God: for every abomination to the LOR joined with those laborious and standing operations.-PAxTON. which he hateth have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters Ver. 11. But the land, whither ye go to possess they have burnt in the fire to their gods. it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven. See on chap. 18. 10. Some have doubted whether parents could be so cruel as The striking contrast, in thisshort but glowing descrip- to compel their offsring to pass through the fire or to be tion, between the land of Egypt, where the people of Israel burnt as a sacrifice to the gods; but we have only to look had so long and cruelly suffered, and the inheritance prom- at modern India, at the numerous infants thrown into the ised to their fatliers, where Jehovah reserved for them and sacred waters, and at the burning alive of widows on the their children every blessing that a nation can desire, must funeral pile of their husbands, to see what human nature have madeadeep impressionupon their minds. InEgypt, is capable of doing. There is reason to believe that, the eye is fatigued with wandering over an immense flat though the British legislature has covered itself with unplain, intersected with stagnant canals, and studded with fading honour in abolishing, by law, these fiendish practimud-walled towns and cottages;'seldom refreshed with a ces, there are still those of a private nature. Not long ago single shower; exhibitinfg, for three months, the singular there were two children offered to the cruel goddess Kali; spectacle of an extensive sheet of water, from which the and one of the supposed perpetrators was arraigned and towns and villages that are built upon the higher grounds, before theSupreme Court, but escaped for want of are seen like islands in the midst of the' ocean-marsh.y and evidence-RoBERTS. rank with vegetation for three others-and parched and dusty the remainder of the year. They had seen a population of naked and sun-burnt peasants, tending their buffaloes, or Ver. 5. And that prophet, or that dreamer of driving their camels, or sheltering themselves from the dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath overwhelming heat beneath the shade of the thinly scattered spoken to turn o away from te ORD your date or sycamore trees; below, natural or artificial lakes, y cultivated fields, and vacant grounds of considerable ex- God, which brought you out of the land of tent-overhead, a burning sun, darting his oppressive Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of rays from'an azure sky, almost invariably free from bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which clouds. In that "weary land," they were compelled to the LORD thmmanded thee to walk water their corn-fields with-the foot, a painful and laborious employment, rendered necessary by the want of rain. in: so shalt thou put the evil away from the Those vegetable productions which require a greater quan- midst of thee.' tity of moisture than is furnished by the periodical inundations of the Nile, they were obliged to refresh with water The Hindoos may be called a nation of dreamers.; Ahev drawn out of the river bymachinery, and lodged afterward are often elevated or depressed by the gay or sorrowful in capacious cisterns. When the melons, sugar-canes, and scenes of their sleeping hours. The morning is the time other vegetables that are commonly disposed in rills, re- for the young and the old to tell their wondrous stories, and quired to be refreshed, they struck out the plugs which many a sage prognostication is then delivered to the attenare fixed in the bottom of the cisterns; and then the water tive hearers. Men and women often take long journeys, gushing out, is conducted from one rill to another by the perform arduous penances, and go through expensive cerehusbandman, who is always ready,'as occasion requires, to monies, from no other cause than a dream. The crafty stop and divert the torrent, by turning the earth against it Bramin finds this to be apowerful medium of access to the with his foot, opening at the same time with his mattock a superstition and purses of the people. How many a splendid new trench to receive it. Such is the practice to which temple has been built or repaired; how many a rest-house Moses alludes; and it continues to be observed without va- erected; how many a costly present has been the result of a riation to this Lay. But from this fatiguing uniformity of real orpretended dream! Mendicants, pandarams, priests, surface, and toilsome method of waterig their grounds, and devotees, have all had theirprofitable revelations from the people of Israel were now to be relieved; they were the gods. Does a needy impostor wish to have a good berth going to possess a land of hills and valleys, clothed with and a settled place of abode, he buries an idol in some lonewoods-beautiful and enriched with fountains of water- lyplace, and atthe expiration of about twelve months he has divided by rivers, streams, and brooks, flowing cool and a dream, and a vision into the bargain, for the god a. ualpure from the summits of their mountains-and, with little ly appears to him when he is not asleep, and. says, "Go to attention from the cultivator, exciting the secret powers of such a place, and you will find my image: there long, lonvegetation, and scattering plenty wherever they came. The has it been in disgrace; but now you must build a temple highlands, which are not cultivated' 3y irrigation, are to to my glory." The knave affects to be greatly excited, and this day more prized in the East than those which must be relates the whole as a profound secret to a few of his sewatered by means of dikes and canals; both because it re- lect friends. The story soon gets abroad, and numbers of quires no labour, which in the low country is necessary, to people beg of him to go to the sacred place in search of the watch the progress of the water through the channels, in deity. At last he consents; but expresses many a fear, as order to give it a proper direction, and because every ele- they proceed, that he has been deceived, or that his or their vation produces an agreeable change oftemperature, where unbelief will hinder him from finding out the place. It the hills display the loveliness of paradise, while the plains approaching the scene of operation, he hesitates, thinks he are burnt up with insufferable heat.-PAXTON. cannot be far off-" the country had just such an appearance in his dream:"" he then says, " Dig;" and numbers of Ver. 19. And ye shall teach them your children, the people fall to work in good earnest. After some time speaking of them when thou sittest in thy he shakes his head, repeats his incantations, and says, "It is not here." He then points to the real spot, and again his house, and when thou walkest by the way, gulled attendants commence their meritorious operations. when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. At last the'god is found, and the multitude make the wel CHAP. 13-15. DEUTERONOMY. 109 kin ring with their shouts of joy. They fall before the tiful, especially vWhen they are of such a size as to touch grave impostor, and worship at his feet. His object is one another., The Arab women have the most beautiful gained; money and materials come in on every hand; and eyebrows of this sort. The Persian women, when they shortly after a temple and its goodly courts arise, in which have them not of this colour, tinge them, and rubi them he dwells for life. with black, to imake them the larger. ~ They also make in The good or evil of dreams is minutely described in the lower part of the forehead, a little below the eyebrows, some of their scientific works; and it is not a little amusing a black spot, in form of a lozenge, not quite so large as the to see that some of their notions agree with the English, nail of the little finger." This is probably not of a lasting and especially with those of the/inhabitants of North Brit- nature, but quickly wears off. These notions of beauty ain. Does a man dream about the sun, moon, the gods, a differ very much from those of the ladies of Europe. mountain, river, well, gold, precious stones, father, child, None of them, I think, are fond of having theivreyebrows mother, elephant, horse, car, temple, Bramin, lotus, flesh meet; but, on the contrary, take pains to keep the separation of animals, flowers, fruits, swan, cow, fowl, toddy; or that between them very distinct. But if the eastern people are he has his hands tied, or is travelling in a palanquin; that of a different opinion, it is not at all surprising, that at the the gods are making ceremonies; that lie sees a beautiful same time that they laid aside the hair of their heads, with and fair woman, arrayed in white robes, coming into his their more artificial ornaments, in a time of mourning, they house; that his house is on fire; that he sees a chank, or should make a space bald between their eyes too, since it lamp, or full water-pot; that he roasts and eats his own was their pride to have them meet when in a joyful state, flesh;-he will be a king: that he wears new cloth; that he and even to join them with a black perishable spot, rather plays in the mud; that he climbs trees; that swarms of than have an interruption appear between the eyebrows. ants creep over his'body;-these are all good-" he will But as the sacred writers admitted the making their heads have great felicity." But to dream the gods laugh, dance, bald in mourning, while Moses, forbids not only idolatrous run, sing, weep, or clap their hands, is for the country very cuttings of the flesh, but this making the space bald between evil. That you see a crow, eagle, hawk, ass, black cobra the eyebrows, it appears there was something of idolatry in capella, pig, monkey, jackal, or salt, curds, milk, sandals, this too, as well as in those Cuttings, though it is not easily butter, lime, cotton, mud, red flowers, firewood, a black made out. After this circumstance, relating to eastern dog, a devil, a giant, a water-melon, jack-fruit, pumpkin, beauty, is known, the addition to bishop Patrick's account a hare, an alligator, a bear, a tiger, a ghost; that you go of the heathens being wont to shave the eyebrows, in times to, or come from, the sea; that the teeth fall out; that the of mourning, will, I presume, give no pleasure: "Or," says hand is broken; that you wear dirty clothes; that the walls this worthy writer, "(which some think is the meaning of of the temple fall; that you miss your way; that you travel between the eyes,) the hair in the forepart of the head, or towards the south; that you fall into a pit; or that you see near the temples, as R. Solomon interprets it. Which a company of serpents;-these are all evil tokens. To seems to be the meaning of the Hierusalem Targum, which' avert the evil implied by those dreams, (and a thousand translates it,' Ye shall not make any baldness in the house others not enumerated,) a person must make offerings to of your countenance.' "-HARMER. the Bramins, and give articles of food. Alms must be bestowed on the poor, and on the Pandarams and other Ver. 4. These are the beasts which ye shall eat; religious mendicants, and the person must bathe in holy the ox, the sheep, and the goat. water. Let him also listen to the song of Paratham, and See on Lev. 11. 2. all the malignity of his nightly visitations shall be removed. -ROBERTS. CHAPTER XV. Ver. 6. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or Ver. 6. For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and thou shalt reifn over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers. - From the numerous allusions in the sacred writings, to the subject of lending and of usury, it is easy to perceive These, and many other passages, show how much the that this was a very common practice among the ancients term bosom is used in the scriptures, and that it generally of the East. There are thousands at this day who live on denotes something of great value or security, affection and the interest of a very small' capital, and thousands who happiness. Any thing which is valuable or dear to a per- make immense fortunes by nothing but lending. So soon son is said to be madeyilla, i. e. in his bosom. When a as a man has saved a small sum, instead of locking it up husband wishes to express himself affectionately to his wife, inhis box, it goes out to interest at the rate of twelve. and he says, " Come hither, thou wife of my bosom." Is she sometimes twenty, per cent. People of great property, on dead, "Ah! I have lost the wife of my bosom." In the account of their anxiety to put out every farthing, often Scanda Purana, the goddess of Vishnoo is said to rest in leave themselves in considerable difficulty. Children are the bosom of the god " Vishnoo, whose bosom is the abode taught, in early life, the importance of this plan: hence. Of Lechimy." To a father it is said respecting a bad son, striplings may be heard to boast -that they have such and " Notwithstanding this, you press him to your bosom;"- such sums out at interest. This propensity often places and of a flatterer, " He would cause the child to fall from government in circumstances of great loss in reference to the bosom of its mother." (See on Luke xvi. 2a.)-ROBERTS. their shroffs, or native treasurers. They lend out money from the chest to a great amount, merely to gain the interCHAPTER XIV. est. " Ah! you shall lend money to many people," is one - Ver. l1. Ye are the children of the LORD your of the blessings pronounced on a youthful pair. AWhen a God. Ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make person acquires a new situation, when a man is prosperous, it is said, " He will lend to many people;" which means, he any baldness between your eyes for the dead. will be rich, and have much influence.-RoBERTs. Not only common readers, but even the learned them- Ver.. But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto selves appear to be perplexed about the meaning of that prohibition of the law of Moses, contained in the latter him, and Shalt surely lend him sufficient for part of the first verse of the 14th of Deuteronomy, Ye shall his need, in that which he wanteth. 7?ot cut yourself, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead; but it seems to be clearly explained by a passage Of a liberal man, it is said, "He has an open hand." of Sir John Chardin, as to its expressing sorrow, though it "That man's hand is so open, all will soon be gone." When is probable the idolatrousness of the practice may, at this a poor man asks a favour of a rich man, in the presence distance of time, be irrecoverably lost. Sir John tells us, of another, the bystanders will say, " Open your hand "that black hair is most esteemed among the Persians, as wide to him." A person who has been refused a favour, well on the head, as on the eyebrows, and in the beard. says, on his return, " Alas! he would not open his hand; That the largest and thickest eyebrows are the most beau- no, not a little."-ROBER.TS. 110 DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 16. Ver. 16. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, servant was therefore brought before the magistrate, an, I wrill not go away from thee, (because he had his ear bored at his master's door. It does not belong loeth thee and thy house, because he is ell to my present subject, but to that of Hebrew antiquities, to loveth thee and thy house, because he is well enter into a particular illustration of this custom, which, with thee,) 17. Then thou shalt take an awl, in Asia, where men generally wear ear-rings, was not unand thrust it through his ear unto the door, common, and was, besides, amongtheotherAsiatic nations a and he shall be thy servant for ever: and also mark of slavery; and, therefore, I here merely remark, that it was the intention of Moses, that every Hebrew who wished unto thy maid-servant thou shalt do likewise. to continue a servant for life, should, with the magistrate s 18. It shali-'rnot seem hard unto thee, when previous knowledge, bear a given token thereof in his own thou sendest him awvav free from thee; for he body. He thus guarded against the risk of a master havhath been. Wvorth a double hired servant to thee, ing it in his power either to pretend that his servant had promised to serve him during life, when he had not; or, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy by ill usage, during the period that he had him in his serGod shall bless thee in all that thou doest. vice, to extort any such promise from him. I may further observe, en passant, that the statute of Moses made boring Moses specifies two periods, at which the Hebrew ser-the ears in some degree ignominious, to a free man; be Gvant was to regain his freedom; the seventh year, Exod. cause it became the sign whereby a perpetual slave was to xxi. and Deut. xv; and the fiftieth, or year of jubilee, be known. And if the Israelites had, for this reason, Lev. xxv. How these periods are reconciled with each abandoned the practice, Moses would not'have been disother, considering that the year of jubilee must always pleased. Indeed, this was probably the very object which have immediately followed a sabbatical year, and that of he had in view to get imperceptibly effected by his law; course the servants must have been already free, before its for in the wearing of ear-rings, superstition was deeply arrival, deserves inquiry. Here then all depends upon concerned. They were very frequently consecrated to the sense in which Moses understands the seventh yqear* some of the gods, and were thus considered as amulets to whether as the sabbatical year, in which the land lay fallow, prevent the sounds of enchantment from entering the ear or as the seventh year from the time when the servant was and proving hurtful. If; however, the servant was willing 3ought. Maimonides was of the latter opinion, and to to accept his freedom, not only was it necessarily granted me also it appears the more probable. For Moses uni- him, but Moses besides ordained in one of his latter laws, formly calls it the seventh year, without using the term sab- as an additional benefit, that the master, instead of sendbatical year. What then is more natural than-to under- ing him empty away, should make him a present of sheep, stand the seventh year of servitude 3 And besides, when fruits, oil, and wine, to enable him to begin housekeeping he describes the sabbatical year in Lev. xxv. 1-7, we anew, Deut. xv. 13-15. On this occasion he observes, find not a word of the mahumission of servants. The ap- that such a servant does his master twice as much service parent inconsistency of the two laws thus ceases. The as a servant hired by the day; which I thus understand. servant was regularly. restored to freedom after sir years' If a man bought a servant for six years, he only paid half service; but supposing him bought in the forty-sixth year as much as a hireling would in that period have received of the Jewish calculation, that is, foyer years before the jubi- besides his maintenance: because the purchase money -was lee, he did not, in that case, wait seven years, but received necessarily paid down on the spot, and the purchaser had his freedom in the year of jubilee, and with it the land he to run the risk of his servant dying before the term of his might have sold. In this way Moses took care that too service was expired. But when this risk was passed, and great a proportion of the people should not be slaves at one the servant had actually earned him his daily hire, his time, and thus the state, instead of free citizens to defend it master was bound, in recompense of the advantages he with arms in their hands, have only the protection of a thus brought him, to grant him some little gratification. number of unarmed servants. There might still be other. At the same time, Moses reminds the Israelites that their cases in which a slave only recoyered his freedom in the forefathers had all been slaves in Egypt, antl that therefore fiftieth year. For instance, if a man was sold for debt, or it was their duty to act with kindness towards those of their for theft, and the sum which he had to pay exceeded what brethren, whose fate it was to feel the hardships of bondage. a servant sold for six years was worth, it is certainly con- MICHAELIS. formable to reason that the said debtor or thief should have CHAPTER XVI. been sold for a longer period, at least for twice six years: but still, in that case, his servitude would cease on the Ver. 16. Three times in a year shall all thy males coming of the jubilee, when every thing reverted to its appear before the LORD thy God in the place former state. It has been generally supposed, that those which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavservants who did not choose to accept theic freedom in the ened bread,and in the feast of weeks, and in seventh year, and of whom I shall immediately speak, became free at the year of jubilee. Here, however, a doubt the feast of tabernacles: and they shall hot aphas occurred to me, whether any such servant could, after pear before the LORD empty. he had become so much older, have ventured to accept freedom in the fiftieth year; and whether he would not Moses instituted other festivals besides the Sabbath; and rather wish ard expect, that the master to whose service th'ree of them, which we usually denominate Hig/h Festivals, he had, from attachment, generously sacrificed his best were distinguished from the Sabbath and all other holydays, should keep and maintain him in his old age 3 At days, by this remarkable difference, that they lasted for the same time, it occurs to me to observe, on the other seven, one of them, indeed, for eight, successive days; and hand, that in the fiftieth year every Israelite received the that all the males in Israel were then obliged to assemble land he had sold: so that the servant, who before refused at the place where the sanctuary stood. That every peohis freedom; because he had nothing to live on, might now ple interested in the preservation of their religion, must accept it with joy, when his paternal inheritance returned set apart, I will not say a day, but certainly a specific time to him quite unincumbered. for divine worship, is obvious. This is a point, the proofs Moses, as I have just remarked by the way, presupposes of which I willingly leave to theology, or even to philoit a possible and probable case, that a servant, who had a sophical ethics, from which I may here assume it as well gooa tmaster, might wish to remain with him constantly understood. But besides this, (and here I must beg leave, durlnE ]ife, without seeking to be free; particularly if he as it is more agreeable to present usage, to employ the word had lived in contllbernEio with one of his master's female days for times, without meaning, by day, either the precise slaves, and had children by her, from whom, as well as period of 24 hours, or that from sunrise to sunset,) there is from hims-'f, he must separate, if he left his master's house. a necessity for days of rest and pleasure. By unintermitted In such a case, he permits the servant to bind himself for labour, the body becomes weakened, loses that activity and ever to the service of the master, with whose disposition vigour which the alternations of labour, rest, and amusehe had by six years' experience become acquainted. But, ment, produce, and grows soon old. Bodily labour otherin order to guard against all abuse of this permission, it wise, no doubt, increases -strength; and the peasant who was necessary that the transaction should be gone about works with his hands, will always be a stronger man than judicially, and that the magistrate should know of it. The the person who folds them across his breast, or only writes C1 AP. 16. DEUTERONOMY. 11! with them; but then it must not be unceasing labour, and to have been one of the great objects of the Mosaic polity, without repose, or else it will have the contrary effect. that every individual, without exception, should, along The man who is obliged to toil day after day without in- with the evils, occasionally taste also the pleasures of life; termission, and especially if he has done so from infancy, the legislator having taken care; that not even the poorest becomes in a manner cramped, stiff, and awkward, at all persons, not even the very slaves, should be excluded from other bodily exercises;. continues, as it were naturally, of sharing in these, during the festivals. The words which, small'stature, and, like a horse dailyhacked, is premature- without once thinking of any thing learned, or of the sub. ly worn out. Alternation is the grand maxim of dietet- ject of the present work, I have, in the poem entitled Mioses, ics; which, indeed, holds good so universally, that the and annexed to the second edition of my "Poetical Sketch very best rules of diet prescribed by the ablest physician, of the Ecclesiastes of Solomon," put into the mouth of Mowill be found in most cases detrimental, if too strictly ob- ses, when he is entreating Pharaoh for a three-days festival served. Even the exercises which serve to strengthen and to the Israelites, will, perhaps, be found to express, with refresh us, if we constantly use any one of them without tolerable accuracy, his real ideas on this point, as far as variation, stich as walking or riding, will become irksome the tenor of his laws enables us to portray them. and hurtful, if we are obliged to take it every day without intermission. The daily runner, who knows no intervals But three days rest they ask, to keep the feast Commanded by their God; through all the'year, besides, of rest, will not, it is true, be affected with hypochondria, Cornoisuded by thetr God; through alt theyear, bestdes'Thy duteous slaves. They seek not to rebel but will, nevertheless, feel his health otherwise impaired. Against thy sway; e'en though the sacred rest The postillion, Who rides every day, Sunday not excepted, Of Sabbath, in thy house of bondage dire, commonly grows old before his time; andshis whole figure They ne'erenjoy. And canst thouthenwithhold shows, that he has not had a healthy occupation. We see From these poe, staves, this respite from their toils? shows-~~~~~~~~~~~, Or grudge, that they should taste the sweets of life this, even in countries where posts travel so intolerably For three short days, and then, as too much blest, slow, that the violence of the motion can certainly not be Serve thee for ever?2. blamed for the injury which incessant riding occasions to their health. The trooper in the field, and the sportsman But without reference to this-point, the institution of the in the chase, ride perhaps more and harder, and that too in three high festivals had, in many other respects, salutary all weathers, but yet we do not remark in them the appear- influences on the community. The most important of these, ances of premature old age and decrepitude, visible in the and what the legislator, without doubt, had principally postillion, who sits on horseback day after day, and must in his view, was, that the whole people would thus become soon be discharged in consequence of his infirmities. Put- more closely connected together, learn to regard each other ting all this, however, out of the question, that man can as fellow-citizens and brethren, ahd not be so likely to be have no enjoyment of life, who is obliged to toil perpetual-' perpetually splitting into different petty states. They conly, and in the same irksome uniformity of employment. sisted, as has been already mentioned, of twelve tribes, of Yet every man ought to have some enjoyment of life, were which each had its own common weal, and sometimes one it only for a single day of recreation occasionally: where- was jealous of another. The consequences of this might fore else is he in the world. If he never tastes the pleas- have been, considering the narrow-minded patriotism of ures of life, he soondwindles into wrinkled insignificance. those ancient times, that they might have hated, and, in Nor is it merely rest from his daily toil that he ought, in process of time, been completely alienated from each other. justice, to enjoy on such occasions; but he should have it The yearly festivals had the greatest possible effect in prein his power to sport away the time in social enjoyment, venting this misfortune. For while the Israelites thus frein feasting, dancing, or whatever else is most agreeable to quently assembled all together for the purposes of religious his taste, if' not contrary to good morals. By this variety worship and social enjoyment, they learnt to be more intiof pleasure, the mind is roused from its usual dull uni- mately acquainted with each other, and laid the foundations formity, enlivened, and restored; the powers of the body of firm friendships. That such friendships often have their are renovated; and it becomes more supple, and fitted for origin in social intercourse of this kind, and that when peogreater exertion. In short, the common man throws off ple are met at the festive board, many little grudges are the slave, the porter, the hind, the tailor; and' the man of forgotten or removed, is an ancient and well-known obserlearning the dull pedant. It were cruel to deprive even vation. If, on a day of mirth and jollity, we experience the slave of a share in such enjoyments, for they are, as it pleasure in the society of others, we naturally wish for its frewere, a recompense for the hardships of his life; and every quent repetition; we seek fresh opportunities of interccurse man who lives, manifestly has a right to' partake in them: with them, and thus form friendships before we are aware. and it were no less foolish than cruel; for his health, viva- It was, indeed, only specially commanded, that males should city, and bodily vigour will suffer in consequence of such go to the Israelitish festivals; but fathers, no doubt, gratified privations. It is, therefore, prudent to allow him seasons their daughters, by taking them along with them to these of recreation: although selfish and tyrannical masters, who solemnities, which consisted iti dancing, and entertainonly look to immediate advantages, are, from their igno- ments; and thus the men had an opportunity of seeing all rance of human nature, and the effects of unceasing labour, the young beauties of the different tribes. This must natsometimes inclined to be of a different opinion. urally have occasioned intermarriages of one tribe with In this way, the three annual festivals were, in fact, so another, by which the interests of' families belonging to many additionaland prolonged seasons of pleasure, in which different tribes would become more and more closely conthe people were to indulge themselves, exclusive of the nected, and thus the twelve petty states, be not merely weekly enjoyment of the Sabbath. Seven successive days nominally, but really, and from social love, united into spent in such a manner, serve as a recreation both to body one great people. If any of the tribes happened to be jealand mind, and we think ourselves after them, as it were, ous of each other, or, as was sometimes the case, involved regenerated. To bodily health, such relaxations undoubt- in civil war, still their meeting together in one place for edly contribute; for that man will''lways have more thepurposes of religion and sociality, had a tendency to strength and activity, who, from his youth, has occasion- prevent their being completely alienated, and forming ally mingled in the cheerful dance,-than the person who themselves into two or more unconnected states: and even has been subjected to unvaried and uninterrupted labour, though this had at any time happened, it gave them an opFor that particular sort of labour, the latter may, no doubt, portunity of again cementing their differences and re-unitmanifest great strength; but he will become stiff, and in all ing. This is so correctly true, that the separation of the other applications of his bodily powers, awkward, and al- ten tribes from the tribe of Judah under Rehoboam and Jermost as if lamed. This is a dietetical remark, in regard oboam, could never'have been permanent; had not the to which, we find a coincidence of opinion, between learned latter abrogated one part df the law of. Moses relative to physicians and those officers who have to enlist or select the festivals.- In every case it is quite a sufficient recomsoldiers. And as to the mind, by festivities of this nature, mendation of any measure of legislative policy, when exit likewise becomes better humoured,.and more cheerful: perience has proved that the evil, which it Was its object We return to our ordinary labours with more spirit and to prevent, could not possibly have taken place without an activity, after spending a whole week in the enjoyment of abrogation of the law; and that-the destroyer or revoluthe pleasures of such extraordinary occasions; which, how- tionizer of the state, could not have effected his purpose, ever, certainly must not be the constant business of our without annulling the statutes that regard religion; diffiwhole lives, but )nly that of festal seasons. Hence it seems cult though it always be to manage such an attempt without I12 DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 16 discomposing and exasperating the minds of the people. tion other articles necessary to their accommodation, and Now, Jeroboam immediately perceived, that the ten tribes which would require means of conveyance (or, as I might would one day reunrite with the tribe of Judah, and sub- perhaps more properly term them, voitures) expensive in ject themselves again to the rightful sovereign of the house the regions of the East; for they consist, not as with us, of of David, if they continued to frequent the high festivals at wagons and horses, but of asses and camels; beasts of Jerusalem; which, by reason of the suspension of arms, burden which are highly serviceable in promoting the at the holy place, would still have been quite in their power commerce of Arabia, and the neighbouring country of with perfect safety: and, therefore, in order to maintain Palestine. There never could be any want of\ buyers, his own authority, and to perpetuate the separation, he pro- when the whole people were convened; and the wholesale hibited the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and, contrary merchants would soon find it for their advantage to attend to the law of Moses, appointed two places for divine ser- and purchase the commodities offered to sale by individvice, within his own territories, (1 Kings xii. 27-30;) ir, uals, especially'manufactured articles; nor would the which, no doubt, the true God was worshipped, but, in or- owners of goods, as they must require money to make der to gratify the propensity of the Israelites to idolatry, good cheer on such occasions, hold them at unreasonable it was under the similitude of a golden calf. In order to rates. Whoever wished to buy any particular articles, make still surer of his point, he transferred the celebration would wait the festivals, in order to have a choice; and of the feast of tabernacles, and probably of th'e other two fes- this too would lead great merchants to attend with all tivals likewise, to a different season from that appointedby.manner of goods for sale, for which they could hope to Moses; making it a month later, (1 Kings xii. 33;) in do- find purchasers. That Moses was by no means anxious to ing, which, he very likely availed himself of the harvest engage the Israelites actively in foreign commerce, I have and vintage being, in the tract adjacent to Lebanon, and already admitted. The most important species of coniwhich extended through the mountains, sometimes a little merce, however-that whereby every man has it in his later than in the other parts of Palestine. power to convert at a particular place whatever he can Another effect of these festivals regarded the internal spare, that is at all portable, into money, and with that commerce of the Israelites. I will not positively assert, that money to buy, at first hand, whatever he wants from any Moses had this effect in his view; but God, who instructed other quarter-must have been, by means of their festivals, him as to the laws which he was to enact, certainly fore- much brisker among the Israelites, than we could ever saw all the future uses of those laws; and it was an object hope to see it in Europe on such occasions. That people, in his view, though Moses might not have known it. From having a national religion from God, and having God the annual conventions of the whole people of any country himself for their king, enjoyed, in this respect, an advanfor religious purposes, there generally arise, without any tage, which no other people canL enjoy:t for if it is not God, direct intention on their part, annual fairs and internal but only the sovereign, who enjoins a pilgrimage to a fescommerce; for, even if it were for no other purpose, mer- tival, every one who can, will endeavour to get'quit of the chants, who are always on the watch to espy and embrace -trouble of the journey, or, at best, to make it with relecevery favourable opportunity of a sale, will resort thither, tance; and if religious imposture is resorted to, in order to'n order to dispose of their commodities. That our yearly enforce attendance, the fraud will soon be discovered, and fairs in Germany originally arose in this manner, is evi- the political artifice thereby come to naught.-MICHAELIS. dent from the name, which the principal ones bear, Messen, or Masses. In ancient Catholic times, masses were said on certain days in particular places, in memory of different thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God saints; as, for instance, on the Wednesday after Easter, giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they near Querfr't, in the place called the Asses-meadow, from shall judge the people with just judgment. the Ass, which is so much celebrated in the history of the church; and, as many people assembled for devotion on Among the persons that appear in the Islaelitish Diet, such occasions, merchants, who had various wares to sell,' besides those already mentioned, we find the Schoterim. likewise made their appearance; and so from the masses (w-nt;v) or scribes. They were different from the judges; then read by the Catholic priests, arose what we now, in for Moses had expressly ordained (Deut. xvi. 18) that in mercantile language, denominate Messen. Our country, every city there should be appointed, not only judges, but therefore, is indebted to religion, or rather to religious meet- Schoterirn likewise. It is very certain that Moses had not ings, not indeed enjoined by God, but merely devised by originally instituted these officers, but already found them men, for a great part of its trade and commerce; which among the people while in Egypt. For when the Israelites still subsists, long after people destitute of education have did not deliver the required tale of bricks, the Schoterim ceased to know wherefore our great yearly fairs, that are were called to account, and punished; Exod. v. 6-14. of such importance, have been called Messen. Now, as satar in Arabic, signifies to write; and its derivaAmong the Mohammedans similar festivals have had tive, Mastir, a person whose duty it is to keep accounts, and the very same effect; for, notwithstanding the difficulties collect debts, I am almost persuaded that these Schoterim of travelling through the deserts, and the dangers to which must have been the officers who kept the genealogical the caravans are exposed from banditti, and the great in- tables of the Israelites, with a faithful record of births, tolerance of Islamism, which is such, that no uncircumcised marriages, and deaths; and, as they kept the rolls of famperson dare approach Mecca, without the risk of circum- ilies, had, moreover, the duty of apportioning the public cision; not to mention the perpetual variation of the time burdens and services on the people individually. An office of, the pilgrimage thither, in consequence of their strange exactly similar, we have not in our governments, because mode of reckoning by lunar years;-circumstances which, they are not so genealogically regulated; at least we do anywhere else, would ruin the most flourishing fairs-still not institute enumerations of the people by families. But the annual pilgrimage of the Mohammedans to Mecca, has among a people whose notions were completely clannish, given birth to one of the greatest markets in the world, and among whonall hereditary succession, and even all where people from the extremities of the East and of the posthumous fame, depended on genealogical registers, this West, meet for the purpose of trade and commerce. Now must have been an office fully as important as that of a the very same effects, and to a still higher degree, must, judge. In Egypt, the Levites had not yet been consecrated without any effort on the part of the legislator, have resulted and set apart from the rest of the tribes; there, of course, from the high festivals of the Israelites, to which the whole the Schoterim must have been chosen either out of every people were bound to assemble; and more particularly,, as family, or, perhaps, merely according to the opinion enterfaras'regards internal trade, which is always the most tained of their fitness for the office. In the time of the essential branch of commerce to any people. Let us only kings, however, we find them generally taken frcm the figure to ourselves, what would follow from such festivals tribe of Levi; 1 Chron. xxiii. 4. 2 Chron. xix. 8-11. being once set a-going. Every man would bring along xxxiv. 13. This was a very rational procedure, as the with him every portable article which he could spare, and Levites devoted themselves particularly to study; and wished to turn into money; and, as several individuals among husbandmen and unlearned people, few were likely would go from the same place, they would contrive various to be so expert at writing, as to be intrusted with the keepexpedinmts to resider their goods portable: for they would, ing of registers so important. Add to this, that in later for omi thing, have to carry the ipsa corpora of their tithes, times, the genealogical tables were kept in the temple. hlat were to be consumed during the festivals; not to men- We find these Sc4oterim mentioned in many other pas. CHAP. 17, 18. DEUTERO.NOMY. 113 sages besides those quoted above. In Numb. xi. 16, they special reason, that the most beautiful women of all nations are the persons of respectability from among whom the are collected for a seraglio: and Moses, as he expressly supreme senate of 70 is chosen. In Deut. i. 15; mention is mentions, was afraid lest such foreign beauties should win made of Sch.oterimn appointed by Moses in the wilderness, the heart of the king, and make him a proselyte to idolatry; although'the people had previously had such magistrates and that his fears were not groundless, the example of Solin Egypt; most probably he only filled the places of those omon is a striking proof. No law of Moses was less obwho were dead. In Deut. xx. 5, we see them charged served than this. It would appear that Saul had a seraglio, with orders to those of the people that were selected to g'o and that too belonging to him as king; for David (2 Sam. to svar; which is perfectly suited to my explanation of the xii. 8) is said to have succeeded to it. David, before he nature of their office. In Deut. xxix. 10, xxxi. 28, Josh. was king, had, besides Michal, other two wives, Abigail viii. 33, xxiii. 2, we find them as representatives of the and Ahinoam, 2 Sam. ii. 2. His first wife, Michal, had people in the Diets, or when a covenant with God is en- indeed been taken from him by his father-in-law; but he tered into. In Josh. i. 10, they appear as the officers who received her again while king of Judah. But after he had communicated to the people the general's orders respecting reigned some years in Hebron, we find him, besides these, military affairs; and this, again, corresponds to the prov- in possession of four new wives, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, ince of muster-masters. In 2 Chron. xxvi. 11, we have and Eglah, 2 Sam. iii. 2-8. This, however, was but a the chief Schoter, under whose command the whole army moderate sueperabuzndance for the king of a single tribe, constands after the general, if indeed he himself be not so. In sidering, that seven years after, when he could less plead 1 Chron. xxvii. 1, the name of the office alone is men- youth and passion in excuse, we find him, as king of all tioned.-MitCEIAmLIS. Israel, with still more wives and concubines, 2 Sam. v.-13; the latter, indeed, in such numbers, that on his flight firom CHAPTER XVII. Absalom, he left ten of them to look after the palace, 2 Sam. Ver. 16. But h9 shall not multiply horses to him- xv. 16.-To what excess Solomon, the father of but one self, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, son, carried polygamy, is known to every one who has but heard of the Bible. It is difficult to believe that he could to the end that he should multiply horses; for- have known all the inmates of his seraglio; indeed it reasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye quired a good memory to have been able to call them by shall henceforth return no more that way. their names. After his time, we. have, in the books of the Chronicles, accounts of the polygamy of the kings, not The king was not to keep a strong body of cavalry, nor indeed on such an. immoderate and magnificent scale, but an immoderate number of horses. As Palestine was a still far exceeding the degree permitted by Moses. —MImountainous country, and on the more level side bounded CHAELIS, i by the Arabian deserts, in which an enemy's cavalry could CHAPTER XVIII. not advance for want of forage, a powerful cavalry was Ver. 10. There shll ot be foud amo you almost unnecessary for its defence; and nothing but the re shall not be found among you spirit of conquest could prompt any king to violate the any one that maketh his son or his daughter to prohibition of Moses. But how little such a spirit accord- pass through the fire, or that useth divination, ed with the views of their divine lawwgiver, we have an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a already seen, in treating of the boundaries of the land. For agricultural purposes, the Israelites made no use of witch. horses; but only (which in an economical point of view is All idolatrous ceremonies, and even some which, though far more profitable) of oxen and asses. The latter were innocent in themselves, might excite suspicions of idolatry, also most commonly employed as beasts of burden in tray- were prohibited. Of these, human sacrifices are so conelling; but the people made most of their journeys on foot. spicUous, as really the most abominable of all thlrrimes to A king, therefore, could have no occasion for a great which superstition is capable of hurrying its votarIes, in denumber of horses, unless he had it in view to carry on fiance of the strongest feelings of humanity, that I must foreign wars.-M-* IHAELIS. expatiate a little upon them. For this species of cruelty is Ver. 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to him- so unnatural, that to many readers of the laws of Moses, it Ve. 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to him- has appeared incredible. Against no other sort of idolaself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall try, are the Mosaic prohibitions so rigorous, as against this; -he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. and yet we find that it continued among the Israelites to a very late period; for even the prophets Jeremiah and EzeThe king was not to take many wives, ver. 17. This kiel, who survived the ruin of the state, and wrote in the law stands most in need of illustration; for as Moses did beginning of the Babylonish captivity, take notice of it, and not forbid polygamy to the Israelites in general, it could describe it, not as an antiquated or obsolete abomination, but not be his intention to confine the king within narrower as what was actually in use but a little before, and even limits, in this respect, than the citizen. Most probably, during their own times. For a father to see his children therefore, Moses had no objection to his having four wives, suffering, is in the highest degree painful; but that he as seems to have been allowed to every Israelite. Even should ever throw them to the flames, appears so utterly the high-priest, Jehoiada, of whom the Bible always gives improbable, that we can hardly resist the temptation of dea good character, gave two wives to King Joash: nor did daring any narrative of such inhuman cruelty an absolute he think that in this he was trespassing the Mosaic precept, falsehood. But it is nevertheless an undoubted fact, that of which he was by his office the authentic expounder; the imitation of the neighbbouring nations, of which Moses 2 Chron.-xxiv. 3.-But the oriental seraglio now goes far expresses such anxious apprehensions in his laws, had, in beyond this moderate polygamy. There, more for state spite of all the punishments denounced against it, kept up than for connubial purposes, great multitudes of women the abominable custom of offering children in sacrifice; are brought together, and compelled to be miserable. and hence we see how necessary it was to enact the most Now it is only this excessive polygamy, this seraglio, as a rigorous laws against the idolatry, which required sadrifipart of royal state, that Moses appears to have forbidden. ces of such a nature. The lives of children were to be seThe nature of the thing itself shows, that it tends to make cured against the fury of avaricious priests, and the fears kings effeminate; and history confirms this to a much of silly fools; and if the punishments of the law did not greater extent than could have been presupposed. That it completely produce that effect, we can hardly avoid thinkexposes a reigning family to the danger of becoming ex- ing, how much it is to be regretted that they were not more tinct, we have at present a proof in the Turkish empire; severe. To many, both Jewish and Christian expositors, for of the house of Othman there are so few heirs remain- it has appeared so incredible that the Israelites should have ing, that now (1774) while I am adding this remark for the sacrificed their own. children, that wherever, in the laws, second edition, they are- apprehensive of losing the very or in the history, they find the expression, makizng theitr sc ns last of them in infancy.-The imitation of the practice too, pass through thefire to Moloch, (for it was chiefly to that god by people of rank and opulence, carries polygamy to such that human sacrifices were offered,) they are fain to e Kplain a pitch, that, as contributing to the depopulation of a coun- it on the more humane principle of their merely dedicating tly, it is much more destructive than even the pestilence. their sons to Moloch, and in token thereof, making' thlem To the Mosaic polity it was peculiarly unsuitable, for this pass between two sacrifice-fires. In confirmation. of this idea, 15 114 DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 18. the Vulgate version of Dent. xviii. 10, may be adduced; Sorcery is the fruitful source of numerous evils in the Qui lustret filium suum aut filiamn, ducens per ignem. In East.-, Charms and counter-charms call for the ingenuity, this way, the incredible barbarity of human sacrifices would the property, the hopes, and fears of thousands. They are appear to have no foundation in truth; and I very readily often used to effect the most diabolical purposes, and many admit, that of some other passages, such as Lev. xviii. 21. a seduction is attributed to their supernatural power. The 2 Kings xxi. 6. xxiii. 10. Jer. xxxii. 35, an explanation on the prophet Isaiah gives a description of the voice of a familsame principle may be given with some show of truth. — iar spirit, and of its proceeding like a whisper from the More especially with regard to the first of thesepassages, dust. "Thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out I may remark, as Le Clerc has done before me, that we find of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, a variety of lecion which makes a material alteration of and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, the sense; for instead of ('Hny,) Ilaobir, to cause to pass out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the tltrou/gh; the Samaritan text, and the LXX., read (~'n,~a) dust." Isa. xxix. 4. The margin has, for whisper, "peep Haabid, to cause to serve, or, to dedicate to the service of. In or chirp." Lev. xix. 31. 1 Sam. xxviii. 7. The deluded my Gerihan version, I have, on account of this uncertain- Hindoos, in great emergencies, have recourse to familiar ty, here made use of the general term Weihem, to dedicate, spirits, for the purpose of knowing how they may avoid the as the Vulgate had already set me the example, in render- evil which is expected, or has in part already come. In ing the clause, De semine tuco non- dabis, ut consecretur' idolo the distraction of their minds, they run to the "consulter Moloch. I was the less inclined to employ the term burn with familiar spirits," make known their desperate case, here, because no mention is made of fire, transire facere and entreat him to lend his assistance. Those "wizards per ig-net, as in other passages; but it is merely said, tran- that peep and that mutter," and who seek " for the living sire facere. At the same time I really believe, from the to the dead," Isa. viii. 19, are generally frightful in their strain of other passages to be mentioned immediately, that persons, and disgusting in their manners. See the aged C, I Y: burning is here meant.-With regard, in like manner, to impostor, with a staff in his hand: his person bent by 2 Chron. xxviii. 3, where it is expressly said, that Ahlaz years; his wild, piercing, cat-like eye; a scowhling, searchhad, in imitation of the abominable practice of the nations ing look; a clotted beard; a toothless mouth; dishevelled whom Jehovah drove out before the Israelites, burnt his sons hair; a mumbling unearthly voice; his more than half'-nawith/fire, the weighty objection may be made, that there is ked body, covered with ashes; a wild unsteady gait, joined a various reading, and that, instead of ('tr"') Veibor, he with the other insignia of his office;-give a fearful infmuburnt, almost all the ancient versions, such as the LXX., ence to his infernal profession. A man who is in distress, Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate, had read (-ups) Veiober, he and who has resolved to consult with a familiar spirit, secede to pass througoh, by the mere transposition of the see- sends for two magicians: the one is called the ~Man]theraond radical into the place of the first. The following vathe, i. e. he who repeatsathe incabtations; the other, the passages, however, are decisive of the reality of sacrifi- Anjanam-Pdrhkeravan, i. e. he who looks, and who answers cing their children. to the questions of the former. His hand is rubbed with 1. Ezek. xvi.'I, (where we find the first-mentioned ex- the Anjanam, which is made of the burnt bones of the pression,) Tho,, hast slain sml sons, and given them, to cause sloth, and the scull of a virgin; and when the ceremonies tem pass through to them. Here it is evident that, to pass have commenced, he looks steadily into his hand, and can tArougAh, or to cause to pass thbrough the fire, can, be nothing never wink or take off his eyes till all shall be finished. else than beurseing, because the sons were previously slain. On the ground are placed rice, cocoa-nuts, plantains, areca 2. The passages where the word (r-.e) Saraf, to burn, is nuts, betel leaves, milk, camphire, and frankincense. The used; and where no suspicion of any various reading can chief magician then, with a loud voice, begins to invoke the take place; Deut. xii. 31. Jer. vii. 31. xix. 5. nine gods-Ammon, Pullid2r, Scandan, Aiyenar, Iyaner, 3. Psalm cvi. 37, 38. "Their sons and daughters they Veerapatteran, Anjana, Anuman, Viraver. He then falls sacrificed unto devils. They shed the innocent blood of to the earth (as do all present) nine times, and begins to their children, and offered it to the gods of Canaan, and whisper and "mutter," while his face is in the "dust," the land was profaned with blood." and he who looks in the hand "peeps" and stares for the The punishment of those who offered human sacrifices beings who have to appear. All then stand up, and the was stoning; and that, as I think, so summarily, that the first wizard asks the second, "What do you see 2" He rebystanders, when any one was caught in such an act, had plies, "My hand is cracked, has opened, and I see on the a right to stone him to death on the spot, without any judi- ground." "What else do you see."-" All around me is cial inquiry whatever. Wh/,atever Israelite, says Moses, in light-come, Pulliar, come." "He comes!' he comes!" Lev. xx. 2, or stranger dwelling among you, gives ote qof his (His person, shape, and dress, are then described.) The children to Moloch, shall die; his neiglhbors shall stone him to other eight gods are now entreated to appear; and as they deathb. These are not the terms in which Moses usually approach, the second person says, "They come! they speaks of the punishment of stoning judicially inflicted; but, come!" and they are invited to be seated in the places preall the people shall stone him; the hands of the witnesses shall be pared for them. The first magician then inquires of the thefirst upon hIim. Besides, what follows a little after, in assembled gods, what is the cause of the affliction, adversiverses 4 and 5, does not appear to me as indicative of any ty, or danger of the person, for whom the ceremonies have thing like a matter of judicial procedure.; If the neigh- been instituted. He who "peeps" in the hand then rebours sheet their eyes, and illt not see him giving his children plies, and mentions the name of the evil spirit, who has to Moloch. nor put hirc to death, God himself woill be the aven- produced all the mischief. The malignant troubler is ge of his crinme. I am therefore of opinion, that in regard summoned to appear, and to depart; but should he refuse, to this most extraordinary and most unnatural crime, he is bound, and carried off by the gods. Is it not probable which, however, could not be perpetrated in perfect secre- that Saul, and the woman who had "a familiar spirit at cy, Moses meant to give an extraordinary injunction, and Endor," were engaged in a similar way. Saul was in to let it be understood, that whenever a parent was about great distress, for the Lord would neither answer him "by to sacrifice his child, the first person who observed him dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets;" and being wound to sarifie h help, a d hers peopearud ee n was to hasten toits help, and the people around were in- up to desperation, he determined to consult " with familiar stantly to meet, and to stone the unnatural monster to death. spirits." He took " Two men" with him, who were probaIn fact, no crime so justly authorizes extrajudicial yen- bly qualified like the Two used by the Hindoos. From the geance, as this horrible cruelty perpetrated on a helpless fear which the woman showed, it is probable her incantachild; in the discovery of which we are always sure to tions had not exactly answered her expectations, because have either the lifeless victim as a proof, or else the living "she cried with a lud voice" hen she saw amuel, protestimony of a witness who is beyond -all suspicion; and ving that she did not expect to see him, and that, therefore, where the mania of human sacrifices prevailed to such a he was sent by some other power;- Saul inquired, "What pitch as among the Canaanites, and got so completely the sawest thou "' which agrees with the question proposed by better of all the feelings of nature, it was necessary to the first magician to his assistant, as to what he saw through counteract its effects by a measure equally extraordinary the crack of his hand in the earth. The witch then replied and summary.-MIcHAELIs. to Saul, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth," which Ver. 1. Or a charmer, or a consulter with fa- naturally reminds u.s of the nine gods which are believed e. 1. Or a charmer, or a onsulter with fa- to ascend after the incantations of the wizard. Saul then railiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. I asked, "What form is he of." and the witch said he was CHAP. 19-21. - DEUTERONOMY. 115 old, and covered with a mantle, which also finds a parallel of her captivity from off her, and shall re:min in. the description of " the shape and dress" given of Pulliar in thy house, and bewail her father and her by the second magician. I am, therefore, of opinion, that God allowed Samuel to come to Saul, or sent him; and mother a full mont: an aftr that thou shalt that the witch was confounded and terrified at the result of go in unto her, and be her husband, and she her incantations.-RoBEars. shall be thy wife. CHAPTER XIX. The margin has, instead of pare her nails, "oR SUFFER C Ver. 14. Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's cGROW;" which is, I doubt not, the true meaning. This woland-mark, which they of old time have set in man was a prisoner of war, and was about to become the thine inheritance, which thou-shalt inherit in the wife of the mal who had taken her captive. Having this land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to p been taken from her native land, having had to leave her earliest and dearest connexions, and now to become the sess it. wife of a foreigner, and an enemy, she would naturally be When the sons of Israel had conquered the land of prom- overhelmed with grief. To acquire a better view of hbe ise, it was, by the divine command, surveyed and divi- state, let any woman consider herself in similar circumded by lot, first among the twelve tribes; and then the por- stances. She accompanies her husband, or father, to the tion of each tribe was laid out in separate inheritances, battle; the enemy becomes victorious, and she is carried according to the number of the families composing the off by the hand of a ruthless stranger, and obliged to subtribe; and thus every man in the nation had his field, which mit to his desires. Poignant indeed would be the sorrow lie was directed to cultivate for the support of himself and of her mind. The poor captive was to " shaie lies head in his family. To prevent mistake and litigation, these fields token of her distress, which is a custom in all parts of the were marked off by stones set up on the limits, which East at this dav. A son on the death of his lather or a could not be removed without incurring the wrath of heav- woman on the decease of her husband, has the HEAeD SIAVED en. The divine command, in relation to this matter, in token of sorrow. To shave the head also, is a punishruns in these terms; " Thou shalt not remove thy neigh- ment inflicted on females for certain crimes. The fair bour's land-mark, which they of old time have set in thine captive, then, as a sign of her misery, was to shave her inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land which the head, because her father or mother was among the slain, Lord thy God giveth thee to possess." In Persia, land- or n consequence of having become a prisoner of war. marks are still used: in the journey from Arzroumn to It showed her sorrow; and was a token of her submission. Amasia, Morier found the boundaries of each man's pos- (See also Job i. 20. See on 2 Chronicles xvi. 14." Isa. vii. session, here and there, marked by large stones. Land- 20, and xviii. 2.) But this poor woman was to suffer her marks were used in Greece long before the age of Homer; nails to grow, as an additional emblem of her distress. for when Minerva fought with Mars, she seized with her That it does not mean she -was to PARE her nails, as the powerful hand, a piece of rock, lying in the plain, black, text has it, is established by the custom in the East, of alrugged and large, which ancient men had placed to mark lowing them to grow when in sorrow. The marginal The boundary of the field.-PAXTON. reading, therefore, would have been much better for the text. When people, either in the church or state, are perCHAPTER XX. forming penance, or are in captivity, br disgrace, or prisTer. 19. WThen thou shalt besiege a city a longo on, or are devotees, they suffer their nails to growr; and some may be seen, as were those of the monarch of Babytime, in making wiar against it to.take it, thou lou, in his sorrow, "like birds' claws," literally folding shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing round the ends of the fingers, or shooting throug-h the backs an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of of their hands. But when men fast,' hich is sometimes them, and thou shalt not cut them down, (for done for one or' two years, or when husbands fast du.ring ithem, tree theou l isalt man's lifhe,) to e y (r their wives' first pregnancy, they suffer their nails to grow; the tree of the field is man's life,) to employ also a female, when in sorrow from other causes, does not them in the siege. "pare her nafils" until she has performed the ceremony called Antherette.-ROBERTS. Can it be a matter.of surprise that the Orientals have a There is a passage in Deuteronomv xxi. l2. about the great aversion'to cut down any tree which bears fruit, when sense of which our translators appear tohave been extieeit is known that they principally live on vegetable produc-y uncertain: translating one clause of the 12th verseI nid tions. Ask a man to cut down a cocoa-nut or palmira pare her nails, in the text; and the margin giving the clause tree, and he will say, (except when in want, or to oblige a a quite opposite sense, " suffr to grow." So that, according great person,) " WVhat! destroy that which gives me food to them, the words signify, that the captived woman should from which I have thatch for.my house to defend me fiom be obliged, in the case referred to by Moses, to pare he? the sun and the rain'. which gives me oil for my lamp, a nails, oto snfer them to grow, but they could not tell which ladle for my kitchen, and charcoal for my fire. from which these two contradictory things the Tewish legislator reI have sugar for my board, baskets for my fruits, a bucket quired; the Jewish doctors are, in like manner, divided in for my well, a mat for my bed, a pouch for my betel leaf, sfor m yy bel, a nmat for my bey, a poachm for my etl leaf, their opinion on this subject. To me it seems very plain, leaves for my books, a fence for my yard, and a'broom for that it as not a mangement of ffliction and mourning that it was not a management of affliction and mourning my house. Destroy such a tree'. Go to some needy wretch that was enjoined; such an interpretation agrees not with who has pledged his last jewel, and who is anxious to eat the putting off the raiment of her captivity; but th en I very his last meal."-RoBEsRs. much, question whether the paring her nails takes in the CHAPTER XXI. whole of the intention of Moses. The precept of the law'Ver. 6. Arnd all the elders of that city, that are'was, that she should make her nails: so the Hebrew words the.And sll t an, eldrsotha was thr'han s r literally signify. Making hier nails, signifies making her next unto the slain.cin, shall wash their hands nails neat, beautifying them, making them pleasing to the over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley. sight, or something of that sort: dgressing them is the word TWhen a great man refuses to grant a favour to a friend our translators have chosen; according to the margin. The or relation, the latter asks, " hat! ae you going to wash 2 Sam. xix. 24, which the critics have cited on this occasion, plainly proves this: "Mephihosheth, the son of Saul, your hands of me!" " Ah! he has washed his hands of all his relations;" which means, he will not have any thing came down to mee t the, anor had neither made his more to do with them; he is entirely free, and will not be aythekin departed, nor washed his clothes, from the accountable for them. Henceth uprvbAo daythe king departed, until the day he came again in pence.:' ecclloitttd kai faoni nheitm.Henn, i. e. " He has washed his It is the same word with that in the text, and our translators hands of all."-ROBERuTS. have rendered it in one clause dressed, in the margin of Dent. xxi. dressed his.feet; and in the other trimmed, norl Ver. 12. Then thou shalt bring her home to thy trimmed his beard. Making the feet, seems here to mean house, and she shall shave her head, and a:te washing the feet, paring their nails, perhaps anointing, or and pa'o.Xotherwise perfuming them, as he was a prince; see Luke her nails; 13. And she shall put the raiment vii. 46. As making his beard may mean combing, curling, vii. 4. As mkino- is ber mav ean cobing, uttia, 16 - DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 22. perfuming it; every thing, in a word, that those that were widow, that had had children by her former marriage, I people of distinction, and in a state of joy, were wont to do. do not historically know; but this much is certain, that such lbakinzg her aicis, undoubtedly means paring them; but it son could not be called Pheter Rechem, the first-fruit of rmust mean too every thing else relating to them, that was the mother; and, therefore, could be none of the first-born wont to be done for the beautifying them, and rendering who, by the Levitical law, (Exod. xiii. 12. Numb. iii. 40them beautiful. We have scarcely any notion of any thing 51,) were consecrated to the Lord; but still he probably else but paring them; but the modern eastern women have; enjoyed the rights of a first-born in relation to his brothers. they stain them with the leaves of an odoriferous plant, This, however, was a case that could rarely occur, because which they call Al-henna, of a red, or, as others express it, it appears that the Hebrews seldom married widows who a tawny saffron colour. But it may be thought, that is only had been mothers; although I do find one example of such a mnodern mode of adorning their nails: Hasselquist, how- a marriage. Besides his double share of the inheritance, ever. assures us, it was an ancient oriental practice. " The the first-born in patriarchal families had great privileges, Aln-henna," he tells us, " grows in India, and in Upper and and a sort of authority over his brethren; just as at present Lower Egypt, flowering from May to August. The leaves an Arab emir is, for the most part, only the first-bo'vrn oJ are pulverized, and made into a paste with water: they the first-born of his family, and, as such, rules a horde, combind this paste on the nails of their hands and feet, and posed merely of his kinsmen. This was also the case under keep it on all night. This gives them a deep yellow, which the Mosaic polity, though with some limitation in point of is greatly admired by the eastern nations. The colour authority; and hence we find in the genealogies of the first lasts for three or four weeks, before there is occasion to re- book of' Chronicles, the first-born is often likewise termed new it. -The custom is so ancient in Egypt, that I have the head (wvir) of the family; and in chap. xxvi. 10, it is seen the nails of mummies died in this manner. The pow- stated as a circumstance somewhat singular and unusual,, der is exported in large quantities yearly, and may be that a father constituted one, who was not a first-born, reckoned a valuable commodity." It appears by this to be the head. How much further these rights extended, I know a very ancient practice; and since mummies were before not, excepting only in this particular, that the first-born was tiie tine of Moses, this custom of dying the nails might be only the head of the lesser family.-MIcHAELIS. as ancient too; though we do not suppose the mummies Hasseliquist saw, with their nails thus coloured, were so old as Ver. 19. Then shall his father,and his mother his time. lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the If it was practised in Egypt before the law was given, elders of the city, and unto the gate of his plce. we may believe the Israelites adopted it, since it appears to be a most universal custom now in the eastern coun- The gates of cities, in these days, and for many ages aftries: Dr. Shaw observing that all the African ladies that ter, were the places of judicature and common resort. can purchase it, make use of it, reckoning ita great beauty; Here the governors and elders of the city went to hear as we learn from Rauwolff, it appears also to the Asiatic complaints, administer justice, make conveyances of titles females. I cannot but think it most probable theni, that and estates, and, in short, to transact all the public affairs of mlaking the nails, signifies tinging as well as paring them. the place. And from hence is that passage in the Psalmist, Pa'ring alone, one would imagine too trifling a circum- "They shall not be ashamed when they speak to their enestance to be intended here. No commentator, however, mies in the gate." (Ps. cxxvii. 5.) It is probable that the that I know of, has taken any notice of ornamenting the room, or hall, where the magistrates sat, was over the gate, nails by colouring them. As for shaving the head, which because Boaz is said to go up to the gate; and the reason is joined with making the nails, it was a rite of cleansing, of having it built there, seems to have been for the conas appears from Lev. xiv. 8, 9, and Num. vi. 9, and used venience of the inhabitants, who, being all husbandmen, buY those who, after having been in an afflicted and squalid and forced to pass and repass every morning and evening state, appeared before persons to whom they desired to as they went and came from theirlabour, might be more render themselves acceptable, and who were also wont to easily called, as they went by, whenever they were wanted change their raiment on the same occasion. See Gen. xli. to appear in any business.-BURnER. 14.- iARtaIER. Ver. 23. His body shall not remain all night Ver. 17. But he shall acknowledge the son of upon the tree, but thou shalt in anywise bury the hated for the first-born, by giving him a him that day. X double portion of all that he hath: for he is the An Englishman is astonished in the East, to see how soon beginning of his strength; the right of tbe after death the corpse is buried. Hence a new-comer, on first-born is hins. hearing of the death of a servant, or native officer, who died in the morning, and who is to be interred in the evenNext to the father, the first-born of a family possessed ing, is almost disposed to interfere with what is to him ap e greatest ights. There were not, however, in a faily parently abarbarous practice. When the cholera prevails, as many first-born as mothers; in other words, to be so it is truly appalling to see a man in one hour in health, and called, it was not enough that a man should be the first the next carried to his long-home. The reason assigned fruit of the mother, or, as the Hebrews term it, Pheter Re- for this haste is the heat of the climate.-RoBERTs. chemn, (ann ta-) but that he should, at the same time, be the first son of his father, who was called Becor, (n) ard the CHAPTER XXII. abegsinnin of hoins stsegth. The law of Deut. xxi. 1 —17, Ver. 4. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or places this beyond doubt, and the family history of Jacob his ox fal domi by the way, and hide thyself confirms it. For though Jacob had four wives, and children by them all, yet he gave the birthright to one son only, from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift 1 Chron. v. 1, 2. That right Reuben had forfeited by a them up again. great crime; but if he had not done so he would certainly have been considered as the only Iirst-born, as he alone is Whoever saw a beast tottering or lying under the weight indeed called so in the history, Gen. xlix. 3. If, instead of of his burden, was bound to help him; and that with the this, the first son of every mother had been denominated same exertion and perseverance as the owner himself was the first-born, it would have been impossible that, among a doing, or would have done. Nor durst he (for this the people consisting of 600,000 adult males, and where there words of Moses seem to imply) desist, but with the owner; inist have been at least 300,000 males above 20 years of that is, until the owner himself left the beast, seeing him age, there could be numbered no more than 22,000 first- past relief, Exod. xxiii. 5. Both these were incumbent duborn of a month old, and above it; because this would have ties even when the beast belonged to an enemy; and the required that every mother, one with another, had brought passages above referred to, expressly mention the ox and 40 (but because it is so incredible I will write the word at ass of an enemy. This is reasonable; for we expect that length, forty) children into the world. In my Dissertation, even our enemy will be humane enough to foreget his en-,De Censibus Hlebrceoru'nm, to which I here refer the reader, mity, and give us his aid in a time of need, or, at any rate, I have illustrated thispoint at greater length. How the mat- that he will not be so little as to extend his enmity to a Ifr was settled when a father had his first-born son by a beast quite innocent of our quarrel, and that lies in distress CHAP. 22. DEUTERONOMY. 117 before his eyes. What we expect, we should do in our vation of noxious birds; yet, in fact, nothing can be more turn; and if we will not listen to the su'gestions of moral conformable to legislative wisdoRm, especially on the introobligation, still we must see, that among a nation of hus- duction of colonies into a new country. To extirpate, or bandmen and herdsmen, it was a matter of great import- even to persecute, to too great an extent, any species of ance to preserve the lives of work-beasts. And upon the birds in such a country, from an idea, often too hastily enfsame principle, we might perhaps be enjoined to extinguish, tertained, of its being hostile to the interests of the inlhabitif need were, a fire in our enemy's house, as if it were our ants, is a measure of very doubtful policy. It ought, in own. How humane soever this law of Moses may appear, general, to be considered as a part of Nature's bounty, bewe must at the same time recollect, that it was not given to stowed for some important purpose; but what that is, we a people like ourselves, but to a people among whom every certainly discover too late, when it has been extirpated, and individual generally had cattle; so that they could not butbe the evil consequences of that measure are begun to be felt. influenced by the great duty of reciprocity, which among us, In this matter, the legislator should take a lesson from the at least in towns, does not here hold, because but few have naturalist. Linneus, whom all will allow to be a perfect cattle.-Among the Israelites, none almost could be so unac- master in the science of natural history, has made the above customedto their management, or to their relief in distress, as remark in his Dissertation, entitled, mistoria N~atie'clis cni our towns-people are. This last circumstance is peculiarly Bono? and gives two remarkable examples to confirm it: deserving of notice. I grant that such a law would, in Ger- the one, in the case of the Little Crow: of Virgiica, (C oacqti many, be a very strange one, if accompanied with no limita- la Qseiscela,) extirpated, at great expense, on account of its tion to certain classes of the community; for he who is not supposed destructive effects, and which the inhabitants from his infancy conversantwithbeasts, seldom acquires the would soon gladly have re-introduced at double expense; cbnfidence or dexterity requisite for their aid when in dan- the other, in that ofthe Egpptian Vultus'e,' or Rachaca., ( Yultder ger, without hurting himself. He, perhaps, sits perfectly well Percznopoterses, Linn.) In the city of Cairo, every place is so on horseback, and can do all that belongs to a good rider, full of dead carcasses, that the stench of them would not fail when mounted; but to help up with a horse fallen down to produce putrid diseases; and where the caravans travel. under his load, or to stop one that has run off, tould not dead asses and camels are always lying. The Racl/a, be his forte.-Add to this, that among us, neither the ox, which molestsno livingthing, consumes these carcasses, and nor theass, but the horse alone, is so honourable, that a clears the country of them; and it even follows the track of gentleman could help up with him, without demeaning him- the caravan to Mecca, for the same purpose: -and so grateself, and being laughed at. But among a nation of farm- ful are the people for the service it thus does the country, that ers, who ploughed with oxen and asses, and where there devout and opulent Mohammedans are wont to establish were no hereditary noblesse, such a foolish idea, which a foundationsfor its support, by providing for the expense of a legislator must have attended to, could have no place. certain number of beasts to be daily killed, and given every We shall find that Moses, throughout his laws, mani- morning and evening to the immense flocks of facnicems fests even towards animals a spirit of justice and kind- that resort to the place where criminals are executed, and ness, and inculcates the avoidance, not only of actual rid the city, as it would seem, of their carcasses in like mancruelty, but even of its appearance. A code of civil law ner. These eleemosynary institutions, and the sacred redoes not, indeed, necessarily provide for the rights of ani- gard shown to these birds by the MohammedSinsi are likemals; because they are not citizens; but still, the way in wise testified by Dr. Shaw, in his Travels. These exam.. which animals are treated, so strongly influences the man- ples serve pretty strongly to show', that in respect, at least" ners and sentiments of a people even towards their fellow- to birds, we ought to place as much confidence in the w iscreatures, (for he who habitually acts with cruelty and want dom and kindness of Nature, as not rashly to extirpate anyr of feeling to beasts, will soon become cruel and hard-heart- species which she has established in a country, as a great, ed to men,) that a legislator will sometimes find it necessary and, perhaps, indispensable blessing. Limit its ntmiberms to attend to it, to prevent his people from becoming savage. we certainly may, if they incommode us; but still so as -MmICAELm.s. that the race shall not become extinct. Of quadrupeds and insects I say nothing, because, with regard to them, we have Ver. 6. If a bird's-nest chance to be before thee not such experience to guide us. No inconvenience has in the way in any tree, or on the ground, arisen in England, nor even in tha; populous part of Gerwhether they be young ones or eggs, and the many between the Weser and the Oder, from the loss of dan sitting upon the young or upon the egs, the wolves; although I cannot'understand,' but must leave dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thuhatottaeheda wt t ong it to naturalists to find out, how it should happen, that, in thou shalt not take, the dam with the young. any country, beasts of prey can be extirpated with less in7. Bzt thou shalt in anywise let the dam go, convenience than birds; wild cats, for instance, and to and take the young to tbee; that it may be w7ell bring that parallel closer, than owls, both of which live ZD~ ~ ~ ~~~~~uo mice ~. There are yet thg'ee peculiar circums.tances with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy pon mie There are yet thee peculiar circmsancs to be noted which would naturally make the Israelihish days. legislator singularly attentive to the preservation of birds. It is the command of Moses, that if a person find a 1. He was conducting a colony of people into a cout'bird's-nest in the way, whether on a tree or on the ground, try with which they were unacquainted, and. hete they though he may take the eggs, or the young, he shall not might very probably attempt to extirpate any species of take the mother, but always allow her to escape. It is clear bird that seemed troublesome, without adverting to its real that he here speaks, not of those birds which nestle upon importance;. just as the Virginian colonists did, in the case people's property; in other words, that he does not, for in- of their crow. stance, prohibit an Israelite from totally destroying a spar- 2. Palestine is situatedin a climate producing poisono is row's or a swallow's nest, that might happen to be trouble- snakes and scorpions, and between deserts and miouttainm, some to him, or to extirpate to the utmost of his power the from which it would be inundated with those snaklies, if birds that infested his field or vineyard. He merely en- the birds that lived on them were extirpated. joins what one was to do on finding such nests on the way, 3. From the same deserts too, it would be o verm heh ed that is, ieithout one's property: thus guarding against either with immense multitudes of locusts and tice, if it were testhe utter extinction, or too great diminution of anlly species titute of those birds, that resort thither to feed on them; not of bird indigenous to the country. And this in some coun- to mention the formidable swarms of flies in the East, ant tries is still, with respect to partridges, an established rule; particularly in Palestine, of which I have taken notice in which, without a special law, is observed by every real my Dissertation on this law.-MicHn ELIs. sportsman, and the breach of which subjects him to the re- er. 8. he thou builest a ne e, th proaches of his brethren. Nor would any further illustra- Ver. 8. When thou buildest a ew e, then tion be necessary, if Moses spoke only of edible birds, and thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that as if merely concerned for their preservation. But this is thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any not the case. His expression is so gen-ral, tat we must man fall from thence. needs nnderstand it of all birds whatever, even those that are most destructive, besides what are properly.birds of The roof is always flat, and often composed of branches prey. And here many readers may think it strange, that of wood laid across rude beams, and to defend it from the Mloses should be represented as providing for the preser- injuries of the weather, to which it is peculiarly exposed 113 DEUTERONOM1Y. CHAP. o23. i the rainy season, it is covered with a strong plaster of purpose of hardening and flattening this layer of made soil, terrace. It is surrounded by a wall breast high, which so that the rain may not penetrate: but upon this surface, forms the partition with the contiguous houses, and pre- as may be supposed, grass and weeds grow freely. It is to vents olte from falling into the street on the one side, or into such grass that the Psalmist alludes, as useless and bad." the court on the other. This answers to the battlements (Jowett's Christian Researches in Syria.) There is also which Moses commanded the people of Israel to make for mention of persons on the house-top hastily escaping from the roof of their houses, for the same reason. "When thence without entering the house to secure their property thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battle- -as if hastily awaked out of sleep, or, &c. by the clamours ment (nrtpt) for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon of an invading enemy. —TaYLOR IN CALMET. thy house, if any man fall from thence." Instead of theT parapet wall, some terraces are guarded, like the galleries, Ver. 10. Thou shalt not plough with an ox and with balustrades only, or latticed work. Of the same an ass together. kind, probably, was the lattice or net, as the term (n:tv Le Cler and someothers thin that this textis to beaslebaca) seems to import, through which Ahaziah, the Le Cler and someothers think that this textis to be takun- of Samaria,.:fell down into the court. This incident iing of Samariafell down into the court. his incident ken in a symbolical sense, and that intermarriages with proves the necessity of the law which Jehovah graciously pagans and unbelievers are forbidden by it. amonides dictated from Sinai, and furnishes a beautiful example of and the Jexvsh rabbies are of opinion, that this prohibition is ptenal care and goodness; for the terrace was aplace was given in consequence of the ox being a clean, and the where many offices of the family were performed, and bu- ass an unclean anial. But other interpretation need iness of no little importance was occasionally transacted. be sought than that which arises from the humanity shown ltaab concealed the spies on the roof, with the stalks of to ils in various parts of the Mosaic laws. The ass to animals in various parts of the Mosaic laws. The ass flax which she had laid in order to dry; the king of Israel i lower than the ox, and when in a yoke toether must accoing to the stom of his country, rose om his bed, bear the principal weight, and that in a very painhful posiaccording to the custom of his country, rose from his bed, and aled uon the roof of his house, to enjoy the refesh- tion of the neck; his steps are unequal, and his strength is ing breezes of the evening; upon the top of the house, the iferior, hich mst occasion an irregular dragh, and prophet conversed with Saul, about the gracious designs of great oppression to both. The ass is a stubborn, refractory, God, respecting him and his family; to the same place, and, in these countries, a spirited creature; the ox on the Peter retired to offer up his devotions; and in the feast of contrary, is gentle, tractable, and patient: riters on tabernacles, under the government of Nehemiah, booths culture, therefore, have given the same precept as Moses; were erected, as well upon the terraces of their houses, as and Calpurnius says enerally, Ne pecora quidem jugo nisi paria succedant. —" Let no cattle be'voked togethe in their courtt, and in the streets of the city. In Judea, the nisi pari succedant.- Let no cattle be yoked together ihbitats sleep pon the tops of their houses uring th except they match." Cruel and unnatural as this practice heats of stummer. in arbours made of the branches of trees, hea a of summer, in ar~hours made of the branches of trees, is, we may suppose it was not uncommon; for we find it or it tents of rushes. When Dr. Pococke was at Tiberias alluded to in the Aizlmlas'iac of Plautus, act i. s. 4. Old in Galilee, he was entertained by the sheik's steward, and Euclio, addressing himself to Megadorus, says, Nunc sii with his company supped upon the top of the house for lliam locassem meam tibi, in mentem venit.'Te bovem coolness, according to their custom, and lodged there like- esse, et me esse asellum,ubi tecum conjunctus sim. "f I e in a st of closet of wabout eight feet square, rmed ere to give my daughter to you, it occurs to me, that wlhen ofwiskenar- ofk closeteredabound egtowetsqards e, fortme, bu of uticcr-rworii, plastered round towards the bottom, but we had formed this alliance, I should be the ass, and you without any door, each person having his cell. In like the Ox"n-BuEne,. mnianner, th~e Persians take refuge during the day in sub' n the Persians tae refge during the day in sub- In the sandy fields of Syria and Egypt, where deep tetraneous chambers, and pass the night on the flat roofs of ploughin, by draini off the moistre necessary to veget~eir ho-us~es. —~Pd~xvomr. tation, would be hurtful, a single ass is occasionally seen WVe have repeated intimations in scripture, of a custom drawing the plough. The implement employed, is tade -which would be extremely inconvenient in England'- rt correspond with the strength of the animal; it is so light, that of sleeping on the top of the house, exposed to the that a man of moderate strength" says Dr. Russel, " tay open air, and siy: so we read, " Samuel came to call Saul easily carry it with one hand; a little cow, or at most two, about the spring of the day, not to-but oN-the top of the and sometimes only an ass, is sufficient to draw it." But Iouse; and communed with him ON the house-top." So this is done only in very light soils; where the ground is Solomon observes, "It is better to dwell in a corner on the stiffer, and a deeper furrow required, two beasts are yoked sto-ethr, ind a deperfurrow Sreqiae, twher theasts are oke house-top, than with a brawling woman in a wide street." together in one plough. In Syra, where the distnctin The same idea may be noticed elsewhere. "It has ever eteen clean and clean beasts did not exist, and were been a custom with them, [the Arabs in the East,] equally unnatural associations were disregarded, they very oftet connected with health and pleasure, to pass the nights in joined an ox and an ass in the same yoke. But the law of pon the huse-tos, which for this very purpose Moses prohibited, by an express statute, such incongruous are made flat, and divided- from each other by walls. Wve mixtures: "Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass found this way of sleeping extremely agreeable; as we toether. The chosen people iht employ them both i reby enjoyed the cool air, above the reach of gnats and tilling their ground; but, j every instance, tlhey were to th.iereby enjoyed the cool air, above the reach of gnats and yapours, w'ithiout any other covering than tihe canopy of the v without any other covering than te canopyof the be joined only with those of their own species. This preheavenes, which unavoidably presents itself in different,'tmven, which unavoidably presents itself in different cept embraced at once, the benefit of the tribes, and the pleasing forms, upon every interruption of rest, when si- comfort of their cattle. The benevolent legislator would not have animals of -nneqnal strength, and of discordant lrnce and solitude strongly dispose the mind to contempla- not have animals of unequal strength, and of discordant ti" (ood's Balbec, Introdutio.) "I determinehe habits and dispositions, forced into a union to which they should lodge in a kiosque, on the top of my house, where I are naturally averse, and where the labor old not h I.ept him till his exaltation to the patriarchate, which, after equally divided. But Jehovah, whose care extends to the a long negotiation, my wife's brother obtained, for a pretty happiness even of an ox or an ass, had certainly a highcr happiness even of an ox or an ass, bad certainly a higher larg su fmnytepi in. new sequins." (Baron 1i," "re sumof money, to be paid in new sequis." (ao object in'view. He meant, by this prohibition, to instruct du Tott.) The propriety of the Mosaic precept (Deut. xxii. his people to preserve, with solicitude, the unaffected sin (B'nhis people to preserve, with solicitudet, the umaffeeted sire8 hip oders a kind of balustrade, or papet, to sur licity of the patriarchal ages, in their manner of living; 8 S) -which orders a kind of balustrade, or parapet, to sur- 2 round the roof, lest any man should fall from thence, is to avoid unnatural associations among themselves, and undu aiirto wihvoeidolnatousa asocations around themsevs abdy strongly enforced by this relation; for, if we suppose a per- due familirity with the idolatrous nations aroun them, by son to rise in the night, without being fully awake, he contracting marriages with them, entering into alliances, n/gto rieasinlyh nigt wimself byealing fully awkhe r o. Some mu21gttt easily kill himself by falling from the roof. Some- or engaging in extensive mercantile transactions, still more, thing, of the kind appears in the history of.Amaziah, th. an, of the knindi appears in the history of ~Ama~ziab, by joining in the impure rites of their wotship: To this 2 Kin-s m i. s 2 In several places scripture hints at grass moral aspect of the law, the great apostle of the Gentilesi on the house-tops, but which comes to nothing evidently refers in his charge to the Corinthians: " Be ye el) ~~~~~~~~~~~not unequally yoked to-ether with unbelievers; for what The fomlowing quotation will shov the nature of this: "l In not unually yoed toethr with unbeievers; for what b ~~~~~~~~~~~fellowship hath i'ighteousness with 1.mrighteousness?. and top~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ow hat comunion whih lisflt.h wihol droofesths.-ATN earth; which was carriad up, and spread evenly on the what communion bath light with darktess."-PsxroN.,op.. the house, which is flat. The whole roof is thus CHAPTER XXIII. CHAPTER XXIII. fo,-nr' of mere earth, laid on, and rolled hard and flat. On bhe top of every house is a large stone roller, for the Ver. 19. Whou shalt not lend upon usury to thy CHAP. 24. DEUTERONOMY. 9'D brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, the grapes, and ate them within the vineyard. We shall uSury of alny thing that is lent upon usury. frequently see, that the laws of Moses manifest a certain ~usury of nythig hatislet -podegree of indulgence and kindness to the cravings of nature; 20. Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon which, far from wishing to torture, they would not even usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend have exposed to any temptation, that might lead a man to upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless theft. This is a point of great importance to the preservathee in all that thou settest thy hand to in the tion of the moral character of a people. Hunger, or apit.~ ~ petite, often hurries a man of the most honourable princiland whither thou goest to possess it. ples to devour grapes and other eatables that are net See on Lev. 25. 26. watched; if his conscience make this theft, the great boundary that distinguishes the man of honour fromn the Vei 24. When thou comest into thy neighbour's thief, is in a manner overstepped, and if this happen often, he will at last become a thief in a higher sense, having vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill, lost all conscience and regard to character. It is,therefore, at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put certainly better, if it can be done without any material in.aay ill thy vessel. 25. When, thou comest jury to property, to allow him the liberty of eating a little into the standing corrn of thy neighbour, then of such things, inl order to keep him a conscientious, honourable man. Legislators sometimes attend but too little thou mayest pluck the ears with thy hand; to moral niceties of this nature; and yet it is possible therebut thou -shalt not move a sickle unto thy by to corrupt a whole peopfe, and rob them of their honesty. neighbour's standing corn. Moses, on the other hand, would give no sanction to the practice of free pasturage, although he gave his laws to a If a man was passing along another's field, he was allow- people sprung from wandering herdsmen, to whose cattle, ed to pluck ears of corn to eat, but forbidden to use the the whole country where they lived was a common; and sickle, Deut. xxiii. 25. This pretty much accords with herein he is a most perfect antipode to our laws of indiswhat is common among ourselves; for no owner of a field, criminate pasturage, which prove so great a misfortune" to unless he wishes to render himself ridiculous by his nig- Germany. Whoever drove his cattle into another's field gardliness, will hinder a passenger from plucking his ears or vineyard, and fed therein, was obliged to pay a grazing of corn, and eating them. But the liberty of the stranger,'ent, but whether for the whole year, or only for the pre.' by the Mosaifc law, perhaps extended still further: for if cise time of occupation, I am uncertain, Exod. xxii. Howthe poor man had plucked up whole handfuls of ears, and ever favourable, therefore, he may have been to the poor, carried them off, I do not thence see how he could have in authorizing them to pluck a few ears of corn, or to glean been found punishable, or how it could have been prevent- what was left in the fields, he by no means thought it just ed. I de not take upon me absolutely to decide the point, that, by any law of free pasturage, a man should be obstructbecause the law is very briefly expressed. I only remark, ed in using his field as his own property solely, and in. that this very law, which among us would be very unjust turning it to the best account, even after harvest. Whoever and pernicious, had quite another aspect among a people has heard the complaints of economists against commons, consisting entirely of husbandmen: for where every citi- which with us, without injustice to individuals, it is so zen, or, in other words, every one belonging to the nation, difficult to abolish, while yet they so effectually obstruct the has his own land, one will not be apt, from avarice, to tear full improvement of the fields, will perceive the importance up another's corn, because he must expect that his neigh- and the wisdom of this law, the enforcing of which was bour will retaliate in like manner upon his. It will, there- attended -with no difficulty after the conquest of a new fore, most probably be only as he travels along, that he will country.-MICHAELIS. eat a few ears for pleasure, and that may readily be allowed him. In the verse immediately preceding, (Deut. xxiii. CHAPTER XXIV. 24,) Moses has an ordinance.respecting vineyards, which Ver. 10. When thou dost lend thy brother any may to us appear more singular, and to bear harder on their owners. The stranger that came into another's vineyard, thng, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch was authorized to eat as many grapes as he pleased, only his pledge. 11. Thou shalt stand abroad, and he might not carry any off in his basket, or other such ves- the man to whom thou dost lend shall bling out sel. To my illustration of this law, I must premise, that I the ledge abroad unto thee. 12. And if the am not a native of a wine country; having been born at Halle, on the extreme verge of the wine district of Germa- man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his ny, and where vineyards are so rare, that under such a law pledge: 13. In any case thou shalt deliver him they could not possibly exist. Insuch a climate, every indi- the pledge again when the sun goeth down, vidual bunch of grapes is not'indeed a rarity, (for that I can- that may sleep in his own raent, and not say of my native country,) but, at any rate, an article that may sleep in his ow raiment, and of sale, and worth money. Perhaps, therefore, a native of a more southern region, where wine is produced in greater thee before the LORD thy God. abundance, would be able to explain this part of the-Mosaic law better, and would find it more agreeable to justice. Among the Israelites in the time of Moses, it must have But besides all that persons acquainted with wine countries been very common to lend on pledge-and that, according could say, there is this additional circumstance here to be to the meaning of the word, in natural law, which allows attended to, and which is quite inapplicable to all our wine the creditor, in the case of non-payment, to appropriate the countries, viz. that every Israelite had his paternal land; pledge to his own behoof, without any authoritative interand if he lived in a district where wine was grown, (which position of a magistrate,. and to keep it just as rightfully as was the case in most parts of Palestine, the country being if it had been bought with the sum which has been lent for mountainous;) he probably had a vineyard of his own, as it, and which remains unpaid. But while pledges are unwell as his neighbour. The right, therefore; to eat one's der no judicial regulation, much extortion and villany fill in another's vineyard, was, in most cases, merely a may be practised, when the poor man who wishes to bor.jetS reciproceo1n.: and thus I might with freedom satisfy row is in straits, and must of course submit to all the terms my appetite, wherever I saw grapes before me; single imposed by the opulent lender. This we know from daily bunches being there no article of sale. This to travellers experience: the persons who lend money extrajudicially was a gratification always acceptable, and a piece of cour-' on pledge, being generally odious or contemptible usurers. tesy that cost the owners but little; and to those who had Among a poor people, such as we must suppose every no land, that is, to the poor, it was a sort of alms, or, at people to be in their infancy, the evils of pledging are stilt least, a comfort, that they could thus satisfy their appetite more oppressive. The poor man often finds himself tinder without being chargeable with theft, or injustice. If the a far greater- necessity of borrowing, than we can easily owner of a vineyard found them too assiduous, or their imagine, because there is nothing to be earned; aid the visits too frequently repeated, there was nothing in the law husbandman, who has had a bad harvest, or his arop that hinderetl him from enclosing it, or turning them out. destroyed by hail, or locusts, must often borrow, not money, Only they coald not be declared thieves, if they but plucked but bread, or else starve. In such cases, he will give in 120 DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 25 pledge, whatever the rich lender requires, however greatly and honourable article of dress. This greatly aggravated it may be to his loss. Nor has he, like borrowers in our the indignity which the king of Ammon offered to the amdays, many articles which'he can dispense with, and bassadors of David, by cutting off their garments in the pledge; such as superfluous apparel, numerous shirts, and middle to their buttocks; he insulted them b) spoiling the changes of linen, household furniture, and various little most esteemed part of their dress;. he exposed them tc luxuries, that are become fashionable among our poorest shame, by uncovering their nakedness, as they seem to people; but lie must instantly surrender things of indispen- have worn no breeches under their upper garments. The sable use and comfort, suc}h as the clothes necessary to tunic was the principal part of the Jewish dress; it was keep him warm, his implements of husbandry, his cattle, made nearly in the form of our present shirt. A round and (who could suppose it 1) his very children. Here the hole was cut at top, merely to permit the head to pass avaricious lender on pledge cannot but be most heartily through. Sometimes it had long sleeves, which reached detested, and incur the universal execration of the people. down to the wrists; at other times short sleeves, which Andxhence, in the book of Job, which gives us some views reached to the elbow; some had very short sleeves, which of Arabian manners, such as they were a little before the reached only to the middle of the upper arm, and some had departure of the Israelites from Egypt, when the picture of no sleeves at ali. The tunic was nearly the same with the a villain is drawn, the author does not forget, as one trait Roman stola; and was, in general, girded round the waist, of his character, to represent him as a lender upon pledge. or under the breast, with the zona or girdle. Descending Thus in chap. xxii. 6, xxiv. 7. He extorts pledges vithout to the ground, and floating round the feet, it was, in the.Laving lent, (an act of extreme injustice, which, however, days of our Lord, a distinguishing badge of the proud may take place when the pledge is given, before the loan is Pharisee: " Beware of the scribes," said he, "w mho love to paid down,) and makes his debtors go naked; probably be- walk in long robes," in tunics at full length, and reaching cause he has taken their most necessary clothes in pledge, to the ground. ~ These coats were collared at the neck, and and as unfeelingly as illegally detained them.-In chap. fringed at the bottom. Over the tunic they wore a blanket) xxiv. 3. He takes the iwidow's ox for a pledge; so that she which the Arabs call a hyke, and is the very same with the cannot plough her land, to gain the needful for clearing off plaid of the Scotch Highlanders. These hykes are of difthe debt; and the ox, thus pledged perhaps for a trifle, if it ferent sizes, and of different quality and fineness. They cannot be redeemed on the day of payment, becomes the are commonly six yards long, and five or six feet broad; certain property of the greedy creditor. But the poor widow serving the Kabyle and Arab for a complete dress in the thus loses ten times as much as he unjustly gains, unless he day; and " as they sleep in raiment," like the Israelites of yet think fit to repair the injury done to her land; for she old, it serves likewise for their bed and covering by night. can now no more cultivate it, and must be every day It is a loose but troublesome garment, frequently discomptunging deeper in debt and misery. —At ver. 9. He takes posed, and falling upon the ground; so that the person who even the infant of the needy for? a pledge, and, of course, if wears it, is every moment obliged to tuck it up, and fold it not duly redeemed, keeps it, for bond-service, however anew about his body. This shows the great use of a girdle disproportioned to its value the loan may have been. Mo- whenever they are concerned in any active employment, ses by no means attempts to abolish the practice of extra- and by consequence the force of the scripture injunction, judicial pledging, or to make such regulations, as we have alluding to that part of the dress, to have our loins girded, in our laws, whereby the pledge, under what agreement in order to set about it with any reasonable prospect of soever given, may be sold to the highest bidder, while of success. The method of wearing these garments, and the the price the creditor can only receive the real amount of use they are put to at other times in serving as coverlets to his debt. These are inventions to be found only in the their beds, should induce us to take the finer sorts of them, more elaborate laws of nations further advanced in opu- at least such as are worn by the ladies and persons of dislence and refinement; and which, in the present situation tinction, to be the peples of primitive times. Ruth's veil, of the Israelites, would have been impracticable and una- which held six measures of barley, might be of a similar vailing. Indeed, among a people so poor, they must have fashion, and have served, upon extraordinary occasions, proved detrimental, had it been possible to put them in for the same use; as were also the clothes, or upper garpractice: for no one would have been inclined to lend a ments, worn by the Israelites, in which they folded lup trifle (and to a poor borrower even trifles are important) their kneading troughs, as the Arabs and others do to this on pledge, under so many formalities, and when the way day, things of similar burden and encumbrance, in their to arrive at payment, instead of being short and simple, hykes. It is very probable, likewise, that the loose folding was through the interference of a magistrate. In this way garment, the toga of the Romans, was of this lMind; for ii a needy person must always have found it difficult, if not we may form our opinion from the drapery of their statues, impossible, to obtain a loan, particularly a small one: this is no other than the dress of the Arabs, when they apwhich, among a poor people, is just as great an evil, as can pear in their hykes.-PAXTON. arise from fraudulent practices in pledging. It will not, therefore, be imputed to Moses as a fault, that his statutes V. contain not those legal refinements, which probably were Ver. 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the ok Mwhen he not then invented, and which even yet may be said rather treadeth out the corn. to be in record in oder statute books, than to be in our practice. They would have been dangerous to his people, and The custom of thrashing corn by the trampling of bulpeculiarly oppressive to the poor. He let pledge remain locks, still prevails in the East. The floor is made in the in its proper sense, pledge; and thus facilitated the obtain- open air, of cows' dung and clay. In its centre a post is ing of loans: satisfying himself with making laws against driven into the ground, and the corn is placed in order some of the chief abuses of pledging.-MIcHAELIS. around it; and the bullocks, being fastened to the post, begin to move in the circle, enjoying themselves, as they Ver. 13. In any case thou shalt deliver him the work, by eating the corn.-RoBERTs. pledge again when the sun goeth down, that This statute, which has been seldom sufficiently underhe may sleep in his own raiment, and bless stood, establishes. in the first place, certain rights, as belonging even to the beasts which man uses for the purpose of thee: and it shall be rinhteousnessun to thee labour. We must not here thinkofour mode of thrashing, before the LORD thy God. but on that used in the East, where the corn being laid oln the thrashing-floor, is trodden out by oxen or asses, or by The Talmudists enumerate eighteen several garments, thrashing-wagons and thrashing-planks drawn over it by which belonged to the full dress of an ancient Jew. A oxen. Here, then, Moses commands that no mlzzle be put woollen shirt was worn next the skin, although some had on the ox, but that he be allowed, as long as he is employed shirts of linen in which they slept, because these were in thrashing, to eat both of the grain and straw. It appears more cleanly and wholesome. But this part of their dress that an ancient consuetudinary usage which Moses adbpted is to be distinguished from the caffetan or shirt, which the in his written law, had established this as nothing more oridegroom and the bride sent to each other; which they than equitable; for we find it still observed in places of wore over their clothes at their solemn festivals; and in the East, where the Mosaic law is not in force; as, for inwhich they were at last buried. Next to it was the coat, stance, according to Dr. Russel's testimony, at Aleppo, Xhich reached to their feet, and was accounted a modest among the Arabs that dwell in that neighbourhood; anc CHAP. 25. DEUTERONOMY. 121 likewise, even among the inhabitants of the coast of Mala- eat of grapes; when gathering figs, he may partake of bar. Russell, in his Natural History of Aleppo, says, that them; and in harvest he may eat of the ears of corn. Of there beef is pretty good at all seasons, but particularly ex- gourds and dates he may eat the value of a denarius;" that cellent in summer, because, to this day, the- inhabitants is, of four groschen, or one fourth of a florin. The mention sacredly adhere to the ancient custom of allowing the ox, of this specific sum, which was, perhaps, rather too great an while thrashing, to eat as much as he chooses. In the pe- allowance, seems to have proceeded from the circumstance riodical accounts of the Malabar mission, we are told that of the Jews reckoning a denarius the price of a day's lathey have a proverb to this effect, " What an ox thrashes, bour, because it was introduced so lately before the destrucis his profit." The people of the most ancient ages, in gen- tion of Jerusalem. I quote the passage, however, not for eral, gave the ox a high preference above other beasts, on proof, but merely as a relic of ancient manners among account of his great and indispensable usefulness in agri- the Jews. culture, and conferred upon him, as man's assistant, many This kindness, then, the Hebrews and Arabs extended privileges, insomuch that mythology speaks of a time when unto oxen, to which, by reason of their great utility in agriit was unlawful to kill him. I believe, however, that the culture, they conceived that they were bound to manifest statute before us does not extend to oxen only, but includes a certain degree of gratitude. And therefore when Moses, also other beasts employed by man in thrashing; for Moses in terms of this benevolent custom ordained, that the ox is wont to represent general principles, by particular and was not to be muzzled while thrashing, it would seem that well-known examples. This point, however, is too incon- it was not merely his intention to provide for the welfare of siderable to occupy more room in its illustration, else might that animal, but to enjoin with the greater force and effect, I quote Isa. xxx. 24, in proof that the ass had the same right that a similar right should be allowed to human labourers, as the ox; for as to the horse, he was not then used in hus- whether hirelings or slaves. He specified the ox, as the bandry. lowest example, and what held good in reference to him, The origin of this benevolent law with regard to beasts, was to be considered as so much the more obligatory in is seemingly deducible from certain moral feelings or sen- reference to man. That he wished to be understood in timents prevalent among the people of the early ages. They this way,,we have the less reason to doubt, from this conthought it hard that a person should be employed in the sideration, that in the sequel we shall meet with other statcollection and preparation of edible and savoury things, utes, in which he carries his attention to the calls of hunger and have them continually before his eyes, without being so far, as to allow the eating of fruits and grapes in other once permitted to taste them; and there is in fact a degree people's gardens and vineyards, without restraint. It would of cruelty in placing a person in such a situation; for the appear, therefore, that not only servants, but also day-lasight of such dainties is tormenting, and the desire to partake bourers, might eat of the fruits they gathered, and drink of of them increases with the risk of the prohibition. If any the mist which they pressed. The wages of the latter of my readers has a heart so devoid of sensibility towards seems to have been given them over and above their meat, the feelings of his inferiors, that he can form no idea of any and, in consideration of this privilege, to have been so much thing torturous in such circumstances, let him endeavour the less; for with a labourer, who found his own victuals, to recollect from the heathen mythology, the representations and yet had the right of eating and drinking of whatever which the Greek and Roman poets gave of the torments of came under his hands, a master would have stood on a very hell; such as tables spread with the most costly dainties, disadvantageous footing. In fact, if they did not afford food and placed before the eyes of the damned, without their be. to day-labourers, it would be impossible to understand how ing permitted so much as to touch them; or again, the water the value of a servant could be compared with the hire of in which thirsty Tantalus was immersed to his lips, and a labourer, Deut. xv. 18, and found double; for that a which fled from him whenever he bowed to taste it. Add master maintained his servants, is unquestionable. But if to this, that by prohibitions of this nature, the moral char- they likewise gave the labourer his victuals, the value of a acter of servants and day-labourers, to the certain injury servant, and the wages of a labourer, might be compared. of their master's interest, seldom fails to become corrupted; -MICHAELIS. for the provocation of appetite at the sight of forbidden gratification will, with the greater number, undoubtedly over- Ver. 9. Then shall his brother's wife come unto power all moral suggestions as to right and wrong. They him in the presence of the elders, and loose his will learn to help themselves without leave, that is, in other shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and words, (for although not in civil, yet in moral law, it i sh theft,) they will learn to steal; and if the attempt is frequent- shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto ly repeated, the wall of partition between right and wrong, that man that will not build up his brother's which was at first so formidable to conscience, is at length house. broken throtugh: they soon learn to go greater and greater lengths, and thus in this school are bred arrant thieves. The last mark of disrespect, which is by no means conOur laws, it is true, pay no attention to such things; but fined to the East, is to spit in the face of another. Chardin still, the voice of nature, if we will but listen to it, will observes, that spitting before any one, or spitting upon teach us, that in every country, servants imagine, that to the ground in speaking of any one's actions, is, through steal eatables is no crime; or, as the saying is in Upper the East, an expression of extreme detestation. It is, thereSaxony, that " what goes into the mouth, brings no sin with fore, prescribed by the law of Moses, as a mark of great it." Here they are certainly quite in the wrong: and among disgrace to be fixed on the man who failed in his duty to a people that had already a taste for foreign and expensive the house of his brother. To such contemptuous treatluxuries, such a benevolent law as that now under consid- mnent, it will be recollected, our blessed Redeemer suberation, could not be introduced, without the complete de- mitted in the hall of the high-priest, for the sake of his struction of domestic economy; although indeed, after all, people. The practice has descended to modern times; for cooks and butlers cannot well be prohibited from tasting in the year 1744, when a rebel prisoner was brought before the dishes and the wine of which they have the charge. Nadir Shahl's general, the soldiers were ordered to spit in But without dwelling on what our modern luxury renders his face; *which proves that the savage conduct of the Jews necessary in this matter, I only say, that to the people of corresponded with a custom which had been long establishthe East, in those times of ancient simplicity, it appeared ed over all the East.-PAXTON. very cruel to debar a slave or a hireling from tasting of the food which he had under his hand. - When Job wishes to Ver. 13. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers describe a perfect monster of insensibility and hardhearted- weights, a great and a small. ness, he says, " The hungry carry his sheaves; immured in workhouses they prepare his oil; thev tread his wine- The prophet Micah also speaks of "the bag of deceitful presses, and yet they thirst." Job xxiv. 10, 11. I seldom weights." As in former times, so now, much of the busiappeal to Jewish testimonies, or, to speak more accurately, ness in the East is transacted by travelling merchants. to the Talmud and Rabbins, because they are too recent Hence all kinds of spices, and other articles, are taken for illustration of the Mosaic statutes; but here I cannot from one village to another by the Moors, who are in thosc altogether overlooks, the following Jewish doctrine, laid regions, what the Jews are in the West. The pedler come,. down in the Baba Mezia, fol. 83. "The workman may law- to your door, and vociferates the names of his wal es; and, fully eat of what he works among; in the vintage he may so soon as he catches your eye, begins to exhibit his very 16 .22 DEUTERONOMY. CHAP. 2 7. cheap, and valuable articles. Have you agreed as to the is by no means impossible that these stones, if again disprice, he then produces the BAc of " divers weights," and covered, might be found still to contain the whole engraafter fumbling some time in it, he draws forth the weight ving perfectly legible. Let us only figure to ourselves what by which he has to sell; but, should he have to yprchase must have happened to them anlid the successive:evasany thing of you, he will select a heavier weight. The tations of the country in which they were erected. The man who is not cheated by this trader, and his " bag of lime would gradually become irregularly covered Writh divers weights," must be blessed with more keenness than moss and earth; and now, perhaps, the stones, by the soil most of his fellows.-ROBERTS. increasing around and over them, many resemble a little mount; and were they accidentally disclosed to our view, CHAPTER XXVII. and the lime cleared away, all that was inscribed on them Ver. 2. And it shall be, on the day when you 3500 years ago would at once become visible. Probably, shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the however, this discovery, highly desirable, though it would be both to literature and religion, being in the present state LoRD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set of things, and particularly of the Mosaic law, now so long thee up great stones, and. plaster thrm with abrogated, not indispensably necessary, it is reserved for plaster: 3. And thou shalt write upon them some future age of the world.'What Moses commanded, all the words of this la-wc, when thou art passed merely out of legislative prudence, and for the sake of his laws, as laws, God, who sent him, may have destined to o ver, that thou mayest go in unto the land which answer likewise another purpose; and may choose tobring the LORD thy God. giveth thee, a land that these stones to light at a time when the laws of Moses are floweth wTith milk and honey; as the LORD no longer of any authority in any community whatever. God of thy fathers hath promised thee. Thus much is certain, that nowhere in the Bible, is any mention made of the discovery of these stones, nor indeed The book of the law, in order to render it the more sa- any further notice taken of them, than in Josh. viii. 30 1-35, cred, was deposited beside the ark of the covenant, Deut. where their erection is described; so that wemay hope they xxxi. 26; and we find the same procedure likewise ob-will yetbe one day discovered. Moses' whole procedure served afterward with regard to other laws, such as that in this matter, is precisely in the style of ancient nations, which was made on the first establishmtent of regal author- who generally took the precaution now rendered unnecesity, or, in other words, the compact between the king and sary by the invention of printing, to engrave their laws in the'estates, 1 Sam. x. 26; but I cannot precisely determine stones; only that he studied, by a new contrivance, to give whether that was kept in the holy of holies beside the ark, to his stony archives a higher degree of dirability than or only in the holy place. The guardians of the law, to was ever thought of by any other legislator. What was to whom was intrusted the duty of making faithful transcripts be inscribed on the stones, whether the whole Pentateuch, of it, were the priests, Deut. xxvii. 19. But Moses did not or only the book of Deuteronomy, or but the blessings and account even this precaution sufficient for the due preser- curses pronounced in Deut. chap. xxvii, or merely the ten vation of his law in its original purity; for he commanded commandments alone, has been the subject of a controverthat it should besides be engraven on stones, and these sy, for particulars concerning which, I again refer the stones kept on a mountain near Sichem, in orderthat a reader to Kennicott's Second Dissertation. In my judggenuine exemplar of it might be transimitted'even to the ment, the expression, all the words of this law, implies, at latest generations, Deut. xxvii. 1-8. In his ordinance for least, that all the statutory part of the Mosaic books was to this purpose, there are one or two particulars that require be engraved on the stones, which is far from beilg imosillustration. He commanded that the stones should be sible, if we make but a distinction between'the' stones and coated with lime; but this command would have been quite the altar, which must, no doubt, have been too small for absurd had his meaning only been, that the laws should that purpose.; It is well known that in very ancient times, be cut through this coating; for after this unnecessary trou- nations were wont to engrave theirlaws in stones; and ble, they could by no means have been thus perpetuated the Egyptians had recourse to stone fill-ars (Tr71,as) for with such certainty, nor have nearly so long resisted the perpetuating their discoveries in science, and the history effects of wind and weather, as if at once engraven in the of their country. All these circumstances considered, tostones themselves. Kehinicott, in his Second Dissertation gether with this above all, that the Israelites had just come on tle printed HIebr'ew Text, p. 77, supposes that they might ot of Egypt, where writing in stone was emploed for so have been cut out in black marble, with the letters raised, many further purposes, (althogh, indeed, hieroglyphic and the hollow intervals between the black letters filled up characters were used which Moses prohibited, because, with a body of white lime, to render'them more distinct when not mnderstood, they might give a handle to idolatry,) and conspicuous. But even this would not have been a I do not see why the phrase, all the wordis of this law, should good plan for eternizing them: because liime cannot long not be left in its full force, nor what should oblige us to withstand the weather, and whenever it began to fall off in limit it, with Dr. Kennicott, merely to the decalogue.any particular place, the raised characters would, by a MICtAELIS. variety of accidents, to which writing deeply engraved is not liable, soon be injured, and become illegible. No one Ver. 15. Cursed be the man that maketh aey that wishes to write any thing in stone, that shall descend graven or molten image, an abomination unto to the most remote periods of time, will ever think of giving the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsa preference to characters thus in relief. And besides, Moses, if this was his meaning, has expressed himself very man, and putteth it in a secret place. And all indistinctly; for he says not a word of the colour of the the people shall answer and say, Amen. stone, on which, however, the whole idea turns. I rather suppose, therefore, that Moses acted in this matter with the The images of the Hindoos are generally made of copsame view to future ages, as is related of Sostratus, the ar- per or stone, but some are of silver or gold. It is not easy chitect of the Pharos, who, while he cut the name of the to find out the difference betwixt the graven and molten inthen king of Egypt in the outer coat of lime, took care to age, except the first mean that which has been produced engrave his own name secretly in the stone below, in order by the chisel from stone, and the second that which has that it might come to light in after times, when the plaster been cast in a mould by the action of fire. These images, with the king's naime should have fallen off. In like man- however, have all of them to be "graven, or filed, before ner, Moses. in my opinion, commanded that his laws should are consecrated-RoEaTs.. be cut in the stones themselves, and these coated with a thick crust of lime, that the engraving might continue for er 17 Cursed be he that remo many ages secure from all the injuries of the weather and bour's land-mark: and all the people shall say, atmosphere, and then, when by the decay of its covering it Amen. should. after hundreds or thousands of years, first come to light, serve to show to the latest posterity whether they had Fields in the East have not fences or hedges, as in Engsuffered any change. And was not the idea of thus pre- land, but a ridge, a stone, or a post; and, consequently, it serving an inscription, not merely for hundreds, but for is not very difficult to encroach on the property of another thlousands of years, a conception exceedingly sublime. It Should a man not be very careful, his neighbour will take CHAP. 28, 29. DEUTERONOMY. 123 away a little every year, and keep pushing his ridge into and render the way very dreadful to passengers. Indeed the other's ground. Disputes of the most serious nature in this place I thought that curse fulfilled, (Deut. xxviii. often occur on this account, and call for the greatest dili- 24,) where the Lord, by Moses, threatens instead of rain gence and activity of the authorities. An injured man re- to give showers of dust." These instances are in Persia: peats to his aggressor the proverb, " The serpent shall bite but such storms might be known to the Israelites; as, no him who steps over the ridge," i. e. he who goes beyond doubt, they occur, also, on the sandy deserts of Arabia, the landmark. —RoBERTS. east of Judea: and to this agrees Tournefort, who mentions the same thing-" At Ghetsci there arose a tempest of CHAIPTER. XXVIII. sand: in thle same manner as it happens soeetisnes in Ar'abia, Ver. 5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. and in Egypt, especially in the spring. It wasraised by a very hot south wind, which drove so much sand, that one Heb. "dough' or-kneadizng-tough." Eastern farmers have of the gates of the Caravansary was half stopped up with large baskets made of Palmirah leaves, or other materials, it; and the way could not be found, being covered over, for the purpose of keeping their grain: they will contain above a foot deep, the sand lying on all hands. This sand from one hundred to one hundred and fifty parrahs. These was extremely fine, and salt; and was very troublesome to baskets, then, were to be blessed; they were not to be injur- our eyes, even in the Caravansary, where all our baggage ed by animals, nor robbed by man. But corn is also kept was covered over with it. The storm lasted from noon to in a store which is made of sticks and clay, in a circular sunset; and it was so very hot the night following, without form. This little building is always elevated, to keep the any wind, that one could hardly fetch breath, which in my grain from the damp, and is situated near to the house. opinion was partly occasioned by the reflection of the hot'When beggars have been relieved, they often say, " Ah! sand. Next day I felt a great pain in one eve, which may the place where you make ready your food ever be made it smart, as if salt had been melted into it," &c. blessed." " May the rice-pot, ever prosper." Thus, that This may give us a lively idea of the penetrating powers which corresponds with the " kneading-trough" of the He- of the dust of the land of Egypt; which (Exod. viii. 16) brews, has also its benediction.-RoBERTS. was converted into lice:-also, chap. ix. 8, of the effect of Hasselquist informs us, that baskets made of the leaves the ashes of the furnace, which Moses took, and sprinkled of the palm-tree are used by the people of the East on jour- " lp towards heaven, and it became a bile, breaking forth neys, and in their houses. I-Iarmer. conjectures that such in blains upon man and beast."-TA-YLOR IN CALMET. baskets are referred to in these words, and that the store signifies their leathern bags, in both which they used to Ver. 27. The LORD wvill smite thee with the carry things iin travelling. —BanRDER. botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with Ver. 13. And the LORD shall make thee the the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above not be healed. only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that This is a complaint which is far more common, and thou hearken unto the commandments of the more formidable in the East, than in England. Those LORD thy God, which I command thee this who live on bad food, or reside in the vicinity of a swamp, day, to observe and to do them. are the most subject to it. See the poor object with a small piece of cloth round li's loins, a staff in his hand, his body Thp prophet Isaiah, chap. ix. 14, says, "The Lord will "from Ahe sole of his foot unto his crown" literally covercut off fom Israel head and tail:" meaning, no doubt, those ed with sores, an imploring piteous look, a wveak tremuwho were high, and those who were low. It is amusing to ious voice, and bowing to the earth to excite your charity. hear men of rank in the East speak of their dependants as -ROBERTS. taxils. Has a servant not obeyed his master, the former asks, "Who are you 1 are you the head or tail?" Should Ver. 39. Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress a person begin to partake of food before.hose of high them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor caste, it is asked, " What! is the tail to begin to wag be- gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat fore the head." A husband, when angry with his wife, them. inquires, " WThat are you. are you the head or the tail ". -ROBEERTS. - This threatening has often been fulfilled to the great Ver. 24. The LORD shall make the rain of thy disappointment and injury ofthe inhabitants of those coun-. land powder and dust: from heaven shall it tries where wine is produced or consiumed. An insect, called the vine weevil, which is a small beautiful beetle, come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed. is extremely hurtful to the vines. The caterpillar, which mines or cuts the leaves of the vine, has no feet; and yet, by It may be of use to inquire a little into the nature and a singular expedient, can make a progressive motion in all properties of such a kind of rain; in which the following positions, and even over the smoothest and most polished extracts may assist us. " Sometimes there [in India] the bodies. It advances its body out of its oval-pod, (constructed wind blows very high in those hot and dry seasons-rais- of the two outer skins of a vine leaf,) forms a kind of hiling up into the air a very great height, thick clouds of dust lock of silk, and, by means of a thread which attaches it to and sand....These dry showers most grievously annoy all it, draws its pod or case to the hillock. It continually rethose among whom they fall; enough to smite them all with peats the same operation, and in this (laborious) ranner a present blindness; filling their eyes, ears, nostrils; and advances progressively. The traces of its progress are their mouths are not free, if they be not also well guarded: ma ked by hillocks of silk at the distance of half a!lie from searching every place, as well within, as without, our tents each other. Its food is the parenchyma or pith of the vine %hr houses; so that, there is not a little keyhole of any trunk, leaf, between the two epidermes, of which it'eats out its or cabinet, if it be not covered, but receives some of that oval habitation or pod. When it is taken out of its habitadust into it; the dust forced to find a lodging anywhere, tion, it never attempts to make a new one: it writhes about everywhere, being so driven and forced as it is by the ex- very much, but can make no progressive motion; and after treme violence of the wind." (Sir T. Roe's Embassy.) To having overspread the place in which it is with threads of the same purpose speaks Herbert.' "And now the danger silk, in an irregular manner, it dies at the end of twentyis past, let me tell you, most part of the last night we crossed four hours.-BURDER. over an inhospitable sandy desert, where here and there we beheld the ground covered with a loose and flying sand, CHAPTER XXIX. which by the fury of the winter weather is accumulated into such heaps, as upon any great wind the track is lost; and Ver. 23. And that the whole land thereof zs brlmpassengers (too oft) overwhelmed and stifled; yea, camels, stone, and salt, and.burning. horses, mules, and other beasts, though strong, swift, and steady in their going, are not able to shift for themselves, When a place is noted for being unhealthy, or the land but perish withoutrecovery: -those rolling sands, when agita- very unfruitful, it is called a kenthagra poomy, a place or tedxby the winds, move and remove more like sea than land, country of brimstone. TriAcomalee, and, some other pla. ,24 DEUTERONOMY. CIAP. 30-32. ces, have gained this appellation on account of the heat cred lakes, and offer an innocent sacrifice under the solemn and sterility of the soils.-RoBERTS. grove. After having gone through their religious cereThe effect of salt, where it abounds, on vegetation, is de- monies, they are sealed by the officiating Bramin with the scribed by burning. Thus Volney, speaking of the borders mark either of Vishnoo or Siva, the followers of whom of the Asphaltic Lake, or Dead,.Sea, says, " the true cause respectively form the two great sects among the Hindoos. of the absence of vegetables and animals, is the acrid salt- The mark is impressed on the forehead with a composition ness of its waters, which is infinitely greater than that of of sandal-wood dust and oil, or the ashes of cow-dlung and the sea. The land surrounding the lake being equallyirn- turmeric: this is a holy ceremony, which has been adopted pregnated with that saltness, refuses to produce plants; the in all ages by the eastern nations, however differing in reair itself, which is by evaporation loaded with it, and which ligious profession.-FoRBE.s. moreover receives vapours of sulphur and bitumen, cannot suit vegetation; whence the dead appearance which reigns Ver. 10. He found him in a desert land, and in around the lake." Hence the ancient custom of sowing an the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, enemy's city, when taken, with salt, in token of perpetual desolation. Judges ix. 45. And thus in aftertimes, the he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of city of Milan was burnt, razed, sown with salt, and plough- his eye. ed, by the exasperated emperor Frederick Barbarossa.BuRDER. Where the wild beasts are, is called the place of hdwling. Thus relations, when their friends are on a journey, CHAPTER XXX. say, " Ah! they are now in the place of howling. "My Ver. 14. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in friend, go not through the howling desert." Precious thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest things are spoken of as being the apple of the eye. Affectionate husbands say to their wives, " En fan u dqlli," i. e. "apple of my eye." Of a beloved child, in relation to his ts a person pretend that he cannot understand an- parents, it is said, " He is the apple of their eye."-RoBother, that he must make additional inquiries, it will. be ERTS. said, "Do you not understandS In thy mouth are the Ver. 11. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, flutwords." Should a child at school be troublesome to the mas- tereth over her young, spdeth abroa her ter, he will peevishly exclaim, In thy mouth are the words; meaning the inquiry was unnecessary, that the subject was wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. well understood. —RoBERTS. It is pretended by some writers, that when the eaglets Ver. 19. 1 call heaven and earth to record this are somewhat grown, the mother kills the weakest or the most voracious of them; but were the fact admitted, it is day against you, that I have set before you life no satisfactory proof that she is without natural affection. and death, blessing and cursing: therefore It is well known that several animals of the mildest dispochoose life, that both thou and thy seed may sitions forsake their young, when they find it impossible live. i to provide for their subsistence. The parent eagles, says B Tffon, not having sufficient for themselves, seek to reduce In solemn oaths, people point to the clouds, to the earth, their family; and as soon as the young ones are strong to the grass, to the herbs, to the trees, as witnesses to the enough to fly and provide for themselves, they chase them truth of what they have said. " O ye clouds above! have I from the nest, and never permit them to return. The acnot said the truth. Ah! well do you know it: speak to this, count of celebrated naturalist so far agrees with the unbeliever." " Ah! these trees can bear testimony to my statement of the sacred writer; according to whom, the veracity." When mariners are at sea, they appeal to it, eagle stirreth up her nest, that is, rouses her young from their or to Varuna the god. In storms, they say to the water, sloth and inactivity, and provokes them to try their wings " O mother! be'calm."-RoBERTS. by fluttering dbout her nest. When she sees them indifferent to her admonitions, or afraid to follow her example, CHAPTER XXXII. " she spreadeth abroad her wings; taketh them, and bearVer. 2. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my eth them upon her wings." The remarkable circumstance shall' distil as the dcxv; as thesmallof bearing them upon her wings, is alluded to in another speech shall distil as the dew; as the small part of scripture: "Ye have seen," said Jehovah to Israel, rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers "what I did unto Egypt, and how I bare you on eagles' upyon the grass, wings, and brought you unto myself." Many passages in the writings of ancient authors countenance the idea, that Oriental writers often speak of beautiful language as the eagle actually takes up her timid young ones, and bears dropping upon the hearers. The Hebrew has for " proph- them on her wings till they venture to fly..Elian says, esy," in Micah ii. 6, " drop." The same word is used that when Tilgamus, a Babylonian boy, fell from the top for drops of rain, for tears, or for the dew dropping from of a tower, before he reached the ground, an eagle received flowers. When a man has received consolation from an- and bore him up on her back. A similar story is recorded other, he says, "His words were like rain upon the scorch- in the writings of Pausanias, who tells us, that an eagle ed corn." Of a beautiful speaker, and an appropriate sub- flew under Aristimenes, who was cast by the Lacedemoiect, " Ah! his speech is like the honey rain, upon the pan- nians from the top of a tower, and carried him on her wings dal bower of sugar."-ROBERTS. till he reached the ground in safety. These stories, although the mere creatures of imagination, show that the idea of Ver. 5. Their spot is not the spot of his children. the eagle bearing a considerable weight on her wing;s, was'familiar to the ancients. It is not to be supposed, that she There may be here an allusion to the marks which'the wafts her unfledged young through the void of heaven, or worshippers of particular idols had on different parts of to distant places; the meaning probably is, that she aids their bodies, particularly on their foreheads. The differ- with her wings their feeble and imperfect attempts to fly, ent sects of idolaters in the East are distinguished by till, imboldened by her example, and their own success, their sectarian marks, the stigma of their respective idols. they fearlessly commit themselves to the air. So did JehoThese sectarian marks, particularly on the forehead, vah for his chosen people: when they were slumbering amount to nearly one hundred among the Hindoos, and es- in Goshen, or groaning in despair of recovering their freepecially among the two sects, the worshippers of Siva dom, he sent his servant Moses to rouse them from their and the worshippers of Vishnoo. In many cases these inglorious sloth, to assert their liberty, and to break their marks are renewed daily; for they account it irreligious to chains upon the heads of their oppressors. He carried perform any sacred rite to their god without his mark on them out of Egypt, and led them through the wilderness the forehead. The marks are generally horizontal and into their promised inheritance. He'taught them to know perpendicular lines, crescents, circles, leaves, eyes, &c. in their strength: he instructed them in the art of war; he red, black, white, and yellow. It is pleasing to see the led them to battle, and by his almighty arm routed their Hipdoos every morning perform their ablutions in the sa- enemies. —PAxToN. CHAP. 32-34. DEUTERONOMY. 125 Ver. 13. 1He made him ride on the high places of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret of the earth, that he miglh.t eat the increase of places." From his lurking-place, he commonly leaps upon the victini at one spring. So, in the farewell prediction the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of Moses, it is foretold, "Dan is a lion's whelp, he shall of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. leap from Bashan." This fact is attested by all the ancient historians: Aristotle asserts, that when the lion judges him. This must imean the procuring of it from the olive-trees self within reach, he throws himself upon his prey; Pliny growing there. Maundrell, speaking of the ancient fertil- says, he leaps with a bound; and Solinus, when he is in ity,and cultivation of Judea, says, "the most rocky parts full pursuit, he springs forward upon the game. When of all, which could not well be adjusted for the production he leaps on his prey, says Buffon, he makes a. spring of of corn, might yet serve for the plantation of vines and twelve or fifteen feet. In the same manner acted Dan; olive-trees, which delight to extract, the one its fatness, the proceeding, as it were, by a single bound, from the one other its sprightly juice, chiefly out of such dry and flinty extremity of Canaan to the other, he invaded the city of places."-BURDER. Laish, which, after its reduction, he called by his own In Africa the bees deposite their honey on the trunks of name.-PAxToN. trees and on rocks. Trees in some countries being scarce, the honey in most parts is found upon the front of rocks or Ver. 24. And of Asher he said, Let Asher be cliffs, plastered on the outside, having a covering of wax blessed with children; let him be acceptable to to protect it from intruders. This outside coating, after a his brethren, and let himdip his foot in oil. short exposure to the weather, assumes nearly the same * colour as the rock, which, at a little distance, cannot easily The juice of the grape, it is well known, is expressed in be distinguished from the rock, so that a person making an the East by treading, an operation which Dr. Chandler incision with a knife, and putting his mouth-to it to suck it, had an opportunity of seeing near Smyrna.'Black grapes were a person a little way off to notice some of the honey were spread on the ground in beds, and exposed to the sun dropping from his chin, would believe that he saw a man to dry for raisins; while in another part, the juice was exsucking honey from a rock; so that the scripture method pressed for wine, a man with feet and legs bare, treading of expressing it is very beautiful.-AFRICAN LIGHT. the fruit in a kind of cistern, with a hole or vent near the bottom, and a vessel beneath it to receive the liquor. When Ver. 15. But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: a few clusters of grapes are to be squeezed, it may be done thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou commodiously enough by the hand; in this way, Pharaoh's arlt covered with fatness; then he forsook God butler supposed he took the grapes and pressed them into whlich made him, and lightly esteemed'the his master's cup. This, it is true, was only a visionary scene, but we must suppose it was agreeable to the custom Rock of his salvation. of the country. But when a large quantity of juice was required, the grapes were subjected in the wine-press to This does not appear to mean that Jeshurun had become the feet of a treader. Oil of olives was expressed in the fat in person, but fat or proud in spirit. Thus, of people same way, before the invention of mills. The existence of who have risen from obscurity, and who conduct them- this practice in Palestine, is ascertained by that threatening selves proudly, it is said, " They have become fat." To in the prophecies of Micah: " Thou shalt sow, but thou hear, " how fat that man is now," might lead a stranger to shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not suppose it was meant so literally; whereas the individual anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink alluded to may be as meagre as one of Pharaoh's lean wine." But unequivocal traces of it may be discovered in cattle.-ROBERTS. ages long anterior to the days of that prophet; for in the blessing of Asher, we find Moses praying: " Let Asher dip Ver. 25. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass. his foot in oil." Whether any preparation was used in those ancient times to facilitate the expression of the juice, The Hebrew word here translated sltoes, signifies bolts. we are not informed; but it is certain that mills are now The proper translation of this word is, thy bolts shall be iron used for pressing and grinding the olives which grow in arid brass: that is, thy cities must be strong and secure the neighbourhood of Athens, and probably in other eastern against your enemies. To understand the force of these coutries. These mills are in the town, and not in the spot words, we must know that in the East, and even in modern where the olives grow; and seem to be used in consequence tinmes, the locks and bolts of houses, and even of city gates, of its being found, that the mere weight of the huan body were of wood. " Their doors and houses," says Rauwolff, is insufficient for the purpose of effectually extracting the " are mostly closed with wooden bolts, which are hollow oil. —PAXTON. within; to open which they have wooden keys, which are CHAPTER XXXI. a span long, and a thumb thick, and have on one side, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, &c. short nails or strong wires, so placed as to catch Ver. 1. And Moses went up from the plains of in others that fit into them, and thus move the bolt back- Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of ward and forward." Thevenot observes, "all their locks Pisgah that is over against Jericho: and the and keys are made of wood; they have none of iron, not LORD showed him all the land of Gilead, unto even those of the city gates, which are, therefore, also LORD showed him all the land of Gilead, unto opened without keys." He describes the keys like Rau- Dan. wolff, and adds, that the door may be opened without the Mr. Buckingham, travelling through the mountains of ey, by smearing the finger with clay-RosENuLLER. Gilead, says, "We were now in a land of extraordinary CHAPTER XXXIII. richness, abounding with the most beautiful prospects, clothed with thick forests, varied with verdant slopes, and Ver. 22. And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's: possessing extensive plains of a fine red soil, now covered whelp; he shall leap from Bashan. with thistles as the best proof of its fertility, and yielding in nothing to the celebrated plains of Zabulon and EsdraeAlthough the lion fearlessly meets his antagonist in the lon, in Galilee and Samaria. We continued our way to open field, in this respect differing from leopards and some the northeast, through a country, the beauty of which so other beasts of prey, that never openly attack the fated vie- surprised us, that we often asked each other, what were our tim, yet this bold and noble animal often descends to strat- sensations; as if to ascertain the reality of what we saw, agem and ambuscade: "He couches in his den, and abides and persuade each other, by mutual confession of our dein the covert to lie in wait." He watches thie approach of light, that the picture before us was not an optical illusion. his victim with cautious attention, carefully avoiding the: The landscape alone, which varied at every turn, and least noise, lest he should give warning of his presence and gave us new beauties from very different points of view, designs. Such has the glowing pencil of David painted was, of itself, worth all the pains of an excursion to the the insidious conduct of the murderer: " He lieth in wait eastward of Jordan to obtain a sight of; and the park-like secretly as.a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the scenes, that sometimes softened the romantic wildness of poor-he croucheth and humbleth himself, taat the poor the general character as a whole, reminded us of similar may fall by his strong ones." " Like as a lion thlat is greedy spots in less neglected land;s." JOSHUA. CHAPTER I. of Canaan, of which they had been unjustly dispossessedl V:r. 1 Now, after the death of Moses, the ser- by the intruding and hostile Canaanites. The laws of nations are always the same. If any narant of the LoaRD, it came to pass, that the LORD tion, or tribe, or part of a tribe, take possession of an unspake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' known, undiscovered, unoccupied, or, uninhabiteds coun-.minister, saying, 2. lMoses my servant is dead: try, the right of property vests in them; they are its proprietors and owners. After the deluge, the world might be now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, said to be in this state; and Michaelis has endeavoured to and all this people, unto the land which I do prove, that the ancestors of Abraham were the original give to them, even to the children of Israel. occupiers of the pasturp land of Canaan. Canaan, therefore, by the law of nations, as well as by the promises of The conquest of Canaan, by the Israelites, having so oft- God, was the lot of Abraham's inheritance, and the righten been the subject of cavil among the enemies of revela- ful land of his descendants. The Canaanite and the Periztion, and being adverted to in terms of approbation above, zite had only just established themselves in Canaan wher may properly be considered in this place. Their conduct Abraham removed from Haran to that country; and were in this affair is satisfactorily vindicated by Mr. Townsend, so weak and few in number, that they never interfered in his " Old Testament historically and chronologically ar- with the right of sovereignty assumed and exerted by ranged," from which we transcribe the following pas- Abraham. The Canaanites were merchants and advensages:-God, the great governor, who possesses all power turers who had been originally settled near the borders of over his creatures, and may justly punish those who vio- the Indian Ocean; and who, having been dispossessed by late his laws, in that manner which to his wisdom may the Cuthic Sidonians, had migrated westward, to form esseem most impressive and useful, commanded the Israel- tablishments on the seacoasts of Palestine, and carry on ites to exterminate the Canaanites, as the just retribution commerce with the herdsmen who traversed it. They for their crimes and idolatries. God might have destroyed were for some time contented with their factories on the them by famine, by earthquake, by pestilence: He might seacoasts, but they gradually obtained possession of the have drowned by a local deluge, or consumed them by fire inland country. The Perizzites, too, were a warlike tribe, from heaven; instead of these, he commissioned the people who now first made their appearance in Canaan; they had of Israel to root them out by the sword. In so doing, the originally inhabited the northeast of Babylonia. WhethAlmightvy not only. demonstrated to the whole world his er they bad been dispossessed of their settlements; whether hatred of the corruptions and pollutions of superstition, but they were seeking new establishments; or for whatever he more. particularly' enforced on the Israelites the purity purpose' they were now in Palestine, they gave no interof his law, the certainty of their own punishment if they ruption to the progress of Abrahami, although Abraham apostatized, and the freedom from temporal evil which entered upon the Holy Land and continued his journeythey should consequently enjoy if they persevered in their ings with a large retinue, and as a powerful prince. He allegiance to him, their sovereign. Lest this invasion of took possession of Canaan as the territory of his ancesCanaan by the Israelites, however, should be' drawn into tors; not indeed as a fixed habitation, but as a pasture land precedent by other nations, for ambition or religious perse- adapted to his numerous flocks and herds. He traversed cution; they were assured by continued and powerful mira- the whole country as a proprietor, without a competitor. cles, that their cause was just, that they should be successful, He had the power of arming three hundred and eighteen and that they were not subject at that period to the common of his own servants, born in his own house; and it is laws of nations. The people-of Israel was the sword of most probable that he had others who are not enumerated. God, the great magistrate of earth, and they were no more He declared war as an independent prince of this countr. to be condemned in thus acting in conformity to the com- against five neighbouring princes; and formed an alliance mands of God, than the executioner can be who fulfils the with Abimelech, as an equal and as a sovereign. It is last sentence of the law. Before, theri, other nations in- true, he purchased land of the Canaanitish family of Heth, vade the territory of their neighbours on the same supposed but this was because the Hittites had gradually made a authority'as the Israelites, the same commission from more fixed settlement in that part of the country; their heaven must be given; and that commission must be au- intrusion had not been at first prevented by the ancestors thenticated by miracles equally evident, perpetual, and of Abraham; and by this sufferance they made that diswonderful. Many, however, have not been satisfied with trict their peculiar property. As Abraham thus traversed this argument; and would discard the doctrine of the pecu- and possessed Canaan, with undisputed authority, so too liar providence, which regulated by a visible theocracy did Isaac and Jacob in like mariner. 1No one opposed the conduct of the chosen people: they would defend the their right. They exercised, as Abraham had done beinvasion of Palestine on other grounds. They would fore them, sovereign power; they never-resigned that judge of the transactions of that period, (regairdless of the power; nor gave up to others the property of that land, peculiar circumstances under which they took place,) by which now, by long prescription, as well as by the promise modern ideas, and the present law of nations. Some sup- of God, had become entirely their own. pose that the conduct'of the Israelites was solely defensi- The ancestors, then, of the Israelites, Michaelis argues, ble, on the supposition that there had been a partition of were either the sole sovereigns, or the most powerful of the whole earth by the sons of Noah; and that Canaan had those princes who possessed, in early ages, the Holy Land. been allotted to Shem: the sons of Shem, therefore, were jus- By the famine which occurred in the days of Joseph, they tified in claiming their ancient inheritance from the Ca- were compelled to leave their' own country, and take refnaanites, who were descended from Ham. Others have uge in Egypt: yet they never lost sight of the sepulchre of asserted that the Canaanites commenced the war by at- their fathers. And though we do not read that acts of tacking the Israelites; an assertion that cannotbe defended ownership were continued to maintain and perpetuate their from the hiS;tory. While others have affirmed, without right, we can have but little doubt, that something of the any well-grounded arguments, that the Israelites, as a wan- kind took place, for Jacob was taken from Egypt to be dering people, having no certain home, were justified in buried there; Joseph assured them that they should reforcibly invading, and taking possession of an adjoining turn; and the Egyptians, their oppressors, a kindred territory. But Michaelis is of opinion that the right of the branch of the powerful tribes which had by this time enIsraelites originated in their being actually the proprietors tirely taken possession of Palestine, kept them in bond CHAP. 2, 3. JOSHUA. 127 age, and refused to let them go, lest they should claim the ing or overflowing. From Phiala to Panion, which was inheritance of their fathers. If this claim of the Israelites long considered as the real source of Jordan, the river flows can. be proved to be well founded, they would have been under ground. The secret of its subterraneous course was entitled, by the law of nations, forcibly to take possession of first, discovered by Philip, the tetrarch of Tracehonitis, who the Holy Land; ar.d it will be interesting to observe how cast straws into the fountain of Phiala, which came out again.he merciful providence of God afforded them the opportu- at Panion. Leaving the cave of Panion, it crosses the nitv of successfully regaining their lawful inheritance, bogs and fens of the lake Semichonitis; and after a course and at the same time accomplishing his own divine pur- of fifteen miles, passes under the city of'Julias, the ancient poses, to the fulfilment of his prophecies, and to the hap- Bethsaida; then expands into a beautiful sheet of water, piness and security of his church. The Israelites may be named the lake of Gennesareth; and after flowing a long considered as the servants and ministers pf God, punish- way through the desert, empties itself into the lake Asphaling the idolatry of the Canaanites, and instituting in its tites, or Dead Sea.' As the cave Panion lies at the foot of place, in the midst of an apostate world, the religion of the mount Lebanon, in the northern extremity of Canaan, and one true God. In every victory they obtained, they must the lake Asphaltites extends to the southern extremity, the lhave admired the faithfulness of that promise which had' river Jordan pursues it course through the whole extent of Ibretold their enti'.&dpossession of this land; and they must the country from north to south. It is evident also, front have been persuaid'ed, that if they served other gods, they the history of Josephus, that a wilderness or desert cl conwould bring down upon themselves the punishments pre- siderable extent, stretched along the river Jordan in the dlicted by Moses.-Vide Michaelis, Comment. &c. vol. i. times of the New Testament; which was undoubtedly the book ii. ch. iii. p. 155, &c.; Hore Mosaica, vol. i. p. wilderness mentioned by the evangelists, where John the 458; Faber's Origin of Fag. Idol. vol. iii. p. 561, &c.- Baptist came preaching and baptizing. The Jordan hasa T'ownsend's Old Testament, vol. i. pp. 444-446. —CIT- considerable depth of water. Chateaubriand makes it X'A BIBLICA. six or seven feet deep close at the shore, and about fifty CHE-IAPTER II. paces in breadth a considerable distance from its entrance into the Dead Sea. According to the computation of VolVer. 1. And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of ney, it is hardly sixty paces wide at the mouth; but the Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go author of Letters from Palestine, states that the stream, vie~w tkhe land, even Jericho. And they went, twhen it enters the lake Asphaltites, is deep and rapid, rolling a considerable volume of waters; the width apand came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, pears from two to three hundred feet, and the current is and lodged there.',so violent, tlat a Greek servant belonging to the author who attempted to cross it, though strong, active, and an exMost of the eastern cities contain one caravansary at least, cellent swimmer, found the undertaking impracticable. for the reception of strangers; smaller places, called choul- It maybe said to have two banks, of which the inner marks tries, are erected by charitable persons, or munificent the ordinary height of the stream; and the outer, its ancient princes, in forests, plains, and deserts, for the accommo- elevation'during the rainy season, or the melting of the dation of travellers. Near them is generally a well, and snows on the summits of Lebanon. In the days of Joshua, a'cistern for the cattle: a bramin or faqui.r often resides and it is probable for many ages after his time, the harthere to furnish the pilgrim with food, and the few necessa- vest;was one of the seasons when the Jordan overflowed ries he may stand in need of. When benighted in a dreary his banks. This fact is distinctly recorded by the sacred solitude, travellers in India were thus certain, within a historian: " And as they that bare the ask were come unto midoderate distance, to find one of these buildings appro- Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were priated for their accommodation, and were often supplied dipped in the brim of the water (for Jordan overfloweth all with the necessaries of life gratis. (Forbes.) Dr. Franklin his banks all the time of harvest.") This happens in the says, that among the Indians of North America, there is in first month of the Jewish year, which corresponds, with every village a Vacant dwelling, called the stranger's house. March. But in modern times; (whether the rapidity of the IIither the traveller is led by two old men, who procure him current has worn the channel deeper than formerly, or victuals, and skins to repose on, exacting nothing for the whether its waters have taken some other direction,) the entertainment. Among the ancients, women generally river seems to have forgotten his ancient greatness. When kept houses of entertainment. " Among the Egyptians, the Maundrell visited Jordan on the thirtieth of AMarch, the women carry on all commercial concerns, and keep tav- proper time for these inundations, he could discern no sign erns, while the men continue at home and weave." Herod- or probability of such overflowing; nay, so far-was it from otls asserts, that " the men were the slaves of the women overflowing, that it ran, says our author, at least two yards in Egypt, and that it is stipulated in the marriage contract, below the brink of its channel. After having descended that the woman shall be the ruler of her husband, and that the outer bank, he went about a furlong upon the level he shall obey her in all things."-BURDERa. strand, before he came to the immediate bank of the river. CHAPTER III. This inner bank was so thickly covered with bushes and trees, among which he observed the tamarisk, the willow, Ver. 15. And as they that bare the ark were and the oleander, that he could see no water till he had co1me unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests made his way through them. In this entangled thicket, so that bare the ark were dipped in the brim -of conveniently planted near the cooling stream, and remote from the habitations of men, several kinds of wild beasts the water, (for Jordan overfioweth all his banks were accustomed to repose till the swelling of the river all the time of harvest.) drove them from their retreats. This circumstance gave occasion to that beautiful allusion of the prophet: "He The largest and most celebrated stream in Palestine, is shall come up like a lion, from. the swelling' of Jordan, the Jordan. It is much larger, according to' Dr. Shaw, against the habitation of the strong." The figure ishighly than all the brooks and streams of the Holy Land united poetical and striking. It is not easy to present a more tertogether; and, excepting the Nile, is by far the most con- rible image to the mind, than a lion roused from his den siderable river, either of the coast of Syria or of Barbary. by the roar of the swelling river, and chafed and irritated He computed it to be about thirty yards broad, and found by its rapid and successive encroachments on his chosen it nine feet deep at the brink. This river, which divides haunts, till forced to quit his last retreat, he ascends to the.the country into two unequal parts, has been commonly higher grounds and the open country, and turns the fiercesaid to issue from two fountains, or to be formed by the ness of his rage against the helpless sheep-cots, or the unjunction of. two rivulets, the Jor and the Dan; but the as- suspecting villages. A destroyer equally fierce, and cruel, sertion seems to be totally destitute of any solid foundation. and irresistible, the devoted Edomites were to find in NebuThe Jewish historian, Josephus, on the contrary, places its chadnezzar and his armies. The water of the river, at source at Phiala, a fountain which rises about fifteen miles the time of Mr. Maundrell's visit, was very turbid, and too from Cesarea Philippi, a little on the right hand, and not rapid to allow a swimmer to. stem its course. Its breadth much out of the way to Trachonitis. It is called Phiala, or might be about twenty yards; and in depth, it far exceeded the Vial, from its round figure; its water is always of the his height. The rapidity and depth of the river, which are same depth, the basin being brimful, without either shrink- admitted by every traveller, although the volume of water 1;;: J O S 5-:JHUA. CHAP. 3. seerms now to be much diminished, illustrate those parts In the same' manner, if the snows on Lebanon, and the of scripture, which mention the fords and passages of Jor- periodical rains, are less abundant in some seasons, it will dan. It no longer indeed rolls down into the Salt Sea so easily account for the state of the river when it was visited majestic a stream as in the days of Joshua, yet its ordinary by Maundrell. Admitting the fact, that the volume of wadepth is still about ten or twelve feet, so that it cannot ter in the Jordan is diminished, and that he never overflows'even at present be passed but at certain places. Of this his banks as in ancient times, that intelligent traveller himwell-known circumstance, the men of Gilead took advan- self has sufficiently accounted for the -circumstance: some tage in the civil war, which they were compelled to wage of the waters may be drained off by secret channels, which with. their brethren: "The Gileadites took the passages is not uncommon in those parts of the world; and if the of Jordan before the Ephraimites:... then they took him, rapidity of the current be so great that he could not swim and slew him at the passages of Jordan." The people of against it, the depth of the channel must be greatly increasIsrael, under the command ofEhud, availed themselves of ed since the days of Joshua and the Judges. To these. the same advantage in the war with Moab: "And they some other causes of considerable power may be added; went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan towards the present state of Lebanon, now for a long time deprived Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over." But although of its immense forests of cedar, which formerly exerted a the state of this river in modern times, completely justifies powerful attraction on the humidity of the atmosphere, and the incidental remarks of the sacred writers, it is evident, served to accumulate the snows on the Sannin, while they that Maundrell was disconcerted by the shallowness of the screened from the burning rays of the sun, the fountains stream, at the time of the year when he expected to see it and rills that fed the Jordan and his tributary streams: and overflowing all its banks; and his embarrassment seems the great extentto which the declivities of that noble mounto have increased, when he contemplated the double margin tain have been subjected to the arts of cultivation, by* the within which it flowed. This difficulty, which has perhaps Maronites, and other nations, who have taken refuge in its occurred to some others, may be explained by a remark sequestered retreats from the intolerable oppression of the which Dr. Pococke has made on the river Euphrates. Turks, by which its numerous streams have been still "The bed of the Euphrates," says that writer, "was meas- further diminished, —must, it is imagined, produce a very ured by some English gentlemen at Beer, and found to be sensible difference in the volume of water which that river, six hundred and thirty yards broad; but the river only once so celebrated for its full and majestic tide, now pours two hundred and fourteen yards over; that they thought it into the Salt Sea. Still, however, taking the mean depth to be nine or ten feet deep in the middle; and were in- of the stream during the whole year at nine feet, and adformed, that it sometimes rises twelve feet perpendicularly. mitting that it runs about two miles an hour, the Jordan He observed that it had an inner and outer bank; but says, will daily discharge into the Dead Sea, about 6,090,000 tons it rarely overflows the inner bank: that when it does, they of water. sow watermelons and other fruits of that kind, as soon as But although these causes must have produced a considlthe water retires, and have a great produce." From this erable diminution in the swellings of Jordan, we have the passage, Mr. Harmer argues; "Might not the overflow- authority of a recent traveller for asserting, that they still ings of the Jordan be like those of the Euphrates, not an- take place at the appointed season, and exhibit a scene of nual, but much more rare." The difficulty, therefore, no inconsiderable grandeur. In winter, the river overflows will be completely removed, by supposing that it does not, its narrow channel, which between the two principal lakes like the Nile, overflow every year, as some authors by mis- is not more than sixty or eighty feet broad, and, swelled by take had supposed, but, like the Euphrates, only in some the rains, forms a sheet of water sometimes a quarter of a particular years; but when it does, it is in the time of har- league in breadth. The time of its overflowing is genervest. If it did not in ancient times annually overflow its ally in March, when the snows melt on the mountain of banks, the majesty of God-in dividing its waters, to make the Shaik; at which time, more than any other, its waters way for Joshua and the armies of Israel, was certainly the are troubled and of a yellow hue, and its course impetumore striking to the Canaanites; who, when they looked ous. The common receptacle into which the Jordan upon themselves as defended in an extraordinary manner empties his waters, is the lake Asphaltites, from whence by the casual swelling of the river, its breadth and rapidity they are continually drained off by evaporation. Some being both so extremely increased, yet, found it' in these writers, unable to find a discharge for the large body of circumstances part asunder, and leave a way on dry land water which is continually rushing into the lake, have been for the pe -le of Jehovah. inclined to suspect, it had some communication with the The casual overflowing of the river, in Mr. Harmer's Mediterranean; but, besides that we know of no such gulf, opinion, seems to receive some confirmation from a pas- it has been demonstrated by accurate calculations, that sage in Josephus, where that writer informs his readers, evaporation is more than sufficient to carry off the waters that the Jordan was sometimes swelled in the spring, so of the river. It is in fact very considerable, and frequently as to be impassable in places where people were wont to becomes sensible to the eye, by the fogs with which the lake go over in his time; for, speaking of a transaction on is covered at the rising of the sun, and which are afierthe fourth of the month Dystrus, which answers to our ward dispersed by the heat. March, or, as others reckon, to February, he gives an How large the common receptacle of the Jordan was, account of great numbers of people who perished in this before the destruction of Sodom, cannot now be determined river, into which they were driven by their enemies; with certainty; but it was much smaller than at present; which, by the circumstances, appears to have happened the whole vale of Siddim, which, before that awful catasin a few days after what was done on the fourth of Dystrus. trophe, was crowded with cities, or covered with rich and' But the solution offered by this respectable author is rather extensive pastures, and fields of corn, being now buried in strained and unsatisfactory. The inspired writer of the the waters of the lake. The course of the stream, which is book of Joshua uses language on that subject, which natu- to the southward, seems clearly to indicate, that the originrally suggests the idea of periodical inundations: "Jordan al basin was in the southern part of the present sea.. But, overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest." The although the waters of the river at first presented a much present time certainly indicates the general habit of the less extended surface to the action of the sun and the a.t subject to which-it refers, and in this case, what commonly mosphere, still a secret communication between the lalke happens to the river. It may be swelled in the spring occa- and the Mediterranean, is not perhaps necessary to account sionally; but it is not easy to discover a reason for the gen- for their discharge. By the admission of Volney, evapoeral remark of the sacred writer, if the inundations in the ration is rmore than sufficient to carry them off at present: and time of harvest were not annual. The causes of these in- if to this be added, the great quantity of water consumed undations, the melting of the snows on the top of Lebanon, in the cities, and required by the cultivator, to reffesh his and the former and latter rain, uniformly take place at plantations and corn-fields, under the burning rays of an their appointed seasons; but a steadyg periodical cause will oriental sun, it is presumed, a cause equal to the effect is certainly produce a corresponding effect. But if this rea- provided. This is not a mere conjecture, unsupported by soning be just, why did not Maundrell see the effect when historical facts; for only a very small portion of the Barhe visited the river at the appointed time? This question rady, the principal river of Damascus, escapes from the may be answered by another, Why do the inundations gardens that environ the city, through which it is coneven of the Nile sometimes fail The reason is obvious; ducted in a thousand clear and winding streams, to mainthe rains in Abyssinia are not every season equally copious. tain their freshness and verdure. —PAxTo N. CHAP. 5-9. JOSHUA. 129 CHAPTER V. folded, his jewels laid aside, his hair dishevelled anl novVer. 15. Arnd the captain of the LORD'S host ered with dust, and bhi.terly bemoaning his condition, saying, jo! iyo! iyo!-" Alas! alas!1 alas!" —RoBER's. said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy alas! alas "foot; for the place whereon thou standest is CHAPTER IX. holy. And Joshua did so. Ver. 4. They did work wilily, and went and made Every person that approaches the royal presence in the as if they had been ambassadors, and took old East, is obliged to take off his shoes, because they consider sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old, as sacred the ground on which the king sits, whom they dig- and rent, and bound up. nify with the title of the Shadow of God. Allusive to this custom, perhaps, is the command given to Joshua: " Loose Chardin informs us that the Arabs, and all those that lead hy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereonthou standest a wandering life, keep their water, milk, and other liquors, Is holy. And Joshua did so." And so strictly was this cus- in leathern bottles. "They keep in them more fresh than om observed, that the Persians look upon the omission of it otherwise they would do.' These leathern bottles are made as the greatest indignity that can be offered to them. The of goat-skins. When the animal is killed, they cut off its feet king (says Morier) is never approached by his subjects with- and its head, and they draw it in this manner out of the out frequent inclinations of the body: and when the person skin, without opening its belly. They afterward sew up introduced to his presence has reached a certain distance, the places where the legs were cut off, and the tail, and he waits until the king orders him to proceed; upon which when it is filled, they tie itabqut the neck. These nations, lie leaves his shoes, and walks forward with a respectful step and the countrypeople of Persia, never go a journey to a second spot, until his majesty again directs him to ad- without a small leathern bottle of water hanging ov t1leir vance. The custom which is here referred to, not only side like a scrip. The great leathern bottles are made of constantly prevailed all over the East, from the earliest the skin of a he-goat, and the small ones, that serve inages, but continues to this day. To pull off the sandals, stead of a bottle of water on the road, are made of a kid's or slippers, is used as a mark of respect, on entering a skin."' These bottles are frequently rent, when old and mosque or temple, or the room of any person of distinction; much used, and are capable of being repaired by being in which case they were either laid aside, or given to a bound up. This they do, Chardin says, "sometimnes by servant to bear. Ives (Travels, p. 75) says, that, "at the setting in a piece; sometimes by gathering up the wounded doors of an Indian pagoda, are seen as many slippers and place in the manner of a purse; sometimes they put in a sandals as there are hats hanging up in our churches." round flat piece of wood, and by that means stop the hole." The same custom prevails among the Turks. Maundrell Maundrell gives an account exactly similar to the above. describes exactly the ceremonials of a Turlish visit, Speaking of the Greek convent at Bellmount, near Tripoli, on which (though a European and a stranger) he was in Syria, he says, "the same person whom we saw officiaobliged to comply with this custom.-BunDER. ting at the altar in his embroidered sacerdotal robe, brought us the next day, on his own back, a kid and a goat-skin of' CHAPTER VI. wine, as a present from the convent." These bottles are Ver. 26. And Joshua acdjured t~henit at that time, still used in Spain, and called borrachas. M:r. Bruce ivres saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD a description of the girba, which seems to be a vessel of the *'saying, Cursed.e the man eforeteLo same kind as those now mentioned, only of dimensions that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: considerably larger. " A girba is an ox's skin, squared, and he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first- the edges sewed together very artificially, by a doenble born, and in his youngest son shall he set up seam, which does not let out water, much resembling that the gates of itupon the best English cricket balls. An opening is left al the gates of it. the top of the girba, in the same manner as the bunghole It - appears from the following passage fromn Strabo's of a cask; around this the skin is gathered to the size of a s large handful, which, when the girba is fuill of w, ater, is Geography of Troy, (b. xiii. chap. 1. ~ 42,) that it was not large handful, which, when the girbas ull of water is unusual in remote antiquity to pronounce a curse upon tied round with whip-cord. These girbas generally con those who should rebuild a destroyed ciy. "It is believed tain about sixty gallons each, and tw'o of them are the load those who should rebuild a destroyed city. "1 It is believed that those who might have afterward wished to rebuild a c amel. They are t hen all besmeared on the outde with grease, as well to hinder the water from. oozing Iliuni, were deterred from building the city in the same through, as to prevent its being evaporated bi the heat Cin place, either by' what they had suffered there, or because theou u teaied y tw h the sun upon the girba, which, in fact, happened to,s Agamemnon had pronounced a curse against him that as to put g'i, in fact, happened to us 1gamemnon- had pronounced a curse against himll that twice, so as to put us in imminent danger of perishing with should rebuild it. For this was an ancient custom. Thusent danger of perishing ith Creesus, after he had destroyed Sidene, into which the ty-thirst."-BURDER. rant Glaulcias had thrown himself, uttered a curse upon Ver. 23. Now therefore ye are cursed and there him who should rebuild the walls of that place." Zonaras says, that the Romans pronounced a curse upon him who shall none of you be freed fiom being bondshould rebuild Carthage. Joshua's curse on the rebuilder men, and hewers of wood, and drawers of wtaof Jericho, was fulfilled, according to I Kings xvi. 34, on ter, for the house of my God. one Hiel, who lost his eldest son, Abiram, when he laid the foundation, and his youngest son, Segub, when he built the In the kingdom of Algiers, the women and children are gate.-ROSENMULLER. charged with the care of their flocks and their herds, with providing food for the family, cutting fuel, fetching water, CHAPTER VII. and when their domestic affairs allow them, witlh tending Ver. 6. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to their silk worms. The daughters of the Turcomans in the earth upon huanis face before thes ak of the Palestine, are employed in the same mean and labornous offices. In Homer, Andromache fed the horses of her heLORD until the even-tide, he and the elders of roic husband. It is probable, the cutting of wood was alnIsrael, and put dust upon their heads. other female occupation. The very great antiquity of' these customs, is confirmed by the prophet Jeremiah, vl-ho cornJoshua and the elders of Israel were in great distress; plains that the children were sent to gather wood for idlolbecause they had been defeated by the men of Ai, and be- atrous purposes; and in his Lamentations, lie bewails the cause they saw in that a token of the divine displeasure. oppressions which his people suffered from' their enemnies, They therefore fell prostrate before the ark of the Lord, in these terms: " They took the young men to grind, and and put dust on their heads as an emblem of their sorrow. the children fell under the wood." Hence the servile con(1 Sam. iv. 12. 2 Sam. i. 2. Neh. ix. 1.) How often is the dition to which the Gibeonites were reduced by Joshua, for mind affectingly thrown back on this ancient custom by imposing upon him and the princes of the congregation, apsimilar scenes at this day! See the poor object bereft of pears to have been much more severe than we are apt at wife, children, property, friends; or suffering under some first to suppose: " Nolw, therefore, ye are cursed, and there deep affliction of body: he sits on the ground, with his shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and heweyes fixed thereon; a dirty rag round his loins, his arms ers of lrood, and drawers of water, for the house of my God." 17 130 JOSHUA. CHAP. 10. The bitterness of their doom did not consist in being sub- opinion, that mere' laming was enjoined, because it would jected to a laborious service, for it was the usual employ- be wrong to put an animal unnecessarily to death. For ment of women and children; but in their being degraded thus to lame a horse that would still live, in my opinion, from the characteristic e6mployment of men, that of bearing would rather have been extreme cruelty; because, being arms, and condemned with their posterity for ever to the then useless, nobody would be likely to give him any food. employment of females.-PAxTo N. -MICHAELIS. CHAPTER X. Ver. 11. And it came to pass, as they fled from Ver. 6. And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not before Israel, abnd were in the going down to afraid because of them; for to-morrow, about Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great this time, will I deliver them up all slain be- stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, fore Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and they died: they wevre more which died and burn their chariots with fire. with hailstones, than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. With the enemy's horses, the Israelites had a different procedure from other booty. For their direction, indeed, Some writers are of opinion that this was hail, larger on this point, they.had no general and permanent law, pre- and more violent than usual; others maintain that Joshua scribed them, but merely the order from God, issued by is to be understood literally, of a shower of stones. Such Joshua (x. 6) before the battle at the waters of Merom; a circumstance, so far from being impossible, has several according to which order, they were naturallyled to regu- times occurred. The Romans, who looked upon showers late their conduct in aftertimes. In their wars before the of stones as very disastrous, have noticed many instances reina of Solomon, they made no use of horses, though of them. Under the reign of Tullius Hostilius, when it sonme of their enemies did; and this same cavalry of their was known to the people of Rome that a shower of stones enemies was wont to be very formidable, and sometimes had fallen on the mountain of Alba, at first it seemed ingave them the superiority of the Israelites in the plains. credible. They sent out proper persons to inquire into this At the same time, the event has often shown, that a brave, prodigy, and it was found that stones had fallen after the steady, close infantry, without the support of horse, will same manner as a storm of hail driven by the wind. Some sta-ad the shock of hostile cavalry without the smallest dis- time after the battle at Cannce, there was seen upon the same order; of which, although our cavalry is far more formi- mountain of Alba a shower of stones, which continued for dable by reason of their close charge, modern history, fur- two days together. In 1538, near a village in Italy called nishes examples. Indeed, on one occasion, besides more Tripergola, after some shocks of an earthquake, there was than 20,000 infantry, David took, I know not whether 1700, seen a shower of stones and dust, which darkened the air or 7000 cavalry, prisoners; their retreat across the Eu- for two days, after which they observed that a mountain phrates having been probably cut off, or that they were had risen up in the midst of the Lucrine Lake. —BRDER. compelled to surrender for want of subsistence. But when A similar phenomenon in modern times is thus described the Israelites did get a booty of horses, they did not know in Com. Porter's Letters from Constantinople and its Eniowhat use to make of them. Their husbandry was carried virons, (vol. 1. p. 44,) as having occurred in the summer on in the ancient way, and to much more advantage, with of 1831:oxen, which are not so expensive to maintain; and to this "We had got perhaps a mile and a half on our way tleir whole rural economy was directed. In war, they did when a cloud rising in the west, gave indications of an apnot em-ploy cavalry, and would have been bad horsemen; proaching rain. In a few minutes we discovered sorneand for travelling, they commonly made use of the ass, to thing falling from the heavens with a heavy splash, and fc whrich whoever is accustomed from his youth, will not wil- a whitish appearance. I could not conceive what it was, lingly venture to ride a rnettled horse, particularly such a but observing some gulls near, I supposed it to be them one as is employed in war. Horses, therefore, were to darting for fish; but soon after discovered that they were them quite a useless sort of plunder, unless they had sold large balls of ice falling. Inmediately we heard a sound them, which was not advisable, because their enemies, in like'rumbling thunder, or ten thousand carriages rolling a roundabout way, might have bought them again. It was furiously over the pavement. The whole Bosphorus was far better policy for them to diminish as far as possible this in a foam, as though heaven's artillery had been discharged race of animals, by means of which their enemies might, upon us and our frail machine. Our fate seemed inevitaon some occasions, obtain a manifest advantage over them; ble, our umbrellas were raised to protect us; the lumps ol just as the Romans' put the elephants of their enemies to ice stripped them into ribands. We fortunately had a buldeath, because they had no desire to make use of this for- lock's hide in the boat, under which w-e crawled and saved eign and dubious expedient to help them to victory, and ourselves from further injury. One man, of the three vet saw that elephants might sometimes be dangerous to oarsmen, had his hand literally smashed; another much their troops. In the first engagement which the Israelites injured in the shoulder; Mr. H. received a severe blow in Lad with an enemy whose cavalry and war-chariots made the leg; my right hand was somewhat disabled, and all him formidable, God commanded them to hough or ham- more or less injured. A smaller kaick accompanied, with string, that is, to cut the thigh-sinew of the horses which my two servants. They were both disabled, and are now they toolk; and they did so, Josh. x. 6-9. From ignorance in bed with their wounds; the kIick was terribly bruised. of ]nilitary affairs, most expositors have understood this It was the most awful and terrific scene that I ever wit. command as if it meant, not that the horses should be kill- nessed, and God forbid that I should be ever exposed to eli, but merely lamned in the hind-legs, and then let go: and such another. Balls of ice as large as my two fists, fell into this mistake, by following Bochart, as he had Kimchi, into the boat, and some of them came with such violence I was led in the first edition of this work.-I have never as certainly to have broken an arm or leg, had they struck been in war, and know just as little of the veterinary art; us in those parts. One of them struck the blade of an oar nor have I ever seen a ham-strung horse. But a horse so and split it. The scene lasted, may be, five minutes; but treated, must, instead of running off, fall instantly back- it was five minutes of the most awful feeling that I ever exward, and writhe about miserably till he die, which gen- perienced. When it passed over, we found the surrounderally happens from loss of blood, by the stroke of the sabre ing hills covered with masses of ice, I cannot call it hail; cutting the artery of the thigh. This is still, as military the trees stripped of their leaves and limbs, and every thing people have since informed mle, the plan adopted to make looking desolate. We proceeded on our course, however, those horses that are taken, but cannot be easily brought and arrived at our destination, drenched and awe-struck. away, unserviceable to the enemv again. They ham-string The ruin had not extended so far as Candalie, and it was them, which can be done in an instant; and they generally difficult to make them comprehend the cause of the nerdie of the wound, by bleeding to death; but though they vous and agitated condition in which we arrived; the Reis should not, the wound never heals; so that if even the en- Effendi asked me if I was ever so agitated when in action. emy recover them alive, he is forced to despatch them: and I answered no, for then I had something to excite me, and e.very compassionate friend of horses, who has ever seen human means only to oppose. He asked the minister if he tlne in that situation, will do so, in order to terminate his ever was so affected in a gale of wind at sea 1 He answered misery. There is, therefore, no foundation for Kimchi's no, for then he could exercise his skill to disarm or render ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'.. ~':~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~_-'~~ llr~~~~~~~~~-: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_...__..~~s~ 8 i ~ r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,... ~r.. H~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, CIAP. 10-17. JOSHUA., 131 harmless the elements. He' asked him why he shculd CHAPTER XIV. be affected now. He replied,' From the awful idea of Ver. 12. Now thexefore give me this mountain, being crushed to death by the hand of God with stones from heaven, when resistance would be vain, and where it would whereofthe LoRD spake in that day; for thou be impious to be brave.' He clasped his hands, raised his heardest in that day how the Anakims were eyes to heaven, and exclaimed,' God is great!' there, and that the cities wer'e great and fenced; " Uli to this hour, late in the afternoon, I have not reco- if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall vered my composure; my nerves are so affected as scarcelye t s aid. to be able to hold my pen, or communicate my ideas. The be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. scene was awful beyond all description. I have witnessed repeated earthquakes; the lightning has played, as it were, The mountainous parts of the Holy Land are so far about my head; the wind roared, and the waves have at from being inhospitable, unfruitful, or the refuse of the one moment thrown me to the sky, and the next have sunk land of Canaan, that in the division of this country, the me into a deep abyss; I have been in action, and seen death mountain of Hebron was granted to Caleb as a particular and destruction around me in every shape of horror; but favour; Now, therefore, give me this mountain of which I never before had the feeling of awe which seized upon me the Lord spake in that day. In the time of Asa, the " hill on this occasion, and still haunts, and I feel will ever haunt country of Judah" mustered five hundred and eighty thoume. I returned to the beautiful village of Buyuedere. sand men of valour; an argument beyond dispute, that the The sun was out in all its splendour; at a distance all land was able to maintain them. Even in the present times looked smiling and charming; but a nearer approach dis- though cultivation and improvement are exceedingly negcovered roofs covered with workmen repairing the bro-ected, while the plains and valleys, although asfruitful as ken tiles;' desolated vineyards, and shattered windows. ever, lie almost entirely desolate, every little hill is crowded My porter, the boldest of my family, who had ventured an with inhabitants. If this part of the Holy Land was cominstant from the door, had been knocked down by a hail- posed, as some object, only of naked rocks and precipices, stone, and had they not dragged him in by the heels, would why is it better peopled than the plains of Esdraelon, Rama, have been battered to death. Of a flock of geese in front Acre, or Zabulon, which are all of them extremely fertile of our house, six were killed, and the rest dreadfully man- and delightful I It cannot be urged that the inhabitants gled. Two boatmen were killed in the upper part of the live with more safety on the hills and mountains, than on village, and I have heard of broken bones in abundance. the plains, as there are neither walls nor fortifications to Many of the thick brick tiles with which my roof is cover- secure their villages and encampments; and except in the ed, are smavshed to atoms, and my house was inundated by range of Lebanon, and some other mountains, few or no the rain that succeeded this visitation. It is impossible to places of difficult access; so that both of them-are equally convey an idea of what it was. Imagine to yourself', how- exposed to the insults of an enemy. But the reason is cbever, the heavens suddenly froze over, and as suddenly vious; they find among these mountainous rocls and broken to pieces in irregular masses, of from half a pound precipices, sufcient convenience forthemselves,anl much to a pound weight, and precipitated to the earth.' My own greater for their cattle. Here they have bread to the full, servants weighed several pieces of three quarters of a while their flocks and their herds browse upon richer herbpound; and many were found by others of upwards of a age, and both man and beast quench their thirst from pound. There were many which fell around the boat in spring,s of excellent water, which is but too much wanted which I was, that appeared to me to be as large as the swell especially in the summer season, through all the plains of of the large sized water decanter. You may think this Syria. This fertility of Canaan is fully confirmed by romance. I refer to the bearer of this letter, who was with writers of great reputation, whose impartiality cannot be me, and witnessed the scene, for the truth of every word justly suspected. Tacitus calls it a fruitful soil, uber it contains."-LETTERS FROM CONSTANTINOPLE. solum; and Justin affirms, that in this country the purity of the air, and the fertility of the soil, are equally admiraVer. 12. Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the ble: Sed non minor loci ejus apricitatis quam ubertatis day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites admiratio est.. The justice of these brief accounts, Dr. before the children of Israel, and he said in Shaw, and almost every modern traveller, fully' verifies. before the children of Israel, and he said in WVhen he travelled in Syria and Phenicia, in December the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon and January, the whole country, he remarks, looked verGibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of dant and cheerful; and the woods particularly, which are Ajalon.'chiefly planted with the gall-bearing oak, were everywhere bestrewed with a variety of anemonies, ranuncu(See Ey ngraving.) lusses, colchicas, and mandrakes. Several pieces of ground near Tripoli were full of lieorice; and at the mouth of a Ver. 21. And all the people returned to the famous grotto he saw an elegant species of the blue lily,' camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace: none the same with Morrison's lilium Persicum florens. In the moved his tongrue against any of the children beginning of March, the plains, particularly between Jaffa and Rama, were everywhere planted with a beautiful of Israel. " variety of fritillaries, tulips of innumerable hues, and a When a person speaks of the fear to which his enemy is profusion of the rarest and most beautiful flowers; wvhile reduced, he says, "Ah! he dares not now to, shake his the hills and the mountains were covered with yellow tongue against me." " He hurt you! the fellow will not pollium, and some varieties of thyme, sage, and rosemary. shake his tongue against you." —ROBERTS. -PAXTON. Ver. 24. And said unto the captains of the men of CHAPTER XVII. Ver. 16. And all the Canaanites that diwell in your feet upon the necks of these kings. And. the lad of the valley have chariots of iron, they came near, and put their feet upon the Ioth they who are of Bethshean and her towns -necks of them, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. See on 2 Sam. 44. 21. The warriors of primitive times were carried to the field This in the East is a favourite way of triumphing over in chariots, drawn for the most part by two horses. T-he a fallen foe. In the history of the battles of the gods, or custom of riding and fighting upon horses, was not introgiants, particular mention is made of the closing scene, duced into Greece, and the regions of Asia bordering on how the conquerors went and trampled on their enemies. the Hellespont, till some time after the Trojan war; for When people are disputing, should one be a little pressed, Homer, whose authority in such cases is indisputable, and the other begin to triumph, the former will say, I always conducts his heroes to battle in chariots, never on will tread upon thy neck, and after that beat thee." A low- horseback. In what age the chariot was first used in battle, caste man insulting one who is high, is sure to hear some cannot now be ascertained; but by the help of the sacred one say to the offended individual', "Put your feet on his volume, we can trace the practice to a very remote anneck." (See on Isa. xviii. 2, 7.)-ROBERTS. tiquity, for the aboriginal inhabitants of Canaan appear, 132 JOSHUA. CHAP. 18-24. from the number of armed chariots which they possessed, of some noble subterranean cisterns at Ramah, not inferior when Joshua invaded their country, to have been trained either in extent or execution to many of those at Alexan-, to that mode of warfare long before. " And the children dria: they were intended for the same purpose, namely, to of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us; and all the serve in time of war as reservoirs of water."'-BUCKINGHAM. Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, CHAPTER XXIII. and they who are of the valley of Jezreel." This by no V B means intimates, that the chariots were made of iron, but only that they were armed with it. Such chariots were by you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in the ancients called cm'rr'sfcacati, and in Greek 3pveranvovpat. your eyes, until ye perish from off this good They had a kind of scythes, of about two cubits long, fast- which the LORD your God ath given you. ened to long axle-trees on both wheels; these being driven swifily through a body of men, made great slaughter, mow- " What!" says a wife to her angry husband, " am I a ing them down like grass or corn. The efficacious resist- thorn in your eyes." " Alas,! alas! he has seen another; ance which the Canaanites, from their chariots of iron, I am now a thorn in his eves." "Were I not a thorn in his opposed to the arms of Israel, is emphatically remarked eves, his anger would not burn so long." "My old friend by thie sacred historian: "A nd the Lord was with Judah, eamban never looks at my house now, because it given and they drave out the inhabitants of the mountain, but thorns to his eyes." —Roa s, ERTS.give could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron." The native princes of Canaan, CHAPTER XXIV. fuhlly aware'of the great advantages to be derived from this Ver. 12. And I sent the horet before you, which opecies of force, in combating the armies of Israel, which c, nsisted, as has been already observed, entirely of infantry, drave them out from before you, even the two continued to improve it with a care and diligence propor- kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, tioned' to its importance. In the time of the judges, not nor with thy bow long after the death of Joshua, Jabin the king of Canaan, sent nine hundred chariots of iron into the field against the See on Ex. 24. 28. people of Israel:- and in a succeeding war, between this ieople and their inveterate enemies the Philistines, the Ver. 32. And the bones of Joseph, which the tatter met them in the fiellt with "thirty thousand chariots, children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, and six thousand horseme'n, and people as the sand which buried they in Shechem, in a pa of groun is on the seashore for multitude."' PAXTON. which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of sil Ver. 25. Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth. ver: and it became the inheritance of the chil The oriental geographers speak of Ramah as the metrop- dren of Joseph. olis -f Palestine; and every appearance of its ruins even now confirms the opinion of its having been once a consid- Joseph was not interred in Shechem, but, according to erable city. Its situation, as lying immediately in the high the ancient custom, in a field adjoining. Probably the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem, made it necessarily a place other children of Jacob received the like honour, each of great resort; and from the fruitfulness of the country tribe taking care to bury its ancestor, either at Machpelah, around it, it must have been equally important as a mili- or elsewhere in the land of Canaan. Jose-phus asserts that tary station or a depot for supplies, and as a magazine for it was so, upon the credit of an ancient tradition. St. Stethe collection of such articles of commerce as were export- phen confirms the relation. Acts vii. 16. Savages consider ed from the coast. In its present state, the town of Ramah the tombs of their ancestors as titles to the possession of the is about the size of Jaffa, in the extent actually occupied. lands which they inhabit. This country is ours, say they; The dwellings of this last, however, are crowded together,, the bones of our fathers are here laid to rest. WVhen they around the sides of a hill, while those of Ramah are scat- are forced to quit it, they dig them up with tears, and carry tered widely over the face of the level plain on which it them off with every token of respect. About thirty miles stands. The style of building here is that of high square below the falls of St. Anthony, (says Carver,) in North houses, with flattened domes covering them; and some of America, several bands of the Naudowessie Indians have the old terraced roofs are fenced around with raised walls, a burying-place, where these people, though they have no in which are seen pyramids of hollow earthenware pipes, fixed residence, living in tents, and abiding 6bit a few as if to give air and light, without destroying the strength months on one spot, always contrive to deposite the bones'of the wall itself. The inhabitants are estimated at little of their dead. At the spring equinox these bands annually more than five thousand persons, of whom about one third assemble here to hold a grand council with all the othei are Christians of the Greek and Catholic communion, and bands; wherein they settle their operations for the ensuing the remaining two thirds Mohammedans, chiefly Arabs; year. At this time, in particular, they bring with them the men of power and the military being Turks, and no their dead, for internment, bound up in buffaloes' skins.'If Jews residing there. The principal occupation of the any of these people die in the summer, at a distance from people is husbandry, for which the surrounding country is the burying-ground, and they find it impossible to remove highly favourable, and the staple commodities produced the body before it would putrify, they burn the flesh from bv them are corn, olives, oil, and cotton, with some soap and the bones, and preserving the latter, bury them in the v'[arse cloth made in the town. There are still remains manner described.-BuRDEa. JUDGES. CHAPTER I. \ meant than merely its having a large door, or being spa.. Ver. 7. Threescore and ten kings, havin go their cious; at least there are now other contrivances in the East, thumbs n their great toes cut o to give coolness to particular rooms, which are very comthumbs and their great toes cut off.. mon; and though the time in which Eglon lived, is acThe HEeeb~rew has this, " the thumbs of their hands and knowledged to be of very remote antiquity, yet we are to of their feet." The Hindoos call the thumb the 7reria-virit, remember he was a prince, and in the palaces of such these the great finger of the hand, and the large toe is named the contrivances without doubt began. The doctor is silent great finger of the foot. This punishment was exceedng- this point, but Russell has given us the following aly common in ancient times, and was inflicted principally count of one of their methods of cooling rooms. Their on those who had committed some flagrant offence with great houses at Aleppo are composed of apartments on each their hands and their feet. Thus, those convicted of for- of the sides of a square court, all of stone; and. consist of gery, or numerous thefts, had their thumbs cut off. The, a ground door, which is generally arched, and an upper practice is abolished, but its memory will remain, as it is story, which is flat on the top, and either terraced with hard noxw one of the scarecrows of the nursery and domestic life: plaster, or paved stone; above-stairs is a colonnade, if not "If you steal any more, I will cut off your thumbs." " Let round the whole court, at least fronting the West, off from me find out the thief, and I will soon have his thumbs."- which are their roomsand kiosqes; theselatte-r are a sort ROBERTS. of wooden divans, that prcoect a little way from their other buildings, and hang over the street; they are raised about CHAPTER III. a foot and a half higher than the floor of the room, to which they are quite open, and by having windows in front and Ver. 17. And he brought the present unto Eglon n each side, there is a great draught of air, which makes king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. them cool in the summer, the advantage chiefly intended 18. And when he had made an end to offer the by them. They have another way of cooling their rooms present, he sent hway the people that bare the in Egypt. It is done by openings at the top, which let the fresh air into them. Egmont and Heyman, as well as present. Maillet, make mention of them, but the last-mentioned auSefe oin Gen. 43. 45. thor gives the most distinct account of these contrivances: they make, he tells us, their halls extremely large and There is often in the East a great deal of pomp and pa- make, he tells s, their halls extremely are and ade in presenting their gifts. " Through ostentation " pa- lofty, with a dome at the top, which towards the North has Maillet, "they never fail to load upon four or five horses several open windows; these are so constructed asto throw what might easily be carried by one. In like manner as the north wind down into these rooms, and by this means; to jewels, trinkets, and other things of value, they place in though the country is excessively hot, they can make the fifteen dis;hes, what a single plate would very well hold." coolness of these apartments such as, oftentimes, not to.be Something of this pomp seems to be referred to in this pas- bornewithout bein wrappedinfurs. Egmont andHeysage, where we read of snaking an end of ofering the pimes- man speak of chambers cooled after this manner, as well eat, and of a number of people who conveyed it. This re- halls on's appears to have been a chamber, and markl also illustrates 2 Kings viii. 9. So Hazael went to what Shaw calls an olee, which gives a propriety to the meet him, and took a present with Aim, even of every good} mention that is made of Ehud's passing through the porch, ~thingef of Dama7>scslesfor camels' bseok n t rdenri.-HARMER. g which no interpreter before the doctor has, that i know of, tf O ~f Damatnscufr, fortY camels' blrden.-HARMER. remarked: but whether it was cooled by a kiosque, as they Ver. 19. But he himself turned again from the are called at Aleppo, or by an Egyptian dome, or by some ies ha e by Gilgaland said I have contrivance distinct from both, is of no consequence to dequarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have termine. That some contrivance to mitigate the extreme a secret errand unto thee, 0 king: who said, heat of that climate began early to obtain, in the palaces of Keep silence. And all that stood by him went princes, is natural to believe; that it began as early as the oult firom hilm. time of Eglon, this passage puts out of all doubt. It was the more necessary, as Eglon appears to have kept his From a circumstance mentioned by Mr. Bruce, it ap- court at Jericho, where the heat is so excessive, that it has pears that Ehud acted in strict conformity to the customs fatal tosome even in March.-HARMEa. of the time and place, so that neither the suspicion of the king nor his attendants should be excited by his conduct. Ver. 25. And they tarried till they were ashamed; It was usual for the attendants to retire when secret mes- and, behold, he opened not the doors of the sages were to be delivered. " I drank a dish of coffee, and told him, that I was a bearer of a confidential message from parlour: herefore they took a key and openAli Bey of Cairo, and wished to deliver it to him without ed them; and, behold, their lord was fallen witnesses, whenever he pleased. The room was accord- down dead on the earth. in.gly cleared without delay, excepting his secretary, who was also going away, when I pulled him back by the clothes, The wooden locks commonly used in Egypt, " consist of saying, stay, if you please; we shall need you to write the a long hollow piece of wood, fixed in the door, so as to slide answer."-BU RDER. backward and forward, which enters a hole made for it in the doorpost, and is there fastened by small bolts of iron Ver. 20. And Ehud came unto him;. and he was wire, which fall from above into little orifices made for them sitting in a summer-parlour, which he had for in the top of the lock. The key is a long piece of wood, himself alone. having at the end small pieces of iron wire of different lengths, irregularly fixed in, corresponding in number and Dr. Shaw tells us, their doors are large, and their cham- direction with the bolts which fall into the lock; these it lifts bers spacious; conveniences, as he" observes, very well upon being introduced into the lock, which it then pulls adapted to those hotter climates. But when Eglon is rep- back. The bolts of wire differ in number from three to resented as receiving Ehud and Death, in a oparlour of fourteen or fifteen, and it is impossible to guess at the numcooling, as it is called, in the margin of Judges iii. 20, or ber a lock contains, or at the direction in which they are rather in a chamber of cooling, something more seems to be placed."-TuRNER's Journal of a Tow, in the Levant. 134. JUDGES. CHA'. 4. Ver. 31. And after him was Shamgar the son of slender line of its distant horizon was just perceptible over Anath, which slew of the Philistines six han- a range of land near the seacoast. From wrest to south drecd men with an ox-g$oad: and he also de- the plain of Esdraelon extended over a vast space, being bounded on the south by the range of hills, generally livered Israel. considered to be the Hermon, whose dews are poeticallv celebrated, Psalm cxxxiii. 3, and having in the Mr. Maundrell has an observation which at once ex- same direction, nearer the foot of Tabor, the springs of plains this transaction, and removes every difficulty from Ain-el-Sherrar, whichC send a perceptible stream through he passage. Ile says, "thle countrypeople were now every- its centre, and form the brook Kishon of antiquity. Psalm where at Plough in the fields, in order to sow cotton. It lxxxiii 9. From southeast to the east is the plain of Galiwas observable, that in ploughing they used goads of an ex- lee, being almost a continuation of Esdraelon, and, like it, traordinary size; upon measuring of several, I found them appearing to be highly cultivated, being now ploughed for about eight feet long, and at the bigger end six inches in seed throughout. Beneath the range of this supposed circumference. They were armed at the lesser end with- Hermon is seated Endor, famed for the witch who raised a sharp prickle for driving the oxen, at the other end with the ghost of Samuel, to the terror of the aiffrighted Saul; and a small spade, or paddle of iron, strong and massy, for Nain, equally celebrated as the place at which Jesus raised cleansing the plough from the clay that encumbers it in the only son of a widow from death to life, and restored working. May we not from hence conjecture, that it was him to his afflicted parent.. The range which bounds the with such a goad as one of these, that Shamgar made that eastern view is thought to be the mountains of Gilboa, prodigious slaughter related of him, Judges iii. 21. Iam where the same Saul, setting an example of self-destruction confident that whoever should see one of these instruments, to his armour-bearer and,his three sons, fell on his own would judge it to be a weapon not less fit, perhaps fitter, sword rather than fall wounded into the hands of the unthan a sword for such an execution. Goads of this sort I circumcised, by whom he was defeated. The sea of Tibesaw always used- hereabouts, and also in Syria; and the rias or the Lake of Gennesareth, famed as the scene of reason is, because the same single person both drives the many miracles, is seen on the northeast, filling the hollow oxen, and also holds and manages the plough; which of a deep valley, and contrasting its light blue waters with makes it necessary to use such a goad as is above described, the dark brown shades of'the barren hills by which it is to avoid the encumbrance of two instruments."-BuaDErn. hemmed around. Here, too, the steep is pointed out down which the herd of swine, who were possessed by the legion of devils, ran headlong into the sea. In the same direction, Ver. 6. And she sent and called Barak the son of below, on the plain of Galilee, and about an hour's distance Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto from the foot of Mount Tabor, there is a cluster of buildings, him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel com- used as a btzar for cattle, frequented on Mondays only. manded, saying, Go, and draw towards Mount Somewhat farther on is a rising ground, fiom which it is nded, si, Go, and draw towards Mount said that Christ delivered the long and excellent discourse. Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of called the Sermon on the Mount; and the whole view in the children of Naphtali, and of the children of this quarter is bounded by the high range of Gebel-el-Telj, Zebulun Z?: or the Mountain of Snow, whose summit was at this moment clothed with one white sheet, without a perceptible Arriving at the top, we found ourselves on an oval breach or dark spot in it. The city of Saphet, supposed -plain, of about a quarter of a mile in its greatest length, to be the ancient Bethulia, a city said to be seen far and covered with a bed of fertile soil on the west, having at its near, and thought to be alluded to in the apophthegm which eastern end a mass of ruins, seemingly the vestiges of says, " a city set on a hill cannot be hid," is also pointed churches, grottoes, strong walls, and fortifications, all deci- out in this direction: but though the day was clear, J could dedly of some antiquity, and a few appearing to be the not distinguish it, its distance preventing its being defined works of a very remote age. First were pointed out to us from hence without a glass. To the north were the stony three grottoes, two beside each other, and not far from two hills over which we had journeyed hither, and these comcisterns of excellent water; which grottoes are said to be pleted this truly grand and interesting panoramic view. the remains of the three tabernacles proposed to be erected — BUCKINE- AM. by St. Peter, at the moment of the transfiguration, when Van Egmont and Heyman give the following account of Jesus, Elias, and Moses, were seen talking together. In Tabor:-" This mountain, though somewhat rugged and one of these grottoes, which they call more particularly the difficult, we ascended on horseback, making several cirSanctuary, there is a square stone used as an altar; and on cuits round it, which took us about three quarters of an the sixth of August in every year, the friars of the convent hour. It is one of the highest in the whole country, being come from Nazareth, with their banners and the host, to thirty stcedia, or about four English miles, a circumference say mass here; at which period they are accompanied by that rendered it more famous. And it is the most beautiall the Catholics of the neighbourhood, who pass the night ful I ever saw, with'regard to verdure, being everywhere in festivity, and light large bonfires, by a succession of decorated with small oak-trees, and the ground universally which they have nearly bared the southern side of the enamelled with a variety of plants and flowers,- except on mountain of all the wood that once clothed it. Besides the south side, where it is not so fully covered with verdure. these grottoes, no particular history is assigned to any other On this mountain are great numbers of red partridges, and of the remains, thougl among them there seem to have been some wild-boars; and we were so fortunate as to see the many large religious buildings. The whole of these ap- Arabs hunting them. We left, but not without reluctance, pear to have been once enclosed with a strong wall, a large this delightful place, and found at the bottom of it a mean portion of which still remains entire on the north side, village, called Deboura, or Tabour, a name said to be dehaving its firm foundation on the solid rock. This ap- rived from the celebrated Deborah mentioned in Judges." peared to me the most ancient part. Traditions here speak Pococke notices this village, which stands on a rising of a City built on the top, which sustained a five years' ground at the foot of Mount Tabor westward; and the siege, drawing its supplies byskirmish from different parts learned traveller thinks, that it may be the same as the Daof the fertile plains below, and being furnished with water berath, or Daberah, mentioned in the book of Joshua, as on from two excellent cisterns still above; but as no fixed the borders of Zebulun and Issachar. " Any one," he adds, period is assigned to this event, it may probably relate to " who examines the fourth chapter of Judges, may see that the siege of Vespasian. As there still remained the frag- this is probably the spot where Barak and Deborah met at ments of a wall on the southeast angle, somewhat higher Mount Tabor with their forces and went to pursue Sisera; than the rest, we ascended it over heaps of fallen buildings, and on this account, it might have its name from that great and enjoyed from thence a prospect truly magnificent, want- prophetess, who then judged and governed Israel; for Joing only the verdure of spring to make it beautiful as well sephus relates, that Deborah and Barak gathered the army as grand. Placing my compass before me, we had on the together at this mountain." This point Josephus was not northwest a view of the Mediterranean sea, whose blue sur- required to prove, as the sacred history contains explicit inface filled up an open space left by a downward bend in the formation on this head, to which the Jewish historian -was outline of the western hills: to west-northwest a smaller incapable of adding a single particular. The name of the portion of its waters were seen: and on the west again the village seems, however, more probably to be derived frorp CHAP. 4. JUDGES. 135 the mountain, than from. the prophetess. Deborah, the served five or six armed men, three of whom we recogname of the place where she dwelt, and to which the chil- nised to be those who had made such offers of their hospidren of Israel came up to her for judgment, was between tality in the village of Deborah below. They cailed out'Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, and consequently to us in a loud voice, that if we attempted the slightest much farther to the south. Whereas in Deboura, or Da- resistance we should be murdered, but that if we submitbour, we have the very Dabor or Thaboor of the scrip- ted to be quietly stripped, no violence should be offered to tures, with only that slight corruption which the Hebrew our persons. There was no time for parley, though my names receive, as pronounced by the Arabs. The moun- companions at first cried for mercy, but as I rushed ort tainm itself they call Djebel'To0U'. —MiODERN TRAVELLER. with my musret cocked, and presented, they instanlv 101llowed me, and an unexpected discharge drove' cur assai'Ver. 10. And Barak called Zebulun and Naph- ants to seek shelter behind the masses of rock nem;r the tall to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thou- cave. A regular skirmish now commenced, in which we sand m-en at his feet: and Deborah went up kept up a retreating fire, and often exposed ourselves to Tith him. their shot, for the sake of getting to our mules at the foot ol the hill. During a full hour of this kind of running fight, The phrase "' men at his feet," did not, I believe, refer to none of our party was hurt. From the first it seemed any particular class of soldiers, but applied to ALrL, whether evident to us that we had been betrayed by our Deborah they fought in chariots, on horses, or on foot. This form of guide, and our notion was at length confirmed by his going speech is used in eastern books to show how many obey or over to the assailing party, and using his arms against us. serve under the general. It may be taken from the action of Fortunately, and justly too, this man was himself wounded a slave being prostrate at the feet of his master, denoting by a ball from my musket, and when he fell shrieking, on. submission or obedience. In this way devotees, when ad- the side of the hill, his companions hastened to his relief, dressing the gods, alwayb speak of themselves as being at while we profited by the alarm of the moment to continue their feet. When the Orientals speak of his Majesty of our retreat, and rejoin our mules below. Here we drew off Britain, they often allude to the millions who are at his at a short distance from the village of Deborah, and, with feet. The governors, generals, or judges in the East, are arms in our hands, being exhausted and fatigued, refreshed said to have the people of such countries, or armies, or dis- ourselves beneath a tree;, but we had not yet remounted, tricts, at their feet. Nay, it is common for masters, and when a large party, professing to be from the sheik of people of small possessions, to speak of their domestics as Deborah, a village consisting only of a few huts, came zo being at their feet. It is therefore heard every day, for sequesterour beasts, for what they called the public service. "I will send my servants," en-ictl-adiyilca, "those at my We treated this with a proper degree of wNarmth, and feet."-ROBERTS. threatened death to the first that should dare to lay hands e. 18. nd Ja went out to meet Sisera, and on any thing belonging to us: so that the brave villagers e.. And Jael went out to meet Siskept aloof." —Bc GM. said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in Ver. 19. And he said unto her, Give me, I pray me; fear not. -And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a thee, i litle water to drink; for I am thisty. mantle. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. The Arabs are not so scrupulous as the Turks about their women; and though they have their harem, or wo- The method of making butter in the East, illustrates the men's apartment, in the tent, they readily introduce their conduct of Jael, the wife of Heber, described in the hook acquaintances into it, or those strangers whom they take of Judges: "And Sisera said unto her, Give me, I pray under their special protection. Pococke's conductor, in his thee, a little water to drink, for I am thirsty: and she openjourney to Jerusalem, led him two or three miles to his'ed a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him." tent, where he sat with his wife and others round a fire. In the song of Deborah, the statement is repeated: "He The faithfiil Arab kept him there for greater security, the asked water, and she gave him milk, she brought forth wife being always with him; no stranger ever daring to butter in a lordly dish." The word (rson lhenma?) w-hich come into the women's apartment unless introduced. We our translators rendered butter, properly signifies cream; discover in this custom, the reason of Jael's invitation to which is undoubtedly the meaning of it in this passage, for Sisera, when he was defeated by Barak: "Turn in, my Sisera complained of thirst, and asked a little water to lord, turn in to me, fear not." She invited him to take ref- quench it, a purpose to which butter is but little adapted. uge in her own division of the tent, into which no stran. Mr. Harmer indeed urges the same objection to cream, ger might presume to enter; and where he naturally sup- which, he contends, few people would think a very proper posed himself in perfect safety.-PAxTooN. beverage for one that was extremely thirsty; and conThere is an apparent treachery in the conduct of Jael to eludes, that it must have been buttermilk which Jael, who Sisera; and it appears from the following account as if the had just been churning, gave to Sisera. But the opiaicn inhabitants of that country were still actuated by the same of Dr. Russell is preferable, that the hemah of the scripprinciple of interested dissimulation. "It was about noon tures, is probably the same as the haymrael of the Arabs, when we reached the small village of Deborah, where we which is not, as Harmer supposed, simple cream, but alighted to refresh, not suspecting that the treachery for cream produced by simmering fresh sheeps' milk for some which it is traditionally infamous, both in holy and profane hours over a slow fire. It could not be butter newly churnrecords, was still to be found here at So distant a period. ed, which Jael presented to Sisera, because the Arab butWe entered into this village, and, like the unfortunate Sis- tee is apt to be foul, and is commonly passed through a era, demanded only a little water to drink, for with every strainer before it is used; and Russell declares, he never thing else our scrip was well provided. It was furnished saw butter offered to a stranger, but always hal7eak: nor to us, as we desired, with provender for our beasts, and the did he ever observe the Orientals drink buttermilk, but aloffer of all that the village possessed. While the animals ways lebane, which is coagulated sour milk, diluted with were feeding, I was desirous of ascending to the summit of water. It was lebas, therefore, which Pococke mistook ior Mount Tabor, for the enjoyment of the extensive view buttermilk, with which the Arabs treated him in the Holy which it commands. Our guide from the convent offering Land. A similar conclusion maybe drawn concerning the to accompany me, we took with us a man from the village, butter and milk which the wife of Heber presented to Si:cwho promised to facilitate our ascent by directing us to the ra; theywere forced cream or haymak, and leban, or coageasiest paths; and taking our arms with us, while my ulated sour milk diluted with water, which is a common servant and the muleteer remained below to take care of and refreshing beverage in those sultry regions.-PAxTos. the beasts, we all three set out together; by forced exertions we reached the summit in about half an hour. In our Ver. 21. Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail o.t descent from Mount Tabor we entered a grotto, in which the tent, and took a hammer in her hae d, and there had formerly been a church, and had scarcely got went softly unto him, and smote the nail into within it, before we heard the rushing of persons before the outer part of the passage by which we had entered. On his temples, and fastened it into the ground: turning round to ascertain the cause of this noise, we ob- (for he was fast asleep and weary:) so he died, 136 JUDGES. CHAP. 5. Shaw, describing the tents of the Bedouin Arabs, says, which professor Gmelin brought from Tartary, was of the "these tents are kept firm and steady,by bracing or stretch- same colour. White asses, according to Morier, come ing down their eaves with cords tied down to hooked wood- from Arabia; their scar ity makes them valuable, and gives en pins well pointed, which they drive into the. ground with them consequence. The men of the law count it a dignity, a mallet; one of these pins answering to the nail, as the and suited to their character, to ride on asses of this colour. mallet does to the hammer, which Jael used in fastening As the Hebrews always appeared in white garments at to the ground the temples of Sisera."-BuRDER. their public festivals and on days of rejoicing, or when the courts of-justice were held; So, they naturally preferred CHAPTER V. white asses, because the colour suited the occasion, and Ver. 6. In the days of Shamagar the son of Anath, because asses of this colour being more rare and costly, were more coveted by the great and wealthy. The same in the days of Jael, the highways were unoc- view is taken of this question by Lewis, who says, the cupied, and the travellers walked through by- asses in Judea " were commonly of a red colour; and therefore white asses were highly valued, and used by persons of superior note and quality." In this Fassage, he There are roads in these countries, but it is very easy to' clearly speaks of the colour of the animals themselves, not turn out of them, and go to a place by winding about over of their coverings.-PAxTON. the lands, when that is thought safer. Dr. Shaw takes no- tice of this circhmstance in Barbary, where, he says, they Ver. 11. They that ag e deliree from the noise found no hedges, or mounds, or enclosures, to retard or of archers in the places of drawing water. molest them. To this Deborah doubtless refers, though,the doctor does not apply this circumstance to that passage, Dr. Shaw mentions a beautiful rill in Barbary, which is when she says, " In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anath, received into a large basin, called shrub we krulb, drink in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the and way, there being great danger of meeting there with travellers walked through byways," or crooked ways, ac- rogues and assassins. If such places are proper for the cording to the margin, Judges v. 6. The account Bishop lurking of murderers in times of peace, they must be Pococke gives of the manner in which that Arab, under proper for the lying in ambush in times of war: a circum-,,whose care he had put himself, conducted himn to Jerusa- stance that Deborah takes notice of in her song, Judges v. lem, illustrates thiswith great liveliness; which his lordship 11. But the writer who is placed first in that collection, tells us was by night, and not by the highroad, but through which is entitled Gesta Dei per Francos, gives a more the fields; " and I observed," says he, "that he avoided as perfect comment still on that passage: for, speaking of the much as he coulcd g0oing near any village or encampment, want of water, which the Croisade army so severely felt, and sometimes'stood still, as I thought, to hearken." And at the siege of Jerusalem, he complains, that besides their just in that manner people were obliged to travel in Judea, being forced to use water that stunk, and barley bread, in the days of Shamgar and Jael.-HARMER. their people were in continual danger from the Saracens, who, lying hid near all the fountains, and places of water, Ver. 10. Speakl, ye that ride on white asses, ye everywhere destroyed numbers of them, and carried off that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. their cattle. To which may be added a story from William of Tyre, relating to Godfrey, Duke of Lorrain, afterward The ancient Israelites preferred the young ass for the king of Jerusalem, who, stopping short of Antioch five or saddle. It is on this account, the sacred writers so fre- six miles, to which place he was returning, in order o qllentlyv mention riding on young asses and on ass colts. nt in a pleasant grassy place nea a qTnley;nust halv e fouc them, from exmperieoce, like the fountain, was suddenly set upon by a number of horsemen They must have found them, from experience, like the young of all animals, more tractable, lively, and active, them, and attacked the duke and his people, —HARMER. than their parents, and, by consequence, better adapted to this employment. Buffon remarked particularly of the Ver. 17. Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why voung ass, that it is a gay, nimble, and gentle animal, remain " and there-fore, to be preferred for riding to the same ani- did Dan in ships? Asher continued mal, when become lazy and stubborn through age." " In- on the seashore, and abode in his breaches. deed the Hebrew name of the young ass, s'y," from a root which signifies to rouse or excite, " is expressive of its Though the coast of that part of Syria which is denomicharacter for sprightliness and activity." On public and nated Palestine, is not remarkable for the number of its solemn occasions, they adorned the asses which they rode, ports, yet besides Joppa, St. John d'Acre, Caipha under with rich and splendid trappings. "ITn this manner," says Mount Carmel, and a few others that might be named, an excellent writer of Essays on Sacred Zoology, "the there are some creeks, and small convenient places, where magistrates in the time of the Judges, appear to have rode little vessels, and such are those that are used for fishing, in s ate. They proceeded to the gate of their city, where may shelter themselves, and land what thev take, though they sat to hear causes, in slow procession, mounted on there are very few rivers on all that coast. To these places asses superbly caparisoned with white cloth, which cover- Deborah seems to refer, when she says, Ashes conti.nued on ed the greater part of the animal's body. It is thus that we the seashore, and abode in his breaches, or creeks, as it is must interpret the words of Deborah:' Speak, ye that ride translated in the margin.-HARMER. on white asses,' on asses caparisoned with coverings made of white woollen cloth,'ye that sit in judgment, and walk,' Ver. 21. The river of Kishon swept them away or march in state,'by the way.' The colour is not that of that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my the animal, but of his hilran or covering, for the ass is com- soul, thou hast trodden down strength. monly dun, and not white." No doubt can be entertained in relation to the existence of the custom alluded to in this The Kishon, whose furious current swept away the quotation. It prevails among the Arabs to the present day; routed legions of Sisera, though mentioned in scripture as blnt it appears rather unnatural, to ascribe the colour of a a river, is only a small stream, except when swelled by the covering to the creature that wears it. We do not call a man rain or melting snow. " That ancient river" pursues his iwhite or'black, because he happens to be dressed in vest- course down the middle of the plain of Esdraelon, and then nments of white or black cloth; neither did the Hebrews. passing close by the side of Mount Carmel, falls into the The expression naturally suggests the colour of the animal sea at a place named Caipha. When Maundrell crossed itself, not of its trappings; and the only point to be ascer- this stream, on his way to Jerusalem, its waters were low tained, is, whether. the ass is found of a white colour. and inconsiderable; but in passing along the side of the Buffon informs us, that the colour of the ass is not dun but plain, he observed the tracts of many tributary rivulets fallflaxen, and the belly of a silvery white. In many instances ing down into it from the mountains, by which it must be the silvery white predominates; for Cartwright, who tray- greatly swelled in the rainy season. It was undoubtedly elled into the East, affirms that he beheld on the banks of at the season when the Kishon, replenished by the streams the Euphrates, great droves of wild beasts, among which of Lebanon, becomes a deep and impetuous torrent, that were many wild asses all white. Oppian describes the the bands of Sisera perished in its waters. The Kishon, vld l's, as having a coat of silvery white; and the one like several other streams in Palestine, does not run with CHAP. 6. JUDGES. 137 a full current into the sea, except in the time of the rains, broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him but percolates through the sands which interpose between under the oak, and presented it. it and the Mediterranean. It has been immortalized in the song of Deborah and Barak: "The kings came and fought; All roasted meat is a delicacy among the Arabs, and then fought the kings of Canaan in Tanach by the waters rarely eaten by them, according to La Roque; stewed meat of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. They fought also is, according to him, only to be met with among them from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against at feasts, and great tables, such as those of princes, and Sisera." The confederate kings took no gain for money; consequently a delicacy also; the common diet being only they were volunteers in the war, stimulated only by hatred boiled meat, with rice pottage and pillaw. This is agreeands revenge. But they strove in vain; the hosts of heaven able to Dr. Pococke's account of an elegant entertainment fought for Israel; the stars in their courses, against the he met with at Baalbeck, where he tells us they had for powerful bands of Jabin. By the malignant influences of supper a roasted fowl, pillaw, stewed meat, with the soup, the heavenly bodies, by the storms of hail, thunder, and &c'; and of a grand supper prepared for a great man of rain, produced, it is probable, by the power, and directed Egypt, where he was present, and which consisted, he tells by the sagacity of holy angels, the confident hopes of Sisera us, of pillaw, a small sheep boiled whole, a lamb roasted were blasted, and a mark of eternal infamy stamped upon in the same manner, roasted fowls, and many dishes of his name. From heaven, says the Chaldee Paraphrast, stewed meat in soup, &c. This soup, in which the stewed from heaven. the place where the stars go forth, war was meat is brought to table, or something very much like it, commenced against Sisera; the God of heaven shot forth was, we believe, the broth that Gideon presented to the his arrows, and discomfited the hostile armies; and the angel, whom he took for a mere mortal messenger of GoD. river of Kishon, swelled over all its banks by the furious Many a reader may have wondered why he should bring tempests, engaged also in the warfare, by the command of out his broth; they may have been ready to think it would its sovereign Lord, and swept the fugitives away. For have been better to have kept that within, and have given this stroke of vengeance, the Kishon was ordained of old: it to the poor after the supposed.prophet, whom he desired and this is the reason the inspired bard applies to it the to honour, should be withdrawn, but these passages explain distinguishing epithet in the text: " The river of Kishon it: the broth, as our translators express it, was, I imagine, swept them away; that ancient river, the river Kishon. O the stewed savoury meat he had prepared, with such-sort my soul, thou hast trodden down strengthi."-PAXTON. of liquor as the eastern people at this day bring their stewed meat in, to the most elegant and honourable tables. Ver. 25. He asked water, and she gave him milk; What then is meant by the flesh put into the basket, Judg. she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. vi. 19 "And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour; the flesh he put in Though the bowls and dishes of the vulgar Arabs are of a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out wood,.those of their emirs are, not unfrequently, of copper, to him under the oak, and presented it." The preceding tinned very neatly: La Roque takes notice of this circum- quotations certainly do not decipher this perfectly - but I stance in more places than one. I have met with a like have been inclined to think, there is a passage in Dr. Shaw account, I think, in other travellers. May we not believe that entirely unravels this matter, and affords a perfect that the vessel which Jael made use of, to present butter- comment on this text. It is in his preface: "Besides a milk to Sisera, and which Deborah in her hymn calls a bowl of milk, and a basket of figs, raisins, or dates, which lordly dish, or a dish of nobles, was of this sort? Her hus- upon our arrival were presented to us, to stay our appetites, band certainly was an Arab emir; the working of metals the master of the tent where we lodged, fetched us from his mnch more ancient than her time, Gen. iv. 22; and the flock, according to the number of our company, a kid or a tmere size of the vessel hardly could be the thing intended. goat, a lamb or a sheep, half of which was immediately La Roque, indeed, tells us, that the fruits that were brought L seethed by his wife, and served with cuscasoe; the rest was in at the collation, that the grand emir of the Arabs, whom made kabab, i. e. cut into pieces and roasted; which we he visited, treated him with, were placed in a large painted reserved for our breakfast or dinner next day." May we basin of wood; its being painted was, without doubt, a not imagine that Gideon presenting some slight refreshmark of honour set on this vessel of the grand emir, which ment to the supposed prophet, according to the present distinguished it from the wooden bowls of the commonalty; Arab mode, desired him to stay till he could provide somebut a painted wooden vessel would have been not so proper thing more substantial for him; that he immediately killed for butte:rmilk, as one of copper tinned, which therefore a kid, seethed part of it, made kabab of another part of it, most probably was the sort Jael used.-HARMER. and when it was ready, brought the stewed meat in a pot, Speaking of the hospitable manner in which he was with unleavened cakes of bread which he had baked; and received at a house in Tronyen in Norway, Dr. Clarke kabab in a basket for his carrying away with him, and says, "If but a bit of butter be called for in one of these serving him for some after repast in his journey? Nothing houses, a mass is brought forth weighing six or eight can be more conformable to the present Arab customs, or a pounds; and so highly ornamented, being turned' out of more easy explanation of the text; nothing more convenoulds, with the shape of cathedrals set off with Gothic nient for the carriage of the reserved meat than a light spires, and.various other devices, according to the basket; so Thevenot informs us he carried his ready dressed language of our English farmers' wives, we should deem meat with him in a maund. What others may think of the it almost a pity to cut it. Throughout this part of Norway, passage I know not, but I never could, till I met with these the family plate of butter seemed to be the state dish of the remarks, account for his bringing the meat out to the angel house: wherever we sat down to make a meal, this offer- in a basket. As for Gideon's leaving the supposed prophet ing was first made, as in the tents of the primeval Arabs, under a tree, while he was busied in his house, instead of when Jael, the wife of HIeber the Kenite, brought forth introducing him into some apartment of his habitation, and butter in a lordly dish." —BURDER. bringing the repast out to him there, we have seen something of it under the last observation; I would here add, VTer. 30. Have they not sped? have they not di- that not only Arabs that live in tents, and their dependants, vided the prey: to every man a damsel or two; practise it still, but those also that live in houses, as did Gideon. Dr. Pococke frequently observed it among the to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of di- Maronites, and was so struck with this conformity of their.; vers colours of needle-work, of divers colours to ancient customs, that he could not forbear taking particof needle-work on both sides, meet for the necks ular notice of it: laymen of quality and ecclesiastics, the of them that'take the spoil? patriarchs and bishops, as well as poor obscure priests, thus treating their guests.-HARMER. See on Is. 3. 18. Ver. 37. Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the CHAPTER VI. floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and Ver. 19. And Gideon went in, and made ready a it be dry upon all the earth besides, then shall kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the as thou hast said. 18 138 JUDGES. CIIAP.7 In Palestine, as in Greece and Italy, the floor was for the water with the palms of their hands, they naturally place most part in the open air. Thus the thrashing-floor of themselves on their hams to be nearer the water; but when Gideon appears to have been an open uncovered space, upon they drink from a- pitcher, or gourd, fresh filled, they do not which the dews of heaven fell without interruption. "I sit down on purpose to drink, but drink standing, and will put a fleece of wool in the floor, and if the dew be on very often put the sleeve of their shirt over the mouth of the fleece only, and it be dry on all the earth besides, then the vessel, by way of strainer, lest small leeches might have shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as been taken tip with the water. It is for the same reason thou hast said." But a barn, or covered space, had been they often prefer taking water with the palm of the hand, to unfit for such an experiment. The thrashing-floor of the lapping it from the surface. D'Arvieux, in that accuAraunah the Jebusite, seems also to have been an open rate account of the Arabs of Mount Carmel, expressly area, else it had not been a proper place for erecting an takes notice of this, observing that this may be the reason altar, and offering sacrifice. In the prophecies of Hosea, why spoons are so universally neglected among the Arabs, the idolaters of Israel are compared to the chaff that is as a man would eat upon very unequal terms with a spoon, driven with the whirlwind out of the floor. Hence it was among those that use the palms of their hands instead of designedly prepared in a place to which the wind had fiee them. Until I met with this passage of Busbequius, I could access on all sides; and from this exposed situation it de- not tell what to make of that particular circumstance of the rived its name in Hebrew. In Greece, the same kind of history of the Jewish judge, that all the rest of the people situation was chosen; for Hesiod advises his farmer to bowed down upon their knees to drink water. It appeared thrash his corn in a place well exposed to the wind. From to me rather the putting themselves into an attitude to lap this statement, it appears that a thrashing-floor (rendered in water, than any thing else: as I supposed the words sigmiour translation a void place) might well be formed near fied that they kiteeled down by the side of some water in the gate of Samaria, which was built on the summit of a order to drink. But the matter is now clear: three hunhill; and afforded a very convenient place for the kings of dred men, immediately upon their coming to the water, Israel and Judah giving audience to the prophets.-Pax- drank of it in the quickest manner they could, in order to TON. be ready without delay to follow Gideon; the rest took up water in pitchers, or leathern bottles, or some kind of vessel, Ver. 38. And it was so: for he rose up early on and bending down so as to sit jointly upon their heels and knees, or with their knees placed upright before them, the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and either of which might be called bowing their knees to drink, wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full though the last is the posture Busbequius refers to, they of water. handed these drinking vessels with ceremony and slowness from one to another, as they were wont to do in common, It may seem a little improbable to us who inhabit these which occasioned their dismission. So two-and-twenty northern climiates, where the dews are inconsiderable, how thousand of those that were.faint-hearted were first sent Gideon's fleece, in one night, should contract such a quan- away; then all the rest, excepting three hundred men of tity, that when he came to wring it, a bowl full of water was peculiar alacrity and despatch, the most proper for the produced. Irwin, in his voyage up the Red Sea, when on business for which they were designed, but visibly unequa. the Arabian shores, says, "difficult as we find it to keep to the task of opposing the Midianites; and without sonie ourselves cool in the daytime, it is no easy matter to defend miraculous interposition of GoD, absolutely unequal."our bodies from the damps of the night, when the wind HARMER. is loaded with the heavest dews that ever fell; we lie exposed A dog lappeth by means of forming the end of his tongue to the whole weight of the dews, and the cloaks in which we into the shape of a shallow spoon, by which he laves or wrap ourselves, are as wet in the morning as if they had been throws up the water into his mouth. The Hottentots have immersed in the sea."'-BURDER. a curious custom, resembling the dog and the three hundred chosen men of Gideon's army. On a journey, immeVer. 4. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The diately on coming to water, they stoop, but no farther than what is sufficient to allow their right hand to reach people are yet too many; bring them down the water, by which they throw it up so dexterously, that unto the water, and I will try them for thee their hand seldom approaches nearer to their mouth than there; and it shall be, that of whom I say unto a foot; yet I never observed any of the water to fall down upon their breasts. They perform it almost as quickly as thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall the dog, and satisfy their thirst in half the time taken by go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto another man. I frequently attempted to imitate this practice. thee, This shall not go with thee, the same but never succeeded, always spilling the water on my clothes, shall not go. 5. So he brought down the peo- or throwing it against some other part of the face, instead l not go. 5. o he brought dof the mouth, which greatly amused the Hottentot spectators, ple unto the water; and the LORD said unto who then, perhaps for the first time, perceived that there Gideon, every one that lappeth of the water was some art in it.-AFRICAN LIGHT. with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6. And CHAPTER VII. the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: Ver. 12. And the Midianites, and the AnaleKites, but all the rest of the people bowed down upon and all the children of the East, lay along in their knees to drink water. the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand The Arabs lap their milk and pottage, but not their water. by the seaside for multitude. On the contrary, D'Arvieux tells us, that after they have eaten, they rise from table, and go and drink large draughts out of a pitcher, or, for want of that, out of a leathern bottle, This animal remembers an injury long, and seizes wita which they hand to one another round and round. Few of great keenness a proper opportunity of revenge. A camel's the Israelites, if they did in common sup their milk and pot- anger is, among the Arabians, a proverb for an irreconcitage out of their hands, as the Arabs do, would have been lable enmity. They estimate their riches by the number disposed to lap water in the same manner, if they drank too of their camels. They can sustain great labour and fatigue as the Arabs now drink. Two considerations more will upon the poorest means of subsistence; travelling four or complete the illustration of this part of the history of Gideon. five days without water, while half a gallon of beans and The one is. that the eastern people are not wont to drink barley, or a few balls made of the flour, will sustain him standing. Busbequius, the imperial ambassador at Con- for a whole day. Dr. Si&w says, that before drinking, they stantlnople, in his celebrated letters concerning the eastern disturb the water with their feet, first of all thrusting their people, affirms this in a very particular manner; the heads a great way above the nostrils into the water, and ather, that the lapping with their hands is a very expe- then, after the manner of pigeons, make several successive ditious way of taking in liquids. " They are not restrained draughts. " Nature has furnished the camel with parts and in their choice," says Dr. Russell. " When they take qualities adapted to the office he is employed to discharge. CHAP. 7-9. JUDGES. 139 The driest thistle and the barest thorn is all the food this Asia Minor, but was carried upon the ass of a poor peasant, useful quadruped requires; and even these, to save time, along,with other luggage, when they made an excursion he eats while advancing on his journey, without slopping,'rom the seaside up into the country, to visit the great ruin or occasioning a moment of delay. As it is his lot to cross at Troas. This may serve to remove our wonder that immense deserts, where no water is found, and countries Gideon should be able to collect three hundred water-jars not even moistened with the dew of heaven, he is endued from among ten thousand men, for we have no reason tc with the power, at one watering-place, to lay in a store, suppose the method he was to make use of, to surprise the with which he supplies himself for thirty days to come. Midianites, was not suggested to him before he dismissed all To contain this enormous quantity, of fluid, nature has the army to the three hundred. In an army of ten thousand formed large cisterns within him, from which, oncefilled, Israelitish peasants, collected together on a sudden, there he draws at pleasure the quantity he wants, and pours it might be many goat-skin vessels for water, but many might into his stomach, with the same effect as if he then drew it have nothing better than earthen jars, and three hundred from a spring; and with this he travels patiently and vig- water-jars, collected from the whole army, were sufficient orously all day long; carrying a prodigious load upon him, to answer the views of divine Providence.-HARaMER. through countries infected with poisonous winds, and glowing with parching and never-cooling sands." (Bruce.) — CAPTER VIII. B DEoR. Ver. 7. And Gideon said, Therefore, when the LoRD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna Ver. 13. And when Gideon was come, behold, LORD hath delivered Zebal and Zalmunn there warsS a man that told a dream unto his fel- ito my hand, then I will tear your flesh with low, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, the thorns of the wilderness, and with'briers. lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into the host Thus did Gideon threaten the inhabitants of Succoth; of Midi~an, and cacme unto a tent, and smote it and thus do masters, fathers,. and schoolmasters, swear that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay they will punish those who have offended them. To see the force of the figure, it must be kept in mind that the along. people are almost in a state of nudity. To tear a man's naked body, therefore, with briers and thorns, would be no Barley-bread is in some regions of Persia commonly smallpunishment. See poortravellers sometimes, who, in used by the lower orders. It must not however be omitted, consequence of a wild beast, or some other cause, have to that in making bread, barley was used before any other rush into the thicket; before they can get out again, in consort of corn; for it is reported, says Artemidorus, that this sequence of thorns, they are literally covered with blood. was the first food which the gods imparted to mankind; There have been instances where a master, in his anger, and it was, according to Pliny, the most ancient sort of pro- has taken the jagged edge of the palmirah branch, to tear vision. But in more civilized ages, to use the words of the the naked body of his slave, and nothing can be more same author, barley-bread came to be the food of beasts common than to threaten it shall be done to those who only; yet it was still used by the poorer sort, who were not have given offence. People also often menace each other able to furnish their tables with better- provisions; and in with the repetition of the old pnishment of ting the naked with the repetition of the old punishment of tying the naked the Roman camp, as Ve-,etius and Livy inform us, soldiers body in a bundle of thorns, and rolling it on the ground.who had been guilty of any offence, were fed with barley, ROBERTS. instead of bread corn. An example of this punishment is This threat probably relates to a cruel method of torture recorded in the history of the second Punic war. The used in those times for putting captives to death, by laying cohorts that lost their standards, had an allowance of bar- briers and thornson their naked bodies, and then drawing ley assigned by Marcellus. And Augustus Cesar co- over them some heavy implements of hsbndry. Drmonly punished the cohorts which gave way to the enemy, sius thinks, that persons put to death in this manner were by a decimation, and allowing them no provision but barley. laid naked on thorns and briers, and then trampled on.So mean and contemptible, in the estimation of the numer- BURDER. ous and well-appointed armies of Midian, was Gideon, with his handful of undisciplined militia; but guided by Ver. 18. As thou art, so were they; each one rethe wisdom, and supported by the power of the living God, sembled the children of a king. he inflicted a deserved and exemplary punishment on these proud oppressors. The meagre barley-cake was put into Of a person who is beautiful or of a fair complexion, the hand of Midian by the God of armies, as a punishment who is courageous and stately in his gait, it is said in the for disobedience of orders, not to make a full end of his East, " He is like the son of a king." " He is as the son chosen people. " And when Gideon wag come, behold, of Manmathon (Cupid.") "He is the son of a god.' — there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and ROBERTS. said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barleybread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a CHAPTER IX. tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the Ver. 8. The trees went forth on a timhe to anoinL tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This a king over them; and they said unto the oliv3is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel; for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host."-PAXTON Midiian,.and all the hOSt."-PAXTON. The people of the East are exceedingly addicted to apoVer. 16. And he divided the three hundred men logues, and use them to convey instruction or reproof; which with them could scarcely be done so well in any into three companies, and he put a trumpet in other way. Has a man been told a secret, he says, in reevery man's hand, with empty pitchers, and peating it, for instance, " A tree told me this morning, that - lamps within the pitchers. Kandan offered a large bribe to the Modeliar, to get Muttoo turned out of his situation." Does a mar. of low caste Though it must, one would think, be much more con- wish to unite his son in marriane to the daughter of one venient to carry water in skins or leathern bottles, when who is high, the latter will say," Have you heard that the water must be carried, and accordingly, such we find are pumpkin wants to be married to the plantain tree!" Is a generally made use of in the East in travelling; yet, what- wife steril, " The cocoa-nut tree in Viraver's garden does ever the cause may be, they sometimes content themselves not bear any fruit." Has a woman had children by imwith earthen jars. Thus we find, in the beginning of Dr. proper intercourse, it is said of her husband's gaicxl Chandler's expeditions,-in search of the antiquities of these Ah, the palmirah-trees are now giving cocoa-nuts.' countries, though he was equipped under the direction of a Has a man given his daughter in marriage to another J ew of that country, of such eminence as to act as the Brit- who uses her unkindly, he says, " I have planted the sugarish consul at the Dardanelles, and was attended at first by cane by the side of the sargossa (bitter) tree."-RoBERTs. him, yet the vessel in which their water was to be carried, Ver. 27. And they went out into the filds, and was an earthen jar, which not only served them in the wherry in which they coasted some of the nearer parts of gathered their vineyards, and trode thie grape.s, 140 JUDGES. CHAP. 9 11 and made merry, and went into the house of death of her son to the prophet, and to solicit his assisttheir god, and did eat and drink, and cursed nce.-PAXTON. Abimelech. Ver. 8. And that year they vexed and oppressed In the East they still tread their grapes after the ancient the children of Israel eighteen years. manner. "Au-ust 20, 1765, the vintage (near Smyrna) The Hebrew has, " crushed." Of a severe master it is wvas now begun, the juice (of the grapes) was expressed for said "He crushes his servants. " h my lord, crush wine; a man, with his feet and legs bare, was treading the ~wine; a man, wr, was treadin ~ the me not." "When will the king cease to crush his peofruit in a kind of cistern, with a hole or vent near the bot- nie -Ru BEsi.tom, and a vessel beneath to receive the liquor." (Chandler's Travels in Greece.)-BURDER. CHAPTER XI. Vet. 30. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Ver. 33. Then mayest thou do to them as thou e 30. nd Jephthah voed a vow unto the shr.alt fiThenmd occasion. thoudotothemasthou LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliveir the childien of Ammon into my hands, The Hebrew has, " As thy hand shall find." (1 Sam. 31.. Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh x. 7, margin.) In asking a favour, it is common to say, forth of the doors of my house to meet me, hen You must not deny me, sir; but as your hand finds op- return in peace from the chlden of Ammon, portunity, so you must assist me."-" Well, my friend, I return in peace e when I have the opportunity of the hand, I will assist you." shall surely be the LoRD's, and I will offer it "The man has assisted me according to the opportunity of;up for a burnt-o-fring. his hand; what can he do more 3"-ROBERTS. One species of vow called Cherem, (for which, in GerVei. 36. And when Gaal saw the people, he said man, we generally use the terms Ban, FVerbnnen, &c. but in a thing altogether foreign to us, I rather choose to to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from abide by the Hebrew word,) was, from ancient usage, more the top of the mountains. And Zebhul said sacred and irremissible than all others. Moses nowhere unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mount- mentions what Cherem was, nor by what solemnities or ains as if they were men. expressions it was distinguished from other vows; but presupposes all this as already well known. But from Lev. Our translation of the book of Judges, from the Hebrew, xxvii. 21, every one must see that there was a difference represents Zebul as saying to Gaal, upon his being alarm- between a Cherem and other vs; for if a man had vowed at seeing troops of men making to him,.Those seest the ed his field, and omitted to redeem it, it devolved unto God in the same way as the field of Chlerew, for ever, and beJosephudows of represe monts himns as telling him, he mistook therea, yond the power of future redemption; and in ver. 28, 29, Josephus represents him as telling him, he mistook the shadow of the rocks for men. A commentator might be at it is expressly ordained, that a Cherem can never be rea loss to account for this change, that had not read Doub- deemed like other vows, hut continues consecrated to God; clan's representation of some part of the Holy Land, in and if it be a man, that he shall be put to death. I have alwkhich he tells us, that in those places there are many de- ready stated, that of the formalities which distinguished the tached rocks scattered up and down, some growing out of Cherem from common vows, we know nothing; nor does the ground, and others are fragments, broken off from the etymology of the term at all aid our conjectures, for rocky precipices, the shadow of which, it appears, Jose- the radicl word in Arabic means, to consecrate; but every phus thought might be most naturally imagined to look thing vowed or devoted, was consecrated. The species of like trops of men at a distance, rather than the shadow of Cherem with which we are best acquainted, was the previthle mountains. -SHA.h ous devotement to God of hostile cities, against which they The dreariness of the far-stretching ruins was dismally intended to proceed with extreme severity; and that with increased by the shadowy hour of our approa'ch; and be- a view the more to inflame the minds of the people to war. ing again in the region of the Bactriani descents, our own In such cases, not only were all the inhabitants put to death, flitting shades, as we passed between old mouldering walls but also, according as the terms of the vow declared, no and the moonlight, sometimes bore an alarming interpre- booty was made by any Israelite; the beasts were slain; tat. Our mehmander was ready to embttle every what would not burn, as gold, silver, and other metals, was tation. Our mehmander was ready to embattle every added to the treasure of the sanctuary; and every thing frowning heap with a murderous legend. —SIR R. K. PoRfrowninzg heap with a murderous legend.-S7In R. K. Pon- added to the treasure of the sanctuary; and every thing rTia..else, with the whole city, burnt, and an jmprecation pronounced upon any attempt that should ever be made to reCHAPTER X. build it. Of this the history of Jericho (Josh. vi. 17-19, Ver. 4. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty 21-24, and vii. 1, 12-26) furnishes the most remarkable ass-colts, and they had thirty cities, which are example. In Moses' lifetime we find a similar vow against the king of Arad, Numb. xxi. 1-3. The meaning, howcalled Havoth-jair unto this day, which are in ever, as we see from the first-mentioned example, was not, the land of Gilead. that houses might never- again be built on the accursed spot; for to build a city, here means to fortify it. Joshua himTo ride upon an ass was, in the days of the Judges, a self seems to explain it thus; for in his curse he makes mark of distinction, to which it is probable the vulgar use of this expression, " Cursed be he who rebuilds this night not presume to aspire. This is evident from the city Jericho; for his first-born son shall he found it, and for brief notices which th'e inspired historian gives of the great- his latest, set up its gates." The beginning, therefore, of ness and richness of Jair, the Gileadite, one of these judges: the building of a city, is to found it; which can hardly be "he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass-colts; and they to lay the foundation stone of a single house, (for who, had thirty cities,, which are called Havoth-jair unto this whether Hebrew or not, ever called that founding a city 3),lay.'. Abdon the Pirathonite, another of these judges, but of the city walls; and its conclusion, isto set up its gates.'had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on three- The history still further confirms this, as the meaning of score and ten ass-colts." It is reasonable to suppose, that the term to build; Jericho was so advantageously situated the manners and customs of the chosen tribesu nderwent for all manner of trade, because near the usual passage a change when the government became monarchical, and across the Jordan, that it could not long remain a place enthe fascinating pleasures of a court began to exert their tirely desolate. In fact, as early as the time of the Judges, usual influence; still, however, the ass kept his place in Jericho, or. as it was then called, the city of palms, apthe service of the great. Mlephibosheth, the grandson of peared again as a town, subdued by the Moabites; (Judg. Saul, rode on an ass; as did Ahithophel, the prime minister iii. 13, compared with Deut. xxxiv. 3;) and in David's time. of David, and the greatest statesman of that age. Even so we have unquestionable proof of ti,e existence of a city of late as the reign of Jehoram, the son of Ahab, the services the name of Jericho. See 2 Samu. x. 5. But notwithstandof this animal were required by the wealthy Israelite: the ing all this, Joshua's imprecation was not yet trespassed; Shunamite, a person of high rank, saddled her ass, and but, at least 100 years after David's death, Jericho was first'ode to Carmel, the residence of Elisha, to announce the rebuilt (that is, fortified) by Hiel the Bethelite; and in lav CHAP. 12. JUDGES. 141 ing its foundation he lost his first-born son, and in setting lieve not; but we find not a word spoken of the high-priest, up the gates, his youngest, 1 Kings xvi. 34. but only of Jephthah. What if he had performed the sacriIf an Israelitish city introduced the worship of strange fice himself! This would certainly have been a transgods, it was in like manner to be devoted, or consecrated to gression of the Levitical law; which enjoined that every God, and to remain unrebuilt for ever; Deut. xiii. 16-18. offering should be made by the hand of the priest, and at In these cases, therefore, consecrated, or devoted, is nearly the place where the tabernacle and altar stood. But that equivalel; to the Latin phrase, ejis caput Jovi sacrt'm esto, injunction had, on numberless occasions, been violated by or sacer esio. The consecration of the transgressor to God the Israelites, and had, by the opposite usage, become almade the remission of his punishment impossible. It is most abrogated. Jephthah, who, from superstitious ignoeasy to perceive, that this master-piece of legislative policy rance, was, in the sacrifice of his daughter, after the Caought never to have its importance lessened by an injudi- naanitish fashion, about to perpetrate a most abominable cious application to common crimes, that do not affect the act, forbidden not only by the law of his country, but also principles of the constitution: and therefore, so much the by the law of nature, might very well have been guilty of greater was the abuse which Saul liade of the C/erern, the lesser fault, now actually a very common one, of mawhen, in issuing an arbitrary inconsiderate order, he swore king his offering in the country beyond Jordan, of which he that whoever trespassed it should die; this was, in fact, was himself master. Amid all the doubts that we start making the offender against his whim, a C/herem; and ac- concerning this clearly-related story,,we do not consider cordingly we see, that the people did not mind the oath of v/who Jephthah was; a fugitive from his country, who, in fortheir king, but insisted on saving Jonathan, whom, because eign lands, had collected and headed a band of robbers; he had eaten a little honey, his father had devoted to death. nor yet wvhere he now ruled,-beyond Jordan, in the land 1 Sam. xiv. 24-45. But a still grosser abuse of the Che- of Gilead. And a still more important circumstance menrein, proceeding from imitation of foreign and heathenish tioned in the chapter (xii.) immediately following our stopractices, we shall probably find in the history of Jephthah, ry, has been most inadvertently overlooked. Immediately Judges, chap. xi. this brave barbarian, an illegitimate after his victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah went to war child, and without inheritance, who had from his youth with the tribe of Ephraim: but the tabernacle was at Shibeen a robber, and was now, from being the leader of ban- loh, within the limits of that tribe; and the high-priest, ditti, transformed into a general, had vowed, if he con- therefore, could certainly have had no concern with an ofquered the Ammonites, to make a burnt-offering to the fering that JepAthah meant to make on account of his sueLord of whatever should first come out of his house to meet cess, nor would it have been brought to the altar at Shiloh, him, on his return. This vow was so absurd, and at the but made in the land where Jephthah himself ruled. It is same time so contrary to the Mosaic law, that it could not unaccountable, that not a single expositor should have atpossibly have been accepted of God, or obligatory. For, tended to this war with the Ephraimites: but that the one what if a dog, or an ass, had first met him? Could he have half of them should be so simple as to deny, that Jephthah offered it? Bythe law of Moses no unclean beast could be did offer up his daughter, because the high-priest would brought to the altar; nor yet even all clean ones;, but of not have accepted the offering: and the other, in other quadrupeds, only oxen, sheep, and goats. Or, what if a respects more correct in their opinion, so obliging, hs to man had first met him! Human sacrifices Moses had obviate that objection, by presuming that the high-priest most rigidly prohibited, and described as the abomination must have been deposed for making such an offering.of the Canaanites; of which we shall afterward say more, This, however, is a controversy into which I will not enter under criminal law; but Jephthah, who had early been further, because it does not deserve it. That carelessness driven from his home, and had grown up to manhood is too gross, which forgets the end of the eleventh chapter, among banditti in the land of Tob, might not know much, at the beginning of the twelfth.-MICHAELIs. of the laws of'Moses, and probably was but a bad lawyer, and just as bad a theologian. The neighbouring nations CHAPTER XII. used human sacrifices: the Canaanites, especially, are by Ver. 3. And when I saw that ye delivered ne not, Moses and the other sacred writers often accused of this abominable idolatry, of which we find still more in the I put my life in my hands, and passed over Greek and Latin authors; andpossibly, therefore, Jephthah, against the children of Ammon. u-hen he made the vow, may have thought of being met, not merely by a beast, but by a slave, whom. of course, he The Ephraimites had found fault with Jephthah because \ould sacrifice, after the heathen fashion. His words are, he did not call them to war against the Ammonites, but he " If thou givest the Ammonites into my hands, whatever vindicated himself and addressed them in the language of first conieth forth from my hquse to meet me on my happy the verse, as a proof of his courage, and that he had been return from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord's, and I will exposed to danger. The Hindoos use the same figure; and bring it to him as a burnt-offering."-Most unfortunately the idea appears to be taken from a man carrying somehis only daughter first came out to congratulate him: and thing very precious in his hands, and that under circumthe ignorant barbarian, though extremely affected at the stances of great dan er. When a son who has been long sight, was yet so superstitious, and so unacquainted with absent returns home, his father says, "My son has returned the religion and.laws of his country, as to suppose he from the far country with his life in his hand;" which could not recall his vow. His daughter too was heroic means, he has passed through many dangers. "Last night, enough to fulfil it, on her part; requesting only two months as I went home through the place of evil spirits, I put my respite, for the romantic purpose of going with her com- life in my hands." The other day, in passing through panions into lonely dales, there to lament that she must the forest, I put my life in my hands, for the beasts were die a virgin. Then, after two months' absence, this hap- near to me in every direction." "Danger! truly so; I put less maid, who, either from ambition or superstition, was my life in my bosom." "O that divine doctor! my son was a willing victim to her father's inconsiderate vow, actually at the point of death, but he brought his life in his hand."returned; and Jephthah, it is said, did with her as he had ROBERTS. vowed; which cannot well mean any thing else, than that Ver. 14. And he had forty sons, and thi ty he put her to death, and burnt her body as a burnt-offering. The greater number of expositors, indeed, would fain ex- nephews, that rode on threescore and ten assplain the, passage differently, because they look upon Jeph- colts: and he judged Israel eight years. thah as i saint, who could not have done any thing so abominable. "Human sacrifices," say they, " are clearly con- To an Englishman, this may appear almost incredible, trary to the law of Moses."-Very true.-But how many but we have. a great number of similar cases. A man of things have ignorance and superstition done in the world, property has as many wives as he thinks proper to support; that expressly contradict the law of God! Have we not, and such is the state of morals, that he finds no difficulty among Christians, seen persecutions and massacres on ac- in procuring them. I have known men who have had, in count of religion, with various other atrocities, and abom- each of the neighbouring villages, a wife or concubine. inable proceedings, that are just as directly repugnant to Santherasega, Modeliar of Oodeputty, who has been dead the gospel, as any human sacrifice could be to the laws of about thirty years, had two wives and six concubines, who Moses t.-" But would the high-priest have accepted such bare to him thirty children. The old man is described as an offerinb, and brought it to the altar " —I certainly be- being of large stature, and as having indulged in strong 142 JUDGES. CHAP. 13, 14. kinds of food.-A friend of mine in Manilla knew a man conveniently to be used for altars. There are some such who was the father of forty children.-Lieutenant-colonel now found in that country.-BURDER. Johnson says (in his'Travels through Persia) of the king, "The number of his children I could not exactly ascertain: - CHAPTER XIV. it is generally agreed that he has at least sixty boys and Ver. 7. And he wvent down and talked with the sixty girls living; and many persons add, that there are an equal number deceased, so that their total number must have been two hundred and forty. He has already given after a time he returned to take her. in marriage twelve of his daughters; and about twenty-five of the elder of his sons are governors of the principal prov- Ten. or twelve months commonly intervened between inces and cities of the empire. Preparations of fireworks, the ceremony of espousals, and the marriage; during this &c. were at this time making at the palace to celebrate the interval, the espoused wife continued with her parents, nuptials of one of his sons, which were to take place in that she might provide herself with nuptial ornaments about three weeks."-ROBERTs. suitable to her station. This custom serves to explain a circumstance in Samson's marriage, which is involved in CHAPTER XIII. some obscurity: " He went down," says the historian, " and OTer. 5. For, lo thou shalt conceive and bar a talked with the woman, (whom he had seen at Timnath,). 5. For, o, thou shalt conceive, and bear a and she pleased him well." These words seem to refer to son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the ceremony of espousals; the following to the subsequent the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from marriage, "And after a time he returned to take her." the womb. -5Hence, a considerable time intervened between the espousals, and their actual union.-PAXTON. This command was given to the wife of Manoah, the fath:'r of Samson, who had previously been steril. Han- Ver. 8. And, behold, there tvas a swarm of bees nah, the mother of Samuel, was also steril, "and she vowed and honey in the carcass of the lion. a vIrN, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on,ne affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and The bee is a gregarious insect, livin. in'a state of not forget thy handmaid, but will give unto thy hand- maid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all society, and subject to a regular government. From this circumstance, its Hebrew name n,-,- from a root which the lays of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his signifies to speak, to rule, to len, is derived. It is an head'." (Numbers vi. 5. Acts xviii. 18.,) All who are signifies to speak, to rule, to lead, is derived. It is an head." (Numbers vi. 5. Acts xviii. 18.) All who are married in the East, have an intense desire for children. opinion commonly received among the ancients, that bees It is considered disgraceful, and a mark of the displeasure were propagated in two ways, either by those of their own of the gods, to have a childless house. ~U~nder these cir- species, or in the cavities of a dead carcass. Their opinion cumstances, husbands and wives perform expensive ceremonies; and vow, that should the gods favour them with "Iie vero subitumn ac dictu mirabile monstrumn a son, " no razor shall come upon his head," (i. e. except- Aspiciunt, liquefacta boum per viscera toto ing "' the corners,") until he shall be ten or twelve years Stridere apes itero et ruptis effervere costis, Immensas que trahi nubes jamque arbore sumina of age. In all schools, boys may be seen with elf-locks of Coensas fluere et lentis uva demitere ramris. ten or.twelve years standing,. giving a testimony to the solicitude, superstition, and affection of the parents, and a "But here they behold a sudden prodigy, and wondrous to memorial of the favour of their deities.-ROBERTS. relate, bees thirough all the belly, hum amid the putrid bowels of the cattle, pour forth with the fermenting juices Ver. 1',. So Manoah took a kid with a meat- from the burst sides, and in immense clouds roll along, offeriotr, and offered -it upon a rock unto the then swarm together on the top of a tree, and hang down in a cluster from the bending boughs. This opinion, LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and however, is directly contradicted by another, which was Manoalt and his wife looked on. 20. For it held by some writers of the greatest reputation in ancient came to pass, when the flame went up towards. times. Aristotle taught, that the bee will not light upon a heaven fi&; off the altar, that the angel of the dead carcass, nor taste the flesh. Varro asserts, that she never sits down in an unclean place, or upon any thing LORD asceilmaed in the flame of the altar: and which emits an unpleasant smell. They are never seen, Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on like flies, feeding on blood or flesh; while wasps and their faces to the ground. hornets all delight in such food, the bee never touches a dead body. So much they dislike an impure smell, that The circumstances in the histories of Gideon and Manoah when one of them dies, the survivors immediately carry are well illustrated, by some things mentioned occasionally out the carcass from the hive, that they may not be anby Doubdan, in the account of his journey to the Holy noyed by the effluvia. The discovery which Samson made, Land, for he speaks of many-rocks which he found rising when he went down to Timnath, may seem to contradict up out of the emarth there, and some as parts of great rocks the latter, and confirm the former opinion: " And after a fallen down. S(.me of them are described in such a manner, time, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see as shows they;risembled altar-tombs, or altars. Speaking' the carcass of the lion; and behold there was a swarm of of his return fiom a town called St. Samuel, to Jerusalem, bees, and honey in the carcass of the lion." But it is not by a way leading to the sepulchres of the judges of Israel, said the swarm was generated there, but only that Samson he tells us, (p. 98, 99,) that he found them in a great field found them in the carcass; nor is it said that the lion had planted with vines, in which were great rocks, which rose been recently killed, and that the carcass was in a state of out of the earth; among them, one, near the wayside, was putrefaction: the contrary seems to be intimated by the so large, as to be hollowed out into several rooms, in phrase after a time, literally, after days, one of the most whose sides were long and narrow holes cut out, proper common expressions in scripture for a year. Hence the for placing the dead in, even with the floor. When he lion was killed a whole year before this visit to Timnath, was at Joppa, waiting to embark, upon his return, he when he discovered the swarm in the carcass. But the describes himself and his companion as placing them.- flesh of the carcass, which Samson left in the open field a seOives, after they had walked until they were tired, on the whole year, the prey of wild beasts and ravenous birds, beach, viewing some Greek pilgrims, who were also wait- must have been entirely consumed long b fore his return, ing to take ship, and who amused themselves with dancing or so completely dried by the violent heat of the sun, that on the shore, as placing themselves in the shade of a great n, thing but the skeleton, or exsiccated frame, remained. rock, newly fallen down from the mountains, (p. 455.) Within the bare, or withered enclosure of the bones, which Rocks appear in this country: some in their original situ- had exhaled their last putrid effluvia., the swarm, in perfect ation, rising out of the ground; others are fragments, that consistency with their usual delicacy, might construct their have been detached from rocky eminences, and have fallen cells and deposite their honey. This conjecture is condown on the ground below. Of this considerable number firmed by the testimony of Herodotus, who declares that of rocks, some were fiat, or nearly flat, on the top, so as bees have swarmed in dry bones.-PAxroN. CHAP. 15. JU DGES. 143 Ver. 12. And Samson said unto them, I will now This difficulty Mr. liarmer endeavours to remove by supput forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly posing, that from the garden he might go to his usual place of residence in the city, and clothe himself anew before he declare it me within the seven days of the went to the palace.-PAXTON. feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. Ver. 15. And it came to pass on the seventh day, ZD ZisD~~~ t that they said to Samson's wife, Entice thy It is customary for the Turks and Moors, according to that he may declare unto us the ri Dr. Shaw, to wear shirts of linen, or cotton, or gauze, h, t e m eca tos he under their tunics; but the Arabs wear nothing but woollen. This is frequently the case also with the Arabs of with fire: have ye called us to take that we Palestine, it seems, though D'Arvieux gives a contrary ac- have? is it not so? count of the Arabs of the camp of the grand emir whom he visited; for Egmont and Heyman assure us, that they The marriage feast was of old, frequently protracted co saw several Arabian inhabitants'of Jaffa going along al- the length of seven days; for so long Samson entertained most naked, the greatest part of them without so much as his friends at Timnath. To this festival, Laban is thought a shirt or a pair of breeches, though some wore a kind of a by many divines to refer, in his answer to Jacob's commantle; as fbr the children there, they ran about almost as plaint, that he had imposed Leah upon him instead of naked as they were born, though they had all little chains Rachel; "Fulfil the week of the marriage, and we will about their legs as an ornament, and some of silver.-HAR- give thee this also." This feast was called the nuptial joy, MER. with which no other was to be intermixed; all labour Many of the Arabian inhabitants of Palestine and Bar- ceased while it continued, and no sign of mourning or sorbary wear no shirts, but go almost entirely naked, or with row was permitted to appear. It may be only further only a cloth cast about their bodies, or a kind of mantle. It observed, that even in modern times, none but very poor is not improbable, that the poorer inhabitants of Judea were -people give a daughter in marriage without a female slave clothed in much the same manner as the Arabs of those,for a handmaid, as hired servants are scarcely known in countries in modern times, having no shirts, but only a the oriental regions. Hence Laban, who was a man of sort of mantle to cover their naked bodies. If this be just, considerable property in Mesopotamia, "'gave unto his it greatly illustrates the promise of Samson to give his daughter Leah, Zilpah his maid, for a handmaid;" and companions thirty sheets, or, as it is more properly rendered." to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his handmaid, to be her in the margin of our Bibles, thirty shirts, if they could dis- maid." In Greece also, the marriage solemnity lasted cover the meaning of his riddle. It cannot easily be im- several days. On the third day, the bride presented her agined they were what we call sheets, for Samson might bridegroom with a robe; gifts were likewise made to the have slain thirty Philistines near Askelon, and not have bride and bridegroom, by the bride's father and friends; found one sheet; or if he slew them who were carrying these consisted of golden vessels, beds, couches, plates, and their beds with them on their travels, as they often do in all sorts of necessaries for housekeeping, which were carpresent times, the slaughter of fifteen had been sufficient, ried in great state to the house by women, preceded by a Tor in the East, as in other countries, every bed is provided person carrying a basket, in the manner usual at proceswith two sheets; but he slew just thirty, in order to obtain sions, before whom went a boy in white vestments, with a thirty sedinim, or shirts. If this meaning of the term be torch in his hand. It was also customary for the brideadmitted, the deed of Samson must have been very provo- groom and his friends to give presents to the bride, after king to the Philistines; for since only people of more easy which, the bridegroom had leave to converse freely with circumstances wore shirts, they were not thirty of the com- her, and she was permitted to appear in public without her mon people that he slew, but thirty persons of figure and veil. The money, says Dr. Russell, which the bridegrooms consequence. The same word is used by the prophet of Aleppo pay for their brides, is laid out in furniture for Isaiah, in his description of the splendid and costly dress a chamber, in clothes, jewels, or ornaments of gold, for the in which people of rank and fashion then delighted, ren- bride, whose father makes some addition, according to his dered in our translation fine linen; which seems to place circumstances: which things are. sent with great pomp to it beyond a doubt that they were persons of rank that fell the bridegroom's house three days before the wedding.by the hand of Samson on that occasion. PAXTON. But it is by no means improbable, that these sheets were the hykes or blanirets already described, which are worn Ver. 16. And he said unto her, Behold, I have by persons of all r'anks in Asia. (See on Deut. 24. 13.) not told it my father nor my mother, and shall Pococke, who gives a description of this vestment, and of the way in which it is wrapped about the body, which does not materially differ from the account of it in a preceding In all parts of the world, I believe, people are pretty section, particularly observed, that the young people, and much alike as to their capability of keeping secrets. The the poorer sort about Faiumine, had nothing on whatever, Hindoos, however, improperly reflect upon the female sex but this blanket; hence it is probable, that the young man in their proverb, " To a woman tell not a secret." That was clothed in this manner who followed our Saviour when secret must be great indeed which will prevent a son or he was taken, having a linen cloth cast about his naked daughter from telling it to the father or mother. The. body. " WVhen the young man," who came to apprehend greatest proof of confidence is to say, " I have told you Jesus, "laid hold of " him, " he left the linen cloth, and fled what I have not revealed to my father." In proof of the from t hem nalked:" but this lan guage by no means re- great affection one has for another, it is said, "He has told quires us to suppose that he was absolutely naked, but only things to him that he would not have related to his parents." th.at he chose rather to quit his hyke or plaid, than run the "My friend, do tell me the secret."-" Tell you yes, risk of being made a prisoner, although by doing so he when I have told my parents."-ROBERTS. became unduly exposed. This view is confirmed by the observations formerly made on the hyke and tunic; and by CHAPTER XV. the state of the weather, which was so cold, that the ser- Ver. 4. And Samson went and caught three hunvants of the high-priest were compelled to kindle a fire in the midst of the hall to warm themselves. It is very im- dred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail probable, that he would go into the garden on such a night to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst beso thinly clothed; and we have no reason to think he was tween two tails. so poor, that this linen cloth was the only article of clothing in his possession. But Mr. Harmer, and other expositors, The book of Judges contains a sinzular anecdote, of the considering that the apostles were generally poor men, and mischief which Samson did by means oi this animal to the that the poor in those countries had often no otlter covering propertV of'his enemies. He "went and caught three hunthan this blanket, rather suppose, that the terrified disciple dred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and fled away in a state of absolute nudity. But if it was the put a firebrand in the midst, between two tails; and whtn apostle John, where was he -furnished with clothes to he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standappear almost immediately after in the high-priest's hall, ing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shoc!rs, 144 JUDGES. CHIA,. 16. and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives." for what can be understood by God's cleaving a cavity On reading this curious statement, the infidel asks with an which was already in the bone t For if he clave a cavity air of triumph, How could Samson procure so many foxes previously existing, would not the water naturally run in so short a time? To this question it may be answered, through it and empty itself upon the ground? But let the the concurring testimony of travellers clearly proves, that word Lehli stand untranslated, and all is plain. A certain the land of promise abounded with foxes. The same fact cavity in the earth, in the place called Lehi, was miracuis suggested by the prediction of David, that his enemies lously cloven and opened, and a refreshing fountain of washould become the prey of foxes; and by the invitation of ter gushed forth, which continued thenceforth to flow do-n Solomon already quoted from the Song. Some districts to the time when the history was written. This was calland cities in that country, take their name. from the fox; a ed, in memory of the circumstance which gave rise to it, sure proof of their numbers in those parts: " Thus, the "En-hakkore," i. e. the well orfourntain of inT that cricd.-B. land of Shual, mentioned in the first book of Samuel, sig- All that this passage affirms is, that in the place where nifies the land of the fox;" and Hazarshualj the name of a Samsonthenwas, and which, from thistransaction, he called city, belonging to the tribe of Judah, or Simeon, means the Lehi, or the Jaw-bone, there was a hollow ypice which God fox's habitation. Besides, the term foxes, in the opinion clave, from whence a fountain flowed, which relieved of Bochart, embraces the thoes, a species of wolf, which Samson when ready to perish, and which continued to very much resemble the fox, and are extremely numerous yield a considerable supply of water, at the time this sain Judea, particularly about Cesarea. Bellonius asserts, cred book was written, and possibly may flow to this day. that they may be seen in troops of two or three hundred, Doubdan, in one single day, when he visited'the country prowling about in quest of their prey; and Morizon, who about Jerusalem, met with two such places. On Easter travelled in Palestine, says, that foxes swarm in that coun- Monday, the first of April, 1652, he set out,; he informs us, try, and that very great numbers of them lurk in hedges with about twenty in company, to visit the neighbourhood of and in ruinous buildings. To find so many of these ani- Jerusalem. They went the same road the two disciples mals, therefore, could be no great difficulty to a person ac- are supposed to have taken, when our Lord joined them, customed to the chase, as this renowned Israelite may be when he made their hearts burn within them. A convent reasonably supposed to have been. Nor is it said, that Pwas afterward built in the place where our Lord is ima'Samson caught all these foxes in one, or even in two days; gined to have met them. Only some pieces of the walls of a whole week, or even a month, might be spent in the cap- freestone are now remaining, with some walls and halfture, for any thing that appears to the contrary. Add to broken arches, and heaps of rubbish, together with a great this, that, although Samson himself might be a most expert cistern full of water, derived.partly from rain, and partly hunter, we have no reason to think he caught all these ani- from the springs in the mountain there, particularly ifom mals alone. So eminent a personage as the chief magis- a most beautiful and transparent fountain, a little above it, trate of Israel might employ as many people as he pleased, which breaks out at the farther end of the grotto, naturally in accomplishing his purpose. When, for example, it is hollowed out in the hard rock, and which is overhung said, that Solomon built the temple at Jerusalem, no man with small trees, where they made a considerable stop to supposes, that he executed the work with his own hands; refresh themselves. The water of this spring running by he only caused the work to be done: and, in the same man- a channel into the cistern, ard afterward turning a mill ner, Samson may be said to do what he only commanded which was just by the cistern, and belonged to the monasto be done, or assisted in doing. Nor can it be reasonably tery, and from thence flowed, as it still does, into the fordenied, that the God who made the world, and by his spe- rent-bed of that valley, from whence David collected the cial providence, watched over the prosperity of his ancient five smooth stones, of which one proved fatal to Goliath. people, and intended, at this time, to deliver them from Here we see a hollow place, a grotto, in which the God their enemies, could easily dispose matters, so as to facili- of nature had divided the rock for the passage of the water tate or secure the capture of as many foxes, as the design of a beautiful spring. It was a grotto:in Lehi, in which of Samson required. In this singular stratagem, he is God, on this occasion, made the water to gush out, and run thought, by some writers, to have had two things in view; in a stream into the adjoining country, where the exhaustat once, to deliver his country from those noxious animals, ed warrior stood. —BuRDER. and to do the greatest possible mischief to his enemies. No CHAPTER XVI. kind of animals could be more suited to his purpose, especially when coupled together in this manner; for they run Ver. 6. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell sue, I long, and swiftly, not in a direct line, but with many wind- pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and ings, so that, while they dragged in opposite directions, theyith thou mightest be bo spread the fire over all the fields of the Philistines with the greater rapidity and success, and were at the same time thee. 7. And Samson said unto her, If they prevented from getting into the woods, or holes in the bind me with seven green withes that were rocks, where the firebrands had been extinguished and never drier, then shall I be weak, and he as the stratagem rendered ineffectual.-PAxToN. another man. another man.' Ver. 113. And he was sore athirst, and called on That is, any kind of pliant, tough wood, twisted in the the LORD, Thou hast given this great deliver- form of a cord or rope. Such are used in many countries, ~ance into the hand of thy servanlt and lnow formed out of osiers, hazle, &c. In Ireland, veyy long and shall I die -for thirst and fall into the hand of strong ropes are made of the fibres of bog-w-ood, or the larger roots of the fir, which is often dug up in the bogs or the uncircumcised. 19. But God clave a hol- mosses of that country. In some places, they take the skin low place that was in the jaw, and there came of the horse, cut it lengthwise from the hide, into thongs wTater thereout; and when he had drunk his about two inches broad; and after having laid them in salt spirit came again, and he revived: -wherefore for some time, take them out for use. This is frequently,-' n 1,,. done in the country parts of Ireland; and is chiefly used he called the name thereof En-hakkore, which for agricultural purposes, particularly for drawing the is in Lehi unto this day. plough and the harrow, instead of iron chains. —BUiDER. The impression ordinarily received from this passage Ver. 7. And Samson said unto her, If they bind by the English reader, viz. that a fountain was opened in me with seven green withes that were never the jaw-bone, the instrument of Samson's victory, is proba- dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another bly erroneous. From a preceding verse in this' chapter it appears that the Philistines had gone up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. But as it happens People in England would be much surprised to see what Lehi is the original word for jaw, or jawc-bone, and our powerful ropes are made from the withes of shrubs or trees. translators, following some of the ancient versions, have.rThile they are in A. green state, they are stronger than confounded the name of the place with that of the object any other ropes that are made in the country. Wild ele, from which it was derived. There is no good reason to phants, or buffaloes just caught, generally have their legs auppose that the hollow place was cloven in the jaw itself, bound with green withes.-ROBERTS. CHAP. 19. JUDGES. 145 Ver.- 19. And she made him sleep upon her prisoner, was told to follow; hislegs were then tied together, knees. and he was told to jump, while they laughed and shouted, See, our meat is jumping. He asked if this was the place It is very amusing to see a full-grown son, or a husband, where he was to die. No, his master replied; but these asleep on his mother's or wife's knees. The plan is as things were always done with foreign slaves. Having seen follows: the female sits cross-legged on the carpet ormat, him dance, they now ordered him to sing; he sung a and the man having laidthimself down,.puts his head in her hymn; they bade him interpret it, and he said it was in nap, and she gently taps, strokes, sings, and sooths him to praise of God. They then reviled his God; their blasphesleep.-ROBERTS. mies shocked him, and he admired in his heart the wonderful indulgence and long-suffering of God towardsthem." Ver. 21. But the Philistines took him, and put (Southdey's Brazil.) Don Gabriel de Cardenas gives an out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, account nearly similiar of the treatment of prisoners by the nd bound him with fetters of brass and h Iroquois Indians. He describes the sufferings of.ather and bound him with fetters of brass and he Bresano, a Spanish priest, who had the misfortune to be did grind in the prison-house. captured by them. As soon as he arrived at the place of ith the Greeks and Asiatics, the way of putting out assembly, they inflicted many wounds, and treated him in the eyes, or blinding, was not by pulling or cutting out the the most cruel manner; as soon as the warriors appeared, eyes, as some have imagined;* but by drawing, or holding he was commanded to sing like the other prisoners; he was eyes, as some, haveimagined; but by drawing, or holding a red-hot iron before them. This method is still in use in also commanded to dance: in vain he excused himself on Asia. According to Chardin, however, the pupils of the the plea of inability. Forced into the middle of the circle eyes were pierced and destroyed on such occasions. But by these barbarians, he was by one ordered to sing, by Thevenot says, that "the eyes in these barbarous acts are another to dance; if he persisted in keeping silence, he taken out whole, with the point of a dagger, and carried to was cruelly beaten, and when he attempted to complywith the klig in a basin." He adds, that, "as the king sends their requests, his treatment was nearly the same. For whom he pleases to do that cruel office, some princes are upward of a month during their revels, he endured the so butchered by unskilful hands, that it costs them their most exquisite sufferings, which were to have been termilives." In Persia it is no unusual practice for the king to nated by his being burnt to death, had not one of the chiefs punish a rebellious city or province by exacting so many mitigated his sentence, and delivered him to an old woman punish a rebellious city or province by exacting so many pounds of eyes; and his executioners accordingly go and in place of he grandson, who had been killed some eat scoop out from every one they meet, till they have the weight required.-BURDER. Ver. 27. Now the house' was full of men and The custom of dally grinding their corn for the family, women and allthe lords of the Philistines shows the propriety of the law: " No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge, for he taketh a were there: and there were upon the roof about man's life to pledge;" because if he take either the upper three thousand men and women, that beheld or the nether millstone, he deprives him of his daily pro- while Samson made sport. vision, which cannot be prepared without them, and, by e nsequence, exposes him and all his house to utter destruc- The method of building in the East, may assist us in acion. That complete and perpetual desolation which, by counting for the particular structure of the temple or house the just allotment of heaven, is ere long to overtake the of Dagon, and the great number of people that were buried mystical Babylon; is clearly signified by the same precept: in its ruins, by pulling down the two principal pillars upon:'The sound of the millstone shall be heard no. more at all which it rested. About three thousand persons crowded inthee." The meansof subsistence being entirely destroyed, the roof, to behold while the captive champion of Israel no human creature shall ever occupy the ruined habitations made sport to his triumphant and unfeeling enemies. Sammore. In the book of Judges, the sacred historian alludes, son, therefore, must have been in a court or area beneath; with characteristic accuracy, to several circumstances im- and consequently, the temple will be of the same kind with plied in that custom, where he describes the fall of Abim- the ancient ryepEo), or sacred enclosures, which were only elech. A woman of Thebez, driven to desperation by surrounded, either in part or on all sides, with some plain his furious attack on the tower, started up from the mill or cloistered buildings. Several palaces and don-wvanas, as at which she was grinding, seized the upper millstone, the halls of justice are called in these countries, are built (=)oni-c) and rushing to the top of the gate, cast it on his in this fashion, in whose courts, wrestlers exhibit for the head, and fractured his skull. This was the feat of a amusement of the people; on their public festivals and rewoman, for the mill is worked only by females: it is not a joicings; while the roofs of these cloisters are crowded piece of a millstone, but the rider, the distinguishing name with spectators, that behold their feats of strength and of the upper millstone, which literally rides upon the other, agility. When Dr. Shaw was at Algiers, he frequently and is a piece or division of the mill: it was a stone of " two saw the inhabitants diverted in this manner, upon the roof feet broad," and therefore fully sufficient, when thrown of the dey's palace; which, like many more of the same from such a height, to produce the effect mentioned in the quality and denomination, has an advanced cloister over narrative. It displays also the vindictive contempt which against the gate of the palace, made in the form of a large suggested the punishment of Samson, the captive ruler of pent-house, supported only by one or two contiguous pillars Israel. The Philistines, with barbarous contumely, com- in the front, or else in the centre. In such open structures pelled him to perform the meanest service of a female slave; as these, the'great officers of state distribute justice, and they sent him t6 grind in the prison, but not for himself transact the public affairs of their provinces. Here, like.. alone; this, although extremely mortifying to the hero, had wise, they have their public entertainments, as the lords ot been more tolerable; they made him grinder for the prison, the Philistines had in the temple of their god. Supposing, while the vilest malefactor was permitted to look on and therefore, that in the house of Dagon, was a cloistered join in the cruel mockery of his tormentors. Samson, the building of this kind, the pulling down of the front or centre ruler and avenger of Israel, labours, as Isaiah foretold the pillars which supported it, would alone be attended with virgin davughter of Babylon should labour: " Come down, the catastrophe which happened to the Philistines.-PAXand sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; there TON. is no throne, (no seat for thee,) O daughter of the Chal- APTER XIX deans...'rTake the millstones and grind meal," but not CH with the wonted song: " Sit thou silent, and get thee into Ver. 8. And he arose early in the morning on the darkness," there to conceal thy vexation and disgrace.- fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father aid, PAXTON. Comfort thy heart, I pray thee. And they Ver. 25. And it came to pass, when their hearts tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, them. that he may make us sport. "Until afternoon." Hebrew, "till the day declined.":' By this time all the kaavy in that house was exhausted, In this way also do the people of the East speak, when the the drinkers therefore removed to another, and Staus, the sun has passed the meiidian; "I shall not go till the sur 19 146 JUDGES. CHAP. 19. decline;" "I must not go till the declining time."-RoB- bullock was offered in sacrifice, or devoted: it was cut in ERTS. pieces and distributed; all who had apiece of this sacrificed or devoted bullock, were from thenceforward connected, Ver. 27. And her lord rose up in the morning, and were to concur in the carrying on the affair which had and opened the doors of the house, and went given place to the sacrifice. But this sacrifice or devoting, out to- go his way; and, behold, the woman his and this division, was variously practised, which also procolncubine twas fallen do~wn at the door of the duced engagements somewhat different. If he who -was at the expense of the sacrifice or devoting, were a public perhouse, and her hands were upon the threshold. son, in a high office-a kling, for instance, a prince, or judge 28. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be -that is to say, a chief magistrate, or had the principal going: but none answered. Then the man authority in a city, or state; he sent, of his own accord, a too her p upo a ass, and the man rose up, piece of the victim or animal devoted, to all who were subject to him; and by this act they were obliged to enter intc and gat him unto his place. 29. And when his views, to obey him, and to execute his orders without he was come into his house, he took a knife, examination, or pretending difficulty or incapacity. If, on and laid hold on his concubine, and divided the contrary, the sacrifice wiere' offered by a private person, her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, those only who voluntarily took a piece of the sacrificed or her, togethe~ r w'ith her bones, into twelve pieces, devoted portions, entered into a strict engagement to espouse and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 30. And the interest of him who sacrificed or devoted, and to emit was so, that all that saw it said, There was ploy therein their fortunes and their persons. Connexions no such deed done nor seen, from the day that of this kind derived their force from the deities in honour of whom the sacrifice was offered, or the devotion made: the children of Israel came up out of the land from the true God, when the devotion was made by the of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take ad- Jews; from idols, when the sacrifice was offered by the vice, and speak yoior minds, gentiles. The devotion was adopted by the Jews, and the sacrifice by the pagans. This difference betwixt them, proThe interpreters say little or nothing of the real views duced a second: the Jews were content to invoke and take of the Levite, in thus cutting to pieces the body of his con- to witness the Lord; whereas the pagans never failed to cubine, and sending a part to each tribe of Israel. They place in the midst of them, upon an altar of green turf, the only say that the Levite was induced to this seeming out- deities who presided over their covenant; and these kind rage, merely " to excite a general indignation against the of deities were called common, because in fact they were authors of so black a crime; that he committed no sin in the common deities of all who are thusunited, and receivthus maltreating a dead body, though it was his own con- ed in common the honours which they thought proper to cubine's; as being so far from having any intention to offer pay them. it the least indignity, that he only considered the reparation These facts place the Levite's intents in their full light. of the ignominy with which his concubine had been treated: His cutting in pieces the body of his concubine, was an and that, after all, the success fully justified his action and anathema, a devoting which he made to the Lord; and conduct." It is certain that the Le'vite's motives were good his sending a part of the pieces to each tribe, clearly signiand regular: he intended to unite the whole nation in fled that he considered all the tribes as subject to the same vengeance of a crime in which it was interested, and which anathema. God authorized these kinds of consecrations. covered it with infamy; but it was not, as some have The scripture is full of examples, which represent somethought, the horror of the spectacle which the Levite held times persons, sometimes whole nations, whom he had himfortk to the view of everybody, which produced this effect, self smitten with a curse. He would have no sacrifices, and constrained their minds; that is, it was not the sight of however, of human victims; but he approved of devotions these human limbs, thus cut and torn to pieces, which made to death: and yet, to consider both in certain points of view, the Jews conspire, and obliged them to take a striking ven- they amounted nearly to the same thing. Again, devotion geance of so black a crime. to death was a much stronger obligation than the promise The bare relation of an outrage so enormous; was suffi- of a sacrifice. A sacrifice vowed might be dispensed with, cient to put the whole nation to the necessity of exacting and redeemed; whereas, so soon as the anathema was propunishment for an infamy of this nature: natural equity nounced, the party was for ever bound, and there was no spoke for the Levite.; the most sacred rights were violated rdom for redemption, Lev. xxvii. 28, 29. It is certain that to the utmost; never was adultery more glaringly commit- the Levite had a right to devote his wife to death, while ted, or more insolently countenanced: it had involved a she lived; much more reasonably, then, might he devote whole tribe; a general and universal punishment, therefore, her body when dead. It is so much. the more probable that was indispensably necessary; the text of scripture is ex- he really did so, as there was no other method of devotion press in a hundred places; and the Israelites could. not be and, anathema that could induce the whole nation to be ignorant. But they might be checked by the extent of the bound- to declare itself in his favour. This anathema, as punishment; by the great number, the credit, the forces and has been already remarked, extended not only to the body power of the offenders; by the natural commiseration which of his wife, but also to the twelve tribes, whom he invol ved is felt for those who are of the same blood; in a word, by in it, in case they took not effectual means to avenge both an aversion to destroy a city, and to involve it utterly in the the indignity which the Benjamites of Gibeah would have vengeance due to -it. To oblige the nation to hear none of offered him, and the horrible outrages which they had these reasons, the Levite sought and seized a, method committed upon his concubine. What confirms this opinwhich might bind it, and by no means allow it to avoid his ion, is, that in fact the twelve tribes assembled subscribed pursuits; which, in short, might put them to the indispen- to this devotion. First, by taking up arms, as they did. sable necessity of espousing his and his concubine's inter- Secondly, by swearing before the ark, not to return to their ests, or to speak more properly, of taking up the cause of tents or into their houses, till. they had punished the offendboth. The only part, then, which he had to take, was to ers, Judges xx. 8, 9. Thirdly, by putting to the sword all cut in pieces either the body of his wife, as he did, or else that remained in the city of Gibeah, both man and beast, that of an ox, or other like animal, which had been either and burning all the cities and towns of Benjamin, Judges devoted, or offered in sacrifice, and to send a part of it to xx. 48. Fourthly, by swearing with an imprecation, not' each tribe. In consequence of this, every tribe entered into to give their daughters in marriage to the children of Bena covenant and indissoluble engagement with them, to see jamin, and by cursing him who should do so, ch. xxi. 1-18. justice done him, for the injury he had received. This is Fifthly, and lastly, by engaging themselves by a terrible what the interpreters of scripture seem not to have known, oath, to kill every Israelite who should not take arms against and which it is necessary to explain. The ancients had the Benjamites, ib. ver. 5. several ways of uniting themselves together by the strictest These are all of them marks of anathema and devoting; ties, and these ties lasted for as long as the parties had stipu- and it would be to shut one's eyes.to the light, not to discern lated. Among these, there were two principal; both ad- in them the most express anathemas and devotions. Some, mirably well described in the sacred books. The first is perhaps, will object, that a private individual, as was this that sacrifice of Abraham, the circumstances of which are Levite, could not, of his own authority, subject to the anathmentioned7 Gen. xv. 9, &c. The secondis as follows:-A ema his whole nation. It is true, this Levite could devote CHAP. 1-2. R U TH. 147 to death only his wives, his children, and his slaves, and no other method than that which he took, to specify the submit to the anathema only his fields, vineyards, houses,- greatness of the crime of the inhabitants of Gibeah; and household stuff, and, in short, his goods and what belonged he confined himself to that. The whole nation instantly to him. His authority extended no further. Only a judge understood it as a universal anathema, without being inof the Israelites, or their king, or perhaps the high-priest, formed of the nature of the crime which had incurred it. could (To this. So that the Levite had no intention to devote Thus, it is remarkable, that all the tribes expressly assemhis whole nation, as he devoted the body of his concubine. bled at Mizpeh, to know of the Levite what was the mat. He included his authority within its natural bounds; he ter. He answered, " That the Benjamites of Gibeah had contented himself with declaring, by the sending the flesh threatened to kill him, unless he ~consented to their inand limbs of his concubine, that the whole nation was sub- famous passion; that, moreover, they had injured his conject to the anathema: this anathema was pronounced by cubine with so mad and incredible a brutality, that, in God himself, and clearly declared in the law; if just meas- short, she had died of it." Judg. xx. 3-5. Upon this, ures were not taken to punish in a body the infamous every one was convinced of the reality of the anathema, crimes of the Benjamites, these crimes no way yielded to and they not only all obliged themselveswby oath not to rethose of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, so sol- turn to their houses, without chastising the inhabitants of emnly anathematized. A like fate, therefore, was to await Gibeah, in a manner suitable to the extent and blackness them. ~ of their crime, ver. 10; but also to treat, in li.re manner, God had expressly forbidden adultery, and had placed'it all those of the nation who should not march with the in the number of those crimes, of which the simple fact army of the Lord against the Benjamites of GiDeah, ch. rendered the offenders accursed. They were not only to xxi. 5; which was, in fact, executed with regard to the be put to death, (Lev. xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22, &c.,) but also inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, who were all put to the sword, to perish from among God's people, Lev. 19; that is, they without regard to sex or age, ver. 10. Thus is tlte anathewere to be cut off from the synagogue; they could no longer ma sufficiently made out.-CRITICx BIBLICA. pretend to the promises of the covenant, or the prerogatives of true and faithful Israelites; in a word, they were to be CHAPTER XXI. excommunicated and anathematized. The nation, there- Ver. 19. Then they said, Behold, there is a feast fore, could not leave unpunished the crimes of the inhabit- of the LORD in Shiloh yearly, in a place which ants of Gibeah, without charging themselves with the crime, and whatever was attached to it. The Levite, by is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side announcing the crime, by declaring the obligation which of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to there lay to punish, and by placing in full view the anathe- Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. ma which they incurred who should refuse to league, to contribute to the effectual punishment, did nothing more "On the east side." The Hebrew has, "towards the sunthan he might do; nothing inconsistent with his condition,. rising." Does a person ask the way to a place which lies his rank, his quality, his dignity: he was even obliged to towards the east, he will be told to go to the r'ising place, do so by his function of Levite: he explained the text of to the rising sky/i. If to the west, walk for the depa.rted place, the law, 2 Esdras viii. 9. There was, properly speaking, the gone down place.-ROBERTS. RUTH. CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. Ver. 11. Are there zany more sons in my womb. Ver. 2. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field and glean ears ef Sc said Naomi to the widows of her sons who were fol- Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of lowing her. When a mother has lost her son, should his widow only come occasionally to see her, the mother will And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. be displeased, and affect to be greatly surprised when she does come. " Do I again see you " " Is it possible " 1' Are or there any more sons in my womb 1" But the mother-in-law' ears grains of corn. This was formerly a general cosaiso uses this form of expression when she does not wish to and Ireland: the poor went into the fields, and collected the straggling ears of corn after the reapers; and it was long supposed that this was their right, and that Ver. 17. Where thou diest, will I die, and there the law recognised it: but although it has been an old custom, it is now settled by a solemn judgment of the will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and Court of Common Pleas, that a right to glean in the harmore also, if aug'ht but death part thee and me. vest-field cannot be claimed by any person at common law. Any person may permit or prevent it in his own grounds. T.>s dreadful practice of widows burning themselves on By certain acts of Henry VIII., gleaning and leasing are the funeral pile with the dead bodies of their husbands, has so restricted, as to be, in fact, prohibited in that part of the made the declaration of the text familiar to the native mind. united kingdom.-BuRDEa. Hence a wife. when her husband is sick, should he be in danger, will say, Ah! if he die, I also will die; I will Ver. 4. And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, go with him; yes, my body, thou also shalt be a corpse." and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with A slave, also, to a good master, makes use of the same you. And they answered him, The LORD language. Husbands sometimes'boast of the affection of bless thee. their wives, and compare them to the eastern stork, which if it lose its mate in the iiight is said immediately to shriek He went into the field to see how his workmen per.and die. —RoBETas. formed their service, and to encourage them by his 148 RUTH. CHAP. 2. presence. Though he was both rich and great, he did reached her parched cor'n, and she did eat, and not think it beneath him to go into his field, and personally fficed, and left. inspect his servants. Thus Homer represents a king among his reapers, with his sceptre in his hand, and dis- "To-day we crossed the valley of Elassar, and bathed in covering great cheerfulness on the occasion. the hot-baths of Solomon, situated on the southern side, Pa~t~XVees dEV roostf ( (t1Wli~ nearly at the bottom, near some corn-fields, where one of rrpol v EE Ee OYOsU x)V r.OS 556,p-55. our Arabs plucked some green ears of corn, parched them Iliad, xviii. vet. 556, 557. for us, by putting them in the fire, and then, when roasted, Anlid themn, staff in hand, the master stood rubbed out the grain in his hands."' (Macmichel.) " After Enjoying mnte the order of the field, a ride of two hours from the valley of Zebulon," says While, shaded by an oak, apart, his train, Korte, "we came to a place where the disciples of the Prepared the banquet. ( Co2per.)-BuRDR. Lord are said to have plucked and eaten ears of corn on The reapers go to the field very early in the morning, the sabbath day. The wheat in this country is not differand return home betimes in the afternoon. They carry eat from ours, only the grains are as hard as a stone from provisions along +with them, and leathern bottles, or dried the heat, and therefore not so good to eat as with us. But bo~ttle -gonrds, fi~lled Rwith water. They are~ followed by in Egypt, in the Holy Land, and in all Syria, there grows their own children, or by others, who glean with m1uch a kind of beans, or peas, which are superior to our peas; sunceess; for a great quantity of corn is scattered in the the stalk grows almost like the lentil: in the pod, which is reaping, and in their manner of carryin0 it. The reater very thick, and mostly hangs in bunches, there is generalpart of these circumstances, are discernible in the manners ly only one grain. This kind is eaten green in the couno' the ancient Israelites. Ruth had not proposed to Naomi, try, and also in the towns, whither they are brought in 1ht'r nmother-in-law, to go to the field, and glean after the bunches: when they are too old, they are roasted over reapers; nor had the servant of Boaz, to whom she applied coals, and so eaten, when theytaste better. This is doubto.> leave, so readily granted her request, if gleaning had less the parched corn mentioned in the book of Ruth, and not been a common practice in that country. When Boaz several other places."-ROSENMUaLER. inquired who she was, his overseer, after informing him, They have other ways of preparing their corn for food oiserves; that she came out to the field in the morning besides making it into bread. Burgle is very commonly and that the reapers left the field early in the afternoon, as wheat boilDr. Russel states, is evident from this circumstance, that ed, then bruised in a mill so as to- separate it from the Ruth had time to beat out her gleanings before evening. husk, after which it is dried, and laid up for use. The They carried water and provisions with them; for Boaz drying of burgle, though mentioned by some writers as a invited her to come and drink of the water which the modern operation, seems to throw light on a remarkable young men had drawn; and at meal-time, to eat of the passage in the history of David; the concealment of his twc read, and dip er morsel in the vinegar. And so great spies in a well whose mouth was covered with corn. The was the simplicity of manners in that part of the world, custom of exposing corn in this way, must have been very custom of exposing corn in this way, must have been very and in those times, that oaz himse althouh a prince of common in Juea, else it had rather excited suspicion in ltgh rank in Juldah, sat down to dinner, in tae field, with the minds of the pursuers, than diverted their attention from higs reapers, and helped Rsuth with his own handc. Nlor the spot where the spies were concealed. That the well's o.ught we to pass over in silence, the mutual salutation of mouth was covered on that occasion with burgle or boiled Botz and- his reapers, when he came to the field, as it wheat, is exceedingly probable; for Dr. Russel observes strongly marks the state of religious feeling in Israel at the that in prearing, it after it has been softened in warm watine, and frnishes another proof of the artless, the happy, ter, it is commonly laid out in the courtyard to dry. It oaid unsuspecting simplicity, which characterized the man- could not be flour or meal; for they grind it only in small nerts of that hihnly favoured people; L" And, behold, Boaz quantities, and as they want it, and never are known to excame from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord pose it in this way. Bishop Patrick supposes it was corn be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless newly thrashed out, she pretended to dry; but if this was Othee.' Such maanode of salutation continued among that practised at all, of which we have no evidence, it was by people till the coming of Christ; for the angel saluted no means common, and therefore calculated rather to belMasy in language of similar import: " ail, highly fa- tray, than to conceal the spies. Besides, the same word is oaured, the Lord is with theei; blessed art thou among used to signify corn beaten in a mortar with a pestle, not Iwoml a." It appears from the beautiful story of Ruth, that on the barn-floor with a thrashing instrument; now burgle in Palestine, the women lent their assistance in cutting is actually pounded in this manner. It was therefore burdown and gathering in the harvest; for Boaz commands gle or boiled wheat, which DArvieux expressly says is dried in the sun; adding that they prepare a whole year's her to keep fast by his maidens: —the women in Syria ied in the sun; adding that they preare a hole years snared also in the labours of the harvest; for Dr. Russel provision of it at once. Wheat and barley were prepared inforls us, they saing the Ziraleet, or song of thanks, when in the same way by the ancient'Romans; which renders it the passing stranger accepted their present of a handful of very probable that the custom was universal among the corn, an~d made a suitable return.-PAxT(oN. civilized nations of antiquity. This is the reason that neither the exposure of the corn, nor the large quantity, pro-'Ver. 14. And Boaz said unto her, At meal-time duced the least suspicion; every circumstance accorded with the public usage of the country, and by consequence, clme thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip the preparation of this species of food is as ancient as the thy morsel in the vinegar. days of David. Sawick is a different preparation, and consists of corn parched in the ear; it is made, as well of Whlen Boaz is represented as having provided vinegar barley and rice, as of wheat. It is never called, in the inbor his reapers, in:o which they might dip their bread, and spired volume, parched flour or meal, but always parched kindly invited Ruth to share with them in the repast, we corn; and consequently, seems to remain after the roasting, are not to understand it of simple vinegar, but vinegar and to be eaten in the state of corn. In confirmation of this mingled with a small portion of oil, if modern manage- idea., we may quote a fact stated by Hasselquist, that in nents in the Levant be allowed to be the most natural journeying from Acre to Sidon, he saw a shepherd eating co-mment on those of antiquity. For even the Algerines his dinner, consisting of half-ripe ears of wheat roasted, indulge their minierable captives with a small portion of oil which he ate, says the traveller, with as good an appetite to the vinegar they allow them with their bread, according as a Turk does his pillaw. The same kind of food, he to the account Pitt gives of the treatment he and his com- says, is much used in Egypt by the poor; they roast the panions received- from them, of which he complains with ears of Turkish wheat or millet; but it is in his account some asperity. What the quality of the bread was, that far inferior to bread. Dr. Shaw is of a different opinion; the reapers of Boaz had, may be uncertain, but there is all he supposes the kali, or parched corn of the scriptures, imaginable -reason to suppose the vinegar into which they which he translates parched pulse, means parched cicers. lipped it, was made more grateful by the addition of oil.- But we frequently read in scripture of dried or parched HARMER. corn; and the word used in those passages is most naturally to be understood of corn, and not of pulse. Besides,'Ver. 14. And she sat beside the reapers: and he Rauwolf asserts that cicers are used in the East only as a AIbIAP. 3, 4. R U-T H. I 4 nDart of the dessert after their meals. But it cannot be rea- CHAPTER IV. sonably supposed, that Boaz would entertain his reapers Vex. 1. Then went Boaz up to the ate, and sat with things of this kind; or that those fruits which in modern times are used only in desserts, formed the principal him down there: and, behold, the kinsman oi part of a reaper's meal, in the field of so wealthy a propri- whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he etor. This, houwever, the opinion of Dr. Shaw requires to said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down hei e. be supposed; for it is said in the inspired record, "He And he turned aside, and sat down. reached Ruth parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left."-PAXTON. The word gate is often used in scripture, to denote the place of public assemblies where justice is administered.This definition of the word gate, in its first sense, agrees Ver. 2. And now is not Boaz of our kindred, exactly with the usages of the Hindoos. People, therefore, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he who understand it literally, as meaning alwayc a -ate fixed innoweth barley to-night in the thrashinin the -walls of the city, do not comprehend its meaning. At the entrance of every town or village, there is a publie floor. building, called a rest-house, where travellers remain, and where people assemble to hear the news, or talk over the In these regions much of the agricultural labour is per- affairs of the place. There may be seen many a Boaz formed in the night. The sun is so hot, and so pernicious, asking for the advice of his relations and iends, an that the farmers endeavour, as much as possible, to avoid an a h as e of his ct, a its power. Hence numbers plough and irrigate their fields many an Abraham as he sat at the gate of his city," bargaining "for the field," and " the cave of Machpelah," in and gardens long after the sun has gone down, or be- which to bury his beloved Sarah.-RoBERTS. fore it rises in the morning. The wind is also generally stronger in the night, which might induce Boaz to prefer Vey. 2. And he took ten men of the elders of, the that season. From the next two verses we learn that he c and saidit ye down here. And they sat took his supper there, and slept among the barley.,Corn down. in the East is not kept in stacks, but after being reaped, is, down. in a few days, thrashed on the spot. The thrashing-floor Among the Hebrews, and, before them, among the Cais a circle of about forty feet in diameter, and consists naanites, the purchase of any thing of consequence generally of clay, and cowdung, without wall or fence. concluded, and the price paid, publicly, at the gate of the Under these circumstances, it is necessary for some of the city, as the place of judgment, before all that went out and people to sleep near the corn, till all shall have been in, Gen. xxiii. Ruth iv.-As those who wanted anousethrashed and takhen home. —RoBERTS. ment, and to pass away the time, were wont to sit in thte. rVex. 7. And wheln Boaz had eaten and drunk, gates, purchases there made could always be testified by numerous witnesses. Their care to have them so attested: and his heart was merry, he went to lie down might, perhaps, be a relic of the custom of' the times preat the end of a heap of corn: and she came ceding the invention of the art of writing; (which, by the softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. way, took place probably not very long before the d'Ss r Abraham;) and it did not even after that period cease to be Margin to the fourth verse, " lift up the clothes that are useful, because among the Hebrews writing not being very on his feet." All inferiors, all servants, sleep at the feet of common, the memory of witnesses had often to supply tha their master. It is no uncommon thing for those who have place of a document of purchase. At the same time a great favour to procure, to go to the house of the rich, would seem that such documents were not altogether unand sleep with the head at his door, or in the verandah. sual. For the xiii. chapter of Genesis is in its sile so Thus, when he arises in the morning, he finds the suppliant different from that of Moses on other occasions, and has at his door. Should a master wish to dismiss his servants, much of the appearance of the record of a solemn juris-d they often say, "My lord, turn us not away; how many ical procedure, that it almost seems to be a deed of p years have we slept at your feet l" —RoBECTs. chase. From Ruth iv. 7, we learn another singular usaoe on occasions of purchase, cession, and exchange, viz. that Ver. 9. And he said, WVho art thou? And she the transference of alienable property had, in earlier times. answered ai uth thy hamaid:spread been confirmed by the proprietor plucking off his shoe, and'answe red, 1.Rut thy h nma.sa handing it over to the new owner. We see at the same therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou time, that in the age of David this usage had become antiart a near kinsman. quated; for the writer introduces it as an unknown customl of former times, in the days of David's great-grandfather. The prophet Ezekiel, in describing the Jewish church I have not been able to find any further trace of it in the as an exposed infant, mentions the care of God in bringing East; nor yet has the Danish travelling mission to Arabia, her up with great tenderness, and then, at the proper time. as Captain Niebnhr himself informs me. Bynneus, in his marrying her; which is expressed in the same way as the book, De Caclceis tIebrceor1'm, treats of it at great length; request of Ruth: " I spread my skirt over thee"-" and but, excepting the mere conjectures of modern literati he thou becamest mine." Dr. A. Clarke says, " Even to the gives no account of the origin of this strange svymbol of the present day, when a Jew marries a woman, he throws the transfer of property. In the time of Moses it was so familskirt or end of his talith over her, to signify that he has iar, that barefooted was a term of' reproach, and probably taken her under his protection." I have been delighted, at signified a man that had sold every thing, a spendthrift the marriage ceremonies of the Hindoos, to see among and a bankrupt; and we see from Dent. xxv. 9, 10, thai them the same interesting custom. The bride is seated on Moses allowed it to be applied to the person who wxxould not a throne, surrounded by matrons, having on her veil, her marry his brother's widow. Could it have been an Egyptian gayest robes, and most valuable jewels.- After the thali custom, as wedo not find it again inthe East? The Egyphas been tied round her neck, the bridegroom approaches tians, when they adored the Deity, had no shoes on; and her with a silken-skirt, (purchased by himself,) and folds it of this the Pythagoreans gave the following explanation: round her several times over the rest of her clothes. A "The philosopher, who came naked from his mnother's common way of saying he'has married her, is, " he has womb, should appear naked before his Creator; for Gold given her the koori," has spread the skirt over her. There hears those alone who are not burdened x;rilh any thirg are, however, those who throw a long robe over the shoul- extrinsic. "-Among the Egyptians too, Ia:e/foteml was,ers of the bride, instead of putting on the skirt. An angry equivalent to alaked, and naked synonymous with iav itg no husband sometimes says to his wife, " Give me back rmy property, but one's self. This same custom of pulling off skirt," meaning, he wishes to have the marriage compact the shoe, and that at the gate before all who went out. and dissolved. So the mother-in-law, shoauld the daughter not in, was also usual in important cases of the exchange or treat her respectfully, says, " My son gave this woman the resignation of property; as for instance, (to take the examkoori, skirt, and has made her respectable, but she neglects ple just quoted from Ruth iv. 7, 9,) when the nearest kinsme." The request of Ruth, therefore, amounted to nothing man abandoned his right of redemption to a distant relamore than that Boaz should marry her.-ROBERTS. tion; and we may, perhaps, thence concludle, that a sili 150 RU T H. CHAP. 4 lar form took place in cases of great donations, when not the word Levir, which though it appears not in the ancient made on a sick-bed, but by persons in health.-MICHAELIS. classic authors, but only in the -Vulgate and the Pandects, is nevertheless really an old Latin word, and is explained Ter. 7. Now this 6was the vmanner in former time by Festus to signify a 7lusband's brother. The Hebrews in Iranel, concerning redeeming, and concern- had in like manner an ancient law term. which we meet inng chancinog, for to confirm all things; a man not with elsewhere, (=n, Jabanm,) of the very same' import; cno r~ to~'~ confirm atisan whence come nn - (Jebemet,) a brother's wife, and =n, (Jebplucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neigh- bem,) to marry such a person. The Chaldee, Syriac, and bour; and this was a testimony in Israel. Samaritan versions of the Bible do indeed retain this word, 8. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy but it is not otherwise at all current in these languages, nor can we find in them the least trace of an etymology for it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. it, and in the Arabic tongue it is altogether unknown. This is often the case with respect to the Hebrew law See on Matt. 22. 24. terms. The Hebrew language alone has them, and withThe simple object, therefore, in taking off the shoe, was out all etymology, while in the kindred languages, they are to confirm the bargain: it was the testimony or memorial either not to be fonnd at all, or in quite a different sense. of the compact. In Deuteronomy it is mentioned that the How that happens I am ignorant, with this exception, that brother of a deceased husband shall marry the widow, but I frequently remark, in like manner, among ourselves, anshould he refuse, then the widow is to " go up to the gate cient law terms, whose etymology is obscure, because old unto the elders and say, My husband's brother refuseth to words have been, retained in law, while the language has raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not in other respects undergone alterations. The law which perform the duty of my husband's brother." Then the obliged a man to m.rrry the widow of his childless brother, elders were to call the man, and if he persisted in his re- was much more ancient than the time of Moses; having fusal, the woman was to come forward " and loose his shoe been in use in Palestine among the Canaanites, and the from off his foot, and spit in his face; was to answer and ancestors of the Israelites, at least more than 250 years say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build previous to the date of his law, and indeed with such rigup his brother's house. " From that time the man was dis- our, as left a person no possible means of evading it, howgraced, and whenever his person or establishment was ever irksome and odious compliance with it might appear spoken of, it was contemptuously called "the house of him to him. The law, however, was unquestionably attended that hath his shoe loosed. " To be spit at in the face is with great inconveniences: for a man cannot but think it the most degrading ceremony a man can submit to. This the most unpleasant of all necessities, if he must marry a was done by the widow to her husband's brother, and she woman whom he has not chosen himself. Mutst, in matON7FISmXIED his ignominy by taking off his shoe. But this ters of love and marriage, is a fearful word, and almost taking off the SHOE (as we shall hereafter see) may also quite enough to put love to flight, even where beauty exallude to the DEATH of her husband, whose sHoES were taken cites it. We see, likewise, that the brother, in some inoff and of no further use to him. And as she said, when stances, had no inclination for any such marriage, (Gen. she h-ad taken off the SHOE from her husband's brother's xxxviii. Ruth iv.) and stumbled at this, that the first son foo!. " thus shall it be done unto that man that will not produced from it could not belong to him. Whether a build up his brother's house," may mean, he also shall second son might follow, and continue in life, was very soon follow his brother, and have his SHOES taken off his uncertain; and among a people who so highly prized gene-, fiet ",' death. When Ramar had to go to reside in the alogical immortalityof name, it was a great hardship fora desern for fourteen years, his brother Parathan was very man to be obliged to procure it for a person already dead, unwI0illing for him to go; and tried, in every possible way, and to run the risk, meanwhile, of losing it himself: Nor to dissuade him from his purpose. But Ramar persisted in was this law very much in favour of the morals of the other his resolution, having fully made up his mind to take his sex; for not to speak of Tamar, who, in reference to it, departure. When the brother, seeing that his entreaties conceived herself justified in having recourse to a most were in vain, said, " Since you aredetermined to go, promise infamous action, I will here only observe, that what Ruth me iaithfully to return." Then Ramar, having made the did, (chap. iii. 6-9,) in order to obtain, for a husband, the mromise,,ave his SHOES to Parathan as a CONFIRMATION of person Mwhom.she accounted as the nearest kinsman of her l.is vow. Does a priest, a father, or a respectable friend, deceased husband, is, to say the least, by no means conformresolve to go on a pilgrimage to some distant country; able to that modesty and delicacy which we look for in the some one will perhaps say, "Ah! he will never return, he other sex. A wise and good legislator could scarcely have intends to remain in those holy places. " Should he deny been inclined to patronise any such law. But then it is not it, then they say, " Give us your SHOES as a witness of your advisable directly to attack an inveterate point of honour; promise," and having done so, never will he break it.' An. because in such a case, for the most part, nothing is gainaffectionate widow never parts with her late husband's ed; and in the present instance, as the point of honour SHOES: they are placed near her when she sleeps, she placed immortality of name entirely in a man's leaving dekisses and puts her head upon them, and nearly every time scendants behind him, it was so favourable to the increase after BATHING, she goes to look at them. These, therefore, of population, that it merited some degree of forbearance arethe " TESTIMONY," the melancholy CONFIRMATION of her and tenderness. Moses, therefore, left the Israelites still husband's death.-ROBERTS. in possession of their established right, but at the same time he studied as much as possible to guard against its rigour Ver. 10. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife and evil effects, by limiting and moderating its operation of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to in various respects. raise up the name of the dead upon his in- In the first place, he expressly prohibited the marriage of t brother's widow, if' there were children of his own alive. heritance, that the name of the dead be not cut a brother's widow, if there were children of his own alive. heritanf e, that the name o f the dead be not cut Before this time, brothers were probably in the practice of off fron' among his brethren, and from the gate considering a brother's widow as part of the inheritance, of his place: ye are witnesses this day. and of appropriating her to themselves, if unable to buy a wife, as the Mongols do; so that this was a very necessary I now proceed to the explanation of a singular law, prohibition. For a successor prassizptiLus in thoro, whom which I must however preface, with entreating, in behalf of a wife can regard as her future husband, is rather a danthe lawgiver, that it may not be considered as an inven- gerous neighbour for her present one's honour; and if she tion of his own; as it was in fact several centuries older happen to conceive any predilection for the younger brothan his laws, and as he very much limited and mitigated ther, her husband, particularly in a southern climate, will its cperation. The law I mean, is what has been termed hardly be secure from the risk of poison. the Levirate law: in obedience to which, when a man died In the second place, he allowed, and indeed enjoined, without issue, his brother was obliged to marry the widow the brother to marry the. widow of his childless brother he left. and that with this express view, that the first son but if he was not disposed to do so, he did not absolutely produced from the marriage should be ascribed, not to the compel him, but left him an easy means of riddance; for natu -al father, but to his deceased brother, and become his he had only to declare in court, that he had no inclination heir. This has been denominated Levirate-marriage, from to marry her, and then he was at liberty. This, it is true; CHAP. 4. RUTH. 151 subjected him to a punishment which at first appears suf- men, often only one brother could marry, and the others ficiently severe: the slighted widow had a right to revile * also wished to do the same, it could, only affect such as him in court as much as she pleased; and from his pulling were unmarried; and in the two instances that occur in off his shoe, and delivering it to the widow, he received the Gen. xxxviii. and Ruth iv. we find the brother-in-law, appellation of Bal,; esole, which any body might apply to whose duty it was to marry, apprehensive of its proving him without being liable to a prosecution. A little consid- hurtful to himself and his inheritance, which could hardly eration, however, will show that this punishment was not have been the case, if he had previously had another wife, so severe in reality as in appearance. For if Baresole is or (but that was at least expensive) could have taken one once understood, according to the usage of the language, of his own choice. When there was no brother alive, or to mean nothing more than a man who has given a woman when he declined the duty, the Levirate-law, as we see /the'refesal, it is no longer felt as a term of great reproach, from the book of Ruth, extended to the next nearest relaand any one will rather endure it, than have his own re- tion of the deceased husband, as for instance, to his paterfusal talked of. To be once in his lifetime solemnly abused nal uncle, or nephew; so that at last, even pretty remote in a public court by a woman, is at any rate much easier kinsmen, in default of nearer ones, might be obliged to unto be borne, than the same treatment from a'man, or extra- dertake it. Boaz-does not appear to have been very nearly judicially; and if, besides, the cause is known, and that the related to Ruth, as he did not so much as know who she court allows her this liberty, in order to give free vent to was, when he fell in love with her, while she gleaned in her passion, because the man will not marry her according his fields. Nor did she know that he was any relation to to her wish; the more violent the emotions of her rage are, her, until apprized of itby her mother-in-law. Among the the more flattering to him must they prove; and he will Jews ofthese days, Levirate-marriages have entirely ceased; go out of court with more pride than if she had excused so much so, that in the marriage contracts of the very him from marrying her, with much coolness, or without poorest people among them, it is generally stipulated, that any emotion at all.-I have often heard vain fops mention the bridegroom's brothers abandon all those rights to the in company, how many women in other places would glad- bride, to which they could lay claim by Deut. xxv.'-MIly have married them, and were greatly enraged that they CHAELIS. would not take them. On persons of this description, such a judicial punishment would indeed have been very justly Ver. 11. And all the people that wer'e in the gate, bestowed. But it is at worst more flattering than even the and the elders, said, TTie are witnesses. The very politest language with which a lady begs leave to de- LORDmake the woman that is come into thy cline an offer of marriage, or but distantly yields to it. A house like Rhel and like Lh h t legislator, in ordaining a punishment of this nature, could house like Rachel and like Leah, which two hardly have had it in view to insist very particularly -on did build the house of Israel; and do thou the observance of a statute, that but ratified an old custom worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethby way of a compliment. If it had been a point in which lehem. he was interested, he would have ordained a very different punishment. The marriage ceremony was commonly performed in a 3. The person whose duty it was to marry a childless garden, or in the open air; the bride was placed under a widow, was the brother of her deceased husband, in the canopy, supported by fohur youths, and adorned with jewels strict sense of the word, as the story in Gen. xxxviii. clear- according to the rank of the married persons; all the comly shows. I would not have thought it necessary to make pany crying out with joyful acclamations, Blessed be he this remark, had not the contrary opinion been maintained that cometh. It was anciently the custom, at the concluin a Dissertation delivered here at Gottingen, in which it sion of the ceremony, for the father and mother, and kinis asserted, that the word brother, in Deut. xxv. 5-10, is to dred of the woman, to pray for a blessing upon the parties. be taken in a general sense, and means a rotation, exclu- Bethuel and Laban, and the other members of their family, ding the real brother. The law, however, only extended to pronounced a solemn benediction upon Rebecca before her a brother living in the same city or country, not to one re- departure: " And they blessed Rebecca, and said unto her, siding at a greater distance. Nor did it affect a brother thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of milhaving already a wife of his own. At least, if it had its lions; and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate origin in this, that by reason of the dearness of young wo- them." And in times long posterior to the age of Isaac, when Ruth the Moabitess was espoused to Boaz, " All the'The Hebrew expression in Dent. xxv. 9, i))n np-on, has been by people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, we are some so understood, asifthewidowhadaright tospit inhisface. And witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into no doubt it may signify as much; but then that act in a public court is thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did so indecent, that if any other interpretation is admissible, this one ought build the house of Israel'; and do thou worthily in Ephratah, not to be adopted. Now there are two others: t. She shall spit before and be famous in Bethlehem." After the benedictions, the his face. The Arabs, at this day, When they wish to affront any one,and be famous in Be thlehem." After thebenedictions, the spit; and cry Fi; even people of rank do so, just as the common peo- bride is conducted, with great pomp, to the house of her ple do with us. This account we find even in lexicons; but I know it husband; this is usually done in the evening; and as the besides, from the information furnished both by Solomon Negri, ana- procession moved along, money, sweetmeats, flowers, and tive Arab, and by travellers. 2. p-' may also mean to revile; proper- other articles, were thrown among the populace, which ly Bilem evomere, which signification is familiar in Arabia; only that, they caught in cloths ade for such ccasions, stretched in according to the usual rule, the Hebrew Jod must be changed into Vau hs made for such occasions, stretchedin and the word written Varak. a particular manner upon frames.-PAXTON. THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. CHAPTER I, have sprung, and, of course, of 42 Israelites, there would Ver. 1. Now there was a certain man of Rama- be but one first-born. At the same time, this being the case, thaim-zophim, of mount aphraim, and his name polygamy must certainly have gone great lengths, and been very universally practised among them; and if it was so, ewas Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of and Moses forbade it by no law, it is obvious that it conElihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an tinued allowable as a civil right. If in this deduction there Ephrathite: 2. Ad he had two wives the appear any thing dubious or obscure, I must refer the reader r to my Dissertation, De Censibes Hebra'or?'n, in paragraphs name of the one zvas Hannah, and the name of 4,5, and 6 of which, I have considered this argument at the other Peninnah. greater length. 3. The law of Deut. xxi. 15-17, already explained, How much soever some may have denied it, nothing presupposes the case of a man having two wives, one of is more certain, than that by the civil laws of Moses whom he peculiarly loves, while the other, whom he hates, a man was allowed to have more wives than one. No is the mother of his first-born. Now this is the very case doubt, all the proofs of this fact, which it is usual to adduce, which occurs in Genesis, in the history of Jacob, and his are not valid; andf to the maintainers of the opposite opin- wives Leah and Rachel; and this law ordains, that in such ion, it may be an easy matter to controvert such as are a case the husband was not to bestow the right of primoweak or inaccurate; but the following arguments appear geniture upon the son of the favourite wife, but to acknowto me to place the matter beyond all doubt. ledge as his first-born the son that actually was so. 1. It is certain that before the time of Moses, polygamy 4. The law of Exod. xxi. 9, 10, in like manner already was in use among the ancestors of the Israelites, and that explained, expressly permits the father, who had given his even Abraham and Yacob lived in it. It is also certain, son a slave for a wife, to give him, some years after, a that it continued in use after the time of Moses. I willnot second wife, of freer birth; and prescribes how the first interrupt the text with a multitude of examples; but there was then to be treated. The son was bound to pay her are two of such weight as to merit particular notice.-One matrimonial duty as often as she could have claimed it of them we find in 1 Chron. vii. 4, where not only the five before his second marriage; and, therefore, if he did so, fathers, named in the preceding verse, but also their de- the marriage still subsisted. If he refused, the marriage scendants, forming a tribe of 36,000 men, had lived in polyg- immediately ceased, and the woman received her liberty. amy, which also shows, by the way, that it must have been When Moses, in Lev. xviii. 18, prohibits a man from marmore commion in some families than in others.-The other rying the sister of his wife, to vex her while she lives, it occurs in 2 Chron. xxv. 3, where we see the high-priest manifestly supposes the liberty of taking another wife himself, who was of course the authentic expounder of the besides the first, and during her lifetime, provided only it Mosaic statutes, taking for Joash, who clave to him as a was not her sister. But because the sense of this passage son, two uwives, which shows that he had not at any rate has been much disputed, and others, in opposition to the looked upon bigamy as prohibited by the law of Deut. xvii. plain words of Moses, consider it as a general prohibition 17. As then, Moses, adhering to established usage, no- of polygamy; as I cannot with propriety expatiate fully on where prohibited a man's taking a second or a third wife, their explanation here, 1 must refer the reader to my Disalong with the first, it is clear that, as a civil right, it con- sertation already quoted, On the Mosaic Statutes prohibitory tinued allowable; for what has hitherto been customary, of Marriages betwixt Near Reltations. arid permitted, remains so, in a civil sense, as long as no It does not appear, however, that Moses permitted popositive law is enacted against it. Therefore, the objection lygamy willingly, or as a matter of indifference in either a here made, that Moses ntowherse autho'rizes polygamy, by an moral or a political view, but, as Christ expresses it, merely express statnzte, amounts to nothing; more especially when on account of the hardness of the people's hearts. In other it is considered, that, as we shall immediately see under words, he did not approve it, but found it advisable to tolerNos. 2, 3, 4, it is implied in three several texts, that he ac- ate it, as a point of civil expediency. -His first book, which tually did authorize it. But although he had not done so, is entirely historical, includes many particulars that are by his silent acquiescence in, and non-prohibition of, the prac- no means calculated to recommend polvgamy. According tice previously held lawful, is quite enough to sanction our to him. God, even at the very time when the rapid populaopinion of his having left it still allowable as a civil right. tion of the earth was his great object, ga.ve to the. first man And, but one wife, although it is evident that withfo0qr' wives, he 2. This proof becomes still stronger, when we remark could have procreated more children than with one; and how very common polygamy must have been at the very when, in consequence of the flood, the earth was to be retime when Moses lived and gave his laws. For, when duced anew to its original state in this respect, and God Moses caused the Israelites to be numbered, he found resolved to preserve alive only Noah and his three sons, 603,550 males above 20 years of age. Now, according to we still find that each of them had but one wife with him. political calculations, the proportion of those under 20, to Now had God approved of polygamy, he would have cbmthose above it, is in general reckoned as 12 to 20, or, at any manded each of Noah's sons to marry as many wives as rate, as 12 to 15; but admitting, in the present case, that possible, and take them with him into the ark. From these it was but as 10 to 20, to the above number of adult males, two historical facts, the natural proportion between the sexes, we should thus have still to add a half more, or 301,775, which, where population is numerous, cannot be discovered. for those under 20, besides 22,000 Levites that were reck- without much trouble, becomes at once obvious; and this oned separately; so that the whole number of males must very proportion, considering that we actually find much have amounted to at least 927,325. Now among all this about the same number of men as of women fit for the marpeople, we find from Numb. iii. 43, that there were no more ried state, is the strongest possible argument against polygthan 22,273 first-borin males, of a month old and nepward; amy: the lawfulness or unlawfulness of which, as Monthat is, only one first-born among 42: so that, had the Is- tesquieu very justly observes, resolves itself, properly raelites lived in monogamy, it would follow that every speaking, into a question of arithmetic. Moses did not marriage had on an average given birth to 42 children, permit eunuchs to be made amonl the Israelites. Indeed he which, however, is hardly possible to be conceived; whereas went so far as to prohibit even the castration of cattle, Lev. if every Israelite had four or more wives, it was very pos- xxii. 24; and besides this, a eunuch that calne from another sible that of every father on an average that number might country to reside among the Israelites, was by a special CHAP 1. 1 SAMUE L. 153 statute excluded from ever becoming one of the people of under the 39th degree of latitude, and of course, some deGod, that is, w as incapable of enjoying the privileges and grees more to the south than Constantinople, and the counrights of an Israelite, both sacred and civil, Deut. xxiii. 2. tries between the Black and Caspian Seas, whence the This was an ordinance highly unfavourable to polygamy. Turks and Persians purchase young women for their seWe commonly find polygamy and eunuchism going to- raglios, but in the very same latitude with a great part of gether; and in those countries in which the former pre- Turkey, Persia, China, and Japan; and yet this Island, vails, such as Turkey, Persia, and China, there are thou- according to Armstrong's account, in letter 15th, of his hissands, and even millions of eunuchs. Where so many of tory of it, had, in the year 17452, exclusive of the English the male,, that are born, can never become husbands and garrison, 15,000 male inhabitants, and but only 12,000 feobtain wives, it is nothing less than merciful to place them male. Now, how can we believe, after this, that under the beyond the temptation of longing for.a wife; and, in early very same climate, but farther eastward, nature should, on infancy, before they know what has befallen them, to assign the contrary, produce more persons/ of the other sex than them that intermediate state, in which, without properly of ours, merely because there it is noon, when the sun but belonging to either sex, they are to live, and earn their begins to rise on Minorca. The English colonies in bread. Besides, where polygamy is carried to great lengths, America have, part of them at least, a still more southerly there is in the nature of the case an imperious necessity for position; but even there, no other proportion of births, in rigilant watchers of their chastity. In a word, without the two sexes, has been remarked, than what is found in (unuchs, a great seraglio cannot be guarded; and of England itself. The whole mistake, into which even the course, a law prohibiting castration imperceptibly counter- venerable Montesquieu himself has been betrayed, proceeds acts polygamy. This is also an observation of M. de Pre- from this, that in some of the great capitals of Asia, there montval. are a great many more women than men, owing to the It would appear, that in the course ofc time, polygamy residence of monarchs and people of fortune, who keep had very much decreased among the Israelites, and become great seraglios, for,which girls are purchased in other rather uncommon. -Solomon, in Prov. xxxi. 10-31, in his places, and brought to the metropolis. It does not, however, description of that wife whom he accounted a blessing to thence follow, that in Asia there are more females born her husband, represents her entirely as a mater-familias, than males, but only that the former being nore numerous that is, the mistress and ruler of the whole household; in the rich cities, are in the provinces, whence they are which a wife in the state of polygamy can never be, being bought, less so, in the very same proportion. OMr. Porter, destined solely for her husband's bed, and having no per- the British ambassador at Constantinople, makes this remission to concern herself at all about domestic economy. mark in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. xlix. art, It would therefore seem, that although Solomon himself 21st; so that it is not matter of speculation, but of experilived in boundless polygamy, his subjects were contented ence. But the conclusion, drawn from the oriental capwith one wife. Besides, had polygamy continued as com- itals, to the state of whole countries, in regard to the prodmon as in the days of Moses, the price of wives would have portion of the sexes, is much in the same style at Tould be advanced in proportion to the increased value of other that of the traveller, who on seeing a German army of commodities; but we find that in the time of the prophet 100,000 troops, and remarking that there was scarcely one Hosea, a wife was still the sa me as the medium rate in the woman with it to ten men, should go home and assert that time of Moses; for that was about 30 shekels; and Hosea he had discovered, that in Germany there were ten times (iii. 2) bought his for 15 shekels, and 15 ephahs of barley. as many males born as females. I am therefore of opinion, Every thing else had risen in price, (as I have shown in that with regard to the polygamy allowed among the Ismy Dissertation, De pretiis rerunm apud Hebrceos, in the 3d raelites, we can say nothing else than what Christ has said Part of the Commentacria of the Gottingen Society of Sci- on the subject of divorce. Mloses tolerated it on accoenat of ences,) except wives; and consequently, polygamy, which their hardness of heart, and because it would have been makes themz scarce and dear, must have-been much dimin- found a difficult matter to deprive them of a custom alished, or have ceased almost altogether among the ISrael- ready so firmly established. The Egyptian monarchs enites. That it ceased entirely after the return of the Jews deavoured to preve'nt the multiplication of the Israelites, from the Babylonish captivity, is, indeed, certain; but with and for this purpose, went so far as to order all their male that fact we have here nothing to do, as it was neither an children, as soon as born, to be thrown into: the Nile; and article nor an effect of the Mosaic law, but proceeded from yet Moses found polygamy among them, which, of course, other accidental causes. could not have been prohibited by the Egyptian governBut how came it to pass that Moses, who certainly did ment. A people, whose children a tyrant drowned to hinnot approve of polgyamy, and counteracted its increase by der their increase, while yet he dared not to check their various impediments, did not rather at once prohibit it al- polygamy, must have clung very closely to that privilege, together. This is indeed an important question, and has and not have been likely to:surrender it without rebelling. not hitherto received a satisfactory answer. Many of Whether the climate may have, in any degree, contribuMontesquieu's readers will perhaps think, that nothing can ted to produce this har'dness of heart, I will neither confibe easier than to answer it fully in the following terms: dently affirm nor deny, so long as we are destitute of what "The lawfulness or unlawfulness of polygamy depends I would call a geographical history of polygamy and moentirely on the proportion of females born to that of males, nogamy, which a person might survey at a short glance; or is, as Montesquieu very properly terms it, a problem of for thus much is certain, that in the most northerly regions arithmetic. Now in Asia there are many more females of Siberia and Tartary, there are nations that live in pothan males, and consequently, polygamy should be there lygamy; and in the very warmest climates, on the contrapermitted for the very same reason for which it is prohib- ry, we find Christians, and even nations, satisfied with molted in Europe. Where the numbers of both sexes are nogamy. If the former is more prevalent towards the equal, there both nature and arithmetic prescribe monoga- south, we must bear in mind, that in regard to laws, though my; but where thre procedure of nature is different, and mnuch depends on climate, yet every thing does not, but still several girls are born for one boy, there she allows, or, I more on accidental circumstances; and that ancient usage, should rather say, there she authorizes polygamy." Here, or religion, may have a very powerful influence on the nahowever, and in what he says of Asia, Montesquieu is un- ture of the law. But should even the climate actually doubtedly mistaken. For without very clear proofs, and cause a difference in the point in question, and make it without having accurate enumerations, and birth-lists, of more difficult to put a stop to polygamy, by law, among all the Asiatic nations, who will believe either him or any southern than northern nations, because they are naturally other traveller, asserting that, in regard to the proportion more addicted to it; still the cause thereof would not be of the sexes born, the procedure of nature in Asia, partic- referable to any inequality in the proportion of the sexes, ularly in Turkey, Persia, China, and Japan, is altogether but to the earlier puberty of southern nations, and the ear. different from what we find it in Europe? It cannot be lier violence of libidinous propensities therewith connectsupposed that the circumstance of these countries lying ed. The natural consequence of these early and strong more to the east than our European regions, can have any feelings of love, are early marriages; the wife, in such a effect in this respect; for the difference of climate depends case, can hardly be more than two years younger, and the not on the easterly or westerly, but on the southerly or appropriated concubine is perhaps even older than the boy northerly position of a country; in other words, not on the that becomes her husband: and when he has reached his degree of longitude, but of latitude. Now, Minorca lies 25th or 30th, and still more, his 37th year, which Aristotle 20 154 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 1. fixed as the fittest time for a man to marry, his wife, or to force them both upon him. But notwithstanding this, concubine, particularly if she has borne many children, has we find him in this passage requiring Jacob to take an oath by that time become too old for him, and then he either that he would not take any more wives. He seems to have meditates a divorce, or taking a younger wife in addition thought with the poet, to the former. This last is indeed the least of the two evils for the unfortunate first wife; and the legislator who Est modus in rebus, sunt certi denique fines: wishes that she, particularly if a slave, that can have no and this modus was, in his opinion, what Jacob already will of her own, may experience the least possible hard- had, four wives. Now as Moses does not explain what he ship or injustice, will in this view tolerate polygamy. In- calls many, he must, from such established custom, have deed if he were to prohibit it, it is probable the people presupposed it perfectly known.-MIcHAELIS. would not submit to the privation without some disturb- Marriage is evidently meant by scripture and reason, to ance.-If what I have now said, merely by way of conjec- be the union of one man with one woman. When God ture, be correct; the consideration of climate might have said, "It is not good that the man should be alone;" he had some influence with Moses in his toleration of polyga- promised him the help only of a single mate: " I will make my, as a civil right; for Palestine is certainly to be num- him a help-meet for him." This gracious promise he bered among southern climates, although indeed the Israel- soon performed in the formation of one woman; a clear ites, at the time when Moses may be said to have taken intimation of his will that only one man and one woman them under his protection, had been accustomed to a should be joined in wedlock. This design Adam recogcountry somewhat farther south, and much warmer. nised, and acknowledged in express terms: and his declaThere is yet another circumstance to be taken into the ration was certainly meant as a rule for his descendants in account, which made, polygamy in Palestine more tolerable every succeeding age: " Therefore shall a man leave his in a political light, than among us, where it would soon father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and depopulate a country, because we have not, as was then the they shall be one flesh." These quotations, whic}h are all case, any opportunity of purchasing, or of carrying off as couched in terms of the singular number, are inc snsistent captives, the young women of other nations. The laws of with the doctrine of polygamy. The original appointment war, in those days, gave the victors a right to make slaves was confirmed by our Lord in these words: "H ave ye not of young women, and these they might employ for the read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them purposes of'polygamy, without thereby depriving any Is- male and female; and said, for this cause, shall a man raelite of a wife born to him among his own people. No leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and doubt this was a very severe war law, and detrimental to they twain shall be one flesh l Wherefore they are no the general interests of mankind: but it was once estab- more twain, but one flesh." The apostle is not less delished, and although the "Israelites had not acted up to it, cisive in his direction to the churches: " Nevertheless, to their neighbours would not therefore have lost any oppor- avoid fornication. let every man have his own wife; and tunity of doing so, which the fortune of war put into their let every woman have her own husband." But though power. It must also be considered that the Israelites lived the law is so decisive, it cannot be doubted that polygamy in the vicinity of a poor people, whose daughters they could was introduced soon after the creation; Lamech, one of purchase: for nature has been so unkind to Arabia, that the descendants of Cain, and only the sixth person from most of its inhabitants must always be in a state of indi- Adam, married two wives; he was probably the first who gence, with the exception of any particular family or city ventured, in this respect, to transgress the law of his Maker. that may happen to be enriched by trade, or by singular This unwarrantable practice, derived from the antedilugood-fortune in rearing sheep. Mr. Wood in his Essay on vian world, seems to have become very common soon the or'iginal genius of Homer, has given a very faithful after the flood; for it is mentioned as nothing remarkable description of the natural poverty of Arabia, which, after that Sarah, when she despaired of having children, took all the improvements it can receive from fortune and art, her handmaid Hagar, and gave her to Abraham her uniformly sinks back to its original state; and Mr. Nie- husband, by whom she had a son. Both Esau and Jacob buhr has orally given me an account of the poverty of had a number of wives; and that is undoubtedly one of the the Arabs, which far exceeded even what I should have practices which Moses suffered to remain among his people, expected. because of the hardness of their hearts, prohibiting only the Although the Mosaic laws do not prohibit more than one high-priest to have more than one wife. wife, still they did not thereby authorize polygamy in the Every transgression of the divine law is attended by its whole extent of the word, and that a man might have as corresponding punishment. Polygamy has proved in all many wives as he pleased. This is not perhaps altogether ages, and in all countries where it has been suffered, a the consequence of those statutes, which enjoined the hus- teeming source of evil. The jealousy and bitter contenband to perform the-conjugal rites with every wife within tions in the family of Abraham, and of his grandson Jacob, stated periods; for NMoses, (as we have already seen,) which proceeded from that cause, are well known; and most expressly prohibited even the future king from having still more deplorable were the dissensions which convulsed many ovives, (Deut. xvii. 17:) and of course, that could not the house, and shook the throne of David. Such mischiefs but be forbidden to the people at large. But if more than are the natural and necessary effects of the practice; for onle wife was allowed, and. many forbidden, the question polygamy divides the affections of the husband, and by comes to be, what is meant by many' And to that ques- consequence, generates incurable jealousies and contention I can only give what may be called a probable answer, tions among the unhappy victims of his licentious desires. and to this effect: that by many seems to be meant m'ore To prevent his abode from becoming the scene of unceasthan four,' that number being permitted, but not more. ing confusion and uproar, he is compelled to govern it, as This is the doctrine of the Talmud and the Rabbins, of the oriental polygamist still does, with despotic authority, which the reader will find a more detailed account in which at once extinguishes all the rational and most Selden de Uxore tHebraica. To their testimony and opinion endearing comforts of the conjugal state. The husband I would indeed pay but little respect, in most points relating is a stern and unfeeling despot; his harem, a group of to the original Mosaic jurisprudence: but here they seem trembling slaves. The children espouse, with an ardour for once to be in the right. For Mohammed, who generally unknown to those who are placed in other circumstances, follows the ancient Arabian usages, in the fourth chapter the cause of their own mother, and look upon the children of the Koran, also fixes four as the number of wives to be of the other wives as strangers or enemies. They regard allowed, and commands that it be not exceeded: and be- their common father with indifference or terror; while fore the time of Moses, there would seem to have likewise they cling to their own mother with the fondest affection, oeen an ancient usage, in the patriarchal families, which as the only parent in whom they feel any interest, or from liinited polygamy to this same number, and which may whom they expect any suitable return of attention and also have continued among the Jews and Arabs. We kindness, This state of feeling and attachment, is attested have reason to presume that this was the.case from a pas- by every writer on the manners of the East; and accounts sage in Gen. chap. xxxi. 50. Jacob had four wives, Leah, for a way of speaking so common in the scriptures: " It is Rachel, and their two maids. Laban, his father-in-law, my brother, and the son of my mother." " They were mv was so little an enemy to polygamy, that instead of one of brethren," said Gideon, "the sons of my mother; as the his daughters, whom Jacob wished to have, he contrived Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay by a piece of artifice, and contrary to Jacob's inclination, you." It greatly aggravated the affliction of David, that CHAP. 2. 1 SAMUEL. 15 he had become an alien to his mother's children; the en- was made in the first year, Moses adopts a figurative exmity oa his brethren, the children of his father's other pression from Nazaritism, calling the vines, which in that wives, or his more distant relatives, gave him less con- year were not to be pruned, N1azarites, Lev. xxv. 5. The cern; " I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an thing itself must, therefore, have been already in use, and alien to my mother's children." The same allusion occurs that for a long period; because such figurative expressions, in the complaint of the spouse: " Look not upon me, be- particularly in agriculture, gardening, and rural economy, cause I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: do not succeed to the proper signification even of the most my mother's children were angry with me; they made me familiar and best-known terms, till after a lapse of many the keeper of the vineyards." The children of one wife, years. The vow of Nazaritism was not necessarily, nor scarcely looked upon the children of the other wives as usually, of perpetual endurance; and hence Moses ordaintheir brothers and sisters at all; and they scarcely felt ed what offerings should be made at its termination or dismore regard for their father. An Oriental, in consequence continuance. In latter times, it is true, we have, in the of this unnatural practice, takes little notice of an insult case of Samson, an example of a person devoted by his offered to his father; but expresses the utmost indignation parents to be a Nazarite for life; but even here, Nazaritism when a word is spoken to the disadvantage of his mother. was not understood in its whole extent, as prescribed in the To defame or to curse her, is the last insult which his Mosaic law; for Samson plainly deviated from it, when enemy can offer; and one which he seldom or never for- he attacked and defeated the Philistines, from whose dead gives. " Strike," cried an incensed African to his antagonist, bodies a strict Nazarite must have fled, to avoid defilement. "but do not curse my mother."-PAxToN. Of such perpetual Nazaritism, however, Moses does not at all treat in his laws; and, of course, does not say whether, Ver. 2. And he had two wives; the name of the like other vows, it could have been redeemed, had it proved one was Hannah, and the name of the other a hardship to a son to abstain from wine all his life. AcPeninnah. cording to the analogy of the other laws of Moses on this Peiah.. subject, it should have been redeemable. —l!hctaIzLIS. It frequently happens after the birth of a son, that if Tapear to us to be oftentimes not a little odd something of the parent be in distress, or the child sick, or that there be a.ppear to us to be oftentimes not a little odd; something of any other cause of grieg the mother makes a vow, that no the. same knd lny, howver, e remrked i the crip-any other cause of grief, the mother makes a vow, that no the same kind may, however, be remarkedin the scrip- razor shall come upon the child's head for a certain portion tures, though they are there more frequently of the devout ki Zn of time, and sometimes for all his life, I Sam. i. 11. If the kind. The author of the Htistory of Ali Bey mentions a The author o the isto of A Bey metios a child recovers, and the cause of grief' be removed, and if female, whose name, Laal, signified ruby. One of the wives the vow be but for a time, so that the mother's vow b fltheh vow be but for a time, so that the mother's vowV be fllofhave been na, the fain ther of thsame way, fprophet Samuel, seemwas tothe eafilled, then she shaves his head at the end of the time prehave been named in the same way, for such was the mean-,ing of the word Peninnah. The plural word peninim scribed, makes a small entertainment, collects money and ig of the word Peninna. The plural word peninim other thins from her relations and fiends, which are sent signifies rubies, or precious stones that are red. Lam. iv. 7.' other thin as nezers (offerings) to the mosque at Kerbelab, and are If both these ladies were called by names that in that in their there consecrated. ers vi-Mo respective languages signified a ruby, probably both one and the other were so denominated, either from the floridness of their complexion, or the contrary to a ruby teint: Ver. 12. Anci it came to pass, as she continued for it may be understood either way.-BURDER. praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Ver. 11. And she vowed a vow, and said, 0 LORD of hosts, if thou wVilt indeed look on the.Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was steril, but she had an affliction of thyandmaid and remember me, intense desire to be the mother of a " man-child," and she affliction of thy hadmaid and remember e, went to the " temple of the Lord" to vow, if he would give and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto her one, that she would " give him unto the Lord all the thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give dajs of his life-there shall no razor come upon his head." -ohimn unto the hLORD all the days of his life, and How often do we witness a similar scene. See the afflicted wife prostrate in'the dust before the temple of her god: she there shall no razor come upon' his head. earnestly entreats the deity to give unto her a "(male child." on these vows of abstinence"Ah! then will my husband love me —then will my neighAmong these vows of abstinence, may hve classe thgose hbours cease to reproach me-Ah! my god, a male child, a o Naazaritism, although they have also something in com- male child-he shall be called by tyname —and sacred n- on with the first species, and are, as it were, a mixture of shall be his hair."-ROBERTS. bcth kinds. A Nazarite, during the continuance of his vow, durst drink no wine nor strong drink; nor eat of the CHAPTER II. fruit of the vine, either grapes or raisins; nor come near. And Hannah prayed, and sa any dead body; or otherwise wittingly defile himself. He was also obliged to let his hair grow. At the termination rejoiceth in the LORD; my horn is exalted in of the period of his vow, he had to make certain offerings the LORD. prescribed by Moses, and what other offerings he had vowed besides; as also to cut off his hair, and burn it on In this and many otherparts of scripture, mention is made the altar, and then first drink" wine again at the offering- of the exaltation of the horn. Colonel Light thus describFs feast. - These ordinances, however, rather belong to the the dress of the Druses. " The females of both Maront.cs ceremonial law, than to the Mosaical jurisprudence, of and Druses appear in a coarse blue jacket and petticoat, which I here treat. It'is only necessary to attend to this without stockings, their hair platted, hanging down in long further circumstance, that vows of Nazaritism were not an tails behind. On their heads they wore a tin or silver con!original institution of Moses, but of more ancient, and cal tube about twelve inches long, and perhaps twice the probably of Egyptian, origin; and that, in his laws, he only size of a common post-horn; over which was thrown a gives certain injunctions concerning them, partly to estab- white piece of linen, that completely enveloped their body, lish the ceremonies and laws of such vows, and partly to and gives a most singular and ghost-like appearance. Upon prevent people from making them to, or letting their hair Mount Lebanon the wife of the emir sometimes made her grow in honour of, any other than the true God. What appearance in the costume of the country, adorned with a typical views he may have had in the ceremonies he pre- golden horn on her head, enriched with precious stones, scribed, it forms no part of my present subject, in which I instead of the ordinary one of the other women of the counmerely consider the Mosaic laws on the principles of juris- tr."-BURDER. T rudence, but rather belongs to theology, to ascertain. But "One of the most extraordinary parts of the attire of thu that before the Mosaic law was given there had been Naza- female Druses is a silver horn, sometimes studded with rites among the Israelites, is manifest from the following jewels, -vorn on their heads in various positions, distincircumstance: The ordinance of Moses concerning the guishing their different conditions. A married woman Nazariles, which stands in chap. vi. of Numbers, was has it affixed on the right side of the head, a widow on l'o given in the second year after the departure from Egypt; left, and a virgin is pointed out by its being placed on tbl, but in an earlier law concerning the sabbatical year, which very crown; over this silver projection the long veil. 156 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. -4 thrown, with which they so completely conceal their wood and charcoal in their rooms, but heat their baths faces, as rarely to leave more than one eye visible."- with cowdung, the parings of fruit, and other thints of a MACMICHEL. similar kind, which they employ people to gather for that This woman, who was a Christian, wore on her head purpose. In Egypt, according to Pitts, the [carcity ot a hollow silver horn, rearing itself upward obliquely wood is so great, that at Cairo they commonly heat their fromn her forehead, being four or five inches in diameter ovens with horse or cow dung, or dirt of the streets; what at the root, and pointed at its extreme.-BucIsINeHAM. wood they have, being brought from the shores of the About two years ago, some of our Indian ships brought Black Sea, and sold by weight. Chardin attests the same over a number of Sepoys, who did duty as marines on the fact: " The eastern people always used cowdung for bavoyage; these were newly clothed in England, and pre- king, boiling a pot, and dressing all kinds of victuals that sented to the king. Perhaps there were but few, possibly are easily cooked, especially in countries that have but not one, who, having the opportunity of seeing these soldiers, little wood;" and Dr. Russel remarks, in a note, that " the made the same observations.as the writer of this article, Arabs carefully collect. the dung of the sheep and camel, as respecting the helmets worn on their heads. These helmets well as that of the cow; and that the dung, offals, and other appeared to be made of stout leather, or other strong sub- matters used in the bagnios, after having been new gatherstance; they were oval and nearly flat, like the trencher ed in the streets, are carried -out of the city, and laid in caps worn at our universities: in the centre rose a head- great heaps to dry, where they become very offensive. piece, or crown, ornamented with feathers, &c. and on the They are intolerably disagreeable, while drying, in the front, directly over the forehecld, was a steel HORN, rising as town adjoining to the bagnios; and are so at all times when it were from a short stem, and then assuming the form of it rains, though they be stacked, pressed hard together, and one of our extinguishers, used to extinguish the light of a thatched at top." These statements exhibit, in a very strong:andle. light, the extreme misery of the Jews, who escaped from It appeared, also, that the comparison of such a military the devouring sword of Nebuchadnezzar: " They that.horn to the horn of a reem, (the unicorn of our translators,) fed delicately, are desolate in the streets; they that were the rhinoceros, was extremely applicable: for having seen brought up in scarlet, embrace,dunghills." To embrace the great rhinoceros at the menagerie atVersailles, we rec- dunghills, is a species of wretchedness, perhaps unknown ollected the resemblance perfectly. Whether we should to us in the history of modern warfare; but it presents a be justified in referring this part of dress to the military dreadful and appalling image, when the circumstances to only, may be questioned; because Hannah, for instance, which it alludes are recollected. What can be imagined says,'; ily horn is exalted." 1 Sam. ii. 1. But women, oc- more distressing to those who lived delicately, than to wancasionally, might adopt, as parts of dress, ornaments not der without food in the streets! What more disgusting altogether unlike this horn, even if this form of speech were and terrible to those who had been clothed in rich and splennot derived originally from the soldiers' dress, and trans- did garments, than to be forced by the destruction of their ferred to a notorious disposition of mind; or to other in- palaces, to seek shelter among stacks of dung, the filth and stances. This also diminishes the apparent strangeness stench of which it is almost impossible to endure. The of Zedekiah's conduct, 1 Kings xxii. 11, who made himself dunghill, it appears from holy writ, is one of the common HORNs of iron, and said, " Thus saith the Lord, WVith these" retreats of the mendicant, which imparts an exquisite force military insignia, " shalt thou push the Syrians until thou and beauty to a passage in the song of Hannah: "He hast consumed them." We are apt to conceive of these raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the beggar horns, as projecting, like bulls' horns, on each side of Zede- from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make' kiah's head. How different from the real fact! Zedekiah, them inherit the throne of glory." The change in the cirthough he pretended to be a prophet, did not wish to be cumstances of that excellent woman, she reclkoned as great, thought mnad, to which imputation such an appearance (and it was to her not less unexpected,) as the elevation of would have subjected him: whereas, he only acted the a poor despised beggar, from a nauseous and polluting hero,-the hero returning in military triumph: it was little dunghill, rendered ten times more fcetid by the intense heat more than a flourish with a spontoon. In corroboration of of an oriental sun, to one of the highest and most splendid this idea, let us hear Mr. Bruce, who first elucidated this stations on earth.-PAxTo N. subject by actual observation:"One thing remarkable in this cavalcade, which I ob- Ver. 24. Nay, my sons: for it is no good report served, was the headdress of the governors of provinces. that I hear: ye make the LoRD'S people to A large broad fillet was bound upon their forehead, and transress. tied behind their head. In the middle of this was a HORNN, or conical piece of silver, gilt, about fore' inches long, ch his affectionate form ofeech may be hear in the in theshpeofotlr o~mo cadl etib~oxihThis affectionate form of -speech may be heard in the in the shape ofor common cndle. Touth of every father. Thus, it is not common to mention call~ed hemr (Ip) or horn, and is only worn in reviews, or the name, but my eldest, my youngest son, (or some other parades after victory. This I apprehend, like all other of to the Here, an te epithet to designate the one he wants.) "My sons, listen to their usages, is taken from the Hebrews, and the several allusions made in scripturet to it, arises from this practice the voice of your father." In passing through a village, a allions made in scriptre to it, man or woman maybe heard in every corner bawling out, -' I said to the wicked, Lift not up the horn,' -' Lift not an e son, or Magalea up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck.' -' The horn of the righteous shall be exalted with honour.' " —TAY-hither; I want you."-RoBE. LOR IN CALMET. Ver. 31. Behold, the days come that I will cut Ver. 5. Thley that were full have hired out them- off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's selves for bread. house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. A man of high caste, or one who was once in affluence, will almost as soon die as work for food; and, generally in cursing each other, say, "In thy family may speaking, such is the pity felt for those people, that there there never be an old man," meaning, may all die in th are always some who will give a trifle to supply their "Alas! alas there has not been an old man in that alnily wants. It is a phrase indicative of great misery to say, for many generations."-RosEnTs. " The once rich man is now hiring himself out for conjee," (gruel.)-RoBERTS. CHAPTER IV. er. 8. I e raiseth up the poor out of the d~ust, Ver. 12. And there ran a man of Benjamitn out and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, set th/em amnonog princes, and to make them in- with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his herit the throne of glory. head. In preparing their victuals, the Orientals are, from the He indulged his grief to a violent degree, beating his extreme scarcity of wood'in many countries, reduced to breast, and, among his other exclamations, frequently made'ise cowdung for fuel. At Aleppo, the inhabitants use use of onle, very illustrative of that ancient act of grite CHAP. 4-7. 1 SAMUEL. - 157 heaping ashes on the nead. He said, AAlz chelt halk be ser-e- tines considered them as an immediate judgment from God m Zn cnlcd, -What earth has come on my head. repeating himself. But this terrible scourge was not peculiar to Palthis with a constant intermixture of Ah waahi, which he estine: Strabo mentions that so vast a multitude of mice would continue to repeat for above fifty times, in a' whining sometimes invaded Spain, as to produce a destructive pestipiteous voice, lowering its tone till it became scarcely audi- lence; and in Cantabria, the Romans, by setting a price ble, and then continuing it soto voce, until he broke out on a certain measure of these animals, escaped with diffiagain into a new exclamation.-MORIER. culty from the same calamity. In other parts of Italy, the number of field-mice was so great, that some of the inhabVer. 13. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a itants were forced to leave the country. In Thrace, the seat by the wayside watching: for his heart frogs and mice sometimes united their hordes, and comtrembled for the ark of God. And when the pelled the inhabitants to seeklnew settlements. In modern times, instances of the same calamity are not wanting. manl came into the city, and told it, all the city About the beginning of the twelfth century, innumerable cried out. swarms of locusts and mice, during four' successive years, so completely ravaged that country, as to produce almost, Sitting on a cushion is, with the Orientals, an expression a total failure of the necessaries of life. So great and of honour, and the preparing a seat for a person of distinc- general was the distress of the people, that a kind of penition.seems to mean, laying things of this kind on a place tential council was held at Naplouse, in the year 1120, for where, such a one is to sit. " It is the custom of Asia," Sir the reformation of manners, and to invoke the mercy of J. Chardin informs us, "for persons in common not to go the Almighty, who had been provoked by their sins to ininto the shops of that country, which are mostly small, but flict upon them such terrible judgments.-PAXTON. there are wooden seats, on the outside, where people sit down, and if it happens to be a man of quality, they lay a Ver. 5. Wherefore ye shall make images of your cushion there." He also informs us, " that people of qual- ity cause carpets and cushions to be carried everywhere, emerods, and images of your mice that mar the that they like, in order to repose themselves upon them land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of -more agreeably." When Job speaks of his preparing his Israel. seat, ch. xxix. 7, it is extremely natural to understand him of his sending his servants, to lay a cushion and a car- This command was given by the heathen priests and dipet on one of the public seats there, or something of that viners to the Philistines, who were smitten with emerods, sort, as Sir John supposes; but I do not imagine a seat in and whose land was nearly destroyed by the mice. It is a the street, means a seat by a shop. Job is speaking evi- remarkable fact, that when the Hindoos are afflicted in any dently of his sitting there as a ruler among his people. particular member, (or in the person generally,) they make Eli's seat by the wayside, was a seat adorned, we may an image to represent the afflicted part, and send it to the believe, after the same manner. He did not sit in a man- temple of Kanda Swamy, the Scandan of Bengal, in order ner unbecoming so dignified a personage.-HARMER. to get relieved from their trouble. The temple of Kattaragam (sacred to Scandan) is famous, in FALL parts of the CHAPTER VI. East, for the cures which have been performed by the deity Ver. 4. Then said they, What shall be the tres- there. Hence may be seen pilgrims at its shrine, suffe'ring pass-offering which we shall return to hint? under every kind of disease, who have walked, or have been carried, from an immense distance. The images They answered, Five golden emerods, and five presented are generally made of silver, and I have seven golden mice, according to the number of the of them in my possession, which are offerings in the lords of the Philistines: for one plague owas on famous temple already mentioned. The first represents a you all, and on your lords. 5. WTherefore ye boy with a very large belly, which has probably been preso hall, mak imagesn your emero., andfr iges sented by the parents for their child lab'ourig under that shall make images of your emerods, and images (very common) complaint. The second is that of an inof your mice that mar the land; and ye shall fant, probably sent by a mother who had a sick infant, or give cglory unto the God of Israel: peradven- "who, being herself in a state of pregnancy, had some fears tare he will lighten his hand from off you, respecting the future. The third is, I suppose, intended to represent an old man, who may have made a vow in his and from off your gods, and from off your land. sickness, that he would present an image of silver to the'This animal (the mouse) is so very diminutive, that the temple, should he recover.-RoBERTS. (See Engravimg.) Jewish naturalist places it among the reptiles, refusing it CHAPTER VII. the honour of appearing among the quadrupeds. But, small and apparently insignificant as it is, in the oriental Ver. 5. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to regions it often produces greater calamities than are expe- Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. rienced from all the beasts of prey with which they are infested. Formidable by its activity, its voraciousness, and Aware of the dangers and calamities of war, ancient Isits countless numbers, it lays waste the fields of Palestine rael were accustomed to perform very solemn devotions and Syria, devours their harvests, and spreads famine and before they took the field: and it would seem, they had wretchedness among the helpless inhabitants. The extent certain places particularly appropriated to this purpose. and sevefity of the distress in which its ravages frequently in- Samuel convenedthe people to Mizpeh, in order to prevolve the people of those countries, are sufficiently attested pare, by a solemn address to the throne of Jehovah, for the by the odering of five golden mice, from the lords of the war which they meditated against the Philistines. " And Philistines, to appease the wrath of God, and avert the plague Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray under which they had so greatly suffered., The account of for you unto the Lord." At other times, they asked counthis transaction is recorded in the first book of Samuel, and sel of God by the Urim and Thummim, or by a prophet of runs in these terms: " Then said they, what shall be the the Lord. Such a custom was common in Egypt, when trespass-offering which we shall return to him. They an- Pococke visited that country. Near Cairo, says that travswered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, accord- eller, beyond the mosque of Sheik Duisse, and in the neighilg to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one bourhood of a burial-place of the sons of some pashas, on a plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye hill, is a solid building of stone about three feet wide, built shall make images of your emerods, and of your mice that with ten steps, being at the top about three feet square, on mar the land; and ye shall give gloryunto the God of Israel: which the sheik mounts to pray on an extraordinary ocperadventure h e will lighten his hand from off you, and from casion, as when all the people go out at the beginning of a off your gods, and from off your land." These words un- war; and also when the Nile does not rise as they expect it doulbtedly intimate, that Palestine was very often visited by should; and such a place, they have without all the towns this scourge, and that the sufferings of its inhabitants were of Turkey.-PAxToN. very severe. The devastations of thislittle destructive crea- Ver. 6. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, ture were so frequent, so extensive, and followed by consequences so dreadful, that even the unenlightened Philis- and drew water, and poured it out before the 158 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 7-9. 0 LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, lords of the country, fruit, pullets, a lamb. Every one gives We have sinned against the LORD. what is most at hand, and has a relation to his profession;. and those who have no particular profession, give money. Samuel had been reproving the people for their sins, and As it is accounted an honour to receive presents of this exhorting them to repent, and come to Mizpeh to fast and sort, they receive them in public; and even choose to do it pray, and confess their sins. They complied with his di- when they have most company." "Throughout the East," rections, and in CONFIRMATION of the solemn vows, they says Du Tott, "gifts are always the markof honour." poured out water before the Lord, to show that their words This custom is, perhaps, one of the most ancient in the and promises had gone forth, and were " as water spilt on world. Solomon evidently alludes to it in that proverb: the ground, which cannot be gathered up again." To pour "A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him water on the ground is a very ancient way of taking a before great men." We recognise it in the reply of Saul solemn oath in the East. When the god Vishnoo, in the to his servant, when he proposed to consult the prophet disguise of a dwarf, requested the giant /Maha-Ville (Bali) Samuel about the object of their journey: "If we go, what to grant him one step of his kingdom, the favour was con- shall we bring the man of God. for the bread is spent in ceded, and CONFIRMED by Maha-Ville pouring out water our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man before the dwiarf. But in that ancient work, the Scanda of God. What have we'" Saul was inclined at first to Purina, where the account is given of the marriage of the offer the seer, who was at the same time the chief magisgod Siva with Parvati, it is said of the father, "He placed trate in Israel, a piece of bread, till he recollected it was the hand of the goddess Parvati, genitress of the world, in all spent, and then agreed to present him with "the fourth the hand of Parama Easuran, (Siva,) and, PouRING OUT THE part of a shekel of silver," in value about a sixpence. It WATER, said,' I give her with a joyful heart."' This, there- could not then be their design, by offering such a trifle, to fore, was also done in CONFIRMATION of the compact. The purchase his services, but merely to show him that customchildren of Israel, in their misery, came before the Lord: ary mark of respect to which he was entitled. Nor were they wept, they fasted, and prayed, and made their solemn the prophets of the Lord a set of mercenary pretenders to vows; and, in CONFIRMATION of their promises, they "poured the Knowledge of future events, who sold their services to out water before the Lord! "-ROBERTS. the anxious inquirer for a large reward. Had theyrefused to accept of such presents, they would have been guilty of CHAPTER VIII. transgressing an established rule of good manners, and of Ver. 6. But the thing displeased Samuel, hen insulting the persons by whom they were offered. When Elisha refused, with an oath, to accept of the present which they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Naaman the Syrian urged him to receive, it was not beSamuel prayed unto the LORD. cause he thought it either unlawful or improper to receive "was(9~~~~ eiiteesoSml" hn y a gift, for he did not hesitate to accept of presents from his Hebrew, owasevil in the eyes ofSamuel." When any own people; nor was the prophet regardless of an estabthing gives displeasure to another, it is said to be evil in his lished custom, which offended no precept of the divine eyes. "This thing is evil in his sight." " Alas! my lord, law, ordisposed to wound, without necessity, te feelins ZD ~~~~~law, or disposed to wound, without necessity, thre feeling~s I am evil in your sight l"'-ROBERTS. of the Syrian grandee; but because he would not put it in the power of Naaman to say he had enriched the prophet ~CHAPTER l ~X~~. of Jehovah; and by this act of self-denial, it is probable he Ver. 7. Then said Saul to his servant, but, behold, was desirous of recommending the character and service f we go, ohat shall we bring the man for f the true God to that illustrious stranger.-PAxTo N. the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is Such as are prejudiced against the sacred history, and the bread is spent in our vessels, and there isI unacquainted with eastern customs, may be ready, from not a present to bring to the man ofGod: what the donations to the prophets, to imagine they were a merhave we? cenary set of people, and rudely to rank them with cunning men and fortunetellers, who will not from principles of In no quarter of the world, is the difference of ranks in benevolence reveal those secrets, or foretel those future society maintained with more scrupulous exactness than events, of the knowledge of which they are supposed to be in Asia. The intercourse among the various classes of possessed; but demand of the anxious inquirer a large remankind, which originate in the unequal distributions of ward. This, however, will make impressions on none but creatingwisdom, or providential arrangement, is regulated those who know not the oriental usages, which Maundrell by laws, which, like those of the Medes and Persians, suf- long since applied, with such clearness and force, to one fer almost no change from the lapse of time, or the flue- of the most exceptionable passages of the Old Testament, tuation-if human affairs. To these laws, which have ex- that he has sufficiently satisfied the mind upon this point. tended their influence far beyond the limits of the East, the As he has expressly applied it to a passage of scripture, it sacred writers make frequent allusions. No mark of es- would not have been agreeable to my design to have menteem is more common through all the oriental regions, tioned this circumstance, had I not had some additional none more imperiously required by the rules of good bireed- remarks to make upon this head, which possibly may not ing, than a present. When Mr. Maundrell and his party be ungrateful to the curious reader, and Which therefore I waited upon Ostan, the basha of Tripoli, he was obliged shall here set down. I suppose my reader acquainted with to send his present before him to secure a favourable re- Maundrell; but it will be proper, for the sake of perspicuception. It is even reckoned uncivil in that country, to ity, first to recite at full length that passage in him I refer t. make a visit without an offering in the hand. The no- "Thursday, March 11. This day we all dined at Conbility, and officers of government, expect it as a kind of trib- sul Hastings's- house; and after dinner went to wait upon ute due to their character and authority.; and look upon Ostan, the basha of Tripoli, having first sent our present, themselves as affronted, and even defrauded, when this as the manner is among the Turks, to procure a propitious compliment is omitted. So common is the custom, that in reception. It is counted uncivil to visit in this country familiar intercourse among persons of inferior station, they without an offering in hand. All great men expect'it as a seldom neglect to bring a flower, an orange, a few dates or kind of tribute due to their character and authority; and. aSLsnes, or some such token of respect, to the person whom look upon themselves as affronted, and indeed defrauded, they visit. In Egypt the custom is equally prevalent: the when this compliment is omitted. Even in familiar visits, visits of that people, which are veryfrequent in the course among inferior people, you shall seldom have them come of the year, are always preceded by' presents of various without bringing a flower, or an orange, or some other such kinds, according to their station and property. So essential token of their respect to the person visited: the Turks in to human and civil intercourse are presents considered in this point keeping up the ancient oriental customs hinted the East, that, says Mr. Bruce, "whether-it be dates or 1 Sam. ix;. f we go, says Sauf, what shall we bring the diamonds, they are so much a part of their manners, that man of GoD? there is not a present, &c. which words are without'them an inferior will never be at peace in his own questionless to be understood in conformity to this eastern mnind, or think that he has a hold of his superior for his custom, as relating to a token of respect, and not a price of favour or protection." Sir John Chardin affirms, that "the divination." custom of making presents to the great, was universal in Maundrell does not tell us what the present was which the East; and that every thing is received even by the great they made Ostan, It will be more entirely satisfying to CHAP.'9. 1 SAMUEL. I59 the mind to observe, that in the East they not only univer- unto thee, Set it by ithe. 24. And the cook sally send. before them a present, or carry one with them, took up the especially when they visit superiors, either civil or ecclesi- took up theho r ch Sas upon astical; but that this present is frequently a piece of money, it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, and that of no very great value. So Dr. Pococke tells us, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, that he presented an Arab sheik of an illustrious descent, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept on whom he waited, and who attended him to the ancient Hierapolis, with a piece of money, which he was told he expected; and that in Egypt an aga being dissatisfied with So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. the present he made him, he sent for the doctor's servant, and told him, that he ought to have given him a piece of The shoulder of a lamb well roasted, and covered with cloth, and, if he had none, two sequins, worth about a guinea, butter and milk, is another dl Xcacy, which the orientals must be brought to him, otherwise he should see him no greatly value. This explains the reason why Samiel ormore, with which demand he complied. In one case a dered it to be set before his fuittre sovereign, as well as piece of money was expected, in the other two sequins de- what that was which was upon it, the butter and milk of nl;lnded. A trifing present of money to a person of dis- which the sacred historian takes so particular notice.tinction among us would be an affront; it is not however, This was by, no means a contemptible dish for a royal enterit seems, in the East. Agreeably to these accounts of tam ment, as some have alleged; but oi the contrary, one Pococke, we are told in the travels of Ebfmont and Heyman, of the most delicious which could be set before the future that the well of Joseph in the castle of Cairo is not to be anointed of Jehovah. It appears from the accounts of seen without leave from the commandant; which having travellers, that lamb is, in those parts of the world, esobtained, they, in return, presented him with a sequin. tremely delicate. One, says Chardin, must have eaten of These instances are curious exemplifications of Mr. Maun- it in several places of Persia, Media, and Mesopotamia? and of their kids, to form a conception of the moisturea drell's account of the nature of some of the eastern presents, eto form a conception of the moisture, and ought by no means to be omitted in collections of the te, delicacy, and-fat of this animal; and as the eastern kind I apm now making. How much happier was the cl- people are no friends of game, nor of fish, nor fowls, their tivation of lMr. Maundrell's geniius than of St. Jerome's! most delicate food is the lamb and the kid. It is therefore Though this father lived so many years in the East, and not without reason, the sacred writers often speak of the might have advantageously applied the remains of their lamb and the kid, as the most agreeable food in those ancient customs to the elucidation of scripture, to which, countries; and that the holy Psalmist celebrates the blessif he was a stranger, he must have been an egregiously ings of salvation, and particularly the spiritual comforts of negligent observer; yet we find him, in his comment on the heaven-born soul, under the figure of "marrow and Micah iii. 11, roundly declaring, that by a prophet's re- fatness."-PAXToN. ceiving money, his prophesying became divination. And when he afterward mentions this case of Saul's application Ver. 25. And when they were come down from to Samuel, as what he foresaw might be objected to him, the high place into the city, Samuel communed he endeavours to avoid the difficulty, by saying, We do with Saul upon the top of the house. 26. And not find that Samuel accepted it, or that they even ventured they arose early and it came to pass about to offer it; or if it must be supposed that he received it, that itt a was rather to be considered as money presented to the taber- the spring f the day, that Samuel called Saul nacle, than the reward of prophesying. How embarrassed to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may was the saint by a circumstance capable of the most clear send thee away. And Saul arose, and they explanation! Fond of allegorizing, he neglected the surest went out both of them, he and muel, abroad. methods of interpretation, for which he had peculiar advantages; how different are the rewards of divination, Egmont and Heyman tell us, that at Caipha, at the foot which were to be earned, from the unconditional presents of Mount Carmel, " the houses are small and flat-roofed, that were made to persons qf figure upon being introduced where, during the summer, the inhabitants sleep in arbours into their presence! Before I quit this observation, I can- made of the boughs of trees." They mention also tents of not forbear remarking, that there are other things present- rushes on the flat roofs of the ho mses at Tiberias, which ed in the East, besides money, which appear to us extremely are doubtless for the same purpose, though they do not say low and mean, unworthy the quality of those that offer so. Dr. Pococke in like manner tells us, "that when he them, or of those to whom they are presented; and conse- was at Tiberias in Galilee, he was entertained by the quently that we must be extremely unqualified to judge of sheik's sfeward, the sheik himself having much company these oriental compliments. In what light might a Euro- with him, but sending him provisions from his own kitchpean wit place the present of a governor of an Egyptian en, and that they supped on the top of the house for coolvillage, who sent to a British cbnsul fifty eggs as a mark ness, according to their custom, and lodged there likewise, of respect, and that in a countrywherethey are so cheap as in a sort of closet, about eight feet square, of a wicker-work, to be sold at the rate of ten for a penny? —HARMER. plastered round towards the bottom, but without any door, A present always precedes the man who is to ask a fa- each person having his cell." In Galilee-then we find they your. Those who come on a complimentary visit, or to lodged a stranger, whom they treated with respect, on the ask a favour, always present a lime, or a nosegay, with a top of the house, and even caused him to sup there. This graceful bow, to propitiate their benefactor.-RoBERTS. was the latter end of May. This writer is more distinct Ver. 13. Now the LO.RD had told Samuel in his than the others on this point, and I have recited his account at large, because it may perhaps lead to the true exear., planation of 1 Sam. ix. 25, 26, which verses tell us, that after they descended from the high place, Samuel conThe priests have a remarkable custom of whispering versed with Saul (in b cal halggag) on the house-top; and something in the ear of those who are to be initiated. that at the spring of the day Samuel called Saul to the When a boy has reached the age of eight, he is eligible to housetop or, as it may be equally well translated, on the have the Ubatheasum whispered in his right ear. The housetop; that is, Samuel conversed with him for coolness communication is generally made in the Grandam lan-on the housetop in the evening, and in the morning called guage, which, of course, is not understood: they do, how- Saul, who had lodged there all night, and was not got up, ever, sometimes speak in familiar speech; but it will never saying, Up, that I may send thee away. The Septuagint be repeated, for the priest assures him, should he do this, seem to have understood it very much in this light, for they his head will split in two. This ceremony is believed to thus translate the passage, Ald they spread a bed for Sail have the power of a charm, and to possess talismanic in- on the housetop, and he slept; which shows how suitable this fluence. It is sometimes very expensive, but the -benefits explanation is to those that are acquainted with eastern are believed to be so great as to warrant the expense.- customs. As it is represented in our translation, Samuel ROBERTS. called Saul to' the housetop in the morning; but no account Ver. 23. And Samuel said unto the cook, Brin can be easily given for this; it does not appear to have been Ver, 23. And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring | for secrecy, far he did not anoint then, but after he had left the portion which I gave thee, of which I said Samuel's house, for which transaction the prophet e.? 160 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 10-14. pressly required secrecy " As they were going down to 1 203. " Sadoc Aga had his beard cut off, his face was the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, bid the servant rubbed with dirt, and his eyes were cut out." Page 204. pass on before us, and he passed on, but stand thou still "As we approached Astrabad, we met several armed awhile, that I may show thee the word of God." This horsemen, carrying home the peasants whose eyes had sleeping on the terraces of their houses is only in summer- been put out, the blood yet running down their faces." time. By this then we may determine, in the general, that Page 201. Chardin relates an instance of a king of Imithis secret inauguration'of Saul was in that part of the year. retta, who lived in this condition. Page 160.-BUR;ER. Dr. Shaw has cited this passage concerning Samuel and Saul, when mentioning the various uses to which the peo- Ver. 4. Then came the messengers to G-ibeah of ple, of the East put the flat roofs of their houses, though Saul, and told the tidings in the'ears of the without explaining it; but he has not mentioned, among the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, other scriptures, that relating to Nebuchadnezzar, who is and wept. described by the prophet as walking on the roof of his palace, and taking a view of Babylon, when he fell, upon See on Jer. 6. 1. surveying that mighty city, into that haughty soliloquy which brought after it a dreadful humiliation. This is the CHAPTER XII. more to be,regretted, because though many have, all have Ver. 16. Now therefore stand and see this great not consideredthe passage inthis light. Our own translation'thing which the LORD will do before your eyes. in particular has not, but renders the words, " He walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon," Dan. iv. 29, and I i not eat-harvest to-day I will call has thrown the other reading "tupon the palace," into the unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and mnargin, as less preferable. But to those that are acquaint- rain; that ye may perceive and see that your ed with eastern customs, who recollect the passage, which wickedness is grea Dr. Shaw, it seems,. did not, there cannot be any doubt how it is to be understood. "Sur la terrasse," says Sir. the sight of the in asing you a kng. Chardin, in his MS. note on this place, "pour le plaisir de Though the summer in Syria is commonly dry, the la vue, pour de la considerer la ville, et pour prendre la heavens are sometimes overcast, and a smart erfrais, et c'est ce que prouve, le verset suivant." That is, shower suddenly rushes down to refresh the parched soil. he walked upon the terrace, for the pleasure of the pros- One of these fell at Aleppo in th ht be the first One of these fell at Aleppo in the night between the first pect, to take a view of the city, and to enjoy-the fresh air, d d of July, 1743; but it was regarded as a very and second of July, 1743; but it was regarded as a very which the following verse proves. Nothing-can be more uncommon occurrence at that season. It is probably still more extraordinary at Jerusalem; for Jerome, who lived long in Palestine, denies, in his commentary on Amos, CHI-APTER X. that he had ever seen rain in those provinces, and espeVer. 5. When thou art come hither to the city, cially in Judea, in the end of June, or in the month of July. thou shalt meet a company of prophets cominog It may, however, occasionally fall, though Jerome had doxvn from the high place, with a psaltery, and never seen it, as it did at Aleppo, while Dr. Russel resided in that city. But such an occurrence by no means invala tabiret, and a pipe, and a harp before them; and idates the proof which the prophet Samuel gave of his they shall prophesy. divine mission, when he called for thunder and rain from heaven in the time of wheat-harvest; since a'very rare The prophets in the ordinary modes of prophesying, and unusual event immediately happening without any were accustomed to compose their hymns to some musical preceding appearance of it, upon the prediction of a person instrument; and there could be but little difficulty in adapt- professing himself to be a pr6phet of the Lord, and giving ing their effusions to a measure which required, probably, it as an attestation of his sustaining that character, is a sufno great restrictions in a language so free and uncontrolled ficient proof that his affirmation is true, although a similar as the Hebrew. The Jews conceived that music calmed event has sometimes happened without any such declared the passions, and prepared the mind for the reception of interposition of God, and therefore universally understood the prophetic influence. It is probable, that the prophets to be casual a'nd without design. Nor should it be forgotten, on these occasions did not usually perform themselves on that this thunderstorm in the book of Samuel, seems to have the musical instruments, but rather accompanied the strains happened in the daytime, while the people of Israel were of the minstrel with their voice.-(Lowth.) It has been the celebrating the accession of Saul to the throne; a circumpractice of all nations to adapt their religious worship to stance which, from its singularity, added considerable music, which the fabulous accounts of antiquity derived energy to this event, and, perhaps, was to them a sufficient from heaven.-BURDER. proof of the miraculous interference of Jehovah. Dr. Russel informs us, that the rains in those countries usually Ver. 27. But the children of Belial said, How fall in the night, as did those extraordinary thunderstorms shall this man save us? And they despised already mentioned, which happened in the month of July him, and brought him no presents: but he held -PAXTON. his peace. CHAPTER XIII. his peace. See on Ps. 76. 11. Ver. 18. And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to CHAPTER XI. the way of the border that looketh to the valley Ver. 2. Then NTahash the Ammonite came up, of Zeboim, towards the wilderness. and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all See on Jer. 12. 9. the men of Jabesh said unto' Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. 2. And CHAPTER XIV. Nahash the Ammon~ite answered them, On this Ver. 25. And all they of the land came to a wood; condition will I make a covenant with you, that and there was honey upon the ground. I may thrust out all your right eyes. See on Ps. 81. 16. This cmuel practice was very commoh, formerly, in' the Ver. 26. And when the people were come into East, and even yet prevails in some places. Mr. Hanway the wood, behold, the honey dropped. gives several instances of it. "Mohammed Khan, (not long after I left Persia,) his eyes were clt out." Page 224. Bees, in the East, are not, as in England, kept in hives: ~" The close of this hideous scene of punishment, was an they are all in a wild state. The forests literally flow with corder to cut out the eyes of this unhappy man: the soldiers honey; large combs may be seen hanging on the trees as were dragging him to this execution, while he begged, you pass along, full of honey. Hence this article is cheap with bitter cries, that he might rather suffer death," Page andt plentiful, and is much used by the Vedahs to preserve CHAP. 15-17. 1 SAMUEL. 161 the flesh of animals they catch in the chase. The ancient in the hour of danger, whose office it was to bear the great poets take great pleasure in speaking of the value of milk massy buckler, behind which he avoided the missile and honey.-RoBERTS. weapons of his enemy. Goliath had his armour-bearer carrying a shield before him, when he came up to defy the CHAPTER XV. armies of Israel. When David went first to court, he was Ver. 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, made armour-bearer to Saul; and Jonathan had a young and the best of the sheep, and of' th'e oxen, and man who bore his armour before him in the day of battle. o e and the lambs. Besides the large and ponderous buckler, the gigantic of the fatlings, and the lambs. Philistine had another of smaller size called cidon, which The margin has, instead of fatlings," of the "second we render target in one part of our version, and shield in The margin has, instead of "fatlings," of the "second another. It might either be held in the hand when the sort." This curious way of designating, the quality of warrior had occasion to use it, or, at other times, be conanimals finds an exact parallel among the Hindoos. They veniently hung about his neck, and turned behind; and, do not usually. compare, as we do, by good, better, best; but therefore, the historian observes he had " a target of brass first, second, or third sort. An animal of the finest pro- between his shoulders."-PAxToN.. portions is said to be of the first sort; the next, of the second; and the last, the third. All the productions of art Ver. 18. And carry these ten cheeses unto the and nature are compared, as to their value, in the same way. They tell us there are three kinds of fruit they prefer to all others: first, gold; second, precious stones; and brethren fare. third land.-ROBERTS. third, f -land.-Rosrs The art of coagulating milk,.and converting it into Ver.;33. And Samuel said, As thy sword, hath' cheese, was known among the Syrian shepherds, from the made women childless, so shall thy mother be, remotest times. Instead of runnet, they turn the, milk, made women childless, so shall thy mother be especially in the summer season, with sour buttermilk, the childless among women. And Samuel hewed flowers of the great-headed thistle, or wild artichoke; and, Agag in pieces before the LORD' in Gilgal. putting the curds afterward into small baskets made with rushes, or with the dwarf palm, they bind them up close, See on Ezra 4. 14. and press them. These cheeses are rarely above two or Criminals were sometimes hewed in pieces, and their three pounds weight; and in shape and size, resemble our mangled-bodies given as a prey to ravenous beasts. -This penny loaves. Oriental cheeses are sometimes of so very punishment seems to have been extremely common in soft a consistence, after they are pressed, and even when _Abyssinia, when Mr. Bruce was there, and was probably they are set upon the table, that they bear a very near rehanded down from the founders of that kingdom: " Coming semblance to curds, or to coagulated milk, which forms a across the market-place," says the traveller, " I had seen very considerable part of eastern diet. But the ten cheeses Za Mariam, the Ras's doorkeeper, with three men bound, which David carried to the camp of Saul, seem to have one of whom he fell ac-hacking to pieces in my presence; been fully formed, pressed, and sufficiently' dried, to admit and upon seeing me running across the place, stopping my of their being removed from one place to another, without nose, he called me to stay till he should despatch the the frames in which they were made.-PAxTox. other two, for he wanted to speak with me, as if he had The sons of Jesse were serving in the army of Saul; been engaged about ordinary business; that the soldiers, and as he probably had not heard from them for some, in consideration of his haste, immediately fell upon the time, he sent their brother David to take a present to the other two, whose cries were still remaining in my ears; captain, to induce him to be kind to his sons; also to bring that the hyenas at night would scarcely let me pass in the a pledge, or token, from his sons themselves, to assure him streets, when I returned from the palace; and the dogs fled that they were well. A person in a distant country sends into my house, to eat pieces of human carcasses at their to those who are interested in his welfare a ring, a lock of leisure." This account elucidates the mode of execution hair, or a piece of his nail. This is his "pledge" of health adopted by the prophet Samuel, in relation to- Agag, the and prosperity. A man who has returned from a far counkin, of Amalek: "And Samuel said, (-towe) As (or, in try, in calling upon an old-friend (should he not be at home) the- same identical mode) thy sword hath made women will leave a handkerchief as a token, to testify that he had childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. called.-RoBERTS. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in The Vulgate illustrates this passage by translating the Gilgal." This was not a sudden and passionate act of Hebrew words, decem formellas casei, ten little baskets of vengeance, but a. deliberate act of retributive justice. cheese, or, ten cheeses made in such baskets. To this day, That savage chieftain had hewed many prisoners to death; in Barbary, " after turning the milk with the flowers of the and therefore, by the command of Jehovah, the judge of all great-headed thistle, or wild artichoke, they put the curds the earth, he is visited with the same punishment which he into small baskets, made with rushes or with the dwarf had cruelly used towards others.-PAxToN. palm, and bind them up close and press them." (Shaw.) In. Light's Travels, we are informed, that " Djezzar had "Another offered me milk in baskeis; a circumstance that reason to suspect fraud in the conduct of some of the astonished me. What, exclaimed I, milk in baskets! These officers of the seraglio: and, as he could not discover the baskets, he continues, are very pretty, and fabricated with offenders, he had between fifty and sixty of them seized, reeds so closely interwoven, that they will hold water, and, stripped naked, and laid on the ground: and to each was were afterwards of much service to me for that use." placed a couple of janizaries, who were ordered to hew (Vaillant.) " In the evening they sent us in return some them in pieces with their swords."-BuIRDER. baskets of milk. These baskets were made from a species of cyperus, a strong reedy grass that grew in the springs CHAPTER XVII. of Zaure Veld. The workmanship was exceedingly clever Ver. 6. And he had greaves of brass upon his and neat, and the texture so close that they were capable of legs, and aR targTet of brass bettween his shoulders. containing the thinnest fluid." (Barrow.) "The girls also twist cotton yarn for fringes, and prepare canes, reeds, and These were necessary to defend the legs and fe~t from palmetto leaves, as the boys also do, for basket making: the iron stakes placed in the way by the enemy, to gall but the making up the baskets is the men's work, who first and wound their opponents. They were a part of die the materials of several curious lively colours, and then and wound their opponents. They were a part of ancient mixandweavethemverypretily. Tey weavelittlebastnilitary harness, and the artifices made use of by contending parties rendered the precaution important.-BURDER. kets like cups also very neat, with the twigs wrought so very fine and close, as to hold any liquor without any more Ver. 7. And the staff of his spear wnas like a to do, having no lacker or varnish: and thev as ordinarilv weaver's beam; and his spear's -head weihed drink out'of these woven cups, as out of their calabashes, which'they paint very curiously. They make baskets ol six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing several sizes for carrying their clothes, or-other uses, with a shield went before him. great' variety of work; and so firm, that: you mnay crush them, or throw them about how you will, almost with little. The oriental warrior had a person who went before him or no damage to them."-BuRDER. 21 162 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 17., Ver. 20. And David rose up early in the morn- derness inspired, they discovered on many trying occasions, ing, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, a boldness and resolution which were never surFassed by and went, as Jesse had commanded him: and any of their antagonists. Till the reign of David, the armies of Israel were no better than a raw and uidisciplined he came to the trench as the host was goingr militia; and the simplicity of their behaviour sufficiently forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. appears from the story of Goliath, who defied all the warriors that fought under the banners of Saul; and with a After the introduction of trumpets into.Greece, her ar- haughty look, and a few arrogant words, struck them with mies generally began the attack at the sound of this war- so great a terror that they fled before him. But the troops like instrument; but the Lacedemonians were particularly of the surrounding kingdoms were neither more courageremarkable for beginning their engagements with the soft ous nor more skilful in the use of arms, which is evident tones of the flute, which were intended to render the com- from the history of David's captains. the first of whom enbatants cool and sedate, and enable them to march with a gaged, single handed, three hundred men, and slew them at firm and majestic step against their enemies. In the armies one time. And this is not the only instance of such daring of Israel, the courage of' the soldiers was roused and sus- and successful valour; he was one of three warriors who tained by a concert of various instruments; in which were defended a plot of barley, after the people had fled, against distilgulished the martial sounds of the silver trumpet, and the whole force of the Philistines, whom they routed with the gentler notes of the harp and the psaltery. In the be- prodigious slaughter, after a desperate conflict. Nor is ginning of their onset, they gave a general shout to en- the sacred historian justly chargeable with transgressing courage and animate one another, and strike terror into the rules of probability in such relations, which, however their enemies. This circumstance is distinctly stated in strange and incredible they may appear to us, exactly acthe first book of Samuel: "And David rose up early in cord with the manners of the times in which he wrote. the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, Homer often introduces Achilles, Hector, and other heroes and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to engaging, and, by the valour of their own arm, putting the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and to flight whole squadrons of their enemies. Such feats shouted for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had are by no means uncommon in the history of the rude put the battle in array; army against army." This custom and unpolished nations, who, in the revolution of a few seems to have been used by almost every nation under ages, became not less celebrated for their steady and disheaven; and is mentioned by all writers, who treat of ciplined heroism in the field, than for the sagacity of their martial affairs. Homer compares the confused noise of measures in the cabinet. Under the banners of David, a two armies in the heat of battle, to the deafening roar of prince of a truly heroic mind, the tribes of Israel often put torrents rushing with impetuous force from the mountains to flight vast numbers of their enemies, and became a terror into subjacent valleys. to all the circumjacent kingdoms.-PAxToN. IIn the wars which the Hebrews prosecuted in Canaan, and in the surrounding countries, the generals fought at Ver. 34. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant the head of their armies, performing at once the part of a kept his father's sheep, and there came a lian pri rate soldier, and the various duties of a resolute cap- and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. tain. In the heroic ages, the Grecian generals exposed their persons in the same way. Homer, in all his battles, Although the lion is the terror of the forest, and has been places the principal officers in the front, and calls them known to scatter destruction over the fairest regions of the p'opayXOt and rpoto,t, because they fought before their ar- East; yet he is often compelled to yield to the superior tnies. Thus when he led up the Trojans, the godlike Paris prowess or address of man. When Samson, the champion fought at their head; and when Achilles sends out his sol- of Israel, went down to Timnath, a city belonging to the diers to defend the Grecian ships, having allotted to the rest tribe of Dan, situated in the valley of Sorek, so renowned of his officers their several posts, he places Patroclus and for the excellence of its vines, a young lion roared against Automedon, as chief commanders, before the front.-PAX- him; "and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him,,'ON.., and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had Ver. 23. Alnd as he talked with them, behold, nothing in his hand." In this instance, the lion was only there cam.. upd tshe champion (the Phie neho, giving the usual signal for the attack which he meditated, there came up the champion (the Philistine of and consequently his kindling passions had not reached Gath, Goliath by name) out of the armies of their highest excitement; but it appears from the authentic the Philistines, and spake according to the page of history, that the prey is sometimes rescued firom sameords: nd Dvid herd the 24nd his devouring jaws, when his fury is excited to the highest same words:'and David heard them. 24. And degree of intensity. To this circumstance, the prophet all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, Amos refers, in that part of his prophecy where he defled from him, and were sore afraid. scribes the extreme difficulty with which a few of the meaner and poorer inhabitants of Samaria, should escape The ancient Hebrews, like the nations around them, from the power of their enemies: " Thus saith tli Lord, were wholly unacquainted with the refinements of modern as the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion, two warfare. Fromn the age of Abraham, the renowned fa- legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be ther of their tribes, they had little other business to employ taken out that dwell in Samaria." The daring intrepidity, their leisure hours, but feeding their flocks and herds, or the admirable presence of mind, and great strength of Dea tilling a few acres of land in the districts which they visited, vid, when he tended his father's flocks in the wilderness, except in Egypt, where their severe bondage was still more were subjected to a severe trial, by the attack of a lion, unfavourable to the cultivation of military habits. In such which he thus relates to Saul: "Thy servant kept his fae:ircumstances, the defence of their flocks and herds from ther's sheep; and there came a lion and a bear, and took a the violence of roving hordes, which occasionally scoured lamb out of the flock; and I went out after him, and smote the country in quest of spoil, generally produced the only him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he rose wars in which they engaged. The rapid' history of the against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and patriarchs records a sufficient number of incidents, to show, slew him: thy servant slew both the lion and the bear." that how rude and unpolished soever they may be deemed, In these words, the youthful shepherd indisputably details they were by no means deficient in personal courage; and the particulars of two exploits performed on different occa-;n the expedition of Abraham against the confederate kings, sions; for the lion and the bear never hunt in company. we can discern the rudiments of thatmilitary conduct, which Like the greater part of other wild beasts, they prowl alone, has so often since his time filled the world with admiration rejecting the society of even one of their own species. "It or dismay. It will be readily admitted, that when the is not therefore to be supposed, they will associate on such chosen people went up out of Egypt, where they had been occasions with other animals. A careless reader might tong and cruelly oppressed, and in consequence of their imagine that David encountered them both at the same miseries had contracted the abject and cowardly disposi- time, and Castalio has been so inconsiderate as to make tions of the slave, they were quite incapable of warlike the text speak this language; for he translates it, There enterprises; but when their'ninds recovered that vigour came a lion, Una cam, together or in company with a bear. and elevation which the freedom and hardships of the wil- But are we to suppose, that these two animals, contrary to CHAP. 17. i I SAMUEL. 163 their nature, entered into partnership on this occasion, and in the day of battle. The Grecian helmets were very often that to seize upon one poor lamb, and divide it between made of the skins of beasts; but the helmet of the Jewish them. Or if no miracle was wrought in the case, but warrior seems to have been uniformnllv made of brass or the victory was achieved by the natural strength and reso- iron; and to this sort of casque only, the sacred writer'ution of David, aided by the good providence of God, how seems to refer. In allusion to this piece of defensive armanyhands must we suppose him to have had, in order at mour, Paul directs the believer to put on for a helhnet once to seize two such animals, to smite them both, and to the hope of salvation, which secures the head in every conrescue the lamb" from their jaws. How was it possible test, till through hint that loved him, he gain a comtplete for a single youth, for at that time he was not mote than victory over all his enemies. That well-grounded hope twenty years of age, to encounter with success two of the of eternal life, which is attended with ineffable satisfaction, strongest and fiercest beasts that range the forest? Or if and never disappoints the soul, like a helmet of brass shall David vanquished these terrible depredators, not by his guard it against fear and danger, enable it patiently to enown courage and address, but by the miraculous assistance dure every hardship, and fortify it against the most furious of heaven, still the difficulty is not removed; for he could and threatening attacks of Satan and all his confederates. have no warrant from such a victory to encounter Goliath. Such adversaries, this solid hope is not less calculated to It became him to enter the lists with the giant, depending strike with dismay, than was the helmet of an ancient warupon the ordinary assistance of God, and the usual vigour rior in the day of battle his mortal foes, by its dazzling.of his own arm, not upon a miracle, which God had not brightness, its horrific devices of Gorgons and Chimeras, promised. To avoid these inconveniences, it is necessary and its nodding plumes which overlooked the dreadful to admit, that David mentions two different rencounters, cone.-PAXTON. one with a lion, and another with a bear; in both which he succeeded in rescuing the prey from the devourer. This Ver. 43. And the Philistine said unto David, Ai, hypothesis has the advantage of being perfectly consistent I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? with the text; for the particle rendered and, is often dis- And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. junctive, and ought to be translated or. Thus, in the law of the passover, it is commanded, " Ye shall take it out Men of high caste will not strike those who are of low from the sheep or from the goats;" and in the precept for caste with the hand, because the touch would defile them securing reverence to parents, " He that smiteth his father they therefore beat them with a stick or some other weapon. or his mother, shall sfrely be put to death;" " and he that Hence to offer to strike any person with a stick is very curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to provoking, and the person so struck will ask, " m Ia death;" in all which, the connecting particle is the same. dov o" When a man wishes to make another angry he But by the law of Moses, only one lamb, or one kid, was to Z) pretends to be looking for a stick, which will produce a be taken for each household, not two; and if a person similar question and feeling. Sometimes, however, they smote, or cursed one of his parents, he was guilty of death; only repeat the proverb," Take upa stick, and the do, till in these cases, therefore, the particle is properly rendered run off." As did the Philistines, so do these people curse or-; and by consequence, may be so rendered in the text each other by their gods. The imprecations are generally under consideration. The words of David would then run of such a kind as it would be improper to repeat. The exthus: There came a lion or a bear, and took a lamb out of tremes of filthiness, of sin and hell, are put under contributhe flock. This version is also required by the verb, tion, to furnish epithets and allusions for their execrations. which, instead of being in the plural, as the conjunctive ROBERTs particle demands, is in the singular number, which clearly indicates a disjunctive sense. This is confirmed by the XTer. 44. And the Philistine said to David, Come next verse, in which David speaks of them in the singularill give thy flesh unto the fo number: " And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he rose against of the air, and to the beasts of the field. me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew The rhodomontade of Goliath is still the favourite way him." If these two animals had been in company, he rhodomontade of Goliath is still the favourite way him." If these tw~o animals had been in company f terrifying an enemy. "Begone, or I will give thy flesh could with no propriety have spoken of them in this man- of to the jackalan ene." "Th e rows sha ll soon have thy carcas: ner. The meaning therefore is, there caime a lion on one Yes, the teeth of the dogs shall soon have hold of thee" occasion, and on ancdther a bear, and took each g lamb out The eagles are ready."-RoBEaRs. of the flock; and he went out against each of thein and rescued the lamb from' his mouth. Thus, by the favour of Ver. 51. Therefore David ran, and stood upon Providence, did the future shepherd of Israel, on two dif- the Philistine, and took his sword, and d ferent occasions, slav both the lion and the bear. Nor ought this to be reckoned an achievement beyond the out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut power of a single combatant; for an ancient poet only ad- off his head therewith. And when the Philismits it to be extremely dangerous, and almost beyond the tines saw their champion was dead, they fled. powers of man, to deliver the prey from the mouth of a hungry lion, but does not venture to pronounce it imprac- The ancient Grecians frequently committed their cause ticable:- to the issue of a single combat, and decided their quarrels "Esurienti leoni ex ore exculpere prI dam." by two or more champions on each side; and their kings and great commanders were so eager in the pursuit of Nor is any mistake imputable to David, when he sp of and great commanders were so eager i the pursuit of seizingor is abearbny mistake imputablerd to Davi, wginal hterm speas of glory, and so tender of the lives of their subjects, that they seizing a bearby the beard; for the original term sometimes -es to their rivals, to end the quarfrequently sent challenges to their rivals, to end the quardenotes the chin; as in this precept of the ceremonial law: relby a single encounter, that by the death of one of them, "If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or beard;evented. ncient then the priest shall see the plague." He, therefore, seized history contains many remarkable instances of such comthe l.n by his beard, and the bear, that was not favouredhistory cntains many remarkable instan ces of such comwith this ornament, by the chin; which entirely removes bats; Xathus kinate te dangerous challeed the king eir the difficultyy-PAxToN. Attica, to terminate the dangerous war in which their states were engaged in this way, and lost his life in the Ver. 38. And Saul armed David with his ar- contest; and Pittacus, the famous Mitylenian, killed Phryno the Athenian general, in a single combat.'This mour, and he put a helmet of brass upon his custom was riot unknown in Palestine and other etastern head; also he armed him with a coat of mail, countries, for the champion of the Philistines challenged the armies of Israel, to give him a man to fight with him; A principal piece of defensive armour entitled to our no- and when he fell by the valour of David, his countrymen, tice, is the helmet, which protected the head. This has been struck with dismay, immediately deserted their standards, used from the remotest ages by almost every nation of a and endeavoured to save themselves by flight. The chalmartial spirit. The champion of the Philistines had a lenge given on those occasions, was generally couched in helmet of brass upon his head, as had also the king of Is- the most insolent language, and delivered with a very conrael, who commanded the armies of the living God. This temptuous air. Thus, Homer makes one chief address martial cap was also worn by the Persians and Ethiopians another in these terms: " Bold as thou ait, too prodigal of 164' 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 18. ife, approach and enter the dark gates of death." But the contest, carried before him on a lance. Mr. Harmer his is a tame spiritless defiance, compared with the proud thinks it probable that the Philistines cut off the head of Ind insulting terms which Goliath addressed to his young Saul, whom they found among the slain, on Gilboa, to carand inexperienced antagonist: "Come to me, and I will ry it in triumph on the point of a spear to their principal give thy flesh to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the city, according to the custom of those times; and that, Dafield;" or the bold and manly, but devout reply of the vid, in a preceding war, severed the head of Goliath from youthful warrior: " Thou contest to me with a sword, and his body, for the purpose of presenting it to Saul, in the w'th a spear, and with a shield, but I come to thee in the same manner, on the point of a lance. The words of the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, inspired historian do not determine the mode in which it whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver was presented; we must therefore endeavour to form our thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy opinion from the general custom of the East. The words head from thee, and I will give the carcasses of the hosts of of the record are: "And as David returned from the the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his there is a God in Israel." The Philistines no sooner saw hand." It is scarcely to be supposed that the youthful wartheir champion fallen, and his head severed from his body, rior was introduced with the sword in the one hand, and than, seized with a panic fear, they fled, and the armies of the head of his enemy in the other, like one of our execuIsrael pursued with loud acclamations. Another instance tioners holding up the head of a traitor; it is more reasonof panic which struck the army of the Philistines, a short able to imagine, says Mr. Harmer, that he appeared in a time before, when Jonathan and his armour-bearer fell more graceful and warlike attitude, bearing on the point upon their garrison and put them to flight, is described in of a lance the' head of his adversary. But it must be con these terms: " And there was trembling in the host, in the fessed that the other idea, after all that respectable writer field, and among all the people; the garrison and the has said, is more naturally suggested by the words of the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked; so it inspired historian. It is a common practice in Turkey to wras a very great trembling." In the Hebrew, it is a trem- cut off the heads of enemies slain in battle, and lay them in tl.ing of God; that is, a fear which God sent upon them, heaps before the residence of their emperor, or his princland consequently which the strongest mind could not reason pal officers. In Persia Mr. Hanway saw a pyramid of down, nor the firmest heart resist. This fear, the Greeks human heads at the entrance of Astrabad. They were and other heathen nations called a panic; because Pan, the heads of Persians who had rebelled against their sovone of their gods, was believed to be the author of it. ereign. This barbarous custom may be traced up to a Bacchus, in his Indian expedition, led his army into some very remote antiquity; and it was probably not seldom redefiles, where he was surrounded by his enemies, and re- duced to practice in the various governments of Asia. duced to the last extremity. By the advice of Pan, his When Jehu conspired against Ahab, he commanded the lieutenant-general, he made his army give a sudden shout, heads of his master's children, seventy in number, to be cut which struck the enemy with so great astonishment and off, and brought in baskets to Jezreel, and " laid in two terror, that they fled with the utmost precipitation. Hence, heaps at the entering in of the gate until the morning." it was ever afterward called a panic, and supposed to The renowned Xenophon says, in his Anabasis, that the come directly from heaven. It is thus expressedby Pindar: same custom was practised by the Chalybes; and Herod" When men are struck with divine terrors, even the chil- otus makes the same remark in relation to the Scythians. dren of the gods betake themselves to flight." The flight -PAXTON. of the Syrians, in the reign of Jehoram, king of Israel, CHAPTER XVII. was produced by a panic, which so completely unmanned them, that, says the sacred historian, " all the way was Ver. 4. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast that was upon him, and gave it to David, and away in their haste." The flight of Saladin's army, his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, wbich was defeated by Baldwin IV. near Gaza, in the time of the crusades, was marked with similar circum- to his girdle. stances of consternation and'terror. To flee with greater See on Est. 6. 7, 8. expedition, they threw away their arms and clothes, their An ancient mode of ratifying an engagement, was coats of mail, their greaves, and other pieces of armour,e party with some article of their own and abandoned their baggage, and fled from their pursuers, dress; and if they were warriors, by exchanging their arms. The greatest honour which a king of Persia can Ver. 55. And when Saul saw David go forth bestow upon a subject, is to cause himself to be disrobed, and his habit given to the favoured individual. The cusagainst the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the tom was probably derived from the Jews; for when Jonacaptain of the host, Abner, whose son is this than made his covenant with David, " he stripped himself youth q And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and O king, I cannot tell. -— his garments; even to his sword, and to his bow, and to O king, I cannot tell. - his girdle."-In a similar way, Julus, and the other Trojan It is a favourite way of addressing a person by saying chiefs, confirmed their solemn engagements to Nisus and " You are the son of such a person, or, "Is he not the son Euryalus: " Thus weeping over him, he speaks; at the of such a man i" How Saul couldn have forgotten David, same time divests his shoulders of his gilded sword-On of such a man." How Saul could'have forgotten David, is impossible to account for. When a person has to ask a Nisus Mnestheus bestows the skin and spoil of a grim number of questions, though he know well the name of the shaggy lion; trusty Alethes exchanges with him his helindividual he has to adftress, he often begins by asking, individual he has to address, he often begins by asking, met." This instance proves, that among the ancients, to'" Whose son are you." Many people never go by their part with one's girdle was a token of the greatest confidence and affection; in some cases it was considered as as Nellinaderin Maggan, i. e. the son of NellinCder.-Ron-' an act of adoption. The savage tribes of North America., mERTS. Xthat are certainly of Asiatic origin, ratify their covenants and leagues in the same way; in token of perfect reconVer. 57. And as David returned from the slaugh- ciliation, they present a belt of wampum.-PAXTON. ter of the Philistine,. Abner took him, and Ver. 6. And it came to pass, as they came, when brought him before Saul, with the head of the David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine in his hand. Philistine, that the women game out of all the On some occasions the victor cut off the headi of his ene- cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet my, andcarried it in triumph on the point of a spear, and king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with inpresented it, if a person of inferior rank, to his prince or struments of music. the commander-in-chief. Barbarossa, the dey of Algiers, returned in triumph from the conquest of the kingdom of Has a long absent son returned, is a person coming who Cueco, with the head of the king, who had lost his life in has performed some great exploit, are the bride and bride. CHAP. 19. 1 SAMUEL. groom with their attendants expected; then, those in the vid, The kind desireth not any dowry,, but a house go forth with tabrets and pipes to meet them, and hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be greet them, and conduct them on the way. When a great man is expected, the people of the village always send the avenged of the king's enemies. But Saul tabrets and pipes to meet him. It is amusing to see with thought to make David fall by the hand of the what earnestness and vehemence they blow their instru- Phiistines. ments, or beat their tom-toms, and stamp along the road.ROBERTS. In the remote ages of antiquity, women were literally The dancing and playing on instruments of music, be- purchased by their husbands; and the presents made to fore persons of distinction, when they pass near the dwell- their parents or other relations were called their dowry. ing-places of such as are engaged in country business, still The practice still continues in the country of Shechem; continue in the East. When the Baron de Tott was sentby for when a young Arab wishes to marry, he must purchase the French government, to inspect the factories of that na- his wife; and for this reason, fathers, among the Arabs, tion in the Levant, having proceeded from Egypt to the are never more happy than when they have many daughmaritime cities of Syria, he went from them to Aleppo, ters. They are reckoned the principal riches of a house, and returning from thence to Alexandretta, in order to visit An Arabian suiter will offer fifty sheep, six camels, cr, Cyprus, and some other places of which he has given an dozen of cows; if he be not rich enough to make such ofaccount in his memoirs, he tells us, that between Aleppo fers, he proposes to give a mare or a colt; considering in and Alexandretta, he saw, on a sudden, the troop the gov- the offer, the merit of the young woman, the rank of her ernor of Aleppo had sent with him, to escort him, turn family, and his own circumstances. In the primitive back and ride towards him. "The commander of the de- times of Greece, a well-educated lady was valued at four tachment then showed me the tents of the Turcomen, oxen. When they are agreed on both sides, the contract pitched on the banks of the lake, near which we were to is drawn up by him that acts as cadi or judge among these pass. It was no easy task to keep my company in good Arabs. In some parts of the East, a measure of corn is spirits, within sight of six or seven thousand Asiatics, formally mentioned in contracts for their concubines, or whose peaceable intentions were at least doubtful." " I temporary:wives, besides the sum of money which is stiputook care to cover my escort with my small troop of Eiuro- lated by way of dowry. This custom is probably as anpeans; and we continued to march on, in this order which cient as concubinage, with which it is coinected; and if so. had no very hostile appearance, when we perceived a mo- it will perhaps account for the prophet Hosea's purchasing tion in the enemy's camp, from which several of the Tur- a wife of this kind, for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a comen advanced to meet us, and I soon had the musicians homer of barley, and a half homer of'barley. When the of the different hordes, playing and dancing before me all intended husband was not able to give a dowry, he offered the time we were passing by the side of their camp." The an equivalent. The patriarch Jacob, who caine to Laban translation does not determine, whether these musicians with only his staff,: offered to serve him seven years for were of the male or female sex; but I doubt not but that it Rachel; a proposal which Laban accepted. This custom would appear, on consulting the original French, that they has descended to modern times; for in Cabul, the young were women that played and danced before M. de Tott, men who are unable to advance the required dowryv, "live the French inspector, while passing along the side of that with their future father-in-law and earn their bride by their large encampment. We cannot after this wonder at the services, without ever seeing the object of their wishes." account of the sacred historian, that when Saul and David Saul, instead of a dowry, required David to bring him a were returning from the slaughter of Goliath, the great hero hundred foreskins of the Philistines, under the pretence of of the Philistines, the women came out of all the cities of avenging himself of his enemies. This custom has preIsrael, singing and dancing to meet King Saul, withl tabrets, vailed in latter times; for in some countries they give their wit/ joy, and qvith inst'~ruments of music. That is, as I ap- daughters in marriage to the valiant men, or those whon prehend, the women of the several villages of Israel near should bring them so many heads of the people with whom which he passed, in returning to his settled abode,, univer- they happen to be at war. It is recorded of a nation in sally paid him the honour of singing and playing before him Caramania, that no man among themt was permitted to for some considerable way, while he passed along in the marry, till he had first brought the head of an enemy to the road near to them. All Israel were engaged in rural em- king. Aristotle admrits, that the ancient Grecians were acployments, as well as these Turcomen. De Tott ascribes customed to buy their wives; but they no sooner began to the honours paid him by these Asiatics to the hope of a re- lay aside their barbarous manners, than this disgusting ward: "I toolk leave of them, by presenting them with that practice ceased, and the custom of giving portions to their reward, the hope of which had brought them to attend us, sons-in-law, was substituted in its place. The Romans and with which they were very civil to go away contented." also, in the first ages of their history, purchased their wives; I would remark, that the eastern princes sometimes cause but afterward, they required the wife to bring a portion to money to be scattered in processions on joyfill occasions, the husband, that he might be able to bear thie charges of according to this very writer; however, the satisfaction that the matrimonial state more easily.-PAxTON. succeeded great terror, upon the death of Goliath, was enough to engage the Israelitish women universally to p'y CHAPTER XIX. this honour to their own king, and an heroic youth of their Ver. 12. So Michal let David down through 3 own nation, who had been the instrument of effecting such a great salvation for their country, without any lucrative window; and he went and fled, and escaped. considerations whatever.-HARMER. 13. And Michal took an image, and laid it in' When leaving the city of Lattakoo, to visit the king of the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his the Matslaroos, on the confines of the great southern Za- bolster, and covered it with a cloth. 14. And hara desert, a party of men was returning from a distant expedition, after an absence of several months. The news when Saul sent mnessengers to ake David, she of their approach had reached the town, and the women said, He is sick. 15. And Saul sent the meswere hastening to meet them. On joining the party, they seners again to see David, saying, Bring him marched at their head, clapping their hands, and singing up to me with all their might, till they arrived at their homes in the bed, that I may h town. On witnessing this scene, my mind wras carried 16. And when the messengers were come in back three thousand years, to the very occurrence recorded behold, theq'e nzs an imtgeslre in gee, ite.,n in the above passage. The occasion, no doubt, was a joy- pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. 17. A ad ful one to the females, some of whom had their husbands,ul said unto t and others their fathers and brothers, in the expedition, for whose safety they were interested, and had been anxiously me so, and sent awvay mine enemy, that he is concerned. The same must have been the case with re- escaped And Michal answered Saul, He said spect to the Israelitish women, while Saul's army were re- unto me Let me go; ahy should I kill thee tu rning victorious from the Philistine war.-AFRICAN LoGwHT. An accident led me into a train of thought, relating to Vet. 25. Alnd Saul said, Thus shall ye say to Da- that piece of furniture the Romans called a cacopeum, andt 136 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 20,21 which is said to denote a canopy or pavilion made of net- us of the real cause of the death of Benhadad, the king ol work, which hung about beds; and was designed to keep Syria, 2 Kings viii. 15; " And it came to pass on the moraway gnats, which are sometimes insupportably trouble- row, that he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water,' and some to the more delicate. I recollected that it is at this spread it over his face, so that he died: and Hazael reigned' time used in the East; and that if it may be supposed to in his stead." If Hazael stifled him, why all this parade? lhave obtained so early there as the time of King Saul, it the drawing the pillow from -under hi. head, and clapping ma.v very happily illustrate the above passage of scripture, it over his mouth, would have been sufficient. Why the of vwhich our commentators have given a very unsatisfac- procuring a thick cloth, according to our translators? why tory account. I should suppose a canuopeum, or guard the dipping it in water? It is the same word (>n8n kebeer) against gnats, is what is meant by the word'translated a with that in Samuel, and, it is reasonable therefore to suppillou oj' goats' haigr. I cannot conceive what deception pose, means the same thing, a gnat pavilion. The dipping could arise from the pillow's being' stuffed with goats' hair, it in water may well be supposed to be under the pretence or bormakinga truss of goats' hair serve for a pillow. This of coolness and refreshment. So Pitts tells us, that the last must have been, on the contrary, very disagreeable to people of Mecca " do usually sleep on the tops of the houses a sick man; especially one who, having married a princess, for the air, or in the streets before their doors. Somle lay must be supposed to have been in possession of agreeable ac- the small bedding they have on a thin mat on the ground; commodations of life, such at least as were used at that time, others have a slight frame, made much like drink-stalls, on and in that country. A piece of fine net-work to guard which we place barrels, standing on four legs, corded with L., - from gnats, and other troublesome insects, that:might palm cordage, on which they put their bedding. Before',~rt-ub the repose of a sick man, was extremely natural, if they bring out their bedding, they sweep the streets, and t..e use of them was. as early' as the days of Saul. It is in water them. As for my own part, I usually lay open withone place translated a thick cloth, in another, a sieve; now out any bed-covering, on the top of the house; only I took a cloth of a nature fit to use for a sieve, is just such a thing a linen cloth, dipped in the water, and after I had wrung it, as I am supposing, a fine net-work or gauze like cloth. covered myself with it in the night: and when I awoke, if I Here it is translated a pillow, but for no other reason, but should find it dry, then I would wet it again; and thus I because it appeared to be something relating to the head; did two or three times in a night." In like manner, but a canopeum relates to the head as well as a pillow, Niebuhr tells us, in. his description of Arabia, that " as it being a canopy suspended over the whole bed, or at least is excessively hot, ins the summer-time, on the eastern so far as to surround the head, and such upper part of the shore of the Persian gulf, and they do not find that the dew body as might be uncovered. Modern canopies of this there is unwholesome, they sleep commonly in the open nature may be of other materials: they may be of silk or air." He goes on, "in the island of Charedsj, I never thread, but goats' hair was in great use in those earlier enjoyed my repose better than when the dew moistened ages, and may be imagined to have been put to this use in my bed in the night." Hazael then had a fair pretence those times, as our modern sieves still continue frequently to offer to moisten the gnat'pavilion, if Benhadad did to be made of the hair of animals.. not himself desire it, on the account of his extreme heat, After this preparatory remark, I would produce a proof, which might'prove the occasion of.his death, while the disthat this kind of defence against gnats is used in the East. temper itself was not mortal. Whether the moisture of "s Among the hurtful animals that Egypt produces," says that piece of furniture proved at' that time destructive from Maillet, " those that we call gnats ought not to be forgotten. the nature of the disease, or whether Hazael stifled himn if their size prevents all apprehensions of dangerous acci- with it, we are not told by the historian, and therefore dents from them, their multitudes make them insupportable. cannot pretend absolutely to determine. Conjecture is not The Nile water, which remains in the canals and the lakes, likely to be very favourable to Hazael.-H-IARMaER. into which it makes its way every year, produces such a prodigious quantity of these insects, that the air is often CHAPTER XX. darlened by them. The nighttime is that in which people Ver. 30. Then Saul's anger was kindled against are most exposed to receive punctures from them; and it Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son o is with a view to guard themselves from them, that they sleep so much here on the tops of their houses, which are the perverse rebelliots woman, do not I know flat-roofed. These terraces are paved with square flat that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine stones, very thin; and as in this country, they have no ap- own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy prehensions from rain or fogs, they are wont to place their mother's nakedness. beds on these roofs every night, in order to enjoy their repose more undisturbedly and coolly, than they could any- In the East, when they are angry with a person, they where else. Gnats seldom rise so high in the air. The abuse and vilify his parents. Saul thought of nothing bu, agitation of the air at that height is too much for them; venting his anger against Jonathan, nor had any design to they cannot bear it. However, for greater precaution, reproach his wife personally; the mention of her was only persons of any thing of rank never fail to have a tent set a vehicle by which, according to oriental modes, he was up in these terraces, in the midst of which is suspended to convey his resentfment against Jonathan into the minds a pavilion of fine linen, or of gauze, which falls down to of those about him.-HARMER. the ground, and encloses the mattress. Under the shelter of this pavilion, which the people of the country call nqa- XXI.,5noTsie, from the word Clamous, which in their language Ver. 9. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath signifies fly, or gnat, people are secured against these in- the Philistine, whom thou siewest in the valley sects, not only on the terraces, but everywhere else. If of Elah, behold, it is here, wrapped in a cloth they were to make use of them in Europe, I do not doubt but that people that sleep in the daytime, and above all the behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take sick, would find the advantage of them; for it must be it; for there is no other save that here. And acknowledged, that in summer-time those small insects, David said, There is none like that; give it me. which'introduce themselves into all places, are insupportable to people that would take their repose, and much To the jewels of silver and gold, which the Hebrew more so to those that are ill." No curious carved statue, soldier was accustomed to bring as a free-will offering which indeed one can hardly imagine was to be found in into the treasury of his God, must be added the armour ot the house of David, was necessary; kany thing formed in a some illustrious foe, which, in gratitude for his preservatolerable resemblance of the body of a man was sufficient tion, he suspended in the sanctuary. The sword of Gofor this deception, covered over with the coverlet belonging liath was wrapped up in a cloth, and deposited behind the to the mattress on which it was laid, and where the head ephod; and in a succeeding war, the Philistines proving should have been placed, being covered all over with a victorious, took their revenge by depositing the armour of pavilion of goats' hair, through which the eye could not Saul in the temple of Ashtaroth. The custom of dedicapenetrate. A second visit, with a more exact scrutiny, ting to the gods the spoils of a conquered enemy, and placing:iscovered the artifice. k them in their temples as trophies of victory and testimonies There is another passage it which the word occurs, and of gratitude, is very ancient, and universally received in n the same sense. It is in the account the historian gives Asia and Greece. Hector promises to dedicate his enemly's CHAP. 22, 23. 1 S AMUE L. v167 armour in the temple of Apollo, if he would grant him the by the dottor's accounts, the stopping under a tree or gr'ove; victory: " But if I shall prove victorious, and Apollo the stopping on a high place; and the sacred historian's vouchsafe me the glory to strip off his armour, and carry remark, that he had his spear by him. It is certain, that it to sacred Troy, then will I suspend it in the temple of when a long pike is carried before a company of Arabs, it the far-darting Apollo." Virgil alludes to this custom in is a mark that an Arab sheik, or prince, is there, which his description of the temple, where Latinus gives audi- pike is carried before him; and when he alights, and the ence to the ambassadors of 2Eneas: horses are fastened, the pike is fixed, as appears by a story s "Multaque prweterea sacris in postibus arma," &c. in Norden.-HARMER..En. lib. vii. 1. 183. "Besides, on the. sacred doorposts, many arms, captive Ver. 18. And the king said to l)oeg, Turn thou, chariots, and crooked cimeters are suspended, helmets, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the crested plumes, and massy bars of gates, and darts, and Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, shields, and beaks torn from ships." Nor was it the cus- and slew on that day fourscore and five persons tom only to dedicate to heaven the weapons taken from an that did wear a linen ephod. enemy; when the soldier retired from the tumults of war to the bosom of his family, he frequently hung up his own arms in the temple, as a grateful acknowledgment of the were employed to execute the sentence of the law. They protection he had received, and the victories he had won. had sent In this custom, the Greeks and Romans imitated the Asiatic not then, as we have at present, public executioners; nations, and particularly the Hebrews for when David but the prince laid his commands on any of his courtiers nations, and particularly the Hebrews; for when David whom he chose, and probably selected the person for Nvoni whom he chose, and probably selected the person for wahom resigned the command of his armies to his generals, he he had the greatest favour. Gideon commanded Jether laid up his arms in the tabernacle, where they continued he had the greatest favour. Gideon commanded Jether, for several ages; and there is reason to believe his conduct his eldest son, to execute his sentence on the kinss of Midian' the king of Israel ordered the footmen whm stood in this respect, was followed by many of his companions in Midiaround: th e king of Israel ordered the footmen who soldiers arms. When Joash, one of his descendants, was crowned, arou nd him, and were p erson, to put to death of soldiests of Jeholada the high-priest, under whose care he h ad been for the defence of his person, to put to death the priests of Jehoiada the high-priest, under whose care he had been the Lord; and when they refused, Doe-, an Edo'mite, one educated, delivered to the captains of hundreds, spears, the Lord; and when they refused, Doeg, an Edomite, one and -bucklers, and shields, that had been King David's, of his principal officers. Long after the days of Saul, the which were in the house of God.-PAXTON. reigning monarch commanded Beniah, the chief captain of his armies, to perform that duty. Sometimes the chief CHAPTER XXII. magistrate executed the sentence of the law with his own -Ver. 6. When Saul heard that David was - ds;hands; for when Jether shrunk from the duty which his father required, Gideon, at that time the stp rene magiscovered, and the men that were with him, (now trate in Israel, did not hesitate to do it himself. In these Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, times such a command would be reckoned equally barbahaving his spear in his hand, and all his ser- rous and unbecoming; but the ideas which were entertained vants wLvere standinog about him.) - in those primitive ages of honour and propriety, were in many respects extremely different firom ours. In Homer, Though mean people in travelling might make use of the exasperated Ulysses commanded his son Telemachuq trees for shelter from the heat, we may perhaps think it to put to death the suiters of Penelope, which was immealmost incredible that kings should not imagine that either diately done. The custom of employing persons of high proper houses would be marked out for their reception; or rank to execute the sentence of the law, is still retained in if that could not be conveniently done in some of their the principality of Senaar, where the public executioner 1; routes, that at least they would have tents carried along one of the principal nobility; and, by virtue of his office, with them, as persons of more than ordinary rank and resides in the royal palace. —P.xToN. condition are supposed by Dr. Shaw now to do. For these C reasons we may possibly have been extremely surprised atHAPTER XXIII. that passage concerning Saul, 1 Sam. xxii. 6, Now Saul Ver. 16. And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and abode in Gibeah, under a tree in Ramah, or, according to the went to David into the wood, and strengthened muargin, under a grove in a high place, having his spear in his hand in God. his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. Yet strange as this may appear to us, it is natural enough' A passage in the Tr'avels of Pietro della Valle, which according to the present customs of the East, where we bears a strong resemblance to this part of David's history, know the solemnity and, awfulness of superiority is kept up considerably illustrates it. Speaking of his passing through as high as ever. Thyt when Dr. Pococke was travelling a forest or wood in Mazanderan, a province of Persia, into in the company of the governor of Faiume, who was which they entered on the 11th of February, and comtreated with great respect as he passed along, they passed plaining of the moisture and heaviness of the roads there, one night, he tells us, in a grove of palm-trees., The he tells us, "'We did at length master them, but with so governor might, no doubt, had he pleased, have lodged in much difficulty that we could not get forward above two some village; but he rather chose a place which we think leagues that day, and night overtook us before we got very odd for a person of figure. The position of Saul, through the forest. We endeavoured to find some place which was on a high place according to the margin; of retreat in different parts, to which the barking of dogs, reminds me of another passage of this author, where he or noise made by other animals, seemed to guide us. But gi-res us an account of the going out of the Caya, or lieu- at last, finding no inhabited place near us, we passed the tenant of the governor of Meloui, on a sort of Arab expe- night in the same forest, among the trees, under which we dltion, towards a place where there was an ancient temple, made a kind of intrenchment with our baggage, in a place attended by many people with kettledrums and other where we found many leaves that had fallen from the music: the doctor visited that temple, and upon his return trees.. These served us for a carpet and for bedding both, from it went to the caya, he says, "whose carpets and without any other tent than the branches of the great trees cushions were laid on a height, on which he sat with the there, through which the moonshine reached us, and made standard by him, which is carried before him when he a kind of pavilion of cloth of silver. There was no want goes out in this manner. I sat down with him, and coffee of wood for the making a great fire, any more than of prowas brought; the sadar himself, came after as incognito." visions for supper, which we sent for from the nearest Saul seems, by the description given, as well as by the fol- village in the forest, seated by the highway-side, where. lowing part of the history, to have been pursuing after after some contest with the people, of a savage and susDavid, and stopping, to have placed himself, according to picious temper, who were ready to come to blows with my the present oriental mode, in the posture of chief. Whether messengers, without knowing any reason why they should; the spear in his hand, or at his hand, as it might be trans- they, after coming to a right understanding with us, belated- according to Noldius, and as appears by the use of came very civil, would have lodged us, and made us that prefix in Ezek. x. 15, was the same thing to Saul's presents: but on our refusal on account of the distance of people that the standard was to those of the caya, I know the way, the chief person of the town, with other principal not: if it was, there is a third thing in this text illustrated inhabitants, came of their own accord to our camp, laden 168 1 S A MUE L. CHAP. 23-25 with good meat, and other provisions, and spent the night too, when he treated that prince with great reverence; for with us with great gayety. They even brought us a coun- "he stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself' try musician, who regaled us during supper, and all night immediately before. In the same manner, Ephruinl the;ong, with certain forest songs, in the language of the Hittite replied to the patriarch Abraham, who was at least.country, that is, of Mazanderan, where a coarse kind of his equal, more probably his superior: "'; My lord, hearken Persian is spoken, sung to the sound of a miserable violin, unto me; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; which was sufficiently tiresome."-HARMER. what is that between me and thee'." Hence David was guilty of no rudeness to Saul, in naming himself first; his Ver. 19. Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to conduct was quite agreeable to the modern ceremonial of Gibeah, sayinlg, Doth not David hide himself eastern courts, at least to that of Persia, which seems to with us in stronoholds in the wdod, in the hill have been established soon after the flood.-PAXTON. of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? Ver. 14. After whom is the king of Israel come The margin has, for south, " on the right hand." " The out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead Hebrews express the east, west, north, and south, by words dog, after a flea? which signify before, behind, left, and right,,according to the situation of a man with his face turned towards the It iS highly contemptible and provoking to compare a south." In the same way do the Hindoos speak on this man to a dead dog. Has a servant offended his master; subject, the north is shown by the left, the south by the he will say, " Stand there and be like a dead dog to me." right hand, the face being considered to be towards the east. Does a creditor press much for his mney; the debtor will When the situation of any thing is spoken of, it is always say, " Bring your bond, and then he is a dead dog to me." mentioned in connexion with the cardinal points. Often. "-I care as much for that fellow as for a dead dog." "I will when people wish to give intelligence respecting any thing, tell you what that fellow is orth; a dead dog!"-ROBERTS. they begin by asking a question which conveys the information required. Thus the situation of poor David was described by asking a question. " Have not the elephants made an end of speaking these words unto been ravaging the fields of Tamban last night." is a Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son question asked when such a circumstance h4as taken place. David And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. -ROBERTS. When a man in great sorrow is spoken of, it is said, Ver. 29. And David went up from thence, and "Ah, how he did lift up his voice and weep!" "Alas, how dwelt in strongholds at En-gedi. great is their trouble, they are all lifting up the voice." -ROBEaTS. The village of Engedi, situated in the neighbourhood of Jericho, derives its name from the Hebrew word (pr) Aiht, XXV. a fountain, and (art) a kid. It is suggested by the situation Ver. 1. And Samuel died; and all the Israelites among lofty rocks, which, overhanging the valleys, seem were gathered together, and lamented him, and to threaten the traveller with immediate destruction. A fountain of pure water rises near the summit, which the buried him in his house at Ramah. And Dainhabitants call Engedi, the fountain of the goat, because vid arose,' and went down to the wilderness of it is hardly accessible to any other creature.-PAxToN, Paran. CHAPTER XXIV. While walking out one evening, a few fields' distance Ver. 8. And when Saul looked behind him, Da- from Deir el Kaner, with Hanna Doomani, the son of ~vid stooped Twith his face to the earth, and my host, to see a detached garden belonging to his father, bowed himself, he pointed out to me, near it, a small solid stone building, apparently a house; very solemnly adding, " Kabbar beity," "Some time after this, the ambassador had his public tle sepulchre of our family. It had neither door nor window. He then directed my attention to'a considerable audience, when we saw the king in great splendour: he number of similar buildings, at a distance; which to the was decked in all his jewels, with his crown on his head, eye are exactly like houses, but which are in fact family his bazubends or armlets on his arms, seated on his throne. eye are exactly like houses, but which are in fact faily We approached him, bowing after our own manner; but mansions for the dead. Perhaps this custom may hare the Persians bowed as David did to Saul, who stooped wit been of great antiquity; and may serve to explain some his face to the earth, and bowed himself. I Sam. xxiv. 8. scripture phrases. The prophet Samuel was buried in Tat is, not touchingthe earth withe face, ut bowing his house at Ramah: it could hardly have been his dwellW iat is, not tuching S~he eath with t'i~e fce, ~ut bowinginghouse, compare 1 Kings ii. 34, Job xxx.-23. Possibly with their bodies at right angles, the hands placed on the, copare 1 Kins ii. 34, Job xxx. 23. Possibly knees, and the legs somewhat asunder. It is only on also the passages in Prov. ii. 18, 19, and vii. 27, and ix. 18, remarkable occasions that the prostration of the Rouee describing the house ofa wantonwoman, may have drawn remarkable occasions that the prostration of the Rouee Zemeen, the face to the earth, is made, which must be the their imagery from this custom.-JowETT. falling upon the face to the earth, and worshipping as and greet him in my name. Ver. 5. Go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. Joshua did."-MoRIEa. Job xxix. 8. The aged arose and stood up. Ver. 12. The LORD judge between me and thee, Acts xxviii. 10. Who also honoured me with and the LORD avenge me of thee: but my hand many honours. shall not be upon thee. In the Old and New Testaments we have some striking The attitudes and expression of respect, which the rules examples of what may be termed good-breeding. Look at of good-breeding require from the Oriental, are far more the patriarchs and others in their renunciation of self, their diversified and servile than ours; vet he uses a freedom anxiety to please, to show respect to the aged. and learned, with his equals, and even with persons of superior condi- the dignified, or those of the sacerdotal character; listen to tion, which we are uniformly taught to regard as im- their affecting eulogies and their touching appeals, and proper. It is reckoned amongus a sure mark of vulgarity, then say, have we not in them some of the most pleasing in any person to mention his own name before that of his instances of gentility and good-breedinrg On their great equal; and an instance of great arrogance to name himself anniversary festivals, the Hindoos always send to " greet" Defore his superior; but in the East, it is quite customary each other. Has a son or daughter got married; has a for the speaker to name himself first. This was also the "male child" been born; has prosperity attended the rnerhabitual practice in Israel, and quite consistent with their chant in his pursuits; does a traveller pass through a town notions of good-breeding: for David, who had been long or village where some of his friends or acquaintances reat the court of Saul, and could be no stranger to the rules side:- then, those concerned send greeting expressive of of good manners, addressed his sovereign in these words: their joy, and best wishes for future prosperity. See them " The Lord judge between me and thee;" and this at a time on receiving company. A servant, or friend, stands at thb CHAP. 25. 1 SAMUEL. 169 gate to watch for the approach of the guests,. and to give formed her, that the stranger whom she descried at a disnotice to the master of the house. When they appl ach tance in the field, was his master; and that Naaman, the the premises the host goes out to meet them, and bow. -and Syrian grandee, alighted from his chariot, at the approach expresses his joy at seeing them; he then puts his arm wver of Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.-PAXTON. their shoulders, or takes them by the hand, and conlucts them into the house. When they retire also, he always Ver. 29. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and accompanies them to the gate, and expresses the great joy to seek tky soul: but the soul of my lord shall he has had in their company. Before people take their be bound in the bundle of life with the LO food they always wash their hands, feet, and mouth; and when they sit down, they take their places according to rank thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them and seniority. Should any man presume to sit down "in shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a the highest" place when he has not a title to it, he will be sling. sure (as in the parable) to hear the master say to him, in ng respect to "a more honourable man." "Give this man Any thing which is important or valuable is called a place;" and then, " with shame," he will be compelled " to kattu, i. e. "a bundle, a pack, a bale." A young man who take thelowest" place. In supplying the guests, the chief is enamoured of a female, is said to be " bound up in the person present is always served the first, and generally by katts, bundle, of love." Of a just judge the people say, " He the hands of the host himself. They are also particular is bound up in the bundle of justice." When a man is very. as to the order of serving up their viands and condiments; strict in reference to his caste, " he is bound up in the bunto set on the table certain articles first would be there con- die of high caste." When a person is spoken to respecting sidered as much out of place as it is in England to set on the vanities or impurities of his system, he often replies, the dessert before the more substantial dishes. Epicures at "Talk not to me, I am bound up in the bundle of my relihome would smile, and pout the lip, at the vegetable feast gion." "Why do those people act so.-Because they are of a Saiva.man. His first course consists of pulse, green bound up in the bundle of desire." David, therefore, was gram, rice, and ghee,.or butter; the second, of numerous to be bound up in the bundle of life-nothing was to harm curries, and. -ickles made of half-ripe fruits, vegetables, him.-ROBERTS. and spices: the third, an acid kind of broth; the fourth, curds, honey, and rice; the fifth, a rich supply of mellow Ver. 35. So David received of her hand that fruits. From this humble repast the guests arise with more which she had brought him, and said unto her, pleasure and at less expense of health, than the luxurious Go up in peace to thy house: see, I have hearkEnglishman does from his half-medicated meal, to which science is now the footman, and a few French terms its ened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. fashionable vocabulary. When the visiters have taken what theyirequire, the principal person arises from his seat, Does a person ask a favour of his superior; it will not and all present follow his example.-ROBERTs. be, in general, said in reply, " I grant your request;" or, "You shall have your desire:" but, Nan snL maggatti partVTer. 10. And Nabal answered David's servants tain,'; I have seen thy face." Has a man greatly offended and said, Who is David? and who is the son another, and does he plead for mercy; the person to whomn offence has been given will say, "I have seen thy face;" of Jesse? There be many servants now-a-days which means, that he is pardoned. Should a friend inthat break away every man from his master. quire, "Well, what punishment do you intend to inflict on that fellow 2" he will reply, "I have seen his face." In ap-When a man has gained some ascendency over others, plying &r help, should there be a denial, the applicant will or when he assumes authority which is offensive to some ask, In whose face shall I now look!" When a man one present, it will be inquired, by way of contempt, as has nearly lost all hope, he says, "For the sake of the Nabal did respecting David, " Who is he. and whose son face of God grant me my request."-RoBERTS. is he 2-ROBERTS. Ver. 16. They wvere a wall unto us, both by Ver. 36. And Abigail came to Nabal; and, benioght and day, all the while we were with them hold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast keeping the sheep.'of a king: and Nabal's heart qvas merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she This was said of David and his men, who had been kind told him nothing, less or more, until the mornunto the servants of Nabal, and had probably been a defence to them while they had been in the wilderness tending their sheep. And the same figure is also used among us, in ref- Sheep-shearinis an operation to which allusion is more erence to those who have been a defence to others. " Ah frequently made in the sacred volume The wool in very my iend; you have been a mathil, i. e. a wall, unto me." remote times was!not shorn with an iron instrument, but "Alas! mv wall is fallen," nmeans, the friend is dead, or be- plucked off with the hand. From the concurrent testicome wealk. " What care I for that jackal 2 I have aood mony of several writers, the time when it is performed in all before Palestine, falls in the month of March. If this bealadV er. 23. And wzvhen Abigail saw David, she hasted, mitted,it fixes the time of the year when Jacob departeft from Laban on his return to his father's house, for he left and lighted off'the ass, and fell before David on him at the time he went to shear his sheep. In like manher face, and bowed herself to the ground. ner, the sheep of Nabal were shorn in the spring; for among the presents which Abigail made to David, five A rider was expected to dismount, when he met a person measures of parched corn are mentioned. But we know, of more elevated rank. Under the influence of this ancient from other passages of scripture, that they were ac.uscustom, the Egyptians dismount from their asses, when tomed to use parched corn when it was full grown, but they approach the tombs of their departed saints; and both not ripe; for the people of Israel were commanded in the Christians and Jews are obliged to submit to the same 9er- law not to eat parched corn nor green ears, until the self- emony. Christians in that country must also dismount same day they had made an offering to the Lord. This wk.-n they happen to meet with officers of the army. In time seems to have been spent by the eastern swains, in Palestine, the Jews, who are not permitted to ride on horse- more than usual hilarity. And it may be inferred fromn back, are compelled to dismount from their asses and pass several hints in the scriptures, that the wealthier proprietors by a Mohamimedan on foot. This explains the reason that invited their friends and dependants to sumptuous entertainAchsah, the daughter of Caleb, and Abigail the wife of ments. Nabal, on that joyous occasion, which the servants Nabal, alighted from their asses; it was a mark of respect of David called a good, or festive day, although a churlish which the former owed to her father, and the latter to Da- and niggardly man, "held a feast in his house, like the vid, a person of high rank and growing renown. It was feast of a king;" and on a similar occasion, Absalom treat. undoubtedly for the same reason, that Rebecca alighted ed his friends and relations in the same magnificent style from the camel on which she rode, when the servant in- ishe modern Arabs are more frugal and parsimonious; 22 170 1 SAMUEL.' CHAP, 26. yet their hearts, so little accustomed to expand wial joyous Thus did Saul sleep, with his head on the bolster, and feelings, acknowledge the powerful influence of increasing a vessel of water by his side; and in this way do all eastwealth, and dispose them to indulge in greater jollity than ern travellers sleep at this day. The bolster is round, about usual. On these occasions, they perhaps kill a lamb, or a eight inches in diameter, and twenty in length. In travelgoat, and treat their relations and friends; and at once to ling, it is carried rolled up in the mat on which:he owner testify their respect for their guests, and add to the luxury sleeps. In a hot climate, a draught of water is very reof the feast, crown the festive board with new cheese and freshing in the night; hence a vessel filled with water is milk, dates and honey.-PAXTON. always near where a person sleeps.-ROBERTS. Ver. 41. Anrd she arose, and bowed herself on Ver. 13. Then David went over to the other side, her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy and stood on the top of a hill affir off, a great handmaid, be a servant to wash the feet of the space being between them: 14. And David servants of my lord. cried to the people, and to Abner the son of The necessity for washing the feet in the East has been Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then attributed to their wearing sandals; but it is very requisite, Abner answered and said, Who art thou that according to Sir John Chardin, let the covering of the feet criest to the king? be of what kind it will. " Those that travel in the hot. countries of the East," he tells us, " such as Arabia is, be- The establishment of a colony of Jews in Abyssinia, is gin, at their arriving at the end of their journey, with pull-. an event sufficiently vouched for by history; and among ing off the coverings of their feet. The sweat and the dust, other things, it has had the effect of preserving in that which penetrate all sorts of coverings for the feet, produce country many usages of the Jews of Judea, traces of which a filth there, which excites a very troublesome itching. we find in'the historical books of scripture. The remote And though the eastern people are extremely careful to situation of this country, with our very imperfect knowlpreserve the body neat, it is more for refreshment than edge of it, has rendered what evidence it furnishes obscure, cleanliness, that they wash their feet at the close of their and consequently feeble: nevertheless we find, occasionally, journey." instances of such close conformity with scripture inciAccording to D'Arvieux, the little yellow morocco boots, dents, that their resemblance strikes even the least obserworn by the Arabs, which are made very light, so as that vant. This has been stated in strong terms by Mr. Salt, they may walk in them afoot, and even runin them, are cue of our latest travellers, into Abyssinia; and has been yet so tight as not to be penetrated by water; but none of found not less remarkable by iMr. Pearce, who resided the eastern coverings for the foot, it seems, can guard there,everal years. It will be elucidated by the following against the dust; consequently this custom of washing the extracts, which scarcely admit of additional remarks. feet is not to be merely ascribed to their use of sandals; "' hile the army -emained encamped on this spot, Mr. a circumstance that has not, I think, been attended to, and Pearce went out on an excursion with Badjerund Tesfos which therefore claims our notice.-HIRMER. and Shalaka Lafsgee, and others o''lhe Rash people, for the purpose of carrying off some cattle which were known CHAPTER XXVI. to be secreted in the neighbourhood. In this object the Ver. 5. And David rose, and came to the place party succeeded, getting possession of more than three where Saul had pitched; and David beheld the hundred oxen; but this was effected with very considerable loss, owing to a stratagem put in practice by Guebra place where Saudl lay, and Abner the son of Guro, and about fourteen of his best marksmen, who had Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in placed themselves in a recumbent position on the overthe trench, and the people pitched round about hanging brow of a rock, which was completely inaccessihim. ble, whence they picked off every man that approached within musketshot. At one time Mr. Pearce was so near to this dangerous position, that he could understand every The endcamndments of Israel i n C anaan s eem to have word said by Guebra Guro to his companions; and he been opened eand ungarded on aull hsides. Whekn David ren- distinctly heard him ordering his men not to shoot at either onnoitred the camp of Saul, the king " lay in the trench, him (Mr. Pearce) or Ayto Tesfos, calling out to them at and all the people pitched round about him." The Hebrew e t the same time with a strange sort of savage politeness, to term ntag never signifies a ditch and rampart, as our keep out of the range of his matchlocks, as he was anxious translators seem to have understood it, but a chariot or wag- that no harm sho ld personally happen to them; addresson way, or highway, or the rut of a wheel' in the ground. in them very kindly by the appellation of friends. On Nor is it to be understood of a ring of carriages, as the mar- ing this incident to me, Iwas instantly ginal reading seems to suppose, and as Buxtorf interprets, einal reading steems nto sppose, and as Buxtorf interprets struck with its similarity to some of the stories recorded in the word; for it is not probable that Saul wc'ld encumber the Old Testament, particularly that of David,'standing his army with baggage in so'rapid a pursuit, nor that so the top of a ill afar off, and crying to the people and mountainous acutywspatcbefrvgo.Iton the top of a hill afar off, and crying to the people and mountainous a country was practicable for wagons. It to Abner at the mouth of the cave, Answerest thou not, seems then simply to mean, the circle these troops formed, Abner the pear is, t Abner? and now see where the king's s a nd the in the midst of which, as being the place of honour, Saul e of water at his bolster.' The reader conversant in reposed. An Arab camp is always circular, when the dis-cruse of water at his bolster.' The reader conversant in reposed. An Arab camp is always circular, when the dii-'scripture cannot fail, I conceive, to mark, in the course of positions of the ground will permit, the chieftain being in scripture cannot fail, I conceive, to mark, in the course of the middle, and the troops at a respectable distance around outis narrative the manners of this people n those of the himn. Their lances are fixed near them in the ground, all the day lo, ready for action. This as precisely the Jews previously to the reign of Solomon; at which pethe day long, ready for. action. This Was precisely the ZD form and arrangement of Saul's camp, as described by the riod the connexions entered into by the latter with forform and arrangement ofSaul's camp, as described by the ei-n princes, and the luxuries consequently introduced, sacred historian. As it is a universal custom in the East n princes, and the luxuries consequently introduced, seem in a great measure to have altered the Jewish charto make the great meal at night, and consequently to fall seem Fo a great my own part, I confess, that I was so much into a deep sleep immediately after it, a handful of resolute ster. For my own parity- b etween the tat I was so much men alight easily beat up a camp of many resolutes. This struck with the similarity between the two nations, during men might easily beat up a camp of many thousands. This y in Abyssinia, that I could not help facying eircumstance undoubtedly facilitated the decisive victory stay in Abyssinia, that I was dwelling among the Israeltes, ancying at which Gideon obtained over the combined forces of Midian. imes that I was dwelling among the Israelites, and that I -- ~~~~~PAxN:~~TONhad fallen back some thousand years upon a period when the king himself was a shepherd, and the princes of the land went out, riding on mules, with spears and slings, to Ver. 11. The LORD forbid that I should stretch combat against the Philistines. It will be scarcely necesforth my hand against the LORD'S anointed;.sary for me to observe, that the feelings of the Abyssinbuit I pray thee, take thou now the spear that ians towards the Galla partake of the same inveterate spirit is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let of animoes wit ch aprepeard to t have inhuencesti le nIsrae I its go. CALMET.. CHAP. 27. 1 SAMUEL. 7. Ver. 19. If the LORD have stirred thee up against CHAPTER XXVII. me, let him accept an offering. Ver. 2. And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And The Hebrew has, for accept, " smell." Valuable gifts Achish said to David, Thereford will I make are said to have a pleasant smell. A man, also, of great property, "has an agreeable smell." " Why are you keeper of my head for eer. taking this small present to the great man 2 it has not a goodslllm ell." "Alas! I have been with my gifts to the The head is always spoken of as the principal part of the Modelian, but he will not smell of them;" which means, he body, and when a man places great confidence in another, will not accept them.i-Ron ERTS. he says, " I will make him the keeper of my life or head." An injured man expostulating with'another, to whom he has been kind, asks, " Why is this? have I not been the Ver. 20. Now therefo're, let not my blood fall to keeper of your life." A good brother is called, "the lifethe earth before the face of the LORD: for the keeping brother." But any thing valuable also is spoken king of' Israel is come out" to seek a flea, as of as being on the head.-RoBERTS. when one doth hunt a partridge in the mount- Ver. 10. And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to-day? And David said, Against the Thus did David compare himself to a flea, to show his south of Judah, and against the south of the in.significance before the king. When a man of rank de- Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the votes his time and talents to the acquirement of any thing Kenites. which is not of much value, it is asked,," Why does he trouble himself so much about a flea 2" In asking a favour, After the expedition was over, David returns to Achish, should it be denied, it will be said, " Ah! my lord, this is and upon being asked where he had made his incursion, as a flea to, you." "Our head man gave me this ring the David answers: Against the south of Judah, and against other day, but now he wishes to have it again; what is this 2 the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the it is but'a flea." When poor relations are troublesome, Kenites. Mr. Bayle, not with extreme good manners, calls the rich say, " As the flea bites the long-haired dog, so are this A LIE. But, with his leave, the answer was literally you always biting me." Should an opulent man be redu- true, but ambiguous; for all those people dwelt on the ced to poverty his FRIENDS forsake him, and the people say, south of Judah, &c. Achish, through self-partiality, under"Yes, the same day the dog dies the fleas leave him."- stood the answer to mean, that the incursion was made on P OBERTS. the southern borders of Judah, the Jerahmeelites and Kenites We find only two allusions to the partridge in the holy themselves, though David asserted no such'thing. David scriptures. The first occurs in the history of David, where therefore was not guilty of any falsity; and if he was in lie expostulates with Saul concerninghis unjust and foolish any thing to blame, it was for giving an ambiguous answer pursuit: " The king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as to a question to which he was not obliged to give any direct when one doth hunt a partridge on the mountains." The reply. Mr. Bayle says, "This conduct was very unjustiother in the prophecies of Jeremiah: "As the partridge sit- fiable, in that he deceived a king to whom he had ob.igateth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, tions." But David's answer was not such as necessarily and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, to impose on Achish, and therefore it may be as truly said, and at his end shall be a fool." The Hebrew name for the that Achish put a deceit upon himself, as that David departridge is (Nn'p) core, from the verb /ara to cry, a name ceived him. I allow he intended to conceal from Achish saggested by the harsh note of that bird. Bochart indeed who the people were that he invaded, and this he did, not dehies that koie signifies the partridgei he thinks the by a lie, but by an answer true in fact. The precise deterwoodcock is intended, because the kore of which David mined truth was, that he had made an incursion on the speaks in the first quotation, is a mountain bird. But that south of Judah and the Kenites. The Amalekes dwelt excellent writer did not recollect that a species of partridge on the south of Judah, and the Kenites lived intermingled actually inhabits the mountains, and by consequence his with them, till they removed by Saul's order, when be was argument is of no force. Nor is the opinion of others more sent to destroy the Amalekites, and probably returned to tenable, that the kore hatches the eggs of a stranger, because their former dwellings, after that expedition was over. It Jeremiah observes, " she sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them is certain at least, that they were much in the same situanot;"for the passage only means, that the partridge often tion as before; viz. on the south of Judah, and at no great fails in her attempts to bring forth her young. To such distance from the country of the Amalekites; and therefore disappointments she is greatly exposed from the position of Achish might as reasonably have understood David's anher nest in the ground, where her eggs are often spoiled by swer to mean, that he invaded the Amalekites and neighwet, or crushed by the foot. The manner in which the bouring hordes, who dwelt beyond the south parts of Judah, Arabs hunt the partridge and other birds, affords an excel- as that he invaded the southern parts of the very country lent conmment on the complaint of David to his cruel and *of Judah. For the original words will equally bear this unrelenting sovereign; for observinig that they become double version: against the'country south of Judah, &c. languid and fatigued after they have been hastily put up and, against the south country of Judah. If Achish took two or three times, they immediately run in upon them and David in a wrong sense, I do not see that David, in his cirknock them down with their bludgeons. It was precisely cumstances, was obliged to undeceive him. For as he in this manner that Saul hunted David; he came suddenly had done Achish no injury in the expedition against the upon him, and from time to time'drove him from his hiding- Amalekites, &c. so neither did he, in permitting him quiplaces, hoping at last to make him weary of' life, and find etly to impose on himself. Whereas, had he convinced an opportunity of effecting his destruction. When the Achish of his mistake, he would have endangered his own prophet says the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth life, and the destruction of all his people. The greatest them not, the male seems to be understood; because both and best casuists have allowed, that ambiguous answers the verbs are masculine, and the verb yalad in the mascu- are not always criminal, but sometimes justifiable, and parline gender cannot simnify to lay eggs. The red partridges ticularly in the critical situation in which David now was. of France, says Buffon, appear to differ from the red par- Thus Grotius: " When any word, or sentence, admits of trid-es of Egypt; because the Egyptian priests chose for -more significations than one, whether from. common use, or the emblem. of a. well-regulated family, two partridges, the the custom of art, or by any intelligible figure; and if the one male, the other female, sitting or brooding together. sense of one's own mind agrees to any one of these interAndt by the text in Jeremiah, it seems that in Judea the pretations, it is no lie, though we should have -reason to male partridge sat as well as the female. But while the think, that he who hears us should take it in the other. incubation of other birds, which are by no means so atten- Such a manner of speaking should not be used rashly; but tive, is generally crowned with success, the hopes of the it may be justified by antecedent causes; as when it is par-tridges are frequently disappointed by circumstances for the instruction of him who is committed to our care, or already noticed, which she can neither see nor prevent.- when it is to avoid an unjust interrogation; i. e. as GronoPAx'rON. vius eplains it, such an interrogation, which, if we gave i72 1 SAMUEL. CIAP. 28, a simple plain answer to, would hazard our own safety, or me to the camp; his troops being now increased by a party that of other innocent persons." Of this sentiment were fromthe tribe of Manasseh. David answered him: ThereSocrates, Plato, Xenophon, Cicero, the Stoics, Aristotle, fore thou shalt know what thy servant will do; i. e. as.uintilian, and others mentionedby Grotius; and it may some interpret the words: Achish met with a cheerful De reasonably expected, that those who condemn David compliance from David; and Mr. Bayle affirms, that it for his ambiguous answers to Achish, should fairly prove, was not owing to David, that he did not fight under the that they are in their nature, and therefore always, crimi- standard of this Philistine prince, against the Israelites, in nal; or in what fircumstances they are so; or that there is the unhappy war wherein Saul perished; or, as he further somewhat in this answer of David that peculiarly renders says, that when the Philistines had assembled their forces, it so. Mr. Bayle thinks he says something very considera- David and hisbrave ad venturers joined the army of Achich, ble, vhen he says, "that he deceived a king to whom he and would have fought like lions against their brethren, if had obligations; others charge him with ingratitude, be- the suspicious Philistines had not forced Achish to discause he deceived his patron and benefactor." This would miss them. I am extremely glad, however, that the prinbe an objection of some weight, if it could be proved that he ces of the Philistines, who may reasonably be supposed to deceived him to his real injury or that of his country. But know as much of David's dispositions and views as any this, as hath been shown, cannot be proved. A man may modern writers can do, were of a- quite different opinion lawfully conceal his sentiments, on some occasions, even from Mr. Bayle and his followers; who instead of believfrom a real friend and benefactor, who asks him questions, ing with Achish and Mr. Bayle, that David would have which, if clearly answered, may be prejudicial to his in- been so very fierce against his own people, made no doubt terest. but he would have fought like a lion, or a tiger, against But he had obligations to Achish, who was his patron Achish and the Philistines. And indeed David's answer and benefactor. What were these great obligations, and to Achish implies nothing like a cheerful compliance with in what respects was Achish a benefactor to David 3 Why, him, to engage with his forces against his own people. he allowed him, and his followers, a safe retreat into his Achish did not directly ask this, and therefore David had country from the persecutions of Saul, for about sixteen no occasion to make the promise. The demand was only months; first, at Gath his capital, and soon after, upon that he would go to the camp. And the answer was, that David's request, at Ziglag. But with what view did he would there make Achish witness to his coiduct. But Achish allow him this retreat 3 Not with the noble gener- this was so far from promising that he would employ his ous view of giving refuge to a brave man, ungratefully men, as Achish promised himself, as that it seems rather persecuted, and driven into exile by the unrelenting mal- to imply a kind of denial; and would appear, I believe, ice of an arbitrary prince; but merely from political mer- very unsatisfactory to most persons in like circumstances: cenary considerations; to detach so great a general, and " You shall see what I will do. I make no promise, but I so brave a body of soldiers; from the interest of their coun- will go with you to the camp, where you yourself will be try, and to prevent their joining with the Hebrew army in judge of my conduct." An evidently cold and evasive the defence of it, against that invasion which the Philistines answer. were now meditating, and to engage him in actual hostili- Thus far there appears to be nothing blameable in David's ties with his own nation, that he might make him and conduct, and it is worthy of observation, that David's going them perpetual and irreconcilable enemies to each other. to the camp was not his own forward officious proposal to This appears from what Achish said, either to himself, or Achish, butthe orderof Achish to him, whichhewasnotthen some of the Philistine princes, upon the invasion of the in circumstances to dispute, and which, in his'situation, he Geshurites, &c. He hath made his people Israel utterly was forced to obey; and therefore it is not true, that David to abhor him, therefore he shall be my servant for ever. voluntarily offered his assistance against Saul and the HeBoth Achish and David seem to have acted merely upon brews, tothePhilistinearmy. Ifhewasinar~ythingtoblame, political principles in this affair, and their obligations to it was for throwing himself in the power of the Philistines. each other to be pretty equal. David fled for protection to But he thought that this was the only method left him for Achish, but with no design to assist him against the He- the preservation of his life from the power and malice of brews. kchish received David, not out of any love and Saul, who was therefore in reality responsible for David's friendshp to him, but to serve himself, by engaging David conduct in this instance, and the real cause of that embar-'and his forces against the Hebrews, and thereby to put him rassment, in which he now unhappily found himself. His under a necessity of continuing in his service for ever. situation was undoubtedly very delicate and difficult, and They both appear to act with great confidence in each it hath been thought impossible for him to have performed other, without either letting the other into their secret and an honourable part, let him have acted how he would; and real views; and therefore as Achish was under no obliga- that in his circumstances, he would not have deserved a tion to David for his retiring to Gath, David was really much better character, had he betrayed- his benefactor for under as little to Achish for the reception he gave him; the sake of his country, than he would, had he betrayed his for as David would not have put himself under his pro- country for the sake of his benefactor. But it hath been tection,'but to serve his own purposes; so neither would shown, that David owed Achish little thanks for the refuge Achish have received him, had he not had his own views he gave him, and that his debt of gratitude on this account of advantage in doing it. David's deceiving Achish there- was too small, to.prevent him from exerting himself in his fore received no aggravation from anyingratitude in David country's service, whenever he had an opportunity. But towards him; but the shelter Achish gave him was upon supposing his obligations to Achish were real, yet surely the mean, dishonourable, perfidious principle, of making the affection. and duty he owed his country were infinitely David a detestable traitorto his king and country.-CHlAN- superior to any demands of friendship and gratitude that LER. Achish could have upon him. I will therefore suppose that David was reduced to the necessity of acting contrary ~CHAPTER XXVIII. ~ to the gratitude he owed Achish, or the natural affection Ver. I. And it came to pass in those days, that the and duty he owed his country. And can there be a moPhilistines gfathered their armies together for ment's doubt, whether private affection should not give warfare, to fight with srael. And Achish said place.to public 3 Or, whether one particular accidenwarfare, to fio-ht with Israel. And Achish said tal obligation to the avowed enemy of a man's country, and unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou that greatly lessened by political views of interest in him shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy. who conferred it, should not yield to innumerable obligamen. And David said to Achish Surely tions, arising out of nature, constant and immutable, and men. 2. And David said to Achish. Surely thou shalt ow hat th servant ca do. And which to counteract would argue the most detestable basehess, perfidy, and iniquity? H lad David therefore been A~hish said to David, Therefore will I make reduced to the hard necessity of fighting against Achish, or thee keeper of my head for ever. his country, though the alternative would have been grating to a generous mind; yet his preferring his duty, which Soon after these transactions, while David yet remained he owed to his country, to his personal obligations to in the territories of the Philistines, they formed their army Achish, was right in itself, would have been truly heroic, to invade the Hebrews, when Aehish said to David: anddeserved immortal applause and commendation. Such Know thou assuredly, that thou and thy men shall go with was the virtue of the ancient Romans, that they wotn-nld CHAP. 28. 1 S AMUE L. i nave sacrificed the love of father, son, brother, the nearest up Samuel; 12. And when the woman saw relations by blood and affinity, the obligations of frlend- Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the ship, and even life itself, to their affection to their country. And would they have scrupled, or thought it dishonour- woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou able, to have sacfificed some personal obligations to an deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13. And the avowed enemy of it, when such sacrifice was necessary to kingo said unto her, Be not afraid: for' what its preservation and safety. sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, But it is possible, that if David had continued with the Philistine army, he might not have been reduced to tase' I saw gods ascending out of the earth. necessity of employing his arms against either his country, ow long th profession of neromancy, or the art kIow long thd profession of necromancy, or the art of or the Philistines. May we not suppose, that before the or the Philistines. May we not suppose, that before the raising up the dead, in order to pry into future events, or engagement,'David rmight have proposed terms of peace, to be informed of the fate of the living, has obtained in the in order to prevent it!. Might he'hot have told Achish, in order to prevent it Might he hot have told Achish, world, we have no indications from history. We perceive that notwithstanding his personal obligations to him, he n that notwithstanding his personal obligations to him, he footsteps of it in the ages before the flood, and yet it is had none to the Philistines in general, and therefoe could strange that a people, abahdoned to all kind of wickedness not stand still, and see his countrymen destroyed by the n ae, chesls a f isbto in a manner, could keep themselves clear of this; but our' Philistine forces I That unless they would give over the account of these times is very short. The first express expedition, he should think himself obliged to join the army mention that we meet with of magicians and sorcerers is of Saul, and do his utmost to prevent their destruction almost in the beginning of the ook of Exodushere almst n he eginig of the book of Exodus,?hr And w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~lold ino thihae beenacing ike a ma ofhonore And would not this have been acting like a man of honour, Moses is soliciting the deliverance of the children of Israel a lover of' his country, and been consistent with any grati- t of Egypt; and therefore Egypt, which affected to be out of Egypt; and therefore Egypt, Which affected to be tude that he owed to Achish for his protection I This, I the mother of most occult sciences, is supposed to have been think, I may safely affirm, that it is in all views of policy the inventress of this. From Egyptit spread itself into the'impossible that, as Mr. Bayle asserts', he could have fought impossible that, as iMr. Bayle asserts', he could have fought neighbouring countries, and soon infected all the East; for, under the standard of the Philistine princes against the as it ndertoo to gratify man's inquisitiveness and superIsraelites. For as he had in immediate view the throne of stitious curiosity, it could not long want ahetters. From stitious curiosity, it could not long want abetters. From israel, had he fought in the Philistine army against his Israel, had he foght in the Philistine army against his Egypt, it is certain that the Israelites brought along with own nation, it must have irritated all the tribes of Israel them no small inclination to these detestable practices, and against him, and according as Achish wished, made all his were but too much addicted to them, notithstandin all were but too much addicted to them, notwithstanding all people abhor'him for ever; whereby he would have cut n people abhor him for ever; whereby he would have cut the care that the state had taken to suppress them, and the off every possible prospect of succeeding to the crown. provision which Gd had made, by establishing a method provision which God had made, by establishing a method But David was too prudent a man to take such a step, and f consultinghim, to prevent their hanerin after them. of consulting. him, to prevent their hankering after them. if Achish endeavoured, by forcing him into his camp, to The injunction of thelaw is very express:-" When thou ensnare and ruin him with his own nation; as he well art come into the land'which the Lord thy God giveth thee, knew the intention of Achish, he had a right to guard thou shalt not earn to do after the abominations of those thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those against it, to counteract policy by policy, and though nations. There shall not be found among you any that nations. There shall -not be found among you any that obliged to give an answer, to give him such a one, as eth divinationor an observer of times, or an enchapter, useth divi-nation.,or an observer of times, or an enchanter, should leave himself at liberty to act as prudence and duty or a witch, or charmer, pr a consulter with familiar or a witch, or a charmer, pr a'consulter with familiar should direct him. And finally, had he turned his arms hould direct him. And finaly, had he ued his arms spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer; for all that dc against the Philistines, he might have shown his gratitude these things are an abomination tothe Lord." And thereto Achish, without injuring his country, by affordin.g him fore their punishment was this:- A man or a oman that fore their punishment was this:-" A man or a woman that protection in his turn, and securing hlis person, and the hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put lives of many of his people, had the Israelites been victo- to death: theyshall stone them with stones, their blood sall to death: they shall stone them with stones, their blood shall rious in the engagement. However, Achish bad such an 1 rious inthe engagement. However, Achish had such an be Upon them." Nor was it onlythe practiseis of such vile opinion of his interest in David's friendship, that he took his arts but those likeise that resorted to them pon an ocsarts' but those likewise that resorted to them upon any ocanswer in good part, and concluding that he was entirely casin, that were liable to the same punishment; for "the gained over to his interest, and the more effectually to se- soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and cure and encourage him, promises him: " I will make you cure and encourage him, promises him: "I will make after wizards, to go a-whoring after them, I will even set keeper of my head for ever:" you shall be alw:ays near my face against that soul, and will cut him off from' among me, and have the charge of my pe-npon. David made no his people, saith the~Lord." Such was the severity of the reply, but kept himself entirely up6h the reserve, without Jewishlws agins those ho either practised or encourJewish laws against those who either practised or ericourdisclosing the real sentiments of his mind. He followed aged any manner of magicalarts; n it must be said in aged any manner of magical arts; and it, must be said in Achish with his forces, who marched into the territories Saul's commendation, that he had put the laws in exeSul' c mendation, that he had put the laws in execuof the Hebrews, and encamped at Shunei, in the tribe of tion against suchile people; he had destroyed and drove with~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~o againsostht such- vile people; he bad destroyed and drov Naphtali; while Saul, with his army, pitched their tents away those that had familiar spirits, and the izards out on~~~~~~~~~~~~~~aa thoehtha famoua siis, aondteaizars ofuibo.CANLR on the famous niountains of Gilboa. —CANlDLEa. of the land; and yet, (observe the weakness as well as wickednessof the man!) when himself fell into distress, Ver. 7. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek and had abundant reason to believe that God had forsaken mre a wvoman that hath a, familiar spirit, that I him, he flees to one of these creatures for relief, and remay go to hertand inquire of- her. And sr his quests of her to raise up his old friend Samuel, as expecting, may g-o to her, —and inquire of -her. And: his q servants said to him, Behold, these is a woman very probably, some advice from him: but, whether this was really done or not, or, if done, in what manner it was that hath a familiar spirit at En-dor. 8. And effected, are points that have so much exercised the heads Saul disguised himself, and put on other rai- andpens, both of ancient and modern, both of Jewish and met, and he went, hd two men with him, ad Christian writers, that little or nothing new can be said merit, and he, went,:'hd two men with him, and the woan by.niht; and he sad upon them; and therefore all that I shall endeavour to de, they came to thew anbihtadhe will be, to reduce their several sentiments into as narrow a I plray thee, divine unto:me by the familiar compass, and to state them in as fair a light, as I can, by spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name inquiring into these three particulars ~n''' -.., I me I. Whether there was a real apparition. unto thee. 9. And the woman said unto him,. hether there was a real apparition. 2. What this apparition (if real) was; and, Beh~ld, thou knowest. what Saul hath done, 3. By what means, and for what purposes, it was eftlected. how he hath cut off those that have familiar 1. It cannot bedenied, indeed, but that those who explode spirits, and the wizards, outof the land: were- the reality of the apparition, and make it to be all nothing spirits, and the wizards, out~of the land,:: wherebut a ch~ ea an ugeof the' sorceress, have found out fore then layest thou a snare for my life, to but acheat and juggeof the sorceress, have found o some arguments that, at first sight, make a tolerable ap cause me to die? 10. And Saul sware to her pearance. They tell us: that the sacred hlstory never once by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there makes mention of Saul's seeing Samuel with his own eyes shall no punishment happen, to thee for this It informs us, indeed, that Saul knew him by the descrip. tion W. hich', the. womn gave, and ta ehlfrsm thing. 11. Then said the woman, Whom shall in hich the woman gave, and that he held, for considerable time a conversation with him; but since it is I bring up unto thee? Aid he said, Bring me nowhere said that he really saw him, "why might not tle J74 1 SAMUEL. CIIAP, 28, woman couiterfeit a voice, say they, and pretend it was after such severe menaces as he now received from the apSamuel's. When Saul asked her to raise him up Samuel, parition, prudence, one would think, would have put him i. e. to disturb the ghost of so great a prophet, she might upon providing for his safety, either by chicaning with the think he was no common man; and when he swore unto enemy, or retiring from the field of battle, without going her by the Lord, that he would defend her from all danger, to expose himself, his sons, and his whole army, to certain he gave her intimation enough that he was the king. The and inevitable death. These are things which no human crafty woman therefore having picked up the knowledge penetration could reach, and which only he who is the ab. of this, might retire into her closet, and there, having her solute and Almighty ruler of all causes and events, co.uld familiar, i. e. some cunning artful man, to make proper either foresee or predict. But the truth is, those menacing responses, in a different voice, might easily impose upon predictions, how proper soever for a messenger sent finom one who was distracted with anxious thoughts, and God to utter, were highly imprudent either in this witch's, had already shown sufficient credulity, in thinking there or her accomplice's, mouth: for since they knew nothing was any efficacy in magical operations to evocate the dead. of futurity, and were, at the best, but put to conjecture, it is The controversy between Saul and David every one knew; much more reasonable to believe, that at such a juncture nor was it now become a secret, that the crown was to de- as this, they would have bethought themselves of flattering volve upon the latter; and therefore that part of the dis- the king, and giving him comfort, and promising success, course, which passed between Saul and Samuel, any man and not of thundering out such comminations against him of a common genius might have hit off, without much diffi- as might probably incense him, but could do them no good. culty. Endor was not so far distant from Gilboa or Shunem, They could not but know that the temper of most kings is, but that the condition of the two armies might easily be to hate to hear shocking truths, and to receive with the utknown, and that the Philistines were superior both in most despite those that bring them ill news: and therecourage and numbers; and therefore his respondent, with- fore it is natural to suppose, that had these threatening reout all peradventure, might prognosticate Saul's defeat; plies been of the woman's or her confederate's forming, and though there was some hazard in the last conjecture, they would have given them quite another turn, and not viz. that he and his sons would die in battle; yet there was run the hazard of disobliging the king to no purpose, by this advantage on the side of the guess, that they were all laying an additional load of t;couble upon him. The truth men of known and experienced valour, who would rather is, the woman, by her courteous entertainment of Saul, sacrifice their lives than turn their backs upon their ene- seems to be a person of no bad nature; and therefore, if mies." Upon the whole, therefore, the maintainers of this she had an accomplice, who understood to make the most system conclude, that as there is no reason, so there was no of his profession, his business,} at this time, must have been necessity, for any miraculous interposition in this affair, to sooth and cajole the king, which would have both put since this is no more than what any common gipsy, with money in his pocket, and saved the credit of his predictions. another in confederacy to, assist her, might do to any For, had he foretold him of success and victory, and a credulous person who came to consult her. happy issue out of all his troubles, he and the woman had They who undertake to oppose this opinion lay it down been sure of reputation, as well as further rewards, in case for a good rule, in the interpretation o'f scripture, that we it had happened to prove so; and if it had not (since no one should, as far as we can, adhere to the primary sense of was privy to their communion) the falsehood of the predicthe words, and never have recourse to any foreign or sin- tion upon Saul's defeat and death, must, in course, have gular explications, but where the literal is inconsistent, been buried with him. either with the dictates of right reason, or the analogy of From these reasons then we may infer, that the woman, faith. Let any indifferent person then, say they, take into in this transaction, did not impose upon Saul, since he had his hand the account of Saul's consulting this sorceress, and a plain sight of -the apparition; what the apparition foreupon the first reading it he must confess, that the notion told him, was above human penetration; and (upon the which it conveys to his mind, is that of a real apparition; supposition of a juggle) the witch and her confederate and since the passages that both precede and follow it, are would have certainly acted clean contrary to what they confessedly to be taken in their most obvious meaning, why did. And so the next, should a strange and forced construction be put upon this? 2. Inquiry meets us, namely, What this apparition was. Apparitions indeed are not very common things; but both Some of the ancient doctors, both of the Jewish and'Chrissacred and profane history inform us, that they are realities, tian church, have made an evil angel the subject of this as the examples of Moses and Elias, conversing with our apparition, In pure rqeard to t. honour of God. "God, Saviour on the mount, and the several bodies pf saints, say they, had sufficie'ftly declared his hatred against necwhich slept, coming out of their graves after his resurrec- romancy, and all kinds of witchcraft, in the severe laws tion, and appearing unto many, do abundantly testify. which he enacted against them; but it is certainly denying It is owned, indeed, that according to the series of the nar- himself, and cancelling his own work, to seem in the least ration, Saul did not see the spectre (be it what it will) so soon to countenance or abet them, as he necessarily must do, if, as the woman did, because, probably, the woman's body, or upon the evocation of an old hag, any messenger is permitsome other object, might interpose between him and the ted to go from him. Far be it from us therefore to have first appearance; or perhaps, because the vehicle which such conceptions of God. He is holy, and just, and uniSamuel assumed upon this occasion, was not as yet con- form in all his ways; and therefore this coming at a call, densed enough to be visible to Saul, though it was to-the and doing the witch's drudgery, must only appertain to Woman: but, that he did actually see him is manifest, some infernal spirit, who might possibly find his account because, when he perceived (which word in the original in it at last. It was one of this wicked crew, that either signifies seeing so'as to be assured of our object) that it was assumed a phantom, or a real body, appeared in a mantle Samuel, he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed like Samuel, spake articulately, and held this conversation himself, which a man is not apt to do to bare ideas or im- with Saul; which, considering his knowledge and foresight aginations. of things, he was well enough qualified to do, notwithstandPersons of this woman's character, who are under the ing the sundry predictions relating to future contingencies, displeasure of the government, generally affect obscurity, which are contained in it." How far the honour of God, live privately, and are little acquainted with affairs of state; is concerned in this transaction, will more properly fall but suppose her to have been ever so great a politician, and under our next inquiry: in the mean time, I cannot but ever so intimate with what had passed between Saul and observe, that whatever incongruity may be supposed in the Samuel heretofore, ever so well assured that God had real appearance of Samuel, it is not near so much, as to rejected him, and elected David in his stead; yet how find one of the apostate spirits of hell expressing so much could she come to the knowledge of this, viz., that the zeal for the service of the God of heaven, and upbraiding battle should be fought the next day, the Israelites be routed, Saul with those very crimes which he himself tempted Saul and his sons slain, and their spoils fall into the ene- him to commit; as to find this wicked and impure spirit my's hands; since each of these events (even in the present making use of the name of God (that sacred and tremensituation of Saul's affairs) were highly casual and uncer- dous name, whose very pronunciation was enough to make tain? Fori might not this prince lose a battle without losing him quake and shiver) no less than six times, in this interhis life? Or if he himself fell in the action, why must his course with Saul, without any manner of uneasiness or th t ee sons be all cut off in the same day Whatever de- hesitation; as to find this angel of darkness and father of mr,nstrations of innate bravery he had given in times past, lies, prying into the womb of futurity, anc determining the CHAP. 28. 1 SAM UEL. 175 most casual events positively and precisely. We do not she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spake unto indeed deny but that the devil's knowledge is vastly supe- Saul, taying, Why hast thou deceived me, for thou art ri r to that of the most accomplished human understand- Saul 3 And the king said auto her, Be not afraid, what irg; that his natural penetration, joined, with his long sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, 1 saw gods experience, is such, that the greatest philosophers, the ascending out of the earth." Now it is plain from this narsubtlest critics, and the most refined politicians, are mere ration, that the woman saw something she was not accusnovices in comparison of him; yet what genius, (however tomed to see. Her necromancy had ordinary power over exacted and improved,) without a divine revelation, could demons only, or such wretched spirits as were submitted (as we *said before) be.able to foretel things that were to the devil's tyranny; but, on this occasion, she saw an lodged in God's own breast, viz. the precise time of the object so august, so terrible, so majestic, so contrary indeed two armies engaging, the success and consequence of. the to any thing she had ever raised before, and that coming victory, and the very names of the persons that were to upon her before she had begun her enchantments, that she fall in battle. This is what the apparition plainly revealed could not forbear being frightened, and crying out with a to Saul: and yet this, we dare maintain, is more than loud voice, as being fully satisfied that the apparition any finite understanding, by its own mere capacity, could came from God. ever have been able to find out. But (without this multi- " But since the scripture assures us, that God had tude of arguments) if we are to take the scripture in its wholly withdrawn himself from Saul, and would answer plain and literal sense, read we over the story of Saul and himn, neither by prophets nor by dreams; how can we the witch of Endor ever so often, we shall not so much as imagine that he should, all on a sudden, become so kind once find the devil mentioned in it. And therefore it is as to send Samuel to him, or that Samuel should be in somewhat wonderful that he should be brought upon the any disposition to come, when it was impossible for him stage by many learned men, merely to solve a difficulty to do any good by his coming." Now there seems to be which, upon examination, appears to be none at all. But some analogy between God's dealing with Saul in this now on the other hand, it appears that through the whole particular, and his former treatment of the prophet Banarration, Samuel is the only thing that is mentioned. laam. Balaam was for disobeying the orders which God It is Samuel whom Saul desires to be called up; Samuel, had given him to bless the Israelites; and was searching who appeared to the woman; Samuel, whom the woman into magical secrets for what he could not obtain of God, describes; Samuel, whom Saul perceives and bows him- viz. a power to change into curses the blessings which God self to, with whom he converses so long, and, because of pronounced by his mouth. In this case there was but whose words, he was afterward so sore afraid. The small likelihood that God would continue to communicate scripture indeed speaks sometimes according to the ap- himself to a person so unworthy of any extraordinary revpearance of things, and may call that by the name of Sam- elation; and yet he did it: but then, it was with a design uel, which was only the semblance or phantom of him: to reveal to him those very miseries from which his merbut that this cannot be the sense of the matter here, we cenary mind was so desirous to rescue the Midianites. have the testimony of the wise son of'Sirach, (an excellent' The application is easy: and it further suggests this interpreter of canonical scriptures,) who tells us expressly, reason why God appointed Samuel at this time to appear that Samuel, after his death, prophesied and showed the unto Saul, viz. that through him he might give him a king his end; pursuant to what we read in the version of meeting, where he least of all expected one; and might the Septuagint, viz. that Saul asked counsel of one that show him that the fate which his own disobedience had had a familiar spirit, and Samuel answered him. So that, brought upon him was determined; that there was no reupon the whole, we may be allowed to conclude, that it versing the decrees of heaven, no procuring aid against was the real soul of Samuel, clothed, in some visible form, the Almighty's power, no fleeing (though it were to hell) which, at this time, appeared to the king of Israel: but by from his presence, no hiding himself in darkness from his what means, or for what purposes, it appeared, is the other inspection; with whom darkness is no darkness at all, but question we are now to determine. the night is as clear as the day, and the darkness and light 3. Several of the fathers of the Christian church were of are both alike. That the souls of men departed have a opinion, that the devil had a certain limited power over capacity, and, no doubt,-an inclination to be employed in the souls of the saints, before Jesus Christ descended into the service of men alive, as having the same nature and hell, and rescued them from the tyranny of that prince of affections, and being more sensible of our infirmities than darkness. St. Austin, in particular, thinks that there is no any pure and abstracted spirits are, can hardly be contestabsurdity in saying, that the devil was as, able to call up ed; that in their absent state, they are imbodied with Samuel's soul, as he was to present himself among the aerial, or ethereal.vehicles, which they can condense oi sons of God, or set our Saviour on one of the pinnacles of'rarify at pleasure, and so appear, or not appear to human the temple; and a learned Jewish doctor supposes that sight, is what some of the greatest men, both of the heathen devils have such a power over human souls, for the space and Christian religion, have maintained; and that frequent of a year after their departure, as to make them assume apparitions of this kind have happened since the world what bodies they please; and thereupon he concludes, (but began, cannot be denied by any one that is conversant in very erroneously,) that it was not a year from the time of.its history: if therefore the wisdom of God (for reasons Samuel's death to his appearance. But these are such already assigned) thought proper to despatch a messenger wild and extravagant fancies as deserve no serious confu- to Saul upon this occasion, there may be some account tation. It is absurd to sav that the souls of saints (such as given why the soul of Samule.l (upon the supposition it was we are now speaking of) were, ever in hell, and more left to its option) shoci*l rather be desirous to be sent upon absurd to say, that if they are in heaven it is in the power that errand. For, whatever may be said in diminution ot of any magical, nay, of any diabolical incantation, to call Saul's religious character, it is certain that he was a brave them down from thence. Great, without all doubt, is the prince and commander; had lived in strict intimacy with power of apostate angels; but miserable, we may say, Samuel; professed a great esteem for him in all things; would the state of the blessed be, if the other had any and was by Samuel not a little lamented, when he had license to disturb their happiness, when, and as long as fallen from his obedience to God. Upon these considerathey pleased: " For God forbid," says Tertullian, "that we tions we may imagine, that the soul of Samuel might have should believe the soul of any holy man, much less of a such a kindness for him as to be ready to appear to him in prophet, should be so far under his disposal, as to be brought the depth of his distress, in order to settle his mind, by up at pleasure by the power of the devil." Since the devil telling him the upshot of the whole matter, viz. that- he then has no power to disturb the happiness of souls depart- should lose the battle, and he and his sons be slain; that ed, this apparition of Samuel could not proceed from any so he might give a specimen (as the Jews love to speak in magical enchantments of the sorceress, but must have been commendation of him) of the bravest valour that was ever effected by the sole power and appointment of God, who is achieved by any commander; fight boldly when he was the sovereign Lord, both of the living and of the dead: and, sure to die; and sell his life at as dear a price as possible; accordingly, we may observe from the surprise which the that so, in his death, he might be commemorated with woman discovered upon Samuel's sudden appearing, that honour, and deserve the threnodia which his son-in-law the power of her magic was not Concerned therein, but made on him; " The beauty of Israel is slain upon the that it was the effect of some superior hand. The scripture high places; how are the mighty fallen! From the blood,'elates the matter thus: " When the woman saw Samuel, of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonah 176 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 29. than turned not back, and the sword of Saul turned not warm. The people affect to be disgusted with us for keepempty. How are the mighty fallen. in the midst of the ing fowls six or eight hours before they are cooked, and battle!"-STACKHOUSE. say we are fond of eating chettareyche, i. e. dead flesh. There are some Englishmen who become so accustomed Ver. 14. And he said unto her, What form is he to these things, that they have the chicken grilled, and on of? And she said, An old man cometh up; their table, which a quarter of an hour before was playing and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul intheir yard.-ROBERS. perceived that it wes Samuel, and he stooped CHAPTER XXIX. with his face to the ground, and bowed himself: Ver. 1. Now the Philistines gathered together all In augury it seems to have been usual to represent those. their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites who were to be consulted, and whose oracular declarations pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. were to be received, as covered with a mantle, or some garment. This certainly gave an appearance of mystery The Archbishop of Tyre tells us, (Gesta dei,) that to such transactions. Thus it appears the Roman acted, the Christian kings of Jerusalem used to assemble their according to what Plutarch says in his Life of Numa. forces at a fountain between Nazareth and Sepphoris, which "Taking with him the priests and augurs, he went up to was greatly celebrated on that account. This being looked the capitol, which the Romans at that time called the Tar- upon to be nearly the centre of their kingdom, they could peian Rock. There the chief of the augurs covered the from thence, consequently, march most commodiously to head of Numa, and turned his face towards the south." It any place where their presence was wanted. He mentions appears from livy that the augur covered his own head, also another fountain near a town called Little Gerinum, not that of Numa. The augur always wrapped up his which, he says, was the ancient Jezreel; near this Saladin head, in a gown peculiar to his office, when he made. his pitched his camp, for the benefit of its waters, while Baldobservations.-BvRDER. win, king of Jerusalem, had, as usual, assembled his army at the first-mentioned place. Ver. 20. Then Saul fell straightway all along on Of the fountain Ain-el-Scanderoni, Buckingham rethe earth, and was sore afraid, because of the marks, "This is a modern work; the charitable gift, perwaords of Samuel: and there was no strength in haps, of some pious Mussulman, being well built, with a cistern beneath an arch, whence issue two streams, and over him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor which is an Arabic inscription of several lines. It has, all the night. besides, a square platform, walled in, for prayers, shelter, or refreshment, and a flight of steps ascending to it, with a When people are under the influence of great sorrow or dome of a sepulchre, now'partly buried by the falling in of fear, they always do the same thing, and roll themselves adjacent ruins." —BURDER. along, making bitter lamentations. And when mea have escaped great danger, they roll themselves on the earth to Ver. 2. And the lords of the Philistines passed the distance of a quarter of a mile, after the car of the tem- on by hundreds and by thousands; but David ple in performance of their vow.-ROBERTS.. plc,.in performance of their vow-Rno ars.' and his men passed on in the rearward with Ver. 23. But he refused, and said, I will not eat. Achish. 3. Then said the princes of the PhiBut his servants, together with the woman, listines, What do these Hebrews here? And compelled him; and he hearkened unto their Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, voice; so he arose from the earth, and sat upon Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king the bed. of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in Saul, no doubt, on account of his sorrow and fear, refused him since he fell nto me nto this day to eat, as do others under similar circumstances at this day. But when people, are angry also they decline taking their The situation of Saul's mind, after this adventure, must food. Should the wife not bring the dinner to her lord! at have been very anxious and distressed, as he received no the proper time, or should it not be properly prepared, he directions from Samuel how to behave in, or extricate declares he will not partake of it, and that he has made up himself out of, the difficulties in which he found himself his mind to die of hunger. She entreats him by the love involved. Nor were David's circumstances much easier, she bears for him, she touches his feet with her hands, and who had been pressed into the Philistine camp and service strokes his chin, but no! he has made up his mind; die he by Achish, whereby he was reduced to the greatest straits, will. " She shall have no more trouble." The afflicted and scarce knew how to behave himself, consistently with woman then runs to call the mother or sisters of her inex- the confidence which that prince placed in him, the duty orable lord, who has determined to commit suicide by star- he owed to his own country, and his own interest and vation. They all come round him, but his eyes are fixed views, as an expectant of the crown and kingdom of Ison the ground, and there are the viands just as left by his rael. But happily for David, providence extricated him weeping wife. Then commence their tender entreaties, from this embarrassment; for as the troops of the Philisbacked by the eloquence of tears; the mother, the sisters, tines were passing in review before their principal officers, the wife, all beseech him to take a little, and then the David also with his corps marched in the rear, under the matron, from whose hand he has often been fed before, command of Achish king of Gath. This gave great unputs a little into his mouth, and it is merely to please them easiness to the Philistine princes, who immediately exposhe begins to eat.-RoBERTs. tulated with Achish, and said, What business have these Hebrews in our army. Achish answered: Is not this the Ver. 24. And the woman had a fat calf in the gallant David, formerly the servant and officer of Saul the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took king of Israel; who, to save himself from the persecution flour and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened and cruelty of his ungrateful masteri hath put himself unbread thereof: 25. And she brought it before der my protection, and of whose fidelity and attachment to bra my person and service, I have hadlong experience 1 For Saul, and before his servants:- and they did eat. though he hath been with me now a considerable time, I Then they rose up, and went away that night. have not had the least reason to suspect his integrity, or )-' 2)L- - 1 Ifind fault with his conduct. But this was far from remoVThis calf was killed, dressed, cooked, and eaten in as ing the jealousy of the Philistine officers, who, highly disshort a time as possible; which might be called for from pleased with Achish for what they judged his ill-placed the necessity of the guest. Butit is evident fromother pas- confidence in David, said in great anger to him: Comsages that it was a custom to kill, cook, and eat an animal mand this man immediately to retire from the army, and in a very short time. The heat of the climate certainly to go back to Ziklag, the place thou hast appointed for his prevents flesh from being kept many hours, but there is no residence. We will not suffer him to go with us to the need to put the animal on the fire While its flesh is still battle, lest in the engagement he should turn his forces CHAP. 30. 1 SAMUEL. 1W against us. Foi what more effectual method can he take highly pleased that he was now wholly extricated from to reconcile himself to his former master, than by lending the difficulties he was involved in, artfully chose to exhis assistance to defeat and destroy our army. Is not this press himself to Achish in such terms, which, though they that very David whose praises were publicly celebrated in implied a real truth, yet might lead Achish to put a further songs and dances. And in honour of whom the Israelitish meaning on them than David intended, in order to give women cried out in triumph: Saul hath slain his thousands, Achish the highest opinion of his zeal for his service; by and David his ten thousands. Such a man is too danger- a general assurance, that he was always ready to assist ous to trust in our present critical situation. Achish find- him against his enemies, though he was now dismissed by ing the princes peremptorily fixed in their resolution not the lords of the Philistines in a very reproachful and disto permit David and his forces to go with them to the en- honourable manner. I would further observe, that if there gagement, immediately sent for him, and said, " By the life is any thing wrong in David's ambiguous reply to Achish, of Jehovah, I acknowledge thy integrity in the whole of thy we should make the proper allowances for the circumconduct towards me, and there is nothing that I more en- stances of the times, when morality was not carried to that tirely approve, or more sincerely wish, than thy continu- noble height, as it is by the clearer light of the gospel ance in the army, and joining with us in the engagement, revel Ltion. It appears from many instances in the Old for I have nothing to reproach thee with, from the time Testament, that the greatest men did not think these amthou didst first put thyself under my protection, to the present biguous evasive answVers, in any degree, or, as I appreday. But the lords of the Philistines have not that opinion hend, at all criminal; especially when the preservation of thv attachment to our interest and cause that I have, so of life depended on it. Let it therefore be allowed, with that I am forced to dismiss thee from thy attendance. You all my heart, that David, in his equivocal answers, did must therefore return peaceably, and are allowed by them what, according to our present sentiments of morality, in to do it in safety, to the town I have given you, because this very enlightened and'conscientious age, was not so your longer continuance with us is disagreeable to them, perfectly agreeable to the stricter rules of it; he might still and may be attended with very dangerous consequences." be an excellent man for the times he lived in; when such David, with seeming displeasure replied, " What have I equivocations were generally allowed of, almost univerdone to incur their displeasure, or what hast thou found in sally practised, and by no means thought inconsistent with thy servant, ever since 1 have been with thee, to forfeit thy true religion and virtue, but rather in many cases necesconfidence and favour. However, since it is their pleas- sary and commendable.-CIIANDLER. ure, I must submit, and will not, in obedience to their order, fight against the enemies of my lord the king." Achish CHAPTER XXX. told him, that " he was so far from entertaining any sus- Ver. 8. And David inquired at the LORD, saying picion of him, that he esteemed him for his integrity and Shall pursue after this troo shall ovrworth, and regarded him as an angel, or messenger from God, immediately sent to his assistance; but that as the take them? And he answered him, Pursue: princes of the Philistines had resolved that he should not for thou shalt surely overtake them, and withgo with them to the battle, he could not but order him to out fail recover all. march away by daybreak with his master's servants to the place he had appointed for him and his followers." David The chosen people of Jehovah, not less eager than others accordingly returned with his troops into the territories of to know the issue of their military expeditions, or if heaven the Philistines, while their army penetrated farther into regarded their undertakings with a favourable eye, had the dominions of Saul, and encamped at Jezreel. frequent recourse to the holy oracle; they consulted the It appears from the answer given by David to Achish, prophet of the Lord; they offered sacrifices, and consulted as I have rendered the words, that David was not in the with the high-priest who bore the Urim and Thummim in least displeased at his being dismissed, but gladly took'his breastplate, by means of which he discovered the will of Achish at his word, and laid hold of the first opportunity the Deity; or, presenting himself at the altar of incense, of disengaging himself from the service in which that received the desired response by an audible voice from the prince expected his assistance. However, if we take most holy place. The son of Jesse, in a time of great disDavid's answer in that sense, which is given it in our ver- tress and perplexity, consulted the oracle by means of an sion: "W Nhat have I done that I may not go fight ephod, a part of sacerdotal vestments: " And David said against the enemies of my lord the king." it will appear to Abiathar the priest, Abimelech's son, I pray thee, bring to be a very prudent one, and such as became the circum- me hither the ephod; and Abiathar brought hither the stances in which he then found himself, by which he ephod to David. And David inquired at the Lord, saying, promised nothing, and laid himself under no manner of Shall I pursue after this troop. shall I overtake them. And engagement. It was a general, ambiguous, and cautious he answered him, Pursue; for thou shalt surely overtake one; min which he neither denies what the Philistines sus- them, and without fail recover all." Here was no brightpected, that he would fall off to Saul in the battle, nor ening of arrows, after the custom of superstitious heathens; nakes the least mention of his readiness to fight with the no consulting with images, nor inspecting of intestines, Philistin.es against Saul and the Hebrew army. He only from which nothing but vague conjecture can result; but a asks, why he should be refused to fight against the enemies devout and humble application to thethrone of the true God: of the king'. If he had some obligations to him, to the and the answer was in every respect worthy of his characPhilisti-es he had none. Against the enemries of Achish ter; it was clear and precise, at once authorizing the purhe would have fought, where he could have done it with suit, and promising complete success; or forbidding them, honour; where he could not, as a man of honour, he must in plain terms, to prosecute their designs.-PAxTo N. have refised it. Against the enemies of the Philistines, neither his inclination, or duty, or interest, would have Ver. 11. And they found an Egyptian in the field, permitted him to fight; and the Philistines themselves didht him to Dave him bread, not think his personal obligations to Achish a sufficient security for his assisting them; and even Achish himself and he did eat; and they made him drink wareems to have been at last in some doubt, whether or not he ter; 12. And they gave him a piece of a cake could depend on him, when he says to him: " Rise up of figs and two clusters of raisins: and when early in the morning, with thy master's servants that are come- with thee;" hereby more than intimating, that he he had eaten, his spirit came agai to him; for could not but consider Saul as David's king and master, he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, and all David's forces as servants to Saul; and actually three days and three nights. urging this as a reason for their immediate departure from him. Had David made such a speech to Achish, previous Thevenot says, "At about five o'clock in the morning,. to his dismission, or to the Philistine princes to prevent when passing by the side of a bush, we heard a voice that their dismissing him, it would have looked as though he called to us, and being come to the place, we found a poor had been uneasy at his not being suffered to assist them in langulishing Arab, who told us, that he had not eaten a bit the engagement. But as they had determined he should for five days: we gave him some victuals and drink, with not go with them to battle, and Achish had peremptorily a provision of bread for two days more." This was on the ordered him to march off; David, who could not but be joimrney from Suez to Tor.-BURDER. 23 178 1 SAMUEL. CHAP. 30. Ver. 16. And when he had brought him dbwn, paid me a visit, and on my saying he looked remarkably behold, they w~er7e spread abroad upon all the well, he fell into a great rage and left the room. I explained to him afterward that I did not mean any offence, earth, eatng and drining, and dacing, be- and he said it was very unfortunate to be addressed in such cause of all the great spoil that they had taken language.-Ro BERT.s. out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the Ver. 24 For who i hearken unto yo in this land of Judah. Ver. 24. For who will hearken unto you in this matter. but as his part is that goeth down to This is said of the Amalekites, after they had spoiled the battle, so shall his part be thatntarrieth by Ziklag. Parkhurst says, under ~n on the above, also on the stuff: they shall part alike. ~~~~~~D ~~~~~~~~~the stuff: they shall part alike.~ 1 Kings xii. 32, " It plainly denotes dancing round in circles;" and he believes the word "is applied to the celebra- In Greece, "the whole booty was brought to the general, tion of religious feasts, whether in honour of the true God, who had the first choice, divided the remainder among or of idols," and he cites several passages in support of his those who had signalized themselves, according to their opinion. When the heathen worship their, demon gods, rank and merits, and allotted to the rest equal portions; they dance in circles round the sacrifices, throwthemselves thus in the Trojan war, when the -captive ladies were to into the most violent contortions; the arms, head, and legs, be chosen, Agamemnon, in the first place, took Astynome, appear as if they were in convulsions. They throw them- the daughter of Chryses; next Achilles had Hi)podamia, selves suddenly~on the ground, then jump up, and again join daughter to Brises; then Ajax chose Tecmessa, and so of in the cir'cular dane. —RoBERTs. the rest; Achilles therefore complains of Agamemnon, that he had always the best part of the booty, while him- Vet. 17. And David smote them from the twilight self, Who sustained the burden -of the war was content with even unto the evening of the next day; and a small pittance." From the time of David, the H-ebrew there escaped not a man of them, save four hunthere escaped not a manm of them, save four hun- warriors, as well those who went to the field, as those who rode uponcam guarded the baggage, shared alike; the law is eouched dred young men which rode upon camels, in these terms: "As his part is that goeth down to the batand fled. tie, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff." But a more satisfactory account of the mode in which the spoils There were two reasons, exclusive of all religious con- of vanquished nations were divided among the Hebrews, siderations, that fully justified David in this attack upon the is recorded in. the book of Numbers. The whole booty Amalekites. He now resided'among the Philistines, in taken from the Midianites, was brought before Moses, and whose country these Amalekites had made great depreda- Eliezer the priest, and the princes of the tribes; they, by Lions, while the Philistines themselves were engaged in war the divine command, divided it into two parts, between the with the Hebrews, and incapable of defending their own army and the congregation; of the army's half they took frontiers. He was their ally, obliged to act in theirfavour, "one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the and behaved like a soldier of honour in avenging the in- beeves, andof the asses, and of the sheep, and gave it unto juries that had been done them. This insult of' David Eliezer the priest, for a heave-offering of the Lord;" and therefore upon the Amalekites was not unprovoked, if we of the congregation's half they took "one portion of fifty, consider his connexion. with the Philistines; much less, if of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flockts, we add to this, the loss he himself and his men sustained. of all manner of beasts, and gave them unto the Levites." 1?or surely the burning of the city where he dwelt, the lead- This law probably continued in force till the captivity; and ing captive into slavery his own wives, and the wives and according to its provisions, were the spoils of succeeding children of above.six hundred persons, and the making a wars distributed; for the regulation which David establishbooty of all their substance, must have been the highest ed, referred only to this question, whether the soldiers, who provocation to men, that had any feeling of natural affec- from Wveakness were obliged to remain with the baggage, icon. David and his soldiers thought it so; and if it be should have an equal share of the booty, with their brethren lawful to put to death incendiaries, women and children in arms who had been engaged. Before the spoils were stealers, thieves, robbers, and vagabonds; David's exeeu- distributed, the Greeks considered themselves obliged to ting this vengeance on the Amalekites for their treachery d( dicate a part of them to the gods, to whose assistance they -in making this invasion,,and committing these unprovoked reckoned themselves indebted for them all. This customi violences, while neither the Philistines nor Hebrews could also, they borrowed from the Orientals; for the Hebrews, defend their territories, was a deserved' and necessary se- in dividing the spoils of Midian, separated a portion for the verity.-CANDminn. service of the tabernacle; and the practice; so reasonable Ver. 21. And they went forth to meet David, and in itself, being imitated by the surrounding nations, at last Ver. 2 1 And they went forth to m eet David, and found its way into Greece and other countries of Europe. to meet the people that were with him; and But besides the public offerings of the nation, the soldiers when'David came near to the people, he saluted often of their own accord, consecrated a part of their spoils ~~~~~~~them,~~ ~to the God of battles: they hiad several methods of doing this; at cne time they collected them into a heap, and This was a usual mode of honouring persons of dignity. consumed them with fire; at another, they suspended their'Before any person of rank enters a city, it is usual for offerings in the temples. Pausanias, the Spartan, is reoim to be received by a deputation. If his rank is very ported to have consecrated out of the Persian spoils, a tripod considerable, the Peeshwaz is sent to a great distance. A to Delphian Apollo, and a statue of brass, seven cubits long, thousand men'were sent to meet the. prince, halfivay be- to Olympian Jupiter. The origin of these customs is easily Lween Ispahan and Sheeraz, a hundred miles.". (Wa- discernible in the manners of the Hebrews. After the rich ring's Tour to Sheeraz.) "At this place (Jerusalem) two and various spoils of Midian were divided, the officers of Turkish officers, mounted on beautiful horses, sumptuous- the army, penetrated with gratitude that they had not lost a ly caparisoned, came to inform us, that the governor, hav- man in the contest, "presented an oblation to the Lord, ing intelligence of our approach, had sent them to escort us jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, ear-rings, and into town." (Clarke's Travels.) —BvUanER.' tablets, to make atonement," as they piously expressed it, "Saluted them." Hebrew, "asked them how they did." "for their souls before the Lord." But the city of Jericho It is in the East, as in England, a common mode of saluta- and all its inhabitants, except Rahab and her family, were tion to inquire after the health. They do not, however, devoted to utter destruction, as an offering to the justice answer in the same unhesitating way. When a man has and holiness of God, whom they had incensed by their perfectly recovered from a fit of sickness, he will not say, crimes; "And the city," said Joshua, "-shall be accursed, I am quite well," because he would think that like boast- even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord; only Rahab ing, and be afraid of a relapse; he would, therefore, say, the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the I am a little better —not quite so ill as I was:" sometimes, house, because she hid the messengers that were sent.... when the question is asked, he will reply, "Can you not But all the silver and gold, and vessels of hrass and iron, see for yourself. what answer can I give." To say you are consecrated unto the Lord; they shall come into the look well, or have become stout, is very annoying. A short treasury of the Lord....And they burnt the city with fire, time after my, arrival in Ceylon, a very stout Braxu uja and all that was therein; only the silver, anct the gold, JHAP. 31. 1 SAMUEL. 179 and the vessels of brass and of. iron, they put in the treas- wounds from /Eneas, we find his breastplate afterward ury of the house of the Lord." When the demands of reli- pierced through in twelve places. These instances. to, gion were satisfied, the Grecian soldiers commonly reserved which many others might be added, prove that it was the articles of extraordinary value which they had obtained, as common practice of ancient warriors. In the heroic ages a present to their general or commander of their party. To too, the conquerors compelled their enemies to pay a large this mark of respect, Deborah perhaps alludes in the words sum of money for permission to bury their dead. Hector's which she puts into the mouth of Sisera's mother and her body was redeemed from Achilles; and that of Achilles attendants: " Have they not sped 2 have they not divided was redeemed from the Trojans for the same price he had the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera, a prey received for Hector. And Virgil introduces Nisus disof divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needle-work, suading his friend Euryalus from accompanying him into of divers colours of needle-work on both sides, meet for danger, lest, if he were slain, there should be no person to the necks of them that take the spoil." "It has been," says recover by fight, or redeem his body. These statements Malcom, " the invariable usage of all Asiatic conquerors, prove, that it was a common practice in the primitive ages, from the monarch ewho subdues kingdoms, to the chief that to redeem the dead body of a warrior; and if this was negseizes a village, to claim some fair females as the reward lected or refused, it was frequently suffered to remain unof his conquest."-PAXTON. buried. But, in'succeeding times, it was considered as the greatest impiety, as the indubitable mark of a savage or CHAPTER XXXI. ungenerous temper, to deny the rites of burial to an enemy. Ver. 8. And it came to pass on the morrow, The'more civilized Grecians reckoned it a sacred duty to when the Philistines came to strip the slain, bury the slain, a debt which they owed to nature; and they seldom or never neglected it, or refused their permission to that they found Saul and his three sons fallen pay it, except on extraordinary and unusual provocations. in Mount Gilboa. 9. And they cut off his It was a very- aggravating circumstance in the desolations head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into of Jerusalem, so feelingly described by the pen of Asaph, the land of the Philistines round about, to pub- that the dead bodies of her inhabitants remained unburied, and the terms in which he mentions it, prove that the Hel]ish it in the house of their idols, and among brews had the same acute feelings, relative to this subject, the people. as the most refined nations of antiquity: " O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple It was the practice of ancient warriors to strip the dead have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. bodies of their enemies on the field of battle, after the vie- The dead bodies of thy servants have they' given to be tory was secured, and the pursuit had ceased; and not sat- meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints isfied with this, they often treated them in the most brutal unto the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they shed manner, basely revenging the injuries which they had re- like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to ceived from them while living, by disfiguring their remains, bury them."-PAxTroN. and exposing them to scorn and ignominy. When the Philistines came to strip the dead that fell in the battle on Ver. 10. And they put his armour in the house the mountains of Gilboah, they found Saul and his three of Ashtar'oth; and they fastened his body to sons among the slain. But instead of respecting his rankall of Beh-shn. and valour, they " cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, which they put in the house of Ashtaroth; and they Three Bakhtiarees had been condemned to death by the fastened his body, and the bodies of his sons, to the wall of prince for robbery; one was beheaded, an the second Beth-shan.:' Capital offences were sometimes punished by blown up; the third was cut in half, and the two parts of throwing the criminal upon hooks, which were fixed in his body hung on two of the most frequented gates of the the wall below, where they frequently hung in the most ex- city as a warning to other thieves. The horrid spectacle quisite tortures, thirty or forty hours before they expired. was displayed for three days. It illustrates, in some deIt is probable that the bodies of Saul and his sons were.: gree, an ancient custom exemplified in the case of Saul, 1 fixed to such hooks as were placed there for the execution Sam. 31. 10, whose body was fastened to the wail of BethDf the vilest malefactors; but whatever be in this, it was shan by the Philistines. Shelcas -kerdene is the technical certainly meant as one of the greatest indignities which name for this punishment, which consists in cutting the ihey could offer to the remains of an enemy whom theyboth body in two lengthwise, with a sword, beginning between.feared and detested. the legs, and terminating in the side of the neck above the The ancient Greeks treated the dead bodies of their ene- hulde-M R mies in a manner equally indecent and inhuman. They mangled, dismembered, dragged them about the field of Ver. 12. All the valiant men arose, and went all battle, and suffered them to lie unburied for a long time,ht, and took the body of Saul, and and even to become the prey of savage beasts and raven- night, and took the body of Saul, and ous fowls. No instance of this kind is more remarkable of his sons, from the wall of Beth-shan; and than that of the brave, the generous, but unfortunate came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. Hector, whose dead body suffered every indignity which the infuriate rage of Achilles, or the ferocious brutality of The Chaldee and other versions render the words, "and his myrmidons, could invent. Nay, the whole army joined they burnt or kindled a light or lamp over them there, as in the brutish and barbarous insult; which shows that it they are accustomed to burn over kings." Upon which a was their constant practice, and regarded as quite consist- rabbi observes, that this has reference to a custom, deliverent with virtue and honour. Tydeus is not treated with ed down from their ancestors, of burning the beds and other more respect in Statius; and in Virgil, the body of Mezen- utensils 9f the dead upon their graves, or to the burning of tius is cruelly lacerated, for though he only received two spices over them. See Jer. xxxiv. 5.-BURDER. THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 2IHAPTER I. sary to give the figure here. This horseman is mounted Vier. -2. It canme even to pass on the third day, on a naked horse, with only a bridle, though the horse tha2It, beholdaeman copameso of the cp from d, seems to have something on his neck, which passes between that, behold, a man came out of the camp from his two ears, but it is impossible to distinguish what it is. Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his The armour also of this horseman is as extraordinary as head: and so it was, when he came to David, that of the Sarmatian horsemen on Trajan's pillar. His that he fell on the earth, and did obeisance. military habit is very close, and fitted to his body, and covers him even to his wrist, and below his ancles, so that his several passages of scripture mentionis made of dst feet remain naked, which is very extraordinary. For, T In several passages of scripture mentionis made of drst think, both in the ancient and modern cavalry, the feet were ropes carried on the head,as as a token of submission The a principal part which they guarded: excepting only the ooMoorish horse, who have for their whole dress only a short following instance is remarkably analogous to these acts of unic, which reaches to the middle of the dress only and the humniliation:' He then descended the mountain carrying, tunic, which reaches to the middle of the thigh: and the umiliation: e then esended the orlnt fmountain, cnrryines, lNumidians, who ride quite naked, upon a naked horse, exas is the custom of the country, for vanquished rebels, a cept a short cloak which they have, fastened to their neck, stone upon his head, as confessing himself guilty of a capi- ad hanging loose behind them, in warm weather, and ta >rime." (Bruce.)-BURDER~and hanging loose behind them, in warm weather, and taL c-rime." (Bruce.) —BnUaEn. which they wrap about themselves in cold weather. Our Etruscan horseman here hath his feet naked, but he hath Ver. 10. And~ Itooki the crown that was upon his his head well covered, with a cap folded about it, and large head, and the bracelet that wtas on his arm, and slips of stuff hanging down from it. He wears a collar of have brought them hither unto my lord. round stones. The close-bodied coat he wears is wrought all over with zigzags, and large points, down to the girdle, A bracelet is commonly worn by the oriental princes, as which is broad, and tied round the middle of his body; a badge of power and authority. VVhen the calif Cayem the same flourishing is continued lower down his habit, Bemrillah granted the investiture of certain dominions to quite to his ankle, and all over his arms, to his wrist." an eastern prince, he sent him letters patent, a crown, a Something similar to this might be the military dress of chain, and bracelets. This was probably the reason that Saul.-BURDER. the Amalekite brought the bracelet which he found on Saul's arm, along with his crown, to David. It was a royal Ver. 15. And David called one of the young men, ornament, and belonged to the regalia of the kingdom. and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And The bracelet, it must be acknowledged, was worn both by he smote him that he died. men and women of different ranks; but the original word, in the second book of Samuel, occurs only in two other in the secondi book of Samuel, occurs only in twlTTo other Others were condemned to be slain with the sword, which places, and is quite different from the term, which is em- was by decapitationdemned to be sin the manner used in m ployedl to express the more common ornament known by was by decapitation, executed in the manner used in mrod: hplyed to exAbpress the more common ornamentknrn by ks o ern times. Such was the punishment which David inflictthat name. And besides, this ornament was worn by kings n te and princes in a different manner from their subjects. It ed on the Amalekte for putting Saul to death. It seems also to be the usual punishment in Abyssinia, for taking was fastened above the elbow; and was commonly of great t life of a king: for Socinios, an Abyssinian monvalue. The people of Israel found the bracelet among the spoils of Midian. when they destroyed that nation in the arch, being informed that one Mahardin, a Moor, had time of Moses; but it will be remembered, that they killed en the first to break throuthat respect due to kin, by at the same time five of their kings. The prophet Isaiah, wounding Za Den hel, his predecessor, at the battle of infeed mentions the kind of bracelet, which Mr. Harmer Barteho, he ordered him to be brought at noonday before considers as the peculiar badge of kings, in his description the gate of his palace, and his head to be then struck off of the wardrobe pf a Jewish lady, which proves, that in the with an axe, as a just atonement for violated majesty. The c.f the wardrobeof a Jewish lady, which proves, that in the age when he flourished, it was not the exclusive decoration punishment of strangling, as described by the Jewish wriof regal personagees, blt had been assumed, and was often ters, resembled the Turkish punishment of the bowstring, of regal personages, but had been assume, and was oten rather than the present mode of executin by the ibbet. -worn by persons of inferior rankc; but it is by no means The offender was placed up to the loins in dung, and a napimrprobable, that the extravag ance of the female sex in his kin was twisted about his neck, and drawn hard by the wittime, which seems to have arisen to an unprecedented nesses, till he was dead. Those who had comsitted great height, might have confounded, in some measure, the dis- orious offences, and whoserved to b ade pubtinctions of rank, by inducing the nobility of Judah to af- and notorious, and upon a tree afer they hade pctuiect the state and ornaments of their princes. Persons of lie examples were ahey distinction in various countries of the East, wore chains of which shows, that this punishment was not the same with silver and gold; and not satisfied with this, ostentatiously the Roman crucifixion, in which the malefactors were cisplayed their wealth and rank, by suspending chains of the Roman crucifixion, in which the gibbet, and lef to expire by slow and er the same precious metals about the necks of their ca~mels. nailed to the gibbet, and left to expire by slow and exeruthe same precious metals about the necks of their camels. Silver chains, according to Pococke, hung from the bridles ciating torments. The Hebrew dustom was no more than of the seven military agas in Egypt, to the breastplates of hanging up their bodies after they were dead, and expotheir horses. The camels of the kings of Midian, whom ng themfor some tim e to open shame. For this purpose, Gideon discomfited, were, agreeably to this custom, adorn- a piece of timber was fixed in the ground, out of which ed with chains of gold.-PAXrOn. came a beam, to which the hands of the sufferer were tied, so that his body hung in the posture of a person on the Magin, cross. When the sun set, the body was taken down; for The marginal reading here probably conveys the true The marginal readin al here probably conveys the tru the law says, "He that is hanged on a tree, is accursed of meaning of the Hebrew. Saul, for his personal security, Gd that the criminal was accrsed because he was most likely wore a close coat, made of rings, or oilets, in hanged, but he was hanged because he was the nature of a coat of mnail. Montfaucon 111 hanged, but he was hanged because he was accursed.the nature of a coat of mail. Montfaucon (Supplement, PAxToN. vol. iii. p. 397) thus represents a combat between a person on horseback and another on foot. " The horseman, repre- Ver. 12. And they mourned and wept, and fasted sented on an Etruscan vase, of Cardinal Gualtieri's, is a.rmed in such a singular manner, that I thought it neces- until even for Saul, and for Jonathan his son CHAP. 1. 2 SAMUEL. 181 and for the people of the LORD, and for the When the chosen peoplt were scattered among the rivers house of Israel; because they were fallen by of Babylon, they resembled a ield burnt up by the scorch. the sword. minn sun; but the favour and bie,;sing of heaven are promised to restore them to the high estate from which they ha i Thus did David, and those,that rwere with him, weep fallen. " For thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the eartuh and fast until the evening, because the " mighty were fall- shall cast out the dead." Although they were dried an en," and because "the weapons of war" had perished. withered as the grass, yet he promises to revive, refresh, When a father or mother " falls on the ground," the children and strengthen them by the power of his spirit and the have stated periods when they weep and fast inr memory riches of his brace. The dewdrops of the morning art of their dead. On the day of the full moon, those who have not more pure and insinuating, more lovely and ornamentlost their mothers fast until the sun come to the meridian al, when they descend on the tender grass, than the docand in the evening they take milk and fruit. For a fatherrines of inspiration in the heart and conduct of a genuine the sons fast on the new lmoon- in the same way as for the Christian. This idea is beautifully expressed by zMoses in 1m~other.n-ROBERTS. his dying song; "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the Ver. 18. (Also he bade them teach the children tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." The muof Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is wvrit- tual regard which ought to animate the peohille of God is compared to the dew whichmoistens the bill of Hermon and ten in the book of Jasher.) clothes it with verdure. The drops of dew are countless and brilliant, glittering over all the field, cheering the hea rt These words have been generally understood of Jona- of the husbandmran. and stimulating his exertions; not less than teaching the children of Judah the use of the bow. abundant, illustrious, and encouraging, were the first conBut a better interpretation of the passage, probably is, that verts to the Christian faith, after the ascension of Christ. the bow is the name of the lamentation which David ut- That splendid manifestation of almighty grace was celetered over Jonathan; and that it is so denominated, because brated many ages before in the songs of Zion: " Thy peohe met his death from the bow. The following extract, ple shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties describing a funeral procession of women, to commemorate of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the the death of a merchant, named Mahomet, at Cosire, dew of thy youth." But it too frequently happens that-the where he was murdered by two Arabs, who attacked him glory of the church, as well as the attainments of her chilwith swords, will illustrate this representation. Speaking dren, suffers a mournful decline, and passes rapidly away: of the murder of Mahomet, Mr. Irwin, ( Tcravels, p. 254,) and what emblem more appropriate can be chosen to indisays, " The tragedy which was lately acted near Costre, cate such a change than the sudden evaporation of the dews, gave birth to a mournful procession of females, which by th dlin rays oa vercal Eph passed through the different streets of Ginnah, and uttered what shall I do unto thee 0 Judal, what shall I do nto dismal cries for the death of Mahomet. In the centre was thee foour goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the thee?~ for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the a female of his family, who carried a naked sword in her early dew it goeth away." * hand, to intimate the weapon by which the deceased fell. The shield was moret ancients than At sundry places the procession stopped, and danced round 11 heir other armour. It was their elight to aorn it theswordtothemusicoftimbrelsaiidtabours. Theypause alltheir other armour. It was t heir delight to adorn it the swordng tomhe musi of timbrels and tabours. They paused with all kinds of figures, of birds and beasts, especially a long time before our house, and some of the- women those of generous natures, as eagles and lions: they emblamade threatening signs to one of our servants, which agrees zoned upon its capacious circle the effigies of their gods, with the caution we received to keep within doors. It the forms of celestial bodies, and all the works of nature. would be dangerous enough to face this frantic company, They preserved it with the most jealous care; and to lose whose constant clamour and extravagant gestures gave it in the day of battle was accounted one of the greatest them all the appearance of the female bacchanals of Thrace,. calan ities that couldbefall them, worse than defeat, or even recorded of old." From this custom of carryingin the fi- thandeath itself; so great was their passion for what it neral procession the weapon by which the deceased met termed military glory, and the estimation in which it eAa.death, it seems likely that the lamentations of David over held, that they had a profound regard for all sorts of arms Jonathan might have been called rThe Bow, and sung by the instrumentsby whichthey attained it; and to leave then the men of Jucdazh in funeral procession. —BuRDEa. in the hands of their enemies, to give them for a pledge, o Ver. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no disgrae bothein a dishonourable way, was an indelibl: disgrace both in Greece and at Rome, for which they coul i dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor hardly ever atone. But these sentiments were not confineI fields of offerings: for there the shield of the to Greece and Rome; among no people were they carried mighty is vilely cast away. higher than among the Jews. To cast away the shield in mighty the day of battle, they counted a national disgrace, and a The want of rain in the East is partly compensated by fit subject for public nourning. This affecting circumthe copious dews which fall in the night, to restore and re- stance was not omitted in the beautiful elegy which David; fresh the face of nature. The sacred writers were too abraveand experiencedsoldier, composed on the death of much alive to the beauties of nature, too keen and accurate Saul and the loss of his army: "The shield of the mighty observers of the works and operations of their God, not to was vilely cast away." On that fatal day, when Saul and the avail themselves of this part of the divine arrangements to flower of Israel perished on thenmountains of Gilboa, many give us a visible and lively conception of the purity and in- of the Jeish soldiers who had bhaved ith ret bravery flueneeof his blessing. In the sublime benediction which the in former battles, forgetful of their own reputation and dying patriarch pronounced on the future inheritance of Jo- their country's honour, threw away their shields, and fled seph, the dew occupies a prominent place, clearlyindicating from the field. The sweet singer of Israel adverts to that its incalculablevalue inthe mind of an Oriental: " And of dishonourable conduct, with admirable and touching pathos: Joseph he said, blessed of the Lord be his land, for the pre- Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let cious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings; for there the co-cheth beneath." When the holy Psalmist many ages coucheth beneath." When the holy Psalmist many ages shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, afterward poured out the sorrows of his heart over the fall- as though he had not been anointed with oil." The aposen house of Saul, he deprived the spot where the king and tle has availed himself of this general feel in his episte nis sons fell, of the dew, the rain. and the fields of offerings, to the Hebrews, to encourage them in the profession of tie as the greatest curse which his lacerated feelings could de- gospel, and in a courageous, frm, and constant adherence vise: " Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew. nei- to the truth: " Cast not away therefore your confidence." "her let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings; for Abide without wavering in the profession af the faith,;here the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away." So silent,'rresistible, and swift, is the descent of the dew on every rance of the grace of faith, which, as a spiritual shtfeld, field and on every blade of grass, that Hu.shai, David'sshould be sought with unwearied diligence, and retained iriend, selects it as the most appropriate phenomenon in with jealous care.-PAXTON. nature to symbolize the sudden onset of an enemy; "We will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground." Ver. 23. Saul and Jonathan were lovely anc !182 2 SAMUEL. CIAP. 2 - pleasant in their lives, and in their death they manner the sad reverse of their condition; his comparing were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, them, the one co an eagle for swiftness, the other to a lion fcr strength and valour; the honourable mention of their they were stronger than lions. mutual affection while they lived, and dying bravely together in the field of battle; the exclamation to the daughThe military exercises of the Hebrews resembled those ters of Israel to mourn over Saul, and the reasons he gives of other nations around them. Swiftness of foot was high- for it; his celebrating the mutual tender friendship between * ly valued. as it gave the warrior a great advantage over himself and Jonathan: in a word, this clegy in every part Iris slower and more unwieldy antagonist. It is accord- of it, both in sentiment and expression, hath all the charms inglyr mentioned to the honour of Asahel, one of David's with which the spirit of poetry can adcrn it; shows the captains, that he was swifter of foot than a wild roe; and richness of David's genius. and will be a monument to his the sweet singer of Israel, in his poetical lamentation over praise throughout all generations-CIIANDLER. those two great captains, Saul and Jonathan, takes particular notice of this warlike quality: " They were swifterHAPTER II than eagles, stronger than lions." Nor were the ancient Greeks less attentive to a qualification which the state of. Ver. 4. And the men of Judah came, and there the military art in those days rendered so valuable. The they anointed David king over the house of footraces in the Olympic ganes were instituted by warli'e Judah. And they told David saying That oh;eftains, for the very purpose of inuring their subjects o the men of Jabesh-gilead wee tey that uried thje fatigues of war, and particularly of increasing their speed, which was regarded as an excellent qualification in Saul. 5. And David sent messengers unto the a warrior, both because it served for a sudden attack and men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, a nimble retreat. Homer, fully aware of its value in an- Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showcient warfare, says, that swiftness of foot is one of the most excellent endowments with which a man can be favoured. ed this kindness unto your lord, even~ unto To invigorate the frame, on the strength and firmness of Saul, and have buried him. 6. And now the which the victory almost entirely depended in primitive LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and times, the Hebrew captains are said to have exercised their I also will requite you this kindness, because soldiers in lifting great weights. After the defeat of Saul,herefore ow which seems to have been chiefly effected by the skill and ye have done this thing. 7. Therefore now valour of the enemy's archers, David commanded his offi- let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valcers to instruct their troops in the use of the bow, which, iant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the though employed by the Hebrew warriors from the earliesth have anointed me king over times, appears to'have been rather neglected till that terri-nted me k in ble catastrophe taught them the necessity of forming a body them. 8. But Abner the son of Ner, captain of slrilful archers, which might enable them to meet their of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, enemies in the field on equal terms. The Hebrew youth and brought him over to Mahanaim: 9. And were also taught to hurl the javelin, to handle the spear, made him king over Gilend, and over the and to use the sling, in which many of them greatly ex- over, and over celled. —.PATo N. Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. 10. IshVer. 26. I am distressed for thee, my brother bosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto he beganto reign over Israel, and reigned two me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the years. But the house of Judah followed Dalove of women. vid. 11. And the time that David was king Than the love of women; or, as the word is frequently in Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven rendered, wives. This figure hath been censured, as not years and six months. well chosen, and insinuations dropped highly to the dishonour of the two noble'friends. But the expression gives David was now thirty years old; had in many instances no'countenance to it. It appears to me, that there was shown his courage, fortitude, moderation, and patience; somewhat in the conduct of Michal, David's wife, in too had been inured by a long persecution, and series of dishastily consenting to be married to Pha]ti, that gave occa- appointments and distresses, to submission to God, and sion to this comparison. It is certain from her behaviour trust in his power and goodness; and had experienced the to him, at the bringing the ark to Jerusalem, that she had care of the Almighty, in the protection afforded him, under not' that high esteem and affection for him, that she ought the innumerable dangers to which the jealousy and enmity to have had, as she took this opportunity so bitterly to of Saul had exposed him. As he had under all his diffireproach him. It is certain also, that her marriage to culties strengthened himself' in God, left his fate to the Phalti must have been preceded by a divorce from David; divine disposal, and was determined never to hasten his otherwise her second marriage would have been real adul- accession to the throne by any acts of treason and violence; tery: and her consenting to a divorce, though by her God now began to reward his singular virtue, and from a father's order, showed great want of affection and fidelity fugitive and exile he was made king over the most powerto David. On this supposition, no comparison could be ful of all the tribes, by their unsolicited and voluntary conbetter chosen, nor more tenderly and delicately expressed. sent; as an earnest of what God had in further reserve for'T'he brother's love to him, as a friend, was more generous him,-the kingdom over all his people. From hence it and constant than the sister's, though a wife. The com- appears, how unreasonably it hath been alleged,'that David pliment to Jonathan was very high, and just; and the had no pretension to the sovereignty, either by right of inconcealing the sister's na.me, was truly polite. heritance, which was claimed by Ishbosheth, a remaining He who can read this excellent composure without son of Saul, nor by popular election, but by the clandestine admiration and pleasure, must be totally destitute of all appointment of an old Levite, which inspired him with true taste. The lamentation over the slain.heroes of Israel, hopes, of which by arms and intrigues he obtained the in the beginning, and several times repeated; the manner fruition. Mr. Bayle also censures the conduct of David in in uwhiich he expresses his anguish, at the thought of the the measures he took to secure himself the crown. For he defeats being published in the cities of the Philistines, and informs us, that David had gained the principal men:of.the triumphs of the daughters of the uncircumcised upon the tribe of Judah by presents; and that had not Abner account of it; his passionately wishing that neither dews prevented it, there is no doubt but he would have become nor rains might ever fall on the mountains of Gilboa, and king over all Israel, by the same method, viz. by gaining the fields surrounding them, in which the slaughter of the the principal persons by presents. It is acknowledged that Israelites happened; his recounting the past victories of David had no pretension to the sovereignty by right of inSaul and Jonathan, who never drew a bow, or brandished heritance; and in this respect Saul had no more right than a-svword, but it proved fatal to their enemies, to heighten David; nor Jsllhosheththan either of them; the hereditary the glory of their character, and set forth in a more lively right, if any such there was, being vested in Mephibosheth, CHAP. 2. 2 SAMUEL. 18 Saul's grandson, by his eldest son Jonathan. And, thus, I whole tribe of Judah, of which he had gained the princlp, doubt not, Mephlbosheth himself thought; at least Saul's men by presents, acknowledged him fdr king. The histor"' family certainly did. For when David asked Ziba where only says, that he once made presents to such of the elders Mephibosheth was, Ziba answered: "He abideth at Jeru- of Judah, as were his friends, consisting of part of the spoil salem; for he said, to-day shall the house of Israel restore he took from the Amalekites, after the recovery of the prey me the kingdom of my father." Whether this charge was they had taken from Ziklag; h'and probably that very part true or false, it is -evident that Mephibosheth,.or his family, which the Amalekites had taken from Judah, the south o thought the right of succession to the kingdom of Israel which they had just invaded. But if these elders of Judah belonged to him, as it most unquestionably did, if the sue- were his friends, before he sent them this present, then he cession had been made hereditary in Saul's family. Be- did not gain them by sending themin these presents, and their sides, if Saul himself, as some affirm, had only the show of making him. king was not because he made them a presa popular election, he had no real popular election at all, ent, but from the greatness of their affection for him before. and therefore no right to the crown, and therefore Ishbo- When Mr. Bayle adds, there is no doubt, had not Abner sheth could derive no right from him to succeed him, Ish- prevented it, but he would havebeen king of all Israel, by bosheth further doth not appear to have had, either the the same method of presents; I think there is great reason show or reality of a popular election; no, nor the clandestine to doubt of it; for David doth not appear to have been in appointment of the old Levite, which both Saul and David circumstances to give such presents; nor did they seem to had. He was the mere creature of Abner, the captain of desire or want them, being led by their own inclinations Saul's host; who, ambitious of retaining the power in his and sense of interest and duty at last to submit to him. own hdind, took Ishbosheth, and, by military force, made David was certainly a man of' a generous disposition, and him king over Israel; without, as far as appears, the choice liberal in his favours; and this temper I never so much as or consent of the eleven tribes, and in direct opposition to suspected to be criminal, unworthy a great and good prince, he choice and.consent of the tribe of Judah, the most con- or a real saint; and if by a prudent liberality lie could sesiderable and powerful of all, and the inclination of the cure his own rights, I think he acted much more like a whole body of the people. Ishbosheth therefore was a saint, than if he had recovered them by force, without ever usurper in every respect, in prejudice of the right heir; first attempting to do it by the gentler methods of liberality and David, and every man in Israel, had a natural right to and goodness. The true reason of the tribe of Judah's oppose him, and prevent his establishment in the kingdom. falling in with him, and the readiness of the other tribes Mr. Bayle says, that David did not pretend that Ishbosheth to acknowledge him as king, was his excellent character reigned by usurpation; for he allowed him to be a righteous as a brave,and generous soldier, under whom they themman, and therefore a lawful king. But this reasoning will selves had formerly served; and especially his designation not hold good, if Mr. Bayle's own account of David be by God to the royal dignity, having been anointed kIing by true. He allows David to have been one of the greatest Samuel, according to the express order of God. It was this men in the world, commends him for his conspicuous piety, latter consideration, that led him to ask the divine direcand extols him as a son of holiness in the church. And tion upon Saul's death, what measures he should take to yet he tells us, that David acted like an infidel, and most secure his succession. The very question: "Shall I go up aplbitious prince; and that his policy and prudence were to any of the cities of Judah 2" would have been highly such, as he can never persuade himself to think that the indecent, had he riot had the divine promise and assistance strict laws of equity, and the severe morals of a good ser- to depend on. His claim, by virtue of Samuel's unction, vant of God can possibly approve; and that his actions were was his only claim, was universally known to the people of not those of a saint. I therefore say, that according to Mr. Israel, and the avowed reason why they at last advanced Bayle, a person may have a general character for asaint and him to the throne. It was known to Jonathan his friend. a righteous man, and yet, in some particular actions, may Saul himself was no stranger to it. I know, says he, that act contrary to the character of both; and that therefore it thou shalt -be surely king, and that the kingdom of Israel doth not follow, that because David allowed Ishbosheth to be shall be established in thy hand. It was known even to a righteous man, therefore he allowed him to be a lawful private persons. Nabal's wife confesses this appointment king. Ishbosheth was undoubtedly a righteous man, with of God. Abner terrified Ishbosheth by putting him in mind respect to his murderers, whom he had never injured; of it. "So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the and probably in his private character he might be a man Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him, -to translate of virtue. But at the same time David could not but know, the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the that he reigned in every view by usurpation, and that con- throne of David over Israel." He declares the same in his sequently he was in this respect a very unrighteous man. message to the elders of Israel. The Lord hath spoken of The right of David to the crown was indisputable, and the David, saying, "By the hand of my servant David&,s will highest by which any man could claim it. When Saul save my people Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, was made king, the crown was not made hereditary in his and out ofrthe hand of all their enemies." And when they family, and the same power that made him king, be that came to make him king, this was the grand inducement to what it will, declared, that his kingdom should not stand, it.- "In time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast or be perpetuated in his family, but be transferred to his he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel, and the Lord neighbour. Upon the death of Saul therefore, the throne said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou r)ecame vacant, and the people were at full liberty, under shalt be captain over Israel; and they anointed David king the direction of God, to choose whom they pleased. The over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel." tribe of Judah unanimously chose David for their king, So that this was the foundation of his claim, was univerand it is highly probable, that the whole body of the nation sally known, and justified his pretensions to, and contest would have fallen in with him, had they not been prevented for, the crown after the death of Saul. by the influence of Abner. This Abner himself more than To this contest David was forced, by Ishbosheth's usurintimnates, when in order to bring over the eleven tribes to pation, supported by the authority and influence of Abner, David, he puts them in remembrance, saying: "Ye fought a near relation of Saul, and who had been his general. It for David in times past tobe king over you," viz. even in lasted above seven years, and Mr. Bayle is extremely disSaul's time, who was abhorred and detested by many of pleased with poor David, and censures him very severely on he principal men for his tyranny. Nay, we are expressly this account. He says, That as Abner preserved b his informed, that the princes, and captains of hundreds and fidelity eleven whole tribes for Ishbosheth, the same thing thousands, and great parties from the Benjamites, Gib- happened as would have happened between two infidel and eonites, Gadites, the tribe of Judah and Manasseh revolted most ambitious princes. David and Ishbosheth made inces-.o him, even before the battle in which Saul was slain, day sant war on one another, to try which of the two could get by day, till itwas a great host, like the host of God. These the other's share, in order to enjoy the whole kingdom with-'were voluntary in the offer of the crown to David, and no out division." But the real question, by which David's conrind of bribes or force employed by him to bring them to duct is to be determined, is: Did the free electionof the tribe submission. The whole nation was in motion, and nothing of Judah, neither bought bybribes, nor forced by power, give orevented their unanimously declaring for him, but the David a right to be king over it; and did his appointment by -pposition of Abner in favour of Ishbosheth. God to' succeed Saul, and rule over all Israel, give him a juist But did not David gain in particular the tribe of Judah claim to enjoy the whole kingdom, without division 1 I think Wv bribes or presents.' Mr. Bayle affirms he did: The I in both cases he had an indisputable right, and consequent i84 2 SAMUEL. CHIAP. 2. iy he might, consistently even with the character of a saint, doing it by their emirs more exactly answers this history defend and, maintain his right. Ishbosheth therefore, by of Joab and Amasa, and in this stooping posture he could keeping David out of part of the kingdom, and endeavour- much better see to direct the blow, than if he had only hel ing by arms to dispossess him of the whole, might well his beard, and raised himself to kiss his face.-HARMiq. enough deserve Mr. Bayle's character of an infidel and ambitious prince; and David, endeavouring only to secure Ver. 18. And there were three sons of Zeruial what he had, and to recover what he was unjustly kept out there, Joab, and Abishai, and: Asahel: an" of, may still pass for a very good believer, and doth not Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. seem to have had any more ambition in him, than what was honourable and virtuous. If wars are in their nature The name of the antelope in the Hebrew scripture, -._lawfill, David's character as a saint will greatly suffer by ns3 (tsebi;) and in the version of the Seventy AOpKac, (dorcas his carrying'on the war with Ishbosheth. But if wars are In our version, the original term is translated roe and roe in any case lawful, it must be when waged for supporting buck; but Dr. Shaw, and others, have proved by severa those just and important rights, which cannot be secured conclusive arguments, that it is not the roe, but the antewithout them. Such were certainly the rights of David, lope, which the sacred writers intend. The former is and therefore his maintaining the war against Ishbosheth, extremely rare in the oriental regions, while the latter is was both his interest and duty, and doth not in the least di- common in every part of the Levant. But is it to be supminish the glory of this son of holiness in the church. The posed, that the sacred writers would borrow their figures promise of God to David, that he should be king of Israel, from creatures which are either not known at all in Paleswas not a promise to make him so by extraordinary and tine and the surrounding countries, or but rarely seen; miraculous methods, but in the use of all prudential and while they had not even a name for an animal, which, in proper ones; and if he actually employed arms when ne- large herds of several thousands, fed in their fields, and cessary to vindicate his just claims, and prudence and pol- around their dwellings. Such a supposition would conicy to turn every event to his advantage, it only shows tradict some of the strongest laws which regulate the that he was born for empire, worthy of a kingdom, and a operations of the human mind, and is therefore qpme man after God's own heart; or fit for the purposes for inadmissible. It is equally absurd to suppose that "tle w-hich God raised him to the throne. And though these Jewish legislator, when he regulated by fixed laws the methods should have been, to all appearance, like those food of his people, would mention a creature which they which wicked men, or infidel and most ambitious princes, probably had never seen, of which perhaps they had,not make use of to obtain their ends, they may for all that be even heard, which was not to be found in the deserts ovei very just and honourable. For infidel and wicked princes which they had to travel, nor in the country they were tc may sometimes pursue lawful ends, and be forced to main- possess; while he omitted oae of daily occurrence, which tain their rights by policy and arms. And therefore unless was found everywhere, in the wilderness and in the cultithe means which David used were base and criminal, or vated field, on the mountains and in the plains; whose employed for wicked and unjustifiable purposes, they may flesh was greatly esteemed, and, by consequence, could not be allowed to be, to external appearance, the same with fail to become an important article of subsistence. These what wicked, ambitious, infidel princes use, and yet be considerations are of themselves sufficient to establish the agreeable to the rules of justice and honour. —CtANDLER. superior claims of the antelope to a place in the sacred volume. The arguments which have been drawn firom Ver. 5. And David sent messengers unto the men the etymological meaning of the Hebrew terms ads and of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed,ar, and the authority ofthe Septuagint, although of -nfebe ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this rior importance, are not destitute of weight. The first of these names suggests the idea of a very gregarious animal; krindness unto your lord, evenz unto Saul, and but this is not the character of the roes, for, instead of asso. have buried him. ciating in herds, they live in separate families; while the antelopes are commonly found in very large herds, some. The bodies of Saul and his sons were BURNT by the men times to -the number of two or three thousand together. of Jabesh-gilead. Two of the thirty-two charities of the The second term, s, primarily signifies beauty; and when Hindoos are, to burn the bodies of those whose relations put for the concrete, as in this instance, by a very common cannot do it, and to pay for the beating of the tom-toms to figure of speech in Hebre, has the force of a superlative the place of burning. It is therefore considered a work of and signiofes athing oranimal oftuncommon beauty. Thus great merit to perform the funeral rites for a respectable the land of Canaan is, in the prophet' styled 8an ai, the stranger, or for those whose relations are not able to meet land of beauty; or, as it is rendered by our translators, the the expenses. Hence may be seen the funerals of those glory of all lands. Thd tseii, therefore, is an animal that who have lived in poverty, or who have seen better days, excels in beauty; which exactly correspondswith all the hconducted with great pomp, because the reward is great to accounts that natural historians have given us of the antehim who advances the money, and because he receives lope. Both the roe and the antelope, it must be admitted, great praise from the peolle. —RoBERSX. are, in the general opinion of mankind very beautifuil Ver. 9. And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in animals; belt the preference is commonly given to the' rlatter. Buffon says, the figure of the smll antelopes is health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by elegant, and their members are finely proportioned to their the beard with the right hand to kiss him. size; and make prodigious bounds. The'Septuagint uniformly translate the terms, Nst and,ns, by nopa;as and the Dr. Shaw takes no notice of their taking hold of the correctness of their translation is attested by Lue, for he board in order to kiss, but Thevenot does, saying, that mentions "a certain disciple"'Twho resided " at Jolppa, almong the Turks it is a great affront to take one by the named Tabitha, which, by interpretation, is called Dorlca:;." beard, unless it be to kiss him, in which case they often do The name Tabitha is formed by a slight alteration from it. Whether he means by kissing him, kissing his beard, the Chaldee noun sir (Trabia,) and this from the Hebrew or no: I do not know; but Joab's taking Amasa by the term,'s (tsebi.) The Hebrew term signifies, as has been bet rl. kiss him, 2 Sam. xx. 9, seems to be designed to already observed, a creature of surpassing beaulty Dorcas, exp.ress his taking his beard to kiss it; at least this is its divinely attested equivalent, limiting somewhat the agreeable to the customs of those that now live in that general signification, denotes a creature remarkable for country; for D'Arvieux, describing the assembling together the fineness of its eyes; and from this last circumstance. it of several of the petty Arab princes at an entertainment, is conjectured that Tabitha received her name. But while tells us, that "All the emirs came just together a little time the eyes of the roe have attracted no particular attention, after, accompanied by their friends and attendants, and so far as the writer has observed, the antelope has been after the usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard, celebrated for the fineness of its eyes in all the countries of and of the hand, which every one gave and received ac- the East. Their beauty, according to Dr. Shaw, is procording to his hand and dignity, they sat down upon mats." verbial there to this day; and it is still the greatest comlIe elsewhere speaks of the women's kissing their husbands' pliment which, in these countries, can be paid to a fine beards, and children those of their fathers, and friends woman, to say, "You have the eyes of an antelope." Frorm reciprocally saluting one another in this manner; but the Bochart, and other authors, we learn that it vas equally CHAP. 3. 2 SAMUExL. 185 celebrated by the ancients for the acuteness of its vision; questioned, as though I had been guilty of a heinous its eyes, they pretend, never become bleared; it sees in the crime, concerning this woman, which you reprove me for dark; it sleeps with both eyes open, or, as others will have having been too free with! What, this to me, who, in opit, with one eye open and another shut. These circum- position to the tribe of Judah, have advanced you to the stances appear to be much more applicable to the antelope, throne, have been so firm and faithful a friend to the house which is a quadruped well known, than to the roe, which of Saul thy father, his brethren, and adherents, and have is either not known at all, or very rare, in those parts of not delivered thee, as I could easily have done, into the the world. The natives of Syria make a distinction be- hands of David! Too long have I already resisted the tween the antelopes of the mountain, and those of the plain. appointment of God, and may I fall under his.heaviest Dr. Russel, who gives us this information, says, " the curse, except I perform to David, what the Lord hath former is the most beautifully formed, its back and sides sworn to David; even to, translate the kingdom from the are of a dark brown colour, and it bounds with surprising house of Saul, and to establish his throne over all Israel agility; the'latter is of a much lighter colour, its limbs are and Judah, from Dan even to Beershebah!" This threatnot so cleanly turned, and it is neither so strong, nor so ening so terrified the unhappy prince, that he could not active; both, however, are so fleet, that the greyhounds, answer him a word, as he knew he was absolutely in Abthough reckoned excellent, cannot, without the aid of the ner's power, and had too much reason to fear that he would falcon, come up with them, except in soft deep ground." put his threatening too soon in execution. He didOit withThis is probably the reason, that the sacred writers fre- out delay, and sent private messengers to David to offer quently mention the " antelope upon the mountains," and him his service, and say to h im: "To whom doth the not simply the antelope, when they allude to surpassing government over the country of Israel belongS Even to beauty of form, or amazing rapidity of motion. The thyself. Enter therefore into an agreement with me, and swiftness of this beautiful creature, has been celebrated by I will lend thee my assistance, to bring over all the tribes writers of every age, in terms of high admiration. Its of Israel to thy interest." David, in return to his message, exquisite symmetry, its active form, and the delicate turn sent him word, he was willing to enter into a treaty; but of its limbs, clearly show, that it is intended by its Maker would have no interview with him, but upon condition to hold a distinguished place among the fleetest animals that he should bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with him, that scour the desert. Sir John' Malcom says, it may be when he admitted him to an audience. He sent at the same termed the fleetest of quadrupeds. It seems rather to time messengers to Ishbosheth, to demand that Michal, his vanish, than to run from the pursuer, and when closely wife, whom he purchased for a hundred foreskins of the pressed, bounds with so great agility, that it hardly seems Philistines; i. e. at the hazard of his life, should be immeto touch the ground in its career. - Oppian calls it the diately delivered to him;_-who had by force been taken swiftest species of goat; and according to EYlian, it equals from him, and married to Phaltiel, the son of Laish. \ Here the whirlwind in speed. He outruns the antelope, sfid the David also falls under censure, as manifesting, in this Arabians, when they wished to pay the highest compliment instance, a too sensual disposition; and Mr. Bayle speaks to the youthful warrior. To this trait in its character, the of this affair in such a manner, as shows that he greatly sacred writers often allude. The surprising agility which disapproved it. For he says that Michal, Saul's daughteri, Asahel, the brother of Joab, displayed in his pursuit of was David's first wife, that she was taken from him during Abner, drew this eulogium from the sacred historian: his disgrace, that he successively married several others, and " And Asahel was light of foot, as one of the antelopes that yet demanded the first again; adding, to enhance David's are in the field." Another allusion to the amazing speed offence, that to restore her to him, they were obliged to of that animal, occurs in the description of the warlike force her from a husband, who loved her greatly, and qualifications which distinguished a troop of Gadites in followed her as far as he could, weeping like a child. I the service of David: " They were men of might, men of confess I cannot help smiling at this last observation, nor war, fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, perceive that it is to the purpose; for I can never imagine, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift that because one'man loves another man's wife very dearly, as the roes (the antelopes) upon the mountains."-PAXTON. that therefore the husband has no right to reclairs her; or should relinquish her, because the man cries like a child Ver. 28. So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the peo- at parting with her. I think David was most certainly in pie stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, the right to denmand her; for whatever may be said as to neither fought they any more. his other wives, he had certainly the strongest claim to this; for he had purchased her for a hundred foreskins of the See on 2 Sam. 18. 16. -- Philistines. And supposing there was nothing of a sensual disposition that influenced David in this instance, there might be other very substantial reasons to induce him to Ver. 12. And Abner sent messengers to David on insist upon her being sent to him. He purchased her at his behalf, saying, WChose is the land q sayinQ l the hazard of his life, and she was a living proof of his also, ~Makle thy leaguqe with me, and, beholdg military valour and ability. She was his predecessor's 7 7behod, daughter, and he did not probably choose to lose the honmy hand shall be with thee, to bring about all our and advantage of the alliance. It might conciliate Israel unto thee. some of Saul's family and tribe to his interest, whien they saw one of his daughters owned and treated as David's Though Abner, with the eleven tribes, asserted Ishbo- wife, and that'he did not pursue his resentment to Saul, to sheth's cause for several years, yet he saw that his interest the injury or disgrace of any of the branches of his family. greatly declined, and that he should not long be able to There was also a real generosity in the thing, both to her support him, as his forces were worsted inevery rencoun- and Saul; in that he received her after she had been ter; while David prospered in all his affairs, his party anoiher man's; remembering probably how once he owed was continually increasing, and every thing seemed to con- his life to her affection, and knowing that she was partly sepspire to crown his wishes; and soon put him in possession arated from him by her father's authority: whereas many of the kingdotn over all Israel. This was'the opportunity princes, for much less provocations of a wife's father, that Abner had waited for, to bring about that revolution in would have turned off their consorts in revenge of them, favour of David, which he had continually in his view, and even put them to death for having been married to and was determined to effect, upon the first occasion that another. In consequence of this demand made to Abner presented itself. He soon found one, that he immediately and Ishbosheth, she was immediately put into Abner's closed with. Saul had a concubine, whose name was Ris- hands: who, to prepare things for an accommodation with pah, and Ishbosheth, having found out that Abner had been David, went and assembled all the elders of Israel, and too intimate with her, took an opportunity to reproach him said to them: "You have formerly oftentimes expressed on that affair, and with an air of displeasure said to him: your desire, that David might be king over you. You Why hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine. Ab- have now an opportunity to gratify your own inclinations ner, enraged to be thus called to an account, said to Ish- in this respect; and what should engage you to advance bosheth with indignation: " What, am I to be used in so him to the throne is, that God himself hath pointed out to contemptuous and disagreeable a manner, as though I you the man, as he hath declared: By the hand of my ser-'.ere as insignificant as a dog's head, and thus haughtily vant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand on 24 186 2 SAMU EL. CHAP. 3. the Philistines, and out of me hand'of all their enemies;" formed Ishbosheth of it, and sent him at the same time an intimating hereby the incapacity of Ishbosheth, and that it offer of resigning the crown of Judah to him, and all his was both their interest and duty to transfer the kingdom pretensions to be king over all Israel. It is plain David and government to David; would be happy for themselves, was not of this sentimnent, but thought his own right was and an instance of obedience to their God. l-Ie went also better than Ishbosheth's, and therefore made use of that and applied himself particularly to the tribe of Benjamin, method to secure it, which he was persuaded that the strict to which Saul's family belonged, and persuaded them, by laws of equity, and the severe morals of a good servant ot the same kind of arguments, to fall in with the general God, did not in the least prohibit and condemn. And I sense of all the other tribes, and concur with them in ad- confess, I do not see any just reason for this censure of Mr. vancing David to the throne.-CHANDLER. Bayle's; or in what David acted, by accepting Abner's proposals, contrary to the strictest laws of equity, or the Vet. 21. And Abner said unto David, I will arise severe morals of a good servant of God. To David beand go,' and will gather all Israel unto my lord longed the throne by the appointment of God'; and Abner, the king, that they may make a league with by advancing Ishbosheth, and beginning a civil war in the the king, that ithey may make a league with Z thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that kingdom, acted contrary to his duty to God, the allegiance thee, and that thou mayet reign over all that he owed David, the laws of hereditary succession, and the thy heart desireth. And David sent Abner peace and happiness of his country. Here Abner was exaway; and he wvent in peace.': tremely criminal, and every moment hlie continued to support Ishbosheth, he supported an unnatural rebellion, and Having settled this important point to his mind, he took acted contrary to his own conviction, by keeping David Michal, and waited with her on David at Hebron, attended out of the possession of the kingdom, which he knew and with twenty persons of rank in his retinue, whom David confessed God had sworn to give him. Through a regard favourably received, and for whom he made a royal enter- to Saul's family, and more to his own ambition, he detertainment; and having fixed the terms of accommodation mined to defer David's possession as long as he could; till between them, Abner took his leave, and atparting told at length, finding that Ishbosheth was unworthy of the the Icing, "I will go and assemble all Israel together to my throne, and incapable of government; that David would lord, whom I now acknowledge for my sovereign and finally prevail, probably tired out with the calamities of the king, that they may all of them submit to thine authority civil war, and, I doubt not, willin to make some good and government, upon such terms as shall be judged hon- terms for himself, he took hold of the first opportunity to ourable on both sides, and that, according to the utmost break with Ishbosheth, and reconcile himself, and the whole wishes of thy heart, thou mayest reign over us all, and the nation, to David. In this Abner certainly acted as right a kingdom may be established in thy house and fanmily." part, as he, who having supported a usurpation and real Abner then took his leave, and went away pleased and rebellion, at length returns to his duty, deserts the prehappy, to bring about the revolution he had projected and tender, and submits himself to his lawful prince. Though promised. Here Mr. Bayle is out of all patience, and after the motives to such an alteration of conduct may not be having told us that Abner, being discontented with the altogether quite honourable, the conduct itself is certainly king his master, res6lved to dispossess him of his dominions, right; and the only possible means, by which such a perand deliver them up to David, adds: "David gives ear to son can atone for his past guilt, is to lay down his arms, the traitor, and is willing to gain a kingdom by intrigues and put an end to the usurpation; and thereby restore the of this nature. Can it be said that t-hese are the actions of public peace. Mlr. Bayle, with great indignation, calls a saint. I own there is nothing in all this, but what -is Abner the traitor But did ever any one imagine, that the agreeable to the precepts of policy, and the methods of hu- deserting a usurper, and submitting to a man's lawful man prudence; but I shall never be persuaded, that the prince, really constituted him a traitor to his lawful prince 2 strict laws of equity, and the severe morals of a good Rather, doth he not cease to be a traitor to him, when he servant of God, can approve such conduct." There are declares for his rightful sovereign'l Ishbosheth was Absome persons whom it is extremely difficult to please. In ner's king, as Mr. Bayle tells us; but it was a king he had a former note Mr. Bayle heavily censures David, that he treasonably made, and whom he had supported by violence, had made incessant war on Ishbosheth, like a very am- in opposition to the order of God, and without any pretence bitious and even infidel prince; and now, he ceases even of right and justice. If therefore the making himu king was to bea saint, and shows he is destitute of the severe morals wrong, the deserting him, ard bringing over the tribes to of a good servant of God, because he took the first oppor- David, was right. And the easy method by which Abner tunity, and the only means that were in his power, to put a effected this revolution, and the cordial manner in which stop to the war, and prevent the further effusion of blood, the whole nation submitted to David, is a demonstration by a general and solid peace. What, I wonder, would Mr. that they approved Abner's change, and were glad to Bayle have had David to have done, when Abner sent his accept David for their king. For no sooner had Abner a first proposals for an accommodation 2 Ought he to have conference with the elders of Israel, and put them in mind immediately rejected them, reproached Abner as a traitor that they had formerly desired. David for their kIcing, and to his prince, told him he would enter into no terms of that the Lord had resolved to deliver them from the Phipeace with him, nor his master, but reduce them both, with listines, and the hand of their enemies, by the hand of all the eleven tribes that adhered to them, by force of David; but instantly all the tribes came to Hebron, all the arnis. Had David done this, would not all the world have men of war, with a perfect heart, and all Israel with one reproached him for folly, thus to hazard, by continuing the heart, to make him Iking, and accordingly anointed him war, wNhat he could so certainly and easily obtain by the king over Israel. In this whole affair, David's conduct, to voluntary, offler of Abner? Would he not have been justly me, seems perfectly honourable. He received a rebel censurecid for delighting in blood, for pursuing by the sword, general to his favour upon his submission, agrees with what he could secur"'by treaty and accommodation. Or, him that he should bring in all the tribes to do what they wiould Mr. Bayle have had David sent to Ishbosheth, and desired to do, and were bound by the order of God to do, informed him of Abner's'treachery, and advised him to the even to make him king over them, that hereby lie might proper methods of preventing it 1 This, perhaps, Mr. have the peaceable possession of the whole kingdom. Bavle might have commended as an act of exceeding great Abner had dpenly told Ishbosheth of his design. Abner generositv and Ishbosheth might have thought himself sent messengers to David, and not David to Abner, on the greatly obliged to David for such an instance of friendship. affair. It was Abner who conferred with the ptinces of But how would the tribe of Judah have stood affected to Israel, and came openly to David at Hebron to agree upon him'. Would they not have concluded him unworthy to proper measures. David carried on no secret intrigues be their prince, who no better understood his own interest to bring over Abner and'the eleven tribes to his party. or theirs, by his rejecting a measure, which every pruden- He only consented to a just proposal that was made him of tial consideration, which humanity, and the love that hlie recovering his own right, Without invading the real right onwed to his people, obliged him immediately and thank- of a single person; and indeed it was the only method he fully to embrace. David had no other choice left him, but could take, and he would not have acted like a saint, or a either to fall in with Abner's offer, or prolong the calam- wise and just prince, hiad he not hereby put an end to the;ties of the civil war; except Mr. Bayle thought he was civil war, secured his own rights, and restoqed and estab obliged, upon discovering Abner's treachery, to have in- lished the peace and prosperity of his people.-CHANDnLzE CIJAP. 4. 2 SAMUEL. 187 Ver. 31. And David said to Joab, and to all the the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children people that were with him, Rend your clothes, of Benjamin. and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before This is added to show us that these two regicides were Abner. And King David himself followed the not only officers in the king's army, but of the same -tribe bier. with Saul, and therefore had more ties than one upon them, to be honest and faithful to his family. For' there is reaThe word here translated thebier is inthe originalthebed: son to believe that Saul, who lived in the borders of Benjan1 these, persons of quality used to be carried forth to their min, conferred more favours upon that tribe than any other, graves, as common people were upon a bier. Kings were and might therefore justly expect, both to him and his, a sometimes carried out upon beds very richly adorned; as greater esteem and fidelity from those of his own tribe than Josephus tells us that Herod was; he says the bed was all from others. This patronymic is therefore very properly gilded; set with precious stones, and that it had a purple prefixed to the names of Rechab and Baanah, to show what cover curiously wrought.-PATRICK. vile ungrateful villains they were, and how justly they deserved the severe and exemplary punishment which David Ver. 33. And the king lamented over Abner, and inflicted on them.-STACKHOUSE. said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34. Thy Ver. 5. And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fet- Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the erts; as a man falleth before wickled men, so heat of the day to t.he house of Ish-bosheth, fellest thou. And all the people wept again who lay on a bed at noon. 6. And they came over him. thither into the midst of the house, as th;ough See onl Rev. 2. 17. they would have fetched wheat; and they smote The feet as well as the hands of criminals are wont to him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baabe secured, some how or other, by the people of the East, nah his brother escaped. when they are brought out to be punished, to which there seems to be a plain allusion in the Old Testament. Thus The females engaged in this operation, endeavoured to when Irwin was among the Arabs of Upper Egypt, where beguile the lingering hours of toilsome exertion with a he was very ill used, but his wrongs afterward redressed song. We, learn from an expression of Aristophanes, preby the great sheik there, who had been absent, and who, served by Athenseus, that the Grecian maidens accomit seems, was a man of exemplary probity and virtue; he panied the sound of the millstones with their voices. This tells us, that upon that sheik's holding a great court of circumstance imparts an additional beauty and force to justice, about Irwin's affairs and those of his companions, the description of the prophet: (Isa. xlvii. 1.) The light of the bastinado was given to one of those who had injured a candle was no more to be seen in the evening; the sound them, which he thus describes in a note, page 271: " The of the millstones, the indication of plenty; and the song of prisoner is placed upright on the ground, with his hands the grinders, the natural expression of joy and happiness, and feet bound together, while the executioner stands be- were no more to be heard at the dawn. The grinding of fore him, and, with a short stick, strikes him with a smart corn at so early an hour, throws light on a passage of conmotion on the outside of his knees. The pain which arises siderable obscurity: " And the sons of Rimmon the Beerofriom these strokes is exquisitely severe, and -which no con- thite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came about the heat stitution can support for any continuance." As the Arabs of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at are extremely remarkable for their retaining old customs,' noon; and they came thither into the midst of the house, we have just grounds of believing, that when malefactors as though they would have fetched wheat, and they smote in the East were punished, by beating, and perhaps with him under the fifth rib; and Rechab and Baanah his brodeath by the sword, their hands were bound together, and ther escaped." It is still a custom in the East, according also their feet. How impertinent, according to this, is the to Dr. Perry, to allow their soldiers a certain quantity-of corn, interpretation that Victorinus Strigelius gives of 2 Sam. iii. with other articles of provisions, together with some pay: 34! as he is cited by Bishop Patrick in his Commentary on and as it was the custom also to carry their corn to the mill at those words: " The king lamented over Abner, and said, break of day, these two captains very naturally went to the Died Abner as a fool dieth Q Thy hands were not bound, palace the day before, to fetch wheat, in order to distribute nor thy feet put into fetters; as a man falleth before wicked. it to the soldiers, that it might be sent to the mill at the acmen, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over customed hour in the morning. The princes of the East, him." " Strigelus," says the Bishop, " thinks that David, in those days, as the history of David shows, lounged in in these words, distinguishes him from those criminals, their divan, or reposed on their couch, till the cool of the w7hose hands being tied behind them, are carried to execu- evening began to advance.' Rechab and Baanah, therefore, tion i and from those idle soldiers, who being taken captive came in the heat of the day, when they knew that Ishboin war, have fetters clapped upon their legs, to keep them sheth their master would bedresting-on his bed; and as it from running away. He was none of these; neither a was necessary, for the reason just given, to have the corn the notorious offender, nor a coward." Patrick adds, " The day before it was needed, their coming at that time, though plain meaning seems to be, that if his enemy had set upon it might be a little earlier than usual, created no suspicion, him openly, he had been able to make his part good with and attracted no notice.-PAsxTON. him." How impertinent the latter part of what Strigelius It is exceedingly common for people to recline on their says! how foreign from the thought of David, not to say couches in the heat of the day. Hence, often, when you inconsistent with itself, the explanation of the English call on a person at that time, the answer is, " The master prelate! Wihat is meant appears to be simply this: Died is asleep." Captain Basil Hall speaks of the inhabitants Abner as a fool, that is, as a bad man, as that word fre- of South America having the same custom. The old Roqurentlv signifies in the scriptures. Died he as one found mish missionaries in China used to take their siesta with a on judgment to be criminal, dieti' No! Thy hands, O metal ball in the hand, which was allowed to project over Abner I wAere not bound as being found such, nor thy feet the couch; beneath was a brass dish, so that as soon as the confined; on the contrary, thou wert treated with honour individual was asleep the fingers naturally relaxed their by him whose business it was to judge thee, and thy attach- grasp, and let the ball fall, and the noise made awoke hint n-elnt to the house of Saul esteemed rather generous than from his slumbers.-RoBERTs. culpable; as the best of men may fall, so fellest thou, by.lihe sword of treachery, not of justice! —HARMER. Ver. 12. And David commanded his young men, arid they slew them, and cut off their hands and CHAPTER IV. their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Ver. 2. And Saul's son'had two men that were Hebron. But they took the head of Ishcaptains of bands; the name of the one wvas bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, in Hebron. 188 2 SAMUEL.. CHAP. 5 In times of tumult and disorder, they frequently cut off kingdom shall not continue. The Lord bath sought him, the hands and feet of people, and afterward exposed them, ~nn$7 wox, a man after his own heart; he shall be captain over as well as the head. Lady M. W. Montague speaking of his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord the Turkish ministers of state says, " if a minister dis- hath commanded thee. It is evident here, that the man please the people, in three hours' time he is dragged even after God's own heart stands in opposition to the character from his master's arms; they cut off his hands, head, and of Saul, who is described as acting foolishly, by breaking feet, and throw them before the palace gate, with all the the commandment of God by his prophet, and rejected by respect in the world, while the sultan (to whom they all him, i. e. deprived of the succession to the crown in his profess an unlimited adoration) sits trembling in his apart- family, on account of his folly, presumption, and disobement." Thus were the sons of Rimmon served for slaying dience. And it therefore means one who should act pruIshbosheth.-HARMER. dently, and obey the commandments of God delivered him by his prophets, and whom therefore God would thus far CHAPTER V. approve and continue to favour. Thus the expression is elders of Israel came to the actually interpreted by the Chaldee paraphrase:'The man Ver. 3. So all the elders of Israel came to the who doth my will; and by St. Paul to the Jews at Antioch, king to Hebron; and King David made a who says, that when God hath removed Saul, he raised league with them in Hebron before the LORD: them up David to be their king; to whom he gave testimoand they anointed David king over Israel. ny, and said: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall execute my will. There 4. David was thirty years old when he began are therefore two senses, which are evidently implied ir to reign, and he reigned forty years. this character of the man after God's own heart; a man, who should faithfully execute the will of God according In the foregoing history we have seen the various steps, as he was commanded, and who on that account, and so by which providence brought David to the quiet possession far, should be the object of his approbation. And in one of the throne of Israel; an event that, to all human proba- or other, or both these senses, we find the expression albility, seemed the most unlikely, as the family of Saul, his ways used. Thus David, recounting the singular favours predecessor, was very numerous, all the forces of the king- of God towards himself, says; For thy word's sake,'L'z, dom under his command, and large bodies of them fre- according to thy heart, i. e. thy will and pleasure, hast thou quently employed by him to accomplish David's destruc- done all these great things. In another place God saith to tion. But God's purposes must stand, and he will do all the Jews: Iwillgive you pastors, 8,~D, accordingto my heart: his pleasure. He had assured Saul, by the mouth of pastors who shall answer the purposes for which I sent Samuel his prophet, that he had sought him, A MAN AFTER them, and act agreeable to their office, as the words immeHIS OWN HEART, and commanded him to be captain over his diately following explain it: Who shall feed you with people. This character has been thought, by some wri- knowledge and understanding. Thus also the Psalmist: ters, to'denote the highest degree of moral purity, and that The Lord grant thee according to thy heart, i. e. as the next therefore it could not, with truth or justice, be ascribed to words explain it: Fulfil all thy counsel; give thee thy David, who was certainly guilty of some very great of- -wishes, and by his favour prosper all thy designs. In like fences, and hath been plentifully loaded with others, which manner, when Jonathan said to his armour-bearer: " Come, he was entirely free from the guilt of. Every one knows, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised," his that in a literal translation of words from one language to armour-bearer said to him: Do all that is in thy heart. Do another, the original and the literal version may convey whatever thou desirest and approvest. Turn thee. Bevery different ideas; and should any one assert, that what hold, I am with thee according to tlqy heart t; in every thing the version properly imports is the genuine meaning of the in which thou canst desire, or command my concurrence. original, he would betray his ignorance and want of learn- These remarks may be confirmed by some other forms of ing, and all his reasonings from such an assertion would expression of the like nature. Thus God tells Eli: " I will be inconclusive and false. A good macn, upon the exchange raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to what of London, means, a responsible and wealthy man, who is is in my heart and my soul," i. e. what I command, and what able to answer his pecuniary obligations, and whose credit I approve. When Jehu, king of Israel, had cut off the is every way unexceptionable, though his character for whole house and family of Ahab, whom God for his numorals may be extremely bad. But this is not the mean- merous crimes had doomed to destruction, God said to h im: ing of the Greek word ayaOos, and but seldom, or ever, of " Thou hast done well, in.executing that which is right in the Latin word bonus; and should any one argue, that such my eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab, according a man was ayaOos or bonus, according to the common ac- to all that was in my heart," i. e. every thing I proposed, and ceptation of. fhose words in Greek and Latin, because in commanded thee to do. And yet in the very next verse, the English phrase he is called a good man, he would ex- Jehu is described as a very bad prince; for he took no.heed pose himself for his ignorance.and simplicity. A man af- to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his ter' God's oiwn heart, in English, if we interpret the expres- heart, nor departed from the sins of Jeroboam, who made sion in the strictest and highest sense, undoubtedly denotes Israel to sin. So Moses tells the people: "By this ye shall a character irreproachable and pure, without spot or blem- know, that the Lord hath said to meto do all these things, ish. But doth it follow that this is the meaning of the and that they are notfr ommy own heart;" i. e. that I have Hebrew expression, and that David, because he is so called, not acted by my own suggestions, and according to my own was intended to be represented as a man of the highest pleasure; and he commands them: " Ye shall remember purity l This is presuming on a meaning, that the expres- all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not sion by no means necessarily conveys, and taking for grant- seek after your own heart, and your own eyes," what is ed what ought to be proved, and what every man, who un- agreeable to your passions, and pleasing to your vanity. derstands the original language, knows to be mistaken. Many more places might be mentioned to the same purpose; The immediate occasion of these words of Samuel to Saul but from those already alleged, the reader will see, that was, Saul's disobedience in sacrificing, contrary to the ex- David is characterized as a man after God's own heart, not press orders he had received from God by this great prophet, to denote the utmost height of purity in his moral characnot to offer sacrifices till he should come, and give him the ter, as a private man, which by no means enters into the proper directions for his behaviour. The pretence was meaning of the expression, and which in no one single in — piety, but the real cause was imipatience, pride, and con- stance is intended by it; but to represent him as one, who tempt of the prophet; who not coming just at the time Saul in his public character, as king of Israel, was fit for the lpurexpected, he thought it beneath him to wait any longer for poses to which God advanced him, and who knew he would him; and imagined, that as king, all the rites of religion, faithfully execute the commands he should give him by his and the ministers of it, were to be subjected to his direction prophets; and who on this account should be favoured and and pleasure. But when Samuel came, notwithstanding approved of God, and established, himself and family, on the his plea of devotion, and the force he put upon himself, throne of Israel. He was, I doubt not, upon the whole, a Samuel plainly tells him: Thou hast done foolishly, thou really virtuous and religious man, according to the dispenhast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which sation he was under; and he certainly was a wise, a just, he commanded thee; for now would the Lord have estab- a munificent and prosperous prince; but yet he had his lisbed thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy faults, and those great ones, in his private character; and CHAP. 5. 2 SAMUEL. 189 these faults were not inconsistent with his character of be- all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all Ing a man according to God's heart; for if he was such a his people. See here, reader, the true portrait of the man prince as God intended him to be, faithfully executing after God's own heart, who fulfilled all his pleasure, who his orders, and bringing to pass those great events, which amid all the idolatries of the nations around him, never lie was raised up by God to be the instrument of accom- wickedly apostatized from the worship of his God, and was plishing; he thus far acted according to the heart, i. e. the an amiable example of a steady adherence to those forms purpose and will of God, and thereby, in this respect, ren- of religion, which God had prescribed to all the princes dered himself well pleasing and acceptable to him. The his successors; who, though king, subjected himself to Mod particularpurposes for which God advanced himto the throne the supreme king of Israel, and faithfully executed the were, that by his steady adherence to the one true God, and commands he received from him; who made his people the religion which he was pleased to establish by Moses, triumph in the numerous victories he obtained, by the dihe might be an illustrious example to all his posterity that rections, and under the conduct of God himself; who enshould reign after him: and here he was absolutely with- larged their dominions, and put them into possession of all out blemish, and a man, in the strictest sense of the expres- the territories God had promised to their forefathers; and sion, after God's own heart; as he neveir departed from his who amid all the successes that were granted him, the God, by introducing the deities of other nations, or permit- immense riches he had gathered from the spoils of his ting and encouraging the impious rites which they per- conquered enemies, and the sovereign power with which formed in honour of them. On this account his heart is he was invested, never degenerated into despotism and said to be perfect with the Lord his God, because his heart tyranny, never oppressed his people; but governed them was never turned away after other gods; and it is spoken with integrity, ruled over them with moderation and pruto the honour of the good princes of his house, who reigned dence, impartially distributed justice, left an established after him, that they did that which was right in the eyes durable peace, and fixed the whole administration, both of the Lord, as did David their father; and of the idola- civil and religious, upon the most substantial and durable trous princes, it is mentioned as the greatest reproach to foundation. In these instances he was the true vicegerent them, that their hearts were not perfect with the Lord their of God, on whose throne he sat, and all whose pleasure, in God, as the heart of David their father. During the reign these great instances, he faithfully performed. If therefore of Saul, little regard was shown by him to the institutions David's private moral character was worse than it will be of religion, and he acted as though he was independent of ever proved to be, he might be still a man after God's own the God of Israel, and therefore seldom or never inquired heart, in the proper original sense of the expression; and of him, how he was to act in the affairs of government, at the attempt to prove that he was not possessed of the height the ark, from whence God, as peculiarly present in it, had of moral purity, is an impertinent attempt to prove David'promised to give the proper answers to those who rightly not to be, what.the sacred history never asserted him to consulted him. As the ark itself had no fixed residence, be.-CHANDLER. and some of the principal services of religion could not, for that reason, be regularly and statedly performed, David Ver. 6. And the king and his men went to Jeruwas raised up to be king over God's people, that he might salem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the provide a rest for his ark, where it should perpetually con- which spake unto David, saying, Except tinue, to which all the people might resort, where all the solemn festivals might be celebrated, and the whole wor- thou take away the blind and the lame, thou ship of God might be constantly performed, according to shalt not come in hither: thinking, David canthe prescriptions of the law of Moses. David fully answer- not come in hither. 7. Nevertheless David ed this purpose by fixing the ark at Jerusalem, settling all the necessary ceremonies and forms of worship for perpetual observance, and composing sacred hymns and psalms, city of David. 8. A2nd David said on that that should be sung in honour of the true God, providing day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and the expenses, and many of the costly materials, that were smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the necessary to build and adorn the house of God, which het are hated of Da himself had proposed to erect, but which God reserved for his son and successor to raise up; and regulating the order, be chief and captain. ~ Wherefore they said, that was to be observed among all the various persons, that The blind and the lame shall not come into were to be employed in the daily services of the ark and the house. temple; a full and ample account of which is transmitted to us in the first book of Chronicles. It must not be omit- 1 CHRONICLES, CHAPTER XI. ted also, that there was yet another end of providence, in Ver. 5. And the inhabitants of Jebus said to DaDavid's appointment, to be king over Israel; that, according to God's promise concerning him, he might save his vid, Thou shalt not come hither. Neverthepeople Israel out Qf the hand of the Philistines, and out of less David took the castle of Zion, which is the the hand of all their enemies; and further, that by him hevid. 6. And David saidWhsoever might accomplish the more ancient promises which God. 6. And David sali Whosoever had made to Abraham, in their full extent, of giving to his smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and seed thewhole country, fromtheriverofEgypt, unto the great captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first river, the river Euphrates. Here also David answered the up, and was chief. intentions of providence in his advancement, as he subdued the Philistines, and made them tributary to his crown; as The words inhabitants of Jebus, which' are not in the he cleared his kingdom of all the remains of the nations original of Samuel, are not in the Vat. copy of the Lxx. in that had formerly possessed it, or reduced them into entire Chronicles; but the Alexandrian translates regularly acsubjection, or made them proselytes to his religion; and as cording to the present Hebrew text. In Samuel there is a the consequence of just and necessary wars, conquered all clause or two in the speech of the Jebusites, which is omitthe neighbouring nations, garrisoned them by his victori- ted in Chronicles for brevity; as the history in Chronicles ous troops, and put it out of their power to disturb his peo- is regular, and the sense complete without it. But though ple formany years, and left to his son and successor a forty the history be regular and very intelligiole in Chronicles, years' peace, and dominion over all the kingdoms, from yet the additional clauses in Samuel make the history there the river Euphrates, unto the land of the Philistines, and remarkably perplexed; and (as Dr. Delany observes) enunto the border of Egypt, who brought presents and served cumber it with more difficulties than are ordinarily to be Solomon all the days of his life. And finally, God raised met with. In full proportion to the difficulties has been the him up to exalt the glory of his people Israel, and render number of different interpretations; and yet there seems to them a flourishing and happy people, by the wisdom and be very sufficient room for offering another interpretation, justice of his government. He chose David his servant, in some material points differing from them all. The words to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he in Samuel, so far as the text in Chronicles coincides, are fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided clear and determinate in their meaning, " And the inhabthem by the skilfulness of his hands, i. e. he governed them itants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither." Wvith integrity, prudence and courage; for he reigned over But the succeeding words in Samuel are very difficult; or, 190 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 5. atleast, have been variously interpreted. The present Eng- shall be chief captain. That the connected particles (nN. lish translation is, "Except thou take awaythe blind and ki ira) rendered except, in Samuel, signify for in this the lame, thinking, David cannot come in hither." The plade, is evident, because the words following are rather chief difficulty here lies in determining who are these blind causal than objective; and we have several instances of and lame; whether Jebusites, or the Jebusite deities, called this sense -of the two particles given us by Toldius: thus blind and lame by way of derision. The latter opinion has Prov. xxiii. 18, they are rendered for in the English transbeen maintained by some considerable writers; but seems lation'; and so in the English, Greek, Syriac, and Arabic indefensible. For however David and the Israelites might versions of Lam. v. 22. That the verb (I'-), esirek) be disposed to treat such idols with scorn and contempt, it rendered to take away, is not here the infinitive, but the is not at all likely the Jebusites should revile their own dei- preter of Hiphil, is apparent from the sense; that it has ties; andwe must remember, that these deities are sup- been so considered, is certain from the Masoretic pointposed to be here called blind and lame by the Jebusites ing, as De Dieu and other critics have observed: and we themselves. But, admitting them to be idol deities, what see it is translated as such by the LXX. in the plural nummeaning can there be in the Jebusites telling David, " be ber, avr7s-c'av. From this version, then, and from the plunshould not come into the citadel, unless he took away the rality of the two nouns, which are necessarily the nomideities upon the walls 1'" If he could scale the walls, so as natives to this verb, we may infer, that it was originally to reach these guardian deities, he need not ask leave of']iDf (esirmek) to keep off, the vau having been dropped here the Jebusites to enter the citadel. But, (which is much as in many'other places. Enough having been said of more difficult to be answered,) what can possibly be the the number, let us now consider the tense of this verb; meaning of the last line, "Wherefore they said, the'blind which being preter, some have translated it by a word exand the lame shall not come into the house?" For, who pressive of time past. But the sense necessarily requires said. Did the Jebusites say, their own deities (before ex- it tb be translated as future in other languages, though it pressed by the blind and the lame) should not come into be more expressive in the original in the preter tense, it the house, should not (according to some) come where being agreeable to the genius of the Hebrew language frethey were, or, should not (according to others) come quently to speak of events yet future, as having actually into the house of the Lord' —Or, could these deities say, happened, when the speaker would strongly express the David and his men should not come into the house 3 The certainty of such event. This observation is peculiarly apabsurdity of attributing such a speech, or any speech, to plicable to the case here. For this castle of mount Sion these idols, is too clear to need illustration; and it is a had never yet been taken by the Israelites, though they had known part of their real character, that they have mouths, dwelt in Canaan about four hundred years; as we learn but speak not. But, though these deities could not de- from the sacred history, Josh. xv. 63; Judg. i. 21; xix. 10;' nounce these words, yet the Jebusites might; and it is pos- and from Josephus, lib. vii. cap. 3. The Jebusites, then, sible (it has been said) that the blind and the lame, in.this absolutely depending on the advantage of their high situalatter part of the sentence, may signify the Jebusites; not tion and the strength of their fortification, (which had seany particular Jebusites, so maimed; but the Jebusites in cured them againstthe Israelites so many hundred years,) general, called blind and lame, for putting. their trust in looked upon this of David's as a vain attempt, which thereblind and lame idols. This seems too refined an interpre- fore they might safely treat with insolence and raillery. tation; and we may safely conclude-that the same expres- Full of this fond notion, they placed upon the walls of the sion of the blind and lame means the same beings in the citadel the few blind and lame that could be found among two different parts of the same sentence. It has been fur- them, and told David, "He should not come thither; for ther observed, that these blind' and lame are here spoken the blind and lame" were sufficient to keep him off: which of as different from the Jebusites,"Whosoever smiteth the they (these weak defenders) should effectually do, only Jebusites, and the lame and the blind;" and if they were "by their shouting, David shall not come hither." That different,.it requires no great skill at deduction to deter- the blind and the lame were contemptuously placed upon mine they were not the same. Perhaps then these blind ise walls by the Jebusites, as before described, we are asand lame were, in fact, a few particular wretches, who sured not onlyby the words of the sacred history before us, laboured under these infirmities of blindness and lameness; but also by the concurrent testimony of Josephus. iJow and therefore'were different from the general body of the that these blind' and lame, who appear to have been placed Jebusites. But here will it not be demanded at once —how upon the walls, were to insult and did insult David in the can we then account rationally for that bitterness with manner before mention'ed, seems very evident from the which David expresses himself here against these blind words- The blind ard the lame shall keep thee off BY SAYand lame; and how it was possible, for a man of David's ING, etc. and also from the impossibility of otherwise nachumanity, to detest men for mere unblameable, and indeed counting for David's indignation against these (naturally pitiable, infirmities? And lastly, the authors of the Uni- pitiable) wretches. And the not attending to this remarkversal History, in their note on this transaction, mention able circumstance seems one principal reason of the perthe following, as the first plausible argument against the plexity so visible among the various interpreters of this pasliteral acceptation-" How could David distinguish the halt, sage. It is very remarkable, that the sense before given to or the lame, or the blind, from able men, when posted 1'tin nK in (ki im esirek,) " For the blind and the lame shall upon lofty walls; since those infirmities are not discernible keep thee off," is confirmed by Josephus in the place just but near at hand 3" This, it must be allowed, would be a cited. And it is further remarkable that the same sense is difficulty indeed, if David's information here had been given to these words in the English Bible of Coverdale, only from his eyesight. But this objection immediately printed in 1535, inwhich they are rendered, 1 fiott stialt vanishes, when we reflect, that the Jebusites are said in the not comre Wbtlie;, btnt the Itinub ana Ianme ohlal bv:be Iet text to have told David-the blind amd the lame should keep airafe.'This is one great instance to prove the credit due them off: for certainly David could easily conceive the to some parts of this very old English version; as the sense men, who were placed upon the walls to insult him, were of this passage seems to have been greatly mistaken both blind and lame; when he was told so by the Jebusites before and since. That it has been changed for the worse themselves; and told so, to render this insult of theirs the since that edition, is very evident; and that it was impropgreater. erly rendered before appears from Wickliff's MS. version Havisig thus mentioned some of the present interpreta- of 1383, where we read —Ertot soialt not eutre Itbur: no tions, it may be now proper to'Submit another to the judg- lut tljou Io abtle tlvnb imen atn laInme, etc. After this addiment of the reader. I shall first give what seems to be the tiona! clause of Samuel, in the speech of the Jebusites, the true interpretation of this passage; and then subjoin the two histories agree in saying, " David took the strong hold several arguments in defence of it. "And the inhabitants of Sion, whidh was afterward called the city of David." of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither; for By this strong hold of Sion, or city of David, we are led the blind and the lame shall keep thee off, by saying, David by the words of the text to understand-not the fortress orshall not come hither. But David took the strong hold of citadel (which was not yet taken, as appears from the Sion, which is the city of David. And David said.on that order of the history in both ehapters)-but the town of the day, Whosoever (first) smiteth the Jebusites, and through Jebusites, or city of David, which was spread over the the subterraneous passage reacheth the lame and the blind, wide hill of Sion: and is what Josephus means when he.hat are hated of David's soul, because the blind and the tells us-David first took the lower town, the town which lame continued to say, he shall not come into this house"- lay beneath the citadel; after which he tells us, that the CHAP. 5. 2 SANiUEL. 191 citadel remained yet to be taken, lib. vii. cap. 3. The two his command of the army, on account of his haughtiness, chapters having agreed in this circumstance of David's and for several murders; but complained, that this son of making himsel' master of the town or city; they now vary Zeruiah was too hard for him. One of these attempts ot as before; and here also the history in Chronicles is regu- David seems to have been made at the time Israel came in lar, though it takes no notice of some further circumstan- to David, by the persuasion of Abner; when it is probable ces relating to the blind and the lame: and indeed the latter the condition on Abner's side was to have been made circumstances were to be omitted of course, as the historian David's captain-general: and perhaps Joab suspected so chose, for brevity, to omit the former. But as to Samuel, much, and therefore murdered him. The next attempt there is in that book a deficiency of several words, which seems to have been made at the taking this strong citadel are necessary to complete the sense; which words are pre- of the Jebusites. For David proposes the reward absoluteserved in the text of Chronicles. And as the difficulty ly to every officer of his army, "Whosoever smiteth:the here also'lies entirely in the text of Samuel, let us see Jebusites first;" i. e. whosoever will ascend first, put himwhether it may not be cleared up to satisfaction. David self at the head of a detachment, and march up through the ha.ving now possessed himself of the strong town of the subterraneous passage into the citadel, shall be head and Jebusites, situate upon the hill of Sion, proceeds, the same captain. This proposal, we may observe, was general; day, to attack the citadel or fortress; which was considered and yet, how much soever David might wish Joab safely by the Jebusites as impregnable. And probably the Israelites removed, it is reasonable to think that he made Joab the would have thought so too, and David had retired from first offer. And, we find, that however dangerous and before it, like his forefathers, if he had not possessed himself dreadful this enterprise appeared, yet Joab had prudence by strataTem, when he found he could not storm or take it enough to undertake it, and courage enough to execute it: by open force. For this seems in fact to, have been the and. Joab went up first, or at the head of a party, and was case; and the history of this success may be properly intro- accordingly declared head, or chief captain, or (in the duced by a similar case or two. And first, Dr. Prideaux modern style),captain-general of the united armies of Israel (in his Connexion, part i. book 2) tells us of the city of and Judah. It is not unlikely that the men of Israel exBabylon, —that when it was besieged by Cyrus, the inhabit- pected, that though Abner their general had been basely ants, thinking themselves secure in their walls and their murdered by Joab, yet David's chief captain should be stores, looked on the taking of the city by a siege as an im- chosen from among them; or at least that they should have practicable thing; and therefore from the top of their wcalls a chance for that first post of honour, as well as the men of scoffed at Cyrus, and derided him or every thing he did Judah. And if they had declared any expectation of this touacbrds it. (A circumstance most exactly parallel to that kind, David seems to have taken the wisest step for deof the history before us.) But yet, that Cyrus broke down termining so important a point-by declaring, that neither the great bank or dam of the river, both where it ran into relation, nor fortune, nor friendship should recommend the city, and where it came out; and as soon as the channel upon the occasion; but, as the bravest man and the best of the river was drained, in the middle of the night, while soldier ought to be commander-in-chief, so this honour Belshazzar was carousing at the conclusion of an annual should be the reward Of the greatest merit; that there was festival, " the troops of Cyrus entered through these pas- nowa fair opportunityofsignalizing themselves in the taking sages in two parties, and took the city by surprise." And this important fortress; and therefore his resolution wasthere is a second remarkable case related by Polybius, that Whosoever woseld head a detachment up this subterrawhich will further illustrate the present history; and was neous passage, and should first make himself master of the communicated to me by a learned friend. " Rabatamana," citadel, by that passage, or by scaling the walls, or by any says Polybius, " a city of Arabia, could not be taken, till other method, should be head abed captain, i. e. captainone of the prisoners showed the besiegers a subterraneous general. It is remarkable, that the text in Samuel is very passage, through which the besieged came down for water." incomplete- in this place: David's proposal to the army is Now this fortress of the Jebusites seems to have been cir- just begun, and a circumstance or two mentioned; buttthe cumstanced like Rabatamana; in having also a subterra- reward proposed, and the person rewarded, are totally neous passage which is called' in the original -m:s (tzenmer,) omitted. We may presume the text could not have been a word which occurs but once more in the Bible, and does thus imperfect originally, since no ellipsis can supply what not seem commonly understood in this place. The English is here wanting; and therefore the words in the coinciding version calls it the qgutter.-the Vulgate, fistulas-Vatablus, chapter in Chronicles, which regularly fill up this omiscancales —Jtn. and Trem. emissarium —Poole, tubes aque — sion, were doubtless at first also in Samuel, and are thereand Bochart, alveucs, &c. But not to multiply quotations, fore to be restored: the necessity of thus restoring the most interpreters agree in making'the word signify some- words not found in the present copies of Samuel is apthing hollow, and applying it to water: just the case of the parent. subterraneous passage, or great hollow, of Rabatamana, And the English version of these texts; in Samuel isthrough which men could pass and repass for water. That "And they spoke unto David, saying, Thou shalt not come this'-ii (tze~nur) in the text was such an underground pas- hither; for the blind and the lame shall keep thee off, by sage might be strongly presumed from the text itself; but saying, David shall not come hither. But David took the it is proved to have been so by Josephus. For, speaking of strong hold of Sion, which is the city of David. And Dathis very transaction, he calls them subterraneous cavities, vid said on that day, Whosoever (first) smiteth the Jebusites, putting this interpretation upon a very solid footing. That and by the subterraneous passage reacheth the blind and the the preposition,, rendered in, prefixed to'm-' (tzenr,) lame, which are hated of David's soul, (because the blind sometimes signifies by, is evident from Noldius; and that it and the lame continued to say, He shall not come into this signifies so in this. place is certain from the nature of the house)-shall be head and captain. So Joab the son of context, and the testimony of Josephus, who expresses it Zeruiah went up first, and was head-or captain-general." thus: the verb inKns (iamrx,) rendered, they said, in this The English version, then, of these texts in Chronicles issentence is very properly future; as Hebrew verbs in that "And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt tense are known to, be frequentative, or to express the con- not come hither. But David took the strong hold of Sion, tinuance of doing any thing; and therefore that tense is which is the city of David. And David said, Whosoever with great propriety used here to express the frequent first smiteth the Jebusites, shall be head and captain. So repetition of the insolent speech used by the blind and the Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was chief caplame upon the walls of the fortress. It only remains here tain." (Kennicott.)-CRITICA BIBLICA. to make an observation or two on the reward proposed by David, and the person who obtained it. The text of Chron- Ver. 9. So David dwelt in the fort, and called it, icles tells us, " David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebu- The city of David: and David built round sites first, shall be chief and captain, or head and prince." about, from Mile and inward. We are to recollect, that Joab the son of Zeruiah (David's sister) had been general of his army, during the civil war, The old city founded by the Jebusites before Abraham between the men of Judah under David, and the Israelites arrived in Canaan, is styled by some writers the city qot commanded by Abner, in favour of Ishbosheth' the son of Melchizedek, not because he was the founder, but because it Saul: but that' the Israelites, having now submitted to' was the seat of his government. This ancient city was so David, he was king over the whole twelve tribes. David, strongly fortified both by nature and art, that the people of we know, frequently. endeavoured to remove Joab from Israel could not drive out the Jebusites, its original inhabit 192' 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 5. ants, but were reduced to live with tE.em at Jerusalem. ther of these senses amounts to a sufficient proof, that the The armies of Israel indeed seized the city; but the Jebu- terraces were made by filling up the hollow between mount sites kept possession of the strong'fort which defended the Sion and mount Moriah. That Solomon planned and extown, till the reign of David, who took it by storm, and ecuted a noble and magnificent way from the royal palace changed its name to the city of David, to signify the im- on mount Sion, to the temple on mount Moriah, which portance of the conquest, and to perpetuate the memory of excited the admiration of all that saw it, is attested in plain the event. Having chosen Jerusalem for the place of his terms by the sacred writer; " And when the queen o1 residence and the capital of his kingdomi, he adorned the Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house which fortress with a royal palace for his own accommodation, he had built,... and his ascent by which he went up unto and a variety of other buildings; which, from the continual the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her." additions made to them in succeeding reigns, increased to This passage also proves, that although the declivity on each the size of a considerable city, and covered nearly the side was easy, the road was not perfectly level, for Solomon whole of mount Sion. The largeness of the city of David went up an ascent to the house of the Lord. The same may be inferred from the expression of the sacred histo- circumstance is mentioned in another book, where the sarian; " David built round about from Millo and inward." cred writer speaks of " the causey of the going up." And This passage, and particularly the word Millo, has greatly we read, that Joash was slain in the house of Milio, which exercised the genius and divided the sentiments of com- goes down to Silla. The term Silla, is thought by some mentators; and is therefore entitled to more particular learned commentators, to have the same meaning.as Mesnotice. That'Millo was situated in the city of David, the silah, which signifies a causey or cast up way; and conseinspired historian expressly asserts: and by consequence, it quently, that between the two mounts Sion and Moriah, were must either have been upon mount Sion or in its immedi- two declivities, one towards the temple or mount Moriah, ate vicinity. t. is worthy of notice, that the inspiredwriter the other towards the palace or mount Sion. The last is of David's history could not allude to Millo itself, which supposed to be the descent of Silla, near which stood the was not then in existence, but to the place where it after- house of Millo. From this statement it is clear, that the ward stood; for Millo was not built till the succeeding- house of Millo stood on the east side of mount Sion, at the reign. It seems to have been a public building, where the upper end of the causey which goes down to Silla, and the king and his princes met in council about affairs of state; royal palace on the opposite side. When, therefore, the safor in the passage already quoted from the first book of cred historian says, David built round about from Millo Kings, it is connected with the house of the Lord and the and inward, or as the original word may be rendered, "to royal palace. The words of the historian are; " And this the house," he seems to intimate, that David built round is the reason of the levy (or tax) which king Solomon about from the place where Millo was afterward erected raised; for to build the house of the Lord and his own by Solomon, or where more probably the senate-house6, or house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Millo of the Jebusites, had stood, which was pulled down to and Megiddo, and Gezer." But every ground of hesitation makle room for the more sumptuous edifice of Solomon, to is removed by the sacred writer of the second book of Kings, his own house; so that David built from one part of mount who calls it expressly " the house of Millo." That it was Sion, quite round to the opposite point. Hence, the resia pulblic building, in one of whose apartments the council dence of David, even in the reign of that renowned monof state met to deliberate upon public affairs, is rendered arch, began to assume the size and splendour of a city, and extremely probable by one of the kings of Judah losing his to be justly entitled to the appellation which it receives life there by the hands of his princes; for we are told, that from the sacred historian.-PAXTON. " the servants of king Joash arose and made a conspiracy, and slew him in the house. of Millo," whither he had prob- Ver. 19. And David inquired of the LORD, sayably come to consult with his princes and other principal persons upon some affairs of state. This interpretation is ing, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou greatly strengthened by a passage in the book of Judges, deliver them into my hand? And the LORD which informs us, that "all the men of Shechem gathered said unto David, Go up; for I will doubtless together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made deliver the Phnto thy hand. Abimelech king." The city of Shechem then had also its house of Millo, and a great number of persons connected with it, whom the sacred writer distinguishes from the men I cannot here help observing, in honour of the Hebrew of the city. Now since both were concerned in making oracle, that its answers were such, as became the character Abimelech king, it is natural to conclude, that the men of of the true God, who hath all events at his disposal, and the city were the inferior inhabitants, and the house of cannot be mistaken as to those which he expressly foreMillo the governors of the place: both of whom on this tels. Let any one compare it with the heathen oracles, occasion met in the senate-house, to set the crown upon the and he will be forced to acknowledge, that they were head of their favourite. shuffling, ambiguous, and vague; and the answers they gave The house of Millo upon mount Sion, appears to have of so uncertain.a nature, so equivocal and deceitful, as that been a place of great strength, and essentially connected they might be interpreted in two direct contrary senses, with the defence of Jerusalem; for when Hezekiah dis- might be equally true of two contrary events, and evidently covered that Sennacherib meditated the reduction of his demonstrated, that they who gave them out kn'ew no more capital, "he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall of those events on which they were consulted, than they that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another who inquired about them, who were often deceived in the uwall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and application of them to their own destruction. Thus Crcemade darts and shields in abundance." From the intimate sus was foretold by Apollo, that if lie made war with the connexion between the repairing of Millo and the making Persians, he should overturn a great empire; which Crcesus of darts and other implements of war, it has been conjec- interpreting in his own favour, made war upon Cyrus, tured by some writers, that one part of that public building and thereby put an end to his own empire; after which, was occupied as an armory; in which there is nothing he severely reproached Apollo for deceiving him. And improbable. It is necessary, however, before leaving this thus Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, vho is said, upon the credit part of the subject, to state another opinion that has been of an ambiguous oracle of the same Apollo, to have enadvanced concerning Millo, by several men of genius and gaged in war with the Romans, was entirely defeated by learning. They suppose that Solomon filled up a deep val- them, and forced at last to retire with great'disgrace and ley or hollow, that separated the hill of Sion and the site loss into his own dominions. Whereas, the answers of the of the ancient city from mount Moriah, upon whose sum- Hebrew oracle had one plain obvious certain meaning, mit he built the temple of Jehovah, and made a plain level that needed no interpretation, that no one could possibly road from the one to the other. The execution of this stu-'mistake the meaning of, and that was never found, in one pendous work, they contend, may be inferred from the single instance, to deceive or disappoint those who deroot of the word Millo, which signifies " to fill up;" and pended on, and directed themselves by the order of it. Do from a passage in 2d Chronicles, where it is said, the king this, or, Do not this, was the peremptory form, in which they, made terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the kina's who consulted it, were answered; which, in the judgment palace. The word which is here rendered terraces, may of Cicero, was the manner in which the oracles of Gc? be translated as in the margin, stays or supports. But nei- ought to be delivered.-CI ANDLER. CHAP. 6. 2 SAMUEL. 3 CHAPTER VI. did not bring his sacrifice to the door of the tabernacle, there Ver. 2. And David arose, and wrent -with all the to offer it to the Lord, should be cut off from his people: the most effectual provision this, that could possibly be made people that'were, with him from Basle of Ju- against idolatry, as it struck at the root of all idol worship; dah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, and which, had they observed the command, must have whose name is called by the name of The prevented the introduction of any other god, in opposition LORD of H]osts, that dwelleth between the to Jehovah, the true God, who dwelt in the ark, and- on whose altar their sacrifices must have been offered by his cherubims. priests, who resided in the tabernacle. Hither also, as to the temple of God, the religious Hebrews loved to resort, David being now at rest, in peace at home, and free from not only to present their sacrifices, but to join in the celeal foreign wars, applied himself to make some necessary bration of the divine praises, and the singing those sacred regulations in religion, and a proper provision for the more songs, that were composed in honour of the true God, to staled performance of the solemnities of divine worship. offer up their supplications to him, and to make and pay Thile ark, which was the emblem of the divine presence, their vows before him; and their appearance at the taberwhere God dwelt between the cherubim, was now at Kir- nacle for these purposes, where the ark of the presence rejath-jearim, in the house of Abinidab on the hill; where it sided, was styled, appearing before God, coming before his was placed, when the Philistines had sent it back, after presence, frequenting his courts, abiding in his house, and they had taken it in the battle, in which IHophni and Phin- the like; because they saw there his power and glory, or eas, the sons of Eli, perished and great part of the Hehrew the glorious manifestation of his power and majesty, which army were cut off. The time of its continuance here was were frequently given, as the immediate token of God's acabout forty-six years, except when, on some particular oc- cepting their sacrifices, thanksgivings, and prayers. From casions, it was removed, as once in Saul's lime, when he these observations it appears, that this ark of God was of fought his first battle against the Philistines. As David the highest importance in the Hebrew republic, as it was a had now fixed his own residence at Jerusalem, and intend- standing memorial for Jehovah, the one true God, the God ed it for the capital of his whole kingdom, he was resolved of Israel, the centre of all the public solemnities of religion, to do every thing in his power, that could contribute to the the place where the whole nation was to pay their homage splendour, dignity, and safety of it. His first care was to and'adoration to him, where he appeared propitious and secure it the presence and protection of the God of Is- favourable to his people, where they were to inquire of mrael; and accordingly, he provided a proper habitation and him, and wait for his direction; and that the presence of it risidence for his ark, and pitched for it a tent, where it was essentially necessary, wherever the public solemnimight continually remain throughout all future ages. The ties of:worship were to be performed; anfd that Jerusalem ark was a ~mall chest, made of shittim-wood, two cubits could never have been fixed on for these sacred services, and a half, or a yard and a half and one inch long, a cubit nor the visible emblems of the divine Majesty and presand a half, or two feet nine inches broad, and overlaid ence, in the cloud and glory, have ever been expected in it, within and without, with pure gold. On the top of the ark unless this ark had been translated to, and settled there, as was placed a seat, or cover, called nn-z,,Xaa-rlpoq, the mer- the place of its future and fixed residence. These were cy-sect, as we render the word, or, the propitiatory cover, be- some of the cdnsiderations that induced David to remove cause the blood of the propitiatory sacrifice was sprinkled it into the new city that he had built, but there were others on, and before it. In this ark were placed the two tables also that the very law of Moses suggested to him. God of stone, on which the ten commandments were engraven, had by him commanded the Hebrews, that "unto the place called the testimony; because God testified and declared, which the Lord their God had chosen out of all the tribes, to these ten commandments were essential and unalterable put his name there even unto his habitation should they laws of his kingdom. On this account the ark is called, seek, and thither they should come, and thither should they The ark of the testimony. In the order to make it, God bring their burnt oftferings, their sacrifices, their tithes and says: "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell heave offerimgs, their vows, their free-will offerings, and among them." Here, God tells Moses: "I will meet with the firstlings of their herds and flocks, and that there they thee, and I will commune with thee, from above the mercy- should eat before the Lord their God, and rejoice in all that seat, from between the two cherubims, of all things, which they put their hand to, they and their household,' wherein I will give thee in commandinent, unto the children of Is — the Lord their God had blessed them." He further promrael; and I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat," ised them, that after they had passed over Jordan, and Hence the ark was considered as the house, the sanctuary, dwelt in the land, which he had given them to inherit; and temple of God, where he resided; and God is described then, " there should be a place, which the Lord their God as dwelling between, or rather above the cherubim; not would choose, to dwell there, and that there they should because the Hebrews were so stupid as to imagine any per- bring their burnt-offerings, and all their choice vows, and sonal residence of God in the ark, or that he could be con- that there they should rejoice before the Lord their God, fined to any particular place, whom they well knew the they, and their sons, and their daughters, and their menheaven, even the heaven of heavens, could not contain; servants, and their maid-servants, and the Levite that was much less any house that could be erected for him by hu- with them in their gates, and do all that he commanded. man hands; but because the cloud and glory, which ap- them.;" and that here, and nowhere else, they should eat the peared' there, were the visible emblems of his gracious passover, and appear three times in it every year, before presence with them, and of his peculiar inspection and the Lord their God; at the feast of unleavened bread, the care over them; or, as Joshua tells them, whereby they feasts of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles; and that here should know, that the living God was among them, even the they were to apply for determining their principal causes Lord of the whole earth; viz. to protect and prosper them. and controversies: in a word, that this very place, which That the majesty of this ark or portable temple of God, the Lord should choose, should be the capital of the whole might be preserved inviolable, God ordered a tabernacle to kingdom, the principal seat of all their public solemnities, be prepared for its reception, and a veil to be placed before and the perpetual residence of the supreme courts of justice the ark, to separate the holy place, where the ark was fix- and equity. ed, from the other part of the tabernacle, where Aaron and During all the preceding periods of the Hebrew republic, his sons wereto minister continuallybefore God. Besides no such place had been chosen and appointed by God; the this, there was a spacious court prepared round about the ark itself had no settled and fixed habitation, but removed tabernacle and the altar, where the congregation were al- from place to place, as convenience or necessity required; lowed to enter, and present their offerings at the door of the and the several judges and supreme officers, that presided tabernacle, before the Lord. At the door of the tabernacle over and judged the people, had their particular cities, of the congregation the daily burnt-offering was to be of- where they resided, and administered justice to those who fered, where God promised to meet with the children of Is- applied to them. In this unsettled state -of the republic, rael. to sanctify it by his glory, and to dwell among the many and great inconveniences must have necessarily children of Israel, and be their God, i. e. their almighty arisen, and the most significant and important solemnities guardian, and protector. Here also were to be brought all of the national. religion were absolutely incapable of being their various kinds of sacrifices, in reference to which the performed, according to the preweiption of the law of God charge was so strict, as that God commanded, that whoever by Moses. 25 194 2 SAMUEL. CIIAr. 3 The honour of making the necessary settlement in these nitj, and it was impossible that the nature and cause of things, and perfecting the civil polity, and the ceremonial Uzzah's death could have been concealed. The history of the Hebrew worship, was reserved for David; who expressly says, that God smote him for his rashness, in laywhen he had retaken Jerusalem from the Jebusites, had ing hold of what he ought not to have touched; or for his considered the strength and convenience of its situation, error in thinking God was not able to protect and secure. had enlarged it with new buildings, adorned it with pal- it; and David affirms, that the Lord had made a breach aces, erected a magnificent one for himself, had well forti- upon Uzzah, and in coinmmemoration of it callc:- the name fled it with walls and bulwarks, and chosen it for his own of the place, Perez-uzzah, i. e. the breach of Uzzan: a plain residence; was in hope that this was the place God had evidence, that he knew his death'to be extraordinary, and now chosen to dwell in, and immediately formed the great inflicted by the immediate hand of God; this is further evidesign of translating the ark of God into it, and providing a dent from the terror David was in upon account of this exsuitable habitation for its future rest; that this emblem of traordinary accident, and his desisting for this reason from God's immediate presence might be perpetually near him, the resolution lie had formed of introducing the ark into where he himself might constantly worship in the courts Jerusalem. David "was afraid of the Lord that day, and of his tabernacle, where all the solemn sacrifices might be said: How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?" I am statedly offered, and the affairs in general of the whole at a loss what method to take to bring the arlrk, with safely kinglom, relating to religion and justice, for the future, be to myself and people, into Jerusalem. Every circunmstance transacted with regularity, order, and dignity. In pursu- in this transaction shows that Uzzah's death was a divine ance of this great design, he first gathered together all the punishment, and had he died by any other hand, it must chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand men, consisting of the haire been known to many that were present, as he died in captains of thousands, and hundreds, and all the princes; open day light, and in the view of thousands who attended and said to them, thus assembled at Jerusalem: "It it seem in this solemn procession. good unto you, and it be approved of by the Lord our God, Should it be said, that if the Lord would have saved the let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere, that are ark, because he could; it may be also urged, that he would left in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests have brought it to any place where he intended it to be, beand Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they cause he could have done it, and that therefore David w as may gather themselves together unto us, and let usbring impertinently officious in removing it himself: the answer up to us the ark of God; at which we but seldom inquired is; that as God had forbidden the ark to be touched, on in the days of Saul." To this proposal the congregation any occasion, by the Levites, under penalty of death, it was. runanimously agreed. David accordingly sent messengers an assurance, that in all its movements he would take it to Israel, throughout all his dominions, from Sichor, or under his especial protection, and that as he was able to the Egyptian Nile, the most southern boundary of his king- secure it against every hazard, without human assistance dom, to the entrance of IHemath, northward, near the rise so he certainly would do it. But God never promised to of Jordan. When the assembly were met, David led them remove it himself from place to place, but expressly gave to Baalah, which is Kirjath-jearim, and which belonged to that service in charge to the Levites; and therefore it doth the tribe of Judah; and from thence they conveyed the ark not follow, that because he himself could, therefore. he of God, "where his name was invocated, even the name would remove it, because he expressly ordered it to be Jehovah Zebaoth, or Lord of hosts, who sits upon the cher- done by others. But Uzzah's intention was certainly good, Ubimn, that were over the ark." They had prepared a new and therefore the alleged crime certainly pardonable; the._rrmage, drawn by oxen, for the conveyance of it, which seeming exigency precluding all reflection. Buttithis seem.; Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinidab drove to Abinidab's ing exigency was no real one, and his acting without house; and then placing the ark upon it, they attended on reflection, an aggravation of his fault; especially as lihe it Ahio marching before the ark, and Uzzah on one. side committed this offence, in consequence of a former. Uzon it. W/hen the procession began, David, with all the zah knew, or might have known, that the ark was never to'house of Israel, gave the highest demonstrations of satisfac- be moved in any carriage, but on the shoulders of the tion and pleasure, playing before the Lord on all manner Levites; and had it been thus removed, the accident would' of instruments, made of fir-wood, even on harps, and on not'have happened to the ark, and his rashness in touching, p slteries, and on timbrels, and on comrnets, and on cymbals. and the punishment he suffered for it, would have been But the joy of David and his people on this solemn occa- both prevented. His good intention therefore here could sion was soon interrupted. For when the procession was be of no avail. It was no excuse for his ignorance, if he advanced as far as Nachon's thrashing-floor, the oxen was really ignorant, because he might, and ought to have stumbled, and thereby shook the ark; on which Uzzah, known better; nor for his presumption, and such it must fearing probably it might be thrown. off the carriage, very have been, if he could not plead ignorance for his error, rashly laid hold of the ark of God with his hand, in order because this was in its nature a high aggravation of his to aupport it; not considering, that as he was but a Levite, fault. And light as this offence may seem, yet when it is he was forbidden to touch it under penalty of death, and considered in all its consequences, and what an enco-kraoethat, as it was the dwelling of God, and immediately under ment it might have given for the introduction of otrer his protection, he could and would have preserved it from innovations, contrary to the institutions of the law of lhlling, without Uzzah's officious care to prevent it. For Moses, had this offence been passed by with impunity; it this violation of the law, Uzzah was immediately struck by was no wonder that God should manifest his displeasure the hand of God, and fell down dead by the ark. against it, by punishing with death, what he had forbidden God smote him, as the text says, for his error, or as we under the penalty of it; thereby to prevent all future nave it in the margin, for his rpshness; and as this is the attempts to make any changes in that constitution which first instance that we have of tte violation of' this prohibi- he had established. But "supposing thatthe arkhadbeen tion of the Levites, from touching any thing sacred under overturned for want of this careful prevention, mighf not the penalty of death, the punishment of it shows that the Uzzah, with greater plausibility, have been smote for his prohibition was really divine, and that as the penalty of omission, than he was for his commission." That is, might death was incurred, it was justly inflicted, as an example not God have more plausibly punished Uzzah for omitting to others, and to preserve a due reverence for the divine what he had strictly forbidLden him to dounder pain of instiltutions. Besides, God had particularly appointed the death, and what therefore it could never be -his duty to do; manner in which the ark should be removed from place to than for committing what it was unlawfil. by God's own plaze; not upon a carriage drawn by oxen, but by order- command for him to commit, and which he l had made the ing that the sons of Kohath should carry it on their shoul-' commission of.a capital crime What some critics may dets, by the staves, that were put into the rings, on the think of this, I know not; I cannot for my life conceive,:,,des of the ark; and their neglecting to do it on this sol- how Uzzah could have been more plausibly, or reasonably etmn occaslo.' and consulting their ease more than their punished for omitting what it was hiis duty to omit, than for auty, by placing a mn a carriage drawn by oxen, was an committing what he was obliged never to commit. The offence of no small aggravation, as it was an innovation con- very contrary seems to me to be true, because he who doth trary to the express order of the law. This David himself not commit an illegal action can never deserve punishment afterward acknowledges, and assigns it as the reason of on that account; whereas he, who actually doth such an the punishment inflicted' upon Uzzah, and as he himself illegal action, becomes thereby guilty, and liable to the and the whole. house of Israel were present at this solem- punishment denounced against it. CHAP. 6. 2 SAMUEL. 15 Dnring the march, David, in order to render it more employed in the servile drudgery of attending their pots solemnly religious, sacrificed, at proper intervals, oxen and bricks, you appeared in the most sordid and reproachand faitlings; and though the ark, with its proper furniture, ful habits, and took up your dwellings in the most wretched must have been of a considerable weight, and the service and miserable huts; yet now you are enriched with the of the Levites, in carrying it such a length of way on their gold and silver of your conquered enemies, possessed of shoulders, as from Obed-Edom's house to mount Sion, their tents, and arrayed with garments shining and beauticould not but be very difficult; yet the history observes, ful, you resemble the dove's feathers, in which the gold that God helped the Levites, by enabling them to bring it and silver colours mixed with each other, give a very'o its appointed place, and preserving them from every pleasing and lovely appearance.", onhappy accident, till they had safely deposited it; in 14. When the Lord thus scattered and overcame kings grateful acknowledgment of which they presented an of- for the sake of his inheritance, how were thy people refering unto God of seven bullocks and seven rams. As freshed! How great was the joy thou gavest them in the procession was accompanied with vocal as well as in- Salmon, where they obtained, beheld, and celebrated the surumental music, David had prepared a proper psalm or ode victory! (Ps. 68) to be sung by the chanters, the several parts of which When the Procession came in view of IMonnlt Sion. vwere suited to the several divisions of the march, and the whole of it adapted to so sacred and joyful a solemnity; as 15. Is Bashan, that high hill Bashan, with its rough an Mill appear by a careful perusal and examination of it. I craggy eminences, is this the hill of God, which he hath hope my reader will not be displeased, if I give him a short chosen for his residence, and where his sanctary shall abide hereafter for ever. andl easy paraphrase of this excellent composure. 16. Why look ye, O ye craggy hills, with an envious IfSeben the Ark was takedn nz on the shoulders of the Levites. impatience. See, there is the hill, which God hath choVer. 1. Arise, O God of Israel, and in thy just displeasure sen and desired to dwell in. Assuredly the Lord Awill execute thy vengeance upon the enemies of thy people, and inherit it for ever. let all who hate them be put to flight, and never prevail 17. The angels and chariots of God, who attefid this. against them. solemnity, and encompass the ark of his presence, are not 2. Drive them before thee, and scatter them, fs smoke only, as at the giving of his law, ten thousand, but twice is dispersed by the violence of the wind, and let all their ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. God is in the power and strength die away and dissolve, as wax melts midst of them, as formerly on thee, O Sinai, and will away before the fire. constantly reside in his sanctuary on mount Sion, and 3. But let thy righteous people be glad, exult in the pres- as the guardian of it, by his almnighty power continue to ence and under the protection of thee their God, and in the defend it. triumph of their joy cry out: When the Ark ascended S'ion, aid cwas deposited in Da tid's 4. " Sing psalms of thanksgivings to God. Celebrate his Tabernacle. name and glory with sonbs of Praise. Prepare ye his way, and let all opposition cease before him, who rode through 8 and let all opposition cease befole him, who rode therough Sion's hill, and taken possession of it, as thy fuiture favourthe deserts,and guided his people with the cloud by day, ite dwelling, after having subdued our adveisaries, nd and the flame of fire by night. His name is JAH, the tre- delivered onr captive brethren fom the power of tder lendous being. And 0 exult with joy before him. delivered our captive brethren from the power of their mendous heinb. And 0 exult with joy before him. enslavers. Thou hast received gifts from men, even friom 5. " He is the orphan's father, who will protect and pro- our inveterate enemies, by enriching us with their spoil vide for him. He is the judge and avenger of the widow, subjecting them as tributaries to my crhnun, and enahir n will vindicate her cause, and redress her injuries, even that me by them to provide a habitation for our God, a in me by them to provide a habitation for our God, and ill God, who is present with us in his holy sanctuary. this joyful manner to attend thine entrance into it. 6. "He it is who increases the solitary and desolate into 19 I blessed be Jehovah. From day to day he supports numerous families, and restores to liberty, and blesses with his pple, and le a father bears them up, and protecs an abundance, those who are bound in chains, but makes them from and like a father bears th those who are his refractory implacable enemies, dwell as 20. He is that God to whom weowe all our past salvae in a dry and desert land, by destroying their families and tions, and from whom alone we can expect we may rtuns ad utterly basting their prosperity." hereafter need. For under his direction are all the oulgoTVhen the Procession hegan. ings of death, so that he is able to preserve'his people from 7. How favourably didst thou appear, O God, for thy the approaches of it, when their inveterate enemies medipeople in ancient times! How powerful was that protec- tate and resolve their destruction. tion, which thou didst graciously afford them! when thou 21.'But vain and impotent shall be their power and. didst march before them at their coming out of Egypt, and malice. God will avenge himself on their devoted heads, guidedst them through the wilderness! and their strength and craft shall not be able to protect 8. The earth shook, the very heavens dissolved at thy them from his indignation, if they continue wickedly to presence, even Sinai itself seemed to melt, the smoke of it disturb me in the possession of that kingdom, to which he ascending as the smoke of a furnace, when thou the God of hath advanced me. Israel didst in thine awful majesty descend upon it. 22, 23. For this end, he raised me to the throne, and 9. Thou, O God, didst rain down, in the most liberal assured me that I should deliver his people from the Phimanner, during their passage through the desert, bread listines, and from the hand of all their enemies. Let them and flesh as from heaven, and didst thereby refresh, satisfy, therefore begin their hostilities when they please, God will and confirm thine inheritance, fatigued with their marches, appear for me, as he did in former times for our foremnd in the utmost distress for want of food. fathers, and my victories over them shall be as signal end 10. Such was the abundance provided for them, that they complete, as that over Pharaoh and his army, who were dwelt in the midst of the manna and quails, in heaps sur- destroyed in the sea, through-which he safely led his peorounding them on every side. Thy poor and distressed ple; or-as over Og the king of Bashan, the slaughter of people were thus liberally supplied by thy wonderful and whose army was so great, as that our victorious troops never-failing goodness. were-forced to trample over their slaughtered and bloody 11. And not only were they thus miraculously fed by thy bodies, and even our very dogs licked up their blood, and benevolent hand, but made to triumph over all their ene- feasted on the carnage. ries, who molested and opposed them. For thou gavest forth the order to attack. Thou didst assure them of success, leddest them forth against their adversaries, solemnity, they closed the anthem with the follooing verses. and their victories were celebrated by large numbers of 24. Thy people have now, O God, seen thy marches., the matrons and virgins, who shouted aloud, and sang these triumphant marches of my God and king, present in his joyful tidings: holy sanctuary, into the tabernacle prepared for it, amid 12. " The kings of armies fled away. They fled away the loudest acclamations of the whole assembly. utterly discomfited, and they who abode with their families 25. The procession was led by a chosen band of singers. in their tents, received their shares in the spoils of their the players on instruments came behind them, and in the conquered enemies. midst of them a virgin train, who accompanied their tim. 13. " Though when you were slaves to the Egyptians, brels with the harmony of their voices, and sung: ,9~~O~6 ~ ~2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 6. 2.': O celebrate the praises of'God in this united con- passed with thousands and ten thousands of angels, and gregation of our tribes. Celebrate the praises of Jehovah, innumerable chariots, that stand ready prepared in the all you who are descended from Israel, your great and armory of heaven! that rides through the heavens in his friuitful progenitor." majesty, whose voice is in the thunder, who makes the 27. Even Benjamin himself was present, who, though clouds and vapours of heaven subservient to his pleasure, the smallest of our tribes, had so far the pre-eminence over and at whose presence the earth, the heavens dissolve, and tie rest, as. to give the first king and ruler to the people; the highest hills seem to melt away like wax! Descriptions even he was present, and rejoiced to see the'honour done the most sublime in their nature, and tlat tend to strike the to Jerusalem, and the crown established on my head. mind with a holy reverence and awe. And as to his Htere the princes of Judah attended, with the supreme moral character, and providential government of the world, council of that powerful tribe; with the princes of Zebu- he is represented as the righteous God, the hater and punishIon, and those of Naphtali; who from their distant borders er of incorrigible wickedness, the father of the fatherless, joined the procession; all unanimously censenting that the judge of the widow, that blesses men with numerous Jerusalem should become the seat of worship, and capital families, that breaks the prisoner's chains, and restores him of my kingdom. to his liberty; the God and'guardian of his people, the 28. It is thy God, O Israel, who hath thus advanced great disposer of victory, and giver of national prosperity; thee, as a nation, to thy present state of dignity and power. the supreme author of every kind of salvation, and as Strengthen, O God, the foundation of our happiness, and having death under his absolute command, and directing by thv favour render it perpetual. the outgoings of it by his sovereign will. This was the 29. As the ark of thy presence is now fixed in Jerusalem, God of the ancient Hebrews. This is the God whom Daprotect it by thy power, and let the kings of the earth bring vid worshipped, and whom all wise and good men must their gifts, present their offerings, and pay their adoration acknowledge and adore. Nor is there one circumstance or at thy altar. expression in this noble composure, derogatory to the 30. O rebuke and break the power of the Egyptian croc- majesty and honour of the supreme being, or that can conodie, his princes and nobles, who pay homage to their vey a single sentiment to lessen our esteem and venerabulls, and all his people, who stupidly worship their calves, tion for him. Let any one compare, with this psalm of Daand dance in honour of them to the tinkling sounds of vid, the ancient hymns of the most celebrated poets on their instruments and bells. Trample under foot their silver- deities, how infinitely short will, they fall of the grandeur plated idols, and utteyrly disperse the people who delight in and sublimity which appear in every part of it. Strip the war..hymn of Callimachus on Jove of the poetry and language, 31. Let the princes of Egypt come and worship at thy and the sentiments of it will appear generally puerile and sanctuary, and the far-distant Ethiopia accustom herself to absurd, and it could not be read without the utmost conlift up her hands in adoration of thy majesty. tempt. Jove with him, that aEv ava(, arct eya5,,LKarniroXot'32. O may all the kringdoms of the earth celebrate, in ovpavtrrl, that perpetual king, ever great, and lawgiver sacred songs, the majesty of our God. Let all sing the to the celestial deities, as he calls him, was born, he can't praises of our Jehovah. tell where, whether in Mount Ida, or Arcadia; washed on 33. He is the omnipresent God, the proprietor and Lord his birth in a river of water, to cleanse him from the deof the heaven of heavens, which he spread out of old. He filements he brought into the world with him, had his navel makes the clouds his chariot when he rides through the string fall from him, sucked the dugs of a goat, and ate heavens, and storms and tempests, thunders and lightnings, sweet honey, and so at last he grew up to be the supreme the instruments of his vengeance against his enemies. God. No despicable ballad can contain more execrable When he sends forth his voice in the mighty thunder, how stuff than this, and some other like circumstances that he awful and astonishing that voice! relates of him; circumstances that render utterly incredible 34. Ascribe to him that almighty strength which belongs what he says of him, as never dying, giving laws to the to him. Though his empire is universal, his kingdom is gods, obtaining heaven by his power and strength, govpeculiarly exalbed over Israel, by whom alone he is ac- erning kings and princes, and the inspector of their knowledged as the true God, and who manifests the great- actions, the giver of riches and prosperity, wisdom and ness of his power in the clouds of heaven. virtue, strength and power. That a mortal-born baby 35. 0 God, the God of Israel, how terrible is thy majesty, should grow up to become the one supreme and immortal when thou comest forth from thy heavenly and earthly God, or an infant nursed in Crete should rise to be the sanctuaries, for the destruction of thine enemies, and the king of heaven, or one who gloried in his adulteries, defence of thy people. It is he who inspires them with should be constituted lawgiver to the celestial deities, or strength. and courage, and renders them a mighty and he whose character was stained with the vilest impurities, powerful nation. Eternal blessing and praise be ascribed should be the giver of virtue; are absurdities, that one unto our God. would think it was impossible for any one to digest. How I think the division I have made of this psalm, into its free are the hymns of David from all such absurd, dishonseveral parts, is natural and easy, which the subject mat- ourable, and impious descriptions of God! Every sentiter of it points out, and which renders the whole of it a ment he conveys of him is excellent and grand, worthy a regular, wvell-connected, and elegant composure. With- being of infinite perfection, and the supreme Lord and out this, or some such method, it appears to me broken, governor of the universe. It would be easy to enlarge on aind its parts independent on each other; the expressions this subject. We may further take notice of the propriety will be many of them unintelligible, and the occasion and of these historical incidents, that the Psalmist takes notice propriety of them scarcely discernible. The very learned of in this sacred composure, and how the whole of it is Michaelis acknowledges the difficultiesattending thispsalm, calculated to promote the true spirit of piety.and rational amnd I suspect my own strength, when I attempt to do what devotion. The ark, that was now translating to its fixed he thought above his much greater abilities. I have how- seat in Jerusalem, was the same ark that accompanied the ever done my best, and submit the whole to the candour of Hebrews in the wilderness, where God was in a peculiar my readers. manner present, where Moses consulted-God, where he I shall now conclude by making a few observations on received answers from him, and whence he received hi; the whole anthem. And I would first take notice of the directions;;and who gave him manifest tokens of his spe~reat and glorious subject of this hymn. It is the God of cial protection and favour, in the miraculous works he fIe Hebrews, and designed to celebrate his praises, on ac- performed for them. Hence David puts them in mind of count of the perfections of his nature,.and thle operations of God's going before them in the wilderness, of the terror his providence. And with what dignity is he described!., of his majesty on mount Sinai, of the manna and quails How high and worthy the character given him, in every he rained down on them as from heaven, of the victories respect suitable to his infinite majesty, and the moral he gave them over their enemies, and his enriching them rectitude and purity of his nature! How grand are the with the spoils of their conquered forces and countries; to descriptions of him as the omnipresent God, inhabiting his excite in them a religious hope and trust, that God would sanctuariesboth in heaven andearth! as the origina! self-ex- protect Jerusalem, which was to be the future residence of isting being, which his name Jehovah signifies; the tre- the ark of his presence, and bless the whole nation with mendous being, worthy of all adoration and reverence, in- prosperity, if they continued firm in-their allegiance to and eiuded in the name of Jah! as the almighty God, encom- Worship of hin. On this accouft the hymn is calculated CIAP. 6. 2 SAMUEL. 197 to celebrate his praises for these ancient wonders of his offering-six covered wagons (ogeettth) and twelve oxen;": power and goodness wrought in their favour, as well as for -(two oxen to each wagon.) Here these wagons are erthat present state of national grandeur and prosperity to pressly said to be covered; and it should appear that they which he had advanced them under David's government; were so generally; beyond question those sent by Joseph and, on the other hand, to excite their fear of his dis- for the women of Jacob's family were so; among other putrpleasure, if they went on in their trespasses, and proved a poses, for that of seclusion. Perhaps this is a radical idea corrupt and wicked people. Well might this grand assem- in their name; as oal signifies circle, these wagons might bly be glad and rejoice before their God, sing praises to his be covered by circular headings, spread on hoops, like name, ascribe all power and dominion to him, whose excel- those of our own wagons; what we call a tilt. Considerlency. whose majesty and government, were peculiarly over able importance attaches to this heading, or tilt, in the hisIsrael on earth, and who rules in heaven, and manifests tory of the curiosity of the men of Bethshemesh, 1 Sam. vi. his power in the clouds thereof. I would just add, that the 7, where we read that the Philistines advised to minake a several ascriptions of glory to God, and the frequent ex- new covered wag6n, or chrt (ogeleh;)-and the ark of the hortations to bless him, with which the psalm abounds, Lord was put into it-and, no doubt, was carefully covergive an agreeable relief to the mind, are added with great ed over-concealed-secluded by those who sent it; —it propriety, and render the whole composure more pleasing dame to Bethshemesh; and the men of that town who were and solemn. It was customary, as has been observed, reaping in the fields, perceiving the cart coming, went and among the gentiles, to celebrate the supposed advent of examined what it contained: "and they saw the ver'y (cs) their gods, at particular times, and to particular places, ark, and were joyful in. seeing it." Those who first examwyith the greatest demonstrations of joy; but David had ined it, instead of carefully covering it up again, as a samuch nobler reasons for introducing the ark into the tab- cred utensil, suffered it to lie open to common inspection, ernacle he had prepared for it at Jerusalem, with all the which they encouraged, in order to triumph in the votive pomp and splendour, and public festivity and joy, that could offerings it had acquired, and to gratify profane curiosity; possibly be shown on the occasion. The whole procession the Lord, therefore, punished the people, (verse 19,) "hewas in honour of, and a national instance of homage paid cause they had inspected-pried into (~) the arkr." This to the true God. By the ark's being fixed at Jerusalem, affords a clear view of the transgression of these Israelites, that God, who honoured the ark with the tokens of his pres- who had treated the ark with less reverence than the Phience, made Jerusalem his perpetual habitation, became listines themselves; for those heathen conquerors had at the immediate guardian and protector of the new-built city, least behaved to Jehovah with no less respect than they did and thereby peculiarly concerned for its prosperity and to their own deities; and being accustomed to carry them peace. Thliisis represented as thelanguage of God himself. in covered wagons, for privacy, they maintained the same "The Lord hath chosen Sion. He hath desired it for his privacyas a mark of honour to the God of Israel. The Lehabitation. Thisis myrest forever. Herewill I dwell, vites seemed to have been equally culpable with the comfor I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provis- mon people; they ought to have conformed to the law, ions. Her saints shall shout aloud for joy."-CHANDLER. and not to' have suffered their triumph on this victorious nd they set the ar of God upon a new occasion to beguile them into a transgression so contrary Ver. 3. And they set the ark of God upon a new to the very first principles of the theocracy. That this cart, and brought it out of the house of Abina- word ogeleh describes a covered wagon, we learn from dab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, a third instance, that of Uzzah, 2 Sam. vi. 3, for we canthe so of Abinadb, drave the ne cat. not. suppose, that David could so far forget the dignirty of'the ark of the covenant, as to suffer it to be exposed, in a The history of conveyance by means of vehicles, carried public procession, to the eyes of all Israel; especially after -)r drawn, is a subject too extensive to be treated of fully the punishment of the people of Bethshemesh. "They'here. There cen be no doubt, that after man had accus- carried the ark of God, on a new ogeleh-covered cart" tomed cattle to submit to the control of a rider, and to sup- -and Uzzah put forth [his hand, or some catching inport the incumbent weight of a person, or persons, whether strument] to the ark of God, and laid hold of it, to stop the animal were ox, camel, or horse, that the next step its advancing any farther, but the oxen harnessed to the was to load such a creature, properly trained, with a litter, cart, going on, they drew the cart away from the ark, and or portable conveyance; balanced, perhaps, on each side. the whole weight of the ark falling out of the cart uilexThis might be long before the mechanism of the wheel was pectediy, on Uzzah, crushed him to death -" and hlie died employed, as it is still practised among pastoral people. on the spot, with the ark of God" upon him. And David Nevertheless, we find that wheel-carriages are of great an- called the place "the breach of Uzzah" —that is, where tiquity; for we read of wagons so early as Gen. xlv. 19, Uzzah was broken-crushed to death. See now the proand military carriages, perhaps, for chiefs and officers, first portionate severity of the punishments attending profaof all, in Exodus xiv. 25: "The Lord took off the chariot nation of the ark. 1. The Philistines suffered by diseases, wheels of the Egyptians:" and as these were the fighting from which they were relieved after their oblations. strength of Egypt, this agrees with those ancient writers, 2. The Bethshemites also suffered, but not fatally, by diswho report that Egypt was not, in its early state, intersect- eases of a different nature, which, after a time, passed off. ed by canals, as in later ages; after the formation of These were inadvertences. But, 3. Uzzalh, who ought 1o \which, wheel-carriages were laid aside, and little used, have been fully instructed and correctly obedient, vwho conif at all. The first mention of chariots, we believe, occurs ducted the procession, who was himself a Levite —this mian Genesis xli. 43: " Pharaoh caused Joseph to ride (recab) in was punished fatally for his remissness —his inattention to the second chariot (ma'arecabeth) that belonged to him." the law; which expressly directed that the ark should be This, most likely, was a chariot of state, not an ordinary carried on the shoulders of the priests, the Kohathites, or travelling, but a handsome equipage, becoming the rep- Numb. iv. 4, 19, 20, distinct from those things carried In resentative of the monarch's person and power. We find, oeZeluth —overed wagons, chap. vii. 9. That this kind of as already hinted, Gen. xlv. 19, that Egypt had another wagon was used for carrying considerable weights and kind of wheel-carriage, better adapted to the conveyance even cumbersome goods, (and therefore was fairly analoof burdens; "Talre out of the land of Egypt (mpr ogelet/i) gous to our own wagons-tilted wagons,) we gather from wagons, wheel-carriages, for conveyance of your little ones thIe expression of the Psalmist, xlvi. 9:and your women:" these were family vehicles, for the use lIe maketh wars to cease to the end of the earth, of the feeble; including, if need be, Jacob himself: accord- The bow hlie breaketh; and cutteth asiuder the spear; ingly, we read (verse 27) of the wagons which Joseph had The charots (gelth) he bureth he fire. sent to carr. him, (Jacob,) and which perhaps the aged pa-,The writer is mentioning the instruments of war-the triarch knew by their copstruction to be Egypt-built; for, bow-the spear; then, he says, the Whgons (plural) which so soon as he sees them, he believes the reports from that used to return home loaded with plunder, these share the country, though he had doubted of them before when de- fate of their companions, the bow and the spear; and are livered to him by his sons. This kind of chariot deserves burned it.he fire, the very idea of the classical allegory. attention, as we find it afterward employed on various oc- peace bum ning the implements of war, introduced here with casions in scripture, among which are the following: first, the happiest effect: not the general's mnaecabeth; but the jit was intended by the princes of Israel for carrying palts plundering wagons. This is still more expressive, if these of the sacred utensils; Numb. vii. 3: "They brought their wagons carried captives; which we know they did in ofhe,' 198 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 6. instances, women and children. "The captive-carrying offered up at once. But even supposing that, at set distan. w-7agon is burnt." There can be no stronger description of ces, there-were sacrifices all along the way that they went; the effect of peace; and it closes the period with peculiar yet we are to know that it was no unusual thing for heaeinohasis.-TAYLOR IN CALMET.' thens to confer on their gods, nay, even upon their emperors, the same honours that we find David here bestowing VTe. 6. And when they came to Nachon's thrash- upon the ark of the God of Israel. For in this manner i-flg-floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark (as Suetonius tells us) was Otho received-Cum per omne of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook iter, dextra finistraque, oppidatim victimm cmderentur: and of'_~ oaodirokthe like he relates of Caligula-Ut a miiseno movit, inter it. 7. And the angrer ofthe LORD was kindled altaria, et victimas, ardentesque tnedas, dencissmlo ac agnainst Uzzah, and God smote him there for letissimo obviorum agmine incessit.-STaciKOUSE. his error; and there he died by the ark of God. Ver. 14. And David danced before the LopuD Happy were it for us, if we could account for the opera- with all his might; and David was girded with tions of God, with the same facility that we can for the a linen ephod. actions of his saints; but his counsels are a great deep, and his- judgments (just though they be) are sometimes obscure, In the oriental dances, in which the women engage-bv,and past finding out. For what shall we say to the fate of themselves, the lady of highest rank in the company takes Uzz' h! or what tolerable cause can we assign for his sud- the lead; and is followed by her companions, who imitate ten. and untimely end. It was now near seventy years since her steps, and if she sings, make up the chorus. The tunes Israelites had carried the ark from place to place, and are extremely gay and lively, yet with something in them s. long a disuse had made them forget the manner of doing wonderfully soft. The steps are varied according to the it. In conformity to what they had heard of the Philis- pleasure of her who leads the dance, but always in exact tines, they put it into a new cart, or wagon, but this was time. This statement may enable us to form a correct idea against the express direction of the law, which ordered it of the dance, which the women of Israel performed under to be borne upon men's shoulders. It is commonly sup- the direction of Miriam, on thebanks of the Red Sea. The posed that Uzzah was a Levite, though there is no proof of prophetess, we are told, " took a timbrel in her hand, and it from scripture; but supposing he was, he had no right to all the women went out after her, with timbrels and danattend upon the ark; that province, by the same law, was ces." She led the dance, while they imitated her steps, restrained to those Levites only who were of the house of which were not conducted according to a set, well-known Kohath: nay, put the case he had been a Kohathite by form, as inthis country, but extemporaneous. The conjecbirth, yet he had violated another command, which prohib- ture of Mr. Harmer is extremely probable, that David did ited even these Levites, (though they carried it by staves not dance alone before the Lord, when he brought up the n9oon their shoulders,) upon pain of death, to touch it with ark, but as being the highest in rank, and more skilful than.leir hands: so that here was a threefold transgression any of the people, lie led the religious dance of the males. of the divine will in this method of proceeding. The ark, -PAXTON. (as some say,) by Uzzah's direction, was placed in a cart; UTzzah, without any proper designation, adventures to at- Ver. 16. And as the ark of the LORD came into tend it; when he thought it in danger of falling, offi- the city ofDavid Michal Saul's dauhter look-'iously he put forth his hand, and laid hold on it, (all vio- ed through a window and saw King avid Iatilg of th divine commands!) and this (as is supposed) not so much out of reverence to the sacred symbol of God's leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she presence, as out of diffidence of his providence, as unable despised him in her heart. 17. And they to preserve it from overturning. The truth is., this ark brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in Iiad so long continued in obscurity, that the people, in a his place, in the midst of the tabernaclethat nalnner, had almost lost all sense of a divine power residing in it, and therefore approached it with irreverence. This David had pitched for it: and David offered i imnplied in David's exhortation to Zadock and Abiathar, burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the after this misfortune upon Uzzah. " Ye are the chief ofnd as soon as David had made the fathers of the Levites, sanctify yourselves therefore, boih' ye and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark an end of offering burnt-offerings and peaceof the Lord God of Israel, unto the place that I have pre- offerinos, he blessed the people in the name of "ed for it; for, becaqLse ye did it not at the first, the Lord the LORD of hosts. 19. And he dealt among o,,.r God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not the people, even among the hole multit after the due order." What wonder then, if God, being minded to testify his immediate presence with the ark, to of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every retrieve the ancient honour of that sacred vessel, and to one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, curb all licentious profanations of it for the future, should and a flagon of wine. So all the people desingole out one that was the most culpable of many, one rn parted every one to his house. 20. Then Dawhto, in three instances, was then violating his commands, to be a monument of his displeasure against either a wilful vid returned to bless his household. And Miignorance or a rude contempt of his precepts, be they ever chal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet so seemingly small; that by such an example of terr, he David, and said, How glorious was the king of might inspire both priests and people with a sacred dread of his majesty, and a profound veneration for his mysteries. to-day, who uncovered himself today in -STCKCUIIOSE. the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth Ver. 13. And it was so, that wvhen they that bare himself! the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. When this public transaction of removing the ark was happily concluded, the pious prince retired to his palace. P'rom these words, some would infer, that David, having to bless his own family and household. and share with them mildeasured the ground between ObeI-edom's house, andSthe the public joy. But an unexpected accident interrupted the place he had built for the reception of the ark, had altars pleasure he promised himself, and could not but greatly ra iscd, at the distance of every six paces, whereon he caused affect him, as it arose from one, from whom he had no sacrifices to be offered as the ark passed by. But it is easy reason to expect the contemptuous treatment that she gave tof imauine what a world of confusion this would create in him. As the ark of the Lord was just entered into the city the procession, and therefore the more rational construction of David, or mount Sion, Michal, Saul's daughter, loolkel is, tat after those who. carried the ark had advanced six through a window of the palace to behold the procession, pac.es. without any such token of divine wrath as Uzzah saw David dancing with great spirit and earnestness, and nRad undergone, then did they offer a sacrifice to God, which viewed him with contempt; or, as the text says, she demi',ht consist of several living creatures, all sacrificed and spised him in her heart; and when, after the solemnity, CHAP. 6. 2 SAMUEL. 199 David was returned to his habitation, she came out to meet ments are expressly distinguished in the account of the vesthim, and, with indignation and a sneer, said to him, "How ments of the high-priests: " Thou shalt take garments and glorious was the king of Israel to-day, who openly showed put upon Aaron, (and as we well render it,) the eplhod, and himself to-day to the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, the robe of the ephod." And again: " These are the garas one of the vain persons openly shows himself!" David's ments, which they shall make, the breastplate, and the answer to her was severe, but just. " Have I descended be- ephod, and the robe." The fabric of them was different; neath the dignity of my character, as king of Israel, by the ephod being made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet; divesting myself of amy royal robes, appearing publicly but the robe formed all of blue. The shape of them was amoing my people, and, like them, dancing and playing be- also different; the ephod reaching only to the knees, but fore the ark. It was before the Lord, who chose me be- the robe flowing down so as to cover the feet; called therefcre thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me fore by the LXX. rolpr,7, and the Vulgate version, stola. ruler over the people of the Lord. Therefore will I play The robe also had no division in it throughout, but was on my harp before the Lord; and if this be to make myself made whole and round, with an opening in the middle of cheap and contemptible, I will be more so than this; and it, on the top, so that it was impossible that any part of the how hibh soever be my condition as king, I will always body could be seen through it; or that David, in dancing, be humble in the judgment I form of myself; and as for could expose to view, what decency required him to conthose maid-servants of whom thou speakest, I shall be ceal; especially as the ephod was, on this occasion, thrown 1honoured among them; the very meanest of the people over it, and certainly tied with a girdle, as the priest's will respect me the more for my popularity, when they see ephod always was. With these linen garments David me condescend to share in their sacred mirth, and express clothed himself on this solemnity, both out of reverence it in the same manner, by which they testify their own joy for God, and for conveniency; because they were cooler, in the public solemnities." In this he acted as a wise and and less cumbersome than his royal habit, and would not politic, as well as a religious prince; for in ancient times occasion that large perspiration, which the exercise of dancing itself was in use, as a religious ceremony, and in dancing would otherwise have produced. And however testimony of gratitude and joy, in public solemnities. Thus improper such a long flowing robe, girt round with a girdle, Miriam, the prophetess, took a timbrel in her hand, and all may be thought for a man dancing with all his might, yet the women went out after her with timbrels and with it is certain that David did dance in such a one, and there dances, to celebrate their deliverance from Pharaoh, his de- is no reason to think it could be anywise inconvenient to struction in the Red Sea, and their own safe passage through him. For, though the robe was close, i. e. had no opening the waters of it. So also Jephthah's daughter met her father from the breast to the feet, and was girt round with the with timbrels and dances, to congratulate his victory over ephod, yet it was large and wide, and flowing at the lower'the Ammonites, and God's having taken vengeance for end; and hanging down in various folds, gave room suffihim of those enemies. Thus at the yearly feast of the cient for the full exercise of the feet in dancing. And of Lord at Shiloh, the virgins of the place came out to dance this every one will have full conviction, who frequents in dances. It was used also frequently among the gentiles, any of our polite assemblies, in which he will see many fair by the greatest personages in honour of the gods, and re- ones dance, like the king.of Israel, with all their might, commended by the greatest philosophers, as a thing highly without any great inconvenience from the flowing habits,:leoent and becoming in itself. which so greatly adorn them. But though David acted from a truly religious zeal, yet It may be further observed, that this robe was worn by ne had been very severely censured for his habit and be- kings, their children, priests, Levites, and prophets, when haviour on this occasion; being dressed, as it hath been they appeared on very solemn occasions, which also covrepresented, in a linen ephod, and " dancing before the ered over their other garments. Thus Samuel is repreLord, in such a frantic indecent manner, that he exposed sented as covered with a robe or mantle, as we render it. his nakedness to the bystanders." Mr. Bayle in the first All the Levites, that bare the ark, and the singers a::.-a part of his remarks, expresses himself in a more cautious Chenaniah, the master of the carriage, or of those wno and temperate manner, and doth not pass his judgment,, carried the ark, appeared in it on this very occasion. Kings' whether David discovered his nakedness or not; but says, daughters were clothed in the same habit. The princes that " if he did discover it, his action might be deemed of the sea wore them. And even God himself is repreill, morally speaking; but if he did no more than make sented, clad with zeal, as with a robe. As David therefore himself contemptible by his postures, and by not keeping dressed himself on this occasion, with along flowing linen up the majesty of his character, it was but an imprudence robe, instead of the robe of state, proper to him as king of at most, and not a crime." He adds, that "it ought to be Israel, which was made of different, and much richer maconsidered, on what occasion it was that he dapced. It terials; he was scornfully insulted by Saul's daughter, not was when the ark was carried to Jerusalem, and conse- for exposing his nakedness to the spectators, which he no quently the excess of his joy and of his leaping, testified his more did, nor could do, than all the rest of the attendants, attachment and sensibility for sacred things." I shall just who wore the same habit, but for uncovering himself in remark here, that if David did really discover his naked- the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, i. e. appearing ness on this occasion, yet if it was merely accidental, and openly before the meanest of the people, in a dress, wholly without any design, it could not be deemed ill, morally unworthy, as she thought, the character and majesty of the speaking, by any good judge of morality. I apprehend king of Israel. Nor was this all; for it appears, by part of also that Mr. Bayle doth not know enough of David's man- David's answer to Michal, that she was particularly offendner of dancing, and the postures he made use of, to be sure ed with his playing publicly on the harp; and, probably, that he rendered himself deservedly ridiculous by the use she mimicked and ridiculed him, by the attitude in which of them; because persons may dance in a very brisk and she put herself on this occasion. For, in answer to her lively manner, without any postures that shall deserve reproach, David says to her, " It was before the Lord that I contempt, and because there is no word in the original, that uncovered myself'.... therefore I will play before the is made use of to express David's behaviour in this pro- Lord," i. e. look on it with what contempt you please, yet as cession, that either implies, or will justify such a supposi- I openly played on my harp in the presence, and in honour tion. of God, I glory in it, and will continue to do it, when any The case which Mr. Bayle mentions from Ferrand of fair opportunity presents itself. His particularly mehtionSt. Francis of Assisi, is so perfectly different from that of ing playing before the Lord, plainly shows, that there was David, as that it should not have been related by him in somewhat, in the nature and manner of her reproach, that the article of David, at least without some mark of disap- gave occas(in to it. probation. St. Francis voluntarily stripped himself stark Besides, it should be remarked, that the eastern princes, naked, in the presence of many persons, met together to be out of affectation, and to strike the people with greater revwitness to his absolute renunciation of his paternal inher- erence, seldom appeared in public, and whenever they itance. This was the downright madness of enthusiasm. did, not without great pomp and solemnity; as is the cusDavid, on the contrary, divested himself only of his royal tom among them to this day. Michal therefore unquestiondress, and put on such a habit, as effectually preserved ably thought, that David made himself too cheap, by thus him from every thing of indecency and absurdity in his discovering himself to public view, without any royal pomp, appearance. For he was clothed in a double garment; a or marks of distinction, and'familiarly mixing himself robe of fine linen, with a linen ephod. These two gar- with the attendants on this, solemnity, as though he had 200 2 SAMUEL., CHAP. 7, been one of them, and not the king of Israel. And the Ver 19 Andhedealtamon allthe people,even meaning of Michal's words in this view will be:'How glo- among the whole multitude of Israel, as well among the WhOle multitude of Israel, as well rious was the king of Israel to-day, who uncovered, i. e. to the women as men, to every one a cae of stripped himselfofhis majesty, and all the ensigns of his royal dignity, and openly exposed himself to the most public view' bread; and a good piece of fesh, and a flagon of the meanest of the people, as a vain'thoughtless person, of wine. So all the people departed every one who, without a proper habit, or regard to character, expo- to his house.,es himself to public ridicule and scorn! Mr. Bayle seems to be pretty much of Michal's opinion, The entertainer at a feast,'occasionally dismissed his when he says, "It would be thought very strange, in any guests with costly presents. Lysimachus of Babylon haypart of Europe, if, on a day of procession of the holy sac- ing entertained Hemerus the tyrant of the Baylonians and rament, the kings should dance in the streets with nothing Seleucians, with three hundred other guests, gave every man but a small girdle on their bodies." It may be so, but the a silver cup, of four pounds weight. W~hen Alexander observation is nothing to the purpose, because David did made his marriage feast at Susa in Persia, he paid the not dance in the streets in this manner, as he insinuates. debts of all his soldiers out of his own exchequer, and preBesides, Mr. Bayle could not but know, that customs vary, sented every one of his guests, who were not fewer than and that the same customs may be thought very venerable nine thousand, with golden cups. The master of the house and ridiculous, in different nations, and at different times. among the Romans, used also to give the guests certain However solemn and sacred the procession of the sacra- presents at their departure, or to send them after they were ment might have seemed here, two or' three centuries ago, gone, to their respective habitations. It is probable that and may at this day appear in popish countries, it would this custom, like many others which prevailed in Greece now seem a most contemptible and absurd farce in this na- and Rome, was derived from the nations of Asia; for the tion. We should look with indignation and scorn, to see sacred writers allude repeatedly to a similar custom, which a crowned head holding the stirrup or bridle of a triple-' closed the religious festivals or public entertainments mitredl monk's horse, or humbly bending to kiss his toe; or among the chosen people of God. When David brought emperors and princes carrying wax candles in their hands, up the ark from the house of Obed-edom, into the place in company of a set of shorn baldpated priests, or devoutly., which he had prepared for it, he offered burnt-offerings praying before a dead log of wood, or going in pilgrimage and peace-offerings before the Lord. And as soon as the to consecrated statues, and'kiss thresholds, and venerate solemnity was finished, "he dealt among all the people, the relics of dead bodies; and yet, despicable as these even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the practices are in themselves, they have been used, and some women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a flagof them continue in other nations to be used to this day; on of wine."-PxxTON. and have been, and are now, so far from being thought Dr. Chandler and his associates, received presents from strange or ridiculous, as that they were, and are still es- the Greeks of Athens, consisting of perfumed flowers, teemed very high and laudable instances of piety and de- pomegranates, oranges, and lemons, pastry, and other artivotion. cles. The presents made by David were no doubt very If we examine the words themselves, by which' Michal different. Leavened and unleavened bread, the flesh which reproached David, they can never be fairly so interpreted, remained from the peace-offerings, and some of the wine as to mean that indecency, which some writers would be then presented. (Joseplhus.) The rabbins suppose that glad to find in' them; and as to David's answer, it is utterly the word we translate, a good piece of fles/, signifies the inconsistent with such a meaning.' David said to Michal, sixth part of an animal. Without, however, admitting the "It was before the Lord." What was before the Lord!' propriety of this assertion, it may lead to the true explanaWhat, his discovering his nakedness. The very consid- tion of the word. Maillet affirms, that a sheep, with a oration of his being before the Lord would have prevented proper quantity of rice, which answers the purpose of bread it, as he knew that such an indecency, in the solemnities of very'frequently in the East, will furnish a good repast fbr divine worship, was highly offensive to God, and prohibit- sixty people. If now the people of the Jewish army were ed nnder penalty of death. Again he says, "Therefore divided into tens, as it seems they were, who might mess will I play before the Lord," i. e. play upon my harp; together, and lodge under one and the same tent, as it is whihili must refer to her reproaching him, as appearing like highly probable, from every tenth mans being appointed to a common harper; for it wouldt be no answer to her, had. fetch or prepare provision ifor their fellow-soldiers, accordshe reproached him for that scandalous appearance, which ing to what we read, Judges xx. 10, then the sixth part of some would make him guilty of. Further he adds: "And a sheep would be sufficient for the men at one repast, and I will be more vile than this, and will be base in my own be sufficient for one mess or tentof soldiers; and from this sight." I will not scruple to submit to lower services than particular case it may come to signify, in general, a su.ffithis, in honour of God; and notwithstanding my regal dig- cient portion for each person, which, indeed, seems to be nity, will not think myself above any humiliations, how the meaning of our translators, when they render the word great soever they may be, that may testify my gratitude and a good piece of flesh-enough for an ample repast. The submission to him; —expressions these which evidently other part of this royal and sacred donation was a flagon show, that what she called David's uncovering himself, of wine, perhaps a gourd full of wine is meant. The shells w-as what he had designedly done, and not an accidental of gourds are used to this day in the eastern parts of the involuntary thing, without design, and contrary to his in- world for holding quantities of wine for present spending, tention. And had he designedly exposed his nakedness, and particularly in sacred festivals. So when Dr. Richard or even without design, how could he have made himself Chandler was about leaving Athens, he tells us, he supped. more vile, or rendered himself more worthy of censure and at the customhouse, where "the archon provided a gourd reproach? Upon the whole, that David danced so, as to of choice wine, and one of the crew excelled on the lyre." discover what he ought to have concealed, is an invidious And describing a panegyris, or general sacred assembly of surmise, that no man of learning or candour will affirm, the Greeks in the Lesser Asia, he informs us, "that the and which has nothing in the grammatical sense of the ex- church was only stones piled up for walls, without a rootf, pressions made use of to support itI and is in its nature im- and stuck on this solemnity with wax-candles lighted, ai (I possible, from the make and form of the garments he was small tapers, and that after fulfilling their religious duties,. clothed with. it is the custom of the Greeks to indulge in festivity; at I shall only add, that when the scripture says, "There- which time he found the multitude sitting under half-tents, fbre M:ichal, Saul's daughter, had no child to th* day of her with a store of melons and grapes, besides lambs and sheep death," it doth not seem to be remarked, as though it was to be killed wine in gourds and skins, and other necessary a punishment on her for this contempt of David, unless he provision." What the size of the gourds that anciently voluntarily left her bed, for so heinous and undeserved an grew in that country was, or what that of those that are insult; but as a reproach on herself for her barrenness, she now found there, may not be quite certain. But a gourd haviiig never had any children by David; barrenness being full of wine, for each person, was abundantly sufficient for accounted as reproachful and dishonourable a circum- a joy that required attention to temperanoce.- HxMvEn. stance, as could befall a married woman. So that she had CHAPTEPR V1I. little reason to reproach her husband, when she was liable CAPTER VII.:o a much greater reproach herself. —CHANnLER. Ver. 18. Then went King David in, and sat be CHAP 8. 82 SAMUEL. 201 fore the LORD, and he said, Who amn I, 0 LORD to be produced, of their invading the neighbouring nations, God? and'what is my house, that thou hast'without being first attacked by them, or of their plundering them any further than as their victories over them, gained adorning it, apof the wisest and holiest of men: "As an angel of God, pears from the quotation from Dr. Shaw under a preceding so is my lord the king, to discern good and bad;" and observation. Lady Mary Wortley Montague abundantly a2gain, " My lord is wise according to the wisdom of an confirms it: their "hair hangs at full length behind," she angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth." tells us, "divided into tresses, braided with pearl or riband, Equally hyperbolical was the reply of a Persian grandee which is also in great quantity. I never saw in my life so to Clhardin, who objected to the price which the king had many fine heads of hair. In one lady's I have counted a set upon a pretty rich trinket: "Know that the kings of hundred and ten of these tresses, all natural; bhot it mustl Persia have a general and full knowledge of matters, as be owned that every kind of beauty is more common here sure as it is extensive; and that equally in the greatest and than with us." The men there, on the contrary, shave all in the smallest things, there is nothing more just and sure the hair off their heads, excepting one lock; and those than what they pronounce." This incident admirably that wear their hair are thought effeminate. I have met shows the strong prepossession of these Asiatics in favour with both these particulars in Sir J. Chardin. As to the of their kings, or rather of their own slavery; and gives last, he says in his note on 1 Cor. xi. 14, that what the some plausibility to the remark of Mr. Harmer, that there Apostle mentions there is the custom of the East: the moer may be more of real persuasion in such addresses than we are shaved, the women nourish their hair with great fondare ready to apprehend. In the estimation of the Persian ness, which they lengthen by tresses and tufts of silkr, courtier, the knowledge of his prince was like that of an down to the heels. The young men who xi ear their hair,. angel of God. If the ancient Egyptians supposed their in the East, are looked upon as effeminate and infanlous. princes were possessed of equal knowledge and sagacity, It appears from this passage of the Corinthians, that in which is not improbable, the compliment of Judah to his the days of St. Paul, the women wore thei r haoir lon. tihe brother Joseph was a very high one, and, at the same men short, and that the Apostle thouglit thi ao natMIral distime, couched in the most artful terms: " Thoou art even tinction. It does not however appearit w'as alnwayvs bhought as Pharaoh;" knowing, and wise, and equitable as he. so, or, at least, that the wearing long hair hb tGie en was But it cannot be inferred, with any degree of certainty, thought infamous, since'it was esteemed a beaduy in Absa CHAP. 15. 2 SAMUEL. 217 lom, 2 Sam. xiv. 26. That passage is curious, and requires saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after some consideration, as being attended with some difficul- Absalom. 14. And David said unto all his ser ties; and, I am afraid, somewhat improperly explained. The weight of the hair, which seems to be enormously great, is the first thing that occurs to the mind. Two hun- let us flee for we shall not else escape from dred shekels, at two hundred and ninety grains each, make Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overforty-three thousand and eight hundred grains. This is take us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and rather more than one hundred ounces avoirdupois, for four hundred and thirty-seven grains and a half are equal to smite the city with the edge of the sword. such an ounce. It is a very good English head of hair, One cannot help being surprised, at first view, how so I am told, that weighs five ounces; if Absalom's then excellent a prince as David was, who had exalted the kinweighed one hundred ounces, it was very extraordinary. dom of Israel to so high a degree of glory and power, who Some very learned men, I think, have believed a royal had subdued and rendered tributary all the neighbouring shekel was but half the weight of the sacred shekel; be nations, which had so often oppressed them, who had made it so; ykt fifty ounces, ten times the weight of a good the best and wisest regulations for the honourable performBritish head of hair, seems to be too great an allowance. ance of the solemnities of their public worship, who, in To suppose, as some have done, that adventitious matters, the whole course of his reign, had administered justice and united with the hair, are to be taken in to make up the judgment to all his people, and who certainly deserved to weight, seems to me not a little idle: what proof would be loved and esteemed by all ranks and degrees of them, this have been of his possessing an extraordinary fine head for the happiness they enjoyed under his government; I of hair, since it would be possible to attach to the hair of say, one cannot help wondering at the sudden revolution a man half bald, substances that should weigh one hundred that was brought about in favour of an ungrateful and perounces. Commentators then should by no means talk of fidious son, who was well known to have stained his hands the oil, thne fragrant substances, the gold dust, with which with the blood of his elder brother. But there were many they suppose the hair might be powdered, as making up things that concurred to bring it about....By the death of this weight; they might as well have added ornaments of Amnon he became heir-apparent to the crown, and being gold, ribands, or what answered them, artificial tresses of suspicious that the king his father might exclude him from hair, and all the matters that are now in different methods the succession, upon the account of his character and crimes, fastened to the hair: but would not this have been ridicu- he resolved to stick at no measures to obtain his ambitious lous. It is more reasonable to say, the present reading views, and put it out of his father's power to set him aside. may be faulty, as in other cases there have frequently been To accomplish this, being the handsomest man in Israel, mistakes in numbers; or that we were not sure what num- he showed himself everywhere in public, to captivate with her of grains two hundred shekels, after the king's weight, his person all that beheld him. He then set up a princel was equal to; than to attempt to remove the difficulty by equipage to attract their admiration of his splendour and such an incompetent method. It was an uncommonly fine magnificence. He treated all that approached him with head of hair, of very unusual weight, which is all that we great condescension and affability; and as any were alknow with certainty about it. proaching the city from the other tribes of Israel, to have The shaving off all this hair, for so the original word their causes heard before the king, he, in the most friendly signifies, is a second thing that seems very strange. It was manner, inquired of them, of what tribe they were, and this thought, I should imagine, that led our translators to hoped their cause was good; but reproached his father render the word by the English term polled, or cut short: with remissness of government, and neglect of his people; for it seems very unaccountable, that a prince who prided telling them, that how just soever their cause was, they himself so mucl in the quantity of his hair, should annually could have no audience, and that there was no man depushave it off quite close; and for what purpose would not ted of the kingto hear them; wishing, for their sakes, that the shortening of it have relieved him from its excessive he was constituted a judge in the land, that every man, who weight. not to say, that the hair of one year's growth can, had any suit or cause, might come to him, and have immein the common course of things, be of no great length, or diate justice done him; and thus persuaded them to return ureigh very much. The Wiord elsewhere signifies to shave home, without making any application for a hearing, disoff all the hair; is opposed to polling, or trimming the hair contented with the king's government, and highly pleased a little by shortening it; and was necessary in order to gain with Absalom's condescension and goodness; greatly disthe knowledge of the true weight of the hair. Mourners posed to spread disaffection and sedition in the places to shaved themselves, Job i. 20; and those that had been in a which they respectively belonged. And in order to secure state of bitterness when they presented themselves before the popularity he courted, whoever approached him to pay kings, as appears from what is related of Joseph, Gen. their respects to him, as the king's son, he familiarly took by xli. 14:; if then "from the end of days," which is the origi- the hand and embraced him. By these means he won the afnal expression, may be understood to mean at the end of fections of great numbers among all the tribes; who, though the time of his returning to his own house, and not seeing probably at first they had no design of deposing the king, and the king's face, instead of at the end of the year, then the advancingo-Absalom in his room, wished to see him intrustshaving himself may be thought to express one single ed with the principal administration of affairs under his action, and to describe, in part, the manner in Which he father, and were willing to enter into any measures with presented himself before the king. This would make the him to obtain it, and to prevent his exclusion from the propheticaccountverynatural. Butthenthewordin kabed, throne after his father. Besides this, he sent emissaries translated heavy, must be understood in another sense,, a throughout all the tribes to strengthen his interest, and to sense in which it is sometimes used, if we have no regard secure a good body of men to join him, whenever his affairs to the Masoretic points, namely, as signifying in glory, or required their assistance. honour, or something of that sort. And so the general Absalom did not at first open his intentions of dethroning meaning of the passage will be, "And when he shaved his his father, but wished only to be a judge in the land; folhead, and it was in the end of the days, of the days of his lowing herein the crafty counsel of Ahithophel, who was disgrace, that is, at the'time in which he was to shave, David's chief counsellor, and treated by him as his intimate because it was a glory upon him, and he shaved himself friend, and who having been admitted to his secrets, probaand weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels bly informed Absalom of his father's design to excelud him after the king's weight." But does not St. Paul suppose, from the succession, in favour of one of his younger breththat nature teaches us, that if a man have long hair, it, is ren; advising him, what steps he should take in order to shame unto him, 1 Cor. xi. 14? He certainly does; Ab- prevent it. His appearance tocountenance the rebellion salom's hair however is evidently spoken of in the book of allured many to become partners in it, as he was esteemed Samuel, as what was thought to be part of his beauty, 2 the ablest politician in the kingdom. What added further Sam. xiv. 25: whether it was that they had different notions strength to it was, Amasa, David's own nephew, joined the on this~point in the age of David; or that they thought it conspiracy, and putting himself at the head of the rebel'ather effeminate, but however a beauty.-HARME.. army, who, by his relation to the king, was a man of great ~~~CHAPTER XV. ~consequence, and an able soldier, and who therefore would be thought by many incapable of entering into a conspiracy Ver. 13. And there came a messenger to David, against his uncle to dethrone him, without some very great 28 218 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 15. and justifiable causes. It may be added, that Absalom's In this manner, prisoners taken in war were forced to walk, carrying off with him two hundred of the principal citizens both for punishment and disgrace. —BuRDE.. of Jerusalem, and Retaining them with his followers at Hebron, where the standard of the rebellion was first set Ver. 32. And it came to pass, that when David up, added to the crcedit of the cause, and drew in many to was come to the top of the m7ount, where he abet and support it, w.ho could not know but they engaged worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite voluntarily in Absalom's party, and were not drawn in to espouse his interest by subtlety and force. Nor must it be forgot here, that the, providence of God permitted the con- upon his head: 33. Unto whor David said1 spiracy to go on without discovery, and to arise to that If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be height, as to drive David from his throne, and thus bring a burden unto me: 34. But if thou return to on him the punishments he had threatened him with by the city, and say unto Absalor, I will he thy Nathan the prophet, for his sin in the matter of Bathsheba and Urial. All these circumstances together considered servant, O king; as I have been thy father's it is no wonder that Absalom should draw together a num-' servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy sei. ber of men sufficient to oppose and oppress his father, who vant: *then mayest thou for me defeat the counsuspected nothing of the conspiracy formed against him, and who appears to have had no part of his army with him, but some of his officers and ordinary guards, and which Mr. Bayle calls this " the most treacherous piece of villatherefore made him take the resolution of retiring from ny that can be imagined." But he might have spared the Jerusalem, to prevent his being surprised bya superior force, reflection, for he could easily have produced instances of that he knew himself unable to resist. But then it should much greater villany than this, practised for the most crimbe considered, that this sudden insurrection was not the inal and execrable purposes. Hushai's treachery was to effect of a general or national disaffection to his person and prevent the effects of the most detestable treachery, and an bovernment. This is evident from many hints in the sa- instance of loyalty, and fidelity to his king and country. cred history. The best part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem His villany was the dictate of public spirit and patriotism, were firmly attached to him, and followed him in his retreat and to counteract the plots of a most desperate and bloody from the capital,'and all the country through which he went, villain, who advised the murder of a fither, and incest showed their affection' to him by loud acclamations. The with his wives, in support of an unnatural, ambitious, and Cherethites and Pelethites, the Gittites, and the ablest of his desperate son. How far these policies of princes and great officers, continued steadfast in their attachment to him, and men, are reconcileable with the rules of those rigid casuists followed his fortune. The tribes on the other side Jordan of which Mr. Bayle speaks, I pretend not to determine. gladly received him, and the richest persons of that coun- This I know, that without these and the like stratagems, try supplied him and his forces with all necessary provi-. government cannot be frequently supported, and that the sions, and he soon collected among them an army suffi- most nefarious attempts to destroy all that is valuable to cient to check the rebels, and at one blow to crush the mankind can never be defeated; and that they have been rebellion. And this was no sooner known, than the tribes practised by the best and wisest of princes, who have been in general were all in motion to show their loyalty to the so far from being blamed on account of them; as that they king, and restore him to his throne and government. The have been recorded as the proofs of their wisdom, and retruth is, that David was surprised unawares and unprovi- gard to the honour and interest of their country. And thllis ded, by a wicked and impious faction, who had, by their Mr. Bayle himself confesses, when he says, that " strataemissaries, drawn together a large body of men, wherever gems of this nature are undoubtedly very laudable, if we they could pick them up,:among all the tribes; gaining judge of things according to human prudence, and the polover, probably, some well-minded persons, by lies, and slan- itics of sovereigns." If David therefore acted in this afderous reports of the king's government, and such others, fair, according to the rules of human prudcence, and the as, in all nations, are always ready to enter into any constant policy of sovereigns, why should he be censured measures of wickedness and violence, in hopes of making more than other great and excellent princes, who have acttheir advantage by the public confusion and calamity, by ed like him! Especially as he had none oif those rigid those methods which are constantly practised by profligate casuists about him, who judged this conduct unworthy a conspirators, in order to gratify their pride, ambition, and saint and an honest man. Supposing this conduct not quite. revenge, though at the expense of the religion, liberties, reconcileable with the rules of rigid casuistry, yet, if David and prosperity of their country. And it is therefore no won- was not acquainted with them, he might possibly be a saint der, that this rebellion, which was evidently contrary to the and an honest man, if he did not regard them. If Hushai general sense and inclination of the people, was so suddenly had stabbed Absalom to the heart, under pretence of friendsuppressed, and David's restoration to his throne and gov- ship, as Brutus did Cesar, must not those who defend Bruernment was immediately resolved on by the unanimous tus, defend Hushai too 3 But is it a more base and crimiconsent of all the tribes of Israel; whereby God was gra- nal part, by pretences of friendship, to betray a tyrant's, a ciously pleased to put an end to his troubles, bringing him usurper's, a parricide's counsels, than, in like circumstances, in safety to his capital and palace, and preserving his life, to assassinate him? I leave David's censurers fairly to.ill he happily settled the succession on Solomon his son, state this important point of casuistry: Whether it be in it-he wisest of princes, and the most prosperous monarch in self absolutely unlawful to make use of stratagems, i. e. the world. —CANDLER. arts of deception, in the management of wars between princes and states: If not, in what instances they are lawVer. 30. And David went up by the ascent of ful, and reconcileable with the rigid rules of morality and zmou2nt Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had virtue. - When these points are settled, we shall be the better able to determine concerning the morality and honesty is hlead covered, and he went barefoot. of David and his friend Hushai in the instance before us; and, till this is done, Mr. Bayle's charges will appear to be Thus did David conduct himself in his sorrow, when uncandid and groundless. I have only to add, that David's.Absalom had rebelled against him. But the. Hindoos do character, as a man after God's own heart, in the scripture iot cover the head; they take a part of their robe and sense of it, by no means implies, that, as a prince, he should cover the face. In going to a fineral, the turban is gener- always act according to the rules of morality laid down by,illy taken off, and a part of the garment is held over the rigid casuists; or, that he should not, in the management tface. Nor is this merely common at filnerals, for on all of his wars, and defeating unnatural rebellions, act with the occasions of deep sorrow thty observe the same thing. At usual policy of wise and good princes, and make use of such times, also, they always go " barefcot."-ROBERTS. proper' stratagems, when necessary to the defence of his This wa.s an indication of great distress: for in ancient, coulntry, and the safety of his person..anles the shoes of grea.t and wealthy persons were made of In Cicero's consulate, the conspiracy of Catiline broke very rich materials, and ornamented with jewels, gold, and rut, and it was fully discovered by that great consul's vigisilver. WVhen any great cellamity befell them, either pub- lance, prudence, and policy. Ambassadors from the Allolic or private, they not only stripped themselves of these broges, the ancient inhabitants of Savoy and Piedmont. ornaments, but of their very shoes, and walked barefoot. iwere then at Ron~i;o solicit the senate for the removal of CHAP. 16. 2 SAMUEL. 219 their grievances. Umbrenius, one of lhe conspirators, at- are boiled and stewed with oil and gailic, constitute the tempted to bring over these ambassado:s, to engage in the principal food, in the spring, of persons of all distinctions;' scheme that had been concerted for the destruction of and they were thought by Ziba a suitable refreshment to Rome. In order to this he opened to them the nature of those that were travelling in a wilderness, where it was the conspiracy, named the principal persons concerned in to be supposed they wou'ld be thirsty as well as hungry. it, and promised them every thing they desired, if they Nothing then could be more unhappy, or more strongly oulld engage their nation to join with them, in support of mark out the inattention of the translators of the Septuagint i. Th-e ambassadors, upon, considering the affair, discov- for it cannot be imagined they were ignorant of these mateladt the whole conspiracy to Fabius Sanga, as they had ters, than the rendering this word, in this place, dates, b en informed of it by Umbrenius. Sanga immediately which are neither produced in summer, nor suited to allay acquaints the consul with it, and introduced the ambassa- the heat of that season: Dr. Pococke observing that they d(a rs themsrelves to him. What doth he do? Why, like a are not ripe till November; and that they, are esteemed of vfr-x wicired and ungodly man, as the scrupulous and a hot nature, Providence seeming to have designed them, rigteowts Mr. Bayle to be sure thought him, bid them car- as they are warm food, to comfort the stomach, he thinks, ry i on the pretence, warmly favouring the conspiracy, go to during the cold season, in a country where it has not given as many of the conspirators as they could, make them fair wine, for he is there speaking concerning Egypt. WVher, pr mises, and'use all their endeavours fully to discover then I find that waterrmelons grow spontaneously in these tllahil. T'he ambassadors, as Cicero ordered, met them, hot countries, are made use of by the Arabs of the Holy and demanded from the chief of them an oath, to be signed Land in summer instead of water, to quench their thii'st, Mi ih their own hand, that their countrymen might be more and are purchased as of the greatest use to travellers in easily induced, to give them that assistance which they de- thirsty deserts; and that cucumbers are very much used siled of them. They all but one, without suspicion of' any still in that country to mitigate the heat: I am very muIch design signed the oath. The ambassadors discovered all inclined to believe these summer fruits wAere not the proto Cicero, who immediately seized the principal conspira- duce of trees, but of this class of herbs, which creep along tors, and greatly rejoiced, that'as the conspiracy was dis- the ground, and produce fruits of a cooling moisture, and covered, the city was delivered front the danger that im- very large in proportion to the size of the plant. They imediately threatened it. The senate thought that Cicero could scarcely however be waternzelos, I imagine, because had acted a noble patriotic part, for they immediately de- they do not begin to gather them before Jlne; but ctlculmcreed, that public thanks should be given to him in the bers, which come in May,. and were actually eaten in Galimost solemn manner, by whose virtue, counsel, and provi- lee the latter end of thatmonth by Dr. Pococke, he having deuce, the republic was delivered from the extremest dan- stopped at an Arab tent, where they prepared him eggs gers; and that a public thanksgiving should be rendered to and sour milk, he tells us, cutting into it raw cucumbers the gods, in Cicero's name, for his having delivered the as a cooling diet in that season, which he found very hot: city from being laid in ashes, the citizens from a massacre, cucumbers continued at Aleppo to the end of July, and are anda Italy from a war. Now did Cicero act in this affair as brought again to market in September and October, and a patriot and an honest man? Or did he, by this policy, consequently are contemporaries with grapes and olives, damn himself, and damn the ambassadors? by causing according to Jer. xl. 10-12, as well as with beans and them to feign, that they embraced the party of those men, lentils. Dr. Russel also tells us that the squash comes in they designed effectually to destroy? What censure would towards the end of September, and continues all the year; he not have undergone, had he suffered the conspiracy to but that the orange-shaped pumpion is more common in the take place, and his country to be ruined, by refusing to summer months. Of one or other of these kinds Qf fruit, I make use of that policy which was necessary to discover should think the writer of 2 Sam. designed to lie underand defeat the conspiracy? Of two evils, it is an old max- stood: they are all more or less of considerable size; they in, a man must choose the least, when he is under the ne- are contemporary with beans; and fit for them that have cessity of submitting to one. Thus were David and Cicero to travel through a dry wilderness, in the latter part of the circumstanced. They both chose the patriotic part; and, spring, when the weather grows hot, as Pococke found it, as Cicero is justly celebrated as the Father and Saviour of about which time, from the circumstance of the beans and his country, from the ruin that was intended, David will the lentils, it is plain that David fled from Absalom. If this deserve the like commendation, for defeating, bylile meas- be allorwed, it will appear that they were called summer ures, the projects of impious conspirators, and delivering fruits, from their being eaten to allay the summer heats,, the nation from the destruction that threatened them.- not from their being dried in the summer, as Vatablus CHANDLER. strangely imagines; nor from their being produced only CHAPTER XVI. that time of the year; for this passage shows that they V Ad eAvidTER XVas aiwere come to maturity before beans went out, and conseVer. 1. And wthen David was a little past the top quently before summer.-HARnERa. of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses sad- Ver. 3. And the king said, Anti vhere is thy dled, and upon them two hundred -loaves of master's son? And Ziba said unto the kilng bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a behold he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of Wine. to-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4. Then said the kiing See on 2 Kin-s 4. 8. to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained Ziba met David, according to the sacred historian, 2 Sam.hibosheth. And umbly xvi. 1, with a couple of asses, and upon them two hundred unto oshh And loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight; of su;inmer f.[its, and a bottle of wine. These summer my lord, O king. -fruits the Septuagint supposes were dates, but the more common opinion is that they were figs, which it seems was Not the least material exception that objectors make that also of the Chaldee paraphrast. Grotius, however, to David's conduct, in this period of time, is his making supposes the original word signifies the fruits of trees in grant of Mephibosheth's estate to a perfidious servant general. I cannot adopt any of these opinions. If the without ever giving the master a fair hearing. But, hoNw notes of distinction are not numerous enough, or sufficiently could David have leisure to send for Mephibosheth from clear, to determine with precision what the fruit vras, I mount Olivet to Jerusalem, and inquire'into the merits of believe thea are sufficient to satisfy us that these authors the cause depending between him and his servant, Tllcen he were mistaken. We may gather threeat ings- relating to was in so great a hurry, and under flight -from the arms of them: that tltcy were of some considerable size, since their his rebel son? Or how could he suppose that Ziba could quantity was estimiated by tale; that they came before the have dared to have told him so notorious a lie, when it bean season xwas ended, for after this we find that the inhab- might in a short time be disproved? Every circumstance Itants of the country beyond Jordan sent to David, along, in short, on Ziba's side, looked welh, but none on his mast with other provisions, quantities of beans, 2 Sam. xviii. 28, ter's. To his master, David had been extremely kind, m1 they being things, according to Dr. Shaw, that, after they restoring him to the forfeited estate of his grandfather Saul 22' 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 16 and in allowing him to eat at his own table, as one of the mission or connivance of his people, sustains at once the king's sons; and now, at the general rendezvous of his character of party, judge, and executioner. In such a friends, David might well have expected that the person to state of things, we are not to be surprised if the exercise of whom he had extended so many favours, should not have justice be often precipitate and tumultuary. The act of been so negligent of his duty, as to absent himself, unless it the Philistines, in burning the spouse of Samson and her had been upon some extraordinary business; and therefore, father with fire, was entirely of this character; not the when Ziba acquaints him with the occasion of his absence, result of a regular sentence, but the summary vengeance though it was a mere fiction, yet with David it might find of an incensed multitude. In the law of Moses, the right a readier credence, because, at this time, he had reason to of the private avenger was distinctly recognised; but to mistrust everybody; and seeing his own family discon- prevent the dreadful effects of sudden and personal vencerted and broken, might think the crown liable to fall to geance, cities of refuge were appointed at convenient disany new claimant that could pretend to the same right of tances through the land of promise, to which the mansliyer succession that Mephibosheth might. On the contrary, might flee. for safety, till he could be brought to a regular every thing appeared bright and plausible on Ziba's side. trial, before a court of justice. In almost every part of He, though but a servant, came to join the king, and in- Asia, those who demand justice against a criminal throw stead of adhering to his master's pretended schemes of dust upon him, signifying that he deserves to lose his life, advancement, had expressed his duty to his rightful sov- and be cast into the grave; and that this is the true interereign, in bringing him a considerable present, enough to pretation of the action, is evident from an imprecation in engage his good opinion. The story that he told of his common use among the Turks and Persians, Be covered master likewise, though utterly false, was cunningly con- with earth; Earth be upon thy head. We have two retrived, and fitly accommodated to the nature of the times; markable instances of casting dust recorded in scripture; so that, in this situation of affairs, as wise a man as David the first is that of Shimei, who gave vent to his secret hosmight have been induced to believe the whole to be true, tility to David, when he fled before his rebellious son, by and upon the presumption of its being so, might have pro- throwing stones at him, and casting -dust. It was an aneeeded to pass a judgment of forfeiture (as in most eastern cient custom, in those warm and arid countries, to lay countries every crime against the state was always attend- the dust before a person of distinction, and particularly ed with such a forfeiture) upon Mephibosheth's estate, and before kings and princes, by sprinkling the ground with to consign the possession of it to another. All that David water. To throw dust into the air while a person was can therefore be blamed for, in this whole transaction, is passing, was-therefore an act of great disrespect; to do so an error in judgment, even when he was imposed upon by before a sovereign prince, an indecent outrage. But it is the plausible tale of a sycophant,'and had no opportunity of clear from the explanation of the custom, that Shimei comining at the truth; but upon his return to Jerusalem, meant more than disrespect and outrage to an afflicted king, when Mephibosheth appears before him, and pleads his whose subject he was; he intended to signify by that action, own cause, we find this the decision of it,-" Why speakest that David was unfit to live, and that the time was at last thou any more of thy matters' I have said, thou and Ziba arrived to offer him a sacrifice to the ambition and. vendivide the land:" which words must not be understood as geance of the house of Saul.-PAXTON. if he appointed at the time an equal division of the estate between Mephibosheth and his servant, (for where would Ver. 20. Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give the justice of such a sentence be 1) but rather, that he re- counsel among you what we shall do. 21. And voked the order he had given to Ziba, upon the supposed Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy forfeiture of his master, and put things now upon the same establishment they wiee at first. " I have said," i. e. " My father's concubines, which he hath left to keep first grant shall stand, when I decreed that Mephibosheth the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou should be lord of the whole estate, and Ziba his steward to art abhorred of thy father. manage it for him." Thus, though we are not obliged to vindicate David in every passage of his life, and think The wives of the conquered king were always the propsome of the crying sins he was guilty of utterly inexcusa- erty of the conqueror: and, in possessing these, he apble, yet (if we except these) we cannot but think that, peared to possess the right to the kingdom. Hlerodotus, b. although he was a very tender and indulgent parent, yet he iii. cap. 68. informs us, that Smerdis having seized on the:was no encourager of vice in his own family, or tame con- Persian throne, after the death of Cambyses, espoused all niver at it in others, had he not been restrained, by reasons the wives of his predecessor. of state, sometimes from punishing it; that he was true to The choosing or confirming of a new king in Guinea, his promises, just in his distributions, and prudent, though seldom continues long in dispute; for the eldest son no not crafty, in his military transactions; "of a singular sooner hears of the king's death, than he immediately presence of mind, (as Josephus speaks df him,) to make the makes his interest among his friends, to take possession of best of what was before him, and of as sharp a foresight the late king's court and wives: and succeeding happily in for improving of all advantages, and obviating all difficul- these particulars, he need not doubt the remainder, for the ties, that were like to happen;" tender to all persons in commonalty will not easily consent that after that he shall.distress, kind to his friends, forgiving to his enemies, and, be driven from the throne: this seems somewhat like Abwhen at any time he was forced to use severity, wvas only salom's design on his father David. To accomplish this in retaliation of what other people had done to him. — design, the younger brother's party are alhvays careful STAcKH-oUse. enough that he is near at hand, in order to take possession of the court. (Bosman's Guinea.) The name of Quiteva Ver. 13. And as David and his men went by the is common to the sovereign lord of the country bordering wav, Shimei''went aloneg on the hill's side over on the river Sofala in Ethiopia. He maintains a nutmber against hi-m, and cursed as he went, and threw of wives, the chief of whom are his near relations, and are denominated his queens; the residue are regarded stones at him, and cast dust. merely as concubines. As soon as the Quiteva ceases to live, a successor is chosen, capable of governing with kwisWho, in the East, has not often witnessed a similar scene - dom and prudence.; and, indeed, should he be deficient in Listen to the maledictions: they are of such a nature that this respect, it would be enough that a majority of the evil spirits only could have suggested them. Look at the king's concubines should join in his favour, as on these enraged miscreant: he dares not come near for fear of the possession of the throne depends. IHe therefore repunishment, but he stands at a distance, vociferates his pairs to the royal palace, where he meets with some of the imprecatioes, violently throws about his hands; then stoops concubines of the late king, and with their consent he to the grotund, and takes up handfuls of dust, throws it in seats himself on the throne prepared for him in the midst the air, and exclaims, "Soon shalt thou be as that-thy of a large hall; when seated here, a curtain is drawn bemouth shall soon be filll of it-look, look, thou cursed one, fore him and his wives: hence he issues orders for hi: as this dust, so shalht thou be."-ROBERTS. proclamation through the streets; this is the signal for the In the East, the right of calling an offender to account is people to flock to render him homage and swear obedience, claimed either by the person who receives the injury, or a ceremony which is performed amid great rejoicings.his nearest relation; and the same person, with the per- BURDER. CHAP. 17. 2 SAMTUEL. 221 From the polygamy of the Israelitish monarchs, there its safety, carries it home to her den before she renews the Irose a singular law, which I can only illustrate by exam- pursuit.-BuapERa. ples from the Bible, without finding any thing similar in profane history; which, however, only makes these exam- Ver. 12. So shall we come upon hirfl in some ples the clearer. It consisted in this, that the successor place where he shall be found, and we will light to the crown inherited the seraglio of his predecessor; up hin as the dewfalleth on the round. and it was considered as a step to the throne, even to marry the mistresses of the deceased monarch. In this This is very beautiful and expressive. The dew in way,, David succeeded to the concubines of Saul, although Palestine, as in several other climates, falls fast and sudden, hlie was his father-in-law, 2 Sam. xii. 8. And after he had and is therefore no unapt emblem of an active, expeditious fled from Absalom, Ahithophel, who is described as a man soldiery. It wa perhap r this reason that the Romans of the greatest abilities, as well as the greatest wicked- called their light-armed forces rorarii. The dew falls ness, counselled this rebellious son to lie publicly with his upon every spot of the earth; not a blade of grass escapes father's ten concubines, to annihilate, in hesitating minds, it A nuerous army resembles it in this respect. It is it. A numerous ar my' resembles it in this respect. It is all hope of a reconciliation between them; 2 Sam. xvi. able tosearch everywhere-BuRDER. 21-23. Now incest is such an abominable crime, and so expressly contrary to the Mosaic law, that such proceedings Ver. 13. Moreover, if he be gotten into a c must have been followed by the most direful consequences, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, if these concubines had not been considered, not as David's, but as the king's;' and as belonging to the state, not to the and we will draw it into the river,; until there individual; so that sleeping with them formed part of the be not one small stone found there. ceremony of taking possession of the throne.-After David's death, Bathsheba, the mother of his successor, Solomon, On advancing, the chopdars or heralds proclaimed the was entreated by his brother Adonijah, to obtain the royal titles of this princely cow-keeper, Futty Sihng, in the usual permission to marry Abishag, the Shunamite. But Solo- hyperbolical style. One of the most insignificanrt looking mon so fully saw through his brother's designs, and what men I ever saw, then became the destroyer of nations, the effect the acceding to his request would have among the leveller of mountains, the exhauster of the ocean. After people, that he answered his mother, " Rather ask the commanding every inferior mortal to make way for this kingdom for him too," and immediately caused him to be exalted prince, the heralds called'aloud to the animal creput to death, 1 Kings ii. 13-25. Of the origin of this ation, Retire, ye serpents; fly, ye locusts; approach not, strange law I can find no traces in the great kingdoms of guanas, lizards, and reptiles, while your lord and master the East; and yet most certainly these kings of' Israel, as yet condescends to set his foot on the earth! Arrogant as this but novices in royalty, must have derived it, not from Is- language may appear, it is less so than the oriental pageantraelitish, but foreign usage. It could scarcely have arisen ry in general. The sacred writings afford many instances in an hereditary kingdom, in which such incestuous proce- of such hyperbole. None more so than Hushai's speech te dure would have become too notorious and disgusting. Absalom.-FORBES. Most probably it first arose among the beggarly elective monarchies in the neighbourhood, where it was found too Ver. 17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by expensive to provide every new king with a new seraglio; perhaps in the kingdom of Edom, whose needy practicesht not be seen to come the Israelites were wont at first to adopt. After Solomon's into the city:) and a wench went and told them: time, I find no further traces of it.-MICHAELIS. and they went and told King David. CHAPTER XVII., In the East, the washing of foul linen is performed by Ver. 8. For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy fa- women by the sides of rivers and fountains. Dr. Chandler ther and his men, that they be mighty men, aliyd (Travels in Asia Minor, p. 21) says, that "the women rethey be chafed in their minds as a bear robbed sort to the fountains by the houses, each with a two-hanthey be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbednw ded earthen jar on her back, or thrown over her shoulder, of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a for water. They assemble at one without the village or man of war, and will not lodge with the people. town, if no river be near, to wash their linen, which is afterward spread on the ground or bushes to dry." May not The Hindoos are as much afraid of bears as any olher this' circumstance, says Mr. Harmer, serve to confirm the animal in the forest; hence, when the letter-carriers and conjecture, that the young woman that was sent to En-rogel, others have to travel through districts infested by them, they went out of the city with a bundle of linen, as if she were are always armed with a crooked knife, in the shape of a going to wash it l Nothing was more natural, or better sickle: thus, when the bear is preparing to give them a hug, calculated to elude jealousy'. —BRDER. one cut from the instrument will send it off. When the female is robbed of her whelps, she is said to be more fierce Ver. 19. And the woman took and spread a than any other animal: hence, many sayings' refer to her rage, and are applied to the fury of violent men. " I will coverng over the well's mouth, and spread tear theeto pieces asabear whichhas cubbed." "Begone, ground corn thereon; and the thing was not or I will jump upon thee as a bear." When a termagant known. goes with her children to scold, it is said, " There goes the she-bear and her whelps."-ROBERTS. This was done to conceal Jonathan and Ahimaaz, who The furious passions of the female bear never mount so had -gone down the well to'escape from the servants of Abhigh, nor burn so fiercely, as when she is deprived of her salom. Wells in the East have their mouths level with the young. When she returns to her den, and misses the ob- ground, hence, nothing is more easy than to put a mat or ject of her love and care, she becomes almost frantic with covering over the opening to conceal them from the sight. rage. Disregarding every consideration of danger to her- Who has not seen corn or flour spread on mats in the sun self, she attacks with great ferocity every animal that comes to dry. The woman affected to have this object in view in her way; and in the bitterness of her heart will dare to when She spread a covering over the well: her" ground attack even a band of armed men. The Russians of Kamrt- corn" was spread thereon to dry in the sun. The men schatka never venture to fire on a young bear when the were in the well, and when Absalom's servants came, and mother is near: for if the cub drop, she' becomes enraged inquired, " Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan;" she said, to a degree little short of madness, and'if she gets sight of " They be gone over the brook of water." In the Kandian the enemy, will only quit her revenge with her life. (Cook's war great numbers were required to follow the army as Voyages.) A more desperate attempt can scarcely be per-, bearers, cooks, and messengers, and such was the aversion formed than to carry off her young -in her absence. Her of the people to the duty, that government was obliged to scent enables her to track the plunderer; and unless he use force to'compel them to go. And it was no uncommon has reached some place of safefy before the infuriated ani- thing, when the officers were seen to approach a cottage, for mal overtake him, his only safety is in dropping one of the the husband or sons to be concealed as were Ahimaaz and cubs, and continuing to flee; for the mother, attentive to Jonathan.-ROBERTS. 222 2 SAMUEL. CaI-'r. 18. Ver. 28. Brought beds, and basins, and earthen that in the reign of David, when the land of promise was vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and crowded with inhabitants, the wild beasts could be so nuvparhed s osre, and beats and banrleyasn and pafch-d merous in one of the woods as to cause such a destruction. parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parch- But if their numbers had been so great, we know that, uned pulse. less they had been detained contrary to their natural dis-'I~~~~~~' - positions by the miraculous interposition of Heaven, for Parched corn is a kind of food still retained in the East, the purpose of executing his righteous vengeance on the as Hasselquist informs us: "On the road from Acre to followers of Absalom, intimidated by the approach of twc Seide, we saw a herdsman eating his dinner, consisting of hostile armies, and still more by the tumult of the battle; half-ripe ears of wheat, which he roasted and ate with as, they must have sought their safety in flight, rather than good an appetite as a Turk does his pillau. In Egypt such have staved to devour the diseomfited party. Besides, we food is much eaten by the poor, being the ears of maize or do not hear that one of David's men perished by the wood: Turkish wheat, and of their durra, which is a kind of millet. were they miraculously preserved; or, were the wild beasts When this food was first invented, art was in a simple state; able to distinguish between the routed army and the victors, yet the custom is still continued in some nations, where the and politic enough to side with the strongest. We are not inhabitants have not even at this time learned to pamper without an express revelation, or at least without necessity, nature." The flour of parched barley is the chief provision to suppose a miraculous interposition. The scene of' the which the Moors of West Barbary make for travelling. expeditions which the Turks undertook against FaccarIt is indeed much used as a part of their diet at home. dine, the famous emir, in the fifteenth century, was chielfy "What is most used by travellers is zumeet, tumeet, or in the woods of mount Lebanon, which all travellers agree flour of parched barley for limereece. They are all three furnish a retreat to numerous wild beasts, yet the historian made of parched barley-flour, which they carry in a leath- says not one word of either Turk or Maronite being injured era satchel. Zumeet s the flower mixed with honey, bui- by them, in his whole narrative. Absalom himself was ter, and spice; tunmeet is the same flour done up with origan the only person who properly perished by the wood; being oil; and limereece is only mixed with water, and so drank. caught by the hair of his head, of which he had been so This quenches thirst much better than water alone, satiates vain, in the branches of a large oak, where Joab found him, a hungry appetite, cools and refreshes tired and weary and thrust him through with a dart. But, supposing the spirits, overcoming those ill effects which a hot sun and wood of Ephraim to have been. a morass covered with trees fatiguing journey might occasion." (Jones.) Mr. Harmer and bushes, like the haunts of the wild boar near the banks proposes this extract as an illustration'of the passage now of Jordan, the difficulty is easily removed. It is certain cited.-BURDER. that such a place has more than once proved fatal to conVer. 29. And honey, and butter, and sheep, and tending armies, partly by suffocating those who in the hurry of flight inadvertently venture over places incapable of cheese of kine, for David, and for the people. supporting them,'and partly by retarding them till their pursuers come up and cut them to pieces. In this manner This, perhaps, was flesh of kine, or beef, prepared in a greater number of men than fell in the heat of battle may such a manner as we call potted. by beating and bruising. be destroyed. The archbishop of Tyre informs us, that The eastern people in modern times prepare potted flesh one of the Christian kings of Jerusalem lost some of his for food on a march or journey. Thus Busbequius speak- troops in a marshy vale of this country, from their ignoing of the Turkish soldiers. going on an expedition into rance of the paths which lead through it, although he had Persia, says, " Some of them-filled a leathern bag with beef no enemyto molest his march. The number ofthose who dried, and reduced to a kind of meal, which they use with died was small; but in what numbers would they have reat advantage, as affordin g a strong nourishment." And perished, may we suppose, had they been forced to flee, Dr. Shaw mentions potted flesh as part of the provisions like the men of Absalom, before a victorious and exaspercarried with him in his journey through the Arabian des- ated enemy? Lewis II., king of Hungary, lost his life in erts. —BunRuER.' a bog in his own kingdom, in the sixteenth century: and CHAPTER XVIII. according to Zozimus, Decius the Roman emperor perished in a fen, with his whole army. It may, therefore, be Ver. 8. For the battle was there scattered o.ver justly concluded, that Absalom's army perished neither by the face of all the country: and the wood de- the trees of the wood, like their guilty leader, nor by the voured more people that day than the sword wild beasts which occupied its recesses; but by the deceitdevoured. ful quagmires with which it abounded. —PAXTON. The land of promise cannOt boast, like many other coun- Ver. 11. And Joab said unto the man that told tries, of extensive woods; but considerable thickets of trees him, And, behold, thou sawest himn; and why and of reeds sometimes arise to diversify and adorn the didst thou not smite him there to the ground scene. Between the Lake Samochonites and the sea of Tiberias, the river Jordan is almost concealed by shady and I would have given thee ten shekels of siltrees from the view of the traveller. When the waters of ver, and a girdle. the Jordan are low, the Lake Samochonites is only a marsh, for the most part dry and overgrown with shrubs and reeds. Among us, here in Europe, the distinction between honThe lake of Tiberias is bordered with reeds; while the orary and pecuniary rewards is so great, that we oftenbanks of the river on both sides, are shaded with planes, times can hardly think of jumbling them together as an acalders, poplars, tamarisks, and reeds of different kinds. In knowledgment of public services; and the same person these thickets, among other ferocious animals, the wild that would receive the first with emotions of great pleasure, boar seeks a covert from the burning rays of the sun. would think himself affronted by one of a pecuniary kind; Large herds of them are sometimes to be seen on the banks but it is otherwise in the East, and it was so anciently. De of theriver, near the seaof Tiberias, lying among the reeds, Tott did many great services to the Turkish empire, in the or feeding under the trees. Such moist and shady places are time of their late war with Russia, and the Turks were in all countries the favourite haunts of these fierce and dan- disposed to acknowledge them by marks of honour.' His gerous animals. Those marshy coverts are styled woods highness," said the first minister, speaking of the grand in the sacred scriptures; for the wild boar of the wood is the seignior, "has ordered me to bestow on you this public name which that creature receives from the royal Psalmist: mark of his esteem," and, at the same time, made a sign to "The boar out of the wood doth waste it;'and the wild the master of the ceremonies to invest me with the pelisse; oeast of the field doth devour it." The wood of Ephraim, while the hasnadar presented me with a purse of 200 sewhere the battle was fought between the forces of Ab- quins. The lively French officer was hurt by the offer of salom and the servants of David, was probably a place\ the sequins. " I directly turned towards those who had ac of the same kind; for the sacred historian observes, that companied me, and showing them my pelisse, I have re the wood devoured more people that day, than the sword ceived, said I, with gratitude, this proof of the grand seigdevoured. Some have supposed the meaning of this pas- nior's favour; do you return thanks to the vizier for this sage to be, that the soldiers of Absalom were destroyed by purse, it is his gift. This expedient, which I preferred the wild beasts of the wood; but it can scarcelybe supposed, to a discussion of our different customs, was a sufficient CHAP. 18. 2 SAMUEL. 223 lesson to the vizier, at the same time that it disengaged me Ver. 17. And they took Absalom, and cast him from the embarrassment of oriental politeness." He then iadd," This Turkish custom of givingmoneyinto a great pit in the, wood, and laid a very in a note acids, "This Turkish custom of giving money occasioned the greatest mortification to M. De Bonneval, that great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel a man, like him,' could receive. The ambassador extraor- fled every one to his tent. dinarv, from the emperor, who in the Austrian army had been in an inferior station to the refugee, dined, as is cus- To mark the spot where the chiefswere buried, and to tomarv, with the vizier. The Porte had chosen Kiathana, remain at the same time as a memorial of' the battle in' lbr the place, of this entertainment. M. De Bonneval had which they fell, their surviving friends raised over them a orders to repair thither with the corps of bombardiers, of heap of stones. This practice may be traced to the primi. which he was commander. When the exercise was over, tive ages of the world; for when Absalom was defeated he was sent for by the vizier, who gave him a handful of and slain, "they cast him into a great pit in the wood, and sequlins, which his situation obliged him to accept,. with laid a very great heap of stones upon him." This monusubmission." Just thus we find Joab would have rewarded mental heap was not intended' to indicate that Absalom an Israelitish soldier of his army, in the days of King Da- deserved to be stoned as a rebellious son, but merely to vid, who sanw Absalom hanging in a'tree: "Why didst thou mark, according to a very common and a very ancient not smite him there to the ground, and I would have given custom, the grave of that ambitious and unnatural prince. thes, ten shekels of silver, and a girdle." 2 Sam. xviii. 11. It was usual in the East, indeed, to distinguish any remarkThe girdle would have been an honorary reward, like De able place or event by a heap of stones. All the MohamTott's ermined vest; the ten shekels, or half crowns, would medans that go in pilgrimage to mount Sinai, visit a rock, have been a pecuniary recompense, like the 200 sequins De on which the form of a camel's foot is imprinted, which they Tott disdained to receive. I may add, that a furred robe, foolishly suppose to be the animal that lMohammed rode; in general, is no distinguishing badge of dignity, for it may and, therefore, in honour of their prophet, they bring every be worn by wealthy people' in private life, who can bear one a stone, till, by continual accumulation, a large heap the expense; so that there is no ground to suppose Joab's has risen near the place. Jacob, and his family too, raised giving a girdle to the soldier would have been conferring a heap of stones in commemoration of the covenant so hapsome military honour, somewhat like knighting him, as, if pily concluded between him and Laban, on mount Gilead. I remember right, some have imagined: it would have That "heap of witness" informed every passenger that it been simply a valuable present, and enabling him in after- was raised in memory of some interesting event; and every time to appear with such a girdle as the rich wore, instead relation that brought a stone to the heap, made himself a of the girdle of a peasant, but united. with the consciousness witness to the agreement, as well as recommended it to the and the reputation of its being acquired by doing some attention of others. The surviving warriors, too, might public service, and not.the mere effect of being descended bring every man his stone, in token of their respect for-the from a wealthy family. The apparatus which some of the deceased, to raise a monumental heap over the body of the eastern people make use of to gird themselves with is very hero who had led them to battle and to victory, which mean. The common Arabs, according to De la Roque, should arrest the notice of the passing traveller, and bear use a girt adorned with leather; and their women make witness to future times of their attachment and regret.use of a cord, or strip of cloth: but some of the Arab PAXTON. girdles are very rich, according to this writer. The girdle Joab proposed to give was doubtless designed by him to be' Ver. 18. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken understood to be one of such value, as to be answerable to and reared up for himslf a pillar, which is in the supposed importance of the service he wished the man have no son'L had performed, as well as his own dignity. So Symon the s ale for e sad, I have no son to Simeonis, an Irish traveller to the Holy Land, in the year keep my name in remembrance: and he called 1322, tells us, "That the Saracens of Egypt rarely, if ever, the pillar after his own name: and it is called girded themselves with any thing but a towel, on which unto this day Absalom's Place. they kneeled to say their prayers, except their people of figure, who wore girdles like those of ladies, very broad, On the east, we came to the reputed tomb of Absalom, all of silk, and superbly adorned with gold and silver, in resembling nearly, in the size, form, and the decoration of which they extremely pride themselves." I cannot well its square base, that of Zacharias, before described; except finish this article without remarking, from what the French that it is sculptured with the metopes and triglyphs of the baron says concerning himself, what strong disagreeable Doric order. This is surmounted by a sha;rp conical dome, impressions of an erroneous kind may be made upon the of the form used in our modern parasols, having' large mind of a European at the offering some of the Asiatic mouldings, resembling ropes running round its base, and presents, which are not only not affronting in their views, on the summit something like an imitation of flame. The but designed to do those honour to whom they are pre- dome is of masonry, and on the eastern side there is a sented, since De Tott could not get the better of it, though square aperture in it. It is probable that this monument he perfectly knew the innocency of the intention, and had really occupies the place of that mentioned to have been resided long enough, one would have thought, in the set up by him whose name it bea:rs. 2 Sam. xviii. 18. Jocountry, to have destroyed the impression.-HARMER. sephus, in relating the same circunlstance, calls the pillar To loose the girdle and give it to another, was among a marble one; he fixes its distance at two furlongs from the Orientals, a token of great confidence and affection. Jerusalem, and says it was named Absalom's Hand.Thus to ratify the covenant which Jonathan made with BUCKINGHAM. David, and to express his cordial regard for his friend, " among other things he gave him his girdle. A girdle curi- Ver. 24. And David sat between the two gates ously and richly wrought was, among the ancient Hebrews,atchman went up to the roof over the a mark of honour, and sometimes bestowed as a reward of merit; for this was the recompense which Joab declared gate unto the wal, and lifted up his eyes, and he meant to bestow on the man who put Absalom to death: looked, and behold a mlan running alone. " WVhy didst thou not smite him there to the ground, and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle." The watchman, in a time of danger, seems to have takers The reward was certainly meant to correspond with the his station in a tower, which was built over the gate of the importance of the service which he expected him to per- city. We may form a tolerably distinct idea of the ancient form, and the dignity of his own station as commander-in- towers in Palestine, from the description which the sacred chief: we may therefore suppose it was not a common historian gives us of one, in the ent.rance of Mahanaim: one of leather, or plain worsted, but of costly materials and "And David sat between the two gates, and the watchman richly adorned; for people of rank and fashion in the East went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted wear very broad girdles, all of silk, and superbly orna- up his eyes and looked, and behold a man running alone. niented with gold and silver, and precious stones; of which The watchman cried and told the king; and the king said, they are extremely proud, regarding them as the tokens If he is alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And the of their superior station, and the proof of their riches.- watchman saw another man running; and the watchman PAXTON. called unto the porter, and said, Behold, another man run 224 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 19. ning alone; and the king said, He also bringeth tidings." CHAPTER XIX. When the tidings were announced, the historian observes, Ver. 13. And ay ye to Amasa, t thou not of Ver. 13. And say ye to Areusa, Ar't thou not of "the king was much moved, and went up to the chiamber over the gate and wept." It is afterward added, "Then my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, the king arose and sat in the gate; and they told unto all and more also, if thou be not captain of the host the people saying, Behold th king doth sit in the gate; and before me continually in the room of Joab. Z7) ~~~~before me continually in the room of Joab. all the people came before the king, for Israel had fled 14. And he bowed the heart of all the men of every man to his tent." From this description it appears, that the tower in the entrance of Mahanaim, had two pair Judah,'even as the heart of one man; so that of gates, at some distance from each other; in a small they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, room, which was often found by the side of these fortified and all thy servants. gates, the door of' which opened into the passage between them, sat the king, waiting, in fearful suspense, the issue Mr. Le Clere and others object, that David's resolution of the contest, for it cannot be supposed lie sat in the pas- to remove Joab from the chief command of the army, sage'itsef, which had been at once inbecoming his dignity, was but an unthankful return for the victory which that and incommodious to the passengers entering or leaving officer had just gained him, and for his attachment to his the city. We find a watchman stationed on the top of this interest all along, and therefore David's conduct in tiLis tower, to which he went up by a staircase fronimthe passage, instance was imprudent and unaccountable. What Joab's which. like the roof of their dwellinghouses, was flat, for share in obtaining this victory was, the history doth not the purpose of descrying at a distance those that were ap- say. Abishai and Ittai, who each commanded a third part proaching the place, or repelling the attacks of an enemy. of the forces, might, as for anything that appears, as much The observations made by the watchman were not com- contribute to the victory over the rebels, as Joab. But be niunidated by him immediately to the king, but by the that as it will, the imprudence of David's conduct is effectintervention of a warder at the outer gate of the tower; ually disproved by the event; and that it was not unacand it appears, that a private staircase led firom the lower countable is certain, because of the evident prudence of it; room in Twhllich the king was sitting, to the upper room especially if it be true, and I think it certainly is true, that over the gateway; for by that communication he retired to Joab had n-w lost the favour of his master, of' which the give full vent to his sorrow. The only circumstance murder of Abner, the killing of Absalom, in direct coninvolved in any doubt, is in what part of this building he tradiction to David's order, and lastly, his want of' sympasat, (for it is evident he continued in some part of the gate,) thy, and his indelicacy in the present instance, were the when he returned his thanks to the army for their exer- undoubted causes. And surely it could be nothing unactions in his favour; or in the language of the historian, countable, ny great ingratitude, to turn out an "spake to the hearts of his servants," arifi received their imperious general, even after he a d helped to gain a tjcconr atlatons.It s soewha unertan wethe heimperious general, even after he bad helped to gain a viecongratulations. It is somewhat uncertain whether he torywho had stained his laurels bythe treasonable murder tory,..who had stained his laurels bytbe treasonable murder gave audience to his people in the upper room, where he of the king's own son in defiance of his most express corn. lamented in strains so affectin-, the death of Absalom, o mad owsnIn eineo i otepesc mented in strains so affecting, the d eath of Absalom, or mand, and then instantly threatened him with a fresh rebelin the little chamber between the two gates, where he lion, if he did not openly appear to justify and approve hiM waited the arrival of the messengers, or in some other part crimes: crimes, that a successfulbattle few wi' think to of the building. The ancient custom of sitting in the gate be a sufficient atonement for, or a just reason to exempt on solemn occasions, rather favours the opinion, that Da- him from disgrace, and the punishment he deserved. The vid went down from the apartment above the gate, to the ancient Roman discipline was much more severe and rigchamber in the side of the passage. This custom, which orous than this, and a victory obtained, if contrary to the may be traced to the remotest antiquity, is still observed in general's orders, was punished with death. When T. the East; for when Pococke returned from viewing the Manlius, the son of Manlius the onsul, upon a challenge ZD Manlius, the son of Manlius the consul, upon a chaleng town of ancient Byblus, the sheik and the elders were of Metius, one of the generals of the Latins, with whem sitting in the gate of the city, after the manner of their the Romans were then at war, had engaged him in single ancestors.-PAxToN. combat, slain him, taken his spoils, and presented themn in triumph to his father, the consul immediately ordered Ver. 25. And the watchman cried, and told the him to be beheaded in sight of the whole army, because it kingC. And the king said, If he be alone, there was an express breach of his orders; telling his son, "If thou hast any thingof my blood in thee, thou thyself wvjlt is tidings in his mouth. And he came apace, not, I think, refuse to restore, by thy punishment, that miliand drew near. tary discipline, which hath been impaired by thy offence." In like manner, when Papirius, the R.oman dictator, had This was said by David when the watchman told him commanded Fabius, the master of his horse, not to eng't:e that there was a man running alone. He proved to be the enemy during his absence, Fabius being informed that Ahimnaaz, who had escaped from the well, and had run to the army of the Sarmnites were in a state of great disorder, tell David, " All is well." Is a man seen to run fast, it is attacked them with his forces, entirely routed them, -nd said,'f Ah! there is news in his mouth." " Why have slew twenty thousand of them on the field of battle. The you come so fast " -'. In my mouth there is news." To dictator, upon his returnto the army, in a council of oficers, a man in trouble it is often said, "Fear not, a man will ordered him to be beheaded, because in breach of the rules soon come with tidings in his mouth." -RoBERTS. of war, and the ancient discipline, he had dared, contrary to his orders, to engage with the enemy. He was however XV~~~~~~~~~er.~~ 3 A h rn a iat last saved by the intercession of the Roman people. Ver. 32. And the king- said unto Cushi, Is the 32.Andthekin sDavid's removing Joab from his command was a much young man Absalom safe? And Cushi an- less punishment for much more aggravated crimes. swered, The enemies of my lord the king, and As to the promise to Amasa, of constituting him general all that ise against thee to do thee urt, be as in Joab's room, the prudence of this may be also easily all that rise, against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young )~~ man vindicated. For Amasa stood in the same degree of conthat young man is. ~sanguinity to David as Joab did, and the offer to him ot making him captain-general must, as it has been well ohThis was a delicate way of telling David that the rebel served, have been influenced by the personal qualities: of Absalom was dead. A person, in communicating, by the man, the importance of gaining him over, he being a etter; intelligee of the death of a friend, does not always person of great powerand authority, and a resentment say, in so many plain terms," He is dead;" but, "Would against Joab for the murder of Abner and Absalom. Bethat all our enemies were now as our friend Muttoo." sides, I doubt not but that David thought he should now' Ah! were they all as he, we should have peace in our be able to break Joab's power, and bring him to an acvillage." A son, in writing to an uncle concerning the count for his repeated assassinations and treasons, as well death of his father, says, "Ahl the children of your as fix Amasa for ever in his interest, by placing so high brother are now given unto the Lord." "'Would that our a degree of confidence in him, as to give him the comenemies were now as our father; they will now rejoice mand of all the forces in his kingdom. This hath been'ver us."- ROBERTS. frequently the method by which great men have endeav (2 AmP. 19.'2 SAMUEL. 225 o'red to gain over their enemies, and it argues a real gen- posed guilt, leaving the. villain Ziba il the quiet possession erosioy of soul, of which little minds are utterly incapable, of the other half, as the reward of his treachery. Suppo, to. wUin an adversary to his duty, by such unexpected instan- sing this account true, that Mephibosheth had but half his ces of confidence and friendship. When Cinna, the grand- patrimony restored to him, -there might be reasons of state, son1 of Pompey, and other great men, conspired against reasons of great prudence and equity, that might induce Augustus, he not only pardoned them, but nominated Cinna David, at that time, to give this check to the house of Saul; cnaul for the ensuing year; and Caesar not only spared especially if David had any suspicion that Mephibosheth Brutus, after he had appeared in arms against him, but had really behaved ill, and as Shimei, one of Saul's family, took him into favour as his intimate friend, and intrusted had used' him with peculiar marks of indignity, and dishim with the government of Gaul.-CHANDLER. covered that they wanted only the opportunity to revenge themselves on him, and place one of Saul's house upon the Ver. 24. And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came thlrone of Israel. But I think there is great reason to quesdown to mneet the king, and had neither dressed tion, whether the behaviour of IMephibosheth was so innohis feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his cent as hath been asserted, during the progress of the rebellion. The late ingenious and learned Mr. Hallet and. clothes, from the day the king departed until others, think he was guilty and deserved punishment; and the day he came again in peace. after having reviewed his apology to'David for not accompanying him in his flight from Jerusalem, with the utmost Thev almost universally die them black, by an operation impartiality and care, that apology doth not seem to me not very pleasant, and necessary to be repeated generally sufficient wholly to exculpate him. For what is the apoloonce a fortnight. It is always performed in the hot bath, gy he makes 1 Why, only this; that he said; " he would where the hair being well saturated, takes the colour better. saddle him an ass, and go on it to the king, because he was A thick paste of khenna is first made, which is largely largely lame, and coQuld not go on foot." Why then, what hinderplastered over the beard, and which, after remaining an ed him from saddling his ass, and riding after his royal hour, is all completely washed off, and leaves the hair of a patron and benefactor. Surely there were more asses than very strong orange colour, bordering upon that of brickdust. one to be had at Jerusalem, and he had servants enough After this, as thick a paste is made of the leaf of the indigo, of his own to have saddled one, had he been disposed to go which previously has been pounded to a fine powder, and after David. For when that prince was restored, he found of this also a deep layer is put upon the beard; but this means to wait on him, without Ziba's assistance; and I second process, to be taken well, requires full two hours. suppose, the same means might have been found, if he had Durin' all this operation the patient lies quietly flat upon pleased, to have attended David when he fled, as well as his back; vwhile the die (more particularly the indigo, to go to meet him when he returned. He pretends indeed which is a great astringent) contracts the features of his that Ziba deceived him; but-he doth not say how, nor offer face in a very mournful manner, and causes all the lower any proof of it; nor could he deceive him about the getparts of the visage to smart and burn. When the indigo ting him an ass,'because he, could have got one, whether is at last washed off, the beard is of a very dark bottle-green, Ziba would procure him one or not. So'that his justificaand becomes a jet black only when it has met the air for tion was as lame as his feet, and, as far as I can judge, is but twenty-four hours. Some, indeed, are content with the a poor shuffling vindication of his innocence. He seems to khenna or orange colour; others, more fastidious, prefer me to have been very well pleased to stay at Jerusalem. and a beard quite blue. The people of Bokhara are famous for wait the issue of the rebellion, as not knowirg, but that dutheir blue beards.-MoRERa. ring the confusion of affairs, some fortunate circumstances Ver. 24. And Mephibosheth the son of Saul might arise, by which, as heirto Saul's house, he might be advanced to the thronein the roomboth of David and his recame down to meet the king, and had neither bellious son. The only circumstancethat can be alleged in dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor his favour is, that he did not take the usual care of himselt: washed his clothes, from the day.the king de- as to his cleanliness and dress, but appeared in the squalid habit of a mourner. But this might be merely political, parted until the day he came again in peace. and Would equally serve to excite compassion to himself 25. And it came to pass, when he was come among the people, to see Saul's heir reduced to this forlorn to Jerusalem to' meet the king, that the king condition; and to provide some excuse for himself to Dasaid unto him, Wherefore wentest not thou vid, should his affairs at last take a favourable turn, and to ~wcith me, M~ephibosheth? f26. And he an- urge as an argument and proof of his affection and concern with me, Mephibos heth? 26.'And e an- for him, during the continuance of his troubles. This was swered, My lord, O king, my servant deceived a well-known custom among the Romans, and other name: for thy servant said, I will saddle me an tions, for those who were accused of any crimes, to clothe ass,\that I may ride thereon, and go to the 1king;o * themselves with a black garment, to let their beards and because thy servant is lame. 27. And he hath hair grow, and to appear in a negligent, dirty manner, in because thy servant is lame. 27. And he hath order to raise the public pity in their behalf. And not only slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; thus, but the friends and patrons of such unhappy persons, but my lord the king is as an angel of God: appeared publicly in the same manner, as those whose do therefolre what is good in thine eyes. cause they espoused. Thus Cicero tells us, that the whole senate, and all good men, did it to express their grief on 28. For all of my father's house were but his account, and the better to obtain his recall from banishdead men before my lord the king: yet didst ment. Yea, this very art hath been made use of by a detholu set thy servant amonn them that did eat throned prince to obtain the recovery of his crown and at thine own table. What rio-ht therefore have kingdom. Thus Ptolemy Philometor, king of Egypt, being driven out of his kingdom by his -brother Physcon, came I yet to cry any more unto the king? 29. And attended only by a few servants to Rome, squalor'e obsit?.s, the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any covered over with filth, to implore the assistance of the more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and senate. And in this wretched condition he presented himZiba divide thye land. 30. Aund Mephiboheth self before them. They advised hiAit, that depo'ritis fordiZiba dividd the kland. 30. And Me lphibosheth bus, laying aside his wretched habit, he shouldpetition for said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, foras- an audience. So that this affectation of'Mephibosheth, oI much as'my lord the king is come again in appearing at Jerusalem with these external marks of grief, peace unto his owvn house. was really no proof of his affection to David, but might be with an artful intention to serve himself. Ziba's charge This conduct of David to Mephibosheth is objected against him was direct and positive, and the only answer against, as a very ungenerous and unjust action; in that, is, that Ziba had slandered him.. So that here are two when Ziba's accusation against Mephibosheth was found positive assertions contrary to one. aother. Ziba's charge:o be false, instead of equitably punishing the asperser of had probability to support it; because it is natural to sup_nnocence, and reinstating Mephibosheth in his former pose, that Mephibosheth might think that he had, as heir favour, he restored him but half the forfeiture for his sup- to Saul, some claim to the crown, and would be glad. ot 29 226 2 SAMUEL. CxAP. 20 any occasion to recover it, that he might not be beholden to the estate, upon the former conditions of possessing it. ]Mr David's generosity, and live by courtesy at his table; and Bayle has a long article on this affair, in nwhich he takes that he might mention it to Ziba, as he also was one of it for granted, that David restored Mephibosheth but one Saul's house and family. Mephibosheth's answer to the half of the estate, and says, " that some interpreters maincharge had nothing satisfactory in it, because he could tain, that Ziba's accusation was not unjust; or, at least, that never want-an ass, or a servant to have conveyed him, had it was founded on so many probabilities, that it m.night be he desired or resolved to make use of them. Besides, as credited without passing a wrong judgment;" but there Ziba's carrying provisions to David plainly showed Ziba's are but few, says he, of that opinion; and he affirms, "that belief and hope of David's restoration, he must know that David found him a false accuser." But Mr. Bayle offers if he had charged Mephibosheth falsely, the falsehood must not a single proof for these assertions, and he who relates have been discovered when David was resettled on the the different opinions of others concerning any fact, and dethrone; and that being convicted of calumniating his mas- lares on the unfavourable side of it, without giving his reater, he would, in all probability, have been so far from hav- sons for it, doth not act like a candid critic, but with the ing Mephibosheth's whole estate confirmed to him, as that spirit of partiality and party. I must therefore leave these he would have lost his maintenance out of it for himself particulars to the judgment of the more candid and impartial and family. And indeed David himself seems to me not reader, when he hath duly considered what hath been said to have been thoroughly satisfied with Mephibosheth's apol- above in order to obviate them; agreeing at the same time ogy, by the answer he makes him: " Why speakest thou with him,-that if Mephibosheth was unjustly treated, Daany more about thy matters l" Let me hear no more of thy vid's holiness could never make that sentence just, though affairs. I will neither regard Ziba's charge, nor your vin- Pope Gregory bath insisted upon it; and that to conclude dication; an answer that evidently carries an air of cold- the sentence was just, merely because David passed it, ness, indifference, and displeasure, and of one who did not though it was unjust in itself, is to establish a very dangerchoose to make any strict inquiry into Mephibosheth's con- ous principle.-CIRANDLER. duct, but to admit his excuse, though in itself insufficient and unsatisfactory; and he therefore only adds: Thou and Ver. 29. And the king said unto him, Wily Zibadividetheland. Ifthisbethetruestateofthecase, asit speakest thou any more of thy matters? I appears to me to be, David's annulling the grant to Ziba, soa divide the far as to reinstate Mephibosheth, in the possession of even half the land,was a noble instance of David's generosity, and This form of speech is exceedingly common when a of the grateful remembrance he retained of Jonathan's af- man wishes to confirm any thing, or when he wants to give fection and friendship for him. But I must question the weight to a promise. To show that all will be fulfilled, he truth of the account, that David restored to Mephibosheth says,ctn-ctol-nain-nelT " Oh I have said if."-RofERTsd but half of the estate. Ziba had been an old servant in Saul's family, who had fifteen sons, and twenty servants. CHAPTER XX. To him David had said: " I have given thy master's son all that pertaineth to Saul, and to all his house. Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of for him, and bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew a trumpet, have food to eat, viz. for his household and family. As for and said, We have no part in David, neither Mephibosheth himself, he shall always eat at my table, aseritance in the son of Jesse: very one of the king's sons." Ziba therefore was to take care of have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every the estate, to account for the profits of it to Mephibosheth, mars to his tents, O Israel. and to be himself and his whole family maintained out of the annual produce, for his care in cultivating it. This When slaves are liberated from their owners, they say, was a proper division of it between Mephibosheth, as lord " We have no pangu, i. e. part, in them, nor they in us." of- the estate, and Ziba as the farmer and manager of it. It is also very common to mention the name of the person What now is the determination of David, upon his restora and that of his father; and this sometimes implies disgrace, tion to the throne l Mephibosheth had been entirely ousted especially when the family has arisen from obscurity, and upon Ziba's complaint; but after he had made his apology, therefore to allude to its origin is to insult the descendants. David said to him: " I have said, Thou and Ziba divide -ROBERTS. the land." But where and when did David ever say, "I I,tive each of you a moiety of the estate 1" He first gave.. And there happened to be there a man of the whole in property to Mephibosheth, and; afterward to Belial, whose name weas Sheba, the son of Ziba; but never divided it, share and share alike, between Bichri, a Benjamite; and he blew a trumpet, them. And yet, " I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the and said, We have no part in David, neither land," must refer to some former division of the estate by David's order. But no such determination or order is to have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every be found, but in that original one, in which the estate was man to his tents, 0 Israel. 2. So every man of divided between Mephibosheth. in property, and Ziba as Israel went upfrom after David, and followed husbandman, for his own and family's maintenance. So Sheba the son of Bichriut the men of Judah that this last determination of David was so far from takingn away one half of the estate from Mephibosheth, that it was clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jein reality confirming the original grant, and restoring him rusalem. to the possession of the whole, upon the -same terms on which that possession was originally granted him. So that The blame of this new rebellion hath been charged on if David was too hasty in giving away Mephibosheth's David, and he censured for thus inadvertently plunging estate to Ziba, he was, upon better recollection, as hasty in himself into fresh troubles, by suffering himsell'f to be conrestoring it to him; and it ought to be acknowledged as a ducted homeby a deputation from the tribe of Judah. The )roof of his inviolable regard to his oath to Jonathan, since learned authors of the Universal History, have made a le had reason for just suspicion, that his son had been like observation on this part of David's conduct, and say, wanting in that affection and fidelity which he owed him, that " the partiality, which he showed to his own tribe, in as his generous protector and benefactor. And though by inviting it to come foremost to receive him, raised such a his confirming the original grant, he left Ziba and his fam- jealousy in the other ten, as ended at length ii a new ily a maintenance out of the estate, it was not as the reward revolt." But where doth the history justify this reflection, of his treachery, of which there is no proof, but out of re- that he was partial to his own tribe,,in inviting it to. come spect even to Saul, of whose house Ziba was, and as a recom- foremostto receive him. The truth is, that he did not invite pense for his faithful adherence to him in his distresses, and them at all to come and receive him, till he had been inthat seasonable and noble supply with which he furnished formed by expresses from all the other tribes, that the, him and his followers, when he was forced to abandon his were universally in motion to restore him, and his message capital, by the unnatural rebellion of his son Absalom. to them only was: " Why are ye the last to bring back the Hereby David did more than full justice to Mephibosheth, king?" Not, why are ye not the foremost. And though and at'the same time rewarded Ziba by continuing him on the other tribes complained to that of Judah, "W hy did CHAP. 20. 2 SAMUEL. 227 ye despise us, that our advice should be first had in bring- health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by ing back our kin.'", Yet the tribe of Judah was so far the beard with the right hand to kiss him. from coming to meet the king, out of any regard to, or contempt of, their brethren1 that the very zeal and move- D'Arvieux was present at an Arabian entertainment, tb ments of those tribes, in David's favour, was the principal which cane all the emirs, a little while after his arrival, - motives urged by him, to bring back the tribe of Judah to accompie by their friends and atteants: and after the their duty, and their great inducement to return to their usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard and of the usual civilities, caresses, kissings of the beard. and of the allegiance to him. This was paying a real deference to hand, which every one gave and received according to his their judgment, and what they ought to have been pleased rank and dignity, sat down upon mats. It was in this way with, and highly applauded. It is true, that the tribes all perhaps, that Joab pretended to testify his respect for Amasa, concurred in their resolutions to restore him, and were takin0 his rival in the favour of the king; he took him by the the proper methods to effect it, yet that David continued beard to kiss him, or agreeably to the custom of these at Mahanaim, till the deputies from Judah came to him emirs, or Arabianchieftains, to kiss the beard itself, and there, with an invitation from the whole tribe to repair to in this stooping posture he could much better se to irect Jerusalem, anid to assure him, that they would receive him the blow, thn if he ad only held his beard, and aisedh the blow, than if he had only held his beard, and raised himin a body at Gilgal, and prepare every thing necessary for self to kiss his face; while Amasa, charmd by this hh his passage over Jordan. Nor could he indeed set out for compliment, which as neither supicious no unusal Jerusalem, till he had received certain information, that and undoubtedly returnin it with corresponding lpolteness, the men of Jndah, and Amasa, who was in possession of paid no attention to the sword in the hand of his murderer. it, would quietly permit him to return to it, without endan- It is extremely probable that Judas betrayed his Lord in the gering his own person, or hazarding the peace of the nation, same way, by kissin his beard. The evanelists Matthew should he attempt to reeduce the rty by force. eut when and Mark say, that he came directly to Jesus, and said, he knew the city would open her gates to him, it is no Hail, Master, and kissed him; but Luke seems to hint, that wonder he should resolve immediately to begin his march Judas saluted him with more respect. Jesus, according to to it, as he had now nothing to fear from that quarter, and Matthe had time to say, before he received the kiss from imagined, that as all the tribes had declared for him, the Judas, Friend wherefore art thou come " and while who Judas,rerefore aow to mee so at whe sooner he acted agreeably to their desires, they would be Judas was kissing his beard, Jesus might express himself the better pleased, and without the formality of any particu- with great ease and propriety, as Luke relates, das, elar invitations, receive him with open arms, wherever he trayest thou the Son of man with a kiss -PAxO.,zhofive others, who waited on him in his march to Gilgal. versitrayest thou t he S on of man with a kiss i'"-PxTON. should meet them. The pretence, that the men of Judah had stolen him Ver. 18. Then she spame, saying, They tere away, was unreasonable and unjust. For while he was at wont to spea in old time, saying, They shall Mahanaim, the tribes on that side Jordan all declared for him, and accompanied him to the passage of that river, surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended and went over with him to join the rest of their brethren, the matter. who were come down to meet him; so that when they were all united at the passage of the river, there were actually Intimating, that the city of Abel was very famous, in present, by large deputations, the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, ancient times, for giving advice, and determining'controand five others, who waited on him in his march to Gilgal. versies. But of this there is no intimation except in this The truth of the case seems to be, that the deputations place, and the sense seems very forced and unnatural. I from the more distant tribes, not being able to get farther think R. S. Jarchi's exposition leads to the true interprethan Gilgal, before the king's arrival there, envied the tation, which our learned Bishop Patrick seems also to apother tribes, and particularly that of Judah, which had the prove; who observes, that the word -nnvn refers, not to old principal share in providing every thing necessary for the time, but the beginning of the siege. As if she had said, king's passage over Jordan, and laid hold of the first op- When the people saw thee lay siege to the city, they said, portunity to express their resentment against them.. This surely they will ask us, if we will have peace, and then we was heightened by the imprudent haughty answer, which shall soon come to an agreement, and make an end; putthe men of Judah made to their expostulation, that they ting Joab. in mind of the rule in the law, Deut. xx. 10, had a peculiar right in the king, as he was near akin to which commands them to offer peace to the cities of other them, because he was of their own tribe; and seeming to nations, when they came to besiege them, and therefore insinuate, that they came voluntarily, but that the other much more to a city of their own, as Abel was. This tribes came with an expectation of being provided for at agrees well with what follows, that they were a peaceable the king's expense, and hoping some donative from him, as people, and faithful to their prince, and therefore wouldf the reward of their submission to him. This, I think, is not have refused to yield to himi upon summons. —CAaDplainly implied, when they told them: "Have we eaten at LER. all at the king's' cost! Or hath he given us any gift Ver. 23. No Joab s ovr the host of sW;ords which seem to carry a tacit insinuation, that other tribes expected both. This reflection, and the claim of a rael: and Benaiah the. son of Jehoianda wlas particular interest in the king, disgusted all the other tribes over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites. in general, and disposed them to enter into violent measures to revenge themselves. David, upon the whole, seems This hath occasioned a very severe reflection on David's to me to be nowise blameable on account of Sheba's revolt, honour and justice, and he is reproached because Joab but that it was occasioned by misunderstandings between was continued in the command, and not a single syllable the tribes themselves, which it was not at that time in his of any notice taken by David of the murder of Amasa, power to prevent.-CHAxNreDLa. whom he himself had appointed general; as though David had acquiesced in the murder, and confirmed Joab in Ver. 3. And David carne to his house at Jerusa- the command of the army, as the reward of it. But thatlem;'nd the kin-g. took the ten women his David greatly resented this murder of Amasa, is evident concuineswho heha lefttokfrom his last advice to Solomon, in which he nobly recomconcubines, whom he had left to keep the mends, and gives it in charge to him, to do justice on that house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but bloody assassin for the murders of Abner and Anasa. went not in unto them: so they were shut up David was not now able himself to do it, and Joab was too unto the pay of their death, living in idow- poerful a subject tobebrought to any account. We have seen that he had insolence enough, after Absalom's death, hood. to threaten the king with a new revolt, if he did not do what he ordered him; and after the assassination of Amasa, he In China, when an emperor dies, all his women are usurped, in defiance of his master's appointment, the comremoved to an edifice called the Palace of Chastity, situa- mad of all the forces. They seem to have had an affected within the walls of the palace, in which they are shut tion for him as a brave and successful general; he had just up for the remainder of their lives.-BURDER. now restored the quiet of the land, by entirely quelling the insurrection under Sheba, and returned to Jerusalem, withVer 9. And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in out fear of the king, and in defiance of jnstice, as general 22S 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 21. issimn-) f the army; and continued to assume this rank, added, the murder of Absalom by JoaYb. contrary to the not by David's order and inclination, but by his mere king's express order. These insthnces, as related in the acquiescence in a measure that was contrary to his will, history, succeed so quick, as that the account of one is but which he was not able to set aside. It should be ob- scarce concluded, but fresh ones obtrude upon our notice. served to David's honour, that when the rebellion under But then the relation of these things is much quicker than Absalom, and the insurrection by Sheba, were entirely sup- the succession of years in which they happened, and many pressed, we read of no bloody executions for treason and events intervened between the commission of the one and rebellion. David resolved that no one sh6uld be put to the other. Between Amnon's rape, and his murder by death on that accouit. He was all mercy and forgive-'Absalom, were more than two years. From Absalom's ness. The cursing Shimei was reprieved. The suspected banishment, to his being restored to the king's presence, ~.MVephibosheth was restored, and the rebel general constitu- were more than five years, and from this to his rebellion ted captain of the forces of the kingdom. Had he been and death, three or four; in all eleven or twelve years. the Nero or the Turk he hath been figured out by Mr. But are there no instances in history to be found of more Bayle and others, this occasion would have abundantly numerous crimes, and as various dies, committed within a enabled him to gratify his revenge, and satiate himself much shorter period of time. Will not our own history with blood. Should it be said, that David's clemency was furnish us with such an instance — From the year 1483 to owing to his thinking it hazardous to make examples of 1485, i. e. in less than three years, one man, Richard duke any of them; and his not being able to do it, because the of Gloucester, usurped the crown, actually murdered the revolt was general; or, to his policy, considering the pre- king and his brother, both of them his nephews; poisoned cariousness of his situation; the answer is obvious, that his own queen, to make way for an incestuous marriage neither of these suppositions hath any probability to sup- with his niece, imbrued his hands in the blood of many of port it. T',ere could be no possible hazard in executing the English nobility, was the author of a civil war in the. Shimlei, and such others as had been the principal incen- kingdom, and was himself slain in an engagement with the diaries and promoters of the rebellion. This was now duke of Richmond,'afterward Henry VII. I refer the totally suppressed, his victorious army at his devotion, and reader for another instance of implicated wickedness, still his g-eneral ready to support him, and obey him even in of a more terrible nature, in Xerxes the Persian emperor, "the most sanguinary measures, as Bppears from his conduct related at large by Dr. Prideaux in his Connexion, v. i. p. in the affair of Uriah; so that there could be no hazard in 348, &c. and it would be easy to mention several others, his making proper examples of just indignation and ven- both in the Roman and eastern histories, to show the rashgeance. David knew this, and said to Abishai: " Do I not ness of this observation on which I have been remarking. know that I am this day king over Israel. restored to my -CHANDLER. power and authority as kinrg and I will execute it at my pleasure." And in truth he could have none to control him in his present situation. The assertion that the revolt was general, is not true in fact, as hath been elsewhere proved. Ver. 1. Then there was a famine in the days of As to David's policy, that it' induced him to resolve that no David three years, year after year; and David one should be put to death on account of the rebellion, I inquired of the LORD. And the L D anseracknowledge that there might be somewhat in this; but then it could not arise from the precariousness of his situa- ed, It is for,Saul, and for his bloody house, betion, of which there is no appearance or proof; for he was cause he slew the Gibeonites. 2. And the king restored by the almost unanimous consent of his people; called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now but from the noble policy, which never influences tyrants, the Gibeonites were not of the children of Isbut is inspired by benevolence and humanity, that suppresses the vindictive spirit, and chooses the obedience rael, but of the remnant of the Amorites: and which arises from affection and'esteem, rather than that the children of Israel had sworn unto them; which flows from fear, and is enforced by severity. Charges and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to tsh of acting from criminal and unworthy motives, without children of Israel and Judah;) 3. Wherefore facts to support them, deserve no regard from persons of integrity and dionour. I shall, only further observe, that David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I from Nathan's threatening David, to the suppression of the do for you; and wherewith shall I make the rebellion under Sheba, by which the punishment, as far as atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of it related personally to David, was accomplished, were, by the LORD y 4. And the Gibeonites said unto the marginal chronology of our Bible, thirteen years; which shows how groundless the observation is that hath been him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, made, as to this melancholy part of David's history, viz. nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill that it would not be easy to select any period of any history more bloody, or abounding in wickedness of more various dies, than that which has been now mentioned. Instances shall say, that will I do for you. succeed so quick, that the relation of one is scarce concluded, but fresh ones obtrude upon our notice. Supposing We now enter upon a part of David's history and conduct, this observation true, how' do the vices of other men, or the that hath been thought exceptionable by many persons of misfortunes of his own family, affect David, as a man after good sense and sober minds; and which others have repreGod's own heart. - Or is he the first good man who hath sented as a masterpiece of wickedness, and for which they been unhappy in some of his children I. Or whose affection have censured him as the most accomplished hypocrite, towards them hath been much more tender and passionate and a perjured and profligate villain. It will therefore be than they deserved' Insulting great and good men, and necessary more particularly to' consider it. I confess, for holding them up to public view, as objects of horror and my own part, that I think it one of the most unexceptiondetestation, from those crimes of their family which gave able parts of his behaviour as a king, and an illustrious them the greatest anxiety, is what virtue abhors, and is proof of the generosity of his temper, the regard he paid to shocking even to humanity. David had in all seventeen his oath to Saul, and the friendship he owed to the memory sons. Two of them were profligates, and perished by their and family of Jonathan. That the reader may the better crimes. As to the rest,they appear to be worthy men, and judge of this, I shall give the history just as it is recorded ~were employed by David in the principal departments of in the Old Testament writings. The inhabitants of Gibeon, th(e administration; a, circumstance that shows he took a large royal city, which, after the division of the country, areat care of their education, and that, upon the whole, was yielded to the tribe of Benjamin, were Amorites by he was very far from being unhappy in his family. The birth and nation; and when the Hebrews, under Joshua, crimes committed by the two eldest, were Amnon's affair invaded the land of Canaan, the Gibeonites hearing what with his half-sister Tamar; Absalom's murder of Amnon Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, and fearing for their:or the injury done his sister; hit impious rebellion against own safety, fraudulently persuaded the Hebrews to enter nis father; and his public incest with his wives, to which into a league with them; which was'solemnly ratified by Ahithophel advised and promoted him. These were the ~ a public oath, so that they had the national faith for the wick ednessesof various dies complained of, to which may be security of their lives and properties; for which reason the CHAP. 21. SAMUEL. 229 children of Israel,; nen they came to tneir ztes, and un- lowed up by a stic.ng detachment from the rebel army. derstood the fraud, murmured against the princes, because David immediately hastened to and passed the river, an6 they had made. a league with them. The princes, to could have but a few weeks or months to dra'iy together his appease them, said to them: "We have sworn unto them troops; for Absalom was soon after him, attacked his by the Lord God of Israel, therefore we may not touch father, and his death put an end to the unnatural rebellion, them. We will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, Besides, the country in general must have been free from because of the oath which we sware to them;" and they any great commotions; for, as David retreated beyond were accordingly spared, but condemned to servitude, and Jordan, collected his forces, and fought the rebels in the made hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the con- territories of the tribes on that side the river, the principal gregation, and for the altar of the Lord perpetually, in commotions must have happened there, and could not much the place which he should choose; i. e. wherever the tab- affect the ten tribes, antd occasion a three years' famine ernacle or ark should reside. But Saul, in his zeal to the throughout that whole country. children of Israel and Judah, to ingratiate himself with The natural cause of that famine was the want of the them, under the specious pretence of public spirit, to enrich usual rains, and the violent heat and drought of the seasons his servants and soldiers, and to appear warm and active during that period; for it is observed of Rizpah, that as for the public interest, "sought to slay them, and to destroy soon as her two sons were put to death, she spread herself them from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel," and a tent upon the rock where they were hung up from the actually put many of them to death, employing those of his beginning of harvest until water dropped on them out of own house or family in the execution. This was a noto- heaven, i. e. till the rain came, which had been so long rious violation of the public faith, laid.the nation under the withheld, and it thereby appeared that the displeasure of guilt of perjury and murder, and subjected them to the dis- God towards the nation was fully appeased. But though pleasure of God, who is the righteous avenger of these David could account for the natural cause of the famine, national crimes, but seems to have been regarded as an yet its long continuance was so unusual and extraordinary affair of no consequence, or rather acquiesced in as a use- an event, as that he thought himself obliged to inquire cf ful and public-spiritedmeasure. God, however, was pleased the Lord for the reasons of it, that he might prevent, if he to make inquisition for the blood which had been thus un- could, the further continuance of it, by averting the disrighteously shed, and sent a famine upon the land, which pleasure of God, of which the famine seemed to be the imlasted three years, in the third of which, David, moved by mediate effect. Upon his inquiring, he Was answered, that so- extraordinary a calamity, inquired of the Lord the it was upon the account of "Saul, and his bloody house,:ause of it, and was answered by the oracle, that it was for because he slew the Gibeonites;" after which the historian Saul, and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. immediately informs us, that "Saul sought to slay them in In consequence of this, David sent for some of the principal his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah;" and the persons who had escaped the massacre, and said to them: Gibeonites themselves complained to David, that Saul was ~'What shall I do for you, and wherewithal shall I make the mass that "consumed them, and devised against themq, the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the that they should be destroyed from remaining in any of the Lord." What satisfaction do you require for the injuries coasts of Israel." And indeed the murder of these poor that have been done you, that you may be induced to pray people was an action suitable to Saul's sanguinary termper; for the prosperity of my people. The Gibeonites answered and if he was bloody enough to put to the sword, without him: "We will have no silver or gold of Saul, nor of his any provocation, a whole city of his own subjects, what house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel." should hinder him from endeavouring to exterminate these The king then bid them ask what they would have, and Amnorites out of the land, if he could hereby oblige his own promised that he would do it for them. They replied: people, by enriching them with their fields and vineyard, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us. and thereby better establish himself and his family in the:hat we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the kingdom. Samuel indeed is not anywhere said to have noasts of Israel; let seven of his sons be delivered unto us, charged Saul with any such slaughter. Probably thbat:md we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, prophet was dead before this carnage of the Gibeonites hap. who was chosen of the Lord." The king immediately pened, and therefore it was no wonder he never charged replied: "I will give them;" and in consequence of it, Saul with it. He lived long enough after Samuel's death sparing Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, and all the male to perpetrate this crime, when it would not be in Samuel's line of Saul, who had any claim to, or were capable of power to reproach him with it. If Samuel was alive, it is zontending with him for the crown, and disturbing him in absolutely certain that he never visited Saul, and so could:he possession of it; he delivered to them the two bastard not reproach him for his barbarity. But to question the sons of Rizpah, Saul's concubine, and the five sons of fact is to deny the history, which as peremptorily fastens it Micah, his youngest daughter, by Adriel, the son of Bar- on Saul, as it does any other fact whatsoever. The deed zillai, the Meholathite, not one of whom was capable of itself was a perfidious and bloody one; the destruction of succeeding Saul, especially while any of the male line, and many of the Gibeonites, and' determined purpose wholly particularly those by the eldest son, were alive. Now, at to extirpate the remainder of them out of the cov.stri, in this very time, Mephibosheth, Jonathan's eldest son, dwelt violation of the public oath and faith that had been given hi David's family at Jerusalem; and though lame in his them for their security, without any provocation or forfeet, yet he was sound enough to be the father of a son, feiture of life on their part. He cut them off in cold blood, named Micah, who had a numerous posterity, the descend- defenceless and unarmed, though they were serviceable to ants of whom continued down through many generations. the nation, and many of them appropriated to the service oi In this account the reader will observe, that what gave rise God and of his tabernacle, merely for secular and political to this execution in the family of Saul, was a three years' views, and that he might serve himself, by gratifying some of famine. The famine is not denied. The caise of it, some the tribes among whom they lived, and who wanted to posthink, was the preceding intestine commotions. But this sess themselves of their cities and lands. It is probable hs is highly improbable; for there is no intimation or proba- death prevented the full execution of this barbarous purbility, that the civil war continued so long as twelve pose, which therefore seems to have been begun but a very months, as it was determined by a single battle, and as little while before it, in order to support his declining intethat battle was certainly fought not long after the rebellion rest, and ingratiate himself with the children of Israel aind broke out. For David continued in the plain of the wil- Judah; with Judah particularly, of which tribe David was, derness, where he first retreated, and which was not far and in whose territories some of the Gibeonitish towns distant fromJerusalem, till he was informed what meas- were, to whom he thought the expulsion of that people ures Absalom wasdetermnined to follow. These were fixed might be agreeable, and so might be a. means of retaining on soon after that rebel's entrance into Jerusalem, and as that powerful tribe in his interest. The crime therefore soon as the affair would admit, put in execution. Nay, so was enormous in itself, and aggravated with the most soon was the plan of operations fixed that Hushai, David's heinous circumstances; and which all civilized nations, friend, who continued with Absalom at Jerusalem, sent an almost in all ages, have looked upon with horror, and as express to David to acquaint him, that he had defeated the highly deserving the divine displeasure and vengeance. counsel of Ahithophel, but withal to advise him, not to. Antiphon, one of the principal orators of Greece, pleading lodge a single night more in the plains, but instantly to for the bringing a murderer to justice, against -whom the pass ovei Jordan, lest he and all his people should be swal- evidence was not so full as was desired, but the circunm 230 2 SAMUEL. ChAP. 21 stances exceedingly strong, urges this as a reason why the From his being made king to David's marriage with Mijudges should: not clear him; that it would be extremely chal, was, by the chronology of our Bible, thirty-two years. d angerous to the public, to permit such an impure polluted Allow her therefore to be ten years of age on her father's wretch to enter into the temple of the gods and defile them, advancement to the kingdom, she must be above forty and to sit down at the tables of those who were innocent; years of age when David married her; a space of time, in because this would produce barren and unfruitful seasons, which she might have had many more children than five and render the public affairs unfortunate..Elian also by a former husband, that would be of age sufficient, in the relates, that the Lacedemonians were punished with tie latter part of Saul's reign, to act under his commission in entire ruin of Sparta by an earthquake, which left orily five the slaughter of the Gibeonites. It is not very probable buildings in the city standing, for the murdering some of that Saul's daughter should continue unmarried till she thle Helotre, who were slaves, and had fled into a temple was forty years old and more, and the scripture is express, for safety, after they -had surrendered themselves on the that she bare to Adriel, the son of Barzillai, the Meholathpromise of safety. When the noble Roman, Horatius, ite, five children. It is indeed said, that Saul married his who, by his victory over the Curiatii, had established the eldest daughter Merab, to Adriel, the vMeholathite. But supremacy of Rome over Alba, was accused by some of the this Adriel might be a very different person from Adriel principal citizens of Rome for having murdered his sister, the son of Barzillai, who was the husband of Michal, wise who, upon his return from his victory had unseasonably seems to have been thus particularly described, to distinand severely reproached him for killing her lover; they guish him from the other Adriel, who, though a Mehourged his being brought to justice, because he had violated lathite, is nowhere said to be the son of Barzillai. If these the laws, and recounted several instances of the divine yen- remarks gre just, we need no critical emendation of the geance on cities who had suffered such atrocious crimes to text, and can defend the justice of David in giving up these go unpunished. But may it not be asked, that if God persons to the vengeance of the Gibeonites. But supposing sought vengeance for a particular act of cruelty, perpe- these sons of NMichal, or Merab, were too young to have trated by Saul, when was vengeance demanded for David's any hand in the guilt of this transaction, I do not see that massacre of the Geshurites, Gezrites, Amalekites,'Moabites, an immediate command from God to deliver them up to Ammonites, Jebusites, and others, who at times became the death is anywise inconsistent with the rectitude of his objects of David's wrath!. The answer is, it was never de- nature, or the justice and equity of his moral providence. manded, because there was no vengeance due, and the cases The judgment of Grotius on this affair is worthy our regard. are by no means parallel. There was no violation of the na- "God, says that great man, "threatens in the law of Motional faith, no breach of oath, that David and his people had ses, that he would visit the iniquity of the fathers on their been guilty of in any of these instances. In most of them, posterity. But then he hath an absolute dominion'and the people mentioned were the aggressors; and, as to the right, not only over all we have, but over life itself; so that rest of them, they were the inveterate enemies of the Jews, he can take away from any one his own gift whensoever wandering clans, who lived upon robbery and plunder, and he pleases, without assigning any reason for it. And therehad been long before justly devoted to destruction. Be- fore'when he takes away the children of Achan, Saul, sides, the Gibeonites were massacred in cold blood, in Jeroboam, and Achab, by an untimely and violent death, times of peace, unarmed, and incapable of any self-defence; he exercises his right of dominion, not of punishment; over and therefore every one must see the difference between them; but, at the same time, he by this means more grievthese unhapppy people, whom Saul causelessly and trench- ously punishes the parents of them. For whether the erously destroyed, and those whom David cut off; who parents survive them, which the law principally supposes, provoked their own ruin by unjustly making war on his the parents are certainly punished by seeing their children subjects, whom he was in duty and honour bound to pro- thus taken from them; or whether they do not live to see teet and defend, or who had been proscribed by God him- their children cut off, yet the fear that they may suffer for sell' for the crimes of which they had been guilty. their crimes, is a very great punishment to the parents." TJie persons employed with Saul in perpetrating these He further observes, that "God does not make use of this muiders were those of his own house. The history here extraordinary vengeance, except it be against cimhes pecuis express: " It is for Saul and his bloody house, because liarly dishonourable to him; such as idolatry, perjury, h e," viz. by them as his instruments, "slewthe Gibeonites;" sacrilege, and the like." for which reason they justly said to David, that they de- The crime of Saul was a wilful breach of the laws of mnanded satisfaction only of the' man.that had consumed God and man, a perjuriousviolation of the national faith them. He thought the destruction of the Gibeonites so and honour, which it became God, the supreme governor popular a thing, as that he was resolved, himself and his of the Jewish nation, to manifest his resentment against. famil. and relations, should have the whole credit and Suppose all who were actual perpetrators of this aggramerit of the. affair. Whether Jonathan and his brethren, vated crime were dead, and out of the reach of vengeance. who seem to have been brave men, were concerned in it, is Yet some of their posterity were still remaining. But they not sai4. I think it probable they were not; for as they wereinnocent. Allowed. Therefore. What 3 ThatGod were good soldiers, they would be ashamed to massacre was unjust in taking away their lives. But what right unarmed slaves, and of too generous a disposition to have had they to live longer 3 Does the gift of life convey an any hand in so base and cruel an assassination. But if inalienable right to live for ever, or to any particular pethey every one refused to be employed in it, there were riod of life? And that in bar of God's right to resume it others of Saul's house, i. e. his family, who certainly were; when he pleases, and when there are valuable ends to be who either in person, or by the soldiery, put many of these answered by his restuming it! The evident intention of poor people to the sword; in which latter case they were God, in ordering the death of this part of Saul's family, equally guilty of the murder, as though they had killed was to be a public attestation of his abhorrence of Saul's every one of them with their own hands; just as Saul was perfidy and cruelty, to strike a terror into the princes his guilty of the murder of the priests, and the massacre at successors, and caution them against committing the like Nob, though he employed Doeg in the first, and his soldiers offences, as they would not have them avenged by the sufin the latter execution. I think it probable from the choice ferings of their posterity, and especially to prevent all which David made, that the very persons he gave up to the future attempts against the lives of the Gibeonites, whom G beonites, were employed by Saul in his butchery, and God now declared to be under his protection, though they that for this reason he delivered them up as sacrifices to seem to have been looked on with a malignant eye by tho p'blc justice. These were the two bastard sons of Rizpah, Jewish nation; who probably would have in time comSanl's concubine, and the five sons of Michal, the daughter pleted the extirpation which Saul began, had it not been for of Saul, which she bare to Adriel, the son of Barzillai, the this remarkable manifestation of God's displeasure against Meholathite. It appears to me, that Michal was married it. The death of these seven persons therefore, supposing to this Adriel, before she was married to David, and had them all innocent, was, in this view, no punishment at all fivre children by him, which would be all of them of age inflicted on them by God, bhit an appointment of God in sufficient r, be employed in this unrighteous affair. Saul virtue of his sovereign right over the lives of all men, to was about forty years old when he came to the crown; for teach princes moderation and equity, and prevent for the his sons were all grown men, men of strength and valour, future the commission of those enormous crimes, which and his two daughters are spoken of as not being children if permitted to go with impunity, would be inconsistent at flt time but as women arrived at some maturity, with the peace and welfare, and even being, of civil gov ('HAP. 21. 2 SAMUEL 231 einment; and God did these innocent persons no more by death, without any peculiar guilt ox forfeiture of life, inrjustice, by ordering them to die by the hands of the either to human or divine justice, and by various kinds of Gibeonites, than if h. had aken them away by any kind of deaths, some of them extremely mortifying and affecting. natural death, which I presume no real Theist will deny Will any sensible Theist dare to arraign the justice of God his right to, because it is a right which he exercises in the in this constitution of things, or complain that God properly daily dispensations of his providence. And as he intended punishes those who are thus taken off in the common course their death should be subservient to promote the public vir- of nature? As for myself, I cannot comprehend all the tue, welfare, and safety; the manner of their death, whatever reasons of providence in this dispensation, nor do I think it might be in the imagination of others, was to them much that I have a right to demand that God should acquaint me more honourable than if they had been cut off at the same with those reasons. It must be right, because it is the conage in the ordinary course of things, when no public utility stitution of God; and therefore he had an equal right to cut zould have been so perfectly answered by it. off these seven persons of Saul's family by the hands of the That children do, and very frequently too, suffer and die Gibeonites, as he hath to cut off any other persons in the for the sins of their parents, in which they have had no common course of things, and, in taking them away, he no share, and even by the constitution of God himself, is evi- more properly punished them, if they were wholly innocent dent from history, and the constant'experience of all ages of the murder of the Gibeonites, than he punishes any of and nations. ThusGod punished David by the death of his those, who may be esteemed innocent, and yet are every first child by Bathsheba, and Jerbboam, by the death of his day taken off by distemper or accident; and Rizpah an[d eldest son, who was a religious and virtuous young prince; Michal had no more reason to complain of the injustice of and for any thing that we can tell, the death of both might, providence for the loss of their children, than any other teninstead of being a punishment, be a real blessing to them; der mothers have, when providence bereaves them of any and God ever hath it in his power to compensate those of the valuable branches of their family, by an untimely whom he deprives of life for the promoting any public death. good. Indeed this is a case that frequently happens, ac- It is evident from what hath been said on this article, that cording to that divine threatening, of" visiting the iniquity God's ordering these seven persons to be delivered up to of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth the Gibeonites, is not in the least contrary to the Mosaic generation of them that hate him;" i. e. by such punishments, law, nor any true notion of justice and equity, nor making the effects of which should continue, and be felt by their justice, when applied to God, one thing, and when applied children to the third and fourth generation. And if this be to men., a quite different thing; for the rights of God and a difficulty, it affects natural religion as well as revealed, man over life are infinitely different. For life'is his gift, since the fact itself is indisputable. How frequently do given by him without claim or merit, given for that period parents by their vices transmit to their innocent children a only for which hlie intended it, and may therefore be justly miserable corrupted constitution, and entail upon them dis- resumed, as his gift, at any period hlie thinks proper to detemper and death? In public calamities, such as pesti- mand it, without doing any injustice to him from whom lences, earthqdakes, famines, and the like, by which God he takes it; because he violates no right that belongs to him, chastises the sins of nations, how frequently are the guilty nor takes from him any property, which he hath a real claim and innocent, parents and their children, involved in one to, as his proper inheritance. But, with regard to men, common destruction! Why then might not God, by an every one hath an inalienable claim to his life, and he who inimediate command, appoint some of the innocent children takes it from another without a just forfeiture of it, violates of Saul's'bloody family to be put to death for his sins, as the most sacred rights of nature, and wickedly robs him et well as command a pestilence or an earthquake to destroy his most valuable treasure, which he can never restore to children of other families for the crimes of their parents? him, and for the loss of which lie cannot make him any It makes no difference in the nature of the thing, whether possible compensation. But then it may be asked, Awhat God takes away their lives by that course of nature which equity there is in punishing a whole nation with a three lie established, or by a command immediately given for the years' famine, for the crimes of Saul and his bloody house? lurpose, since, in both cases, the lots of such children's The equity of their punishment appears, because both Israel lives is equally the appointment of God, who hath a right and Judah consented to and acquiesced in the massacre. over life supreme and inalienable. Every one.can see one This is plainly intimated in the history, which says, that wise intention of providence in this constitution of things, Saul slew the Gibeonites in his zeal, to the children of Israel viz., to render children a sort of security for the good beha- and Judah, because he knew they would like it, and esteem vidur of the parents, as they are indeed in all human gov- it, as a proof of his desire and readiness to serve them. The eminent, and that their affection for their families may be Israelites, as Mr. Le Clere on the place observes, seem, for a powerful means to guard them against the practice of some cause or other, to have envied the Gibeonites, so that those crimes which tend to involve their children in misery by extirpating them Saul thought to oblige them. And and ruin; or that if they will not be restrained by these from hence it is evident, that he did not destroy them motives, the distresses of their families may teach others because they had formerly deceived the Israelites, and that wisdom, and show them the necessity of a more regular the slaughter of them was far from being displeasing to, or and virtuous behaviour. It is indeed a constitution of the opposed by the people. Mosaic law, and founded on natural equity, that the "fa- It hath been asked, how we are to account for the dethers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall ferring the punishment of Saul's crime, for so many years the children be put to death for the fathers. Every one after the fact was committed, and Saul's death. I do not shall be put to death for his own sins." This constitution think myself obliged to account for all the reasons by which ought to take place in all human governments; because, as God proceeds in the administrations of his moral provifar as these are concerned, every one hath an inalienable dence, and am content to be ignorant, whenever those right to keep his life, till he forfeits it to human justice; reasons of divine conduct are not somehow"or other reand for men to take away the life of one for the fault of vealed to me. However, though Saul was dead, yet there another, is to take it away without forfeiture, and is there- were some of his bloody house still remaining, and the fore an act of evident injustice and cruelty. But because circumstance of Saul's death could be no reason against God forbids men, who have no sovereign right over the bringing to justice those of that bloody family, that had livres of any, to punish one person with death for the been employed by him as the instruments of his treachery offences )f another, doth he therefore lose his own right and cruelty; or why providence should never express its of taking xwayv the lives of others, whensoever, and by what disapprobation against such a notorious violation of the means sot rer he pleases? Or, is he guilty of injustice and public faith and honour. If no satisfactory account could cruelty, be:aunse he resumes his own gift, and what no one be given for the delay of this punishment for several years, living hatl any right to demand the contirnance of from it would by no means follow that there was none. Had him, for on single moment longer than he is pleased to we lived in those times, we might have been better able to continue it, and what every man is bound willingly to lay solve this difficulty. Some things, however, offer them down when God calls him to it, in order to promote any selves on this subject which deserve our regard. While public good, and it is necessary to answer any valuable Saul, the principal actor in this tragedy, was living, and purpose in the moral providence andgovernment of God? was-.well known for his contempt of the prophets and the Besides we see, in the constant course of things, that infants, cruelty of his disposition, who was there to call him to an zhildren, persons of every age and stage of life, are cut off account, anmid execute the just vengeance on him and him; 232 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 21 bloody house. In the beginning of David's reign, his own thou kill any man in Israel." No compensation could be unsettled condition for seven years and more, when Saul's made under the law, for wilful murder, by silver and gold; family disputed the crown with him, and could none of and indeed nothing could have argued a meaner and more them. have been brought to justice by him; the many neces- sordid disposition in these people, than a demand of money, sary wars he was afterward engaged in, and perhaps not in satisfaction for the massacre committed on them; and thinking himself obliged to take notice of Saul's conduct though the nation' might have been, and certainly was, in during his reign, or his very tenderness for the family of some respect criminal, for permitting Saul to cut them off, his predecessor and father-in-law, might all concur to pre- yet, as Saul was the contriver of the mischief, and his famvent any public inquisition into this cruel transaction, or ily the immediate agents who destroyed them they did not calling any of the offenders to an account for it in the corn- desire that any one. person in Israel should be put to death mon course of justice. And God permitted things to take on their accourit, which was an argument of their great their natural course, and not to manifest his displeasure on moderation and regard to justice. David then bid them this account, till it could be done in such a manner, as should name the satisfaction they demanded, and promised that he make his justice, as the God and king of Israel, more con- would give it them, acting herein in obedience to the prospicuous, and the execution of his'vengeance more obser- phet's direction, who, as Josephus rightly observes, ordered vable and awful, and as should, at the same time, most him to grant the Gibeonites whatsoever satish.ction they eftectually prevent all future attempts to injure or extirpate should demand of him. We have something of a like histhat unhappy people. tory in Herodotus, who tell~ us, that after the Pelasgi had Particular events may for a long while be delayed, and murdered their Athenian wives, and the children had bythe very delay of them may, in concurrence with the. opera- them, they found that their lands became barren, their tions of' providence, be one means at last of bringing them wives unfruitful, and their flocks failed of their usual into pass with greater observation, and more convincing crease. On this account they sent to the oracle at Delphos, evidence of the interposition of God in bringing them about, to know by what means they might obtain deliverance from as is frequently the ease in long-concealed murders. God these calamities. The oracle ordered them to give the therefore, in a time of profound peace, when David's gov- Athenians whatsoever satisfaction they should demand of ernment was settled, and there was nothing to interrupt the them. The Athenians demanded, that they should deliver course of justice, punishesthe people with a three years' up their country to them, in the best condition they could. famine, to let them feel his displeasure, to render them This the Pelasgi promised upon a certain condition, which solicitous to know the cause' of it, and take the proper they thought impossible. However, they were forced in methods to appease it. So that though no train of inter- virtue of this promise, many years after, to surrender it to ven ing and unavoidable circumstances can impede the Miltiades, some of them making no resistance tb his forces, operations of providence, or prevent what God is deter- and those who did, were besieged and taken prisoners.mined to bring to pass, yet such circumstances may,.for a CItANDLER. very considerable while, impede the operations of human justice; nevertheless, how long soever that justice may be Vor. 5. And they answered the king, The man delayed, it will certainly at last take place, when God jtudges it the properseason at tast take place, when God that consumed us, and that devised against us judges it the proper'season to execute it, and when such execution shall most effectually demonstrate his inspection, that we should be destroyed from remaining and tend to secure the purposes of his moral providence and in any of the coasts of Israel, 6. Let'seven men g vernment over mankind. of his sons be delivered unto us, and we WviI it is, I think, more than obscurely intimated, in those hang' them up unto the LoRD in Gibeah of words of David to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for vcu, and wherewithal shall I make the atonement, that ye Saul,'whom the LORD did choose. And the may bless the inheritance of the Lord!?" that they had king said, I will give them. loudly exclaimed against the violation of the public faith, and the perfidy and cruelty of Saul and his family, who It appears by this, that the demand of these seven perhad destroyed them; and demanded' that some satisfaction'sons, to be put to death, was by order of God, and the sacshould be made them, and had invocated the vengeance of rifice that he appointed to be made to the public justice, te God against their murderers. To demand satisfaction they expiate the murders -committed by'Saul, for they were to had a right, as the vindices sa 7c~.nis, the avengers of blood, be hung up to'the Lord; i. e. in obedience to his will, and or the near relations of those whom Saul had cut off; and to appease his displeasure, because wilful murders are it is probable that they took occasion, from the continuance highly offensive to God; and are properly to be expiated by of the famine for three years, to renew their complaints for the death of those who have committed them; in which the injuries they had suffered, and to desire that justice sense every offender who is guilty of capital offences, exmight be done tiem. This must greatly embarrass David, plates his guiltby suffering the penalty of death, and thereas Saul and his sons were killed in battle, and no satisfac- bybecomes a sacrifice to justice, human and divine. It detuon possibly could be obtained from them; and therefore, serves also to be remarked, that the Gibeonites did not inin order to know the real cause of the famine, and whe- tend to exterminate the family of Saul, in revenge for his ther any, or what satisfaction was to be made to the Gibeon- intention to destroy them out of the coasts of Israel, but only ites, he determnied to inquire of the oracle, and govern demanded'seven of his sons, and left the choice of these himself by the directions of it. The answer he received seven to David himself, hereby putting it out of their power was, that the famine vwas sent for Saul, for his bloody house, to sacrifice the'male line of Saul to their revenge, and givbecause he slew the Gibeonites. ingDavid a glorious opportunity to show how religicusly he It'is true, that the oracular response did not in words die- remembered his covenant with. his friend Jonathan, and tate any act of expiation that wvas to be made to the Gibeon- that no policy of state should ever induce him to the viola, ites, but only mentioned the cause of the famine. And tion of it. It appears firom hence, that David could not inthe reason is plain, because when it was known that the stigate the Giheonites to make this request, that seven of famine was sent for the slaughter of these poor people by Saul's sons might be delivered to them, that they might kill Saul and his bloody house, it was as well known they were them, to prevent its being said that he killed themn for their to have some justice done them on that bloody family, for sakes, and that the Gibeonites might hereby take the blame the outrages that had been committed on them; for David of their destruction upon themselves, and screen David knew that, in the' ordinary course of justice, the shedding from being charged with that murder which he himself of blood was only to be atoned for by the shedding of his had contrived, and by them perpetrated. For if theGibeonor their blood on whom the murder was chargeable. So ites had acted with a determined purpose to'cut off Saul's that the oracle did really dictate, though not in words, the family, they would have named their men, and made sure necessity of an expiation, by pointing out the crime for work by a demand of Mephibosheth and his family. Or wVhich the famine was sent. And thus David understood if David had the same view, he would have prompted the it. when sendting for the Gibeonites, hlie said to them: "What Gibeonites to have asked the delivery of the same persons; shall I do for you. Wherewith shall I make the atone- or, when the choice was left to himself, would readily have tnent?" i. e. the atonement for the blood of your people, that seized the opportunity of givihg up those that he apprehath been unrighteously shed. The Gibeonites replied: hended it was most for his interest to get rid of. Indeed We will have no silver or gold of Saul, neither for us shalt nothing can be a more improbable absurd supposition than CHAP. 21. 2 SAMUEL. 233 this of David's instigating tile Gibeonites to demand seven and honour, and consistent with the strictest regard to his of Saul's family to be delivered up to death, as an expia- oaths both to Saul and Jonathan. That in granting the retion for his having destroyed many of them. Whether quest to the Gibeonites, he directly violated his oath to Saul there was, or was not, such a massacre of them by Saul, at the cave of Engedi; or cut off the remainder of Saul's must be universally known to the people of Israel. For family, in defiance of the solemn oath by which he engaged such an execution could not have been committed in a to spare that'inhappy race, needs no other refutation than corner. If there was not, how could the Gibeonites de- the oath itself. Saul asked David to swear by the Lord, mand satisfaction? For what could they demand it 2 Or " that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, that thou wilt how demand it from the house of Saul, if they, and all the not destroy my name out of my father's house." David gave neople of Israel knew, that Saul and his house had never him his oath accordingly. I will not urge here. that had injured them 2 Or, how could David instigate them to ask Saul's family committed crimes worthy of death, David's satisfaction for a massacre, that he and all- his people knew oath would have been no reason against punishing them had never been committed on them? No man of common according to their deserts; and such punishment, if desense would openly pretend a reason fdo an act of cruelty served, had been no breach of his oath. But I shall only and injustice, which had not the shadow of a reason in it, observe, that if David did not cut off his seed after him, so and which every one must know the absolute falsehood of; as to destroy his name out of his father's house, he did not and it must have been much less exceptionable to all Da- violate his oath to Saul. Now David did not cut off one vid's subjects, had he put Saul's family to death by an act single person of Saul's family, whose death had the least of power, and openly avowed, that he did it to secure him- tendency to destroy his name out of his father's house. The self and his own family on the throne, than to cut them off seed is always reckoned by the males, and not the females by such a barefaced paltry contrivance, which every one of a family, and the name in a father's house could only be must see through, and which could not diminish the guilt preserved by the male descendants. But David gave up and horror of the fact, but only serve to heighten his own only the sons of Saul's concubine, who were not the legal impudence and wickedness, and expose him for his perfi- seed of Saul, and those of his eldest daughter, who could dy, subornation, and cruelty, to the greater abhorrence of only keep up Adriel's name, and not Saul's; and hereby all his people. And indeed it is acknowledged that a more conscientiously observed, without the least violation, his oath barefaced deceit was never exhibited; such indeed as could to Saul, or need of any mental reservation to help him out. only have been attempted among the poor bigoted Jews. To this it is objected, that if the seed is always reckoned But I would observe, that as this transaction was carried by the males, and. not the females, then Jesus Christ could on in ani open public manner; as it was occasioned by a not be the son of David, because he did not descend from three years' famine; as the oracular response declared the David, by the male line, but from the female. But/ it should famine was sent because that Saul and his bloody house be observed, that the son by a daughter is as really the son had consumed the Gibeonites; as they demanded Saul's of the grandfather, as a son in the male succession, and sons for an expiation; and David delivered them up for that the only difference is, that the succession in a family an atonement; stupid as the Jews were, it was too barefaced is kept by the sons, and not by the females, who by marriage a deceit to pass even on them; for if there had been no enter into other families, and therefore cannot keep up the massacre of the Gibeonites at all, nor a famine of three names of the families from whence'they sprang. Jesus years' continuance, the oracle would have been convicted Christ therefore was the son of David, though only so by of an immediate lie, and could never have persuaded the the mother's side; and as he was not to keep up David's people into the belief of facts, which they themselves were line according to the flesh, it was expressly predicted of him, absolutely certain never existed. If David was so vile as to by a double prophecy, that he should be of the female line. attempt this deceit, and the Jews so stupid as to be deluded The one, that- he should be the seed of the woman; the by it, what must the Gibeonites be, who acted in this other, that his mother should be a virgin; so that he could tragedy by David's instigation, charged Saul with consu- not have been that son of David who was to be the Messiah, ming and destroying them, and demanded seven of his sons and to sit on his throne for ever and ever, had he been Daas victims 2 For what? Why, for nothing; for destroy- vid's son by an earthly father. The same spirit of propheing and consuming them, when, in reality, they knew that cy that declared he should be David's son, as expressly dehe did not destroy and consume them, and all the nation dared that he should be so by the mother; an exception knew that this charge against Saul was an imposture and that makes no alteration in the general rule of family a lie, and the demand of his sons for an expiation was the successions, which were constantly among the Jews, and highest villany and impiety. There is, I believe, no man almost every nation in the world, in the male line, and not living who can really believe, that either David or the Gib- in the female. Nor is it true that he spared only Mephieonites could be thus designedly, shamelessly, and without bosheth, and that he reserved only one cripple, from whom inducement wicked, since the Gibeonites were to have he could have no apprehensions, and who being the son of neither gold nor silver for the part they acted, and since Jonathan, gave him the opportunity of making a merit of David might have cut offSaul's family, had it been in his his gratitude. The history expressly contradicts this asheart to have done it, and assigned reasons for it, that sertion, for Mephibosheth had a son, whom he called Miwould have carried some appearance of necessity and just- cah, who was now old enough to have children, and had ice. If Saul was in real.ity guilty of the murder of these four sons, from whom descended a numerous posterity. Gibeonites, it became the providence of God, who was su- See'his lifie in the following table:preme king and judge in Israel, to make inquisition for the blood that was shed, and manifest his displeasure against Saul, Jonathan, Mephibosheth, or Merib-baal, such a notorious violation of the public faith and honour. Mica Thus also wrill David be fully vindicated from the charge of instigating the request of the Gibeonites, and they Pithon, Melech,Tarea, Abaz, from the iniquitous imputation of concerting with him so Ja extremely childish, but wicked a scheme, of cutting off Jehoadah, Saul's posterity. Alemeth, Zimri, Asmaveth, It hath been suggested to the dishonour of David, that II In consequence of this request of the Gibeonites, which he Moza, himself must have instigated, David, not withheld by any Binea, motives of gratitude towards the posterity of his unhappy i father-in-law, in direct violation of his oath to Saullat the Rapha, cave of Engedi, granted it; sparing only Mephibosheth, Elea who luckily was so unfortunate as to be a cripple, and so I, much dependant on David, that he had no room for appre- Azel, hension from him. He therefore reserved Mephibosheth, Azrkam Boer, Isma Sear Obadih, in memory of another oath between him and his father, Jonathan; for he was under obligations by two oaths, and Eshek, forgot one, and remembered the other. But this charge is contrary to the most express account of the history, and Utam, Jeush, Eliphelet, David's conduct in this affair was worthy a man of probity 150 sons and grandsons. 30 234 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 21. o faithless David, thusto leave Saul only one poor crip- to deliver up some of Saul!s family to justice, to give satispie! and who, not withheld by any motives of gratitude, and faction to the injured Gibeonites, yet that he took the first in direct violation of his oath to Saul, did thus wickedly opportunity to pay the last tokens of respect that could be cut off all his seed after him, and wholly destroy his name, to Saul and his unhappy family. For as soon as ever it out of his father's house! It appears from what hath been appeared, that the natural cause of the famine was over, by said also, that when it is insinuated that David spared Me- the return of the rains, David ordered the bones of Saul phibosheth, only because as a cripple, and dependant on and Jonathan to be fetched from the men of Jabesh-gilead, David, hlie had no room for apprehension from him; it is who had recovered them from the Philistines, and took mere suggestion, and inconsistent with the plainest appear- them, together with the bones of those that had been hanged ance to the contrary. For as this could not be the reason up, and buried them honourably in the sepulchre of Kish, for his saving Mephibosheth's son Micah, and his family, Saul's father; whereby he showed, that he had no inveterit is not likely he acted from it in sparing Mephibosheth ate enmity to Saul's family, but was pleased with the om himself but from a more worthy motive towards both, out portunity of showing respect to his name and memory. ff regard to his oath, and the grateful remembrance he This whole account concludes with this observation of the still preserved of his former obligations to, and friendship historian: "They performed all that the king commanded, with Jonathan, Mephibosheth's father. This the scripture and after that God was entreated for the land." God apasserts; that the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, proved his generosity to the family and remains of his because of the Lord's oath that was between them, between enemy, and as the reward of it, sent prosperity to him and David and Jonathan the son of Saul. his people.-CHANDLER. I have one remark more to make on this part of the history, which turns out to David's immortal honour. It is Ver. 10. And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took observed, that some certain contemplations, which are put sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, into David's head, calling to his remembrance, that some from the beginning of harvest until water dropof Saul's family were yet living, he concluded it expedient to cut them off, lest they should hereafter provethorns in ped upon them out of heaven, and suffered his side; and then whenever David pr6jected any scheme, neither the birds of the air to rest on them by a religious pretence, and the assistance of the priests, were day, nor the beasts of the field by night. never wanting. But for this charge there is not any found- n ation, For Saul's bastard children, and the children by Speaking of a great precipice near Bylan, Mr. Parsons his daughter, could never be thorns in David's side, any sayst" three loaded camels fell down the precipice, and more than other people, or the other branches of Saul's were killed on the spot, in my remembrance; and what is family, because incapable of the crown; especially, while very remarkable, in less than thirty hours after their loads there continued a lineal descent in the male line from Saul,were taken off, there was not left a piece of flesh, but all himself. David therefore could not be guilty of all this was devoured by the vultures in the day, and the beasts of villany and folly with which he hath been charged, for prey, mostly jackals, in the night." —'BUnDER. the sake of cutting off Saul's family, lest they should By a passage of La Roque, it appears, that if the usual be thorns in his side, because he cut off none but those who rains have failed in the spring, it is of great benefit to have could be no thorns in his side, and suffered all those to live, a copious shower, though very late: ifdr he tells us, that who alone were capable of proving thorns in his side; and when he arrived at Sidon, in the end of June, it had not therefore David projectedno such scheme as this of cutting rained there for many months, and that the earth was so off Saul's family; yea, his conduct in this.fair was di- extremely dry, that the cotton plantsi and the mulberryrectly the reverse of what he must have donehad he pro- trees, which make the principal riches of that counti y, jected any such scheme; and therefore I must conclude, were in a sad condition, and all other things suffered in that as no such scheme-was ever projected, there was, and proportion, so that a famine was feared, which is generally could be, no occasion for a religious pretence, or the assist- followed with a pestilence. He then tells us, that all the ance of the priests, to sanctify and accomplish it. There sects of religion which lived there had, in their various have been, I acknowledge, commotions excited in states by ways, put up public prayers for rain, and that at length on illegitmhnate children, and by descendants in the female line. the very day that the Mohammedans made a solemn proBut I know of no instance, in ancient or modern history, cession out of the city, in the way of supplicating for merof any prince, who remembering that some of his prede- cy, all on a sudden the air thickened, and all the marks ol cessor's family, who might dispute with him his crown by an approaching storm appeared, and the rain descended in their descent, were living, and concluding it expedient to such abundance, that all those that attended the procession.cut them off, lest'they should hereafter prove thorns in his got back to the city with considerable difficulty, and in disside, should, to answer this end, cut off only the bastard order. He adds, that the rain continued all that day, and children, and those of the daughters, and leave the son and part of the night, which perfected the revival of the plants, grandson of his predecessor alive to propagate their de- and the saving of the productions of the earth. scendants, and in them claimants to his crown, and thorns La Roque is evidently embarrassed with this fall of the in his side, to all generations. Suspicious and jealous ty- rain just at the time the Mohammedans were presenting rants love to make surer work; but David, under a neces- their supplications, when neither the solemn prayers oi sity of delivering up some of his predecessor's family to the Greek bishop, nor those of the Latin monks, nor even justice, generously preserved the claimants to his crown the exposing of the I-lost for many days, had been thus honalive, and delivered up those only from whom he could oured: "At last," said he, "Heaven, which bestows its fahave nothing to fear, as having no kind of legal right to yours, when and how it pleases, and who causes it to rain the government and kingdom, on the unjust and the infidel, permitted so great an abunIllustrious prince! Be thy name and memory ever re- dance of rain to fall," &c. But there certainly was no ozvered, thy generosity ever spoken of with praise; who, casion for any such disquietude; there was no dispute which when forced by providence to give up to justice some of religion was most excellent involved in this transaction, the guilty family of thy persecutor and sworn enemy, didst nor does any thing more appear in it than this, that God, from the greatness of thy mind, thy prevailing humanity, the universal parent, having at length been sought to by all, thy regard to thy oath to one who sought thy life, and thy showered down his mercies upon all. But the intention of pleasing remembrance of thy once loved friend; refuse to cut these papers leads me to remarks of a different kind. This off the seed of him that persecuted thee, and to destroy his author does not tell us when this rain fell, which is to be name out of his father's housb, but didst nourish his seed regretted, and the more so, as he is often. exact in less inain thy bosom, maintain it in thy family, suffer it to increase portant matters. However, it could not be before the end and prosper, and spread itself out into numerous branches, of June, N. S. for he did not arrive at Sidon until then; and even when policy might have dictated other measures, and it could not be so late as the usual time of the descent of a wicked craft would certainly have pursued them. Fresh the autumnal rains, for the cotton is ripe in Septembher, unbe thy taurels to the latest posterity, and thine unexampled til the middle of which month those rains seldom fall, often generosity ever be remembered with the veneration and es- later,- and this rain is supposed to have been of great service tecm, which it claims from all the benevolent and virtuous to the growing cotton; consequently, these general prayers part of mankind. It should be further mentioned, on this for rain could not refer to autumnal showvers, but a late spring occ.asion, to David's honour, that though he was necessitated rain, which probably happened soon after his arrival, or CHAP. 22. 2 SAMUEL. 235 about the time that Dr. Russel tells us those severe thun- shen, a tooth. This title means, no doubt, simply the temdershowers fell at Aleppo, which I have before taken no- pie of the tooth, but we have no reason to conclude that a tice of, that is, about the beginning of July, O. S. And TOOTH only was worshipped in any temple in Canaan; it though the harvest must have been over at Sidon by the must have been the symbol of some deity." Calmet then time this gentleman arrived there, andthey had, therefore, proceeds to show that this may have been the god Ganesa nothing then to hope or to fear for as to that, yet as the' of the East, who is represented with an elephant's head, people of those countries depend so much on garden stuff, and supposes the tusks are alluded to by the tooth. I am the inspissated juice of grapes, figs, olives, &c. they might not aware, however, of any such distinction being mnaae in be apprehensive of a scarcity as to these too, which they that deity, and think it unlikely that his tusk would give might hope to prevent by this late rain. For the like rea- the name to a temple. Is it not a curious fact, that thb son, such a rain must have been extremely acceptable in tooth of Buddha is the most SACRED and precious relic, in the days of David. And it must have been more so, if it the opinion of the inhabitants of Siam, of the Burman emsame a good deal earlier, thoughwe must believe it to have pire, and of Ceylon. That TOOTH is kept in the temple of,een after all expectations of it in the common way were Kandy, the capital of Ceylon. Buddhism is the religion of over; and such a one, I suppose, was granted. Dr. Dela- China, and of those countries alluded to, and it was for. ny indeed, in his life of David, tells us, that the Rabbins merly the religion of multitudes in India.-ROBERTS. suppose the descendants of Saul hanged from March, from HAPTERXXII the first days of the barley-harvest, to the following October, and he seems to approve their sentiments. Dr. Shaw Ver. 6. The sorrows of hell compassed me about; mentions this affair only cursorily; however, he appears to the snares of death prevented me. have imagined that they hanged until the rainy season came in course. But surely we may much better suppose Tis is an allusion to the ancient manner of hnnting, it was such a rain as La Roque speaks of, or one rather which is still practised in some countries, and w aspeformearlier. The ground Delany goes upon is a supposition, ed by surrounding a considerable tract of ground by a earler. he roun Deany oes ponis asupositoncircle of nets, and afterward contracting the circle by dethat the bodies that were hanged up before the Lord, hung circle of nets, and aferward contracting the bitoe by de until the flesh was wasted from the bones, which he thinks gees, till they had forced all the beasts of that uarte to is affirmed in the 13th verse of that chapter; but, I must geth into a narrow compass, nd then it a that the confess, no such thing appears to be affirmed there; the slathgterbegan. Thismanerof huntiiig as -ed in Ita bodies of Saul and his sons, it is certain, hanged but a very ly of old, as well as all over the eastern parts of the world, little while on the wall of Bethshan before the men of Ja- and it was from this custom that the poets sometimes reprobosle h-ilea reone them walhfBfisha betfare thled mene of — besh-c ilead removed them, vhich yet are called bones sented death as surrounding persons with her iets, and as They took their bones and buried them," 1 Sam. xxxi. 13; encompassing them on every side. —BuRnE. the seven sons of Saul then might hang a very little time er. 5. He teacheth my hands to wa; so hat Y 1 er. 35. He teacheth iny hands to war; so that in the days of King David. And if it should be imagined a bo of steel is broken by mine arms. that the ipesh of Saul was consumed by fire, verse 12, and a bo f steel is broen by ine as. so the word bones came to be used in the account of their The bow is the first weapon mentioned in the holy scripInterment, can any reason be assigned why we should not tures, and seems to have been quite familiar to the imme- suppose these bodies were treated after the same manner! diate descendants of Abraham. "Take," said Isaac, "thy But it appears that the word bones frequently means the quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me same thing with corpse, which circumstance also totally in- some venison." Here indeed the reference is to hunting; validates this way of reasoning: so the embalmed body of but we learn from the remark of Jacob to his favourite son, Joseph is-called his bones, Gen. l. 25, 26, and Exod. xiii. 19; that the weapon wvhich was found so useful in his art, was so the lying prophet terms his body, just become breathless, soon turned against our species; and it still continues to his bones: "When I am dead, then bury me in the sepul- maintain its place in some countries, among the nstrumen.s chre wherein the man of God is buried, lay my bones be- of human destruction. side his bones," 1 Kings xiii. 31. So Josephus tells us that We learn from Homer, that the Grecian bow was at first Simon removed the bones of his brother Jonathan the high- made of horn, and tipped with gold. But the material oi priest, who was slain by Tryphon when he was departing which it was. fabricated, seen' for the most part to have out of that country, though Simon seems to have removed been wood, which the workman frequently adorned with the body as soon as might be afier Tryphon's retirement. gold and silver. One of these ornamented weapons proSuch a late spring rain would have been attended, as the cured for Apollo, a celebrated Cretan, the significant name rain at Sidon was, with many advantages; and coming af- of Aoyvooro.-o, the bearer of the silver-studded bow. But ter all hope of common rain was over, and presently fol- the Asiatic warrior often used a bow of steel or brass, which, lowing the death of these persons on the other hand, would on account of its great stiffness, he bent with his foot. be a much more merciful management of Providence, and Those that were made of horn or wood probably required a much nobler proof that the execution was the appoint- to be bent in the same way; for the Hebrew always speaks ment of God,'and not a political stratagem of David, than of treading his bow, when he makes ready for the battle: the passing of six months over without any rain at all, and and to tread and bend the bow are in all the writings of the then its falling only in the common track of things. This Old Testament convertible phrases. The bow of steel is explanation also throws light on the closing part of this distinctly mentioned by the Hebrew bard: "He teaches my story," And after that.God was entreated for the land." Dr. hand to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine Delany seems to suppose that the performing these funeral arms." This was a proof of great strength, and of uncomrites was requisite to the appeasing God: but could that be mon success in war, which he ascribes with equal piety and the meanian of the clause l Were the ignominy of adeath gratitude to the infinite power and goodness of Jehovah. the law of Moses pronounced accursed, and the honour of To bend the bow, was frequently proposed as a trial of a royal funeral, both necessary mediums of appeasing the strength. After Ulysses had bent his bow, which all the Almightv 1 is it not a much easier interpretation of this suiters of Penelope had tried in vain, he boasted to his clause, The rain that dropped on these bodies was a great son Telemachus of the deed, because it vas an udeniamercy to the country, and the return of the rains in due ble proof that he had not lost his ancient vigour, in which quantities afterward, in their season, proved that God had hewas accustomed to glory. Herodotus relates, that when been entreated for the land — I-HARMER. Cambyses sent his spies into the territories of Ethiopia,'~~~~b~~~ ~the king of that country, well understanding the design of Ver. 12. And David wvent and took the bones of their visit, thus addressed them: When the Persians can Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from easily draw bows of this largeness, then let them invade the the~~~~~~~~~~~~~~iya bows ofhi largeessh- which laet stolen the men of Jabesh-gilead, which hati stolen Ethiopians. He then unstrung the bow, and gave it to them from the streets of B7eth-shan, wvhere the them to carry to their master. The Persians themselves, accordiring to Xenophon, carried bows three cubits in length. Philistines had hanged them, when the Phi- If these were made of steel or brass, which are both menlistines had slain Saul in Gilboa. tioned in the sacred volume, and of a thickiness proportioned to their length, they must have been very dangerous Beth-shan." Calmet says on this,"House, or temple weapons even in close fight; and as such they are reproof the tooth, or of ivory; from (m') beth, a house, and (;*) Sented by the prophet Isaiah: "' Their bows also shall dash 236 2 SAMUEL. CdAP. 22.-4. the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on ned, and, in cold blood, perpetrated, two murders, merely Lhe fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children." to rid himself of rivals. And when David gave him In time of peace, or when not engaged with the enemy, the the hint to place Uriah in the post of danger, he was by oriental warriors carried their bow in a case, sometimes of no means squeamish, but immediately planned and comcloth, but more commonly of leather, hung to their girdles. menced an attack, in which, besides Uriah, a great nurnmWhen it'was taken from the case, it was said, in the,lan- ber of his bravest soldiers were slain. His conscience, guage of Habakkuk, to be " made quite naked."-PAXTON. therefore, could not be incommoded by a mandate relative to a matter in itself lawful, and where the sin, in whatever Ver. 41. Thou hast also given me the necks of it consisted, lay altogether hid in the king's ambitious mine enemies, that I might destroy them that heart. If we think so, we must look upon him in the light hate lme. of a court-chaplain, and a selni-pietist; and he certainly was neither. What he hesitated, therefore, about doing, The neck is often used for the whole body, and in threat- must have appeared in his own eyes, something more enings, it is the part mentioned. A proprietor of slaves is serious than bare murder. Josephus, however, has hit upon said to have their necks. To a person going among an idea, which may, by some, be thought to account somewicked or cruel people it is said, "Go not there, your what more probably, than the opinion now~ mentioned, for puddara, i. e. neck, or nape, will be given to them." " De- the guilt which David is said to have incurred on this ocpend upon it, government will have it out of the necks of casion. " David," says he, "made the people be numbered, those smugglers." " Have you paid Chinnan the money." without exacting for the sanctuary, the half-shekel of poll" No, nor will I pay him." "Why " "Because he has tax enjoined by the Mosaic law." But this idea loses all its had it out of my neck." When two men have been fight- weight, if I am right in my opinion, that Moses enjoined ing, the conqueror may be seen to seize the vanquished by the exaction of the half-shekel, not upon every occasion of the neck, and thrust him to the ground.-RonERTS. a census, but merely on the first; and even allowing me to be wrong in this, and the common exposition of the statute, CHAPTER XXIII. in the time of Josephus, to be the more correct one, still Ver. 16. And the three mighty men bralke through the notion of Josephus is certainly inadmissible here. For neither in Samuel nor Chronicles do we find the least menthe host of the Philistines, and drew water out tion of the half-shekel; nor does David forbid the payment of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, of it, but only orders the people to be numbered; so that and took it, and brought it to David: never- every conscientious person had it in his power to pay it of theless he awould not drink thereof, but poured himself, and the high-priest to demand it in virtue of his it out unto the LORD. notdrinkthereofbutpouredoffice. At any rate, David"s census appears, in this re. spect, altogether as blameless as Moses' second one. in the There is an account very similiar to this in Arrian's account of which (Numb. xxvi.) not a word is said conLife of Ale.xander. Tune poculo pleno, sicut oblatum est cerning the poll-tax. Nor do Joab and the other generals redditco: non solus, inquit bibere' sustineo, nec tanm cxi- here represent to the king, that he ought to order the paygtium devidere omnibus possum. " When his army was ment of the half-shekel, but only intreat him to desist from greatly oppressed with heat and thirst, a soldier brought the census itself. And fnally, David, who had amassed so him a cup of water; he ordered it to be carried back, say- many millions of shekels, (1 Chron. xxix.) and, to the maning, I cannot bear tot drink alone, while so lmany are in ifest prejudice of his own family, destined so much for want: and this cup is too small to be divided among the building a temple, must actually have been in the delirium whole. Give it tothe children for whom you brought it." of a hot fever, if, contrary to all his other views, he had -BuRDEPR. not had a desire to grant for the future erection of that edifice, projected by himself, the half-shekel payable on CHAPTER XXIV. the census, which was a mere trifle compared to his own Ver. i. And afgfain the anger of the LORD was donations, and came not out of his own purse. kindled against Israel, and he moved avid But as far as I can understand the story, David caused the people to be numbered, neither out of that prudent against them to say, Go, number Israel and solicitude which will always actuate a good king, nor yet Judah. out of mere curiosity, but that by means of such a cersus they might be enrolled for permanent military service, and Here arises the question, If Moses presupposed the law- to form a standing army; the many successful wars he had fulness of this measure, and did actually twice number the already carried on, having filled his mind with the spirit people, wherein consisted David's sin when he did the of conquest. We find at least, that the enumeration was same. Yet the Bible says that he actually did sin in this ordered to be carried on, not as had before been usual, by matter, and was punished for it by God, with a pestilence, the priests, but by Joab and the other generals; and the which lessened the sum of the people numbered, by 70,000. very term here used, Safar, (rcg) nsner'avit, scripsit, inThe history of this event is given in 2 Sam. xxiv. and eludes also in itself the idea of numbering for military 1 Chron. xxi.; and these passages I must beg the reader to service, and is, without any addition, equivalent to our peruse, if he wishes to understand what follows. The German military term, elrolliren, to enrol, or muster. common opinion is, that David offended God by his pride, This, indeed, is so much the case, that Hla.ssofer, (-ien) and his desire to gratify it, by knowing over how many the scribe, is that general who keeps'the muster-rolls, and subjects he was king. This is, perhaps, the worst expla- marks those called on to serve. In like manner, the ofnation that can be given of the unlawfulness of his order. ficers are termed (a-eio) scribes. David's sin, therefore, Were God to punish by pestilence every ambitious motion or rather (not to speak so theologically, but more in the in the hearts of kings, and every sin they commit in thought, language of politics) his injustice and tyranny towards pestilences would never cease. It must, besides, appear a people who had subjected themselves to hlim on very difvery strange indeed, how such a man as Joab should have ferent terms, and with the reservation of many liberties expressed so great an abhorrence at a sin that consisted consisted in this. Hitherto, the ancient and natural rule merely in pride of heart, and have so earnestly dissuaded of nations, Quot cives, tot milites, had certainly been so far David from it. Yet he thus remonstrates with him, say- valid, as that, in cases of necessity, every citizen was ing, "May God. multiply the people a hundred-fold, that obliged to bear arms in defence of the state. Such emerthe king may see it; but wherefore will the king urge this gences, however, occurred but very rarely; and at other measure." Or, as we read in Chronicles, "May God times every Israelite was not obliged to become a soldier, multiply the people a hundred-fold! They are entirely and in peace, for instance, or even during a war not very devoted to the king's service. But whyseeketh the king to urgent, subject himself to military discipline. David had do this'. and why should guilt be brought upon Israel 1" made a regulation, that, exclusive of his lifeguards, calleds Notwithstanding this remonstrance, however, the kin-, in the Bible, Creli and Pleti, 24,000 men should be on duty we are told by both historians, repeated his command with every month by turns; so that there were always 288,000 s'o much rigour, that Joab found it necessary to carry it into traired to arms within the year; which was certainly sufexecution. Now Joab was not, on other occasions, a man ficient for the defence of the country, and for commanding of narrow conscience. He had already deliberately plan- respect from the neighbouring nations, especially consid CHAP. 24. 2 SAMUEL. 237 ering the state of the times, and the advantages in point of be the cause of trespass in Israel." For by that means, he situation, which David's dominions enjoyed; It would ap- reduced them to the difficulty of disobeying God, or himpear, however, that he did not think this enough. Agitated, self, as their prince. It was doubtless their duty to have min all probability, by the desire of conquest, he aspired at obeyed God; but we find, as it generally happens in such the establishment of a military government. such as was cases, that the majority, at least, chose to obey the king. that of Rome in after-times, and at subjecting, with that However, it appears that Joab was weary of the office, and view, the whole people to martial regulations; that so didnotgothroughit. Probably hemight findmanyofthe every man might be duly enrolled to serve under such people uneasy, and averse to submit to the order. Besides, and such generals and officers, and be obliged to perform it was expressly enjoined, that when the people were to be military duty at stated periods, in order to acquire the use numbered from twenty years old and uipward, the Levites of armns. should be excepted, as being appointed for the service of Whether such a measure, if not absolutely necessary to the tabernacle. And as they were not called out to war, the preservation of the state, be a hardship on the people, so they had no share in the land of Canaan allotted to them, every man may judge from his own feelings, or even from when it was conquered by the other tribes; who were the most recent history of certain nations. For even in a therefore ordered to give them a.number of cities, each country where the government is purely monarchical, and tribe out of their portion, which was accordingly done. the-people extremely martial, and the frontiers of which, And Josephus assigns that reason for it, when he says:from the uncompactness of its territories, are not, like those "Moses, because the tribe of Levi were exempted from of the Israelitish empire, surrounded and secured by moun- war and expeditions, being devoted to the service of God, tains or deserts, the enrolment of every individual for mil- lest being needy and destitute of the necessaries of life, they itary service, introduced 40 years ago, has been of late should neglect the care of their sacred function; ordered spontaneously abolished by a very warlike sovereign, be- the Hebrews, that when by the will of God they possessed cause he found that it was too oppressive, and furnished a the land of Canaan, they should give to the Levites fortypretext for a multitude of extortions. Now if this was Da- eight large and handsome cities, with two thousand cubits vid's object, it is easy to conceive, that Joab, although in of land round the walls." But David seems to have orderprivate life a very bad character, and twice guilty of mur- ed them likewise to be mustered, with a military view; der, might yet have as much patriotism, or rather political which, perhaps, was an aggravation. For, it is said, that sagacity, as to deprecate, in the most energetic terms, the when Joab, by his command numbered the people, "they execution of a royal mandate, the effect of which would were eleven hundred thousand men that drew sword." And have been to bring a free people under the worst military it is added: "But Levi and Benjamin counted he not despotism. Very bad consequences were to be apprehend- among them, for the king's word was abominiable to Joab." ed, if the subjects should not prove sufficiently patient to So that it looks as if his orders were to count them with the submit to such an innovation. The army, however, devo- rest. Indeed, we find them once armed upon an extraordited as it was to David, and approved as was its valour in nary occasion, which was to guard the temple at the coremany campaigns, May, perhaps, have effected their patient nation of Joash, king of Judah. For, at that time, they submission; and, in fact, the expression, (2 Sam. xxiv. 5,) were ordered "to encompass the king round about, every And theiy, viz. Joab, and the other generals to whom the man with his weapons in his hand." But that was in the task was committed, encamped;rear Aroer, appears to insin- temple, where the rest of the people were not permitted to uate, that this enumeration, or rather this enrolment of the enter. And besides their religious function, they were people, required the support of a military force. sometimes employed in other civil offices. So David, when What David intended, Uzziah, his successor, in the he was making preparations for building the temple, apeighth generation, may perhaps have accomplished. The pointed six thousand of them for' officers and judges. Grolmartial measures of that prince ( 2 Chron. xxvi. 11-14) tius, indeed, observes, with regard to this fact of David, are not commended; the prophet Isaiah (chap. ii. 5-_8) that he declared the people innocent: which he seems to seems rather to describe them in the language of censure. have concluded from what David says, 1 Chron. xxi. 17. It is to be observed, however, that the enrolment of the But it does not appear, from what has been said above, that whole people by David, and by Uzziah, is by no means one they were altogether blameless, though not equally crimiand the same thing. The former ruled over a powerful nal with himself. And in such a case, the equity of a nanation, wherein there were nearly a million and a half of tional punishment is acknowledged both by Philo and people able to bear arms, and which had a compact and Josephus, in the passages cited from them by Grotius.secure frontier, from the Eu/jhrates to the Mediterranean: CRITICA BIBLIcA. so that, for the safety of the state, no such oppressive meas- These wars being thus haypily ended, David enjoyed for urewas requisite. But Uzziah had under him only two some time a settled peace and prosperity, without any tribes, consisting probably of about 300,000 men, and his foreign invasions to call him into the field, or domestic territories were not rounded, nor the frontiers distinct and troubles to interrupt him in the affairs of government; but strong. Here, therefore, that measure might be necessary being at length persuaded and prevailed on to number the for self-defence, or, at any rate, admit of a sufficient apolo- people, he became the cause of trespass to Israel, and gy, which, in David's time, was quite needless, and if brought on them the severe punishment of a pestilence. strictly enforced, must have proved absolutely tyrannical. The author of the books of Samuel, in relating this affair, -MICHAELis. says: " That the anger of the Lord was kindled against From several passages in the Old Testament, compared Israel," and he moved David against them to say, "Go with each other, it appears that this census, or numbering number Israel and Judah." The author of the Chronicle5 of the people, was a sacred action; as the money was to be differently expresses it. "And Satan stood up against Is. applied to, the service of the temple. It was not like that in rael, and provoked David to number Israel;" and this is other nations, to know the strength of the government; for objected against as an absurd thing, that David should be God was their king in a peculiar manner, and promised to said to be moved both by God and Satan to number the protect them from all their enemies, and to multiply them people. But I apprehend this difficulty may be easily re-.. as the stars of the sky, while they obeyed his laws.-Da- moved, by observing, that these two places are capable of a vid's, crime, therefore, seems to have lain in converting a more favourable turn, so as to render them perfectly reconsacred action to a civil purpose. He was culpable both in cileable with each other, according to the genius of the the thing itself, and in the manner of doing it. For where- language, and the common forms of expression in it. The as by the rule given to Moses, in the passages referred to text in Samuel may be thus rendered: "And again the above, they were to number the males from twenty years anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; for he moved old and upward; David gave orders, that all should be David," or " David was moved against them to say, Go, numbered, who were fit for war, though under that age. number Israel and Judah;" active verbs in the third person, This must have been highly criminal in David, now in his being frequently to be rendered as impersonals, and not te old age, after so many instances of the Divine favour ex- be referred to the nouns immediately foregoing; and thus pressed towards him. And as to the people, their offence the text will be fully reconcileable with that in Chronicles, seems to have consisted in their compliance with that order. which says, that "1Satan moved him to number the people." He was culpable in giving the order, and they in obeying it. Or, it may reasonably be supposed, as the original words And therefore Joab, who was sensible of this, and unwil- we render, "He moved David against them," are the same ling to execute the command, asks David, "Why he would in Samuel and the Chronicles, that the word Sa!an hatI 238 2 SAMUEL. CHAP. 24. been omitted by some careless transcriber in the text in under, was really supernatural, or such as he could not Samuel, which is expressly mentioned in, and to be sup- resist, or overrule. But as David did not know this, it iF plied from that of Chronicles; and then the version will be, impossible any one else should know it. There is nothing that " The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, in the history to support the assertion. If it was really forl Satanmoved David to number the people:" and very Satan that moved him, he moved him no otherwise than probably, had we more ancient MSS., this omission in as he doth all other men to that which is wrong; not by Samuel, if such' would be rectified by them. A candid influences which he could not resist, but by those undue critic, will make some allowances, both for defects and passions and affections which he might and ought to have redundancies in books of that great antiquity, which the resisted. But if the measure was suggested by one of his Old Testament books confessedly are; and where several own counsellors, as really seems to be the case, it was his of those books treat of the same affairs, will have the good duty to have overruled -it, and hearkened to the better adsense, as far as he can, to supply what is defective in one, vice of Joab, who told him of the danger of it, and would by what appears complete in the other. If there needs a fain have dissuaded him from executing it. The truth supplement in Kings it is actually found in Chronicles, and is, as I apprehend, that David's prosperity had too much therefore should be inserted from thence. This would cer- elated him, and that being advised by some rash imprudent tainly be, in like instances, the case in other books, and it courtiers to take the number of his people, that he might is injustice not to apply the same fair rules of criticism, to better know his strength, and be fully acquainted with the remove the difficulties that may occur in the writings of power and grandeur of his kingdom, his vanity, in this the Old Testament. But there is another way of rendering respect,, got the better of his duty; on which, God was and understanding this passage, viz. " For he moved Da- pleased. to check the rising presumption of his heart, by vid," or, "David was moved against them," not, as in our letting him see how vain his dependance on his forces version, To say, but -nm's, dicendo, by saying, " Go number was, and to punish him and them for their violation of a Israel. and Judah;" which last words will then be, not law, which he had ordered to be observed under the seDavid's to his officers, which follow in the next verse, but verest penalty. For, among other commands that were his, who counselled David to this action. And thus David's given by God to Moses, this was one: " When thou takest numbering the people will be, neither by the instigation of the sum of the children of Israel, after their number, then God, or Satan, as that word means the Devil. It is certain, shall they give every man a ransom for his life, unto the that God never instigated and said to David, " Go, number Lord, when thou numberest them, that there be no plague the people." For if God had commanded this, David's among them, when thou numberest them. This shall they heart would never have smote him for it. nor would he give; every one that passeth among them that are rumhave acknowledged to God, " I have sinned greatly in that bered, half a shekel shall be the offering of the Lord; every I have done." Nor would Joab have remonstrated against one that passeth among them that are numbered, from it, nor have represented it to the king, as what would be a twenty years old, and above, shall give this offering to the cause of trespass to Israel, if he had known that David had Lord." David, either not thinking of this command, or received such an order from God. Every circumstance in thinking himself, as king of Israel, exempt from it, ordered this account proves, that there was no hand or direction of the people to be numbered, without exacting the ransom God in this affair. And if the Deiil had-bid him do it, I from each of thenl. This was one of the highest stretches suppose he might have seen the cloven foot, and would of authority, and claiming a despotic arbitrary pbwer over scarce have followed the measure for the sake of the ad- the people, as seems plain from Joab's -words to him:.viser. And yet somebody actually said to, him: " Go, "Are they not all my lord's servants?" Why then this number the people;" and this person seems to have been badge of slavery, to subject them to a census contrary to one of his courtiers, or attendants; who, to give David a the law of Moses? It was indeed assuming a prerogative higher notion of his grandeur, and of the number and that God reserved to himself, and a violation of one of the strength of his forces, put it into his head, and persuaded standing laws of the kingdom, for the capitation tax that him to take the account of them; who, in Chronicles, is God had appointed to be taken, whenever they were numtherefore called Satan,'or an adversary, either designedly bered, was ordered to be paid for the service of the taber-or consequentially, both to David and his people., And this nadle, as a memorial, that God was their supreme governor will exactly agree with what the author of the book of and king. But God, to support the dignity of his own conChronicles says: " An adversary stood up against Israel, stitution, and to put David in mind, that though king, he and provoked," or, as the word is rendered in Samuel, was still to limit the exercise of his power by the precepts " moved him against them." Thus Mr. Le Clere under- of the law, gives him by the prophet the option of thret stands this passage, and I think the expressions made use punishments, of which David chose the plague; recollectof seem to countenance and warrant the explication. But ing probably, at last, that this was the very punishment it is said, that David's numbering the people is oddly threatened by God to the violation of this statute, concernenough imputed to him as a great sin in him to require; ing the numbering the people; asowell as for the reason he for he was but a passiveinstrument in the affair. But who himself alleges: "Let us fall now into the hands of the doth not know, that a man may be hanged for a crime, to Lord, for his mercies are great." which his indictment says, " He was moved by the Devil;" It is evident from the history, that this action of David and because the Devil moved him, is he therefore a passive was looked upon as a very wrong step, even by Joab, who instrument, and free from guilt? Or doth the being per- remonstrated against it, as apprehensive of the bad consesuiaded or moved by another to do a bad action, render the quences that might attend it; forlhe says, " The Lord make person so moved a passive instrument, or would it excuse his people a hundred times so many more as they be. But, him, in a court of justice, from the punishment due to his my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? crimes? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why will he It is further objected, that David was but the instrument be a cause of trespass to Israel?" And therefore Joab counted of a purpose, confessedly overruled to the execution of that not Levi and Benjamin, because the king's word was abompurpose by supernatural influence, and that to punish one inable to him. Probably we do not understand all the in such circumstances, would be just as if we should con- circumstances of this affair; but Joab's censure of it, who vict a knife or pistol, and discharge the criminal. If was no scrupulous man, shows that David's conduct in it David was the mere instrument of a purpose, and overruled was extremely imprudent, and might subject his people to by supernatural influence to execute it, the similitude may very great inconveniences. But is it not strange, that be allowed. But who ever confessed that David was over- because David sinned in numbering the people, therefore ruled to do it by supernatural power? David himself did the people should be punished; since of the three punishnot, but confesses directly the contrary. David's heart ments propounded to David for his choice, one of them smote him, and he said unto God, " Is it not I that com- must necessarily fall upon his subjects? Possibly this difmanded the people to be numbered? Am not I the person ficulty may be eased, when I put my reader in mind, that who alone is accountable for it? Even' I it is that have kings are no otherwise to be punished in their regal capa-:inned greatly, and done evil indeed, and very foolishly." cities, nor oftentimes -to be brought to correct the errors of.David knew it was his own act, and that, whoever advised their administration, but by public calamities; by famine, ar instigated him to it, the blame was his own, and his pun- pestilence, foreign wars, domestic convulsions, -or some ishment deserved. A confession that would have been other like distresses that affect their people. This David absurd and false, if he knew that the influence he acted thought a punishment; and if it be right at all for God to CHAP. 25. 2 SAMUEL. 239 animadvert on the conduct of princes, or to show his dis- of David's sin. God, by virtue of his supreme authority pleasure against them for the public errors of their admin- over mankind, may resume life whenever he pleases: if istration, it must be right and fit for him to afflict their peo- there be no sin, the resumption of life will be no punishpie; and indeed this is what continually happens in the ment; if there be, the resumption of it will not be unjust, common course of providence, and the observation that, though the immediate reason of that resumption may be Quicqutid delirant reges plectunturAchivi, for the punishment of another; especially, as all such inQuicquid ~~stances have a real tendency to promote the public good, is an old and a true one. And if this be a difficulty, it af- and to preserve alive, in the minds both of princes and fects naturad religion as well as revealed, and the same people, that reverence for Deity, without which neither considerations that will obviate the difficulty in one case, public nor private virtue can subsist, nor the prosperity of will solve it also in the other. As to the thing itself, that kingdoms ever be secured and established upon solid and kings are no otherwise to be punished in their regal capaci- lasting foundations. ties, but by public calamities which affect their people, it Upon this solemn humilidtion of David, and intercession' is, I apprehend, so self-evident and certain, as that it can with God for his people, the prophet Gad was sent to him need no proof. Whether princes profit more or less, or the same day, with an order that he should rear up an altar nothing, by the misfortunes of their subjects, is nothing to unto the Lord, in the thrashing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, this argument. Some bad kings may not profit by it. All the hill where Solomon's temple was afterward built. Dagood kings will. The people's welfare, however, is neces- vid accordingly purchased the ground, built an altar unto sary to the prince's prosperity, and secures the principal the Lord, offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, whereblessings of his reign, which can never be enjoyed without by the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague, it. On the other hand, kings must be affected with, and which had raged from Dan to Beersheba, was stayed from deeply share in the misfortunes of their people; because a Israel, the city of Jerusalem being mercifully spared, and plague or a famine, or a hostile invasion, or any national exempted from this dreadful calamity. After this, David, calamity, tends to destroy the peace- of government, or to encouraged by the gracious token God had given him of subvert the foundations of it, lessens the revenues of princes, his acceptance at this thrashing-floor of Araunah, by the fire the number of their subjects, the profits of labour and in- from heaven that consumed his burnt-offering, continued dustry, andt interrupts the enjoyment of those advantages to offer upon the altar he had erected in this place; and and pleasures, which regal power and plenty can other- publicly declared, " This is the house of the Lord God, this wise secure to the possessors of them. David was most is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel;" hereby consesensibly affected with his people's sufferings under that pes- crating this place for the erection of the temple, and to be tilenee which his imprudence and their neglect had brought the seat and centre of the public worship for all the tribes upon them. H-ow tenderly, how affectionately doth he of Israel. On the whole, if they who object, credit the plead with Godi in their behalf! " Even I it is that have history of the Old Testament in this part of it, and& think it sinned. But as for these sheep, what have they done!" true, that one of these three plagues was offered to David, What a noble instance of public spirit, and generous con- as the punishment of his offence; that he chose the pestic:ern for the safety of his people, doth that moving and pa- lence, that it came accordingly, and was removed upon Ihetic expostulation manifest, which he made when he haw David's intercession; they are as much concerned to act-he angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, count for the difficulties of the affair, as I or any other with a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusa- person can be. If they do not believe this part of the histolem, and fell down with his elders, all clothed in sackcloth, ry, as the sacred writings represent it,.let them give us the upon their faces, and thus affectionately interceded for account of it as it stands in their own imagination; and tell them:" Let thy hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be us, whether there was any plague at all, how, and why it or. me and on my father's house, but not on thy people, that came, and how it went and disappeared so all of a sudden. they should be plagued." Here is the real language and In their account, whatever it be, David will stand certainly spirit of a genuine,rotiv Xawv, a true shepherd of the peo- clear of every imputation; and, according to the scripture pie, devoting himself and family as a sacrifice to God for narration, he will be an offender, blut only against the statthe salvation of his subjects. ute law of the kingdom, as usurping an authority and disBesides, in this case, the people were themselves very pensing power that did not belong to him, but not against culpable; for the command was absolute: "When thou any ldw of God, of original, intrinsic, and immutable oblitakest the sum of the children of Israel, then shall they give gation, as far as we can judge by the short and imperfect every man a ransom for his soul." And therefore, as they account that is left us of this transaction; and so may still knew or might have known, that, upori being numbered, be the " man after God's own heart."-CAInDLER. they were to pay the prescribed ransom, which yet they neglected or refused to do; as partners in the offence, they Ver. 18. And Gad came that day to David, and justly shared in the penalty inflicted. It is allowed, that said unto him Go up, rear an altar unto the the tax was not at this time demanded by David; and this LO in the thrashing-floor of Aruna he LORD in the thrashino-floor of Araunah'the was his sin, in setting aside a positive command of God, to gratify his own vanity and pride. The demanding this Jebusite. tax by his own authority might have created a national disturbance, and herefore should have prevented him from Thrashing-floors, among the ancient Jews, were only, as turbance, and therefore should have prevented him from - numbering his people. But they submitted to be numbered, they are to this day in the East, rou level plots of round intheyoe aire toer this cor n wh astrodndene pouts by goxen, and they were therefore bound to pay the tax, whether Da- in he open air, ere the corn s odden ot byoxen, vid demanded it of them or not, for the law did not exempt the Libycce ar'eac of Horace, ode i. 1. 10. Thus Gideon's them from the payment, if he who numbered them did floor (Judges vi. 37) appears to have been in the open air; not demand it. They were to pay it as a ransom for their as was likewisethat of Araunah the Jebusite else it Twould lives, and to exemnpt themselves from the plague; and were not have been a proper place for erecting In altar and oftherefore punished with a plague for their neglect and dis- fering sacrific-. In Hosea xiii., e re d of the cliqff which obedience. David indeed takes the guilt upon himself, and is driven by the dwhirlwind from the floor. This circumdeclares his people innocent of it: "As for these sheep, stance of the thrashing-floor's ben exposed to the aitastanc of the thrshnd-foo sbeigempse to b the piialrasogfitswhat have they done?" And it is true, that the order t tion of the d seems to be the pincipl reaon of its number the people was David's, of which his people were Hebrew namd; which maybe further illustrated by the Hebrew name; {vhich maybe further illustrated by the wholly innocent. But they should have remonstrated direction which Hesiod gives hi husbandman, to thas against the thing, or voluntarily paid the capitation tax i crn i a ace ell eposd o he wid From the required of them; and as they did neither, David was, as above account it appears that a th'ashnisg-floor (rendered in Joab foretold him, a cause of trespass to'Israel, and they ou textul translation a voi place) mght ell be ear the our textual translation a void place) might well be near the, could-not plead innocence, as a reason for their exemption ntrance of the gate of Samaria, and that it might afford from punishment. And even supposing they were entirel improper place for the kings of Israel ayd Judah to hear the t. Y ~~~~ipropeplcfothet kin gs ofRIraemIdJdh oha.h free from all blame in this affair, were they so far entirely pphets in.-B free from all other transgressions, as that it was injustice Z) ~~~~~~~CHAPTER XXV. in God to visit them by'a pestilence? If not, God did them Ver. 23. And hen David inquired of the L no injustice by sending that pestilence'; and therefore not Ver. 23. And when David inquired of the LoD by sending it at that time, and as an immediate punishment he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a corn-. 240 1 KI NGS. CHAP. 1. pass behind them, and come upon them over the name of some shrub or tree. Those who translate it against the mulberry-trees. 2~4. And let it be, the mulberry-tree, to illustrate the passage in the psalm, i pretend it grows best in the dry ground; but this seems to when thou hearest the sound of a going in the be unfounded. Marinus imagines, that Baca signifies the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt mulberry-tree, because the fruit of the mulberry exudes a bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD g0O out juice resembling tears. Parkhurst rather thinks that Baca means a kind of large shrub, which the Arabs likewise call Baca, and which probably was so namned from its distilling an odoriferous gum. For Baca with an aleph, seems It is doubtful whether the mulberry-tree is once men- to be related to Baca with a hay, which signifies to ooze, to tioned in the scriptures. If Hasselquist may be credited, distil in small quantities, to weep or shed tears. This idea it scarcely ever grows in Judea, very little in Galilee, but perfectly corresponds with the description which Celsius abounds in Syria and mount Lebanon. Our translators has given of this valley. It is not, according to him, a have rendered the original term Baca, by mulberry, in two place abounding with fountains and pools of water, but different passages: "And when David inquired of the Lord, rugged and embarrassed with bushes and stones, which he said, Thou shalt not go up, but fetch a compass behind could not be passed through without labour and suffering; them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees a striking emblem of that vale of thorns and tears, through (Becaim;) and let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a which all believers must pass to the heavenly Jerusalem. going in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt The great uncertainty among interpreters concerning the bestir thyself." And the words, Who passing through the real meaning of the term Becaim, has induced Mr. Harvalley of Baca, make it a pool; the rain also filleth the mer to hazard a conjecture, that the. tree meant in this paspools,-are in the margin, Who passing through the valley sage is the weeping-willow. But this plant is not found of mulberry-trees. The Seventy, in Chronicles, render it in a dry sandy vale, where the thirsty traveller is compelled pear-trees; in which they are followed by Aquila. and to dig for water, and to form cisterns in the earth, to rethe Vulgate. Some think Baca, in the eighty-fourth Psalm, ceive the rain of heaven. In such a situation, we expect to is the name of a rivulet, which burst out of the earth, at the find the pungent aromatic shrub distilling its fragrant gum; foot of a mountain, with a plaintive murmur, from which not the weeping-willow, the favourite situation of which it derived its name. But it is more probable, that Baca is is the watery plain, or the margin of the brook.-PAXTON. THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. CHAPTER I. refreshment, especially the latter on thp,ir festivals, when Ver. 2. Wherefore his servants said unto him, whole families are seen sitting on the grass, and enjoying Le~t there hIe solfugfht for mly lord the Ikinfg a their early or evening repast, beneath the trees by the side Le t there e souht fomyrdth n a of a rill. And we are assured by the same author, that in youngo virgyin \ and let her stand before the king, such grateful retreats they often give public entertainand let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy ments. He visited an assembly of Greeks, who, after celebosom, that my lord the kingf may get heat. brating a religious festival, were sitting under half tents, with store of melons and grapes, besides lambs and sheep This is by no means so uncommon a thing as people in to be killed, wine in gourds and'skins, and other necessary England suppose. Men of seventy years of abe and up- provisions. Such appears to have been the feast which wards often take a young virgin for the same purpose as Adonijah gave his friends at En-rogel. It was held near a David did, and no other. It is believed to be exceedingly well or fountain of water, and there " he slew sheep, and healthful for an aged person thus to sleep. " In the hot oxen, and fat cattle, and invited his brethren" and the' prinseason, he is kept cool, and in the cold season, warm; by cipal peeple of the kingdom. En-rogel was not chosen for sleeping with a young person; his withered body derives secrecy, for it was in, the vicinity of the royal city; but for nourishment from the other." Thus, decrepit men may be the beauty of the surrounding scenery. It was not a nmagseen having a young female in the house, (to whom, gener- nificent cold collations; the animals on which they feasted ally, they are not married,) and to whom they bequeath a were, on the contrary, killed and dressed on the spot for considerable portion of their property. —RorBERTs. this princely repast. In Hindostan feasts are " given in the open halls and gardens, where a variety of strangers are Ver. 9. And Adonijah slew sheep,' and oxen, and admitted, and much familiarity is allowed. This easily fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which is accounts for a circumstance in the-history of Christ, which fat cattle, byand called all hibethr the is attended with considerable difficulty; the penitent Mary by lEn-rogel, cand called all his brethren the oming into the apartment and anointing his feet with the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's ointment, and wiping them with the hair of her head. servants. This familiarity is not only common, but far from being deemed either disrespectful or displeasing." More effectThe oriental banquet, in consequence of the intense heat, ually to screen the company from the burning sunbeams, a is often spread. upon the verdant turf, beneath the shade of large canopy was spread upon lofty pillars, and attached by a tree, where the streaming rivulet supplies the-company cords- of various colours: " Some of these awnings," says with wholesome water, and excites a gentle breeze to cool Forbes, "belonging to the Indian emperors, were very their burning temples. The vine and the fig, it appears costly, and distinguished by various names. That which from-the faithful page of inspiration, are preferred on such belonged to the emperor Akber was of such magnitude as joyous occasions: " In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, to contain-ten thousand persons; and the erecting of it emshall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and ployed one thousand men for a week, with the help of maunder the fig-tree." To fountains, or rivers, says Dr. chines; one of these awnings, without any ornaments, cost (Chandler, the Turks and the Greeks frequently repair for ten thousand rupees." Similar to these were the splendid CHAP'. 2. 1 KINGS. 241 hangings under which Ahasuerus the king of Persia enter- lipon his loins, and in his shoes that were upon his feet;" tamed his court. They "were white, green, and blue, i. e. treacherously, and under pretence of peace and friendfastened with cords of fine linen and purple, to silver rings ship, besprinkled his girdle and wet his shoes with the blood and pillars of marble."-PAxTON. of these two generals, as though he had slain them in battle. Siloamn was a fountain under the walls of Jerusalem, " But do thou according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar east, between the city and the brook Kedron; it is sup- head go down to the grave in peace." H ere are three posed to be the same as the fountain En-rogel, or the murders David mentions to Solomon as the ground of this Fuller's fountain. " The spring issues from a rock, and charge, not to let him die a natural death. The one intiruns in a silent stream, according to the testimony of Jere- mated, " thou knowest what he did to me," viz. when he miah. It has a kind of ebb and flood, sometimes discharg- cruelly stabbed Absalom, contrary to my immediate orders; ing its current like the fountain of Vaucluse; at others, the two others expressly mentioned, those of Abner and retaining and scarcely suffering it to run at all. The pool, Amasa; on these accounts he advises him to put him to or rather the two pools of the same name, are quite close death; and I allow David's dying advice, or rather order, to the spring. They are still used for washing linen as in this instance, to be peremptory and absolute; and, if I formerly. The water of the spring is brackish, and has a understand any thing of justice and equity, it was an order very disagreeable taste; people still bathe their eyes with worthy of a good king, and fit to be given in the last it, in memory of the miracle performed on the man born moments of his life. The reader will remember, that the blind." (Chateaubriand.)-BuRDER. facts are these. Upon Abner's reconciliation with David, and bringing over the people to his interest, Joab out of Ver. 14. Behold, while thou yet talkest there revenge for his brother Asahel's death, whom Abner, with the king, I also twill come in after thee, forced to it by Asahel's rashness, had unwillingly slain, and confirm thy words. and probably envying him the glory of settling David on the throne of Israel, and afraid of his being placed at the The Hebrew has for coeifirm, "fill up." " I wish you to head of the Hebrew army, as the reward of so signal a go and inform Tamban, that I will gladly go into court service, under the pretence of a friendly salutation, in the and fill up all his words.' "Mv friend, do not believe that most base and cowardly manner, stabbed him unexpectedly man's words."-" Not believe them! why, his words have to the heart. David highly resented this murder, followed been filled up by many people." " Well, you say you saw Abner's corpse to the grave, and to show what part he would Muttoo turn his cattle last night into your rice-fields, what have acted immediately, had it been in his power, says: proof have you?"-" None, my lord, I was alone, and, "I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these therefore, have no one to fill up my words." " As Venase men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. The Lord was coming through the cinnamon gardens, that notorious shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness." robber Kalloway met him, took from him his ear-rings, After the rebellion under Absalom was ended, David finger-rings, and five gold mohurs; but, before he got off, thought this a proper opportunity to show his displeasure several people came up, who knew him well, so that there to Joab; and as he imagined it would be an acceptable,ill be plenty of witnesses to fill up his words." —Ro BERTs. thing to the people of Israel, who were now zealous to restore the king to his throne, he ordered it to be signified Ver. 16. And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obei- to Amasa, who had been their general in the rebellion, that sance unto the king. And the king said, What he would constitute him captain-general of his armies in sroul~dest thou? 1 D 2 the room of Joab, and actually appointed him, as such, to assemble the forces of Judah, and suppress the new insurWhen a husband goes on a journey, or when he returns, rection under Sheba. As Amasa was returning with his his wife, on seeing him, puts her hands together, and pre- troops, Joab meets him, and with a compliment and a kiss, sents them to him as an act of obeisance. When she has thrust his sword through his body, and laid him at a single an important request to make, she does the same thing; and blow dead at his feet; and immediately usurped the comit is surprising to see the weakness of him who pretends to mand of the army, quelled the insurrection, and returned be the stronger vessel, for, under such circumstances, she to Jerusalem. will gain almost any thing she wants. Hence, the force of And now, reader, let me appeal to thy conscience. Were their popular proverb,," The woman who regularly makes not these two execrable murders deserving of punishment obeisance to her husband, can make it rain whenever she Was the cowardly base assassin worthy to live? If he was pleases." When Bathsheba made her obeisance to the too powerful a subject for David to bring to justice, did not king, he asked, " What wouldest thou?" but, the Hebrew David do well, and act like a righteous prince, to give it in has this, " What to thee." This accords with the idiom charge to his successor, to punish, as soon as ever he had of the Tamul language. Thus it will be asked of a person power, such a villain, according to his desert? Mr. Bayle's who stands with his hands presented to a great man, judgment is, that David well knew that Joab deserved death, utmmak-eizta, " To thee what 2" If speaking of a third and that the suffering the assassinations, with which that person, avaneuk-enta, " To him what?" or, literally, " Him man's hands were polluted, to go unpunished, was a flagrant to what?" —' ROBERTS. injury done to the laws and to justice. With what truth then can it be said, that David delivered two murders in CHAPTER II. charge to his son Solomon; one of them to be executed on Ver. 5. Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab his old faithful general, Joab? Was it charging Solomon the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to murder a man, to order him to put to death a criminal, to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto for having basely committed two most execrable murders? Or is the doing justice on murderers and assassins commitAbner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son ting murder? Or is the representation just, that this order, of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of viz. to murder Joab, was afterward fulfilled in the basest war in peace, and put the blood of war upon manner, by the administrator to this pious testamentl his girdle that was.about his loins, and in his Judge, reader, and be thyself a witness to the manner of Joab's execution, which is thus stigmatized with the epithet shoes that woere on his feet. 6. Do therefore of basest. Solomon, in obedience to his father's directions, according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar gives orders to Benaiah to put Joab to death in these words: head go down to the grave, in peace.'" Fall on him, that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of David having settled this great affair of Solomon's sue- my father; and the Lord shall return his blood upon his cession to his throne, but a little before his death sends for own head, who fell upon two men, more righteous and him, and gave him a particular charge, in reference to two better than.himself, and slew them with the sword, my state criminals, Joab and Shimei. That to Joab in these father David knowing nothing thereof." Solomon was now words: " Thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah king, firmly fixed on the throne, and had it in hit power to did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the host execute justice on the greatest offenders; and rem -nberi:ug, of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the I doubt not, how Saul's house was punishb-d t the inson of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in nocent blood of the Gibeonites which he spilt, he s willing peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was to secure himself and family from a like veng nece. He 31 242 1 KI1NGS. CHAP. 2 would have been in some measure chargeable with Joab's of, and therefore, uniting his revenge Wuith his ambition, he guilt, had he refused to punish it when it was in his power; assassinated Abner, to free himself from a rival in power and especially, as he had it in charge from his father to and his prince's favour, and secure himself in the chief execute the vengeance on him that his crime deserved. command. He acted just the same infamous part after-. But where shall we here fix the character of basest. What, ward, when he assassinated Amasa, because David had on Solomon's command to take away the guilt of innocent prpmised him to make him general of the army in Joab's blood from himself and his father's house; or on his room; and this strengthens the probability, or rather renders ordering the execution of the man that shed it, the man it certain, that he murdered Abner, not only out of revenge that slew two men, more righteous and better than himself; for his brother's death, but also from the same cause of or on God's returning his own blood upon his head; or, on jealousy, envy, and ambition. And iandeed Josephus will his ordering Joab to be slain at the horns of the altar, and not so much as allow, that even the revenging Asahel's not permitting even the altar of God himself to be an asy- death was any thing more than a pretence for Joab's murlum for murderers; or, on his appointing Benaiah, the dering Abner, but says, that the true cause was, his being captain of his host, to execute justice on this treacherous afraid of losing the generalship, the favour of his master, assassin! This was the manner in which Solomon per- and being succeeded by Abner in botlh. formed his father's orders, in an open public manner, It is further objected, that Joab was really ill used in the appealing to God for the reasons of his conduct, and by a affair of Amasa. But to me it appears, that he was used hand too honourable for the wretch that fell by it. And is no otherwise than he deserved. It is true he gained the this, what it hath been termed, putting a man to death in the victory over the rebels; but the merit of this victory he basest manner 3 Is not this condemning, as a piece of vil- destroyed by a base and infamous murder, contrary to the lany, a most exemplary instance of royal justice, and express command of his sovereign. For David charged exhibited in such a manner as showed a regard to religion, Joab and Abishai, and all his officers, before the engagoconscience, honour, and the prosperity of his government ment: Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even and people! with Absalom. IHad Joab cut him off in the heat of the But in order to show David's ingratitude to Joab in battle, he would have had somewhat. to have alleged in ordering Solomon to punish him for the murder of Abner, his defence. But nothing could argue greater insolence it hath been urged that it appears, that Joal, uniting his and contempt of the king's order than Joab's conduct on revenge with the dead, acted basely for David's service. this occasion. For when one of the army informed him Supposing it. Doth'it follow, that David's ordering the he saw Absalom hanging by the hair in a tree, Joab reexecution of a base and treacherous assassin was baseness plies: " Why didst thou not smite him there to the ground, and ingratitude, because the assassination was intended for and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a his service? I do not understand this morality. I should girdle! " The soldier answered him with a noble spirit of rather raise a panegyric upon a prince, who should order a loyalty: " Though I should receive a thousand shekels of treacherous assassin to execution, notwithstanding the pre- silver, I would not put forth my hand against the Iring's tence of the assassin's intending to serve him by the son: for, in our hearing, the king chargerl thee. and Abivillany; than on one, who should protect a villain from shai, and Ittai, saying, Beware, that none touch the young the punishment of treachery and murder, because he in- man Absalom; otherwise I should have wrought falsehood tended to serve, or actually served him by these notorious against my own life, and thou thyself would have set thyself crimes. But the supposition itself, that Joab murdered against me." But what doth the loyal Joab do after this Abner for David's service is without any foundation, and warningl He said: I maynot tarry thus with thee. Tell contradicted by the whole history of that affair. For this me no more of the king's orders., I have something else asserts once and again, that Joab murdered Abner in re- to do; and immediately he took three darts in. his hand, venge for his brother Asahel's death. And as to his ex- and thrust them through the body of Absalom, while he postulating with David on the imprudence of trusting was hanging alive in the midst of the oak. Could there Abner, saying, He came to deceive thee, and to know thy be a greater insult offered to the king than this q Or going out, and thy coming in. and all that thou dost; David a more treasonable violation of his orders! Or, a more had all the reason in the world to look on this charge against deliberate and aggravated murder committed! Would Abner as a mere calumny. For Abner, before ever he had any prince have endured this 3 Or, ought he to have parwaited on David, had brought the elders of Israel to a doned everl a victorious general, after such an audacious resolution to accept of David for their king, and he came cruel instance of disobedience 3 But not content with this to inform him of this transaction. Abner went also to he carries his insolence to the king further, and keeps no speak in the ears of David all that seemed good to Israel, measures of decency with him. For, upon David's mourn and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin; ing over his rebel son, Joab imperiously reproaches him i. e. all that had been agreed on between Abner and the "Thou hast showed this day the faces of all thy servants tribes in reference to David. So that Joab's charge of which this day have saved thy life, and the lives ofthl treachery against Abner was contrary to the strongest evi- sons, and daughters, and wives; in that thou lovest thin( dence of his integrity, and only a pretence to colour over enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared that murder of him which he intended. Joab knew very this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants; well the intention of Abner's interview with David; for he for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all was in-formed that he had been with the king, and that he we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well;" and had sent him away in peace; and he expostulated with the then, to complete his audacious insolence, threatens with king for thus dismissing him, that he came only to deceive an oath to dethrone him, if he did not do as he ordered him. And therefore his murdering Abner could be with him. "Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortno mitention to serve David, but to execute his own re- ably to thy servants; for I swear by the Lord, if thou go ver:ge and serve himself; for no transaction could have not forth, there shall nottarry one with thee this night; Iwill beeni at that time more directly contrary to David's interest, cause the whole army to revolt from thee before morning; as the tribes would naturally resent so cruel a breach of and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell faith, as the treacherous assassination of their own general thee from thy youth until now." I will appeal to all men,,and ambassador to David, sent by them to fix the terms on that know what duty or decency means, whether Joab, after which they would receive him for their king; and it was a such a behaviour to his sovereign, was fit to be continued thousand to one, that, in their fury, they had not broke off general of the forces: and, whatever might be his merits all treaty with him, and with their united forces opposed in other respects, whether any prince, who consulted his his accession to the throne of Israel. What prevented this own honour and safety, would not take the first opportuwas, David's so solemnly and publicly clearing himself of nity to humble and break shinm? The opportunity came. having any hand in the murder, and showing, to the fullest Amasa, the general of the rebel army, brotlght Jerusalem satisfaction of the people, that it was wholly the contrivance and Judah back to their allegiance, and, according to Daof Joab, and perpetrated by him without his privity and vid's promise, was constituted captain-general in the room consent. of Joab. In defiance of this appointment, Joab, to get rid of' Had Abner'lived to have finished this great revolution his rival, like acoward and poltron, under pretence of peace, in favour of David, and actually settled him on the throne and a friendly salutation, ripped open Amasa's belly, and of Israel, Abner ought in justice to have continued in the shed out his bowels upon the ground. But it is said, to exten command of the army. This Joab could not be ignorant uate Joab's guilt,.that he confined his resentment to his rival. CHAP. 2. 1 KINGS. 243 What then? Is a cowardly murder to be pardoned, be- the political reasons which made the law give place to utility. cause committed on a rival? Do not the laws of God and But when David had no fuirther use for that general, he man call for an exemplary punislhment of such an atro- gave orders that he should be put to death. So that Mr. cious offender? Are not such treacherous cruelties, though Bayle blames David, not for ordering Joab io be put to practised towards a rival, offences of a public nature, a death at last, but for deferring to do it so long, through breach of that allegiance which men owe to their princes, reasons of policy, and ordering it only when those reasons and a capital violation of the sacred laws of government? of policy subsisted no longer. I wouLld here just observe, David, it is plain, thought so; and though Joab was too that what Mr. Bayle calls political reasons were really powerful a subject for him to call to an immediate account, reasons of necessity. For Joab was too powerful a subyet to show that he had never forgiven it, he orders Solo- ject to bring to justice. He attempted it twice, by turning mon, agreeable to all the rules of honour and justice, to him out from being general. But he restored himself to punish him as he deserved for his numerous treasons and his command by murder and treason, in spite of David,, murders. But we are told that "it will avail nothing to who seized the very first opportunity, after Joab's power plead the private faults of the man. We are now to con- was broken, of ordering his execution. sider him as relative to David in his public capacity, as It should be added also on this head, that Whatever his old faithful general, who powerfully assisted him on Joab's past services were to.David, and however faithful all occasions, and who adhered to him in all his extremi- he had formerlybeen to him, yet he had now been engaged ties; in which light we must loathe the master, who died in a treasonable conspiracy against him, to set aside the meditating black ingratitude against so faithful, so useful intended succession-o the crown, and had actually proa servant." I would ask: If David had had power, and claimed Adonijah king of Israel during his father's life; had ordered the execution of Joab, immediately upon the altogether without, and even contrary to his consent. And assassination of Abner, or of Amasa, whether his master it is allowed, that David had on this account justifiable David dught to have been loathed on that account, because cause for chagrin. And it is certain, that Joab's treason, Joab had been an old faithful servant?. If it should be in endeavouring to depose the good old'king, and advance said, that he ought to have been loathed for it, the doctrine an ambitious youth into his throne, was just reason ibr advanced is this: that whatever person hath been an old chagrin. And therefore as, Joab added rebellion to murfaithful servant, or general, to any prince, and powerfully der, David did justly, in his last moments, to order his assisted him upon all occasions; and murders, presuming execution by his son and successor, and he would neither on his own power, and past services, through malice, re- have been a wise or a righteous prince, had he forgotten venge, or ambition, by a secret stab, and under the pre- or refused to do it. When it is said, that Joab had not tence of friendship, one or two of the principal officers of appeared against him in actual hostility, and that his defelthe kingdom; the prince, whom he serv.s, becomes an tion may admit of bemng interpreted into a patronisation of object of loathing and abhorrence, and is guilty of black that particularplan for the succession, rather than into a reingratitude, if he resolves on his death, and actually exe- bellion against David, it is in part not true in fact. To procutes him, as such a base and treacherous assassination claim any person king, in opposition to the reigning king, is deserves. No man, I believe, will coolly assert this. If it an overt act of rebellion, and therefore of real hostility. This is said,, that David ought not to have been loathed, but Joab did, and had not the design been seasonably pre vented, commended, if he had then ordered his execution; I think by the loyalty and prudence of Nathan, fiurther hostilities it cannot be true, that because Joab had been an old faith- must have been immediately committed; David himself ful general, &c., we ought to loathe David for ingratitude, at least confined, and Solomon, his intended socceslor, for meditating Joab's punishment while he lived, and ex- actually put to death. The plan of the succession, conpressly-ordering it just before his death; for whatever it certed by Joab, in favour of Adonijah, was, in every view was just for him to do, it was just for him to order to be of it, a treasonable one. It was a plan formed without the done; inasmuch as he really did himself what Solomon did consent of the nation, without the knowledge of David, by his order; and because an act that is just to-day, can- and the appointment of God. David had, a considerable not become unjust merelyby being deferred till to-morrow, while before this, solemnly sworn to Bathsheba, that Soloor the most convenient opportunity of performing it. But mon her son should reign after him, and sit upon his thrlone it is said, that it will avail nothing to plead the private in his stead; and tells all the nobles and officers of his faults of Joab..What,,were the murder of Abner, who kingdom, that as the Lord God of Israel had chosen him, had just brought' over the eleven tribes to. submit to David, among the sons of his father, to be king over all Israel, and the assassination of Amasa, appointed general of the so, of all his sons, God had chosen Solomon to sit upon the national forces, at the head of his troops, private faults? throne of the kingdom of the Lord over all Israel. To High treason, murder, and felony, private faults! What patronise therefore any other plan of succession, and ac.. then can be public ones, and ~hah faults can be aggravated tually to take measures to execute that pla, was breaking with any more heinous circumstances than these? out into open rebellion; and the favourers, abetters, p.But it avails nothing, it seems, to plead these private trons, and aiders, in such a plan, were traitors to their king faults, in vindication of David's ordering him to be put to and country, and in all nations would have been punished death by his successor; because we are to consider him as as such; and should it be pleaded in excuse of such er.relative to David in his public capacity. Very right: sons, that their defection to patronise such a plan of s.cDavid in his public capacity was king of Israel, and Joab cession, was not a rebellion, it would be treated with the in his public capacity stood related to him as his general, contempt it deserved; and as a defection from a prince is and assisted him, and adhered to him in all extremities. a revolt firom him, and a revolt a rebellion they would David therefore, in his public capacity, was obliged, by. probably be told, that they should have the choice of bein' the laws of God and. man, to punish assassinations and hanged for a defection, or rebellion, just as they pleased. murders; and Joab, in his public capacity, as general, I shall only take notice further, on this head, that David, was an assassin and murderer; and therefore David, in in his lamentation for Abner, had declared the Lord to be his public capacity, as king, was obliged to punish Joab the rewarder of evil-doers; by this expression referring xvith death, in his public capacity, as general, assassin,' the punishment of Joab to the Lord. And the inference and murderer. If Joab had been his faithful general, and that hath been made from hence is, that David having enfrequently assisted David in his extremities, private obli- joyed the benefit of Joab's services through his life, he gations are in their nature inferior, and ought to give way having been his right hand all along, gratitude, after such to public ones; and the yielding up such an offender to an attachment, ought to have influenced David to have left public justice,8when personal obligations might have been him to the justice of God, and not have bequeathed him pleaded by the prince in his favour, was a nobler sacrifice death, as a legacy for his long friendship. But David did in its nature, and renders David's merits, as a prince, the not bequeath him death for his friendship, but for hs remore illustrious, and himself more worthy the character peated treasons and murders; which no just principle of of the' man after God's own heart. And this Mr. Bavle gratitude will ever shelter; since no services, public or thinks David ought to have done sooner, and says, that private; can be a compensation for these impious violations notwithstanding Joab deserved death, yet that he kept his of the laws of God and man, and ought not to hinder the place; he was brave, he served the king his master faith- progress of justice in the execution of such notorious of-4 fully, and to good purpose, and dangerous discontents might fenders; and were kings and princes to act according to be apprehended if he attempted to punish him. These were this notion of gratitude, the peace, order, and safety of 244 1 KINGS. CHAP. 2. society, could not possibly be maintained. Besides, as Da- yet he wanted the produce of his lands for food at other vid declared the Lord to be the rewarder of evil-doers, so times. It was therefore very proper to mention the cirhe really left it to the providence of God to reward Joab, cumstances to Ziba, that he might understand it would be by not punishing him himself, but by waiting for'the prop- necessary for him to bring the produce of the lands to er opportunity to give him his reward, when it could be Jerusalem, and in sufficient quantity to support Mephibodone consistently with his own safety, and the peace of his sheth in a style suitable to the dignity of one who had a kingdom. Joab's defection or rebellion in favour of Adoni- right, by the royal grant, to appear at court, and sit at the jah, and Solomon's establishment on the throne, furnished king's table on public occasions: "Thou, therefore, and this opportunity, and the providence of God, by these thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him; and means, brought on the punishment he had long deserved. thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may Let Solomon explain his father's meaning in the very or- have food to eat; but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall der he gives for Joab's execution. The king said to Be- eat bread always at my table."-PAXTON naiah: "Fall upon hin.... that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed, from me and the house Ver. 8. And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei of my father, and the Lord shall return his blood upon his the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and bet- cursed me with a grievous curse in the day ter than himself, and slew them with the sword." David when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down therefore left Joab to the justice of God, and God executed justice on him by Solomon's order; and the hand of to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by providence was very remarkable in this transaction; in the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death that, had Joab's treason, in patronising Adonijah's usurpa- with the sword. 9. Nowthereforehold him tion, succeeded, Joab would have escaped with impunity; not guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and for Adonijah, no doubt, out of gratitude to Joab, would guiltless; for thou art a wise man, and have forgiven him his murders, for the sake of his servi- knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; ces. David's meaning, therefore, in declaring that the but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave Lord would reward the evil-doers, could be no other than h blood. that in which Solomon understood it: That though Joabwas too powerful for him, at that time, to punish, yet that God After the charge to Solomon, to execute the due punishwould not suffer him finally to escape; but that, sooner or ment on Joab, for his numerous and aggravated crimes, later, in the course of his providence, he would bring the David gives him another, relative to Shimei the Benpunishment on him which he so richly deserved. And jamite, who, as hath been already observed, when the king this Joab experienced, since the very measures he took in was in his flight from Jerusalem, to prevent his falling into the close of David's reign, to secure himself from it, fixed Absalom's hands, met him, railed at, and cursed David in his doom, and proved his destruction. David's conduct his journey; and as he went on, had the further insolence therefore, in this instance, is no proof that his repentance to pelt him with stones, and dust him with dust, crying for his sins was not sincere, nor any argument that he had out to the king, " Come out, come out, thou bloody man, not forgiven his enemies, as far as he ought to do it, and and thou man of Belial. The Lord hath returned upon did not die in charity with all mankind, as far as that thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou charity ought to be extended. If a prince's charity influ- hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom ences him, living or dying, to pardon repeated offences, in- into the hand of Absalom thy son; and behold thouen art consistent with the public safety and peace, such as assas- taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man." sinations and treasons, it is folly and weakness, and not This, as Mr. Bayle says, is a small specimen of the abuses virtuous charity; it is cruelty to his people, instead of real to which David was exposed among the friends of Saul; generosity and goodness. David had not this charity, and they accused him of being a man of blood, and looked on it heightens his character that he had not. His last charge the rebellion of Absalom as a just punishment for the misto Solomon shows his inviolable regard to justice, by posi- chiefs which they said David had done to Saul and his tively ordering the execution of a murderer, who was too whole family. But surely an abuse and insult of a more powerful for himself to punish; and the order was execu- atrocious and insolent nature was never offered to a prince; ted by Solomon, in a manner worthy a wise, a just, and a an insult the viler, as it had no foundation in reality or great prince; or, worthy the son of such a father.-CHAND- truth to support it. He twice styles him a bloody man; LER. and tells him, that because he had reigned in the stead of'~' Saul, the Lord had returned on him all the blood of the Ver. 7. But show kindness unto the sons of Bar- house of Saul. The reader will observe, that this transaczillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that tion was before the affair of the Gibeonites; and therefore eat at thy table: for so they came to me when this circumstance could not enter into Shimei's thoughts, fled because of Absalom thy brother. nor be any reason for his charging David with being a ecause osalom ty roter.bloody man, and having the blood of Saul's house returned on him. Now, in what other respects could David At public entertainments in the courts of eastern kings, be guilty of the blood of Saul's house. Saul's three eldest many of their nobles have a right to a seat, others are ad- sons were slain with him in a battle with the Philistines, in mitted occasionally by special favour. In this sense Chardin which David was not present. The only remaining son understands the dying charge of David to his successor, to that Saul had was Ishbosheth, whom Abner made king in show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and to Saul's room, in opposition to David, who was raised to the let them be of those that should eat at his table. He means throne by the house of Judah. Ishbosheth was killed by net that they should eat at his table at every meal, or on two of his captains, whom David put to death for that treaevery day, but only on days of public festivity. In the son and murder; and Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, same light, he views the conduct of the king of Babylon to the only remaining one, was restored to Wis patrimony, the captive monarch of Judah: "Evil-Merodach spake and, in all things, treated as one of David's own sons; and kindly to Jehoiakim, and set his throne above the throne Saul's line by him, the eldest branch, continued down of the kings that were with him in Babylon; and changed through many generations. The charge therefore thai h is prison-garments, and he did eat bread continually be- David was a bloody man, because the blood of the house ol fore him all the days of his life." He received a daily Saul was upon him, was a scandal and a lie, and uttered in allowance from the king suitable to his high station, and the madness of the passion and malice of a man, who, the value which Evil-Merodach had for him; besides this, being of Saul's house and family, was enraged to see that he had a seat at all the public entertainments of the court. family rejected from the throne, and David advanced to it The eastern custom explains the reason that David was in their stead. not expected at Saul's table, till the day of the new moon; Mr. Bayle himself acknowledges, that the friends of Saul he did not sit at the king's table every day, but according carried things too far in these reproaches against David. to established usage, he had a right, and was expected to be And yet, as though he had made too large a concession in present in his allotted seat on the day of a public and his favour, he doth, in a manner, retract it, by adding: " It solemn festival. In the same manne., though Mephibo- is true, that, by the testimony of God himself, David was a sheth was to sit at David's table on all public occasions, man of blood, for which reason God would not pet mit him CHAP. 2. I KINGS. 245 to build the temple." But, by Mr. Bayle's good leave, David been imagined, while hlie was living, and all his actions was not a man of blood, by any testimony of God himself; fresh in memory. I must beg leave also to add, that as nor doth either of the places he cites in proof of it, prove Shimei owned himself to be a lying, slanderous, iniquitous any such thing. The expression which Shimei made use varlet, and' that the charge of David's being "a man of of to revile David was, Mnx =,n' VN, Thou art a man of blood, and guilty of the blood of Saul's house," was an inblood; an expression always used; I think, in a bad sense, iquitous, perverse calumny; that charge destroys its ovn to denote a cruel bloody man. But God never gave this credit and truth; and instead of serving to show that Dacharacter to David. What God said of him was that he vid's sanctity was not quite so universally assented to, as had been a man of wars, nr -n -,ri' and hast shed blood; may be imagined, while he was yet living, rather serves to or, as it is elsewhere expressed: Thou hast shed' iuch blood show that it was. For, as there are several unquestionab-e and hast made gr'eat wars. Now the shedding of blood im- evidences to his integrity and virtue, of persons that knew plies nothing criminal, except it be shed mn sine causa., him well, and.were his contemporaries; as friends and wvithout reason or cause; innocent blood, as our version ren- enemies have given their united testimony in his favour, ders; and this very expression is used, in the same verse, and there is but one evidence to the contrary, and that a in the criminal and in the good sense, to denote murder, lying one, upon record, who retracted his own charge puband the justly putting the murderer to death. "Whoso licly, and begged pardon for the falsehood of it; the sanctity sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." If of David's character in the opinion of the public, while he then David's wars were just and necessary, the blood he lived, stands unimpeached; and Shimei's infamous calshed in them was not his crime; and it is evident, that umny against him, refuted and falsified by himselt can when David told his son, and afterward all the princes never, with justice, be pressed into the service against and officers of his kingdom, that the reason why God David to defame his reputation. As to the suspicion here would not permit him to build his house, was because he thrown in, that David's "actions, when fresh in memory, had shed much blood in his wars; he did not mention it to and perfectly known, were worse than have been reprethem as a reproach, or any crime imputed to him by God. sented, or was prudent to transmit to these distant ages;" Indeed this could not be the case, because, immediately surely this must have been a very unreasonable one, if the after God had assigned this reason why he would not per- actions that have been transmitted to these ages are such, mit him to do it, yet, without in the least blaming him, he as justify the charges brought against David, and the splengraciously gave him a. proof of his peculiar favour, by did character given him, of usurper, ungratefiul, perfidious, assuring him, that his son should build his house, should perjured, whose conscience was his slave and his drudge, long enjoy prosperity and peace, and that the throne of his a tyrant, a NERo; in a word, a monster and a devil. Can kingdom over Israel should be established for ever. Mr. he be painted in worse colours than these? Or do the Bayle urges it as a further reason of David's being a bloody enemies of David suspect the representations they have man, or else he introduces it for no purpose at all, that, made of the actions recorded, as injurious and, false, and to appease the Gibeonites, he delivered up to them two want further materials to bespatter one of the greatest and sons, and five grandsons of Saul, who were all seven hanged. best of princes But they needed no further memoirs to Had Mr. Bayle told, as he ought to have done, the reason assist them. For, in spite of Shimei, and though hie had of David's delivering them up, it would have been no proof retracted all his curses and calumnies, yet the world is of his delighting in blood. He did it not by choice, but by ne- told, after reciting Shimei's blasphemies: "This is pathetic, cessity, anl a divine order. As therefore God never charged and truly characteristic of the tyrant," to whom the speechi David with being a man of blood, this charge, as thrown on was addressed. But David's real character was quice the him by Shimei, was false and injurious; and the observa- reverse of a tyrant. He never oppressed his subjects- but tion, that "here an opportunity may be taken to introduce when he reigned over Israel, executed justice and iudga circumstance, which is so far material, as it serves to ment among all his people; and, perhaps, there never w-es show, that the sanctity of David was not quite so univer- a prince of greater humanity and clemency, or that gpve sally assented to, as may be imagined, while he was living, more shining and disinterested proofs of it, than David, and his actions not only fresh in memory, but more per- though he hath been characterized as the vilest of men, and fectly known, than was prudent to transmit to these dis- the worst of tyrants. tant ages," is quite groundless and injudicious. For how Shimei himself was one illustrious proof of this. Fcr doth the being reviled and cursed by one interested and when David's officerswould have effectually silenced hi; disappointed person, and charged with crimes for which reproaches, by putting the brawler to death, as he reel-.; there is no foundation, but many strong concurring circum- deserved, what saith this Nero of the Hebrews. So,, stances to show the falsehood of the charge; how doth this, reader, the lineaments of his blood-thirsty disposition, in I say, serve to prove, that David's sanctity was not so uni- his reply to Abishai: "Let him cprse. For if 1he Lord versally assented to, as may be imagined?1 It is no proof hath said unto him, curse David, who shall then say, that Shimei himself believed the truth of his own reproaches; wherefore hast thou done so'? Behold, my son, whbich nothing being more common than for men, in the extrava- came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life. How much gance and fury of passion, to vent many things, which they more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and well lnow they have not any foundation for affirming: let him curse, if the Lord hath bidden him. It may be that much less doth it serve to show that David deserved these the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord iwill reproaches; and, least of all, that others believed them requite me good for his cursing this day." In this grievous just, and had as bad an opinion of him, as Shimei who calamity, David could not but see the hand of God, it was reviled him. If this be argument, then I will, to the fullest now falling heavy on him for his great sin in the aflair of conviction, demonstrate, that David's sanctity was, while Uriah, and therefore ascribes the curses of Shimei to his lie lived, thought as great as any body imagines. For, in immediate permission, and, in some measure, even to his the first place, Jonathan tells Saul; "He hath not sinned appointment; as he was now reduced to that low condition, aga:inst thee, his works have been to thee ward very good." through the effect of his displeasure, as that this wretcn In the next place, Saul, his professed enemy, acknowl- dared to pour out these undeserved calumnies against himn. edges David's innocence, and that he was a more righteous This shows the moderation and great command of his tern-.man than himself, and that' in persecuting him, "he had per, who would deny himself the vengeance due to such it played the fool, and erred exceedingly." Nay, Shimei outrageous insult on his person and oharacter. Oh! how himself, upon whose railing against David this notable perfect a picture doth this exhibit to us of a Nero, aid w!t;e o tservation I am remarking upon is grounded, retracts all can help discerning and admiring the happy resemolance he had said, owns himself a slanderer and a liar, and begs But it was not, it seems, piety, or humanity and goodnes:s pirdon for his abusive impudence. "Let not my lord im- of heart in David, but policy and prudence, that prompted p'ite iniquity unto me, nor remember what his servant did him to preserve Shimei's life. For so we are told: "Scome perversely; for thy servant doth know that I have sinned." of his retinue were at the point of silencing this brawler Fromu hence I argue: If Shimei's reproaching David shows with the ultima ratio regum; but David prevented it; wise.his sanctity was not quite so universally assented to, as may ly considering this was not a season for proceeding to exbe imagined, while he was living, therefore, a fortiori, tremities." Why, what was there in the season to prevent JTonathan's, and Saul's, and Shimei's testimony, to David's David from punishing a treasonable reviler and brawler asinnocence and righteousness, serves to show, that the sane- he deserved? What would David's cause and interest tity of David was really as universally assented to, as hath have suffered by permitting a single person to be pot tu 246 1 KINGS. CHAP. 2 death, for a crime that made him worthy of it! There is nothing but a fair opportunity to declare it. He is now withl but one possible inconveniency that would have attended it, thee. Hold him fast, keep him continually under thine eye and that is, there would have been wanting one noble in- to prevent his doing any mischief; and if thou findest him stance of his generous disposition, and the government of guilty of any malpractices, his hoar head bring thou down his passions; which is now recorded, to do honour to his to the grave with blood; cut him off as an old offender, and nmemory, and heighten the glory of his truly illustrious dangerous enemy, to secure thy own peace, and the safety character. -But supposing that this was not a season for of thy government. proceeding to extremities, yet when David recovered his Further, David's telling Solomon that he sware to Shi. throne, and had Shimei fully in his power, this surely was mei by the Lord, that he would not put him to death for a season for David's coming to any just extremities that he his outrage and treason, is a demonstrative proof, that he pleased; and he did not want very powerful advisers to did not advise Solomon to put him to death for the crime make use of them; for'Abishai said to him: "Shall not that he himself had solemnly forgiven him. For can any Shimei be put to death for this, because he hath cursed the one imagine, that David'should tell Solomon, that hlie had Lord's anointed." And is there any one man in the world, sworn by the Lord not to put Shimei to death, and, in the that would not have applauded David's justice, in ordering same breath, order him, in defiance of the oath, to be put to to execution a wretch that had cursed and pelted him with death by Solomon' Common decency and prudence nould stones in his adversity! It is true, Shimei owned his fault, have made him conceal the circumstance of the oath, unand, as it is expressed, reflecting on David's vindictive tem- less he intended to brand himself publicly for the grossest per, came to make his submission, and petition forgiveness. perfidy and perjury; or, what is the real truth, to prevent This persuasion, one would think, would certainly have Solomon from putting Shimei to death, in resentment fobr a kept Shimei from ever coming near him, and forced him crime for which he had solemnly sworn he would never to seek safety by flight. I should rather have imagined, execute him; and therefore it may be allowed Mr. Bayle, that, reflecting on David's merciful and forgiving temper, that strictly speaking, a man, who promises his enemy his and the experience he had lately of it, in David's not per- life, doth not acquit himself of that promise, when he ormuitting his officers to cut him off, when he was actually ders him to be put to death by his will. But this doth not cursing and stoning him, he made his submission, and pe- affect David's integrity, who either never promised him abtitioned for mercy. If David had been the vindictive Nero, solutely his life, or never gave any positive orders by his which he hath been represented to be, Shimei's owning his will to execute him. I add therefroe, that the words themfault would not have been his security, and he would have selves, when rightly rendered, imply no such order. The paid dearly for the scurrility of his abusive tongue; espe- common rendering of them is: His hoar head brinig thou ceialy as he was one of Saul's family, whom, it is said, lest doen to the grave wvith blood. But it is a better interpretathey should hereafter prove thorns in his side, he conclu- tion, and supported by parallel passages, if we render them, decl it expedient to cut off. But notwithstanding this expe- Bring downv his gray hairs to the grave for blood, or for bediency, David accepted his acknowledgments, and told him -ng guilty of it. Shinmei was a mana in blood, intentionally w ith an oath: Thou shalt not die.. of murdering the king, and who actually attempted it by But wshat shall we think, it is said, when we see this stoning him; and, on that account, deserved to be put to Nero of the Hebrews die in a manner uniform and consist- death. Now, though David could not order Solomon to ent with the whole course of his life. What will be our put him to death for this attempt, because he had forgiven reflections, when we find him, with his last accents, dcliv- him, yet he might justly urge it, as a reason why Solomon erin- two murders in charge to his son Solomon. One should Ikeep a constant strict guard over him, in order to against.oab, the other against Shimei, which we are now prevent him from any seditious practices, or put him to to consider. The charge that David gave to Solomon con- death, if he found him guilty of any. The authors of the corning him runs thus: " And behold thou hast with thee critical remarks give another turn to the words, which may Shimei, the son of Gera, a Benjainite of Bahurim, which be justified also by many other places of like nature. They cursed me wvith a grievous curse, in the day when I went would have the middle words put into a parenthesis, and to Mahanaim; but I swore to him by the Lord, saying, I the negative particle A L repeatedin the last clause from will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore the first; thus: " Now therefore do not hold him guiltless hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and know- (for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest est what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head to do for him,) but do not bring down his hoary head with brino- thou down to the grave with blood." This is the blood." I would propose a little alteration in the reading ground of the accusation brought against David; that when of the prefix vazo. Do not hold him guiltless, (for thou art he lay on his death-bed, where all manlind resign their re- a wise man,) nor bring down his hoary head with blood." sentonents and animosities, his latest breath was employed According to this translation, David's direction to Solomon in dictating this posthumous murder to his son Solomon. will be: That he should not put Shimei to death for having My reader will not forget who Shimei was; of the house cursed him, because he had forgiven him upon oath; but, and famnily of Saul; that he was a person of great power at the same time, should not hold him guiltless; leaving it and influence in the tribe of Benjamin, of whom he had a to Solomon's wisdom to inflict a proper punishment on him, thousand in his train, when he made his submission to Da- provided it was not a capital one. If David had intended vid upon his restoration; and that the manner in which he that Solomon should immediately put him to death, there accosted David, when fleeing from Jerusalem, discovered would be no sense nor reason in what David adds: "Thou the inward rancour of his heart, and his readiness to join art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do to in any measures to distress and disturb his government, him;" which is evidently the same thing as saying: I give and cause the crown to revert to the house of Saul. There- thee no particular directions about hims, only observe him. fore David puts Solomon In mind, that Shimiei ceursed him Thou art a wise man, and knowest how to manage him, ~7Vith a grievous curse, in the day that he went down to Ma- and to thy prudence and care I entirely leave him. This lhinaim; that he was an implacable enemy to his person is the natural proper meaning of the expression, which an-l family, one who was not to be trusted, and would not cannot be construed into any other sense, without'doing fail to show his hatred upon any proper occasion. It ap- violence to the words. Now, to what purpose was it to tell pears further by the expression: " Behold thou hast with Solomon, that he krnew how to behave to Shimnei, if David's thee Shimei;" that he was now in Jerusalem; and that command was immediately to cut him off, and Solomon untherefore David thought this a proper opportunity of confi- derstood him in this sense. The thing is absurd in its naninr himb that he might not spread disaffection to Solo- ture, and there can be no meaning in a charge of this kind, mon's government, among those of his own tribe, or of any viz. giving any man an absolute order to put another to of the other tribes of Israel; a precaution the more neces- death for a crime, and, in the same breath, leavinghim ensary in the infancy of Solomon's reign, and as some of his tirely to the management of his own wisdom and prudence, brethren were inclined to dispute with him the succession to put him to death or not. If he gave a positive order for to the crown; and therefore David said: "But now do not his death, he did not leave him to Solomon's wisdom; and thou hold him guiltless;" i. e. though I forgave him, and if he left him to Solomon's wisdom, as he certainly did, he swore to him that he should not die, do not thou let him go did not give him any positive order for his death. off, do not leave him at liberty, nor treat him as an inno- It is certain that Solomon did not understand his father cent main, that is reconciled to my family, and thy succes- in this sense, of putting Shimei to death for his treason at *iis in the throne of Israel. He is Shimei still, and wants Mahanaim; but only that he should have a watchful eyo CHAP. 2. 1 K IN GS.'247 over him, and prevent him from all seditious practices for gave any order at all to Solomon to put him to death for the future. For what doth Solomon do after his father's the crimes which he had pardoned him, but only to watch death. What, instantly put Shimei to death? No, but as his conduct, till he should render himself guilty by some a wise man, who knew what he ought to do to him, orders fresh transgression. And when upon breaking his oath, him to build a house for himself at Jerusalem; where he he was sent for by Solomon, the king reproached him for confines him, that he might be perpetually under his inspec- his perjury, for acting contrary to the condition of' life, tion, and bound him by an oath never to go further out of which he himself acknowledged to be just and equitable, it than to the brook Kidron; telling him, that whenever he and for the wickedness that his heart was privy to in his passed it, he should surely die. This is further evident conduct to his father David; the mercy that had been from the different manner in which Solomon treated Joab shown him, in the pardon of that offence, aggravating his and Shirnei. Joab he immediately, on his accession, put fresh crime in violating his oath, and in transgressing the to death, because David could be understood in no other king's command; a crime that showed he was of a restless sense, in the charge he gave concerning him, but absolutely spirit, and incapable of being restrained within due bounds to clut him off; for he gives no intimation that he had par- by the most solemn oaths, or any sense of interest, gratitude, doned him, or that he left it to his son's prudence to do or duty, whatsoever. Solomon adds: " The Lord shall with him as he should think proper; but says peremptorily, return thy wickedness on thine own head, and King Soloafter recounting the two murders he had committed: Do mon shall be blessed: and the throne of David shall be thou according to thy wisdom. Do justice on him, and established before the Lord for ever;" plainly intimating thereby show thyself a wise man, and let not his hoar head that Solomon now cut him off, as an act of prudence and go down to the grave in peace. Now if the charge had justice, because he knew him to be a turbulent implacable been the same in reference to Shimei as it was to Joab, enemy to his person and government, and saw it necessary what should have prevented Solomon from immediately for establishing the throne of David before the Lord. executing Shimei as well as Joab. Solomon had much I would further add, that Shimei himself, sensible of less to apprehend from executing Shimei, than Joab. Joab Solomon's great kindness to him, approves the sentence had an interest in the army, and had David's sons, and the pronounced on him, and therefore the charge that David high-priest of his party, which Shimei could not have, as gave him, promising him upon oath obedience to the conhe was a powerful man of the house of Saul: a circum- dition, on which his life was afterward to depend. " The stance this, however, enough to incline a jealous prince to sentence is good. As my Lord the king hath said, so will get rid of him if he fairly could do it. And if Solomon thy servant do." It doth not appear that Solomon mentionhad David's positive order to do it,'the regard to his father's ed one word about Shimei's cursing David, when he orcommand, and the rules of policy, would have engaged him dered him to confine himself to Jerusalern, and that thereto have immediately executed him. But this Solomon, in fore this was not the immediate reason why he confined his wisdom, knew he could not do; for David told him him, but as his father had forewarned him, th cause he that he had pardoned Shimei to prevent his execution, be- thought it would be a dangerous thing to suffer a person cause his offence was personal, and David had a right to of Shimei's family, tribe, interest, and known raocour to forgive it. But he had never pardoned Joab, nor in justice his crown and government, to be entirely at liberty. And, could do it; because he was guilty of death, for repeated upon this supposition, Shimei could not but own the justice murders, by the laws of God and man. Solomon therefore of the sentence, and Solomon's lenity in pronouncing it. acted wisely and justly in putting Joab to death, and show- But if Shimei had any apprehension that David had' vioed his prudence in reference to Shimei, by sparing him; lated his oath of safety to him by the charge he gave Solobut honourably confining him, that he might have the prop- mon concerning him, or that Solomon had broken it, by er security for his future good behaviour. But to this it making his life depend on a new condition, which his fais objected, that the executing Joab, and. sparing Shimei, ther had never obliged him to come under; why did he.as owing to a different cause from what I have now not plead David's oath and promise, and that had no conassigned. For Joab, by joining the party of Adonijah, had dition annexed to it, when he appeared before Solomon; furnished the pretence for putting him to death, which that the annexing a new condition to it was actually reShinnei doth not appear to have done. Joab therefore was versing it, and therefore a.breach of oath in David, if he assassinated, and Shimei watched. But this contradicts directed it, or in Solomon, if it was his order only, and not the history; for David, in his order to put Joab to death, David's 2 And though David, being dead, Shimei could mentions not one word about his being of Adonijah's party, not reproach him to his face, yet he might have reproached but orders him to be cut off expressly for the treacherous him, and Solomon himself to his own face, for this breach assassination of Abner and Amasa.'And when Solomon of oath, if there had been any. But Shimei urges nothing ordered his execution, not a word of Adonijah; but take of all this in favour of himself, and instead of reproaching away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me, and David or Solomon, acknowledges the king's moderation, from the house of my father. So that, as the cause of and says: The sentence is good. It is most just and me'Joab's execution was not his being of Adonijah's party, so ciful. As my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant the cause of Shimei's being spared, cannot be said to be, do. Shimei therefore knew, either that he had an absolute because he was not of Adonijah's party. The true reason pardon from David, or that he had forfeited that pardon, of their treatment, was. the different nature of their crimes, or that, whatever was the purport of David's oath to him, and the difference of the order relating to them. And as no injustice had been done him, either by David's charge Joab was put to death for repeated murders, by the express to Solomon, or by Solomon's executing it. The adverorder of the king, it is with great injustice that his death saries of David may choose which they please. David's is censured as an assassination; especially as he was exe- honour, and Solomon's justice, will be abundantly Vindicuted in the same manner as state criminals at that time cated. generally were. Let me beg the candid reader's attention to another reBesides, if, as hath been asserted, David had, without mark: That though it hath been positively affirmed, that any condition, and by a positive injunction, ordered Shimei David guarantied Shimei's pardon with a solemn oath, yet to be put to death, then his joining, or not joining Adonijah, this is by no means certain from the history. For let it be had been a circumstance of no weight; for, whether the one, observed, that after Shimei's confession of his fault, Abior the other, Solomon ought not to have ordered him to shai said to David: " Shall not Shimei be put to death, bebe watched, but instantly to have put him to death, as he cause he cursed the Lord's anointed." Meaning, be plat to did Joab. And if, because he was not of Adonijah's party, death instantly, as appears by David's answer: " Shall Solomon spared him, and ordered him only to be watched, there be any man put to death this day in Israel 1 Do I not then Solomon did not think his father's order to be an order know that I am this day king over Israel I" Therefore the to cut him off, but only to have a watchful eye over him. king said to Shimei: "Thou shalt not die;" and the king For Da —vid knew Shimei's circumstances as well as Solo- swore to him, viz. that he should not then, or that day, or mon, and Solomon's conduct to Shimei is an abundant ex- at that time, be put to the sword. And it is observable, plication of the nature of his father's command, and how he that the Arabic version expressly mentions this circumhimself understood it. This is the sentiment of F. Houbi- stance: " Thou shalt not die robs this day." This was galnt, who doth not so much as give a single intimation that certainly all that the lking declared to Abishai, that, as he Shiimei was watched, and not put to death, because he was was that day restored to the-exercise of his regal power, no not of Adonijah's party; but absolutely denies that David man should that day be put to death; and therefore he 248 1 KINGS. CHAP. 2. swore to Shimei, that he should not then die. So again, a nature, as to deserve no reproach while he lived, and to in David's direction to Solomon about Shimei, the same expose him to no just reproach after his death. And if Mr. version hath the same word " I sware to him by God: I Bayle cannot prove, that David died immediately after this will'not put thee to the sword =,)5* this day." Thus also charge to Solomon concerning Shimei, he might ha ve lived Josephus understands the words. IHe assured him, says long enough to be reproached for it to his face; and therehe, that he should suffer nothing at that time. And indeed fore it could not be to avoid this reproach, that he g's.'e this nothing further can be certainly collected from the words, charge to Solomon towards the conclusion of.:':.Xs. I as they stand connected, but that David reprieved Shimei cannot help therefore thinking, that the same reasons that from immediate execution, and left him at liberty to call led him to spare Shimei, when he cursed and stoned him, him to an account, at any other time, for the outrage and in his retreat from Jerusalem, induced him to spar him treason that he had been guilty of. To this it is objected, upon his return to it; viz. as Mr. Bayle himself expresses that probity is greatly wounded by such excuses. By what it-his acknowledging and adoring the hand of God, in excuses. What, by excusing David from breaking a the reproaches with which that furious Benjamite loaded promise that he never made; or, for putting a criminal to him; and that as God had done what he scarce allowed death whom hle only reprieved, but never pardoned 3 The himself to hope for, looked upon his affliction, and requited question is, whether David guarantied Shimei's pardon him with good for Shimei's cursing, he was resolved, in with, a solemn oath. Or, sware that he should never be imitation of his God, to requite Shimei with good, and io put to death for cursing and stoning him 3 The history bless the man who had reviled, cursed, and despitefully makes it somewhat probable that David never swore this, used him.-CANDnLER. but only that he should not be put to death at that time, as Another view of this charge to Solomon is given by Joab and Abishai thought reasonable. If this was all that Kennicott, whose remark. are well deserving attention. David promised, David broke no oath in afterward order- "David is here represented in our English version, as ing him, for justreasons of state, for execution; and probi- finishing his life with giving a command to Solomon to ty is not at all Wounded by thus excusing David, because it kill Shimei; and to kill him on account of that very is an excuse founded in truth. Instances enough may be crime, for which he had sworn to him by'the Lord, lihe produced, even in our own nation, of offenders being would not put him to death. The behaviour thus imputed brought to justice, after a very considerable reprieve, per- to the king and prophet, should be examined very carefully, fectly consistent with the probity, and equity of govern- as to the ground it stands upon. When the passage is duly ment. considered, it will appear highly probable that an injury And how is this inconsistent with piety, or the advice has been done to this illustrious character. It is not ununworthy a just and religious prince on his death-bed 3 It common in the Hebrew language to omit the negative in a is true, the forgiveness of enemies is a duty, provided they second part of a sentence, and to consider it as repeated, cease to become our enemies; but no man is obliged, by when it has been once expressed, and is followed by the any law that I know of, so to forgive an enemy, continuing connecting particle. The necessity of so very considerable such, as not to take the proper methods to guard against the an alteration, as inserting the particle NOT, may be here effects of his enmity, and bring him to justice, if no other confirmed by some other instances. Thus Psalm i. 5, method will prove effectual. Much less is a prince obliged'The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, NOR (Heb. so to forgive an implacable enemy to his crown and govern- and, signifying and not) sinners in the congregation of the ment, and one who is likely to disturb the settlement of the righteous.' (Psalmn ix. 18. Psalm xxxviii. 1. Psalm Ixxv. 5. crown in his successor, as not to order his successor to be Prov. xxiv. 12.) If then, there are in fact many such inupon his guard against him, and punish him, when guilty, stances, the question is, whether the negative, here exaccording to his demerits. Such a caution and order is pressed in the former part of David's command, may not what he owes to his people; and he may die, as a private be understood as to be repeated in the latter part; and if this person, in charity with all mankind, and forgive everypri- may be; a strong reason will be added why it should be so vate injury against himself; and yet, as a prince, advise interpreted. The passage will run thus:'Behold,thou hast what is necessary to the public good, and even the execu- with thee Shimei, who cursed me, but I sware to him by the tion of particular persons, if, by abusing the lenity of gov- -Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death by the sword. ernment, and the respite they once obtained, they should Now therefore, hold him not guiltless, (for thou art a wise become guilty of new and capital offences. David may.an, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him) but therefore still be, the man after God's own heart. I shall ring not down his hoary head to the grave with blood.' only add, that it is a very uncharitable and groundless sup- Now, if the language itself will admit this construction, position of Mr. Bayle, that David onlylet him live, first to the sense thus given to the sentence derives a very strong gain the glory of being a merciful prince, and afterward, support from the context. For, how did Solomon underon his death-bed, charged his son to put him to death, to stand this charge' did hlie kill Shimei in cbnsequence of it 3 avoid being reproached to his face of having broken his Certainly he did not. For, after he had immediately cornmword. But surely David's resolution, that no man in Israel manded Joab to be slain, in obedience to his father, he sends should be put to death who had been concerned in the re- for Shimei, and knowing that Shimei ought to be well bellion, and the moderation and lenity of his whole reign watched, confines him to a particular spot in Jerusalem for over his people, were much nobler evidences of his being the remainder of his life."-B. a merciful prince, than his sparing Shimei, whose execution, had it been immediately ordered, all the world would Ver. 16. And now I ask one petition of thee, deny have commended as an exemplary act of justice, without me not. And she said unto him, Say on. the least impeachment of his goodness and mercy. Besides, if David was so false and unprincipled a wretch, as this The Hebrew has for " deny me not," " turn not away my supposes him, I cannot but think he would have little re- face." When a man has gained the attention of the person to garded such reproaches, if he had had an inclination, in whom he wishes to speak, he generally says (,ot:-calv:c-riaehis lifetime, out of revenge to have put him to death; and ram, i. e. one request only, to show he is not going to give him if he was so cautious of these reproaches while he lived, I much trouble, and to ask for many things. Adonijah said can scarce think he would have given an order that should to Bathsheba, "turn not away my face:" under simiiar have blasted the glory of that character, and eternally circumstances it would be said here, "Ah! do not make stained his memory with the complicated guilt of hypocrisy, ry face ashamed-Do not put away my face-Reject niot perfidy,. and cruelty, and subjected his memory to them my face."-RoBErTs. after death. Besides, whose reproaches would he have been afraid of. What, Shimei's. Surely he might have Ver. 19. Bath-sheba therefore went unto king oSolput him to death by the hands of his officers, without ever omon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And permitting Shimei to reproach him to his face; and I pre- the k the kin o-rose up to meet her, and bowed. himsnme few of his courtiers would have cared, or dared, thus LO reproach him. The truth of the case is-the charge self unto her, and sat down on his throne, and concerning Shimnei could not be given till David had estab- caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; hished Solomon on his throne. It concerned Solomon only, and she sat on his ight hand. and he gave him the caution, because necessary to the peace and security of his future reign; and it was of such When visited by a superior, the Persian rises hastily, and.v CHAP. 3. 1 KINGS. 249 meets his guest nearly at the door of the apartment. On larly inform us; but such was the reverence paid to the'he entrance of an equal, he just raises himself from his sacerdotal character, that Solomon would have hardly dared seat, and stands nearly erect: but to an inferior he makes to have deposed such a one from his office, had not the the motion only of rising.-MORIER. constitution of the nation authorized him so to do. The kings in the East, indeed, soon found out ways to make Ver. 23. Then King Solomon sware by the LORD, themselves absolute; but it looks as if, at the first establishsaying, God do so to me, and more also, if ment, the king was at the head of the Hebrew republic, and Adonijah have not spoken this word against his to his correction insomuject, and, thatn all affairs, sbmitted own life. 24. Now therefore, as the LORD liv- the power of his office, to the prejudice of the commonweal, eth, which hath established me, and set me on or endangering the king's person, the king might justly the throne of David my father, and vwho hath ~Pddeprive him of his honours and titles, of his temporalities and emoluments, and even of life itself. And therefore, made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah when Abiathar by his conspiracy had merited all this, shall be put to death this day. 25. And King whatever was dependant on the crown (as all the revenues Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah, the son of this place, as well as the liberty of officiating in it, were of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died. dependant) Solomon might lawfully take from him; but the sacerdotal character, which he received from God, and to which he was anointed, this he could not alienate: and Far are we from vindicating Solomon in all his actions, therefore we may observe that, after his deprivation, and any more than David in the matter of Uriah: his severity even when Zadok was in possession of his place, he is to his brother, for a seemingly small offence, looked like even when Zadok was in possession of his place, he is to higs fbrother, for a s teaingly small offence, looked like nevertheless still mentioned under the style and title of the revenge, and as if he had taken the first opportunity to cut priest. The truth is, there is a great deal of difference behim off for his former attempt upoan the kindom; and yet tween depriving a man of the dignity, and of the exercise wecannotbut imagine, from Solomon's words to his mother, of his function, in such a determinate place: between that there was some further conspiracy against him, though taking from him an authority that as given him by od, not mentioned in holy writ, of which he had got intelliencetaking from him an authority that was given him by God, not mentioned in holy writ, of which he had got inteligence, and the profits and emoluments arising from it, which were and in which Joab and Abiathar were engaged; and that originally the gif of the crown. The former of these he looked upon this asking Abishag in marriage as the Solomon could not do, and the latter, it is probable, he was prelude to it, and the first overt act, as it were, of their trea- the rather incited to do, and the latter, it is prohecy of son. It is certain, that they thought to impose upon the king, amuel, wherein he foretold Eli (frorm whom Abiathar was as they had done upon his mother, and carry their point, descended) that he would translate the priesthood from his without ever discovering the malevolent intent of it. other family, The wives of the late king (according to the customs of was of the house of Eleazar, even as Eli was of that of the East) belonged to his successor, and were never married Itha to any under a crowned head. Abisha was, doubtless, a Ithamar; so that, by this means, the priesthood reverted to to any under a crowned head. Abishag was, doubtless, a its ancient channel.-STAcKmOUSE. beautiful woman, and by her near relation to David might have a powerful interest at court; Adonijah might therefore Ver. 34. So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, hope, by this marriage, to strengthen his pretensions to the and fell crown, or, at least,.to lay the foundation for some future upon hm, an sew hime attempt, upon a proper opportunity, either if Solomon buried in his own house in the wilderness. should die, and leave a young son, not able to contest the point with him, or if, at any time, he should happen to fall This refers to the interment of Joab, who was slain by under the people's displeasure, as his father had done before the hands of Benaiah. It is probable that Joab had built him. This might be Adonijah's design, and Solomon, ac- this house for the purpose of being buried in it, as it is not cordingly, might have information of it. But, supposing reasonable to' suppose that he would erect a house in such that his brother's design was entirely innocent, yet since his a place to be the habitation of the living. Children or request, (according to the customs then prevailing,) was con- parents often build a house in a retired place, over, or for fessedly bold and presumptuous, and had in it all the ap- the remains of their dead; and the rest of the family also pearance of treason, it was none of Solomon's business to:when they die are buried there. In some of these places make any further inquiry about it, or to interpret.the thing may be seen the funeral car, or palanquin, in which the in his brother's favour. It was sufficient for him that the corpse was taken to its long home, suspended from the roof. action was in itself criminal, and of dangerous consequence At the anniversary of the death of a father, mother, or any to the state, for it is by their actions, and not intentions, that other near relation, the friends go thither to perform the all offenders must be tried. Adonijah indeed, had he lived annual rites for the benefit of their manes. Such a house, un(ler our constitution, would have had a fair hearing so long as the descendants of the dead interred there have befobre conviction. But we ought to remember, that in the the power to prevent it, will never be allowed to go to dekingdoms of the East the government was absolute, and the cay.-ROBERTS. power of life or death entirely in the prince: so that Solomon, without the formality of any process, could pronounce Ver. 38. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many his brother dead; and because he conceived that in cases days. of this nature delays were dangerous, might send immediately and have him despatched, though we cannot but Ask a man how long he has lived in the village, or a say, that it had been much more to his commendation had priest how long he has officiated in the temple, the answer he showed more clemency, and spared his life.-STACKHOUSE. is not a long time, or many years, but veagz-nda, i. e. many days. " How long were they digging that tank?"-" Ah! Ver. 26. And unto Abiathar the priest said the many days." " Who built that temple?" —" Ah! my lord, how can I tell? it has been built many days." "I hear you king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own were at the taking of Seringapatam, when the great Tippoo fields; for thou ar't worthy of death; but I will Saib was slain."-" Yes, I was." "How long is that not at this time put thee to death, because thou since V"-" I cannot really tell, but many days."-RoBEaTs. barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted CHAPTER III. Vet. 4. And the kinog went to'Gibeon to sacrifice in all wherein my father was afflicted. 27. So Ve. 4. And the king Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest there; for that wias the great high place: a unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word thousand burnt-oferings did Solomon offer upon n that altar. of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. An exception has been taken to the account of the great quantity of sacrifices which he is said to have offered on How far the high-priest Abiathar was concerned in the one altar only; but without recurring to any miracle for plot against Solomon, the sacred history does not particu- this, or without supposing this fire, which originally came 32 250 1 KINGS. CHAP. 4. from heaven, was more strong and intense than anly com- of his rings missing, looked at his companion and saw' it mon fire, and therefore, after the return from the captivity, in his ear. He immediately charged him with the theft, the altar (as some observe) was made larger, because there but the thief retorted, and charged him with having stolen wanted this celestial flame: without any forced solution one of his rings. They disputed for some time, and at last like this, we have no reason to think that all these sacrifices each determined to make his complaint before a magistrate: were offered in one day. The king, we may imagine, upon his worship patiently heard the case, but as each swore that one of the great festivals, went in procession with his no- the other was the thief,. and as neither of them could;robles, to pass his devotion at Gibeon, where was the taberna- duce a witness, he was at a loss how to decide. He then cle antl the brazen altar, which Moses had made. Each took one of them into a private apartment, and said, I canof the great festivals lasted for seven days; but Solomon not find out who is guilty, but as I perceive the rings are might stay much longer at Gibeon, until, by the daily obla- worth one hundred rupees, I will sell them; you shall each tions, a thousand burnt-offerings were consumed; and, at pay a fine of twenty-five rupees, and the remaining fifty the conclusion of this course of devotion, he might offer up you may divide betwixt yourselves. The man replied,' I his ardent prayer to God for wisdom, and God, for the con- will not have the twenty-five rupees; they are my own firmation of his faith, might appear to him in a dream by rings, you can do as you please.' The magistrate then night, and have that converse with him, that the scripture called the other man into the room, and proposed the same takes notice of.-STrscKHousz. thing; he replied,'What can I do, my lord, I must submit to your pleasure; I accept of the twenty-five rupees.' Ver. 7. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast His worship saw that the man was much pleased with the made thy servant k:ing instead of David my prospect of getting the rupees, and therefore concluded that he was the thief. The ring was then given to the other father; and I am~ but a little child: I know not man, who was the rightful owner."-ROBERTs. holw to go out or come in. So said Solomon when he came to the kingdom of his fa- Ver. 26. For her bowels yearned upon her son. ther; and so say men here, though they be advanced in The Hebrew has for y years, when they wish to speak of their incapacity for any lamenting over her suffering child, says, "Ah my performance. " WAhat can I do il this affair; I am but a in lamenting over her suffering child, says, " Ah! nly bperformance. sdhayt' can I do inthis affair; Iam but a fbowels are hot over the child." " My bowels burn in his boy of yesterday's birth " When a man pleads for for- misery. "My heart is burnt to ashes."-RoERTS. giveness, he says, " I am but a little child, it was my ignorance." Has a man insulted anotherbv not bowing to him, or refusing to take off his sandals in his presence, or by the use of some improper expressions; those who go to inter- Ver. 7. And Solomon had twelve officers over all cede for him, say, "Forgive him, sir, he is but an infant of Israel, which provided victuals for the king and yesterday." A person wishing to compliment a holy or household: each man his mnth in a year learned person, says, " I am but a little infant when compared with you."-ROBERTS. made provision. Ver. 25. And the king said, Divide the living' The eastern people to this day, it seems, support the child in two, and give half to the one, and half. expenses of government, in common, by paying such a proportion of the produce of their lands to their princes. These to the other. are their taxes. No wonder it was so in remoter ages. CharThis was apparently a very strange decision; but Solo- din gives us this account: " The revenues of princes in the mon saw that the only way to discover the real mother was Eastarepaidinthefruitsandproductionsoftheearth. There are noother taxes upon the peasants." The twelre officers of by the affection and tenderness Sie would necessarily show Solomon then, mentioned 1 Kings iv. 7-19, al e to be conto her offspring. The plan was tried, and succeeded; and for it was a proof of his sound judgment, penetration, and ac- that beloned to the kin; and the hving previsions quaintance with the human heart, if not of his extraordi- qniatance withthehuma n heartifno hsexrndi- for themselves and attendants, seems to have been,in those nary and supernatural wisdom. There are several similar times of impit, al in tifiton s times of simplicity, all the ordinary gratification his minisdecisions recorded by heathen wiriters. Snetonius, in his tr of state, as well as hismeanerservants, received. SilLife of the Emperor Clandian, whom he celebrates for his ver, gold, horses, armour, precious vestments, and other wonderful sagacity and penetration, tells us, that this em- thins of ale, came to him from other quaters: patly a peror discovered a woman to be the real mother of a young kind of tribute from the surrounding princes, partly from man, who0 sheI refused to acknowledge, by commanding the merchants, whom he suffered to pass through his cornher to marry him, the proofs being doubtful on both sides; y to and f Egypt, or elsewhere, partly from his own for, rather than commit incest, she confessed the truth. commerce by the Red Sea. The horses and armour heDiodorus Siculus also informs us, that Ariopharnes, king seems to have distribed among the most olous towns, of Thrace, being appointed to decide between three young seens to have distributed among the most populous towns, aof Thrace, being appointed to decide between three young who were to find horsemen and people to drive chariots to men, each of whom professed to be the son of the deceasedr, and lin of he Cmmerans, and claimed the succession, di- other precious things that came to him, he made presents covered the real son, by ordering each to shoot an arrow upon extraordinary occasions to those that distinguished into the dead body of the king: two of them did this with- themselves in his ervice. nd accordin to this plan of ou~t hesitation; but the real son of the deceased monarch themselves in his service. And according to this plan of out hesitation; but the real son of the deceased monarch conducting the expenses of civil government, the history of re~i~~s~ e *d.- Ga * ttVNFIz n*.g Solomon is to be explained. Commentators have not alThe great merit of the Ia inm this matter was g finding ways had this present to their minds when'illustrating this out the true mother. "A woman who was going to bathe left her child to play on the banks of the tank, when.a female demonwho was passing that way carried it off. They Ver. 23. Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the both appeared before the deity, and each declared the childC was her owvn: the command was therefore given that each pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, claimant was to seize the infant by a leg and an arm, and and roe-bucks, (antelopes,) and fallow-deer, and pull with all their might in opposite directions.'No sooner fatted fowl. had they commenced than the child began to scream, when the real mother, from pity, left off pulling, and resigned:' Harts." Dr. Shaw (Trav. p. 414) understands the her claim to the other. The judge therefore decided, that original 5,s ayil as the name of the genus, including all the as she only had shown affection, the child must be hers." species of the deer kind, whether they are distinguished by The decision of a Hindoo magistrate in the case of some round horns, as the stag; or by flat ones, as the fallow-deer; travellers is also in point. "Two travellers once went or by the smallness of the branches, as the roe. into a rest-house to sleep; the one had on beautiful ear- " Fallow-deer." The Hebrew ronn, yachmu'r, rendered rings, the other had none. In the night the latter arose, bubalhs by the Vulgate, probably denotes the bizalo; and and while the other slept, took off one of his rings and put though the " flesh of a buffalo does not seem so well tasted as in his own ear. In the morning the former finding one beef, being harder and more coarse, yet in our times per ,CHAP. 4. 1 KINGS. 251 sons of distinction, as well as the common people, and even tering a wood rather than a city." The expression in the the European merchants, eat a good deal of it'in countries Old Testament, of people dwelling nander their vines and where that animal abounds." (Niebuhr.)-GREENrIELD. their fig-trees. seems strongly to intimate, that this method The flesh of the antelope is very grateful to the taste of anciently obtained much in Judea; and that vines and figan Oriental. It is, in the estimation of Arabian writers, trees were what were commonly used in that country, Nor the most delicious and wholesome of all venison. They was this management at all to be wondered at; as the anpronounce its juices better than those of any other wild cient patriarchs found it very agreeable to pitch their tents animlal, and more adapted to the human constitution. The under the shade of some thick tree, their children might sentimeuts of these venerable ancients, are confirmed by naturally be disposed to plant them about their houses. And the testimony of several intelligent modern authors. Dr. as it was requisite for them to raise as many eatables as they Shaw says, "it is in great esteem- in the East for food, hav- could, in so very populous a country as that was, it is no inug a sweet musky taste, which is highly agreeable to their wonder they planted fig-trees, whose shade was thickened pialates;" and according to Dr. Russel, "the antelope veni- by vines, about their houses, under which they might sit son, during the winter, or sporting season, is well fla- in the open air, and yetin the cool. This Twriter mentions voured, but very lean, and -in the spring is fat, and of a another circumstance, in which there is an evident simiflavour which might vie with English venison." These larity between the ancient Jews and these more eastern statements account for its being daily served up on the people: "But for their houses in their aldeas, or villages, sumptuous table of Solomon and other eastern princes. which stand very thick in that country, they are generally Besides, the antelope has all the marks which distinguished very poor and base. All.those country dwellings are set clean animals under the law; it both divides the hoof and up close together; for I never observed any house there to chews the cud. An Israelite, therefore, might lawfillly eat stand single, and alone." of its flesh, although he was not permitted to offer it in The account the Baron De Tott gives of the Egyptian sacrifice. This creature belonged to the class of clean villages, shows they are shaded in much the same manner. beasts, w'hich the people of Israel, as well during their "Wherever the inundation can reach, their habitations are rwanderings in the desert, as after their settlement in the erected on little hills, raised for that purpose, which serve and of promise, were permitted to kill wherever they could for the common foundation of all the houses which stand find them, and use for the subsistence of their families, together, and which are contrived to take up as little room although, at the time, they might be ceremonially unclean. as possible, that they may save all the ground they can for But the ox, the sheep, and the goat, which some Writers cultivation. This precaution is necessary, to prevent the distinguished by the name of clean cattle, might both be water's washing away the walls, which are only of mud. lawfully eaten and offered in sacrIfice; yet while the cho- The villages are always surrounded by an infinite numsen people sojourned in the wilderness, they were forbid- her of pointed turrets, meant to invite thither the pigeons den to kill any of these animals, although intended merely in order to collect the dung. Every village has, liken ise, for private use, except at the door of the tabernacle; and if a small wood of palm-trees near it, the property of which ceremoniallv unclean, even to eat of their flesh. This is common: these supply the inhabitants with dates for their regulation occasioned little inconvenience to the tribes in consumption, and leaves for fabrication of baskets, mats, the desert, where they lived in one vast encampment, in and other things of that kind. Little causeways, raised, the midst of which the sacred tent was pitched; but after in like manner, above the inundation,' preserve a communtheir settlement in Canaan, their circumstances required nication during the time it lasts." Palm-trees, according either an alteration in the law, or that the greater part of the to this, are planted universally about the Egyptian villages; nation should abstain altogether from the use of flesh. The had they been as generally about the Je-wish towns, Jeripermission was accordingly enlarged; while they were still cho would hardly have been called the cily of palvm-trees, restricted to shed the blood of cattle intended for sacrifice, by way of distinction from the rest. It appears to have only before the national altar, they were permitted, when been, in Judea, rather a peculiarity. But the Jewish towns too far from the tabernacle, to kill those which they de- and houses might be wont to be surrounded by other trees, signed merely for common food, in any of their cities, or in proper for their use, which probably were vines and figrtheir houses; even the ceremonial regulation was abol- trees, which furnished two great articles of focd for their ished,\and in private clean and unclean fared alike. This consumption, and the cuttings of their vines must have permission, which is couched in very express terms, is been useful to them for fuel. That plantationsofsome sort repeated in the course of a few verses, lest the suspicious of trees were common about the Jevw ish tomuns. may be demind of an Israelite might suppose that Jehovah envied duced even from the term gei kopher, used in their lanhis people the enjoyment of what he had given them; and guage for a village, which is derived -from a root that sig"in both instances it is illustrated by an example which nifies to cover or hide.-HARMEEe. must, from the use of it, have been familiar to the Israel- Immediately on entering, I was ushered into the courtites:" " The unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of yard' of the Aga, whom I found smoking under a vine, the (antelope,) and of the hart."-PAXTON. surrounded by horses, servants, and dogs, among which I The great number of beasts required daily in Solomon's distinguished an English pointer.-TuanFNe. kitchen, will by no means be found incredible, when we compare it with the accounts of the daily consumption of Ver. 28. Barley also and straw for the horses and oriental courts in modern times, and the prodigious num- domedaries brought they unto the place here ber of servants of an Asiatic prince. Thus Tavernier, in his description of the seraglio, says, that five hundred sheep the officers were, every man according to h is and lambs were daily required for the persons belonging to charge. the court of the sultan.-RoSENMULLER. Besides provisions for themselves, the Orientals ate Vet. 25. And Judah and Israel, dwelt safely, obliged to carry food for the beasts on which they ride, or -every man under hlis vine and under his fin- carry their goods. That food is of different kinds. They tlree, from Dlan even to Beer-sheba, 21al the days make little or no hay in these countries, and are thereforetree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. ery careful of their straw, which they cut into small bits, of Solomon. by an instrument which at the same time thrashes out the corn; this chopped straw, with barley, beans, and balls Plantations of trees about houses are found very useful made of bean and barley-meal, or of the pounded kernels in hot countries, to give them an agreeable coolness. The of dates, are what they are wont to feed them waith. The ancient Israelites seem to have made use of the saine officers' of Solomon are accordingly said to have brought, rmeans, and probably planted fruit trees rather than other every man in his month, barley anid straw for the horses Ikinds, to produce that effect. " It is their manner in many and dromedaries, I Kings iv. 28. Not straw to litter them places," says Sir Thomas Row's chaplain, speaking of the with, there is reason to think, for it is not now used in those country of the Great Mogul, " to plant about, and among countries for that purpose; bit chopped straw for them tc their bulildings, trees which grow high and broad, the eat alone with their barley. The litter they use for thetm shadow whereof keeps their houses by far more cool: this is their own dung, dried in the sun, and bruisen between I observed'in a special manner when we were ready to en- their hands, which they heap up again in the morning, ter Amadavar; for it appeared to us, as if we had been en- sprinkling it in the sunimer with fresh water to keep it 252 1 KINGS. CHAP. 5. from corrupting. In some other places we read of proven- them to Mount Sinai, but only barley, with a few beans inder and straw, not barley and straw: because it may be, termixed, or the flour of one or other of them, or both, other thin.rs were used for their food anciently, as well as made into balls with a little water. The Levite's mentionnow, besides barley and chopped straw. b,5n beleel, one of ing therefore his having straw, along with other proventhe words translated provender, Is. xxx. 24. implies some- der, rather conveys the idea of his being a person in mean thing of mixture, and the participle of the verb from which circumstances, who was not able to feed his asses with pure it is derived is used for the mingling of flour with oil; so barley, or those other sorts of provender that eastern travthe verb in Jiudges xix. 21, may be as well translated, "he ellers are wont to carry with them.-HAAERE. mingled (food) for the asses,",'arnn~5 bn veyabal lechamno- In the East, horses are still fed with barley. Hasselquist reen, as, he gave them provender, signifying that he mixed observes, that in the plain of Jericho, the Arabians had some chopped straw and barley together for the asses. And sown barley for their horses. They are very careful of thus also barley and chopped straw, as it lies just after reap- their straw, which they cut into small bits, by an instruing unseparated in the field, might naturally be expressed ment which at the same time thrashes out the corn: this by the Hebrew word we translate provender, which signi- chopped straw, with barley, beans, and balls made of bean fies barley and straw that had been mingled together, and and barley-meal, or of the pounded kernels of dates, are accordingly seems to be so, Job xxivw 6, "They reap every what they usually feed their beasts With.-MAILLET. one his corn in the field"-" Hebrew, mingled corn, or dredge," says the margin. What ideas are usually affixed CHAPTER V. to secondary translation, I do not know; but Job apparent- Ver. 6. Now therefore command thou that they ly alludes to the provender, or heap of chopped straw and corn lying mingled to-ether in the field, after having pass- hew me cedar-trees out of Lebanon; and my ed under the thrashing instrument, to which he compares servants shall be with thy servants: and unto the spoils that were taken from the passengers, so early as thee will I give hire for thy servants according his time, by those that lived somewhat after the present to all that thou shalt apoint for thou knowest manner of the wild Arabs, which spoils are to them what the harvest and vintage were to others. To this agrees that there is not among us any that can skill to that other passage of Job where this word occurs, ch. vi. 5, hew timber like unto the Sidonians. " Will the ox low, in complaint, over his provender?" or fodder, as it is translated in our version; when he has not The Hebrew word nth aroz, whence the Chaldee and only straw enough,'but mixed with barley. Syriac NT'ti arzo, and the Arabic and Ethiopic t',N i'rz, and The accurate Vitringa, in his commentary, has taken no- Spanish alerze, unquestionably denotes the cedar; it is thus tice of that word's implying something of mixture which is rendered by the Septuagint and other Greek versions K.Cd'C, translated provender in Is. xxx. 24, but for want of more and by the Vulgate cedras; and the inhabitants of mount nicely attending to eastern customs, though he has, done it Lebanon still call it arz. The cedar is a large and noble more than most commentators, he has been very unhappy evergreen tree, and according to Tournefort makes a disin explaining the cause of it; for he supposes it signifies a tinct genus of plants, but it is comprehended by Linrnus mixture of straw, hay, and bran. I have nowhere observ- among the junipers.-GREENFIELD. ed in books of travels, that they give their labouring beasts The cedar grows, it is true, on the mountains of Amanus bran in the East, and hay is not made there; the mixture and Taurus, in Asia Minor, but it does not there attain the that is meant, if we are to explain it by the present eastern height and strength it acquires on mount Lebanon, on which usages, is chopped straw and barley. But the additional account the cedars of Lebanon have been renowned from word there translated clearn, and in the margin leavened, the most ancient times. But the cedar woods, which forwhich, Vitringa, observes, is the proper meaning of the merly covered a part of this mountain, have long ago word, may be supposed to make the passage difficult. The vanished. Only on the northeast side is a small wood, Septuagint seem to have thought the words signified nothing consisting of an inconsiderable number of small thick more than straw mingled with winnowed barley: and if the cedars, and eight or nine hundred younger ones. The oldword translated provender, though originallyintended to ex- est and largest cedars are distinguished from the younger press mixture, might afterward come to signifyuncompound- ones chiefly by this, that the latter grow up straight, and ed food, as Vitringa supposes, the passage is easily decipher- their boughs branch out horizontally from the stem, but ed; for though the word translated clean does commonly hang down a little; and in these two particulars, and in signify leavened, or made souxr, yet not always; signifying general in their whole form, entirely resemble our Eurosometimes mere mixing, as in Is. lxiii. 1, where it is used pean pines and firs; whereas the old cedars have a short for staining a garment with blood, and so it may signify and very thick trunk, which divides not far from the root,'here, as the Septuagint seem to have understood the pas- into three, four, or five large arms, which grow straight up, sage, chopped straw, leavened or mixed with barley. But and are very thick; some of them grow together for about there is no necessity of supposing the word translated prov- ten feet.'"These trees," says Rauwolf, "which remain ender is used in a sense different from its common and an- green during the whole year, have large trunks, which cient meaning, and signifying uncompounded meat for cat- may be'some fathoms thick, and as high as our firs; but tie; that single word may be understood to mean chopped as they have larger arms, according to which the stem straw mingled with barley, cince we find that barley, when bends, this takes away so much of their perpendicular given to beasts of labour, is sometimes mingled, or, to ex- height. The branches spread out pretty far in such a press it poetically, leavened, with a few beans, to which beautiful equality, that they look as if they had been clipped therefore the prophet might refer. The wild Arabs, who above, and made even with particular care. It may easil) are extremely nice in managing their horses, give them no be perceived before you get very near them, that there is? food but very clean barley. The Israelites were not so great difference between these and other resinous tree scrupulous, as appears from the passage I cited relating to Otherwise they nearly resemble larch-trees, especially in the provision made for Solomon's horses, but they may the leaves, which are small, narrow, and shoot out as close nevertheless think the cleanness of the provender a very together." great recommendation of it, and seem to have done so, The latest accounts of the cedars of Lebanon are girvel since Isaiah, in the above-mentioned passage, speaks of by Mr. John Henry Mayer, who visited this part in the leavened provender winnowed with the shovel and with summer of the year 1813. "I counted," says he, " nine the fan. It is not the more important to them, as a good principal cedar-trees, which were distinguished from all deal of earth, sand, and gravel, are wont, notwithstanding the others by their thickness and age, but not by their height, all their precautions, to be taken up with the grain, in their for younger ones exceed them in this respect. I measured way of thrashing. But though the Israelites were not so the circumference of the trunk of one of the largest with a scrupulous as the Arabs, giving their beasts of burden cord-, about four feet from the ground, and found it ten straw as well as barley, yet it must have been much more French ells and a half. A single branch was thirty steps commodious for them in their journeying to have carried in length to the end, when it divided into small twigs. The barley alone, or balls of bean, or barley-meal, rather than trunk of five of the largest consists of three or four divisions, a quantity of chopped straw, with a little other provender each of which equals in circumference the stem of our of a better kind; and accordingly we find no mention made largest oaks. The cedar itself, probably, belongs to the bv Dr. Shaw, of any chopped straw being carried with class of trees with acerose leaves, but is neither a pine, nor CHAP. 5-7. 1 KINGS. 253 a fir, nor a larch, though the young cedars are like the lat- been practised. The first by pushing single trunks of trees ter. The broken twigs almost resemble'the elder, and the into the water, and suffering them to be carried along by smell puts one in mind of the arbor vitre. The greatest the stream. This was commonly adopted as it regarded beauty of these trees consists in their stiff, strong, and far- firewood. The other was ranging a number of planks close spreading boughs; and, what no other kind of tree has, the to each other in regular order, binding them together, and brittleness of the wood, even of the smallest and tenderest steering them down the current. This was probably the twigs, which broke like glass, particularly the old ones. most ancient practice. The earliest ships or boats were The whole wood, probably, does not contain above eight or nothing else than rafts, or a collection of deals and planks nine hundred trees, large and small included. The young bound together. By the Greeks they were called, Schedai, and middle-aged ones bore fruit of the size of an egg, which and by the Latins, Rates. The ancients ventured out to sea were bright green, with brown rings and spots, and stood with them on piratical expeditions, as well as to carry on upright on the small twigs. This peculiarity of the fruit commerce: and after the invention of ships, they were still of the cedar also distinguishes it from other trees of the retained for the transportation of soldiers, and of heavy same genus: in other respects, it has an affinity and resem- burdens. Pliny, lib. vi. cap. 56. Strabo, lib. xvi. Scheffer, blance to them, as well by its resinous quality as its form." De Militia Navali VeterzLm, lib. i. cap. 3. Pitisci, Lexicon Hardly any kind of wood unites so many good qualities for Antiqseitat. Rom. art. Rates. Solomon entered into a conbuilding as the cedar: its wood not only pleases the eye by tract with Hiram, king of Tyre, by which the latter was to its reddish stripes, and exhales an agreeable smell, but it is cause cedars for the use of the temple to be cut down on the hard, and without knots, and is never eaten by worms, and western side of mount Lebanon, above Tripoli, and to be lasts so long, that some persons consider it as imperishable. floated to Jaffa. At present no streams run from Lebanon Hence it was used for rafters and boards, either to cover to Jerusalem; and the Jordan, the only river in Palestine the houses or floors: it was also employed in building the that could bear floats, is at a great distance from the cedarprincipal wall; and combined with stones, so that, for in- forest. The wood, therefore, must have been brought along stance, after three layers of stones, there followed one of the coast by sea to Jaffa.-BvnDER. cedar-wood. 1 Kings vi. 36. vii. 12. Ezra vi. 3, 4. Sometimes, tdo, each division of the wall was built alternately CHAPTER VI. with cedar-wood and stones, so that first a course of wood, Ver. 7. And the house, when it was in building, and then a ccurse of stones, extended from one division to the other, and so each division nearly resembled a chess- was built of stone made ready before it was board. The temple at Jerusalem, as well as the palace of brought thither: so that there was neither Solomon, was built of cedar; and in the latter there was hammer, nor ax, nor any tool of iron, heard in such a quantity of this wood, that it was called, 1 Kings the house while it was in building. vii. 2. x. 10, The house of the forest of Lebanon. (Rosenmuller.) —BuaRDE. This passage is illustrated by what D'Arvieux remarks Ver. 9. My servants shall bring them down from of Alexandria in Egypt. " The city gates, which are still Ver. 9. My servants shall bri{ng them down. from Lnd. will convey them standing, have a magnificent appearance, and are so high Lebanon unto the sea; and I will convey them and broad, that we may infer from them the ancient greatby sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt ness and splendour of the place. They properly consist appoint me, and will cause them to be dis- only of four square stones; one of which serves as the chargoed there, and thou shalt receive them: threshold, two are raised on the sides, and the fourth laid across and resting upon them. I need not say that they and thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving are of great antiquity; for it is well known, that for many food for my household. centuries past such immense stones have not been used in building. It is a matter of surprise how the ancients could Bishop Patrick supposes, " that they conveyed the pieces raise such heavy masses from the stone quarries, remove of timber from the high parts of the mountains to the river them, and set them up. Some are of opinion that these Adonis, or to the plain of Biblos." " By floats is probably stones were cast, and, probably, only consisted of a heap of meant that the pieces of timber were bound together, and small stones, which were united by the finest cement; that so drawn through the rivers and the sea." In exactly the at the place where they were wanted, wooden models or same way, timber is conveyed in all parts of the East. moulds were made, in which the cement and stones were The trees are cut down before the rainy season, all the mixed together, and when this mass became dry and sufbranches are lopped off, and the trunks are squared on ficientlv firm, the mould was taken off by degrees, and the the spot. Notches are then made in the logs, and they are stones then polished."-RosENMluLEa. tied together by ropes made of green withes gathered in the forests. If, however, the waters of the rainy season should Ver. 18. And the cedar of the house within was not reach the spot where they are hewn down, they are carved with knobs and open flowers. dragged singly to the place where it is known that in the wet monsoon they will float. Thus, in passing through re- The people of the East are exceedingly profuse in their mote forests in the dry seasoh, the inexperienced traveller, in carved work. See a temple; it is almost from its foundaseeing numerous trees felled in every direction, and then again, in another place, a large collection bound together tion to its summit a complete mass of sculpture and carved work. Look at their sacred car in which their gods are like a raft, which is also fastened to trees that are still drawn out in procession, and you are astonished at the standing, (to prevent it from being lost when the floods drawn out in procession, and you are astonished at the labour, taste, and execution displayed by the workmen in come,) is at a loss to know how it can be got to the river, work: na de in or to the sea; for he sees no track or path except that which are all indebted to the chisel of the d" sunning warklan." is made by the wild beast: he knows no vehicle can ap- The pillnars that support the verandas, their chests, thei." proach the place, and is convinced that men cannot carry he pillas that support the verandas, their chests, thei it. But let him o thither when the rains have fallen and couches, (as were those of Solomon,) the handles of differit. But let him go thither when the rains have fallen, and... ~ ent instruments, their ploughs, their vessels, (however rude he will see in one place men in a little canoe winding i ets, throuh the forest, in another directing a float with in other respects,) must be adorned by the skill of the through the forest, in another directing a float with some some carver.-RoBaRTS. men on it moving gently along; and in the river he sees large rafts sweeping down the stream, with the dexterous CHAPTER VII. steersmen making for some neighbouring town, or the Ver 7. Then he made a porch for the throne more distant ocean; and then may be seen in the harbour immense collections of the finest timber, which have been where he might judge, even the porch of judgbrought thither "by sea in floats." Sometimes the rains ment: and it was covered with cedar from one come on earlier than expected; or the logs may not have side of the floor to the other. been fastened to trees still standing; hence, when the floods come, they naturally move towards the river; and then It deserves remark, that the eastern floors and cellings may be seen noble trees whirling and tumbling along till are just the reverse of ours. Their ceilings are of wood; they reach the sea, and are thus lost to man.-RoBERTS. ours of plaster or stucco-work; their floors are of plaster or Two methods of conveying wood in floats appear to have of painted tiles, ours of wood. This effectually detects a 254,1 KINGS. CHAP. 7-10. mistake of Kimchi and R. Solomon, who, according to Ver. 44. If thy people go out to battle agaainst Buxtorf, supposed the floor of the porch of judgment whichhithersoever thou shalt send Solomon built was all of cedar; whereas the sacred writer, t em 1 Kings vii. 7, undoubtedly meant its covering a-top, its, and shalt pray unto the LORD towards the ceiling, was of cedar. Indeed here in the West, where city which thou hast chosen, and towards the these Jewish Rabbis lived, such places are usually built house-that I have built for thy name. after the eastern mode, which makes their mistake so much the more strange. Westminster Hall is, I think, paved "By a decree passed in the eighteenth year of the Eni. with stone and ceiled with wood; and such without doubt peror Adrian, the Jews were forbidden not only to enter was the ceiling and the pavement of the porch for judgment into the city of Jerusalem, (then called (Elia,) but even to which Solomon built, and which was erected in a much turn their looks towards it; which most probably had a refhotter climate.-HARMER. erence to this custom of turning their faces towards the Holy City at their prayers. I observed that Mecca, the country -Ver. 10. And the foundation was of costly stones, of their prophet, and from which, according to their idea, even reat tone stones of ten cuits and salvation was dispensed to them, is situated towards the even great stones, stnsotn t, a south, and for this reason they pray with their faces turned stones of eight cubits. towards that quarter." (Mariti.) " The Mexicans prayed generallyupon their knees, with their faces turned towards In the ruins of Balbec, stones of great magnitude are the east, and, therefore, made their sanctuaries with the found. " But what is still more astonishing, is, the enor- door to the west." (Cullen's Mexico.) In a description of mous stones which compose the sloping wall. To the west the people of the Ganow hills, we find the same custom the second layer is formed of stones which are from twenty- prevalent. " Their mode of swearing is very solemn: the eight to thirty-five feet long, by about nine in height. Over oath is taken upon a stone, which they first salute, then,' this layer, at the northwest angle, there are three stones, with their hands joined and uplifted, their eyes steadfastly which alone occupy a space of one hundred and seventy- fixed to the hills, they call on Mahadeva in the-most solemn five feet and one half: viz. the first, fifty-eight feet seven manner, telling him to witness what they declare, and that inchles; the second, fifty-eight feet eleven; and the third, he knows whether they speak true or false. They then exactly fifty-eight feet; and each of these are twelve feet again touch the stone, with all the appearance of the utmost thick. These stones are of a white granite, with large fear, and bow their heads to it, calling again upon Maha-.hining flakes, like gypse. There is a quarry of this kind deva. They also, during their relation, look steadfastly to of stone under the whole city, and in the adjoining mount- the hills, and keep their right hand upon the stone. When ains, which is open in several places: and, among others, the first person swore before me, the awe and reverence on the right, as we approach the city, there is still lying'with which the man swore forcibly struck me: my Moherthere a stone, hewn on three sides, which is sixty-nine feet rir could hardly write, so much was he affected by the sotwo inches long, twelve feet ten inches broad, and thirteen lemnity. I understand their general belief to be, that their feet three in thickness." (Volney.) god resides in the hills; and though this belief may seem in"The city of Jerusalem is utterly unlike any other place consistent with an awful idea of the divinity, these people I have ever seen. Its situation upon an immense rock, appeared to stand in the utmost awe of their deity, from the surrounded by valleys that seem cut out by the chisel; the fear of his punishing them for any misconduct in their frecontrast exhibited between the extremest de-ree of barren- quent excursions to the hills." (Asiatic Researches.) " An ness and the extremest de.ree of fertility, which border hour before sunrise, the coffeegee having prepared our upon- each other here almost every yard, without one shade coffee, retired into a corner of the room, and having, withof mitigated character on either side; the structure of the out the least reserve, performed the necessary ablutions, walls, many of the stones in which are fifteen or sixteen spread his garment on the ground, and began his prayers: feet long, by four high and four deep, the very size men- he turned himself to the east, and though several persons tioned of the hewn stones of Solomon, 1 Kings vii. 10; the entered and left the apartment during his devotions, lihe houses, where almost every one is a fortress, and the streets, seemed quite absorbed, and rose, and knelt, and prostrated where almost every one is a covered way, altogether himself with as much appearance of piety as if he had been formed an appearance totally dissimilar from that of any praying in the holy temple of Mecca itself." (Macmichel.) cther town I have met with either in Europe or Asia." — BURDER. (Carlyle.)-B oRDER. Ver. 66. On the eighth day he sent the people CIHAPTER VIII. away: and they blessed the king, and went Yer. 31. If any man trespass against his neigh- unto their tents joyful and glad of heart, for all bour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause the goodness that the LORD had done for Dahim to swear, and the oath come before thine vid his servant, and for Israel his people. altar in this house. The Hebrew has, for blessed, " thanked." The Tamul translation has, for blessed, "praised." So in Joshua Bijshop Patrick alleges, that it was the custom of all na- xxii. 33, also in 2 Sam. xxii. 47, and in all other passages tions to touch the altar when they made a solemn oath, where the word occurs, (when used in reference to God,) calling God to witness the truth of what they said, and to it is rendered, "praise," or "praised." The word bless punish them if they did not speak the truth: and he sup- among the Hindoos, is, I think, not used, as in English, poses, that Solomon alludes to this practice, in his prayer to praise, to glorify, but to confer happiness, to conve/y abceeat the dedication of the temple: "c If any man trespass diction, or to show good-will. St. Paul says, " Without all aLainst his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to contradiction, the less is blessed of the greater;" and this I cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in believe, joined with greatness, is the only idea the Orientals this house." But the royal suppliant says not one word attach to those who bless others. Hence he who blesses about touching the altar; but clearly refers to the general another, must be a superioreither in years, rank, or sanctity. practice of standing before it, for his words literally are: The heathen never bless their gods. —RoBERTs. And the oath come (Int:mo:D,) before the face of thine altar. In imitation of God's ancient people, many of the sur- CHAPTER X. rounding nations, among whom Livy and other celebrated Ver 1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of writers of antiquity mention the Athenians, the Carthaginians, and the Romans, were accustomed to stand before the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the altar when they made oath; but it does not appear they the LORD, she came to prove him with hard laid their hand upon it, and by consequence, no argument questions. from the sacred text, nor even from the customs of these nations. can be drawn for the superstitious practice of lay- The Septuagint has, for hard questions, atvlypal, eniging the hand upon the gospels and kissing them, instead of mas, riddles. The Hindoos (especially their females) take the solemn form authorized by God himself, of lifting up great delight in riddles, apologues, and fables. By this the right hand to heaven.-PAxToN. method they convey pleasure, instruction, or reproof. See he right hand to heaven. —~~~~~P.~~~ CHAP. 10. I KINGS'. 255 them in their marriage feasts, or in their "evenings at Septuagint is as natural as any, to say nothing of the auhome;"' how pleasantly they pass their time, in thus puzzling thority of so ancient a version, in which, so fBr as appears each other, and calling forth the talents of the young.- by Lambert Bos, all the copies, which frequently disagree ROBERTS. in other matters, concur. But whatever we may think of this way of translating the original word, we can hardly Ver. 4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen suppose such martial ensigns of honour were unknown in all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he the time when this translation was made. It is certain they lead built, 5. And the meat of his table, and the now appear in the Levant. Thus Windus, in his descripofI~~ hsevtnteteaco*i tion of a pompous cavalcade of the emperor of Morocco, sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his tells us, that after several parties of people were passed, ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, "came Muley AMahomet Lariba, one of the emperor's sons; and his ascent by which he went up unto the he is alcaid of the stables, or master of the horse: there lhou se of the LOcP.D* there twas no more spirit attended him a guard of horse and foot, at the head of which he rode with a lance in his hand, the place where the blade in her. joins to the wood covered with gold." Sopfi after which came the emperor himself. By these words we may understand that this ascent was The account of this lance seems to give a clear illustraconsecrated to the use of Solomon alone. Thus we are told tion, of what the Septuagint referred to in their translation by Sir George Staunton, in his account of the first presenta- of this passage; if not of the original of the ebrew histion of the British embassy, that, " on his entrance into the torian. A comparatively modern prince of Persia seems tent, the emperor of China mounted immediately the throne to have emulated this piece of grandeur of Solomon, and by the front steps, consecrated to his use alone." He also to have even surpassed it, though by means of a different Informs us, that " one highway was reserved for the use of kind of weapon from either of those I have been mentioning. lhe emperor alone; this was rendered perfectly level, dry, According to d'Herbelot, he had two troops of horsemen,.and smooth: cisterns were contrived on the sides of the consistin of a thousand each; one troop carrying macKes imperial road, to hold water for sprinkling it occasionally, of gold, each of which weighed one thousand drachms, or In order to keep down the dust: parallel to the emperor's, thousand crowns of gold; the second, maces of silver of the was another road, not quite so broad, nor swept continually same weight. These two brigades served him for his ordiawith so much care, but perfectly commodious and safe: naryguard, and upon extraordinary ceremonies each of these.his was intended for the attendants of his imperial majesty: horsemen carried his mace upon his shoulder. One tenth and upon this the British embassy was allowed to pass. All part of the number would have been extremely majes)ther travellers were excluded from these tuwo privileged tic-HanMEe. soads, and obliged to make out a path wherever they were able."-BBUnRDER. TVer. 18. Moreover, the king made a great throne VTelr. 8. flHa~ppy IaTre thy men, happy are these of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.! thy servants, which stand continually before The throne of Solomon is described as having been exthee, and that hear thy wisdom. tremely magnificent, (1 Kings x. 18,) having twelve liens; but on what part of it these ornamental animals were placed " WThen the king" (of Persia) " is seated in public, his sons, is not easy to determine, as we have no accurate idea of its ministers, and courtiers, stand erect, with their hands form and construction. We shall therefore now merely crossed, and in the exact place of their rank. They watch extract a description of the mogul's throne, which we find the looks of the sovereign, and a glance is a mandate. If had divers steps also, and, on the top of its ascent, four lions; he speak to them, you hear a voice reply, and see their lips wherein it seems to bear a partial resemblance to Solomon's move, but not a motion nor gesture betrays that there is an- stately seat of majesty. " And further, they told me, that imation in any other part of their frame."" When he places he (the mogul) bath at Agra a most glorious throne within himself at the windows of his palace, his domestics take his palace, ascended by divers steps, which are covered their station in the court before it, hard by the fountain with plates of silver; upon the top of which ascent stand which plays in themiddle, to watch the looks of their lord. four lions, upon pedestals of curious coloured marble; A principal part of the regal state in Persia consists in the which lions are all made of massy silver, some part of them number of the men who stand before the monarch; and gilded with gold, and beset with precious stones. Those we learn from the address of the queen of Sheba to Solomon, lions support a canopy of fine gold; under which the mogul that he was not indifferent to this part of eastern splendour. sits when he appears in his greatest state and glory."It is reckoned an act of great humility in the king of Persia, (Sir Thomas Roe's Voyage.) or even in a person of high rank, to walk on foot, this being Thrones were of different kiinds; sometimes they resema part of the service exacted from servants. When a bled a stool, sometimes a chair, sometimes a sofa, and prince or great man goes abroad, he is mounted on a horse, sometimes they were as large as a bed. One of the thrones and always attended by a multitude of servants on foot, one of Tippoo Saib was the back of a very large royal tiger, bearing his pipe, another his shoes, another his cloak, a made of gold, studded with precious stones; and that part fourth his saddle-cloth, and so on, the number increasing of his backwhich was employed as a seat, was covered with with the dignity of the master. These statements impart fine chintses, &c. byway of cushio-nu.-TAYLOR IN CALIMET. great force to the remark of the wise man: " I have seen' servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon Ver. 20. And twelve lions stood there on the one the earth. "-PAPxrorN. side, and on the other, upon the six steps: there Ver. 16. And King Solomon made two hundred was not the like made in any kingdom. targets of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of In after ages we read of thrones very glorious and magold went to one target. jestic. Athanamus says, that the throne of the Parthian kings was of gold, encompassed with four golden pillars, The word mns tsinnal,, used for those martial ensigns of beset with precious stones. The Persian kings sat in judgroyal dignity, which were carried before King Solomon, ment under a golden vine, (and other trees of gold,) the and which our version renders targ'ets, 1 Kings x. 16, was bunches of whose grapes were made of several sorts of supposed by the Septuagint to signifyspears or lances: and precious' stones. To this article may be very properly anas the word is to be understood to signify some sharp- nexed the following account of. the famous peacock throne pointed weapon, it may be more natural to understand it of of the Great Mogul. "The Great Mogul has seven thrones. a lance, than of a defensive piece of armour with a short some set all over with diamonds; others with rubies, emesharp-pointed umbo in the middle, considering that shields. raids, and pearls. But the largest throne is erected in the of gold were also carried before this prince, at solemn hall of the first court of the palace; it is, in form, like one seasons. One can hardly find a disposition to admit, that of our field-beds, six feet long and four broad. I counted tuwo sorts of things so much alike as targets and shields, about a hundred and eight pale rubies in collets about that should be meant here; and if such similar defensive throne, the least whereof weighed a hundred carats; bu.. pieces of armour were hardly meant, the translation of the there are some that weigh two hundred. Emeralds I 256 1 K INGS. CHAP. 10. counted about a hundred and forty, that weighed some the majestic mien, and the splendid plumage of the peacock, threescore, some thirty carats. The underpart of the can- rendered him a present not unbefitting the greatest king opy is entirely embroidered with pearls and diamonds, with the world had ever seen; and the servants of Solomon, a fringe of pearls round the edge. Upon the top of the stimulated probably not more by a sense of duty, than by canopy, which is made like an arch with foul panes, stands the inclination to gratify their amiable sovereign, were fora peacock, with his' tail spread, consisting entirely of sap- ward to place it under his eye. " For the king had at sea phires, and other proper coloured stones: the body is of a navy of Tharshish, with the navy of Hiram: once in three beaten gold, enchased with numerous jewels; and a great years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold and silver, ruby adorns his breast, to which hangs a pearl that weighs ivory, and apes, and peacocks." The Hebrew name of fifty carats. On each side of the peacock stand two nose- this bird is (,",:n) tlocdltjim, which the Greek interpreters, gays, as high as the bird, consisting of various sorts of not understanding, left without explanation; but the Chalflowers, all of beaten gold enamelled. When the king dee, the Syriac, and other translators, render it the peacock. seats himself upon the throne, there is a transparent jewel, The origin of the Hebrew name is unknown; and accordwith a diamond appendant, of eighty or ninety carats ingly various are the conjectures in which the learned have weight, encompassed with rubies and' emeralds, so sus- indulged their imaginations, or critical acumen. Bochart pended that it is always in his eye. The twelve pillars also imagines it is an exotic term; and changing the Hebrew that uphold the canopy are set round with rows of fair (unnn) thochlijim by inversion into (mvi,:) citthijim, he trapearl, and of an excellent water, that weigh from six to ten ces it to a Cushite root, intended to denote the native5'councarats a piece. At the distance of four feet, upon each side try of the peacock. Nor is it uncommon for an animal to deof the throne, are placed two umbrellas, the handles of rive its proper name from the place of its original residence. which are about eight feet high, covered with diamonds; The pheasant is indebted for her name to the Phasis, a the umbrellas themselves being of crimson velvet, em- river of Colchus, on the banks of which she first drew the broidered and fringed with pearl. This is the famous attention of the postdiluvian tribes; and African and Nuthrone which Timur began, and Shah Johan finished, and midian birds are so called from Africa or NIumidia, the is really reported to have cost a hundred and sixty millions country where they were hatched, and where they comand five hundred thousand livres of our money." (Taver- monly fixed their abode. On the same principle, the peanier.)-BunDER. cock himself is everywhere called by the ancients the bird of Media or Persia, in which the land of Cush, or Cuth, Ver. 21. And all King Solomon's drinking ves- was situate, because he came originally from that region. sels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house Aristophanes calls the peacock the bird of Persia; Suidas, of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold, none the bird of Media; and Clemens Paedagogus, the bird of sv:t h of India. Diodorus observes, that Babylonia produces a wei'e of silver: it was nothing accounted of in very great number of peacocks marked with colours of the days of Solomon. every kind. In the opinion of Bochart, India. is the true native country of that bird; but it is frequently mentioned The magnificence of Solomon, particularly with respect as a native of Persia and Media, because it was first imported to his drinking vessels, has not been exceeded by modern from India into these countries, from whence it passed. into eastern princes. They were all of gold, and it should Judea, Egypt, and Greece, and gradually found its way into seem of the purest gold, 1 Kings x. 21. The gold plate of the other parts of the globe. Hence the peacocks, which the kings of Persia has been extremely celebrated, and is were impo6rted in the fleet of Solomon, probably came from mentioned in Sir J. Chardin's note on this passage of the Persia; for in that long voyage of three years, in which sacred historian: he observes, that the plate of the king of they visited Taprobane, it is by no means probable they Persia is of gold, and that very fine, exceeding the standard would always pursue a direct course; but along the variof ducats, and equal to those of Venice, which are of' the ous windings of the coast, search for any thing that suited purest gold. The vessels of gold, we are told in Olearius, their purpose. It is even probable that they sailed up the were made by the order of Shah Abbas, esteemed the most Persian gulf, and touched at the renowned isles of the glorious of the princes of the Sefi royal family, who died Phcenicians, Tyrus or Tylus, and Aradus, at no great dis1629. It seems that he caused seven thousand two hundred tance from Persia. marks of gold to be melted upon this occasion; that his The elegance of the peacock's form, and the brilliancy of successors made use of it whenever they feasted strangers; his plumage, seem to be the principal reasons mhich induand that it consisted chiefly of dishes, pots, flagons, and ced the mariners of Solomon to bring him into Palestine, other vessels for drinking. A French mark is eight of and that the sacred historian so distinctly mentions the their ounces, and is but four grains lighter than an English circumnstance. Nature, according to the remark of Varounce troy. Abbas then melted on this occasion near thirty- ro,.has certainly assigned the palm of beauty to the peasix thousand English troy ounces of the purest'gold, or al- cock; but since the introduction of the ape into Palestine, most forty-one three-fourths Jewish talents. Astonishing an animal neither distinguished by the elegance of his magnificence of Persia! Nor have we reason to think that form, nor the brilliancy of his colour, is mentioned at the of Solomon was inferior. We may believe, sure, his royal same time, the historian might intend to direct the reader's drinking vessels were of equal weight, when the two hun- attention, as well to the riches and splendour of Solodred targets Solomon made, I Kings x. 16, weighed but mon, as to his taste for rare and curious articles of natural little less than the drinking vessels of Shah Abbas. Sir history. In the Lesser Asia, and in Greece, the peacock was J. Chardin's way of comparing the glory of Solomon, with long held in high estimation. and frequently purchased by that of a most illustrious monarch of Persia of late ages, the great and thewealthy, ata very great price. We learn, is perhaps one, of the most efficacious methods of impres- from Plutarch, that in the age of Pericles, a person ast sing the mind with an apprehension of the magnificence of Athens made a great fortune by rearing these birds, and this ancient Israelitish king, and, at the same time, appears showing them to the public, at a certain price, every new to be perfectly just.-HARMER. moon; and to this exhibition, the curious Gre.eks crowded fromn the remotest parts of the country. The keeper of Ver. 22. For the king had at sea a navy of these birds, the same author informs us, sold a male and Tharshish wsith the navy of Hiram: once in female for a thousand drachms, about thirty-six pounds of three years came the navy of Tharshish, bring- our money. Peacocks were very rare in Greece, even in the time of Alexander, who, by the testimony of 2Elian, ing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and pea- was struck with astonishment at the sight of these birds on cocks. the banks of the Indus; and from admiration of their beauty, commanded every person that killed one of them., to be this beautiful bird, which is now familiarly known to severely punished. At Rome, as the same historian relates, perhaps every nation of Europe, does not seem to have when Hortensius first killed one for supper, he was found *his way into Palestine before the reign of Solomon. brought to trial, and condemned to pay a fine. Their eggs, That rich and powerful monarch, added to his unexam- according to Varro, were sold in his time at five denari, pled wisdom, a taste for natural history; and every three or more than three shillings a piece; and the birds themyears his fleets returned laden with the most curious and selves commonly at about two pounds of our money. The valuable products of distant regions. The elegant shape, same writer affirms, that M. A ufidius Luzeo derived an CHAP. 10-12. 1 KINGS. 257 vearly revenue of more than sixty thousand pieces of silver, men, and not God, and their horses were flesh, and not which amounts to four hundred and sixty-eight pounds spirit." The high estimation in which the Egyptian horses fifteen shillings sterling, from the sale of peacocks; for al- were held, and. the eagerness with which the surrounding though their flesh is not better tasted than that of a domestic nations purchased them at exorbitant prices, might be one forwl, they were sold at a much greater price on account of reason for enacting the law which forbade the chosen the richness and brilliancy of their plumes. These state- people to multiply horses, that they might not idly waste ments prove, that the peacock was deemed, in remote ages, their substance, and especially, that they might not return a present not unworthy of a king.-PAXTON. again into Egypt, the scene of their grievous oppression, The last word auern tukkiyeem, of those paragraphs which even for the purposes of commerce.-PAXTON. slescribe the imports of Solomon's navy from Tharshish, is dubious: some of the learned have thought it means pat'sots, CHAPTER XI. the greatest number, peacocks. What led some of the curi- Ver. 36. And unto his son will I give one tribe, ous to imagine parrots were meant, I do not well know; that David my servant may have a light always but there is a passage in Hasselquist, which strongly in- before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have clines me to adopt their sentiment: describing the commerce of the people of Ethiopia, he says. the Abyssinians chosen me to put my name there. make a journey every year to Cairo, to sell the products of their country, slaves, gold, elephants, drugs, monkeys, The houses in the East were, from the remotest antiquity, parrots, &c. As Solomon's navy is said to have brought lighted with lamps; and hence it is so common in scripgold and silver, elephants' teeth, and apes, and peacocks, ture to call everything which enlightens the body or nind, and this by the way of the Red Sea, 1 Kings ix. 26, which which guides or refreshes, by the name of a lamp. These washes the east of Abyssinia, one would imagine, as many lamps were sustained by a large candlestick set upon the of: the other particulars tally with each other, that instead of ground. The houses of Egypt, in modern times, are never peacocks, the true translation of the last word is parrots. without lights; they burn lamps all the night long, and in Religion indeed is not at all concerned in this uncertainty; every occupied apartment. So requisite to the comfort of but it is. a matter of curiosity, and as such may, with great a family is this custom reckoned, or so imperious is the propriety, be taken notice of in these papers.-HAnMER. power which it exercises, that the poorest people would rather retrench part of their food than neglect it. If this Ver. 28. And Solomon had horses brought out custom prevailed in Egypt and the adjacent regions of of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants Arabia and Palestine in former times, it will impart a received the linen yarn at a price. beauty and force to some passages of scripture, which have been little observed. Thus, in the language of Jeremiah, Horses were conducted to foreign markets in strings; a to extinguish the light in an apartment is a convertible circum~stance " favourable to those interpreters, who would phrase for total destruction; and if it was the practice in refer the whole passage, 1 Kingos x. 28, and 2 Chron wu 16d Judea, as in modern Egypt, which can scarcely be doubted, refver the whole passage, I Kings h. 28, and 2 Chrn. i. 16b to horses, instead o inen arn, which seems rather to breakl to keep a lamp continually burning in an occupied apartthe connexion of the verses." Some are therefore inclined ment, nothing can more properly and emphatically repreto read, "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, sent the total destruction of a city, than the extinction of even styrings of' horses, (literally, drawiings out-prolonga- the lights. " willtake from them thelight of a candle tions:) the icing's merchants received the strings, i. e. of and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishhorses, in cosnntation, mexchange, or barter. And a chariot, ment." Job describes the destruction of a family among or set of chariot horses, (i. e. four,) came up from Egyptthe Arabs, andthe desolation of their dwellings in the very for six hundred sheldels of silver, and a single horse for language of the prophet: How. oft is the candle of the one hundred and fifty."-And these he sold again, at a wicked put out, and how oft cometh their destruction upon great profit, to the neighbouring kings. As the whole con- them!" Bildad expresses the same idea, in the folloring text seems rather applicable to horses than to linen yarn, th e light of the wied shall be so this idea, while it strictly maintains the import of the put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine." "The -words, preserves the unity of the passage. The Egyptian light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be ~horses were held in great estimation in Syria and the put out with him." A burning lamp is, on the other hand, neighbourinp countries. The breed seems to have been the chosen symbol of prosperity, a beautiful instance of introduced into Egypt at a very remote period; for the which occurs in the complaint of Job: " Oh that I were cavalry of Pharaoh was numerous and completely trained as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me, to war, when the people of Israel were delivered from his when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his.yoke: "But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the light I walked through darkness." When the ten tribes horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his were taken from Rehoboam, and given to his rival, Jehoarmy, and overtook them encamping by the sea." The vah promised to reserve one tribe, and assigns this reason, dreadful overthrow which Pharaoh received at! the Red "that David my servant may have a light always before Sea, did not prevent his successors from again directing me in Jerusalem."- PAXTON. their attention to the rearing of horses for the purpose of wrar: for the numerous and splendid studs of Solomon were chiefly formed of Egyptian horses; and in the #fth Ver. 11. And now whereas my father did lade year of his son Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, invaded Canaan "with twelve hundred chariots, and threescoreth a heavy yoke, I wil thousand horsemen." In times long posterior, the prophet yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, Jeremiah addressed the forces of Pharaoh Neco, which the but I will chastise you. with scorpions. king'of Babylon routed near the Euphrates, in these words: " Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand It is not easy to know which to admire mnost, the folly or forthwith your helmets.-Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye the tyranny of Rehoboam, who in the very commencement chariots; and let the mighty men come forth." From these- of his reign, threatened to lay aside the whips with wbich passages, it may be certainly inferred, that the strength of his father had chastised the people of Israel, and rule them the Egyptian armies chiefly consisted in cavalry and chari- with scorpions; it was adding insult to cruelty. Nor is the ots of war. The Egyptian warrior adorned the neck of his injurious treatment much alleviated, although the idea of charger with small bells, which were of great use when some interpreters were admitted, that the scorpion was the he had to engage with enemies mounted on camels, the name of a kind of whip in use among the Jews armed noise of which these animals cannot endure. In allusion with points like the tail of that animal. The sting of the to this custom, which was probably adopted by Solomon, scorpion occasioned an excruciating pain, although death who delighted so much in pomp and shorw, it is promised, did not ensue. This is attested by John, in the book of" " upon the bells of the horses shall be written, Holiness to Revelation: "And to them it was given that th.y should not the Lord." The Egyptian horses appear to have been kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; much stronger than the Syrian breed, and by consequence, and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when. much more useful in the field. On this account, the prophet he striketh a man." And so intolerable is the agony, that Isaiah tells the people of Israel, that "the Egyptians were it is added, " In those days shall men seek death, and shall 33 253 1 KINGS. CHAP. 13. not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from Ver. 32. For the saving which he cried by the them." If the Jews used a whip which they called a scord of the LORD against the altar in B-.thel, pion, it must have been because it occasioned a similar tor n ment. If these things are properly considered, we shall ahd against all the houses of the high places cease to wonder at the instantaneous revolt of the ten which are in the cities of Samaria, shal surely tritbes; for it is not easy to conceive an address more cal-to pass. culated to rouse and exasperate the bitter passions of a highspirited people, than the puerile and wicked speech of Leaving Nablous, the road lies along the narrow vale, Rehoboam.-PAXTON. and, in about three quarters of an hour, conducts the trayCHAPTER XIII' elldr to a copious spring of good water, called Beersheba. This, Dr. Richardson says, is the broadest and best cultiVer. 2. And he cried against the altar in the vated part of the valley; he saw the natives busily engaged word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus (May) in reaping a scanty crop of barley. Maundrell saith the, LORD, Behold, a child shall be born notices a village on the left of the road. (going northward) called Barseba, deriving its name, no doubt, from this well; unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and and, half an hour farther, another village, which he calls upon thee shall he offir the priests of the high Sherack. After leaving Beersheba, Dr. Richardson's acpl aces that burn incense upon thee, and meln's count makes the road ascend. " In about a quarter of an aones shall be burnitnce upon thee. and n s Ihour," he says, "we reached the top of the hill; and as we wound our way down the other side, had an excellent view These words were uttered in consequence of the profana of the delightfully situated Sebaste. In a few minutes we tion of the altar, and the wickedness of those concerned. passed a ruined aqueduct of Roman architecture, and Has a man brought or purchased a kid for sacrifice to his pitched our tents at the bottom of the hill, nearly opposite deity, and should it have been stolen, he goes to his god to to its unwqrthy successor, a poor village of the same name; l, he goes tohis god to having travelled this day about nine hours." This makes tell his story, and then says, " O Swamy! may the bones having tralelled this day aout nine hotrs." This males and the body of him who stole the kid intended for you, be the distance from Khan Leban about twenty-seven miles, ofered up t you as a sacrifice." Whoever walks upon the but allowing for deviations from the direct track, twentyoffered up to you as a sacrifice." Whoeverwalks upon the Dplace where men's bones have been burnt, becomes im-four miles, an s ixteen hours, or foty-eight miles fro pure.-ROBERTS. Jerusalem. Josephus, however, makes it but one day's journey from the capital. It is six miles beyond Napolose; Ver. 6. And the kingf ansxwered antd said unto the and if the distance of the latter place is correctly given by our authorities, it cannot exceed forty miles. Sebaste is the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD name which Herod gave to the ancient Samaria, the impethy God, and pray for me, that my hand may rial city of the ten tribes, in honour of Augustus (Sebastos) be restored me, again. And the man of God Cesar, when he rebuilt and fortified it, converting the besought the LORD, and the kiing~'s hand was greater part of it into a citadel, and erecting here a nrble temple. " The situation," says Dr. Richardson, " is exrestored him again, and became as it was before. tremely beautiful, and strong by nature; more so. I thinlr, than Jerusalem. It stands on a fine, large, insulated hill, This il said' in reference to the hand of Jeroboam, compassed all around, by a broad deep valley; and when which had become stiff in consequence of the violence he fortified, as it is stated to have been by Herod, one would had offered to the prophet. The face of the Lord was to have imagined that, in the ancient system of warfare, be entreated. Has a man injured another, he says, " Ah! nothing but famine could have reduced such a place. The my lord, forgive me for the sake of the FACE of your son." valley is surrounded by four hills, one on each side, which Or, does he wish another to intercede for him, he says, are cultivated in terraces up to the top, sown with grain, Ah! go, and beseech his face for me." A man, whose and planted with fig and olive trees, as is also the valley. name was Veatha-Veydtha'r, was once asked by some The hill of Samaria likewise rises in terraces to a height prophet, "Who is the greatest god,.Siva or Vishnoo'" equal to any of the adjoining mountains. The present vilThe man then stretched forth his hand towards a temple of lage is small and poor, and, after passing' the valley, thie Vlshnoo, and said, " He is the greatest." Immediately his ascent to it is very steep. Viewed from the station of out arm became stiff and withered. The prophet, seeing this, tents, it is extremely interesting, both from its natural situthen prayed to Siva, and his hand was restored.-RoBERTS. ation, and from the picturesque remains of a ruined convent of good Gothic architecture. Ver. 31. And it came to pass, after he had buried "Having passed the village, towards the middle of the him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I first terrace, there is a number of columns still standing. I am~ dead, then bury rme in the sepulchlre wherein counted twelve in one row, besides several that stood apart, the brotherless remains of other rows. The situation is the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside extremely delightful, and my guide informed me, that they his bones. belonged to the serai, or palace. On the next terrace there are no remains of solid building. but heaps of stone, and His object in making this request, was no doubt a selfish lime, and rubbish, mixed with soil, in great profiusion. one; he believed the deceased was a good man, and felt a Ascending to the third or highest terrace, the traces of hope, that if his body were to rest near him it would be former buildings were not so numerous, but we enjoyed a protected from insult, and that with him he would share the delightful view of the surrounding country. The eye passed blessings of the resurrection. Wherever the body or the over the deep valley that encompasses the hill of Sebaste, bones of Hindoo or Mohammedan saints are buried, there and rested on the mountains beyond, that retreated as they will others also wish to be interred. Often, when men think rose with a gentle slope, and met the view in every directhemselves near death, they say, " Take care that youbury tion, like a book laid out for perusal on a reading-desk. me near -.e holy man. Ah! remember you are to put me This was the seat of the capital of the short-lived and near to f. q, sacred place." The idea seems to be, that the wicked kingdom of Israel; and on the face of these mountspot bei; _ thus sanctified, neither devils nor evil spirits can ains the eye surveys the scene of many bloody conflicts injure them. Numbers are carried to a great distance to be and many memorable events. Here those holy men of thus interred.-ROBERTS. God, Elijah and Elisha, spoke their tremendous warnings Not far from this is another large mausoleum, built by in the ears of their incorrigible rulers, and wrought their Shah Suleimain, over the remains of a mussulman doctor miracles in the sight of all the people. From this lofty of the name of Mollah Hossein, who was a native of Con- eminence we descended to the south side of the hill, where sori, a large town of Irak Ajem, three days' journey from we saw the remains of a stately colonnade, that stretches Ispahan. Around these and such like monuments are, in along this beautiful exposure from west to east. Sixty general, to be seen collections of minor tombs; for it is a columns are still standing in one row. The shafts are plain, received opinion, that those who are buried in the vicinity and fragments of Ionic volutes, that lie scattered about, tesof a holy personage will meet with his support at the day tify the order to which they belonged. These are probably of resurrection.-MORIER. the relies of some of the magnificent structures with which CHAP. 14. 1 KINGS, 259 Herod the Great adorned Samaria. None of the walls When Dr. Perry travelled in Egypt, and visited the temple remain." Mr. Buckingham mentions a current tradition, at Luxor, he says, "We were entertained by the calif that the avenue of columns formed a part of Herod's palace. here with great marks of civility and favour; lie sent us, According to his account there were eighty-three of these in return of our presents, several sheep, a good quantity cf columns erect in 1816, besides others prostrate; all without eggs, bardacks," &c. These bardacks he had described a:apitals. Josephus states, that, about the middle of the city, little before, in speaking of a town called Keene: "Its chief Herod built "a sacred place, of a furlong and a half' in manufactory," he there tells us, "is in bardacks, to cool tircuit, and adorned it with all sorts of decorations; and and refresh their water in, by means of which it drinks;herein erected a temple, illustrious for both its largeness very cool and pleasant in the hottest seasons of the year. snd beauty:" It is probable that these columns belonged to They make an inconceivable quantity of these, which they it. On the eastern side of the same summit are the remains, distribute to Cairo, and all other parts of Egypt. They Mr. Buckingham states, of another building, "of which send them down in great floats, consisting of manly thoueight large and eight small columns are still standing, with sands, lashed together in such a manner as to bear the many others fallen near them. These also are without weight of several people upon them. We purchased a zapitals, and are of a smaller size, and of an inferior stone good many of them for the fancy, at so inconsiderable a to the others." "In the walls of the humble dwellings price as twenty pence a hundred; and are really surprised forming the modern village, portions of sculptured blocks how they could make them for it."-BunRDER. of stone are perceived, and evenfragments of granite pil- The presents made to the ancient prophets were not lars have been worked into the masonry." The Gothic always of the same kind and value; an inhabitant of Baalconvent referred to by Dr. Richardson, is the ruined cathe- shalisha "brought the man of God bread of the first-fruits, dral, attributed, like every thing else of the kind in Pales- twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk.' tine, to the Empress Helena. It stands east and west, and The king of Israel sent a present by his wife to the prophet is about one hundred feet in length, by fifty in breadth.- Ahijah, of ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruise of honey; MODERN TRAVELLER. which, it appears from other statements,' was not deerneck unworthy of an eastern king. Some commentators are of CHAPTER XIV. opinion, that it was a present fit only for a peasant to make, er. 3. And tae ith thee ten laves, and crac and was designedly of so small value, to conceal the rank of the messenger. But this idea by no means corresponds nels, and a cruise of honey, and go to him: he with the custom of the East; for D'Arvieux informs us, shall tell thee what shall become of the child. that when he waited on an Arabian emir, his mother and sister sent him a presentof pastry, honey, fresh butter, When they consulted a prophet, the eastern modes re- with a basin of sweetmeats, which differs very little firom quired a present; and they might think it was right rather the present of Jeroboam. It was certainly the wish of the to present him with eatables than other things, because it king, that his wife should not be recognised by the aged frequently happened that they were detained some time, prophet; but the present she carried, though not intended waiting the answer of God, doring which hospitality would to discover her, was, in the estimation of the Orientals, rot require the prophet to ask them to take some repast with unbecoming her rank and condition.-PAxToN. him. And as the prophet would naturally treat them with Travellers agree that the eastern bread is made in small, some regard to their quality, they doubtless did then, as the thin moist cakes, must be eaten new, and is good for nothing Egyptians do now, proportion their presents to their avowed when kept longer than a day. This, however, admits of ranl and number of attendants. "This custom," (of making exceptions. Dr. Russel of late, and Ranuwolf formerly, presents,) says Maillet, "is principally observed in the fre- assure us, that they have several sorts of bread and cakes. quent visits which they make one another through the course Some, Rauw.olf tells us, done with yelk of eggs, some mnixof the year, which are alwvays preceded by presents of fowls ed with several sorts of seeds, as of sesamum, Romish cosheep, rice, coffee, and other provisions of different kinds. riander, and wild garden saffron, which are also,treued These visits, which relations and friends make regularly to upon it: and he elsewhere supposes that they prepare biseach other, were in use among the ancient Egyptians; and cults for travelling. Russel also mentions this strewing though they are often made without going out of the same of seeds on their cakes, and says they have a variety of city, yet they never fail of lasting three or four days, and rusks and biscuits. To these authors let me add Pitts, who sometimes eight. They carry all their family with them, tells us, the biscuits they carry with them from Egypt will if they have pny; and the custom is, as I have just observed, last them to Mecca and back again.'So the scripture to send presents beforehand, proportionable to their rank, supposes their loaves of bread were very small, three of and the number of their attendants." In other cases, the them being requisite for the entertainment of a single perpresents that anciently were, and of late have been made to son, Luke xi. 5; that they were generally eaten new, and personages eminent for study and piety,were large sums of baked as they wanted them, as appears from the case of money or vestments. Sums of money are presented also to Abraham; that sometimes, however, they were made so others, by princes and great personages. Sir John Chardin as to keep several days; so the shew-bread was fit food after observes, in his MS., on occasion of Joseph's being said to having stood before the Loan a week. And that bread for have given Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver, Gen. travellers was wont to be made to keep some time, apxlv. 22, that the kings of Asia almost always make presents pears from the pretences of the Gibeonites, Josh. ix. 12; of this kind to ambassadors, and other strangers of consid- and the preparations Joseph made for Jacob's journey into eration who have brought them presents. So the Calif Egypt, Gen. xlv. 23. In like manner, too, they seem to have Mahadi, according to D'Herbelot, gave an Arab-that had had then a variety of eatables of this kind, as the Alepentertained him in the desert, a vest and a purse of silver: pines now have. In particular, some made like those on as to vestments, D'Herbelot tells us, that Bokhteri, an illus- which seeds are strewed, as we may collect from that part trious poet of Cufah, in the ninth century, had so many of the present of Jeroboam's wife to the prophet Ahijah, presents made him in the course of his life, that at his which our translators have rendered cr'c7l.els, 1 Kings xiv. death he was found possessed of a hundred complete suits iii. Buxtorf indeed supposes the original word =,'up) na/kof clothes, two hundred shirts, and five hundred turbans. kadeem, signifies biscuits, called by this name either because D'Arvieux tells us, that when he waited on an Arab they were formed into little buttons like some of our ginger-' emir, his mother and sister, to gratify whose curiosity that bread, or because they were pricked full of holes after a. parvisit was made, sent him, early in the morning after his ticularmanner. Thelastofthese two conjectures, Iimaginc, arrival in their camp, a present of pastry, honey, fresh was embraced by our translators of this passage, for cq'ar1butter, with a basin of sweetmeats of Damascus. Sir John nels, as they are all over England of the same form, are Chardin tells us, in his Travels, of an officer whose busi- full of holes, being formed into a kind of flourish of latticeness it was to register the presents that were made to his work. I have seen some of the unleavened bread of our master or mistress; and I have since found the same prac- English Jews, made in like manner, in a net-work form. rice obtains at the Ottoman court: for Egmont and Heyman, Nevertheless, I think it more natural to unnderstand the speaking of the presents made there on the aqcount of the word of biscuits spotted with seeds; for it is used elsewhere circumcision of the grand seignior's children, tell us that all to signify works of gold spotted with studs of silver; and, h b bhrdenesgnfygod spotted wtmodJs.i 51; ad these donations, with the time when, and on what occasion as it should seem, bread spotted with mould, Josh. ix. 5-12; given, were carefully registered in a book for that purpose. how much more natural then is it to understand the word 250 1 K INGS. C' CHAP. 15. of cakes spotted u ith seeds, which are so common, that not fusion of royal blood, which was otherwise inevitably tc oinly Raulwolf and Russel speak of them at Aleppo, but follow. The remedy was a humane and gentle one; they Hanway tells us, too, that the cakes of bread that were pre- were confined in a good climnate upon a high mountain, and sented to him at the house of a Persian of distinction, were maintained there at the public expense. They are there in like manner sprinkled with the seeds of poppies and taught to read and write, but nothing else; 750 cloths for other things, than of cracknels, on account of their being wrapping round them; 3000 ounces of gold, which is 30,000 tull of holes. It is used for things that are spotted we know, dollars, or crowns, are allowed by the state for their maininever ~in any other place for a thing full of holes. Our tenance. These princes are hardly used, and, in troublous translators then do no; appear to have been very happy in times, often put to death upon the smallest misinformation. the choice of the word cracdcoels here. —HARME. While I was at Abyssinia, their revenue was so grossly misapplied, that some of them were said to have died with Vetr. 6. And it was so, when Ahijah heard the hunger and of cold, by the avarice and hard-heartddness sound of her feet,- as she came, in at the door, of Michael neglecting to furnish them necessaries. Nor that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; had the king, as far as I could discern, that fellow-feeling tone would have expected from a prince rescued from that why feignest thou thyself to be another? for i very situation himself. Perhaps this was owing to his fear camn sent to thee wit/h heavy tidings. of Ras Michael. " However that be, and however distressing the situation This woman disguised herself in order to deceive the of those princes, we cannot but be satisfied with it, when prophet, and therefore he addressed her by name, to show we look to the neighbouring kingdom of Sennaar or Nubia. that she was known to him. Married women are general- There no mountain is trusted with the confinement of their ly spoken to as the WIFE of such a person. Supposing a princes, but as soon as the father dies, the throats of all the mnarried female to be in a crowd, and a man on the outside collaterals, and all their descendants that can be laid hold of, -wishes to speak to her, he will say, " Come hither, wife are cut; and this is the case with all the black states in the of Chinne Tamby;;" lite-ally, Chinne Tamby's wife, hither desert west of Sennaar, Dar Four, Sele, and Bagirma." cose. "0! Muttoo's wife, where are you." Should a (Bruce.) We see now how Athaliah might destroy, not person have to speak to a female who is walking before merely an individual, but all the seed royal, (2 Kings xi. 1,) him, he will not call her by name, but address her, "Such because, if she found access to the palace to accomplish a ore's wife, I wish to speak to you."- ROBERTS. the slaughter of any one, she might easily cut off the whole. This also renders credible the slaughter of Ahab's sons, YTer. 10. Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon seventy young persons at one time. They were kept shut the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from up, it seems, in Samaria, where their keepers became their Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, destroyers. How far the same confinement might tale place in the instance of the sons of Gideon, (Judges ix. 2, 5,) we arnd him that is shut up, and left in Israel, and cannot determine; but it should appear, that at least. they will take away the remnant of the house of were kept in one place of abode, whether that place were Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it the mansion or the tower of their father.-TAYLOR iN be all gone. CHAPTER XV. Sometimes, when a successful prince has endeavoured to Ver. 2. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. exstirpate the preceding royal family, some of them have e-scaped the slaughter, and secured themselves in a fortress And his mother's name was Maachah, the or nlace of secrecy, while others have sought an asylum in daughter of Abishalom. f:)reign countries, from whence they have occasioned great anxiety to the usurper. The word sheet up, strictly speak- It has been conjectured by Mr. Baruh, that the phrase, ing, refers to the first of these cases; as in the preservation "and his mother's name was," &c. when expressed on a o[ Joash from Athaliah in a private apartment of the tem- king's accession to the throne, at the beginning of his hispli. Such appears alsoto have been the case in more mod- tory, does not always refer to his natural mnether, but that ein times.' Though more than thirty years had elapsed it is'a title of honour and dignity, enjoyed by one of the since the death of the Sultan Achmet, father of the new royal family, denoting hertobe the first in rank. This idea enperor, he had not, in that interval, acquired any great appears well founded from the following extracts: " The mnFormation or improvement. Shut up during this long in- Oloo Kani is not governess of the Crimea. This title, the terval in the apartment assigned him, with some eunuchs literal translation of which is, great queen, simply denotes to wait on him, the equality of his age with that of the prin- a dignity in the harem, which the khan usually confers on ces who had a right to precede him, allowed him but little one of his sisters; or if he has none; on one of his daughhlope of reigning in his turn; and he had, besides, well- ters, or relations. To this dignity are attached the revenues grounded reasons for a more serious uneasiness." (Baron arising from several villages, and other rights." (Baron De Tott.) But when David was in danger, he kept himself De Tott.) " On this occasion the king crowned his mothclose in Ziklag, but not so as to prevent him from making er Malacotawit, conferring upon her the dignity and title frequent excursions. In latter times, in the East, persons of iteghe, i. e. as king's mother, regent and governess of the of royal descent have been left, when the rest of a family king when under age."'(Bruce's Travels.) —BURER. have been cut off, if no danger was apprehended from them, on account of some mental orbodily disqualification. Blind- Ver. 18. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, ness saved the life of Mohammed Khodabendeh, a Persian the son of Tahrimon, the son of Hezion, king prince of the sixteenth century, when his brother Ismael of Syria, that dwelt at Damas, ing put all the rest of his brethren to death. —HARME.of Syria, that dwelt at n We find divine anger threatening to "cut off from Jero- 19. There is a league between me and thee, Ioam him who is shlct up and left in Israel," 1 Kings xiv. and between my father and thy father: behold, 10. In cha:, xxi. 21, the same threat is made against Ahab; have sent unto thee a present of silver and vide also 2 Kings ix. 8. This shu.tting up of the royal I ave sent unto thee a present of silver and family appears sufficiently strange to us; and the rather as gold; come and break thy league with asha, we perceive that the sons of David the king enjoyed liberty king of Israel, that he may depart from me. ufficeient, and more than sufficient. The following extracts wrill throw some light on this subject: "In one of them we I will not push my remarks on the presents of the East find the royal family. dwelling together on a mountain, any further here, excepting the making this single obserwhich, though a place of confinement, yet had some ex- vation more, that the sending presents to princes to induce ent. In the other, we find them in a palace, which only in them to help the distressed, has been practised in these name differed from a prison. The crown being heredi- countries in late times, as well asin the days of Asa, of tary in one family, but elective in the person, and polyg- whom we read, that he " took all the silver and the gold amy being permitted, must have multiplied these heirs that were left in the treasures of the house of the L,ord, and very much, and produced constant disputes; so that it was the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into found necessary to provide a remedy for the anarchy and ef- the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benha CHAP. 3. 17. 1 KINGS. 26L dad the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, the prophet said to Ahab, "Asthe Lord God of Israel ii — that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between eth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor ra. n me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, these years, but according to my word;" he could not mean, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come there shall be no rain at all for three years; for long befole and break thy league with Baasha, king of Israel, that he their termination, the whole population of Israel must have may depart from me." To us it appears strange, that a miserably perished. It is not uncommon among toe Ori' present should be thought capable of inducing one prince entals, to express a great deficiency by an absolute ne:to break with another, and engage himself in war; but as tive. Thus Philo affirms, that in Egypt they have no w nii was anciently thought sufficient, so we find in the Gesta ter; by which, according to his own explanation, he meant Dei per Francos, that an eastern nobleman, that had the no hail, no thunder, no violent storms of wind, which coi custody of a castle called HIasarth, quarrelling with his stitute an eastern winter. Pliny in like manner affirms master, the prince of Aleppo, and finding himself oblioed there ar6 no rains, no thunders, no earthqua.es in l to seek for foreign aid, sent presents to Godfrey of Bouillon, country; while Maillet, who quotes him, asserts that he h I( to induce him to assist him. What they were we are not seen it rain there several times. and that there were tIc-o told: but gold and silver, the things Asa sent Benhadad, earthquakes in Egypt during his residence. His idea were frequently sent in those times to the crusade princes, therefore, is very plausible, that Pliny meant only to state and might probably be sent on this occasion to Godfrey.- the rare occurrence of these phenomena; that it seldom feels HARMER. the power of the earthquake, and when it does suoers but little damage; that it very seldom rains or thunders, al-' CHAPTER XVI. though on the seacoast the rains and thunders are often Ver. 34. In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build very violent; but it does not rain there as in other parts oi Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abi- the world. This account of the rain of Egypt is confirmed ram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof by the testimony of two English travellers. When Pitts was at Cairo, the rain descended in torrents, and the streets in his youngest son Segub, according tb the having no kennels to carry off the water, it reached above word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the anlles, and in some places' much higher. In Upper ~~the son of NP~un. ~Egypt it rained and hailed almost a whole norning, when the son of Nun.InD Dr. Pococke was there in the month of February; and the See on Judges 11. 30, 31. following night it also rained very hard. These authentic statements unfold the true meaning of the prophet's asserCHAPTER XVII. tion, "that Egypt has no rain;" he must be understood in Ver. 1. A-nd Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the the same qualified sense as Pliny and other writers. in inhabitants of ilead, said unto hab, As t the same manner, the words Of. Elijah to Ahab must be ininhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the terpreted; they only mean, that the dew and the rain LoRD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, should not fall in the usual and necessary quantities. Such there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but a suspension of raiti and dew was sufficient to answer the c~~c ~to my wordc~. ~corrective purposes of God, while an absolute drought of according- to my word. acodn three years' continuance, must have converted the whole The latter rain falls in the middle or towards the end of country into an uninhabitable waste. But such a destrucApril, from which, if there be three months to the harvest tion is not intimated in the scriptures; and, we may conI ~~~~~~~~~~~~tion is not intimated in the scriptures; anid, w:,e may conas the prophet asserts, it must fall in the middle or towards ltde from the inspired narative, did not take place. Test the end of July. But at present in Syria, barley-harvest guilty people were certainly reduced in the righteous commences about the beginning of May, and that, as well judgments of God to great straits; but still they were able as the wheat-harvest, is finished by the twentieth of the to ubsist until his fierce aner passed aay, a mercy resame month. In Judea the harvest is still more early. The turned to bless their afflicted habitations.-PAxToN. rain, therefore, which God threatens to withhold from his people, must have commonly fallen in the first part of Feb- Ver. 4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of ruary. That a quantity of snow descends at Jerusalem at the brook; and I have commanded the ravens this time, which is of great importance to the succeeding to feed thee there. harvest, by making the fountains to overflow a little afierward, is confirmed by the authority of Dr. Shaw. It is no It is a singular circumstance, that the raven, an unclean real objection to this view, that the prophet threatens to bird, and one too of very gross and impure dispositions, withhold the rain; for the great difference of temperature was chosen by Jehovah to provide for his servant Elijah, in Palestine, may be the cause that it snows in the mount- when he concealed himself, by the divine command, from ainous districts, while it rains in other parts of the same the fury of Ahab. So improbable is the story in the eat country. By the moderate quantity of rain or snow which of reason, that morose and voracious ravens should befalls in the month of February, the reservoirs of water on come caterers for the prophet, that some interpreters have which the cities of Palestine chiefly depend, are filled, and maintained that the original word denotes merchants or the prospect of a fruitful and plentiful year is opened. Of Arabians, or the inhabitants of the city Arbo: according so great importance to the subsistence and comfort of that to this interpretation, the promise would run, "I have cornpeople are these rains, that upon their descent, they make manded the Arabs, or the Orebim, to nourish thee." But it similar rejoicings with the Egyptians upon the cutting of is easy to show that these opinions have no foundation in the- Nile. The prophet evidently refers to both these cir- scripture and reason. The prophet Ezekiel indeed decumstances; to the succeeding harvest, in these words: scribes the merchants of Tyre by the phrase ('-) "the piece or field upon which it rained not, withered;" to arbi sieea'obeha, "thy merchants who transact thy busithe state of the cisterns in these: "so two or three cities ness;" but the word orebiti,, (mn-ti) by itself, never sigwandered into one city to drink water, but they were not nifies merchants. Nor had God said in general, I ha;re satisfied." Hence, Mr. Harmer, who treats Jerome on this commanded the merchants, but I have commanded th.e occasion with undue severity, is wrong in supposing that merchants of this or that place, to nourish thee. The situthe inspired writer refers to the single circumstance of fill- tion of the place in which the miracle happened, refutes tl;e inn their cisterns with water. He refers to both, and this' other opinions; for in the neighbourhood of Jordan, where Jerome distinctly notices: " God suspended the rain," says Elijah concealed himself, were no Arabs, no Orebim, end that father, "not only to punish them with want of bread, no city which bore the name of Arbo. Besides, the Arabs; but also with thirst; for in those countries in which they then are not called in H-ebrew (=':;'; or'ebin, but (.'-';) resided, excepting a few fountains, they had only cistern- arbim, fnd the'inhabitants of Arbo, if any city of ihat water; so that if the divine anger suspended the rains, there name existed, according to the genius of the I-ebrew lanwas more danger of perishing by thirst than by famine." guage, must have been called (= aq-t'o) a'A oni.e, not oesebini. rerome certainly committed a mistake Nwhen he referied Addto this, Elijah was commanded to hide bhimself there; the words of Amos to the latter rain; but he understood as but how could he hide himself, if the inhabitants of the certainly the true extent of the threatening. I.city or encampment knew of his retreat, as they must have The former and the latter rains were, in the days of Eli- done, if his daily subsistence depended upon their bounty. fah, suspended for t-mree years and six months. But when The place of his retreat must have been discovered in a 262 1 KINGS. CHAP. 17. very short time to Ahab, who sought him with g eat in- the evening;" but the common reading is entitled to the dusti y in every direction. The solemn declaration c f Oba- preference. It gives a striking display of divine goodness, diahl to the prophet, when he went by the divine command that when the whole resources of Israel were exhausted by to show himself to the king, proves how impossible it was a long and severe famine, the prophet of the Lord was for him to remain concealed in the inhabited part of the miraculously and abundantly supplied with nutritious food country: "As the Lord thy God liveth, there is no nation twice every day. The ravens brought it in the evening or kingdom whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and in the morning, which were the stated hours of repast and when they said, He is not there, he took an oath of the among the Jews and other oriental nations. kingldoum and nation, that they found thee not." Hence The HebreW writers eagerly inquire where the ravens:hese hacreebim were not merchants, nor human beings of found the provisions to supply the wants of Elijah; and, any station or employment, but true ravens; and so the as may be supposed, very different are the opinions they te;'jn has been rendered by the whole Christian church, and advance; but on this question, which is of little imporby many Jewish writers, particularly by their celebrated tance, no certainty can be obtained. The scriptures are historian, Josephus. silent on the subject, and we have no other means of informThese voracious and impure animals received a com- ation. It was enough for the prophet, that his winged mnacindment from their Maker to provide for his prophet providers regularly supplied his necessities; and it is sufbir the brook Cherith, near its confluence with the Jordan. ficient to excite our admiration of the power and goodness The record is couched in these terms: "Get thee hence of God and our confidence in his providential care, withand turn thee eastward, and, hide thyself by the brook out attempting to discover what the divine wisdom has Cherith, that is before Jordan: and it shall be that thou seen meet to conceal. On another occasion, an angel was shalt drinkl of the brook; and I have commanded the ra- sent from hkaven to supply the exhausted prophet with vens to feed thee there." In the history of providence, bread and water in the desert; which, in the eye of reasuch commands are by no means uncommon: the locust, son, may seem to be a more becoming messenger of the the serpent, and the fishes of the sea, have all in their turn King of glory, than a raven. But "the ways of God are received the charge to do the will of their Almighty Crea- not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts;" he did tor. Thus he promised to Solomon at the dedication of not think it beneath his dignity at this time, to employ the the temple: " If I command the locusts to devour the land ravens in the same office; and he perhaps intended to teach -if my people, which are called by my name, shall hum- us, that all creatures are equally subject to his authority, ble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from and fit for his purpose. When he gives the commandmenit, their wickedness; then will I hear from heaven, and will a raven is as successful in his service, according to the forgive their sin, and will heal their land." The marine range of its faculties, as an angel; and we must not preserpent that lurks in the deepest caverns of the ocean, in sume to refuse or slight his aid, how mean soever the agent like manner hears his voice, and submits to his authority; he condescends to employ. The Jewish legislator pla\med for Jehovah directed the prophet to address his guilty coun- the raven in the list of unclean birds, which imparted pltryomen in these memiorable terms: "Though they be hid lution to every thing they touched; but the same God who from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I com- gave the law, had a right to repeal or suspend it; and that maud the serpent, and he shall bite them." Nor was the he did suspend it for a time in favour of his persecuted sergreat fish which he prepared to swallow up the refractory vant, cannot be reasonably denied. Nor was this a singoprophet, less prompt in its obedience: "And the Lord lar instance of divine clemency; for the observance of spade unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry ceremonial institutions often yielded to urgent necessity. a' His providence extends its powerful influence even The Jews were forbidden to touch a dead carcass; but Samto mnanimate objects: "I, even my hands, have stretched son was allowed, for a special purpose, to eat of the honey out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded." which he found in the dead lion. The priests only were And David, in the Spirit, complained of his ancestors, that permitted by the law to eat the shew-bread; yet David and "theybelieved not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: his men were justified by our Lord himself in using the though he had commanded the clouds from above, and consecrated loaves, when no other could be procured. opened the doors of heaven." Even the furious billows of Many are the reasons assigned: by different writers, for 1the sea dare not pass the line which his finger has traced, the employment of ravens on this occasion; but they are without his permission: "I made the cloud the garment so trifling, or so fanciful, that it is-unnecessary to state thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,' and them; the true reason perhaps was to convine the dejectbrake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, ed prophet, that although his nation had forsaken him, the and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, hut no farther; and God whom he served continued to watch over him with here shall thy proud waves be stayed." The inanimate unceasing care; and that he would employ the most unand irrational parts of creation, propeily speaking, cannot promising means, and counteract the most powerful inreceive and execute the commands of the Almighty; they stincts, rather than suffer him to want the necessaries of are only passive instruments employed by him in his provi- life. And Nwhen he saw those voracious birds. the cradential dispensations, to produce certain effects. To com- vings of whose appetite are seldom entirely satisfied, part, mand the ravens then, is to make use of them in providing of their own accord, with their favourite provision, mornfor the necessities of his servant; to impart for a time an ing and evening, for many days, and bring it themselves instinctive care to supply him with food, to which they to the place of his retreat; he could not mistake or disrewere by nature entire strangers, and which they ceased to gard the secret influence under which they acted. The feel wwhen the end was accomiplished. A command to sus- brook Cherith, on whose border the miracle was wrought, tain the destitute seer, after the brook of which he drank is supposed to be the same as the river Kana, mentioned was dried up, was addressed in a very different manner to in the sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of Joshua, which the widow of Zarephath. It was couched in words ad- watered the confines of Ephraim and Benjamin. This dressed to her understanding and' heart, while the secret broolk derived its name Kana, from the reeds, which, in power of Jehovah inclineqd her to yield a prompt and efii- great abundance, clothed its banks; among whimich the cacious obedience. On this occasion, a number of ravens prophet found a secure retreat from the persecution of his were employed, because the service of one was not sufli- enemies. Its other name, Cherith, may be traced to the cient to supply the prophet with daily food. But the cir- verb Charah, which the Greek interpreters render to feed cumstance entirely accords'with the native instincts of because on its margin the prophet was fed by the ravens. that bird; for the ravens go in quest of their prey in troops, Were this conjecture true, the name must have been given and share in common the spoils of the chase. Following, by anticipation; for which no satisfactory reason can be therefore, the instincts of their nature, which received for assigned. It is more natural to suppose, that, as the verb a time a peculiar directioh, by the miraculous interposition commonly signifies to dig, ari sometimes to rush on- with of Jehovah, a number of ravens associated together, in violence, the'name Cherith alludes to the'violent rapidity order to supply the wants of Elijah, whom his country had of the stream at certain seasons of the year, or to the deep abandoned to the rage of an impious and cruel monarch: pits which, like many other torrents in those regions, it "And they brought him bread and flesh in the morning, excavates in its furious course. The particulam situation and bread and flesh in the evening, and he drank of the of this brook is more distinctly marked by the sacred hismr.ok." The Septuagint, in many copies, read the pas- torian, who says, it "is before Jordan." This phrase sage,': They brought bread in the morning, and flesh in seems to mean, that it flowed into the Jordan; and from CHAP. 18. 1 KINGS. 263 the second clause of the verse we may infer, that its course nal, which the sacred historian employs, to denote the lay on the west side of the river, because it is said by God vessels in which Gideon's army concealed their torches, to Elijah, " Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and and which they broke with a clashing terrific noise, when hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan:" they blew with their trumpets. Both these circumstances for Elijah must have been on the west side of Jordan, when suppose they were vessels of earth, which are employed in he fwas commanded to go eastward to a stream that flowed the East for the double purpose of preserving corn and.;c the Jordan on that side.-PAxTON. holding water. The (n)c) Chad was also the vessel with Some suppose ravens to be a mistranslation, and that the which Rebecca went out to fetch water from the well; promise referred to a people who were to feed the prophet. which, in our translation, is rendered pitcher. But the The following quotation from the Scanda Purana does not Orientals never carried a barrel to the fountain, nor drew negative the opinion. but it shows, in a remote period, that water with a wooden vessel. Hence, the barrel in which birds were supposed on some special occasions to depart the woman of Zarephath kept her corn, was in reality an from their usual habits. In the relation of the events of great earthen jar. The four barrels of water, then, which Eliantiquity among the heathen, much of fable must be ex- jah commanded his attendants to pour on the sacrifice, pected, but there is often a glimmering ray of light in the should have been translated four jars or pitchers; for the obscurity, pointing to circumstances which assist the mind original word is the same in all'these instances.-PAxTON. in its attainlment of truth. In the town of Kanche (Conjeveram) it is said, " Of the birds, there is a sathaka bird CHAPTER XVIII. which takes food to the gods, a swan which gives precious Ver. 5. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into stones, a parrot which repeats science, and a cook which the land, unto all fountains of water, and unto cro w~s not in time of tronbule.''-"-R OBERTS. all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to Ver. 12. Anld she said, As the LORD thy G~od save the horses and mules alive, that we lose liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of / not all the beasts. 6. So they divided the land meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruije: between them, to pass throughout it: Ahab and, behold, I amn gathering two sticks, that I went one way by himself, and Obadiah went may go in and dress it for me and my son, that another way by himself we may eat it, and die. See on Est. 8. 10. Brooks were generally the most likely places to find grass So said the widow of Zarephath to the prophet Elijah. in a time of drought, though far from being places where How often do we see females, just before the time of boil- they might be certain of succeeding; for in such seasons, ing their rice, strolling about in search of a few sticks to herbaceous animals generally stop near fountains of water, make it ready., All their fires are made of wood, (or dried and feed in the vicinity- till all the grass be consumned. cows' dung,) and in a country where there is so much jun- Thus travellers are often greatly disappointed, who natugle, and so little rain, they seldom trouble themselves before rally expect to find grass where they find water; but on the moment they require it. But the widow said that she reaching the spot they find that the game has consumed was gathering TWO sticks; and it is not a little singular to every blade of grass.. However, as the cattle could not find that the Hindoos often use the same number when it graze long where there was no water, it was the wisest refers to MANY things. "Well, Venasi, what are you look- method Ahab could pursue. The circumstance shows ing for."-" I anm looking for two sticks to prepare my the simplicity of ancient manners, that a king and one of rice." " Child, go fetch me irextdu-taddi, two sticks, to his principal governors should go at the head of such exmake ready my curry." " Alas! I cannot find two sticks peditions. It is the same in Africa at this present time; to make the water hot." " My lord, I only ask for two for no king there, nor any of his principal chiefs, would mouthfuls of rice." " Ah! sir, if you will allow me to re- think they were at all lessening their dignity by enga'ing peat two words in your ear, I shall be satisfied." " Good, in an expedition either in search of water or grass. Indeedl, have you any thing more to say!".. No, sir." " Then I it would be viewed by the people as one of the most imhave not two words for that," (meaning, he does not object.) portant affairs in which their rulers could be engaged, and, Any person who has been in the East, will recognise, in did they succeed, few things would be likely to render them these quotations, a figure of speech he has heard a thou- more popular.-AFRIcAN LIGHT. sand times.-RoBERTS. It appears there had not been rain for three years and six The corn which they reserve for daily use, they keep in months, which must have had a fatal effect on vegetation. long earthen jars; because, when kept in sacks or barrels, What would England (situated in a temperate climate) be it is liable to be eaten by worms. This is confirmed by under such circumstances I In droughts in the East, which Norden, who tells us, that when he was travelling in Upper have lasted from six to ten months, how often have we seen Egypt, one of the natives- opened a great jar, in order to men. like Obadiah, going along in marshy places, or by the show him how they preserved their corn there. In some sides of tanks, in search of grass for their cattle. See the regions of the East Indies, the paddy, or rice in the husk, poor fellow with a basket. made of the leaves of the palis also preserved in large earthen jars, that are kept in the mirah, on his back, a little instrument (which works like house; or in small cylindrical stores, which the potters a Dutch hoe) in his hand; he strolls from f'ountain to brook nake of clay; the mouth is covered with an inverted pot; and no sooner does he see a green patch of verdure, than and the paddy is drawn out of a hole at the bottom, as it is he runs with eagerness to the spot! Perhaps he meets anwanted. It seems to have been in one of these earthen jars other in search of the same thing, when each declares he that the woman of Zarephath kept her corn, of which she had the first view. They set to work, snarling at each had only enough left, when the prophet Elijah applied to other, and dealing out all kinds of tabuse, till they have her for a morsel of bread, to make a handful of meal. In cleared the place of every green blade. Wherever there our translation, the original term (in) chad is rendered is a stream or an artificial watercourse, there the eve is barrel; but a barrel, properly speaking, it could not be, refreshed with delightful verdure; but look a few yards because a vessel of that sort is never used for holding corn from the place, and you see the withered herbage, appain those regions. Neither could it be a chest, although this rently gone beyond recoveiy, but which, in a few hours, is often used in the East for preserving corn; because the would start into fresh life, if visited by showers. The efHebrew term is quite different. In the second book of feet of rain is like enchantment on the scene, and the EngKings it is stated, that "Jehoiada the priest took (lp's aron) lish stranger is often reminded of the green fields of his own a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside native land.-ROBERTS. the altar." The same word is employed by Moses, to denote a coflin; but most generally, to signify the chest, or Ver. 9. And he said, What have I sinned, that ark of the testimony, on which the cherubim stood, in the thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand holy of holies. This term, among the Hebrews, therefore, of Ahab, to slay me properly signified a chest made of wood; never a vessel for holding water. But (n) chaed they commonly used to sig- Obadiah asked this question of Elijah, iwhen the prophet nify a jar or pitcher for holding water; which was made wished him to go and tell Ahab, his bitter enemy, " Behold, of earth, neve- of wood. It is the same word in the origi- Elijah is here." Thus, a person requested to do any thing 264 1 KIN GS. CHAP. 18. which implies danger or dlflfculty, asks, Enna-polld7ppo- And is it not interesting to know that those things which sey-t/lane? " What evil or sin hLave I done." The ques- are attributed to Baal are also attributed to Siva. " Either tion is also asked, when a mar} is visited with affliction, he is talking." The margin has, for " talking,"' meditateth. "What evil has he done."-R~ BERTS. Dr. A. Clarke says, "Perhaps the word should be interpreted as in the margin, he meditateth, he is in a profound Ver. 10. As the LORD thy God liveth, there is revery. he is making some godlike projects, he is considerno nation or kingdom whither my lord hath not ing howv he may keep up his credit in the nation." Siva sent to seek thee: and When they said, He is was once absorbed in a profound meditation: to him the not thbes'e, he took an oath of the kingdom and time appeared only as a moment, but to the world as ages, 1not 1/C7E, re took an jah o O tnd Universal nature, for want of his attention, was about to nation, that they found th'ee not. expire. Women had ceased to bear, and all things were People in England would be astonished and appalled at out of course. The gods and men became alarmed, and the freqoency and nature e otoaths of the heathen. A their enemies began to oppress them. All were afraid to the frequency and nature of the oaths of the heathen. A an's assertion or affirmation, in common conversation, is disturb him in his meditations, till Cama, the god of love, man's assertion or affirmation, in common conversation, is Is being aroused seldom believed. Thus, men may be heard in the streets, agreed to stand before him: when Siva, e aroused in the fields or bazaars, pand children h i the schools or from his. revery, sent fire from his frontal eye, which de-.in the fields, or bazaars, and children jn the schools'or stroyed the intruder. the play-grounds, say, " Swear you will do this; now take stroyer he intruder. The Hebrew has this an oath you have not done it." Then they swear by the " on which Dr. A. Clarke sars, he tiay e taring temple, or its lamp, by their parents, or children, and ap-sure in huntinD" Siva is describe taking peal to their deities for a confirmation of the assertion.- pleasure i ~~~~~~~ROBERTS,~ ~ ~great pleasure in the chase; and in the month of September, his image and that of Parvati, his wife, are taken from Ver. 19. Now therefore send, and gather to me the temple, put into a kead-agar, or car, and carried on all Is-rael unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets men's shoulders to enjoy the pleasures of the chase! Bai fsrae und and fl, and the prophets "Or he is in a journey." Siva is represented as taking of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets longjourneys, and sometimes for very discreditable purposes. of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jeze- Peradyenture he sleepeth." Siva often did this, espebel's table. cially when he took the form of a cooly; for, after he had performed his task, he fell asleep under the tree called the We are not, I apprehend, to suppose that these eight Konda Mcaram. Thus the prophet mentioned four things, hulndred and fifty prophets, or even the four hundred of in some of which their god was engaged, and consequentthe groves, ate at the royal. table, where Jezebel herself took ly, could not attend to their requests. But it was manifestly her refection; for though 1 am sensible it is not unusual improper, if he were thus occupied, for them to disturb in the East for servants to eat at the same table where their him: yet Elijah said, " Cry aloud," let him hear you; he masters have *eaten, after their masters-have done; and. is no doubt a god. that several hundreds eat in the palaces of the eastern prin- When a holy person before the temple, or in any sacred ces; yet it could never be thought necessary by Jezebel to place, is meditating, not one will presume to disturb him: have four hundred chaplains in waiting at. once at court. how, then, could they interrupt their deity! W'hen enI should think the words mean, that these foul hundred gaged in pleasure, whether of the chase. or any other prophets of the groves fed daily at a common table, in or amusement, no one dares to interfere with the great man; near the temple of that idol which they served, and which and yet Baal was. to be called from his pleasures. It is was provided for at the expense of Jezebel, living there in impioper to interrupt those that are on a journey. They a kind of collegiate way, as the prophets of JEHOvAt-t appear have an object in view, and that must first be accomplishto have done. Their business was, I suppose, to sing the ed.'No one will disturb a person when he is asleep-to praises of the idols they worshipped; and to watch from them it seems to be almost a sin to awake a man from his time to time in their temples, under the pretence of receiv- slumbers. Where is your master l " B'itt'ari," asleep; ing oracular answers to the inquiries of those that came to and then you may walk off till another day. Y'et, improper consult them; and, it may be, to teach the worshippers in as it was to interfere with Baal in his engagements, the what form of words to address the deity they served.- sarcastic prophet said, " Cry aloud." " And they cried HARM:ER. aloud, and ct themselves with knives." Here, also, Ver. 27. And it camrre to pass at noon, that Elijah the devotees may be seen cutting themselves with knives till the blood stream from their bodies, or suspended with mocked them, and said, Cry aloud; for he is a hooks in their flesh from a pole, or w'ith their tongue Cut god: either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or out, or practising other cruelties on themselves, for the exhe is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, piation of their sins, or the glory of their gods.-toBEaRs. and must be awaked. ust he awaVer. 28. Andi they cried aloud, and cut themIn the hottest part of the day the Orientals retire to rest selves, after their manner, with knives and lanon their bed, till the cool of the evening summons them cets, till the bloo again to active life. " The heathens," says Mr. Blunt, "assigned all the properties and habits of man to their If we look into antiquity, we shall find that nothing was gods, and among the number, that of reposing at midday. more common in the religious rites of several nations, than Hence was it unlawful to enter the temples at that hour, this barbarous custom. To this purpose we may observe, lest their slumbers sholld be disturbed. The goatherd that(as Plutarch de Superstitione tells us) the riests of Bel-entured not to play upon his pipe at noon, for fear of lona, when they sacrificed to that goddess, besmeared the awakening Pan. Hence, too, the peculiar force of the de- victim with their own blood. The Persian mogi used to -ision with which Elijah addressed the priests of Baal: appease tempests, and allay the winds, by making incisions And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, in their flesh. They who carried about the Sylian godand said, Cry aloud; for he is a god — peradventure he dess, cut and slashed themselves with knives, till the blood sleepeth, and must be awaked.' Accordingly we read that gushed out. This practice remains in many places at the these' priests did not despair of rousing their god, and indu- present time, and frequent instances of it may be met with cing him to declare himself,' till the time of evening sacri- in modern voyages and travels. —BuRDER file.' At that hour the period'llowed for repose had ter- There has been no little supposition and conjecture, for minated: and when he still continued deaf to their cries, what reason the priests of Baal " cut themselves, after thieir then, and not till then, their cause became altogether hope- manner, with knives, and with lancets, till the blocd gushed less." —PTXTON. out upon them." 1 Kings xviii. 28. This seems, by the The margin has, for "talking," "ineditatetl," and for story, to have been cflter Elijah had mockl:ud them, (or, at'pursuing," "hatl a pursuit." This keen and ingenious least, while he was mocking them,) and had worked up sarcasm relates, I doubt not, to their god, as having been their fervour and passions to the utmost height. Mr. accustomed sometimes to sleep, to talk, to go on a journey, Harmer has touched lightly on this, but has not set it in so or to join in the pursuit. That the Baal-peor of Assyria, clear a view as it seems to be capable of, nor has he given ar.c the Siva-lingam of India, are the same, is certain. very cogent instances. It may be taken as an instance ol CHAP, 18. 1 KINGS. 265 earnest entreaty, of conjuration, by the most powerful marks as Calmet always takes it, then it prohibits the idolatrous of affection: q. d. "Dost thou not see, O Baal! with what custom, of which it also manifests the antiquity.- Mr. passion we adore thee?-how we give thee most decisive Harmer has anticipated us, in referring "the wounds in tokens of our affection' We shrink at no pain, we decline the hands" of the examined prophet, Zech. xiii. 6, to this no disfigurement, to demonstrate our love for thee; and yet custom; —the prophet denies that he gave himself these thou answerest not! By every token of our regard, answer wounds in token of his affection to an idol; but admits that us! By the freely flowing blood we shed for thee, answer he had received them in token of affection to a person. It us 1" &c. They certainly demonstrated their attachment to is usual to referthe expression of the apostle, Gal. vi. 17, Baal; but Baal did not testify his reciprocal attachment to "I bear in my body the marks (stigmata) of the Lord them, in proof of his divinity, which was the article in Jesus," to those imprinted on soldiers by their commanddebate between them and Elijah. Observe, how readily ers; or to those imprinted on slaves by their masters; but these still bleeding'cuttings would identify the priests of would there be any degr'adation of the apostle, if we reBaal at the subsequent slaughter; and how they tended to ferred them to tokens of affedtion towards Jesus? q. d. "Let justify that slaughter; being contrary to the law that ought no man take upon him to [molest, fatigue,] trouble me by to have governed the Hebrew nation, as we shall see pres- questioning my pretensions to the apostleship, or to the ently. As the demonstration of love, by cuttings made in character of a true lover of Jesus Christ, as some among the flesh, still maintains itself in the East, a few instances you Galatians have done; for I think my losses, my suffermay be at least amusing to European lovers, without fear ings, my scars, received in the fulfilment of my duty to him, of its becoming fashionable among us. "But the most are tokens sufficiently visible to every man whc considers ridiculous and senseless method of expressing their'affec- them of my regard to him, for whose sake I have borne, tion, is their singing certain amorous and whining songs, and still bear them: Ishall therefore write no more in vincomposed on purpose for such mad occasions; between dication of my character, in that respect, however it may every line whereof they cut and slash their naked arms be impugned."-TAYioa IN CALMET. with daggers: each endeavouring, in their emulative madness, to exceed the other by the depth and number of the'er. 33. And he put the wood in order, andcut wounds he gives himself. [A lively picture this, of the the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, singing, leaping, and self-slashing priests of Baal!] Some and said, Fill four barels with water, and pour Turks, I have observed, when old, and past the follies o which possessed their youth, show their arms, all'gashed it on the burnt-sacrifice, and on the ood. and scarred from wrist to elbow; and express a great con- See on 1 Kings 17. 12. cern, but greater wonder, at their past simplicity." The "oddness of the style invited me to render some of the Ver. 41. And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee above named songs into English: up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of Could I, dear ray of heavenly light, Who now behind a cloud dost shine, abundance of rain. Obtain the blessing of thy sight, i Obtain tase blessing ofltny sight It is as common in the East to say there is the sound of And taste thy influence ati divine;'Timswould Ished my war hears rain, as it is in England to say there is an appearance of TAhs womwd I gshed my warm heart's blood, rain.,Sometimes this refers to thunder, as the precursor; As now I gash my veiny arm:.Vouldst tlhou, but like the sun, think good and at other times to a blowing noise in the clouds, which To diraw it upward by some charm.' indicates rain is at hand. In the vicinity of a hill or tall Another runs thus: trees, the sound is the loudest; and it is worthy of notice,',lovely charmer, pityme that Elijah was in the neighbourhood of Mount Carmel.-'o. lovely charmer, pity me! ROERS See how miny blood does from me fly! ROBERTS. Yet, were I sure to conquer thee, Witness it, Heaven! I'd gladly die.' Ver. 42. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. (AARoN HILL's Trevels.) And Elijah went up to the' top of Carmel; and This account is confirmed by De la Motraye, who gives he cast himself down upon the earth, and put a print of such a subject. Lest the reader should think that his face between his knees. this love, and its tokens, are homages to the all-subduing and distracting power of beauty only, we add Pitts' ac- David's posture, mentioned 1' Chron. xvii. 16, in all count of the same procedure: "It is'common for men there probability was not unlike that of Elijah, which was one to fall in love with boys, as it is here in England to be in love of most earnest supplication. I remember being present with women; and I have seen many, when they have been in the supreme court at Matura, when the prisoners were drunk, give themselves deep gashes on their arms, with a brought up to receive their sentences; and when a Cingaknife, saying,'It is for the love I bear to such a boy!' and lese woman, on hearing her son's coIldemnation to suffer I assure your, I have seen several, who have had their arims death, rushed through the crowd, and presenting herself full ofgreat cuts, as tolkens of their love," &c. (Pitts' Ac- before the bench, in the very posture ascribed to Elijah, encount of TMohammedism.) This custom of cutting them- treated, in the most heart-rending manner, that his life selves is taken, in other places of scripture, as a mark might be spared. —CXALLn.w.. of affection: so-Jer. xlviii. 37, "I Every head shall be bald, Who, in the East, has not seen the natives thus sittiig on every beard clipped, and upon all hands, CUTTINGS; and the earth, with their faces between their knees? Those upon the loins, sackcloth:" as tokens of excessive grief for engaged in deep meditation, in a loeng train of reasoning, the absence of those thus regarded. So, chap. xvi. ver. 6, w;hen revolving the past, or anticipating the future, when in "Both the great and the small shall die in the land: they great sorrow or fatigue, as coolies after a journey, may be shall not be buried, neither shall menlament for them, nor' seen seated on the ground with the face between the knees. cut themselves," in proof of their affection, and expression "This morning, as I passed the garden of Chinnan, I saw of th'ir loss; "nor make themselves bald for them, by him on the ground with his face between his knees; I wontearing their hair, &c. as a token of grief. So, chap. xli. 5, der what plans he was forming: it must have been somrne"There came from Samaria fourscore men, having their thing very important to cause him thrus to meditate. beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut "Kandan is sicde or in trouble, for he has got his face bethenieselves, withi offerings to the house of the Lord." So, tween his knees." "The man threatens to trouble you." chap. xlvii. 5, "Baldnegs is come upon Gaza: Ashkelon is -" He trouble me! I shall never put my face between my cut off, with the residue of her valleys; how long wilt thou knees on his account." "Alas! poor woman, she must cut, Ithvself?" rather, perhaps, how deep, or to what length have a ciuel husband, for she has always her face between wilt thou cut thself? All these places include the idea of her knees." Elijah went "to the top of Carmel," to mediFainful absence of the paty beloved. Cuttings for the tate on thepast and the future: there he was, after the display dead had the same radical idea of privation. The law of God's majesty in the fire from heaven, in the destruction says, Lev. xix. 28, and Deut. xiv. 1, "Ye are the children of the priests, and in the certain anticipation of rain, with of thp Lord your God; ye shall not cut our'selves, nor "his face between his knees."-RoBERTS. make any baldness between your eyes, for the dead;" i. e. The devout posture of some people -of the Levant greatly restrain such excessive tokens of grief; sorrow not as those resembles that of Elijah. Just before the descent of the without hope, if for a dead friend; but if for a dead idol, rain," he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face 34 266 1 K I N G S. CHAP. 19. between his knees." Chardin relates that the dervises, es- mean persons; but persons of figure went before him in pecially those of the Indies, put themselves into this posture, procession with songs. il order to meditate, and also to repose themselves. They We are willing to suppose, that Elijah's running before tie their knees against their belly with their girdle, and lay Ahab's chariot to the gates of Jezreel, was not unworth y his their heads on the top of them, and this, according to them, prophetic character; but as the idea of the mob's running is the best posture for recollection. —HARAER. before a royal coach will present itself to some minds, when they read this passage, so commentators are not very happy Ver. 44. And it came to pass at the seventh time, in explaining this piece of the history of Elijah. Bishop that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud Patrick supposes hp ran before Ahab like one of his footout of the sea, like a man's hand, And he said, men, in which he showed his readiness to do the, king all imaginable honour, and that he was far from being his Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, enemy: would it however have become Becket, the Archand get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. bishop of Canterbury, to have run before the horse of Henry II. to show he was not his enemy. or even Friar Peito That is, says Bp. Patrick, Elijah saw such abundance of before Henry VIII. to do him all imaginable honourI rain coming as would cause floods, and render the way But if Ahab had chanters running before him, like Nadir impassable, if Ahab did not make haste home: and accord- Shah, it does not appear at all contrary to the rules of decoingly, in a very short space of time that little cloud spread rum, for one brought up to celebrate the divine praises, to itself, and with a great thickness covered the face of the put himself at the head of them, to direct them, in singing sky. praise to him that was then giving them rain, and to interWVhen Elijah's servant reported to his master, that he mingle due encomiums on the prince that had permitted the saw a little cloed arising out of the sea like a man's hand, extermination of the priests of Baal; or if he had none he commanded him to go up and say Lnto Ahab, prepare such, yet if it had been practised in those times, and was thy chariot, and get thee down, that the RAIN stop thbee not. thought graceful and becoming a prince, nothing forbade This circumstance was justly considered as the sure indi- Elijah's doing it alone: and perhaps what is said concerning cation of an approaching shower, for it came to pass, in the the singers of the contemporary king of Judah, 2 Chron. mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, xx. 21, 22, may enable us to guess, whether or not it was a and ther'e was a great rain. Mr. Bruce has an observation, practice totally unknown at that time. The expression of which greatly corroborates this relation. He says, " there the divine historian, that the hand of the LoanD was upon him, are three remarkable appearances attending the inundation perfectly agrees to this thought, for it appears, from 2 Kings of the Nile: every morning, in Abyssinia, is clear, and the iii. 15, that it signifies enabling a prophet to prophesy: and sun shines; about nine, a small cloud, not above four feet consequently we are rather to understand these words, of broad, appears in the east, whirling violently round as if God's stirring him up to the composing, and singing, of some upon an axis; but arrived near the zenith, it first abates proper hymns on this occasion, than the mere enabling him its motion, then loses its form, and extends itself greatly, to run with greater swiftness than his age would otherwise and seems to call up vapours from all opposite quarters. have permitted him to do, in which sense alone, I think, These clouds having attained nearly the same height, rush commentators have understood that clause.-HARMER. against each other with great violence, and put me always in mind ofElijah's foretelling rain on mount Carmel. The CHAPTER XIX. air, impelled before the heaviest mass, or swiftest mover, Ver. 4. But he himself went a day's journey into makes an impression of its own form in the collection of the w clouds opposite, and the moment it has taken possession of the space made to receive it, the most violent thunder pos- a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself sible instantly follows, with rain; and after some hours the that he might die; and said, It is enough; sky again clears."-BURDER., sky again clears."-*Bonnza, now, O LORD, take away my life; for I cam Ver. 45. And it came to pass in the mean while, not better than my fthers. that the heaven was black with clouds and The juniper is mentioned more than once in our translawind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab tion of the scriptures; but the opinions of learned men are rode out, and wvent to Jezreel. much divided, concerning the shrub or tree to which the inspired writers allude. The gadha or gadhat, a species See on 2 Kings 3. 16, 17. of tree very like the tamarisk, which grows in the sandy deserts, resembles, in more than one instance, the juniper'Ver. 46. And the hand of the LORD was on Eli- in our translation. It flourishes in the burning wild; its jah: and he girded up his loins, and ran before wood is extremely proper to burn into charcoal, which has Ahab to the entLarace of Jezreel. the property of long retaining fire; on which account, it is carried into the cities and sold for fuel. The camel is very See the man who has to run a race, or take a journey; fond of its leaves, although they frequently affect him with he girds up his loins with a long robe or shawl. Elijah, pains in his bowels; and under its shade, the wolf so comtherefore, thus prepared himself to run before the chariot monly lurks, that it has become a proverb among the of the king. Great persons have always men running Arabs, " The wolf is near the gadha." But from these cirBEFORE them, with an ensign of office in their hands. cumstances it cannot be determined with certainty, whether Elijah probably did this in consequence of the wonderful the gadha of the roving Arab be the same with the juniper. event:, that had taken place: fire having come from heaven, The Hebrew word for the plant to which we give the name Baal's priests having been destroyed, the rain having de- of juniper, is rothem, from the verb ratham, to bind or tie, scended, and the proud king his enemy having been recon- on account of the toughness or tenacity of its twigs. In ciled, he ran before, as the priest of the Lord, to show from Parkhurst, it is the genista, or Spanish broom, which emiwhom the blessings had come.-ROBERTS. nently possesses the character of tenacity. So great is Hanway tells us, that Nadir Shah, when he removed his their flexibility, that the Italians still weave them into bascamp, was preceded by his running footmen, and these by kets. The genista, it must be granted, affords but a poor his chanters, who were nine hundred in number, and fre- shelter to the weary traveller from the intense heat of an quently chanted moral sentences, and encomiums on the oriental sky; while the prophet Elijah, exhausted witlh a Shah, occasionally proclaiming his victories also. long and precipitate flight, found a refreshing shade under The like practice obtained among the inhabitants of the spreading branches of the rchem. But the remark apMount Libanus, in the time of Pope Clement VIII. for plies with equal, if not greater force, to the juniper, which Dandini, the pope's nuncio to the Maronites, says, " We in this country never rises above the stature of an humble were always accompanied with, the better sort of people, shrub. The words of the inspired writer are by no means wno wallred on foot before our mules, and out of the respect inconsistent with this circumstance: " But Elijah went a they bore to the pope, and in honour to us, they would sing day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down certain songs, and spiritual airs, which they usually sung under a juniper-tree.-And as he lay and slept under the as they marched before the patriarch, and other persons of juniper-tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said quality." It was not confined, according to this account, to unto him, Arise and eat." The passage seems to import CHAP 19. 1 KINGS. 267 that the prophet, unable to proceed, embraced the shelter of And how could it be hurtful to the fruits? They do not a g'enista, which, according to Bellonius, grows in the des- grow under it, and are therefore not exposed to its deleteriert, for want of a better; as the prophet Jonah was glad to ous influence. It is easy to see how the shades of evening screen himself from the oppressive heat of the sun under are hurtful to the fruits; but how the shade of the juniper the frail covert of a gourd. But in reality, the genista, in should be noxious to them, is quite inconceivable. The the oriental regions, interposed with considerable effect be- poet, indeed, expressly mentions the danger of reposing tween the parched wanderer and the scorching sunbeam. under the shade of that tree; but the true reason seems to The roots of the rothem, or juniper, as we translate the be this: the juniper being an evergreen, and its leaves term, were used in the days of Job for food, by the poorest growing very close, extends in the evening a more damp of the people: " For want and famine they were solitary: and chilly shade, than perhaps any other tree in that part fleeing into the wilderness, in former'time desolate and of Italy. So little afraid were the Orientals of its noxious waste. Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper- qualities, that some of their most magnificent cities were roots, (ve shoresh rethamim,) for their meat." But this imbosomed in a grove of juniper-trees. This is an inconcircumstance determines nothing; for neither the roots of testible proof that they did not find their effluvia deadly, nor juniper, nor of genista, nor of any other tree in those des- even injurious to health. erts, can afford a salutary nourishment to the human body: Another commentator of considerable celebrity, supposes, nor can any modern instance be found, of the roots of juni- on the contrary, that Elijah reposed himself under the juper or genista being used for food. Job only says that it niper-tree, for the more effectual preservation of his health; was done in times of extreme want, when the famished the shade of it being, according to him, a protection from poor were frequently compelled to prolong their miserable serpents; and alleges, that it was the custom of the people existence by the use of the most improper substances. It is in that part of the world, to guard themselves by such precertain that the shoots, the leaves, the bark, and the roots cautions against the bite of these venomous reptiles. But of other shrubs and trees, have been eaten among many na- this opinion seems to be no less visionary than the allegations, in times of scarcity and famine. Thus, for instance, tion of Grotius. Travellers often recline beneath the shade Herodotus informs us, that when the routed army of Xerx- of a spreading tree; but in all their narratives, the reason es was fleeing from Greece, such of them as could not assigned by Peter Martyr is never, once mentioned. Acmeet with better provision, were compelled by hunger to cording to Dioscorides, the glowing embers of juniper eat the bark and leaves, which they stripped off all kinds of wood, not the shade of the living tree, possessed the power trees. The hungry Laplander devours the tops and bark of driving awxfay those unwelcome visitants. The most obof the pine; and even in Sweden, the poor in many places vious reason is in this, as in most instances, the best: Elijah are obliged to grind the bark of birch-trees to mix with flying into the wilderness from the rage of Jezebel, became their corn, to make bread in unfavourable seasons. The oppressed with the burning heat of the day, and the length royal Psalmist mentions the coals of the rethamim as af- of the road, and cast himself down under the shade of the fordin-g the fiercest fire of any combustible matter that he first shrub that he found. Or, if it was in his power to found in the desert, and therefore the fittest punishment for make a choice, he preferred the juniper for the thickness a deceitful tongue; "What shall be given unto thee, or of its covert, without any apprehension of its possessing what shall be done to thee, thou false tongue? Sharp ar- either a deleterious quality, or the power of defending him rows of the mighty, with coals of juniper:" the wrath of from the bite of the serpent; he chose it merely for its God, like a keen and barbed arrow from the bow of the shade, where, under the watchful and efficacious protection mighty, shall pierce the strongest armour, and strike deep of Jehovah, his own God, and the God of his people, he into the hardest heart, and like the fierce and protracted sunk into quiet repose. To suppose that he repaired to the flame of the junipelr, shall torment the liar with unutterable shade of the juniper with the view of ruining his health, anguish. Now, if it be the property of juniper long to re- and shortening his days, is quite inconsistent with every tain the fire, or to emit a vehement flame, it is not less the trait in the character, and every action in the life of that characteristic of genista: for according to Geierus, as quo- holy man. So far from harbouring the horrible idea of ted by Parkhurst, the Spanish genista, or, rethama, lignis suicide, although certainly tired of life, he prayed to his aliis vehementimus scintillet, ardeat, ac strideat, sparkles, God to remove him from the disgusting scene of idolatry burns, and crackles more vehemently than any other wood. and oppression, into his immediate presence; a sure proof The people of Israel in their journeys through the wilder- he neither expected nor desired that favour fro.n the noxness, came to a place called Rithma, probably from the ious exhalations of the juniper. To this may be added, that great quantity of rethamim growing there. In traversing the question is not yet decided, whether it was a juniper, or the same inhospitable wilds, Thevenot and his fellow-trav- what particular species of tree it really was, uLnder whose ellers were compelled to gather broom for warming them- friendly covert the weary and afflicted prophet sought reselves and boiling their coffee. This greatly corroborates pose.-PAXTON. the opinion of Parkhurst, that the rothem of the Old Testament is not properly the juniper, but Spanish broom; but' Ver. 18. Yet I have left me seven thousand in although his opinion is extremely probable, our imperfect Israel, all the knees which have not bowed acquaintance iwith the natural history of those remote coun- unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not tries, renders it impossible to reach a satisfactory conclu- kissed him. sion. The shatde of rothem, (whether it be translated the juni- T per, or the genista,) is supposed by some writers of great sent to the temples toe preeminence to be noxious. This circumstance is mentioned eted to idols, are, when returned, kissed by the people. Should a priest give areca-nuts, beetel leaves, or cakes, only for the purpose of vindicating the prophet Elijah, from Should a priest areca-nutseetel leaves, or cakes, the imputation of Avimshin to put an end to his existence, which have been presented to the god;, the person receiving when he fled for his life into the wilderness. He went on that occasion a day's journey into the wilderness of Beer- of a priest, le kisses his hands. - ROBERTS. sheba; and sitting down under a juniper-tree, fatigued iths n and ed with grief, be fell asleep, Ver. 19. So he departed thence, and found Elisha with his journey, and oppressed with grief, he fell asleep, the son of haphat, ho plouhin ith after having requested God that he might die. the son of Shaphat, Grotius imatines, that the prophet rested under the shade twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with of the juniper, because he was now become careless of his the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast health; and' he cites a passage from Virgil, as a proof that his mantle upon him..he shadow of this tree is noxious.'Solet esse gravis cantantibus umbra; The natives use the ox for the plough and all other agriJurlitperi rravis umbra; nocent et frugibus umnbram" Eel. x. 1. 75. cultural purposes. It is no disgrace for a great man to folBut his conclusion will not follow; because Virgil evident- low the plough; and, generally speaking, the master is the,y means, that the shades of evening are hurtful; not the first to commence the operations of the season. The first shade of the juniper, except by night, when the shade of day is always settled by a soot-hsayer, or a book of fate. every tree is thounht by natural historians to be injurious "Elijahpassed by him, and cast his nantle upon him.' to health. If the shade of the juniper were noxious, it By this act Elisha was invested with the sacred office; but would be noxious to every one, and not merely to singers. it is probable there would be other ceremonies, and a more 268 1 KINGS. CHAP. 20. pointed address, and extended conversation than that re- enough. There was a neighbour, a Spaniard slave, who corded in the verse. When a Bramin is it vested with advised me to roast an onion, and apply a piece of it dipped the sacred office, both in the fi'st, second, and third initia- in oil to the swelling, to mollify it; which accordingly I tions, he is always covered with a yellow mantle, and in did. The next day it became soft, and then my patroon such a way as to prevent him from seeing any object. The had it lanced, and, through the blessing of my good God, I sacred string also is put over his right shoulder, (and worn recovered."-BuaRDmR. like a soldier's belt,) which indicates his office. Elisha said, "Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, Ver. 10. And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, and then I will follow thee." And Elijah " said unto him, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the Go back again; for what have I done to thee." The an- dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for swer of Elijah is certainly not very easy to be understood. all the people that follow me. The HIebrew hlis, instead of"' go back again," " go, return;" this makes good sense, especially when the conjunction is It is an interestbig fact, that this figure of speech, in added, "00o, and RETURN." The Tamul version has it also reference tothe dust not being sufficient to fill the hands of in that way. The same translation has, instead of" for the numerous hosts of Benhadad, is in common use at this whathav I oneto tee " "wha I hve oneto heethe numerous hosts of Benhadad, is in commn-on use at this whiat have I done to thee " "what I have done to thee clay. In the story called Asnvdtcee-tkila-tia-haiLi, it was THIN;" literally, I to thee hat have done, thin." said by the inhabitants of certain countries, who were exhave called thee according to the Divine command; now pectin0 an invasion from a king who had alread conthou askest to take leave of thy father and mother: take quered the" eight quarters,' —" We had better at once give care thou art not led aside from thy calling; "go, and re- up our possessions: h attempt o resist such hosts the 7) b ~~~~~~~~~~~~up our possessions: why attempt to resist such hosts -. the turn," THINKc on what I have done to thee. —RoBERTS. Aturn," THIN on what I have pdone to theeas-RorBE aTs. r dust of the country will not be sufficient to furnish a handAmong the Persians, the principal khalifas or teachers ful for each of the soldiers. Ovvor'a-pud-d e-aran- hdnue? b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ful for each of the soldiers. Ovvo7'-la-ptd-dc-mavtii-kavCtm-ito? consider the sacred mantle as the symbol of their spiritual i. e. for every one will there be a handful (f dust " The power. Though the khirka or mantle was in general only people of the village of Sandarippi ask, "Why do the intransferred to a beloved pupil, at the death of his master, habitants of Battictta hate and despise us If e all go habitants of Battieotta hate and despis,-e us ~. If we all go soine superior saints were deemed possessed of a power, against them, will their country afford a handful of earth even while living, to invest others with the sacred and even hile livin, to invest others withfor each of us." The people of the two large villages of mysterious garmnent. "When the khalifa or teacher of the mysterious garment. "Wqu hen the kshalifat or teacher of the Battieotta and Sandarippi often meetto play at rude games, sooffees dies, he bequeaths his patched garot, which is when the latter are generally the conquerors, which has all his worldly wealth, to the disciple whom dhe estees the led to great animosity. Hence the proverb, " Take up the most worthy to become his successor, and the moment the stalk of a cocoa-nut leag and the Batticottians run;" and stalk of a cocoa-nut' leaf, and the Batticottians run;" and latter puts on the holy mantle, hie is vested with the power hence the san respecting the handfuls of eath. Benhence the sayin~g respe~cting the handfuls of earth., Benof his predecessor." (Malcolm.)-BuRDER. hadad said, "The gods do so unto me, and more also." This form of imprecation or prayer is very common. "If Ver. 26. Therefore their inhabitants were of small I do not ruin that fellow, then the gods do so to me." "If I power, they were dismayed and confounded; kill not that wretch, then may the gods kill me." If, therethey were as the grass of the field, and as the fore, the dust of Samaria be sufficient to fill the hands of each of my soldiers, then may my dominions be subject to green' herb, as the grass on the house-tops and the same fate.-ROBERTs. aS corn blasted before it be grown up. aVer. 12. And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad' The sar, wind, as described to me by an old inhabitant her this message, as he as rining, e and of the Dashtistan, commits great ravages in this district, particularly at Dashtiarjan, hurtful to vegetation. It blows the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his at night, from about midnight to sunIrise, comes in a hot servants, Set yourselves in arrayc: and they set blast, and is afterward succeeded by a cold one. About themselves in ra against the city. thbemselves in abrray against the, city. six years ago there was a sasa during the summer months, which so totally burnt up all the corn, then near its maturity, The word aD', shapheei, which we translate pavilion, may, that no animal would eat a blade of it, or touch any of its it is very likely, excite the notion of something superior to grain. The image of corn blasted before it be grown up, a common tent; so our translators use that term to express was most probably taken from the circumstance now men- the superb tent of a king of Babylon, Jer. xliii. 10, "He tioned." (Morier.) Sir R. K. Porter however says, that (Nebuchadnezzar) shall spread his royal pavilion over the samrniel, though hostile to human life, is so far from them." A mere English reader will be surprised, perhaps, being prejudicial to the vegetable creation, that a contin- when he is told that the word nmm sssccoth, translated pauance of it tends to ripen the fruits. These accounts may vilions, 1 Kings xx. 12, 16, signifies nothing more than be reconciled by. observing, that'the former relates to the booths; and more still, if he is told that the sacred historian corn, and tihe latter to fruit, and that it may refer to its might, possibly, precisely design to be so understood, when gradual approach rather than its sudden attack. If any describing the places in which kings were drinking. That unfortunate traveller, too far from shelter, meets the blast, the word signifies those slight temporary dlefences from the he falls immediately, and in a few minutes his flesh be- heat which are formed by the setting up the boughs of comes almost black, while both it and his bones at once:: trees, is visible by what is said Jonah iv. 5, and Neh. viii. arrive at so extreme a state of corruption, that the smallest 16; and we know that the common people of the East fremovement of the body would separate the one from the quently sit under them; but it may be thought incredible other.-BuRnDEr. that princes should make use of such, as the term, precisely CHAPTER XX. talken, seems to imply. "And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the Ver.. nd Isaiah said, Take a UMP Of fis: kings in the pavilions," 1 Kings xx. 12. "But Benhadad and they took and laid it on the bile, and he was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, hlie and the recovered, kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him," v. 16. In the margin our translators have put the word teits; but Whatever the disorder was with which Hezekiah was that there is nothing incredible in the account, if we should afflicted, the remedy prescribed was a softening plaster, understand the prophetic historian as meaning booths, propdesigned to ripen the bile, and to prepare it for receiving erly speaking, will appear, if we consider the great simsuch assistance as to discharge it with ease and certainty. plicity of ancient times, and the great delight the people of We have an instance of a similar proceeding, and with the the East take in verdure, and in eating and drinking under same design, in regard to the plague, related by Pitts of the shade of trees; especially after reading the following himself. "The plag'ue reigned among us; —soon after we paragraph of Dr. Chandler's Travels in the Lesser- Asia: aot ashore at Algiers, I was seized with it, but, through thie "While we were employed on the theatre of Miletus, the sivine goodness, escaped death. It rose under my arm, Aga of Suki, son-in-law, by marriage, to Elez Ognlu, crossed and the bile which usually accompanies the plague, rose the plain towards us, attended by a considerable train of on my leg. After it was much swollen, I was desirous to domestics and officers, their vests and their turbans of vahave it lanced, but my patroon told me it was not soft rious and lively colours, mounted on long-tailed horses, CHAP, 20. 1 KINGS. 269 with showy trappings and furniture. He returned after on the'top of a mountain; their temple stood upon a famous hawking to Miletus; and we went to visit him, with a eminence, as did Samaria, where they had so lately received present of coffee and sugar; but we were told that two fa- a signal defeat: for their further notion was, that the gods vourite birds had fiown away, and that he was vexed and of the mountains had a power to inject a panic fear into tired. A couch wasprepared for him beneath a shed, made any army, whenever they pleased. Nay, that they did not against a cottage, and covered with green boughs, to keep' only assist with their influence, but actually engaged themoff the sun. He entered as we were standing by, and fell selves in battle in behalf of their favourites, is a sentiment down on it to sleep, without taking any notice of us"?' A as old as Homer.-STACKHOUSE. very mean place, a European would think, to be prepared for the reception of an aga that made so respectable a Ver. 30. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the figure, and in a town which, though ruinated, still had city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and several cottages, inhabited by Turkish families. It does And not appeal incredible then, that Benhadad, and the thirtytwo petty kings that attended him, might actually be drink- Ben-hadad fled, and came-into the city, into an ing wine beneath such green sheds, as a Turkish aga, of inner chamber. considerable distinction, chose to sleep under, rather than in an adjoining cottage, or rather than under a tent, which. See.on ch. 22. 25. he otherwise might have carried with him, to repose under In regard to this passage, we are not to suppose that this when he chose to rest himself. Oriental manners are very wall, or castle, or fort, (as it may be rendered,) fell upon different from those in the West.-H-IARMER. every individual one, much less that it had' killed every man it fell on: it is sufficient to justify the expression, that Ver. 27. And the children of Israel were num- it fell upon the main body of these seven and twenty thoubered, and were all present, and went against sand, and that it killed some and maimed others, (for the them: and the children of Israel pitched before scripture does not say that it killed all,) as is usual in such cases. Let us suppose then, that these Syrians, after their them like two little flocks of kids; but the Sy- defeat on the plains of Aphek, betook themselves to this rians filled the country. fenced city, and despairing' of any quarter, mounted the walls, or retired into some castle, with a resolution to A flock of goats is fewer in number than a flock. of sheep, defend themselves to the last; and that the Israelitish army because the former are given to wander and separate, while coming upon them, plied the walls or the castle on ever3 the latter, more gregarious in their temper, collect into one side so warmly with their batteries, that down they came at place. This is the reason, says Bochart, that the sacred once, and killing some, wounding others, and making the writer compares the small army of the Israelites to a flock rest disperse for fear, did all the execution that the text of goats rather than to a flock of sheep. While seven is intends. always used by the Hebrews to denote a sufficient or com- Thus we may account for this event in a natural way; plete number, two is constantly employed to signify a few, but it is more reasonable to think that God, upon this occaor very few. Thus the widow woman said to the prophet, sion, wrought a miracle; and either by some sudden earth" As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a quake or violent storm of wind, overturned these walls, or handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruise: this fortress, upon the Syrians. And indeed, if any time and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and was proper for his almighty arm to interpose, it was at dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." such a time as this, when these blasphemous people had The phrase is used in the same sense by the prophet con- denied his sovereign power and authority An the government. cerning the reduced state of his people: "Yet gleaning of the world, and thereby in some measure obliged him, in grapes shall be left in it; as the shaking of an olive-tree, vindication, of his own honour, to give them a full demontwo or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough." stration of it, and to show that he was the God of the plaint Another prophet uses it in relation to the return of a as well as of the mountains; that he could as effectually small nunmber of the captives to their own land: " I will destroy them in strongholds as in the open field, and make take you; one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring the very walls, wherein they trusted for defence, the inyou to Zion." And I-Iosea encourages his people to repent- struments of their ruin. ance with the promise, " After two days will he revive us: This Aphek, or Aphaca, (as it is called by profane auin the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his thors,) was situated in Libanus, upon the river Adonis, besight," or, within a very short time he will deliver them tween Heliopolis and Biblos, and in all probability is the from their enemies. The sacred historian accordingly same that Paul Lucas, in his voyage to the Levant, speaks compares the armies of Israel opposed to the Syrians to of, as swallowed up in a lake of Mount Libanus, about nine "two little flocks of kids;" two, because they were few in miles in circumference, wherein there are several houses, number; little flocks, as goats from their roaming dispo- all entire, to be seen under water. The soil about this place sition always are; flocks of kids, feeble and timid, without (as the ancients tell us) was very bituminous, which seems resources and without hope. A more complete and glowing to confirm their opinion, who think that subterraneous picture of national weakness, even the pen of inspiration fires consumed the solid substance of the earth, whereon the never drew.-PAXTON. city stood,so that it was subdued and sunk at once, and a lake was soon formed in its place.-STACKaHOUSE. Ver. 28. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the lking of Israel, and said, Thus saith Ver. 31. And his servants said unto him, Behold the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The now, we have heard that the kings of the house LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray the valleys; therefore will I deliver all this great thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; that I am the LORD. peradventure he will save thy life. That there were many gods who had each their particu- The vanquished foe, in testimony of his submission, hung lar charge and jurisdiction, that some presided over whole his sword from his neck, when he came into the presence countries, while others had but particular places under their of his conqueror. When Bagdat was taken by the Turks, tuition and government, and were some of them gods of the in the year 1638, the governor's lieutenant and principal woods, others of the rivers, and others of the mountains, officer was sent to the grand vizier, with a scarf about his was plainly the doctrine of all heathen nations. Pan was neck, and his sword wreathed in it, which is accounted by reckoned the god of the mountains, for which reason he them a mark of deep humiliation and perfect submissioni was styled'OpOEla-cs, nounntaivn traverser; and in like man- to beg for mercy in his own and his master's name. His ner, the Syrians might have a conceit that the god of Israel request being granted, the governor came and was introwas a god of the mountains, because Canaan, they saw, was duced to the grand seignior, and obtained, not only a cona mountainous land; the Israelites delighted to sacrifice firmation of the promise of life that had been made him, on high places; their law, they might have heard, was given but also various presents of considerable value. These 270 1 KINGS. CiHAP. 21. circumstances forcibly recall to our minds the message of to accept; and a great number of Turks, with their famiBenhadad, after his signal defeat, to the king of Israel; the lies, were sent out of Bithynia to dwell in Constantinople, passage runs in ~hese terms: "And his servants said unto where a mosque was built for their accommodation. It is hin, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the not improbable, that the same kind of privileges that were house of Israel are merciful kings; let us, I pray thee, granted to the Venetians, the Genoese, and the Turks, had put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and been granted to the father of Benhadad, by the' king of go out to the king of Israel; peradventure he will save thy Israel, and were now offered to Ahab in Damascus, in the life. So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes distressed state of his affairs. The Syrian monarch promcn Atheir heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, ised to give his conqueror a number of streets in his capital Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee,let melive. And city, for the use of his subjects, with peculiar rights and he said, Is he yet alive. he is my brother." The servants privileges, which enabled him to exercise the same juriof Benhadad succeeded in obtaining a verbal assurance diction there as in his own dominions.-PAXTON. that his life should be spared; but a surer pledge of pro- Mr. Harmer has remarked, that:" the proposal of Benhatection was to deliver a banner into the hand of the sup- dad, as to the making and possession of streets in Damascus, pliant. In the year 1099, when Jerusalem was taken by the was better relished by Ahab, than understood by commencrusaders, about three hundred Saracens got upon the roof tatoers;" some of whom have guessed that this expression of a very lofty building, and earnestly begged for quarter, meant the erection of markets, or of courts of judicature, but could not be induced by any promise of safety to come or of piazzas, or of citadels and fortifications, &c. Mr. down, till they had received the banner of Tancred, one of Harmer then proceeds-to narrate the privilege5 granted to the chiefs of the crusaders, as a pledge of life. This they the Venetians, in recompense for their aid, by the states reckoned a more powerful protection than the most solemn of the kingdom of Jerusalem; and he observes, that it was promise; although in this instance their confidence was en- c:customary to assign ch'rchtes, and to give streets, in their tirely misplaced; for the faithless zealots who pretended to towns, to foreign nations, &c. His instances, however, fight for the cross, put every man of them to the sword.- are rather instances of rewards for services performed, PAXTON. than proofs of such terms as conditions of peace: probably, therefore, it will not be disagreeable to the reader;to Ver. 34. And Ben-hadad said unto him, The see a passage still more applicable to the history of Benhacities which my father took from thy father I dad, than any of those are which Mr. Harmner has prowvillrestore; and thou shalt make streets for duced; it occurs in Knolles's "History of the Turks," p. 206. "Baiazet having worthily relieried his besieged citie, thee in Damascus, as my father mae in Sama- returned againe to the siege of Constantinople, laying more ria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away hardly vnto it than before, building forts and bulwarks with this co-venant. So he made a covenant against it on the one side towards the land; and passing ouer with him, and sent him away. the strait of Bosphorus, built a strong castle vpon that strait wvith him, and sent him away. oudr against Constantinople, to impeach so much as was When the king of yria had obtained secrity for his possible, all passage thereunto by sea. This streight siege (as most write) continued also two yeres, which I~ suppose life and assurance of being restored in peace to his throne, (s ot write) continued also to yeres, whch I sppose. 7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~by the circumstance of the historic, to haue been part of he promised in return for such great and unexpected fa- by the circumsta~nce of the historie, to bane been part of yours, to restore the cities which his fat-her had taken from the aforesaid eight yeres. Ezamnuel, the besieged Emnperor, Israel, and to permit Ahab to make streets in Damascus wearied with these long sars, sent an embassador to Baiazet, for himself, as his father had made in Samaria. This ex- to intreatwith him a peace; which Baiazet was the more traordinary privilege of making streets in Damascus, has willing to hearken vnto, for, that he heard newes, that exceedingly puzzled commentators. Some of them sup- Tamerlane, the great Tartarian Prince, intended shortly pose the word houetsoth signifies market-places, where com- to warre upon him. Yet could this peace not be obtained, modities were sold, the duties on which should belong to but' epon condition that the Emperor should grant free liberAhab; others imagine he meant courts of justice, where tie for the Turks to dwell together in one STREET Of Constanthe king of Israel should have the prerogative of sitting in tinople, with free exercise of their own religion and lawes, judgment, and exercising a jurisdiction over the Syrians; vnder a judge of their own nation; and further, to pay vnto others thinlk they were a sort of piazzas, of which he should the Turkish king a yeerely tribute of ten thousand duckats. receive the rents; one class of interpreters understand by Which dishonourable conditions the distressed Emperor was Wgicd tioo accept co.ditioas the istlongsieed bke~n v~e'o'as the word, fortifications or citadels; another class attempt glad to accept of. So was this long siege broken vp, and to prove, that palaces are meant, which Ahab should be presently a great sost of Turcks with theirfamnilies were sent permitted to build as a proof of his superiority. The priv-.out of Bithynia, to dwell in Constantinople, and a chu'ch ileges which we know, from the faithful page of history, there built for them: which not long after was by the Emwere actually granted to the Venetians for their aid, by the peror pulled downe to the ground, and the Turks againe states of the kingdom of Jerusalem, during the captivity ot driuen out of the citie, at such time as Baiazet was by the Baldwin II., may perhaps explain, in a more satisfactory mighty Tamerlane ouerthrowne and taken prisoner." The manner, these words of Benhadad. The instrument b~r manner, these wvordts of Benhadad. The instrument by circumstances of these two stories are so much alike, that which these privileges were secured, is preserved in the it merely now remains to notice the propriety with which history of William, bishop of Tyre, the historian of the our translators have chosen the word streets, rather than crusades, from which it appears, they were accustomed to any other proposed by commentators.-TAYLOa IN CALMET. assign churches, and to give streets in their towns and CHAPTER XX cities, with very ample prerogatives in these streets, to the foreign nations who lentshem the most effectual assistance. Ver. 2. And Ahab spae unto Naboth, saying, The Venetians had a street in Acre, with full jurisdiction Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for in it; and in what this consisted, we learn from the deed a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my of settlement just mentioned; they had a right to have in ad hb eue it er nt their streets an oven, a mill, a bath, weights, and measures house: and I will give thee for it a better vinefor wine, oil, and honey; they had also a right to judge yard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I wil] causes among themselves, together with as great a juris- give thee the worth of it in money. diction over all those who dwelt in their street, of what nation soever they might be, as the kings of Jerusalem had Our first parents had for their residence a beautiful garover others. The same historian informs us, that the Gen- den, which may have had some influence upon their imrneoese also had a street in that city, with full jurisdiction in diate descendants, in giving them a predilection for such it, and a church, as a reward for their services, together situations. People in England will scarcely'e able to apwith a third part of the dues of the port. In the treaty of preciate the value which the Orientals place on a garden. peace granted by Bajazet, emperor of the Turks, to Eman- The food of many of them consists of vegetables, roots, and uel, the Greek emperor, it was stipulated that thb3 latter fruits; their medicines, also, being indigenous, are most of should grant free liberty to the Turks to dwell together in them produced in their gardens. Hence they hare their one street of Constantinople, with the free exercise of their fine fruit trees, and the constant shade; and here they have own religion and laws, under a judge of their own nation. their wells and places for bathing. See the proprietor, in This humiliating condition the Greek emperor was obliged his undress walking around his little domain; his fence CHAP. 21. 1 KINGS. 271 #r wall is so high no one can overlook him: he strolls sian ink serves not only for writing, but for subscribing about to sfioke his shroot, to pick up the fruit, and cull the with their seal; indeed, many of the Persians in high offlowers; he cares not for the world; his soul is satisfied fice could not write. In their rings they wear agates, with the scenes around, him. Ahab wished to have Na- which serve for a seal, on which is frequently engraved their both's, garden; but how could he part with " the inherit- name, and some verse from the Koran." Shaw also has a ance" of his "fathers! " There was scarcely a tree which remark exactly to the same purpose.-BuDEnR. had not some pleasing associations connected with it: one was planted by the hand of a beloved ancestor, another in Ver. 10. And set two men, sons of Belial, before memory of some great event; the water he drank, and the him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou fruit he ate, were from the same sources as thos'e which didst blaspheme God and the king. refreshed his fathers. How then could he, in disobedience to God's command, and in violation of all those tender Princes never want instruments to execute their pleasure; Jeelings, give up his'garden to Ahab. To part with such and yet it is strange, that among all these judges and great a place is, to the people of the East, like parting with life men, there should be none that abhorred such a villany. tself.-RoBERTS. It must be considered, however, that for a long while they had cast off all fear and sense of God, and prostituted their Ver. 4. And he laid him down upon his bed, and consciences to please their king: nor dare they disobey turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Jezebel's commands, who had the full power and goverilment of the king, (as they well knew,) and could easily have Thus acted the puissant monarch, because he could not taken away their lives, had they refused to condemn Naget Naboth's garden. See the creature in the shape of a both.-STACKHOUSE. man pouting his lip, and throwing himself on his bed, and Ask any judge, any gentleman in the civil service ofrefusing to eat food, because he could not gain his wishes. India, whether men may not be had in any village to swear The domestics brought refreshment,, but their lord would any thing for the fraction of a shilling Jezebel would not take it; and, therefore, they went to queen Jezebel, to not find it difficult to procure agents to swear away the life communicate the sorrowful intelligence; and she imme- of Naboth the Jezreelite.-RoBRTS. diatelv went to his majesty and inquired, "Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest not bread 1" and he told his Ver. 13. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the mournful story. How often do we see full-grown men line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house acting in a similar way, when disappointed in their wishes: of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a mar go near them, and they avert their faces; offer them food, a they will not eat; and, generally speaking, their friends are wipeth a dish, wiping t, and turning it upside so weak as, at any expense, to gratify their wishes.-RoB- down. ERTS. The'Vulgate renders this clause, Delebo Jeruesalem, sicut Ver. 7. And Jezebel's wife said -unto him, Dost deleri solent tabulae: I will blot out Jerusalem as tablets are thou nowv govern the kinfgldomr of Israel? arise. wont to be blotted out. It is a metaphor taken from the an7D' 1 1 1 1 1 1 a isecient method of writing. They traced their letters with a and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I stile on boards, thinly spread over with wax: for this purwill give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jez- pose one end of the stile was sharp, the other end blunt and reelite. smooth; with this they could rub out what they had written, and so smooth the place, and spread back the wax, as to r do not find any statute that prohibited an Israelite from render it capable of receiving any other words. Thus the exchanging his inheritance; nor was there, indeed, in such Lord had written down Jerusalem, never intending that exchange, unless when it transferred a person to a different its name or memorial should be blotted out; but now the tribe, any thing contrary to the intention of the law, which stile is turned, and the name Jerusalem is no longer to be was to prevent his latest posterity from ever being altoge- found.-BaRDER. ther denuded of their land. Perhaps, therefore, it was a piece of mere crossness in Naboth to refuse, in such un- Ver. 15. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard courtly terms, not only to sell, but even to exchange his that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezvineyard with King Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. 7. At the same ebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the time, it is impossible to vindicate the despotic measure, to which the barbarous wife of this too obsequious monarchneyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he rehad recourse in order to obtain it; for certainly Naboth fused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not was not obliged to exchange his vineyard, unless he chose. alive, but dead. -MICHAELIS. As Naboth, according to verse 10, was executed as a Ver. 8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and blasphemer and a traitor, his property did not go to his resealed tthem with his seal, and -sent the letters lations, butto the king. Even now, in the Turkish empire, unto the elders and to the nobles that were in and in Persia, the property of great men who are executed, falls to the public treasury, or the governors of the province his city dwelling with P'Naboth. seize upon it. The chans now enrich themselves with the confiscated property of criminals, and other fines, which At this day, in the East, not a female in ten thousand is ot o ras, a o ein ih acquainted with the art of writing; and I think it probable formerly fell to the royal treasury, says Gmelin, in his that Ahab's affectionate queen did not write the letters with her own hand, but that she CAusED it to be done by others. Ver. 19. Thus saith the LoRD, In the place where It is not unlikely that the state of female education, in modern times, is precisely the same as that of antiquity; dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick for I do not recollect any female in the scriptures, except- thy blood, even thine. ing Jezebel, who is mentioned as being concerned in the writing of letters. The talented Hindoo female, Aviyar, There is a great dispute among the learned, as to the achas left wonderful memorials of her cultivated mind; and complishment of this prophecy. At the first it was no doubt I doubt not, when female education shall become general intended to be literally fulfilled, but upon Ahab's repentin the East, from them will be, furnished many an Aviyar, ance, (as we find below,) the punishment was transferred to bless and adorn the future age. —ROBERTS. from him to his son Jehoram, in whom it was actually acThe very ancient custom of sealing despatches with a complished; for his dead body was cast into the portion of seal or signfet, set in a ring, is still retained in the East. the field of Naboth the Jezreelite, for the dogs to devour, Pococke says, "in Egyvpt they make the impression of their 2 Kings ix. 25. Since Ahab's blood therefore was licked name with their seal, generally of cornelian, which they by dogs, not at Jezreel, but at Samaria, it seems necessary wear on their finger, and which is blacked when they have that we should understand the Hebrew word, which oar'occasion to seal with it." Hanway remarks, that " the Per- translation renders, in the place where, not as demoting the 272 1 K ING(S. CHIAP. 2. place, but the manner in which the thing was done; and was-eaten where it fell (as those parts adjoined the memso the sense of the passage will be, that as dogs licked, or bers most likely to be removed,) so that the prophecy oi in like manner, as dogs licked Naboth's blood, even so Elijah was literally fulfilled: "In the portion of Jezreel, shall they lick thine, observe what I say, even thine.- shall dogs eat Jezebel." This account illustrates also the S.'ACKIOUSE. readiness of the dogs to lick the blood of Ahab, 1 Kings Ve.2.Ado.azhl ldsa~ h n, xxii. 38, in perfect conformity to which is the expression Ver. 23. And of Jezebel also spake the, LORD, of the prophet Jeremiah, xv.3, " I will appoint over them saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel bv the vwall.... the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear-, and the fowls of of Jezreelt. -the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, [the hyenas of Mr. Bruce, perhaps,] to devour and destroy."'Mr. Bruce's acThis, to an English ear, sounds very surprising; that count also explains the mode of execution adopted by the duriflg the time of a single meal, so many dogs should be prophet Samuel, with regard to Agag, king of the Amalekon the spot, ready to devour, and should so speedily de- ites, whom Samuel thus addresses:-" In like manner spatch this business, in the very midst of a royal city, close [literally, itn like procedur'e as-i. e. in the same identical under the royal gateway, and where a considerable train mode of execution] as thy sword has made women barren, of people had so lately passed, and, no doubt, many were so shall thy mother be rendered barren [childless] among continually passing: this, to an English reader, appears women." I Sam. xv. 33. If these words do not implythat extremely unaccountable; but we find it well accounted Agag had ripped up pregnant wromen, they at le'ast imply for by'MNr. Bruce, whose information the reader will that he had hewed many prisoners to death! for we find that lreceive with due allowance for the different manners and " Samuel caused Agag to be hewed in pieces before the face ideas of countries; after which, this rapid devouring of of the Lord [probably not before the residence of Saul, but Jezebel will not appear so extraordinary as it has hitherto before the tabernacle, &c.] in Gilgal," directing that very done. " The bodies of those killed by the sword were hewn same mode of punishment (hitherto, we suppose, unadopted to pieces, and scattered about Ithe streets, being denied burial. in Israel) to be used towards him, which he had formerly I was miserable, and almost driven to despair, at seeing my used towards others. The character of the prophet Samuel hAeunting-dogs twice let loose by the carelessness of mny has been vilified for cruelty on account of this history, with servants, bringinz into the courLtyard the heads and arms of how little reason let the reader now judge; and compare a slaug'htered meien, and which I could no way prevent, but by similar retributive act of justice on Adonibezek, Judges i. 7. the destruction of the dogs themselves: the quantity of -TAYLOR IN CALMET., carrion, and the stench of it, brought down the hyenas in hundreds from the neighbouring mountains; and as few Ver. 27. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard people in Gondar go out after it is dark, they enjoyed the those words, that he rent his clothes, and put streets to themselves, and seemed ready to dispute the pos- sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in session of the city with the inhabitants. Often, when I/ ent saccloth, ad went sotly. Igome late from thae pcbalace, and it wasent softly. chose chiefly for conversation, though I had but to pass the corner of the vmarket-place BEFORE THE PALACE, had lanterns See the man who goes into the presence of a superior; with me, and as suounded with armed men, I heard he takes offhis sandals, and alks he as a tinid them grunting by tw- and threes, so near me as to be air, and you cannot hear his foot tread on the grcund. afraid they would takle soime opportunity of seizing me by When a dutiful son goes to his father, or a devotee into the leg. A pistol would have frightened them, and made the presence of a shcred personage, he walks in the same them speedily run, and I constantly carried two loaded at way. Has a proud, boasting man, been humbled, the people my girdle; but the discharging a pistol in the night would say,." Ah aha he can now walk mitha-vck," i. e. softly. have alarmed every one that heard it in the town, and it "What the proud Mutto walk softly; whoever expected was not now the time to add any thing to people's fears. I thatGi"-RosERTs. at last scarcely eves vent out, and nothing occupied my Goin, softly seems to have been one of the many expresthoughts but how to escape from this bloody country, by sions of mourning commonly used among the eastern way of Sennaar, and how I could best exert my power and nations. That it was in use among the Jews appears from nations. That it was in use among the Jews appears from way of Szennaar, and how I could best exert my power and the case of Ahab; and by mistake it has been confounded influence over Yasine, at Ras el Feel, to pave my way, by assisting me to pass the desert, into Atbara. The king, withwalkin barefoot. It seems to have been a very slow missing me at the palace, and hearing I had not been at solemn manner of walking, well adapted to the state of asmourners labouring under great sorrow and dejection of Mas Michael's, began to inquire who had been with me laboring under great sorro and dejection of Ayto Confu soon-found Yasine, who informed him of the nind.-BUaRER. whole matter. Upon this I was sent for to the palace, CHAPTER XXII. where I found the king, without anybody but menial ser-. And Zedekiah the son vants. He immediately remarked, that' I looked very ill, which, indeed, I found' to be the case, as I had scarcely ate made him horns of iron; and he said, Thus or slept since I saw him last, or even for some days before. saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the He asked me, in a condoling tone, what ailed me u That Syrians, until thou have consumed them. besides looking sick, I seemed as if something had ruffled me, and put me out of humour. I told him, that what he The Indian soldier wears a horn of steel on the front of observed. was true: that coming acr'oss the market-place, I his helmet, directly over the forehead. In Abyssinia the had seen Za Mariani, the Ras's doorkeeper, with three men headdress of the provincial governors, according to Mr. bound, one of whom he fell a-hacking to pieces in my Bruce, consists of a large broad fillet bound iupon their presence, and, upon seeing me running across the place, forehead, and tied behind their head. In the middle of this stopping my nose, he called me to stay till he should come rises a horn, or conical piece of silver, gilt, about four and despatch the other two, for he wanted to speak with inches long, much in the shape of our common candle exme, as if he had been engaged about ordinary business; tinguishers. This is called kiDn, a slight corruption of that the soldiers, in consideration of his haste, immediately the Hebrew word kerean, a horn, and is only worn in refell upon the other two, whose cries were still remaining in views, or parades after victory. The crooked manner in my ears; that the hyenas, at night, would scarcely let ne which they hold the neck when this ornament is on their pass in the streets; when I returnedffrom the palace; and the forehead, for fear it should fall forward, seems to agree dogsfled inlto my house to eat pieces of human carcasses at their with what the Psalmist calls speaking with a stiff' neck: lezsure." (Travels, vol. iv., page 81, &c.) "Lift not your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck;" Without supposing that Jezreel was pestered with bye- for it perfectly shows the meaning of speaking in this attinas, like Gondar, though that is not incredible, we may tude, when the horn is held exact like the horn of a uninow easily admit of a sufficiency of dogs, accustomed to corn. An allusion is made to this custom in another pascarnage, which had pulled the body of Jezebel to pieces, sage: " But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a and had devoured it before the palace gate, or had with- unicorn." To raise the horn was to clothe one with aldrawn with parts of it to their hiding-places. But perhaps thority, or to do him honour; to lower it, cut it offw or take the mention of the head, hands, and feet, being left on the it away, to deprive one of power, or to treat him with disspot, indicates that it had not been removed by the dogs, but respect. Such were the " horns of iron" which Zedekiah CHAP. 22. 1 KINGS. 273 made for himself, when he presumed, in the name of Jeho- in them. Is not something similar related of Benhadad, vah, to fliatter his prince with the promise of victory over 1 Kings xx. 30, " He fled," and was so overcome with fear, his enemies: " Thus saith the Lord, with these" military that he hid himself in " a chamber within chamber?" As insignia " shalt thou push the Syrians until thou hast con- it is very characteristic of braggarts and drunkards (see sumed them." They were military ornaments, the symbols verses 16, 18, &c.) to be mentally overwhelmed when in of strength, and courage, and power.-PAxTo N. adversity, may we not suppose that Benhadad was now concealed in the harem? Following circumstances do not Ver. 16. And the king said unto him, How many militate against this supposition. That the word cheder times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me means a woman's chamber, appears from Judges xv. 1, thihl bt oaa m where Samson says, "I will go to my wife into her chcamnothing but that whbich is true in the name of (n.)-TAO IN CALMET. ber'," (n'~'n.) —T.~LOa ]N CXLM2T. the LORD? Ver. 43. And he walked in all the ATays of Asa In England, this solemn appeal is never made but in cases of extremity; but in the East, the most trifling circumstance will induce a person to say, Unni-dni-itdduklerain, that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: "By thy oath;"- -r, "I impose it upon thee."-RoBERTs. nevertheless the high places were not taken away; fog' the people offered and burnt incense Yer. 25. And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt yet in the high places. see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner schamber to hide thyself. Many of old worshipped upon hills and on the tops of high mountains; imagining that they thereby obtained a " In one of; the halls of the seralio at Constantinople," nearer communication with heaven. Strabo says that the Day De la Motraye, "the theunuch madeus.ps by sIl'D Persians always performed their worship upon hills. Some ltsays De la Motraoe, the-eunucth made us. passof byksevral nations, instead of an image, worshipped the hill as the little chambers, with doors s/et, like the cells of monks or runs, deity. In Japan most of their temples are at this day upon as far as I could judge by one that another eunuch opened, which was the only one I saw; and by the outside of eminences; and often upon the ascent of high mountains,, others. Asan Firally Bashaw, being summoned by his commanding fine views, with groves and rivulets of clear friends, came out of a little house near the towers, where ater: for they say, that the gods are extremely delighted he had been long hidden in his harem, which, had it been wth such high and pleasant spots. (Kwmpfer's Japan.) suspected by the mufti, he had not denied his fetfa, to the Tlis practice, in early times, was almost universal; and emperor, for seizing his person, even there. The harems every mountainwas esteemed holy. The people who prosecuted this method of worship enjoyed a soothing infatuation, are sanctuaries, as sacred and inviolable for persons pursued by justice for any crime, debt, &c. as the Roman which flattered the gloom of superstition. The eminences Catholic churches in Italy, Spain, Portugal, &c. Though to which they retired were lonely and silent, and seemed the grand seignior's power over his creatures is such, that to be happily circumstanced for contemplation and prayer. he may send some of his eunuchs even there to apprehend They who frequented them were raised above the lower those who resist his will. The harems of the Greeks are -world: and fancied that they were brought into the vicinity almost as sacred as those of the Turks; so that the officers of the powerd of the air, and of the deity who iesided in the of justice dare not enter without being sure that a man is higher regions. But the chief excellence for which they there, contrary to the law: and if they should go in and were frequented was, that they were looked upon as the not find what they look for, the women may punish, and peculiar places where God delivered his oracles. -BURDER. even kill them, without being molested for any infringe- Ver. 48. Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to ment of the law: on the contrary, the relations would have a right to make reprisals, and demand satisfaction for such go to Ophir for gold; but they went not: for violence." the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. Those who have not seen the cells of monks, or nuns, in foreign countries, may conceive of a long gallery, or other "Suez, which was the Arsinoe of the ancients, is situated spacious apartment, as a large hall, &c. into which the at the top of the Red Sea: it stands surrounded by the doors of the cells open: these cells consist of one room to desert, and is a shabby, ill-built place; the ships anchor a each person, but frequently of two rooms, one of which is league from the town, to which the channel that leads is used for sleeping in; the other for less retired purposes, very narrow, and has only nine or ten feet depth of water; conversation, &c. Agreeably to this, it appears, that in the for which reason, the large ships that are built here must East also, we must first pass through a long hall, or gallery, be towed down to the road, without mast, guns, or any before we can enter the peculiar abode of any particular thing in them; there are eight of them lying here, which woman of the harem. We may first apply this mode of have not been to Juddah this year; one of them is at least dwelling to a circumstance threatened by the prophet twelve hundred tons burden, being as lofty as a hundred Micaiab, to his opponent Zedekiah, 1 Kings xxii. 25, gun ship, though not longer than a frigate; so that you "Thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself." may judge of the good proportions thev observe'in the conOur translators have put in the margin, " from chamber to struction of their ships; the timber of which they are all chamber." The Hebrew is, (-'nn -mnn cheder be c/eder,) built is brought from Syria' by water, to Cairo, and from "' chamber within chamber," which exactly agrees with the thence on camels. This fleet sails for Juddah every year, description extracted; but it is new to consider this threat before the' Hadge; stays there two or three months, and as predicting that Zedekiah should fly for shelter to a returns loaded with coffee: this is so material an article in'harem, [as we find Assan Firally Bashaw had done;] that the diet of a massulman, that the prayers and wishes ot his fear should render him, as it were, effeminate, and that them all are offered up for its safety: and I believe, next he should seek refuge where it was not usual for a man to to the loss of their country, the loss of their coffee would be seek it; where the " officers of justice," nor even those of most severely felt by them. The greatest part of it is sent conquerors, usually penetrated. There is an additional to Constantinople, and other parts of Turkey, but a small disgrace, a sting in these words, if this be the intention of quantity going to France and Italy." (Major Rooke,.p. 73:), the speaker, stronger. than what has hitherto been noticed -BURDER. 35 THE SECOND BOOK OF KINGS. CHAPTER I. then who lived in and about Ekron, derived much consoTer. 2. And Ahaziah fell dovn Ihrough a lattice lation from the supposed powerof the idol they worshipped, to drive away the cincinnellme of that country, which were in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and so extremely Vexatious to these pilgrims of the 12th century, was sick: and he sent messengers, and said and occasioned them so much pain. Lord of the fly, lord unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of these cincinnelle, must have appeared to them a very of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this pleasing, a very important title. I will only add, that Sandys, in his travels in the samdisease.' country, but more to the northward, speaks of the air appearing as if full of spai'kles of fire, borne to and fro In the eastern countries the roofs of the houses were flat, with the wind, after much rain and a thunderstorm, which and surrounded with a battlement, to prevent falling from appearance of sparkles of fire he attributes to infinite them, because it was a customary thing for people to walk swarms of flies that shone like glow-worms; but he gives upon them, in order to take the air. Now in this battle- not the least intimation of their being incommoded by them. ment we may suppose that there were some wooden latti- What this difference was owing to, it is quite beside the deces for people to look through, of equal height with the par- sig n of these papers to inquire; whether its being about apet wall, and that Ahaziah negligently leaning on it, as it two months earlier in the year, more to the northward, or was rotten and infirm it broke down; and let him fall into immediately after much rain and a thunderstorm, was a the court, or garden, belonging to his house. Or there is cause of the innoxiousness of these animals when Sandys another way wherein he might fall. In these flat roofs travelled, and even whether the appearance Sandys speaks there was generally an opening, which served instead of a of, was really owing to insects, or to any effect of electricity, sky light to the house below, and this opening might be I leave to others to determine.-HARNMER. done over with lattice-work, which the king, as he was carelessly walking, might chance to step upon and slip Ver. 4. Now, therefore, thus saith the LORD, Thou through. Nor is there any absurdity in supposing such lat- shalt not come down from that bed on which tice-work in a king's palace, when the world was not arrived to that height of art and curiosity that we find in it thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And now.- STAcKHOUsE. Elijah departed. Ver. 3. Is it not because there is not a God in Is- This expression may be illustrated by what Shaw says rael, that ye go to inquire of. Baal-zebub, the of the Moorish houses in Barbary, (Travels, p. 209,) Wrhere, after having observed that their chambers are spacious, of god of Ekron? the same length with the square court on the sides of which they are built, he adds, " at one end of each chamber there We, perhaps, may be a good deal surprised to find, that is a little gallery raised three, four, or five feet above the the driving away of flies should be thought by the inhabit- floor, with a balustrade in the front of it, wtith afew steps ants of the country about Ekron so important, that they likewise leading up to it. Here they place their beds; a should give a name to the idol they worshipped, expressive situation frequently alluded to in the holy scriptures, which of that property, (Baal-zebub, lord of the fy;) more especially may likewise illustrate the circumstance of Hezekiah's when this was not the only quality ascribed to him, but it turning his face, when he prayed, towards the wall, (i. e. from was supposed the power of predicting such momentous his attendants,)2 Kings xx. 2, that the fervency of his dematters as the continuance of the life of great princes, or votion mightbe the less taken notice of and observed. The their approaching death, did also belong to him; but pos- like is related of Ahab, (1 Kings xxi. 4,) though probably sibly a passage in Vinisauf may lessen this astonishment. did thus, not upon a religious account, but in order to TVinisauf, speaking of the army under our Richard the First, conceal from his attendants the anguish he was in for hira little before he left the Holy Land, and describing them late disappointment."-BaRDER. as marching on the plain not far from the seacoast, towards a place called Ybelin, which belonged to the knights hos- Ver. 8. And they answered him, He was a hairy pitalers of;St. John of Jerusalem, pretty near Hebron, says,': The army stopping a while there, rejoicing in the hope of speedily setting out for Jerusalem, were assailed by a most his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tish minute kind of fly, flying about like sparks, which they bite. called cincinnelltG. With these the whole neighbouring region round about was filled. These most wretchedly See on Matt. 3. 4. infested the pilgrims, piercing with great smartness the hands, necks, throats, foreheads, and faces, and every part Ver. 15. And the angel of the LORD said untc that was uncovered, a most violent burning tumour follow- Elijah, Go down with him; be not afraid of ing the punctures imade by them, so that all that they stung him. And he arose, and went down with hint looked like lepers." He adds, "that they could hardly unto the king. guard themselves from this most troublesome vexation, by covering their heads and necks with veils." What these See on 1 Sam. 17. 51. fireflies were, and whether they shone in the dark, and for that reason are compared to sparks flying about, or whether Ver. 16. Therefore thou shalt not come down off they were compared to them on the account of the burning that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt heat they occasioned, as well as a swelling in the flesh of all surely die. they wounded, I shall not take upon me to determine. I would only observe, Richard and his people met with them At one end of each chamber is a little gallery, raised in that part of the covrntry, which seemed to be of the three or four feet above the floor, with a balustrade in front, country which was not very far from Ekron, and which to which they go up by a few steps. Here they place their seemed to be of much the'same general nature-a plain not beds; a situation frequently alluded to in the holy scripfar from the seacoast. tures. Thus Jacob addressed his undutiful son, in his last Can we wonder, after this recital, that'those poor hea- benediction: " Thou wentest up to thy father's bed, —h CHAP. 2. 2 KINGS. 275 went up to my couch." The allusion is again involved in rupt speech, which Elisha, in the consternation he was in, the declaration of Elijah to the king of Samaria: " Now, left unfinished, and so the sacred history has recorded it.therefore, thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down STACKHOUSE. from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die." And the Psalmist sware unto the Lord, and vowed Ver. 19. And the men of the city said unto Eliunto the mighty God of Jacob,s" Surely I will not come sha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed,- city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: ut t until I find out a place for the Lord." This arrangement lord seeth b ut t may likewise illustrate the circumstance of Hezekiah's water is naught, and the ground barren.' turning his face to the wall, when he prayed," that the greatness of his sorrow, and the fervour of his devotion, Margin, "causing to miscarry." If the latter reading is miglht, as much as possible, be concealed from his attendants. allowed to be more just than the former, we must entertain The same thing is related of Ahab, although we have no a different idea of the situation of Jericho than the textual reason to think it was upon a religious account, but in order translation suggests. There are actually at this time cities to conceal from those about him the anguish he felt for his where animal life of certain kinds pines, and decays, and late disappointment; or, perhaps, by so great a show of dies; and wherethat posterity which should replace such sorrow, to pro voke them to devise some means to gratify loss is either not conceived; or, if conceived, is not brought his wishes: " And he, laid him down upon his bed, and to the birth; or if brought to the birth, is fatal in delivery turned away his face, and would eat no bread."-PAxToN. to both mother and offspring. An instance of this kind occurs in Don Ulloa's Voyage to South America. He says CHAPTER II. of the climate of Porto Bello, that "it destroys the vigour of Ver. 3. And the sons of the prophets that woere at nature, and often untimely cuts the thread of life." And of Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, beast of burden, will breat "no horse, mule, at Sennaas, or any Knowest thou that the LORD will'take away many miles about it. Poultry does not live there; neither thy master from thy head to-day'? And he said, dog nor cat, sheep nor bullock, can be preserved a season Yea, II know it; hold ye your peace. there. They must go all, every half year, to the sands. Though every possible care be'taken of them, they die in The expression in the text is, " Knowest tholl, that the every place where the fat earth is about the town, during Lord will take away thy master from thy head to-day?'" the first season of the rains." He further mentions, that the where the sons of the prophets allude to their manner of situation is equally unfavourable to most trees.-BnRDER. sitting in their school: for the scholars used to sit below their masters' feet, and the masters above over their heads, Ver. 20. And he said, Bring me a new'cruise, when they taught them: and therefore the sense of the words and put salt therein. And they brought it to is, that God would deprive Elisha of his master Elijah's in- him. structions, viz, by a sudden death. For it does not appear that they had any notion of his translation; so far from this, The Hebrew, tjelaclit(nrr) is used to denote a vessel that they desired leave to send out some to seek for him, of some capacity; a vessel to be turned upside down, in "if peradventure the spirit of the Lord had taken him up, order that the inside maybe thoroughly sviped, (2 Kinds xxi and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley," 13;) " I will wipe Jerusalem, as a man "ripeth a dish, ver. 16.-STACaHousE. turning it upside down." This implies, at least, that the Ver. 11. And it came to pass, as they still went odish itself sue of a dish be not narrpth yet that th e hand may on, and talked, that, behold, ther'e appeared a readily reach to the bottom of it, and there may freely chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted move, so as to wipe it thoroughly, &c. This vessel was them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a capable also of bearing the fire, and of standing convewhe i oth aslwind r;an intoijah he avet n.by niently over a fire; for we read, 2 Chron. xxxv. 13, " The whirlwind into heaven. priests, &c. boiled parts of the holy offerings in pans (tjelachit,) and distributed them speedily among the people." The Hindoos believe their supreme god Siva sends his Meaning, perhaps, that this was not the very kind of boiler angels, with a green chariot, to fetch the souls of those who which they would have chosen, had time permitted a choice; are devoted to him; that there are occasionally horses, but but that haste, and multiplicity of business, made them use at other times none. " The holy king Tirru-Sangu (i. e. whatever first came to hand, that was competent to the serdivine chank) was taken to heaven, body and soul, without vice. This' application of these vessels, however, shows the pain of dying." When a man, as a heathen, is very that they must have been of considerable capacity and regular in his devotions; or when lie reproves others for depth; as a very narrow or a very small dish, would not vice, or neglect of duty, it is often scornfully asked, have answered the purpose required. [Or, was this speedy " What! are you expecting the green chariot to be sent for distribution of these viands, because they were best eaten you 2" meaning, " Do you, by your devotions, expect to go hot?l] A kind of dish or pan, which appears to answer to heaven in the chariot of Siva without the pain of dying?" these descriptions, is represented in the French work, enDoes a man act with great injustice, the person who finds titled Estampes du Levant, in the hands of a confectioner him out asks, " Will you get the green chariot for this'" of the grand seignior's seraglio, who is carrying a deep Has a heathen embraced Christianity, he is asked the same dish, full of heated viands, (recently taken off the fire,) question. "Charity, charity," says the beggar at your door, upon which he has put a cover, in order that those viands "and the green chariot will be sent for yOU."-ROBERTS. may retain their heat and flavour. His being described on the plate as a confectioner, leads to the supposition that what Ver. 12. And Elisha sawv it, and he cried, My fa- he carries are delicacies; to this agrees his desire of prether, my father! the chariot of Israel, and the serving their heat: and the shape of the vessel is evidently horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: calculated for standing, &ec. over a fire. - Moreover, from its form it may easily be rested on its side, for the purpose and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent of being thoroughly wiped; and a dish used to contain them in two pieces. delicacies, is-most likely to receive such attention; for the comparison in the text referred to, evidently implies some The words of Elisha upon this occasion are, " My fa- assiduity and exertion to wipe from the dish every particle ther, my father!" (so they called their masters and instruc- inconsistent with complete cleanliness. This dish, we ters,) " the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." suppose, is of earth, or china;-that is, of porcelain, rather The expression alludes to'the form of the chariot and horses than of metal. that lie had just then beheld, and seems to imply, " That We are now prepared to see the import of Elisha's Elijah, by his example, and counsel, and prayers, and pow- direction to the men of Jericho, (2 Kings ii. 20.) " Bring er with God, did more for the defence and preservation of me a new tjelachit" —one of the vessels used in your Israel, than all their chariots and horses, and other warlike cookery-in those parts of your cookery which you esprovisions:" unless we may suppose, that this was an ab- teem the most delicate: a culinary vessel, but of the su 276 2 KINIGS. CIfAP. 2. perior kind: "and put salt therein,' what yoi constantly on which we seated ourselves in a circle, with a large bowr mingle in your food, what readily mares with water: and of rice in the middle, and some fish and dates before each per4this shall be a sign to you, that in your fiuture use of this son: here I likewise found that knives and forks were useless stream, you shall find it salubrious, and fit for daily service instruments in eating, and that nature7 had accommodated in preparing, or accompanying, your daily sustenance. us with what answered the same purpose: wie plunged our There is a striking picture of sloth, sketched out very sim- hands into the bowl, rolled up a handful of rice into a ball, ply, but very strongly, by the sagacious Solomon, (Prov. and conveyed it to our mouths in that form; our repast xix'24) repeated almost verbatim, chap'. xxvi. 15: was short, and to that succeeded coffee and washing; and A slothful man hideth his hand in the tjelachit: A slthft ma hieth is and n te tjtacit:on their parts prayer, ini which they were very frequent and But will not re-bring it to his mouth. fervent."-TAYLOR IN CALMET. A slothfut man hideth his hand in the tjelachit:-but e. 23. And he went up from thence unto BethIt grieveth him to bring it again to his mot. er. 23. And he went up from thence unto BethMeaning, he sees a dish, deep and capacious, filled with el: and as he was goingup by the way, there confectionary, sweetmeats, &c. whatever his appetite can came forth little children out of the city, and desire in respect to relish and flavour; of this he is greedy. mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou Thus excited, he thrusts his hand —his right hand-deep bald-head; go up, thou bald-head. bald-bead; go up, thou bald-head. into the dish, loads it with delicacies; but, alas! the labour of lifting it up to his mouth is too great, too excessive, too Some suppose this alludes to the head being uncovered. fatiguing: he therefore does not enjoy or taste what is be- I was not a little astonished in the East, when I first heard fore him, though his appetite be so far allured as to desire, a man called a bald-head, who had a large quantity of hair and his hand be so far exerted as to grasp. [This is the on his head: and I found, upon inquiry, it was an epithet customary mode of conveying food to the mouth in the of CONTEMPT! A man who has killed himself is called "a East, where knives and forks are not in use.] He suffers bald-headed suicide!" A stupid fellow, "a bald-headed the viands to become cold, and thereby to lose their flavour; dunce." Of those who are powerless, "What can those while he debates the important movement of his hand to his bald-heads do." Hence the epithet has often been applied mouth, if he does not rather totally forego the enjoyment, to the missionaries. Is a man told his wife does not manage as demanding too vast an action! Surely this picture of domestic matters well, he replies, as if in contempt of himsloth is greatly heightened by this notion of the tjelachit. self, "What can a bald-head do. must he not have a It seems to be sufficiently striking, that two words, rendered wife of the same kind." Let a merchant, or any other by our translators lap, or bosom, (Prov. xvi. 33, chik, and the person, who is going on business, meet a man who is REALLY word befoge us,) should both signify vases, or vessels. The bald, and he will assuredly refuse to attend to the business; first denotes, the lot-vase, used for containing the lot-peb- and pronounce, if he dare, some imprecations on the object bles, &c. to be drawn out by the hand: the other a dish for of his hatred. Sometimes he will repeat the proverb, "Go, meat; neither of them referring to any part of the person, thou bald-head, pilferer of a small fish, and sucker of bones as our version seems to imply; which reads, cast away by the goldsmith." Call a man a inottiyan, i. e. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, bald-head, (which you may do, though hlie have much hair,) And wvill not bring it to his mouth again. and then abuse, or sticks or stones, will be sure to be your The pcerful piture of sloth, painted by Solomon, gives portion. Thus the epithet implies great scorn, and is given The pcwerful picture of sloth, painted by Solomon, gives to those who are W~.XK or MEAN. —-ROBER1TS. occasion to enlarge somewhat, further on the manner of to those who are WEAK r MEAN.-ROET. eating among the Arabs; a manner that seems sufficiently Ver. 23. And he went up from thence unto Bethel. rude to us, but which those who practise it insist'is more and as he was going up by the way, there came natural and convenient, and not less cleanly than our own. " Extending their forefinger and thumb, (of the right hand forth little children out of the city, and mocked always-the left hand is reserved for less honourable uses,) him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald-head; they say," observes D'Arvieux, "God made this fork before go up, thou bald-head. 24. And he turned g~o up, thou bald-head. 24Anhetrd ~vou made your steel ones." Mr. Jackson says, "The back, and looked on them, and cursed them in Moors are, for the most part, more cleanily in their persons than in their garments. They wash their hands before the name of the LonRD. And there came forth every meal, which, as they use no knives or forks, they eat two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty with their fingers: half a dozen persons sit round a large and two children ofthem. $&wl of cuscasoe, and, after the usual ejaculation (Bismillah!)'In the name of God!' each person puts his hand to Bethel, it is well known, was one of the cities where the bowl, and taking up the food, throws it, by a dexterous Jeroboam had set up a golden calf, a place strangely adjerk, into his mouth, without suffering his fingers to touch dieted to idolatry, and whose inhabitants had no small his lips. However repugnant this may be to our ideas of aversion to Elisha, as being the servant and successor of cleanliness, yet the hand being alhays washed, and never one, who had been a professed enemy to their wicked wortouching the mbuth in the act of eating, these people are by ship, and himself no less an opposer of it. It is reasonable no means so dirty as Europeans have sometimes hastily to suppose, therefore, that the children (if they were childimagined. They have no chairs or tables in their houses, ren, for the word aarim may signify grown youths as well) but sit crosslegged on carpets and cushions; and at meals, who mocked Elisha, were excited and encouraged therethe dish or bowl of provisions is placed on the floor." (Ac- unto by their parents; and therefore the judgment was just, count of Morocco, p. 155.) in God's punishing the wickledness of these parents by the That a thorough sluggard should practise this " dexter- death of their children, who, though they suffered in this os1S jerk of the hand," is not likely to have entered into the life, had the happiness to be rescued from the danger of an contemplation of the royal sage, in the passages illustrated idolatrous education, which might have been of fatal tenabove: and to say truth, the latter observation seems to be dency both to their present and future state. In the mean couched in tirms much stronger than the former: " The time it must be acknowledged, that the insolence of these sluggard musters up just strength enough to plunge his mockers (whether we suppose them children or youths) hand into the bowl; but this mighty effort exhausts him, was very provoking, forasmuch as they ridiculed, not only lie finds his weariness (ns:) too great, too excessive, to a man whose very age commanded reverence, but a bring it up to his mouth, loaded though it be with the deli- prophet likewise, whose character, in all ages, was accaeies of the table." There is a force in the word rendered counted sacred, nay, and even God himself, whose honour' hide or pleeg'e, which should not be disregarded.-The was struck at in the reproaches against his servant, and slnggard buries deeply his hand:-it being customary with that too in one of his most glorious and wonderful works, such characters to grasp at all, and more than all, which his assumption of Elijah into heaven: For, "Go up, thou they can hold. Perhaps the action of a less polite class bald-head, go up, thou bald-head," (besides the bitterness than that principally alluded to by Mr. Jackson, may best of the contempt expressed in the repetition of the -words,) illustrate this reflection. We shall therefore add the fol- shows that they made a mere jest of any such translation; rowing frdm Major Rooke's Travels in Arabia: "On my and therefore, in banter, they bid Elijah go up, whither, as first going on board, I sat down with the Noquedah and his he pretended, his friend and master was gone before. tofficers to supper, the floor being both our tables and chairs, These provocations, one would think, were enough to CHAP. 3. 2 KI N GS. 277 draw an imprecation from the prophet; but this impreca- Ver. 11. And one of the king of Israel's servants tion did not proceed fromn any passion or private resentment ansered and said, Here is Elisha the sono. of his own, but merely from the command and commission of his God; who, for the terror and caution of other pro- Shaphat, which pouredwater on the hands ofane persons and idolaters, as well as for the maintenance Elijah. of the honour and authority of his prophets, " confirmed the word which had gone out of his servant's mouth." We read, Elisha " went after Elijah, and ministered unto The li:re is to be said of the destruction which Elijah him;" which simply means he was his servant. The peo. called down from heaven upon the two captains and their ple of the East use their fingers in eating, instead of a knife companies, who came to apprehend him-that he did this, and fork, or spoon; and consequently after, (as well as not out of any hasty passion or revenge, but purely in obe- before,) they are obliged to wash their hands. The master, dience to the Holy Spirit, wherewith he was animated, and having finished his meal, calls a servant to pour water on in zeal for the honour and glory of God, which in the per- his hands. The domestic then comes with a little brass son of his prophet, were grossly abused.-STrAcKHOosE. vessel filled with water, and pours it on the hands and fingers till he hears the word pothinm, enough.-ROBERTS. Ver. 34. And there came forth twro she-bears out Ihere is a description of Elisha the prophet, by a part and tare forty and two children of, his office when servant to Elijah, which appears rather of the wood, and tare forty and two children of strange to us. "' Is there not here a prophet of the Lord." them. says King Jehoshaphat; he is answered, " Here is Elisha ben Shaphat, who ypored waater onf the hancds of Elisjah," These furious animals were she-bears, which, it is prob- (2 Kings iii. 11,) i. e. who was his servant and constant able, had been just deprived of theiri young; and now fol- attendant. So Pitts tells us: " The table being removed, lowing the impulse of their outraged feelings, they rushed before they rise (from the ground whereon they sit,) a slave, from the wood to revenge the loss. But it is evident their or servant, who stands attending on them with a cup of native ferocity wvas overruled and directed by divine prov- water to give them drink, steps into the middle with a basin,'idence, to execute the dreadful sentence pronounced by the or copper pot of Water, something like a coffee-pot, and a prophet in his name. They must, therefore, be considered little soap, and lets the water r'-un uponz their? halnds one after as the ministers of God, the Judge of all the earth, commis- another, in order as they sit." Such service it appears sioned to punish the idolatrous inhabitants of Bethel and Elisha performed for Elijah: what shall we say then to the their profligate offspring, who probably acted on this occa- remarkable action of our Lord, " who poured water into a sion with their concurrence. if not by their command. He basin, and washed his disciples' feet," after supper. Was punished:-n a similar way the heathen colonies planted by he indeed among them as one who servetll? On this subject, the king of Assyria in the cities of Samaria, after the ex- says D'Ohsson, " Ablution, Abdesth, consists in washing the pulsion of the ten tribes: " They feared not the Lord; there- hands, feet, face, and a part of the head; the law mentions fore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them by the term-' the three parts consecrated to abluthem." When he punished the youths of Bethel, (for so tion.'.... The mussulman is generally seated on the edge the phrase little chtildren? signifies in Hebrew,) by directing of a sofa, with a pewter or copper vessel lined awith tin against them the rage of the she-bears, he only did what placed before him upon a round piece of red cloth, to preMoses had long before predicted, and' left on record for vent the carpet or mat from being wet: a servant, kneeling their warning: "And if ye walk contrary unto me, and on the ground, pours out water for his master; another will not hearken unto me, I will bring seven times more holds a cloth destined for these purifications. The person plagues upon you, according to your sins. I will also send' who purifies himself begins by baring his arms as far as wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your child- the elbow. As he washes his hands, mouth; nostrils, face, ren." Bethel had been long the principal seat of idolatry, arms, &c., he repeats the proper prayers.... It is probable and its attendant vices; and to all their aggravated crimes, that Mohammed followed on this subject the book of Leits inhabitants now added rude and impious mockery of a viticus." It is well known that we have an officer among person whom they knew to be a prophet of the Lord, revi- ourselves, who, at the coronation, and formerly at all public ling with blasphemous tongues the Lord God of Elijah, festivals, held a basin of water for the king to wrash his and his now glorified servant. Baldness was reckoned a hands in, after dinner; but it is not equally well known, very great deformity in the East; and to be rep-roached with that Cardinal Wolsey, one time, when the Duke of Buckit, one of the grossest insults an Oriental could receive. ingham held the basin for Henry VIII., after the king had Cesar, who was bald, could not bear to hear it mentioned washed, put his own hand into the basin: the duke rein jest. It is one of the marks of disgrace which Homer senting this intrusion, let some of the water fall on the fixes upon Thersites, that he had only a few straggling habit of the cardinal, who never forgave the action, but hairs on his pyramidal head. Their crime, therefore, brought the duke to the block, in consequence of his rejustly merited the severest punishment.-PAxToN. sentment.-TAYLOR IN CALMsET. CHAPTER -II. Ver. 15. But now bring me a minstrel. And it V/er. 4. And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep- came to pass, when the minstrel played, that master, and rendered unto the king of Israel a the hand of the LORD came upon him. hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thou- The music of great men in civil life, has been sometimes sand rams, with the wool. directed to persons of a sacred character, as an expression of respect, in the East; perhaps the playing of the minstrel This was a prodigious number indeed; but then we are before the prophet Elisha is to be understood, in part, at to consider that these countries abound with sheep, inso- least, in something of the same manner. When Dr. much that Solomon offered a hundred and twenty thou- Richard Chandler was at Athens, the archbishop of that sand at the dedication of the temple, 2 Chron. vii. 5, and city was upon ill terms with its Vaiwode, and the Greeks the Reubenites drove from the Haarens a hundred and in general siding with the Vaiwode, the archbishop was fifty thousand, 1 Chron. v. 7. For, as Bochart observes, obliged to withdraw for a time; but some time after, when their sheep frequenitly brought forth two at a time, and'Chandler and his fellow-travellers were at Corinth, they sometimes twice a year. The same learned man remarks, were informed that the archbishop was returned to Athens'; that in ancient times, when people's riches consisted in that the Bey or Vaiwode had received him kindly, and cattle. this was the only way of paving tribute. It is ob- ordered his musicians to attend him at his palace; antd served by others likewise, that this great number of cattle that a complete revolution had happened in his favour. was not a tribute, which the Moabites were obliged to pay Here we see a civil magistrate, who had been displeased the Israelites every year, but on some special occasion only, with a great ecclesiastic, sent his musicians to play at his upon the accession of every new kling, for instance, when archiepiscopal palace, in honour of him to whom this mathey were obliged to express their homage in this manner, gistrate was now reconciled. Elisha might require that a to make satisfaction for some damages that the Israelites like honour should be done to him, and through him to the should at any time suffer from their invasions or revolts.- God whom he served, who had been sadly neglected and STCKHOasE. affronted in former times by the king of Israel. The pro. 278 2 KINGS. CHAP 4. priety of it will appear in a still stronger light, if we should that field, should infallibly be slain, by the contrivance of suppose, that Elisha commanded the minstrel to sing, along those who placed the stones there." This malicious pracwith his music, a hymn to JEHovAH, setting forth his being tice,- they add, is thought to have had its origin in Arabia a God that gave rain, that preserved such as were ready to Petrea. If the Israelites, as victors, who could prescribe perish, the giver of victory, and whose power was neither what laws they thought proper to the conquered, placed limited to his temple, nor to the Jewish country sacred to such stones in the best grounds of the Moabites, as interhim, but equally operative in every place. The coming of dieting them from tillage, on pain of their owners being the spirit of prophecy upon Elisha, enabling him to declare destroyed, they without much trouble effectually marred a speedy copious fall of rain in that neighbourhood, and a such fields as long as their power over 1VMoab lasted, which complete victory over their enemies, immediately upon the had before this continued some time, and by the suppression submissive compliance of this idolatrous prince with the of this rebellion might be supposed to continue long. As requisition of the prophet, and such a hymn in praise of it was an ancient practice in these countries, might it not the God of Israel, seems to me full as natural an interpre- be supposed to be as ancient as the times of Elisha, and tation, as the supposing he desired the minstrel to come in that he referred to it. Perhaps the time to -cast away stones, order to play some soft composing tune, to calm his ruffled and the time to gather stones together, mentioned by the spirits, and to qualify him for the reception of the influences royal preacher, Eccles. iii. 5, is to be understood in like of the spirit of prophecy., Was a warm and pungent zeal manner, of giving to nations with which there had been against the idolatries of Jehoram a disqualifying disposi- contests, the marks of perfect reconciliation, or continuing tion of soul 2 and if it were, was mere music the happiest upon them some tokens of. displeasure and resentment. If mode of inviting the divine influences 2 Yet after this we suppose the latter part of the verse is exegetical of the manner, I think, it has been commonly explained. Sing- former, which the learned know is very common in the ing was, and is, so frequently joined with the sound of musi- Hebrew poetry, it will better agree with this explanation, cal instruments in the East, that I apprehend no one will than with that which supposes, that the casting away oJ think it strange, that I suppose the minstrel sung as well as stones, means the demolis/hing of houses, and the gathering played in the presenc e'of Elisha: and when it is recollect- them together, the collecting them for building; since the ed that their songs are very frequently extemporaneous, it casting away of stones answers to embracing, in the latter is natural to suppose the prophet required something to be part of the verse, not to the refraining from embracing. It sunu, suitable both to his character and to the occasion.- may be supposed inde-ed that a transposition might be inHAaMER. tended, such a one as appears in the eighth verse; but it is to be observed, that the eighth verse finishes this catalogue Ver. 16. And he said, Thus saith the LORD, of different seasons, and there is no transposition in the Mtake this valley full of ditches: 17. For thus other particulars. To which maybe added, that this exsaith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither planation makes the casting away of stones, and gathering Fsaith the LouD, Y'e shall not see wvind, neither them together, of the fifth verse, precisely the same thing shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with the breaking down and building up of the third: the with water, that ye triay drink, both ye, and supposing a greater variety of thought here will be no disyour cattle, and your beasts. honour to the royal poet.-HARMER. Vey. 27. Then he took his eldest son, that should A shower of rain in the East, is often preceded by a vhirlwind, which darkens the sky with immense clouds have reigned in his stead, and offered him for of sand from the loose surface of the desert. To this com- a burnt-offering upon the iwall. And there mon phenomenon, the prophet alludes, in his direction to was great indigation against Israel: And they the king of Israel, who' was marching with his army dearted fom him, an returned to teir on against Moab, and was ready to -perish in the wilderness for want of water: "Thus saith the Lord, Make this val- land. ley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not ley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not In great distress, several persons, like the king of Moab, see wind, neither shall ye see ram; yet that valley shall be Ih great dstress, several ersons, li the iing of Moab, filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cat- have offered theia own children upon their altars. Eusetle, and your beasts." If a squall had not commonly pre- ius and Lactantius mention several nations who used tle, and your beasts.' If a squall had not commonly Pre- these sacrifices. Cesar says of the Gauls, that when they ceded rain, the prophet would not have said, Ye shall not see wind.-PAXnTON. were afflicted with grievous diseases, or in time of war, or great danger, they either offered men for sacrifices, or Ver. 19. LAnd ye shall smite every fenced city, vowed they would offer them. For they imagined God a e y c ity, a s f would not be appeased, unless the life of a man were renand every- choice city, and shall fell every good dered for the. life of a man. —BeRDER. tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. R IV. VYer.. 1. Now there cried a certain woman of the Commentators take no pains, that I know of, to account wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, for that part of the punishment of the king of Moab's re-t bellion, Ye shall mar every good piece of lacnd with stones; saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and though it does not appear very easy to conceive how this thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Loro: was to be done to any purpose, and indeed without giving and the creditor is come to take unto him my as much trouble, or more, to Israel, to gather these stones, two sons to be bondmen. and carry them on their lands, as to the Moabites to gather them up again, and carry them off. I would therefore pro- This was a case in which the Hebrews had such power pose it to the learned to consider, whether we may not over their children, that they might sell them to pay what understand this of Israel's doing that nationally, and as they owed; and the creditor might force them to it. Huet victors, which was done by private persons very frequently thinks that from the Jews this custom was propagated to in these countries in ancient times, by way of revenge, the Athenians, and from them to the Romans. —BuRDER. and which is mentioned in some of the old Roman laws, I The Jewish law looked upon children as the proper think, cited by Egmont and Heyman, who, speaking of the goods' of their parents, who had power to sell them -for contentions and vindictive temper of the Arabs, tell us, seven. years, as their creditors had to compel them to do they were ignorant, however, whether they still retained it, in order to pay their debts; and from the Jews this custhe method of revenge formerly common among them, and tom was propagated to the Athenians, and frcm them to which is called cKorEXt/alos, mentioned in Lib. If. Digest. de the Romans. The Romans indeed had the most absolute e.ztraord. crimainib. which contains the following account. control over their children. By the decree of Romulus 1, provincia Arabici, &c. That is, "in the province of they could imprison, beat, kill, or sell them for slaves; but Arabia, there is a crimne called OKOrEXirtos, or fixing of Numa Pompilius first moderated this, and the emperor stones; it being a frequent practice among them, to place Diocletian made a law, that no free persons should be sold stones in the grounds of those with whom they are at upon account of debt. The ancient Athenians had the like variance as a warning, that any person who dares to till jurisdiction over their children, but Solon reformed this CHAP. 4. 2 KINGS. 279 cruel custom; as indeed it seemed a little hard, that the him to his mother, he sat on her &nees till noon, children of a poor man, who have no manner of inherit- and the died' ance left them, should be compelled into slavery, in order to pay their deceased father's debts; and yet this was the custom, as appears from this passage, wherein the prophet does not pretend to reprove the creditor, but only puts the to prove fatal to many people. To this cause, is to be woman in a method to pay him.-SXTAcHuOUSE. attributed the death of the child at Shunem, in the days of Elisha. Egmont and Heyman (vol. i. p. 333) found the air about Jericho extremely hot, and say that it destroyed Ver. 1. Let us make a little chamber, I pray several persons the year before they were there. The thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there army of King Baldwin IV. suffered considerably from this a bed, and a. table, and a stool, and a candle- circumstance near Tiberias. The heat at the time was so stuick; and it shall be ~when he cometh to us, unusually great, that as many died by that as by the sword. stick; and it shall be when he cometh to us, After the battle, in their return to their former encampthat. he shall turn in thither. ment, a certain ecclesiastic, of some distinction in the church and in the army, not being able to bear the veheTo most of these houses a smaller one is annexed, which mence of the heat, was carried in a litter, but expired sometimes rises one story higher than the house; and at under mount Tabor.-(Harmer.) The child of the Shuother times it consists of one or two rooms only, and a namite here spoken of, had gone to the reapers in the field, terrace; while others that are built, as they frequently are, (v. 12,) where he suddenly complained of headache, (v. 19,) over the porch or gateway, have, if we except the ground- and soon after died. Probably he had a-sun-stroke, which floor, which they want, all the conveniences that belong to was very natural in the great heat which prevails in those the house itself. They communicate with the gallery of countries at harvest-time. Monconys, speaking of himself, the house by a door, and by another door, which opens says, "Towards evening, the sun had struck with such force immediately from a privy stair, with the porch or street, on myhead, that I was seized with aviolent fever, and obliged without giving the least disturbance to the house. In these to go to bed." Werli Von Zember relates the same of himback-houses, as they may be called, strangers are usually self and his companions. " After we had been obliged to lodged and entertained; and to them likewise the men are remain a long time in this court, exposed to the heat of the wont to retire from the hurry and noise of their families, to sun, we almost all became ill, with dreadful headache, giddibe more at leisure for meditation and amusement; and at ness, and fever, so that some even lost their senses." Von other times, they are converted into wardrobes and maga-'Stammler says, " When we came into the desert, between zines, This annexel building is in the holy scriptures the mountains, I was seized wtth a very severe inflammanamed (n,5y)alich; and we'have reason to believe, that the tory fever: I was unable to remain any longer on the little chamber which the Shunamite built for the prophet camel, but was forced to lie down on the ground, and Elisha, whither, as the text informs us, he retired at his became so ill, that they scarcely thought I was alive."pleasure, without breaking in upon the private affairs of ROSENMULLER. the family, or being in his turn interrupted by them in his Devotions, was a structure of this kind. It is thus described Ver. 22. And she called unto her husband, and ny the Shunamiite herself: "Let us make a little chamber, said, end me, I pray thee, one of the young I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick; and it shall be, men, and one of the asses, that I may run to that when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. the man of God, and come again. The internal communication of this chamber with the Shunamite's house, may be inferred, as well from its being The saddle ass retaining the characteristic perverseness built upon the wall'which enclosed her dwelling, as from of his kind, is apt to become restiff under his rider, which. her having so free access to it, and at the second invitation, inc, that reuire haste renders it neesr t I standing in the door, while the prophet announced to her s, esy o accee the birth of a son-PAxToN. rate his speed by means of the goad. This, according to Poeoeke, is commonly done for persons of rank by a serThey did not then among the ancients sit universally as Pococe, s commonly done for persons of rank by a serrant on foot. This method of travelling seems to have been the modern inhabitants of the East now do, on the ground vant on foot. This method of travellin sees to have been or floor, on some mat or carpet they sometimes sat on quite common in Palestine; for the Shunamite's husband or floor, on some mat or carpet; they sometimes, sat on expressed neither surprise nor hesitation, when she asked for thrones, or seats more or less like our chairs, often raised the se at she so high as to require a footstool. But it was considered as r one of the young men, and one of the asses, that she might run to the man of God." The acknowledged inability of the a piece of splendour, and offered as a mark of particular ass to carry both the servant and h is mistress, the custom respect. It was doubtless for this reason that a seat of this of having an attendant, whose business istress to drive tom kind was placed, along with some other furniture, in the anim al forward, andant, whose business it of te bereave chamber which the devout Shiunamitess prepared for the mother, hich reqired the utmost speed, suffciently prove prophet Elisha, 2 Kingls iv. 10, which ollr version has very mother, which required the utmost speed, sufficiently prove prophet Elisha, 2 Kings iv. 10, ywhich or version has very that sheirode the ass herself, while the servant attended her unhappily translated a stool, by which we mean the least on foot, or mounted perhaps on a canrel, which persons ii honourable kind of seat in an apartment; whereas the hi condition footen or mount eAnd she said to his condition often used on a journey. "And she said to original word meant to express her respect for the prophet her servant, Drive, (or lead,) and go forward; slack not by the kind of seat she prepared for him. The word is i: rid irss., the same that is commonly translated throne. The ariding for me, except I bid thee." Put him to the utmost speed, without regarding the inconveniences I may suffer. candlestick is, in like manner, to be considered as a piece speed, witoun h, it has been thinconveniencs very improper of furniture, suitable to a room that was magnificently fitted of furniture, suitable to a room that was magnificently -tted supplied in our translation, as it leads one to suppose that up, according to the mode of those times, a light being kept sed in our translation, as it leads one to suppose that burning all night long in such apartments. So a lamp was tion is made of the circumstance, it is not perfectly clear kept burnig Zll night, ill the apartment in which Dr. tion is made of the circumstance, it is not perfectly clear kept burning all night, in the apartment in which Dr. that the servant was not mounted on this occasion.'n Richard Chandler slept, in the house of a Jew, who was phrae, cease not to ride, ( or cease not riding, nat vice-consul for the English nation, at the place where he ra to ride, ( was) or cease no t riding, nat first landed, when he, proposed to visit the curious ruins of rally suggests that he was mounted. rShunamite saddled, was a strong'animal, as the name giver Asia Minor. Further, we are told by De la Roque, in the Shuamite inspired writer imports; and if we may believe account given of some French gentlemen's going to Arabia Felix, page 43, 44, that they found only mats in the house Maillet, the asses in Eypt and Syria have nothing of that indolence and heaviness which are natural to ours; thereof the captain of the port of Aden, where they were honour- fre, if the servant was not ishe with a camel, or tas ably received, which were to serve them for beds, chairs, not a rnning footman by profession, of which we have no and tables: so in the evening they brought them tapers iandh tables: so in the evenino they brought them tapers proof, the ass must have soon left him far behind, and renwithout candlesticks, the want of which they were to sup- dered his services of no use. When the inspired writer ly as well as they could, which was but indifferently.- says the Shunamite saddled her ass, he uses a phrase which WAsa y s the Shunamite saddled her ass, he uses a phrase which often occurs in the sacred writings, and seems to comprehend any requisite for the convenience f the rider and the Ver. 20. And when he had taken him, and brought proper management of the animal. —PAXTON. 280 2 K I N GS. CHAP. 4. Ver. 23. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to This command to salute no one, naturally calls to mind him to-day?1 it is neither new moon nor sab- that which Jesus gave to the seventy disciples. Luke x. 4, Salute no one by the way. It is explained by the custom of bath. And she said, It shall be well. the East. Serious and taciturn as the natives of the East usually are, they grow talkative when they meet an acPeter Della Vall6 assures us, that it is now customary in quaintance and salute- him. This custom has come, from Arabia to begin their journeys at the new moon. When Asia with the Arabs, and spread over the north coast of the Shunamite proposed going to Elisha, her husband dis- Africa. A modern traveller relates the reciprocal salutasuaded her by observing that it was neither new moon nor tions with which those are received who return with the sabbath.-BuRDER. caravans. " People go a great way to meet them; as soon Ver. 24. Thern she saddled an ass, and said to her as they are perceived, the questioning and salutation begilln, and continue with the repetition of the same phrases: servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy'How do you do. God be praised that you are come in riding for me, except I bid thee. peace! God give you peace! How fares it kwith you'' The higher the rank of the person returning home, the See on Judg. 10. 4. longer does the salutation last."-BURDER. Where travellers are not so numerous as in caravans, Elisha's enjoining Gehazi not to salute any that he met, their appearance differs a good deal from that of those who or to return the salutation of such, evidently expresses the journey among us. To see a person mounted and attended haste he would have him make to recover the child, and by a servant on foot, would seem odd to us; and it would bring him back to life. For the salutations of the East be much more so to see that servant driving the beast before often take up a long time. " The manner of salutation, as him, or goading it along: yet these are eastern modes. So now practised by the people of Egypt, is not less ancient. Dr. Pococke, in his account of Egypt, tells us that the man, The ordinary way of saluting people, when at a distance, the husband, I suppose he means, always leads the lady's is bringing the hand down to the knees, and then carrying ass there; and if she has a servant, he goes on one side: it to the stomach. Marking their devotedness to a person but the ass-driver follows the man, goads on the beast, and by holding down, the hand; as they do their affection by when he is to turn, directs his head with a pole. The their after raising it up to their heart. When they come Shunamite, when she went to the prophet, did not desire so close together afterward, they take each other by the hand much attendance, only requesting her husband to send her in token of friendship. What is very pleasant, is to see an ass, and its driver, to whom she said,' Drive, and go the countrypeople reciprocally clapping' each other's hands forward, slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee." very smartly, twenty or thirty times together, in meeting, 2 Kings ivr. 24. It appears from the eastern manner of the without saying any thing more than,'alnmat aiche halcomn; Awomen's.riding on asses, that the word is rightly translated that is to say, How do you do? I wish yon good health. It dJrive, rather than lead; and this account of Dr. Pococke this form of complimenting must be acknowledged to be w-ll also explain why she did not desire two asses, one for simple, it must be admitted to be very affectionate. Perherself, and the other for the servant that attended her. haps it marks out a better disposition of heart than all the Solomon might refer to the same, when he says, " I have studied phrases which are in use among us, and which seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants politeness almost always' makes use of at the expense ot upon the earth," Ecel. x. 7. My reader, however, will meet sincerity. After this first compliment many' other friendly with a more exact illustration of this passage in its proper questions are asked, about the health of the family, menplace.-HARMSR. tioning each of the children distinctly, whose names they know," &c. If the forms of salutation among the ancient Ver. 29. Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy Jewish peasants took up as much time as those of the loins, and take my staff in thy hand, and go thy modern Egyptians that belong to that rank of life, it is no way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; wonder the prophet commanded his servant to abstain from saluting those he might meet with, when sent to and if any salute thee, answer him not again: recover the child of the Shunamitess to life: they that have and lay my staff upon the face of the child. attributed this order to haste have done right; but they ought to have shown the tediousness of eastern compliThe rod, or staff, in the scriptures, is mentioned as an ments. —HARMER. emblem of authority. over inanimate nature, over man, and Salutations at meeting, are not less common in the East the diseases to which he was subject, and also as an instru- than in the countries of Europe; but are generally conment of correction for the wicked. The Lord commanded fined to those of their own nation, or religious party. Moses, " Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand upon the When the Arabs salute each other, it is generally in these waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and terms: Salum aleikhm, peace be with you; laying, as they upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of Water, that utter the words, the right hand on the heart. The answer they may become blood.' Thd magicians of the heathen is, Aleiklum essalnm, with you be peace; to which aged king had their rods also, by which they performed many people are inclined to add, "and the mercy and blessing of Xwon derful things. I see no reason to doubt that the staff of God." The Mohammedans of Egypt and Syria never Elisha was of the same nature, and for the same purposes, salute a Christian in these terms; they content themselves's the " rod of God," which did such wonders in the hands with saying to them, " Good-day to you," or, " Friend, how o~ Moses. Gehazi, though he had the emblem of his mas- do you do'" Niebuhr's statement is confirmed by Mr. ter's office, could not perform the miracle: and no wonder; Bruce, who says, that some Arabs, to whom lie gave the for the moment before he received the command from salam, or salutation of peace, either made no reply, or exElisha, he showed his evil- disposition to the mother of the pressed their astonishment at his impudence in using such dead child; for when she caught the prophet " by the feet," freedom. Thus it appears. that the Orientals have'.wo to state her case, he went " near to thrust her away." kinds of salutations; one for strangers, and the other for The oroun-mnlle-pirambic (i. e. a cane with one knot) is their own countrymen, or persons of their ownl religious believed to possess miraculous power, whether in the hand profession. The Jews in the days of our Lord, seem to of a magician or a private individual. It is about the size have generally observed the same custom; they would not of the middle finger, and must have only one knot in its address the usual compliment of " Peace be to you," to whole length. " A man'-bitten by a serpent will be assu- either heathens or publicans; the publicans of the Jewish redly cured, if the cane or rod be placed upon him: nay, nations would use it to their countrymen who were pubshould he be dead, it will restore him to life!" "Yes, licans, but not to heathens; though the more ri)gid Jews the man who has such a stick need fear neither serpents refused to do it either to publicans or heathens. Our Lord nor evil spirits." A native gentleman known to me has required his disciples to lay aside the moroseness of Jews, the staff of his umbrella made of one of these rods, and great and cherish a benevolent disposition towards all around satisfaction and comfort has he in this his constant com- them: " If ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more panion. " The sun cannot smite him by day, neither the than others 3 Do not even the publicans so l" They were moon by night; the serpents and wild beasts move off bound by the same authority, to embrace their brethlren in sw iftly; and the evil spirits dare not come near to him."- Christ with a special affection, yet they were to look upon RaBERTS. every man as a brother, to feel a sincere and cordial inte. CHAP. 5.' 2 KINGS. 281 rest in his welfare, and to express, at meeting, their benevo- edge.-Every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall lence, in language corresponding with the feelings of their be set on edge."-PAXToN. hearts. This precept is not inconsistent with the charge which the prophet Elisha gave to his servant Gehazi, not Ver. 42. And there came a man from Baal:shalito salute any man he met, nor return his salutation; for he sha, and brought the man of God bread of the wished him to make all the haste in his power to restore he child of the Shunamite, who had laid him under so first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears many obligations. The manners of the country rendered of corn in the husk thereof: and he said, Give Elisha's precautions particularly proper and necessary, as unto the people, that they may eat. the salutations of the East'often take up a long time.PAXTON. See on 1 Kings 14. 3. The margin has, instead of in the husk, " in his scrip or Ver. 39. And one went out into the field to gather garment." I think the marginal reading is better than the herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered text. In what was the man to carry the ears of corn In what may be seen every day —" in his scrip or garment." thereof wild gourds his lapful, and came and In the mantle (like a scarf) the natives carry many things: shred thevm into the pot of pottage: for they thus the petty merchant takes some of his ware, and the knew them not. traveller his rice.-ROBERTS. Their common pottage in the East is made by cutting CHAPTER V. their meat into little pieces, and boiling them with rice, Ver. 6. And he brought the letter to the king of flour, and parsley, all which is afterward poured into a Israel sayin ow, hen this letter is come proper vessel. This in their language is called Shoorba. Parsley is used in this Shoorba, and a great many other unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaherbs, in their cookery. These are not always gathered man my servant to thee, that thou mayest reout of gardens, even by those that live in a more settled cover him of his leprosy. way than the Arabs:: for Russel, after having given a long account of the garden stuff at Aleppo, tells us, that besides Schultens observes that, " the right understanding of this those from culture, the fields afford bugloss, mallow, aspar- passage depends on the custom of expelling lepers, and agus, which they use as potherbs, besides some others which other infectious persons, from camps or cities, and rethey use in salads. This is the more extraordinary, as they proachfully driving them into solitary places; and that have such a number of gardens about Aleppo, and will when these persons were cleansed and readmitted into cities take off all wonder from the story of one's going into the or camps, they were said to be recollecti, gathered again fields, to gather herbs, to put into the pottage of the sons of from their leprosy, and again received into that society from the prophets, 2 Kings iv. 39, in a time when indeed Ahab, which they had been cut Off."-BURDER. and doubtless some others, had gardens of herbs; but it is not to be supposed things were so brought under culture as Ver. 11. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, in later times.-HARMasa. and said, Behold,, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name Ver. 39. And one vent aut into the field to gather of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over hrwd a dgathr of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered the place, and recover the leper. thereof wild gourds his lapful, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they Naaman thought that the prophet would effect his cure knew them not. 40. So they poured out for sooner and more certainly if he touched him with his hand, the men to eat: and it came to pass, as they and, as it were, invigorated him by an effision of his healere etin of the pottage, that the cried out ing power. Then, as in later times, those who effected ere eating of the ottage, that they cried o such miraculous cures were accustomed to touch the paand said, O thou man of God, there is death in tient. Thus, Jan Mocquet says, "when the sick were the pot: and they could not eat thereof brought to the sheik of the Arabian Santons, (religious,) he touched either their right arm or foot, or stroked their In the vales near Jordan, in the neighbourhood of Jericho, breast and forehead, after money had been offered him." not far from the Iead Sea, is found, growing in great abun- Among all nations superstition considers the touch as the dance, the vine of Sodom, a plant, from the fields around principal requisite of a miraculous cure. Hans Egede, in that devoted city, which produces grapes as bitter as gall, his Greenland Mission, says, " A Greenland man and and wine as deadly as the-poison of a serpent. This dele- woman requested me to blow upon their sick child, or to terious fruit is mentioned by Moses hii terms which fully lay my hands upon it: they hoped that it would recover. justify the assertion: "For their vine is of the vine of Many more sick Greenlanders begged the same favour from Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are me, because they considered me as a prophet, whom they grapos of gall, their clusters are bitter, their wine is the believed able to cure the sick in a supernatural manner." poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps." It is -ROSENMULLER. probably the wild vine, a species of gourd, which produces When they consulted a prophet, the eastern modes the coloqeintida, a fruit so excessively bitter that it cannot required a present; and they might think it was right rather be eaten; and when given in medicine, proves a purgative to present him with eatables than other things, because it so powerful, as to be frequently followed by excoriation of frequently happened that they were detained there some the vessels, and hemorrhage. It seems therefore to have time, waiting the answer of GoD, during which time hospibeen early, and not withoutreason, considered as poisonous. tality would require the prophet to ask them to take some It was of this wild vine the sons of the prophets ate; and repast with him. And as the prophet would naturally treat its instantaneous effect, together with their knowledge of them with some regard to their quality, they dofibtless did its violent action, easily accounts for their alarm. Another then, as the Egyptians do now, proportion their presents to species of wild vine, but of a milder character, which their avowed rank and number of attendants. The presgrows in Palestine, near the highways and hedges, is the ent of Jeroboam's wife was that of a woman in affluent Labrlrzsca. Its fruit is a very small grape, which becomes circumstances, though itby no means determined her to be a black when ripe; but often it does not ripen at all. These princess. That made to the prophet Samuel, was the preare the wild grapes to which the prophet compares the in- sent of a person that expected to be treated like a man in low nabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah: "_And he life; how great then must be his surprise, first to be treated.ooked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought with distinguished honour in a large company, and then to forth wild grapes." They are also the sour grapes towhich be anointed king over Israel! another inspired prophet alludes, when he predicts the de- But though this seems to have been the original ground straying judgments that were coming upon his rebellious of presenting common eatables to persons who were visited people: " In those days they shall say no more, The fathers at their own houses, I would by no means be understood to ave eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on affirm they have always kept to this, and presented eatables 36 282 2 KINGS. CHAP. 5. whetr they expected to stay with them and take some repast, surprising, yet we can hardly thinlk the historian would and other things when they did not. Accuracy is not to have mentioned this circumstance so very distinctly in any'he expected in such matters: the observation, however, nat- other view. Rebecca's alighting from the camel on which urally accounts for the rise of this sort of presents. In she rode, when Isaac came to meet her, is by no means any other cases, the presents that anciently were, and of late proof that the considering this as an expression of revhave wont to be made to personages eminent for study and erence, is a modern thing in the East; it, on the contrary, piety, were large sums of money, or vestments: so the pres- strongly reminds one of D'Arvieux's account of a bride's ent that a Syrian nobleman would have made to an Israel- throwiing herself at the feet of the bridegroom when solemnly itish prophet, with whom he did not expect to stay any presented to him, which obtains among the Arabs. time, or indeed to enter in his house, " Behold, I thought, I-Ie We met a Turk, says Dr. Richard Chandler, in his will certainly come out to me, and stand, and call on the Asiatic travels, " a person of distinction, as appeared from name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the his turban. He was on horseback with a single attendant. place, and recover the leper," consisted of ten talents of Our janizary and Armenians respectfully alighted, and silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of made him a profound obeisance, the former kissing the rim raiment. It is needless to mention the pecuniary gratifica- of his garment." So Niebuhr tells us, that at. ahira tions that have been given to men of learning in the East Grand Cairo, "the Jews and Christians, who, it may be. in later times; but as to vestments, D'Herbelot tells us, alighted at first through fear or respect, when a Mohammethat Bokhteri, an illustrious poet of Cufah, in the ninth dan with a great train on horseback met them, are now century, had so many presents made him in the course of obliged to pay this compliment to above thirty of the prinhis life, that at his death he was found possessed of a hun- cipalpeople of that city. WVhen these appear in public, they dred complete suits of clothes, two hundred shirts, and five always cause a domestic to go before to give notice to the hundred turbans.-HARMER. Jews and Greeks, and even the Europeans that they meet with, to get off their asses as soon as possible, and they are Ver. 9. So Naaman came with his horses and qualified on occasion to force them with a great club, which with his chariot, and stood at the door of the they always carry in their hands."-HARMER. house of Elisha. 10. And Elisha sent a mes- Ver. 21. So Gehazi followed after Naaman: and senger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jor- when Naaman saw him running after him, he dan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and to thee, and thou shalt be clean. said, Is all well? [Eeb. margin, Is there peace?] Elisha's not appearing to receive the Syrian general, is 22. And he said, All is Rwell. ascribed by some to the retired course of life which the I never read this passage without fancying.a Malabar prophets led; but then, why did he see him, and enter I proph led; but then, hy did he see him, and ente man running after the chariot, and on being met by Naainto conversation with him, when he returned from his InAl~to conversat~ion with man making a most profound bow, and uttering the word cure. I should rather think, that it was not misbecomin making a most profound bow, and ttering the word b selam, peace-the word used on this occasion, and still in the prophet, upon this occasion, to take some state upon seanpece-the word used on this occasion, and still in him, and to support the character and dignity of a prophet use among mllions in the East.-CALLAWAY. of the most high God; especially, since this might be a Ver. 27. The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall means to raise the honour of his religion and ministry, cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. and to give Naaman a righter idea of his miraculous cure, And he went out from his presence a leper as when he found that it was neither by the prayer nor presence of the prophet, but by the divine power and good- white as snow. ness, that it was effected.-STACKlousSE. This was said by Elisha to Gehazi, because he ran after Ver. I8. Inz this thingf the LORD pardon thly ser- PaNaarnan, (who had been cured of his leprosy) and said, his master had sent him to take "a talent of silver, and two vant, that when my master goeth into the house changes of garments," and because he actually took possesof Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on sion of them. There is an account in the Hindoo book, my hand, and I bow myself in the house of called SeytlaL-Purcna, of a leper who went to Ramiseram to bathe, in order to be cured of his complaint. He perhRimmon; when I bow down mys elf id the required ceremonies, but the priests refused his house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy ser- offerings. At last a Bramin came: in the moment of vant in this thing. temptation he took the money, and immediately the leprosy I~t is amllsing t se nl-r~ of the pilgrim took possession of his body! This complaint lIt is amusing to see full-grown men. as they walk along is believed to come in consequence of great sin, and therethe road, like schoolboys at home, leaning on each other's fore no one likes to receive any reward or present from a hands. Those who are weak, or sick, lean on another's person ilTected with leprosy. shoulder. It is also a mark of friendship to lean on the There are many children born white, though their shoulder of a companion.-ROBERTS. parents are quite black. These are not lepers, but albiVer. 21. So G~ehazi followed after Naaman. And nos; and are the same as the white negroes of Africa. To see a man of that kind almost naked, and walking am ong wlhen Naaman saw ]im running after him, he the natives, has an unpleasant effect on the mind, and leads lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and a person to suspect that all has not been right. Their skin said, Is all well has generally a slight tinge of red, their hair is light, their eyes are weak: and when they walk in the sun, they hang The alighting of those that ride is considered in the East down their heads. The natives do not consider this a a, an expression of deep respect; so Dr. Pococke tells us, disease, but a BIRTH, i. e. produced by the sins of a former that they are wont to descend from their asses in Egypt; birth. It is believed to be a great misfortune to have a when they come near some tombs there, and that Christians child of that description, and there is reason to believe that and Jews are obliged to submit to this. So Hasselquist many of them are destroyed. The parents of such an intells Linnmus, in one of his letters to him, that Christians fant believe ruin will come to their family; and the poor were obliged to alight from their asses in Egypt, when they object, if spared, has generally a miserable existence. His met with commanders of the soldiers there. This he com- name, in Tamul, is Pctndan: and this is an epithet assignplains of as a bitter indignity; but they that received the ed to those, also, -who are NOT white, for the purpose of macompliment, without doubt, required it as a most pleasing king them angry. The general name for Europeans in the piece of respect. Achsah's and Abigail's alighting,- were East is Prankvy, (which is a corruption of the word Frank.) without doubt then intended as expressions of reverence: Hence these white Hindoos are, by way of contempt, called but is it to be imagined, that Naaman's alighting from his Pranzky! Should a man who is going to transact importchariot, when Gehazi ran after him, arose from the same ant business, meet one of them on the road, it will be conprinciple' If it did, there was a mighty change in this sidered a very bad sign, and he will not enter into the hIlutghty Syrian after his cure. That lihe should pay such a transaction till another day. Should a person who is giving reverence to a servant of the prophet must appear very a feast have a relation of that description, he will i vite CHAP. 6. 2 K I NGS. 283 him, but the guests will not look upon him with pleasure. distance they will travel on only that food and water. It Women have a great aversion to them, and yet they some- was therefore in consequence of the famine, that this, theii times marry-them; and if they have children, they seldom favourite, and generally VERY cheap, sustenance, was so take after the father. I have only heard of two white dear. Of what use would " a cab of doves' dung" be unto Hindoo females; which leads me to suspect that such in- them'! Some say, in explanation, it was good for manure! fants are generally destroyed at the birth; as, were they What were they to live upon till the manure had prcduced allowed to grow up, no one would marry them.-ROBERTS. the grain q-ROBERTS. Among the Jews, the ass was considered as an unclean animal, because it neither divides the hoof nor chews the Ver. 12. And one of his servants said, None, my cud. It could neither be used as food, nor offered in salord, 0 king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in crifice. The firstling of an ass, like those of camels, horses, Isal elthtekn ewords that and other unclean animals, was to be redeemed with the Israel, telleth the king of Israel the sacrifice of a lamb, or deprived of life. In cases of extreme thou speakest in thy bedchamber. want, however, this law was disregarded; for when the Syrian armies besieged Samaria, the inhabitants were so It is not to be doubted, but that Naaman, upon his return reduced, that " an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces from Samaria, spread the fame of Elisha so much in the of silver." Some writers, however, contend, that the term court of Syria, that some of the great men there might -unn haemor does not signify an ass, in this passage, but is the have a curiosity to make a further inquiry concerning same as Amn homer', a certain measure of grain. But this him; and being informed by several of his miraculous view of the passage cannot be admitted. We know what works, they might thence conclude that he could tell the is meant by the head of an ass; but the head of a homer, greatest secrets, as well as perform such works as were or measure of wheat or barley, is quite unintelligible. Nor related of him; and that therefore, in all probability, he could the sacred writer say with propriety, that the city was was the person who gave the king of Israel intelligence suffering by a " great famine," while a homer of grain was of all the schemes that had been attempted to entrap him. sold for eighty pieces of silver; for in the next chapter he -STACKHOUSE. informs us, that, after the flight of the Syrians, and provisions of every kind, by the sudden return of plenty,were PVer. 15. And when the servant of the man of God reduced to the lowest price, " a measure of fine flour (which was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host is the thirtieth part of a homer) was sold for a shelrel, and compassed the city, both Twith horses and char- two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria." Besides, had the historian intended a measure of ots. d his servat said uto him, Alas, y corn, he would not have said indefinitely, a homer was sold master! how shall we do. 16. And he an- for eighty pieces of silver; but a homer of wheat, or of swered, Fear not; for they that be with us are barley, or of oats, which are not of the same value. The more than they that be with them. 17. iAnd prophet accordingly says, in the beginning of the next Elisha -prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, chapter, "a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel:" And John, in open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD the book of Revelation; " a measure of wheat for a penny, opened the eyes of the young man: and he and three measures of barley for a penny." Our translasawv and, behold, the mountain tas fill of tors, therefore, have taken a just view of this text, and given d t ha. a correct version. It is reasonable to suppose, that the ass horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. was not the last to suffer in the siege of Samaria. Hardly treated in times of peace and abundance, he niust have This young man, it is supposable, had been but a little been left to shift for himself in such circumstances, in a while with his master, no longer than since Gehazi's dis- left to shift for himself in sch circustanes, in a ilit h mteroe l han snce Gea place where the hunger of the inhabitants compelled them mission, and therefore perhaps had not yet seen any great to devour every green thing; and have rapidly into a experiments of his power to work miracles; or if he had, our every green thing; ad have rapidly suak into a the great and i inent danger he thouhthismaster poorandwretchedcondition. How great mustthatfamine the great and imminent danger he thought his master in, have been, and how dreadful the distress to which the peo(for in all probability he had learned from the people of the ecu, and how dreadful the istress to ich the peotown, that this vast body-of men were come to apprehend ple were reduced, when they ave thre times the price of *him only,) might well be allowed to raise his fear, and shake the live animal, for thai part of him which could yield ~t~:l~his faith. g~twellbeallowedto raise his fear, and sh them at any time only a few pounds of dry and unpalatable It must be allowed that angels, whether they be purely food, but when emaciated by famine, only a few morsels of carrion. Extreme must have been the sufferings which spiritual, or (as others think) clothed with some material carrion. Exteme must have been the suerins which spiritual, cannor b her seenr bymortal eyes- andth ereforeas extinguished the powerful influence of religious principle,. form, cannot be seen by mortal eyes; and therefore as and natural aversion to a species of food so disagreeable Elisha himself, without a peculiar vouchsafement of God, I`to'lisha himself, without a peculiar vouchsafement of Gd,.and pernicious; and not only prevailed upon them to use it, could not discern the heavenly host, which, at this time, en- andut even to devous; and not only prevailed upon them to se it, camped about him; so he requests of God, that, for the re-bu t even to devour it with greediness.-PAXTON. moval of his fears, and the confirmation of his faith, his whe royal city of Samari was so severely distressed, servant might be'indulged the same privilege: nor does it asr ass', head then sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the seem unlilkely, that, from such accounts as these, that have for eces t forilt'??,art of a cab of doves: dung, fot five pieces- this last descended by tradition, that notion among the Greeks, of a. thfe teas certain ist, which intercepts the sight of their ods from article has been thought to be so unfit for food, that it has certain nist, which intercepts the sight of their gods from been very commonly imagined, I think, that a species of the kens of human eyes, might at first borrow its original.- STACKHOUSE. pulse was meant by that term; nevertheless, I cannot but think it much the most probable, that proper doves' dung Ver. 25. And there was a great famine in Sama- was meant by the'prophetic historian, since, though it can p a~ndl, behorln, they besieged it, until an alss's hardly be imagined, it was bought directly for food, it might nria' and, behold, they besiegeded it, until an ass's be bought for the purpose of more speedily raising a sitpplI head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and of certain esculent vegetables, and in greater quantities the fourth part of a cab of doves' dung for five which must have been a matter of great consequence t( Spheres of silver, the Israelites, shut up so straitly in Samnaria. Ilad the kali of the scriptures been meant, how came it to pass that The Tamul translation for "doves' dung," is "doves' the common word was not made use of? Josephus and the gr'ain:" which is known in the East by the name of Kc'ra- Septuagint suppose that proper doves' dung was meant, and mansee.pir.. Dr. Boothroyd translates it" a cab ofvetches," the following considerations may -make their sentiment apwhich amounts to about the same thing. Bochart, Dr. pear far from improbable. Clarke, and MANY others, believe it to have been pulse. All allow that melons are a most refreshing food, in those The Orientals are exceeding fond of eating leguminous hot countries. And Chardin says, "melons are served up grains, when parched. I have often eat'en the pulse which at the tables Of the luxurious almost all the year; but the pigeons are so fond -of, and have found it very wholesome, proper season lasts four months, at which time they are either in puddings or soup; (Lev. xx ii. 14, Ruth ii. 14, eaten by the common people. They hardly eat any thing 2 Sam. xvii. 28;) and it is surprising to see what a great but melons and cucumbers at that time." I-{e adds, "that 284 2 KINGS. CHAP. 7. during these four melon months, they are brought in such Ver. 32. But Elisha sat in his house, and the elquantities to Ispahan, that he believed more were eaten in ders sat with him: andthe king sent a man.hat city in one day, than in all France in a month." On the other hand, he tells us, in another volume, that they from before him: but ere the messenger came have a multitude of dove-houses in Persia, which they keep to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this up more for their dung than any thing else. This being son of a murderer hath sent to take away roy the substance with which they manure their melon-beds, he c and which makes them so good and so large. Now if melons were half so much in request in those days in Judea, the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not as they are now in Persia, it might be natural enough to the sound of his master's feet behind hirm? express the great scarcity of provisions there, by observing an ass's head, which, according to their law was an unclean See on Prov. 16. 14. animal, sold for fourscore pieces of silver; and a small This form of speech is used to denote the rapid approach quantity of that dung that was most useful to quickenvege- of a person. When boys at school are making a great tation, as well as to increase those productions of the earth noise, or doing any thing which they ought not, some one which were so desirable in those hot climates, that a small will say, " I hear the sound of the master's feet." Are peoquantity, I say, of that substance should, in such circum- ple preparing triumphal arches, (made of leaves,) or stances, be sold for five such pieces. At least it is probable cleaning the rest-house of a great man, some of them keep thus the Septuagint and Josephus understood the passage, saying, " Quick, quick, I hear the sound of his feet." " Alas, if we should think it incredible that melons were in very alas! how long you have been! do we not hear even the common use in the days of Joram king of Israel. Josephus, sound of the judge's feet?"-RoBERTs. in particular, says this dung was purchased for its salt, CHAPTER VII which can hardly mean to be used, by means of some preparation, as table salt, but as containing salt proper for ma- Ver. 10. So they came, and called unto the porter nuring the earth. The prophet Elisha, in that very age, of the city; and they told them, saying, We came put salt into a spring of water, to express the imparting to to the camp of the Syrians, and,behol, there was it the quality of making the land watered by it fruitful, which land had been before barren, (2 Kings ii. 19-22,) to no man there, neither voice of man, but horses which event Josephus could be no stranger. It has been tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they ztwere. objected to this interpretation: that if the doves' dung was for manunre, (for this interpretation is not a new one, From the circumstances recorded concerning the flight but wanted to be better illustrated,) that there could be no f the Syrians, it appears to have been remarkably precipiroom for growing any'kind of vegetable food within the tate. That they were not altogether unprepared for a hasty walls'of a royal city, when besieged; but has any one a departure may be inferred from comparing this passage right to take this for granted l when it is known that there with the followinf extract (from Memoirs relative to cept is a good deal of ground unbuilt upon now in the royal p. 300.) "As soon as the Arabs are apprehensive of an cities of the East; that Naboth had a vineyard in Jezreel, attack, they separate into several small camps, at a great a place of royal residence a few years before; that Samaria distance from each other, and tie their camels to the tents, was a new-built city; and that in the time of distress, every so as to be able to move off at a moment's notice." Such void place might naturally be made use of to raise a species a precaution is not probably peculiar to the modern Arabs, of food, that with due cultivation, in our climate, is brought but might be adopted by the Syrian army. If this was the to perfection, from the time of its sowing, in four months, case, it shows with what great fear God filled their minds, and at the same time is highly refreshing. When we reflect that though prepared as usual for a quick march, they were on these things, the supposition appears not at all improba- not able to avail themselves of the advantage, but were ble. We do not know when the siege commenced, or how constrained to leave every thing behind them as a prey to long it continued; that of Jerusalem, in the time of Zed- their enemies.'-BuRDER. ekiah, lasted a year and a half; but the time that this dun Ve12. And th was purchased at so dear a rate, we may believe was early in the spring, for then they begin to raise melons at Aleppo, said unto his servants,. I will now show you and as they were then so oppressed with want, it is probable what the Syrians have done to us: They know that it was not long after that they were delivered. that we be hungry, therefore are they gone out This explanation will appear less improbable, if we recollect the account already given, of the siege of Damietta, of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saywhere some of the more delicate Egyptians pined to death, ing, When they come out of the city, we shall according to Vitriaco, though they had a sufficiency of corn, catch them alive, and get into the city. for the want of the food they were used to, pumpions, &c. The Israelites might be willing then, had their stores been In the history of the revolt of All Bey, we have an acmore abundant than they were found to have been, to add count of a transaction very similar to the stratagem supwhat they could to them, and especially of such grateful posed to, have been practised bythe Syrians. The pacha eatables as melons, and such like.-HARMER. of Damascus having approached the Sea of Tiberias, found Formerly great attention was paid to the nurturing and Sheik Daher encamped there; but the sheik deferring the rearing of these birds, (pigeons,) their dung bringing in a engagement till the' next morning, during the night divided yearly income, from the produce of one pigeon-house alone, his army into three parts, and left the camp with great fires of nearly two hundred tomauns. Among other uses to blazing, all sorts of provisions, and a large quantity of which thbe small remains of this manure is applied, it is laid spirituous liquors, giving strict orders not to hinder the on the melon-beds of Ispahan; and hence the great reputa- enemy from taking possession of the camp, but to conme tion of the melon of that district for its unequalled flavour. down and attack just before the dawn of day. In the mid - Another use of the dung in older times was to extract salt- dle of the night, the pacha thought to surprise Sheik Daher, petre, for the purpose of making gunpowder; which, two and marched in silence to the camp, which, to his great centuries ago, had only just been put into the Persian list astonishment. he found entirely abandoned; and imagined of warlike ammunition.-Sir R. K. PORTER. the sheik had fled with so much precipitation, that he could The dung of pigeons is the dearest manure that the not carry off the baggage and stores. The paeha thought Persians use: and as they apply it almost entirely for the proper to stop in the camp and refresh his soldiers. They rearing of melons, it is probably on that account that the soon fell to plunder, and drank so freely of the liquors, melons of Ispahan are so much finer than those of other that, overcome with the fatigue of the day's march, and the cities. The revenue of a pigeon-house is about a hundred fumes of the spirits, they were not long ere they sunk into tomauns per annum; and the great value of this dung, a profound sleep. At that time two sheiks, who were watchwhich rears a fruit that is indispensable to the existence of ing the enemy, came silently to the camp, and Daher haythe natives during the great heats of summer; will probably ing repassed the Sea of Tiberias, meeting them, thev all throw some light upon that passage in scripture, where, in rushed into the camp, and fell upon the sleeping foe, eight lie famine of Samaria, the fourth part of a cab of doves' thousand of whom they butchered on the spot; and the dlung was sold for five pieces of silver.-MoImER. pacha, with the remainder of the troops, escaped with CIAP. 8. 2 KINGS. 285 much difficulty to Damascus, leaving all their baggage rael: their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, in the hands of the victorious Daher.-PAXTON. and their young men wilt thou slay with the Ver. 15. And they -went after them unto Jordan; sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up and, lo, all the way was full of garments and their women with child. vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in This piece of cruelty has in some instances been practheir haste: and the messengers returned, and tised on men. " Soon after Djezzer bought the Pashalik told the king. of Damascus, coming to gather the tribute of Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, he pitched his camp at the village The flight of the Syrians, in the reign of Jehoram, king of Yenin, overlooking the plain of Esdraelon. An Arab of Israel, was produced by a panic, which so completely woman came to complain to him that one of his soldiers unmanned them, that, says the sacred historian, "all the had drank her milk, and refused to pay her. He went way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians always armed with a sabre, yategan, and pistols, which, had cast away in their haste." The flight of Saladin's when he ate, lay by his side. Taking up his yategan, army, which was defeated by Baldwin IV. near Gaza, in' Follow me,' he said,'and point out the man.' She did so, the time of the crusades, was marked with similar circum- and he bade her be sure, as a mistake would cost her her stances of consternation and terror. To flee with greater life. Having asked the soldier if the accusation were true, expedition, they threw away their arms and clothes, their and he denying it, he ripped him up, and the milk immedicoats of mail, their greaves, and other pieces of armour, and ately poured out of his bleeding stomach..Seeing thus abandoned their baggage, and fled from their pursuers, al- that the woman was right, he gave her two sequins, and most in a-state of complete nudity.-PAXTON. sent her away. The soldier he left dead on the ground." Ver. 18. And it came to pass, as the man of God (Turner.) The same piece of cruelty was practised by Timour. It is said that Mohammed the Second ripped up had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures fourteen of his pages to find a melon. —BuRDER. of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to-morrosw, about Ver. 15. And it came to pass on the morrow, that this time, in the gate of Slmaria. he took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, In our rides we usually went out of town at the Der- and spread it on his face, so that he died; and ivazeh'/hah Abdul Azeem, or the gate leading to the village Hazael reigned in his stead. of Shah Abdul Azeem, where a market was held every An English proverb says, "Give a dog an ill name and morning, particularly of horses, mules, asses, and camels. At about sunrise, the owners of the animals assemble and ill hang hi much in the spirit of this proverb has exhibit them for sale. But, besides, here were sellers of been the general treatment of the "character of Hazael, all sorts of goods, in temporary shops and tents; and this, who, because he calls himself " a dog," has been treated perhaps, will explain the custom alluded to in 2 Kings vii. with great indignity. Certaily, Hazael can be no fa18, of the sale of barley and flour in the gate of Samaria. vourite character with any upright mind; yet perhaps it is (Morier.)-BTnDEb. bbut justice to suggest what may render his mzr'de' of his master, King Benhadad, by means of a cloth dipped in CHAPTER VIII. water, at least dubious, without calling it well-intended on Ver. 9. So Hazael went to meet him, and took a his part. In reading the history, (2 Kings viii. 15,) it is nothing less than natural to suppose, that Hazael must present with him, even of every good thing of have had, professedly at least, some fair pretence, some apDamascus, forty camels' burden, and came and pearance of propriety in the action; or why did not those stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-hadad, in attendance on their sovereign prevent his proceedings. - kind of Syria, bath sent me to thee, sayina, Was Hazael the only person present, or in waiting on the n sick king' It is by no means likely; in fact, it is scarcely Shall I recover of this disease. supposable; but if we conceive that Hazael offered to the See on Gen. 43. 25. king either a kind of remedy usual in the disorder, which These animals, when not loaded beyond their strength, nevertheless failed to cure him; or an assistance, of which submit with great patience. " When they are to be loaded, he took advantage to murder his master; then we reduce they bend their knees at the voice of their driver: but if his behaviour to plausibility, and to the custom df the they delay doing so, they are, struck with a stick, or t he ir country in such diseases. Observe also, the text does not knees forced downgward, and then, as if constrained and say expressly he did kill him; but "he took a thick cloth, groaning after their way, they bend their knees, put their and dipped it in water, and spread it over the king's fce, bellies against the ground, and remain in that posture till, (or person,) and he died." It is usually said, he was chilled after having been loaded, they are commanded to rise."- to death; but on reading the following extracts, we shall BuRDER. probably admit that this is an English notion, resulting The Syrian prince, on this occasion, in which he felt a from our climate and manners, &c. applied to an eastern particular interest, no doubt sent Elisha a present corres- disease, and to a country wherein both climate and manponding with his rank and magnificence; bhut it can scarce- ners are essentially different. If it be said azael stifled ly be supposed that so many camels were required to carry the king by means of the cloth spread over his face, it ly beosuppos that yhe sigoud many casJewish w rere rqui tos might be so; but we should do well to remark, that the it, or that the king would send, as a Jewish writer suppose easterns are accustomed to sleep with their faces covered; he did, so great a quantity of provisions to one man. The a that Hazael hardly spread it over the king's face only; that meaning of this passage certainly is, that the various arti-t over the king's face only cles of which the present consisted, according to the modern it does not appear the king was asleep; he might therefore have removed the cloth, had he thought proper; and that custom of oriental courts, wrere carried on a number of whateve removed the cloth was, it was certainly employedr; and theat camels for the sake of state, and that not fewer than forty whatever the cloth was, it was certainly employed, and the were employed in the cavalcade. That these camels were whole action was managed, in a way to prevent suspicion. Let us now hear Mr. Bruce: not fully laden, must be evident from this, that the common Let us now hear Mr. Bruce: load of a Turkman's camel is eight hundred pounds weight; This fever prevailed in Abyssinia in all lo grounds and consequently, thirty-two thousand pounds weight is the and plains, in the neighbourhood of all rivers which run in proper loading of forty camels; "if they were only of valleys; it is really a malignant tertian, which, however, the Arab breed, twenty thousand pounds weight was their has so many forms and modes f intermission, that it is improper loading;" a present, as Mr. Harmer justly remarks, possible for one not of the faculty to describe it. It is not in too enormous to be sent by any one person to another.- all places equally dangerous; but on the banks and neighPAXTON. bourhood of TacazzB, it is particularly fatal. The valley where the river runs is very low and sultry, being full of Ver. 12. And EIazael said, Why Tw~eepeth my large trees. It does not prevail in high grounds or moanlord? And he answered, Because I know the talns, or in places much exposed to the air. This fever is called NEDAD, or burning; it begins always with a shivering evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Is- and headache, a heavy eye, and an inclination to vomit. 186 2 KINGS. CHAP.. a violent heat follows, which leaves little intermission, and this conjecture be well founded, it throws light upon a very ends generally in death the third or fifth day. In the last obscure passage, where the manner in which Jehu was stage of the distemper, the belly swells to an enormous size, proclaimed king of Israel, is described. His associates or sometimes immediately after death, and the body, within were no sooner informed that the prophet had anointed him an instant, smells most insupportably; to prevent which, king over the ten tribes, than " they hasted and took every they bury the corpse im~nediately after the breath is out, and man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the often within the hour. The face has a remarkable yellow stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king." appearance, with a blackish cast, as in the last stage of a Hence the stairs were not those within the tower, by which dropsy, or the atrophy. This fever begins immediately they ascende4 to the top; but those by which they ascended with the sunshine after the first rains; that is, while there the hill, or rising ground on which the tower stood; the are intervals of rain and sunshine; it ceases upon the earth top of the stair will then mean the landing-place in the area being thoroughly soaked, in July and August, and begins before the door of the tower, and by consequence the most again in September; but now, at the beginning of Novem- public place in the whole city. As it was the custom of ber, it ceases everywhere. Masuah is very unwholesome, those days to inaugurate and proclaim their kings in the as, indeed, is the whole coast of the Red Sea, from Suez to most public places, no spot can be imagined more proper Babellmhandel; but more especially between the tropics. for such a ceremony, than the top of the steps, that is, the Violent fevers, called there NEDAD, make the principal most elevated part of the hill, upon which stood the castle figure in this fatal list, and generally determine the third of Ramoth Gilead, in the court of which, numbers of people day in death. If the patient survives till the fifth day, he might be assembled, waiting the result of a council of war very often recovers, by drinking water only, and throwing which was sitting at the time, deliberating on the best a quantity of cold water upon him, even in his bed, where method of defending the city against the Syritans, in thq he is permitted to lie, without attempting to make him dry, absence of their sovereign.-PAxroN. or to change his bed, till another deluge adds to the first." (Bruce's Tr~avels,) vol. iii. p. 33. Yer. 10. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the Do not these extracts render it, in some degree, probable, portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to that I-Iazael, besides the thick cloth soaked in water, added other chilling remedies? in doing which he did no more than is customary in this disease, the nedad; and, if this The Abbe Poiret, in his travels through Barbary, tells kind of fever, or one allied to it, were Benhadad's disease, us, that the severest punishment among the Arabs is.to be Hazael might honestly spread a refreshing covering over cut to pieces and thrown to the dogs. " After this the queen him. Not expecting his exaltation to royalty so instant- of Mira, concerning whom so many surprising stories had neously, he might.be loyal as yet, though his ambition soon been told of her poisdliing the water by drugs and enchantfound opportunity to be otherwise. The circumstances of meats, was, notwithstanding the known partiality of this the rapid approaches of death, anid of immediate burial king for the fair sex, ordered to be hewn in pieces by the after death, seem very favourable. to Hazael's instantly soldiers and her body given to the dogs. (Bruce.)seating himself on the throne: especially if Benhadad had BURDER no son, &c. of proper age to be his successor.-TAYLo r IN CALMET. Ver. 13. Then they hasted, and took every man CHAPTER IX. his garment, and put it under him on the top Verr. "2. And when thou comest t'hithe~r, loolkr out of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Jehu is king Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up They laid down their garments instead of carpets. "' The,9 from among his brethren, and carry him to an use of carpets was common in the East in the remoter ages. inner chamber: 3. Then take the box of oil The kings of Persia always walked upon carpets in their palaces. Xenophon reproaches the degenerate Persians of and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith his time, that they placed their couches upon carpets, to rethe LORD, I have anointed thee king over Is- pose more at their ease. The spreading of garments in the rael. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry street before persons to whom it was intended to show parnot. ticular honour, was an ancient and very general custom. Thus.the people spread their clothes in the way before our The fortified cities in Canaan, as in some other countries Saviour, Matthew xxi. 8, where some also strewed branches. The fortified cities in Canaan, as in some other countries, In the Agamemnon of,Eschylus, the hypocritical Clytemwere commonly strengthened with a citadel, to which the In the Agamemnon of.schylus, the hypocritical Clyteminhabitants fled when they found it impossible to defend the nestra commands the maids to spread out carpets before place. The whole inhabitants of Thebes, unable to resist her returning husband, that, on descending from his charthe repeated and furious assaults of Abimelech, retired into lot, he may place his foot on a " purple-covered path." We one of those towers, and bid defiance to his rage: "But tica left this custom amoni an army, where he had become there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fleft the Macedonian army, where he had become there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled legionary tribune, the soldiers spread their clothes in the all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower." The way. (Plutarch's Life of Cato.) The hanging out of carpets, extraordinary strength of this tower, and the various means and strewing of flowers and branches, in solemn procesof defence which were accumulated within its narrow sions, among us, is a remnant of the ancient custom.walls, may be inferred from the violence of Abimelech's attack, and its fatal issue: " And Abimelech came unto the Ver. 28. And his servants carried him in a chartower, and fought against'it, and went hard unto the door of the tower, to burn it with fire. And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all chre with his fathers in the city of David. to break his scull." The city of Shechem had a tower of the same kind, into which the people retired, when the What does this funeral chariot, which was carried by same usurper took it, and sowed itwith salt. These strong men, mean t What we may see in the vicinity of a large towers which were built within a fortified city, were com- town every day of our lives. This chariot, or thandeki, monly placed on an eminence, to which they ascended by (as it is called in Tamul,) is about six feet long, three feet a flight of steps. Such was the situation of the city of Da- broad, and in the centre about four feet in height. The vid, a strong tower, upon a high eminence at Jerusalem; shape is'various, and the following is more common than and the manlsr of entrance, as described by the sacred any other. The drapery is of white, or scarlet cloth; and wrilter: "But the gate of the fountain repaired Shallum, the whole is covered with garlands of flowers. The erunto the stairs that go down from the city of David." It is vants then carryit on their shoulders to the place of sepulextremely probable, that Ramoth Gilead, a frontier town ture, or burning.-RoBERTs. (See Engraving.) belonging to the ten tribes, and in the time of Jehu in their possession, was strengthened by one of these inner towers, built on an eminence, with an approach of this nature. If Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, CHAP. 10. 2 KINGS. 287 and tired her heal, and looked out at a wvindo w. the street, the rest opening into their oawkn courts, says, "It 31. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she during the celebration only of some zeena, as they call a public festival, that these houses and their latticed winsaid, HMd Zimri peace, who slew his master. dows or balconies are left open. For this being a time of 32. And he lifted up his face to thewindoWv, great liberty, revelling, and extravagance, each family is and said, Who. is on my side2 who 2 And ambitious of adorning both the inside and outside of the there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. houses with their richest furniture, while crowds of both Throw her down. sexes, dressed out in their bdst apparel, and laying aside 33. And he said, Th~row her down. all modesty and restraint, go in and out where they please. The account we have, 2 Kings ix. 30, of Jezebel's painting She stained her eyes with stibium or antimony. This is her face, and tiring her head, and looking out at a wina custom in Asiatic countries to the present day. "The dow, upon Jehu's public entrance into Jezreel, gives us -a Persians difler as much from us in their notions of beauty lively idea of an eastern lady at one of these zeenahs or as they do in those of taste. A large, soft, and languish- solemnities."-HARIERa. ing black eye, with them, constitutes the perfection of beauty. It is chiefly on this account that the women use Ver. 33. And he said, Throw her down. So they the powder of antimony, which, although it adds to the threw her down: and some of her blood wasvivacity of the eye, throws a kind of voluptuous languorled on the wall, and on the horses: and over it, which makes it appear, if I may use the expression, dissolving in bliss. The Persian women have a curious he trode her under foot. custom of making their eyebrows meet; and if this charm hile the above particulars were relating, it was a be denied them, they paint the forehead with a kind of preparation made for that purpose." (E. S. Warinm's shuddering glance that looked down from the open side of pIouur to r heeraao.)-n-Em o R. the Ketkhoda's saloon, on almost the very spot where the In the evening we accompanied them on shore, and took unhappy victims had breathed their last. It recalled to my e in ewhere we were in- remembrance a similar window, for similar purposes, at e coffee into the houladies of his family. Ve were amused by Erivan, where the governor of that place used to dispose troduced to the ladies of his family. We were amused by of his malefactors the moment sentence was pronounced. seeing his wife, a very beautiful woman, sitting crosslegseeingb t his wife, a very beautiful woman, sittind crossleg And while listening to the hideous details of a sort of punged by us upon the divan of his apartment, and smoking ishment so common in the East, I could not but recall simitobacco with a pipe six feet in length; her eyelashes, ass tobacco withoef a pipe six feat in length; her eyelasheswh as lar descriptions in ancient writers on these countries, which well as those of all the other women, were tinged with a shoued how old hadbeen the practice of taking offenders black powder made of the sulphuret of antimony, and to a, es from a having by no means a cleanly appearance, although con- to a height, and casting hem headlong sometimes from a sierel s essential an addition to the decorations of a rock, at others, from high battlements, and often from a window which commanded a sufficient steep. We have a woman of rank in Syria, as her ear-rings, or the golden dreadful picture of this most tremendous mode of puncinctures of her ankles. Dark streaks were also pencilled, ishment in the second boos of Kings-Sin R. K. PoavEn. from the corners of her eyes, along the temples. This curious practice instantly brought to our recollections cer- CHAPTER X. tain passages of scripture, Wherein mention is made of a custom among oriental women of "puttintg the eyes in paint- Ver. 1. And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. ing;" and which our English translators of the Bible, unable to reconcile with their notions of a female toilet, To those who are unaccustomed to the effects of polygahave rendered "painting the face."-CLARKE. my and concubinage, this appears a very remarkable cirThe covert of eastern houses is for the most part sur- cumstance. In Homer, old King Priam is represented as rounded with a cloister, over which, when the house has having fifty sons aId twelve daughters. Artaxerxes Mnea number of stories, a gallery is erected of the same di- mon, king of Persia, had, by his concubines, who amountmensions with the cloister, having a balustrade, or else a ed to- three hundred and sixty, not less than one hundred piece of carved or latticed work, going round about, to and fifteen sons, besides three by his queen. " Muley Abprevent -people from falling from it into the court. The dallah, who was emperor of Morocco in 1720, is said, by doors of the enclosure round the house, as already men- his four wives, and the many thousand women he had in tioned, are made very small, to defend the family from the his seraglio during his long reign, to have had seven huninsolence and rapacity of Arabian plunderers; but the dred sons, able to mount a horse; but the number of his doors of the houses very large, for the purpose of admit- daughters is not known." (Stewart's Journey to ]lequliting a copious stream of fresh air into their apartments. ez.)-BURDERa. The windows which look in the street, are very high and narrow, and defended by lattice-work; as they are only Ver. 6. Then he wrote a letter the second time to intended to allow the cloistered inmate a peep of what is them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will passing without, while she remains concealed behind the hearken unto my voicee the heads o casement. This kind of window the ancient Hebrews called Arubah, and is the same term which they used tour ulaster's sons, and come to me to express those small openings, through which pigeons pass- Jezreel by to-morrow this time. (Now the ed into the cavities of the rocks, or into those buildings king's sons, being seventy persons, were with which were raised for their reception. Thus the ptophet demands: " Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves (nmrnnm,-s~ ) el a'rubothehemn, to their small or narrow up.) v windows." The word is derived from a root which sig- The rich hire a dedel, or wt-nurse, for their children. If nifies to lie in wait for the prey; and is very expressive of the concealed manner in which a person examines, through a boy, the father appoints a steady man, from the age of two years, to be his Welt, who, I conjecture, must stand in that kind of window, an external object. Irwin describes two years, to be hs thlei, who, I conjecture, must tand in the windows in upper Egypt, as having the same form and ame capacity as the bringrs-up f children mentioned dimensions; and says expressly, that one of the windows in the catastrophe of Ahab's sons. But if it be a daughter, of the -houses in,which they lodged, and through which she has a gees sefeed, or white head, attached to her for the they looked into the street, more resembled a pigeon-hole, same purpose asthelale. (Morier.)-BuRnEa. than any thing else. But the sacred writers mention Ver. 8. And there came a messenger, and told another kind of window, which was large and airy; itht the heads of was called (ilnSr) halon, and was large enough to admit am, n person, of mature age being cast out of it; a punishment the king's sons. And he said, Lay ye them in which that profligate woman Jezebel suffered by the com- two heaps at the entering in of the gate until mand of Jehu, the authorized exterminator of her family. the morning. -PAXTON. Dr. Shaw, after having observed that the jealousy of the During this fight, ten tomauns were given for every head,oople there admits only of one small latticed window into of the enemy that was brought to the prince: and it has 288 2 K I N G S. CHAP. 10. been known to occur, after the combat was over, that pris- treat, than they would have found in the palaces of either oners have been put to death in cold blood, in order that Samaria or Jezreel. The slaying them at the pit, near the heads, which are immediately despatched to the king, this place, seems to have been owing to a i'ustom at that and deposited in heaps at the palace-gate, might make a time, whether arising from superstition, to preserve the -more considerable show. —MORIER. land from-being defiled, or any other notion, does not at first Arrived at the palace of the pacha, inhabited by the dey, sight appear; but it was, it seems, a customary thing at ihe first object that struck our eyes were six bleeding heads, that time to put people to death near water, at least near ranged along before the entrance; and as if this dreadful where water was soon expected to flow, as appears from sight were not sufficient of itself to harrow up the soul, it 1 Kings xviii. 40. —HARMER. was still further aggravated by the necessity of stepping cver thenm., in order to pass into the court. They were the Ver. 15. And when he was departed thence, he Leads of some turbulent agas, who had dared to murmur lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab, conagainst the dey. (Pananti's Narrcative of at Residence in ing to meet him: and he saluted him, and said Algiers.) " The pacha of Diarbech has sent to Constan- to him, Is thy hert right, as my heart is with tinople a circumstantial report of his expedition against the rebels of Mardin. This report has been accompanied thy heart? And' Jehonadab answered, It is. by a thousand heads, severed from the vanquished. These If it be, give me thy hand. And he gave him sanguinary trophies have been exposed, as usual, at the his hand and he took him up to him into the gate of the seraglio. The Tartar who brought them has chariot. obtained a pelisse of honour; presents have also been sent to the pacha." (Li-ecrar' /Panorama, vol. ix. p. 289.). A A very solemn method of taking an oath in the East is pyramid of heads, of a certain number of feet diameter, by joining hands, uttering at the same time a curse upon is sometimes exacted in Persia; and so indifferent are the the false swearer. To this form the wise man probably executioners to the distresses of others, that they will select alludes in that proverb: " Though hand join in hand"a head of peculiar appearance, and long beard, to grace the though they ratify their agreement by oath-" the wiclked summit of it. Sir J. Malcolm says, that "when Timour shall not be unpunished, but the seed of the righteous shall stormed Ispahan, it was impossible to count the slain, but be delivered." This form of swearing is still observed in an account was taken of seventy thousand heads, which Egypt and the vicinity; for when Mr. Bruce was at Shekh were heaped in pyramids, as monuments of savage re- Ammer, he entreated the protection of the governor in prosvenge." Three weeks before our arrival at Cattaro, they ecuting his journey, when the great people, who were asTour lthlbrougIrhb G7reece.) —BURDER. up their hands against him in the tell, pr field, in the desVer. 12. And he arose and departed, and came to ert; or in the case that he or his should fly to them for refuge, if they did not protect them at the risk of their lives, Samaria. And as he was at the shearing-house their families, and their fortunes; or, as they emphatically in the way, 13. Jehu met with the brethren of expressed it, to the death of the last male child among then-. Ahaziah, king of Judah, and said, Who are ye? The inspired writer has recorded an instance of this fornl And they answered, We are the brethren of of swearing in the history of Jehu: " And when he was An thae.ih andswereo doWna tosted thren chi- departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab, the son of Rehaziah; anrdc we go dowTn to salute the child- bchab, coming to meet him, and he saluted him, and said to reg of the kino- and the children of the queen. him, Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thy heart; and 14. And he said, Take them alive. And they Jehonadab answered, It is. Ifitbe, givemethy hand. And. 1too them alive and slew them at the pit of the he gave him his hand, and he took him up unto him into the tooi them alive, and slew them at the pit of the chariot." Another striking instance is quoted by Calmet shearinfg-house, even twvo and forty men: neither from Ockley's history of the Saracens. Telha, just before left he any of them. he died, asked one of Ali's men if he belonged to the emperor of the faithful; and being informed that he did, " Give me Our translators sappose, that the edifice at which Jehu then, said he, your hand, that I may put mine in it, and bv slew the brethren of Ahaziah, king of Judah, was destined this action renew the oath of fidelity which I have already to the sole purpose of shearing of sheep; but as I apprehend, made to Ali."-PAXToN. the term in the original is ambiguous, which is accordingly Deep as the reverence is with which the Orientals treat literally translated in the margin, the house of sepherd's bind- their princes, yet in some cases, a mode of treatment ocin:s, it might be better to use some less determinate word; curs that we are surprised at, as seeming to us of the West, as the word, I am ready to believe, may signify the binding too near an approach to that familiarity that takes place sheep for shearing, the binding up their fleeces, after those among equals: the taking a new elected prince by the hand, fleeces taken from the sheep beforehand were washed; or. in tolen of acknowledging his princely character, may the binding the sheep for the purpose of milking. Whether probably appear to us in this light. D'Herbelot, in explainit was erected for all three purposes, or if only for one of ing an eastern term, which, he tells us, signifies the election them then for which of the three, it may be very difficult or auguration of a calif, the supreme head of the aMohamprecisely to say. A pit near such a building must be use- medans, both in civil and ecclesiastical matters, tells us. 1u'l il anv of the three cases, for the affording water for the that " this ceremony consisted in stretching forth a person's siaep that were detained there for some time, in the first and hand, and taking that of him that they acknowledged for third case, to drinkl; and for the washing the wool in the calif. This was a sort of performing homage, and swearother. If the intention of the historian had been to de- ing fealty to him." He adds, that Khondemir, a celescribe it as the place appropriated to the shearing of sheep, brated historian, speaking of the election of Othman, the it would have been natural for him to have used the word third calif after Mohammed, says, that Ali alone did not that precisely expresses that operation, not such a general present his hand to him, and that upon that occasion Abterm as the house of bindzng, All know that sheep mustbe durahman, who had by compromise made the election, said bound, or at least forcibly held, in order to be shorn; and to him,'Ali he who violates his word is the first person it appears in the Travels of Dr. Richard Chandler in the that is injured by so doing;? upon hearing of which words, Lesser Asia, that " the shepherds there, sitting at the mouth Ali stretched out his hand, and acknowledged Othman as of the pen, were wont to seize on the ewes and she-goats, calif." each by the hind leg, as they pressed forward, to milk How much less solemn and expressive of reverence is them;" which seizing them, sufficiently shows they must be this, than the manner of paying homage and swearing fealheld, shackled, or somehow bound, when milked. ty at the coronation of our princes; to say nothing of the In another observation I have taken notice of the readi- adoration that is practised in the Romish church, ipon the ness of great men, in the East, to repose themselves, when election of their great ecclesiastic! It may however serve fatigued, under the shelter of roofs of a very mean kind; to illustrate what we read concerning Jehonadab, the head the brethren, it seems, of Ahaziah anciently di the same of an Arab tribe that lived in, and consequently was in'ling. But they found no more safety in this obscure re- some measure subject to, the kingdom of Israel. " Jeho CHAP. 11 —13. 2 KINGS. 289 nadab came to meet Jehu, and he saluted him; and Jehu The Orientals looked upon a seat by a pillar or column said to Jehonadab, Is thy heart right as my heart is with as a particular mark of respect. In the Iliad, Homer places thy heart? and Jehonadab answered, It is. And he said, Ulysses on a lofty throne, by a pillar: and in the Odyssey, If it be, give me thy hand: and he gave him his hand, he more than once alludes to the same custom. The kings and he took him up- to him into the chariot." This giving of Israel were, for the same reason, placed at their coronalimn the hand appears not to have been the expression of tion, or on (lays of public festivity, by a pillar in the house private frienidship; but the solemn acknowledgment of him of the Lord. Joash, the king of Judah, stood by a pillar as king over Israel. Our translators seem to have suppos- when he was admitted to the throne of his ancestors; and ed, by their way of expressing matters, that Jehu saluted, Josiah, one of his successors, when he made a covenant or blessed Jehonadab, and Bishop Patrick thought it was before the Lord.-PAXTON. plain that it ought so to be understood; but I cannot but think CHAPTER XII. it most natural to understand the words as signifying, that Jehonadab camne to meet Jehu as then king of Israel; and Ver. 9. But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and[ to compliment him on being acknowledged king of the bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside country in which he dwelt; not that this newly anointed prince first saluted him. This would not have been in the altar, on the right side as one cometh into character. So when Jacob was introduced to Pharaoh, he the house of the LORD: and the priests that is said to have blessed Pharaoh, not Pharaoh Jacob, Gen. kept the door put therein a1l the money that xlvii. 7. The words therefore should have been translated,ht into the house of the LORD. with a slight variation, after some such manner as this, " He lighted on Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, coming to See on 1 Kings 18. 33. v meet him, and he, Jehonadab, saluted him, and he, Jehu, said unto him, Is thy heart," &c.-HARMER. Ver. 10. And it was so, when they saw that there CHAPTER XI. was much money in the chest, that the king's VTer. 2. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Jo- scribe and the high-priest came up, and they ram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of put up in bags, and told the money that was Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's found in the house of the LORD. sons which were slain; and they hid him, even It appears to have been usual in the East for money to be him and his nurse, in the bedchamber, from put into bags, which, being ascertained as to the exact sum Athaliah, so that he was not slain. deposited in each, were sealed, and probably labelled, and( thus passed currently. Instances of this kind may be traA bedchamber does not, according to the usage of the ced in the scriptures, at least so far as that money was thus East, mean a lodging room, but a repository for beds. conveyed, and also thus delivered, from superior to inferior Chardin says, " In the East beds are not raised from the.officers, for distribution: as in the passage referred to in ground with posts, a canopy, and curtains; people lie on this article. Major Rennel in giving an abstract of the the ground. In the evening they spread out a mattress or History of Tobit, says, " we find him again at Nineveh, two of cotton, very light, of which they have several in from whence he despatches his son Tobias to Rages by way great houses, against they should have occasion, and a of Ecbatana, for the money. At the latter place, he marroom on purpose for them." From hence it appears that ries his kinswoman Sara, and sends a messenger on to it was in a chamber of beds that Joash was concealed.- Rages. The mode of keeping and delivering the money HARMER. was exactly as at present in the East. Gabriel, who kept Ver. 12. And he brought forth the king's son, and the money in trust,' brought forth bags, which were sealed pet..Ahe cbrowug himtan e th e in s sup, and gave them to him,' and received in return the put the crown upon him, and g'ave him the tes- handwriting or acknowledgment which Tobias had taken timony: and they made him king, and anoint- care to require of his father before he left Nineveh. The ed hirn; and they clapped their hands, and said, money, we learn, was left in trust, or as a deposite, and not God* save the kin on SLusury, and, as it may be concluded, with Tobit's seal on God save the kiingr. the bags. In the East, in the present times, a bag of money The wray by Twhich1 females in the East express their passes (for some time at least) currently from hand to hand, joy, is by gently applying one of their hands to their mouths. under the authority of a banker's seal, without any examThis custom appears to be very ancient, and seems to be ination of its contents."-BuRnER. referred to in several places of scripture. Pitts, describing the joy with which the leaders of their sacred caravans are CHAPTER XIII. received in the several towns of Barbary through which Ver. 7. Neither did he leave of the people to Jethey pass, says, "This Emir Hagge, into whatever town hoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and he comnes, is received with a great deal of joy, because he ten thousand fifty horsemen; for ten ch ariots, and is going about so religious a work. The women get upon the tops of the houses to view the parade, where they keep had destroyed them, and had made them like striking their forefingers on their lips softly as fast as they the dust by thrashing. can, making a joyful noise all the while." The sacred writers suppose two different methods of expressing joy by In modern Turkey, the custom of treading out the corn a quick motion of the hand: the clapping ofthe hands, and by oxen is still practised. This is a much quicker way that of one hand only, though these are confounded in our than our method of beating out the corn with the flail, but translation. The former of these methods obtained an- less cleanly; for. as it is performed in the open air, upon ciently, as an expression of malignant joy; but other words, any round level plat of ground, daubed over with cowwhich our version translates clapping the hands, signify, dung, to prevent as much as possible the earth, sand, or the applying of only one hand somewhere with softness, in gravel, from rising, a great quantity of them all, notwithtestimony of a joy of a more,agreeable kind. Thus in standing these precautions, must unavoidably be taken up 2 Kings xi. 12, and Psalm xlvii. 1, it should be tendered with the grain; at the same time the straw, which is their in the singular, Clap your hand, and as the word implies only fodder, is by this means shattered to pieces. To this gentleness, it may allude to such an application of the hand circumstance the sacred historian alludes, with great force to the mouth as has now been recited.-BURDER, and propriety, in his brief description of the wretched' Ver. 14. And when she looked, behold, the kinro state to which the kingdom of the ten tribes had been re-, duced by the arms of Hazael king of Syria: " Neither did stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and, princes and the trumpeters by the king; and all ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust: trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and bythrashing."-PAxToN. cried, Treason, treason! Ver. 17. And he said, Open the window eastward 37 290 2 WK IINEdS. CILAP. 13-15. and he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot: The natives, as usual, did not speak plainly as to their and he shot. And he said, The arrow of the merits, but under " the similitude of a parable." One of the districts was very famous for the banyan tree, the fruit LoRD's deliverance, and the arrow of deliver- of which is only eaten by the flying fox, birds, and monance from Syria; for thou shalt smite the Syri- keys. The people, therefore, to show how much better ans ill Aphek till thou have consumed them. their present magistrate was than the former, said, " Ah! the banyan of our country is now giving the fruit of the It was an ancient custom to shoot an arrow, or cast a palmhirah." Those of the other district (whe're the paClmnira spear, into the country which an army intended to invade. tas e.zceedivngly pZletiful) said of their magistrate, "Have Justin says, that as soon as Alexander the Great had arrived you not heard that our palmirah is now gi"ing nmagoes?" on the coasts of Ionla, he threw a dart into the country of Some men are always known by the name of certain trees. the Persians. The dart, spear, or arrow, thus thrown, was Thus, a person who is tall, and stoops a little, is called the an emblem of the commencement of hostilities. Virgil cocoa-nut tree, and he who has long legs and arms, is called represents Turnus as giving the signal of attack by throwing the banyan, which spreads its arms, and lets fall its supa spear. porters to the ground. It is, therefore, not very improbable that Jehoash was known by the name of the cedar, and Ecquis erit meum, 0 Juvenes, qui primus in hostem rs. Ef, ait, et jaculum intorquens emittit in auras.maziah by that of the thistle.-ROBERTS. Principium pugnse; et carnpo sese arduus infert. Who first, he cried, with me thie foe will dare. Then hurl'd a dart, tte sinal of the war.-(PITT.) Ver. 28. And he did that wheichl was evil in the Servius, in his note upon this place, shows that it was a sight of the LORD; he departed not firm the custom to proclaim war in this way. The pater pa.trates, sins of Jeroboaml the son of Nebat, who made or chief of the Feciales, a sort of heralds, went to the con- Israel to sin. fines of the enemy's country; and, after some solemnities, said, with a loud voice, " I wage war with you,for such and See on 2 Kings 2. 7. such reasons;" and then threw in a spear. It was then the CHAPTER XVI. business of the parties thus defied, oi' warned, to take the aHP V o. subject into consideration; and if they did not, within Ver. 3. But he walked in the way of the kings of thirty days, come to some accommodation, the war was Israel; yea, and made his son to pass through begun. —BURDER. the fire, according' to the abominations of the Ver. 21. And it came to pass, as they were bury- heathen, whom the LORD cast out fron before ing a man, that, behold, they spied a band of the children of Israel. men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre Few things are more shocking to humanity than the cusof Elisha: and when the man was let down, tom of which such frequent mention is made in scripture, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, of making children, &c., pass through fire in honour of and stood up on his feet:X Moloch: a custom, the antiquity of which appears frnm and stood up on his fee t.'.its having been repeatedly forbidden by Moses, as Lev. xviii. 21, and at length, in chap. xx. 1 —5, where the ex. lWithl us, the poorest people have theircons; if the expense.. In pressions are very strong, of " giving his seed to XMoloch." lations cannot afford them, the parsh is at the expense. In This cruelty, one would hope, was confined to the stranthe East, on the contrary, they are not at all made use of in gers Israel, an d not adop ted by any native Israelite; yet out times: Turks and Christians, Thevenot assures us, we afterward find the kings of Israel, themselves, pracagree in this. The ancient Jews probably buried their tising this superstitio, and makins their children pass dead in the same manner: neither was the body of our dead in the same manner: neither was the body of our through the fire. This may be illustrated by an instance: Lord, it seems, put into a coffin: nor that of Elisha, whose There is markable variation of terms in the history of bones were touched by the corpse that was let down a little There iwho (2 Kings able variatis saidn to make history of after into his sepulchre, (2Kingsxiii. 21.) Itisno objection pass through the fire, accordini t ominations of th to this account, that the widow of Nain's son is represented heathen," i. e. no doubt, in hoour of Moloch-which. as carried forth to be buried in a Eopos, or bier, for the pres- 2 Chron.xxviii. 3, is expressed by " he BURNED his childre eat inhabitants of the Levant, who are w~ell known to lay in the fire." Now, as the book of Chronicles is best untheir dead in the earth unenclosed, carry them frequently derstood by being considered as a supplenrentary and ex. out to burial in a kind of coffin n: so Russel in particular planatory history to the book of Kin it is somewhat sin. describes the bier used by the Turks at Aleppo as a kind of gular, that it uses by uch the strongest word in th. coffih, much in the form of ours, only the lid rises with a passae-for the import ofibo (h) is, generally, to conledge in the-middle. Christians, indeed, that same author ssage-for the: import of ibor ii. 1is, generally, to contells us, are carried to the grave in an open bier: but as the a wood," so Isaiah 1. 31; and this variation of expression most common kind of bier there very much resembles our is further heightened, by the word son who passed through) coffins, that used by the people of Nain might very possibly being singular in Kings, but plural (sons) in Chronicles. be of the same kind, in which case the word!opos was very It seems very natural to ask, "If he burned his children in the fire, how could he leave any posterity to succeed him." CHAPTER XIV. We know, that the Rabbins have histories of the manner CEIAPTER XIV. he inof passing through the fires, or into caves of fire; and Ver. 9. And Jehoash the kin~g of Israel sent to there is an account of an image, which received children Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle into its arms, and let them drop into a fire beneath, amid that'was in Lebanon sent to the, cedar that was the shouts of the multitude, the noise of drums, and other in Lebanon, sayings, Give thy daughter to my instruments, to drown the shrieks of the agonizing infant, n y 0 Y et ah tm and the horrors of the parents' mind. Waiving furthier alson to wife: and there passed by a wild beast lusion to that account at present, we think the following that wtas in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. extract mayafford a good idea, in what manner the passing t-tAhro'gt, or over fire, was anciently performed: the atten.. We have here another beautiful instance of the way in tive reader will notice the particulars. " A still more aswhich the ancients conveyid instruction or reproof in par- tonishing instance of the superstition of the ancient Indians, ables, apologues, or riddles. Jehoash, the king of Israel, in respect to the venerated fire, remains at this day in the the author of the parable, compares himself to a cedar: grand annual festival holden in honour of Darma Rajah, and Amaziah, the king of Judah, to a thistle. It would no and called the FEAST OF FIRE; in which, as in the ancient.,doubt be verv annoying to Amaziah to be represented by a rites of Moloch, the devotees walk barefoot over a glo~winig thistle! and'his opponent by a cedar. Some years ago, two fire, extending forty feet. It is called the feast of fire, bemagistrates, who were much superior to their predecessors, cause they then walk on that element. It lasts eighteen mn reference to the away in which they had discharged their days, during which time, those that make a vow to keep' duties, were appointed to take charge of separate districts. it, must fast, abstain from women, lie on the bare ground, CHAP. 17, 18. 2 KINGS. 291 and walk on a brisklfire. The eighteenth day, they assesm- with Lev. xviii. 21. " Thou shalt not let any of thy seed ble, on the sound of int'struments; their heads c rowned wqith pass through the fire to Moloch; neither shalt thou profane flowers, the body bedaubed with saifrosi, and follow in cadence the name of thy God: I am the Lord." The marginal the figures of Dar'ma Rajal, and Drobede, his wife, who are references " to profane the name of thy God," are chap. caryried there in procession: when they come to the fire, xix. 12. " And ye shall not SWEAR by my name falsely, they stir it, to animate its activity, andt take a little of the neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God." (See ashes, with Wvhich they rub their forehead, and when the also chap. xx. 3. xxi. 6. and xxii. 2. 32. Ezek. xxxvi. 20.) gods have been three tirmes round it, they walk either fast Connected therefore, with passing through the fire, as mei.or slow, according to their zeal, over a very hot fire, ex- tioned in Lev. xviii. 21, and the marginal references, it is tending to about forty feet in length. Some carry their chil- clear that the name of God was profaned by swEaR i:. dren inq their arms, and others lances, sabres, and stand- The Tamultranslation of Lev. xviii. 21, for " pass througch ards. " The most fervent devotees walk several times over the fire," has "step over the fire,;' which alludes to the the ftre. After the ceremony, the people press to collect oath which is taken by STEPPING OVER THE FIRE. It is a some of the ashes to rub their foreheads with, and obtain solemn way of swearing to innocence, by first making a from the devotees some of the flowers with which they fire, and when stepping over to exclaim, "Iasm vnot utl./.; were adorned, and which they carefully preserve." (Son- Hence the frequency of the question, (when a man denies:nerat's Travels, vol. i. 154.) The flowers, then, were not an accusation,) "Will you step over the fire " But so burned. careful are the heathen in reference to fire, when they are This extract is taken from Mr. Maurice's "history of not on their oath, that they wil not step over it. See atravHindostan," and it accounts for several expressions used eller on his journey; does he come to a place where there in scripture: such as causing children (very young *per- has been a fire, he will not step over it, but walk round it. haps) to pass through fire, as we see they are carried over lest any evil should come upon him. I think it, therefore, the fire, by which means, though devoted, or consecrated, probable, from the words, " profane the name of thy God," they were not destroyed; neither were they injured, except as mentioned in connexion with passing through the fire, by being profaned. Nevertheless, it might, and probably and from the eastern cuSTOr, that the ancient idolaters did did happen, that some of those who thus passed, were hurt take a solemn oath of allegiance to their gods, or of their or maimed in the passing, or if nor immediately slain by innocence of crime, by thus stepping over the fire. the fire, might be burnt in this superstitious pilgrimage, in But it is also a custom among these heathen to pass such a manner as to contract fatal diseases. Shall we sup- through, or rather to walk on, the fire. This is done'somepose, then, that while some of the children of Ahaz passed times, in consequence of a vow, or from a wish to gain safely over the fire, others were injured by it, and injured popularity, or to merit the favour of the gods. A fire is even to death? But this could not, be the case with all of made on the ground, from twenty to thirty paces in length them; as besides Hezekiah, his successor, we read of and the individual walks on it barefoot, backwards anil "Maaseiah, the king's son," 2 Chron. xxviii. 7. Human- forwards, as many times as he may believe the nature of ity would induce us to hope that the expression " burned," his circumstances require. Some say that these devotees should be taken in a milder sense than that of slajying by put a composition on their feet, which prevents them from fire; and, perhaps, this idea may be justified, by remarking being much burnt; but I am of opinion this is not often the the use of it-Exod. iii. 2, 3, "the bush burned with fire, case. To walk on the fire is believed to be most acceptable yet the bush was not consumed." The word, therefore, to the cruel goddess Kali, the wife of Vyravar, who was the being capable of a milder, as well as of a stronger sense, prince of devils. When a man is sick, he vows, "0 Kaili, like our English word, to burn,; it is desirable, if fact would mother, only cure me, and I will walk on fire in your holy permit, to take it in the milder sense in this instance of presenc e." A father, for his deeply afflicted child, vows, Ahaz, and possibly in others. Nevertheless, as the cus- O Kali, or, O Vyravar, only deliver him, and when he tom of widows burning themselves to death, with the body is fifteen years of age, he shall walk on fire in your divine of their deceased husbands, not only continues, but is daily presence."-RoBERTs. practised in India, it contributes to justify the harsher con-' struction of the word to burn; as the superstitious cruelty Ver. 37. And the statutes, and the ordinances, and which can deprive women of life, may easily be thought the law, and the commandment, which he wrote guilty of equal barbarity in the case of children, [and r you, ye shall observe to do for evero moreover the drowning of children in the Ganges, as an or you, ye shall observe to do for evermo act of dedication, is Common.]-TAYLOR IN CALMET.and ye shall not fear other gods.. CHAPTER XVII. The most prominent effect of heathenism on the minds Ver. 1O0. And they set them up images and groves of its votaries is FEAR; and no wonder; for how can they eeyhghlnudreeyretre love deities guilty of such repeated acts of cruelty, injustice, in every high hill, and under every green tree: falsehood, dishonesty, and impurity? Strange as it may 11. And there they burnt incense in all the appear, European descendants, as well as native Christians, high places, as did the heathen whom the are in danger of FEARING the gods of the heathen.. There LORD carried away before them; and wrought are so many traditions of their malignity and power, that t requires strength of mind, and, above all, faith in Jesus wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger. Christ, ththe conqueror of devils, to give a perfect victory Thus did the wicked Jews imitate the heathen. The Thus did the wicked Jews imitate the heathen. The over it. On this account the missionaries sent out by Denwhole verse might be a description of the localities, and mark, more than one hundred years ago, (and some of their usages of MODERN heathenism. See their high hills; they successors,) have not approved of the native Christians are all famous for being the habitation of some deity. On studying the heathen books and superstitions. This, howthe summit there is generally a rude representation, formed ever, has had an injurious effect, because it disqualified the by nature, or the distorted imagination, into the likeness of members of the church to expose the errors of heathenism a god. In going to the spot, images are set up in every di-to the people, and also conveyed an idea of something like rection, asso many sentinels and guides to the sacred ar-In viadequacy in the Gospsionar Chieist to mee sentch a system. cana. See the Ficus religiosa, and numerous other trees, In view of this, the missionaries of the present day, and under which various symbols of idolatry may be seen. many of their converts, have, like Ezekiel, (chap. viii.) looked into this vile arcana; have draggoed the monstrous Fastened into the roots of one, we discover the trident of oked into this vile arcana; have dra Siva: under another, an emblem of Ganesa: there we see transactions to light, exposed them to public gaze, and a few faded flowers, a broken cocoa-nut, an altar, or the. driven fro the field of argument, the Frond and learned ashes of a recent fire.-RERTS BraminRoBERTs. Ver. 17.' And they caused their sons and their CHAPTER XVIII. daughters to pass through the fire. Ver. 8. He smote the Philistine-, evee:t unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the:c wer of the The Tamul translation has "to pass or tread on the fire." watchmen to the fenced city. Deut. xviii. 10. 2r Kings xxiii. 10. xxi. 6. Lev. xviii. 21. Jer. xxxii. 35. are rendered "step over" the fire. To begin See on Is. 14. 29. 292. 2 KINGS. CHAP. 18. Ver. 11. And the king of Assyria did 6arry away the head. He is dressed in a short tunic, reaching no fur-. Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah ther than the knee; a belt fastens it round the waist; his river of Goza-, and in the legs are bare. Behind this figure is a much older person, and in EHabor b, the river of Gozan, and in the with a rather pointed beard and bushy hair, and a similar cities of the Medes. caul covers the top of his head. He too is habited in a short tunic, with something like the urouser, or booted apFor the following narrative, and the particular applica- pearance on the limbs which is seen on some of the figures tion of it, great commendation is due to the learned and at Persepolis. In, addition to the binding of the hands, intelligent traveller. After describing some sculptured the preceding figure, and this, are fastened together by a figures which he had just seen, he says:' At a point some- rope round their necks, which runs onward, noosing all thing higher up than the rough gigantic forms just described,,the remaining eight in one string. This last-described in a very precipitous cliff, there appeared to me a still more person has the great peculiarity attached to him, of the interesting piece of sculpture, though probably not of such skirt of his garment being covered entirely with inscripdeep antiquity. Even at so vast a height, the first glance tions in the arrow-headed character. Next follows one in showed it to have been a work of some age accomplished a long vestment, with full hair, without the caul. Then in the art: for all here was executed with the care and fine another in a short, plain tunic, with trousers. Then sueexpression of the very best at Persepolis. I could not re- ceeds a second long vestment. After him comes one in a sist the impulse to examine it nearer than from the distance short tunic, with naked legs, and, apparently, a perfectly of the ground, and would have been glad of Queen Semi- bald head. He is followed by another in long vestments. ramis's stage of packs and fardels. To approach it at all But the ninth, and last in the group, who also is in the was a business of difficulty and danger; however, after short tunic and trouser, has the singularity of wearing a onuch scrambling and climbing, I at last got pretty far up prodigious high-pointed gep; his beard and hair are,much the rock, and finding a ledge, placed myself on it as firmly ampler than any of his companions, and his face looks of as I could; but still I was further from the object of all this a greater age. In the air, over the heads of the centre peril than I had hoped: yet my eyes being tolerably long- figures, appears the floating intelligence in his circle and sighted, and my glass more so, I managed to copy the car of sunbeams, so often remarked on the sculptures of whole sculpture with considerable exactness. It con- Nakshi-Roustan and Persepolis. tains fourteen figures, one of which is in the air. The "Above the head of each individual in this basrelief is a first figure (to our left in facing the sculpture) carries a compartment with an inscription in the arrow-headed wrispear, and is in the full Median habit, like the leaders of tiny, most probably descriptive of the character and situathe guards at Persepolis: his hair is in a similar fashion, tion of each person. And immediately below the' sculpatld bound with a fillet. The second figure holds a bent ture, are two lines in the same language, running the bo)w in his left hand; he is in much the same dress, with whole length of the group. Under these again, the excathe addition of a quiver slung at his back by a belt that vation is continued to a considerable extent, containing crosses his right shoulder, and his wrists are adorned with eight deep and closely-written columns in the same charbracelets. The third personage is of a stature much larger acter. From so much labour having been exerted on this than any otfier in the group, a usual distinction of royalty part of the work, it excites more regret that so little proin oriental description; and, from the air and attitude of gress has yet been made towards deciphering the character. the figure, I have no doubt he is meant to designate the The design of this sculpture appears to tally so well with kIing. The costume, excepting the beard not being quite the great event of the total conquest over Israel, by Salmaso long, is precisely that of the regal dignity, exhibited in neser, Icing of Assyria, and the Medes, that I venture to the basreliefs of Nakshi-Roustan, and Persepolis: a mix- suggest the possibility of this basrelief having been made to ture of the pontiff-king, and the other sovereign personages. commemorate that final achievement. Certain circumThe robe being the ample vesture of the one, and the dia- stances attending the entire captivity of the ten tribes, dem the simple band of the other: a style of crown which which took place in a second attack on their nation, when appears to have been the most ancient badge of supremacy considered, seem to confirm the conjecture into a strong of either king or pontiff. But as persons of inferior rank probability. In turning from this account in the scriptures, also wore fillets, it seems the distinction between theirs and to the sculpture on the rock, the one seemed clearly to extheir sovereigns, consisted in the material or colour. For plain the other. In the royal figure, I see Salmaneser, the instance, the band. or cydaris, which formed the essential son of the renowned Arbaces, followed by two appropriate part in the old Persian diadem, was composed of a twined leaders of the armies of his two dominions, Assyria and substance of purple and white: and any person below the Media, carrying the spear and the bow. Himself rests on royal dignity presuming to wear those colours unsanctioned the great royal weapon of the East, revered from earliest by the king, was guilty of a transgression of the law, deem- time as the badge of supreme power-Behold I do set sma ed equal to high treason. The fillets of the priesthood bow in the cloud. Besides, he tramples on a prostrate foe; were probably white or silver; and the circlets of kings, not one that is slain, but one who is a captive: this person in general, simple gold. Bracelets are on the wrists of not lying stretched out and motionless, but extending his this personage, and he holds up his hand in a commanding arms in supplication. He must have been a king, for on or admonitory manner, the two forefingers being extended, none below that dignity would the haughty foot of an eastand the two others doubled down in the palm: an action ern monarch condescend to tread. Then we see approach also common on the tombs at Persepolis, and other monu- nine captives, bound, as it were, in double bonds, in sign ments just cited; his left hand grasps a bow of a different of a double offence. We may understand this accumulated shape from that held by his officer, but exactly like the one transgression, on recollecting that on the first invasion of on which the king leans in the basrelief on the tomb at Israel, by Tiglath-pileser, he carried away only part of Nakshi-Roustan. This bow, together with the left foot of three tribes; and on the second by Salmaneser, he not only the personage I am describing, rests on the body of a pros- confirmed Hoshea on the throne, but spared the remaining trate man, who lies on his back with outstretched arms, in people. Therefore, on this determined rebellion of king the act of supplicating for mercy. This unhappy per- and people, he punishes the ingratitude of both, by putting sonage, and also the first in the string of nine which ad- both in the most abject bonds, and bringing away the whole vance towards the king, are very much injured: however, of the ten tribes into captivity; or, at least, the principal of enough remains of the almost defaced leader, when com- the nation; in the same manner, probably, as was afterpared with the apparent condition of the succeeding eight, ward adopted by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, with regard to show that the whole nine are captives. The hands of to the inhabitants of Judea, he carried away all from Jervai are tied behind their backs, and the cord is very dis- salem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, tinet which binds the neck of the one to the neck of the even ten thousand captives; and all the craftsmen and smiths; other, till the mark of bondage reachles to the last in the none remained, save the poorest sort of people of the land,. uloe. If it were-also originally attached to the leader, the 2 Kings xxiv. 14. cord is now without trace there; his hands, however, are "Besides, it may bear on our argument, to remark, that, evidently in the same trammels as his.followers. The including the prostrate monarch, there are precisely teD second figure in the procession has his hair so close to his captives: who might be regarded as the representatives, head, that it appears to have been shaven, and a kind of or heads, of each tribe, beginning with the king, who, ascaul covers it from the top of the forehead to the middle of suredly, would be considered as the chief of his: and end CHAP. 18.2 KINGS. 293 ing with the aged figure at the end, whose high cap may fore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Ashave been an exaggerated representation of the mitre worn syria, and I will deliver thee two thousar. d horses, if,thou by the sacerdotal tribe of Levi: a just punishment of the" be able on thy part to set riders upon them."-PAXTON. priesthood at that time, which had debased itself by every species of idolatrous compliance with the whims, or rather Ver. 28. Then Rabshakeh stood, and cried w-ith wickedness of the people, in the adoption of pagan wor- a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, ship. Hence, having all walked in the statutes of the syin, ear the word of the great ing, t sayingf, Hear the word of the great king, the heathen, the Lord rejected Israel, and delivered them into the hand of the spoilers.' Doubtless, the figure withthe inscription on his garments, from the singularity of the not Hezekiah deceive you; for he shall not be appendage, must have been some noted personage in the able to deliver you out of his hand: 30. Neither~ history of the event; and besides, it seems to designate a let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saystriking peculiarity of the Jews, who were accustomed to write memorable sentences of old, in the form of phylacte- ing, The LoRD will surely deliver us, and this ries, on different parts of their raiment. What those may city shall not bie delivered into the hand of the mean, which cover the garment of this figure, we have no king of Assyria. 31. Hearken not to Hezemeans of explaining, till the diligent researches of the ih: fo thus saith the king of ssyia, e b ~~~~~~~~~kiah' for thus saith the king of Assyrioa, Makelearned may be able to decipher the arrow-headed character, and then a full light would be thrown on the whole can agreement with me by a present, and come history, by expounding the tablets over every head. If the out to me, and then eat ye every man of his aerial form above were ever intended to represent the own vine, and every one of his fig-tree, and heavenly apparition of a departed king, which is the opin- drin ye every one the wters of his csten; drinlk ye every one the wa'ters of his cistern; ion of some, that of the great Arbaces might appear here with striking propriety, at the final conquest of rebellious 32. Until I come and take you away to a land Israel. Should the discoveries of time prove my conjec- like your own land; a land -f corn and win( ture at all right, this basrelief must be nearly two hundred a laud of bread and vineyards, a land of oi. years older than any which are ascribed to Cyrus, at Perse- olive and of honey, that ye may live ard not polis or Pasargadme." (Sir R. K. Porter.)-BuRDE:a.. (See engraving, pF. no. at the end of t/e volume.) die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will delivVet. 20. Thou sayest, (but they are but vain er us. er us. words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. PNow, os whom dust thou trust, that thou rebel- It tmust be owned that there is something extremely inlest against me? solent in the speeches of Rabshakeh to Hezekiah and his loyal subjects, (2 Kings xviii.;) his boastings, both as to The Hindoos say of boasting words, or those which do matter and manner, appear to have been of the most unnot proceed from the heart, they are "words of the MOUTH;" limited kind;', and to have wanted for no amplification in the capacityr of the speak~er to bestow on them: he descr~ibes but to speak evil of a person is called a chondu-chadi, a hint the capacity of the speaker to bestow on them: he describes ~of the IP.~-R~OS~EH~Ts. his master's power in the highest terms, and even beyond of the LIP.-RoBERT's. what fidelity, as a servant to the king of Assyria, might Ver. 23. Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges have required from him. Probably his speeches are reto my lod the king of Assyria, and ill de- corded as being in i strain somewhat unusual, and it will to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will de- not be easy to find their equal: nevertheless, the reader liver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able may be amused by the following portrait, which forms no on thy part to set riders upon them. bad companion to that of Rabshakeh: if it may not rival that in expression, it falls little short of it, and is, to say the In the first periods of the Jewish history, the armies of least, an entertaining representation of eastern manners Israel consisted all of'footmen. At length Solomon raised and train of thought. It should be remarked, that, Rabshaa body of twelve thousand horse, and fourteen hundred keh was speaking openly, in defiance to enemies: Hyat chariots, some with two, and others with four horses; but Saib was conversing in his own residence. If, whens whether that magnificent prince intended them for pomp or speaking in private, hlie was thus eloquent, what had been war, is uheertain. Infantry was also the chief strength of his eloquence, had he been employed by his sovereign in a the Greek and Roman armies. Cavalry is not so neces- message of defianceS? sary in warm climates, where the march.of troops is less Hyat Saib, the jemadar, or governor of Baidanore, incommoded with bad roads; nor can they be of so much "having exhausted his whole string of questions, he turned use in mountainous countries, where their movements are the discourse to another subject-no less than his great and attended with great difficulty and hazard. The eastern puissant lord and master, Hyder, of whom he had endeavpotentates, however, brought immense numbers of horse oured to impress me with a great, if not a terrible idea; into the field, and chiefly trusted. to their exertions for de- amplifying his honour, his wealth, and the extent and opufence or conquest. The people of Israel, who were ap- lence of his dominions; and describing to me, in the most pointed to d"dwell alone," and not to mingle with the na- exaggerated terms, the number of his troops, his toilitarv tions around them, nor imitate their policy, were expressly talents, his vast, and, according. to his account, unrivalled forbidden to maintain large bodies of cavalry; and they genius; his smazing abilities in conquering and governing accordinglyprospered, or were defeated, as they obeyed or nations; and, above all, his amiable qualities and splendid transgressed this divine command; which a celebrated au- endowments of heart, no less than understanding. thor observes, cannot be justified by the measures of human "Having thus, with equal zeal and fidelity, endeavoured prudence. Even upon political reasons, says Warburton, to imnpress me with veneration for his lord and master, and the Jews might be justified in the disuse of cavalry, in the for that purpose attributed to him every perfection that may defence of their country, but not in conquering it from a be supposed to be divided among all the kings and generals warlike people, who abounded in horses. Here, at least, that have lived since, the birth of Christ, and given each the exertion of an extraordinary providence was wonder- their due, he turned to the English government, iand enfully conspicuous. The kings who succeeded Solomon deavoured to demonstrate to me the folly and inuility of certainly raised a body of horse for the defence of their our attempting to resist his progress, which he coinpared to dominions, which they recruited from the studs of Egypt, that of the sea, to a tempest, t'o a torrent, to a lion's pace and in those times equally remarkable for their vigour and fury-to every thing that an eastern imagination could sugbeauty2 But the Jewish cavalry were seldom very numer- gest as a figure proper to exemplify grandeur a d irresistous; and under the religious kings of David's line, who ible power. He then vaunted of his sovereign's successes made the divine law the rule of their policy, they were over the English, some of which I had not heard of before, either disembodied altogether, or reduced to a very small and did not believe; and concluded by assuring me, that it number. In the reign of Hezekiah, when the country was was Hyder's determination to drive all Europeans from invaded by the king of Assyria, the Jews seem to have had Indostan, which he averred he could not fail to do, con.no force of this kind, for, said Rabshlnkeh, "Now, there- sidering the weakness of the one, and the boundless power f'294.2 KINGS. CHAP. 19 of the other. —He expended half an hour in this manner that the smallest movement of the body would separate the and discourse." (Campbell's Travels to India.)-TAYLo R IN one from the other."-RorINSON. CALMET. The south wind in those arid regions blowing over an immense surface of burning sand, becomes so charged with CHAPTER XIX. electrical matter, as to occasion the greatest danger, and Vecr. 3. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hez- often instant death, to the unwary traveller. A Turk, who his day is a day of trouble, an of e- had twice performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, told Dr. eh-iah, This day its a day of trouble, and of re- Clarke that he had witnessed more than once the direful huke, and blasphemy: for the children are come effects of this hot pestilential wind in the desert. He has to the birth, and there is not -strength to bring known all the water dried out of their skin bottles in an info rth. stant, by its inflaence. The camnels alone gave notice of its approach, by making a noise, and burying their mouths WVhen a person has all but accomplished his object, when and nostrils in the sand. This was considered as an infalonly a very slight obstacle has prevented him, it is then lible token that the desolation was at hand; and those who said, The child came to the birth, but there was not imitated the camels escaped suffocation. strength to bring it forth." Some time ago, an opulent In some districts it commits great ravages, and at times man accused another, who was also very rich, and in office, so totally burns up all the corn, thatno animalwill eat a of improper conduct to the government' the matter waS blade of it, or touch any of its grain. It has been known, well investigated by competent authorities; but the accused, even in Persia, to destroy camels and other hardy animals; by his superior cunning, and by bribes, escaped, as by the its effects on the human frame are represented as incor"4skin of his teeth;" and the people said, "Alas! the child ceivably dreadful. In someinstances it kills instantaneouscame to the mouth, but the hand could not take it." When ly; but in others the wretched sufferer lingers for hours, or a person has succeeded in gaining a blessing which he has even day& in the most excruciating torture. In those places long desired, he says, " Good, good! the child is born at where it is not fatal to life, it resembles the breath of a last." Has a person lost his lawsuit in a provincial court, glowing furnace, destroys every symptom of vegetation, he will go to the capital to make an appeal to a superior and will, even during the night, scorch the skin in the most court; and should he there succeed, he will say, in writing painful manner. In the sandy desert it is often so heated to a firiend, "Good news d n ews! news the child is born." as to destroy every thing, animal and vegetable, with which Wfhen a man has been trying to gain an office, his friend it comes in contact. In the inhabited country every article meeting him on return, does not always ask, "Is the child of furniture, of glass, and even of Iwood, becomes as hot as born. or did it come to the birth 2" but, "Is it a male or if it were exposed to a raging fire. In Hindostan, when the a female?" If he say the former, he has gained his object; hot wind blows, the atmosphere for many hours of the day if the latter, he has failed.-R-oBEaRs. becomes insupportable; the heavens are like brass, and the earth like heated iron. At such times the miserable incr.. Behold, vii send a blast upon i, habitants are obliged to confine themselves in dark rooms, and heshal hear aill r an sht run tm cooled by screens of matted grass kept continually watered. n e shll hear a rumour, and shall return To this terrible agent the prophet alludes in his prediction his own land; and I will cause him to fall by of Sennacherib's overthrow: "Behold, I will send a blast the sword in? his own land. upon him." The return of man to his native dust is as certain and speedy as the blasting of a tender plant by the See on Is. 37. 36. deadly breath of the simoom: "For the wind passeth over The destruction of Sennacherib and his army appears to it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no h'ave been effected by that pestilential wind called the si- more. ijioom. Campbell, in his Travels, most significantly calls it a At Bagdad, October 9, 1818, Sir R. K. Porter informs us, horrid wind, whose consuming blasts extend their ravages (Travels, vol. ii. p. 229,) the master of the khan "told me, all the way from the extreme end of the Gulf of Cambaya that they consider October the first month of their autumn, up to Mosul. It carries along with it fleaks of fire, like and feel it delightfully cool in comparison with July, August, threads of silk; instantly strikes dead those that breathe it, and September; for that during forty days of the two first- and consumes them inwardly to ashes; the flesh soon benamed summer months, the hot wind blows froni the des- coming black as a coal, and dropping off the bones. The er; and its effects are often destructive. Its title is very ap- numbers that-perish by its fatal influence are sometimes propriate, being called the samiel, or baude semoom, the very great. Thevenot states, that in the year 1665, in the pestilential wind. It does not come in continued long cur- month of July, four thousand people died at Bassora by that rents, but in gusts at different intervals, each blast lasting wind, in three weeks' time. several minutes, and passing along with the rapidity of By this powerful and terrific agent, invigorated by the lightning. No one dare stir from their houses while this arm, and guided by the finger of Jehovah, was the numerinvisible flame is sweeping over the face of the country. ous army of the proud and blaspheming Sennacherib dePrevious to its approach, the atmosphere becomes tn:.: o am t pru d lsheickSnnc~ri e Preous to its approach the atmosphe stroyed under the walls of Libnah. In the brief statement and sufdocatin, and appearing particularly dense near the of Isaiah it is said, " Then the angel (or, as it may be ren) deed the mesngr of th Lodwn.oth mt horizon, gives sufficient warnming of the threatened mischief. dered, the messenger) of the Lord went forth, and smote Though hostile to human life, it is so far from being preju- in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and dicial to the vegetable creation, that a continuance of the five thousand men." NBow this angel of Jehovah is exsamiel tends to ripen the fruits. I inquired what became pressly called, in verse 7th of the same chapter, rtach, a of the cattle during such.a plague, and was told they were blast or wind; which can hardly leave adoubt of the mailseldom touched by it. It seems strange that their lungs should ner in which this passage is to be understood. —PAXTON. be so perfectly insensible to what seems instant destruction to the breath of man; but so it is, that they are regularly Ver. 24. I have digged and drunk strange waters, driven down to water at the customary times of day, even and with the sole of my feet have I dr.ed up when the b'asts are at the severest. -The people wvho fit all the rivers of besieged places. tend them are oNi..ged to plaster their own faces, and other parts of the body usually exposed to the air, with a sort of The curious Vitringa admires the explanation which muddy clay, which, in general, protects them from its most Grotius has given, of that watering with the foot by which malignant effects. The periods of the winds' blowing are Egypt was distinguished from Judea, derived from an obgenerally from noon till sunset; they cease almost entirely servation made on Philo, who lived in Egypt, Philo having during the night; and the direction of the gusts is always described a machine used by the peasants of that country from the Oiortheast. When it has passed over, a sulphuric, for watering as wrought by the feet; which sort of waterand indeed loathsome smell, like putridity, remains for a ing Dr. Shaw has since understood of the gardener's putlong time. The poison which occasions this smell must be ting a stop to the further flowing of the water in the rill, deadly; for if any unfortunate traveller, too far from shel- in which those things were planted that wanted watering, ter, meet the blast, he falls immediately; and in a few by turning the earth against it with his foot. Great reminutes his flesh becomes almost black, while both it and spect is due to so candid and ingenious a traveller as Dr his bones at once arrive at so extreme a state of corruption, Shaw; I must however own, that I apprehend the mean CHAP. 19. 2 KINGS. 295 ing of Moses is more truly represented by Grotius than the trate the expression which the sacred writer uses concerndoctor. For Moses seems to intend to represent the great ing Sennacherib: " I will put my hook in thy nose, and labour of this way of watering by the foot, which the work- my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way ing that instrument really was, on which account it seems by which thou camest." These words refer at once to the to be laid aside in Egypt since the time of Philo, and easier absolute control of heaven, under which he acted, and the methods of raising the water made use of; whereas the swiftness of his retreat.-PAXTON. turning the earth with the foot which Dr. Shaw speaks of, is the least part of the labour of watering. If it should be Ver. 35. And it came to pass that night, that the remarked, that this machine was not older than Arcihme- angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the des, which has been supposed, I would by way of reply ob o the n ad serve, that the more ancient Egyptian machines might be equally wrought with the foot, and were undoubtedly more and five thousand: and when they arose early laborious still, as otherwise the invention of Archimedes in the morning, behold, they wer'e all dead would not have brought them into disuse. But though I think the interpretation of Deut. xi. 10, by Grotius, is pref- corpses. erable to that of Dr. Shaw, I readily admit that the doctor's Mr. Boswell, in his Life of Dr. Johnson, informs us, that. thought may be very naturally applied to these words of it was a subject of conversation between them, in what Sennacherib, to which however the doctor has not applied manner so great a multitude of Sennacherib's army was it; for he seems to boast that he could as easily turn the destroyed. "W e are not to suppose," says the doctor, in water of great rivers, and cause their old channels to be- reply, "that the angel went abroad with a sword in his come dry, as a gardener stops the water from flowing any hand, stabbing them one by one; but that some powerful longer in a rill by the sole of his foot. natural agent was employed; most probably the samyel." And as the gardener stops up one rill and opens another Whether the doctor had noticed some picture in which the with his mattock, to let in the water, so, says Sennacherib, angel was thus employed, is uncertain; but it should seem, [ have digged and drank strange waters, that is, which did that this idea is common; and even Dr. Doddridge appears not heretofore flow in the places I have made them flow in. to have conceived of the angel, as of a person employed in This is the easiest interpretation that can, I believe, be slaughter; for he says, in a note on the passage (Matt. given to the word strange, made use of by this Assyrian xxvi. 53) where our Lord mentions that his Father could prince, and makes the whole verse a reference to the east- furnish him twelve legions of angels, "How dreadfully ern away of watering: I have digged channels, and drank, irresistible would such an army of angels have been, when and caused my army to drink out of new-made rivers, into one of these celestial spirits was able to destroy 185,000 which I have conducted the waters that used to flow else- Assyrians at one stroke!" Without attempting to investiwhere, and have laid those old channels dry with the sole gate the power of celestial spirits, we may endeavour to pre(if my foot, with as much ease as a gardener digs channels sent the history of the destruction of Sennacherib's army, ini his garden, and directing the waters of a cistern into a according to what, in all probability, was the real fact; preI ew rill, with his foot stops up that in which it before ran. mising that simnyel, sumiel, sacmyel, snmoom, simoom, &c. are In confirmation of all which, let it be remembered, that different names for the same meteor. Mr. Bruce's account this way of watering by rills is in use in those countries of this wonderful natural phenomenon, affords some very fiom whence Sennacherib came; continued down from interesting particulars. The extracts are from the quarto ancient times there, without doubt, as it is in Egypt. edition of his Travels. The understanding those words of the Psalmist, Ps. Ixv. " On the 16th, at half past ten, we left El fMont, [death.] 9, Thloe visitest the earth and waterest it, thou grecatly en- At eleven o'clock, while we contemplated with great plearichest it wvifth the rivers of GoD, of the watering it as by a sure the rugged top of ChiggrE, to which we were fast ap-' rill of water, makes an easy and beautiful sense; the rain proaching, and where we were to solace ourselves with bh ing to the earth in general, the same thing from GoD, that plenty of good water, Idris cried out,' Fall upon your faces, a watering rill, or little river, is to a garden from man.- for here is the simoom 1' I saw from the southeast a haze HARMER. come, in colour like the purple part of the rainbow, but not Ver. 26. Therefore their inhabitants wvere of small so compressed or thick. It did not occupy twenty yards in pwer., t They were, dismyeir i nants wcofo l breadth, and was about twelve feet high from the ground. power, they were dismayed and confounded;. It was a kind of blush upon the air, and it moved very rapthy were as the grass of the field, and as the' idly, for I scarce could turn to fall upon the ground, with green herb, as the grass on the house-tops, and my head to the northward, when I felt the heat of its current as coral blasted before it be grown"up. - plainly upon my face. We all lay flat on the ground, as if dead, till Idris told us it was blown over. The meteor, or The -Hebrew has, instead of small power, " short of hand." purple haze, which I saw, was indeed passed, but the light This figure is much used here, and is taken from a man air that still blew was of heat to threaten suffocation. For trying to reach an object for which his arm is not long my part, I found distinctly in my breast that I had imbibed enougli. WVhen it is wished to ascertain what is a man's part of it, nor was I free of an asthmatic sensation, till I capacity or power, it is ased, " Is his arm long or short " had been some months in Italy, at the baths of Poretta, near "Let me tell you, friend, Tamban wrill never succeed; his two years afterward. A universal despondency had taken arm is not long enough." Of feeble people it is said, "they possession of our people. They ceased to speak to one have short hands."-ROBERTS. another, and when they did it was in whispers, by which I / easily guessed that they were increasing each other's fears, Ver. 28. Because thy rage against me and thy by vain suggestions, calculated to sink each other's spirits tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore. still further. This phenomenon of the simoom, unexpected will put my hook in thy nose, a1d my bridle- by us, though foreseen by Idris, caused us all to relapse ~will put my hook in thy nose, andL my bridrle ipto our former despondency. It still continued'to blow so in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the as to exhaust us entirely, though the blast was so weak as w-ay by iwhich thou camest. scarcely would have raised a leaf from the ground. At twenty minutes before five, the simoom ceased, and a comA person says of his deliverer from prison or danger, fortable and cooling breeze came by starts from the.north. "Ah M tlhe good man took me out by his tote,'' i. e. hook. A We had no sooner got into the plains than we felt great culprit says of the officers who cannot catch him, "Their symptoms of the simoom, and about a quarter before twelve. hooks are become straight." The man who cannot drag our prisoner first, and then Idris, cried out, The simoomn! the another from his secrecy, says, " My hook is not sufficient simoom! My curiosity would not suffer me to fall down for that fellow."-RoBERTS. without looking behind me; about due south, a little to the The dromedary differs from the common camel, in being east, I saw the colomr'ed haze, as before.,It seemed now tuo of a finer and rounder shape, and in having upon its back be rather less compressed, and to have with it a shade of a smaller protuberance. This species (for the former sel- blue. The edges of it were not defined as those of the dom deviAting from the beaten road, travels with its head former; but like a vewry thin smoke, with about a yard in at liberty) is governed by a bridle, which being usually the middle, tinged with these colours.'We all fell upon fastened to a ring fixed in its nostrils, may very well illus- our faces, and the simooln passed with a gentle ruffling 296 2 KINGS. CHAP. 20. wind. It continued to blow in this manner till near three close of the extract from him, page 9, that "to prevent o'clock, so we were all taken ill at night, and scarcely drawing it in, it is necessary first to see it, which is not strength was left us to load the camels. The simoom, with always practicable." No doubt, we may safely add, espe. the wind at southeast, immediately followed the wind at cially by night. north, and the usual despondency that always accompanied These particulars respecting the nature and effects of the it. The blue meteor, with which it began passing over us simoom, will illustrate, by comparison, occurrences record. about twelve, and the ruf'linzg wind that followed it, con- ed 2 Kings, chap xix., and Isaiah, chap. xxxvii. tinue d till near two. S ilence, and a desperate kind of I. " Behold, I will send a blast upon him," (Sennache rib;) indifference about life, were the immediate effects upon us; The word rendered blast (mn 9-umach) does not imply a' and I began seeing the conditio.n of my camels, to fear we vehement wind; but a gentle breathing, a breeze, a vapour, were all doomed to a sandy grave, and to contemplate it a reek, an exhalation; and thus agrees perfectly with the with some degree of resignation. I here began to provide descriptions extracted above. tbr the worst. I saw the fate of our camels fast approach- II. It is supposed the prophet allfdes to this meteor, Isa ing, and that our men grew weak in proportion: our bread, chap. xxx. 27, "The Lord's anger is burning, or devouring, too, began to fail us, although we had plenty of camel's fire;" ("burning with his anger"-" his tongue is a dezvourflesh in its stead; our water, though to all appearance we ingfire." Eng. Trans.) And ver. 33, "The breath of the were to find it more frequently than in the beginning of Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it." our journey, was nevertheless brackish, and scarce served III. The army of Sennacherib was destroyed by night. the purpose to quench our thirst; and above all, the dreadful No doubt the unwarrantable pride of the kIing had extended simoomin had perfectly exhausted our strength, and brought also to his army, (witness the arrogance of Rabshakeh,) so upon us a degree of cowardice and languor that we strug- that being in full security the officers and soldiers were gled with in vain." negligent; their discipline was relaxed; the " camp-g uards" The following extract is from D'Osbornville's "Essays, were'not alert; or, perhaps, they themselves were the first &c. on the East:'!-" Some enlightened travellers have taken off; and those who slept nzot wrapped up, imbibed the seriously written, that every individual who falls a victim poison plentifully. If this hadbeen an evening of dissolute to this infection, is immediately reduced to ashes, though mirth, (no uncommon thing in a camp,) their joy (perhaps apparently only asleep; and thit when taken hold of to be for a victory, or "the first night of their attacking the city," awakened by passengers, the limbs part from the body and says Josephus) became, by its effects, one means of their remain in the hand. Such travellers would evidently not destruction. have taken these tales on hearsay, if they had paid a proper IV. If the Assyrians were not accustomed to the action attention to other facts, which they either did or ought to of this meteor at home, they might little expect it; and by have heard. Experience proves, that animals, by pressing night, might little watch for, or discern it. The total their nostrils to the earth, and men, by covering their heads number of Sennacherib's army is not mentioned: perhaps in their mantles, have nothing to fear from these meteors. it was three or four times the number slain; that it was This demonstrates the impossibility that a poison which very great, appears from his boastings sent to Hezekiah. can only penetrate the most delicate parts of the brain or If the extent of the meteor was half a mile, or a mile, in lungs, should calcine the skin, flesh, nerves, and bones. I passing over a camp, it might destroy many thousands el acknowledge these accounts are had from the Arabs them- sleepers; while those on each side of its course, escaped; selves; but their picturesque and extravagant expressions and these, "rising early in the morning," discovered -ch are a kind of imaginary coin, to know the true value of slaughter of their fellows around them. The destruction which, requires some practice." of Cambyses' army of 50,000 men going for Ethiopia, is, in Notwithstanding this remark, if the word immediately some respects, not unlike this destruction of the Assyrians. were exchanged for quichly, the purport of the account V. The subsequent languor, despondence, and cowardice, might be almnost exactly justified. Our author proceeds- attending this meteor, contribute to explain the forced re-' I have twice had an opportunity of considering the effect turn of Sennacherib home; even though his army might of these siphons, with some attention. I shall relate simply be very numerous, notwithstanding this diminution. what I have seen in the case of a merchant and two travel- Observe, it was not before Jerusalem that this event lets, who were struck dnri,'ig their sleep, anvd died on thbe occurred, but to the south. sot. I ran to see if it was possible to afford them any suc- VI. The Babylonish Talmud affirms, that this destrieiour, but they were already dead; the victims of an interior' tion of the Assyrians was executed by lightning; and some suf-ocating fire. There were apparent signs of the dissolu- of the Targums are quoted for saying the same thing. tion of their fluids; a kind of serous matter issued from Josephus says, "Sennacherib, on his return from the the nostrils, mouth, and ears; and in something more than Egyptian war, found his army which he had left under an hour, the whole body was in the same state. However, Rabshakeh, almost entirely destroyed by a judicial pestias, according to their custom, they [the Arabs] were dili- lence, which swept away, in officers and common soldiers, gent to pay them the last duties of humanity, I cannot the first night they sat down before the city, 185,000 men." affirm that the putrefaction was more or less rapid than VII. That this meteor inflicts diseases where it is not usual in that country. As to the meteor itself, it may be immediately fatal, Mr. Bruce himself is an instance; he examined with impunity at the distance of three or four also says, "though Syene, by its situation, should be healthy, fathonis; and the country people are only afraid of being the general complaint is a weakness and soreness in the suprised by it when they are asleep; neither are such acci- eyes; generally ending in blinidness of one or both eyes; dents very common, for these siphons are only seen during you scarce ever see a person in' the street who sees with two or three months of the year; and as their approaih is both eyes. They say it is owTing to the hot wind from the felt, the camp-guards and the people awake are always desert; and this I apprehend to be true, by the violent sorevery careful to rouse those that sleep, who also have a ness and inflammation we were troubled wvith in our reture general habit of covering their faces with mantles." home, through the great desert, to Syene."-TAOL~o u r' Any seeming contrariety of representation between Mr. CALMEr.. Bruce and this traveller may be accounted for, by suppo- CHAPTER XX. sing that in different deserts, or at different times, (of the Ver. 11. An Isaiah the pophet cried unto te year, perhaps,) these meteors are more or less fatal; but the reader's attention is desired, particularly, to certain LORD; and he brought the shadow ten degrees ideas implied in these descriptions: —l. The meteor seems backward, by which it had gone down in the like a thin smolke, i.e. seen by daylight, when Mr. Bruce dial of Ahaz. travelled. 2. It passed with a gentle ruffling wind. 3. It was some hours in passing. 4. It affected the mind, by.en- At the beginning of the world it is certain there was no feeb!ing the body; producing despondency anid cowardice. distinction of time, but by the light and darkness, and the 5. It is dangerous by being breathed. 6. It is peculiarly whole day was included in the general terms of the evening fatal to persons sleeping. 7. Its effects, even on those to and morning. The Chaldeans, many ages after the flood, whom it is not fatal, are debilitating and lasting. 8. It is were the first who divided the day into hours; they being:elt; and is coinpared to a suffocating fire. 9. Its extent is the first who applied themselves with any success-to astrolsometimes considerable; about half a mile; sometimes ogy. Sun-dials are of ancient use: but as they were of no'or-' sometimes less. 10. Colonel Campbell says, at the service in cloudy weather and in the night, there was CHAP. 20-23. 2 KI CN GS. 297 another invention of measuring the parts of time by water; ter) quench fire!" C" Do not cast ghee on that man's pasbut that not proving sufficiently exact, they laid it aside for sions." "I beseech you to try to make peace for me." another by sand. The use of dials was earlier among the "Peace for you! can I quench his wrath."-ROBERTS. Greeks than the Romans. It was above three hundred years after the building of Rome before they knew any CHAPTER XXIII. thing of them: but yet they had divided the day and night Ver. 3. And the king stood by a pillar, and made into twenty-four hours; though they did not count the hours numerically, but from midnight to midnight, distinguishing them by particular names, as by the cock-crowing, LORD, and to keep his commandments and his the dawn, the midday, &c. The first sun-dial we read of testimonies and his statutes, with all their heart among the Romans, which divided the day into hours, is and all their soul, to perform the words of this mentioned by Pliny, as fixed upon the temple of Quirinus covenant that. were written in this book: and by L. Papyrius, the censor, about the twelfth year of the wars with Pyrrhus. Scipio Nasica, some years after, all the people stood to the covenant measured the day and night into hours from the dropping See on 2 Kings 11. 14. of water.-BRDER. Ver. 13. And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, Ver. 7. And he brake down the houses of the and showed them the house of his precious Sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, where the women wove hangings for the grove. and the precious ointment, and all the house of Very large hangings are used in the temples, some of his armour, and all that was found in his trea- which are fastened to the roof, others used as screens, and sures: there was nothing in his house, nor in others to cover the sacred cars. On them are painted the all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them actions of the gods, as described in the books Ramyanum and the Scanda Purana; and there are portrayed things o' the most indecent nature.-ROBERTS. The display which Hezekiah made of his treasure was In the history of Schemselouhar and the prince of Perto gratify the ambassadors of the king of Babylon. It ap- sia, (Arabian Nights' Entertainment,) when the former was pears to have been an extraordinary thing, and not done told that the calif was coming to visit her, she ordered the but upon this and occasions of a similar nature; such pintings on silk, which were in the garden, to be taken probably was the general practice. Lord Macartney in- down. In the same mannerred t o. The authority given forms us, that " the splendour of the emperor of China and e used in the p his court, and the riches of the mandarins, surpass all that for this custom must be allowed to be sufficient to vouch for can be said of them. Their silks, porcelain, cabinets and the existence of the practice in question, to whatever aniother furniture, make a most glittering appearance. These, madversions the work itself may be liable in any other point however, are only exposed when they make or receive of ie.-BURDER visits: for they commonly neglect themselves at home, the laws'against private pomp and luxury being very seere." Ver. 1 1. And he took away-the horses that the Vertomannus, in his voyage to the East, describing the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the en-' treasure of the king of Calicut, says, that it is esteemed so tering in of the house of the LORD, by the immense that it cannot be contained in two remarkably r o large cellars or warehouses. It consists of precious stones, plates of gold, and as much coined gold as may suffice to which was in the suburbs, and burnt the charlade a hundred mules. They say that it was collected iots of the sun with fire., together by twelve kings who were before him, and that in his treasury is a coffer three spans long and two broad, The Hindoos believe that the sun is drawn in his coulrse full of precious stones of incalculable value. This custom by seven horses, and that the deity sits in his chariot of one for the eastern princes to amass enormous loads of treasure, wheel, which is driven by Arunan. Thus may be seen the merely for show and ostentation, appears to have been sun and his horses represented in wood, or painted on the practised by the kings of Judea. One instance of it at least hangings which adorn the cars. See, then, the profligacy is found in the case of Hezekiah, in the passage now re- of the kings of Judah: they gave horses and chariots to ferred to.-BuanER. the sun as a sign of their attachment to that, system of idolatry, and to procure those blessings which are believed to CHAPTER XXI. be dispensed by the gods; for it must be observed, that such Ver. 11. Because Manasseh king of Judah hath gifts to the deities and their temples. are only for the fulfildone these abominations, and hath done wick- ment of some vow for favours received, or for those which done these abominations, and hath did, wich are earnestly desired.-ROERTS. edly above all that the Anorites did, which By those horses, cannot well be understood, as the greater were before him, and hath' made Judah also to part of modern interpreters maintain, a number of sculpsin with his idols. tured figures of gold, silver, or brass, which had been presented as votive offerings to the heathen deity. The words Bodin informs us from Maimonides, that it was customary of the sacred historian certainly refer to living horses for among the Amorites to drawtleir new-born children he simply states, that Josiah " took away the horses that;he through a flame; believing that by this means they would kings of Judah had given, or dedicated to the sun:" but had escape many calamities; and that Maimonides himself had the figures of horses been intended, the clause, to corresbeen an eyewitness of this superstition in some of the pond with the common manner of the sacred w.iters, must nurses of Egypt.-BURDER. have run in these terms, He took away the horses of gold, C~HAPTER XXII. of silver, or of brass; for in this way the moten'calf of Aaron, the serpent of Moses, and the lions and oxen of Ver. 1'7. Because they have forsaken me, and Solomon, are distinguished in scripture from the real anihave burnt incense unto other gods, that they mals. Nor had he distinguished in one statue the horses might provoke me to anger with all the works from the chariot; nor assigned to them a particular station of their hands therefore my wrath shall be between the temple and the house of Nathan-melech; of tleir hands; t herefore my wrath shall be because they were parts and appendages of the same genkindled against this place, and shall not be eral figure. Besides, the destruction of the horses was quenched. effected by one operation, and the chariots by another, which shows that they were not metallic figures: Josiah "Ah! who can quench the wrath of my enemy!" took away, or (as the verb is rendered in. other parts) de"Who? 0, I have done it already, for his anger is turned stroyed the horses, but he burned the chariots in the fire. to water." Does a person reply to another in such a way These horses were given or dedicated to the sun, to be as to increase anger, it is asked, "Will ghee (clarified but- offered in sacrifice to that luminary,' according to some 38 298 2 KING S. CHAP. 25. writers; or kept in honour of Baal, or Apollo, as others CHAPTER XXV. imagine, The Jewish writers allege that the priests of the sun led them forth at the dawn, with great pomp, into a large area, between the temple and the house of Nathan- before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedemelech, to salute their god, as soon as he appeared above kiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and the horizon.-PAxToN. carried him to Babylon. ~Ver. 21. And the king comrmranded all t~he peo-l This was probably done with the intention ot rendering ple, saying, Keep the passover unto the eLORD the king incapable of ever reascending the throne. Thus it was a law in Persia down to the latest time, that no blind your God, as it is written in the book of. the person could mount the throne. Hence the barbarous cuscovenant. 22. Surely there was not holden tom, common at the time of Chardin, add even since, of such a passover from the, days of the judges depriving the sons and male relations of a Persian king,'l who are not to be allowed to attain the government, of their that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the sight. Down to the time of Abbas, who reigned in 1642, kingus of Israel, nor of the kin gs of Judah. this was done, according to Chardin, only by passing a red-hot copper plate before the eyes. "But the power of To those who may wonder how Jerusalem could receive vision was not so entirely destroyed, but that the person such multitudes, as were obliged by the Jewish law to attend blinded still retained a glimmering; and the operation was there three times a year, and as we know did sometimes frequently performed in so favourable a manner, that still actually appear in it, I would recite the account that Pitts some sight remained. During the ieign of Abbas II., one gives of Mecca, the sacred city of the Mohammedans, and of the brothers of that prince once visited his aunt and hit the number of people he found collected together there, for nephew, whose palace joins the residence of the Dutch: the celebration of their religious solemnities, in the close as he expressed a wish to visit these strangers, they were of the seventeenth century. This city, he tells us, he informed of this, and they were invited to spend an afterthought he might safely say, had not one thousand families noon, and take supper with them. The brother of the king in it of constant inhabitants, and the buildings very mean brought several other blinded princes with himn, and when and ordinary. That four caravans arrive there every year, candles were introduced. it was observed that they were'with great number of people in each, and the Mohamme- aware of it. They. were asked if they saw any thing. lans say, there meet not fewer than seventy thousand souls The king's brother answered in the affirmative, ana added. at these solemnities; and that though he could not think that he could see enough to walk without a stick. This the number quite so large, yet that it is very great. How was unfortunately heard by one of the court spies, who such numbers of people, with their beasts, could be lodged were employed to watch all the motions of the great people. and entertained in such a little ragged town as Mecca, is a According to the custom of these people, he related it to question he thus answers: "As for houseroom, the inhab- the king in a malicious manner, and so that he could not itants do straiten themselves very much, in order at this avoid being uneasy.'How!' cried he,'these blind peotime to make their market. And as for such as come last, ple boast they can see' I shall prevent that;' and immeafter the town is filled, they pitch their tents without the diately he ordered their eyes to be put out in the manner town, and thereabide until theyremove towards home. As above described. This is performed by entirely putting for provision, they all bring sufficient with them, except it out the eyes with the point of a dagger. The Persians," be of flesh, which they'may have at Mecca; but all other continues Chardin, " consider their policy towards the provisions, as butter, honey, oil, olives, rice, biscuit, &c. they children of the royal family, as humane and laudable; bring with them as much as will last through the wilder- since they only deprive them of their sight, and do not put ness, forward and backward, as well as the time they stay them to death, as the' Turks do. They say that it is allowat Mecca; and so for their camels they bring store of prov- able to deprive these princes of their sight, to secure the ender, &c. with them." The number of Jews that assem- tranquillity of the state; but they dare not put them to death bled at Jerusalem at their passover, was much greater: but for two reasons; the first is, because the law forbids to spill had not Jerusalem been a much larger city than Mec'ca is, innocent blood; secondly, because it might be possible that as in truth it was, yet the present Mohammedan practice those who remained alive should die without children, and of abiding under tents, and carrying their provisions and if there were no other relations- the whole legitimate famibedding With them, will easily explain how they might be ly would become extinct."-RosENMuLLER. accommodated. Josephus says, that in one year the number of lambs slain at the passover amounted to five hundred Ver. 30. And his allowance was a continualand fifty-six thousand five hundred, and that ten men at allowance given him of the king, a daily rate least ate of one lamb, and often many more, even to the for every day, all the days of his life. number of twenty. Taking therefore the number of persons at the lowest computation, i. e. ten to one lamb, there The other guests were arranged round the room, accordmust have been present this year at Jerusalem, not less than ing to their respective ranks: among whom was an old two million five hundred and sixty-five thousand persons!- man, a lineal descendant of the Seffi family, whom they HARMER. called Nawab, and who took his seat next to the Ameenad-Dowlah. Although needy and without power, he is Ver. 30. And his servants carried him in a always treated with the greatest respect. 2 Sam. ix. 1. 7. chariot dead fronm Megiddo, and brought him He receives a daily sursat, or allowance, from the king, which makes his case resemble that of Jehoiachin, for his to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepul-allowance was a continual allowance given him of. tie chre. And the people of the land took Jehoa- king, a daily rate, all the days of his life. 2 Kings xxv. 30. haz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and Giving to the Nawab a high rank in society, is illustrative made him king in his father's stead. of the precedence given to Jehoiachin, by setting his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in BabSee on ch. 9. 28. ylon.-MORIER. THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES. CHAPTER II. reckon there are above two millions of them in Egypt. Ver. 34. Nowv Sheshan had no sons, but daugh.- Some keep on the mountains, and at a distance from the a h n ar, cities and villages, but always in places where it is easy for ters: and Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian, them to have water. Others pitch their tents, which are whose name was Jarha. 35. And Sheshan very low and poor, in the neighbourhood of places that are gave his daughter to Jarha his servant to wife, inhabited, where they permit them for a small recompense and she bare himc Attai. to feed their flocks.'They even give them up soire lands to cultivate for their own use, only to avoid having any misThe usages of the East differ very much from those of understanding with people, who can do a great deal of the WVest, with relation to the more than kind treatment of mischief without any danger of having it returned upon their servants; but they perfectly agree with those that are them. For to avoid everything of this kind, they have referred to in the scriptures. How far these have been nothing to do but to penetrate a day's journey into the destaken notice of in explaining passages of holy writ, I do erts, where, by theirextreme frugality, and by the knowl. not know; but I believe the gathering up together, and edge they have of places of water, they can subsist several presenting them in one view to my reader, will be a sort of months without great difficulty. There is not a. more pieasnovelty. ing sight in the world, than the beholding, in the months of They marry their slaves frequently to their daughters, November, December, and January, those vast meadows, and that when they have no male issue, and those daughters where the grass, almost as high as a man, is so thick that are what we call great fortunes. That Hassan of whom a bullock laid in it has enough of it without rising, within Maillet givesa long account in his eleventh letter, and who his reach, to feed on for a whole day, all covered with habiwas kiaia of the Asaphs of Cairo, that is to say, the colonel tations and tents, with people and herds. And indeed it is of four or five thousand men who go under that name, was at this time of the year that the Bedouins flock into Egypt, the slave of a predecessor in that office, the famous Kamel, from three or four hundred leagues distance, in order to and married his daughter: " for Kamel," says he, " accord- feed their camels and horses there. The tribute which ing to the custom of the country, gave him one of his they require of themn for granting this permission, they pay daughters in marriage, and left him, at his death, one part with the produce of some manufactures of their wool, or of the great riches he had amassed together in the course of with some sheep, which they sell, as well as their lambs, or a long and prosperous life." What Sheshan then did, was some young camels, which they dispose of. As to what perhaps not so extraordinary as we may have imagined, remains, accustomed as they are to extreme frugality, they but perfectly conformable to old eastern customs, if not to live on a little, and a very small matter is sufficient for their the arrangements of Moses; at least it is, we see, just the support. After having spent a certain space of time in the same with what is now practised. —I-AAI ER. neighbourhood of the Nile, they retire into the deserts, from whence, by rotates with which they are acquainted, they CHAPTER IV. pass into other regions, to dwell there in like manner some Ver. 39. And. they went to the entrance of Gedor, months of the year; till the retuirn of the usual season calls even unto the east side of the valley, to seek them back to Egypt.7 een unto the east side of the alley, to seek We see here that they are at liberty to feed their cattle, pasture for their flocks. 40. And they found not only in the deserts adjoining to cultivated countries, fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, butin those countries themselves, and in those that are full and cquiet, and peaceable,; for they of Ham had of people too. The commons then of these countries are dwelt there of old. not, cannot be, appropriated to. this or that village, this or that district, but lie open to all, nor have they any notion Our people, who are extremely watchful over their pub- of our rights of conmoning. It Gas so anciently in Israel lie pastures, to guard them from intruders, and so ready to as appears by the case of the Kenites and Rechabites, as go to law with their next neighbours about their right to well as by that ancient constitution among the Jews, ascrigo to law with their next neighbours about their right to common, or the number of beasts they shall feed there, bed by them to Joshua, and which is the first of ten that are mav thinko it very strange that Abraham and Lot, the Ken- supposed to have been established by him, by which it was itfes and iRechabites, should have been permitted to move lawful to feed a flock in the woods, everywhere, without tp and down, and feed their flocks and v herds unmolested, any regard to the division of the lands between the tribes, in inhabited countries as well as in deserts. so that those of the tribe of Naphtali might feed a flock in in inhabited countries as well as in deserts. the woods of the tribe of Judah. These usages are exBut this ancient custom still continues in palestine, which, the woos of the tribe Of Judab. These usages are e depopulated as it is, probably has as many inhabitants in its tremely contrary to ours; the observing t towns, as it had in the days of Abraham. Nor is this pe- continue still in full force in the East, may be requisite to culiar to Palestine; there are many that live in Barbary, engage us to admit such suppositions, in settling the Old and other places, in the same manner. And as the Kenites BTestament history, as. we might otherwise hardly be willing and Rechabites lived in Palestine in tents, and pastured their cattle there without molestation, when the country was CHAPTER V. very populous, so Maillet assures us, that great numbers of these people that live in tents, come into Egypt itself to Ve 0. And n the days of Saul the made war pasture theil cattle, a very populous country, and indeed with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: the Holland of the Levant. As I do not know his account and they dw&elt in their tents throu.ghout all the has ever appeared in English, I will here give it to the east land of Gilead. reader:-. "Besides these native inhabitants of Egvpt, who have The shepherds are not the only class of people that live fixed habitations, and compose those numerous and popu- in tents; many Orientals forsake their villages at the apous villages of which I have spoken above, there are also proach of summer, for the more airy and refieshing shelter in that part of the country that is next the deserts, and even which they afford. This custom, which may be traced to often in those that border on the Nile, a sort of' wandering an antiquity very remote, explains, in the most satisfactory people, who dwell intents, and change their habitation, as manner, an incident in the history of Jacob. When the the want of pasture or the variety of the seasons lead them. patriarch, in consequence of a divine admonition, had These people are called Bedouin Arabs; and we may formed the resolution to return from Mesopotamia to his 300 1 CGHRON(CLES. CHAP. 9-12. father's house, he sent for Rachel and Leah to his flocks, the land of the Philistines round about to carry and there informed them of his design; and on their con- tidings unto their idols, and to the people. senting to go with him, he set out upon his journey so silently, that Laban had no notice of it till the third day After Saul had fallen on Mount Gilboa, his enemies after his departure. It appears, however, that he carried "stripped him, and took off his head, and sent the tidings all his effects with him, and tents for the accommodation of to their idols." When the heathen of the present day gain his family; and that Laban, who pursued him, had tents a victory over their enemies, they always take the tidings also for the use of his followers. The reason is, it was the to their idols. There is the king, and there his general, time of sheep-shearing, when the masters and all their re- and troops, and priests, and people, marching in triumph to tainers commonly lived under tents in the open fields; and the temple. Then they relate to the gods all their proceedhad the greater part, if not the'whole of their furniture with ings; how they conquered the foe, and that to them they them, on account of the entertainments which were given have come to give the glory. But this practice is had reon these joyful occasions. Thus was Jacob equipped at course to, also, in the common affairs of life. A man deonce for his journey, and Laban for the pursuit. It is not livered from prison, or any great emergency, always goes more difficult to account for the intelligence not reaching to his gods, to carry the joyful tidings. Hear them relate Laban till the third day after Jacob's escape. Laban's the story: "Ah! Swamy, you know Muttoo wanted to ruin flocks were in two divisions-one under the care of Jacob, me; he therefore forged a deed in my name, and tried to the other committed to the care of Laban's sons, at the get my estates; but I resisted him, and it has just been dedistance of three days' Journey; and Jacob's own flock, cided before the court, that he is guilty. I am therefore under the management of his family, were, probably for come to praise you, O Swamy!"-ROBERTS. the same reason, at an equal distance. Besides this, there might be other circumstances which retarded the progress of the messenger, which the sacred historian did not think Ver. 41. Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai. it necessary to state; the fact is certain, and all the incidents of the story are natural and easy. The custom of living in Foreigners resident in the country were permitted to tents was not confined to people in the country; persons of serve in the Jewish armies, and they sometimes rose to a distinction often retired from the towns into the fields, and very high rank; for both Uriah and Ittai, who seemed lived under tents during the heats of summer. Tahmasp, to have held principal commands in the armies of David, a Persian monarch, used to spend the winter at Casbin, were aboriginal Canaanites. But in succeeding ages, the and to retire in the summer three or four leagues into the kings of Judah, affecting to imitate the policy of the surcountry, where he lived intents at the foot of Mount Alou- rounding potentates, or distrusting the omnipotent protecvent, a place famed for its cool and pleasant retreats. His tion of Jehovah, occasionally hired large bodies of foreign successors acted in the same manner, till the time of Abbas troops to fight their battles, who, like mercenaries of later the Great, who removed his court to Ispahan.-PAxToN. times, after expelling the invaders, sometimes turned their arms against their employers, and ravaged the country CHAPTER IX. which they came to protect.-PAXTON. Ver. 18. (Who hitherto waited in the king's gate CHAPTER XII. eastward:) they were porters in the companies Ver. 8. And of the Gadites there separated themof the children of Levi. selves unto David, into the hold to the wilderThis gate was so called, because Solomon built it and ness, men of might, and men of war fit for the the rest of the wall on that side, at an extraordinary trouble battle, that could handle shield and buckler, and expense, raising the foundation four hundred cubits, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and or seven hundred and twenty-nine feet seven inches from were as swift as the roes upon the mountains. the bottom of the deep valley of Kidron, by means of large stones, twenty cubits, or thirty-six feet five inches long, and See on 2 Sam. 2. 18. six cubits, or ten feet ten inches high, so as to be on an equality with the rest of the surface. When Captain Light Ver. 15. These are they that went over Jordan visited Jerusalem, in 1814, some of these large stones seem in the first month, when it had overflown all to have been remaining, for when describing the Turkish his banks; and they put to flight all them of aga's house, which is built on the spot where the house of the valleys, both towards the east and towards Pontius Pilate formerly stood, he says, " what attracted my observation most, were three or four layers of immense the west. stones, apparently of the ancient town, forming part of the See on Josh. 3.'15. walls of the palace." The ancients delighted in building with these large kinds of stones, for in the ruins which we Ver. 40. Moreover, they that were nigh them, have of ancient buildings, they are often to be found of even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, great magnitude. Mr. Wood, in his Ruis of Pablm~yra?great maqaitude. Mr. Wood, in his Ruins ofPalsera~ brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on actd Belbec, states, "that the stones which compose the sloping wall pf the latter are enormous; some are from mules, and on oxen; and meat, meal, cakes of twenty-eight to thirty-five feet long, and nine feet high. figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, There are three of the following dimensions: fifty-eight and oxen and sheep abundantly: for there acs feet high, and twelve thick; they are of white granite, with joyin Israel. large shining flakes like gypsum." At Bagdad, the gate Al Talism is " now bricked up, in The strong and docile ox was also taught to submit honour of its having been entered in triumph by the Sultan his shoulder to the heavy burden; for, at the accession of.lurad, after his having recovered Bagdad fromn the Per- David to the throne of Israel, the people brought " bread on sians, and the weak grasp of the unworthy son of the great asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen." He is Abbas. In consequence of this signal event, the portal was less fitted indeed, by the rotundity of his form, for this speinstantly closed on the victor having marched through, and cies of labour, than for those just mentioned. But although from that day has never been reopened. This custom of the very back of the ox, according to this elegant writer shutting utp any passage that has been peculiarly honoured, declares that it has not been formed to receive a load, vet that it may not be profaned by vulgar footsteps, appears to the concurring testimony of past ages assures us that it is have prevalled very generally over the East. I found an not altogether unfit for that purpose. ]lian observes, that instance of it at Ispahan, where the Ali Copi gate is, in like the bull submits to the bier, and carries a boy or a girl on manner, held sacred for a similar reason." (Sir R. K. Por- his nelk, and a woman on his back. The Roman authors ter.)-BuDERa. mounted Bacchus on a bull, and made Europa travel in CHAPTER X. the same manner. These facts prove, that it was by no Ver. 9. And when they had stripped him, they means uncommon to use the ox for burdens of every kind, Ver. 9. Anad whren they Chad strippecd him, they and even for the saddle; a custom which Mr. Bruce avers, teolc his head, and his armour, and sent into is still practised among some tribes. In Guzerat the oxen CHAP. 17 —1. 1 CHRONICLES. 301 are perfectly wrhite, with black horns, a skin delicately soft, hundred threescore and ten thousand men tha. and eyes rivalling those of the antelope in brilliant lustre. drew sword Those reared in the northern part of the province are noble animals, superior in size, strength, and docility; some Few things in history are more surprising than the great of them travel with a hackery, a vehicle for the convey- numbers which are recorded as forming eastern armies, ance of women and children, from thirty to forty miles a even the scripture accounts of the armies that invaded day; and are yoked to the carriages of wealthy Hindoos in Judea, or were raised in Judea, often excite the wonder ot distant parts of India. In sweetness of temper and gentle- their readers.. To parallel these great numbers by those ot ness of manners they nearly resemble the elephant. Some other armies, is not all that is acceptable to the inquisitive; of these oxen are valued at nearly two hundred pounds it is requisite also to show how so small a province as the sterling.-PAxToN. Holy Land really was, could furnish such mighty armies of fighting men; with the uncertainty of the proportion ot CHAPTER XVII. these fighting men to the whole number cf the nation; in V]er. 16. And David the king came and sat be- respect to which many unfounded conjectures have escaped the pens of the learned. This includes more importance fore the LoRD, and said, Who am I, 0 LORD than may be at first sight attached to it, because it is well God,. and what is my house, that thou hast known that Josephus, in narrating the same facts, often gives brought me hitherto 2 different numbers. In the story of Abijah, 1 Kings xv. 5, we read in some MSS. 40,000, instead of 400,000. The The ceremonial of the Orientals does rnot end with the question is, which is wrong. since it has been concluded introduction of persons to one another, but continues during that both could not be right. Besides this, the answers to the whole visit. The most scrupulous attention is paid by those who question the possibility of the Holy Land mainthe whole visit. The most scrupulous attention is paid bytainin so reat a all parties to the established tokens of respect; the posture a population as the armies mentioned inof the body, the part of the room, and other circumstances, plies, have usually taken the proportion which Europe furare all regulated by custom, to whose imperious dictates nishes of fighting men to the mass of its inhabitants; and they have implicitly submitted from the remotest antiquity. very erroneous conclusions (as I conceive) have been One of the postures by which a person testifies his respect for a superior, is by sitting upon his heels, which is cohsid- the passages in which numbdrs are expressed in all ancient ered as a token of great humility. In this manner, says writings, and by parity of reason, in the scriptures, seem, Dr. Pococke, resting on their hams, sat the attendants of more than many others, to justify suspicion of error in our the English consul, when he waited on the caia of the present copies; and to understand them correctly requires pacha of Tripoli. It was in this humble posture, probably, much attention and information; especially when such that David, the king of Israel, sat before the Lord in the numbers are very great. Having premised this, I proceed sanctuary, when he blessed him for his gracious promise to attempt two particulars: Jirst, by instances of numerous promise armies which have been occasionally raised, to show wha: concerning his family; half sitting and half kneeling, so as be done by de to rest the body upon the heels. This entirely removes the ground of perplexity, which some expositors have felt, in glory; secondly, to show that the composition of Asiatic their attempts to elicit a meaning from the phrase, sitting armies is such as may render credible those numbers which before the Lord, at once consistent with the majesty of Je- express their gross amount; while no just inference rehovah, and the humility of the worshipper; for this attitude spectin the entire population of a country can be drawn expressed an the Orientals the deepest humility and from the numbers stated as occasionally composing its arby consequence, was every way becoming a worshier oful mies. As to the first particular, the accounts of the armies by consequence, was every way becoming a worshipper of the true God.-PAXTON. of Semiramis, of Darius, and of Xerxes, are in everybody's hands, but as these are not without suspicion of having C1HAPTER XVIII. been enlarged, either purposely by misreport, or accidentally by errors in copyists, I decline them; and rather subVer. 9. Now when Tou king of Hamath heard mit to the reader's attention the account given by Knolles howv David had smit~ten all the host of Hada- in his " History of the Turks," of the contending armies rezer king of Zobah, 10. He sent Hgtdoram his of Bajazet and Tamerlane. It is no bad specimen of the rezer ki' 1 s *n * " I will" of military power, of the cares and anxieties at, son to King David, to inquire of his welfare, tending on the station of command, and of the feelings of and to congratulate him, because he had fought great minds on great occasions. agrainst Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for -lada- " So, marching on, Tamerlane at length came to Bachirezer had war with Tou;) and with him all chich, where he staid to refresh his army eight daies, and rezer had war with Tou; and with im all there againe took a generall muster thereof, wherein were manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. found (as most write) four huendred thousand horse, and six hundred thousand foot; or, as some others that were there Here, again, we have a beautiful and simple picture of present affirme, three huendred thousand horsenzen, and flue eastern manners. Tou, the heathen king, sent a messenger hundred thousandfoot of al nations. Vntq whom lie there to compliment David on his success over his enemies. gaue a generall pay, and, as his manner was, made vnto Who, in the East, has not witnessed similar things? Has them an oration, informing them of such orders as he would a man gained a case in a court of law; has he been blessed haue kept, to the end they might the better obserue the by the birth of a son; has he given his daughter in mar- same: with much other militarie discipline, whereof he was riage; has he gained a situation under government; has he very curious with his captains. At which time, also, it was returned from a voyage or a journey, or finished a success-, lawfull for euery common soldier to behold him with more ful speculation;-then his' friends and neighbours send boldness than on other daies, forasmuch as he did' for that messengers to congratulate him-to express the joy they time, and such like, lay aside his imperial majestie, and feel in his prosperity; "so much so, that, had it come to shew himselfe more familiar vnto them......." Page 215. themselves, their pleasure could not have been greater."-..." Malcozziues hauing made true relation vnto Baiazet, eROB3EtTS. was by him demanded' whether of the two armies he thought CHAPTER XX.. bigger or stronger2' for now Baiazet had assembled a CHAPTER XX ~I. mightie armie of three hundred thousand men, or, as some Ver. 1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and report, of three hundred thousand horsemen and two hundred provoked David to number Israel. thousand foot. Whereunto Malcozzius, hauing before craued pardon, answered,'That it could not be, but that See on 2 Sam. 24. 1. Tamerlane might in reason haue the greater number, for that he was a commander of farre greater countries.' Ver. 5. And Joab gave the sum of the number of Wherewith proud Baiazet offended, in great choller replied, the people unto David. And all they of Israel'Out of doubt, the sight of the Tartarian hath made this were a thousand thousand and a hundred thou-'coward so affraid,thathe thinleth eeryenemie to betwo." 216...." All which Tamerlane, walking this night vp and sand men that drew sword and Judah was four down in his campe, heard, and much reioiced to see the 302 1 CHR O NICLES. CHAP. 22-26. hope that his soldiers had aireadie in general conceiued of suite two footmen, asqaed with staves, these would form a the victorie. YWho after the second watch returning vnto body of ten thousand valets, besides a number of servants his pauillion, and there casting himself upon a carpet, had and serradgis, or attendants on horseback, for the bey and thought to haue slept a while; but his cares not suffering him kachefs, which may be estimated at two thousand: all the so to do, he then, as his manner was, called for a booke, wherein rest were sutlers, and the usual train of followers. Such was contained the lines of his fathers anid ancestors, and of was this army, as described to be in Palestine, by persons other valient worthies, the which he vsed ordinasily to read, who had seen and followed it. The Asiatic armies are as he then did: not as therwith vainly to deceiue the time, mobs, their marches ravages, their campaigns mere inroids, but to make vse thereof, by the imitation of that which was and their battles bloody frays. The strongest, or the, lost by them worthily done, and declining of such dangers as adventurous party, goes in search of the other, which not they by their rashness or ouersight fel into." Page 218..... unfrequently flies without offering resistance: if they st md [Vide the same kind of occupation of AhasueruLs, Esther their ground, they engage pellmell, discharge their (arvi. 1.s bines, break their spears, and hack'each other with tb sir My will is," said Tamerslane, " that my men come for- sabres; for they rarely have any cannon, and when tI ev ward vnto me, as soon as they may, for I will aduance for- have, they are but of little. service. A panic frequentley ward with an hAundred thousandfootmen, fiftie thousand vpon difieses itself without cause: one party flies, the other pureach of my two wings, and in the middest of them forty sues, and shouts victory; the vanquished submits to the Mx ill thousand of my best horsemen. My pleasure is, that after of the conqueror, and the campaign often terminates without they haue tried the force of these men, that they come vnto a battle." (Volney.) my avauntgard, of whom I wil dispose, and fifty thousand It appears, by these extracts, that the numbers which horse mnore in three bodies, whom thou shalt command: compose the gross of Asiatic armies are very far from dewhich I wil assist with 80,000 horse, wherein shal be mine noting the true neumber of soldiers, fighting men, of that own person: hauing 100,000 footmen behind me, who shal army; in fact, when we deduct those whose attendance is march in two squadrons: and for my arereward I appoint of little advantage, it may be not very distant from truth, 40,000 horse, and fiftie thousand footmen, who shal not if we say, nine out of ten are such as, in Europe, would be march, but to my aid. And I wil make choice of 10,000 forbid the army; nor is the suggestion absolutely despicaof my best horse, whom I wil send into euery place where ble, that when we read 40, instead of 400, the true fighting I shal thinke needfull within my armie, for to impart my corps of soldiers only are reckoned and stated. However commnands." (Knolles's History of the Turks, page 218.) that may be, these authorities are sufficient to justify the [It is impossible, on this occasion, not to recollect the im- possibility of such numbers as scripture has recorded, being mense army led by Napoleon Bonaparte into Russia, ex- assembled for purposes of warfare; of which purposes ceeding six hundred thousand troops; also the forces engaged plunder is not one of the least, in the opinion of those who around Leipsic, amount ing both sides) to half a usually attend a camp. It follows, also, that no conclusive million of men. Vide LITERARY PANORAMA, for Novem- estimate of the population of a kingdom can be drawn from ber, 1813.] such assemblages, under such circumstances; and therefore, It may be said, "Such mighty empires may well be that no calculation ought to be hazarded on such imperfect supposed to raise forces, to which the small state of Judea data.-TAYLoR IN CALMET. was incompetent;" and this may safely be admitted. But what was, in all probability, the nature and composition of CHAPTER XXII. the Jewish, as of other eastern armies, we may learn from Ver. 19. Now set your heart and your soul to the following relations, which contribute to strengthen the credibility of the greater numbers recorded as composing them. I shall first offer what Baron De Tott reports of build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to the armies raised by the cham of the Crimea; and then, bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and as still more descriptive of Asiatic armies, especially of the holy vessels of God into the house that is those raised on the spur of an occasion, the remarks of to be built to the name of the. M. Volney: " It may be presumed that the rustic, frugal life, which these pastoral people lead, favours population, while the wants and excesses of luxury, among polished n all eathen teples, there are numerous vessels of nations, strike at its very root. In fact, it is observed, that brass, silver, and gold, which are especially holy. Those, the people are less numerous under the roofs of the Crimea, however, of the highest castes, may be allowed to touch, and the province of Boodjack, than in the tents of the rimNo- and even borrow them for certain purposes. Thus, a guals. The best calculation we can make, is from a view native gentleman, who is going to give a feast, borrows the of the military forces which the cham is able to, assemble. large caldron for the purpose of boiling the rice; should We shall soon see this prince raising three armies at the his daughter be about to be married, he has the loan of the same time; one of a hundred thousandm nen, which'he com- silver salvers, plates, and even jewels; which, however, manded in person; another of sixty thousand, commanded must all be purified by incense and other ceremonies when by the calga; and a third of forty thousand, by the noo- returned to the temple. " The ark" finds a striking illusradin. He had the power of raising double the number, tration in the keadagas of the Hindoos,-a model of which without prejudice to the necessary labours of the state. may be seen in the house of the Royal Asiatic Society,. In " The invasion of New Servia, which had been de- it are placed the idols, and other sacred symbols, wvhich are carried on men's shoulders.-Ro BERTs. termined on at Constantinople, was consented to in the assembly of the grand, vassals of Tartary, and orders CHAPTER XXVI. were expedited, throughout the provinces, for the necessary military supplies. Thlree horsemen were to be furnished by Ver. 6. Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons eight families, which number was estimated to be sufficient born, that ruled throughout the house of their for the three armies, which were all to begin their operations father: for they wvere mighty men of valour. at once. That of the nooradin, consisting of forty thousavnd men, had orders to repair to the Little Don; that of the It has been a'frequent complaint among learned men, calga, of sixtq thosesasd, was to range the left coast of the that it is commonly difficult, and oftentimes impossible. to. Boristhenes, till they came beyond the Orela; and that illustrate many passages of the Jewish history, referred to which the cham commanded in person, of a hundred thou- in the annals of their princes, and in the predictions of their and, was to penetrate into New Servia." (De Tott.) prophets, for want of profane historians of the neighbouring "Sixty thousand men, with them, are very far from being nations, of any great antiquity; upon which I have been synonymous with sixty thousand soldiers, as in our armies. ready to think, that it might not be altogether vain to comnThat of which we are now.speaking affords a proof of pare with those more ancient transactions, events of a later this; it might amount, in fact, to forty thousand men, which date that have happened in those countries, in nearly simimay,be classed as follows: —Five thousand Mamlouk cav- lar circumstances, since human nature is much the same airy, which was the whole effective army; about fifteen hun- in all ages, allowing for the eccentricity that sometimes lred Barbary Arabs, on foot, and no other infantry, for the arises from some distinguishing prejudices of that particular Turks are acquainted with none; with them the cavalry is time. The situation of the Christian kings of Jerusalem, every thir.g. Besides these, each Mamlouk having in his in particular, in the twelfth century, bears; in many respects, CHAP. 27. 1 CHRONICLES. 303 a strong resemblance to that of -the kings of Judah; and the fell to Selemiah, Zechariah,: Obed-edom, and Shuppim, history of the crusades may serve to throw some light on were drawn something in the same way.-ROBERTS. the transactions of the Jewish princes. At least the comparing them together may be amusing. It is saidrof King Ver. 27. Out of the spoils won in battles did they Uzziah, 1 Chron. xxvi. 6, that " he went forth and warred dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD. against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built According to the law of Moses, the booty was to be cities about Ashdod and among the Philistines." Thus we divided equally between those who were in the battle, and find, in'the time of tihe crusades, when that ancient city of those who were in the camp, whatever disparity there the Philistines, called Ashkelon, had frequently made in- might be in the number of each party. The law further roads into the territories of the kingdom of Jerusalem, the requires, that out of that part of the spoils which was Christians built two strong castles not far from Ashkelon; assigned to the fighting men, the Lord's share should be and finding the usefulness cf these structures, King Fulk, separated: and for every five hundred men, oxen, sheep, in the spring of the year of our Lord 1138, attended by the &c. they were to take one for the high-priest, as being the patriarch of Jerusalem and his other prelates, proceeded to Lord's first-fruits, and out of the other moiety belonging build another castle, called Blanche Guarda, which he to the children of Israel, they were to give for every fifty garrisoned with such soldiers as he could depend upon, men, oxen, sheep, &c. one to the Levites. Among the furnishing them with arms and provisions. These watch- Greeks and Romans the plunder was brought together into ing the people of Ashkelon, often defeated their attempts, one common stock, and divided afterward among the offiand sometimes they did not content themselves with being cers and soldiers, paying some respect to their rank in the on the defensive, but attacked them, and did them great distribution. Sometimes the soldiers made a reserve of the mischief, gaining the advantage of them. This occa- chief part of the booty; to present, by way of compliment, to sioned those who claimed a right to the adjoining country, their respective generals. The gods were always rememencouraged by the neighbourhood of such a strong place, bered. And the priests had sufficient influence to procure to build many villages, in which many families dwelt, them a handsome offering, and other acceptable presents.concerned in tilling the ground, and raising provisions for BuJRDER. other parts of their territories. Upon this the people of Ashkelon, finding themselves encompassed round by a CHAPTER XXVII. number of inexpugnable fortresses, began to grow very un- Ver. 25. And over the king's treasures was Azeasy at their situation, and to apply to Egypt for help by maveth the son of Adiel: and over the storerepeated messages! Exactly in the same manner we may houses in the fields in the cities, and in the believe Uzziah built cities about Ashdod, that were fortified houses in the fields, in the cities, and in the to repress the excursions of its inhabitants, and to secure to villages, and in. the castles, cwas Jehonathan the his people the fertile pastures which lay thereabout; and son of Uzziab. which pastures, I presume, the Philistines claimed, and indeed all the low land from the foot of the mountains to Subterranean granaries were common in the East. The the sea, but to which Israel claimed a right, and of a part following is a detailed account of those now used by the of which this powerful Jewish prince actually took posses- Moors:-After the. harvest they used to enclose their corn sion, and made settlemerits for his people there, which he in subterraneous granaries, which are pits dug in the earth, thus guarded from the Ashdodites: "He built cities about where the corn is preserved for a considerable time. This Ashdod, even among the Philistines," for so I would ren- custom is very ancient, and ought to be general in all warm:ler the words, as the historian appears to be speaking of countries, inhabited by wandering people. To secure the the same cities in both clauses. Uzziah did more than corn from moisture, they line these pits with straw, in proKing Fulk could do, for he beat down the walls not only of portion as they fill them, and cover them with the same; Jath and Jabneh, two neighbouring cities, but of Ashdod when the granary is filled, they cover it with a stone, upeon itself, which must have cut off all thoughts of their disturb- which they put some earth in a pyramidal form, to dising the Jewish settlers, protected by strong fortresses, when perse the water in case of rain. Among the wealthier part, they themselves lay open to those garrisons. Ashkelon, on the fathers commonly fill one granary at the birth of each the contrary, remained strongly fortified, by fortresses built child, and empty it at their marriage. I have seen corn by the Christians.-HARMER. preserved in this manner during five-and-twenty years. It And the cAst lots, as wl te s l as had lost its whiteness. When by motives of convenience, Ver. 13. And they cast lots, as well the small as or by an imperial order, the Moors are obliged to change the great, according to the house of their fa- their habitations, not being able to carry their grain with thers, for every gate. 14. And the lot east- them, they leave over these granaries a mark of stones ward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah heaped together: they have much trouble in finding them his son (a wisecounsellor)theyncastlots, fandah again. It is the custom now to observe the earth at the his son (a wise counsellor) they cast: lots, and rising of the sun, when a thick vapour ascends from them: his lot came out northward. 15. To Obed- they then discover the granary, upon which the sun has a edom southward; and to his sons the house of marked effect, on account of the fermentation of the corn Asuppim. 16. To Shuppim and Hosah the which is shut up-B ER. lot canme forth westward, with the gate Shal- Ver. 28. And over the olive-trees, and the sycalecheth, by the causeaay of the going up, ward more-trees that were in the low plains, was aoainst ward. Baal-hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars Thus the gates were assigned to the different officers by of oil was Joash. lot. On the death of a parent, the whole of his fields and gardens are often divided among his children, and great When our translation represents Joash as over the cellars disputes generally arise as to whom shall be given this' or of oil, in the time of King David, 1 Chron. xxvii. 28, they that part of the property. One says, " I will have the field have certainly without any necessity, and perhaps impropto the east." " No," says another, "' I will have that:" and it erly, substituted a particular term for a general expression. is not till. they have quarrelled and exhausted their store of Joash was at that time, according to the sacred historian, ingenuity and abuse, that they -will consent to settle the over the treasures of oil; but whether it was kept in cellars. matter by lot. The plan they take is as follows: they or in some other way, does not at all appear in the original draw on the ground the cardinal points: they then write history. The modern Greeks, according to Dr. Richard the names of the parties on separate leaves, and mix them Chandler, do not keep their oil in, cellars, but in large all together: a little child is then called, and told to take one earthen jars, sunk in the ground, in areas before their leaf and place it on any point of the compass he pleases; houses. The custom might obtain among the Jews: as then this being done, the leaf is opened, and to the person whose it was needless, it must be improper to use the particular name is found therein will be'iven the field or garden which term cellars, when the original uses a word of the most is inl that direction. I think it therefore probable, that the general signification. It is certain they sometimes buried lots eastward, westward, northward, and southward, which their oil in the earth, in order to secrete it in times of dan. S04 I CHRONICLES. CHAP. 29. ger, on which occasion they must be supposed to choose the encouraged, and constituted no inconsiderable portion of most unlikely places, where such concealment would be wealth among oriental shepherds. It is on this account the least suspected, in their fields; whether they were mwont to number of asses in the herds of Abram, and other patribury it, at other times, in their courtyards, cannot be so archs, is so frequently stated by Moses, in the book of Geneasily ascertained.-HARMER. esis. So highly were they valued in those times of primiThe Egyptians are not the only people to whose palate tive simplicity, that they were formed into separate droves, the fruit of the sycamore is agreeable; Hasselquist, the and committed to the management of princes, and other Swedish traveller, found it very grateful to the taste; he persons of distinction. The sacred historian informs us, describes it as soft, watery, and sweetish, with something that Anab, a Horite prince, did not think it unbecoming his of an aromatic flavour. The fruit of this tree comes to dignity to feed the asses of Zibeon his father: and that maturity several times in a season; according to some wri- the sons of Jacob seized the asses of Shechem and his peoters not fewer than seven times, although prolific figs, or ple, and drove them away, with the sheep and the oxen. such as are perfectly formed, ripen only once. Thus the During the seven years of famine that wasted the land of sycamore produces a fresh crop of agreeable, and not un- Egypt, and reduced the people to the greatest distress, Jowholesome fruit, seven times a-year, fir the use of those seph purchased their asses, and gave them corn to prethat dwell under its shadow; a boon which perhaps no serve them alive. When the people of Israel subdued the other tree in the garden of Nature bestows on man. Nor Midianites, they carried away "threescore and one thouis it a dangerous or a laborious task to gather the figs; they sand asses." In times long posterior, Saul, the son of Kish, seem to have so little hold of the parent tree, that "if they was sent in quest of his father's asses, which had strayed be shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater." from their pasture; and he was engaged in this service The disposition of the fig-tree to part with her untimely or when the prophet Samuel received a command to anoint precocious figs, is noticed by John, in the book of Revela- him king over Israel. AftersDavid's accession to the throne, tion: " And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies, he as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken appointed Jehdeiah the Meronothite, a prince in Israel, to of a mighty wind." This accounts for the appointment of superintend this part of his property. Nor was this animal a particular officer in the reign of David, whose sole duty unworthy of such attention and care. His humility, pait was to watch over the plantations of sycamore and olive- tience, and temperance, qualities iii which he greatly excels, trees: " And over the olive-trees and the sycamore-trees eminently fitted him for the service of man. His great value that were in the low plains, was Baalhanan the Gederite." was soon discovered, and he was preferred even to the So valuable was the sycamore in the land of Canaan, horse, for many domestic purposes. The sons of Jacob during the reign of David, (from which undoubtedly may employed him to carry burdens of every kind; and he be inferred the high estimation in which it was held in seems to have been the only quadruped they took with them every age,) that, in the comnmission of Baalhanan, the offi- in their repeated journeys into Egypt, to purchase corn for cer charged with its protection, it is joined with the olive, their households; and their descendants continued for one of the most precious gifts which the God of nature has many ages to employ him in the same manner. The fruits bestowed on the oriental nations. Hasselquist found the of the field, the produce of the vineyard, provisions and sycamore growing in great numbers in the plains and fields merchandise of all kinds, were carried on the backs oJ of Lower Egypt, which verifies the accuracy of the inspired asses. writer; and it appears from the same traveller, that thre He was long used for the saddle in the oriental regions olive delights in similar situations; for, in his journey from and persons of high ranki appeaied in public, mounted on Jaffa to Rama, he passed through fine vales abounding with this animal. Those which the great and wealthy selected olive-trees.-PAXTON. for their use, were larger and more elegant animals than the mean and unshapely creature with which we are acVer. 30. Oaver the camels also was Obil the Ish- quainted. Dr. Russel, in his history of Aleppo, mentions nmaelite: and over the asses was Jehdeiah the a variety of the ass in Syria, much larger than the common breed; and other travellers say, that some of them in PerMeronothite. sia are kept like horses for the saddle, which have smooth hair, carry their heads well, and are quicker in their moNatural historians mention two varieties of this animal, tions than the ordinary kind, which are dressed like horses the domestic and the wild ass; but it is to the former our and taught to amble like them.-PAXToN. attention at present is to be directed. His colour is generally a reddish brown; a circumstance to which he owesTER XXIX. his name in the Hebrew text; for (nlnn) hamoq is derived Ver. 24. And all the princes, and the mighty from a verb which signifies to be red or dun. This ap- men, and all the sons likewise of King David, pears to have been the predominating colour in the orien- submitted themselves unto Solomon the ing. tal regions; but we learn from the song of Deborah, that some asses were white, and on this account reserved for The Hebrew has, for submitted, " Gave the hand under." persons of high rank in the state. The term Cr(nN) athon To give -" the hand under," is a beautiful orientalism to is another name for that creature, from a root which signi- denote submission. See the man who wishes to submit to a fies to be firm or strong; because he is equal to a greater superior; he stands at a short distance, then stooping, he load than any animal of the same size. To this quality keeps moving his hands to the ground, and says, " I submit, Jacob alludedin his last benediction: "Issachar is a strong my lord." " You recollect having heard that Kandan and ass, couching down between two burdens." Or, it may re- Chinnan had a serious quarrel "-" Yes, I heard it."fer to the stubborn temper for which he is remarkable, and "Well, they have settled the matter now, for Chinnan the stupid insensibility which enables him to disregard the'went to him last evening, and'gave his hand under.'" severest castigation, till he has accomplished his purpose. "The Modeliar is no longer angry with me, because I These qualities are beautifully described by Homer, in the have put down my hand to the ground." " That rebellious 11th book of the Iliad; but the passage is too long to be son has, for many years, refused to acknowledge his father's quoted." authority, but he has at last put his hand under," i. e. he In the patriarchal ages, the breed of this animal, which has submitted to him-has become obeditnt.-ROBERTS. we regard with so much unmerited contempt, was greatly (See Eng,-avilng.) THE SECOND BOOK OF CHRONICLES. CHAPTER I. in the second tome of his Travels: " Persia is subject to AVer. 16. And Solomon had horses brought out of have its harvest spoiled by hail, by drought, or by insects, Egypt, and linen yarn; the king's erchants either locusts, or small insects, which they call siu, which Egypt, and lin en ya rn; the km g's merchants are small white lice, which fix themselves on the foot of received the linen yarn at a price. the stalk of corn, gnaw it, and make it die. It is rare for a year to be exempt from one or the other of these See on 1 Kings 10. 28. scourges, which affect the ploughed land and the garCHAPTER V. dens," &c. The enumeration by Solomon, and that of this modern writer, though not exactly alike, yet so nearly reVer. 12. Also the Levites, which were the singers, semble each other, that one would be inclined to believe all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, these small insects are what Solomon meant, by the word with their sons and their brethren, bei~ng array- translated caterpillars in our English version.-HARMER. ed in white linen, having cymbals and psalte- CHAPTER VII. ries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, Ver. 13. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with them a hundredts. and twentypriests or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people. No person in Greece and Italy appeared at an entertainA term used by the sacred writers to signify the locust, ment in black, because it was a colour reserved for times of mourning, but always in white, or some other cheerful an sometimes grasshoppeur translators render sometimes locust colourer which corresponded *ith the * os nature of the, and sometimes grasshopper. They translate it locusts in colour, which corresponded with the joyous nature of the the following passage: "If I shut up heaven that there be occasion. Such were the garments of salvation in which no more rain, or if I command the locustsha to dethe people of Israel celebrated their festivals, or entertained no more rain, or if I command the locusts (uagab) to detheir friends. When Solomon brought up the ark of the vour the land, or if I send a pestilence among my people: Lord from the city of David, and placed it between theif my people shall humble themselves and pray unto me, and Lord from the city of David, and placed it between the cherubim in the most holy place, the sons of Asaph, of seekmyface,thenwillIhearfromheaven,andwill forgive Heman, and Jeduthun, and thei brthrn, wo cndutedtheir sin, and heal theirland." We cannot reasonably doubt theman, son thet stood atn the east end of the alte d that the word, in this place, denotes the locust, for this declathe songs in the temple, stood at the east end of the altar, ration was made in answer to Solomon's prayer at the dedicaarrayed in vestures of fine linen, the chosen emblem of purity and joy. The few faithful witnesses that remained of the temple, in Sardis~ and had not defiled' their -arments, were prom- there should be no rain; or if there should be famine, pestid the ardisti, anduishing had not defled their ofarments, were prom- lence, blasting, mildew, locust, or caterpillar, then God would isetetun hnuo walking with their Sn- hear them when they spread forth their hands towards that viour in white. And to encourage them in their steadfast holy place. It must also be remembered, that the grassadherence to the cause of God and truth, it is added, hopper is an inoffensive animal, or no:ious in a very slight "' He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white degree, and therefore by no means a proper subject for raiment." On the mount of transfiguration, the raiment of derecation in therefore by no Thians circumstance also shows, Christ became white as the' light; and in the same garb of that the iebrew term here does not mean e cicada, as joy and gladness the angels appear at his resurrection.-t hae supposed; for though the noise which some writers have supposed; for though the noise which they make is extremely disagreeable and disturbing, as CHAPTER VI. Chandler complains, it is not an insect so distressing to the Orientals, as to admit the idea that it was a subject of solVer. 28. If there be dearth in the land, if there emn prayer at the dedication. To disturb the slumbers of be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, the weary traveller, or the toil-worn peasant, and to devour locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege. the fruits of the earth, and plunge the inhabitants of a counthem in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore try into all the horrors of famine, are evils of a very differor hatsoever sickness there be. ent magnitude. or whatsoever sickness there be. lHagab is rendered grasshopper in the twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes; and the circumstances, it must be confessWe are so little acquainted with the various species of ed, harmonize with the character of those creatures; for destructive insects that ravage the eastern countries, that it will be readily admitted that their chirping must be disit may be thought extremely difficult to determine what agreeable to the aged and infirm, that naturally love quiet, kind was meant by Solomon, in his prayer at the dedication and are commonly unable to bear much noise. But it is of the temple, 2 Chron. vi. 28, by the word (5,a) chaseel, more probable that hagab denotes the locust, which is prowhich our version renders caterspillars, and which is distin- verbially loquacious. They make a very loud, screaking, guished by him there from the locusts, which genus is so and disagreeable noise, with their wings; if one begin, remarkable for eating up almost every green thing; but others join, and the hateful concert becomes universal; a a passage of Sir John Chardin, may probably illustrate pause then ensues, and, as it were, on a signal given, it that part of Solomon's address to him whom he considered again commences; and in this manner they continue as the God of universal nature. The paragraph of Solo- squalling for two or three hours without intermission. Mr. mon s prayer is this: When heaven is shut zup, and there is Harmer is of opinion, that hagab ought to be rendered lono rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray cust in this passage too, because it becomes a burden by towards this place, &c...... If there be in the land famine, its depredations, and desire fails; that is, every green thing if there be pestilence, blasting, mnildew, locusts, or if there be disappears, and nature puts on the semblance of universal ealerpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their deadness: and such is the affecting appearance of the human cities, &c.... Then hear thon in heaven thy dwelling- body in extreme old age; it resembles a tree which the loplace, and forgive and do, &c. The causes of famine, cust has stripped of its leaves, has deprived of its bark, and reckoned up here, are want of rain, blasting, mildew, lo- left naked and bare, to wither in the blast,.and moulder, by eusts, and caterpillars, according to our translation: with degrees, into the dust from whence it rose. The interprewhich may be compared the following passage of Chardin, tation is ingenious; but the common meaning seems.to be 39 306 2 CHRONICLES. C AP. 9 still more expressive, and is certainly more affecting. cles, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, harness and spiSome kinds of the locust are very small and light. Were ces, horses and mules, still continue to be thought fit presthe cicada not to be classed among the locust tribes, still ents to the great. So Russel tells us, in his account of the the figure remains in all its force and beauty. The mi- eastern visits, that if it is a visit of ceremony from a banutest of those small insects becomes a burden to extreme shaw or a person in power, a fine horse, sometimes with furold age, weighed down with a load of years, and worn with niture, or some such valuable thing, is made a present to toi:s and cares, to the verge ctf existence. The powers him at his departure; and the Baron Fabricius, in his letters and faculties of body and mind are equally debilitated, and concerning Charles XII. of Sweden, tells us, that when he the relish for the enjoyments of sense, which he once felt was seized at Bender, the house being set on fire, the rich so keenly, is extinguished for ever. Some insects live under presents that had been made him, consisting of tents, sabres, a regular government, and, like the bee, submit to the au- saddles and bridles adorned with jewels, rich housings and thority of a chief; but the wise man observes, " The locusts harnesses, to the value of 200,000 crowns, were consumed. have no king, yet they go forth by bands." How just is Of the rest, the vessels of silver and the spices may be ilthis remark! The head of the column, when the army is lustrated by that story of D'Herbelot concerning Akhschid, not tossed and scattered by the winds, which often hap- the commander of an eastern province, who is said to have pens, is directed by their voracious desire of food; and purchased peace of Jezid, general of the troops of one of the rest follow in long succession, under the influence of the califs, by sending him a present of seven hundred thouthe same instinct; but the devastations they commit are as sand drachms of silver in ready money; four hundred loads methodical and complete, as if they acted under the strict- of saffron, which that country produced in abundance; and est discipline. four hundred slaves, who each of them carried a rich turIn Barbary and Palestine, the locusts appear about the ban of silk in a silver basin. —HARMER. latter end of March. By the middle of April their num- Presents of dresses are alluded to very frequently in the bers are so increased, that in the heat of the day they form historical books of scripture, and in the earliest times: themselves into large and numerous swarms, fly in the air when Joseph gave to each of his brethren a change of railike a succession of clouds; and, as the prophet Joel ex- ment, and to Benjamin five changes of raiment, it is menpresses it, " darken the sun." When a brisk gale happens tioned without particular notice, and as a customary incito blow, so that these swarms are crowded by others, or dent, (Gen. xlv. 2P2 23.) Naaman gave to Gehazi, from thrown one upon another, the musing and intelligent tray- among the presents intended for Elisha, who declined aceller obtains a lively idea of the Psalmist's comparison: cepting any, (as we have seen above, some persons did, on "' I am tossed up and down like the locust." In the month extraordinary occasions,) two changes of raiment; and of May, when the ovaries of those insects are ripe and tur- even Solomon, king as he was, received raiment as presgid, each of these swarms begins gradually to disappear, ents, (2 Chron. ix. 24.) This custom is still maintained and retire into the plains, where they deposite their eggs. in the East: it is mentioned by all travellers; and we have These are no sooner hatched in June, than each of the merely chosen to give the following extract from De la Mobroods collect themselves into a large body, sometimes ex- traye, in preference to what might easily have been protended more than a furlong on every side; and then march- duced froim others, because he notices, as a particularity, ing directly towards the sea, they suffer nothing to escape that the grand seignior gives his garment of honour before them, eating up every thing that is green and juicy, from the wearer is admitted to his presence; but the vizier gives the tender and lowly vegetable, to the coarse leaf and bark his honorary dresses after the presentation: will this apply of the vine and the pomegranate. In prosecuting their to the parable of the wedding garment, and to the behaviour work of destruction, they keep their ranks like soldiers in of the king, who expected to have found all his guests clad order of battle, climbing as they advance, over every tree in robes of honour? (Matt. xxii. 11.) Is any thing like or wall that stands in their way; they eater into the very this management observable, Zech. iii.. Joshua being inhouses and bedchambers, like so many thieves. It is im- troduced to the angel of the Lord, not to the Lord himself, possible to stop their motions, or even to alter their line of stood before the angel with filthy garments; but he ordered march; while the front is regardless of danger, and the a handsome caffietan to be given him. Jonathan, son of rear presses on so close, that a retreat is altogether impos- Saul, divested himself of his robe, and his upper garment, sible. A day or two after one of these broods is in motion, even to his sword, his bow, and his girdle-partly intending others are already hatched to march and glean after them, David the greater honour, as having been apparel worn by gnawing off the very bark, and the young branches of such himself; but principally, it may be conjectured, through trees as had before escaped with the loss only of their fruit haste and speed, he being impatient of honouring David, and foliage; so justly have they been compared by the and covenanting for his affection. Jonathan would not stay prophet to a great army.-PAxToN. to send for raiment, but instantly gave him his own. The idea of honour connected with the caffetan, appears also in CHAPTER IX. the prodigal's'father,-" bring fort/l the best robe." We find Ver. 24. And they brought every man his pres- the liberality in this kind of gifts was considerable: Ezra ent, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and ii. 69, " The chief of the fathers gave one hundred priests' garments." Neh. vii. 70, " The Tirshatha gave five hunraiment, harness, and spices, horses,.and mules, dred and thirty priests' garments." This would appear a rate year by year. sufficiently singular among us; but in the East, where to give is to honour, the gift of garments, or of any other Presents of vestments, on the other hand, are frequently usable commodities, is in perfect compliance with estabmade in these countries to the great, and.those that are lished sentiments and customs. in public stations; and they expect them. Thevenot tells " The' vizier entered at another door, and their excelus, it was a-custom in Egypt, in his time, for the consuls lencies rose to salute him after their manner, which was of the European nations to send the bashaw a present of so returned by a little inclining of' his head; after which he many vests, and so many besides to some officers, both sat down on the CORNER of his sofa, which is the most hononrwhen a new bashaw came, or a new consul entered his oble place; then his chancellor, his kiahia, and the Chiaoffice, as were rated at above a thousand piasters. Does ouz Bashaw, came and stood before him, till coffee was not this last account remind us of the presents that were brought in; after which M. de Chateauneuf presented M. made to Solomon, by the neighbouring princes, at set times, de Ferriol to him, as his successor, who delivered him the part of which, we are expressly told, consisted of raiment. king his master's letters, complimenting him as from his 2 Chron. ix. 24. This may be thought not very well to majesty and himself, to which the vizier answered very agree with a remark of Sir J. Chardin, mentioned under obligingly; then they gave two dishes of coffee to their ex-, a former observation, " that vestments are not presented by cellencies, with sweetmeats, and afterward the perfumes inferiors to superiors; or even by an equal to an equal;" and sherbet; then they clcthed them with CAPPETANS of a but there is really no inconsistency; vestments are not the silver brocade, with large silkh flowers; and to those that things that are chosen by those that would make a present were admitted into the apartments with them,'they gave to the great, in common; but they may be ordered to be others of brocade, almost all silk, except some slight gold or sent as a sort of a tribute, or a due which the superior silver flowers; according to the custom usually observed,laims. towards all foreign ministers. The other things mentioned in that passage of Chroni- "Caffetans are long vests of gold or silver brocade, CHAP. 9-16. 2 CHRONICLES. 307 flowered with silk, which the grand seignior and the viz- different figure, but one equally striking: " Their h rses ier present to those to whom they give audience: the also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than grand seignior before, and the vizier after audience." (De the evening wolves; and their horsemen shall spread themla Motraye's Travels.)-TAYLnoa IN CALMET. selves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat."-PAXTON. Ver. 28.' And they brought unto Solomon horses fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.-PA out of Egypt, and out of all lands. CHAPTER XIII. The people of Israel were, by their law, forbidden to Ver. 5. Ought yenot to know that the Loan God ultiply horses; for which several reasons may be as- of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to Da0sgned. The land of Canaan, intersected in almost every vid for ever, even to him and to his sons by a direction by hills and mountains, was less adapted to the covenant of salt? rearing of horses than other parts of Syria; but the principal reason might be, to discourage the art of war, to The Orientals were accustomed also to ratify their fedhich mankind in all ages ha shown so stronga ro- eral engagements by salt. This substance was, among the pensity, which is so hostile to the interests of true religion, ancients, the emblem of friendship and fidelity, and the ancients, the emblem of friendship and fidelity, and thereof which they were the chosen depositaries, and prevent t is a sathem from relying for the defence of their country, rather fore used in all their sacrifices and covenants. It is a santhem; orelng for thei denc, o thei r, rhier cred pledge of hospitality which they never venture to vioon the.-rength of their armies, which, in the East, chiefly late. Numerous instances occur of travellers in Arabia consistet of cavalry, than on the promised aid of Jehovah late. Thiswis e and salutary, n co mmand, however, wasi often dis- after being plundered and stripped by the wandering tribes This wis, and salutary command, however, was often dis- ag the protection of some civilized Arab, regarded en by the more pios kings of David's line ofthe desert, claiming the protection of some civilized Arab, who imitatde the princes around them in the number and who, after receiving him into his tent, and giving him salt, Pexcellence of their horses. Solomon set thefinstantly relieves his distress, and never forsakes him till excellence of their horses. Solomon set the first example he has placed him in safety. An agrement, thus ratified, of transgressing that -recept, and of departing from the is called in scripture, "a covenant of salt." The obligasimplicity of his fathers: " For Solomon gathered together tion which this symbol imposes on the mind of an Oriental, chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelven thousand horsemen, whom is well illustrated by the Baron De Tott in the following hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at a necdote: One who was desirous of his acquaintance, Jerusalem." - Josephus informs us he had twenty thousand promised in a short time to return. The baron had already Jerusalem." Josephus informs us he had twenty thousand attended him half way down the staircase, when stopping, horses, which surpassed all others in beauty and swiftness. attended him half way down the staircase, when stoppin These were monted by young men in the bloomf and turning briskly to one of his domestics, Bring me diThexelli n g all their countryme n in stature andbloom of youth, rectly, said he, some bread and salt. What he requested excewith loling fltheir countrymenin stature ad comeliness, was brought; when, taking a little salt between his fingers, with, long flowing hair, habited in rich dresses of Tyrian andputti their hair powdered with gold-dust, which, by re nd putting it with a mysterious air on a bit of bread, he purrfie, their hair powdered with gold-dust, Which, by re- ate it with a devout gravity, assurig De Tott he might fleeting the beams of the sun, shed a dazzling splendour now rely on him around their heads. It was the practice of those in the highest rank of society, in the.time of Josephus, to adorn CHAPTER XVI their persons in the gorgeous manner he describes; and the strong partiality which the historian cherished for his Ver. 14. And they buried him in his own sepulcountry, it is evident, induced him to transfer the extrava- chres, which he had made for himself in the gance of'his own age to the time of Solomon. The same city of David, and laid him in the bed which overweening desire to exalt the power, the riches, and the splendour of his nation, in the most brilliant epoch of her was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds history, has prevailed upon him to contradict the page of of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art; and inspiration itself, which expressly limits the number of they made a very great burning for him. Solomon's horses to twelve thousand. The sacred historian informs us, that these horses were purchased in A passage from Drummond's Travels oughf not to be Egypt, and in all the surrounding countries, by the Jew- omitted here, in which he gives an account of the manner ish merchants, where the fame of so great a king procured in which a large quantity of spices and perfumes was made them easy access, and liberal encouragement. It is extreme- use of, to do honour to the dead. It seems, according to a ly probable that Solomon's stud was replenished from re- tradition that prevailed among the Turks, " An eminent gions lying at a. very great distance from Jerusalem; but prophet, who lived in Mesopotamia many ages ago, whose the sacred writers particularly celebrate the breeds of As- name was Zechariah, was beheaded by the prince of that syria, Togarmah, and Egypt. The horses of Togarmah country, on account of his virtuous opposition to some lewd were brought to the fairs of Tyre, and were sufficiently scheme of his. His head he ordered to be put into a stone numerous and valuable to attract the notice of Ezekiel, urn, two feet square, upon the top of which was an inscripwho thus addresses the merchant city: "They of the house tion, importing that that urn enclosed the head of that great of Togarmah traded in thy fairs, with horses, and horsemen, prophet Zechariah. This urn remained in the castle of and mules." These,' in the opinion of Bochart and other Aleppo till about eight hundred years ago, when.it was geographers, were the Cappadocians, whose country has removed into an old Christian church in that city, afterbeen, from time immemorial, celebrated for its superior ward turned into a mosque,' which decaying, another was breed of horses. The prophets of Jehovah frequently ad- built near it, and the place where the head was deposited vert to the admirable qualities of the Assyrian charger. choked up by a wall." About forty years before Mr. Isaiah, describing the terrible devastation which the land Drummond wrote this account, which was in December, of Judea was doomed to suffer by the Assyrian armies, 1748, consequently/about the year 1708, a zealous grand warns his people that their horses' hoofs shall be counted vizier, who pretended to have been admonished in a dream like flint-compact and durable as the flinty rock; qualities to remove this stone vessel into a more conspicuous plc e, which, in times when the shoeing of horses was unknown, had it removed accordingly, with many religious ceremust have been of very great importance. The value of monies, and affixed in a conspicuous part of a mosque: a solid hoof has not escaped the notice of Homer's muse, and in the close of all it is said, " the urn was opened, and who celebrates, in many passages of his immortal poems, filled with spices and perftimes, to the value of four hunthe brazen-footed horses. In the admirable instructions dred pounds." Here we see in late times honour was done which Virgil communicates to the Italian husbandmen, a to the supposed head of an eminent saint, by filling its resolid hoof is mentioned as indispensably requisite in a good pository with odoriferous substances. The bed of sw eet'reed of horses. The amazing rapidity of their move- spices, in which Asa was laid, seems to have been of the mnents is expressed with much beauty and force in the same kind, or something,very much like it. Might not next clause: "Their wheels shall be like a whirlwind;" large quantities of precious perfumes, in like manner, be and, with equal felicity, in these words of Jeremiah: " Be- strewed, or designed to be strewed, about the body of our hold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be Lord't This would require large quantities. Zechariah as a whirlwind; his horses are swifter than eagles." The of Mesopotamia had been dead so long, that nothing of this prophet Habakkuk, in describing the same quality, uses a kind could be done with any view to preserve his head 308 2 CHRONICLES. CHAP. 20-26. from decday, it was merely to do him honour: the spices bedposts, a canopy, and curtains; people lie on the ground, used by the Je ws in burial might be for the same purpose. In the evening they spread out a mattress or two of cotton, -IIARMER. very light, &c. Of these they have several laid up in great CHAPTER XX. houses, until they may have occasion to use them, and have a room on purpose for them. In a'chamber of beds, the Ver. 20. And they arose early in the, morning, room used for the laying up beds, it seems Joash was seand went forth into the wilderness cf Tekoa: creted. Understand it how you will, it appears that people and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and were lodged in the temple; and if any lodged there, it is to said, FHear me, 0 Judah, and ye inhabitants of be supposed at particular times there were many, especially the relations and friends of the high-priest. Here it may Jerusalem; believe in the LORD your God, so be right to consult Neh. xiii. 4, 5. In the room in which shall you be established; believe his prophets, beds were deposited, not a common bedchamber, it seems so shall ye prosper. the young prince lay concealed. Chardin complains the Vulbar Latin translation did not rightly understand the See on 2 Sam. 10. 9, 10. story; nor have others represented the intention of the sacred writer perfectly, if he is to be understupd after this Ver. 28. And they came to Jerusalem with manner.-HARMER. psalteries and harps and trumpets, unto the house of the LORD. Ver. 19. And he set the porters at the gates of See on 1 Sam. 16. 20. the house of the LORD, that none which ivas CHAPTER XXI. i unclean in any thing should enter in. Ver. 20. Thirty and two years old was he when The entrance of the inner chamber of a Budhuist temple he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem is usually low and narrow; and on each side stands a eight years, and departed without bein de- dreadful looking fellow formed of clay, and above the size eof the human form, with a huge serpent in his hand, sired; howbeit they buried him in the city of seemingly ready to lash with it whoever enters; but inDavid, but not in the sepulchres of the kings. tended chiefly, I believe, to admonish such as come unprepared. They are styled moorakatrayo, the usual word for The burying of persons in their cities is also an eastern gqnuards or sentinels.-CALLAWAY. manner of doing them honour. They are in common buried without the walls of their towns, as is apparent, CHAPTER XXV. from many places of the Old and New Testament. The ancient Jews also were thus buried; but sometimes theybury Ver. 12. And other ten thousand left alive did in their cities, when they do a person a distinguished hon- the children of Judah carry away captive, and our. " Each side of the road," says the author of the His- brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast tory of the piratical states of Barbary, "without the gate, them down fom the top of the rock, that they is crowded'with sepulchres. Those of the pacha and the all were broken in devs are built near the gate of Babalonet. They are be- all were broken in pieces. tween ten and twelve feet high, very curiously white-washed, and built in the form of a dome. Hali Dey, as a very The Greeks and Romans condemned some of their crimeminent mark of distinction, was buried in an enclosed inals to be cast down from the top of a rock. In the time tomab within the city. For forty days successively his tomb of Pits, the inhabitants of Constantine, a town of Turkey, was decorated with flowers, and surrounded with people, built on the summit of a great rock, commonly executed offering up prayers to God for his soul. This dey was apl their criminals who had been guilty of more atrocious counted a saint, and a particular favourite of heaven, be- crimes, by casting them headlong from the cliff. This puncause he died a natural death; a happiness of which there ishment Amaziah, the king of Judah, inflicted on ten thouare few instances since the establishment of the deys in sand Edomites, whom he had taken captive in war: " Other Al~giers." No comment is more lively, or more sure, than ten thousand left alive, did the children of Judah carry this, on those that speak of the burying of the kings of the away captive, and brought them to the top of the rock, and house of David within Jerusalem; those sepulchres, and cast them down fromnt the top of the rock, and they all were that of Huldah the prophetess, being the only ones to be broken in pieces."-PAxToN. found there. But it is not a perfect comment; for it is to CHAPTE XXVI. be remembered that a peculiar holiness belonged to Jerusalem, as well as the dignity of being the royal city, but no Ver. 10. Also he built towers in the desert, and particular sanctity is ascribed to Algiers, by those people digued many wells: for he had much cattle, that buried Hali Dey there.-HARMER. both in the low country and in the plains; CHAPTER XXII. husbandmen also, and vinedressers in the Ver. 11. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the mountailns, and in Carmel: for he loved husking, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole bandry. him from among the king's sons that were The Indians build pagodas, not to be used as temples, but slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedcham- for the protection of their flocks, in case of any alarm. heer.. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King They are placed in the fields, and surrounded with good Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for walls. Over the gates they raise high pyramids, full of 1ehoram, the w ife of Jehoida the priest, (for jr*pictures of their gods; and within their circuit were many she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from little chapels, every one of which contained an idol. In.Athaliah, so that she slew him nof. these countries, the soldiers are very ill paid, and the commanders permit them to take what they can get. They The bedchamber in the temple, in which Jehosheba hid therefore often seize the cattle, when the shepherds think Joash in the days of Athaliah, mentioned 2 Kings xi. 2, least of it. Travellers aso retire into these pagodas.and 2 Chron. xxii. 11, does not seem to mean a lodging- BURDER. chainber, but a chamber used as a repository for beds. I am William of Tyre describes a country not far from the indebted to Sir John Chardin for this thought, which seems Euphrates, as inhabited by Syrian and Armenian Christo be a just one; for the original words nizonn — rnt bachadar tians, who fed great flocks and herds there, but were in sub-'lanmittoth, signify a chamber of beds, and the expression jection to the Turks, who, though few in number, yet differs from that which is used when a lodging-chamber living in strong places among them, kept them under, and is meant. He supposes then that place is meant, where received tribute from these poor peasants who inhabited the beds are kept: for in the East, and particularly in Persia villages, and employed themselves in country business. I and Tuikey, beds are not raised from the ground with do n:,t know whether this may not give us a truer view of CHAP. 28. 2 CHRONICLES. 309 the design of those towers that Uzziah built in the wilder- clemency, they took care to stamp some mark of posttiumous ness, mentioned 2 Chron. xxvi. 10, than commentators have disgrace upon those Who had left the world under their disdone, who have supposed they were conveniences made for approbation. The sepulchres of the Jewish kings were at sheltering the shepherds from bad weather, or to defend Jerusalem; where, in some appointed receptacle, the rethem from the incursions of enemies; for they might mains of their princes were deposited; and from the cirrather be designed to keep the nations that pastured there cumstance ofthese being the cemetery for successive rulers, in dwe; to prevent their disputing with his servants about it was said when one died and was buried there, that he was wells, and also to induce them quietly to pay that tribute to gathered to his fathers. But several instances occur in the which theseventh and eighthverses seem torefer. —HA RMER. history of the house of David, in which, on various accounts, they were denied the honour of being entombed Ver. 15. And he made in Jerusalem engines, in- with their ancestors, and were deposited in some other place vented by cunning men, to be on the towers in Jerusalem. To mark, perhaps, a greater degree of cenand, upon the bulxwyarks, to shoot arrowvs and sure, they were taken to a small distance from Jerusalem, and laid in a private tomb. Uzziah, Rho had; by his piegreat stones withal: and his name spread far sumptuous attempt to seize the office of the priesthood, abroad: for he was marvellously helped till he which was reserved by an express law for the house ot wvas strong. Aaron, provoked the wrath of heaven, and been punished for his temerity with a loathsome and incurable disease, The batteringram was an engine with an iron head, re- " was buried with his fathers in the field of the burial sembling the-head of a ram, with which they beat down the which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is-a leper." enemies' walls. Of this, Potter mentions three kinds; the It was undoubtedly with a design to make a suitable impresfirst was plain and unartificial, being nothing but a long sion on the mind of the reigning monarch, to guard him beam with an iron head, which the soldiers drove with main against the abuse of his power, and teach him respect for force against the wall; the second was hung with ropes to the feelings and sentiments of that people for whose benefit another beam, by the help of which they thrust- it forward chiefly he was raised to the throne, that such a stigma was with much greater force; the third differed from the former fixed upon the dust of his offending predecessors. He was, only in being covered with a testudo, or shroud, to protect in this manner, restrained from evil, and excited to good, the soldiers that worked it from the darts of the enemy. according as he was fearful of being execrated, or desirous The beam was sometimes no less than a hundred and of being honoured after his decease. This public mark of twenty feet in length, and covered with iron plates, lest infamy was accordingly put on the conduct of Ahpz: those who defended the walls should set it on fire; the head "They buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem, but they was armed with as many horns as they pleased. Josephus brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel."reports, that one of Vespasian's rams, the length of which PAXTON. was only fifty cubits, which came not up to the size of several of the Grecian rams, had a head as thick as ten men, and twenty-five horns, each of which was as thick as one Ver. 27. And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and man, and placed a cubit's distance from the rest; the weight, buried him in the ityeven in Jerusale hung (as was customary) upon the hinder part, was no less than one thousand and five hundred talents; when it was they brought him not into the sepulchres removed from one place to another, it was not taken in of the kings of Israeli and HFezekiah his son pieces; a hundred and fifty yoke of oxen, or three hundred reigned in his stead. pair of horses and mules, laboured in drawing it; and no less than fifteen hundred men employed theirutmost strength The Israelites were accustomed to honour in a peculiar in forcing it against the walls. At other times, we find manner the memory of those kings who had reigned over these rams driven upon wheels. Such was the formidable them uprightly. On the contrary, some marks of posthu-.engine, of which the prophet warned the inhabitants of mous disgrace followed those monarchs who left the world Jerusalem, and which, in the hands of the Romans, levelled under the disapprobation of their people. The proper place at last the walls of that proud metropolis with the ground. of interment was in Jerusalem. There, in some appointed To this may be added, various engines for casting arrows, receptacle, the remains of their princes were deposited: darts, and stones of a larger size; of which the most re- and, from the circumstance of this being the cemetery for markable was the balista, which hurled stones of a size not successive rulers, it was said, when one died and was so less than millstones, with so great a violence as to dash buried, that he was gathered to hisfathers. Several instanwhole houses in pieces at a blow. Such were the engines ces occur in the history of the kings of Israel, wherein, on which Uzziah, the lking of Judah, planted on the walls and certain accounts, they were not thus interred with their towers of Jerusalemh, to defend it against the attacks of an predecessors, but in some other place in Jerusalem. So it invading f6rce: " And he made in Jerusalem engines, in- was with Ahaz, who, though brought into the city, was not vented by cunning men, to be on the towers, and upon the buried in the sepulchres of the kings of Israel. In some bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal." Some other cases, perhaps to mark out a greater degree of cerof these inventions, however, had been in use long before; sure, they were taken to a small distance fron Jerusalem. for in the reign of David, the batteringram was employed It is said that Uzziah was buried with his fathers in the field in the siege of Abel-Bethmaachah: " They cast up a bank of the burial which belonged to the kings; for- they said, He is against the city, and it stood in the trench; and all the peo- a leper. (2 Chron. xxvi. 23.) It was doubtless with a deple that were with Joabbattered the wall to throw it down." sign to make a suitable impression on the minds of their These powerful engines, invented by Jewish artists, and lkings while living, that such distinctions were made after worked by the skill and vigour of Jewish soldiers, were their decease. They might thus restrain them from evil undoubtedly the prototypes of those which the celebrated or excite them to good, according as they were fearful cf nations of Greece and Rome afterward employed with so being execrated. or desirous of being honoured, when they much success in their sieges.-PAxToN. were dead. The Egyptians had a custom in some measure similar to this; it was however general as to all persons, Ver. 23. So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they though it received very particular attention, as far as it buried him with his fathers in the field of the concerned their kings. It is thus described in Franklin's burial which belonged to the kings; for they HiStoy of Ancient and Modern Egypt: " As soon as a man said, He is a leper: and Jotham his son rein- was dead, he was brought to his trial. The public accuser o was heard. If he proved that the deceased had led a. bad ed in his stead. life, his memory was condemned, and he was deprived of the honours of sepulture. Thus, that sage people were The kings and princes of the oriental regions are often affected with laws which extended even beyond the grave, subjected to trial after their decease by their insulted and and every one, struck with the disgrace inflicted on the oppressed people, and punished according to the degree of dead person, was afraid to reflect dishonour on his own their delinquency. While the chosen people of God were memory, and that of his family. But what was singular, accustomed to honour in a particular manner the memory the sovereign himself was not exempted from this public of those kings who had reigned:over them with justice anal inquest upon his death. The public peace was interested 310 EZRA. CHAP. 4. in the lives of their sovereigns in their administration, and hem thither, that is, by collecting the water of the spring as death terminated all their actions, it was then deemed or springs into a subterraneous reservoir, and from thence for the public welfare, that they should suffer an impartial by a concealed aqueduct, conveying them into Jerusalem, scrutiny by a public trial, as well as the most common sub- with this difference, that Solomon took only part of the ject. Even some of them were not ranked among the hon- Bethlehem water, leaving the rest to flow into those celeousred dead, and consequently were deprived of public brated pools which remain to this day; whereas Hezekiah burial. The Israelites would not suffer the bodies of some turned all th% water of Siloam into the city, absolutely of their flagitious princes to be carried into the sepulchres stopping up the outlet into the pool, and filling it up with appropriated to their virtuous sovereigns. The custom earth, that no trace of it might be seen by the Assyrians. was singular: the effect must have been powerful and in- Which seems indeed to be the account of the sacred writer, fluential. The most haughty despot, who might trample 2 Chron. xxxii. 30, " The same Hezekial also stopped the on laws human and divine in his life, saw, by this solemn upper watercourse of Gihon, (which is another name for investigation of human conduct, that at death he also would Siloam,) and brought it straight down to the west side of be doomed to infamy and execration." the city of David." Thus our translators express it: but What degree of conformity there was between the prac- the original may as well be rendered, " Hezekiah stopped tice of the Israelites and the Egyptians, and with whom the the upper going out (Nr-n motsa) of the waters of Gihon, and custom first originated, may be difficult to ascertain and directed them underneath, (nmor lernattah,) to the west of the decide, but the conduct of the latter appears to be founded city of David;" and so Pagninus and Arias Montanus unon the same principle as that of the former, and as it is derstand the passage; he stopped up, that is, the outlet of more circumstantially detailed, affords us an agreeable ex- the waters of Gihon into the open air, by which they were planation of a rite but slightly mentioned in the scriptures. wont to pass into the pool of Siloam, and became a brook; -BURDER. and by some subterraneous contrivance directed the waters CHAPTER XXXII. to the west side of Jerusalem.- HARMER. Ver. 3. He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains, er. 5. Also he strengthened hmsel, and built rmg0 ty men to slap the maters of the fo u p all the wall that was broken, and raised it which were without the city; and they did help up all the wall that was broken, ant raised it him. 4. So there was gathered much people up to the towers, and another wall without, and him. 4. So there was gathered much people r together, who stopped all the fountains, and the repared ill in the city of David, and mde darts and shields in abundance. brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Whyshould the kings of Assyria come See on 2 Sam. 5. 9. and find much water? Ver. 8. With him is an arm of flesh: but with That stream which flowed from Siloam is, I presume, us is the LORD our God, to help us, and to the brook that Hezekiah speaks of, which in the time of theht our battles. And the people rested them crusades was not attempted to be stopped up. What thend the people rested themcause of that was we are not told, but it seems the waters selves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of of some springs without the city were conveyed into Judah. Jerusalem at the time; and that Solomon in his reign had attempted to do the like, and had effected it: as to part of The margin has, for rested upon, "leaned." " I lean the water of the springs of Bethlehem, it was no wonder (from sdnr6kirathku) on the words fS that good man." " All then that Hezekiah should think of introducing the waters people gladly lean on the words of'hat just judge." " Who of Siloam in like manner into the city, in order at once to would lean on the words of that false man?" " Alas! we deprive the besiegers of its waters, and benefit the inhabit- leaned upon his words, and have fallen into trouble." "My ants of Jerusalem by them. Probably it was done in the husband, have I not leaned upon your words. Yes, ands same manner that Solomon brought the waters of Bethle- therefore I have not fallen."-RoBERTS. EZRA. CHAPTER IV. at the feet of the grand vizier, who was standing, and Ver. 14t. Nowv, because ywe have maintenance from whose favour the poor wretch courted by this deception. 7the lgng's palace, and itwas not meet for us to And looking fixedly upon him, and the other great lords the 6jng's palace, and it was not meet for us to that stood on each side of him, he said, with a tone of indigsee the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent nation,' I have then such ungrateful servants and traitors and certified the king. as these to eat ny salt. Look on this sword, it shall cut off "salted ith the altof is la." omeall these perfidious heads.'" (Tome iii. p. 149.) Literally, " salted witl the salt of his palace." Some The Persian great men do not receive their salaries, it is have supposed that the words refer to their receiving a well known, in salt; and the officer that was killed was stipend from the king of Persia, which was wont to be under the immediate protection of the grand vizier, not the paid in salt; others suppose it expresses an acknowledg- prince: our English version has given, then, the sense, ment that they were preserved by that king's -protection, as though it has not literally translated the passage. It means flesh is preserved by salt. And many pieces of collateral the same thing as eating one's bread signifies here in the learning are introduced to embellish these conceits. It is West, but, perhaps, with a particular energy. I beg leave sufficient, to put an end to all these conjectures, to recite to introduce one remark here, of a very different nature, the words of a modern Persian monarch, whose court that we may learn from this story, that Samuel's hewing Chardin attended some time about business. " Rising in Agag in pieces, though so abhorrent from our customs, difwrath against an officer, who had attempted to deceive him, fers very little, in many respects, from this Persian execufhe drew his sabre, fell upon him, and hewed him in pieces, tion. Samuel was a person of high distinction in Israel: he CHAP. 5-8. EZRA..311 had been their judge, or supreme governor under God; he the way in which they commence a letter. Thus, they was a prophet too; and we are ready to think his sacred take into consideration the rank of the individual to whom hands should not have been employed in the actual shed- they write, and keep in view also what is their object. ding of blood. How strange would it be in our eyes, if we "To you who are respected by kings." "To him who should see one of our kings cutting off the head of a traitor has the happiness of royalty." " To the feet of his exwith his own hands; or an archbishop of Canterbury stab- cellency, my father, looking towards the place where he bing a foreign captive prince! But different countries have is worshipping, I write." A father to his son says, " Head very different usages. Soliman, king of Persia, who hew- of all blessings, chief of life, precious pearl." When peoed this unfaithful officer in pieces, reigned over a much ple meet each other on the road, they say, "Salam, peace larger and richer country than Judea, and at the same time to you." Or, when they send a message, or ask a favour, was considered by his subjects as sacred a person as Sam- it is always accompanied by a salam.-ROBERTS. uel: supposed to be descended from their prophet Mohammed, to reign by a divine constitution, and to be possessed, CHAPTER VI. we are assured by this writer in another place, of a kind of Ver. 2. And there was found at Achmetha, in the prophetic penetration and authority.-I have said, it appears palace thatis in the province of the Medes, a to signify the same thing as eating one's bread, in the West, but, probably, with some particular kind of energy, mark- roll, and therein was a record thus written. ing out not merely the obligations of gratitude, but the This passage proves the great antiquity of the custom of strictest ties of fidelity. For as the letter was written not his passage proves the great antiquity of the cstom of only by some of the great officers on the western side of the making copies to b e deposited in the archives, of Euphrates, but in the name of the several colonies of peo- at ordinances of the m agistrates, and particularly of ple that had been transplanted thither, the Dinaites, the granted either to individuals or whole co nities. Thus, in an* inscription on an ancient marble, Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, &c. ver. 9, 10, it is not to is s aid of a pri vilege granted be supposed these tribes of people all received their food quoed by Thoas, from the palace, or a stipend for their support; but with for a separate sepulchre, " is inscription two copies great adulation they might pretend they considered them- have been made, ch is deposited in the archives. In the same manner, elsewhere, "A copy of this inscription selves as held under as strong engagements of fidelity toted in the archives the kings of Persia, as if they had eaten salt in his palace. The following story from D'Herbelot will explain this, if Ver. 11. Also I have made a decree, that whothe views of these ancient Persians may be supposed to cor- soever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled respond with those of the Persians of the ninth century. Jacoub ben Laith, the founder of a dynasty of Persian down from his house, and, being set up, let him princes called the Soffarides, rising, like many other of the be hanged thereon. ancestors of the princes of the East, from a very low state to royal power, being in his first setting out in the use of Lud. de Dieu observes, that ther,e is no proper construcarms no better than a freebooter or robber, is yet said to tion in the words which we render, and being set up; he have maintained some regard to decency in his depreda- would therefore translate them, after the Seventy, "and tions, and never to have entirely stripped those that he rob- standing, let him be beat upon it," or " whipped," as the bed, always leaving them something to soften their afflic- manner was among the Persians and other nations. Among tion. Among other exploits that are recorded of him, he the Jews, they who were beaten, did not stand, but lay is said to "have broken into the palace of the prince of that down. Deut. xxv. 2. If a greater punishment be here country, and having collected a very large booty, which he meant, then he makes the first words refer to the wood, was on the point of carrying away, he found his foot kick- and the latter to the man. "And from above, let it fall ed something, which made him stumble. He imagined it upon him:" that is, the stake being lifted up, shall be stuck might be something of value, and putting it to his mouth, into his body, and come out at his fundament. This was a the better to distinguish what it was, his tongue soon in- cruel practice among the eastern people, and is yet conformed him it was a lump of salt. Upon this, according to tinued there.-BURDER. the morality, or rather superstition of the country, where. CHAPTER VIII. the people considered salt as a ssymbol and pledge of hospitality, he was so touched, that he left all his booty, retiring Ver. 21. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river without taking away any thing with him. The next morn- of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before ing, the risk they had run of losing many valuable things, our God, to seek of him a right way for us, being perceived, great was the surprise, and strict the inquiry, what should be the occasion of their being left. At and for our little ones, and for all our substance. length Jacoub was found to be the person concerned, who The whole valley was covered with the tents of the pilhaving given an account, very sincerely, of the whole grim for a very few, compared with their numbers transaction to the prince, he gained his esteem so effectual- These several enly, that it might be said with truth, that it was his regarding theer for salt that laid the foundation of his after fortune. T camments, according to their towns or districts, were placed a little apart, each under its own special standard. prince employed him as a man of courage and geniusin Their cattle were grazing about, and the people who many enterprises, and finding him successful in all of them, attended them, in their primitive eastern garbs. Women he raised him, by little and little, to the chief posts among appeared, carrying in water from the brooks. and children his troops, so that at that prince's death, he found himself were sporting at the tent doors. Towards evening, this possessed of the command in chief, and had such interest pious multitude, to the number of elevenhundred at east in their affections, that they preferred his interests to those began their evening orisons,literally shouting their prayerst of the children of the deceased prince, and he became abso while the singing of the hymns, responded by the echoes lute master of that province, from whence he afterward from the mountains was almost deafening. At intervals spread his conquests far and wide." When the Aphar- during the devotion, matchlocks, muskets, and pistols,wer sathchites, the Tarpelites, and the other transplanted tribes fired, division ansering diviion, as if it were told Artaxerxes, the Persian monarch, that they were'alt- repeatedly fired, division answering division, as if it were told Artaxerxes, the Persian monarch, that they concerted signal. This mixture of military and ed with the salt of his palace, it appears, according to these religious proceeding, produced an effect perfectly novel things, to mean, that they considered themselves as eating religious proceeding, produced an effect perfectly novel this, o an o e ptad cte eatings, to m European eye, inthat they considered enth century; though it his bread, on account of being put and continued in pos- might have been more than sufficiently familiar to that of session of a considerable part of the Jewish country, by him a lnight-companion in the thirteenth, when the crusades and his predecessors; and that their engagements of fideli- covered every hauberk with a pilgrim's amice. But the ty to him were indeed as strong, as if they had eaten salt recollection of what country I saw these in, conjured up a in his palace. —HaRMza. very different image. I was in the land of the Medes, on CHAPTER V. the very spot to which the ten tribes were brought in capVelr. 7. They sent a. letter unto hi-m, wherein was tivity about two thousand years ago; and from which, in 7written thus: U unto Darius the king, wal peace. the fulness of time, the scattered remnants were collected, written thus: Unto Darius the king-, all peace. (after the first return, B. C. 536, by command of Cyrus,) rhe people of the East are always very particular as to and led back to their native land, on the decree of Arta 312 EZRA. CHAP. 9, 10. xerxes the king, when Ezra gathered them together to the are the sins on his head. Alas! for such a head as that. river that runneth to Ahava, and there they abode in their Who can take them from his head' His iniquity is so tents three days: and he viewed the people and the priests. great, you may see it on his head." Does a man wish to And he proclaimed a fast there, that they might afflict extenuate his crime, to make himself appear not so great a themselves before God, to seek of him a right way for them, sinner as some suppose, he asks, "What! has my guilt and for their little ones, and for their substance. And the grown up to heaven' no! no!" "Abominable wretch, Lord was entreated of them, and he delivered them from your guilt has reached to the heavens." " Can you call the S'aund of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the that little, which has grown up to the heavens'."-ROBERTS. way. And Ezra, and those with him, came to Jerusalem. We see in this account, from the book of Ezra, chap. viii. Ver. 8. And now for a little space grace hath that the wild tribes of the mountains were then regarded been shoed fom the LORD ou God, to leave as banditti; and that no decrees of safe-conduct from the king would'have more effect in those days, than in the us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail present, to protect a rich caravan from ambuscade and in his holy place, that our God may lighten depredation. But I must own, there are some points of our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our observation in the encampment before me, which a little bondae. disturbed the resemblance between its holy grouping, and that which followed the really pious ordinance of the sa- See on Isa. 22. 23. cred scribe of Israel. The Mohammedan evening prayer The margin has, "or a pin,"that is, "a constant and over, all was noise of another description; bustle and riot- sure abode. It is worthy ofnotice, that the Tamul transous merriment, more like preparations of a fair, than a worship; showing at once the difference in spirit between tion has t," a hut in his holy place." To "lighten" the the two religions. In the one, the moral law walked hand eyes signifies to give comfort, to strengthen, to refresh. A in hand with the ceremonial; and the mandate of wor- father says to his son, when he wishes him to do any thing, shipping the one God, in purity of heart, and in strictness " M child, make these eyes light." " woman, en t of practice, was unvaryinlty asserted in the chastisement my eyes, lest I be swallowed up with sorrow." " O that our or welfare of the people; and so we see it was acknowl- eyes were clear! who will take away the darkness from my edged by the seemly and humble joy under pardon, with eyes "-ROBERTS. which the recalled Israelites returned to the land of their CHAPTER X. temple. But here the performance of certain rites seemed to be all in all. The preachers of the multitude holdinlg Ver. 1. Now when Ezra had prayed, and when forth, that as they advance nearer to the shrines of their lie had confessed, weeping and casting himself pilgrimage, so in due proportion their sins depart from down before the house of God, there assembled them; and thus every step they approach, the load becomes him out of Israel a very great con lighter and lighter, till the last atom flies off the moment unto him out of Israel a very great cong arega they fall prostrate before the tomb of the prophet, or saint: tion of men, and women, and children: for the and from which holy spot they rise perfectly clear, free, and people wept very sore. often too willing to commence a new score, to be as readily wiped away.-SIR R. K. PORTER. People on their arrival from England are astonished at CHAPTER IX. the apparent devotion of the Hindoos, when they see them cast themselves down before their temples. Those of high Ver. 3. And when I heard this thing, I rent my rank, and in elegant attire, do not hesitate thus to prostrate garment and my mantle, and plucked off the themselves in the dust, before the people. How often, as hair of my'head and of my beard, and sat down you pass along, may you see a man stretched his full length on the ground, with his face IN the dust, pouring out his complaint, or making his requests unto the gods. It matters not to him who or what may be near him; he heeds not, Oriental mourners divested themselves of all ornaments,ers not tiwho or wh at may be near hi; he heed s n ot and laid aside their jewels, gold, and every thing rich and splendid in their dress.'The Grecian ladies were directed in this manner to mourn the death of Achilles: "Not Ver. 9. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin clothed in rich attire of gems and gold, with glittering gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem silks or purple." This proof of humiliation and submis- within three days: it was the ninth month, and sion Jehovah required of his offending people in the wil- of the month; and all the derness: " Therefore, now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the people sat in the street of the house of God, children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments trembling because of this matter, and for the by the Mount Horeb." Long after the time of Moses, that great rain rebellious nation again received a command of similar import: "Strip you, and make you bare, and gird sack- What a marked illustration we have of this passage cloth upon your loins."-PAXTON. What a marked illustration we have of this passage every wet monsoon. See the people on a court-day, or Ver. 6. And said, O my God! iI am ashamed and when they are called to the different offices on business. The rain comes on; they have only a piece of cotton round blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for their loins, and a small leaf, which they carry over their our iniquities are increased over our head, and heads: they all run in a stooping position (as if that would our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. save them from the rain) to the nearest tree, and there they sit in groups, huddled together, and trembling " for the "6 Ah, that fellow's sins are on his head: how numerous great rain."-ROBERTs. NEHEMIAIH. CHAPTER I. plains Psalm lxxxviii. 5, cut off from thy hand, that is, fallVer. 1 1. 0 LORD, I beseech thee, let now thine en from thy grace and favour. Pindar thus uses the hand of God, for his help and aid, Oeov cov,raXa/a, by the hand of ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, God: which the scholiast interprets, by the power and help and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire of God. Thus Nehemiah is here to be understood.-BaRto fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, DER. thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in CHAPTER IV. the sight of this man: for I was the king's cup- Ver. 3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, bearer. and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their ptone Houbigant supposes that Nehemiah repeated this prayer, fox go up, he shall even break down their tone which he had often before used, now again in silence, wall. while he administered the cup to the king in his office. When men deride the workmanship of a mason, they The office of cupbearer was a place of great honour and say, " Che why, if a dog or a jackal run against that wall advantage in the Persian court, because of the privilege it will fall." "A wall! why, it will not keep out the jackwhich it gave him who bare it, of being daily in the king's als."-ROBERTS. presence, and the opportunity which he had thereby of gaining his favour, for procuring any petition he should Ver. 14. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto make to him. That it was a place of great advantage the nobles, and to the ulers, and to the rest of seems evident by Nehemiah's gaining those immense riches which enabled, him for so many years, out of his the people, Be not ye afraid of them: rememown purse only, to live in his government with great ber the LORD wohich is great and terrible, and splendour and expense, without burdening the people. fight for your brethren, your sons and your According to Xenophon, the cupbearer with the Persians daughters, and Medes used to take the wine out of the vessels into your wives and your houses. the cup, and pour some of it into his left hand, and drink The ancients appear to have done more to excite the it, that if there was any poison in it, the king might not valour of their soldiers, than merely exhorting them to be De hurt; and then he delivered it to him upon three fingers. courageous. This will appear in the following citation: -BURnDER. "A circumstance which greatly tends to inflame them with CHAPTER II. heroie-ardour, is the manner in which their battalions are Vei. caen2. Wherefore the king said unto me, Why formed. They are neither mustered nor imabodied by Ver.1 1. V&Therefr'h Ichance: they fight in clans, united by consanguinity, a is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not family of warriors: their tenderest pledges are near them sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. in the field. In the heat of the engagement, the soldier hears the shrieks of his wife, and the cries of his children. When friends, servants, or acquaintances, have a request These are the darling witnesses of his conduct; the apto make, or a secret to disclose, they walk about with a plauders of his valour, at once beloved and valued. The gloomy countenance, and never speak but when spoken to. wounded seek their mothers and their wives: undismayed Their object is to induce you to ask what is the matter, at the sight, the women count each honourable scar, and because they think you will then be disposed to listen to suck the gushing bleol: they are even hardy enough to their complaint.-RoBERTs. mix with the combatants, administering refreshment, and Ver. 7. ~Mor~eover, I said unto the Iking, If it exhorting them to leeds of valour." (Tacitus, De Mor. Z Ger'~.) —BURDER. please the king, let letters be given me to the governors eyond the river, that they may co er. 21. So we laboured in the work: and half veny me over till I come into Judah. of them held the spears, from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. No person of consequence travels in the East without a letter, or kattali, i. e. a command from the Rasa, the gov- Thus did the people labour from the earliest dawn till ernor, the collector, or officer in authority, to the different the latest glimpse of evening light. "Well, Tamby, have chiefs of the districts through which he may have to travel. you found your cattle?" " Found them g no! and I wanWere it not for this, there would often be a difficulty in dered from the rising east, till the stars appeared." "At getting supplies, and there would generally be a great de- what time do you intend to leave the temple 2" " Not till lay; the officers would be insolent and'overbearing, and the stars appear;" "When do you expect the guests 2" the purveyors would demand thrice the sum the articles "Immediately when. the stars appear."-RoBERTs.. were worth. The letters in question are generally in duplicate, so that one precedes the traveller, and the other CHAPTER V. is in his possession. Thus, when he arrives at the choultry Ver. 13. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God or rest-house, there will always be people to receive him, shake out every man from his house, and from who are ready to furnish him with supplies, and coolies tour, that performeth not this promise, help him on his journey. Sometimes they declare they are in the greatest want; they cannot get rice, they have even thus be he shaken out and emptied. neither fish nor fowls, and are brought to the lowest ebb of When men or women curse each other, they shake the lap, i. e. their cloth, or robe, and say, "It shall be so with Ver. 8. And the kinog granted me, according to thee." Does a man begin to shake his sali, or waistcloth, in the good hand of my God upon me. the presence of another, the other will say, " Why do you shake your cloth here? go to some other place." " What! The hand is sometimes taken in an ill sense for inflict- can you shake your lap here? do it not, do it not." " Yes, ing punishments, and sometimes in a good sense, for we yes; it is all true enough; this misery has come upon me extend favours to men with the hand. Thus Drusius ex- through that wretched man shaking his cloth in my pres40 314 NE HEMIAH. CHAP. 5. ence." The natives always carry a pouch, made of the The demanding provisions with roughness and severity leaf of the cocoa, or other trees, in tlfeir lap; in one part by such as travel under the direction of government, or of which they keep their money, and in another their arfca- authorized by government to do it, is at this day so pracnut, betel leaf, and tobacco. It is amusing to see how tised in the East, as greatly to illustrate several passacareful they are never to have that pouch EMPTY; for they ges of scripture. When the Baron De Tott was sent, in have an idea, that so long as a single coin shall be found in 1767, to the cham of the Tartars, by the French ministry, it, (or any of the articles alluded to,) the ATTRACTION will be as resident of France with that Tartar prince, he had a so great, that the contents of the pouch will not be long mikmanda'r, or conductor, given him by the pacha of Kotwithout companions. See the Englishman, who wants any chim, upon his entering the Turkish territories, whose thing out of a pouch or bag; if he cannot sooirfind the ar- business it was to precede and prepare the way for him, ticle he requires, he shakes out the whole: not so the Hin- as is usually done in those countries to ambassadors, and doo; he will fumble and grope for an hour, rather than such as travel gratis, at the expense of the porte, or Turkshake out the whole. "Do that! why, who knows how ish court. This conductor, whose name, it seems, was Ali long the pouch will remain empty VI' It is therefore evi- Aga, made great use of his whip, when he came among dent, that, to shake the lap conveyed with it- the idea of a the poor Greeks of Moldavia, to induce them to furnish out curse.-RoBERTS. that assistance and those provisions he wanted for the Instead of the fibula that was used by the Romans, the baron; for though it was represented as travelling at the Arabs join together with thread, or with a wooden bodkin, expense of the. porte, it was really at the expense of the the two upper corners of-this garment; and after having inhabitants of those towns or villages to which he came. placed them first over one of their shoulders, they then The baron appears to have been greatly hurt by that mode fold the rest of it about their bodies. The outer fold serves of procedure with those poor peasants, and would rather them frequently instead of an apron, in which they carry have procured what he wanted with his money, which he herbs, loaves, corn, and other articles, and may illustrate thought would be sufficiently efficacious, if the command several allusions made to it in scripture: thus, "One of of the mikmandar should not be sufficient without the whip. the sons of the prophets went out into the field, to gather The baron's account of the success of his efforts is a very herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered there of wild droll one, which he has enlivened by throwing it into the gourds, his lapful." And the Psalmist offers up his prayer, form. of dialogues between himself and the Greeks, and that Jehovah would " render unto his neighbours seven- Ali Aga and those peasants, in which he has imitated the fold into their bosom, their reproach." The same al- broken language the Greeks made use of, pretending not lusion occurs in our Lord's direction to his disciples: to understand Turkish, in order to make it more mirthful. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, It would be much too long for these papers, and quite unpressed down, and shaken together, and running over, necessary for my design, to transcribe these dialogues; it shall men give into your bosom." It was also the fold of this is sufficient to say, that after the jealousy of the poor oprobe which Nehemiah shook before his people, as a signifi- pressed Greeks of their being to be pillaged, or more heavicant emblem of the manner in which God should deal with ly loaded with demands by the Turks, had prevented their the man who ventured to violate his oath, and promise to voluntarily supplying the baron for his money, Ali Aga restore the possessions of their impoverished brethren: undertook the business, and upon the Moldavian's pretend"Also, I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every ing not to understand the Turkish language, he knocked man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth him down with his fist, and kept kicking him while he was not this promise, even thus be he shaken out and emptied." rising; which brought him to complain, in good Turkish, -PAXTON. of his beating him so, when he knew very well they were He shook the dust out of the foreskirts of his garment, poor people) who were often in want of necessaries, and as a symbol of what follows. A similar rite was used in whose princes scarcely left them the air they breathed. the case of. peace and war, when the Roman ambassadors " Pshaw! thou art joking, friend," was the reply of Ali proposed the choice. of one to the Carthaginians, as having Aga, " thou art in want of nothing, except of being well either in their bosom to shake out. (Florus, 1. ii. c. 6. Livy, basted a little oftener; but all in good time. Proceed we 1. xxi. c. 18.) " When the Roman ambassadors entered the to business. I must instantly have two sheep, a dozen of senate of Carthage, they had their toga gathered up in their fowls, a dozen of pigeons, fifty pounds of bread, four oques bosom. They said, We carry here peace and war: you of butter, with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemons, may have which you will... The senate answered, You wines, salad, and. good oil of olive, all in great plenty." may give.which you please. They then shook their toga, With tears the Moldavian replied, "I have already told and said,'We bring you war. To which all the senate an- you that we are poor creatures, without so much as bread swered, We cheerfully accept it."-BURDER. to eat. Where must we get cinnamon 1" The whip, it seems, was taken from under his habit, and the Moldavian Ver. 14. Moreover from- the time that I was ap- beaten till he could bear it no longer, but was forced to fly, pointed to be their governor in the land of Ju- finding Ali Aga inexorable, and that these provisions must dab, from the twentieth year even unto the two be produced; and, in fact, we are told, the quarter of an and thirtieth year of Artatxerxes the kin,, th~at hour was not expired, within which time Ali Aga required that these things should be produced, and affirmed to the is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not baron that they would be brought before the primate, or eaten the bread of the governor. chief of the Moldavians of that town, who had been so severely handled, assisted by three of his countrymen; all Nehemiah did not eat that bread which properly be- the provisions were brought, without forgetting even the longed to him as the governor. When the Orientals say cinnamon. they eat the rice of a person, it denotes they are under ob- May not this account be supposed to illustrate that pasligations to him. People who have formerly been em- sage of Nemehiah, chap. v. 15: The former governors that ployed by you often come. and say, " Ah, my lord, how had been befor'e me, were chargeable unto the people, and had long it is since I had the pleasure of eating your rice." f m bread ad wine, besides forty sheels of silver Those who are in the service of the government, are said tae f t b Those who are ine the service of the kgovernment, are saited yea, even their servants bare rqule over the people: but so did to eat the rice of the king. A servant, who is requestedto not I, because of the fear of God. It is evident something injure his master, says, "' o, no; have I not eaten his rice oppressive is meant. And th for many days" Of a person who as been faithful to a bread from them, or eatables in general, together with wine, superior, it is said, " Yes, yes; he has eaten his rice, or he perhaps sheep, fowls, pigeons, butter, fruit, and other things would not have been so true to him."'-RoBERTS. when probably they were travelling, or sojourning in some Ver. 15. But the former governors that had been place at a distance from home. And that the like imperious and unrighteous demand had, from time to time, been before me were chargeable unto the people, and made upon them by the servants of these governors, whom had taken of them bread and wine, besides forty they might have occasion to send about the country. I shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare cannot account for the setting down the precise number of rule over the people: but so did not I1[, because forty, when speaking of shekels, but by supposing that the word besides, here, c'c) acher, should have been translated of the fear of God. afterward, whici it more cc mmonly, if not more certainly, CHAP. 6. NEHEMIAH. 315 signifies; and means, that afterward they were wont to Essauen, an express arrived there, despatched by an Arab commute this demand for provisions into money, often prince, who brought a letter directed to the reys, (or masamounting to forty' shekels. It is certain it would not mean ter of their barque,) enjoining him not to set out with his the whole annual allowance to the governor by the children barque, or carry them any farther, adding, that in a day's of the captivity; that would have beenmuch too small; nor time he should be at Essauen, and there would give his could it mean what every householder was to pay annually orders relative to them. " The letter, however, accord-, towards the governor's support, for! fifty shekels was as ing to the usage of the Turks," says this author, "was much as each mighty man of wealth was assessed at by open; and as the reys was not on board. the pilot carried Menahem, when he wanted to raise a large sum of money it to one of our fathers to read it." Sanballat's sending for the king of Assyria, and when Israel was not in so,This servant, then, with an open letter, which is mentioned low a state as in the time of Nehemiah: it must then, sure- Neh. vi. 5, doth not appear an odd thing, it should seem; lv, mean the value of that quantity of eatables and wine but if it was according to their usages, why is this circumthey might charge any town with, when single towns were stance complained of, as it visibly is? Why indeed is it charged with the support of the governor's table for a sin- mentioned at all. Why! because, however the senditng gle repast or a single day, which it is natural to suppose letters open to common people may be customary in these could only be when they thought fit to travel.from place to countries, it is not according to their usages to send them place. This, it seems, their servants took the liberty too so to people of distinction. So Dr. Pococke, in his account to require, when they were sent on a journey. And if they of that very country where Norden was when this letter that belonged to the officers of the king of Persia enforced was brought, gives us, among other things, in the 57th their requisitions in a manner similar to that made use of plate, the figure of a Turkish letter put into a satin bag, to by the people belonging to the Turkish governors of prov- be sent to a great man, with a paper tied to it, directed and inces, when they travel on a public account among the sealed, and an ivory button tied on the wax. So Lady Greeks of Moldavia, it is no wonder that Nehemiah ob- Montague says, the bassa of Belgrade's answer to the Engserves, with emotion, in this passage, Yea, even their ser- lish ambassador, going to Constantinople, was brought to vants bar'e rqule over the people: but so did not I, because of him in a purse of scarlet satin. The great emir, indeed, the.fear of God.-HARMER. of the Arabs, according to D'Arvieux, was not wont to enclose his letters in these bags, any more than to have them Ver. 17. Moreover, there were at my table a hun- adorned with flourishes; but that is supposed to have been dred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides owing to the unpoliteness of the Arabs; and he tells us, that when he acted as secretary to the emir, he supplied those that came unto us from among the heathen these defects, and that his doing so was highly acceptable that are about us. 18. Now that which was to the emir. Had this open letter, then, come from Geshem, prepared fo'r sue daily was one ox and six choice who was an Arab, it. might have passed unnoticed; but as sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and it was from Sanballat, the enclosing it in a handsome bag was a ceremony Nehemiah had reason to expect from him, once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet since he was a person of distinction in the Persian court, for all this required not I the bread of the gov- and then governor of Judea; and the not doing it was the ernor, because the bondage was heravy ulpon ~greatest insult, insinuating, that though Nehemiah was, erthis people. the bondage was, heavy uponaccording to him, preparing to assume the royal dignity, he should be so far from acknowledging him in that characNehemiah calculted the expenses of his table, not by ter, that he would not even pay him the compliment due Nehemiah calculated the expenses of his table, not by to everypersonof distinctionCadingivs ustance the money he paid, but by the provisions consumed by his account of the eastern letters, adding this circumstance, guests. Such is still the practice in the East. So De la that those that are unenclosed as sent to common peoMotraye informs us of the seraglio at Constantinople: ple, are usually rolled up; in which form their paper com" One may judge of the numbers who live in this palace, monly appears. A letter in the form of a small roll of paby the prodigious quantity of provisions consumed in it per, would appear very odd in our eyes, but it seems is very yearly, which some of the hattchis, or cooks, assured me common there. If this is the true representation of the afamounted to more than 30,000 oxen, 20,000 calves, 60,000 fair, commentators have given but a poor account of it. Sansheep, 16,000 lambs, 10,000 kids, 100,000 turkeys, geese, ballat sent him a message, says one of them, " pretendand goslings, 200,000 fowls and chickens, 100,000 pigeons, in it is likely, special respect and kindness unto him, inwithout reckoning wild-fowl or fish, of the last of which forming him what was laid to his charge." So far Mr. he only named 130,000 calcam-batsj or turbots."-BURDER. Harmer. CHAPTER VI.'Contrast with this open letter to Nehemiah the closed, rolled, or folded letter, sent by Sennacherib to Hezekiah, Ver. 5. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me, 2 Kings xix. 14. We read, verse 9, " He sent messenin like manner, the fifth time,' w~ith an open gers to Hezekiah, saying"-" And Hezekiah received the letter in his hand-;'[sepher] letter at the hand of the messenger, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and A letter has its Hebrew name from the circumstance of spread it before the Lord." It was therefore folded or rollits being rolled or folded together. The modern Arabs roll ed, and no doubt enclosed in a proper envelope; and I up their letters, and then flatten them to the breadth of an would not be certain whether this action of taking a letter inch, and instead of sealing them, paste up their ends. fromitscaseisnotexpressedherebythewordperesh,which The Persians make up their letters in a roll about six inches signifies to divide, to separate. Consider also the passage, Isaiah xxix. 11: "And the vision shall be to you, as the long, a bit of paper is fastened round it with gum, and sealed with an impression of ink. In Turkey, letters are word of a [sepher, the same as the letter spread by Hezekiab] commonly sent to p s of distinction in a bag or purse; letter that is sealed-sealed up i a lbag, closely-which is to equals they are also enclosed, but to inferiors, or those given to a man of learning to read, but he says,' It is sealed' — how should I know what information it contains. I who are held in contempt, they are sent open or unenclosed. -how should I know what information it contains? I This explains the reason ofNehemiah's observation merely can discover to whom it is directed;" while the This explains the reason of.'?lehemiah's observation: "Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me, with an open unlearned cannot even read the address. We see such letter in his hand." In refusing, him the mark of respect occurrences daily in the streets of London: messengers usually paid to persons of his station, and treating him con- sent with letters, desire passengers to read the directions temptuously, by sending the letter without the customary for them-Observe, the messengers sent to Hezekiah are described as saying,. when in fact, they say nothing, but Sanballat offered him a deliberate insult. Had this open only deliver a letter containing the message.-TAYLOR IN letter come from Geshem, who was an Arab, it might have CAMET. passed unnoticed, but as it came from Sanballat, the gov- CHAPTER VI. ernor had reason to expect the ceremony of enclosing it in Ver 10. Afterward I came unto the house of a bag, since he was a person of distinction in the Persian, the son of Del cl urt, and at that time governor of Judea.-PAXTON. Shem ah the son of De aah, the son of Me Norden tells us, that when he and his company were at hetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us 316 NEHEMIAHE. CHAP. 7-13. meet, together in the house of God, within the tomary to open so soon: but an hour after a report was temple; and let us shut the doors of the tem- spread that the inhabitants had shut their gates because the peasants of the country about, had formed a design of pilpie: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the laging the city in the absence of the governor and of his night they will come to slay thee. guards, and that as soon as he should arrive, the gates should be opened.-BuRDER. By the /hose of God, within the temple, (as it is in the text, Nehem. vi. 10,) Sherpaiah certainly meant the sanctuary; Ver. 4. Now the city was large and great, but and to advise Nehemiah to retreat thither, he had a good the people were few therein, and the houses pretence, because it was both a strong and a sacred place were not built. being defended by a guard of Levites, and, by its' holiness, privileged from all rude approaches; but his real design herein might be, not only to disgrace Nehemiah, and dis-, reason why the bulk of the Jews (who were originherein igthe people, whenot only theyo disgrace Nehemia, and di- ally pastural, and lovers of agriculture) might rather choose hearten the people, when they sawy w their overnor's cow- to live in the country than at Jerusalem, was, because it was assauing andbut to preparekin the citway likewise for ther e was no leader more suited to their genius and manner of life; but at this assaulting and taking the city, when there was no leader time their enemies were so enraged to see the walls built to oppose them; to give countenance to the calumny that Iagain, and so restless in their designs to keep the city from had been spread abroad, of his affecting t6 be made king, rising to its former lendour, that it terrified many from because he fled upon the report of it; and perhaps, by the comin to dwell there, thinking that it terrified more safe in assistance of some other priests, that were his confederates, coining to dwell there their enemies had no pretence to diseither to destroy him, or to secure his person until the city tcountry, where their enemies had no hmo dis was betrayed into the enemies' hands.-STcHOUSE tb them.-STACKHOUSE. CHAPTER VII. CHAPTER VIII. Ver. 1. Now it came to pass, when the wall was Ver. 10. Then he said unto them, Go your way, built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters eat the fat; and drink the sweet, and send porand the singers, and the Levites were appointed, tions unto them for whom nothing is prepared:. hat gave my brother anani, and ana- for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be 2. That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over JerL- ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD iS your salem: (for he was a faithful man, and feared strength. God above many.) The eastern princes, and the eastern people, not only invite their friends to feasts, but it is their custom to send Nehemiah, very likely, was now returning to Shushan, to a portion of the banquet to those that cannot well come to give the king an account of the state of affaiys in Judea; it, especially their relations, and those in a state of mourning. and therefore he took care to place such men in the city as This sending of portions to those for whom nothing was he knew would faithfully secure it in his absence. Hanani prepared, has been understood by those commentators I is said to be his brother; but he chose his officers, not out have consulted, to mean the poor; sending portions, howof partial views to his own kindred, but because he knew ever, to one another, is expressly distinguished in Esth. that they would acquit themselves in their employment ix. 22, fromn gifts to the poor. There would not have been with a strict fidelity. Hanani had given proof of his zeal the shadow of a difficulty in this, had the historian been for God and his country, in his taking a tedious journey speaking of a private feast, but he is describing a national from Jerusalem to Shushan, to inform Nehemiah of the festival, There every one was supposed to be equally consad state of Jerusalem, and to implore his helping hand to cerned: those, then,for' whom nothing was'prepared, it should relieve it, chap. i. And the reason why Nehemiah put seem, means those that were in a state of mourning. such trust and confidence in Hananiah, was, because he Mourning for private calamities being here supposed to was a man of conscience, and acted upon religious princi- take place of rejoicing for public concerns. But it is not ples, which would keep him from those temptations to per- only to those that are in a state of mourning that provisions fidiousness, which he might probably meet with in his are sometimes sent; others are honoured by princes in the absence, and against which a man destitute of the fear of same manner, who could not conveniently attend to the God has no sufficient fence.-STAcKHousE. royal table, or to whom it was supposed not to be convenient. Ver. 3. And I said unto them, Let not the gates So when the grand emir found it incommoded Monsieur D'Arvieux to eat with him, he complaisantly desired him of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; to take his own time for eating, and sent him what he liked and while they stand by, let them shut the from his kitchen, and at the time he chose. And thus, doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of when King David would needs suppose, for secret reasons, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his too well known to himself, that it would be inconvenient for Uriah to continue at the royal palace, and therefore diswatch, and every one to be over against his missed him to his own house, "there followed him a mess house. of meat from the king." 2 Sam. xi. 8, 10.-HARMER. In the hot countries of the East, they frequently travel Ver. 37. And it yieldeth'much increase unto the in the night, and arrive at midnight at the place of their kings whom thou hast set over us because of destination. Luke xi. 5.'Mark xiii. 35. Probably they: also they have dominion over our did not therefore usually shut their gates at the going our sin down of the sun, if they did so at all through the night. bodies, and. over our cattle, at their pleasure, Thevenot could not, however, obtain admission into Suez and we are in great distress. in the night, and was forced to wait some hours in the cold, without the walls. Doubdan, returning from the hiver These people attribute all their losses and afflictions to Jordan to Jerusalem, in 1652, tells us, that when he and their SINS. Has a man lost his wife or child, he says, " Enhis companions arrived in the valley of Jehoshaphat, they pdvatin-nemityam, for the sake of my sins, this evil has were mnuch surprised to find that the gates of the city were come upon me." " Why, friend, do you live in this shut, which obliged them to lodge on the ground at the door strange land 1" " Because of my sins.' No people can of the sepulchre of thle Blessed Virgin, to wait for the re- refer more. to SIN as the source of'their misery, and yet turn of day, along with more than a thousand other people, none appear more anxious to commit it. " The sins of my who were obliged to continue there the rest of the night, as ancestors, the sins of my ancestors, are in this habitation, wvell as they. At length, about four o'clock, seeing every- says the old sinner, who wishes to escape the sight of his body making. for the city, they also set forward, with the own.-RoBERTS. design of entering by St. Stephen's gate; but they found it CHAPTER XIII. shut, and above two thousand people, who were there in waiting,, without knowing the cause of' all this. At first Ver. 15. In those days saw I in Judah some treadIhey thought it might be too early; and that it was not cus- ing wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing CHAP. 13. NEHEMIAH. 317 in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, treading wine.presses on the sabbath, and bringing in grapes, and figs, and all'112CL72manner of burdens, sheaves, and lading asses; and also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jeruwhich they brought into Jerusalem on the sab-and all mann the sabbath-day." ens Had these wine-presses been bath-day: and I testified against them in the at a distance from Jerusalem, he that so strictly observed day wherein they sold victuals.' the precept of resting that day'would not have seen that violation of it. They appear, by that circumstance, as well In peaceful times, the press in which the grapes and as by the other particulars mentioned there, to have been olives were trodden, was constructed in the vineyard: but within the walls of Jerusalem. The words of Nehemiah in time of war and danger, it was removed into the nearest are to be understood as signifying, " In those days saw 1 in city. This precaution the restored captives were reduced Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, ahd to take for their safety, at the time they were visited by Ne- bringing in parcels of grapes for that purpose in baskets, hemiah. In a state of great weakness themselves, without which they had laden on asses, and also jars of wine. pressan efficient government or means of defence, they were ex- ed elsewhere, dried grapes and figs, and all manner of burposed to the hostile machinations of numerous and power- dens of victuals, which they sold on the sabbath:" the ful enemies. For this reason, many of the Jews brought squeezing the grapes for wine, and drying them for raisins, their grapes from the vineyards, and trod them in Jerusa- being, it seems, at least frequently attended to at one and lem, the only place of safety which the desolated country the same time. So when Dr. Chandler set out from Smyrafforded. " In those days," said Nehemiah, " saw I in Ju- na to visit Greece, in the end of August, the vintage was dah, some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bring-' ust begun, the black grapes bein spread on the rou ing in sheaves, and lading asses; and also wine, grapes, in beds, exposed to the sun to dry for raisins; while in anand figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought in- other part, the juice was expressed for wine, a mal, with to Jerusalem on the sabbath-day." Had these wine-presses feet and legs bare, treading the fruit in a kind of cistern, been; at a distance from Jerusalem, Nehemiah, who so with a hole or vent near the bottom, and a vessel beneath it strictly observed the precept of resting on that day, would to receive the liquor." (Travels in Greece.) not have seen the violation of which he complains. If the same custom obtained in Judea then, which it seems Our translators, in Mt. Harmer's opinion, seem to have is practised in Greece now, and that the vintage was just been guilty of an oversight in the interpretation of this then finishing, INehemiah must have been particularly verse, which plainly supposes, that sheaves of corn were galled; for it seems they finish their vintage with dancing, brought into Jerusalem at the v~ery time men were treading and therefore I presume with songs, and probably music. the wine-presses. This, he observes, is a strange anachro- For speaking of the Greek dances, of which some are supnisme, since the harvest there was finished in or before the posed of very remote antiquity, and of one in particular, third month, and the vintage was not till the seventh. But, called the crane, he says, " the peasants perform it yearly it may be replied in favour of our translators, that by Mr. in the street of the French convent, where he and his comHarmer's own admission, they have at present a species of panions lodged at that time, at the conclusion of the vintcorn in the East, which is not ripe till the end of summer; age; joining hands, and preceding their mules and their which made Rauwolf say, it was the time of harvest when asses, which are laden with grapes in panniers, in a very he arrived at Joppa, on the thirteenth of September. But curved and intricate figure; the leader waving a handkerif they have such a species of corn now, it is more than chief, which has been imagined to denote the clew given probable they had it then; for the customs and manage- by Ariadne;" the dance being supposed to have been inment of the Orientals suffer almost no alteration from the vented by Theseus, upon his escape from the labyrinth. lapse of time, and change of circumstances. If this be ad- Singing seems to have been practised by the Jews in mitted, the difficulty vanishes: and there is nothing incon- their vineyards, and shouting when they trod' the grapes, gruous or absurd in supposing that Nehemiah might see from what we read, Isaiah xvi. 10: but whether dancing his countrymen bringing this late grain in sheaves from too, and whether they carried their profanation of the sabthe field, to tread it out in the city, for fear of their numer- bath this length, in the time of Nehemiah, we are not inous' and malicious foes, who might have set upon them, had formed. Some may have supposed that the words of Jerthey not taken this precaution, as the Arabs frequently do emiah, ch. xxxi. 4, 5, refer to the joy expressed by the Jews on the present inhabitants, and seized the heaps on the in the time of vintage: " Again, I will build thee, and thou barn-floor. Mr. Harmer translates the.Hebrew term, par- shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; thou shalt again be adorncels of grapes; but as the word signifies a heap of any thing, ed with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them it may with equal propriety be rendered parcels or sheaves that make merry. Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the of corn, especially as grapes are mentioned afterward. It mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and eat is true, our author makes them dried grapes, but for the them as common things." Vines and dancing are here word dried he has no authority from the original text; joined together.-BuRDER. there is no good reason, therefore, to find fault with our translators in this instance.-PAXTON. Ver. 25. And I contended with them, and cursed Though the conveniences they have in the wine coun- them, and smote certain of them, and plucked tries for pressing their grapes, were frequently in peaceful tries for pressing their grapes, were freqentl in peacefu off their hair, and made them swear by God, times in their vineyards, yet in times of apprehension these conveniences were often in the cities themselves. Greece, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto to the present day, is frequently alarmed, and always under their sons, nor take their daughters unto your apprehension from corsairs: accordingly we find, that though sons, or for yourselves. the platWfions of olive-trees belonging to Athens are large, and at some distance from thence, yet the mills for grind- In Judea, the punishment of infamy consisted chiefly in ing and pressing the olives are in that town; and this, cutting off the hair of evil-doers: yet it is thought that pain though, according to -his description, the great olive-grove, was added to disgrace, and that they tore off the hair with or wood of these trees, as Dr. Richard Chandler calls it; violence, as if they were plucking a bird alive. This is watered by the Cephissus, is about three miles from the the genuine signification of the Hebrew word used by city, and has been computed as at least sixsmiles long. The Nehemiah in describing his conduct towards those Jews same reason that can induce men to fetch their olives from who had violated the law by taking strange wives: " And a distance into their towns, must operate more or less for- I contended with them, and smote certain of them, and cibly with regard to their grapes.'This was, in particular, plucked off their hair." This kind of punishment was the state of things at the time Nehemiah visited the chil- common in Persia. King Artaxerxes, instead of pluckdren of the captivity. They had many enemies about them, ing off the hair of such of his generals as had been guilty and those very spiteful; and they themselves were very of a fault, obliged. them to lay aside the tiara. The Emweak. For this reason, many of them trod their grapes in peror Domitian caused the hair and beard of the philosoJerusalem itself: "In those days saw I in Judah some pher Apollonius to be shaved,-PAxToN, ESTHER. CHAPTER I. very spacious area, probably containing many acres, cl-. Ver. 5. And when these days were expired, the sriously paved, and having lofty columns of marble, erected in rows at proper distances; to the tops of those columns king made a feast unto all the people that were were fixed rings of silver, through which they drew purpresent in Shushan the palace, both unto great pie cords of fine linen, across from row to row, and from,and small, seven days, in the court of the gar- pillar to pillar; and over those cords they spread large den of the king's palace; 6. Where were whitesheets of delicate calico, possibly painted with blue,.which de f the ing's palace; 6. Wee ee white, would make a very splendid and beautiful sky over all the green, and blue hangings, fastened with cords court, and a delightful shade to all the guests. Instead of or fine linen and purple to silver rings and pil- mats and carpets, they had beds, or couches, of gold and lars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, silver, to sit upon, and were served with wine in vessels of gold. This is probably the idea we are to entertain of upon a pavement of red, and blue, and. white, the furniture ofthisgoigeousbanquet.-TAYLoR' s CONCORDand black marble. ANCE. Dr. Russel.does not represent the pavement of the courts In the houses of the fashionable and the gay, the lower as all mosaic work, and equally adorned, but he tells us, part of the walls is adorned with rich hangings of velvet that it is usually that part that lies between the'fountain and or damask, tinged with the liveliest colours, suspended on the on the south side, that is thus beautified, hooks, or taken down at pleasure. A correct idea of their supposing that there is but one alcove in a court; however, -richness and splendour may be formed from the description it should seem in some other parts of the East, there are which the inspired writer has given of the hangings in the several of these alcoves opening into the c~trt. Maunroyal garden at Shushan, the ancient capital of Persia: drell, who calls them dcans, in his account of the houses of "Where were white, green, and blue hangings, fastened Damascus, says expressly, that they have generally several with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pil- on all sides of the court, "being placed at' such different lars of marble." The upper part of the walls is adorned points, that at one or other of them you may always have with the most ingenious wreathings.and devices, in stucco either the shade or the sun, which you please." Are not and fret-work. The ceiling is generally of wainscot, paint- these alcoves, or duans, of which, according to this, there ed with great art, or else thrown into a'variety of panels, might be several in the court of the palace of Ahasuerus, with gilded mouldings. In the days of Jeremiah.the prophet, what the sacred writer means by the beds adorned with silwhen the profusion and luxury of all ranks in Judea were ver and gold' Esth. i. 6. I shall elsewhere show, that the at their height, their chambers were ceiled with fragrant bed where Esther was sitting, and on which Haman threw and costly wood, and painted with the richest colours. Of himself, must more resemble the modern oriental duans, this extravagance, the indignant seer loudly complains: or divans, than the beds on which the Romans reclined at "; Wo unto him that saith, I will build me a wide house their entertainments; and consequently it is more natural and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows: and it to understand those beds of these alcoves, or duans, richly is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion." The adorned with gold and silver, while on the lower variegafloors of these splendid apartments were laid with painted ted pavements carpets were also laid, for the reception of tiles, or slabs of the most beautiful marble. A pavement of those that could not find a place in these duans; on which this kind is mentioned in the book of Esther: at the sump- pavements, Dr. Shaw tells us, they are wont,'in Barbary, tuous entertainment which Ahasuerus made for the princes when much company is to be entertained, to strew mats and and nobles of his vast empire, "the beds," or'couches, carpets.-HARMER. upon which they reclined, "were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble." Plaster of terrace is often used for the same purpose; and the women in the royal house which belonged the floor is always covered with carpets, which are, for the to King Ahasuerus. -most part, of the richest materials. Upon these carpets a range of narrow beds, or mattresses, is often placed The women are not permitted to associate with the other along the sides of the wall, with velvet or damask bolsters, sex at an eastern banquet; but they are allowed to enterfor the greater ease and convenience of the company. To tain one another in their own apartments. When Ahathese luxurious indulgences the prophets occasionally seem suerus, the king of -Persia, treated all the people of his to allude: Ezekiel was commanded to pronounce a " wo capital with a splendid feast, Vashti, the queen, we are to the women that sew pillows to all arm-holes;" and informed," made a banquet for the women in the royal Amos denounces the judgments of his God against them house, which belonged to King Ahasuerus. This, observes " that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves Chardin, is the custox of all the East; the women have upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and their feasts at the same time, but apart from the men. And the calves out of the midst of the stall."-PAXToN. Maillet informs us, in his letters, that the same custom is To gt ve some idea of the grandeur of this feast, we may observed in Egypt. This is undoubtedly the reason that remark, that in eastern countries their houses are built the prophet distinctly mentions "the voice of the brideround a court, in which, upon extraordinary occasions, groom, and the voice of the bride;" he means that the noise company is entertained, being strewed with mats and car- of nuptial mirth was heard in different apartments. The pets. And as the court lies open to the sky, it is usual, in personal voices of the newly married pair cannot be unthe summer, to have it sheltered from the heat of the sun, derstood, but the noisy mirth which a marriage feast by a large awning or veil, which being extended upon ropes commonly excites; for in Syria, and probably in all the reaching across the court, from one side of the top of the surroundng countries, the bride is condemned to absolute house to the other, may be folded or unfolded at pleasure. silence, and fixed by remorseless etiquette to the spot where The Psalmist'seems to allude to some covering of this kind, she has been seated. When the banquet was finished, and Ps. 104. 2: " Who stretchest out the heavens like a cur-. the guests had removed, the poor came in and ate'up the tain." Is. 40.2. (Shaw's Travels, p. 247.) Now the Persian fragments, so that nothing was lost. This custom will king entertained the whole city of Shushan, great and account for the command to the servants, in the parable of small, for seven days together, in the court of the garden the supper, " Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of of the king's palace. In that garden we must suppose a the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, CHAP. 1. ESTHER. 319 and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it suppose; nor is the supposition enfeebled by remarking, is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. that the coliseum, or Flavian amphitheatre, at Roue, has And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the high- still remaining on its walls the marks of the masts, or ways, and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my scaffoldings, which were erected when that immense area house may be filled." These poor and destitute persons was covered with an awning, as it was during the shows were called to the entertainment only before the time when, exhibited there to the Roman public. The word rendered according to the custom of the country, they were expected brace (1rus) signifies to catch, to lay hold of, to connect; it to attend.-PAxToN. may be thought that these braces went from side to side of Females, in the East, never have their feasts in the same the house; were fastened to proper projections, high in the room as the men, because it would be highly indecorous to- sides of the building; and, passing under the white canvass, wards their LORDS, and they would not be able to go to those blue braces must have had an ornamental effect. In the lengths of merriment, as -when alone. On meeting, they lower part of the court the preparations consisted in what embrace, and SMELL each other; and after they are seated,' may be called a railed platform on a mustaby: what these comes the betel-leaf, the chunam, and the areca-nuts. Have were the reader will understand, by an extract from Dr. their LORDS given them any new jewels or robes; they are Russel's History of Aleppo. soon mentioned, as a proof of the favour they are in; and' Part of the principal court is planted with trees, and aftier they have finished their food, shroots and scandal flowering shrubs; the rest is paved. At the south end is a become the order of the day.-ROBERTS. square basin of water, with jetsd'eaux, and close to it, upon It may be taken'as a general rule, that wherever our a stone mustaby, is built a small pavilion: or the mnustaby translators have inserted a number of words in italic, they being only railed in, an open divan is occasionally formed have been embarrassed to make sense of the passage; and on it. [Note, a mustaby is a stone platform, raised about some have been inclined tothink, thatin proportion to the two or three feet above the pavement of the court.] This number of words inserted, is the probability of their having being some steps higher than the basin, a small fountain is missed the true import of the place. Without adopting this usually placed in the middle of the divan, the mosaic pavenotion, we may venture to ask the reader, whether he has ment round which being constantly wetted by the jet d'ea, been satisfied with the ideas communicated in the first displays a variety of splendid colours, and the water, as chapter of Estheri-." The king made a feast to all the it runs to the basin through marble channels, which are people that were present at Shushan, the palace; both unto rough at bottom, produces a pleasing murmur. Where great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the size of the court admits of a larger shrubbery, tempothe king's palace; where were white, green, and blue rary divans are placed in the grove, or arbours are formed hangins, fastened with cords of fine linen, and purple, to of slight latticed frames, covered by the vine, the rose, or silver rlngs and pillars of marble; the beds were of gold, the jasmine; the rose shooting to a most luxuriant height, and silver, upon a pavement of red, and -blue, and white, when in full flower, is elegantly picturesque. Facing the and black marble." What are we to understand by all basin, on the south side of the court, is a wide, lofty, arched this 1 hangings fastened to silver rings, to pillars of mar- alcove, about eighteen inches higher than the pavement, ble. cords made of fine linen' beds of gold and silver, and entirely open to the court. It is painted in the same laid on the pavement? &c. Commentators give very little manner as the apartments, but the roof is finished in plain information on this passage: and it is much better to trust or gilt stucco; and the floor round a small fountain is at once to ourselves, than to transcribe their conjectures. paved with marble of sundry colours, with a jet d'eau in The first thing observable is the canopy covering the the middle. A large divan is here prepared, but being court: it was of white canvass, (carpas, oae-:) the braces of intended for the summer, chints and Cairo mats are emit were blue, ()nx nn-om) that is, the cords, &c. used to ployed instead of cloth, velvet, and carpets. It is called, by support this canopy, and to keep it in its place, properly way of distinction, The Divan, and by its north aspect, and extended, &c. over head. Secondly, in the court below a sloping painted shed projecting over the arch, being prowere pavilions, platforms, or railed divisions [the word tected from the sun, it offers a delicious situation in the hot chebeli (,?n) signifies the railed deck of a ship] of linen months. The sound, not less than the sight, of thejetsd'eanx, [or, hung with linen] and of aragaman, [calico? fine is extremely refreshing; and if there be a breath of air cotton l] upon railings of silver pillars-smaller pillars stirring, it arrives scented by the Arabian jasmine, the (galili, ~5i) silvered over, and columns of white marble; henna, and other fragrant plants, growing in the shrubbery, and the divan cushions were embroidered with gold and or ranged in pots round the basin. There is usually on silver: these were placed upon mustabys of porphyry (red each side of the alcove a small room, or cabinet, neatly marble)'and white marble, and round-spotted marble, and fitted up, and serving for retirement. These rooms are marble with wandering, irregular veins. To justify this called kubbe, whence probably the Spaniards derived their description, we shall first consider the canopy; the reader al coba, which is rendered by some other nations in Europe, will judge of its probability and use by the following quo- alcove." In another part Dr. Russel gives a print of a tations:- mustaby, with sundry musicians sitting on it, on which he "Among the ruins remaining at Persepolis, is a court, observes, "The front of the stone mustaby is fitted with containing many lofty pillars: one may even presume that marble of different colours. Part of the court is paved in these columns did not support any architrave, as Sir John mosaic, in the manner represented in'the print." This Chardin has observed, but we may venture to suppose, that print "shows, in miniature, the inner court of a great a covering of tapestry, or linen, was drawn over them, to house. The doors of the kaah, and part of the cupola, intercept the perpendicular projection of the sunbeams. It appear in front; on the side, the high arched alcove, or is also probable that the tract of ground where most of the divan, with the shed above; the marble facing of the muscolumns stand, was originally a court.before the palace, taby, the mosaic pavement between that and the basin, and like that which was before the king's house at Susa, men- the fountain playing." tioned Esther, chap. v. and through which a flow of fresh This account of Dr. Russel's harmonizes perfectly with air was admitted into the apartments."-(LeBruyn.) This the history in Esther, and we have only to imagine that the idea of Le Bruyn, formed almost on the spot, supports our railings, or smaller pillars of the divan, on the mnustaby in suggestion of a canopy covering the court. It is confirmed the palace of Ahasuerus, were of silver, (silver-gilt,) while also by the custom of India. We-have been told by a gen- the larger, called colhtmns, placed at the corners, or elsefileman from whom we requested information on this sub- where, were of marble; the flat part of the mustaby also ject, that " at the festival of Durma Rajah, in Calcutta, the being overspread with carpets, &c. on which, next the railgreat court of a very large house is overspread with a ings, were cushions richly embroidered, for the purpose of covering made of canvass, lined with calico; and this lining being leaned against. These things, mentioned in the is ornamented with broad stripes, of various colou:s, in scripture narration, if placed according to the doctor's aewhich (in India, observe) green predominates. On ecca- count, enable us to comprehend the whole of the Bible desion of this festival, which is held only once in three years, scription, and justify every word in it. That the last three the master of the house gives wine and cake, and other words describe thi'ee different kinds of marble, of which refreshments, to the English gentlemen and ladies who the mustaby of Ahasuerus was composed, is evident from wish to see the ceremonies; he also gives payment, as well the signification of their roots. And as to the linen which as hospitality, to those who perform them." That such a was appenided to the railings, with its accompanying ai'acovering would be necessary in hot climates we may easily gamarn, we may ask, if this word signifies pu'ple, what was 320 EST HE R. CIIAP. 1-5. the subject of it, silk, worsted, or cotton! WVas it the chints they cast Pur, that %,, he lot, before Haman, of Dr. Russel. or was it of the diaper kind,-that is, figured from day to day, and from month to month, to'linen. or was it calico I which, on the whole, we think it was. —TAYLOR IN CALMET. the twelfth montoh, that is the month Adar. * Ver. 11. To bring Vashti the queen before the It was customary in the East, by casting lots into an urn,'lin, with the crown royal, to show the people to inquire what days would be fortunate, and what not, to king, *. r X >. undertake any business in. According to this superstitious and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to practice, Haman endeavoured to find out what time in the look on. year was most favourable to the Jews, and what most unlucky. First he inquired what month was most unfortuThe Persians, on festival occasions; used to produce their nate, and found the month Adar, which was the last month women in public. To this purpose Herodotus relates a in the year, answerable to our February. There was no story of seven Persians being sent to Amyntas, a Grecian festival during this month, nor was it sanctified by any peprince, who received them hospitably, and gave them a culiar rites. Then he inquired the day, and found the thirsplendid entertainment. When, after the entertainment, teenth day was not auspicious to them, ver. 13. - Some think they began to drink, one of the Persians thus addressed there were as many lots as there were days in the year, and Amyntas: " Prince of Macedonia, it is a custom with us for every day he drew a lot; but found none to his mind, till Persians, whenever we have a public entertainment, to he came to the last month of all, and to the middle of it. introduce our concubines and young wives." On this prin- Now this whole business was governed by providence, by ciple Ahasuerus gave command to bring his queen Vashti which these lots were directed, and not by the Persian gods, into the public assembly.-BuRDER. to fall in the last month of the year; whereby almost a whole year intervened between the design and its execuVer. 12. But the queen Vashti refused to come tion, and gave time for Mordecai to acquaint Esther with at the king's commandment by his chamber- it, and for her to intercede with the king for the reversing, ains: therefore was the king very wroth, and or suspending his decree, and disappointing the conspirahis anger burned in him. When a person is speaking to you, on almost any sub- Ver. 10. nd the king took his ring from his ject, he keeps saying every moment, " Be not angry, my hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hamlord;" or, "Let not your anger burn." Judah said to medatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. Joseph, " Let not thine anger burn." " Go not near that manl; his anger is on fire." " Well, well, what is the mat- This he did both as a token of affection and honour. ter with that fellow?" " Not much; some one has put the TWith the Persians, for a king to give a ring to any one, torch to his anger." "Go, throw some water on that fire, was a token and bond of the greatest love and friendship or it will not soon be out."-ROBERTS. imaginable. It may be this was given to Haman to seal with it the letters that were or should be written, giving orCHAPTER II. ders for the destruction of the Jews. Among the Romans, Ver. 9. And the maiden pleased him, and she in aftertimes, when any one was put into the equestrian order, a ring was given to him, for originally none but knights herher things for prifcaton, wth su. t h s were allowed to wear them. It was sometimes used in apher her things for purification, with such things pointing a successor in the kingdom: as when Alexander as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which was dying, he took his ring from off his finger, and gave it were meet to be given her, out of the king's to Perdiccas, by which it was understood that he was to house: and he preferred her and- her maids succeed him.BURDER. unto the best place of the house of the women. CHAPTER V. After these presents followed eleven caroches (coaches) Ver. 6. And the king said unto Esther at the full of young maidens, slaues to serue the bride: these banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it caroches were couered and shut, and either of them at- shall be ranted thee: and what is thy request tended by eunuchs, Moores: after these followed twenty- eight virgins' slaues, attired in cloth of gold, and accom- even to the half of the kingdom it shall be perpanied by twenty-eight blacke eunuchs all on horsebacke, formed. and richly clad. After which were seen two hundred and forty mules, loaden with tents of tapestrie, cloath of gold, The time of drinking wine in the East, is at the beginsattin, veluet, with the ground of gold, with many cushions, ning, not at the close of entertainments, as it is with us. which are the chaires the ladies of Turkie use, with many Sir John Chardin has corrected an error of a French comother rich and sumptuous moueables. (Knolles's History mentator, as to this point, in his manuscript note on Esther of the Turks.) —BURDE.' v. 6. It seems the commentator had supposed the banquet of wine meant the dessert, because this is our custom in Vet. i 1. And Mordecai walked every day before the West; but he observes, " that the eastern people, on the the court of the women's house, to know how contrary, drink and discourse before eating, and that after Esther did, and what should become of her. the rest is served up, the feast is quickly over, they eating very fast, and every one presently withdrawing. They The apartments of the women are counted sacred and conduct matters thus at the royal table, and at those of their inviolable, over all the East; it is even a crime to inquire great men." Dr. Castell, in his Lexicon, seems to have what passes within the walls of the harem, or house of the been guilty of the same fault, by a quotation annexed to women' Hence, it is extremely difficult to be informed of that note. the transactions in those sequestered habitations; and a Chardin's account agrees with that of Olearius, who tells,man, says Chardin, may walk a hundred days, one after us, that when the ambassadors he attended were at the Perrnother, by the house where the women are, and yet know sian court, " at a solemn entertainment, the floor of the,} more what is done there than at the farther end of Tar- hall was covered with a cotton cloth, which was covered tary.. This sufficiently explains the reason of Mordecai's with all sorts of fruits and sweetmeats, in basins of gold. conduct, who " walked every day before the court of the That with them was served up excellent Shi ras wine. women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should That after an hour's time, the sweetmeats were removed, become of her."-PAxTo N. I to make way for the more substantial part of the entertainment, such as rice, boiled and roasted mutton, fowl, game, CHAPTER III. &c. That after having been at table an hour and a half, Ver. 7. In the firstmontb, (that is the 1onth Ni- *warm water was brought, in a ewer of gold, for washing;, and grace being said, they began to retire without speaking san,) in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, a word, according to the custom of the country, as also did CHAP. 6..' ESTHER. 321 the ambassadors soon after." This is Olearius's account, CHAPTER VI. in short: by which it appears, that wine was brought first; Ver. 1. On that night coud not the ing sleep; that the time of that part of the entertainment was double On that night could not the king sleep'o the other; and that immediately after eating they with- and he commanded to bring the book of rec drew. This was the practice of the modern court of Per- ords of the Chronicles; and they were read sia, and probably might be so in the days of Ahasuerus. before the king. Unluckily, Diodati and Dr. Castell did not attend to this circuhistauce, in speaking of the banquet of wine prepared That which was practised in the court of Ahasuerus, in by Queen Esther.-HARaER. the passage now referred to, appears to have been customary in the Ottoman porte. "It was likewise found in the Ver. 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful records of the empire, that the last war with Russia had and with a glad heart: but when Hnaman saw occasioned the fitting out of a hundred and fifty galliots, CMorodecai in the kings's gate, that he stood not intended to penetrate into the sea of Azoph: and the particulars mentioned in the account of the expenses not sFeup, nor moved for him, he was full of indig- cifying the motives of this armament, it was forgotten that nation against Mordecai. the ports of Azoph and Taganrag stood for nothing in the present war; the building of the galliots was ordered, and This is. indeed, a graphic sketch of eastern manners. carried on with the greatest despatch." (Baron De Tott.) The colours are so lively and so fresh, that they might "The king has near his person an officer, who is meant have been but the work of yesterday. See the native gen- to be his historiographer; he is also keeper of his seal, tleman, at the head of his courtly train: he moves along in and is obliged to make a journal of the king's actions, good pompous guise, and all who see him arise from their seats, or bad, without comment of his own upon them. This, take off' their sandals, and humbly move in reverence to when the king dies, or at least soon after, is delivered to him. To some he gives a graceful wave of the hand; to the council, who read it over, and erase every thing false others not a word nor a look. Should there be one who in it, while they supply every material fact that may have neither stands up nor moves to him, his name and place of been omitted, whether purposely or not." (Bruce.)-BURDnER! abode will be inquired after, and the first opportunity eagerly embraced to glut his revenge. The case of Mut- Ver. 7. And Haman answered the king, For the too-Chadde-Appa, modeliar of the Dutch governor Van man whom the king delighteth to honour 8 Let de Graaff's gate, is illustrative of this disposition. A, Moorman of high bearing and great riches had purchased the royal apparel be brought which the king the rent of the pearl fishery of the bay of Ondachy, and, useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth in consequence, was a person of great influence among the upon, and the crown royal which is set upon people. The proud modeliar was one day passing along his head: 9. And let this apparel and horse be the road, where was seated on his carpet the renter of the delivered to the hand of one of the king's most pearl fishery. He arose not, moved not to him, when pass- to the hand of one of the king ing by, and the modeliar's soul was fired with indignation. noble princes, that they may array the man He forthwith resolved upon his ruin, and, by deeply-formed withal whom the king delighteth to honour, intrigues, too well succeeded. The rent was taken from and bring the Moorman; the money he had advanced to the head- an ng him on horseback through the street men, the officers, the boatmen, the divers, and others, was of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall lost; his estates were sold; and, to make up the deficiency, it be done to the man whom the king delighteth he himself was disposed of by auction for four hundred to honour. and twenty-five rix-dollars, and the modeliar became the purchaser.-ROBEoRTnSr. See on Matt. 11. 21. Pitts gives an account of a cavalcade at Algiers, upon a Ver. 12. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the person's turning Mohammedan,which is designed to do hirn queen did let no man come in with the king as well as their law, honour. "The apostate is to get on unto the banquet that she had prepared bu horseback, on a stately steed, with a rich saddle and fine trappings; he is also richly habited, and hath a turban on myself; and to-morrow am I invited unto her his head, but nothing of this is to be called his own; only also with the king. there are given him about two or three yards of broadcloth, which is laid before him on the saddle. The horse, with The kings of Persia very seldom admitted a subject to him on his back, is led all round the city, which he is sevtheir table. Athenuus mentions it as a peculiar honour, eral hours in doing. The apostate is attended with drums which no Grecian enjoyed before or after, that Artaxerxes and other music, and twenty or thirty sergeants. These condescended to invite Timogoras, the Cretan, to dine even march in order, on each side of the horse, with naked at the table where his relations ate; and to send sometimes swords in their hands. The crier goes before, with a loud a part of what was served up at his own; which some per- voice giving thanks to God for the proselyte that is made." sons looked upon as a diminution of his majesty, and a The conformity of custom inthe instance now cited, and the prostitution of their national honour. Plutarch, in his life passage alluded to in Esther, must appear remarkable.of Artaxerxes, tells us, that none but the king's mother, BURDER. and his real wife, were permitted to sit at his table; and Herodotus relates, that the kings of Persia had horses he therefore mentions it as a condescension in that prince, peculiar to themselves, that were brought from Armenia, that he sometimes invited his brothers. Haman, the prime and were remarkable for their beauty. If the same law minister of Ahasuerus, had therefore some reason to value prevailed in Persia as did in Judea, no man might ride on himself upon the invitation which he received, to dine the king's horse, any more than sit on his throne, or hold with the king: "Haman said, moreover, Yea, Esther the his sceptre. This clearly discovers the extent of Haman's queen let no man come in with the king, into the banquet ambition, when he proposed to bring " the royal apparel which she had prepared, but myself; and to morrow am I which the king used to wear, and the horse that the king invited unto her also with the king." The same ambitious rode upon, and the crown which is set upon his head." mtinister received another mark of great distinction from. The crown royal was not to be set on the head of the ma;., his master: "The king took his ring from his hand, and but on the head of the horse; this interpretation is allowed gave it unto Haman." This he did, both as a token of by Aben Ezra, by the Targum, and by the Syriac version. affection and honour; for when the king of Persia gives a No mention is afterward made of the crown, as set upon the ring to any one, it is a token and bond of the greatest love head of Mordecai, nor would Haman have dared to advise and friendship. "H Iere also," says Mr. Forbes, "-we see what, by the laws of Persia, could not be granted, But it an exact description of the mode of conferring honour on was usual to put the crown royal on the head- of a horse the favourite of a sovereign, a princely dress, a horse, and led in state; and this we are assured is a custom in Persia, a ring; these are now the usual presents to foreign ambas- as it is with the Ethiopians, to this day'; from them it passed! sadors, and between one Indian prince and another-PAX- into Italy; for the horses which the Romans-yoked in theit TON.w' triumphal chariots were adorned with crowns.-:PAXTONx. 322 ESTHE R. CIIAP. 7-9. Very few English readers are sufficiently aware of the itary exploits of David. The history of Mordecai having importance attached to the donation of robes of honour in taken place in Persia, every custom of that country, by the East. They mark the degree of estimation in which which it may be illustrated, is the more strictly appropriate the party bestowing them holds the party receiving them; and acceptable.-TAYLOR IN CALMET. and sometimes the conferring or the withholding of them leads to very serious negotiation, and misunderstandings. CHAPTER VII. "The prince of Shiraz," says Mr. Morier, "went in his Ver. 7. And the king arising from the banquet greatest state to Kalaat Poushan, there to meet and to be of wine in his wrath, en ino he palace-garinvested with the dress of honour, which was sent him by the king, on the festival of No-Rouz. Although the day of den: and Haman stood up to make request for the festival had long elapsed, yet the ceremony did not take his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that place until this time, as the astrologers did not announce a there was evil determined against him by the day sufficiently fortunate for the performance of an act of so much consequence as this is looked upon to be through- king. out Persia. All the circumstances attendant upon the re- When the ing of Persia," says Tavernier, "orders a ception of a Kalaat being the great criterions by which the person toe executed, and then rises, and goes into a public may judge of the degree of influence which the reZ!)man's apartment, it is a sign that no mercy is to be hoped ceiver has at court, every intrigue is exerted during the for." But even the sudden rising of the king in anger, was preparation of the Kalaat, that it maybe as indicatve of th the same as if he had pronounced the sentence of death. royal favour as possible. The person who is the bearer of the same as if he had pronounced the sentence of death.,royal favour as possible. The person who is the bearer o Olearius relates an instance of it, which occurred when he it, the expressions used in the firman, which announces its was in Persia. Schah Sefi once felt himself offended b having been conferred, the nature of the Kalaat itself, are wasinPersia. unseasonable jokes, Which one of his favourites allowed all circumstances that are examined and discussed by the himself in his presence. The king im mediately rose and Persian public. A common Kalaat consists of a caba, or i coPersian public. A common Kalaat ~consists of a can, ort retired, upon which the favourite saw that his life was forcoat; a lkmmer-bund, or zone; a gouch-peech, or shawl for the feited. He went home in confusion, and in a few hours head: —when it is intended to be more distinguishing, a sword terward the in sent for his head RENMwLLE. or a dagger is added. To persons of distinction, rich furs are given, such as a catabee, or a coordee; but when the Ka- Ver. 8. Then the king returned out of the palacelaat is complete, it consists exactly of the same articles as the presentwhichCyrusmadeto Syennesis, namely, a horsewith garden into the place of the banquet of wine; a golden bridle, i'7r7ro XpeovXtvov; a golden chain, 0-p0r-ov and Haman was fallen -upon the bed whereon xpvfrosv; a golden sword, dKyaciyv Xpvouiev; besides the dress, the Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force,-roAx1v ripoteKV, which is complete in all its parts. Such, or the quee also beforemeinthehouse? s the nearly such, was the Kalaat which the prince went out to meet; and consequently he gave as much publicity to it as word went out of the king's mouth, they coverhe could devise.... The prince himself was conspicuous at a ed Haman's face. distance, by a.parasol being borne over his head, which, to this day, is a privilege allowed only to royalty, and is exem- The majesty of the kings of Persia did not allow maleplified by the.sculptures at Persepolis, where the principal factors to look at them. As soon as Haman was so conpersonage is frequently designated by a parasol carried over sidered, his face was covered. Some curious corresponhim... The road, about three miles, was strewn with roses, dent examples are collected together in Poole's Synopsis, in and watered; both of which are modes of doing honour to loc. From Pococke we find the custom still continues. persons of distinction; and, at very frequent intervals, glass Speaking of the artifice by which an Egyptian bey w as vases, filled with sugar, were broken under his horses' feet. taken off, he says, " A man being brought before him like The treading upon sugar is symbolical, in their estimation, a'malefactor just taken, with his hands behind him as if of prosperity; the scattering of flowers was a ceremony tied, and a napkin put over his head, as malefactors comperforned in honour of Alexander, on his entry into Baby- monly have; when he came into his presence, suddenly shot lon, and has perhaps some affinity to the custom of cutting him dead."-BURDER. down branches off the trees, and strewing them in the way,.as was practised on our Saviour's entry into Jerusalem, Mark xi. 5. The other circumstance,'the spreading of Ver. 10. And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' garments in the way,' is used in the scriptures as an- name, and sealed it with the king's ring; and nouncing royalty.", In another passage, Mr. Morier observes, that the Persian sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders plenipotentiary to the signature of a treaty with Russia, on mules, camels, and young dromedaries. " at first was at a loss how to make himself equal in person- See on Job 9. 25. al distinctions (and numerous titles) to the Russian negotiator; but recollecting that, previous to his departure, his Ver. 15. And Mordecai went out from the pressovereign had honoured him by a present of one of his ence of the king in royal apparel of blue and swords, and of a dagger set with precious stones, to wear which is a peculiar distinction in Persia; and besides, had white, and with a great crown of gold, and clothed him with one of his own shawl robes, a distinction with a garment of fine linen and purple: and of still greater value, he therefore designated himself in the the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. preamble of the treaty as endowed with the special gifts of the monarch, lord of the dagger set in jewels, of the sword See on Dan. 5. 29. adorned with gems, and of the shawl coat already worn. This may appear ridiculous to us, but it will be remembered that the bestowing of dresses as a mark of honour Ver. 19. Therefore the Jews of the villages, that among eastern nations, is one of the most ancient customs dwelt- in the unwalled towns, made the fourrecorded both in sacred and profane history. We may teenth day of the month Adar f gladness learn how great was the distinction of giving a coat already worn, by what is recorded of Jonathan's love for David: and feasting, and a good day, and of sending' And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon portions one to another. him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle,' (1 Sam. xviii. 4;) See on Nehem. 8. 10.' and also in the history of Mordecai, we read,' For the man On the first of the Hindoo month of July, also on the first whom the king delighteth to honour, let the royal apparel day of the new moon of their October, the people send porbe brought which the king used to wear,' &c. Esther v. 7,8." tions of cakes, preserves, fruits, oil, and clothes, one to The reader will be pleased with these additional cireum- another. —RoBERlss. stances and authorities: but, perhaps, he will do well to The eastern princes. and people not only invite their consider the sword, the bow, and the girdle of Jonathan, as friends to feasts, but " it is their custom to send a portion of military appendage:. and as peculiarly referring to the ail- the banquet to those that cannot well come to it, especially CHAP. 10. EST IE. 32. their relations, and those in a state of mourning." (Char- which Christians cannot view without reverence, I sent to din.) Thus when the grand emir found it incommoded request that favour of the priest, under whose care it is MII. D'Arvieux to eat with him, he desire,4 him to take his preserved. He came to me immediately on my message, own time for eating, and sent him from his kitchen, what and seemed pleased with the respect nianifested towards he liked, and at the time he chose. the ancient people of his nation, in the manner with which This was the name, after the Babylonish captivity, of the I asked to be admitted to their shrine. I accompanied the twelfth month, nearly answering to our February, O. S. and priest through the town, over much ruin and rubbish, to an perhaps so called from the richness or exuberance of the enclosed piece of ground, rather more elevated than any in earth in plants and flowers at that season, in the warm its immediate vicinity. In the centre was the Jewish tomb; eastern countries. "As February advances, the fields, a square building of brick, of a mosque-like form. with a which were partly green before, now, by the springing up rather elongated dome at the top; the whole seems in a of the latter grain, become entirely covered with an agree- very decaying state; falling fast to the mouldered condition able verdure; and though the trees continue in their leafless of some wall fragments around, which, in former times, state till the end of this month, or the beginning of March, had been connected with, and extended the consequence of yet the almond, when latest, being in blossom before the the sacred enclosure. The door that admitted us into tlhe middle of February, and quickly succeeded by the apricot, tomb is in the ancient sepulchral fashion of the countryl peach, &c. gives the gardens an agreeable appearance. very small; consisting of a single stone of'great thickness The spring now becomes extremely p.easant." (Russel's and turning on its own pivots from one side. Its key is Nat. Hist. of Aleppo.) —BuaDEa. always in possession of the head of the Jews, resident at Hamadan; and doubtless has been so preserved, from tie Ver. 26. Wherefore they called these days Purim, time of the holy pair's interment, when the grateful sons.-ef after the name of Pur. the captivity, whose lives they had rescued from universc l massacre, first erected a monument over the remains f This festival was to be kept two days successively, the their benefactors, and obeyed the ordinance of gratitude, ii fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar, ver. 21. On making the anniversary of their preservation, a lastinC both days of the feast the modern Jews read over the Me- memorial of heaven's mercy, and the just faith of Esihef gillah, or book of Esther, in their synagogues. The copy and Mordecai.' So God remembered his people, and jnsthere read must not be printed, but written on vellum, in tified his inheritance. Therefore those days shall be tnto the form of a roll; and the names of the'ten sons of Haman them, in the month Adar, the fourteenth and fifteenth daov are written on it in a peculiar manner, being ranged, they of the same month, and with an assembly, and joy,,,l; say, like so many bodies hanged on a gibbet. The reader with gladness before God, according to the generation tor must pronounce all these names in one breath. Whenever ever among his people.' Esth. x. 12, 13. The pilgrimage Haman's name is pronounced, they make a terrible noise yet kept up, is a continuation of this appointed assemblii. in the synagogue: some drum with their feet on the floor, And thus having existed from the time of the evept, such and the boys have mallets, with which to knock and make a memorial becomes an evidence to the fact, more convina noise. They prepare themselves for their carnival by a cing, perhaps, than even written testimony; it seems a kind previous fast, which should continue three days, in imita- of eyewitness. The original structure, it is said, was edetion of Esther's, Esther iv. 16, but they have mostly reduced stroyed at the sacking of the place, by Timour; and soon.t to one day.-JENNINGS. after that catastrophe, when the country became a little settled, the present unobtrusive building was raised on fthe CHAPTER X. original spot. Certain devout Jews of the city stood at the Ver. 3. For Mordecai the Jew was next unto the expense; and about a hundred and fifty years ago, (neartly kingo Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, five hundred after its re-erection,) it was fully repaired by and) a o t m o h bh, a rabbi of the name of Ismael. On passing through th'e and accepted of the multitude of hisbrethren, little portal, which we did in an almost doubled position, seeking the wealth of his people, and sneaking we entered a small arched chamber, in which are seen the peace to all his seed. graves of several rabbis: probably, one may cover the remains of the pious Ismael; and, not unlilely, the others Sir John Malcolm tells us, that the sepulchre of Esther may contain the bodies of the first rebuilders, after the and Mordecai stands near the centre of the city of Hama- sacrilegious destruction by Timour. Having trod lightly dan. It is a square building, terminated by a dome, with by their graves, a second door of such very confined an inscription in Hebrew upon it, translated and sent to dimensions presented itself at the end of this vestibule, that him by Sir Gore Ouseley, late ambassador to the court of we were constrained to enter it on our hands and knees, and Persia. It is as follows: " Thursday, fifteenth of the month then standing up, we found ourselves in a larger chamber. Adar, in the year 4474 from the creation of the world. to which appertained the dome. Immediately under'its was finished the building of this temple, over the graves of concave, stand two sarcophagi, made of a very dark wood, Mordecai and Esther. by the hands of the good-hearted carved with great intricacy of pattern, and richness of brothers, Elias and Samuel, the sons of the deceased Ish- twisted ornament, with a line of inscription in Hebrew, mael of Kashan." running round the upper ledge of each. Many other A more particular and recent account of this tomb will inscriptions, in the same language, are cut on the walls, be found in the following extract: " This tomb is regarded while one of the oldest antiquity, engraved on a slab of by all the Jews, who yet exist in the empire, as a place of white marble, is let into the wall itself. The priest assured particular sanctity; and pilgrimages are still made to it at me it had been rescued from the-ruins of the first edifice, at certain seasons of the year, in the same spirit of holy peni- its demolition by the Tartars; and, with the sarcophagi tence with which, in former times, they turned their eyes themselves, was preserved on the same consecrated spot," towards Jerusalem. Being desirous of visiting a place, (Sir R. K. Porter.)-BURDER. JOB.' CHAPTER 1. still in general use among Arabic writers, and, in every Veer. 3. His substance also was seven thousand instance, implies the same idea of gyration, or ciIcumambulation.-GooD. sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, Ver. 10. Hast thou not made a hedge about him, and a very great household; so that this man and about his house, and about all that he hath was the greatest of all the men of the east. on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in It is remarkable that in this passage female asses only of his hands, and his substance is increased i are enumerated; the reason is, because in them great part of their wealth consisted; the males being few, and not It is said of a man who cannot be injured, "Why atheld in equal estimation. We find that the former were chlosen for riding by the natives of these parts: and the ass tempt to hurt the fellow there not a hedge about him "You of Balaam is distinguished as a female. They were prob- Yes, yes; the m eliar has become his hdge."-Rouably led to this choice from convenience; for, where the country was so little fertile, no other animal could subsist To give the original veb the full force of its meaning, it so easily as this: and there was another superior advantage uld be derived from the science of engineering, and r in should be derived from the science of engineering, and renin the female; that whoever traversed these wilds upon a dered, "Hast thou not raised a lisdo about him " The she-ass, if he could but find for it sufficient browse and wa- ebrew verb imlies, to fence with sharp spikes, paliter, was sure to be rewarded with a more pleasing and nu- sades, or thorns; and hence th substantive is used for t~ritious bevera~e.-BRYANT. sades, or thorns; and hence the substantive Crow is used for -ritious beverage -BRYAN T. spikes, palisades, or thorns themselves. The Arabian wriVer. 4. And his sons went and feasted in their ters employ the same term, and even the same idiom, still more frequently than the Hebrews. In the Arabic version houses every one his day; and sent and called of the passage before us, the metaphor is varied still for their three sisters, to eat and to drink with further; but the observations thus offered will render the them. variation not difficult of comprehension: thus, instead of being interpreted as above, " Hast thou not made a fence Literally, " were wont and held a banquet-house;" which about him i" it is translated in the Arabic copy, " Hast is not exactly an English idiom. The original phrase lit- thou not protected him with thy hand?" The Syriac runs erally signifies, "a banquet-house," or "open house for to the same effect, while the Chaldee paraphrast translates, feasting;" and hence Tyndal renders it, "made bankettes;" "Hast thou not overcovered him with thy word?" which is not perfectly literal, but far less paraphrastic than In the latter clause of this verse, the words, "increased e ar common rendering, " ent and feasted in their houses." in the land," are, in the Hebrew, "overflowed the land." -Gcoon. Our common version merely gives the sense of the original, without the figure, whose force and, elegance render it Ver. 5. And it was, so, when the days of their highly worthyofbeing retained. The Hebrew (y- ) peraz feasting were gone about, that Job sent and does not simply mean to increase, but to burst or br'eakforth s nctified them, and rose up early in the morn-as a torrent; and hence to oveqfiow or exundate its bounsanctified them, and rose up early in the morn- daries. The word is used in the same rendering in many ing, and offered burnt-offerings according' to parts of the Bible, in which it cannot be otherwise transthe number of them all: for Job said, It may be lated. The following instance may suffice, from the stanthat my sons have sinned, and cursed God in dard English text, 2 Sam. v. 20: " The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters: their hearts. Thtus did Job continually. therefore he called the name of that place Baal-PERAzIM." The Arabians employ, to this hour, the very same term to The feasting continued till they had been at each other's ~ express the mouth or embouchure, the most'rapid and irrehouentrn otin lietsistible part of a stream, in proof of which, Golius, with Chinese, who have their co-fraternities, which they call the much pertinency, brings the following couplet from Gjan brotherhood of the month; this consists of thirty, according hari, the whole of which is highly applicable, and where to the number of days therein, and in a circle they go every *the word mouth, in the second line, is in the original exday to eat at one another's houses by turns. If one man pressed by this very t have not conveniences to receive the fraternity in his own house, he may provide for it at another; and there are many So, at its rushing ealthe mad Euphrates sweeps." public-houses very well provided for this purpose. —BUR-S iDR. Dr. Stock has caught something of the idea, though it is'er. 7. An te Lon sid uto atan Whncenot so clearly expressed as it might have been: Ver. 7. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence "And his possessions burst out through the land." comest thou? T.bten Satan answVered the LORD, comest thou?. TheF n Satan answered the LoD, So the versions of Junius and Treminellius, and Piscator, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, "Et pecus ejus in multitudinem e'ruperit in terra" —" And and walking up and down in it. his cattle, for multitude, have burst forth through the land.' mcpn substance or possesston, is often used for cattle, as the In our common version, "From going to and fro;" but earliest substance or possession. So cattle, among ourtlis is not the exact meaning of the Hebrew otv; which, selves, is said by the etymologists to be derived from capias is well observed by Schultens, imports not so much the talia.-GooD. act of going forward and backward, as of making a circuit or circumference; of going round about. It is hence Ver. 12. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, justly rendered in the Spanish, ". De CERCAR por la tierra,"power; only pon "From encircling or encompassing the earth:" to which a is added, in the Chaldaic paraphrase, " to examine into himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan h}te works of the sons of man.' The Hebrew verb nto is went forth from the presence of the LORD. CHAP. 1. JOB. 325 The subject proposed by the writer of the ensuing poem living fact, which, in the mystery of providence, is perpetis the trial and triumph of the integrity of Job; a character ually occurring in every country: while as to the roundof whose origin no certain documents have descended to ness of the numbers by which the atriarch's possessions us, but who, at the period in question, was chief magistrate, are described, nothing could' have been more ungracefiM or emir, as we should style him in the present day, of the or superfluous than for the poet to have descended to unis city of Uz; powerful and prosperous beyond all the sons of had even the literal numeration demanded it. And. a!the East, and whosi virtue and piety were as eminently though he is stated to have lived a hundred and forty ye is distinguished as his rank. Of the four characters intro- after his restoration to prosperity, and in an era in which duced, into the poem, as his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, the duration of man did not perhaps mueh exceed that of Zophar, and Elihu, the first three are denominated, in all the present day, it should be recollected, that in his persoa, the Greek translations of the poem, kings of the respective as well as in his property, he was specially gifted by the cities or districts to which their names are prefixed; and Almighty: that, from various passages, he seems to have the last is particularized, in the Chaldee paraphrase, as a been younger than all, the interlocutors, except Elihu, and relation of Abraham, and was probably, therefore, a des- much younger than one or two of them; that his longevity'cendant of Buz, the second son of INahor, the brother of is particularly remarked, as though of more than usual cxAbraham, as conjectured by Bochart. There are some tent; and that, even in the present age of the world, vie critics, however, and of great distinction for learning and have well-authenticated instances of persons having lived, piety, who, in opposition to these biographical remarks, in different parts of the globe, to the age of a hundred and contend that the whole of the poem, as well in its charac- fifty, a hundred and sixty, and even a hundred and seventy ters as in its structure, is fabulous. Such especially is the years. opinion of Professor Michaelis, whose chief arguments It is not necessary for the historical truth of the book of are derived from the nature of the exordium, in which Job, that its language should be a direct transcript of that Satan appears as the accuser of Job; from the temptations actually employed by the different characters introduced and sufferings permitted by the great Governor of the into it; for in such case we should scarcely have a single world to befall an upright character; from the roundness book of real history in the world. The Iliad, Shah Nameh, of the numbers by which the patriarch's possessions are and the Lusiad, must at once drop all pretensions to such a described, as seven thousand, three thousand, one thousand, description; and even the pages of Sallust and Cesar, of and five hundred; and, fro_ the years he is said to have Rollin and Hume, must stand upon very questionable anlived after his recovery from disease. It may perhaps be thority. It is enough that the real sentiment be given, and thought to demand a more subjugating force than is lodged the general style copied: and this, in truth, is all that is in these arguments, to transmute into fable what has uni- aimed at, not only in our best reports of parliamentary formly been regarded as fact, both in Europe and Asia, for speeches, but, in many instances, (which indeed is mituch perhaps upwards of four thousand years; which appears more to the purpose,) by the writers of th e New Testament to have descended as fact, in a regular stream of belief, in in their quotations from the Old. The general scope ncld the very country which forms the scene of the history, from moral of the ensuing poem, namely, that the troubles and the supposed time of its occurrence to the present day; the affliction of the good man are, for the most part, designed chief character in which is represented as having had as tests of his virtue and integrity, out of which he vill an actual existence, and is often associated with real char- at length emerge with additional splendour and happiness acters, as Noah, Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob, and So- are common to eastern poets, and not uncommon to those lomon, in various parts of the book which is there held Greece. The Odyssey is expressly constructed upon such most sacred, and which, so far as it is derived from nation- a basis; and, like the poem before us, has every appeaal history or tradition, is entitled to minute attention; and ance of being founded upon real history, and calls in to is (which should seem long since to have settled the question aid the machinery of a sublime and supernatural agency definitely) a character which, precisely in the same man- But in various respects the poem of Job stands alone asi: ner, is associated with real characters in the authoritative unrivalled. In addition to every corporeal snuffering a-nd pages of ihe Old Testament. "It is altogether incredible," privation which it is possible for man to endure, it carries observes M. Michaelis, "that such a conversation ever took forward the trial, in a manner/ and to an extent which?as place between the Almighty and Satan, who is supposed to never been attempted elsewhere, into the keenest facultits return with news from the terrestrial regions." But why and sensations of the mind; and mixes the bitterest tants should such a conversation be supposed incredible? - The and accusations of friendship, with the agonies of faily attempt at wit in this passage is somewhat out of place; for bereavement and despair. The body of other poems ~o-nthe interrogation of the Almighty, "Hast thou fixed thy sists chiefly of incidents; that of the present poem of colview upon my servant Job, a perfect and'upright MAN V loquy or argument, in which the general train of reasoninstead of aiming at the acquisition of news, is intended as ing is so well sustained, its matter so important, its language a severe and most appropriate sarcasm upon the fallen so ornamented, the doctrines it develops so snblime, is spirit. "Hast THOU, who, with superiot faculties and a transitions from passion to passion so varied and abrupt, more comprehensive knowledge of my will, hast not con- that the want of incidents is not felt, and the attention r; tinued perfect and upright, fixed thy view upon a subordi- still riveted, as by enchantment. In other poems, the snate being, far weaker and less informed than thyself, who pernatural agency is fictitious, and often incongruious: ecrae has continued so I" The attendance of the apostate at the the whole is solid reality, supported, in its grand outthhe tribunal of the Almighty is plainly designed to show us, that by the concurrent testimony of every other part of tlhe good and evil angels are equally amenable to him, and scriptures; an agency not obtrusively introduced, but deequally subject to his authority; —a doctrine common to manded by the magnitude of the occasion; and as ot',t-h every part of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and, ex- more exalted and magnificent than every other kmin' of cept in the mythology of the Parsees, recognised by perhaps similar interference, as it is more veritable and solebn:. every ancient system of religion whatever. The part as- The suffering hero is sublimely called forth to the perforimsigned to Satan in the present work is that expressly as- ance of his part, in the presence of nien and of angels; signed to him in the case of Adam and Eve in the garden of each becomes interested, and equally interested, in Its Eden, and of our Saviour in the wilderness; and which is conduct; the Almighty assents to t:he trial, and for a periol assigned to him generally, in regard to mankind at large, withdraws his divine aid; the malice of Satan is in its full by all the Evangelists and Apostles, whose writings have career of activity; hell hopes, earth trembles, and every t eached us, both in their strictest historical narratives, and good spirit is suspended with awful anxiety. The wreck closest argumentative inductions. And, hence, the argu- of his substance is in vain; the wreck of his famiily msent which should induce us to regard the present passage is in vain; the scalding sores of a corroding leprosy are In as fabulous, should induce us to regard all the rest in the vain; the artillery of insults, reproaches, and raiiing, ~;ame light, which are imbued with the same doctrine; —a poured forth from the mouth of bosom fi iends, are in vain. view of the subject which would sweep into nothingness a Though at times put in some degree off his guard, the holy much larger portion of the Bible than I am confident M. sufferer is never com'pletely overpowered. He sustainsthe Michaelis would choose to part with. The other argu- shoclk without yielding: he still hols fast his integrity. ments are comparatively of small moment. We want not Thus terminates the trial of faith: —Sat.n is confounded; fable to tell us that good and upright men may occasionally fidelity triumphs; and the Almnightv, with a ma. nificence become the victims of accumulated calamities; for it is a well worthy of the occasion, unveils Is resplendent tri 326 JOB. CitA. ". btnal, and crowns the afflicted champion with his ap- version gives us, " a band or company rushed forth," the plause. word Sabean being omitted. Saba, or Sheba, was a town This poem has been generally supposed to possess a dra- or city of Arabia Deserta; and the Sabeans and Chalnmatic character, either of a more or a less perfect degree; deans were wont to wander in distinct bands or hordes, bult, in order to give it such a pretension, it has uniformly upon predatory excursions, over the whole of the border been found necessary to strip it of its magnificent exordiumn country, and perhaps, at times, as far as from the banks and close, which are unquestionably narrative; and even of the Euphrates to the outskirts of Egypt. The Bedouin then tihe dramatic cast is so singularly interrupted by the Arabs of the present day present us with the best specimens appearance of the historian himself, at the commencement of these parties of irregular plunderers. Both are equally of every speech, to inform us of the name of the person who entitled to the appellation of Kedarines; the root of which, is about to take up the argument, that many critics, and in Arabic as well as in Hebrew, implies assallt, ic.'wrsiono, among the rest Bishop Lowth, are doubtful of the propriety tumult; and both either have employed, or still continue of referring it to this department of poetry, though they do to employ, as a covering for their tents, a coarse brown not know where else to give it a place. In the present hair cloth. obtained from their dark-coloured and shaggy writer's view of the subject, it is a regular Hebrew epic; goats: whence the fair bride of Solomon, in the song of and, were it necessary to enter so minutely into the ques- songs,tion, it might easily be proved to possess all the more prom- "Brown am I, but comely, 0 ye daughters of Jerusalem! inent features of an epic, as collected and laid down by As the tents of Kedar." — GooD. Aristotle himself; such as unity, completion, and grandeur in its action; loftiness in its sentiments and language; multitude and variety in the passions which it develops. Even and shaved his head, and fell down upon the the characters, though not numerous, are discriminated, ground, and worshipped. and well supported; the milder and more modest temper OC Eliphaz is -wNell contrasted with the forward and unre- These are two of the actions by which great distress or strained violence of Bildad; the terseness and brevity of agony of mind has, in' all ages, been accustomed to be exZophar with the pent-up and overflowing fulness of Elihu; pressed in the East. In addition to these, sometimes the while in Job himself we perceive a dignity of mind that hair of the beard was also shaven or plucked off, as was -nothin- can humiliate, a firmness that nothing can subdue, done by Ezra, on his arrival at Jerusalem, on finding that still habitually disclosing themselves, amidst the mingled the Hebrews, instead of keeping themselves a distinct tumult of hope, fear, rage, tenderness, triumph, and de- and holy people, after their return from captivity, had inspair, with which he is alternately distracted. I throw out termixed with the nations around them, and plunged into this hint, however, not with a view of ascribing any addi- all their abominations and idolatries. Ezra x. 3. And tional merit to the poem itself, but merely to observe, so far sometimes, instead of shaving the hair of the head, the as a single fact is possessed of authority, that mental taste, mourrlr, in the fulness of his humiliation and self-abaseor thie internal discernment of real beauty, is the same in ment, threw the dust, in which he sat, all over him, and all ages and nations; and that the rules of the Greek critic purposely covered his hair with it. See Job ii. 12. After are deduced from a principle of universal impulse and shaving the head, when this sign of distress was adopted, operation. - a vow was occasionally offered to the Almighty, in the N'othing can have been more unfortunate for this most hope of obtaining deliverance. This seems to have been excellent composition, than its division into chapters, and a frequent custom with St. Paul, who did both, as well at especially such a division as that in common use; in which Cenchrea as at Jerusalem, and in both places probably on nit only the unity of the general subject, but, in many in- this very account. See Acts xviii. 18. and xxi. 24.-GooD, stances, that of a single paragraph, or even of a" single CHAPTER II clause, is completely broken in upon and destroyed. The natural division, and that which was unquestionably in-'Ver. 4. And Satan answered the LORD, and said. tendel by its author, is into six parts, or books; for in this Skin for skin; yea, all that a man lath will he order it still continues to run, notwithstanding all the confu-. sion it has encountered by sub-arrangements. These six parts are, An opening or exordium, containing the intro- The Arabs set the exploits of their chiefs in the dialogue dlctory history and decree concerning Job;-three distinct form, like the book of Job. The Cingalese often spend series of arguments, in each of which the speakers are re- hours at night in reciting alternately the exploits of Budhu, gullar ly allotted their respective turns;-the summing up of and of their sods and devils. I have often been disturbed tie controversy;-and the close or catastrophe, consisting by them. This passage, imperfectly explained by most oi the suffering hero's grand and glorious acquittal, and res- commentators, is, by Mr. Robinson, set in so clear a light. toration to prosperity and happiness. —GOOD. that the reader will be better satisfied with a quotation, than Ver. 14. And there came a messennger unto Job, an abridgment. "Before the invention of monev, trade used to be carried on by barter, that is, by exchanging one and said, The oxen were plotighing, and the commodity for another. The man who had been hunting asses feeding beside them. in the woods for wild beasts, would carry their skins to market, and exchange them with the armourer for so many Heb. " She-asses." Inour common version, whichseems bows and arrows. As these traffickers were liable to be borrowed from Tyndal, asses: yet why the sex, which is robbed, they sometimes agreed to give a party of men a so e-cpressly mentioned in the original and the Septuagint. share for defending them; and skins were a very ancient and is copied into every version with which I am acquaint- tribute. With them they redeemed their own shares of ed, excepting these two, should be here suppressed, I know property and their lives. It is to one or both of these cusnot. Female asses, on account of their milk, were much toms, that the text alludes, as a proverb. Imagine one of more highly esteemed, at all times, in the East, than males, these primitive fairs. A multitude of people from all parts, a few of which only appear to have been kept for continu- of different tribes and languages, in a broad field, all overing the breed_; and hence, perhaps, they are not noticed in spread withl various commoditiestobe exchanged.' Imagine Vetr. 3 of this chapter, which gives us a catalogue of the this fair to be held after a good hunting season, and a bad patriarch's live-stock. She-asses, moreover, on account of harvest. The skinners are numerous, and clothing cheap. their milk, were generally preferred for travelling. The Wheat, the staff of life, is scarce, and the whole fair dread ass of Balaam is expressly declared to have been female,,a famine. How many skins thisyear will a man give for Numb. xxii. 21; as is that of Abraham, Gen. xxii. 3.-GooD. this necessary article, without which, he and his family Vaer. 1E5. And the Sabeans fell ulpoxr, them, and to must inevitably die't Why, each would add to the heap, a t, U l'and put' skin upon skin, for all' the skins'that a man them away; yea, they have slain the servants hath, will he give for his life.' Imagine the wheat growers, with the edge of the sword; and I only am es- of whom Job was one, carrying home the skins, which they caped alone to tell thee. had taken for wheat. Imagine the party engaged to protect them, raising the tribute, and threatening if it were not Hteb. "And the Sabean rushed forth"-a poetic expres- paid, to put them to death. What proportion of skins would vion for " the Sabeans," or "Sabean tribe." The Syriac these merchants give, in this case of necessity'. S/kin upon CHAP. 2. J B. 327 Skin, all the skins that they hLave, will they give foertheir lives. the following mournful manner: c" I am made to possess The proverb then means, that we should save our lives at months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to any price."-CxLLAWAY. me. When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and the night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto Ver. 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the dawning of the day. —When I say, My bed shall comthe IORD, and smote Job with sore biles, from fort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; then thou the sole of his foot unto his crown. scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions so that my'soul chooseth strangling, and death rather thatr Respectable people have the greatest possible dread and my life." The itchiness of ill-conditioned ulcers has often disgust at biles, and all cutaneous diseases. Here, then been ascribed to animalcul, and their stench is intoleradisgust at biles, ad all cut neous dieases. Here, thenble. Accordingly, Job says, in ch. vii. 5, " My flesh is we see the princely Job the victim of a loathsome disorder, ble. Accordingly, Job says, in ch. vii. 5, "My flesh i sitting among the ashes and broken earthen vessels, the clothed with worms and clods of dust: my skin is broken impure refuse of the kitchen and other places. See the and become loathsome." It was said that the tumours and poor neglected object who is labouring under similar ulcers were peculiarly painful on the soles of the feet, from diseases at this day, from the head to the foot; he is covy- e thickness of the ski in those parts; and to that he ered with scales and blotches, around his loins is a scanty refers in ch. xiii. 27, where he says, "Thou sttest a print rag, he wanders from one lonely place to another, and upon the heels of my feet;" literally, " Thdi imprintest when he sees you, stretches out a hand towards you, and thyself, that is, thy wrath, on the soles of my feet." It was when he sees you, stretches out a hand towards you, and another to his sores, and piteously implords help!-ROBiRTS. noticed that the skin in elephantiasis, when the disease hath become general, is loose, rough, and wrinkled; and Job, Velr. 7. So went Satan forth from the presence of ch. xvi. 8, complains of this very thing, that " his skin was tfilled with wrinkles." An offensive breath was noticed as the LoD, and smote Job with sore biles, from' another evil under which the patient laboured; and this the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8. And he was the case with Job, for he complains, in ch. xvii. 1, that took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; "his breath was corrupt; that his days were extinct; and antd he sat down among the ashes. that the grave was ready for him," as for a putrid carcass: adding in verse 44th, "I have said to corruption, Thou art A remarkable disease mentioned in the scriptures is that my father; and to the worm, thou art my mother and my which was inflicted on Job, and of which he so feelingly sister." The only other notice we have of the disease is complains in several parts of his book. Commentators in ch. xxx. 17, 30, where we hear him complaining that his have differed as to its peculiar nature; but the best in- bones were pierced with acute pain in the night season; formed have fixed upon elephantiasis, as a disease well and that his sinews, by their starting, gave him no rest; known in eastern countries, and corresponding with the that his skin was black upon him; and his bones were hints which Job gives of it in his conversations with his burnt up with heat; all which accord well with the disease friends. The following is an abridgment of what is said in question, when it bath taken possession of the system, rf it by Dr. Heberden and Michaelis. It bewins with a and hath filled the body with livid, copper-coloured, scirsudden eruption of tubercles or tumours of different sizes, rhous tumours, or black corrupted ulcers. Upon the whhole, of a red colour, attended with great heat and itching, on then, it appears probable, that the disease with which Job different parts of the body, and a degree of fever, by which was afflicted was elephantiasis.-BRowN. the skin acquires a remarkably shining appearance: but Ver. 8. And he took him apotsherd to scrape when the fever abates, the tubercles become either indolent knots, or in some degree scirrhous, and of a livid or copper himself withal; and he sat down among the colour; and after some months they degenerate into fetid ashes. ulcers. As the disease advances, the features of the face swell, the hair of the eyebrows falls off, the voice becomes This self-abasement appears to have been common among hoarse, the breath exceedingly offensive, the skin of the the Hebrews, as well as the Arabians or Idumseas, and body is unusually loose, wrinkled, rough, destitute of hairs, was so probably among other oriental nations of high antiand overspread with tumours, and often with ulcers, or else quity, in cases of deep and severe affliction. The coarsest with a thick, moist, scabby crust, upon those which have dress, as of hair or sackcloth, was worn on such occasions; begun to dry up; and the legs are sometimes emaciated and the vilest and most humiliating situation, as a dust or anid ulcerated, sometimes affected with tumours, without cinder-heap, surrounded by potsherds and other household ulceration, and sometimes swelled like posts, and indurated, refuse, made choice of to sit in. It may easily be conjechaving very thin scales, apparently much finer than those tured what considerable quantities of potsherds, or fragin leprosy, only not so white; while the soles of the feet, ments of pottery, must have been collected in the dust-heaps being thicker than the rest of the skin, feel peculiarly above referred to, from a recollection, that in the earlier pained by the t umours and ulcers. Such is thle state of ages of the world, when the art of metallurgy was but in its those afflicted with elephantiasis; nor have they even inter- infancy, almost all the domestic utensils employed for missions of ease by refreshing rest; for as their days are every purpose were of pottery alone. Pottery may hence rendered wretched by the distension of the skin by tumours,be fairly supposed the oldest of the mechanical inventions: and a succession of burning, ill-conditioned ulcers, so their and on this account the Hebrew term here made use of, nights are tormented by perpetual restlessnress or frightful (t'n, a potter, pottery, or potsherds,) became afterward dreams. The accuser of the brethren, therefore, evidently extended to signify wares of every other kind, or their showed his sagacity and malice, when lie selected this as abricators, and hence artisans in general, whether in brass the most likely means to provoke Job to impatience. But iron, wood, or stone. The same word also, when used in having described the leading features of the disease, let us the signification of a potsherd, a fragment or splinter of next attend to the hints that are given us in the book of pottery, was also employed to import a sharp instrument in Job, and see whether the one corresponds with the other. general, as a rasp, scraper, or scalpel, a sense in which it In ch. ii. 7, 8, we are told, that " Satan smote Job with sore has to this'day descended to the Arabs; for the Arabic biles, from the sole of his foot even to his crown; and that word, (identically, as to letters, the same as the Hebrew he took a potsherd to scrape himself." This is evidently wan,) as a verb, implies to scrape or rasp with an edged tool descriptive of elephantiasis, in its most active and rapid (the purpose to which the win or shard, was directed in the state, when the body is covered with tumours, which break text;) and, as a substantive, a scab, or sharp and morbid into ulcers, and the skin becomes scaly. In ch. vi. 4, Job incrustation of the skin-the object to which it was applied. complains, that "the arrows of the Almighty were within -GoOD. him, and that the poison thereof drank up his spirit;" Ver. 9. Then said his thereby comparing the pain he felt to. that experienced from poisoned arrows; while the infection of the disease, still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and like the influence of poison, spreads itself over the whole die. frame. It was formerly mentioned as an attendant on elephantiasis, that the patient could obtain no refreshing sleep, Some suppose this ought to be, bless God and die'; but but was tormented with restlessness and frightful dreams. Job would not have reproved his wife for such advice, exAccordingly, Job, in oh. vii. 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, complains in cept she meant it ironically. It is a fact, that when the 328 JOB. CHAP. 3. heathen have to pass through much suffering, they often mourning in the scriptures, so here; and the seventh is ask, "Shall we make an offering to the gods for this?" i. e. always the greatest. The chief mourner, during the whole Shall we offer our devotions, our gratitude, for afflictions?. of these days, will never speak, except when it is absoJob was a servant of the true God, but his wife might have lutely necessary. When a visiter comes in, he simply been a heathen; and then the advice, in its most literal looks and bows down his head. —RoBERTS..acceptation, would be perfectly in character. Nothing is more common than for the heathen, under certain circum- CHAPTER III. stances, to curse their gods. Hear the man who has made Ver. 1. After this opened Job his mouth, and curexpensive offerings to his deity, in hope of gaining some sed his day. great blessing, and who has been disappointed, and he will pour out all his imprecations on the god whose good It is to be observed, says offices have (as he believes) been prevented by some su- Life of Homer,) that the Turs, Arabians and Indians periordeity. A man in reduced circumstances says, "Yes, and in general most of the inhabitants of the East, are a yes; my god has lost his eyes; they are put out; he cannot solitary kind of people; they speak but seldom, and never look after nly afl~airs." Yes," said anextremely richsolitary kind of people; they speak but seldom, and never loo after my affairs." Yes," said an extremely rich long without emotion. Speaking is a matter of moment devotee (V. Chetty) of the supreme god Siva, after he had lost his property, shall I serve him any more among such people, as we may gather from their usual introductions: for, before they deliver their thoughts, they What! mak offerins to him No, no; he is the lowest give notice by saying, I will open -my mouth, as here; that of all gods." With these facts before us, it is not difficult is, unloose their tongue. It is thus in Homer, Hesidd, and to believe that Job's wife actually meant what she said.- Orpheus; and thus also Virgil: --------— finemn dedit ore loquendi. Ver. 10. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as Hemade an endof speakingwithhis mouth.-Bumar one of the foolish women speaketh. What! Ver. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was born, shall we receive good at the hand of God, and and the night in which'it was said, There is a shall we not receive evil 2 In all this did not man-child conceived. Job sin with his lips. Dr. Boothroyd prefers, " Perish the day in which I was It is not easy to know to whom Job alludes by "the born; the night it was said, Lo! a man child." Dr. A. foolish women;" but in all parts of the East, females are Clarke thinks the word conceive " should be taken in the spoken of as being much inferior to man in wisdom; and sense of being born;" and the Tamul translation takes the nearly all their sages have proudly descanted on the igno- same view. When a male child is born, the midwife goes rance of women. In the Hindoo book called the Knc'rral, it outside the house, and says aloud three times, " A male is said, "All women are ignorant." In other works it is child, a male child, a male child is born!"-ROBERTs. said, "Ignorance is a woman's jewel." " Female wisdoro is from the evil one." "The feminine qualities are Ver. 12. Why did the knees prevent me? or why four: ignorance, fear, shame, and impunity." "To a the breasts that I should suck. woman disclose not a secret." "Talk not to me in that way; it is all female wisdom.' —ROBERTS. way; it is thinksall female wisdom."-ReferstoBERthes. wThis is not to be understood of the mother; but either of Sanctius thinks that Job refers to the Idumean women, the midwife who received the new-born infant into her lap, who, like other heathens, when their gods did not pleaseusual for him to take the child them, or they could not obtain of them what they desired, would reproach and cast them away, and throw them into upon his knee ason as it was born, Gen. 1. This custom obtained among the Greeks and Romans. Hence the fire, or the water, as the Persians are said to do.- the goddess Levana had her name causing the father in BURDER. the goddess Levana had her name, causing the father in -BRDER, this way to own the chiild. —GILL. Ver. 1 1. Nowv wrhen Job's three friends heard of Ver. 14. With kings and counsellors of the earth, all this evil that was come upon him, they came which built desolate places fors of the earth, every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar This description is intended as a contrast to that conthe Naamathite: for they had made an appoint- tained in the two ensuing lines; and the same sort of conment together to come to mourn with him, and* trast is admirably continued throughout the entire passage. to comfort him. The grave is the common receptacle of all; of the patriotic princes who have restored to their ancient magnifiHas a man fallen into some great calamity, his friends cence the ruins of former cities, and fixed their palaces in immediately go to his house to comfort him. Thus, to the them; and of the sordid accumulators of wealth, which house of mourning for the dead may be seen numbers of they have not spirit to make use of; of the wicked, who people going daily, studying to find out some source of have never ceased from troubling, and of those who have comfort for their afflicted friend. "Whither are you been wearied and worn out by their vexations; of the oi" "Ascomfortertomyfriendinsorro" "ow high and the low, the slave and his task-master, the sergoing!." "As a comforter to my friend in sorrov." "Hlow great is his distress! he will not listen to the voice of the vant and his lord. This idea has not, in general, been atormforters."-ROBERTS. -tended to, and hence the passage has not been clearly understood. Our common rendering, " Which built desolate Very. 12. And when they lifted up their eyes afar places for themselves," is hardly explicit, though it is literally consonant with most of the versions. Schultens, not off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice adverting to the antithesis intended to subsist betweEsu the and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, fourteenth and fifteenth verses, imagines he perceives in the and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards passage a metaphorical reference to the massy pyramids or heaven. sepulchres of the Egyptian monarchs, of which several have descended to our own day; and this idea has also See on Josh. 7. 6. been generally followed. But the conception is too recondite, and far less impressive, as it appears to me, than that Ver. 13. So they sat down with him upon the now offered. The images and phraseology of this poem, ground seven days and seven nights, and none as I have already had occasion to observe, were often copied by the boldest writers of the Jewish people; by King spake a word unto him: for they saw that his David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; and the smallest atgrief was very great. tention to their respective compositions will show us that the idea here communicated soon became proverbial; and Those who go to sympathize with the afflicted, are often that " the restorer of ruined wastes," or'" of ancient ruins," szlent fcr hours together. As there were sev2n days for was not only a phrase in general acceptation, but regarded CHAP, 4. JOB. 329 as a character of universal veneration and esteem. Thus troubled." How is this? Why is thy practice so much at Isai. lviii. 12:- variance with thy precepts? If thou art the man thou And thy descendants shall rebuild the ancient waste. claimest to be; if thou hast been governed, as thou alleThe foundations prostrate for many ages shalt thou raise up: gest, by a prevailing fear of God, and hast never indfulged a And thou shalt be called Th e re pairer of ruins, feeling of self-sufficient security, why is not this thy fear a source of humble confidence to thee in the day of distress? So Ezek. xxxvi. 33:- and why does not the recollection of the unimpeachable And I will also cause you to dwell in the cities; integrity and uprightness of thy ways, serve as an anchor of And the ruined wastes shall be rebuilt. hope, amid the tossings of a tried and troubled spirit? It is useless to quote further: the parallel passages are al- This surely were to have been expected from one of thy most innumerable.-Goo D. character. A heart conscious of innocence could not but sustain itself in such a trial; it would be entirely contrary Ver. 21. Which long for death, but it covzeth not; to the analogy of the divine dispensations to suppose that and dig for it more than for hid treasures. such a one would be the victim of overwhelming judgments; for "remember, I pray thee, who ever perished We are constantly hearing of treasures which have been being innocent 1 or when were the righteous cast offS" or are about to be discovered. Sometimes you may see a This interpretation makes the whole address of Eliphaz large space of ground, which has been completely turned up, consistent, coherent, and clear, though founded upon the or an old foundation, or ruin, entirely demolished, in hopes fallacy, that men are invariably dealt with in this world of finding the hidden gold. A man has'found a small coin, according to their desert.-BuSH. has heard a tradition, or has had a dream, and off he goes to his toil. Perhaps he has been seen on the spot, or he Ver. 9. By the blast of God they perish, and by has consulted a soothsayer; the reportgets out; and then the breath of his nostrils are they consumed come the needy, the old, and the young, a motley group, all full of anxiety, to join in the spoil. Some have iron in- When people are angry, they distend their nostrils and strumdtnts, others have sticks, and some their fingers to blow with great force: the action may be taken from some scratch up the ground. At last some of them begin to look animals, which, when angry, blow violently through their at each other with considerable susgicion, as if all were not noses. Of a man who is much given to anger, it is said, right, and each seems to wish he had not come on so foolish "That fellow is always blowing through his nose" " You an errand, and then steal off as quietly as they can. I once may blow through your nose for a thousand years, it will knew a deep tank made completely dry, (by immense labour,) never injure me." "Go not near the breathof his nostrils in the hope of finding great treasures, which were said to he will injure you."-ROBERTS. have been cast in during the ancient wars. Passing near, one day, when they had nearly finished' their work, and Ver. 15. Then a spirit passed before my face; the their hopes had considerably moderated, I went up to the sanguine owner, (whose face immediately began to show its of my flesh stood up. chagrin,)' and inquired, "Why are you taking so much gtroubl e to empt y that tank?" He replied, as caltmnly as lee This refers to the great fear of Job; but the same effect could, "1 We are. merely cleaning it out." Poor man! I coubld, " We are merely cleaning it out." Poor man! I is often ascribed to great joy. Thus, in Hindoo books, in believe he found nothing but stones and bones, and a few describing the ecstasy of gods or men, it is often said, copper coins. " Dig for it more than for hid treasures," " The hair of their flesh stood erect." A father says to his finds a practical illustration in the East, and is a fiaure of long absent child, " My son, not having seen your lotus common use in the language. —RoBERTS. face for so long, my hair stands up with joy."-ROBERTS. CHAPTER IV. Ver. 19. How much less on them that dwell in Vei. 2. If we assay to commune with thee, wilt houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, thou be grieved? but who can withhold him- which are crushed before the moth self from spealking? 1 I It is probable that this means a moth-worm,_which is one state of the creature alluded to. It is first enclosed in an The term ii, "to essay or attempt," is peculiarly expres- egg, from whence it issues a worm, and after a time sive in the Hebrew, and is derived from the sense of smell becomes a. complete insect, or moth. The following exexercised by hounds and other animals, in -essaying or tracts from Niebuhr may throw light on this passage, that exploring the track of the prey they are in pursuit of. It is man is crushed by so feeble a thing as a worm -" A disstill used among the Arabs for a pleasant smell or odour.ease very common in Yemen is the attack of the GuineyEliphaz means to insinuate his desire to select the very worm, or the Vena-Medinensis, as it is called by the physimildest reply he could possibly meet with upon a minute cians of Europe. This disease is supposed to be occasioned research, such as, while it answered the purpose of expo- -by the use of the putrid waters, which people are obliged sing the fallacy of the'patriarch's reasoning, should hurt to drink in several parts of Yemen; and for this reason the his feelings as little as possible.-GooD. Arabians always pass water, with the nature of which they are unacquainted, through a linen cloth, before drinking it. Ver. 6. Is not tAis thy fear, thy confidence, the Where one unfortunately swallows any of the eggs of this uprightness of thy ways, and thy hope? insect, no immediate consequence follows; but after a considerable time, the worm begins to show itself through the The clew to the genuine sense of this passage will be skin. Our physician, Mr. Cramer, was, within a few days obtained by a slight transposition of the latter hemistich: of his death, attacked by five of these worms at' once, "Is not this fear of thine, thy confidence; and the upright- although this was more than five months after we had left ness of thy ways, thy hope?" Job had before affirmed, Arabia. In the isle of Karek I saw a French officer named chap. iii. 25,26, " The thing which I greatly feared is come Le Page, who, after a long and difficult journey performed upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. on foot, and in an Indian dress, between Pondicherry and I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; Surat, through the heart of India, was busy extracting a yet trouble came;" i. e. I was continually exercised by a worm out of his body. He supposed that he had got it by godly fear, a holy misgiving; I did not dare to cherish a drinking bad water in the country of the Mahrattas. This sentiment of carnal security; even in the height of my disorder is not dangerous if the person affected can extract prosperity, I was deeply sensible of my exposure to calam- the worm without breaking it. With this view it is rolled ity, and lived habitually under a trembling anticipation of on a small bit of wood as it comes out of the skin. It i is its approach. To this Eliphaz alludes; q. d. Here is some- slender as a thread, and two or three feet long. It gives no thing for which it is hard to account. " Behold, thou hast pain as it makes its way out of the body, unless what may instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak be occasioned by the care which must be taken of it for some hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and weeks. If unluckily it be broken, it then returns into the thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come body, and the most disagreeable consequences ensue, palsy, upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art a gangrene, and sometimes death."-BuRDERa. 330 JOB. CHAP. 5, 6. CHAPTER V. the party exclaimed,' What a bejautiful set of teeth!' and Ver. 5. Whose harvest the hungryeateth up, and from that moment they began to decay." " Alas! alas! hungry poor old Murager purchased a fine milch cow yesterday, taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber and was driving her along the road this morning, on his swalloweth up their substance. way home, when, behold, a fellow met them and said,' Ah, what large teats!' The cow broke from the string, she This seems a manifest allusion to the half-starved Arabs rushed to the hedge, and a stake ran through her udder." of the desert, who were always ready for plunder, as their " Ah, what a miserable man is Valen! a few days ago, as descendants are to this day. Such starvelings are thus de- his wife was nursing the infant, he said,' How comely art scribed by Volney: " These men are smaller, leaner, and thou, my fawn!' when immediately a cancer made its apblacker, than any of the Bedouins yet known; their wasted pearance in her breast, from which she can never recover." legs had only tendons without calves; their belly was glued -ROBERTS. to their back. In general, the Bedouins are small, lean, and swarthy, more so, however, in the bosom of the desert, than Ver. 23. For thou shalt be in league with the on the borders of the cultivated country. They are ordi- stones of the field; and the beasts of the field narily about five feet two inches high. They seldom have the more than about six ounces of food for the whole day. Six shall be at peace with thee. or seven dates, soaked in melted butter, a little milk, or curd, serve a man for twenty-four hours; and he seems See on 2 Kings 3. 19.'happy when he can add a small portion of coarse flour, or a little ball of rice. Their camels also, which are their fierce,andwherethenativeshavesofew meansofdefence, chief support, are remarkably meager, living on the mean- can it be a matter of surprise that people on a journey are est and most scanty provision. Nature has given it a always under the influence of great fear. The father says small head, without ears, at the end of a long neck, with- to his son, when he is about to depart, "Fear not; the out flesh: she has taken from its legs and thighs every beasts will be thy friends." The dealer in charms says, muscle not immediately requisite for motion; and, in when giving one of his potent spells, " Be not afraid, young short, has bestowed on its withered body only the vessels maRt; this shall make the cruel beasts respect thee."and tendons necessary to connect its frame together; she has furnished it with a strong jaw, that it may grind the Ver. 25. Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall hardest aliments; and lest it should consume too much, she has straitened its stomach, and obliged it to chew the cud." be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the.-BURDER. earth. Ver. 7. Yet man is born unto trouble, as the he When a priest, or an aged person, blesses a ycung couple, he says, " Your children shall be as the grass, clarr'ga-pill, sparks fly upward. (Agrostis Linearis.) Yes; you shall twine and bind yourselves together like the grass."-fRoBERTS. Hebrew, " Sons of the burning coal." The word soN, among the Hindoos, is applied to man, and all kinds of Ver. 26. Thou shalt conme to thy grave in a full animal life. Men of ignoble parentage are called sons of age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his seathe foddekcal, i. e. the mechanics. When animals, reptiles, or insects, are troublesome, they ae. called passcisindia son. maggal, sons of the devil; or vease-minaggal, sons of the Literally, "in dried up," or, "shrivelled age;" and hence prostitute, or of the treacherous ones. See|the ploughman, the term here employed, (ir) is applied by the Arabians at his occupation; should the bullocks prove restive, he to designate the winter season, in which everything is corimmediately vociferates the epithets alluded to. Listen to rugated or shriveiled. On which account some commen the almost breathless cowherd, who is running after some tators propose, that the text should be rendered " i the of his refractory kine, to bring them to the fold, and he inte of life;" poetically, indeed, hut not thoroerhly conabuses them in the most coarse and indelicate language. sistent witl the metaphor of a shock of corn: wrhich, in The man also, who, for the first time, discovers the white close congruity with the emblematic picture of winter, at its ants destroying his property, bawls out with all his might, season of maturity, is drie e p and contracted, and thus far "Ah!?vease-nmag-~gal, sons of the prostitute."-RosBErs. offers an equal similitude of ripe old age; but which forciV'er. 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of a'bly increases the similitude by the well known fact, that, like ripe old age also, it must be committed to the earth in the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of de- order to spring to newness of life; for, in both cases, " the struction,when it cometh. seed which thou sowest shall not quicken, except it die." Tyndal has given the passage thus: " In a fayre age lyke Dr. A. Clarke says, "the Targum refers this to the in- as the corn sheewes are broughte into the barne in due seacantations of Balaam: from the injury by the tongue of son:" whence Sandys, Balaam thou shalt be hidden." The people live in great 1" Then, full of days. like weighty shocks of corn, fear of the scourge of the tongue, and that indelendent of In season reaped, shalt to thy grave be borne." an incantation, because they believe the tongues of some Nor very differently Schlltens notwithstanding that he admen have the power of inflicting a dreadful curse on any mits that the Hebrew (ugn) in itself implies congestion, object which has incurred their displeasure. Thus, many accumation, or heaping together." " bs in decrep-o of the evils of life are believed to come from nd-voorie, the accumulation or heaping together." s Intrabts in dectepurse or the scoure ofthe tonue. "Have you heard it& senectute ad tumulum," "Thou shalt enter into the tomb urse or the scournge of thase f itonue. HIave you heart in decrepit age;" meaning, as a shock of corn enters into what Kandan's tongue has done for Muttoo." " No i what the barn-oon. has happened v" "W thy, some time ago, Kandan promised Great is the desire of the men of the East to see a good on his next voyage to bring Muttoo a cargo of rice, but he o age. Thus the beggars, when relieved, ofen bless you, did not leep his word; Kandan, therefore, became very and say, " Ah my lord, may you live a thousand years." angry, and said,'I shal! not be surprised at hearing of thy Live, live, till the shakings of ale."-Ro usarn a Vessel being wrecked.' Muttoo again sailed, without caring for Kandan's tongue; but lo! his vessel has been knocked CHAPTER VI. to pieces on the rocks, and I saw him this morning on his way home, beating his head, and exclaiming,' Ah! this Ver. 2. Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighnW-vooru, ncl-voori', this evil tongue, this evil tongue, my ed, and my calamity laid in the balances tovessel has gone to pieces on the rocks." But the tongues gether! of some men are believed to possess malignant power, not only in imprecations, but also in their blessings and praises. "Ah! my lord, could you weigh my poverty, I am sure The other day, when I and some others were sitting with you would relieve me." "The sorrows of that man's soul, our friend the doctor, one of his daughters came to speak who can weigh them " " Alas! if my sorrows could be to her father; as she was delivering her message, one of weighed, then would pity be shown unto me."-ROBERTS. .=HAP. 7. J OB. 331 Ver. 4. For the arrows of the Almighty are with- appearance, and prepare to enrich themselves out of its in me the poison whereof drinketh up i tores, by admitting it into their tanks or reservoirs. But it in me, the poison'whereof drinketh UP P. often happens, that the blessing is converted to a curse; rit>, the terrors of God do set themselves in ar- that the torrent rushes with so much abruptness and rapidray against me. ity, as to carry every thing before it; and that, exhausted by its own violence, its duration is as brief as its stream is The practice of using poisoned arrows is universal among rapid, allowing them scarcely time to slake their own the interior nations of Southern Africa, to whom the gospel thirst, or, at least, to fill their domestic utensils. Fair and las not reached. The strongest of all the poisons used is specious, therefore, as is its first appearance, it is in the end that which has been discovered by the most uncivilized of all full of deceit and cruel disappointment: " Et viatores (says the nations, the wild Bushmen; a wound from which is Dr. Lowth, upon the passage before us) per ArabT deserta attended with great pain and thirst, while the poison is errantes sitique confectos perfide destituunt," PrMl. xii. p. working throughout the system, and attended with great 110-it promises comfort, but overwhelms with morlificadepression. I brought some of the poison with me to tion. Such (says Job) are the companions who come to England, to see if any antidote against it could be discov- visit me in my affliction; they affect to console me, but they ered. It has exactly the appearance of black wax, and is redouble my distress.-GooD. found deposited in sheltered corners of rocks, but how it In desert parts of Africa it has afforded much joy to fall came there is yet unknown. A medical gentleman, who in with a brook of water, especially when running in the had devoted much attention to the different kinds of known direction of the journey, expecting it would prove a valuapoisons, after delivering somne lectures in London on that ble companion. Perhaps before it accompanied us two particular subject, heard of the Bushman poison, and ap- miles, it became invisible by sinking into the sand; but plied to me to furnish him with some of it, that he might two miles farther along, it would re-appear and run as beanalyze it, and endeavour to find out an antidote. I rejoiced fore, and raise hopes of its continuance; but after running that the matter had fallen into such good hands, and imme- a few hundred yards, would finally sink into the sand, not diately forwarded it by post. I received different letters, again to rise. In both cases it raised hopes which were containing various experiments, but all had failed. I re- not realized; of course it deceived. Perhaps it -is to such member the first trial he made of the power of the poison brooks that Job refers in the 15th verse. There are many was, by wetting the point of a needle, and, after dipping it in Africa, which- are described in verse, 17, which run in into the powder, pricking a bird with it, which died almost the winter, or rainy season; but the return of the hot season immediately. The same experiment was made on a second completely dries them up, which prove often great disapbird, while some antidote was immediately applied to coun- pointments to stranger travellers.-CAMPBELL. teract the effects of the poison. After a short time it also died. Various antidotes were tried in the same way, but Ver. 18. The paths of their way are turned aside;' all proved equally ineffectual.-CAMPBELL they go to nothing, and perish. they go to nothing, and perish. Ver. 6. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there anzy taste in the white Rendered by Schultens and Reiske, "into the desert, the empty space, or land of nothing;" but the former is the of an egg. more forcible rendering. The torrent progre.ssively evapThe eastern people often make use of bread, with nothing orating and branching into fresh outlets, becomes at length more than salt, or some such trifling addition, such as sum- itself nothing, The original means equally "notuing," mer-savory dried and powdered. This, Russe says, is done and " a desert," or place of nothing. It is usually rendered tny many at Aleppo. The Septuagint translation of this in the former signification. I have already observed that passage seems to refer to the same practice, wmhen it renders the latter is preferred by Reiske and Schultens; but either the first part of the verse, "will bread be eaten withoutrill answer. ralt i"-BURsaER. The whole description is directly coincident with a very valuable article inserted by Major Colebrooke, in the sevVer. 12. Is my strength the strenoth of stones? enth volume of Asiatic Researches, and entitled, " On the Z-' r k 2 Course of the Ganges through Bengal." He observes, that or is my flesh of brass. the occasional obstructions which the rivers of Bengal meet with, on the return of their periodical flux, produce not unIs a servant ordered to do a thing for which he has not frequently some velWy extraordinary alterationsin the course strength-; to undergo great hardships; be asks, "Is my frequently some vey extraordinary alterationsin the course strength; to udergo reat hardships; he aOBETks, "s my and bending of their respective beds, and hence, some strengt as iron Am I a sto "-Roequally extraordinary changes in the general face of the Ver. 15. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a country. While some villages that, in common, are scarcely visited by a river, even at its utmost rise, are overflowed brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass and suddenly swept away; others, actually seated on the away; 16. Which are blackish by reason of banks of an arm, and that used to be regularly inundated, the ice, and wherein the snow is hid. 17. What are totally deserted, and the inhabitants have to travel over time they wax Tw~armn they vanish: wheln it is many miles to obtain water. He adds, that the Ganges has time they wax warmi they vanish: when it is evinced changes of this nature, in a greater degree than hot, they are consumed out of their place. any other Indian stream; and that even since the survey of Major Rennel, in 1764, it has deviated in its course not The phrase in this place is a strict orientalism, " My less than two miles and a half; whence several of the vilbrethren have acted (or played) the flood with me:" and lages which figure in his map are no longer to be found in the proverbial form is at least as common now among the the situations assigned them; while islands of considerable Arabians, as it could be when the present poem was com- magni~tude, now inhabited and cultivated, have started into posed. Fairly explained, nothing can be more apposite, being where the river then rolled its deepest waters.nothing more exquisite, than the image before us, and the Goo whole of its description. Arabia has but few rivers; Proper Arabia perhaps none; for what in this last country Ver. 28. Now, therefore, be content: look upon are called rivers, are mere torrents, which descend from the mountains during the rains, and for a short period afterward. A few rivers are found in Yemen, or the south- When a person is accused of uttering a falsehood ern province; and the Tigris and Euphrates, as touchinttering e' says, "Look in my face, and you will soon see I am innoits northern limits in their passage along Irak Arabi, have nys, "Look n my face, and you will soon see I am innooccasionally been laid claim to by Arabian geographers, cent." "My face will tell you the truth." When the Eveasion the Asta een laid claim to ed, the province of Sandy countenance does not indicate guilt, it is said, " Ah! his Even the A&stam of Najd, or Neogedt, the province of Sandy Arabia, though laid down as a considerable river in the face does not say so." " The man's face does not contain Arabia, tho,.gh laid down as a considerab!e river in the maps, is a mere brook. Hence the country is chiefly water- the witness of guilt."-ROBERTS. ed and fertilizer by exd.dations of its dry channels, an CHAPTER VII. overflow of which is uniformly regarded as a great treasure and blessing; the inhabitants in the neighbourhood hail its Ver. 2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, 332 JOB. CHAP. 7-'9~ and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his with impatience, " Let me swallow down my spittle, for my work. journey hath fatigued me." The other instance is of a quick return made to one who used that proverb, " Sufler The people of the East measure time by the length of me," said the person importuned, "to swallow down my their shadow. Hence, if you ask a man what o'clock it is, spittle:" to which his friend replied, "You may if you he immediately goes in the sun, stands erect, then looking' please swallow down even Tigris and Euphrates; that is, where his shadow terminates, he measures the length with take what time you please-BuRDER. his feet, and tells you nearly the time. Thus they earnest-CEAPTER VIII ly desire THE shadow which indicates the time for leaving th.ir work. A person wishing to leave his toil, says, Ver. 11. Can the rush grow up.without mire? " How long my shadow is in coming." "Why did you can the flag grow without water? not come sooner'." " Because I waited for my shadow."R. BERTS. The reed grows in immense numbers on the banks and in the streams of the Nile. Extensive woods of the canes Ver. 2. As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, Phragnait and Calarnm magrostes, which rise to the height andt as a hireling looketh for the reward of his of twelve yards, cover the marshes in the neighbourhood of Suez. The stems are conveyed all over Egypt and work; 3. So am I made to possess months of Arabia, and are employed by the Orientals in constructvanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to ing the flat terraces of their habitations. Calmet thinks rme. it probable that this extensive region of canes gave name to the Red Sea, which, in those times, entirely inundated the expression, when fairly rendered from the original, the marshes on its borders. Jam Suph is a sea that prois peculiarly forcible: " So much worse is my destiny than duces canes; and as the Arabs denote two sorts of canes that of the bondsman and the hireling, that, while they pant by the general name bzr, the surname being added afterand look early for the night-shade, as the close of their ward, Moses, the sacred historian, following the same trouble, even the-night is not free from troubles to myself." ancient denominations, did not attend to the specifical nice-GooD. ties of botanology. This same leader of the people, underwent the first dangers of his life in a cradle made of Ver. 10. He shall return no more to his house, the reeds donax or hagni. This information induced Calneither shall his place know him any more. met to conclude, that in these reeds, which covered the In. mat I. bjects a. sbanks of the Nile, we have what our translation renders Inanimate objects are ften spoken of as ifthey knew their the flags, (suph,) in which Moses was concealed in his trunk, owners. A man who has sold his field, says, "That will not or ark of bulrushes, goma. The remarkable height to which knoww me any more." Does a field not produce good crops, they grow, and their vast abundance, lead to the persuasion, it is said, " That field doth not know its owner." Has a that in some thick tuft of them, the future prophet of Israel man been long absent from his home, he asks, when enter- was concealed. It appears also, from the interrogation of ing the door, " Ah! do you know me." Does he, after Job, that the goma cannot reach its full stature without an this, walk through his garden and grounds, the servants abundant supply of water: " Can the rush-goma, rather say, " Ah! how pleased these are to see you!" Has a per- the tall strong cane or reed —grow up without water 1" son been unfortunate at sea, it is said, " The sea does not This plant, therefore, being a tall reed, is with great proknow him."-ROBERaTS. priety associated with the kanah, or cane: " In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass, with canes Ver. 12. Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest and reeds."-PAxTON. a watch over me? Ver. 12. While it is yet in his greenness, and not Some suppose this alludes to the sea overflowing its cut down, it withereth before any other herb. banks. But the Orientals also believe that the sea is the dwelling-place of many of their'spiritual enemies. Hence The application of this beautiful similitude is easy, and they have a deity to watch the shore, whose name is Kali. its moral exquisitely correct and pertinent. As the most Numerous enemies, also, are compared to the sea, and succulent plants are dependant upon foreign support for a wicked chiefs who oppress the people, to timinigalacm, i. e. continuance of that succulence, and in the midst of their a whale. "Ah! that whale, who can escape him 2"- vigour are sooner parched up than plants of less humidity; ROBERTS. so the most, prosperous sinner does not derive his prosperCrocodiles are very terrible to the inhabitants of Egypt; ity from himself, and is often destroyed in the highday of when therefore they appear, they watch them with great his enjoyments, more signally and abruptly than those who attention, and take proper precautions to secure them, so are less favoured, and appear to stand less securely.-GooD. that they should not be able to avoid the deadly weapons afterward used to kill them. To these watchings, and CHAPTER IX. those deadly after-assaults, I apprehend Job refers, when Ver. 18. He will not suffer me. to take my breath, he says, acmr I a whale, (but a crocodile no doubt is what is but filleth me with bitterness. meant there,) that thou settest a watch over me? " Different methods," says Maillet, " are used to take crocodiles, and Of a cruel master it is said,' When his servants stop to some of them very singular; the most common is to dig take their breath, he abuses them." " The man grudges deep ditches along the Nile, which are covered with straw, me my breath." " What! can I work without taking my and into which the crocodile may probably tumble. Some- breath!" " The toil is always upon me: I have not time times they take them with hooks, which are baited with a for breathing."-RoBERTs. quarter of a pig, or with bacon, of which they are very fond. Some hide themselves in the places which they know to be Ver. 25. Now my days are swifter than a post: frequented by this creature, and lay snares for him."-Bua- they flee awvay, they see no good. DER. Ver. 19. Ah! my days are like an arrow." " What is my time. Ver. 19. How long owilt thou not depart from fme,'tis like the wind." "'Tis like cotton spread in the strong nor let me alone till I swallow down my spit- wind." " See that falling leaf; that is life." "'Tis but tIe? Zas a snap of the finger." "Am I not like a flower."' Yes; it is a stream." "A eneer-mr"lle, i. e. a bubble! how this is a proverb among the Arabians to the present day, softly it glides along! how beautiful its colours! but how r)) which they understand, Give me leave to rest after my soon it disappears."-ROBEsRTs. fat.;gue. This is the favour which Job complains is not The common pace of travelling in the East is very slow. granted to him. There are two instances which illustrate Camels go little more than two miles an hour. Those who the passage (quoted by Schultens) in Harris's Narratives, carried messages in haste moved very differently. Dromeentitled the Assemblv. One is of a person, who, when daries, a sort of camel, which is exceedingly swift, are used eagerly pressed to give an account of his travels, answered for this purpose; and Lady M. W. Montague asserts, that CHAP. 9 —12. J O B. 333 they far outrun the swiftest horses. There are also mes- CHAPTER XII. ser.gers who run on foot, and who sometimes 0o a hundred Ver. 2. No doubt but eople, and wis. and fifty miles in less than twenty-four hours; with what dom shall die with yoU. energy then might Job say, " My days are swifter than a post." Instead of passing away with a slowness of motion like that of a caravan, my days of prosperity have disap- The people of the East take great pleasure in irony, and some of their satirical sayings are very cutting. When a peared with a swiftness like that of a messenger carrying sai when he is da~espatches.~-B~~ua~ER.sage intimates that he has superior wisdom, or when he is disposed to rally another for his meager attainments,'he says,, "Yes, yes; you are the man!" " Your wisdom is Ver. 26. They are passed away as the swift ships; like the sea." "' You found it in dreams." " When you as the -eagle that hasteth to the prey. die, whither will wisdom go!" "You have ALL wisdom!' " When gone, alas! what will become of wisdom i" "0O "The swift ships." Many interpretations have been the Nyani! O the philosopher!"-ROBERTS. given of this expression. The author of the Fragments an- Ver. 4. I am as one mocked of his neighbour nexed to Calmet's Dictionary, observes, that if it can be who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: rendered supposable that any animal, or class of animals, may be metaphorically called ships, it is the dromedary, the just upright man is laughed to scorn. well known to Job. The eastern writers apply the term to camels and dromedaries. "The whole caravan being now Though Job, in his distress, cried unto the Lord, his assembled, consists of a thousand-horses, mules, and asses, neighbours mocked him, and laughed him to scorn; showand of five hundred camels: these are the ships of Arabia; ing their own impiety, and belief that God would not antheir seas are the deserts." (Sandy's Travels.) "What swer him. Sometimes, when a heathen (who is supposed'enables the shepherd to perform the long and tiresome jour-to be forsaken of the gods) performs a penance or religious neys across Africa, is the camel, emphatically called by the austerity, others will mock him, and say, "Fast for me Arabs, the ship of the desert: he seems to have been crea- also; yes, perform the poosy for me, and you shall have all ted for this very trade." (Bruce's Travels.) Of the drom- you want." Should a man, who is suffering under the edary, which is a kind of camel, Mr. Morgan (History of punishment due to his crimes, cry to the gods for help, Algiers) says, " I saw one perfectly white all over, belong- those who are near reply, (forthe gods,) " Yes, we are here; ing to Lella Oumane, princess of that noble Arab Neja, what do you want. we will help you." "When the gods named Heyl ben Ali, upon which she put a very great come, tell them I am gone home; I could not remain any value, never sending it abroad but upon some extraordina- longer." Thus was the just, the upright Job, laughed to ry occasion, when the greatest expedition was required: scorn when he called upon God.-ROBERTS. having others, inferior in swiftness, for more ordinary messages. They say that one of these Aasharies will, in Ver. 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet is as one night, and through a level country, traverse as much a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ground as any single horse can perform in ten, which' is no ease. exaggeration of the matter, since many have affirmed to me, that it makes nothing of holding its rapid pace, which The critics are by no means agreed on the import of this is a most violent hard trot, for four-and-twenty hours on a passage; and, to say truth, we cannot flatter ourselves with stretch, without showing the least sign of weariness or in- a complete removal of its uncertainty. However, the clination to bait; and that then having swallowed a ball or attempt to explain it is honourable, even though it fail. two of a sort of paste made up of barley-meal, and, may be, To us it seems to suggest a comparison between the supera little powder of dry dates among it, with a bowl of wa- abundant spiendours of the interior of a wealthy man's ter, or camel's milk, if to be had, and which the courier dwelling, and the dark, dismal, night-wandering of a wayseldom forgets to be provided with in skins, as well for the worn traveller. To add a lamp, however brightly burning, sustenance of himself as of his pegasus, the indefatigable to what Mr. Good calls " the sunshine of the prosperous, animal will seem as fresh as at first setting out, and ready were to render that lamp a contempt, a ridicule, whereas to continue running at the same scarcely credible rate, for the man who stays amid mire and clay, in outer darkness, as many hours longer, and so on from one extremity of the would rejoice to profit by its lustre. A travelling lamp, African desert to the other, provided its rider could hold though its light be vivid, would be laughed at amid the out without sleep, and other refreshments." The follow- various elegant illuminations in the interior of a house ing extracts from Arabic poetry, translated bySir W. Jones, fitted up with great taste by a man of fashion: nevertheless. speak the same language:- however awkward, coarse, and clumsy, it may be, the man who is falling into a quagmire would be extremely thankful Even now she (the camel) has a spirit so brisk, that she flies with for its assistance. his acceptation of the sentment dethe rein, like-a dun cloud driven by the wind, after it has discharged its shower. mands no dislocation of any word in the text: but, whether "Long is her neck; and when she raises it with celerity, it resem- it completely dissipates the obscurity of the passage, the bles the stern of a ship, floating aloft on the billowy Tigris. reader must judge.-TAYLoR IN CALMET. "Aht, hevehicles which bore away my fair one, on the morning when D'Oyley and Mant quote from Caryl and Poole as folthe trihe of Malee departed, and their camels were traversing the hanks of Deda, resembled large ships. lows: " A despised lamp is of the same signification with a "Sailing from Aduli, or vessels of (the merchant) Ibn Yamin, which smoking firebrand; which last is a proverb for that which the mariner now turns obliquely, and now steers in a direct course: is almost spent and therefore despised and thrown away as "Ships which cleave the foaming waves with their prows, as a boy at play divides with his hand the collected earth."-Buaaa. useless." In view of these observations, it is worthy of' notice, that of a man who is much despised, or who is very CHAPTER X. contemptible, it is said, " That fellow is like the half-consumed firebrand of the funeral pile." Job, by his enemies, Ver. 10. Hast thou not poured me out as.milk, was counted as a despised lamp. When a person is sick and curdled me like cheese? unto death, it is said, "His lamp is going out." After death, "His lamp has gone out." When a person is indis-' Much philological learning has been brought to the ex- posed, should a lamp give a dim light, the people of the planation of this passage. In the preceding verse, Job is house will become much alarmed, as they think it a bad speaking of his DEATH. " Wilt thou bring me unto dust sign. A lamp, therefore, which burns dimly, (as did that again?" But what has the pouring out of milk to do with of Job,) will be lightly esteemed.-RoBERTs. death! The people of the East pour milk upon their heads after performing the funeral obsequies. Has a father a Ver. 20. He removeth away the speech of the profligate son, one he never expects to reclaim, he says, in trusty, and taketh away the understanding of reference to him," Ah! I have poured milk upon my head," the ayed i. e. " I have done with him; he is as one dead to me." b "And curdled me like cheese." The cheese of the East is The term np: seems, in this present place, to imply somelittle better than curds: and these also are used at the funeral thing more than " of the aged," as it is commonly renderceremonies.-RoBERTs. ed; and rather intimates, "the aged officially convened in 334 JOB. CHAP: 12 15 public council;" whence it is rendered "senators,"by Schul- The punishment of the stocks has been common in the tens and Dr. Stock: but elders, or eldermen, is a more gene- East from the most remote antiquity, as is seen in all their ral term, and hence more extensively appropriate, as well records. But whether the stocks were formerly like clogs, as more consonant with what ought ever to be the unaffect- or as those of the present day, it is impossible to say. Those ed simplicity of biblical language. Though the term sena- now in use differ from those in England, as the unfortunate tors includes the idea of age, it includes it more remotely. culprit has to lie with his back on the ground, having his In Gen. 1. 7, we have a similar use of the term elders: for feet fast in one pair, and his hands in another. Thus, all we are told, that " when Joseph went up into the land of he can do is to writhe his body; his arms and legs being Canaan to bury his father, with him went all the servants so fast, that he cannot possibly move them. A man placed of Pharaoh, the elders of Ais house, and all the elders of the in great difficulty, says,' Alas! I am now in the stocks." land of Egypt;" in other words, the chief officers of state, "I have put my boy in the tulungqu," i. e. stocks; which the privy counsellors, and the entire senate or body of le- means, he is confined, or sent to school. To a young man gislators, chosen from the land or people.-GooD. of roving habits, it is said, " You must have your feet in the stocks," i. e. get married. " Alas! alas! I am now in the Ver. 22. He discovereth deep things out of dark- stocks; the guards are around my path, and a seal is put ness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of upon my.feet."-RoBERTs. (See Engraving.) death. CHAPTER XIV. The author of the poem discovers a great partiality for Ver. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an this figure: the reader can, scarely fail to recollect its occurrence in ch. x. 21, 22. In the present instance, how- unclean not one. ever, it appears to be used in a different sense, and to The following are common sayings:-" Who can turn allude, i characteristic imagery, to the dark and recon- a black crow into a white crane." "Who can make the dite plots, the deep and desperate designs, of traitors and bitter fruit sweet." " Who can make straight the tail of conspirators, or other state-villains: for it should be observ- the dog." " If you give the serpent sweet things, will his ed, that the entire passage has a reference to the machinery poison depart " —ROBERTs. of a regular and political government; and that its general drift is to imprint u.pon the mind of the hearer the important Ver. 7. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut doctrine, that the whole of the constituent principles of such down, that it will sprout again, and that the a government, its officers and institutions, its monarch and princes, its privy-counsellors, judges, and ministers of state; tender branch thereof wvii not cease. its chieftains, public orators, and assembly of elders; its nobles, or men of hereditary rank; and its stout, robust Trees here appear to be more tenacious of life than in peasantry, as we should express it in the present day; nay, England. See them blown down; yet from the roots fresh the deep, designing villains that plot in secret its destruc- shoots spring up. See the sometimes at such an angle tion,-that the nations themselves, and the heads or sove- (through storms) that their branches nearly touch the reigns of the nations, are all and equally in the hands of ground, and yet they keep that position, and continue to bear fruit. Those trees, also, which have actually been the Alnxighty; that, with him, human pomp is poverty, cut down, after a few showers, soon begin to send forth the human excellence turpitude, human judgment error, huma tender branch." The plantain-tree, after it has borne wisdom folly, human dignities contempt human -strength "tender branch." The plantain-tree, after it has borne wisdom eakness.ly, human dignities contempt, humanstregt fruit once, is cut down; but from its roots another springs weakness. —GooD. up, which, in its turn, also gives fruit, and is then cut CHAPTER XIII. down, to make way for another. Thus, in reference to Ve 15. Thouagh he slay me, yet will I trust in this tree, it may be truly said, Cut it down, but " the tender Vein. 15. ThoughD ~branch thereof will not cease."-loaERTs. him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Ver. 17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. When a master chastises an affectionate slave, or tells him to leave his service; he says, " My lord, though you The money that is collected together in the treasures of slay me, yet will I trust in you." Does a husband beat his eastern princes is told up in certain equal sums, putt into wife, she exclaims, " My husband, though you kill me, I bags, aved sealed.-(Chardin.) These are what in some will not let you go." "Kill me, my lord, if you please, but parts of the Levant are called purses, where they reckon I will not leave you: I trust in you." " Oh! beat me not; great expenses by so many purses. The money collected do I not trust in you" "What an affectionate wife that is: in the temple in the time of Joash, for its reparation, seems. though her husband cut her to pieces, yet she trusts in him." in like manner, to have been told up in bags of equal value "The fellow is always beating her, yet she confides in him." to each other, and probably delivered sealed to those who -ROBERTS. paid the workmen, (2 Kings xii. 10.) If Job alludes to this custom, it should seem that he considered his offences as Ver. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and reckoned by God to be very numerous, as well as not sufholdest me for thine enemy? fered to be lost in inattention, since they are only considerable sums which are thus kept.-HARMER. Job, in his distress, makes this pathetic inquiry of the Lord. Should a great man become displeased with a per- Ver. 19. The waters wear the stones: thou washson to whom he has been previously kind, he will, when he est avay the things which grow out of the dust sees him approaching, avert his face, or conceal it with his hand, which shows at once what is the state of the case. of the earth; and thou destroyest tjhe hope of The poor man then mourns, and complains, and asks, man. " Ah! why does he hide his face?" The wife says to her offended husband, " Why do you hide your face." The Is a man found fault with because he makes slow proson to his father, "Hide not your face from your son."- gress in' his undertaking, he says, " Never mind; the water ROBERTS. which runs so softly, will, in time, wear away the stones." -ROBERTS. Ver. 26. For thou writest bitter things against me. CHAPTER XV. Ah! the things that man has written against me to the Ver. 7. Art thou the first man that was born judge, are all kassapu, all bitter." " Oh! that is a bitter, or wast thou made before the hills? bitter fault." " Who will make this bitterness sweet." — ROBERTS. VWhen a majority of people agree on any subject, should Ver. 27. Thou pulttest my feet also in the stocks, an individual pertinaciously oppose them, it will be asked, and lookest narrowrly unto all mypaths; thou.'"What! were you born before all others 2" " Yes, yes; n lookest y unto al m pats; he is the first man: no wonder he has so much wisdom!" settest a print upon the heels of my feet. "Salam to the first! man."-ROBERTs. CL-LAP. 16. JOB. 335 Hebrew, "W Aast thou born first of mankind 3" -Such ap- moflo're botrus ejus," that is, "his cluster shall be injured )ears to me the true rendering, though it is given differently as a vine when it first comes into flower;" intimating, that Ey different commentators, and will admit of various sig- if any damage is done to the vine at all by an intemperate nifications; the word ansi (Adam) being either a proper season, they supposed it would be upon its first flowering. name, or an appellative for mankind at large; whence How arduous is the business of translating a foreign poem some of the oldest versions render the passage, "Wast into English verse! A multitude of circumstances must be thou born before Adam 3" while the generality, and in my attended to by such a translator, when he finds himself opinion more correctly, give us, " An primus homo natus obliged, as he often does, to varythe expressions a little, on es." "Art thou the first-born of men 3" or, " Wast thou account of his verse; and, for want of full information as born first of mankind?"-GooD. to particular points, he must frequently fail. Mistakes 6f this kind demand great candour.-HARMER. Ver. 26. Hee runneth upon him, even on his neck, A north or northeast wind frequently proves injurious to upon the thick bosses of his bucklers. the olive-trees in Greece, by destroying the blossom. Dr. Wrestlers, before they began their combats, were rubbed with pale yelow fWe ate under an olive-tree, then laden all over in a rough manner, and afterward anointed with scattered the bloom and incommoded us, but the spot oil, in order to increase the strength and flexibility of their afforded no shelter more eligible." In another place, he limbs. But as this unction, in making the skin too slippery, observes, "The olive-groves are now, as anciently, a prinrendered it difficult for them to, take hold of each other, cipal source of the riches of Athens. The mills for pressing they remedied that inconvenience, sometimes by rolling and grinding the olives are in the town; the oil is deposthemselves in the dust of the Palestra, sometimes by throw- ited in large earthen jars, sunk in the ground, in the areas ing fine sand upon each other, kept for that purpose in before the houses. The crops had failed five years sntcXyste, or porticoes of the Gymnasia. Thus prepared, they cessively, when we arrived; the cause assigned was a began their combat. They were matched two against two, northerly wind, called Greco-Tramontnewhich destroyed and sometimes several couples contended at the same time. the flower. The fruit is set in about a fortnight, when the In this combat, the whole aim and design of the wrestlers apprehension from this unpropitious quarter ceases. The was to throw their adversary upon the ground. Both bloom in the following year was unhurt, and we had the strength and art were employed to this purpose; they pleasure of leaving the Athenians happy in the prospect seized each other by the arms, drew forward, pushed back- of a plentiful harvest."-BURDER. ward, used many distortions and twistings of the body; locking their limbs in each other's, seizing by the neck or CHAPTER XVI. throat, pressing in their arms, struggling, plying on all 3. Shall vain sides, lifting from the ground, dashing their heads together like rams, and twisting one another's necks. In this man- imboldeneth thee that thou answerest 2 ner, the athlete wrestled standing, the combat ending with the fall of one of the competitors. To this combat the The Hebrew has, "words of wind." "His promise! words of Eliphaz seem to apply: "For he stretcheth out it is only wind." "His words are all wind." " he wind his hand against God" like a wrestler, challenging his an- has taken awayhis words." "Breath, breath; all breath tagonist to the contest, "and strengthening himself," rather -ROBERTS. vaunteth himself, stands up haughtily, and boasts of his prowess in the full view of " the Almighty," throwing Ver. 4. I also could speak as ye do: if your soul abroad his arms, clapping his hands together, springing were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words into the middle of the ring, and taking his station there in against you, and shake my head at you. the adjusted attitude of defiance. "He runneth upon him, even on his neck," or with his neck stretched out, furi- The whole of this passage is rendered unintelligible, in ously dashing his head against the other; and this he does, its usual mode of translating, by attributing a conditional even when he perceives that his adversary is covered withi instead of a future tense to it: " I also could -speak, &c." defensive armour, upon which he can make r o impression: or, "But I could speak," —instead of, " But I will speak," or "he runneth upon the thick bosses of t bucklers."'- "talk on."-GooD. PAXTON. Ver. 9. He teareth me in his wrath who.hateth Vet. 33. He shall shake off his urm-pe grape as me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth the vine; and shall cast off his flower as the mine enemy sharpeneth-his eyes upon me. olive. It would be a valuable acquisition to the learned world, "Has not the cruel man been sharpening his eyes upon if observations made in Judea itself, or ratber,.in this case, me Trly, his eyes are arrows: they pierce my life." in the land of Uz. were communicated to it relating to the, natural causes which occasion, from tinme tr time, a disappointment of their hopes from their vineeyrds and olive Ver. 10. They have gaped upon me with their plantations; and the effects of a violently sultry southeast wind on their most useful or remarkable vegetables. I very mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek much question, however, whether the words of Eliphaz, in reproachfully: they have gathered themselves the book of Job, xv. 33, refer to any blasting of the vine by together against me. natural causes; they seem rather to expre-,:'he violently taking away the unripe grapes by the wild Aruas, of which Here is another living picture of eastern manners. See I have given an account in the preceding volume. It is the exasperated man; he opens his mouth like a wild be:ast. certain the word AD: biser, translated here unripe. grape, is shows his teeth, then suddenly snaps them together. Againl used to express those grapes that were so far advanced in he pretends to make another snatch, and growls like a tiger. growth as to be eaten, though not properly ripened, as ap- Should he not dare to come near, he moves his hand, as if pears from Jeremiah xxxi. 29, and Ezek. xviii. 2; and the striking you on the cheek, and says, " I will beat thy kaoverb Dnrni yachmas, translated here shake off, signifies re- nan, i. e. cheek, thou low-caste fellow."-RoBErTs. moving by violence, consequently cannot be meant of any From the following extracts, this treatment appears to thing done in the natural course of things, but by a human have been considered very injurious. " Davag6 was deephand; and if so, may as well be applied to the depredations ly incensed: nor could I do more than induce him to come of the Arabs, as the impetuosity or deleterious quality of to the factory on business while I was there; Mr. Pringle any wind, the energy of poetry making use of a verb ac- having, in one of his fits, struck him on the cheek with the tive instead of its passive. sole of his slipper, the deepest insult that can be offered to It may not be amiss? before I close, just to take notice, an Asiatic; among who'm it is considered as a mark of disthat the vulgar Latin translation was so little apprehensive respect to touch even the sole of the foot." (Lord Valenthat grapes, when grown to any considerable size, were tia.)" In the Mahratta camp, belonging to Scindia, his wont to drop, that its authors, or correctors, have rendered prime minister, Surjee Rao, was murdered in the open the words after this manner: " Liedetur quasi vinea in pli- bazar: his mistresses were,'as usual, stripped of all they 336 J OB. CHAP. 17, 18 possessed; and his favourite one was sent for to court, and Literally, to the limbs-" the grasping limbs," "the tre. severely beaten in the presence of Scindia's wife, who add- mendous claws or talons" of the grave. The imagery is ed to the indignity, by giving her several blows herself peculiarly bold, and true to the general character under with a slipper." (Broughton.) " When the vazir declared which the grave is presented to us in the figurative language himself unable to procure the money, Fathh Ali Shah re- of sacred poetry,-as a monster, ever greedy to devour, proached him for his crimes, struck him on the face, and with horrid jaws wide gaping for his prey; and, in the paswith the high wooden heel, of a slipper, always iron-bound, sage before us, with limbs in unison with his jaws, and beat out several of his teeth." (Sir W, Ouseley.) ready to seize hold of the victims allotted to him, with a The Hindoo, religiously abstaining from animal food strength and violence from which none can extricate themand intoxicating liquors, becomes thereby of so very mild selves. The common rendering of filcra, vectes, or bars, a temper, that he can bear almost any thing without emo- as of a prison, is as unnecessary a departure from the ton, except slippering; that is, a stroke with the Sole of a proper figure, as it is from the primary meaning of the"slipper or sandal, after a person has taken it off his foot original term.-GooD. and spit on it; this is dreaded above all affronts, and con~idered as no less ignominious than spitting in-the face, or CHAPTER XVIII. bespattering with dirt, among Europeans.-BURDER. Ver. 2. How long will it be ere you make an CHAPTER XVII. end of words Ver. 1. My breath is corrupt, my days are ex- The commentators are not agreed to whom the opening tinct, the graves are ready for me. of this speech is addressed. Being in the plural number, it cannot, according to the common forms of Hebrew colA man far advanced in years, or one who is in deep loquy, be addressed to Job alone. Le Clerc, however, ataffliction, says, "The place of burning is near to me, and tempts to prove, that, under particular circumstances, such the wood is laid together for my funeral pile." "f How are a form may be admitted, and especially when particular you, my friend " " How am I. I will tell you. Go, order respect is intended. Other interpreters conceive that it is them to get the wood together to burn this body." A father addressed to Job and Eliphaz, to whom Job had been just sometimes says of his wicked sons, "Yes, I know they de- replying. But the greater number concur in supposing sire my death; they have been preparing for the funeral; that it relates to the family or domestics of Job, in conjuncthey are ready to WASH me: the bier is at hand, and the tion with himself, who, it may be conceived, were present, wood is prepared."." Why do you all look so anxious? I and at least tacitly approving his rebukes: " Tu cm tued am not ready for the washing."-RoBERTs. familid," is the explanation of Reiske. It is more probable Ver. 3. don now, put m in a surety ith that it applies to the interlocutors generally.-GooD.'Ver. 3. Lay down now,'put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? Ver. 4. He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the See on Prov. 6. 1. The difficulty in this passage has resulted, in the first rock be removed out of his place? place, from the abruptness of the transition; and, secondly, from its being, in its common construction, very improperly pull down the mountain, or take a single hair from the separated from the preceding verse, and applied to the Al- ead of ytou nr take a single hair from the mighty instead of to Eliphaz, the last speaker, to whom head of youse: it is your N destructionly felt in your own Job is peculiarly addressing himself. The fair interpretation is, " But if there be any meaning in what ye say-if Ver. 5. Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put ye do not revile my character, but believe me to be the oppressor and the hypocrite ye assert —come on: I will still out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. venture to stake myself against any of you. Will any of 6. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, you venture to stake me against yourselves? Who is he and his candle shall be put out with him. that will strike hands with me? that will dare to measure his deserts with my own? and appeal to the Almighty, in See on 1 Kings 11. 26. proof' that he is a juster man than I am?" It is an argmen- Ver. 8. For he is cst into a net by his own teom ad hominsem, of peculiar force and appropriation, ad'mirably calculated to confound and silence the persons to and he walketh upon a snare. whom it is addressed. The custom of staking one thing against andther is of very early origin, and found in the The original implies a snare with pieces of wood, or rudest and simplest modes of social life; hence the pasto- other substance, put crosswise, or bar-wise, so as to susrals of Theocritus, as well as of Virgil, abound with ref- tain the deceitful covering of turf or other soil, put over erences to this practice.-GOOD.'it to hide the mischief it conceals. The term is used Exod, xxvii. 4, to express a gsating, or net-work of brass. The Ver. 9. The righteous also shall hold on his wvay, same kind of snare or pitfall is still frequently employed 1 1 7 1I 1 1 1 1 1 1throughout India, in elephant-hunting.-GooD. and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. Ver. 15. It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered The idea here suggested is.that of purity and holiness. Porphyry observes, that in the Leontian mysteries the initi- upon his habitation. ated had their hands washed With honey, instead of water, A very singular method of expressing sorrow arneng to intimate that they were to keep their hands pure from all the ancients, was by burning brimstone in the house of the wickedness and mischief; honey being of a cleansing na- deceased. Livy mentions this practice as general among ture, and preserving other things from corruption.-BUR- the Romans; and some commentators think it is refermed DER. to in these words of Bildad: "Brimstone shallbe scattered upon his habitation." The idea corresponds with the der. 4. have ssign of the speaker, which is to describe the miserable end:'ather: to the worm, Thou art my mother and of the hypocrite.-PAxTON. mly sister. Ver. 16. His roots shall be dried up beneath, and Those who retire from the world to spend their lives in above shall his branch be cut off. a desert place, for the purpose of performing religious austerities, often exclaim to the beasts, c" Yes; you are my Man is often described as a tree, and his destruction by relations, you are my parents; these are my companions the cutting off of the branches. " las! alas! he is like a and friends."-RoBERTS. tree whose branches have been struck by the lightning." "He is a tree killed by the shepherds;" which alludes to Ver. 16. They shall go down to the bars of the the practice (in dry weather, when the grass is burned up) pit, when our rest together is in the dust. of climbing the trees to lop off the branches and leaves for CHAP. 19. J O B. 337 the use of the flocks and cattle. " His branches and shoots WVhen a man becomes reduced in the world, his slaves are destroyed;" which means, himself and family. " I no longer obey him hlie calls, but they answer not; he know all his branches and bunches " meaning all his con- looks, and they laugh at him. nexions. (See on Luke xxiii. 31.)-ROBERTS. Hence the verseKandalum, Pavsar Ver. 17. His remembrance shall perish from the Alitalum, Pfrsar earth, and he shall have no name in the street. Kavi-Kavi-Endar. "WVhat kind of a marn is zRamar " "I will tell you: L"Though.I call, he comes not; though he sees, he answers not; or, I am engaged, engaged, says he."-RoBhis name is in every street;" which lieans, he is a person answers not; or, I am engaged, engaged, says he."- - of great fame. "Ah! my lord, only grant me this favour, and your name shall be?n every street." " Who does not wish his name to be in the streets 2" "Wretch, where is th thy lamet What dog of the street will acknow]edge thee " I entreated for the children's sake of mine own " From generation to generation bhall his name be in the body. streets." " Al;here is thy name written in stone No:. it is whyritten in soater." —RoBEsTS. It is not often that husbands, in these regions, condescend to erts'eat their wives, but thdy are sometimes (as Ver. 19. I-le shall neither have son nor nephew when sick or in any way dependant) obliged to humble amonog his people, nor any remainingo in his themselves. He then says,'iVly wife's breath is not now as mine." "For the sake of your children listen to my dwellings., words." Nothing is more provoking to a woman than to Hel). " Among his sojournings"-fromn m " to sojourn," orsay she has the breath of a man.-ROBERTS. "dwell for a short and uncertain period," as in travelling. The idea is peculiarly expressive and forcible: not on Ver. 20. My bone cleavet to y skin and to my among his own people, and in his own settled habitation, flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my shall his name, his memory, his family, be extinguished; teeth. but no asylum, no refuge, shall be afforded them in distant countries, and among strangers, with whom he had casually I suppose the above words have given rise to the old sojourned, and where his memory might be supposed to English saying, "He has escaped with the skin of his call forth the hospitalities of friendship. The Jewish his- teeth;" which denotes he has had great difficulty in avoidtory affords innumerable instances of persons compelled ing the danger. But have the teeth any skin? It was to fly firom their native homes, and seek an asylum in the formerly a custom among the heathen kings to knock out bosom of'strangers, to whom they were only casually, or the teeth of their prisoners, or those who had offended even altogether unknown: and, without ranging further, them; and to this practice the Psalmist seems to allude: the history of Moses himself, the probable writer of the "Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly;" and, " Break poem, furnishes us with a memorable example.-GooD. their teeth, 0 God! in their mouth." Those who had The original word for dwellings, Schultens says, signi- been thus treated said, "We have escaped with the z2ufies a territory of refuge for strangers. The great men s'asu," i. e. the gsums of our' teeth. When a man is angry among the Arabs called their respective districts by this with another, he says, " Take care; I will knock thy teeth. name, because they took under their protection all defence- out. Thou shalt only have thy gums left." " What!" asks less and necessitous persons who fled thither; they prided the person thus threatened, "am I thy slave, to have my themselves in having a great number of these clients or de- teeth knocked out?" But the teeth are always spoken of pendants. This was an ancient custom in Arabia, and as being very valuable; and by them the people often esticontinues to thle present day. The Arabianpoets frequent- mate the worth of any blessing. "Ah! the king might.y refer to it. —BuRDER. have granted me that favour; his teeth would not have fallen out on that account." " Would his gums have been CHAPTER XIX. left, if he had told me that secret " " Yes, yes, take care, Ver. 3. These ten times have ye reproached me: or you will lose your pearls," (teeth.) "See the miserable you are not ashamed that you make yourselves man; the sickness has left him his bums OnlT."-ROBERTS. There is scarcely any verse in the whole poem that has strange to me. more puzzled the commentators, and excited a greater See on Gen. 31. 7, 8. variety of- renderings, than this. The word skisb is here repeated from the preceding line, for the sake of an iteraVei. 6. Knorw now that God hath overthrown tion; in which figure no poets have more largely indulged than the Asiatics, whether ancient or modern. It is a iword, and hath compssed me ith his net of extensive meaning, and im.nplies generally, cmticle, peel, i nltegrrLment, slkin; and in the present place more particuThe allusion here may be to an ancient mode of combat lary, the gms, hi;h are the proper plae more of the practised among the Persians, Goths, and Romans. The practmsed among the Persians, Goths, and Romans. The teeth, the substance in which they are first produced, and custom almong the Romans was this: one of the combatants was armed with a sword and shield, the other with a tri-which, through life, affords a nutritious covering to their dent and net; the net he endeavoured to cast over the head base. It may also be rendered film, although I do not of his adversary, in which, when he succeeded, the entan- think thist the direct sense f the term in the present pasgled person iras soon pulled down by a noose, that fastened sage; it rather imprils itegrumeats generally, and has been round hisneceandthe dspachd. he eron hopreferred by the original writer to any other term expresround his neck, and then despatched. The person who S;ve f the same meaning, on account, as Ibave already carried the net and trident was called Retiarius, and the ve s ame meaning on account, a I have already observed, of the iteration hereby produced.-GooD. other, vho carried the sword and shield, Secutor, or the In the celebrated inscription on the pillar at Delhi, called pursuer, because, when the Retiarius missed his throw, he the Lat of Feeroz Shah, is thefollowing passage, exhibitwas obliged to run about the ground till he got his net in ina a similar hyperbole in different terms: "Blades of order for a second throw, while the Secutor followed him, grass are perceived between thine adversary's teeth." to prevent, and despatch him. The Persians used a run- (Asiaticesearces.) The author othe Fragments subjoine ning loop, which horsemen encdeavoured to cast over the to Calmet'seaches.)onaryauthorofparaphrasesgmentpassuboined heads of their enemies that they might pull them off their Calmets Dictionary thus paraphrases te passage M horses. The Gothsuda hop fsten toa pol upper row of teeth stands out so far as to adhere to my uphorses. The Goths used a hoop fastened to a pole. (Olaus per lip, that bein- so shrivelled and dried up, as to sink rosalmost na, wit t here bdiesnis wrappted in find war- upon my teeth, which closely press it." He observes, if large hichthey throwovertheheadsa net ofthi our translation be right, it may receive some illustration largenemy." (Humboldt.)-BURDERow over theheads of their from the following instances of those who did not escape with the skin of their teeth. "Prithwinarayan issued an Ver. 16. ]I called my servant, and he gave se no order to Suruparatana, his brother, to put to death some of the principal inhabitants of the town of Cirtipur, and to answer: I entreated him with my mouth. cut off the noses and lips of every one, even the infants wbo' 43 338 JOB. CHAP. 19. were not found in the arms of their mothers; ordering, at extreme antiquity of the book of J.b; since it is easyto the same time all the noses and lips that had been cut off imagine, that the first inscriptions on stones were engraved to be preserved, that he might ascertain how many souls on some places of the rocks, which were accidently smooththere were, and to change the name of the town to Naska- ed, and made pretty even. And, in fact, -we find some that tapir, which signifies, the town of cut noses. The order are very ancient, engraved on the natural rock, and what was carried into execution with every mark of horror and is remarkable, in Arabia, where it is supposed Job lived. cruelty, none escaping but those who could play on wind This is one of the most curious observations in that account instrumnents: many put an end to their lives in despair; of the prefetto of Egypt, which was published by the late others came in great bodies to us in search of medicines; bishop of Clogher; and is, in my apprehension, an exand it was most shocking to see so many living people with quisite confirmatioA, of our translation, though there is their teeth and noses resembling the sculls of the deceased." reason to think neither the writer nor editor of that journal (Asiatic Res.) —BUnDE. thought of this passage, and so consequently claims a place in this collection. Ver. 23. O that my words were now written! The prefetto, speaking in his journal of his disegaging oh that they were printed in a book! 24. That himself at length from the mountains of Faran, says, they they ere grven with an iron pen and lead i came to a large plain, surrounded however with high hills, they were graven with an iron pen and lead in b, at the foot of which we reposed ourselves in our tents, at the rock for ever! about half an hour after ten. These hills are called Gebel The most ancient way of writing was upon the leaves el Miowkatab, that is, the Written Mountains: for, as soon as of the palm-tree. Afterward they made use of the inner. we had parted from the mountains of Faran, we passed by several others for an hour together, engraved with,,ancient bark of a tree for this purpose; which inner bark being in everal others for an hour together, egraved ih ancient atin called ibe, the Gree Xo, fro hence, a book, unlknown. characters, which were cut in the hard marble hath ever since, in the Latin language, been called liber, and rock,so high as to be in ny places at twelve or forteen ros dightanc from the grond manydlae athouwelve ord inourte in the Greek, fl,/iXoe, because their books anciently consisted feet distance from the ground: and though e hd in our of leaves made of such inner barks. The Chinese still company persons who were acquainted with the Arabic, make use of such inner barks, or rinds of trees, to write Greek, Hebrew, Syriac,Coptic, Latin, Armenian,.Turkish, Geeki Herw,IlyricaCot, atn, Grermn, oeian,.Tnurkish,ye upon, as some of their books'brought into Europe plainly English, Illyrican, German, and Bohemian language, yet show. Another way ade ns of aon the Grees and non of them had any knowlede of these characters; show. Another way made -use of among the Greeks and n b ~ ~~~~oeo t rhem hadven nowedverotheles ben cunth hardactek]:s;t Romans, and which was as ancient as Homer, (for he makes hich have nevertheless been cut to the hard rock, iith mention of it in his poems,) was to write on tables of wood, the greatest industry, in a place where there is neither wther noreatsinduty, tin to plae gotenroeathere is probable, covered over with wax. On these they wrote with a bod- water, nor any thi to be gotten to eat. It is probable, kin, or stile of iron, wvith which they engraved their letters therefore, these unknovn characters contain some very on the wax; and hence it is that the different ways of men's seret ysteries, and that they were engrave either by the Cadasecre smytres on htther person longravfoed ether coin ohe writings or compositions are called different styles. This Chaldeans, or some other persons long bere the omi of wzay was mostly made use of in the writing of letters or Christ.' epistles; hence such epistles are in Latin called tbellce, The curious bishop of Clogher, who mos laudably mde and the carriers of them tabellarii. When their epistles very generous proposals to the Antiquarian Society, to en-'ere thus written, they tied the tables together with a gage them to try to decipher these inscriptions, was ready toiagie them ao re to ancipent thebrew incaractions, was7read thread or string, setting their seal upon the knot, and so to imaine they are the nent ebrew characers, hich ct them to the party to whom they were directed, who, the Israelites, having learned to write at the time of giving cunttg then stoig theed pareay to hom.te er diretd wobsral ttinthestring, openedandreadthe. Itisoservable the law, diverted themselves with engraving on these miountains, during their abode in the w%~ilderness. There are also, tshat anciently tbey vrote their public records on vol- ains, dring their abode in the ilderness. There are nes rolls of d, and their private matters on fine still in Arabia several inscriptions in the natural rock; and linen and wax. The former of these customs we trace in this way of writing is very durable, for these engravings have. it seems,,outlived the knowledge of the characters ho's weish, " 0 that my words were now written! 0 that have, t sems, outlive the knoledge of the caraces they were printed in a book! that they were graven with imade use of; the practice was, for the same reftson, very an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" There is a ancient as well as durable; and if these letters are not so way of xriting in the East, which is designed to fix words ancient as the days of Moses, which the Bishop of Clobber anent ashtse dayscriptioses, whight tver wello be Ctohe on the memory, but the writing is not designed to continue. supposes, yet these inscritions might very ell be the The children in Barbary that are sent to school, make no continuation of a practice in use in the days of Job, and cointinuation of a practice in use in the days of Job, and The hilren n Brbay tht ae set t scoolmak nomay therefore be thought to be referred to in these wvords use of paper, Dr. Shaw tells us, but each boy writes on a ma thereore e thought to be referred to in these ors smooth, thin board, slightly daubed over with whiting, of his, 0 that they were graven.... ithe rockfor ever 1which may be wiped off or renewed at pleasure. There A R. are few that retain what they have learned in their youth; ~ ~. ~~~~ ~~~~J..Vr 3 thamywdsernowitn!h doubtless things were often wiped out of the memory of the Vr. 23. 0 that my words were now written! Arabs in the days of Job, as well as out of their writing- that they were printed in a boolk! 24. That tables. Job therefore says, "O that they were written in a they were graven with an iron pen and lead book," firom whenace they should not be blotted out! But in the rock for ever! 25. For I know that my books were liable to injuries, and for this reason he wishes Redeemer iveth, and e shall stand at the his words might be even g'raven in a, rock, the most lasting way of all. Thus the distinction between writing and latter day upon the earth: 26. And though, writing in a book-, becomes perfectly sensible, and the gra- after my skin, woorms destroy this body, yet in dation appears in its beauty, which is lost in our translation, my flesh shall I see God' 27. Whom I shall where the word printled is introduced, which, besides its im- Iyfehsal"eeQd271hmIsal propriety, conveys no idea of the meaning of Job, records see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and that are designed to last'long not being distinguished from not another; though my reins be consumed less durable papers by being printed.-BuRDER, within me. The word sock, which our translators have made use of, seems to me to be more just than that used by Schultens. It has been the fashion with a class of interpreters and It is certainlthat the word -'i tzur, which is in the original, divines, pleased perhaps to associate their own with the signifies in other places of the book of Job, a rock; and celebrated names of Grotius, Le Clerc, and Warburton, to never there, or anywhere else in the scriptures, that I am explode from this passage any reference to a future life, or aware of, and I have with some care examined the point, the expectation of the Messiah; and no slight contempt has (oes it signify a small sepulchral stone, ot monumental been expressed for the credulity and mental servitude (very pillar. On the other hand, I am sure the words that are candidly taken for granted) of those who entertain the beused for this purpose, when the sacred writers spealk of the lief of such a reference. This has, however, been the opinsepulchral stone on Rachel's grave; of the pillar erected ion of the greater number of scripture critics, ancient and by Absalom to keep up his memory; and of that monu- modern, popish and protestant. The usual objections ment which marked out the place wihere the prophet was against this interpretation are, that novestiges appear in buried that prophesied against the altar of Jeroboam, and the book of Job, of any acquaintance with the doctrine of a which continued to the days of Josiah; are different. Nor future life; that it would be very extraordinary if there can the using this term appear strange, if we consider the really existed in the m-nd of the composer of this book, any C(IAp. 19. J O B. 333 knowledge of the Redeemer to come, that such a glorious book of Job to support and illustrate, and which, in the sehope should show itself nowhere'but in this single passage;' quel of the book, receive the stamp of divine approbation, that wre cannot reconcile such an avowal with the despond- form a part of the body of REVEALED TRUTH' There are also ency which appears to have prevailed in the mind of Job; many passages in the book which may be rationally urged and that the terms employed do not necessarily import more as recognitions of a future state. than the persuasion of a deliverance,'by divine goodness, 4. The bare assertion that the terms of the passage do not from the present calamity, and a restoration to health and import so much as is usually attributed to them, masy be happiness, in the present life. To these reasonings we fairly enough'met by asserting the contrary. To the unreply, learned reader, as well as to the critical scholar, the means 1. Admitting that there is no intimation of the doctrine of judging for himself are industriously presented, in, the of immortality and a future judgment, or of the expectation close version given above, and in the remarks and referof a Messiah, in any other part of this book, the consequence enlces subjoined. The words are as plain as in any instance does not follow. It should be recollected that, in a poetical the language of prophecy can be expected to be. It appears book, the matter is disposed considerably according to the to me strictly rational, probable, and in harmony with the taste and choice of the writer; and that a more vivid im- great plan of a progressive revelation, to regard this repression might be made, by presenting a capital circum- markable passage as dictated by the SPIRIT of prophecy, Mhrio, stance, with its brightness and force collected into one point, "in many portions, and in many modes, spake to the fatlhers." than would be produced if it were dispersed through the Let me also entreat the reader's most impartial considerageneral composition. The whole texture of this passage, tion, whether the sense here maintained is not required, introduced with the most impassioned wish for attention even necessitated, by the words, taken in their fair meanin g and perpetual remembrance, and sustained in the sublimest and connexion; and whether the affixing of a lower int'erstyle of utterance, is evidently thus contrived to interest pretation does not oblige those who take this course, to put and impress in the highest degree. a manifest force upon the phrases, and upon the marks of Those of our objectors -who ascribe the date of the poem pre-eminent importance with which the sacred author has to the period of the captivity, cannot refuse to adrsit that signalized them. the writer possessed whatever knowledge the Jewish nation After employing, the utmost force and beauty of languasge had with respect to a Messiah and a future state.. The to stamp importance upon the words which he was about writings of Moses and the former prophets, and the greater to utter, and to ensure for them a never-dying attention, the part of the works of the latter prophets, and the books patriarch protests his confidence that the LiviNG GoD, the grouped with the Psalms, were, at this time, tile accredited eternal, independent, and unchanging One, would be his scriptures of the Jews; and few will be so hardy as to VINDICATOR from injustice, and his REDEEMER from all his affirn?, that no intimations occur in those writings-of the sorrows; and would restore him from the state of death, to'doctrines which constituted the hope and consolation of a new life of supreme happiness in the faxvour and enjoyIsrael. On this (in my opinion, untenable) hypothesis, it mient of God. would appear highly credible that some very distinct ref- / It is not necessary to suppose that Job understood the full erence to those doctrines would enter materially into the import and extent of what he was " moved by the Holy structure of the work. Spirit to speak." The general belief on the divine testi2. The alleged inconsistency between these expressions mony of a future Saviour from sin and its consequent evils of triumphant confidence, as we understand them, and the would place him on a level with other saints, in his owra gloominess and despondency generally prevalent in the and many succeeding ages, who "died in faith, not respeeches of Job, presses equally on our opponents, who con- ceiving the promises" in their clearest development, "l but fine the passage to the expectation of restored prosperity SEEING THEM AFAR OFF." Even when those promises had in the present life. It lies even more against them, for Job, received many accessions of successive revelations, the not only before, but in his very last speech, evidently de- Jewish prophets did not apprehend the exact design and spaired of a v'esto'ezrtion to temnporal feliciti?/. His property meaning of their own predictions; for " they inquired and might, indeed, by some wonderful, though almost incredible searched diligently-what or what kind of time, the Spirit reverse of God's providence, be retrieved; or, at least, of Christ which was in them did signify." Our inquiry is, equivalent comforts in that class of things might be obtain- therefore, not so much what the patriarch actually undered: but his children were destroyed; they could not live stood, as what the Author of inspiration intended; since it again: and his own disorder, probably the dreadful orien- was " not unto themselves, but unto us," that the patriarchs tal leprosy, was incurable and fatal. Yet, between this and prophets "ministered those things." "No prophecy hopeless condition as to earthly enjoyments, and a vigorous of scripture is of self-solution;" but is made gradually aspiration of the mind after spiritual and immortal bless- plainer by new communications from the same omniscient ings, there is no inconsistency. A man must have little source, and by the light of events. judgment, little taste, and less moral sensibility, who does \ Upon this principle, it is proper for us to compare the not perceive in these alternations of faith and diffidence, language of this passage, with the character and declaradespair and hope, a picture exquisitely just and touching, tions of HIsm to whom " all the prophets gave wTitness." He, of the human mind, under the influence of the most agita- in the fulness of the times, was manifested, as the REDEEMIER ting conflict between religious principle resting on the be- from sin and death, the FIRST and the LAST, and the LiIVISG lief of invisible existences, and, on the other hand, the die- ORE, the RESURRECTION and the LIFE; who, in the appointed tates of sense, the pressure of misery, and the violence of season, " is coming with the clouds, and every eve shall temptations. see him; whose voice the dead shall hear, and hearing, 3. But we are not disposed to grant either of the assump- shall live." tions before mentioned.'We have better evidence than the If, then, the evidence which we can attain in this case,dicta of German anti-supernaturalists, or the opinions of be sufficient to satisfy an impartial judgment, that the pasEn0lish refiners upon'theology, that the patriarchs from sage before us was "given by inspiration of God," as a whom the tradition of divine truths had descended to Job, prophecy of the second coming of the only Redeemer and "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the Judge of mankind; it is no less evidence in point to our earth, and desired a better country, that is, a heavenly." present investigation, on the PERSON of the Great Deliverer, Nor is it credible that the promise of a Messiah was totally than if it directly regarded his first advent:-and it unequiunknown to the true worshippers of Jehovah in Arabia, vocally designates Him by the highest titles and attributes allied to the family of Abraham, and in the habit of reve- of Deity. Upon the hypotliesis of those who regard the book rentially cherishing the remains of primeval truth. And, of Job as a divine parable, all doctrinal and practical conbesides the possession of the patriarchal religion, what is elusions from it are strengthened, rather thian rendered there to prevent any but a deist from conceiving that God weak or precarious.-J. P. SMITH. might INSPIRE his faithful and afflicted servant with the knowledge and the joyful confidence which he expresses? Ver. 24. That they were graven with an iron pen Is not such a supposition consonant with all the known and leadin the rock for exer! scheme and principles of the divine dispensations't Was not the occasion worthy of the interposition'. Has it not al ways This probably refers to the ancient practice of writing been the faith of the Jewish and of the Christian church, on stone (bv nieans of an iron instrument) those events that the ultimate sentimeirts which it is the design of the which were to be conveyed to posterity. The fact, also, o 340 JOB. CIIAP. 19-21. lead being uled, may allude to the fixing of the stone by Is a man about to lerave his native place, to reside in nmeans of that metal. In' all parts of the East are to be another country in hopeQof becoming rich, people say to found recorJs thus written, many of which have never him, "We suppose there are rivers of ghee, and honey been deciphered, as they are in the languages not now and milk, in the town where you are going to live"understood. It is proverbial to say, " The words of the ROBERTS. wise are written on stone." " Learning for the young is In these cool countries we have no idea of butter so liquid like a writing in stone."-RoBERTS. as described in these words; it appears among us in a more solid form. But as the plentiful flowing of honey, VeN. 26. Anl thougBh, after my skin, wlosms de- when pressed from the comb, may be compared to a little stroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. river, as it runs into the vessels in which it is to be kept, so, as they manage matters, butter is equally fluid, and may Though worms be not in the original, I believe the trans- be described in the same way: " A great quantity of butter lators have acted wisely in supplying the word for the text. is made in Barbary, which, after it is boiled with salt, they Dr. Mason Good translates it, "After the disease hath put into jars, and preserve for use." (Shaw.) Streams of destroyed." But the opinion of the Orientals, as expressed butter then, poured, when clarified, into jars to be preservin their ancient writings, and also in those of the present. ed, might as naturally be compared to rivers, as streams of day, is, that worms do exist in the skin, and in all parts of honey flowing upon pressure into other jars in which it was tile body, and that they principally cause its destruction. kept.-BURDER. They say the life is first destroyed by them, and afterward the body. A man who is very ill, often exclaims, " Ahen he is about to f my body is but a nest for worms; they have paths in all shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and parts of my frame." " Ah these worms are continually shall rain it upon him while he is eating. eating my flesh." In the ancient medical work called Kr,i~ti)-N zticti-SNootera'csa, writtenby the celebrated AgatZiyut, A man in the East does not, as in England, say he has it is said, " iThe human body contains eighteen kinds of eaten plentifully, or he has not taken any thing to eat; but wzorilms:-I. the skin; 2. the flesh; 3. the bones; 4. the he has well filled his belly, or, "to his belly there is blood; 5. (producing) wind; 6. the excrement; 7. the urine; nothing." Thus, the beggar at your door stoops a little, 8. intestines; 9. Oroplta; 10. abscess; 11. sores (generally;) then puts his hands on the abdomen, and exclaims, "My 132. leprosy; 13. itch; 14. cancer; 15. mouth; 16. teeth; 17. lord, for my belly nothing, for my belly nothing!"-RoBscull; and 18. the hair." Is it not a fact that the medical ERTs. menr of England have only of late years discovered that animalcules exist in some of these parts alluded to! and CHAPTER XXI. perhaps they may do well also to inquire, whether old Ver. 15.. What is the Almighty, that we should A aittiyar be not correct in some of his other opinions.- serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Vet. 28. But ye should say, WNThy persecute we im seein th ye should say, Why pmatter isecute we The heathen sometimes ask us, "Why should we pray to your God. is there any thing to be gained by it. When me.:We go to our own temples, we have often fruit given to us; " hat is the ROOT of his conversation?" " Is his root but when we come to vours, nothing is offered: give us rit cannot find out his root aion" Ah hias a somethinn, aad we will pray to him.:' On one of these oood root. -R"ossetrs. occasions, a bystander repeated a favourite proverb, " Do you ask for pay when requested to eat sugarcane. " which CHAPTER XX.. silenced the jester.-RoBERrTS. Vet. 16. He shall suck the poison of asps: the Ver. 16. Lo, their good is not in their hand: the viper's tongue shall slay him. counsel of the wicked is far from me. In a country,where serpents lurk in every path, and In a country where s umb ers of peoplents lurk in eves from patheir and There has been a difficulty of great magnitude supposed where such numbers of people lose their lives from their bite. can itbe a matter of wonder that they are greatly afraid in the present and several of the ensuing verses. Reiske, of t!enem, and that their language abounds with figures taken in order to explain it, has recourse to his usual method; frol the destructive power of that reptile2 Some modern and while he changes the divison of the letters in the first member of the verse before us, in order so far to obtain an w.-iters have asserted, that there are very few of them explanation, he transfers the ensuing six verses, from 17 which have poisonous qualities. It is said that some tray- he transfers the ensuing six verses, from 17 ellers take occasional journeys of several months into Italy, to 22 inclusively, t o a place between verses 31 and 32. Greece, and Egypt, that they may have an opportunity of writing a boork "for the gratification of their friends," logue to be held between the speaker and some imaginary and that it is necessary to contradict, or alter a little, the respondent, and have attempted to mark out, by inverted descriptions of their predecessors, in order to find a sale, comlas, the passages that belong to the respective dispurtants. There is no necessity for any such expedients: the or to ensurlike sca m odicum of popularit. There ma be am general drift of the argument is clear: " The righteous, I something like scandal in these observations; but I am quite sure they are not without force in reference to some who have favoured the world with their sketches of the but do not, on this account alone, accuse me of hypocrisy East. To say there are many serpents whose bite is not and all wickedness, because I am at present a sufferer; for s correct but to assert that there are many whose the wicked themselves, in the mysteries of providence, FATALst, isorrect; but to assert tha there are many whose are occasionally allowed to partake of an equal prosperity; bite is not poisonous, is nonsense. Perhaps the most they live in happiness, and die in quiet, even wile they rlllles of al the tibe is he ratsnake but its bilealwaysthey live in happiness, and die in quiet, even while they ".rmless of all the tribe is the rat-snake; but Its bite always abjure the Almighty, and laugh at those who serve him. produces giddiness in the head, and a great degree of abjure the Almighty, and laugh at those who serve him. dues giddiad ness in the part where thead, awound as been inflicted. Do not however mistake me-far be it from me to become deadness in the part where the wound has been inflicted. Apologizing for this digression, I observe, that when a man an advocate for the wicked-I know the slipperiness of their foundation, and that more generally they suffer for is enraged with another, and yet dare not make a personal their iniquity in the present world, as vwell in their own attack upon him, he says, " The viper shall bite thee." persons as in the posterity; I am only anxious to prove " From wrl~ln art thou? the race of vipers "'~ L Yes, yes;persons as in their posterity; I am only anxious to prove that your grand argument is fallacious; that no conclusion the poison of the puddeyan-pambo, i. e. the beaver-serpent, n theis in thy mouf the ddean-p i. e. the beaver-serpent, bite can lie drawn from the actual prosperity or misery of man, is in thy mouth." "What! serpent, art thou going to bite as to the mgral rectitude or turpitude of his heart; and me? Chee Chee! I will break thy teeth."-ROBERTS. as to the mpral rectitude or turpitude of his heart; and Xmel Cee, heel I will break thy teeth."-RonEars that, with a wisdom which it is impossible for mortals to Ver. 17. EHe shall not see the rivers, the floods, fathom, the Almighty not unfrequently allots a similar ezthe brooks of honev and butter. ternal fate, both to the righteous and the wicked."-GooD. See on chap. 29. 6. Ver. 17. How oft is the candle of the wicked put Ramm.ro?ostwS of ftmSoon. —l Chumo 29.t Eastern Letters-Es'O 4.7, S:. Nei o h tuneral Chariot of tbie E -2- Kina b 9 2, M te e odf puinoah1et.-Job 1; 2 R dig' is-3.i4itl O 4, Captvity. -2' ngs 17: C;oey.-P 104: I8vt c. lbez or Rook Gout-eaT 104.. t% Wild As&-Job 39: 5Ibe. or Rook Goot —,sui 104: 19. W9ld As —Job 39: 5Y.8. CHAP. 21-24. J O B. 341 out? and Ibow oft cometh their destruction upon to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger. the hungry. See on 1 Kings 11. 26. It is one of the thirty-two charities of the Hindoos, to'Ver. 24. His breasts are full of milk, and his have water ready for the traveller to drink." Hence, on boales are moistented with marroi. the public roads, in front of the houses of charitable people, may be seen vessels filled with water, for the use of all who When the mother dies before she has suckled her child, pass that way. 1 But respectable men do not drink there: its life has been sometimes preserved by the milk of its they go inside, and say," Coenj'm-ttaneer," a little water; father's breast. This curious fact was not unknown to and it is given to them.-ROBERTS. Aristotle, who says, they that have a small quantity of milk, yield it in abundance when their breasts are sucked; that Ver. 20. Whereas our substance is not cut down: women who are past age, by being often sucked, and even but the remnant of them the fire consumeth, males, have yielded milk in sufficient quantity to nourish ale in ant. yieldt milk in his qon tity There can be little doubt that the reference is to the cities an infanht: Humboldt declares, in his Personal Narrative, of Sodom and Gomorra: and as all men are often spoken that he saw a man, an inhabitant of Arenas, a village not far of Sodom and Gomorrane family or comunity so te apoken from Cureana, Francisco Lozano, who suckled a child wit of as contittgonefamily or co unity, so the abahis own milk. "The mother having fallen sick, the father, descendants or remnants of th e pically repkesee, to quiet the infant, took it into his bed, and pressed it to his in the flood. GOOD. bosom. Lozano, then thirty-two years of age, had never remarked till that day that he had milk; but the irritation CHAPTER XXIII. of the nipple, sucked by the child, caused the accumulation Ver. 11. My foot hath held his steps: his o( y of that liquid. The milk was thick and very sweet. The' not decline-. f.ther, astonished at the increased size of his breast, suckled his child two or three times a-day, during five months. We When a man follows another in a path so closelyas a!saw the certificate which had been drawn up on the spot to most to touch the feet of him who g oes before, i is sid, attest this remarkable fact, eyewitnesses of which are still " His feet hath laid hold of his steps," intimating that the living, (1799.) They assured us, that during this suckling, men are so near to each other, that the feet of him wsho filthe child had no other nourishment than the milk of his lows, like unto the fingers of a man's hands, seize the feet father. Lozano, who was not at Arenas during our jour- of him who goes before. Thus the devoted disciple of a' ney in the missions, came to us at Cumana. He was gooroo, or the man who closely pursues another, is said to accompanied by his son, who was then thirteen or fourteen take hold of the steps of him who goes before. Petrhaps years of' age. Mr. Bonpland examined with attention the the figure may be taken from the great adroitness that trie father's breast, and found it wrinkled like those of women natives of the East have in seizing hold of any thing with who have given suck." The existence of milk in the their toes! See a man walking along the road: lie sees breast of a male was known so early as the days of Job: something on the ground, which he wishes to pick up; bui "His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened he does not stoop, as an Englishman. No i he takes it p with marrow." — PAxTo N. between his first and second toes. Look at tailors, shieThe margin has, for breasts, " sil/cpails." Of a man makers, or sailors: when they want to twist a cordi thky who is very rich, it is common to say, "His &hiatfles (yes- do not tie it to a nail, or ask another person to talke'Ilcld. sels) are full of milk." But of a good king or governor it No; they make one end fast to the great toe, and peribnfol is said, " He nourishes like the hing whose breasts are the other operation with the hands. But the most rema rcfull of milk." " Yes; he so rules, that the hearts of the able illustration of this practice was in the case of Al pulle, goddess of the earth are full of milk." —ROBERTS. the Kandian chief, who was beheaded near I(andy. W iden Ver. 32. Yet shall he be brought to the gr~ave, and he arrived at the place where he was to be executed, he looked around for some time for a small shrub and on shall remain in the tomb. 33. The clods of seeing one, he seized it with his toes, in order to be firm the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every while the executioner did his office.-ROBERTS. man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him. mVer. 3. They drive away the ass of the fatherHow came Job to speak of the clods of the valley, when 1e ey t e describing magnificence of burial l I should suppouse, in answer to this question, that Job is to be understood, not as I-low various and important are the services which tlis intending to markl out the wonted places of their interment, humble creature renders to his master! He serves him/ fbr but the manner of ornamenting their sepulchres; planting riig, for bearing his brdens, drmwine the psouohe needflowers, and odoriferous herbs or shrubs, on or about their in in he grain into the flooded soil, turnin the milstone graves: "1Clods like those of a valley or torrent, verdant t all these services the femle adds the nit s and flow~ery, shall surround him, and be pleasing' to him."3adt to all these services the female adds the nutritious and floweryi, shall surround him, and be pleasing to him." beverage of her milk. To the poor man, therefore, a single The liveliness of eastern poetry here representing the deadl, ass might prove an invaluable treasure. In many cases. it as having the same perceptions as if they were alive in was the principal means of support to himself and his their sepulchres: " He shall watch in the heap of earth, or family; a circumstance which accounts for the enermetic stones, that cover him," for such the margin of our transla- ngage respecting this anilal, in some pAse ov ~r tion tells us, is the more exact import of the Hebrew: " The tre. To " drive away the ass of the fatherless," Job clods around him, like those in some pleasant valley, or denounces as a deed of atrocity, which none btt a proud on the border of some torrent, shall be sweet unto him."-, and unfeelings oppressor could be guilty of perpetrating. — H[[-J. xPuza~Mt~~. PAXTON. CHAPTER XXII. Vet. 5.' Behold, as wiled asses in the desert, ~'o Ver. 6. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy they forth to their work, -rising' betimes fir a brother for naught, and stripped the naked of they forth to their work, ising betimes for a their ~lothino~. prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them c and for -their children. This proverbiZal form of speech is used when a man dra gs from another that which is his last resource. -" Why do See on Gen. 16. 12. vont take this tax from the nakedl " "WVhat! take a cloth The passage refers, evidently, not to the proud and from the nakedl ITs there lno shamel'E I vow often, also, habughty tyrants themselves, but to the oppressed anrd do we see a man seize another by the cloth on the public needy wretches, the Bedouins and other plundering tribes, road, and s-wear if he will not instantly pay his debt, he whom their extortion and violence had driven from society, shall be left naked. —RoBETs. andi compelled in a body to seek for subsistence by pioblic robbery and pill?.gc. In this sense the desc.,iption is admi-'V'. 7. Thou ihast not given. wgtter to the weary rably forcible and characteristic.-Goo., 342 JOB. CHAP. 24 Ver. 8. Theyare wet with the showers of the down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall te mointains, and embrace the rock for want of a discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consnmed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord." shelter. The same allusion is'involved in the prediction of Amos, where he denounces the judgments of God against a profli. Th is exactly agrees with what Niebuhr says of the rood- t, ern wandering Arabs near Mount Sinai: "Those who can- gate and refractory people: "For, behold, the Lord com. mandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, not afford a tent spread out a cloth upon four or six stakes; andethe little house ith clefts The palaces of the great and thes srea ther cothnea a reeor ndevou toand the little house with clefts." The palaces of the great and others spread their cloth near a tree, or endeavour to and the cottages of the poor, seem to have been constructed shelter themselves from the heat and the rain in the cavities a or~~~~f the r ~ocks.' URDER. ~of the same fragile material; for they were affected by the storm and the tempest in the same manner, and when the er. 9. They pluc the ftherless from the breastcup of iniquity is full, are dissolved by the same shower.Ver. 9. They pluck. the fatherless from the breast,PATN P~xTON. and take a pledge of the poor. Nearly all the houses in the East are made of unburnt bricks, so that there is very little difficulby in' making a It used to be said of the cruel king of Kandy, that he hole sufficiently large to adrhit the human body. No wonwould not allow the infant to suck its mother's breast. Of der, then, that this is the general way of robbing houses; a wicked woman it is said, "She will not allow her own Thus, in the morning, when the inmates awake, they see child to suck her." "O the savage husband! he snatches daylight through a hole in the wall, and immediately know the child from his wife's breast."-RoBERTS.' what has been done. —PROETS. Ver. 16. In the dark they dig through houses, Ver. 18. He is swift as the waters; their portion which they had marked for themselves in the is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not tlhe daytime: they know not the light. way of the vineyards. The short duration of mud-walled buildings is not the From this verse to the end of ver. 24, it is agreed by all the oily objection to the use of unburnt brick; for in windy translators, that there is much difficulty and perplexity. weather the streets are incommoded with dust, and with "Non nimium, (says Le Clerc,) quam heac periodo se ohmire in time of rain. At Damascus, when a violent rain scurius quicquam in sanetis scripturis"-" There is hardly happens to fall, the whole city, by the washing of the any passage in the holy scriptures more obscure than the houses, becomes as it were a quagmire. So great is the present:" and Schultens fully concurs in the observation. quantity of dust and mire which sometimes accumulates Hence there are no two interpreters, perhaps, who have in the streets of an eastern city, that the prophet Zechariah translated it in precisely the same way, or understood it in borrows a figure from it, of great force and significancy in the same manner. By. many the text has been suspected the ear of an Oriental, to denote the immense riches of to be erroneous in several instances; and a sense has been Tyre: "Tyrus did build herself a strong hold, and heaped attempted to be extorted by pretended amendsments of it. tip silver as the dust, and fine gold as the mire of the Reiske, here, as on all other occasions, is by far the boldest streets. The beauty of the figure is lost if we attempt to emendator; there is scarcely a verse into which he has not judge of if by the state of an occidental city in modern introduced some alteration, and in some verses an alteratimes; but it will not be easy to conceive one more stri- tion amounting to nearly half the original text. It w6uld khingly appropriate, if the streets of an eastern city, choked be in vain to investigate these numerous renderings, of which uith mire, or suffocated with dust, are considered. Dr. no one appears to me to be more perspicuous than another, Shaw directs the attention of his readers to the same cir- or to propose a clearer sense than that contained in our curmstance, the dissolution of oriental buildings upon a common version, obscure and in many parts unintelligible shooer, and supposes it may illustrate what Ezekiel ob- as it is allowed to be. Without dwelling, therefore, upon:ertres respecting untempered mortar. When that traveller the misconceptions of my predecessors, I shall at once offer was at Tozer, in the month of December, they had a small to the reader's attention, with much diffidence, a new interdrizzling shower, which continued for the space of two pretation of this contested passage, founded upon a differhours; nnd so little provision was made against accidents ent view of the writers' general scope and intention: and of this kind, that siveral of the houses, which, as usual; in doing this, while I adhdre to the original text, without w re built only with palm branches, mud, and tiles baked in any amendment, the reader will find, I trust, that I shall the sun, fell down by imbibing the moisture of the shower. be able to extract a very obvious meaning from it, even Nay, provided the drops had been either larger, or the by such strict and literal rendering. What is the grand shower of a longer continuance, he was persuaded the point of controversy between the pious patriarch and his whole city would have dissolved and dropped to pieces. too severe companions. I have been compelled to advert to In his opinion, the phrase "untempered mortar" refers to it on: various occasions, and especially in the note on chap. the square pieces of clay of which the wall is constructed; xxi. 16, which contains the patriarch's preceding reply. but on loolking at the text, it is evident that it refers to the Job is, from first'to last, accused-by his friends of being an plaster which is used in the East for covering the walls enormous transgressor, because it had pleased the Almighty.after they are built. The words of the prophet are: "And to visit him with a severe affliction: and when he at first one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untem- denied his being such a transgressor, he was immediat(lyh pered mortar.-Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be taxed with gross and open hypocrisy. He defends himself. said unto vou, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have in several of his subsequent answers, from this cruel andl daubed it'" The view which Chardin gives of thtis text unfounded charge, and ably and completely. refutes the is, therefore, to be preferred. According to that intelligent very ground of the argument, by observing, in chap. xxi.' traveller, the mud walls fall down in consequence of the that although it be true that the righteous are often, and rain dissolving the plaster. This plaster hinders the water for the most part, rewarded sooner or later, in tis life, ith g el tt I.I 0 Nc from penetrating the bricks; but when it has been soaked prosperity, and the wiclkred punished as they deserve; yet with wet, the wind crackrs it, by which means the rain, in that, in the mystery of providence, the rule by no means somine succeeding shower, gets between and dissolves the holds universally; for that the wicked also are often alwhole mass. To this external coating of plaster, the proph- lowed to be prosperous, even to the latest period of their et certainly refers, and not to the bricks, of which the wall existence, and the upright to endure an uninterrupted series is constructed; for these, however tempered, never can be of pain and affliction. In chapter xxii. the original charge supposed to resist the action of violent rains. The ruinous is again, however, advanced against the patriarch by Elietfet of stormy winds and heavy rains upon such frail phaz, who once more advid'es him to repent of his misdeeds, structures, is well described in t'he thirteenth verse, and in order that he might be restored to his former prosperity, exactly corresponds with the accounts of modern travel- and ascribes his vindication of himself to a spirit of ob-ers:' Therefore, thus saith the Lord God. I will even stinacy and rebellion. In the chapter before Uis, Job rerend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be verts to the argument so forcibly opened in his preceding an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones reply: and in enlarging upon it, observes not only that the in my fury to consume it. So will I break down the wall conduct of providence is inscrutable to us in regard to its that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it dealings with the righteous and the wicked, but in regard CAP. 24-..JOB. 34;3 to all the different classes of mankind, all the different properly signifies the sniLhfty dead, and is a common denommodes of life they pursue, and all the different events that ination of the dead giants who died before the flood. The accompany them. In every scene we behold evil, moral spirits of these men are frequently alluded to in the scripor physical, permitted; in the retirement of the country, tures, in accordance with the popular modes of belief, as and in the crowded city; by sea and by laud: it commences incarcerated in the bowels or cavernous recesses of' the in the womb itself; and accompanies man through every earth, having been ingulfecd in the waters of the deluge. stage of his being.'We know nothing of Lhe laws of prov- Here the speaker is descanting, in a sublime and somewhat idence; the Almighty often appears to be labouring in vain; poetic manner, upon the ubiquity and omnipotence of God. and vi;ce and virtue, the righteous and the wicked, to be Though seated upon the circle of the heavens, yet his eye almost equally, and almost promiscuously, the subject of penetrates, and his presence visits the profoundest abysses of prosperity and of affliction. The corollary is clear and the globe, and the spirits of the mighty dead. the tenants of unanswerable: "How absurd, then,,is it to accuse me of these gloomy mansions, quail and quake before him. The being more a sinner than the rest of mankind, from the true import of the original word rendered "formed" is, to mere circumstance of my being a severer sufferer than tremble, shake, qnalce, be pnt in comienotion. It is, ther'efore, others."-GooD.. in fact, but saying, that the regions of the dead are perfectly exposed to the omniscient survey of Jehovah, and that the Ver. 19. Drouht ad heat consume the sno- despairing spirits of those who perished under the overwaters; so doth the grave those which have whelming mass of waters in the days of Noah, perpetually sinned. quake under the consciousness of his present ire. The ensuing verse is in a similar strain: " Hell (hades, the Literally,'"ransack or plunder them." The reference invisible world) is naked before him, and destruction hath is to those dikes, tanks, or reservoirs of water, which, in no covering." A kindred figurative mode of representaeastern countries, are always carefull-y filled during the tion occurs in Isaiah, eh. xiv. 6, where the approach of the eriodical exudations of the large rivers, as the Nile, In- once-dreaded king of Babylon to the dreary mansions of dus, and Ganges, and preserved to fertilize the soil by the dead, is spoken of as exciting commotion among the occasional irrigations through the rest of the year, and silent occupants of that nether world. "IHell firom beneath without which there can be no harvest. So Isa. xxxvi. 1ii:- is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up Make ye peace wvith me, and come out to me, the dead (rephaim, the qnio'ity dead) for thee, even all the And eat ye, every one of his vine, and every one of his fig-tree; chief ones of the earth."'We suppose that the New TestaAnd drink ye, every one, of the waters of his own cistern, (tank.) ment contains two distinct allusi ons to the subject of the And Jeremiah, still more'at large:-, present passage in Job, if not to the passage itself; the first Anti their nobles sent their little ones to the waters; is James ii. 19, " Thou believest there is one God; thou They came to the pits, (tanks)-they foiund no water; doest well;- the devils also believe, an.d tIresble." Here the They returned with their vessels empty,; original word for devils (daimonia, dcvons) is, as Campbell They were ashained and confounded, and covered their heads. a or f e (s on esos s C pe Behold! chapt was the ground, for there had been no rain on the earth has shown, the New Testa;ent ter or sprs of drad e, The ploughmnen were ashamed, they covered their heads. especially such as were deified and worshipped after death, 0 ~~~~~~~~~~~the heroes or demigods of antiquity. This view -of the These exudations were uniformly ascribed, and wit the heroes or deigods of antiquity Thi vie of e subject brings the two passages into very -near accordancee great reason, to heavy periodical rains, and sudden thaw- subject brings the two passaes into very near accodnce i of the immense masses of snow deposited in the Cold with each other. The import of both is, that the spirits of ings of' the immense masses of snow depositedghty dead'tremble in awe before the ost high er- months on the summits of the loftier mountains, and these ighty dead'tremble in awe before the most a God. The other occurs 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20, "By whichi also especially of that vast and winding ekain of rocks which; Ii reached unto the spirits is prison, which n ~~~~~~he went and preached unto, the spirits in prison, which under the name of Caucasus and Imaus, runs, in almost eet a d smetime were disobedient, wvhen once the long —suffering every direction, from the eastern verge of Europe to the om we e dso st, whe e the ln-fei soterxteitfnia h tw hsclof God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a southern extremity of India. The two physical evils here adverted to, therefore, are among the severest scourges ever preparin, herin fw, that is to say, egh souls, re i saved by water." Christ, spealking by his spirit through inflicted upon man —the failure of the vintage and of the harvest-Gon on.pnn-lhe fu vis e Noah, and perhaps other good men living before the flood, har vest. —GooD. 9 preached to those ancient sinners, "which were of old, Ver. 21. He evil entreateth the barren that bear- men of renown," but whose spirits, from their having proved eth not' and doeth not goood to the widov. disobedient and incorrigible, are now confined in the gloomy abodes of the under world, as in a prison from It is considered to be very disgraceful for a married wo- which there is no escape.-Busa. man not to have children; and the evil treatment they re- CHAPTER XXVII. ceive from their own husbands and others is most shameful. CAPTER XVII. Nothing can be more common than for a poor woman of Ver. 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, that description, when she has given offence to another, to though he hath gained, when Qod taieth ass-y be addressed by the term 9nalady, i. e. barren. "Go, bar- his soul ren one, get out of my sight." " hee she cannot have aul child," -go]~EaTS. ~c~~hild."'~-P ~OB~ S~. ~The argument now entered upon is admirably forcible, Ver. 24. T'hey are exalted for a little svhile, but and in point; it opposes the adverse party with their own are gone and brought low; they are taken ott weapons. "You accuse me of hypocrisy and of all wickedness, and you accuse me of thus acting from a love of' of the wvay as all other, and cut off as the tops gain. How absurd and irrational such a motive! what of the ears of corn. hope of prosperity can the wicked man indulge I what hope that God should grant him tranquillity'." Ver 11, "I will Wilced men and tyrants may be prosperous for a sea- teach you his lot by the hand of God himself. Ye yourson, but they wvill eventually be like the long stubble, having selves'know it, and have seen it." Ver. 13, " Behold4 this had the ears lopped off. This alludes to the custom, in the is the portion of the wicked man," &c.-GooD. East, of talcing off the ears of t7le corn, and leaving the straw, as before, standing on the ground. The grain called kLr'- Ver. 15. Those that remain of him shall be: buried rak'a? is gathered by simply taking off the ears; and rice, in death and his widows shall not weep. where the water still remains in the fields, is gathered in the same way. The proud oppressor, then, in the end, shall Nothing can be bolder, nothing more highly imbqed' wish., be like the long straw standing in its place, having "the the spirit of oriental poetry, than the entire couplet:" -Noi ears" cut off, and carried away.-RoBERTS. sepulchre, no funeral dirge: corruption alone shall b::. his tonib; his own household shall not bewail him.; not aeven, CHAPTER XXVI. the affectionate females of his harem, his bereft wives and Ver. 5. Dead things are formed from under the concubines; those of his own rank, whobrought with them, waters, and the inhabitants thereof. a dowvry upon marriage, and those selected on account of their personal charms, and who were married without What possible sense can be elicited from this passage, as dowries." No honourable man was ever interred, in anthus rendered? The iriginal for "dead things," (rephaim,):ient times, and in e/stern nations; without the solemnity 344 JOB. CHAP. 27. of public mourners in long procession, loud lamentations, ruin, like a temporary booth, where the keeper of a vineand metrical dirges. But it is probable that the writer, in yard watches his property for a little while till the vintage the present place, more immediately alludes to those shrielks is gathered.?' But this interpretation by no means accords of domestic grief, which are so often to be met with in every with the design of the speaker; for it introduces an antiquarter of the house, and especially among the females, thesis into the text, instead of the conjunction, which Job upon the death of its master; and which is admirably evidently meant, and separates the two comparisons of the described in the Iliad, upon the fall of Hector. The pas- same thing, as if they referred to different objects. Hence sage, however, has not been understood by any of the corn- the common version, which unquestionably expresses the mentatcrs or translators who have concurred in regarding true sense of the clause, is to be preferred: "The wicked'w'~ as meaning the q-emains of his house, instead of the re- man, like the moth, builds his house at the expense of anumaics of his' per'son,; and hence our common version, other. He expels his neighbours from their possessions, "those that resaissof hins," instead of literally, "his remaiss." that he may join house to house, and lay field to field, till Equally erroneous the common version, "shall be buried there be no place for others to inhabit, except as dependants in death;" in which nin, here rendered death, means also on his forbearance or bounty, that he may dwell alone, as mortality," " corruption," "pestilence;" i. e." corruption the sole proprietor, in the midst of the earth." The idea of alone shall be his tomb, or covering," as just explained Job is thus expressed by another prophet: " They covet above. Reiske, not knowing how to explain this expres- fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take sion upon the common interpretation, suspects, as usual, an them away; so they oppress a man and his house, even a error in the reading, and proposes a choice of three amend- man and his heritage." But his unrighteous acquisitions meats; neither of which, however, it is necessary to par- shall be of short continuance; they shall moulder insensiticularize.-GooD. bly away, returning to the lawful owner, or passing into the possession of others.-PAXToN. Ver. 16. Thouoh he heap up silver as the dust, Strictly, the mothworm, as it proceeds from the egg beand prepare raiment as the clay. fore it is changed into the chrysalis, aurelia, or nymph, (Nature Displayed, vol. i. p. 18,) so called from its corroAccording to D'Herbelot, Bokteri, an illustrious poet of ding and destroying the texture of cloth. job xiii.'28. Cufah, in the ninth century, had so many presents made Isaiah 1. 9. li. 8. "The young moth upon leaving the egg, him in the course of his life, that when he died he was which a papilio has lodg:ed upon a piece of stuff, or a skin found possessed of a hundred complete suits of clothes, well dressed, and commodious for her purpose, immediately two hundred shirts, and five hundred turbans. This anec- finds a habitation and food in the nap of the stufi, or hair of dote proves how frequently presents of this kind are made the skin. It gnaws and lives upon the nap, and likewise to persons of consideration in the Levant; and at the same bui[ds with it its apartment, accommodated both with a time furnishes a beautiful illustration of that passage in the front door and a back one; the whole is well fastened to book of Job, where the afflicted patriarch describes the the ground of the stuf with several cords and a little glue. treasures of the East. in his time, as consisting of clothes The moth sometimes thrusts her head out of one opening, and money:': Though he heap up silver as the dust, and and sometimes out of the other, and perpetually devours prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the and demolishes all about her; and when she has cleared just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver." the place about her, she draws out all the stakes of this -PAXToN. tent; after which she carries it to some little distance, and Ve.. He ildeth his hose as moh, and then fixes it with her slender cords in a new situation. In this manner she continues to live at our expense till she is as a booth that the keeper'inaketh. satiated with her food, at which period she is first transFeeble in its structure and materials, shdrt in its duration, formed into a nymph, and then changes into a papilio, or and equally incapable of resisting a thunderstorm or shower moth." —BuRaERa. of rain. So oh. viii. 14: — Thof rain. So ch. viii.y14:- Ver. 19. The rich man shall lie down, tbut he "Thuns Shall hts support rot away, And thie BUILDING OF THE SPIDER be his reliance." shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and The genus phalaena, ormoth, is divided into plant-moths he is not. and cloth-moths; and the latter have been generally supposed to be those immediately altuded to in the present The heathen had a conceit that the souls of such perplace. I have some doubt of this, but the question is not sons as had not had the due rites of burial paid them, were of consequence; the house or building referred to is, as- not admitted into hades, but were forced to wander a hunsuredly, that provided by the insect in its larvm or caterpil- drid years, a parcel of vagabond ghosts, about the banks of lar state, as a temporary residence during its wonderful the Styx. Hence we find the ghost of Patroclus supplica.change from a chrysalisto a winged orperfect insect. The ting Achilles to give him his funeral rites:: Bury me," slightness of this habitation is well known to every one who says hlie, "that I may pass as soon as possible through the has attended to the curious operation of the silkworm, or gates of hades." So speaks Palinurus, in Viigil: "Throw, the tribes indigenous to the plants of our own country, as upon me'some earth, that at last I may obtain rest in death, the emperor-moth, tiger-moth, poplar, or willow-moth, in quiet habitations." Here the self-coneited pIhilosopher &c. Of these, some construct a solitary dwelling; while smiles at the rite of sprinkling the body three times with others, as the brown-tail-moth, are gregarious, vast num- dust; but this, although misunderstood, and tinged with bars residing together under one common web, marshalled the fabulous, was borrowed from the IHebrew nation.'To with the most exact regularity. The web of the cloth- gatiher denotes, as to the dead, the bringing of their souls to moth is'formed of the very substance of the cloth on which Paradise. Although this cannot be effected by mortals, it reposes, devoured for this purpose, and afterward work- yet they expressed the benevolent wish that the thing might edl into a tubular case, with open extremities; and generally be. On the other hand, Job says of the rich man, he shall approaching to the colour of the cloth by which the moth- lie doiwn, but he shball sot be gathlered. In the ages which worm is nourished. —GooD. followed, the performance of this rite was term e'd seaolistd. The moth forms her cell in the woollen garment; a frail Of this we have a bright instance in the second book of structure, which is soon destroyed by the devouring energy Esdras: "Wheresoever thou findest the dead, seal them, of the builder. Day after day she consumes the stuff in and bury them;" that is, express the benevcMat prayer which her dwelling is placed, till both are involved in one which is in use among the Jews to this day: " May he be,. om-mcn ruin, and reduced to nothing. Such, in the esti- in the bundle of life, may his portion be in Paradise, and tmation of Job is the prosperity of a wicked man: "eI-I also in that future world which is reserved for the rig'h-'buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper teous." It would also appear, that in this act of sealikng a umaketh." The term which that afflicted patriarch uses in corpse, they either wrote upon the head with ink, or sim-. 1this passage, signifies a moth, and also the constellation ply made the form with the finger, (Le-hovah.) This at Arcturus. Soime interpreters accordingly render the words: bottom could make no difference in the state of the deceasthe wicked man shall build his house like Areturus; shall ed, but it expressed their desire that such a person might be riise, for his accommodation and pleasure, a splendid and amdng those who avre written usto life. From a passage in:ragnific mt abode, bright as the stars of Arcturus in the Isaiah, it appears that persons were in use to marrk with.-i'~ning vault of heaven; but it shall speedily rush intp indelible ink on the hand, the words Le-/ovah, the con CHAP. 28. JOB. 345 tracted form of this sentence, lamn the Lord's. This agrees forth from the rubbish unexpectedly; by the foot they are with what Rabbi Simeon says," The perfectly just are drawn oiff, by man they are removed." As an explanation, sealed, and in the moment of death are conveyed to Para- he adds the following extract'from Mr. Hutchinson: "It disc." This sealing St. Paul applies, as far as wishes can is hardly credible how great a quantity of water will be go, to Onesiphorus: "May the Lord grant to Onesipho- sometimes flung upon Miners, when they come to break up rus, that he may obtain mercy of the Lord in that day!" strata of stone, that have in them many of these cracks, ".As many," says the same apostle, "as walk according to that are so small that they are scarcely discernible. These this rule, peace be on them, and upon the Israel of God!" Are indeed the natural conveyances of water, and when (Gal. vi. 16.) once they are opened, it runs incessantly. I have observed Such being marked in death with the expression, belong- such an eruption of water in vast quantity out of stone, ing to the Lord, explains this sentence, "the foundation of that, excepting those cracks, is much too dense and close to the Lord standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth let any humidity pass." "The vast profusion of water themthat are his." "Hurt not the earth, nor the trees," that sometimes ensues the breaking upof the strata in coalsaysee the angel in the book of Revelation, "until we have pits, is well known to those who are in th$least conversant sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." This in that affair: and what amazing quantities are drawn'off seal, we are told, is their father's name: that is, Le-hovah, from deep mines, either by drains or levels, or raised by the Lord's, alluding to the Old Testament form, This engines, is also well known; nay, in digging common name Christ says he himself writes, and by doing so, acts wells and ponds, in places where there are no springs the part of the Kedosh-Israel, opening where none can shut. above ground, it firequently happens that such a glut of This sealing, then, is taking them off by death, and placing water issues forth as to endanger the lives of the workthem in his father's house; for after they are so sealed, we men."-BurnDER. find them before the throne, hnngering and thirsting no er. 6. e stoes of it ae the pace of spphires; more, and the Lamb in the midst of them, and leading them Ve. 6. Te stones of it e the place of sapphires; forth into pastures.-Burn ER. and it hath dust of gold. Ver. 23. Men shall clap their hands at him, and The STONES which form and bind together the IooNs shall hiss hi out of his place. and hills are taken from the exact places where sapphires,hall hs n uare found. For Jameson informs us, that "the geognosSee on 2 Sam. 2. 15. tic situation of the sapphire is in alluvial soil, in the vicinThe present female way of expressing joy in the East, by tty of rocks, belonging to the secondary flmtz trap formation, The present female way of expressing joy in the East, by ~.1 anid imbedded in gneiss." In reference to its g'eographic, gently applying one of their hands to their mouths, seems and imbeded in iss." n reference to its geographic to have obtained in the times of remote antiqit and to e situation, the same writer says, it is found particularly custom is, appeanrs in the fllowing passage of Pitti, descri- the Island of Ceylon. Dr. Davy states, that "the sapphire custom is, appears in the following passage of Pitts, desc occurs in considerble abundance in the granitic alluvion bing the joy with which the leaders of their sacred caravans are received, in the several towns of Barbary through which of M catura and SaffraM am," in Ceylon.) Thus, the sTONs they pass: This emir Hagme, into whatsoever town he of which the oONp is formed, are the rue geognostie comes, is received with a great deal of joy, because he is situation where the sapphire is found; and there ca be no goihg about so religious a work; and it is, who can have dobt that the ormen, in heing and detachin te ~~~~~~~~~~~dobt thasssto the rocksend in Jiinthewmgn dtacin the mut the favour and honour of kissing his hand, or but his gar- sses f the rocs, and in jon them to te mountm t! e oes ateded in much pomp, with flgskettl- ains, did, by this secondary kind of mining, often find the drums, &c. and loud acclamations do, as it were, rend the precious sapphire. "And it bath dust of gold." The skies; nay, the very women get upon the tops of the houses same mineralogist states, (and it is a well known fact,) to view the parade, or fine show, where they keep striking "that in Asia the sand of many rivers affords gold,' and their fore fingers on their lips, as fast as they can, makin it is washed down in great quantities from the mountains a joyful noise all the while, which sounds somewhat like on the coast of Sumatra, where it is afterward found in yow, yow yow,v hundreds of times." Others have given us the beds ofrivers.-RonERTs. nearly the same account. This seems to me to be referred er. 10. He cutteth out rives among the rocs; Ver. W0. Hle cuttetb o-ut rivers among the rocks; to in some passages of scripture; and that the sacred writers suppose tuwo different methods of expressing joy by a and his eye sth every precious thing. quick motion of the hand, which is lost in our translation; I our commor version, "he cutteth ot rivers;" in one for I suppose the clapping of the hands in the plural, is a or two others, canals." The exact meaning is; the holvery distinct thing from the clapping the hand in the sin- that are delved by mers in a metallic bed or mountZ-) ~~~~~~~~laows that are delved by minmers in amtli e rmut,gular, though our translators have confounded them to- a, often serving as passaes to the central chamber. By ain, often serving as passages to the central chamber.By g~erber-. The striking one hand against the other with gether. TIhe strlring one hand against the other With cleaving such openings as these, the metallurgist may truly some smartness, which we mean by the term clapFping of be tated, which he coud not be in the sal renderin be stated, which he could not be in the usual rendering the h1ands, might, and I believe did, obtain anciently, as an of ttin out rivers, "to discover evey precious gem. of"1 cutting out rivers," "1to discover every precious gem." expression of joy; not unfreqhently, if not always, of the -Goo. malignant kind; so the prophet Jeremiah says of Jerusa- Saary informs us, the canal ahr Joseph must have b' 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~Savary informs us, the canal Babr Joseph " must have lem, when it was destroyed, "All that pass by, clap their cost immense sums, being in Anv parts coT TvnROIT the hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter Bishop eber also states that the lae of Ajmer Z ROCK!" Bishop Heber also states that -the lake of Ajmeer of, Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call the per- is formed "by'damming up the gore o an extensive valfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth!" Lam. ii. 15. ley, and conveying different small tills into it' Thus, In like manner Job, after describing the sudden destruction i maing his rivers and rivules throgh the rocks, in in making his rivers and rivulets through the rocks, in of the wicked, says,' "YMen shall clap their hands at him; order to convey the water to its destined place, he at the and shall hiss hini out of his place," Job xxvii. 23.- c and shall hiss hini out of his place," Job xxvii. 23. same time sees "every precious thing:" because his work HAI-IsxM~~at~~ER. ~lies in the geognostic situation of those valuable gemls.CHAPTER XXVIIIH ROBEaRTS. Ver. 4. The flood breaketh out from the inhabit- Ver. 1. He bindeth the floods from overflowing; ant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to are dried up, they are. gone away from men. light. The mighty flood which man had dammed up, by joining According to Reiske, "E fonticulo compellit in unum together rOUNTAINs and taLLs, and thus forming an im- alveum,"" He driveth them from their spring into a conmmense basiU, had broken down by its weight the gigantic mon reservoir." According to the more general jnterpretaMOUND; had' rolled "away from men," and gone in the tion, "He bindeth the flood from overflowing." The sense desert places. The waters of the lake are now " forgot- hasnotbeen fairly understood. Every one acquainted with ten of the foot, they are dried up;" for the feet of men in mining knows, that, at different depths from the surface, the walking there think of them no more.-RoBERTs. shaft, or aperture, is so apt to be overflowed with water Mr. Parkhurst considers this chapter as relating to from surrounding springs, that it is impossible to work it mineralogy, and renders these words, "a torrent bursteth till the water is drawn off; the machinery to accompl;sh 44 346 JOB. CHAP 29. which is sometimes one of the most serious expenses inci- tent adorned with lamps, "C and I passed through the night dental to working a mine. It is to the restraint of these by the light of it." —HAMER. waters, so perpetually oozi.ng or weeping through every pore, that the writer alludebs in the present passage.- Ver. 4. As I was in the days of my youth, when GooD. the secret of God was upon my tabernacle. CHAPTEPR XXIX. ~CHAPF~TER XXIX~. ~Job was reverting to the time of his prosperity, as is seen Ver. 2. Oh that I were as in months past, as in in the preceding verse, "when his candle shined upon my the days- when God preserved me; 3. When head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;" his candle shined upon my hea, and e by "when my children were about me, when I washed my steps-, his candle shined upon my head, an,*d wo/ten by with butter." The Psalmist also is speaking of the proshis light I walked thtgouag'h darkness. peritv of those who fear the Lord. To say the secret of the lking is with such a person, is a strong way of descriThe winter in Canaan is extremely wet and cold. In bing the intimacy which exists between them. "Take care the time of the crusades, many of the troops perished how you accuse him to the great man, because his secret through want of provisions, intenseness of the cold, and is with him." "Alas! alas! his secret is no longer with the heaviness of the winter rains. Fuleherius, who was me; his lamp no longer shines in my heart." —Ro BERTs. in the iretinue of the prince of Antioch, inhis journey to Jerusalem, and saw many of both sexes die, besides num- Ver. 6. When I washed my steps with butter, bers of their cattle, says, they were kept wet for four or and the rock poured me ot rive oil and the rock poured me out rivers of"oil., five days together, by the continual rains. So great is the quantity of rain which occasionally falls, and so intense Bottles of goat-skin, with the hairy side inwards receive the cold, that the elements seem to conspire the ruin of every the milk of their flocks: and when they wish to make butliving creature that is exposed to their fury. It is agreed'ter, they put the cream into a goat-slkin, prepared in the by all those who have written on the subject, that all the same manner, which they suspend in their tents, and then winter months in Palestine are rainy; and by consequence, pressing it to.and fro, in one uniform direction, quickly that Judea is not'one of those regions where it only rains produce a separation of the unctuous from thle wheyey part at the equinoxes. The Hebrew word horeph, according- of the fluid. In the Levant, they tread upon the skin with ly, which we translate winter, in Mr. Harmer's opinion, their feet, -which produces the samne effect. The last method seems rather to mean precisely the wet season "O 0 that of separating'the butter from the milk, perhaps may throw 1 were as in months past," says Job, "as in the days light upon a passage in Job, of some difficulty "When I when God preserved me, as I was in the days of my win- washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out ter!" In the days of his moist time, when, as he expresses rivers of oil." Commentators have observed, what must be it, "my root was spread out by the waters, and the dew obvious to every reader, that the afflicted patriarch meant lay all night upon my branch: my glory was fresh in me." to say, he once possessed great abundance of these products; Not in the days of his disgrace then, the days in which he but they have not been able to account for the manner of was stripped of his ornaments, as an herb of its leaves and his expression. The way of a great personage was som0eflowers in the winter; but like a plant, in the latter part of times swept, sometimes strewed wilh flowers, sometimes the rainy season, before the violent heats come on, which watered; but never, as far as we know, moistened with scorch and barn up every green thing. But the term ho- butter. The feet were sometimes anointed wibh oil, in reph, from the verb haraph, to strip, literally means the which odoriferous substances had been infused; but to them, stripping season; and signifies that part of the year which butter was never applied. It is more natural to suppose, strips vegetables of their flowers, fruit, and leaves, and that these words of Job referred to the method of cl urning consequently, the earth of its beauty. It is opposed. to their milr, bytreading upon large skins full of crearm, with kaitz, from Loidz, to awake, or quicken, the quickening their bare feet. It conveys a still more lively idea of the or awakening season, and includes both autumn ar.a win- exuberant plenty which Job once possessed, i this method ter. Is it probable that the cold and rainy seasonof win- was adopted when they had large quantities of milk to ter would be an object oi' desire to Job, when "the heavens churn. A variety of praetice very similar to this appears are filled with clouds, when the earth swims to rain, and to have prevailed in the ancient vineyards.' When a small all nature wears a lowering countenance " It is more quantity of grapes was to be pressed, it seems to have been natural to render the phrase, in the days of his autumn, done with the hand'; for Pharaoh's butler dreamed that he which in those climates is a delightful season; for then took the grapes and pressed them in this manner into his the heats are abated, the earth is moistened with dcew, or master's cup. This, it must be admitted, was only a visionrefreshed with the first showers of the latter rain, and the. ary scene; but we must suppose it corresponded with genvarious fruits of the earth, to use the beautiful language eral custom. So, when they meant to churn a small quanof inspiration, are ready to drop into the mouth of the eater; tity of cream, they suspended it in a skin, from the roof of or, the fields and trees being stripped of their produce, are the tent; and the female part of the family conducted the heaped on its board. The afflictied patriarch certainly re- process. But when the quantity was very large, as it must ferred to the end of harvest, in allusion to which he might have been in the extensive dairies of the patriarchs, who say, with strict propriety, "C my root was spread out by the possessed such immense flocks and herds, it was put into a waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branches; my number of skins, and churned by the feet of men. This glory wasfilesh in me.'"-PAxroN. Mr. Harmher considers as no improbable account, and by no The slaughter of Saul filled his camp with terror and means an unnatural explanation of the phrase, "I washed mourning: before that, it is probable, his tent might some- my' steps with butter;" and in the present state of our times be distinguished by lights; at least these illumina- knowledge, perhaps a more satisfactory one cannot be tions are now used in those countries to do honour to iven. Greece, indeed, lies at a great distance from the princes, and must not here be forgotten. So the tent of land of Uz, and the age when Job flourished is far removed the bey of Girge, Norden tells us, was distinguished from from our times; but as a skin is still the chiurning vessel the other tents in that encampment, by forty lanterns sus- used by the Arabs in the Holy Land, as well as in Barbary, pended before it in form of checker-work. So Thevenot, and consequently, as their customs admit of little or novadescribing the reception of the new bashaw of Egypt under niation, the use of skins in churning must belong to a very tents, near Cairo, says there were two great trees, on which remote antiquity. And the same reason that might induce two hundred lamps hmung, at the gate of the little enclosure the more opulent Greeks, in the time of Chandler, to tread which surrounded his pavilions, which were lighted in the their cream, rather than swing it in the tent, or between two nigh}ttime; and that there nwas the same before the tents poles, as the Arabs generally do, might also induce the of the principal officers, as in the caravan of Mecca. In richer proprietors in Asia, who possessed such numerous the East, it is now a customary thing; if it was the same flocks, to adopt the same custom. The expression, it must anc:iently,' perhaps the words of Job might refer to it,.eh. be allowed, is highly figurative, but not more so than many xxix. 2, 3: "Oh that it were with me as in months past, others, in which the oriental muse delights. The term as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle washing, when used poetically, is not surely confined to shined upon my head," when I returned prosperous from cleansing the feet, by some purifying fluid; for dipping the expeditions against the enemies of my tribe, and had my feet in the blood of the slain, t: Psalmist calls washing the CHAP. 29. 0JOB. 347 feet. I-ence, to plunge them into cream or butter, or to imagined." Michaelis, thie great promoterof Niebuhr'sexsprinkle them profusely with it, may be called washing pedition into the East, has taken notice of this passage in them in butter, with equal propriety; and walking in it, his extract firom this work, saying,'Thle public places are, washing the steps. to this day, in. Yemen, the places of diversion, and thus The batter is carried to market in the same goat-skins in serve two uses; just as the gates of cities, which anciently which it is churned. In consequence of this mode of man- were made their public places, as we are toldin the Bible, ageiment, it becomes necessary to melt and strain it, in order Gen. xix. 1. Job xxix. 7. Ps. lxix. 14," &-c.-H-InsaER. to separate the impurities; a process by which it acquires a certain rancid taste, disagreeable, for the most part, to e. 8. he young men saw me, and hid thestranger n athough not to the natives. To this custom of selves: and the aged arose, and stood up. melting the butter, in order to clarify it, Zophar seems to 9. The princes refrained taling, and laid allude, in his description of the state and portion of a their hand on their mouth. wicked man- "I-e shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter." As the flowing of honey What a graphic scene is this! When a man of rank fr'om the comb into the vessels in which it is to be kept, passes a crowd, the young people and children conceal may, by a bold figure, be compared to a little river; so may themselves behind their seniors, and the aged always arise clarified butier, when poured into the jars in which it is from their seats. See the man in a court of justice, who is preservedl for use. The wicked man, says Zophar, shall listening to the address of the judge, and his hand is placed not see toe rivulets, much less the rivers, still less the tor- on his mouth. To,place the hand on the mouth also derents of honey and butter, (as the clause ought to be ren- notes astonishment; and Major Laing says, when lie was dered,) which the righteous may hope to possess. In our at Toma, in Africa a woman was so much surprised at excellent translation, the beauty of the climax in this in- the sight of a wvhite man, that she "did not stir a muscle stance is lost; for instead of continuing to rise, it sinks in till the whole bad passed, when she ave a loid alloo of tilthe woehad passed, when she gave a loud haltoo of the close, ending with brook, after mentioning rivers and astonishment, and covered her mouth with both her bands." torrents; but in the original it is equally striking and well -oE. -PR0BERTS. conducted. —PAXToN. This is a most elegant description, and exhibits most These are figutrative expressions to denote great pros- correctly that great reverence and respect which was paid, perity;. The nman is so,rich, he washes himself with even by the old and decrepit, to the holy nan in passing ien/," i. e. clarified butter. "Oh, the charitable man, milk along the streets, or when he sat in public. They not only and honey accompany his feet." So great was'the profu- rose, iwhich in men so old and infirm was a great mark of sion, "'the honey caused the feet to slip," (in the paths,) the distinction; but they stood; they continued to do it, though creepers danced, the trees nodded their heads, and millr, even the attempt was so difficult. —LowTH. from the dwellings of the cattle, flowed in streams through When the easterns wish to be silent, they place their the streets. (Scanda Purana.) —RosBRTs. hand upon their mouth, to express their intentions by action, Ver. 7. When I went out to the gate, throuH the and their sentiments by attitude. Many instances of this Z) practice are to be found. "In one of the subterranean' city, wvhen,, I prepared my seat in the street. vaults in Egypt, where the mummies lie buried, they found in the codin an embalmed body of a woman, before which This intimates that Job was a judge among his people, was placed a figure of wood, representing a youth on his as the courts of justice in former times were kept in such knees, laying a finger on his mouth, and holding in his situations. Who has not seen a great man or a saint thus other hand a sort of chafingdish, which was placed on his having his seat prepared in the-treet 1 There he goes un- head, and in which, without doubt, had been some perder a shady tree, or under a veranda, or in a rest-house, fames." (Maillet.) with his servant following him, having a mat or a tiger's "On our taking possession of Rosetta, at an enterainskiin, or that of some other animal under his arm. The ment which was given, a young Greek came up to me, seat is prepared, and the crosslegged sage sits to hear and kissed my shoulder, and with' his finger on hislips, without answer questions. —RonanTs.. uttering a single syllable, slipped privately into my hand a Chardin says,. it is the custom of Asia not to go into the nosegay which he had brought me: this simple demonstrashops, which are very small, but to sit down in seats pre- tion completely unfolded all his sensations, and was expared for the purpose on the outside, on which cushions pressive of his political situation, his fears, and his hopes.". are laid for persons of distinction; and he adds, that people (Denon.)-BURDER. of quality cause carpets and cushions to be carried wherever they please, that they may repose themselves upon them Ver. 14. I put on righteousness, and "it clothed more agreeably. To a custom of this kind Job seems to ~~~~7) ~~~~~~~~me: my judgment zvas as a robe and a diademn refer in his mournful retrospect of departed prosperity: e: my udgment s as a robe d a diaem. "When I went out to the gate through the city, when I See on Is. 28. 5. prepared my seat in the street." This patriarch was a Or turban. This consists of a cap and a sash of fine. prince and a judge among his people, and was, therefore, linen or silk, wound round the bottom of it. This is the entitled to take his seat in the gate, which was the ordinary usual headdress of the Turks, Persians, Arabs, and other place of hearing causes in the East, attended bya retinue pf eastern nations. Dr.' Shaw says, "The Mloors and Turks, servants, with carpets and cushions for his accommodation, with some of the principal Arabs, wear upon the head a according to his rank, and the office he sustained. —P.xToN. small hemispherical cap of scarlet cloth. T'he turban, as Numbers of the Southern Arabs assemble in their mar- they call a long narrow web of linen, silk, or muslin, is kets by way of amusement, and consequently, for conver- folded round the bottom of these caps, and very properly,ation: the same custom appears anciently to have obtained, distinguishes, by the number and fashion of these folds, the in places of the East, less remote from us than Yemen. several orders and degrees of soldiers, and sometimes of No'twihbstanding this external gravity," says Tiebuhr, citizens, one from another."-BunDEa.': the Arabs love a great deal of company; accordingly, tine sees them assiduously assembling in the public coffee- Ver. 15. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was 1 noose, antd, above all, running to fairs, in which no coun- to the lame. tri, perhaps, more abounds than Yemen; since there is scarcely a village of any consideration to be found, which The man who bestows great charities, is said to he the hs n a elv fir. When the villages are at som eyes of the blind, and the feet of the cripples. "True, my distance from ea.ch other, their inhabitants assemble on, the lord, I am blind; but you are my eyes." h sir, shall appoioned day in the open fields. Some come hither to buy not love my eyes 1" " king, says the lame man, "are,i p ~~~~~~~~~~~not love my eyes! "" king," says the lame main, " are or to sell; othlers, who are mechanics of various professions, you not my staf" "Alas! alas! our eyes have gone," eploy o esthe hole week in going fom one litle say the blind, when their benefactor is dead. But When a horeI.uh to another in order to work at these fairs; and person confides in the wisdom of another, he says, "He is liy eyes." "1I have two good eyes im the temple., — RoBERTS, finalnly, many propose to themselves to pass away the time eyes." I have two good eyes in the tmple." —Ro there more agreeably than at home. From this taste of the JVer: 19. My root wacs spread out, by the wvaters, Arabs f(ir society. nad especially of those of Yemen, it is. easy to infer that they are more civilized than it may be and the dew lay all night upon my branch. 348 JOB. CHAP. 30. " The precious water of the Cephissus is the property of found the inhabitants of many villages, with their flocks the waivode only during the season of watering the olive- and their herds, who had. favoured the cause o' his enemies wood: for the remaining months the owners of the gar- and fled at his approach. In Egypt, such excavations apdens, in a proportion settled by long usage, divert the stream pear to have been the settled abodes of a numerous and into their grounds, for one, two, or three hours in a week peacefulpopulation. Dr. Richardson entered several mountor fortnight, according to the bargain at which they have ain defiles, on his way to Nubia, where he found a. numhired or, purchased their land. The instant that the stream her of excavations extremely well executed, covered writh is turned into the required channel, a public inspector, who sculpture, and painted in the most brilliant colours; li is called Dragaris-too-nen, and is always in attendance, wise a number of pits sunk perpendicularly into the rock, turns his hourglass, and the gardener also measures the time all of which have been used as burying-places, and many in the same manner; other Greeks frequently being present of them still contain handsome mummy cases, made of to prevent collusion, and cut off the rivulet immediately at wood and stone, beautifully painted in a variety of colours, the expiration of the stipulated hovr."-(Hobhouse.) and covered with curious devices." But besides these, It is well known that in the hot eastern countries, where "high up in the front, along the base of the mountain, and it rarely rains during the summer months, the copious dews over the rocky flat, all the way from Medina Thabou, there which fall there during the night, contribute greatly to the are innumerable excavations, many of them large and beaunourishment of vegetables in general. "This dew," says tifully formed, painted, and sculptured with many curious Hasselquist, speaking of the excessively hot weather in devices, illustrative of ancient customs. In one place above Egypt, " is particularly serviceable to the trees, which Medina Thabon, the doors into these excavations are so nuwould otherwise never be able to resist this heat; but with merous and so continuous that they resemble a row of this assistance they thrive well, and blossom and ripen their houses in a village. They have a long piazza in front, and fruit."-BURDER. a.large apartment within; and a long shaft running back into the rock. They rise in tiers above each Other, accordVer. 20. Iy glory was fresh in me, and my bow ing to the different elevations of the mountain. They have was renewed in my hand. evidently been dwellinghouses, and, from the shady piazwas za in front, the spectator enjoys the most delightful view This figure is mtxch used in their poetry. " The bowv is that can possibly be obtained of the plain of Thebes." In bent i his hand." " See the strong bow; it is bent to kill Hindostan, too, the fainting inhabitants are forced to escape from the severe fervours of an eastern noon, into vast artithlee." —RoBERaZa;S~. ficial caverns, and into grottoes of the most refreshing coolVer. 22. -After my words -they spalie not again; ness, which the great and the wealthy cause. to be conand my speech dropped upon them. ructed in their gardens.-PA xTN. Of a man who speaks with great euphony, it is said, " His Ver. 16. And now my soul is poured out upot words come, fuee tie ydkca," i. e. drop by drop.-ROBERTS. me: the days of affliction have taken hold upon me. CHAPTER XXX. V'er. 2. Yea, whereto sniglt the strength of their " Why are you so dejected, my friend. " "Because the kcet had. 2. Yeap, f ereto minho the strenvath of their tdaikalan, i. e. the ruinous time, has caught me." —ROBERTS. hands pr ofit me, in whom old age was perished? Ver. 20. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear The Tamul translation has this, " as the strength of the me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. hands being gone by old age." Of a man who has become weak in consequence of age, it is said, " Ah! by reason of It is extremely mortifying, when a man stands up, nrt to old age, the strength of his hands has departed from him." be noticed. A native gentleman had a case which he wivsh"It is true he is an old man, but the strength of his hand ed to bring before the notice of the king of Tanjore, and has not perished." But this mode of expression also refers asked my advice how to act. I recommended himn to go to to a man's circumstances. Thus, when a person has lost the capital, and wait upon his majesty. On his return, he his property, it is said, " the strength of his hands has gone." informed me he had not stated his case to the" king; and, "Poor man! he has not any strength in his hands."-ROB- upon my blaming him, he asked, "What could I do? I ERTS. went to a place where I knew he would have to pass; and we hen he came near, I stood up; but he regarded me not." Ver. 3. For want and famine they Ate?'e solitary; -ROBERTS. fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and vaeste: 4. Who cut up mallows by Ver. 22. Thou liftest me up to the wind: thou the bushes, and juniper-roots for their meat. causest me to ride m:ponr it, and dissolvest my substance. This describes the ignoble state of the parents of those children bv whom Job was now held iin derision. In the This figure is probably taken from the custom of an anbook called Sintha Manni, there is an account of some gry man, who takes any light substance and throws it into princesses, who once had their rice, like jasmine flowers, the wind, saying to his antagonist, " Thus shall it be wimh given them on golden plates; but now they had to go with thee."'RoBERTs. potsherds, to beg for the leaves from the hedges for their There is a remarkable figurative representation in Job, daily food. A rich man brought to poverty, sometimes chap. xxx. 22, thus rendered in our translation:: Thou asks, " What care I? Can I not go into the desert, and liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride qspo? i;t, live on roots and leaves?" It is a fact, that numbers do thus and dissol vest my substance." Possibly after we have exlive, especially the Vedahs, and those who have retired aminedc the phraseology of' this passage, its force may be from men.-RoBErTS. further evident, and it may receive additional illustration. " Thou dost raise me up on high, into the air, by the Vet. 6. To dwrell in the cliffs of the valleys, i, agency —of-upon-the wind; thou dost mnake me to ride caves of the earth, and in the rocks. on it, as on a chariot, or other vehicle; and dost dissolvedisperse-dissipate-my whole-entire —M ir ALL: all that I The oriental shepherd and his family sometimes take ever xLas: all that I ever possessed." Such is the powler of up their abode in caves, with which the country, particu- the original. larly about Askelon, abounds. These caverns are often so This might perhaps be referred to a vapour raised by capacious as to admit the master and his whole property. the wind, which, after beiig borne about among the clouds. In times of imminent danger, the people forsake their is dissolved, and falls in dew: but, (1.) the wind vThich towns and villages, and retire with their wives and chi!- raises it, seems rather to describe a storm, and during dren, their flocks and herds, into these dark recesses, storms dew does not perceptibly rise. (2.) The current (of which have been from time immemorial the refuge of the wind, which, like a chariot, bears away the subject of its oppressed. It was in these hiding-places that Baldwin I., power, is a vehement, powerful, rapid blast; as -we say, mm ring, of Jerusalem, in the barbarous age of the crusades. hig wind; and does net agree with the formation, &c. (if CHAP. 30. JOB. 349 dew, which is a tranquil, deliberate process. (3.) The word great grandeur, importance, and even terror, in the sight (sic) neegeg, is applied to express the melting of a solid of beholders; might ride upon the wind, which bears it body; as of the earth with rain, Psalm lxv. 10; of the hills, about, causing it to advance, or to recede; and, after all, through intense heat, Nahum i. 5; so A.mos ix. 13. MiVr. the wind diminishing, might disperse, dissipate, melt, Scott has rendered the passage- scatter this pillar of sand, into the undistinguished level Roused by Almighty force a furious storm- of the desert. This comparison seems to be precisely UIpcaught me, whirl'd me on its eddying gust, adapted to the mind of an Arab, who must have seen, or Then dash'd me down, and shatter'd me to dqst. have been informed of similar phenomena in the countries Under these considerations, we presume to think the around him.-TAYLOR IN CALMET. St reader will agree with us in referring it to a sandstorm:.possibly such as we have noticed in the former number; Ver. 23. For I know tlhat thou wilt bring me to or, much rather, such as is described by the following in- death and to the house appointed for all livingr formation, Vwhich the reader will not be displeased to peruse, as it stands high among the most picturesque and Those expressions in which the grave is described as the most terrific descriptions of the kind to be met with. It is house appointed for all liviqbg; the loieg home of man; and from Mr. Bruce. te evelastig abitation; are aable of ch illustration " On the 14th, at seven in the morning, we left Assa Nag- from antiqug abitation; are capable of much illustration from antiquity. Montfaucon says, "1 We observed in the ga, our course being due north. At one o'clock we alight- fifth volume of our Antiquity a tomb styled qnietorium, a ed among some acacia-trees, at Waadi el Halboub, hav- resting-place. Qniescere, to rest, is often said of the dead tg gone twent~y-one miles. TVe were here at once sur- in epitaphs. Thus we find in an ancient writer, a man prised and terrified by a sight surely one of the most ma- speaking of his master, who had been long dead and buried nificent in the world. In that vast expanse of desert, from cnLujs ossa beile qniescant; may his bones rest in peace. We WV. and to N. OW. of us, we saw a number of prodigious have an instance of the like kind in an inscription in pillars of sand, at different distances, at times movii g -with Gruter, (p. 696,) and in another, (p. 594,) fecit sibi'eqie'togreat celerity, at others stalking on with a majestic slow- rinzm, he made himself a resting-place. This resting-place ness; at intervals we thought they were coming in a very is called frequently, too, an eternal house. In his lifetime few minutes to overwhelm us; and small quantities of sand he built himself an eternalhouse, says one epitaph. He did actually more than once reach us. Again they would made himself an eternal house with his patrimony, says retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops reachtin to another. He thought it better (says another) to build himthe very clouds. There the tops often separated from the self an eternal house, than to desire his heirs to do it. They bodies: and these, once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and thought it a misfortune when the bones and ashes of the did not'appear more. Sometimes they were broken near dead were removed from their place, as imagining the dead the middle, as if struck with a large cannon shot. About suffered something by the removal of their bones. This noon they began to advance with considerable swiftness notion occasioned all those precautions used for the safety upon us, the wind being very strong at north. Eleven of of their tombs, and the curses they laid on those who rethem ranged alongside of us about the distance of three moved them."-BURDER. miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that distance as if it would measure ten feet. They D retired from us with a wind at S. E. leaving an impression Ve. 25. d not I weep for him that as in pO.n my mind to which I can give no name, though sure- trouble was not my soul grieed for the ly one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal poor? of wonder and astonishment. It was in vain to think of flying; the swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be Hebrew, "Should I not then weep for the ruthless day I" of nso use to carry us out of this danger, and the full per- The meaning of the preceding verse having been generally suasion of this riveted me as if to the spot, where I stood, misunderstood, that of the present, and, indeed, of the and let the camels gain on me so much in my state of greater part of the remainder of the chapter, which follows lameness, that it was with some difficulty I could overtake concatenately, has been misunderstood also. The exquisite them. pathos of this interrogative must wind itself into the heart " The whole of our company were much disheartened, of every reader..The expression, "for the ruthless day," is (except Idris,) and imagined that they were advancing peculiarly forcible in the original, vm~ nryv, " for the stern, into whirlwinds of moving sand, from which they should rigid, immoveable, pitiless, or inexotable day." In the never be able to extricate themselves; but before four latter clause of this verse, we may understand the Hebrew o'clock in the afternoon, these phantoms of the plain had to signify, " for the rock," not " for the poor," as given by all of them fallen to the ground, and disappeared. In the all the translators. The term indeed (ilnn) admits of both evening we caume to Waadi Dimokea, where we passed the these senses; but the latter is obviously the true sense in night, much disheartened, and our fear more increased, the present place; and for want of attending to this circumwhen we found, upon wakening in the morning, that one stance, the meaning of the passage has been utterly lost: side was perfectly buried in the sand that the wind had " Should not my soul pine for the marble tomb, or sepulblown- above us in the night. The sun shining through chral rock," in which it was usual to deposite the bodies of the pillars, which were thicker, and contained more sand all those of higher rank and condition in life; "for the apparently than any of the preceding days, seemed to give ROCK or STONY RECESS of darkness and death-shade," as those nearest us an appearance as if spotted with stars of mentioned in ch. xxviii. 3, in which the same term is used, gold. I do not think at any time they seemed to be nearer and rendered by every one in the sense now offered.than two miles. The most remarkable circumstance was, GooD. that the sand seemed to keep in that vast circular space surrounded by the Nile on our left, in going round by Ver. 27. My bowels boiled, and rested not; the Chaigie towards Dongola, and.seldom was observed much days of affliction prevented me. to the eastward of a meridian passing along the Nile through the Magiran, before it takes that turn; whereas the simoom was always on the opposite side of our course, coming upon People in great distress often say, t' My f elly, my belly is on fire." " Who will take away this fire I" In cursing us from the southeast. The same appearance of moving th pillars of sand presented themselves to us this day in form each other, Wretch! thou shalt soon have a fire in thy and disposition like those we had seen at Waadi Ialboub, bell." Now they are beginning to er er," i. e. burn. H b "Ashes! ashes! thou art all ashes "-RoBERTs. only they seemed to be more in number, and less in size. Thev came several times in a direction close upon us; that is, I believe, within less than two miles. They began, im- Ver. 29. I am a brother to dragons, and a commediately after sunrise, like a thick wood, and almost dark- panion to owls. ened the sun: his rays shining through them for near an hour, gave them an appearance of pillars of fire." See on Mic. 1. 8. If my conjecture be admissible, we now see a magnifi- Dr. Boothroyd prefers,:' A brother am I to sea-monsters." cence in this imagery, not apparent before: -we see how Dr. Harris says, the original is variously rendered; dragJob's dignity minght be exalted in the air; might rse to ons, serpents, sea-monsters, and whales. The Tamnul tran,, 350 JOB. CHA.P. 31. lation has it, "I am a brother to the maZli-pcmbul," i. e. the face, yet it is reckoned indecent in a man to fix his eves rock snake, or boe constrictor; and wherever the term upon them; he must let them pass without seeming at allto dragon occurs, (in that translation,) it is rendered in the observe them. In allusion to this rigorous custom, Job same way. Some of these serpents are of immense size, says, "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should and possess great muscular power. If they once get folded I think upon a maid l" When a lady of distinction, says round the body of an animal, it is impossible for it to escape. Hanway, travels on horseback, she is not only veiled, but A gentleman of my acquaintance, when on a shooting ex- has gene'ally a servant, who runs or rides before her, to cursion, heard a sudden scream; he ran to the spot, and clear the way; and on such occasions, the men, even in the saw a beautiful deer in the embrace of one of these ser- ibarket-places, always turn their backs till the -omen are pents: he took his rifle, and put a ball through its head.; its passed, it being thought the highest ill maDners to look at folds instantly became loose, and the deer was set at liberty, them.-PAXTON. but died soon after. He brought the reptile home, and it measured eighteen. feet. I know not what induced the Ver. 17. Or have eaten my mrorsel myself alone, translators thus to render it by the name of that monster, ant the fatherless bath not eaten thereof. except they have taken the idea from the prophets Micah and Jeremiah: "I will make a wailing like the dragons," It is a very customary, and a very desirable thin- in the and, "they snuffed up wind like dragons;" as the Mablli- East, to eat under the shade of trees; and this situation the pdmbu is said to make a dreadful wailing in the night, and inhabitants seem to prefer, to taking their repasts in their when in want of prey, to inhale the wind for food. The tents ordwellings: so De la Roque tells us, (p. 203,) " WVe sacred writers also describe it as loving to dwell in desert did not arrive at the foot of the mountain till after sunset, places, which is another feature of its character.-RoBERTs. and it was almost night when we entered the plain,; bit as When the ancient Hebrews observed the dragons erect, it was full of villages, mostly inhabited by Maronite., we and with expanded jaws fetching a deep inspiration, they entered into the first we came to, to pass the night there It interpreted the circumstance as if these animals, with their was the priest of the place who wished to receive us he eyes lifted up to heaven, complained to their Maker of gave us a supper under the trees, before his little dwel ing their miserable condition, that, hated by all creatures, and As we were at table, there came by a stranger, wvearllig a confined to the burning and steril deserts, they dragged white turban, who, after having saluted the company, sat out a tedious and miserable existence. It was perhaps to himself down to the table, without ceremony; ate with us some idea of this kind that Job referred, when, bemoaning during some time, and then went away, repeating several the hardness of his lot, he complained: " I am a brother to times the name of God. They told us it was some traveller, dragons, and a companion of owls." He was unable to who, no doubt, stood in need of refreshment, and who had associate with mankind;. cut off from the comforts of life, profited by the opportunity, according to the custom of the and doomed to wear out the rest of his days in poverty and East, which is to exercise hospitality at all times, and wretchedness. The prophet Micah has the same allusion, towards all persons." in the day of his adversity, to the habits of that reptile: " I The reader will be pleased to see the ancient hospitality will make a waiting like the dragons, and mourning as the of the East still maintained, and even a stranger profiting owls." He may refer also to its hissing, which./Elian says by an opportunity of supplying his wants. It reminds us is so loud that it alarms and terrifies everv creature within of the guests of Abraham, (Gen. chap. xviii.,) of the conhearing.-PA:xTON. duct of Job, (chap. xxxi. 17,) and especially, perhaps, of that frankness with which the apostles of Christ were to Ver. 31. lMy harp also is turned to mourning, and enter into a man's house after a salutation, and there to conmy organ into the voice of them that weep. tinue " eating and drinking such things as were set before them," Luke x. 7. Such behaviour would be considered as The people of the East are very fond of the y2ol, or guitar, extremely intrusive, and indeed insupportable, among ouralso of the kinar'i,, or harp. When a person is in trouble, selves; but the maxims of the East would qualify that, as his instrument is also considered to be in sorrow. Many they do many other customs, by local proprieties, on which stories are told of the fascinating powers of the ancient mu- we are incompetent to determine.-TAYLoR 1N CALIMET. sicians. " There was once a maln wha neglected all his affairs for the sake of his instrument: at which his wife Ver. 22. Then let mine arm fall from my shoulderbecame much dissatisfied, and asked him, in a taunting blade, a mine arm be broken from the one way,' Will you ever gain a tusked elephant and a kingdom, by your harp.' iea was displeased with her, and said,' I It is said, "If I have done as you say, may these legs be will.' He then went to the king of Kandy,'and on his harp broken." "Yes, let these eyes be blind, if I have seen the asked his majesty for a tusked elephant and a kingdom. thing you mention." " May this body wither and faint, if The king was so delighted, that he gave him the elephant I am guilty of that crime." "If I uttered that expression, and the province of Jaffna. The musician then returned, then let the worms eat out this tongue."-RoBERTS. and founded the town of Ydcl-Pdnam," i. e. the harp and the songster; or, as some render it, the harp-town,.which Ver. 26. If I beheld the sun wvhen it shined, or we call Jaffna.-ROaEERTS. the moon walking in brightness, 27. And my'CHAPTER XXXI. heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth Ver. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes; why hath kissed my hand: 28. This also wer-e an then should I think upon a maid. iniquity to be punished by the judce: for I should have denied the God that is above. Has a man a strong desire to go on a pilgrimage to a distant temple, and should his friends remonstrate with him, To kiss the hand and place it on the head, is a token of he will say, " I have made a udam-puddiki," (i. e. a covenant respect less revolting to our minds, than some of those which with my eyes;) " I must go." Does a father reprove his have been mentioned.'An Oriental pays his respects to a son for improper conduct, he replies, "What can I do person of superior station, by kissing his hand, and putting She has made a covenant with my eyes." " My friend, let it to his forehead; but if the superior be of a condescending us have your opinion on this subject."-" I will not." temper, he will snatch away his hand, as soon as the othci " Why l"-( Because I have made a covenant with my has touched it; then the inferior puts his own fingers to hi; mouth."-ROBERTs. lips, and afterward to his forehead. It seems, according to In Barbary, when the ladies appear in public, they always Pitts, to be a common practice among the Mohammedans, fold themselves up so closely in their hykes, that even that when they cannot kiss the hand of a superior, they kiss without their veils one can discover very little of their their own, and put it to their forehead; thus also they venfaces. But in the summer months, when they retire to erate an unseen being, whom they cannot touch.' But the their country-seats, they walk abroad with less caution; custom existed long before the age of Mohammed; for in the though even then, on the approach of a stranger, they always same way the ancient idolaters worshipped their distant or drop their veils, as Rebecca did on the approach of Isaac. unseen deities. e If," said Job, " I beheld the sun when it But although they are so closely wrapped up, that those shined, or the moon walking in brightness, and my heart awho look at them cannot even seetheir hands, still less their bath been secretly enticed, and my mouth bath kissed mi, CHAP. 31-33. JOB. 351 hand, this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge; was to be presented to the new monarch was delivered to for I should have denied the God that is above." Had the the general of the slaves, contained in a purse of cloth of afflicted man done this, in the case to which he refers, it gold, drawn together with strings of twisted gold and silk,, would have been an idolatrous action, although it is exactly with tassels of the same. The general threw himself at his agreeable to the civil expressions of respect which obtained majesty's feet, bowing to the very ground; then rising in his country, and over all the East.-PAXTroN. upon his knees, he drew out of the bosom of his garment the bag containing the letter which the assenmbly had sent Ver. 32. The stranger did not lodge in the street; to the new monarch. PreSently he opened the bag, took bat I opened my doors to the traveller. -out the letter, kissed it, laid it to his forehead, presented it to his majesty, and then rose uLp." To such a custom Job No people can be more kind and hospitable to travellers evidently refers in these words: "Oh that mine adversary of their own caste, than those of the East; and even men had written a book: surely I would take it upon my shoulder, of the lower grades have always places to go to. See the and bind it as a crown to me," or, on my head.-PASTON. stranger enter the premises; he looks at the master and says, parathtease, i. e. a pilgrim, and he is allowed to take up his Ver. 38. If my land cry against me, or that the abode for the night. For his entertainment, he has to re- furrows likewise thereof complain. peat the pqdtheaaa,7,, news of his country and journey, or any le-end of olden tilme.-RoBERTS. Does a man through idleness or meanness neglect to cultivate, or water, or manure his fields and gardens, those Veer. 35. Oh that one would hear me! behold, my who pass that way say, "Ahi these fields have good reason desire is t/hat the Almighty would answer mze, to complain against the owner." " Sir, if you defraud these fields, will they not defraud you " The fellow and theat mine adversary had written a book: who robs his own lands, will he not rob you'" ".These 36. Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, fields are in great sorrow, through the neglect of their and bind it as a crown to me. owner.-RoBERTs. This refers to accusations against the innocent Job. A Ver. 39. If I have eaten the fruits thereof without man charged of a crime which he has not committed, says, money, or have caused the owners thereof to "If I am guilty, I will carry it on my head." " I am sure lose their life. you have done this deed."-"I " " Yes."-'. Then will I wear it on my head." " That fellow wears his crimes on Was not Job the OWNER of the land? Does he not say in his head," i. e. he is not ashamed of them. The head is the preceding verse MY land 2 How then could he have reckoned superior to all other parts of the body.-ROBERTs. caused the owners to lose their life 2 Dr. Boothroyd has it, The business of book-making, it is to be presumed, had "or have grieved the soul of its mIANAGERS." Coverdale has made but little progress in the days of Job, and it is not easy it, " grieved any of the PLOUGNHMEN." The Tamul has the to see how such a performance, on the part of Job's adver- same idea: " If I have eaten the fruits thereof without sary, as the writing a book, could have afforded any peculiar paying for the labour, or have afflicted the soul of the cqdtigratification to the afflicted man's feelings. In modern vators." Great landowners in the East do not generally times, when such an enterprise is of all others the most cultivate their own fields: they employ men, who find all hazardous, it might perhaps be a very appropriate expres- the labour, and have a certain part of the produce for their sion of ill-will, to wish that an adversary had engaged in a remuneration.. The cultivator, if defrauded, will say, publishing speculation. But in the case of Job and his "The ftirrows I have made bear witness against him; maliners, we must seek for a different explication; for they complain." Job therefore means, if the fields could even had the trade of authorship been as common and as complain for want of proper culture, or if he had afflicted perilous in those days as it now is, we cannot but consider the tiller, or eaten the produce without rewarding him for Job too good a man to have given vent to so bad a wish. his toils, then " let thistles -row instead of'wheat and'From the context, we learn that-the pious sufferer was cockle instead of barley."-RoBErTS. aggrieved by the vcagueness of the charges preferred against him by his harsh-judging comforters. They dealt in loose GCHAPTER XXXII. generalities, affording him no opportunity to vindicate him- Ver. 5. When Elihu saw that there twas no anself by answering to a specific accusation. In the wordsf thes three mes, then his cited, he utters the earnest wish that a definite form were given to the injurious imputations of his false friends. He wrath ras kindled. would fain be summoned to a formal trial; he would have the crges booe aainst him, that he might know what When men are completely confounded, when they have wwee the apero whic re to be wipd from'ha not a word to say in reply, it is said, "' in their vayila, i. e. were the aspersions which were to be wiped from his char- acter. Such an accusation, thus definitely written, he would mouth, there is no answer."-RorERTS. bear about publicly and conspicuously, that he might pub- Ver. 21. Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's licly and conspicuously confute it; he would bear it as an ornament, convinced it would, in the end, by his triumphant person; neither let me give flattering titles unto disproval of it, redound to the still higher honour of his man. innocence. That the Heb. seyphee, book, may without violence be thus interpreted, is clear from Deut. xxiv. 1: " Let The Hebrew word here used signifies to surname, or him write a bill of divorcement, (sepher,) and give it in her more properly to call a person by a name which does not hand, and send her out of his house." In the present con- strictly belong to him, and that generally in compliment or nexion it: is tantamount to a bill of elndictnent.-Bust. flattery. Mr. Scott on this passage informs us from PoFrom the following extract it appears what is the cus- cocke, that " the Arabs make court to their superiors by toinary kind of homage which, in the East, is paid not only carefully avoiding to address hemn by their proper names, to sovereignty, but to communications of the sovereign's instead of which, they salute them with some title or epiwill, whether by word or letter: " When the mogul, by thet expressive of respect."-Bunnre.. letters, sends his commands to any of his governors, these CHAPTER XXXIII. papers are entertained with as much respect as if himself to thy Cish in were present; for the governor, having intelligence that Ver. 6. Behold, I ~n according to thy wish in such letters are coming near him, himself, with other infe- God's stead; I also am formed out of the clay. rior officers, rides forth to meet the patamar, or messenger, that brings them, and as soon as he sees those letters, he "The body and the herb, which come from the clay, will alights from his hbrse; falls down on the earth, and takes also return to it." " The body must return to the dust, why them from the messenger, and lays thiem on his head, qwlereon then trouble yourself? Will it exist for an immeasurable he binds th/enfast: then retiring to his place of public meet- period?"-ROBERTS. ing, lie reads and answers them." (Sir Thomas Roe.)- BURhen Soliman ascended the throne, "the letter. which sealeth t hirn e openet h t he ars ofmen, and When Soliman ascended the throne, " the letter which sealeth their instruction. 352 JO B. CHAP. 33 —38. It is usual to say, " I will open that fellow's cars. I will other furious animals from the wilds join the general wreck, take away the covering." " Ah! W ill you not open your and unite their horrid voices with the cries of old men and ears V"-ROBERTS. helpless women -and the shrieks of their expiring children, in its passage to the ocean. It is in such a scene that the Ver. 24. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, beauty of Elihu's speech to Job, in which he mentions "the Deliver him from going down to the pit; I great rain of his strength," are properly understood. Even _have fournd aE ransom, in the milder climate of Judea, the rains pour down three. or four days and nights together, as vehemently as if they A species of capital punishment which serves to illus- would drown the country, sweeping away in their fulious trate the sacred text, is the pit into which the condemned course the produce of the field, and the soil on which it " —sons were prrcipitated. The Athenians, and particu- grew, the flocks and herds, and human dwellings, with larily the tribe Hippothoontis, frequently condemned offend- their hapless inmates, in one promiscuous ruin. Far difers to the pit. It was a dark, noisome hole, and had sharp ferent are the feelings awakened in the mind, by the t Lght spikes at the top, that no criminal mi-4t escape; and others of a majestic, pure, and quiet river, on whose verdant pasat. the bottom, to pierce and torment those unhappy persons tures the flocks repose, or drink, without alarm or danger, that were cast in. Similar to this place was the Lacede- of its flowing waters. So full of majesty and gentleness, monian Krlawic, into which Aristomenes, the Messenian, neither alarming the fears, endangering the safety, nor being cast, made his escape in a very surprising manner. encouraging the carelessness of genuine Christians, are the This mode of punishment is of great antiquity; for the consolations of true religion. So the Psalmist felt, when he speakers in the book of Job make several allusions to it. selected the loveliest image in the natural world to convey Thus, in the speech of Elihu: " He keepeth back his soul an idea of the rich and ample provision which the divine from the pit. and his life from perishing by the sword." — bounty has made for man: "He maketh me to lie down in " Then is fhe gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters."froml going down to the pit; I have found a ransom."-. PAXTON. " He will deliver his soul from going down into the pit, and his life shall see the light." The allusions in the book Ver. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man, that of Psalms are numerous and interesting; thus the Psalmist all men may know his work. prays, " Be not silent to me; lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit."-" Let them Has a man something in his hand which he does not be cast into deep pits, that they rise not up again." The wish to show to another, he says, " My hand is sealed." Of following allusion occurs in the prophecies of Isaiah: a gentleman who is very benevolent, it is said, " His hand'The captive exile hasteneth, that he ma; be loosed, and is sealed for charity only." " Please, sir, give me this."that-he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should " What! is my hand sealed to give to all." " What secret fail."-P&xrTON. was that which Tamban told you last evening V"-" I canCHAP'TE XXXIVT. gs iu.N nhss nim"not answer; my mouth is sealed." " That man never for~~~CHAPTER XXXIV. gets an injury."-" No, no, he seals it in his, mind." A Ver. 7.'What man is like Job, who drinlketh up husband who has fill confidence in his wife, says, "I have scornin'g like water 2 sealed her." Canticles iv. 12. To seal a person, therefore, is to secure him, and prevent others from ijurinj g hirn.Of a man who does not care for contempt or hatred, it is ROBERTS. said, " He drinks sup their hatred like water."'When a CHAPTER XXXVIII. man is every way superior to his enemies, " Ah! he drinks them up like water." " He is a man of wonderful talents, Ver. 3. Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I for he drinks up science as water." Thus, Elihu wished will demand of thee, and answer thou me. to show that Job had hardened himself, and was insensible to scorn, for he had swallowed it as water.-ROBERTS. " Well, Tamby, you have a difficult task before you: CHAPTER I gird up your loins." " Come, help me to gird this scli, i. e. CHAPTER XXXVI. mantle, or shawl, round my loins; I have a long way to Vert. 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and run." "Poor fellow! he soon gave it up; his loins were will ascribe righteousness to my Makaer. not well girded."-RoBERTS. Ver. 14. It is turned as clay to the seal: and. There is something in our nature which places superior importance on any thing which comes from afar. When they stand as a garment. a man has to contend with a person who is very learned, The birds pillage the granary of Joseph extremely, should a friend express a doubt as to the result, or advise where he corn of Egypt is deposited that is paid as a ta himt to take great care, be wvill stly, < Fear not, v'egfp a- where the corn of Egypt is deposited that is paid as a tax him to take great care, he will say, "Pear not, vegrieioos'a to the grand seignior, for it is quite uncovered at the top, tila, from very far I will fetch my arguments.' "Theis quite uncovered at the arnts ih are afar brought there being little or no rain in that country; its doors howarmunments which are afar off, shall now be brought near." " Well, sir, since you press me, I will fetch my knowlede ever are kept carefully sealed, but its inspectors do not Wfomll ar"sieRoupres make use of wax upon this occasion, but put their seal upon a handful of clay, with which they cover the lock of the CHAPTER XXXVII. door. This serves instead of wax; and it is visible, things of the greatest value might be safely sealed up in the same lVe. 6. For he saith to the snov, Be thou on the mannerr.Had Junius known this circumstance, or had he earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the at least reflected on it, he would not perhaps have explained great rain of his strength. Job xxxviii. 14, It is tuzrned as clay to thle seal, of the potters adorning clay with various paintings, or various embossIn the East Indies the commencement and the breaking of ings; especially had he considered, that the productions of the monsoons are generally very severe; the rain descends the wheel of the potter, in the age and the country of Job, in the most astonishing torrents. In a few hours the inhab- were, in all probability, very clumsy, unadorned things, itants find themselves in a liquid plain. The high and the since even still in Egypt, the ancient source of arts, the low grounds are equally covered, and exhibit the appear- ewer, which is made, according to Norden, very clumsy, is ance of an immense lake, and surrounded by thick dark- one of the best pieces of earthenware that they have there, ness, which prevents them from distinguishing a single all the art of the potter, in that country, consisting in an object, except such as the vivid glare. of lightning displays ability to make some vile pots or dishes, without varnish.in horrible forms. In the winter months the mountain HARMER. floods swell the small rivers of India in a wonderful manner. Within a few hours they often rise twenty or thirty Ver. 16. Hast thou entered into the springs of feet above their usual height, and run with astonishing the sea or hast thou walked in the search of rapi; itv; and the larger rivers, before gentle and pellucid, the depth? are then furious and destructive, sweeping away whole villages, with their inhabitants and cattle, while tigers and To a vain boasting fellow it is said, "Yes, yes; the CHAP. 39. J OB. 353 sea is only knee-deep to thee." " It is all true; thou hast and return not unto them." Though they are brought forth measured the sea."-ROBERTs. in sorrow, and have no human owner to provide for their wants, and to guard them from danger, yet, after being VXer. 34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, suckled a while, they become vigorous and active, and that abundance of waters may cover thee? shift for themselves in the open fields. They grow up 33. Canst thou send lightnings, that they may with corn, says our translation; but the fawn is not comadsyutthe Heew emonly fed in the cornfield, because it lives in the deserts, go, and say unto thee, Here we are? and frequents those places which are far remote from the This probably refers to thunder, and its effects in pro- cultivated field. Besides, in Arabia, where Job flourished, ducing rain. It is said, " Why, fellow, are you making p the harvest is reaped in the months of March and April, such 0a is 2 aide yo Whll to ak e cloud m sit long before the hinds bring forth their young. The fawn, such a noise 7 Are you going to shake the clouds! Is it therefore, does not thrive with corn, but with the few rain you are going to produce 1" "What is all this noise o t Is it rain you want" "Cease, cease your roaring shrubs and hardy plants which grow in the wilderness or about. Is it rain you wantVl" "Cease, cease your roaring; sh ZD the rain will not come." " Listen to that elephant, rain is open country. But the inspired vriter has committed no coinin —R"ROBERTS. mistake; the original phrase is capable of another translation, which perfectly corresponds with the condition of that Ver. 39. AW0ilt thou hunt the prey for the lions' animal, in those parts of the world. In Chaldee, the word (rol ) babar, or (xn:n) bababra, is evidently the same as the or fill the appetite of the young lions? Hebrew (Ynn) baltouts. Thus in Laban's address to Jacob, To a man who is boasting of the speed of his foot or his when he arrived in Padanaram, " Why standest thou withTo an ho is saiboasting of Yes, there speed of his doubt thou hunis out," the Hebrew word is (vinn) bahouts; and in Jonathan prowess, it is said, " Yes, there is no doubt thou wilt hunt and Onkelos it is (s-n') babara. The same remark applies the prey for the tiger." When a person does a favour for a text in the boo of Exods: "If he rise again and a cruel man, it is asked, "What! give food to the tiger" walk abroad upon his staff;" in Hebrew () bahous; in "O yes; give milk to the serpents"' "Here comes the I p 0ot yes; givhe smilk to the serpent" " rHerte comes the Chaldee, (snnl) babara. Hence, the phrase may be transRsportsman; he has been huntin prey for the tiger."- lated, They grow up without, or in the open field. Many other instances might be specified, but these are sufficient CHAPTER XXXIX. to establish the justice of the remark. Even the Hebrew NVer. I. Knowest thou the: time when the w~rild phrase itself is translatedby Schultens, " in the open field,"'Ver.~ 1. hu,tm we he-idwhich is indisputably the sense of the passage under congoats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou sideration. Thus, )when the fawn is calved, it grows up in mark when the hinds do calve 2 the desert, under the watchful providence of God; it soon forsakes the spot where it was brought forth, and suckled It is well known that the hind goes with young eightby the dam and returns no sore-PAxTo N months, and brings forth her fawn in the beginning of autumn. Why then does Jehovah address these interroga- Ver. 5. Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or tions to Job: "Knowest thou the time whbn the wild goatsath loosed the bands of the of the rock bring forth'? Or canst thou mark when the 6. Whose house have ade the ilderness, hinds do calve? Canst thou number the months that theyv fulfil q Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth`'" and the barren land his dwellings. 7. He Could Job be ignorant of circumstances which were ob- scorneth the multitude of the city, neither revious to all the shepherds in the East, who had numerous opportunities of observing the habits and manners of these gardeth he te crying of the driver. 8. The creatures' It is obvious that Jehovah could not refer to range of the mountains is his pasture, and he the mere speculative knowledge of these facts, but to that searcheth after every green thing. which is proper to himself, by which he not only knows, but also directs and governs all things. This is confirmed bya the use of the verb (-eno) shanar, which signifies to ob- and onager by the Romans. Some natural historians conserve, to keep, or to guard: Kn~owest thou the time when sider it as a different species from the tame and domestic the wild goats bring forth, the parturition of the hinds dostass; but others, among whom is the celebrated Buffon, afthou guard Without the protecting care of God, who u firm, that it differs from its unhappy relation only in those thoWithout the protectingcare of God, who up- particulars which are the proper effects of independence holds all his works by the word of his power, the whole race. of these timid creatures would soon be destroyed by and liberty. Although more elegantly ihaped the general the violence of wild beasts, or the arts of the hunter. It s form of its body is the same; but in temper and manners with great propriety, says one of the ancients, that Jehovah it is extremely dissimilar. Intended to fill a higher place demands, The birth of the hinds dost thou guard " for, in the kingdom of nature, than its abject and enslaved since this animal is always in flight, and with fear and ter- it exhibits endowments which, in all ages, have r commanded the admiration of every observer. Animated bring her yo ing to inaturity without such a special protec- by an unconquerable love of liberty, this high-spirited anition. The providence of God, therefore, is equally con- mal submits his neck with great reluctance to the yoke of spicluous in the preservation of the mother and the fawn; man; extremely jealous of the least restraint, he shuns the inhabited country, and steadily rejects all the delicacies it both are the objects of his compassion and tender care; and consequently, that afflicted man had no reason to charge has to offer. His chosen haunt is the solitary and inhoshis Maker with unkindness, who condescends to watch pitable desert, where he roves at his ease, exulting in the oyer the goats and the hinds.-PAXTON. possession of unrestrained freedom. These are not accidental nor acquired traits in his character; but instincts, Ver. 3. They bows themselves, they bring forth implanted by the hand of his Maker, that are neither tQ be their young ones, they cast out their sorrows. extinguished nor modified by length of time, nor change of circumstances. To this wild and untameable temper, Je4. Their young ones are in good liking, they hovah himself condescends to direct the attention of Job, grow up with corn; they go forth, and return when he answered him out of the whirlwind, and said: not unto them. " Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who bath loosed the bands of the wild ass? whose house I lhave made the The hind has no sooner brought forth her fawn, than the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings. He scornpain she suffered is forgotten: "They bow themselves" to eth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crybring forth their young ones, " they cast out their sorrows." ing of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasThese words must forcibly remind the reader of the ma- ture, and he searcheth after every green thing." ternal pains and joys of a higher order of beings: " A The proper name of this animal in the Hebrew language. woman, when she is in travail, hath sorrow, because her is ('an) para, a term which, according to some writers, is hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, expressive of its extreme suspicion. It is employed by Moshe remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man ses to denote the wild and untractable disposition of Ishis born into the world." It is added, "Their young- ones mael and his descendants; and by Zophar, to characterize are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, a vain, self-righteous, and obstinate person. In accordance 45 354 J O B. CHAP. 39. with this idea, tne noun furnishes a verb min the Hiphil form, ponding punishment. He was deprived of reason, which which signifies to act as wildly as the onager. Others de- he had so greatly abused, and by the violence of his disorrive the noun from a Chaldee verb, which signifies to run der, "driven from Tfhe sons of men, and his heart was made with great swiftness; and every writer, ancient and modern, like the beasts; and his dwelling was with the wild asses," who has treated of this animal, has attested the wonderful in the salt land and frightful desert. He seems to have celerity with which it flies over the desert. According to been divested of every thing human but the form; irraLeo Africanus, the wild ass yields only to the horses of tional and sensual, he was guided solely by his animal Barbary; and Xenophon avers, in his Anabasis, that it out- propensities. Nor was he longer able to distinguish what runs the fleetest horses. It has feet like the whirlwind, was becoming or agreeable, even to the animal nature of says Oppian; 2Elian asserts, that it seems as if it were car- man; every desire and appetite was become so brutish, that ried forward by wrings like a bird. he felt no wish to associate with beings of his own kind, These testimonies are confirmed by Professor Gmelin, but lived with the beasts, and.fed in their pasture. who saw numerous troops of them in the deserts of Great Some respectable writers have considered the onager as Tartary, and says, The onagers are animals adapted to a solitary creature, refusing to associate even with those running, and of such swiftness, that the best horses cannot of his own species, because he shuns the presence of man, equal them. Relying on its extraordinary pobwers, it fre- and frequents the most frightful solitudes. But This hasty quently mocks the pursuit of the hunter; and in the stri- opinion is completely refuted by the testimony of modern king description of its Creator, "Scorneth the multitude of travellers, the nomadic hordes of Tartary, and the trading the city," that invade its retreats, and seek its destruction, companies of Bukharia. From their accounts we learn It laughs (as the original term properly signifies) at their that the wild asses are still very numerous in the deserts numbers and their speed, and seems to take a malicious of Great Tartary, and come annually in great herds, which pleasure in disappointing their hopes. Xenophon states, spread themselves in the mountainous deserts to the north that the onagers in Mesopotamia, when pursued on horse- and east of Lake Aral. Here they pass the summer, and back, will stop suddenly in the midst of their career, till the assemble in the autumn by hundreds, and even by thouhunters approach, and then dart away with surprisingv e- sands, in order to return in company to their former relocity; and again stop, as if.invitihg them to make another treats in the mountains of Northern Asia. The gregaeffort to overtake them, but immediately dart away again rious character of the wild ass is not in reality contradicted like an arrow shot from a bow: indeed, it would be impos- by the prophet in these words: "For they are gone up to sible for men to take them, without the assistance of art. Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired "We gave chase," says Mr. Morier, "to two wild asses, lovers." In this passage he describes the perverse and unbut which had so much the speed of our horses, that when tractable dispositions of Ephraim, and the certain destructhey had got at some distance, they stood still and looked tion to which their obstinacy exposed them. A wild ass behind at us, snorting with their noses in the air, as if in alone, they were by their foolish conduct ready to become contempt of our endeavours to catch them." The hunters, a prey to the destroyer. But it is rather the king of Assyria, however, often lie in wait for them at the ponds of brackish than the ten tribes, whom he compares to that animal. water, to which they resort to drink; or take them alive by Instead of trusting in the Lord their God, they courted the means of concealed pits, half filled with plants and branches favour, and solicited the protection of that ambitious and of trees, to lessen the creature's fall. At other times the artful monarch, who, like "a wild ass alone," consulted chase is continued by relays of fresh horses, which the only his own selfish inclinations, and aimed at his own hunters mount as the others are exhausted, till the strength aggrandizement. This ill-advised measure, firom which of the animal is so completely worn out, that it can be easily they promised themselves so much advantage, he declares, overtaken. would certainly hasten this catastrophe; which they sought The wild ass, unsocial in his temper, and impatient of to avoid. They should find, when too late, that they had restraint, frequents the solitary wilderness, and the vast in- been the dupes of his deceitful policy, and the victims of hospitable desert, the salt marsh, and the mountain range. his unprincipled ambition. The wild ass, like almost This is the scene adapted to his nature and instincts, and every creature that inhabits the, barren wilderness, is rehis proper domain allotted to him by the author of his duced to subsist on coarse and scanty fare. The sweets of being. We are not left to infer this fact from the manners unbounded liberty are counterbalanced by the unremitting and habits of the animal;, Jehovah hiimself has attested' it labour which is necessary to procure him a precarious in.these terms: "Whose house I have made the wilder- subsistence. In those salt and dreary wastes, which proviness, and the barren land his dwellings." He who made denue has allotted for his residence, very few plants are thesvild ass free, and loosed his hands, provides a habita- to be found, and those, from the heat of the climate and tion for him in the desert, where the voice of man is not the nature of the soil, are stinted in their growth, and bittei heard, nor a human dwelling meets his eye. But every to the taste: "They see not when good cometh;b' for they desert is not equally to his liking; it is the barren or salt grow in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land in which he delights. So gratefiul is salt to his taste, land, and not inhabited." In such inhospitable regions, that he uniformly prefers brackish water to fresh, and se- the wild ass is compelled to traverse a great extent of lects for his food those plants that are impregnated with country, to scor the plains, and range over the mountains, saline particles, or that have bitter juices. He therefore in order to find here and there a few blades of coarse, retires from the' cultivated or fertile regions, not merely to withered grass, and browse the tops of the few stunted be free from the domination of man, but to enjoy the pas- shrubs which languish in these sandy wilds. Such are the ture which is agreeable to his instincts. "1The multitude, allusions involved in these words: The range of the or the abundance of the city, "he despises for the salt or mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green bitter leaf on the sandy waste." thing." Into such a state of desolation and sterility was the in- Every natural historian has recorded the extreme wildheritance of God's ancient people reduced, by the arms of ness of this animal. He is so jealous of his liberty, that Nebutchadnezzar: "Upon the land of my people shall come on the slightest alarm, or the first appearance of danger, up thorns and briers, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the he flies with amazing swiftness into the desert. His senses joyous city: because the palaces shall be forsaken, the mul- are so acute, that it is impossible to approach him in the titude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be open country. But in spite of all his vigilance, the huntdens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks." A er often encloses him in his toils, and'leads him away into more affecting picturecan scarcely be conceived; the de- captivity. Even in this unhappy state, he never submits populated fields and ruined cities of a country once flow- his neck to the yoke of man without a determined resisting with milk and honey, were to become the favourite ance. "Sent out free" by Him that made him, he is tenahaunts of those shy creatures "for ever;" or during the cious of his independence, and opposes, to the extraordinary long period of seventy years. "Until the spirit" should methods which his captors are forcedto employ, the most be poured upon them from on high, from the beginning to savage obstinacy; and for the most part, he baffles all their the end of the captivity, a tedious and irksome period to endeavours to tame him; still he "scorneth the multitude the unhappy captives, were the wild asses to stray through' of the city, neither regards he the crying of the driver." their barren fields, and repose in their deserted houses, On the authority of this text, Chrysostom says, "this animal undisturbed by the presence of man. But the pride and is strong and untameable; man can never subdue him, ~aabarity of their oppressor were soon visited with corres- whatever efforts he may make for that purpose." But Varro CHAP. 39. JOB. 355 affirms. on the contrary, that "the wild ass is fit for labour; compact consistence, which cover the former; and others that he is easily tamed; and that when he is once tamed, still longer and of greater strength, and on which the movehe never resumes his original wildness." The words of ments of the animal depend. All her feathers are of one Jehovah certainly give no countenance to the opinion of the kind, all of them bearded with detached hairs or filaments, Greek father; they only intimate, that it is extremely diffi- without consistence and reciprocal adherence; in one word, cult to subdue the high spirit and stubborn temper of this they are of no utility in flying, or in directing the flight. animal; for the apostle James declares, that " every kind Besides the peculiar structure of her wings, she is pressed of'beast is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind;". and down to the earth by her enormous size. Buffon calculates great numbers of them are actually broken to the yoke in the weight of a living ostrich, in middling condition, at no Persia, and some other countries. But it appears from less than sixty-five or eighty pounds; which would require the statement of Professor Gmelin, that the Persians tame an immense power in the wings and motive muscles of these the young onagers; and the reason probably is, that they members, to raise and support in the air so ponderous a seldom or never succeed in rendering a full grown onager mass. Thus by her excessive weight and the loose texserviceable to man. ture of her feathers, she is condemned, like a quadruped, Not more untameable and indocile is the wild ass, in the laboriously to run upon the surface of the earth,'without mind of Zophar, than the human kind, in their present being ever able to mount up' into the air. But although degenerate state: " Vain man would be wise, though man incapable of raising herself from the ground, she is admirabe born like a wild ass's colt." Empty, self-conceited man, bly fitted for running. The greater part of her body is s'ill aspires to equal God in wisdom and knowledge; still covered with hair, rather than feathers; her head and her fondly supposes himself qualified to sit in judgment on the sides have little or no hair; and her legs, which are very divine proceedings, and to take the exclusive management thick and muscular, and ih which her principal force reof his own affairs, although the wild ass's colt is not more sides, are in like manner almost naked; her large sinewVy rude, indocile, and untractable. Nor is this an acquired and plump feet, which have only two toes, resemble considhabit: he is'born a wild ass's colt, and therefore, by nature erably the feet of a camel; her wings, armed with tv7wo equally impatient of salutary restraint, equally wilful in spikes, like those of a porcupine, are rather a kind of arms consulting his own inclinations. And this defect in his than wings, which are given her for defence. character, no created arm is able to subdue; it yields only These characteristic features throw great light on a part to the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, who makes of the description which Jehovah himself has condescendhim willihg in\ the day of effectual calling, by a display ed to give of this animal in the book of Job. It begins with of almighty power.-PAXTON. this interrogation: " Gavest thou wings and feathers unto the ostrich?" Dr. Shaw translates it: " The wing of the VXor. 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the ostrich is expanded; the very feathers and plumage of the peacocks? or vwings an'd feathers unto the stork." According to Buffon, the ostrich is covered with ostrich, feathers alternately white and black,'and sometimes gray, by the mixture of these two colours. They are shortest, These birds are exceedingly numerous in the East; and says the author, on the lower part of the necklr, the rest of it rives a kind of enchantment to a morning scene, to see which is entirely naked; they become longer on the back flocks of them together, spreading their beautiful plumage and the belly; and are longest at the extremity of the illn the rays of the sun. They proudly stalk along, and then tail and the'wings; but he denies that anv of them have run with great speed, particularly if they get sight of a ser- been found with red, green, blue, or yellow plumnes. This pent; and the reptile must wind along in his best style, or assertion, however, is not quite correct; for if credit is due he will soon become the prey of the lordly bird. A hbus- to Dr. Shaw, " when the ostrich is full grown, the neck, band sometimes says to his wife, " Come hither, my beauti- particularly of the male, which before was almost naked, ful peacock. Had they not their beauty from you t" This is now very beautifully covered with red feathers. The bird is sacred to Scandan.-ROBERTS. plumage, likewise, upon the shoulders, the back, and some parts of the wings, from being hitherto of a dark grayish Ver. 13. Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the colour, becomes now as black as jet, while some of the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the feathers retain an exquisite whiteness. They are, as deostrich' 14. Which leaveth her eggs in the scribed in the thirteenth verse, the very feathers and plu mage of the stork; that is, they consist of such black and earth, and warmeth them in the dust, 15. And white feathers as the stork, called from thence rcXaopyo., ii forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that known to have. But the belly, the thighs, and the breast, the wild beast may break them. 16. She is do not partake of this covering, being usually naked; anc hardened against her young ones, as thoh when touched are of the same warmth as the flesh of thb. hardened against her young ones, as though I quadrupeds. they were not hers: her labour is in vain The ostrich, though she inhabits the sandy deserts, where without fear: 17. Because God hath deprived she is exposed to few interruptions, is extremely vigilant her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her and shy. She betakes herself to flight on the first alarm, and traverses the waste with so great agility and swiftness, understalndingr. l8.'M~hat time she liftetb p that the Arab is never able to overtake her, even when he herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his is mounted upon his horse of Family. The fact is thus rider. stated by Jehovah: "What time she lifieth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider." She affords The ostrich is by far the largest among the winged tribes, him only an opportunity of admiring at a distance the exand seems to be the connecting link between the quadruped traordinary agility and stateliness of her motions, the richand the fowl. She is not to be classed with the former, ness of her plumage,'and the'great propriety of ascribing because she is furnished with a kind of wings, which, if to her " an expanded- quivering wing." Nothing certainly they cannot raise her from the ground, greatly accelerate can be more beautifuil and entertaining than such a sight; her flight; not with the latter, for "the feathers which the wings, by their continual though unwearied vibrations, grow out of her small wings, are all unwoven and decom- serving her at once for sails and oars, while her feet, no posed, and their beards consist of long hairs detached from less assisting in conveying her out of sight, are equally inone another, and do not form a compact body to strike the sensible of fatigue. Her surprising swiftness is confirmed air with advantage; which is the principal bffice for which by the writer of a voyage to Senegal, who says, " She sets the feathers of the wing are intended." Those of the tail off at a hard gallop; but after being excited a little, she exhave also the same structure, and, by consequence, cannot pands her wings, as if to catch the wind, and abandons heroppose to the air a suitable resistance. They can neither self to a speed so great that she seems not to touch the expand nor close, as circumstances require, nor take differ- ground." "I am persuaded," continues that writer, " she ent inclinations; and what is not a little remarkable, all would leave far behind the swiftest English courser." the feathers which cover the body exhibit the same con- Buffon also admits that the ostrich runs faster than the formation. The ostrich has not, like the greater part of horse. These unexceptionable testimonies completely vinother birds, feathers of various kinds, some soft and downy, dicate the assertion o'f the inspired writer. But as it is on which are next the skin; and others of a more firm and horseback'the Arab pursues and takes her, it is necessary 156 J JOB. CHAP. 39. to exolain howv he accomplishes his purpose, and show its her labour (in hatching and attending them so far) being consistencv with the sacred writings. " When the -Arab in vain without fear," or the least concern of what becomes rouses an ostiich," says Buffon, "he follows her at a dis- of them afterward. This want of affection is also retance, without pressing her too hard, but sufficiently to corded by Jeremiah, in his Lamentations: " The daughter prevent her from? taking food, yet not to determine her to of my people is cruel, like trhe ostriches in the wilderness." escape by a prompt flight." Here the celebrated naturalist In her private capacity the ostrich is not less inconsiderfairly admits that she has it in 2er power to escape if she ate and foolish, particularly in the.choice of food, which is we'e suhiciently alarmed. "It is the more easy," contin- often highly detrimental and pernicious to her; for she ues our author, "to follow her in this manner, because swallows every thing greedily and indiscriminately, wheshe does not proceed in a straight line, and because she de- ther it be pieces of rags, leather, wood, stone, or iron. scribes almost always in her course a circle more or-less ex- When Dr. Shaw was at Oran he saw one of these birds tended." The Arabs, then, have it in their power to direct swallow, without any seeming uneasiness or inconveniency, their puirsuit in a concentric interior circle, and by conse- several leaden bullets, as they were thrown upon the floor, quencestraighter; and tofollow heralwaysatajust distance, scorching hot from the mould; the inward coats of the by passing over much less ground than she. When they (esophagus and stomach being, in his opinion. probably have thus fatigued and starved her for a day or two, they better stocked with glands and'juices, than in other animals take their opportunity, rush in upon her at full speCd, lead- with shorter necks. They are particularly fond of their ing her always as much as possible against the wind, and own excrement, which they greedily eat up as soon as it is killM her with their clubs, to prevent her blood from spoiling voided; no less fond are they of the dung of hens and the beautiful whiteness of her feathers. In this account of other poultry. It seems as if their optic, as well as their olB1tffon, the highest modern authority in matters of this factory nerves, were less adequate and conducive to their kind, nothing occurs to contradict the assertion of the in- safety and preservation, than in other creatures. The spired writer; while he distinctly admits that she runs faster divine Providence in this, no less than in other respects, than the fleetest horses, and could not be taken but by artful "having deprived them of wisdom, neither hath it impart-:,:anagement. ed to them understanding." This part of her character, is She constructs her humble nest in the bare ground, ex- fully admitted by Buffon, who describes' it in nearly the cavating the sand with her feet. It is hollow in the middle, same terms. and fortified on all sides by a circular mound of some The ostrich was aptly called by the ancients a lover of height, for the purpose of preventing the rain from flowing the deserts..Shy and timorous in no, common degree, she into the nest and wetting her young. From the most ac- retires from the cultivated field, where she is disturbed by curate accounts which Dr. Shaw could obtain from his the Arabian shepherds and husbandmen, into the deepest conductors, as well as from Arabs of different places, it ap- recesses of the Sahara. In those dreary and arid wastes, pears that the ostrich lays from thirty to fifty eggs. Elian which are scarcely ever refreshed with a shower, she is mentions more than eighty; but Shaw never heard of so reduced to subsist on a few tufts of coarse grass, which great a number. The first egg is deposited in the centre; here and there languish on their surface, or a few other the rest are'placed as conveniently as possible round about solitary plants, equally destitute of nourishment, and, in the it. In this manner, she is said to lay, deposite, or trust "her Psalmist's phrase, even "withered before they are grown eggs in the earth, and to Warm them in the sand, and for- up." To this dry and parched food, may perhaps be added, gettefh (as they are not placed like those of some other the great variety of land snails which occasionally cover birds upon trees, or in thIe clefts of rocks, &c.) that the foot the leaves and stalks of these herbs, and which may afford (of the traveller) may crush them, or that the wild beast her some refreshment. Nor is it improbable that she may break them." She seems in a great measure insen- sometimes regales herself on lizards and serpents, together sibie to the tender feelings which so powerfully operate in with insects and reptiles of various kinds. Still, however, the greater part of other animals.'his assertion, indeed, considering the voracity and size of this camel bird, it is Buffon seems inclined to controvert: "As soon," says that wonderful how the little ones should be nourished and writer, "as the young ostriches are hatched, they are in a brought up; and espe ially, how those of fuller growth, condition to walk, and even to run and seek their food; so and much better qualified to look out for themselves, are that in the torrid zone, where they find the degree of heat able to subsist.-PAxToN. which they require, and the food which is proper to them, they are emancipated at their birth, and abandoned by their Ver. 16. She is hardened against her young ones, mother, of whose care they have no need. But in countries as though they' were not hers: her labbur is in less warm, for example, at the Cape of Good Hope, the vain ithout fear. vain without fear. mother watches over her young as long as her assistance is necessary, and on all occasions her cares are propor- Mr. Vansittart, in his Observations on Select Places of tioned to their wants." the Old Testament, proposes the following translation of This account Buffon takes from Leo Africanus and this verse: She hath hardened her young ones for that KolbI, to whom he refers; in which it is admitted, that the which is not hers; her labour is for'another without dis-'mother abandons her offspring as soon as they are hatched, crimination." To justify this version be adduces these exalthough it is alleged, not for want of affection, but because tracts from modern travellers: "We pursued our journey her cares are not necessary. But this is to suppose that next morning: in the course of the day I amused mysel! they are not like other young creatures, all of which re- by firing my piece to start game. A female ostrich rose quire more or less attention from their parents, for some from her nest, which was the largest I had seen, containing time after their birth; an anomaly which cannot be ad- thirty-two eggs: twelve more being distributed at some dismitted but on the most convincing evidence. Let us now tance, in a little cavity by itself. I could not conceive that hear the account of Dr. Shaw, who travelled in the native one female could cover so many; they were of an unequal country of the ostrich, and borrowed his information from size, and on examination I found that nine of them were the Arabs, who were well acquainted with all her habits much less than the rest. This peculiarity interested me, and dispositions: "Upon the least distant noise, or trivial and I ordered' the oxen to be unyoked at about a quarter of occasion, she forsakes her eggs or her young ones, to which, a league distance from the nest. I then concealed myself in perhaps, she never returns; or, if she does, it may be too a thicket, from whence I could overlook the place, and yet late either to restore life to the one, or, to preserve the remain within gunshot. I had not watched long before the lives of the other." Agreeably to this account, the Arabs female returned and sat on the eggs. During the rest of mneet sometimes with whole nests of these eggs undisturb- the day which I passed in the thicket, three more came to ed; some of which are sweet and good; others are addle the s.anie nest, covering it alternately; each continued sitand corrupted; others again have their young ones of dif- ting for the space of a quarthr of an hour, and then gaveferent growths, according to the time, it may be presumed, place to another, who, while waiting, sat close by the side they have been forsaken by the dam. They ofiener meet of her it was to succeed, a circumstance that made me cona few of the little ones, no'bigger than well-grown pullets, jecture, that in cold or rainy nights they sit by pairs, or half starved, straggling and moaning about, like so many perhaps more. The sun was almost down; the male bird distressed orphans, for their mother. And in this manner approached: these, equally with the female, assist in hatchthe ostrich may be said, as in verse sixteenth, "to be hard- ing the eggs. I instantly shot him: but the report of my ened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; gun scared the others, who in their flight broke several of CHAP. 39. JOB. 357 them. I now drew nearer, and saw with regret that the destroyer of pigeons, that is the swiftest of birds." In the young ostriches were just ready to quit the shells, being per- thirteenth book, Ajax tells Hector the day should come fectly covered with down. This peculiarity of female when he would wish to have horses swxifter than hawks, to ostriches assisting each other for the incubation of the same carry him back to the city. Among the Egyptians the nest, is, I think, calculated to awaken the attention of the hawk was the symbol of the winds; a sure proof that they naturalists: and not being a general rule, proves that cir- contemplated with great admiration the rapidity of her cumstances sometimes determine the actions of these crea- motions. For the same reason, accordit~g to some writers, tures, regulate their customs, and strengthen their natural she was consecrated to the sun, which she resembles in the instinct, by giving them a knowledge not generally bestow- surprising swiftness of her career, and the faculty with ed. For is it not probable that they may associate to be the which she moves through the boundless regions of the sky. more powerful,' and better able to defenditheir young? This custom of consecrating the hawk to Apollo, the Greeks "An ostrich starting before me at the distance of twenty borrowed from the Egyptians, among whom no animal was paces, I thought it might be sitting, and hastened to the spot so sacred as the ibis and the hawk. So great was their from whence she rose, where I found eleven eggs, quite veneration for these animals, that if any person killed one warm, and four others at a distance of two or three feet of them, with or without design, he was punished wilth friom the nest. I called to my companions, who broke one death; while for the destruction of any other animal, he of the warm eggs, in which was a young ostrich, perfectly was only subjectedto an arbitrary fine. This bird, so highIly formed, about the size of a chicken just hatched. I thought venerated among the heathen, was pronounced unclean by these quite spoiled, but found my people entertained a very the Jewish lawgiver; it was to be an abomination to the diftferent opinion of the matter, every one being eager to people of Israel; its flesh was not to be eaten nor its catcome in for his share. Amiroo in the mean time caught cass touched with impunity. The reason of this law may up the four outward ones, assuring me that I should find probably be found in her dispositiofis and qualities; she is them excellent. In the sequel, I learned from this African, a bird of prey, and, by consequence, cruel in her temper, what the rest of my Hottentots, and even naturalists them- and gross in her manners. Her mode of living, too, may selves, were unacquainted with, since none that I recollect probably impart a disagreeable taste and flavour to the flesh, have ever mentioned it: the ostrich ever places near her and render it,'particularly in a warm climate, improper for nest a certain number of eggs, proportioned to those she the table. Nor dowe know that it was ever relished by any intends to sit on; these remaining separate and uncovered, people, although the pressure of necessitous circumstances continue good a long while, being designed by the provi- may have occasionally reconciled individuals to use it for dential mother for the first nourishment of her young. food. Her daring spirit, her thirst of blood, the surprising Experience has convinced me of the truth of this observa- rapidity of her flight, and her perseverance in the chase, tion, for I never met with an ostrieh's nest without finding soon pointed her out to the hunter as a valuable assistant; eggs disposed in this manner, at a small distance firom it." but even he willingly resigns her carcass to be meat to the (Vaillant's Travels.) beasts of the field. Among the very few polygamous birds that are found Of this bird Jehovah demands, "Doth the hak fly by in a state of nature, the ostrich is one., The male, distin- thy wisdom, and stretch her wings towards the south'i, guished by its glossy black feathers from the dusky gray Jerome, and several other interpreters, render the words, femnale, is generally seen with two or three, and frequently By thy prudence doth the hawk renew her plumage, having as many as five, of the latter.' These females lay their eggs expanded her wings towards the south? because the verb in one nest, to the number of ten or twelve each, wbhich they ('n) aba', in the future of the Hiphil, seems to be fortued hatch altogether, the male taking his turn of sitting on them from the noun (-raN) aber, or (n —,s) abra/, which signifies -among the rest. Between sixty and seventy eggs have a feather. This law, by which the eagle, the hawk, and been found in one nest: and if incubation has begun, a few other birds, annually shed their feathers, was not contrived are most commonly lying round the sides of the hole, having by the wisdom of man; although it appears he is able, by been thrown out by the birds on findling the nest to contain certain managements, to accelerate the moulting season, as more than it could conveniently hold." (Barrow.) AElian well as the renovation of the plumage. But, as means and says, of the female ostrich, "She separates the unproductive remedies derive all their efficacy firom God, and depend for eggs, and sits only on the good ones, from which the brood success only upon his co-operation, it may still be demanded, is produced; and the others she uses for food for her young." Doth the hawk renew her plumage by thy wisdom, expandThese accounts render obvious the propriety of the new- ing her wings towards the south It is said, by an ancient proposed translation. Because by the four mother birds writer on this passage, that humid and warm places are having the same nest in common, and intermixing their favourable to this change, and are therefore di!igently eggs, they u1ould likewise, when the eggs were hatched, sought for by hawkers, with the view of promoting the have their young intermixed and in common; so that the moulting of their falcons. When the south wind blows, parents notbeing able to discern their own particular young, the wild hawks, instructed by their instinctive sagacity, exwould expend their affection equally on the whole brood, pand their wings till their limbs become heated; and by and consequently on the young of another bird equally as this means the old plumage is relaxed, and the mnoulting her own: thus she would be taking to herself the young of facilitated. But when the south wind refuses its aid, they others instead of her own; so that in this respect she might expand their wings to the rays of the sun, and shaking: them be said to harden her own young, by taking the young of violently, produce a tepid gale for themselves; and thus' another, and dividing her affection upon them. In this their bodies being heated, and their pores opened, the old sense she might be called cruel as to her own young, though feathers more easily fall off, and new ones grow up in their she would at the same time be affectionate also. —BUrDEnra. place. But it is more probable that these words refer, not to the annual renovation of the plumage, but to the long Ver. 26. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and and persevering flight of the hawk towards the south, 0on stretch her wings towards the south? the approach of winter. Her migration is not conducted ln' the wisdom and prudence of man; but by the superintendIt is considered an exceedingly fortunate thing to see a ing and upholding providence of the only wise God. The hawk or a kite flying in circles from left to right, towards words of Jehovah cannot be understood as referring to the the south. When the south wind blows, those birds may falconer's art; for we-have no evidence that the hawNik was be seen making their way in circles towards that quarter; employed in hunting, till manyages after the times in which but when they return they fly in a direct line.-RoBERaT.s. the patriarchs flourished. Besides, if the divine challenge The hawlr is distinguished by the swiftness of her flight, referred to that amusement, the direction of her flight could and the rapid motion of her'wings in flying. But as it is not be confined to the south; for she pursues the game to the first of these which naturally fixes the attention of an every quarter of heaven. The renow-ned Chrysostom, on observer, theHebrews,according to their invariable custom, this passage, inquires, why Jehovah has made no mention selected it as the reason of the name by which she is known of sheep and oxen, and other ainials of the same kind, but in their language; they call her (y,) netls, from the verb only of useless creatures, which seem to have been formed satsa, to fly. She was reckoned by many of the ancients for no beneficial or important purposes. But is it to be supthe swiftest of the feathered race. In Homer, the descent posed that God, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent of Apollo from heaven is compared to her flight: "From in working, has made any part of his works in vain. We t e mountains of Ida he descended like a swift hawk, the may not be able to discover, after the most careful investi ~3b'Bt~~ J ~O B. CHAP. 40 gation, the end which the Almighty had in view, when he that the hippopotamus, an aquatic animal, which lives fol created some of his works; but shall we presume on this the most part in the bottom of the Nile, should eat grass account to pronounce them useless or insignificant 1 So far'like an ox, is a singular phenomenon, well entitled to our fronimbeing a useless bird, thd' hawk, in some cases, brings consideration. Nor is it without design-he is compared to the most invportant and efTectual assistance to the hunter. the ox; for, he not only associates with him in the same It has already been observed, that the antelope, which seems pastures, but also bears a considerable resemblance to him rather to fly than to run, leaves the swiftest dog far behind, in the size and stature of his body, and in the form of his and could never be overtaken without the help of the falcon. head and feet. —PAxTo N. The hawk, then, is not the useless and insignificant creature which the Greek father represents' her; on the contrary, Ver. 16. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and she has conferred benefits on mankind of no inconsiderable his force is in the navel of his belly. value.-PAXTCN. The loins are the seat of strength in every animal; ~~CHAPTER,~ XL. ~hence,' in the language of scripture, to strengthen the loins Ver. 15. Behold now behemoth, which I made denotes an augmentation of power. A very decisive inwith thee; he eateth grass as an ox. stance occurs in'the second chapter olf Nahum: "Make with thee, he eate'th grass -as an ox. thy loins strong;" fortify thy power mightily. The same Behemoth is an amphibious animal, whose real character idea is involved in the prayer of the Psalmist, that the is involved i n much obscurity. The greater part of mod- power which the wicked had so greatly abused, might be era writers have thought that behemoth is the elephant, and diminished, till it became consistent with the peace and leviathan the whale; this indisputably the largest of the safety of others, or entirely taken away: "Make their loins aquatic, and that the largest of terrestrial animals. But continually to shake." The last clause, " His force is in the their sentiments are liable to. objections so numerous and navel of his belly," cannot well be reconciled with the stateweighty, that we are compelled, after the most careful inves- mets of ancient writers, that the belly of the elephat is tigation, to refer these namesto very different animals. Bo- the most tender and vulnerable part'of his body. This is chart is 6f opinion, that the sacred writers refer, under a fact so generally known, so fully authenticated, that in,Itese termws, to the crocodile and the hippopotamus: ahd war the hostile spear is usually directed to the navel of that lie is probably correct. He fllows Beza and Diodati in formidable animal, where the most deadly wound may be inflicted. We learn from Pliny, that when the rhirtoceros supposing the leviasthan to be the crocodile of the Nile; and inflited. e learn fom Plin, that when the rioceos from this he infers, tat thebehemoth is the hppootamus attacks the elephant, he likewise aims his furious thrust at an inhabitant of the same river. In the book of Job, th the same art of the body. The sae powerful instinct migty, after describing a number of terrestrial animals which directs the horn of the rhinoceros, leads the gnat, if in a continued series, commences a new description in the the Talmudical writers may be credited, to the navel of the fortieth chapter, in which we find leviathan, which is al- elephant, which it enters, and torments him with excrucialowedr by all to be an aquatic animal, joined with hehe- ting pains. But it is not to be supposed that the inspired oth; therefore, to preserve the appointed order undis- writer would place the strength of that animal in the softest moth threfre, o peseve te apoited rde unis-and most defenceless part of his frame, because it is not turbed, the latter must also be an aquatic animal. They and most defenceless part of his frame, becaie it is not are, besides, very similar in several respects: both are coSitent ih the truh of natual history. ut te navel qarupeds of enormous size-fierce in their dispositions- and belly of the hippopotamus are like the rest of his body, qamphibious oin their nature-bth of them inhabitants of protected by an impenetrable skin, of so great solidity and ne N ise inorde thei namueb behemofthem inhagrebitant h eI Nile. Nor does the name behemoth, ill agree with the thickness, that it is said to be formed into spears, and other fheilep'or oea~s;fr the naebrwtr behemot, illagrewt dnthe ipotamus; f he Hebrew term beema, may denote issile weapons. Diodorus asserts that the hippopotamus any beast, especially if it be of a superior size, as the hip- has a sin nealy the strongest of allanimals; and Ptolemy popotamus is acknow:ledged to be. Aristotle gives him the sayd hyperbolically, thnt the robbers in India have a skin sashyperbolically, that the robbers in India have a sk~in size of an ass; Herodotus affirms that in stature he is equal like the hippopotamus, which no arrow can pierce. Zeto the largest ox; Diodorus makes his height not less than ringhi declares that a musket ball can ae no impresfive cubits, or above seven feet and a half; Tatius calls sion on the dried ikin of that animal, nor can any weapon z_` ~~~~~~~~~~~sion on the dried Skin of that animal, nor can any weapon him, on account of his prodigious strength, the Egyptian pierce it, till t has been long steeped in water.-PAxo. elephant. The Arabian authors quoted by Bochart, say that the behema, the same as the behemoth, is a four-footed ~ er' 17. He moveth his tail like a cedar; the animal, although he lives in the water. But were it admit- sinews of his stones are wrapped together. ted'that behemna by itself is always applied to land animals,,-t behemoth may'signify the hippopotamus with sufficient Many writers, among whom are Caryl and': Schultens, in propriety, because that animal yields to very few in bulk order to support their hypothesis, that behemoth is the eleand stature; it is amphibious, and resembles in many par- phant, venture to contradict the uniform sense of the term ticulars terrestrial animals. No aquatic animal, indeed, zanab, which, in our translation, is properly rendered the so much resembles the beasts of the field; hence the hippo- tail, and make it signify the proboscis or trunk of that anipotamnus alone, of all aquatic animals, is called, by way of mal. Zaeab, in Parkhurst, signifies the extremity orhindexcellence, behema, or, in the Egyptian dialect, behemoth; ermost part of a thing, as the tail of an animal, or the for behemoth is not a plural, but a singular noun, with an end of a firebrand almost extirnguished; and hence, as a Egyptian termination, like Thoth, Paoth, Phamnenoth, the verb in a primitive sense, to cut off the extremity or hindernames'of Egyptian months, which are all in the singular most part. Yet in opposition to the constant meaning of number. this word in scripture, these writers turn it into the snout The description of behemoth is introduced with these or trunk of the elephant, to make it agree with their fawords: " Behold nor behemoth, which I made with thee; vourite hypothesis. But if zaezab be suffered to retain its he eateth grass as an ox." The Almighty did not need to usual meaning, it furnishes a strong presumption, that the fetch the arguments of his mightypower from a distance; hippopotamus is intended in the text under consideration, the Nile, which rolled its ample waters through regions and not the elephant, whose tail, like that of the behog, is bordering on Arabia, the native country of Job, contained small,weak, andinconsiderable. It is, according toBuflbn, the hippopotamus, one of the most surprising effects of but two feet and a half or three feet long, and pretty slencreating power and goodness. Such seems to be the mean- der; but the tail of the hippopotamus, he observes'from ing of the command, "Behold now behemoth, which I Zeringhi, does not resemble that of a hog, but rather that have made with thee," or in thyneighbourhood. The par- of a tortoise, only that it is incomparably thicker. The tile ie often signifies, near or hard by: thus, in the book tail of the hippopotamus, Scheuchzer observes, although of Joshua, the city of Ai is said to be im Bethaven, near short, is thick, and may be compared to the cedar for its Bethaven; and, in the book of Judges, the Danites were, tapering, conical shape, its smoothness, thickness, anmd it beth Miicah, near the house of Micah. But as the pro- strength. But although it is thick, short, and very firm, priety of the translation cannot reasonably be disputed, it is yet he moves and twists it at pleasure; which, in the sacred needless to multiply examples. The Almighty proceeds: text, is considered as a proof of his prodigious strength. " lie eateth grass like an ox." The ox and the elephant "The sinews of his stones," continues the sacred writer, are equally beasts of burden; it is therefore by no means "are wrapped together." Bochart renders the words, The wonderful that they live on the same kind of food; but sinews of his thighs are interwoven or twisted togethe,:. CHAP. 4-0. JOB. 359 From this short, but emphatical clause, we may certainly thinks he has lost a sufficient qul ntity, he closes the wound infer, that behemoth is one of the most powerful animals by rolling himself in the mud. Hence, Pliny calls him the on the face of our globe. Such undoubtedly is. the hippo- discoverer of the art of blood-letting; and the master of the potamus, if we may believe the accounts of Dampier, who healing art: and Ammianus, the most sagacious of all andeclares he has known him set one tooth in the gunnel of a imals destitute of reason. boat, and another at the distance of more than four feet, "He that made him can make his sword approach untc and there bite a-hole through the plank, and sink the boat; him:" or, as the words may be rendered, He who made and when he had done, he went away shaking his ears. him, has applied to him his sharp, crooked sword; of which On another occasion he saw him in the wash ofthe shore, the meaning seems to'be, He as furnished his mouth with v-hen the sea tossed in a boat, with fourteen hogsheads of long teeth, somewhat bent, sharp, and protruded, with which, water in her, and left it dry upon his back; and another as with a crooked sword or sickle, he reaps and masticates surge caine and fetched the boat off, without the beast re- the grass and corn on which he feeds. But if behemoth ceiving. any perceptible injury. Dampier and his crew be understood of the elephant, how can it be said with any made several shots at him, but to no purpose, for the bullets correctness, that he is provided with a crooked sword for glanced from his sides as from a wall of adamant.- reaping his food. The shortness of his neck prevents him PAXT'ON. from reaching the ground with his mouth, and using his teeth for collecting herbage. This operation is performed Vey. 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; by his trunk, which receives the food, and conveys it into his bones are lilke bars of-iron. his mouth. His teeth are perfectly inefficient, except for mastication; and as for his trunk, it has no resemblance to The idea of his prodigious strength is increased by the any sharp instrument; on this account the ancients never account given of his bones, which are compared to stronga gave it the name of a sword or sickle, but called it. a hand; pieces of brass, and bars of iron. Such figures are con- name which itmay receive with great propriety A very monly employed by the sacred writers, to express great learned interpreter, perceiving the inconvenience of this hardness and strength, of which a striking example occurs exposition, if behemoth mean the elephant, prefers our in the prophecies of Micah: " Arise and thresh, O daughter translation: " He that made him can make his sword apof Zion; for I will make thy horn iron, and I will make proach unto him:" that is, He alone that made him can thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people." take away his life. Bat Mhether we apply the words to the So hard and strong are the bones of the hippopotamus. elephant, or the hippopotamus, the sense is equally inadmisThe cutting, and particularly the canine teeth of the lower sible, or both these animals are frequently destroyed withjaw, says Buffon, are very long, and so hard and strong, out the immediate interference of God. Besides, to apply that they strike fire with steel; a circumstance which prob- the sword to any one, and to take away his life with it, are ably gave rise to the fable of the ancients, that the hippo- not exactly the same; nor does this view agree with the potamus vromited fire. The substance of the canine teeth whole series of the context, while the interpretation given is so white, so fine, and so hard, that it is preferable to ivory by Bochart perfectly accords with it, and connects the verse for mlalling artificial teeth. " His bones are like bars of with the rest of the narrative: He who made him, las furiron;" and such, in the description of Buffon, are the bones nished him with a sickle, or crooked sword of this' animal. The cutting teeth, says that celebrated lect hisfood-PAToN. naturalist, especially those of the under jaw, are very long, cylindrical, and chamfered. The canine teeth are also long, crooked, prismatic, and sharp like the tusks of the food, where all the beasts of the field play. wil d boar. The largest of the cutting and canine teeth are twelve, and sometimes sixteen inches long, and each of This is considered as a very strong argument in favowr them weighs from twelve to thirteen pounds.-PAXTON. of the elephant, an animal which, it is well known, browses upon the mountains; while, fully assured of his mild and Ver. 19. He is the chief of the ways of God: he forbearing temper, nall the beasts of the field sport around him in peace and security. But the text applies with equal, that made him can make his sword to approach and even with more propriety, to the hippopotamus; for it unto him. seems to indicate something remarkable in the circumstance, that such an animal should seek his food in peace, on the I:t is added, " he is the chief of the ways of God: he that hills and mountains which skirt his habitation. But surely made him can make his sword to approach unto him." it is not strange, that the elephant, a creature which always The phrase in the first clause, is evidently hyperbolical, lives on the land, and whose disposition. leads him to eat and sigiifies merely, that he is one of the noblest animals grass like an ox, should be found on such a pasture. The which the almighty Creator produced. In size, the hippo- hippopotamus, on the contrary, lives for the most part in the potanmus is inferior onlyto the elephant. The male, which water, and walks on the bottom, as in the open air; yet he Zeringhi brought from the Nile to Italy, was sixteen feet seeks his food more frequently on the land, where he denine inches long, from the extremity of the muzzle to the yours sugarcanes, rushes, millet, rice, roots, and vegetables origin of the tail; fifteen feet in circumference, and six feet of every kind, in immense quantities, and ravages, far and and a half high; and the legs were about two feet ten inches wide, the cultivated fields. Not content with laying waste long. The head was three feet and a half in length, and the plains, he proceeds in the night to the hills and mouneight feet and a half in circumference;' The opening of tains, and renews his depredations. Tatius asserts that he the mouth was two feet four inches, and the largest teeth is the most voracious of all animals, so that he devours the were more than a foot long. Thus his prodigious strength; standing' corn of a whole field for nourishment. Natural his impenetrable skin; the vast opening of his mouth, and historians give the same account of the morse, an animal his portentous voracity; the whiteness and hardness of his which in many respects resembles the hippopotamus, and teeth; his manner of life, spent with equal ease in the sea, inhabits the large rivers of Russia, which roll their 1waters on the land, or at the bottom of'the Nile,-equally claim into the Frozen Ocean. He is about the size of an ox, with our admiration, and entitle him to be considered as the very short legs; his breast is higher and broader than the chief of the ways of God. Nor is he less remarkable for other parts of the body; he has two large and long tusks, his sagacity; of which two instances are recorded by Pliny. resembling ivory in whiteness, and of equal value. When After he has gorged himself with corn, and begins to return he is inclined to sleep, he forsakes the.:ean, and, in cotnwith a distended belly to the deep, with averted steps he panies, retires to the mountains. Aroune the hippopotamus, traces a great many paths, lest his pursuers, following the the beasts of the field may sport in safety; for although he lines of one plain track, should overtake and destroy him feeds on fishes, crocodiles, and even cadaverous flesh, he is while he, is unable to resist. The second instance is not not known to prey on other animals. It is not even diffiless remarkable: When he has becomne fat with too much cult to drive him away fiom the cultivated fields, for he is Indulgence, he reduces his' obesity by copious bleedings. more timid on land than in the water. His only resource For this purpose, he searches for newly cut reeds, or sharp in danger, is to plunge into the deep, and travel under it a pointed rocks, and rubs himself against them, till he make great way, before 4ie ventures again to appear. The Ina sufficient aperture for the blood to flow. To promote the dians, according to Dampier, are accustomed to throw him discharge, it is raid, he agitates his body; and when he a part of their fish when he comes near their canoes, ane 360 J O B. CHAP. 41 then he passes on without doing them any harm. The descend to the bottom of three fathoms water, anti remain same voyager relates an anecdote, which remarkably dis- there more than half an hour before he returned to the plays the mildness of his disposition; as their boat lay surface.-PAXTON. near the shore, he went under her, and with his back lifted her out of the water, and overset her, with six nlen on Ver. 24. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose board, but did them no personal injury. These facts prove, pierceth through snares. at once, his incredible strength, and his habitual gentleness."-PAXTON.'The inspired writer thus concludes his description: he taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.' Ver. 21. He lieth under the shady trees, in the Bochart renders the words, Who shall take hin in his covert of the reeds and fens. 22. The shady sight, and perforate his nose with hooks'. that is, Who trees cover hinm.with their shadow; the willows shall come before him, and attack him with open violence. of the brook compass him about. It is found extremely difficult to subdue him in fair combat; and therefore the Egyptians have recourse to strataWhen satiated with food, he reposes "under the shady gem. They watch near the banks of the Nile, till he trees in the covert of the reed and fens." The elephant, it'leave the river to feed in the adjacent fields: they then is admitted, delights in the shade, bat very seldom lies down make a large ditch in the way by which he passed, and to sleep, as the sacred writer asserts of behemoth; nor is cover it with thin planks, earth, and herbage. Passing he known to frequent the reeds which cover the marsh, and without suspicion on his return to the flood, over the deskirt the border of the lake. But the reeds are the chosen ceitful covering, he falls into the ditch, and is immediately haunt of the hippopotamus; they supply him with a grateful despatched by the hunters, who rush from their ambush, food, and screen him during his repose from the burning and, pour their shot into his head. From this review, the heat of the sun. In this part of his history, ancient and fair and necessary conclusion seems to be, that behemoth modern authors harmoniously accord. Marcellinus ob- is not the elephant, but the hippopotamus of the Nile.serves, that he reposes among the tall reeds, where they PAXTON. grow thickest in the mire. They are his covert, his food, CHAPTER XLI. and his medicine. Hence the prayer of David, Rebuke the company of the spearmen, or, as it may be translated, the Ver. 1. Canst thou draw out leviathan with a wild beast of the reed, which has been supposed to refer to hook? or his tongue with a cordl 7which thou the hippopotamus, as the symbol of the Egyptian people and lettest down? government; and this is the more probable, as he mentions the bulls and the calves, which that degenerate race hon- From this passage Hasselquist observes, that the leviaoured with idolatrous reverence. The circumstance of than " means a crocodile, by that which happens daily, and his making his bed among the thick reeds of the marsh, without doubt happened in Job's time, in the river Nile; to naturally suggests his relation to the Nile, whose banks are wit, that this voracious animal, far from being diasi; utp by/ richly clothed with that plant; this is confirmed by many a hook, bites off and destroys all fishing-tackle of this kind, Egyptian representations, in which he is joined with the which is thrown out in the river. I found, in one that I crocodile. Kimchi, and other writers, who contend that opened, two hooks, which it had swallowed, one sticking in the elephant is meant in this description, unable to recon- the stomach, and the other in a part of the thick melnbrai cile the clause under consideration to their theory, are which covers the palate."-BunDEa. compelled to throw it into the form of an interrogation: The term leviathan is properly the same as tlain, which Does he lie under the holy trees in the covert of the reeds in our scripture is translated dragon. The roval Psalmist and fens? that is, he by no means lies in such places. But uses them as convertible terms, in the seventy-fourth Psalm, they did not perceive that this solution of the difficulty is where he celebrates the mighty power of God in these lofty destructive to their own theory; for the elephant does lie strains: " Thou brakest the heads of the dragons (iancni.n) under the shady trees, or takes his repose standing under in the waters; thou brakest the heads of leviathan in their covert. Besides, to throw the clause into the form pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting of an interrogation, is to break the texture of the descrip- the wilderness." He has been followed'by the prophet in tion, and to mar its beauty; and if such liberties with the a passage where he foretels the deliverance of the church, sacred text were admitted, nothing is so plain or express from her cruel and implacable enemies: "In that day, the in the word of God, which may not be eluded. The only Lord, with his sore, and great, and strong sword, shall other remark necessary to be made is, that the words of the punish leviathan, the piercing serpent, even leviathan, that sacred writer are confirmed by the testimony of Buffon, crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in who says the hippopotamus, besides his usual cry, which the sea." Kimchi distinguishes leviathan and tanGnin, by has a great resemblance to that of the elephant, or to the their magnitude alone. Leviathan, says he, is that enorstammering and indistinct sounds uttered by deaf persons mous serpent or draoon. Heene, leviathan is a sinuous when asleep, makes a kind of snorting noise, which be- animal, which coils itself up like a dragon; and is detrays him at a distance. To prevent the danger arising scribed by the prophet.as the oblique, tortuous, or crooked from this circumstance, he generally lies among the reeds serpent. But as the word tannin is often used to denote that grow upon marshy grounds, and which it is difficult the whale, and other marine animals; so, the term leviato approach: there "the shady trees cover him with their than is, in scripture, sometimes employed to denote the shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about."- same creatures. An example of this use of the term ocPAx'TON. curs in David's description of the sea: " There go the Vei. 23. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and ships, there is that leviathan whom thou hast made to play Ve. 23. Behold, he drineth up a river, nc therein." It is not however certain, that the term is ever hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up used in this general sense,; for it will be shown, that the Jordan into his mouth. creature to which it properly belongs, often infests: the sea near the mouth of the great rivers of Afriica and the East. Bh aemoth, which before was feeding upon the mount- Every part of the sublime description which Jehovah has ains, or sleeping under the shade of the reeds and the given of leviathan in the book of Job, exactly corresponds willows, is in the next verse introduced quenching his with the natural history of the crocodile, which lives thirst at the river: " Behold, he drinketh up a river, and equally in the sea and in the river. That terrible animal hasteth not: he trusteth he can draw up Jordan into his bears a striking resemblance to the dragon or serpent.- He mouth." Bochart gives a different translation: " Behold, has the shape of our asp; his legs are so short, that, like let a river come upon him, he will not fear; he is safe the serpent, he seems to go upon his belly. His feet are though Jordan break forth upon his mouth." This ver- armed with claws, his back-bone is firmly jointed, and his sion, it must be allowed, agrees perfectly with what natural tail a most formidable weapon; his whole formation is historians say of the hippopotamus, that he walks deliber- calculated for strength. Let us now hear Jehovah himself ately into the deepest floods, and pursues his journey with describe the leviathan, and we shall find that it exactly the same fearless composure as in the open air, along the corresponds with the character and' habits of the crocodile: bottom of the torrent, or the channel of the sea. He re- "Canst thou draw out leviathan with a hock; or himains a long time under water. Dampier has seen him tongue with a cord which thou lettest down.' tHe is oi CHAP. 41. JOB. 361 too great magnitude to be drawn out of the water like a Ver. 7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbtd irons? fish. The second clause manifestly refers to the impossi- or his head with fish-spears? I bility of drawing out his tongue, on account of its adhering throughout to his under jaw. It is besides short, If leviathan, in this sublime expostulation, signified the thin, and broad, and by consequence, cannot be drawn out whale, the answer might be given in the affirmative; for to his lips, like the tongue of any other animal.-PAxTON. that prodigious creature has been often compelled to yield to the harpoon; his skin has been filled with barbed irons, Vel. 2. Canst thou put a hook into his nose? or and his head with fish spears: nor is the capture of the bore his jaw through with a thorn? whale attended with much difficulty. ABut the crocodile is said to defy the arm of the harpooner, and the point of his He is too powerful and fierce to be treated like a small spear; and in attacking him, the assailant has to encounter fish: the elephant may submit to such indignities, but the both great difficulty and imminent danger.-PAxToN. crocodile scorns the dominion of man.-PAXTON. The Hebrew word which is translated thorn, signifies Ver. 8. Lay thy hand upon himn, remember the rather an iron ring, fixed in the jaw. Bruce, speaking of battle do no more. the manner of fishing in the Nile, says, when a fisherman has caught a fish, he draws it on shore, and puts a strong So great a horror shall seize thee, that thou shalt think iron ring into its jaw. " To this ring is fastened a rope, by rather of flight than combat, and the very touch of his skin which the fish is attached to the shore, which he then throws'shall convince thee, that it will not yield to thy stroke.again into the water. Those who want fish go to the fish- PAXTON. erman, as to a fish-market, and purchase them alive. We likewise bought a couple, and the fisherman showed us ten Ver. 9. Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall or twelve, fastened in a similar manner."-RO SENILLER. not one be cast down even at the sight of him ~ not one be cast down even at the sight of him. Ver. 3. Will he make many supplications unto nVer. 3. Will he make many supplications unto If leviathan cannot be taben by these means, the hope of thee will he speak soft words unto thee? subduing him is utterly vain; none may expect to prevail against him; his very presence fills the stgutest heart with An elegant prosopopeia, which expresses, with great terror. It cannot'however be denied, that the crocodile is force and beauty, the difficulty with which he is overcome. often taken and destroyed; but the remark equally applies — PaxToN. to the whale; and consequently, if the words of Jehovah Vei. 4. AWill he make a covenant with thee? wilt describe a creature which is too powerful and loo fierce to be vanquished, neither the one nor the other can be underthou take him for a servant for ever? stood. But it were absurd to suppose, that any creature on the earth, or in the sea, is either invulnerable or uncon-'As the vanquished are wont to redeem their life with querable. The sacred writer says expressly, that every the loss of their liberty. This question seems to intimate, creature may be tamed by the industry of man. The lanthat attempts have been made to tame the crocodile, but guage of Jehovah, therefore, only means, that the man who they have uniformly proved abortive. If this allusion is attacks the leviathan, must not hope for an easy conquest; involved in the words, -it is a certain proof that the whale and the experience of all ages attests the truth of the asseris not intended;- for, while attempts have actually been tion. In size, he is very inferior.to the whale; yet he made to tame the crocodile, none have ever been'made to sometimes extends to the length of thirty feet; and accorddomesticate the whale.-PAxTo N. ing to some ancient writers of great name, to forty or fifty. Ver. E5. WVllilt thou play with him as with a bird lii strength is so great, that with one stroke of his tail he is said to cast the strongest animals to the ground; so that, ~ wilt thou bind him for thy maidens 2 to hunt the crocodile has always been reckoned one of the boldest and most perilous undertakings. In the time of Wnllt thou play with him as with af bhrd or wilt thou Diodorus, the Nile and its adjacent lakes swarmed with ind him forthy maidens " It cannote: be is a trucu- crocodiles: yet very few were taken, and those not with lent animil, and particularly hostile to children of both hoks, but ith iron nets. How difficult an undertaking sexes, that, by approaching'the banks of the Nile without this was, may be inferred from the coin which Augustus, sufficient circumspection, fall a prey to this vigilant de- the Roman emperor, caused to be struck, when he had vorurer. Fe will even rush upon a full grown person, and completed the reduction of Egypt, on which was exhibited drai him in a moment to the bottom of the stream. Maxi- the figure of a crocodile, bound with a chain to a palm-tree, mus Tyrius mentions an Egyptian woman, who brought with this remarkable inscription, Nemo antea relegavit. up a young crocodile, of the same age with her son, and per- These words certainly insinuate that in the experience of mitted them to live together in the most familiar manner. the ancients, to chain the crocodile \vas an achievement of The crocodile was gentle and harmless during his early the utmost difficulty. If the crocodiles which inhabit the youth, but his natural disposition gradually unfolded as he Nile as modern travellers maintain, so fierce and advanced to maturity, till at last he seized upon his unsus- dan.erous as the ancients represent them, it must be owing pecting associate, and devoured him. Ancient authors to a number of adventitious circumstances; for in other record many instances of crocodiles entering the houses of parts of the world they are as ferocious as ever. It ot0ht the inhabitants near the Nile, and destroying their chil- to be remembered, that Jehovah describes the general dren. These are sufficient to justify the interrogation of character of the species, which are admitted by writers the Almighty, and to show that the terrible animal in of undobtd redt, to be the ost fierc and savae of all questonnever can be completely tamed, nor safely trusted. animals. Plutarch asserts in express terms, that no creature is so ferocious; and in another part of his works, that Ver. 6. Shall thy companions rmake a banquet of it is an animal extremely averse to society, and the most atrocious of all the monsters which the rivers, the lakes, or him? shall they part him among the rner- the seas, produce.-PAxTON. chants p Ver. 10. None is so fierce that dare stir him up; If leviathan be the whale, both the one and the other are wVe.o then is able to stand before me 2 done every year; in some parts of the world, every day. The inhabitants of some regions feast on the blubber of the When the crocodile is satiated with prey, he leaves the whale, and lay up the remainder for winter provisions. deeps to repose on the banks of the river, or on the shore Cetaceous fishes are sought by " the merchants" at great of the sea. At such a time, none are so bold as to disturb expense, and constitute no inconsiderable portion of their his slumbers, or provoke his vengeance; or if any one, wealth. But the fishermen neither rejoice when the croco- disregarding the dictates of prudence, or eager to display dile is taken, except for the death of a devouring monster, his intrepidity, ventures in such circumstances to attack nor feast upon his flesh; they do not cut up his carcass, him, it is at the imminent hazard of his life, and is for the nor expose him to sale, with the view of increasing their most part attended with fatal consequences. Diodorus riches.-PAXTON. assigns this as the reason that he was worshipped by the 46 .362 J O B. CHAP. 41. Egyptians, that their enemies,. for fear of him, durst not est scales. But this mode of interpretation cannot be too cross the river to attack them.-PAxTo N. severely reprobated; because it makes the sacred text say Ver. 11. Who bath prevented me, that I should any thing which may suit the taste or the purpose of a Ver. 11. Whno hath prevented me, that 1' should writer. The' words of Jehovah are express, the back of repay him? whatsoever is under the,xhole leviathan is covered with numerous, strong, and closely heaven is mine. 12. I will not conceal his connected scales, under the protection of which, he fears no assailant, he shrinks from no danger. N-or is it conparts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. sistent with truth, that a whale, which has no scales, is as 13. Who can discover the face of his garment? strongly defended against the point of a spear, as if he were or who can come to hina with his double bridle? covered with this natural shield; for if his prodigious frame were defended by the broadest, the strongest, and the closest These clauses, although teeming.with important instruc- scales, the capture, if at all practicable, would be as ardution, and, considering the authority with which~ they are ous and difficult, as it is now easy. Abandoning this feeble clothed, entitled to deep attention, contribute nothing to the and inadmissible argument, Caryl and others contend, that object of this review; we therefore proceed to the twelfth some cetaceous fishes are covered with scales, quoting in verse. " I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his support of their assertion, a passage from Arrian, that he comely proportion." These are admirably displayed in the had heard Nearchus say, that the latter had hea-rd certain following particulars: " Who can discover the face of his mariners say,.that they had seen cast upon the seashore, a garment, or come to him with a double bridle!" The monstrous fish, of fifty cubits long, which had scales all crocodile never casts his skin, like the greater part of ser- over, of a cubit thick. On this ridiculous story, it is needpents, which he so nearly resembles, but retains it to the less to make any remark; to state is to refute it: or, if end of his life. The horse is a most powerful and spirited refutation be deemed necessary, it is sufficient to say, that animal, yet he suffers a bit to be put into his mouth, and although hundreds of cetaceous fishes. are caught every submits to the control of man; but the crocodile spurns his year, both in the North and in the South Sea, not so much dominion, and parts with his freedom only with his life. as one has been found sheathed in scales, since the days of Some interpreters propose a different version, which is Nearchus.-PAXTON. equally characteristic of that animal: " Who shall venture "The.back of the crocodile," says Thevenot, " is covered within the reach of his jaws, which, when extended, have with scales, resembling a dopr studded with large nails, and the appearance of a double bridle?"-PAXTON. so hard that it cannot be pierced with a halberd." Bertram says, that the whole back of the crocodile is covered with Ver. 14. -W ho can open the doors of his face? horny flakes, or scales, which no musket-ball can pierce,his teeth are terrible round abput. BURDER. The doors of his face are his immense jaws, which he Ver. 18. By his neesings a light doth shine, and opens with a great and horrible hiatus. This feature of the his eyes aare like.the eyelids of the morning.. crocodile has been mentioned by all naturalists. On the land his motions are slow, but in the river he springs It tobegenerallyadnitted,thatthe crocodileturns his face to the sun when he goes to sleep on the banks of eagerly on his prey, and either knocks it down with his tail his face to the sun whn e goes to sleep o the banks o or opens a wide mouth for its destruction, armed with nu- the river; and i this position becomes so heated, that the merous sharp teeth of various lengths, with which, like the breath, driven forcibly through his nostrils. issues with so sharlk, h-e solmetilmessevers the human body at a single mmuch impetuosity, that it resembles a stream of light. A bite. Peter MIartyr saw one, whose mouth- was seven feet similar expression is used concerning the war-horse, in the in width. Tatius affirms, that in seizing the prey, he thirty-ninth chapter, which may ive us a clearer idea of *becomes all mouth: and Albert, that the opening of his the brghtness whichissuesfiomthenostril of thisanimal: mouth extends as far back as his ears. Leo Africanus and The glory of his nostrils is terrible Provoked by the Scaliger affirm, that he can receive within his mouth a sound of the trumpet, and the sight of armed men, a white young heifer. The vast capacity of his jaws is attested fume streams from his espanded nostmils; which the Spirit also by Mbarial, in the following lines: of inspiration calls his glory, and common authors compare to fire. Thus, Silius Italicus, Freqloque teneri ivipa"Cam comparata rictibus tuis ora -Nileacus babeas crocodilus angusta." tiens crebra.s expi'rat Ima'ibts ignes; and Claudian, Igiescqint pateric nares. In the same manner are wve'to understand " His teeth are terrible round about:" or, in every respect, patild names. In the same manner are erstan the words of Jehovah concerning the crocodile. The heat calculated to inspire the beholder with terror. They are of that scaly monster, basking in the scorchin- beams of a sixty in number, and larger than the proportion of his body the orc hi b seemis to require. Some of them project from his mouth verical sun, together with the force with which the breath is emitted from the nostrils, produces the same liminous like the tusks of a boar; others are serrated and connected is emitted from the nostrils, produces the same luinous like the teeth of a comb; hence, the bite is vey reten appearance round his nose, as plays around that of the high-mettled charger on the day of battle. The next clause and not less difficult to cure than the wound inflicted by the gh-metted charger on the ay of battle. The next clause teeth of a mad dog. All the ancients agree, that his bite isry great poetical beauty: " is eyes are like most tenacious and horri7ble. —PAXTO N. the eyelids of the morning:" like the brightening dawn of day. Tbhe learned Bochart mentions a curious coincidence Vet. 15. iHis scales are his pride, shut up together between this striking figure, and the sentiments of the Egyptians. Among that people, the eyes of the crocodile as with a close seal. 16. One is so near to is the hieroglyphic for the dawn; because they first arrest another, that no air can come between them. the attention, as the terrible animal approaches the surface 1'7. They are joined one to another, they stick of the deep; or because they are dim, and command a together, that they cannot be s~unde~red. very limited field of vision under the water, but recover their brilliancy and acuteness as soon as he returns to the In these remarkable Words is described the closeness of open air. Such is the appearance of the solar orb at his his scales, which, cohering to one another like the plates of rising; he seems to emerge' from the waves of the sea with a shield, cover his whole back. Those writers who make a dim and faded lustre, but which increases every monent leviathan signify the whale, find themselves involved by as he advances towards the meridian. But how it can be this part of the description in an inextricable difficulty, for asserted of the whale, that his eves are like the eyelids of the whale has not a scale upon its body. This sinale cir- the morning, it is not easy to conjecture. His eyes, which cumstance, indeed, ought to determine the question: the are not much larger than those of an ox, are buried beneath whale it cannot be, for that immense animal has a smooth a ponderous eyelid, and imbedded -mr Iat. Hence, blinder skin; and the history of nature furnishes no other to which than a mole, he wanders almost at random in the mighty the description of Jehovah will apply, but the crocodile, waters, equally unable to avoid being left by the retreating whose jback is covered with impenetrable scales. One surge upon the strand, or dashed against the pointed rocks. writer endeavours to get quit of the difficulty, by supposing -PAXTON. that the text includes a comparison, and paraphrases it in this manner: leviathan is as safe from the assault of man, er9 Out of his mouth go burning as if his body were defended with the strongest and broad- and sparks of fire leap out. 20. Out of his CIIAP. 41. JOB. 363 nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething-pot They feel a secret horror shoot through the whole soul; or caldron. 21. His Ibreath kindleth coals, anid they become as it were incapable of reflection, and know not whither to turn, when they see the monster emerging a flame goeth out of his mouth. from the deep, thirsting for blood, and displaying the terrors of his opening jaws. The stoutest heart is humbled, and, Tatius gives a similar account of the hippopotamus: His like the mariners in the ship with Jonah, when they denostrils are very broad, and emit an ignited smoke, as from spaired of life, they cry every one to his God, and promise a fnc ffe eesa rmksab spaired of life, they cry every one to his God, and promise a furnace offire. The very same remark is madeby Es- to break off their sins by righteousness.-SPAXro N. tathlius: He has a broad nose, expiring an ignited smoke as out of a furnace. These two animals live in the same element, and have the same mode of respiration. The Ver. 26. The sword of him that layeth at him longer they continue under water without breathing, they cannot hold; the spear, the dart, nor the haberrespire the more quickly when they begin to emerge. As geon. 27. He esteemeth iron as a straw, andl the torrent rushes along with greater impetuosity, when the brass as rotten wood. 28. he arrow cannot obstacle which opposed its progress is removed; so their breath. long repressed, effervesces and breaks out with so make him flee: sling-stones are turned with much violence, that they seem to vomit flame from their him into stubble. 29. Darts are counted as mouth and nostrils. The whale, it must be admitted, being stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. of much larger size than the crocodile, breathes with a proportionate vehemence; it does not, however, vomit fire, but In this glowing description, it is plainly the design of the spouts water to an immense height in the air. The lan- Almighty to show, that the skin of the crocodile is impeneguage of the inspired writer is highly figurative and hyper- trable to these offensive weapons; or else, that regardless bolical, painting, in the most vivid colours, the heat and of danger, he scorns the wounds they inflict, and with fearforce with which the breath of the crocodile rushes from less impetuosity seizes on his prey. This entirely accords his expanded nostrils.-PAxToN. with the accounts which natural historians give of that animal. Peter Martyr asserts that his skin is so hard it canVetn. 22. In his neck remaineth strength, and sor- not be pierced with arrows; and according to other writers, row is turned into joy before him. he can be wounded only in the belly. But it iswell known, that the whale is vulnerable in every part, and is commonThe whale has no neck, and by consequence cannot be ly struck with the harpoon on the back, where the crocothe leviathan: like other fishes, his head is joined to his dile is defended by an impenetrable buckler of large, exshoulders; while the crocodile is formed like a serpent, tremely hard, and closely compacted scales. On this arwith a neck and shoulders, which enable him to move, to mour of proof, the edge of the sword is blunted, and its raise,'or turn back his head, when he seizes his prey. point is broken; the spear falls harmless to the ground, and " Sorrow is turned into joy before him;" what afflicts, the dart reboundsfrom his impenetrable covering. But the'alarms, or depresses other animals, animates his courage habergeon, the coat of mail which the combatant puts on and activity. Or the words may be rendered, Sorrow for his own defence, shall not save him from the devourdances before him; which may'denote, that he spreads ter- ing jaws of the monster; for he esteemeth iron as straw, ror and destruction wherever he comes; for he imme- and brass as rottenwood, which yield to the slightest touch, diately rushes upon those that happen to meet his eye, and and crumble into dust before the smallest force. A shower althouglh they may be so fortunate as to escape, still they of arrows makes no impression upon him; and the blow of reckon it an ill omen to have fallen in the way of that a stone, slung by the most powerfll hand, is no more to him fierce and savage destroyer. Thus terror marches before than the stroke of a feather, or bit of stubble. Nor do the him, as a herald before his sovereign, to proclaim his more dangerous weapons which the warrior hurls from his approach, and prepare his way.-PAxToN. military engines, depress his courage, or interrupt his assault; for he laughs at the shaking of a spear, he regards Veer. 23. The flakes of his flesh are joined to- it not, when, in token of defiance it is brandished before gether: they are firm in themselves; they can- him.-PAxTON. not be moved. 24. His heart is as firm as a Ver. 30. Sharp stones are under him: he spreadstone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether eth sharp-pointed thngs upon the mire. eth sharp-pointed things upon the mire. millstone. What is extremely incommodipus, or even painful to As the scales of leviathan present a coat of mail nearly What is extremely incommodipus, or even painful to impenetrable to the attacks of his enemies; so his flesh, or creatures, as it is rendered by some, the prominent parts of his bod nals were punished among the acients, by being cmpele like molten brass, the particls of which adhere s led to lie on sharp stones; but so insensible is he to pain, carely that they cannot be parated. The very reverse that he can stretch his enormous bulk upon them without closely, that. they cannot be separated. The very reverse ineonveniente: e' Sharp stones are under him; he spreadof what Job affirmed of himself, may be asserted of the incoaveniente: "Sharp stones are under im; he spreadcrocodile; his strength is the strength of stones, and his eth sharp-pointed things upon the mire." flesh is formed of brass; the very refuse, the vilest parts of repose Is his choice, not his punishment. Or the aords his flesh, (for so the word signifies,) are firm, and strong, may refer to the scales of leviathan, which are hard and and joined; or, as the Septuagint translates it,'glued to- sharp as a potsherd; and to hs skin, which resembles a ce'er, that they cannot be moved. But if the refuse of isboard set with sharp stones, or iron spikes. So rough is fesht be so firm an d hard, Bl O greaust be the skin of the crocodile, so hard are his scales, and so high'2esli be so firm and hard, how great must be the strengi4'th which belongs to the nobler parts of his frame ~' This and pointed the protuberances which rise on his back, that questihon is answered in the next vperse: " His heart is as amore apt similitude could not be chosen than the t,'ibdZa, or sharp thrashing instrument with iron teeth, to represent firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether mill- instrument with iron teeth, to represent stolne." In all creatures, the heart is extremely firm and in the liveliest manner, the appearance of this terrible ani compact; in the leviathan it is firm as a stone; and to give al, as he lies reposing in the mud of the Nile-PAXTON. us the highest idea of its hardness, Jehovah compares it to the nether millstone, which, having the principal part of the work to perform, is required to be peculiarly hard and he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. se)lid. Some writers imagine, that the Almighty refers, not ci mruch to the natural hardness of the heart, as to the Having described his general appearance, in which uwe cruel temper of the animal, or to his fearless intrepidity; have discovered almost every circulstance fitted to strike he feels no pity, lie fears no danger, he is insensible to ex- the mind with terror, and the impression which his emergterlnal tinmrlessiaons as the harde~st stone. —PsxroN. ing from the deep, and' approaching the land, produce in the mind of a beholder, the inspired writer goes on to state V r.. 2.5. ~W/hen he raiseth up himse'lf, the migfhty the astonishing' effects of his return to the water: "'He - makes the deep to boil like a pot; he makes thevsea like a are afraid by reason of breakings they pU'ify pot of ointment." The first clause exhibits the natural efthemselves. fect of a large body plunging suddenly into deep water; the 364 JOB. CHAP. 41. second brings into view anotaer circumstance, which beau- Ver. 32. He maketh a path to shine after him; tifully expresses the violent agitation of the gulf into which one would think the deep to e hoary. the leviathan precipitates himself: "He maketh the sea to boil like a pot of ointment." The sudden and violent dis- ie swims with so much force and violence near the surplacing of the waters, makes the sea resemble a large cal- face of the water, that his path may be easily traced by dron furiously boiling over a strong fire; or the ascending the deep furrow which he leaves behind him, and the water, being mixed with sand and mud from the bottom, whitening foam he excites. The same appearances atexcited by the violent agitation, resembles in colour, and in tend the motion of the dolphin: but the long wihd aing II-) ~~~~~~~tend the motion of the dolphin: but the long withdrawi'ng the smoothness of its swell, a pot of ointment; than which, furrow, and the hoary foam, are not confined to the sea; more striking figures can scarcely be presented to the mind. they are likewise to be seen in the river and in the lake; It is the opinion of ancient writers, that the crocodile ex- and by consequence, may characterize, with sufficient prohales from his body an odour like musk, with which he priety, the motion of the crocodile in the Nile and i's adjaperfumes the pool where he gambols; and they assign this cent lakes.-PAxToN. as the reason that the turbulence of the gulf which receives him, is compared to the boiling of a pot of ointment. But Ver. 33. Upon earth there is not his like, who is admitting what so many have asserted, that the crocodile made without fear. diffuses a fragrant odour around him, it can hardly be sup- made without fear. posed that the quantity exhaled can be so great as to warrant such a comparison. The inspired writer seems to al- This clause Bochart renders, There is not his like upon lude, not to the ointment or its fragrance, but to the boiling the dust, (which is certainly the true meaning of the phrase, tha p~q; ecause, twhecodile is era/inyther tremaigof bhe phrassed of the pot in which spices are decocting, an operation which al apha';) because, the crocodile is rather to be classed probably reqires a very bris ebullition. among reptiles than quadrupeds. His feet are so short, Those who maintain that leviathan is the whale, demand that he rather seems to creep than walk, so that he may, how the crocodile, which inhabits the river, can make the' with great propriety, be reckoned among " tle creeping sea boil' But the difficulty admits of an easy solution; the things of the earth." But he differs from reptiles in this, word sea, both in Hebrew and English, is often used in a that while they are in danger of being trampled upon, and restricted sense for any large expanse of water. The Jew —I' restricted, sense for any large e pause of water. The Jew — bruised by the foot of the passenger, he is liable to no such ish and Arabian writers, agreeably to this sense, frequently accident. It cannot be said, in strictness of speech, that he speak of the Nile, and its adjacent lakes, as a sea, and with is made without fear, for le is known to fly from the bold b ~~~~~~~~is made without fear, for he is known to fly from the bold great propriety, for the river itself is broad and deep, ande attack of an enemy; but the expression may at a certain season of the year, it overflows its banks, and be understood hyperbolically, as denoting a very high decovers the vhole surface of Lower Egypt. The lakes which gree of intrepidity. The words of the inspired writer, howhae been formed by the inundations, are of considerable ever, are capable of another version, which at once removes depth and extent, and swarm with crocodiles; these may the difficulty, and corresponds withthe real character of be called seas, with as much propriety as the sacredwriters the animal: He is so made, that he'annot be bruised.; he of the Neiv Testament call the lake of Sodom the Salt Sea, cannot be crushed like a serpent, or trampled under the feet and the lake of Tiberias the Sea of Galilee. The royal of his pursuer. —Pa.rox. Psalmist, it must be admitted, mentions the sea in the proper sense of the term, as the haunt of leviathan: " So is this Ver. 34. He beholdeth all high things: he is a great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumer- king over all the children of pride. able; both small and great'beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan whom thou hast made to play there- He beholdeth all high things;" or, as it may be translain." But as the sea is, in that passage, opposed to the earth, ted, he despiseth all that is high; "he is a king over all the it may comprehend the whole body of waters which sur- children of pride." No creature is so large, so strong, so round and intersect the dry land, and by consequence, the courageous, if we can believe the oriental writers, but he proper habitation of the crocodile. Thissolution, however, regards it with indifference or contempt. 3Men, women, is by no means necessary to establish the claims of this an- and particularly children, who incautiously approach his imal to the scripture title of leviathan, for it has been fuilly haunts, become a prey to hisdevoiring maw. The camel, ascertained, by modern travellers, that he actually frequents the horse, the ox, and other portly quad-rigpeds, which fall the sea, although he generally prefers those rivers which in his way, he fiercely attacks, and forthwith devours.' He are subject to annual inundations. Crocodiles, or aliga- will even venture to encounter, and not always without tors, are very common on the coast and in the deep rivers success, the elephant and the tiger, when they come to drink of Jamaica, though'they prefer the banks of such rivers as, in the stream. His first attempt is to strike them down to in consequence of frequent or periodical overflowing, are the ground, or break their legs with his tail, in which he covered with mud, in which they find abundance of testa- generally succeeds: he then drags them to the bottom of ceous fish, worms, and frogs, for food. In South America, the river; or if they are animals of a moderate size. h6 they chiefly frequent minarshy lakes, and drowned savannas; swallows them up entire, without taking the trouble of but in North America, they infest both the salt parts of the putting them to death. The alligator, says Forbes, somerivers near the sea, the fresh currents above the reach of times basks in the sunbeams on the banks of the river, but the tide, and the lakes both of salt and fresh water. The oftener floats on its surface: there concealing his head and slimy banks of these rivers within the range of the tide, are feet, he appears like the rough trunk of a tree both in shape covered by thick forests of mangrove-trees, in the entangled and colour: by this deception, dogs and other animals fearthickets of which the crocodiles conceal themselves, and lie lessly approach, and are suddenly plunged to the bottom by in wait for their prey. According to Pinto, they abound their insidious foe. Even the royal tiger, when he quits his on the coast of New Guinea; and Dampier found several covert and comes to drink at the stream, becomes his prey. on the shores of Timer, an island in the South Sea. The From this description, it appears that no aninimal is more hippopotamius is a powerful adversary to the crocodile, and terrible than the crocodile; no creature in form, in temper-, so much the more dangerous, that it is able to pursue him in strength, and in habits, so'nearly resembles!eviathan, r to the very bottom of the gulf. They are so numerous in described by Jehovah himself, in the book of Jul, and conthe bay of Vincent Pin~on, and the lakes which commun, equently none has equally powerful claims to the name. cate with it, as to obstruct, by their numbers, the piraguas This conclusion is greatly strengthened by several allusions, and canoes which navigate those waters. When'De la to the leviathan in other parts of scripture. In the propheBorde was sailing along the eastern shore of South Ameri- cies of Isaiah, he is called "the piercing serpent," or ca in a canoe, and wishing to enter a small river, he found dragon: and that the prophet under that symbol refers to its mouth occupied by about a dozen large crocodiles. the king of Egypt, appears from these words: "And it shall These testimonies prove, beyond a doubt, that the crocodile come to pass on that day, that the Lord shall beat off from firequents the mouths of rivers and the bays of the sea, as the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye well as the fresh-water stream and lake; and by conse- shall be gathered one by one." The prophet Ezekiel gives quence, the Psalmist might, in perfect agreement with the to Pharaoh the name of the great dragon or leviathan: habits of that animal, represent him as playing in the great "Speak and say, thus sayeth the Lord God: Behold, I am and wide sea, while the ships pursue their way to the de- against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon Ihat sired haven.-PAxT9N. lieth in the midst of his rivers: which has said, My river is CHAP. 42. JOB. 365 mine own, and I have made it for myself." But it would finished their repast, and are about to retire, they each apcertainly be very preposterous to give the name of the ele- proach the object of their commiseration, and present their phant to the king of Egypt, which is neither a native of that donations, and best wishes for future prosperity. A rich country, nor ever known to visit the banks of the Nile. In merchant in North Ceylon, named Siva Sangu Chetty, was allusion to the destruction of Pharaoh and his army in the suddenly reduced to poverty; but by this plan he was reRed Sea, the Psalmist sings: " Thou didst divide the sea stored to his former prosperity. Two money brokers, also, by thy strength; thou brakest the heads of the dragons in who were sent to these parts by their employer, (who lived the water; thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, on the opposite continent,) lost one thousand rix-dollars, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wil- belonging to their master; they therefore called those of derness." But why should Pharaoh and his people be com- their caste, profession, and country, to partake of a feast, at pared so frequently, and with so much emphasis, to the great -which time the whole of their loss was made up. When a dragon or leviathan, but because some remarkable, some young man puts on the ear-rings or turban for the first time, terrible creature, infests their valley, to which that name a feast of the same description, and for the same purpose, properly -applies? But no formidable beast of prey, except is given, to enable him to meet the expense of the rings, and the crocodile, distinguishes Egypt from the surrounding re- to assist him in future pursuits of life. When a young gions; and since this creature is universally allowed to be woman also becomes marriageable, the female relations extremely strong, cruel, and destructive, we must conclude and acquaintances are called to perform the same service, it is no other than the leviathan of the inspired writers. in order to enable her to purchase jewels, or to furnish a The inhabitants of Egypt regarded the crocodile as the most marriage portion. In having recourse to this custom, there powerful defender of their country, and the Nile as the is nothing that is considered mean; for parents who are source of all their pleasures and sociable enjoyments, and respectable and wealthy often. do the same thing. Here, elevated both to the rank of deities. This accounts for the then, we have another simple and interesting illustration of. singular language of the prophet Ezekiel, and the boast a most praiseworthy usage of the days of ancient Job.which he puts into the mouth of Pharaoh: " My river is RoBERTS. mine own, and I have made it for mnyself."'-PAxTroN. Ver. 14. And he called the name of the first JemiCHAPTER XLII. ma; and the name of the second, Kezia; and Ver. 10. And the LORD turned the captivity of the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. Job, when he prayed for his friends; also the Job, when he praed for his friends; also the To vary names by substituting a word similar in sound, LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. is very prevalent in the East. The following extract from Sir Thomas Roe, is a striking example of this circumstance. Our idea of captivity seems to be principally confined to "They- speak very much in honour of Moses, whom they prisoners of war; but in the East, adversity, great adver- call Moosa calimz All, Moses the publisher of the mind of sity, and many other troubles, are spoken of in the same God: so of Abraham, whom they call Ibrahimn ccrimn Aia, way. Thus, a man formerly in great prosperity, speaks of Abraham the honoured, or the friend, of God: so of Ishhis present state as if he were in prison. "I am now a mael, whom they call Ismal, the sacrifice of God: so of captive." " Yes, I am a slave." If again elevated, "his Jacob, whom they call Acob, the blessing of God: so of Jocaptivity is changed."-RoBERTS. seph, whom they call Eesoff, the betrayed for God: so of David, whom they call Dahood, the lover and praiser of Ver. 11. Then came there unto him all his G ~~~~Ver. II~. Then came th~God: so of Solomon, whom they call Selymon, the wisdom brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that of God: all expressed in short Arabian words, which they' had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat sing in ditties, unto their particular remembrance. Many bread with him in his house; and they be- men are called by these names: others are called Mahmud, moaned him, and comforted him over all*the or Chaan, which signifies the moon; or Frista, which sigmoaned him, and comforted him over all the nifies a star. And they call their women by the names of evil that the LORD had brought upon him: spices or odours; or of pearls or precious stones; or else every man also gave him a piece of money, and by other names of pretty or pleasing signification. So Job every one an ear-ring of gold. called his daughters-BURDER. Ver. 15. And in all the land were no women. The custom alluded to of relations and friends giving re- Ver 15 And in all the land wre no women lief to a person in distress, is practised in the East at this found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their day. When a man has suffered a great loss by an accident, father gave them inheritance among their by want of skill, or by the roguery of another, he goes to brethren. his brothers and sisters, and all his acquaintances, and describes his misfortunes. HIe then mentions a day when he In the scriptures the word fair may sometimes refer to will give a feast, and invites them all to partake of it. At the form of the features, as well as the colour of the skin: the time appointed they come, arrayed in their best robes, but great value is attached to a woman of a light complexeach having money, ear-rings, finger-rings, or other gifts ion. Hence our English females are greatly admired in, suited to the condition of the person in distress. The indi- the East, and instances have occurred where great exertions vidual himself meets them at the gate, gives them a hearty have been made to gain the hand of a fair daughter of Britwelcome, the music strikes up, and the guests are ushered ain. The acme of perfection in a Hindoo lady is to be of into the apartments prepared for the feast. When they have the colour of gold!-ROBERTS. THE BOOK OF PSALMS. PSALM I. tree for the stream, as it passed by, to flow out and watel Ver. 3. A~n~d he shall be like a tree planted by it." A striking allusion to trees cultivated in this manner occurs Ezek. xxxi. 3, 4: "Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in Lebanon, with fair branches and with a shadowving in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; shroud, and of a high stature, and his top was among the and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. thick boughs. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high, with her river's ruznning round about his Dr. Boothroyd has it, "Like a tree planted by water plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the streams;" and Dr. A. Clarke says, " The streams or di- field." So Eccl. ii. 6, " I made me pools of water to water visions of waters." This probably alludes to the artificial therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees." To the same streams which run from the lakes or wells: by the side of purpose, Prov. xxi. 1, " The king's heart is in the hand of these may be seen trees, at all seasons covered with luxuriant the Lord, as the rivers of waters, (Dn —,Dn divisions of wa. verdure, blossoms, or fruit, because the root is deriving con- ters;) he turneth it whithersoever he will;" i. e. as these tinual nourishment from the stream; while at a distance, fertilizing rivulets, the work of art, are conducted forward where no water is, may be seen dwarfish and unhealthy and backward, to the right hand or the left, diverted or trees, with scarcely a leaf to shake in the winds of heaven. stopped at -the will of him who manages them, so is the -ROBERTS. heart of kings, and, by parity of reasoning, of the rich We see no reason to suppose, with many commentators, and mighty of the earth, swayed at the sovereign disposal that allusion is had to any particular species of tree, as, for of the Lord of all creatures. He, by the course of his example, the palm, the olive, or the pomegranate, each of providence, ard by the inward promptings of his Spirit, can which has been conceived to be intended, from its peculiar turn the enriching tide of their bounty in'any direction he adaptedness to represent the permanent and prolific nature of sees fit, whether to bless the poor with bread, or to supply the good man's happiness. It is indeed said of the righte- the means of salvation to the destitute.-BusH. ous, Ps. xcii. 12, that "he shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon;" but it will answer Ver. 4. The ungodly are not so: but are like'thli all the demands of the passage to understand it of any tree chaff which the wind driveth awray advantageously situated, and evincing a vigorous and thrifty growth. In the arid climes of the East, the trees, unless We must recollect here, that in the East the thrashingsustained by artificial irrigation, are apt to lose their ver- floors are places in the open air, (Gen. 1. 10,) on'yhiclt dure during the sultriness of the summer months -a fact the corn is not thrashed, as with us, but beaten oeit bywhich affords an interesting clew to the imagery here em- means of a sledge, in such a manner that the straw is at ployed. Although the word " rivers" is adopted in our the same time cut very small. "When the straw is cut authorized translation, yet it is by no means an adequate small enough, they put fresh corn in the place, and after representative of the original.,5'7 the term thus rendered, ward separate' the corn from the cut-straw, by throwing it from LiD to divide, to sunder, to split, properly signifies di- in the air with a wooden shovel, for the wiend drives the visions, partitions, sections; i. e. branching cuts, trenches, straw a little farther, so that only the pure corn falls to the or water-courses, issuing either from a large body of water, ground." (Thevenot.)-RosENMuLLER. as a lake, a pond, a river, Ps. xlvi. 4; or from a well or fountain-head, Prov. v. 16. Job xxvi. 6; and alludes to the PSALM II. methods still practised among the oriental nations, of con- Ver. 1. Why do the heathen rage, and the people veying water to gardens and orchards. This was by means imagine a vain of canals or rivulets flowing in artificial channels, called t au,0i divisions; i. e. cuets or trenches, which distributed the The Hebrew word which Luther has translated heathen, water in all directions. The whole land of Egypt was (gojimr,) signifies, in fact, people in general; but it is used anciently sluiced in this manner, by innumerable canals in the Old Testament, for the most part. and by the later and water-courses, designed to convey the- fertilizing waters (and even modern) Jews, exclusively of other nations who. of the Nile over every part of the' valley through which it are not Jews, and that with a contemptuous and odious ran. Maundrell (Trav. p. 122) speaks of a similar mode of secondary meaning. Other nations, also, have similar irrigation in the neighbourhood of Damascus: "The gar- names for foreigners, and for such as are not of their redens are thick set with fruit trees of all kinds, kept fresh ligious faith. Thus the Greeks and Romans called them and verdant by the waters of the Barady. This river, as Barbarians, that is, properly, inhabitants of the desert. The soon as it issues out of the cleft of the mountain before Arabs called them Adschem, by which they mean, first, mentioned, into the plain, is immediately divided into three their neighbours the Persians, and then all foreigners in streams, of which the middlemost and largest runs directly general. The Mohammedans call all the people of the earth, to Damascus, through a large open field called the Ager who do not believe the pretended divine mission of MoDamascenus, and is distributed to all the cisterns and fount- hammed, Kuffar in the plural, Kafar in the singular, and ains in the city. The other two, which I take to be the by a corrupted pronunciation, Gaur, (Giavur,) which signiwork of art, are drawn round, the one to the right, the fies unbelievers and infidels. Hence the name Kaffers other to the left, on the borders of the gardens, into which which the inhabitants of the southeastern coast of Africa they are let out, as they pass, by little rivulets, and'so dis- received from the Mohammedan Arabs.-Ros ENaMULLER. posed all over the vast wood; insomuch that there is not a, garden, but has a fine, quick streatn running through it." Ver. 9. Thou shalt break them with a rod of The same traveller describing, p. 89, the orange garden of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potthe emir of Beyroot, observes, that "it contains a large ter's vessel. quadrangular plot'of ground divided into sixteen lesser squares, four in a row, with walks between them. The " Begone! wretch," says the infuriated man, " or I will walks are shaded with orange-trees of a large spreading dash thee to pieces as a kuddam," i. e. an earthen vessel.size. Every one of these sixteen lesser squares in the gar- ROBERTS. den was bordered with stone; and in the stone-work were The rod, in remote antiquity, was a wooden staff, not troughs, very artificially contrived, for conveying the water much shorter than the height of a man, with golden studs all over the garden; there being little outlets cut at every or nails, or sometimes ornamented at the top with a round Ps. 5-7. PSALMS. 367 knob, such as are seen in the hands of the Persign kings, is meant here, as the Hebrew word (scheminith) does not on the monuments of Persepolis. Justin says,'" that at appear among the musical instruments mentioned in the the time of the rape of the Sabine virgins, the kings, as Old Testament. The meaning of the Hebrew word is, insignia of their dignity, bore, instead of the diadem, long octave; and in 1 Chron. xv. 21, where the singers of the staves, which the Greeks called sceptres." Hence it may temple are enumerated, it stands after a word which propbe conceived how, in Homer, kings made use of the seep- erly signifies virgins, (alamoth,) and may therefore sigtre to strike with. The sceptre, as well as throne, is often nify a treble part, which was sung by women. "Might not used as a symbol of government. Hence in Ps. xlv. 6, a this," says Forkal, "have signified among the Hebrews s'ight sceptre is the emblem of a just government. And in nearly the same that' virgin air' signified among the Gerthe above passage it is said of the king celebrated in this man poets, called master-singers in the middle ages V"Psalm, that he would break his enemies with a rod of iron, ROSENMULLER. by which his dominion is represented as terrible and destructive over those who oppose him. The sense is, that Ver. 2. Have mercy upon me, O LORD: for I am he will conquer them with irresistible power. A similar weak: 0 LORD, heal me; for my bones are picture is given of the Messiah i Num. xxiv. 17. " There veed. shall' come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners (according to Luther, Dr. Boothroyd translates For my bones are troubled." The object of the expression appears to be, to show that the PSALM: V. trouble has taken fast hold, it is deeply seated, my bones are its resting-place. The Hindoos, in extreme grief or joy, Ver. 7. But as for me, I will come into thy house say, " our BONES are MELTED;" i. e. like boiling lead, they are in the multitude of thy mercy; and in thy fear completely dissolved.-RonERTs. will I worship towards thy holy temple. will I w~orship towards thy holy temple. Ver. 8. Depart from me, all ye workiers of iniIt is very natural that people, when praying, should turn quity: for the LORD hath heard the voice of the face towards the quarter where the place dedicated to my weeping. the Divinitv is situated, and which is considered as his abode. Hence the Jews prayed with their faces turned Silent grief is not much known in the East: hence, towards the te)mple, (1 Kings viii. 38, 44, 48;) and those re- when the people speak of sorrow, they say its voICE. siding out of Jerusalem, turned it towards that point of the "Have I not heard the voice of his lamentation'"-RoBheavens in which Jerusalem lay. Dan. vi. 10. Thus the ERTS. Mohamrmedans, when praying, always turn their faces towards Mecca. "Kebla," says Bjornstahl, "signifies, in V Arabic, the point towards which all true Mussulmen turn Ver. 12. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; their faces when praying; whether in the open air or in he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. their temples, where it is always marked by a niche, in which not only the iman stands, but also some finely written The Hebrew word signifies literally, " that he hath tr -dcopies of the Koran are lying. This point is always den on his bow," that is, to bend it.. Arrian. in his Account towards Mecca; for there stands the Caaba, or quadran- of India, says, " Such of their warriors as combat on foot, gular hoose, said to have been first built by Abraham and carry a bow which is as long as a man. When they want Ishlmael, and which is the great sanctuary of the Moham- to bend it, they set it upon the ground, and tread on it with roedans, for the sake of which such great pilgrimages are the left foot, while they'draw on the string."-RosENMULLER. annually undertaken to Mecca, and thence to Medina, where Mohammed is buried."-RosENMULLER. Ver. 13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows Ver. 12. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; sgrinst the persecutors. with favour wilt thou compass him as withF a shield. This sentence may be rendered more accurately, "'he makes his arrows burning." The image is deduced from A shield is a defensive piece of armour, and is used to such fiery arrows as are describreeby Ammianus Marcelliward off the blows that are aimed at the person who wears ns. They consisted of a holloed reed, to the lower part it. In this passage of the Psalmist it is spoken of in a differ- of which, under the point or barb, was fastened a round reent. sense. It is to be used by a divine power for the pres- ceptacle, made of iron, for combustible materials, so that ervation of the people of God: and, connected with their such an arrow had the form of a distaff. The reed, as the safety, they are to be honoured and exalted: and both their above author says, was filled with burning naptha; and preservation and exaltation are to be so complete, that they when the arrow was shot from a slack bow, (for if diswhen the arrow was shot from a slack bow, (for if disare saion and compasseda about with the favour of God as charged from a tight bow the fire went out,) it struck the are said to be compassed about with the favour of God -as enemies' ranks and remained infixed, the flame consuming with a shield, in the same manner as a person completely covered with, or elevated upon, a large broad shield. This whatever it met with; water poured on it increased its viointerpretation of the words is paralleled by a practice lence; there was no other means to extinguish it but by which, subsequent to the age of the Psalmist, obtained thr oere twin earth upon ith tar nd pi, darts or arrows, whichare among the Romans, of which the following instances may be selected: "Brinno was placed on a shield, according to described by Livy, as having been male use of by the inthe custom of the nation, and being carried in triumph on habitants of the city of Saguntum, when besieged by the the shoulders of the men, was declared commander-in- Romans. An allusion to such arrows is also made in the shoulders of the men, was declared commander-in- Ephesians vi. 16. —ROSENMULLER. chief." The shields of the ancients, as a scholiast observes upon the Iliad, ii. 389, were so large as almost to cover a Ver. 14. Behold, he tith iniquity, and whole man, and hollowed, so that they in a manner enclosed the body in front. Hence Homer speaks of the surround- hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falseing shield. Tyrteus, in the second of his hymns, still ex- hood. tant, says, " The warrior stands in the contest firm upon both feet; the hollow of the spacious shield covering below Dr. Boothroyd translates this, " Lo, the wicked hath conhis sides and thighs, and his breast and shoulders above."- ceived iniquity, and is big with mischief;. but an abortion BURDER. shall he bring forth:" which certainly corresponds better PSALM VI. with the ORDER of the figure of the text. "What induces that man to come so much to this place? depend upon it, Title-To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon he is preparing some plans."-" Yes, I am of opinion his Shemilnith. A Psalm of David.'womb has conceived something." Does the person begin to disclose his purposes, it is said, " Ah! it is this you have; This superscription is in Luther, "supon eight string7s." I been conceiving the last few days." But when he puts his' can hardly think that a musica' instrument of eight strings plans into practice, "Yes, he is now in parturition" 368 PSAL S. Ps. 8 —16. " Well! how has the matter ended?"-" Ended! he has ish king, was taken. He was exposed when a child, and brought forth poyll/1i," i. e. lies.-ROBERTS. suckled by a hind: having grown'up among the stags, he had attained their swiftness, so that he fled with them over PSALM VIII. the mountains, and traversed forests, till he was at length Ver. 6. Thou madest him to have dominion over caught in a noose. In the same manner Ulloa saw the the workls of thy hands: thoul hast put all Guasos (one of the aboriginal Peruvian nations) catch with their nooses (the Spanish lazo) the most active and cautious things under his f-eet. man as easily as the wild bull. Some English pirates once approaching their shore, and thinking to drive off the This is a common figure of speech to denote the supe- approachin their shore, and thinking to drive off the riority of one man oover another; hence the worsilippers Guasos with their firearms, the latter threw their nooses of the gods often say in their devotions, " We put your feet towards the vessels, and so pulled on shore those who had upon~ our has""Tltefto rupnm not fallen down at first sight; one who was caught escaped upon our heads." " Truly, the feet of Siva are upon my with his life, notwithstanding he had been thus violently head." " My Gooroo, my Gooroo, have I not put your feet uaod" my headGol" o My lord, believe Inot that ymour feetdrawn from the boat to the shore, the noose having caught fehveupon my head. "My lord, believe not that man; your him over the shoulder on the one side, and the arm on the king was he; all t hings were under his feet."-Roa aTS. his feetg hwasve *alwaythgs were un hieet "- other; but it was some time before he was able to recover king was he; all things were under his feet."-ROBMs.. his strength. In the same manner the Sagarthian horsePSALM IX. men in the Persian army used their nooses in war.-(Heer. 14. l' That I may show forth all thy praise in rodotus.) These people, who, according to Stephanus, Ver'. 14.. lived on the Caspian Sea, had no other arms than a noose the gates of the daughtei of Zion: I will re- and a dagger, to kill with the one the enemy whom they joice in thy salvation. had caught with the other. The same is related by Pausanias, of the Sauromati.-ROSENMULLER. That is, in Jerusalem, meaning in the temple itself. The "C gates of the daughter of Zion" are opposed to the "' gates PSALM X. of death," mentioned in the preceding verse. Zion is the Ver. 5. His ways are always grievous: thy judggeneral name of the mountain, on whose irregular emi- ments are far above out of his sight: as for all nences the city of Jerusalem was built. But in a more his enemies, e puffeth at them. limited sense, the name of Zion was given to the highest his enemies, he pufeth at them. of those eminences, on which, besides a part of the city, the Of a proud and powerful man, it i palace of David, and several public buildings, were built. Of a proud and powerful man, it is said,:' He puffs away phlae of David, and several public buildings, were builtf. his foes;" i. e. they are so contemptible, so light, that like a This Mount Zion was joined on the south side by means of,. t flake of cotton, he puffs themr from his presence. Great is a bridge, with the mountain or hill of Moriah. Which was a b.g wt th mutiorhlofMia vhhwsthe contempt which is shown by puffing through the mouth entirely occupied by the extensive buildings of the temple. ing throu In the Old Testament, we are often to understand by Zion and Jerusalem, the national sanctuary, the temple particu- Ver. 15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and larly, where, as in the above passage, the adoration of God,n: seek out his wickedness ti and the thanksgivings to be publicly offered him, are spoken of. Zion or Jerusalem is called dacughter', because the He- thou find none. brews used to figure cities, communities, and states, under the images of women, and the inhabitants as children. the imai-es of women, and the inhabitants as children. This member is often selected as an object for imprecaThus, the draughlter of Tr-e, the daughter of B~abylon, for tions. " Ahb! the kallan, the thief, his hand shall be torn the city of Tyre andof T? the city of Babylon. Even now, the off for that." "Evil one, thou wilt lose thy hand for this head city of Tyre and the cigovernment of Tunis in Barbary, is called Dey, the violence." But the hand or arm is also selected as an obhead of the government of Tunis, in Barbary, is called Dey,j l My son, (says the father,) may the or Day, that is, as D'Arvieux observes, mother's brother; ject for blessins. "My son, (says the father,) may the because the republic is considered as the mother. the citi- gods keep thy hands and thy feet."-ROBERTS. zens as her children, and the Turkish sultan as the consort PSALM XI. of the republic.-RoSENMULLER. Ver. 6. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, Ver. 15. The heathen are sunk down in the pit fire, and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: that they made: in the net which they hid is this shall be the portion of their cup. their own foot tak*en. The gods are described as doing this upon their enemies; This image is taken from the catching of wild beasts, by and magicians, in cursing each other, or those who are the means of stroncg ropes or nets. L-ichtenstein; in speaking objects of their ire, say, the fiery rain:;hall descend upon of the hunting of the Koofsa, (Kaffers,) says, "They catch them.-RoBERTs. much game by means of nets; in the woody districts, they PSALM XIV. often make low hedges, miles in length, betweenwhich they Ve. 4. Have all the wor leave openings; in these openings, through which the game tries to escape, they conceal snares, which are placed so in- edge? who eat up my people as they eat bread,,geniously that the animals we caught in them by the leg, and call not upon the LORD. and cannot extricate themselves." Also lions and elephants are caught in this manner; the latter, when they have been " Wicked one, the fiends shall eat thee." "That vile brought by means of fire, or by tame elephants, to a narrow king eats the people as he does his rice." " Go not near place, where they cannot turn back, are caught bythrowing that fellow, he will eat thee." But, strange as it may apropes round their legs. pear, relations say of those of their friends who are dead, Ropes and nooses are meant by the figurative expression, they have EATEN them. Thus, a son, in speaking of his snarces of death, 2 Sam. xxii. 6, which the people of the an- deceased parent, says, " Alas! alas! I have eaten my cient world used, both in the chase and in war. The word father." "My child, my child!" says the bereaved mother, is sometimes rendered net, as in this passage. Arrian, in "have I eaten you?" The figure conveys extreme grief, his Treatise on Hunting, relates, that Cyrus met with wild and an intimation that the melancholy event has been occaasses in the plains of Arabia, which were so swift, that none sioned by the sins or faults of the survivors. In cursing a of his horsemen were able to catch them. Yet the young married man, it is common to say, "Yes, thou wilt soon Lybians, even boys of eight years of age, or not much have to eat thy good wife." And to a poor widow, older, had pursued them, mounted on their horses, without "Wretch! hast thou not eaten thy husband?" —RoBEaTS. saddle or bridle, till they threw a noose over them, and thus took th'em. He gives instructions to pursue stags withPSALM XVI.'rained horses and dogs, till they can be'either shot with Ver. 4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that arrows, or taken alive by throwing a noose over them. hasten after another god: their drink-offerings These are the strong snares which Pollux means,vwhen he speaks of the wild asses, and they are also the same as hose in wbhic. H4his, the natural son of an ancient Span- names into mV lips. Ps. 16-18. PSALMS. 369 This refers to the custom of many heathen people, to PSALM XVIII. drink the wine of the sacrifice mixed with blood, particu- Ver. 2. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, larly when they bound themselves by dreadful oaths, and to the performance of fearful deeds. This drink was called and my deliverer; my God, my strength; in by the Romans vinum assiratumn, because assir, according whom I will trust; my buclder, and the horn to Festus, signifies blood in the ancient Latin language. of my salvation, and my high tower. In this manner, as Sallust relates, Catiline took the oaths with his accomplices. " It was said at the time that Cati- See on Eph. 6.,16. line, after making a speech, calling on the accomplices of That is, my strong, mighty deliverer. The image is his crime to take an oath, presented them with human taken from the bull, whose strength and defensive weapon blood mixed with wine, in cups; and when every one had lie in his horns. Hence a horn is the symbol of strength. drank of' it, after pronouncing an imprecation, as is cus- Jer. xlviii. 25, says, " The horn of Moab is cut off;" that.omary in solemn sacrifices, explained his plan." In a is, his power is weakened. Micah iv. 13, says, "Arise and i;milar manner, Silius Italicus makes the Carthaginian thrash, O daughter of Zion; for I will make thy horn iron,.tannibal swear, an instance which is particularly suitable and I will make thy foot brass; and thou shalt beat in pieces to illustrate the above passage, because the Carthaginians many people." Ps. cxxxii. 17, " There will I make the were of Phenician or Canaanite origin. When the prophet horn of David to bud:' I have adorned a lamp for mine Zechariah describes the conversion of the Philistines, he anointed;" translated by Luther, "will make him strong makes Jehovah say, (x. 7.) " And I will take away his and mighty." The Greeks and Romans made use. of the blood out of his mouth, and nis abominations from between same image. The former said of a bold and valiant man, his teeth; but he that remaineth, even he, shall be for our " He has horns." Horace says of wine, that it revived the God." The drinking of blood at sacrifices was prohibited hope of the afflicted, and gave the poor " horns," that is, to the Israelites upon pain of death.-RosENMULLER. courage and strength.-ROsENMULt.ER. The most extraordinary oriental costume which I have Ver. 7. I will bless the. LORD, who hath given yet seen, is the head-dress worn by many females at Deir mte counsel my reins also instruct me in the el Kanmr, and in all the adjacent region of Mount Lebanon. In the cities on the seacoast it is not so frequently seen. It is called Tantoor, and is set on the forehead, projecting Night is the time for the chief joys and sorrows of the like a straight horn. It is from fifteen to twenty inches Hindoos; and it is then they are principally engaged in the long; in its thickness gradually diminishing; having its worship of their gods; because they believe praise is more diameter at one extremity about four inches, at the other'acceptable to them then, than at any other period. It is about two. It is hollow, otherwise the weight would be insupportable to the stiffest neck; and it is tinselled over, so as believed, also, that the senses have more power in the supportable to the stiffest neck; and it is tinse night; that then is the time for thought and instruction; to give it a silvery appearance. The end with the larger diameter rests on the forehead, where it is strapped'to, by hence they profess to derive much of their wisdom at that season. The Psalmist says, " Thou hast visited me in the one strap passing behind the head, and another passing night; " and the heathen priests always pretend to have under the chin: the horn itself protrudes straight forward, night;~~ an their communath rionts awit h RV pretengd to haven their communications wit~h the gods "when deep sleepinclining upward, at an angle of about twenty or thirty degrees. Over the further extremity they throw the veil. falleth on man." See them at their bloody sacrifices, they are nearly always held at the same time, and what with the which thus serves the double purpose of modesty and shade. sickly glare of lamps, the din of drums, the shrill sound of I could hear no account'of the origin of this unicorn trumpets, the anxious features of the votaries, the ferocious costume. In its style it differs materially from the horns scowl of the sacrificer, the bloody knife, and the bleeding described by Bruce in Abyssinia, and by other travellers, victim, all wind up the mind to a high pitch of horror, and which have been considered as illustrating those passages excite our contempt for the deities and demons to whom in scripture, "Lift not up your horn on high.-Ty horn night is the time of offering and praise.-RoBERTS. hast thou exalted," &c. For here it is the females that wear it; and not the men, as in Abyssinia: it has no apPSALM XVII. pearance of strength, nor indeed, to me, of beauty; although,: doubtless, among the females of Mount Lebanon, there may Ver. 2. Let my sentence come forth from thy be as much vanity in their mode of adjusting and bearing presence; let thine eyes behold the things that this article of dress, as is to be found at any European toilet. are equal. Some, indeed, though very few, wear this monstrous ornament protruding from one side of the face, instead. of the David, in his integrity, thus cried to the Almighty and so front: but I could obtain no satisfactory account of this people in the East, who are innocent, when pleading in court,heretical fashion, any more than of the orthodox position.say, " Let us have YOUR sentence;" i. e. in contradiction of of the Tantoor. It is not worn by the Druse women onyv. that of their enemies. " See, my lord, the things that are The servant of the house where I lived at Deir el Kamr right." " Justice! jstice!"-ROBERTS. wore one: so also did a young -woman, whose marriage I there witnessed: several, likewise, of the virgins, that were Ver. 10. They are enclosed in their own fat: her fellows, and bore her company, wore this head-dress; vith their mouth they speak proudly. all these were Christians. Hanna Doomani told me that it is used chiefly by the lower orders: at least that those To say a man is fat. often means he is very proud. Of who have been brought up at Damascus, or at the principal cities, would not think of wearing it. In other words, one who speaks pompously, it is said, "What can we do? cit. In other words tassi-kl-lap-inal," i. e. from the fat of his flesh he decre probably, it is the true ancient female mountaineer's coshimself. " Oh! the fat f of his mouth; how largely he tume; but what is its degree of antiquity, it maybe difficult talks!" " Take care, fellow, or I will restrain the fat of thy mouth." " From the intoxication of his blood he thus Ve. 5. The soows of hell copassd me about talks to you."-RO BERTS.UVer. 5. The sorrows of hell corpassed me about; the snares of death prevented me. Ver. 11. They have now compassed us in our The margin has, for sorrows,c cords." (2 Sam. xxii. 6. steps; they have set their eyes bowing down Prov. xiii. 14, and xiv. 27.) Dr. Boothroyda translates, to the earth. "The cords of hades enclosed me; the snares oft' death were laid for me." The Psalmist says in another place, A man' who has people watching him to find out a cause He "shall rain snares" upon the wicked. From the parfor accusation to the king, or great men, says, " Yes, they allel texts in Samuel and' Proverbs, it is evid'ent that DEATH,, are around my legs and my feet.; their eyes are always by the ancients, in figure at least, was PERSONIFIED and de — open; they are ever watching my stvadcst," i. e. steps; i. e. scribed as having SNARES, with which to catcli the bodies of' they are looking for the impress, or footsteps, in the earth. men. The Hindoo Yama, "the catcher of the souls of For this purpose, the eyes of the enemies of David were men," bears some resemblance to the Charon and Minos oft " bowing down to the Parth."-RonERTS. the Egyptians and Grecians. Yama rides on a buffalo, ha,47 370 PSALMS. Ps. 18-22.a large SNARE in his hand, and is every way a most hide- of that expression, "Sweeter than honey, and the honeyous looking monster. In his anxiety to fill his caves with comb," Ps. xix. 10; or, to express it with the same emphasis mortals, he was often involved in great disputes with the as our translation does the preceding clause," Sweeter than gods and others; as in the case of Marcander, who was a honey, yea, than the honeycomb," which last, it shoul d seem, ftvourite of the suprefme Siva. He had already cast his from the turn of thought of the Psalmist, is as much to be SNARE upon him, and was about to drag him to the lower preferred to honey, as the finest gold is to that of a more regions, when the deity appeared, and compelled him to impure nature. relinquish his prey. When people are in the article of But this will appear in a more easy light, if the diet and death, they are said to be caught in the SNARE of Yama. the relish of the present Moors of West Barbary be thought (See Matt. xxiii. 33.)-ROBERTS. to resemble those of the times of the Psalmist: for a paper published first in the Philosophical Transactions, and after Ver. 33. He rmaketh my feet like hinds' feet, and that by Dr. Halley, in the Miscellanea Curiosa, informs us, setteth me upon my high places. that they esteem honey a wholesome breakfast,' and the most delicious that which is in the comb, with the young The allusions to this animal in the sacred volume, though bees in it, before they come out of their cases, while they not numerous, are of considerable importance. Its name still look milkwhite, and resemble, being takin out genin Hebrew, (iox) ail, is considered by Dr. Shaw as a gen- tles, such'as fishers use: these I have often ate of, but they'eric word, including all the species of the deer kind; seemed insipid to my palate, and sometimes I found they whether they are distinguished by round horns, as the gave me the heartburn."-HARMER. stag; or by flat ones, as the fallow-deer; or by the smallness of the branches, as the roe. The term originally PSALM XX. signified aid or assistance; and, in the progress of language, Ver. 5. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in by a natural and easy transition, came to denote an animal the name of our God we will set up our battfurnished with the means of defence, but limited to horned animals, particularlythe stag and the hind. This creature seems to resemble the goat, in being remarkably sure-footed, In all religions as well as warlike processions, the people and delighting in elevated situations. The royal Psalmist alludes to both circumstances in one carry banners. Hence on the pinnacles of their sacred cars, of hi s triumphant alludes to both my feet like hinds' on the domes or gatePays of their temples, and on the roof f eet, and setteth me upon" He maketh pa feet like hinds' of a new house, may be seen the banner of the caste or sect feet, and setteth me upon my high places." He might also Siva, the supreme, also is described as refer, in the first clause, to the uncommon solidity and floating in the air. Sia, the supreme, also is described as hardness of its hoof, which Virgil compares to brass, which having a er in makes a solestial to go on a pilgrimenables it to tread, with ease, the pointed rocks. It may When a perso n makes a solemn vo ba to go on a pilgrimseem, from the words of David, that the female possesses a age, to perform a penance, or to bathe in holy water; or seem, from the words of David, that the female possesses a when a man has a dispute in a court of law, or in any other surer foot and a harder hoof than the male, for he ascribes to himself the feet of the hind; but since natural historians way; or when a disobedient son has resolved to act as he have not remarked any difference between them, it is prob- pse? tssil-katti, e Why tied up, and stands by his purable he was led to the choice from some other cause, which pose hich implies, he has tied up, and stands by his purpose. it may not be easy to discover. The prophet Habakkuk, ncr:" which implies, he must and will abide by his purpose. it may not be easy to discover. The prophet Habakkuk, — RoBERTS. in the close of his prayer, has the same allusion, and nearly The baniers formerly so much used were a part of miliin the same words: " He will make my feet like hinds' tary equipage borne in times of war to assemble, direct, feet. and he will make me to walk upon my high places." distinish, and en rage the troops. They mghtposs Awhile the Psalmist contents himself with referring merely, and encourage the troops. They mightpossihile the Psalmist contents himself with-referring merely bly be' used for other purposes also. Occasions of joy', to the firmness and security of his position, " he setteth me bly be used for other purposesally a royal habitation, upon my high places," the prophet encourages himself with splendid processions, and especially a royal habitation, the persuasion, that his God would conduct him through might severally be distinguished in this way. The words of the Psalmist may perhaps be wholly figurative: but if every danger, with the same ease and safety as the hind they should be literally understood, the allusion of erecting a banner in the name of the Lord, acknowledging his glory, PSALM XIX. and imploring his favour, might be justified from an existing practice. Certain it is, that we find this custom prevaVer. 4. Their line is, gone out through all the lent on this very principle, in other places, into which it earth, and their words to the end of the world. might originally have been introduced from Judea. Thus JIn them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun; Mr. Turner says, " I was told that itwas a custom with the 5. Which is as a bridegoroom comming out of his soobah to ascend the hill every month, when he sets up a 01 7 *.. o white flag, and performs some religious ceremonies, to conchamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run ciliate the favour of a dewta, or invisible being, the genius a race. of the place, who is said to hover about the summit, dispensing at his will good and evil to every thing around The espousals by money, or a written instrument, were him." (Turner's Travels.)-BRDE.R. performed by the man and woman under a tent or canopyALM XXII. erected for that purpose. Into this chamber the bridegroom was accustomed to go with his bride, that he might Title-To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shatalk with her more familiarly; which was considered as a ceremony of confirmation to the wedlock. While he was r id. there, no person was allowed to enter; his friends and attendants waited for him at the door, with torches and lamps Many curious observations have been made on the titles in their hands; and when he came out, he was received by of the Psalms, ut attended with the greatest uncertainty. all that were present with great joy and acclamation. To this ancient customthe Psalmist alludes in his magnif Later eastern customs, respecting the titles of books and poems, may perhaps give a little more certainty to these cent description of the heavens: " In them he set a taber-poems, may perhaps give a little more certainty to these aacle for the sun; which is as a bridegroom coming out of matters; but great precision must not be expected. D'Herhis chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race."- belot tells us, that a Persian metaphysical and mystic poem PAXTON. was called a Rose Bush. A collection of moral essays, the Garden of Anemonies. Another eastern book, the Lion of Ver. 10. More to be desired are they than gold, the Forest. That Scherfeddin al Baussiri called a poem of his, written in praise of his Arabian prophet, who, he afyea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than firmed, had cured him of a paralytic disorder in his sleep, honey and the honey-comb. the Habit of a Derveesit; and because he is celebrated there for having given sight to a blind person, this poem is also There is no difference made among us, between the entitled by its author, the Bright Sta'r. delicacy of honey in the comb, and after its separation from The ancient Jewish taste may reasonably be supposed to It. We mayv therefore be at a loss to enter into the energy have been of the same kind. Agreeable to which is the ex Ps 22. PSALMS. 7.S planation some learned men have given, of David's corn- Bishop EHorne says, the latter verse, if literallj translamanding the bow to be taught the children of Israel, 2 Sam. ted, runs thus: "Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, the i. 18, which they apprehended did not relate to the use of congregation of the mighty among the calves of the nations, that weapon in war, but to the hymn which he composed on skipping or exulting with pieces of silver." Wicked men, occasion of the death of Saul and Jonathan, and from which or those who have much bodily strength, who insult and he entitled this elegy, as they think, the Bow. %The twenty- domineer over the weak, and all "lewd fellows of the second Psalm might, in like manner, be called the Hind of baser sort," are called mdduk/cl, i. e. bulls. "Of what the Mor'ning; the fifty-sixth, the Dove dutmb in distantplaces; country are you the bull 1" People of docile dispositions the sixtieth, the Lily of the Testimony; the eightieth, the -those who live at peace with their neighbours-are called Lilies of the Testimony, in the plural; and the forty-fifth, cows or calves: hence when violent men injure them, it simply the Lilies. is said, "See those bulls how they are oppressing the It is sufficiently evident, I should think, that these terms calves; look at them, they are always butting the cows." do not denote certain musical instruments. For if they did, "Why has this mad bull of Point Pedro come hither. Go, why do the more common names of the timbre, the harp, bull, go, graze in thy own pastures." David, thereibfore, the psaltery, and the trumpet, with which psalms were prayed that the Lord would rebukle the bulls who thus sung, Ps. lxxxi. 2, 3, never appear in those titles? troubled his people.-RoERT.s. Do they signify certain tunes? It ought not however to The strength of the bull is too remarkable to require debe imagined that these tunes are so called from their bear- scription; and his courage and fierceness are so great, that ing some resemblance to the noises made by the things he ventures at times to combat the lion himself. Nor is mentioned in the titles, for lilies are silent, if this supposition he more celebrated for these qualities, than for his disposishould otherwise'have been allowed with respect to the tion to unite with those of his own kind, against their comHind of the Morning. Nor does the fifty-sixth Psalm speak mon enemy. For these reasons he has been chosen.by the of the mourning of the dove, but of its dumbness. If they Spirit of inspiration, to symbolize the powerful, fierce, and signify tunes at all, they must signify the tunes to which implacable enemies of our blessed Redeemer; who, forsuch songs or hymns were sung, as were distinguished by getting their personal animosities, combined against his these names: and so the inquiry will, terminate in this precious life, and succeeded in procuring his crucifixion: point, whether the Psalms to which these titles are affixed "Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan were called by these names; or whether they were some have beset me round." Nor can we conceive a more striother psalms, or songs, to the tune of which these were to king and appropriate symbol of a fierce and ruthless warbe snng. And as we do not find the bow referred to, nor rior; an instance of which occurs in that supplication of the same name twice made use of, so far as our lights David: "Rebuke the company of the spearmen, the mulreach, it seems most probable that these are the names of titude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every those very Psalms to which they are prefixed.' one submit himself with pieces of silver." In the sublime The forty-second Psalm, it may be thought, might very description of Isaiah, which seems to refer to some great well have been entitled the Hind of the Morning, because, revolutions, which' are to be effected in times long posteas that panted after the water brooks, so panted the soul of rior to the age in which he flourished; probably in these "he Psalmist after God; but the twenty-second Psalm, it is last days, antecedent to the millennial state of the church; certain, might equally well be distinguished by this title, the complete destruction of her strong and cruel enemies Dogs have comnpassed mte, the assembly of the wicked have is thus foretold: "And the unicorns shall come down with enclosed me: and as the Psalmist, in the forty-second Psalm, them, and the bullocks with the bulls, and their land shal rather chose to compare himself to a hart, than a hind, the be soaked with blood, and their. dust made fat with fattwenty-second Psalm much better answers this title, in ness." —PAXTON. which he speaks of his hunted soul in the feminine gender: Deliver my soulfrom the sword, say darling (which in Ver. 16. For dogs have co'npassed me the asthe original is feminine) from the power of the dog. Every sembly of the wicked have enclosed me thev one that reflects on the. circumstances'of David, at the m pierced my hands and my f"eet; time to which the fifty-sixth Psalm refers, and considers the oriental taste, will not wonder to see that Psalm en- "The dog," says Poiret, "loses in Barbdry, as in the titled the Dove dumb in distant places; nor are lilies more East in general, a part of those social qualities which make improper to be made the title of other Psalms, with proper him the friend of man. He is no longer that dornmestistinctions, than a Garden of Anemonies to be the name of tic, mild,' insinuating animal, faithfully attached to Lis a collection of moral discourses.-HAiaMua. master, and ever ready to defend him, even at the expense Ver. 6 u aof his life. Among the Arabs he is cruel, blood-thirsty, Ver. 6. But I am a worm, and no'man; a re- always hungr y, and never satisfied. Iis look is savage, alashnry, and never satisfied. His look is snavae, proach of men, and despised of the people, hisphysiognomy ignoble, and his appearance disagreeable. The Moors grant him, indeed, a corner of their tent; but Whena a man complains and abhors himself, he asks, this is all. They never caress him, never throw him any "What am I!. a worm! a worm!" " Ah! the proud man; he regarded me as a worm: wl sho I ike to say thing to eat. To this treatment, in my opinion, must the he reearded me as a "wrm: wellshould I like to say eto indifference of the dogs towards their master be ascribed. him we are ALL.VOrms.5) LL Worm, crawl out of my pres- Very often they have not even any master. They choose ~~~~ence. ~RoBlERT~~s. ~a tent as a place of refuge; they are suffered to remnain there, and no -further notice is taken of them. PRefuse, Ver. 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn; there, and no further notice is taken of them ne carrion, filth, eyery thing is good enough ifor them, if tihe they shoot out the lip, the3y shake the head. can but appease their hunger. They are lean, einaciated, Ainsworth has this-" All they that see me, doe skoffat and have scaicely any belly. Among themselves they sell mee: they make-a-mow with the lip, they wag the head." domn bite each other; but they unite against the stranger It is exceedingly contemptuous to protrude the lower lip; who a pproaches the Arab tents, furiously attack him and and, generally speaking, it is only dclone to those of a mean would tear him to pieces if he did not seek safety in fligdt condition. Those who cannot grant a favour, or who have from this starved troop. If any person were unable to denot the power to perform something they have been re- fend himself, or had the misfortune to fall, he iould be in danger of being devoured, for these dogs are very greedy quested to do, "shoot out the lip." To shake the head is danger of hem6 devoured, for these dogs are veiy giedy a favourite way of giving the negative, and is also a mark after human flesh." D'Arvieux also observes, that the of disdain. —RoBzaTs. Bedouin Arabs keep a great number of dogs, wihich'run about in and out of the camp, begin to bark at the least Ver. 10. 1 as cast upon thee from the womb. noise they hear, and answer each other. "These dogs," says he, "are not accustomed to see people walking about " What!" asks the old slave, " will you dismiss me late at night, and I believe that they would tear any one in fow? Have I not been cast upon you from. the ketpum?" pieces who should venture to approach the camp." i In Mowomb.- RoBERTS. rocco," ays H6st, "there are dogs in abundance, and as thE Ver. 12. Manyulls have compassd me: strong greater partof the Moors have scarcely enough to live on foi Ver. 12. Many bulls have compassed me' strongMuhlstofedoteysfrte oli themselves, much less to feed dogs, they suffer then to lie bulls of Bashan have beset me round, about the streets so starved that they can hardly hang to 372 PSALMS. Ps. 23. gether, and almost devoured by fleas and vermin. But these The patriarchs wandered with their cattle among the dogs, which do not move during the daytime, though they towns and villages of Canaan, and fed them even in the are frequently trodden on, are so insupportable in the night, most populous districts without molestation. And it is a not only on account of their barking, bellowing, and cries, remarkable fact, that the Kenites and Rechabites lived in but also because they are so savage and sleep so little, that Palestine under tents, and fed their cattle wherever they nobody is able to go through the streets without a watch- could find pasture, when the country was crowded with inman." habitants, long after it had been divided by lot among the " During all the long tour through this dreary and melan- tribes. The Bedouin Arabs claim the same privilege in chulvy city, (Alexandria, in Egypt,) Europe and its liveli- those countries to this day, which,"depopulated as they are, iess was pictured to me only by the bustle and by the activ- probably contain as many inhabitants in their towns and iLy of' the sparrows. I here no longer recognised the dog, villages, as in the days of Abraham. Nor is this custom that friend of man, the attached and faithful companion, peculiar to Palestine; in Barbary and other places, they the lively and honest courtier;* he is here a gloomy egotist, live in the same manner. Great numbers of Arabian unknown to the host under whose roof he dwells, cut off shepherds come into Egypt itself, in the months of Novemfrom human intercourse, without being less of a slave; he ber, December, and January, from three or four hundred does not know him whose house he protects, and devours his leagues distance, to feed their camels and their horses. After corpse without repugnance. The following circumstance having spent some time in the neighbourhood of the Nile, will fully paint his character. In the evening of the day they retire into the deserts, from whence, by routes with on which I arrived at Alexandria, I went to our ship to which they are acquainted, they pass into other regions to supply myself with clean linen. It was eleven o'clock at dwell there, in like manner, some months of the year, till night when I came again on shore, and I was half a league the return of the usual season recalls them to the vale of from my quarters. I was obliged to go through a city Egypt. To this custom of leading the flocks from one taken only that inorning by storm, and in which I did not country and region to another, the royal Psalmist alludes know a street. No reward could induce my man to quit in that beautiful pastoral: " The Lord is my shepherd; I his boat and accompany me. I undertook the- journey shall not want. I-Ie maketh me to lie down in green pasalone, and went over the burying-ground, in spite of the tures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth manes, as I was best acquainted with this road. At the my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, for first habitations of the living, I was attacked by whole his name's sake." We are taught by the prophet to look. troops of furious dogs, who made their attacks from the for the same blessings from the vigilant care and tenderdoors, from the streets, and the roofs; and the barking re- ness of Messiah: " They shall feed in the ways, and their sounded from house to house, from one family to another. pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunI soon, however, observed that the war declared against me ger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; was not grounded on any coalition; for as soon as. I had for he that hath mercy on them, shall lead them; even by quitted the territory of the attackers, they were driven the springs of water shall he guide them, and I will make away by the others, who received me on their frontiers. all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exaltThe darkness was only lightened by the stars, and by the ed." The conduct of the eastern shepherd in leading his constant glimmer of the nights in this climate. Not to flock to the green pastures, and the still'waters, is clearly lose this advantage, to avoid the barking of the dogs, and alluded to by John, in the book of Revelation: " For the to take a road which I knew could not lead me astray, I Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, left the streets,' and resolved to go along the beach; but and lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God walls and timber-yards, which extended to the sea, blocked shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."-PAxToN. up the way. After having waded through the water to escape from the dogs, and climbed over walls where the Ver. 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley sea was too deep, exhausted by anxiety and fatigue, and of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for quite wet, I reached one of our sentinels about midnight, art with me; thy rod and thy staff they in the conviction that the dog is the most dreadful among comort me. the Egyptian plagues." (Denon.)-ROSENMULLER. comfort me. Xfer. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou "He was indeed a good king; by his sceptre and qzmhast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. Ib'rella he comforted his subjects." By the staff or sceptre he gently governed and protected his people; and by his Those who are in great trouble from the power or cruelty zmbrella he defended them from the fierce rays of the sun. of others, often cry out to their gods-" Ah! save me from "Yes; by these are we instructed, guided, supported, and the tusk of the elephant! From the mouth of the tiger, and defended; what have we to fear? great is our safety and tile tusks of the boar, deliver me-deliver me!" " Who confidence." " You are now becoming an old man, and will save me from the horn of the kIqzdatm?" This animal your children are young, what will become of them after is now extinct in these regions, and it is not easy to deter- your death."-" Ah! friend, is there not a staff in the hand mine what it was: the word in the Sathr'-Agaratthe is of God?" " Truly, my wife and children have gone; they rendered jungle-cow, but it was probably the rhinoceros; have reclined in the place of burning, but my staff is still and Dr. Boothroyd translates, " from the horns of the with me." " See the wicked one, he has not a staff left." rhinoceros, defend me."-ROBERTS. ROBERTS. In the bag or scrip, which is mentioned by Samuel as PSALM XXIII. a part of the shepherd's furniture, his provisions, and other Ver. 1. The LoRD is my shepherd; I shall not necessaries, are carried. He bears in his hand a staff of Want. 2. He maketh me to lie down in green considerable length, with which he keeps his cattle in order, ~w~ant. 2. H3[e maketh me to lie down in green and numbers them when they return from the field.'To pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. this instrument the.Psalmist refers in that beautiful and In this figure the Psalmist had in his view a shepherd affecting passage, where he addresses Jehovah as the shepherd of his soul: " Yea, though I walk through the valley!eadirg his flock into luxuriant fields, and causing them to herd of heathough I walk through the valley quench teir thirst and repose by gentle streams In a of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art quench their thirst and repose by gentle streams. In a with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."-PAXToN. tropical clime, a tranquil stream and a green pasture are peculiarly pleasing to the eye. Hence many eastern allegories are taken from such scenes. " Never, never will I fbrget my God: he has brought me into a plenteous pastur- presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my age, and folded me near an abundance of water." "Why head with oil; my cup runneth over. does he like this country?-" Because he has good grazing." " Tamban has left his master, because there was In, Hindostan, when a person of rank and opulence renot much grass." " Much grass! why the bull was never ceives a guest, whom he wishes to distinguish by peculiar satisfied." " Well, friend, whither are you going? in marks of regard, he pours upon his hands and arms, in the search of grass and water " —" Yes; the fat one has be- presence of the whole company, a delightful odoriferous come lean, because his grass has withered and his water perfume, puts a golden cup into his hand, and pours wine fa ited.'-RoBEars. I into it till it run over; assuring him at the same time, that Ps. 24 29. PSALMS. 373 it is to him a great pleasure to receive him into his house, throwing himself seventeen or eighteen feet at a time." and that he shall find under his roof every comfort which These statements illustrate the force and propriety of those he could bestow. The reference to this custom, which at passages of holy writ, which allude to the arts and impleone time was probably general throughout the East, in the ments of the hunter and the fowler, by which the timid victwenty-third Psalm, is at once beautiful and striking: tim is taken ere it is aware; or the bold is compelled by, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine main force, or by deadly wounds, to submit to his more! en-mnies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth cunning or powerful adversary. It is not without reason over." The Lord had early received the Psalmist into fa- the Psalmist rejoiced that the snare was broken, and his your; raised him to the highest honours, from a very hum- soul had escaped as a bird fr6m the snare of the fowler; ble condition; and, what was infinitely better, he set before and that God had brought his feet out of the net.-PAXTON. him tLe inestimable blessings of redeeming love, prepared him by a copious unction of the holy Spirit to enjoy them, PSALM XXVII. and welcomed himlin the most honourable manner, by put- Ver. 6. And now shall my head be lifted up ting the cup of salvation into his hand, in the presence of all his people, and pouring into it with unsparing liberality, above mine enemies round about me: therefore the wine of heavenly consolation.-PAxToN. vill I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; On all joyful occasions tlhe people of the East anoint the I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the head with oil. Hence, attheir marriages, and other festive times,' the young and old may be seen with their long black tresses neatly tied on the crown of the head, shining and "The Modeliar is now fied in his situation."-" Is he smooth, like polished ebony..The Psalmist, therefore, re- " Yes,yes, he is on the mountain and is like unto it." joicing in God as his protector, says, "Thou anointest my Who will take me out of this mud, and place me upon head with oil." It is an act of great respect to pour per- the mountain n'-ROBERTS. fumed oil on the head of a distinguished guest; hence the woman in the gospel manifested her respect for the Saviour PSALM XXVIII. by pouring " precious' ointment" on his head.-ROBERTs. In the East, the people frequently anoint their visiters Ver. 1. Unto thee will I cry, O LORD, my rock; with some very fragrant perfume; and give them a cup or be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to a glass of some choice wine, which they are careful to fill me, I become like them that go down into the till it runs over. The first Was designed to show their love it and respect; the latter to imply that while they remained there, they should have an abundance of every thing. - To See on Job 33. 18, 24. something of this kind the Psalmist probably alludes in this passage.-BuRDER. Ver. 2. Hear the voice of my supplications, when PSALM XXIV. I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands towards thy holy oracle. Ver. 7.'Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be thy holy oracle. ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King ee on Ps. 44. 20. of glory shall come in.' PSALM XXIX. See on Prov. 17. 19. Ver. 5. The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of PSALM XXV. Lebanon. Ver. 1.5. Mine eyes a'se ever towards the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. See Yer. 9. The voice of the LoRD maketh the hinds "Those who delight in fowling, do not spring the game with dogs, as we do; but, shading themselves with an ob- to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his long piece of canvass, stretched over a couple of reeds or temple doth every one speak of his glory. sticks, like a door, they walk with it through the several brakes and avenues, where they expect to find game. The Ainsworth translates, "Jehovah maleth the hinds tremcanvass is usually spotted, or painted with the figure of a blingly to travel." The thunder of the East is far more leopard, and perforated near the top in a few places, for the terrific than that of England. The explosion is so sudden fowler to look through, and observe what passes before'him. and so vast, that the earth literally trembles under its The partridge, and other gregarious birds, when the canvass power: fierce animals rush into the covert, and birds flv approaches, will covey together, although they were feeding affrighted to the shade. Then it is the people say, " Ah! before at some distance from one another. The woodcock, this will cause the womb to tremble," " This thunder will quail, and other birds, which do not commonly feed in make the pains to come." " I fear there will be a falling flocks, will, at sight of the extended canvass, stand still,and this day."-ROBERTS. look with astonishment, which gives the sportsman an op- It seems to be generally admitted, that the hind brings portunity of coming very near them; and then resting the forth her young with great difficulty; and, so much appears canvass upon the ground, and directing the muzzle of his to be suggested in the third verse of the same chapter:piece through one of the holes, he will sometimes shoot a "They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, whole covey at a time. The Arabs have another, but a. they cast out their sorrows.".But' if Pliny, and other natmore laborious method of catching these birds; for ob- ural historians, are worthy of credit, divine providence has serving that they become languid and fatigued, after they been graciously' pleased to provide certain herbs, which have been hastily put up two or three times, they immedi- greatly facilitate the birth; and by an unerring instinct, he ately run in upon them, and knock them down with their directs the hind to feed upon themn, when the time of gesbludgeons. They are likewise well acquainted with that tation draws towards a close. Whatever be in this assermethod of catching partridges called tunnelling; and to tion, we know from higher authority, that providence does make the capture the greater, they will sometimes place promote the parturition of the hind, by awakening her fears behind the nec a cage with some tame ones within, which, and agitating her frame by the rolling thunder: " T'he by their perpetual chirping and calling, quickly bring voice of Jehovah, (a common Hebrew phrase, denoting down the coveys which are within hearing, and by that thunder,) malrth the hinds to calve." Nor ought we to nteans destroy great numbers of them. To hunt the jack- wonder that so timorous a creature as the hind should be a.l, which greatly abounds in that country, they sometimes so much affected by that awfully imposing sound, when use a leopard which has been trained to hunting'from his some of the proudest men that ever existed, have been made. vouth. The hunter keeps the aniral before him on his to tremble. Augustus, the Roman emperor, according t6 horse, and when he meets with a jackal, the leopard leaps Suetonius, was so terrified when it thundered, that he down, and creeps along till he thinks himself within reach wrapped a seal-skin round his body, with the view of deof the prey, when he leaps upon it with inlc:edible agility, fending it from the lightning, and concealed himself in some 374 PSALMS. Ps. 30-30k secret corner till the tempest ceased. The tyrant Caligula, all smhzbal, i. e. all ashes. "Where is your father "-I" Alas! who sometimes affected to threaten Jupiter himself, covered my lord, he is ashes."-RoBERTs. his head, or hid himself under a bed; and Horace confesses, he was reclaimed from atheism by the terror of thun- PSALM XXXI. dter and ii htni.ng.-PAXTON. Ver. 2. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me PSALM XXX. speedily; be thou my strong rock, for a house Title-A Psalm and Song at the dedication of *of defence to save me. the house of David. "My lord; have you not always assisted me! As a It was common, when any person had finished a house, mountain and a fortress have you been to me." When a and. ertered into it, to celebrate it with great rejoicing, and man of rank dies, it is said,': that konamn (bastion or fortress) keep a festival, to which his friends were invited, and to has fallen."-RoBERTS. perlform some religious ceremonies, to secure the protection of heaven. Thus, when the second temple was finished, Ver. 8. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the priests and Levites, and the rest of the captivity, kept the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large the dedication of the house of God with joy, and offered numerous sacrifices, Ezra.#i, 16. We read in the New Testament of the feast of the dedicartion, appointed by Judas Maccabeus, in memory of the purification and-restoration of the temple of Jerusalem, after it had been defiled'and wider place." Many figures in the English language are laid in ruins by Antiochus Epiphanes; and celebrated an- unquestionably borrowed frofn the scriptures, among which may be, "he is in his hands;" for he is in his power. nually, to the time of its destruction by Titus, by solemn may be n Zedekiah ordered Ebed-melech to draw Jeremiah. sacrifices, music, songs, and hymns to the praise of God; out of the dungeon, e as directed to take thirty men with and feasts, and every thing that could give the people plea- him; but the margin has it, "in thy ha r" In eastern sure, for eight days successively. (Josephus.) This was surefor eihtndays successively. (Josephus.) Tahis was language, therefore, to be in the hands of a person, signifies dediccu stomary even among private persons. The Romans also to be in his possession or power. But David was not given dedicated their temples and their theatres. So also theyhis feet were at liberty i into the hand of his enemy, and his feet were at liberty in acted with respect to their statues, palaces, and houses. — largeplace, so that he cold alk whithersoever hpleased. alargeplace, sothat he colld walk whithersoever hepleased. CHANDLER. In another verse, he says, " Thou hast enlarged me;" he VYer. 1. I ~wrill extol thee, O LnORD; for thou, hast T~was increased and at liberty: and again, in speaking of his lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to re- enemies, and the misery he suffered, he says, "He brought me forth into a large place;" so that his feet were at liberty. joice over me. The feet (as well as the hands) are sometimes taken for the Thou t lifed p." The b is used, in its original whole man: thus, the Lord " will keep the feet of his saints," "Thou hast lifted me up." The verb is used, in its origin al finds an illustration here. " Have I'not had a protector meaning, to denote the reciprocating motion of the buccetsfinds an illustration here. "Have I not had a protector meaning, to denote t]te r'ecipr'ocating moZion' of the bueclkts through this journey." —" Yes, the gods have kept my feet."' of a ivell, one descending as the other rises, and vice ver'sa; through this j oey -" Yes, the gods have ept my feet." and is here applied, with admirable propriety, to point out arriWellve in s afety, and from your son m" —e Yes; he i tihe various reciprocations and changes of David's fortunes, return next msafety, and has written to ee, saying, he wil as described in this psalm, as to andspadversity; dvreturn next month, if the gods keep his feet." A man who descried in this psalm, as to rosperity and adversit; is embarrassed in his circumstances, says, "My feet are in and particularly, that gracious reverse of his afflicted con- shackles." 1 Who will refresh my feet " ho ill give dition, which he now celebrates, God having raised him shackle s." "Whowillrefreshtmyfeet" "Whowillive up to great honour and prosperity; for having built his palace, " he perceived that the Lord had established him Ver. 12 am forotte as a dead ma out of mid king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom, for Ver. 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind LIis people Israel's sake."-C-HANDLEl. I am like a broken vessel. Ver. 5. For his anger enducreth but a moment, in "Yes," says the man who is reduced to poverty, " I amn his favour is life: weeping may endure for a now a corpse to all my former friends." " What is a man nitght, but joy comet/ in th~e nornino. vwithout money'I A nadditke'ra-savvam," a ivallking corpse! " I am now a broken chatte," a potsherd. " Truly, I am The Tamul method of expressing a moment-is to move like the tam-bat tam," the drum with its head broken. "I am the hand once round the head, and give a snap of the finger. of no use; no one enjoys me."-RoBERTs. Thus they say of any thing which endures but a short time,' It is only as the snap of the fingers." The people of the PSALM XXXII. East have nearly all their festivities in the night; they say Ver. 4. My moisture is turned into the drought of it is the sorrowful time, and therefore adopt this plan to summer. Selah. make it pass more pleasantly away. To those who are in difficulties or sorrow; to widows, orphans, and strangers, The fields of Canaan are refreshed with frequent and co-' night is the time to weep;" hence in passing through the pious rains, while some of the neighlbouring countries are village, may be heard people crying aloud to their departed scarcely ever moistened with a shower. In the winter friends, or-bitterly lamenting their own condition. They months, the rain falls indiscriminately, but seldom in the have, however, some very pleasing and philosophical say- summer. Soon after the heats commience, the grass withers, inrs on the uncertainty of the sorrows and joys of life. In the flower fades, every green thing is dried up by the roots, the book Scacda-Purcina, it is written, " The wise, when and the fields, so lately clothed with the richest verdure, pleasure comes, do not greatly rejoice; and in sorrow they and adorned with the loveliest flowers, are converted into ie.cl not to distress; for they judge that pleasure and pain a brown and arid wilderness. To the uniform withered are incident to life. The indigent become wealthy, and the appearance of the fields during the reign of an eastern wealthy indigent; and inferiors are exalted. Can wealth summer, and not to any particular year of drought, the or poverty, pleasure or pain, be regarded as permanent to Psalmist refers in these plaintive terms: " My moisture is the seul q The phases of the moon remain not in one state; turned into the drought of summer." When conviction they diminish and increase: so your afflictions will one day slept, and conscience was silent, the soul of David resemterminate."- Ro EaTs. bled a field refreshed by the genial showers of heaven; but the moment God in anger entered into judgment with Voer. 9What profit is there in myqblood, when 1 him, and set his sins in order before his face, his courage go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? failed, his beauty was turned into corruption, and his shall it declare thy truth? - strength into weakness;': the commandment came, sin revived, and he died." -PAxToN. "W hen I go down to the pit, what fruit will there be in In England and the neighbouring countries it is common mty body I" " Ah! he has fallen into the pit," i. e. he is dead. for rain to fall in all months of the year. But it is not so'if tho'e whose bodies have been burned, it is said, they are in the Levant. Egypt has scarce any rai;n at all, and Dr Ps. 32-37. - PSALMS. 375 Shaw affirms that it is as uncommon in what they call, at many have directed their remains to be sent there. " We Algiers the Desert, which is the most southern part of that were fraughted- with wool," says an old traveller, " fromn country. These, however, are peculiar cases. Rain indis- Constantinople to Sidon, in which sacks, as most cercriminately in the winter months, and none at all in the tainly was told to me, were many Jews' bones put into summer, is what is most common in the East. Jacobus de little chests, but unknown to any of the ship. The Jews, Vitriaco assures u; it is thus ir. Judea; for he observes that our merchants, told me of them at my return from Jern" lightning and thunder are wont, in the western countries, salem to Saphet, but earnestly entreated me not to tell it, to be in the summer, but happen in the Holy Land in win- for fear of preventing them another time." Sometimes a ter. In the summer it seldom or never rains there: but in wealthy Jew has been known to import earth from Jeruwinter, though the returns of rain are not so frequent, after salem wherewith to line his grave. (Quarterly Review.)they begin to fall, they pour down for three or four days BURDER. and nights together, as vehemently as if they would drown the country." The withered appearance of an eastern PSALM XXXV. Summer, which is very dry, is doubtless what the Psalmist Ver. 5. Let them be as chaff before the wind: and refers to when he says, "my moisture is turned into the lroubht of summer." The reference is not to any particu- let the angel of the LORD chase the'i. ar year of drought, but to what copmmonly occurs.-HR- Beone fellow; contend not with my brother or me MER.other or me: thou art as chaff before the wind 1" " Not a word, or soon Ver. 7. Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt wilt thou be as cotton before the wind!"-ROBERTs. preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass Ver. 21. Yea, they opened their mouth wide me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. against me, and said, Aha, aha! our eye bath WVe see in the case of David, and many others, that they seen it. often had to conceal themselves in caves, mountains, and desertplaces, from the pursuit oftheirenemies. In countries Dr. Boothroyd, " They open wide their mouth against like these, where the police is imperfect, where population See that rude fellow, who has triumphed over another; he is so scattered, and where it is so easy to sustain life, it can' distends his mouth to the most, then claps his han, and be no wonder that offenders and injured men often conceal ha n So themselves for months and years from the vigilance of their bawls out, xAgdt agod! I have seen, I have seen." So pursuers. It is an every-day occurrence to hear of men thus pr king is this exclamatin, that a man, thugh hiding themselves. Has a person to account for his conduct qgtsted, will often commence another attack. All officer or to appear in a court of justicehe packs ulp hisvaluables, who has lost his situation is sure to have this salutation or to appear in a court of justice, he packs up his valuables, from those he has injured. Has a man been foiled in dmakes a start intbthe jungle, or to some distantc'from those he has injured. Has a man been foiled in ~~~and m s n s tcou~~na~try. argument, has he failed in some feat he promised to perPerhaps he prowls about the skirts of a forest, and occasion- he e t alv visits his family in the night. See him on his way, he fdrm, has he in any way made himself ridiculous, the people open their mouths, and shout aloud, saying, " Agd! walks so softly that the most delicate-eared animal cannot peop, ay detect him; he looks in every direction; puts his ears near finished, finished, fallen, fallen." Then they laugh, and the ground, and listens for any sound; again he proceeds, clap their hands, till the poor fellow gets out'of their sight. the ground, and listens for ay sound; again he proceeds,-ROBETS. sometimes crawling, sometimes walking, till he has reached his hiding-place. But the. natives themselves are famous for PSALM XXXVI. assisting each other to elude the search of their pursuers; and often, as did Jonathan and Ahimaaz, they conceal them- er. 11 Let not the foot of pride come against selves in the well l Sometimes an offender will run to a man me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove of rank who is at enmity with his foe, and say, " My lord, me. you must be my hiding-place against that wicked man, who has committed so many crimes' against you." C" Ah! the Here we have another instance of the feet and hands good man, he was my hiding-place."' —RoBERTs. being used for the whole man. Our Saviour said of the man: " The HA.ND of him that betrayeth me." Of a sick PSALM XXXIV. person to whom the physician will not administer, any more iVer. &. 0 taste and see that the LORD is good: medicine, it will be said, paregari-kivuttad, " The hand of the doctor has forsaken him." A servant is under the blessed is the man tthait trusteth inw hm. hand of his master. The foot of pride probably alludes to "CI have rtsse-pcrtair2 i. e. tastedZ and seen tholy man the custom of the conqueror trampling upon the vanquished: I have rsse-rtai," i. e. taste and seen the holy man. for in the next verse it is said, The workers of iniquity " The M'odeliar is a good man; I have tasted of him many times." "C Tamby, hgave you been to see the colector are fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise."-RoBEaRTs. " No, I am afraid of him."-" Fear not; I have tasted of him, and he is very sweet." " Do you pretend to know me." PSALM XXXVII. -"Yes, I know you well; many times have I tasted of you, and have proved you to be all bitterness." A wife. 6. And he shall br says of a good husband, " I have tasted him, and he is very ness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonsweet." Does a father chastise his child, he asks, "Do day. you now taste me? Am I sweet or sour? When you commit such things, I shall always be sour to you." Of a " Righteousness and the light are but one." "C His righgood and absent child, he says, " My son, my son! when teousness is as the light." " Yes, he is indeed a wise judge, will you return, that I may again taste your sweetness."- his decision is as the noonday." " What an erroneous ROBERTs. judgment is this! my case was as powerful and clear is the sun in his zenith."-ROBERTS. Ver. 20. HEe keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Ver. 35. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay-tree. A curious opinion of the Jews is, that wherever their bodies may be buried, it is only in their own promised land The margin has, instead of green bay-tree, " a tree that that the resurrection can take place; and, therefore, they groweth in his own soil." Ainsworth, " I have seen the who are interred in any other part of the world must take wicked daunting terrible, and spreading himself bare, as a their way to Palestine under ground; and this will be an green self-growing laurel." A truly wicked man is coinoperation of dreadful toil and pain, although clefts and pared to a tamarind-tree, whose wood is exceedingly hard, caverns will be opened for them by the Almighty. Whether and whose fruit is sour. "' That passdasb, i. e. fiend, is like it arose from this superstition, or from that love for the land the naruztha-marqana," (Termuinalia-Alate.) This tree reef their fathers, which, in the Jews, is connected with the sists the most powerful storms; it never loses its leaves, strongest fealing; of faith and hope, certain it is, that and is sacred to Vyraver, the prince of devils. I have. T1Ut, 376 PSAL MS. Ps. 39-42. seen some that would measure from thirty to forty feet in side of the case of a letter, or book rolled up, seems to be circumference. The tamarind-tree at Port Pedro, under at least as ancient as the time of Chrysostom, according which Baldeus preached, measures thirty feet.-ROBERTS. to a note of Lambert Bos on the 40th Psalm. Chrysostom, we are told there, remarks, that they call a wrapper the PSALM XXXIX. KEqaXls, which is the word the Septuagint translators make Ver. 5. Behold, thou hast made my days as a use of to express the Hebrew word nine mnegtlath, which hand-, and mine age is as nothing before we translate volume: "In the volume of the book it is writhand-breadth, andmiegeaten of me." Chrysostom seems to suppose there was thee: verily every man at his best state is alto- written in or on the sacred volume, a word or words gether vanity. Selah. which signified the coming of the Messiah. But Chrysostom would hardly have thought of such an interpretation, "What are the days of man. Only four fingers." "My had it not been frequently done at Constantinople in his son has gone, and has only had a life of four fingers." time, or by the more eastern princes that had business to "You have had much pleasure 2' —" Not so; it has only transact with the Greek emperors; or been known to have been the breadth of four fingers." " Is he a great land- been before those times practised among the Jews.-HARowner'I"-" Yes, he has about the breadth of four fingers." MER. "I am told that the hatred betwixt those people is daily decreasing'." —'' Yes; that which is left is about four fingers PSALM XLI. in breadth."-ROBERTS.'Ver. 9. Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I Ver. 10. Remove thy stroke away from me: I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted am consumed by the blow of thy hand. his heel against me. 1. When thou with rebukes dost correct man "The man who has eaten my rice has now become a for iniquity, tholu mraklest his beauty to consume traitor; yes, he has cut my kuthe-kal," i. e. heel.-ROBERTs. To eat of the same bread has been reckoned in every away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. age a sure pledge of inviolable friendship. Pythagoras comSelah. manded his disciples not to break bread, because, say they, the bond of friendship is not to be broken; and all friends See on Job 4. 9. should assemble round the same cake. A cake of bread, The moths of the East are very large and beautiful, but observes Curtius, was thelmost sacred pledge of amity among short-lived. After' a few showers these splendid insects the Macedonians. Nothing was reckoned baser in the may be seen fluttering in every breeze; but the dry weather East, than to offer violence to those at whose table they and their numerous enemies soon consign, them to the com- had been entertained. 2Eschines, in his oration against mon lot. Thus the beauty of man consumes away like that Demosthenes, reproaches him especially because he had of this gay rover, dressed in his robes of purple, and scar- accused him, though they had eaten at the same table, and,et. and green.-RoBERTS. joined in the same sacred ceremonies. In perfect harPSALM mony with these views and feelings, which seem to harve PSALM XL. been derived from a very remote antiquity, the holy Psa Imist Ver. 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not de- complains of Ahithophel: " Yea, mine own familiar fiiend, sire; mine ears hast thou opened:'burnt-offer- in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." And a greater than David, in refing and sin-offering hast thou not required. crence to Judas Iscariot: " I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen; but that the scripture may be fulfilled, Ainsworth, "Mine ears hast thou dibgged open." In he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against scripture phrase, the Lord is said to speak IN the ears of me. The traitor had lived for more than three years in his people. Those young heathen who are'above ten years the relations of peace and amity with his Lrcd: he had cf age, and under twenty, have the qdbatheasum whispered been called in the apostolic office, and had been admitted to in their ears, which is believed to have a very sacred ef- the same familiar ntercourse with his divine Master. as fect. —RoBsTs. the other disciples had enjoyed. These invaluable privileges greatly aggravated his crime; but his eating bread Ver. 7. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume at his Master's table, while he was plotting against his of the book it is written of me. life, was the crowning point of his enormous wickedness. -PAXTON. I have elsewhere observed, that the oriental books and letters, which are wont both of them to' be rolled up, are PSALM XLII. usually wrapped in a covering of an elegant kind: I would Ver. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, here add, that they have sometimes words on these cover- my soul after thee, ings, which have a general notion of what is contained in them; which management obtained in much elder times, In the East, where streams are not common, and here and might possibly be in use when some of the Psalms the deer are so often chased heir savage co-tenants of were written. Sir John Chardin, describing the manner the forest and the glade, no wonder that they are often to'fdismissing the ambassalors and -envoys that'were at driven from their favourite haunts to the parched grounds. the court of the Persian monarch, when he was there, After this, their thirst becomes excessive, but they dare after mentioning the presents that were made them, goes on not returnto the water, est tey should aain meet the "that the letters to the crowned heads were not returnto the water, lest they should again meet the to inform us, "that the letters to the crowned heads were sealed; that for the cardinal patron was open: that for enemy. When the good Rmar and his pepe went through the thirsty wilderness, it is written, "As the deer the pope was formed so as to be larger than the rest; it t hrough the thirsty widerness written, " Ahrough the deer was enclosed in a bag of very rich brocade, and sealed at cried for water, so did they." In oin throh he eere yesterday, my thirst was so great, I cried out like the the ends, which had fringes hangipg down the bag half deer for water."-Ro Er way. The seal was applied to the place where the knot was on both sides, upon red wax, of the diameter of a piece of fifteen sols, and very thick. Upon the middle of Ver. 7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noi,, of thy one of the sides of the bag were written these two Persian water-spouts: all thy waves and thy billows words, Hamel Fasel, which signify, excellent or precious are gone over me. writing." After which he goes on to explain the reasons that occasion the Persian prince to treat the popes with such A water-spout at sea is a splendid sight; in shape it redistinguished honour, which it would be of no use to con- sembles a funnel, with the tube pointing to the water. In sidler here. The remtark I would make relates to the in- 1819, a large one burst near our ship, which caused conscription on the outside of the rich bag enclosing these siderable alarm to all on board. We were near to it bedespatches, and which, in few words, expressed the gen- fore we were aware, and the captain ordered the guns to real' nature of what was contained in the roll within: it be loaded and discharged, to cause it to break. Happily was a royal writing. This practice of writing on the out- for us, it burst at some distance; but the noise the water Ps. 42 —45. P S A L M S. 377 made in rushing from the water-spout, and again in dash- will gather money, and do likewise." In the same page he ing into the sea, strongly reminded me of this expression, tells us, the " marabbots have generally a little neat room "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts." built over their graves, resembling in figure their mosques ROBERTS. or churches, which is very nicely cleaned, and well looked Natural philosophers often make mention of water-spouts, after." And in the succeeding page he tells us, " Many which are most surprising appearances; but hardly any of people there are, who will scarcely pass by any of them the commentators, that I have observed, speak of them, without lifting up their hands, and saying some short though our translators have used the term, Psalm xlii. 7, prayer." He mentions the same devotion again as pracand the Psalmist -seems to be directly describing those tised towards a saint that lies buried on the snort,f the ~henornena, and painting a storm at sea. And none of Red Sea. hem, I think, take notice of the frequency of water-spouts In like manner, he tells us, that at quitting ne oeet, or )n the Jewish coasts, and consequently that it was natural holy house at Mecca, to which they make devout pilgrimfor a Jewish poet to mention them, in the description of a ages, " they hold up their hands towards the beet, making violent and dangerous storm. earnest petitions; and then keep going backward till they That this however is the fact, we learn from Dr. Shaw, come to the aboNvesaid farewell gate. All the way as they who tells us, that water-spouts are more frequently near the retreat, they continue petitioning, holding up their hands, capes of Latikea, Greego, and Carmel, than in any other with their eyes fixed on the beet, until they are out of sight part of the Mediterranean. These are all places on the of it: and so go to their lodgings weeping."-HARMER. coast of Syria, and the last of them everybody knows in Judea, it being a place rendered famous by the prayers of PSALM XLV. the prophet Elijah. The Jews then could not be ignorant of what frequently happened on their coasts, and David must have known of these dangers of the sea, if he had speak of the things which I have made touchnot actually seen some of them, as Dr. Shaw did. Strange ing the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready then! since this is the case, that commentators should writer. speak of these water-spouts as only meaning vehement rains; or that any should imagine that he compares his This Psalm is a poetical composition, in the form of an afflictions to the pouring of water through the spouts of a epithalamium, or song of congratulation, upon the marriage house, as Bythner seems to do in his Lyra, when they of a great king, to be sung to music at the wedding-feast. have nothing to do with a storm at sea, which the Psalmist The topics are such as were the usual groundwork of sach gratulatory odes with the poets of antiquity: they all fall Others have remarked that these spouts are often seen under two general heads the praises of the bridegroom, in the Mediterranean, but I do not remember to have seen and the praises of the bride. The bridegroom is praised it anywhere remarked, before I read Dr. Shaw, that they for the comeliness of his person, and the urbanity of his are more frequent on the Syrian and Jewish coasts, than address, for his military exploits, for the extent of his conany other part of this sea; and as the doctor has not ap- quests, for the upright adextentinistration of hi s government plied the observation to the explaining any part of scrip- for the magnificence of his court. The brideis celebrated ture, I thought it was right to take notice of it in these pa- for her high birth, for the beauty of her person, the richness pers, and as it belongs to the natural history of Judea, it of her dress, and her numerous train of blooming bridecomes into this chapter.-HARMER. maids. It is foretold that the marriage will be fruitful, and that the sons of the great king will be sovereigns of the Ver. 11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? whole earth. In this general structure of the poem, we and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope find nothing but the common topics and the common arthou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who ranlgement of every wedding-song: but when we recollect is the health of my countenance, and my God. that the relation between the Saviour and his church is represented in the writings both of the Old and -New TesAinsworth, " the salvations of my face." i" Oh! Siv~a, tament, under the image of the relation of a husband to his are you not the salvation of my face! says the prostrate wife, that it is a favourite image with all the ancient devotee. " To whom shall I make known my distress 2 prophets, when they would set forth the loving-kindness of are not you the salvation of my face k" "Alas i alas t the God for the church, or the church's dutiful return of love salvation of amy face has departed." " The-blossoming on to him; while, on the contrary, the idolatry of the church, my face is now withered and gone," says the widow, la- in her apostacies, is represented as the adultery of a marmenting over the corpse of her husband.-RoBERTS nried woman; that this image has been consecrated to this signification by our Lord's own use of it, who describes PSALM XLIV. God in the act of settling the church in her final state of Ver. 20. If we'have forgotten the naurse of our peace and perfection, as a king making a marriage for his son;-the conjecture that will naturally arise upon the God, or stretched out our hands to a strange recollection of these circumstances will be, that this epigod. thalamium, preserved among the sacred writings of the an cient Jewish church, celebrates no common marriage, but The stretching out the hand towards an object of devotion, the great mystical wedding, that Christ is the bridegroom, or a holy place, was an ancient usage among Jews and and the spouse his church. And this was the unanimous heathens both, and it continues in the East to this time, opinion of all antiquity, without exception even of the which continuance I do not remember to have seen re- Jewish expositors. For although, with the veil of ignomarked. " If." says the Psalmist, " we have forgotten the rance and prejudice upon their understandings and their name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange hearts, they discern not the completion of this or of any cf god: shall not God search this out i" Ps. xliv. 20, 21. "Ethi- their prophecies in the Son of Mary; yet they allow, that opia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God," Ps. lxviii. this is one of the prophecies which relate to the Messiah 31. " Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto and Messiah's people; and none of them ever dreamed of thee: when I lift up my hand towards thy holy oracle," an application of it to the marriage of any earthly prince. Psalm xxviii. 2. It is the more extraordinary, that there should have That this attitude in prayer has continued among the arisen in the Christian church, in later ages, expositors of eastern people, appears by the following passages from Pitts, great name and authority, and, indeed, of great learning, in his account of the religion and manners of the Moham- who have maintained, that the immediate subject of the medans. Speaking of the Algerines throwing wax can- psalm is the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh's daughter, dles and pots of oil overboard, as a present to some marab- and can discover only a distant reference to Christ and the Dot, or Mohammedan saint, Pitts goes on, and says, church, as typified by the Jewish king and his Egyptial "When this is done, they all together hold up their hands, bride. But read thiS psalm, and tell me if you can any. Degging the marabbot's blessing, and a prosperous voyage." where find King Solomon. We find, indeed, passages This they do in common, it seems, when in the Straits' which may be applicable to Solomon, but not more applimouth; "and if at any time they happen to be in a very cable to him than to many other earthly kings; such as great strait or distress, as being chased, or in a storm, thev comeliness of person and urbanity of address, mentioned 48 `78 PSALMS.. Ps. 45. in' the second verse. These might be qualities, for any as the Spirit of God inspires his thoughts, and prompts his thing that we know to the contrary, belonging to Solomon; utterance. After this brief preface, declaring that his subI say, for any thing that we know, to the contrary, for in ject is Messiah, chiefily in his kingly character; that he these particulars the sacred history gives no information. cannot contain the thoughts which are rising in his mind; We read of Solomon's learning, and of his wisdom, and of that he speaks not from himself, or from previous study, the admirable sagacity and integrity of his judicial deci- but from inspiration at the moment, he plunges at once sions: but we read not at all, as far as I recollect, of the into the subject he had propounded, addressing the King extraordinary comeliness of his person, or the affability of Messiah, as if he were actually standing in the royal preshis speech. And if he possessed these qualities, they are ence. And in this same strain, indeed, the whole song no more than other monarchs have possessed, in a degree proceeds; a~s referring to a scene present to the prophet's not to be surpassed by Solomon. Splendour and stateliness eye, or to things which he saw doing.-HoSLE.Y. of dress, twice mentioned in this psalm, were not peculiar to Solomon, but belong to every great and opulent mon- Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men; arch. Other circumstances might be mentioned, applica- grace is poured into thylips: therefore God ble, indeed, to Solomon, but no otherwise than as generallyace is poured into thy lips: te God applicable to every king. But the circumstances which are hath blessed thee for ever. characteristic of the king who is the hero of this poem, are every one of themt utterly inapplicable to Solomon, inso- We have no account in the gospels of our Saviours Imuch, that not one of them can be ascribed to him, without person. Some writers of an early age (but none so early contradicting the history of his reign. The hero of this as to have seen him) speak of it as wanting dignity, and o0 poem is La warrior, who girds his sword upon his thigh, his physiognomy as unpleasing. It would be difficult, I rides in pursuit of flying foes, makes havoc among them believe, to find any better foundation for this strange nowith his sharp arrows, and reigns at last by conquest over tion, than an injudicious interpretation of certain prophehis vanquished enemies. Now Solomon was no warrior: cies, in a literal meaning, which represent the humiliation he enjoyed a long reign of' forty years of uninterrupted which the Son of God was to undergo, by clothing his peace. He retained, indeed, the sovereignty of the coun- divinity with flesh, in images taken from personal detries which his father had conquered, but he made no new formity. But from what is recorded in the gospels, of the conquests of his own. " He had dominion over all the ease with which our Saviour mixed in what, in the modern region west of the Euphrates, over all the kings on this style, we should call good company; of the respectful side of the river, (they were his vassals,) and he had peace attention shown to him, beyond any thing his reputed birth on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt or fortune might demands and the manner in which his safely, every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, discourses, tither of severe reproof or gentle admonition from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon." If were received, we may reasonably conclude, that he had a Solomon ever girded a sword upon his thigh, it must have dignity of exterior appearance, remarkably corresponding been merely for state; if he had a quiver of sharp arrows, with that authority of speech, which, upon some occasions, he could have had no use for them but in hunting. And it impressed even his enemies with awe, and with that digniwas with great good judgment, that upon the revision of fled mildness, which seems to have been his more natural our English Bible, in the reign of James the First, the and usual tone, and drew the applause and admira: on of Calvinistic argument of this psalm, as it stood in Queen all who heard him. External feature, however, is geneElizabeth's Bible, was expunged, and that other substituted rally the impression of the mind upon the body, and words which we now read in our Bible of the larger size, in these are but the echo of the thoughts; and, in prophecy, more words: " The majesty and grace of Christ's kingdiom; the is usually meant than meets the ear in the first sound, and duty of the church, and the benefits thereof;" which, indeed, most obvious sense of the terms employed. Beauty and contain a llmost exact summary of the whole doctrine of the grace of speech are certainly used in this text as figures of psalm. And the particulars of this, it is my intention in much higher qualities, which were conspicuous in our Lord future discourses to expound. and in him alone of all the sons of men. That image of The psalm takes its beginning in a plain, unaffected Godin which Adam was created, in our Lord appeared manner, with a verse briefly declarative of the importance and entire; in the unspotted innocency of his life. of the subject, the author's extraordinary knowledge of it. the sanctity of his manners, and his perfect obedience to and the imananer in which it will lbe treated:- the law of God; in the vast powers of his mind, intellectual and moral: intellectual, in his comprehension of all knowl"Muy heartfis enditingn a good matter;"7 edge; moral, in his power of resisting all the allurements or rather, of vice, and of encountering all the difficulties of virtue and 1" My heart labours with a goodly theme:" religion, despising hardship and shame, enduring pain and for- the word " enditing" answers but poorly, as our transla- death. This was the beauty' with which he was adorned tors themselves appear from their margin to have been well beyond the sons of men. In him, the beauty of the divine aware, to the emphasis of the original, which expresses, image was refulgent in its original perfection; in all the that the mind of the prophet was excited and heated, boiling sons of Adam, obscured and marred, in a degree to be over, as it were, with his subject, and eager to give utter- scarce discernible; the will depraved, the imagination deance to its great conceptions. "A good matter," or "a bauched, the reason wreak, the passions rampant! This goodly theme," denotes a subject of the highest interest and deformity is not externally visible, nor the spiritual beauty importance:- which is its opposite: but, could the eye be turned upon the "My heart labours with a goodly theme: internal man, we should see the hideous shape of-,a will at I address my performance to the King;" enmity with God; a heart disregarding his law, insensible that is, as hath been abundantly explained, to the great of his goodness, fearless of his wrath, swielling with the King Messiah: — passions of ambition, avarice, vain-glory, lust. Yet this is "My tongue is the pen of a ready writer;" the picture of the unregenerated man, by the depravity that is, of a well-instructed writer, a writer prepared and consequent upon the fall, born in iniquity, and conceived ready, by a perfect knowledge of the subject he undertakes in sin. Christ, on the contrary, by the mysterious manner ~~~~~~~~to treat. ~of his conception, was born without spot of sin; he grew But with what sense and meaning is it, that the Psalmist up and lived full of grace and truth, perfectly sanctified in compares his " tongue" to the " pen" of such a writer It flesh and spirit. With this beauty he was " adorned beyond is to intimate, as I apprehend, that what he is about to deliver is no written composition, but an extemporaneous effusion, without. any premeditation of his own, upon therd thy sword upo n th thigh, O ost immediate impulse and suggestion of the Holy Spirit: that Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. what -will fall, however, in that manner, from his "tongue," for the coherence and importance of the matter, for the From the commendation of the comeliness of the king's correct propriety of the expression, and for the orderly person, and the graciousness of his speech, the Psalmist, in arrangement of the parts, will in no degree fall short of the the same figurative style, passes to the topic of his prowess most laboured production of the " pen" of any writer, the as a warrior, under which character our Lord is perpetu-'.'est prepared by previous study of his subject; inasmuch ally described in the prophecies. The enemies he Mad to Ps. 45. PSALMS. 379 engage are the wicked passions of men, the devil in his ment, torture, and death, for the sake of Christ. It wa,,i wiles and machinations, and the persecuting powers of the indeed, a wonderful thing, wrought by Christ's single arm, world. The warfare is continued through the whole of the when his religion prevailed over the whole system of idolperiod I have meationed, commencing upon our Lord's as- atry, supported as it was by the authority of sovereigns, by cension, at which time he is represented, in the Revelation, the learning of philosophers, and most of all, by the invetas going forth npoa a " white horse, with a crown upon his erate prejudices of the vulgar, attached to their false gods head, and a bow in his hand, conquering and to conquer." by the gratificatfon which their very -worship afforded te The Psalmist, in imagery almost the same, accosts him as the sensual passions, and.by the natural partiality of mana warlike prince preparin0 to take the field; describes his kind in favour of any,ystem, however absurd and corrupt, weapons, and the magnificence of his armour, and prom- sanctioned by a long antiquity., It was a wonderful thinm ises him victory and universal dominion, when the devil's kingdom, with much of its invisible This verse, I fear, must be but ill understood by the power, lost at once the whole' of its external pomp and English reader. The words, " 0 most Mighty!" very weak- splendour; when ~ilence being imposed. on his oracles, and ly render the original, which is a single word, one of the spells and enchantments divested of their power, the idoltitles of Christ, in its literal sense expressive of might and atrous worship which by those engines of deceit had been valour. But the great difficulty which, in my apprehen- universally established, and for ages supported, notwvithSion, must perplex the English reader, lies in the exhorta- standing the antiquity of its institutions, and the bewitching tion, to gird on glory and majesty to-ether with the sword. gayety and magnificence of its festivals, fell in-to neglect; The things have no obvious connexion; and how are ma- when its cruel and lascivious rites, so long holden in superjetty and glory, in any sense which the words may bear in stitious veneration, on a sudden became the objects of a just our languange, tc be girt on upon the person' The truth is, and general abhorrence; when the unfrequented temples, that, in the Hebrew language, these words have a great spoiled of their immense treasures, sunk in ruins, and the variety and latitude of meaning; and either' these very images, stripped of their gorgeous robes and costly jewels,, words, or their synonymes, are used in other places for were thrown into the Tiber, or into the cmnimon receptasplendid dress, and for robes of state; and being things to cles of filth and ordure. It was a wonderful thing, when be girt on, they must here denote some part of the warrior's the minds of all men took a sudden turn; kings became the dress. They signify such sort of armour, of costly mate- nursing fathers of the church, statesmen courted her allirials and exquisite workmanship, as was worn by the ance, philosophy embraced her faith, and even the sword greatest benerals, and by kings when they led their armies was justly drawn in her defence. These were the "wonin person, and was contrived for ornament as well as safety. derful things" effected by Christ's right hand; and in these, The whole verse might be intelligibly and yet faithfully this part of the Psalmist.s prophecy has received its accomrendered, in these words:- plishment. Less than this his words cannot mean; and to " Warrtor! gird thy sword upon thy thitgh; more than this they cannot with any certainty be extended: Buckle on thy refulgent, dazzling armiour."-HoihsLEy. since these things satisfy all that is of necessity involved in VerI 4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, be- his expressions.-HonsL~v. cause of truth, and meekness, and righteous- Ver. 5. Thine arrows are sbarp in the heart of ness; and thy right hand shall teach thee ter- the King's enemies; whereby the people fab rible things. under thee. That is, take aim with thy bow and arrow at the enemy; The war in which the Psalmist reprpsents the Saviour as'be prosperous, or successful in the aim taren; ride on in engaged, is very different from the wars which the princes pursuit of the flying foe, in the cause of religious truth, of this world wage with one another: it is not for the deevanbelical humility, and righteousness. struction of the lives of men, but for the preservation of "And thy riht hin shaltteach hee terible imingstheir souls. This prophetic text of the Psalmist relates "And thy ri-ht hand shall teach thee terrible thlingss;'l rather,' only to that spiritual war which Christ wages with the "and thy own right hand shall show thee wonderful things.' enemies of man, for man's deliverance; to the war arising'LAnd thy own right hand shall show thee wonderr~ul things.'' fo la emt ihwa rgnlypu ewe h In thee word, th aiuefetn vrytigb i from that enmity -hick was originally put between the In these words the Saviour effecting every thing by his seed of the serpent and the woman's seed. The offensive own power, is represented nader the image of a great weapons in this war of charity, according to the Psalmist, champion in the field, who is prompted by his own conrage, are of two sorts a and a reliance on his own strength and skill, to attempt tary sword is a heavy massive weapon, for close enoagewthat miniht seem impracticable; singly to attack whole b wr sahaymsie epn o ls nae squado of glthe enemy;t cuti hisway tro their em- ment: wielded by a strong and skilful arm, it stabs and squadrons of the enemy; to cut his way thnough their em- cuts, opens dreadful gashes where it falls, severs limbs, lops battled troops; to scale their ramparts and their walls, and the head, or cleaves the body. The arrow is a light misat last achieve what seems a wonder to himself, when the silo weapon, which, in ancient times, was used to annoy the frpy is over, -when he is at leisure to survey the b* lwarks enemy at a distance, and particularly when put to flight. It he has demolished, and the many carcasses his single arm comes whizzing through the air unseen, and, wrhen it hits, has stretched upon the plain. Such great things he wvill be so small is the wound, and so swift the passage of the able to effect. Dssmlistewudadsosittepsgefte weapon, that it is scarcely felt, till it fixes its sharp point in It yet remains to be more fully explained, what Is meant the very heart. in tme Psalmist's detail of the Messiah's war, by those very het.'Cwonders" -which " his own right hand was to show those" Now both these weapons, the sword and the arrow, are him "emblems of one and the same thing; h'hich is no other Thy own right baud shall show thee wonders." than the word of God, in its different effects, and different Our public translation has it, " terrible things." But the manners of operation on the minds of men, represented notion of terror is not of necessity included in the sense of under these two different images. the ori-inal word, as it is used by the sacred writers: it is The word of God may be divided, indeed, into two parts, sometimes, indeed, applied by them to frightful things: but the word of reproof, commination, and terror; and the word it is also applied, with great latitude, to things extraordi- of persuasion, promise, and hope. The fitrmer holds up to narl in their kind; grand, admirable, amazing, awful; the sinner the picture of himself; sets forth the turpitude of although they should not be frightful. We have no right, sin, the holiness of God, God's hatred of unrighteousness; therefore, to take it in the strict sense of "1 frightful," unless and alarms the conscience with the danger of a state ol something in the context points to that meaning, which is enmity with God, and with denunciations of implacabie not the case in this passage. And, accordingly, instead of wrath and endless punishment. "terrible," we find, in some of the oldest English Bibles, The second, the word of persuasion, promise, and hope the better chosen. word," wonderful." sets before the penitent the riches of God's mercy, displayNow the " wonderful things" which Messiah's " own right ed in the scheme of man's redemption; points to the cross, hand" showed him, I take to be the overthrow of the pagan where man's guilt was expiated; bids the contrite sinne~ superstition, in the Roman empire, and other great king-' rely on the Redeemer's intercession; offers tme daily supdooms of the world, by the mere preaching of the gospel, piy of -race to confirm him in his resolutions, and assist seconded by the exemplary lives and the miracles of the him in his efforts to conform himself to the precepts and first preachers, and by the patient endurance of imprison- example of the Saviour, and promises victory and glory to 380' PSALMS. Ps. 45. them that persevere: thus turning despondency into hope, under the image of the Messiah's defensive armour, and and fear into love. had a principal share in making "peoples fall under him." The first, the word of terror, is the sword girt upon -HORSLEY. Messiah's thigh; the second, the word of persuasion, is the arrow shot from his bow. Ver. 6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever For the sense of the first metaphor, we have the authority the sceptre of thy kingdom is right sceptre. of the sacred writers themselves. "The swordof the Spirit," 7. s ret knoms a ht scr 7. Thou. lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedsays St. Paul to the Ephesians, is the word of God." And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the full signification of the ness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed figure is opened, and the propriety of the application shown: thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. "For the word of God," says the inspired author, "is quick and powerful, (rather, lively and energetic,) and sharper It was before shown, how inapplicable this address is to than any two-edged sword, and piercing to the parting of Solomon; and it is obvious, that it is equally inapplicable. soul and spirit, and to the joints and marrow;" that is, as to any earthly monarch: for of no throne but God's can it the soldier's sword of steel cuts through all the exterior in- be affirmed with truth, that it is for'ever and ever; of no teguments of skin and muscle, to the bone, and even through king, but of God and of his Christ, it can be said, that he the hard substance of the bone itself, to the very marrow, loves righteousness with a perfect love, and hates wickedand divides the.ligaments which keep the joints of the ness with a perfect hate; of no sceptre, but the sceptre of body together; so this spiritual sword of God's awful word God and of his Christ, that it is a straight sceptre. The,penetrates the inmost recesses of the human mind, pierces sceptre has been, from the earliest ages, a badge of royalty. to the very line of separation, as it were, of the sensitive and It was originally nothing more than a straight slender rod, the intelligent principle, lops off the animal part, divides studded sometimes for ornament with little nails of gold. the joints where reason and passion are united, sets the in- It was an emblem of the perfect integrity of the monarch tellect free to exert its powers, kills sin in our members, in the exercise of his power, both by himself and by his opens passages for grace to enter and enrich the marrow ministers infexibly adhering to the straight line of right of the soul, and thus delivers the man from his body of and justice, as a mason or carpenter to his rule. The perdeath. Such are the effects for which the powerful word fection of the emblem consisted in the straightness of the of terror is compared to a two-edged sword. stick; for every thing else was ornament. - The straightThe comparison of the word of promise to the arrow is ness, therefore, ascribed by the Psalmist to Messiah's more easily understood, being more familiar, and analo- sceptre, is to be understood of the invariable justice of the gous to those figures of speech which run through-all lan- administration of his government. Now, certainly there guages, by which, whatever makes a quick and smart have been many kings, both in ancient ahd in modern impression on the moral feelings, is represented under the times, to whom the praise is due of a cordial regard ii image of a pointed missile weapon; as w.hen we speak of general. to righteousness, and of a settled principle of dis"the thrilling darts of harmony," or "the shafts of elo- like to wickedness; many who, in the exercise of their quence." The Psalmist speaks of these arrows of God's authority, and the measure of their government, have been word, as sticking in "the hearts of the King's enemies," generally directed.by that just sense of right and wrong: that is, of the King Messiah; for he, you will remember, but yet kings are not exempt from -the frailties of human is the only ling in question. His enemies, in the highest nature; the very best of them are, at least, in an equal desense of the word, are those who are avowedly leagued gree with other good men, liable to the surprises of the with the apostate faction; atheists, deists, idolaters, heretics, passions, and the seductions of temptation; insomhch that perverse disputers, those who, in any manner of set design, that predominant love of righteousness and hatred of inioppose the gospel; who resist the truth by argument, or quity, maintaining an absolute ascendency in the mind, encounter it with ridicule; who explain it away by sophis- in all times. and upon all occasions, which the Psalmist ticated interpretations, or endeavour to crush it by the attributes to his heavenly King, has belonged to none that force of persecution. Of such hardened' enemies there is ever wore an earthly crown: much less is the perfect no hope, till they have been hacked and hewed, belaboured, straightness of the sceptre, a perfect conformity to the rule and all but slain (in the strong language of one of the ancient of right, to be found in the practice and execution of the prophets) by the heavy sword of the word of terror. But, governments of the world. in a lowver sense, all are enemies till they hear of Christ, But the kingdom of the God-man is in this place intended. and the terms.of his peace are offered'to them. Many This is evident from what is said in the seventh verse: such are wrought upon by mild admonition, and receive in "God, even thine own God, hath anointed thee with the oil their hearts the arrows of the word of persuasion. Such, of gladness above thy fellows;" that is, God hath advanced no dohbt, were many of those Jews who were pricked to thee to a state of bliss and glory above all those whom thou the heart by St. Peter's first sermon, on the day of Pente- hast vouchsafed to call thy fellows. It is said too, that the cost: and even those worse enemies, if they can be brought love of righteousness, and hatred of wickedness, is the cause to their feeling by the ghastly wounds and gashes of the that God hath so anointed him, who yet, in the sixth verse, terrific' swrord of the word of threatening, may afterward is himself addressed as God. It is manifest, that these be pierced by the arrow, and carry about in their hearts its things can be said only of that person in whom the Godbarbed point. And by the joint effect of these two weapons, head and the manhood are united; in whom the human the sword and the arrow, the word of terror and the word nature is the subject of the unction, and the elevation to of persuasion, "peoples," says the Psalmist, that is, whole the mediatorial kingdom is the reward of the man Jesus: kingdoms and nations in a mass, "shall fall under thee;" for, in his divine nature, Christ, being equal with the shall forsake their ancient superstitions, renounce their Father, is incapable of any exaltation. Thus, the unction idols, and submit themselves to Christ. with the oil of gladness, and the elevation above his fellows, So much for the offensive weapons, the sword and the characterize the manhood; and the perpetual stability of arrows. But the defensive armour demands our attention: the throne, and the unsullied justice of the government, for it has its use, no doubt, in the Messiah's war. His declare the Godhead. It is therefore with the greatest properson, you will remember, is clad, in the third verse, priety that the text is applied to Christ, in the Epistle to the "with refulgent, dazzling armour." This may be under- Hebrews, and made an argument of his divinity; not by stood of whatever is admirable and amiable in the external any forced hecommodation of words which, in the mind form and appearance of the Christian religion. First, the of the author, related to another subject, but according to character of Jesus himself; his piety towards God, his phi- the true intent and purpose of the Psalmist, and the litlanthropy towards man; his meekness, humility, ready for- eral sense, and only consistent exposition of his words.giveness of injuries, patience, endurance of pain and death. HORSLEY. Secondly, the same light of good works shining, in a less Ver. 8. All thy garents sell of myrrh, an degree, in the lives of his disciples, particularly the apostles and blessed martyrs. Thirdly, whatever is decent and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, seemly in the government, the discipline,. and the rites of whereby they have made thee glad. the c'kurch. All these things, as they tend to draw the admiration, and conciliate the good-will of men, and miti- The holy Psalmist having seated the King Messiah on gate the malice of the persector; are aptly represented his everlasting throne, proceeds to the magnificence of his Ps. 45. PSALMS. 381 court, as it appeared on the wedding-day; in which, the himself delights. The consolations which the faithful, unthing that first strikes him, and fixes his attention, is the der all their sufferings, receive from him, in the example majesty and splendour of the king's own dress, which, in- of his holy life, the ministration of the word and sacradeed, is described by the single circumstance of the profu- ments, and the succours of the Spirit, are far beyond the sion of rich perfumes with which it was scented. But proportion of any thing they have to offer in return to him, this, by inference, implies every thing else of elegance and in their praises, their prayers, and their good lives, notcostly ornament: for among the nations of the East, in withstanding in these their services he condescends to take ancient times, perfume was considered as'th. finishing of delight. This is the doctrine of this highly mystic text, the dress of persons of condition, when they appeared in that the value of all our best works of faith and obedience, public; and modern manners give us no conception of the even in our own eyes, must sink into nothing, when they costliness of the materials employed in the composition of are contrasted with the exuberant mercy of God extended their odours, their care and nicety in the preparation of to us through Christ.-HORSLEY. them, and the quantity in which they were used. The high-priest of the Jews was not sprinkled with a few scanty Ver. 9. Kings' daughters were among thy hondrops of the perfume of the sanctuary; but his person was ourable women: upon thy right hand did stand so bedewed with it, that it literally ran down from his beard the queen in gold of Ophir. to the skirts of his garment. The high-priest of the Jews, in his robes of office, was in this, as I shall presently ex- It will be observed that the word "women," in the Bibles plain, and in every circumstance, the living type of our of the larger size, is printed in that character which is used great High-priest. The Psalmist describes the fragrance to distinguish the words which have been inserted by the of Messiah's garments to be such, as if the aromatic woods translators, to make the sense perspicuous to the English had been the very substance out of which the robes were reader, without any thing expressly corresponding in the made:- original. Omitting the word "women," our translators " Thy garments are all myrrh, aloes, and cassia." might have given the verse, according to their conceptions The sequel of this verse is somewhat 6bscure in the origi- of the preceding word, which describes the wmen, thus:nal, by reason of the ambiguity of one little word, which, "Kings' daughters are among thy honourables;" different interpreters have taken differently. I shall give that is, among the persons appointed to services of honour. what, in my judgment, is the literal rendering of the But the original word, thus expressed by " honourable passage, and trust I shall not find it difficult to make the women," or, by " honourables," is indeed applied to whatmeaning of it very clear. ever is rare and valued in its kind, and, for that reason, to " Thy garments are all myrrh, aloes, and cassia, illustrious persons, ennobled and distinguished by marks of Excelling the palaces of ivory, royal favour: and in this sense, it certainly is figuratively Excelling those which delight thee." applicable to the persons whom I shall show to be intended Ivory was highly valued and admired among the Jews, here. But the primary meaning of the word is, "bright, and other eastern nations of antiquity, for the purity of its sparkling;" and it is particularly applied to brilliant gems, white, the delicate smoothness of the surface, and the dura- or precious stones. Sparkling is, in all languages, figurability of the substance; being not liable to tarnish or rust tively applied to female beauty; and the imagery of the like metals, or, like wood, to rot or to be worm-eaten. original would be better preserved, though the sense would Hence, it was a favourite ornament in the furniture of the be much the same, if the passage were thus rendered:houses and palaces of great men; and all such ornamental " Kings' daughters are among the bright beauties of thy court." furniture was plentifully perfumed. The Psalmist, therefore, says, that the fragrance of the King's garments far The beauty certainly is mystic; the beauty of evangelical exceeded any thing that met the nostrils of the visiters in sanctity and innocence. the stateliest and best-furnished palaces. But this is not But who and what are the kings' daughters, the lustre of all: he says, besides, that these perfumes of the royal gar-whose beauty adorns the great monarch's court i "Kings' ments " excel those which delight thee." To understand daughters," in the general language of holy writ, are the this, we must recollect that there were two very exquisite kingdoms and peoples which they govern, of which, in perfumes used in the symbolical service of the temple, both common speech, they are called fathers. The expression made of the richest spices, mixed in certain proportions, may be so taken here; and then the sense will be, that the and by a process directed by the law. The one was used greatest kingdoms and empires of the world, converted to to anoint every article of the furniture of the sanctuary, the faith of Christ, and shining in the beauty of the and the robes and persons of the priests. The composition works of true holiness, will be united, at the season of the of it was not to be imitated, nor was it to be applied to the wedding, to Messiah's kingdom. But,'inasmuch as Mesperson of any but a consecrated priest, upon pain of death. siah's kingdom is not one of the kingdoms of the world Some, indeed, of the kings of David's line were anointed and that secular kingdoms will never be immediately, and with it: but when this was done, it was by the special di-in their secular capacity, vassals of his kingdom, I rather rection of a prophet, and it was to intimate, as I apprehend, think, that the kings daughters mentioned here, are the the relation of that royal house to the eternal priesthood. to various national churches, fostered for many ages by the to be instituted in due season in that family. The other. piety of Christian princes, and now brought to the perfecwas a compound of other ingredients, which made the tion of beauty, by the judgments which shall have purged incense that was burnt upon the golden altar as a grateful every one of them of all things that offend: for they may odour to the. Lord. This, too, was most holy, and to at- well be called "kings' daughters," of whom kings and tempt to make the like for private use was a capital offence.' queens are called, in the prophetic language, the fathers Now the perfumed garments of the Psalmist's King de- and the mothers. From these, the Psalmist turns out note the very same thing which was typified under the law attention to another lady, distinguished above then all, by by the perfumed garments of the high-priest; the Psalmist's her title, her place, and the superlative richness of he King being, indeed, the real person of whom the high-priest, robes. in every particular of his office, his services, and his dress, "Kings' daughters are among the bright beauties of thy court; was the type. The perfumed garments were typical: first, At thy right hand the consort has her station, of the graces and virtues of the Redeemer himself in his In standard gold of Ophir.' human character; secondly, of whatever is refreshing, en- Some expositors have imagined, that the consort is an enm.. couraging, consoling, and cheering, in the external minis- blem of the church catholic in her totality; the kings' tration of the word; and, thirdly, of the internal comforts daughters, typical of the several particular churches, of of the Holy Spirit. But the incense fumed upon the golden which that one universal is' composed. But the queen altar was typical of a far inferior, though of a precious and console here, is unquestionably the Hebrew church; the holy thing; namely, of whatever is pleasing to God in the church of the natural Israel, reunited, by her conversion, faith, the devotions, and the good works of the saints. Now to her husband, and advanced to the high prerogative of the Psalmist says; that the fragrance breathing from the the mother church of Christendom; and the kings' daughgarments of the King far excels, not only the sweetest ters are the churches which had been gathered out of the odouis of any earthly monarch's pa.ace, but that it sur- Gentiles, in the interval between the expulsion of his wilb, passes those spiritual odours of sanctity in which the King and the taking of her home again; that is, between the dis 3~~~~S%2~~ PPSALMS. Ps. 45. persion of the Jews by the Romans, and their restoration. Moses was no more than his servant; the prophets after The restoration of the Hebrew church to the rights of a Moses, servants in a lower rank than he. But the authority wife, to the situation of the queen consort in Messiah's of Christ, the husband,'is paramount over all; he is entitled kingdom upon earth, is the constant strain of prophecy. to her unreserved obedience; he is indeed her God, entitled'To prove this, by citing all the passages to that purpose, to her adoration. —HoRsLE. would be to transcribe whole chapters of some of the prophets, and innumerable detached passages from almost Ver. 12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there all. I shall produce only the latter part of the second with a gift; even the rich among the people chapter of Hosea. In that chapter, Jehovah, after discard- shall ing the incontinent wife, and threatening terrible severity entrt ty avour. of punishment, adds, that nevertheless the time should come, when she should again address her offended lord, come, when slie should agai~n address her offended lord, This submission of the consort to her wedded lord, wIill by the endearin name of husband. " And I will betroth set her high in the esteem of the churches of the Gentiles. by the endearing name of husband.'-" And I will betroth ThI da-teofyr acrin o-tepicplsf thep to myself for ever. Yes; I will betroth thee to myself The "daughter of Tyre," according tote principles o with justice, and with righteousness, and with exuberant interpretation we have laid down, must be a church established, either literally at Tyre, or in some country be-Id kindness, and with tender love. Yes; with faithfulness, lished, either literally at Tyre, or in some contry hed to myself I will betroth thee." These promises are made forth under the image of Tyre. Ancient Tyre was famous to the woman that had been discarded, and ca ot be for her commerce, her wealth, her excellence in the fine to th~e woman that had been discarded, and cannot bearshrlxytepoige dbuedmnrsfhr understood of mercies to be extended to any other. The ar, her luxury, the profligae deauched manners of her people, and the grossness of her idolty Th " duhe prophet Isaiah speaks to the same effect, and describes the people, and the grossness of her idolatry. The "daghte of Tyre') ";Pplatry. 8 eo The daughen osr wt if Gentile converts as becoming, upon the reunion, children of Tyre appearig before the queen consort "with a gif," of the pardoned wife. And I must not omit to mention, is a figurative prediction, that churches will be established, that St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, to clear up the under the protection of the government, in countries which mystery of God's dealing with the Jews,' tells us, that had been distinguished for profligacy, dissipated manners, "blindness is, in part only, happened unto Israel, till the and irreligion. It is intimated in the next line, that some time shall arrive for the fulness of the Gentiles to come in; of these churches will be rich; that is, rich in spiritual and then all Israel shall be saved; for the gifts and calling riches, which are the only riches of a churchfIu the mystic of G ae io rp ae Th language of prophecy; rich in the holy lives of their memof God are without repentance." To expound these prebers, in the truth of their creeds, and the purity of their dictions of the ancient prophets, and this declaration of the apostle, Of any thing but the restoration of the naturai external forms of worship, and in God's favour,-HORSLEr. Israel, is to introduce ambiguity and equivocation into the Ver. 13. The King's daughter is all glorious plainest oracles of God. The standard gold upon the queen's robe, denotes the within; her clothing is of wrought gold. treasures of which the church is the depositary; the written word, and the dispensation of grace, and forgiveness From this address to the queen, the Psalmist, in the presof sins, by the due administration of the sacraments.- ent verse, returns to the description of the great scene lying of sins,' by the due administration of the sacraments.~~~H~~~ORa~SLa~EY. ~in vision before him. ~tOaSLm~. "The King's danghter is all glorious within." V'er. 10. Heark-en, O daughbter, and consider, and n t Ve. 10. Hearken, daughter, and consider, and In this line, the same person that has hitherto been repreincline thine ear; forget also thine own people, sented as the King's wife, seems to be called his daughter. and thy father's house; 11. So shall the King This, however, is a matter upon which commentators have greatly desire thy beauty; for he is thy LORD, been much divided. Some have imagined that a new per~~and worship thou him. ~sonage is introduced; that the King's wife is, as I have all a-rd worship thou him. along maintained, the figure of the Hebrew church; but If a princess from a distant land, taken in marriage by a that this'" daughter of the King" is the Christian church in great king, were admonished to forget her own people and general, composed of Jews and Gentiles indiscriminately, considered as the daughter of the King Messiah by his her father's house, the purport of the advice would easily ere This was uh artin Luther's notion. Others be understood to be, that she should divest herself of all Hebrew queen. h w s ther n ter attachment to the customs of her native country, and to the have thought that the wife is the Hebre church by isel J ~~~and the. daughter, the church of the Gentiles by itself. style of her father's court, and learn to speak the language, and the daughter, the church of the Gentiles by itself But neither of these explanations are perfectly consistent and assume the dress, the manners, and the taste of her Far to be preferred is the husband's people. The "father's house," and " own peo- ith the imagery of this psalm. exposition of the late learned and pious Bishop Horne, whlo ple," which the Psalmist advises the queen consort to forget exposition of the late learned and pious Bishop Home, o.1 _11 et ~rejects the notion of the introduction of a new personage, is the ancient Jewish religion in its external form, the cere- rejects the notion of the introduction of a new persoae, and observes, "1that the connexion between Christ and bi-, monies of the temple service, the sacrifices and the typical and observes, "that the connexion beten Christ and his purgations of the Levitical priesthood. Not that she is to spouse unites in itself every relation and every affection. spoue uits iitseelfo dagher, wielto and sisery allecinone." forget God's gracious promises to Abraham, nor the cove- She is therefore, daughter, wife, and sister, all in one. The same seems to have been the notion of a learned Donant with her forefathers, (the benefit of which she will he sae ee h enth o earndD enjoy to the end of timle,) nor the many wonderful., dcliv- minican of the seventeenth century, who remarks, that the enjoy to the enod of time,) nor the many wonderful., deliverances that were wrought for them; nor is she to forget Emperess Julia, in the legends of some ancient coins, is called the daughter of Augustus, whose Wife she was. the history of her nation, preserved in the scriptures of the cl th ugero A s e f he ws Old Testament; nor the predictions of Moses and her But, with ar uch general reverence for the onions of prophets, the full accomplishment of which she will at this these learned commentators, am persuaded that the sos time experience:, and historically, she is never to forget have been misplaced in the ebrew manuscripts, by te Jewish critics, upon the last revision of the text; that transeven the ceremonial law; for the Levitical rites were no- lators have been misled by their false division of the text, lators have been misled by their false division of the!ext, thing less than the gospel itself in hieroglyphics; and, rightly understood, they afford the most complete demon- and exposiors misled by translators. The stops being rightly placed, the Hebrew words give this sense:stration of the coherence of revelation with itself, in all it rightly placed, the Hebrew words give this sense:different stages, and the best evidence of its truth; showing "She is all glorious"that it has been the same in substance, in all ages, differing She, the consort of whom we have been speaking, is glori only in external form, in the rites of worship, and in the ous in every repectmanner of teaching. But practically, the rites of thieir o in e ancient worship are to be forgotten, that is, laid aside: for Dauhter of a king! they never were of any other importance than in reference That is, she is a princess born; (by which title she is saluted to the gospel, as the shadow is of no value but as itfresem- in the Canticles;) she is glorious, therefore, for her high bles the substance. Practically, therefore, the restored birth. She is, indeed, of high and heavenly extraction! IHebrew church is to abandon her ancient Jewish rites, and She may say of herself, collectively what the apostle has become mere and pure Christian; and thus she will secure taught her sons to say individually, Of his bwn will begat the conjugal affections of her husband, and render the he us, with the word of his truth.", Accordingly, in the beauty of her person perfect in his eyes. And this she is Apocalypse, the bride, the Lamb's wife, is "the holy Jernbound to do; for her royal husband is indeed her Lord: salem, descending out of heaven, from God." Ps 45-51. PSALMS. 383 The Psalmist goes on:nations yet unconverted, and immersed in the darkness and "lttr inner garment is bespangled with gold; corruptions of idolatry; which make little less than two HI-I upper garment is embroidered with the needle." thirds, not of the civilized, but of the inhabited world. rhese two lines require little colmment. The spangles of The churches of this new conversion seem to be the virgl ins, the queen's bridemaids, in the nuptial procession. — gold upon the consort's inner garment, are the same thin gins the queen's brideaids in the nuptial procession with the standard gold of Ophir, of the ninth verse; the in-. valuable treasure with which the church is endowed, with Ver. 16. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy chikl the custody and distribution of which she is intrusted. The embroidery of her upper garment is, whatever thelre is of ren, whom thou mayest make princes in all the beauty in her external form, her discipline and her rites. earth. 17. I will make thy name to be remem— JIOtSLEY. bered in all generations: therefore shall the Ver. 14. She shall be brought unto the King in people praise thee for ev-r and ever. raiment of needle-work: the virgins her com- In the next verse (the sixteenth) the Psalmist again adpanions that follow her shall be brought unto dresses the queen:thee. 15. WVith gladness and rejoicing sheall "Thy children shall be in the place of thy fathers; they bie brought: thea shall enter itnto the Thou shalt make them princes in all the earth." CKinog's palace. Thy children shall be what thy fathers were, God's peculias people; and shall hold a distinguished rank and character in Our public translation has simpy, " She is brought;" but he earth. the original word implies, the pon4 and conduct of a public The Psalmist closes his divine song with a distich setting Ip oceSsion. The greatest caution bs requisite in attempting forth the design, and predicting the effect, of his own perlo interpret, in the detail of circunt?..ances, the predictions formance:of things yet remote. We may venture, however, to apply "I will perpetuate the remembrance of thy name to all generations. this conducting of the queen to the palace of her lord, to Insomuch that the peoples shall praise thee for ever." some remarkable assistance which i-.e Israelites will re- By enditing this marriage-song, he hoped to be the means ceive from the Christian nations os he Gentile race, in of celebrating the Redeemer's name from age to age, and their resettlement in the HI-oly Lantd; which seems to be of inciting the nations of the world to join in his praise. mentioned under the very same image by the prophet The event has not disappointed the holy prophet's expectaIsaiah, at the end of the eighteenth chapter, and by the tion. His composition has been the delight of the congreprophet Zephaniah, chap. iii. 10, and is clearly the sub- gations of the faithful for little less than three thousand ject of more explicit prophecies. " Thus saith Jehovah," years. For one thousand and forty, it was a means of speaking to Zion, in the prophet Isaiab,~ "Behold, I will keeping alive in the synagogue the hope of the Redeemer lift Up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to to come: for eighteen hundred since, it has been the means the peoples; and. they shall bring thy sons in their arms, of perpetuating in Christian congregations the grateful reand thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." membrance of what has been done, anxious attention to And in another place, " They" (the Gentiles mentioned in what is doing, and of the cheering hope of the second the preceding verse) "shall bring all your brethren, for an coming of our Lord, who surely cometh to turn away offering unto Jehovah, out of all nations, upon horses, and ungodliness from Jacob, and to set up a standard to the n,t. in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift tions which yet sit in darkness and the shadow of death. beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem." "He that witnesseth these things, saith, Behold, I come But the Psalmist is struck with the appearance of a very quickly. And the Spirit saith, Come; and the bride saith, remarkable band, described in the next verse, which makes Come; and let every one that heareth say, Amen. Even a part in this procession:- so. Come, Lord Jesus!" —HORSLEY. "She is conducted in procession to the King, Virgins follow her, her companions, PSALM XLVI. Coming unto thee; They are conducted in procession, with festivity and rejoicing; Ver. 5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not They enter the palace of the King." be moved: God shall help her, and that right These virgins seem to be different persons from the kings early. daughters of the ninth verse. Those " kings' daughters" were already distinguished' ladies of the monarch's own The Hebrew has, instead of early, " when the morning court: these virgins are introduced to it by the queen: they appeareth." Ainsworth, " God will help it at the looking follow her as part of her retinue; and are introduced as her forth of the morning." A person in perplexity says, " Yes, companions. The former represent, as we conceive, the I hope the morning will soon come; then will my friends churches of Gentile origin, formed and established in the help me." " hen the daylight shall appear, many will be period of the wife's disgrace: these virgins we take to be ready to assist me." " Ah! when will the morning come? new churches, formed among nations, not sooner called to How long has been this night of adversity!"-ROBERTS. the knowledge of the gospel, and the faith in Christ, at the very season of the restoration of Israel, in whose conver- PSALM XLVII. sion the'restored Hebrew church may have a principal Ver. 1. 0 clap your hand all people, shout share. This is that fulness of the Gentiles of which St. t 1 s all ye people, shout Paul speaks as coincident in time with the recovery of the unto God with the voice of triutph. Jews, and, in -a great degree, the effect of their conversion. See on Lam. 2. 15. " Have they stumbled that they should fall." saith the apostle, speaking of the natural Israel; " God forbid: but PSALM XLVIII. rather, through their fall, salvation is come unto the Gen- Ver. 6. Fear took hold upon them there, and tiles, for to provoke them to emulation. Now, if the fall of pain, as of a woman in travail. them be the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of pain, as of a woman in travail. the Gentiles, how much more their fulness 2 For if the sp casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what His pain not great? it was equal to that of a woman in shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" In these texts, the apostle clearly4lays Out this order of the Nothing but the womb knows trouble like this."-ROBERTS. business, in the conversion of the whole world to Christ: PSALM LI. First, the rejection of the unbelieving Jews: then, the first call of the Gentiles: the recovery of the Jews, after a long Ver. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be season of obstinacy and blindness, at last provoked to emu — clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than lation, brought to a right understanding of God's dispensa- snow. tions, by that very call which hitherto has been one of their stumbling-blocks: and lastly, in consequence of the con- Hyssop, a name, derived from the Hebrew esobh, and v-ersion of the Jews, a prodigious influx from the Gentile like mnany other names of plants, passed from the eastern 384 PSALIS. CHAP. 55 —57. into the Greek, and from this into most European languages, The lachrymatories used in Greece and Rome are, I besignifies the plant called in German, wohlgemuth, (i. e. lieve, unknown to the Hindoos. A personindistress, as he pleasant,) probably on account of its aromatic smell, and weeps, says, " Ah! Lord, take care of these tears, let then also marjoram, but called by botanists origanum cre.ticum. not run in vain." " Alas! my husband, why beat me'l my Rauwolf found this plant on the Mount of Olives, and be- tears are known to God."-ROB aERTS. tween Ramah and Joppa.-ROSENMULLER. The custom of putting tears into the ampldla or ULrice Paczrymales, so well known among the Romans, seems to have been more anciently in use in Asia, and particularly Ver. 6. And I said, Oh that I had wrings like a among the Hebrews. These lachrymal urns were of differdove! for then would I flee awsay, and be at ent materials, some of glass, some of earth, and of various rest. forms and shapes. One went about to each person in the company at the height of his grief with a piece of cotton The Hindoos have a science called Aagiya-Kannamn, in his hand, with which he carefully collects the falling which teaches the art of FLYING! and numbers in every age tears, and which he then squeezes into the bottle, preserving have tried to acquire it. Those who wish to attain a bless- them with the greatest care. This was no difficult matter; ing which is afar off, or who desire to escape from trouble, for Homer says the tears of Telemachus, when he heard often exclaim, "Oh! that I had learned the Aagiypa-Kan- of his father, dropped on the ground. They were placed nam; then should I gain the desire of my heart." " Could.on the sepulchres of the deceased as a memorial of the I but fly, these things would not be so." —RoBERTs. affection and sorrow of their surviving relations and friends. It will be difficult to account, on any other suppoVer.. 7. Lo, then would I wander far off, and re- sition. for the following expressions of the Psalmist: " Put main in the wilderness. Selah. thou my tears into thy bottle." If this view be admitted, the meaning will be: " Let my distress, and the tears I The classical bards of Greece and Rome make frequent shed in consequence of it, be ever before thee."-PAXToN. allusions to the surprising rapidity of the dove, and adorn their lines with many beautiful figures from the manner in PSALM LVII. which she flies. Sophocles compares the speed with which Ver. 4 she cleaves the ethereal clouds, to the impetuous rapidity of the whirlwind; and Euripides, the furious impetuosity among them that are set on fire, even the sons of the Bacchanals rushing upon Pentheus, to the celerity of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and of her motions. And Kimchi gives it as the reason why their tongue a sharp sword. the Psalmist prefers the dove to other birds, that while they become weary with flying, and alight upon a rock-or a tree The arrows were usually made of light wood, with a to recruit their strength, and are taken, the dove, when she head of brass or iron, which was commonly'barbed. Someis fatigued, alternately rests one wing and flies with the times they were armed with two, three, or four hooks. The other, and by this means escapes from the swiftest pur- heads of arrows were sometimes dipped in poison. Horace suers. The Orientals knew well how to avail themselves mentions the velrenata agittce, the poisoned arrows of the of her impetuous wing on various occasions. It is a curious ancient Moors in Africa. They were used by many other fact, that she was long, employed in those countries as a nations in different parts of the world; and if we believe courier, to carry tidings of importance between distant the reports of modern travellers, these cruel weapons are cities. _Elian asserts, that Taurosthenes communicated to not yet laid aside by some barbarous tribes. The negroes his father at _/Egina, by a carrier pigeon, the news of his in the countries of Bornou and Soudan fight with poisoned success in the Olympic games, on the very same. day in arrows; the arrow is short, and made of iron; the smallest which he obtained the prize. The Romans, it appears scratch with it causes the body to swell, and is infallibly from Pliny, often employed doves in the same service; for mortal, unless counteracted by an antidote known among Brutus, during the siege of Mutina, sent letters tied to their the natives. Everywhere, the poison used for this inhufeet, into the camp of the consuls. This remarkable cus- man purpose was of the deadliest kind; and the slightest tom has descended to modern times; Volney informs us, wound was followed by almost instant death. From this that in Turkey the use of carrier pigeons has been laid statement it will appear, that arrows were by no means aside, only for the last thirty or forty years, because the contemptible instruments of destruction, although they are Curd robbers killed the birds, and carried off their de- not to be compared with the tremendous inventions of modspatches. —PAXToN. ern warfare. We are not therefore to be surprised that sc Ver. 17. Evening, and morningo and at noon, w~ill many striking allusions to the arrow, and the trodden bow, occur in the loftier strains of the inspired writers. The I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my bitter words of the wicked are called "their arrows;" " their voice. teeth are spears and arrows;" and the man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is " a sharp arrow." But The frequency and the particular seasons of prayer are in these comparisons there is perhaps a literal meaning, circumstances chiefly connected with the situation and dis- which supposes a connexion between the mouth and the position of such as habituate themselves to this exercise. arrow. The circumstance related by Mr. Park might posBut from a singular conformity of practice in persons re- sibly have its parallel in the conduct of the ancients; and mote both as to age and place, it appears probable that some if it had, clearly accounts for such figures' as have been idea must have obtained generally, that it was expedient quoted. " Each of the negroes took from his quiver a and acceptable to pray three times every day. Such was handful of arrows, and putting two between his teeth, and the practice of David, and also of Daniel, (see ch. vi. 10,) one in his bow, waved to us with his hand to keep at a disand as a parallel, though, as far as connected with an idol- tance." Some are of opinion, that "the fiery darts," con — atrous system, a different case, we are informed that " it is cerning which the apostle Paul warned his Ephesian ccnan invariable rule with the Bramins to perform their devo- verts, allude to the poisonied arrows, or javelins, which tions three times every day: at sunrise, at noon, and at sun- were so frequently used in those times; others contend, set." (Maurice.)-BURDEa. that the allusion is made to those missile weapons, which were sometimes employed by the ancients in battles and Ver. 21. Thae words of his mouth were smoother sieges, to scatter fire in the ranks, or among the dwellthan butter, but war was in his heart: his ings of their enemies.''These were the mrvgpopa 4fn of words were softer than oil, yet wer'e they drawn Arrian, and the rvpoopot oLCoL of Thucydides, the heads of swords. t which were surrounded with combustible matter, and Set on fire, when they were launched against the hostile army." See on Cant. 3. 8. -PAxTON. PSALM LVI. Ver. 8. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou Ver. 8. Awake up, ny glory; awake psaltery my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy and harp; I myself will awake early. book? Dr. Boothroyd has this, " Awake, my glory I awake, lyre Ps. 5S. PSALMS. 385 and harp!" The Orientals often speak to inanimate ob- undoubtedly po'sonous. If one of them enter a house, the iectsas if they had intelligence. Thus, a strolling musician. charmer is sent for, who uses a certain form of words. I before he begins to play in your presence, says, " Arise, have seen three serpents enticed out of the cabin of a ship arise, my harp, before this great king! play sweetly in his lying near the shore. The operator handled them, and hearing, and well shalt thou be rewarded." A person who then put them into a bag. At other times I have seen the has sold an article, says to it, when being carried away," Go, serpents twist round the bodies of these psylli in all directhou, go." The Prophetsays, " Awake, oh sword!" " When tions, without having had their fangs extracted or broken, two heroes were preparing for a due], one of them found a and without doing them any injury.-BURDER. difficulty in drawing his sword from the scabbard; at which his antagonist asked,' What! is thy sword afraid?' VTer. 5. Which will not hearken to the voice of -' No,' replied the other,'it is only hungry for thy blood."' charmers, charming never so wisely. 6. Break -ROBERTS. their teeth, 0 God, in their mouth: break out PSALM LVIII. the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. Ver. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb; See on Eccl. x. 11. they go astray as soon as they be born, speak- The kuravan, or serpent charmer, maybe found in every ing lies. 4. Their poison is like the poison of village, and some who have gained great fame actually a serpent; they arte like the deaf adder that live by the art. Occasionally they travel about the district, to exhibit their skill. In a basket they have several serstoppeth her ear. pents, which they place on the ground. The kuravan then commences playing on his instrument, and to talk to the "Do you ask whence he had this disposition? I will tell reptiles, at which they creep out, and begin to mantle about you; it was from the womb." "Expect him not to change; with their heads erect, and their hoods distended. After he had it in the womb." The figure of the wicked going this, lie puts his arm to them, which they affect to bite, and astray as soon as they are born, seems to be taken from the sometimes leave the marks of their teeth, disposition and power of a young serpent soon after its birth. Fromi close observation I am convinced that all these The youngest serpent can convey poison to any thing it serpents thus exhibited have their poisonous FANGS extractbites; and the suffering in all cases is great, though the ed, and the Psalmist seems to have had his eyes on that bite is seldom fatal. Put a stick near the reptile, whose age when he says, " Break their teeth." Living animals have does not amount to many days, and he will immediately been repeatedly offered to the man for his serpents to bite. snap at it. The young of the tiger and alligator are equally but he would never allow it; because he knew no harn fierce in their earliest habits.-ROBERTS. would ensue. Several of the serpent tribe are believed to be deaf, or It is, however, granted, that some of these men may bevery dull of hearing. Perhaps that which is called the' lieve in the power of their charms, and there can be no pudde?/yan, the beaver serpent, is more so than any other. I doubt that serpents in their wild state are affected by the have several times been close upon them, but they did not ihifuence of music. One of these men once wentto a friend offer to get out of the way. They lurk in the path, and the of mine (in the civil service) witheservice) with his serpents, and chared victim bitten by them will expire a few minutes after the them before him. After some time the gentleman said3'0 I bite. " Talk not to him: he is as the deaf serpent, he will have a cobracapella in a cage, can yu charm him " "Oh not hear." " Truly, I am a deaf serpent, and may soon yes," said the charmer. The serpent was let out of the bite you." "Young man, if you repeat the ubbathecasum, cage, and the man began his incantations and charms; the which the priest has whispered in your ear, your next reptile fastened on his arm, and he was dead before the birth will be that of a deaf serpent."-ROBERTs. night. Ver. 4. Their poison is' like the -poison of a ser- The following is said to be a most potent charm for all..poisonous serpents:-Sultelldi, pande, keere, soolave, aL'al - pent; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth'dan, vac'rdn, rou, vattami, kiddantha, pamba, valliya, vlltaher ear. kal, vaya; which means, "Oh! serpent, thou who art coiled in the path, get out of my way; for around thee are " It appears, says Chardin, that all the teeth of a serpent the mongoos, the porcupine, and the kite in his circles is are not venomous, because those that charm them will cause ready to take thee." The mongoos is in shape and size their serpents to bite them till-they draw blood, and yet the much like the English weasel. The porcupine is also a wound will not swell. Adders will swell at the sound of a great enemy of the serpent. The kite, before he pounces on flute, raising themselves up on one half of their body, turn- his prey, flies round in circles, and then drops like a stone; ing the other part about, and beating proper time; being he seizes the reptile with his talons just behind the head, wonderfully delighted with music, and following the in- carries it up in the air, and bills it in the head till it strument. Its head, before round and long like an eel, it expires. spreads out broad and flat. like a fan. Adilers and serpents But there are also charmers for bears, tigers, elephants, twist themselves round the neck and naked body of young anid other fierce animals. A party having to go through children, belonging to those that charm them. At Surat, forests or deserts to a distant country, generally contrive an Armenian seeing one of them make an adder bite his to have some one among them possessed of that art. A flesh, without receiving any injury, said, I can do that; and servant of mine joined himself to a company who were causing himself to be wounded in the hand, he died in less going from Batticaloa to Colombo. There was a magician, than two hours." A serpent's possessing a musical ear, its who walked in front, who had acquired great fame as a keeping time in its motions with the harmony, its altering charmer of serpents and other wild animals. After a few the shape of its head, are circumstances which, if true, are days they saw a large elephant, and the charmer said, " Fear' very wonderful.-HARMER. not." But the animal continued to approach; and my servant thought it expedient to decamp and climb a tree. The Ver. 5. Which will not hearken to the voice of others, also, began to retire; but the old man remained on the charmers, charming never so wisely. spot, repeating his charms. At last the elephant took him in his proboscis, and laid him gently on the ground; then Whether any man ever possessed the power to enchant lopped of the charmer's head, arms,.and legs, and crushed or charm adders and serpents; or whether those who pre- the lifeless body flat on the earth. tended to do so profited only by popular credulity, it is cer- By the power of charms the magicians preterd to have tain that a favourable opinion of magical power once influence over ghosts, beast, fire, wind, and water.-Roexisted. Numerous testimonies to this purpose may be.ERTS. collected from ancient writers. Modern travellers also afford their evidence. Mir. Browne, in his Travels in' Ver. 8.- As a snail which melteth, let every one of afford their evidence. Mr. Browne, in his Travels in: Africa, thus describes the charmers of serpents. Romeili them' pass away; like the untimely birth of a is an open place of an irregular form, where feats of jug- woman, that they may not see the sun. gling are performed. The charmers of serpents seem also worthy of remark, their powers seem extraordinary. The The snail is, in -the Hebrew scriptures, called %5ur satl serpent most: common' at Khaira is of the viper class, and bell ul which the learned Bochart derives fiom 5,*r a p;ath; 49 386 PSAL MS. Ps. 58-62. because the snail marks out his path with his slime, and so as might claim some interest in them, but get their food as is called bb~n<, the path-maker; or, from nt,, to lodge: in, they can. At the same time they consider it as right to and ~lo, a winding shell, cochlea, the well-known habitation take some care of them, and the charitable people among which this animal carries about with him. Parkhurst is them frequently. give money every week, or month, to of opinion, that a better account of the name may be de- butchers and bakers, to feed them at stated times, and some duced from the peculiar manner in which snails th'rust them- leave legacies at their deaths, for the same purpose. This selves forward in moving, and from the force with which is Le Bruyn's account. Thevenot and Maillet mention they adhere to any substance on which they light. The something of the same sort. wise Author of nature, having refused them feet and claws In like manner, dogs seem to have been looked upon to creep and climb, has compensated them in a way more among the Jews in a disagreeable light, yet they had them commodious for their state of life, by the broad skin along in considerable numbers in their cities, Ps. lix. 14. They each side of the belly, and the undulating motion observa- were not, however, shut up in their houses or courts, Ps. ble there. By the latter, they creep; by the former, as- lix. 6, 14; but seem to have been forced to seek their food sisted by the glutinous slime emitted from their body, they where they could find it, Ps. lix. 15; to which I may add, adhere firmly and securely to all kinds of superficies, partly that some care of them seems to be indirectly enjoined to the by the tenacity of their slime, and partly by the pressure of Jews, Exod. xxii. 31; circumstances that seem to be more the atmosphere. Thus, the snail wastes herself by her own illustrated by these travellers into the East. than by any motion, every undulation leaving some of her moisture be- commentators that I know of.-HARMER. hind; and in the same manner, the actions of wicked men prove their destruction. They may, like the snail, carry PSALM LX. their defence along with them, and retire into it on every Ver. 3. Thou hast showed thy people hard things; appearance of danger; they may confidently trust in their e us to drink the wine of astonishown resources, and banish far away the fear of evil; but the principles of ruin are at work within them, and although ment. 4. Thou hast given a banner to them the progress may be slow, the result is certain. The holy that fear thee, that it may be displayed because Psalmist, guided by the spirit of inspiration, prayed, " As of the truth. Selah. a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away;" and Jehovah answered, " The wicked shall be turned into Albertus Aquensis tells us, that when Jerusalem was hell, and all the nations that forget God."-PAXTON. taken in 1099, about three hundred Saracens got upon the roof of a very lofty building, and earnestly )egged for ~Ver. 9. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he quarter, but could not be induced by any promises of safety rshall take them away as Swith a Twhirlwind, to come down, until they had received the banner of Tancred, one of the chiefs of the crusade army, as a pledge both living, and in his of life. It did not indeed avail them, as that historian observes; for their behaviour occasioned such indignation, The Arabs heat stone pitchers by kindling fires in them, that they were destroyed to a man. Thed such indignation, and then daub the outside with dough, which is thus baked. thhey were destroyed to a twan. The event showed the faithlessness of these zealots; whom no solemnities coulA "They kindle a fire in a large stone pitcher, and when it s~ hty hm i ae tmes bind; but the Saracens surrendering themselves upon the is hot they mix the meal in water, as we do to make paste, delivery of a standard to them, proves in what a strong and daub it with the hollow of their hands upon the outside of the pitcher, and this so pppy dough spreads and is light they looked upon the giving them a banner, since it inof the pitcher, and this soft pappy dough spreads and is d baed in an instant the deat of the pitcher avig dried uced them to trust it, when they would not trust any prom. baked in an instant; the heat of the pitcher having dried ises. Perhaps the delivery of a banner was anciently up all its moisture, the bread comes off in small thin slices, esteemed, in like manner, an obligation to protect, and that Tlle one of our wafers." (DArvieus.)-BURDER esteemed, in like manner, an obligation to protect, and that TikLe one of our wafers." (D'Arvieux.) —BoaDmn the Psalmist might consider it in this light, when, upon a PSALM LIX. victory gained over the Syrians and Edomites, after the public affairs of Israel had been in a bad state, he says, Ver. 14. And at evening let them return, and let Tlhou hast showed thy people hard' things, &c. Thou hast, them make a hoise like a dog, and go round given a banner to them that fear thee. Though thou didst about the city. for a time give up thine Israel into the hands of their enemies, thou hast now given them an assurance of thy, Many cities in Syria, and other parts of the East, are having received them under thy protection. When the crowded with dogs, which belong to no particular person, Psalmist is represented as saying, Thou hast given a banand by consequence, have none to feed them, but get their'ner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed, it may be food in the streets, and about the markets. Dogs also questioned whether it is rightly translated, since it is most abound in all the Indian towns and villages, and are nu- probable they used anciently only a spear, properly ornamerous, noisy, and troublesome, especially to travellers. mented, to distinguish it from a common one, as this same Like those in Syria, they have no respective owner, gen Albertus tells us, that a very long spear, covered all over erally subsist upon charity, and are never destroyed. They with silver, to which another writer of those crusade wars frequently hunt in large packs, like the jackals, which they adds a ball of gold on the top, was the standard of the resemble in many other respects. These allusions are Egyptian princes at that time, and carried before' their clearly involved in the prayer of the royal Psalmist for de- armies. Thlou hast given a banner, ma nes, an ensign, or a liverance from his enemies: "And at evening let them standard, to them thatfear thee, that it may be lifted up, may return; and let them miake a noise like a dog, and go round perhaps be a better version; or rather, that they may lift it about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, up to themselves, or encourage themselves with the confident and grudge, if they be'not satisfied."-PAxroN. persuasion that they are under the protection of God becauqse of the truth, thy word of promise, which is an assurance Ver. 15. Let them wander up and down for meat, of protection, like the giving me and my people a banner, and grudge, if they be not satisfied. the surest of pledges.-HARMER. The great external purity which is so studiously attended Ver. 4. Thou hast given a banner to them that to by the modern eastern people, as well as the ancient, fear thee, that it may be displayed because of produces some odd circumstances with respect to their the truth. Selah. dogs. They do not suffer them in their houses, and even with care avoid their touching them in the streets, which Has a person gained a signal triumph over his enemy b) would be considered as a defilement. One would imagine the assistance of another, he then says of the latter, " t then, that under these circumstances, as they do not appear has given me a victorious kuddi,"'banner. " Yes," sa] by any means to be necessary in their cities, however im- the conquerors, "we have gained a victorious banner "portant they may be to those that feed flocks, there should ROBERTS. be very few of these creatures found in those places; they PSALM LXII. ~are notwithstanding there in great numbers, and crowd Ver ow lo their streets. They do not appear to belong to particularg will ye magine m persons, as our dogs do, nor to be fed distinctly by such against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: Ps. 63-68. PSALMS.,' 87 as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a totter- with Pitts, do not seem to have wanted water to) drink, but ing fence. the fall of rain, it Seems, was highly acceptable to them, on account of cooling the air ih a place where, from its Dr. Boothroyd, " like a tottering wall." In consequence situation, it was frequently wont to be extremely hot. of heavy rains and floods, and unsound foundations,'it is One of the first things that occurs to a reflecting mind VERY common to see walls much out of perpendipular, and upon reading this passage of the Psalmist, is, an inquiry some of them so much so, that it might be thought scarcely whether this rain was miraculous, or a commnon exertion possible for them to stand. " Poor old Raman is very ill, I of the power of the God of nature, though under the direchear."-" Yes, the wall is bowing." "Begone, thou low tion of a gracious providence. It seems now, from this caste; thou art a lcutte-chivver," i. e. a ruined wall. " By account of Mr. Pitts, to have been the last, and not contrary the oppression of the head man the people of that village to the common course of things in that wilderness. are like a ruined wall."-ROBERTS. No mention is made of this merciful shower in the hooks of Moses, so far as I remember; but as we are told in the PSALM LXIII. Psalm, immediately after, of the fleeing of kings, if the Ver. 10. They shall fa~ll by the sword; they shall ncircumstances referred to here are ranged in exact order, ber. 1. pThs fasor d feysh it must have been before the Amalekites set upon Israel be a portion for foxes. in Rephidim; but there can be no dependance upon that, especially as mention is made of Sinai in a preceding verse, The jackal is here probably referred to. In India, the and in the outset of the description of God's mnarching bedisgusting sight of jackals devouring human bodies, may fore his people through the wilderness.-HARMER. be seen every day. So ravenous are these animals, that they frequently steal infants as they lie by the breast of the Ver. 13. Though ye have lain among the pots, mother; and sick persons, /who lie friendless in the street, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered or by the side of the Ganges, are sometimes devoured ali ve r, and her featers with yellow gol by these animals in the night. Persons in a state of intoxication have thus been devoured as they lay in the streets of The dove is universally admitted to be one of the. most Calcutta. (Ward.) —BurDER. beautiful objects in nature. The brilliancy of her plumage, PSALM LXV. the splendour of her eye, the innocence of her look, the excellence of her dispositions, and the purity of her manVer. 1. Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion; ners, have been the theme of admiration and praise in and lunto thee shall the vow be performed. every age. To the snowy whiteness of her wings, and tile rich golden hues which adorn her neck, the inspired PsallMargin, " is silent." Ainsworth, "Prayse silent way- ist alludes in these elegant strains: " Though ye have lain teth for thee, O God." The people of the East are much among the pots, yet ye shall be as the wings of a dov,' coygiven to meditation and silent praise, and sometimes they ered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." may be seen for hours so completely absorbed, as to be in- These bold figures do not seldom occur in the classical sensible -to all surrounding objects. " Oh Swamy, have poets of antiquity. Virgil celebrates the argenlels asiesr, you not heard my silent praises?" Among the devotees the silver-coloured goose; Ovid, the crow, which once riare to be found the silent praises of Siva. "My lord, only valled the dove in whiteness; Lucretius, the changeful grant me this favour, and you will HEAR even my sILENT hues of her neck, which she turns to the sunbeam, as an praises."-ROBERTS. conscious of its unrivalled beauty. Mr. Harmer is of opis - ion, that the holy Psalmist alludes, not to an animal adorndI tVer. 13. The pastures are clothed with flocks; *merely by the hand of nature, but to the doves that were the valleys also are covered over with corn: consecrated to the Syrian deities, and. ornamented -with vw corn:.trinkets of gold; and agreeably to this view, he interprets they shout for joy, they also sing. the passage, " Israel is to me as a consecrated dove; and though your circumstances have made you rather apyear People in passing fields or gardens, after a fine rain, say, like a poor dove, blackened by taking up its abode ir a "Ahs, how these fields and trees arie laughing to-day." smoky hole of the rock; yet shall ye become beautifbl and "Yeyou may well la is is afine timeforyou" glorious as a Syrian silver-coloured pigeon, on whom some How nicely these flowers are laughing together."-ROB- ornament of gold is put." But this view makes the Holy Ghost speak with some approbation, or at least without cenPSALM LXVIII. sure, of a heathenish rite, and even to borrow from it a figVer. 9. Thou, O (God, didst send a plentiful rain, ure to illustrate the effects of divine favour among his clothou dis ofr hn nei sen people. No other instance of this kind occurs in the whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, sacred scriptures, and therefore it cannot be admitted here when it was weary. without much stronger evidence than that respectable writer has produced. It is much more natural to suppose, that the I have taken notice of the traces of rain found in the des- Psalmist alludes to party-coloured doves, with white twines, ert between the Nile and the Red Sea; and I would here and the rest of their feathers of a bright brown.'Buffon remark, that rain sometimes is found to fall in that part of mentions a species of turtle-dove in the bay of Campeachy, the desert which lies on the eastern side of the Red Sea, which is entirely brown, while others are of a snowyv where Israel wandered so many years, which circumstance white; and both IElian and Homer mention a dove of a is referred to in the scripture; and therefore claims some red, or deep yellow colour, resembling gold. T'o these vaattention among the other observations contained in these rieties the sacred writer might refer; and the more effectipapers. ally to represent the blissful effects of divine favour, might Pitts, in his return to Egypt from Mecca, which he visit- combine the beauties of each into one picture.-PAxro N. ed on a religious account, found rain in this desert. His In Asia Minor, according to Chandler, the dove lodges words.are as follows: "We travelled through a certain in the holes of the rock; and Dr. Shaw mentions a. city in valley, which is called by the name of Attash el Wait, i. e. Africa, which derives its name from the great number of the river of the fire, the vale being so excessively hot, that wild pigeons which breed in the adjoining cliffs. It is not the very water in their goat skins has sometimes been dried uncommon for shepherds and fishermen, to seek for shelter up with the gloomy, scorching heat. But we had the hap- in the spacious caverns of that country, from the severity piness to pass through it when it rained, so that the fervent of the weather, and to kindle fires in them, to warm their heat was much allayed thereby; which the hagges looked shivering limbs, and dress their victuals; in consequence on as a great blessing, and did not a little praise God for of which, the doves which happen to build their nests on it." This naturally reminds us of a passage in the 68th their shelves, must be frequently smutted, and their pluPsalm, ver. 9: " Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, mage soiled. Some have conjectured, that the royal Psalmwhereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was ist may allude to this scene, in which he had perhaps acted weary;" speaking of God's going before his people when a part, while he tended his father's flocks, in that singular they came out of Egypt, and tntered upon their sojourning promise, " Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall in this wilderness. The Mo~lmmedan pilgrims that were ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her I3-8S.'PSALM S Ps. 6'9 feathers with yellow gold." The people of Israel, who This language, in the East, is equivalent to saying, "1 had long bent their necks to the galling yoke of Egypt, and will kill you." "The king will soon break the ucche (the g.roaned under the most cruel oppression, may not unfitly - scalp) of that fellow." "Tamban's c/che is broken, he died be compared to a dove in the fissure of a rock, which had last week." " Under the scalp is the royal wind, which is been terrified by the intrusion of strangers, and polluted by the last to depart after death." " With those who are the'sm6ke of their fires, which ascended to the roof of the buried, it remains three days in its place: but when the cavern, and penetrated into the most remote and secret body is burned, it immediately takes its departure, which is corner; or by the smut of the pots, which they had set a great advantage."-RoBERTs. over these fires for culinary purposes, among which she fluttered in her haste to escape. The dove issues from the Ver. 25. The singers went before, the players on cave of the shepherds, black and dirty, her heart dejected, instruments followed after; among themn were and her feathers in disorder; but, having washed herself the damsels playing with timbrels. in the running stream, and trimmed her plumage, she agrdually recovers the serenity of her disposition, the pu- This, no doubt, is a description of a religious procession rity of her colour, and the elegance of her appearance. in the time of David. In the sacred and domestic proces So did the people of Israel more than once escape by the sions of the Hindoos they observe the same order, and have favour of Jehovah, from a low and despised condition, and the same class of people in attendance. See them taking radually rise to great prosperity and splendour. In Egypt, their god to exhibit to the people, or to remove some calamthey laboured in the brick-kilns, and in all the services of ity; he is put into his car or tabernacle, and the whole is the field-a poor, enslaved, and oppressed people; and after placed on men's shoulders. As they move along, the men their settlement in the land of promise, they were often re- and women precede, and sing his praises; then follow the diced to a state of extreme distress; but in their misery musicians, who play with all their might in honour of thu they cried to the Lord, and he heard and delivered them god, and for the enjoyment of the people.-RoBERTS. frol)m all their calamities; he subdued the surrounding nations to their sway; he poured the accumulated riches ofebuke the company of spearmen, the ancient kings into their treasury; he made them the terror ol the admiration of the East. But the holy Psalmist may multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the have a prospective reference to the deliverance which the people, till every one submit himself with pieces Gentile nations were to obtain, from the basest and most of silver: scatter thou the people that delight despicable condition, the worshipping of wood and stone, ar. the gratifying of the vilest lusts, and their advancement to the service of Christ, and the practice of universal holiness Literally, rebuke the beast of the reeds, or canes. This in and virtue. His words are not less applicable to the de- all probability means the wild-boar, which is considered as liverance of the church, from the distresses in which she destructive to the people of Israel, Psalm lxxx. 13. That may be at any time involved, and the restoration of individ — wild-boars abound in marshes, fens, and reedy places, apnal believers from a state of spiritual decline. On these pears from Le Bruyn who says, "we were in a large plain joyous occasions, the people of God shake off their fears full of canals, marshes, and bullrushes. This part of the and their sorrows, and resume their' wonted serenity, country is, infested by a vast number of wild-boars, that peace, and joy; they worship God in the beauty of htoli march in-troops, and destroy all the seeds and-fruits of the press forward with renovated earth, and pursue their ravages as far as the entrance intc p.romised inheritance; they are as a dove, the most beauti- the villages. The inhabitants, in order to remedy this misifu of the species, whose wings rival silver in whiteness, - T il of the species, hose wins rival silver in whitenes, chief, set fire to ihe rushes which afford them a retreat, ant am.d the feathers of whose neck, the yellow radiance of destroyed above fifty in that manner: but those that escaped Hold n r t t the flames spread themselves all round in such a manner, f stones onHebrew word may refer t o those fire-ranges or rows that the people themselves were obliged to have recourse of stones on which the caldrons or pots were placed for to flight, and have never disturbed them since for fear of bo)ilino', probably something like, but more durable in their drawing upon themselves some greater calamity. They structure, than those which Niebuhr says are used by the assured me that some of these creatures were as large as wandering Arabs, "Their fireplace is soon constructed; COWS."-BuRDEa. they only set their pots upont several separate stones, or over a hole digged in the earth." Lying among these, Ver. 31. Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethidenotes the most abject slavery; for this seems to have opia shall soon stretch out he unto Go been the place of rest allotted to the vilest slaves. So old Laertes, grieving for the loss of his son, is described in See on Ps. 44. 20. Honmer, as in the winter, sleeping where the slaves did, in the ashes near the fire.- -BURDER. PSALM LXIX. Ver. 9. For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me,.it, it was white uals snow in Salmon. kings up; and the reproaches of them that reproachit, it was white as snow in Salmon. ed thee are fallen upon me. Perhaps in allusion to the bones of the slaughtered foe, s in his religion, or ardent in his attachwhich were scattered about, and lay bleaching on the sum- ments, is saidtobe eaten up. "Old Mutton has determined'it of Sahlnon.- -B. ments, is said to be eaten up. "Old Muttoo has determined mit of Salmon.-.B. to leave his home for ever; he is to walk barefoot to the Ver. 15. The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; Ganges for the salvation of his soul: his zeal has eaten him a high hill, as the hill of Bashan. Ver. 14. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me The Hebrew word is- plural, and means a mountain of not stink: let me be delivered from them that eminences, or backs. This may, perhaps, be a title pecu- hate me, and out of the deep waters. liarly applicable to Bashan. The mountain with teeth, might be a name given it, from the appearance of the face (of it, studded over with small hills. Monserrat, in Spain, Ah this cear, this, mud, this mud.) is an instance of a mountain deriving its name fi'om its says the man who is in trouble, " who will pull me out V shape; as it is Mons Serratas, or a mountain whose craggy " I am like the bullock, with his legs fast in the mud; the cliffs have, at a distance, the resemblance of the teeth of a moreI struggle, the faster I am."-RoBERTS. saw. The Sierra Morena, in Spain, is named from its shape and cololr.-BURDER. Ver. 21. They gave me also gall for my -meat; and in my thirst:they gave me vinegar to drink. Ver. 21, But God shall wound the head of his Ver. 2 1 But God shall wound the head of his The refreshing quality of vinegar cannot be doubted; enemies, and the hairy scalp of such a one as but a royal personage had reason to complain of his treatgoeth on still. in his trespasses. ment in having this only p~sented to him to quench his Ps. 69-74. PSALMS. 389 thirst, when it was only made use of by the meanest people. says,',' The removal of the curtain was the signal of our Pitts tells us, that the food that he and the rest had when obeisances. Mine, by stipulation, was to be only kneeling. first taken by the Algerines, was generally only five or six My companions immediately began the performance oi spoonfuls of vinegar, half a spoonful of oil, a few olives, theirs, which were in the most perfect degree of eastern with a small quantity of black biscuit, and a pint of water, humiliation. They almost literally licked the dust; pros.. a-day. The juice of lemons is what those of higher life trating themselves with their faces almost close to the stone now use, and probably among the higher orders the juice floor, and throwing out their arms and legs; then rising on of pomegranates might be used, to produce a grateful their knees, they repeated -in a very loud voice a certain acidity.-HARMEn. form of words of the most extravagant meaning that can be conceived:-that the head of the king of kings might reach Ver. 31. This also shall please the LORD better beyond the sun; that he might live a thousand years," &c. than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. Compare this with the.passage of scripture now referred to. "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and fromi Dr. Boothroyd, " For this will be more acceptable to Je- the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dxwell in hovah than a full-horned and a full-hoofed steer." Buffa- the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall toes which are offered in sacrifice, must always be full lick the dust," i. e. the wild unconquered Arabians shall be grown, and must have their horns and hoofs of a particular brought to abject submission. This is beautifully emblesize and shape. Those without horns are offered to devils. matic of the triumph of Christ over those nations and indiThus, it is difficult and expensive to procure a victim of viduals, whom it appeared impossible for the Gospel to subthe right kind. The writer of this psalm is supposed to due. " The kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring have been a captive in Babylon, and consequently poor, presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. and otherwise unable to bring an acceptable sacrific, to the Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall Lord; but he rejoiced to know that he "heareth the poor, serve him."-BURDER. and despiseth not his prisoners;" and that, by praising " the name of God with a song," and by magnifying him with Ver. 16. There shall be a handful of corn in the thanksgiving, would be more acceptable than the most earth upon the top of the mountains perfect victim offered to him in sacrifice.-RoBERTs. the top of the mountans the f thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of PSALM LXXI. the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. Ver. 11. Saying, God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him: for there is none to de- The rapidity with which grass grows in the East is the tliver and-h take him: forti~ereis nom.ne tode- idea here referred to. " When the ground there bath been liver ]him. destitute of rain nine months together, and looks all of it en a respectable man, in the serviceof his sovereign, like the barren sand in the deserts of Arabia, where there 9he ais not one spire of green grass to be found, within a fey or superior, falls into disgrace; when rich men become days after those of green grass to be ound, ein to fall e poor, or servants lose the favour of their masters; then a face of the earth there as it were bya new resut ection horde of accusers, who did not before dare to show their face of the earth th ere rebya newresurrection faces, come forward with the most fearful stories of the ly covered all over witwere, so renewed, as that it is present Thoa:wickedness of the fallen man. Formerly they were ever Rue.)-B ER (Sir.flattering and cringing at his feet; but now they are the most brutal and bold of his enemies.-RoBERTS. PSALM LXXIV. PSALM LXXII. Ver. 11. Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even Ver. 5. They shall fear thee as long as the sun thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom. and moon endure, throughout all generations. and moon endure, troughout all geneations. The word which we translate bosom does not always, in At the time, appointed for the commencement of the eastern language, mean the breast; but OFTEN the lap, or new year, which, among the Singalese, is always in April, that part of the body where the long robe folds round the the king sat on his throne in state, surrounded by his chiefs loins. Thus, in the folds of the garment, in front of the and the event was announced to the people by the discharge body, the Orientals keep their little valuables, and there, of jingalls. At the hour appointed for the second ceremo- when they are perfectly at ease, they place their hands. ny, young women of certain families, with lighted tapers Sternhold and Hopkins, who translated from the original in their hands, and a silver dish containing undressed rice, text, have the same idea:and turmeric water, stood at a little distance from the king, " Why dost thou draw thy hand aback, and when he directed his face to the southeast, with imbal And hide it in thy lap 5" leaves under his feet, and nuga leaves in his hand, and ap- To a king, whose enemies have invaded his'-territories, plied the meedicinal juice to his head and body, they thrice and are ravaging his kingdom, it will be said, should he exclaimed, Increase of age to our sovereign of five thou- not make any exertions to repel them, " Why does your sand years! increase of age as long as the sun and moon majesty keep your hands in your maddeiira, (bosom 2) last! increase of age as long as heaven and earth exist! Take your sword, your heroism thence." When two meiBy the chiefs and people of consequence, this part of the go to a magistrate to complain of each other, perhaps one ceremony was performed in a manner as nearly similar as says, " He has beaten me severely, my lord." Then the possible. (Davy's Account of Ceylon.)-BURDER. other replies, " It is true, I did strike him, but these wounds on my body show he did not keep his hands in his bosom Ver. 9. They that dwell in the wilderness shall " Complain not to me, fellow, for want of food; do I not bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the see you always with your hands in your bosom'" ".l le dust. - has been cursing me in the most fearful way, but I told - him to put the imprecations in his own bosom." This is a very favourite way of threatening among the "Thy right hand," which is the hand of honour. Hence. Hindoos. The half frantic man says to his foe," Yes, thou "the right hand of the Most High." The Hindoos have a shalt soon eat the earth;" which means his mouth will right-hand caste, and when they take a solemn oath they soon be open to receive it, as in deathk. " Soon, soon wilt lift up that hand to heaven. thou have mnas," i. e. earth, " in thy mouth." In time of The whole of the right side of a man is believed to be great scarcity, it is said,'" The people are now eating earth; more honourable than the left, and all its members are said the cruel, cruel king, did nothing but put earth in the to be lacrger and stro'goer; and, to give more dignity to it, mouths of his subjects."-ROBERTS. they call it. the anpacklham, i. e. the male side; whereas tlle In Mr. Hugh Boyd's account of his embassy to the Iking other is called the female. This idea, also, is followed up of Candy, in Ceylon, there is a paragraph which sin11ukarly in reference to their great deity, Siva; his rilht side is callillustrates this part of the Psalmu; and shows the adulation ed nmale, (nid the other the female, which notion also ap. and obsequious reverence with wrhic-h a' e,'ernl montr-eh,plies to the Jupiter of western antiquity an he was said t(h is approached. Describing his i:ntrodr'-n!!h-e ki nr, hle be male end also feumale.-ROBERTS E90 PSALMS. Ps. 75. Ver. 13. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: beautiful of that species, whose wings are like silver, and thou blraklest the heads of the dragons in the the more muscular parts, from whence the strength of the wings are derived, like the splendour of gold.-HARwaters. 14. Thou brakest the heads of levia- MER. than in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the PSALM LXXV. people inhabiting the wilderness. Ver. 4. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly; See on Job 41. 1, &c. and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5. Lift not up your horn on high' speak noot with a Ver. 19. 0 deliver not the soul of thy turtle-doveup your horn on hig: speak t with a unto the multitude of the wicked; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. This passage will receive some illustration from Bruce's remarks in his Travels to discover the source of the Nile, It has already been observed, that the turtle-dove never where, speaking of the head-dress of the governors of the admits a second mate, but lingers out her life in sorrowful provinces of Abyssinia, he represents it as consisting of a widowhood. To thins remarkable circumstance, these large broad fillet bound upon their forehead, and tied bew-ords of David are by many thought to refer: " O deliver hind their head. In the middle of this was a norn, or a not the soul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the conical piece of silver gilt, about four inches long, much wrickled; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever." in the shape of our common candle extinguishers. This As the turtle cleaves to her mate with unshaken fidelity, is called kirn, or horn, and is only worn in reviews, or so these interpreters say, had Israel adhered to their God. parades after victory. The crooked manner in which they B1t. it is well known that God's"ancient people were a stiff- hold the neck, when this ornament is on their forehead, necked and rebellious race, equally fickle and perfidious, for fear it should fall forward, seems to agree with what and discovering onqlmost every occasion a most violent and the Psalmist calls speakinirg withi a stiff neck, for it perfectly unreasonable inclination to the worship of heathen deities. shows the meaning of speaking with a stiff neck, when you It is, therefore, more natural to suppose, that the holy hold the horn on high, or erect, like the horn of a unicorn. Psalrnist, by this term, alludes to the weak and helpless -BURDER. state of his people, that like the turtle had neither power Mr. Munroe, speaking of the females in a Maronite vili: or inclination to resist their numerous enemies. The lage, in Mount Lebanon, observes: ". But the most remarkdove is a harmless and simple creature, equally destitute able peculiarities of their dress, are the immense silver of skill and courage for the combat; and the turtle is the ear-rings hanging forward upon the neck, and the tcanto1'ra, smlallest of the family. She is therefore a most proper or' horn,' which supports the veil. This latter ornament emnblem of the national imbecility into which the people of varies in form, material, and position, according to the Israel had sunk, in consequence of their numerous iniqui- dignity, taste, and circumstances of the wearer. They are ties, with which they had long provoked the God of their of gold, silver gilt, or silver, and sometimesof wood. The fathers. They who were the terror of surrounding na- former are either plain or figured in low relief, and occaeions, while they feared the Lord and kept his command- sionally set with jewels; but the length and position of nents, whom God himself instructed in the art of war, and them is that upon which the traveller looks with the greatIed to certain victory, had by their folly become the scorn est interest, as illustrating and explaining a familiar exJf their neighbours, and an easy prey to every invader.- pression of scripture. The young, the rich, and the vain, PAXT oN. wear the tantour'na of great length, standing straight up Sometimes those that have no tents, shelter themselves from the top of the forehead; whereas the humble, the irom the inclemency of the night air, in holes and caverns poor, and the aged, place it upon the side of the head, much, lhich they find in their rocky hills, where they can kindle shorter, and spreading at the end like a trumpet. I do not ir es to'wvarm themselves, as well.as to dress their provis- mean to say, that these distinctions are universal, but I was o),s; to which lay be added, that doves also, in those told that they are very general, and thus the'exalted n entries, frequo-nt'y haunt such places, as well as some horn' still remains a mark of power and confidence, as it ),her birds. Dr. Richard Chandler, in his travels in Asia was in the days of Israel's glory."-(Summer Ramble in l'iinor, has boith taken notice of the doves there lodging in Syria, 1833.)-B. soles of b-e ocks; and of the shepherds and fishermen " We stopped for the night at the village of Barook,;.ng vworn tn make use of such retreats, and of their kin- chiefly inhabited by Druses, many of whom are said to tiing fites in them, by which practice those doves must be have adopted the creed of their Maronite neighbours.!roquelAtit very much smutted, and their feathers dirtied. Our tent was placed close to the house of the principal And I:'oare been sometimes ready to imagine, that an at- vender of small wares, round which an arrival soon attractientlo', tom these circumstances may afford as easy and ed a crowd, but far superior in appearance and civility to iatu al an account as any that has been given of that the inhabitants of any district we had previously seen. astocs a'ion of such very different things as doves and smoky Most of the men wore clean white turbans, and the women l7gczss which we meet with in the 68th Psalm. It is were wrapped in blue veils, beneath whicha tantoo', that incerltain the people of Israel are compared to a dove, in the variablearticle of Druseluxurywhich isworndayand night, book of Psalms; " O deliver not the soul of thy turtle-dove made a conspicuous figure. Thiswe had now an opportunity iunto the multitude of the wicked; forget not the congrega- of examining, for our host, accompanied by his wife, came tion of thy poor for ever," Ps. lxxiv. 19; and the same to our tent, attracted by the novelty of tea, which they both ilnage appears to have been made use of, in this 68th Psalm. drank, when well sweetened, with apparent satisfaction. ff il was made use of, it was not unnatural to compare Israel, The lady, in return, satisfied our curiosity by taking ofl who had been in a very afflicted state in Egypt, to a dove her tantoos, which was of silver, rudely enclosed with making its abode in the hollow of a rock, which had been flowers, stars, and other devices. In length it was, persmutted by the fires shepherds had made in it for the heat- haps, something more than a foot: but in shape had little ing their milk, or other culinary purposes; which led them resemblance to a horn, being a mere hollow tube, increasto make such little heaps of stones, on which they might ing in size from the diameter of an inch and a half at one set their pots, having a hollow under them, in which they extremity, to three inches at the other, where it terminated put the fuel, according to the eastern mode, of which I like the mouthof a trumpet.! If the smaller end was closed, have given an account elsewhere, and which little build- it might serve for a drinking-cup; and in Germany glasses irngs are meant by the word here translated pots. of the same form and size are occasionally used. This This image might very properly be made use of to ex- strange ornament, placed on a cushion, is securely fixed to )press any kind of affliction Israel might have suffered, when the upper part of the forehead by two silk cords, which, their are compared as a body of people to a dove; and cer- after surrounding the head, hang behind nearly to the ta inly not less so, when they had been forced to work with- ground, terminating in large tassels, which amongthe better out remission in the brick-Ulilis of Egypt. For so the sense classes are capped \with silver." —(ogg's Visit to Damaswill be something like this: O my people! though ye have cus, Jerusalem, &c., 1833.)-B. been like a dove in a hole of a rock, that hath been black- A man of lofty bearing is said to carry his HORN very ened by the fires of the shepherds for the boiling their pots; high. To him who is pro-udlv interfering with tile affairs ye}; on this joyous occasion did you appear as the most of another it will be said, "Why show your kd'tbli (aORN) Ps. 75-78. PSALMS. 39. here'." ", What! are you a horn for me." " See that fel- regulated by the nature of the office, and the wealth of the low, what a fine horn he has; he will make the people run."'individual, and consist of the best of the produce of every' "Truly, my lord, you have a great horn." " Chinnan has part of the kingdom. Sometimes a large suln of money is lost his money, ay, and his hornship too." " Alas! alas! given, which is always the most acceptable present. AlluI am like the deer, whose horns have fallen off."-ROB- sive to this custom is that command in relation to Messiah: ERTS. "Let all that are round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared." Besides these ordinary presents, Ver. 8. For in the hand of the LORD there is a extraordinary largesses, of a less defined nature, but which cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture, are also of very considerable amount, are expected. Of this kind were, in the opinion of some writers, the presents which the enemies of, Saul refused to bring, at his thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring accession to the throne of Israel: "But the children of them out, and drink then. Bel.ial said, How shall this man save us. And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his Red wine, in particular, is more esteemed in the East than peace."-PAXTON. white. And we are told in the travels of Olearius, that it is customary with the Armenian Christians in Persia to put Brazil wood, or saffron, into their wine, to give it a Ver. 2. In the day of my trouble I souglht the higher colour, when the wine is not so red as they like, LORD: my sore ran in the night, and ceased they making no account of white wine. He mentions the same thing also in another place. These accounts of their putting Brazil wood or saffron into their wines, to give them The margin has, instead of sore, " hand." Ainsworlth,' a deeper red, seem to discover an energy in the Hebrew "Ini the day of my distress I sought the Lord: my hand by word =n's adam, which is used Prov. xxiii. 31, that I never night reached out and ceased not." Dr. Boothroyd, " In resmarked anywhere. It is of the conjugation called Hith- the day of my distress I seek Jehovah: by night, my hand, pahel, =naNnu yithaddams, which, according to grammarians, without ceasing, is stretched' out unto him." Dr. A. Clarke denotes an action that turns upon the agent itself: it is not says, " My hand was stretched out," i. e. in prayer. The always, it may be accurately observed; but in this case it Tamul translation, " My hands, in the night, were spread should seem that it ought to be taken according to the strict- out, and ceased not." " Ah!" says the sorrowful mother, ness of grammar, and that it intimates the wine's making over her afflicted child, " all night long were my hands itself redder by something put into it: Look not on the wine spread out to the gods on thy behalf." In that position do when it maketh itself red. It appears, indeed, from Is. lxiii. they sometimes hold their hands for the night together. 2, that some of the wines about Judea were naturally red; Some devotees do this with their right hand throughoul but so Olearius supposed those wines to be which he met the whole of their lives, till the arm becomes quite stiff.with in Persia, only more deeply tinged by art; and this ROBERTS. colouring it, apparently is to make it more pleasing and tempting to the eye. Ver. 10. And I said, this is my infirmity: but 1 There are two other places relating to wine, in which will remember the years of the right hand of our translators have used the term red; but the original the Most Hio. word.-n chemer differs from that in Proverbs, and I should therefore imagine intended another idea; what that might Dr. Boothroyd, " Then I said, this is the time of my be, may, perhaps, appear in the sequel. The word, it is scrrow; but the right hand of the Most High can change certain, sometimes signifies what is made thick,:or turbid; it." I have shown that superior honour is giveuA to the so it expresses the thickening water with mud, Ps. lxxvi. 3. RIGHT hand. It is that with which men fight: the;' sword May it not then signify the thickening urine with its lees. It arm," consequently protection, or deliverance, comes firom seems plainly to do so in one of the passages: " In the hand that. David was in great distress; but, he asks, has " God of the Lord is a cup, and the wine is red, or tsurbid: it is forgotten to be graciousl" To this his heart replied, No I full of mixture, and he poureth out the same: but the dregs and he determined to believe in the right hand of the Most thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, High, which had often delivered and defended him in days and drink them," Ps. lxxv. 8. The turbidness of wine past, and which could again change all his circumstances. -nakes it very inebriating, and consequently expressive of The right hand is that which dispenses gifts; no Hindoo the disorder affliction brings on the mind; thus, Thevenot, would offer a present with his left hand. A miser is said I remembei, tells us the wine of Shiras, in Persia, is full of to have two left hands! " Never, never shall I forget the lees, and therefore very heady; to remedy which, they fil- right hand of that good man: he always relieved my wants." trate it through a cloth, and then it is very clear, and free "Ah! the ungrateful wretch, how many years have I from fum'es.-HARMER. helped him! he has forgotten my right hand." "Yes, The punishments which Jehovah inflicts upon the wick- poor fellow, he has lost all his property; he cannot now ed, are compared to a cupfull of fermenting wine, mixed use his right hand." " My children, my children," says with tltoxicating herbs, of which all those to whom it is the aged father, " how many years have I supported you? giver must drink the dregs or sediment. The same image Surely you will never forget the right hand of your father." is found, not only frequently in other places in the Old Tes- -ROBERTS. tament, but also very often in the Arabian poets. Thus Taabbata Scharran, in a passage of an Arabic Anthology, PSALM LXXVIII. by Alb. Schultens: " To those of the tribe of Hodail, we Ver. 21. Therefore the LORD heard this, and was gave the cup of death, whose dregs were confusion, shame,indled against Jacob, and and reproach." Another poet says: " A cup such as they roth: so a fe was idled aainst Jacob, and gave us, we gave to them." When Calif Almansor had anger also came up against Israel. his valiant, though dreaded general, Abre-Moslem, murder- The first supply of quails was followed by no visible ed, he repeated the following verse, in which he addressed the corpse: "jA cup such as he gave, gave I him, bitterer udgment from heaven; for although they were guilty of the corpse: " A cup such as he gave, gave I him, bitterer murmuring against the Lord, he spared "hem in his love tothetastetha"(Elmacin)-BUDEmurmuring against the Lord, he spared them in his love and in his pity; but they provoked him on this occasion, PSALM LX;ZZXVI. by their indecent desire of good living; by loathing the manna, which was provided for them by his distinguishing Ve. 11. Vow, and pay unto the Lo your God kindness; by regretting the provisions which they had enlet all that be round about him bring presents joyed in Goshen; and by denying the divine power and unto him that ought to be feared. goodness, which they had already experienced in supplying them with quails, soon after they came out of Egypt, and Taxes in Persia are commonly levied under the form of of which they had every day the most substantial proofs, presents to the monarch. The usual presents are those in giving them bread from heaven. Incensed by this unmade annually by all governors of provinces and districts, dutiful conduct, Jehovah unequivocally notified his righshiets of' tribes, ministers, and all others invested with high teous displeasure, before' he granted their demands: "Ye. office, at the feast of the vernal equinox. These gifts are shall eat it a whole month, until it come out at your neas 392 PSALMS. Ps. 7z' trils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have the first clause, "-.e removed the east wind from the headespised the Lord which is among you,, and have wept be- ven;" as if the removal of one wind was necessarily suefore him, saying, Why caime we forth out of Egypt?' ceeded by another. But this version cannot be admitted, These words are a proof, that he had heard the murmur- because the Psalmist clearly intends to represent the east ings of his people with great indignation. WVhen, there- and the south winds, as the joint instruments of divine fore, the month was completed, and while the flesh with gobdness, which, by their united force, collected and brought which they had gorged themselves was yet in their mouth, up the quails from the sea. If the Psalmist had meant to' the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, express the removing of the east wind, he must have used and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague." the phrase, (,rw.;n In)f.rom the hieaven; but instead of this, Various are the views which interpreters have given of he uses the words, ( ierwn) in or into the heavens, which conthis judgment; but their opinion seems entitled to the vey an idea quite the reverse. Our version, therefore, preference, who suppose it was a fire from heaven, by gives the true sense of the sacred text: He caused an east which some of the people were consumed. Their undu- wind to blow in the heaven; that is, he introduced it for the tiful nurmurings were punished in this manner, a very very purpose of bringing the quails into the camp. To short time before: "And when the people complained, it this maybe added, that in the whole of this Psalm, as often displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it, and his anger in the other poetical books of the Hebrews, the two hemiwas kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, stiches are almost parallel, and mutually explain each other. and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the From whence it follows, that (pr,) yasah in this text, has camp." Bochart, indeed, considers this brief statement as nearly the same meaning-as its parallel verb, (;nin) raidea summary view of the scene which is more minutely de- hag, which signifies to introduce. This is accordingly the scribed in the rest of the chapter. The same place, he sense which all interpreters, ancient and modern, have thinlk, is called Taberah, from the conflagration, and Ki- adopted, except the Septuagint and the Vulgate, hroth-hataavah, "because there they buried the people that From this statement it appears, that the royal Psalmist in lusted." But this opinion seems to rest upon no solid foun- this passage means to excite, not to remove the east wind; dation; no trace of a more brief, and then of a more extended to introduce, not to expel it from the heavens. But to unnarrative, can be discovered in the passage. The sacred derstand the matter clearly, let it be remembered, that the writer plainly describes two-different calamities, of which people.cf Israel were at that time in the wilderness of Pathe first was indisputably by fire, which renders it not im- ran; at the distance of-three days' journey from Sinai, diprobable that the second was also producedby the same de- rectly north from the extremity of the Arabian gulf; and vouring element. This probability is greatly increased by by consequence, from Theman, the country from whence the words of David, in his sublime descriDtir. o: this very the south wind blows, whose name it commonly bears. in judgment: " Therefore, the Lord heard, and was wroth; the Hebrew text, which brought the quails into the camp so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up of Israel. The saune region is named (s-hp) kadisa, that is against Israel; because they believed not God, nor trusted the east; because it lay towards the southeast; and was dein his salvation." An instance of similar perverseness is nominated sometimes by the one name, and sometimes by recorded of this people, soon after they came out of Egypt. the other. Although the cardinal winds are reckoned four But, although they were perhaps equally blamneable, they in number, which are again subdivided into many more; were not subjected to the same punishment; for, in this in- yet the ancient philosophers, and particularly Aristotle and stance, Jehovah bestowed upon them a supply of quails that Theophrastus, distributed them into two, the north and the evening; and the day after, he rained manna from heaven south. The westerly winds they included in the north, bearound their tents. He had a right tO punish themfor their cause they are colder; and the easterly winds in the south, iniquity; but he graciously turned away his anger, and because they are attended by a greater degree of heat. yielded to their importunities. And for this. forbearance, But, since the east wind was anciently comprehended in the several reasons may be assigned. If any fall a second time south, the east and the south maybe used in this text as syinto the sins which had already been forgiven, he is more nonymous; and by consequence, the east is the same, or guilty than before; because he both insults the justice, and nearly the same, as the south wind. Nor is it in this text tramples on the grace and mercy of God. Besides, in this alone, that the sacred writers ascribe to the east, what instance, the people of Israel murmnured against their lead- might seem to be the proper effects of the south wind; the ers, because they were pressed by famine, and in want of same thing may be observed in every part of scripture. It all the necessaries of life. But in the desert of Paran, bread burns up the fruits of the earth; it blasts the vines, and from heaven descended in daily showers around their en- other fruit-bearing trees; it drove back the Red Sea, and campment, in sufficient quantity to satisfy the whole con- opened a passage to the people of God; it dries up the gre-ation; they lived on angel's food; they were satiated fountains of' water; and by its irresistible violence, it'with the bread of heaven; and by consequence, the flesh dashes the ships of Tharshish in pieces; and, in fine, scatters which they demanded with so great eagerness and impor- destruction among the dwellings of wicked men, and sweeps tunity, was not required to supply their necessity, but to them fromnthe face of the earth, into the silent mansions oi gratifv their lustful desires. When they murmured against the grave. The prophet Isaiah on this account, calls it a Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sin, they had but rough wind;. and Jonah feelingly describes the vehemence lately come out of Egypt-they were still in a rude and,n- with which it beat upon his head till he fainted, and wishtutored state, for the law was not yet given; but in Paran ed in himself to die. The Greek interpreters uniformly they rebelled, after long and various experience of the di- render it the south wind; and Theodoret regards these two vine care and goodness, after the law was given, and after winds as nearly the same. Although, therefore, the phrase they had been instructed by many sufferings, in the evil (,'pmn -n0) rqtch hakcadirm, properly and.precisely speaking, nature and bitter consequences of sin their conduct, there- denotes the east wind; yet, because the east and the south fore, was much more criminal, and deservedly subjected winds resemble each other in.mqny particulars, the Hetheam to severe castigation.-PAXTON. brewrs, in the opinion of Bochart and other learned lvriters, appear to have used these names promiscuously; which is ~Ver. 25. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them the reason that (dmrp) kadinm is, in every part of Ithe Greek Ver. 25. Man did eat anHels' food' he sent them version, and particularly in the text under review, rendermeat to the, full. 26. Hie caused an east windt southesoth wind. Thus the same wind seems to have to blow in the heaven; and by his power he been intended by both these terms, the south or African brought in the south wind. 27. He rained wind, which, from the interior of Egypt, wafted the quails flesh also upon thetn as dust, and feathered into the desert, and scattered them round the tents of Israel. This difficulty admits of other solutions equally natural fowls like as the sand of the sea. and easy. The inspired writer may be understo'od to mean the southeast wind, which might bring the quails as well See on Ex. 16. 12, 13. from the east as from the south; or, tb it both the east and On this passage it has been asked, How can these winds the south winds were employed on that occasion, the first blow together, and at the' same time bring up the quails to scatter about the tents of Israel the congregated flocks, from the sea into the desertS The Seventy interpreters, which the last had swept into the desert; or, in order to seand the Vulgate, found it so difficult to give a satisfactory cure a complete supply for so great a multitude, to gather answer to these queries, that they were induced to render at the same time from the east and the south, the widely dis Ps. 78.. PSALM S. 393 persed troops of these birds, which, in distant regions of the deeds of heroic valour; but their kindling spirit was effecsky, were pursuing their annual journey from their winter tually damped by the report of the spies, who were intimiq-aarters, to the more temperate latitudes. dated by the robust and martial appearance of the CanaanIt is indeed objected by some writers, that the west wind, ites, the strength of their cities, and the gigantic stature of rather than the east, ought to blow, in order to produce the the sons of Anak. effect recorded by Moses; and that, according to Pliny and The grapes produced in the land of Egypt, although very Aristotle, the quails do not trust themselves to the sky when delicious, are extremely small,: but those, which grow in the humid and boisterus south wind blows; and for this the vineyards of Ccelo Syria and Palestine, swell to a surreason, the winds blowing from the north and west, are dis- prising bigness. The famous bunch of Eshcol required tinguished by the name of ornithian, because they are fa- the strength of two men to bear it. This difference suffivourable to the migratory tribes. But no miracle is in- ciently accounts for the surprise and pleasure which the volved in this circumstance; for these ancient authors only people of Israel manifested, when they first beheld, in the mean, that the quails pursue their journey with greater dif- barren and sandy desert, the fruits which grew in their fuficulty, and are more easily taken when the south wind ture inheritance. The extraordinary size of the grapes of blows; while, according to the observation of others, these Canaan, is confirmedbythe authority of a modern traveller. birds of passage were brought back in the spring, by the In traversing the country about Bethlehem, Doubdan found south winds, which are the most proper for conducting them a most delightful valley full of aromatic herbs and rose from the banks of the Nile and the shores of the Red Sea, bushes, and planted with vines, which he supposed were of into the wilderness of Paran.-PAXTON. the choicest kind: it was actually the valley of Eshcol, from whence the spies carried that prodigious bunch ot Ver. 31. The wrath of God came upon them, and grapes to Moses, of which we read in. the book of Numslew the fattest of them, and smote down the bers. That writer, it is true, saw no such cluster, for he chosen Amenz of Israel. did not visit that fruitful spot in the time of the vintage; but the monks arsured him, they still found some, even in See on Ps. 22. 12. the present neglected state of' the country, which weighed ten or twelve pounds. Ver. 45. He sent divers sorts of flies among them, The vineyards of Canaan produce grapes of different which devoured them; and frofgfs, which de- kinds; some of them are red, and some white, but the stroyed them. greater part are black. To the juice of the red grape, the sacred writers make frequent allusions':'" Wherefore art See on Ex. 8. 4. thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat." " In that day, sing ye unto her Ver. 47. He destroyed their vines with hail, and a vineyard of red wine: I the Lord do keep it." It is, their sycamore-trees with firost. therefore, with strict propriety, the inspired writer calls it " the blood of the grape," a phrase which seems intended The land of Egypt never produced a sufficient quantity to indicate the colour of the juice, or the wine produced of wine to supply the wants of its inhabitants: but still it from it: " Thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape." contained many vines, although it could not boast of ex- The sycamore forms the middle link in the vegetable tensive and loaded vineyards. The vines of Egypt are kingdom, between the fig and the mulberry; and partakes, conjoined by the Psalmist, with the sycamores, in his tri- according to some natural historians, of the nature of both. urnphant song on the plagues which desolated that country, This is the reason the Greeks call it CVK.aopoo,-a name and procured the liberation of his ancestors: " He destroy- compounded of hVKo0, a fig-tree, and ~opo0, a mulberry. It ed their vines with hail. and their sycamore-trees with frost." resembles the fig-tree in the shape and size of its.fruit; This was to the people of Egypt a very serious loss; for which grows neither in clusters, nor at the end of the the grape has been in all ages a principal part of the viands, branches, but by a very singular law, sticking to the trunk with which they treatedtheir friends. Norden was enter- of the tree. Its taste is much like that of the wild fig, and tained with coffee and grapes by the aga of Essauen: and pretty agreeable: Pliny says the fruit is very sweet. when Maillet resided in that country, the natives used the It may seem strange that so inferior a tree as the sycayoung leaves of their vines even more than the fruit. A more should be classed by the Psalmist with the choicest principal article of their diet consist in minced meat, which vines, in his ode on the'plagues of Egypt: " He destroyed they wrap up in small parcels in vine leaves, and laying their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost. thus one leaf upon another, they season it according to the Many other trees, it may be supposed, might be of much custom of their country, and make of it one of the most greater consequence to them; and in particular, the date, delicate dishes presented on their tables. The remainder whi'ch, on account of its fruit, the modern Egyptians hold of the vintage they convert into wine, of-so delicious a taste' in the highest estimation. But it ought to be remembered, and flavour, that it was carried to Rome in the days of her.that several trees which are now found in Egypt, and highly pride and luxury, and esteemed by epicures the third in the valued, might not then be introduced. Very few trees at nuimber of their most esteemed wines. The use of wine present in Egypt, are supposed to be natives of the country. being prohibited by the Mohammedan law, very little is If this idea be just, the sycamore and the vine might, at manufactured at present; but it seems, in ancient times, that early period, be in reality the most valuable trees in to have been produced in much greater abundance. In the that kingdom. But, admitting that the sycamore was, in reign of the Pharaohs, it was certainly made in considerable respect of intrinsic properties or general utility, much inquantities for the use of the cou-rt, who probably could pro- ferior to some other trees which they possessed, accidental cure no such wine from other countries, nor were they circumstances might give it an importance to which it had acquainted with such liquors as the great now drink in originally no claim. The shade of this umbrageous tree Egypt; and consequently the loss of their vines, as the is so grateful to the inhabitants of those warm latitudes, sacred writer insinuates, must have been considerable. that they plant it along the side of the ways near their villaThe grapes of Egypt are said to be much smaller than ges; and as a full-grown sycamore branches out to so great those which grow in the land of Canaan. Dandini, though a distance, that it forms a canopy for a circle of forty paces an Italian, seems to have been surprised at the extraordi- in diameter, a single row of trees on one side of the way nary size of the grapes produced in the vineyards of Leb- is sufficient. It is often seen stretching its arms over the anon. They are as large as prunes, and as may be in- houses, to screen the fainting inhabitant from the glowing ferred from the richness and flavour of the wines for which heats of the summer. This was a benefit so important to the mountains of Lebanon have been renowned from time them, that it obtained a place in the divine promise: " They immemorial, of the most delicious taste. To the size and shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree;" flavour of these grapes, brought by the spies to the camp and to show at once the certainty of the promise, and the in the wilderness, the Italian traveller, little versed, it value of, the favour, it is repeated by another inspired should seem, in the history of the Old Testament, imputes prophet: " Ye shall call every man his neighbour under the ardour with which the people of Israel prosecuted the his vine and under his fig-tree." Now, it appears from conquest of Palestine. The magnificent cluster which the the most authentic records, that the ancient Egyptian cofspies brought from Eshcol, was certainly fitted, in no cornm- fins, intended to preserve to'many generations the bodies mon degree, to stimulate the parched armies of Israel to of departed relatives; the little square boxes which were 50 394 PSALMS. Ps. 78-80. placed at the feet of the mummies, enclosing the instru- eaten by the dogs, if the emperor had not pardoned him; ments and utensils in miniature, which belonged to the an extravagant custom to pardon a man after he is dead; trade and occupation of the deceased; the figures and in- but unless he does so, no person dares bury the body." To struments of wood fofind in the catacombs,-are all made such a degree of savage barbarity it'is probable the eneof sycamore wood, which, though spongy and porous to mies of God's people carried their opposition, that no perappearance, has continued entire and uncorrupted for at son daredto bury the deadbodies of their innocent victims. least three thousand years. The innumerable barks which -PAXTON. ply on the river and over all the vale, in the time of the inundationi, are also fabricated of sycamore wood. But Ver. 11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come bebesides the various important uses to which the wood was fore thee; according to the greatness of thy applied, the sycamore produces a species of fig, upon whicher preserve thou those that are appoited the people almost entirely subsist, thinking themselves well regaled, when they have a piece of bread, a couple of to die. sycamore figs, and a pitcher filled with water from the Nile.-PAXTON. TO illustrate the miserable condition of an oriental prisoner, Chardin relates a story of a very great Armenian Ver. 63. The fire consumed their young men; merchant, who for some reason was thrown into prison. antd their maidens were not given to marriage. So long as he bribed the jailer with large donations, he was treated with the greatest kindness and attention; but upon This is'described as one of the effects of God's anger the party who sued the Armenian presenting a considerupon Israel. In Hindoo families, sometimes, the marriage able sum, first to the judge and afterward to the jailer, the of daughters is delayed; this is, however, always consid- prisoner first experienced a change of treatment. His ered as a great calamity and'disgrace. If a person sees privileges were retrenched; he was then closely confined; girls more than twelve years of age unmarried in a family, then treated with such inhumanity, as not to be permitted he says, " How is it, that that Bramin can sit at home, to drink but once in twenty-four hours, and this in the hotand eat his food with comfort, when his daughters, at such test time of the year; and no person was suffered to see him an age, remain unmarried 1" (Ward.)-BuRDER. but the servants of the prison; at length he was thrown into a dungeon, where he was in a quarter of an hour brought Ver. 64. Their priests fell by the sword; and to the point, which all this severe usage was intended to their widonws made no lamentation. gain. After such a relation, we cannot be surprised to find the sacred writers placing so strong an emphasis on "the'When the cholera swept off such multitudes, the cities sighing of the prisoner," and speaking of' its coming before from every house had a fearful effect on the passers by; God, and the necessity of almighty power being exerted for but, after some time, though the scourge remained, the his deliverance.-PAXTON. people ceased to lament, asking, " Why should we mourn 3 the Amraca," i. e. the goddess, "is at her play." Thus, in- PSALM LXXX. stead of the shrieks and howls so common on such occa- Ver. 4. O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou sions, scarcely a sigh or a whisper was heard from the be angry against the payer of thy people. survivers.-RoBERTs. Hebrew, "wilt thou smoke I" Ainsworth, "Jehovah, Ver. 66. And he smote his enemies in the hinder God of hosts; how long wilt thou smoke against the prayer parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach. of thy people 3" Of an azgry1J man, it is said, "He is continually smoking." " My friend, why do you smoke sq Dr. Boothroyd, " And smote his enemies in the hinder to-day " " This smoke drives me away; I cannot beai parts, and he put them to perpetual disgrace." Some com- i." " How many days is this smoke to r'emain in. my mentators think this alludes " to the emerods inflicted on house 3" " What care I for the smoke. It does not hurt the Philistines;" but the figure is used in reference to nie."-RoBERTs. those who are conquered, and who consequently show their,backs when running awvav. " I will make that fellow show Ver. 5. Thou feedest themn with the bread of his back," means, " I will cause him to run from me." It tears: and givest thern tears to drink in great is also considered exceedingly disgraceful to be beaten on that part.-RoaEaTS. measure. PSALMNI LXXIX. When a master or a father is angry, he says to his chilaren or servants, "Yes, in fuiture you shall have rice, and Ver. 2. The dead bodies of thy servants have they the water of your eyes to eat." " You shall have the water given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, of your eyes in abundance to drink." "' Alas! alas! I am the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the ever drinking tears."-Ro BERTS. earth. 3. Their blood have they shed like Ver. 13. The boar out of the wood doth waste it, water -round about Jerusalem; and ther'e Wvas and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. none to bury themn. See on 2 Sam. 18. 8. See on 1 Sam. 31. 9. Wild hogs are exceedingly numerous and destructive in Criminals were at other times executed in piublic; and the East: hence a fine garden will in one night be,comthen commonly without the city. To such executions pletely destroyed. The herd is generally led by old boars, without the gate, the Psalmist.-undoubtedly refers in this that go along with great speed and fierceness. Should complaint: " The dead bodies of thysaints have they given there be a fence, they will go round till they find a weak to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy place, and then they all rush in. In travelling, sometimes'saints unto the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they a. large patch of grass may be seen completely torn up, shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was which has been done by the wild hog- for the sake of the none to bury them." The last clause admits of two senses. roots. These animals are also very ferocious, as they will Ist. There was no friend or relations left to bury them. not hesitate to attack either man or beast, when placed in 2d. None awere allowed to perform this last office. The des- circumstances of difficulty. One of them once ran at a potism of eastern princes often proceeds to a degree of ex- friend of mine, when travelling in his palanquin; but the travagance which is apt to fill the mind with astonishment creature, not calculating well as to the speed of the coolies, and horror. It has been thought, from time immemorial, only just struck the pole with his tusk; but the hole he left nighly. criminal to bury those who had lost their lives by behind. in the hard wood was nearly half an inch deep.the hand of an executioner, without permission. In Mo- ROBERTS. rocco, no person dares to bury'the body of a malefactor Under the beautiful allegory of a vine, the royal Psalm without an order from the emperor; and Windus, who ist describes the rise and fall of the Jewish commonwealth, visited that country, speaki0ng of a man who was sawed in in this address to Jehovah: " Thou hast brought a vine out two, iniorms us, that "hi- body must have remained to be'of Egypt, thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Ps. 81. PSALMS. 395 Thou preparedst a room before it, and didst-cause it to take found on ancient monuments, and in statues of Apollo. A deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered similar stringed instrument is still usual in the East. Niewith the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the buhr has given a description and drawing of one in his goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and Travels, vol. i. p. 179. He saw it in the hand of the barher branches unto the river. Why hast thou then broken bari, who came from Dongola to Cairo, and call it in their down her hedges, so that all they that pass by the way, do language kussir, whereas the Arabs call it, like other foreign pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and stringed instruments, tambra. " The belly of it is like a the wild beast of the field doth devour it." This terrible wooden dish, with a small hole below, and having a skin animal is both fierce and cruel, and so swift that few of the stretched over it, which is higher in the middle than on the savage tribes can outstrip him in running. His chief abode, sides. Two sticks, which are united at the top by a third, says Forbes, is in the forests and jungles; but when the go obliquely through the skin. Five catgut strings lie over grain is nearly ripe, he commits great ravages in the fields it, supported by a bridge. There are no pegs to this inand sugar plantations. The powers that subverted the strument, but each string is tuned by having some linen Jewish nation, are compared to the wild boar and the wound with it round the transverse stick. It is played in wild beast of the field, by which the vine is wasted and two different ways, namely, either pinched with the fingers, devoured; and no figure could be more happily chosen. or by passing a piece of leather, which hangs at the side, That ferocious and destructive animal, not satisfied with ovel the strings; and my barbari danced as he played." devouring the fruit, lacerates and breaks with his sharp According to the observation of one Rabbi Simeon, quoted and powerful tusks the branches of the vine, or with his by Rabbi Salomon Jarchi, in his commentary on the above snout digs it up by the roots, pollutes it with his touch, or passage in the Psalms, kinnor differed from nhbel only in tramples it under his feet. In Egypt, according to Herod- number of strings and pegs.-ROSENMULLER. otus and other writers, the labours of this ferocious animal are rendered useful to man. When the Nile has retired Ver. 10. I agm the LORD thy God, which brought within his proper channel, the husbandman scatters his thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth grain upon the irrigated soil, and sends out a number ofe, and I wil fill it. swine, that partly by treading it with their feet, partly by diggin.g it with their snout, immediately turn it up, and by, this means cover the seed. But in every other part of the My friend, you tell m ing, and oen great distress: take world, the hog is odious to the husbandmnan. It was an es- my advice: go to the king, and open s mouth wide." " I tablished custom among the Greeks and Ronans, to offer a went to the great man and opened my mouth, but he has hog in sacrifice to Ceres, at the beginning of harvest, and not given me any thing." " Ioened my mouth to him, another to Bacchus, they began to gather the' and have gained all I wanted." "Why open your mouth age because that animal is equally hostile to garthe gwing there? it will be all in vain." Does a person not wish to corn and the loaded vineyard.- From these texamples it is be troubled, he says to the applicant, " Do not say Ah, ah! corn and the loaded vineyard. From these examples it i here;" which means, do not open your mouth, because that quite evident that the prophet meant to describe, under the;" which means, do not open your mouth ecause that figure of a wild boar, the cruel and implacable enemies of word canot be pronounced without opening the mouth.the church. And it is extremely probable, that he alluded to some more remarkable adversary, as Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, or Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon; Ver. 16. He should have fed them also with the both of whom were not less ferocious and destructive than finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the the savage by which they were symbolized.-PAXTON. rock should I have satisfied thee. Ver. 17. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy The soil, both of the maritime and inland parts of Syria right hand, upon the son of man wohom thou and Phenicia, is of a light loamy nature, and easily cultimadest strong for thyself. vated. Syria may be considered as a country consisting of three long strips of land, exhibiting different qualities: one If we would understand the genuine import of this extending along the Mediterranean, forming a warm huphrase, we must attend to a custom which obtained in mid valley, the salubrity of which is doubtful, but which is Judea and other eastern countries. At meals the master extremely fertile; the other, which forms its frontier, is a of the feast placed the person whom he loved best on his hilly, rugged soil, but more salubrious; the third, lying beright hand, as a token of love and respect: and as they sat yond the eastern hills, combines the drought of the latter, on couches, in the intervals between the dishes, when the with the heat of the former. We have seen by what a master leaned upon his left elbow, the man at his right happy combination of climate and soil this province unites hand, leaning also on his, would naturally repose his head in a small compass the advantages and productions of difon the master's bosom; while at the same time the master ferent zones, insomuch that the God of nature seems to Laid his right hand on the favourite's shoulder or side, in have designed it for one of the most agreeable habitations testimony of his favourable regard. See also John xxi. 20. of this continent. The soil is a fine mould, without stones, (Pirie.) —-BURDER. and almost without even the smallest pebble. Volney PSALM LX~X~XI. himself, who furnishes the particulars of this statement, is compelled to admit, that what is said of its actual fertility, Ver. 2. Take a psalm, and bring hither the tim- exactly corresponds with the idea given of it in the Hebrew brel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. scriptures. Wherever wheat is sown, if the rains do not fail, it repays the cultivator with profusion, and grows to By timbrels are meant the hand-instruments, still used in. the height of a man. The Mount of Olives, near Jerusathe East, and called jiff, the same name which stands here lem, and several other districts in Judea and Galilee, are in the Hebrew text. By the Hebrew word kinnor, here covered with olive plantations, whose fruit is equal to any translated harp, we are probably to understand a stringed produced in the Levant. The fig-trees in the neighbourinstrument, a kind of guitar, similar to those called by the hood of Joppa, are equally beautiful and productive as the Arabs, tanmb'nra. Josephus says, that this instrument had olive. Were the Holy Land as well inhabited and cultiten strings, and was played with a plectrum; in more an- vated as formerly, Dr. Shaw declares it would still be cient times, however, it appears to have been played with more fruitful than the very best part of Syria or Phenicia; the fingers, as we may infer from 1 Sam. xvi. 23. xviii. 16. for the soil itself is generally much richer, and all things xix. 9. It is almost always mentioned. in the Old Testa- considered, yields a preferable crop. Thus, the cotton, ment on occasions of cheerful entertainments and rejoi- which is gathered in the plains of Rama, Esdraelon, and cings. The name of the third instrument, nhbel, men- Zabulon, is in greater esteem, according to that excellent tioned in the text, and here translated psaltery, has also writer, than what is cultivated near Sidon and Tripoli; been preserved in the Greek and Latin languages, nabla, neither is it possible for pulse, wheat, or grain of any kind, nablium. As the Hebrew word signifies a leathern bottle, to be richer or better tasted, than what is commonly sold at it has been conjectured that the sounding-board was of that Jerusalem. The barrenness, or scarcity rather, of which shape. But St. Jerome and Isidore say that the instrument Some authors may either ignorantly or maliciously comresembled a Greek delta inverted, V. This leads us to plain, does not proceed, in the opinion of Dr. Shaw, from conjecture that nabel was that kind of lyre so frequently the incapacity or natural unfruitfulness of the cot:mtl yl bu ,396 PSALMS. Ps. 84 from the want of inhabitants, and from the great aversion (Travels in the Holy Land; p. 144.) "At three P. M. we to labour and industry in those few by whom it is possess- again mounted our horses, and proceeded on our route. ed.- The perpetual discords and depredations among the No sensation of fatigue or heat could counterbalance the petty princes who share this fine country, greatly obstruct eagerness and zeal which animated all our party, in the the operations of the husbandman, who must have small approach to Jerusalem; every individual pressed forward, encouragement to sow, when it is quite uncertain, who hoping first to announce the joyful intelligence of its apshall gather in the harvest. It is in other respects a fertile pearance. We passed some insignificant ruins, either of ancountry, and still capable of affording to its neighbours the cient buildings or of modern villages; but had they beer. like ample supplies of corn and oil, which it is known to of more importance, they would have excited little notice have done in the days of Solomon, who gave yearly to at the time, so earnestlj bent was every mind towards the Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his main object of interest and curiosity. At length, after about household, and twenty measures of pure oil. two hours had been passed in this state of anxiety and susThe parts about Jerusalem particularly, being rocky and pense, ascending a hill towards the south.' HAGIOPOLIS 1' mountainous, have been therefore supposed to be barren exclaimed a Greek in the van of our cavalcade: and inand unfruitful: yet, granting this conclusion, which is stantly throwing himself from his horse, was seen barehowever far from being just, a country is not to be charac- headed, upon his knees, facing the prospect he surveyed. terized from one single district of it, but from the whole. Suddenly the sight burst upon us all. Who shall describe And besides, the blessing which was given to Judah was it? The effect produced was that of total silence throughnot of the same kind with the blessing of Asher or of Issa- out the whole company. Many of the party, by an inmmechar, that " his bread should be fat or his land pleasant," diate impulse, took off their hats, as if entering a church; but that " his eyes should be red with wine, and his teeth without being sensible of so doing. The Greeks and should be white with milk." In the estimation of the Jew- Catholics shed torrents of tears; and presently beginning ish lawgiver, milk and honey (the chief dainties and sub- to cross themselves with unfeigned devotion, asked if they sistence of the earlier ages, as they still continue to be of might be permitted to take off the covering from their feet, the Bedouin Arabs) are the glory of all lands; these pro- and proceed, barefooted, to the Holy Sepulchre. We had ductions are either actually enjoyed in the lot of Judah, or not been prepared for the grandeur of the spectacle, which at least, might be obtained by proper care and application. the city alone exhibited. Instead of a wretched and ruined The abundance of wine alone is wanting at present; yet town, by some described as the desolated remnant of Jeruthe acknowledged goodness of that little, which is still salem, we beheld, as it were, a flourishing and steady memade at Jerusalem and Hebron, clearly proves, that these tropolis; presenting a magnificent assemblage of domes, barren rocks, as they are -called, would yield a much towers, palaces, churches, and monasteries; all of which, greater quantity, if the abstemious Turk and Arab would glittering in the sun's rays, shone with inconceivable splenpermit the vine to be further propagated and improved. dour. As we drew nearer, our whole attention was enWild honey, which formed a part of the food of John the grossed by its noble and interesting appearance. The lofty Baptist in the wilderness, may indicate to us the great hills whereby it is surrounded give to the city itself an plenty of it in those deserts; and, that consequently taking appearance of elevation inferior to that which it really posthe hint from nature, and enticing the bees into hives and sesses."-B. larger colonies, it might be produced in much greater quantity. Josephus accordingly calls Jericho the honey-bearing Ver. 3. Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, country. The great abundance of wild honey is often and the swallow a nest for herself, where she mentioned in scripture; a memorable instance of which may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD occurs in the first book of Samuel: "And all they of the of h land came to a wood, and there was honey upon the osts, my King, and my God. ground; and when the people were come to the wood, be- The ibis was so venerated in Egypt, as to be an allowed hold the honey dropped." This circumstance perfectly inmate in sacred structures. Something of the same kind accords with the view which Moses gave of the promised occurs also in Persia. "Within a mosque at Oudjicun, land. in the song with which he closed his long and event- lies interred the son of a king, called Schah-Zadeh-nmam fol career: "He made him to suck honey out of the rock, Dgiafer, whom they reckon a saint: the dome is rough cast and oil out of the flinty rock." That'good land preserved over; before the mosque there is a court, well planted with its character in the time of David, who thus celebrates the many high plane-trees, on which we saw a great many distinguishing bounty of God to his chosen people: "He storks that haunt thereabout all the year round." (Thevewould have fed them also with the finest df the wheat, and not.) with honey out of the rock would I have satisfied thee." By the altars of Jehovah we are to understand the temIn these holy strains, the sacred poet availed himself of the ple. The words probably refer to the custom of several most valuable products of Canaan, to lead the faith and nations of antiquity, that birds which build their nests on hope of his nation to bounties of a higher order, of greater the temples, or within the limits of them, were not suffered to price, and more urgent necessity, than any which the soil be driven away, much less killed, but found a secure and even of that favoured region, stimulated and sustained as it uninterrupted dwelling. Hence, when Aristodikus discertainly was by the special blessing of heaven, prodnuced, turbed the birds'-nests of the temple of Kumme, and took the -the bounties of sovereign and redeeming mercy, pur- young from them, a voice, according to a tradition preservchased with the blood, and. imparted by the spirit of the ed by Herodotus, is said to have spoken these words from Son of God.-PAxTON. the interior of the temple: " Most villanous of men, how PSALM LXXXIV. darest thou do such a thing? to drive away such as seek refuge in my temple?" The Athenians were so enraged Ver. 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O at Atarbes, who had killed a sparrow which built on the LORD of' hosts! 2. My soul longeth, yea, temple of 2Esculapius, that they killed him. Among the even faintth for th courts of th LORD my Arabs, who are more closely related to the Hebrews, birds sn fainteth, for the courts of the Lo-D; M y which have built their nests on the temple of Mecca were teart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. inviolable from the earliest times. In the very ancient poem of a Dschorhamidish prince, published by A. Schulrhe first part of the Psalm cannot be better illustrated tens, in which he laments that his tribe had been deprived (let there be no misinterpretation of our meaning) than by of the protection of the sanctuary of Mecca, it is said, the example of those who go in pilgrimage to Mlecca. As We lament the house, whose dove their enthusiasm increases in proportion as they advance was never suffered to be hurt, through the desert to the holy place; as they are used to be She remained there secure; in it also ravished when they behold the shining towers of the Kaaba, The sparrow built its nest. so does the journey to Jerusalem proceed with increasing Another ancient Arabian poet, Nabega, the Dhobianit, longingspirit and joy through the scorched valleys. They swears " by the sanctuary which affords shelter to the birds become as it were a well of water, for already at Baca they which seek it there." Niebuhr says: " I will observe, that Vtehold the face of Jehovah.-RosENsMULLRa. among the Mohammedans, not only is the Kaaba a refuge A parallel instance of pious enthusiasm is exhibited in for pigeons, but also on the mosques over the graves of Ali Dr. Clarke's account of his approach to the Holy City, and IHossein, on the Dsjamea, or chief mosque at Helle Ps. 85. PSAL MS. 397 and in other cities, they are equally undisturbed."-RosEN- veniences perhaps of this kind, made, or renewed, by the deMULLER. vout Israelites in the valley of Baca,to facilitate their goingup The term in this passage is connected with the proper to Jerusalem, the Psalmist may refer in these words, Hence name of the swallow; and therefore cannot be understood also there appears less of accident than we commonly think as the common name of the feathered race, but like the of, in Jacob's lodging on the banks of Jabbok, and the men other, must denote a particular species of bird, which, by of David awaiting for him by the brook Besor, when they the general suffrage of interpreters, is the sparrow. This could not hold out with him in his march.-HARMI.ER. idea is confirmed by the plaintive description of David, In this Psalm are described the journeys of the Israelites according to which, that little bird, under the direction of to their feasts at Jerusalem, from the distant'parts of the instinct alone, provides a habitation for herself, in the country. It mentions their digging wells in the valley of abodes of men, where she rears her young, and enjoys the Baca, which, in the rainy season, were filled with excelsweets of repose. Some of these birds the Psalmist had lent water, and became a great convenience to succeeding probably seen constructing their nests, and propagating travellers. In reference to them, the travellers are said to their kind, in the buildings near the altar, or in the courts have gone from strength to strength till they arrived at of the temple; and piously longs to revisit a scene so dear Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, to appear before God there, to his heart. The altar is here by a synecdoche of apart which was'the object of their journey. When a weary for the whole, to be understood of the tabernacle, among traveller arrives at a well in the wilderness, his strength is the rafters of which the sparrow and the swallow were al- nearly gone, but on drinking of its water he is revived and lowed to nestle; or rather, for the buildings which sur- strengthened for another stage; and, on falling in with anrounded the sacred edifice, where the priests and their as- other well, he receives fresh vigour for again proceeding sistants had their ordinary residence. Even these exterior on his journey. So that going from strength to strength buildings were extremely desirable to the exiled monarch, may literally mean from well to well; though some underbecause of their vicinity to the splendid symbols of tie stand by this, going from company to company.-CAMPBELL. divine presence, and the instruments of his worship. The holy Psalmist sometimes wished for the wings of a dove, Ver. 10. For a day in thy courts is better than a to waft htm into the desert from the cruel'oppression of his thousand. I had rather be a door-keeper in enemies: but on this occasion, when he is compelled to flee the house of in the tents for his life into the wilderness, hlie longs for the enjoyment of wickedness. of a sparrow, which flew unobserved into the courts of the tabernacle, and flitted among the beams without interrup- Ainsworth,," I have chosen to sit at the threshold, in the tion. —PAxTON. house of my God." And Dr. Boothroyd, "Abide, or sit, at the threshold." I believe the word door-keeper does not Ver. 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca, convey the proper meaning of the words, "to sit at tthe make it a well: the rain also filleth the pools. thlreshold;" because the, preference of the Psalmist Was evidently given to a very HUMBLE situation, whereas that of a The words, Who passing through the valley of Baca, door-keeper, in eastern estimation, is truly respectable and make it a pool: the rain also filleth the pools,-are, in the confidential. The gods are always represented as having margin, WVho passing through the valley of mulberry-trees. door-keepers, who were of great dignity and power, as they The Seventy, in Chronicles, render it pear-trees; in which also fought against other deities. In the heathen temples they are followed by Aquila and the Vulgate. Some think there are images near the entrance, called kaval-kdran, i. e. Baca, in the eighty-fourth Psalm, is the name of a rivulet, guards or door-keepers. Kings and great men also have which burst out of the earth, at the foot of a mountain, with officers, whose business it is to stand at the door, or gate, a plaintive murmur, from which it derived its name. But as keepers of the entrance. The most dignified native of it is more probable that Baca is the name of some shrub Ceylon is the Maha Modeliar of the governor's gate, to or tree. Those who translate it the mulberry-tree, to whom all others must make obeisance. The word doorillustrate the passage in the Psalm, pretend it grows best in keeper, therefore, does not convey the idea of humility, but the dry ground; but this seems to be unfounded. Marinus of honour. imagines, that Baca signifies the mulberry-tree, because The marginal reading, however," to sit at the threshold," the fruit of the mulberry exudes a juice resembling trees. at once strikes an eastern mind as a- situation of deep huParkhurst rather thinks that Baca means a.kind of large mility. See the poor heathen devotee, he goes and sits near shrub, which the Arabs likewise call Baca, and which the threshold of his temple. Look at the beggar, he sits, probably was so named from its distilling an odoriferous or prostrates himself at the threshold of the door or gate, gum. For Baca with an aleph,;seems to be related to Bacah till he shall have gained his suit. " I am in great trouble; with a hay, which signifies to ooze, to distil in small quan- I will go and lie down-at the door of the temple." "-Friend, tities, to weep or shed tears. This idea perfectly corre- you appear to be very ill."-" Yes!" " Then go and prossponds with the description which Celsius has given of this trate yourself at the threshold of the temple!" "Muttoo, I valley. It is not, according to him, a place abounding with can get you the situation of a Peon; will you accept of it."fountains and pools of water, but rugged and embarrassed " Excuse me, sir, I'pray you; I had better lie at your threshwith bushes and stones, which could not be passed through old than do that." " Go, do that! it is far better for me to without labour and suffering; a striking emblem of that lie at the threshold as a common beggar." I think, therevale of thorns and tears, through which all believers must fore, the Psalmist refers to the attitude of a beggar, a suppass to the heavenly Jerusalem. pliant at the threshold of- the house of the Lord, as being The great uncertainty among interpreters concerning preferable to the splendid dwellings of the wicked.-RoP-, the real meaning of the term Becaim, has induced Mr. ERTS, Harmer to hazard a conjecture, that the tree meant in this passage is the weeping-willow. But this plant is not found PSALM LXXXV. in a dry sandy vale, where the thirsty traveller is compelled Ver. 10. Mercy and truth are met together,; to dig for water, and to form cisterns in the earth, to receive righteousness and peace have- kissed each other. the rain of heaven. In such a situation, we expect to-find the pungent aromatic shrub distilling its fragrant gum; Dr. Boothrod;, "Righteousness and peace have emnot the weeping-willow, the favourite situation of which braced." In the Hindoo book called Iraku-Vangesham, it is the watery plain, or the margin of the brook.-PAx- is said, the "-lotus flowers were kissing each other." Whern roN.'the branches of two separate trees meet, in consequenc( of..strong winds, it is said, "they kiss: each other." Wheti a Ver. 7. Theygo from strength to strength; every young palmirah-tree, which grows near the parent stock; one of them in Zion appeareth before God. begins- to move, (by the wind,) the people say, "Ah! the mother is kissing-, the. daughter." A. woman says. of theThe scarcity ofwater in the East makes travellers particu- ornaments around her neck,. "Yes, these embrace my iaily careful to take up their lodgings as much as possible neck." Has a female put on the nose-ring, it is, it i aidT tedarsomeriverorfountain. D'Herbelot informs us, thatthe kissing her. The ideai therefore-, is truly oriental, and Mohammedans have dug wells in the deserts, for the accom- shows the intimate union of righteousness and peace'.modation of those who go in pilgrimage to Mecca. To con- ROBERTS. 398 i PSALMS. Ps. 87-90, PSALM LXXXVII. as yesterday when it it past, and as a watch in Ver. 2. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more the night. than.all the dwellings of Jacob. 3thaa.a1 the d Dellings of Jacob. It is evident in the scriptures, that besides these cares, " Truly, I love the gates of Chinna Amma more than they had watchmen who used to patrol in their streets: and the gates of Pun-Amma." "f No, no; he does not love the it is natural to suppose, that they were these people that gates of that woman;* he will never marry her." " He is gave them notice how the seasons of the night passed away. angry with my gates; he will not pass ther." "Love his I am indebted for this thought to Sir John Chardin. He gates ay, for a good rason; he g ets plenty of help from observes, in a note on Ps. xc. 4, that as thepeople of the East thelpm.-RoBEmRTs have no clocks, the several parts of the day and of the night, which are eight in all, are given notice of. In the Indies, Ver. 7. As uwell the singers. as the players on in- the parts of the night are made known as well by instrustrurrients shall be. there: all my springs are ments of music, in great cities, as by the rounds of the watchmen, who with cries and small drums, give them notice that in thee. a fourth part of the night is passed. Now as these cries A man of great charities is said to have many springs: awaked those who had slept all that quarter part of the ~~~A m g hi v pg night, it appeared to them but as a moment. There are " His heart is like the springs of a well." " Where are my ty f these people in the Indies, by day, and as many by sixty of these people in the Indies, by day,'and as many by springs, my lord; are they not in you?" Tears also are niht; that is, fifteen for each division. spoken of as coming from springs in the body; thus the It ppent the ancient Jews knew how the night b E.,..It is apparent the ancient Jews knew how the night mother of Ramar said to him, in consequence of great sor- passed away, which mst probably be by some public row,) The waters of my eyes have dried up the springs o notice given them: but whether it was by simply publishaffe ction."' —R OBERTS. ing at the close of each watch, what watch was then ended; PSALM LXXXIX. or whether they made use of any instruments of music in this business, may not be easily determinable; and still Ver. 9. Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when less what measures of time the watchmen made use of.the waves' thereof arise, thou stillest them. HARMER. 10. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one Ver. 5. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; that is slain: thou hast scattered thine enemies they are as a sleep with thy strong arm. 11. The heavens are like asn te morn thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world, grass which groeth up. 6. In the morning it fiourisheth, and gv]owyeth up; in the evenand the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them., and gweth. in:g it is cut down, and withereth. See on Eph. 6. 16. In temperate latitudes, the fields are generally coveredc Ver. 12. The north and the south thou hast crea- with durable verdure; but in Asia, gramineous plants of ted them: Tabor antd Hermon shall rejoice in all kinds are extremely perishable. The wonderful rapidity of their growth is celebrated by every traveller into thy name. the East. Sir Thomas Roe says, that when the ground has been destitute of rain nine months together, and looks The northeast part of Lebanon, adjoining to the Holy all of it like the barren sand in the desert of Arabia, and is in scripture distinguished asby the n ame of Hermon; where there is not one spire of green grass to be found, and is,.by consequence, mentioned as the northern boundary within a few days after those fat enriching showers begin of the country beyond Jordan, and more particularly of the within a few days after those fat enriching showers begin kingdom of Og, or of the half tribe of Manasseh, on the east to fall, the face of the earth there (as it were by a new of that river. But, besides this Mount Hermon, in the resurrection) is so revived, and throughout so renewed, northern border of the country beyond Jordan, we read of as that it is presently covered all over with a pure green another mountain of the same name, lying within the land mantle. Dr. Russel, in the same admiring terms, deof Ca naan, on theain of the same namriver Jordan, not far from scribes the springing of the earth as a resurrection of of Canaan, on the west of the river Jordan, not far from Mount Tabor. To this mountain the holy Psalmist is vegetable nature. Vegetation is so extremely quick in thought to refer in these words: " The north and the south Hindostan, that, as fast as the water rises, the plants of rice thlou hast crefatedr them: Tabord and Htermon shall rejoice grow before it, so that the ear is never immersed. To the in thy name," and in the following passage: "As thlle dew powerful influence of the rain upon the face of oriental in thyermon, and as the d ew that descends upon the mount- nature, Moses compares, with singular beauty and force, aof sermon, and as the de that descends upon the mount- the effect which the lessons of heavenly wisdom produce in the human mind: " My doctrine shall drop as the rain, ny Ver. 14. Justice and judgment are the habitation speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. " Even the of thy throne: mercy andt truth shall go before dews, which are most copious in those regions, produce a thy face. change so beneficial and sudden, that Solomon compares to their energy, the influence of royal favour, which, in oriental Dr. Boothroyd,, Are the basis of thy throne." The courts, frequently raises in one day a person from the lowest Hebrew, "the establishment of thy throne." " What was condition, to the highest ranks of life: The king's " favour the foundation of his throne!" "Justice! Truly righ- is as a dew upon the grass." But such extraordinary quickteousness is the atle-vctrama, foundation or basis, of all his ness of growth is incompatible with strength and permaways."-ROBERTS. nence; the feeble and sickly blade yields as quickly to the burning heat, and vanishes away. To this rapid chance Ver. 25a")". I will set his hand also in the sea, and the Psalmist compares the short-lived prosperity of wicked his right hand in the rivers. men: his own evanescent comforts; the swift progress of his days, and of time in general. So soon are the powers The meaning is: he shall reign from the Mediterranean of nature exhausted, that the grass does net always come to Sea to the Euphrates. This is figuratively expressed thus: maturity, even in the best soils; in the language of anhis right hand shall extend to the sea, or his left to the cientprophecy, " it is blasted before it be grown up."-PAxEuphrates. A similar expression was used, according to TON. Curtius, by the Scythian ambassadors to Alexander. "If," said they, " the gods had given thee a body as great as thy Ver. 9. For all our days are'passed away in thy mind, the whole world would not be able to contain thee; wrath end our years as a tale that is thou wouldst reach with one hand to the east, and with the; we sp oither t6 the west."-ROSENMULLER. PSALM XC. " This year has been to me as a fabulous story: like the repetition of a dream, my days pass away. The beginning. Ver. 4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but of life is as the dew-drop upon the tender herb; in ten moons Ps. 90-92. PSALMS. 399 it assumes its shape, and is brought forth; it lies down, der: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou crawls, prattles, walks, and becomes acquainted with science. trample under foot. At sixteen he is a man; goes forth in the pride of his youth, gets a wife, and becomes the father of children. The husk "Thou shalt tread upon the lion." This expression deof his rice he refuses to part with, and his wish is to enjoy all. notes the subjection of the lion, and the fiercest beasts, to the He thinks byliving cheaply, by refusing to support charities, power of man. His superiority is indisputable. Eastern or to dispense favours, he is of all men the most happy. monarch have on particular occasions displayed their He is regardless of the writing on his forehead, (fate,) anis grandeur by exhibiting lions in a tame condition. When like the lamp which shineth, and ceaseth to shine; pour in a Greek ambassador was introduced to the Calif Moctader, oil, and there will be light; take it away, and there will be "among the other spectacles of rare and stupendous luxury darkness. In old age come the rheumatics, the jaundice, and a hundred lions were brotght out, with a keeper to each an enlarged belly; the eyes are filled with rheums, and the lion." This embassy was received at Bagdad, A. H. 305. phlegm comes forth. His body becomes dry, his back bends, A. D. 917. When Mr. Bell, of Antermony, accompanied his wife and children abhor him, and in visions he sees the the Russian ambassador to the audience of the unfortunate deathly car and horse. The place of burning says,'Come, Shah Hussein, of Persia, two lions were introduced, to come;' and his family say,'Go, go.' His strength is gone, denote the power of the king over the fiercest animals.his speech falters, his eyeballs roll, and his living soul is BURDER. taken away. The people then talk of his good and evil The adder was known to the ancient Hebrews under deeds, and ask,' Is this life 2' The funeral rites follow; various names.-It is the opinion of some interpreters, that the music sounds forth, and the DYING carry the DEAD to its the word into sachal, which in' some parts of scripture deplace ofburninag." Thus sung the devoted Ar?'na-Ki'riyctr. notes a lion-, in others means an adder, or some other kind — ROaERTS. of serpent. Thus, in the ninety-first Psalm, they render it the basilisk: "Thou shalt tread upon the adder and the Ver. 14. 0 satisfy us early with thy mercy, that basilisk, the young lion and the dragon thou shalt trample we may rejoice and be glad all our days. under foot." Indeed, all the ancient expositors agree, that some species of serpent is meant, although they cannot deAinsworth, " Satisfie us in the morning with thy mercie. termine what particular serpent the sacred writer had in his Afflictions and sorrows are spoken of as the " night of life;" eye. The learned Bochart thinks it extremely probable and the deliverance from them, as the "l morning of joy." that the holy Psalmist in this verse treats of serpents only; "Yes, the night has been long and gloomy, but the morning and by consequence, that both the terms (tint) sachal and has at last come." " Ah! morning, morning, when wilt thou (>-nD) chepkhi', mean some kind of snakes, as well as (in-) romne.'"-ROBERTS. phethan and (prn) tannin, because the coherence of the verse PSALM XCI. is by this view better preserved, than by mingling lions Ver. 1. He that dwvelleth in the secret place of and serpents together, as our translators and other interpreters have commonly done. The union of lions, addeirs, the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of and dragons, is not natural; nor is it easy to imagine what the Almighty. can be meant by treading upon the lion, and trampling the young lion under foot; for it is not possible in walking to To say a person is under the SHADow of a great man, tread upon the lion, as upon the adder, the basilisk, and means, he is under his PROTECTION. " Oh, my lord, all the other serpents. people are against me; they are pursuing me as the tiger: As the term (inv) sachal, when applied to wild beasts, let me come under your ucnr.e:."' i. e. SHADOW. " Ay, ay, the denotes a black lion; so in the present application, it means fellow is safe enough, now he has crept under the SHADOW of the black adder. Many serpents are of a black colour, but the king." " Begone, miscreant, thou shalt not creep under some of them are much blacker than others. The sachal, my shadow." "Many years have I been under the shadow therefore, denotes the black snake, the colour of which is of my father; how shall I now leave it V." "Gone,'for ever intensely deep. gone, is the shadow of my days!" says the lamenting widow. Another name which the adder bears in scripture is -ROBERTS. (:ivDY) achsscb. It occurs in the following description of wicked men: " They have sharpened their tongues like a Ver. 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by serpent: adders' poison is under their lips." The Chaldee night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day. renders it the poison of a spider; but the most common in6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in dark- terpretation is that which our translators have adopted. the destruction that wasteth at Some, however, contend that the asp is intended; and in ness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at support of their opinion, quote the authority of many Greek noonday. and Latin interpreters, and what must be decisive with every Christian, the suffrage of an inspired apostle, who When the cholera rages, no one will go out while the sun gives this version of the Hebrew text: " The poison of asps is at its zenith, because it is believed that the demon of the is under,their lips." The name in Hebrew is derived from pestilence is then actively engaged. " The hot exhalations an Arabic verb, which signifies to coil up; which perfectly of noonday are the chariots of the fiends." The demons corresponds with the nature of this animal, for, in preparof darkness are said to have the most power at midnight. — ing to strike, it contracts itself into a spiral form, and raises ROBERTS. its horrid head from the middle of the orb. It assumes the The arrow, in this passage, means the pestilence. The same form when it goes to sleep, coiling its body into a numArabs thus denote it: "I desired.to remove to a less con- ber of circles, with its head in the centre. This is the tagious air. I received from Solyman, the emperor, this reason that in Greek, Acts denotes a shield, as well as a message: that the emperor wondered what I meant, in serpent. Now1 the Grecian shields are circular, as we desiring to remove my habitation. Is not the pestilence learn from Virgil,butwhether the name of the shield(AVrNs) God's arrow, which will always hit his mark. If God was derived from the serpent, or the name of the serpent would visit me herewith, how could I avoid it.' Is not the from the form of the shield, it is of no consequence to deterplagucf said he,' in my own palace; and yet I do not think mine.-PAxToN. of removing. " (Busbequius.) PSALM XCII. We find the same opinion expressed in Smith's Remarks. on the Turks. "What," say they, " is not the plague the Ver. 10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the dart of Almighty God, and can we escape the blow he horn of a unicorn: I shall be anointed with levels at us. Is not his hand steady to hit the persons fresh oil. he aims at l Can we run out of his sight, and beyond f o his power'" So Herbert, (p. 99,) speaking of Curroon, Montanus has, instead of FRESH oil, Elrven the literal says, " that year his empire was so wounded with God's meaning of the original, virido oleo, with GREEN oil. Ainuarrows of plague, pestilence, and famine, as this thousand worth also says, "fresh or green oile.' Calmet, " As the years before was never so terrible."-BvURDER. plants imparted somewhat of their colour, as well as of their fragrance, hence the expression GREEN oil." Harmer, I Ver. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and ad- shall be anointed with GREEN oil." Some of these writers 400 P S A L MAS. Ps. 92. think the term GREET., as it is in the original, means CC pre- to support the claims of the unicorn to the honour of a place cious fragrant oil;" others, literally green in COLOuR; and in the sacred volume, contend, that in this instance the sinothers, FRESH or NEwLY made oil. But I think it will ap- gular, by an enallage or change of number, is put for the pear to mean COLD DRAWN oil, that which has been expressed plural. But this is a gratuitous assertion; and besides, if or squeezed from the nut or fruit without the process of admitted, would greatly diminish the force and propriety of boiling. The Orientals prefer this kind for anointing them- the comparison. The two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and selves to all others; it is considered the most precious, the Manasseh, had been adopted into the family of Jacob. and most pure and efficacious. Nearly all the medicinal oils appointed the founders of two distinct tribes, whose descendare thus extracted; and because they cannot gain so much ants in the times of Moses were become numerous and reby this method as by the boiling process, oils so drawn are spectable in the congregation. These were the two horns very dear. Hence their name for the article also thus pre- with which Joseph was to attack and subdue his enemies; pared is patche, i. e. GREEN oil! But this term in eastern and by consequence, propriety required an allusion to a phraseology is applied to other things; which are qunboiled or creature, not with one, but with two horns. rawo; thus unboiled water is called patche, green water: In the book' of Job, the reem is represented as a very patche-ptl, also, green milk, means that which has not been fierce and intractable animal, which, although possessed of boiled, and the butter made from it is called green butter; sufficient strength to labour, sternly and pertinaciously reand uncooked meat, or yams, go by the same name. I think, fuses to bend his neck to tie yoke: "Will the unicorn (in therefore, the Psalmist alludes to that valuable article Hebrew the reem) be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy which is called GREEN oil, on account of its being expressed crib. Canst thou bind the reem with his band in the furfrom the nut, or fruit, without the process of boiling.-Ron- row, or will he harrow the valleys after thee. Wilt thou ERTS. trust him because his strength is great? Or w-ilt thou leave The virgin-oil (l'ogleo virgineo) is made as well from thy labour to him?. Wilt thou believe him that he will green and unripe, as from ripe fruit; but with the differ- bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn." So far ence, that no hot water, or very little, is used, in the press- from being disposed to submit to the dominion of man, he ing: by which the berries are less affected, and less of the is extremely hostile and' dangerous. Little inferior to the acrid or crude elements extracted from them. In this lion himself in strength and fury, he is sometimes associamanner less oil is obtained, but it iswhiter, more pleasant, ted in scripture with that destroyer. "Save me," cried our and justly preferred to every other sort. The ancients Lord to his Father, " save me from the lion's mouth: for called it green oil, probably on account of its being ex- thou hast heard me from the horns of (=,nx) the unicorns." tracted from green and unripe berries. This explains a In the prophecies of Isaiah, it is united witih other powerpassage in Suetonius, which says, "that Julius Cesar, out ful animals, to symbolize the great leaders and princes of of politeness, ate old and spoiled oil, instead of green, not the hostile nations, that laid waste his native land: "And to give the person who had invited him any ground to the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks complain of his want of politeness, or his inattention, with the bulls:, and their land shall be soaked with blood, Some commentators on the Bible reasonably suppose that and their dust made fat with fatness." Such are the genethis green oil is spoken of as being the best, when the ral characters of the reem,.as delineated in the sacred volPsalmist expresses the happiness with which God had ume: but besides these, several hints are given, which seem blessed him: I am anointedwoith green oil. (Keyssler.)- to point out, with no little certainty, the genus under which BORDER. the reemought to be classed. In that sublime composition; Mr. Bruce, after having given it as his opinion that the where the Psalmist assigns the i'easons why God is to be reem of scripture is the rhinoceros, says, " the derivation honoured, he joins the calf with the young reem, and asof this word, both in the Hebrew and in the Ethiopic, seems cribes to them the same kind of movement: "He maketh to befrom erectness, or standing straight. This is certainly them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a no particular quality in the animal itself, which is not more, young (reem, or) unicorn." The prophet. Isaiah, in a pasor even so much erect, as many other quadrupeds, for in its sage already quoted, classeshim with the bullocks and the knees it is rather crooked; but it is from the circumstance bulls; and Moses assigns him the same station, furnishes and manner in which his horn is placed. The horns of other him with horns, and makes him push like abulloca. If animals are inclined to some degree of parallelism with the these circumstances are duly considered, no doubt wfill renoseor os frontis. The horn of the rhinoceros alone is main that he is nearly allied to the creatures with which he erect and perpendicular to this bone, on which it stands at is associated. right angles, thereby possessing a greater purchdse, or These:observations will enable us to examine with more power, as a lever, than any horn could possibly have in success the various interpretations of the original name any other position. "This situation of the horn is very proposed by different expositors. Our translators, follOwhappily alluded to in the sacred writings: my horn shalt ing the Greek fathers; consider the reem as a creature with thou exalt like the ho'rn of a unicorn; and the horn here al- one horn.; and, agreeably to this idea, render it unicorn. luded to is not whdllv figurative, as I have already taken But this interpretation is encumbered with insuperable difnotice in the course of my history, but was really an orna- ficulties. The unicorn is a creature totally! unknown in ment worn by great men in the days of victory, preferment, those countries where the scriptures were written, and the or rejoicing, when they were anointed with new, sweet, or patriarchs sojourned. But is it probable, that God himfresh oil, a circumstance which David joins with that of self, in his expostulation with Job, would take an illustraerecting the horn." tion:of considerable length, from a creature with which the The term for unicorn, in the Hebrew text; is (=vn) afflicted man was altogether unacquainted; and mention r'im', or (=',) roeem; and is derived from a verb, which sig- this unknown animal in the midst of those with which he nifies to be exalted or lifted up. This term, which inHe- was-quite familiar? Nor is it to be supposed, that Moses, brew signifies only height, is rendered by the Greek inter- David, and the. prophets, would so frequently spealk of an preters povowepoc, and by the Latins unicornis; both which: animal unknown in Egypt and Palestine, and the surroundanswer' to our English word unicorn. Jerome and others, ing countries; least of all, that they would borrow their doubtful to what animal it belongs, render it sometimes comparisons from it, familiarly mention its great strength, rhinoceros, and sometimes unicorn. It is evident from the and describe its habits and dispositions. _Aware of this oh: sacred scriptures, that the reem is an animal of considera-' jection, and at loss howto elude its force, some writers, on ble height, and of great strength. Thus Balaam reluctant- the authority of Pliny, iemove the native land of the unily declared concerning Israel: "God brought them out of corn to India. But this will be found of no advantage to Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of (a reem) a uni- their. cause; for still the' objection returnS with inearly uncorn. So great in the estimation of that reluctant seer, diminished fQrce; how' could' the. sacred writers borrow was the strength of the reem, that he repeats the eulogium their illustrations'from a creature with'which, even on this in the very same words in the next chapter. From the supposition, they were so little acquainted?'They make grateful ascriptions of David, we learn that it is a horned no merntion of the elephant, a- creature not less powerful animal: "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a and fierce than the'unicorn, renowned for'its docility, and unicorn." And:Moses, in his benediction of Joseph, states the various important services which it renders toman; a most important fact, that ithas two horns; the words'are: and numerous:in Africa, and many countries of Asia; O0 His horns are like the horns of (.mn a rees, in the sin- this noble animal, the people of Israel seem to have had 4ular number) a unicorn. Some. interpreters, determined no knowledge at: all, except what they derived friomt Ps. 92. PSALMS.'401 trade in ivory, which they carried on during the reign of bull; his strength and velocity are great; and he neither Solomon to some extent. But if the elephant, which spares man nor beast that comes in his way. abounded in countries much nearer the Holy Land than In- These arguments have considerable weight; but they are dia,' whose teeth formed an article of commerce among the liable to the same objections which these very writers have ancient Israelites, was so little known to them; it cannot be urged with so much force against the claims of the unisupposed that they had any knowledge of an animal which corn and the rhinoceros. It is by no means probable that was proper to India. the sacred writers would make so many allusions to aniBut we have in, reality no proof that such an animal mals, with which the people whom they addressed were utever existed in any part of the world. It must be admitted, terly unacquainted; would speak so familiarly abdut them; that both Pliny and JElian have described the unicorn in would borrow their figures and illustrations, from their their writings; but these eminent authors borrowed their form, dispositions, and manners; or that' Jehovah himstatements from Ctesias, a writer of little respectability. self would converse with Job so long about a creature Had the unicorn existed in any part of the East, it must which was unknown to the people of those countries. The have been discovered and brought to Rome by those whom urus skulked firomn the remotest times in the deep recesses the Romans employed to explore the remotest countries, of the Hircanian forest; and was quite unknown to the Rowith the express view of collecting the rarest animals they mans before the time of Cesar. Neither the urus nor the contained, in order to be exhibited at the public shows. bison, according to Pliny, were to be found in Greece: and The tiger, the rhinoceros, and other animals, natives of re- the former has been considered by some authors as a nagions whiLch the Roman eagles never visited, were often tive of Germany. It is even admitted by Boetius, who exhibited in the amphitheatre, before the proud oppressors strenuously maintains the claims of the urus, that he can of the world. So numerous and diversified were the ani- find no writer who says that these wild oxen are produced mals produced on the arena at their public entertainments, in Syria and Palestine. Aben Ezra, on the contrary, asthat Aristides, in his encomium of Rome, declared, "All serts. in his commentary on the prophecies of Hosea, that things mieet here, whatsover is bred or made; and whatso- no wild bull is to be found in Judea, and the surrounding ever is not seen here, is to be reckoned among those things countries. It is not sufficient to say, that these varieties of which are not, nor ever were." But although these shows the bovine family, may have existed there'in the timnes of contin Lued for many ages, not a single unicorn was ever ex- Moses and the prophets, for a mere conjecture proves nohibited at Rome; a stiong proof that no such animal exist- thing. If they existed once, why do they not exist now, as ed. In modern times, the remotest countries in Asia have well as the wild goat, the hart, and the antelope? Why is been traversed, in almost every direction, by intelligent not a single trace of them to be found in the warmer cliand inquisitive travellers; but no animal of this kind has mates of Greece and Asia? Pliny indeed states, that the been discovered; nor has the least information been ob- Indian forests abounded with wild oxen; but it will' not tained concerning the unicorn, among the natives. From follow, that the urus was known to the Jews, because it was these facts it may be safely concluded, that the unicorn ex- discovered in the forests of India, the regions of Scythia, or ists only in the imagination of vain and credulous writers, the more remote wilds of Africa. But the truth is, we have and by consequence, cannot be the reem of the sacred no proof' that he meant to speak of the urus or the bison; scriptures, he'only mentions wild oxen in general; from which no The rhinoceros, on the contrary, was often exhibited in certain argument can be drawn in. support of the opinion the amphitheatre at Rome; and has been frequently seen which Boetius and others maintain.-PAxToa-. I by modern travellers. No doubt, therefore, can be enter- Bochart, and after him, Rosenmuller and others, regard tamined concerning the reality of its existence: but the char- the s'eem of the Hebrews as a species of antelope, the rim of acter of the reem, given in the scriptures, will not apply to the Arabs, and the oryx or le zcory/x of the Greeks. The this animal. The reem, it is evident, was equally well argument of most weight in Bochart's mind, seems to be known to Moses and the prophets, and the people whom the fact, that rim, in Arabic, which is equivalent to reem in they addressed, as the bullocks and the bulls with which Hebrew, is thus used for a species of white gazelle or antethey are mentioned. But the rhinoceros inhabits the south- lope, (Niebuhr, Descr. of Arab. p. xxxviii. Germ. ed.) ern parts of Africa, and the remotest parts of the East, be- which would seem to be very probably the lencorya;. But yond the Ganges; and by consequence, could be still less then the other characteristics of these animals by no means known to the people of Israel than the elephant, which is correspond to those of the seem, which is everywhere denot oncementioned in the sacred volume. scribed as a fierce, intractable animal, acting on the offenBesides, the reem has large horns; for, says the Psalm- sive, and attacking even men of its own accord. Now. ist, "My horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of a uni — however wild and untameable many species of antelopes corn;" but the rhinoceros has seldom more than one, and may be, they are universally described as a shy' amd retirthat of a small size, not exalted like the horn of a reem, but ing animal, always flying from pursuit, and avoiding even turned back towards the forehead. Nor will the' use to the approach of man. In opposition to this, Bochart and which the reem applies his horrs, correspond with the man- Rosenmuller produce a passage of Martial, where he gives ners of the rhinoceros: the former pushes with his horns, to the oryx the elithetfierce, (saevus oryx, Epigr. xiii. 95,) which must therefore be placed on his forehead; but the and another from Oppian, where he says," There is a horn of the latter, which is placed on his nose, and bent beast, with pointed horns, familiar to the woods, the savage backwards, is not formed for, pushing, but for ripping up oryx, most terrible to other beasts." (Cyneget. ii. 445.) Now the trunks or bodies of the more soft and succulent trees, all these epithets and descriptions, even allowing nothing and redu-cing them into a kind of laths, which constitute a for poetical amplification, are perfectly applicable to the stag part of the animal's food. of our forests and of Asia; they imply no more than that It is the opinion -of others, that the reem is a species of the oryx, when hard pushed, will turn upon its pursuers, wild bull; which they have endeavoured to establish by and defend himself with fury. Yet no one would hence several plausible arguments. In many places of scripture, draw the conclusion, that it -Was characteristic of the stag say they, the ox and the reetn are joined together, as ani- to act on the offensive; nor can such a conclusion be dirawn mals of the same family; in others, the latter is represent- with better reason in regard to the oryx.-The or'x of ecld'as a strong and fierce animal, with large and very strong Pliny and other ancient writers, is understood to' be' the horns,- greatly addicted to push, and by consequence, an antelope oryx of zoologists; the gazella indica of Ray, the enemy much to be dreaded. The reem, therefore, cannot cdepra g:azella of the Syst. Nat., the Egy/ptian antelope of be the buffalo, because his horns being turned inward, are Pennant, and the pasan of Buffon. It is about the size of a unfit for the combat; but either the bison, or the urns. It fallow deer, iaving straight, slender, annulated horns, is rather supposed, however, that the urus is thereemn of which taper to a point; the horns are about three feet long, the Hebrews, because the bison, though a very fierce and the points sharp, and about fourteen inches asunder; the obstinate animal, maybe subdued bythe art of man, and at body and sides are of a reddish ash colour; the face is length entirely domesticated. But as to the urus, Cesar white, with a black spot at the base of the horns, and ansays expressly, that they cannot be tamed and rendered use- other on the middle of the face. It is a native of Asia and ful to mankind, not even their young ones excepted; they Africa.-The leuccoryx, which some suppose to be the orvx are therefore taken in pits and destroyed. Plinv thus de- of Oppian, is in general similar to the animal above describes the urns: He is of a size little inferior to the ele- scribed, except that the body is of a millr-white colour. It phant; in appearance, colour, and figure, he resembles the inhabits the neighbourhood of Bassora, on the Persiang-ulf. 51 402 PS KL M S. Ps. 92. MBost obviously neither of these animals answer the de- In Egypt, as also in Southern Europe, the buffalo has scription of the Hebrew s'eeni. The fact that the Arabs been partially domesticated. In Egypt especially, it is much apply the word rimt to this class of animals, has probably cultivated, where, according to Scnnini, it yields plenty of its origin in the same cause, which also leads them to ap- excellent milk, from which butter and various kitids of ply to the races of-*deer and antelopes, in general, the cheese are made. epithet wild oxen. (See Schultens, Comm. in Job xxxix. 3.) "The buffalo," says Sonnini, "is an acquisition of the Other writers have supposed the'eea of the Hebrews to modern Egyptians, with which their ancestors were unacbe the urs-us, bison, or wild ox, described by Cesar, which quainted. It was brought over froi Persia into theit is understood to be the same animal as the American buf- country, where the species is at present universally spread, falio. The characteristics of this animal accord well with and is very much propagated. It is even more numerous those attributed to the reem; but there is no evidence that than the common ox, and is there equally domestic, though the bison existed in Palestine, or was known to the He- but recently domesticated; as is easily distinguished by the brews. A more obvious supposition, therefore, is that of constantly uniform colour ofthe hair, and still moreby a rem. Schultens, De Wette, Gesenius, and others, that under the nant of ferocity and intractability of disposition, and a wild reegn we are to understand the buffalo of the eastern conti- and lowering aspect, the characters of allhalf-tanmedanimals. nent, the bos bubalus of Linnaus. which differs from the The buffailoes of Egypt, however, are not near so wild, nor bison, or American buffalo, chieflyin the shape of the horns so much to be feared, as those of other countries. They and the absence of the dewlap. This animal is indigenous, there partake of the gentleness of other domestic animals, originally in the hotter parts of Asia and Africa, but also and only retain a few sudden and occasional caprices. in Persia, Abyssinia, and Egypt; and is now also natural- They are so fond of water, that I have seen them continue ized in Italy and southern Europe. As, therefore, it existed in it a whole day. It often happens that the water which in the countries all around Palestine, there is every reason is fetched from. the Nile, near its banks, has contracted their to suppose that it was also found in that country, or at least musky smell." in the regions east of the Jordan,' and south of the Dead These animals multiply more readily than the common Sea, as Bashan and Idumea. ox; they breed in the fourth year, producing young for The oriental buffalo appears to be so closely allied'to our two years together, and remalning steril the third; and ecommon ox, that without an attentive examination it might they commonly cease breeding after their twelfth year. be easily mistaken for a variety of that animal. In point Their term of life is much the same as that of the common of size it is rather superior to the ox; and upon an accu- ox. They are more robust than the common ox, better rate inspection, it is -observed to differ in the shape and capable of bearing fatigue, andi generally speaking, less magnitude of the head, the latter being larger than in the liable to distempers. They are therefore employed to adox. But it is chiefly by the structure of the horns that the vantage in different kinds of labour. Buffaloes are made buffalo is distinguished, these being of a shape and curva- to draw heavy loads, and are commonly guided by means ture altogether different from those of the ox. They are of a ring passed through the nose. In its habits the buffalo of gigantic size in proportion to the bulk of the animal, is much less cleanly than the ox, and delights to wallow in and of a compressed form, with a sharp exterior edge; for the mud. His voice is deeper, more uncouth and hideous, a considerable length from their base these horns are than that of the bull. The milk is said by some authors to straight, and then bend slightly upward; the prevailing be not so good as that of the cow, but more plentiful; Bufcolour of them is dusky, or nearly black. The buffalo has fon, on the contrary, asserts that it is far superior to cow's no dewlap; his tail is small, and destitute of vertebrae near milk. The skin and horns are of more value than all the the extremity; his ears are long and pointed. This ani- rest of the animal; the latter are of a fine grain, strong, antd mal has the appbarance of uncommon strength. The bulk bear a good polish, and are therefore in much esteem with of iis body, and prodigious muscular limbs, denote his cutlers and other artisans. force at the first view. His aspect is ferocious and malig- Italy is the country where buffaloes are, at present, most namn; at the same time that his physiognomy is strongly common perhaps in a domesticated state. They are used marked with features of stupidity. His head is of a pon- more particularly in the Pontine marshes, and those in the derous size; his eyes diminutive; and what serves to district of Sienna, where the fatal nature of the climate render his visage still more savage, are the tufts of frizzled acts unfavourably on common cattle, but affects the buffahair which hang down from his cheeks and the lower part loes less. The Spaniards also have paid attention to them; of his muzzle. and indeed the cultivation of this useful animal seems to This animal, although originally a native of the hotter be pretty general in all the countries bordering on the parts of India and Africa, is now completely naturalized to Mediterranean Sea, both in Europe and Africa. NTiebuhr the climate of the south of Europe. Mr. Pennant supposes remarks, that he saw buffaloes not only in Egypt, but also the wild bulls ofAristotle to havebeen buffaloes, and Gmelin at Bombay, Surat, on the Euphrates, Tigris, Orontes, at and other distinguished naturalists are of the same opin- Scanderoon, &c. and indeed in almost all marshy regions, ion. Gmelin also supposes the Bos indicus of Pliny to and hear large rivers. He does not remember any in have been the same animal. Buffon, however, endeavours Arabia, there being perhaps in that country too little wato show, that the buffalo of modern times was unknown to ter for this animal. (Descr. of Arabia,p. 165, Germ. edit.) the Greeks and Romans, and that it was first transported We have been thus particular in describing the buffalo from its native countries, the warmer regions of Africa and of Asia, in order to show that it possesses, in its wild state, the Indies, to be naturalized in Italy, not earlier than the all the characteristics attributed to the Hebrew seem. All seventh century. the evidence goes to show that it has been domesticated The buffalo grows in some countries to an extremely only at a comparatively recent period; and that the Helarge size. The buffaloes of Abyssinia grow to twice the brews therefore were probably acquainted with it only as size of our largest oxen,' and are called elephant bulls, a wild, savage, ferocious animal, resembling the ox; and it Mr. Pennant mentions a pairofhorns inthe British Museum, was not improbably often intended by them under the which are six feet and a half long, and the hollow of which epithet, bulls of Bashan. The appropriateness of the forewill hold five quarts. Father Lobo affirms that some of going description to the Hebrew'eem'will be apparent, on the horns of the buffaloes in Abyssinia will hold ten quarts; a closer inspection of the passages where this animal is and Dillon saw some in India that were ten feet long. They mentioned. are sometimes wrinkled, but generally smooth. The dis- In Dent. xxxiii. 17, and Ps. xcii. 10, the comparison is tance between the points of the two horns is usually five feet. with his horns; which requires no furthei illustration after Wild buffaloes occur in many parts of Africa and India, what is said above. In Numb. xxiii. 22, xxiv. 8, it is said, where they live in great troops in the forests, and are re- "he hath as it were the stresgtl of a reem; this is cergarded as excessively fierce and dangerous animals. In tainly most appropriate, if we adopt here the word st'sengtA, all these'particulars they coincide with the buffaloes of as the proper translation. But the Hebrew word here re.nAmerica. The hunting of them is a favourite, but very dered strength, means strictly, sapidity of motion, speed, dangerous pursuit; the hunters never venture in any combined, if you please, withforce. In this sense also, it numbers to oppose these ferocious animals face to face; is not less descriptive of the buffalo, which runs with great but conceal themselves in the thickets, or in the branches speed and violence when excited; as is often the ease in of the trees; whence they attack the buffaloes as they pass regard to whole herds, which then rush blindly forwards along. with tremendous power. (See the account of Major Lon's Ps. 92. PSALMS. 403 expedition to the Rocky Mountains.) In three other pas- propriate and peculiar name in Greek, ((;~vd0KEPC09 hinei.oecos, sages, the reem is closely coupled with the common ox, or nose-/lorn,) taken from the position of its horn upon the with the employment of the latter. In Ps. xxix. 6, it is snout; and also from the circumstance so much insisted said, "THe maketh them also to skip like a calf> Lebanon on above in the extracts from Mr. Bruce, that the rhinoand Sirion like a young reem;" where the ) 3tng of the ceros of that part of Africa adjacent to Egypt actually has reen stands in parallelism with the calf. so that we should two horns. They appear rather to have had in mind the naturally expect a great similarity hetween them. Isa. half-fabulous unicorn, described by Pliny, but lost sight of xxxiv. 7, "And the'eentim shall come down with them, by all subsequent naturalists; although imperfect hints and and the bullocks with the bulls," &c. Here, in verse 6, it is accounts of a similar animal have been given by travellers said that the Lord has a great sacrifice in Bozrah; and the in Africa and India, in different centuries, and entirely inidea in verse 7 is, according to the LXX and Gesenius, dependent of each other. The interesting nature of th'e that the seenmim shall come down, i. e. shall make part of subject renders it proper to exhibit here all the evidence this sacrifice, as also the bullocks, old and young, of the which exists in respect to such an animal; especially as it land of Edom, so that their "land shall be soaked with is nowhere brought together in the English language, or blood," &c. The other passage is Job xxix. 9-12, " Will at least in no such form as to render it generally accessible. the seent be willing to serve thee, or abide by the cribS? The figure of the unicorn, in various attitudes, is depict. Canst thou bind the'eem with his band in the furrow, or ed, according to Niebuhr, on almost all the stair-cases will he harrow the valleys after thee. Wilt thou trust him found among the ruins of Persepolis. One of these figures because his strength is great, or wilt thou leave thy labour is given.in vol. ii. plate xxiii. of Niebuhr's Travels; and to hiam. Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home also in vol. i. p. 594, 595, of the Travels of Sir R. K. Porthyr seed, and gather it into thy barn." Here Job is asked, ter. The latter traveller supposes it to be the represeniawhether he would dare to intrust to the seem such and such tion of a bull with a single horn. Pliny, in speaking of labours as were usually performed by oxen. Nothing can the wild beasts of India, says with regard to the animal in be more appropriate to the wild buffalo than this language; question: Asper'imama auteem feu'am nonocerntem,'elieon and we have seen above that the Hebrews probably knew corpore equo similem, capite ce'vo, pedibns elephanti, canda it only in a wild state. The only other passage where the apro, mungitu gravi, uno co'nu nigrmo media fr'onte aebilornsm ceem is mentioned is Ps. xxii. 21, and this requires a more di'em eminente. Hanc feram vivam negant capi. (Hist. extended notice. The Psalmist in deep distress says in Nat. vii. 21.) " The unicorn is an exceeding fierce aniverse 12, "Many bulls (a,.') have compassed me, strong mal, resembling a horse as to the rest of its body, but having bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon the head like a stag, the feet like an elephant, and the tail me with their mouths, as a ravening and roaring lion. For like a wild boat: its roaring is loud, and it has a black dogs have compassed me," &c. Here it will be observed horn of about two cubits projecting from the middle of its that three animals are mentioned as besetting the writer, forehead." These seem to be the chief' ancient notices of bulls of Bashan, lions, dogs. The Psalmist proceeds to the existence of the animal in question. speak of his deliverance; verse 20, "Deliver my soul In 1530, Ludivico de Bartema, a Roman patrician, trav[me] from the sword, my darling [me] from the power of elled to Egypt, Arabia, and India; and having assumed the the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; for thou hast character of a Mussulman, he was able to visit Mecca with heard [and saved] me from the horns of the reemim." the Hadj, or; great caravan of pilgrims. In his account of Here also it will be seen are three animals, corresponding the curiosities of this city, in Ramusio's Collection of to the three before mentioned as besetting him, but ranged Travels, (Racotta di Viaggi, Venet. 1563, p. 163,) he says: in an inverted order, viz. the dog, the lion, and the'eem, in "On the other side of the Caaba is a wvalled court, in which place of the bulls of Bashan; that is, from the whole struc- we saw two unicorns, which were pointed out to us as a ture of the poem, and the fact that these animals and no rarity; and they are indeed truly remarlkable. The larger others are alluded to, the inference is almost irresistible, of the two is built like a three-year-old colt, and has a horn that the'eemimt of verse 21 are the pa'rim of verse 12, the upon the forehead about three ells long. The other unicorn bulls of Bashan, as has been already suggested above. At was smaller, like a yearling foal, and has a horn perhaps least we may infer that the reee was an animal not so four spans long.-This animal has the colour of a yellowish unlike those bulls, but that it might with propriety be in- brown horse, a head like a stag, a neclk not very lonag, 4ith terchanged withthem in poetic parallelism; a circumstance a thin mane; the legs are small and slender, like those'bf a most appropriately true of the wild buffalo, and of him only. hind or roe; the hoofs of the forefeet are divided, and reFrom all these considerations, and from the fact that the semble the hoofs of a goat. These two animals were sent buffalo must have been far better known in western Asia to the sultan of Mecca, as a rarity of great value, and very than either the rhinoceros or the oryx, (even if the descrip- seldom found, by a king of Ethiopia, who wished to secure, tion of the seem suited these animals in other respects,) we by this present, the good will of the sultan of Mecca." feel justified in assuming the taerns bubalus, or wild buf- Don Juan Gabriel, a Portuguese colonel, who lived falo, to be the seem of the Hebrew scriptures, and the senicoss' several years in Abyssinia, assufes us, that in the region of the English version. of Agamos, in the Abyssinian province of Damota, he had The principal difficulty in the way of this assumption, is seen an animal of the form and size of a middle-sized horse, the fact that the LXX have usually translated the Hebrew of a dark chestnut-brown colour, and with a whitish horn, reent by tov6ocpwe, senicnon, one-hsors. It must, however, be about five spans long, upon the forehead; the mane andtail bcrne in mind, that these translators lived many centuries were black, and the legs short and slender. Several other after the Hebrew scriptures were written, and not long Portuguese, who were placed in confinement upon a high ineed before the birth of Christ; they lived, too, in Egypt, mountain in the district of Namna, by the Abyssinian king, where it is not impossible that the buffalo had in their age Adamas Saghedo, related that they had seen, at the foot of begun to be domesticated. In such circumstances, and the mountain, several unicorns feeding. - (Ludolf's Hist. being unac'quainted with the animal in his fierce and say- JEthiop. lib. i. c. 10. n. 80, seq.) These accounts are conage state, they may have thought that the allusions to the firmed by Father Lobo, who lived for a long time as a mis-'reem were not fully answered by the' half-domesticated ani- sionary in Abyssinia. He adds, that the unicorn is extremely mal before them, and they may, therefore, have felt them- shy, and escapes from closer observation by a speedy flight selves at liberty to insert the name of some animal which into the forests; for which reason there is no exact deseemed to them more appropriate. That they did often scriptionofhim. (Voyagehistor. d'Abyssinie, Amst. 1728, take such liberties, is well known.. An instance occurs in vol. i. p. 83, 291.) All these accounts are certainly not apthe very passage of Isaiah above quoted, oh. xxxiv. 7, plicable to the rhinoceros; although it is singular that Mr. where the Hebrew is n,-m,:s ny w-n,, "and the bullocks with Bruce speaks only of the latter animal as not uncommon the bulls," i. e. the bulls with the strong ones, or, according in Abyssinia, and makes apparently no allusion to the above to Gesenius, "the bulls both young and old:" this the LXX accounts. translates, cai oh KPtOI Kca! oh ra,'io,, "and the rams (or wethers) In more recent times we find further traces of the ant and the bulls,"-certainly a quid pro qico not less striking mal in question in Southern Africa. Dr. Sparrmann, the than that of putting unicorss for binfalo. Swedish naturalist, who visited the Cape of Good Hope That the LXX, in using the word monoceros, (unicorn, and the adjacent regions, in the years 1772-1776, gives, in. one-horn,) did not understand by it the'hinoceros, would his travels, the following account: Jacob Knock, an oh-. seem obvious; both because the latter always had its ap- serving peasant on Hippopotamus river, w-ho had travelled 404 I-S A.LMS. Ps. 92. o0ver the greater part of Southern'Africa, found on the face hands high,] fierce and extremely wild; seldam, if ever, of a perpendicular rock a drawing made by the Hottentots, caught alive, but frequently shot: and that the flesh was representing a quadruped with one horn. The Hottentots used for food.'-' The person,' Major Latter adds,'who told him that the animal there represented was very like gave me this information, has repeatedly seen these anithe horse on which he rqde, but had a straight horn upon mals, and eaten the flesh of them, They go together in the forehead. They added, that these one-horned animals herds, like our wild buffaloes, and are very frequently to were rare, that they ran with great rapidity, and were also be met with on the borders of tht, great desert, about a very fierce. They also described the manner of hunting month's journey from Lassa, in that part of the country inthem. " It is not probable," Dr. Sparrmann remarks, " that habited by the wandering Tartars.' the savages wholly invented this story, and that too so very "This communication is accompanied by a drawing circumstantially; still less can we suppose, that they should made by the messenger from recollection. It bears some have received and retained, merely from history or tradi- resemblance to a horse, but has cloven hoofs, a long curved tion, the remembrance of such an animal. These regions horn growing out of the forehead, and a boar-shaped tail, are very seldom visited; and the creature might, therefore, like that of the fera movoceros described by Pliny. From long remain unknown. That an animal so rare should not its herding together, as the unicorn of the scriptures is said be better known to the modern world, proves nothing to do, as well as from the rest of the description, it is eviagainst its existence. The greater part of Africa is still dent that it cannot be the rhinoceros, which is a solitary among the terree incognitae. Even the girrffe has been animal; besides, Major Latter states, that in. the Thibetian again discovered only within comparatively a few years. manuscript the rhinoceros is described under the name of So also the, gnu, which, till recently, was held to be a fable servo, and classed with the elephant.;'neither,' says he, of the ancients."' is it the wild horse, (well known in Thibet,) for that has A somewhat more. definite account of a similar animal is also a different name, and is classed in the manuscript with contained in the Transactions of the Zealand Academy of the animals which have the hoof's undivided.'-' I'have Sciences at Flushing. (Pt. xv. Middelb. i1792. Praef. p. written,' he subjoins,'to the Sachia Lama, requesting him vri.) The account was transmitted to the society in 1791, to procure me a perfect skin of the animal, with the head, fromn the Cape of Good Hope, by Mr. Henry Cloete. It horn, and hoofs; but it will be a long time before I can get states that a bastard Hottentot, Gerrit Slinger by name, re- it down, for they are not to be met with nearer than a lated, that while engaged several years before with a party, month's journey from Lassa.'" in pursuit of the savage Bushmen, they had got sight of As a sequel to this account, we find the following paranine strange animals, which they followed on horseback, graph in the Calcutta Government Gazette, August, 1821: and shot one of them. This animal resembled a horse, and "Major Latter has obtained the horn of a young unicorn was of a light-gray colour, with white stripes under the from the Sachia Lama, which is now before us. It is lower jaw..It had a single horn, directly in front, as long twenty inches in length; at the root it is four inches and a as one's arm, and at the base about as thick. Towards the half in circumference, and tapers to a point; it is -black, middle the horn was somewhat flattened, but had a sharp rather flat at the sides, and has fifteen rings, but they are point; it was not attached to the bone of the forehead, but only prominent on one side; it is nearly straight. Major fixed only in the skin. The head was like that of the Latterexpectstoobtaintheheadoftheanimal,withthehoofs horse, and the size also about the same. The hoofs were and the skin, very shortly, which will afford positive proof round, like those of a horse, but divided below like those of of the form and character of the tso'po, or Thibet unicorn." oxen. This remarkable animal was shot between the so- Such are the latest accounts which have reached us of called Table Motntain and Hippopotamus river, about six- this animal; and although their credibility cannot well be teen days' journey on horse-back from Cambedo, which contested, and the coincidence of the description with that would be about a month's journey in ox-wagons from Cape- of Pliny is so striking yet it is singular that in the lapse of town. Mr. Cloete mentions, that several different natives more than ten years, ~1832,) nothing further should have'and Hottentots testify to the existence of a similar animal been heard on a subject so interesting.-But whatever may with one horn, of which they profess to have seen drawings be the fact as to the existence of this animal, the adoption by hundreds, made by the Bushmen on rocks and stones. of it by the LXX, as being the Hebrew reen, cannot well He supposes that it would not be difficult to obtain one of be correct; both for the reasons already adduced above, these animal.-, if desired. His letter is dated at the Cape, and also from the circumstance, that the reen was evidentApril 8, 1791, (See thus far Rosenmuller's Altes u. neues ly. an animal frequent and well known in the countries Morgen.'and, ii. p. 269, seq. Leipz. 1818.) where the scenes of the Bible are laid; while the unicorn, Such appear to have been the latest accounts of the ani- at all events, is and was an animal of exceeding rarity.rmal in question, when it was again suddenly brought into ROBINSON IN CALMET. notice as existing in the elevated regions of central India. T'he Quarterlyv Review for Oct. 1820, (vol. xxiv. p. 120,) Vet. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the in a notice of Frazier's tour through the Himalaya Moun- palm-tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebtains, goes on to remark as follows: " We have no doubt anon. that a little time will bring to light many objects of natural anon. n/story peculiar to the elevated' regions of Central Asia, The palm-tree is very common in Judea, and in the surand hitherto unknown in the animal, vegetable, and mineral rounding regions. The Hebrews call it (vnn) tamar-, and kingdoms, particularly in the two former. This is an the Greeks omv(, phenix. The finest-palm trees grow opinion which we hate long entertained; but we are led about Jericho and Engeddi; they also flourish in great to the expression of it on the present occasion, by having numbers along the banks of Jordan, and towards Scythobeen favoured with the perusal of a most interesting com- polis. Jericho is by way of distinction called " the city of munication from Major Latter, commanding in the rajah of palm-trees." It seems indeed to have been recognised as Sikkim's territories, in the hilly country east of Nepaul, the common symbol of the Holy Land; for Judea is repreaddressed to Adjutant-general Nicol, and transmitted by him sented on several coins of Vespasian, by a disconsolate to the Marquis of Hastings. This important paper expli- woman sitting under a palm-tree; and in like manner, upon citly states that the unicorn, so long considered as a fabu- the Greek coin of his son Titus, struck on a'similar occalous animal, actually exists at.this moment in the interior sion, we see a shield suspended on a palm-tree, with a vico.f Thibet, where it is well known to the inhabitants. tory writing upon.it. The same tree is delineated upon a'This,'-we copy from the Major's letter-'is a very medal of Domitian, as an emblem of Neapolis or Naplosa, cuarious fact, and it may be necessary to mention how the the ancient Sichem; and upon a medal of Trajan, it is the circumstance became known to me. In a Thibetian man- symbol of Sepphoris, the metropolis of Galilee. From these uscript, containing the names of different animals, which 1 facts it may be presumed that the palm-tree was formerly procured the other day from the hills, the urnicorn is classed much cultivated in Palestine. Several of them still grow' under the head of those whose hoofs are divided: it is call- in the neighbourhood of Jericho, wnich abounds with ed the one-horned tso'po. Upon inquiring what kind of water, where the climate is warm, and the soil sandy: a animal it was, to our astonishment, the person who brought situation in which they delight, and where they rise to full the manuscript described exactly the unicorn of the an- maturity. But at Jerusalem, Sichem, and other places cients; saying, that it was a native of the interior of Thibet, to the northward, two or three of them are rarely seen ab,!ut the size of a tattoo, [a horse from twelve to thirteen together; and even these, as their fruit seldom or nevel Ps. 92-102. PSALMS. 405 comes to maturity, are of no further service than, like the ing; to show that the Lord is upright; that he is his,ockL; palm-tree of Deborah, to shade the dwellings of the parched' and there is no unrighteousness in him."-PAXTON. inhabitants, or to supply them with branches at the solemn "The wicked spring as the grass, but good men endure festival. The present condition and quality of palm-trees like the palm-tree, and bear much fruit." ".A grateful in Canaan, leads us to conclude, that they never at any time man is like the palmirah-tree; for small attentions he gives were either verynumerous or fruitful in that country. The much fruit."-ROBERTS. opinion that Phenice is the same with a country of datetrees, does not appear probable; for if such a valuable Ver. 13. Those that. be planted in the house of plant had ever.been cultivated in Palestine with success, it the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our would have been cultivated down -to the present times, as God. in Eypt and in Barbary. In these countries the traveller meets with large plantations of palm-trees on the seacoast, The being planted in the house of God. or in its courts, as well as in the interior; although those only which grow may allude to an ancient custom, still used in the East, of in the sandy deserts of Sahara, and the regions of Getulia, planting trees in the courtyard of a house. Plais-d, in and the Jereeda, bring their fruit to perfection. They are his Journal from Busserah to Aleppo, informs us, tt.,t the propagated chiefly from young shoots taken from the roots people of Aleppo plant a cypress-tree in the courtyard' of of full-grown trees; which, if well transplanted and taken their houses. Dr. Fryer, in his new account of tLie East care of, will yield their fruit in the sixth or seventh year; Indies and Persia, describes a nabob's apartments as enwhile those which are raised immediately from the kernel, compassing in the middle a verdanL quadrangle of trees will not bear till about their sixteenth year. This method and plants. It is also observable. that the Jews, though of raising the yotl), or palm, and particularly thd circum- forbidden to plant trees in the temple, planted them in stance, that when the old trunk dies, young shoots are their proseuchae, which were, in some sort, houses of God. never wanting to succeed it, may have given occasion to -BuRDEnR. the well-known fable of the phenix, which perishes in a flame of her own kindling; while a young one springs "Ver. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old -from her ashes, to continue the race. age; they shall be fat and flourishing. The palm-tree arrives at its greatest vigour about thirty years after being transplanted, and continues in full strength The Hebrew, instead of flourishing, has, "GREEN!" and beauty for seventy years longer, producing yearly fif- Ainsworth, "shall be fat and green." Of a very old man teen or twenty clusters of dates, each of them weighing fif- who has retained his strength, the Hindoos say, " he is a teen or twenty pounds. After this period it begins grad- GREEN veteran." "See that patche-killaven, (green old ually to decline, and usually falls about the latter end of man,) how strong he is." " My friend, if you act in this its second century. " Cui placet curas agere seculorum," way, you will never be a green. old man." A man Nwho says Palladius, "depalmis cogitet conserendis." It requires has been long noted for roguery is called a patche-nallan, a no other culture and attendance than to be well watered green rogue; and a well-known utterer of falsehoods, a once in four or five days, and to have a few of the lower green liar. " All! my lord!" says the relieved mendicant, boughs lopped off when they begin to droop or wither. "in your old age you will be fat and flourishing;" dr, "You These, whose stumps or pollices, in being thus gradually will be a green old man."'-RoBERTS. left upon the trunk, serve, like so many rounds of a ladder, to climb up the tree, either to fecundate or to lop it, or to gather the fruit, are quickly supplied with others, which Ver. 3. I will set no wicked thing before mine gradually hang down from the crown or top, contributing eyes: I hate the work of then that turn aside both to the regular and uniform growth of this tall, knot- it shall not cleave to ns. less, and beautiful tree, and to its perpetual and delightful verdure. Pleasure or displeasure, approbation or abhorrence, may It is usual with persons of better station, to entertain their be known by the look, or the cast of the eye. What we guests on days of joyous festivity with the honey of the are pleased and delighted with attracts and fixes the eye. palm-tree. This they procure by cutting off the head or What we dislike or hate, we turn away from the sight of'; crown of one of the more vigorous plants, and scoopihg and when the Psalmist resolves that 7he would'bnot fin his the top of the trunk into the shape of' a basin, where the eyes upoln atny evil thinzg, he means, he would never give sap in ascending lodges itself, at the rate of three or four it the least countenance or encouragement, but treat it with quarts a day, during the first week or fortnight; after displeasure, as what he hated, and was determined to punwhich the quantity daily diminishes, and at the end of six ish. For he adds, "I hate the work of them that turn weeks or two months the juices are entirely consumed, the aside." Mr. Schultens hath shown in his commentary on tree becomes dry, and serves only for timber or fire-wood. Prov. vii. 25, that naic hath a much stronger and more sigThis liquor, which has a more luscious sweetness than nificant meaning than that. of mere tu?'ninig2-' aside; and honey, is of the consistence of a thin syrup, but quickly that it is used of an unruly horse, that champs upon the grows tart anh ropy, acquiring an intoxicating quality, bit through his fiery impatience; and when applied to a and giving by distillation an agreeable spirit-the Aaraky bad man, denoles one impatient of all restraint, of unbridled of the natives, and the palm-wine of the natural his- passions, and who is headstrong and ungovernable in the torian. gratification of them, trampling on all the obligations of The palm is one )f the most beautiful trees in the vege- religion and virtue. Such as these are the deserved objects table kingdom; it is upright, lofty, verdant, and embower- of the hatred of all good men, whose criminal deviations ing. It grows by the brook or well of living water; and and presumptuous crimes they detest; none of wlhich shalZ resisting every attempt to press or bend it downward, shoots cleave to t/hemt; they will not harbour the love of or inclidirectly towards heaven. For this reason, perhaps, it was nation to them, nor habitually commit them, nor encourage regarded by the ancients as peculiarly sacred, and there- the practice of them.-CHANDLER. fore most fre3quently ut..sd in adorning their temples. The chosen symbol of constancy, fruitfulness- patience, and PSALM CITI. victory; the more itis oppresged, the more it flourishes, the Ve. 3. For my days are consumed like smoke, higher it grows, and the stronger and broader the top expands. To this majestic and useful tree the child of God is compared in the holy scriptures, with singular elegance A person believing himself to be near death, says, in the and propriety. Adorned with the beauties of holiness, and bitterness of his soul, " Alas! my days have passed away rich in the mercies of the covenant, fruitful in good works, like smoke; my bones are as a firebrand."-ROBERTs. and reposing all his thoughts in, heaven, precious in the sight of God, and lovely in the view of every rational being Ver. 6. 1 am like a pelican of the wilderness; I capable of forming a just estimate of his character, he may am like an owl of the desert. well be said to flourish like the palm-tree, and to grow like a cedar in Lebanon. "Planted in the house of the Lord, The pelican is another bird of the desert, to which the'he shall flourish in the courts of our God. He shall still sacred writers sometimes allude. Its Hebrew name is bring forth fruit in old age; he shall be fat and flourish- kaath, literally, the vomiter from the Hebrew verb kaalh, 406 PSALMS. Ps. 102..omit. The reason assigned for this name by the an- But the opinioh of that celebrated writer, in this instance, c.irts is, that it discharges the shells it had swallowed, rests upon a false, or at least an uncertain foundation. The after they have been opened by the heat of its belly, in order afflicted Psalmist seems to refer, not so much to the plaint-.o pick out the fish, which form its principal food. This ive voice of these. birds, as to their lonely situation in the.,act, says Bochart, is so generally attested by the writers of wilderness. One of the first and most common effects of antiquity, that it cannot be called in question; anid then pungent sorrow, is the desire of solitudes; and on this occacites a great number of authorities in its support. But with sion the royal Psalmist, oppressed with grief, seems to have all deference to this learned writer, it may be justly doubt- become weary of society, and like the pelican, or the feed, if this bird really takes the shell-fish on which it feeds male ostrich, to have contracted a relish for deep retireinto its stomach, in the first instance; it is more probable ment. Besides, as our author allows, that the pelican' and that it deposites them in the bag or pouch under its lower the bittern differ only in the form of the bill, the translation chap, which serves not only as a net to catch, but also as a for which he contends is of no real importance; and it is repository for its food. In feeding its young ones, (whether certainly a good rule to admit of no change in a received this bag is loaded with water or more solid food,) the peli- translation, unless it can be shown, that the new term or cn squeezes the contents of it into their mouths, by strong- phrase expresses the meaning of the original with greater ly compressing it upon its breast with its bill; an action justness, propriety, or elegance. which may well justify the propriety of the name which it The bird of night, which, like the ostrich, delights in the received from the ancient Hebrews. To the same habit, it desert and solitary place, is distinguished by several names is probable, may be traced the traditionary report, that the in the sacred writings. In the book of Psalms, it is menpelican, in feeding her young, pierces her ownbreast, and tioned under the name kous, which is evidently derived nourishes them with her blood. from the verb kasah, to hide; because the owl constantly Dr. Shaw contends, that kaath. cannot mean the pelican, hides herself in the daytime, and comes abroad in the because the royal Psalmist describes it as a bird of the wil- evening. The Seventy, Theodotion,iAquila, and other inaerness, where that fowl must necessarily starve, because terpreters, render it vvK:rLKopa, in English, the horned owl. its large webbed.feet, and capacious pouch, with the man- The learned Bochart suspected that koss might denote the ner of catching its food, which can only be in the water, onocrotalss, thus named from its monstrous cap or bag unshlow it to be entirely a water-fowl. But this objection pro- der the lower chap. It must be admitted, that kohs might ceeds on the supposition, that the deserts which it frequents properly enough be given as a name to that bird, from this contain no water, which is a mistake; for Ptolemy places extraordinary circumstance in its form; but after the most three lakes in the interior parts of Marmorica, which is ex- diligent inquiry, the writer has not been able to discover tremely desolate; and Moses informs us, that the people of any difference between the pelican of the ancients, and the Israel met with the waters of Mara, and the fountains of onocsotalas; and as kaath. is mentioned in the same conEilim, in the barren sands of Arabia. Besides, it is well texts with hois, and rendered in the ancient versions either known that a water-fowvl often retires to a great distance the pelican or onocrota.ls, kous, in his opinion, must have fromn her favourite haunts; and this is confirmed by a fact, a different meaning. This idea receives no little confirmwhich Parkhurst states from the writings of' Isidore, that ationfrom a passage inthe hundred andsecondPsalmn, where the pelican inhabits the solitudes of the Nile. This far- koss is followved ins construction by hCalaboth/, and signifies famed river, as we know firom the travels of Mr. Bruce, hoes, not of the desert, as we render it, but of the desolate rolis'its flood through an immense and frightful desert, or ruined buildings; which exactly corresponds with the where water-fowls of' different kinds undoubtedly find a se- habits of' the owl, but does not seem so applicable to the cure retreat. Mr. Bruce himself sprang a duck in the onoc'otalsis, or pelican. Buffon calls the horned owl the barnin- wilderness, at a considerable distance from its eagle of the night, and the sovereign of that tribe of birds banks, which immediately winged her flight towards it; a which shun the light of day, and never fly but in the evenclear proof of her being familiarly acquainted with its ing, or after it is clark: But, as a description of it is concourse. From this circumstance we may infer, that the nected with the illustration of no passage of scripture, it pelican is no stranger to the most desert and inhospitable falls not within the design of this work. The voice of the borders of the Nile. It also appears from Damir, the Ara- horned owl is said to be frightful, and is often heard rebian niaturalist quoted by Bochart, that the pelican, like the sounding in the silence of night; which is the season of his duck which Bruce found in the desert of Senaar, does not activity, when he flies abroad in search of his prey. He always remain in the water, but sometimes retires from it inhabits the lonely rocks or deserted towers on the sides of to a great distance; and indeed its monstrous pouch, which, the mountains; he seldom descends into the plain, and according to Edwards, in hi~ natural history of birds, is ca- never willingly perches upon trees. The dreary and flightable of receiving twice the size of a man's head, seems to ful note of the owl sounding along the desert, and alarming bgiven it for this very reason, that it might not want food or terrifying the birds that are reposing in their nests, repfoi itself anid its. young ones, when at a distance from the resents, in a very striking manner, the dceep and lonely afVwater. flietions of the royal Psalmist, and the affecting coimplaints BIochart is of opinion, that-kaath, in some passages of which his distresses wrung from his bosom. scripture, is intended to express the bittern, which differs Yan~ssp/h is another term which our translators render from the pelican, by his own admission-, only in the form of the owl; it occurs only three times in the sacred volume, the bill. Thus the holy Psalmist complains,' I am like a and is derived front the verb seasrlph/, to blow, or from wepelican (bittern) of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the sheph, the twilight or the dawn. It is supposed to denote a desert." The clear and consistent exposition of this pas- species of owl, which flies about in the twilight; and is the sage, he contends, requires the word kaath to be rendered same as the twilight bird. But of this interpretation Parkbittern; because the sacred writer compares himself to the hurst disapproves, contending, that since the yansuph is bittern and the owl, or more properly the ostrich, on ac- clearly mentioned by Moses among the water-fowls, and count of his groaning. It istherefore natural to conclhde, the Seventy have in two passages rendered it by ibis, it that both these animals have a mournful cry. Man5y rea- should scene to mean some kind of water-fowl, resembling sons have been advanced, to prove that the chos, rendered the bird of that name; and froma its derivation, remarkable in our translation the owl, is in reality the female ostrich; for its blowing. And of such birds, he says, the mest emiof which this is one, that it has a most hideous voice, re- nent seems to be the bittern, which, in the north of Engsembling, in a very remarkable manner, the lamentations land, is called the mire-drum, from the noise it makes, of a human being in deep affliction. That the Psalmist which may be heard a long way off. But the opinion of' mnay be consistent with himself, the same thing must be as- Bochart, that it denotes the owl, is more probable; because serted of the kaath, which it would be difficult to admit, if the owl delights in the silent desert, where little or no wathat term signmified only the pelican; for natural historians ter is to be found; while the ibis is an aquatic bird, whose observe a profound silence in relation to the voice of that instincts lead it to the lake, or running stream. In the bird. But if the name kaath is common to the bittern and thirty-fourth chapter of Isaialh, the ya7czssph is mentioned as the pelican, the difficulty vanishes, for the former has a -frequenting the desolated land of Edom, which, according clear voice. All the ancient natural historians agree, that to Dr. Shaw, is remarkably destitute of water, and by conthe bittern, by inserting its bill in the mud of the marsh, or sequence, quite improper for the abode of a water-fowl, plunging it under water, utters a most disagreeable cry, which feeds on fish. It is admittted that the khatlt, or pelilik- the roaring of a bull, or the sound of distant thunder. can, another water-fowl, is mentioned in the same text Ps. 102-104. PSALMS. 407 with qansuph; that all the larger water-fowls are extreme- ist undoubtedly refers to some species of the owl, whose ly shy; that they sometimes build their nests in retired dreary note and solitary dispositions, are celebrated by places, a long way from the water where they seek their almost every poet of antiquity.-PAxToN. food; and that even the common heron will come at least twelve or fourteen miles, and perhaps much farther, from Ver. 11. My days are like a shadow that declineth; her usual residence, to the lakes and streams which abound and I am withered like grass. with fish. But no argument can be founded on the arrangements of scripture, in matters of this kind; because "My days are like the declining shadow," says the old the inspired writers do not always observe a strict order, man: "m3my shadow is fast declining:" siyanthq6, siyacithw. or scientific classification. It ought also to be remember- declining, declining. "I aln withered." Indran, the king ed, that in the passage quoted from Isaiah, the yaqbsuph is of heaven, said of himself and others, They were withejred connected with the raven, which is not an aquatic bird. by the mandates of Sooran. " Alas! his face and heart The owl and the raven are associated with greater propri- are withered." "My heart is withered, I cannot eat my ety in scenes of desolation, to which they have been assign- food." " Sorrow, not age, has withered my face." "Alas! ed by the common suffrage of mankind, and accordingly re- how soon this blossom has withered."-RoBERTs. garded as inauspicious birds, and objects of fear and aver- Ver. 26. They shall perish, but thou shall endure "Foedaque fit volucris venturi nuntia luctus yea, all of themr shall wax old like a garment; Ignavus bubo dirum mortalibus onien. "-Owvd.. b as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they The presence of the owl and the raven, two hateful birds, shall he changed. in company with the cormorant and the bittern, greatly heighten the general effect of the picture delineated by the It is reckoned in the East according to Dr Pococke a prophet: " But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess t in the it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; and he time of a visit for a night or two. e expesses himself shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones however with obscurity and some uncertainty; but it is Lof empti *'.ess."-PxvoN made certain by the accounts of other travellers, that it is Ver. 7. 1 watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon a matter of state and magnificence. So Thevenot tells us, that when he saw the grand seignior go to the new mosque, the house-top. he was clad in a satin doliman of a flesh colour, and a vest of almost the same colour; but when he had said his Brookes says of this bird, " It usually sits alone on the prayers, then he changed his vest, and put on one of a tops of old buildings and roofs- of churches, singing very particular kind of green. At another time he went to the sweetly, especially in the morning; and is an oriental bird." mosque in a vest of crimson- velvet, but returned in one of -BURDER. a fired satin. To this frequent change of vestments among The sparrow has, been considered by some interpreters the great, possibly the Psalmist alludes, when, speaking of as a solitary moping bird, which loves to dwell on the the Lord of all, he says, The heavens, unchangeable as house-top alone; and so timid, that she endeavours to con- they are, when compared with the productions of the earth, ceal herself in the darkest corners, and passes the night in shall perish, while he shall remain; yea, they shall be laid sleepless anxiety. Hence they translate the words of the aside, in comparison of his immortality, as soon as a garTPsalmist: " I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the ment grows old; or rather, this change which they shall house-top." But her character and manners by no means undergo, shall come on more speedily, with respect to his agree with their description. She is a pert, loquacious, eternity, than the laying aside of a vestment which kings bustling creature, which, instead of courting the dark and and princes change often in a day. The changing of solitary corner, is commonly found chirping and fluttering clothes is a piece of eastern magnificence: how wonderabout in the crowd. The term in this text, therefore, must fully sublime, then, in this view, is this representation of be understood in its general sense, and probably refers to the grandeur of God, " Thou shalt change these heavens as some variety of the owl. Jerome renders it, I was as a sol- a prince changes his vesture."-HARMEa. itary bird on the roof. The Hebrew text contains nothing which can with propriety suggest the sparrow, or any sim- PSALM CIII. ilar bird; and indeed, nothing seems to be more remote from the mind of David: all the circumstances seem to indicate some bird of the night; for the Psalmist, bending flower of the field, so he flourisheth. under a load of severe affliction, shuns the society of men, See on 2 Kings 19. 7. and mingles his unceasing groans and lamentations with the mournful hootings of those solitary birds which disturb Ver. 16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is the lonely desert. "By reason of the voice of my groaning, one; and the place theeof shall know it no my bones cleave to my skin; I am like a pelican of theone; ad the place thereof shall know it no wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert." He then pro- mnore. ceeds with his comparison: "' I watch, and am as a bird See on Est. 1. 5, 6. upon the house-top alone;" I watch, that is, I have spent a sleepless night: or, as it is paraphrased in the Chaldee, I PSALM CIV. have watched the whole night long, without once closing Ver. 2. Who coverest tyself with light as ith my eyes. Every part of this description directs our atten- arent wo stretchest out the heavens li tion to some nocturnal bird, which hates the light, and a comes forth from its hiding-place when the shadows of a curtain. evening fall, to hunt the prey, and from the top of some ruined tower, to tell its joys or its sorrows to a slumbering It is usual in the summer season, and upon all occasions world. Bat, with what propriety can the sparrow be called when a large company is to be received, to have the court a solitary bird, when it is gregarious, and, so far from low- the house (which is the middle of an open square) sheling solitude, builds her nest in the roofs of our dwellings Itered from the heat of the weather by an umbrella or veil, Natural historians mention two kinds of this bird, one do- which, being expanded upon ropes from one side of the mestic, and the other wild. But the wild sparrow does not parapet-wall to the other, may be folded or unfolded at repair for shelter; like her relative, mentioned by David to pleasure. The Psalmist seems to allude to some covering the human dwelling; she never takes her station on the of this kind in that beautiful expression of " stretching out house-top, but seeks a home in her native woods. If the the heavens like a curtain."-SHAw. allusion, therefore, be made to the sparrow, it must be to the domestic, not to the wild species. It is in vain to argue, that the domestic, sparrow may be called solitary, when she whic]h run among the hills. 1 1. They give is deprived of her mate; for she does-not, like the turtle, drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses when she loses her spouse, remain in a state of inconsola- quench teir thirst. ble widowhood, but accepts, without reluctance, the first (ompanion that solicit. her affections. Hence the Psalm- See on Job 39. 5. 408 PSALMS. Ps. 104 Ver. 17. WVhere the birds make their nests: as flight; but the people of God, that received many special for the stork, the fir-tre.es are her house. revelations from heaven, and enjoyed the continual instructions of his prophets, had become so depraved, that This bird has long been celebrated for her amiable and they neither understood the meaning of mercies nor judgpious disposition, in which she has no rival among the ments; they knew not how to accommodate themselves to feathered race. Her Hebrew name is chasida, which sig- either, nor to answer the design of heaven in such dispennifies pious or benign; to the honour of which, her char- sations; they knew not the signs of their times, nor what acter and habits, as described by the pen of antiquity, they ought to do. The stork, that had neither instructer to prove her to be fully entitled. Her kind, benevolent tem- guide her, nor reason to reflect, and judgment to deterper, she discov.rs in feeding her parents in the time of mine, what was proper to be donie, found no difficulty in incubat:.n, when they have not leisure to seek their food, discerning the precise time of her departure and return.or when they have become old, and unable to provide for PAXTON. themselves. This attention of the stork to her parents is confirmed by the united voice of antiquity; and we find Ver. 18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild nothing in the scriptures to invalidate the testimony. She goats, arnd the rocks for the conies. was classed by the Jewish lawgiver among the unclean birds, probably because she feeds on serpents, and other The wild goat, or ibex, belongs to the same species with venomous animals, and rears her young by means of the the domestic goat, and exhibits nearly the same character same species of food. In the challenge which the Almighty and dispositions. His Hebrew name, /aala, from a verb addressed to Job, the wings and feathers of the ostrich are which signifies to ascend, indicates one of the strongest.ompared with those of the stork: "Gavest thou the goodly habits implanted in his nature, to scale the loftiest pinnacle wings unto the peacocks, or wings and feathers unto the of the rock, and the highest ridge of the mountains. He ostrich;" or, as it is rendered by the learned Bochart, and takes his station on the edge of the steep, and seems to deadfter him by Dr. Shaw, "the plumage of the stork." Nat- light in gazing on the gulf below, or surveying the immense ural historians inform us, that the wings are tipped with void before him. Those frightful precipices which are inblack, and a part of the head and thighs are adorned with accessible to man, and other animals, where the most feathers of the same colour; the rest of the body is white. adventurous hunter. dares not follow him, are his favourite Albert says, the stork has black wings, the tail and other haunts. He sleeps on their brow; he sports on their smallparts white; while Turner asserts, that the wings are white, est projections, secure from the attack of his enemies. spotted with black. From these different accounts, it is These facts were observed by the shepherds of the East, evident that the feathers of the stork are black and white, recorded by the pen of inspiration, and celebrated in the and not always disposed in the same manner. She con- songs of Zion: " The high hills are a refuge for the wild structs her nest with admirable skill, of dry twigs firom the goats." In the expostulation which Jehovah addressed to forest, and'coarse grass from the marsh; but wisely yield- Job, they are called "the wild goats of the rock;" because ing to circumstances, she does not confine herself to one it is the place which the Creator has appointed for their situation. At one time she selects for her dwelling the proper abode, and to which he has adapted all their dispopinnacle of a deserted tower, or the canal of an ancient sitions and habits. The dreary and frightful precipices, aqueduct; at another, the roof of a church or dwelling- which frown over the Dead Sea, towards the wilderness of hcuse. She frequently retires from the noise and bustle of Engedi, the inspired historian of David's life calls' ermthe town, into the circumjacent fields; but she never builds phatically "the rocks of the wild goats," as if accessible her nest on the ground. She chooses the highest tree of only to those animals. the forest for her dwelling; but always prefers the fir, The ibex is distinguished by the size of his horns. No when it is equally suitable to her purpose. This fact is creature, says Gesner, has horns so large as those of the clearly stated by the Psalmist, in his meditation on the mountain goat, for they reach from his head as far as his power of God: "As for the stork, the fir-trees are her buttocks. Long before his time, Pliny remarked, that the house." In another passage, the Psalmist calls the nest of ibex is a creature of wonderful swiftness, although its head the sparrow her house: "Yea, the sparrow hath found a is loaded with vast horns. According to Scaliger, the horns house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may of an elderly goat are sometimes eighteen pounds weight, (y~~~~~~~~~~~',,lay her young." But the term house is not used in these and marked by twenty-four circular prominences, the indipassages, merely by a figure of speech; if the descrip- cations of as many years. The horns of the ibex,'accordtion of ancient writers be true, it is in every respect the ing to the Chaldee interpreter, are mentioned by the prophet most proper and expressive that can be selected. The among the valuable commodities which enriched the merstorlr chooses the site of her dwelling with much care and chants of Tyre, in the days of her prosperity:'" The men intelligence; she combines her materials with great art, of Dedan were thy merchants; mnany isles were the merand prosecutes her plan with surprising exactness. After chandise of thy hand; they brought thee for a present, thle structure is finished, she examines it on all sides, tries horns of ivory and ebony." It is certain that the horns cf its firmness and solidity, supplies any defect she may dis- this animal were greatly esteemed among the ancients, on cover and with admirable industry, reduces with her bill account of the various usefiul purposes to which they were an unsightly projection, or ill-adjusted twig, till it perfectly converted. The Cretan archers had them manufactured corresponds with her instinctive conception of safety, neat- into bows; and the votaries of Bacchus, into large cups, ness, and comfort. one of which, says lian, could easily hold three measures.'-he inspired writer alludes to this bird, with an air of The conjecture of Bochart is therefore extremely probable, constant and intimate acquaintance: "As for the stork, that the i'FaXoi of Homer, is the ibex of the Latins; for hi the fir-tree is her house." We learn from the narrative of calls it a wild goat, says that it was taken among the rocks Doubdan, that the fields between Cana and Nazareth are and had horns of sixteen palms, of which the bow of Pan covered with numerous flocks of them, each flock contain- darns was fabricated. We may conclude froram the wisdon, ing, according to his computation, more than a thousand. and goodness of God, which shine conspicuously in all his In some parts, the ground is entirely whitened by them; works, that the enormous horns of the ibex are not a useand on:he wing they darlren the air like a congeries of less encumbrance, but, in some respects, necessary to its clouds. At the approach of evening, they retire to roost safety and comfort. The Arabian writers aver, that when on the trees. The inhabitants carefully abstain from hurt- it sees the hunter approach the top of the rock, where it ing them, on account of their important services in clearing happens to have taken its station, and has no other way of the country of venomous animals. The annual migration escape, turning on its back, it throws itself down the preciof this bird did not escape the notice of the prophet Jere- pice, at once defended by its long bending horns from the iniah, who employs it with powerful effect for the purpose projections of the rock, and saved from being dashed in of exposing the stupidity of God's ancient people: "Yea, pieces, or even hurt by the fall. The opinion of Pliny is the stotf~ in the heaven knoweth her appointed time, and more worthy of credit, that the horns of the ibex serve as a the turtlh, the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of poise to its body in its perilous excursions among the prethe-ir coming; but my people know not the judgment of the cipitous rocks, or when it attempts to leap from one crag to L, rdi." They rknow, with unerring precision, the time another. The feats which it is said to perform among the when il; is necessary for them to remove from one place to Alpine summits, are almost incredible; one fact, however, anothlie, and the region wshither they are to bend their seems to be certain, that in bounding from one height to Ps. 104. PSALMS. 409 another, it far surpasses all the other varieties of the spe- appear: "The daman is a harmless creature, of the same cies. To hunt the ibex 4ias been justly reckoned a most size and, quality with the rabbit, and with the like incurerilous enterprise, which frequently terminates in the vating posture and disposition of the fore-teeth. But it is hunter's destruction. These facts place in a very strong of a browner colour, with smaller eyes, and a head more light the extreme dangers which at one time compelled pointed, like the marmot's; the forefeet likewise are'short, David to seek a refuge from the pursuit of his infatuated and the hinder are nearly as long in proportion as those father-in-law, among the rocks of the wild goats; and, at of the jerboa. Though this animal is known sometimes the same time, the bitter and implacable spirit which to burrow in the ground, yet he is so much attached to prompted Saul to follow him in places so full of peril. the rock, that he is seldom or never seen on the ground, The Hebrew name of the cony is derived from a verb or from among large stones in the mouth of caves, where which signifies to hide, andseems to indicate a creature of he fixes his constant residence. He is gregarious, as the a timid and harmless disposition. Unable to avoid or en- wise man intimates, and lives in families; he is a native counter the various dangers to which it would be exposed of Judea, Palestine, and Arabia, and consequently, must in the plain, it seeks a shelter among the rocks, in the fis- have been familiar to Solomon, and other inspired writers. sures of which it hides itself from the pursuit of its ene- The royal Psalmist, in a passage already quoted, describes mies. This circumstance is attested by the sacred writer, him with great propriety, and joins him with other animals, in one of the songs of Zion: " The high hills are a refuge which were perfectly known in that country. Solomon for the wild goats, and the rocks.for the (~w) shaephans." favours us with a more detailed account of his character: The choice which the shaphan makes of the rock for the "There be four things which are little upon the earth, but place of its abode, is mentioned by Solomon as a proof of they are exceeding wise; the sephanim are a feeble folk, sagacity: " The shaphans are but a feeble folk, yet make yet make they their houses in the rocks." This exactly they their houses in the rocks." It is evident from these corresponds' with the character which natural historians words also, that the shaphan is a gregarious animal, al- give us of the daman Israel, which they represent as though'they afford us no hint from which the numbers equally feeble in body and temper. The toes of his forewhich constitute their little communities may be inferred. feet very much resemble the fingers of the human hand; To what particular animal the name shaphan really be- his feet are perfectly round, very pulpy' or fleshy, liable to longs, has been much disputed among the learned. In be excoriated or hurt, and of a soft fleshy substance. They our version it is rendered by the word cony or rabbit; in are quite inadequate to dig holes in the ground, much which our translators have followed the greater part of more to force their way into the hard rock. Unable or modern interpreters. Several circumstances seem to fa- afraid to stand upright on his feet, he steals along every your this interpretation; it is twice connected in the law moment as it'were apprehensive of danger, his belly alof Moses with the hare, as if it were a kindred animal; most close' to the ground, advancing a few steps at a time, the noun in the plural is rendered hare by the Seventy, in and then pausing, as if afraid or uncertain whether he which they have been followed by many ancient inter-' should proceed. His whole appearance and behaviour inpreters of great name: the meaning of shaphan seems to dicate a mild, feeble, and timid disposition; which is concorrespond with the timidity of the rabbit; and it is certain firmed by the ease with which he is tamed. Conscious as that the Rabbinical writers'formerly interpreted the origi- it were ofhis total inability to dig in the ground, or to nal word in this manner. Besides, the rabbit is a gregari- mingle with the sterner beasts of the field, he builds his ous animal, of a diminutive size, and found in great num- house on rocks, more inaccessible than those to which the bers in the plain of Jericho. But these facts are not cony retires, and in which he resides in greater safety, not sufficient to establish the point for which they are brought by exertions of strength, for he has it not, but by his own forward; for, instead of seeking a habitation in the fissures sa-acity andjudgment. Solomonhasthereforejustlycharof the rocks, the rabbit delights to burrow in the sandy acterized him as "a feeble animal, but exceeding wise." downs. Sometimes, indeed, he digs a receptacle for him- The Arabian writers confound the daman Israel with self in rocky eminences, where the openings are filled with the jerboa, which seems to be a species of rat. It ruminates, earth, but he generally prefers a dwelling in the sand, a builds -its house on the rocks, or digs its abode in the situation for which he is evidently formed by nature. The ground, but always in some high and rocky place, where it words of David clearly show, that the instincts and habits may be safe. from the influx of waters, and the foot of the of the shaphan, as naturally and constantly lead him to wild beast. If we may believe tie Arabic writer quoted by the rocks o:tbr shelter, as those of his associate impel him to Bochart, these diminutive animals discoverno little sagarove among the mountains. He does not allude to an occa- city in the conduct of public affairs, particularly in appointsional residence, but to a fixed and permanent abode; not ing a leader, whose business it is to give them notice on the to the wanderings of a few, but to the habitual choice of a approach of danger, and who in case of neglect is punished whole species. But the rabbit as uniformly seeks the with death, and succeeded by another more attentive to sandy plain, as the wild goat the summit of the mountain. their safety. Mr. Bruce, on the contrary, contends with The shaphan, according to Solomon, discovers great wis- great earnestness, that the habits of the jerboa are quite dom and sagacity in retiring from the plain country, to the different from those which Solomon ascribes to the shanatural fastness which the almighty Creator has provided phan; he asserts, that the jerboa always digs his habitafor its reception; but it is no mark of wisdom in the rabbit, tion in the smoother places of the desert, especially where that he forsakes occasionally the sandy plain, which he is the soil is fixed gravel; for in that chiefly he burrows, naturally formed to occupy, and retires to the rocks, which dividing his hole below into many mansions. He is not are so little suited to his habits and manners. This is an gregarious, like the shaphan; nor is he distinguished for his act of rashness or folly, not of wisdom. The wise man is feebleness, which he supplies by his wisdom. Although, also noting the sagacity of a whole species, not of a ram- therefore, he ruminates in common with some other anibling individual; but the species is to be found on the mals, and abounds in Judea, he cannot be the shaphan of plain, not among the rocks. Nor is the rabbit a feeble the scripture. Hence, it is probable, that the Arabian wricreature; he runs with considerable swiftness; and he is ters improperly confounded the daman Israel, or shaphan, provided with the means of digging his burrow, which he and the jerboa; and it may be considered as nearly certain, employs with so great energy, particalarly when alarmed that the shaphan of Solomon is not the rabbit, but the daman by the approach of danger, that he buries himself in the Israel, which, though bearing some resemblance to it, is an sand with surprising rapidity. To exert his strength, ac- animal of a different species.-PAXTON. cording to existing circumstances, is all the sagacity which he discovers; and this, it must be admitted, is not peculiar Ver. 20. Thou akest darkness, and it is night. to him, but common to the hare, the hedgehog, and many wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep other animals. He betrays no foresight, except in prepa- frth. fo~'h ring his dwelling, and he is never known to supply the want of strength by any contrivance. The shaphan, as Immediately'after landing, we hired horses to conduct described both by David and Solomon, exhibits a very dif- us to Fanskog, ten miles and a half, where we arrived at ferent character, and therefore cannot be the same animal. so neat an inn, and were withal so subdued bywant of sleep But if we apply these characters to the daman Israel,'or, and fatigue, that we rested for a few hours, writing our as Mr. Bruce calls it, the ashkokon, the identity of this ani- journals without candles half an hour after midnight, by a mnal with the shaphan of the scriptures will instan'ly light that could not be called twilight; it was rather the 52 410 PSALMS. Ps. 105 —-110. glare of noon, being reflected so strongly from the walls particularly in a caravan in the desert, where people are and houses, that it was painful to our eyes. and we began strangers to each other. What a situation for a man, though already to perceive, what we never felt before, that dark- a rich one, perhaps the owner of all the caravans! He is ness is one of those benevolent gifts of Providence, the value dying for a cup of water; no one gives it to him; he offers of which, as conducive to repose, we only become sensible all he possesses; no one hears him; they are all dying, of. when it ceases altogether to return. There were no though by walking a few hours farther they might be saved. shutters to the windows, and the continual blaze which sur- The camels are lying down, and cannot be made to rime; rounded us, we could gladly have dispensed with, had it no one has strength to walk; only he that has a glass of been possible. When we closed our eyes, they seemed to be that precious liquid lives to walk a mile farther, and perstill open; we even bound on them our handkerchiefs; but haps dies too. If the voyages on seas are dangetous, so are a remaining impression of brightness, like a shining light, those in the deserts. At sea, the provisions very often fail; wearied and oppressed them. To this inconvenience we in the desert, it is worse. At sea, storms are met with; in were afterward more exposed, and& although use rendered the desert there cannot be a greater storm than to find a us somewhat less affected by it, it was an evil of which we dry well. At sea, one meets pirates; we escape, we surall complained, and we hailed the returning gloom of au- render, or die; in the desert they rob the traveller of all his tumn as a comfort and a blessing.-CLARKE. property and water. They let him live, perhaps, but what a life! to die the most barbarous and agonizing death. In PSALM CV. short, to be thirsty in a desert, without wdater, exposed to Ver. f26. ~He, sent Moses his servant, anid Aaron the burning sun, -without shelter, and no hopes of finding whom he had chosen. either, is the most terrible situation that a man can be placed in, and I believe that it is one of the greatest sufferings that a human being can sustain. The eyes grow inflamed, the "Cgenralmet says th slve word servant, among the Hebrews, (o tongue and lips swell, a hollow sound is heard in the ears, "generally signifies a slave:" and Dr. A. Clarke says, (on which brins on deafness, and the brains appear to grow Rom. i. 1, "Paul a servant of Jesus Christ,") the word hick and ins on deafness, and these feelings arise from theo growant JovXoq which we translate servant, properly means a slave, thic and inflamed. All these feelin-s arise from the want Ionevo, which we translate servant, properly means a slave, of a little water. In the midst of all this misery, the deceitone who is the entire property of his master, and is used her b the apote with great propriety. In easter, nd used ful mirages appear before the traveller, at no great distance, here by the apostle with great propriety. In eastern lansomething like a lake or river of clear fresh water. The guage the word used as expressive of the relationship of deception of this phenomenon is well nown, but it does not toteirdei."I am the adni," i.e. deception of this phenomenon is well known, but it does not men to their deities is slave. 5the d d sla e SLAVE. fail to invite the longing traveller towards that element, and "of the supreme Siva." "I am the devoted slave of Vishnoo." to t hm b Hindoo saints are always called the slavesof the gods. The to put him in rememrance of the happiness of being on term servant is applied to one who is at liberty to dispose of such a spot. If perchance a traveller is not undeceived, he himself, in serving different masters: but not so a slave, he towards his pace to reach it sooner: the more he advances is the property of his owner from him he receives prtowar ds it, the more it goes from him, till at last it vanishes is the property of' his owner; from him he receives protec- entirely, and the deluded passenger often asks where is the tion and support, and he is not at liberty to serve another an d the deluded passen e r often asks where is the master; hence it is that the native Christians, in praying water he saw at no reat distance. He can scarcely believe to the true God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, always speak that he was so deceived; he protests that he saw the waves of themselves as slaves; they are not their own, but " bought running before the wind, and the reflection of the high ws~ith a price."-ROBERTS. ~rocks in the water. (Belzoni.)-BURDEa. with a price." —RoBnrTs. Ver. 30.'TPhe land brought forth frlogs in abun-A Ver. 16. For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. dance, in the chambers of their kings. See on Acts 12. 10. It is.)t difficult for an Englishman in an eastern wet monsoon, to form a tolerable idea of that plague of Egypt, PSALM CIX. in which the frogs were in the " houses, bedchambers, beds, Ver. 9. Let his children be fatherless, and his and kneading-troughs," of the Egyptians. In the season alluded to, myriads of them send forth their constant croak wife a widow. 10. Let his children be conin every direction, and a man not possessed of overmuch tinually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek patience, becomes aspetulant as was the licentious god, and their bread also out of their desolate places. is ready to exclaim, " Croak, croak, indeed I shall choke Listen to two married men who are quarrelling, you will If you pester and bore my ears any more hear the one accost the other, " Thy family will soon come With your croalk, croak, croak." to destruction." " And what will become of thine." rejoins A new-comer, on seeing them leap about the rooms, be- the other: "I will tell thee; thy wife will soon take, off her comes disgusted, and forthwithbegins an attack upon them, thali," which means she will be a widow, as the thali is the but the next evening will bring a return of his active visiters. marriage jewel, which must be taken off on the death of a It may appear almost incredible, but in one evening we husband. "Yes, thy children will soon be beggars; Ishall killed upwards of forty of these guests in the Jaffna Mission see thers at smy door."-ROBERTS. House. They had principally concealed themselves in a small tunnel connected with the bathing-room,'and their Vet. 23. I am gone like the shadow when it denoise had become almost insupportable. I have been clineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. amused when 4 man has been making a speech which has not given pleasure to his audience, to hear another per- See on 2 Chron. 7. 13. son ask, " What has that fellow been croaking about, like Dr. Shaw, speaking of the swarms of locusts, which he a frog of the wet monsoon'" The natives also do us the saw near Algiers, in 1724 and 1725, says, " when the wind honour of saying, that our singing, in parts, is very much blew briskly so that these swarms were crowded by others, like the notes of the large and small frogs. The bass we had a lively idea of that comparison of the Psalmist, singers, say they, resemble the croak of the bull-frogs, and of being tossed uip and down as the locust."-BURDER. the other parts the notes of the small fry.-ROBERTS. JPSALM CX. PSALM CVII. Ver. 5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in Ver. 1. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou theml. at my right hand, until I make thine enemies themn. thy footstool. Many perish, victims of the most horrible thirst. It is thenthat the value of a cup.of water is really felt; he that The host always places a distinguished guest on his right has a zenzabia of it is the richest of. all: in such a case, hand, because that side is considered more honourable than there is no distinction; if the master has snone, the servant the other. Hence the rank known by the name of valangwill not give it to him' for very few are the instances where iya1ar, right-hand caste, is very superior tc the id?6ngkiypar, a man vii v'oluntarily lose his life to save that of another, or left-hand caste.-ROBERTS. Ps. 112-120. PSALMS. 411 PSALM CXII., Asia, and so fine, that no coffer is impenetrable to it, from Ver. 10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; reaching them. It is for these reasons that provisions of t 1 0. Th. ws, an b. every kind are enclosed in vessels made of the skins of he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; these animals. The conjecture, therefore, is highly probathe desire of the wicked shall perish. ble, that not only the balm and the honey, which are somewhat liquid, but also the nuts and almonds, which were An enraged man snaps his teeth together, as if about to sent as a present to Joseph from Canaan, were enclosed in bite the object of his anger. Thus, in the book Rc]dmyanum, little vessels of kid skin, that they might be preserved fresh; the giant Rdvanan is described as in his fury gnashing and to defend them against injuries, from therestiveness of tog:.ther his " thirty-two teeth!" "Look at the beast, how the camels or asses, or other accidents, the whole were enhe gnashes his teeth." "Go near that fellow."-" Not I, closed in woollen sacks. This custom has descended to the indeed, he will only gnash his teeth."-RoBERTS. present times; for fruits and provisions of every kind are still commonly packed up in skins, by the inhabitants of PSALM CXIII. Syria. Ver. 9. H-e manketh the barren woman to keep To those goat-skin vessels the Psalmist refers in this house, to be a joyful mother of children. complaint: " I am become as a bottle in the smoke." My appearance in the state of my exile is as different from Should a married woman, who has long been considered what it was when I dwelt at court, as are the gold and sil. steril, become a mother, her joy, and that of her husband ver vessels of a palace, from the smoky skin bottle of a poor and friends, is most extravagant.I "They called her Arab's tent, where I am now compelled to reside. Not Lalady," i. e. barren, " but she has given us some good less emphatical is the lamentation of the prophet, that the fruit." "My neighbours pointed at me, and said, Malady: precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, or to vesbut what will they say now." A man who manifests great sels fabricated of that precious metal, were considered as delight, is said to be like the barren woman, who has borne no better than earthen pitchers, the work of the potter. a child. Of any thing which is exceedingly valuable, it is The holy Psalmist compares himself to a bottle in the said, "This is as precious as the son of the barren woman," smoke; which is a convertible phrase with a bottle in the s. e. of her who had ling been reputed barren.-RoBERTs. tent of an Arab; because, when fires are lighted in it, the r, smoke instantly fills every part, and greatly incommodes PSALM CXIX. the tenant. Nor will this appear surprising, when it is considered that an Arabian tent has no aperture but the door, Ver. 82. Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, from which the smoke can escape. The inspired writer, When wilt thou comfort me? therefore, seems to allude both to the meanness of a skin bottle, and to its blackness, from the smoke of the tent in Has a mother promised to visit her son or daughter, and which it is placed. And a most natural image it was for should she not be able to go, the son or daughter will say, him to use, driven from the vessels of silver and gold in the "Alas! my mother promised to come to me; howlong have palace of Saul, to quench his thirst with the wandering I been looking for her? but a speck hasgrown upon my eye." Arabs, from a smutted bottle of goat-skin. These bottles " I cannot see, my eyes have failed me;" i. e. by looking so are liable to be rent, when old or much used, and at the intensely for her coming.-ROBERTs. same time capablepf being repaired. In the book of Joshua we are informed, the Gibeonites "took wine bottles, old Ver. 83. For I am become like a bottle in the and rent, and bound up." This is perfectly according to smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes. the custom of the East; and the manner in which they mend their old and rent bottles is various. Sometimes they set Bottles are made of the skins of goats, sheep, and other in a piece; sometimes they gather up the wounded place animals; and there are several articles preserved in them, in the manner of a purse; sometimes they put in a round in the same way as the English keep hogs' lard in bladders. fiat piece of wood, and by that means stop the hole. —PAxSome kinds of medicinal oil, assafcetida, honey, a kind of TON. treacle, and other drugs, are kept for a great length of time, by hanging the bottles in the smoke, which soon causes Ver. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! them to become black and shrivelled. The Psalmist was yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. ready to faint for the salvation of the Lord: his eyes had failed in looking for His blessing, and anxiety had made An affectionate wife often says, " My husband, your words him like unto a skin bottle, shrivelled and blackened in the are sweeter to me than honey; yes, they are sweeter than the smoke.-RoBERTs. sugarcane." "Alas! my husband is gone," says the widow; Cups and drinking vessels of gold and silver were doubt- "how sweet were his words! honey dropped from his mouth; less used in the courts of princes. (I Kings x. 21.) But in his words were ambrosia."-ROBERTS. the Arab tents leathern bottles, as well as pitchers, were used. These of course were smoky habitations. To this Ver. 136. Rivers of water run dowil mine eyes, latter circumstance, and the contrast between the drinking because they keep not thy law. utensils, the Psalmist alludes: "My appearance in my present state is as different from what it was when I dwelt This figure occurs in the poem called TVeerale-vdit.-tootte. at court, as the furniture of a palace differs from that of a "Rivers of tears run down the face of that mother bereft of poor Arab's tent."-HAAMER. her children," is a saying in common use. " The water of The eastern bottle is made of a goat or kid skin, stripped her eyes runs like a river."-ROBERTS. off, without opening the belly; the apertures made by cutting PSALM CX. off the tail and legs are sewed up, and when filled, it is tied about the neck. The Arabs and Persians never go a Ver. 4. Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of joinney without a snmall leathern bottle of water hanging by juniper. their side like a scrip. These skin bottles preserve their water, milk, and other liquids, in a fresher state than any "Coals of juniper;" more properly, like the glowing ot other vessels they can use. The people of the East, indeed, coals of broom. The Hebrew word 1-ot/he-v, here transput into them every thing they mean to carry to a distance, lated juniper, means a shrub of the genista or broom species, whether dry or liquid, and very rarely make use of boxes the Spartium junceum of Linnoeus, which grows in the south and pots, unless to preserve such things as are liable to he of France and in Spain, where it has retained its Arabic broken. They enclose these leathern bottles in woollen name, roterna. It is a moderate shrub, with thin branches, sacks, because their beasts of carriage often fall down under and white flowers, that grows in the deserts. Forskal found their load, or cast it down on the sandy desert. This method it frequently in the sandy heaths about Suez. The caravans of' transporting the necessaries of life has another advan- use it for fuel. When the Psalmist compares the tongue of tage; the skin bottles preserve them fresher; defend them the slanderer with the glowing of the coals of broom, he against the ants, and other insects, which cannot penetrate doubtless alludes to the severe pain caused by touching those the sklin; and prevent the dust, of which immense quanti- coals, which continue to glow for a very long time.-RosEXties are constantly moving about, in the arid regions of MULLER. 412- PSALMS. Ps. 121- -123. PSALM CXXI. the heat, get crooked limbs from the superabundance of moisture. It is also well known," continues he, " that he hVe. 5. Thae pLoRn is thy krigheeper; th e Lo is who has slept in the moonlight is heavy when he awakes, thy'shade upon thy right hand. and as if deprived of his senses, and, as it were, oppressed by the weight of the dampness which is spread over his whole An umbrella is a very ancient, as well as honourable de- body." The same opinion of the injurious effects of the fence against the pernicious effects of the scorching beams light: of the moon upon the human body, still prevailed in of the sun, in those sultry countries; may we not then sup- the East Indies in later times. Iwrgen Anderson, in his pose this is that kind of shade the Psalmist refers to in the Description of the East, says, " One must here (in Batavia) 121st Psalm. ver. 5, " The Lord is thy keeper; the Lord take great care not to sleep in the beams of the moon unis hy shade upon thy righthand." "The sun shall not smite covered. I have seen many people whose n eckl has become thee by day, nor the moon by night." crooked, so that they look more to the side than forward. Niebuhr, who visited the southern part of Arabia, gives I will not decide whether it is to be ascribed to the moon, us the following account of a solemn procession of the Iman as people imagine here." In some of the southern parts of that resides at Sana, who is a great prince in that part of Europe the same opinions are entertained of the pernicious Arabia, and considered as a holy personage, being descend- influence of the moonbeams. An English gentleman awsalked from Mohammed, their great prophet. "It is well known in- in the evening in the garden of a Portuguese nobleman that the sultan at Constantinople goes evbery Friday to the at Lisbon, was most seriously admonished by the owner to mosque, if his health will at all admit of it. The Iman of put on his hat, to protect him from the moonbeams. The Sana observes also this religious practice, with vast pomp. fishermen in Sicily are said to cover, during the night, the We only saw him in his return, because this was repre- fish which they expose to dry on the sea-shore, alleging sented to us as the most curious part of the solemnity, on that the beams of the moon cause them to putrefy. —-RosENaccount of the long circuit he then takes, and the great MULLER. number of his attendants, after their having performed their devotions in other mosques...... The Iman was preceded PSALM CXXII. by some hundreds of soldiers. He, and each of the princes Ver. 2. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O of his numerous family, caused a vndalla, or large umbrella, erusalcXp. to be carried by his side, and it is a privilege which, in this country, is appropriated to princes of the blood, just as the sultan of Constaninope permits none but his viziertohave I think, so far as the SENSE is concerned, it does not matsultan of Constantinople permits none but his vizier to have his kailk, or gondola, covered behind, to keep him from the ter whether this be read in the past, present, or future tense; heat of the sun. They say that in the other provinces of for, in my opinion, the arguments on that subject are of heat ofen, the sun. They say that nlords, the othr example, as the little importance. I believe it to be a declaration of affec-.emen, the indep endent lords, such, for example, as the tion for Jerusalem, in which the feet, as the instruments of,3heiks of Jaf, and those of Haschid u Bekil, the scherif going to the holy place, were in asern style naturally asof Abu Arisch, and many others, cause these rda.llas, in sociated. ThedevoutHiowhenabsentfromthelacesacre like manner, to be carried for. their use, as a mark of their independence. Besides the princes, the Iman had in his city of Sedambarlm; often exclaims, " Ah Sedambarum, train at least six hundred lords of the most distinguished my feet are ever wakit in thee." "Ah! gbeenabsent rank, as well ecclesiastics as seculars, and those of the mili- fre no t m y feet in the e " A man who has long b een absent tary line, many oT them mounted on superb horses, and a once more tread this holy place, -ROBERTS. great multitude of people attended him on foot. On each side of the Iman was carried a flag, different from ours, in PSALM CXXIII. that each of themn was surmounted with a little silver vessel like a censer. It is said that within some charms were put, Ver. 2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto to which they attributed a power of making the Iman in- the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a vincible. Many other standards were unfurled with the maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our same censer-like vessels, but'without any regularity. In one word, the whole train was numerous, and'in some eyes waeit upon the LORD OUT God, until that measure magnificent, but no order seemingly was observed." he have mercy upon us. Itappears by the carvings at Persepolis, umbrellas were very anciently used by the eastern princes; charms, we The HAND is looked at as the member: by which a supehave reason to believe, were at least as ancient: may we rior gives protection or dispenses favours; anal if this not, with some degree of probability, suppose then this Psalm be, as some suppose, a complaint of the captives in 121st Psalm refers to these umbrellas, where the response Babylon, it may refer to the HAND as the instrument ofldemade, probably, by the ministers of the sanctuary, to the liverance. A man in trouble says, "I will look at the hand declaration of the king, in the two first verses, reminded him of my friend." " I looked at the hand of my mistress, and that JEHOVAI-I would be to him all that heathen princes have been comforted." A father, on returning from a hoped for, as to defence and honour, from their royal um- journey, says, " AMy children will look to my hands," i. e. brellas and their sacred charms, but hoped for in vain, as for a present. Of a troublesome person it is said, " I-e is to them i. "The Lord shall be thy shade on thy right hand. always looking at my hands." A slave of a cruel master The sun shall not smite thee by day nor the moon by says to his god, " Ah! Swamy, why am I appointed to look night." —HaRM3F_.. at his hands."-RoBERTS. The Easterns direct their servants very generally by Ver. 6. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor signs-even in matters of consequence. The Cingalese the moon by night. intimate their wish for a person to approach, by bending the finger with the point towards the person wanted. as if A meridian summer's sun in England gives but a faint to seize him-quite iii the opposite direction to the English idea of the power of this luminary in the East; and yet, way of beckoning. To depart is signified by a side nod; even in this temperate climate, who has not been incon- ahd a frown by a front one. —CALLAWAxY. venienced when exposed to his rays' But how much The servants or slaves in the East'attend their masters greater is his effect in India! Sometimes " a stroke of the or mistresses with the profoundest respect. Maundrell sun" smites man and beastwith instant death. The moon has observes, that the servants in Turkey stand round their also a pernicious effect upon those who sleep in its beams: master and his guests with the profoundest respect, silence, and fish, having been exposed to them for one night, be- and order, imaginable. Pococke says, that at a visit in comes nmost injurious to those who eat it: hence our English Egypt, every thing is clone with the greatest decency, and seamen, when sailing in tropical climes, always take care the most profound silence; the slaves or servants standing to place their fish out of" the sight of the moon."-RoBERTs. at the bottom of the room, with their hands joined before The very severe cold of the nights in the East was ascribed them, watching with the utmost attention every motion of by the ancients to the influence of the moon, which they their master, who commands them by signs. De Ia Motraye also supposed to bethe origin of the dew. Macrobius says says, that the eastern ladies are waited on " even at the "that the nurses used' to cover their sucklings against the least wink of the eye, or motion of the fingers, and that in moon, that they might not, as damp wood which bends in a manner not perceptible to strangers." The EBaron De ToLt Ps. 124 —127. PSALMS., 413 relates a remarkable instance of the authority attending this among the heathen, The IORD hath done great mode of commanding, and of the use of significant motions. things for them "The customary ceremonies on these occasions were over, and Racub (the new vizier) continued to discourse familiarly with the ambassador, when the nmutzar aga (or high provost) "See that happy man; his mouth is always full of laughcoming into the hall, and approaching the pacha, whispered his tongue is always singing; he is ever showing his conting into theeth. "e-ROaBerTe something in his ear, and we observed that all the answer he received from him was a slight horizontal motion with his hand, after which the vizier instantly resuming an Ver. 4. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as agreeable smile, continued the conversation for some time the streams in the south. longer: we then left the hall of audience, and came to the foot of the great staircase, where we remounted our horses: This image is taken from the torrents in the deserts to the here, nine heads, cut off, and placed in a row on the out- south of Judea; in Idumea, Arabia Petrsea, &c., a mountside of the first gate, completely explained the sign, which ainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up the vizier had made use of in our presence." Hence we in the summer, (Job vi. 17, 18,) and as constantly returned discover the propriety of the actions performed by the pro- after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted chanphets. Ezekiel was a sign to the people in not mourning nels.'The point of the comparison seems to be the return for the dead, (chap. xxiv.) in his removing into captivity, and renewal of these (not rivers, but) torrents, which and digging through the wall, (chap. xii.) Such conduct yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the was perfectly well understood, and was very significant.- Jews had left their country desolate, but now flowed again BURDER. into it.-BP. HORNE. PSALM CXXIV. P*OursAul s CXXIV broh. Ver. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Ver. 7. Our soul is escaped'as a bird out of the 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearin snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and precious seed, shall, doubtless, come again with we, are escaped.. X Xwe are escaped. rejoicing, bringing his sheaves wzith him. A. man who has narrowly escaped danger says," My life See on Ezek. 2 4 is like that of the bird which has escaped from the snare." e on ze The life of a man is often compared to that of a bird. These figures are taen from agricultural pursuits; t.e Thus, of him whose spirit has departed, it is said, " Ah i seed, being well watered, will produce a plenteous harvest. the bird has left its nest it has gone away." " As the un- The Jews in their captivity had been sowing good seed, had hatched bird must first burst from the shell before it can watered it with their tears, and the time was now come for fly, so must this soul burst from its body."-ROBERTS. them to reap with joy, and to return with their sheaves rejoicing. It is proverbial to say to a boy who weeps because he must go to school, or because he cannot easily acquire his lesson, " My child, the plants of science require the water of Ver. 2. As the mountains are round about Jeru- the eyes.". "If you sow with tears, the profit will appear in salem, so the LORD is round about his people your own hands."-ROBERTS from henceforth, even for ever. ing The writer of the account of the ruins of Balbec, speakfi'om henceforth,'even fr ever. ing of the valley in which it stood, observes, that it has very little, wood; and adds, "though shade be so essential an The description which Volney gives of his approach to article of oriental luxury, yet few plantations of trees are Jerusalem, furnishes no contemptible illustration of this seen in Turkey, the inhabitants being discouraged from verse; and as it is pleasant to compel an avowed infidel labours, which produce such distant and precarious enjoyto illustrate and confirm the religion of Christ, which he ment, in a country where even the annual fruits of their indetests, 1 shall subjoin his account. " Two days' jour- dustry are uncertain. In Palestine we have often seen the ney' south of Nablous; following the direction of the mount- husbandman sowing, accompanied by an armed friend, to ains, which gradually become more rocky and barren, prevent his being robbed of the seed." The Israelites that we arrive at a town, which, like many others already men- returned from Babylon upon the proclamation of Cyrus, tioned, presents a striking example of the vicissitude of were in similar circumstances to husbandmen sowing their human affairs: when we behold its walls levelled, its corn amidst enemies and robbers, The rebuilding of their ditches filled up, and all -its buildings embarrassed with towns and their temple resembled a time of sowing; but ruins, we scarcely can believe we view that celebrated they had reason to fear that the neighbouring nations would metropolis, which formerly baffled the efforts of the most defeat these efforts. (Nehem. iv. 7.) In opposition to this powerful empires, and for a time resisted the efforts of apprehension the Psalmist expresses his hope, perhaps preRome herself; though by a whimsical change of fortune, diets, that there would be a happy issue of these beginnings, its ruins now receive her homage and reverence: in a to re-people their country.-HARMER. word, we with difficulty recognise Jerusalem. Nor is our astonishment less, to think of its ancient greatness, when PSALM CXXVII. we consider its situation amidst a rugged soil, destitute of water, and surrounded by dry channels of torrents and steep Ver. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty heights. Distant from every great road, it seems neither man: o are children of the youth. 5. Happy to have been calculated for a considerable mart of com- is the an that hath his quiver full of them: merce, nor the centre of a great consumption. It however ovorcaame every obstacle, and may be adduced as a proof they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak of what popular opinion may effect, in the hands'of an able with the enemies in the gate. legul.ator, or when favoured by happy circumstances." The proud unbeliever had found a shorter and easier road The margin has, instead of speak, " squbdque the enemies to his conclusion, in the volume of inspiration; and par- in the gate." In ancient books, and also among the learned, ticularly in the passages quoted above, from the Psalms of (in common conversation,) s6ns are spoken of as the arrows David, who refers the singular prosperity of Jerusalem to of their fathers. To have a numerous male progeny is conthe peculiar favour of Heaven. This was the real source sidered a great advantage; and people are afraid of offendof her greatness, and it was this alone, and not the natural ing such a family, lest the arrows should be sent at them. strength of her situation, nor the skill and valour of her "What a fine fellow is the son of Kandan! he is like an defenders, which enabled her so long to baffle the designs arrow in the hand of a hero."-ROBERTS. of her enemies.-PAxToN. The Orientals are accustomed to call brave and valiant sons the " arrows" and " darts" of their parents, because PSALM CXXVI. they are able to defend them.'" To sharpen arrows," " to Ve. 2. hen as our mouth filld with laughter, make sharp arrows," is among them, to get brave and valiant Ver. 2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, sons. Merrick mentions a similar Chinese mode of exand our tongue with singing; then said they pression. "When a son is born in a family, it is customary 114 PSALMS. Ps. 128 —'132;o hang up bows and arrows before the house, as a sign of the fields four-square, and sowed with barley or oats, that the family has acquired a defender."-ROSENMULLER. so that their roofs. look like green meadows: and that what is stwn, and the grass that grows thereon, may not PSALM CXXVIII. wither before plu::ked up, they very diligently water it. Ver. 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by Maundrell says, that these words allude to the custom ot plucking up corn from the roots by handfuls, leaving the the sides of thy house: thy children like olive- most fruitful fields as naked as if nothing had ever grown plants round about thy table. in them; and that this is done, that they may not lose any of the straw, which is generally very short, and necessary The people are exceedingly fond of having their houses for the sustenance of their cattle, no hay being made in covered with different kinds of vines; hence may be seen that country.-BuRDER. various creepers thus trained, bearing an abundance of' In the morning the master of the house laid in a stock of fruit. Many interesting figures, therefore, are taken from earth, which was carried and spread evenly on the top of plants which ate thus SUSTAINED. A priest in blessing a the house, which is flat. The whole roof is thus formedof married couple, often says, "Ah! may you be like the mere earth, laid on and rolled hard and flat. On the top of trees Cma- Valcley and CGt-Pagga- Tharu!" These are every house is a large stone roller, for the purpose of hardsaid to grow in the celestial world, and are joined together: ening and flattening this layer of rude soil, so that the rain the Camae- Valley, being parasitical, cannot live without the may not penetrate; but upon this surface, as may be supother.-RoBERTS. posed, grass and weeds grow freely. It is to such grass The natives of those countries are careful to decorate that the Psalmist alludes, as useless and bad.-JowITT. their habitations with the choicest products of the vegetable The reapers in Palestine and Syria make use of the kingdom. The quadrangular court in front of their houses, sickle, in cutting down their crops, and according to the is adorned with spreading trees, aromatic shrubs, and fra- present custom in this country, " fill their hand" with the grant flowers, which are cdntinually refreshed by the crys- corn, and those who bind ulp the sheaves, their " bosom." tal waters of a fountain playing in the middle. To increase When the crop is thin and' short, which is generally the'the beauty of the scene they cover the stairs which lead to case in light soils, and with their imperfect cultivation, it the upper apartments with vines, and have often a lattice- is not reaped with the sickle, but plucked up by the root work of wood raised against the dead walls, upon which with the'hand. By this mode of reaping they leave the climbs a vine, or other mantling shrub. This pleasing most fruitful fields as naked as if nothing had ever grown custom justifies Doddridge in supposing the occasion of our on them; and as no hay is imade in the East, this is done, Lord's comparing himself to a vine, might be his standing that they may not lose any of the straw, which is necessary near a window, or in some court by the side of the house, for the sustenance of their cattle. The practice of reaping where the sight of a vine creeping upon the staircase or the with the hand is perhaps involved in these words of the wall might suggest this beautiful simile. This kind of Psalmist, to which reference has already been made: " Let ornament seems to have been very common in Judea, and them be as tile grass upon the house-tops, which withereth may be traced to a very remote antiquity. From the fa- afore it groweth up; wherewith the mower filleth not his miliar manner in which the Psalmist alludes to it, we may hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom." The tops of suppose it was one of the decorations about the royal palace: the houses in Judea are flat, and being covered with plas-' Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thy ter of terrace, are frequently grown over with grass. As it house; thy children like olive-plants round about the table. is but small and weak, and from its elevation exposed to the Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the scorching sun, it is soon withered. To prevent this, they Lord." Kimchi, a celebrated Jewish writer, explains the pluck it up for the use of their cattle with the hand. A psalm in the same way; and observes, that a wife is com- more beautiful and striking figure, to display the weak and pared to a vine, because that alone of all trees can be plant- evanescent condition of wicked men, cannot easily be coned in a house. In confirmation of Kimchi's remark, Dr. ceived. They are every monient exposed to the judgments Russel says, " It is generally true, if fruit-bearing trees of God, like the grass on the house-top, which is tossed by be intended, as the vine is almost the only fruit-tree which the breeze, and scorched by the sun, and to the grasp of is planted in the houses; pomegranates are another."-PAX- Omnipotence, which, weak and defenceless as they are, they TON. can neither avoid nor resist. The sudden destruction of the wicked is described by the same writer, under another PSALM CXXIX. figure not less remarkable for its force and propriety: "I Ver. 3. The ploughers ploughed upon my back; have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himthey made lonos their furrows. self like a green bay-tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found."PAXTON. Thenemies of Israel cut their backs, as the ploughers "Ah! that wretched family shall soon be as withered cut the soil." (Dr. Boothroyd.) When a man is in much grass." "Go, vile one, for soon wilt thou be as parched trouble through oppressors, he says, "How they plough me grass."-R v ouRs. and turn me up! All are now ploughing me. Begone! have you not already turned me up." "Alas! alas! my enemies, nay, my children, are now ploughing me."-RoBERTS. Ver. 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousVer. 6. Let them be as the grass upon the house- ness; and let thy saints shout for joy. tops, which withereth afore it groweth up; "See that excellent man; he wears the garments of jus7. Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, tice and charity."-RoBERTS. nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom. Ver. 17. There will I make the horn of David to See on Ruth 2. 4, 5. bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. The tops of the houses in Judea were flat, and so grass grew upon them, being covered with plaster of terrace. "Yes, that man will flourish; already his horn has begun As it was but small and weak, and, being on high, was to appear-it is growing."-RoBERTs. exposed to the scorching sun, it was soon withered. (Shaw.) Menochius says, that he saw such roofs in the island of Ver. 18. His enemies will I clothe with shame; Corsica, flat, and having earth upon them, on which grass grew of its own accord; but being burnt up in summer but upon himself shall his crown flourish. time by the sun, soon withered. But what Olaus Magnus relates is extraordinary. He says, that in the northern This idea seems to be taken from the nature of the Gothic countries they feed their cattle from the tops of ancient crowns bestowed upon conquerors. From the houses, especially in a time of siege; that their houses are earliest periods of history the laurel, olive, and ivy, furbuilt of stone, high and large, and covered-with rafters of nished crowns to adorn the heads of heroes, who had confir and bark of birch:. on this is laid grass-earth, cut out quered in the field of battle, gained the prize in the race, Ps. 133 — 41. PSALMS. 415 or performed some other important service to the public. out their refreshing showers on the parched ground, the These were the dear-bought rewards of the most heroic glad tidings are announced by the rapid lightning, and the exploits of antiquity. This sets the propriety of the phrase precious treasure is scattered over the fields by the attendant in full view. The idea of a crown of gold and jewels winds; and that the sweet singer of Israel looked through flourishing, is at least unnatural: whereas flourishing is nature with an accurate, discriminating eye, is confirmed natural to laurels and oaks. These were put upon the by the concurring testimony of all ages.-PAxToN. heads of the victors in full verdure. (Pirie.) —BRDER. Russel says, that at Aleppo a night seldom passes without lightning in the northwest quarter, but not attended PSALM CXXXIII. with thunder. When it appears in the west or southwest points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain; this lightVer. 3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew ning is often followed by thunder. Thus " God maketh that descended upon the mountains of Zion: the lightnings for the rain; and when he uttereth his voice, for there the LORD commanded the blessinog there is a multitude of waters in the heavens;" and as these evaen lirfe for evermore. ~ refreshing showers are preceded by squalls of wind, "he bringeth forth the wind out of his treasure," Jer. li. 16.HAnMER.'See on Ps. 89. 12. A great difficulty occurs in the comparison which the PSALM CXXXVII. Psalmist makes to the dew of Hermon, that fell dn the hill of Zions; which might easily be interpreted, if it had been Ver. 1. By the rivers of Babylon there we sat observed, that the clouds which lay on Hermon, being down; yea, we wept, when we remembered brought by the north winds to Jerusalem, caused the dews Zion. to fall plentifully on the hill of' Zion. But there is a Shihon eot-:"? ia the tribe of Issachar, (Josh. xix. 19,) which See on Lam. 2. 10. may De the Zion spoken of by Eusebius and Saint Jerome, as near Mount Tabor; and there might be a hill there of that Ver. 5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right name, on which the dew of the other Hermon might fall, and forget her cnning that was to the east of Esdraelon. However, as there is no certainty that Mount HIermon in that part is even inen- In the Hindoo book, Scanda-Pierdaa, it iswritten, " Sin gtioned in scripture, so I should rather think it to be spoken Muggam, on seeing that his heart throbbed, the tears flowed, of this famous mountain, and that Tabor and Hermon are d his hands andfeetot their cunning." Yes; if I joined together, as rejoicing in the name of God, not on lose thee, if I forget thee, it will be like the losing, like account of their being near to one another, but because the forgetting of these eyes and arms."-RoBERS. they are two of the highest hills in all Palestine. So that The last words mean, may my right hand foret, refuse if ally one considers this beautiful piece of eloquence of to perform itsservice; namely, cease to move, be benumbed. the Psalmist, and that Hermon is elsewhere actually called A similar, and, as it appears, proverbial expression, is found Zion, (Deut. iv. 48,) he will doubtless be satisfied, that the in an old Arabian poem, in De Sacy's Chrestom Arab: most natural interpretatioq of the Psalmist would be to "No spose, though the whole might be called both Eermon "No, never have I done any thing that could. displease suppose, though the whole might be called both Hermon thee; if this is no and Zion, yet that the highest summit of this mountain was th t true, may my hand be unable to lift in particular called Hermon, and that a lower part of it had the name of Zion; on which supposition, the dew PSAL C falling from the top of it down to the lower parts, might well be compared in every respect to the precious ointment Ver. 6, Though the LORD be high, yet hath he srpon the hecad, that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aarcon's respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knowbeard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing, and that eth afar off both of them in this sense are very proper emblems of the blessings of unity and friendship, which diffuse themselves This is truly oriental: "N in avari veg g too'ratila arthroughout the whole society. (Pococke.)-BURDER. rika-rain, i. e. I know him afar off. Let him be at a great WWhen Maundrell was in the neighbourhood of Mount distance; allow him to conduct his plans with the greatest Hermon, he remarked, "We were instructed by expe- secrecy; yet, I compass his path, I am close to him. You riencee what the Psalmist means by the dew of Hermon, pretend to describe the fellow to me: I know him well; our tents being as'Wet with it as if it had rained all night." there is no need to go near to him, for I can recognise him In Arabia, says Dr.S haw, the dew often wets the traveller at the greatest distance. See how he carries his head; who ha,; no covering but the heavens, to the skin; but no look at his gait; who can mistake his proud bearing I" sooner A, the sun risen, and the atmosphere a little heated, " How does your brother conduct himself."-" I cannol than the mists are quickly dispersed, and the copious moist- tell, for he knows me afar off."-ROBERTS. ure which the dews communicated to the sands would be entirely evaporated.-PAxToN. PSALM CXL. PSAL~M~J C~XXXV. Ver. 4. Keep me, O LoRD, from the hand of the wvicked; preserve me from the violent man; Ver. 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings for the who have purposed to overthrow my goings. rain: he bringeth the wind out of his treasures. See on Ps. 91.13. In Syria, lightnings are frequent in the autumnal months. PSALM CXLI. Seldom a night passes without a great deal of lightning in Ver. 5. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be the northwest, but without thunder; but when it appears a. kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall in the west or southwest points, it is a sure sign of ap- be an excellent oil, which shall not break my proaching rain, and is often attended with thunder. It has been observed already, that a squall of wind and clouds head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their of dust, are the usual forerunners of the first rains. To calamities. these natural phenomena, the sacred writers frequently allude; and in the precise order which has been marked Certain oils are said to have a most salutary effect on the in the preceding observations. The royal Psalmist, in a head; hence in fevers, or any other complaints which afvery beautiful strain, ascribes them to the immediate agen- feet the head, the medical men always recommend oil. I cy of heaven: "He causeth the vapours to ascend from have known people who were deranged, cured in a very the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings for the rain: short time by nothing more than the application of a peculiar he bringeth the wind out of his treasures." The cisterns of kind of oil to the head. There are, however, other kinds, tie clouds are replenished by exhalations from every part which are believed (when thus applied) to produce delirof the globe; and, when they are ready to open and pour ium. Thus the reprcofs of the righteous Were compared 416 PSALMS. Ps. 141-148. to excellent oil, which produced a most salutary effect on me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with the head. So common is this practice of anointing the me. head, that all who can afford it do it every week. But e. strange as it may appear, the crown of the head is the place These people speak of afflictions, difficulties, and sorrows, selected for chastisement.. Thus owners of slaves, or hus- as so many prisons. " Iyo intha marryil eppo vulttr pome?': bands, or schoolmasters, beat the heads of the offenders i. e. "1Alas! when will this imprisonment go'." exclaims with their knuckles. Should an urchin come late to school, the man in his diffidulties-RonERTs. or forget his lesson, the pedagogue says to some of the other boys, "Go, beat his head." "Begone, fellow! or I PSALM CXLIV. will beat thy head." Should a man be thus chastised by Ver. 12. That our sons may be as plants grown, an inferior, he quotes the old proverb-" If my head is to be beaten, let it be done with the fingers that have rings up in their youth; that our daughters may be on;" nleaning a man of rank. "Yes, yes; let a holy man as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of smite my head: and what of that. it is an excellent oil." a 1 "Mfy master has been beating my head- but it has been good oil for me."-ROBERTS. Of a man who has a hopeful and beautiful family, it'is hen their are th in ~said, "His sons are like shoots, (springing up from the'Ver. 6. When their judges are overthrown in |parent stock,) and his daughters are like carved work and stony places, they shall hear my words; for precious stones." —RoBERTs. they are ssweet., Ver. 13. That our garners may be full, affording Ainsworth, " Their judges are thrown down by the rock all manner of store: that our sheep may bring sides." In 2 Chronicles xxv. 12, it is recorded that the chil- forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets. dren of Judah took ten *thousand captives, "1and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from The surprising fecundity of the sheep has been celebrated the top of the rock, that they were all broken in pieces." by writers of every class. It has not escaped the notice of It was a custom in all parts of the East thus to despatch the royal Psalmist, who, in a beautiful ascription of' praise criminals, by casting them down a precipice; the Tar- to the living and the true God, entreats, that the sheep of peian rock affords a similar instance. But who were his chosen people might "bring forth thousands'and ten these judges' probably those " men that work iniquity," as thousands in their streets." In another song of Zion, he mentioned in the 4th verse. In the 5th verse he speaks of represents, by a very elegant metaphor, the numerous the salutary nature of the reproofs of the nRIGHTEOUS, but flocks, covering like a garment the face of the field: " The in the 7th he seems to refer to the cruel results of having pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covUNRIGHTEOUS judges; for in consequence of their SMITINGS ered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." he says, " Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, The bold figure is fully warranted by the prodig'ious numas when one cutteth and cleaveth wood;" i. e. their bones. bers of sheep which -whitened the extensive pastures of were like the fragments and chips scattered on the earth, Syria and Canaan. In that part of Arabia which borders left by the hewers of wood. Therefore these judges were on Judea, the patriarch Job possessed at first seven thouto be " overthrown in stony places."-RoBERTS. sand, and after the return of his prosperity, fourteen thousand sheep; and Mesha, the king of Moab, paid the king Ver. 7. Our bones are scattered at the grave's of Israel " a yearly tribute of a hundred thousand lambs, and. mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood an equal number of rams with —the wool." In the war which the tribe of Reuben waged with the Hagarites, the former drove away " two hundred and fifty thousand sheep." A remarkable expression' of the Psalmist David, Psalnm At the dedication of the temple, Solomon offered in saericxli. 7, appears to have much poetical heightening in it, flee "a hundred and twenty thousand sheep." At the feast which e'ven its author, in all probability, did not mean of the passover, Josiah, the king of Judah, "gave to the should be accepted literally; while, nevertheless, it might people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passoverbe susceptible of a literal acceptation, and is sometimes a offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty fact.-The Psalmist says, " Our bones are scattered at the thousand, and three thousand bullocks; these were of the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood king's s'ubstance." The ewe" brings forth her young comupon the earth." This seems to be strong eastern paint- monly once a year, and in more ungenial cimes, seldom ing, and almost figurative language; but that it may be more than one lamb at a te. But in the oriental regions, strictly true, the following extract demonstrates: " At five twin lambs are as fequent as they are rare in other places; o'clock we left Gariffgana, our journey being still to the which accounts in a satisfactory manner for the prodigious eastward of north; and at a quarter past six in the evening numbers which the Syrian shepherd led to the mountains. arrived at the village of that name, whose inhabitants had This uncommon fruitfulness seems to e intimated by Solball per-ished wvithb hLnnger tthe year before; their wretched bones omon in his address to the spouse: " Thy teeth are like a be'inbg all' nburied, acnd scattered npon the snurface of the flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from groun7ld, w7here the village formerly stood. We encamped the washing; whereof every one beareth twins, and none acmong the bones of the dead; no space could be found free is barren among them."-PATON. from them; and on the 23d, at six in the morning, full ofALM L. horror at this miserable spectacle, we set out for Teawa; PSALM CLVIII. this was the seventh day from Ras E1 Feel.' After an Ver. 9. Mountains, and all hills: fruitful trees, hour's travelling, we came to a small river, which still and all cedars: 10. Beasts, and all cattle; had water standing in some considerable pools, although an its banks were destitute of any kind of shade." (Bruce.) creeping things, and flying fowl: 11. ngs of The reading of this account thrills us with horror; what- the earth, and all people; princes, and all then must have been the sufferings of the ancient Jews at judges of the earth: 10. Both young men and such a sight. —when to have no burial' was reckoned maidens; old men and children: 13. Let them among the greatest calamities; when their land was praise the name of the LRD: f his name thought to be polluted, in which the dead (even criminals) prase the name of the LRD: for hs name were in any manner exposed to view; and to whom the alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth very toucn of a dead body, or part of it, or of any thing and heaven. that/had touched a dead body, was esteemed a defilement, and required a ceremonial ablution?-TAYLOR IN CALMET. Those who are unacquainted with oriental literature, sometimes affect to smile at the addresses which are made PSALM CXLII. in scripture to animate' and inanimate nature. "How ridiculous," say they, "to talk about the mountains skipping Ver. 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may like rams, and the little hills like lambs!" but they know praise thy name; the righteous shall compass not that this is according to the figurative and luxuriant Ps. 149, 150. PSALMS. 417. genius of the people of the East. The proprietor of lands, the use of their companions in that expedition, as to dress orests, orchards, and gardens, often exclaims, when walk- it, to serve it up, and to wait upon them in eating it." But Ing among them in time of drought, " Ah! trees, plants, although the difference is not very material, the suppoand flowers, tanks and cattle, birds and fish, and all living sition that the tenth part of the army was to forage for the creatures, sing praises to the gods, and rain shall be given rest is more natural, and at the same time more agreeable to you."-ROBERTs. to the literal meaning of the text, which signifies to hunt the prey.-PAXTON. PSALM CXLIX. Ver. 5. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them PSALM CL. sing aloud upon their beds. Ver. 3. Praise him with the sound of the trum-' I pet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. After the troops were assembled, a public sacrifice was 4. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: offered upon the national altar, which was succeeded by a is him tringed instruments and ormartial feast prepared for the whole army; and to confirm their purpose and inflame their courage, a hymn to Jehovah guns. 5. Praise him with the loud cymbals: closed the festival. The hundred and forty-ninth psalm, praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals. was, in the opinion of Doddridge, composed on such an occasion; it was sung when David's army was marching Instruments of music were used in the worship of the out to war against the remains of the devoted nations of Most High God: and the Hindoos, in singing praises, and Canaan, and first went up in solemn procession to the performing religious ceremonies to their deities, always house of God, there, as it were, to consecrate the arms he have the same accompaniments. Thus the trumpet and put into their hands. On that occasion, the devout mon- the " high-sounding cymbals," the timbrels, (which correarch called on his associates in arms (ver. 5) "to sing spond partly with the tambarine,) the harp, u:. kinnor, aloud upon their beds," that is, the couches upon which (also called kinnora in Tamul,) is a stringed instrument, they reclined at the banquet attending their sacrifices, played with the fingers: and may be heard in all their temwhich gives a clear and important sense to a very obscure ples at the time of service. The devotee engaged in maand difficult passage. To these military sacrifices and king offerings often exclaims," Praise him, O ye musicians! banquets the people were summoned by the sound of two praise him; praise'the Swamy:" and great is their enthusilver trumpets of a cubit long, according to Josephus, but, siasm; their eyes, their heads, their tongues, their hands, like ours, wider at' bottom. These were blown by two their legs, are all engaged. At a marriage, or when a great priests, as the law of Moses required; and they were man gives a feast, the guests go to the players on instrusounded in a particular manner, that the people might ments, and say, "Praise the noble host, praise the bride and know the meaning of the summons. Then the anointed tle groom; praise aloud, O cymbals! give forth the voice, for the war, going from one battalion to another, exhorted ye trumpets; strike up the harp and the timbrel; praise the soldiers in the Hebrew language, no other being al- him in the song, serve him, serve him."-ROBERTs. lowed on that occasion, to fight valiantly for their country, fand for the cities of their God. Officers were appointed to Ver. 5. Praise him with the loud cymbals: praise give notice, that those whose business it was should make him upon the high-sounding cymbals. sufficient provision for the army, before they marched; and every tenth man was appointed for this purpose. The Hebrew word, which is here translated cymbal, sigThis arrangement was made by a resolution of the tribes, nifies rather, metal plates or'basins. In the above passage, recorded in the book of Judges: " And we will take ten a larger and smaller kind are probably meant, both ol men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a which are still customary in the East. The latter are hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, metal plates, castanets, such as the oriental female dancers to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they take two on each hand, over one finger and the thumb. For come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that military music, they have large plates of the same form. they have wrought in Israel." Mr. Harmer contends, that And these are those which are here called " high-sounding " these men were not intended so much to collect food for cymbals."-BuRDER. 53 THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. CHAPTER I. ruin me;' but will the moon be injured by the barking of Ver. 1. The proverbs of Solomon, the son of Da- a dog "' "You have become proud, and conduct you-.self like the upstart who must' carry his silk umbrella to keep rid, king of Israel. off the sun at midnight!"' " You talk about your hopes of some coming good: what say the ancients.' ExP.cT' In those periods of remote antiquity, which may with the of soNe coming good: what say the ancients t'E neciutmost propriety be styled the infancies of societies and ATION ithe middaydreamoflife."' "Ceasetobeindolent, ~~~~~~~~~utmost propriety be stledfor, as our fathers said,'Idleness is the rust of the mind.'" nations, the usual, if not the only mode of instruction, was " That you have been guilty of many crimes I cannot by detached aphorisms or proverbs. Human wisdom was doubt as the then indeed in a rude and unfinished state: it was/ not doubt, as the proverb says,'Will there be smoke without fire!' Your wife has, I fear, led you astray, but she wik digested, methodized, or reduced to order and connexion. Your wife has, I fear be your ruin: what said the men of antiquity q'As is the Those who by genius and reflection, exercised in the schoolbe your rin: what said the men of antiquity'As is the ofexperience, hbyad accumulated a stock of ksnowledge, were affection of a file for the iron, of a parasitical plant for the cf experience, had accumulated a stock of knowledge, were tree which'supports it; so is the affection of a violent desirous of reducing it into the most compendious form, t ree w hich supports it; s is the affection of a violenity and comprised in a few maxims those observations which wom an for h er husband: she is witout appema, (the deity o they apprehended most essential to human happiness. This death,) w ho eat s and destroys withot appearin to do so."' mode of instruction was, in truth, more likely than any With these idea of the importance which is attached to other to prove efficacious with men in a rude stage of soci-tolerable idea of the importance which is attached to ety; for it professed not to dispute, but to command; not to persuade, but to compel: it conducted them, not by a circuit Ver. 19. So are the ways of every one that is of argument, but led immediately.to the approbation and practice of integrity and virtue. That it might not, how- greedy of gain; which taketh away the life ofi ever, be altogether destitute of allurement, and lest it should the owners thereof disgust by an appearance of roughness and severity, some degree of ornament became necessary; and the instructers The words rendered " greedy of gain," denote one who of mankind added to their precepts the graces of harmony, cuts or clips off every scrap of money he possibly can. In and illuminated them with metaphors, comparisons, allu- the times of Abraham and Moses, and long after, they used sions, and the other embellishments of style. This manner, to weigh their silver, and, no doubt, to cut and clip off which with other nations prevailed only during the first pieces of it, to make weight in their dealings with each periods of civilization, with the Hebrews continued to be a other, as is practised by some nations, particularly the favourite style to the latest ages of their literature.- Chinese, to this day.-BuRDER. LOWTI. Ver. 26. I also will laugh at your calamity; 1 Ver. 6. To understand a proverb, and the interpre- mock when your fear cometh 27. Vhen tation; the words of the wise, and their dark your fear coeth as desolation, andyour desayings. your fear cometh as desolation, andyour desayllngs. struction com eth as a whirlwind: when distress The people of the East look upon the acquirements of and anguish cometh upon you. antiquity as being every way superior to those of modern According to Savary, the south wind, which blows in times: thus their noblest works of art and their sciences Egypt from February to May, fills the atmosphere with a are indebted to antiquity for their invention and perfection. subtile dust, which impedes respiration, and brings with it Instead, therefore, of their minds being enlightened and pernicious vapours. Sometimes it appears only in the excited by the splendid productions of modern genius, they shape of an impetuous whirlwind, which passes rapidly, are ever reverting to the wisdom of their fo:tefathers, and and is fatal to the traveller, surprised in the middle of the sighing over the loss of many of their occult sciences. We, deserts. Torrents of burning sand roll before it, the firmaon the other hand, by contemplating the imposing achieve- ment is enveloped in a thick veil, and the sun appears of ments of the present age, are in danger of looking with the colour of blood. It is therefore with strict propriety contempt on antiquity, and of pursuing with thoughtless that the sacred writers distinguish from all others the avidity the novelties and speculations of modern inven- whirlwinds of the south, and with peculiar force and tions. beauty, compare the sudden approach of calamity to their Solomon could repeat " three thousand proverbs, and his impetuous and destructive career. " I also will laugh at songs were a thousand and five;" and many of the philos- your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh: ophers of the present age in the East have scarcely any when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction other wisdom. Listen to two men engaged in argument: cometh as a whirlwind: when distress and anguish cometh should he who is on the point of being foiled, quote an ap- upon you." Whole caravans have been overwhelmed in posite proverb against his antagonist, an advantage is con- a moment, by the immense quantity of sand which it puts sidered as having beena'gained, which scarcely any thing in motion. The Arab who conducted Mr. Bruce through can counteract. See a man who is pondering over some the frightful deserts of Senaar, pointed out to him a spot difficulty: his reason cannot decide as to the course he among some sandy hillocks, where the ground seemed t, ought to pursue, when, perhaps, some one repeats a palla- be more elevated than the rest, where one of the largest mz,ulle, i. e. an old saying: the whole of his doubts are at caravans which ever came out of Egypt was covered vwibh once removed, and he starts with vigour in the prescribed sand, to the number of several thousand camels. This course. awful phenomenon Addison has well described in the fol"Young man, talk not to me with INFANT wisdom, what lowing lines, which he puts into the mouth bf Syphax, a are the sayings of the ancients! you ought to obey your Numidian prince: — parents. Listen!' The father and the mother are the "So where our wide Numidian states extend, first deities a child has to acknowledge.' Is it ndt said, Sudden the impetuous hurricanes descend,'Children who obey willingly are as ambrosia to the Wheel through the air, in circling eddies play, gods'.' " "Were you my friend, you would not act thus; Tear lp the sands, and sweep whole plains away. because, as the proverb says,' True friends halve but one The helpless traveller, with wild surprise, because, as the proverbwo but one Sees the dry desert all around him rise, soul in two bodies.'" "I am told you have been trying to And, smpothered in the dusty whirlwind, dies." —PAxToN. I,1hAP. 3-6. PROVERBS. 419 CHAPTER III. form of their bodies, and in all their dispositions and manVTer. 8. It shall be health to thy navel, and mar- ners, are wonderfully pleasing. The ancients were partic. ularly delighted with them; they kept them in their houses; row to thy bones. they fed them at their tables with the greatest care; they washed, and combed, and adorned them with garlands of The navel of an infant is often very clumsily managed flowers, and chains of gold orgilver. The hind seems to in the East: hence it is no uncommon thing to see that part have been admitted to all those privileges, except that of greatly enlarged, and diseased. The fear of the Lord, reposing with herinaster on the same couch, which must therefore, would be as medicine and health to the navel, have been rendered inconvenient by the largeness of her t.ai-.'ing it to grow and prosper. Strange as it may appear, size. If these things are duly considered, the charge of the the riavel is often spoken of -as a criterion of prosperity; wise man will not appear so singular; to the ear of an Oriar:,.: Solomon appears to have had the same idea, for he ental it was quite intelligible, and perfectly proper. Let a mentions this health of the navel as being the result of man tenderly love his spouse; relax in her company from trusting in the Lord, and of acknodwledging Him in all our the severer duties of life; take pleasure in her innocent ways. He says in the next verse, " Honour the Lord with and amiable conversation; and in fine, treat her with all thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: the kindness, and admit her to all the familiarity, which so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses the beauty of her form, the excellence of her dispositions, shall burst out with new wine." And this reference to the and the nearness of her relation, entitle her to expect. navel, as being connected with earthly prosperity, is com- -PAxTON.:non at this day. Has a person arisen from poverty to af-. The Orientals still compare a beautiful woman to a hind,'uence, it is said, "His navel has grown much larger." or the gazelle, which resembles the roe. " When the Should he insult the man from whom he has derived his Arabs wish to describe the beauty of a woman, they say, prosperity, the latter will ask, "Who made your navel to that she has the eyes of a gazelle. All their songs, in grow."-RoEarzs. which they celebrate their mistresses, speak of nothing but Medicines in the East are chiefly applied externally, and gazelle eyes, and they need only compare them to this in particular to the stomach and belly. This comparison, animal, to describe, in -one word, a perfect beauty. The Chardin says, is drawn from the plasters, ointments, oils, gazelle is in fact a very pretty animal; it has something and frictions, which are made use of in the East upon the innocently timid about it, not unlike the modesty and bashbelly and stomach in most maladies; they being ignorant fulness of a young girl." (D'Arvieux.) Sparrmann says in the villages, of the art of making decoctions and potions, of the Cape or African gazelle, which is very nearly reand the proper doses of such things.-HARaMER. lated to that of Palestine, " This animal is, perhaps, the most beautiful of all gazelles, and is particularly distinCHAPTER IV. guished, as the gazelle in general, for its fiery and beautiVer. 13. Take fast hold of instruction; let her ful eyes: hence, in some parts of the East, it is- properly not go: keep her; for she is thy life. considered as the greatest praise which can be bestowed on the beauty of a woman, to say, Thy eyes are like the eyes It is said of the fixed will or purpose of those who take of a gazelle."-RosENMULLER. fast hold of learning or any other thing, " Ah! they are like the hand of the monkey in the shell of the cocoa-nut; it will Ver. 19. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant aot let go the rice." roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and " On the banks of a broad river there was once a very be thou ravished al large herd of monkeys, which greatly injured the fields and gardens of the inhabitants. Several consultations were held See on 2 Sam. 2. 18..; as to the best way of getting rid of those troublesome marau.ders: to take their lives was altogether contrary to thet CHAPTER VI. religious prejudices of the people; and to take them in traps Ver.. y son, if thou be surety for thy friend, was almost impossible, as the monkeys never approached son, if thou be surety for thy friend, any place without well examining the ground. At last it if thou hast stricken thy.hand with a- stranger, was determined to procure a sufficient number of cocoa- 2. Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth. nuts; to make in each a small hole, and fill them with rice. These were strewed on the ground, and the people retired It was at first reckoned sufficient if the covenant was to watch the success of their plan. The offenders soon made in the presence of all the people; but in process of went to the place, and seeing the rice (their favourite food) time, the ceremony of striking hands was introduced at the in the nuts, they began to eat the few grains scattered about conclusion of a bargain, which has maintained its ground on the ground: but these only exciting their.appetite, they among the customs of civilized nations down to the present each thrust a HAND through the small hole'into the nut, time. To strike hands with another was the emblem of which was soon clasped full of rice. The HAND now be- agreement among the Greeks under the walls of Troy; for came so enlarged that it could not be withdrawn without Nestor complains, in a public assembly of the chiefs, that losing its booty: to leave such a dainty was more than the the Trojans had violated the engagements which they had monkey could consent to: the people therefore came for- sanctioned by libations of wine, and giving their right ward, and soon seized their foes, as the cocoa-nut attached hands. And in another passage, Agamemnon protests that to the hand prevented them from getting quickly out of the the agreement which the Trojans had ratified by the blood way. They were, therefore, all made prisoners, and fer- of lambs, libations of' wine, and their right hands, could not ried across the river, and left to seek their food in the wil- in any way be set aside. The Roman faith was plighted derness." " Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; in the same way; for' in Virgil, when Dido marked from keep her; for she is thy life." -RoIERTS. her watch-towers the Trojan fleet setting forward with balCHAPTER V. anced sails, she exclaimed, Is this the honour, the faith. CHAPTER VA. " En dextra fidesque I" The wise man alludes often to this Vet. 18. Let thy fountain be blessed; and rejoice mode of ratifying a bargain, which shows it was in genewith the wife of thy youth. 19. Let her be s ral practice among the people: " My son, if thou be sure]the loving hind and pleasant roe; let he *.ty for thy friend, if thou hast striclken thy hand with a the loving' indand pleasant roe; et her stranger, thoun art snared with the words of thy mouth." breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou Traces of this custom may be discovered in ages long anravisied always with her love. terior to that in which Solomon flourished; for Job, in his solemn appeal to God from the tribunal of:men, thus exThe hind is celebrated for affection to her mate; hence presses himself: "Lay down now, put me in surety with a mian, in speaking of his wife, often calls her by that name. thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?"' —PAXTON. "My hind, my hind! where is mv hind?" "Alas! my hind has fallen; the arrow has -piericed her life."- BETS Ve. 5. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand oJ The hind of loves, and the roe of grace, in the language of the ancienht Hebrews, mean, the amiable hind and the lovely roe. These creatures, it is generally admitted, in the whole fowler. 420 r'RO VE R B S. CHAP. 7. Does a man complain of his numerous enemies, it will on account of the vigorous intelligence and sagacity which be said, "Leap away, friend, as the deer from the snare." they display in all their operations. Although this opinion Fly off, fly off, as the bird from the fowler." "Go slyly to is justly chargeable with extravagance, yet it must be adthe place; and then, should you see the snare, fly away like mitted, that the union of so many noble qualities in so small a,bird."-RoaERTS. a corpuscle, is one of the most remarkable phenomena Before dogs wereso generally employed, the hunters in the works of nature. This isadmitted by Solomon were obliged to make use'of nets and snares, to entangle himself: "The ants are a people not strong, yet they pre. he game. When the antelope finds itself enclosed ifit the pare their meat in the summer." He calls them a people, toils, terror lends it additional strength and activity; it because they are gregarious; living in a state of society, strains every nerve, with vigorous and incessant exertion, though without any king or leader to maintain order and to bleak the snare, and escape before the pursuer arrives. superintend their affairs. The term people is frequently And such is the conduct which the wise man recommends applied to them by ancient writers. 2Elian says, in a pasto him who has rashly engaged to be surety for his neigh- sage already quoted, that the ants which ascend the stalks bour: "Deliver thyself as (an antelope) from the hand of of growing corn, throw down the spikes which they have the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." bit off, r-o 6,~a,, rc Ka-0o, to tlhe people, that is, the ants below. The snare is spread, the adversary is at hand, instantly Apuleius, describing the manner in which the ants convoke exert all thy powers to obtain a discharge of the obligation; an assembly of the nations, says, that when the signal is a moment's, hesitation may involve thee and thy family in given, Ruunt alice superque aliu sepedum populorum undt-e. irretrievable ruin.-PAXTON. The wise man adds, they are not strong; that is, they are feeble insects.; nor is it possible that great strength can reVer. 6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider side in so minute a creature. Hence the Arabians say conher ways, and be wise. temptuously of a man that has become weak and inii mn, "lie her ways, and be wise. is feebler than the ant."-PAXTON. The name of this minute insect in Hebrew is (n'm:) 9bemcala, from a root which signifies to cut down; perhaps Ver. 13. He winketh with his eyes, he spe iketh because the God of nature has taught it to divide or cut off with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers the top of the grain, which it lays up in its subterraneous cells for the winter, to prevent their germination. This See on Matt. 6. 3. operation is attested by numerous ancient writers, among It should be remembered, that when people are in their whom we observe the celebrated flames of Pliny' and Plu- houses, they do not wear sandals; consequently their feet tarch. It is at least certain, that the ant cuts off the tops of and toes are exposed. When guests wish to speak with growing corn, that it may seize upon the grain; which may each other, so as not to be observed by the host, they convey perhaps be the true reason of its Hebrew name. The al- their meaning by the feet and toes. Does a person wish to lusions to this little animal in the sacred writings, although leave a room in company with another, he lifts up one of not numerous, are by no means unimportant. The wisest his feet; and should the other refuse, healso lifts up a foot, of men refers us to the bright example of its foresight and and'then suddenly puts it down on the ground. activity: "Go tc the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, "He teacheth with his fingers.'.' When merchants wish and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, to make a bargain in the presence of others, without making provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food known their terms, they sit on the ground, have a piece of in the harvest." Their uniform care and promptitude in cloth thrown over the lap, and then put each a hand under, improving every moment as it passes; the admirable order and thus speak with the fingers! When the Brainins conin which they proceed to the scene of action; the perfect vey religious mysteries to their disciples, they teach withi harmony which reigns in their bands; the eagerness which their fingers, having the hands concealed in the folds of they discover in running to the assistance of the weak or their robes.-RozaERTs. the fatigued; the readiness with which those that have no burden yield the way to their fellows that bend under their Ver. 27. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and loads, or when the grain happens to be too heavy, cut it in his clothes not be burnt? two, and take the half upon their own shoulders; furnish a striking example of industry, benevolence, and concord, When an individual denies a crime of which he has been to the human family. Nor should the sktill and vigour accused, it will he asked, "Will you put fire in your whichi they display in digging under ground, in building bosom!" "I am innocent, I am innocent; in proof of which their houses, and in constructing their cells, in filling their I will put fire in my bosom.' Does a man boast he will do granaries with corn for the winter, in forming channels for that which is impossible, another will say, "He is going to carrying off the rain, in bringing forth their hidden stores put fire in his bosom without being burned."_' —RodET. which are in danger of spoiling by the moisture, and ex- Vex. 34. For jealousy is the rage of a man; posing them to the sun and air, be passed over in silence. These, and many other operations, clearly show how in- therefore he will not spare in the day of venstructive a teacher is the ant, even to men of tnderstanding; geance. and how much reasoi Solomon had to hold up its shining example to their imitation. Jealousy is very common and powerfil ariong the people.We find another allusion to the ant near the close of the of the East; and is frequently carried to an extent, of which same boolr: "The ants are a people not strong, yet they we have no example in European countries. "5Whoever, prepare their meat in the summer." It is, according to the in Persia, has the misfortune td see, or the imprudene to royal preacher, one of those things which are little upon look at, the wife of a man of rank, were it but as she travels the earth,but exceeding -vise. The superior wisdom of the on the road, and at ever so great a distance, is sure to be ant has been recognised by many writers. Horace, in the severely beaten by her eunuchs, and, perhaps, put to death; passage from which the preceding quotation is taken, and to meet any of the king's concubines is such a capital praises its sagacity; Virgil celebrates its foresight, in pro- crime, that, on a certain occasion, when the favourite queen viding for the wants and infiimities of old age, while it is happened, during the chase, to be overtaken by a storm, and young and vigorous: under the necessity of' taking refuge in a hamlet, not one of the people would let her majesty in, that they might not Cc" atque inopi inetuens formica senedc~te."1 have the misfortune of seeing her." (Michaelis.) —BuRDEr. And we learn from Hesiod, that among the earliest Greeks it was called Idris; that is, wise, because it fbresaw the Vr1 A b. coming storm, and the inauspicious day, and collected her -Vex. 10. And, behold, there met hima woman, store. Aristotle observes, that some of those animals which with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart. have no blood, possess more intelligence and sagacity than some that have blood; among which are the bees and the Females of that class are generally dressed in scarlet; ants. Cicero believed that the ant is not only furnished have their robes wound tightly round their bodies; their'vith. senses, but also with mind,reason, and memory: "In eyelids and finger nails are painted or stained; and they formica non modo sensus sed etiam mens, ratio, memorie." wear numerous ornaments. (2 Kings ix. 30.) Se on Isa' Some authors go so far as to prefer the ant to man himself, iii. 16, and following verses. —RoBERrTS. CHAP. 9.' PROVERBS. 421 Ver. 11. She is lold and stubborn; her feet abide ing for show, is what the harlot boasts of, as being the not in her house. upper covering to her mindzler, or oresh. " On a rich sofa," says he, "was a false cover'ing of plain gr'een silk, In ancient Greece, the women were strictly confined for the same reason as that in the hall; but I lifted it up, within their lodgings, especially virgins and widows,; of while the two eunuchs who were with us had their backs whom the former, as having less experience in the world, turned, and I found that the MAKASS 01 the minders was:z were more closely watched. Their apartment was com- v;ey ric brocade, with a gold ground, and flowered with silk monly well guarded with locks and bolts; and sometimes of sever'al colomurs, and the cuLshions qf green vqelvct also, they were so straitly confined, that they could not pass gK.'ounded with gold, and flowered like them." Notle. " The from one part to another without permission. New-mar- w7inders have two covers, one of which is called MAIKAss,for ried women were almost under as strict a confinement as o?-nament: and the other to preserve that, especially when virgins; but when once they had brought forth a child, they they are rich, as these were." This was in the seraglio at commonly enjoyed greater liberty. This indulgence, how- Constantinople. ever, was entirely owing to the kindness of their husbands; It is perfectly in character for the harlot, who (P... ix, for those who were jealous or morose, kept their wives in 14) " sits on a kind of throne at her door," and who in perpetual imprisonment. But how gentle and kind soever this passage boasts of all hei showy embellishments, to husbands might be, it was considered as very indecent for mention whatever is gaudy, even to the tinsel bedeckings women to go abroad. A Jewess was not so much confined; of her room, her furniture, and her makasses, assuming but still it was deemed improper for her to appear much in nothing less than regal dignity in words and description: public; for in Hebrew she is called (;un2>) almac, from a though her apartment be the way to hell; and the alcove verb which signifies to hide or conceal, because she was containing her bed be the very lurking chamber of death.seldom or never permitted to mingle in promiscuous com- TAYLoR IN CALMET. pany. The married women, though less restrained, were still expected to keep at home, and occupy their time inthe Ver. 27. Her house is the way to hell, going management of their household. In the book of Proverbs, down to the chambers of death. the wise mlan states it as a mark of a dissolute woman, that See on Is. 22. 16.;' her feet abide not in her house:" while "every wise womaan," by her industrious and prudent conduct, "buildeth CHAPTER IX. her house." " She looketh well to the ways of her house- Ver. 1. Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hold, and eateth not the bread of idleness."-PAXTON.t her seven pillars: 2. She bewn out her seven pillars: 2. She hath killVer. 16. I have decked my bed with coverings ed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; of tapestry, with carved works, with fine lirden she hath also furnished her table: 3. She hath of Egypt. sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the We are not to suppose that all beds were alike; no highest places of the city, 4. ihoso is simple, doubt, when King David wanted warmth, his attendants let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth would put both mattresses below, and coverlets above, to understanding, she saith to him, 5. Come, eat procure it for'him. Neither are we to understand, when a of my bread, and drink of the wine which I bed is the subject of boasting, that it consisted merely of have inled. the kl'abbaton, or oresht. In Pro. vii. 16, the harlot vaunts ave nge. of her bed, as highly ornamented "with tapestry-work- Hasselquist takes notice of what appears to us an old cuswith brocade I have brocaded-bedecked-my oresh; the tom in Egypt, which he supposes is very ancient, t ough covering to my duan (rather the mackass) is fine linen of he does not apply it to the illustration of any passage of Egypt, embossed with embroidery." This description may scripture; it seems, however, to be referred to by Solomon be much illustrated by the account which Baron De Tott in the book of Proverbs. He saw, he says, a number of gives of a bed, in which he was expected to sleep, and in women, who -went about inviting people to a banquet, in a which he might have slept, had not European habit incapaci- singular, and, without doubt, very ancient manner. They tated him from that enjoyment: "The time for taking our re- were about ten or twelve, covered with black veils, as is pose was now come, and we were conducted into another customary in that country. They were preceded by four large room, in the middle of which was a kind of bed, with- eunuchs: after them, and on the side, were Moors with out bedstead or curtains. Though the coverlet and pillows their usual walking staves. As they were walkling, they exceeded in magnificence the richness of the sofa, which all joined in making a noise, which he was told signified likewise ornamented the apartment, I foresaw that I could their joy, but which he could not find resembled a joyful or expect but little rest on this bed, and had the curiosity to pleasing song. The sound was so singular, as that he examine its make in a more particular manner. Fifteen found himself at a loss to give an idea of it to those that r.tr'esses of quilted cotton, about three inches thick, placed never heard it. It was shrill, but had a particular quaverone sepos another, formed the ground-work, and were cov- ing, which they learnt by long practice. The passage in ered by a sheet of Indian linen, sewed on the last mattress. Proverbs, which seems to allude to this practice, is the A. coverlet of green satin, adorned with gold, embr'oider'ed beginning of the ninth chapter: " Wisdom hath killed her in embossed wor'k, was, in like manner, fastened to the sheets, beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also fuirnishthe ends of which, turned in, were sewed down alternately. ed her table; she hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth Two large pillows of crimson satin, covered with the like upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him embroidery, in which there was no want of gold or spanzgles, turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she rested on two cushions of the sofa, brought near to serve saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine for a back, and intended to support our heads. The taking which I have mingled." of the pillows entirely away would have been a good re- Here the reader observes, that the invitation is supposed source, if we had had any bolster; and the expedient of to be made by more than one person; that they were of the turning the other side upward having only served to show female sex that were employed in the service; and that the they were embroidered in the same manner on the bottom, invitation is supposed not to have been, as among us, a we at last determined to lay our handkerchiefs over them, private message, but open to the notice of all. Whether it which, however, did not prevent our being very sensible was with a singing tone of voice, as now in Egypt, does of the embossed ornaments underneath." not, determinately at least, appear by the word her:. made. Here we have (1.) many mattresses of quilted cotton.: use of, and which is translated crieth: She c'iecth, bylher (2.)'a sheetoof Indian linen; (query, muslin, or, the fine maidens, upon the highest places of the city. It may not be linen of Egypt?) (3.) a coverlet of green satin, embossed: improper to add, that though the eastern people now eat (4.) two large pillows, embossed also: (5.) two cushions out of the dishes oftentimes, which are brought in singly, from the sofa, to form a back. So that we see an eastern and follow one another with great rapidity, not out of plates, bed may be an article of furniture sufficiently complicated. yet many lesser appendages are placed round about the This description, compared with a note of De La Mo- table by way of preparation, which seems to be what is traye, (p. 17,) leads to the supposition, that somewhat like meant by the expression, slhe also ]hath fun~.ishled her table,,hat ae informs us is called MAKASS, i. e. a brocaded cover- in one'word, all thing's wCere then'readey, and thle more dic, 422 PROVERBS. CHAP. 9-11 tant kinds of preparation had been followed by the nearer, eastern courtesy; the English version, and the devices till every thing was ready, so as that the repast might im- grounded upon it, give the idea of hand claslped in ha.nd, mediately begin. The cattle were killed, the jars of wine which is European, rather than oriental. The sense, thereemptied into drinking vessels, and the little attendants on fore, is, Thoucgh hanzd meet hiand-intimating that heart as-.. the great dishes placed on the table.-lAaRMER. sents to heart in the perpetration of wickedness —?'t shall not the wicked go unpunished.-JowETTr. Ver. 14. For she sitteth at the door of her house, There is a remarkable passage (Proverbs xi. 21) thus on a seat in the high places of the city. rendered by our translators: " Tholg'l hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished; but the seed of the The custcm of sitting at their doors, in the most alluring righteous shall be delivered:" i. e. though they make many pomp that comes within their reach, is still an eastern prac- associations, and oaths, and join hands among themselves, lice. "These women," says Pitts, speaking of the ladies (as formned part of the ceremony of swearing among these of pleasure at Grand Cairo, "used to sit at the door, or shepherds of Suakem,) yet theyshall not be punished." But walk in the streets unveiled. They are commonly very Michaelis proposes another sense of these words, " hand in 7'ch in their clothes, some having their shifts and drawers hand"-my hand in your hand, i. e. as a token of swearing, of silk, &c. These courtesans, or ladies of pleasure, as "the wicked shall not go unpunished."-TAYLoR IN CALwell as other women, have broad velvet caps on their heads, MET. beautified with abundance of pearls, and other costly and gaudy ornaments, &c. These madams go along the streets Ver. 22. As ajewel of gold in a swine's snout, so smoking their pipes of four or five feet long; and when is a fair wvoman which is without discretion. they sit at their doors, a man can scarce pass by but they will endesvour to decoy hin in."-BuRDER, Nearly all the females of the East wear a jewel of gold in their nostrils, or in the septum of the nose; and some of CHAPTER X. them are exceedingly beautiful, and of great value. The Ver. 11. The mouth of a righteous nma is a well oriental lady looks with as much pleasure on the gem wh ich,ADORNS her nose, as any of her sex in England do upon of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the those which deck their ears. But as is that splendid jewel wicked. in the snout of a swine, so is beauty in a woman without discretion. She may have the ornament, her mien may "' The language of a holy man is like a well with good be graceful, and her person attractive; but without the springs: thousands may be refreshed there." " The words matchless jewel of virtue, she is like the swine with a of a'bad mnan are like the springs of the sea; though very gem in her nose, wallowing in the mire. "The most strong, they are not sweet." "Violence covereth the mouth beautiful ornament of a woman is virtue," Tamul proverb. of the wicked." To cover the mouth is the sign of sorrow: -ROBERTS. thus, they who act violently will sooner or later reap the This proverb is manifestly an allusion to the cust' m of fruits thereof. They will have to cover their mouth in wearing nose-jewels, or rings set with jewels, hanging token of sorrow for the past, and in anticipation of the fu- from the nostrils, as ear-rings from the ears, by holes bored ture.-RoBERTs. to receive them. This fashion, however strange it may CHAPTER XI. appear to us, was formerly, and is still, common in many Ver. 1. A false balance is abomination to the parts of the East, among women of all ranks. Pauil Lucas, speaking of a village, or clan of wandering people, a little LOPRD: but al ust weight is his delight. on this side of -the Euphrates, says, " The women alGreat severity has been frequently exercised in the pun- most all of them travel on foot; I saw none handsome ishrnent of those who were detected in the kind of fraud among them. They have almost al. of them the nose bored here referred to. "Apolice-officer observing one morni and wear in it a great ring, which makes them' still more a female, not a native, carrying a large piece of cheese, in- deformed." But itn regard to this custom, better authority quired where she had purchased it; being ignorant of the cannot be produced than that of Pietro della Valle, in the vender's name, she conducted him to his shop, and the account which he ges of Signora Maani Gioerida, his magistrate, suspecting the quantity to be deficient in weight, own wife. The description of her dress, as to the ornaplaced it in the scales, and found his suspicion verified: -mental parts of it, with which he introduces the mention of whereupon he straightway ordered hi attendants to cut this particular, will give us some notion of the taste of the whereupon he straightway ordered hii attendants to cut eastern ladies for fiery. "The ornaments of gold, and of from the most fleshy part of the delinquent's person what jewels, for the head, for the neck for the arms, for the legs, would be equivalent to the just measure: the order was and for the feet, (for they wear rings even on their toes,) instantly executed, and the sufferer bled to death." (Joliffe.) are indeed, unlike those of the Turls, carried to great excess, but not of great value: as turquoises, small rubies, Ver. 21. TB~hogh hand join in hand, the wicked -emeralds,- carbuncles, garnets, pearls, and the like. My spouse dresses herself with all of them, according to their shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the fashion, with exception however of certain ugl) rings, of righteous shall be delivered. very large size, set with jewels, which, in truth rery absurdly, it is the custom to wear fastened to one of tneir nosbSee on 2 ~Emtis lo. Ii5 trils, like buffaloes; an ancient custom however in the To join hands was anciently, and still continues in the East, which, as we find in the holy scriptures, prevailed East, a solemn method of taking an oath, and making an among the Hebrew ladies, even in the time of SWlomon. engagement. This circumstance is probably alluded to in These nose-rings, in complaisance to me, she has left off; these words of Solomon; its present existence is clearly but I have not yet been able to prevail with her cousin and ascertained by what Mr. Bruce (Trav. vol. i. p. 199) re- her sisters to do the same. So fnd are they of an old cuslates: "I was so enraged at the traitorous part which Has- tom, be it ever so absurd, who have been long habituated san had acted, that, at parting, I. could not help saying to to it." To this account may be subjoined the observation Ibrahtim —Now, shekh, I have done every thing you have de- made by Chardin, as cited in Harmer: "It is the custom sired, withoutever expecting fee or reward; the only thing in almost all the East for the women to wear rings in their I now ask you, and it is probably the last, is, that you avenge noses, in the left nostril, which is bored low down in the me upon this Hassan, who is every day in your power. middle. These rings are of gold, and have commonly two Upon this he gave me his hand, saying, he shall not die in pearls and one ruby between, placed in the ring. I never his bed, or I shall never see old age."-BURDER. saw a girl or young woman in Arabia, or in all Persia, who The expression, though hand join in hand, may bear a did not wear a ring after this manner in her nostril."slight correction, conformable both to the original Hebrew, BURDER. and als: to the custom actually prevailing in Syria. The original'i -o, simply signifies, hand to hand. And this is Ver. 26. HIe that withholdeth corn, the people the custom of persons in the East, when they greet each shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the other, or strike hands, in token of friendship and agreement. head of him that selleth it. They touch their right hands respectively; and then raise them up to their lips and forehead. This is the universal Mirza Ahady, in conjunction with the prince's mother CHAP. 11 —15. PROV E R B S. 423 was believed to have monopolized all the corn of the coun- Ver. 27. The slothful mana roasteth not that which try; and he had no sooner reached Shiraz than he raised he took in hunting; but the substance of a diliits price, which, of course, produced a correspondent advaul-e in that of bread. Ventre affahm6 n'a point d'oreilles, gent man is precious. -the. people became outrageous in their misery. As is There is something particular in the word (Tm) chzar'ak, usual in all public calamities in the East, they: commenced us~ll~l en a111 public calamities in the East, Iheyi'commenc used in this passage of Solom on; it is not the word that is by-slhutting their shops in the bazar. They then resorted to used in this passage of Solomon; it is not the word that is the louse of the sheikh-el-islam, the head of the law, re- used for roastig, but it signifies rather singing quirinn him oe issue a fetwah, which might make it lawful as appears from Dan. iii. 27. No author, I think, gives us to kill Mirza Ahady, and one or two more, whom they n account what this should mean, understood in this sense. knew to be his coadjutors in oppressing them. They then Besides wild-boars, antelopes, and hares, which are parappeared in a body before the gate of the prince's palace, ticularly mentioned by D'Arvieux, when he speaks of the Arabs as diverting themselves with hunting in the Holy where they expressed their grievances in a tumultuous way, abs as diverting themselves with hunting in the Holy and demanded that Mirza Ahadyshould e Land, Dr. Shaw tells us, all kinds of game are found in and demanded that Mirza Ahady should Be delivered up to them. Mohammed Zeky Khan, our former mehmander, was great plenty in that country: but I do not remember an acsent out by the prince to appease them, accompanied by count of any thing being prepared for food by singing, that Mirza Bauker, the chief baker of the city, who was one of I have indeedsomewhere read of e s dressed, i the East, those whose life had been denounced. As soon as the lat-I have rea d of as dressed, in the ter appeared, he was overwhelmed with insults and re- t this manner: a hole being dug in the ground, and the proaches: but he managed to pacify them, by saying, What earth scooped out of it laid all round its edge, the brushcrime have I committed? Mirza Ahady is the man to abuse; wood with which it is filled is set on fire, the hare is thrown if he sells corn at extravagant prices, bread must rise in unskinned into the hole, and afterward covered mrith heated consequence. In the meantime, Mirza Ahady had secreted earth that was laid round about it, where it continues till it himself from the fury of the mob; but being countenanced is thought to be done enough, and then being brought to by the prince's mother, and, consequently, by the prince table, sprinkled with salt, is found to be very agreeable himself, he let the storm rage, and solaced himself by ma- food-HARMER. king fresh plans for raising more money. The price of CHAPTER XV. bread was lowered for- a few days, until the commotion should cease: and, as it was necessary that some satisfac- Ver. 17. Better is a dinner of herbs where love tion should be given to the people, all the bakers of the is, than a stalled ox, and hatred therewith. town were collected together, and publicly bastinadoed on / the soles of their feet." (Morier.) " We are told of the This passage is rendered by the Septuagint, as if they fate of one person in whose house an immense quantity of understood it of the forced accommodation of travellers, grain was found: a stake was fixed in the centre of his which Arabs and conquered people were obliged to submit granary, to which he was bound, and left to perish from to. Itwas not unusual for travellers to eat at the expense of hunger amidst that abundance which he had refused to those who were not pleased with entertaining them; and share with his fellow-citizens." (Malcolm.)-BURDER. to use a kind of force, which produced hatred. Dr. Shaw notices this circumstance. Speaking of Barbary, he says, Ver. 29. He that troubleth his own house shall "In this country, the Arabs and other inhabitants are inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant obliged, either by long custom, by the particular tenure to the, wise of heart. of their lands, or from fear and compulsion, to give the to the wise of heart. Spahees, and their company, the Moquanah, as they call This form of expression is still used in India. " I un- it, which is such a sufficient quantity of provisions, for derstand Kandan will give a large dowry with his daugh- ourselves, together with straw and barley for our mules ter; she will, therefore, be a good bargain for your son." and horses. Besides a bowl of milk, and a basket of figs, -" You are correct, my friend; she is to inherit the wind." raisins, or dates, which, upon our arrival, were presented "I once had extensive lands for my portion; but now I in- to us, to stay our appetites, the master of the tent where herit the wind." " I know you would like to have hold of we lodged fetched us from his flock, according to the my property: but you may take the wind."-ROBERTS. number of our company, a kid or a goat, a lamb or a sheep, half of which was immediately seethed by his wife, and CHAPTER XII. served up with cuscasooe; the rest was made Kab-ab, i. e. Ver. 10. A righteous man regardeth the life of his cut into pieces, and roasted, which we reserved for our breakfast or dinner the',next day." In the next page he beast: but'the tender merciesof the wicked says, "when we were entertained in a courteous manner, a ae cruel. (for the Arabs will sometimes supply us with nothing till ", During mny stay at Sautat, I rode out most evenings with it is extorted by force,) the author used to give the master b ui sa ua o o o een wt of the tent a knife, a couple of flints, or a small quantity our worthy chief, and, among other uncommon sights to a of English gunpowdfer," &c. To prevent such parties from stranger, I took notice that many trees had jars hanging to living at free charges pc. To prevent such parties from several of the boughs; on inquiring, I was told that they pitch in w oods, valleys, or places the least conspicuous, were filled with water every evening, by men hired on pur- itch in woods, valleys, or places the least conspicuous posre he Gwenthos, in ordeerto supply the by ireds with drink. and that in consequence they found it difficult often to dispose by the Gentops, in order to supplythe birds with drink. cOver them-BuanEn. This account excited a desire of visiting the banyan hospital, as I had heard much of their benevolence to all kinds Ver. 19. The way of the slothful maa is as 4 hedoe of animals that were either sick, lame, or infirm, through age or accident. On my arrival, there were presented to my of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made view many horses, cows, and oxen, in one apartment; in plain. another, dogs, sheep, goats, and monkeys, with clean straw for them to repose on. Above-stairs were depositories for The oriental gardens were either open plantations, or seeds of many sorts, and flat broad dishes for water, for the enclosures defended by walls or hedges. Rauwolf found, use of those birds and insects which might chance to come about Tripoli, many gardens and vineyards enclosed ftr into the apartment through the windows, which were lat- the most part with hedges, and separated by shady wa_!rs. ticed, with apertures large enough to admit small birds to Some fences in the Holy Land, in later times, are not less enter. I was told by the attendants, that each apartment beautiful than our living fences of white thorn, and perwas cleaned every morning, the beasts fed and littered once fectly answer the description of ancient Jewish prophets, a day, the seeds above-stairs winnowed, the dishes washed, who inform us, that the hedges in their times consisted of and clean water put in them daily." (Parson's Travels in thorns, and that the spikes of these thorny plants were exAsia.) Thevenot describes a banyan hospital, where he ceedingly sharp. Doubdan found a very fruitfill vineyard, saw a number of sick oxen, camels. and horses, and many full of olives, fig-trees, and vines, about eight miles southinvalids of the feathered race. i Animals deemed in- west from Bethlehem, enclosed with a hedge; and that curable," he says; "were maintained there'for life; those part of it adjoining to the road, strongly formed of thorns that recovered were sold to Hindoos exclusively."- and rose-bushes, intermingled with pomegranate-trees of BURDER. surpassing beauty and fragrance. A hedge composed of 424 PROVERBS. CHAP. 16. rose-bushes and wild pomegranate-shrubs, then in full seems to refer in that proverb, "The wrath of a king is flower, mingled with other thorny plants, adorned in the as messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it;" varied livery of spring, must have made at once a strong his displeasure exposes the unhappy offender to immediate and beautiful fence. The wild pomegranate-tree, the spe- death, and may fill the unsuspecting bosom with terror and cies probably used in fencing, is much more prickly than dismay, like the appearance of a capidgi; but by wise and the other variety; and when mingled wTith other thorny prudent conduct, a man may sometimes escape the danger. bushes, of which they have several kinds in Palestine, From the dreadful promptitude with which Benaiah exesome whbose prickles are very long and sharp, musnt form a cuted the commands of Solomon on Adonijah and' Joab, hedge very difficult to penetrate. These facts illustrate it may be concluded that the executioner of the court was the beauty and force of several passages in the sacred vol- as little- ceremonious; and the ancient Jews nearly as pasumne: thus, in the Proverbs of Solomon, "The way of sive, as the Turks or Persians. The prophet Elisha is the the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns;" it is obstructed only person on the inspired record, who ventured to resist with difficulties, which the sloth and indolence of his tem- the bloody mandate of the sovereign; the incident is reper represent as galling or, insuperable; bLt which a mod- corded in these terms: " But Elisha sat in his house, and erate share of resolution and perseverance would easily the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from remove or surmount.-PAxToN. before him; but ere the messenger came to him, he said Hasselquist says, that he saw the plantain-tree, the vine, to the elders, See how this son of a murderer has sent to the peach, and the mulberry-tree, all four made use of in. take away my head'. Look when the messenger cometh; Egypt to hedge about a garden: now these are all un- shut the door, and hold him fast at the door-is not the armed plants. This consideration throws a great energy sound of his master's feet behind him." But if such into the words of Solomon: Tile way of tihe slothful'maan mandates had not been too common among the Jews, and is a hedge of thorn's. It appears as difficult to him, not in general submitted to without resistance, Jehoram had only as breaking through a hedge, but even through a scarcely ventured to despatch a single messenger to take thorn fence: and also into that threatening of God to Israel: away the life of so eminent a person as Elisha.-PAXTON. Behold, - ill hedge sp the way with thorns, Hosea ii. 6. -BURDER. Ver. 15. In the light of the king's countenance CHAPTER XVI. is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter Ver. 11. A just weight and balance are the rain. LoRD's; all the weights of the bag are his Poets often speak of the generosity of the great, as the work. clouds full of rain. but the uncharitable are like the clouds without rain. " the benevolent man! he is like the fruitThe Jews were required to be exact in their weights and ful rain; ever giving, but never receiving."-ROBERTS. measures, that the poor might not be defrauded. Hesy- The former and latter rains is a phrase quite familiar chius'remarks ulpon this point, as a reason for such great to every reader of the scriptures. The distinction which care, that what the possession of a field or house is to a it announces is founded in nature, and is of great imporwealthy man, that the measure of corn, or wine, or the tance in those parts of the world. At Aleppo, the drougna weight of bread, is to the poor, who have daily need of of summer commonly-terminates in September, by some such things for the support of life. " The Jewish doctors heavy showers, which occasionally continue some days; assert, that it was a constitution of their wise men, for the after which, there is an interval of fine weather, of between preventing of all frauds in these matters, that no weights, twenty and thirty days, when the showers return, which balances, or measures, should be made of any metal, as-of are called the second rains. The first rains fall between iron, lead, tin, (which were liable to rust, or might be bent, the twenty-sixth of September and the sixth of October: or easily impaired,) but of marble, stone, or glass, which but it is later in Judea; the former rain, descending in were less subject to be abused: and therefore the scripture, Palestine about the beginning of November. The seasons speaking of the justice of God's judgments, observes, (ac- in the East are exceedingly regular, yet it is not to be supcording to the Vulgate,) that they are weighed with all the posed that they admit of no variation; the descent of the stones in the bag." (Lewis.) —BRDER. first and second rain occasionally varies a whole month. But the. first and second rains of Syria, mentioned by RusVer. 14. The wrath of a king is as messengers sel, do not seem to correspond with the former and latter of death; but a wise man will pacify it. rains of the holy scriptures. This is the opinion of Jerome, who lived long in Palestine:' nor do the natural historians Executions in the East are often very prompt and arbi- bf those countri*y take any notice of the first and second trYry. In many cases the suspicion is no sooner entertained, rains in autumn; but uniformly speak of the former and or the cause of offence given, than the fatal order is issued; latter rains. It is therefore of some importance to inquire, the messenger of death hurries to the unsuspecting victim, what are the times of the year when these rains! descend. shows his warrant, and executes his orders that instant in Here it may be proper to observe, that rain in the vernal silence and solitude. Instances of this kind are continually season, is represented by oriental writers as of great adoccurring in the Turkish and Persian histories. -" When vantage. The more wet the spring, the later the harvest, the enemies of a great man among the Turks have gained and the more plentiful the crop. In Barbary, the vernal influence enough over the prince to procure a warrant for rains are indispensably requisite to secure the hopes of the his death, a capidgi (the name of the officer who executes' husbandman. If the lItter rains fall as usual in the middle these orders) is sent to him, who shows him the order he of April, he reckons his crop secure; but extremely doubthas received to carry back his head; the other takes the ful if they happen to fail. This: accounts well for the warrant of the grand seignior, kisses it, puts it on his head great value which Solomon sets upon them: "In the in token of respect, and then having performed his ablu- light of the king's countenance is life, and his favour is as tions, and said his prayers, freely resigns his life. The a cloud of the latter rain." To this may be added, that capidgi having strangled him, cuts off his head, and brings the words translated the former and latter rains, are not it to Constantinople. The grand seignior's order is im- expressive of first and second; and by consequence, do plicitly'obeyed; the servants of the victim never attempt to not refer to the rains mentioned by Russel, but mark a hinder the executioner, although these capidgis come very distinction of much greater importance. They must thereoften with few or no attendants." It appears from- the fore be the same as the vernal rains, which are universally writings of Chardin, that the nobility and grandees of allowed to be of the utmost consequence in those regions. Persia are put to death in a manner equally silent, hasty, The time of the first rains is differently stated by modern and unobstructed. Such executions were not uncommon travellers. According to Dr. Shaw, the first autumla. among the Jews under the government of their kings. rains usually fall about the eleventh of November; from Solomon sent Benaiah as his capidgi, or executioner, to a manuscript journal of travels in those countries, Mr. put Adonijah, a prince of his own family, to death; and Harmer found that the rain fell in the Holy Land on the Joab, the commander-in-chief of the forces in the reign of second of November; and he was assured by the historian his father. A capidgi likewise beheaded John the Baptist of the revolt of Ali Bey, who lived some years in Palestine in the prison, and carried his head to the court of Herod. that the rains begin to fall there about the eighteenth day of To such silent and hasty executioners the royal preacher September; at first they descend in slight showers, but as CHAP. 17. PROVERBS. 425 the season advances, they become very copious and heavy, cation. Naturally stubborn and cruel as the bear, and though never continual. equally devoted to his lusts as she is to her young, he purDr. Shaw seems to suppose, that the Arabs of Barbary sues thlem with equal fury and eagerness. It is possible to do not begin to break up their grounds till the first rains escape the vengeance of a bereaved bear, by surrendering of autumn fall; while the author of the history of Ali Bey's part of the litter, and diverting part of her pursuit; but no revolt supposes that they sometimes plough their land before consideration of interest or duty, no partial gratifications, the descent of the rain, because the soil is then light, and cah arrest his furious career, or divert his attention. Reaeasily worked. This statement contains nothing incredi- son, degraded'and enslaved, lends all her remaning wisble; grain will,'emain long in the earth unhurt, and vege- dom and energy to passion, and renders the fool more cruel tate as soonaas the descending showers communicate suf- and mischievous than.the bear, in proportion as she is suficient moisture.. The oriental husbandman may cultivate perior to instinct.-PAx TON. his field, as is often done in other countries, in expectation of rain; a circumstance to which Solomon seems to refer: Ver. 18. A man void of understanding striketh "He that observeth the wind shall not sow, and he that hands, and becometh surety in the presence of regardeth the clouds shall not reap." If they never sowed his friend in the East but when the soil was moistened with rain, they could have no reason to observe whether the wind See on ch. 6. 1. threatened rain or promised fair weather; but if the seed The Hindooproverb says," M/lssidar mtzneruka-kcadvadr," was cast into the ground previous to the descent of the rain, i.e. "He who stands BEFORE may have to pay." This, therethey might naturally enough be induced to wait till they fore, is the idea of a surety; he stands BEFORE the debtor, observed the signs of its approach. The rainy season in and covenants with the creditor for the payment of the mothe beginning of winter, by the concurring testimony of ney: he, therefore, who stands before, is literally betwixt travellers, is commonly introduced by a gale of wind from the contending parties. In this respect " was Jesus made a the northeast. In Syria, the winds are variable in Novem- surety" for us: he stood BEFORE, and became our tero-rnr, or. ber, and the two succeeding months; seldom strong, but Mediator. more inclined to the north and east, than any of the other The melancholy instances of ruin, in consequence of bequarters. They continue to blow nearly in the same di- coming surety for others, are exceedingly numerous in the rection, till about the end of February, when they begin East. Against this they have many proverbs, and fearful to blow hard westerly. The weather in April is in general examples; but nothing seems to give them wisdom. Nearfair and clear; seldom dark or cloudy, except when it rains, ly all the government monopolies, both among native and which it does in hard thundershowers, as in the last month, European rulers, are let to the highest bidders: thus, the but not so often. When light northerly or easterly breezes privilege of searching for precious stones in certain dishappen to blow, they have commonly a few close, hazy tricts, of taking up the chiar root, salt rents, fishing for days; but the westerly winds are generally fresh.-PAxToN. chanks, or pearls, is confined to those who pay a fixed sum to government. As the whole of the money cannot be advanced till a part of the produce shall be sold, SURETIES have Ver. 12. Let a bear, robbed of her whelps, meet to be accountable for the amount. But as such speculaa man, rather than a fool in his folly. tions are generally entered into, in order to better a reduced fortune, an extravagant price is often paid, and ruin is.the The furious passions of the female bear never mount consequence, both to the principal and his surety. This so high, nor burn so fiercely, as when she happens to be de- practice of suretyship, however, is also COMMON in the most prived of her young. WVhen she returns to her den, and TRIFLING affairs of life: "Par'ellutha-vonum, i. e. Sign your misses the objects of her love and care, she becomes almost name," is asked for to every petty agreement. In every frantic with rage. Disregarding every consideration of' legal cohrt or magistrate's officemay be seen, now and then, danger to herself; she attacks, with intense ferocity, every a trio entering, thus to become responsible for the engageanimal that comes in her way, " and in the bitterness of ment's of another. The cause of all this SURETYSHIP isprobher heart, will dare to attack even a band of armed men." ably the bad faith which so commonly prevails among the The Russians of Kamschatka never venture to fire on a heathen.-RoBERTS. young bear when the mother is near; for if the cub drop,' she becomes enraged to a degree little short of madness; Ver. 19. He that exalteth his gate seeketh deand if she get sight of the enemy, will only quit her revenge struction. with her life. " A more desperate attempt, therefore, can scarcely be performed,than to carry off her young in her ab- The general style of buildings in the East, seems to have sence. The moment she returns, and misses them, her pas- continued from the remotest ages down to the present times, sions are inflamed; her scent enables her to track the plun- without alteration or any attempt at improvement. Large derer; and unless he has reached some place ofsafetybefore doors, spacious chambers, marble pavements, cloistered the infuriated animal overtake him, his only safety is in courts, with fountains sometimes playing in the midst, are dropping one of the cubs, and continuing to flee; for the certainly conveniences well adapted to the circumstances mother, attentive to its safety, carries it home to her den, be- of these hotter climates. All the windows of their dwellfore she renews the pursuit." ings, if we except a small latticed window orbalcony which These statements furnish an admirable illustration of a sometimes looks into the street, open into their respective passage in the counsel of Hushai to Absalom, in which he courts or quadrangles; an arrangement probably dictated represents the danger of attaclking David and his followers by the jealousy which unceasingly disturbs the repose of an with so small a force as twelve thousand chosen men, when oriental householder. It is only during the celebration of their tried courage was inflamed, and their spirits were some public festival, that these houses, and their latticed imbittered by the variety and severity of their sufferings, windows, or balconies, are left open. The streets of anr and when their caution, matured by long and extensive oriental city, the better to shade the inhabitants-from the experience in the art of war, and sharpened by the novelty sun, are commonly narrow, with sometimes a range of and peril of their circumstances, would certainly lead them shops on each side. People of the same trade occupy the to anticipate, and take measures to defeat the attempt. same street. Both in Persia and in Turkey the trades are "Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel carried on in separate bazars, in which their shops are exhath given, is not good at this time; for (said Hushai) thou tended adjacent to each other on both sides of the building. knowest thy father and his' men, that they be mighty men, The remark equally applies to Damascus and other cities and they be chafed in their-minds as a bear robbed of her in the Lesser Asia. The entrance from the streets into whelps in the field." The frantic rage of the female bear, one of the principal houses, is through a porch or gateway. when she has lost her young, gives wonderful energy to with benches on each side, where the master of the family the proverb of Solomon: "\Let a bear, robbed of her whelps, receives visits, and despatches business; few persons, not meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly." Dreadful as even the nearest relations, having further admission, exit is to meet a bear in such circumstances, it is yet more cept upon extraordinary occasions. The door of the porch. dangerous to meet a " fool in his folly,' a furious and re- by which a person enters the court, is very small; somevengeful man, under the influence of his impetuous pas- times not above three feet high. The design of such low sions, and bis heart determined on their immediate gratifi- and inconvenient doors is, to prevent the Arabs from ridihg 54 426 PROVERBS. CHAP. 18, 19. into the houses to plunder them; for these freebooters, who ple; and being seated, a person who is passing by at the are almost centaurs, seldom think of dismounting in their time is called, and requested to take one of the pieces of excursions; and therefore the peaceable inhabitants find olah, on which a lady's name is inscribed, and plate it near such small entrances the easiest and most effectual way of the anxious candidate. This being done, it is opened, and preventing their violence. To this singular practice the she whose name is written there, becomes his wife! royal preacher may be supposed to refer: " He that exalt- Are two men inclined to marry two sisters, a dispute of-th his gate, seeketh destruction." It can hardly be sup- ten arises as to whom the YOUNGEST shall be given. To posed that Solomon mentioned the loftiness of the gate, cause the " contentions to cease," recourse is again had to rather than other circumstances of magnificence in a build- the lot. The names of the sisters and the disputants are ing, as the wideness of the house, the airiness of the rooms, written on separate pieces of olah, and taken to a sacred the cedar ceilings, and the vermilion paintings, which the plfice: those of the men being put on one side, and the prophet Jeremiah specifies as pieces of grandeur, without females on the other. A person then, who is unacquainted some particular meaning. But if bands of Arabs had taken with the matter, takes a piece of olah from each side, and the advantage of large doors to enter into houses in his the couple whose names are thus joined together become territories, or in the surrounding kingdoms, the apothegm man and wife. But sometimes a wealthy father cannot possesses a singular propriety and force. We have the decide betwixt two young men who are candidates for the more reason to believe that Solomon had his eye on the in- hand of his daughter: "what can he do. he must settle solence of the Arabs in riding into the houses of those they his doubts by lot." Not long ago, the son of a medical meant to plunder, because the practice seems not to have man, and another youth, applied for the daughter of Sedambeen unusual in other countries; and is not now peculiar bara-Suppiyan, the rich merchant. The old gentleman to those plunderers. The Armenian merchants at Julfa, caused two "holy writings" to be drawn up, the names of the suburb of Ispahan, in which they reside, find it necessa- the lovers were inscribed thereon: the son of Kandan, the ry to make the front door of their houses in general small, doctor, was drawn forth, and the young lady became his partly to hinder the Persians, who treat them with great wife. Three Bramins, also, who were brothers, each arrigour and insolence, from entering them on horseback, dently desired the hand of one female; and, after many and partly to prevent them from observing the magnificent disputes, it was settled by lot, which " causeth contentions furniture within. But the habitation of a man in power is to cease;" and the youngest of the three gained the prize. known by his gate, which is generally elevated in propor- But medical men are also sometimes selected in the same, tion to the vanity of its owner. A lofty gate is one of the way. One person tells the afflicted individual such a docinsignia of royalty; and it must have been the same in an- tor has far more skill than the rest: another says, " He! cient times. The gates of Jerusalem, of Zion, and other what is he but a cow-doctor? how many has he killed! places, are often mentioned in the scripture with the same Send for such a person, he will soon cure you." A third notions of grandeur annexed to them: thus the Psalmist says, " I know the man for you; he had his knowledge addresses the gates of Zion: " Lift up your heads, O ye from the gods; send for him," The poor patient at last gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors: and the king says, " Select me one by lot " and as is the name, so is the of glory shall come in."-PAXTON. doctor. But another thing has to be settled; the medical The Arabs are accustomed to ride into the houses of gentleman intimates that there are two kinds of medicine those they design to harass. To prevent this, Thevenot which appear to him to be equally good, and therefore the 4ells us that the door of the house in which the French mer- lot is again to decide which is best. " The lot causeth conchants lived at Rama was not three feet high, and that all tentions to cease."-ROBERTS. the doors of that town are equally low. Agreeably to this account, the Abbe Mariti, speaking of his admission into a Ver. 19. A brother offended is harder to be won nmonastery near Jerusalem, says, "the passage is so low than a strong city; and their contentions are that it will scarcely admit a horse; and it is shut by a gate like the bars of a castle. of iron, strongly secured in the inside. As soon as we entered, it was again made fast with various bolts and bars See on Acts 12. 10. of iron: a precaution extremely necessary in a desert place, exposed to the incursions and insolent attacks of the CHAPTER XIX. Arab;." To exalt the gate, would consequently be to court Ver. 12. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion: but his favour is as dew upon the grass. CHAPTER XVIII. "The favour of my friend is as the refreshing dew." VTer. 10. AThe name of the LORD iS a strong " The favours of that good man are continually DROPPING tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is upon us." "Hebathes me with his fvours."-ROEERTS safe. Ver. 13. The contentions of a wife are a continual Mtn of wealth are called towers. Thus, when such a dropping. person dies, it is said, " The pellata-koburam, i. e. strong See on ch. 21. 9. tower, has fallen." "s I am going to myhkpobrarni," says the The allusion in this passage iA generally thought to be to an old and decayed house, through which the rain conVer. 16. A maln's gift maketh room for him, and tinually drops, rendering it highly disagreeable to inhabit, brlnletlh. him before great men. Durell supposes that the allusion is to the " dropping of the brgeth. eaves of a house, or any continued gentle falling of water, See on 1 Samn. 9. 7. than which nothing is more apt to be tiresome and distracting." Mr. Harmer thinks that it refers to the arbours Ver.. 18. The lot causeth contentions to cease and made of the boughs of trees upon the house'-tops, in which parteth between the mighty. the inhabitants of those sultry regions were accustomed to parteth *- - sleep in summer. " Egmont and Heyman tell us that ai In nearly all cases where reason cannot decide, or where Caipha, at the foot of Mount Carmel, the houses are small the light of several claimants to one article has to be set- and flat-roofed, where, during the summer, the inhabitants tled, recourse is had to the lot, which " causeth contentions sleep in arbours made of the boughs of trees." Again, to cease." Though an Englishman might not like to have "Dr. Pococke tells us, in like manner, that when he was a wife assigned to him in such a way, yet many a one in at Tiberias, in Galilee, he was entertained by the sheik's the East has no other guide in that important acquisition. steward, and that they stupped upon the top of the house for Perhaps a young man is either so accomplished, or so coolness, according to their custom, and lodged there likerespectable, or so rich, that many fathers aspire to the wise in a sort of closet, about eight feet square, of a wickerhonour of calling him son-in-law. Their daughters are work, plastered round towards the bottom, but without any SAID to be beautiful, wealthy, and of a good family: what door." However pleasant," says Mr. Harmer, "these is he to do. The name of each young lady is written on a arbours and these wicker-work closets may be in the dry separate piece of olah; and then all are mixed together. part of the year, they must be very disagreeable in the wet The youth an! his friends then go to the front of the tem- and they'that should then lodge in them would be exposed to A, CHAP. 19-21. PROVERBS. 427 continual dropping. To such circumstances probably it is CHAPTER XX..hat Solomon alludes, when he says,' It is better to dwell Ver. 4. The sluggard will not plough by reason in the corner of the house-top, than with a brawling woman of the cold wthrefore shal he b harvest, in a wide house.' A corner covered with boughs or rushes, and made into a little arbour, in which they used to sleep and have nothing.in summer, but which must have been a very incommodious place to have made an entire dwelling. To the same Margin, winter. " They begin to plough about the latallusion belong those other expressions that speak of the ter end of September, and soW their earliest wheat about contentions of a wife being like a continual dropping. Put the middle of October. The frosts are never severe enough together they amount to this, that it is better to have no to prevent their ploughing all the winter."-BUaDER. other habitation than an arbour on the house-top, and be there exposed to the wet of winter, which is oftentimes of Ver. 10. Divers weights, and divers measures, several days' continuance, than to dwell in a wide house both of them are alike abomination to the Loan. with a brawling woman, for her contentions are a contin' ual dropping, and, wide as the house may be, you will not'Here we have a true view of the way in which nearly all be able to avoid them or get out of their reach."-BusH. travelling merchants deal with their customers. See that Mohammedan pedler with his BAGS over his shoulder: the Ver. 24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his one contains his merchandise, the other his DECEITFUu bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his WEIGHTS. He comes to your door, throws his bags on the bosom, and will n o t so much as bring it to his ground, and is willing either to buy or to sell. Hlave you mouth again. any old silver, gold, jewels, precious stones, iron, or lead,, he is ready to be your customer; but he only bu.is with his Many of the Arabs, and other eastern people, use no own weights, which are much heavier than the standard. spoon in eating their victuals; they dip their hands into the Should You, however, require to purchase any articles, then milk, which is placed before them in a wooden bowl, and he has other weights by which he SELLS; and you may lift it to their mouth in their palm. Le Bruin observed often see him fumbling for a considerable time in the SA.C five or six Arabs eating milk together, on the side of the before he can find those which are less in weight than the Nile, as he was going up that river to Cairo; and D'Ar- regular standard.-RoBERT.s. vieux says they eat their p'ottage in the same way. Is it not reasonable to suppose, says Harmer, that the same usage Ver. 29. The glory of young men is their stren tl: obtained anciently among the Jews; and that Solomon re- and th'e beauty of old men is the' gray head. fers to it when he says, " A slothful man hides his hand in the dish, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth Should a youth despise the advice of a gray-headed man, again 2" Our translators render it the bosom; but the word the latter will point to his hairs. When young men preevery where signifies a pot or dish. The meaning, there- sume to give advice to the aged, they say, " Look at our fore, according to Harmer, is, "the slothful man having gray hairs." Do old'people commit things uniworthy of lifted up his hand full of milk or pottage to his mouth, will their years, the young ask, " Why have you these gray not do it a second time; no, though it be. actually dipped hairs?" intimating they ought to be the emblem of wisdom. into the milk or pottage, he will n.ot submit to the fatigue -ROBERTS. of lifting it again from thence to his mouth." But as it is. CHAPTER XXI rather a caricature to represent the sluggard as so excessively indolent or lazy, that he will rather let his hand lie Ver. 1. The king's heart is in the hand of the in the dish among the milk or pottage, than lift it to his LORD, as the rivers of water; he turneth it mouth a second time, the explanation of Dr. Russel is to be whithersoever he will. preferred: "The Arabs, in eating, do not thrust their whole hand into the dish, but only their thumb and two' See on Ps. 1. 3. first fingers, with which they take up the morsel, and that in a moderate quantity at a time. I take, therefore, the Ver. 4. A high look, and a proud heart', and the sense to be, that the slothful man, instead of taking up a ploughing of the wicked, is sin. moderate mouthful, thrusts his hand into the pillaw, or such like, and takes a handful at a time, in order to avoid the The margin has, instead of plong/hing, light: " The light trouble of returning frequently to the dish." According to of the wicked." The Tamul translation has, the lamp of the this view, the slothful man endeavours by one effort to save wicked. In eastern language, as well as in the scriptures, the himself the trouble of continued exertion. It seems to have word lamnp is often used to denote the life of man: but in this been adopted by the Arabs, as much for the sake of de- passage it means the PROSPERITY of the wicked. "Look at spatch as from necessity; for D'Arvieux says, a man would Valen[, how brightly does his lamp burn in these days!"eat upon Very unequal terms with a spoon, among those that, "Yes, his lamp has now a thousand faces." Thus the instead of them, use the palms of their hands. This mode haughty eyes, the proud hearts, and the PROSPERITY Of the of drinking was used by three hundred men of Gideon's wicked, were alike sinful before God. The lamp (i. e. prosarmy: " And the number of them that lapped, putting their perity) of the wicked is sin. —ROBERTS. hands to their mouth, were three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink Ver. 8. The way of man is froward and strange; water." Tihree hundred men, immediately on theircoming but asfor the pure, his work is right. to the water, drank of it in the quickest manher they could, by lifting it in their palms, and lapping it like a dog, that This passage, -ccordingto the common interpretation, is they might be ready, without delay, to follow their leader very obscure. The original Hebrew words are -used to to the battle: the rest toolk up water in pitchers, or some signify a man laden with guilt and crimes, and that his way kind of vessel, and bending down upon their heels and is (not froward and strange, as in our translation, but) z1iknees; or with their knees placed upright before them, steady, or conti nually varying; in which expression there is either of which might be called bowing their knees to a most beautiful allusion to a beast which is so ovesrburden. drink, they handed these drinking-vessels slowly from one ed that he cannot keep in the straight road, but is continuto another, as at an ordinary meal; an act which procured ally tottering and staggering, first to the right hand, and their dismission. The Hottentot manner of drinkingwater then to the left.'PARKHURST. from a pool, or stream, seems exactly to coincide with the mode adopted by the three hundred, and gives a very clear Ver. 9. It is better to dwell in a corner of the idea of it: They throw it up with their right hand into house-top, than with a brawling woman in a their mouth, seldom bringing the hand nearer than the dis- ide house. tance of a footfrom the mouth, and so quickly, that however thirsty, they are soon satisfied. Mr. Campbell, who had an See on ch. 19. 13. opportunity of seeing this operation, when travellin g among How pleasant soever the arbour, or wicker-closet, upon that people, frequently tried to imitate it, but without suc- the roof, may be during the burning heats of summer, it cess.-PAXTON. must be very disagreeable in the rainy season. They -wlhe 438 P R O V E R B S. CHAP. 22, 23 lodge in either at that time, must be exposed continually to cloister, over which, wnen the house has one or more sto. the storm beating in upon them from every quarter. In al- ries, there is a gallery erected. From the cloisters or gallelusion, perhaps, to this uncomfortable situation, Solomon ries we are conducted into large spacious chambers of the observes: "' It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top, same length with the court, but seldom or never communithan with a brawling woman in a wide house:"' in a cor- cating with one another. One of them frequently serves ner formed with boughs or rushes into a little arbour, a whole family; particularly when a father indulges his w-hich, although cool and pleasant in the dry and sultry married children to live with him; or when several pe. months of summer, is a cold and cheerless lodge when the sons join in the rent of the same house."-BURDER. earth is drenched with rain, or covered with snow. The royal preacher, in another proverb, compares the conten- CHAPTER XXII. tions of a wife to the continual dropping of an arbour, Ver. 13. The slothful man saith, There is a lion placed upon the house-top, in the rainy season, than which without, shall be slan in the trees. it is not easy to conceive any thing more disagreeable: "The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping;" an The sluggard is fond of sleep; and, to excuse his sloth incessant and unavoidable cause of uneasiness or vexation. fulness, he makes-use of the pretence, when-he is to go out Instructed probably by his own feelings, harassed and goad- of his house in the morning dawn, and to follow his busied, as was meet, by the daily quarrels of his seraglio, he ness, that he might fall a prey to one of the wild beasts returns in a succeeding apothegm to the subject: "A which prowl about during the night. When it becomes continual dropping in a very rainy day, and a contentious dark, the people of the East shut themselves up in their Nwoman, are alike." It appears from these proverbs, that the houses for fear of the wild beasts. Thus Alvarez, in his booths were generally constructed in the corner, where two account of Ethiopia, says, that " in Abyssinia, as soon as walls met, for greater safety; for, on the middle of the roof, night sets in, nobody is to be seen abroad for fear o(f wild they had been too much exposed to the storm. This is con- beasts, of which the country is full."-RosENMULLER. firmed by Dr. Russel, who remarks, in a manuscript note, that these booths in Syria are often placed near the walls; Ver. 14. The mouth of strange women is a. deep so minutely correct are even the most incidental observations of the inspired writers.-PAXTON. I' pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall The termagants of the East are certainly not inferior to therein. those of their own sex in any part of the world: in some respects, of their own sex inmales any part ofre the imid and retiredn s Maundrell, describing the passage out of the jurisdiction than,, those of Europe; but let them one go beyond pt re of the Bashaw of Aleppo into that of him of Tripoli, tells scribed bounds, and let their powers be brought fairly into us, the road was rocky and uneven, but attended with vaPOW ~nriety.et fairly " Sometimes it led us under the cool shade of thick action, and they are complete furies. Has any one caused riety. a woman's child to cry, does a neighbour intimate that she etimes through narrow valleys, watered with is not what she oughrt to be, or that some of her friends are fiesh urmuring torrents: and then for a good while tono better than they should be, the whoop is immediately gether upon the brink of a precipice. And in all places it sounded, and the brawl begins. She commences her abuse sounlllded, and the brawl begins. She commences her abuse treated us with the prospect of plants and lowers of divers in her best and highest tone of voice: vociferates all the kinds as myrtles, oleanders, cyclamens, &c. aving scandal she can thinlk of, and all she can INVENT. Some- spent about two hours in this manner, we descended into a times she runs up to her anlagonist, as if about to knock her low valley at the bottom of which is a fissure uto the (down: again she retires, apparently to go home; but, no earth, of a great depth; but withal so narrow, that it is n(t she thinks of something more which ought not to he lost, discernible to the eye till you arrive just upon it, though to s~e'thinks of somethngmore ougtnottobelostthe ear a notice of it is given at a great distance, by reason and again returns to the contest. At intervals (merely' the ear a notice of it is given at a great distance, by reason arnd again returnsh to the contest. intervals (merely sto of the noise of a stream running down into it from the hills. fary the scene) she throws up dust in the air, and curses We could not guess it to be less than thirty yards deep. ner opponent, her husband, and her children. Should the ier opponent, ~her husband, and her children. Should the TvVe could not guess it to be less than thirty yards deep. But it is so narrow, that a small arch, not four yar(]s over, poor woman not have been blessed with a progeny, that narrow that a sm all a t four yards over, will not be overlooked, and a thousand highly provoking landsyoon its other side. and indecent allusions will be made. See her fiery eyes, a name given to it from a woman of that quality, who fell her dishevelled hair, her.uplifted hand, and she is more into it, and, I need not add perished." May not Solomon refer to some such dangerous place as this, when he says, like a fury from another region, than a human being. An eastern sage says, " Should one woman scold, the whole " The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit: he that is eanth eitl shake, s Should two commence, the soli, Pisce's abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein," Prov. xxvii. 14; ert will shake; should two commence, the sign Piscesditch; and a strange woan is a wili fall; if three join in the brawl, the sea will dry up; bu and, "A whore is a dep ditch; and a strange woan is a if four try theirpowers, what will become of the world I" In narrow pit," Prov. xxiii. 27. The flowery pleasures of the the Sca.nda Pthrpnaait is said, " It isbetter for any one to fall place, where this fatal pit was, make the allusion still more iiltO hell, than to perform the duties of a householder with a striking. How agreeable to sense the path that led to this woman who will not respect her husband's word. Is there chamber of death 1-HARMER. anv other disease, any other Yama, than spending life with Ver. 26. Be ot thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are suretie~ for debts. One of their philosophers describes some of the defects in young females which ought to deter any man from marrying See on ch. 6. 1. them. " Those who love to be at the'house of other people, who are great sleepers, who love dancing and other sports, CHAPTER XXIII. who are wounded by the arrows of Cama, (Cupid,) who love before their fathers betroth them, who have voices like tiunder, who have tender, or rolling, or cat eyes, who have are deceitful meat. coarse hair, who are older than yourself, who are full of S G 27 4 smiles, who are very athletic, who are caught in the hell of useless and strange religions, who despise the gooroo er. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that ic and call the gods' statues; have nothing to do with them." Solomon says, in'another place, ": The contentions of a wife is not for riches certainly make themselves are a continual dropping;" and the Tamul proverb has it, wings; they fly away, as an eagle towards "She it like the thunder of the rain, and is ever dropping." heaven. -ROBERTS. This expression the LXX render EM OtK,) KOtiWo. The Vul- A husband who complains of the extravagance of his gate, " in domo communi," in a common house; that is, in family, says; "How is it that wings grow on all my proper a house common or shared out to several families. Dr. ty. not many days ago I purchased a large quantity of pad, Shaw says, that "the general method of building, both in dy, but it has taken the wing and flown away. The next'Barbary and the Levant, seems to have continued the same time I buy any thing, I will look well after the wings." from the earliest ages down to this time, without the least "You ask me to give you money; and I would, if I posalte ration or improvement: large doors, spacious chambers, sessed anv."-"Possessed any! why!have wings grown &c. The court is for the most part surrounded rwith a on your silver and gold I" " las! alas! I no sooner get CHAP. 23-25. PROV E R B.S. 429(3 things into the house, than wings grow on hem, and they they gave it a deeper tinge by mixing it with saffron or fly away. Last week I began to clip wings; but they have Brazil wood. By extracting the colouring matter of' such soon grown again.RO-ROBERTS. ingredients, the wine may be said to make itself redder; a circumstance which, in Mr. Harmer's opinion, Solo-mon Ver. 6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath means to express in that proverb, " Look not on the wine an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, whenl meats: 7. For as he thinketh. in his heart, so it moveth itself aright." The verb is in the Hebrew Middie Voice, or HIithpahel conjugation, which denotes an acis he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his tion that turns upon the agent itself, and in this instance iraheart is not with thee. 8. The morsel which' parts great energy to the warning.-PAxTON. thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose CHAPTER X thy sweet words. Ver. 11. If thou forbear to deliver thtem t/nat are Whether the same ideas are to be attached to the expres- drawn unto death, and those that are ready to sion " evil eye," as used by Solomon, and as understood by be slain. the Egyptians, may not be easily ascertained, though perhaps worthy of consideration. Pococke says of the Egyp- It was allowed among the Jews, that if any person conul I tians, that "they have a great notion of the magic art, have offer any thing in favour ofa prisoner after sentence wAas books about it, and think there is much virtue in talismans passed, he might be heard before execution was done: and and charms; but particularly are strongly possessed with an therefore it was usual, as the Mishna shows, that when a opinion of the evil eye. When a child is commended, ex- man was led to execution, a crier went before him and procept you give it some blessing, if they are not very well as- claimed, " This man is now going to be executed for such sured of your good will, they use charms against the evil a crime, and such and such are witnesses against him; eye; and particularly when they think any ill success at- whoever knows him to be innocent, let him come forth, and tends them on account of an evil eye, they throw salt into the make it appear."-DODDRnIDnE. fire."-BURDERo. Many references are made in the scriptures to an Eavi Ver. 26. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth EYE. Sometimes they mean anger or envy; but in the pas- a right answer. sage cited an allusion appears to be made to the malignant influence of an evil eye: " The morsel which thou hast The rescripts of authority used to be kissed whether they eaten shalt thou vomit up." The kan-numLr, evil-eye, of were believed to be just or not; and the letters of people of some people is believed to have a most baneful effect upon figure were treated in this manner; but it is possible these whatsoever it shall be fixed. Those who are reputed to words may refer to another custom, which D'Arvieux gives have such eyes are always avoided, and none but near rela- an account of in his description of the Arabs of IMount tions will invite them to a feast. "Your cattle, your wives, Carmel, who, when they present any petition to their emir your children, your orchards, your fields, are all in danger for a favour, offer their billets to him with their right hancd, from that fellow's eyes. The other day he passed my gar- after having first kissed the papers. The Hebrew manner den, cast his eye upon/my lime-tree, and the fruit has since of expression is short; every tip shall kiss,. one wzceth to refallen to the ground. AV, and worse than that, he caught turn a right answer, that is, every one shall be ready to prea look at my child's face, and a large abscess has since sent the state of his case, kissing it as he delivers it, awhen appeared." there is a judge whbse decisions are celebrated for being To prevent such eyes from doing any injury to their equitabl'e.-HARMER. children, many parents (both Mohammedan and Hindoo) adorn them with numerous jewels and jackets of varied Ver. 31. And lo,, it was all grown over with colours, to attract the eye from the person to the ornaments. thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof -ROBERTS. and. the stone wall thereof was broken down. Ver. 20. Be not among0 wine-bibbers;, among riot-i Stone walls were frequently used for the preservation of ous eaters of flesh. vineyards, as well as living fences. Van Egmont and Heyman, describing the country about Saphet, a celebrated city The Arabs are described by Shaw, as very abstemious. Galilee, tell us, " the cotry rond it is finel improved of Galilee, tell us, "the country round it is finely improved, They rarely diminish thei r flock s by using them for food, the declivity being covered with vines supported by lo-w but live chiefly upon bread, milk, butter, dates, or what walls."-HARMER. they receive in exchange for their wool. Their frugality is in many instances the effect of narrow circumstances; CHAPTER XXV. and shows with what propriety Solomon describes an ex- Ver. 7. For better it is that it be said unto thee, pensive way-of living by their frequent eating, of fesh.- Come up hither, than that thou shouldst be put. lower in the presence of the prince whom thine Ver. 27. For a whore is a deep ditch; and a eyes have seen. strange woman is a narrow pit. In an eastern feast or ceremony, nothing can exceed thfe See on ch. 2~2. 14. particularity which is observed in reference to the rank and consequent precedence of the guests. Excepting -where Ver. 30. They that tarry long at the wine, they kings or members of the royal family are present, the floor that go to seek mixed wine, and seats are always of an equal height; but the upper part of a room is most respectable, and there the most dignified individual will be placed. Should, however, an inferior Dandini informs us that it was the practice of tipplers not presume to occupy that situation, he will soon e to to merely to tarry long over the bottle, but over the wine cask. "The goodness of the wine of Candia renders the Candiots to a lower station. There are also ROOS assigned to different guests, in reference to their rank or caste, andnon great drinkers, and it often happens, that two or three great but e ference to their rank or caste, and one drinkers will sit down together at the foot of a cask, from their peers can remain in the place. I was once drinkers will sit down together at the foot of a cask, front present at the marriage feast of a person of high caste: the whence they wil. not depart till they have emptied it." See presnt them peso f cas also Isaiah v. 11.-BoUanD. ceremonies were finished, and the festivities had cornmenced; but just before the sUPPER was announced, it was Ver. 31. Look not thou upon the twine when it is discovered that one of the guests was not quite equal in rank to those in the same apartment. A hint was therefore red, when i'.: givethi his colour in the cup, wke7t given to him, but he refused to leave the place: the host it moveth it.elf aright. was then called; but, as the guest was scarcely a grade )I lower than the rest, he felt unnwilling to put him out. The Red wines were nost esteemed in the East. So much remainder, therefore, consisting of the first men in the town, was the red colon admired, that when it was too white immediately arose and left the house -ROBERTS. 4-30 P R O V E R B S. CHAP. 26. Ver. 11. A word fitly spoken is like apples of of trouble, is like a broken tooth, and a foot out gold in pictures of silver. of joint. * Some suppose this alludes to fruit served up in filigree- The eastern saying, " To put confidence in an nnfaithful work: but I believe it does not refer to real fruit, but to man, is like trying to cross a river on a horse made of representations and ornaments in solid gold. The Vulgate clay," is quoted for the same purpose.-RoBERTs. has, instead of pictures, " in lectis argenteis," "in silver beds." The Tamul translation has, in place of pictures of Ver. 23. The north wind driveth away rain; so silver, velle-tattcam, i. e. salvers or trays of'silver. The Rev. doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. T. H. Horne, " Apples of GOLD in net-work of silver." In the 6th and 7th verses, directions are given as to the way a Our translators were at a loss how to render Prov. xxv. person ought to conduct himself in the presence of a king: 23: they could not tell whether Solomon spoke of the nor'th and xwords fitly spoken are compared, in th&ir effect on the wind as driving away rain, or bringing it forth, and theremnind, to apples of gold, in salvers of silver,-when presented fore put one sense in the text, and the other;i: the margin. as tributes or presents -to the mighty. When eastern I have observed,nothing decisive as to this point in the princes visit each other, or when men of rank have to go books of travels which I have perused, and indeed very into their presence, they often send silver trays, on which little more relating to the winds, excepting the violent heat are gold ornaments, as presents to the king, to propitiate they sometimes bring with them in these countries. At him in their favour. Thus, when the governor-general, Aleppo, " the coldest winds in the winter are those that and the native sovereigns, visit each other, it is said, they blow from between the northwest and the east, and the distributed so many TRAYS of jewels, or other articles of nearer they approach to the last-mentioned point, the colder great value. Golden ornaments, whether in the shape of they are during the winter, and part of the spring. But fruit or any other thing, when placed on highly-polished fromn the beginning of May to the end of September, the silver salvers, or in net-work of the same metal, have a winds blowing from the very same points, bring with them very beautiful appearance to the eye, and are highly ac- a degree and kind of heat which one would imagine came ceptable and gratifying to him who receives them. As, out of an oven, and which, when it blows hard, will affect then, apples or jewels of gold are in "salvers," or "beds," metals within the houses, such as locks of room-doors, or " net-work" of silver, to the feelings of the receiver, so nearly as much as if they had been exposed to the rays of are words fitly spoken, when addressed,to the mind of him the sun; yet it is remarkable that water kept in jars is who is prepared to receive them. To confirm this expla- much cooler at this time than when a cool westerly wind nation, the next verse is very apposite: "As an ear-ring of blows. In these seasons, the only remedy is to shut all gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover the doors and windows, for though these winds do not kill upon an obedient ear." The EFFECT, then, of a wise re- as the sammiel, which are much of the same nature, do in proof on an obedient ear, is equal to that produced by the the desert, yet they are extremely troublesome, causing a presents of ear-rings of gold, or ornaments of fine gold.- languor and difficulty of respiration to most people," &c.ROBERTS. HARMER. Ver. 13. As the cold of snow in the time of har- Ver. 27. It is not good to eat much honey: so for vest, so is a faithful messengeor to them that send. men to search their own glory is not glory. hirm for he refresheth the soul of his masters. Delicious as honey is to an eastern palate, it has been The custom of cooling wines with snow, was usual thought sometimes to have produced terrible effeets. So lamong the eastern nations, and was derived from the Sanutus tells us, that the English that attended Edward I. Asiatics and Greeks to the Romans. The snow of Leb- into the Holy Land, died in great numbers, as they maorthed, in June to de molish a place, which he ascribe-s waon was celebrated, in the time of D'Vitriaco, for its marched,in June, to demolish a place, refrigerating power in tempering their wine: "All sum- to the excessive heat, and their intemperate eating of frucils and honey. This, perhaps,t may give us the thought of iner, and especially in the sultry dog-days, and the monthand hon Solomon when he says, " It is not good to eat much honey." of Augost, snow of an extreme cold nature, is carried from good to eat much hone. Mournt Libanus, two or three days' journey, that, being He had before; in the same chapter, mentioned that an exmixed with wine, it may make it cold as ice. The snow eating honey occasioned sickness and vomiting; is kept from melting by the heat of the sun, or the warmth but, if t was thought sometimes to produce deadly effects, of the air, by being covered up with straw."' To this cus- there is a greater energy in the instrtlon.-R MR. tom, the wise man seems to allude in that proverb: "As CHAPTER XXVI the cold of snow in the time of harvest; so is a faithful X servant to them that send him, for he refreshes the soul of Ver. 3. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, his masters." The royal preacher could not speak of a fall and a rod for the fool's back. of,now in the time of harvest, as pleasant and refreshing; it tnust, on the contrary, have been very incommoding, as According to our notions, we should rather say, l A w actually find it in this country; he imust therefore be bridle for the horse, and a whip for the ass." But it shouldl understood to mean liquids cooled by snow. The sense be remembered that the eastern asses, particularly those of' tltlei will be: As the mixing of snow with wine, in the the Arabian breed, are much larger, more beautiful, and sultry tilme of harvest, is pleasing and refresh in e g our cold northerly countries. better goers, than those in our cold northerly countries. sulltry time of harvest, is pleasing and refreshing; so a sue- 4"In Arabia," says Nicholson, " we meet with two kinds of cesful messenger revives the spirit of his master who sent In Arabia," says Nicholson, " nit-n, and who was greatly depressed from an apprehension asses. The small and sluggish kind are as little esteemed of his failuire.-PAxToN. in the East as in Europe. But there are some of a species large and spirited, which appeared to me more convenient Ver. 14. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift, is for travelling than the horses, and which are very dear.': like clouds anitd ~wr~ind ~without rain. Such, no doubt, there are evidently in Palestine, and as the modern Arabs take pains in training them to a pleasant See on 2 Kings 3. 16, 17. pace, there is the highest probability that something of tile kind was practised among the ancient Israelites; since Ver. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's from numerous passages of the Old Testament it appears house, lest he be weary of thee, and so hate that asses were the beasts on which that people, and even thee. their great men, usually rode. Their asses. therefore, being active and well broke, would need only a bridle to 4': The'premises are in grief through him who so often guide them; whereas their horses, being scarce, and probvisits them."-Tamul Proverb. " The man, who though ably often caught wild, and badly broke, would be much lost in the dark, and yet refuses to go to the house of him less manageable, and frequently require the correction of who -will not treat him with respect, is worth ten millions the whip."-PARKHURST. clf pieces of gold." —ROBERTS. In the East, the horse was taught only two motions, to walk in state, or to push forward in full career; a bridle XVer. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time was therefore unnecessary, and seldom used, except for CHAP. 27. PROVERBS. 431 mere ornament; the voice, or the hand of his master, was next the wall had, at each extremity, a copper case sunk sufficient to direct his way, or to stop his course. While into it, with a projecting point on the inside, to take the the ass reluctantly submits to the control of the bridle, he better hold of the wood-work. This case was generally of presents his back with stupid insensibility to the rod. This a cylindric form; but there have been found some square instrument of correction is, therefore, reserved for the fool, ones, from which there sprang on each side iron straps, and is necessary to subdue the vicious propensities of his serving to bind together and strengthen the boards with heart, and turn him from the error of his way. The an- which the door was constructed hollow. (Winckelman's cient Israelites preferred the young ass for the saddle. It Herculaneum.)-BURDER. is on this account the sacred writers so frequently mention riding on young asses and on ass colts. They must have Ver. 17. He that passeth by, and meddleth with found them, from experience, like the young of all animals, strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh more tractable, lively, and active, than their parents, and, do by the ears. by consequence, better adapted to this employment. Buffon remarked particularly of the young ass, that it is a gay, "Why meddle with that matter." "Will-a rat seize a nimble, and gentle animal, "' and therefore to be preferred cat by the ears'" "I will break thy bones, thou low caste." for riding to the same animal when become lazy and stub- -" No doubt about that; I suppose in the same way as the born through age." "Indeed, the Hebrew nanne of the rat which seized my cat last night: begone, or I will give young ass, -ft," from a root which signifies to, rouse or thee a bite." —ROBERTs. excite, " is expressive of its character for sprightliness and activity." On public and solemn occasions, they adorned Ver. 25. When he speaketh fair, believe him not: the asses which they rode, with rich and splendid trappings. there are seven abominatio in his heart. "In this manner," says an excellent writer of Essays on Sacred Zoology, "the magistrates, in the time of the Judges, The number seven is often used to denote MANY.'If we appear to have rode in state. They proceeded to the gate have rain, we shall have a crop of seven years." " My of their city, where they sat to hear causes, in slow proces- friend, I came to see you seven times, but the servants sion, mounted on asses superbly'caparisoned with white always said teen-tingcga'cr," i. e. he is eating. "I will -loth, which covered the greater part of the animal's body. never speak to that fellow again; he has treated me with It is thus that we must interpret the words of Deborah: contempt these seven times." "You stupid ass, I have told Speak, ye that ride on white asses,' on asses caparisoned you seven times." " The wind is fair, and the dhony is with coverings made of white woollen cloth,'ye that sit in ready for sea."-" I cannot believe you; I have already Judgment, and walk,' or march in state,'by the way.' been on board seven times."-RnERTs. The colour is not that of the animal, but of his hiran, or covering, for the ass is commonly dun, and not white." CHAPTER XXVII. No doubt can be entertained in relation to the existence of the custom alluded to in this quotation. It prevails Ver. 6. Faithful ar'e the wounds of a friend; but among the Arabs to the present day; but it appears rather the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. unnatural to ascribe the colour of a covering to the creature that wears it. We do not call a man white or black, "Begone! wretch: you cannot deceive me. I am more because he happens to be dressed in vestments of white or afraid of your smiles, than the reproaches of my friend. I black cloth; neither did the Hebrews. The expression know the serpent-get out of my way." " Ah!" says the naturally suggests the colour of the animal itself, not of its stranger, " the trees of my own village are better to me thani trappings; and the only point to be ascertained is, whether the friends of this place."-ROBERTS. the ass is found of a white colour. Buffon informs us, that the colour of the ass is not dun, but flaxen, and the belly of er. 9. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, a silvery white. In many instances, the silvery white pre- so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty dominates; for Cartwright, who travelled into the East, counsel. affirms, that he beheld, on the banks of the Euphrates, great droves of wild beasts, among which were many wild asses, At the close of a visit in the East, it is common to sprinkle all white. Oppian describes the wild ass, as having a coat rose, or some other sweet-scented water, on the guests, and of silvery white; and the one which Professor Gnielin to perfume them with aloe-wood, which is brought last, and brought from Tartary, was of the same colour. White serves for a sign that it is time for a stranger to take leave. asses, according to Mo-ier, come from Arabia; their It is thus described by M. Savary: "Towards the concluscarcity makes them valuable, and gives them conse- sion of a visit among persons of distinction in Egypt, a quence. The men of the law count it a dignity, and suited slave, holding in his hand a silver plate, on- which are,o their character, to ride on asses of this colour. As the burning precious essences, approaches the face of the visitHebrews always appeared in white garments at their pub- ers, each of whom in his turn perfumes his beard. They.ic festivals, and on days of rejoicing, or when the courts of then pour rose-water on his head and hands. This is the )nstice were held; so they naturally preferred white asses, last ceremony, after which it is usual to withdraw." As to because the colour suited the occasion, and because asses the method of using the aloe-wood, Maundrell says, they cf this colour being more rare and costly, were more covet- have for this purpose a small silver chafingdish, covered ed by the great and the wealthy. The same view is taken of with a lid full of holes, and fixed upon a handsome plate. tnis question by Lewis, who says, the asses in Judea " were In this they put some fresh coals, and upon them a piece commonly of a red colour; and therefore white asses were of lignum aloes, and then shutting it up, the smoke immehighly valued, and used by persons of superior note and diately ascends with a grateful odour through the cover. quality." In this passage he clearly speaks of the colour of Probably to such a custom, so calculated to refresh and the animals themselves, not of their coverings.-PAxTo N. exhilarate, the words of Solomon have an allusion.BURDER. Ver. 11. As a do g returneth to his vomit; so a Great numbers of authors take notice of this part of fool returneth to his folly. Eastern complaisance, but some are much more particular and distinct than others. Maundrell, for instance, who " See the fellow," it is said, " he has repeatedly suffered gives a most entertaining account of the ceremony of burnfor his folly; how often has lie been corrected! and yet, ing odours under the chin, does not mention any thing of like the dog, he eats up the food he has vomited." " Yes, the sprinkling sweet-scented waters; however, many other he is ever washing his legs, and ever running into the writers do, and Dr. Pococke has given us the figure of the mud." " You fool; because you fell nine times, must you vessel they make use of upon this occasion, in his first fall again."-ROBERTS. volume. They are both then used in the East, but if one is spoken of more than the other, it is, I think, the perVer. 14. As the door turneth upon his hinges, so fuming persons with odoriferous smoke. The scriptures, doth the slothful upon his bed. in like manner, speak of perfumes as used anciently fot civil purposes, as well as sacred, though they do not men The doors of the ancients did not turn on hinges, but on tion particulars. "Ointment and perfumes rejoice the pivots thus constructed: the upright of the moveable door heart," Prov. xxvii. 9. Perhaps this word, perfume, cornm 432 PROVERBS, CHAP. 27. prehends in its meaning, the waters distilled from roses, mode of expression in scripture is beyond elucidation, or and odoriferous flowers, whose scents in the East, at least can consent that the full import of a simile, adopted by an in Egypt, if Maillet may be admitted to be a judge, are inspired writer, should be contracted or diminished. much higher and more exquisitely grateful, than with us; "Fanaticism has enacted, in Turkey, in favour of the but if those distillations should be thought not to have been ulemats, [or body of lawyers,] that their goods shall never known so early, the burning fragrant things, and the ma- be confiscated, nor themselves put to death, butt by being king a sweet smoke with them, we are sure, they were ac- bruised in amortar. The honour of being treated in so disquainted with, and to that way of perfuming, Solomon at tinguished a manner, may not, perhaps, be sensibly felt by least refers. But a passage in Daniel makes it requisite to every one; examples are rare;-yet the insolence of the enter more minutely into this affair, and as at the same time Mufti irritated Sultan Osman to such a degree, that he orit mentions some other eastern forms of. doing honour, dered the mortars to be replaced, whieh, having been long which I have already taken notice of, but to all which in neglected, had been thrown down, and almost covered with this case objections have been made, I will make my re- earth. This order alone produced a surprising effect; the marlrs upon it in a distinct article, which I will place im- body of ulemats, justly terrified, submitted." (Baron De mediately after this, and show how easy that little collection Tott.) of oriental compliments may be accounted for, as well as'The Mohammedans consider this office as so important, explain more at la.rge this particular affair of burning and entitled to such reverence, that the person of a pacha, odours merely as a civil expression of respect.-HARMER. who acquits himself well in it, becomes inviolable, even by the sultan; it is no longer permitted to shed his blood.'Ver. 15. A continual dropping in a very rainy But the divan has invented a method of satisfying its venday, and a contentious woman, are alike. geance onthose who are protected by this privilege, without departing from the literal expression of the law, by ofrderSee on ch. 21. 9.,ing them to be pounded in a mortar, of which there have been various instances." (Volney.)-TAYLoR IN CALMET. Ve~.L 19. As in water, face acnswoerett to face; so I have a drawing by a Cingalese, of the treatment rethe heart of man to man. ceived by the family of Elypola, one of Raja Singha's ministers, in 1814, and which led to his dethronement. In the The Hindoos do not appear to have had mirrors made of first part of the picture the kingis represented sitting in his silvered glass, until they became acquainted with Euro- palace, with one of his queens having her face in the oppeans; but they had them of burnished metal and other ar- posite direction. Elypola is prostrate before him, with his tides. Many even at this day pour water into a vessel wife and five children behind, guarded by a sentinel. In which they use for the same purpose. " His friendship for the second division, one executioner is ripping open one of me is like my body and its shadow in the sun, which never the children, and another holding up the reeking head cf separate." —RoE R's. the next, just cut off, and ready to drop it into a mortar. ler. 22. khouo-h ~thou shouldst bray a fool in a Next, the unhappy mother appears with the pestle lifted in Ver. dst br y a fool in a her hands, to bray the head of her infant. It appears from mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not the published accounts of this inhuman business, that the his foolishness depart from him. poor woman let fall the pestle once, and fiainted away. Lastly, three children appear on a precipice with bound Pounding in a mortar is a punishment still used among hands, and fastened to a large stone, intended to sink them he Turks. The ulemats, or body of lawyers, in Turkey, in the pond, into which an executioner behind is about to are by law secured in two important privileges-they can- precipitate them.-CALLOWAY. not lose their goods by confiscation, nor can they be put to death except by the pestle and mortar. The guards of the Ver. 25. The hay appeareth, and the tender grass tower,, who suffered Prince Coreskie to escape from prison, showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are were, some of them, empaled, and others pounded or beaten gathered. to pieces in great mortars of iron, by order of the Turkish g(vernment. This dreadful punishment appears to have There is a gross impropriety in our version of Proverbs been occasionally imposed by the Jewish rulers, for Solo- xxvii. 25," The hay appeareth, and the tender gr'ass showmon clearly alludes to it in one of his Proverbs: " Though' eth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered." Now, thou shouldst-bray a fool ifi a mortar among wheat with certainly, if the tender grass is but just beginning to show a pestie, yet will not his foolishness depart from him."- itself, the hay, which is grass cut and dried, after it has arPAXToN. rivedc at maturity, ought by no means to be associated with Dr. Boothroyd says, "that is, no correction, however it, still less to precede it. And this leads us to notice, that severe, will cure him.' Large mortars are used in the East none of the dictionaries, &c. which we have seen, give for the purpose of separating the rice from the husk. When what seems to be the accurate import of this word, which a considerable quantity has to'be prepared, the mortar is we apprehend means, the first shoots, the rising-just budpla ed outside the door, and two women, with each a pestle ding-spires of grass. So in the present passage (-,,sn n;a of five feet long, begin the work. They strike in rotation, azaleh cliajir) the tender risings of the grass are in motion, as blacksmiths do on the anvil. and the buddings of grass (grass in its early state, as is the Cruel as it is, this is a punishment of the state; the poor peculiar import of Nmw desha) appear; and the tqfts of grass, vic tim is thrust into the mortar, and beaten with the pestle. proceeding from the same root, collect themselves together, Tie late king of Kandy compelled one of the wives of his and, by their union, begin to clothe the mountztain tops with a retbellious chiefs thus to beat her own infant to death. pleasing verdure." Surely, the beautifiul progress of vegeHence the saying, " Though you beat that loose woman in tation, as described in this passage, must appear to every a mortar, she will not leave her ways;" which means, man of taste too poeticat to be lost; but what must it be to though you chastise her ever so much, she will never im- an eastern beholder! to one whose imagination is exalted prove.-RoBERT.s. by a' poetic spirit; one who has lately witnessed all-stIrThere is a remarkable passage, Prov. xxvii. 22, " Though rounding sterility, a grassless waste!-TAYLOR IN CALMETr. th)u shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him." The mode of punishment referred to in this passage, has for thy food, for the food of thy household, and been made a subject of inquiry, by a correspondent of the for the maintenance of thy maidens. Gentleman's Magazine, who signs R. W., [conjectured to be Richard Winter, a very respectable minister among the Milk is a great part of the diet of the eastern people. dissenters.] In answer to his inquiries, another corre- Their goats furnish them with some part of it, and Russel spondent assured him there were no traces of any such custom tells us are chiefly kept for that purpose; that they yield In the East. But, besides what probability arises in the af- it in no inconsiderable quantity; and that it is sweet, and firmative, fi'om the proverbial manner of speech adopted by well-tasted. This at Aleppo is, however, chiefly fiom the Solomon, the allusion may be strengthened, and the existence beginning of April to September; they being gen erally supof such a punishment may be proved by positive testimony. plied the other part of the year with cows' milk, s-ich as None who are well informed, can willingly allow that any it is: for the cows being commonly kept at the gardens. CHAP. 28-30. PROVERBS. 433 and fed with the refuse, the milk generally tastes so strong rugged and savage; his limbs are strong and thick; his of garlic or cabbage-leaves, as to be very disagreeable. forefeet somewhat resemble the human hand; his hair is This circumstance sufficiently points out how far prefera- shaggy and coarse, and his whole aspect dull and heavy. ble the milk of goats must have been.-HARMER. His motions are as awkwhrd as his shape is clumsy; but under this forbidding exterior he conceals a considerable CHAPTER XXVIII. degree of alertness and cunning. If hunger compel him to attack a man, or one of the larger animals, he watches Ver. 3. A poor mall that oppresseth the poor is the moment when his adversary is off his guard. In purlike a sweeping rain, which leaveth no food. suit of his prey, he swims with ease the broad and rapid stream, and climbs the highest tree in the forest. Many To feel the force of this passage a person should see beasts of prey surpass him in running; yet his speed is so the rains which sometimes fall in the East. For many great, that a man on foot can seldom escape. Hence, the months together we are occasionally without a single drop danger to which a person is exposed from his pursuit, is of rain, and then it comes down as if the heavens were extreme; he can scarcely hope to save himself by flight; breaking up, and the earth were about to be dissolved. The the interposing river can give him no security; and the ground, which had become cracked by the drought, sud- loftiest tree in the forest is commonly the chosen dwelling denly swells; the foundations of houses sink, or partially of his pursuer, which, so far from affording a safe retreat, remove from their places; men and beasts flee for shelter; only ensures his destruction. The danger of the victim, vegetables, trees, blossoms, fruits, are destroyed; and when which the bear has marked for destruction, is increased tile waters go off, there is scarcely any thing left for the by his natural sagacity, the keenness of his eye, and the food of man or beast. The torrents which fell on the con- excellence of his other senses, particularly his sense of tinent of India and North Ceylon, in May, 1827, were a smelling, which Buffon conjectures, from the peculiar fearful illustration of the "sweeping rain which leaveth structure of the organ, to be perhaps more exquisite than no food."-ROBERTS. that of any other animal. Nor can any hope be rationally entertained from the forbearance or generosity of his tenmVet. 15. As a roaring lion, and a rangingo bear; SO per; to these, or any other amiable quality, his rugged is a wicked ruler over the poor people. and savage heart is an entire stranger. His anger, which is easily excited, is at once capricious and intense. A The bear is occasionally found in company with the dark and sullen scowl, which on his forbidding countelion, in the writings of the Old Testament; and if the sav- nance never relaxes into a look of satisfaction, indicates age ferocity of his disposition be duly considered, cer- the settled moroseness of his disposition; and his voice, tainly forms a proper associate forthat destroyer. "There which is a deep murmur, or rather growl, often accomcame a lion and a bear," said the son of Jesse, " and took panied with a grinding of the teeth, betrays the discontent a lamb out of the flock;" and Solomon unites them, to con- which reigns within. It is therefore with justice that the stitute the symbol of a wicked magistrate: "As a roaring inspired writers uniformly number him among the most lion, and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the ferocious and dangerous tenants of the forest, and assopoor people." The savage, which in these texts is asso- ciate his name and manner with the sorest judgments ciated with the lion, is the brown or red bear. Natural which afflict mankind.-PAXTON. historians mention two other species, the white and black, the dispositions and habits of which are entirely different. CHAPTER XXX. The white bear differs in shape from the others, is an in- Ver. 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or habitant of the polar regions, and feeds " on the bodies of seals, whales, and other monsters of the deep." It is prop- descended? ho hath gathered the wind in his erly a sea bear, and must have been totally unknown to fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? the inspired writers, who lived so far remote from those who hath established all the ends of the earth? dreary and desolate shores which it frequents. The black what is his name, and what is his son's name, and the brown bears are considered by many as only va- if thou caust tell? rieties of the same species; but their temper and manners are so different, that Buffon, and other respectable writers, Yes, you are full of confidence, you are quite sure contend, that they ought to be regarded as specifically different. The brown or red bear is botha larger animal you know all about it: have you just returned from the heavens?" "Truly, he has just finished his journey from than the black; and a beast of prey that in strength and above, ferocity scarcely yields to the lion himself; while the black ab isten, listen, to this divine messenger. Our bear chiefly subsists on roots, fruits, and vegetables, and is cafght the wind; he has seized it with hi has nd ROBe never known to prey upon other animals. This species ERrs, uniformly flies from the presence of men, and never attacks them but in self-defence; but the red bear is a bold, and Ver. 10. Accuse not a servant unto his master, extremely mischievous animal, which will attack a mane curse with equal indifference asalamb or a fawn. The black bear lest ]e curse thee, and thou be found guilty. also confines himself to the more temperate northern lati- Whatever crimes your servants commit, no.one will tell tudes, never ascending to the arctic circle, nor descending you of them, except those who wish to gain your favour. lower than the Alps, where it is sometimes found; but the But let them once fall, then people in every direction come brown bear accommodates himself to every clime, and is to expose their villany-ROBERTs. to be found in every desert, or uncultivated country, on the face of our globe. He ranges the Scythian wilds as far Ver. 15. The horse-leech hath two daughters,. as the shores of the frozen ocean; he infests the boundless eryin Give forests of America; he traverses the burning wastes of yig,, give. Lybia and Numidia, countries of Africa, which supplied This creature is only once mentioned in the holy scripthe ancient Romans with bears to be exhibited at their tures. It was known to the ancient Hebrews under the public spectacles; he prowls on the glowing sands f Ara- name (nptly) aluka, from the verb alak, which, in Arabic bia; he lounges on the banks of the Nile, and on the shores signifies to adhere, stick close, or hang-fast. The reason, of the Red Sea; he inhabits the -wilderness adjoining to of the Hebrew name is evident; the Ibech sticks fast to the' the Holy Land. Hence, the black bear must have been skin: and in several languages, its pertinacious adhesion is unknown to the inhabitants of Canaan; while the red beair become proverbial. Horace celebrates it in this line - infested their country, prowled around their flocks, and "Non Inissura cutem, nisi plena cruoris hirudo." watched near their dwellings, affording them but too many An ancient author calls it the black reptile of the marsh, opportunities of studying his character, and too much because it is commonly found in- marshy places. Its crureason to remember his manners. elty and thirst of blood, are noted by many writers,. and'. A particular description of this animal is to be found in indeed, are too prominent qualities, in this creature to be every work on natural history; our concern is only with overlooked. those traits in his character, which serve to illustrate the "-jam ego me vertam inhirudiner sacred writings. His external appearance is unusually Atque eorum exsugebo sanguinem."-.Plaut. in Epidico, 9~t i,; 55 434 PR OV E R B S. CHAP. 31. Long before the time of that ancient Roman, the royal collected for that purpose from the circumjacent country. preacher introduced it in one of his Proverbs, to illustrate If th.is conjecture be right, the meaning of Solomon will be the cruel and insatiable cupidity of worldly men: " The this: He who is guilty of so great a crime, shall be subhorse-leech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give." Sev- jected to an infamous punishment; and shall be cast into eral questions have been proposed in relation to this text; the valley of dead bodies, and shall find no grave, but. the whether, for example, it is to be literally understood; and devouring maw of the impure and voracious raven. It was what the-royal preacher means by its two daughters. Bo- a common punishment in the East, (and one which the chart contends, that it cannot be literally understood, first, Orientals dreaded above all others,) to expose in the open because its introduction into that proverb would be quite fields the bodies of evil-doers that had suffered by the laws improper; second, because the horse-leech has no daugh- of their offended country, to be devoured by the beasts of ters, being generated of putrid matter in the bottom of the the field, and the fowls of heaven. Hence, in Aristophanes, marsh. In answer to these reasons, it may be observed, an old man deprecates the punishment of being exposed to that if it be connected with the preceding verse, the intro- the ridicule of women, or given as a banquet to the ravens; duction is'quite proper, and highly emphatical; indeed, we and Horace, in his sixteenth epistle to Quintius, reprecan scarcely conceive any thing more forcible and beautiful sents it as the last degree of degradation, to be devoured by than the comparison. To the second objection, it is suffi- these hateful birds. cient to reply, that Bochart has merely asserted the forma- "- non pasces in cruce corvos."' tion of the horse-leech from putrid mire; but the absurdity The wise man insinuates, that the raven makes his first of equivocal generation has already been considered. Mer- and keenest attack on the eye; which perfectly corresponds cer supposes, that the two daughters of the horse-leech are with his habits, for e always begins his banquet with that the forks of her tongue, by which she inflicts the wound; with his habits, for he always begins his banquet with that the forks of her tongue, by which she its the wound; part of the body. Isidore says of' him, " Primo in cadavebut this exposition is inadmissible, because she is destitute ribus oculum petit:" and Epictetus,'O ph v KOpaKIi TCW TnEof that member, and acts merely by suction. Bochart, XEriswv op0aXpovg Xvanvovrca: the ravens devour the supposing that the clause where it is introduced, cannot ev,,tov Tod ocbdaovc Xveanvota: the ravens devour the with propriety be connected with any part of the context, duced; but these are sfficient tstify the allsion in the considers it, of course, as independent; and admitting the duced; but these are sufficient to ustify the allusion in the derivation of alaka from alak, tQ hang or be appended, in- proverb.-PxxroN; lerprets the term as denoting the termination of human life, Ver. 25. The ants are a people not strong, yet appended as it were to the purpose of God, limiting the term of our mortal existence; and by consequence, that they prepare their meat in the summer. her two daughters are death and the grave, or, should See on h 6 6 these be thought nearly synonymous, the grave, where the body returns to its dust, and the world of spirits, where the Ver. 26. The conies are bit a feeble folk, yet soul takes up its abode. Buf with all deference to such high authority, this interpretation appears very forced and unnatural. The common interpretation seems, in every See on Ps. 104. 18. respect, entitled to the preference. Solomon,. having in the preceding verses mentioned those that devoured the Ver. 27. The locusts have no king, yet go theprorperty of the poor, as the worst of all the generations he forth all of them. by bands. had Specified, proceeds in the fifteenth verse to state and illustrate the insatiable cupidity with which they prose- See on 2 Cnron. 7. 13. cuted their schemes of rapine and plunder.-As the horseleech hath two daughters, cruelty and thirst of blood, which Ver. 33. Surely the churning of milk bringeth cannot be satisfied; so, the oppressor of the poor has two forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringdispositions, cruelty and avarice, which never say they eth forth blood so the forcing of wrath bringa have enough, but continually demand additional gratifica- eth forth strife. tions. —PAxTON.. Ver. 17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and The ancient way of making butter in Arabia and Palesdespiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the tine, was probably nearly the same as is still practised by the Bedouin Arabs and Moors in Barbary, and which is valley shall pik it out, and the young eagles thus described by Dr. Shaw: " Their method of making shall eat it. butter is by putting the milk or cream in a goat's-skin turned inside out, which they suspend from one side of the tent to In the East, in consequence of the superstitions of hea- the other, and then pressing it to andfro in one tent tom thenism, numerous human bodies are exposed to become direction, they quickly occasion the separation of the uncthe prey of birds and wild beasts; and it is worthy of being troustan wheyqy paris." So the sptter of the oors in recorded, that the vYE is the first part selected by the former, tuous and wheyey parts." So "the bad, is made of the Moors as their favourite portion. It is, however, considered to be mik as it comes from the cow, by putting i to a skin an a great misfortune to be left without sepulchral rites; and Shaking it till the butter separaptt from it. (Stewart's it is no uncommon imprecation to hear, " Ah! the crows Journey to Mequnez And hat is more to the purpose Journey to Mequinez.) And what is more to the purpose, shall one day pict out thy EYos."-' R Yes, the lizards shall as relating to what is still practised in Palestine, Hasselquist, Solomon appears to ve a distinct character to s speaking of an encampment of the Arabs, which he found not Solomoten appears to g whve a distt character to eysome far from Tiberias, at the' foot of the mountain or hill where of the ravens in Palestine, when he says, " The eye that Christ preached his sermon, says, " they make butter in a moc.eth at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, tceth at his father, and deslpiseth to obey his mother, y leathern bag hung on three poles, erected for the purpose,,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young in the form of a cone, and drawn to and fro by two women.' eagles shall eat it." The wise man, in this passage, may iBntRDER allude to a specits of raven, which prefers the valley for The following is a description given by Thevenot of the her habitation to the clefts of the rock; or he may perhaps manner of making butter at Damascus which he, however, refer to some sequestered val ey in te Ld rmise, expressly assures us, is the same all over the East. " They much frequented by these birds, which derived its name teas n from that circumstance; or, as the rocky precipice where which serves instead of a leathern bag, that is, each end the raven loves to build her nest, often overhangs the tor- the stick to one foot, and the same with the forefeet, that rent, (which the original word, n:% nahal, also signifies,) and these sticks may serve as handles; they then put the milk the lofty tree, which is equally acceptable, rises on its itto this bag, close it carefully, shake it about, holding by banlks, the royal preacher might, by that ph'rase, merely i- the two sticks; after a time, add some water, and then shake tend the ravens which prefer such situations. Bochart conjectures, that the valley alluded to was Tophet, in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, which the prophet Jeremiah CHAPTER XXXI. calls the valley of the dead bodies; because the dead bodies Ver 1 of criminals were cast into it, where they remained without bural, till they were devoured by flocks of ravens, which good: her candle goeth not out by night. CHAP. 2. ECCLESIASTES. 435 To give a modern instance of a similar kind-Monsieur rying on commerce was a curiosity t-hat deserved to be inDe Guys, in his Sentimental Journey through Greece, says, serted in his history; it (an hardly then be thought an iam"embroidery is the constant employment of the Greek wo- propriety to take notice of this circumstance in a collection men. Those who follow it for a living are employed in it of papers tending to illustrate the scriptures, and especially from morning to night, as are also their daughters and in a country where the women indeed spin, but the men not slaves. This is a picture of the industrious wife, painted only buy and sell, but weave, and do almost every thing else after nature by Virgil, in the eighth book of his 2Eneid:- relating to manufactures. The commerce mentioned by'Night was now slidiug ti her mitdle course: THerodotus is lost, according to Maillet, from among the The first repose was finisll'd; when the darne, women of Egypt in general, being only retained by the Who by her distaff's slender art subsists, Arabs of that country who live in the mountains. The Wakes thle spread embers and the sleeping fire, Arabian historians say, that the women used to deal in buyNight adding to herwork: and calls her maids To their tong tasks, by lighted tapers urg'd.' ing and selling of things woven of silk, gold, and silver, of pure silk, of cotton, of cotton and thread, or simple linen I have a living portrait of the same kind constantly before my eyes. The lamp of a pretty neighbour of mine, who i wheat, barley, e n the rio the e follows that trade is always lighted before day, and herr tha follows that trade, is alys lighted before day, and er Maillet, in giving an account of the alteration in this re-.[oung assistants are all at work betimes in the morning." — spect in Egypt, affirms that this usage still continues among the' Arabs to this day, who live in the mountains; and'consequently he must be understood to affirm, that the things Ver. 24. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; that are woven among the Arabs and sold, are sold by the and delivereth girdles unto the -merchant. women, who are indeed the persons that weave the men's hykes in Barbary, according to Dr. Shaw, and doubtless Herodotus, it seems, thought the Egyptian women's car- weave in Egypt.-HARMER. ECCLESIASTES, OR THE PREACHER. CHAPTER It. cure happiness, Eccel. ii. 6. They are three in number, Ver. 4. I made me g~reat works; I1 built me placed nearly in a direct line above each other, like the locks of a canal. By this arrangement, the surplus of the houses; I planted me vineyards; 5. I made me first flows into the second, which is again discharged into gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in the third: from thence a constant supply of living water is them of all kindr of firuits; 6. I made me pools carried along the sides of the hill to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The figure of these cisterns is rectangular, and f ater, to water terewith the oodthat they are all nearly of the same width, but of considerable bringeth forth trees. difference in length, the th'ird being almost half as large again as the first. They are still in a certain state of preserThe following account of these reservoirs will evince at vation, and with a slight expense might be perfectly rewhat an immense expense and labour they were constructed. stored. The source from whence they are supplied is about Solomon's cisterns "are seated in a valley, and are three a furlong distant; the spring rises several feet below the in number, each occupying a different level, and placed in surface, the aperture of which is secured' by a door, so cona right line with each other, so that the waters of the one trived, that it may be impenetrably closed on any sudden may descend into the next below it. Their figures are quad- danger of the water being contaminated." (Jolliffe's Letters.) rangular: the first, or southern one, being about three hun- -BURDER. dred feet long; the second, four hundred; and the third, At about an hour's distance to the south of Bethlehemn, five hundred; the breadth of each being about two hundred are the pools of Solomon. They are three in number, of feet. They are all lined with masonry, and descended to an oblong figure, and are supported by abutments. The by narrow flights of steps, at one of the corners; the whole antiquity of their appearance entitles them, Dr. Richardson depth, when emtpy, not exceeding twenty or thirty feet. thinks, to be considered as the work of the Jewish monarch: They were, at the present moment, all dry; but though they " like every thing Jewish," he says, " they are more remay be considered useful works in so barren and destitute markable for strength than for beauty." They are situated a country as Judea, yet they are hardly to be reckoned at the south end of a small valley, and are so disposed on among the splendid monuments of a luxurious sovereign's the sloping ground, that the waters of the uppermost may wealth or power, since there are many of the Hebrew tanks descend into the second, and those of the second into the in Bombay, the works of private individuals, in a mere third. That on the west is nearest the source of the spring, commercial settlement, which are much more elegant in and is about 430 feet long;'the second is about 600 feet in their design, and more expensive in their construction, than length, and the third about 660; the breadth o' all thlee any of these. Near these reservoirs there are two small being nearly the same, about 270 feet. They are lhued fountains, of whose waters we drank, and thought them with a thick coat of plaster, and are capable of containing good. These are said to have originally supplied the cis- a great quantity of water, which they discharge into a small terns through subterranean aqueducts; but they are now aqueduct that conveys it to Jerusalem. This aqueduct is fallen into decay from neglect, and merely serve as a water- built on a foundation of stone: the water runs through lug-place for cattle, and a washing-stream for the females round earthen pipes, about ten inches in diameter, which of the neighbouring country." (Buckingham.) are cased with two stones, hewn out so as to fit them, and " After a slight repast, we took leave of our hosts, and set they are covered over with rough stones, well cemented toout in a southern direction to examine the Piscine, said to gether.'The whole is so much sunk into the groundon the have been constructed by Solomon. The royal preacher side of the hills round which it is carried, that in many has been imagined to allude to these, among other instances places nothing is to be seen of it. In time of war, however, of his splendour and magnificence, in the passage where he this aqueduct could be of no service to Jerusalem, as the is arguing for the insufficiency of worldly pursuits to pro- communication could be easily cut off. The fountain which 436' ECCLESIASTES. CHlAP. 3, 4. S'ipplies these pools is at about the distance of 140 paces growth of shrubs,but of trees; "the thick gloom of cypresses from, them. " This," says Maundrell, "the friars will and domes," which, as Dr. Clarke observes, of Constantihave to be that sealed fountain to which the holy spouse is nople, distinguish the most beautiful part of that city. How compared, Cant. iv. 12." And he represents it to have greatly such combinations must have contributed to the been by no means difficult to seal up these springs, as they general aspect of the Hebrew metropolis, surrounded by risei under ground, and have no other avenue than a little barren mountains, we can be at no loss to conceive: and hole, " like to the mouth of a narrow well." "Through with these royal embellishments we may connect those which thtl hole y ou descend directly down, but not without some were "planted in the house of the Lord," Psalm xcii. 13. (e."culty, for about four yards; and then arrive in a vaulted Mr. Rich says, very justly, "We should form a very incorr oom fifteen paces long and eight broad. Joining to this is rect notion of the residence of an eastern monarch, if we a )other room of the same fashion, but somewhat less. Both imagined it was one building which in its decay would these rooms are covered with handsome stone arches, very leave a single mound, or mass of ruins. Such establishments cncient, and perhaps the work of Solomon himself. You always consist of a fortified enclosure, the area of which is find here foiur places at which the water rises. From these occupied by many buildings of various kinds, without symseparate sources it is conveyed by little rivulets into a kind metry or general design, and with large vacant spaces be. of basin, and from thence is carried by a large subterraneous tween them."-TAYLoR IN CALMET. passage down into the pools. In the way, before it arrives at the pools, there is an aqueduct of brick pipes, which re- CHAPTER III. ceives part of the stream, and carries it by many turnings Ver. 5. A time to cast away stones, and a time and windings to Jerusalem. Below the pools, here runs to ather stones together: atim to embrace, clown a narrow rocky valley, enclosed on both sides. with ather stones together: a time to embrace hi[;h mountains. This the friars will have'to be' the enclosed garden' alluded to in the same place of the Canticles. See on 2 Kings 3. 19. As to the pools, it is probable enough they may be the same xwxith Solomon's; there not being the like store of excellent Ver. 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time,rhin,-water to be met with anywhere else throughout keep silence and a time tospeak Palestine. But, for the gardens, one may safely affirm, that if Solomon made them in the rocky ground which is now New clothes were thought very necessary for the solemnit.ssigned for them, he demonstrated greater powVer and zation of a stated eastern festival. Commentators have xwealth in finishing his design, than wisdom in choosing the taken notice, that the rending mentioned by Solomon, Ecp ace for it."-MODERN TRAVELLER. cles. iii. 7, refers to the oriental modes of expressing sor-. It were very desirable to convey some idea, though im- row; but they seem to think, that the sewiing signifies noperfect, of the nature and arrangement of the gardens an- thing more than the terminating, perhaps nothing more than iexed to royal palaces, in the East; for which this would the abating, of affliction. Maimonides is quoted on this ocbe a proper place. But to bring the subject within a mode- casion, as saying, He that mourns for a father, &c., let him rate compass is not easy; and every situation has peculiari- stitch up the rent of his garment at the end of thirty day:, ties, which do not admit of illustration by comparison, or of but never let him sow it up well. As the other cases, howapplication to our present purpose. The gardens of the ever, are as directly opposite as possible, is it not more seraglio at Constantinople command an extensive sea view, probable, that a season of joy is here meant, in contr ast to and are constructed accordingly. Dr. E. D. Clarke and a time of bitter grief, than merely of some abatement of M. Pouqueville agree that they are far fiom magnificent, distress? And that by a time of sewing, is meant a time of as Europeans estimate magnificence; and may rather be making up new vestments, rather than a slight tacking tothought wildernesses than gardens. They abound in fruit- gether the places of their clothes, which were torn in the tress, in treillages, in fountains, and in kiosques. Their other paroxysm of their grief 1 ornaments are but meager; and their flowers, which should Thus, when Jacob supposed he had lost his sori Joseph, constitute the chief distinction of a garden, especially of an he rent his cloltes. for grief, Gen. xxxvii. 34; while the imlperial garden, are but ordinary. In fact, those gentle- time of preparing for the circumcision of the son of Ishmael, men rather apologize to their readers for anticipated disap- the bashaw of Egypt, when Maillet lived there, must have pointment. "I promise," says Dr. Clarke, "to conduct my been a time of great sewing; for the rejoicing on that readers, not only within the retirement of the seraglio, but occasion lasted, it seems, " ten days, and on the first day of into the harem itself, and the most secluded haunts of the the ceremony the whole household of the bashaw appeared Turkish sovereign., Would only I'could also promise a in new clothes, and were very richly dressed. Two vests degree of satisfaction, in this respect adequate to their de- of different-coloured satin had been given to every one of sire of information." his domestics, one of English cloth, with breeches of the Chardin has given plates of several Persian gardens; same, and a lining of fur of a Moscovite fox. The meanest and from what he says-which is confirmed by Mr. Morier slave was dressed after this sort with a turban, of which the -coolness and shade beneath wide-spreading trees, water, cap was of velvet, or English cloth, and the other part and verdure, are the governing powers of a Persian para- adorned with gold. The pages had large breeches of green dise. It might be so, anciently, at Jerusalem; nevertheless, velvet, and short vests of gold brocade. Those of higher rank'we are still left in uncertainty as to what might characterize were more richly dressed; and there was not one of them the ancient city of David, his palace, and his gardens. We but changed his dress two or three times during the solemmaysafelyinfer that they were extensive, since his demesne nity. Ibrahim, the young lord that was to be circumcised, occupied the whole area of Mount Zion: they afforded a appeared on the morning of the first day, clothed in a half variety of heights, since the mount was far from level: it vest of white cloth, lined with a rich fur, over a doliman of rose, also, much above Mount Moriah, on which stood the Venetian cloth of gold, and over this half vest he wore a city of Jerusalem, and consequently commanded distinct robe of fire-coloured camlet, lined with a green tabby.'views of that city and its environs. The various heights This vest, or quiriqui, was embroidered with pearls of a afilorded situations for buildings of different descriptions; large size, and fastened before with a clasp of large diaprivate kiosques adorned with the utmost magnificence and monds. Through all the time the solemnity lasted, Ibrahirn skill,(under Solomon,)dwellings for the inmates, the grards, changed his dress three or four times a day, and never wore the attendants? the harem, and for foreign curiosities also; the same thing twice, excepting the quiriqui, with its pearls; for specimens of natural history, birds, beasts, &c. Nor which hle put on three or four times." I need not go on,ras the extent of Mount Zion a rock; for Dr. Clarke with Maillet's account; it is sufficiently evident that the states expressly, l, If this be indeed Mount Zion, the pro- time of preparing for this rejoicing was a time of sewing.jphecy concerning it, (Micah iii. 12,) that the plough should HARMER, Pss over it, has been fulfilled to the letter; for such labours CHAPTER IV. were actually going on when we arrived." Here was (herefore a space (or spaces) of arable land; and this, after so Ver. 11. Again, if two lie together, then they have many revolutions of the surface, and so great intermixture heat: but how can one be warm alone? of unproductive ruins, derived from the buildings and fortifications upon it, and around it. In its original state, we In the oriental regions the oppressive heat requires the need' not doubt but that it would admit, not only of the members of the same family, in general, to occupy each a CHAf. 5-7. ECCLESIASTES. 437 separate bed. This, according to Maillet, is the custom not tell where they were. So great is the anxiety of some, in Egypt; where, not only the master and the mistress of arising from the jewels and gold they keep in their frail the family sleep in different beds in the same apartment, houses, that they literally watch a great part of the night,.but also their female slaves, though several lodge in the and sleep in the day, that their golden deity may not be same chamber, have each a separate mattress. Yet Solo- taken from them. mon seems to intimate that a different custom prevailed in I knew a man who had nearly all his wealth in gold pa.. Callaan, and one which the extreme heat of the climate godas, which he kept in a large chest in his bedroom' seems positively to forbid: ".If two lie together, then they neither in body nor in mind did he ever wander far from have heat, but how can one be warm alone I" Mr. Har- the precious treasure; his abundance hindered him from lmer endeavours to solve the difficulty, by supposing that sleeping and for a time it seemed as if it would hinder two might sometimes occupyone bed for medicinal purposes. him from dying; for when that fatal moment came, he s',-'It is certain that, in the case of David, it was thought a eral times, when apparently gone, again opened his eyes, very efficacious method of recalling the vital warmth when and again gave ANOTHER look at the chest; and one of the it was almost extinguished. But it is probable that the LAST offices of his hands was to make an attempt to feel ior royal preacher alluded rather to'the nipping cold of a the key under his pillow!-ROnBERTS. Syrian winter, when the earth is bound with frost and covered with snow, than to the chilling rigours of extreme old age. The cold winter is very severe during the night Ver. 7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, in that country. Even in the daytime it is so keen, that and yet the appetite is not filled. Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, had a fire burning before him on the hearth, when he cut the scroll in which the "My friend," says the sage, to the diligent and successful prophecies of Jeremiah were written, and committed it merchant, "why are you sc anxious to have riches? Know to the flames. This accounts, in the most satisfactory you not that' all this exertion is for the support of one sinmanner, for the remark of Solomon; for nothing surely gle span of the belly 2" " Tamby, you and your people can be more natural than for two to sleep under the same work very hard; why do you do so 2" The man will look canopy during the severe cold of a wintry night. The at you for a moment, and then putting his fingers on his same desire of comfort, one would think, which induces navel, say, " It is all for the belly."-ROBERTs. them to separate in the summer, will incline them, at least occasionally, to cherish the vital heat by a nearer approxi- CHAPTER VII. mation than sleeping in the same room. It is usual, through Ver. 6. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, the East, for a whole family to sleep in the same apartment,r o i especially in the lower ranks of life, laying their beds onughter o te oo. also s the ground. To this custom our Lord alludes in the par- vanity. able: " He from within shall answer and say, Trouble me Cow-dun0 dried was' the fuel commonly used for firing. not; the door is now shut, and my children are now with me but this was remarably slow in burnin0. On this accon. in bed;" that is, my whole family are now a-bed in the same the Arabs would frequently threaten to burn a person with room with me: "1 I cannot arise to -ive thee."-PAXTON. the Arabs would frequently threaten to burn a person with room with me: I cannot arise to give thee."-Px. cow-dung, as a lingering death. When this was used it w\-as CHAPTER V. generally under their pots. This fuel is a very striking contrast to thorns and furze, and things of that kind, which. Ver. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh would doubtless be speedily consumed, with the crackling to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that noise alluded to in this passage. Probably it is this conit wans an error: wherefore should God be trast which gives us the energy of the comparison.angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands Ver. 10. Say not thou, What is the cause that the "Let not thy mouth weakly excuse thee to no purpose; former days were better than these? for thou and do not say before the messenger, (who may be sent to dost not inquire wisely concerning this. inquire of thee what thou hast vowed,) it was a mistake." The -lindoos have four ages, which nearly correspond As the priests kept a servant to levy their share out of the withe oldn silver, brazen, and iron ages of the western with the golden, silver, brazen, and iron ages of the western offerings of the people, (1 Sam. ii. 13-16t,) and as they heathen. In the first ae, called Kretha, they say the corn were greatly concerned inseeing the vows punctually paid, it is probable that they kept messengers to go and summon sprang no attention; it second named Treat?,a, the justiceof kings and theblesthose whom they knew to have vowed any thing, for the d, naed Tret, the usticef kings and theblespulrpose of enfor cing, the payment of it. An employment sings of the righteous caused it to grow; in the third, called purpose of enforcing the payment Of it. An employment which e find in afertiTes in the synaogueswithot Tuvara, rain produced it; but in this, the fourth age, called which we find in aftertimes in the synagogues, without knowino when it began, mightbe the same, for the most part, Kai~ y, many works have to be done to cause it to grow. With that- wihich is here alluded to. The Jews, who scru- "Our fathers," say they, "had three harvests in the year: the trees also gave an abundance of fruit. Where is now pled to touch money on the sabbath-day, used to bind them- the cheapness of provisions the abundance of fish2 the selves on that day to an officer, sent by the rulers of the the chfapness o the rivers of milkabundane of ish the synagogue, to give such sum for alms; and that officer re- Whereful oks the riverleasures milk the plenty of ater ceived it from thema the next day. This conjecture is the Where the righteousness, the truth, and affection Wheimalsre Smore probable,.as that officer, who was the chagan or min- here the righteousness, the truth, anW affectioe m mern the riches, the peace, the plenty I Where the mighty men' ister of the synagogue, is sometimes styled the messengere,y ister of the synagogue, is sometimes styled te mes.senger Where the chaste and beautiful mothers, with their fifteern or sixteen children2 Alas! alas! they are all fled."-RoVer. 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, ERTS. whether he eat little or much: but the abun- Vet. 13. Consider the work of God: for who can dance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. make that straight which he hath made crookIn many parts of the East there are'not any banks, or ed? public offices, in which the affluent can deposite their riches;. " M lord, it is of no use trying to reform that fellow: his consequently the property has to be kept in the house, or ways are crooked: should you by force make him a little concealed insomesecret place. Underthese circumstances, straight, he will relapse into his former state." "If you it is no wonder that a man having great wealth should live make straight the tail of the dog, will it remain So?" —Roin constant dread of having it stolen. There are those who ers. have large treasures concealed in their houses, or gardens, or fields, and the fact being known they are closely watched, Ver. 25. I applied my heart to know, and to whenever they pay special attention to any particular ob- and to seek out wisdom and the reaso ject, or place. The late king of Kandy, after he was talken prisoner, and on his voyage to Madras, was much concerned of t/higs, and to know the wickedness of folly, about some of his concealed treasures, and yet he would even of foolishness and madness. 438 ECCLESIASTES. CHAP. 7 —10 Th'e margin has, instead of applied, " I and my heart distinguished from their inferiors, by riding on horseback'compassed," i. e. encircled, went round it. According to when they go abroad; while those of meaner station, and Dr. Adam Clarke," I made a circuit;-I circumscribed the Christians of every rank, the consuls of Christianrpowers ground I was to traverse: and all within my circuit I was excepted, are obliged to content themselves with the ass or determined to'know."-In English we say, "I stludied the the mule. A Turkish grandee, proud of his exclusive subject," but in eastern idiom, it is, " I went ROUND it." privilege, moves on horseback with a very slow and state-' Have you studied grammar " — Yes, suette sutte;' round ly pace. To the honour of riding upon horses, and the and: aund. " That man is well acquainted with magic, for stately manner in which the oriental nobles proceed through to E:. knowledge he has been round and round it: nay more, the streets, with a number of servants walking before them, I a l; told he has COMPASSED ALL the sciences."-ROBERTS. the wise man seems to allude, in his account of the disorders which occasionally prevail in society: "I have seen V er. 26. And I find more bitter than death the servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her the earth."-PAXTON. hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall es- Ver dimuethapit shall fall into it cape from her; but the sinner shall be takeneth a 8 a tnt ~~~~~~~by her. ~and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. The following insidious mode of robbery gives a very Other enclosures have fences of loose stones, or mud lively comment upon these words of Solomon: " The most walls some of them very low, which often furnish a recunninl robbers in the world are in this country. They treat to venomous reptiles. To this circumstance the royal use a certain slip with a running noose, which they cast preacher alludes, in his observations of wisdom and folly: with so much sleight about a man's neck when they are " He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and whoso breakwithin reach of him, that they never fail, so that they strangle eth a hedge, a serpent shall bite him." The term which him in a trice. They have another curious trick also to our translators render hedge in this passage, they might catch travellers. They send out a handsome woman upon with more propriety have rendered wall, as they had done the road, who, with her hair dishevelled, seems to be all in in another part of the writings of Solomon: " I went by tears, sighing and complaining of some misfortune which the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man she pretends has befallen her. Now, as she takes the same void of understanding; and lo, it was all grown over with way as the traveller goes, he easily falls into conversation thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and th with her, and finding her beautiful, offers her his assistance, stone wall thereof as broken down.-ATo. which she accepts: but ne hath no sooner taken her up on horseback behind him, but she throws the snare about his Ver. 11. Surely the serpent Till bite without enneck, and strangles him, or at least stuns him, until the 1 bt t en rc bbers who lie hid come running in to her assistance, and ccmplete T~wha~t she bath begun." (Thevenot,.)-BRDERn. The incantation of serpents is one of the most curious CHAPTER IX. and interesting facts in natural history. This wonderful er. S. Let thy garments be always iwihite; an d art, which sooths the wrath, and disarms the fury of the B~er. a. Let ty gamedeadliest snake, and renders it obedient to the charmer's let thy head lack no ointment. voice, is not an invention of modern times; for we discover This comparison loses all its force in Europe, but in manifest traces of it in the remotest antiquity. It is assertIndia, where white cotton is the dress ofall thEuroitpe, aut ed, that Orpheus, who probably flourished soon after letters ndia, where hite cotton is the dress of'all the inhabitants, were introduced into Greece, knew how to still the hissing and where the beauty of garments consists, not in their o shape, but in their being clean and white, the exhortation the aroachin snake, and to eetinguish the poison oh becomes strikingly proper. A Hindoo catechist address-auts are said to ha subdued by the power of song the terrible dragon that ing a native Christian on the necessity of correctness of by the power of sonCg the terrible dragon that conduct, said, See how welcome a person is whose garments guarded the golden fleece: H&,,i oiri Oi pa, Ovid e clean and white. Such let our cprsonduct be, and thrments, ascribes the same effect to the soporific influence of certain are clean and white. Such let our conduct be, and then, herbs, and magic sentences. But it seems to have been though we have lost caste, such will be our reception. he, ad magic sentences. But it seems to have been tho~~Xh we (W ave lost-caste;" sucar will be our d.)-URD. the general persuasion of the ancients, that the principal power of the charmer lay in the sweetness of his music. Ver. 12. For man also knoweth not his time: as Pliny says accordingly, that serpents were drawn from the fishes that are talken in an evil net, and as their lurking-places by the power of music. Serpents, says the birdes that are caugt in thevl snare; so ase Augustine, are supposed to hear and understand the words the birds that a re caught in the snare; so are of the Marsi; so that, by their incantations, these reptiles, the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it for the most part, sally forth from their holes. falleth suddenly upon them. The wonderful effect which music produces on the serpent tribes, is confirmed by the testimony of several respectable "Alas! alas! trouble has come suddenly upon me; I am moderns. Adders swell at the sound of a flute, raising caught as fishes in the net." " We are all of us to be caught - themselves upon the one half of their body, turning themas fishes in the net."-ROBERTS. selves round, beating proper time, and following the instruCHAPTER X. ment. Their head, naturally round and long like an eel, CHAPTER X. becomes broad and flat like a fan. The tame serpents, Ver. 7. I have seen servants upon horses, and many of which the Orientals keep in their houses, are princes wValkinLg as servants upon the earth. known to leave their holes in hot weather, at the sound of r —----- ~~ —----— b a musical instrument, and run upon the performer. Dr. See on 1 Kings 10. 8. Shaw had an opportunity of seeing a number of serpents In all ages and nations, we read or hear of complaints keep exact time with the dervishes in their, circulatory against those who have arisen from obscurity to respecta- dances, running over their heads and arms, turning when bility or rank in the state. It is not so modern as some they turned, and stopping when they stopped. The rattlesuppose for servants and inferiors to imitate their superiors; snake acknowledges the power of music as much as any of and though some would like to see a return of the " good his family; of which the following instance is a decisive old times 1" when a man's vest and jerkin would have to proof: When Chateaubriand was in Canada, a snake ot be regulated by his rank, such things are doubtless best left that species entered their encampment; a young Canadian, to themselves. The Hindoos are most tenacious in their one of the party, who could play on the flute, to divert his adherence to caste, and should any one, through property associates, advanced against the serpent with his new species bir circumstances, be elevated in society, he will always be of weapon. " On the approach of his enemy, the haughty.ooked upon with secret contempt. Their proverb is, " He reptile coiled himself into a spiral line, flattened his head, who once walked on the ground, is now in his palanquin; inflated his cheeks, contracted his lips, displayed his enand he who was in his palanquin, is now on the ground." venomed fangs and his bloody throat; his double tongue -ROBERTS. glowed like two flames of fire; his eyes were burning Persons of rank and opulence, in those countries, are now coals; his body, swollen with rage, rose and fell like thb. CHAP. i0. ECCLESIASTES. 439 bellows of a forge; his dilated skin assumed'a dull and vain exerted upon others. To account for this exception, sealy appearance; and his tail, which sounded the denun- it has been alleged, that in some serpents the sense of hear-, ciation of death, vibrated with so great rapidity, as to ing is very imperfect, while the power of vision is exceedresemible a light vapour. The Canadian now began to ingly acute; but the most intelligent natural historians play upon his flute, the serpent started with surprise, and maintain, that the very reverse is true. In the serpent drew back his heaf. In proportion as he was struck with tribes, the sense of hearing is much more acute than the the magic effect, his eyes lost their fierceness, the oscilla- sense of vision.. Pliny observes, that the serpent is much tions'of his taP. became slower, and the sound which it more frequently roused by the ear than by sight: "Jam emitted became weaker, and gradually died away. Less primum hebetes oculos huic malo dedit, eosque non in perpendicular upon their spiral line, the rings of the fasci- fronte ex adverso cernere sed in temporibus: itaque excitanated serpent were by degrees expanded, and sunk one tur, sed stpius auditu quam visu." In this part of his after another upon the ground, in concentric circles. The work, the ancient naturalist discourses not concerning any shades of azure, green, white, and gold, recovered their particular species, but the whole class of serpents, asserting brilliancy on his quivering skin, and slightly turning his of them, all, that nature has compensated the dulness of head, he remained motionless, in the attitude of attention their sight, by the acuteness of their hearing. Unable to and pleasure. At this moment, the Canadian advanced a resist the force of truth, others maintain, that the adder is few steps, producing with his flute sweet and simple notes. deaf, not by nature, but by design; for the Psalmist says, The reptile, inclining his variegated neck, opened a pas- she shutteth her ear, and will not hear the voice of the sage with his head' through the high grass, and began to charmer. But the phrase perhaps means no more than creep after the musician, stopping when he stopped, and this, that some adders are of a temper so stubborn, that the beginning to follow him again, as soon as he moved for- various arts of the charmer make no impression; they are ward." In this manner he was led out of their camp, at- like creatures, destitute of hearing, or whose ears are so tended by a great number of spectators, both savages and completely obstructed, that no sounds can enter. The Europeans, who could scarcely believe their eyes, when same phrase is used in other parts of scripture to signify a they beheld this wonderful effect of harmony. The assem- hard and obdurate heart: "Whoso stoppeth his ears at the bly unanimously decreed that the serpent which had so cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be highly entertained them should be permitted to escape. heard." It isused in the same sense bythe prophet: " That Many of them, are carried in baskets through Hindostan, stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his and procure a maintenance for a set of people who play a eyes from seeing evil." The righteous man remains as few simple notes on the flute, with whllich the snakes seem unmoved by the cruel and sanguinary counsels of the much delighted, and keep time by a graceful motion of the wicked, as if he had stopped his ears. In the same mianhead, erecting about half their length from the ground, and ner, the stubborn or infuriated aspic, as little regards the following the music with gentle curves, like the undulating power of song, as if her sense of hearing were obstructed lines of a swan's neck. or destroyed. The serpent most common at Cairo, belongs to the viper If the serpent repel the charm, or is deaf to the song, the class, and is undoubtedly poisonous. If one of them enter charmer. it is believed, exposes himself to great danger, the a house, the charmer is sent for, who uses a certain form of whole force of the incantation falling upon the head of its words. By this means, Mr. Brown saw three serpents en- author, against whom the exasperated animal directs its ticed out of the cabin of a ship lying near the shore. The deadliest rage.'Rut which of the serpent tribes have the operator handled them, and put them into a bag. At other power to repel the incantations of the charmer, or inject a times, he saw thd fascinated reptiles twist round the bodies poison which his art is unable to counteract, no ancient of these charmers in all directions, without having had Greek writer has been able to discover, or has thought proptheir fangs extracted, or broken, and without doing them er to mention. /Elian states, indeed, that the bite of an any harm. Adders and serpents wid twist themselves aspic admits of no remedy, the powers of medicine, and the round the neck and naked bodies of young children be- arts of the charmer, being equally unavailing. But their longing to the chamrners,'and suffer them to escape unhurt. omission has been amply supplied by the Arabian philosoBut if any person who is ignorant of the art happens to ap- phers quoted by Bochart, our principal guide in this part of proach thiem, their destructive powers immediately revive. the work. These clear and accurate writers divide serpents At Surat, an Armenian seeing one of these charmers make into three classes. In the first, the force of the poison is so an adder bite him, without receiving any other injury than intense, that the sufferer does not survive their attack longthe mere incision, boasted he could do the same; and cans- er than three hours, nor does the wound admit of any cure, ing himself to be wounded in the hand, died in less than for they belong to the class of deaf or stridulous serpents, two hours. which are either not affected by music and other charms, While the creature is under the influence of the charm, or which, by their loud and furious hissing, defeat the purthey sometimes break out the tooth which conveys the poi- pose of the charmer. The only remedy, in this case, is Inson, and render it quite harmless: for the poison is contain- stantaneous amputation, or searing the wound with a hot ed in a bag, at the bottom of the fangs, which lie flat in the iron, which extinguishes the virus, or prevents it from mouth, and are erected only when the serpent intends to reaching the sanguiferous system. In this class they place bite. The bag, upon being pressed, discharges the poison the regulus, the basilisk, and the various kinds of asps, with through a hole or groove in the fang, formed to receive it, all those the poison of which is in the highest degree of ininto the wound, which is at the same instant inflicted by tensity. This doctrine seems to correspond with the view the tooth. That all the teeth are not venomous, is evident which the Psalmist and the prophet give us in the passages from this circumstance, that the charmers will cause their already quoted, of the adder and cockatrice, or basilisk. serpents to bite them, till they draw blood, and yet the hand It is certain, however, from the authentic statements of difwill not swell. ferent travellers, that some of those serpents, as the aspic But on some serpents, these charms seem to have no and the basilisk, which the Arabians place on the list of power; and it appears from scripture, that the adder some- deaf and untameable snakes, whose bite admits of no reintimes takes precautions to prevent the fascination which he edy, have been frequently subjected to the power of the sees preparing for him; "for the deaf adder shutteth her charmer; nor is it necessary to refer the words of the inear, and will not hear the voice of the most skilful charm- spired writers to this subject, for they nowhere recognise er." The method is said to be this: the reptile lays one the classification adopted by the Arabian philosophers. ear close to the ground, and with his tail covers the other, The only legitimate conclusion to be drawn from their that he cannot hear the sound of the music; or he repels words, is, that the power of the charmer often fails, whether the incantation by hissing violently. The same allusion is he try to fascinate the aspic, basilisk, or any other kind of involved in the words of Solomon: "Surely the serpent serpent. In order to vindicate the sacred writers, it is not will bite without enchantment, and a babbler is no better." necessary to suppose, with the Arabians, that some species The threatening of the prophet Jeremiah proceeds upon of serpents exist, which the charmer endeavours in vain to the same fact: "I will send serpents' (cockatrices) among fascinate; for in operating upon the same species, the sucvou, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you." cess of his incantations may be various.-PAxToN. In all these quotations, the sacred writers, while they take it for'granted that many serpents are disarmed by charm- r 1 the ln n th in ing, plainly admit, that the powers of the charmer are in child, and thy rinces cat in the morning I 440 ECCLESIAST!ES. CHAP. 1i1. It is considered to be most gross, most disgraceful, and young, flew, off with the utmost impetuosity: and soon arruinous, to eat EARLY in the morning: of such a one it is rived at the place of her destination. These pigeons have said, "Ah! that fellow was born with his belly." —' The been known to travel from Alexandretta to Aleppo, a disbeast eats on his bed!"-" Before the water awakes, that tance of seventy miles, in six hours, and in two days from creature begins to take his food," which alludes to the no- Bagdad; and when taught, they never fail, unless it be very tion that water in the well sleeps in the fight. "He only dark, in which case they usually send two, for fear of miseats and sleeps pandy-pole," i. e. as a pig.-" How can we take. The poets of Greece and Rome, oiften allude to prosper? he no sooner awakes than he cries, tee n! teen!" these winged couriers, andtheir surprising industi y. Ana~hl(od! food! —RIoaE.aTS. creon's dove, which he celebrates in his ninth ode, was employed to carry her master's letters; and her fidelity and Ver. 16. Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is despatch are eulogized in these lines: a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! Eyo it AvaKPEOVT,, &C. 17. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king "In such things, I minister to Anacreon; and now see is the son of nobles, and'thy princes eat in due what letters Ibring him. season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! It is more than probable, that to this singular custom Solomon alludes in the following passage: "Curse not the r. Russe tells us of the eastern people, that "as soon king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy Dr. Russel tells us of the eastern people, that "1as soon DZ bedchamber; for a bird of the air shall carry thi_~ voice, as they get up in the morning, they breakfast on fried eggs, bedhamber; for a bird of the air shall carry th voice, cheese, honey, leban," &c. aree, nhone tobn, sups ht hnSlmo as W and they which have wings shall tell the matter." The We are not to suppose that when Solomon says, " Wo remote antiquity of the age in which the wise man flourishto thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes ed, is no valid objection; for the customs and usages of Orientals, are almost as permanent as the soil on which eat in the morning," Eccles. x. 16, that he means absolute- Orientals, are almost as ermanent as the soil on which ly all kinds of eating; but feasting, the indulging themnselves' they tread. Averse to change, and content, for the mst scnproportionably part, with ivhat their fathers have taught them, they transsuch leng-th of time in eating, and drinking proportionably s lg fm ni n mit the lessons they have'received, and the customs they ot' wine, so as improperly to abridge the hours that should have learned, with little alteration, from one eneration to be eploed n afair ofgovrnnlntandperhps o ris-have learned, with little alteration, from one generation to be employed in affairs of government, and perhaps to di-s another. Thepigeon was employedwin carrying messages, qualify themselves for a cool and dispassionate judgment of and bearig intelligence, long before the coming of Christ and bearing intelligence, long before the coming of Christ, matters. This is confirmed by the following words "Blessed art as we know from the odes of Anacreon and other classics; Thi isconirmd b th folouing~tvrds " lesed reand the custom seems to have been very general, and quite thou, 0 land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy and the custom seems to have been very general, and quite familiar. When, therefore, the character of those nations, princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunken- a the tcat of thos i and the stability of their customs. are duly considere~:, it ness, ver. 17. They may with propriety eat in a morning, willnot be reckoned extravaant to say, olomon, in this will not be reckoned extravagant to say, Solomon, in. this bread, honey, milk, fruit, which, in summer, is a common text, must have had. his eye on the -carrier pigeon.. —PAXbreakfast with them, but it would be wrong then to drink text, must have had his eye on the carrier pigeon-PAxbreakfast with them, ~~~~TON. mwine as freely as in the close of the day. ON Wine being forbidden the Mohatnmedans by their reli- CHAPTER XI. gion, and only drank by the more licentious among them, Ver. 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou in a more private manner, it is not to be expected to appear shalt find it after niny days. at their breakfasts; but it is used by others, who are not under such restraints, in the morning, as well as in their uner such retraintsin the morning, as wellI believe Dr. Adam Clarke is right in supposing that this other repasts. alludes to the sowing of rice. The Tamul translation, has So Dr. Chandler tells us, in his Travels in Asia Minor: it, " Cast thy food upon the waters, and the profit'thereof "In this country, on account of the heat, it is usual to rise shall be found after m eany days." Rice fields are so made shall be found after m any days." Rice fields are so made with the dawn. About daybreak we received from the toreeive and retain the rains of the wet monsoon, or to as to receive and retain the rains of the w,,et moson or to French consul, a Greek, with a respectable beard, a present be watered from the tanks or artificial lakes. The rice of grapes, the clusters large and rich, with other fruits, all prospers the most when the ground, at the time of sowing fresh gathered.. We had, besides, bread and coffee for is in the state of mud, or covered with a little water. In ~~~~~~~~is in h tt fmd or covered -ihaltewtr.In breakfast, and good wines, particularly one sort, of an ex- some lands, the water is allowed FItST to overflow the whole, quisite flavour, called muscadel." If they drank then and then the roots are just stuck into the mud leaving the wine at all in a morning, it ought to be, according to the blades to float on the surface. In reapas the 5, ~~~~~~blades tfoaonhesrc.Inreaping-time, a h royal preacher, in small quantities, for strength, not-for gtme drunkenness. a water often remains, the farmer simply lops off the ears. See on Job xxiv. 24. —RoEERTS. The eastern people, Arabians and Turks both, are ob- The Arabs hve a ver similar prover, "Do good The Arabs have a very similar' proverb, " Do good, served to eat very fast, and, in common, without drinking; throw bread into the water, it will one ay e repaid thee. throw bread into the water, it will one day be repaid thee. but when they feast and drink wine, they begin with fruit bt when they feast and drinki wine, they begin with fruit The Turks have borrowed it from the Arabs, with a slight and seatmeats, and rini wine, and they sit on at alteration, according to which, it is as follows: "Do good table: WVo to the land whose princes so eat in a morning, throw bred at the atr; even if the fish does not know, bIthrow bread into the water; even if the fish does n'ot know, eating after this manner a great variety of things, and yet the Creator knows it. The meaning of the Hebrw yet the Creator knows it." The meaning of the Hebrew, slowiy, as they do when feasting, and prolonging the time as well as of the Arabic and Turkish proverb, is, " Disb ~~~as well as of the Arabic and Turkish proverb, is,"Ds with wine. So the prophet Isaiah, in like manner, says, tribute thy bread to all poor people, whether known or unch. v. 11,' "Wo unto them that rise up early in the morn- kknown to thee; throw thy bread even into the water, reing, that they may follow strong drink, ttat continue until gardless whether it swims, and who may derive advantage night, until wine inflame them." Suchlippears to be the from it, whether n or ish; for even this charity, efit, whether men or fish; for even. this charity, eview of Solomon here. stowed at a venture, God will repay thee sooner or later." — If great men will indulge themselves in the pleasures of ROSES'tMLLER. the table and of wine, it certainly should be in the evening, when public business is finished.-IHARMER. Ver. 9. Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, Ver. 20. Curse not the kin- no, not in thy thou ght: ~ r thy thoug'ht, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for and cr not the ric in thy edhamber for sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that these thing's God will bring thee into judgment. which hath wings shall tell the matter. Herodotus, speaking of the Egyptians, says, that " at the The manner of sending advice by pigeons was this: entertainments of the rich, just as the company are about to They took doves, which had a very young and unfledged rise from the repast, a small coffin is carried round, conbrood, and carried them on horseback to the place from taining a perfect representation of a dead body; it is in size whence they wished them to return, taking care to let sometimes of one, but never of more than two cubits, and them have a full view. When any advices were received, as it is shown to the guests in rotation, the bearer exclaims, the correspondent tied a billet to the pigeon's foot, or under Cast your eyes on this figure; after death you yourself will the wing, and let her loose. The bird, impatient to see her resemble it; drink, then, and be happy."-BURDER. CHAP. I. SOLOMON'S SONG. 441 CHAPTER XII. sequently his doors shall be shut; neither will the noise of Ver. 4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets, their songs, which are usual at that employment, be heard, when the sound of the grinding is low; and he or when it is heard, it will be only in a low, feeble tone.when the sound of the grinding is low; and he BURDEm shall rise up at the voice of the bird: and all the daughters of music shall be brought low. Ver. 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which It is to the first crowing of the house-cock in the morn- is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the ing, which is before daybreak, that Solomon probably al- almnond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper udes. This well describes the readiness of the restless old shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man to quit his uneasy bed, since it was much earlier than man goeth to his long home, and the mourners the usual time of rising. In the East, it was common to all, the young and the healthy, as well as the aged, to rise with go about the streets. the dawn. See on Jer.'1. 11, 12. The people in the East bake every day, and usually grind their corn as they want it. The grinding is the first work in the morning. This grinding with their mills makes a considerable noise, or rather, as Sir John Chardin says, as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, "the songs of those who work them." May not this help which are given from one shepherd. to explain the meaning of this passage, in which the royal preacher, describing the infirmities of old age, among other It is said, "The words of that judge are quite certain; weaknesses, says, the doors shall be shut in the streets, when they are like the driven nails." "I have heard all he has the S0ond of the grindinzg is low? that is, the feeble old man to say, and the effect on my mind is like anail driven home." shall not be able to rise from his bed early in the morning " What a speaker! all his words are nails; who will draw to attend that necessary employment of grinding corn, con- them out again V'-ROBERTS. THE SONG OF SOLOMON. CHAPTER I. feet of her way of life in that burning climate;) her eyes Ver. 5. I amn black, but comely, ye daughters black and sparkling, and of an uncommon fire; her countenance animated and sprightly in a very high degree; her of Jerusalern; as the tents of Kedar, as the cur- person graceful and genteel beyond imagination; her teeth tains of Solomon. white as pearl; her voice clear and strong. Such is the picture which historians have drawn of the beautiful and Entertainments are frequently given in the country under unfortunate Zenobia; from whence it appears, that a person tents, which, by the variety of their colours, and the pecu- may be both black and comely; and by consequence, that liar manner in which they are sometimes pitched, make a the description of Solomon, which certainly refers to the very pleasant appearance. To this agreeable custom the moral and religious state and character of the genuine spouse probably alludes, in that description of her person: worshipper of Jehovah, is neither incongruous nor exag"I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem; gerated, but perfectly agreeable to nature. In this case,.a.' the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomnon." The however, the duskiness of complexion was not natural, seeming contradiction in the first clause, is easily obviated. but the consequence of exposure to the rays of the sun; for The Arabs generally make use of tents covered with black the spouse anticipates the surprise which the daughters of hair-cloth; the other nations around them live in booths, or Jerusalem would feel when they beheld her countenance: huts, constructed of reeds and boughs, or other materials, " Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun or in tents of different colours. In Palestine, the. Turco- hath looked upon me." Females of distinction in Palesmans live in tents of white linen cloth; while the Turks, tine, and even in Mesopotamia, are not only beautiful and in their encampments, prefer green or red, which have a well-shaped, but, in consequence of being always kept from very V.easing effect in the eye of the traveller. It is only the rays of the sun, are very fair. This fact is attested by the Arabian tents, or the tents of Kedar, which are uni- D'Arvieux, who was favoured with a sight of several Araformly black, or striped. This is the reason the spouse bian ladies of high rank. It is not unworthy of notice, that compares herself, not to tents in general, which are of the scripture bears the same testimony concerning the comdifferent colours, but to those of Kedar, which are all cov- plexion of Sarah, of Rebecca, and of Rachel; they were ered with black hair-cloth, and have therefore a disagreea- "beautiful and well-favoured." But the women in general ble appearance. These tents are stretched on three or four are extremely brown and swarthy in the complexion; alpickets, only five or six feet high, which gives them a very though there are not a few of exquisite beauty in these fiat appearance: at a distance, one of these camps seems torrid regions, especially among those who are less exposed only like a number of black spots. to the heat of the sun. It is on this account that the prophet To-be black, but comely, involves no contradiction; for Jeremiah,when he would describe a beautifulwomen, repit is certain that the face may be discoloured by the sun, to resents her as one that keeps at home: because those who the influence of which the spouse positively. ascribes her" are desirous to preserve their beauty, go very little abroad sable hue,' and yet possess an exquisite gracefulness. The The spouse proceeds, " As the tents of' Kedar, as the curArab women, whom Mr. Wood saw among the ruins of tains of Solomon." By the last clause may be understood Palmyra, were well shaped, and, although very swarthy, those splendid tents, to which the great monarch, who, by yet had good features. Zenobia, the celebrated queen of his own confession, denied himself no earthly pleasure, that renowned city, was reckoned eminently beautiful; and. retired in the heats of summer, or when he wished to enterthe description we have of her person answers to that char- tain his nobles and courtiers, or sought the amusement of arter; her complexion of a dark brown, (the necessary ef- the chase. Some are of opinion, these curtains refer to the 56 442 SOLOMON'S SONG. CHAP. 2. sumptuous hangings which surrounded the bed of the Israel- divers colours. longish pieces of metal strung upon a thread, itish king: and their idea receives some countenance from hanging pendent upon their temples, nearly a span in a manuscript note of Di. Russel's, which states, that mos- length." — ROSENMULLER. cheto curtains are sometimes suspended over the beds in Syria and Palestine. But since it is common in Hebrew Ver. 12. While the King sitteth at his table, my poetry to express nearly the same thought in the second spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. parallel line as in the first; and since it is equally common in scripture to put a part for the whole,-it is more, natural See on Mark 14. 3, 5. to suppose, that the tents of Solomon are actually meant in this passage; and as we are sure they were extremely mag- Ver. 13. A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved nificent, they might, with great propriety, be introduced unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my here, on account of their beauty.-PAXTON.breasts. Ver. 7. Tell me, 0 thou whom my soul loveth, The eastern women, among other ornaments, used little where thotu feedest, where thou makest thy flock perfume-boxes, or vessels filled with perfumes, to smell at. to rest at noon: for whyshoulld I be as one that -These were worn suspended from the neck, and hanging turleth at side by the flocks of thy companions down on the breast. This circumstance is alluded to in the biundle of myrrh. These olfactoriola, or smelling-boxes, Before noon, the shepherds and their flocks may be seen (as the Vulgate rightly denominates them,) are still in use among the Persian women, to whose necklaces, which fall.lowly moving towards some shady banyan, or other tree, aong the Persian women, to whose neclaces, which fall below the bosom, is fastened a large box of sweets; some where they recline during the heat of the day. The sheep below the bosoms if atened a large box of sweets; some of these boxes are as big as one's hand; the common ones sleep, or lazily chew the cud; and the shepherds plat pouches, mats, or baskets, or in dreamy musings while are of gold, the others are covered with jewels. They are all bored through, and filled with a black paste very light, made of musk and amber, but of very strong smell.-BURDER. Ver. 9. I have compared thee, O-my love, to a VeAX. 9. I have compared thee, 0my love, i to Ver. 14. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. camhire in the vineyards ofngedi. camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. This appears a very coarse compliment to a mere English A cluster of camphire." This is the al-hennab, or cyreader, arising from the difference of our manners; but the horse is an animal in very high estimation inthe East. The prUs. Itis here mentioned asa perfume, and its clusters Arabians are extravagantly fond of their horses, and caress are noticed. This eautiful odoriferous plant, if t is not them as if they were their children. D'Arvieux gives a annually cut and kept low, grows ten or twelve feet high, diverting account of the affectionate caresses an Arab used p out its little floxers in clusters, which yield a most to give a mare which belonged to him. He had sold it to grateful smell, like camphire, and may, therefore, be alluded a merchant at Rama, and when he came to see it, (which to, Cant. i. 14. Its plants after they are dried and powdered, he frequently did,) he would weep over it, kiss its eyes, and are disposed of to good advantage in all the markets of this when he departed, go backwards, bidding it adieu in the kingdom, of Tunis. For with this all the African ladies most tender manner. The horses of Egypt are so remark- that can purchase it, tinge their lips, hair, hands, and feet; able for stateliness and beauty, as to be sent as presents of rendering them thereby of a tawny, saffron colour, which, great value to the sublime porte; and it appears from sacred with them, is reckoned a great beauty. Russel mentions history, that they were in no less esteem formerly among ng sectheir feet a nd hands at Aleppo. the kings of Syria, and of the Hittites, as well as Solomon ah, as eneral among all sects and conditions at Aleppo himself, who bought his horses at 150 shekels, which (at Hasselquist assures us he saw the nails of some mummies Dean Prideaux's calculation of three shillings the shekel) tinged with the al-hennab, which proves the antiquity of is ~22. 10s. each, a very considerable price at which to the practice. And as this plant does not appear to be a native purchase twelve thousand horses together. The qualities of Palestine, but of India and Egypt, and seems mentioned, which form the beauty of these horses, are tallness, propor- Cant. i. 14, as a curiosity growing in the vineyards of Entionable corpulency, and stateliness of manner; the same gedi, it is probable that the Jews might be acquainted with cts use as a die or tinge before they had experienced its qualities which they admire in their women, particularly odoriit use as a di e or tinge before they had experienced its corpulency, which is known to be one of the most esteemed odoriferous quality, and characters of beauty in the East. Niebuhr says, " as plump- stance, give it its name. See more concerning the hennah, ness is thought a beauty in the East, the women, in order to or al-hennah, in HIarmer's Outlines of a New Commentary obtain this beauty, swallow, every morning and every even- on Solomon's Song, p. 218, &c.-BcaEn. ing, three of these insects, (a species of tenebr'iones,) fried CHAPTER II. in butter." Upon this principle is founded the compliment of Solomon; and it is remarkable that the elegant Theoc- Ver. 1. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of ritus, in his epithalamium for the celebrated queen Helen, the valleys. whom he described as plhamp and la'rge, uses exactly the same image, comparing her to the horse in the chariots of In the East this flower is extremely fragrant, and has alThessaly.-BuRDER. ways been much admired. In what esteem it was held by the ancient Greeks, may be seen in the Odes of Anacreon, Ver. 10. Thy cheeks are comely with rosws of and the comparisons in Ecclus. 24. 14. 18. L. 8, show that njeeels, thy leck with chains of gold. the Jews were likewise much delighted with it. " In no coluntrv of the world does the rose grow in such perfection Olearius observes, in his description of the dress of the as in Persia; in no country is it so cultivated and prized Persian women, "around the cheeks and chin they have by the natives. Their gardens and courts are crowded one or two rows of pearls or jewels, so that the whole face with its plants, their rooms ornamented with vases, filled is adorned with pearls or jewels. I am aware that this is a with its gathered bunches, and every bath strewn with the very ancient eastern custom; for already in Solomon's song full-blorn flowers, plucked from the ever-replenished stems. it is said, " thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels," &c. Even the humblest individual, who pays a piece of copper All these Persian court ladies had over their curled locks, money for a few whifs of a kelioun, feels a double enjoyinstead of pearls, two long and thick cords of woven and ment when he finds it stuck with a bud from his dear native beaten gold, hanging down from the crown of the head over tree." (Sir R. K. Porter.)-BURDER. the face on both sides; this ornament, because it is worn at Vex. 3. As the anpe-tree amono- the trees of the court, is quite usual' among the Persian women, and does. not become them ill, in their black hair." (Della Valla.) wood, so is my beloved among the' sons. I sat Rauwolf gives a similar description of the head-dress of down under his shadow with great delight, and the Arabian women in the desert of Mesopotamia: " When his fruit was sweet to my taste. they wish to adorn themselves, they have their trinkets, saelh as balls of marble, and yellow agate, glass beads of In Canaan, and the circumjacent regions, the apple-tree CIiAP. 2. SOLOMON'S SONG. 443 is of no value; and, therefore, seems by no means entitled -" The versions in general understand some kind of oint. to the praise with which it is honoured by the spirit of in- ments or perfumes by the first term," i. e. flagons. " Com — spiration. The inhabitants of Palestine and Egypt import fort me with apples:" they had not apples, as we in Engtheir apples from Damascus, the produce of their own orch- land; it is, therefore, probable that the citron or the orange ards being almost unfit for use. The tree then, to which (both of which are believed to be good for the complaint althe spouse compares her Lord in the Song of Solomon, luded to) is the fruit meant. "I am sick of love." Is it whose shade was so refreshing, and whose fruit was so de- not amusing to see parents and physicians treating this aflicious, so comforting, so restorative, could not be the apple.. fection as a DISEASE of a very serious nature? It is called tree, whose fruit can hardly be eaten; nor could the apple- the CLlma-Cdchal, i. e. Cupid's fever, which is said to be tree, which the prophet mentions with the vine, the fig, the produced by a wound inflicted by one of his five arrows. palm: and the pomegranate,whichfurnished the hungry with When a young man or woman becomes languid, looks thin, ga ga n ful repast, the failure of which was considered as a refuses bfood, seeks retirement, and neglects duties, the publ::::alamity, be really of that species: "The vine is dried father and mother hold grave consultations; they apply to up, thc fig-tree languisheth, the pomegranate-tree, the palm- the medical man, and ho furnishes theme with medicines, tree, also the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field, are which are forthwith to be administered, to relieve the poor withered; because joy is withered away from the sons of patient. men." M. Forskall says, the apple-tree is extremely rare, and I believe the " versions in general" are right in supposing is named tyffalt by the inhabitants of Palestine. In deference "ointments or perfumes" are meant, instead of flagons, beto his authority, the editor of Calmet, with every disposition cause they are still considered to be most efficacious in reto render the original term bythe citron, is inclined to revert moving the COMPLAINT. Thus, when the fever is most disagain to the apple. But if, as Forskall admits, the apple- tressing, the sufferer is washed with rose-water, rubbed tree is extremely rare, it cannot, with propriety, be classed with perfumed oils, and the dust of sandal wood. The with the vine, and other fruit-bearing trees, that are ex- margin has, instead of comfort, ",straw me with apples;" remely common in Palestine and Syria. And if it grow which probably means the citrons were to be put near to'with difficulty in hot countries," and required even the him, as it is believed they imbibe the heat, and consequently assiduous attention" of such a monarch as Solomon, be- lessen the fever. It is also thought to be highly beneficial fore it could be raised and propagated, an inspired writer for the young sufferer to sleep on the tender leaves of the certainly would not number it among the" trees of the plantain-tree, (banansh) or the lotus flowers; and if, in adfield," which, as the phrase clearly implies, can live and dillon, strings of pearls are tied to different parts of the thrive without the fostering care of man. body,., there is reason to hope the patient will do well.The citron is a large and beautiful tree, always green, ROBERTS. perfuming the air with its exquisite odour, and extending a deep and refreshing shade over the panting inhabitants of Ver. 7. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusathe torrid regions. Well, then, might the spouse exclaim: lem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, "As the citron-tree among the trees of the wood; so is my that ye stir not up, nor aake y love, till he beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow tae with great delight, and his frliit was sweet to my taste." A plese. more beautiful object can hardly be conceived, than a large See on 2 Sam. 2. 18. and spreading citron, loaded with gold-coloured apples, and Here again the custom illustrates the passage; it would clothed with leaves of the richest green. Maundrellprefer- be considered barbarous in the extreme to awake a person. red the orange garden, or citron grove, at Beroot, the palace out of his sleep. How often, in going to the house of a of the Emir Facardine, on the coast of Syria, to every thing native, you are saluted with" Nitlera-kvlta-krctr,'," i. e. "He else he met with there, although it was only a large quad- sleeps." Ask them to arouse him: the reply is, "Koodcthca," rangular plot of ground, divided into sixteen smaller squares: i. e." I cannot." Indeed, to request such a thing shows at but the walks were so shaded with orange-trees, of a large once that you are griffin, or new-comer. "Only think of spreading size, and so richly adorned with fruit, that he that ignorant Englishman: he went to the house of our thought nothing could be more perfect in its kind, or, had chief, and being told he was asleep, he said he must see it been duly cultivated, could have been more delightful. him, and actually made such a noise as to awake him; When it is recollected that the difference between citron and and then laughed at what he had done."-RoBERTs. orange-trees is not very discernible, excepting by the fruit, The antelope, like the hind, with which it is so freboth of which, howeverhave the same golden colour, this quently associated in scripture, is a timid creature,. expassage of' Uaundrell's may serve as a comment on the words tremely jealous and watchful, sleeps little, is easily disof Solomon, quoted in thebeginning of the section. —PAxToN. turbed, takes alarm on the slightest occasion; and the moShade, according to Mr. Wood, in his description of the meat its fears are awakened, it flies, or seems rather to disruins of Balbee, is an essential article in oriental luxury. appear, from the sight of the intruder. Soft and cautious is The greatest people seek these refreshments, as well as the the step which interrupts not the light slumbers of this gentlemeaner. So Dr. Pococke found the patriarch of the Ma- and suspicious creature. It is probable, friom some hints in ronites, (who was one of their greatest families,) and a the sacred volume, that the shepherd in the eastern desert, bishop, sitting under a tree. Any tree that is thick and sometimes wished to beguile the tedious moments, by conspreading doth for them; but it must certainly be an addi- templating the beautiful form of the sleeping antelope. But tion to their enjoying of themselves, when the tree is of a this was a gratification he could not hope to enjoy, unlc-,ss fragrant nature, as well as shady, which the citron-tree is. he approached it with the utmost care, and maintained a Travellers there, we find in their accounts, have made use profound silence. When, therefore, an Oriental charged of plane-trees, walnut-trees, &c., and Egmont and Heyman his companion by the antelope, not to disturb the repose of were enteriained with coffee at Mount Sinai, under the another, he intimated, by a most expressive and beautiful orange-trees of the garden of that place. allusion, the'necessity of using the greatest circumspection. The people of those countries not only frequently sit un- This. statement imparts a great degree of clearness and der shady trees, and take collations under them, but some- energy, to the solemn adjuration which the spouse twice times the fruit of those trees under which they sit, is shaken addresses to the daughters of Jerusalem, when she charged down upon them, as an agreeableness. So Dr. Pocoke tells them not to disturb the repose of her beloved: "I charge us, when he was at Sidon, he was entertained in a garden, you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, (the antein the shade of some apricot-trees, and the fruit of them was lopes,) and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, noi shaken upon him. He spealks of it indeed as if it was done awake my love, tillhe please." In this language, which is as a great proof of their abundance, but it seems rather to pastoral, and equally beautiful and significant, the spouae have been designed as an agreeable addition to the entertain- delicately intimates her anxiety to detain her Lord, that she ment.-HAmERa. may enjoy the happiness of contemplating his glory; her deep sense of the evil nature and bitter consequences of sin; Vet. 5. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with her apprehension; lest her companions, the membersof her appies; for I am sick of love. family, should by some rash and unholy deed provoke him to depart; and how reasonable it was, that they who coveted Dr. Boothrovd:-" Support me with cordials; supportme the society of that beautiful creature, and W.ere accustomed withn citrons: for still I languish with love." Dr. A. Clarke: to watch over its slumbers in guarded silence, should be 444 SOLOMON'S SONG. CHAP. 2. equally cautious not to disturb the communion which she which, Dr. Russel assures us, all rural delights abandon then enjoyed with her Saviour. —PAxroN. the plains of Syria: but the meaning is, that the Murbania, the depth of winter, is past and over, and the weather beVer. 8. The voice of my beloved! behold, he come agreeably warm; the rain has just ceased, and concometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping sequently, has left the sure and agreeable prospect of undisturbed and pleasant serenity, for several days. It had upon the hills.' been no inducement to the spouse to quit her apartments See on Ps. ]18. 33. with the view of enjoying the pleasures of the country, to be told, that the rainy season had completely terminated, Ver. 8. The voice of my beloved! behold, he and the intense heats of summer, under which almost any cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping plant and flower sickens and fades away, had commenced. -PAXTON. upon the hills. 9. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our Ver. 12. The flowers appear on the earth; the wall, he looketh forth at the window, showing time of the singing of birds is come, and the himself through the lattice. voice of the turtle is heard in our land. Mr. Harmer thinks this means the green wall, as it were, of a kiosque, or eastern arbour, which is thus described by pleasat weather n winter, frequentlyleave their homes, Lady Al. W. Montague: "1 In the midst of the garden is the pleasant weather in winter, frequently leave their homes, Lady M. W. Montague: "In the midst of the garden is the and ive ntrtamnv to th' frends under tents tehed kiosque, that is, a large room, commonly beautified with a and give entertainments to their friends under tents, pitched fe fountain in the midst of it. It is raised nine or ten in the country for that purpose. In April, and part of May, fine fountain in the midst of it. It is raised nine or ten gilded lattices, round which vines, theyr retire to the gardens; and in the heat of summer, resteps, and honeysuckles, make a sort of green wallenclosed with ceive their guests in the summer-houses, or under the shade jessamines, and honeysuckles, make a sort of arreen wall; of the trees. The same custom seems, from the invitation of large trees are planted round this place, which is the scene the bridegroom, to have p revailed i n the land of Canaan of thi getstpesue-URE.the bride-room, to have prevailed in the land of Canaan of their Sreatest pleasures. "-oB smDER. in the time of Solomon. The inhabitants of Aleppo make In the h~ S oSonhps otn c m their excursion very early in the season; and the cold pares her beloved to the antelope, particularly alluding to weather is not supposed by Solomon to have ceased long the wonderful elasticity of its limbs, and the velocity with before, since it is distinctly mentioned. In yria, he narwhich, by a few leaps, it scales the loftiest precipice, or cissusflowers duringthewhole of the MIrbania; hyacinths mounds from one cliff to another. Waiting Twith eager ex- and violets, at latest, before it is quite over. Therefore, pectation his promised coming, she hears him at last speak- when Solomon says the flowers appear on theearth, he does ing peace and comfort to her soul; and instantly describes not mean the time when the earliest flowers appear on the arth, he does him as hastening, in the ardour of his love, to her relief, and bloom, but when the verdat turf is thickly studded with bloom, but when the verdant turf is thickly studded with surmounting with ease every obstruction in his way.-all the rich, the gay, and the. diversified profusion of an PAXTON. Dr. Russel observes, that the two species of antelopes oriental spring. This delightful season is ushered in at about Aleppo, in Syria, "are so extremely fleet, that the Aleppo about the middle of February, by the appearance greyhounds, though very good, can seldom take them, with- of a small cranes-bill on the bank of the river, which meanout the assistance of a falcon, unless in soft, deep ground." ders through its extensive gardens; and a few days afier, The following, occurrence proves the strong attachment so rapid is the progress of vegetation, all the beauty of spring The followingo~ occuL~rren~ceproves the strong attachment is displayed: about the same time, the birds renew thei.r which some of the Arabs cherish for these animals: "A is displayed: about the sae time, the birds renew their little Arab girl brought a young antelope to sell, which was songs. When Thevenot visited Jordan, on the sixteenth of April, he found the little woods on the margin of the river, bought by a Greek merchant, whose tent was next to me, filled with nightingales in full chorus. This is rather for half a piaster. She had bored both ears, into each offull chorus. This is rather for half a piaster. he had bore both ears, into each of earlier than at Aleppo, where they do not appear till nearly which she had inserted two small pieces of red silk riband. the end of the month. These facts illustrate the strict proShe told the purchaser, that as it could run about and lapof Solomon's description, every circumstance of milk, he might be able to rear it up; and that she should riety of Solomons description, every circumstance of which is accurately copied from nature. —PAxTON. not have sold it, bult that she wanted money to buy a riband, which her mother could not afford her: then almost smothering the little animal with kisses; she delivered it. with tears in her eyes, and ran away. The merchant ordered it rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let rne to be killed and dressed for supper. In the close of the see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for evening, the girl came to take her last farewell of her little sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is pet, knowing that we were to decamr at daybreak. When she was told that it was killed, she seemed much surprised. comely. saying that it was impossible that anybody could be so cruel as to kill such a pretty creature. On its being shown to See on Ps. 68. 13. her, with its throat cut, she burst into tears, threw the The Tamul translation has, instead of" countenance," money in the man's face, and ran away crying." (Parson's "form:" " Thy form is comely." Dr. Boothroyd says, Travels.)-BURDER. - "stairs" is certainly improper; but may there not be here an allusion to the ancient custom of building towers in the Ver. 10. My beloved spake, and said, unto me, East, for the purpose of accommodating doves? I have Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. seen one which had stairs inside, (probably to enable a person to ascend and watch for the approach of strangers;) 11. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over on the outside were numerous holes, in regular order, and gone. where the doves concealed themselves, and brought up their young. It is common to call a female by the name The Orientals distinguish their winter into two parts, or of dove, but it refers more to secrecy than beauty. The rather the depth of winter, from the commencement and mother of Ramar said it was necessary for him to go to the termination of the season, by the severity of the cold. This, desert, but she did not mention the reason to her husband; which lasts about forty days, they call Murbania. To this upon which he said, by way of persuading her to tell him, rigorous part of the season, the wise man seems to refer, in "Oh! my dove, am I a stranger'. —ROBERTS. that beautiful passage of the Song: " Rise, up, my love, my The phrase, which we render the secret places of the fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the stairs, may, with more propriety, be translated, the secret rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth: crevices of the precipitous rocks; for the original term the time of the singing of birds is come; and the voice of signifies a place so high and steep, that it cannot be apthe turtle is heard in ourland." If we explain this text by proached but by ladders. So closely pursued were the the natural phenomena, these words, " the rain is over and people of Israel, and so unable to resist the assault of their gone," cannot be considered as an exposition of the prece- enemies, that, like the timid dove, they fled to the fastding clause, "for,ilo, the winter is past;" and as denoting, nesses of the mountains, and the holes of the rocks.that the moist part of the year was entirely gone, along with PAXTON. CHAP. 2-4. SOLOMON'S SONG., 445 Ver. 15. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that my spouse; thou hast ravishtd my heart with spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes. one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. Foxes are observed by many authors to,be fond of grapes, There is a singularity, in this imagery, which has much and to make great havoc in vineyards. Aristophanes (in perplexed the critics; and perhaps it is not possible to his Equites) compares soldiers to foxes, who spoil whole ascertain the meaning of the poet beyond a doubt. Supcountries, as the others do vineyards. Galen (in his book posing the royal bridegroom to have had a Fprofle, or side of Aliments) tells us, that hunters did not scruple to eat the view of his bride, in the present instance, only one eye, or flesh of foxes in autumn, when they were grown fat with one side of her necklace, would be observable; yet this feeding on grapes.-BuRDER. charms and overpowers him. Tertullian mentions a custom in the East, of women unveiling only one eye in conCHAPTER III. versation, while they keep the other covered: and Niebuhr Ver. 5. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusa- mentions a like custom in some parts of Arabia. This lem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, brings us to nearly the same interpretation as the above. (Williams.) —BURDER. that ye stir not up, nor awake my love till he please. Ver. 12. A garden enclosed is my sister, my See on clh. 2. 7. spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Ver. 6. Who is this that cometh out of the wilder- This morning we went to see some remarkable places ness like pillars of smoklre, perfumed with in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem. The firstplacethat -myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of we directed our course to, was those famous fountains, myrrh and faninense, with all powders of pools, and gardens, about an hour and a quarter distant the merchant. from Bethlehem, southward, said to have been the contrivance and delight of King Solomon. To these works and The use of perfumes at eastern marriages is common; places of pleasure, that great prince is supposed to allude, and upon great occasions very profuse. Not only are the Eccl. ii. 5, 6, where, among the other instances of his garments scented till, in the Psalmist's language, they magnificence, he reckons up his gardens, and vineyards, smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia; it is also customary for and pools. As for the pools, they are three in number, virgins to meet, and lead the procession, with silver gilt lying in a row above each other, being so disposed that the pots of perfumes; and sometimes aromatics are burned in waters of the uppermost may descend into the second, and the windows of all the houses in the streets through which those of the second into the third. Their figure is quadthe procession is to pass, till the air becomes loaded with rangular; the breadth is the same in all, amounting to fragrant odours. In allusion to this practice it is demand- about ninety paces; in their length there is some difference ed, " Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like between them, the first being about one hundred and sixty pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense I" paces long, the second two hundred, the third two hundred So liberally were these rich perfumes burned on this occa- and twenty. They are all lined with wall, and plastered, sion, that a pillar of smoke ascended from the censers, so and contain a great depth of water. Close by the pools is high, that it could be seen at a considerable distance; and a pleasant castle of a modern structure; and at about the the perfume was so rich, as to equal in value and fragrance distance of one hundred and forty paces front them is a all the powders of the merchant. The custom of burning fountain, from which, principally, they derive their waters. perfumes on these occasions still continues in the East; for This the friars will have to be that sealed fountain, to which Lady Mary Wortley Montague, describing the reception of the holy spouse is compared, Cant. iv. 12, and, in confirma young Turkish bride at the.bagnio, says, " Two virgins ation of this opinion, they pretend a tradition, that King met her at the door; two others filled silver gilt pots with Solomon shut up these springs and kept the door of them perfumes, and began the procession, the rest following in sealed with his signet, to the end that he might preserve pairs, to the number of thirty. In this order they marched the waters for his own drinking,- in their natural freshness round the three rooms of the bagnio." And Maillet in- and prity. Nor was it difficult thus to secure them, they forms us, that when the ambassadors of an eastern mon- rising under ground, and having no avenue to them but by arch, sent to propose marriage to an Egyptian queen, made a little hole, like to the mouth of a narrow well. Through their entrance into the capital of that kingdom, the streets this hole you descend directly down, but not without some through which they passed were strewed with flowers, and difficulty, for about four yards, and then arrive in a vaulted precious odours burning in the windows, from very early room, fifteen. paces long, and eight broad. Joining to this in the morning, embalmed the air.-PAXTON. is another room, of the same fashion, but somewhat less. Ver. 11. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and Both these rooms are covered with handsome stone arches,'..sZion, and very ancient, and perhaps the work of Solomon himself. behold King Solomon with the crown where- Below the pools here runs down a narrow rocky valley, vwith his mother crowned him in the day of his enclosed on both sides with high mountains. This the espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his friars will have to be the enclosed garden alluded to in the same place of the Canticles before cited. What truth there heart. may be in this conjecture,,I cannot absolutely pronounce. Such a ceremony as this was customary among the Jews, As to the pools, it is probable enough they may be the same at their marriages. Maillet informs us the crowns were with Solomon's; there not being the like store of excellent spring-water to be met with anywhere else throughout all made of different materials. Describing the custom, as Palestine. (Maundrell.)-BURDER. practised by the members of the Greek church, who now Feirouz a vizier, having divorced his wife Chemsenlive in Egypt, he says, "that the parties to be married are nissa, on suspicion of criminal conversatin with te sultan, placed opposite to a reading-desk, upon which the book of the brothers of Chemsennissa applying for iedoess to their the gospels is placed, and upon the book two crowns, which judge, "y lord," said theyssa applyiwe had rented to their are made of such materials as people choose, of flowers of a most delightful garden, a terrestrial paradise; he took cloth, or of tinsel. There he (the priest) continues his benedictions and prayers, into which he introduces all the session of it, encompassed with high walls, and planted with the most beautiful trees, that bloomed with flowers and patriarchs of the Old Testament. He after that places fruit. He has broken down the walls, plucked the tender these crowns, the one on the head of the bridegroom, the flowers, devoured the finest fruit, and would now restore other on that of the bride, and covers them both with a to us this garden, robbed of every thing that contributed to veil." After some other ceremonies, the priest concludes render it delicious, when we gave him admission to it." the whole by taking off their crowns, and dismissing them Frouz, in his deence, and the sultan in hi attention to ith prayers-BuChemsennissa's innocence, still carry on the same allegory CHAPTER IV. of the garden, -as may be seen in the author.-BURDER. Ver. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, Ver. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come, thou 446 SO LOMON'S SONG. CHIar. 5. south; blow upon my garden, that the spices other pieces of wire that are in the lock, and enter into thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come certain little holes, out of which the ends of the wires that into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. are in the key have just expelled the corresponding wires, into.his garden, antd eat his pleasanlt fruits. upon which the gate is opened. But to accomplish this, The suffocating heats wafted on "the wings of the south a key is not necessary; the Egyptian lock is so imperfectly wind from the glowing sands of the desert, are felt more or made, that one may without difficulty open it with his fin. less in all the oriental regions; and even in Italy itself, al- ger, armed with a little soft paste. The locks in Canaan, though far distant from the terrible wastes of the neigh- at one time, do not seem to have been made with greater bouring continents, where they produce a general languor, frequently opened without a key: why beloved pt in his and difficulty of respiration. A wind so fatal or injurious frequenty opened hole of the door, and mybowel ere moen to the people of the East, must be to them an object of alarm hand by the hole of the door ad my bowels were moved or dismay. Yet, in the Song of Solomon, its pestilential for him."-PAXTON. blast is invited by the spouse to come and blow upon her Ver. 5. I rose up to open to mybeloved; and my garden, and waft its fragrance to her beloved. If the south winds in Judea are as oppressive as they are in Barbary hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with and Egypt, and as the winds from the desert are at Aleppo, sweet-smelling-myrrh, upon the handles of the (which, according to Russel, are of the same nature as the lock. south winds in Canaan;) or if they are only very hot, as Le Bruin certainly found them in October, would the When the spouse rose from her bed to open to her bespouse have desired the north wind to depart, as Bochart loved, her hand dropped mnyrrh, (balsam,) and her fingers renders it, and the south wind to blow? The supposition sweet-smelling myrrh, on the handles of the lock. In this cannot be admitted. An inspired writer never departs remark, she seems to allude rather to a liquid than a powfrom the strictest truth and propriety in the use of figures, der; for the word rendered dropped, signifies to distil as according to the rules of oriental composition; and there- the heavens or the clouds do rain, or as the mountains are fore a meaning directly opposite must be the true one, to said to distil new wine from the vines planted there, or as correspond with the physical character of that wind. The the inverted cups of lilies shed their roscid or honey drops. nature of the prayer also requires a different version; for The same term is figuratively applied to words or disis it to be supposed that the spouse, in the same breath, course, which are said to distil as the dew, and drop as the would desire two directly opposite winds to blow upon her rain; but still the allusion is to some liquid. As a noun, it garden? It now remains to inquire, if the original text is the name of stacte, or myrrh, distilling from the tree of its will admit of another version; and it must be evident, that own accord, without incision. Again, the word rendered the only difficulty lies in the term which we render, Come sweet-smelling signifies passing off, distilling, or trickling thou. Now the verb bo, signifies both to come and to de- down; and, therefore, in its present connexion, more napart; literally, to remove from one place to another. In turally refers to a fluid than to a dry powder. If these obthis sense of going or departing, it is used in the prophecies servations be just, it will not be difficult to ascertain the of Jonah twice in one verse: "He found a ship (baa) go- real sense of the passage. ing to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down When the spouse rose from her bed, to open the door of into it (labo) to go with them." It occurs again in this her apartment, she hastily prepared to receive her beloved, sense in the book of Ruth, and is so rendered in our trans- by washing herself with myrrh and water; or, according lation: " He went (vayabo) to lie down at the end of the to an established custom in the East, by anointing her heap of corn." The going down or departure of the sun, head with liquid essence of balsam: a part of which, in is expressed by a derivative of the same verb in the book either case, might remain on her hands and fingers, and of Deuteronomy: "Are they not on the other side Jordan, from them trickle down on the handles of the lock.by the way where the sun goetl down?" Joshua uses it in PAXTON. the same sense: " Unto the great sea, (Mebo,) towards the going down of the sun, shall be your coast." The passage, Ver. 7. The watchmen that went about the city then, under consideration, may be rendered in this mannr, found me, they smote me, they wounded me; putting the address to the south wind in a parenthesis: the keepers of the walls took away my veil Arise, O north wind, (retire, thou south,) blow upon my garden, let the spices thereof flow forth, that my beloved from me. may come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. See on Ezek. 33. 2. This conclusion, were any confirmation necessary to establish so plain a truth, is verified by the testimony of Le They plucked off her veil, in order to discover who she Bruin, already quoted, who, in the course of his travels in was. It is well known that the eunuchs, in the eastern Palestine, found, from experience, that it produced an op- t are at present athorized to treat the females unpressive heat, not the gentle and inviting warmth which dertheircharge in this manner.- URDER. Sanctius supposed. No traveller, so far as the writer has 10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the been able, to discover, gives a favourable account of thes white and ruddy, the south wind; consequently, it cannot be an object of desire; chiefest among ten thousand. the view therefore which Harmer first gave of this text, is, In every respect, entitled to the preference: "Awake, O In our translation, the church represents her Saviour as'orth wind, (depart, thou south,) blow upon my garden, that the standard-bearer in the armies of the living God. "My he spices thereof may flow out."-PAXTON. beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand;" or, according to the margin, a standard-bearer CHAPTER V. among ten thousand. These phrases are made synonyVer. 2. I sleep, but mv heart waketh: it is the mous, on the groundless supposition that a standard-bearer voice' my beloved that knock, is the chief of the company; for among the mddern Orienvoice of my beloved tihat knocketh, saying, tals, a standard-bearer is not the chief, more than among Open to me, mysister, my love, my dove, my the nations of Europe. He is, on the contrary, the lowest undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and commissioned officer in the corps who bears the colours. my locks with the drops of the night. This, however, seems to be merely a mistake of our translators, in rendering the phrase dagl meribabah. If we unSee on ch. 6. 9. derstand by the word dagul, such a flag as is carried at the head of our troops, then, as the Hebrew participle is the Ver. 4. My beloved put in his hand by the hole pahul, which has a passive, and not an active sense, it must of the dooi, and my bowels were moved for signify one before whom a standard is borne; not the perhim. son who lifts up and displays it, but him in whose honour the standard is displayed. It was not a mark of superior In the capital of Egypt, also, all their locks and keys are dignity in the East to display the standard, but it was a mark }Ia wood; they have none of iron, not even for their city of dignity and honour to have the standard carried before gates, which may with ease be opened without a key. The one; and the same idea seems to be entertained in other keys, or bits of timber, with little pieces of wire, lift up parts of the -rwrld. The passage then, is rightly t.LnslattWi CHAP. 5-7. SOLOMON'S SONG. 447 thus: My beloved is white and ruddy, and honourable, as man: her skin is the colour of gold; her hands, nailis, and one before whom, or'around whcbm, ten thousand standards soles of the feet, are of a reddish hue; her limbs must be are borne. smooth, and her gait like the stately swan. Her feet are The compliment is returned by her Lord in these words: small, like the beautiful lotus; her waist is slender as the:: Thou art beautiful, 0 my love, as Tirzah, comely as Je- lightning; her arms are short, and her fingers resemble the rusalem, terrible as an army with banners;" and again, five petals of the kuntha flower; her breasts are like the "Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the young cocoa-nut, and her neck is as the trunk of the arecamoon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners." tree. Her mouth if like the ambal flower, and her lips as Mr, Harmer imagines that these texts refer to a marriage coral; her teeth are like beautiful pearls; her nose is high, procession, surrounded with flambeaux. But what is terri- and lifted up, like that of the chameleon, (when raised to ble in a company of women, even although " dressed in snuff the wind;) her eyes are like the sting of a wasp, and rich attire, surrounded with nuptial flambeaux," blazing the karungu-vally flower; her brows are like the bow, and ever so fiercely? Besides, his view sinks the last member nicely separated; and her hair is as the black cloud. —RoBof the comparison, and, indeed, seems to throw over it an EATS. air of ridicule: Who is this that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and dazzling, like a Ver. 9. My dove, my undefiled, is but one: she bride lighted home with flambeaux X The common trans- is the only one of her mother, she is the choice lation certainly sustains much better the dignity of the last one of her that bare her clause, while it gives the genuine meaning of (n',).aim., which, in every passage of scripture where it occurs, signi- The conjugal chastity of the dove has been celebrated fies either terrible, or the tumult and confusion of mind by every writer, who has described or alluded to her charwhich terror produces —PAxTON. acter. She admits but of one mate; she never forsakes him till death puts an end to their union; and never abanVer. 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the dons of her own accord, the, nest which their united labour rivers of water, washed with milk, and fitly set. has provided. XElian, and other ancient writers, affirm, that the turtle and the wood-pigeon punish adultery with Hebrew, for fitly set, sitting in fulness;" that is, " fitly: death. The black pigeon, when her mate dies, obstinately placed, and set as a precious stone in the foil of a ring." rejects the embraces of another, and continues in a widSee that youth, what a beautiful eye he has! it is like a owed stite for life. Hence, among the Egyptians, a black sapphire set in silver;" which means, the metal represents pigeon was the symbol of a widow who declined to enter the white and the blue, the other part of the eye. The again into the marriage relation.'This fact was so well eyes of their more sacred idols are made of precious stones known, or at least so generally admitted among the an" Washed with milk." Though people thus wash them- cients, that Tertullian endeavours to establish'the doctrine selves after a funeral, the custom is also spoken of by way of monogamy by the example of that bird. These facts of figure, as a matter of great joy. "Oh! I yes, they are a have been transferred by later authors to the widowed turhappy pair; they wash themselves with milk." " Thea t te solicittions of another mate, co is as great as being bathed in milk." But some do thus ac- ines, in mournful strains, to deplore her loss, till death tually wash their bodies three or four times a month, and uall wash their bodies three or fo times a month, and puts a period to her sorrows. These facts unfold the true the effect is said to be cooling and pleasing. I suppose, reason, that the church is by Solomon so frequently cornhowever, it arises as much from an idea of luxury, as any pared to the dove-PAxToN. other cause. The residence of the god Vishnoo is said to be surrounded by a SEA oF mrIK, which may also be an- Ver. 11. I went down into the garden of nuts, to other reason to induce the devotee thus to bathe himself.- see the fruits' of the valley, and to see whether tlOBERTS. The eyes of a dove, always brilliant and lovely, kindle the vine flourished, and the pomegranates iv ith peculiar delight by the side of a crystal brook, for this budded. is her favourite haunt; here she loves to wash and to See on ch. 7. 11, 12. quench her thirst. But the inspired writer seems to intimate, that not satisfied with a single rivulet, she delights CHAPTER VII. especially in those places which are watered with numer- Ver. 1. How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O ous streams, whose full flowing tide approaches the height prince's daughter the joints of thy thighs are of the banks, and offers her an easy and abundant supply. They seem as if they were washed with milk, from their like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning shining whiteness; and fitly, rather fully set, like a gem workman. set in gold; neither too prominent nor too depressed, but so formed as with nice adaptation to fill up the socket.- The word rendered joints means the concealed dress, or PAXTON. drawers, which are still worn by the Moorish and Turkish women of rank. Lady M. W. Montague, in describing her Ver. 15. His legs are as pillars of marble set Turkish dress, says, "the first part of my dress is a pair upon sockets of fine gold; his countenance is of drawers, very full, that reaches down to my shoes, and uas ebanonk extsfellent as thei countnedars ce sconceals the legs more modestly than your petticoats; they as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. are of a thin, rose-coloured damask, brocaded with flowers." "His thighs are as pillars of marble, fixed upon pedes- -BRDER. tals of fine gold;" alluding to his sandals bound on his feet with golden ribands; or, perhaps, expressive of the feet themselves, as being of a redder tincture than the legs and that are twins. thighs. The Asiatics used to die their feet of a deep red See on ch. 2. 8. colour. Thus the lover in Gitagovinda says, 0 damsel, shall I die red with the juice of alactaca, those beautiful Ver. 4. Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine feet, which will make the full-blown land lotos blush with eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the shame. (Sir W. Jdnes.) —BURDER. gate of Bathrabbim; thy nose is as the towel CHAPTER VI. of Lebanon, which looket h towards Damascus, Ver. 4. Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tir- Whatever is majestic and comely in the human counzah; comely as Jerusalem; terrible as ant army tenance; whatever commands the reverence, and excites with banners. the love of the beholder,-Lebanon, and its towering cedars, are employed by the sacred writers to express. In This and the next chapter give an idea of what were the the commendation of the church, the countenance of her notions of beauty in the bride; she was like the city of Tir- Lord is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars: while in the zah, belonging to the tribe of Ephraim. A handsome Hin- eulogium which he pronounces on his beloved, one feadloo female is compared to the sacred city of Seedambaram. ture of her countenance is compared to the highest peak The fcllowing, also, are signs of beauty in an eastern wo- of that mountain, to the Sannin, which' rises,'with majestic 448 SOLOMON'S SONG. CHAP. & grandeur, above the tallest cedars that adorn its summits: The exquisite pleasure which an Oriental feels, while he "Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, which looketh reclines under the deep shade of thepomegranate, theapple, towards Damascus.-" Calmet imagines, with no small degree and other fruitful trees, in the Syrian gardens, which, uniof probability, that the sacred writer alludes to an elegant ting their branches over his head, defend him from the tower of white marble, which, in his days, crowned the glowing firmament, is well described by Russel. "Revived summit of a lofty precipice, at the foot of which the river by the freshening breeze, the purling of the brooks, and the Barrady foams, about the distance of two miles from Da- verdure of the groves, his ear will catch the melody of the mascus. When Maundrell visited the place, he found a nightingale, delightful beyond what is heard in England; small structure, like a sheik's sepulchre, erected on the with conscious gratitude to heaven, he will recline on the highest point of the precipice, where it had probably stood. simple mat, and bless the hospitable shelter. Beyond the From this elevated station, which forms a part of Leba- limits of the gardens, hardly a vestige of verdure remains non, the traveller enjoyed the most perfect view of the city. the fields are turned into a parched and naked waste." II. S charming was the landscape, so rich and diversified the Persia, Mr. Martyn found the heat of the external air quite scenery, that he confessedly found it no easy matter to tear intolerable. In spite of every precaution, the moisture of himself away from the paradise-of delights which bloomed the body being soon quite exhausted, he grew restless, and at his feet.. Nor was a very late traveller less delighted thought he should have lost his senses, and concluded, tha, with this most enchanting prospect.-PAxTON. though he might hold out a day or two, death was inevitable. Not only the actual'enjoyment of shade and water Ver. 5. Thy head upon thee is like Calrmel, and diffuses the sweetest pleasure through'the panting bosom the hair of thy head like purple; the King is of an Oriental, but what is almost inconceivable to the naheld in the galleries. tive of a northern clime, even the very idea, the simple recurrence of these gratifications to the mind, conveys a lively The only remarkable mountain on the western border satisfaction, and a renovating energy to his heart, when of Canaan, is Carmel, which lies on the seacoast, at the ready to fail him in the midst of the burning desert. " He south end of the tribe of Asher, and is frequently men- who smiles at the pleasure we received," says Lichtenstein, tioned in the sacred writings. On this mountain, which is "from only being reminded of shade, or thinks this obvery rocky, and about two thousand feet in height, the servation trivial, must feel the force of an African sun, to prophet Elijah fixed his residence: and the monks of the have an idea of the value of shade and Water."-PAXTON. Greek church, who have a convent upon it, show the inquisitive stranger the grotto, neatly cut out in the solid rock, CHAPTER VIII. where, at a distance from the tumult of the world, the ven- Ver. 2. I would lead thee, and bring thee into erable seer reposed. At the distance of a league are twould instr fountains, which they pretend the prophet, by his miraculous powers, made to spring out of the earth; and lower would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the down, towards the foot of the mountain, is the cave where juice of my pomegranate. he instructed the people. It is an excavation in the rock, cut very smooth, both above and below, of about twenty The fragrant odour of the wines produced in the vinepaces in length, fifteen in breadth, and very high; and of Lebanon, seems chiefly to have attracted the noThevenot, who paid a visit to the monks of'Mount CarThevenot, who paid a visit to the monks of'Mount Car- tiee of our translators. This quality is either factitious or mel, pronounces it one of the finest grottoes that can be natural. The Orientals, not satisfied with the fragrance seen. The beautiful shape and toweringheight of Carmel, emitted by the essential oil of the grape, fequently put furnish Solomoa with a striking simile, expressive of the spices into their wines, to increase their flavour. To this loveliness and majesty of the church in the eyes of her practice Solomon alludes in these words: "I would cause Redeemer: "'Thy heajd upon thee is like Carmel, andtfhe thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegrahair of thy head like purple; the King is held in the gal- nate." But Savary, in his Letters on Greece, affirms, that leries." The mountain itself is nothing b'it rock. The various kinds of naturally perfumed wines, are produced monks, however, have with great labour covered some parts in Crete and some of the neighbouring islands: and the of it with soil, on which they cultivate flowers and fruits wine of Lebanon, to which the sacred writer alludes, was of various kinds; but the fields around have been celebra- probably of the same species.-PAXTON. ted in all ages for the extent of their pastures, and the rich- Ver. 6. Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal ness of their verdure. So great was the fertility of thisI region, that, in the language of the sacred writers, the name,arm: for love s stron as death; Carmel, is often equivalent to a fruitful field. This was jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof undoubtedly the reason that the covetous and churlish Na —- are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement bal chose it for the range of his numerous flocks and herds. flame -PAXTON. When a husband is going to a distant country, the wife Ver. 8. I said, I will go up to the palm-tree, I says to him, "A h! place me as a seal upon thy heart," i. e. will talke hold of the boughs thereof; now also let me be impressed on thy affections, as the seal leaves its thy breasts s l be as clusters of the vine, and impression upon the wax. " Let not your arms embrace another; let me only be sealed there:" "for love is strong the smell of thy nose like apples. as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave."-ROBERTS. See on cbl. 2. 3. This alludes to jewels, having the name or portrait ot the beloved person engraved on it, and worn next the heart, Ver. 11. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into or on the arm. In the pictures of the eastern princesses the field; let us lode in the villa and heroines, there is sometimes a large square jewel on the field; let us lodge in the village. 12. Let the forepart of the arm, alittle below the shoulder. "When us get up early to the vineyards;'let us see if all the persons had assembled in the divan, every one rethe vine flourish, zwhether the tender grape ap- mained sitting or standing in his place without moving, till pear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there in about half an hour came two kapudschis, one of whom carried the imperial signet-ring, and presented it to the will I g-ive thee my loves. grand vizier, who arose from his sofa, and received the In the gardens around -Aleppo, commodious villas are signet-ring with a kind of bow, kissed it, put it on his built, for the use of the inhabitants, to which they retire hand, took it off again, and put it in the bag in which it during thle oppressive heats of summer. Here, amid the had been before, and placed both in a pocket at the left wild and almost impervious thickets of pomegranate. and side of his kaftan. as it were upon his heart." (Schultz.) other fruit-bearing trees, the languid native and exhaust- ROSENMULLER. ed traveller find a delightful retreat from the scorching Ver. 14. Make haste, my beloved, and be thou beams of the sun. A similar custom of rAtiring into thee to a roe, or to a young hart, u country, and taking shelter in the gardens, at that season, appears to have been followed in Palestine, in ages veryountains of spices. frmote. See on ch. 2. 8, 9. ISAIAH. CHAPTER I. ments of gold, thougn thou rentest thy face with painting, Ver. 3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee." This is an exact description of the dress, and his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my other modes of allurement, used by a female of the same people doth not consider. character, at this day. (Rev. xvii. 4.) " The woman was arrayed in purple and SCARLET colour, and decked with "Ah! my children, my cows and my sheep know me gold and precious stones and pearls; having a golden cup well; but you cease to acknowledge me." "Alas! alas! my in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her forcattle know me better than my wife; I will go and live with nication: And upon her forehead was a name written, them, for their love is sincere to me. I will not remain Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of HARLOTS alny longer in such a family; henceforth the affectionate and Abominations of the Earth." In that most vivid cattle shall be my companions, they shall be my children."- description of Ezekiel (chap. xxii.) of the idolatries of SaROBMRTS. maria and Jerusalem, they are represented as TWO HARLOTS, and there'such disclosures are made as convey a most Ver. 8. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cot- frightful picture of the depravity of the people. "She intage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of creased her whoredoms: for when she saw men portraycucunmbers, asa besieged city. ed upon the wall, the IMAGES of the Chaldeans portraved with VERMIrION." Her paramours, also, were "exceeding This was a little temporary hut, covered with boughs, in DIED attire upon their heads." The ACRED prostitutes straw, turf, or the like materials, for a shelter from the of the temple always have their garments of scarlet, crimheat by day, and the cold and dews by night, for the watch- son, or vermilion.-ROBERTS. man that kept the garden, or vineyard, during the short Ver. 22. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine season while the fruit was ripening, (Job xxvii. 18.) and presently removed when it had served that purpose. The mixed with water. eastern people were probably obliged to have such a con- T stant. watch to defend the fruit from the jackals. " The ihs is anmmage used for the adulteration of wine with stant, watch to defendthe fruit from the jackals. " The more propriety than may at first appear, if what Thevenot jackal," says Hasselquist, " is a species of mustela, which is sas of the peopriety of the Levant of late times, what Thevenot ver commaion in Palestine, especially during the vintage, says of the people of the Levant of late times, were true of very common in Palestine, especially during the vintage, and often destroys whole vineyards, and gardens of cucum- them formerly. but dr ink by itself what water th think bers."-BURDER.' wine to drink, but drink by itself what water they think proper for abating the strength of the wine." It is remarkVer. 9. Except the LORD of hosts had left unto able, that whereas the Greeks and Latins, by mixed wine, always understood wine diluted and lowered with water, us a very small remnant, e should have b the en ebrews, on the contrary, generally mean by it, wine as Sodom, and we should have been like unto made stronger and more inebriating, by the addition of Gb-ormlorrah. higher and more powerful ingredients, such as honey, spices, defrutum; (or wine inspissated by boiling it down See on Job 4. 9. to two thirds, or one half-of the quantity,) myrrh, mandragora, opiates, and other strong drugs. Such were the Ver. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall exhilarating, or rather stupifying ingredients, which Helen be as white as snow; though they be red like mixed in the bowl, together with the wine, for her guests crimson, they shall be as wool ooppressed with grief, to raise their spirits, the composition of which she had learned in Egypt. Such was the spiced This, by many, is believed to refer to the strength of the wine mentioned Solomon's Song viii. 2; and how much colour, and to the difficulty of discharging it: and though I the eastern people, to this day, deal in artificial liquors of do not presume to contradict that opinions it may perhaps prodigious strength, the use of wine being forbidden, may be suggested to have an additional meaning. Dr. Adam be seen in a curious chapter of Kempfer, upon that subject. Clarke says, "Some copies have (cm:o) ke-shkasin, like -LOWTH. crimson garments." A "rimso garments.'~ Ver. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee, The iniquities of Israel had become very great. In the 10th verse the rulers are addressed as if of Sodom and and purely purge away thy dross, and take Gomorrah; and in the 21st, it is said the faithful city had away all thy tin. become a HARLOT. In the 29th, "They shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be con- The propriety of the denunciation will appear froin the founded for the gardens that ye have chosen." Is it not following circumstance: " Silver, of all the metals, sufcertain that these references to Sodom, to a harlot, and the fers most from an admixture of tin, a very small quantity gardens, allude to the wickedness, the idolatry, and the serving to make that metal as brittle as glhss;: and, what union which Israel had formed with the heathen! For is worse, being with difficulty separated from it again. The what purposes were the gardens or groves used, of which very vapour of tin has the same effect as the metal itself, on the frequenters were to be ashamed? No doubt, for the silver, gold, and copper, rendering them brittle." (New and same as those in the East at the present day. The courte- Complete Dictionary of Arts, art. Tin.)'BURDER. sans of the temples receive those in the. groves, who are ashamed to go to their houses. Those wretched females Ver. 29. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks are called Soli-killiknl, i. e. parrots of the GROVE. " The which ye have desired, and ye shall be conwicked youth is always gathering flowers in the grove." founded for the gardens that ye have chosen. " Thou hideous vwretch! no one will marry thee; thou art not fit for the grove." (See on chap. lxvi. 17.) In the language of the Hebrews, every place where plants Scarlet, or crimson, was the favourite colour of the an- and trees were cultivated with greater care than in the open cient heathen prostitutes. (Jer. iv. 30.) " And when thou field, was called a garden. The idea of such an enclosure art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thy- was certainly borrowed from the garden of Eden, which selr with CRIMSON, though thou deckest thee with orna- the bountiful Creator planted for the reception of his fa57 450 ISAiAH. C I 1-3. vourite creature. The,garden of Heapperides, in eastern eye, its short legs, (with wn-hicl it cannoet xlk,) i's leatherfable, wa, protected be an enormou:s serpent; and the libe wings, its ihalf-hairy, oily sklin, its ocl'livc,,rdure evei gardens of Adlonis, among the GCre'eks, may be traced to and anon drol-ping o he go- nd, i i:e l cotlbd and )he sa01e o0rigin; for tihe leris "/ioti tAdolides," the -ar- Sport, darkecness, - xxhen evil spi'is ul.o range ibload," dens of Adonit5 were used by the ancients to signify gar- makes it one of the most cisgusing ctrea"tles o tle I eoIpe dtens oi pieas,,e", which correaponds with the natne of' of the East. No woncder, then, that its namce Js'ied bl th, Pearadi'-c, or the p:'rdten of iEden, as /ho0106 Ardoitis O ~ hoinc os (as by the l:rophe4) or ain e-ic hoet of c'ntenp to the gariden of iite Lord. Besides, the gtardens of primi- Wlhen a house ceases to pleaxe the aih-.hianis, on ccoint live nations xere conmonly, it' not in every ins.tance de- of being haunted,: they sa, (nd also do.) -ive i: to the bats. nvoted to ireligions purposes. In tiee shady retreats xxwere Alas! i alas ixmy xxife n c} i cien lci n e ~ a m n l hox' es, celebrated, for a lonm siccessio-n of ages, the rites of-pagan my buildixngs are all given to the b'l.'. hI bats ai-e supelstitii. ThIusi Jehovxah c lls the Ipos!ate Jexi's, "a niow the plossessors io the tcnce i londcid (I: sien s of to:lpeople that provoked iie coniniall v-to t.aner to mo flee, ay Pnopl aeI t I iie:s a'tO ii'o,' Why',t-ially-to Writy. to -ice ty Pop m-I, whCrce n' l:.. that sacrifidie.h in g:trdens." And in a preceding chapter is this habitation'iven to It,.e hats x" Go' i0' -, el, a', the prophet tihrea ens them in the name o Cthe Lord' "Thev or I wtill give thee to the tx. "T''!:e!d' - on c'' ixhs shallt be asiam'eId of ihe oaiks whichi ve have desired, anid been sx earici xn sall al bee ixivtn li iho b'"- I rsiF c Ive shall be cc'fi,n'xiled for the gardens xhich ye have TIihe bat is a witingeld qucadrul etl, the l;i xx hih cl c nixc'I chosen." The inspired wxriier not only mentions tihese gat- the fontr-fooed animal alnd the biird. i is 0, 1st d:'lini xce,,enss but also rtxaies a lear allusion to the tree of life, or antI hideous creatute, which inix rmlt t ndeo\:uis:xili s.n atlhet if Ltnoxovedxed both of hllich were placed in the the ligiht o0t day s if' iconscious ofl it... i'i "I:, ee;, aircid in'I lt of P ne.'- x r, fixes is abode in the horrid cxavern, or'o' e t i.. ii The grea-t, or I ernit bht, beloings to te I, 1 nd x as.iit'Vtr.30. _For ve stlil be as an oak whose leaf altogether unkon io tie ancients. i not a! i, s ci - f'a~~~~~~~~~~~~~d~;th, ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~Unnw Lo ts angaren "-tm~,.ht is ~ater.....iU fa lxth, an'x as a o"'rccn thtlit hath no xxater. eliv voracitx, aixd filthiness. It is mmic'e us'-c a Ii. n tny other species of bat; but it. cariies on ihe hoxi k.t: of de'See on Ps. 1.. struction by open iorce. both duciiig tie ini.lit i ncI axv. It In the hc'tier parts of the eastern countries. a constant k1ills poulhry and d mall s iris; ate clx" men, aic d ii en tixirccs s.pplr of wrater is so absolicutel necessary for the cultii a- then in ithe x;c. Trhis xnsighly a:imil, sxs Perrhes tion, and even for the presrrvation and existence of a gar- fixes its d\eling among oxwls and noxius repiites n iiIe den, that sho'ld it want xwater bit for a few days, every desolate tc'ecr or lonely, unfiecql'n:cd cni' aslc;in, xxloch thing in it would be burnt up with the Ieait, and totally de- it seldom or never le'xes, except in the di 1k of eveninlg. stroeed. There is therefore no garden whatever in those In the East, wihere they grow to ani enormixous size. thleir counitries, but what has such a certain supply, either frori stench is so into!ei'ab!e that it is impossib le to remain itaany some neighbouring river, or from a reservoir of water seconds to exanine the place. Into theti. cir tcch of collected fromx springs, or filled with rain-w-ater in the-pro- the mole, atil those climIxal abodes ficqi entied b i le iTerper season, in sufficient quantity to afford ample provision nat bats, ewhich man can scarcely end tie to vi.ixi'noe j'!la for the rest of the vear. ouBcOn: tE. t ter te,'ritied bh the destruiictive judgments oif jpst and ~CH~E'I~~A 0TER I~ crighteous God, slall cast his icidols f' silvern srt hii s Jdcls iil' CHAP~TER 11.: gold, which he made fbr himself to wxor}ishp; regaitdle: x cI Ver. 4. Ana he shall judge among the nations, teir intrinsic valxe, ashamed of die rest he "epoiet in and shall rebuke r man y people; and they shall them, and dlistracted by the terrors' of Inre Mln iph,' ce beat their swords into ploughshares, and their shall cst he in deeatio a so o f that, freed fromn the useles;s enacum-ibranctie, he m'..yec f or spears into prumning-hooks nation shall not lift th fiedo t seles ecb e esnle his life. "In that day mani hall cas his iali oif hix;er, up sword against nation, neither shall they and his idols of gold, which tlhey iiade eac'one fcir bixxlearnt xwar any more. self to worship, to the moles, xnd to the hbats." h' sis ed cof building magnificent temples for their reception, x hLi e noSee on Joel 3. 10. thing to offend the senses is Iermitiied to encrer; instecad of Ver. 8. Their land also is full of idols; they of'in oxr the xil niptns ce dcI tiI slp th xvrl f their own handas, txat hih dayS their riches, and all they possess, to thlieir service, insttip3 the wvorlc of their own hands, that whichf drnthr vh stead of adorinci them with itnnseisae prostraticins'nd oftheir oxn fingers have made. ferings, they shall cast them to ci eatu es so vile or dargei( us, into places so dismal and loathisome, as to pi coluide ttle This'is a true and literal description of India: the travel- s io plaes so sml a tsome, a t pieliie ie possibility of returning to their idolatrous practices.. COr to ier cannoot proceed a mi.e,i through an inhabited country, cast theii iyors to the mole and the bats, Ixay censg(fr to cast their' idols 1o lthe moles nand tixe bats, my s'gnify the without seeing idols and vestiges of idolatry in every direc- uter destnctio of these cts or. nti utlter destruction of' these objects of' worship. WkV,.en Ti~e tion. See their vessels.i their implemients of husbandry, els sa Greeks said, ]:aA/V,,' g,;o(;a,,a~ cast' him. to the ravens.-, the ttheir houses, their furniture, their ornaments, their sacred. neaning xxas, cast him to destruncion' and ti is prophecy trees, the-ir DOXILsITic and public, temples; and they all de- namzvacshitodtrton ndlj-ppec tie"' tltr nxrn and p'hlim temples; nd ty all - ay refer to a proverbial expression amxlog tlhe Jews of ciare that the landt is fall of idcils.-RoBeRnTs. similar import. —PAxToN. Vet. 13. AnI upon all the cedars of Lebanon, thbat are high and lifted up, and upon all the C HAPTEIt 111. a ore hihan ti liftedupandVer. 15. What mean ye titat ye beat xmy people oaks cof Bashan. Sec on Dfen a 3s hn to pieces, and grind the faces of the,oor? saith See on Dent.'3. 25. po at the LOnd God of hosts. Ver. 20. In that dav a man shall east his idols of "Ah! my lord, do not thus crush my face. alas! alas! silver, and his idols of gold, which they made " my lord, do not thus crush my face: alas I aleas n himself to wo whip they moes my nose and other features will soon be rubbed away. Is each one for himself to morship, to the moles, my face to be made quite flat with grindingS. My iheart is and to the bats. squeezed, my heart is squeezed. That head man has been grinding the faces of all his people."-RoBERTS. This, no doubt, refers to the total destruction of idolatry. "To the bats," ( V',Cals,) those of the smaller species; as the Ver. 16. Moreover, the LonR saith, Because the larger are eaten tby the Hindoos, and wvere also used as an dauhters of Zion are bau2b and walk with article of food by the Assyrians. The East maybe termed the country of bats; they hang by hundreds and thousands stretched-forth necks and xvanton eyes, walking, in caves, ruins, and under the roofs of large buildings. To and mincing aethey go, and making a tinkling enter such places, especially afer rain, is MosT offensive. with their feet. I have lived in rooms where it was sickening to remain, on account of the smell produced by those creatures, and In this, and the next eight verses, we have an accurate whence it wvas almost impossible to expel them. What description of the ornaments and manners of a Hindoo from the appearance of the creature, its sunken diminutive dancing girl. These females are given by their parents, CHAP. 3. ISAIAH. 451 when they are about seven years of age, to the temples, for parts of the East. In Judges viii. 21, it is said that Gideon the purposes of being taught to sing the praises of the gods; "took away the ornaments that were on the camels' necks." of dancing before them, during some of their services, or but in the Septuagint, the word ornaments, is rendereds when taken out in procession; and to be given to the em- like the moon; so also in the margin of the English Bible. braces of the priests and people. Near the temples and the The crescent is worn by Parvati and Siva, from whom protopes, i. e. groves, are houses built for their accommodation, ceed the LINGAM, and the principal impurities of the system, and there they are allowed to receive their paramours. No dancing girl is in full dress without her round tires When they become too old for the duties of their profession, like the moon. —RoBERTs. their business is to train the young ones for their diabolical services and pleasures. Ver. 19. The chains, and the bracelets, and'the'; Walk with stretched-forth necks." When the females mufflers, dance, they stretch forth their necks, and hold them awry, as if their heads were about to fall off their shoulders. These consist, first, of one most beautifully worked, wi lh " And wanton eyes." The margin, "deceiving with their a pendent ornament for the neck; there is alsc a profusion eyes." As the votaries glide along, they roll their eyes, of others, which go round the same part, and rest on the (which are painted,)'and cast wanton glances on those bosom. In making curious chains, the goldsmiths of Engaround. "Walking and mincing;" margin, "tripping land do not surpass those of the East. The Trichinopoly nicely." Some parts of the dance consist of a tripping or chains are greatly valued by the fair of our own country. mincing step, which they call tatte-latte. The left foot is The "bracelets" are large ornaments for the wrists, in put first, and the inside of the right keeps following the which are sometimes enclosed small BELLS. The mufflers heel.of the former. "Making a tinkling with their feet." are, so far as I can judge, not for the face, but for the This sound is made by the ornaments which are worn breasts.-RoBERTs. round their ankles. The first is a large silver curb, like that which is attached to a bridle; the second is of the Ver. 20. The bonnets, and the ornaments of the same kind, but surrounded by a great number of small legs, and the head-bands, and the tablets, and BELLS; the third resembles a bracelet; and the fourth is a the earrins convex hoop, about two inches deep.-ROBERTS. Ver. 18. In that day the LORD wvill take away the wBesides ornamental rings in the nose and the ears, they wore others round the legs, which made a tinkling as they bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their went. This custom has also descended to the present feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like times; for Rauwolf met with a number of Arabian women the moon. on the Euphrates, whose ankles and wrists were adorned with rings, sometimes a good many together, which movir:g After the hair is platted and perfumed, the eastern ladies up and down as they walked, made a great noise. Chardin proceed to dress their heads, by tying above the lock into attests the existence of the same custom in Persia, in Arabia, which they collect it, a triangular piece of linen, adorned and in very hot countries, where they commonly go without with various figures in needle-work. This, among persons stockings, but ascribes the tinkling sound to little bells fasof better fashion, is covered with a sar'math, as they call it, tened to those rings. In the East Indies, golden bells which is made in the same triangular shape, of thin flexi- adorned the feet and ankles of the ladies firom the earliest ble plates of gold or silver, carefully cut through, and en- times; they placed them in the flowing tresses of their hair; graven in imitation of lace, and might therefore answer to they suspended them round their necks, and to the golden (mrm)an) hasheharnim, the moon-like ornament mentioned rings which they wore on their fingers, to announce their by the prophet in his description of the toilet of a Jewish superior rank, and exact the homage which.they had a right ladv. A handkerchief of crape, gauze, silk, or painted to expect from the lower orders; and front the banks of the linen, bound close over the sarmah, and falling afterward Indus, it is probable the custom was introduced into the carelessly upon the favourite lock of hair, completes the other countries of Asia. The Arabian females in Paleshead-dress of the Moorish ladies. The kerchief is adjust- tine and Syria, delight in the same ornaments, and, accorded in the morning, and worn through the whole of the day: ing to the statements of Dr. Clarke, seem to claim the in this respect it differs from the veil, which is assumed as. honour of leading the fashion. " Their bodies are covered often as they go abroad, and laid aside when they return with a long blue shift; upon their heads they wear twc home. So elegant is this part of dress in the esteem of the handkerchiefs; one as a hood, and the other bound over it, Orientals," that it is worn by females of every age, to height- as a fillet across the temples. Just above the right nostril, en their personal charms. In Persia, the prophet Ezekiel they place a small button, sometimes studded with pearl, a informs us, the kerchief was used by women of loose char- piece of glass, or any other glittering substance; this is fastacter, for the purpose of seduction; for so we understand ened by a plug, thrust through the cartilage of the nose. that passage in his writings, " Wo to the women that sew Sometimes they have the cartilaginous separation between pillows to all arm-holes, and make kerchiefs upon the head the nostrils bored for a ring, as large as those ordinarily of every stature to hunt souls." The oriental ladies delight- used in Europe for hanging curtains; and this pendant in ed in ornamenting their dress with devices of embroidery the upper lip covers the mouth; so that, in order to eat, fit and needle-work; but it was chiefly about the neck they is necessary to raise it. Their faces, hands, and arms, are displayed their taste and ingenuity. To such decorations tattooed, and covered with hideous scars; their eyelashes the sacred writers often allude, which clearly shows how and eyes being always painted, or rather dirtied, with some greatly they were valued, and how much they were used. dingy black or blue powder. Their lips are died of a deep Nor were they confined to the female sex; they seem to and dusky blue, as if they had been eating blackberries. have been equally coveted by the males; and a garment of Their teeth are jet black; their nails and fingers brick red; needle-work was frequently reserved, as the most accepta- their wrists, as well as their ankles, are laden with large ble part of the spoil, for the stern and ruthless warrior. The metal cinctures, studded with sharp pyramidical knobs and: mother of Sisera, in the fondness of her heart, allotted to bits of glass. Very ponderous rings are also placed in their her -on the robe curiously wrought with vivid colours on ears."-PAXTON. the neck: " To Sisera, a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needle-work, of divers colours of needle- Ver. 22. The changeable suits of apparel, and the work on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the mantles, and the wimples, and the crispingspoil."-PAXTON. "Tinkling ornaments," i. e. those which have been de- pins. scribed. " Cauls;" margin,' net-works." The caul is a The eastern ladies take great pride in having many strap, or girdle, about four inches long, which is placed on changes of apparel, because their fashions NEVER alter the top of the head, and which extends to the brow in a line Thus, the rich brocades worn by their grandmothers, are with the nose. The one I have examined is made of gold, equally fashionable for themselves. " The mantles." A and has many joints; it contains forty-five rubies, and nine loose robe, which is gracefully crossed on the bosom, pearls, which give it a net-work appearance. "Wimples." Probably the fine muslin which is sometimes "Round tires like the moon." The shape of an orna- thrown over the head and body. " Crisping-pins." This ment like the crescent moon is a great favourite in all has been translated, the "little purses," or C',ASPS! When ~.~zc,, ISAIAH. CHAP. 5. the dancing girl is in full dress, halit her long hair is folded their toes,) are, indeed, unlike those of the Turks, carried to il a knot on the top of the head, ani the other half hangs great excess, but not of great value: for in Bagdad, jewels down her back in three tails. To keep these from unbraid- of high price either are not to be had, or are not used; and iag, a small clasp, or gold hoop, curiously worked, is placed they wear such only as are of little value, as turquoises, at the end of each tail.-RoBEaTs. small rubies, emeralds, carbuncles, garnets, pearls, and the like. My spouse dresses herself with all of them, according Ver. 24. And it shall come to pass, that instead to their fashion; with exception, however, of certain ugly of sweet smell, there shall he stink; and instead rings, of very large size, set with jewels, which, in truth very absurdly, it is the custom to wear fastened to one ot of a a rent and instead of well-set hair, their nostrils, like buffaloes; an ancient custom, however, baldness', and instead of a 3 stomnacher, a girding in the East, which, as we find in the holy scriptures, preof sackcloth: cand burning instead of beauty. vailed among the Hebrewv ladies, even in the time of Solomon. These nose-rings, in compliance to me, she has left " Sweet smell." No one ever enters a company without off;'but I have not yet been able to prevail with her cousin, being well perfumed; and in addition to various scents-and and her sisters, to do the same; so fond are they of an old oils, they are adorned with numerous garlands, made of the culstom, be it ever so absurd, who have been long habituated most odoriferous flowers. "A girdle." Probably that which to it."-PAXTON. goes round the waist, which serves to keep the garments from falling, while the girls are dancing. It is sometimes made Ver. 26. And her gates shall lament and mourn: of silver. "Well-set hair." No ladies pay more attention and she, being desolate, shall sit upon the to the dressing of the hair than do these; for as they never wear caps, they take great delight in this, their natural or- ground. nament. "Baldness," in a woman, makes her most con- Sitting on the ground was a posture that denoted mourntemptible; and formerly, to shave their head was a most ing and deep distress. Lam; ii. 10. " We find Judea on degrading punishment. "Stomacher." I once saw a dress several coins of Vespasian and Titus in a posture that beautifully plaited and stiffened for the front, but I do not denotes sorrow and captivity-sitting on the ground. The thLink it common. Hlere, then, we have a strong proof of Romans might have an eye on the customs of the Jewish the accurate observations of Isaiah in reference to the nation, as well as those of their own country, in the several Jewish Iadies; he had seen their motions, and enumerated marks of sorrow they have set on this figure. The Psalmtiheir ornaments; and here we have a most melancholy ist describes the Jews lamenting their captivity, in the same oicture of the fallen state of " the daughters of Zion."-, pensive posture:' By the waters of Babylon we sat down, iOBERTS. and wept when we remembered thee, O Zion.' But what The persons of the Assyrian ladies are elegantly clothed is more remarkable, we find Judea represented as a woman and scented with the richest oils and perfumes; and it ap-in sorrow sitting on the ground, in a passage of the prophet pears from the sacred scriptures, that the'Jewish females that foretels the very captivity recorded on this medal." did not yield to them in the elegance of their dress, the (Addisoin.)-BURDER. beauty of their ornaments, and the fragrance of their essences. So pleasing to the Redeemer is the exercise of CHAPTER V. divine grace in the heart and conduct of'a true believer:' How much better is thy love:han wine, and the smell of thine ointments than all spices. The smell of thy garments song of' my beloved touching his vineyard. My is like the smell of Lebanon." When a queen was to be well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful chosen by the king of Persia instead of Vashti, the virgins hill 2 And he fenced it and gathered out the collected at Susana, the capital, underwent a purification of twelve months' duration, to wit, "six months with oil of stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest myrrh, and six months with sweet odours." The general vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and use of such precious oils and fragrant perfumes among the also made a wine-press therein: and he looked ancient Romans, particularly among ladies of rank and that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought fashion, may be inferred from these words of Virgil: —. "Arnbrosiaclue comae divinum vertice odoremra Spiravere: pedes vestis fluxit ad imos." —. n. lib. i. 1. 403. The wine-press, constructed for expressing the juice of From her head the ambrosial locks breathed divine fra- the grapes, does not seem to be a moveable implement in grance; her robe hung waving down to the ground." In the East; and our Lord, in the parable of the vineyard, the remote age of Homer, the Greeks had already learnt says expressly, that it was formed by digging. Chardin the lavish use of such perfumes; for, in describing Juno's found the wine-press in Persia was made after the same dress, he represents'her pouring ambrosia and other per- manner; as it was a hollow place dug in the ground, and fumes all over her body. Hence, to an eastern lady, no lined with mason-work. Besides this, they had what the p nishment could be more severe, none more mortifying Romans called lacus, the lake, a large open place or vessel, to her delicacy. than a diseased and loathsome habit of which, by a conduit or spout, received the must from the body, instead of a beautiful skin, softened and made agree- wine-press. In very hot countries it was perhaps necessary, able with all that art could devise, and all that nature, so or at least convenient, to have the lake under ground, or-in prodigal in those countries of rich perfumes, could supply. a cave hewed out of the rock for coolness, that the heat Such was the punishment which God threatened to send might not cause too great a fermentation, and sour the upon the haughty daughters of Zion, in the days of Isaiah: must. To these circumstances the prophet Isaiah dis" And it shall come to pass, that instead of perfume there tinctly refers, in the beginning of the fifth chapter: "My shall be ill savour; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and in- well-beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he stead of well-set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted a girding of sackcloth; and a sun-burnt skin instead of it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of beauty." it, and also made a wine-press therein: and he looked that The description which Pietro della Valle gives of his it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild owJn wife, an Assyrian lady, born in Mesopotamia, and grapes." The tower which the prophet mentions, and educated at Bagdad, whom he married in that country, will which our Lord also introduces into one of his parables, is enable the reader to form a pretty distinct idea of the ap- generally explained by commentators, as designed for the n)earance and ornaments of an oriental lady in full dress. keepers of the vineyard to watch and defend the fruits. But " Her eyelashes, which are long, and according to the for this purpose it was usual to make a little temporary hut, custom of the East, dressed with stibulumn, (as we often called in the first chapter, not a tower, but a cottage, which read in the holy scriptures of the Hebrew women of old, might answer for'the short season while the grapes were.and in Xenophon of Astyages, the grandfather of Cyrus, ripening, and was afterward removed. The tower, thereand the Medes of that'line,) give a dark, and, a. the same fore, according to Lowth, means a building of a more pertime,,a majestic shade to the eyes. The oInaments of manent nature and use; the farm of the vineyard, as we gold and of jewels for the head, for the neck, for the arms, may call it, containing all the offices and implements, and for the legs, and for the feet, (for they wear rings even on the whole apparatus necessary for cultivating the vineyard CHAP. 6. ISA IA H. 453 and making the wine. To this image in the allegory, the hoof, is quite a modern practice, and was unknown to the situation, the manner of building, the use, and the whole ancients, as appears from the silence of the Greek and Roservice of the temple, exactly answered. They have still man writers, especially those that treat of horse-medicine, such towers for pleasure or use, in their gardens, in the who could not have passed over a matter so obvious, and ci oriental regions; for Marcus Sanutus, as quoted by Har- such importance, that now the whole science takes its name mer, informs us, that in the thirteenth century the inhabit- from it, being called by us farriery. The horse-shoes cf ants of Ptolemais beat down the towers of their gardens to leather and of iron, which are mentioned; the silver and the ground, and removed the stones of them, together with the gold shoes, with which Nero and. Poppea shod their those of their burying-places, on the approach of the' ar- mules, used occasionally to preserve the hoofs of deicate tars. The gardens of Damascus are furnished with the cattle, or for vanity, were of a very different kind; they ensame kind of edifices. In most of the gardens near Aleppo, closed the whole hoof, as in a case, or as a shoe does a man's supmmer-houses are built for the reception of the public. In foot, and were bound, or tied on. For' this reason the others, at a greater distance, are tolerable commodious vii- strength, firmness, and solidityof a horse's hoof, was of much las, to which the Franks resort in the spring, as the natives greater importance with them than with us, and was esdo in the summer. "To a tower, or building of this kind, teemed one of the first praises of a fine horse.. For want of it is to be supposed," says Russel, "our Lord refers in the this artificial defence to the foot, which our horses have, parable; for it is scarcely to be imagined that he is speak- Amos, vi. 12, speaks of it as a thing as much impracticable ing of the slight and unexpensive buildings in a vineyard, to make horses run upon a hard rock, as to plough up the which, indeed, are sometimes so slight as to consist only of same rock with oxen. These circumstances must be taken four poles, with a floor on the top of them, to which they into consideration, in order to give us a full notion of the ascend by a ladder: but rather of those elegant turrets propriety and force of the image by which the prophet sets erected in gardens, where the eastern people of fortune forth the strength and excellence of the Babylonish cavalry. spend some considerable part of their time." But this ex- which made a great part of the strength of the Assyrian cellent writer expressly admits that in all the orchards near army.-LowTH. Aleppo, a small square watch-house is built for the accom- CHAPTER VI. modation of the watchmen in the fruit season, or, in their Ver. 11. Then said LORD, how lo A stead, temporary bowers are constructed of wood;, andd I, LORD, ho thatched with green reeds and branches. Small and de- he answered, Until the cities be wasted without tached square towers for the accommodation of the watch- inhabitant, and the houses without man, and men appointed to guard the vineyards, are still to be met the land be utterly desolate. with in Judea. It is more probably to the substantial watch-tower that the Saviour alludes, than either to the A public edict of the Emperor Adrian rendered it a capioffices of the vineyard, or the commodious summer-house. tal crime for a Jew to set a foot in Jerusalem, and prohib-PAXTON. ited them from viewing it even at a distance. Heathens. Christians, and Moharmmedans, have alternately possessed Yer. 2. And built a tower in the midst of it, and Judea; it bas'been the prey of the Saracens; the descendmade a wine-press therein. ants of Ishmael have often overrun it; the children of Israel have alone been denied the possession of it, though thither See on 2 Kings 4. 39. they ever wish to return; and though it forms the only spot Lowth, " And he hewed out also a lake therein." By on earth where the ordinances of their religion can be ohthis expression we are to understand, not the wine-press served. And, amid all the revolutions of states, and the itself, but what the Romans called lacus, the lake, the large extinction of many nations, in so long a period, the Jews open place, or vessel, which bya conduit or spout received alone have not only ever been aliens in the land of their the must from the wine-press. In very hot countries it fathers, but whenever any of them have been permitted, at was perhaps necessary, or at least very convenient, to have any period since the time of their dispersion, to sojourn the lake under ground, or in a cave hewn out of the side of there, they have experienced even more contumelious treata rock, for coolness, that the heat might not cause too great ment than elsewhere. Benjamin of Tudela, who travelledl a fermentation, and sour the wine. The wine-presses in in thetwelfthcentury through great part of Europe and of Persia, Chardin says, are formed by making hollow places Asia, found the Jews everywhere oppressed, par'ticzldasly i.-, in the ground, lined with mason's work.-BURDER. the lloly Land. And to this day (while the Jeuws who reside in Palestine, or who resort thither in old age, that their bones Ver. 11. Wo'unto them that rise up early in-the may not be laid in a foreign land, are alike ill-treated and morning, that they may follow strong drink; abused by Greeks, Armenians, and Europeans) the haughty that continue until nigfht, till wine inflame deportment of the despotic Turkish soldier, and the abject them Istate of the poor and helpless Jews, are painted to the life them! by the prophet.-KEITIi. The Persians, when they commit a debauch, arise betimes, and esteem the morning as the best time for begin- Ver. 13. But vet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall ning to drinlr wine, bywhich means they carry on their return, and shall be eaten: as a teil-tree, and excess till night.-MoRiEhR. Oexcess till night.-Mfoarna.,as an oak, whose substance is in them iwhen Ver. 18. Wo unto them that draw iniquity with they cast their leaves, so the holy seed shall ce cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart- the substance thereof. rope! Though the cities be waste, and the land be desolate, it:is See on Isa. 66. 20. not from the poverty of the soil that the field.s are abandonei by the plough, nor from any diminution of' its ancient and Vet. 26. And he warill lift up an ensign to the na- natural fertility, that the land has rested for so many generations. Judea was not forced only by artificial means, or tions from far, and will hiss unto them from the from local and temporary causes, into a luxuriant- cultivaend of the earth: and, behold, they shall come tion, such as a barren country might have been, concerningwith speed swiftly. which it would not have needed a prophet to tell, that if once devastated and abandoned it would ultimately and perThe metaphor is taken from the practice of those that manentlv revert into its original sterility. Phenicia at all keep bees, who draw them out of their hives into the fields, times held a far different rank among the richest countries and lead them back again, by a hiss or a whistle.-LowTH. of the world: and it was not a bleak and steril portion of the earth, nor a land which even many ages of desolation Ver. 528. Whose arrows a r~e sharp, and all theirand -neglect couldempoverish, that God gave in possession bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted and by covenant to the seed of Abraham. No longer cullike flint, and their wheels lile whirlwind. tivated as a garden, but left like a wilderness, Judea is indeed greatly changed from what it was; all that human The shoeing of horses with iron plates nailed to the ingenuity and labour did devise, erect, or cultivate, men 45 ISAIAH. CHIAP. 7, S, have laid waste and desolate; all the "plenteous goods" need, cannot shift to desert and dry places, as the season with which it was enriched, adorned, and blessed, have may require, are obliged to roll themselves in mud and fallen like seared and withered leaves, when their green- mire, which, when diy, coats them over like armour, and ness is gone; and, stripped of its "ancient splendour," it is enables them to stand their ground against this winged aslefL as am oakh whose lecaffadetA:-but its inherent sources of sassin: yet I have found some of these tubercles upon al. iert iliiy are not dried up; the natural richness of the soil is most every elephant and rhinoceros that I have seen, and unbli hted: the substance is in it, strong as that of the teil- attribute them to this cause. All the inhabitants of the sea-'tee or the solid oak, which retain their substance when coast of Melinda, down to Cape Gardefan, to Saba, and the;hey cast their leaves. And as the leafless oak waits through- south coast of the Red Sea, are obliged to put themselves in:ut winter for the genial wirmth of returning spring, to be motion, and remove to the next sand, in the beginning of chithed w-ith renewed foliage, so the once glorious land of the rainy season, to prevent all their stock of cattle from Judea is yet full of latent vigour, or of vegetative power being'destroyed. This is not a partial emigration; the instrong as ever, ready to shoot forth, even "better than at the habitants of all the countries, from the mountains of Abysbeginning," whenever the sun of heaven shall shine on it sinia northward, to the confluence of the Nile, and Astabo — again, and the "holy seed" be prepared for being finally ras, are once a-year obliged to change their abode, and seek'the substance thereof." The substance that is in it-which protection on the sands of Beja; nor is there any alternaalone has here to be proved-is, in few words, thus de- tive, or means of avoiding this, though a hostild band were scribed by an enemy: "The land in the plains is fat and in their way, capable of spoiling them of half their subloamy, and exhibits every sign of the greatest fecundity. stance. This fly has no sting, though he seems to me to be -Were nature, assisted by art, the fruits of the most distant rather of the bee kind; but his motion is more rapid and countries might be produced within the distance of twenty sudden than that of the bee, and resembles that of the gadleagues." "Galilee," says Malte Brun, "would be a para- fly in England. There is something particular in the sound disc, were it inhabited by an industrious people, under an or buzzing of this insect; it is a jarring noise, together with enlightened government. Vine stocks are to be seen here a humming, which induces me to believe it proceeds, at a foot and a half in diameter."-KEITH. least in part, from a vibration made with the three hairs at ~CH:~APTER VII. Ihis snout. (Bruce.)-BBURDER. CHAPTER VII. Ver. 18. And it shall come to pass in that day, Ver. 20. In the same day shall the LORD shave that the LoaD shall hiss for the fly that is in with a razor that is hired, namely, by them the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.'head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also Some writers have contended that bees are destitute of consume the beard. the sense of hearing; but their opinion is entirely without By reading what is written on 2 Kings ii. 23, a better foundation. This will appear, if any proof were necessary, ill be gaine of the contempt attached to those wh froml the followving prediction: " And it shall come to pass vewere bald, and of the term, as being expressive of the most in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the 9 ~~~~~~complete weakness and destitution. To tell aman you will attermost part of the rivers of Egypt; and for the bee that omplee weakness and destitution. To tell a man you wil?s in the lal d of~ssiyri, The allu~-~n which thistext ins HAEV him, is as much as to say you will ruin him —entirely is in the lafidofAssyria." The allusion which this t overthrow him. "Our king has sAvaD all his enemies' overthrow him. "LOur king has SI~VrED all his enemies," volvet, is the practice of calling out the bees from their means, he has punished them; reduced hemto the most b ~~~~~~means, he has punished them; reduced them. to the most hives, by a hissing, or whistling sound, to their labour in b ftll n umnn h aa - rt~1 ~he h abject condition; so that they have not a single vestige of the fields, and summoning them again to return, when the power in their p~ossession. "W~hat, felow! didst- thou say heavens begin to lower, or the shadows of evening to fall, power in their possession. "What, fellow didst thou say Z.) ~~~~~~~~~~thou wouldst SH-AVE me ~." " I Will give thy bones to the In this manner, Jehovah threatens to rouse the enemies of crows and the jackals. Begone, bald-head, get out of my Juda an lea thm tothepre. Hoe~e widly cat crows and the jackals. Begone, bald-head, get out of my Judah, and lead them to the prey. HoweVer widely scatteied, or far remote from tse scene of action, they should way." The punishment to be inflicted on the Jews was hear Ihis voice, and with as much promptitude as the bee, very great: they were to be sHvED on the head, the heard, and "the hair of the feet." The latter expression alludes that has been taught to recognise the signal of its owner, a t iroth ft. e l prso e b ~~~~~~~to a most disgusting practice, common in all parts of the and obey his call, they should assemble their forces; and althh eak and signiicant as a swarm of bees in the East. Calmet says, "The Hebrews modestly express by although. weak and insignificant as a swarm of bees in thefethoeprswihdcnvobdso ae te feet those parts which decency forbids to name- the estimation of a proud and infatuated people, they should estinatio of prod an infaated peope? tey sould water of the feet;'' to cover the ifeet;''the hair of the feet."' comne, with irresistible might, and take possession of the rich water ofthe feet;''to cover the feet;' the hair of the feet."' Thus the Lord was about to sHAWE the Jews by a razor~ and beautiful region which had been abandoned by its ter- Thus the Lord was about to SAVE the Jews by a razor rfeihaints-Pts ter- which they themselves had iRED!-ROBEaRTS. rifled inh abitants. —pAxToN. This insect is called Zimb; it has not been described by CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER VIII. any naturalist. It is, in size, very little larger than a bee, of a thicker proportion, and his wings, which are broader Ve. 6. Forasmuch as this people reuseth te than those of a bee, placed separate, like those of a fly: they waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in are of pure gauze, Wvithout colour or spot upon them; the Rezin and Remaliah's son; 7. Now therefore, head is large, the upper jaw or lip is sharp, and has at theold, the o bringeth up upon them the n ~~~~~~~~~~~behold, the LoRD) bringeth up upon them'the end of it a strong pointed hair, of about a quarter of an inch long; the lower jaw has two of these pointed hairs; and waters of the river, strong and many, even the this pencil of hairs, when joined together, makes a resist- king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall ance to the finger, nearly equal to that of a strong hog's come up over all his channels, and go over all bristle; its legs are serrated in the inside, and the whole his banks. covered with brown hair or down.'As soon as this plague appears, and their buzzing is heard, all the cattle forsake The gentle waters of Shiloah, a small fountain and brook their food, and run wildly about the plain, till they die, just without Jerusalem, which supplied a pool within the worn out with fatigue, fright, and hunger. No remedy re- city for the use of the inhabitants, are an apt emblem of the mains, but to leave the black earth, and hasten down to the state of the kingdom and house of David, much reduced in sands of Atbara; and there they remain, while the rains its apparent strength, yet supported by the blessing of God; last, this cruel enemy never daring to pursue them farther. and are finely contrasted with the waters of the Euphrates, Though his size be immense, as ishsstegadhi Though his size be immense, as is his strength, and h~is great, rapid, and inpetuous; the image of the Babylonian body covered with a thick skin, defended with strong hair, pi, which God threatens to bring down ike a might empire, -which God threatens to bring down like a might~y yet, even the camel is not capable to sustain the violent floodupon all these apostates of both kingdoms, as a punpunctures the fly makes with his pointed proboscis. H-le ishment for their manifold iniquities-Burue..must lose no time in removing to, the sands of Atbara; for, when once'attacked by this fly, his body, head, and legs, Ver. 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but break out into large bosses, which swell, break, and putre- for astone of stumbling, and for a rock of of fy, to the certain destruction of the creature. Even the el- fen eplhant and rhinoceros, who, by reason of their enormous, to oth houses of Israel: for a gin nd bulk, and the vast quantity of food and water they daily for h snare to the inhabitants of Tcrusalem. CHAP. 9, iO. I SAIAH. 455 The idea appears to be taken from a stone, or a block of in a very strong light. The boastful extravagance of that wood, being thrown in the path of travellers, over which people is still further displayed by the next figure: " The they fall. "Well, friend, did the king grant you your re- sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cequest'" —" No, no; there was a Udaru-Katti, (from the verb dars;" the forests of sycamore, the wood of which we have Udarestkthu, to stumble, and oatti, a block,) a stumbling- been accustomed to employ in building, are cut down by block in the way." "Just as Valen was attaining the object the enemy, but instead of them we will import cedars, of of his wishes, that old stumbling-block, the Modeliar, laid whose fragrant and beautiful wood we will construct and down in the way, and the poor fellow stumbled, and fell." adorn our habitations. The sycamore grew in abundance " Why are you sc dejected this morning." —" Because I in the low country of Judea, and was not much esteemed; have had a severe fall over that stumbling-block, my pro- but the cedar was highly valued; it was brought at a great fligate son."-RoBERTS. expense, and with much labour, from the distant and rugged summits of Lebanon, to beautify the dwellings of the great, CHAPTER IX. the palaces of kings, and the temple of Jehovah. It was Her. 3. Thou hast imultiplied the nation, and not therefore an extravagant boast, which betrayed the pride increased the joy: they joy before thee accord_ and vanity of their depraved hearts, that all the warnings, increased the joy theyjoy before thee accord- threatenings, and judgments of the living God, were ining to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice sufficient to subdue or restrain.-PAXTON. when they divide the spoil. CHAPTER X. "Kandan's wife has at length borne her husband a son, Ver. 1. Wo unto them that decree unrighteous and all the relations are rejoicing together, like unto the joy decrees, and that write grievousness which they of harvest." " Are you happy in your new situation 2"- have "Yes; my santosAam, my happiness, is greater than that of prescribed. the time of harvest." " Listen to the birds, how merry they The manner of making eastern decrees differs from ours: a:re; can they be taking in their harvest 2"-ROBERTS. they are first written, and then the magistrate authenticates them, or annuls them. This, I remember, is the Arab Ver. 6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a manner, according to D'Arvieux. Whenan Arabwanted Son is given; and the government shall be upon a favour of the emir, the way was to apply to the secretary, his shoulder: and his name shall be called who drew up a decree according to the requestof the party; if tie emir granted the favour, he printed his seal upon it; Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The if not, he returned it torn to the petitioner. Sir J. Chardin everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. confirms this account, and applies it, with great propriety, to the illustration of a passage which I never thought of It is common in the East to describe any quality of a when I read over D'Arvieux. After citing Is. x. 1, Wo person by calling him t/he father qf the quality. D'Herbe- unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers lot, speaking of a very eminent physician, says, he did such that write grievousness, for so our translators have rendered admirable cures, that he was surnamed Aboul Berekiat, the the latter part of the verse in the margin, much more agreefather of benedictions. The original words of this title of ably than in the body of the version, Sir John goes on, Christ, maybe rendered, the father of that which is everlast- " The manner of making the royal acts and ordinances hath inlg: Christ, therefore, as the head and introducer of an a relation to this: they are always drawn up according to everlasting dispensation, never to give place to another, the request; the first minister, or he whose office it is, writes was very naturally, in the eastern style, called the father of on the side of it,'according to the king's will,' and from eternity.-HARMER. thence it is sent to the secretary of state, who draws up The phrase, " shall be called," refers not so much to the the order in form." appellation by which the promised child should be known, They that consult Vitringa upon the passage, will find as to the nature by which he should be distinguished. It is that commentators have been perplexed about the latter remarkable that the original word, (pela,) here rendered part of this wo: every one sees the propriety of denoun" wonderful," is elsewhere rendered " secret." Thus Judg. cing evil on those that decree unrighteous judgments; but xiii. 17, 18, "And Manoah said unto the angel of the it is not very clear why they are threatened that write them; Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to it certainly would be wrong to punish the clerks of our pass, we may do thee honour. And the angel of the Lord courts, that have no other concern in unjust decrees, than said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing barely writing them down, according to the duty of their it is secret, (pala?") Here the angel evidently appropri- place, as mere amanuenses. But according to the eastern ates one of the distinguishing titles of the promised Messiah, mode, we find he that writes or draws up the order at first, thus identifying his real character, and while ostensibly is deeply concerned in the injustice, since he. expresses refusing to make known his name, does in fact impart one matters as he pleases, and is the source of the mischief; of the most significant and sublime of all his designations. the superior only passes or rejects it. He indeed is guilty -Busa. if. he passes an unjust order, because he ought to have rejected it; but a great deal of the guilt unquestionably comes Ver. 10. The bricks are fallen down, but we will upon him who first draws the order, and who makes it more build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut or less oppressive to others, just as he pleases, or rather, dowvn, but we will change them into cedars. according to the present that is made him by the party that solicits the order. For it appears from D'Arvieux, that the secretary of the emir drew up no order without a presThe houses of the lower orders in Egypt are in like ent which was wont to be proportionate to the favour manner constructed of unburnt bricks, or square pieces of which was wont to be proportionate to the favou asked; and that he was very oppressive in his demands. clay, baked in the sun, and only one story high; but those In this view of things the words of the prophet are very of the higher classes, of stone, are generally two, and clear, and easy to be understood; and Sir John Chardin, by sometimes three stories high. These facts are at once a his acquaintance with the East, proves a much better intershort and lively comment on the words of the prophet: preter than the most learned western commentators, even "All the people shall know, even Ephraim, and the inhab- celebrated rabbies themselves: for according toiing itants of Samaria, that say, in the pride and stoutness of Rabbi David Kimchi supposes the judges themselves were heart, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewnart, The bricks arthe syfallores are cut downdown, but we will build wih the writers the prophet meant, and so called, because they hn te t ca c d n, caused others to write unjust determinations: though Vichange them into cedars." Bricks dried in the sun, are tringa admits, that such an interpretation does not well poor materials for building, compared with hewn stone agree with the conjugation of the Hebrew word-HARMER. swhich, in Egypt, is almost equal to marble, and forms a strong contrast between the splendid palace and mud- Ver. 13. For he saith, By the strength of my walled cabin. And if, as is probable, the houses of the hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for higher orders in Israel were built with the same species of costly and beautiful stone, the contrast stated by the I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds prophet plades the vaunting of his wealthier countrymen of the people, and have robbed their treasures, 456 ISAIAH. CHAP. 10-13. and I have put down the inhabitants like a val- young ones shall lie down together: and the mant man: 14. And my hand hath found, as a lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8. And the nest, the riches of the people: and as one gather- suckling child shall play on the hole of the eth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand earth; and there was none that moved the wing, on the cockatrice-den. 9. They shall not hurt or opened the mouth, or peeped. nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the These are the sentiments and boastings of Sennacherib, a proud Assyrian monarch, who viewed and treated cities LORD, as the waters cover the sea. just as we in Africa viewed and treated ostrich nests. when See on Job 20. 14. they fell in our way: we seized the eggs as if they had been our own, because we had found them, and because CHAPTER XIII. there was no power that could prevent us. So did Senna- Ver. 7. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and cherib seize and plunder cities with as little compunction as we seized the eggs of the absent ostrich; never thinking every man's heart shall melt. of the misery for life which he thereby brought on many peaceable families, who had done nothing to injure or of- or metals. "My heart, my mind, melts for himn; f am fend him.-CAMPBELL. or metals. "My heart, my mind, melts for hill, I am dissolved by his love." "Alas! alas! mybowels are meltVer. 19. And the rest of the trees of his forest ing within me."-RoBERTs. shall be few, that a- child may write them. Ver. 8. And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorVolney remarks, in a note, that there are but four or five rows shall take hold of them; they shall be in of those trees, which deserv.e any notice; and in a note, it pain as a woman that travaileth; they shall be may be added, from the words of Isaiah, " the rest of the amazed one at another; their faces shall be as trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them," fl ch. x. 19. Could not the infidel write a brief note, or state a minute fact, without illustrating a prophecy. Maundrell, who visited Lebanon in the end of the seventeenth centuy Great pains are often spoken of as the anguish of parwho visited Lebanon in the end of the seventeenth century, turition. "Ah! my lord, I am very ill; my pains are like and to whose accuracy in other matters ill subsequent tray- those of a woman when brinin rth her first-orn." those of a woman when bringing forth her first-born." ellers who refer to him bear witness, describes some of the Has it come to this? am I to bring forth like a woman cedars near the top of the mountain as " very old, and of a He cries like the woman in her agony." "Yes, my prodigious bulk, and others younger, of a smaller size." " e friend; as the pains of a female in child-bearing are roOf the former he could reckon up only sixteen. He meas- duced by sin; so yor preenl suffeings aren by ured the largest, and found it above twelve yards in girth. dued by sin your present sufferns are the sins of a former birth."-RoBERTS. Such trees, however few in number, show that the cedars of Lebanon had once been no vain boast. But after the lapse Ver. 14. And it shall be as the chased roe, (lrL,of more than a century, not a single tree of such dimensions is now to be seen. Of those which now remain, as lope,) and as a sheep that no man taketh up: visited by Captains Irby and Mangles, there are about fifty they shall every man turn to his own people, in the whole, on a single-small eminence, from which spot and flee every one into his own land. the cedars are the only trees to be seen in Lebanon.-KEITH. See on 2 Sam. 2. 10. Ver. 32. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: To hunt the antelope is a favourite amusement in the he shall shake his hand against the mount of East; but which, from its extraordinary swiftness, is atthe daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. tended with great difficulty. On the first alarm, it flies like an arrow from the bow, and leaves the best mounted hunter, and the fleetest dog, far behind. The sportsman is This is a-part of the description of the march of Senna- er, and the fleetest do, far behind. The sportsman is'cherib against Jerusalem. When he arrives near the cityobliged to call in the aid of the falcon, trained to the work, ererib against Jerusalem. Wl~hen he arrives near the city, to seize on the animal, and impede its motions, to give the he lifts up his hand and shakes it, to denote that he will to seize on the animal, and impede it s motions to give the dogs time to overtake it. Dr. Russel thus describes the soon inflict signal punishment upon it. How often may chase f the antelope: "They permt horsemen, ithout this significant motion of the hand be seen; it is done byand do not lifting it up to the height of the head, and then moving it seem much to regard a caravan that passe within a little backward and forward in a cutting direction. Thus, when distance; but the moment they take the alarm, they bound men are at so great a distance as to be scarcely able to hear distance; but the momentime t time the alarm, they bound each other's voice, they have this convenient way of making away find themselves pursued, time a lay tk behind: and if known their threatenings. Sometimeswhenb~rawlers have they find themselves pursued, they lay their horns backknown their threatenings. Sometimes, when brawlers have separated, and apparently finished their quarrel, one of them ward, almost close on the shoulders, and flee with incrediwill turn round and bawl out with all his might, and then alarm; for which reason the sportsmen ends appear, they instantly take shake his hand in token of what he will still do.-ROBERTS. upon the antelope unawares, to get as near as possible before CHAPTER XI. slipping the dogs; and then, pushing on at full speed, they throw off the falcon, which, being taught to strike or fix Vet. 4. But with righteousness shall he judge the upon the cheek of the game, retards its course by repeated poor,' and reprove with equity for the meek of attacks, till the greyhounds have time to get up."-BURDER. the earth: and he shall smite the earth with Vert 18. Their bows also shall dash the your-.og the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of hiss also shall dash the ou lips shall he slay the wicked. men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare The application of this figure in the East refers rather children. to angry expressions, than to a judicial sentence. " The mouth of that man burns up his neighbours and friends." See on 2 Sam. 22. 35. " IIis mouth! it has set on fire all the people."-ROBERTS. Both Herodotus and Xenophon mention that the Persians used large bows; and the latter says particularly, Ver. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, that their bows were three cubits long. They were celeand the leopard shall lie down with the kid; brated for their archers, Jer. xlix. 35. Probably their and th~e calf, and the young lion, and the fatlingo Ineighbours and allies, the AMedes, dealt much in the same and1 af lte c'hil sa lead1 the7m sort of arms. In Psalm xviii. 34, and Job xx. 24, mention together; and a little child shall lead them. is made of a bow of brass. If the Persian bows were of 7. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their metal, we may easily conceive that with a metalline bow CHAP. 13. ISAIAH. 457 of three cubits' length, andproportionablystrong, the soldiers ter from the sun at noon; and a noisy flight of crows from might dash and slay the young men, the weaker and un- the quarries seemed to insult its silence. VWe heard the resisting part of the inhabitants, in the general carnage on partridge call in the area of the theatre and of the stadium. taking the city.-LOWTH. The glorious pomp of its heathen worship is no longer remembered; and Christianity, which was there nursed by Ver. 19. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, apostles, and fostered by general councils, until it increased the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be to fulness of stature, barely lingers on in an existence hardas when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. ly visible." This description is very gloomy and melancholy; thow20. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it ever, the usefulness of these ruins is such, for the habitation be dwelt in from generation to generation; of those that tend flocks, that it often prevents a place from neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there, being quite desolate, and continues it among inhabited neither shall the shepherds make their fold places, though miserably ruinated. Such is the state of neither shall the shepherds make their fold Ephesus: it is described by Chandler, as making a very there. gloomy and melancholy appearance, but as not absolutely From Ranwolf's testimony it appears that in the sixteenth without people. " Our horses," says he, "were disposed century, "there was not a house to be seen."' And now among the walls and rubbish, with their saddles on; and the eye wanders over a barren desert, in which the ruins are a mat was spread for us on the ground. We sat here, in nearly the only indication that it had ever been inhabited.," the open air, while supper was preparing; when, suddenly, "It is impossible," adds Major Keppel, "to behold this scene, fires began to blaze up among the bushes, and we saw the and not to be remindeds how exactly the predictions of villagers collected about them in savage groups, or passing Isaiah and Jeremiah have been fulfilled, even in the ap- to and fro with lighted brands for torches. The flames, pearance Babylon was doomed to present, that she should with the stars and a pale moon, afforded us a dim prospect never be inhabited; that'the Arabian should not pitch his of ruin and desolation. A shrill owl, called cueuvaia, from tent there;' that she should' become heaps;' that her cities its note, with a nighthawk, flitted near us; and a jackal should be a' desolation, a dry wilderness."' " Babylon is cried mournfully, as if forsaken by his companions on the spurned alike by the heel of the Ottomans, the Israelites, mountain."-BuRDER. and the sons of Ishmael. It is a tenantless and desolate me- Ver. 21. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie tropolis."-(Mignan.) s Vet. 2i But wild beasts of the de sert sha ll lie tropolis."-(Mignan.) I Neither shall the Arabian pitch his tent there, neither shall there; and their houses shall be full of doleful the sheepherds mnake their fold there. It was prophesied of creatures: and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs Ammon, that it should be a stable for camels and a couching- shall dance there. place for flocks; and of Philistia, that it should be cottages for shepherds, and a pasture for flocks. But Babylon was See on ch. 34. 13. to be visited with a far greater desolation, and to become " Yes; the wretch is *now punished for his crimes, and unfit or unsuiting even for such a purpose. And that those of his father; dogs and devils are now dwelling in neither a tent would be pitched there, even by an. Arab, his habitation." The owl, whose native name is ANTHI, is nor a fold made by a shepherd, implies the last degree of one of the most ominous birds of the East. Let him only solitude and desolation. " It is common in these parts for alight upon the house of a Hindoo, and begin his dismal shepherds to make use of ruined edifices to shelter their screech, and all the inmates will be seized with great conflocks in." (Mignan.) But Babylon is an exception. In- sternation.. Some one will instantly run out and make a stead of taking the bricks from thence, the shepherd might noise with his areca-nut cutter, or some other instrument, with facility erect a defence from wild beasts, and make a to affright it away. I recollect one of these creatures once fold for his flock amid the heaps of Babylon: and the Arab. flew into the house of a lady when she was in the pains oi who fearlessly traverses it by day, might pitch his tent by parturition: the native servants became greatly alarmed, night. But neither the one nor the other could nowbe per- and run to me, lamenting the fearful omen. I had it driven suaded to remain a single night among the ruins. The from the house; and notwithstanding the malignant insuperstitious dread of evil spirits, far more than the natural fluence of the feathered visiter, and the qualms of 4he doterror of the wild beasts, effectually prevents them. Cap- mestics, all things went on well. On another occasion, I tain Mignan was accompanied by six Arabs, completely shot one of them which had-troubled us on the roof, night armed, but he': could not induce them to remain towards by night: but as he was only wounded in the wing, I took night, from the apprehension of evil spirits. It.is impossi- him into the house, with the intention of keeping him: but ble to eradicate this idea from the minds of these people, the servants were so uncomfortable, and complained so who are very deeply imbued with superstition." And much at having such a " BEAST" in the house, I was obliged when the sun sunk behind, the Mujelibe, and the moon to send him away. From these statements it will be seen would have still lighted his way among the ruins, it was what ideas would be attached to the OWLS dwelling in the with infinite regret that he obeyed "the summnons of his houses of Babylon.-RoBERTS. guides. " All the people of the countr'y assert that it is ex- "There are many dens of wild beasts in various parts. tremely dangerous to approach this monnd after nightfall, There are quantities of porcupine quills, (kephud.) And on account of the multitude of evil spirits by which it is while the lower excavations are often pools of water, in haunted."-KmEITH. most of the cavities are numbers of bats and owls. These The scriptures, in describing the ruined state into which souterrains, (caverns,) over which the chambers of majesty some celebrated cities were to be reduced, represent them may have been spread, are now the refuge of jackals and not unfrequently, (Jer. xlix. 18,) as to be so desolated, that other savage animals. The mouths of their entrances are no shepherds with flocks should haunt,them; which sup- strewed with the bones of sheep and goats; and the loathposes they were to be found on the remains of others. some smell that issues from most of them is sufficient warnThis is a proper representation of complete destruction. ing not to proceed into the den." (Buckingham.) The For in the East it is common for shepherds to make use; of king of the forest now ranges over the site of that Babylon remaining ruins to shelter their flocks from the heat of the which Nebuchadnezzar built for his own glory. And the middle of the day, and from the dangers of the night. So temple of Belus, the greatest work of man, is now like unto Dr. Chandler, after mentioning the exquisite remains of a a natural den of liovs. " Two or three majestic lions" were temple of Ap6llo, in Asia Minor, which were such as that seen upon its heights, by Sir Robert Ker Poiter, as he was it was impossible, perhaps, to conceive greater beauty and approaching it; and "the broad prints of their feet were majesty of ruin, goes on, "At evening a large flock of goats, left plain in the clayey soil." Major Keppel saw there a returning to the fold, their bells tinkling, spread over the similar foot-print of a lion. It is also the unmolested reheap, climbing to browse on the shrubs and trees growing treat of jackals, hyenas, and other noxious atimals. Wild between the huge stohes." Another passage of the same beasts are " numerous" at the Miujelibe, as well as on Birs writer, shows that they make use of ruins also to guard Nimnrood. " The mound was full of large holes; we entheir flocks from the noon-tide heat. Speaking of Aiasa- tered some of them, and found~them strewed with carcasses luck, generally understood to be the ancient Ephesus, and and skeletons of animals recently killed. The ordure of certainly near the site of that old city, and at least its suc- wild beasts was so strong, that prudence got the better of cessor, he says, " A herd of goats was driven to it for shel- curiosity, for we had no doubt as to the savage nature of the 58 458 ISAIAH. CHAP. 14. inhabitants. Our guides, indeed, told us that all the ruins were properly ornamented with sculpture, and each was abounded in lions and other wild beasts; so literally has placed in its proper cell.,The cave or sepulchre admitted the divine prediction been fulfilled, that wild beasts of the no light, being closed by a great stone, which was rolled desert should lie there, and their houses be full of doleful to the mouth of the narrow passage or entrance. Many of creatures; that the wild beasts of the island should cry in these receptacles atre still extant in Judea: two in particular their desolate houses." (Keppel.)-KEITH. are more magnificent than all the rest, and are supposed to be the sepulchres of the kings. One of these is in Jerusa Ver. 22. And the wild beasts of the island shall lem, and contains twenty-four cells; the other, containing cry in their desolate houses, and dragfons in twice that number, is in a place without the city.-BUURDER. their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. Ver. 16. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this Europeans are often astonished, in walking through a the man that made the earth to tremble,,that town or village, to see so many DESOLATE houses, and fre- shak kingdoms quently come to improper conclusions, from an idea that the a place had once a greater number of inhabitants. At half an hour's notice, families may be seen to leave their dwell- Narrowly to look on and to consider even the view of the ings, never to enter them more. ence, in almost every di- Mujelib6, is to see what the palace of Babylon, in which ings, never to enter them more. Hlence, in almost every di- kings, proud as" Lucifer," boasted of exalting themselves rection, may be seen bnildings with roofs half fallen in; aboveking s, proud as fer," boaste d of exalting themselves with timbers hanging in various positions; shutters andabovethe stars of God, has now become, On pacing over doors flapping in the wind, or walls half-levelled to the the loose stones, and fragments of brick-work which lay tround. Vdarious are the reasons for which the supersti- scattered through the immense fabric, and surveying the tious idolater will leave his dwelling: should one of the sublimity of the ruins," says Captain Mignan,' I naturally family die on the fifth day of the new or waning moon, the recurred to the time when these walls stood proudly in their place must be forsaken for six months; or should the Cobra original splendour,-when the halls were the scenes of' fesCapella (serpent) enter the house at the times alluded to, original spledour,-when the halls were the scenes of fes the people must forthwith leave the house. Does an OWL tive magnificence, and when they resounded to the voices of those whom death has long since swept from the earth. aliight on the roof for two succsssivE nights, the inmates This very pile was once the seat of luxury and vice; now will take their departure; but if for ONE only, then, by the abandoned to decay, and exhibiting a melancholy instance performance of certain ceremonies, the evilsmaybe averted. of the retribution of Heaven. it stands alone;-the soliAre evil spirits believed to visit the dwelling. are the chil- tary habitation of theoaterd mars not the forsaken site dren often sickc'i are the former as well as the present oc- tary habitation of the goatherd marks not the forsaken site." dren often sick. are the former as well as the present occupiers unfortunate. then will they never rest till they have gained another habitation. Sometimes, however, they call for the sastre, i. e. magician, to inquire if he can find out the cause of their troubles; when perhaps he says, the walls an abominable branch, and as the raiment of are too high, or too much in this or that direction; and those that are slain, thrust through with a then may be seen master, servants, children, carpenters, sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; and masons, all busily employed in making the prescribed as a carcass trodden under alterations. But another reason for the desolation in houses is, that a father sometimes leaves the dwelling to two or three of his sons; and then, when the necessary repairs Rather like abominable tree, meaning that on which have to be made, one will not do this, another will not do criminals were exected This, in the Roman law, is de that till the whole tumbles to the ground.-ROBERTS. nominated infelix arbor; and Maimonides tells us, that the Jews used to bury it with the criminal who suffered on it, CHAPTER XIV. as involved equally with him in the malediction of their law.-BURDEn. Ver. 8. Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the " Several deep excavations have been made in different cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid places into the sides of the Mujelib6; some probably by the down, no feller is come up against us. wearing of the seasons; but many others have been dug by the rapacity of the Turks, tearing up its bowels in search As we passed through the extensive forest of fir-trees Sit- of hidden treasure,"-as if the palace of Btab/lo; were cast uated between Deir el Kamr and Ainep, we had already out of its gr'ave. "Several penetr'ate very fcar into the body heard, at some distance, the stroke of one solitary axe, re- of the structure," till it has become as the raimeent of those sounding from hill to hill. On reaching the spot, we found that are slain, th'rust through with a sword. " And some, it a peasant, whose labour had been so far successful, that he is likely, have never yet been explored, the wild beasts of had felled his tree and lopped the branches. He was now the desert literally keeping guard over them." (Keppel.) hewing it in the middle, so as to balance the two halves " The mound was full of large holes"-thrust throug'h. upon his camel, which stood patiently by him, waiting for Near to the Mujelib6, on the supposed site of the hanging his load. In the days of Hiram, king of Tyre, and subse- gardens which were situated within the walls of tle palace, quently under the kings of Babylon, this romantic solitude "the ruins are so perforated in consequence of the digging was not so peaceful: that most poetic image in Isaiah, who for bricks, that the original design is entirely lost. All that makes these very trees vocal, exulting in the downfall of could favour any conjecture of gardens built on terraces the destroyer of nations, seems now to be almost realized are two subterranean passages. There can be no dosbt that anew- Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Leb- both passages are of vast extent: they are lined with bricks anon, say/iig, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up laid in with bitumen, and covered over wilth large masses of against US. —JOWETT. stone. This is nearly the only place where stone is observable." Arches built upon arches raised the hangingVTer. 9. Hell from beneath is moved -for thee to gardens from terrace to terrace, till the highest'was on a, leet thee at thy coming: it.tirreth up the level with the top of the city walls. Now they arez cast out dead for thee even all the chief ones o the like an abominable branch-and subte1rranean passages are, isclosed-dorwn to the stones of the pit. "As a carcass tro& earth;' it hath raised up from their thrones all detn under feet."' The streets of Babylon were parallel, the kings of the nations. crossed by others at right angles, and abounded with houses three and four stories high; and none can now traverse the The sepulchres of the Hebrews, at least those of respect- site of Babylon, or find any other path, without treadikng able persons, and those which hereditarily belonged to the them eunder foot. The traveller directs his course to the principal families, were extensive caves, or vaults, excava- highest mounds; and there are none, whether temples or ted from the native rock by art and manual labour. The palaces, that are not trodden on. The Mujelib6 " rises in roofs of them in general were arched: and some were so a steep ascent, over which the passengers can only go up by spacious as to be supported by colonnades. All round the the winding paths zworn by frequent visits to the ruine-d edi. sides were cells for the reception of the sarcophagi; these fice."-KEITH. .CHAP. 14-17. ISAIAH. 45S Ver. 23. I will also make it a possession for the to whom shall I go for employmentq I have many chil-' bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it dren, who wili be sufferers if I leave you: who will throw with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD a stone at the nestlings' who will put fire to the lair of the ith the besom of destruction, saith the LoRD young cubs of the jungle. Ah! my lord, turn me not of hosts. away; I shall be like a bird wandering from its nest."ROBERTS. What was he going to sweep? The devoted city of Babylon. The word BESOM is often used, as a figure, to CHAPTER XVII. denote the way in which people are swept from the earth. Ver. 6. Yet gleaning-grapes shall be left in it, as Thus, when the cholera morbus began to rage, it was said, the shaking of an olive-tree, two o three ber"Alas! alas! it is sweeping us away as with a BESOM." ries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or " How is the cholera in your village?"-" It has come like besoms." - When the people made offerings and sacrifices five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, to the demons who were believed to produce the disease, saith the LORD God of Israel. the.magician, who was believed to be the devil's agent, sometimes said, " Make such and such offerings, or I will The vintager cuts down'the grapes from the vine with sweep you away with a besom." In the Hindoo calendar, a sharp hook or sickle; but the olive was sometimes beaten or almanac, where predictions are given respecting cer- off the tree, and sometimes shaken. The former method tain months of the year, it is often said, " The year is not is mentioned by Moses, in one of his precepts: "When good, it brings a besom."-RoBERTS. thou beates:t thine olive-tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherVer. 29. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, be- less, and for the widow." The latter is marked by the cause the rod of him that smote thee is broken: prophet Isaiah: "Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a as the shaking of an olive-tree; two or three berries in the or theand his fruit shal be a fiery flyin top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost c.ockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying.fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel." It serpent. occurs again in a denunciation of divine judgments, by the same prophet: " When thus it shall be in the midst of the In Egypt and other oriental countries, a serpent was the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an common symbol of a powerful monarch; it was embroider- olive-tree, and as the gleaning grapes, nlhen the vintage is ed on the robes of princes, and blazoned on their diadem, done." The conjecture of Harmer, on these quotations, in to signify their absolute power and invincible might, and which the shaking of the olive-tree is connected with the that, as the wound inflicted by the basilisk is incurable, so gleaning of grapes, is not improbable, " that the shaking the fatal effects of their displeasure wvere neither tobe avoid- of the olive-tree does not indicate an improvement made ed nor endured. These are the allusions involved in the in after times on the original mode of gathering them; or address of the prophet, to the irreconcilable enemies of his different methods of procedure by different people, in the nation.-PAxTON. same age and country, who possessed olive-yards; but er 31 Howl, 0 gate; cry, 0 city: thou, whole rather expressed the difference between the gathering of )Ver. 31.' ou],- O late''ry, 8 c~ity: thou, T~r the main crop by the owners, and the way in which the Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come poor collected the few olive-berries that were left, and from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone which, by the law of Moses, they were permitted to take." in his appointed times. The custom of beating the olive with long poles, to make. the fruit fall, is still followed in some parts of Italy. This This may be in allusion to smoke arising from distant' foolish method, besides hurting the plant, and spoiling many.onflagrations, caused by an advancing desolating army, branches that would bear the year following, makes the. the sight of which would greatly alarm the inhabitants of ripe and unripe fruit fall indiscriminately, and bruises a Palestina. I have seen the smoke from mountains, whose great deal of both kinds, by wvhich they beconre rancid in the grass and bushes were on fire, at the distance of forty or heaps, and give an ill-flavoured oil. Such is the statement Fifty miles. Or it may refer to clouds of sand or dust raised of the Abbot Fortis, in his account of Dalmatia; we are by troops rapidly advancing to attack them. By this means not then to wonder, that in the time of Moses, when the I have observed the advance of travelling parties, long be- art of cultivation was in so simple and unimproved astate, fore they reached us, from the cloud of sand raised by the beating should have been the common way of gathering mcvement of the oxen. Game is also frequently discovered olives by the owners, who were disposed to leave, we may by the same means.-CAMPBELL. suppose, as few as possible, and were forbidden by their law to go over t-he branches a second time. But shaking CHAPTER XV. them appears to have been sufficient, when they had hung Wer. 1. The burden of Mhloab. Because in the till they were fully ripe; and was therefore practised by the poor, or by strangers, Wvho were either not provided niyght Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought with such long poles as the owners possessed, or did not to silence; because in the night Kir of Moab find them necessary. Indeed, it is not improbable, that the is laid waste, and brought to silence. owners were well aware of the injury done to the olive-. trees by beating, although they practised it, because it was See on Jer. 49. 1-28. the most effectual way of gathering the fruit with which CHAPTER XVI. they were acquainted; and might therefore prohibit the poor and the stranger to collect the gleanings in that manVer. 2. For it shall be, that as a wandering bird ner: they were on that account reduced to the necessity cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab of shakinig the olive-berries from the tree, how ineffectual shall be at the fords of Arnon. soever might be the method, or remain without them.. The main drop, then, seems to have been taklen fiomthe olive by The figure appears to be taken from a young bird beino beating, and the gleanings uniformly by shaling. Under thrown, out of the nest before it is able to fly, and which this conviction, Dr. Lowth has, with great judgment, transconsequently wanders about for a place of refuge. " WVell lated the sixth verse of the seventeenth chapter of Isaiah: Talmban, vwhat has become of your profliiateate son!"-" L A gleaning shall be left in it, as in the shaking of the oliveknow not, my friend, because I have turned him out of the tree.-PAXTON. nest." "W' hy, my boy, have you come to this distant coun- CHAPTER XVIII. try?" —" Because my relations turned me out of the nest." "Alas for me! alas for me!" says the bereaved mother;- Ver. 2. That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even "my young one has taken to the wing; it has flown from in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, the nest." "I have only one left in the nest; shall I not Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered take care of it'" "I should like to get into that nest;" says a d the young man who wishes to marry into a high and rich and people terrible from their be. family. " Ahl! my lord, dismiss me not from your service: ginning hitherto; a nation meted out and 460 ISAIAH. CHAP. 21, trodden down, whose land the rivers have and all the graven images of her gods he hath spoiled! broken unto the ground. " In order to pass along the Nile, the inhabitants have This is a prophecy, and yet speaks as if the event to recourse to the contrivance of a float, made of large earthen which it relates had been already accomplished. In Jerepitchers, tied closely together, and covered with leaves of miah, also, li. 8, it is said, "Babylon is suddenly ifallen alm-trees. The man that conducts it, has commonly in and destroyed." David says," Thou hast smitten all mine his mouth a cord, with which he fishes, as he passes on." enemies." Dr. A.'Clarke says, " That is, thou'wilt smite " (Norden.) Egmont and Heyman saw some small floats, He speaks in full confidence of God's interference, and used by the - Egyptian fishermen, consisting of bundles of knows that he shall as surely have the victory, as if he had reeds, floated by calabashes. "My palanquin bearers now it already. In these selections the PAs' tense is used instead found no difficulty in fording the stream of the Dahder; of the FUTURE. He who came from Edom., with died garthe last time I crossed, it was with some danger on a raft ments from Bozrah, if madeto say, "Iwill stain all my raiplaced over earthen pots, a contrivance well known in ment." Dr. A. Clarke has, "And I have stained." In this modern Egypt, where they make a float of earthen pots, instance, therefore, the FUTURE is used for the PAST, Ps. tied together, covered with a platform of palm-leaves, lxix:-"Let their table become a snare before them; which will bear a considerable weight, and.is conducted and that which should have been for-their wvelfare, let it without difficulty." (Forbes.)-BUnnER. become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out Ver. 6. They shall be left together unto the fowls thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; and an ows sal summer uon them, and all let none dwellin their tents." Dr. Boothroyd renders these the beasts of the earth suhall wnter upon them,. imprecations in the future, because he believes the whole the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. i to refer to judgments that SHOUIrn fall on the enemy. Dr. See on 1 Sam. 13. 18. A. Clarke says, "The execrations here, and in the followitg Verses, should be read in the FUTURE tense, because CHAPTER XXI. they are PREDICTIVE, and not in the IMPERATIVE mood, as if Ver. 5. Prepare the-table, watch in the watch- they were the offspring of the Psalmist's resentment." It tower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, cancl anoint is common in eastern speech, in order to show the cERTAINTY of any thing which SIALL be done, to speak of it as the shield. having been ALREADY accomplished. Thus the Psalmist, The ancient warrior did notyield to th moderns in in speaking of the iniquities of bad men as having already Keeping his armour in good order. The inspired writer received their reward, evidently alludes to the CERTAINTY ofen speaks offrbishina the spear, and maing briht of future punishment. It is therefore of the first imporoften speaks of'furbishig the'spear,' and making bright the arrows; and the manner in which he expresses himself tance toknow in what tense the verb is meant, as that alone in relation to this part of the soldier's duty, proves that will ive a true view of the intention of the writer. In the wilul gieantruaeviwo the PASTtenseion ofthen eliega ntl utheo it was generally and carefully performed. But they were Tau language the pa tense is ofen elegtl used for tamllnug he PUTURE thus, in othen elean- tly Natied Gromr particularly attentive to their shields, which they took care the FUTURE: thus, in the -nol (the Naive Grammar) frequently to scour, polish, and anoint With oil. The ori- this distinction is beautifully illustrated.'Does a note reental soldier seems to have gloried'in the dazzling lustre quire to be taken to another place in a very short time, the of his shield, which hre so high'lly valued, and upon which messenger, on being charged not to loiter on the way, reof his shield, which he so highly valued, and upon which he engraved his name and warlike exploits. To produce plies, "Nan vant/rn vutlain," i. e. I have already REthe desired brightness, and preserve it undiminished, he TURNED:" whereas he has not taen a single step of his ZD jo~~~~~~~~urmney.I' fhriend, hhask othtaen apsingest,~ep dof you had recourse to frequent unction; which is the reason of journey. "My friend," asks the priest, "when do you intend to go to the sacred Mpace and perform your vows?" the prophet's invitation: " Arise, ye princes, and anoint intend to go to the sacred place and perform yor vows r " the shield." As this was done to improve its polish and a poe -tin," i. e. Ihavebeen and returned brightness, so it was covered with a case, when it was not hic means he is gon immediately. "Carpenter, if n use, to preserve it from becoming rusty. This is the you are not quick in finishing that car, the gods will be n. use, to preserve it from becoming rusty. This is, the Z 0 ~ ~~~~~o anry woth youick My lordin theatr i c alreahe godsew b reason the prophet says, "Kir uncovered the shield." The anry wih you."-" My lord, the work is already done; words of David, already quoted, from his lamentation over when perhaps some months will have to elapse before the Saul and Jonathan, may refer to this practice of anoint- work can be finished. But they also use the PAST for the ing the shield, rather than anointing the king: " The shield FUTURE, to denote CERTANTY as well as SPEED. DO the ants of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of'Saul, as 9 of the mighty i vilely cast way, the shield of Saul, as begin to run about with their eggs in their mouth, it is said, though it had nt been anointed with oil:" the word lie mlly-pay-yatt," it has rained, though a single drop has ein'supplenet, the version now given is perfectly not fallen on the ground. The meaning is, the sign is so ageen-absple to t t he versionnwgivnals terf.ctlyxTON. agreeahle to the original text.-PAxToNr. CERTAIN, that all doubt is removed. "'Why does that man Strange as it may appear, the Hindoos make offerings go to the village' Does henot know the cholera is sweeping to their weapons of war, and to those used in hunting. a a besom'w Alas h alas! avvon-cetai onl; he isoalready Fishermen offer incense to the bag in which they carry ded;" which means, he will certainly die. Shuld the their fish, and also to the net; thus, while the incense is friends of a yn man inquire whether ie may o to sea, burning, they hold the different implements in the srinolie. the oothsyer saysif the signs are unfavourable,) He They also, when able, sacrifice a sheep or a fowl, which is already drowned." But the FUTURE is also used instead is said to make the ceremony more acceptable to Varuna, of the past, as in the case of the deliverer from Bozrah: the god of tee sea. Should the tackle thus consecrated not "I will stain," for "I have stained." Should a man reprove successful, they conclude some part of the ceremony fuse to oey an officer, and inquire, "Where is the order has not been properly performed, and therefore must be of the king " the reply is, "He WILL conmand," which repeated. But in addition to this, they often call for their strongly intimates it has been done, and that other consemagicians to bless the waters, and to intercede for prosper- quences will follow. (1 am.. 13.) See margin, Kings ity. Nor is this sacrificing to implements and weapons i. 13; also vi. 1; and xv. 25. 2 Kings viii. 16. Dan. confined to fishermen, hunters, and warriors, for even ii. 28; also iii. 29; for all of which see marginalreadings. artisans do the same thing to their tools; as also do students See Dr. A. Clarke on Matt. iii. 17; also xxvi. 28, blood and scholars to their books. Thus, at the feast called nava- is shed, for WILL be shed-RoEnT. r'tere, i. e. the nine nights, carpenters, masons, goldsmiths, weavers, and all other tradesmen, may be seen offering to Ver. 11. The burden of Dumah.. He calleth te their tools. Ask them a reason, and they say the incense me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? and ceremonies are acceptable to Sas'rsa-pati, the beauti- watchan, what of the night' watchman, what of the, nig'ht ~ ful goddess of Brama.-RonERTs. Ver. 9. And, behold, here cometh a chariot of The Orientals employed watchmen to patrol the city en, it a couple of horsemen. nd e an- during the night, to suppress any disorders in the streets, or to guard the walls against the attempts of a foreign eneswered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; my. To this custom Solomon refers in these words: "The CHAP. 22. ISAIAH. 461 watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote ly expressed in the following extract from Frazer's Histome, they wounded me; the keepers of the wall took away ry of Kouli Khan: " Nadir Shah, having taken Delhi, ormy veil from me." This custom may be traced to a very dered' Sirbullind Khan to attend the Towpehi Bashi, the remote antiquity; so early as the departure of Israel from master of the ordnance; and the Nissikchi Bachi, head the land of Egypt, the morning watch is mentioned, cer- regulator, commissary of seizures, who had each two huntainly indicating the time when the watchmen were com- dred horse, to seize all the king's and the omra's ordnancemonly relieved. In Persia, the watchmen were obliged to the treasury, jewels, toishik-khanna, (the arsenal,) and all indemnify those who were robbed in the streets; which ac- the other implements and arms that belonged to the empecounts for the vigilance and severity which they display in ror, and the deceased omras; and to send to Mahommed the discharge of their office. and illustrates the character of Shah, the captive emperor, his son, Sultan Ahmed, and watchman given to Ezekiel, who lived in that country, and Malika al Zumani, (the queen of the times,) the emperess. the duties he was required to perform. If the wicked per- Nadir Shah took away the ordnance, effects, and treasure." ished in his iniquities without warning, the prophet was to May not such a conduct in a conqueror justify the allube accountable for his blood; but if he duly pointed out his sion supposed to be intended in this representation of the danger, he delivered his own soul. These terms, there- prophet; for what is this but rolling back what covered the fore, were neither harsh nor severe; they were the com- privacy of the conquered state, and prying into the houise mon appointments of watchmen in Persia. They were of its armoury.-BuRDER. also charged to announce the progress of the night to the slumbering city: "' The burden of Dumah: he calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night watchman, thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a what of the night 3 The watchman said, The morning com- sepulchre here, as he that hewed him out a eth, and also the night." This is confirmed by an observa- sepulchre on high, and that graveth a habitation of Chardin, upon these words of Moses: " For a thoution for himself in a rock? sand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night;" that as the people of the East The Orientals bury without the walls of their cities, have no clocks, the several parts of the day and of the night, unless when they wish to bestow a distinguishing mark cf which are eight in all, are announced. In the Indies, the honour upon the deceased. For this reason, the sepulchres parts of the night are made known, as well by instruments of David and his family, and the tomb of Huldah the of music, in great cities, as by the rounds of the watchmen, *prophetess, were within the city of Jerusalem; and perhaps who, with cries and small drums, give them notice that a the only ones to be found there. The sepulchres of the fourth part of the night is past. Now, as these cries awa- Hebrews, that were able to afford the necessary expense, ked those who had slept all that quarter part of the night, were extensive caves or vaults, excavated in the native it appeared to them but as a moment. There are sixty of rock, by the art and exertions of man. The roofs were these people in the Indies by day, and as many by night; generally arched; and some were so spacious as to be that is, fifteen for each division. It is evident the ancient supported by colonnades. All round the sides were cells Jews'knew, by means of some public notice, how the night- for the reception of the sarcophagi; these were ornamentwatches pAssed away; but, whether they simply announced ed with appropriate sculpture, and'each was placed in its the termination of the watch, or made use of trumpets, or proper cell. The ca've or sepulchre admitted no light, beother sonorous instruments, in making the proclamation, it ing closed by a great stone which was rolled to the mouth, may not be easy to determine; and still less what kind of by the narrow passage or entrance. Many of these recepchronometers the watchmen used. The probability is, that tacles are still extant in Judea; two in particular are more the watches were announced with the sound of a trumpet; magnificent than all the rest, and for that reason supposed for the prophet Ezekiel makes it a part of the watchman's to be the sepulchres of the kings. One of these is in Jeruduty, at least in time of war, to blow the trumpet, and warn salem, and contains twenty-four cells; the other, containing the people.-PAxTON. twice that number, is without. the city. "You are to form to yourself," says Lowth, speaking of these sepulchres," an CHAPTER XXII. idea of an immense subterraneous vault, a vast gloomy Ver. 1. The burden of the valley of vision. What cavern, all round the sides of which are cells to receive the aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up dead bodies; here the deceased monarchs lie in a distinai ethe hose-top'om, that thou art Tvbolly gonu guished sort of state, suitable to their former rank, each on to ttle nouse-tops c ~ his own couch, with his arms beside him. his sword at his head, and the bodies of his chiefs and companions round The houses in the East were in ancient times as they are a vu still, generally, built in one and the same uniform manner. " Whoever," says Maundrell,- asburied there, this is The roof or top of the house is always flat, covered with certain, that the place itself discovers so great an expense, broad stones, or a strong plaster of terrace, and guarded on both of labour and of treasure, that we may well suppose it every side with a low parapet-wall. The terrace is fre- to have been the work of kings. You approach it at the to have been the work of kIings. You aprroach it at the quented as much as any part of the house. On this, as thle east side through an entrance cut out of the natural rock season favours, they walk, they eat, they sleep, they traris- which admits you into an open court of about forty paces act business, they perform their devotions. The house is square, cut down into the'rock, with which it is encombuilt with a court within, into which chiefly the windows passed instead of walls. On the south side of the court, is open; those that ofpen to the street are so obstructed with a ptico, nine paces on ur broa, hewn likewise that no one either without or withincanseea portico, nine paces long, and four broad, hewn likewise lattice-work, that no one either without or within can see out of the rock. This has a kind of architrave running through them. Whenever, therefore, any thing is to be along its front, adorned with sculpture of fruits and flowers, seen or heard in the streets, everyone immediately goes up still discernible, but by time much defaced. At the end of to the house-top to satisfy his curiosity. In the same man- the portico on the left hand, you descend to the passage into ner, when any one had occasion to make any thing public, the sepulchres. Passing through it you arrive in a large the -readiest and most effectual way of doing it, was to apartment about seven or eight yards square, cut out of the proclaim it from the house-tops to the people in the streets.k. Its sides and ceiling are so exactly square and its angles so just, that no architect with levels and Ver. 8. And he discovered the coverinfg of Judah, plummets could build a room more regular; and the whole is so firm and entire, that it may be called a chamber holand thou didst look in that day to the armour lowed out of one piece of marble. From this room you of the house of the forest. pass into six more, one within another, all of the same fabric as the first. Of these the two innermost are deeper The editor of the Fragments subjoined to Calmet's Dic- than the rest, having a second descent of' about six or seven tionary of the Bible, thus renders and explains this passage: steps into them. In every one of these rooms, exz ept the He rolled up, turned back, the covering of Judah, as the first, were coffins of stone placed in'niches in the sides oI covering veils, hanging at the door of a house or tent, are the chambers. They had been at first covered with handrolled up, for more convenient passage, and did look, in- some lids, and carved with'garlands; but now most of them spect carefully, the arms and weapons of the house of the are broken to pieces by sacrilegious hands. The sides and orest. The ideas contained in this interpretation are apt- ceilings of the rooms were also drooping with the moist 462 I SAIA H. CHAP. 22. damps condensed upon them; to remedy which nuisance, are integral parts of the solid rock. Some of them arc and to preserve these chambers of the dead polite and twenty feet high. The mouths of these sepulchres are clean, there was in each room a small channel cut in the closed with beautiful sculptured imitations of brazert r floor, which served to drain the drops that fell constantly iron doors, with hinges, knobs, and bars." into it. This intelligent traveller visited a range of tombs of tne To these sepulchres, and their interior chambers, one same kind on the borders of the lake of Tiberias, hewn by within another, the wise man, by a bold and striking-figure, the earliest inhabitants of Galilee, in the rocks which face compares the dwelling of a lewd woman: " Her house is the water. They were deserted in the time of our Saviour, the way to?lades;" her first or outer chamber is like the and had become the resort of wretched men, afflicted by open court that leads to the tomb, " going down to the diseases, and made outcasts of society; for these tombs are chambers of death;" her private apartments, like the sepa- particularly alluded to in the account'of a cure performed rate recesses of a sepulchre, are the receptacles of loath- upon a maniac in the country of th'e Gadarenes. The some corruption; and he calls them, in allusion to the tombs at Naplose, the ancient Sichem, where Joseph, Toshsolidity of the rock in which they are hewn, the " long ua, and others, were buried, are also hewn out of the solid home," (5iy v:n) bet olantm, the house of ages. The higher rock, and durable as the hills in which they are excavated. such sepulchres were cut in the rock, or the more conspic- Constituting integral parts of mountains, and chiselled with uously they were situated, the greater was supposed to be a degree of labour not to be conceived from mere descripthe honour of reposing there. "Hezekiah was buried in tion, these monuments suffer no change from the lapse of the chiefest," says our translation; rather, in the highest ages; they have defied, and will defy, the attacks of time, part "of the sepulchres of the sons of David," to do him and continue as perfect at thi's hour, as they were in the the more honour. The vanity of Shebna, which so much first moment of their completion.-PAxToN. displeased the Lord, was discovered in preparing for himself a sepulchre in the face of some lofty rock: " What Ver. 17. Behold, the LORD will carry thee away hast thou here, and whom hast thou here, that thou hast with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him thee. out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth a habitation for him in a rock." Several modern travellers mention some To be covered is a sign of mourning, of degradation, and monuments still remaining in Persia of great antiquity, inferiority. People in great sorrow cover their faces with which gave them a clear idea of Shebna's pompous design their robes; thus may be seen the weeping mother and for his sepulchre. They consist of several tombs, each of sorrow-struck father: they cover themselves from the sight them hewn in a high rock nearthe top; the front of the of others, to conceal their dejection and tears. But when rock to the valley below, being the outside of the sepulchre, people are ashamed, also, they cover their heads and faces. is adorned with carved work in relief. Some of these For a man to say he will cover another, intimates supesepulchres are about thirty feet in the perpendicular from riority, and shows that he will put'him to confusion. "Yes, the valley. Diodorus Siculus mentions these ancient the man who was brought up and nourished by the Modemonuments, and calls them the sepulchres of the kings of liar, is now greater than his benefactor, for he coVERs him." Persia. The tombs of Telmissus, in the island of Rhodes,. " Look at that parasitical banyan tree; when it first began which Dr. Clarke visited, furnish a still more remarkable to grow on the other tree, it was a very small plant, but it commentary on this text. They "are of two kinds; the has been allowed to flourish, and now it covERas the parent first are sepulchres hewn in the face of perpendicular stock." Thus, those who were to be carried into captivity, rocks. Wherever the side of a mountain presented an were to be COVERED, in token of their sorrow, degradation, almost inaccessible steep, there the ancient workmen seem and inferiority.-ROBERTS. to have bestowed their principal labour. In such situations are seen excavated chambers, worked with such marvel- Ver. 22. And the key of the house of David will ious art, as to exhibit open fagades, porticoes with Ionic columns, gates and doors beautifully sculptured, in which lay upon his shoulder: so he shall open, and are carved the representation of an embossed iron work, none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none bolts and hinges of one stone. shall open. " The other kind of tomb is the true Grecian soros, the sarcophagus of the Romans. Of this sort there are several, How much was I delighted when I first saw the people, but of' a size and grandeur far exceeding any thing of the especially the Moors, going along the streets with each his kind elsewhere, standing in some instances upon the crag- key on his shoulder. The handle is generally made of brass, gy pinnacles of lofty precipitous rocks. Each consists of (though sometimes of silver,) and is often nicely worked in a single stone, others of still larger size, of more than one a device of filigree. The way it is carried, is to have the stone. Some consist of two masses of stone, one for the corner of a kerchief tied to the ring; the key is then placed body, or chest of the soros, and the other for its operculum; on the shoulder, and the kerchief hangs down in front. At and to increase the wonder excited by the skill and labour other times they have a bunch of large keys, and then they manifested in their construction, they have been almost have half on one side of the shoudler, and half on the other. miraculously raised to the surrounding heights, and there For a man thus to march along with a large key on his left standing upon the projections and crags of the rocks, shoulder, shows at once that he is a person of consequence. which the casualties of nature presented for their reception. "Raman is in great favour with the Modeliar, for he now At Macri, the tombs are cut out of the solid rock, in the carries the key." "Whse key have you got on your precipices towards the sea. Some of them have a kind of shoulderS " " I shall carry my key on my own shoulder." portico, with pillars in front. In these they were almost The key of the house of David was to be on the shoulder plain. The hewn stone was as smooth as if the artist had of Eliakim, who was a type of him who had the "governbeen employed upon wood, or any other soft substance. ment" "up'on his shoulder;" "the mighty God, the everThey most nearly resemble book-cases, with glass doors. lasting Father, the Prince of Peace."-RoBERTS. A small rectangular opening, scarcely large enough to pass through, admits a stranger to the interior of these tombs; -Ver. 23. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure where'is found a square chamber, with one or more recep- place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to tacles for dead bodies, shaped like baths,, upon the sides of his father's house. the apartment, and neatly chiselled in the body of the rock. The mouths of these sepulchres had been originally closed When a man in power has given a situation to another, by square slabs of stone, exactly adapted to grooves cut for it is said of the favoured individual, "He is fastened as a their reception; and so nicely adjusted, that when the work nail." " Yes, his situation is fixed, he will not be moved." was finished, the place of entrance might not be observed. ", What! has Tamban lost his glory. I thought he had Of similar construction were the sepulchres of the Jews been fastened as a nail."-RoBERTs. in Palestine, and particularly that in which our Lord was The Orientals, in fitting up their houses, were by no buried. Many of these have the appearance of being in- means inattentive to the comfort and satisfaction arising accessible; but by dint of climbing from rock to rock, at from order and method. Their furniture was scanty and,he risk of a dangerous fall, it is possible to ascend even to plain; but they were careful to arrange the few household he highest. They are fronted with rude pillars, which utensils they needed, so as not to encumber the apartments CHAP. 24. S AIAH. 463 to which they belonged. Their devices for this purpose, all sadly changed and stained the moral aspect of that counwhich, like every part of the structure, bore the character try, which, from sacred remembrances, is denominated the of remarkable simplicity, may not correspond with our Holy Land; have converted that region, where alone in all ideas of neatness and propriety; but they accorded with the world, and during many ages, the only living and true their taste, and sufficiently answered their design. One of God was worshipped; and where alone the pattern of per. these consisted in a set of spikes, nails, or large pegs, fixed feet virtue was ever exhibited to human view, or in the in the walls of the house, upon which they hung up the human form, into one of the most degraded countries of moveables and utensils in common use, that belonged to the globe, and in appropriate terms, may well be said to the room. These nails they do not drive into the walls have defiled the land. And it has been defiled throughout with a hammer or mallet, but fix them there when the many an age. The Father of mercies afflicteth not willhouse is building; for if the walls are of brick, they are too ingly, nor grieves the children of men. Sin is ever the hard, or if they consist of clay, too soft and mouldering, to precursor of the actual judgments of Heaven. - It was on admit the action of the hammer. The spikes, which are account of their idolatry and wickedness that the ten tribes so contrived as to'strengthen the walls, by binding the parts were earliest plucked from off the land of Israel. The together, as well as to serve for convenience, are large, blood of Jesus, according to their prayer, and the full with square heads like dice, and bent at the ends so as to measure of their iniquity, according to their doings, was make them cramp-irons. They commonly place them at upon the Jews and upon their children. Before they were the windows and doors, in order to hang upon them, when extirpated from that land which their iniquities had defiled, they choose, veils and curtains, although they place them it was drenched with the blood of more than a million of in other parts of the room, to hang up other things of vari- their race. Judea afterward had a partial and temporary ous kinds. The care witn which they fixed these nails, respite from desolation, when Christian churches were may be inferred, as well from the important purposes they established there. But in that land, the nursery of Chriswere meant to serve, as from the promise of the Lord to tianity, the seeds of its corruption, or perversion, began Eliakim: " And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place." soon to appear. The moral power of religion decayed, the Pins and nails, Dr. Russel observes, in a manuscript note, worship of images prevailed, and the nominal disciples of are seldom used (at A.eppo) for hanging clothes or other a pure faith "broke the everlasting covenant." The docarticles upon, which are usually laid one over the other, trine of Mohammed., the Koran, or the sword, was the on a-chest, or particular kind of chair. This intelligent scourge and the cure of idolatry; but all the native impuwriter does not refuse that they are occasionally used in rities of the Mohammedan creed succeeded to a grossly modern times; and it is evident from the words of the corrupted form of Christianity. Since that period, hordes prophet, that it was common in his time to suspend upon of Saracens, Egyptians, Fatimites, Tartars, Mamelukes, them the utensils belonging to the apartment: " Will men Turks, (a combination of names of unmatched barbarism, take a pin of it to hang iny vessel thereon?" The word at least in modem times,) have, for the space of twelve hunused in Isaiah for a nail of this sort, is the same which de- dred years, defiled the land of the children of Israel with notes the stake, or large pin of iron, which fastened down iniquity and with blood. And in very truth the prophecy to the ground the cords of their tents. These nails, there- savours not in the least of hyperbole: the worst of the heathen fore, were of necessary and common use, and of no small shall possess their houses, and the holy places shall be defiled. importance in all their apartments; and if they seem to us Omer, on the first conquest bf. Jerusalem by the Mohammean and insignificant, it is because they are unknown to medans, erected a mosque on the site of the temple of Solus, and inconsistent with our notions of propriety, and be- omon; and, jealous as the God of Israel is, that his glory cause we have no name for them but what conveys to our be not given to another, the unseemly, and violent, and ear a low and contemptible idea. It is evident from the bloody contentions among Christian sects, around the very frequent allusions in scripture to these instruments, that sepulchre of the Author of the faith which they dishonour, they were not regarded with contempt or indifference by bear not a feebler testimony in the present day, than the the natives of Palestine. " Grace has been showed from preceding fact bore, at so-r'emote a period, to the truth of this the Lord our God," said Ezra, " to leave us a remnant to prediction. The phrensied zeal of crusading Christians escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place;" or, as ex- could not expel the heathen from Judea, thorugh Europe plained in the margin, a constant and sure abode. The then poured like a torrent upon Asia. But the defilement dignity and propriety of the metaphor appears from the use of the land, no less than that of the holy places, is not yet which the prophet Zechariah makes of it: " Out of him cleansed away. And Judea is still defiled to this hour, not cometh forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the only by oppressive rulers, but by an unprincipled and a battle bow, out of him every oppressor together." The lawless people. " The barbarism'of Syria," says Volney, whole frame of government, both in church, and state, "is complete." "I have qften reflected," says Burckhardt, which the chosen people of God enjoyed, was the contri- in describing the dishonest conduct of a Greek priest in the vance of his wisdom, and the gift of his bounty: the foun- hauran, (but in words that admit of too general an applicadations upon which it rested; the bonds which kept the tion,) "that if the English penal laws were suddenly proseveral parts together; its means of defence; its officers mulgated in this country, there is scarcely any man in and executors, were all the fruits of distinguishing good- business, or who has money-dealings with others, who ness; even the oppressors of his people were a rod of cor- would not be liable to transportation before the end of the rection in the hand of Jehovah, to convince them of sin, first six months. Under the name of Christianity, every and restore them to his service.-PAxTo N. degrading superstition and profane rite, equally remote from the enlightened tenets of the gospel, and the dignity CHAPTER XXIV. of human nature, are professed and tolerated. The pure Ver. 5. The earth also is defiledunder the inhab- gospel of Christ, everywhere the herald of civilization and itants thereof, because they. have transgressed of science, is almost as little known in the Holy Land, as, in California or New Holland. A series of legendary the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the traditions, mingled with remains of Judaism, and the everlasting covenant. wretched fantasies of illiterate ascetics, may now -and then exhibit a glimmering of heavenly light; but if we These expressive words, while they declare the cause of seek for the effects of Christianity in the Land of Canaan, the judgments and desolation, denote also the great de- we must look for that period when the desert shall blossom pravity of those who were to inhabit the land of Judea, as the rose, and the wilderness become a fruitful field."during the time of its desolation, and while its ancient KEITH. inhabitants were to be " scattered abroad." And although the ignorance of those who dwell therein may be pitied, Ver. 6. Therefore hath the curse devoured the their degeneracy will not be denied. The ferocity of the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: Turks, the predatory habits of the Arabs, the abject state therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burn. of the few poor Jews who are suffered to dwell in the land cf their fathers, the base superstitions of the different Chris- ed, and few men left. tian sects; the frequent contentions that subsist among such "The government of the Turks in Syria is a pure milia mingled and diversified people, and the gross ignorance tary despotism, that is, the bulk of the inhabitants are and great depravity that prevail throughout the whole, have subject to the caprices of a faction of armed men, who dis 464 I S A I AL H. CHAP. 24-27. pose of every thing according to their interest and fancy. my dead body shall they arise. Awake and In each government the pacha is an absolute despot. In sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the villages, the inhabitants, limited to the mere necessaries of life, have no arts but those without which they cannot the \dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out subsist. There is no safety without the towns, nor security the dead. within their precincts." (Voiney.) "Few men left." While their character is thus depraved, and their condition mis- As they sometimes plant herbs and flowers abo; the erable,,their number is also small indeed, as the inhabitants graves of the dead, so Dr. Addison observed, that the sews of so extensive and fertile a region. After estimating the of Barbary adorned the graves of their dead in a less lastnumber of inhabitants in Syria in general, Volney-remarks, ing manner, with green boughs brought thither from time "So feeble a population in so excellent a country, may well to time; might not this practice originate from the doctrine excite our astounishtmeitd; but this will be increased, if we of the resurrection. perhaps from that well known passage compare the present number of inhabitants with that of of a prophet: " Thy dead men shall live, together with ancient times. WVe are informed by the philosophical my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that geographer, Strabo, that the territories of Yanmia and Yop- dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and pa, in Palestine alone, were formerly so populous as to the earth shall cast out the dead." Is. xxvi. 19. Or if it bring forty thousand armed men into the field. At present was practised still earlier, might not this passage have rethey could scarcely furnrsh three thousand. From the ac- ference to that custom 3 It is admitted, that the practice oW counts we have of Judea, in the time of Titus, which are tained amongthosethat entertained noexpectation ofaresurto be esteemed tolerably accurate, that country must have rection, but in the language of St. Paul sorrowed as peocontained four millions of inhabitants. If we go still fur- pie that had no such hope. The ancient Greeks practised ther back into antiquity, we shall find the same populous- this decking the graves of their dead, but it might notwithness among tlre Philistines, the Phenicians, and in the standing originate from that doctrine, and be adopted by kingdoms of Samaria and Damascus." Though the ancient those of a different belief, as having something in it softening population of the land of Israel be estimated at the lowest the horrors of viewing their relatives immersed in the dust; computation, and the existing population be rated at the and might be thought to be agreeable by those that enteresd highest, yet that country does not now contain a tenth part into medical considerations, as correcting those ill-scented of the number of inhabitants which it plentifully supported, and noxious exhalations that might arise in those burial exclusively from their industry, and from the rich resources places, to which their women, more especially, were freof its own luxuriant soil, for many successive centuries; quently induced to go, to express their attachment to the and how could it possibly have been imagined that this departed. Maillet supposes the modern Egyptians lay identical land would ever yield so scanty a subsistence to leaves and herbs on the graves of their friends from a no he desolate dwellers therein, and that therewould be so tion that this was a consolation to the dead, and believed to fc1w mnen left?-KEITH. be refreshingto them from their SHADE. The women there, according to him, go, " at least two days in the week, to Ver. 13. When thus it shall be in the midst of pray and weep at the sepulchres of the dead; and the custhe land among the people, there shall be as tom then is to throw upon the tombs a sort of herb which the salrin of n olthe Arabs call rihan, and which is our sweet basil. They the shaking of an olive-tree, and as the glean- cover them also with the leaves of the palm-tree." If they ing-grapes when the vintage is done. use any other plants for this purpose in Egypt, he has negSee on oh. 17. 6. lected to mention them.-HARMaER. CHAPTER XXV. CHAPTER XXVII. CHAPTER'XX~. Ver. 6. ~And-in this mountain shall the LORDa of TVer. 10. Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilfhoestsof w tl~es uton l t he le afeas; of fat things derness: there shall the calf feed, and there a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full shall he lie down, and consume the branches of marrow, of wvines on the lees well refined. thereof. See on cli. 51. 17. In the East they keep their Wine in jugs, from which they Josephus describes Galilee, of which he wasthe governor, have no method of drawing it off fine: it is therefore con- as " full of plantations of trees of all sorts, the soil univermonly somewhat thick and turbid, by the lees with which sally rich and fruitful, and all, without the exception of a it is mixed: to remedy this inconvenience they filtrate or single part, cultivated by the inhabitants. Moreover," he strain it through a cloth, and to this custom, as prevailing adds, "the cities lie here very thick, and there are very in his time, the prophet here plainly alludes.-BURDER. many villages, which are so full of people, by the richness of their soil, that the very least of them cohtained abcve fifVer. 10. For in this mountain shall the hand of teen thousand inhabitants." Such was Galilee, at the comthe LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down mencement of the Christian era, several centuries after the'prophecy was delivered; but now "the plain of Esdraelon: under him, even as straw i fi trodden down for and all the other parts of Galilee which afford pasture, are the dunghill. occupied by Arab tribes, around whose brown tents the sheep and lambs gambol to the sound of the reed, which at See 6n ch. 28. 26-28. nightfall calls them home." The calf feeds and lies down Dr. A. Clarke has, "' for the dunghill,"' "under the amid the ruins of the cities, and consumes, without hinderwheels of the car."'This may allude to their ancient cars ance, the branches of the trees; and, however changed may of war, under which Moab was to be crushed, or under her be the condition of the inhabitants, the lambsfeed after their own heathen cars, in wdhioch the gods were taken out in manner, and, while the land mourns, and the merry-hearted procession. To spread forth the hands, as a person when sigh, they gambol to the sound of the reed. The precise swimming, may refer to the involuntary stretching forth of and comple contrast between the ancient and existing state the limbs, when the body was crushed with the weight of of Palestine, as separately described by Jewish and Roman the car; or to the custom of those who, when they go before historians and by modern travellers, is so strikingly exemthe car in procession, prostrate themselves on the ground, plified in their opposite descriptions, that, in reference to and spread out their hands and legs as if swimming; till whatever constituted the beauty and the glory of the country, they have m~easured the full distance the car has to go, by or the happiness of the people, an entire change is manifest, throwing themselves on the earth at the length of every six even in minute circumstances. The universal richness feet, and by motions as if in the act of swimming. The and fruitfulness of the soil of Galilee, together with its whole of this is done as a penance for sin, or in compliance being " full of plantations of all sorts of trees," are repre-'.'a a vow made in sickness or despair. —RoBERTS. sented by Josephus as " inviting the most slothful to take CHAPTER XXVI. lpains in its cultivation." And the other provinces of the Holy Land are also described by him as "having abundance Ver. 19. Thy dead men shall live, together with of trees, full of autumnal fruit, both that which grows wild. CHEIP. 28. ISAIAH. 465 and that which is the effect of cultivation." Tacitus re- 28. Bread-corn is bruised; because he will not lates, that, besides all the fruits of Italy, the palm and bal- ever be thrasino it, nor sam-tree flourished in the fertile soil of Judea. And he records the great carefulness with which, when the circu- of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen. lation of the juices seemed to call for it, they gently made The method of thrashing out the.grain, varied according an incision in the branches of the balsam, with a shell, or to the species. Isaiah mentions four different instruments, pointed stone, not venturing to apply a knife, No sign of the flail, the drag, the wain, and the feet of the ox. The such art or care is now to be seen throughout the land. The staff or flail was used for the smaller seeds, which were balm-tree has disappeared where long it flourished; and oo ed the er eds too tender to be treated in the other methods. The drag whardir plants have perished from other causes than the consisted of a sort of strong planks, made rough at the botwant of due care in their cultivation. And instead of re- tom with hard stones or iron; it was drawn by oxen, or lating how the growth of a delicate tree is promoted, and lating how the e rowth of a delicate tree is promoted, and horses, over the corn sheaves spread on the floor, the driver the medicinal liquor at the same time extracted from its sitting upon it. The wain, or cart, was much like the forbranches, by a nicety or perfectibility of art worthy of the mer, but had wheels; with iron teeth or edges like a saw. notice of a Tacitus, a different task has fallen to the lot of From the stateme nt of different authors, it would seem that the traveller fromn a far land, who describes the customs of the axle was armed with iron teeth, or serrated wheels those who now dwell where such arts were practised. " The throughout. Niebuhr gives a description and print of such olive-trees (near Arimathea) are daily perishing through a machine, used at present in Egypt for the same purpose; age, the ravages of contending factions, and even from ecret it moves upone three rollers, armed with iron teeth or wheels mi~schief. The Mamelukes having cut cdown all the olive- to cut the straw. In Syria, they make use of the drag, contrees, for the pleasure they take in destroying, or to make structed in the very same manner as before described. Afies, Yafahas has lost its greatest convenience." Instead This not only forced out the grain, but also cut the straw of " abundance of trees" being still the effect of cultivation, in pieces, which is used in this state over all the East as such, on the other hand, has been the effect of these ravages, fodder for the cattle. Virgil also mentions the slow rollin that many places in Palestine are now " absolutely destitute wains of the Eleusinian nother, the planks and sleds for of fuel." Yet in this devastation, and in all its progress,. pressing out the corn, and harrows of unwieldy weight. may be read the literal' fulfilment of the prophecy, which The Israelitish farmer endowed'with discretion from not only described the desolate-cities of Judea as a pasture ments in separating from above, made use of all.these instruments in separating from of flocks, and as places for the calf to feed and lie down, the chaff the various produce of his fields: " For his God and consume the branches thereof; but which, with equal doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him. For truth, also declared, "when the boughs thereof are wither- the fitches are not thrashed with a thrashing instrument, ed, they shall be broken off; the women come and set them neither is a cart-wheel turned about upon the cummin; but on fire." —KEIita. the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with CHAPTER XXVIII. a rod. Bread-corn is bruised: because he will not ever be thrashing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor Ver. 1. Wo to the crown of pride, to the drunk- bruise it with his horsemen. This also cometh forth from ards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a the Lord of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excelfading flosx~er, which- are on the head of the lent in working." In the early periods of the Jewish comfat valleys of them that are overcome with monwealth, however, these various methods, adapted to the different kinds of grain, were unknown; the husbandman wine! employed the staff, or flail, in thrashing all his crop. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he found him The city of Sebaste, the ancient Samaria, beautifully thrashing wheat by the wine-press with a staff, for so the situated on the top of a round hill, and surrounded imme, original term (tnrn) signifies; and after Ruth had gleaned diately with a rich valley and a circle of other hills beyond in. the field till the evening, she beat out with a staff (Annr,) it, suggested the idea of a chaplet, or wreath of flowers, what she had gleaned. The Seventy render the verb in worn upon their heads on occasions of festivity; expressed both passages, by the Greek word paf3aihev, to beat with a by the proud crown and the fading flower of the drunkards. rod; but the natural sagacity of the human mind, directed That this custom of wearing chaplets in their banquets by the finger of God, at last invented the other more efficaprevailed among the Jews, as well as among the Greeks and cious implements, to which Isaiah so frequently refers in Romans, appears from.Wisdom ii. 7, 8.-LOWTH. the course of his writings. He compares Moab, in the day of their overthrow, to straw which is trodden down under Ver. 15. Because ye have said, We have made a the wain: and he promises to furnish his oppressed people covenant with death, and with hell are we at with the same powerful instrument, which we translate a aoreement~; swhen the overflowingffl scourge new sharp thrashing instrument having teeth, that they may thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and make the shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; hills as chaff; or dropping the metaphor, he promises them for we have made lies our refuge, and under complete victory over their numerous and powerful enefalsehood have we hid ourselves. mies, who should be given by the Lord of hosts as driven stubble to their bow, and swept away before the armies of Of those who have often had a narrow escape from death, Israel as chaff before the whirlwinds of the south.-PAXTON., it is said, " Those fellows have entered into an agreement As in different parts of the holy scriptures there are frewith death." " They have made a friendship; death in- quent allusions to the sawing of lrice, watering the grounds, iure them! chee, chee, they understand each other."- thrashing, or what the prophet Isaiah, xxviii. 28, terms, ROBERTS. breaking it with the wheel of the cart; or, briinging the wheel - over it, Prov. xx. 26, it may not be improper to conclude Ver. 25. When he hath made plain the face there- these remarks with a short account of the sowing, cultivation, of, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and' thrashing, and preservation of rice, taken from the travels scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal, of Mr. Sonnini, a writer worthy of the utmost credit in an the ry every thing that concerns the natural history and antiqui wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, ties of Egypt.' iquiin their place? "Rice is sown in Lower Egypt from the.month of March to that of May. During the inundation of the Nile, the *See on h. 32. 20. fields are covered by its waters; and in order to detain Ver. 26. For his God doth instruct him to dis- them there as long as possible,'small dikes, or a sort of raised embankments, are thrown up, round eacl field, to 3retion, and doth teach him. 27. For the prevent them from running off. Trenches serve to convev fitches are not thrashed with a thrashing in- thither a fresh supply; for, in order to make the plait strument, neither is a cart-w~heel turned about thrive, its roots must be constantly watered. The ground upon the cumin; but the fitches are beten is so moistened, that. in some places a person sinks in half' upon the cuminin; but the fitches are beaten way up to his chiii. Rice is nearly six months before it out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. comes to maturity; and it is generally cut down by the mid59 466 ISAIAH. ChAP 291 dle of November. In Egypt the use oftheflail is unknown. Moveable towers of wood were usually placed upon the To separate the grain from the straw, the inhabitants pre- mount, which were driven on wheels fixed within the bottom pare with a mixture of earth and pigeon's dung, spacious planks, to secure them from the enemy. Their size was floors, well beat, and very clean. The rice is spread there- not always the same, but proportioned to the towers of the on in thick layers. They then have a sort of cart, formed city they besieged. the front was usually covered with of two pieces of wood joined together by two cross-pieces: tiles, and in later times the sides were likewise guarded it is almost in the shape of sledges which serve for the con- with the same materials; their tops were covered with raw veyance of burdens in the streets of our cities. Between hides, and other things, to preserve them from fire balls the longer sides of this sledge are fixed transversely three and missive weapons; they were formed into several stories, rows of small wheels, made of solid iron, and narrowed off which were able to carry both soldiers and several kinds of towards their circumference. On the forepart, a very high engines." All these modes of attack were practised in the and very wide seat is clumsily constructed. A man sitting days of Isaiah, who threatens Jerusalem with a siege conthere drives two oxen, which are harnessed to the machine, ducted according to this method: "And I will encamp and the whole moves on slowly, and always in a circular against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee direction, over every part of the heap of rice, until there with a mount; and I will raise forts against thee." The remains no more grain in the straw. When it is thus beat, prophet Ezekiel repeats the prediction in almost the same it is spread in the air to be dried. In order to turn it over, words, adding only the name of the engine which was to several men walk abreast, and each of them, with his foot, be employed in battering down the walls: " Thou also, son makes a furrow in the layer of grain, so that in a few mo- of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and porments the whole mass is moved, and that part which was tray upon it the city, even Jerusalem; and lay siege against underneath is again exposed to the air. it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against "The dried rice is carried to the mill, where it is strip- it; and set battering rams against it round about.a"-PAxped of its chaff or husk. This mill consists of a wheel TON. turned by oxen, and which sets several levers in motion: at their extremity is an iron cylinder, near a foot long, and Ver. 8. It shall even be as when a hungry man hollowed out underneath. They beat in troughs which dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awacontain the grain. At the side of each trough there con- keth, and his soul is empty: or as hen a stantly stands a man, whose business is to place the rice keth, and his soul IS empty: or as when a under the cylinders. He must not suffer his attention to be thirsty wan dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; diverted; for he would run a risk of having his hand but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and crushed. After this operation, the rice is taken out of the his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude mill, and sifted in the open air; which is done by filling a of all the nations he that fight agaifst Mount small sieve with as much grain as a man can lift; this he on raises above his head, and gently spills the rice, turning Zon. his face to the wind, which blows away the small chaff or As the simile of the prophet is drawn from nature, an dust. This cleaned rice is put a second time in the mill, extract which describes the actual occurrence of such a in order to bleach it. It is afterward mixed up in troughs circumstance will be agreeable. " The scarcity of water with some salt, which contributes very much to its white- was greater here at Bubaker than at Benown. Day and ness, and principally to its preservation; it has then unde- ight the wells were crowded with cattle loing, and fightgone its whole preparatory process, and in this state it is ing with each other to come at the trough. Excessive thirst made many of them furious: others being too weak to con-.C-APTER XXIX. tend for the water, endeavoured to quench their thirst by AVer. 1. Wo to Ariel, to Ariel, the city iwhere Da- devouring the black mud from the gutters near the wells; which they did with great avidity, though it was commonly vid dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill fatal to them. This great scarcity of water was felt by'all sacrifices. the people of the camp; and by none more than myself: I begged water from the negro slaves that attended the camp, The numbers that assembled at Jerusalem must of course b but with very indifferent success: for though I let no opconsume great quantities of provision. The consumption portunity slip, and was very urgent in my solicitations both of flesh also must there have been much larger, in propor- to the Modrs and to the negroes, I was but ill supplied, and tion to the number of the people, than elsewhere; because frequently passedtheniht inthesituation of Tatalus. No in the East they live in common very much on vegetables, sooner had I shut my eyes, than fancy would convey me to farinacious food, oil, honey, &c:.; but at Jerusalem vast the streams and rivers of my native land; there, as I wanquantities of flesh were consumed in the sacred feasts, as dered along the verdant bank, I surveyed the clear stream well as burnt upon the altar. Perhaps this circumstancd with transport, and hastened to swallow the delightful will best explain the holy city's being called Ariel, or the draught; but, alas disappointment awakened me, and I apientit God, Isaiah xxix. I: an appellation which has oc- found myself a lonely captive, perishing of thirst amid the casioned a variety of speculation among the learned. Vi- wildsoffrica." (Partringa, in his celebrated commentary on Isaiah, supposes that David, according to the eastern custom, was called the Lion Ver. 17. Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebof GoD, and so this city was called by this name from him; a anon shall he turned into a fruitful field, and resolutionbyno means natural. The Arabs, indeed, in later ages, have often called their great men by this honourable' the fruitful field shall e esteemed as a forest? term; D'Herbelot, I think, somewhere tells us, that Ali, The storms and tempests which, gathering on the highest Mohammed's son-in-law, was so called; and I am sure lie peak of Lebanoni, burst on the plains and valleys below, affirms, that Mohammed gave this title to Hamzah, his are often very severe. When De la Valle was travelling uncle. It will be readily allowed that this was comform- iin the neighbourhood of that mountain, in the end of April, able to the taste of much more ancient times. "The mo- a wind blew from its summits so vehement and cold dern Persians will have it," says D'Herbelot, in his account so great a profusion of snow, that thouh he and his comof Shiraz, a city of that Country, " that this name was given pny "'were in a manner buried in their quilted coverlets, to it, because this city consumes and devours like a lion, yet i w esibly felt, and proved very disagreeable." It which is called Sheer in Persian, all that is brought to it, by is not therefore without reason hat Lebanon, or the hite which they express the multitude, and it may be the good mountain, as the term signifies, is the name by which that appetite, of its inhabitants." appetie prof itsihants."nou tolofty chain is distinguished; and that the sacred writers so The prophet then pronounces wo to Zion, perhaps as too frequently refer to the snow and the gelid waters of Lebaready to trust to the number of its inhabitants and sojourn- non. They sometimes allude to it as a wild and desolate ers, which may be insinuated by this term which he uses, region; and certainly o part of the earth is more dreary Ari~l.-HARMER. and barren than the Sannin, the region of perpetual snow. Ver. 3. And I will camp against thee round about, On that naked sunimmit, the seat of storm and.tempest, where and- will lay siege against thee with amoun the principles of vegetation are extinguished, the art and ~and -will raiseforts abamst thee.__ 1t industry of man can make no impression; nothing but the and I will raise forts against thee. creating power of God himself, can T xoduce a favourable CHAP. 30-32. I S A I A H. 467 alteration. Thus, predicting a M:nderful change, such as reer. The goodness of Jehovah shall descend in fertilizing results from the signal manifestations of the divine favour showers, to irrigate their fields, and to swell the streams to individuals or the church, the prophet demands, " Is it which the skill and industry of the husbandman conducts not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned among his plantations, or with which he covers his riceinto a fruitful fieldS" The contrast in this promise, be- grounds. Secure from the ruinous incursions of aliens, tween the naked, snowy, and tempestuous summits of Le- and in the sure hope of an abundant harvest, he shall scatter banon, and a field beautiful and enriched with the fairest his rice on the face of the superincumbent water, and tread and most useful productions of nature, expresses, with great it into the miry soil with," the feet of the ox and the ass." force, the difference which the smiles of Heaven prodace Prosperous and happy himself, he will consider it his duty, in the most wretched and hopeless circumstances of an indi- and feel it his delight, " to do good and to communicate,"vidual or a nation.-PAXTON. to succour the widow and the fatherless, to open his doors to the stranger, to diffuse around him the light of truth, CHAPTER XXX. and to swell, by the diligent and prudent use of all the Ver. 14. Andi he shall break it as the breaking means that Providence has brought within his reach, the of the potter's vessel that is broken in pieces; um of human enjoyment.-PAXTON. lie shall not spare: so that there shall not be Ver. 29. Ye shall have a song, as in the night found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of from the hearth, or to take water withal out of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come the pit. into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty This solemn thratening refers to the Jews for their wicked One of Israel. reliance " in the shadow of Egypt:" they were to be reduced to the greatest straits for thus trusting in the heathen. It is proverbial to say of those who have been robbed, and left any other period; "it gives cheerfulness to darkness, and;1 destitute circumstances, " They have not even a potsherd, pleasure to the heart." Their favourite proverb is, "' the DAY not a broiken chiatty in their possession." To appreciate SONG is like the flower of the gourd," i. e. devoid of smell. this idea, it must be remembered that nearly all their c6o- Nothing is more common than for adults to sing themselves ing utensils, all their domestic vessels, are made of earthen- to sleep: thus, as they recline, they beat a tabret and chant ware; so that not to have a potsherd, a fragment left, shows the praises of their gods, till through heaviness they can the greatest misery. Even Job, in all his povertyand wretch- scarcely articulate a word. At other times the mother or -wife gently taps the instrument, and in soft tones lulls the inedness, was not so destitute, for he had "a potsherd to scrape wife gentlytaps the instrument, n soft tones lulls the himself withal."-" A sherd to take fire from the hearth." dividual to repose. In the night, should they not be able to This allusion may be seen illustrated every morning in the sleep, they have again recourse to the same charm, and not East. Should the good woman's fire have been extinguish- until they shall have fairly gone off in fresh slumbers, will ed in the night, she takes a potsherd in the morning, and their companions have any rest. Hence, in passing throu h goes to her neighbour for a little fire to rekindle her own; a village or town at midnight, may be heard people at their and as she goes along, she may be seen every now and nightly song, to grace the festive scene, to beguile awaytheir then blowing the burning ember, lest it should go out. They time, to charm their fears, or to procure refreshinb sleep. were not to have a sherd, out of which they could drink a The Jews then were to be delivered from the proud A little water. Not having pumps, they are obliged to have syrian's yoke, and again to have their pleasant song in the something to take water from the well or tank. Of a nignt.-RoBERTS. very poor country, it is said, " In those parts there is not a CHAPTER XXXII sherd out of which you can drink a little water." " The wretchedness of the people is so great, they have not a Ver. 2. And a man shall be as a hiding-place sherd with which to take water from the tank."-Ro BERTS. from the wind, and a covert., from the tempest; Ver. 24. The oxen likewise, and the young asses as rivers of water in a dry place; as the shadow that ear the ground, shall eat clean provender of a great rocl in a reary land. which hath been winnowed with the shovel and " Ah! that benevolent man, he has long been my shelwith the fan. X ter from the wind; he is a river to the dryscountry.'"RoBERTS. See on 1 Kings 4. 24. WTell does the traveller remember a day in the wilds oi Those.who form their opinion of the latter article by an Africa, where the country was chiefly covered with burnEnglish FAN, will entertain a very erroneous notion. That ing sand; when scorched with the powerful rays of an of the East is made of the fibrous part of the palmirah or almost vertical sun, the thermometer in the shade standcocoa-tree leaves, and measures about a yard each way. ing at 100. —He remembers long looking hither and Thus may be seen the farmer wafting away the chaff from thither for something that would afford protection from the the corn, having the round part of the fan in his hand: and almost insupportable heat, and where the least motion of thus may be seen the females in the morning, tossing in air felt like flame coming against the face. At length he the husk from their rice. (See on Jer. xv. 7.)-ROBERTS. espied a huge loose rock leaning against the front of a In these words,theprophetforetelsaseasonof great plenty, small cliff -which faced the sun. At once he fled for refuge when the cattle shall be fed with corn better in quality, underneath its inviting shade. The coolness emitted from separated from the chaff, and (as the term rendered clean in this rocky canopy he found exquisitely exhilarating. The our version, properly'signifies) acidulated, in order to ren- wild beasts of the desert were all fled to their dens, and the der it more grateful to their taste. The evangelist clearly feathered songsters were all roosting among the thickest refers to the practice, which was common in every part of foliage they could find of the evergreen-trees. The whole Syria, of ploughing with the ass, when he calls him, vrofv- creation around seemed to groan, as if their vigour had yov, a creature subject to the yoke. In rice-grounds, which been entirely exhausted. A small river was providentially require to be flooded, the ass was employed to prepare them at hand, to the side of which, after a while, he ventured, for the seed, by treading them with his feet. It is to this and sipped a little of its cooling water, which tasted better method of preparing the ground, that Chardin supposes the than the best burgundy, or the finest old hock, in the -world. prophet to allude when he says, " Blessed are ye that sow During all this enjoyment, the above apropos text was the beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox interesting subject of the traveller's meditation; though the and the ass." They shall be blessed under the future reign allusion, as a figure, must fall infinitely short of that which of the promised Messiah. In times anterior to his appear- is meant to be prefigured by it.- CAMPBELL. ing, their country was to be made a desolation; briers and The shadow of a great projecting rock is the most retl0-rns were to encumber their fields; their sumptuous freshing that is possible in a hot country, not only as most ellngswere to be cast down; their cities and strongholds perfectly excluding the rays of the sun, but also having in levelled with the dust. But when Messiah commences his itself a natural coolness, which it reflects and communicate,, reign, times of unequalled prosperity shall begin their ca- to.levery thing about it.-LOWTII. 168 ISAIAH. CHAP. 32-34 Ver. 13. Upon the land of my people shall come moisture under ground, to render fields at all productive up thorns and briers, yea, upon all the houses n a hot and dry climate. They ploughed land, and duga of joy * the joys 14 deep ditch round each field, as they were accustomed to do of joy in the joyous city: 14. Because the in England; with the mould dug from it they formed a palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the mud wall, which made all look very pretty and farmer-like. city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be Dutch boors from a distance came to see what they were for dens fbr ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture about. They told them their fields were too far from the, ofr floks 1s e Y sriver; that unless they could lead water upon them, they 0of flocks. must not expect to have any harvest. Looking at the neat See on Job 39. 5. ditch that surrounded the field, they inquired what this was for! For defence, was the reply. "Yes," said the Ver. 20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all wa- boors, "it will defend your field from receiving any moistters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox ure from the surrounding ground;" and, shaking their ~~~~~~and ~the ass..heads, said " That is a bad defence." From the high ideas ~and'the ass. they had of their own superior knowledge of agriculture, See on ch. 30. 24. they only smiled at the remarks made by the African farThe various kinds of grain, which they commonly sow mers. The rainy season came, when the grain sprang up, in the Holy Land, are frequently mentioned in the sacred and made rapid progress while that season lasted; but lo, volume; and the correctness of the statement is attested by the sun returned from its northern circuit, dispelled the modern historians. Oats are not cultivated near Aleppo; clouds, and darted forth its unimpeded fiery rays, which but- Dr. Russel observed some fields of them about Antioch, soon caused the surface of the ground to become as hard an-d on the seacoast. The horses are fed universally with as a brick, consequently the grain withered and died, and barley; but lucern is also cultivated for their use, in the cleanness of teeth, for want of bread, was in all their hamspring. The earliest wheat is sown about the middle of lets that season! But had there been plenty of water t October; other grain, among which are barley, rye, and lead over their fields, the crops would probably have been Indian muiillet, continue to be sown till the end of January; most abundant. The expression," sending forth the feet and barley, even so late as the end of February. The of the ox and the ass," seems to refer to the practice said Persian harrow consists of a large rake, which is fastened to still to prevail in the East, where these animals are ema pole, and drawn by oxen. In Hindostan, it is like an or- ployed to tread the thin mud when saturated with water dinrary rake with three or four teeth, and is drawn by two to fit it for receiving the seed. Should there be a river oxen. Similar to this was probably the Syrian harrow. there, a fountain here, and a pool elsewhere, it is far wiser But in Palestine, the harrow is seldom used, the grain be- to have the fields near, than at a distance from any of these. ingl covered by repassing the plough along the edge of the Sometimes God gives peculiarly happy spiritual seasons 1to furrow; and in places where the soil is sandy, they first countries, or districts in countries, causing the river of sow, and then plough the seed into the ground. It appears, life. abundantly to flow, and streams from it extensively to from the prophecies of Isaiah, that besides the more valna- spread its influence: then the wise husbandman will hasten ble kinds of grain, several aromatic seeds were sown; as to scatter his seed, in cities, towns, villages, hamlets, and the sesamum, coriander, and cummin. These the Orientals among individual families, in expectation of a rich harsprinkled upon their bread, to give it a more agreeable vest, from the well watering of the garden of plants.flavour. Rice is trodden into the ground by the feet of CAMPBELL. oxen; a practice seemingly alluded to by the prophet, in CHAPTER XXXIII. these words: " Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, Ver. 11. Ye shall conceive chaff; ye shall bring that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass." This, according to Chardin, answers exactly the manner of plant- foirth stubble: your breath as fire shall devour ing rice: for they sow it upon the waters; and before sow- you. ing, while the earth is covered with water, they cause the ground to be trodden by oxen, horses, and asses, to prepare When married females quarrel, they often say, "Yes, i' for receiving the seed. As they sow the ride on the water, thy womb shall give children, but they shall all be as so they transplant in the water; for the roots of this plant chaff." "Yes, barren one, you may have a child, but it must be kept continually moist, to bring the rice to matu- will be blind and dumb." "True, true, you will bring ritv. forth a pa mh-vethe," i. e. a generation of serpents.-ROBTwo bushels and a half of wheat or barley are sufficient ERTS. to sow as much ground asa pair of beeves will plough in one day; which is, a little more or less, equal to one of our Ver. 21. But there the glorious LORD wuill be acres Dr. Shaw could never learn that Barbary afforded unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; yearly more than one crop; one bushel yielding ordinarily wherein shall go no galley with bars, neither tromn eight to twelve, though some districts may perhaps afford a much greater increase, for it is common to see one shall gallant ship pass thereby. grain produce ten or fifteen stalks. Even some grains of I such a highly cultivated country as England, and the MAurwany wheat, which he brought with him to Oxford, where great drought is almost unknown, we have notd, an and sowed in the physic garden, threw out each of them opportunity to observe the fertilizing influence of a broad fifty. But Muzeratty, one of the kaleefas, or viceroys of river; but in South Africa, where almost no human means the province of Tlemnsan, brought once with him to Algiers, are employed for improving the land, the benign influence a root that yielded fourscore. telling Dr. Shaw and his of rivers is most evident. The Great, or Orange River, party, that in consequence of a dispute concerning the re- is a remarkable instance of this. I travelled on its banks spective fruitLfulness of Egypt and Barbary, the Emir Hadge, at one time, for five or six weeks; when, for several hunor prince of the western pilgrims, sent once to the bashaw dred miles, I found both sides of it delighltfully covered of Cairo, one that yielded sixscore. Pliny mentions some with trees of various kinds, all in health and vigour, and that bore three or four hundred. It likewise happens, that abundance of the richest verdure; but all the country be-'one of these stalks will sometimes bear two ears, while each yond the reach of its influence was complete desert. Every,-.1. >., " v~~~~~~~~ond the reach of its influence was complete desert.Evr Of these ears will as often shoot out into a number of lesser thing appeared struggling for mere existence; so that we ones, affording by that means a most plentiful increase. mivht be said to have had the wilderness on one side and And may not these large prolific ears, when seven are said n a kind of paradise on the other.-CAAMPBELL. to come up upon one stalk, explain what is mentioned of a kind of paradise on the ther-AMPBELL. the seven fruitful years in Egypt, that the earth brought CHAPTER XXXIV. /item forth by handfuls!-PAXTON. Ver. 7. And the unicorns shall come down with The emigrants that went from Enaland some years ago e: nd the ucs h oe dw th to the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, were chiefly lo- them, and the bullocks with the bulls andtheir oared in a district called Albany, on the confines of Caffra- land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust lia. Many of them were ruined by not literally attending made fat with fats ess. to the contents of this text. They were not sufficiently awAare of the indispensable necessity of water, or at least See on Ps. 22. 12, 15. CHAP. 35-38. ISAIAH. 469 CHAPTER XXXV. ished country, where nothing that contributes to comfort Ver. 6. Then shall the lame zma~n leap as a hart, can be replaced. Seven hours were spent in attaining the and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for summit of the mountain after leaving the village. The and the tongue of the dumb shal sing: for view on both sides was splendid.-A deep bed of snow had in the wilderness shall waters break out, and now to be crossed, and the horses sunk or slipped at every streams in the desert. moment. To ride was impracticable, and to walk dangerous, for the melting snow penetrated our boots, and our feet See on Ps. 18. 33. were nearly frozen. An hour and a half brought us to the Lameness and dumbness are the uniform effects of long cedars. Seven of the most ancient still remain. They are walking in a desert; the sand and gravel produce the for- considered to be coeval with Solomon, and therefore held mer, fatigue the latter. In such cases some of us have sacred. Rude altars have been erected near them, and an walked hours together without uttering a sentence; and annual Christian festival is held. when worship is perall walked as if crippled, from the sand and gravel getting formed beneath their venerable blranches. Other cedars, into the shoes; but the sight of water, especially if unex- varying in age and size, form around them a protecting pected, unloosed every tongue, and gave agility to every grove. We reckoned every tree with scrupulous care. limb; men, oxen, goats, sheep, and dogs, ran with speed Many, indeed, have sprung up from ancient roots, but enuand expressions of joy to the refreshing element.-CAMP- merating all that present independent trunks, including the BELL. patriarchal trees, they amount to three hundred and fortythree. At a quarter of an hour from the cedars is the vilVer. 7.' And the parched ground'shall become a lage of Beesharry, a lovely, romantic spot, on the brink of pool, and the thirsty land'springs of water: in a deep glen. —HoGG. the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall27. Therefore their ihabitants e of Ver. 27. Therefore their inhabitants were of snmall be grass, with reeds and rushes. power, they were dismayed and confounded: Instead of the parched ground, Bp. Lowth translates it, they were as the grass of the field, and as the the glowing sand shall become a pool, and says in a note, green herb: as the grass on the house-tops, that the word is Arabic as well as Hebrew, expressing inn blasted before it be both languages the same thing, the glowing sandy plain, which in the hot countries at a distance has the appearance See on Ruth 2. 4. of water. It occurs in the Koran, (cap. xxiv.) " But as to the unbelievers, their works are like a vapour in a plain Ver. 29. Because thy rage against m which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until, and thy when he cometh thereto, he findeth it to be nothing'." Mr. tumult, is come up into mine ears; therefore Sale's note on this place is, the Arabic word serab signifies will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle that false appearance, which in the eastern countries is in thy lips, and I will turn thee hack by the often'seen in sandy plains about noon, resembling a large hi lake of water in motion, and is occasioned by the reverberation of the sunbeams. It somietimes tempts thirsty travel- It is usual in the East to fasten an iron ring in the nose of lers out of their way, but deceives them'when they come their camels and buffaloes, to which they tie a rope, by near, either going forward, (for it always appears at the means of which they manage these beasts. God is here same distance,) or quite vanishes.- DERe beasts. God is he same distance,) or quite vanishes. —Buarn aR. speaking of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, under the image CHAPTER XXXVII. of a furious refractory beast, and accordingly, in allusion to this circumstance, says, I will puLt my hook in tkU. Vey. 24. By thy servants hast thou reproached nose.-BURDER. the LORD, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots am I come up to the height of the CHAPTER XXXVIII. mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will Ver. 2. Mine age is departed, and is removed cut'down the tall cedars thereofand the choice from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off fir-trees thereof:' and I will enter into the height like a weaver my life: he will cut me of with of his border, and the forest of his Carmel. pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me. At six o'clock we again set forward, and passing near the church, the priest, a venerable old man, with a flow — Hezekiah makes use of a simile, in that hymn of his ing beard, was standing on the threshold, and courteously which Isaiah has preserved, that appeared, many years ago, saluted us. Our road, somewhat better than yesterday, very perplexing to a gentleman of good sense and ]earning, coitinued gradually to rise, and we were now fairly xwithin who resided in one of the most noted towns of the kingdom that long elevated chain which has borne, from the earliest for weaving. He could not conceive, why the cutting short agres, the name of Lebanon. We had felt a great anxiety the life of that prince, should be compared to a weaver's' to see the celebrated cedars, which are supposed to be the cutting off a piece from his loom when he had finished it, remains of the ancient forests that once entirely clothed and he and everybody that saw it in that state expected it these heights. Hitherto we had been allured forward by as a thing of course. He consulted those that were acour guides, with the promise of soon reaching them, but quainted with the manufactory, but could gain no satisfacwe now discovered that we had been purposely deceived, tion. Perhaps it may appear more easy to the mind, if the and ought to have taken another road, in which case the simile is understood to refer to the weaving of a carpet, village of Eden, in their immediate vicinity, would have filled with flowers and other ingenious devices: just as -a'afforded us a more commodious halting-place. After weaver, after havingwrought many decorations into a piece leaving Balbec, and approaching Lebanon, towering wal- of carpeting, suddenly cuts it off, while the figures were nut-trees, either singly or in groups, and a rich carpet rising into view as fresh and as beautiful as ever, and the of verdure, the offspring of numerous streams, give to spectator is expecting the -weaver would proceed in his this charming district the air of an English park, majesti- work; so, after a variety of pleasing and amusing transaccally bounded with snow-tipped mountains. At Deir el tions in the course of my life, suddenly and unexpectedly it Akmaar the ascent begins —winding among dwarf oaks, seemed to me that it was come to its period, and was just hawthorn, and a great variety of shrubs and flowers. going to be cut off. Unexpectedness must certainly be inAfter:ome hours of laborious toil, a loaded horse slipped tended here.-HARMER. near f..e edge of a precipice, and must inevitably have The shepherds of'the East are often obliged to remove perished, if a servant, with great presence of mind, had their flocks to distant places to find pasturage; hence their not cut the girths, and saved the animal, at the expense of habitations are exceedingly light, in order to be the more most of the stores, and the whole of the crockery. Vain easily removed. The " lodge in a garden of cucumbers.' were the lamentations over fragments of plates and glasses,. and the frail resting-place of the shepherd, greatly reseml,, broken bottles, and spilt brandy and wine, in an imnpover- each other —ROBERTS. 470 IS A I A IAH. CHAP. 40. Ver. 14. Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chat- very incommodious, requires this precaution. The empeter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail ror of Hindostan, ill his progress through his dominions, as described in the narrative of Sir Thomas Roe's embassy to mouth looking upward: O LORD, I am oppress- the court of Delhi, was preceded by a-very great company, ed; undertake for me. sent before him to cut up the trees and bushes, to level and smooth the road, and prepare their place of encampment. No bird is more noisy than the. crane; and none utters a Bali, who swayed the imperial sceptre of India, had five harsher note. - The prophet, however, applies the verb (q:s) hundred chosen men, in rich livery, with their drawn sabres, tsaphtsaph, which signifies to chatter, to the loud and scream- who ra before him, proclaiming his approach, and clearing cry of this bird; for which Mr. Harmer professes him- ing the way. Nor was this honour reserved exclusively self unable to account. "The word tsaphtsaph,': says he, for the reigning emperor; it was often shown to persons of'translated chatter, appears to signify the low, melancholy, royal birth. When an Indian princess made a visit to her interrupted voice of the complaining sick, rather than a father, the roads were directed to be repaired, and made chattering noise, if we consult the other places in which it clear for her journey; fruit-trees were planted, water-vesis used: as for the chattering of the' crane, it seems quite sels placed in the road-side,,and great illuminations preinexplicable." But the difficulty had not, perhaps, appear- pared for the occasion. Mr. Bruce gives nearly the sa.me ed so great, if this respectable writer, had observed that the account of a journey, which the king of Abyssinia made connective vaul is wanting in the original text, which may through a part of his dominions. The chief magistrate of be thus considered: "As a crane, a swallow, so did I chat- every district through which he had to pass, was, by his ter." The two nouns are not, therefore, necessarily con- office, obliged to have the roads cleared, levelled, and neeted with the verb tsaphtsaph, but admit the insertion of smoothed; and he mentions, that a magistrate of one of the another verb suitable to the nature of the first nominative. districts having failed in this part of his duty, was, together The ellipsis maybe supplied in this manner: "As a crane, with his son, immediately put to death on the spot, where a so did I scream, as a suwallow, so did I chatter." Such a thorn happened to catch the garment, and interrupt for a supplelment is not, in this instance, forced and unnatural; moment the progress of his majesty. This' custom is easily for it is evidently the design of Hezekiah to say, that he recognised in that beautiful prediction: " The voice of him expressed his orief after the manner of these two birds, and that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the therebore suitably to each; and he uses the verb tsaphtsaph, Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. which properly corresporlds only with the last noun, to in- Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill dicate this design, leaving the reader to supply the verb shall be brought low; and the crooked shallbe made straight, which corresponds with the other. It is also perfectly and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord agreeable to tde manners of the East, where sorrow is ex- shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the pressed sometimes in a low interrupted voice, and anon in mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." We shall be able, loud continuied exclamations. The afflicted monarch, perhaps, to form a more clear and precise idea, from the therefore, expressed his extreme grief after the manner of account which Diodorus gives of the marches of Semiranlis, thIe Orientals, in loud screams like the crane, or in low in- twe celebrated queen of Babylon, into Media and Persia. terrupted murmurings like the swallow. According to In her march to Ecbatane, says the historian, she came to some writers, the verb'under consideration signifies the note the Zarcean mountain, which extending many furlongs, of any bird, and by consequence may with equal propriety and being full of craggy precipices and deep hollows, could be employed to denote the loud scream of the crane, or the not be passed without taking a great compass. Being theremelancholy twitter of the swallow; if this be so, the difficulty fore desirous of leaving an everlasting memorial of herself, admits of an easy solution. —PXTON. as well as of shortening the way, she ordered the precipices to be digged down, and the hollows to be filled up; and at Ver. 17. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: a great expense she made a shorter and more expeditious but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it road; which to this day is called from her, the road of fiom the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast Semiramis. — Afterward'she went into Persia, and all the other countries of Asia subjected to her dominion; and wherever she went, she ordered the mountains and the Jeroboam preferred "molten imagres" to the true Glod, precipices to'be levelled, raised causeys in the plain counand therefore the Lord said unto him by Ahijah, thou "ha try, an at a great epense made the ways passable. cast me behind thy back." The Levites said of the children Whatever may be in this story, the following statement of Israel. they "rebelled against thee, and cast thylaw behind entitled to the fullest credit: "All eastern potentates their backs.'i The Lord said of the wicked cities of Samnaria have their precursors and a number of pioneers to clear and er, " Thou hast forgotten me, and cast me the road, by removing obstacles, and filling up the ravines, hinl thy ba." This etaphor, to cast behind Jerusalem, and the hollow ways in their route.'In the days of Mogul behind thy back." This metaphor, to cast behind the back, is in common use, and has sometimes a very offensive sig- splen dour, the emperor caused te illsd up for ais to nficatiol. The expression is used to denote the most com- be levelled, and the valleys to be filled up forl his convenience. This beautifully illustrates the figurative!anplete and contemptuous rejection of a person or thing. "The venience. This beautifully illustrates the figurative la king has cast his, minister behind his back," i. e. fully re-guage in the approach of the Prince of Peace, when every moved him, treated him with sovereign contempt. " Alas valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and bill shall Iaas! he has throwin my petition behind his back; all my be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and alas! he has thrown mmy the rounhihsack; all my efforts are defeated." " Yes, man, I have forgiven you; all e rogplaces plain."-PAx oN your:rimes are behind my back; but take care not to offend Ver. 1 1. He shall feed his flock lilce a shepherd: mie a Yain."-ROBERTS.:me afain."-RnoBEairs he shall gather the lamrns with his arm, and CHAPTER XL.' carry thern in his bosom, and shall gently lead Ver. 3. The voice of him that crieth in the xwil- those that are with young. derness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, See on Ezek. 25. 5. make straight in the desert a highway for our One of the great delights in travelling through a pastoral God. 4. Every valley shall be exalted, and country, is to see and feel the force of the beautiful imagery every mountain and hill shall be made low: in the scriptures, borrowed from pastoral life. A11 day long the shepherd attends his flock, leading them into "green and the crookied shall be made straight, and pastures" near fountains of water, and chooses a convenient the rough places plain. place for them to " rest at noon." At night he drives them near his tent, and if there is danger, encloses them in the VWhen a great prince in the East sets out on a journey, it fold. They know his voice and follow him. When travelis usual to send a party of men before him, to clear the way. ling, he tenderly watches over them, and carr.ies such as are The state of those countries in every age, where roads are exhaustid in his arrms. Such a shepherd is the Lord Jesus almost unlnown, and from the'want of cultivation in many Christ.' See John x.-REv. R. ANDEnrSON'S TOURn THROUGH narts ove-grown with brambles, and other thorny plants, GREECE. which renders travelling, especially with a large retinue, The shepherds of antiquity were " an abomination unto CHAP. 40. ISAIAH. 471 the Egyptians," and so they are among the Hindoos; and plantations; its vineyards, producing the most delicious as the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, so net- wines; its clear fountains and cold-flowing brooks; its ferther will the various castes of India eat with their shep- tile vales and odoriferous shrubberies,-combine to form in herds. The pastoral office in the East is far more respon- Scripture language, "the glory of Lebanon." But that sible than in England, and it is only by looking at it in its glory, liable to change, has, by the unanimous consent of various relations and peculiarities, as it exists there, that modern travellers, suffered a sensible decline. The extenwe gain a correct view of many passages of scripture. sive forests of cedar, which adorned and perfumed the Flocks at home are generally in'fine fields, surrounded by summits and declivities of those mountains, have almost hedges or fences; but there they are generally in the wil- disappeared. Only a small number of these "trees of God, derness, and were it not for the shepherds, would go astray, planted by his almighty hand," which, according to the and be exposed to the wild beasts. As the sons of Jacob usual import of the phrase, signally displayed the divine had to go to a great distance to feed their flocks, so still power, wisdom, and goodness, now remain. Their countthey are rS"en absent for one and two months together, in less number in the days of Solomon, and their prodigious the place where there'is plenty of pasturage. In their re- bulk, must be recollected, in order to feel the force of tat movals, it is an interesting sight to see the shepherds car- sublime declaration of the prophet: "Lebanon is not suffirying the lambs in their bosoms, and also to witness how cient to burn, nor.the beasts thereof sufficient for a burntgently they "lead those that are with young." Another offering."-PAXTON. interesting fact is the relationship which exists betwixt the pastor and his flock; for being so much together, they ac- Ver. 24. Yea, they shall not be planted: yea, quire a friendly feeling: hence the sheep "know his voice, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall and a stranger will they not follow." Does he wish to re- not take root in the earth: and he shall also move to another place, he goes to such a distance as that blow upon them, and they shall wither, and they can hear his voice, and then he imitates the noise made by a sheep, and immediately they may be seen bound- the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. ing along to the spot where he is. Thus "he goeth before Whirlwinds occasionally sweep along the country in an them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." extremely frightful manner, carrying away in their vortex, But another way of leading a flock, especially where there sand, branches, and stubble, and raising them to an imare goats, is to take the branch of a tree, and keep showing menue height in the air. Very striking is the allusion it to them, which causes them to run along more cheerful- which the prophet makes to this phenomenon: "He shall ly. He also calleth "his own sheep by name," and it is in- also blowT upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlteresting to notice how appropriate the names are to the wind shall take them away as stubble." With equal force animals. Thus, should a sheep or a cow have a bad tem- and beauty, the Psalmist refers to the rotatory action of thepey-, (or any other failing,) it will be called the angry one, whirlwind, which frequently impels a bit of straw, over the malicious, or sulky, or wandering one; the killer of the waste, like a wheel set in rapid motion: "O my God; hes young, the.fiend; the mad one, the jumper, the limper, make them like a wheel, as the stubble before the wind." the dwarf; the barren, the fruitful, ihe short, the fat, the Sometimes it comes from no particular point, but moves long, the tricky one. The cows also are named after some about in every direction. Mr. Bruce, in his journey through of' their goddesses, particularly after the wives of Siva, the desert of Senaar, had the singular felicity to coniemVishnoo, and Scandan; thus Lechymy, Parvati, and Val- plate this wonderful phenomenon in all its terrific majesty', le, nay be heard in every herd. To bulls are given the without injury, although with considerable danger and names of men and devils; as, Vyraven, Pullitar, Mathan, alarm. In that vast expanse of desert, from west and to &-_. Before the sun shall have gained his meridian, the northwest of him, hlie saw a number of prodigions pillars of shepherds seek out a shady place, where they may make sand at different distances, moving at times with great cetheir flocks":o rest at noon." As the shepherd who mount- lerity, at others, stallking on with majestic slowness; at ed the throne of Israel carried his sling and his stone, so intervals he thought they were coming in a very few m/nthese generally have the same missiles by which they cur- utes to overwhelm him and his companions. Again they rect the wanderers, and keep off their foes: hence the dog would retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops is scarcely ever used in the tending or guiding of flocks. reaching to the very clouds. There the tops often sepaAs was Jacob, so here the shepherds are often remunerated rated from the bodies; and these, once disjoined, dispersed in kind, and therefore have not any other wages, (except in the air, and appeared no more. Sometimes they were now and then a little cloth or rice;) hence, often, a certain broken near the middle, as if struck with a large cannonnumber of the rams' are given as pay, and to this also the shot. About noon they began to advance with considerable patriarch may allude: " The rams of thy flocks have I not swiftness upon them, the wind being very strong at north. eaten." In most of these particulars we see illustrations of Eleven of these awful visiters ranged alongside of them Him who "is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel," who laid about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter prostrate the "roaring lion" of hell, and who keeps us in of the largest appeared to him, at that distance, as if it safety; so that the foe cannot pluck us out of his hand.- would measure ten feet. They retired from them with a ROBERTS. wind at southeast, leaving an impression upon the mind ol Ver. 12. Who hath measure w the waters in the our intrepid traveller to which he could give no name, 2. ho ath measured the in the though he candidly admits that one ingredient in it was hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment. the span, and comprehended the dust of the He declares it was in vain to think of flying; the swiftest earth in a measure, and w-eighed the mountains horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry them out of this danger; and the full persuasion of this in scales, and the hills in a balance? riveted him to the. spot where he stood. Next day they 1re we have a vivid illustration of the dignified and were gratified with a similar display of moving pillars, in H-ere we have a vivid illustration of the digrnified and o a dssio lk he led qcibl oY form and disposition like those already described, only gorgaeous imagery of the East. "chat man can take up they seemed to be more in number and less in size. They the waters of the unknown dark ocean in his hands?"' the fgers ote uonkenow h d o an ie achif han came several times in a direction close upon them; that is, " Whose fingers are long enough to span the arch of heav- rdin0 to Mr. B b ~~~~~~~~according to Mr. Bruce's computation, within less than two en i." "Who can bring together all the dust of the earth acore'cmptinwhnlsshnto en " W can bring togeter all the dust of the earth miles. They became, immediately after sunrise, like a in a measure 1" " Who can weigh the hills and mountains thick wood, and almost darkened the sun; his rays shining in scales " These figures largely show the insignificance throuh the for near an hr, gave them an appearance through themn for near an hour, gave them an appearance of man.-ROBERTS. i ~of ~man.~-Ron~EraTs.:' of pillars of fire. At another time they were terrified by Ver. 1. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, an army (as it seemed) of these sand pillars, whose march was constantly south; a number of which seemed once to nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-of- be coming directly upon them; and though they were fering. little nearer than two miles, a considerabl'e quantitr:f sand fell around them. On the twenty-first of November, about The stupendous size, the extensive range, and great ele- eight in the morning, he had a view of the desert to the vation of Libanus; its towering summits, capped with per- westward as before, and the sands had already begun t, petual snow, or crowned with fragrant cedars; its dlive rise in immense twisted pillars, which darkened the heab 472 ISAIAH. CHAP. 41, 42. ens, an I moved over the desert wiih more magnificence five hours together a dozen couple of oxen, joined two and than ever. The sun shining through the pillars, which two, till by absolute trampling they have separated the were thicker, and contained more sand apparently than grains, which they throw into the air with a shovel to cleanse any of the preceding days, seemed to give those nearest them." them an appearance as if spotted with stars of gold. A "The Moors and Arabs continue to tread out their corn little before twelve, the wind at north ceased, and a con- after the primitive custom of the East. Instead of beeves, siderable quantity' of fine sand, rained upon them for an they frequently make use of mules and horses, by tying in hour afterward. To this species of' rain, Moses was no the like manner by the neck three or four of them together, stranger; he had seen it, and felt its effects in the sandy and whipping them afterward round about the nedders, deserts of Arabia, and he places it among the curses that (as they call the thrashing floors, the Lyjbice ar'ea of Howere, in future ages, to punish the rebellion of his people; race,) where the sheaves lie open and expanded in the "The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and same manner as they are placed and prepared with us for dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thrashing. This, indeed, is a much quicker way than thou be destroyed."-PAxTo N. ours, but less cleanly; for, as it is performed in the open air, (Hos. xiii. 3,) upon any round level plat of ground, CHAPTER XLI. daubed over with cow's dung, to prevent as much as pos~Ver. 15. Behold, I wxvili make thee a new sharp sible the earth, sand, or gravel, from rising, a great quanthrashing~ instrument having teeth: thou shalt tity of them all, notwithstanding this precaution, must unavoidably be taken up with the grain; at the same time the thrash the mountains, and beat them small, and straw, which is their only fodder, is hereby shattered to shalt make the hills as chaff. pieces, a circumstance very pertinently alluded to 2 Kings xiii. 7, where the king of Syria is said to have made the The manner of thrashing corn in the East differs essen- Israelites like dust by thrashing." (Shaw.) —BURDER. tially from the method practised in western countries. It has been fully described by travellers, from whose writings Ver. 18. I will open rivers in high places, and such extracts are here made, and connected together, as fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will will convey a tolerable idea of this subject. In Isaiah make the wilderness a pool of water, and the xxviii. 27, 28, four methods of thrashing are mentioned, d as effected by different instruments: the flail, the drag, the vain, and the treading of the cattle. The staff, or flail, was A most important pastoral duty in the eastern regions, is used for the infjirmiora semisna, says Hieron, the grain that to provide water for the flock. The living.fountain and the was too tender to b treated in the other methods. The drag flowing stream, generally furnish a sure and abundant supconsisted of a sort of frame of strong planks, made rough at ply; but these are seldom to be found in the burning desert, the bottom with hard stones or iron; it wvas drawn by horses where the oriental shepherd is often compelled to feed his or oxen over the corn-sheavesspread on the floor, the driver cattle. In such circmstances, happy is he who finds a sitting upon it. The wain was much like the former, but pool where his flocks mayquench their thirst. Often, as he had wheels with iron teeth, or edges like a saw. The axle pursues his journey, a broad expanse of water, clear as was armed with iron teeth, or serrated wheels throughout: crystal, seems to open to his view; and faint and weary it *moves upon three rollers, armed with iron teeth or under the fierce sunbeam, he gazes on the unexpected rewheels, to cut the straw. In Syria they make use of the lief with ineffable delight, and fondly anticipates a speedy drag, constructed in the very same manner as above de- termination to his present distress. He sees the foremost scribed. This not only forced out the grain, but cut the camels enter the lake, and the water dashed about by their straw in pieces for fodder for the cattle, for in the eastern feet. He quickens his pace, and hastens to the spot; but countries they have no hay. The last method is well to his utter disappointment the vision disappears, and noknown from the law of Moses, which forbids the ox to be thing remains but the dry and thirsty wilderness. To such muzzled when he treadeth out the corn. Deut. xxv. 4. deceitful appearances, the prophet opposes, with admirable (Lowth.) " In thrashing their corn, the Arabians lay the effect, the real pool, the overflowing, fountain, and the runsheaves down in a certain order, and then lead over them ning stream; the appropriate symbols of those substantial two oxen, dragging a large stone. This mode of separa-. blessings of grace and mercy, that were laid up in store for ting the ears from the straw is not unlike that of Egypt." the church of Christ in the last days: " And the parched (Niebuhr.) " They use oxen, as the ancients did, to beat ground (or the scorching heat) shall become a pool, and out their corn, by trampling upon the sheaves, and drag- the thirsty land springs of water." "I will open rivers in,ing, after them a clumsy machine. This machine is not, high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I as in Arabia, a stone' cylinder, nor a plank with sharp will make the wilderness a pool of water." —PAXTON. stones, as in Syria, but a sort of sledge, consisting of three rollers, fitted with irons, which turn upon axles. A farmer Ver. 19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, chooses out a level spot in his fields, and has his corn car- the shittah-tree, ant the myrtle, and the oilried thither in sheave-, upon asses or dromedaries. Two oxen are then yoke- in a sledge, a driver gets upon it, and tree; will set in the desert the fir-tree, and drives them backwards and forwards (rather in a circle) the pine, and the box-tree together. upon the sheaves, and fresh oxen succeed in the yoke from See on Ex. 25. 10. time to time. By this operation the chaff is very much cut down; the whole is then winrowed, and the pure grain CHAPTER XLII. thus separated. This m(tdc cf'hrasilng out the corn is tedious and inconvcnient: t destroys th chaff, and injures Ver. 2. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause the quality -If the grain." (Ibid.) In another place, Niebuhr his voice to be heard in the street. tells us tha. "two parcels or layers of corn are thrashed out in a day; and they move each of them as many as eight When two or more people go along the streets, they speak times with awoodenforkoffiveprongs. whichtheycallrmed- in such a loud voice, that all who pass may hear. Has a dre. Afterward they throw the straw into the middle of the person gained or lost a cause in a court of justice, he vocifring, where it forms a heap, which grows bigger and bigger; erates his story again and again to his companions, as he when the first layer is thrashed, they replace the straw in goes along the road. This practice may have arisen from the ring, and thrash it as before. Thus the straw becomes the custom of the superior walking the first, which makes every time smaller, till at last it resembles chopped straw. it necessary for him to speak in a loud voice, that those After this, with the fork just described, they cast the whole who are in the rear may hear his observations. Men of a some yards from thence, and against the wind; which driv- boisterous, temper, who wish to raise a clamour, or those,rg LIUck tne straw, the corn and the ears not thrashed out who are leaders in any exploit, always bawl aloud when fall apart from it, and make another heap. A man col- they talk to their companions, as the3 go along the road.lects the clods of dirt, and other impurities, to which any RoBERTS. corn adheres, and throws them into a sieve. They after- Ver. 11. Let the vilderness and the cities thereof ward place in a ring the heaps, in which a good many -tnl ire ears are still found, and drive over them for four or lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth CHAP. 42-44. I S A IA H. 473 inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, I.and deaf; and so insensible is he to external things, that let them shout from the top of the mountains. whatever sights may pass before his vision, and whatever sounds may fall upon his ear, he appears to be altogether insensible to their power. The people say he is so full "By desert, or wilderness, the reader is not always to un- of the deity as to be unconscious of passing scenes.derstand a country altogether barren and unfruitful, but ROBERTS. such only as is rarely or never sown or cultivated; which, though it yields no grops of corn or fruit, yet affords herbage, more or less, for the grazing of cattle, with fountains CHAPTER XLIII. or rills of water, though more sparingly interspersed than in other places." (Shaw.) Agreeable to this account, we Ver. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing: now it find that Nabal, who was possessed of three thousand sheep, shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I and a thousafid goats, dwelt in the wilderness, 1 Sam. xxv. 2. will even make a way in the wilderness, and This it would have been impossible for him to have done, had rivers in the desert. there not been sufficient pasturage for his flocks and herds.- BURnDER.. Not satisfied with cultivating the rich plains and fertile From Lattakoo to Kurree-chane, which is about three valleys of his native land, the Jewish farmer reduced the hundred miles, might, when I travelled it, be justly called barren rocks and rugged mountains under *his domain, a wilderness, for there was not a single mile of any visible and compelled them to minister to his necessities. For this path or road. The ruts made by the wheels of my wagons purpose he covered them with earth; or, where this was on going up the country, were so visible, that on returning impracticable, he constructed walls of loose stones, in paral- I was delighted to find natives travelling with loaded oxen lel rows along their sides, to support the mould, and pre- along those ruts: and as other natives would probably do vent it from being washed down by the rains. On these the same, it would soon become a beaten visible highway, circular plots of excellent soil, which gradually rose one which most likely was the manner of the formation of al1 above another, from the base to the very summits of the original roads. mountains, he raised abundant crops of corn and other escu- A visible road in a wilderness saves much trouble and lent vegetables; or, where the declivity was too rocky, he anxiety to travellers, even when they have travelled over planted the vine and the olive, which delight in such situa- the same ground befole. In general they must be guided tions, and which rewarded his toil with the most picturesque by landmarks such as hill, clumps of trees, fords, &c.; scenery, and the richest products. Thus, the places where:but in plains or across forests, where no hills can be seen, only the wild goat wandered and the eagle screamed, which they must often be puzzled what course to follow. But appeared to be doomed to perpetual nalkedness and ster- where there is a visible path, however bad, travellers are ility, were converted by the bold and persevering industry relieved from all this trouble, anxiety, and uncertainty, as if of the Syrian husbandmarl into corn-fields and gardens, vine- they constantly heard a voice behind them saying,'- This is yards and olive plantations, the manifest traces of which, in the way, walk ye in it"." all the mountains of Palestine, remain to this day. The in- In a heathen land the inhabitants are ignorant of the way habitants of that " good land," literally sang from the top of to true happiness either here or hereafter; but when gospel the rock when it flowed with the blood of the grape, and poured light enters, publishing what the Son of God has done and them out " rivers of oil."-PAXTON. suffered for sinners, then a highway may be said to be in that land, which, by the blessing of God, will greatly increase the Ver. 14. I have long time holden my peace; I comfort of the population.-CAMPBELL. have been still, and refrained myself: now will Ver. 24. Thou hast brought me no sweet cane I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy with money, neither hast thou filled me with and devour at once. the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast malde me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied The words devour, swallow, or sup, as used by Isaiah, and Habakkuk, evidently allude to the same thing. Jeho- me with thine iniquities. vah had refrained himself, but now he was about to come'brth and utterly destroy his enemies. When a king See on Jer. 6, 20. wishes to convey an idea that he will completely destroy Dr. Boothroyd has " sweet reed." Tamal, " sweet bark!" his foes, he says,.I will MULLUNGA -VAIN, i. e., " swallow them This probably means cinnamon, as we know that "sweet up." Habakkuk says of the Chaldeans, "Their faces shall bark" was used by Moses in the service of the sanctuary: and sup up, as the East wind." Of a man who has a savage it is in connexion with the sacrifices of the Most High that it face, it is said, " He has a MULLUNGERA-MUGGAM, a devour- is here mentioned by the prophet.-ROBERTs. ing face." " Look at that fellow's face, you may see he On approaching and entering first the city of Mashow, could swallow you." But the Chaldeans are compared to and afterward that of Kurree-chane, the two highest up the destructive EAST wind; and it is a fact, that the same towns which I visited in Africa, various of the inhabitants wind is'spoken of in similar terms in all parts of the East. who, like all the rest of their countrymen, had never seen Its name is ALLIIcKERA-IATTU, i. e., the destroying wind, and wagons or white men before, were charmed with the so sure as it shall blow for any length of time, will vegeta- sight, and, as a proof of it, they presented me with pieces tion be destroyed. }How this is produced is, perhaps, of sugar, or sweet cane, about a foot in length, and in such among the inexplicable mysteries of' nature. Its destruc- numbers, that the bottom of that part of the wagon where I tive quhalities on vegetable nature in England are well sat was covered with sweet cane. It was an act of' kindknown, and yet it would appear that not one time in a ness. This occurrence explained to me this passage in thousand can it blow in an uninterrupted current from the Isaiah, where God is evidently charging his ancient people distant East, because there are always, so far as I have been with want of affection, or unkindness: which expression able to observe., counter currents. Another fact is, that. they would understand, having probably the same custom however far east you may travel, it is still the same wind which I found in Afiica, which the Hebrews may have which brings destruction. The allusion, therefore, in Genesis, learned while they resided in Africa, viz., in Egypt.(and other places,) is illustrated by the continued malignity CAMPBELL. of that wind.-ROBERTS. CHAPTER XLIV. Ver. 19. Who is blind, but my servant; or deaf, as-my messenger that I sent? who is blind as Ver. 3. For I will pour waterupon him that is he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will servant? pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessingr upon thine offspring. I think we are to understand this as alluding to the AGENT employed by the Lord, i. e., he was so absorbed with This probably alludes to the way in which people bathe. his message as to be blind and deaf to all other attractions. They do not in general, as in England, plunge into a When the Yogee affects to deliver a message from the gods, stream or river, but go near a well or tanlV: and then, or when he speaks of futurity, he is as one who is blind with a little vessel, pour water otn their heads and bodies. 60 44 4 I SAIAH. CHAP. 45. See the man who is weary, he calls for his neighbour, or years; after wl!ich the seal was taken away, that he might servant, or wife, to accompany him to the well; he then with freedom enjoy the light; but he was still detained in takes off his clothes, (except a small strip round his loins,) prison. Other princes have been treated in a different sits on his hanis, and the individual who assists begins to manner, to prevent them from' conspiring against the reign"POUR WATER" upon him, till he be refreshed, and exclaims, ing monarch, or meddling with aflhirs of state: they have POTHASI, i. e. sufficient. In this way his body is invigo- been compelled to swallow opium, and other stupifying rated, his thirst quenched, and he is made ready for his food. drugs, to weaken or benumb their faculties, and render -"ROBERT. them unfit for business. Influenced by such absurd and cruel policy, Shah Abbas, the celebrated Persian monarch, Ver. 4. And they shall spring up as among the who died in 1629, ordered a certain quantity of opium to grass, as willows by the water-courses. be given every day to his grandson, who was to be his successor, to stupify him, and prevent him from disturbing his In many parts of South Africa, no trees are to be found government. Such are probablythe ci'rcumstances alluded but near rivers. The trees are of various kinds; the most to by the prophet: "They have not known, nor understood; plentiful was the lovely mimosa; but willows, when there for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see; and their were any, always stood in front of the others, on the very hearts that they cannot understand." The verb (,oi) tah, margin of the water, which was truly a river of life to them. rendered in our version, to shut, signifies to overlay, to Like those in Isaiah's days, they required much water- cover over the surface; thus the king of Israel prepared 2ould not prosper without it, therefore near it they were three thousand talents of gold, and seven thousand talents alone found;-a loud call, by a silent example, to Chris- of refined silver (air) to overlay the walls of the temple.:ians to live near the throne of grace, word of grace, and But it generally signifies to overspread, or daub over, as ordinances of grace, if they wish to grow in wisdom, knowl- with mortar or plaster, of which Parkhurst quotes a numedge, faith, and holiness. —CAMPBELL. ber of examples; a sense which entirely corresponds with the manner in which the eyes of a criminal are sealed up Ver. 5. One shall say, I am,~ the LoRD's; and in some parts of the East. The practice of sealing up the another shall call himself by the name of Ja- eyes, and stupifying a criminal with drugs, seems to have cob; uand another shall subscribe with his hand been contemplated by the same prophet in another passage unto the LORD, and surname hizmself by the of his book: "Make the heart of this people fat, and make unto T Xtheir ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their name of Israel. eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with theirs heart and convert and be healedl."-PAXTON. This is an allusion to the marks which were made by punctures, rendered indelible by fire or by staining, upon Ver. 20. He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart the hand, or some other part of the body, signifying the state or character of the person, and to whom he belonged. hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver The slave was marked with the name of his master; the his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right soldier of his commander; the idolater with the name or hand ensign of his god; and the Christians seem to have imitated this practice by what Procopius says upon this place of "That wicked fellow has now to eat dust or as.dls." Isaineh. " Many marked their wrists or their arms with " Begone, wretch for soon wilt thou have to feed on l'ast." the sign of the cross, or with the name of Christ." (Lowth.) The man who is accused of a great crime, takes d' s -, or To this explanation I shall subjoin the following extract ashes, in his mouth, and thus swears that he is inn,-cent. from Dr. Doddrid-e's Sermons to Young People, p. 79, The idea seems to be, if I am guilty, may my mouth soon both as it corroborates and still further elucidates this trans- be filled with earth as in death. " A lie in my right hand.' action. -" Some very celebrated translators and critics un-" The right hand is the abode of truth." The idols are derstand the words which we render, subscribe with his hand often made with the RIGHT hand lifted up, to show that they unto the Lor'd, in a sense a little different from that which are truth; and men thus swear, by lifting up the RIGHT..ur English version has given them. They would rather hand. In the ninth and twentieth verses (inclusive) of this.ender them, anolther shall write ~upon Ihis hand, I amnL the chapter, we have an admirable disquisition on the absurdity Lo'rd's; and they suppose it refers to a custom which for- of idolatry; and neither can the maker of idols nor their rnerly prevailed in the East, of stamping the name of the worshippers say, there is " not a lie in my right hand." — general on the soldier, or that of the master on the slave. ROBERTS. As this name was sometimes borne on the forehead, so at other times on the hand; and it is certain that several CHAPTER XLV. scriptures, which may easily be recollected, are to be ex- Ver. 2. I will o before thee, and make the crookplained as alluding to this: Rev. iii. 12. vii. 2, 3. xiii. 16, 17. ed will break in pieces te Now from hence it seems to have grown into a custom among some idolatrous nations, when solemnly devoting gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of themselves to the service of any deity, to be initiated into it iron. by receiving some marls in their flesh, which micht never wear out. This interpretation the original will certainly bear; and it here makes a very strong and beautiful sense, since every true Christian has a sacred and indelible char- Ver. 3. And I will give.thee the treasures of aeter upon him, which shall never be erased. But if we darlrness, and hidden riches of secret place,, retain our own version it will come to nearly the same, and that thou mayest know that I the LORD WhiC evidently refers to a practice which was sometimes used call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. among the Jews, (Nehem. ix. 38. x. 29,) and which is indeed exceedingly natural, of obliging themselves to the ser- As treasures are frequently hidden under ground in the vice of God, by setting their hands to some written articles, the emphatically expressinsuch a resoution."-BRER. East, by those that are apprehensive of revolutions; so the emphatically expressing such a resolution." —Bur{DE.:nding them is one great object, in their apprehension, of Ver. 18. They have not lknown nor understood: sorcery. We are told by travellers into the East, that they for Theybat shut nothe eyes, thatr thdeyrcano have met with great difficulties very often, from a notion forn 1e hath shut their eyes, that they cannot universally disseminated among them, that all Europeans see: and their hearts, that they cannot under- are magicians, and that theirvisits to those eastern countries stand, are not to satisfy curiosity, but to find out, and get possession of those vast treasures they believe to be buried there in The Orientals, in some cases, deprive the criminal of the great quantities. These representations are very common; light of day, by sealing up his eyes. A son of the great but Sir J. Chardin gives us a more particular and amusing Mogul was actually suffering this punishment when Sir accountofaffairs of this kind. "It is common in the Indies, Thomas Roe visited the court of Delhi. The hapless youth for those sorcerers that accompany conquerors, everywhere was cast into prison, and deprived of the light by some ad- to point out the place where treasures are hid. Thus at nesive plaster put upon his eyes, for the space of three Surat, when Siragi came thither, there were people -who, CHAP. 45-49. I S AIAH. 475 with a stick striking on the ground, or against walls, found nies going to the opposite banks, who have b len obliged to out those that had been hollowed or dug up, and ordered "make bare the leg" and to "uncover the thigh." Thus such places to be opened." He then intimates, that some- were the " tender and delicate" daughters of Babylon, who thing of this nature had happened to him in Mingrelia. had been nurtured on a throne, to be "reduced to the condiAmong the various contradictions that agitate the human tion of menials, and to cross the rivers as people of the breast, this appears to be a remarkable one: they firmly lowest degree.-RoBEaTS. believe the power of magicians to discover hidden treasures, and yet they continue to hide them. Dr. Perry has'Ver. 14. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the given us an account of some mighty treasures hidden in the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver ground by some of the principal people of the Turkish themselves from the power of the flame: there empire, which upon a revolution were discovered by domestics, privy to the secret. D'HIerbelot has given us ac- shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit counts of treasures concealed in the name manner, some of before it. them of great princes, discovered by accidents extremely remarkable; but this account of Chardin's, of conquerors It is very usual in the East to burn the stubble and the pretending to find out hidden treasures by means of sorcer- grass, in order to destroy the vermin. Thus Hanway, ers, is very extraordinary. As, however, people of this cast speaking of the inhabitants of the deserts of Tartary, says, have made great pretences to mighty things in all ages, and "that they arrived ifi the desert in the first winter month, were not unfiequently confided in by princes, there is reason and that the inhabitants who live nearest to it, often manure to believe they pretended sometimes, by their art, to discover tracts of land by burning the grass, which grows very treasures anciently to princes, of which they had gained high." The words of our Saviour also allude to this, when intelligence by Other methods; and as God opposed his he says, "Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, prophets, at various times, to pretended sorcerers, it is nob which to-day is, and to-morrow is- cast into the oven." unlikely that the prophet Isaiah points at some such pro- Matt. vi. 30.-ROSENMULLER. phetic discoveries in those remarkable words, Is. xlv. 3: "And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know, that I Ver. 9. That thou mayest say to the prisoners, the Lord which call thee by thy name, am the God of Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show Israel." I will give them, by enabling some prophet of. Thesall i' sad mine to tell thee where they are concealed. Such a sup-s. They shal feedin the ways, and position throws a great energyinto those words.-HARMER. their pastures shall'be in all high places. 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither Ver. 10. Wo unto him that saith unto his father, shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by hast thou brought forth? the springs of water shall he guide them. Dr. Boothroyd has, "to a mother, what dost thou bring 11. And I will make all my mountains a way, forth?" TJnnatural as is this language, yet children often and my highways shall be exalted. use it to their parents. Listen to a son who has been chided by his father for bad conduct-" Why did you beget me See on Ps. 23. Did I ask you. Why reprove me for evil? Whose fault is it? Had you not begotten me, should I have been here 2" The father replies, "Alas! for the day in which I became that she should not have compassion onr the son thy parent." The mother says, "Why did I bear this dog of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will Have I given birth to a monkey? Yes! I am theother I not forget thee. of this ass."-RoBERtTS. CHAPTER XLVI. X This question is asked when a person'doubts of finding mercy, where there is every reason to expect it. Does an Ver. 3. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and individual express surprise at seeing f mother pay attention all the remnant of the house of Israel, which to an infant which is deformed, or supposed-to be possessed are borne by me from the belly, which are car- by a devil; it is asked, Can a woman forget her suclting ed front the womb. 1',vchild. Is a woman in great haste to return home, it is intried fronm the wonmb.' quired, "What, have you a sicking child in the house? " True, this fiendish son was borne from my belly. Ten The cub of the monkey is as dear to its dam, as gold is to US "-RoBERTS. long moons did I carry him in my womlb." " Is it for this I have carried him so long in my wQmb? My fate! my Ver. 16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the fate! alas! my fate!"-ROBERTS. palms of my hands; thy walls are continuallh CHAPTER XLVI. before me. VFer. 1. Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin V er.. Com down, adsit in the dus0 virgn It is common to make punctures on the arms and wrists. daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: therein memory of visiting any holy place, or to represent the is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: deity to whom the individual is consecrated: thus, a god, for thou shalt no more be called tender and del- a temple, a peacock, or Some indecent object, is described; icate. 7. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for but I never saw or heard of any thing of the kind being en. ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to graved on the PArLtMs of the HANDS. The palms ofthe hands are, however, believed to have written on them the fate ol thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end the individual; and, from this, it is common to say, in reof it. ference to men or things, they are written on the palms oi his hands. " I wonder why Raman has taken Seethe for See on Ezek. 13. 18. his wife?" " Why wonder? She was written on the palms Ver. 2. Take the millstones, and grind meal: un- of his hands." " Fear not," says the old soothsayer, looking into the hands of the anxious youth, "she is written cover thylocks, make bare the leg, uncover the here, thou shalt have her." " Alas! alas! the old deceiver thigh, pass over the rivers. told me her name was written on my palms, but she has,D I gone, and the writing is erased." " Give up that pursuit? To grind flour in the East' is the work of servants or Never! it is written on the palms of my'hands." " Ah! slaves, and to make it by pounding with a pestle and mor- my friend, you have long since forgotten me.' "Forgotten tar is the office of female servants or slaves. There being you! Never, for your walls are ever before me." "Ah! but few bridges, those who are in a low condition a e my father, I am now in the distant country, but your walls obliged to ford the rivers; hence may be seen large compa- are always in my sight." "Ah! when shall I again visit 476 ISAIAH. CxrP. 49 my favourite temple; the walls are continually before me." towards the children of her care. In this view of the pas — -ROBERTS. sage, it has perhaps been forgotten that the prophetic scripThis is an allusion to the eastern custom of tracing out tures are not lacking in intimations, that in that bright and on their hands, nottithe names, but the sketches of certain blissful period, the ancient institutions of the world will he eminent cities or places, and then rubbing them with the so modified, and the different fabrics of government, civil powder of the hennah or cypress, and thereby making the and ecclesiastical, so revolutionized, that it is, to say the marks perpetual. This custom Maundrell thus describes: least, doubtful whether there will then be any such rulers "The next morning nothing extraordinary passed, which as kings and queens to bestow their regal regards upon tilhe gave many of the pilgrims leisure to have their arms mark- spouse of Christ. At any rate, it is certain that the text ed with the usual ensigns of Jerusalem. The artists, who will not then be applied, as it now is, as authorizing a reundertake the operation, do it in this manner: they have ligious establishment subject to the cornt'ol of a civil power, stamps in wood of any figure that you desire, which they or in other words, as sanctioning the union of church and first print off upon your arm, with powder or charcoal; then state. To the abetters of this pernicious alliance, the prestaking two very fine needles tied close together, and dip- ent passage has ever been a "pillar of strength" in the ping them often, like a pen, in certain ink, compounded, way of proof. Let us endeavour, then, to collect the true as I was informed, of gunpowder and ox gall, they make sense of the prediction from its various connexions. It with them small punctures all along the lines of the figure may be remarked, that the prophecy of which it forms a which they have printed, and then washing the part in wine, part, abounds with metaphor; as for instance, v. 22, "the conclude the work. These punctures they make with lifting up of the Lord's hand;" "the setting up of his standgreat quickness and dexterity, and with scarce any smart, ard to the Gentiles and people;" "their bringing Zion's seldom piercing so deep as to draw blood.-BuRnER. sons in their arms, and carrying her daughters upon their shoulders:" and v. 23," the kings and queens of the GenVer. 22. ThuLs saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I tiles bowing down to the church, with their faces towards wvil lift up my hand to the Gentiles, ard set up the earth, and licking up the dust of her feet." Here is scarce an expression but is highly figurative, and shall we my standard to the people: and they shall suppose that in the phrase "kings nursing fathers" there bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daugh- is nothing of the same character? For what is the office ters shall be carried upon their shoulders. of the nurse? Is it not to nourish the child? But do kings, as human rulers, in the true sense, nourish the church? It is a custom, in many parts of the East, to carry their Do they afford to it that spiritual pabulum on which it lives children astride upon the hip, with the arm around the and thrives? Do they administer the word and sacra)ody. In the kingdom of Algiers, when the slaves take the ments? Is not this the peculiar and distinguishing office of children out, the boys ride upon their shoulders; and in a the ministry of the gospel, set apart to this very work, and religious procession, which Symes' had an opportunity of acting as the only pastors; i. e. feeders, of the flock of Christ' seeing at Ava, the capital of the Burman empire, the first Is not this the office which they claim as their privilege, personages of rank that passed by, were three children borne which the New Testament gives them, and. with which astride on men's shoulders. It is evident from these facts, neither kings nor magistrates are to intermeddle? It is that the oriental children are carried sometimes the one easy enough to understand how kings are nursing fathers way, sometimes the other. Nor was the custom in reality to the subjects of the nations over which they rule; and as different in Judea, though the prophetsexpresses himself in it is the duty of their subjects to regard them in this charthese terms: "They shall bring thy sons in their arms, and acter, so it is their duty to act towards their subjects conthy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders; for sistently with this designation, especially in'protecting them according to Dr. Russel, the children able to support them- in the peaceful enjoyment of their natural and civil rights. selves, are usually carried astride on the shoulder; but in But it is not so easy to perceive how kings and queens, as infancy they are carried in the arims, or awlkwardly on one suc, are nurses to any but their people, in the capacity of haunch. Dandini tells us, that on horseback the Asiatics subjects. If indeed the nations of Christendom be churches, "carry their young children upon their shoulders with great then the king of the'nation is the king of the church, and dexterity. These children hold by the head of him who so is the nurse of the church. But this is not the kind of carries them, whether he be on horseback or on foot; and church spoken of in the New Testament, nor does the prodo not hinder him from walking, nor doing what he pleases." phetical promise in question speak of any such church. It "' This augments the import of the passage in Isaiah, who is evident then, that it is at best only in a metaphorical speaks of the Gentiles bringing children thus; so that dis- sense that the words of the promise legitimately hold good. tance is no objection to this mode of conveyance, since they What that sense is precisely, when stripped of its figuramay thus be brought on horseback from'among the peo- tive dress, we shall endeavour to show in the sequel. ples,' however remote."-PAxToN. At present, we call attention to the immediate connexion Children of both sexes are carried on the shoulders. of the words under review. They are introduced as an Thus may be seen the father carrying his son, the little answer to the question, v. 21, (following the promise of a fellow being astride on the shoulder, having, with his numerous church upon the rejection of the Jews, v. 19, 20.) hands, hold of his father's head. Girls, however, sit on the "Then shalt thou say in thy heart, Who hath begotten shoulder, as if on a chair, their legs hanging in firont, while me these, seeing I lost my children, and. am desolate, a they also with their hands lay hold of the head.' In going captive, and removing to and fro? And who hathlbrought to, or returning from, heathen festivals, thousands ofparents up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had and their children niay be thus seen marching along with theybeen " Upon the rejection of the Jews, it is supposed joy. In this way shall the Gentiles bring their sons and to be matter of wonder, from whence so many children their daughters toJehovah: kings shall then be "nursing should still be found clustering about; this bereaved and fathers,' and queens "nursing mothers."-RoBEzars. desolate mother. From the New Testament narrative, we learn the difficulty there was in regard to this, in the minds Ver. 23. And kcings shall be thy nursing fathers, of the Apostles, and the early Jewish believers, and how and their queens thy nursing mothers: they astonishingitwas tothem, when it cameto pass. The proshall how down to thee with their face tovards phecy may be considered as expressing, in a striking manthe earth, and lick up the dust o thy feet; and nr, the perplexed ruminations of the church in regard to the earth, and lick up the dust o thy feet an event so strange and mysterious. It was a problem she thou shalt knowvthat I ant the LORD: for they knew not how to solve. "Who brought up these? Where shall not he ashamed that'wait for me. -had they bebn?" This is her anxious interrogatory,'and the Lord answers, " The kings of the Gentiles shall be thy nurThe accomplishment of this prediction is often the sub- sing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers i. e. ject of the prayers of Christians. They regard it as one of they shall have been such; when this multitude is gathered the illustrious features of the times of the millennium, that. in, they shall have been reared and brought up as the subjects kings and potentates shall, as foster-fathers, take the church and servants of worldly kings, who little thought of the under their special protection and patronage, and instead service they were rendering to the church. They were of opposing and oppressing it, exercise towards it all the unconsciously acting the part of nurses to those who were iind and tutelary offices of a devoted nurse or mother destined in the purpose of God to be the children of Zion CHAP. 50,51. ISAIAH. 477 just as the teachers of a literary seminary are often un wit- all, from that alluded to by the prophet. " A prisoner was tingly employed in training/their pupils for higher service brought, who had two large logs of wood fitted to the small in the church of God, when subsequently his grace sub- of his leg, and riveted together; there was also a heavy dues their hearts, and makes them his devoted servants. triangular collar of wood about his neck. The general In this sense, how large a portion of the colleges in our asked me, if that man had taken my goods. I told him, I land are nurseries of the church! In like manner, it is did not remember to have seen him before. He was queshere predicted that earthly governments shall be nurseries tioned some time, and at length ordered to be beaten with for the spiritual dominion of Jesus Christ. \ Out of their sticks, which was performed by two soldiers with such seversubjects shall his subjects be gathered. The agency of ity as if they meant to kill him. The soldiers were then kings and queens and all worldly potentates in,nursing the ordered to spit in his face, an indignity of great antiquity people of their rule shall be so controlled by a directing in the East. This, and the cutting off beards, which I shall providence, as to be made subservient to the measureless have occasion to mention, brought to my mind the sufferenlargement of his kingdom. This is the grand drift of ings recorded in the prophetical history of our Saviour. the prophecy before us. It speaks not of the defence or up- Isaiah 1. 6. " Sadoc Aga sent prisoner to Astrabad-his holding of the church by the powers of the earth, or the beard was cut off; his face was rubbed with dirt, and his bestowing of worldly possessions and distinctions upon it. eyes cut out. Upon his speaking in pathetic terms with Rich and satisfied in the covenant, favour, and spiritual glory that emotion natural to a daring spi'rit,- the general ordered of her Head and Husband, what can she ask or expecat him to be struck across the mouth to silence him; which the hands of earthly princes. What can they do for her was done with such violence that the blood issued forth." sublime interest, of whom it is said, " They shall bow down — BRDER. to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the CHAPTER LI dust of thy feet." The Zion of our God has boons to bestow upon worldly sovereigns, but none to ask of them. Ver. 6. Lift up your eyes to the, heavens, and Thus interpreted, the passage is throughout consistent. look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens The answer is suitable to the question, and both, to the shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth scope of the prophecy, which is, to pre-intimate shall wax old like a arment, and they that of the Gentiles, and the increase of the church, upon the casting away of the Jews, by the bringing of the' elect of dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my all nations into that new Jerusalem which is from above, salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousand is the mother of them all.-Busu. ness shall not be abolished. 7. Hearken unto Thus were those who had been enemies to Jehovah to bow down and acknowledge his majesty. They were to ye that kno rghteousness, the people n " lick up the dust," which is a figurative expression to de- whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach note submission and adoration. " Boasting vain fellow! of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. the king your friend! he your companion! You will y not have even the dust of his feet given you fori food." See on Job 4. 9. " The minister give you that office! he will not give you the dust of his feet." " Alas! alas! for me, I expected his favour; I depended on his word; but I have not gained garment, and the worm shall eat them like the dust of his feet." " I will not remain longer in this wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, country; I will leave you, and go to reside with the king." my salvation from veneration to genera"With the king! Why, the dust of his feet will not be given you for a reward." "Could I but see that holy man! I would eat the dust of his feet." So great then is to be As the fashions of the garments of the Orientals never the humility and veneration of kiings and queens, in ref- change, they have large stores of them; but they have no erence to the Most High, that they will bow down before little difficulty in preserving them fron moths: which eirhim, and lick up the dust of his foeet.-RoBERTs. Xcumstance may have occasioned their profuse use of perCHAPTER L. fumes-ROBERaS. Ver. 2. Wherefore, when I came, was there no Ver. 11. Therefore the redeemed of the LORD man? when I called, was there none to an- shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; swer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can- and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: not redeem? or have I no power to deliver? they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorbehold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make row and mourning shall flee away. the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, bethe rivers a ilderness: their ish stinketh, be- Is there not here an allusion to the custom so common cause there is no water, and dieth for thirst. in the East, of singing upon a journey, particularly with a The 3Krooman (or Koorooman) river, in Africa, which view to quicken the pace of the camels? "We should not have passed this plain so rapidly, but for the common cusis a considerable stream, used to run in an oblique direc- tom of the Arabs - of urging on their camels by singing: tion across the great southern Zahara desert, till it emptied tom of the Arabs of urging on their camels by singing: itself into the Great Orange River. Now it sinks out of the effect- is very extraordinary: this musical excitement sight into the sand almost immediately on entering the des- increases their pace at least one fourth. First one camelert, onl a few miles after the junction of the Macklareen driver sings a verse, then the others answer in chorus. It err, only a few miles after the junction of the Macklareen reminded me somewhat of the Venetian gondoliers. I river with its waters. As a proof that it had onc in reminded me somewhat of the Venetian gondoliers. I river with-its waters. As a proof that it had oce run in often asked the camel-drivers to sinfg, not only to hasten the desert, I travelled ten or fifteen mniles on its hard dry our progress, but also for the pleasure of hearing their simchannel along'which it had run after entering the desert, our progress, but also for thepleasure of hearing their simchannel alo-ng-which it had run after enteri-ng the desert, ple melodies. Some of their'best songs possess a plaintive having a steep bank on both sides, beyond which there was plo melodies. Some of their best songs possess a plaintive nothaving but dsteep ank ond. Th e aged natives told mwic tere that in sweetness that is almost as touching as the most exquisite nothing but deep sand. The aged natives told me that in European airs. The words Are often beautiful, generally their young days there was a considerable river in that European airs. The words are often beautiful, generally their young days there was a considerable river in that simple. and natural, being improvisatory effusions. The channel, and sometimes rose so high that it could not be simplelown atural being improvisatormen. One takes up the crossed for a long time. They first blamed the Matslaroo following a vy mperfect specimen. One takes up the people for drying it up by means of witchcraft, but after- son-' Ah when shall I see my family again? the rain ward acknowledged it must' have been done by the hand has fallen and made a canal between me and my home. of r8 acknowldGgoe d. -CAMPELL. have'een one b thehandOh, shall I never see it more' The reply to this and of God. —CAMPBELL. similar verses was always made by the chorus, in words Ver. 6. gave my bac to the smirs, and my such as these:-' Oh, what pleasure, what delight, to see my family again; when I see my father, mother, biothers, cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid sisters, I will hoist a flag on the head of my camel for joy."' not my face from shame and spitting. (Hoskins' Trav. in Ethiopia, p. 26.)-BusH. In describing the order of the caravans, Pitts informs as, M-. Hanway has recorded a'scene differing little, if at "that some of the camels have bells about their necks, an"! 478 ISAIAH. CHAP. 52. some about their legs, like those which our carriers put head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: about their fore-horses' necks, which, they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebu-e servants (who belong to the camels and travel on foot) singing all night, make a pleasant noise, and the journey of thy God. passes away delightfully." This circumstance is explanatory of the singing of the Israelites in their return to Jeru- What a graphic picture we have here of an eastern city ~s~~~alem.~~-HARN~ER. or town in time of' fandiue! See the squalid objects: in' their despair, they rush forth, throw themselves down in Ver. 14. The captive exile, hasteneth that he may the streets, and there remain till they die, or are relieved. be loosed, -and that he should not die in the pit, They have scarcely a rag icf to defend them from the heat of the sun, or the dew- of the hight; and they court nor that his bread should fail. death as a blessing. Ask them why they lie there, they See on Job 33. 18, 24. reply, to die: tell them to get out of the way, and they answer not again; and so great is their indifference, that Ver. 17. Awake, awalke, stand up, O Jerusalem, many of them would literally be crushed to death, rather which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the than make the least effort to preserve life.-RO0ERTS. cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs CHAPTER LII. of the cup of trembling, and wrungr thebm out. Ver. 1. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, 0 Artificial liquors, or mixed wines, were very common in'Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, Jeruancient Italy, and the Levant. The Romans lined their salem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall vessels with odorous gums, to give their wines a warm no more come unto thee the uncircumcised and bitter flavour; and it is said, that several nations of mod- the unclean. ern times communicate to their wines a favourite relish by similar means. In Greece this is accomplished by in- Jerusalem had long been afflicted by her foes, but the fusing the cones of the pine in the wine vats. Hasselquist time of her deliverance was at hand, and in token of that says they use the sweet-scented violet in their sherbet, she was to deck herself in her glorious attire. At the time which they make of violet sugar dissolved in water; the of famine, sickness, or sorrow, the people clothe themselves grandees sometimes add ambergris, as the highest lux- in their meanest apparel, and their ornaments are laid ury and indulgence of their appetite. The prophet Isaiah aside: but on the return of prosperity, they array themmentions a mixture of wine and water; but it is evident selves in their most " beautiful garments."-ROBERTS. from the context, that he means to express by that phrase the degenerate state of his nation; and consequently, we Ver. 2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and cannot infer from it, the use of diluted wine in those coun- sit don, Jeusalem: loose thyself from the tries. It is observed by Thevenot, that the people of the bands of thy necrusalem: loose daughter of from the Levant never mingle water with their wine at meals, but D drink, by itself what water thev think proper, for abating the strength of the wine. While the Greeks and Roinans S^ee the poor prisoners; see mothers bereft of their chilby mixed wine always understood wine diluted and low- dren, or wives of their husbands; they roll themselves in eredwith wnater, the Hebrews, on the contrary, meant by the dust, and there'make their bitter lamentations. The eit dwinemadstr onger, a ndmore inebrie a tn, b the oradmea y holy city had figuratively been in the dust, but she was now it mi made stronger, and m inebriating, by t addli- to arise, to take the shackles from her necl, and to sit tion of powerful ingredients, as honey, spices, defrutum, down in the place the shackles for her neck, and to sit or wine inspissated, by boiling it down to two thirds or one half of the quantity, myrrh, opiates, and other strong drugs. Ver. 2. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, nd The Greeks were no strangers to perfumed and medicated wines; for in Homer, the far-famed Helen mixed a num- down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself frotn the ber of stupifying ingredients in the bowl, to exhilarate the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. spirits of her guests that were oppressed with grief; the 10. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm composition of which, the poet says, she learnt in Egypt. the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends Of the same kind was the spiced wine mentioned in the Song of Solomon; and to this day, such wines are eagerly of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. sought by the people of Syria and Palestine. The drunkards in Israel preferred these medicated wines to all others: The use of the oriental dress, which I now wear, brings " Who hath wo 1" said the wise man, " who hath conten- to the mind various scriptural illustrations, of which I will tions. who hath sorrow. who hath babbling. who hath only mention two. The figure in Isaiah lii. 10, " The wounds without cause. who hath redness of eyes. They Lord hath made bare his holy arm," is most lively: for the that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed loose sleeve of the Arab shirt, as well as that of the outer wine." Nor were the manners of that people mo recorrect garment, leaves the arm so completely free, that, in an in the days of Isaiah; for he was directed to pronounce a instant, the left hand passing up the right arm, makes it "wo unto them that rose up early in the morning, that they bare; and this is done when a person, a soldier, for exammight follow stron~ drink,. that continued until night, till ple, about to strike with the sword, intends to give his right wine inflamed them." This ancient custom furnished the arm full play. The image represents Jehovah as suddenly holy Psalmist with a highly poetical and sublime image of prepared to inflict some tremendous, yet righteous judgdivine wrath: " For in the hand of the Lord... a cup; ment, so effectual, " that all the ends of the world shall see and the wine is red; it is full of mixture." The prophet the salvation of God." Isaiah uses the same figure in one of his exhortations: The other point illustrated occurs in the second verse of "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk the same chapter, where the sense of the last expression is, at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast to an Oriental, extremely natural: "Shake thyself from drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem." It is no uncommon them out." The worshippers of the beast and his image, thing to see an individual, or a group of persons, even when are threatened with the sa-me fearful ~pu~nishment: " The very well-dressed, sitting with their feet drawn under them, same shall drink of the wine of the wratl of GOd, which same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Godl, which upon the bare earth, passing whole hours in idle conversais poured out without mixture into the cup of his indigna- tion. Europeans would require a chair; but the natives tion." The Jews sometimes acidulated their wine with here prefer the ground. In the heat of summer and autumn, the juice of the pomegranate; a custom to which the spouse it is pleasant to them to while away their time in this manthus allude. " I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, ner, under the shade of a tree. Richly-adorned females, as cf the juice of my pomegranate;" or of wine mixed with well as men, may often be seen thus amusing themselves.'he juice of that fruit. Prepared in this way, it proves a As may naturally be expected, with whatever care they coocing and refreshing draught in the heat of stummer, and may, at first sitting down, choose their place, yet the flowby consequence, highly acceptable to an Oriental. —PAxToN. ing dress by degrees gathers up the dust; as this occurs, they, from time to time, arise, adjust themselves, shake off Ver. 20. Thv sons have fainted, they lie at the the dust, and then sit down again. The captive daughter CAH &P. 53. I SA I A H. 479 of Zion, therefore, brought down to the dust of suffering doctrinal belief in the watchmen, or spiritual guides, of the and oppression, is commanded to arise and shake herself Christian church. At the same time, though not expressly from that dust; and then, with grace, and dignity, and taught in this passage, it is but reasonable to expect, that in composure, and security, to sit down; to take, as it were, proportion as the prosperity of the church advances, truth again, her seat and her rank, amid the company of the will be more clearly discerned, and there will be a constant nations of the earth, which had before afflicted her, and approximation among the pious, to a uniform standard of trampled her to the earth. theological faith.-BusH. It may be proper to notice, that Bishop Lowth gives another rendering, "Arise, ascend thy lofty seat," and Ver. 10. The LORD hath made bare hi8 holy quotes eastern customs, to justify the version: but I see no arm in the eyes of all the nations. necessity for the alteration, although to English ears it may sounl more appropriate. A person of rank in the East The right arm or shoulder is always alluded to as the often sits down upon the ground, with his attendants about place of strength: with that the warrior wields his sword, hbim.-JowETT. and slays his foes. The metaphor appears to allude to a man who is preparing for the battle: he takes the robe from Ver. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are his right arm, that being thus uncovered, "made bare," the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that it may the more easily perform its office. " Tell your publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of boasting master to get ready his army, for our king has good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto shown his shoulder," i. e. uncovered it.." Alas! I have heard that the mighty sovereign of the neighbouring kingZion, Thy God reigneth! domn has pointed to his shoulder," i. e. he is ready to come against us. See two men disputing; should one of them Small feet are considered beautiful in all parts of the againt to his rgtwo men disputin shoulder, the other will im E~ast. The feet of kings and holy people are spoken of inpo int to his right arm and shoulder, the other will immeEast. The feet of kings and holy people aie spoken of in Ztely fall into a rage, as be knows it amouhtS to a ebalpreference to the other parts of the body. His majesty of iately fall into a rage, as he knows it am s to a chalthe Bturmese empire is always mentioned as the " olden lenge, and says, in effect, " I am thy superior." Thus may fethe Burt." "mese e npie is all ays mentioned as the w bring me be seen men at a distance, when defying each other, slapfeet." " My messenger will soon return, he will bring me good tidin~gs; his feet will be glorious!" "Abh! when will ping each his right hand or shoulder. Jehovah, in refer-', ZD ence tothe nations of the earth, " hath made bare his holy the feet of my priest return this way; how glorious is their ence to the nation s of the earth ath madll see bis holy place!" " Are you in health i" asks the holy man. " Yes - armn." "And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvaplace!" " Are you in health!" asks the holy man. "Yes; tion of our God."-ROBERTS. b3 the glory of your feet," is the reply. " Ah! Swamy, it is a happy circumstance for me that your feet have entered Ver. 15. So shall he sprin mv house."-ROBERTS. Ver. 15. So shall he sprinkle many nations' the kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that Ver. 8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; which had not been told them shall they see, with the voice together shall they sing: for and that which they had not heard shall they they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall consider. bring again Zion. bring again Zn. At an eastern feast a person stands near the entrance The phrase, " see eye to eye,"-is that which we propose with a silver vessel, which is full of rose-water, or some to ex plain, and the preceding verse should be read in order to other perfumed liquid, with which he sprinkles the guests show more clearly the connexion. The whole passage is a as they approach, as if from a watering-pan. The object prediction of gospel times; it points to the proclamation of is to show they are now the king's, or the great man's the joyful and welcome tidings which constituted the burden guests: they are in his favour and under his protection. of our Saviour's preaching, and that of his apostles. In the So shall the eternal Son of God sprinkle many nations, and poetical style of the East, the watchmen are represented as admit them into his presence in token of their purification, sttanding upon their watch-tower, or post of observation, and of his protection and favour. The kings of the earth and stretching their vision to the utmost point of the hori- shall no longer rebel against him; but " shall shut their zon, as if in eager expectation of the appearance of a news- mouths" to denote their submission and respect.-RoaERT?,e bearing messenger. On a sudden the wvished-for object When the company were ready to separate, a servant appears in sight, on the summit of the distant mountain, entered and sprinkled them profusely with rose-water, as a speeding his rapid way to the city, while the watchmen, valedictory mark of his master's regard. In some places, anticipating the tenor of his tidings, burst forth in a shout this was done at the beginning of the entertainment, and of gratulation and triumph. " Thy watchmen shall lift up was considered as a cordial welcome. Mr. Bruce informs the voice; with the voice together shall they sing." The us, that when he rose to take his leave of an eastern family, imagery strikingly represents the expectant attitude and he "was presently wet to the skin, by deluges of orangeheedful vigilance of the believing part of the teachers and flower water." " The first time," says Niebuhr, "we were pastors of the nation of Israel on the eve of the Messiah's received with all the eastern ceremonies, (it was at Romanifestation. The reason of the outbreak of their holy setta, at a Greek merchant's house,) there was one of our joy is immediately given: " For they shall see eye to eye, company who was excessively surprised, when a domestic when the Lord shall bring again Zion," i. e. they shall placed himself before him, and threw water over him, as have a clear and unclouded discernment of the actual exe — well on his face, as over his clothes." It appears from the cution of the divine purposes. As faithful watchmen, testimony of both these authors, that this is the customary intent upon their duty, and earnestly looking out for the mode of showing respect and kindness to a guest in the signs of promise, they shall be favoured with a clear, dis- East. The prophet Isaiah seems to refer to this custom, in tinct, luminous perception of the objects of their gaze, in a passage where he describes the character and functions which they shall be honourably distinguished from a class of the Messiah: " So shall he sprinkle many nations, the of watchmen spoken of by the same prophet, ch. lvi. 10, of kings shall shut their mouths at him."-PANxToN. whom it is said, " His watchmen are blind;" instead of CHAPTER LIII. seeing clearly, they see nothing. That this is the genuine force of the expression, " they shall see eye to eye," is to be Ver. 1. Who hath believed our report; and to inferred from the parallel usage, Num. xiv. 14, " For they wbhom is the arm of the LORu revealed? nave heard that thou, Lord, art among this people, that thou, Lird, art seen face to face," (Heb. eye to eye;) i. e. in the In these parts of- the world, the fashion is in a state of, )st open, evident manner. Of equivalent import are the almost daily fluctuation, and different fashions are not unrxpressions, Ex. xxx. 11, " And the Lord spake unto Mo- frequently seen contending.for the superiority; but in the sesface to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." Num. East, where the people are by no means given to change, xii. 8, " With him will I speak mouth, to nouth, even appa- the form of their garments continues nearly the same from rently, and not in dark speeches;" where the latter part of one age to another. The greater part of their clothes are the verse is exegetical of the former. We conclude, there- long and flowing, loosely cast about the body, consisting fore, that the words do not iti their primary and most legit- only of a large piece of cloth. in the cutting and sewing of imate sense imply a perfect unanimity of religious or which, very little art or industry is employed. They have 480 I S AI A H. CHAP. 53-5d, more dignity and gracefulness than ours, and are better and other valuable gems. The hangings and carpets were adapted to the burning climates of Asia. From the sim- of the richest manufacture: and the splendid edifice was plicity of their form, and their loose adaptation to the body, illumined with chandeliers of massive gold. "- How forcithe same clothes might be worn with equal ease and con- bly," says Forbes, "do these remind us of the truth and venience by many different persons. The clothes of those beauty of the meiaphorical language in the sacred page, Philistines whom:Samson slew at Ashkelon, required no promising sublime and spiritual joys, in allusion to these altering to fit his companions; nor the robe of Jonathan subjects in eastern palaces!"-PAXTON. to answer his friend., The arts of weaving and fulling seemed to have been distinct occupations in Israel, from a CHAPTER LV. very remote period, in consequence of the various and Ver. 12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led skilful operations which were necessary to-bring their stuffsr the mountains and the hills to a suitable degree of perfection; but when the weaver and the fuller had finished their part, the labour was shall break forth before you into singing, and nearly at an end; no distinct artisan was necessary to all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. make them into clothes; every family seems to have made 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the firtheir own. Sometimes, however, this part of the work was tree and instead of the brier shall come up the performed in the loom; for they had the art of weaving robes, with sleeves all of one piece: of this kind was the myrtle-tree: afid it shall be to the LORD for a coat which our Saviour wore during his abode with men. name, and for an everlasting sign, that shall These loose dresses, when the arm is lifted up, expose its not be cut off. whole length. To this circumstance the prophet Isaiah refers. " To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed"-un- Here we have another specimen of the fervid and splencovered-Who observes that he is about to exert the arm did imagery of eastern language. Some people affect to of his power?-PAXTON. despise the hyperboles, the parables, and high-toned alluVer. 7. He ~was oppressed, and he was afflicted; sions of such a style; but they ought to recollect they arise Ve. 7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; as much from the climate, the genius, and customs of the yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought people, as do our more plain and sober effusions from opas a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep be- posite circumstances. When the god Ramar was going to fore her shearers is dumb, so he opened not the desert, it was said to him, "The trees will watch for th. you; they will say, He is come, he is come; and the whiten flowers will clap their hands. The leaves, as they shake, This image was designed by the prophet to represent the will say, Come, come; and the thorny places will be meek, uncominplaining manner in which Christ stood before changed into gardens of flowers."-RoBERTS. his, judge, and submitted even to death for the salvation of CHAPTER LVI. mankind. Philo-Judaeus, a philosopher and a Jew, born and bred in Egypt, and well acquainted with their customs, Ver. 3. Neither let the son of the stranger, that has a passage, by which it appears that the figurative lan- hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, say guage of Isaiah was founded upon the practice of the east-. ern shepherds. " Woolly rains, laden with thick fleeces g, T he LORD h ath utterly separated me from in spring season, being ordered by their shepherd, stand his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, without moving, and silently stooping a little, put them- I am a dry tree. selves into his hand, to have their wool ihorn; being selves into his hand, to have their wool ihorn; being People without posterity, of both sexes, are called dry accustomed, as cities are, to pay their yearly tribute to muan, their king by nature." —BuRDER. trees; which, strictly speaking, means they are dead, having neither sap, nor leaves, nor fruit.-RosERTs. CHAPTER LIV. CHAPTER L~II. Ver. 2. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habit- Ver. 6. Among the smooth stoes of the stream tion: spare - not, lenrgthen thy cords, and is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to streng: spare -not, lethen thy stakes. them hast thou poured a drink-offering, thou hast offered a meat-offering. Should I receive In Africa, when we expected an increase of hearers, the comfort in these? gottentots moved the pins all round, a yard or a yard and a half, farther from the tent, towards which they stretched This refers to stones made smooth by oil poured on them, the canvass, and fastened it, which considerably increased as was frequently done by the heathen. Theophrastus has the room inside.-CAMPBELL. marked this as one strong feature in the character of the superstitious man: "Passing by the anointed stones in the Ver. 1l. 0 thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and streets, he takes out his vial of oil, and pours it on them; not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with and having fallen on his knees, and made his adorations, fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sap- he departs."-LowTH. phires. 12. And I will make thy windows of CHAPTER LVIII.'agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy Ver. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen a borders of pleasant stones. day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow This figurative way of speaking is in exact keeping with' down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackthe eastern notions of magnificence: thus the abodes of the cloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this gods, or distant kings, are described as having pillars of a fast and an acceptable day to the LORD rec~ coral; rooms made of crystal; ruby doors; thrones of the nine precious stones; walls of gold, surrounded by The eastern people spread mats or small carpets under emerald rivers. Such passages, therefore, are not to be them when they pray, and even suppose it unlawful to received lite ally, but as being indicative of great splendour pray on the bare ground; is it not natural to suppose the and unrivalled prosperity.-RoBERTS. Jews had something under them when they prayed, and that Many of the oriental buildings, however, have displayed this was a piece of sackcloth in times of peculiar humiliaunrivalled magnificence and splendour. The walls, col- tion When they wore sackcloth in the day, it is not ulmns, floors, and minarets of the mosques, were of the perhaps natural to suppose they slept in fine linen; but I choicest marble, granite, and porphyry, inlaid with agates should suppose some passages of scripture, which, in our and precious stones. The ornamental parts were of gold translation, speak of lying in sackcloth, are rather to be and slver, or consisted of the fnost elegant borders, with understood of lying prostrate before God on sackcloth, than festoons of fruit and flowers, in their natural colours, com- taking their repose on that coarse and harsh kind of stuff. posed entirely of agates, cornelians, turquoises, lapis-lazuli, The learned and exact Vitringa makes no remark or CHAP. 59. ISAIAH. this kind on that passage of Isaiah, ", Is it such a fast that I gardens in Africa where they could lead no water, up have chosen'? a day for a man to afflict his soul1? isit to bow them; the plants were all stunted, sickly, or others corndown his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth'and pletely gone, only the hole left where the faded plant had ashes under him'" He only quotes what is said of Ahab, been. The, sight was unpleasant, and caused gloom to I Kings xxi. 27, and the Jews in Shushan, Esther iv. 2, appear in every countenance: they weres pictures of desoas of a similar nature, and seems to understand this piece lation. But in other gardens, to which the owners could of humiliation before God of lodging on sackcloth. But, bring daily supplies of water from an everflowing fountain, surely, it must be much more natural to understand the causing it to traverse the garden, every plant had a green, solemnity of prostration on sackcloth before God, which healthy appearance, loaded with fruit, in different stages follows the mention of hanging down the head, used in towards maturity, with fragrart scent proceeding from beds kneeling, or in standing as suppliants before him, rather of lovely flowers; and all this produced.by the virtue God than of sleeping in sackcloth, the night before or the night hath put into the single article of water.-CAMPBELL. after the day of fasting. It seems to me, in like manner, to express the humiliation of Ahab with more energy, than as commonly understood: "And it came to pass, when Ver. 4. None calleth for justice, nor an?/y pleadAhab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put eth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak sackcloth tpon his flesh, and fasted, and prostrated himself they, and on sackcloth," &c. The like may be said of the lying of lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth the Jews in Shushan in sackcloth. iniquity. A passage in Josephus strongly confirms this, in which he See on Ps. 14. 29. describes the deep concern of the Jews for the danger of Herod Agrippa, after having been stricken suddenly with Ver. 5. They hatch cockatrices' eggs, and weave a violent disorder in the theatre of Cesarea. Upon the th spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs news of his danger," immediately the multitude, with their eb: he that eateth of their e wives and children, sitting upon sackcloth, according to dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out their country rites, prayed for the king: all places were into a viper. filled with wailing and lamentation: while the king, who lay in an upper room, beholding the people thus below fall- See on ch. 11. 8. in prostate on the round, could not himself refrain from The margin has, instead of cockat'rice, " or adders." So ing prostrat on the gr*frth of the poison is concerned, I believe tears." Antiq. lib. xix. cap. 8, ~ 2, p. 951. ere e see as the strength of the sitting. on sackcloth, resting on their haes, in prayer, there is scarely any difference betwixt the oviparous and ant falling prostrate at times on the sackcloth, was a the viviparous serpents. The eggs of the former are geneJewish observance in times of humiliation and distress.- rally deposited in heaps of stones, in old walls, or holes in -wHA oME a. dry places; and under some circumstances, (like those of the large lizard,) are soft and yielding to the touch. The plia.Ver. 9. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall bility of the shell MAY be the result of being newly laid, as I answer: thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here have seen some shells as hard as those of other eggs. It is said of the plans of a decidedly wicked and talented man, I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee " That wretch! he hatches serpents' eggs." "Beware of the the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and fellow, his eggs are nearly hatched." "Ah! my friend, speakning vanity, touch not that affair, meddle not4ivith that matter; there is a serpent in the shell." "Interfere not, interfere not, This chapter commences with, " Cry aloud, spare not, young serpents are coming forth." " I have been long ablift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people -their sent from my home, and on my return I thought that I transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." After should have much enjoyment, but on opening a basket to this, the people are severely reproved for their hypocrisy, procure some cakes, I found they were all serpents," mean" ye fast for strife and debate, and smite with the fist of ing, instead of pleasure, he had found pain on his return. wickedness;" and then they are exhorted to cease from I touch it! No, no; the last time I did so the shell broke., their oppressions, "to undo the heavy burdens, and to let and a young serpent gave me a bite, which has poisoned my the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke." It whole frame."-RoERT.s. appears they were tyrants under the garb of sanctity, and in contempt for the injured, they took delight in "putting Ver. 11. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore forth of the finger, and speaking vanity." See that boast- like doves: we look for judgment, but there is ing tyrant, when addressing his humbled antagonist, he non forbut t is far of from us. scowls and storms "like the raging sea," and then lifts up the fore-finger of the right hand to the height of his head, Inparturition those animals are said to make'a tremendous and moves it up and down, to show that punishment of a noise': hence people in poignant sorrow say, " We roar still higher nature shall be the award of the victim of his like bears.". Heard you not the widow's cry last night Q wrath.-RoBEn TS. the noise was like that of a she-bear." "What is the Ver. 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the -fellow roaring about? he is like a she-bear." —ROBERTS. hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then Ver. 15. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departshall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy dark- eth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the ness be as the noonday. LORD saw it, and it displeased him that the're,Has a person in reference to temporal circumstances been was no judgment. in great difficulty, has he been delivered, then is he com- In the preceding verses, the wickedness of the abandoned pared to a man in a dark place who suddenly finds a light, Jews is strongly portrayed; and when they began to conwhich enables him to walk with pleasure -and safety in fess their sins and repent, as in the ninth and fourteenth nis, appointed way. " True, true, I was in darkness, but verses inclusive, they were by some, as in the margin, " acth.e light has come; it shines around me; there is no counted mad," in consequence of their change of'views and shade." — ROQaRTS. conduct. It is an amusing fact, that when the heathen beVer. 11l. And the LORD shall gruide thee continu- come very attentive to the directions of their own religiony, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and male when they rigidly perform the prescribed austerities; ~~~~~~ally, and" siyhondotamkwhen they sell themselves to the gods, and appear like fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a w-atlered men of another world," they are " accounted mad" by their.garden, and like a spring of water, whose wa- neighbours. Qn the other hand, should a man begin to ters fail not. deride the national faith; should he never go near the temples, and laugh at idols and outward cerem nies, the people In a hot climate where showers seldom fall, except in what again exclaim, " The fellow is mad!" But, above all, should is called the rainy season, the difference between a well a person embrace Christianity, the general story is, the poor and ill watered garden is most striking. I remember some fellow has gone rhad. " Have you heard Supplyan-has be.. 61 ISAIAH. CHAP. 60, 61, come a Christian?"-" No; but I have heard he has be- dove-cots on the tops of the houses. The dove flies more come a madman."-ROBEaRTs. swiftly when she returns to the windows of these cots, than when she leaves them; because she hastens to revisit CHAPTER LX. her young which she had left, and to distribute among them Ver. 6. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the food which she had collected. A similar passage occurs in Hosea: "They shall tremble as a dove out of the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; allthey Egypt; and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold will place them in their houses, saith the Lord." They and incense; and they shall show forth the shall fly with trepidation; or, like a dove trembling for its young, or alarmed for its own safety, which puts forth its utmost speed. Phrases of this kind are not uncommon That species of camel called the dromedary, is chiefly in the sacred writings; thus, when Samuel came to Bethremarkable for its prodigious swiftness; the Arabs affirm- lehem the elders of the town trembled at his Ioming; that ing, that it will run over as much ground in one day, as is, they ran out with trepidation to meet hlin. A similar one of their best horses will perform in eight or ten. If phrase occurs in the third chapter of Hosea: "They shall this be true, the prophet had reason to call it the " swift fear to the Lord and his goodness;" that is, they shall run dromedary;" and the messengers of Esther acted wisely, with trepidation to the Lord and his goodness in the }atter in choosing this animal to carry their important despatches days. These verbs (ian-) harad and (';m) phahad, which to the distant provinces of that immense empire. Dr. Shaw are nearly synonymous, according to some Jewish writers had frequent opportunities, in his travels, of verifying the mean only to return with haste. Thus, Aben Ezra, on tSe wonderful accounts of the Arabs in relation to the swift- last quotation from the prophecies of Hosea: "'They shall ness of this creature. The sheik who conducted the party return with haste to the Lord and his goodness.-PxToN. to Mount Sinai, rode a camel of this kind, and would frequently divert them with a display of its abilities; he would Ver. 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open condepart from their caravan, reconnoitre another just in tinually: they shall not be shut day nor night; view, and return to them again in less than a quarter of an that ~men may bring unto thee the forces of the hour.-PAXTONx. 1 Gentiles, and thtat their kings may be brought. Ver. 7. All the flock-s of Kedar shall be gatherend ~Dr. Boothroyd says, " That they may bring to thee the together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall wealth of the nations." Of a wealthy man who is continuminister unto thee: they shall come up with ally adding to his stores, it is said, " His gates neither day acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the nor night, AKO-RAT-TIRAM, are closed."' Also it is said of a charitable king, " His gates are always open." So in those house of my glory. days of glorious accession to the church, " Her doors shall be open continually, and day and night shall the Genthlel Here we have unquestionably another metaphor, to illus- be open continually, and day and night shall the Gentile trate the prosperity and influence of the church among the be gathered into her pale."-RoBERTs. heathen. I thinki therefore, it is trifling with the text, to Ver. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee suppose it alludes to a literal possession of the " rams of shall come bendison o themt and all thee.Nebaioth," "the flocks Qf Kedar," or the "dromedaries of shall come bending unto thee; and all they Midian." I believe it refers to the people of those countries, that despised thee shall bow themselves down who are spoken of in the passage, under the names of the at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call animals for which their localities were most famous. This thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the mode of speech is perfectly oriental, and may often be heard in common conversation. Thus, for instance, the district Holy One of Israel. of Mulliteevo is famous for its numerous buffaloes; hence Come bending unto thee." Who in the East has not the people of that place, when they go to another town, are seeu the humble suppliant come BENiNG to ask forgiveness often, by way of pleasantry, called buffaloes. The district or to entreat a favourl ee him go sooping along, with of Poonareen abounds with the wild hog; and it excites a hi handsspread out, ti he come near his superior, and smile to call one of its inhabitants the panqdy, i. e. pig of then, as in the next words, he bows himself down at his Poonareen. The islands opposite North Ceylon are noted feet. —RoBERTs. for shells, and when the islanders come to the towns, it is asked, should a person wish to have a little merriment at CHAPTER LXI. their expense, " Why do these shells of the islands come Ver. 3. To appoint unto them that mourn in hither." Batticotta is celebrated for having numerous men Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes,the oil who are expert in digging tanks: hence all the people, as of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for circumstances may require, are humorously called OTTR,, i. e. diggers. I think, therefore, the figure is descriptive the spirit of heaviness: that they might by callof the glory of the church in the acquisition of the PEOPLE ed Trees of Righteousness, The Plantiag of of Midian, Ephah; of Sheba, of Kedar, and Nebaioth.- the LORD that he might he glorified. ROBERTS. Perfumed oils are very expensive, and are believed to Ver. 8. Who are these that fly as a cloud~ and possess MANY virtues. Except for medicinal purposes, they as the doves to their windows. are used only on joyous occasions. " My friend, why are you so dejected. the gods shall give you PARE-MALATIYALUTMI," In this passage, he beheld in vision the captive Israelites, i. e. precious or odoriferous ointment.-RoBERTS. liberated by the decree, and encouraged by the invitation of Cyrus, returning with the greatest alacrity to the land of Ver. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my their fathers; and exulting at the sight, he cries out with soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath aurprise and pleasure, " Who are these that fly as doves to clothed me with the garments of salvation, he their windows!" The prophet apparently supposes, that hath covered meith the robe of righteousness, in his time, buildings for the reception of doves were very common. And this isby no means improbable; for, when as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaMaundrell visited Palestine, dove-cots were numerous in ments, and as a bride adorneth hterself with her some parts of the country. In the neighbourhood of Is- jewels. pahan are many pigeon-houses built for the sole purpose of collecting pigeons' dung for manure. The extraordinary It would be considered unfortunate in the extreme fcr a flights of pigeons which alight upon one of those buildings, bride to be married without having on numerous jewels: furnish a good illustration of the prophet's vision. Their hence the poorest females, those who have not a farthing in great numbers and the compactness of their mass, literally the world, may be seen on such occasions literally covered look like a cloud at a distance, and obscure the sun in their with jewels. The plan is this:-the neig hbours and friends passage. In-some parts of Egypt are numerous whitened of the poor girl lend their ornaments ir order to make a CHAP. 62, 63. 1 SA I A H. 483 splendid show; and I have not known an instance (except Irwin, speaking of his passing through the deserts on the when lost) of their not being returned; which may be con- eastern side of the Nile, in his going firom Upper Egypt to sidered a remarkable fact among people who are not very Cairo, tells us, "that after leaving a certain valley which famed for honesty. But the bridegroom also has numerous he mentions, their road lay over level ground. As it would ear-rings, neck-rings, chains, breastplates, and finger-rings. be next to an impossibility to find the way over these stony I:' will greatly rejoice as a bridegroom." ".You flats, where the heavy foot of a camel leaves no impression, appear to be very happy, Chianan'."-" Indeed I am happy; the different bands of robbers, wild Arabs he means, who and it is like the joy of a kalle-ydnurm," i. e. marriage. frequent that desert, have heaped up stones at unequal dis-'Ah my heart has a wedding to-day," says the man who tances, for their direction through this desert. We-have is in great pleasure. " Have you heard of the joy of old derived great assistance from the robbers in this respect, Kandan V" " No, why; is he so happy." " Because his who are our guides when the marks either fail, or are,ndaughter has kdlnalmcre-polttl," i. e. literally, changed her legs; intelligible to us." After which he remarks, that if it be meaning, she has got married. " Happy man should I considered, that this road to Cairo is seldom trodden, it is have been if my-daughter had not changed her legs," says no wonder that those persons they had with them, as conthe father whose daughter has been unfortunately married. ductors, were frequently at a loss to determine their way -ROBERTS. through this desert. The learned know very'well, that CHAPTER LXII. there are many great deserts in various parts of the East, and in particular a great desert between Babylon and Judea; Ver. 4. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken: and as Judea was, in the time of the captivity, an abandoned neither shall thy land any more be termed country, at least as to a great part of it, and the road through Degolate: Lbut thou shalt be called IHephzibah, that desert might have been much neglected, is it not reasonable to suppose, that the piling up heaps of stones might and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth actually be of considerable importance, to facilitate the rein thee, and thy land shall be married, turn of Israel into their own country I And if not, is it not natural to suppose the difficulties in the way of their returns The margin has for Beulah, narried. A sovereign is might be represented by want of such wQrks? And conse.spoken of as being married to his dominions: they mutually quently, that that clause should be rendered, not gather out depend upon each other. When a king takes possessions the stones, but throw ye tup heaps of stones, that you may be from another, he is said to be married to them. Thus in directed in your march through the most difficult and danthat day shall God's people, and their inheritance, be mar- gerous places where you are to pass. It is certain the word ried to the Lord.-ROBERTS. Si. sakkeloo, that is used-here is, confessedly, in every other Ver. 5. For as a youn man marieth a place but one, Is. v. 2, used to signify the throwing stones Ver. 5. For as a younog man marrieth a virgin, at a person, after which they were wont to cover them with so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bride- a heap of them, as a memorial of what was done; see pargroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy ticularly the account of'the punishment of Achan, Josh. vii. God rejoice over thee. 25, 26; now it must appear somewhat strange, that the same word should signify gathering stones up in order to In general, no youth marries a WIDOW: such a thing I take them away, and also, on the contrary, to cover over a scarcely ever heard of, nor will it ever be, except under some person or a spot with them, thrown up on a heap. And extraordinary circumnstance, as in the case of a queen, especially when the stoning the ways, that is, pouring down princess, or great heiress. Even widowers also, if possible, heaps of stone, at proper distances, to direct travellers in always marry~ virgins.-Rono ERar. danger of mistaking their way, is so natural a thought in this passage; while we find few or no traces of the gather-, Ver. 6. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, 0 ing stones out of an eastern road, to make journeying more Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace pleasant to the traveller-HARmER. day nor night: ye that make mention of the CHAPTER LXIII. LORD, keep not silence. Ver. 1. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with The image in this place is taken from the temple service, died garments from Bozrah this that is gloriin which there was appointed a constant watch day and ous in his apparel, travelling in the greatnEss night by the Levites. Now the watches in the East, even - of his strength? I that speak in righteousne;:s, to this day, are performed by a loud cry from time to timed in by the watchmen, to mark the time, and that very frequently, and in order to show that they themselves are constantly thine apparel, and thy garments like him that attentive to their duty. "The watchmen in the camp of treadeth in the wine-fat? 3. I have trodden the caravans go their roufids, crying one after another, God the wine-press alone; and of the people, there is one, hi is merciful; and often add, take heed to yourwselves." wacs none with me: for I will tread them in (Tavernier.) The reader will observe in this extract howas none with me: for will tread them in mention is made of the name of God by the watchmen.- mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and -BURDER. their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all nay raiment. Ver. 10. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast The treading of grapes and olives is a custom to which up the highway: gather out the stones; lift up frequent reference is made by the inspired'writers. The a standard for the people. glorious Redeemer of the church appeared in a vision to the prophet, in the garb and mien of a mighty conqueror The situation of Babylon, on the river Euphrates, must returning in triumph from the field of battle, and drew have made causeways necessary to those that had occasion from him this admiring interrogation: " Who is this that to go thither or come from thence, as marks set up must cometh from Edom, with died garments from Bozrah? have been very requisite to those that had to pass through this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatthe deserts, that lay between Chaldea and Palestine: to both ness of his strength i" To which the Saviour answers: which conveniences Isaiah seems to refer, as well as to some "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." The other circumstances attending eastern travelling, in that prophet resumes: "Wherefore art thou red in thine appassage in which he prophetically describes the return of parel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wineIsrael from Babylon. The passage I mean is in.the close fat 3" And Jehovah Jesus replies: "I have trodden the of the 62d chapter: " Go through, go through the gates; wine-press alone; and of the people, there was none with prepare ye the way of the people, cast up, cast up the high- me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample way; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the peo- them in my fury', and their blood shall be sprinkled upon ple. Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed lnto the end of the my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." As the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salva- raiment of the treader was sprinkled with the blood of the tion cometh.".grapes, so were the garments of the Redeemer, w th ihe 484 I S A I A H. CIAP. 63-65 blood of his enemies, that were as effectually and easily he valued at more than five thousand crowns. The Arabi.crushed by his almighty power, as are the clusters of the ans, it seems, prefer the female to the male because it is vine when filly ripe, beneath'the feet of the treader. more gentle, silent, and able to endure fatigue, hunger, and rThe same figure is employed in the book of Revelation, to thirst; qualities in which, they have found from experience, express the decisive and fearful destruction which awaits the former excels the latter. The mare which the emir or the mroan of sin and his coadjutors, that refuse to turn prince of Carmel rode, had carried him three days and three from the error of their way: "And another anfel came nights together, without eating or drinking, and by this out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried means effectually saved him from the pursuit of his enewith a loud cry to him that had the sharp siclle, saying, mies. This account entirely removes the apparent mean. Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the ness of the prophetic representation, and imparts a livelivine of the earth, and cast it into the. great wine-press of ness and dignity to the description. At the moment when thle wrath of God.' And the wine-press was trodden with- Pharaoh and his army thought the people of Israel were out the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even completely in their power, shut in by the sea and the mountunto the horses' bridles, by the space of a thousand and ains, that they could not escape,-like the Arab horsemen, six hundred furlongs." The new wines in some places, they decamped, and through the sea marched into the desare always poured into casks that had been kept for ages, ert, whither their enemies were unable to follow. If the and after remaining on the old lees of former years, are Arabian horses are not.so sure-footed as the mule, which drawn off for use, which adds greatly to the quality of Dr. Shaw affirms, it will account for the next clause in the the wine. To this practice the words of the prophet evi- same verse: " As a horse in the wilderness, they should dently refer; " And in this mountain shall the Lord of not stumble." The departure of Israel from the land of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast Egypt was sudden, and their movements were rapid, like of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines those of an Arab, whom his enemy has surprised in his on the lees well refined."-PAXTON. camp:' yet no misfortune befell them in their retreat, as at The manner of'pressing grapes is as follows: having times overtalkes the swiftest and surest-footed horses. The placed them in a hogshead, a man with naked feet gets in next verse may be explained by the same custom:'" As a and treads the grapes: in about half an hour's time, the beast or herd'goeth down into the valley, so the Spirit,o! juice is forced out: he then turns the lowest grapes up- the Lord caused him to rest." The Arab, decamping at permost, and treads them for about a quarter of an hour the first alarm, marches off with his flocks and herds, his longer: this is sufficient to squeeze the good juice out of wife and children, into the burning deserts. This be does, them, for an additional pressure would even crush the not from choice, but for safety; and by consequence, how unripe grapes, and give the whole a disagreeable flavour.-.- proper and agreeable soever the hills may be for pasturage, BURDER. in times of alarm or danger, the deep sequestered valley must be far more desirable. The custom of the Arabs in Ver. 13. That led them through the deep, as a Barbary, stated by Dr. Shaw, finely illustrates this figure. horse in the wilderness, that they should not About the middle of the afternoon, his party began to look stumble? 14. As a beast goeth down into the out for the encampment of some Arabian horde, who, to prevent such numerous parties as his from living at free -valley, the Spirit of the LORD causeth him to charges upon them, take care to pitch in woods, valleys, or rest; so didst thou lead thy people, to make thy- places the least conspicuous. And he confesses, that if they self a, glorious name. had not discovered their flocks, the smoke of their tents, or heard the barking of their dogs, they had either not found The prophet Isaiah makes an allusion to the horse, the encampment at all, or with extreme difficulty.-PAXTON. which is apt, from the difference of our manners and feel- CHAPTER LXIV. nags, to leave an unfavourable impression upon the mind; it occurs in the sixty.third chapter, and runs in these terms: " That led them through the deep, as a horse in worketh righteousness: those that remember the wilderness, that they should not stumble. As a beast thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth: for goeth down into the valley, the Spirit-of the Lord caused we have sined: in those is continuance, and him to rest: so didst thou lead,thy people, to make thyself a glorious name." If these words be understood as merely we shall be saved. referring to the unobstructed course of a single horse in the plain, and the descent of a beast into the valley to repose,- regard he goes forth to meet him. Not to do so would the allusion, more especially considering the general beauty show a great deficiency in affction and etiquette-Ro and sublimity which characterize the style of Isaiah, seems ERTS. rather flat and mean; and this is the more surprising, when it is considered, that the prophet is here describing a CHAPTER LXV. scene by which the Lord acquired to himself a glorious Ver. 3. A people that provoketh me to anger conname, and which, by consequence, demanded no commoneth in gardens, strength or magnificence of thought. Nor does it appear and b frb what reason, in order to rest, a herd should descendse upon altars of bric into a valley; for the hills must be equally pleasing and See on ch. 1. 29. comfortable places of repose as the vales. We shall find it in the manners of the Arabian, to which the simile refers; Ver. 4. Which remain among the graves, and and a very little attention is necessary to convince a dis- lodge in the monuments; which eat swine's passionate inquirer, that the image is most lively and mag- flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their The original Hebrew term (m=) sines, in the singular The ortgtnal Hebrew term (Dni) son6s, in the singular vessels; 5. Which say, Stand by thyself, come znumber, denotes both a single horse, and a body of cavalry. not near to me; for I am holier than thou. Ift the same manner we use the word horse, to express a These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that single animal of that species, and at other times, the horse- burneth all the day. -men of an army. In the book of Exodus, sous denotes the horsemnen of Pharaoh's army who pursued after the tribes " Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou." of Israel. But if it denote the horse of an Egyptian army, Here we have another instance of the glaring wickedness i; may-, with equal propriety, denote the horse or cavalry of of the Jews, in their imitation of the heathen devote es, who' an Arabian tribe. Now, Arabian horses are remarkable resembled the Hindoo Yogees. Those men are so isolated fir the surprising swiftness with which they escape the hot- by their superstition and penances, that they hold but little tent pursuit of their enemies. In two hours after an alarm interco~ise with the rest of mankind. They wander about ig riven, the Arabs strike their tents, and with their fami- in the dark in the place of burning the dead, or "among iies, and their whole property, plunge into the deepest re- the graves;" there they affect to hold converse with evil casses of their sandy deserts, which the boldest and most and other spirits; and there they pretend to receive intiexasperated enemy dares not invade. ~ In the time of De la mations respecting he destinies of others. They will eat Roqucae, the great etnir of Mount Carmel had a mare which things which are religiously clean or unclean; they neither CHAP. 66. I S A A H. 485 wash their bodies, nor comb their hair, nor cut their nails, for an offering unto the LORD, out of all nanor wrear clothes. They are counted to be most haly, among tions, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litthe people, and are looked upon as beings of another world. ters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lop., Ver. 22. For as the days of the tree are the days as the hildren of Israel brng an of as the children of Israel bring an offering in a of my people. clean vessel into the house of the LORD. The people of the East have a particular desire for long The editor of the Ruins of Palmyra tells us, that the life; hence one of their best and most acceptable wishes is, caravan they formed, to go to that place, consisted of about "May you live a thousand years." "May you live as long two hundred persons, and about the same number of beasts as the aali-taee," i. e. the banyan or ficus indica. I never of carriage, which were an odd mixture of horses, camels,' saw a tree of that description dead, except when struck by mules, and asses; but there is no account of any vehicle lightning. And to cut one down would, in the estimation drawn on wheels in that expedition; nor do we find an acof a Hindoor be almost as treat a sin as the tafind of life. of a Hindoo, be almost as great a sin as the taking of life, count of such things in other eastern journeys. There are, I do not think this tree will die of itself, because it con- however, some vehicles among them used for the sick, or tinues to let fall its own supporters, and will march over for persons of high distinction So Pitts observes, in his acres of land if not interrupted. Under its gigantic branches for persons of high distinction. So Pitts observes, in his the beasts of the forests screen themselves from the heat of division some great gentleman or officer was carried in a the sun; and under its sacred shade may be seen the most thing like a horse-litter, borne by two camels, one before and another behind, which -was covered all over with searcloth, CHAPTER LXVI. and over that again with green broadcloth, and set forth er. 12. or thus saih the OD, Behold, I will very handsomely. If he had a wife attending him, she was carried in another. This is apparently a mark of distincextend peace to her like a river, and the glory tion. There is another eastern vehicle used in their jourof the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then neys, which Thevenot calls a coune. He tells us, the shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, cones are hampers, like cradles, carried upon camels' backs, one on each side, having a back, head, and sides, and be dandled upon her knees. 13. As one like the great chairs sick people sit in. A man rides in whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort each of these counes, and over them they lay a covering, you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. which keeps them both from the rain and sun, leaving, as it were, a window before and behind upon the camel's back. The native females of South Africa, when at home, The riding in these is also, according to Maillet, a mark of literally carry about their children on their' side, putting distinction; for, speaking of the pilgrimage to ]Mecca, he:one leg of the child behind, and the other before her, and says ladies of any figure have litters; others are carriedsitresting on the upper part of the hip. The child clings to ting in chairs, made like covered cages, hanging on both sides her side, and from the prolongation of her breasts, the of a camel; and as for ordinary women, they are mounted mother can conveniently suckle it, without moving it from on camels without such conveniences, after the manner of its place. When I saw this done, it had always a very the Arab women, and cover themselves from sight, and the affectionate appearance. WVhen they travel; or are fleeing heat of the sun, as well as they can, with their veils. These from an enemy, they carry their children on their back, are the vehicles which are in present use in the Levant. under their cloak, their heads only being visible. The fe-' Coaches, on'the other hand, Dr. Rjssel assures us, are not males in the South Sea Islands have the same custom. in use at Aleppo; nor do we meet with any account of their Whether that part of the passage has an allusion to a sim- commonly using them in any other part of the East: but ilar practice existing among Jewish females, I know not; one would imagine, that if ever such conveniences as but this I know, that on witnessing the African custom, I coaches had been in use, they would not have been laid thought of the above text, which refers to a peaceful and aside in countries where ease and elegance are so much prosperous period, when God should act in the kindest consulted. manner towards his ransomed people. To me, when I saw As the caravans of the returning Israelites are described it, it had the appearance of peace, security, and affection.- by the prophet, as composed, like Mr. Dawkin's to Palmyra, CAMPBELL. of horses and mules, and swift beasts; so are we to underVei. 17. They that sanctify themselves, and purify stand, I imagine, the other terms of the litters and counes,. Ve.. 17Thyhtssadpuny.rather than of coaches, which the margin mentions; or of themselves in the gardens, behind one tree in covered wagons, which some Dutch commentators suppose the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abonmina- one of the words may signify, unluckily transferring the tion, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, customs of their own country to the East; or of chariots, in saith the LORD. our common sense of the word. For though our translators have given us the word chariot, in many passages of scripNot only sacred groves in general, but the centres of ture, those wheel-vehicles which those writers speak of, and such groves in special, were, as the Abbe Banier has ob- which our version renders chariots, seem to have been mere served, made use of for temples by the first and most warlike machines; nor do we ever read of ladies riding in ancient heathens. Some one tree in the centre of each them. On the other hand, a word derived from the salne such grove was usually had in more eminent and special original is made use of for a seat any how moved, such as veneration, being made the penetrale or more sacred place, the mercy-seat, 1 Chron. xxxviii. 18, where our translators which, doubtless, they intended as the anti-symbol of the have used the word chariot, but which was no more of a tree of life, and of the knowledge of good and evil, in the chariot, in the common sense of the word. than a litter is; midst of the garden of Eden. To this strange abuse alludes it is made use of also for that sort of seat mentioned Lev. that prophetic censure of some, who sanctified and purified xv. 9, which they have rendered saddle, but which seems themselves with the waters of their sacred fountains and to mean a litter, or a coune. In these vehicles many of the rivers in the gardens or groves, behind one tree in the Israelites were to be conducted, according to the prophet, midst.-BURDER. not on the account of sickness, but to mark oiit the eminence of those Jews, and to express the great respect their Ver. 20. And they shall bring all your brethren conductors should have for them.-HRAIRMER. JEREMIAH. CHAPTER I. LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evi; Vetr. 11. Moreover, the word of the LORD came shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? land. And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree. To compensate in some measure for the scarcity of fue, 12. Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast the Orientals endeavour to consume as little as possible in well seen: for I will hasten my word to per- preparing their victuals. For this purpose they make a form it. hole in their dwellings, about a foot and a half deep, in which they put their earthen pots, with the meat in them, The almond-tree, so trequently mentioned in the sacred closed up, about the half above the middle; three fourth writings, was called by the Hebrews siAc&ad, from a verb parts they lay about with stones, and the fourth part is left which signifies to awake, or watch; because it is the first open, through which they fling in their dried dung, and tree which feels the genial influences of the sun, after the any other combustible substances they can procure, which withering rigours of winter. It flowers in the month of burn immediately, and produce so great a heat, that the pot Januarv, and in the warm southern latitudes brings its becomes as hot as if it stood ove. a strong fire of coals; so fruit to maturity in March. To the forwardness of the al- that they boil their meat with greater expedition and much mond, the Lord seems to refer in the vision with which he less fuel, than it can be done upon the hearth. The hole favour:ed his servant Jeremiah: " The word of the Lord in which the pot is set, has an aperture on one side, for the came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou. And I purpose of receiving the fuel, which seems to be what Jersaid, I see a rod of an almond-tree. Then said the Lord emiah calls the face of the pot: " I see," said the prophec, unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I will hasten my word "a pot, and the face thereof is towards the north;" intimato perform3 it;" or rather, "I am hastening, or watching ting that the fuel to heat it was to be brought from that quarover my word to fulfil it." In this manner it is rendered ter. This emblematical prediction was fulfilled when iNebby the Seventy, eyp-y opa eyo& esrt: and by the Vulgate, Vi- uchadnezzar, whose dominions lay to the north of Palestine, gilabo ego super vel:uwn mreum. This is the first vision led his armies against Jerusalem, and overturned the thrones with which the prophet was honoured; and his attention is of the house of David. —,PAXTON. roused by a very significant emblem of that severe correction with which the Most High was hastening to visit his CHAPTER II. people for their iniquity; and from the species of tree to Ver. 6. Neither said they, Where is the LORD which the rod belonged, he is warned of its near approach. that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, T he idea which the appearance of the almond rod suggested to his mind, is confirmed by the exposition of God him- that led us through the wilderness; through a self: "I am watching over, or on account of my word, to land of deserts, and of pits; through a land of fulfil it;"'and this double mode of instruction, first by em- drought, and of the shadow of death; through blem, and then by exposition, was certainly intended tod that no man passed throu make a deeper impression on the mind, both of Jeremiah and the people to whom he was sent. It is probable, that no man dwelt? the rods which the princes of Israel bore, were scions of the alnond-tree, at once the'ensign of their office, and the em- The account that Mr. Irwin has given of that part of this blem of their vigilance. Such, we know from the testimo- wilderness which lies on the western side of the Red Sea, ny of scripture, was the rod of Aaron; which renders it through the northern part of which Israel actually passed, exceedingly probable that the rods of the other chiefs were very much corresponds with this description, and may from the samne tree: " And Moses spake unto the children serve to illustrate i,. When it is described as a land with-:f Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod out water, we are not to suppose it is absolutely without apiece, for each prince, according to their fathers' houses, springs, but only that water is very scarce there. Irin twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods accordingly found it so. On the first day after his setting... and behold the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was out, having only travelled five miles, they filled thirty wabudded, and brough-t forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and ter-skins from the river Nile, but which he thought might yielded almonds." The ahlond rod of Aaron, in the opin- prove little enough fobr their wants, before they reached the ion of'Parkhurst, which was withered and dead, and bythe next watering-place They travelled, according to their umiraculous power of God made to bud and blossom, and computation, fifty-four miles farther, before they found, bring forth almonds, was a very proper emblem of him three days after, a spring, at which they could procure a who first arose from t.he grave; and as the light and freshsupply; andthiswas a newdiscoverytotheirguides, warmth of the vernal san seems first to affect the same and for which they were indebted to a very particular acsymbolical tree, it was with great propriety that the bowls cident. It was not till the following day, that they arrived of the golden candlestick were shaped like almonds. The at the valley where their guides expected to water their hoary head is beautifully compared by Solomon to the al- camels, and where accordingly they replenished the few mond-tree, covered in the earliest days of spring with its skins that were then empty: the spring was seventy-nine snow-white flowers, before a single leaf has budded: " The miles from the place from whence they set out. The next almnond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a spring of water which they met with was, according to their burden, and desire shall fail." Man has existed in this reckoning, one hundred and seventy-fotr miles distant world but a few days, when old age begins to appear; from'the last, an not met with till the seventh day after sheds its snows upon his head; prematurely nips his hopes and was, therefore, viewed with extreme pleasure. "At darkens his earthly prospects, and hurries him into the nine o'clock we came suddenly avePated among some broken ground. The sight of a spring of water was inexpressibly agreeable to our eyes, which V6r. 13. And the word of the LORD came unto had solongbeenstrangerstosorefreshingan object." The met thpe secondn time, sayingr What seest thou? next day they found another, which " gushed from a rock, Ad IX said, * see a seething-pot and' the face and threw itself with some violence into a basin, which it And I said, I see a seething-pot, and the face had hollowed for itself below. We had no occasion for a the.reof is towards the north. 14. Then the fresh supply; but could not help lingering a few minutes CHAP. 2. JEREMIAH. 487 to admire a sight, so pretty in itself, and so bewitching to thy chosen people. It was here thou didst manifest thy signa, our eyes, which had of late been strangers to bubbling protection, in snatching them from the jaws of destruction fo'unts and limpid streams." which opened upon every side." And in the next page, "At We rmust, here mention the smallness of the quantity of two o'clock we came suddenly upon a dreadful chasm in the water one of these four springs afforded, which Irwin met road, which appears to have been the effect of an earthquake. with in the desert, or at least the difficulty of watering-their It is about three hundred yards long, one hundred yards beas'ots at it. ";Ve lost," says this writer, " the greatest wide, and as many deep; and what is a curiosity, Ju the parl of the day at this spring. Though our skins were middle of the gulf, a single column of stone raises its head presently filled, the camels were yet to drink. As the to the surface of the earth. The rudeness ofthework, and camels could not go to the well, a hole was sunk in the the astonishing length of the stone, announce it to be a lusus earth below the surface of the spring, over which a skin naturae, though the robbers declared to us, that beneath the was spread, to retain the water which flowed into it. At column there lies a prodigious sum of money; and added, this but two camels could drink at a time; and it was six with a grave face, they have a tradition, that none but a hours before our camels, which amounted to forty-eight in Christian's hand can remove the stone to come at it. We all, were watered. Each camel, therefore, by this calcula- rounded the gulf, which was dalled Somah, and leaving it tion, takes a quarter of an hour to quench his enormous behind us, we entered a valley where we found a very thirst; and to water a common caravan of four hundred craggy road.".The first clause in this passage, th'ro, gh a (.amels, at such a place as this, would require two days and la-nd of deserts, is the most obscure and difficult to ascert:ain. two nights. A most unforeseen and inconceivable delay to Instead of trvelling in the night, as he had proposed, to an uninformed traveller!" If we are to give this part of avoid the burning heat of the sun, he says, " At seven o'clock the prophet's description of that wilderness a popular ex- we halted for the night. The Arabs tell us, that the roads planati( n, and not take it in the most rigorous sense, we are too rugged and dangerous to travel over in the dark." ought, undoubtedly, to put the same kind of construction Under the next day, " we reached the foot of a prodigious on the two last clauses of it. A land that no man passed high mountain, which we cannot ascend in the dark." The th'ron1gA, and where no man dwelt: a land, that is not usually following day he tells us, " by six o'clock we had accoutred passed, and where hardly any man dwelt. So Irwin de- our camels, and leading them in our hands, began to ascend scribes the desert of Thebais as " unknown even to the in- the mountain on foot; as we mounted the steep, —we frehabitants of the country; and which, except in the instances quently blessed ourselves that we were not riding, as the I have recited, has not been traversed for this century past path was so narrow, the least false step must have sent the by any but the outcasts of humankind." Such a wilder- beast down the bordering precipice." Under another day ness might very well be said not to be passed through, he remarks, that the greatest part of that day's journey was when only two or three companies travelled in it in the "over a succession of hills and dales, where the road was compass of a hundred years, and that on account of extreme so intricate and broken, that nothing but a camel could get danger, at that particular time. attending the common route. over it. The appearance of the road is so frightful in many I-e actually calls it, "a road seldom or never trodden." As places, that we do not wonder why our people have hithto its being inhabited, Irwin travelled, by his estimation, erto laid by in the night." (Harmer.) above 300 miles in this desert, from Ghinnah to the towns ",After we had passed the salt desert, we came to the on the Nile, without meeting with a single town, village, or Malek-el-moat-dereh, or the valley of the angel of death. house. They were even extremely alarmed at seeing the This extraordinary appellation, and the peculiar nature of fresh tracks of a camel's feet, which made a strong impres- the whole of this tract of land, broken into deep ravines, sion on a soft soil, and which the Arabs with them thought without water, of a dreariness without example, will, perwere not more than a day old; and they could not compre- haps, be found forcibly to illustrate Jer. ii. 6." (Morier.)hend what business could bring any but Arab freebooters BURDER. into thatwaste. When the prophet describes this wilderness, according Ver. 13. For my people have committed two to our version, as the land of the shadow of death, his evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of meaning has been differently understood by different peo- living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, ple. Some have supposed it to mean a place where there broken cisterns that can hold no water were no comforts or conveniences of'life; but this seems too general, and to explain it as a particular and distinct In eastern language, " iving water" signifies springing member of the description, pointing out some quality dif- water, that which bubbles up. The people had forsaken Jeferent from the other circumstances mentioned by Jeremiah, hovah, the never-failing spring, for the small quantity which seems to be a more just, as it is undoubtedly a more lively could be contained in a cistern; nay, in broken cisterns, way of interpreting the prophet. Others have accordingly which would let out the water as fast as they received it. understood this clause as signifying, it was the habitation of When people forsake a good situation for that which is bad, venomous serpents, or destroying beasts; some as endanger- it is said, " Yes; the stork which lived on the borders of the ing those that passed through it, as being surrounded by the lake, where there was a never-failing supply of water, and hostile tribes of Arabs; some as being overshadowed by constant food, has gone to dwell on the brink of a well," i. e. trees of a deleterious quality. They might better have in- where there is no fish, and where the water cannot be had.troduced the whirlwinds of those southern deserts than the ROBERTS.' last particular, which winds, taking up the sand in great quantities, darken the air, and prove fatal to the traveller. Ve. 18. And nov, what hast thou to do in the way This last would be giving great beauty and energy to the of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or expression, (the shadow of death,) since these clouds of what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to dust, literally speaking, overshadow those that have theters of the river misfortune to be then passing through those deserts, and must at the same time give men the utmost terror of being The Euphrates is always muddy, and the water, conseoverwhelmed by them, and not unfrequently do in fact quently, not good to drink, unless it has stood an hour or prove deadly. two in earthen vessels, for the sand and impurities to settle, Another clause, a land of pits, is also a part of the pro- which at times lie half a finger thick at the bottom of the phet's description. Irwin affords a good comment on this vessel. Hence it was not without reason that the Lord part of our translation: in one place he says, " The path said to the Israelites, by the prophet Jeremiah, "'What hast winded round the side of the mountain, and to our left, a thou'o do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the horrid chasm, some hundred fathoms deep, presented itself riser." (Euphrates.) For this reason we find in the houses to cur view. It is surprising no accident befell the loaded of the city and villages, particularly those lying on the camels." In another, " On each side of us were perpen- Great River, many large earthen vessels holding a pailful Tlicular steeps some hundred fathoms deep. On every part or two, which they fill from the Euphrates, and do not use is such a wild confusion of hanging precipices, disjointed till the impurities have settled at the bottom, unless they rocks, and hideous chasms, that we might well cry out with are very thirsty, and then they drink through their pocketthe poet,'Chaos is come again.' Omnipotent Father! to handkerchiefs." (Rauwolf.)-RosENMIULLER. thee we trust for our deliverance from the perils that surCound us. It was thronghl this wilderness that thon didst lead Ver. 25. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, 488 JERE MIAH. C A rP. 2-4. and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, | legs, and is thatched with leaves. The whole affair is so There is no hope: no; for I have loved strati- light, that it can be removed in its COMPLETE state to any other part, by two men; or be taken to pieces in a few gers, and after them wvill I go. minutes, and removed and put together, by ONE man. The See on Ruth 4. 7. frail fabric illustrates the " lodge in a garden of cucumbers." -ROtERTS. Ver. 37. Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and Ver. 30. And when thou art spoiled, what wfit thy hands upon thy head: for the LORD hath thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not crimson, though thou deckest thee with nfnaments of gold, though thou rendest thy face See on Matt. 11. 21. with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself Impenitent Jerusalem was to' be punished for revolting fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will against God; and, as a token of her misery, she was to go seek thy life. forth with her "HANDS ON HER HEAD." Tamar "laid her hand on her head," as a sign of her degradation and sor- The Hebrew has, instead of face, " eyes." This is a row. When people are in great distress, they put their minute description of an eastern courtesan. In Ezekiel hands on their head, the fingers being clasped on the top of xxiii. 40, similar language is used: " For whom thou didst the crown. Should a f man who is plunged into wretched- wash thyself, paintedst thine eyes, and deckedst thyself with ness meet a friend, he immediately puts his hands on his ornaments, and satest upon a stately bed." Jezebel also head, to illustrate his circumstances. When a person hears " painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a of the death of a relation or friend, he forthwith clasps his window." She was the patroness of a most impure system, hands on his head. When boys have been punished at and the term "whoredoms," as applied to her, may be school, they run home with their hands on the same place. safely used in the most obvious sense. The females a!luParents are much displeased and alarmed, when they see ded to adorn themselves with those ornaments which have their children with their hands in that position; because been described in the 3d chapter of Isaiah; and having they look upon it not merely as a sign of grief, but as an bathed, they rub their bodies with saffron, to make thememblem of bad fortune. Thus of those who had trusted in selves fair; and then put on their CRIMSON robes. One Egypt and Assyria, it was said, " Thou shalt be ashamed" kind of paint with which they teint their eyelids is made of of them: and they were to go forth with their hands on a nut called kaduki, which is first burned to a powder, then their head, in token of their degradation and misery.- mixed with castor-oil; after which it is set on fire, and that ROBERTS. which drops from it is the paint referred to. Another kind CHAPTER III. is made of the juice of limes, indigo, and saffron. In these Ver. 2. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, allusions we see again the hateful and loathsome state of and see where thou hast not been lain with: in Jerusalem.-RoErs. Several authors, and Lady M. W. Montague in particuthe ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian lar, have taken notice of the custom that has obtained from in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the'time immemorial among the eastern women, of tinging the land with thy whoredors, and with thy wick- eyes with a powder, which, at a distance, or bycandle-light. edness. adds very much to the blackness of them. The ancients call the mineral substance, with which this was done, Every one knows the general intention of the prophet, stibium, that is, antimony; but Dr. Shaw tells us, it is a rich out Chardin has given so strong and lively a description of lead ore, which, according to the description of naturalists. ihe eagerness that attends their looking out for prey, that I looks very much like antimony. Those that are unacam lpersuaded my readers will be pleased -wLith it.'i Thus quainted with that substance may form a tolerable idea of the Arabs wait for caravans with the most violent avidity, it, by being told it is not very unlike the black-lead of which looking about them on all sides, raising themselves up on pencils are made, that are in everybody's hands. Pietro their horses, running here and there to see if they cannot Della Valle, giving a description of his wife an ssyrian perceive any smoke, or dust, or tracks on the ground, orn in Mesopotamia, and educated at Ba clad, m any other marks of people passing along."-HARMER. he married in that country, says, " her eyelashes, which are long, and, according to the custom of the East, dressed CHAPTER IV. with stibium, as we often read in the holy scriptures of the 1 Hebrew women of old, and in Xenophon, of Astyages, the Vey. 13. DBehold, blee shall come up as clouds, and grandfather of Cyrus, and of the Medes of that time, give his chariots shall be as a wvhirlxvind: his horses a dark and' at the same time majestic shade to the eyes." are swifter than eagles. Wo unto us! for we "Great eyes," says Sandys, speaking of the Turkish women, are spoiled. - "they have in principal repute; and of those the blacker they be the more amiable; insomuch that they put between See on Isa. 66. 20. the eyelids and the eye a certain black powder, with a fine long pencil, made of a mineral brought from the kingdom Ver. 17. As keepers of a field are they against of Fez, and called alchole, which by the not disagreeable her round about; because she hath been re- staining of the lids doth better set forth the whiteness of the bellious against ume, saith the LORD. eye; and though it be troublesome for a time, yet it comforteth the sight, and repelleth ill humours." Dr. Shaw In Arabia, and probably in other parts of the East, in- furnishes us with the following remarks on this subject. stead of a solitary watchman in the middle of the plantation, "But none of these ladies take themselves-to be completely they place guards at certain distances round the whole field, dressed, till they have tinged the hair and edges of their increasing or diminishing their numbers according to the evelids with the powder of lead-ore. Novow as this operasupposed danger. This custom furnishes a clear and easy tion is performed by dipping first into the powder a small explanation of a passage in the prophecies of Jeremiah, wooden bodkin of the thickness of a quill, and then drawwhere he solemnly warns his people of their approaching ing it afterward through the eyelids, over the bail of the cal]arities: " As keepers of a field, are they against her eye, we shall have a lively image of what the prophet (Jer. round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, iv. 30) may be supposed to mean by resdinrg lhe eyes with saith the Lord."-PAXTON. painting. The sooty colour, which is in this manner comFields in the East have not fences to keep off cattle and municated to the eyes, is thought to add a wonderful grace-:ather marauders, but only low embankments; hence, were fulness to persons of all complexions. The practice of it, there not keepers, they would be exposed to all kinds of no doubt, is of great antiquity; for besides the instance depredations. These men wander about the ridges, or already taken notice of. we find that when Jezebel is said spend their time in platting baskets or pouches for areca-nuts (2 Kings ix. 30,) to have painted her face, the original words anil betel l]af; or tend a few sheep. At night they sleep are, she adjlusted her eyes with the powdemr of lead-ore." — imu a smlall stall, about six feet by four, which stands on four BulRDER. CHAP. 5, 6. JEREMIAH. 4~ CHAPTER V. The sarme term is used in the East to denote a similar Ver. 6. ~Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall thing. It is said,' Listen to that evil man, he is always slay them, ad a wolf of the evenins shall neighing." "O that wicked one, he is like the horse in his slaythem, and a wolf of the evenings shall phrensy." " The men of that family are all neighers." spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their Heathenism is ever true to itself; impurity is its inseparable cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be companion. —RoBERT. torn in pieces; because their transgressions are CHAPTER VI. many, and their backsliding(s are increased. Ver. 1. 0 ye children of Benjamin, gather yourThe lion prowls about in the day, which I have often selves to flee out e midst of J witnessed in Africa; but the habits of the wolf are differ- blow the trumpet in Tekoa and set up a sign ent, as it seldom makes its appearance before sunset, after blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign which it comes' forth, like other thieves of the night, in of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out search of prey. I never, when moving about in Africa, of the north; and great destruction, saw more than one wolf stalking about in daylight, and tiat was in a most forsaken part, where, to a great extent, the The methods by which the besieged in time of war enland was absolutely paved with flag-stones, the same as the deavoured to defend themselves and their families were side pavements in our streets; but when night came, they various. When the enemy approached, they gave notice were constantly howling and'hovering around our encamp- to their confederates to hasten their assistance. In the day, ment. The habit of the leopard, also, is to be slumbering this was done by raising a great smoke; in the night, by in concealment during the day; but the darkness rouses fires or lighted torches. If the flaming torch was intended him, and he comes forth sdeking what he may devour. It to announce the arrival of friends, it was held still; but on is of the tiger species, and rather smaller. The wolves and the approach of an enemy, it was waved backwards and leopards should have the boldness to prowl about their cities, forwards, an apt emblem of the destructive tumults of war. as the wild beasts did about our wagons in the wilderness, In allusion to this practice, the prophet Jeremiah calls to the so that it should be most hazardous for man or beast to ven- people of Benjamin and Judah; "' Gather yourselves to flee ture outside their walls.-CAMPBELL. out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in The rapacious character of the wolf was familiarly Tekoah, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem; for known to the ancients, for both the Greek and Latin poets evil approaches out of the north, and great destruction."frequently mention it. In the first book of the Georgics, PAXTON. Virgil says, this office was given to the wolf by Jupiter, to In Beth-haccerem there might possibly be a very high hunt the prey. The rapacious wolf is a phrase which often tower. Kimchi observes that the word signifies a high occurs in the odes of Horace; and Ovid, in one of his tower, for the keepers of the vines to watch in. If it were Elegies, sings, how the wolf, rapacious and greedy of blood, so, it was a very proper place to set up the sign of fire in, when pressed by famine, plunders the unguarded fold: his to give notice to all the surrounding country. It was usual ravenous temper prompts him to destructive and sanguin- with the Persians, Grecians, and Romans, to signify in the ary depredations. He issues forth in the night, traverses night by signs of fire, and by burning torches, either the the country, and not only kills what is sufficient to satisfy approach of an enemy, or succour from friends. The forhis hunger, but, everywhere, unless deterred by the bark- mer was done by shaking and moving their torches; the ing of dogs or the vociferation of the shepherds, destroys a latter by holding them still. —BURDER. whole flock; he roams about the cottages, kills all the animals which have been left without, digs the earth underthe Ver. 2. I have likened the.daughter of Zion to a doors, enters with a dreadful ferocity, and puts every living creature to death, before he chooses to depart, and carry off his prey. When these inroads happen lo be fruitless, he A passage of D'Arvieux will account for that surprise, returns to the woods, searches about with avidity, follows which he supposes the daughters of Jerusalem would notthe track of wild beasts, and pursues them in the hope that withstanding feel, upon seeing the swarthiness of the perthey may be stopped and seized by some other wolf, and son which Solomon had chosen for his spouse, as it shows that he may be a partaker of the spoil. " To appease hun- the attention usually paid by the great men of the East to ger," says Buffon, "he swallows indiscriminately every the complexion of their wives, as well as the great tanning thing he can find, corrupted flesh, bones, hair, skins half power of the sun in Palestine. " The princesses, and the tanned and covered with lime;" and Pliny avers, that he other Arab ladies, whom they showed me from a private devours the earth on which he treads, to satisfy his vora- place of the tent, appeared to me beautiful and well-shaped; cious appetite. When his hunger is extreme, he loses the one may judge by these, and by what they told me of them, idea of'fear; he attacks women and children, and even that the rest-are no less so; they are very fair, because they sometimes darts upon men; till, becoming perfectly furious are always kept from the sun. The women in common by excessive exertions, he generally falls a sacrifice to pure are extremely' sunburnt, besides the brown and swarthy rage and distraction. He has been accordingly joined with colour which they naturally have," &c.. Naturally, he says, the lion in executing punishment upon wicked men; and though this most permanent swarthiness must arise from it is evident from his character and habits, that he is well the same cause with that temporary tanning he speaks of, adapted to the work of judgment:' The great men," said or otherwise the Arab princesses would have been swarthy, Jeremiah,'"have alto-ether broken the yoke, and burst the though not sunburnt, being natives of the country, which bonds; wherefofe a lieu out of the forest shall slay them, yet, he affirms, they were not. and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them." The rapa- It is on this account, without doubt, that the prophet cious and cruel conduct of the princes of Israel, is compared Jeremiah, when he would describe a comely woman, deby Ezekiel to the mischievous inroads of the same animal: scribes her by the character of one that dwelleth at home. "Her princes in the midst thereof, are like wolves ravening. The delicate, and those that are sdlicitous to preserve their the prey, to shed blood, to destroy souls, to get dishonest beauty, go very little abroad: it seems it was so anciently, gain." The disposition of the wolf to attack the weaker and therefore the prophet uses a term to express a woman animals, especially those which are under the protection of of beauty, which would n(t be very applicable to many man, is-alluded to by our Lord in the parable of the hire- British fine ladies.-HARMER. ling shepherd: " The wolf catches them and scatters the flock;" and the apostle Paul, in fii address to the elders of Ver. 20. To what purpose cometh thereto me inEphesus, gives the name of this insidious and cruel' animal, c to the false teachers who disturbed the peace, and perverted cease from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a the faith of their people: " I know this, that after my de- far country? your burnt-offerings are not acparting,, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not ceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. sparing the flock." Ovid gives him the same character in his fable of Lvcaon. —PxToN. The sweet-smelling reed grows in the deserts of Arabia. It is gathered near Jambo, a port town of Arabia Petrea, Ver. 8. They were as fed horses in the morning: from whence it is brought into Egypt. Pliny says it is every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. common to India and Syria, This plant was probably AQ2 490' JEREMIAH. CHAP. 6 —8. among the number of those which the queen of Sheba interpreters is unfounded. It is more natural to suppose, presented to Solomon; and what seems to confirm the that the prophet alludes to the impression which the atmoopinion is, that it is still very much esteemed by the Arabs sphere makes upon these birds, and the hint which instinct on account of its fragrance. immediately suggests, that the time of their migration is It is likely the sweet cane of Jeremiah, who calls it come. As soon as they feel the cold season approaching, prime, or excellent, and associates it with incense from or tepid airs beginning to soften the rigours of winter, in Sheba. " To what purpose cometh there to me incense the open firmament of heaven, where they love to range, from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country." they perceive the necessity of making preparations for And, in allusion to the same plant, Isaiah complains in the their departure, or their return. The state of the weather name of Jehovah, " Thou hast bought me no sweet cane is the only monitor they need to prepare for their journey, with money." In the book of Exodus, it is called "sweet -their own feelings, the only guides to direct their long calamus," and is said to come " from a far country;" which and adventurous wanderings. agrees with the declaration of ancient writers, that the best But it is most probable that the prophet by these words, is brought from Inidia.-PAXTON. "in the heaven," which by the structure of the clause he seems to apply exclusively to the stork, as a peculiar trait Ver. 24. We have heard the fame thereof; our in her character, intends to express bothl the astonishing hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of rapidity of her flight, when she starts for distant regions, us ad pain as of a oman in tavail. and the amazing height to which she soars. She is beyond almost any other, a bird " in the heaven," journeying on VWhen a person is hupng~ry, or weary, or when he hears the very margin of ether, far above the range of the hubad news, it is said, "His hands have become weak." man eye. "H E wis hands have turned cold."-ROBERTS. From the union of the stork and the crane in the same passage, from the similarity of their form and habits of CHAPTER VII. life, Harmer thinks it by no means improbable, that the Hebrew word hasida signifies both these, and, in one word, Ver. 34. Then will I cause to cease from the the whole class of birds that come under the prophet's decities of Judah, and from the streets of. Jerusa- scription. But that respectable writer has no foundation lem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of glad- for his opinion-; the stork and the crane, although they ness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice resemble each other in several particulars, belong to different families, and are distinguished in Hebrew by diffeof the bride; for the land shall be desolate. rent names. The return of these birds to the south, marked the It was the custom in the East, even in modern times, to approach of winter, and the time for the mariner to lay up conduct the bride and bridegroom through the streets, with his'frail bark; for the ancients never ventured to sea durthei loudest demonstrations of joy. Rauwolf found this ing that stormy season. Stillingfleet has given a quotation custom also prevalent in Aleppo. " When a Turkish from Aristophanes, which is quite appropriate. The crane woman is going to be married, and the bridegroom is con- points out the time- for sowing, when she flies with het iucted to her house, their relations and friends, who are warning notes to Egypt; she bids the sailor hang up his invited to the wedding, as they go along through the streets rudder and take his rest, and every prudent man provide cry with such a loud voice, which they gradually raise as himself with winter garments. On the other hand, the they advance, that they can be heard from one street to the flight of these birds towards the north, proclaimed the ap. other.",When the prophet paints a period of public distress, proach of spring. The prophet accordingly mentions the he says among other things, "The voice of the bride and the times appointed for the stork in the plural number, which bridegroom shall no longer be heard." Thus, in Persia, is probably used to express both the time of her coming and no marriages are celebrated during Lent, (the month of of her departure. Ramadan,) and the solemnities of mourning in memory of No doubt is entertained about the meaning of the second Hossein; because every thing must then be still and mourn- term; it is universally allowed to denote the turtle:; and as ful. (Olearius.)-RosENMUiLLER. the voice of the turtle and the song of the nightingale are coincident, it seems to be the prophet's intention to mark CHAPTER VIII. out the coming of a bird later in the spring than the hacsida, Ver. 7. Yea, the stork in the heaven klnoweth for, according to Chardin, the nightingale begins to be her appointed times; and the turtle, and the heard some days later than the appearance of the stork, and marks out the beginning of spring, as the stork indicates crane, and the swallow, observe the time of the termination of winter. —PAx TON. their comrnin: but my people know not the Should a husband be fond of roving from his house, and judgment of the LORD. remaining in other places, his wife says, " The storks know their time and place, but my husband does not know." See on Ps. 104. 17. " In the rain neither the Koku nor other birds will depart Some interpreters imagine, that by the phrase, "the from theirnestlings: butmy husband is always leaving us." stork in the heaven," the prophet means to distinguish be- "Ah! my w7icked son! would that he, as the stork, knew tween the manner of her departure, and that of other his appointed time and place!" —RoBERT.s. migrating birds. The storks collect in immense numbers, and darken the air with their wide-extended squadrons, as Ver. 17. For behold, I will send serpents, cockathey wing their flight to other climes; while many other trices, among you, which wvill not be charmed, birds of passage come and. go in a more private and con- and they shall bite you, saith the LoRD. cealed manner. But, if this was the prophet's design, he ought not to have introduced the crane, or our translators See on Ecc]. 10. 1i. Ps. 58. 5, 6. and Is. 11. S. should have found another sense for the term which he The East Indian jugglers ascribe it to the power of a uses; for the crane is seen pursuing her annual journey certain root that they touch venomous serpents without through the heavens equally as the stork, and in numbers danger, and are able to do with them whatever they please. sufficient to eiigagethe public attention. When Dr. Chandler This is confirmed by one of the best-informed and most was in Asia, about the end of August, he saw cranes flying judicious observers, Mr. Kaempfer, a German physician, in vast caravans, passing high in the air, from Thrace as who practised his profession from the year 1682, for twelve lie supposed, on their way to Egypt. But, in the end of years, in several countries in Asia. In his instructive March, he saw them in the -Lesser Asia, busily engaged work, written in Latin, in which he has recorded the greatin picking up reptiles, or building their nests. Some of er part of his observations, a separate chapter is dedicated them, he assures us, built their nests in the ruins of an old to the arts of the East India charmers of serpents, the subfortress; and that the return of the crane, -and the begin- stance of which we will add here. ning of the bees to work, are considered there as a sure "Among the arts of the Indian jugglers and mounte. sign that the winter is past. banks, the most remarkable is, that they matie one of the The first clause of that verse then, equally suits-the stork most venomous serpents, the Na ja, called by the Portuguese and the crane; and by consequence, the conjecture of these Cobra de Cabello, dance. This serpent, so dangerous to JHAP. 9. JEREMIAH. 491 man, infuses, by its bite, a most deadly poison into the dered harmless by emplo ying the poison-bags at the root of wound. Those whoa are bit by it are immediately seized the canine teeth of the upper jaw, which is done by provokwith fits and oppression, and expire in convulsions, unless ing them, and making them bite a cloth, or some other soft,speedy assistance is given; at'least they hardly escape and warm body, and repeating this for some days succes-'mortification, in the injured part, and the cure of which is sively."-BURDER. difficult, if antidotes are applied too late. This serpent, which belongs to the class of vipers, is from three to four Ver. 20. The harvest is past, the summer is endfieet long, and of a middling thickness; its skin is scaly, ed and we are not saved. and beautifully striped, rough, dark brown, and belly white. When provoked, this viper has the peculiar prop- Has a man lost a good situation, it is said, " His harvest erty of puffing up the skin on both sides of the neclr, and is past." Is a person amassing much money, it is said, e itending it like a fillet, which, on the reverse side, shows "He is gathering in his harvest."-RoBERTs. litre a pair of spectacles, distinctly marked with a white colour, the circles of which are visible in the skin, which CHAPTER IX. is spread round the head: thus, with its body raised, and Ver. 1. Oh that my head were waters, and mine extended jaws, displaying two rows of sharp teeth, it dartsy upon the enemy with surprising swif'tness. That this formidable animal should be brought, by singing, to make, night for the slain of the daughter of my before spectators, movements resembling a dance. is incred- people! ible to those who hear it, and an agreeable and astonishing T sight to those that witness it. But if we examine this ser- manal reading intimates the head as exhausted, pent dance more closely, and learn how these animals are the fountain was dry. People in prospect of great misery, taught, we shall find every thing very natural: I will first aslr," Have we waters in our heads for that grief?" "That describe the dance, as it is called. my sorrows may not dry up, these eyes are always weep" A charmer of serpents, who intends to display his art, ing."-ROBERTS. before lie does any thing, takes a piece of a certain root, of Ver. 2. Oh that I had in the which he always carries some in the scarf which he wears Xer. 2. Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodground his waist, in his right hand, which he closes firmllyl; ing-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave this root, according to his declaration, defends him against my people, and go from them! for they be all all attacks from serpents, so that he can do any thing with adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. them without being endangered: upon this, he throws the serpent upon the ground out of the vessel in which he car- People in the East, on their journeys to other towns or ries it about, and gently irritates it with a stick, or with the countries, are obliged to travel through the most lonely clinched fist in which he holds this root. The provoked wilds. Hence the native sovereigns, or opulent men, erect animal, restin- on the point of its tail, raises up its whole what are called rest-houses, or choultries, where the travbody, and darts upon the fist, which he holds out to him, ellers or pilgrim.s reside for the night. It is in the wilder-,with extended jaws, from which the hissing tongue is pro- ness where the devotees and ascetics live retired from truded, and with flaming eyes. The charmer now begins men: there, either for life, or for a short period, they perhis son,, at the same time moving his fist backward and form their austerities, and live in cynical contempt of man. forward, up and down, according to the time. The ser- When a father is angry with his family, he often exclaims, pent, with its eyes constantly directed towards the fist, " If I had but a shade in the wilderness, then should I be imitates its movements with its head and whole body, so happy: I will become a pilgrim, and leave you." Nor is that without quitting its place, and resting on its tail, it ex- this mere empty declamation to alarm his family; for numtends its head two spans long, and moves to and fro, to- bers in every town and village thus leave their homes, and gether with the body, in beautiful undulations, which is are never heard of more. There are, however, many who called dancing: this, however, does not last longer than remain absent for a few months or years, and then return.`half a quarter of an hour; for, exhausted by the erect posi- Under these circumstances, it is no wonder, when a father tion, and movements to the time, the serpent throws itself or husband threatens his family he will retire to the kat%, upon the ground and escapes: to avoid this, the charmer i. e. wilderness, that they become greatly alarmed. But breaks off his song a little before, when the serpent lays men who have been reduced in their circumstances become itself quietly upon the ground, and suffers itself to be brought so mortified, that they also retire from their homes, and back to its receptacle. wander about all their future lives as pilgrims. " Alas! " The question now is, how it is effected, that the serpent alas! I will retire to the jungle, and live with wild beasts," follows the motion of' the hand which is held before it? says the broken-hearted:'idow. whether by, the secret power of the root held in it? or by "oh foi a todge in some vast wilderness, the song of the charmer? These people, indeed, affirm Some boundless contiguity of shade." (Cowper.) —RoBERTs. that this effect, is produced by both. The root, say they, causes the serpent to do no harm, and the song makes it Ver. 8. Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it dance. They, therefore, bring this root to the spectators to speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his purchase, and do not much like to let any one approach a dancing serpent without having previously secured himself th his with it; but that others may not be able to discover what eth his wait. root it is, they cut them only in very small pieces, which The circumstance related by Mr. Mungo Park, iir the -in taste and external appearance resemble the sarsaparilla, but are only a little stronger. But we must not believe that llowing extract, mis parallel inthe the root mia.kes the serpent harlmle~ss, and that; the song conduct of the ancients; and if it had, clearly: accounts makes it dance. I threw two pieces of the root, which Ifor suc figures as that used by the prophet: " ach of the had purchased for a trifle from a charmer, to a serpent negroes took from his quiver a handful of arrows, and which was quietly lying oii the ground after the dance was putting two between his teeth, and one in his bow, waved bto us with his hand to keep at a distance." (Travels in finished; but it did not cause it to move, nor did it shownd to keep at a distance. any sion of aversion. But no person of sense in our days, Africa.)-BuiDEa. probably, can believe that serpents are so charmed. by the. h song, that they dance; and David, in the well-known pas- Ver. 17. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider sage in the Psalms, does not appear to say this. In short, ye and call for the mourning women, that they according to my conviction, it is only fear, by which this may come; and send for cunning wo0nmen, that species of serpents, which is more docile than any other, c is taught to follow the motions of its master's hand, which 1 r ths;s held before it, and so makes movements with its body and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may resembling a dance. I tnyself sawt how a -Iindoo of the run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out Bramin tribe, who lived in a suburb of Nagapatam, in- with waters. structed such a serpent to dance in a few days, by means of a stick and a basin, which he held before it: they are ren- The custom of hiring worr en to weep at funerals, who 492 JERE M IAH. CnHAP. 9. were called by the Romans praefice, has been preserved in age? My lion, my arrow, my blood, my body, my soul, the East to this day. J. H. Mayer, one of the latest trav- my third eye! gone, gone, gone. Ah! who-was so near to ellers who visited Egypt and Syria in 1812 and 1813, makes his mother. To whom will she now say, son? What! the following observations. " I here found the mourning gone without assisting us in our old age? All! what will women, who are several times spoken of in the Bible, and thy betrothed do? I hoped thou wouldst have lived to see of whom I could not form a proper notion. This ancient our death. Who'will now perform the funeral rites for us? custom has been retained here to this day. I have often seen Who will light up the pile? Who will perform the annual the ceremony, but most clearly and nearest here, in Medini, ceremonies'? Tothebats, tothebats, my house is now givenl." an Egyptian village. Fifteen or twenty women, dressed The daughter over the body of her mother says, " Alas! in dark, with a black or dar'k-blue handkerchief round what shall I do in future? We are like chickens, whose their heads, assemble before the house. of' the deceased; mother is killed. Motherless children are beaten on the one of them beats a talourine,'the others move in a cir- head. We are like the honeycomb hanging on the trees, cle, keeping time to the'instrument, singing at the same at which a stone has been thrown: all, all are scattered." time the praises of the deceased; in the space of a minute She says to the females who are coming to mourn over they clasp their hands twenty or thirty times together be- her mother,' I am the worm which has to eat a dead body. fore their face, and then let them drop to the knee. The Though you should give me a large vessel full of water, it constant violent motion changes the ceremony into a dance; will not quench my thirst so well as a few drops from the every moment a piercing cry, almost like a whistle, is hand of my mother! My mother has gone, and left us for heard from one of the attendants. The mourning continues the streets. Who lulled me to repose? Who bathed me near seven days, during which the nearest female relation ac- the well? Who fed me with milk?. Ah! my father also companied by mourning women, visit the grave of thd de- is dead. Why have you gone without seeing the splendour ceased, and as they march along, alternately utter this shrill of my bridal day? Did you not promise to deck me for and piercing cry."-ROSENMUILLER. the festive scene? What! am I to be alone that day-? Ah! Immediately after death the people of the house begin to my mother' how shall I know how to conduct myself? make a great lamentation: they speak of the virtues of the When I am married, should my husband use me ill, to deceased, and address the body in very touching language. - whom shall I go?' Who will now teach me to manage The female relations come together,'and beat their breasts. household affairs? Ah! there is nothing like a mother! Their long hair is soon dishevelled: they sit down on How many pains, how many difficulties, have you had the floor around the corpse, put their arms on each others' with me? What have I done for-you? Alas! alas! had shoulders, and in a kind of mournful recitative bewail the' you been long sick, I might have done something for you. loss of their friend. - Ah! you told me disobedience would be my ruin. You are I have sometimes been not a little affected to hear their gone: why did I not obey you? My fate, my fate! my exclamations. See the wife bending over the dead body mother, my mother! will you not look at me? Are you of her husband; listen to her lamentations:-" Ah, how asleep You told us you should die before our father. many years have we been married, and lived happily to- My mother, will you not again let me hear your voice? gether 2 never were we separated, but now! Alas, my When I am in pain, who -will say, fear not, fear not? I king, my kingdom, my master, my wealth, my'eyes, my thought you would have lived to see the marriage of my body, my soul, my god. Shall I make an offering to daughter. Come hither, my infant, look at your grandBrama, because thou art taken away? Now will your mother. Was I not nursed at those breasts? You said to enemies rejoice, because your are gone. Did the gods my father, when you were dying,'Love my children.' call for you? are you in Siva's mount? Though I saw You said to my husband,'Cherish my daughter.' Ah! you die, I am still alive. When shall I again see the did you not bless us all? My mother, my mother, that light of your beautiful countenance 1 0 when again shall I name I will not repeat again." behold his ioble mien? how can I look upon that face The son says to the mourning women, " Ah! was she which was once like the full-blown lotus, but now withered not the best of mothers? Did she not conceal my faults?-.and dry. When shall I again see his graceful bearing in Can I forget her joy when she put the bracelets on my the palanquin. Alas! my name is now the widow. When wrists. 0! how she did kiss and praise me, when I had will my aged father again say to you, son-in-law? Do the learned the alphabet. She was always restless while I was eyes which saw the splendour of my bridal day witness this at school, and when I had to return, she was always lookdeadly scene? In future, by whom will these children be ing out for me. How often she used to say,'My son, my defended? When I am sick, who will go for the far-famed son, come and eat;'. but now, who will call me 2" Then, doctor? When my children cry, to whom shall I complain? taking the hand of his deceased mother into his own, he When they are hungry, to whom will they say, father? asks, "and are the worms to feed on this hand which has Ah! my children, my children, you- must now forget that fed me?" Then, embracing her feet, "Ah! these will pleasant word." never more move about this house. When my great days Hear the daughter over her father.-" My father, had I are come, in whose face shall I look? Who will rejoice not my existence from you? Who had me constantly in in my joy? When I go to the distant country, who will his arms, lest I should fall? Who would not eat except I be constantly saying,' Return, return?' Ah! how did she was with him? Who fed me with rice and milk? When rejoice on my wedding day. Who will now help and comI was dejected, who purchased me bracelets? Who pur- fort my wife? If she did not see me every moment, she chased the beautiful- jewel for my foreheadS 0! my was continually saying,'My son, my son.' Must I now god, you never could bear to look in my withered face. apply the torch to her funeral pile I Alas! alas! I am too Who will now train my brothers?. Who procured me the young for that. What! have the servants of the funeral tali (husband.) To whom shall I go when my husband house been anxious to get their money? Could they not is angry? Under whose shade shall my husband and chil- have waited a few years? What do those bearers want? dren now go? To whom will my children now say, grand- Have you comnie to take away my mother'" Then, lying father? In whose face will my mother now look? Alas! on the bier by her side, he says, " Take me also. Alas my father, my father, you have left us alone." alas! is the hour come? I must now forget you. Your Listen to the son over his father:-" From infancy to name must never again be in my mouth. I must now manhood you have tenderly nursed me. Who has given perform the annual ceremony. 0 life, life! the bubble, the me learning? Who has taught me to conduct myself with bubble!" discretion Who caused me to be selected by many? Listen to the affectionate brother over the body of bh:'.s Who would not eat if I had the headache? Who would not sister:-" Were we not a pair? why are we separated? allow me to be fatigued by walking? Who gave me the Of what use am I alone? Where is now my shade? I1 beautiful palanquin? Who loved to see his son happy? will now be a wanderer. How often did I bring you the Whose eyes shone like diamonds on his son? Who fragrant lotus?' but your face was more beautiful than that taught me to prepare the fields? who taught me agricul- flower. Did I not procure you jewels? Who gained you ture? Ah! nmy father, I thought you would have lived the bridegroom? Have I not been preparing lo make a to partake of the fruits of the trees I had planted. Alas! splendid show on your nuptia. day? Alas! all is vanity. alas! I shall now be called the fatherless son." How fatal is this for vour betrothed. For whose sins have Hear the aged father over the body of his son:-" My you been taken awayv? Youo have vanished like thee godton, my son, art thou gone? What! am I left in my old dess Lechimy. In what birth shall we again see you l CHAP. 10 12. JEREMIAH. 495 How many suiters waited for you? You have poured fire by the Canaanites under this attribute, as supporting the into my bowels: my senses have gone, and I wander about immense pressure of the celestial fluid on all sides, and like an evil spirit. Instead of the marriage ceremonies, sustaining the various parts and operations of universal we are now attending to those of your funeral.; I may.get nature in their respective situations'and courses. The another mother, for my father can marry again: I may symbol of this support, stolen and perverted as usual from acquire children; but a sister, never, never. Ah! give the sacred ritual, appears to have been a palm-tree, which me one look: let your lotus-like face open once-one smile. was also the symbol of support among the Greeks and Is this your marriage ceremony! I thought one thing, but Egyptians. With how much: greater propriety is it the fate thought. another. You have escaped like lightning: appointed symbol of him who sustained the inconceivable the house is now full of darkness. When I go to the dis- pressure of divine wrath for his people, and was so far tant town, who will give me her commissions? To whom from being utterly depressed under such a load of sin and shall we give your clothes and jewels'2 My sister, I have punishment, that he successfully endured all that the law to put the torch to your funeral pile. You said,' Brother, and justice of his Father demanded, rose victorious over we will never part; we will live together in one house:' death and the grave; and shall for ever, as these interprebut you are gone. I refused to give you to the youth in ters suppose, "flourish like the palm-tree, and grow or the far country; but now whither have you gone. To spread abroad like the cedar in Lebanon!" Hence in the whom shall I now say, I am hungry Alas! alas! my outer temple, (the symbol of Jehovah incarnate,),palmfather planted cocoa, mango, and jack trees in YOUR name, trees were engraved on the walls and doors between the but you have not lived to eat the fruit thereof. I have been coupled cherubs. And for this reason, the prophetess to tell them you are gone. Alas! I see her clothes: take Deborah is supposed to have fixed'her dwelling under a them away. Of what use is that palanquin now?' Who palm-tree, emblematically to express her trust, not in the used to come jumping on the road to meet me? If I have idolatrous Ashtaroth or Blessers, at that time the abominaso much sorrow, what must have been that of your mother tion of Israel, but in the promised Messiah, who was to be for ten long moons? Whose evil eye has been upon you? made perfect through sufferings. At the feast of taberna-.Who aimed the blow? Will there ever again be sorrow cles, the people of Israel were to take branches of palmlike this? My belly smokes. Ah, my sister, your gait, trees; at once to typify Jehovah's dwelling in our nature, your speech, your beauty, all gone: the flower is withered- and the spiritual support which, by this means, all true bethe flower is withered. Call for the bier; call for the musi, lievers derive from him; and also, to ascribe to him as cians." the Creator and Preserver of all things, in opposition to Husbands who love their wives are exceedingly pathetic Baal or the sun, the honour of sustaining the operations in their exclamations: they review the scenes of their of nature in producing and ripening the fruits of the earth. youth, and speak of their tried and sincere affection. The The feast of tabernacles was also the feast of ingathering; children she has borne are also all[ided to; and, to use an and every person in the least acquainted with the customs orientalism, the man is plunged into a sea of grief. of oriental nations knows, that the palm was among idol-'" What, the apple of my eye gone? My swan, my parrot, aters the chosen symbol of the sun, and consecrated to my deer, my Lechimy? Her colour was like gold, her that luminary; and that the temples erected to his honour gait like the stately swan, her waist was like lightning, through all the regions of the East, were surrounded with her teeth were like pearls, her eyes like the kiyal fish, groves of palm-trees, whose leaf, resembling in shape the (oval,) her eyebrows like the bow, and her countenance solar beam, and maintaining a perpetual verdure, might like the full-grown lotus. Yes, she has gone, the mother continually remind the adoring suppliants of the quickof my children. No more welcome, no ti-ore smiles in ening influence and sustaining energy of their favourite the evening when I return. All the world to me is now deity. -PAXTON. as the place of burning. Get ready the wood for my pile. 0! my wife, my wife, listen to the voice of thy husband."- ROBERTs. Ver: 2. Thou hast planted them; yea, they have CHAPTER X. taken root: they grow; yea, they bring ibrth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far Vey. 5. They are upright as the palm-tree, but speak not; they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for Does a man who has been elevated in society by another, they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them cease to respect his patron; it is said, " Ah, my lord, the to do good. tree which you planted has taken root:-in his mouth you are near; but in his heart you are afar Off."-ROBERTS. From the first clause, it is evident that he alluded also to the shape of their gods. Before the art of carving was Ver. 8. My heritage is unto me as a lion in the carried to perfection, the ancients made their images all forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have of a thickne: straight, having their hands hanging down I hated it. 9. My hritage s unto me as a and close to ttheir sides, the legs joined together, the eyes speckled bird; the birds round about are against shut, with a very perpendicular attitude, and not unlike to the body of a palm-tree; such are the figures of those an- her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the tique Egyptian statues that still remain. The famous field, come to devour. Greek architect and sculptor Duedalus, set their legs at lib- See on 1 Sam. 13. 18. erty, opened their eyes, and gave them a freer and easier attitude. But according to some interpreters, and particu- Ver. 9. My heritage is unto me as a speckled larly Mr. Parkhurst, the inspired writer sometimes gives it a more honourable application; selecting it to be the bird, the birds round about are against her; symbol of our blessed Redeemer, who himself bore our come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, sins in his own body on the tree. The voice of antiquity come to devour. ascribes to the palm, the singular quality of resisting a yery great weight hung upon it, and of even bending in Dr. Boothroyd, "Ravenous birds." The context conthe contrary direction, to counterbalance the pressure. Of firms this rendering, and also the marginal reading, " tathis circumstance, Xenophon takes notice in his Cyrope- Ions." Considering the NUMEROUS birds of prey in the dia; Kat 6n rTEtOEVOt OtL ovLKEc VO ftapovs avm Kvprovvrat; "and East, it is no wonder that there are so many allusions in indeed, palm-trees when loaded with any weight, rise the scriptures to their ravenous propensities. Of a fero. upward, and bend the contrary way." The same obser- cious man it is said, "That fellow is in every place with vation was made by Plutarch. It has beenalready obser- his talons." " What! wretch, have you come hither to ved, that the Hebrew name of the palm-tree is Thamar; snatch with your talons?" "Alas! alas! how many hal and in the Old Testament, we meet with a place in Canaan this disease snatched away in, its talons?" " True, true called Baalthamar, in honour, it is probable, of Baai or even my own children have now got talons."-RorErzTS. the sun, for many ages the object of universal veneration oamong the Orientals; and who had been worshipped there Ver. 10. Many pastors have destroyed my vine. 494 JEREMIAH. Cn&P. 12-:-.14. yard, they have trodden my portion under foot, commanded me. 6. And it came to pass aftel they have made my pleasant portion a desolate many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, wilderness. go to Euphrates, and take the girdle frnm thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. Besides successive invasions by foreign nations, and theent to Euphrates, and dig systematic spoliation exercised by a despotic government, other causes have conspired to perpetuate the desolation of took the girdle from the place where I had hid Judea, and to render abortive the substance that is in it. it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was Amon,'hese has chiefly to be numbered its being literally profitable for nothing trog4den'toder efoot by manby pastor's. Volney devotes a chapter, fifty pages in length, to a description, as he entitles it, See on ch. 32. 13, 14. "Of the pastoral, or wandering tribes of Syria," chiefly of the Bedouin'Arabs, by whom especially Judea is in- Ver. 18. Say unto the king and to the queen, cessantly traversed. "The pachalics of Aleppo and Da- Humble yourselves, sit down; for your princimascus may be computed to contain about thirty thousand palities shall come down, een the crown of wandering Turkmen, (Turcomans.) All their property consists in cattle." in the same pachalics, the number of your glory. the Curds " exceed twenty thousand tents and huts," or an equal number of armed men. " The Curds are almost Th is again alludes tof tprcipalites, "or heat everywere looked upon as robbe. LiketheTurkm tires." This'again alludes to the threatened judgments verywhere looked upon as robbers.,ike the Tarkmen, which were to befall the people and their rulers. Dr. these Curds'are pastors and wanderers. A third wander- Boothroyd has instead of principalities," "the diadem ing people in Syria are the Bedouin Arabs." "It often Of a proud man who treats t..1 1' 77 *' 1 * r of your glory." Of a proud man who treats another with happens that even individluals turn robbers, iln order to with- contempt it is said, " Ah! his turban will soon fall." " Yes, draw themselves from the laws, or from tyranny, uniteead-dress will soon come. and form a little camp, which maintain themselves by "Have you heard of the proud wife of Iandar l"-" No." arms, and, increasing, become new hordes and new tribes. "Her head ornaments have fallen; she is humbled." e may pronounce, that in cultivable countries the wan- "Ah," says the bereaved father, over the dead body of his dering life originates in the injustice or want of policy of son, "my crown i fallen! my crown is fen." When the government; and that the sedentary and the cultivating men quarrel, it is common for the one to say to the other, state is that to which mankind is most naturally inclined." I will beat thee till thy turban fall." When they fight, " It is evident that agriculture must be very precarious in the great object of the combatants is to pull off each other's. such a country, and that, under a government like that turban or head-dress; because it shous that the individof the Turks, it is safer to lead a wandering life than to tal is then dissraced and humbled. The ings of a 1ZD1 a. r*ual is then disgraced and humbled. The feelings of a choose a settled habitation, and rely for subsistence on ag-ban knocked off his head, are pr b man who has his turban knocked off his head, are probariculture." *"The Turkmen,. the Curds, and the Bedou- bly something like those which are produced bythe knock-. ins, have no fixed habitations, but keep perpetnally wander ing off of a man's wig For the turban to ALL ff the ing with' their tents and herds, in limited districts of which head by ACCIDENT is considered to be a very bad omen. Jethey look upon themselves asthe proprietors. The Arabs hoiakim and his queen were to have their "head tires" spread over the whole frontier of Syria, and even the brought down; they were to be humbledon account of their plains of Palestine."-Thus, contrary to their natural in- sins.-RossRTS. clination, the peasants, often forced to abandon a settled life, and pastoral tribes in great numbers, or many, and Ver. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or without fixed habitations,, divide the country, as it were, the leopar his spots then may ye also do by mutual consent, and apportion it in limited districts te leopard his spots then may ye also do among themselves by an assumed right of property, and good, that are accustomed to do evil. the Arabs, subdivided also into different tribes, spread over See on ch. 5. 6. the plains of Palestine, " wandering perpetually," as if on very purpose to tread it down.-What could be more unlikely or unnatural in such a land! yet what more striking- Ver. 2. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof ly and striictly true! or how else could the effect of the languish; they are black unto the ground: an vision have been seen i Many pastors have destroyed my the cry of erusalem is gone up. vineyard; they have trodden my portion under foot.- KEITH. Have you heard that the wife of Muttoo and all the CHAPTER XIII. children have died of the cholera! Alas, the poor old man Ver. 4. Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is left alone, and the gaes are in sorrow-even they pity is upon thy loins,.and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. Ver. 3. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and The girdle of the Orientals is sometimes made of silver found no water; they returned with their yesor gold, or embroidered silk, or highly died muslin. Its uses are, to keep the lower garments fast to the loins, to sels empty; they were ashamed and confoundstrengthen the body, and to command respect. Chiefs have ed, and covered their heads. 4. Because the numerous folds of muslin round that part, and they march ground is chapt for there was no rain in the along with great pomp, thus enlarged in their size. That,ere therefore, which was of so much use, and which indicated the dignity of the wearer, was to be marred, typifying the ered their heads. degradation of the Jews in their approaching captivity. See on Matt. 11. 21. The Hindoos have a custom of burying certain articles by the side of a tank or river, in order to inflict or pre- Ver. 4. Because the ground is chapt, for there figure evil in reference to certain obnoxious individuals who are thus placed under the ban. Thus eggs, human was no rain in the earth, the ploughmen were hair, thread, a ball of saffron, or a little of the earth on ashamed, they covered their heads. which the devoted person has had his feet, are BURIED in the situations alluded I:o.-RoBERTS. The description that Sir J. Chardin gives us of the state of these countries, with respect to the cracking of the earth, Ver. 4. Take the girdle that thou hast got, which before the autumnal rains fell, is so lively a comment on is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, Jer. xiv. 4, that I beg leave to introduce it here as a distinct tl the rock. 5. S l'aobservation. The lands of the East, he says, which the great and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5. So dryness there causes to crack, are the ground of this figure, I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD whtich is certainly extremely beautiful; for these dry:ands CHAP. 15. JEREMIAH. 49t5 have chinks too deep for a person to see to the bottom of: Gentiles that can cause rain?. or can the heavthis may be observed in the Indies more than anywhere, a i:ttle before the rains fall, and wherever the lands are rich Art not thou he, LORD and hard. The prophet's speaking of ploughmen, shows our God: therefore we will wait upon thee; that he is speaking of the autumnal state of those countries; for thou hast made all these things. and if the cracks are so deep from the common dryness of their summers, what must they be when the rains are with- There are persons among the South African nations who held bevor'il the usual time, which is the case Jeremiah is pretend to have power to bring rain in time of drought,'referrin to.-IIAnREa. and who are called rain-makers. A nation seldom emThis refers to a drought which was to take place in ploys their own'rain-maker, but generally thinks those at Judah. At such times, in the East, the ground is" chapt;" a distance have more power to produce it than those at large fissures meet your eye in every direction, and the home. A rain-maker, from high up the country, once husbandmen are then ashamed and put to confusion: they travelled with my party for a few weeks. I asked him seknow not what to do: to plough the land under such cir- riously, if he really believed that he had power to bring cumstances is of no use; and, therefore, they are obliged rain when he pleased. His reply was, that ".he could not to wait till it shall rain. Thus, should the rains be later say he had, but he used means to bring it;" such as rolling than usual, the people are daily looking for them, and after great stones down the sides of mountains, to draw down one night's fall, the farmers may be seen in every direction the clouds. A rain-maker at Lattakoo who was unsuceessworking in their fields with the greatest glee, in the full ful, first said it was because he had not got sufficient preshope of soon casting in the seed.-RoBERTs. ents of cattle. He then desired them first to bring him a live baboon; hundreds tried but could not catch one. He Ver. 5. Yea, the hind also calved in the field, next demanded a live owl, but they could not find one. Na and forsook it, betause there xwas no grass. rain coming they called him rogue, impostor, &c. and ordered him away.-CAMPBELL. Some ancient writers allege, that the hind bestows much pains in rearing and instructing her young. She carefully hides her fawn in the thicket, or among the long grass, and Ver. 3. And I will appoint over them four kinds corrects it with her foot, when it discovers an inclination saith the LORD the sword to slay, and the dogs prematurely to leave its covert. When it has acquired the s the sufficient strength, she teaches it to run, and to bound from to tear, and the fowls of the heaven,- and the one rock to another; till, conscious of its ability to provide beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. for itself, it bends its rapid course into the boundless waste, and from that moment, loses the recollection of its parent -An oriental enemy, as in former ages, cuts down the and her tender'care. But affectionate as is the hind to her trees of the country which he invades, destroys the villages, young one, and attentive to its safety and instruction, cir- and burns all the corn and provender which he cannot carry cumstances occur at times, which diminish, which even off: the surrounding plain, deprived of its verdure, is covextinguish the benignity of her nature, and render her in- ered with putrid carcasses and burning ashes; the hot wind sensible to the sufferings of her own offspring. The slight- wafting its fetid odours, and dispersing the ashes among ness of' her connexion with guilty man, and her distance the tents, renders his encampment extremely disagreeable. from his dwelling, do not prevent her from sharing in the During the night the hyenas, jackals, and wild beasts of calamities to which all sublunary natures are subjected on various kinds, allured by the scent, prowl over the field account of his sin. The grievous famine which dims the with a horrid noise; and as soon as the morning dawns, a fine eye of the wild ass, and compels her to take refuge on multitude of..vultures, kites, and birds of prey, are seen the summits of the mountains, where, sucking in the cool- asserting their claim to a share of the dead. Such was the ing breeze instead of water, which is no longer to be found, scene which Forbes contemplated on the plains of Hinshe lingers out a few miserable days, hardens the gentle dostan; " and it was to me," says that writer, " a scene and affectionate heart of the hind, so that she forsakes her replete with horrid novelty, realizing the prophet's denunfawn-in the open field, because there is no grass, without ciation:'I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the malking a single effort to preserve its existence. She for- Lord; the sword to slay, and the dogs to t6ar, and the sakes it when it is newly calved, when her natural affection fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour is commonly strongest, and when it needs most her foster- and destroy.' "-PAXTON.ing care; she forsakes it in the desert, where it must soon perish of hunger: deaf to its cries, and indifferent to its Ver. 7. And I will fan them with a fan in the sufferings, she leaves it in search of somewhat to prolong gates of the land; I will bereave them of chilher own wretched existence. At snch a failurnde of the dren, I Qwill destroy my people, since they rekindest affections in the heart of a loving hind, we shall' not be surprised, when the dreadful effects of severe famine turn not from their ways. 8. Their widows on the human mind are considered. The prediction of are increased to me above the sand of the seas: Moses was completely fulfilled: " Thou shalt eat the fruit I have brought upon them, against the mother 3f thine own body, the flesh of thy sons, and of thy daugh-, ters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege, at noonday; I and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall dis- have caused him to fall upon t sudenly, and.ress thee." —" The tender and delicate woman among you, terrors upon the city. which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground, for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall When the cholera or any other pestilence rages, it is be evil towards the husband of her bosom, and towards her said, " Alas! this sickness has fanned the people away." son, and towards her daughter, and towards the young one "Truly they have been suddenly fanned from the earth." that cometh out from between her feet, and towards her See on Isa. xxx. 24.-ROBERTS. children which she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things, secretly, in the siege and straitness."- Ver. 9. She that hath borne seven languisheth; PAXTON. she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone Ver. 16. And the people to whom they prophesy down while it was yet day; she bath been shall be cast out in the strepts of Jerusalem, be- ashamed and confounded: and the residue of cause of the famine and the sword; and they them will I deliver to the sword before their shall have none to bury them, their wives, nor enemies, saith the LORD. their sons, nor their daughters; for I will pour Of a person who is dead, it is said, " He is set," and of their wickedness upon them. one dying, " He is setting." Should a beautiful young man See on Job 39. 5.' or woman be reduced by sickness, it is said, " He is like the evening, which is occupying the place of the morne Ver. 22. Are there any among the vanities of the ing!"-ROBERTS. ~~ ~"' ";"'~~~ ~"~~~~~~'~ ""r ~"""b~Z: 496 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 16. Ver. 18. Why is mnyi pain perpetual, and my maiden, who caused not her hair to be cut off at his burial. ~wound inacurable, whiclh refuseth to be hesaled z2 How the hair that was cut off was disposed of; does not.wioun inrableatotherunto' me as a ealarend appear in D'Herbelot. Among the ancient Greeks, it was wilt thou be altogether unto' me as a liar, and sometimes laid upon the dead body; sometimes cast into. as waters that fail?, the funeral pile; sometimes placed upon the grave. Under this variation of management among the Greeks, it would "Waters that fail." Heb. " Waters that are not to be have been an agreeable additional circumstance to have trusted," i. e. such as are- delusive, such as disappoint ex- been told, how the females of the house of Mogairah dispectation. That which Mr. Harmer proposes simply as a posed of their hair. We are equally ignorant of the manquery, may be stated as a very probable suggestion, viz. ner in which the ancient Jews disposed of theirs, when that in these words the prophet alludes to the phenomenon they cut it off in bewailing the dead. But that they cut it of the mirage, so frequently mentioned by eastern travel- off, upon such occasions, is evident from a passage of the lers. " There is," says Chardin, " a vapour or splendour, prophet Jeremiah, ch. xvi. 6. " Both the great and the in. the plains of the desert, formed by the repercussion of small shall die in this'and: they shall not be buried, neithe rays from the sand, that appears like a vast lake. ther shall men lamkn for them, nor cut themselves, nor Travellers afflicted with thirst a.re drawn on by such ap- make themselves bald for them." The words do not seem pearances, but coming near find themselves mistaken; it determinately to mean, that those of the male sex only seems to draw back as they advance, or quite vanishes."- were wont to cut themselves, or'make themselves bald for "To the southeast, at a distance of four or five miles, we the dead; but that there should be no cutting of the flesh noticed on the yellow sands two black masses, but whether made at all for them, no baldness, leaving it uncertain they were the bodies of dead camels, the temporary hair- which sex had been wont to make use of these rites of tents of wandering Bedouins, or any other objects, magni- mourning, who should then omit them. So the interlineary fied by the refraction which is so strongly produced in the translation of Montanus understands the words. horizon of the desert, we had no means of ascertaining. Both practices seem to have been forbidden by the law With the exception of these masses, all the eastern range o. Moses; the soft and impressible temper of the female of vision presented only one unbroken waste of sand, till its se might, it may be imagined, engage them sooner to devisible horizon ended in the illusive appearance of a lake, vit e from the precept, than the firmer disposition of the thus formed by the heat of a midday sun on a nitrous soil, other. So here we see they were the females of the family giving to the parched desert the semblance of water, and of Mogairah that cut off their hair at the burial of Khaled; reflecting its scanty shrubs upon the view, like a line of not a word of the -men. And accordingly we find among extensive forests; but in no direction was either a natural the modern Mohammedans, the outward expressions at hill, a mountain, or other interruption to the level line of least of mourning are much stronger among the women the plain, to be seen." (Buckingham's Travels in Meso- than the men: the nearest male relations, Dr. Russel tells potamia.) " We have suffered very much from the fatigue us, describing their way of carrying a corpse to be buried, of this day's journey, and have stil five days' march through immediately follow it, "and the women close the proces this waterless desert. The only object to interest us, and sion, with dreadful shrieks, while the men all the way are relieve the weariness of mind — and body, has been the singing prayers out of the Koran. The women go to the mirage, so often described. Some travellers state that this tomb every Monday or Thursday, and carry some flowers phenomenon has deceived them repeatedly. This I am or green leaves to dress it with. They make a show of surprised at, since its peculiar appearance, joined to its grief, often expostulating heavily with- the dead person, occurrence in a desert where the traveller is too forcibly' Why he should leave them, when they had done every impressed with the recollection that no lakes or standing thing in their power to make life agreeable to him.' This pools exist, would appear to me to prevent the possibility, however, by the men, is looked upon as a kind of impiety; that he -who has once seen it, can be a second time de- and, if overheard, they are chid severely for it: and, I must ceived. Still, this does not diminish the beauty of the phe- say, the men generally set them a good example in this renomenon:-to see amid burning sands and barren hills, an spect, by a patient acquiescence in the loss of their nearest apparently beautiful lake, perfectly calm and unruffled by relations, and indeed show a firm and steady fortitude under any breeze,.refilecting in its bosom the lsrrounding rocks, every kind of misfortune."-HARMER. is, indeed, an interesting and wonderfu. spectacle; but it is a tantalizing sight, traversing the desert on foot, always Ver. 7. Neither shall men tear themzselves for with a scanty supply of water, and often, owing to their them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; great imprudence, wholly destitute of it." (Hoskins' Travels neither shall men give them the cup of consoin Ethiopia.)-BusHi. lation to drink for their father or for their CHAPTER XVI. mother. 8. Thou shalt not also go into the Ver. 5. For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into house of feasting, to sit with themto eat and to the house of mourning, neither go to lament drink. nor bemoan them:. for I have taken away my The making a kind of funeral feast was also a method peace from this people,- saith the LORD, even of honouring the dead, used anciently in these countries. loving-kindness and mercies. and is continued down to these times. The references of commentators here have been, in common, to the Greek See on 1 Kings 18. 28. and Roman usages; but as it must be more pleasing to learn eastern customs of this kind, I will set down what Sir J. Ver. 6. Both the great and the small shall die in Chardin has given us an account of in one of his manuthis land: they shall not be buried, neither shall scripts; and the rather, as some particulars are new to me. " The oriental Christians still make banquets (f this mnen lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor kind, (speaking of the ancient Jewish feasts of mourning, make themselves bald for them. mentioned Jer. xvi. 6, 7, and elsewhere,) by a custom derived from the Jews; and I have been many times present - The cutting off the hair in mourning for the dead, is an at them, among the Armenians in Persia. The 7th verse eastern, as well as a Grecian custom; and appears to have speaks of those provisions which are won't to be sent to theobtained in the East in the prophetic times, as weM as in house of the deceased, and of those healths that are drunk later ages. That it was practised among the Arabs, in to the survivers of the family, wishing that the dead may the seventh century, appears by a passage of' D'Herbelot. have been the victim for the sins of the family. The same, Khaled ben Valid ben Mogairah, who was one of the with respect to eating, is practised among the Moors. bravest of the Arabs in the time of Mohammed, and sur- Where we find the word comforting made use of, we are to named by him, after Khaled had embraced the new religion understand it as signifying the performing these offices." he introdttcdd into the world, the " sword of GoD, died un- In like manner he explains the bread of fmen, mentioned der the califate of Omar, in the city of Emessa, in Syria; Ezek. xxiv. 17, as signifying, " the bread of others; the and he adds, that there was not a female of the house of bread sent to mourners; the bread that the neighbours, reMogairah, who was his grandfather, either matron or lations, and friends sent."-HARMER. CHAP. 17-20. JEREMIAH. 491 D'Ovley and Mant say, " Friends were wont to come, the East; and this is the plan which Ml I ancaster has after the funeral was over, to comfort those who had buried since greatly improved and extended. The plan oi writing the dead, and send in provisions to make a feast, it being on sand is still in use in the East. —CLARKE IN HARMERa. supposed that they themselves were so sorrowful as not to be able to think of their necessary food." After the corpse CHAPTER XVIII. has been consumed on the funeral pile or buried, the rela- Ver. 3. Then I went down to the potter's house tions of the deceased prepare and send a fine kind of gruel (made of the Palmirah killunga) to the funeral house. At the anniversary of a funeral, the relations of the deceased The meet to eat together, and give food to the poor. Hence e origina word means stoes raer an ees. Dr. great numbers on these occasions get plenty of provisions. Blayney, in a note on this passage, says, " the appeliaticn -ROBERTS. will appear very proper, if we consider this machine as consisting of a pair of circular stones, placed one upon anCHAPTER XVII. other like millstones, of which the lower was immoveable, Ver. 6. For he shall be like the heath in the but the upper one turned upon the foot of a spindle, or axis, desert, and shall not see when good cometh; and had motion communicated to it by the feet of the potter sitting at his work, as may be learned from Ecclus. xxxviii. but shall inhabit the parched places in the wil- 29. Upon the top of this upper stone, which was flat, the derness, in, a salt land, and not inhabited. clay was placed, which the potter, having given the stone the due velocity, formed into shape with his hands."Nothing can be more desolate and solitary than the salt BURDER. plains of the East. Not a shrub, not a tree, to cheer the eye; even birds and beasts seem affrighted at the scene. Ver. 6. O house of Israel, cannot I do with you What with the silence of these solitudes, the absence of as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the shade, of water, of vegetable and animal life, the traveller clay is moves on with renewVed speed to escape from such dreary wastes. Idolatrous Judah had trusted in idols: her sin was hand, O house of Israel. written " with a pen of iron;" it could not be erased; and It is said of an obedient son, for thus trusting in them, and in man, she was to dwell in It S aid fan obedient son, " p e is lime sax; hoh mae "the parched places," the " salt land,"' which was " not in- him any ay you please; you may sen him hither "habitedparh- ed plRO aERTXs,"the. "sltlad" hih a'ti i- and thither, this way or that way, all will be right." —RoBhabited."-RoBEPTS. ERTS. Ver. 8. For he shall he as a tree planted by the Ver. 14. Will a ean leave the snow of Lebanon waters, and thlat spreadeth out her roots by the cometh from the rock of the field? or river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but shall the cold fowing waters that come from her leaf shall be green; and shall not be care- another place be forsaken ful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Tacitus, Hist. lib. v. cap. 6. Preecipuum montium Libanum erigit, mirum dictu, tantos inter ardores opacum See on Ps. 1. 3. fidumque nivibus. "' Of the mountains of Judea, Libanus To appreciate the beauty of this allusion, it is necessary is the chief; and, what is surprising, notwithstanding the to think of a parched desert, where there is scarcely a green extreme heat of the climate, is shaded with trees, and perleaf to relieve the eye. In the midst of that waste is per- petually covered with snow." Whether this of TPacitus be haps a tank, a well, or a stream, and near to the water's strictly true maybe doubted.' The author of the Universal edge will be seen plants, and shrubs, and trees covered with History informs us, that " Rauwolf, who visited the cedars the most beautiful foliage. So shall be the man who puts of Libanus, about mid-summer, complains of the rigour of his trust in Jehovah.-RoBERTS. the cold and snows here. Radzeville,,Who was here in June, about five years after him, talks of the snow that never Ver. 11. As the partridge sittdth on eggs, and melts away from the mountains. Other travellers speakto hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches, the same purpose; among whom our Maundrell represents and not byright, shall leave them in te the cedars as growing among the snow; but he was there and not by right, shall leave them in te midst in the month of May. From all this he might have formed of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. a judgment that the cedars stand always in the midst of the,iee on 1 Sam. 26. 20. snow: but we are assured of the contrary by another traveller, (La Roque,) according to whom the snows here begin Ver. 13. O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that for- to melt in April, and are no more to be seen afterJuly; nor is, says he, any at all left-but in such clifts of the mounsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that de- tains as the sun cannot come at; that the snow begins not part from me shall be written in the earth, be- to fall again till December; and that he himself, when he cause they have forsakeno the LORD, the fountain was there, saw no snow at all; and it is probable he speaks of living waters. nothing but the truth."j-BURDER. Dr. Pococke represents the, Coptis, who are used by the Ver. 17. I will scatter them as with an east vind great men of Egypt for keeping their accounts, &c. as before the enemy; I will show them the back,. making use of a sort of pasteboard for that purpose, from and not the fdce, in the day of their calamity. which the writing is wiped off from time to time with a wet N sponge, the pieces of pasteboard being used as slate. Peter Nothing exasperates a person more, when he goes to see Della Valle observed a more inartificial wav still of writing another, than for the individual thus visited to arise and short-lived memorandums in India, where he beheld chil- his back to the visiter To see a man tus erect with dren writing their lessons with their fingers on the ground, In the face of towards anth s a st riking effect on the min and id. the pavement being for that purpose strewed all over with In th e othe man thus insulted is chagrin and conf very fine sand. When the pavement was full, they put the ion; in the other, contempt and triumph. After a pauseg writings out: and, if need were, strewed new sand, from a the figure who shows his back moves forward, leaving th;e little heap they had before them wherewith to write farther. other to indulge in spleen and imprecations.-RoBERTs. One would be tempted to think the prophet Jeremiah had this way of writing in view, when he says of them that depart from God, they shall be written in the earth," ch. xvii. Ver. 15. Cursed be the man who brought tidings 13. Certainly it means in general, "soon be blotted out and to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto forgotten," as is apparent from Psalm lxix. 28, Ezek. xiii. 9. thee; making him very glad. Dr. Bell's plan of teaching a number of pupils to read at the same time, was-taken from what he saw practised in I have already noticed the great anxiety of the people of 63 498 J R E REMI A H. CHAP. 22-25. the East to have male children. At the time of parturition voice of the bridegroom, and the vgice of the the husband awaits in an adjoining room or the garden; bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light' and so soon as the affair shall be over,'should the little stranger be a son, the midwife rushes outside, and beats of the candle.,the thatch on the roof three times, and exclaims aloud, " A " In the East they grind their corn at break of day. male child! a male child! a male child is born!" Should When one goes out in a morning, he hears everywhere the infant be a female, not a word is said, and the father th noise of the mill, and this noise often awakens pedple." knows what is the state of the case. When a person con- (Chardin.) He supposes also that songs are made use of ducts himself in "an unmanly way, the people ask, " Did when they are grinding. It is very possible then, that when they beat the roof for you. Was it not said to your father, the sacred writers speak of the noise of the millstones, they A male child is born."3-ROBERTS. may mean the noise of the songs of those who worked them. This earliness of grinding makes the going of CHAPTER XXII. Rechab and Baanah to fetch wheat the day before from the Ver. 13. Wo unto him that buildeth his house by palace, to be distributed to the soldiers under them, very unrighteousness, and bis chambers by wrong; natural. (2 Sam. iv. 2-7.) They are female slaves who that useth his neigrhbo~r's service without wa- are generally employed at these handmills. It is extremely and giveth 7hi n1'hot forvhis 1work.ut a _laborious, and esteemed the lowest employment in the ges, and giveth him not for his work. house. (Harmer.) Mr. Park observed this custom in the Upper chambers. The principal rooms anciently in Ju- interior parts of Africa, when he was invited into a hut by dea were those above, as they are to this day at Aleppo; some female natives, in order to shelter him from the inthe ground-floor being chiefly made use of for their horses clemency of a very rainy night. While thus employed, and servants. Busbequinls, speaklrinSg of the house he had one of the females sung a song, the rest joining in a sort of hired at Constantinople, says, "Pars superior, sola habita- chorus. tur; pars inferior equorum stabulationi destinata est. The The houses of Egypt are never without lights. Maillet upper part is alone inhabited; the lower.is allotted for the assures us, (Lett. ix. p. 10,) they burn lamps not only all horses'stabling." "At Prevesa the houses are allof wood, the night long, but in all the inhabited apartments of a for the most part with only a ground-floor, and where there house; and that the custom is so well established, that the is one story, the communication to it is by a ladder or poorest people would rather retrench part of their food than wooden steps on the outside, sheltered, however, by the neglect it. This remark will elucidate several passages of overhanging eaves of the roof. In this case the horses and scripture. In the words above referred to, Jeremiah makes cattle occupy the lower chamber, or it is converted into a the taking away of the light of the candle and total destrucwarehouse, and the family live on the floor above, in which tion the same thing. Job describes the destruction of a there are seldom more than two rooms." (Hobhoiuse.) " In family among the Arabs, and the rendering one of their Greece, the wealthiest among them, the papas, have houses habitations desolate, after the same manner: "How oft is with two rooms raised on a second floor, the lower part the candle of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh their being divided into a stable, cowhouse, and cellar (Dod- destruction upon them " Job xviii. 5. xxi. 17. On the other well.)-BUoaRDER. hand, when God promises to give David a lamp always in Jerusalem, (1 Kings xi: 36,) considered in this point of Ver. 24. As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah view; it is an assurance that his house should never become the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the desolate.-BURDER. signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck The people of the East who can afford it, have always a sig~net upn y igt anetwod u lamp burning in their room the whole of the night. It is thee thence. one of their greatest comforts; because, should they not be The SIGmNET is always worn on the little finger of the right able to sleep, they can then look about them, and amuse hand. ThinETs aw hich are dear are spoken of s that rina- themselves. " Evil spirits are kept away, as they do not and. Things whimy child, are dear ae spoken of s that orna-re like the light!" Lechemy, the beautiful goddess, also takes like the ring-seal, and the impression;" meaning, the child plasure in seeing the rooms lighted p. But tha t which is resembles the father. "Never will I see him more were of the MOST importance is, the light keeps off the serpents resembles the father. " Never will I see him more; were he my signet, I would throw him away." "I do that and other poisonous reptiles-ROBERTS. rather would I throw away my ring-seal."-ROBERTS. Ver. 15. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel CHAPTER XXIII. unto me, Take the wine-cup of this fiury at my Ver. 25. I have heard twhat the. prophets- said, hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have thee, to drink it. 16. And they shall drink, dreamed, I have dreamed. and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Exactly in the same way do the heathen priests and de- sword that I will send amon votees impose on the people at this day. Have they some See on Mark 15. 2, 3. profitable speculation which requires the sanction of the gods, they affect to have had. a visit from them, and they Ver. 16. And they shall drink, and be moved, generally manage to relate some secret transaction (as a and be mad, because of the sword that I will proof) which the individual concerned supposed was only send among them. known to himself.-ROBERTS. "This is an allusion to those intoxicating draughts CHAPTER XXIV. which used to be given to malefactors just before their Ver. 6. For I will set mine eyes upon them for execution, to take way their senses. Immediately before good, and I will bring them again to this land: the execution began, says the Talmud, they gave the conand1-` I. w bi thm an.d n demned a quantity of frankincense in a cup of wine, to and I will build them, and not pull them down; stupify him, and render him'insensible of his pain. The and I will plant them, and not pluck themn up. compassionate ladies of Jerusalem generally provided this draught at their oMTn cost. The foundation of this custom The eye is spoken of as the source, and also as the cause, was the command of Solomon, Prov. xxxi. 6. " Give strong of a blessing. Thus, has a person been sick, and is he drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that asked, how did you recover. he replies, " The gods fixed be of heavy hearts."-LEWIS. their eves upon me." Does a man promise a favour, he says, " I will place my eyes upon you." Does he refuse, Ver. 38. He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: e says, " I will not put my eyes on you."-ROBERTS. for their land is desolate, because of the fierceCHAPTER XXV. ness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce Ver. 10. Moreover, I will take from them the anger. voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the See on Isa. 38. 14. CHAP. 26-32. - J E R E M IA H. 499 CHAPTER XXVI. upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even conVer. 18. Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the founded, because I did bear the reproach of my days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to. youth. all the people of Judah,'saying, Thus saith the lthpe s ng, Thus saith the 11 117-a It appears to have been the custom, when a person was LORD of hosts, Zion. shall be ploughed like a in sorrow, to smite his thigh. Is it not interesting to know field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and that the people of the East, when in similar circumstances, the mountain of the house as the high places do the-same thing at this day 2 See the bereaved father; of the forest. he smites his right thigh, and cries aloud, " Io! Iyo!" alas! alas! —ROBERTS. See on Mic. 3. 12. Ver. 28. And it shall come to pass, that like as I CHAPTER XXXI. have watched over them, to pluck up, and to Ver. 15. Thus saith the LORD, A voice was heard break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, in Ramah, a lamentation, and bitter weeping: and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be build, and to plant, saith the LORD. comforted for her children, because they;were See on ch. 5. 6. not. Ver. 29. In those days they shall say no more, From Le Bruyn's Voyage in Syria we learn, that "the The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the women go in companies, on certain days, out of the towns children's teeth are set on edge. 30. But every to the tombs of their relations, in order to weep there; and when they are arrived, they display very deep expressions one shall die for his own iniquity: every man of grief. While I was at Ramah, I saw a very great com- that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set pany of these weeping women, who went out of the town. on edge. I followed them, and after having observed the place they visited adjacent to their sepulchres, in order to make their See on Gen. 49. 11. usual lamentations, I seated myself on an elevated spot. CHAPTER XXXII. They first went and placed themselves on their sepulchres, and wept there; where, after having remained about half Ver. 11. So I took the evidence of the purchase, an hour, some of them rose up, and formed a ring, holding both that which was sealed accor~ding to the each other by the hand, as is done in some country-dances. law and custom, and that which was open. Quickly two of them quitted the others, and placed themselves in the centre of the ring; where they made so much The double evidences of Jeremiah's purchase, which noise in screaming, and in clapping their hands, as, to- are mentioned ch. xxxii. 11, seems a strange management gether with their various contortions, might have subjected in their civil concerns; yet something of the like kind obthem t6 the suspicion of madness. After that they returned, tains still among them. Both the writings were in the and seated themselves to weep again, till they gradually hands of Jeremiah, and at his disposal, verse 14; for what withdrew to their.homes. The dresses they wore were purpose then were duplicates made2 To those that are such as they generally used, white, or any other colour; unacquainted with the eastern usages, it must appear a but when they rose up to form a circle together, they put on question of some difficulty. a. black veil over the upper parts of their persons."-BURDER. "The open or unsealed writing," says an eminent commentator, "was either a copy of the sealed deed, or else Ver. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoan- a certificate of the witnesses, in whose presence the deed of ing himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and purchase was signed and sealed."-(Lowth.) But it still I lwas chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to *recurs, of what use was a copy that was to be buried in the yoke: turn thou nie, and I shall be turned; the same earthen vessel, and run exactly the same risks thoe yoke: turn th ou me, and I shall be turned; with the originalS If by a certificate is meant a deed of for thou art the LORD my God. the witnesses, by which they attested the contract of Jeremiah and Hananeel, and the original deed of purchase had The simile is a most apt one. I had frequent opportlni- no witnesses at all, then it is natural to ask, why were they ties of witnessing the conduct of oxen when for the first made separate writings? and much more, why was one time put into the yoke to assist in dragging the wagons. sealed, and not the other? On observing an ox that had been in the yoke for seven or Sir J. Chardin's account of modern managements, which eight hundred miles beginning to get weak, or his hoofs to he thinks illustrates this ancient story, is, " that after a conbe worn down to the quick, by treading on the sharp gravel, tract is made, it is kept by the party himself, not the notary; a fresh ox was put into the yoke in his place. When the and they cause a copy to be made, signed by the notary selection fell on an ox I had received as' a present from alone, which is shown upon proper occasions, and never some Alfrican king, of course one completely unaccustom- exhibit the other." According to this account, the two ed to the yoke, such generally made a strenuous struggle books were the, same, the one sealed up with solemnity, and for liberty,-repeatedly breaking the yoke, and attempting not to be used on common occasions; that which was open, to make its escape. At other times such bullocks lay down the same writing, to be perused at pleasure, and made use upon their sides or backs, and remained so in defiance of of upon all occasions. The sealed one answered to a record the Hottentots, though two or three of them would be lash- with us; the other a writing for common use.-HARMER. ing them with their ponderous whips. Sometimes, from' pity to the animal, I would interfere, and beg them to be less Ver. 13. And' I charged Baruch before them, cruel. "Cruel!" they would say, " it is mere-, for if we do saying, 14. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the not conquer him now, he will require to be so beaten all his life." Some oxen would seem convinced of the folly God of Israel, Take these evidences, this eviof opposing the will of the Hottentots by the end of the first dence of the purchase, both which is sealed, day; some about the middle of the second; while some and this evidence which is open, and put them would continue the struggle to the third; after which they in an earthen vessel, that the would go on as willingly and quietly as any of their neighbour oxen. They seemed convinced that their resisting many days. was fruitless as kicking against the pricks, or sharp pointed Whatever materials the ancient Jews wrote upon, they iron, which they could not injure, but that every kick they were liable to be easily destroyed by the dampness when hidgave only injured themselves.- CAMPBELL. den in the earth. It was therefore thought requisite to enclosethem insomethingthatmightkeepthem frointhedamp, Ver. 19. Surely after that I was turned, I repent- lest they shold ecag thand be renht dered useless. In thedamps ed; and after that I was instructed, I smote days of roughness,. when war knew not the sofrenings of 500 J E RE M I A H. CHAP. 33 —36. later times, men were wont to bury in the earth every part Galilee. The nights in that season are often very cold; of their property that could be concealed after that manner, and of this the inhabitants are rendered more sensible by not only silver and gold, but wheat, barley, oil, and honey; the heats of the day. In May and June, and evenl in July, vestments and writings too. For that I apprehend -was the travellers very often put on fires in the evening. This -occasion of Jeremiah's ordering, that the writings he de- statement clearly discovers the reason, that the people who livered to Baruch, mentioned in his thirty-second chapter, went to Gethsemane to apprehend our Lord, kindled a fire should be put into an earthen vessel.-HARMER. of coals, to warm themselves at the time of the passover, which happened in the spring. But it is not only in eleCHAPTER XXXIII. vated situations, as that on which the city of Jerusalem Ver. 13. In the cities of the mountains, in the stands, that the cold of the night is so piercing; the traveller has to encounter its severity on the low-lying plains, and intof the vland of Benjaminand in the i eplaceso hby the seaside, and in the sandy deserts, where, during the and in the land. of Benjamin, and in the places day, beneath the scorching sunbeam, he could scarcely about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall breathe. The severe cold of the morning compelled Mr. the flocks pass again under the hands of him Doubdan to remain some hours at Joppa, in a poor Greek that telleth them, saith the LORD. hovel, before he could set out for Ramna. At ancient Tyre his condition was still more distressing. On the sixteenth See on Ps. 23. 4. of May, he found the heat near that once-renowned mar It was the custom of more accurate or severe masters, to of nations so great, that though he and his party took their numnber their flocks in the morning when they went out to repast on the grass, under a large tree, by the side of a pasture, and again in the evening when they returned to small river, yet he complains, " they were burnt up alive." the fold. But the most indulgent masters seem to have After attempting in vain to prosecute their voyage, night always numbered their flocks in the evening; a fact clearly overtook them at the ruins of Tyre. Near those ruins, attested by Virgil in the close of his sixth Eclogue: they were obliged to pass a considerable part of the night, "Cogere donec oves stabulis numerumque referre not without suffering greatly from the cold, which was as Jussit3 etinvito processit vesper Olympo." violent and sharp as the heat of the day had been intense. " Till vesper warned the shepherds to pen their sheep Our traveller acknowledges, that he shook, as in the depth in the folds and recount their number; and advanced on of winter, more than two or three full hours.-PAxToN. the sky, full loth to lose the song." Agreeably to this uns- The " hearth" here mentioned was in all probability the tom, the prophet Jeremiah is directed by the Spirit of God tandoor of the East, of which so full an account is given in to plomise, "The flocks shall pass again under the hands Smith and Dwight's Travels in Armenia.-" What attractof him that!telleth them, saith the Lord." The reference ed our attention most this stormy day, was the apparatus of these words to the rod of the shepherd numbering his for warming us. It was the species of oven called tassoor, flock, when they return from the pasture, appears from the common throughout Armenia, and also in Syria, but converse immediately preceding: "Thus saith the Lord of verted here for purposes of warmth into what is called a hosts, again in this place, which is desolate, without man tndloor. A cylindrical hole is sunlWbout three feet in the and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an ground in some part of the room, with a flue entering it at habitation of shepherds, causing their flocks to lie do-wcn." — the bottom to convey a current of air to the fire which heats PAXTN.. it. For the emission of smoke no other provision is made than the open sky-light in the terrace. When used for C1HAPTER XXXIV. lbaking bread, the dough, being flattened to the thickness of Ver. 3. And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, common pasteboard, perhaps a foot and a half long by a foot but shalt surely he taken, and delivered into broad, is stuck to its smooth sides by means of a cushion -his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes upon which it is first spread. It indicates, by cleaving off, when it is done, and being then packed down in the family of the 1-ing' of Babylon, and he shall speak with chest, it lasts at least a month in the winter and ten days in thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Baby- the summer. Such is the only bread known in the villages lol. of Armenia; and even the cities of Erivhn and Tebriz offer no other variety than a species perhaps only twice as thick, To say, your eyes shall see the eyes of another, implies and so long that it might almost be sold by the yard. To pleasure or pain. Thus, to comfort one who greatly de- bake it, the bottom of a large oven is covered with pebbles, sires to see another, but who fears he shall not have that (except one corner where a fire is kept constantly burning,) pleasure, it is said, " Fear not, your eyes shall see his and upon them, when heated, the sheets of dough are spread. eyes." But, should a person have committed some crime, The convenience of such thin bread, where knives and it is said to him, in order to make him afraid, "Yes; your forks are not used, and spoons are rare, is that a piece of it eyes shall see his eyes," i. e. of the person who has been doubled enables you to take hold of a mouthful of meat injured, and who has power to inflict punishment.-Row- more delicately than with your bare fingers; or, when propERTS. erly folded, helps you to convey a spoonful safely to your CHAPTER XXXVI. mouth to be eaten with the spoon itself. When needed for purposes of warmth, the tannoor is easily transformed into Ver. 22. Now the king sat in the winter-house in a tandoor. A round stone is laid upon the mouth of the the ninth month: and theire was a fir-e on the oven, when well heated, to stop the draught; a square hearth bolrninfgf before him. frame about a foot in height is then placed above it; and a thick coverlet, spread over the whole, lies upon the ground In Palestine, and the surrounding regions, the coldness around it, to confine the warmth. The family squat upon of the night in all the seasons of the year, is ofen very in- the floor and warm themselves by extending their less and convenient. The king of Judah is describe~d by the prophet, hands into the heated air beneath it, while the frame holds, as sitting in his winter-house in the ninth month, corre as occasion requires, th,eir lap or theirfood. Its economy sponding to the latter end of November and part of Decem- is evidently great. So full of crevices are the houses, that ber, with a fire burning on the hearth before him. This an op, n fireplace must consume a great quantity of fuel answers to the state of the wveather at Aleppo, where, as "and then almost fail of warming even the air in its inmeRussel informs us, the most delicate people make no fires diate vicinity. The tandoor, heated once, or at the most till the end of- November. The Europeans, resident in twice, in twenty-four hours by a small quantity of fuel, Syria, he observes in a note, continue them till March; the keeps one spot continually warm for the relief of all numb people of the country, seldom longer than February; but fingers and frozen toes."-Busn. fires are occasionally made in the wet seasons, not only in M elarcl, but in April also, and would be acceptable, at the Ver. 30. Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoigardens, sometimes even in May. Dr. Pocoke, in his jour- akim king of Judah: He shall have none to si:; ney to Jerusalem, being conducted by an Arab to his tent, upon the throne of David: and his dead body found his wife and family warming themselves by the fireast out in the day to the heat, and ir on the seventeenth of March; and on the eighth of May, he was treated with a fire to warm him, by the governor of the night to the frost. CHAP. 37. JEREMIAH. 501 It may not be improper here to remark upon the wisdom judges dwell. As the governor and Irovost of a town, or and goodness of God displayed in the temperature of an the captain of the watch, imprisoned such as are accused in oriental sky. The excessive heats of the day, which are their own houses, they set apart a canton of it for that pursometimes incommodious, even in the depth of winter, are pose, when they are put into these offices, and choose for compensated and rendered consistent with animal and the jailer the most proper person they can find of their vegetable life, by a corresponding degree of coolness in the domestics. night. The patriarch Jacob takes notice of this fact, in his Sir John supposes the prison in which Joseph, together with expostulation with Laban: " By day the heat consumed me, the chief butler and chief baker of Pharaoh, Nwas put, was and the frost by night." Mr. Bruce, in like manner, fre- in Potiphar's own house. But I would apply this account quently remarks in his journey through the deserts of Se- to the illustration of another passage of scripture: "xW'here-.aar, where the heat of the day was almost insupportable, fore," it is said, Jer. xxxvii. 15, "the princes were wroth that the coldness of the night was very great. When Rau- with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in wolf travelled on the Euphrates, he was wont to wrap him- the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that self up in a frieze coat in the nighttime, to defend him- the prison." H.-ere we see a dwelling-house was made a self from the frost and dew, which, he observes, are very prison; and the house of an eminent person, for it was the frequent and violent there. Thevenot traversed the very house of a scribe, which title marks out a person of qualfields where Jacob tended the flocks of Laban; and he ity: it is certain it does so in some places of Jeremiah, found the heats of the day so intense, that although he wore particularly ch. xxxvi. 12, " Then he went down into the upon his head a large black handkierchief after the manner king's house into the scribe's chamber,, and lo, all the of the Orientals wheni they travel, yet, his forehead was princes sat there, even Elisharna the scribe, and Delaiah," frequently so scorched, as to swell exceedingly, and ac- &c. The making the house of Jonathan the prison, would tually to suffer excoriation; his hands being more exposed not now, in the East, be doing him any dishonour, or occato the burning sun, were continually parched;* and he sion the looking upon him in a mean light; it would rather learned front experience, to sympathize with the toil-worn mark out the placing him in an office of importance. It is shepherd of the East. In Europe, the days and nights re- probable it was so anciently, and that his house became a semble each other, with respect to the qualities of heat and prison, when Jonathan was made the royal scribe, and becold; but if credit be due to the representations of Chardin, came, like the chamber of Elishama, one of the prisons of it is quite otherwise in oriental climates. In the Lower the people. —HAIMER. Asia, particularly, the day is always hot; and as soon as the sun is fifteen degrees above the horizon, no cold is felt in Ver. 21. Then Zedekiah the'king commanded the depth of winter itself: on the contrary, the nights are that they should commit Jeremiah into the as cold as at Paris in the month of March. It is for this reason, that in Turkey and Persia they always used furred that they should give habits in the country, such only being sufficient to resist him daily a piece of bread out of the baklers' the cold of the night. Chardin travelled in Arabia -and street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Mesopotamia, the scene of Jacob's adventures, both in win- Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the ter and in summer, and attested on his return the truth of what the patriarch asserted, that he was scorched with heat prison. in the day, and stiffened with cold in the night. This dif- In primitive times, an oven was designed only to serve ference in' the state of the air in twenty-four hours, is in a single family, and to bake for them no more than the some places extremely great, and according to that respect- bread of one day; a custom which still continues in some able traveller, not conceivable by those who have not seen places of the East; but the increase of opulation in the it; one would imagine, they had passed in a moment from cities, higher degrees of refinement, or other causes in the the violent heats of summer to the depth of winter. Thus progress of time, suggested the establishment of public it has pleased a beneficent Deity to temper the heat of the bakehouses. They seem to have been introduced into Juday by the coolness of the night, without which, the great- den long before the captivity; for the prophet Jeremiah est part of the East would be a parched and steril desert,the bakers' street," in the most familir manner, equally destitute of vegetable and animal life. This ac- as a place well known. This, however, might be only a count is confirmed by a modern traveller. When Camp- temporary establishment, to supply the wants of the solbell was passing through Mesopotamia, he sometimes lay diers assembled from other places, to defend Jerusalem. at night out in the open air, rather than enter a town; on If they received a daily allowance of bread, as is the pracwhich occasions, he says,:' I found the weather as piercing tice still in some eastern countries, from the royal balkecold, as it was distressfully hot in the daytime." The same houses, the order of the king to give the prophet daily a difference between the days and nights, has been observed piece of bread, out of the street where they were erected, on the Syrian bank of the Euphrates; the mornings are in the same manner as the defenders of the city, was percold, and the days intensely hot. This difference is dis- fectly natural. The custom alluded to still maintains its tinctly marked in these words of the prophet: " Therefore, ground at Algiers, where the unmarried soldiers receive thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim, king of Judah: he shall thus e Loevery day from the public bakehouses a certain number of have none to sit upon the throne of David; and his dead body loaves. Pitts indeed asserts, that the Algerines have pus shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to lie bakehouses for the accommodation of the whole city. the frost." So just and accurate are the numerous allusions The women prepare their dough at home, and the balrers of scripture to the natural state of the oriental regions; and send their boys about the streets, to give notice of their' so necessary it is tostudy with care the natural history of being ready to receive and carry it to the bakehouses.; those celebrated and interesting countries, to enable us to They bake their cakes every day, or every other day, and ascertain with clearness and precision, the meaning, or to give the boy who brings the bread home, a piece or little discern the beauty and force of numerous passages of the cake for the baking, which is sold by the balcer. Small as sacred volume. —PAxToN. the eastern loaves are,, it appears from this account, that they give a piece of one only to the baker, as a reward for CHAPTER XXXVII. his trouble. This will perhaps illustrate Ezekiel's account Ver. 15. Wherefore the princes were wroth with of the false prophets receiving pieces of bread by way Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison of gratuities: " And will ye pollute me among my people, for handfuls of barley, and pieces'of bread?" These are in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they compensations still used in the East, but of the meanest had made that the prison. kind, and for services of the lowest sort. —PAx'roN. The bazars at Ispahan are very extensive, and it is The treatment of those that are shut up in the eastern possible to walk under cover in them for two or three miles prisons differs from our usages, but serves to illustrate sev- together. The trades are here collected in separate bodies eral passages of scripture. Chardin relates several circum- which make it very convenient to purchasers; and, indeed stances concerning their prisons, which are curious, and we may from analogy suppose the same to have been the should not be omitted. In the first place, he tells us that case from the most ancient times, when we consider the the eastern prisons are not public buildings erected for that command of Zedekiah to feed Jeremiah from the bakers' purpose; but a part of the house in which their criminal street.-MORIER. 502 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 38-43 CHAPTIER XXXVIII. of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also Ver. 6. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Ham- Judah. 7. Moreover, he put out Zedekiah's melezh, that was in the court of the prison: eyes, and boind him with chains, to carry him and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And to Babylon. in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. By an inhuman custom, which is still retained in the East, the eyes of captives taken in war are not only put out There were two prisons in Jerusalem; of which one but sometimes literally scooped or dug out of their sockets. was called the king's, prison, which had a lofty tower that This dreadful calamity Samson had to endure, from the overlooked the royal palace, with a spacious court before mIrelenting vengeance of his enemies. In a posterior age it', where state prisoners were confined. The other was Zedekiah, the last king of Judah and Benjamin, after bedesigned to secure debtors and other inferior offenders: ing compelled to behold the violent death of his sons and and in both these the prisoners were supported by the pub- nobility, had his eyes put out, and was carried in chains to lie, on bread and water. Suspected persons were some- Babylon. Thbarbarous custom long survived the decline times confined under the custody of state officers, in their and fall of the Babylonian empire, for by the testimony of own houses; or rather a part of the house which was oc- Mr. Maurice, in his History of Hindostan, the captive cupied by the great officers of state, was occasionally con- princes of that country were often treated in this manner, verted into a prison. This seems to be a natural conclusion by their more fortunate rivals; a red-hot iron was passed fromn the statement of the prophet Jeremiah, in which he over their eyes, which effectually deprived them of sight gives an account of his imprisonment: " Wherefore, the and at the same time of their title and ability to reign.princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put PAXTON. him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison." This custom, so different CHAPTER XLI. from the manners of our country, has descended to mod- Ver. 5. That there came certain from Shechem, ern times; for when Chardin visited the East, their pris- from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore ons were not public buildings erected for that purpose, but, men, having their beards shaven, and their as in the days of the prophet, a part of the house in which their criminal judges reside. "As the governor, orprovost cut themselves, with of a town," says our traveller, " or the captain of the watch, offerings and incense in their hand, to bring imprison such as are accused, in their own houses, they them to the house of the LoRD. set apart a canton of them for that purpose, when they are put into these offices, and choose for the jailer, the most See on 1 Kings 18. 28. proper person they can find of their domestics." The royal prison in Jerusalem, and especially the dungeon, into which Ver. 8. But ten men were found among them the prisoner was let down naked, seems to have been a that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for re most dreadful place. The latter cannot be better described, have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barthan in the words of Jeremiah himself, who for his faithfulness to God and his country, in a most degenerate age, ley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, had to encounter all its horrors: " Then took they Jere- and slew.them not among their brethren. miah, and cast him into the dungeon that was in the court of the prison; and they let him down with cords; and in See on Job 27. 18. the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and his feet This refers to stores they had concealed, as is clear from sunk in the mire." A discretionary power was given to the mentioning of " the oil and honey." During the time the keeper, to treat his prisoners as he pleased; all that was of the Kandian war many prisoners received lenient treatexpected of him being only to produce them when required. ment, because of the assurance that they had treasures If he kept them in safe custody, he might treat them well hid in the field, and that they should be the property of or ill as he chose; he might put them in irons or not; shut their keepers. In some cases there can be no doubt there them up close, or indulge them with greater liberty; admit were large sums thus acquired by certain individuals. — their friends and acquaintances to visit them, or suffer no RoBERTS. person to see them. The most worthless characters, the most atrocious criminals, if they can bribe the jailer and CHAPTER XLII. his servants with large fees, shall be lodged in his own Ver. 2. And said unto Jeremiahl the prophet, Let, apartment, and have the best accommodation it can afford; we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted but if he be the enemy of those committed to his charge, before thee, and pray for us unto the LO or have received larger presents from their persecutors, he and pray for us unto the LORD thy will treat them in the most barbarous manner.-PAXToN. God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us.) Ver. 7. Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's The margin has this, " Let our supplication FALL before house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the thee." "0 my lord," saysthe suppliant, "let myprayersbe dungeon: the kingfl then sitting in tihe gate of prostrate at your feet." " O forget not my requests, but let them ever surround your feet." " Allow my supplications Benjamin. to lie before you.'" " Ah! give but a small place for my The possession of black eunuchs is not very common in prayers." "At your feet, my lord, atyour feet, my lord, the Levant; they are hardly anywhere to be found, ex- are all my requests."-RoBERTS. cept in the palaces of the sovereign or of the branches of the royal family.'When the Baron De Tott's wife and mother-in-law were permitted to visit Asma Sultana, daugh-. Ver. 9. Take great stones in thy hand, and hide ter of the Emperor Achmet, and sister of the reigning the prince, lie tells us, that " at the opening of the third gate of her palace, several black eunuchs presented themselves, the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in who, with each a white staff in his hand, preceded the the sight qf the men of Judah. visiters, leading them to a spacious apartment, called the chamber of strangers." He adds, that to have such atten- If their bricks, in those hot and dry countries, are in dants is a piece of great state, as the richest people have general only dried in the sun, not burnt, there is some not more than one or two of them.-HARMER. reason to be doubtful whether the Hebrew word lain vsalben "U ~CHAPTER XXX IX. signifies a brick-kiln, as multitudes besides our translators Ver.T6.Thn theking ofBabylonslewthesns have supposed. The bricks used in the construction of Ver. 6. Then the lkin(g of Babylon slew the sons the Egyptian canals, must have been well burnt: those CHAP. 43-46. JEREMIAH. 500 dried in the sun could have lasted no time. But bricks for. son or wife, or any friend with whom he thinks himself this use could not have been often wanted. They were fortunate, he will call for one of them on that night, and, not necessary for the building those treasure cities which after looking at the new moon, will steadfastly look at the are me.xioned Exod. i.'11. One of the pyramids is built face of the individual. But if there be no person of that with sun-dried bricks, which Sir J. Chardin tells us are du- description present, he will look at his white cloth, or a rable, as well as accommodated to the temperature of the air piece of gold.-ROBERTS. there; which last circumstance is, I presume, the reason they are in such common use in these very hot countries. CHAPTER XLVI. There must then be many places used in the East for the Ver. 4. Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemaking bricks, where there are no kilns at all; and such men, and stand forth with your helmets; ura place, I apprehend, the word a:sn malben signifies; and it should seem to be the perpetual association of a kiln, and bish the spears, and put on the brigandines. of the places where bricks are made, with us in the West, that has occasioned the word to be translated brick-kiln. A piece of defensive armour used in early times, was The interpretation I have given best suits Jer. xliii. 9. the breastplate orcorsle: with this Goliath was accoutred; The smoke of the brick-kiln, in the neighbourhood of a but in our version the original term is rendered a coat of royal Egyptian palace, would not have agreed very well mail; and in the inspired account of the Jewish armour, with the eastern cleanliness and perfumes.-HARMER it is translated habergeon. It was between the joints of this harness (for so we render it in that passage) that Ahab reVer. 12. And I will kindle a fire in the houses ceived his mortal wound by an arrow shot at a venture. of th god of Egypl ndlhe saie brn To this species of armour the prophet Isaiah alludes; where of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, the same Hebrew word is used as in the preceding texts, and carry them away captives: and he shall but is here rendered breastplate; and in the prophecies of array himself with the land — of Egypt, as a Jeremiah it is translated brigandine. From the use of these shepherd putteth on his garrmenet: and he shall various terms, in translating the Hebrew term (l:,v) shirion, Cr fort from thace in peacit seems to have covered both the back and breast of the go forth from thence in peace. warrior, but was probably intended chiefly for the defence l' of the latter, and, by consequence, took its name from that The deserts that lie between Egypt and Syria are at this circumstance.-PAxToN. day terribly infested by the wild Arabs. "In travelling along the seacoast of Syria, and from Suez to Mount Sinai,' Ver. 11. Go up into Gilead and talke balm, O virsays-Dr. Shaw, " we were in little or no danger of being gin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou robbed or insulted; in the Holy Land, and upon the isth-r Xot be mus between Egypt and the Red Sea, our conductors cannot be too numerous." He then goes on to inform us, cured. that when he went from Ramah to Jerusalem, though the pilgrims themselves were more than six thousand, and Physiciansin England would be perfectly astonished at were escorted by four bands of Turkish infantry, exclusive the numerous kinds of medicine which are administered of three or four hundred spahees, (cavalry,) yet were they to a patient. The people themselves are unwilling to take most barbarously insulted and beaten by the Arabs. one kind for long together, and I have known a sick This may lead us, perhaps, to the true sense of the pre-woman swallow ten different sorts in one day. Should a ceding words, "And he shall array himself with the land patient, when about to take his medicine, scatter or spill of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment." It si the least quantity, nothing ill induce him to take the rest; nifies, that just as a person appearing to be a shepherd, it is a bad omen; he must have the nostrum changed.passed unmolested in common by the wild Arabs; so Nebu- OBERTS. chadnezzar, by his subduing Egypt, shall induce the Arab tribes to suffer him to go out of that'country unmolested, Ver. 25. The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel the possession of Egypt being to him what a shepherd's saith, Behold, I will punish the multitude of garment was to a single person: for though, upon occasion, No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, the Arabs are not afraid to affront the most powerful prin- and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them ces, it is not to be -imagined that conquest and power have no effect upon them. Tiey that dwell in the wildlerness, (says trust i him. the Psalmist, referring to these Arabs,) shall bow before iir o, or No-Amon or Amn of (Jer. xlvi. 5, maiwhom he' has described immediately before, he having do-,or No-Amen, or Amon of No, (Jer. xlvi. 25, mariminion fro sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the nal reading,) was the metropolis of Upper Egypt, by the earth, and which he unquestionably supposes was the great Greek geographers termed Thebes, a city eminently disinducemaent which he un qutesto that submission. was the grea tinguished for the worship of Jupiter, who by the Egyptians inducement to that submission. Thus the Arab that wvas chared with the care of con- -was called Amon or Ammon; hence the city received the ducti Dr. PocockeA to Jerusalem, after secretiagr him for appellation of Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter. The gran-: ducting Dr. Pococke to Jerusalem, after secreting him for some time in his tent, when he took him out into the fields, deur of ancient Thebes must now be tracedin the fou to walk there, put on hi his striped garment small towns or hamlets of Luxor, Karnak, Medinet-Abou, to walk there, put on him his striped garment; apparently and Gournou. Karnak is regarded by the most accurate for his security, and that he might pass for an Arab. So rned y the most accurate DArviux when he was sent by the consul of Sidon to modern travellers as the principal site of Diospolis; and the camp of the grand emir, equipped himself for the great- the Egyptians seem to have called forth all the resources of er security exactly like an )Arab, and accordingly passed wealth, and all the efforts of art, in order to render it worunmolested, and unquestioned.-BURDER. thy of their supreme divinity. The great temple at Karnak has twelve principal enCHAPTER XLIV. trances; each of which is composed of several propyla and colossal gateways, besides other buildings attached to Ver. 17. But we will certainly do whatsoever them, in themselves larger than most other temples. One thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn of the propyla is entirely of granite, adorned with the most incense u~nto the queen of heaven, and to pour finished hieroglyphics. On each side of many of them. there have been colossal statues of basalt and granite, from out dritik-offerings unto her, as we have done, twenty to thirty feet in heiht, some of which arn the we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, attitude of sitting, while others are standing erect. A ill the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jeru- double range of colossal sphinxes extends across the plain salem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and from the temple at Luxor, (a distance of nearly two miles,) u'hich terminates at Karnak in a most magnificent gatewere well, and saw no evil. way, fifty feet in height, which still remains unimpaired. From this gateway the great temple was approached by an When the new moon is first seen, the people present their avenue of fifty lofty columns, one of which only now remains, hands in the sanle form of adoration, and take off:the tur- leading to a vast propylon in front of the portico. The ban, a, they do to other gods. If a person have a favourite interior of this portico presents a coup d'ail, which sur 504 JEREMIA H.,2,IHAP. 47. passes any other that is to be found among the remains of is the ever-ready purveyor of evcaence in all the cases which Egyptian architecture. Twelve columns, sixty feet high, came within the range of his topographical description of and of a beautiful order, form an avenue through the centre the wide field of prophecy-while, at the same time, from his of the building, like the nave of a Gothic cathedral, and known, open and zealous hostility to the Christian cause, they are flanked on each side by sixty smaller ones, ranged his testimony is alike decisive and unquestionable: and the in six rows, which are seen through the intervals in end- vindication of the truth of the following predictions may less perspective. The walls are covered with bas-reliefs safely be committed to this redoubted champion of infidelity. of a similar character with those found in the other ancient "The seacoasts shall be dwellings and cottages for shepEgyptian temples. herds, and folds for flocks. The remnant of the Philistines In an open space beyond the portico there were four shall perish. Baldness is come upon Gaza; it shall be forobelisks, two only of which are now standing. One of saken. The king shall perish from Gaza. I will cut off these, according to Capt. C. F. Head, has a base of eight the inhabitants from Ashdod. Ashkelon shall be a desolafeet square, and rises to a height of eighty feet, and is form- tion, it shall be cut off with the remnant of the valley; it ed of a single block of granite. The hieroglyphics, which shall not be inhabited." " In the plain between Ramla and are beautifully wrought, are supposed to record the succes- Gaza" (the very plain of the Philistines along the seacoast) sion of Pharaohs who reigned over Egypt. From the most "we met with a number of villages badly built, of dried ancient rulers of the land to the Ptolemies, almost every mud, and which, likre the inhabitants, exhibit every mark king, except the Persian, has his name recorded in this of poverty and wretchedness. The houses, on a nearer temple. But it was said, "the sceptre of Egypt shall depart view, are only so many huts (cottages) sometimes detached, away," (Zech. x. 11 ii;) and, as if in direct fulfilment of at others ranged in the form of cells round a courtyard, the prophecy, the portion of the rocky tables that was to enclosed by a mud wall.' In winter, they and their cattle have been occupied by the names of others of its royal line, may be said to live together, the part of the dwelling allotted has been shattered, and (it has been conjectured) by no ~to themselves being only raised two feet above that in which human hand. they lodge their beasts"-(dwellings and scotlagcs for shepThe most interesting of the sculptured ornaments in this herds, and folds for flocs.) "Except the environs of these temple, Capt. Hiead states, are on the northwest, where villages, all the rest of the country is a desert, and abanthere are battle scenes, with innumerable figures of milita- doned to the Bedouin Arabs, who feed their flocks on it.' ry combatants using bows and arrows, spears and buclklers, The remnant shall perish; the land of the Philistines shall of prostrate enemies, of war chariots and horses. The fiery be destroyed, that there shall be no inhabitant, and the seaaction and elegant shape of the steeds are remarkable. On coasts shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and the exterior walls of the southwest corner of the portico, folds for flocks. are depicted other victories, which are conjectured to be "The ruins of white marble sometimes found at Gaza those of the Egyptians over the Jews. prove that it was formerly the abode of luxury and opuThe field of ruins at Karnak is about a mile in diame- lence. It has shared in the general destruction; and, notter. Dr. Richardson conjectures that the whole of this space withstanding its proud title of the capital of Palestine, it is was once, in the prouder days of Thebes, consecrated en- now no more than a defenceless village," (baldness has come tirely to the use of the temple. There are evidences of vpon it,) "peopled by, at most, only two thoustrd inhaLt, walls considerably beyond this, which probably enlarged ants." It is forsaken anzd bereaved of its hueg. "1The seathe city in its greatest extent; but,' after the seat of govern- coast, by which it was iformerly washed, is every day rement had been withdrawn, the capital removed to another moving farther from the deserted r'uinbs of Aslhkelon." It spot, and the tradp transferred to another mart, the inhab- shall be a desolation. Ashkelon shall;not be ilhabited. "Amid itants narrowed the circuit of their walls, and placed their the various successive ruins, those of Edzcud, (Ashdod,) so houses within the lines of the sacred confines. powerful under the Philistines, are now remarkable for Such is the mass of disjointed fragments collected to- their scorpions." The inhabitaqtts shaltl be cult o fromn Ashgether in these magnificent relics of ancient art, that dod. Although the Christian traveller must yield the palm more than human power would appear to have caused the to Voln'ey, as the topographer of prophecy, and although overthrow of the strongholds of superstition. Some have supplementary evidence be not requisite, yet a place is here imagined that the ruin was caused by the instantaneous willingly given to the following just observations. concussion of an earthquake. Whether this conjecture be "Ashkelon was one of the proudest'satrapies of the lords well founded or erroneous, the divine predictions against of the Philistines;'now there is not an inhabitant within its Egypt have been literally accomplished. "The land of walls; and the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled.'The Egypt" has been made "desolate and waste;" "judgments" king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhave been executed "in No," whose "multitude" has been habited.' When the prophecy was uttered, both cities were' cut off;" and No Is RENT ASUNDER. (Ezek. xxix. 9. xxx. in an equally flourishing condition; and nothing but the 14, 15, (;.)HORsNE. prescience of Heaven could pronounce on which of the two, and in what manner, the vial of its wsirath should be CHAPTER XLVII. poured out. Gaza is truly without a king. The lofty towers Ver. 5,. Baldness is come upon GIaza: Ashkelon of Ashlkelon lie scattered on the ground, and the ruins within its walls do not shelter a human being. Iow is the is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how wrath of man made to praise his Creator' Hath ie not 0long0' wilt thou cut thyself? said, and shall he not do it The oracle was delivered by the mouth of the prophet more than five hundred years beSee on 1 Kings 18. 28. fore the Christian era, and we beheld its accomplishment The land of the Philistines was to be destroyed. It par- eighteen hundred years after that event." Cogent and just takes of the general desolation common to it with Judea, as the reasoning is, the facts stated by Volney give wider and other neighbouring states. While ruins are to be -scope for an irresistible argument. The fate of oniie city is found in all Syria, they are particularly abundant along not only distinguished from that of another; but thte varied the seacoast, which formed, on the south, the realm of the aspect of the counti'y itself, the dwellings and cottages for Philistines. But its aspect presents some existing pecu- shepherds in one part, and that very region named, the rest liarities, which travellers fail not to, particularize, and of the land destroyed and uninhabited, a desert, and abanwhich, in reference both to the state of the country, and the doned to the flocks of the wandering Arabs; Gaza, bereaved fate of its different cities, the prophets failed not to discrimi- of a king, a defenceless village, destitute of all its fortificanate as justly as if their description had been drawn both lions; Ashkelon, a desolation, and withont an inhabitant; with all the accuracy which ocular observation and all the the inhabitants also cut off from Ashdod, as reptiles tenantcertainty which authenticated history could give. And the ed it instead of men-form in each instance a specific preauthority so often quoted may here be again appealed to. diction, and a recorded fact, and present such a view of the Volney, (though, like one who in ancient times was instru- existing state of Philistia as renders it difficult to determine, mental to the falfilment of a special prediction, "he meant from the strictest accordance that prevails between both, not so. neither did his heart think so,") from the manner in whether the inspired penman or the defamer of scripture which li he gene: alizes his observations, and marks the pecu- give the more vivid description. Nor is there any obsculiar features of the different districts of Syria, with greater rity whatever in any one of the circumstances, or in any acuteness and perspicuity than any other traveller whatever, part of the proof. The coincidence is too glarin g, even fot CH AP. 48. JEREMIA H. 505 wilful blindness not to discern; and to all the least versed hosts, the God of Israel, Wo unto Nebo! for it in general history the priority of the predictions to the is is conuned a predctios tothe is spoiled; Kiriath-Aim scnone m events is equally obvious. And such was the natural fertility en; ia is confounded and of the country, and such was the strength and celebrity of taken; Misgab is confounded and dismayed. the cities, that no conjecture possessing the least shadow of 2. There shall be no more praise of Moab: in plausibility can be formed in what manner any of these Heshbon they have devised evil aoainst it events could possibly have been thought of, even for manyei a n centuries after the "vision andprophecy" were sealed. After come, and let us cut it off from bation: that period Gaza defied the power of Alexander the Great, also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the and withstood fobr two months a hard-pressed siege. The sword shall pursue thee. army with which he soon afterward overthrew the Persian empire having there, as well as at Tyre, been checked or The land of Moab lay to the east and southeast of Jdea, n ~~~~~~~~~~~~The land of Moab lay to the east and southeast of Judea, delayed in the first flush of conquest, and he himself having and bordered on the east, northeast, and partly on the been twice wounded in desperate attempts to storm the city, south, by the Dead Sea. Its early history is nearly analottie proud and enraged king' of Macedon, with all the the proud and enraged kin of Macedon, with all the gous to that of Ammon; and the soil, though perhaps more cruelty of a brutish heart, and boasting of- himself as a diversified, is, in places where the desert an plains divesifedis, in m~any plcsweetedesert and plains second Achilles, dragged at his chariot-wheels the intrepid ofsaheac i ts bore of salt have not encroached on its borders, of equal fertiligeneral who had defended it, twice around the walls of ty There are manifest and abundant vestiges of its anGaza. Ashkelon was no less celebrated for the excellence entreatness. "Thewholeoftheplainsarecoveredwith cient greatness. "LThe whole of the plains are covered with of its wines than for the strength of its fortifications. And the sites of towns, o every eminence or spot convenient for the sites of towns, on every eminence or spot convenient for of Ashdod it is related by an eminent ancient historian, not the construction of one. And as the land is capable of rich only that it was a g reat city, but that it withstood the longest ulivation, there can be no doubt that the oury now so b ~~~~~~~~~~cultivation, there can be no doubt that, the country now so siege recorded in history, (it may also be said either of prior deserted once presented a continued picture of plenty and or of later date,) having been besieged for the space of fertility." The form of fields is still visible; and there Zn ~~~~~fertility." The form of fields is still visible; and there twenty-nine years by Psymatticus, king of Egypt. Strabo, wnty-nine years by Psymatticus, kin of Egypt. tro, are the remains of Roman highways, which in some places after the commencement of the Christian era, classes its are comletely paved, and on which there are milestones of citiens mon thechif inabitntsof Sria Eac ofare completely paved, and on which there are milestones of citizens amng the chief inhabitants of yria. Each of the times of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Severus, with these cities, Gaza, Ashkelon, and. Ashdod, was the See of the number of the miles legible upon them. Wherever a Bishop from the days of Constantine to the invasion of any spot is cultivated, the corn is luxuriant: and the riches the Saracens. And, as a decisive proof of their existence of the soil cannot perhaps bemore clearly illustrated than as cities long subsequent to the delivery of the predictions, by the fact, that one gran of eshbon wheat eceds in y ~~~~by the fact, that one grain of Heshbon wheat exceeds in it may further be remarked, that different coins of each of dimensions two of the ordinary sort, and more than double dimensions two ofthe ordinary ot and more than double the.e very cities are extant, and are copied and described the nmber of grains grow on the stalk. The frequency, I ~~~~~~~the number of grains grow on the stalk. The frequency, in several accounts of ancient cotns. The once princely and almost, in many instances, the close vicinity of the magnificence of Gaza is still attested by the "ruins of white sites of te ancient towns, prove that the population of 0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~sites of the'ancient towns, "prove that the population of.marble;" and the house of the present aga is composed of the country was formerly proportioned to its natural fertilifragments of ancient columns, cornices, &c.; and in the ty" Such evidence may surely sice to prove, that the 0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ty." Such evidence may surely suffice to prove, that the courtyard, and immured in the wall, are shafts and capitals country was well cultivated and peopled at a period so on0 of granite col umns. I ~~~~~~-sof granite cd folumrsnsp r posterior to the date of the predictions, that no cause less In short, cottages for shepherds, ac fols for/~locks, par- than supernatural could have existed at the time when they tially scattered along the seacoast, are now truly the best tialy scttered a the seacost, ae Ho truly the best were delivered, which could have authorized the assertion, substitutes for populous cities that the once powerful realm with the least probability or apparent ossibilit of its trutt, of Philistia can produce; and the s'esnnant of' that land that Moab would ever a en il o t tt that oab ouldever have been reduced to that state ol which gave titles and grandeur to the lords of' the Philis- rent and permanent desolatio n rwhich it has contined tins i detroed.Gaa. he hie ofit sarapes,11 hegreat and permanent desolation in which it has continued tines is deStrl/ed. Ga'za, the chief of its satrapies, "te for so many ages, and which vindicates and ratifies to this abode of luxurv and opulence," now bereaved of its kincgr, hour the truth of the scriptural prophecies. and bald of all its fortifications, is the defenceless residence And the cities of Moab have all disappeared. Their of a subsidiary ruler of a devastated province; and, in kin- place, together with the adjoining part of Idumea, is chaired degradation, ornaments of its once splendid edifices racterize, in the map ofVolney'sTravels, by e is n~ ~~~~~~~~ I' racterized, in the map of Volney's.Travels, by the f'~is of. are now bedded in a wall that forms an enclosure for beasts. towns. His information respecting these ruins was derived A handful of men could now take unobstructed possession from some of the wandering Arabs; and' its accuracy has of that place, w\here.,p[ strong city opposed the entrance, and r of that lace, werea stron city opposd the entrance, and been fully corroborated by the testimony of different Eurodefied, for a time, the power of the conqueror of the world. pean travellers ofhigh respectability an undoubted veracity, The walls, the dwellings, and the people of Asheclon, have who have since visited this devastated region. The whole all perished: and though its name was in the time of the country abounds with ruins. And Burckhardt, who enb ~~~~~~~~country abounds with ruins. And Burckhardt, who encrusades shouted in triumph throughout every land in E ucrusade shouted in trimph throuhot every land in Eu- countered many difficulties in so desolate and dangerous a rope, it is now literally witlioct an inhlabitant. IAnd Asihdod, land, thus records the brief history of a few of them: " The which withstood a siege treble the duration of that of Troy, ruins of Eleale, Heshbon, Meon, Medaba, Dibon, Aroer, and thus outrivalled far the boast of Alexander at Gaza, still subsist to illustrate the history of the Beni Israel." has, in verification of" the word of God, which is sharper Ad it miht with eqal truth havebeen added, that they And it mighit with equal truth have'been added, that they than any two-edtged sword," been met o.r, and has fallen be-ri. than any two-edgad iword," bedn et of, and has fallen be- still subsist to confirm the inspiration of the Jewish scrip.. fore it to nothin-". ture, or to prove that the seers of Israel were the prophets There is yet another city which was noted by the pro- of God, for the desolation of each of these very cities was phets, the very want of any information respecting which, the theme of a prediction. Every thin orthy of obervaandtheahsenc ofitsnam frm sverl noden bmap ofthe theme of a prediction. Every thin g worthy of observaand the absence of its name from several modern maps of tion respecting them has been detailed, not only in Burektion respecting them has been detailed, not only' in BurekPalestine, while the'sites of other ruined cities are marked, hardt's Travels in Syria, but also by Seetzen, and, more are real!v the best confirmation of the truth of the prophecy recently, by Captains Irby and Manles'-who, along with hat could possibly br e y ains, along with that could possibly be given. Eih~ron shall be r'ooted nep. It Mr. Banks and Mr. Legh, visited this deserted district. is rooted up. It was one of the chief cities of the Philis- The predicted judgment has fallen with such truth upon tines; but though Gaza still subsists, and while Ashkelon these cities, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab far and Ashdod. retain their names in their ruins, the very and near, an they are so utterly boen dow, that even the name of -Ekron. is missing'. The wonderful contrast in adnaadte r outrybo-v on htee h name of' Ekron is missing. The oderful contrast in prying curiosity of such indefatigable travellers could diseach particular, whether in respect to the land or to the g a multiplicity of ruins only a few remains so cover among a multiplicity of ruins only a few remains so cities of the Philistines, is the exact counterpart of the liteial tire as be worthy of particular notice. The subjoined entire as to be worthy of particular notice. The subjoi-ned prediction; and having the testimony of Volhey to all the description is drawn from their united testimony.-Among facts, and also indisputable evidence of the great priority the ruins of El Aal (Eleale) are a number of lare cisterns, of the predictions to the events, what more complete or fragments of buildings, and foundations of houses. At clearer proof could there be that each and all of them Heshban (Heshbon) are the ruins of a large ancient town, emanated fromt the prescience of Heaven? —KEiTin (eho)aeterin falreacettw emanated fro e prescience of Heae -KE. together with the remains of a temple, and some edifices. A ~CHAPTER XL ~VII~I. few broken shafts of columns are still standing; and thei'e are a number of deep wells cut in the rock. The ruins of Ver. 1. Against Moab thus saith the LORD of M1edaba are about two miles in circumference; There are 64 506 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 48. many remains of the walls of private houses constructed is the word of God, and not of erring man, which can so with blocks of silex, but not a single edifice is standing. well and so triumphantly abide it. ThLey shall cry of Moab, The chief object of interest is an immense tank or cistern How0 is it broken down1 —KEITH. of hewn stones, "which, as there is no stream at Medaba," CC -li stil be of' Burckhardt remarks, might st ill be of use to the Bedouins, Ver. 8. And the spoiler shall come upon every were the surrounding ground cleared of the rubbish to al- city, and no city shall escape; the valley also low the water to flow into it; but such an undertaking is far shal perish, and the plain shall be detroyed shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, beyond the views of the wanderirin Arabs." There is also the foundation of a temple built with large stones, and appa- as the LoRD hath spoken. rently of great antiquity, with two columns near it. The ruins of Diban (Dibon) situated in the midst of a fine plain, Moab has often been a field of contet between the Arab are of considerable extent, but present nothing of interest. and Turks; and although the former have retained pos r-> ~~session of it, both have mutually reduced it to desolation The neighbouring hot wells, and the similarity of the name, session ofit, both have mutually reduced it to desolatIon identify the ruins of Mvoun with i3!eon, or Beth Meon of The different tribes of Arabs who traverse it, not only bear a scripture. Of this ancient city, as well as of Araayr scripture. Ofi~ this ancient c:ity, as well as of Arnayr permanent and habitual hostility to Christians and to Turks, (Aroe,) nothing is no remarable but what is common ut one tribe is often at variance and at war with another; (Aroer,) nothing is now remark~able but what is common to them with all the cities of Moab-,-their entire desolation. aid the regular cultivation of the soil, or the improvement The extent of the ruins of Rbb (Rabbath Moab,) ormer- of those natural advantages of which the country is so full, y the residxtence of the kings of Mboab, suficiently proves isa matter either never thought of, or that cannot be realty the residence of the kings of Moab, sufficiently proves _ its ancient importance, thoughtoo other object can be parits ancient importance, thoughno other oject can be par- ized. Property is there the creature of power, and not of ticularized among the. ruins except the remains of a palace law and possession forms no security when plunder is the Zn e ~~~~~~~~preferable right. Hence the extensive plains, where they or temple, some of the walls of which are still standing; a preferable riht. Hence the etensive plains, where they gate belonging to another building;, and an insulated altar. are not partially covered with ood, present a barren asn are not partially covered with wood, present a barren asThere are many remains of private buildings, but none en- pect, which is only relieved at intervals by a f clusters tire. There being no springs on the spot, the town had tire. There being no sprinrs on the spot, the town had. of wild fig-trees, that show hdw the richest gifts of nature two birlkets, the largest of which is cut entirely out of the degenerate when unaided by the industry of man. And rocky round, togehe ith may cisterns. Mount Nb instead of the profusion which the plains must have exhibitwrod togpethel ybrre wihemny cistehrnps.e MouverNibo was completely barren when Burckhardt passed over it ed in every quarter, nothing but "patches of the best soil and the site of the ancient city had not been ascertaned in the territory are now cultivated by the rabs; and these in the territory are now cultivated by the Arabs;" and these Nebo is spoiled. only "whenever they have the prospect of being able to ile the ruins of all these cities still retain their an- secure the harvest against the incursions of enemies." cient names, and are the most conspicuous amid the wide he rab herds no roa at feedom over the valleys and the plains an herd o romany freedom offeld hevalosueys form scene of general desolation, aid while each of them was in the plains; and the many vestiges of field enlosuesform like manner particularized in the visions of the prophet not any obstruction; they wander undisturbed around the they yet formed but a small number of the cities of Moab tents of their masters, over the face of the country; and tents of their masters, over the face of the co-untry; and and the rest are also, in similar verification of the prophe- while te lley is eshed, ad te plain destroyed, the cities cies, desolate, withoulot any to dwell therein. None of the an- also of Aroer are forsaken; they are for the flocks which lie cient cities of Moab now exist as tenanted by men. Kerek, down, and none sake them fraid. The strong contrast bewhich neither'bears any resemblance in name to any of which neither bears any resemblance in nae to ny of tween the ancient and the actual state of Moab is exemplithe cities of Moab which are mentioned as existing in the fled in the condition of the inhabitants as ell as of the time of the Israelites, nor possesses any monuments which land; -and the coincidence between the prediction and the,.enote a very remote antiquity, is the only nominal town fact is as strikg in the one case as in the other-KEr. in the whole country, and in the words of Seetzen, who Ver. 1. oab ath been at ease from his t Visited it, " in its present ruined state it can only be called Ve. 11. Moab ath been at ease from his youth, a hamlet::" ".and the houses have only one floor." But the and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not most populous and fertile province in Europe-(especially been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath any situated in the interior of a country like Moab) is not e gone into cativit therefore his taste recovered so thickly with towns as Moab is plentiful in ruins, api ee o hase deserted and desolate though nowit be. Burckhardtenumer- mainedin him, and his scent is not changed. ates about fifty ruined sites within its boundaries, man They frequently pour ine from vessel to vessel in the of them extensive. In general they are a broken down and Theyast frequently pour ine f rom v essel to vessel in the undistinguishable mass of ruins; and many of them. have East: for when they begin one, they are obliged immediately to empty it into, snmaller vessels, or in, to bottles, or not been closely inspected. But, in some instances, there diately to empty it intosaller vesse, or into bottles, or are the remains of temples, sepulchral monuments, the it would ro sour. From the jars, says Dr. Russel, in which the wine ferments, it is drawn off into demql/a*s, ruins of edifices constructed of very lare stones, in one of which the ine ferments, it is dan off into deans, which buildins "so of the stones are tenty feet i which contain perhaps twenty quart bottles; and from those length, abnd so broad o that one constitutes the tnhiclness f into bottles for use: but as these bottles are generally not the wall;" traces of hanging gardens; entire columns we asedthe wine is ofen sour. e more careful lyin on the round, three feet in diameter, and fragments use pint bottles; or half-pint bottles, and cover the surface lying oil the ground, three feet in diameter, and fragments s pith a little s;eet oil.- BURDER. of smaller columns; and many cisterns cut of the rock. — When the towns of Moab existed in their prime, and were Ver. 12. Therefore, behold, the day's come, saith at ease,-when arrogance, and haughtiness, and pride prevailed among them-the desolation and total desertion the LoaD, that I will send unto him wanderers, and abandonment of them all must have utterly surpassed that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty all human conception. And that such numerous cities- his vessels, and break their bottles. which subsisteL for many ages-which were diversified in their sites, some of them being built on eminences, and The Bedouin (wandering) Arabs are now the chief and naturally strong; others on plains, and surrounded by the almost the only inhabitants of a country once studded with richest soil; some situated in valleys by the side of a plen- cities. Traversing the country, and fixing their tents for tiful stream; and others where art supplied the deficien- a short time in one place, and then decamping to another, cies of nature, and where immense cisterns were excavated depasturing every part successively, and despoiling the out of the rock-and which exhibit in their ruins many whole land of its natural produce, they are wanderers who monuments of ancient prosperity, and many remains easily have come up against it, and who keep it, in a state of perpetual convertible into present utility-should have all fled away, desolation. They lead a wandering life; and the only reg-all met the same indiscriminate fate-and be all desolate, ula'rity they know or practice is to act upon a systematic withosut any to dwell therein, notwithstanding all these an- scheme of spoliation. They prevent any from forming a cient assurances of their permanent durability, and their fixed settlement who are inclined to attempt it; for although existing facilities and inducements for being the habitations the fruitfulness of the soil would abundantly repay the laof men-is a matter of just wonder in the present day,- bour of settlers, anti render migration wholly unnecessary, an(i had any other people been the possessors of Moab, the even if the population were increased more than tenfold, fact would eitherhave been totally'impossible or unaccount- yet the Bedouins forcibly deprive them of the means of able. Trying as this test of the truth of prophecy is-that subsistence, com'pel them to search for it elsewhere, and, ChAP. 49. JEREMIAH. 507 in the words of the prediction, literally cause them to wan- will at once perceive the full force of the proof derived der. " It may be remarked generally of' the Bedouins," from experience, and acknowledge that it would be a resays Burckhardt, in describing their extortionsin this very jection of the authority of reason as well as of revelacountry, "that wherever they are the masters of the culti- tion to mistrust the' truth of that prophetic affirmation o:l vators, the latter are soon reduced to beggary by their un- resuscitating and redeeming import, respecting Ammon ceasing demancts."-KEITH. and Moab, which is the last of the series, and which alone now awaits futurity to stamp it with the brilliant and Ver. 27. For was not Israel a derision unto thee? crowning zeal of its testimony. "I will bring again the was he fo~und among thievesl? for since thou captivityof Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. F will spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy. bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith spasi tho fo PYthe Lord. The remnant of my people'shall possess them. See on 1 Kings 18. 28. They shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, Ver. 28. 0 ye that dwell in Moab, leave the the desolations of many generations."-KEITH. cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like.the Ver. 37. For every head shal be bald, andevery dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be, cuthole's mouth.: tings, and upon the loins sackcloth. Where art intervenes not, pigeons build in those hollow The relations of the deceased often testify their sorrow places nature provides for them. A certain city in Africa in a more serious and affecting manner, by cutting' and is called Harnam-et, from the wild pigeons that copiously slashing their naked arms with daggers. To this absurd breed in the adjoining cliffs; and in a curious paper rela- and barbarous custom, the prophet thus alludes: " For ting to Mount,Etna, (Phil. Trans. vol. ix.) which men- every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped; upon tions a number of subterraneous caverns there, one is no- all hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins, sackcloth." ticed as being called by the peasants, La Spelonca della Pa- And again, "Both the great and the small shall die in the!omba, from the wild pigeons building their nests therein. land; they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament (Sol. Song ii. 14.) Though.ZEtna is a burning mountain, for them, nor cut themselves." It seems to have been yet the. cold in these caverns is excessive: this shows that very common in Egypt, and among the people of Israel, pigeons delight in cool retreats, and explains the reason before the age of Moses else he had not forbidden it by an why they resort to mountains which are known to be very express law: "Ye are the children of the Lord your God; cold even in those hot countries. The words of the Psalm- ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between ist, flee as a bird to your mountain, without doubt refer to your eyes' for the dead." Mr. Harmer refers to this custhe flying of doves thither when frightened by the fowler. tom, the " wounds in the hands" of the prophet, which he Dove-houses, however, are very common in the East. Of had given himself, in token of affection to a person.-PAXKefteen, a large village, Maundrell says, there are more TON. dove-cots than other houses. In the southern part. of " We find Arabs," La Roque tells us from D'Arvieux, Egypt, the tops of their habitations are always terminated "who have their arms scarred by the gashes of a knife, by a pigeon-house. Isaiah lx. 8.-HARMER. which they sometimes give themselves, to mark outt to In a general description of the condition of the inhabi- their mistresses what their rigour and the violence of love tants of that extensive desert which now occupies the place make them suffer." From this extract we learn what parof these ancient flourishing states, Volney, in plain but ticular part of the body received these cuttisngs. The scripunmeant illustration of this prediction, remarks, that the ture frequently speaks of them in a more general manner. "wretched peasants live in perpetual dread of losing the -HARMER. fruit of their labours: and no sooner have they gathered in their harvest, than they hasten to secrete it in private places,'Ver. 40. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, he and retire among the rocks which border on the Dead Sea." Towards the opposite extremity of the land of Moab, and at a little distance from its borders, Seetzen re- over Moab. lates, that " there are many families'living in caverns" See on Ezek. 17 8 and he actually designates them "the inhabitants of the rocks." Andat the distance of a few miles from the ruined CHAPTER XLIX. site, of IHeshbon, there are many artificial caves in a large range of perpendicular cliffs-in some of which are cham- eW. 3. Howl, 0 Ieshbon: for Al is spoiled: bers and small sleeping apartments. While the cities are cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird ye with desolate, without any to dwell therein, the rocks are ten- sackcloth: lament, and run to and fi'o by the anted. But whether flocks lie down in the former without hedges: f any to make them afraid, or whether men are to be found dwelling in the latter, and are like the dove that mnaketh and his priests and his princes together. her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth-the wonderful transition, in either case, and the close accordance, in both, The places of burial in the East are without their cities, of the fact to the prediction, assuredly mark it in charac- as well as their gardens, and consequently their going to ters that may be visible to the purblind mind, as the word them must often be by their garden walls, (not hedges.) of that God before whom the darkness of futurity is as light The ancient warriors of distinction, who were slain in and without whoml a sparrow cannot fall unto the ground. battle, were carried to the sepulchres of their fathers;, and And although chargeable with the impropriety of hbing the people often went to weep over the graves of those somewhat out of place, it may not be here altogether im-whom they would honorr. These observations puttogethe proper to remark, that, demonstrative as all these clear sufficiently account for this passage-HARMEai predictions and coincident facts are of the inspiration of Ver. 7. Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD the scriptures, it cannot but be gratifying to every lover of his kind, when he contemplates that desolation caused of hosts, Is wisdom no more in Teman? is by many sins and fraught with many miseries, which the counsel perished from the prudent? is their wickedness of man has wrought, and which the prescience wisdom vanished of God revealed, to know that all these prophecies, while they mingle the voice of wailing with that of denuncia- Compare with this Obad. v. 8, " shall I not in that day, tion, are the word of that God who, although he suffers saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, not iniquity to pass unpunished, overrules evil for good, and understanding out of the Mount of E.Kau I" Fallen and makes the wrath of man to praise him, and who in and despised as now it is, Edom, did not the prescription the midst of judgment can remember mercy. And rea- of many aces abrogate its right, might lay claim tao the scming merely from the " uniform experience" (to borrow title of having been the first seat of learning, as well as a term and draw an argument from Hume) of the ~truth the centre of commerce. Sir Isaac Newton, who was no of the prophecies already fulfilled, the unprejudiced mind mean master in chronology, and no incompetent judge to 508 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 49i give a decision in regard to the rise and first progress of to the skeptic, that he maybe converted, and that he may literature, considers Edom as the nursery of the arts and be healed by Him whose word is ever truth. sciences, and adduces evidence to that effect from pro- "But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it, (Idufane as well as from sacred history. " The Egyptians," mea;) the owl also, and the raven shall dwell in it. It shall he remarks, "having learned the skill of the Edomites, be a habitation for dragons, and a court for owls: the wild began now to observe the position of the stars, and the beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of length of the solar year, for enabling them to know the the island, and the satyr (the hairy or ronugh creature) shall position of the stars at any time, and to sail by them at all cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and times without sight of the shore, and this gave a begin- find for herself a place of rest; there shall the great owl ning to astronomy and navigation." It seems that letters, make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her and astronomy, and the trade of carpenters, were invented shadow; there shall the vultures also be gathered every by the merchants of the Red Sea, and that they were pro-. one with her mate. Seek ye out of the book of the Lord pagated from Arabia Petraea into Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, and read; no one of these shall fail, none shall want her Asia Minor, and Europe. While the philosopher may mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it thus think of Edom with respect, neither the admirer of hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, genius, the man of feeling, nor the child of devotion will, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall even to this day, seek from any land a richer treasure of possess it for ever; from generation to generation shall plaintive poetry, of impassioned eloquence, and of fervid they dwell therein." Isa. xxxiv. 11, 13-17. "I laid the piety, than Edom has bequeathed to the world in the book mountains of Esau and his heritage waste for the dragons of Job. It exhibits to us, in language the most pathetic of the wilderness." Mal. i. 3. and sublime, all that a man could feel, in the outward Such is the precision of the prophecies, so remote are pangs of his body and the irqner writhings of his mind, of they from all ambiguity of meaning, and so distinct are the the frailties of his frame, and of the dissoiution of his events which they detail, that it is almost unnecessary to earthly comforts and endearments; all that mortal can remark, that the different animals here enumerated were discern, by meditating on the ways and contemplatingithe not all in the same manner, or in the same degree, to be works of God, of the omniscience and omnipotence of the possessors of Edom. Some of them were to rest, to meet, Most Hrigh, and of the inscrutable dispensations of his tQ be gathered there: the owl and the raven were to dwell providence; all that knowledge which could first tell, in:in it, and it was to be a habitation for dragons; while of the written word, of Arcturgs, and Orion, and the Pleiades; cormorant and bittern, it is emphatically said, that they and all that devotedness of soul, and immortality of hope, were to possess it. And is it not somewhat beyond s mere which, with patience that faltered not even when the heart fortuitous coincidence, imperfect as the information is rewas bruised and almost broken, and the body coijered over specting Edom,; that, in "seeking out"' proof concerning with distress, could say, "Though he slay me, yet will I these animals and whether none of them do fail, the most trust in him." But if the question now be asked, Is under- decisive evidence should, in the first instance, be unconstanding perished out of Edom? the answer, like every sciously communicated from the b6undaries of Edom, ot response of the prophetic word, maybe brieflygiven: It is. the one which is first noted in the prediction, and which The minds of the Bedouins are as uncultivated as the des- was to possess the land. It will at once be conceded, that erts they traverse. Practical wisdom is, in general, the in whatever country any particular animal is unknown. first that man learns, and the last that he retains. And the no proper translation of its name can there be given; and simple but significant fact, already alluded to, that the clear- that for the purpose of designating or identifying it, refering away of a little rubbish, merely "to allow the water to enee must be had to the original name, and to the natural flow" irito an ancient cistern, in order to render it useful history of the country in which it is known. And, without to themselves, "is an undertaking far beyond the views of any ambiguity or perplexity arising from the translation of the wandering Arabs," shows that understanding is indeed the word, or any need of tracing it through any other lanperishted firon among them. They view the indestructible guages to ascertain its import, the identical word of the works of former ages, not only with wonder, but with su- original, with scarcely the slightest variation (and that only perstitious regard, and consider them as the work of genii. the want of the final vowel in the Hebrew wvord, vowels They look upon a European traveller as a magician and in that language being often suppli6d in the enunciation, believe that, having seen any spot where they imagine that or by points,) is, from the affinity of the Hebrew and Aratreasures are deposited, he can afterward command the bic, used on the very spot by the Arabs, to denote the very guardian of the treasure to set the whole before him. In bird which may literallybe said to possessthe land. While Teman, which yet maintains a precarious existence, the in the last inhabited village of Moab, and close upon the inhabitants possess the desire without the means of knuowl- borders of Edom, Burckhardt noted tQe animals which edge. The Koran is their only study, and contains the frequented the neighbouring territory, in which he dissum of their uw'isdom. And, although he was but a " mis- tinctly specifies Shera, the land of the Edomites; and he erable comforter," and was overmastered in argument by relates that the bird katta is "met with in immense numa kinsman stricken with affliction, yet no Temanite can now bers. They fly in such large flocks that the Arab boys discourse with either the wisdom or the pathos of Eliphazz often kill two or three of them at a time, merely by throwof old. Wisdom is no more in Teman, and understandingo ing a stick among them." If any objector be here inclined has perished out of the Mount of Esau. to say, that it is not to be wondered at that any particular While there is thus subsisting evidence and proof that bird should be found in any given country, that it might the ancient inhabitants of Edom were renowned for wis- continue to remain for a term of ages, and that such a surdom as well as for power, and while desolation has spread mise would not exceed the natural probabilities of the case, so widely over it, that it can scarcely be said to be inhabi- the fact may be freely admitted as applicable, perhaps, to ted by man, there still are tenants who hold possession of most countries of the globe. But whoever, elsewhere, saw it, to whom it was abandoned by man, n.d to whom it was any wild bird in any country, in flocks so immensely nudecreed by a voice more than mortal.'And insignificant merous, that two or three of them could be killed by the and minute as it may possibly appear to those who reject single throw of a stick from the hand of a boy; and that the light of revelation, or to the frareflecting mind, (that this could be stated, not as a forcible, and perhaps false, willuse no measuring-line of truth which stretches beyond illustration to denote their number, nor as a wonderful that which inches out its own shallow thoughts, and where- chance or unusual incident, but as a fact of f'equent ocwith, rejecting all other aid, it tries, by the superficial currence l Whoever, elsewhere, heard of such a fact, not touch of ridicule alone, to sound the unfathomable depths as happening merely on a sea rock, the resort ofs myriads of infinite wisdom,) yet the following scripture, mingled of birds, on their temporary restin-place, when exhausted with other words already verified as the voice of inspira- in their flight, but in an extensive country, their permanent lion, and voluntarily involvig- its title to credibility'in the abode " Or if, among the manifold discoveries of travel. appended appeal to fact and challenge to investigation, may, lers in modern times, it were really related that such ocin'conjunction with kindred proofs, yet tell to man-if hear- cupants of a country are to be found, or that a corresponding he will hear, and show him, if seeing he will see- ing fact exists in any other region of the earth which was the verity of the divine word, and the infallibility of the once tenanted by man, who can also "find" in the records divine j.ug'ments; and, not without the aid of the rightful of a high antiquity the prediction that declared it. Of and unbiased exercise of reason, may give understanding what country now inhabited could he same fact be now CHAP. 49. JEREMIAH. 509 with certainty foretold; and where is the seer who can dis- stand this very passage; and Lowth distinctly asserts, withcern the vision, fix on the spot over the world's surface, out assigning to it any other meaning, that "the word and select, from the whole winged tribe, the name of the originally signifies goat." Such respectable and wellfirst in order and the greatest in number of the future and known authorities have been cited, because their decision chief possessors of the land. must have rested on criticism alone, as it was impossible that Of the bittern (kephud) as a joint possessor with the their minds could have been biased by any knowledge of katta of Idumea, evidence has not been given, or ascer- the fact in reference to Edom. It was their province, and tained; —but numerous as the facts have been which mod- that of others, to illustrate its meaning-it was Burckhardt's, ern discoveries have consigned over to the- service of however unconsciously, to bear, from ocular observation, revelation, that word of truth which fears no investigation witness to its truth. "In all the Wadys south of the can appeal to other facts, unknown to history and still un- Modjel and El Asha," (pointing to Edom,) "large herds of discovered-but registered in prophecy, and there long mountain goats are met with. They pasture in flocks of since revealed. forty and fifty together." — They dwell there. The owl also and the raven (or crow) shall dwoell inb it.- But the evidence respecting all the animals specified in The owl and raven do dwell in it. Captain Mangles re- the prophecy, as the future possessors Of Edom, is not yet lates, that while he and his fellow-travellers were examin- completeand is difficult to be ascertained. And, in words ing the ruins and contemplating the sublime scenery of that seem to indicate this very difficulty, it is still reserved Petra, "tho screaming of the eagles, hawks, and owls, for future travellers,-perhaps some unconscious Volney. who were soaring above their heads in considerable num- -to disclose the facts; and for future inquirers, whethes bers, seemingly annoyed at an one approaching theirlonely Christian or infidel, to seek out of the book of the Lord habitation, added much to the singularity of the scene." and read; and to " find that no one of these do fail." Yet, The fields of Tafyle, situated in the immediate vicinity recent as the disclosure of any information respecting them of Edom, are, according to the observation of Burckhardt, has been, and offered, as it now for the first time is, for the frequented by an immense number of crows. "I expect- consideration of every candid mind, the positive terms and ed," says Seetzen, (alluding to his purposed tour through singleness of object of the prophecies themselves, and the Idumea, and to the information he had received from the undesigned and decisive evidence, are surely enough to Arabs,) "to make several discoveries in mineralogy, as show how greatly these several specific predictions and well as in the animals and vegetables of the country,. on their respective facts exceed all possibility of their being the the manna of the desert, the ravens;," &c. word or the work of man; and how, clearly there may be It shall be a habitation for dragons, (serpents.) I laid discovered in them all, if sight itself be conviction, the his heritcage wase for the dragons of the wilderness.-The credentials of inspiration, and the operation of His hands, evidence, though derived from testimony, and not from per- -to whose prescience futurity is open, —to whose power sonal observation, of two travellers of so'contrary characters all nature is subservient,-and "whose mouth it hath comand views as Shaw and Volney, is so accordant and apposite, manded, and whose spirit it hath gathered them." that it may well be sustained in lieu of more direct proof. Noted as Edom was for its terribleness, and possessed of The former represents the land of Edom, and the wilder- a capital city, from which even a feeble people could'not aess of which it now forms part, as abounding with a easily have been dislodged, there scarcely could have been variety of lizards and vipers, Which are very dangerous a question, even among its enemies, to what people that and troublesome. And the narrative given by Volney, country would eventually belong. And it never could have already quoted, is equially decisive, as to the fact. The been thought of by any native of another land, as the JewArabs, in general, avoid the ruins of the cities of Idumea, ish prophets were, nor by any uninspired mortal whatever, " on account of the enorsmous scorpionswith wh1&Ah they swarm." that a kingdom which had previously subsisted so long, Its cities, thus deserted by man, and abandoned to their (and in which princes ceased not to reign, commerce to undisturbed and hereditary possession, Edom may justly be flourish, and "a people of great opulence" to dwell for called the inheritance of dragons. more than six hundred years thereafter,) would be finally The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the woild extinct, that all its cities would be for ever desolate, and beasts of the island, (or of the borders of the sea.) Instead thoogh it could have boasted more than any other land of of these words of the English version, Parkhurst renders indestructible" habitations for men, that their habitations the former the ravenous birds hunting? the woilderness. would be desolate; and that certain wild'animals, mentionThis interpretation was given long before the fact to ed by name, would in different manners and degrees puswhich it refers was made known. But it has now been sess the country from generation to. generation. ascertained (and without any allusion, on the other hand, There shall not be any remaining of the house of Esae. to the prediction) that eagles, hawks, and ravens, all Edomn shall be cwt off for ever. The aliens of Judfth ever ravenous birds, are common in Edom, and do not fail to look with wistful eyes to the land of their fathers; but no illustrate the prediction as thus translated. But when Edomite is now to be found to dispute the right of any animals from different regions are said to meet, the prophe- animal to the possession of it, or to banish the owl from the cy, thus implying that some of them at least did not proper- temples and palaces of Edom. But the house of Esau did ly pertain to the country, would seem to require some remain, and existed in great power, till after the comfurther verification. And of all the wonderful circum- mencement of the Christian era, a period far too remote stances attached to the history, or pertaining to the fate, of from the date of the prediction for their subsequent history Edom, there is one which is not.to be ranked among the to have been foreseen by man. The Idumeans were soon least in singularity, that bears no remote application to the after mingled with the Nabatheans. And in the third cenprefixed prophecy, and that ought not, perhaps, to pass here tury their language was disused, and their very name, as unnoted. It is recorded in an ancient chronicle, that the designating any- people, had utterly perished; and their Emperor De:cius caused fierce lions and lionesses to be country itself, having become an outcast from Syria, transported from (the deserts of) Africa to the borders of among whose kingdoms it had long been numbered, was Palestine and Arabia, in order that, propagating there, they united to Arabia Petraea. Thqugh the descendants of the might act as an annoyance and a barrier to the barbarous twin-born Esau and Jacob have met a diametrically oppoSaracens: between Arabia and Palestine lies the doomed site fate, the fact is no less marvellous and undisputed, execrated land of Edom. And may it not thus be added, than the prediction in each case is alike obvious and true. that a cause so unnatural and unforeseen would greatly While the posterity of Jacob have been "dispersed in every tend to the destruction of the flocks, and to the desolation country under heaven," and are "scattered among all naof all the adjoining territory,-and seem to be as if the king tions," and have ever remained distinct from them all, and ofthe forest was to take possession of it for his subjects!' while it is also declared that "a full end will never be And may itnot be even literally said~that the soild beasts of the made of them," the Edomites, though they existed as a nadesert meet these sozth the wild beasts of the bordess of the sea? tion for more -than seventeen hundred years, have, as a The satyr shall dwell there.-The satyr is entirely a fabu- period of nearly equal duration has proved, been cut of for lus animal. The word (soir) literally means a rough, ever; and while Jews are in every land, there is not any hairy one; and, like a synonymous word in both the Greek remainisng on any spot of earth of the hosse of Elsas. and Latin languages which has the same signification, has Idumea, in aid of a neighbouring state, did send forth, on been tra.slated botn ov,exicogaphers and commentators a sudden, an army of twenty thousand armed men,-it t, czoa,:. Parxzurrst says. chat in this sense he would under- contained at least eighteen towns, for centuries after the 510 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 49. Christian era; —successive kings and princes reigned in unattained, and all warning lost) shall not finally forbid Petra, —and magnificent palaces and temples, whose empty that Edom stand alone-the seared and blasted monument chambers and naked walls of wonderful architecture still of the judgments of Heaven. strike the traveller with amazement, were constructed there, A word may here be spoken even to the wise. Were at a period unquestionably far remote from the time when any of the sons of men to be uninstructed in the fear of the it was given to the prophets of Israel to tell, that the house Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and:in the knowof Esau was to be cut off for ever, that there would be no ledge of his word, which maketh wise unto salvation, and kingdom there, and that wild animals would possess Edom to be thus ignorant of the truths and precepts of the gospel, for a heritage. And so despised is Edom, and the memory which should all tell upon every deed done in the body; of its greatness lost, that there is no record of antiquity that what in such a case-if all their superior knowledge were can so clearly show us what once it was in the days of its unaccompanied by religious principles-would all mechanpower, as we can now read in the page of prophecy its ical and physical sciences eventually prove but the same, existing desolation. But in that place where kings kept in kind, as the wisdom of the wise men of Edom'. And their court, and where nobles assembled, where manifest were they to perfect in astronomy, navigation, and mechanics proofs of ancient opulence are concentrated, where prince- what, according to Sir Isaac Nrewton, the Edomites began, ly habitations, retaining their external grandeur, but be- what would the moulding of matter to their will avail them, reft of all their splendour, still look as if " fresh from the as moral and accountable beings, if their own hearts were chisel,"-even there no man dwells; it is given by lot to not conformed to the Divine will? and what would all their birds, and beasts, and reptiles; it is a " court for owls;" and labour be at last but strength spent for naught? For were scarcely are they ever frayed from their "lonely habita- they to raise column above column, and again to hew a city tion" by the tread of a solitary traveller from a far distant. out of the cliffs of the rock, let but such another word of land, among deserted dwellings and desolated ruins. that God whom they seek not to know go forth against it, Hidden as the history and state of Edom has been for and all their mechanical ingenuity and labour would just ages, every recent disclosure, being an echo of the prophe- end in forming-that- which Petra is, and which Rome cies, amply corroborates the truth, that the word of the itself is destined to be-" a cage of every unclean and hate.Lord does not return unto him void, but ever fulfils the ful bird." The experiment has already been made; it may purpose for which he hath sent it. But the whole of its well and wisely be trusted to as much as those which morwork is not yet wrought in Edom, which has further testi- tals make; and it is set before us that, instead of provoking molly in store: and while the evidence is not yet complete, the Lord to far worse than its repetition in personal judgso neither is the time of the final judgments on the land yet mnents against ourselves, we may be warned by the spirit fully come. Judea, Ammon, and Moab, according to the of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, to hear and word of prophecy, shall revive from their desolation, and obey the words of Him-" even of Jesus, who delivereth the wild animals who have conjoined their depredations from the wrath to come." For how much greater than any with those of barbarous men, in perpetuating the desolation degradation to which hewn but unfeeling rocks can be reof these countries, shall find a refuge and undisturbed pos- duced, is that of a soul, which while in the body might have session in Edom, when, the year of recompenses for the been formed anew after the image of an all holy God, controversy of Zion being past, it shall be divided unto and made meet for beholding His face in glory, passing them by line, when they shall possess it for ever, and from from spiritual darkness into a spiritual state, where all generation to generation shall dwell therein. But without knowledge of earthly things shall cease to be power-where looking into futurity, a retrospect may here warrant, before all the riches of this world shall cease to be gain-where leaving the subject, a concluding clause. the want of- religious principles and of Christian virtues That man is a bold believer, and must with whatever shall leave the soul naked, as the bare and empty dwellings reluctance forego the name of skeptic, who possesses such in the clefts of' the rocks-where the thoughts of worldly redundant credulity as to think that all the predictions re- wisdom, to which it was inured before, shall haunt it still, specting Edom, and all others recorded in Scripture, and and be more unworthy and hateful occupants of the immor-. realized by facts, were the mere haphazard results of for- tal spirit than are the owls amid the palaces of Edom-and tuitous conjectures. And he who thus, without reflecting where all those sinful passions which rested on the things how incongruous it is to "strain at'a-.gnat and swallow a that were seen shall be like unto the scorpions which hold camel," can deliberately, and with an unruffled mind, place Edom as their heritage for ever, and which none can now such an opinion among the articles of his faith, may indeed scare away from.among the wild vines that are there inbe pitied by those who know in whom they have believed, twined around the broken altars'where false gods were worbut, if he forfeit not thereby all right of ever appealing to shipped!-KEITH. reason, must at least renounce all title to stigmatize, in others, even'the most preposterous belief. Or if such, after Ver. 8. Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhaball, must needs be his philosophical creed, and his rational itants of Dedan; for I will bring'the calamity conviction!'what can hinder him from believing. also that other chance words-such as truly marked the fate of Edom, but'more numerous and clear, and which, were he him. to "seek out and read,' he would find in the selfsame "book of the Lord"-may also prove equally true to the When the Arabs have drawn upon themselves the resentspirit, if not to the letter, against all the enemies of the ment of the more fixed inhabitants of those countries, and gospel, whether hypocrites or unbelievers. May not his think themselves unable to stand against them, they withbelief in the latter instance be strengthened by the experi- draw into the depths of the great wilderness, where none ence that many averments of Scripture, in respect to times can follow them. Thus also very expressly M. Savary; then future, and to facts then unknown, have already (tom. ii. p. 8,) "always onr their guard against tyranny, proved true 1 And may he not here find some analogy, at on the least discontent that is given them, they pack up their least, on which to rest his faith, whereas the conviction tents, load their camels with them, ravage the flat country, which, in the former case, he so readily cherishes is totally and, loaded with plunder, plunge into the burning sands, destitute of any resemblance whatever to warrant the possi- whither none can pursue them, and where they alone can bility of its truth! Or is this indeed the sum of his boasted dwell." Is it not then most probable that the dwelling deep, wisdom, to hold to the conviction of the fallacy of all the mentioned in these words, means their plunging far into coming judgments denounced in Scripture; till " experience," the deserts, rather than going into deep caves and dens, as personal though it should be, prove them to be as true as: has been most commonly supposed 2 This explanation is the past, and a compulsory and unchangeable:bht unre- also strongly confirmed by verse 30. Flee, get ypjo far off, deeming faith be grafted on despair? Or if less proof can dwell deep.-HARMER. possibly suffice, let him timely read, and examine, and dis- The phrase to " dwell deep," in relation to the fixed inprove also, all the credentials of revelation, before he ac- habitants of that city, and the kingdom of whi2h it was the count the believer credulous, or the unbeliever wise; or capital, must therefore refer to the caverns in Galilee and else let him abandon the thought that the unrepentant the neighbourhood, in whose capacious recesses they were tniquity and wilful perversity of man and an evil heart of accustomed to take refuge in time of war. Or, if it signify rtnbelief (all proof derided, all offered mercy rejected, all- to dwell far remote from the threatened danger, the many lmeetness for an inheritance among them that are sanctified other caverns beyond Damascus, towards Arabia, which CHAP. 49. JEREMIAH. 511 tne prophet might allude to, were at a sufficient distance to boundless extent of desert view, which they had hardly justify his language. Nor is it inconsistent with the man- ever seen equalled for sifigularity and grandeur. And the ners of the Arabians, as Harmer supposes, to retire into. following extract, descriptive of'what Burckhardt actually caves and dens of the earth for sheller; for the Bedouins witnessed in the different parts of Edom, cannot be more in the ne:ghbourhood of Aleppo, who encamp near the graphically abbreviated than in the \words of the prophet. gates in the spring, inhabit grottoes in the winter. And Of its eastern boundary, and ofthe adjoining part of Arabia Mohammed mentions an Arabian tribe, that hewed houses Petrea, strictly so called, Burckhardt writes-" It might out of the mountains for their security. To these caverns, with truth be called Petrea, not only on account of its both the wandering Arabs and the fixed inhabitants, cer- rocky mountains, but also of the elevated plain already de. tainly retreated in time of danger; although the more com- scribed, which is so much covered with stones, especially mon practice of the former, was to retire into the depth of flints, that it may with great propriety be called a stony their terrible deserts, where no enemy could disturb their desert, although susceptible of culture; in many places it is repose.-PAxTON. overgrown with wild herbs, and must once have been thickly inhabited; for the traces of many towns and villages are Ver. 16. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and met with on both sides of the Hadj road, betwveen Maan the pride of thy heart, 0 thou that dwellest in and Akaba, as well as between Maan and the Plains of the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of Hauran, in which direction are also many springs. At thou shouldst make thy nest present all this country is a desert, and AIlaan (Teman) is the hill: though thou shouldst make thy nest the only inhabited place in it." I will stretch out my hand as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down against thee, 0 Mount Seir, and will mnake thee most desolate. from thence, saith the LORD. I uwill stretch out my hand uzpon Edon, and will make it desolate from, Ternan. In this beautiful passage, the prophet strictly adheres to In the interior of Idumea, where the ruins of some of its!i..e truth of history. Esau subdued the original inhabit- ancient cities are still visible, and in the extensive valley ants of Mount Hor, and seized on its savage and romantic which reaches from the Red to the Dead Sea-the appearprecipices. His descendants covered the sides of their ance of which must now be totally and sadly changed from mountains " with an endless variety of excavated tombs what it was-" the whole plain presented to the view an exand private dwellings, worked out in all the symmetry and panse of shifting sands, whose surface was broken by inregularity of art, with colonnades and pediments, and ranges numerable undulations and low. hills. The same appears of corridors, adhering to the perpendicular surface." On to have been brought from the shores of the Red Sea by the the inaccessible cliffs which, in some places, rise to the southern winds; and the Arabs told me that the valleys conheight of seven hundred feet, and the barren and craggy tinue to present the same appearance beyond the latitude of precipices which enclose the ruins of Petra; the capital of Wady Mousa. In some parts of the valley the sand is the Nebatmi, a once powerful but now forgotten people, the very deep, and there is not the slightest appearance of a eagle builds his nest, and screams for the safety of his road, or of any work of human art. A few trees grow young, when the unwelcome traveller approaches his lonely among the sand-hills, but the depth of sand precludes all habitation.-PAxToN. vegetation of herbage." If g'rape-gat/herers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaninz gvrapes? if thieves by niglht, Ver. 17. Also Edom shall be a desolation; every they will destroy till they have enough/; but Ihtave 97ade Esau one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and BARE. Edom shall be a desolate wilderness. " On ascending shall hiss at all the plagues thereof 18. As in the western plain, on a higher level than that of Arabia, we thad before us an immense expanse of dreary country, enthe overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah*, an 7'.tirely covered with black flints, with here and there some the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no hilly chain rising from the plaih." Iwill stretch out upon man shall abide there, neither shall a son of Idumea the line of confusion, and t17e stones of emptiness. -man vdwell in it. Of the remains of ancient cities still exposed to view in different places throughout Idumnea, Burckhardt describes Judea, Ammon, and Moab exhibit so abundantly the re- "the ruins of a large town, of, which nothing remains but mains and the means of an exuberant fertility, that the won- broken walls and heaps of stones the ruins of an ancient der arises in the reflecting mind, how the barbarity of man city, consisting of large heaps of hewn blocks of silicious could have so effectually counteracted for so " many gen- stone; the extensive ruins of Gherandel, Arindela, an anerations" the prodigality of nature. But such is Edom's cient town of Palestina Tertia." " The following ruined desolation, that the first sentiment of astonishment on the places are situated in Djebel Shiera (Mount Seir) to the S. contemplation of it is, how a wide-extended region, now and S. W. of Wady Mousa, — alaab Djirba, Basta, Eyl, diversified by the strongest features of desert wildness, Ferdakh, Anyk, Bir el Beytar, Shemaifh, and Syk. Of the could ever have been adorned with cities, or tenanted for towns laid down in D'Anville's map, Thoana excepted, no ages by a powerful and opulent people. Its present aspect traces remain." I will lay! thy cities waste, and thou shalt be would belie its ancient history, were not that history cor- desolate. 0 Mount Seir,'I will szake th/ee perpet2ual desolaroborated by " the many vestiges of former cultivation," by tions; and thy cities shall not retlurn. the remains of walls and paved roads, and by the ruins of While the cities of Idumea, in general, are thus most cities still existing in this ruined country. The total cessa- desolate; and while the ruins themselves are as indiScrimition of its commerce —the artificial irrigation of its valleys nate as they are undefined in the prediction, (there being wholly neglected-the destruction of all.the cities, and the nothing discoverable, as there was nothing. foretold, but.their continued spoliation of the country by the Arabs while excessive desolation, and that they shall not return,) there aught remained that they could destroy-the permanent is one striking exception to this promiscuous desolation, exposure, for ages, of the soil, unsheltered by its ancient which is alike singled out by the inspired prophet and by groves, and unprotected by any covering from the scorch- the scientific traveller. ing rays of the sun-the unobstructed encroachments of Burckhardt gives a description, of no ordinary interest, the desert, and of the drifted sands from the borders of the of the site of an ancient city which he visited, the ruins of Red Sea, the consequent absorption of the water of the which, not only attest its ancient splendour, but they " are springs and streamlets during summer, are causes which entitled to rank among the most curious remains of ancient have all combined their baneful operation in rendering art." Though the city be desolate, the monuments of its Edom most desolate, the desolation of desolations. Volney's opulence and power are durable. These are-a channel account is sufficiently descriptive of the desolation which on each side of the river for conveying the water to the now reigns over Idumea; and the information which Seet- city-numerous tombs-above two hundred and fifty sepulzen derived at Jerusalem respecting it is of similar import. chres, or excavations-many mausoleums, one in particuHe was told, that " at the distance of two days' journey and' lar, of colossal dimensions in perfect preservation, and a a half from Hebron, he would find considerable ruins of work of immenst labour, containing a chamber sixteen the ancient city of Abde, and that for all the rest of the pace square and above twenty-five feet in height, awith a journey he would see no place of habitation; he would meet colonnade in front thirty-five feet high, crow ned with a only with a few tribes of wandering Arabs." From the pediment highly ornamented, &c.; two large truncated borders of Edom, Captains Irby and Mangles beheld a pyramids, and a theatre with all its benches capable of con. 512 JE R E M IA H-. CHAP. 49. taining about three thousand spectators, ALTL Cut Out of th e only the remains of towers for watching in harvest and rock. In some places these sepulchres are excavated one vintage time. The whole neighbourhood of the spot bears over the other, and the side of the mountain is so perpen- similar traces of former industry, all which seem to indidicular, that it seems impossible to approach the uppermost, cate the vicinity of a great metropolis." A narrow and no path whatever being visible. "The ground is covered circuitous defile, surrounded on each side by precipitous or with heaps of'hewn stones, foundations of buildings, frag- perpendicular rocks, varying from four hundred to seven ments of columns, and vestiges of paved streets, all clearly hundred feet in altitude, and forming, for two miles, "a indicating that a large city once existed here. On the left sort of subterranean passage, opens on the east the way to bank of the river is a rising ground, extending westward the ruins of Petra. The rocks or rather hills, then diverge for nearly three quarters of a mile, entirely covered with on either side, and leave an oblong space, where once stood similar remains. On the right bank, where the ground is the metropolis of Edom, deceived by its terribleness, where more elevated, ruins of the same description are to be seen. now lies a waste of ruins, encircled on every side, save on There are also the remains of a palace and of several tem- the northeast alone, by stupendous cliffs, which still show ples. In the eastern cliff there are upwards of:fifty separate how the pride and labour of art tried there to vie with the sepulchres close to each other." These are not the symbols sublimity of nature. Along the borders of these cliffs, deof a feeble race, nor of a people that were to perish utterly. tached masses of rock, numerous and lofty, have been Bnut a judgment was denounced against the strongholds of wrought into sepulchres, the interior of which is excavated Edom. The prophetic threatening has not proved an empty into chambers, while the exterior has been cut from the boast, and could not have been the word of an uninspired live rock into the forms of towers, with pilasters, and sucmortal. "I will make thee small among the heathen; thy cessive bands of frieze and entablature, wings, recesses, terribleness hath deceived thee and the pride of thy heart, figures of animals, and columns. O thou that. dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that boldest Yet, numerous as these are, they form but a part of " the the height of the hill; though thou shouldst make thy nest vast necroplis of Petra." " Tombs present themselves, not as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, only in every avenue to the city, and upon every precipice saith the Lord: also Edom shall be a desolation." that surrounds it, but even intermixed almost promiscuously These descriptions, given by the prophet and by the ob- with its public and domestic edifices; the natural features server, are so analogous, and the precise locality of the of the defile grew more and/more imposing at every step, scene, from its peculiar and characteristic features, so and the excavations and sculpture more frequent on both identified-and yet the application of the prophecy to the sides, till it presented at last a continued street of tombs." fact so remote from the thoughts or view of Burckhardt as The base of the cliffs wrought out in all the symmetry and to be altogether overlooked-that his single delineation of regularity of art, with colonnades, and pedestals, and rang es the ruins of the chief (and assuredly the strongest and best- of corridors adhering to the perpendicular surface; flights bfortified) city of Edom was deemed in the first edition of of steps chiselled out of the rock; grottoes in great numbers, this treatise, and in the terms of the preceding paagraph, which are certainly not sepulchral;" some excavated an illustration of the prophecy alike adequate and legitimate. residences of large dimensions, (in one of which is a sing.e And though deprecating any allusion whatever of a per- chamber sixty feet in length, and of a breadth proportioned;) sonal natur6, and earnest for the elucidation of the truth, many other dwellings of inferior note, particularly abundant the author yet trusts that he may here be permitted to dis- in one defile leading to the city, the steep sides of which claim the credit of having been the first to assign to the contain a sort of excavated suburb, accessible by flights of prediction its wonderful and appropriate fulfilment; and steps; niches, sometimes thirty feet in excavated height, it is with no slight gratification that he is now enabled to with altars for votive offerings, or with pyramids, columns, adduce higher evidence than any opinion of his own, and or obelisks; a bridge acrossa chasm now apparently inacto state, that the selfsanme prophecy has been applied by cessible; some small pyramids hewn out of the rock on the others-with the Bible in their hands, and with the very summit of the heights; horizontal grooves, for the conveyscene before them-to the selfsame spot. Yet it may be ance ofwater, cut in the face of the rock, and even across the added, that this coincident application of the prophecy, architectural fronts of some of the excavations; and, in short, without any collusion, and without the possibility, at the "the rocks hollowed out into innumerable chambers of time, of any interchange of sentiment, affords, at least, a different dimensions, whose entrances are variously, richly, strong presumptive evidence of the accuracy of the ap- and often fantastically decorated with every imaginable orplication, and of the truth of the prophecy; and it may der of, architecture"-all united, not only form one of the well lead to some reflectipn in the mind of any reader, most singular scenes that the eye of man ever looked upon, if skepticism has not barred every avenue against convic- or the imagination painted-a group of wonders perhaps tion.. unparalleled in their kind-but also give indubitable proof, On entering the pass which conducts to the theatre of Pe- both that in the land of Edom there was a city where hutra, Chptains Irby and Mangles remark:-" The ruins of the man ingenuity, and energy, and power must have been excity here burst on the view in their full grandeur, shut in on erted for many ages, and to so great a degree as to have the opposite side by barren craggy precipices, from which well entitled it to be noted for its strength or terribleness, numerous ravines and valleys branch out in all directions; and that the description given of it by the prophets of Israel the sides of the mountains covered with an endless variety of was as strictly literal as the prediction respecting it is true. excavated tombs and private dwellings, (O thou thIat dwoellest "The barren State of the country, together with the desolate in the clefts of THE ROCK, &c. Jer. xlix. 16,) presented al- condition of the city, without a single human being living together the most singular scene we ever beheld." In still near it, seem," in the words of those who were spectators further confirmation of the identity of the site, and the ac- of the scene, "strongly to verify the judgment dendunced curacy of the application, it may be added, in the words of against it." "O thou who dwellest in the clefts of the rock, Dr. Vincent, that "the name of this capital, in all the vari- &c.-also Edom shall be a desolation," &c. ous languages in which it occurs, implies a rock, and as Of all the ruins of Petra, the mausoleums and sepulchres such it is described in the scriptures, in Strabo, and Al are among the most remarkable, and they give the clearest Edrissi." And in a note he enumerates among the various indication of ancient and long-cbntinued royalty, and of names having all the same signification-Sela, a rock, (the courtly grandeur. Their immense number corroborates very word here used in the original,) Petra, a rocky the the accounts given of their successive kings and princes Greek name, and The Rock, pre-eminently-expressly re- by Moses and Strabo; though a period of eighteen hundred ferring to this passage of scripture. years intervened between the dates of their respective recCaptains Irby and Mangles having, together with Mr. ords concerning them. The structure of the sepulchres Banlkes and Mr. Legh, spent two days in diligently ex- also shows that many of them are of a more recent date. amining them, give a more particular detail of the ruins of "Great," says Burckhardt, "must have been the opulence Petra than Burckhardt's account supplied; and the more of a city which could dedicate such monuments to the fill the description, the more precise and wonderful does memory of its rulers." But the long line of the kings and the prophecy appear. Near the spot where they awaited of the nobles of Idumea has for ages been cut off; they are the decision of the Arabs, "1the high land was covered without any representative now, without any meniorial upon both its side., and on its summits, with lines and the multitude and the magnificence of their unvisite.qolid masses of dry wall. The former appeared to be chres. " They shall call the nobles thereof to th traces of ancient cultivation, the solid ruin seemed to be (or rather, they shall call, orsummon, the no - II7. —__ --- -----------------—. 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JEREMIAH. 513 bhut there shall be no kingdom there; and all her princes surprise, and displaced its garrison by seven thousand of shall be nothing." his own troops, whom he stationed within it. Of the other Amid the mausoleums and sepulchres, the remains of he could not make himself master. Their extent and temples or palaces, and the multiplicity of tombs, which all strength, at a period of three hundred years after the delivforml, as it were, the grave of Idumea, where its ancient cry of the prophecy, are thus sufficiently demonstrated. splendcur is interred, there are edifices, the Roman and The'solidity of the structure of the greater as well as of Grecian architecture of which decides that they were built the lesser palace, might have warranted the belief' of its uniong posterior to the era of the prophets.-KEITH. broken durability for ages.-And never was there a building whose splendour and magnificence were in greater conVer. 19. Behold, he shall come up like a lion trast to its present desolation. The vestiges of the walls from the swelling of Jordan against the habita- which surrounded it are still to be seen, and serve with tion of the strong: but I will suddenly make other circumstances to identify it with the Mujelib6, as the of the tron but I will suddenly makename Merodach is identified with the palace. It is broken him run away from her; and who is a chosen in pieces, and hence its name Mujelib6, signifying overman, thact I may appoint over her? for who is turned, or turned upside down. Its circumference is about like me? and who will appoint me the time? and half a mile; its height one hundred and forty feet. But it who is that shepherd that hwill stand before me? is " a mass of confusion, none of its members being distinguishable." The existence of chambers, passages, and eelSee on Josh. 3. 15. lars, of different forms and sizes, and built of different materials, has been fully ascertained. It is the receptacle of -I ~CHAPTER L. wild beasts, and full of doleful creatures; wild beasts cry Ver. 2. Declare ye among the nations, and pub- in the desolate houses, and dragons in the pleasant palaces"venomous reptiles being very numerous throughout the lish, and set up a standard; publish, and con- venomous reptiles heing very nume roughout the ruins." "All the sides are worn into furrows by the ceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is con- weather, and in some places where several channels of rain founded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her have united together, these furrows are of great depth, and idols are confounded, her images are broken in penetrate a considerable way into the mound." "The sides of the ruin exhibit hollows worn partly by the weather." It is brought down to the gr'ave, to the sides of the PIT. —KEITH. As it was generally believed that the divinity abandoned any figure or image which was mutilated or broken, this Ver. 8. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and prophetic declaration may be considered as asserting the go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and destruction of the idols. Such a sentiment still prevails be as the he-goats before the flocks. among the heathen. Dr. Buchanan, who visited many Indian provinces at the commencement of the seventeenth From this passage it appears that it was customary with century, mentions that a Polygar chief, about two hundred the ancient Israelites to have he-goats among their flocks of and fifty years before, had been directed by the god Ganesa sheep, and that in travelling the goats went foremost. The to search for treasures under a certain image, and to erect same judicious custom exists in South Africa to this day temples and reservoirs with whatever money he should find. The goat possesses much more fortitude than tiHe sheep, and " The treasures were accordingly found, and applied as is more forward in advancing through difficulties, espedirected; the image from under which the treasures had cially in crossing rivers; and the sheep, who are not fond been taken was shown to me, and I was surprised at find- of such exploits, implicitly follow them. While travelling ing it lying at one of the gates quite neglected. On asking in Africa, I was obliged to have a small flock of sheep, to; the reason why the people allowed their benefactor to re- secure food when game was scarce; and as instigators to main in such a plight, he informed me, that the finger of bold and rapid travelling, I was necessitated always to have: the image having been broken, the divinity had deserted it: a few goats in the flock. They always took the lead, espefor no mutilated image is considered as habitable by a god." cially in crossing rivers, one of which. the Great Orange -BURDER. River, was about a quarter of a mile across, and there the Merodach was a name, or a title, common to the princes goats behaved nobly. Had they been rational creatures I and kings of Babylon, of which, in the brief scriptural ref- should have returned them public thanks. The goats, erences to their history, two instances are recorded, viz. always taking the lead among the sheep, seem as if senslble Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, King of Babylon, of possessing superior mental powers.-CAMPEELL. who exercised the office of government, and Evil-Merodach, who lived in the days of Jeremiah. From Merodach being Ver. 38. A drought is upon her waters; and they here associated with Bel, or the temple of Belus, and from shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven the similarity of their judgments-the one bowed down and confogunded, and the other broken in pieces-it may reasona-ges, an they are mad upon tr bly be inferred that some other famous Babylonian building Fully to understand this passage, a person must see the is here also denoted; while, at the same time, from the ex- phrensy of the heathen when they get a sight of their idols. press identity of the name with that of the kings of Baby- Thus, when the gods are taken out in procession, the mullon, and even with Evil-Merodach, then residing there it titudes shout, and the priests mutter and rave. The gesmay with equal reason be inferred that, under the name of tures are all distorted, and the devotees are affected with Merodach, the palace is spoken of by the prophet. And next alternate sorrow or joy.-ROBERTS. to the idolatrous temple, as the seat of false worship which corrupted and destroyed the nations, it may well be imagined CHAPTER LI. that the royal residence of the despot who made the earth Ver. 13. 0 thou that dwellest upon many watrs, to tremble and oppressed the people of Israel, would be selected as the marked object of the righteous judgments of abundant in treasures, thine end is conme, and God. And secondary only to the Birs Nimrood in the great- the measure of thy covetousness. ness of its ruins is the Mujelib6, or Makloube, generally understood and described by travellers as the remains of On taking Babylon suddenly and by surprise, Cyrus bethe chief palace of Babylon. came immediately possessed of the treasures of darkness, The palace of the King of Babylon almost vied with the and hidden riches of secret places. On his first publicly apgreat temple of their god. And there is now some contro- pearing in Babylon, all the officers of his army, both of the versy, in which of the principal mountainous heaps the one Persians and allies, according to his command, wore very or the other lies buried. But the utter desolation of both splendid robes, those belonging to the superior officers.eaves'no room for any debate on the question,-which of being of various colours, all of the finest and brightest die, the twain is bowed down and confounded, and which of them and richly embroidered with gold and silver; and thus the is broken in pieces. The two palaces, or castles, of Babylon hidden riches of secret places were openly displayed. And were strongly fortified. And the larger was -surrounded when the treasures of Babylon became the spoil of another by three walls of great extent. When the city was sud- great king, Alexander gave six mince (about 151.) to each denly taken by Demetrius, he seized on one of the castles by Macedonian horseman, to each Macedonian soldier and 65 514 JEREMIAH. CHArP. 51. foreign horseman two mince, (5t.) and to every other man told and almost infinite mass by the fabulous computation in his army a donation eoual to two months' pay. Deiac- of three thousand of thousands of thousands of pieces of trius ordered his soldiers to plunder the land of Babyl!on gold. One of the apartments of the palace was decorated for their ow0n nuse.-But it is not in these instances alone with a carpet of silk sixty cubits in length and as many in that Chaldea has been a spoil, and that all who spoil her breadth, (90 feet;) a paradise, or garden, was depicted on have been" satisfied. It was the abundance of her treasures the ground; the flowers, fruits, and shrubs, were imitated which brought successive spoliators. Many nations came by the figures of the gold embroidery, and the colours of the from afar, and though they ret'urned to thleir own country, precious stones: and the, ample square was encircled by a (as in formerly besieging Babylon, so in continuing to de- variegated and verdant border. The rigid Omar divided spoil the land of Chaldea,) none returned in vain. From thle prize among his brethren of Medina; the picture was the ri( hness of the country, new treasures were speedily destroyed; but such was the intrinsic value of the materials, stored up, till again the sword came u0pon them, anzd they were that the share of Ali alone was sold for 20,000 drachms. A robbed. The prey of the Persians and of the Greeks for mule that carried away the tiara and cuirass, the belt and nearly two centuries after the death of Alexander, Chaldea bracelets of Chosroes, was overtaken by the pursuers; the became afterward the prey chiefly of the Parthians, from gorgeous trophy was presented to the commander of the the north, for an equalperiod, till a greater nation, the Ro- faithful, and the gravest of the companions condescended mans, camefrom. the coasts of the earth to pillage it. To be to smile when they beheld the white beard, hairy arms, and restrained from dominion and from plunder was the exci- uncouth figure of the veteran, who was invested with the ting cause, and often the shameless plea, of the anger and spoil of the great king." fierce wrath of these famed, but cruel, conquerors of the Recent evidence is not wanting to show that, wherever' world. Yet, within the provinces of their empire, it was a treasure is to be'found, a sword, in the hand of a fierce their practice, on the submission of the inhabitants, to pro- enemy, is upon it, and spoliation has not ceased in the land tect and not to destroy. But Chaldea, from its extreme dis- of Chalidea. "On the west of Hilleh, there are two towns tance, never having yielded permanently to their yoke, and which, in the eyes of the Persians and all the Shiites, are the limits of their empire having been fixed by Hadrian on rendered sacred by the memory of two of the greatest marthe western side of the Euphrates, or on the very borders of tyrs of that sect. These are Meshed Ali and Meshed Chaldea, that hapless country obtained not their protection, Housien, lately filled with riches, accumulated by the dethough repeatedly the scene of ruthless spoliation by the votion of the Persians, but carried off by the ferocious WaRomans. The authority of Gibbon, in elucidation of habees to the middle of their deserts." Scripture, cannot be here distrusted, any more than that of And after the incessant spoliation of ages, now that the heathen historians. To use his words, "Ca hundred thou- end is come of the treasures of Chaldea, the earth itself fai~s sand captives, and-a rich booty, rewarded the fatigues of the not to disclose its hidden treasures, so as to testify, that they Roman soldiers," when Ctesiphon was taken, in the second once were abutdant. Inproof of this an instance may be century, by the generals of Marcus.'Even Julian, who, in given. At the ruins of Hoomania, near to those of Ctesithe fourth century, was forced to raise the siege of Ctesi- phon, pieces of silver having (on the 5th of March, 1812) phon, came not in vain to Chaldea, and failed not to take of been accidentally discovered, edging out of the bank of the it a spoil; nor, though an apostate, did he fail to verify by Tigris; "on examination there were found and brought his acts the truth which he denied. After having given away," by persons sent for that purpose by the pacha of Perisador to the flames, "the plentiful magazines of corn, Bagdad's officers, "between six and seven hundred ingois of arms, andof splendid furniture, were partly distributed of silver,,each measuring from one to one and a half feet in among the troops, and partly reserved for the public service; length; and an earthen jar, containing upwards of two the useless stores were destroyed by fire, or thrown into the thousand Athenian coins, all of silver. Many were purstream of the Euphrates." (Gibbon.) Having also re- chased at the time by the late Mr. Rich, formerly the East warded his army with a hundred pieces of silver to each India Company's resident at Bagdad, and are now in his soldier, he thus stimulated them (when still dissatisfied) to valuable collection, since bought by government, and depofig'ht for greater spoil-" Riches are the object of your de- sitedinthe British Museum." Amid the ruins of Ctesiphon sires I those riches are in the hands of the Persians, and. "the natives often pick up coins of gold, silver, and copper, the spoils of this fruitful country are proposed as the prize for which they always find a ready sale in Bagdad. Inof your valour and discipline." The enemy being defeated deed, some of the wealthy Turks and Armenians, who are after an arduous conflict," the spoil was such as might be collecting for several French and German consuls, hire expected from the riches and luxury of an oriental camp; people to go and search for coins, medals, and antique gems; large quantities of silver and gold, splendid arms and trap- and I am assured they never return to their employers.emppings, and beds and tables of massy silver." (Ibid.) ty-handed," as if all who spoil C7haldea shall be satisfied, till When the Romans under Heraclius ravaged Chaldea, even the ruins be spoiled unto the uttermost.-KETr. " though much of the treasure had been removed from Destagered,; and much had been expended, the remaining Ver. 25. Behold, I am against thee, O destroying wealth appears to have exceeded their hopes, and even to have mountain, sath the LORD, which destroyest all SAXTIATED their avarice." While the deeds of Julian and the earth tnd I will stretch out my hand upon the words of Gibbon show how Chaldea was spoiled-how a sword continued to be on her treasures-and how, year thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and after year, and age after age, there was rumour on rumour will make thee a burnt mountain. and violence in her land-more full illustrations remain to be given of the truth of the same prophetic word. And as On the sununmmit of the hill are "immense fragments ol a painter of great power may cope with another by drawing brick-worlk of'no determinate figures, tumbled together, as closely to the life as he, though the features be diffcrent, and converted into solid vitrified masses." "Some of these so Gibbon's description of the saclk of Ctesiphon, as pre- huge fragments measured twelve feet in height, by twentyviously he had described the sack and conflagration of Se- four in circumference; and from the circumstance of the leucia, (cities each of which may aptly be called "the standing brick-worlk having remained in a perfect state, the daughter of Babylon," having been, like it, the capital of' change exhibited in these is only accountable from their Chaldea,) is written as if, by the most graphic representa- havi.g been exposed to the fiercestfir'e, or rather scathed bn tion of facts, he had been aspiring to rival Volney as an lightning." "They are completely molten-a strong preillustrator of scripture prophecy. "The capital was taken sumption that fire was used in the destruction of the tower, by assault; and the disorderly resistance of the people gave which, in parts, resembles what the scriptures prophesied a keener edge to the sabres of the Moslems, who shouted it should become,'a burnt mountain.' In the denunciation with religious transport,'This is the white palace of respecting Babylon, fire is particularly mentioned as an Chosroes; this is the promise of the apostle of God.' The agent against it. To this Jeremiah evidently alludes, when naked robbers of the desert were suddenly enriched beyond he says that it should be'as when God overthrew Sodom the measure of their hopeor k1nowledge. Each chamber and Gomorrah,' on which cities, it is said,'the Lord rainrevealed a new treasure, secreted with art, or ostentatiously ed brimstone and fire.'-' Her high gates shall be burned displayed; the gold and silver, the various wardrobes and with fire, and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk precious furniture, surpassed (says Abulfeda) the estimate in the fire, and they shall be weary.'" "In many of these of fa~icy or niumbers; and another historian defines the un- immense unshapen masses might be traced the gradual ef. CHAP. 51. JEREMIAH. 51 b fects of the consuming power, which had produced so re- thing is left, yet of the bur'nt mount6is1, which forms an acmarkable an appearance; exhibiting parts burnt to that cumulation of ruins enough in magnitude to build a city, variegated dark hue, seen in the vitrified matter lying about men do not take a stone for foundations, nor a stone for a in glass mnanufactories; while, through the whole of these corner. Having undergone the action of the fiercest fire, awful testimonies of the fire (whatever fire it was!) which, and being completely molten, the masses on the summit of doubtless, hurled them from their original elevation," (I Bel, on which the lhand of the Lord has been stretched, wiltl roll thee down from the rocks,) " the regular lines of the cannot be reduced i:.o' any other form or substance, nor cenient are visible, acnd so hardened in common with the built up again by the hand of man. And the tower of Babricks, that when the masses are struck they ring like. glass. bel, afterward the temple of Belus, which witnessed the On examining the base of the standing wall, contiguous to first dispersion of mankind, shall itself be witnessed by the these huge transmuted substances, it is found tolerably free latest generation, even as now it stands, desolate for ever,from any similar changes-in short, quite in its original an indestructible monument of human pride and folly, and state; hence," continues Sir Robert Ker Porter, " I draw of Divine judgment and truth. The greatest of the ruins, the conclusion, that the consuming power acted from above, as one of the edifices of Babylon, is rolled down into a vast, and that the scattered ruin fell from some higher, point than indiscriminate, cloven, confounded, useless, and blasted the summit of the present standing fragment. The heat of mass, from which fragments might be hurled with as little the fire which produced such amazing effects must have injury to the ruined heap, as from a bare and rocky mountburned with the force of the strongest furnace; and from ain's side. Such is the triumph of the word of the living the general appearance of the cleft in the wall, and these God over the proudest of the temples of Baal.-KEITH. vitrified masses, I should be induced to attribute the catastrophe to lightning from heaven. Ruins by the explosion Ver. 27. Set ye up a standard in the land, blow of any combustible matter would have exhibited very dif- the trumpet among the nations, prepare the naferent appearances." t anal ferent appearances." tions against her, call together aguainst her the "The falling masses bear evident proof of the operation ang s t her, call together against her the of fire having been continued on them, as well after they kingdms of Aarat, M ni, and Ashchena were broken down as before, since every part of their sur- appoint a captain against her; cause the horses face has been so equally exposed to it, that many of them to come up as the rough caterpillars. have acquired a rounded form, and in none can -the place of separation from its adjoining one be traced by any ap- Some think locusts are meant, instead of caterpillars; and pearance of superior freshness, or any esxemption from the one reason assigned is, that they " have the appearance 9t influence of the destroying flame." horses and horsemen." Others translate, "bristled locusts." The higle gates of the temple of Belus, which were stand- There are bristled caterpillars in the East, which at certain ing in the time' of Herodotus, have been burnt with fire; seasons are extremely numerous and annoying. They creep the vitrified masses which fell when Bel boswed down rest on along in troops like soldiers, are covered with stiff hairs or the top of its stupendous ruins. " The'hand of the Lord bristles, which are so painful to the touch, and so powerful has been stretched upon it; it has been rolled down from in their effects, as not to be entirely removed for many days. the rocks, and has been made a burnt mountain," —of which Should one be swallowed, it -will cause death: hence people, it was further prophesied, " They shall not take of thee a at the particular season when they are numerous, are very stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations, but thou cautious in examining their water vessels, lest any should shalt be desolate for ever, saith' the Lord."' The old wastes have fallen in.'In the year 1826, a family at Manipy had of' Zion shall be built; its former desolations shall be to arise early in the morning to go to.their work, and they raised up: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her therefore prepared their rice the evening before. They own place, even in Jerusalem. But it shall not be with were up before daylight, and took their food: in the course Bel as with Zion, nor with Babylon as with Jerusalem. of a short time they were all ill, and some of them died duFor as the "heaps of rubbish impregnated with nitre" ring the day. The rice chatty was examinedl, and there which cover the site of Babylon " cannot be cultivated," so were found the remains of the micetlty, the rough caterpilthe vitrified masses on the summit of Birs Nimrood cannot lar. Dr. Hawkesworth says, of those he saw in the TWest be rebuilt. Though still they be of the hardest substance, Indies, "their bodies were thick set with hairs, and they and indestructible by the elements, and though once they were ranging on the leaves stle by side, like files of soIlformed the highest pinnacles of Belus, yet, incapable of be- diers, to the number of twenty or thirty together. When intg hewn into any regular form, they neither are nor can we touched them, we found their bodies had the qualities now be taken for a corner or for foundations. And the of nettles."-RoBERTs. bricks on the- solid fragments of wall, which rest on the summit, though neither scathed nor molten, are so firmly Ver. 36. Therefore thus saith the LoRD,' Behold, cemented, that, according to Mr. Rich, "it is nearly impos- I will plead thy cause, and take vengoeance for sible to detach any of them whole," or, as Captain Mign theeand I ill dry up her sea, nd make her still more forcibly states, "they are so firmly cemented, d. 7 A nd a be that it is utterly impossible to detach any of them." " My' springs dry. 37. And Babylon shall become most violent attempts," says Sir Robert Ker Porter, "could heaps, a dwelling-place for draogons, an astonishnot separate them." And Mr. Bucllingham, in assigning ment, and a hissing, without an inhabitant. reasons for lessening the wonder at the total disappearance of the walls at this distant period, and speaking of the Birs On the one side, near to the site of Opis, "the country al. Nimrood generally, observes. " that the burnt bricks (the around appears to be one wide desert of sandy and barren only ones sought after) which are found in the Mujelib6, soil, thinly scattered over with brushwood and tufts ot the Kasr, and the Birs Nimrood, the only three grcat mnon- reedy grass." On the other, between Bussorah and Baguments in which there are any traces of their having been dad, "immediately on either bank of the Tigris, is the unused, are so difficult, in the two last indeed so impossible, trodden desert. The absence of all cultivation, —-the steri], to be extracted whole, from the. tenacity of the cement in arid, and wild character of the whole scene, formed a conwhich they are laid, that they could never have been resort- trast to the rich and delightful accounts delineated in scrip.. ed to while any considerable portion of the walls existed to ture. The natives, in travelling over these pathless desfurnish an easier supply: even now, though some portion of erts, are compelled to explore their way by the stars." the mounds on the eastern bank of the river," (the Birs is "The face of the country is open and flat, presenting to the on the western side,) " are occasionally dug into for bricks, eye one vast level plain, where nothing is to be seen but they are not extracted without a comparatively great expense, here and there a herd of half-wild canmels. This immense and very few of them whole, in proportion to the great num- tract is very rarely diversified with any trees of moderate ber of fragments that come up with them." Around the'growth, but is an immense wild, bounded only by the horitower there is not a single whole brick to be seen. zon." In the intermediate region, " the whole extent from These united testimonies, given without allusion to the the foot of the wall of Bagdad is a barren waste, without a prediction, afford a better than any conjectural commenta- blade of vegetation of any description; on leaving the gates, ry, such as previously was given without reference to these the traveller has before him the prospect of a' bare desert,facts. While of Babylon, in general, it is said, that it a flat and barren cc tintrv." "The whole country between would be takene from thence; and while, in many places, no- Bagdad and Hillah is a perfectly flat and (with the excep 5!6 JEREMIAH. CHAP. 51. tion of a few spots as you approach the latter place) uncut- glory, than that the broad walls of Babylon should be so ticated wuaste. That it was at some former period in a far utterly broken that it cannot be determine& with certainty ditt'erent state, is evident from the number of canals by that even the slightest vestige of them exists. which it is traversed, now dry and neglected; and the "All accounts agree," says Mr. Rich, "in the height of quanity of heaps of earth covered with firagments of brick the walls, which was fifty cubits, having been reduced to and broken tiles, which are seer in every direction, —the these dimensions from the prodigious height of three hunindisputable traces of' former population. At present the dred and fifty feet" (formerly stated, by the lowest compuoilv inhabitants of the tract are the Sobeide Arabs. Around, tation of the length of the cubit, at three hundred feet,) as iar as the eye can reach, is a trackless desert." " The "by Darius Hystaspes, after the rebellion of the town, in abundance of' the. country has vanished as clean away as if order to render it less defensible. I have not been fortunate the:besom of desolation' had swept it from north to south; enough to discover the least trace of them in ascypart of the the whole'land, from the outskirts of Babylon to thefarthest ruins at Hillah; which is rather an unaccountable circumstretch of sight, lying a melancholy waste. Not a habitable stance, considering that they survived the final ruin of the spot appears for countless miles." The land of Babylon is town, long after which they served as an enclosure for a desolnte,'without an inhabitant. The Arabs traverse it; and park; in which comparatively perfect state St. Jerome inevery man met with in the desert is looked on as an enemy. forms us they remained in his time." WX]ild beasts have now their home in the land of Chaldea; In the sixteenth century they were seen for the last tine but the traveller is less afraid of them, —even of the lion, — by any European traveller, (so far as the author has been thtan of ",the wilder animal, the desert Arab." The coun- able to trace,) before they were finally so utterly broken as try is frequently "totally impassable" "Those splendid totally to disappear. And it is interesting to mark both the accounts of the Babylonian lands yielding crops of grain time and the manner in which the walls of Babylon, like two or three hundred-fold, compared with the modern face'the city of which they were the impregnable yet unavailing of the country, afford a remarkable proof of. the singtgla'r defeince, were brought down to the grave, to be seen no dzsolatioa to which it has been subjected. The canals at more. present can only be traced by their decayed banlks." "The meanwhile," as Rauwolf describes them, "when "The soil of this desert, says Captain Mignan, who we were lodged there, I considered and viewed this ascent, traversed it on foot, and who, in a single day, crossed forty and found that there were two behind one another," (Hev-ater-courses, "consists of a hard clay, mixed with sand, rodotus states that there was both an inner, or inferior, and which at noon became so heated with the sun's rays that I outer wall,) c distinguished by a ditch, and extending themf~und it too hot to walk over it with any degree of comfort. selves like unto two parallel walls a great way about, and that Those who have crossed those desert wilds are already ac- they were open in some places, where one might go through quainted with their dreary tediousness even on horseback; like gates; wherefore I believe that they were the wall of what it is on foot they can easily imagine." Where astron- the old town that went about them; and that the places omers first calculated eclipses, the natives, as in the des- wherethey were open have been anciently the gates (whereerts of Africa, or as the mariner.without a comfpass on the of there were one hundred) of that town. And this the rather pathless ocean, can now direct their course only by the - because I saw in some places under the sand (wherewith the,tars, over the pathless desert of Chaldea. Where cultiva- two ascents were almost covered) theold wallplainlyappear." lion reached its utmost height, and whei- two hundred-fold The cities of Seleucia, Ctesiphon, Destagered, Kufa, and was stated as the common produce, there is now one wide anciently many others in the vicinity, together with the and uncultivated waste; and the sower and reaper are cut more modern towns of Mesched Ali, Mesched Hussein, and off froom the land of Babylon. W'here abundant stores and Hillah, " with towns; villages, and caravansaries without treasures were laid up, and annually renewed and increased, number," have, in all probability, been chiefly built out of fambeers have fanned, and spoilers have spoiled them till they the walls of Babylon. Like the city, the walls have been have emptied the land. Where labourers, shaded by palm- takenf'rom thence, till none of them are left. The rains of trees a hundred feet high, irrigated the fields till all was many hundred years, and the waters coming upon them plentifully watered from numerous canals, the wanderer, annually by the overflowing of the Euphrates, have also, without an object on which to fix his eye, but" stinted and in all likelihood, washed down' the dust and rubbish from short-lived shrubs," can scarcely set his foot without pain, the broken and dilapidated walls into the ditch frolm which after the noonday heat, on the "arid and parched ground," they were originally taken, till at last the sand. of the parchin plodding his weary way through a desert, a dry land, ed desert has smoothed them into a plain, and added the and a wilderness. Where there were crowded thorough- place where they stood to the wilderness, so that the broad fares, from city to city, there is now "silence and solitude;" walls of Babylon are stterly broken. And now, as the subfor the ancient cities of Chaldea are desolations,-where joined evidence, supplementary of what has already been no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass there- adduced, fully proves,-it may verily be said that the by.-KEITn. loftiest walls ever built by man, as well as the " greatest city on which the sun ever shone," which these walls surVer, 42. The sea is come up upon Babylon: she rounded, and the most fertile of countries, of which Babyis covered with the multitude of the waves ion the great was the capital and the glory,-have all been thereof swept by the Lord of Hosts with the besorn of dests'sction. A chapter of sixty pages in length, of Mr. Buckingham's This metaphor is in common use to show the ovERwHELM- Travels in Mesopotamia, is entitled, "Search after the TNG power of an enemy. "Tippoo Saib went down upon walls of Babylon." After a long and fruitless search, lie his foes, like the sea he swept them all away." " True, discovered on the eastern boundary of the ruins, on the true, the British troops went like the sea upon Bhurtpore,'summit of an oval mocnd from seventy to eighty feet in tihe forts have been carried away."-RoBERTS. height, and from three to four hundred feet in circumference, "a mass of solid wall, about thirty feet in length, by Ver. 58. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, The twelve or fifteen in thickness, yet evidently once of much broad alls of Babylon shall be utterly brolen, greater dimensions each way, the work being, in its presand her high gates shall be burnt with fire ent state, broken and incomplete in eve'y part;" and this and her high gates shall be burnt with fre'heap of ruin and fragment of wall he conjectured to be a arid the people shall labour in vain, and the part —the only part, if such it be, that can be discoveredfolk in the fire, and they shall be weary. of the walls of Babylon, so stterly are the7/ broken. Beyond this there is not even a pretension to the discovery of any they were so broad, that, as ancient historians relate, part of them. six chariots could be driven on them abreast; or a chariot Captain Frederick, of whose journey it was the "prinand four horses might pass and turn. They existed as cipal object to search for the remains of the wall and ditch walls for more than a thousand years after the prophecy that had compassed Babylon," states, that "neither of these was delivered; and long after the sentence of utter destrue- have been seen by any modern traveller. All my inquiries tion had gone forth against them, they were numbered among the Arabs," he adds, "on this subjec(, completely among" the seven wonders of the world." And what can failed in producing the smallest effect. Within the space be more wonderful now, or what could have been more in- of twenty-one miles in length along the banks of the Eu-.onceivable by man, when Babylon was in its strength and phrates, and twelve miles across it in breadth, I was unable CHAr. 51. JEREMIAH. 517 o perceive any thing that could admit of my imagining dust; —from the splendid and luxuriant festivals of Babythat either a wall or a ditch had existed withi/. this exten- lonian monarchs, the noise of the viols, the pomp of Be!sive area. If any remains do exist of the walls, they must shazzar's feast, and the godless revelry of a thousand lords have been of greater circumference than is allowed by drinking out of the golden vessels that had been taken from modern geographers. I may possibly have been deceived; Zion, to the cry of wild beasts, the creeping of doleful but I spared no pains to prevent it. I never was em- creaturesof whichtheirdesolatehouses andpleasant palaces ployed in riding and walking less than eight hours for are full, the nestling of owls in cavities, the dancing of six successive days, and upwards of twelve on the sev- wild goats on the ruinous mound as on a rock; and the enth." dwelling-place of dragons and of venomous reptilesMajor Keppel relates that he and the party who accom- from arch upon arch, and terrace upon terrace, till the haipanied him, "in common with other travellers, had totally ing gardens of Babylon rose like a mountain, down to tiie failed in discovering any trace of the city walls;" and stones of the pit now disclosed to view; —from the palaces he adds, "the Divine predictions against Babylon have of princes who sat on the mount of the congregation, and been' so literally fulfilled in the appearance of the ruins, thought in the pride of their hearts to exalt themselves that I am disposed to give the fullest signification to the above the stars of God, to heaps cut down to the ground, words of Jeremiah —the broad w;alls of Babylon shall be ut- perforated as the raiment of those that are slain, and as a terly brokex." carcass trodden under feet;-from the broad walls of BabyBabylon shall be an astonishment.-Every one that goeth aon, in all their height, as Cyrus camped against them by Babylon sh.all be astonished. It is impossible to think on round about, seeking in vain a single point where congrewhat Babylon was, and to be an eyewitness of what it is, gated nations could scale the walls or force an opening, to without astonishment. On first entering its ruins, Sir Rob- the untraceable spot on which they stood, where there is ert Ker Porter thus expresses his feelings: "I could not but nothing left to turn aside, or impede in their course, the feel an indescribable awe in thus passing-as it were, into worms that cover it;-and finally, from Babylon the great, the gates of fallen Babylon."-" I cannot portray," says the wonder of the world, to fallen Babylon. the astonishCaptain Mignan, "the overpowering sensation of reveren- ment -)f all who go by it;-in extremes like these, whatever tial awe that possessed my mind while contemplating changes they involve, and by whatever instrumentality they tl:e extent and magnitude of ruin and devastation on every may have been wrought out, there is not to this hour, in side." this most marvellous history of Babylon, a single fact that How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder! may not most appropriately be ranked under a prediction, How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!'and that does not tally entirely with its express and precise -The following interesting description has lately been fulfilment, while at the same time they all united show, as given from the spot. After speaking of the ruined e-nbank- may now be seen,-reading the judgments to the very letter, ment, divided and subdivided again and again, like a sort and looking to the facts as they are,-the destruction which of tangled network, over the apparently interminable has come from the Almighty upon Babylon. ground-of large and wide-spreading morasses-of ancient Has not every purpose of the Lord been performed fbundations-and of chains of undulating heaps-Sir Robert against Babylont. And having so clear illustrations of the Ker Porter emphatically adds:-" The whole view was facts before us, what mortal shall give a negative answer particularly solemn. The majestic stream of the Euphrates, to the questions, subjoined by their omniscient Author to wandering in solitude, like a pilgrim monarch through the these very prophecies.-" Who hath declared this from silent ruins of his devastated kingdom, still appeared a no- ancient time. Who hath told it from that time l Have ble river, under all the disadvantages of its desert-tracked not I, the Lord'. and there is no god beside me; —declarcourse. Its banks were hoary with reeds; and the gray ing the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the osier willows were yet there on which the captives of Israel things that are not yet done-sayin-, my counsel shail hung up their harps, and while Jerusalem was not, refused stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Is it possible that to be comforted. But how is the rest of the scene changed there can be any attestation of the truth of prophecy, if Jt since then! At that time those broken hills were palaces be not witnessed here? Is there any spot on earth which -those long undulating mounds, streets-this vast solitude has undergone a more complete transformation. "The filled with the busy subjects of the proud daughter of records of the human race," it has been said with truth Co the East.-Now, wasted with misery, her habitations are not present a contrast more striking than that between the not to be fonlnd —and for herself, the worm is spread over primeval magnificence of Babylon and its loing desolation." her." Its ruins have of late been carefully and scrupulously exF'rom palaces converted into broken hills; —firom streets to aminedby different natives ofBritain, of unimpeached veialong lines of heaps;-from the throne of the world to sitting city, and the result of every research is a more striking in the dust; from the hum of mighty Babylon to the death- demonstration of the literal accomplishment of every prelike silence that rests upon the grave to which it is brought diction. How few. spots are there on earth of which we down;-from the great storehouse of the world, where have so clear and faithful a picture as prophecy gave of fallen treasures were gathered from every quarter, and the prison- Babylon, at a time when no spot on earth resembled it iess house of the captive Jews, where, notloosed to return home- than its present desolate solitary site! Or could any prowards, they served in a hard bondage, to Babylon the spoil phecies respecting any single place have been more precise, of many nations, itself taken from thence, and nothing left; or wonderful, or numerous, or true,-or more graduatlv -from a vast metropolis, the place of palaces and the glory accomplished throughout many generations. And wxhen of kingdoms, whither multitudes ever flowed, to a dreaded they loolk at what Babylon was, and what it is, and perceive and shunned spot not inhabited nor dwelt in from genera- the minute realization of them. all-may not nations learn tion to generation, where even the Arabian, though the wisdom, may not tyrants tremble, and may not skept_;:-; son of the d'esert, pitches not his tent, and where the shep- think?-KEITH. herds make not their folds; —from the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, to the taking er. 62. hen salt thou say, D, thou away of bricks, and to an uncovered nakedness; —from spoken against this place, to cut it off that none making the earth to tremble, and shaking kingdoms, to be- shall remain in it', neither man nor beast, but ing east out of the grave like an abominable branch;-from that it shall e desolate for eve.'O b ~~~~~~~~~~~~~that it shall be desolate for ever. the many nations and great kings from the coasts of the earth that have so often come up against Babylon, to the The course of the Tigris through Babylonia, instead of workmen that still cast her up as heaps and add to the hum- being adorned, as of old, with cities and towns, is marked ber of pools in the ruins; —from thb immense artificial with the sites of ancient ruins." Sitace, Sabata, Narisa, lake, many miles in circumference, by means of which the Fuchera, Sendia no longerexist." A stccession of Ionannual rising of the Euphrates was regulated and restrain- gitudinal mounds crossed at right angles by others, marie ed,to these pools of water, a few yards round, dug by the the supposed site of Artemita, or Destagered. Its once workmen, and filled by the river;-from the first and great- luxuriant gardens are covered with grass; and a higher est of temples to a burnt mountain desolate for ever; from mound distinguishes "the royal residence" from the ancient the golden image, forty feet in height, which stood on the streets. Extensive ridges and mounds, (near to Houmania,) top of the temple of Belus, tV all the graven images of her varying in height and extent, are seen branching in every gods, that are broken unto thl: ground and mingled with the direction. A wxall with sixteen bastions is the only me 51S JEREMIAH. CHAP. 51. morial of Apollonia. The once magnificent Seleucia is decay. It remained long in the possession of the Saracens; now a scene of desolation. There is not a single entire and abundant evidence has since been given, that every building, but the country is strewed for miles with frag- feature of ils prophesied desolation is now distinctly visiments of decayed buildings. "As far," says Major Kep- ble-for the most ancient historians bore not a clearer tespel,:' as the eye could reach, -the horizon presented a bro- timony to facts confirmatory of the prophecies relative to ken line' of mounds; the whole of this place was a desert its first siege and capture by Cyrus, than the latest travelflat." On the opposite bank of the Tigris, where Ctesiphon lers bear to the fulfilment of those which refer to its final its rival stood, besides fragments of walls and broken masses and permanent ruin. The identity of its site has been comof brick-work, and remains of vast structures encumbered pletely established. And the truth of every general and ol with heaps of earth, there is one magnificent monument every particular prediction is now so clearly demonstrated, of antiquity,': in a remarkably perfect state of preservation," that a simple exhibition of the facts precludes the possibili-:a large and noble file of building, the front of which pre- ty of any cavil, and supersedes the necessity of any reasents to view a wall three hundred feet in length, adorned sonaing on the subject. with four rows of arched recesses, with a central arch, in It is not merely the general desolation of Babylon, — span eighty-six feet, and above a hundred feet high, sup- however much that alone would have surpassed all human ported by walls sixteen feet thick, and leading to a hall foresight, —which the Lord declared by the mouth of his which extends to the depth of one hundred and fifty-six prophets. In their vision, they saw not more clearly, nor feet," the width of the building.:.great part of the back defined more precisely, the future history of Babylon, front Wall, and orf the roof, is broken down; but that which re- the height of its glory to the oblivion of its name, than they mains "still appears much larger than Westminster Ab- saw and depicted fcallen Babylon as now it lies, and as, in hey." It is supposed to have been the lofty palace of Chos- the nineteenth century of the Christian era, it has, for the roes; but there desolation now reigns. " On the site of first time, been fully described. And now when an' end Ctesiphon, the smallest insect under heaven would not find has come'apon Ba.bylon, after a long succession of ages has a single blade of grass wherein to hide itself, nor one drop wrought out its utter desolation, both the pen and the penof water to allay its thirst." In the rear of the palace, and cil of travellers,-who have traversed and inspected its ruins, attached to it, are mounds two'miles in circumference, in- must be combined, in order to delineate what the word of dicating the utter desolation of buildings formed to minis- God, by the prophets, told from the beginning that that end ter to luxury. But, in the words of Captain Mignan, "such would be. is the extent of the; irregular mounds and hillocks thbt Truth ever scorns the discordant and encumbering aid of overspread the site of these renowned cities, that it would error: but t:o diverge in the least from the most precise facts occupy some months to take the bearingi and dimensions would here weaken and destroy the ac)ument; for the preof each with accuracy'." dictions correspond not closely with any fhin0, except alone While the ancient cities of Chaldea are thus desolate, the with the express and literal reality. To swerve from it, is, sites of others cannot be discovered, or have not been visit- in the same degree,'to vary from them: and any misrepreed, as none pass thereby; the more modern cities, which sentation would be no less hurtful than iniquitous. But the flourished under the empire of califs, are "all in ruins." actual fact renders any exaggeration impossible, and any The second Bagdad has not indeed yet shared the fate of fiction poor. Fancy could not have feigned a contrast more the first. And Hillah —a town of comparatively modern complete, nor a destruction greater, than that which has date,near to the site of Babylon, but in the gardens of which come from the Almighty upon Babylon. And though the there is not the least vestige of ruins-yet exists. But the greatest city on which the sun ever shone be now a desoformer, " ransacked by massacre, devastation, and oppres- late ztwilde'rness, there is scarcely any spot on earth more sir:n, during several hundred years," has been "gradually clearly defined-and none could be more accurately delineduced from being a rich and powerful city to a state of eated by the hands of a draftsman-than the scene of Babycomparative poverty, and the feeblest means of defence." Ion's desolation is set before us in the very words of the And of the inhabitants of the latter, about eight or ten prophets; and no words could now be chosen lire unto thousand, it is said'that "if any thing could identify the these, which, for two thousand five hundred years, have tmodern inhabitants of Hillah as the descendants of the been its." burden"-the burden which now it bears. ancient Babylonians, it would be their extreme profligacy, Such is the multiplicity of prophecies and the accumulafor which they are notorious even among their immoral tion of facts, that the very abundance of evidence increases neit hbours." They give no sign of repentance and refor- the difficulty of arranging, in a condensed form, and thus mation to warrant the hope that judgment, so long con- appropriating its specific fulfilment to each precise and tunued upon others, will cease from them; or that they are separate prediction, and many of them may be viewed conthe peoplethat shallescape. Twenty years have not passed nectedly. All who have visited Babylon concur innacsince towns in Chaldea have been ravaged and pillaged by knowledging or testifying that the desolation is exactly such the Wahabees; and so lately as 1823, the town of Sheere- as was foretold. They, in general, apply the more promiban " was sacked and ruined by the Coords," and reduced nent predictions; and, in minute details, they sometimes to desolation. Indications of ruined cities, whether of a unconsciously adopt, without any allusion or reference, the remote or more recent period, abound throughout the land. very words of inspiration. The process of destruction is still completing. Gardens Babylon is wholly desolate. It has become heaps-it is which studded the banks of the Tigris have very recently cut down to the ground-brought down to the grave-troddisappeared, and mingled with the desert,-and concerning den on-uninhabited-its foundations fallen-its walls the cities also of Claldea the word is true that they are des- thrown down, and utterlybroken-its loftiest edifices rolled olalioms. For "the whole country is strewed over with the down from the rocks-the golden city has ceased-the debris of Grecian, Roman, and Arabian towns, confound- worms are spread under it. and the worms cover it, &e. ed in the same mass of rubbish." There the Arabian pitches not his tent; there the shepBut while these lie in indiscriminate ruins, the chief of herds malke not their folds; but wild beasts of the desert the cities of Chaldea, the first in name and in power that lie there, and their houses are full of doleful creatures, and ever existed in. the world, bears many a defined mark of owls dwell there, &c. It is a possession for the bittern, and the judgmenats of heaven. The progressive and predicted a dwelling-place for dragorns; a wilderness, a dry land, and decline of Babylon the great, till it ceased to be a city, has a desert; a burnt mountain; pools of water; spoiled, empty, a Ireadly been briefly detailed. About the beginning of the nothing left, utterly destroyed; every one that goeth by is Christian era, a small portion of it was inhabited, and the astonished, &c. far greater part was cultivated. It diminished as Seleucia Babylon shall become heaps. Babylon, the glory of kiingincreased, and the latter became the greater city. In the doms, is-now the greatest of ruins. Immense tumuli of second century nothing but the walls remained. It became temples, palaces, and human habitations of every descripgradually a greatdesert; and,inthe fourth century, ijts ualls, tion, are everywhere seen, and from long and varied lines i epaired for that purpose, formed an enclosure for wild of ruins, which, in some places, rather resemble natural bzasts, and Babylon was converted into a field for the chase hills than moaumnds which cover the remains of great and -.- -a hunting-place for the pastime of the Persian monarchs. splendid edifi ces. Those buildings which were once the'hthe name and the remnant were cut off from Babylon; labour of slaves and the pride of kings, are now misshapen and there is a blank, during the interval of many ages, in heaps of rubbish. " The whole face of the country is cov-.hle history of its mutilated remains and of its mouldering ered with' vestiges of building, in some places consistling o CHAP. 52. JEREMIAH. 519 brick walls surprisingly fresh, in others, merely a vast suc- parted; all its treasures have been spoiled; all its excel. cession of mounds of rubbish, of such indeterminate figures, lence has utterly vanished the very heaps are searched variety, and extent, as to involve the person who should for bricks, when nothing else can be found; even these are have formed any theory in inextricable confusion." Long not left wherever they can be taken away, and Babylon has mounds, running from north to south, are crossed by others for ages been " a quarry above ground," ready to the hand from east to west; and are only distinguished by their of every successive despoiler. Without the most remote form, direction, and number, from the decayed banks of allusion to this prophecy, Captain Mignan describes a mound canals. The greater part of the mounds are certainly the attached to the palace ninety yards in breath by half that in remains of buildings, originally disposed in streets, and height, the whole of which is deeply furrowed, in the same crossing each other at right angles. The more distinct manner as the generality of the mounds. " The ground is and prominent of these " heaps" are double, or lie in par- extremely soft, and tiresome to walk over, and appears allel lines, each exceeding twenty feet in height, and are completely exhausted of all its building materials: not/hin intersected by cross passages, in such a manner as to place now is left save one towering hill, the earth of which is beyond a doubt the fact of their being rows of houses or mixed with fragments of broken brick, red varnished potstreets fallen to decay. Such was the form of the streets tery, tile, bitumen, mortar, glass, shells; and pieces of of Babylon, leading towards the gates; and such are now mother-of-pearl"-worthless fragments, of no value to the the lines of heaps-" There are also, in some places, two poorest. From thence shall she be taken —let not]hing of her hollow channels, and three mounds, running parallel to be left. One traveller, towards the end of the last century, each other for a considerable distance, the central mound passed over the site of ancient Babylon, without being conbeing, in such cases, a broader and flatter mass than the scious of having traversed it. other two, as if there had been two streets going parallel While the workmen cast her up. as heaps in piling up the to each other, the central range of houses which divided rubbish while excavating for brick, that they may take them them being twice the size of the others, from their being from thence, and that nothing be left; they labour more than double residences, with a front and door of entrance to trebly in the fulfilment of prophecy, for the numerous and face each avenue." "Irregular hillocks and mounds, deep excavations form pools of water, on the overflowing of formed over masses of ruins, present at every step memo- the Euphrates, and, annually filled, they are not dried up rials of the past." throughout the year. Deep cavities are also formed by the From the temple of Belus and the two royal palaces, to Arabs, when digging for hidden treasure. The ground is the streets of the city and single dwellings, all have become sometimes covered with pools ofwaterin the hollows." Sit heaps;' and the only difference or gradation now is, from on the dust, sit on the ground, 0 daughter of thle Chaldeans. the vast and solid masses of ruins which look like moun- The szuface of the mounds, which form all that remains of tains, to the slight mound that is scarcely elevated above Babylon, consists of decomposed buildings reduced to dust; the plain.. Babylon isfallen, literally FALLEN to such a de- and over all the ancient streets and habitations there is litglee that those who stand on its site and look on numerous erally nothing but the dust of the ground on which to sit. parallel mounds, with a hollow space between, are some- Thy nakedness shall be uncovered. "Our path," says Captimes at a loss to distinguish between the remains of a tain Mignan, "lay through the great mass of ruined heaps street or a canal, or to tell where the crowds frequented or on the site of'shrunken Babylon.' And I am perfectly where the waters flowed. Babylon is fallen, till its ruins incapable of conveying an adequate idea of the dreary, cannot fall lower than they lie. It is cut down to the ground. lonely nakedness that appeared before me."'-KElT-I. Her foundations are fallen; and the ruins rest not on them. Its palaces, temples, streets, and houses, lie " buried in shape- CHAPTER LII. less heaps." And " the view of Babylon," as taken from Ver. 21. And concerning the pillars, the height the spot, is truly a picture of utter desolation, presenting its heazps to the eye, and showing how, as if literally buried one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a fillet of under them, Babylon is broought down to the grave. twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness Cast lher up as heaps. Mr. Rich, in describing a grand thereof was four fingers: it was hollorv. heap of ruins, the shape of which is nearly a square of seven hundred yards in length and breadth, states that the workmen In the same way do the people of the East speak of any pierce into it in every direction, in search of bricks, "hol- thing which is less in measure than a SPAN. "What height lowing out deep ravines and pits, and throwing c-up the rub- are your pepper vines?"-" About two fingers." " Whein bish i~n heaps on the surface." "The summit of the Kasr" the rice becomes five fingers in height we shall want more (supposed to have been the lesser palace) is in like manner rain." That which is less than a finger is spoken of as a covered with heaps of rubbisA." grain of rice; the next gradation is an ellu, i. e. gingelly Let nothing of hler be left. Vast heaps constitute call that seed; the next is a mustard seed; and the last an ann, i. e now r'emrains of ancient Babylon. All its grandeur is de- an atom.-ROBERS.s. BIRS NIMROOD.-Is. 46: 1. Jer. 50; 2, and 51: 61, 62. "I will roll thee down from th, rocks and make thee a burnt mountain." LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMIAH. CHAPTER II Ver. 17. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and Ver. 1. How doth the city sit solitary that was there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath full of people! how is she become as a widow! commanded concerning Jacob, that' his advershe that was great among the nations, and saries should be round about him: Jerusalem princess among the provinces, how is she be- is as a menstruous woman among them. come tributary! What a graphic view we have here of a person in distress! Jerusale~m had been sacked by a ruthless foe, and her See that poor widow looking at the dead body of her hussons had been carried off to Babylcn. "As a widow." band, as the people take it from the house: she spreads When a husband dies, the solitary widow takes off her forth her hands to their utmost extent, and piteously bemarriage jewels, and other ornaments;, her head, is shaved! wails her condition. The last allusion in the verse is very and she sits down in the dust to'bewail her lamentable common-RoBERTs. condition. In the book Scanda Purana, it is said, after the CHAPTER II. splendid city of Kupera had been plundered by the cruel Assurs, " the city deprived of its riches by the pillage of the Ver. 1. How hath the LORD covered the daughAssurs, resembled the winOow! " Jerusalem became as a ter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast widow in her loneliness bemoaning her departed lord.- down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of ROBER~S. ~Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the Ver. 3. Judah is gone into captivity, because of day of his anger. affliction, and because of great servitude; she Those who are in favour with the king, or those who dwelleth among' the heathen, she findeth no obey him, are called his footstool. But the figure is also rest: all her persecutors overlook her between used in a degrading sense. Thus, do two men quarrel, the straits. one says to the other, " I will make thee my footstool.' " Ah! rmy lord, be not angry with me, how long have I It was the practice with those who hunted wild beasts to been your footstool?" " I be that fellow's footstool! Never! drive them, if possible, into some strait and narr'ow pas- Was he not footstool to my father."-ROBERTS. sage, that they might more effectually take them, as in such a situation an escape could hardly be effected. It is to this Ver. 15. All that pass by clap their hands at thee: circumnstance that the prophet alludes in these words.- they hiss and wag their head at the daughter BunRDER. o Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that m en Ver. 11. All her people sigh, they seek bread: call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the they have given their pleasant things for meat whole earth? to relieve the soul: see, 0 LORD, and consider; See on Job 27. 23. for I am become vile. The vulgar, the low triumph of a victorious party, in the East, is extremely galling; there is nothing like moderation What a melancholy picture have we here! the captives, or forbearance in the victors. No, they have recourse tc it appears, had been allowed, or they had concealed, some every contemptuous and brutal method to degrade their of their "pleasant things," their jewels, and were now fallen foe. Has one party triumphed over another in-a obliged to part with them for foodl. What a view we also court of law, or in some personal conflict, the conquerors have here of the cruelty of the vile Ba~bylonians! The shout loud, "Aha! aha! fallen, fallen;" and then go people of the East retain their little valuables, such as close to the vanquished, and " clap their hands."- ROBERTS. ievels and rich robes, to the last extremity. To part with Oriental females express their respect for persons ot that, which has, perhaps, been a lkind of heir-loom in high rank, by gently applying one of their hands to their the family, is like parting with life. Have they sold mouths;a custom which seems to have existe frbm time the last wreck of their other property; are they on the immemorial. In some of the towns of Barbary, the leadverge of death; the emaciated members of the family are ers of the sacred caravans are received with lonud acclamacalled together, and some one undertakes the heart-rending tions, and every expression of the warmest regard. Tle task of proposing such a bracelet, or armlet, or anklet, or womenviewtheparade fromthetopsofthe houses, endtestify ear-ring, or the pendant of the forehead, to be sold. For a their satisfaction by striking their four fingers on their lips moment all are silent, till the mother or daughters burst ft as they canall the hle maing a oful noise into tears, and then the contending feelings of hunger, and I'he sacred writers perhaps allude to this custol, in those love for their "pleasant things," alternately prevail. In passages where clapping the hand in the singular number general the conclusion is, to pledge, and not to sell, their is entioned. Striking one hand smartly upon the other is mentioned. Striking one hand smartly upon the other, ach-lohved ornaments; but such is the e rapacity of those which we call clapping the hands, was also used to express who have money, and such the extreme penury of those joy, in the same manner as among ourselves; but in the who have once fallen, they seldom regain them. Numbers East it appears to have been generally employed to denote give their jewels to others to keep for them, and never a malignant satisfaction, a. triumphant or insulting joy. them more. I recollect a person came to the mission In this way, the enemies of Jerusalem expressed their house, and broobht a large casket of jewels for me to keep satisfaction, at the fall of that great and powerful city.in our iron chest. The valuable gems were shown to me P'xO one by one; but I declined receiving them, because I had heard that the person was greatly indebted to the govern- CHAPTER III. ment, and was led to suspect the object was to defraud the Ver. 7. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot creditor. They were then taken to another person, who get out: he hath made my chain heavy. received them,-decamped to a distant part of the country, and the whole of the property was lost, both to the individu- This figure is taken from a prisoner having a heavy al and the creditors.-RoBERTs. chain to drag as he goes along. Husbamids sometimes CHAP. 3-5. LAMENTATIONS. 521 speak of their wives as a chain. Thus, is a man invited their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is wither to a distant country; he asks in reply, " How can I come 1 ed, it is become like a stick. my wife has made my chain heavy." "My husband, my husband, you shall not go; my weeping shall make your I leave it to physicians and naturalists to determine, with chain heavy." A man in great trouble asks, Who will minute exactness, what effect extreme hunger produces on break this sangale? i. e. chain. "My chain, my chain, the body, particularly as to colour. It is sufficient for me who willbreak this chain 2" "Have you heard Varavar's to remark, that the modern inhabitants of the East supchain is broken. He is dead! Who will make another pose it occasions an approach to blackness, as the ancient chain for him."- ROBERTS. Jews also did. " Her Nazarites," says the prophet, complaining of the dreadful want of food, just before JerusaVer. 15. He hath filled me with bitterness, he lem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar, "her Nazarites were hath made me drunken with wormwood. purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was "Wicked, wicked son," says the disappointed mother, of sapphire. Their visage is blacker than a coal: they'I expected to have had pleasure from thee, but thou hast are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their given me kasapu," i. e. bitterness. "Shall I go to his bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick." Lam. iv. house to live on bitterness'" " Who.can make this bitter- 7, 8. The like is said, ch. v. 10. " Our skin was black like ness sweet " —ROBERTS. an oven, because of the terrible famine." The same representation of its effects still obtains in those CHAPTER IV. countries. So Sir John Chardin tells, that the common Ver. 5. They that did feed delicately are desolate people of Persia, to express the sufferings of Hossein, a grandson of their prophet Mohammed, and one of their in the streets; they that were brought up in most illustrious saints, who fled into the deserts before his scarlet embrace dunghills. victorious enemies, that pursued him ten days together, and at length overtook him, ready to die with heat, thirst, and faIn preparing their victuals, the Orientals are, from the tigue, and slew him with a multitude of wounds, in..memory extreme scarcity of wood in many countries, reduced to of which they annually observe ten days with great solemuse cow-dung for fuel. At Aleppo, the inhabitants use nity; I say, he tells us, that the common people then, to wood and charcoal in their rooms, but heat their baths express what he suffered, "appear entirely naked, exceptwith cow-dung, the parings of fruit, and other things of a ing the parts modesty requires to be covered, and blackened similar kind, which they employ people to gather for that all over; while others are stained with blood; others run purpose. In Egypt, according to Pitts, the scarcity of wood about the streets, beating two flint-stones against each other, is so great, that at Cairo they commonly heat their ovens their tongues hanging out of their mouths like people quite with horse or cow dung, or dirt of the streets; what wood exhausted, and behaving like persons in despdir, crying they have being brought from the shores of the Black Sea, with all their might, Hossein, &c. Those that coloured and sold by weight. Chardin attests the same fact; " The themselves black. intended to represent the extremity of thirst eastern people always use cow-dung for baking, boiling a and heat which Hossein had suffered, which was so great, pot, and dressing all kinds of victuals that are easily cook- they say, that he turned black, and his tongue swelled out ed, especially in countries that have but little wood;" and of his mouth. Those that were covered with blood, intended Dr. Russel remarks, in a note, that "the Arabs carefully to represent his being so terribly wounded, as that all his collect the dung of the sheep and camel, as well as that of blood had issued from his veins before he died." the cow; and that the dung, offals, and other matters, used Here we see thirst, want of food, and fatigue, are supin the bagnios, after having been new gathered in the streets, posed to make a human body look black. They are now are carried out of the city, and laid in great heaps to dry, supposed to do so; as they were supposed anciently to have where they become very offensive. They are intolerably that effect.-HAnMER. disagreeable, while drying, in the town adjoining to the bagnios; and are so at all times when it rains, though they CHAPTER V. be stacked, pressed hard together, and thatched at top." Ver. 4. We have drunken our water for money; These statements exhibit, in a very strong light, the extreme is sold unto us. misery of the Jews, who escaped from the devouring sword of Nebuchadnezzar: " They that feed delicately, are desol- See on Num. 20. 19. ate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet, That numbers of the Israelites had no wood growing on embrace dunghills." To embrace dunghills, is a species their own lands, for their burning, must be imagined from of wretchedness, perhaps unknown to us in the history of the openness of their country. It is certain, the eastern modern warfare; but it presents a dreadful and appalling villages now have oftentimes little or none, on their premiimage, when the circumstances to which it alludes are re- ses: so Russel says, that inconsiderable as the stream that collected. What can be imagined more distressing to those runs at Aleppo, and the gardens about it, may appear, they, who lived delicately, than to wander without food in the however, contain almost' the only trees that are to be met streets i, What more disgusting and terrible to those who with for twenty or thirty miles round, " for the villages are had been clothed in rich and splendid garments, than to be destitute of trees," and most of them only supplied with forced, by the destruction of their palaces, to seek shelter what rainwater they can save in cisterns. D'Arvieux among stacks of dung, the filth and stench of which it is gives us to understand, that several of the present villages alhnost impossible to endure.. The dunghill, it appears of the Holy Land are in the same situation; for, observing from holy writ, is one of the common retreats of the mendi- that the Arabs burn cow-dung in their encampments, he cant, which imparts an exquisite force and beauty to a pas- adds, that all the villagers, who live in places where there sage in the song of Hannah: " He raiseth up the poor out is a scarcity of wood, take great care to provide themselves of the dust, and lifteth the beggar from the dunghill, to set with sufficient quantities of this kind of fuel. This is a them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne circumstance I have elsewhcre taken notice of. The Holy of giory." The change in the circumstances of that excel- Land appears, by the last observations, to have been as litlent woman, she reckoned as great (and it was to her not tle wooded anciently as at present; nevertheless, the Israelless unexpected) as the elevation of a poor despised beggar, ites seem to have burnt wood very commonly, and without from a nauseous and polluting dunghill, rendered tenfold buving it too, from what the prophet says, Lam. v. 4. more fetid by the intense heat of an oriental sun, to one "'We have drunken our water for money, our wood is sold of the highest and most splendid stations on earth.-PAx- to us." Had they been wont to buy their fuel, they would TON. not have complained of it as such a hardship. The true account of it seems to be this: The woods of Ver. 7. IHer Nazarites were purer than snow, the land of Israel being from very ancient times common, they were whiter than milk, they were more the people of the villages, which, like those about:Aleppo, ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing wtas had no trees growing in them, supplied themselves with fuel out of these wooded places, of which there were many of sapphire: S. Their visage is blacker than anciently, and several that still remain. This liberty of a coal; they are not known in the streets: taking wood in common, the Jews suppose to have been a 66 522 EZEKIEL. CIIAP. 1. constitution of Joshua, of which they give us ten; the first, especially for slaves and refractory children. Thus, has giving liberty to an Israelite to feed his flock in the woods a master an obstinate slave; has he committed some great of any tribe: the second, that it should be free to take wood offence with his hands; several men are called, who tie in the fields any where. But though this was the ancient the offender's hands, and hoist him to the roof, till he 2ustom in Judea, it was not so in the country into which beg for forgiveness. Schoolboys, who are in the habit of.hey were carried captives: or if this text of Jeremiah re- playing truant,, are also thus punished. To tell a man you spects those that continued in their own country for a while will hang him by the hands, is extremely provoking. See, under Gedaliah, as the ninth verse insinuates, it signifies, then, the lImentable condition of the princes in Babylon, that their conquerors possessed themselves of these woods, they were " hanged up by their hands," as common slaves. and would allow no fuel to be cut down without leave, and -ROBERTS. that leave was not to be obtained without money. It is certain, that presently after the return from the captivity, timber Ver. 16. The crown is fallen from our head: wo was not to be cut without leave, Neh. ii. 8.-HARMER. unto us, that e have sinned. Ver. 12. Princes are hanged up by their hand: Has a man lost his property, his honour, his beauty, or the faces of elders were not honoured. his happiness, he says, "My crown has fallen;" does a father or grandfather reprove his sons for bad conduict, he No punishment is more common than this in the East, asks, "Has my crown fallen?"-ROBERTS. EZEKIEL. CHAPTER I. tions of the abandonment of the Holy City by the emblems XVer. 1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, of the Lord's glory, are interspersed through several ensuie.n the fourit camo nths in te the dair oethyea, ing chapters, till we come to the tenth, where the same in the fourth month, In the fifth day/ of the splendid image is again brought to view, and is now exmonth, as I wbas among the captives by the hibited in the act of forsaking its ancient dwelling-place. river of Chebar, thaat the heavens were opened, The first chapter describes what their treasure was; the and I saw visions of God. tenth, the loss of it. Together with this, the latter contains several additional particulars in the description of the vision, The prophet Ezekiel holds a conspicuous place among which are all-important to its explication. By keeping in the writers of the Old Testament, although, from the highly mind this general view of the contents of these chapters, figurative style of his predictions, a greater degree of ob- the reader will find himself assisted in giving that signifiscurity has been supposed to attach to this book, than per- cancy to each, which he was probably before at a loss to haps to any other, except the Revelations, in the whole sa- discover. It may be here remarked, that the symbol of the cred canon. This remark applies peculiarly to the first Divine glory described by Ezekiel was not designed as a and tenth chapters of the book, which contain the descrip- mere tenmpora',y emblem, adapted only to that occasion, but tion of a remarkable emblematical vision, presented, in- that it is a permanent one, of which we have repeated intideed, under some variations of aspect in each, but in its mations in the scriptures. It is from this fact, chiefly, that genera.l features manifestly the same. These chapters, to- it derives its importance as an object of investigation.gether with the nine last, are said to have been reckoned so BusH. sacredly obscure by the ancient Jews, that they abstained from reading them till they were thirty years of age. The Ver. 7. And their feet twere straight feet; and the mystery appears to have been but little abated by time, as sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's the great mnass of commentators still speak of the unpene- foot trated veil of symbolical darkness in which the prophet's; and they spakled le the colou of urmeaning is wrapped, and the common readers of scripture nished brass. reiterate the lamentation; although doubtless every portion of the inspired writings is just as luminous and intelligible Heb their feet was a straight foot." By foot here is as infinite Wisdom saw best it should be; and it is a fea- lower part of the legs, including the ankles. ture of revelation worthy of that Wisdom, that it is adapt the human foot s formed, motion of the body in ally parto every stage of progress and attainment in spiritual knowl- ticular direction requires the foot to be turned in that direcede Whie in some arts, and those the most important, ion. The form here mentioned precludes that necessity, it levels itself to the capacity of a child, in others it gives which is doubtless the reason of its being assigned them..scope to the intellect of an angel. Most of the earlier predictions of the book of Ezekiel, Ver. 9. Their wings were joined one to another have respect to the remnant of the nation left in Judea, and to the further judgments impending over them, such as they turned not when they went; they went the siege and sacking of Jerusalem-the destruction of the every one straight forward. 10. As for the Temple-the slaughter of a large portion of its inhabitants likeness of their faces they four had the face of -and the abduction of the remainder into'a foreign land.nd the face of a lion on the ri The date of the first chapter is about six years prior to thean, and the face of a lon on the ht side; occurrence o(f these events, and the vision which it contains and they four had the face of an ox on the left was undoubtedly designed TO EXIIBIT A VISIBLE SYMBOL OF side; they four also had the face of an eagle. TIlE DIVITE GcttO1r wtlCII DWELT AiMONG THAT NATION. The tokens of Jehovah's presence constituted'the distinguishing The reader must imagine such a relative position of the honour of Israel, and its departure from among them would living creatures, preserving the form of a square, that to consequently form the essence of their national calamities, the eye of a spectator the different faces would be presented and swell them indefinitely beyond all similar disasters as here described, for the prophet could not see the four which could possibly befall any other people. Plain intima- faces of each at once. Suppose two of the living creatures CHAP. 2. EZEKIEL. 523 Dn a right line in front, and two on each side of the line, every one had two, which covered on this side, equidistant from it, and the faces can be easily arranged so and every one had two, which covered on that as to conformn to the dedsctrlieptfihotn.cBube easily a so and every one had two, which covered on that as to conform to the description.-Bus,. side, their bodies. Ver. 12. And they went every one straigfht for- The wings therefore of the whole four being in contact ward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; with each other, formed a kind of curtain beneath the inlland they turned not when they went. cumbent pavement, and thus completed the resemblance to the Temple Bases, and forming in fact a magnificent living One design of their having four, faces was, that they chariot.-BusH. might go directly forward towards either of the four cardinal points without turning their bodies.-BusH. Ver. 24. And when they went, I heard the noise Ter. 16. The appearance of the swaheels and their of their wings, like the noise of great waters, ~workli was like unto the colour of a beryl; and as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, they four had one likeness: and their appear- as the noise of a host: when they stood, they aonce and their work wtas as it were a wheel in let down their wings. the middle of a wheel. 17. When they went, Heb. " And there was a voice-in their standing they let they ewent upon their four sides and they down theirwings." The design of the prophet seems to be, turned not when they went. to show the perfect obsequiousness of the living creatures to the word of command emanating from the throne above, From all that we can gather of the form of these wheels, and directing their movements. When the word was given'hey appear to have been spherical, or each composed of to move, their wings were at once expanded, the resoundtwo of equal size, and inserted, the rim of the one into that ing din was heard, and the glorious vehicle, instinct with cf the other at right-angles, and so consisting of four equal life, rolled on in amazing majesty. Again, when the parts or half circles. They were accordingly adapted to counter mandate was heard, they in an instant stayed run either forward or backward, to the right hand or the themselves in mid career, and relaxed their wings.-BuSH. left, without any lateral turning; and by this means, their riotion corresponded with that of the four faces of the liv- Ver. 27. And I saw as the colour of amber, as ing creatures to which they were attached. " When they the appearance of fire round about within it went upon their four sides, they turned not as they went;' from the appearance of his loins even upward Heb. " When they went, they went upon the quarter-partppearance of his loins e of their fourfoldness," i. e. upon, or in the direction of, one of the four vertical semicircles into which they-were divided, ward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and which looked towards the four points of the compass. and it had brightness round about. When it is said-" they turned not"-it is not to be understood that they had not a revolving or rotary motion, but There is a studied indistiflctness in the image here dethat they, like the faces, never forsook a straight forward scribed,-yet it is plain that a Atuman, form is intended to be sourse. —Busi. shadowed forth, and that too in connexion with the splendour of fire-a usual accompaniment of the visible maniVer. 19. And when the living creatures went, the festations of the Deity. There is little roomp to doubt, wheels went by them; and when the living therefore, that in the august occupant of the throne, we are creatures were lifted up from the earth, the to.recognise the Son of God, the true God of Israel, anticipating, in this emblematic manner, his manifestation in the wheels were lifted up. 20. Whithersoever the flesh, and his future exaltation as King of Zion, riding fortl spirit was to go, they went, thither was their in the chariot of the Gospel. spirit to gfro and the wheels were lifted up over Such was the vision presented to the view of the prophet annisit them: for the spirit ofthe livig crea- lyof the captivity. A more magnificent conception can scarceainst them: for the spirit of the lvin cr be framed by the mind of man. Indeed if we except the ture vwas in the wheels. Apocalyptic disclosures of "the holy city, the new JeiusaThese ci~rculmstances are doubtless dwelt upon'with e-lem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a pe- bride adorned for her husband," we know of nothing of culiar emphasis, in order to show the intimacy of relation and harmony of action subsisting between the living ca this nature in the whole compass of revelation to be cornpared with it. Let the reader bring before his mind's eye tures and the wheels, or more. properly between the things the re ader bring before his mind's eye symbolically represented by them-BUS. the four living creatures of majestic size-so posited, and with their wings so expanded and in contact, as to' form a Ver. 22. And the lilkeness of the firmament upon hollow square-the whole four raised above the earth, and the heads of the livino creatures oas as the resting upon an equal number of spherical wheels conipounded like the equator and meridian circles of the globe colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth -their heads, with the quaternion of faces, made the supover their heads above. porters of a broad lucid pavement, clear as crystal, and having the hue of the ethereal vault-and this spljendid Heb. i As for the likeness upon the heads of the living firmament surmounted by the visible Divine Glory, concreatures, iC was thati o' an expansion stretched over their trolling the movements of the living chariot-let him imheads above, like the aspect of the terrible crystal." This agine this rolling throne jnoving onward with the noise of expansion was a splendid level pavement or flooring, of a mighty thunderings, or of many waters, even " as the voice. crystal clearness, and resting upon the heads of the living of the Almighty God when he speaketh," while fiery splencreatures, as the temple lavers rested upon the four corner- dours and a bright rainbow surround the Majesty above, stays, or " undersetters," of their bases. The resemblance and the light of lamps, burning coals, and lightnings, glow to the crystal was not in colour, but in transparency, for the amid the living creatures, and he cannot bhut feel, that the colour was like that of a sapphire stone or the cerulean ordinary creations of human genius, whether of poets or azure of- the real firmament of heaven. This is evident painters, present nothing worthy to be placed by the side of from v. 26, and also from Ex. xxiv. 9, 10, containing an it. —BUsH. evident allusion to this vision, and perhaps the germ of it. CHAPTER 11.'" Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and A seventy of the elders of Israel; and they saw- the God of Ver. 6. And thou, son-of man, be not afraid of' Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved- them, neither be afraid of their words, though work of a sapphire-stone, and, as it were, the body of heaven briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost in its clearness."-Busit. dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their Ver. 23. And under the firmament were their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though cwinos straight, the one towards the other: they be a rebellious house. 524 EZEKIEL. CHAP. 4. The scorpion is one of the most loathsome objects in na- to each other. Maupertuis put a hundred together in the ture. It resembles a small lobster; its head appears to be same glass; instantly they vented their rage in mutual dejoined and continued to the breast; it has two eyes in the struction, universal carnage! in a few days only fourteen middle of its head, and two towards the extremity, between, remained, which had killed and devoured all the others. which come, as it were, two arms, which are divided into It is even asserted, that when in extremity or despair, the two parts, like the claws of a lobster. It has eight legs pro- scorpion will destroy itself; he stings himself on the back ceeding from its breast, every one of which is divided into of the head, and instantly expires. Surely Moses with six parts, covered with hair, and armed withtalons or claws. great propriety mentions scorpions among the dangers of The belly is divided into seven rings, from the last of which the wilderness; and no situation can be conceived mote the tail proceeds, which is divided into seven little heads, hazardous than that of Ezekiel, who is said to dwell among of which the last is furnished with a sting. In some are scorpions; nor could a fitter contrast be selected by our observed six eyes, and in others eight may be perceived. Lord: " Will a father give a scorpion to his child instead The tail is long, and formed after the manner of a string of an egg'" Jesus invested his disciples witlh power to of b'eads, tied end to end, one to another; the last bigger tread on serpents and scorpions; by which may be denoted, than the others, and somewhat longer; to the end of power and authority to counteract and baffle every kind of' which, are sometimes two stings, which are hollow. and agent which the devil employs to vex and injure the filled with a cold poison, which it injects into the wound it church. The disciples of Antichrist who, by their poisoninflicts. It is of a blackish colour, and moves sidewise like ous doctrines, injure or destroy the sAuls of men, are likea crab. Darting with great force at the object of its fury, wise compared to these dangerous.animals: " And there it fixes violently with its snout, and by its feet, on the per- came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto sons which it seizes, and cannot be disengaged without dif- them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have ficulty. power."-PAXTON. [About the middle of July, the waters had risen to the CHA proper height in the basin of the Nilometer. Orders were immediately sent to the sub-governor, to open the kalidge Ver. 1. Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, with all the customary pomp which, from time immemori- and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the al, has ushered in this festival. The pacha had bad news city, even Jerusalem. from the Morea, and did not attend, but all his court was there; the defterdar flinging paras among the multitude, The tile was probably an undried one.-Lord Cornwa1s bands of music playing all night on the banks of the canal, got a good idea of Bangalore from a Bramin, who acted as and some pieces of artillery firing at intervals. I went spy, and drew a plan of the place with great accuracy in a there at night, for the festival commences the preceding short time in moist`clay.-CALLAWAY. evening; the Nile was covered with decorated boats, splendidly illuminated, and all the beauty of Cairo was collect- Ver. 1. Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, ed, either on the banks of the river or in the gandy boats; and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the it was altogether different from a Turkish festival, theren Jerusalem: 2. nd lay sie was no gravity, every body laughed and talked; the ladies enjoyed their liberty, and I fear, that night, too many of it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount them abused it. against it: set the camp also against it, and set It was impossible, however, to observe so much gayety batterig-rams against it iound about. and good-humour, "in a country which may better be called the grave, than the mother of her children," without See on Is. 29. 3. feeling pleasure. I was in high spirits, when suddenly I When the Hebrews were besieged by their enemies, they perceived something biting my leg; I put down my hand, erected engines on their towers and bulwarks, to shoot arand discovered a scorpion, the first I had seen in Egypt. rows and hurl stones; and when they sat down before a The pain was hardly perceptible; but I felt rather uncom- place with the view of besieging it, they dug trenches; they fortable about the consequences, and expressed my alarm drew lines of circumvallation; they built forts and made to an old Arab who sat near me; he very good-naturedly ramparts; they cast up mounts on every side, and planted led me to a coffee-house, and without asking my consent to battering rams upon them, to breach the walls, and open a doctor me, he proceeded to boil a small quantity of olive- way into the city. These engines, it is probable, bore some oil, then took a bit of his own old turban, dipped it in the resemblance to the balistin and catapultte of the Romans, oil, and applied it, hotter than I could well bear, to the bite. which were employed for throwing stones and arrows, and I let him have his way; for, in such cases, I think the peo- were, in reality, the mortars and carcasses of antiquity. ple of the country are better judges of remedies than a col- Josephus asserts, that Uzziah the king of Judah taught his lege of doctors. I was right in thinking so, for I suffered soldiers to march in battalia, after the manner of the Mano inconvenience whatever from the accident.-Madden.] cedonian phalanx, arming them with swords, targets, and To the northward of mount Atlas, the scorpion is not corslets of brass, with arrows and darts. He also provided very hurtful, for the sting being only attended with a slight" a great number of engines to batter cities, and to shoot fever, the application of a little Venice treacle quickly as- stones and darts, besides hooks of different forms, and othet suages the pain. But the scorpion of Getulia, and most instruments of a similar kind. other parts of the Sahara, as it is larger, and of a darker Calmet describes " an engine used for throwTing very complexion, so its venom is proportionably malignant, and heavy stones, by means of a strong bow, whose circulal. frequently attended with death." In Syria it does not seem arms are tightlyheld by two vertical beams, nearly upright; to be deadly, but occasions much inconvenience and suffer- the cord of the bow is drawn back by means of a windlass, ing to the inhabitants. Whole companies are suddenly af- placed between two beams also, behind the former, but unifected with vomitinas, which is supposed to be produced ting with them at top; in the centre is an arm, capable of by the poisonous matter which exudes from the skin of the swingingbackward and forward; round this arm the bowscorpion, as it crawls over their kitchen utensils or provi- string passes;. at the bottom of this arm is placed the stone, sions. Nor is it possible almost to avoid the danger; it is in a kind of seat. The bbwstring being drawn backward, never at rest during the summer months, and so malicious by the power of the windlass drawing the moving arm, the is its disposition, that it may be seen continually flourish- rope is suddenly let go from this arm by a kind of cock, ing its tail in which the sting is lodged, and striking at when the bowstring, recovering its natural situation, with every object within its reach. So mischievous and hateful all its power violently swings forwards the moving ari, is this creature, that the sacred writers use it in a figurative and with it the stone, thereby projeyting the stone with sense for wicked, malicious, and crafty men. Such was great force and velocity." the house of Israel to the prophet Ezekiel: " Thou dwell- "Another machine for throwing stones, consists of two est," said Jehovah to his servant, " among scorpions." arms of a bow, which are strengthened by coils of rope, No animal in the creation seems endued with a nature so sinews, or hair, ( women's hair was reckoned the best'for irascible. When taken, they exert their utmost rage against the purpose.) These arms being drawn backward as tight the glass which contains them; will attempt to sting a as possible, by a windlass placed at some distance behind stick, when put near them; will sting animals confined the machine, the string of the bow is attached to a kind of with them, without provocation; are the cruelest enemies cock, and the stone to be discharged being placed immedi. CIAP. 4-6. EZEKIEL. 525 ately before it, on touching the cock, the violent effort of this verse, and in chap. iv. 12, is often made use of when the bow threw of the stone to a great distance." The arms people are angry with each other. Has some one stolen a of this bow were of iron; which was the same as the balis- person's fuel, he says in his rage, " Ah that wretch shall tca of the Romans. get ready his food" as described in iv. 12. Does a wife ask "Besides these kind of instruments that were extremely her husband for firewood, he will (should he be angry) repo ei'ful, others off smaller size, and inferior powers, were ply to her as above.-ROBERTS. constructed for the purpose of being carried about: these In consequence of the want of wood, camel's dung is used were somewhat like our ancient cross-bows; and the bow- in the East for fuel. Shaw, in the preface to his Travels, string was drawn back by various contrivances, often mere- where he gives a detailed description of the mode of travelly by strength of arm, or by reducing the board that carried ling in the East, says, that in consequence of the scarcity of the arrow to its station backwards, by pressing it against wood, when they wanted to bake or boil any thing, the the ground."-PAxTON. camel's dung which had been left by a preceding caravan was their usual fuel, which, after having been exposed to Ver. 4. Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the sun during three days, easily catches fire, and burns like the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: ac- charcoal. The following quotation from D'Arvieux serves cording~ to the number of the days that thou still better to illustrate the text in which the prophet is commanded to bake bread, or rather thin cakes of bread, upon shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. cow-dung. "The second sort of bread is baked under ashes, or between two lumps of dried and lighted cow-dung. It is more than probable something is alluded to here This produces a slow fire, by which the dough is baked by which we cannot understand. When a person is sick, he degrees; this bread is as thick as our cakes. The crumb is will not lie on his RIGHT side, because that would be a bad good if eaten the same day, but thile crust is black and burnt, omen: should he in his agony, or when asleep, turn on and has a smoky taste from the fire in which the bread is that side, his attendants will immediately again place him baked. A person must be accustomed to the mode of life of on the left side. After people have taken their food, they the Bedouins, and very hungry, who can have any relish for generally sleep a little, but they are careful to repose on the it." We will also add what Niebuhr says, in his description left side, "because the food digests better." It is impossi- of Arabia. " The Arabs of the desert make use of an iron ble to say what is the origin of this practice: it may have plate to bake their bread-cakes; or they lay a round lump arisen from the circumstance that the RIGHT side " is of the of dough in hot coals of wood or camel's dung, and cover masculine gender," and the left feminine, as is the case with them entirely with it, till theebread in their opinion is quite the supreme Siva. Females are directed to recline on the done, when they take the ashes from it, and eat it warm." right side, and many curious stories are told, in reference -ROSENMULLER. to them, which are not worth repeating.-RoBERTs. CHAPTER V. Ver. 9. Take thou also unto thee wheat, and bar- Ver. 16. When I shall send upon them the evil ley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and arrows of famine, which shall be for their defitches, and put them in one vessel, and make struction, and which I will send to destroy you: thee bread thereof, accor ding to the number of and I will increase the famine upon you, and the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side; three will break your staff of bread. 17. So will I hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof send ppon you famine, and evil beasts, and they This word (millet) occurs more than once in the sacred shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood volume: Ezekiel calls it dstchan or dochan; and Calmet shall pass through thee; and I will bring the:hinks it is probably the holcus durra, which forms a prin-ord upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it cipal food among the Orientals. Its Latin name, millet, is supposed to be derived from mille, that is, a thousand grains, See on Ps. 91. 5, 6. tn allusion to its extraordinary fruitfulness. It requires a light sandy soil; is sown late, and gathered in about the CHAPTER VI. middle of October; while the wheat and the barley are Ver. 14. So will I stretch out my band Upon reaped by the end of IMIay, just before the drought of a Sy- them, and make the land desolate, yea, ore rian summer comes on. The worldly man is accustomed them, and make the land desolate, yea, more to regard such different management as the fruit of human desolate than the wilderness towards Diblath, observation and sagacity; but the inspired prophet ascribes in all their habitations; and they shall know it with equal truth and energy to the suggestion of divine that I am the LORD. wisdom and goodness "For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him." It is made into bread, "The land shall be utterly spoiled,-I will make the land with camel's milk, oil, butter, and other unctuous substances, more desolate than the wilderness." "The temples are and is almost the only food eaten by the common people of thrown down; the palaces demolished; the ports filled up; Arabia Felix. Niebuhr found it so disagreeable, that he the towns destroyed; and the earth, stripped of inhabitants, would willingly have preferred plain barley bread. This is seems a dreary burying-place." (Volney.) "Good God!" certainly the reason that it was appointed to the prophet exclaims the same writer, "from whence proceed suen Ezekiel, as a part of his hard fare. But Rauwolf seems to melancholy revolutions? For what cause is the fortune ol have been of a different mind, or not so difficult to please; these countries so strikingly changed? WVhy are so many of this grain, says he, they bake very well-tasted bread and cities destroyed? Why is not that ancient population repro cakes, and some of them are rolled very thin, and laid to- duced and perpetuated?" " I wandered over the country, gether after the manner of a letter; they are about four I traversed the provinces; I enumerated the kingdoms ot inches broad, six long, and two thick, and of an ashen co- Damascus and Idumea, of Jerusalem and Samaria. This lour. The grain, however, is greatly inferior to wheat or Syria, SAID I to myself, now almost depopulated, then conbarley, and by consequence must form a very inferior tained a hundred flourishing cities, and abounded with pecies of bread. —PxToN. towns, villages, and hamlets. What are become of so many Ver. 15. Then he sa-id unto me, Lo, Ihave pgiven roductions of the hands of man? What are become of given those ages of abundance and of life " &c. Seeking to be, thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt wise, men become fools when they trust to their own vain prepare thy bread therewith. imaginations, and vill not look to that word of God which is as able to confound the wise, as to give understanding to) In some places, firewood being very scarce, the people the simple. These words, from the lips of a great advocate gather cow-dung, make it into cakes, and dry it in the 5un, of infidelity, proclaim the certainty of the truth which he after which it is ready for fuel. Those who are accustomed was too blind or bigoted to see. For not more uninten tionto have their food prepared in this way, prefer it to any ally or unconsciously do many, illiterate Arab pastors or other. they tell you it is sweeter and more holy, as the fuel herdsmen verify one prediction, while they literally tread comes from their sacred animal. The other allusion in Palestine under foot, than Volney, the academician, himself 526 EZEKIE,. CHAP. 7- 9 verifies another, while, speaking in nls own name, and the Caves, and other similar subterraneous recesses, consespokesman also of others, he thus confirms the unerring crated to the worship of the sun, were very generally, it truth of God's holy word, by what he said, as well as by not universally, in requesc among nations where that sudescribing what he saw. perstition was practised. The mountains of Chusistan at It is no" secret malediction," spoken of by Volney, which this day abound with stupendous excavations of this sort. God has pronounced against Judea. It is the curse of a Allusive to this kind of cavern temple, and this species of broken covenant that rests upon the land; the consequences devotion, are these words of Ezekiel.- The prophet in a of the iniquities of the people, not of those only who have vision beholds, and in the most sublime manner stigmatizes been plucked from off it and scattered throughout the world, the horrible idolatrous abominations which the Israelites but of those also that dwell therein. The ruins of empires had borrowed from their Asiatic neighbours of Chaldea, originated, not from the regard which mortals paid to re- Egypt, and Persia. "And he brought me, says the prophet/ vealed religion, but from causes diametrically the reverse. to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole The desolations are not of Divine appointment, but only as in the wall. Then said he unto me, son of man, dig now they have followed the. violations of the laws of God, or in the wall; and, Nrwhen I had digged in the wall, behold a have arisen from thence. And none other curses have come door. And he said unto me, Go in, (that is, into this cav. upon the land than those that are written in the Book. The ern temple,) and behold the wicked abominations that they character and condition of the people are not less definitely do there. So I went in, and saw, and behold, every form marked than the features of the land that has been smitten of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols with a curse because of. their iniquities. And when the of the house of Israel, were portrayed upon the rieall round unbeliever asks. Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto about." In this subterraneous temple were seventy men of the land. the same word which foretold that the question the ancients of the house of Israel, and their employment would be put, supplies an answer and assigns the cause. was of a nature very nearly similar to that of the priests -KEITH. in Salsette. "They stood with every man his censer in CHAPTER VII. his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the anVer. 10. Behold the day, behold, it is come; the cients of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chammorning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed; bers of his imagery." In Egypt, to the partidular idolatry brieath budded, 11. Violence is risen up of which country, it is plain, from his mentioning every pride hath budd>d. * 1; Violence is risen up form of creeping thing and abominable beasts, the prophet into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall in this place alludes, these dark secluded recesses were remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of called mystic cells, and in them were celebrated the secret theirs; neither shall there be wailing for them. Imysteries of Isis and Osiris, represented by the quadrupeds sacred to those deities. (Maurice.)-BURDER. This alludes to the punishment of the children of Israel; and Jehovah, through his servant, addresses the people in Ver. 17. Then-he said unto me, Hast thou seen eastern language: " The morning is gone forth." Theiright thing to the wickedness, their violence, had grown into a rod to punish house of Judnh that they commit thebominathem. The idea is implied in the Tamul translation also. house of Judah that they commit the abomina"Yes, wretch, the rod has long been growing for thee,'tis tions which they commit here? for they have now ready, they may now cut it." " True, true, the man's filled the land with violence, and have returned past crimes are as so many rods for him."-ROBERTS. to provoke me to anger and, lo, they put the Ver. 16. But they that' escape of them shall es- branch to their nose. cape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourninog, every one This last expression undoubtedly alludes to some parf.e..s, al hm gticular ceremony belonging to their idolatrous worship. for his iniquity. Mr. Lowth (on the prophets) says, the words may refer to This is a most strikingly apt simile to all who have a custom among the idolaters of dedicating a branch of heard the sound made by the turtle-dove. In the woods of laurel) or some other tree, to the honour of thesun, and Africa I have often listened to the sound of the turtle-dove's carrying it in their hands at the time of their worship. apparent mourning and lamentations uttered ncessantly ewis observes, that the most reasonable exposition is, that apparent mourning and lamentations, uttered incessantly for hours together-indeed, without a moment's inters- worshipper, with a wand in his hand, would touch the for hours together —indeed, without a moment's interrotssion. In a calm, still morning, when every thing in t id and then apply the stick to his nose and mouth, in wilderness is at rest, no sound can be more plaintive, piti- token of worship and adoration.-BuDER. ful, and melancholy. It would cause gloom to arise in the most sprightly mind,-it rivets the ear to it,-the attention CHAPTER IX. is irresistibly arrested.-CAMPBELL. Ver. 2. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth towards the Ver. 21. And I will give it into the hands of north, and every man a slaug north, and every man a slaughter-weapon in the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of his; and one man among them ZD. ^.,'. his hanld; and one man among them was clothed the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it. ith a writer's in n by his side 22asMy face will I turn also 7 fro them and with linen, with a writer's inklhorn bry his side; 22.. My fae will I turn also fot them, a:nd and they went in, and stood beside the brazen they shall pollute my secret place: for the rob- altar. bers shall enter into it, and defile it. See on Matt. 10. 9. Instead of abiding under a sett'ed and enlightened gov- As they use not wax in sealing up doors, but clay, so they' ernment, Judea has been the scene of frequent invasions, use ink,not-wax, in sealing theirwritings in the East. So " which have introduced a succession of foreign nations, D'rvieux tells us, that "the Arabs of the desert, when (des peoples etlraxLge s.") 1" When the Ottomans took Syria they want a favour of their emir, get his secretary to write'from the Mamelouks, they considered it as' the spoil of a an order agreeable to their desire, as if the favour was grantvanquished enemy. According to this law, the life and ed: this they carry to the prince, who, after having read property of the vanquished belong to the conqueror. The it sets his seal to it with ik, if he grants it; if not, he government is far from disapproving of a system ofo- returns the petitioner his paper torn, and dismisses him." bery and plunder which it finds so profitable." (Voney.)- In another place he informs us, that "these papers are withKEITIH.'-out date, and have only the emir's flourish or cipher at CHAPTER VIII. the bottom, signifying, The poor, the abject Mehemret, son Ver. 7. And he brought me to the door of the of Txrabeye." Two things appear in thesepassages. The n b ~~~~~one, that the Arabseals have no figure engraven on them, court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in but a simple inscription, formed, with some art, into a the wall. kind of cipher; the other, that when they seal, they dt CHAP. 12. EZEKIEL. 527 not make an impression on wax, but stamp letters of ink the colour used is vermilion. If it be the temple of Seeva, on the paper. they are marked with a parallel line, and the colour used The modern inhabitants of Egypt appear to make use of is turmeric, or saffron. But these two grand sects being ink in their sealing, as well as the Arabs of the desert, who again subdivided into numerous classes, both the size and may be supposed not to have such conveniences as those the shape qf the tiltku are varied in proportion to their suthat live in such a place as Egypt: for Dr. Pococke says, perior or inferior rank. In regard to the tiuik, I must obthat " they make the impression of their name with their serve, that it was a custom of very ancient date in Asia, seal, generally of carnelian, which they wear on their finger, to mark their servants in the forehead. It is alluded to in and which is blacked when they have occasion to seal with these words of Ezekiel, where the Almighty commands it." This may serve to show us, that there is a closer his angels to "go through the midst of the city, and set a connexion between the vision of St. John, Rev. vii. 2, and mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh for the abomthat of Ezekiel, ch. ix. 2, than commentators appear to have inations committed in the midst thereof." The same idea apprehended. They must be joined, I imagine, to have a occurs also in Rev. vii. 3. —BURDER. complete view of either. St. John saw an angel with the seal of the living God, and therewith multitudes were sealed CHAPTER XII. in their foreheads; but to understand what sort of a mark Ver. 3. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare the was made there, you must have recourse to the inkhorn of uff for ren and r Ezekiel. On the other hand, Ezekiel saw a person equip- emove by day n their ped with an inkhorn, who was to mark the servants of sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to God on their foreheads, that is, with ink, but how the ink another place in their sight: it may be they was to be applied is not expressed; nor was there any need will consider, though they be a rebellious house. that it should, if in those times ink was applied with a seal - being in the one case plainly supposed; as in the Apoca- 4. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stu y day lypse, the mention of a seal made it needless to take any in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou notice of an inkhorn by his side. shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that This position of the inkhorn of Ezekiel's writer may ap- go forth into captivity 5. Dig thou through pear somewhat odd to a European reader, but the custom tnh.. a of placing it by the side continues in the East to this day.d carry out thereby: Olearius, who takes notice of a way that they have of 6. In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy thickening their ink with a sort of paste they make, Qr with shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: sticks of Indian ink, which is the best paste of all, a cir- thou shalt cover thy face that thou see not the cunmstance favourable to their sealing with ink, observes, ground; for that the Persians carried about with them, by means of I have set theefor a sign unto the their girdles, a dagger, a knife, a handkerchief, and their house of Israel. 7. And I did so as I was money; and those that follow the profession of writing out commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, books, their inkhorn, their penknife, their whetstone to and in the even I sharpen it, their letters, and. every thing the Moscovites were wont in his time to put in their boots, which served through the wall with my hand; I brought it. them instead of pockets. The Persians, in carrying their forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon mzy inkhorns after this manner, seem to have retained a cus- shoulder in their sight. tom as ancient as the days of Ezekiel; while the Muscovites, whose garb was very much in the eastern taste in the When they travel to distant places, they are wont to send days of Olearius, and who had many oriental customs among off their baggage to some place of rendezvous some time them, carried their inkhorns and their papers in a very before they set out. The account that an ingenious comdifferent manner. Whether some such variations might. mentator, whose expositions are generally joined to Bishop cause the Egyptian translators of the Septuagint version to Patrick's, gives of a paragraph of the prophet Ezekiel, render the words, "a girdle of sapphire, or embroidery, ought to be taken notice of here: it is, in a few words, this, on the loins,' I will not take upon me to affirm; but I do "that the prophet was to get the goods together, to pack not imagine our Dr. Castell would have adopted this sen- them up openly, and at noonday, that all might see, and timent in his Lexicon, had he been aware of this eastern take notice of it;. that he was to get forth at even, as men custom: for with great propriety is the word nDp kesetfL do that would go off by stealth: that he was to dig through mentioned in this chapter three times, if it signified an the wall, to show that Zedekiah should make his escape inikliorn, the requisite instrument for sealing those devout by the same means; that what the prophet was commanded mourners; but no account canbe given why this nap should to carry out in the twilight, must be something diffiren be mentioned so often, if it only signified an " embroidered from the goods he removed in the daytime, and therefore girdle." As to the other point relating to the Arab seals; must mean provision for his present subsistence; and that their having no figures upon them, only an inscription, it he was to cover his face, so as not to see the ground, as is to be thought that those of the Jews were in like manner Zedekiah should do, that he might not be discovered." without any images, ~ince they were as scrupulous as the Sir John Chardin, on the contrary, supposes, there was Mohammedans can be; and fromn hence it willappear, that nothing unusual, nothing very particular, in thetwo first of it was extremely natural for St. Paul to make a seal and the abovementioned circumstances. His manuscript notes an inscription equivalent terms, in 2 Tim. ii. 19; " The on this passage of Ezekiel are to the following purport. foundation of God standeth, sure, having his seal," this "This is as they do in the caravans: they carry out their inscription, " the Lord knoweth those that are his; and let baggage in the daytime, and the caravan loads in the evenevery one that nameth the name of Christ depart from ini- ing, for in the morning it is too hot to set out on a journey quity."-H-ARMER. for that lay, and they cannot well see in the night. However, this depends on the length of their journeys; for when Ver. 4. And the LORD said unto him, Go through they are too short to take up a whole night, they load:n the midst of the city, through the midst of Jeru- the night, in order to arrive at.their journey's end early in salem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the the morning, it being a greater inconvenience to arrive at an unknown place in the night, than to set out on a jourmen that sigh, and that cry, for all the abomina- ney then. As to his digging through the wall, he says tions that be done in the midst thereof. Ezekiel is speaking, without doubt, of the walls of the caravansary. These walls, in the East, being mostly of Mr. Maurice, speaking of the religious rites of the Hin- earth, mud, or clay, they may easily be bored through." doos, says, before they can enter the great pagoda, an " in- I cannot, I own, entirely adopt either of these accounts: dispensable ceremony takes place, which can only be per- Ezekiel's collecting together his goods, does not look like formed by the hand of a bramin; and that is, the impress- a person's flying in a hurry, and by stealth; and conseque ting of their -foreheads with the tilck, or mark of differ- ly his going forth in the evening, in consequence of t1is ent colours, as they may belong either to the sect of preparation, cannot be construed as designed to signify a Veeshnu, or Seeva. If the temple be that of Veeshnu, stealing away. These managements rather mark out the their foreheads are marked with a longitudinal line, and distance of the way they were going: going into captivity 528 E Z E K I EL. CHAP. 13. in a very far country. The going into captivity had not Vetr. I1. Say unto them which daub it with unprivacy attending it; and accordingly, tile sending their tmered ota, that it shall fall: there shall 17) ~~tempered io~rtaq', that it shall fall' there shall goods to a cooimon rendezvous beforehand, and setting out in an evening, are known to be eastern usages. be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great On the other hand, I should not imagine it w-as the wall hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall of a caravansary, or of any place like a caravansary, but rend it. the wall of the place where Ezekiel was, either of his own diwelling, or of the town in which he then resided: a tan- In countries destitute of coal, bricks are only either sunagement designed to mark out the flight of Zedekiah; as dried or very slightly burnt with hushes and branches of the two hirst circumstances were intended to shadow out trees, laid over them and set on fire. Such are ready to the tarrsing Israel openly, and avowedly, into captivity. moulder if exposed to moisture, and entirely to melt away Ezekiel was, I apprehend, to do two things: to imitate the if exposed to heavy rain dashing against them. To prevent going of the people into captivity, and the hurrying flight such a catastrophe, all the houses in the Cape colony are of the klng — two very distinct things.'The mournfuil, but daubed or plastered over with fine mortar, made from ground com,osed collecting together all they had for p transmi- seashells. Should only a small hole remain unnoticed in gration, and leading them perhaps on asses, being as re- the plaster, powerful rain will get into it, and probably mote as coultbhe from the hurrying and secret manage- soon be the destruction of the whole building. Well do I in-ent of one making a private breach in a wall, and going remember one deluge of rain that turned a new house of o(i precipitately, with a few of his most valuable eftlects on three floors absolutely into a mass of rubbish, and brought his shoulder, which were, I should think, what Ezekriel was down the gable of a parish church, besides injuring many to carry, w-hen he squeezed through the aperture in the wall, other buildings.-CA.MuBELL.'not provisions. Nor am I sure the prophet's covering his face was desi-ned for concealment: it might be to express Ver. 18. And say, Thus saith the Lord GoD,,"Wo Zedekiah's distress. David it is certain, had his head to the women that sew pillows to l am-oles,? ~~~~~~~~to the wovierb that sew pillows to all arm-holes, covered when he fled from Absalom, at a time when he and make kerchiefs upon the head of every in:ended no concealment; and when Zedekiah fled, it was in thh night, and consequently such a concealment not stature, to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls wanted; not to say, it would have been embarrassing to of my people, and will ye save the souls alive him in his flight, not to be able to see the ground. The tht ce unto you Zn ~~~~~~~~~~~that comzc unto you?2.pirophet mientions the digging through the wall, after mentioning his preparation for removing as into captivity; but Th rin has, instead of " rm-oles," elbows. The margin.has, instead of " arm-holes, "elbows." it is necessary for us to suppose these emblematical actions The marginal reading is undoubtedly the best. Rich peoof the prophet are ranged just as he performed themn. —. of the prophet are ranged just as he performed them.-:pie have a great variety of pillows and bolsters to support themselves in various positions when they wish to CHAPTER XIII. -take their ease. Some are long and round, an? are stuffed Vser. 4. 0 Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes till they are quite hard; whilst others are short and soft, to suit the convenience. The verse refers to females of a in the deserts. loose character, and Parkhurst is right when he says, "These false prophetesses decoyed men into their gardens, W',hen -ame fails him, or when the sword has ceased to where probably some impure rites of worship were persup)ly his wanits, the fox devours with equal greediness, formed." The pillows were used for the vilest purposes honiey, ffruits, and particularry grapes. In allusion to his and the kerchief's were used as an affectation of shame.eaze'r desire for the fruit of the vine, it is said in the Song RO EarTS. of Solomnon," Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the In Barbary and the Levant they "always cover the vines, ior our vines have tender grapes." In scripture, the floors of their houses with carpets; and along the sides of church is often compared to a vineyard; her members to the the wall or floor, a range of narrow beds or mattresses is vines with which it is stored; and by consequence, the often placed upon these carpets; and, for their fuirther grapes may signify allthefruits of righteousness, which those ease and convenience, several velvet or damask bolsters mystical vines produce. The foxes that spoil these vines, are placed upon these carpets or mattresses-indulgences mrust therefore mean false teachers, who corrupt the purity that seem to be alluded to by the st-etchikg. of theutusclrcs of the doctrine, obscure the simplicity of worship, overturn supon coitche', and by the sewing of pillows to arm-holes." the beauty of appointed order, break the unity of believers, (Shaw.) But Lady M. W. Montague's description of a and extin-guish the life and vigour of Christian practice. Turkish lady's apartment throws still more light on this These words of Ezekiel may be understood in the same passage. She says, "The rooms are all spread with Persense "0O Jerusalenm! thy prophets, (or as the context sian carpets, and raised at one end of them, about two feet. clearly proves,) thy fiattering teachers, are as foxes in the This is the sofa, which is laid with a richer sort of cardeserts;" and this name they receive, because, with vulpine pet, and all round it, a sort of couch, raised half a foot, subtlety, they speak lies in hypocrisy. Such teachers the covered wivith rich silk, according to the fancy or maognifiapostle calls "w -olves in sheep's clothing," deceitful work- cence of the owner. Round about this are placed, standin' ers, who, by their cunning, subvert whole houses; and against the walls, two rows of cushions, the first very large, whose -vword, like, the tooth of a fox upon the vine, eats as and the rest little ones. The seats are so convenient and a canler. —PAXTO/r. easy, that Ibelieve I shall never endure chairs a-ain as long In this passage, Dr. Boothroyd, instead of foxes, trans- as I live." And in another place she thus describes the fair lates "jackals," and I think it by far the best rendering. Fatima: "c On a sofa raised three steps, and covered with These animals are exceedingly numerous in the East, and fine Persian carpets, sat the lkahya's lady, leanling on cushare remarkably GUNNING and voiAcmous. I suppose the ions of white satin embroidered. She ordered cushions to reason why they are called the lion's provider is, because be given me, and took care to place me in the-eorner, which thev veil so much when they have scent of prey, that the is the place of honour."-BunDER. ntoble beast hearing the sound, goes to the spot and satisfies his hunger. They often hunt in packs, and I have had Ver. 19. And will ye pollute me among my peofroin twenty to thi'rty following me (taking care to conceal fr~om twentyltY to thir ollO me (takringo care to coiiceal ple for handfuls of barley, and for pieces of themselves in the low jungle) for an hour together They p o hnfl o a, and w ill not, ri-u gene'al, dare to attack man: but, let him be bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and ~vil no: i geraZ, dare to attack man: but, let him be helpless or dead, and they have no hesitation. Thus our to save the souls alive that should not live, by'graveyards are often disturbed by these animals; and, your lying to my people that hear your lies? after they have once tasted of human flesh, they (as well as many other creatures) are said to prefer it to any other. See on Jer. 37. 291. Their CUNNIN', is proverbial: thus, a man of plots and At Algiers they have public bakehouses for the people schemes is called at ica'ecan, i. e. a jackal. "Al! only in common, so that the women only prepare the dough at give that fellow a tai., and he will maise a capital jackal." home, it being the business of other persons to bake it. Begone, low caste, or I -will give thee to jackals."- Boxs are sent about the streets to give notice when they are Ia11s-Ts. ready to bake bread; "upon this the women within come CHAP. 15-19. EZEKIEL. 529 and knock at the inside of the door, which the boy hearing is fierce and erect, his motions are lively, and his flight is makes towards the house. The women open the door a extremely rapid. Such is the golden eagle, as described very little way, and hiding their faces, deliver the cakes to by the most accurate observers of nature. To this noble him, which, when baked, he brings to the door again, and bird the prophet Ezekiel evidently refers, in his parable to the women receive them in the same manner as they gave the house of Israel: "A great eagle, with great wings,'hem." This is done almost every day, and they give the long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, boy a piece, or little cake, for the baking, which the baker came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the sells. (Pitts.) This illustrates the account of the false cedar." In this parable, a strict regard to physical truth prophetesses receiving as gratuities pieces of bread: they is discovered, in another respect, for the eagle is known to are compensations still used in the East, but are compen- have a predilection for cedars, which are the loftiest trees sations of the meanest kind, and for services of the lowest in the forest, and therefore more suited to his daring temper scrt.-HARMER. than any other. La Roque found a number of large eagle's feathers scattered on the ground beneath the lofty cedars CHAPTER XV. which still crown the summits of Lebanon, on the highest TTer. 3. Shall wood be taken thereof to do aly branches of which, that fierce destroyer occasionally perchwork? or will men take a pin of it to hang any es.-PAXTON. vessel thereon Ver. 7. There was also another great eagle with See on Isa. 22. 23. great wings and many feathers; and, behold, this vine did bend her roots towards him, and CHAPTER XVI...,shot forth her branches towards him, that he TVer. 4. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou might water it by the furrows of her plantation. wast born, thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee: thou wast The reason of the figure must be obvious to every reader: not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. the erect and majestic mien of the eagle, point him out as the intended sovereign of the feathered race; he is, thereIt was an ancient custom to salt the bodies of new-born fore, the fit emblem of superior excellence, and of regal infants. It is probable that they only sprinkled them with majesty and power. Xenophon, and other ancient histosalt, or washed them with salt-water, which they imagined rians, inform us, that the golden eagle with extended wings, would dry up all superfluous humours. Galen says, was the ensign of the Persian monarchs, long before it was "Sale modico insperso, cutis infantis densior, solidiorque adopted by the Romans; and it is very probable that the redditur;" that is, a little salt being sprinkled upon the Persians borrowed the symbol from the ancient Assyrians, infant, its skin is rendered more dense and solid. It is said in whose banners it waved, till imperial Babylon bowed that the inhabitants of Tartary still continue the practice her head to the yoke of Cyrus. If this conjecture be well of salting their children as soon as they are born. —BURDER. founded, it discovers the reason why the sacred writers, in describing the victorious march of the Assyrian armies, Ver. 10. I clothed thee also with broidered work, allude so frequently to the expanded eagle. Referring and shod thee'with badgers' skin, and girded still to the Babylonian monarch, the prophet Hosoa prot a t t n i and I covered thee claimed in the ears of Israel, the measure of whose iniquit~hee about with fine linen, and I covered thee ties was nearly full: "He shall come as an eagle against with silk. the house of the Lord." Jeremiah predicted a similar calamity to the posterity of Lot: "For thus saith the Lord, Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his Ver. 18' And tookest thy broidered g.arments, wings over Moab:" and the same figure is employed to et. 1 An tooest thy roere gaents, denote the sudden destruction which overtook the house and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil of Esau: " Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle. and mine incense before them. 19. My meat and spread his wings over Bozrah." The words of these also which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and inspired prophets were not suffered to fall to the ground; they received a full accomplishment in the irresistible irmhoney, owherewith I fed thee, thou hast even set petuosity and complete success with which the Babylonian it before them for a sweet savour: and thus it monarchs, and particularly Nebuchadnezzar, pursued their w-as, saith the Lord GOD. plans of conquest. Ezekiel denominates him with striking propriety, " a great eagle with great wings;" because he The burning of perfumes is now practised in the East in was the most powerful monarch of his time, and led into the times of feasting and joy; and there is reason to believe field more numerous and better appointed armies, (which that the same usage obtained anciently in those countries. the prophet calls by a beautiful figure, his wings,) than Niebuhr mentions a Mohammedan festival, " after which perhaps the world had ever seen.-PAxToN. every one returned home, feasted, chewed kaad, burnt fraCHAPTER XIX. grant substances in his house, stretched himself at length on his sofa, and lighted his kiddre, or long pipe, with the Vei. 8. Then the nations set against him on every greatest satisfaction."-HARMER. side from the provinces, and spread their net CHAPTER XAVII. i over him: he was taken in their pit. Ver. 3. And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD, A The manner in which this is done, Xenophon describes great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full at considerable length: They dig a large circular pit, and of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto at night introduce into it a goat, which they bind to a stake Lebanon, and took the hig hest branch of the r pillar of earth at the bottom, and then enclose the pit banon, andtool th hesacewith a hedge of branches, that it cannot be seen, leaving cedar. no entrance. The savage beast hearing in the night the voice of the goat, prowls round the hedge, and finding no The eagle is"the strongest, the fiercest, and the mostra- opening, leaps over, and is taken. When the hunter propacious of the feathered race. He dwells alone in the poses to catch him in the toils, he stretches a series of nets desert, and on the summits of the highest mountains; and in a semicircular form, by means of long poles fixed in the suffers no bird to come with impunity within the range of ground; three men are placed in ambush, among the nets; his flight. His eye is dark and piercing, his beak and one in the middle, and one at each extremity. The toils talons are hooked and formidable, and his cry is the being disposed in this manner, some wave flaming torches; terror,of every wing. His figure answers to his nature; others make a noise by beating their shields, knowing that'ndependently of his arms, he has a robust and compact lions are not less terrified byloud sounds thanby fire. The body, and very powerful limbs and wings;'his bones are men on foot and horseback, skilfully combining their movebard, his flesh is firm, his feathers are coarse, his attitude ments and raising a miguty bustle and clamour, rush in 67 530 EZEKIEL. CHAP. 9- 23. upon them, and impel them towards the nets, till, intimidated satyrs, because these imaginary inhabitants of the forests by the shouts of the hunters and the glare of the torches, and deserts were supposed to naunt under them. After they approach the snares of their own accord, and are en- this we shall not at all wonder when we read of Nebuchadtangled in the folds.-PAXTON. nezzar's standing in the mother of the'cay, a remarkable place in the road, where he was to determine whether he Ver. 11. And she had strong rods for the sceptres would go to Jerusalem, or to some other place, one branch of them that bare rule, and her stature was ox- of the road pointing to Jerusalem, the other leading to a alted among the thick branches, and she ap- differenttown. ae m the thic brnhs | * a * 1 1 1"He made his arrows bright." This was for the purpeared in her height with the multitude of her pose of divination. Jerome on this passage says, that "the branches. manner of divining by arrows was thus: They wrote on several arrows the names of the cities they intended to The allusion here is evidently to the sceptres of the an- make war against, and then putting them promiscuously all cients, which were no other than walking-sticks, cut from together into a quiver, they caused them to be drawn out the stems or branches of trees, and decorated with gold, or Hin the manner of lots, and that city whose name was on studded with golden nails. Thus Achilles is introduced the arrow first drawn out, was the first they assaulted." A as swearing by a sceptre, which being cut from the trunk method of this sort of divination, different from the former, of a tree on the mountains, and stripped of its bark and is worth noticing. Della Valle says, " I saw at Aleppo a leaves, should never more produce leaves and branches, or Mohammedan, who caused two persons to sit upon the sprout again. Such a one the Grecian judges carried in ground, one opposite to.the other, and gave them four arheir hands. See Homer, II. i. 234.-BURDER. rows into their hands, which both of them held with their points downward, and as it were in two right lines united,CHAPTER XXI. one to the other. Then, a question being put to him about Very. 14. Thou, therefore, son of man, prophesy, any business, he fell to murmur his enchantments, and thereby caused the said four arrows of their own accord to and smite thy hands together, and let the sword their points toether in the midst, (though he that be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: held them stirred not his hand,) and, according to the future it is the swo-rd of the great nzen that aroe slain, event of the matter, those of the right side were placed over which entereth into their privy chambers. those of the left, or on the contrary." This practice the writer refers to diabolical influence. "SMITE THY HANDS TOGETHER." To smite the hands The method of divination practised by some of the idolatogether, in the East, amounts to an OATH! In the 17th trous Arabs, but which is prohibited by the Koran, is too verse, the Lord says, in reference to. Jerusalem, "I will singular to be unnoticed. "The arrows used by them for also smite my hands together, and I will cause my fury to this purpose were like those with which they cast lots, berest: I the Lord have said." By the solemn smiting of ing without heads or feathers, and were kept in the temple hands it was shown the word had gone forth, and would of some idol, in whose presence they were consulted. not be recalled. When a priest delivers a message to the Seven such arrows were kept at the temple of Mecca: but people, when he relates any thing which he professes to generally in divination they make use of three' only, on one have received from the gods, he smites his hands together, of which was written, my Lord hath commanded me; on -and says, " TRUE.'".'another, my Lord bath forbidden me; and the third was Does a Pandfarum, or other kind of religious mendicant, blank. If the first was drawn, they looked on it as an apcornsider himself to be insulted, he smites his hands against probation of the enterprise in question; if the second, they the individuals, and pronounces hisinmprecations upon them, m contraryconclusion but if thethirdhappened t crying aloud, " True, true, it will all come upon you." be drawn, they mixed them, and drew over again, till a Should a person, when speaking of any thing which is ceer-decisive answer was given by one of the others These tain to happen, be doubted by others, he will immediately divining arrows were generally consulted before any smite his hands. "Have you heard that Muttoo has beenthing of moment was undertaken, as when a man was killed by a tiger' "-" No! nor do I believe it." The re- tabout to marry, or about to go a journey, or the like.' — later will then (if true) smite together his hands, which at BURDES. once confirms the fact. " Those men cannot escape for CHAPTER any great length of time, because the king has smitten his hands;" meaning, he has sworn to have them taken. Ver. 12. In thee have they taken gifts to shec Jehovah did smite His hands together against Jerusalem.- blood: thou hast taken usury and increase, and ROBERTS. thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by Ver. 21. For the king of Babylon stood at the extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows There is surely no part of the world worse-than the East bright, he consulted with imagoes, he looked in for usury and extortion. A rich man will think nothing of the liver. demanding twenty per cent. for his precious loan. Does a person wish to buy or sell an article; does he want to avoid HEeb. " mother of the way." It is a common thing among any 0ffice or duty, or to gain a situation, or place any perthe people of the East to denominate a man the father of a son under an obligation; he cannot think of doing the one thing for which he is remarkable. It appears also that or the other, without giving himself into the hands of the both people and places may in like manner be called the extortioner.-RBERos. nother of such things for which they are particularly noticed. Thus Niebuhr tells us, that the Arabs call a woman that sells butter omm es subbet, the amother of butter. that should make up the hedge, and stand in the He also says, that there is a place between Basra and Zo- gap before me for the land, that I should not bier, where an ass happened to fall down, and throw the destroy it; but I found none. wheat with which the creature was loaded into some water, on which account that place is called to this day, the A man having lost all his children, and in complaining mother of wheat. of his forlorn condition, says, " Alas! I have not any one In like manner, in the Bibliotheque Orientale of D'Her- to stand in the gate; my enemies can nonw enter when they belot, omm alketab, or the mother of books, signifies the please to tear and devour me." "In the gate, in the gate, book of the divine decrees; and at other times the first no one stands."-RoBERTS. chapter of the Koran. The mother of the throat is the name of an imaginary being (a fairy) who is supposed to bring CHAPTER XXIII. on and cure that disorder in the throat, which we call the quinsy. In the same collection we-are told, that the acacia, Ver. 5. And Aholah played the harlot when she or Egyptian thorn is called by the Arabians the mother of was mine; and she doted on her lovers. on the CHAP. 23-25. EZEKIEL. 531 Assyrians her neighbours, 6. Which were up in large Nooden bowls between two men; and truly to clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of- my apprehension load enough for them. Of these great platters there were about fifty or sixty in number, perhaps them desirable young men, horsemen riding more, with a great many little ones; I mean, such as one upon horses. man was able to bring in, strewed here and there among them, and placed for a border or garnish round about the Blue was a sky colour in great esteem among the Jews, table. In the middle was one of a larger size than all the and other oriental nations. The robe of the ephod, in the rest, in which were the camel's bones, and a thin broth in gorgeous dress of the high priest, was made all of blue; it which they were boiled. The other greater ones seemed Was a prominent colour in the sumptuous hangings of the all filled with one and the same sort of provision, a kind of tabernacle; and the whole people of Israel were required plumbbroth, made of rice and the fleshy part of the camel, to put a fringe of blue upon the border of their garments, with currants and spices, being of a somewhat darker coland on the fringe a riband of the same colour. The pal- our than what is made in our country." (Philosophical ace of Ahasuerus, the king of Persia, was furnished with Transactions Abridged.) The Hebrew word translated curtains of this colour, on a pavement of red, and blue, and burn, should have been rendered, as in the margin, heac. white marble; a proof it was not less esteemed in Persia, The meaning cannot be that the bones were to be burnt than on the Jordan. And from Ezekiel we learn, that the under the caldron, but that they were to be heaped up in it; Assyrian nobles were habited in robes of this colour: "She for it is said,'" let them seethe the bones of it therein." doted on the Assyrians her neighbours, which were cloth- With this interpretation the Septuaigint translation of the ed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable passage agrees: and viewed in this light, the object is asyoung men." It is one of the most remarkable vicissitudes in certained by the foregoing extract.-BuRDER. the customs of the East, that this beautiful colour, for many ages associated in their minds with every thing splendid, Ver. 17. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for elegant, and rich, should have gradually sunk in public the dead, bind the tire of tby head upon thee, estimation, till it became connected with the ideas of meanness and vulgarity, and confined to the dress of the poor and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover and the needy. In modern times, the whole dress of an not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. Arabian female of low station, consists of drawers, and a very large shift, both of blue linen, ornamented with some The time of mourning for the dead was longer or shortneedle-workofadifferentcolour. Andifcredit maybegiven er, according to the dignity of the person. Among the to Thevenot, the Arabsbetween Egypt and Mount Sinai, who modern Jews, the usual time is seven days, during which lead a most wretched life, are clothed in a long blue shirt, they shut themselves up in their houses; or if some extraTo solve this difficulty, Mr. Harmer supposes that " the ordinary occasion forces them to appear in public, it is withart of dying blue, was discovered in countries more to the out shoes, as a token they have lost a dear friend. This exeast or south than Tyre; and that the die was by no means plains the reason that when Ezekiel was commanded to become common in the days of Ezekiel, though some that abstaih from the rites of mourning, he was directed to put were employed in the construction of the tabernacle, and his shoes on his feet. some of the Tyrians in the time of Solomon, seem to have To cover the lips was a very ancient sign of mourning; possessed the art of dying with blue. These blue cloths and it continues to be practised among the Jews of Barbawere manufactured in remote countries; and to therm that ry to this day. When they return from the grave to the wore scarcely any thing but woollens and linens of the nat- house of the deceased, the chief mourner receives them ural eolour, these blue calicoes formed very magnificent with his j'aws tied up with a linen cloth, in imitation of the vestments. It does not appear, however, that the Jews ever manner in which the face of the dead is covered; and by wore garments wholly of this colour; and perhaps they this the mourner is said to testify that he was ready to die abstained from it as sacred and mysterious, than which for his friend. Muffled in this way, the mourner goes for none was more used about the tabernacle and the temple, seven days, during which the rest of his friends come twice in the curtains, veils, and vestments, belonging to these sa- every twenty-four hours to pray with him. This alihsion cred edifices."-PAXTON. is perhaps involved in the charge which Ezekiel received when his wife died, to abstain from the customary forms of Ver. 14. And that she increased her whoredoms: mourning: "Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the for when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, dead; bind the tire of thy head upon thee, and put on thy the images of the Chaltdeans portrayed with shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men." The law of Moses required a leper to have vermilion. his clothes rent, his head bare, and a covering upon his upper lip, because he was considered as a dead man, "of whom The nature of those images, and the practices, may be the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of hi b the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his seen from the context, and the portraying was of the colour mother omb.-PAXTON of VERMILION. In the Hindoo temples and vestibules, This refers to mourning for the dead, and the prophet figures of the most revolting descriptions are portrayed on was forbidden to use any symbol of sorrow on the death of the walls: there the sexes are painted in such a way as few his wife. At a funeral ceremony the tires and turbans are men of discretion would dare to describe. In some temples taken of and the sandals are laid aside. Thus nobles there are stone figures in such positions as hell itself could who wear the most costly turbans, are seen walking with only have suggested: and, recollect, these are the places their heads uncovered, and those who had on beautiful sanwhere men, women, and children, assemble for woasHIP.- dals are barefoot. But the prophet was to Pur ON his tire and sandals, to indicate he was not mourning for the dead. CHAPTER XXIV. -ROBERTS. Ver. 3. And utter a parable unto the rebellious CHAPTER XXV. house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Ver. 2. Son of man, set thy face against the AlGoD, Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour wa- monites and prophesy against thet. ter into it: 4. Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the It was prophesied concerning Ammon, "Son of:man, shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. 5. Take set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them. I will make Rabbah of the Ammonites a stable for the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones camels and a couching-place for flocks. Behold, I will under it, and make it boil well, and let him stretch out my hand upon thee, and deliver thee for a spoil seethe thie bones of it therein. to the heathen; I will cut thee off from the people, and cause thee to perish out of the countries; I will destroy thee. The following account of a royal Arab camel feast, will The Ammonites shall not be remembered among the naafford some illustration of the parable contained in this tions. Rabbah (the chief city) of the Ammonites shall be chapter: "Before midday a carpet being spread in the a desolate heap. Ammon shall be a perpetual desolation., middle of the tent our dinner was brought in, being served "Ammon was to be delivered to be a spoil to the heather: 532 EZEKIEL. C:'AP. 25. — to'be destroyed, and to be a perpetual desolation." "All so that they may be said literally to form a desolate heap this country, formerly so populous and flourishing, is now The public edifices, which once strengthened or adorned chaned. into a vast desert." Ruins are seen in every di- the city, after a long resistance to decay, are now also des. rection. The country is divided between the Turks and the olate; and the remains of themost entire among them, subArabs but ch:iefly possessed by the latter. The extortions jected as they are to the' abuse and spoliation of the wild of the )he anl the depredations of the other, keep it in per- Arabs, can be adapted to no better object than a stable for otel/,1 desolation, and make it a spoil, to the heathe'a. " The camels. Yet these broken walls and ruined palaces, which Is r greater part of the country is uninhabited, being aban- attest the ancient splendour of Ammon, can now be made dned to the wandering Arabs, and the towns and villages subservient, by means of a single act of reflection, or simare in a state of total ruin." " At every step are to be found ple process of reason, to a far nobler purpose than the most the vestiges of ancient cities, the remains of many temples, magnificent edifices on earth can be, when they are conpublic edifices, and Greek churches." The cities are des- templated as monuments on which the historic and proolate. "Many of the ruins present no object of any inter- phetic truth of scripture is blended in one bright inscripest. They consist of a few walls of dwelling-houses, heaps tion. A minute detail of them may not therefore be uninof stones, the foundations of some public edifices, and a few teresting. cisterns filled up; there is nothing entire, but it appears Seetzen (whdse indefatigable ardour led him, in defiance that the mode of building was very solid, all the remains of danger, the first to explore the countries which lie east being formed of large stones. In the vicinity of Ammon of the Jordan, and east and south of the Dead Sea, or the there is a fertile plain interspersed with low hills, which, territories of Ammon, Moab; and Edom) justly characterifor the greater part, are covered with ruins." zes Ammon as "once the residence of many kings-an anWhile the country is thus despoiled and desolate, there cient town, which flourished long before the Greeks and are valleys and tracts throughout it, which "are covered Romans, and even before the Hebrews;" and he' briefly wi h a fine coat of verdant pasture, and are places of resort enumerates those remains of ancient greatness and splento the Bedouins, where they pasture their camels and their dour which are most distinguishable amid its ruins. "Alsheep." "The whole way we traversed," says Seetzen, though this town has been destroyed and deserted for marny we saw villages in ruins, and met numbers of Arabs with ages, I still found there some remarkable ruins, which attest their camels," &c. Mr. Buckingham describes a building its ancient splendour. Such as, 1st, A square building, among the ruins of Ammon, "the masonry of which was very highly ornamented, which has been perhaps a mansoevidently constructed of materials gathered froim the ruins leum. 2d, The ruins of a large palace. 3d, A magnifiof other and older buildings on the spot. On entering it at cent amphitheatre of immense size, and well preserved, tihe south end," he adds, " we came to an open square court, with a peristyle of Corinthian pillars without pedestals. with arched recesses on each side, the sides nearly facing 4th, A temple with a great number of columns. 5th, The the cardinal points. The recesses into the northern and ruins of a large church, perhaps the see of a bishop, in the southern walls were originally open passages, and had time of the Greek emperors. 6th, The remains of a temple arched doorways facing each other-but the first of these with columns set in a circular form, and which are of an was found wholly closed up, and the last was partially filled extraordinary size. 7th, The remains of the ancient wall, up, leaving only a narrow passage, just sufficient for the with many other edifices." Burekhardt, who afterward entrance of one man and the goats, which the Arab keep- visited the spot, describes it with greater minuteness. He era drive in here occasionally for shelter during the night." gives a plan of the ruins; and particularly noted the ruins He relates that he lay down among "flocks of sheep and of many temples, of a spacious church, a curved wall, a goats." close beside the ruins of Ammon —and particular- high arched bridge, the banks and bed of the river still ly remarlrs that, during the night, he was alilost entirely partially paved; a large theatre, with successive tiers of prevented firom sleeping by the "bleating of flocks." So apartments excavated in the rocky' side of a hill; Corin1tterally true is it, although Seetzen, and Burckhardt, and thian columns fifteen feet high; the castle, avery extensive Buckingham, who relate the facts, malke no reference or al- building, the walls of which are thick, and denote a relusion whatever to any of the prophecies, and travelled for mote antiquity; many cisterns and vaults; and a plain a different object than the elucidtion of the scriptures, — covered with the decayed ruins of private buildings;that "the chief city of the Amnionites is a stable for cam- monuments of ancient splendour standing amid a desolat, els, and a couching-place for flocks." hLeap.-KEITH. The Ammonites shall not be remembered among the iations." While the Jews, who were long their heredita- Ver. 4. Behold, therefore, I will deliver thee ta ry enemies, continue as distinct a people as ever, though the men of the -East for a possession, and they dispersed among all nations, no trace. of thIe Ammonites remains; none are now designated by their name, nor do ~~> dwellings inhatheee their shall aet thyeeui, andmaete any claim descent from them. They did exist, however, dvellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and lonu after the time when the eventual annihilation of their they shall drink thy milk. race was foretold, for they retained their name, and continned a great multitude, until the second century of the The seed-time is attended with considerable danger to Christian era. "Yet they are cut off from the people. the husbandmen, in Palestine and Syria; for although the Ammon has perished out of the countries; it is destroyed." more peaceful Arabs apply themselves to agriculture, to No people is attached to its soil-none regard it as their supply their families with grain, many of the same wandercountry and adopt its name; and the Ammonites are not ing race choose rather to procure the corn which they want remembered among the nations. by violence, than by tillage. So precarious are the fruits Rablahl (Rabbah Ammon, the chief city of Ammon) shall of the earth in Palestine, that the former is often seeh sowbe a desolate heap. Situated, as it was, on each side of the ing, accompanied by an armed friend, to prevent his being borders of a plentiful stream; encircled by a fruitful re- robbed of the seed. These vexations, and often desolating gicn; strong by nature and fortified by art; nothing could incursions, are described by the prophet in the following have jftstified the suspicion, or warranted the conjecture in remarkable terms, when he denounced the judgments of the mind of an uninspired mortal, that the royal city of God against fhe descendants of Ammon: "Behold, thereAunmon, whatever disasters might possibly befall it in the fore, I will deliver thee to the men of the East for a possesfate of war or change of masters, would ever undergo so sion, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their total a transmutaoioni as to become a desolate heap. But dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall although, in addition to such tokens of its continuance as a drink thy milk." The practice of robbing the sower in the city, more than a thousand years had given uninterrupted field, seems to have been very ancient: an,. is perhaps alexlerience of its stability, ere the prophets of Israel de- luded to by the Psalmist, when he encourages the righteous nounced its fate; yet a period of equal length has now man, to persevere in working out his salvation, in spite of marked it out, as it exists to this day, a desolate heap-a the dangers to which he is exposed, by the complete success, nerpetnal or permanent desolation. Its ancient name is which in due time shall assuredly crown his endeavours. still preserved by the Arabs, and its site is now " covered They that sow in tears," on account of the danger fro with the ruins of private buildings; nothing of them re- the Iurking and unfeeling Arabian, "shall reap in joy." He ~~~~tagotfota nd eptbaigpeiu ed shall maining except the foundations, and some of the doorposts. that goeth forth and w;eepeth, bearing precious seed, shall The buillings, exposed to the atmosphere, are all in decay," doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves CHAP.. 26. EZEKEL. 5;33 with him." It is.much more naturalto suppose that these of Jacob's apology to his brother Esau, fuir not attendidg verses refer to such acts of violence, than to imagine, with him as he requested: "The flocks and herds with younig all the commentators who have turned their attention to are with me; and if men should over-drive them one day, this circumstance, that they allude to the anxiety of a hus- all the flocks would die." It illustrates also another passa{ e bandman, who sows his corn in a time of great scarcity, in the prophecies of Isaiah: "He shall feed his flock like and is afraid his hopes may be disappointed by the failure a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and of the succeeding harvest. We nowhere read, that such carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that fearful anticipations ever produced weeping and lanmenta- are with young:" a beautiful image, expressing with great tion, although the Orientals are very prone to violent ex- force and elegance, the tender and unceasing attention of pressiohisof grief. But, if we refer the passage to the the shepherd to his flock.-PAXTON. danger which the farmer in those parts of the world often incurred, of losing his precious seed, the. hope of his future CHAPTER XXVI. subsistence, and even his life, in attempting to defend it, we Ver. 3. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behave an adequate cause for his tears and lamentations. hold, I air against thee, 0 Tyrus, and xwil The passage contains -a beautiful picture of the success which, by the blessing of God, attended the efforts of his cause many nations to come up against thee, as chosen people, to return from their captivity to the land of the sea causeth his waves to come up. 4. And their fathers; and holds out a powerful encouragement to they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break believers in Christ, to persevere in their heavenly course, down her towers I will also scrape her dust notwithstanding the numerous and severe trials of this pre- here te tp of a roc. sent life; for in due time, they shall certainly enter into the rest which remains for the people of God.-PAxToN. 5. It shall be a place for- the spreading of nets Vrer. 5. And I ~will make Rabbahh a stable for in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, camels, and the Ammonites a couching-place saith the Lord GOD and it shall become a spoil to the nations. for flocks; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. This history of the city is most affecting, and it has been said with much force, that " the noble dust of Alexander, The Syrian shepherds were exposed, with their flocks, traced by the imagination till found stopping a beer-barrel, to all the vicissitudes of the seasons. It was indeed impos- would scarcely affobrd a stronger contrast of grandeur and sible to erect buildings capacious enough to receive the abasement than Tyre, at the period of being besieged by countless numbers of cattle, which constituted the wealth that conqueror, and the modern town of Tsour erected on of those pastoral princes. Their servants were, therefore, its ashes." It was probably a colony of the Sidonians, as it compelled to watch the flocks night and day. The flocks is called " the daughter of Sidon." From its present name of Libya " often graze both night and day, and for a whole appears to have been taken the general name of Syria. Its month together, and repair into long deserts, without any first mention is in Joshua, where it is called " the strong city shelter. so wide the plain extends." The Mesopotamian Tyre." At an early period it became the mistress of the shepherd was reduced to the same incessant labour, chilled seas; traded even to Britain, and planted colonies in differby the piercing cold of the mornirig, and scorched by the ent parts of the Mediterranean, among which Carthage besucceeding heats of a flaming sun, the opposite, action of came the most celebrated. which often swells and chafes his lips and face. Jacob The history of Tyre is more especially interesting to the complains, " Thus I was; in the day, the! drought consu- Christian, from its connexion with prophecy, and from the mred me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed striking eloquence with which inspiration has described[ firom mine eyes." In times long posterior to the age when the majesty of its brighter days, and the impressive circumJacob flourished,the angels who descended to announce the stances of its destruction. It was also referred to by our birth of our Lord, found the shepherds to whom they were Saviour, when he pronounced wo upon the inhabitants o! sent, keeping watch over their flocks by night. To prevent Chorazin and Bethsaida, because they had seen his mighty them from wandering, they shut them up in a fold formed works and repented not. Her merchants were princes, her of hurdles, and took their station on the outside, to defend traffickers the honourable of the earth. She heaped up silthem from the attacks of wild beasts, or bands of robbers, ver as dust, and fine gold as the mire of the streets. The that infested the country, and preyed upon the property of boards of her ships were of the fir-trees of Senir, her masts the peaceful and industrious inhabitants. of the cellars of Lebanen, her oars of the oaks of Bashan, When the prophet Ezekiel threatened the Ammonites, her benches of the ivory of Clittim, her sails of fine linen, that Rabbah, their capital, should become a stable for cam- broidered work from Egypt, and her awnings were of purels, we are not to imagine that the Arabian shepherds ple. Her heart was lifted up, and she said, I am a god, I were careful to provide such coverts for these more tender sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas. Suce is the animals. Chardin says, that as they feed them on the description given in sacred writ of the pride and magnifiground, and do not litter them, they never think of erecting cence of ancient Tyre. Now, inkthe language of the same stuch buildings for their reception. The same fact is ad- authority, the noise of her songs is ceased, and the voice of mitted by Dr. Shaw, where he makes a supposition that the her harps is no more heard: her walls are broken down, cattle of these countries would be much more numerous her pleasant houses are no more, she is made like the top than they are, if they had some little shelter in winter. of a rock, a place to spread nets upon: she is built no more. The only shelter to which they have recourse, is the cteso- The Saracens and Turks were the unconscious instrulate ruin; and to this circumstance the prophet Ezekiel ments who carried these prophecies into their fulfilment: most probably alluded, when he described Rabbah as about they utterly destroyed Sidon and Tyre, that they might not'to become a stable for camels, or, as the original term may afford further refuge to the crusaders. There were two be rendered with equal propriety, a place of camels, where harbours, formed by the island; one towards the north, and they screen themselves from the rays of a burning sun, and the other towards the south; and there was a passage befeed on the nettles, and other plants, which spring up among tween the island and the shore from the one to the other. the mouldering walls of ruined habitations. The same The island. is represented by Pliny as having been four terns is rendered in the twenty-third psalm, pastures; and miles in circumference, but the peninsula upon which the perhaps all. that the prophet means is only this, that Rabbah present town is situated, is of much less extent. It would should be so completely destroyed, that camels should feed therefore appear that it is built for the most part upon the on the place where it stood; and if this was his meaning, mole thrown up by Alexander, including a small portion of it has been long since realized, for the last remains of that the original island. There is thus enough of the rock left proud city have entirely disappeared. The greatest skill in existence for the fishers to spread their nets upon, while and vigilance, and even tender care, are required in the the principal area, once mantled with palaces and alive with management of such immense flocks as wander on the Sy- a busy population; has been swept in to " the midst of the Mx arian plains. Their prodigiousnumbers compelthe keepers ters," and can be built no more. The disappearance of tne to remove them too frequently, in search of' fresh pastures, island has caused the destruction of the harbours; and as which proves very destructive to the young that have not all protection to shipping is now taken awav, Tvre' can strength to follow. This circumsta-lce displays the energy never again rise to eminence as ": the mart of nations.' 534 EZEKIEL. CAP. 26. There are still two small rocks in the sea, to which the into an orchard or paddock, but more frequently into a. island probably extended; and as the fishermen's boats small court, surrounded with miserable hovels, evidently can approach them in calm weather, they seem to invite the the abodes of abject poverty. Occasionally an unclosed spreading of nets upon their surface. I and my compan- door exhibits a court of larger dimensions, where a few ions sailed over the present harbour in a small boat, to ex- rude implements of husbandry, and the less meager looks amine the columns that may clearly be seen under the water of better-clad occupants, betoken a state somewhat approachon a fine day, but the sea was too rough to allow us to dis- ing to comfort and ease. Little cultivation, however, is co Zcr many of them. The present town is walled, and is perceptible near the town-of commercial activity there is of very modern date. The space inside is in a great meas-. no sign-listless groups fill every vacant space-and fisherure open, and the houses are mean. The governor's res- men no longer "spread their nets" on the shore. Hence itlence is the only respectable building. There are many it becomes difficult to conjecture how a population, scarcely X lulmns near the small harbour, and others on the opposite removed from indigence, can here subsist, notwithstanding. side of the peninsula, but there is no ruin of ancient date, the temperate habits of the East, which demand little more the plan of which can be traced. We saw in a garden a than a morning and evening repast of fresh baked cakes, granite column of one block, that measured 30 feet in length, sometimes eaten with a sort of pottage made of lentils, and the diameter was in proportion. The eastern end of onions, &c, and sometimes merely-with a draught of water. the cathedral is still standing. We ascended to the top of or a little fruit. the ruin by a spiral staircase, and from thence had a view Relentless desolation seems to brood over this devoted reof the town. Theburial-ground isnear. Fromthissitua- gion. Fragments of clustered columns and broken walls, tion the houses had a singular appearance, as the roofs are at the southeast extremity of the town-the only visible reall flat, and were then verdant with a rich covering of grass. mains of the structures even of the middle ages-perhaps Upon the plain there are the remains of an extensive aque- mark the site of the magnificent metropolitan church, once duct. The mole appears like a mere collection of sand, the conspicuous ornament of Christian Tyre. In that but beneath there may be some construction of more enldur- splendid edifice of rich gothic architecture, distinguished ing materials. by three spacious naves, and two lofty towers, where coun"Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient cils were held and princes and prelates assembled, the bones days. Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre. The of the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa were deposited in a Lord of Hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all'sumptuous sepulchre. Every trace of the mausoleum of glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the Origen, raised in the third century, and still existing in the earth."-Isa. xxiii. 7-9. The stirring scenes of a seaport twelfth, has now disappeared. Broken shafts thrown into exhibit a picture of more constant excitement than can ever a narrow creek awkwardly serve the purpose of a bridge; be presented by any other place. The arrival and discharge others piled in the sea, form a barrier against hostile apof ships; the cries of the captains as they direct their ready proach. A few columns of marble, of granite, and of pormariners; the songs of the boatmen, the dash of the oars, phyry, lie unheeded round a small cove, now the only landand the roll of the sea; the solitary female, whose eye ing-place, while mounds of sand, thinly strewn with archi - catches every speck that appears white in the horizon, and teetural fragments, alone point out the ancient circuit of never leaves it till one after another of its inmates have the town. And is this all that remains to tell the tale of been carefully numbered, that perchance she may discover ancient Tyre-the early seat of civilization-the emnperess among them the father of her disconsolate children; the of the waves. Could this dreary coast have poured forth faltering step of the aged sailor, whose battles have been dauntless navigators to explore distant regions;-this cheeribug.t, and whose victories have been wo>; the tears of less waste, could it ever have been the patrimony of " merthose who are bidding farewell, and the rXature of those chant-princes I" Could this little territory have been the wIho are greeting the arrival of a long-aosent friend; the emporium of the commerce of the world — HOGG. anxious assemblies of the merchants, either speaking of traffic, or proclaiming their good fortune, or lamenting the Ver. 4. And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus,.oss of some fair ship in a destructive gale; the reckless and break down her towers: I will also scrape merriment of the seamen, as they enjoy upon land a little respite from their constant toils: —all these, and a thousand other scenes of noise, and joyousness, and wealth, have of a rock. 12. And they shall make a spoil of been exhibited upon these shores. They have passed away, thy riches, and make a prey of thy mnerchanlike the feverish dream of a disturbed sleep. Ships may be disc; and they shall break down thy walls, and seen, but at a distance; no merchant of the earth ever enters the name of Tyre upon his books, and where thou- destroy thy pleasant houses: and they shall lay sands once assembled in pomp and pride, and there was thy stones, and thy timber,* and thy dust, in the beauty, and splendour, and dominion, I could discover only midst of the water. a few children amusing themselves at play, and a party of Turks sitting in gravity, and sipping their favourite cof- One of the most singular events in history was the rnanfee.-HARDY. ner in which the siege of Tyre was conducted by AlexanThe desolate appearance of Soor from the sea,-a strag- der the Great. Irritated that a single city should alone opglinu, repulsive village of low scattered dwellings, with a few pose his victorious march, enraged at the murder of some of squalid inhabitants loitering on the beach-is in gloomy his soldiers, and fearful for his fame,-even his army's decontrast with the gorgeous descriptions of insular Tyre, spairing of success could rinot deter him from the siege. before Alexander effected its destruction by the daring ex- And Tyre was taken in a manner, the success of which uas pedient of uniting it with the continent. more wonderful than the design was daring; for it was The present peninsula, once the site of this splendid city, surrounded by a wall one hundred and fifty feet in height, anciently estimated at three miles in circumference, but ap- and situated on an island half a mile distant from the shore. parently of somewhat less extent, is now a dreary Waste, A mound swas formed from the continent to the island; and (listinguished only by hillocks and furrows; and the me- the ruins of old Tyre, two hundred and forty years after its motrable isthmus, then so laboriously constructed, has be- demolition, afforded ready materials for the purpose. Such come less conspicuous from the augmentation of its width, was the work, that the attempts at first defeated the power by the gradual accumulationof sand. Its once vaunted port of an Alexander. The enemy consumned and the storm is now so effectually choked, that only stmall boats can ap- destroyed it. But its remains, buried beneath the water, proach the shore, although, amidst the waves, the founda- formed a barrier which rendered successful his renewed tlions are still visible of the massive walls that formed its efforts. A vast mass of additional matter was requisite tortified boundaries, leavin- only a narrow entrance secured The soil and the very rubbish were gathered and heaped. by a chain. Near the landing-place, a few tolerable houses And the mighty conqueror, who afterward failed in raising face the sea, and similar ones are sparingly distributed in again any of the ruins of Babylon, cast those of Tyre into other directions. An insignificant bazar offers few temp- the sea, and took her very DUsT from off her. He left not tations even to those who seek ordinary commodities, and the remnant of a ruin —and the site of cnacient Tyre is now the diverging streets are little more than circuitous alleys, unknow-n.-KEITH. apriciouslv wrinding between high walls, as if concealment alone afforded security. Here and there a low door opens Yer. 14. And I will make thee like the top of a = =-~~~~~~~~~~~ = - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~it All~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 ii \\_=z=X~~~~~~'-i —-===c-='"~ — ace-1~~ ---- ---- __= —--- f = J l~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~rI~~-~~- _-_ —-~ —~-.T -- ---------- CHAP. 26-30. E Z E K IEL. 535 rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets no more than strictly reconcilable to the eastern taste. upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the This explanation also answers to the rest of the imagery LoRD have spoken it, saith the Lord Gc D. used in this passage-BuRnEa. Ver. 24. And there shall be no mole a priclking Passing ky Tyre from curiosity only, I came t, be a Passing y Tyre fcame ts be a brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving mournful witness of the truth of that prophecy, " tha. Tyre, a the queen of' nations, should be a rock for fishers to dry thorn of all that are round about them, that their nets on." Two wretched fishermen, with miserable despised them; and they shall know that I am nets, having just given over their occupation, with very lit- the Lord GOD. tie success, I engaged them, at the expense of their nets, to drag in those places where they said shellfish might be Enemies are often compared to thorns and thistles. caught, in hopes to have brought out one of the famous pL- "Ah! how this thorn goads me," says the man of. his foe. ple fish. I did not succeed; but in this I was, I believe, as When a man's adversaries are dead, he says, " This is lucky as the old fishers had ever been. The purple fish at now a desert vithout thorns." " Ah! as our father is dead, Tyre seems to have been only a concealment of their we are to our enemies like a jungle without thorns."-RoBknowledge of cochineal, as, if the whole city of Tyre ap- EaRT plied to nothing else but fishing, they would not have coloured twenty yards of cloth in a year. —BRUcE. CHAPTER XXIX. C~HAPT~I~ER XXVII. Ver. 3. Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD, CVet. 11. The men of Arvad with thine Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Ver. 1. The men of Arvad, with thine army,'Egypt, the great dragoon that lieth in the midst were upon thy walls round about, and the Gam- Xn awee up on thy walls round about, anged their of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine madims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have own, and I hae made t for myself. made thy beauty perfect. See on ch. 32. 2. The eastern soldiers in times of peace are disposed of Ver. 18. Son of man,.Nebuchadnezzar king of about the walls of places, and particularly in the towers, Babylon caused his army to serve a great ser' and at the gates.'Niebuhr tells us, that the foot-soldiers of vice against Tyrus: every head was made bald, the imam of Yemem have very little to do in times of peace, and every any more than the cavalry: some of them mount guard at the dela's, or governor's; they are also employed at the no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the sergates and upon the towers. Van Egmont and Heyman vice that he had served aoainst it. give a similar account. Sandys, speaking of the decorations of one of the gates of the imperial seraglio in Con- What an illustration of this passage we have in those stantinople, tells us, that it is hung with shields and cimeters. who have not been accustomed to carry the palanquin! Through this gate people pass to the divan, where justice is During the first day the skin is literally peeled off. To administered; and these are the ornaments of this public prevent the pole from galling the shoulder, the coolies have passage.-HARMER.' cushions, or a piece of the plantain-tree, put under the pole. The shoulders of those who assisted at the siege against Ver. 13. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were Tyre, were PEELED by hard labour.-ROBERTS. thy merchants: they traded the persons of men CHAPTER XXX. and vessels of brass in thy market. Ver. 6. Thus saith the LORD, They also that The domestic utensils of the Orientals are nearly always uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her brass: and to these they often refer, as a sign of property. power shall come down: from the tower of "He is a rich man; his house is full of brass vessels.' p "Begone! fellow, I have more brass ir my house than would Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith purchase all thy property." "The miserable man has not the Lord GOD. 7. And they shall be desolate a brass dish in his house." —RoBERTS. in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities CHAPthat are wasted. 12. And I'Will make the Ver. 14. Thou GGrt the anointed cherub that covVer. 4 hou art the anointed cherub that co- rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of ereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the wicked: and I.ill make the land waste, the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers; up and downr in the midst of the stones of fire. I the LOR have spon it. 13. Thus ith I the LORD have spoken it. 13. Thus saith his has been considered as a very obscure epithet to the Lord GOD, I will also destroy the idols, apply to thle prince of Tyre, and great difficulties have oc- and I will cause their images to cease out of curred in explaining the meaning of the expression. It has been apprehended by some critics to be an allusion to the posture of the cherubic figures that were over the ark, the land of Egypt: and I will put a fear in the (Exod. xxv. 20,) and by others to signify the protection land of Egypt. which this prince afforded to different neighbouring states. But the first of these interpretations is set aside by consider- Esvpt was one of the most ancient and one of the mightiing that the prophet evidently refers to a living cherub, not est of kingdoms, and the researches of the traveller are still the posture of the image of one made of gold, or of an olive- directed to explore the unparalleled memorials of its power. tree. As to the other construction, it is inadmissible, be- No nation, whether of ancient or of modern timeqs, has ever cause it does not appear from the prophecies that Tyre was erected such great and durable monuments. While the remarkable for defending its neighbours, but rather the vestiges of other ancient monarchies can hardly be found contrary. Mr. Harmer proposes a new, and probably a amid the mouldering ruins of their cities, those artificial just elucidation of this passage. Hfe observes that takhtdar mountains, visible at the distance of thirty miles, the pyrais a Persian word, which properly signifies a precious car- mids of Egypt, without a record of their date, have Nwithpet, which is made use of for covering the throne of the stood, unimpaired, all the ravages of time. The dynasty of linns of Persia; and that this word is also used as an epi- Egypt takes precedence, in antiquity, of every other. No that by whicch the Persians describe their princes, on ae- country ever produced so long a catalogue of kings. The count of their being possessed of this throne. The prophet learning of the Egyptians was proverbial. The number of Yzekiel may with the same view give this appellation to their cities, and the population of their country, as recorded T.e prince of Tyre. Such an application of it is certainly by ancient historians, almost surpass credibility. Nature 530j~~~~ ~EZEKIEL. CHAP. 32. and art united in rendering it a most fertileregion. It was travellers describe the most execrable vices as common, called the granary of the world. It was divided into several and represent the moral character of the people as corruptkingdoms, and their power often extended over many of ed to the core. As a token of the desolation of the country, the surrounding countries Yet- the knowledge of all its mud-walled cottages are now the only habitations where greatness and glbry deterred not the Jewish prophets from the ruins of temples and palaces abound. Egypt is surdeclaring, that Egypt would become "a base kingdom, and rounded by the dominions of the Turlks and of the Arabs; never exalt itself any more among the nations." And the and the prophecy is literally true which marked it in the literal fulfilment of every prophecy affords as clear a de- midst of desolation:-" They shall be desolate in the midst monstration as can possibly be given, that each and all of of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in them are the dictates of inspiration. the midst' of the cities that are wasted." The systematic Egypt became entirely subject to the Persians about three oppression, extortion, and plunder, which have so long prenundred and fifty years previous to the Christian era. It vailed, and the price paid for his authority and power by was afterward subdued by the Macedonians, and was gov- every Turkish pacha, have rendered the country "esolate erned by the Ptolemies for the space of two hundred and of that whereof it was full,'" and still show, both how "it ninety-four years; until about thirty years before Christ, has been wasted by the hands of strangers," and how "it it became a province of the Roman empire. It continued has been sold into the hand of the wicked." long in subjection to the Romans-trihutary first to Rome, Can any words be more free from ambiguity, or could and afterward to Constantinople. It was transferred, A. D. any events be more wonderful in their nature, or more un641, to the dominion of the Saracens. In 1250 the Maine- likely or impossible to have been foreseen by man, than lukres deposed their rulers, and usurped the command of these prophecies concerningEgypt The long line of its Egypt. A mode of government the most singular and sur- kings commenced with the first ages of the world, and, prising0 that ever existed on earth was established and main- while it was yet unbroken, its final termination was revealtained. Each successive ruler was raised to supreme au- ed. The very attempt once made byinfidels to show, from thority, from being a strango'er and a slave. No son of the the recorded number of its monarchs and the durations of former ruler-no native of Egypt succeeded to the sove- their reigns, that Egypt was a kingdom previous to the Moreignty; but a chief was chosen from among a new race of sale era of the deluge, places the wonderful nature of these inported slaves. When Egypt became tributary to the predictions respecting it in the most striking view. And Turks in 1517, the Mamelukes retained much of their the previous experience of two thousand years, during which power, and every pacha was an oppressor and a stranger. period Egypt had never been without a prince of its own, During all these ages, every attempt to emancipate the coun- seemed to preclude the possibility of those predicted events try, or to create a prince of the land of Egypt, has proved which the experience of the last two thousand years has abortive, and has often been fatal to the aspirant. Though amply verified. Though it had often'tyrannised over Judea the facts relative to Egypt form too prominent a feature in and the neighbouring nations, the Jewish prophets foretold the history of the world to admit of contradiction or doubt, that its own sceptre woulddepart away; and thatthat counvet the description of the fate of that country, and of the try of kings (for the number of its contemporary as well as form of its government, shall be left to the testimony of successive monarchs may warrant the appellation) would those whose authority no infidel will question, and whom never have a prince of its own: and that it would be laid no man can accuse of adapting their descriptions to the waste by the hands of strangers. They foretold that it predictions of the event. Gibbon and Volney are again our should be a base kingdom-the basest of kiingdoms-that it witnesses of the facts:- should be desolate itself and surrounded by' desolation-and "Scha is the state of Egypt. Deprived twenty-three cen- that it should never exalt itself any more among the nations. turies ago of her natural proprietors, she has seen her fertile They described its ignominious subjection and unparalleled fields successively a prey to the Persians, the Macedonians, baseness, notwithstanding that its past and present degenthe Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs, the Georgians, and, at eracy bears not a more remote resemblance to the former length, the race Of Tartars, distinguished by the name of greatness and pride of its power, than the frailty of its mudOttoman Turks. The Mamelukes, purchased as slaves, walled fabric now bears to the stability of its imperishable and introduced as soldiers, soon usurped the power and pyramids. Such prophecies, accomplished in such a manelected a leader. If their first establishment was a singular ner, prove, without a comment, that they must be the reveevent, their continuance is not less extraordinary. They lation' of the omniscient Rler of the universe.-KEITh. are replaced by slavesbr'oeeght fr'om theire oeriinal country. Th'e system of oppression is methodical. Every thing the CHAPTER XXXII. travelier sees or hears reminds him he is in the country of Ver. 2. Son of man, take up a lamentation for slavery and tyranny." "A more unjust and absurb consti- Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, tution cannot be devised than that which condemns the natives of a country to perpetual servitude, under the arbitrary Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and dominion of strangers and slaves. Yet such has been the thou art as a whale in the seas; and thou state of Egypt above five hundred years. The most illustri- camest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the ous sultans of the Baharite and Borgite dynasties were waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. themselves promoted from the Tartar and Circassian bands; and the four-and-twenty beys, or military chiefs, have ever Nothing is more common, in the East, than the comparbeen succeeded, not by their sons, but by their servants." ing princes to lions, or better known to those that are acThese are the words of Volnev and of Gibbon: and.what qunainted with their writings; but the comparing them to did, the ancient prophets forefel " I will lay the land crocodiles, if possessed of seaval power, or strong by a vcatery wraste, and all that is therein, by the hands of strangers. I situation, has hardly ever been mentioned. D'Flerbelot, the Lord have spoken it. And there shall be no more a however, cites an eastern poet, who, celebrating the prowess prince of the lthnd of Egypt. The seeptre of Egypt shall of Gelaleddin, surnamed Mankberni, and Khovarezme depart away." The prophecy adds:-" They shall be a Shah, a most valiant Persian prince, said, "Hie was dreadful base kingdom-it shall be the basest of kingdoms." After as a lion in the field, and not less terrible in the water than the lapse of two thousand and four huanded years from the a crocodile." date of this prophecy, a scoffer at religion, but an eyewitness The power of the ancient kings of Egypt seems to be of the facts, thus describes the selfsame spot: "In Egypt represented after the same manner, by the prophet Ezeliel, there is no middle class, neither nobility, clergy, merchants, ch. xxix. 3, " Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of landholders. A universal air of misery, manifest in all the Egypt, the great dragon (the great crocodile) that lieth in traveller meets, points out to him the rapacity of oppression, the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine and the distrust attendant upon slavery. The profound ig- own, and I have made it myself." In his 32d chapter, 2d norance of the inhabitants equally prevents them from per- verse, the same prophet makes use of both the similes, I ceivin0 the causes of their evils, or applying the necessary think, of the panegyrist of Gelaleddin: "Take up a laimenremedlies. Ignorance, diffused through every class, extends tation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou its efftects to every species of moral and physical lknowledge. art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a Nothing is tallred of but intestine troubles, the public misery, whale (a crocodile)in the seas: and thou camest forthwith oecuniary extortions, bastinadoes, and murders. Justice (or from) thy rivers, and tr( ubledstthewaters with thy feet, Herself puts to death without formality." (Volney.) Other and fouledst their rivers." CHAP. 32-34. EZEKIEL. 537 It is very odd in our translators, to render the original they will not do them; for with their mouth they show word =,:a taneem, whale, and at the same' time talk of much love; but their heart goeth after their covetousness." feet; nor indeed are rivers the abode of the whale; its bulk But if "their mouth showed much love," they did not is too great to admit of that: the term dragon, which is speak against the prophet, but in his commendation. These thrown into the margin, is the preferable version; which conversations respecting the prophet were held in wipter; word in our language, as the Hebrew word in the original, for it was the tenth month, answering to the latter end of is, I think, genderic, and includes the several species of December, or beginning of January, when the Orientals sit oviparous quadrupeds, if not those of the serpentine kind. under the wallsi or the benefit of the sun, or in the porches A crocodile is, without doubt, the creature the prophet or gateways of their houses. means; and the comparison seems to point out the power of As the Copts in Egypt commonly spend their holydays Egyptian kings of antiquity: they were mighty by sea as in conversing with one another under the walls of their well as by land.-HARMER. habitation, so Mr. Harmer is of opinion, that these words of Ezekiel may refer to such times.' And if so, he asks, Ver. 3. Thus saith the Lord GOD, I will, there- will they not show that the Israelites observed. their sabfore, spread out my net over thee with a corn- baths in the captivity! And that so early as the tinme of panyr of many people; antd they shall bring the first destruction of Jerusalem, they used to assemble on thee up in my tent. those days, to hear if the prophets had received any m.esthee up in my tent. sages from the Lord in that week, and to receive those advices which their calamitous circumstances made:peenHIerodotus relates. that in his time they had in Egypt liarly seasonable It is veryprobablethat the Jes in many and various ways of taking the crocdile. Brookes those early times assembled to hear the instructions of the says, "The mtanner of taking the crocodile in Siamrpe is by prophets, and for the- public worship of their God, so far as throwing three or four nets across a river at proper distan- their painful circumstances might permit; but the words of ces from each other; that so if he break through the first, ces fron each other; that so if the break through the first, Ezekiel under consideration, appear to be of a more general he may be caught by one of the others."'-BURDER. character, referring as well to the public meetings of the Whein a person has been caught by thie strsatagem of an-| synagogue, as to the private parties and conversations of other, it is said, "He is caught in his net." "He is like a thepeople-PXTN deer caught in the net." Has a man escaped: " The fel- Severe as sometimes the cold weather is in the East, low has broken the net." "Catch him in your net! will S ylowhas broken the net." " Catch him in your net! will Russel observes, that even in the depth of that season, when you catch the lightnin0g I." —ROBEaTs. the sun is out, and there is no wind, it is warm, nay, sometimes almost hot, in the openair; and Pococke informs us, Ver. 27. And they shall not lie with the mighty that the people there enjoy it, for the Copts spend their that a'e' fallen of the uncircumcised, which are holydays in sauntering about, and sitting under their walls gone down to hell with their weapons of war; in winter, and under shady trees in summer. This doubtand they ha-vce laid their swords undier their less is to be understood of the poorer sort, who have no ai sha upn their places more proper for conversation with their friends; heads; but their iniquities shall be upon their the better houses having porches with benches on each bones, though they were the terror of the mighty side, where the master of the family receives visits, and in the land of the living. despatches business. These circumstances greatly illus0 trate the words of Ezekiel, "Also, thou son of man, the The ancients, in every part of the world, were accustom- children of thy people are still talking against thee, or ed to inter their warriors in complete armour. We are rather, concerning thee, by the walls and in the doors of informed by Chardin, that the Mingrelian soldier sleeps the houses," &c.-HARMiER. with his sword under his head, and his arms by his side; and he is buried in the same manner, his arms being placed Ver. 32. And, lo, thou art unto them-as a very in the same position. The allusion of Ezekiel to this lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, ancient custom'is extremely clear.-PAXTON. and can play well on an instrument: for they CHAPTER XXXIII. hear thy words, but they do them not. Ver. 30. Also, thou son of man, the children of "Gone! gone!"'says the bereaved admirer: "she was thy people still are talking against thee by the indeed like a sweet voice to my ear." " I hear not the wvalls, and in the doors of the houses, and speak sweet song." "Where is my music i" " The song of the night! the song of the night! has left me." —RoBpERTs. one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word CHAPTER XXXIV. that cometh forth from the LORD. Ver. 6. My sheep wandered through all the In those frequent intervals of returning warmth, which mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my, relieve the severity of an oriental winter, the people of the flock was scattered upon all the face of'the East enjoy the conversation of their friends; the poorer earth, and none did search or seek after tlhem. class in the open air sauntering about, and sitting under the walls of their houses; people of rank and fashion in When travelling in wilderness parts of the world, cattle the porches or gateways, where the master of' a.family.are, on various accounts, apt to wander or to be scattered, receives visits, and transacts business-few persons, not and require attentive shepherds to watch their motions. even the nearest relations, being admitted into their apart- Should the grass near the encampment of the traveller not ments, except upon extraordinary occasions. suit their taste, or be scarce, they will gradually move to To these circumstances the prophet Ezekiel seems to a greater and greater distance, till bushes or clumps of trees refer in the following passage: " Also, thou son of man, are between them and the wagons; thern, perhaps, having the children of thy people are still talking against (or the scent of water, or that of better grass, they will move rather concerning) thee by the walls, and in the doors of off at great speed. The distant roar of a lion also will so the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his alarm them that they will start off like furious or frantic brother, - saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the animals. word that cometh forth from the Lord." Our translators I remember halting for a night about a hundred miles render the original word beha., agaiinst thee; the Septua- beyond Lattakoo. Knowing that lions were numerous in gint, 7rE,p rov, of or concerning thee. This is the more'that part, all the oxen were made fast by ropes to the wagsingular, as the same particle is rendered in other parts of ons. During the night lions had roared within hearing scripture, of or concerning: thus, in the eighty-seventh of.the oxen, when all, no doubt, had through terror enPsalm, "Glorious things are spoken of thee, 0 city of the deavoured to break loose from their fastenings, but only Lord." The following words incontestably prove they three had succeeded, which having'fled, were pursued by were not speaking against Ezekiel, but in his favour: two lions. and one of them caught, and almost entirely de" And they come unto thee as the people cometh: and they voured by those.two -voracious animals. After they had sit before thee as my people; and they hear thy words, but fairly killed the one, they pursued the other two for 68 538 E ZE KIEL. CHAP. 35. upwards of two miles, when the) gave up the chase, and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and I returned to feast on the one they i.oad secured. All this we will nake thee most desolate. 7. Thus vill I knew from the foot-marks they had left on the ground. In the morning the Hottentots, were sent in search of the other make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut oft two, which they found feeding several miles off. from it himn that passeth out, and him that reThe Jewish shepherds were condemned for not search- turneth. ing for the scattered sheep. When men,jire fatigued by travelling; they become lazy and indolent and feel indis- There is a prediction which, being peculiarly remarkaposed to set off in search of strayed oxen many miles dis- ble as applicable to Idum ea, and bearing reference to a cirtant; yet I never noticed our Hottentots unwilling to cumstance explanatory of the difficulty of access to any go in search of strayed oxen, however fatigued they might knowledge respecting it, is entitled,' in the first instance, to be, and rarely did they return without finding them, though, notice, " None shall pass through it for ever and ever." in some instances, they had to trace their foot-marks for Isaiah xxxiv. 10. " I will cut off from Mount Seir him upwards of twenty miles.-CAMPBELL. that passeth out and him that returneth." Ezek. xxxv. 7. The ancient greatness of Idumea must, in no small degree, V'er. 25. And I will make with them a covenant have resulted from its commerce. Bordering with Arabia of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease on the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and forming from out of the'land; and they shall dwell safely in north to south the most direct and most commodious channel of communication between Jerusalem and her depen-,the w ildlerness, and sleep in the woods. dencies on the Red Sea, as well as between Syria and India, (through the continuous valleys of E1 Ghor and El The oriental shepherds, when unprovided with tents, Arabia hich terminated on he one extremity at the erect huts or booths of loose stones, covered with reeds and borders of Jude, and on the othr at Elth a Esiongaber boughs. Pococke found, in the neigbhourhood of Acre, borders of Judea, and on the other at Elath and Esiongaber boughs. Pococke found, in the neighbourhood of Acre, on the Elanitic Gulf of the Red Sea,) Idumea may be said some open huts, made of boughs raised about three feet to have formed the emporium of the commerce of the from the ground, inhabited by Arabs. In such booths East. A Roman road passed directly through Idumeo many of the people of Israel were obliged to take shelter om Jerusalem to Akaba, and anoth rom Akaba to in the wilderness, from the want of a sufficient number of Moab and when these roads were made, at a time long tents, the remembrance of which they were commanded posterior to.the date of the predictions, the conception could to preserve by a solemn festival. But even these meaner not have been formed, or held credible by man, that the and more inconvenient habitations are not always within period would ever arrive when none would pass through the reach of an Arabian shepherd; he is often obliged to perio would ever arrive when none oul pass rog it. Above seven hundred years after the date of the proph-.. take refuge under the projecting rock, and to sleep in the ect, Strabo relates, that "many Romans and other foreinopen air. A grove or woodl occasionally furnishes aecy, Strabo relates, that " many Romans and other foreignopen air. A grove or woodland occasionally furnishes aers" were found at Petra by his friend Athenodorus, the most agreeable retreat. The description which Chandler philosopher, who visited it. The prediction is yet more has left us of one of these stations, is so strikingly pictur-s esque, that it must be given in his own words: "About surprising, when viewed in conjunction with another, which implies that travellerp would p~ass by Idumea, —every one two in the morning, our whole attention was fixed by the that poeth by shall be astonished. And the hadj routes barking of dogs, which, as we advanced, "became exceed- that goeth by shall be astonished. And the hadj routes barking of dogs, which, as we advanced, becamne exceed- (routes of the pilgrims) from Damascus and from Cairo ingly furious. Deceived by the light of the moon, we now to Mecca, the oe on the east, and the other toars the fancied we could see a village; and were much mortified to n the south of Idumea, along the whole of its extent, go by it, find only a station of poor goatherds, without even a shed, or touh partially on its borders, without pass through or touch partially on its borders, without passing through and nothingfor our horsestoeat. Theywere lying,wrap- it The truth of the prophecy (though hemed in thus by ped in their thick capotes or loose coats, by some glimmer- it. The truth of the prophecy (though hemmed ithus by ing embers, among the bushes in a dale, under a spreading treme probability of its a nd contradictions, and ith extree by the fold. They received us hospitably, heaping on teme pob ability of its fallacy yet be triew that could. fresh fuel, and producing sour curds and coarse bread, The wods of the premacton may yet welle undersiood which they toasted for us on the coals. We made a scanty as merely implying that ldumea would cease to be a meal, sitting on the ground, lighted by the fire and by the thoroughfare for the commerce f the nations which a moon; after Which, sleep suddenly overpowered me. On imoon; after which, sleep suddenly overpowered me. On joined it, and that its " highly-frequented marts" would be wating, I found my two companions by my side, sharin0 forsaken as centres of intercourse and traffic; and easy in the comfortable cover of the janizary's cloak, which he had carefully spread over us. I was now much struck would have been the tas of demonstrating ts truth in this with the wild appearance ovf the s.pIot. ws n e mchsruck limited sense, which skepticism itself ought not to be aunwshth ilppaac.The tree was hung wilhin0 to authorize. But the fact to which it refers forbids with rustic utensils; the she-goats in a pen, sneezed, and wllngtoauliorize. Butthefacttowhichitrefersiorbids w.ith rustic utensils; the she-goats in a pen, sneezed, and Xthat the prophecy should be limited to a general interpretableated, and rustled to and fro; the shrubs by which our tio, ad demads that it e literally understood and aphorses stood, were leafless, and the earth bare; a black plied. The fact itself being of a negatiye nature, requires caldron with ir ilk, was simserin0 over the fire; and a a more minute investigation and detail than any matter fiue, more than aunt or savae, close by us, struggling of observation or discovery that is proveable at once by a on the ground with a kid, whose ears he had slit, and was ZDt. X 1 *,11. 1 simple description. And instead of merely citing author-. endeavouring to cauterize with a red-hot iron." This simple description. And instead of merely citing atho scription forms a striking comment on a passage in Eze- ties in affirmation of it, evidence, as remarkable as the kiel, in which God condescends to give to his prediction, and at once the most undesigned and concinople: I will make with them a cogivenant of pearomise and sive, shall be largely adduced to establish its truth. people: "I will make with them a covenant of peace, and The remark of Volney, who passed at a distance to the will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land;,and they The remark of Volhey, who passed at a distance to the shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods." Arabs in that quarter " that it had not been visited the Arabs in that quarter, "that it had not been visited No reasonable doubt can be entertained that they* were by any traveller," will not be unobserved by the attentive often exposed in the same manner, while tending'thei reader. Soon after Burchardt had entered, on the - n. 1. o reader. Soon after Burckhardt had entered, on the w&or'zflocks; and in great danger, when their country, from the east, the territories of the Edomites, the boundary of which thinness of the population, or other causes, happened to be ithout proor he distinctly marks, he says, that " he was without prooverrun with beasts of prey. They are accordingly tection midst of a desert, where no traveller had cheered vith the sure -pros-pect of those ravenous animals ever been refcre seen." It was then " that for the first time being exterminated, and every woodland becoming a place being e terminated, and every woodland becOming a pla:e he had ever felt fear during his travels in the desert, and of sa-fety to the slumbering she~pherd.-PaxToN. his route thither was the most dangerous he had ever travCHEAPTER XXXV. elled." Mr. Joliffe, who visited the northern shore of the Dead Sea, in alluding to the country south of its opposite' Ver. 1. Moreover, the word of the LORD came extremity, describes it as "one of the wildest and most danunto me, saying, 2. Son of man, set thy face gerous divisions of Arabia," and says, that any researcl agfainst Mount Seit., and prophesy against it, in that quarter was impracticable. Sir Frederick HIenniA s u th ker, in his Notes dated from Mount Sinai, on the south 3. And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GoD, of Idusmea, unconsciously concentrates striking evidence Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against th6-e, and in verification of the prediction, while he states a fact that CHAP. 35. EZEKIEL. 53I would seem, at first sight, to militate against it. " Seet- quarter; and though they were never betler prepared fob zen, on a vessel of paper pasted against the wall, notifies encountering it, they never elsewhere experienced so for, his having penetrated the country in a direct line between midable an opposition. The sheikh of Wady Mousa an& the Dead Sea and Mount Sinai," (through Idumea,) "a his peopled swore that they would not suffer them to go fortroute ntever before accomplished. This was'the more inter- ward. and "that they shlould neither drink of their water, esfing to me, as I had previously determined to attempt the'nor pass into tieir territory." The Arab chief who had same, it being the shortest way to Jerusalem. The Cava- espoused their cause also took an oath, "by the faith of a liHer Frediani, whom I met in Egypt, would have persua- true Mussulbnan," that they should drink of the water of. (led me that it was impracticable, and that he, having had Wady Mousa, and go whithersoever he pl]ased to carry the same intention himself, after having been detained in them. " Thus," it is remarked, "were both the rival chieis hope five weeks, was compelled to relinquish his design. oppositely pledged in their resolutions respecting us." While I was yet ruminating over this scrap of paper, the Several days were passed in entreaties, artifices, and superior paid me a morning visi'; he also said it was im- mutual menaces, which were all equally unavailing.-The possible; but at length promised to search for guides. I determination and perseverance of the one party of Arabs had already endeavoured to persuade those who had ac- was equalled by the resistance and obstinacy of the other. companied me from Tor, but they also tallred of dangers, Both were constantly acquiring an accession of strength, and declined." Guides were found, who, after resisting for and actively preparing for combat. The travellers, thus a while his entreaties and bribes, agreed to conduct him finding all the dangers and difficulties of which they had by the desired route; but, unable to overcome their fears, been forewarned fully realized, "could not but compare deceived him, and led him towards the Mediterranean their case to that of the Israelites under Moses, swhen Edom coast, through the desert of Gaza. refitsed to give them a passage through, his cosrtr'y." " They There yet remains a detail of the complication of diffi- offered even to abandon their object rather than proceedto culties which, in another direction still, the nearest to Ju- extremities," and endanger the lives of many others, as dea, and apparently the imost accessible, the traveller has well as their own; and they were told that they were forto encounter in reaching that desolate region which once tunate in the protection of the chief who accompanied formed the kingdom of Idumea,-difficulties that it may them, otherwise' they never would have returned. The safely be said are scarcely to be met with in any other part hostile Arabs, who defied them and their protectors to apof Asia, or even in any other quarter of the world where proach, having abandoned their camps, and having conno natural obstructions intervene. " To give an idea," centrated their forces, and possessed themselves of the say Captains' Irby and Mangles, "of the difficulties which passes and heights, sent messengers with a renewal of oaths the Turkish government supposed there would be for an and protestations against enytering their terr-itory; announEnglishman to go to Kerek and Wady Mousa, it is neces- ced that they were fully prepared to maintain their purposesary to say, that when Mr. Banks applied at Constantino- that war "was positively determined on as'the only alterple to have these places inserted in his firman, they returned native of the travellers not being permitted to see what for answer, "that they knew of none such within the grand they desired:" and thefr sheikh vowed that "if they passed seignior's dominions; but as he and Mr. Frere, the British through his lands, they should be shot like so many dogs." minister, pressed the affair very much, they at length re- Abou Raschid, the firm and fearless chief iho had pledged ferred him to the pacha of Damascus, who (equally averse his honoor and his oath in guarantee for the advance of to have any thing to do with the business) passed him on the travellers, and whose obstinate. resolution nothing could to the governor of Jerusalem." The governor of Jerusa- exceed, his arguments, artifices, and falsehoods having all iem, "having tried all he could to dissuade them from the failed, despatched messengers to the camps under his inundertaking," referred him in like manner to the governor fluence, rejected alike all compromise with the opposing of Jaffa, who not only "evaded the affair altogether," but Arabs, and all remonstrances on the part of his adherents endeavoured to put a stop to their journey. Though fius- and dependants, (who thought that the travellers were doomtrated in every attempt to obtain any protection or assist- ed tp destruction by their rashness,) and resolved to achieve ance firom the public authorities, and also warned of the by force what he had sworn toaccomplish. "The camp asdanger that awaited them from" Arabs of a most savage sumed a very warlike appearance; the spears stuck in the and treacherous race," these adventurous travellers, intent sand, the saddled horses before the tents, with the arms on visiting the ruins of Petra, having provided themselves hanging up within, altogether had an imposing effect. The with horses and arms, and Arab dresses, and being eleven travellers, however, were at last permitted to proceed in in number, including servants and two guides, "deter- peace: but a brief space were allowed them for inspecting mined to proceed to try their fortune with the sheikh of the ruins, and they could plainly distinguish the opposing Hebron." He at first expressed compliance with their party of Arabs, in great numbers, watching them from the wishes, but being soon "alarmed at his own determina- heights. Abou Raschid was then dismayed, "he was never tion," refused them the least aid or protection. Repeated at his ease, and constantly urged them to depart." INothing offers of money to guides met a decided refusal; and they could obtain an extension of the time allotted them, and procured no means of facilitating their journey. The pe- they returned, leaving much unexplored, and even unable culiar difficulty, not only ofpassing throukgh Idumea, (which by any means or possibility to penetrate a little farther, iin they never attempted,) but even of entering within its bor- order to visit a large temple which they\could clearly disders, and the greater hazard of travelling thither than in cern. Through Idumea they did not pass. any other direction, are still further illustrated by the ac- Thus Volney, Burckhardt, Joliffe, Henniker, and Capqmuiescence of an Arab tribe afterward to accompany and tains Ilrby and Mangles, not only give their personal testiprotect them to Kerek, at a reasonable rate, and by their mony of the truth of the fact which corroborates the prepositive refusal, upon any terms or stipulation whatever, to diction, but also adduce a variety of circumstances, which conduct them to a spot that lay within the boundaries of all conspire in giving superfluity of proof that Idumea, Edom. "We offered five hundred piastres if they would which was long resorted to from every quarter, is so beset conduct us to Wady Mousa, but nothing could induce them on every side with dangers to the traveller, that none pass'to consent. They said they would not go if we would give t'hrough it. Even the Arabs of the neighbouring regions them five thousand piastres," (forty times the sum for which whose home is the desert, and whose occupation is wan. they had agreed to accompany them to Kerek, although dering, are afraid to enter it, or to conduct any within its the distance was not nearly double,) "observing that money borders. Yet amid all this manifold testimony to its truth,.was of no use to a man if he lost his life. Having after- there is not, in any single instance, the most distant alluward obtained the protection of an intrepid Arab chief, sion to the prediction; and the evidence'is as unsuspicious with his followers, and having advafced to the borders of and undesigned, as it is copious and complete. Edom, their further progress was suddenly opposed in the "I will make thee small among the nations; thou art most threatening and determined manner. And in the greatly despised." Though the border of wickedness, and whole course of their travels, which extended to about the retreat of a horde of thieves, who are distinguished as three thousand'miles, in Thrace, Asia'Minor, Cyprus, the peculiarly savage even among the wild Arabs, and thus desert, Egvpt, and in Syria, in different longitudinal and an object of dread, as well as of astonishment to those who lateral directions, from one extremity to the other, they pass thereby, yet, contrasted with what it was, or reckoned found nowhere such a barrier to their progress, except in among the nations, Edom is small indeed. Wit.tiu alrost a previous abortive attempt to reach Petra from another all its boundary, it may be said that none abide, or have 540 EZEKIE L hP. C 3A.. any fixed permanent resilence; and instead of the superb coast of Hedjaz, in the desert of Tih, and the city of Faran, structures, the works of various ages, which long adorned and, without doubt, El-Tor, which served it by way of port. its cities, the huts of the Arabs, where even huts they From this place the caravans might reach Palestine and have, are mere mind-hovels, of "mean and ragged appear- Judea (through Idumea) in eight or ten days. This route, ance, which, in general, are deserted on the least alarm. which is longer than that from Suez to Cairo, is infinitely But, miserable habitations as these are, they scarcely seem shorter than that from Aleppo to Bassorah." Evidence to exist anywhere throughout Edom, but'on a single point which must have been undesigned, which cannot be susof its borders; and wherever the Arabs otherwise wander pected ofpartiality, and which no illustration can strengthen, in search of spots for pasturage for %eir cattle, (found in and no ingenuity pervert, is thus borne to the truth of the hollows, or near to springs after the winter rains,) tents most wonderful prophecies. That the Idumeans were a are their only covering. Those which pertain to the more populous and powerful nation long posterior to the delivepowerful tribes are sometimes both numerous and large; ry of the prophecies; that they possessed a tolerably good yet, though they form at least but a frail dwelling, many of government, (even in the estimation of Volney;) that Idu. them are "very low and small." Near to the ruins of Petra, men contained many cities; that these cities are now abBurckhardt passed an encampment of Bedouin tents, most solutely deserted, and that their ruins swarms with enorof which were "the smallest he had ever seen, about fbur mous scorpions; that it was a commercial nation, and posfeet high, and ten in length;" and towards the southwest sessed highly-frequented marts; that it forms a shorter,border of Edom he met with a few wanderers, who had no route than an ordinary one to India, and yet that it had not tents with them, and whose only shelter from the burning been visited by any traveller, are facts all recorded, or rays of the sun and the heavy dews of night was the scanty proved to a wish, by this able but unconscious commen-. branches of the talk-trees. The subsistence of the Bedou- tator. ins is often as precarious as their habitations are mean; A greater contrast cannot be imagined than the ancient the flocks they tend, or which they pillage from more fer- and present state of Idumea. Itwas a kingdom previous to, tile regions, are'their only possessions; and in that land Israel, having been governed first by dukes or princes, afwhere commerce long concentrated its wealth, and through terward by eight successive kings, and again by dukes, which the treasures of Ophir passed, the picking of gum before there reigned any king over the children of Israel. srabic from thorny branches is now the poor occupation, Its fertility and early cultivation are implied, not only in the only semblance of industry, practised by the wild and the blessings of Esau, whose dwelling was to be the fatness wandering tenants of a desert. Edom is small among thte of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above, but also natiovns; and how greatly is it despised, when the public in the condition proposed by Moses to the Edomites, when authorities at Constantinople deny any knowledge of it!- he solicited a passage for the Israelites through their borKEITH. ders, "that they would not pass through the fields nor through the vineyards;" and also in the great wealth, espe-. Ver. 15. As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance cially in the multitudes of flocks and herds, recorded as of the house of Isra, because it was desolate, possessed by an individual, inhabitant of that country, at a of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, o ill I do nto hee: thou shalt be desolate, period, in all probability, even more remote. The Idumeans were, without doubt, both an opulent and a powerO Mount Seir, and-all Iduinea, even all of it; ful people. They often contended with the Israelites, and and they shall know that I am the LORa' entered into a league-with their other enemies against them. In the reign of David they were indeed subdued and greatIdumea was situated to the south of Judea and of Moab; ly oppressed, and many of them even dispersed throughout it bordered on the east with Arabia Petrea, under which the neighbouring countries, particularly Phenicia and name it was included in the latter part of its history, and Egypt. But during the decline of the kingdom of Judah, -it extended southward to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea. and for many years previous to its extinction, they encroachA single extract from the Travels of Volney will be found ed upon the territories of thie Jews, and extended their to be equally illustrative of the prophecy and of the fact. dominion over the southwestern part of Judea. Though "This country has sot been visited by any traveller, but it no excellence whatever be now attached to its name, which well merits such an attention; for from the reports of the exists only in past history, Idumea, including perhaps JuArabs of Bakir, and the inhabitants of Gaza, who frequent- dea,'was then not without the praise of the first of Roman ly go to Maan and Karak, on the road of the pilgrims, there poets: are, to the southeast of the lake Asphaltites, (Dead Sea,) Primus IdumeaG referam tb ana, paas. VCir~g. Geor~g. lib. iii. 1. 12. within three days' jo'wrey, upwards of thirty ruined towns zbsolutel/a deserted. Several of them have large edifices, And of Lucan, (Phars. lib. iii.) with columns that may have belonged to the ancient tem- Arbustis palmarum dives Idume. pies, or at least to Greek churches. The Arabs sonetimes But Idumea, as a kingdom, can lay claim to a highel make use of them to fold the cattle in; but in general avoid renown than either the abundance of its floclks or the ex them on account of the enormous scorpions with which they cellence of its palm-trees. The celebrated city of Petra (sr swarm. We cannot be surprised at these traces of ancient named by the Greeks, and so worthy of the name, on ac population, when we recollect that this was the country of count both of its rocky vicinity andits numerous dwelling, the Nabatheans, the most powerful of the Arabs, and of the excavated from the rocks) was situated within the patriIdumeans, who, at the time of t/e destrnction of Jerusaleem, monial territory of the Edomites. There is distinct and were almost as numerous as the Jews, as appears from positive evidence that it was a city of Edom, and the meJosephus, who informs us, that on the first rumour of the tropolis of the Nabatheans, whom Strabo expressly identimarch of Titus against Jerusalem, thirty thousand Ida- fies with the Idumeans —possessors of the same eountry, and means instantly assembled, and threw themselves into that subject to the same laws. "Petra," to use the wiords of city for its defence. It appears that, besides the advantages Dr. Vincent, by whom the state of its ancient commerce of being under a tolerably good government, these districts was described before its ruins were discovered, "is the caenjoyed a considerable share of the commerce of Arabia and pital of Edom or Seir, the Idumea or Arabia Petnra of the India, which increased their industry and population. We Greeks, the Nabatea, considered both by geographers, hisknow that as far back as the time of Solomon, the cities of As- torians, and poets, as the source of all the precious conmmood. tioum Gaber (Esion Gaber) and Ailah (Eloth) were highly- ities of the East." "The caravans in all ages, from frequented marts. Thesetownsweresituated ontheadjacent Minea in the interior of Arabia, and fr:om Gerrhm onil the gulf of the Red Sea, where we still find-the latter yet retain- Gulf of Persia, from Hadramant on the ocean, and some ing its name, and perhaps the former in that of El Akaba, or even from Sabea or Yemen, appear to have pointed to the end (of the sea.) These two places are in the hands of Petra as a common centre; and from Petra the trade seems the Bedouins, wvho, being destitute of a navy and commerce, tb have again branched out in every direction to Egypt, do not inhabit them.. But the pilgrims report that there is Palestine, and Syria, through Arsinoe, Gaza, Tyre, Jeruat El Akaba a wretched fort. The Idumeans, from whom salem, Damascus, and a variety of subordinate routes that the Jews only took their ports at intervals, must have found all terminated on the Mediterranean. There is every proof in them a great source of wealth and population. It even that is requisite to show that the Tyrians and Sidonians appears that the Idumeans rivalled the Tyrians, who also were the first merchants who introduced the produce of possessed a town, the name of which is unklinown, on the India to all the nations which encircled the Mediterranean CH.Ar. 37, 38. EZEKIEL. 541 so is there the strongest evidence to prove that the Tyrians rare, and considered more as curious antiquities than things obtained all their commodities from Arabia. But if Arabia in actual use: although the inhabitants wereweiiacquainted was the centre of this commerce, Petra was the point to With them, and were often able to explain the meaning of which all the Arabians tended from the three sides of their the characters upon them, and the purpose for which these vast peninsula. At a period subsequent to the commence- instruments were made, especially in this part of Sweden. ment of the Christian era, there always reigned at Petra, We saw one of more elaborate workmanship, where the according to Strabo, a king ofthe royal lineage, with whom Runic characters had been very elegantly engraved upon a prince was associated in the government. It was a place a stick, likia physician's cane: but this last seemed to be of great strength in the time of the Romans. Pompey of a more modern date. In every instance, it was evident, marched against it, but desisted from the attack; and Tra- from some of the marks upon them, that their first owners jan afterward besieged it. It was a metropolitan see, to were Christians: the different lines and characters denowhich several bishopricks were attached in the time of the ting the fasts and festivals, golden numbers, dominical letter, Greek emperors, and Idumea was included in the third epact, &c. But the custom of thus preserving itritten recPalestine —Palestina tertia sire salutaris. But the ancient ords upon rods or sticks is of the highest antiquity. There state of Idumea cannot in the present day be so clearly as- is an allusion to this custom in Ezekiel, xxxvii. 16-20, certained from the records respecting it which can be where mention is made of something very similar to the gleaned from history, whether sacred or profane, as by the Runic staff." Nearly nine centuries before the age of wonderful and imperishable remains of its capital city, and Ezekiel's prophecy, Moses used rods in the same manner. by "the traces of many towns and villages,". which indis- Numbers xvii. 2, 3. We may now see how satisfactorily putably show that it must once have beenthickly inhabited. the tise to which these written rods were in after-ages apIt nriot only can admit of no dispute that the country and plied, is illustrated by the Runic staves, which have genecities of Idumea subsisted in a very different state from that rally the form of a sword or sceptre, being the ensigns of absolute desolation in which, long prior to the period of its office and dignity borne in the hands by the priets, the reality, it was represented in the prophetic vision; but elders, and princes of the people. The recurved rods of there are prophecies regarding it that have yet a prospec- the priests, among the Greeks, and the crosier of a modern tive view, and which refer to the time when "the children bishop, had the same origin.-BunDERa. of Israel shall possess their possessions," or to "the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion." But, dan- CHAPTER XXXVIII. gerous as it is to explore the land of Idumea and difficult e. 11. And thou shalt say, I will go up to the to ascertain those existing facts and precise circumstances which form the strongest features of its desolate aspect, (and land of unwalied villages; I will go to them that ought to be the subject of scientific as well as of reli- that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them gious inquiry,) enough has been discovered to show that dwelling vithtut walls, and havin neither hars the sentence against it, though fulfilled by the agency of nature and of man, is precisely such as was first recorded nor gates. in the annals of inspiration. —KEITH. The Orientals were attentive to safety, not less than to ~CHAPTER XXXVII. ~ convenience and pleasure. To secure their dwellings from CHAPTER. XXXVII. the depredations of hostile tribes, that scoured their country Ver. 16. Moreover, thou son of man, take thee in all directions in quest of plunder, they were forced to one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and surround them with lofty walls.. This mode of defence for the children of Israel his companions: then seems to have been adopted at a very remote period; for u it, F the spies whom Moses sent into Canaan to view the countake another stick, and write upon it, For Jo try, reported that the cities were great, and walled up to seph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the heaven. Theheight of these walls, which by a bold orihouse of Israel his companions. ental figure, dictated by the pusillanimous fears of the spies, are said to reach up to heaven, must have appeared to the The original manner of communicating ideas by letters, people of Israel, unaccustomed as they were to warfare of among the ancient Britons, was by cutting the letters upon that kind, and totally unprovided with the means necessary sticks, which were most commonly squared, and some- for besieging fortified places, a very serious obstacle to the times formed into three sides. The squares were used for accomplishment of their wishes. But the magnitude of it general subjects, and for stanzas of four lines in poetry: may be illustrated with the greatest advantage, from the thetrilateral ones were adapted to trides, and for a peculiar accounts which modern travellers have given us of the kind of ancient metre, called triban, or triplet, and englyn present inhabitants of those deserts, who are much in the milwyr, or the warrior's verse. Several sticks with wri- same circumstances as the people of Israel were when they ting upon them were put together, forming a kind of frame, came out of Egypt, whose attacks are effectually repelled which was called peithynen, or elucidator; and was so by the lofty walls of one or two Christian monasteries. constructed,'that each stick might be turned for the facility The great monastery of Mount Sinai, Thevenot says, is of reading, the end of each running out alternately on both well built of good freestone, with very high smooth walls; sides of the frame. (See engcraving, at the end of the voltsme.) on the east side there is a window, by which those that A continuation of this mode of writing may be found in were within drew up the pilgrims into the monastery the Runic or log almanacs of the northern states of Europe, with a basket, which they4et down by a rope that runs by in which the engravilg on square pieces of wood has been a pulley, to be seen above at the window, and the pilgrims continued to s6 late a period as the sixteenth century. The went into it one by one, and so were hoisted up. These Scythians also conveyed their ideas by marking or cutting walls are so high that they cannot be scaled, and without certain figures and a variety of lines, upon splinters or bil- cannon that place cannot be taken. lets of wood. Aulus Gellius (lib. ii. c. 12) says, that the The monastery of St. Anthony, in Egypt, says Maillet, is ancient laws of Solon, preserved at Athens, were cut in a vast enclosure, with good walls, raised so high as to tablets of wood. secure this place from the insults, of the Arabs. There is At Umea, in Sweden, a person whom Dr. Clarke visited, no entrance into it but by a pulley, by means of which peo"produced several ancient Runic staves, such as are known pie are hoisted up on high, and so conveyed into the monasin Sweden under the name of Runic. almanacs, or Runic tery. No warlike apparatus which the Arabian freebooters calendars. They were all of wood, about three feet and a possess, are sufficient for the reduction of these fortified halfl ong, shaped like the straight swords represented in places. The Israelites, not better provided for besieging churches upon the brazen sepulchre-plates of our Saxon strongholds, hastily concluded that the walled cities of ancestors. The blades were on each side engraved with Canaan, of which they heard such discouraging accounts, Runic characters, and signs, like hieroglyphics, extending must oppose an insurmountable barrier to their progress. their whole length. The signs were explained to us as It is not to be supposed that the descendants of Canaan, those of the months, and the'characters denoted the weeks like the timid monks of Sinai, walled up their gates on the and'days. The Runic staves which had beer?iven to us, approach of danger, and permitted none to enter the place, were afterward exhibited at Morvana, and in the different but by means of a pulley; but if their ga:~m; had not been places through which we passed, in the hope of procuring well secured, the precaution of raising t.fir wall so high more. We afterward saw others; but they were always had been in vain.-PAxToN. 542 DANIEL. CHAP. 1. CHAPTER XXXIX. man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, Ver. 11. And it shall come to pass at that day, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, thei ethat I will give unto Gog a place there of fore it shall be shut. graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea; and it shall stop the Among other instances of the extreme distance, and pro. founad awe, with which eastern majesty is treated, one that ZnDse, the pass ~ a *,he sha ais mentioned by Sir John Chardin, in his account of Persia, bury Gog, and all his multitude; -and they shall appears very strange to us, yet may afford a lively comcall it, The valley of Hamon-gog. ment on a passage of the prophet Ezekiel. Sir John tells us, "It is a common custom in Persia, that when a great This refers to the dreadful stench which should arise man has built a palace, he treats the king and his grandees from the dead bodies of Gog. The Tamul translation has in it for several days. Then the great gate of it is open: it, "cause to STOP the noses." The moment people smell but when these festivities are over, they shut it up, never any thing offensive, they immediately press the nostrils to- more to be opened." He adds, " I have heard that the same gether with their fingers. They say of a bad smell, It has thing is practised in Japan." It seems surprising to us, STOPPED my nose; which means the nose is so full of that, that great and magnificent houses within should have only it is not sensible of any other smell. The figure is much small entrances into them, which no one would suppose used in reference to the decayed oysters at the pearl fishery. would lead into such beautiful edifices: but such, he observes, -ROBERTS. is the common customn there: making no magnificent enCHAPTER XLIV. trance into their houses at all; or if they do, shutting them Ver. 2. Then said the LORD unto me, This gate up after a little time, and making use of some small entrance near the great one, or it may be, in some very different shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no part of the building.-HARMER. DANIEL. CHAPTER I. Curtius says; that in all barbarous or uncivilized counVer. 2. -And the LORD gave Jehoinakim king of tries, the stateliness of the body is held in great veneration: udah into hisA handt, with part hofthe vessels of nor do they think any capable of great services or actions, Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of to whom nature has not vouchsafed to give a beautiful form the house of God, which he carried into the and aspect. It has always been the custom of the eastern land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and he nations to choose such for their principal officers, or to wait brought the vessels into the treasure-house of on princes and great personages. Sir Paul Ricaut ohserves, "that the youths that are designed for the great ofhis god. fices of the Turkish empire, must be of admirable features and looks, well-shaped in their bodies, and without any deIn all heathen temples there is a place for the sacred fects of nature: for it is conceived that a corrupt and sorjewels and other treasures. The ornaments of the idols are did soul can scarce inhabit in a serene and ingenuous assometimes of GREAT value. I have seen the small crown, pect; and I have observed not only in the seraglio, but also breastplate, and necklaces of one idol, worth more than in the courts of great men, their personal attendants have 4001.-RoBERTS. been of comely lusty youths, well habited, deporting themselves with singular modesty and respect in the presence Ver. 3. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the of their masters; so that when a pacha aga spahi travels, master of his eunuchs, that he should bring cer- he is always attended with a comely equipage, followed by tain of the children of Israel, and of the king's flourishing youths, well clothed and mounted, in great numseed, and of the princes; 4. Children in whom bers."-BURDER. was no blemish, but well-favoured, and skilful Ver. 8. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and would not defile himself with the portion of the understanding science, and such as had ability king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom therefore he requested of the prince of the euthey might teach the learning and the tongile nuchs that he might not defile himself of the Chaldeans. It was the custom of most nations, before their meals, to The master of the black eunuchs is still one of the most make an oblation of some part of what they ate and drank important officers at the court of the Turkish emperor, the to their gods, as a thankful acknowledgment that every arrangement of which is, for the most part, formed-after thing which they enjoyed was their gift. These oblations t~q~ household of the ancient Persian emperors. He is were called libamaina among the Romans, so that every encalled Kislar-Aga, that is, overseer of the girls, and is the. tertainment had something in it of the nature of a sacrifice. chief of the black eunuchs who guard the harem or resi- This practice generally prevailing, made Daniel and his dence of the women. " The Kislar-Aga, by his place, en- friends look upon the provisions coming from the king's joys a powerful influence in affairs, but particularly in table as no better than meats offered to idols, and, by being those of the court, for which reason the other agas bring so offered, to be accounted unclean or polluted.-BuRDER. concerns before him. His consideration and influence over the emperor is almost always secure." (Von Ham- Ver. 15. And at the end of ten days their counts mer.)-RosENMULLER. nances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than CHAP. 1-3. DANIEL. 543 all the children which did eat the portion of the open towards Jerusalem, contrary to the king d command, killa's meat. would undoubtedly, like Paul and Barnabas, have rejectking's ed these odours." This view completely vindicates the It is probable that there was nothing extraordinary or out prophet from the charge of conniving at the idolatry of the of the common way in this circumstance. Sir J. Chardin king; but it is not necessary to his defence. The conduct observes, " I have remarked this, that the countenances of of Nebuchadnezzar, it is allowed, admits of a favourable the Kechichs are in fact more rosy and smooth than those construction; but, at the same time, it is scarcely possible of others, and that these-people who fast much, I mean the to avoid the suspicion that he was, on tnis memorable occaArmenians and the Greeks, are notwithstanding very beau- sion, guilty of idolatrous veneration. The verb Sagad, he tiful, sparkling, with health, with a clear and lively coun- worshipped, so far as the writer has been able to trace it, tenance."-HAanME. both in Hebrew and Chaldee, expresses the homage which is rendered to a god, and is, perhaps, universally applied to CHAPTER II. the worship of false deities in the sacred scriptures. If Ver. 4. Then spake the, Chaldeans to the king this remark be just, it is greatly to be suspected that Nebuin Syriac, 0 kingy, live for ever: tell thy ser- chadnezzar, who had few, or no correct religious princin Syriac, O ing, live for ever: tell thy ser-a' pies, to restrain the sudden movements of his impetuous pasvants the dream, and we will show the inter- sions, did intend, on that occasion, to honour Daniel as a pretation. god, or, which is not materially different, to worship the divinity in the prophet. But it may be demanded, how These words are not addressed to the ears of royalty then is Daniel to be vindicated! Shall we suppose that a MERELiY. Has a man been greatly favoured by another, he prophet of the Lord, a man highly fa.voured and distinsays, " Ah! may you never die." "So good a man ought guished for his eminent. holiness, would suffer idolatry to never to die." "May you live for ever." " Will death be practised in his presence, more especially when he himcome to such a man as this 2" "Live, live, for ever."- self was the object of it, without expressing his disapprobaR )BERTS. tion To this objection, the following answer is offered: The sacred writers, studious of extreme brevity, often pass Vet. 31. Thou, O king, sawest, and, behold, aZ over many incidents in the scenes which they describe. great image. This great image, whose bright- Daniel, therefore, might actually reject the intended honness ewas excellent, stood before thee, and the our, although it is not mentioned in the record. This siform thereof wats terrible. 32. This images lence of the historian will not prove that it was not done, while there are certain circumstances in the narrative head tvas of fine gold, his breast and his arms which go fax to prove that the prophet did reject the homof silvei', his belly and his thighs of brass. age of Nebuchadnezzar. In the 28th verse of the second 33. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and chapter, he solemnly declares before the king and the whole part of clay. court, that " it is the God of heaven that revealeth secrets, and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days;" and the 30th verse, " But as for me prophere tic and parabolic imagery of the scriptures. In the this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have prophetic and parabolic imagery of the scriptures. In the more than any livin,." When these faithful decrations present case there would seem to be an exception; for who are consiered it is not to be supposed that Daniel neglectare considered, it is not to be supposed that Daniel neglectbcan coneive of the manner in mass which iron and clay cold the ed to remind the king that' religious worship is due to God other made to comrias, the goldin the same massilver, the brasspect t they are alone; and that such a testimony was given at the time, is other materials, the gold, the silver, the brass, they are intimated with considerable clearness in the confession of sufficiently homogeneous in their nature to allow of being intimated with considerable clearness in the confession of united in the manner supposed in the vision.'But how a thingh, verse 47th, which seems to refer to somesoft.yielding substance like clay could form a constituent id to him: The king anpart of the same image, and that too of the very base and swered unto Daniel, and said Of a truth it is, that your pediment upn which it rested, is by no means obvious. God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a Revealer pediment upon which it rested, is by no means obvious. of secrets, seeing thou cbuldst reveal this secret." The We see not therefore why the definition given to the origi- character of th nal Chaldaic word by Cocceius, Buxtorf, Gesenius, Simo- conduct of hissovereign, in paying him divine honours. — nis, Gibbs, and others, viz. potter's ware, or burnt baked clay, PAXToN. is not decidedly to be preferred. And of the original phrase subsequently occurring, "miry clay," v. 41, 42. The first CHAPTER III. of these lexicographers says expressly, "Nonigitur lutum vel limum notat, sed opus coctum ex limo, vel limum excoctum," it does not therefore signify clay or muLd, i its soft shippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the state, but something formed by baking from clay. This in- midst of a burning fiery furnace. terpretation gives consistency to the whole imagery, and, if needs be, can be abundantly confirmed from the frequent This mode of putting to death was not unusual in.the use of the same term by the Chaldee Targums.-BUSH. East in more modern times. Chardin, in his Travels, after speaking of the most common modes of punishing with Ver. 46. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon death, says, " But there is still a particular way of putting his face, and worshipped Daniel, and command- to death such as have transgressed in civil affairs, either ed that they should offer an oblation and sweet by causing a dearth, or by selling a)ove the tax by a false him. ^weight, or who have committed themselves in any other oaours unto him. manner. The cooks are put upon a spit and roasted over a-slow fire, bakers are thrown into a ot oven. During the Odoriferous ointments and perfumes were often present- alow fire, bakers are thrown into a hot oven. Dnring the ed by the great as a particular mark of distinction. The dearth in 1668, i saw such ovens eate en the r in Ispahan, to terrify the bakers. ara aeter them from~deriking of Babylon treated the prophdt Daniel with the richest in aantef the bera er th romdr perfumes, after he had predicted the future destinies of his empire, as a distinguished proof of his esteem and admira- er. 25. He answered and sa Lo, I see fou tion: ". Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should in the midst of t offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him." This pas- they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth sage Mr. Harmer considers as exceedingly difficult; and is like the Son of God. he labours hard to prove that the king meant nothing more than civil respect. "Nebuchadnezzar, in all this matter, Professor Eichorn has manifested a strong inclination to appeared to have considered Daniel merely as a prophet: expel the prophet Daniel from the sacred writings. As the his words strongly express this, Your God is a God of gods; difficulties which attend some represebtations in this proand had it been otherwise, a person so zealous as Daniel, phet, [" fires which do not burn; anct an image strangely who risked his life, rather than neglect his homage to his disproportioned," are especially selected,] are among the Goil, and hac the courage to pray to him with his windows professor's principal reasons, we could wish, before sele 544 DANIEL. CHAP. 4, 5..ence were passed on the delinquent, that not only what dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and we have just noticed in relation to his animals, but also the dissolving of doubts, were found in the same following hints in relation to some of his other subjects,hom the king named Belteshazzar: were duly weighed, and accurately understood. The story of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace would be much now let Daniel be called, and he will show the more within our comprehension, if we knew the true form interpretation. of what is denominated a ]frnace; it is usually conceived of, as being somewhat like our tile-kilns, a solid. enclosed, The margin (Chald.) has, instead of" doubts," " knots." brick building, with an aperture only for entrance, or, at A very diflicult subject is called a mudiche, a knot! Thuz most, with a door-way below, and a vent above for the flame, the explaining of a riddle is called "untying the knot." Cl smoke, &c. But the circunmstances of the story do not war- a talented man it is said, " Ah h is very clever, he can. rant an edifice of this construction; for it appears that tie or untie any knot." Of a dream, it is asked, "Who caNe:bb.chadnezzar, still seated on his throne, saw the persons loose this knot V" Of any mysteries, or of deep plans, it is in the fire. Now this he could not do, thi-.ougLA the solid asked, "Ah! who can untie these knots -." " ow dimnwall of such a building; neither could the flame, issuing cult that passage was, but he soon unravelled the knot."from a narrow orifice, easily slay those men who threw in ROBERTS. the Hebrews, the solid wall being between them and' the Inthe coDv of a patent given to Sir John Chardin by the fire. Either, then, the opening to this furnace, ing of ieia, we find it is addressed " To the lords of a solid edifice, was large enough to admit of full view into lords, who nave the presence of a lion, the aspect of Destorl it;o. or we must seek some other construction for it. We the princes who have the stature of Tahem-ten-ten, who may-carry this idea somewhat further, and infer the pro- to be inthe time of Ardevon, the reoents who carry priety of supposinr, Nebuchadnezzar to see tA/roq1ghovto the the majesty of Ferribours, the conquerors of kingdoms, sustructure; by consequence, the building had no covering; perintendents that unloose all mvanner qof knots, and who are but'was, at most, an enclosure of fire; or, an area sur- under the ascendant of Mercury," &c. —BouDER. rounded by a wall, within which the fire raged.-TAwVLo R Vey. 21. And he was driven from the sons of IN CALMET. CHAPTER IV. men; and his heart was made like the beasts, Ver. 25. That they shall drive thee from men, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as nwet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of the most high God ruled in the kingdom of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever till thou know tlat the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever See on Job 39. 5. he will. Ver. 27. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the This was one of the miseries of Nebuchadnezzar, and a balances, and art found wanting. much greater one' than the people in Englan d imagine. much greater one~ than the people in England' imagine. This striking form of speech is much used in the East at Think of the state of the body and pores after being twelve this day.trng form of speech s much used in the East at hours in a blazing sun, and then think on such a dew falling, h t o m en be disputing reepecting as will saturate a te clothes and a tolerable view is the moral character of a third person, one will say,' I know the fellow well; I have weighed him, and he is found gained of the great reverse, and the effect it must have on wanting."'' He found wanting! you are much lighter the human frame. Of a wretched manitissaid, " The sun than he." What! miscreant, do you wish to wreigh falls on his head by day, and the dew by night." " He is scorched by the sun, and made wet by the dew."-RoneTS.inst e?" Thou art but as one part in thousand. " Begone! fellow, or I will soon weigh thee." "Yes, yes, Ver. 29. At the end of twelve months he walketd there is no doubt about it: you have weighed me; 1 am *in the place of the kingdom of Babylon. much lighter than you." " What kind of times are these'. in the palace of tihe kin'do of Babylon.g the slaves are weighing their masters." " Yes, the low castes have become very clever, they are weighing their The custom of walking upon the roof in the cool of the superiors." "What! woman, do you call in question the day, to inhale the refreshing breeze, and to survey the sur- of your husband: are YoU qualified to weigh rounding scenery, may serve to explain a scripture incident im3" "The judge has been weighing the prisoners, and of"considerable interest, which does not appear to have been they are all wanting.-RBERTS. generally understood. It is thus recorded in the prophecies From the following extract it will appear that there is an of Daniel: " At the end of twelve months, he (Nebuchad- allusion in these words, which will justify a literal interprenezzar) walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon." tation of them. " The first of September, (which was the The true sense of the. original is, " he walked upon the late mogul's birthday,) he, retaining an ancient yearly cuspalace;" bit this interpretation our translators have placed tom, was, in the presence of his chief grandees, weighed in in the margin, as more doubtful than the other. If Nebu- a balance: the ceremony was performed within his house, chadnezzar walked in some apartment of his palace, it is fair spacious room, whereinto none vere adnot easy to account for the proud and rapturous exclama- mitted but by special leave. The scales in which he was tion which suddenly.burst from his mouth; we can see no thus weighed were plated with gold; and so wasthe beam proper excitement, no adequate cause; but if we suppose on which they hung by great chains, made likewise of that him walking upon the roof of his palace, which proudly most precious metal. The king sitting in one of them, was rove above the surrounding habitations, and surveying the weighed first against silver coin, which immediately aftervast extent; the magnificlce, and the splendour of that ward was distributed among the poor; then was he weighed great city, the mistress of the world-its walls of prodigious against gold; after that against jewels, (as they say,) but I height and thickness-its hanging gardens, reputed one of observed (being there present with my lord ambassador) that he was weighed against three several things, laid in th? most astonishing efforts of art and power-its glittering hewas weighed against three several things, laid in palaces; the Euphrates rolling his majestic flood through silken bags on the contrary scale. When I saw him in the the middle or the place, shut in on both sides by strong bul- balance, I thought on Belshazzar, who was found too light. By his weight (of which his physicians yearly keep an warks and doors of brass; it was quite natural for such a By his weight (of which his physicians yearly keep an iman to feel elated with the sight, and indulge his pride and exact account) they presume to guess of the present estate arrofgance iln the manner described by the prophet. —PAX- of his body, of which they speak flatteringly, however they'(TON. think it to be." (Sir Thomas Roe.) —BUDER. CHAPTER V. Ver. 29. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they Ver. 12. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation (CHAP. 5-7. DANIEL. 545 concerning him, that he should be the third It has been satisfactorily proved by the best writers on ruler in the kingdom. the subject, that the vision refers to the four great monarchies, the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the MacedoThis was designed to honour Daniel, and certainly was, nian or Grecian, and the Roman; and that the second according to the custom of the East, a ceremony highly ex- beast, which was like to a bear, symbolizes the empire of pressive of dignity. To come out from the presence of the Medes and Persians. Allthe fourmonarchies arerepa superior in a garment different from that in which the resented by beasts of prey, to intimate their agreement in person went in, was significant of approbation and promo- the general character of fierceness and rapacity; and by tion. Whether it was the precise intention of this clothing beasts of different'species, to intimate the existence of imto declare Daniel;s Investiture with the dignity of the third portant differences in their character and mode of operaruler of the kingdom, or whether it was an honorary dis- tion. The Babylonish empire is symbolized by alion with tinction, unconnected with his advancement, cannot be ab- eagle's wings, because it was the first and noblest kingdom solutely decided, because caffetans, or robes, are at this day upon earth; it was strong and fierce as a lion; it was swift put on people with both views.-BURDEa. and rapid in its movements, as a lion with eagle's wings; rising in a few years, under the conduct of'NebuchadnezCHAPTER VI. zar, to the highest pinnacle of power and greatness. The ^ Ver. 18. Then the kinfgf went to his palace, and third kingdom is represented by another beast, "like a passed te night fasting: neither ere instru- leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a passed the night fasting: neither were instrufowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was ments of music brought before him; and his given unto it." This is the Grecian monarchy; the dissleep went from him. tinguishing characters of which, are great variety of disposition and manners, undaunted boldness, and rapidity of See on Ezra 9. 3. conquest, never before or since exemplified in the history of nations. The fourth beast was so great and horrible, that Ver. 23. Then was the king exceeding glad for no adequate e could be found for it; this nondescript him, and commanded that they should take was the symbol of the Roman empire, which differed Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was from all others in the form of its government, in strength, taken up out of the den, and no manner of in power, in greatness, in length of duration, and in exhurt was found upon him, because he believed tent of dominion. The Persian monarchy, symbolized by hurt was found upon him, because: he believed the bear, has also certain specific differences, which are to in his God. be learned from the natural history of that animal. Cruel and rapacious as the others, the bear is inferior in strength Bhe Orientals have an idea, that in WHATEVER a mnonexisan and courage to the lion, and, although slower in its motions, BELiEvUS, whether in reference to the existence or nonexist- more uniform in its appearance, and steady in its purpose, ence of evil or danger in regard to himself, that so will than the leopard. Such was the empire of the Medes and his condition be regulated. In walking oncewithalearned Persians: weaker and less warlike than the Babylonian, Bramin, through a grove of cocoa-trees, I inquired, Why whose symbol is the lion; but less various in its principles are you not afraid of those nuts falling on your head, and of government, in the forms which it assumed, in the cuskilling you on the spot h " gBecause I have only to BELIEVE toms and manners of the nations which composed it, and tless rapid in its conquests, than the Macedonian, symboliCHAPTER VII. zed by the spotted leopard, one of the most rapid and impetuous animals that traverse the desert. But if the bear Ver. 2. Daniel spakle and said, I saw in my vision is inferior to the lion and the leopard in strength, in by night, and, behold, the four winds of the courag e, and in swiftness, it surpasses them in ferocious heaven stroveupon the great seata cruelty and insatiable voracity; it thirsts for blood and riots in carnage; and such was the empire of the Medes and The whirlwind, it appears from the sacred writings, Persians. They are stigmatized by ancient historians as comes from different points of the compass. The prophet the greatest robbers and spoilers that ever oppressed the Ezekiel speaks of one that came from the north; and al- nations. The symbol of this all-devouring people is acthough it appeared to him in vision, it was according to the cordingly represented as having "three ribs in the mouth course of nature; for we learn from other sources of inform- of it, between the teeth of it," in the very act of devouring ation, that it sometimes arises in that quarter. William three weaker animals which it has seized, that is, of opof Tyre records an instance of a violent whirlwind from pressing the kingdoms of Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt, the north, in the time of the crusades, which enveloped which it conquered. And besides, to denote its rapacioustwo hostile armies in an immense cloud of dust, and com- ness and cruelty, it is added in the vision,:' they said thus pelled them for a while to suspend the work of destruction. unto it, Arise, devour much flesh." When that enterprising traveller, Mr. Parke, was travers- The fourth empire is symbolized by "a dreadful and teringo the. Sahara, or Great Desert, in his way to the Niger, rible beast," for which the prophet found'no name in the destitute of provisions and water, his throat pained with ingdom of nature t resembled the fabulous monsters thirst, -and his strength nearly exhausted, he heard a wind which poetic imagination sometimes delights to portray; sounding from the east, and instinctively opened his parch- for, in 4he book of Revelation, John describes it as comed mouth to receive the precious drops of rain which he pounded of the three which preceded it: "The beast which confidently expected, but it was instantly filled with sand Isaw was like unto a leopard, and his feet was as the drifted from the desert. So immense was the quantity feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion." It raised into the air, and wafted upon the wings of the wind, possessed all the qualities which render beasts of prey a and so great the velocity with which it flew, that he was terror to man and other animals; the swiftness and cunVompelled to turn his face to the west to prevent suffoca- ning of the leopard, the ferocity of the bear, and the. boldtion, and continue motionless till it passed. In Persia, ness and strength of the lion. The Roman empire, which violent currents of air are sometimes seen impelling the it symbolized, resembled no state of society known among clouds in different directions, whose concussion produce' men; it dislayed, in its character and proceedings, the an awful noise, like the rushing of a great body of water. vigour and courage of the Babylonians, the various policy As the cloud approaches the earth, the sound becomes still and alacrity of the Greeks, ani the unchanging firmness more alarming: for nothing, says Mr. Morier, can be more of the Medes and Persians; qualities which have been awful. To this natural phenomenon, the strife of the four equally conspicuous in the Papal state of that empire.winds in the vision of Daniel isperhapsallusive.-PAxToN. PAXTON. Ver. 5. And, behold, another beast, a second, like Ver. 15. Daniel was grieved in spirit in the to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and midst of ny body, and the visions of my head it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the troubled me. teeth' of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, Margin, (Chald.) " sheath:" this is a very curious exdevour much flesh. pression, when applied to such a subject, but it is perfectlt 69 546 DANIEL. CHAP. 8, 1. natural. When a person has swooned, the people say, an account of their affairs to be found in any author of these "His life has gone into its URI," i. e. SHEATH, meaning some times. The prophecy is really more perfect than any his. particular place into which the life is supposed to retire tory. No one historian hath related so many circumstances, and conceal itself from the sight. Has a man been wound- and in such exact order of time, as the prophet hath foretold ed -by a serpent, and should he appear to be dead, it is them; so that it was necessary to have recourse to several often said, "Fear not, his life has merely gone into its authors, Greek and Roman, Jewish and Christian, and to tSHEATH." When a person's eyes are much sunken by sick- collect here something from one, and to collect there someness, the people say, " Alas I his eyes have gone into their thing from another, for better explainingand illustratingthe sheath." "Well, my friend, when did you arrived " I great variety of particulars contained in this prophecy." came just as the sun was going into its sheath," i. e. going So close is the coincidence between the prophetic and the down. " I am happy to hear that the king hath put his real history of the kings of Egypt and of Syria, that Poranger and his sword into the sheath."-RoBERTS. phyry, one of the earliest opponents of Christianity, laboured to prove its extreme accuracy, and alleged from thence that CHAPTER VIII. the events must have preceded t.he prediction. The same Ver. 5. And as I was considering, behold, a he- argument is equally necessary at the present hour to disgoat came fromn the west, on the face of the prove the subsequent parts of the same prophecy-though none can urge it now. The last of those facts to which it whole earth, and touched not the ground: and refers, the accomplishment of which is already past, are unthe goat had a notable horn between his eyes. folded with equal precision and truth as the first-and the fulfilment of the whole is yet incomplete. The more clearly It is very well known that in former times Macedon, and that the event corresponds to the prediction, instead of being the adjacent countries, particularly Thrace, abounded with an evidence against the truth, the more conclusive is the goats; insomuch that they were made symbols, and are to demonstration that it is the word of Him who hath the times be found on many of the coins that were struck by different and the seasons in his own power. towns in those parts of Greece. But not only many of the The subject of the prophecy is represented in these individual towns in Macedon and Thrace employed this words:-" I am come to make thee understand what shall type, but the kingdom itself of Macedon, which is the oldest befall thy people in the latter days; for the vision is for in Europe of which we have any regular and connected many days." And that which is noted in the scripture of history, was represented also by a goat with this particulari- truth terminates not with the reign of Antiochus. At that ty, that it hadbut one horn. The custom of representing the very time the Romans extended their conquests towards the type and power of a country under the form of a horned East. Macedonia, the seat of the empire of Alexander the animal, is not peculiar to Macedon. Persia was represented Great, became a province of the Roman empire. And the by a ram. Ammianus Marcellinus acquaints us, that the prophecy, faithfully tracing the transition of power, ceases king of Persia, when at the head of his army, wore a ram's to prolong the history of the kings of Egypt and of Syria, head, made of gold and set with precious stones, instead of and becomes immediately descriptive of the progress of the a diadem. The relation of these emblems to Macedon and Roman arms. The very term (shall stand up) which prePersia is strongly confirmed by the vision of Daniel record- viously marked the commencement of the Persian and of ed in this chapter, and which from these accounts receives the Macedonian power, is here repeated, and denotes the no inconsiderable share of illustration. An ancient bronze commencement of a third era, or a new power. The word figure of a goat with one horn, dug up in Asia Minor, was in the original is the same in each. And " arms (an epilately inspected by the society of antiquaries in London. thet sufficiently characteristic of the extensive military The original use- of it probably was to be affixed to the top power of the Romans) shall stand up, and they shall pollute of't military standard, in the same manner as the Roman the sanctuary of -strength, and shall take away the daily eagle. This supposition is somewhat supported by what is sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh related of Caranus, that he ordered goats to be carried be- desolate." All these things, deeply affecting the Jewish fore the standards of his army.-BURERn. state, the Romans did-and they finally rendered the country of Judea " desolate of its old inhabitants." The propa-.'CHAPTER XI. gation of Christianity-the succeeding important eventVer. 2. And now will I show thee the truth. is thus represented:-" The people that do know their God Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in shall be strong and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many." The persecutions Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than which they suffered are as significantly described:-" Yet they all: and by his strength through his riches they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. by spoil many days. Now, when they shall fall, they shall 3. And a mighty king shall stand up, that be holpen with a little help, and many shall cleave to them with flatteries." And such was Constantine's conversion'shall rule with great dominion, and do accord- and the effect which it produced. No other government ing to his will. but that of the Romans stood tp —but the mode of that government was changed. After the' days of Constantine, Soon after the death of Alexander the Great, his king- Christianity became gradually more and more corrupted. dom was divided tcwards the four winds of heaven, but not Previous to that period there had existed no system of to his posterity; four of his captains, Ptolemy, Anti-onus, dominion analogous to that which afterward prevailed. Lysimachus, and Cassander, reigned over Egypt, Syria, The greatest oppressors had never extended their pretenThrace, and Greece. The kingdoms of Egypt and of Syria sions beyond human power, nor usurped a spiritual tyranny. became afterward the most powerful: they subsisted'as in- But, in contradiction to every other, the next succeeding dependent monarchies for a longer period than the other form of government, unparalleled in its nature, in the antwo; and, as they were more immediately connected with nals of despotism or of delusion, is thus characterized by the land of Judea, which was often reduced to their do- the prophet:-" And the king (the ruling power signifying minion, they form the subject of the succeeding predictions. any government, state, or potentate) shall do according to Bishop Newton gives even a more copious illustration of his will; and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself the historical facts, which verify the whole of this prophecy, above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against than that which had previously been given by his illustrious the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be acpredecessor of the same name-who has rendered that name complished." This description is suited to the history of immortal. He quotes or refers to authorities in every in- the eastern or western churches-to the government under stance: and his dissertation on that part of the prophecy the Grecian emperors at Constantinople, or of the popes at which relates to the kingdoms of Syria and Egypt is wound Rome. The extent of the Roman empire might justify its up in these emphatic words: "It may be proper to stop application to the latter; but the connexion of the prophecy, here, and reflect a little how particular and circumstantial as referable to local events, ends to limit it to the former. this prophecy is concerning the kingdoms of Egypt and In either case it is descriptive of that mode of government Syria, from the death of Alexander to the time of Antiochus which prospered so long in tne East and in the'West-and lEpiphanes. There is not so complete and regular a series which consisted in the impious usurpation of spiritual auof their kings-there is not so concise and comprehensive thority-in the blasphemous assumption of those attributes CHAP. 11. DANIEL. 547 which are exclusively divine, and in exalting itself above But no direct evidence is necessary to prove that many ships the laws of God and man. But instead, perhaps, of being must have been requisite for the capture of so mniany islands, confined exclusively to either, it may have been intended to and the destruction of the Venetian naval power, which was represent, as it does characterize, the spiritual tyranny, and once the most celebrated in Europe. " The words, s/hal the substitution of the commandments of men' for the will enler into the conntries, and overflow and pass over, give us of God, which oppressed Christendom for ages, and hid an exact Idea of their overfiowing the western parts of Asia, from men the word of God. The prevalence of supersti- and then passing over into Egypt." tion, the prohibition or discouragement of marriage, and "He shall enter also into the glorious' land, and eany the worship of saints, as characteristic of the same period countries shall be overthrown." This expression, "the and of the same power, are thus prophetically described:- glorious land," occurs in the previous part of the prcphecy, "Neither shall he regard the God of hisfathers, nor the de- (v. 16,) and, in both cases, it evidently means the land of sire of women, or matrimony, neither shall he, regard any Israel; and such the Syriac translation renders it. The god. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces- Holy Land formed part of the first conquest of the Turks, Mahnuzzim." protectors or guardians, a term so applicable And miavy countries shall be over'thrown. The limits of the to the worship of saints, and to the confidence which was Turkish empire embraced the ancient kingdoms of Babyreposed in them, that expressions exactly synonymous are lon, Macedon, Thrace, Epirus, Greece, &c. and the many often used by many ancient writers in honour of them-of countries over which they ruled. The whole of Syria was which Mede and Sir Isaac Newton have adduced a multi- also included, with partial exceptions. These very excepplicity of instances. Mahuzzim were the tutelaryj saints tians are specified in the prophecy, though these territories of the Greek and Rornish churches. The subserviency, partially intersect the Turkish dominions, and divide one which long existed, of spiritual power to temporal aggran- portion of them from another, forming a singular contrast dizement, is also noted in the prophecy: "and he shall cause to the general continuity of kingdms. And, while every them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. particular prediction respecting. these separate states has And that the principalteachers and propagators of the wor- been fully verified, their escaping out of the hands of the ship of fahnuzzinm —" the bishops, priests, and monks, and Turks has been no less marvellously fulfilled. "But these religious orders, have been honoured, and reverenced, and shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the esteemed in former ages; that their authority and jurisdic- chief of the children of Ammon." Mede, Sir Isaac and ticn have extended over the purses and consciences of Bishop Newton, in applying this prophecy to the Turkish men; that they have been enriche4 with noble buildings empire, could only express, in general terms, that the Arebs and large endowments, and have had the choicest of the possessed -these countries, and exacted tribute from the lands appropriated for church-lands; are points of such no- Turks for permitting their caravans to pass through them. toriety, that they require no proof, and will admit of no But recent travellers, among whom Volney has to be numdenial." bered, have unconsciously given the most satisfactory inHaving thus described the antichristian power, Which formation, demonstrative of the truth of all the minutiaeof prospered so long and prevailed so widely, the prophecy the prediction. Volney describes these countries in partnext delineates, in less obscure terms,.the manner in which Burckhardt traversed them all-and they have since been that power was to be humbled and overthrown, and intro- visited by other travellers. Edom and Moab are in possesduces a more particular definition of the rise, extent, and sion of the Bedouin (or wandering) Arabs. The Turlks fall of that kingdom, which was to oppress and supplant it have often attempted in vain to subjugate themi. The parin the latter days. "And at the time of the end shall the tial escape of Ammon from their dominion is not less disking o'f the south push at him." The Saracens extended criminating than just. For although that territory lies in their conquests over great part of Asia and of Europe: they the immediate vicinity of the pachalic of Damascus, to which penetrated the dominions of the Grecian empire, and par- part of it is subjected, —though it be extremely fer tile by hatially subdued, though they could not entirely subvert it, ture,-though its situation and its soil have thus presented, nor obtain possession of Constantinople, the capital city. for several centuries, the strongest temptation to Turkish The prediction, however brief,,significantly represents their rapacity,-though they have often attempted to subdue warfare, which was desultory, and their conquest, which was it,-yet no fact could have been more explicitly detailed, incomplete. And Arabia is situated to the south of Pales- or more incidentally communicated, than that the-. intine. The Turks, the next and last invaders of the Grecian habitants of the greater part of that country, particularly empire, were of Scythian extraction, and came from the what adjoins the ancient, but now desolate city of Amnorth. And while a single expression identifies the Sara- mon, "live in a state of complete independence of the cen invasion-the irruption of the Turks, being of a more Turks." fatal character and more permanent in its effects, is fully "He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries." described. Every part of the description is most faithful How significantly do these words represent the vast extent to the facts. Their local situation, the impetuosity of their of the Turkish empire, which alone has stretched its doattack, the organization of their armies, and the success of minion over many countries of Asia, of Europe, and' of their arms, form the first part of the prediction respecting Africa. Ill-fated Egypt was not to escape from subjection them. "And the king of the north shall come against him to such a ma.ster. "And the land of Egypt shall not eslike a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen, and cape; but he shall have power over the treasures of gold with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt." shall overflow and pass over." Although the Grecian em- The Turks have drained Egypt of its wealth, of iis gold pire withstood the predatory warfare of the Saracens, it and of its silver, and of its precious things: and such power gave way before the overwhelming forces of the Turks have they exercised over them, that the'kingdom of the whose progress was tracked with destruction, and whose Pharaohls, the land where everlasting pyramids were built, coming was indeed like a whirlwind. Chariots and horse- despoiled to the utmnost, is now one of the poorest, as it has men were to be the distinguishing marks of their armies, long been the basest, of kingdoms. "' The Libyans and thou-h armies, in general, contain the greatest proportion Ethiopians shall be at his steps. These forn the extremiof foot-soldiers. And, in describing their first invasion of ties of the Turkish empire, and were partially subject to the Grecian territory, Gibbon relates, that" the myriads of its power. "After the conquest of Egypt, the terror of SeTurkish horse overspread a frontier of six hundred miles lim's victories," says the historian, "spreading wide, the from Tauris to Arzeroum, and the blood of one hundred kings of Africa, bordering upon Cyrenaica, sent their amand thirty thousand Christians was a grateful sacrifice to bassadorswith offers to become his tributaries. Other mcre the Arabian prophet. The Turkish armies at first con- remote nations also towards Ethiopia were easily induced sisted so exclusively of hiorsemen, that the stoutest of the to join in amity with the Turks." Exclusive of Egypt, the),y youths of the captive Christians were afterward taken and still retain the nominal power over other countries of Africa. trained as a band of infantry, and called janizaries, (yengi Such is the prophetic description of the rise and extent of cheri,) or new soldiers." In apparent contradiction to. the that power which was to possess Judea in the latter days; nature of their army, they were also to possess many ships. and it is a precise delineation of the rise and extent of the And Gibbon again relates, that "a fleet of two hundred Turkish empire, to which Judea has been subject for cenEhips Was constructed by the hands of the captive Greeks." turies. —KEITr. HO SEA. CHAPTER III. with one consent. "Those wretches with one hand aIl Vel. 2. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces doing evil." " If the coolies do their duty with one hand, the work will'soon be finished." " Why have they not acof silver, and foi a homer of barley, and a half complished their object? because they did not go about it homer of barley. with one hand."-ROBERTS. Sir J. Chardin observed in the East, that in their con- CHAPTER VII. tracts for theiL temporary wives, which are known to be frequent there, wvhich contracts are made before the kady, Ver. 16. They return, ba t not to the Most High;. there is always the formality of a measure of corn men- they are like a deceitful bow: their princes tioned, over and above the sum of money that is stipulated. shall fall by the sword for the rage of their I do not know of any thing that should occasion this for- tongue. This shall be their derision in the mlality of late days in the East; it may then possibly be very ancient, as it is apparent this sort of wife is: if it be, land of Egypt. it will perhaps account for Hosea's purchasing awoman of this sort for fifteen pieces of silver, and a certain quantity trails of animals, a kind of catgut. Moist weather renders of barley.-HdARM~lER. it so soft, that they cannot shoot with it: should they try it, CHAPTER IV. the string would either instantly break, or it would stretch to such a length that it could not impel the arrow. In conVer. 12. My people ask counsel at their stocks, sequence of this being the case, I have heard the remark and their staff declareth unto them: for the made in Africa, that the safest time to travel among the spirit of whoredors hath caused them to err, wild Bushmen is in wet weather, for then they cannot shoot and they have gone a whoring from under their you. Were people using such bows for defence, and un-- ^ ~ ^acquainted with this effect of moisture, in a time of danger God. to seize their bow for self-defence, they would be grievousThe method of divination alluded to by the prophet in ly deceived, by finding them useless when most needed these words, is supposed to have been thus performed: They would thus prove deceitful bows.-CAMPBELL The person consulting measured his staff by spans, or by CHAPTER VII the length of his finger, saying, as he measured, "I will go, or, I will not go; I will do such a thing, or, I will not do Ver. 8. Israel is swallowed up: now shall they it;" and as the last span fell out, so he determined. Cyril and be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is Theophylact, however, give a different account of the mat- no pleasure. ter. The~y say that it was performed by erecting two sticks, after which they murmured forth a certain charm, I believe this refers to an EARTHEN vessel, and not to one and then, according as the sticks fell, backward or for- made of skin. People often compare each other to an uPxard, towards the right or left, they gave advice in any PU-PANUM, i. e. literally, a salt vessel; because after it has affair.-BuRDEa. contained salt it is most fragile, the least thing will break it to pieces. " What are you, sir an uppi,-pansom," a salt vessel., "Look at that poor salt vessel; iffyou touch him he Ver. 12. Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a will fall to pieces."-RoBERTS. moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. Ver. 9. For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild See on Job 4. 9. and 27. 18. ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired CHAPTER VI. lovers. Ver. 4. 0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? See on Job 39. 5-8. 0 Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your CHAPTER IX. goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the Ver. 10. I found Israel like grapes in the wvilderearly dew it goeth away. early dew it goeth away. ness; I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the':Early dew." " What, is this prosperity? what, this fig-tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpleasure Ah! what are my riches, and what my glory? peor and separated themselves unto that shame; Alas!'tis like the dew, which flies off at the sight of the a..at morning sun." "My son, my son, be not too confident; for life is like the dew."-RoBERTS. loved. Dr. Shaw, speaking of Arabia Pdtrmea, says, " The dews of the night, as we had the heavens only for: our covering, In Barbary, and no doubt in the hotter climate of Judea, would (in the night) frequently wet us to the skin: but no after mild winters, some of the more forward trees will sooner was the sun risen, and the atmosphere a little heat- now and then yield a few ripe figs, six weeks or more beed, than the mists were quickly dispersed, and the copious fore the full season. Such is probably the allusion in this moisture, which the dews had communicated to the sands, place. (Shaw.) —BuDEa. would be entirely evaporated."-BuRDER. CHAPTER X. Ver. 9. And as troops of robbers wait for a man, Ver. 7. As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the so the company of priests murder in the way foam upon the water. by consent: for they commit lewdness. by consent: for they commit lewdness. "Those sons of fiends are now gone as the neerrmolle, The margin has, instead of " consent," " shoulder." The i. e. the bubble. "Alas! my race is cut off:. it has disapHindoos for the sAlE thing say, " with one HAND." Thus, peared like the bubble." "Yes, those people were only those people with " ONE HAND" hate gue to the judge, i. e. bubbles; they have all gone."-RoBERTS.. CHAP. 10 —1. HOSEA. 549 Ver. 8. The, high places also of Aven, the sin of of love'" " True, true, I was once drawn by the cords_ of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the love, but they are now all broken."-ROBERTS. thistle shall come up on their altars, and they o It is very probable that these words refer to the custor ~~~~~thistle shall come up on traising the yoke forward to cool the neck of the labIur-' shall say to the mountains, Cover us: and to ing beast.-BuRDER. the hills, Fall on us. Ver. 11. They shall tremble as a bird out of Has a man by fraud gained possession of another per- Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Asson's land, then the imprecation is uttered, " Thorns and syria: and I will place them in their houses thistles shall ever grow there!" "He get rice from his saith the LORD. land! Never! he will have thorns and thistles." "Yes, yes, the rice shall be as thorns in his bowels."-RoBERTS. See on Is. 60. 8. CHAPTER XII. Vet. 12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for Ver the east wind: he daily increaseth lies it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and after the east Wnd: he daily inceaseth li ain rihteousness upon you. and desolation; and they do make a covenant rain righteousness upon you. with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. It is said of a good king, " What a blessing is he to the land he is always RAINING justice upon us." " You talk to Syria is a land in which olives abound, and particularly that part of it which the people of Israel inhabited. This me about the MERIT of remaining with such a master: he is that part of it which the people of Israel inhabite. Th always RAINING blessings upon him." A son after the de- aouro the favour hof their neighbus, he Egyptians, sent cease of his father, asks, " Where is now the RAIN of love court the favour of ther neighbors, the Egyptians, s them a present of oil. The prophet thus upbraids his dealas! I am withered and dry." The figure is also used sarcastically, " Yes, indeed you are a very good friend you erate nation for the servility and folly of their conduct: are always RAINING favours upon me."-R. "Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; he daily increaseth lies and desolation: and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried CH~APTER XI. into Egypt." The Israelites, in the decline of their natiolnVTer. 2. As they called them, so they went from al glory, carried the produce of their olive-plantations into them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burnt Egypt, as a tribute to their ancient oppressors, or as a present to conciliate their favour, and obtain their assistance, incense to graven images. in the sanguinary wars which they were often compelled to wage with the neighbouring states. We read frequently of graven images, and of molten Oilis now presentedin the East, tobe burnt in honour t images, and the words are become so familiar, as names of te dead, whom hey reverence with a reliious kind o the dead, whom they reverence with a religious kind oi idolatrous images, that although they are not well chosen homage. Mr. Harmerthins it most natural to suppose to express the Hebrew names, it seems not advisable to that the prophet Hosea refers to a similar practice, when change them for others, that might more exactly correspond he upbraids the Israelites with carryin0 oil into Egypt with the original. The -raven image was not a thing They did not carry it thither in the way of lawful comWroug~ht in Imetal bSy the tool of the worlkman we should o merce; for they carried it to Tyre without reproof, to barnow call an engraver; nor was the molten image an image ter it for other goods. It was not sent as a present to the made of metal, or any other substance melted and shaped in king of E-yp; for the Jewish people encleavoured to Cain a mould. In fact, the graven image and the molten image the friendship of foreign potentates with gold and silver. are the same thingr, underdifferentnames. The images of It was not exacted as a tribute; for when the king of the ancient idolaters were first cut out of wood by the car- Egvpt dethroned Jehoahaz the king of Judah, and imposed penter, as is very evident from the prophet Isaiah. This a fine pon the people, he did ot appoint them to pay so finure of wood was overlaid woithplates either of gold orm to pay so figure of wood was overlaid with plates either of gold or much oil, but so much silver and gold. But if they burnt silver, or sometimes perhaps of an inferior metal; and in oil in those'arlv times in htnour of their idols, and their this finished state it was called a graven image, (in. e. a departed friends, and the Jews sent it into Egypt with that carved image,) in reference to the inner solid figure of intention, it is no wonder the prophet so severely reproachwood, and a molten (i. e. an overlaid, or covered) image, es them for their conduct. Oil is in modern times very in reference to the outer metalline case or covering. Some- often presented to the objects of religious veneration in times both epithets are applied to it at once. " I will cut Barbary and Egypt. The Algerines, according to Pits, off the graven and molten Image." (Nahum i. 14.) Again, when they are in the mouth of the straits, throw a bundle' WThat profiteth the graven and molten image 2" (Hab. ii.of wax candles, together with a pot of oil, overboard, as a 18.) The English word vmolten conveys a notion of melt- present to the marabot or saint who lies entombed there, on ing, or fusion. But this is not the case with the Hebrew the Barbary shore, near te sea.-PAxToN word for which it is given. The Hebrew signifies, generally, to overspread, or cover all over, in whatever man- CHAPTER XIV. her, according to the different subject, the overspreading Ver. 5. I ill be as the de unto sael: he shall or covering be effected; whether by pouring forth a sub-I stance in fusion, or by spreading a cloth over or before, or grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as by hammering on metalline plates. It- is on account of Lebanon. this metalline case, that we find a founder employed to make a graven image, (Judges xvii. 3 ) and that we read The earth, while it supplies the various plants whi,: h in Isaiah x]. 19, of a workman that melteth a'-aven image; grow upon it, is supplied for that purpose very much by the and in another place (chap. xliv.) we find the question, dew, which is full of oleaginous particles. " The idews "Who hath molten a graven image." In these two pas- seem to be the richest present the atmosphere gives 2to the sages the words should be overlayeth, and overlaid.-HoRs- earth; having, when putrefied in a vessel, a black setliE. If ment like mud at the bottom; this seems to cause the darkish colour to the upper part of the ground; and the sulphur Ver. 4. I drew them with cords of a man, wi ch is found in the dew may be the chief ingredient of bands of love; and I wras to them as thely that the cement of the earth, sulphur being very glutinous, as nitre is dissolvent. Dew has both these." (Tull's lHustake off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat bandry.) A lively comment this upon the promise in this - unto them. passage, " I will be as the dew unto Israel."-BurDER. Apriest, or aged man, in blessing a newly married couple, Here we have another figure to show the affection of often says, " Ah! may your roots shoot forth like the AnUJehovah for backsliding Israel. An affectionate wife says GAPILLU," (Agrostis Lincaris.) This beautiful grass pats of a good husband, " He has bound me with the cords of forth NUMEROUS roots, and is highly valued for the feeding love." "Ah! woman, have you not drawn me wyith the cords of cattle.-Ro EsRTs. 550 HOSEA. CHAP. 1 Ver. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall "His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as thi grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon." branches spread, and The richness and flavour of the wines produced in its Lebanon. 6. His branches shall spread, and vineyards, have been celebrated by travellers in all ages. his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his Rauwolf declares, that the wine which he drank at Canosmell as Lebanon. 7. They that dwell under bin, a Greek monastery on mount Libanus, far surpassed his shadow shall return; they shall revive as any he had ever tasted. His testimony is corroborated by the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof a nd mo pronounces te winethan ares of Canobihere bette shall be as the wine of Lebanon. the world. They are red, of a beautiful colour, and so oily, that they adhere to the glass; these are so excellent, Le Bruyn concludes his description of Lebanon, with an that our traveller thought he never tasted any kind of drink account of the cedar-apples, or the fruit which these cele- more delicious. The wines produced on other parts of the brated trees produce. i-e cut one of them in two, and mountain, althoughin much greater abundance, are not found that the smell within exactly resembled turpentine. nearly so good. To the delicious wines of Canobin, the They exuded a juice from small oval grains, with which a prophet IHosea certainly refers in this promise:" They that great many small cavities are filled, which also resembles dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall'revive as turpentine, both in smell and in clamminess. These cedar- the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be apples must be classed with the scented fruits of the orien- as the wine of Lebanon." tal regions; and have perhaps contributed greatly to the De la Roque, who also visited Canobin, entirely agrees fiagrance for which the sacred writers so frequently cele- with these travellers in their account of the superior quabrate the mountains of Lebanon.-PAxTON. lity of its wines; and expresses his full conviction, that Not only both the great and small cedars of Lebanon the reputation of the wines of Lebanon mentioned by the have a fragrant smell, but Maundrell found the great rup- prophet, is'well founded. Volney asserts, indeed, that he ture in that mountain, which " runs at least seven hours' found the wines of Lebanon of a very inferior quality; this travel directly up into it, and is on both sides exceedingly may be true, and yet the testimony of these respectable steep and high, clothed with fragrant greens from top to travellers perfectly correct. He might not be presented bottom, and everywhere refreshed with fountains, falling with the most exquisite wine of Canobin, which has dedown from the rocks in pleasant cascades, the ingenious servedly obtained so high a character; or the vintage of works of nature. These streams all uniting at the bottom, that year might be inferior. But whatever might be the make a full and rapid torrent, whose agreeable murmuring reason, no doubt can be entertained concerning the accurais heard all over the place, and adds no small pleasure to cy of other equally credible witnesses, who, from their it."-BuRDE. own experience, and with one voice, attest the unrivalled The approach to Lebanon is adorned with olive-planta- excellence of the wine of Lebanon. These travellers adtions, vineyards, and luxuriant fields; and its lower re- mit, that the neighbourhood of Canobin produces wines of gions, besides the olive and the vine, are beautified with the inferior quality; but, when'the wine of Lebanon is menmyrLte, the styrax, and other odoriferous shrubs: and the tioned by way of eminence, the best is undoubtedly meant. perfume which exhales from these plants, is increased by In striking allusion to the scenery and productions of the fi'agrance of the cedars which crown its summits, or that mountain, it is promised in the sixth verse: "His garnish its declivities. The great rupture which runs a branch shall spead, and his beauty shall be as the olivelong way up into the mountaini, and is on both sides exceed- tree, and his smell (or his memorial, as the original term ingly steep and high; is clothed from the top to the bottom signifies) as Lebanon." His branches shall spread like the wvith fragrant evergreens, and everywhere refreshed with mighty arms of the cedar, every one of which is equal in streams, descending from the rocks in beautiful cascades, size to a tree; his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, which the work of divine wisdom and goodness. These cool and is generally admitted to be one of the most beautiful prolimpid streams uniting at the bottom, form a large and ductions of nature; and his smell, his very memorial, shall rapid torrent, whose agreeable murmur is heard over be as the wine of Lebanon, which delights the taste, and the all the place, and adds greatly to the pleasure of that very recollection of which excites the commendation of romantic scene. The fragrant odours wafted from the those that have drank it, long after the banquet is over. aromatic plants of this noble mountain, have not been The meaning of these glowing figures undoubtedly is, that overlooked by the sacred writers. The eulogium which the righteous man shall prosper by the distinguishing faChrist pronounces on the graces of the church, contains vour of Heaven; shall become excellent, and useful, and the following direct reference: "The smell of thy gar- highly respected while he lives; and after his death, hir nients is like the smell of Lebanon;" and the prophet Ho- memory shall be blessed and embalmed in the affectioi)at sea, an his glowing description of the future prosperity of recollection of the church, for the benefit of many who had Israel, converts the assertion of Solomon into a promise: not the opportunity of profiting by his example.-PAXTON. JOEL. CHAPTER I. help condemning the unskilful expedient which these highVer. 6. For a nation is come up upon my land, landers employ for felling trees: they set fire.to the root, and keep it burning till the tree falls of itself." Mr. Bruce strong, and without number, whose teeth are mentions whole forests, whose underwood and vegetation the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth are thus consumed. Possibly this custom may be alluded of a great lion. 7. He hath laid my vine waste, to in Zech. xii. 6: " I will make the governors of Jodah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of and barked my fig-tree; he hath made it clean fire in a sheaf, and they shall devour all the people round bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof about." Such fires may be kindled either from design or are made white. accident. In such instances, as obtaining the timber is the object, these fires are purposely lighted, and would be so So valuable is the fig-tree in the land of Canaan, and so managed as to do as little damage as possible, though some high is the estimation in which it is held, that to bark and injury must certainly result fiom this method of felling kill it, is re koned among the severest judgments which trees. Strange as it may seem, we learn from Turner's God inflicted upon his offending people. The prophet Embassy to Thibet, that there " the only method of felling alludes in these words to the destructive progress of the timber in practice, I was informed, is by fire. In the trees locust, which, with insatiable greediness, devours the leaves marked out for this purpose, vegetation is destroyed by and bark of every tree on which it lights, till not the small- burning their trunks half through; being left in that state est portion of rind is left, even on the slenderest twig, to to dry; in the ensuing year the fire is again applied, and convey the sap from the root, and leaves it white and with- they are burnt till they fall." An allusion to something of ering in the sun, for ever incapable of answering the hopes this kind the prophet Joel certainly has in these words. of the husbandman. Such were the people of Israel, de- Perhaps it may be rather to a general undesigned devastalivered by Jehovah, for their numerous and inveterate tion by fire, than to any contrivance for procuring the timtransgressions, into the hands of their cruel and implacable ber.-BuaDER. enenmies.-PAXTON. C The skin of a man is sometimes spoken of as the bark CHAPTER II. of a tree. Thus it is said of those who have been severely Ver. 4. The appearance of them is as the appearflogged, " Their backs are like the margossa-tree stripped ance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they of its bark:" which alludes to the custofm of taking off the bark of that tree for medical purposes.-RoBERTs. run. 5. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of Ver..13. Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests; a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a howl, ye ministers of the altar;'come, lie all strong people set in battle array. 6. Before night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for their face the people shall be much pained; all the meat-offering andt the drink-offering is with- faces shall gather blackness. 7. They shall holden from the house of your God. run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall See on Is. 20. 3. like men of war; and they shall march every' one on his ways, and they shall not break their Ver. 17. The seed is rotten under their clods, the ranks. garners are. laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. I never saw such an exhibition of the helplessness of man, as I have seen to-day. While we were sitting at dinner, a Dr. Shaw informs us, that" in Barbary, after the grain person came into the house, quite pale, and told us that is winnowed, they lodge it in Bmattamores or subterraneous the locusts were coming. Every face gathered darkness. magazines, two or three hundred of which are sometimes I went to the door-I looked above, and all round, and saw together, the smallest holding four hundred bushels." And nothing. "Look to the ground," was the reply, when 1 Dr. Rulssel says, that " about Aleppo, in Syria, their grana- ased where they w ere. I ioked to the ground, and there ries are even at this day subterraneous grottoes, the entry I saw a stream of young locusts without wings, covering to which is by a small hole or openin, like a well, often the round at the entrance of the village. The stream was in the highway; and as they are commronly left open when about five hundred feet oad, and coverin the ground empty, they make it not a little dangerous riding near the nd movingat the rate of tuo miles an hour. In a few villages in the night."-BUaRDER. minutes they covered the garden wall, some inches deep, and the water was immediately let into the channel, into Ver. 19. O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire which it flows to water the garden. They swim with the hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, greatest ease over standing water, but the stream carried'them away, and after floating in it about a hundred paces, and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the they were drowned. All hands were now at work to keep field. them from the gardens, and to keep them from crossing the streams. To examine the phenomenon more nearly, There are doubtless different methods for felling timber. I walked about a mile and a half from the village, followpractised by various nations. In more rude and uncivilized ing the course of the stream. Here I found the stream times, and even still among people of that description, we extending a mile in breadth, and, like a thousand rivulets, may expect to find the most simple, and perhaps, as they all flowing into one common channel. It appeared as if may appear to us, inconvenient contrivances adopted. the dust under my feet was forming into life, and as if God, Prior to the invention of suitable implements, such means when he has a controversy with a people, could raise the as would any way effect this purpose would certainly be very dust of the earth on which they tread in armst against resorted to. We must not be surprised then to ind that them. Men can conquer the tiger, the elephant, the lion, formerly, and in the present day, trees were felled by and all the wild beasts of the desert; he can turn the coulse the operation of fire. Thus Niebuhr says, " we cannot of the mighty rivers. he can elude the violence nf the tom. 5 2 JOEL. CHAP. 2. pest, and chain the wind to his car; he can raise the waters But the two most powerful~destroyers of these insects, is the into clouds, and by the means of steam, create a power south, or southeasterly winds, and the bird called the snthat is yet beyond human measurement; he can play with marmar. These birds, which greatly resemble the woodthe lightnings of heaven, and arrest the thunders of heav- pecker, follow them in large flocks, greedily devour them, en; but he is nothing before an army of locusts. Such a and besides, kill as many as they can; they are, therefore, scene as I have seen this afternoon would fill England with much respected by the peasants, and no person is ever more consternation than the terrific cholera. One of the allowed to destroy them. The southerly winds waft them people here informs us, that he had seen a stream that con- over the Mediterranean, where they perish in so great tinned ten days and nights flowing upon his pla6e. During quantities, that when their carcasses are cast on the shore, that time every person in the place was at work, to pre- they infect the air for several days to a considerable disserve his garden; as to the cornfields, they were obliged tance. In a state of putrefaction, the stench emitted from to aive them up. They continued to the fifth day defending their bodies is scarcely to be endured; the traveller, who their gardens; on the evening of the fifth day, the locusts crushes them below the wheels of his wagon, or the feet were between five and ten feet deep, and the mass by this of his horses, is reduced to the necessity of washing his time became terrible, and literally fell in pieces over the nose with vinegar, and holding his handkerchief, dipped garden wallS.-CAMPBELL. in it, continually to his nostrils. In some regions of the East, the whole earth is at times One of the most grievous calamities ever inflicted by the covered with locusts for the space of several leagues, ofien locust, happened to the regions of Africa, in the time of the to the depth of four, sometimes of six or seven inches. Romans, and fell with peculiar weight on those parts which Their approach, which causes a noise like the rushing of were subject to their empire. Scarcely recovered from the a torrent, darkens the horizon, and so enormous is their miseries of the last Punic war, Africa was doomed to suffer, multitude, it hides the light of the sun, and casts an awful about one hundred and twenty-three years before the birth g'oom, like that of an eclipse, over the field. Major Moore, of Christ, another desolation, as terrible as it was uonprecewh-en at Poonah, had the opportunity of seeing an immense dented. An immense number of locusts covered the whole army of these animals which ravaged the Mahratta cout- country, consumed every plant and every blade of grass in try, and was supposed to have come from Arabia. "The the field, without sparing the roots, and the leaves of the column they composed," says he, "extended five hundred trees, withthe tendrils upon which they grew. These being miles; and so compact was it when on the wing, that like exhausted, they penetrated with their teethdi the bark, howan eclipse, it completely hid the sun, so that no shadow ever bitter, and even corroded the dry and solid timber. was cast by any object;" and some lofly tombs distant from After they had accomplished this terrible destruction, a his residence not two hundred yards, were rendered quite sudden blast of wind dispersed them into different portions, invisible. The noise they make in browsing on the trees and after tossing them awhile in the air, plunged their inand herbage may be heard at a great distance, and re- numerable hosts into the sea. But the deadly scourge was sembles the rattling of hail, or the noise of an army fora- not then at an end; the raging billows threw up enormous ging in secret. The inhabitants of Syria have observed heaps of their dead and corrupted bodies upon that longthat locusts are always bred by too mild winters, and extended coast, which produced a most insupportable and that they constantly come from the deserts of Arabia. poisonous stench. This soonbroughton a pestilence, which When they breed, which is in the month of October, they affected every species of animals; so that birds, and sheep, make a hole in the ground with their tails, and having laid and cattle, and even the wild beasts of the field, perished in three hundred eggs in it, and covered them with their feet, great numbers; and their carcasses, being soon rendered expire; for they never live above six months and a half. putrid by the foulness of the air, added greatly to the Neither rains nor frost, however long and severe, can de- general corruption. The destruction of the human species stroy their eggs; they continue till spring, and, hatched by was horribl.e; in Numidia, where at that time Micipsa was the heat of the sun, the young locusts issue from the earth king, eighty thousand persons died; and in that part of the about the middle of April. seacoast which bordered upon the reigon of Carthage and From the: circumstance of their young ones issuing from Utica, two hundred thousand are said to have been carried the ground, they are called u:, gob or gobai, from an Arabic off by this pestilence. WVhen Le Brnyn was at Rama he was verb, which signifies to rise out of the earth. Another informed that the locusts were once so destructive there, name is =ti ga(zam, from the root gazaz, to cut off, or to that in the space of two hours they ate up all the herspoil; and more destructive and insatiable spoilers were bage round the town; and in the garden belonging to the never let loose to desolate the earth. Pliny calls them a house in which he lodged, they ate the very stalks of the scourge in the hand of an incensed Deity. Wherever their artichoke down to the ground. innumerable bands direct their march, the verdure of the This statement will show, that the locust is one of the country, though it resembled before the paradise of God, most terrible instruments in the hand of incensed Hleaven; almost instantaneously disappears. The trees and plants, it will discover the reason that the inspired writers, in destripped of their leaves, and reduced to their naked boughs nouncing his judgments, so frequently allude to this insect, and stems, cause the dreary image of winter to succeed in and threaten the sinner with its vengeance; it accounts, in an instant to the rich scenery of spring; and the whole the most satisfactory manner, for the figures which the procountry puts on the appearance of being burnt. Fire itself phets borrow, when they describe the march of cruel and dAevours not so fast; nor is a vestige of vegetation to be destructive armies, from the character and habits of this found when they again take their flight to produce similar creature. The narratives of Volney, Thevenot, and other disasters. In a few hours they eat up every green thing, travellers, who have seen and described the innumerable and consign the miserable inhabitants of the desolated swarms of the locusts, and their wasteful ravages, fully regions to inevitable famine. Many years are not suffi- confirm the glowing description of Joel and other inspired nient to repair the desolation which these destructive insects prophets, quoted in the beginning of this article. "A naproduce. When they first appear on' the frontiers of the tion," says Joel, "has come up upon my land, strong and cultivated lands, the husbandmen, if sufficiently numerous, without number. He has laid my vine waste, and barked sometimes divert the storm by their gestures and their cries, my fig-tree; he has made it clean bare, anid cast it away; the'or they strive to repulse them by raising large clouds of branches thereof are made white —the vine is dried up, and smoke, but frequently their herbs and wet straw fail them; the fig-tree languishes, the pomegranate-tree, t e palm-tree they then dig a variety of pits and trenches, all over their also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field; are tleids and gardens, which they fill with water, or with withered; because joy is withered away from the sons of heath, stubble," and other combustible matter, which they men." "A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day oI set on fire upon the approach of the enemy. These meth- clouds and thick darkness. A fire dlevoureth before them, itds of stopping their march are of great antiquity, for and behind them a flame burneth. They march every one Homer familiarly refers to them as practised in his time. in hisways; they do not break their ranks, neither does one But they are all to no purpose, for the trenches are quickly thrust another. The land is as the garden of Eden before filled, and the fires extinguished, by infinite swarms suc- them, and behind them a desolate wilderness." "They shall ceeding one another; and forming a bed on their fields of run up the wall; they shall climb up upon the' houses; six or seven inches in thickness. Fire itself is not more they shall enter into the windows like a thief. The earth active than these devourers; and not a trace of vegetation shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremnible, the is to be discovered, when the cloud has resumed its fiight. sun ant. the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall li / I iic~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i,~ 14 ~ i, PETRA —TRIUMPWHAL ARCH.-Joel 3:19. Page 5,54. CHAP. 3. JOE L. 553 withdraw their shining." The same allusion is involved In justice to Kumeil, we ought not to omit the ready turn in these words of Nahum, concerning the fall of the As- of wit which saved his life. " It is true," said he, "I did syrian empire: " Thy crowned are as the locusts; and thy say such words in such a garden; but then I was under a captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the vine-arbour, and was looking on a bunch of grapes that hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth, they flee was not yet ripe: and I wished it might be turned black away, and their place is not known." Bochart and other soon, that they might be cut of, and be made wine of." writers, who are best acquainted with the eastern countries, We see, in this instance, as says the sagacious moralist, mention a great variety of locusts, which vindicates the that " with the well-advised is wisdom:" and " the.tongue language of the prophet: " Thy captains are as the great of the wise is health;" that is, preservation and safety.grasshoppers." The next clause is attended with some dif- TAYLOR IN CALMET. ficulty. Mr. Lowth, in his comment, supposes that these insects flee away to avoid the heat of the sun; and it has Ver. 8. Neither shall one thrust another, they been queried, whether the phrase cold day, does not mean shall walk every one in his path: and wohen the night. But it is well known that the heat of the sun, they fall upon the sword, they shall not be instead of compelling the locusts to'retire, quickens them ounded. into life and activity; and the words cold day, we believe, are never used in scripture, nor by any writer of value, to Dr. Shaw, speakin of locusts, says, "Those which I signify the night. The prophet evidently refers, not to saw were much bigger than our grsshoppers: o sooner their flight during the heat of the day, but to the time of w ie than hoper son were any of them hatched, than they collected themselves their total departure; for he does not speak of their moving into a body of about two hundred yards square, which from one field to another, but of their leaving the country marching forward, climbed over trees and houses, and ate which they have invaded, so completely that the place of up every thing in their -way. The inhabitants made large their retreat is not Iknown. fires on the approach of' them, but to no purpose; for the The day of cold cannot mean the depth of winter, for fires vere quickly put out by infinite swarms succeeding they do not make their appearance in Palestine at that sea- one another; while the front seemed regardless of danger; son; and although in Arabia, from whence Fulcherius and the rear pressed on so close, that retreat was impossisupposes they come, thickets are found in some places, and ble " —BuRE R. it has been imagined that the locusts lie concealed in them during the winter, which may be thought to be their camp- r. 23 Be a ing in the hedges in the cold day; yet it is to be observed,. lad then, ye dren of Zion, and re that the word translated hedges, properly signifies, not joice n the LORD your God: for he hath given living fences, but stone walls, and therefore cannot with you the former rain moderately, and he will propriety be applied to thickets. But if the locust appears cause to come down for you the rain, the former in the months of April and May, the phrase " cold day" rain and the latter rain i the first month may seem to be improperly chosen. This difficulty, which may be thought a considerable one, arises entirely from See on Prov. 16. 15. our translation. The original term, (Inp) kar'ah, denotes Ver. 23. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and both cold and cooling; and the difficulty vanishes when the latter is introduced, and the words are translated, the rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath day of cooling, or the time when the Orientals open their given you the former rain moderately, and he windows with the view of refrigerating their houses, or to will cause to come down for you the rain, the retreat from the oppressive heats which commence in the former rain, and the latter r.~n in the first months of April and May, to the cooling shades of their,gardens. A derivative of this term is employed by the month..24. And the floors shall be full of sacred historian, to denote the refrigeratory or summer wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine parlour, which Elon, the king of Moab, occupied, when and oil Ehud presented the tribute of his nation.-PAxTON. In southern climates, rain comes at particular seasons, Ver. 6. Before their face the people shall be much which are generally termed the rainy seasons. The rain pained; all faces shall gather blackness. seldom continues to fall long at one time even then, but pa ~Ined;~~~~ ~~~rather falls in what may be called thunder-showers, and in The margin has, for " blackness," "pot." The Tamul torrents. If the ground happens to be hard, which it genetranslation has, " All faces shall wither, or shrivel." Thus of rally is, such a short, though plentiful fall of rain, does little a man in great poverty it is said, " His face is shrivelled." It is lvery provokin to tell a person his face is like the time to soften and sink into the ground; afterward the IARE-CHIATTE, i. e. the earthen vessel in which the rice is powerful heat of the sun, soon breaking forth from behind boiled. The "pot" may allude to such a utensil, in being the clouds, draws up the little damp that has been left, made black with the smoke.-RoBERTS. which soon rehardens the surface of the ground, anct renWVe have an expression, Joel ii. 6, " Before their ap-ders it as impervious as before, so that succeeding showers proach [of the locusts] the people shall be much pained;are rendered almost useless; but rain falling eODERATELY, all faces shall gather blackness," which is also adopted by the as promised in the text, gradually penetrates the ground, prophet Nahum, ii. 10: "the heart melteth, the knees smite and prepares it to retain future showers,which process together, much pain is in all loins, and the faces of ther produces fertility.-CAMPBELL. all gal/ther blackness." This phrase, which sounds uncouth to CHAPTER III. an Eng-lish ear, is elucidated by the following history from Ockley's History of the Saracens, (vol. ii. p. 319,) which we the rather introduce, as Mr. Harnier has referred this blac;- time, when I shall bring again the captivity ol ness to the effect of hunger and thirst; and Calmet, in his Judah and Jerusalem, 2. I will also gather all Dictionary, under the article oescuRE, has referred it to a nations, and will bring them down into the valbedaubing of the face with soot, &c. a proceeding not very of Jehoshapha, and ill pld with them consistent with the hurry of flight, or the terror of distress. ey "I kumeil, the son of Ziyad, was a man of fine wit. One day there for my people, and for rmny heritage IsHejage made him come before him, and reproached him, rael, whn they have scattered among the nabecause in such a garden, and before such and such persons, tions, and parted my land. whom he named to him, he had made a great many imprecaLions against him, saying, the Lo'rd blacken his face, that is, Those spiritualizing Jews, Christians, and Mohammefill him with shame and coLnfsion; and wished that his neck dans, who wrest this passage, like a thousand others of the was cut off, and his blood shed." The reader will observe scriptures, from a literal to a mystical sense, insist on its how perfectly this explanation agrees with the sense of the applying to the resurrection of the dead on the last great passages quoted. above: to gather blackness, then, is equiv- day. From this belief the modern Jews, whose fathers are alent to suffering extreme confusion, and being over- thought, by some of the most learned, to have had no idea whelmed with shame, or with terror and dismay. of a resurrection, or a fUture state, have their bones depos70 554 JOEL. CHIAP. 3. ited in the valley of Jehoshaphat. From the same hope the most part drawn by one ox olnly, and not unfrequeimly even Mohammedans have left a stone jutting out of the eastern by an ass, although it is more ponderous than in Palestine. wall of Jerusalem, for the accommodation of their prophet, With such an imperfect instrument the Syrian husbandwho, they insist, is to sit on it here, and call the whole man can do little more than scratch the. surface of his field, world from below to judgment. And a late traveller, with or clear away the stones or weeds that encumber it, and the staff of a Christian pilgrim, after summoning up all the prevent the seed from reaching the soil. The ploughshare images of desolation which the place presents, but without is a "piece of iron, broad, but not large, which tips the end once thinking of the contemptible size of this theatre for so of the shaft." So much does it resemble the short sword grand a display, says, one might say that the trumpet of used by the ancient warriors, that it mav, with very little judgment had already sounded, and that the dead were trouble, be converted into that deadly wcapoi-; and when about to rise in the valley of Jehoshaphat. (Chateaubriand.) the work of destruction is over, reduced again to its former -BUCKINGIAM. shape, and applied to the purpose of agriculture. In allusion to the first operation, the prophet Joel summons the Ver. 3. And they have cast lots for my people: nationsto leave their peaceful employments in the cultivaand have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a ted field, and buckle on their armour: " Bent your ploughgirl for wine, that they might drink, shares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears." girl,.~~~~ This beautiful image the prophet Isaiah has reversed, and Morgan, in his history of Algiers, gives us such an ac- applied to the establishment of that profound and lasting count of the unfortunate expedition of the emperor Charles peace which is to bless the church of Christ in the latter the Fifth against that city, so far resembling a passage of the days: "And they shall beat their swords into plouhshares, prophet Joel, as to induce me to -transcribe it into these and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift papers. up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any That author tells us, that besides vast multitudes that more."-PAXTON. were butchered by the Moors and-the Arabs, a great num- An hour and a half beyond the bridge we gained the ber were made captives, mostly by the Turks and citizens road from Jaffa to Ramleh. The country had now become of Algiers; and some of them, in order to turn this misfor- generally cultivated, the husbandry good, the crops and tune into a most bitter, taunting, and contemptuous jest, part- fallows clean. Upon a space of ten or twelve acres I ohed with their new-made slavesfor an onion apiece. "Often served fourteen ploughs at work; and so simple and light have I heard," says he, " Turks and Africans upbraiding is the construction of these implements, that the husbandEuropeans with this disaster, saying, scornfully, to such man, when returninig from his labour in the evening, takes as have seemed to hold their heads somewhat loftily, his plough home upon his shoulder, and carries it to the'What! have you forgot the time when a Christian at field again in the morning. The share is of wood, and Algiers was scarce worth an onion 1' The treatment of armed only at the end with a tooth, or point of iron. The the Jewish people by the heathen nations, which the pro- beam is very slender, as well as the rude handle by which phet Joel has described, was, in like manner, contemptuous it is directed.-MiUNRoE'S SUMMER RAMBLE IN SYRIA. and bitterly sarcastic: " They have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, Ver. 19. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom that they might drink." Joel iii. 3. shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence They that know the large sums that are wont to be paid, against the children of Judah, because they in the East, for young slaves of either sex, must be sensible have shed innocent blood in their land. that the prophet designs, in these words, to point out the extreme contempt in which these heathen nations held the Of the striking scene delineated in the engraving, the Jewish pieople. enterprising traveller, who has contributed it, must speak Considered as slaves are in the East, they are sometimes for himself: " Our conductor preceded us, calling, our atpurchased at a very low price. Joel complains of the con- tention to some lar te slabs, traces of an ancient pavement, teiptuous cheapness in which the Israelites were held hy by which the labour of man had converted this abrupt and those who made them captives. "They cast lots for my wild ravine into.a magnificent avenue. After many windpeople, and have given a boy for a harlot, ande sold a'girl ings in the midst of this almost subterranean street, (so near for wvine, that they might drink." On this passage Char- do thia summits of the rocks above approach each other,) din remarks, that, "the Tartars, Turks, and Cossacks, sell we were arrested by a prospect wvhich it were vain to atthe children sometimes as cheap, which they take. Not tempt todescribe. Our viewistaken from ihe enatry of the only has this been done in Asia, where examples of it are ravine. Two Arabs, with' their camels, are seen in the frequent; our Europe has seep such desolations. When foreground, advancing towards the city of Selah or Petra, the Tartars came into Poland they carried off all they were the magnificent ruins of which, seen in the distance, fully able, I went thither some years after. Many persons of exemplify tie prophetic denunciation-' Edom shall be a the court assured me that the Tartars, perceiving that they desolation.' (Joel iii. 19.) A grand triumphal arch raised would no more redeem those that they had carried off, sold at this spot, such as the ancients were accustomed to conthem for a crown, and that they had purchased them for struct at the approaches of cities, boldly connects together Of~~~ ~~ Syri if citiese boften byaltl oa otwt e,s h OPEESV OAETR)Mc oe di that sum. In Mingrelia they sell them for provisions, and these two great walls of rocks. The impression, produced for wine."- HARMER. by it is very imposing, at the moment the traveller enters this kind of covered way."2 Ver. 10. Beat your ploughshares into swords, nnd The novel dispositinA of this triumphal arch led M. de your pruning-hooks into spears: let -the weak Laborde at first to think that it might have served both as say, I am strong-. a passage from one side of the rocks to another, and also as a channel for conveying part of the waters of an aqueThe Syrian plough, which was probably used in all the duct, which was carried along the ravine. He ascended regions around, is a very simple frame, and commonly so by a steep opening encumbered with rocks; but after reachlight, that a man of moderate strength might carry it in ing the summit. with difficulty, he found nothing which one hand. Volney states that in Syria it is often nothing could authorize the supposition that this arch was destined else than the branch of a tree, cut below a bifurcation, and for ahy other use than that of adorning the approaches to used without wheels. It is drawn by asses and cows, sel- the capital of Arabia Petraea.-HoRNE. dom by oxen. And Dr. Russel informs us, the ploughing [See Jer. 49. 15-17. Mal. 1. 4, and the eng-ravings there. of Syria is performed often by a little cow, at most with See also the COMPRETIENSIVE COMMIENTARY, and some additwvo, and sometimes only by an ass. In Persia it is for the tional views of this city, in that Worlc.j i m~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ — -; - --— a id tS-. ~'~ff~ ~~ —~~~~_ ——'"~'''~ -—: —''~ —'~~-'-~ ~- --?-":~ ~~- ~-~'"'' " - -,:~ _ -'I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-;-~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~~~~~~-~~~~~~~ —-~~-: ~ -'.?-z;~'-: —— _ ~~~-~;~:~' "-. PET*sn[-lUINS OF THE CITY.4-oel 8:19. 1age 8. -r- h - 1~~~~~_-~L - ~ — ---- AMO S. CHAPTER I. ing of the dead. A piece of barbarity resembling this is Ver. 2.. And he said, The Lord vill roar from told by Sir Paul Rycaut, that the wall of the city of PhilaZion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and dephi as made of the bonesofthebesied theprine who took it by storm.-BuRDsE. the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. - Ver. 6. Thus saith the LORD, for three transgresSee on ch. 9. f2, 3. -sions of Israel, and for' four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they Ver. 5. I will break also the bar of Damascus, sold the righteous for silver, and'the poor for and cut off the inhabitant from the plain'of a pair of shoes. the Aven, and him that holdeth the seeptre from 1the Aven, and him that holdeth the septre from The shoes, or rather SANDALS, have the least honour of house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall any thing which is worn by man, because they belong to go into captivity unto Kir, saith the LORD. the feet, and are comparatively of little value. Nothing is more dcisgraceful. than to be beaten with the sandals: thus Rather more than a century ago, NMr. Maundrell visited when one man intends to exasperate another, he begins to the mountains of Lebanon. Having proceeded about half take off a sandal, as if going to strike him. To spit in the an hour through the olive-yards.of Sidon, he and his party face is not a greater indignity than this. When a person came to the foot of Mount Libanus. They had an easy as- wishes to insult another in reference to the price of any arcent for two hours, after which it grew more steep and dif- ticle, he says, " I ill give you my sandals for it." "That ficult; in about an hour and a half more, they came to a fellow is not worth the value of my sandals." "Who are fountain of water, where they encamped for the night. you, sir. you are not worthy to carry my sandals;" which Next day, after ascending for three hours, they reached the alludes to the custom of a rich man always having a serhighest ridge of,.~the mountain, where the snow lay by the vant with him to carry his sandals; i. e. when he chooses to side of the road. They began immediately to descend on walk barefoot. "Over Edom will I cast out my shoe:" the other side, and in two hours came to a small village, so contemptible and so easy was it to be conquered.-RoBwhere a fine brook, gushing at once from the side of the ERTS. mountain, rushes down into the valley below, and after flowing about two leagues, loses itself in the river Letane. Ver. 7. That pant after the dust of the earth on The valley is called Bocat, and seems to be the same with the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of,.he Bicah-Aven of the prophet: " I will break also the bar the meek; and a man and his father will go in of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain the ma (rather the vale) of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre unto the same maid, to profane my holy name. from the house of Eden." The nei hbourhood of Damns- t fWho were those that tlus oppressed the.poor, who sold cus, and particularly a place near it, which, in the time of them for a pair of shoes, and panted "after the dust of the Maundrell, still bore the name of Eden, render his cojec- them fo r a pair of sho es and panted " after the ds t of the - ture extremely probable. It might also have the name ofn has itTo the injury of the Aven, which signifies vanity, from the idolatrous worship ple Th T l t lo poor they eagerly took the dust of the earth;" literally, of Baal practised at Balbec or Heliopolis, which ismsituated they gnawed the ar the dust of the earth;" literally, in this- valley. —PaxroN. they gnawed the earth as a dog does a bone. "Dust of the earth." What does this mean. I believe it alludes to the V'ere. 13. Thus siaith the LORD, For three trans- lands of the poor, of which they had been deprived by the er.. Thus saith the L D, For three trans- judges and princes. Nothing is more common in eastern gressions of the children of Ammon, and for language than for a man to call his fields and gardens his four, I will not turn away the punishment MAN; i. e. his dust, his earth. " That man has gnawed thereof; because they have ripped up the away my dust or sand." "Ah! the fellow! by degrees he omen ith child, of Gilead, that they might has taken away all that poor man's earth." "The cruel Iwomen with child, of Gilead, that they might wretch! he is ever trying to take away the dust of the enlaroge their border. poor." In consequence of there not being fences in the East, landowners often encroach on each other's possesMargin, for " ripped," 1" divided the mountains." It was sions. On the latter part of the verse and the next to it, I common in the ancient wars thus to treat women, but in dare not write. The heathenism, the devilism, described general the Orientals are very kind to their wives in the by Amos, is still the same. Who did these thintgs the state alluded to. Nay, even to animals in that condition, princes, the judges, and the people of Jodah.-ROBERTS. they are very tender: a man to beat his cow when with calf, would be called a great.sinner; and to kill a goat or a Ver. 8. And they lay themselves down upon sheep when with young, is altogether out of the question. The Hindoo hunters will not destroy wild animals when clothes laid to pledon in that state. The term in the margin is applied to that drink the wine of the condemned in the house condition. "In the tenth moon the child fell from the of their god. mountain. —ROBERTS. It was found advantageous, both for ease and health, to CHAPTER II. have a carpet or some soft and thick cloth srpread on the Ver. 1.'TPhus saith the;LORD, For three trans- ground for those to sit upon who dwelt in tents: subsegressions of Moab, andfor four, I will not turn quently, those who lived in houses used them too. When they held their idolatrous feasts in the temples dedicated to away the punishament thereof: because he burnt the gods, they sat upon the ground, but not on the bare the bones of the king of Edom into lime. earth, or the marble pavement of those temples, but upon something soft and dry spread under them, brought for the "To plaster the walls of his house with it," as the Chal- purpose. The clothes mentioned by the prophet may mean dee naraphrase explains the.ext, which was a cruel insult- the coverings of the body for the night, as well as for the 556 AMOS. CHAP. 3. day. " When it was dark, three coverlets, richly embroi- tention of the prophet to express how few of his people dered, were taken from a press in the room which we occu- escaped from the overthrow of their country, and were setpied, and delivered, one to each of us; the carpet or sofa, tied in foreign parts; but it would have been hardly natural and a cushion, serving, with this addition, instead of a bed." to suppose, that a shepherd would exert himself to make a (Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor.) Such carpets or em- lion quit a piece of an ear, only of a common goat; it must brbidered coverlets would neither be an improper pledge therefore be supposed to refer to the long-eared kind. for money, (Exod. xxii. 26, 27~) nor disgrace the pomp of Rauwolfobservedgoats on themountainsaround Jerusalem, a heathen temple. It. may not be amiss to consider why with pendent ears almost two feet long.-PAXTON. the circumstance of clothes being taken to pledge, is men- Sitting in the corner is a stately attitude, and is expressive tioned here. Attending an idolatrous feast must have of superiority. Russel says, "the divans at Aleppo are been undoubtedly wrong in these Israelites: but of what formed in the following manner. Across the upper end, consequence was it to remark, that sonhe of them seated and along the sides of the room, is fixed a wooden platform, themselves oins carpets that had been put into their hands four feet broad and six inches high; upon this are laid cotby way of pledge? It may be answered, that it might be tolln mattresses exactly of the same breadth, and over these galling to those that had been obliged to pledge these valu- a cover of broadcloth, trimmed with gold lace and fringes, able pieces of furniture secretly, to have them thus public- hanging over to the ground. A number of large oblong ly exposed; that it may insinuate that these idolatrous cushions stuffed hard with cotton, and faced with flowered zealots detained them, when they ought to have been re- velvet, are then ranged in the platform close to the wall. stored, (Ezek. xvii i. 7, 12, 16. xxx. 15;) and that they sub- The two upper corlners of the divan are furnished also with jected them to be injured, in the tumult of an extravagant softer cushions, half the size of the others, which are laid and riotous banquet in a heathen temple; to which may upon a square fine mattress, spread over those of cloth, both be added, that they might belong to some of their country- being faced with brocade. The corners in this manner men who abhorred those idols, and might consider them as distinguished are held to be the places of honour, and a dishonoured, and even dreadfully polluted, by being so em- great man never offers to resign them to persons of inferior ployed. rank." Mr. Antes, among other observations made on the'With respect to the last of these circumstances but one, manners and customs of the Egyptians, from 1770 to 1782, (thed being injured in extravagant and riotous banqueting,) says, on his being carried before one of the beys of Egypt, I would remark, that they are accustomed, in their common in about half an hour the bey arrived, with all his men, and repasts, to take great carp that their carpets are not soiled, lighted flambeaux before him; he alighted, and went up by spreading something over them; but in public solemni- stairs into a room, sat down in a corner, and all his people ties they affect great carelessness about them, as a mark of placed thernselves in a circle round him.-HARiERa. their respect and profound regard. (Russel.) Thus De An attendant came forward to usher us into the august la Valle, describing the reception the Armenians of Ispahan presence of the ruler of Egypt. We proceeded into a large gave the king of Persia, in one of their best houses, when room, lighted by numerous windows, on every side except he had a mind to attend at the celebration of their Epipha- that by which we entered. The pacha was standing up, ny, says, after the ceremonies were over, he was conducted but when he perceived us approach- he hastily took his acto the house of Chogia Sefer, a little before deceased, where customed seat in the corner with great alertness. Round his three sons and his brother had prepared every thing for three sides of the room was a broad scarlet divan, supplied his reception: " All the floor of the house, and all the walks with cushions of gold brocade resting against the walls. of the garden, from the gate next the street to the most re- The corners were distingnished as places of hoaZoer by a square mote apartments, were covered with carpets of brocatel, of of crimson and gold silk, with a cushion of the same colour cloth of gold, and other precious manufactures, which were and materials at the back of each.-HoGG's mIS1T TO Dxifor the most part spoiled, by being trampled upon by the MASCUS. feet of those that had been abroad in the rain, and their shoes very dirty: their custom being, not to put them off at Ver. 15. And I will smite the winter-house with the entering into a house, but only at the door of the apart- the summer-house; and the houses of ivory mnents, and the places where they would sit down."-Bu-, and the DER. shall perish, and the great houses shall have CHAPTER III.. an end, saith the LORD. Ver. 2. You only have I known of all the fami- In the writings of Jeremiah and Amos, a distinction is lies of the earth: therefore I will punish you made between winter and summer-houses. Russel thinks for all your iniquities. they may refer to different apartments in the same house; but if the customs of Barbary resemble those of Palestine In eastern language, to say you know a person, means in this respect, it is better to understand them of different you APPROVE of him. Thus, should a man be well acquaint- houses. The hills and valleys round about Algiers, accorded with two brothers, and should he not approve of one of ing to Dr. Shaw, are all over beautified with gardens and them, he will say, " I do not know him." Bat of him he country-seats, whither the inhabitants of better fashion retire loves, he says, " Ah! I know him well." Jehovah had during the heat of the summer season. They are little known, i. e. approved of Israel, but because of their abomi- white houses, shaded with a variety of fruitful trees and nations he had determined to punish them.-RoBERTS. evergreens, which, besides the shade and retirement, afford a gay and delightful prospect towards the sea. The gardens Ver. 12. Thus -saith the LORD, As the shepherd are all of them well stocked with melons, fruit, and pot taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or herbs of all kinds; and (what is chiefly regarded in these hot climates) each of them enjoys a great command of a piece of an ear: so shall the children of Is- water. In Persia most of the summer-houses are slightly rael be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the constructed and divided into three pavilions at a consideracorner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. ble distance from each other, with canals, fountains, and flower gardens in the intermediate spaces: while the winterTwo kinds of goats wander in the pastures of Syria and houses, or palaces in cities, are built of strong masonry, and Canaan; one that differs little from the common sort in ornamented at great expense; and palaces, villas, and Britain; the other remarkable for the largeness of its ears. mosques, are often named after their principal embellish The size of this variety is somewhat larger than ours; but ments. Thus at Barocke and Ahmedabad are the ivory and their ears are often a foot long, and broad in proportion. silver mosques. This account furnishes an easy exposition The Syrians keep them chiefly for their milk, of which of a passage in the prophecies of Amos: "I will smite the they yield a considerable quantity. The present race of winter-house," the palaces of the great in fortified towns, goats in the vicinity of Jerusalem, are of this broad-eared "with the summer-house," the small houses of pleasure, species. To this kind of goat, so different from the common used in the summer, to which any foe can have access; breed, it is probable the prophet refers: "As the shepherd "and the houses of ivory shall perish; and the great houses taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of shall have an end. saith the Lord," those that are distinan ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out, that guished by their amplitude and richness, built as they are dwell in Samaria and in Damascus." It is indeed the in- in their strongest places, yet all of them shall perish like CIIAr. 4. — A M OS. 557 their country-seats, by the irresistible stroke of almighty who were swinging together in their cots. When a man power.-PAxTON. affecls great delicacy as to the place where he sleeps, it CHAPTER IV. is common to say, " You had better have a swinging cot."ROBERTS. Ver. 2. The Lord GoD hath sworn by his holiness, that, lo, the days shall come upon you, that Ver. 9. And it shall come to pass, if there remain he will take you away with hooks, and your ten men in one house, that they shall die. posterity with fish-hooks. 10. And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out I am at a loss to know why there is'a distinction betwixt of the house, and shall say unto h " HOOKS" and " FISH-HOOKS." I think it fanciful to explain it by saying it means "two modes of fishing." The Tamul the sides of the house, Is there yet any with translation has, instead of "IOOKs," k7lradqt, i. e. pincers, thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he and it ought to be known that these were formerly much used say, Hold thy tongue; for we may not make in punishments. In the Hindoo hells this instrument is mention of the name of the LORD. spoken of as being used to torture the inhabitants. A man in his rage says, "I will tear thee with pincers." "Alas! These verses and the context refer to the mortality which alas! I have been dragged away with pincers." " Ah! should result from the pestilence and famine, (in consethe severity of these troubles —they are like pincers." But quence of the sins of the people;) and to te URNN it is said that HOOKS also were formerly used to stick into the criminals when taken to the place of execution; and there that is a common expression in the East to den\e many. is nothing very doubtful about this, because devotees often believe the whole alludes to the custom of rning huhave large nOOKS fastened into their flesh, by which they man bodies, end to that of gathering up the half-calcined are hoisted up on a long pole. "Your posterity wit fish- bones, and to the putting them into an earthen essel, and hooks:" this figure is used in the East to show how people then to the carrying back these fragments to the house or DaAw each- other to any given place. Thus, does a man into some OUT-BUILDING, where they are kept till conveyed into secome saysU, where they are kept till conveyed wish to have a large party at some feast or ceremony he is to a sacred place. In India this is done by a son or a near going to make, he persuades a man to say he will honour relation; but inpcase there is not one near ain, then ane 9 relation; but in ease there is not one near akin, then an-;'. him with his company; and then he says to others, you are person who. is going to the place (as to the Ganges) car. invited to meet such an illustrious guest, which causes take the fragments of bones, and thus perform the last rites. numbers to come to the occasion. The man of rank in that Dr. Boothroyd takes the same view as to the PLACE where ease is called the fish-hook; because, through him, the the bones hav to be kept till they ar removed, because h the bones have to be kept till they are removed, because he guests are, CAUGcoHT.-ROBERTS. translates," a side-room of the house." " Hold thy tongue," Ver. 9. 1 have smitten you with blastine and finds a forcible illustration in chap. viii. 3, where it is. l. l l mentioned that there were p "dead in every place;" and mildew: when your gardens, and your vine- where it is said, they were to "cast them forth with siyards, and your fig-trees, and your olive-trees lence." When the cholera or any other pestilence has increased, the palmer-worm devoured them: carried off MANY of the people, the relations cease to weep or yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the speak; they ask, " What is the use of wailing.1" it is over, hold thy tongue."-RoBERTs. LORD. Ver. 11. For, behold, L.he LoRD commandeth, and Abp. Newcome says, that this means the unwholesome h will smite the great house with breaches, effluvia on the subsiding of the Nile, which causes some peculiarly malignant diseases in this country. Maillet says, and the little house with clefts. that "the air is bad in those parts, where; when the inundations of the Nile have been very great, this river, in retiring See on Ezek. 13. 11. an d tfr concertiongof the -raisee on Eaes. 17. ar. to its channel, leaves marshy places, which infect the coun- Cardin, seaking concerning the rains, says, " re try round about. The dew is also very dangerous in Egypt." the rains which cause the walls to fall, which are built of — B DEliiousnfoo. clay, the mortar-plastering dissolving. This plastering hinders the water form penetrating the brickst; but when CHAPTER VI. the plastering has been soaked with wet, the wind cracks Vters. 4. That lie upon beds of yory, and stretch it, and occasions the rain in some succeeding showers to great energy4 to lie ourappreonbes of tht i Tant, sattonth isp themselves upon their couches, and eat the get between and dissolve everything." This account illustrates the words of the prophet in a very happy manner, as lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the houses were mostly built of these fragile materials.the midst of the stall. -HARMER. Amos reckonsfat lambs among the delicacies of the Is- CHAPTER VII. raelites; and it seems these creatures are in the East ex- Ver. 1. Thus hath the Lord GOD showed unto tremely delicious. Sir John Chardin, in his manuscript me and, behold, he ed grasshoppers in note to Amos vt. 4, expresses himself in very strong termsn note to Amos vi. 4, Zxpresses himself in very stro g terms the beginning of the shooting up of the latter on the deliciousness of these animals in the East. He tells us, that there, in many places, lambs are spoken of as a sort growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after of food excessively delicious. That one must have eaten the king's mowings. of them in several places of Persia, Media, and Mesopotamia, and of their kids, to form a conception of the moisture, See on Prov. 27. 25. taste, delicacy, and fat of this animal; and as the eastern As they seldom make any hay in the East, the ward renpeople are no friends of game, nor of fish, nor fowls, their dered "mowing," should rather have been,:' feedings." most delicious food is the lamb and the kid. This observa- There is reason to conjecture, from the following passage tion illustrates those passages that speak of kids as used by of La Roque, that the time of the king's feedings was the them for delicious repasts, and presents; as well as those month of March, or thereabouts: "The Arabs," he tells others that speak of the feasting on lambs. It also gives us, from the papers of D'Arvieux, "turn their horses out great energy to our apprehensions of what is meant, when to grass in the month of March, when the grass is pretty the Psalmist talks of marrow andfatness.-HUARMER. well grown; they then take care to have their mares coyIvory is so plentiful in the East, it is no wonder that the ered, and they eat grass at no other time in the whole year, sovereigns had their beds made principally of that article. any more than hay: they never give them any straw but to But why is there a distinction made in reference to BEDS and heat them, when they have been some time without disCOUCiEs. I believe the latter word refers to the swinging covering an inclination to drink; they live wholly upon cot, as the Tamul translation also implies. In the houses barley." The Arab horses are all designed for riding and of the voluptuous these cots are always found, and many war;" so, there is reason to believe, were those of the kings are the stories In ancient books of kings and queens of Israel: and if the present usages of the Arabs prevailed 558 AMOS. CHAP. 9. anciently, they were turned out early in the spring, in the and the bottom of the sea. The church, in her most afmonth of Mlarch, and at other times were nourished with fluent state, is compared to a fugitive lurking in the deep barley. These things seem to determine the time of the recesses.of this mountain:," Feed thy people with thy rod, king's feedings to March, of the shooting up of the latter the flock of thy heritage which dwell solitarily in the growth of April. —BURDER. midst of Carmel." Lebanon raises to heaven a summit of naked and barren rocks, covered for the greaterpart of the Ver. 14. Thep answered Amos, and said to Am- year with snow: but the top of Carmel, how naked and -aziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a proph- steril'soever its present condition, seems to have been clothed with verdure in the days of Amos, which seldom et's son; but I was a herdman and a gathererwasknown to fade: ".And he said, The Lord will roar from of sycamore fruit. i Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the habitation of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel The sycamore buds in.the latter end of March, and the shall wither."-PAXTON. prolific fruit ripens in the beginning of June. Pliny and The wind was high when we left Acre, and blew the other natural historians allege, that it continues immature sand about with such violence that we had great difficulty till it is rubbed with iron combs, after which it ripens in in making our way. The bay to the southward extends t, four days. Is it not- an operation of this kind to which Mount Carmel, and we were three hours in skirting its the prophet Amos refers, in the text which we translate, shore. We first forded the river Belus, the sand of which " I was a gatherer of sycamore fruit?" The Septuagint has been much used in the making of glass, and then came seems to refer it to something done to the fruit, to hasten its to " that ancient river, the river ISHON," immortalized in maturity; probably to the action of the iron comb, without the song of Deborah and Barak, over which we were feran application of which the figs cannot be eaten, because ried by a Jewish b6atman. The saddles are never taken of their intolerable bitterness. Parkhurst renders the off the horses in these countries during a journey, either by phrase, a scraper of sycamore fruit; which he contends, day or night. They were now taken from the animals that from the united testimony of natural historians, is the true they might not be wet in crossing the river, and the backs meaning of the original term. The businessof Amos, then, of the poor creatures had been so chafed by them, that I before his appointment to the prophetical office, was to felt unwilling to mount mine again. After passing some scrape or wound the fruit of the sycamore-tree, to hasten sepulchres in the rocks we entered the town of Hypha, and its maturity and prepare it for use. Simon renders it a were detained some time by the guard, until one of our cultivator of sycamore fruit, which is perhaps the prefer- party waited on the governor, and obtained our release. able meaning; for it appears that the cultivation of this fig There were several brass cannon upon the walls, all ready required a variety of operations, all of which it is reason- for action. The vessels have here better shelter than at able to suppose, were performed by the same persons. To Acre, but the water is shallow. This town is nearly at the render the tree fruitful, they scarified the bark, through foot of Mount Carmel, which extends about 30 miles in a which a kind of milky liquor continually distilled. This, southeastern direction from the sea, in nearly an equal it is said, causes a little bough to be formed without leaves, ridge, and at an elevation of about, 1600 feet. It is often rehaving upon it sometimes six or seven figs. They are ferred to in scripture, and was once covered with trees, but hollow, without grains, and contain a little yellow matter, it is now nearly bare, and " the excellency of Carmel" has which is generally a nest of grubs. At their extremity, a withered before the curse of Heaven. It was the usual sort of water collects, which, as it prevents them from ripen- residence of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The place ing, must be let out. Amos, it is probable, was employed where the false prophets of Baal were discomfited and slain in these various operations; which has induced Simon and was towards the other extremity, nearer Jezreel, to which.hers to render the words, not a gatherer of sycamore fruit, Ahab retired; and at some point neat which it is approachhit a dresser of the sycamore-tree; which includes all the ed by the Kishon. We may stand at the top of Carrel, as culture and attendance it requires. did Gehazi, and look towards the sea, but alas! there is now The sycamore is a large spreading tree, sometimes no "little cloud like a man's hand;" still there is the promshooting up to a considerable height, and so thick, that three ise of a shower, and in due time the streams of divine mermen can hardly grasp the trunk; according to Hassel- cy will again fall upon this thirsty land, and men shall again quist; the stem is often fifty feet thick. This unfolds the liken themselves in their prosperity to "the excellency of reason vhy Zaccheus climbed up into a sycamore-tree, to eCarmel and Sharon." Near the point that overlooks the get a sight of his Redeemer. The incident also furnishes sea there is a monastery of Carmelite friars. It was dea proof that the sycamore was still common in Palestine; stroyed a few years ago by Abdullah Pacha, that he might for this tree stood to protect the traveller by the side of the convert the materials to his own use, and though he was highway. —PAXToN. ordered to rebuild it at his own expense by the sultan, when ICHAPTER IX. a proper representation of the circumstances had been,HAPTEer.R Td IXhell, thence shall made to his court, no attention was ever paid to the manVer. 2. Though they dig into hell, thence shall date. The monks are now rebuilding it themselves in a my hand take them; though they climb up to verysplendid manner, and one of the fraternity is the archiheaven, thence will I bring them down. 3. And tect. At a lower elevation on the same point, is a palace though they hide themselves in the top of Car- recently erected by the pacha. There is a small building )mel, I wnil search and take them outthence- near the sea, said to-cover the cave in which Elisha dwelt, mel, t will search and take them out thence; but as the door was locked we could not gain admittance.and though they be hid from my sight in the HARDY. bottom of the sea,' thence wvill I command the bottom of the hsea, thence will I command the Ver. 6. It is he that buildeth his stories in the serpent, and he hall bite them. heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; Carmel was one of the barriers of the promised land, he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and which Sennacherib boasted he would scale with the multi- oreth them ot pon the face of the earth tude of his horses and his chariots: " I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel." The LORD is his name. Un'grateful as the soil of this mountain is, the wild vines and olive-trees that are still found among the brambles See on Jer. 22. 13. which encumber its declivities, prove that the hand of in- The chief rooms of the house of Aleppo at this day are dustry has not laboured among the rocks of Carmel in vain. those above, the ground-floor being chiefly made use of for So well adapted were the sides of this mountain to the cul- their horses and servants. Perhaps the prophet referred to iivation of the vine, that the kings of Judah covered every this circumstance, when he spoke of the heavens of God's improvable spot with vineyards and plantations of olives. chambers, the most noble and splendid apartments of the Its deep and entangled forests, its savage rocks and lofty palace of God, where his presence is chiefly manifested, and summit, have been in all ages the favourite retreat of the the collection of its offices, its numerous.ittle mean diviguilty or the oppressed. The fastnesses of this rugged sions, of this earth.-HARMER. mountain are so difficult of access, that the prophet Amos Jlasses them with the deeps of hell, the height of heaven, Ver. 3. Behold, the days come, saith the LoRn, CHAP. 1. JONAH. 559 that the plouoghman shall overtake the reaper, into it, especially in the season in which the fruits begin to and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; ripen. It is to save them from these depredations that the inhabitants of the country gather them before they come to and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and maturity." It is this circumstance that must explain this all the hills shall melt. passage of the prophet: " Behoid, the days come, saith the Lord, that the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the The Arabs commit depredations of every description. treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains They strip the trees of their fruit even in its unripe state, shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt:" that is as well as seize on the seed and corn of the husbandman. the days shall come when the grapes shall not be gathered,,.NIaillet ascribes the alteration for the worse, that is found as they were before, in a state of immaturity, for feart of in the wine of a province in Egypt, to the precipitation with Arabs or other destroying nations, but they shall be sufferwhich they now gather the grapes. This was done to save ed to hang till the time of plouglhing; so perfect shall be them from the Arabs, "who frequently made excursions the security of these times.-HARMER., JONAH. CHAPTER 1. into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was Ver. 2. Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and fast asleep. cry against it; for their wickedness is come up cry against it; for their wickedness is come up Here again we are at home, (to speak royally:) never was hefore me. there a more natural description of the conduct of a heathen crew, in a storm, than this. No sooner does danger come, See on Nah. 2. 8-11. than one begins to beat his head, and cry aloud, Siva, Siva; Ashur, probably imitating the policy of his dangerous another piteously shrieks, and beats his breast, and says, c mpetitor, built four cities for the accommodation' and Vishnoo; and a third strikes his thigh, and shouts with all dtfence of his descendants; the first of whiclxwas Nine- his miight, Varuna. Thus do they cry to their gods, veh, the capital of his kingdom. This powerftl city stood instead of doing their duty. More than once have I been on the east side of the Tig'ris, nor far from the river Lycus, in these circumstances, and never can I forget the horror one of its tributary streams; but on which side of the and helplessness of the poor idolaters.-ROBERTs. Lycus it lay, cannot now be discovered. The prediction of Nahum, that Nineveh should be so completely destroyed Ver. 7. And they said every one to his fellow, that future ages should search in vain for the spot which it once covered, has been fulfilled in all its extent: " With Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know an overflowing flood, he will make an utter end of the for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they place thereof." Ancient geographers inform us of another cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 15. So city of this name, which stood on the Euphrates, and was they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the probably built by Nimrod in honour of his son. But Nineveh, so frequently mentioned in scripture, lay near the sea; and the sea ceased from her raging. Tigris; and to this last the following observations refer. 16. Then the men feared the LoRD exceedingStrabo affirms that Nineveh was larger than Babylon ly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and itself; an assertion confirmed by Diodorus, who makes that city 60 miles in compass, while Strabo makes Babylon only about 48. It is therefore with justice that the inspired writer In a storm, the heathen mariners always conclude that calls Nineveh "an Exceeding great city of three days' jour- there is some one on board who has committed a great ney." This account some interpreters refer not to the crime, and they begin to inquire, "Who is the sinner?" length, but to the compass of the city;- allowiag twenty Some time ago, a number of native vessels left the roads ot miles for a day's journey, which accords with the common Negapatam, at the same hour, for Point Pedro, in the Island estimation of those times. But the phrase, " Jonah began of Ceylon: they had not been long at sea before it was perto enter into the city a day's journey," seems rather to inti- ceived that one of them could not make any way; she rollmate, that the measure of three' days' journey is to be ed, and pitched, and veered about in every direction; but understood of the length, not of the compass of Nineveh. the other vessels went on beautifully before the wind. Hence it may be easily supposed, that agreeably to the The captain and his crew began to look at the passengers. statement of the prophet, it contained " more than sixscore and, at last, fixed their eyes upon a poor woman, who was thousand persons that could not discern between their right crouched in a corner of the hold; they inquired into her hand and their left hand;" for, supposing this to be under- condition, and found she was in a state of impurity: "Let stood of infants under two years old, these generally, as down the canoe," was the order, "and take this woman Bochart observes, make at least the fifth part of the city. ashore:" in vain she remonstrated, she was compelled to If this proportion be just, the inhabitants of Nineveh would enter, and was soon landed on the beach. " After this, the not be more than six hundred thousand; which is not more vessel sailed as well as any other!" When the storm rages, than Seleucia contained in the days of Pliny, and not so they make vows to their gods; one will go on a pilgrimage many as has been numbered in the capital of the British to some holy place, another will'perform a penance, and a empire.-PAxTo N. third will make a valuable present to his favourite temple. "Offered a sacrifice:" this is generally done when they -et Ver. 5. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried safe to shore, but I have been on board when they have of' every man unto his god, and cast forth the fered cocoa-nuts and other articles with the greatest earnestnhess. To interfere with them is not always prudent; wares, that were in the ship into the sea, to because, were it not from the hope they have from such lighten it of them: but Jonah was gone down offerings, they would cease to work the vessel.-Roesr rs. 560 J O NA H. CHAP. 3, 4. CHAPTER III. The margin has, instead of " gourd," "Kikajon, or PalmeVer. 4. And Jonah began to enter into the city a crist!" Dr. Clarke asks," But what was the Kikajon? the n 1 e,e *ried,,nd said, t fy 1 *best judges say the racinus or Palma-Chr'isti, from which we day's journey; and he cried, and said, Yet forty get what is vulgarly called castor-oil." The Tamul transdays, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. lation has, instead of "gourd," Amanaku, i. e. the PalmaChristi! It is believed, also, the verb is in the preterperfect See on Nah. 1. 8. tense, HAD prepared, which may be another instance of the CHAPTER IV. verb as illustrated under Isa. xxi. 9. The Palma-Christi is most abundant in the East, and I have had it in my own Ver. 5. So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on garden to the height of fourteen feet. The growth is very the east side of the city, and there made him a rapid: v. 7, " God prepared a worm when the morning rose booth, and sat under it in the shadotw, till he the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered," i. e. lio ht see what swould become of the city. the Palma-Christi till it withered. This tree, in the course of a vERY short period, produces the "rough caterpillar," 6. And the Lord GOD prepared a gourd, and respecting which, I have written under Jer. li. 27, and in made it to come up over Jonah, that it might one night (where the caterpillers are abundant) will they be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from strip the tree of its leaves, and thus take away the shade, his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of But there is another worm in the East, called the kuruttu-' ypullu, i. e. blind worm, SAID to be produced by the dew; it the gourd. 7. But God prepared a worrn, begins its devastations at what is called the cabbage part of when the morning rose the next day, and it the palm, and soon destroys the tree: v. 8, " God prepared smote the gourd that it cwithered. 8. And it a vehement east wind."`I have already written on that mcame to pass, when the sun did arise, that Gd parching, life-destroying wind. But the margin has it, or came to pass, wSILENT," which probably means CALM. Thus when there prepared a vehement east wind: and the sun is a lull of an easterly wind, and the sun pours his fierec beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, rays on the head of the poor traveller, it seems as if life and wished in himself to die, and said, It is must depart: birds and beasts pant; there is the silence of better for meto die than to live,' death, and nature seems ready to expire.-RoBERTS. better for me to die than to live. " It was early in the evening, when the pointed turrets of the city of MIosqul opened on our view, and communicated The gourd produces leaves and branches resembling no very unpleasant sensationstomy heart. I found myself those of the garden cucumber. Its fruit is shaped like an on scripture-ground, and could not help feeling some pororange, of a light white substance when the rind is taken tion of the pride of the traveller, when I reflected that I off, and so bitter that it has been called the gall of the earth. was now within sight of NINEVEH, renowned in holy writ. It is not eatable; but is a very fit vessel for flagons, being The city is seated in a very barren sandy plain, on the light, capacious, and smooth, frequently a foot and a half bahks of the river Tigris, embellished with the united in diameter. gifts of Pomona, Ceres, and Flora. The external view of The gourd of Jonah is generally allowed to be the elke- the town is much in its favour, being encompassed with roa or ricinus, a plant well known in the East; " it grows stately walls of solid stone, over which the steeples or minvery high, and projects many brandhes and large leaves. arets, and other lofty buildings, are seen with increased efIn a short time it reaches a considerable height: its stem is feet. Here I saw a caravan encamped, halting on its thick, channelled, distinguished by many knots, hollow march from the Gulf of Persia to Armenia; and it cerwithin, branchy at top, of a sea-green colour: its leaves tainly made a most noble appearance, filling the eye with are largej cut into seven or more divisions, pointed and a multitude of grand objects,-all uniting to form one magedged, of a bright, blackish, shining-green. Those near- nificent whole. But though the outside be so beautiful, the est the top are the largest; its flowers are ranged on their inside is most detestable: the heat is so intense, that in the stem like a thyrsus: they are of a deep-red, and stand three middle of the day there is no stirring out, and even at night together. the wcalls of the hoAeses are so heated by the day's sziun, as to proWith this description agrees the account in the prophet, duce a disagreeable heat to the body, at afoot, or e:en a ya'rd of its rising over his head to shelter it; for this plant rises distance froms, them. However, I entered it with spirits, eight or nine feet, and is remarkably rapid in withering, because I considered it as the last stage of the worst part Awhen decayed or gathered. of my pilgrimage. But, alas! I was disappointed in my The gourd which defended the prophet is said to have expectation; for the TIGRIs Was dried ujp b/ thie intensity of been prepared by the Lord. We have no reason to con- the heat, and an uenusual long drou. ght, and I was obliged elude from this expression, that the Almighty created it to take the matter with a patient shrug, and accommodate for the special purpose; he only appointed and promoted my mind to a journey on horseback, which, though not so its growth in that particular spot, raising its stem and ex- long as that I had already made, was likely to be equally panding its branches and leaves according to the ordinary dangerous; and which, therefore, demanded a full exerlaws of nature, till it formed a most refreshing shade over tion of fortitude and resolution. the place where the angry seer waited the fulfilment of his "It was still the hot season of the year, and -we were to prediction. " We may conceive of it," says Calmet, "as travel through that country, over which the horrid wind I an extraordinary one of its kind, remarkably rapid in have before mentioned sweeps its consuming blasts: it is growth, remarkably hard in its stem, remarkably vigorous called bythe Turks samniel, is mentioned by holy Job under in its branches, and remarkable for the extensive spread of the name of the east wind, and extends its ravages all the its leaves, and the deep gloom of their shadow; and after a way from the extreme end of the Gulf of Cambaya, up to certain duration, remarkable for a sudden withering and Mosul; it carries along with it fleaks of fire, like threads uselessness to the impatient prophet. of silk; instantly strikes dead those that breathe it, and The -worm which struck the gourd has been considered consumes them inwardly to ashes; the flesh soon becoming rather as a maggot than a worm. It was, no doubt, of the black as a coal, and dropping off the bones. Philosophers species appropriate to the plant; but of what particular spe- consider it as a kind of electric fire, proceeding from the cies is uncertain. Like the gourd, it was also prepared by sulphureous or nitrous exhalations which are kindled by Jehovah, to indicate its extraordinary size and vigour; that the agitation of the winds. The only possible means of it acted by his commission; and that the effect of its opera- escape from its fatal effects, is to fall flat on the ground, tionis was so rapid and decisive, as clearly to discover the and thereby prevent the drawing it in: to do this, however, presence of divine energy.-PAxToN., it is necessary first to see it, which is not always practicable. Besides this, the ordinary heat of the climate is e.Ver. 6. And the Lord GOD prepared a gourd, tremely dangerous to the blood and lungs, and even to Ihe and made it to come up over Jonah, that it slhin, ichicah it blisters and peels from the Jlesh, affecting the might be a shadow over his head, to deliver eyes so much, that travellers are obliged to wear a tranlshim from his ~grief. So Jonah was exceeding parent covering over them to keep the heat olff." m rom gr. o Jonah was excee These accounts, from Col. Campbell's Travels, illustrate glad of the gourd. the history of JONAH, his behaviour and his sufferings, in the CHAP. -3. M IC A I. 561 same parts. The colonel reports that the heat is extreme, only part of the day in which he could hope for coolness, both by day and night, in the town; that the Tigris was thus suffocating. What Jonah must have endured was dried up by the intensity of the heat; that the heat from the heat, Colonel Campbell's account may assist us to blisters the skin, &c. " Now Jonah went out of the city, conceive. We may observe, further, how aptly this plant and sat on the east side of the city, till he miglht see what was a SIGN of Nineveh, its history, and its fate: it was a would become of' the city," (iv. 5,) to which he had prophe- time in coming to perfection, and it was a time in a perfect sied destruction in forty days' time, (iii. 4.) Jonah could state: so that city was long before it was mistress of the not expect the destruction of the city until about, or after, countries around it, and it held that dignity for a time; the expiration of the forty days' respite allowed to it; so but, at about forty years after Jonah's prophecy, (prophetic long then. at least, he waited in this burning climate. But, days, for years, as some have supposed,) the worm (insuras he knew God to be slow to anger, (iv. 2,) he might wait rection and rebellion) smote the plant; and the king of some days, or even some weeks,,after the expiration of Nineveh (Sardanapalus) burnt himself, with his treasures, the appointed time; so that although he was sent on his &c., in his palace. A fate very appropriately prefigured message, and had delivered it before the great heats came on, by the kikium of Jonah! The expectation of coolness in Yet, to satisfy his curiosity, he endured them. Thus cir- the morning, may be justified from the following extract, cumstanced, he constructed for himself a shelter from the in which we find the colonel, like Jonah, reposing under sun; and doubtless, when the Ilp'p KIKIUM, (gou'rd, English trees in the heat of the day. " From Latikea to Aleppo, translation,) or kind of palm, rose in addition to his booth, mounted on a mule, I travelled along, well pleased with at once ornamenting, filling, and shadowing it, to complete the fruitful appearance of the country; and delighted with his shelter, he might well rejoice over the gourd with ec- the serenity of the air. We were, as well as I can now ceeding great joy. [Might not this plant, growing chiefly recollect, near ten cays on the road; during which time, by night, Heb. " which a son of night was, and (as) a son we traveied ontiy zn the morning early, and in the heat of of night perished," be some time in rising for that purpose. the day we reposed under the shade of trees."-TAYLOR IN See Kikajon, Jonah, and Fragment, No. lxxviii.] This CALMET. plant, during a time, perhaps during a great part of the forty days, or several weeks succeeding, afforded him shelter; then, w-hile in full vigour, without apparent decay, he great city, wherein are more than sixscore left it well overnight, and in the morning it was shrunk, thousand persons that cannot discern between faded, and gone: so that at sunrise, when the morning their right hand and their left hand; and also should be cool, Jonah, examining his plant, was struck by much cattle the scarcely-moving aucra of an east wind, vehemently hot; nc wonder, then, he fainted, and wished to die, when the See on Nah. 1. 8. MICAH. CHAPTER I. eagle; for they are gone into captivity from Ver. 7. And all the graven images thereof shall thee. be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burnt with the fire, and all the idols Mr. Bruce has given us an account of an-eagle, known in Ethiopia only by the name nisser, eagle; but by him thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it called the golden eagle; by the vulgar, abou duch'n, father of the hire of a harlot, and they shall return to long-beard, from the tuft of hair under his chin. He is a the hire of a harlot. very large bird. "A forked brush of strong hair, divided at the point into two, proceeded from the cavity of his lower Here again we have unalloyed and rampant heathenism: jaw, at the beginning of his throat. He had the smallest the " sacred" courtesans of the temple give a part of their the " sacred" courtesans of the temple give a part of their eye I ever remember to have seen in a large bird, the aperhire towards the repairing and beautifying of the building; ture being scarcely half an inch. The crown of his head and also to purchase idols, or carry on the festivals. At was bare or bald, so was the front where the bill and the annual festival of Scandan, which continues twenty- scull oined." This is thebird alluded toby the prophet.fqur days, the females alluded to defray the expenses of the last day from the proceeds of their own wickedness.- CHAPTER II. ROBERTS. Ver. 2. And they covet fields, and take thlem by Ver. 8. Therefore I will wail and howl, I will violence; and houses, and take them away: so go stripped and na~ked: I will make a wailing they oppress a man and his house, even a man like the dragons, and mourning as the owls. and his heritage. See on Job 27. 18. Or, "ostriches." It is affirmed by travellers of good credit, that ostriches make a fearful, screeching, lamentable CHAPTER III. noise. " During the lonesome part of the night, they often r. 12. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be make a very doleful and hideous noise. I have often heard be them groan, as if they were in the greatest agonies: an ac- ploughed as a field; and Jerusalem shall betion beautifully alluded to by the prophet Micah." (Shaw.) come heaps; and the mountain of the house as -BURDER. the high places of the forest. Ver. 16. Make thee bald, and. poll thee for thy We had been to examine the hill, which now bears the delicate children; enlarge thy baldness as the name of Zion; it is situated on the south side of Jerusalem, 71 562 MICA H. CHiP. 4-6. part of it being excluded by the wall of the present city, the charity of Venase? Why, he has given a RIVER Of oiL which passes over the top of the mount. If this be indeed to the temple; and Muttoo has given a RIVER' of ghee.' Mount Zion, the prophecy concerning it, that the plough "Milk! why that farmer has RIVERS of it; and the Modeshould pass over it, has been fulfilled to the letter; for liar has a SEA."-ROBERTS. such labours were actually going on when we arrived.CLARKE. Ver. 15. Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; CHAPTER IV. thou shalt, tread the olives, but thou shalt not Ver. 4. But they shall sit every man under his anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt vine, and under his fig-tree; and none shall not drink wine. make themn afraid: for the mouth of the LORD See on Ps. 37. 35; Deut. 33. 24; and Is. 63. 1-3. of hosts hath spoken it. CHAPTER VII. See on Ps. 88. 47. Ver. 1. Wo is me! for I am as when they have The people of the East have great pleasure in sitting or gathered the summer-fruits, as the grape-gleanlounging under their tamarind or mango-trees in the grove. ings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: Thus, in the heat of the day, they while away their time in playing with their children, in taking up the fruit, or smo- my soul desired the first rie fruit. king their much-loved shroot.- ROBERTS. The expression here made use of by the prophet may This expression most probably alludes to the delightful probably be understood by the assistance of a remark eastern arbours, which were partly composed of vines; which Sir John Chardin has made upon this passage. and the agreeable retreat which was enjoyed under them He informs us, that the Persians and Turks are not only might also be found under their fig-trees. Norden ex- fond of almonds, plumbs, and melons in a mature state, but pressly speaks of vine arbours as common in the Egyptian that they are remarkable for eating them before they are gardens, (vol. i. p. 71,) and the Prsenestine pavement, in ripe. As soon as ever they approach to that state, they Dr. Shaw, gives us the figure of an ancient one.-BURDER. make use of them, the great dryness and temperature of the air preventing fatulencies.-HARMER. Ver. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name Ver. 3. That they may do evil with both hands of the LORD our God for ever and ever. earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great ~man he utterNothing more arrests the notice of a stranger, on entering eth for a reward; and the man he utterSinde, than the severe attention of the people to the forms of religion, as enjoined by the prophet of Arabia. In all places, the meanest and poorest of mankind lmay be seen, We have seen that to do a thing with ONE hand, signifies at the appointed hours, turned towards Mecca, offering up earLPtness and oneness of consent. Whenever a person their prayers. I have observed a boatman quit the labori-ve a thing from a su, he mus t put out ous duty of dragging the vessel against the stream, and re- BOTH hands; for not to do so, would be a mark of great tire to the shore, wet and covered with mud, to perform his disrespect. "Alas I went to that man with both hands genuflexions. In the smallest villages the sound of the (i. e. held them out to him,) but he turned me away." " mowuzzun," or crier, ummoning true believers to pray- " The greedy wretch eats with both hands," meaning, he is ers, may be heard, and the Mohanmedans within reach of a glutton; because all respectable and decent people eat the sonorous sound suspend, for the moment, their employ-ght hand ONLY.ment, that they may add their " Amen" to the solemn sentence when concluded. The effect is pleasing and impres- Ver. 14. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock sive; but, as has often happened in other countries at a of thy heritage, which dwell solitarily in the like stage of civilization, the moral qualities of the people wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feel i do not keep pace with this fervency of devotion.-BuRNES. Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. CHAPTER VI. See on Am. 9. 10. Ver. 7. Will the LoRD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Ver. 19. He will turn again, he will have comrn shall I give my first-born for my transgression, passion upon us: he will subdue our iniquities; the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul 2 and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Allusions are often made in the scriptures to the value of oil; and to appreciate them, it should be recollected, that oil When a devotee believes the guilt of his transgressions ONLY is used to light the houses, and also, for anointing the has been removed, whether by prayers or austerities, he body, and MANY medicinal purposes. "Have you heard of says, "My sins have all fallen into the sea."-RoBEaRTs. NAHUM. CHAPTER I. wilderness. How is she become a desolation, a place for Vor. 8. But with an over-running flood he will beasts to lie down in!" In the second century, Lucian, a native of a city on the banks of the Euphrates, testified that make an utter end of the place thereof, and Nineveh was utterly perished; that there was no vestige of'darkness shall pursue his enemies. it remaining; and that none could tell where once it was To a brief record of the creation of the antediluvian situated. This testimony ofLucian, and the lapseof niany world, and of the dispersion and the different settlements of ages during which the place was not known where it stocd, render it at least somewhat'oubtful whether the remains (if mankind after the deluge, the scriptures of the Old Testa- render iat least somewhat obtful whether the remains I ment add a full and particular history of the Hebrews for tne space of fifteen hundred years, from the days of Abra- scribed as such bytravellers, be indeed those of ancient harm to the era of the last of the prophets. While the his- Nineveh. It is, perhaps, probable that they are the remains torical part of scripture thus traces, from its origin, the of the city which succeeded Nileveh, or of a Persian city history of the world, the prophecies give a prospective view of the same name, which was built on the banks of the which reaches to its end. And it is remarkable that pro- Tigris by the Persians subsequently to the year 230 of the fane history, emerging from fable, becomes clear and Christian era, and demolished by the Saracens in 632. In authentic about the very period when sacred history termi- cntrastg great and increasing popula nates, and when the fulfilment of these prophecies coin- tion, and the accumulating wealth of the proud inhabitants mences, which refer to other nations besides the Jews. of the mighty Nineveh, with the utter ruin that awaited it, m Ninen eh, the capital of Assvria, was for a long time an -the word of God (before whom all the inhabitants of the.extensive and populous city. Its walls are said, by heathenearth are as grasshoppers) by Nahum was-" Make thyself historians, to have been a hundred feet in height, sixty miles many as the canker-worm, make thyself many as the lo-.in compass, and to have been defended by fifteen hundred custs. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars towers, each two hundred feet high. Although it formed of heaven: the canker-worm spoileth, and flyeth away. twrahthudefe g.AThy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great the subject of some of the earliest of the prophecies, and was crowned are as the locsts, and thy captains as the great the very first which met its predicted fate, yet a heathen grasshoppers which camp in the hedges in the cold day: but when the sun riseth, they flee away; and their place is historian, in describing its capture and destruction, repeat- not known where they are," or were. Wether these edly refers to an ancient prediction respecting it. Diodorus not known where they are," or were. Whether these Siculus relates, that the king of Assyria, after the complete words imply that even the site of Nineveh would in future discomfiture of his army, confided in an old prophecy, that ages be uncertain or unknown; or, as they rather seem to Nineveh would not be taken unless the river should become intimate, that every vestige of the palaces of its monarchs, the enemy of the city; that after an ineffectual siege of two of the greatest of its nobles, and of the wealth of its numeryears, the river, swollen with long-continued and tempestu- ous merchants, would wholly disappear; the truth of the.us torrents, inundated part of the city, and threw down the prediction cannot be invalidated under either interpretation. wall for the space of twenty furlongs; and that the king, The avowed ignorance respecting Nineveh, and the oblideerwing the prediction accomplished, despaired of his vion which passed over it, for many an age, conjoined with safety, and erected an immense funeral pile, on which he the meagerness of evidence to identify it, still prove that heaped his wealth, and with which himself, his household, the place was long unknown where it stood, and that, even and palace, were consumed. The book of Nahum was now, it can scarcely with certainty be determined. And if avowedly prophetic of the destruction of Nineveh:* and it the only spot that bears its name, or that can be said to be is there foretold, " that the ates of the river shall be opened, the place where it was, be indeed the site of one of the most and the palace shall be dissolved." -" Nineveh of old, like extensive of cities on which the sun ever shone, and which a pool of water-with an overflowing flood he will make continued for many centuries to be the capital of Assyriaan utter end of the place thereof." The historian describes the "principal mounds," few in number, which "show the facts by which the othbr predictions of the prophet were neither bricks, stones, nor other materials of buildin, but as literally fulfilled. He relates that the king of Assyria, are i many places overgrown with grass, and resemble the n mounds left by mtrenchments and fortifications of ancient elated with his former victories, and ignorant of the revolt mounds left by intrenchments and fortifications of ancient of the Bactrians, had abandoned himself to scandalous in- ruin s less marked thand the ese, extending for ten miles, action; had appointed a time of festivity, and supplied his ruins less marked than even these, extending for ten miles, action; had appointed a time of festivity, and supplied his soldiers with abundance of wine; and that the general of and widely spread, and seeming to be "the wreck of former the enemr, apprized by deserters of their negligence and drunkenness, attacked the Assyrian army while the whole ment of royalty, without any token whatever of its splendour of them were fearlessly giving way to indulgence, destroyed or wealth; that their place is not known where they were a great part of them, and drove the rest into the city. The and that it is indeed a desolation-" empty, void, and waste," words of the prophet were hereby verified: "While they its very ruins perished, and less than the wreck of what it words of the prophet were hereby verified: " While they was. g Xuchanutterrzizineveryview "hasbeenmade be folden together, as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stuibble full dry." of it; and such is the truth of the divine predictions."The prophet promised much spoil to the enemy: " Take the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold; for there is no end CHAPTER II. of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture." Ver. 7. And Huzzab shall be led away captive, And the historian affirms, that many talents of gold and silver, preserved from the fire, were carried to Ecbatana. she shall be brought up, and her maids shall According to Nahum, the city was not only to be destroyed lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering by an overflowing flood, but the fire also was to devour it; upon their breasts. and, as Diodorus relates, partly by water, partly by fire, it was destroyed. See on TIs. 5. 12. The utter and perpetual destruction and desolation of When D'Arvieux was in the camp of the great emir, his Nineveh were foretold:-" The Lord will make an'utter princess was visited by other Arab princesses. The last end of the place-thereof. Affliction shall not rise up the that came, whose visit alone he describes, was mounted, he second time. She is empty, void, and waste. The Lord says, on a camel, covered with a carpet, and decked with will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy As- flowers; a dozen women marched in a row before her syria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a holding the camel's halter with one hand; they sung the 564 H ABAKKUK. CHAP. 1, 2, praises of their mistress, and songs which expressed joy, Ver. 17. Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy and the happiness of being in the service of such a beauti- captains the great grasshoppers which camp ful and amiable lady. Those which went first, and were i wh more distinct from her person, came in their turn to the in the hedges in the cold day; but when the head of the camel, and took hold of the halter, which place, sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is as being the post of honour, they quitted to others, when the not known where they are. princess had gone a few paces. The emir's wife sent her women to meet her, to whom the halter was entirely quit- " The operation of the female locust in laying her eggs ted, out of respect, her own women putting themselves be- is highly interesting. She chooses a piece of light earth, hind the camel. In this order they marched to the tent, well protected by a bush or hedge, where she makes a hole where they alighted. They then all sung tosgether the for herself, sodeep that her head just appears above it; she beauty, birth, and good qualities of this princess. This ac- here deposites an oblong substance, exactly the shape of her count illustrates those words of the prophet, wherein he own body,which contains a considerable number of eggs steaks of the presenting of the queen of Nineveh, or Nineeh itself, under the p resenting of the queen, t o h er conqueror. arranged in neat order, in rows against each other, which veh itself, under the figure of a queenl, to ther conqueror remain buried in the ground most carefully, and artificially He describes her as led by the maids, with the voice of protected from the cold of winter." (Pliny.) " The eggs are (doves, that is, with the voice of mourning; their usual brought into life by the heat of the sun. If the heats comsongs of joy, with which they used to lead her along, as the mence early, the locusts early gain strength, and it is then Arab women did their princess, being turned into lamenta- their depredations are most feared, because they comliOnS.-HARMER. mence them before the corn has had time to ripen, and they CHAPTER III. attack the stem when it is still tender. I conjecture that Ver. 14. Draw the waters for the siege, fortify camping in the hedges in the cold day may be explained by thy strongholds: go into clay, and tread the the eggs being deposited during the winter: and when the sun ariseth they flee away, may also be illustrated by the mortar, make strong' the brick-kiln. flying away of the insect, as soon as it had felt the sun's inSee on Is. 41. 25. fluence." (Morier.)-BURDER. HABAKKUK. CHAPTER I. Another contrivance which the besiegers employed, was Ver. 8. Their horses also are swifter than the the agger or mount, which they raise so high as to equal, leopefierce than the evening if not exceed, the top of the besieged walls: the sides were leopards, and are more fierce than the evening supported with bricks or stones, or secured with strong wolves: and their horseman shall spread them- rafters to hjnder it from falling; the forepart only remainselves, and their horsemen shall come from ed bare, because it was to be advanced by degrees nearer far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to the city. The pile itself consisted of all sorts of materials, as earth, timber, boughs, stones; into the middle were cast eat. also wickers, and twigs of trees to fasten, and, as it were, The Baron De Tott, in his entertaining work, has given cement the other parts. The prophet Habakkuk manifestly us an account of the manner in which an army of modern refers to the mount, in that prediction where he describes the desolating march of the Chaldeans, and the success of ~artars conducted themselves, which serves greatly to il- their arms.-PAxToN. lustrate this passage: " These particulars," says the baron,'informed the cham or prince, and the generals, what their CHAPTER II. real position was; and it was decided that a third of the army, composed of volunteers, and commanded by a sultan Ver. 2. And the LORD answered me, and said, and several mirzas, should pass the river at midnight, di- Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, vide into several columns, subdivide successively, and thus that he may run that readeth it. overspread New Servia, burn the villages, corn, and fodder, and carry off the inhabitants of the country. The rest Writing-tables were used in and before the time of Hoof the army, in order to follow the plan concerted, marched mer; for he speaks of writing very pernicious things upon till they came to the beaten track in the snow made by the a two-leaved table. They were made of wood, consisted detachment. This we followed, till we arrived at the place of two, three, or five leaves, and were covered with wax; where it divides into seven branches, to the left of which on this impressions were easily made, continued long, and we constantly kept, observing never to mingle or confuse were very legible. It was a custom among the Romans for ourselves with any of the subdivisions which we succes- the public affairs of every year to be committed to writing sively found; and some of which were only small paths, by the pontifex rmaximus, or high-priest, and published on traced by one or two horsemen. Flocks were found frozen a table. They were exposed to public view, so that the to death on the plain, and twenty columns of smoke, al- people might have an opportunity of being acquainted with ready rising in the horizon, completed the horrors of the them. It was also usual to hang up lacws approved and rePsene, and announced the fires which had laid waste New corded on tables of brass in their market-places, and in their Servia." The difficulties which have attended the expla- temples, that they might be seen and read. In like manner nation of this prediction are thus happily removed, and the the Jewish prophets used to write, and expose their prophpropriety of the expression fully established.-PAXTON. ecies publicly on tables, either in their own houses, or in Ver. 10. And they shall scoff at the kings, and the temple, that every one that passed by might read them. the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they BURDER. shall deride every stronghold; for they shall Ver. 11. For the stone shall cry outof the wall, heap dust, and take it. and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. CHAP. 1. ZEP HAN IAH. 565 The margin has, instead!of "answer it," "or witness Habakkuk seems to allude. The vidflence of Lebanon is against." When a man denies what he has solemnly a beautiful and energetic expression, denoting the ferocious promised, the person who complains of his perfidy, says, animals that roam on its mountains, and lodge in its thick"The place where you stood shall witness against you." ets; and that, occasionally descending into the plain in quest " A beautiful princess was once enjoying herself in a fra- of prey, ravage the fold or seize upon the unwary villager. grant grove, when a noble prince passed that way; she be- — PAXTON. came enamoured of his person, and he solemnly promised C to return and marry her. When he left her, she wept bitterly, and said,' Ah! should he not return, this tali-tree Ver. 4. And his brightness was as the light; he (pandanus odoratissima) shall WITNESS against him. Yes, hadzhorns coming' out of his hand; and there the birds shall be my witnesses. "-ROBERTS.'was the hiding of his power. Ver. 17. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover See on Ps. 92. 10. thee, and the spoil of beasts, which make them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city,-and of all that ing to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. dwell therein. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth'with rivers. The lofty summits of Lebanon were the chosen haunts The oriental bows, according to Chardin, were usually of various beasts of prey; the print of whose feet Maun- carried in a case hung to their girdles; it was sometimes drell and his party observed in the snow. But they are not of cloth, but more commonly of leather. The expression confined to these situations: a recent traveller continued in these words of the prophet must consequently be underdescending several hours, through varied scenery, present- stood of the bow when out of the case.-HARMER. ing at every turn some new feature, distinguished either by its picturesque beauty or awful sublimity. On arriving Ver. 19. The LO at one of the lower swells, which form the base of the will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he wvil mountain, he and his party broke rather abruptly into a make me to walk upon my high places. To deep and thick forest. As they traversed the bocage, the the chief singer on my stringed instruments. howlings of wild animals were distinctly heard from the recesses. To these savage tenants of the desert, the prophet See on Ps. 18. 33. ZEPHANIAH. CHAPTER I. very small, partly to hinder the Persians from entering into them on horseback, and partly that they may less observe her. 8. And it shall come to pass in the day of the magnificence within. To which ought to be added, the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the what he elsewhere observes, that these Armenians are princes, and the king's children, and all such treated with great rigour and insolence by the Persians. If as are clothed with strange apparel. 9. In the this text refers to a violence of this sort, they are the threshsame day also will I punish all those that leap olds of the oppressed over which they leaped, not the threshsame day alswllIuihllthseha olds of the oppressive masters, which some have supposed, on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses when they returned laden with spoil.-HARiEaR. with violence and deceit. Ver. 12. And it shall come to pass at that time, "Those that wear strange apparel." These are words that that e will search Jerusalem witho candlest and in this connexion seem to mean only the rich that were putish the men that are settmed on their lees: conscious of=such power and influence as to dare in time of oppression and danger, to avow their riches, and who there- that say in their heart, The LORD will not do fore were not afraid to wear the precious manufactures of good, neither will he do evil. strange countries, though they were neither magistrates, nor yet of royal descent. A great number of attendants is The margin has, in place of " settled," " curdled or thicka modern piece of oriental magnificence; as I shall here- ened." The Tamul translation has this, " dregs stirred after have occasion to remark it appears to have been so up," i. e. sediment shaken together well thickened. Of anciently, Eccles. v. 11; these servants, now, it is most cer- people who are in great straits, of those who are a strange tain, frequently attend their master on horseback, richly at- compound of good and evil, of things which are di fficult to tired, sometimes to the number of twenty-five or thirty: if understand, it is said, " Ah! this is all kudllmZmbiiu- vandlZ,"1 they did so anciently, with a number of servants attending i. e. stirred up dregs. This appears to have been the state great men, who are represented by this very prophet as at that of the Jews, and they wanted to show that the Lord would time in common terrible oppressors, ch. iii. 3, they may be neither do good nor evil; that in him was not any distinct naturally supposed to ride into people's houses, and having character; and that he would not regard them in their gained admission by deceit, to force from them by violence thickened and mixed condition; that, though they were considerable contributions: for this riding into houses is joined to the heathen, it was not of any consequence.'* I not now only practised by the Arabs; it consequently might will search Jerusalem with candles;" thus were they misbe practised by others, too, anciently. It is not now peculiar taken in their false hopes. Does a man declare his innoto the Arabs, for Le Bruyn, after -describing the magnifi- cence of any crime, the accusers say, " We will search thee cent furniture of several of the-Armenian merchants at with lamps." "Yes, yes, I will look into that affair with Julfa, tha. suburb of Ispahan in which they live, tells us, lamps." " What! have your lamps gone out. You see -hat the fiont door of the greatest part of these houses is I am not guilty." —OBsERTs. 566 ZEP HANIA. CHIAP. t CHAPTER II. and shall He not do it 7. The oracle was delivered by the Ver. 4. For Gbaza shall be forsaken, antd Ashke- prophet (Zechariah) more than five hundred years before tthe Christian era, and we behold its accomplishment eighon a'desolation; the.y shall drive out Ashdod teen hundred years after that event, and see with our eyes at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted up. that the king has perished from Gaza, and that Ashkelon is not inhabited; and were there no others on which the mind The city of Ashkelon or Ascalon, was one of the five could confidently rest, from the fulfilment of this one proprincipalities of the ancient Philistines: it is situated on phecy even the most skeptical may be assured, that all that the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, between Azotus, or is predicted in the sacred volume shall come to:pass." - Ashdod, and Gaza. Ashkelon is mentioned in Judg. i. ORaNE. 18, as having been taken by the tribe of Judah; afterward it fell successivelyunder the dominion of the As- Ver. 6. And the seacoast shall be dwellings,_ and syrians, Persians, Macedonians, and Romans. This city cottages for shepherds and folds for flocks had a temple dedicated to Venus Urania, which was destroyed by the Scythians, six hundred and thirty years be- Archbishop Newcome has remarked, that many manufore the Christian era; another dedicated to Derceto, a tu- scripts and three editions have a single letter in one of these telary deity of the Philistines; and another consecrated to words more than appears in the common editions; which, Apollo, of which Herod, the grandfather of Herod the instead of cherith, gives us a word which signifies caves; Great, was priest: the latter was born here, and from this and he thus renders the words: and the'seacoast shiall be circumstance he has sometimes been called the Ascalonite. sheep-cotes; caves for shepherds, and folds for fiocks. This In the early ages of Christianity, Ascalon was a bishop's translation will appear perfectly correct, if it be considered see. - During the crusades it was a place of considerable that the mountains bordering on the' Syrian coast are reimportance; but having been repeatedly captured and re- markable for the number of caves in them. In the history captured by the Saracens, it was finally reduced to a heap of the crusades it is particularly mentioned that a number of ruins. Though it was one of the chief maritime cities of persons retired with their wives and children, their flocks of Phenicia, at present it does not exhibit the least vestige and herds, into subterraneous caves, to find shelter from the of a port. enemy.-HARMER.'" The position of Ashkelon is strong: the walls are built on the top of a ridge of rock that winds round the town in a Ver. 7. And the coast shall be for the remnant of semicircular direction and terminates at each end in the semicircular direction, and terminates at each end in the the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: sea. The foundations remain all the way round; the walls are of great thickness, and in some places of considerable in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down height, and flanked with towers at different distances. in the evening: for the LORD their God shall Patches of the wall preserve their original elevation; but visit them, and turn away their captivity. in general it is ruined throughout, and the materials lie scattered around the foundation, or rolled down the hill on An extract from Dr. Chandler's Travels furnishes a either side. The ground falls within the walls, in the same very lively comment on these words: " Our horses were manner that it does without: the town was situated in the disposed among the walls and rubbish, (of Ephesus,) with hollow, so that no part of it could be seen from the outside their saddles on; and a mat was spread for us on the ground. of the walls. Numerous small ruined houses still remain, We sat here in the' open air while supper was preparing; with small gardens interspersed among them. In the highest when suddenly fires began to blaze up among the bushes, part of the town are the remains of a Christian convent and we saw the villagers collected about them in savage close upon the sea, with a well of excellent water beside it. groups, or passing to and fro, with lighted brands for The sea beats strongly against the bank on which the con- torches. The flames, with the stars and a pale moon, afvent stands; and six prostrate columns of gray granite, forded us a dim prospect of ruin and desolation. A shrill half covered with the waves, attest the effects of its en- owl, called cucuvaia from its note, with a nighthawk, croachments. There is no bay or harbour for shipping; flitted near us; and a jackal cried mournfully, as if forbut a small harbour, advancing a little way into the town saken by his companions on the mountain."-BURDER. towards its eastern extremity, seems to have been formed for the accommodation of such qmall craft as were used in Ver. 9. Therefore, as I live saith the LORD of the better days of the city." The water, seen in the fore- ground of our view, is the result of the overflowing of a hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be V;rrent during the rainy season, the channel of which is as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Go+Iry at other times. morrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltAshkelon was one of the proudest satrapies of the Philis- pits, and a perpetual desolation the residue of tines: nova there is not an inhabitant within its walls; and the predictions of Jeremiah, Amos, Zephaniah, and Zecha- my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of riah, have been literally fulfilled:-" Ashkelon is cut off my people shall possess them. with the remnant of their valley." (Jer. xlvii. 5.) He " that holdeth the sceptre" has been cut off " from Ashke- See on Jer. 17. 5, 6. Ion." (Amos i. 8.) " Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation." (Zeph. ii. 4.) " The king shall perish from Ver. 14. And flocks shall lie down inthe midst Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited." (Zech. ix. 5.) of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the At the time the two last-cited predictions were uttered, both cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the these satrapies of the Philistines were in a flourishing condition; each the capital of its own petty state: "and noth- ther voce shall sng n the ilag but the prescience of heaven could pronounce on which windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: of the two, and in what manner, the vial of his wrath should for he shall uncover the cedar-work. thus be poured out." Gaza is still a large and respectable town, but truly without a king: the walls of Ashkelon are Margin, " knobs or chapiters." Chardin, describing the broken down, its lofty towers lie scattered on the ground, magnificent pillars that he found at Persepolis, tells us, that and the houses are lying in ruins without a human inhabit- the storks (birds respected by the Persians) make their ant to occupy them, or to build them up. "How is the nests on the tops of these columns with great boldness, and w'rath of man made to praise his Creator! Hath He said, are in no danger of being dispossessed.-BURDER. .~:.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i I i:I 7 I'// ~-~ f~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~I / i'/7,,;'/ ~II,''I /1 /I!///!i/7ii/:47 If i ~i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{ 1% "' I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i i~~~~~~~~i I I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~,l t~' ~i~.! i;!,i,,'"'":":I'''" ~ ~~I I I ~ r; i I i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i~ _______________________________________ ____ _________ ii ZECH AR I AH. CHAPTER I. accused sometimes appeared before the judges clothed it Ver. 8. 1 saw by night, and behold a man riding black, and his head covered with dust. In allusion to this ancient custom, the prophet Zechariah represents Joshua, upon a red horse, and he stood among the the high-priest, when he appeared before the Lord, and myrtle-trees that were in the bottom: and be- Satan stood at his right hand to accuse him, as clothed with hind him zwere there red norses, speckled, and filthy garments. After the cause was carefully examined, white. and all parties impartially heard, the public crier, by cormmand of the presiding magistrate, ordered the judges to The word here translated red signifies blood-red, not bring in their verdict.-PAXToN. any kind of bright bay, or other colour usual among horses. Ver. 10. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, But the custom of painting or dying animals for riding, whether asses or horses, explains the nature of this de- shall ye call every man his neighbour under scription. Tavernier, speaking of a city which he visited, the vine and under the fig-tree. says, "five hundred paces from the gate of the city we met a young man of a good family, for he was attended by See on Ps. 78. 47, and 1 Kings 1. 9. two servants, and rode upon an ass, the hinder part of The oriental banquet, in consequence of the intense heat, which was painted red." And Mungo Park informs us, that iS often spread upon the verdant turf, beneath the shade of the Moorish sovereign Ali, a/lways rode upon a milk-white a tree, where the streaming rivulet supplies the company horse, with its tail died red. See also Zech. vi. 2. Rev. v. with wholesome water, and excites a gentle breeze to cool 4.-BURnsER. -their burning temples. The vine and the fig, it appears from the faithful page of inspiration, are preferred on such CHAPTER II. joyous occasions.-PAxToN. Ver. 4. And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without wvalls for the multitude of Ver. 10. For who hath despised the day of small men and cattle therein: 5. For I, saith the things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the LORD, wrill be unto her a wall of fire round ~plummet-in the hand of Zerubbabel with those about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth. The promise of God's being to Jerusalem, or his church, a wall offire, seems to be spoken in allusion to the manner The margin has, instead of "they shall rjoice, or in which travellers in desert parts of the earth defend them- since the seven eyes of the Lord shall." (ii. 9, "Seven selves in the nighttime from the attacks of ferocious ani- eyes.") Dr. Bothroyd says, these eyes represent mals. They place fires in various directions around their *fect oversight and providence of God," which I doubt not is encampment. This was our constant practice in the wilds the true meaning. It is a curious fact that the sun which of Africa, when timber to burn could be obtained. While shines seven times in the course of the week, i spoken of the fires kept burning, we were in perfect safety, as no un-a the "seven eyes" of the deity, because there is an eye domesticated animal, however ferocious, will approach for each day. Thus, the Sunday, the "first eye' of God near to fire. Something in its brightness seems to give shines and so on through the rest of the days. In the 9th alarm.-oCAiPBELL. verse mention is made of laying the foundation stone of a temple for Jehovah, and again in the 10th verse it is asked, CHAPTER III. " Who hath despised the day of small things I" saying it is ONLY the foundation, this is a small beginning: fear not, Ver. 2. And the LORrD said unto Satan, The for the " seven eyes" of the Lord are over the work. His LORD rebuke thee, 0 Satan; even the LORD good providence shall accomplish the whole, because he that hath chosen Jerusalem r~ebuke thee: is not has an eye for each day of the week. Has a man suffered this a brand plucked out of the fire? a great evil, has an antagonist triumphed over another, either in a court of justice or any other way, he says, in When a man has had a VERY narrow escape from dan-talking about his misfortunes," God has lost his eyes, or I ger or from death. he is called a firebrand! -Thus, when should not have fallen into this trouble." "Well, friend, the cholera rages, should only one in a family escape, he is how is this I hear you have gained the day."-" True, named " the firebrand." When a person talks of selling,the eyes of God were upon me." Should there not his property in consequence of not having an heir, people have been rain for some time, the peole say, " God has no say, "Sell it not, there will be yet a firebrand to inherit it." eyes in these days," i. e. he does not take care of us. In the "CAlas! alas! my relations are all dead, I am a firebrand." book Neethe-veanpa it is said, "To all there are two eyes; -ROBERTS. to the learned there are three; to the giver of alms there are SEVEN eyes, (alluding to each day;) but to those who Ver. 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy gar- through penance have received gracious gifts, there are inments, and stood before the angel. numerable eyes."-ROBERT. It was usual, especially among the Romans, when a man was charged with a capital crime, and during his arraign- Ver. 9. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, ment, to let down his hair, suffer his beard to grow long, to and, behold, there came out two women, and wrear filthy ranged garments, and appear in a very dirty the wind was in their wing and sordid habit; on account of which they were called sordidati. When the person accused was brought into wings like the wings of a stork;) and they court to be tried, even his near relations, friends, and ac- lifted up the ephah between the earth and the quaintances, before the court voted, appeared with dishev- heaven. elled hair, and clothed with garments foul and out of fashion, weepinlg, crying, and deprecating punishment. The In the vision of which these words are a part, the prophe, 568 ZECHARIAHI. CHAP. 8-11. beheld in fearful perspective, the future calamities of his him the nail, out of him the battle-bow, out of nation. The ephah represented the measure of iniquity him every oppressor together. which the Jews were fast filling up by their increasing enormities. The woman whom he saw sitting in the midst See on Is. 22. 23. of the ephah, signified the Jewish nation in their degene- CHAPTER XI. rate state; this woman the angel calls wickedness, the abstract being put for the concrete, the wicked people of the Ver. 1. Open thy doors, 0 Lebanon, that the fira Jews, to whom God was about to render according to their may devour thy cedars. works. Into the ephah the woman is thrust down, and a talent of lead cast upon the month of it, to keep her a close See on Ps. 72. 16. prisoner; denoting that the condemned sinner who hash filled up the measure of his iniquity, can neither escape from' the curse of God, nor endure the misery which it in- may devour thy cedars. 2. Howl, fir-tree, for flicts. The ephah containing this mystical woman, he now the cedar is fallen; because all the mighty are sees carried away into a far country; that is, the nation of spoiled: howl, Oye oaks of Bashan; for the the Jews overthrown, their civil and religious polity extin- forest of the vintage is come down. guished, their temple burned, their priests slain, and the poor remains of their people scattered over the face of all The mountainous range of Lebanon was celebrated for the earth. This great and terrible destruction is accom- the extent of its forests, and particularly for the size and plished by the Roman emperors, Vespasian and Titus, sym- excellence of its cedars. The ascent from the village of bolized by "two women who had wings like a stork, Eden, or Aden, near Tripoli, to the spot where the cedars which are sufficiently powerful to waft that bird to a very grow, is inconsiderable. This distance is computed by distant country. These symbolical women lifted up the Captains Irby and Mangles to be about five miles, allowing ephah between the earth and the heaven; which was ful- for the widigs of the road, which is very ruged and filled when the Roman armies, with a rapidity resembling passes over hill and dale. These far-famed trees are situthe flight of a bird of passage, came up against the Jews, ated on a small eminence in a valleyat the foot of the highnow ripe for destruction, and swept them from the land of est part of the mountain: the land on the mountains side has est part of the mountain: the land on'the mountain's side has their fathers into regions far remote, from which they were a steril aspect, and the trees are remarkable by being alnot, as in the first captivity, to return after seventy years, together in one clump. By the natives they are called Arbut to remain in a state of depression and suffering for sileb.In. There areein fact, two generations of trees; the manyT enerations. Under the curse of incensed heaven oldest are large and massy, four, five, or even seven trunks they still revmain, and must do so, till the fulness of the springing from one base; they rear theira heads to an, enorGentiles be come in, and then all Israel shall be saved. — mous height, spreading their branches afar; and they are PAXTON. not found in any other part of Lebanon, thoughb young trees CHAPTER VIII. are occasionally met with. The ancient cedars —those which superstition has conVer. 7. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I secrated as holy, and which are the chief object of the will save my people from the east country, and traveller's curiosity, have been gradually diminishing in from the wvest country. number for the last three centuries. In 1550, Belloni found them to be twenty-eight in number:, Rauwolf, in 1575, The margin has, instead of "west country," "country of counted twenty-four; Dandini, in 1600, and Thevenot, about the going down of the sun." The form in the margin is fifty years after, enumerated twenty-three, which Maunexceedingly common; thus people do not always say, We drell, in 1697, states Were reduced to sixteen. Dr. Pococke, are to go to the east or west, but "to the side where is in 1738, found fifteen standing, and one which had been rethe going down," or "eto the side where is the ascending cently blown down. Burckhardt, in 1810, counted eleven entlbowne dow our e thall in thre houndred smaller place." In hat direction are you going To the twelve; twenty-five others were very large ones, about place of the going down."-fRonERTS. itfty of middling size, and more than three hundred smaller and young ones. Lastly, in 1818, Dr. Richardson found that Ver. 16. These are the things that ye shall do, the old cedars, "the glory of Lebanon," were no more than seven in number. In the course of another century, it is tSpeak ve every man the truth to his neid(Yhbou; speak ye every man the truth to his neihbour probable that not a vestige of them will remain, and the execute the judgment of truth and peace in predictions of the prophets will then be most literally fulyour gates. filled:-" Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down. The high ones of stature shall be hewn down: Lebanon shall fall it appears from the above, and other passages of scrip- mightily." (Isa. xxxiii. 9; x. 33, 34.) "Upon the mounttore, that the kings of Israel distributed justice, or sat in ains and in all the valleys hi5 branches are fallen; to the judgment to' decide causes that might be brought before end that none of all the trees by the water exalt themselves them, at the gate,-that the gate of the city was the place for their height, neither shoot up the top among the thick where these causes came before them, and where they pro- boughs." (Ezek. xxxi. 12, 14.) Open thy doors, 0 Lenounced their decision;-that the king held his councils at banon, that the -fire may destroy thy cedars. The cedar is the gate, or where the elders or chiefs met the king, to con- fallen; the. forest of the vintage is come down." r (Zech. sider the affairs of the nation;-and that, in fact, all their xi. 1, 2.) principal assemblies were held at the gates of the city. The trunks of the old trees are covered with the names This Jewish custom still exists high in the interior of South of travellers and other persons who have visited them, some Africa. While in Kurreechane, a city about twelve or of which go as far back as 1640. These trunks are dethirteen hundred miles up from the Cape of Good Hope, I scribed by Burckhardt as seeming to be quite dead; their was told that a -cause was going to be brought before the wood is of a gray teint. Maundrell, in 1697, mea-ured one, king. Being anxious to witners it, I was led in haste to which he found to be twelve yards and six inches in girth. the gate, where I saw the king sit down at the right side of and thirty-seven yards in the fpi'ead cf its boughs: at above it, with his secretary on his right hand, and the prosecutor, five or six yards from the ground it was divided into five or complainer, on his left, who stated his case across to the limbs, each of which was equal to a great tree. Forty.one secretary. During his narrating his case, the king was look- years afterward, (viz. 1738,) Dr. Pococke ni easured one ing about as if not attending to what was said, but I saw which had the roundest body; though not the largest, and from his' eve that he was attending to what, for form's found it twenty-four feet in circumference; another, with sake, was aiddressed to the secretary. When the party had a sort ef triple body and of a triangular figure, measured finhished what he had to say, the secretary repeated the twelve feet on each side. In 1818, Dr. Richardson measwhole to the king, as if he had been entirely ignorant of ured one, which he afterward discovered was not the larthe matter. The king immediately gave judgment.- gest in the clump, and found it to be thirty-two feet in cirCAMPBELL. cumference. Finally, in 1824, Mr. Madox rested under the branches of a cedar, which measured twenty-seven feet in circumference, a little way from the ground: after which Ver. 4. Out of him came forth the corner, out of he measured the largest of the trees now standing, which CHAP. 11-i4. ZE C HARIAH. 569 he found to be thirty-nine or forty feet in circumference: it The people of the East try the QUALITY of gold by the has three very large stems, and seven large branches, with TOUCH. Thus, they have a small stone on which they first various smaller ones. O rub a needle of KNOWN quality: they then take the article The cedars of Lebanon are frequently mentioned in the they wish to try, and rub it near to the mark left by the sacred writings. Besides their uncommon size and beauty other, and by comparing the two, they judge of the value of of shape and foliage, (which must be borne in mind in order that which they " try." In those regions there are not any to enter filly into the meaning of the sacred writers,) they MARKS by which we can judge of the STANDARD, except in send forth a fragrant odour, which seems tobe intended by the way alluded to. Under such circumstances, there can"the smell of Lebanon." (Hos. xiv. 6. Sol. Song iv. 11.) not be any wonder that there is much which is NOT " fine Its timber was used in the erection of the first and second gold;" and such is the skill of some of the goldsmiths, they temple at Jerusalem, as well as of the palace of Solomon; often deceive the most practised eye. The grand secret of and in the last-mentioned edifice, so much cedar-wood ap- ALCHYIYM, by which other metals could be transmuted into pears to have been used, that it was called " the house of the gold, has never been FULLY divulged, but multitudes beforest of Lebanon." (1 Kings vii. 2; x. 19.) The Tyrians lieve that certain individuals have this knowledge. Nor used it in ship-building, (Ezek. xxvi. 5, 6.)-HO.NE. was that invaluable acquirement confined to Hindoos; for [See engraving of the CEDARS OF LEBANON, i, the DOMPRE- "Diocletian caused a diligent inquiry to be made for all KIENSIVE COMMENTARY.] the ancient books which treated of the admirable art of COMM NY A -nd I ~clfekof slaughter, making gold and silver, and without pity committed them Ver. 7. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, to the flames, apprehensive, as we are assured, lest the even you, O poor of the flock. And I took opulence of the Egyptians should inspire them with conrfiunto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, dence to rebel against the empire." " The conquest of and the olther I called Bands: and I fed the Egypt by the Arabs diffused that vain science over the globe." flock. Numbers in the East waste their entire property in trying to acquire this wonderful secret. Not long ago a party of Written obligations were canceled in different ways; the "gold-makers," having heard of a very charitable man, one was by blotting or drawing a line across them, and an- went to him and said they ha heard of his good deeds, and other by strikig them trough ith a ail * n bothcaseswent to him and said they had heard of his good deeds, and other by striking them through with a nail; in both cases in order to enable him to be more benevolent, they offered, the bond was rendered useless, and ceased to be valid at a trifling exp bens e vole, to make him a e quantity of gold. These customs the apostle applies to the death of Christ in his epistle to the Colossians: "Blotting out the handwri- d furnished the required materials, among which, it thought, tin- of ordinances that was against lls, which was contrary and furnished the required materials, among which, it must ting of ordinances that was against us, whichwas contrary be observed, was a considerable quantity of gold. The to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."' time came for making the precious metal, and the whole A rod was sometimes broken, as a sign that the covenant t rod whas sometimes broten, as a sign that the covenant was cast into the crucible, the impostors taking care to put into which they had entered was nullified. A trace of this in an extra quantity of gold. When it was nearly ready, ancient custom is still discernible in our own country: the the alchymists threw in some stalks of an unknown plant, lord steward of England, when he resigns his commission, and pronounced certain incantations: after which the conbreaks his wand of office, to denote the termination of his tents were turned out and there the astonished man saw a power. Agreeably to this practice, the prophet Zechariah treat deal more gold than he ad advanced uch an opbroke the staves of Beauty and Bands, the symbols of God's great deal more gold than he had advanced. Such an opportunity was not to be lost; he therefore begged them to covenarnt with ancient Israel, to show them, that in conse-portunity was not to be lost; he therefore beed them to quence of their numerous and long-continued iniquities, he make him a much larger quantity, and after some objections the knaves consented, taking good care immediately withdrew his distinguishing favour, and no longer ac- to decamp with the whole amount. An ARMENIAN gentleknowledged them as his peculiar peoile. This is the exman, who died at the age of 82, as is recorded in the Madposition given by the prophet himself: "And I took my ras Gazette of July 22, 1830, had expended the whole of covenant which had madcut it asunderll that I might break my was his property, amounting to 30,000 pagodas, in search of covenant which I had made with all the people; and it was the philosopher's stone, but left the world a beggar. broken in that day. Then I cut asunder my other'staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between "With crucible and furnace, bursting on his trunk, Judah and Israel."-PAxToN. His last remains of blissful fervour sunk."'-RosBRTS. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIV. aTer. 6. In that day will I make the governors of Ver. 18. And if the family of Egypt go not up Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood, and come not, that have no rain, there shall be and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they the plague wherewith the LORD will smite the shall devour all the people round about, on the heathen that come not up to keep the feast ot right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall tabernacles. be inhabited again in her own place, even in See on 1 Kings 17. 1. Jerusalem. See on Joel 1. 19. Ver. 20. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE CHAPTER XIII. LORD; and the pots in the LORD's house Ver. 4. And it shall come to pass in that day, that shall be like the bowls before the altar. the prophets shall be ashamed every one,of his eision, prohen hl heath puophesied y: neither shall The finest breed of Arabian horses is in this country, and ision, hen he bath prophesied: neither shall has furnished us with those we make use of for the turf. they wear a rough garment to deceive. They are here chiefly articles of luxury, used only in war, See on Is. 20. 3. - - or for parade. The governor has a large stud opposite the house where I live, which affords me much pleasure, as I Ver. 6. And one shall say unto him, What are pay them frequent visits. They are small, but finely shathese wounds in thy hands? Then he shall ped and extremely active. Of this I had an opportunity of judging yesterday, when the cavalry had a field-day in the answer, Those with which I was wounded in great square, which, from the mode of exercise, called to the house of my friends. my mind the idea of our ancient tilts and tournaments. See on Lev. 19. 36. The horses were sumptuously caparisoned, being adorned with gold and silver trappings, bells hung round their necks, Ver. 9. And I will bring the third part Ehrough and rich housings. The riders were in handsome Turkish the fire, and will refine them as silver is re- new with white trbatns, alend (R olke's Travels to the fined, and will try them as gold is tried. Coast of Arabia rTDlix.) —BuDER. 72 MALACHI. CHAPTER I. the name of this capital, in all the various languages it:. Ver. 1. The burden of the word of the LORD to which it occurs, implies A ROCK. The theatre, which is seen on the left of our view, is the Israel by Malachi. first object which presents itself to the traveller on entering "PETRA from the eastward. Captains Irby and:Mangles The prophecy is here called "burden," a term which state that it was entirely hewn out of the live rock. The frequently occurs elsewhere, and which is usually under- scene was unfortunately built, and not excavated. Fragstood as equivalent to " burdensome prophecy," or such as ments of columns are strewed on the ground in front. deniounced heavy and grievous things. But from the fol- This theatre is surrounded by sepulchres. Every avenue lowing passage of Jeremiah, it would seem that that inter- leading to it is full of them; and it may be safely affirmed, pretation does not universally hold: " And as for the pro- that one hundred of the largest dimensions are visible from phet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The it. Indeed, throughout almost every quarter of this meburden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his tropolis, the depositories of the dead must have presented house. Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and themselves constantly to the eyes of the inhabitants, and every one to his brother, What hath the Lord answered 2 have almost outnumbered the inhabitants of the living. and, What hath the Lord spoken 2 And the burden of the There is a long line of them, not far from the theatre, at Lord shall he mention no more: for every man's word such an angle as not to be comprehended from the view of shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of it, but which must have formed a principal object for the the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God. Thus shalt city itself. thou say to the prophet, What hath the Lord answered "The largest of the sepulchres had originally three stothee? and, What hath the Lord spoken? But since ye ries, of which the lowest presented four portals, with large say, The burden of the Lord; therefore thus saith the columns set between them; and the second and third, a Lord, Because you say this word, The burden of the Lord, row of eighteen Ionic columns each, attached to the facade: and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The. the live rock being insufficient for the total elevation, a burden of the Lord.". (Jer. xxiii. 34-38.) This has evi- part of the story was grafted on in masonry, and is for the dently the air of a prohibition against taking the word in most part fallen away. The four portals of the basement that unfavourable sense. The original term massa, from open into as many chambers, but all sepulchral, and without a root signifying to bear, carry, take up, is of doubtful im- any communication between them. In one were three report, and sometimes signifies a burdenti, and sometimes what cesses, which seem to have been ornamented with marble was borne, ca' rried, or delivered from one to another, whether or some other extraneous material. a thing or a word, and so was used for a prophecy or mes- "Of all the ruins of PETRA, the mausoleums and sepulsage from God, or other speech or doctrine. The Jews, chres are among the most remarkable; and they give the therefore, regarding the messages received from God, and clearest indication of ancient and long-continued royalty delivered to them by the prophets, as things grievous and and of courtly grandeur. Their immense number corrobburdensome, called the word thus spoken, a bur'den, by way orates the accounts given of their successive kings and of reproach, meaning that it always portended evil, and princes by Moses and Strabo, though a period of eighteen nevergood, or inother words, a calamitousprophecy. But hundred years intervened between the dates of their reGod, seeing the wickedness of their hearts, charges them spective records concerning them. The structure of the with perverting his word, and forbids them any ir ore so to sepulcnres also shows that many of them are of a more abuse it. We infer that the term'does not orighi ally and recent date. Great must have been the opulence of a city exclusively imply a grievous and heavy burden, but simply which could dedicate such monuments to the memory of ma essage, whether its import were joyous or afflictive. its rulers. But the long line of the kings and nobles of, This is confirmed by Zech. xii. 1, where it is prefixed to Idumea has for ages been cut off: they are without any the promise of good things.-BusH. representative now, without any memorial but the multitude and magnificence of their unvisited sepulchres.'No Ver. 4. Whereas Edom saith, We are impover- more shall they boast of the renown of the kingdom; and ishedl, but we will return and build the desolate all her princes shall utterly fail.' (Bp. Lowth's translation places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They "Ami themausoleums and sepulchres, the remains of shall build, but I will throw down; and they temples or palaces, and the multiplicity of tombs,-which shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, all form, as it were, the grave of Idumea, where its ancient The people against whom the LORPD hath in- splendour is interred,-there are edifices, the Greek and Roman architecture of which decides that they were built dignation for ever. long posterior to the era of the prophets." — They shall See on~ Jer. 49. 15-17, and Joel 3. 19. euild, but I will throw down." (Mal. i. 4,) —HORNE. See on Jer. 49. 15-17, and Joel-3. 19. Astonishment, for which language can scarcely find Ver. 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar,; utterance, is the sentiment expressed by every traveller and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee' who has been able to explore the magnificent ruins of the once proud metropolis of Idumea or Edom. A narrow and In that ye say, The table of the LORD is concircuitous dofiie, surrounded on each side by lofty and temptible. precipitous or perpendicular rocks, forms the approach to the desolate yet magnificent scene delineated in our engra- "In that ye say." They said, in effect, that the altar of ving. The ruins of the city here burst upon the view in Jehovah was vile and contemptible, by offering oil it torn, their full grandeur, shut in on the opposite side by barren blind, lame, and sick victims. —NEWCOMB. craggy precipices, from which numerous ravines and valleys branch out in all directions; the sides of the mount- Ver. 8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is ains, covered with an endless variety of'excavated tombs it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, and private dwellings, present altogether the most singular is it not evil ofer it now unto thy governor; scene that can well be conceived. In further confirrmation of the identity of the site, and the accuracy of the appllcatior of the prophecy of Jeremiah, it may be added, that son? saith the LORD of hosts. CHAP. 2. MALA I E [ 571 Though things of very little value are sometimes offered this refer to? Probably to the custom of thq IDOLATERS, of as presents, those to,whom presents are made do not think spreading the ashes of COW-DUNG on their rACES, and to the themselves always obliged graciously to accept every thing marginal reference of Deut. xxix. 17, "dungy gods," on that is brought, or even to dissemble their dislike; they which see the remarks.-RoBERTS. frequently reject the present, and refuse the favour sought. The behaviour of an aga in Egypt to Dr. Pococke, de- Ver. 12. The LORD will cut off the man that monstrates this; as does also this passage of Capt. Norden: doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of " The cashef of Esna was encamped in this place. He the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth made us come ashore. I waited immediately upon him, with some small'presents. He received me very civilly, an offering unto the LORD of hosts. and ordered coffee to be served me. But he refused absolutely what I offered him as a present, and let me know The master and the scholar." This shouldrather be by the interpreter, that in the places from whence we were rendered, " the watchman and the answerer," as Arias come, we had given things of greater value, and that we Montanus has it, vigilantem et respondentem. The true ought not to shosw less respect to him." Something of the explanation is probably to be brought from the temple serlike nature appears in many other passages in travels. vice, in which there was appointed a constant watch, day If a present was not somewhat proportionate to the quali- and night, by the Levites; and among them this seems to tv of the person applied to, the circumstances of him that have belonged particularly to the singers, 1 Chron. ix. 33. offered it, and the value of the favour asked, it was reject- Now the watches in the East are, to this day, performed ed. Lambs and sheep were often given as presents. So by a loud cry from time to time, by the watchmen, one the cashef I have been speaking of, made Norden and his after another, to mark the hour, and that very frequently, company a present the next day of two very fat sheep, to- in order to show that they are constantly attentive to their gether with a great basket of bread. The reys, orboat-duty. Tavernier remarks, that "the watchmen in the men, that had carried them up the Nile, we are told, in camps go their rounds, crying one after another, "God' is like manner, came to see them three daysbefore, and made one, He is merciful;" and often add, " Take heed to yourthem a present of an excellent sheep, together with a basket selves." The hundred and thirty-fourth Psalm gives us of' Easter bread. Perhaps we may be ready to imagine an example of the temple-watch. The whole Psalm is presents of this kind were only made to travellers that nothing more than the alternate cry of the two different wanted provisions; but this would be a mistake. Sir John divisions of the watch. The allusion is similar in the Chardin, in his' MS. expressly tells us, "it is the custom passage before us. (See Lowth on Is. lxii. 6.)-BusH. of the East for poor people, and especially those that live in the country, to make presents to their lords of lambs Ver. 14. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the and sheep, as an offering, tribute, or succession. Presents LORD hath been' witness between thee and the to men, like offerings to God, expiate offences." So D'Ar- wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast vieux mentions lambs among the things offered to him as dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, presents, when he officiated as secretary to the great emir dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, of the Arabs. The Jewish people were in a low state in and the wife of thy covenant. 15. And did the time of Malachi, and almost entirely engaged in coun- not he make one?2 Yet had he the residue of try business. try businesu. -.the Spirit. And wherefore onel That he How energetic, if we assemble these circumstances together, is the expostulation of the prophet! "If ye offer might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy against the wife of his youth. governor, will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy persoin." Mal. i. 8. When they made presents of lambs or "And did not he make one." This, Madan contends, sheep, they brought those that were very fat: would a Jew- (Thelypthora, vol. 1, p. 135,) should be rendered, " anil ish governor have accepted one that was blind, and conse- did not one make " The mass of commentators, he requently half starved? or pining with lameness or sick- marks, misled by translators, understand the words as signess?-HARMER. nifying that in the beginning. God made but one woman; He had the residue of the spirit, i. e. of power, and therefore Ver. 13. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness could have made more women for Adam, if he had seen fit. is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD To this interpretation he objects, that the original word of hosts: and ye brought that which was torn, *n- cannot signify one woman, inasmuch as it is not of the feminine, but of the masculine gender. Besides wvl'ch, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an to read it in this manner requires an unnatural transposlmion. offering: should I accept this of your hand? of the words.' He prefers, therefore,' the rendering, "Did saith, the LORD. not one make." as v. 10,'"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Did not one, or The one, make Tche margin has, instead of" and ye have snuffed at it," both you and your Jewish wives Did he not form both "( or whereas ye might have blown it away." The mar- of you naturally of the same seed of Abraham, and spiritginal reading is, I doubt not, the best. The Jews had com- l by the same holy dispensation and ordinances? And plained of the "WEARINESS" of their duties: they were h ath (or, hath he not) the residue, of the spirit i. e. tired of making offerings, and those they did offer were Hath he not the same power he ever had Is his hand' polluted," or " lame," or "' blind;" whereas, instead of shortened at all so that he cannot complete your restorathose duties being burdensome, they were so LIGHT that tion if he pleases, or punish you still more severely if.ye they might have BLOWN them away. Does a person com- continue disobedient to his will?. And wherefore one? plain of his numerous labours or duties, another will ask, What did he seek.. A godly seed; or, Heb. a seed oJ "W hat are they? wMhy, a breath will blow them away." God, a holy seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, " Alas! I have many things nto attend to."'-" Fy on you i. e. to your temper, your affections. Curb your irregular for talking so; if you BLOW on them they will go." —Roa- passions, and let none deal treacherously against the wife ERTS, of his youth, by putting her away, and taking these idolatresses; for I the Lord hate putting away." CHAPTER II. The consideration of the relation in which they stood Ver. 3. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and to Jehovah; he their common Father, they his professing children; wras one argument against their separating. spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of Ahildher ne argument against their separating. ZD - -1 — — ~ —h -~Another was, that as the Lord sought a godly seed in their your solemn feasts, and one shall take you away offspring, by their being devoted to him in their earliest with it.' infancy, then brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, this design would be defeated by their taking In the 11th verse of this chapter, allusion is again made idolatrous women, who, instead of devoting the children to the heathenism of Judah: they had " married the daughter to Jehovah, would be apt to bring them up to the worship of a strange god." " Dung upon your faces." What can of their idols, and an wutgodly seed would be the conse. 572 X LtIM iACHI. CHAP. 3, 4. quence. Lastly, he had forbidden divorce from the begin- infected air, this wind is always called the Doctor. " Now," ning, for he hateth putting away at any rate; but how says Mr. Robinson, "it strikes me that the prophet Malachi, much more to see his own professing daughters put away, who lived in that quarter of the world, might allude to this that his own professing sons might marry the daughters of circumstance, when he says, The Sun of righteousness shall a strange god. This was indeed doing an abominable arise with healing in his wings. The Psalmlist mentions thing, which God, hated.-BusH. the wings of the wind, and it appears to me that this salubrious breeze, which attends the rising of the sun, may be CHAPTER III. properly enough considered as the wings of the sun, which Ver. 14. Y-9e have said, Itt is vain to serve God: contain such healing influenices, rather than the beams of and14Ye w hat vprofidt is it atiw have kevept hGo the sun, as the passage has been commonly understood." — and what profit is it that we have kept his or- BURDER. dinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts Ver. 3. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your The margin, for " mournfully," has, " in black." Here feet, in the day that I shall do this, saith the we have another instance of the base ingratitude of thef hosts. people: " It is vain to serve, God."-" In black."': My friend, why has your face become so black V" " Alas! my sorrow, my sorrow; therefore my face is full of blackness." See on Is. 41. 25.;' Yes, mry sorrows are chased away, lilke dew before the One sort of mortar made in the East is composed of one sun, and my face no longer gathers blackness."-RoBERTeS part of sand, two of wood-ashes, and three of lime, wel mixed together, and beaten for three days and nights incesCHAPTER IV. santly with wooden mallets. (Shaw.) Chardin mentions VTer. 2. But unto you tlhat ~fear my name shall the this circumstance, and applies it to this passage of the un. of righteo yousnes arise with healing in his prophet, supposing there is an allusion in these words to the making of mortar in the East, with ashes collected from wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as their baths. Some learned men have supposed the wicked calves of the stall. here are compared to ashes, because the prophet had been speaking of their destruction under the notion of burning, The late Mr. Robinson, of Cambridge, called upon a ver. 1; but the sacred vwriters do not always keep close to friend just as he had received a letter from his son, who those figures which they first propose; the paragraph of was surgeon on board a vessel then lying off Smyrna. The Malachi is a proof of this assertion, and if they had, he son mentioned to his father, that every Morning about sun- would not have spoken of treading on the wicked like ashes rise a freshgale of air blew from the sea across the land, if it had not been customary in these times to tread ashes and from its wholesomeness and utility in clearing the which it seems was done to makle mortar.-HARMER. END OF TTIlE OLD TESTAMENT. ___ _ -~=2__ GENERAL VIEW OF PETRA FROM THE NORTH-EAST.-Mal 1 4. Jer 49. ~~~~~~~-~ —— ~ —..-. - - NAZARE"-I.-Ma-tt. 2:2. P:age b76 a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ —---— ~I A.~~~~~~~~~~~~~ —----- -. 4~i_ —-== THE NEW TESTAMEN T. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW. CHAPTER I. est, which is most used, passes over ground extremely rocky Ver. 18. Nuow the birth of Jesus Chllrist was on and barren, diversified' only by some cultivated patches, bearing a scanty crop of grain, and by banks of wild flowers, this wise: When as his mother Mary was which grow in great profusion. This town, or rather vil-. espoused to Joseph, before they came together, lage, is pleasantly situated about six miles southwest of she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Jerusalem, on the brow of a steep hill, in a very fertile soil, which only wants cultivation to render it what the name, Espousing or betrothing was a solemn promise of mai- "Bethlehem," imports,-a house of bread. At the further riage made by two persons, each to the other, at such a extremity, like a citadel, stands the convent of Saint Giodistance of time as they agreed upon. The manner of vanni, which contains the Church of the Nativity. A star performing this espousal was either by a writing, or by a is introduced into our view, in order to guide the reader's piece of silver given to the bride, or by cohabitation. The eye to this spot. This convent is divided among the Greek, writing that was prepared on these occasions ran in this Roman, and Armenian Christians, to each of whom are form: "On such a day of such a month, in such a year, A, assigned separate portions, as well for lodging as for places the son of A, has said to B, the daughter of B, be thou my of worship; but on certain days they may all perform their spouse according to the law of Moses and the Israelites, devotions at the altarswhich are erected over the most mermand I will give thee, for the portion of thy virginity, the orable spots within these sacred walls. This convent is sum of two hundred zuzim, as it is ordained by the law. entered through a door strongly bound with iron, so low as And the said B has consented to become his spouse upon to oblige the party entering to stoop considerably, and too these conditions, which the said A has promised to per- narrow to allow more than one person to pass at a time. form upon the day of marriage. To this the said A obliges This leads into the Church of the Nativity, which was himself: and for this he engages all his goods, even as far erected by the Emperess Helena, on the site of a temple of as the cloak which he wears upon his shoulder. Moreover, Adonis, which was built here by the Emperor Hadrian, in he promises to perform all that is intended in contracts of his hatred against all who professed the Christian name and marriage in favour of the Israelitish women. Witnesses, faith. A, B, C." The promise by a piece of silver, and without About a mile to the northeast of Bethlehem is a deep writing, was made before witnesses, when the young man valley, in which Dr. Clarke imagined that he halted at the said to his mistress, "Receive this piece of silver, as a identical fountain or well, for the delicious water of which pledge that you shall become my spouse." The engage- David longed. (2 Sam. xxiii. 15-18.) Here, according ment by cohabitation, according to the rabbins, was allowed to tradition, is the field where the shepherds kept watch by by the law, but it had been wisply forbidden by the ancients, night, when the angels announced to them the birth of our because of the abuses that might happen, and to prevent Lord. (Luke ii. 8-11.) When this spot was visited by the inconvenience of clandestine marriages. After such Mr. Carne, two fine and venerable trees stood in the ceniespousal was made, (which was generally when the parties tre; and the earth around it was thickly covered with were young,) the woman continued with her parents several flowers: he represents it as': so sweet and romantic a spot, months, if not some years, before she was brought home that it would be painful to doubt its identity." and her marriage consummated.-CALMET. Bethlehem is' now a poor village, with a population of about three hundred inhabitants, most of whom are ChrisCHAPTER II. tians. Their number was dreadfully reduced by the plague Ver. 1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the year 1832; and though this village is only a few of Judea in the days of FHerod the king, behold,' miles distant from Jerusalem, the mortality is generally much greater here than in the metropolis of the Holy Land. there came wise men from the east to Jerusa- The Bethlehemites are represented by all travellers as a lem. bold and fierce race, of whom both Turks and Arabs stand in awe. The greater part of them gain their livelihood by There is no traveller in Palestine, of any nation, what- making beads, carving mother-of-pearl shells with sacred ever may be his creed, who does not visit Bethlehem, subjects, and other trinkets, which are highly valued and where "Jesus was born in the days of Herod the king." eagerly purchased by the devout visiters. The monks of (Matt. ii. 1.) Though now reduced to a village, anciently Bethlehem claim the exclusive privilege'of marking the it was a city, (Ruth iii. 11. iv. 1,) and was fortified by Reho- limbs and bodies of such pilgrims as choose to submit to the boam. (2 Chron. xi. 6.) In Matt. ii. 1, 5, it is called Beth- operation, with crosses, stars, and monograms, by means of lehem of Judea, in order to distinguish it from another town gunpowder; —an operation this, which is always painful, of the same name, which had been allotted to the tribe of and sometimes dangerous. This practice is very ancient; Zebulun. In Luke ii. 4, it is termed the " city of David," it is noticed by Virgil (1Eneid. lib. iv. v. 146) and by PomDecause David was born and educated there. ponius Mela, (lib. xxi.) Dr. Clarke remarks, that there Two roads lead from Jerusaleml to Bethlehem: the short- rarely exists an instance among the minor popular super. 576 MATTHEW. CHAP. 3. stitions of the Greek and Roman churches, but its origin told had stood the mass which constitutes the famous chapel may be fo)und in more remote antiquity, and very often of Loretto, in Italy; and the friars assured us, with all among the religious customs of the heathen nations.- possible solemnity, that the angels appointed to the task HORNE. took out this mass from the rock, and flew with it, first to Dalmatia and afterward to Loretto, where it now stands: Ver. 11. And when they were come into the and that in measuring the mass itself, and the place house, they sawr the young child with Mary from which it had been taken, they had found them to corhis mother, and fell down, and worshipped respond in every respect, neither the one by the voyage, nor the other by age, having lost or altered any part of him: and when they had opened their trea- its size or shape. Proceeding farther in, we were shown sures, they presented unto them gifts; gold, a second grotto, or a continuation of the first, with two red and frankincense, and rmyrrh. granite-pillars, of about two feet in diameter, at its entrance, and were told that one marked the spot where the angel The birth of a son is always a time of great festivity in stood when he appeared to Mary, exclaiming, Hail, thou the East; hence the relations come together, to congratulate that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art the happy parents, and to present their gifts to the little thou among women. Luke i. 28. The pillar on the right stranger. Some bring the silver anklets; others, the brace- is still perfect, but that on the left has a piece of its shaft lets, or ear-rings, or silver cord for the loins. Others, how- broken out, leaving a space of about a foot and a half ever, take gold, and a variety of needful articles. The between the upper and under fragment'; the latter of those wise men did not make presents as a matter of charity, continuing still to be supported by being firmly imbedded but to show their affection and respect. When the infant in the rock above, offers to the eyes of believing visiters, son of a king is shown, the people make their obeisance to according to the expression of the friars, a standing mirahim.-ROBERTS. cle of the care which Christ takes of his church, as they insist on its being supported by the hand of God alone. Ver. 18. In lRama was there a voice heard, lam- The grotto here, though small, and about eight feet in entation, and wxveeping, and great.murning, height, remains still in its original roughness, the roof mornng Ibeing slightly arched. In the outer compartrhent. from Rachel weeping for her children, and would whence the chapel of Loretto is said to have been taken, the not be comforted, because they are not. roof, as well as the sides, have been reshaped, and plastered, and ornamented, so that the original dimensions no longer See on ch. 9. 23. remain. Within, however, all is left in its first rude state, Ver. 23. And he came and dwelt in a city called "to perpetuate to future ages the interesting fact which it is er. 23. And he came and dwelt in a city called thought to record. Passing onward from hence, and Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was as:cending through narrow passages, over steps cut out of spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a the rock, and turning a little to the right, we came to a Nazarene. chamber which the friars called La Cucina della Santa Madona; they here showed us the chimney of the hearth Nassara, the Nazareth of the scriptures, is called by on which Mary warmed the food for Jesus, while yet a Maundrellan inconsiderable village; by Brown, a pleasant helpless infant, and where she baked the cakes for her one, with a respectable convent; and in Dr. Clarke's visit husband's supper, when he returned from the labours of was said to have so declined, under the oppressive tyranny the day. This was an apartment of the house, as they of Djezzar's government, as to seem destined to maintain observed, in,which the Son of God lived so many years in its ancient reputation, since now, as of old, one might ask, subjection to man; as it is believed by all that he was with equal reason, Can there any good thing come out of brought up from childhood to manhood in Nazareth. The Nazareth? John i. 46. This town, or village, is situated fact of Joseph and Mary having resided in this house, and in a deep valley, not on the top of a hill, as has been erro- used the very room in which we stood, as their kitchen, has neously stated, but rather on the side of a hill, nearer its nothing at all of improbability in it: and as excavated base than its summit, facing to the southeast, and having dwellings, in the side of a steep hill like this, would be above it the rocky eminence which we had passed over in more secure, and even more comfortable, than fabricated approaching it. The fixed inhabitants are estimated at about ones, it is quite as probable that this might have really two thousand, five hundred of whom are Catholic Chris- been the residence of the holy family, as of any other. tians, about three hundred Maronites, and two hundred The synagogue in which Jesus read and expounded the Mohammedans; the rest being schismatic Greeks. These prophet Esaias on the sabbath, is shown here within the are all Arabs of the country, and notwithstanding the small town, while the precipice from which the exasperated peocircle in which their opposing faiths meet, it is said to their ple would have hurled him, is pointed out at a place more honour, that thev live together in mutual forbearance and than a mile distant, to the southward, and on the other side tranquillity. The private dwellings of the town, to the of the vale.-BUCKINGHAM. number of about two hundred and fifty, are built of stone, which is a material always at hand: they are flat-roofed, being in general only of one story, but are sufficiently spa- Ver. 4. And the same John had his raiment of cious and commodious for the accommodation of a numer- camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his ous poor family. The streets are steep, from the inclina- loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. tion of the hill on which they stand; narrow, from custom; and dirty, from the looseness of the soil. Of the public See on Mark 1. 6. buildings, the mosque is the most conspicuous from without, His raiment was not made of the fine hair of that aniand is, indeed, a neat edifice; it has six arches on one of mal, whereof an elegant kind of cloth is made, which is its sides, for we could see no more of it, as it is enclosed thence called camlet, (in imitation of which, though made within a wall of good masonry, and furnished with a plain of wool, is the English camlet,) but of the lone and shaggy whitened thin arch, surrounded by a gallery, and surmount- hair of camels, which is in the East manulactured Into a ed by the crescent: the whole rising from the centre of the coarse stuff, anciently worn by monks and anchorites. It town, as if to announce the triumph of its dominion to is only when understood in this way, that the words suit those approaching it from afar. The Greeks have their the description here given of John's manner of life.church on the southeast edge of the town, at the foot of the CAMPBELL. hill; the Maronites theirs in front of the Franciscan con- The girdle is an indispensable article in the dress of an vent. Tfhe church is built over a grotto, held sacred from Oriental; it has various uses; but the principal one is to a belief of its being the scene of the angels announcing to tuck up their long flowing vestments, that they may not Mary her favour with God, and her conception and bear- incommode them in their work, or on a journey. The ing of the Saviour. On entering it we passed over a Jews, according to some writers, wore a double girdle, one white marble pavement, ornamented in the centre with a of greater breadth, with which they girded their tunic device in Mosaic, and descended by a flight of marble when they prepared for active exertions: the other they steps into a grotto, beneath the body of the church. In the wore under their shirt, around their loins. This underfirst compartment of this subterraneous sanctuary, we were girdle they reckon necessary to distinguish between the CuA2P. 4. M A T HE. 577 heart, and the less honourable parts of the human frame. oxen likewise, and the young asses that ear the groundl, The upper girdle was sometimes made of leather, the ma- shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with terial of which the girdle of John the Baptist was made; the shovel and with the fan." but it was more commonly fabricated of worsted, often After the grain is winnowed, theylodge it in subterranevery artfully woven into a variety of figures, and made ous magazines, as was formerly the custom of other nations; to fold several times about the body; one end of which two or three hundred of these receptacles are sometimes to being doubled back, and sewn along the edges, serves be found together, the smBllest holding four hundred bushthem for a purse, agreeably to the acceptation of (cor, in els. These grottoes are dug in the form of an oven, gradthe scriptures, which is translated purse in several places ually enlarging towards the bottom, with one round opening of the New Testament.-PAxT ON. at top; and this being close shut when the magazine is full, The dress of John greatly resembled that of the interior is covered over with earth, so as to remain perfectly connations of South Africa, only substituting a skin cloak for cealed from an enemy. These magazines are sometimes one of camel's hair; and his food that of the wild Bush- discovered in the midst of a ploughed field; sometimes on men during the locust season. Locusts resemble gigantic the verge, and even in the middle of the highway. The grasshoppers furnished with wings. When they come, same kind of granaries are used in Palestine as in Syria. like innumerable armies, they certainly destroy all vegeta- Le Bruyn speaks of a number of deep pits at Rama, which tion; —but their carcasses are sufficient for the support of he was told Were designed for corn: and Rauwolf, of three human life. The wild Bushmen kill millions of;them, very large vaults at Joppa, where the inhabitants laid up which they gather together, dry them in the sun, and then their corn, when he was in that country. The treasures in grind them into prowder, which they mix up with wild the field, consisting of wheat and of barley, of oil and of honey, or what the bees deposite upon rocks, trees, and honey, which were offered to Ishmael, as a ransom for the bushes, and on this compound live a part of the year; so lives of his captives, were undoubtedly laid up in the same that the locusts, which are the greatest scourge of more kind of repositories. In dangerous and unsettled times like civilized people, are considered as welcome visiters by those of Jeremiah, it is quite common, even at present, for the wild Bushmen, who hail their approach. Indeed, the the Arabs to secure their corn and other effects, which they crocus and locust seasons are called their harvests; thus cannot carry along with them, in deep pits or subterraneous shQwing that what is a judgment to one nation is a mercy grottoes. Sir John Chardin, in a note upon this very pasto another.-CAMPBELL. sage of the prophet, says, "The eastern peogle in many places hide their corn in these concealments." To these Ver. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto various customs the Baptist alludes in his solemn warning repentance: but he that cometh after me is to the multitudes concerning Christ: "Whose fan (rather ~mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy whose shovel) is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge'to~ ber h hllbptz oumththis floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but the to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy'chaff will hlie burn with unquenchable fire." And our Lord Ghost, and with fire. himself, in his parable of the good seed: Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn The custom of loosing the sandals from off the feet of an them; but gather the wheat into, my barn."-PAXToON. eastern worshipper was ancient and indispensable. It is also commonly observed in visits to great men. The san- Ver. 16. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went dals or slippers are pulled off at the door, and either left up straightway out of the water: and lo, the there, or given to a servant to bear. The person to bear them means an inferior domestic, or attendant upon a man heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the of high rank, to take care of, and return them to him again. Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lightThis was the work of servants among the Jews: and it -was ing upon him. reckoned so servile, that it was thought too mean for a scholar or a disciple to do. The Jews say, " all services Many have supposed, that the third pe'son of the trinity, which a servant does for his master a disciple does for his on this occasion, assumed the real figure of a dove; but master, except unloosing his shoes." John thought it was the sacred writer seems to refer, not to the shape, but to the too great an honour for him to do that for Christ, which manner in which the dove descends from the Sky. Had it was thought too mean for a disciple to do for a wise man. related to the shape or form, it would not have been Wo-c — GILL. rrplc-epav, as a dove; but,sqel reei.TEpa,. as of a dove. In this A respectable man never goes out without his servant or manner, the likeness of fire is expressed by the same evanattendant; thus, he has always some one to talk with, and gelist, in the Acts of the Apostles. " There appeared cloven to do any thing he may require. When the ground is tongues (aet rvpog) as of fire." The meaningoftheclause smooth, or where there is soft grass to walk on, the sandals therefore is, that as a dove hovers on the wing, and overare taken off, and the servant carries them in his hand. shadows the place upon which she intends to perch, so did The devoted, the humble John, did not consider himself the Holy Spirit, in"the form of a luminous cloud, like the worthy to bear the sandals of his divine Master. —RoBERTs. Shechinah which rested on the tabernacle, gradually deWhosefan is in his hand and he will scend, hovering, and overshadowing the Saviour as he Ver. 12.. Whose fan is in his han& and he will came up from the water. This exposition refutes another thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his opinion, which was entertained by many of the ancients, wheat into the garner; but wvill burn up the that it was a real dove which alighted upon the head of our chaff with unqulenchable fire. Lord; for if the sacred writer describes only the manner of descending, neither the form nor the real presence of a dove There is, in what the Baptist here declares, an evicent can be admitted. But although the evangelist alludes'only allusion to the custom of burning the chaff after winnowing, to the manner in which that bird descends from the wing,' that it might not- be blown back again, and so be mingled he clearly recognises her as the chosen emblem of the Holy with the wheat.,There was danger, lest, after they had Spirit, the messenger of peace and joy to sinful and m iserbeen separated, the chaff should be blown again amorW able men.-PAxToN. the wheat by the changing of the wind. To prevent this CHAPTER IV. they put firelto it atthe windward side, which crept on and never gave over till' it had consumed all the chaff. In this Ver. 1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into sense it was an scnquenzchable fire. See also Psalm lxxxiii. the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 13, 14. Isaiah v. 24.-BIURDER. After the grain is trodden out, they winnow it by throw- In sacred language, a mountainous, or less fruitful tract, _ng it up against the wind with a shovel-the -ro rrvov of where the towns and villages are thinly scattered, and sinthe gospels according to Matthew and Luke, there rendered gle habitations few and far between, is distinguished by the a fan, which is too cumbersome a machine to be intended name of the wilderness. The forerunner of our Lord reoy the evangelist. The text should rather run, whose sided in'the wilderness of Judah till he commenced hs,' shovel or fork,,the opyavov oovrrov, (which is a portable in- public ministry. We are informed, in the book of Genesis, strumnent,) is in his hand, agreeably to the practice recorded that Ishmael settled in fhe wilderness of Paran; and in the by Isaiah, who mentions both tli: shovel and the fan: " The first book of Samuel, that David took refuge from the pt-. i.} 578 MAT THEW. CHAP. 5, secution of Saul in the same desert, where it appears the CHAPTER V. numerous flocks of Nabal the Carmelite were pastured. Ver.. And seeig the ultitudes, he ent up Yer. 1. And seeing~ the multitudes, lie went ulp Such places, therefore, were not absolute deserts, but thinly peopled, or less fertile districts. But this remark will into a mpuntain n and when he was set, his disscarcely apply to the wilderness where our Lord was tempt- ciples came unto him. ed of the devil. It is a most miserable, dry, and barren solitude, " consisting of high rocky mountains, so torn and We left our route to visit the elevated mount, where it disordered, as if the earth hlad here suffered some great con- is believed that Christ preached to his disciples that merevulsion, ii which its very bowels had been turned outward. orabl!e sermon, concentrating the sum and substance of fA more dismal and soitarys place can scarcely be found in every Christian virtue. Having attained the highest point the whole earth. About one hour's journey from the foot of it, a view was presented which. for its grandeur, indeof the mountains which environ this wilderness, rises the pendently of the interest excited by the different objects lofty (uarantania, which Maundrell was told is the mount- contained in it, has no parallel in the Holy Land..ain into which the devil carried our blessed Savicur, that From this sitution we perceived that the p over he might show him all; the kinodoms and glory of the world. which we had been so long riding, was itself very elevated. It is, as the evangelist styles it, "an exceeding high mount- Far beneath appeared other plains, one lowel than the ain," and in its ascent both difficult and dangerous. It has other, in that regular gradation, concerning which obseranandi ismaslchaent bthe diffcul an d danoterouabout has f w ay u a small capel at the top, and another abut half w vations were recently made, and extending to the surface of founded on a prominent part of the rock. Near the latter the Sea of Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee. This immense re several caes and holes in the sides o the ountai, lake, almost equal in the grandeur of its appearance to that occupied formerly by hermits, and even in present times of Geneva, spreads its waters over all the lower territory, the resot of reigious devotees, ho repair to these lonely extending from the northeast towards the southwest, and cells to keep their lent, in imitation of our Lord's fasting in then bearing east of us. Its eastern shore presents a sublime the -wilderness forty days.-PAXTON. scene of mountains, extending towards the north and south, and seeming to close in at either extremity, both towards Galilee, teach- Chorazin, where the Jordan enters, and the Aulon or Vaer. 28. A4nd Jesus wvent about all Galilee, teach. Cavmpus Pfagnus, through which it flol.vs to the Dead Sea. ing in their synagogues, and preaching the The cultivated plains reaching'to its borders, which we begospel of the kingdorm, and healinga all manner held at an amazing depth below our view, resembled, by of sicness, an ll manner of disease aon the various hues their different produce exhibited, the of sickness, and all manner of disease among~ ~~~~~the peo.~pie.motley pattern of a vast carpet. To the north appeared snowy summits, towering beyond a series of intervening mountains, with unspeakable greatness.'We considered The scribes ordinarily taught in the synagogues: but it them as the summits of Libanus; but the Arabs belonging was not confined to them, as it appears that Christ did the to our caravan called the principal eminence Jehel el Sieh, same. It has been questioned by what right Christ and his saying it was near Damascus: probably, therefore, a part apostles, who had no putlic character among the Jews, of the chaini of Libanus. This summit was so lofty, that taught in their synagogues. In answer to this Dr. Lightfoot the snow entirely covered the upper part of it; not lying in observes, that though this liberty was not allowed to any patches, as I have seen it during summer, upon the tops of illiterate person or mechanic, but to the learned only, they very elevated mountains, (for instance, that of Ben Nevis, grantedt it to prophets and workers of miracles, and such in Scotland,) but investing all the higher part with that as set up for heads and leaders of new 4ects, in order that perfect white and smooth velvet-like appearance which they might inform themselves of their dogmata, and not snow only exhibits when it is very deep; a striking spectacle condemn them unheard and unknown. Under these char- in such a climate, where the beholder, seeking protection acters Christ and his apostles were admitted to this privi- from a burning sun, almost considers the firmament to be lee. —JENNINoS. on fire. The elevated plains upon the mountainous territory, beyond the northern extremity of the lake, are called Vert 24. A1nd his fatme. went throubghout all Syria: by a name, in Arabic, which signifies T/he Wilderness. To the southwest, at'the distance of only twelve miles, we beand they broght unto him all sic people that held Mount Tabor, having a conical form, and standing were taken with divers diseases and torments, quite insular, upon the northern side of the plain of Esdraeand -those which were possessed with devils, Ion. The mountain whence this superb view was presentand those ich re lunatic, and those that ed' consists entirely of limestone; the prevailing constituent of all the mountains in Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Phehad the palsy, and he healed them. 25. And nicia, and Palestine. there followed him great multitudes of people, As we rode towards the Sea of Tiberias, the guides from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from pointed to a sloping spot from the heights upon our right, whence we had descended, as the place where,the miracle Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond was accomplished by which our Saviour fed the multitude: Jordan. it is therefore called The Maleiplication of Bread; as the mount above, where the sermon was preached to the disciThe news that a foreign hakeem or doctor, was passing ples, is called The Meomuentain of Beatitudes, from the exprestnrough the country, very soon was spread abroad; and at sions used in the beginning of that discourse. This part of every halt our camp was thronged with the sick, not only the HIoly Land is very full of wild animals. Antelopes of the village near to which we were eneamped, but of all are in great number. We had the pleasure of seeing these the surrounding. villages. Many came several days' jour- beautiful quadrupeds in their natural state, feeding among ney to consult our doctor, and were brought to him in spite the thistles and tall herbage of these plains, and bounding of every difficulty and inconvenience; some came on asses, before us occusionally as we disturbed them. The lake bolstered up with cushions, and supported by their relations; now continued in view upon our left. The wind rendered others on eamels, whose rough pace must have been tor- its surface rough, and called to mind the situation of our ture to any one in sickness. It may be conceived what a Savionr's disciples, when, in one of the small vessels misfortune sickness must be in a country where there is no which traverse these waters, they were tossed in a storm, mpdical relief, nor even a wheeled conveyance to seek re- and saw Jesus, in the fourth watch of the night, walking to lief when it is at hand. The greatest credit is due to the them upon the waves, Matt. xiv. 24. Often as this subject medical gentlemen, who were attached, not only to our has been painted, combining a number of circumstances embassy, but to all preceding embassies, for the charity and adapted for the representation of su'limity, no artist has humanity with which they relieved the wants of these poor been aware of the uncommon grandeur of the scenery, people: they not only distributed their medicines gratis, but memorable on account of the transaction. The' lake -of they as gratuitously bestowed their skill, their time, and Gennesareth is surrounded by objects well calculated to their zeal, for which; it is grievous to say, in very few in- heighten the solemn impression made by such a picture: stances did they meet'with corresponding gratitude."- and, independent of the local feelings likely to be excited NlMm~8I, in its contemplation., affobrdPone of the most striking pros CHAP. 5. MA T T E W. 579 pects in the Holy Land. It is by comparison alone that Ver. 29. And if thy right eye offend tnee, pluck any due conception of the appearance it presents can be it out and cast t fiom thee for it is prottble conveyed to the minds of those who have not seen it: and, speaking of it comparatively, it may be described as longer for thee that one of thy members should perish, and finer than any of our Cumberland and Westmoreland and not that thy whole body should be cast lakes, although, perhaps, it yields in majesty to the stupen- into hell. dous features of Loch Lomond, in Scotland. It does not possess the vastness of the lake of Geneva, although it much This.metaphor is in common use to this day; hence people resembles it in particular points of view. The lake of say of any thing which is valuable,: It is like my vzallntanLocarno, in Italy, comes nearest to it in point of picturesque kcan," i. e. right eye! " Yes, yes, that child is the?-izlt qe beauty, although it is-destitute of any thing similar to the of his father." "I can never give up that lady; she is zmy islands by which that majestic piece of water is adorned. r'ight eye." " That fellow forsake his sins! never; they are It is inferior in magnitude, and, perhaps, in the height of his right eye." " True, true; I will pull out my right eye." its surrounding mountains, to the lake Asphaltites; but its -ROBERTS. broad and extended surface, covering the bottom of a profound valley, environed by lofty and precipitous eminences, Ver. 36. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, added to the impression of a certain reverential awe under because thou canst not make one hair white or which every Christian pilgrim approaches it, give it a black character of dignity unparalleled by any similar scenery. -COAmURE. It was very common among the Orientals to swear by t-he Sitting was the proper posture of masters or teachers. head or the life of the king. Joseph, improperly yielding The form in which the master and his disciples sat, is thus to the fashion of the country, swore by the life of Pharaoh; described by Maimonides: "The master sits at the head, and this oath is still used in various regions of the East. or in the chief place, and the disciples before him in a cir- According to Mr. Hanway, the most sacred oath among cuit, like a crown; so that they all see the master, and hear the Persians is by the head of the king: and Thevenot his words. The master may not sit upon a seat, and the asserts, that to swear by the king's head is, in Persia, more scholars upon the ground; but either all upon the earth, or authentic, and of greater credit, than if they swore by all upon seats. Indeed from the beginning, or formerly, the that is most'sacred in heaven and upon earth. In the mastei used to sit, and the disciples to stand; but before the time of our Lord, it seems to have been a common pracdestruction of the second temple, all used to teach their dis- tice among the Jews to swear by this form; for, said lie ciples sitting." —BuRDER. to the multitudes, "Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black."Ver. 2. And he opened his mouth and taught PAXTON. them. Ver. 40. And if any man will sue thee at the law, Some have made impertinent observations respecting and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloakn this mode of expression; he openzed his mouth. When the also. Hindoos speak of a king, or a priest, or the gods, as giving instructions or commands, they use the same form of The lawvs of Moses prohibited the taking or keeping in speech. But the word which is used to denote the opening pledge certain indispensable articles, such as, of a door, or of any thinbg Which requires to be unfolded, is 1. " The upper garment of the poor, which served him never applied to the opening of the mouth of a beautiful also by night for a blanket," Exod. xxii. 25, 26. Deut. xxiv. or-dignified speaker. For of that action inll him, they say, 12, 13. If taken as a pledge, it was to be restored to him his mouth mzallar'a-1currathln, i. e. blossomved; the flower un- before sunset; " for," says Moses, or rather God by Moses', folded itself: and there were its fair teints, and pronmised "it is his only covering, in which he inwrraps his naked fruits. So the Redeemer opened his mouth, and taught body. Under what, then, shall he sleep If he cries fir them, saying.-RoBERTS. it unto me, I will hearken unto him; for I am mlercifftl." The better to understand this law, we must know, that the Ver. 13. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the upper garment of the Israelites (sivlea'lisne) was a lar e salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be- square piece of cloth, which they threw loosely over them, salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but and which by the poor was also used for a blanket or coverto1. 11, a' h let to their beds. Dr. Shaw, in his travels through Barbato be cast out, and to be trodden'under foot of ry, has given the best description of it, under its m6odern men. Arabic name, hyke. It might be laid aside in the datirne, and, in fact, in walking it was so troublesome, that labourOur Lord's supposition of the salt losing its savour is il- ing people preferred being clear of it, and were then, what lustrated by Mr. Maundrell, who tells us, that in the Valley the ancients so often call nakled.'When they had to walk, of Salt near Gebul, and about four hours' journey from they tucked it together, and hung it over their shoulder. Aleppo, there is a small precipice, occasioned by the con- By night it was indispensable to the poor man for a covertinual taking away of the salt. " In this," says he, " you ing: at least, it was at the risk of his health, and even his may see how the veins of it lie. I broke a piece of it, of life, by exposure to the cold, if he wanted it: for in southwhich the part was exposed to the rain, sun, and air, though ern climates the nights, particularly in the summer, are exit had the sparks and particles of salt, yet had perfectly lost tremely cold. its savour. The innermost, which had been connected to It appears, however, that the above-quotec law of Mcses the roclr, retained its savour, as I found by proof."-BUR- concerning the upper garment had, by a very strange misDER. construction, in process of time, given a handle to the exercise of a claim in the highest degree absurd. It is merely Ver. 18. rFor averily I say unto you, Till heaven of pledge that Moses speaks: and the natural meaning of and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no the law is that no one would leave his qlnde garment in wvise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled pledge, and go nalied from the presence of his creditor with what he had borrowed; while, on the other hand, there It has been thought that this refers to one of those ducts, might be frequent cases where a man, to the great detridashes, or corners of letters, which distinguish one letter lpent of his health, having pledged his sq17cr garment, must from another, and nearly resemble each other. Other per- lie all night without a covering. He, therefore, enacted sons have apprehended that it refers to one of those little the law in favour of the latter. and did not think it necesstrokes in the tops of letters, which the Jews call crowns or sary to say a word about the former. But when the Je ws,spikes, in which they imagined great mysteries were con- came to regulate their procedure solely by the letter of his tained. There were some persons among them who made law, as that made no mention of the under garment, so in it their business to search into the meaning of every letter,, the time of Christ, we find cruel creditors claimir'g the unand of every one of these little horns or pricks that were der garment of their debtors; but, at the same time, quite upon the top of them. To this custom Christ is here sup- conscientiously leaving with them the upper one, which posed to refer.-BnRDEn. Moses had expressly privileged. This I infer fiom a pa;s 550 1M ATTHE W. CHAP. 6. sage in the sermon on the mount, which though in itself mother-tongue. Perhaps the expression of Solomon, that obscure, receives great light from a comparison wvith Exod. the wicked man specaketh withiI his feet, (Prov. vi. 13,) may xxii. 25, 26, anti from the conjecture above stated, upon it: appear more natural, when it is considered that the mode of " Whoexver will go to law with thee, and take thy (xrt,7wa) sitting on the ground in the East brings the feet into view, under- garment, let him have thy (aLrov,) elpper' one also." nearly in the same direct line as the hands; the whole body Matt. v. 40. If a man went to law with another, and was crouching down together, and the hands, indfact, often restdetermined to accept of' nothing else in payment but the ing upon the feet.-JowETT. vern shirt off his back, he must have conceived that he cotuld rulge a legal right to it, or at least the resemblance of Ver. 5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not one; cr that else his complaint, instead of being admitted be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray by ally court, would, without their once citing his adversary, be dismissed as futile. WVe must suppose a court to be incredibly corrupt and imprudent, if we can doubt this. of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Noow, that a person, to whom I am nothing indebted, should Verily I say unto you, They have their re,urge a claim to my under garment, is what I can scarcely ward. comprehend. The case, therefore, which Christ puts, is nmost probably this: ", I have borrowed from some one, and False religion has ever been fond of show; hence its devas I cannot pay, my hard-hearted creditor, with the help of otees have assumed a greater appearance of sanctity to the law, means to strip me of my clothes. To my upper make up the deficiency of real worth. Pehaps few systems garment he can put in no claim, because it is privileged by are so replete with the show of religion as Hindooism. Its Moses; and therefore he directs his attack against my un- votaries may be seen in every street with uplifted hands, or der garment, which I wear over my naked body. Here, bespattered bodies; there they are standing before every on the one hand, the slmsmez jis, as it is called, is, no doubt, temple, making their prostrations or repeating their prayin faivour of my creditor; but, on the other, perhaps the ers. Nor are the Mohammedans, with all their boasting, a highest equity, and even humanity itself, pleads for me." whit the better. See them when the sun is going down, In tlris case, the admonition of Jesus is to this effect: "So spreading their garments on the ground, on which they are far should it be from your desire to act unjustly, or mani- about to kneel, and say their prayers. They bow down to fast exasperation, and vow revenge against a cruel creditor, the earth, and touch it with their forehead; and then arise, that, if your under garment does not suffice to pay him, you putting their hands above their heads, with the fingers ought to give him even the upper one, although he could pointing to the clouds; and now they bring them lower, in Inot get it by any judicial decree."-MIctAELIS. a- supplicating position, and all the time keep muttering their prayers; again they kneel, and again touch the earth Ver. 41. And whosoever shall compel thee to go with their forehead, and all this, without paying any appaa mile, go with him twain. rent attention to those who pass that way.-RoBERTs. Such a practice as here intimated by our Lord gwas probOur Lord in this passage refers to the angari, or Persian ably common at that time with those who were fond of messengers, who had the royal authority for pressing horses, ostentation in their devotions, and who wished to engage ships, and even men, to assist them in the business on which the attention of others. It is evident that the practice was they were employed. In the modern government of Persia not confined to one place, since it may be traced in different there are officers not unlike the ancient angari, called nations. We have an instance of it related by Aaron Hill, chppras, who serve to carry despatches between the court in his Travels: " Such Turks as at the common hours of and the provinces. When a chappar sets out, the master prayer are on the road, or so employed as not to find conof the horse furnishes him with a single horse, and when venience to attend the mosques, are still obliged to execute that is weary, he dismounts the first man he meets, and that duty: nor are they ever known to fail, whatever busitakes his horse. There is no -pardon for a traveller who ness they are then about, but pray immediately when the should refuse to let a chapper have his horse, nor for hour alarms them, in that very place they chance to stand any other who should deny him the best horse in his stable. on: insomuch that when a janizary, whom you have to (Hanway.)-BunzDR. guard you up and down the city, hears the notice which is given him from the steeples, he will turn about, stand still, CHAPTER VI. and beckon with his hand, to tell his charge he must have Ver. 3. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left patience for a while; when, taking out his handkerchief, he hathd lenowv what thy right hancd doeth. spreads it on the ground, sits cross-legged thereupon, and says his prayers, though in the open market, which having The right hand always dispenses gifts, because c" it is ended, he leaps briskly up, salutes the person whom lie unmlore honourable than the other;" the left hand, therefore, dertook to convey, and renews his journey with the mild exvwas to be unacquainted with the charitiles of the other, i. e. pression of ghell, johknrtnm, ghell, or, come, dear, follow mne." there was to be no ostentation; to be perfect secrecy. The It may be proper to add, that such a practice as this is genHindoos say of things which are not to be revealed, "The eral throughout the East.-BURDER. left ear is not to hear that which went into the right, nor the right to be acquainted with that which was heard by Ver. 19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upthe left."-RoBERTs. on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, The manner in which the Samaritan priest desired me, and where thieves break through and steal. on parting, to express our mutual good-will, was by an action, than which there is not one more. common in all the " At Pondicherry," says Bartolomeo, I met with an Levant. He put the forefinger of his right hand parallel incident which excited my astonishment. I had put my tot that of his left, and then rapidly rubbed them together, effects into a chest which stood in my apartment, and being while I wav expected to do the same, repeating the words, one day desirous of taking out a book, in order to amuse.sui, s-mi; that is, " right, right;" or, in common acceptation, myself with reading, as soon as I opened the chest, I distogether. together." It is in this manner that persons ex- covered in it an innumerable multitude of what are improppress their consent on all occasions; on concluding a bar- erly called white-ants. The appellation, termites, from the gain, on engaging to bear one another company, and on Latin systematic name, termes, is better. There are varievery kind of friendly agreement or good nnderstanding. ous kinds of them, but only in warm countries, which are May not this serve to explain the phrase in Matt. vi. 3: all equally destructive, and occasion great devastations,' Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth?" not only in sugar-plantations, but also among furniture that is, "Let not thy heart consent to its own good thoughts, and clothes in habitations. When I examined the different -with a sinful self-applause." So much is' said in the Old articles in the chest, I observed that these little animals had Testament of speaking with the eyes, hands, and even perforated my shirts in a thousand places, and gnawed to feet, that it is scarcely understood by Englishmen. They pieces my books, my girdle, my amice, and my shoes. should see the expressive and innumerable gesticulations They were moving in columns, each behind the other; and of foreigners when they converse: many a question is an- each carried away in its mouth a fragment of my effects swered, and many a significant remark conveyed, by even which were more than half destroyed." (Bartolomeo.)children, who learn this language much sooner than their CRITIC BIBLICA. CHAP. 7. MA T THE W. Ver. 20. But lay up for yourselves treasures in CHAPTERR VII. heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth cor- Ver. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is rupt, and where thieves do ndt break through in thy brother's eye, but considerest riot the nor steal. beam that is thine own eye? See on Job 27. 18. See on ch. 23. 24. Ver. 26. Behold the fowls of the air: for they Ver. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the docs, sow not, neither do they reap, nor gat neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest barns; yet your heavenly Father feedleth them. they trample them under their feet, and turn Are ye not much better than they? again and rend you. Does a person who has lost his situation complain, from Similar language is used to those who speak on subjects a fear of the future; it is said to him, by way of comfort, of a highly sacred nature befbre people of gross minds. ~' Look at the birds and beasts, have their any situatiof a highly sacred nature before people of gross minds. Look at the birds and beasts, have they any situations' "What, are silk tassels to be tied to the broom!'Wiil or the erm in the e orsustains the fetus in th e womb or the you give a beautiful flower to a monkey Who would or the germ in the egg? or the fetus in the womb or the ast rubies into a heap of rubbish? What, are you giving worm which the wasp encloses in its house of clay? Does ambrosia to a dog'"- ROBERTS. not the Lord support-all these? and will he not help you?" -ROBERTS. Ver. 9. Or what man is there of you, whom if his Ver. 27. Which of you by taking thought can son ask bread, will he give him a stone? add one cubit unto his stature? " What father, when his son asks for sugar-cane, ill This form of speech is sometimes used to humble those give him the poison-fruit? If he asks a fish, will he give of high pretensions; thus, a man of low caste, who has be- him a serpent" This may allude to the eel, which is so come rich, and who assumes authority over his better-born, much like the serpent. Some, have said, on the parallel passage in Luke. " If he shall ask an egg, will he o/Yfetr though poor neihbours, will be asked, "Vhat! has your passage in Lle: "If he shall ask an e, will he oe money made you a cubit higher "2 i. e. in the scale of him a scorpionS"-" This expression is used, because ihe being. Is a man ambitious of raising in society; a person white scorpion is like an egg." They might as well have who wishes to annoy him, puts his finger on his elbow, said, it is like a whale.-ROBERTs. and, showing that part to the tip of the middle finger, asks, "'Friend, will you ever rise thus much, (a cubit,) after all Ver. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruiut, your cares 2" " Yes, yes, the low-caste thinks himself a neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. cubit taller, because he has got the favour of the king." — ROBERTS. When people converse on the good qualities of an obedient son, it is asked, "Will the seed of the watermelon Ver. 28. And why take ye thought for raiment? produce the fruit of the bitter 7avatta-cetti?" —meaning, Consider the lilies of the field how they gow; he fathr is ood, and therefore the son is the same. A they toil not, neither do they spin. profligate son always leads the people to suspect the father or grandfather was not what he ought to have been. The lily of the field sotmetimes appears with unrivalled "You talk to me about that family: I know them well; the magnificence. This remark is justified by the following tree is bad, and the fuit is the same."-RoxeTs. statement of Mr. Salt, Voyage to Abyssinia: " At a few miles from Adowa, we discovered a new and beautiful Ver. 26. And every one that heareth these say' species of amaryllis, which bore from ten to twelve spikes ings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likenof bloom on each stem, as large as those of the bella-donna, ed unto a foolish man, which built his house springing from one common receptacle. The general colour of the corolla was white, and every petal was marked'with a single streak of bright purple down the middle: the flower was sweet scented, and its smell, thoug h much ore The fishermen of Bengal build their huts in the dry powerful, resembled that of the lily of the valley. This season on'the beds of sand, from which the river has retired. superb plant excited the admiration of the whole party; When the rains set in, which they often do very suddenlyr and it brought immediately to my recollection the beautiful accompanied fwith violent northwest winds, the xw ater pours comparison used on a particular occasion by our Saviour: down in torrents from the mountains. In one night multi"I say unto you, that Solomon, in all his glory, was not tudes of these huts are frequently swept away, and the arrayed likre one tf these." —BrunTE:. place where they stood is the next morning undiscoverable. (WVard's View of the Hindoos.) Ver. 30. XhE refore, if God so clothe the grass of " It so happened, that we were to witness one of the the field, which to-day is, and to-morrowv is cacst greatest calamities that have occurred in Egvpt. in the recollection of any one living. The Nile rose this season into the oven, shall he not much more clothe three feet and a half above the highest mark left by the you, O ye of little faith? former inundation, with uncommon rapidity, and carried oif several villages, and some hundreds of their inhabitants. The scarcity of fuel in the East obliges the inhabitants I never saw any picture that could give a more correct o use, by turns, every kind of combustible matter. The idea of a deluge than the valley of the Nile in this season, withered stalks of herbs and flowers, the tendrils of the The Arabs had expected an extraordinary inundation this vine, the small branches of myrtle, rosemary, and other year, in consequence of the scarcity of water in the preceplants, are all used in heating their ovens and bagnios. ding season; but they did not apprehend it would rise. to We can easily recognise this practice in these words of su'ch a height. They generally erect fences of earth and our Lord: " Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; reeds around their villages, to keep the water friom their they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, houses; but the force of this inundation baffled all their that Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of efforts. Their cottages being built of earth, could not these. Wherefore, if God s -lothe the grass of the field, stand one instant against the current; and no sooner did which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall -the water reach them, than it levelled them with the ground. he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" The The rapid streanm carried off all that was before it; mea, grass of the field in this passage, evidently includes the li- twomen, children, cattle, corn, every thing was washetd lies of which our Lord had just been speaking; and by con- away in an instant, and left the place where the villa-esequence herbs in general; and in this extensive sense the stood without any thing to indicate t-hat there had er-a. word Cooros is not unfrequently taken.-PxTovx. been a house on the spot." (Beiz(.ni.)- -BuRaER. 58i2 MMA TTHE W. ChIAP. 7 —9. VTer. 27. And the rain. descended, and the floods and other provisions: so that this violated sepulchre of the came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that dead had thus become a secure, a cool, and a convenient retreat to the living of a different race." (Buckingham.) house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. These burying-grounds frequently afford shelter to the weary traveller when overtaken by the night; and their Tha rains, and floods, and winds of an eastern monsoon, recesses are also a hiding-place for thieves and murderers, give a striking illustration of the above passage. When who sally out from thence to commit their nocturnal deprepeople in those regions speak of the strength of a house, it dations. (Forbes.)-Buneza. is not by saying it will last so many years, but, " It will outstand the rains: it will not be injured by the floods." CHAPTER IX. Houses built of the best materials and having deep founda- Ver. 9. And as Jesus passed frth from thence, tions, in a few years often yield to the rains of a monsoon. At first. a small crack appears in some angle, which grad- s receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Fol-.ally becmes larger, till the whole building tumbles to receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Folthe ground. And who can wonder at this, when he con- low me. And he arose and followed him. siders the state of the earth. For several months there is not a drop of rain, and the burning sun has loosened the The publicans had houses or booths built for then at ground; when at once the torrents descend, the chapped the foot of bridges, at the mouth of rivers, and by the seaearth suddenly swells, and the' foundations are moved by shore, where they took toll of passengers that went to and the change. The house founded upon a rock can alone fro. Hence we read of the tickets or seals of the publicans, stand the rains and floods of a wet monsoon.-ROBERTS. which, when a man had paid toll on one side of a river, were given him by the publican to show to him that sat Ver. 29. For he taught them as one having au- on the other side, that it might appear he had paid. On thority, and not as the scribes. these were written two great letters, larger than those in common use.-GILL.'When the scribes delivered any thing to the people, they Arriving at Persepolis, Mr. Morier observes, " here is a used to say, " Our rabbins, or our wise men, say so." Such station of rahdars, or toll-gatherers, appointed to levy a toll as were on the side of Hillel made use of his name, and upon kafilehs, or caravans of merchants; and who, in those who were on the side of Shammai made use of his. general, exercise their office with so much brutality and Scarcely ever would they venture to say any thing as of extortion as to be execrated by all travellers. The collecthemselves. But Christ spake boldly, of himself, and did tions of the toll are farmed, consequently extortion ensues; not go about to support his doctrine by the testimony of the and, as'most of the rahdars receive no other emolument elders.-GILL. than what they can exact over and above the prescribed dues from the traveller, their insolence is accounted for, and a cause sufficiently powerful is given for their insoVer. 20. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes lence on the one hand, and the detestation in which they haave holes, and the birds of the air have nests; are held on the other. Baj-gah means the place of tribute: but the Son of man hath not where to lay his it may also be rendered the receipt of custom; and, perhaps, it was from a place like this that our Saviour called head. IMatthew to follow him. -BURDER. Listen to that poor man who is stating his case to a rich man; he pathetically laments his forlorn condition, and says, "Ah! sir, even the birds have their nests, but I have children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as not so much as timey."-ROBERTS. the bridegroom is with them? but the days Mwill come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from Vet. 28. And when he wsas come to the other them, and then shall they fast. side, into the country of the Gergesenes, there, a met him two possessed with devils, coming out Does a man look sorry when he ought to rejoice, has he of the tombs, e~xceeding fierce, so that no man become rich, has he been greatly honoured, has a dear oifht pass by that so -thatno aymanfriend come to see him, has he become the father of a might pass by that way. mZle child, and does he still appear dejected, it is asked, "As I was not induced to accept the offers made me to re- "hat, do people weep in the house of marriage Is main at Tiberias, I left it early the following morning, the it a funeral or a wedding you are going to celebrate " of Septenbr, coasted he la, c and trod the ground Does a person go to cheer his friend, he says, on entering celebrated for the miracle of the unclean spirit driven by the house, I am come this day o he house omariage." our Saviour among the swine. The tombs still exist in the - form of caverns, on the sides of the hills that rise from the Ver. 17. Neither do men put new wine into old shore of the lake; and from their, wild appearance may well be considered the habitation of men exceeding fierce, bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine possessed by a devil: they extend at a distance for more runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they than a mile from the present town." (Light's Travels in put new wine into new bottles and both are Egypt.) " From this tomb we went to a still more perfect one, which was entirely cleared out, and now used as a private dwelling. Though the females of the family were The eastern bottle called tm'rsnnhe is made of the rav within, we were allowed to enter, and descended by a flight hide of an animal, consequently, when any fermenting of three steps, there being either a cistern or a deep sepulo three seps there beineither a cistern or a deep sepu- liquor is put into it, the skin being comparatively green, chre on the right of this descent. The portals and archi- distends itself tothe swellin0 of time liquor. But, should -rave were here perfectly exposed; the ornaments of the the bottle have been previously stretched by the same latter were a wreath and open flowers; the door also was livided by a studded bar, and panelled, and the ring of the rocess, then it must burst if put to a second trial, bedivided by a studded bar, and panelled, and the na of the cause it cannot yield to the new pressure of fermentatin. — X nocker remained, though the knocker itself had been bro- ROnERTS. iren off. the door, which was of the same size and thickiness as those des-ribed, traversed easily on its hinges, and Ver. 20. And behold, a woman which was diswe were permitted to open and close it at pleasure. The eased with an issue of blood twelve years, came tomib -was about eight feet in height, on the inside, as there was the descent of a steep step from the stone threshold to behind him, and touched the hem of his garthe. floor. Its size was about twelve paces square; but as moent. io light was received into it except by the door, we could not see whether there was an inner chamber, as in some of The Jewish mantle or upper garment was considered a:3 the others. A perfect sarcophagus still remained within, consisting of four quarters, called in the oriental idiom and this was now used by the family as a chest for corn wings. Every wilng contained one corner, whereat was CHAP. 10. MATT HE. 583 suspended a tuft of threads or strings, which they called coats,, neither shoes, nor yet staves (for the.,pag-,-rt.v.. Numb. xv. 37. Deut. xxii. 12. What are there orkman is wothy ois meat.) called fringes are those strings, and the four quarters of the vesture are the four corners. As in the first of the pas- Though the hospitality of the Arabs be general, and not sages above referred to, they are mentioned as serving to confined to the superior classes, yet we are not to suppose make thenm remember the commandmens of the Lord to that it admits of imposition, or" is without proper bounds. do them, there was conceived to be a special sacredness in Of this we have a manifest instance in the directions of' our them, which must have probably led the woman to think, Lord to the apostles, Matt. x. 11. To send a couple of of touching that part of his garment, rather than any other. hearty men with appetites good, and rendered even keen, CAMPBELL. by the effect of travelling-to send two such to a family, barely able to meet its own necessities-having no provisVer. 23. And whlen Jesus came into the ruler's ion of bread-or sustenance for a day beforehand, were house, and saw the minstrels and the people to press upon indigence beyond the dictates of prudence, or making a noise. the permission of Christian charity. Our Lord, therefore, commands his messengers-" Into whatsoever city or townl In Egypt, the lower class of people call in women, who ye enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till play on the tabour, and whose business it is, like the hired ye go thence." " Worthy," &lftoe, this has no reference to mourners in other countries, to sing elegiac airs to the moral worthiness; our Lord means sutitable; to whom sound of that instrument, which they accompany with the your additional board for a few days will be no inconvemost frightful distortions of their limbs. These women nience-substantial man. And this is exactly the import attend the corpse to the grave, intermixed with the female of the same directions, given Luke x. 5, 6: " Into whatrelations and friends of the deceased, who commonly have ever oikica-house-establishment on a respectable scaletheir hair in the utmost disorder, their heads covered with residence affording accommodation for strangers, (the Aiosdust, their faces daubed with indigo, or at least rubbed pitalia of the Latins,) ye enter, in the same oikia semain: with mud; and howling like maniacs. Such vwere the go not from oimicia to oikia, in search of superior actommbominstrels whom our Lord found in the house of Jairus, dations; though it may happen that after you have seen mlaking so great a noise round the bed on which the dead in a town some days, you may hear of a more wealthy inbody of his daughter lay. The noise and tumult of these dividual, who could entertain you better. No; in the retained mourners, and the other attendants, appear to have same house remain, eating and drinking such things as'egun immediately after the person expired. The mo- they give;-whatever is set before you." The same inent," says Chardin, "any one returns from a long jour- inference is deduced from the advice of the apostle John ney, or dies, his family burst into cries that may be heard to the lady Electa, (2 Epistle 10.) " If there come any to twenty doors off; and this is renewed at different times, and you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your continues many days, according to the vigour of the passions. oicia.." She was, therefore, a person of respectability, if Especially are these cries long and frightful in the case of not of rank; mistress of a household establishment, on a (death, for the mourning is right down despair, and an image scale proper for the exercise of Christian benevolence in a Of hell." convenient and suitable manner-of liberal heart, and ot The longest and most violent acts of mourning are when equally liberal powers. they wash the body; when they perfume it; when they Whoever has well considered the difficulties to which carry it out to be interred. During this violent outcry, travellers in the East are often exposed to procure supplies, the greater part even of the relations do not shed a single or even sufficient proilsions to make a meal, will perceive tear. While the funeral procession moves forward, with the propriety of these directions. ~ Although it was one the violent wailings of the females, the male attendants en- sign of the Messiah's advent, that to the poor the gospel gage ill devout singing. It is evident that this sort of was preached, yet it was not the Messiah's purpose to add mourning and lamentation was a kind of art among the to the difficulties of any man's situation. He supposes that Jews: " Wailing shall be in the streets; and they shall a family-man, a housekeeper, might be without bread, call such as are skilful of lamentation to wail." Mourners obliged to borrow from a friend, to meet the wants of a are hired at the obsequies of Hindoos and Mohammedans single traveller, (Luke xi. 5, " I have nothing to set before as in former times. To the dreadful noise and tumult of him,") no uncommon case; but, if this were occasioned by the hired mourners, the following passage of Jeremiah in- real penury, the rights of hospitality, however congenial t' disputably refers, and shows the custom to be derived from the manners of the people, or to the feelings of the india very remote antiquity: " Call for the mourning women vidual, and however urgent, must be waived.-TAYLOR IN that they may come; and send for cunning women, that CA.,MET. they omay come, and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and when ye come into a house, salute it. our eyelids gush out with waters." —PAXTON. bour eyelids gush out with waters."W-PAxToN. ~When the priests or pandarams go into a house, they -CHIAPTER. X. sometimes sing a verse of blessing; at other times the priest stretches out his right hand, and says aloud, " sevd;athaaD, Ver. 9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass i. e. blessing.-RoBERTs. in your purses. Ver. 25. It is enough for the disciple that he be Clothed as the eastern people were with long robes, gir- as his master, and the servant as his lord: if dles were indispensably necessary to bind together their they have called the master of the house Beelflowing vestments. They were worn about the waist, and zebub, how much more shall they call them of properly confined their loose garments. These girdles, his household (et'a, were so contrived as to be used for purses; and they are still so worn in the East. Dr. Shaw, speaking of the dress It is supposed that this idol was the same with Baal-zebud, of the Arabs in Barbary, says, " The girdles of these people the fly-god, worshipped at Ekron, (2 Kings i. 2,) and who are usually of worsted, very artfully woven int6 a variety of had his name changed afterward by the Jews to Baal-zebul, figures, and made to wrap several times about their bodies. the dung-god: a title expressive of' the utmost contempt. One end of them being doubled and sewed along the edges, Among the Jews it was held, in a manner, for a matter of serves them for a purse, agreeable to the acceptation of the religion to reproach idols, and to give them odious names: word (,,i7 in the holy scripture." The Roman soldiers and among the ignominious ones bestowed upon thenl, the used in like manner to carry their money in their girdles. general and common one was zebul, dung, or a dunghill. WVhence in Horace, qiti zonam perdidit, means one who Many names of evil spirits, or devils, occur in the Talmud. had lost his purse. And in Aulus Gellius, C. Gracchus is Among all the devils, they esteemed him the worst, the introduced, saying, those girdles which I carried out full prince of the rest, who ruled over idols, and by whom ora of money, vihen I went from Rome, I have at my return cles and miracles were given forth among the heathen, fP -m the pro. -ince brought home empty.-Bu RDER. This demon they called Baal-zebul.-BURDER. XTer. 10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two Ver. 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto t584 MATTHEW. CHAP; 10-'13. one of these little ones, a cup of cold wrate only,! the friends and relations of the deceased hired' to assist in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto theminexpressin theirsorrow. Theybegan the ceremoyou, he shall in no wise lose his reward. ny with the stridulous voices of old wofnen, who strove, by ise ose his reward. their doleful modulations, to extort grief from those that were present. The children in the streets through which In the eastern countries, a cup of water was a considera-te the blse objecet. In India, the Hindoos go sometimes a great sounds, and joined with equal sincerity in the lamentations. way to fetch it, and then boil it, that it may do the leas hurt -PAXTON. to travellers when they are hot; and after that, they stand from morning till night in some great road, where there is CHAPTER XII. neither pit nor rivulet, and offer it in honour of their god, Ver. 27. And if I hy Beelzebub cast out devils, to be drank by all passengers. This necessary work of yr children c out charity, in these hot countries, seems to have been practised by the more pious and humane Jews. (Asiatic Miscella- therefore they shall be your judges. ny.) —BuRDER. The universal opinion in the East is, that devils have the CHAPTER XI. power to enter into and take possession of men, in the same Ver. 8. But rwhat went ye out for to see? A sense as we understand it to have been the case, as deuclothed int sofwt yraiment Behold, they scribed by the sacred writers. I have often seen the poor man clothed in s oft raiment? Behold, othey bjects who were believed to be under demoniacal influthat wear soft clothinz' are in king's houses. ence, and certainly, in some instances, I found it no easy matter to account for their conduct on natural principles. Persons devoted to a life of austerity, commonly wore a I have seen them writhe and tear themselves in the m nost dress of coarse materials. John the Baptist, we are told in frantic manner; they burst asunder the cords with which the sacred volume, was clothed in a garment of camel's they were bound, and fell onthe ground as if dead. At one hair, with a broad leathern girdle about his loins. It is a time they are silent, and again most vociferous; they dash circumstance worthy of notice, that the finrest and most with fury among the people, and loudly pronounce their elegant shawls, which constitute so essential a part of the imprecations. But no soonor does the exorcist come forTurkish dress, and are worn by persons in the highest ward, than the victim becomes the subject of new emotions; ranks of life, are fabricated of' camel's hair. These un-he stares, talks incoherently, sighs, anrd falls on the ground; questionably belong to the " soft raiment" worn by the resi- and in the course of an hour is as calln as any who are dents' in the palaces of eastern kings. But it is evident that around him. Those men who profess to eject devils are the inspired writer intends, by the remark on the dress of frightful-looking creatures, and are seldom associated with, John, to direct our attention to the meanness of his attire. except in the discharge of their official duties. It is a fact: that went e out for to see a man clothed in soft ri- that they affect to eject the evil spirits by their lprinzce 9J ment? Behold, they that are in kin0's houses wear soft devils. Females are much more subject to those affections clothing;" but the garments of John were of a very differ- than men; and Fs iday is the day of all others on which they ent kind. It is, indeed, sufficiently apparent, that the in- are most liable to be attacked. I am fully of opinion that habitants of the wilderness, where John spent his days before nearly all their possessions would be removed by medicine he entered upon his ministry, and other thinly settled dis- or by arguments of a mnore tangible nature. Not long ago, tricts, manufactured a stuff, in colour and texture somewhat a young female was said to be under the influence of an evil resembling our coarse hair-cloths, of the hair which fell spirit, but the father, being an rnbeliever, took a large broom from their camels, for their own immediate use, of which and began to beat his daughter in the most unmerciful manthe raiment of that venerable prophet consisted. In ner. After some time the spirqit cried'alotd, "Do %ot beat the same manner, the Tartars of modern times work up me, do not beat see," and took its departure There is a their camel's hair into a kind of felt, which serves as a fiend called poothliani, which is said to take great delight in covering to their tents, although their way of life is the very entering little children; but the. herb called pa-tca.rctta is reverse of easy and pompous. Like the austere herald of then administered with great success!-ROBERTS. the Saviour, the modern dervises wear garments of the same texture, which thee, too ird about their loins with Ver. 42. The queen of the south shall rise up in /great leathern girdles. Elijah, the Tishbite, seems to have worn a habic of camel's hair, equally mean and coarse; forth this generation and shall he is represented in our translation as a "hairy man," condemn it: for she came from the uttermost which perhaps ought to be referred to his dress, and not to parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solohis persoe.- PAXToN. mon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is Ver. 16. But whereunto shall I liken this gene- here. ration? It is like unto children sitting in the This is spoken in allusion to a custom among the Jews markets, and calling unto their fellows. and Romans, which was, for the witnesses to rise fromn their seats when they accused criminals, or gave any evidence It was the custom of children among the Jews, in their against them. —BuRDeR. sports, to imitate what they saw done by others upon great occasions, and particularly the customs in festivities, where- CHAPTER XIII. in the musician beginning a tune on his instrument, the company danced to his pipe. So also in funerals, wherein 5. But whie men slept, e ca the women beginning the mournful song, (as the?p;9rcfaca and sowed tares among the w heat anil w ent of thie Romans,) the rest followed lamenting and beating his way..heir breasts. These things the children acted and personated in the streets in play, and the rest not following the Strange as it may appear, this is still'literally done in the leader as usual, gave occasion to this speech: " We have East. See that lurking villain, watching for the time when piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned his neighbour shall plougqh his field; he carefillly marks unto you, and ye have not lamented."-BuRDER. the period when the work has been finished, and.oes in the night following, and casts in what the natives call the Vet. 16. But whereunto shall I liken this gene- pandisellit, i. e. pig paddy; this being of ra:pi o-rowthr, ration? It is like unto children sitting' in the springs up before the good seed, and scatters itself before marlkets, ancd catllinfg unto their fellows, 17. _Arid the other can be reaped, so that the poor olwner of the field will be for years before he can get rid of the troublesome saying, Te have piped unto you, and ye have weed. But there is another noisome plant which these not danced; we have mourned unto you, and wretches cast into the ground of those they hate, called peye have not lamentedlm. r'ds-p'irandi, which is more destructive to veretation than any other plant. Has a man purchased a field out of the The funeral procession was attended by professional hands of another, the offended person says, " I will plant m;Sourners, eminently skilled in the art of lamentation, whom, the perloum-pliradi in his grounds." —-RoBERTS. CHAP. 13 —15. MATTHEW. 585 Ver 31. Another parable put he forth unto them, his mother called Mary? and his brethren, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and See on Mark G. 3. sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the CHAPTER XIV. least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, Ver 7. Whereupon he promised with an oath to so that the birds of the air come and lodge in give her whatsoever she would ask. the branches thereof. In the East it is customary for public dancers, at festivals in great houses, to solicit from the company they have The account which our Lord gave of the mustard-tree, been entertaining, such rewards as the spectators may recorded in the gospel of Matthew, has often excited the choose to bestow. These usually are small pieces of money, ridicule of unbelievers, or incurred their pointed condem- which the donor sticks on the face of the performer. A nation: " The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mus- favourite dancer will have her face covered with such tard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; which presents. " Shah Abbas, being one day drunk, gave a wxoindeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is man that danced much to his satisfaction, the fairest hhan the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the in all Ispahan, which was not yet finished, but wanted little. birds of the air come and lodge in thebranches of it." We This hhan yielded a great revenue to the king, to whom it behold no such mustard-trees in this country, say the ene- belonged, in chamber-rents. The nazar having put him in mi.es of revelation, therefore the description of Christ must mind of it next morning, took the freedom to tell him that be erroneous. But the consequence will not follow, till it itwas unjustifiable prodigality; so the king ordered to give is proved that no such trees exist in any part of the world. her a hundred tomans, with which she was forced to be This parable of the mustard-tree was delivered in a public contented." (Thevenot.)-BURDER. assembly, every individual of which was well acquainted with it; many of them were the avowed enemies of our Ver. 26. And when the disciples saw him walkLord, and would have gladly seized the opportunity of exposing him to the scorn of the multitude, if he had commit-. tey, ted any mistake. The silent acquiescence of the scribes is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. and Pharisees affords an irrefragable proof that his descriptiolisereclcoret.Tnewtha The Hindoos have to do with so many demons, gods, tion is perfectly correct. They knew that thiesame account and demigods, it is no wonder they like in constant dread of that plant more than once occurs in the writings of their and demigods, it S no wonder the lie in constant dread fathers. In the Babylonish Talmud, a Jewish rabbi writes 7of their power. There is not a hamlet without a tree, or athaers ine Babylonish Talmud, a Jeueish rabbi writes, some secret place, in which evil spirits are not believed to that a certain man of Sichem had bequeathed him by his dwell. Hence the people live in constant fear of those father three boughs of mustard: one of which broken off from' the rest yielded nine kabs of seed, and the wood of it sprites of clarkness, and nothing but the most pressing no was sufficient to cover the potter's house. Another rabbi, cessity ill induce a man to go abroad after the sun had in the Jerusalem Talmud, says, he had a stem of mustard don. See the unhappy wight who is oblied to go in his garden, into which he could climb as into a fig-tree. out in the dark he repeats his incantations and toches his After in evey reasonable allowance for the p amulets, he seizes a firebrand to keep off the foes, and After making every reasonable allowance for the hyper- be-ins his jourey. He goes on with gentle step, he bolical terms in which these Talmudical writers indullged,begins his oney. He goes on with gentle step lie listens, and again repeats his prayers; should he hear-the they certainly referred to real appearances ihn nature; and listens, aagain repeats his prayers should he hearthe no man will pretend that it was any part of their design to rustling of a leaf, or the moaning of some liing nial justify the Saviour's description. But the birds of the air he gives himself up for lost. might certainly lodge with ease among the branches of a into a state of artificial courage, he begins to sin- and tree that was sufficiently strong to sustain the weight of a bawl aloud, " to keep his spirits up." Bt, after all his man. The fact asserted by our Lord is stated in the clear efforts, his heart will not beat with its wonted ease till he est terms by a Spanish historian, who says, that in the pro- shall have gained a place of safety. I was once sitting vince of Chili, in South America, the mustard grows to the after sunset, under a lare banyan-tree, (lics religiosL,) size of a tree, and the birds lodge under its shade, and build when a native soldier passed that lay. He saw me in the their nests. in its branches-.PAXTON. shade, and immediately began to cry aloud, and beat his breast, and ran off in the greatest consternation. That VTer. 44. ABgain, The kingdom of heaven is lile man had conducted himself bravely in the Kandian war, unto treasure hid in a field- the which when a but his courage fled when in the presence of a supposed spirit. On another occasion, having to go to some islands man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof to distribute tracts,'and having determined when to return, goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth I directed my servant to bring my pony to a certain point that field, of land, where I intended to disembark. Accordingly, when I had finished my work, I returned in a little canoe, No practice was more common than that of hiding trea- and saw my pony and the boy in the distance. But the sures in a field or garden, because the people had not any sun having -one down, the unfortunate fellow, seeing us place of safety in which to deposite their riches, and because indistinctly, thought we were spirits: lie mounted the pony their rapacious rulers were sure to find some pretext for and galloped off with all speed, leaving me to my meditaaccusation against them, in order to get their money.. tions on a desolate beach. " They were troubled, saying, Hence men of great property affected poverty, and wtalked It is a spirit." —ROBERTS. about in mean apparel, in order to deceive their neighbours, and hence came the practice of hiding their treasures in CHAPTER XV. the earth. In the book of fate, called Scc-gd-TevaScm Saste- V er. 2. Why do thy disciples'tra.nsgress the tra-'rat, the followings;question occurs many times' "Will the at, the folloii question occurs many times: "Will the dition of the elders? for they wash not their buried things be found." There can be no doubt that: there are immense treasures buried in the East at this day. Not hands when they eat bread. long ago a toddy drawer ascended a palmirah-tree to lop off the upper branches, when one of themi in.falling stuck No Hindoo of in the ground. On taking out that branch, he saw some- his hands. Thus, however numerous a company may be, thing yellow; he looked, and found an earthern vessel full the guests never commence eating till they have perfeSrird of gold coins and other articles. I rescued three of the coins that necessary ablution.-RoBERTS. friom the crucible of the goldsmith, and what was my sur-. prise to find on one of them, in ancient Gree/k characters, Ver. 4. For God commanded, sayno, Honour konob-obrnyza. About two years ago an immense hoard was thy father and mother: and he that curseth found at Putlam, which must have been buried for severa. father or mother, let him die the death. 5. But tRges. —RoERTS. ges.-RoazE1rTS. ye say, Whosoever shall say to /iis father or his Ver. 55. Is not this the carpenter's son? is not mother, It is a gift; by whs.soever thou_ mightest 74 KE$6 MATTHEW. CHAP. 15-18. be profited by me: 6. A; - honour not his mysteries of God. (1 Cor. iv. 1.) Peter's opening of the father or his mother, he shall be, free. Thus kingdom of heaven, as being the first that preached it both to the Jews and to the Gentiles, may be considered as an have ye made the commandment of God of illustration of this promise; but it is more fully explained none effect by your tradition. by the power of binding and loosing afterward mentioned. -BUILDER By the term csrsing, we are here to understand, not CHAPTER XVII. only what may be peculiarly so termed, that is, iprecaing Ver. And after six days Jesus teth eter, evil on a parent, but probably all rude and eproaCf.. And after lanaurage used towards him; at least, the Hebrew word James, and John his brother, and bringeth them. %1p, (to which I cannot find any German term altogether up into a hio-h mountain apart, 2. And was equivalent; and the Latin, iealcdicer'e, which more nearly transficuredbefore them: and his face did shine resembles it, has rather a wider range of signification,) would seem to comprehend as much, according to the con- as the sun, and his rainent was white as the mon usage of the language. An example of this crime, light. and, indeed, one altoaether in point, is given by Christ, in I~a~t. 1v. 4-X, or Mark vii. 9-12 where he upl0raicls the Moount Tabor, or Thabor, as it is s5ometimes called, is Matt. xv. 4-6, or Mark vii. 9-12, where he iupbraids the a calcareous mountain of a c onical form entirely detached Pharisees with their giving, from their deference to human a calcareous iounin conical form, entirely detached fiom any neighbouring mountain: it Stands on one side of traditions and doctrines, such an exposition of the divinee side a, as conveted an action which, by thelwoMe te great plain of Esdraelon. The sides are rugged and law, as covert been punishedo whicdeath, byint o a vow, both precipitous, and covered to the summit with the most beauwould have been punished with death, into a vow, both tifulshrubsandflowers. HereBarali: wasencaiped when, oblii atoiand acceptable in the sight of Godl. It seems tifulshrubs and flowers. Here Barakwas encamped when, that it ras then ano uncomnmnon for an s undutifuG l and de- at the suggestion of the prophetess Deborah, he descended with ten thousand men, and discomfited the host of Sisera. generate son, who wanted to be rid of the burden of sup- (Judg. iv. 6, &.) Aind, long afterward, hosea repoachporting his parents, and, in his wrath, to turn them adrift c.) An, long a ed the princes of Israel and the priests of the golden calves, upon the wide world, to say to his father or mother, " Kor- ed the princes of Israel and the priests of the golden calves, ban, or, Be that Korban (consecrated) which I should ap- th having" been a snare iub M izpeh and a net spread p~roj~ria to thy s that is, Every thing whertwith I upon Tabor," (Hos. v. 1,) doubtless referring to the altars propriate ppoit E wseieui and idols which were here set up; and on this "high mioiht ever aid or serve thee, and, of course, every thing, mountain apart" the transfuration of eus Chist is genw hich I ought to devote to thy relief in the days of help- eralty believed to have taken place (Matt. xviis 1, 5.) iess old age, I hee vowv unto God." A most abominable vow Tabor is computed to have about a i1e in heiit To a indeed! and which God would, unquestionably, as little Tabor is computed to be about a mile in height. To a approve or accept, as he would a vow to commit adultery point but on reaching foot, it appeas to terminate in a or sodomy. And yet some of the Pharisees pronounced on to find an oval plain, about a ter of a mile in its great su1ch VOWS this strange decision * that they were abso lutely to find an oval plain, about a quarter of a mile in its greatsuch vows this strange decision; that they were absolutely est lenath covered with g bed of fertile soil on the west, obligatory, and that the son who uttered such words, was and having co its eastern bide a mass of ru0ins, aparently bound to abstain from contributing, in the smallest article, and havi n ts eastern side a mass of ruins, apparently to the behoof of his paents because every thin that the vestiges of churches, grottoes, and strong walls, all decidedly of some antiquity, and a few appearing to be the should have been so appropriated,, had become consecrated works of a veryremote age. The Hon. Capt. Fitzmauriee, to God, and could no longer be applied to their use, without who averyremoteage. The lon. Capt. Fitzmaurice, sacrilege and a breach of his vow. But on this exposition, saw visited this mountain in February, 183, states that he saw the ruins of a very ancient church, built over the spot Christ not only reliarked, that it abrogated the fifth com- where the transfiguration is supposed to have taken place. mnaudment, but he lilkewise added, as a counter-doctrine, The prospects from the summit of Mount'abor are that Moses, their own legislator, had expressly declared, singularly oelc mhtfl and extensive. On the nfrthwest, that the mabn whov cnrserl fathier o mother deserved to die singularly delightful and extensive. On the northwest, thatthte ma~n w;ho cur'sed f/kthe~r or' m0otler' dcser'ved to die. Now, it is impossible for a man tp curse his parents more says Mr. Buckingham, (whose graphic description has effectually, than by a vow like this, when hant more been confirmed by subsequent travellers,) " we had a view et h as o le him interprets it of the Mediterranean Sea, whose blue surface filled up ani with such rigour, as to preclude him from doing any thing open space left by a downward bend in the o e of the in future for their benefit. It is not imprecatin upon them western hills: to the west-northwest a smnall portion of its a curse in the common style of curses, which but evapo- waters were seen; and on the west, ag tn tno slender line waters were seen; and on the west, again, the slender line rate into air,. because neither the devil, nor the lightnig, of the distant horizon was ust perceptible ove he ange of are u ro t to e s sto be of the distant horizon was just perceptible over the range of are wont to be so obsequious as to obey our wishes every land near the seacoast. From the west t the south, the time we call upon the one to iake, or the other to strikc dead, plain of Esdraelon extended over a vast space, being boundour adversaries: but it is fulfilling the curse, and making ed on tne south by a range of hills generclly considered to be Hermon, whose dews are poetically celebrated, (Psal. -er. 28. Thein Jesus answered and said unto her, cxxxiii. 3,) and having in the same dhrection, nearer the foot of Tabor, the springs of Ain-el-Shernr, which send O woman, great is thy faith! be it unto thee a pdrceptible stream through its centre, and form the brook even as thou wilt. And her daughter was Kishon of antiquity. From the southeast to the east is the mmade whole from that very hour. plain of Galilee, being almost a continuation of Esdraelon, and, like it, appearing to be highly cultivated. Beneath The sex, on all common occasions, are always addressed the range of Hermon is seated Endor, famed for the witch with this distinctive appellation. Thus people in, going who raised the ghost of Samuel, (1 Sam. xxviii.) and Nain, along the road, should they have to speak to a female, say, equally celebrated as the place at which Jesus raised to nanushe, i. e. woman, hear me. The term sometimes is life the only son of a widow, and restored him to his -xpressive of affection; but, generally, it is intended to afflicted parent. The range which bounds the eastern view convey an intimation of weakness and contempt. —RoBERTS. Is thought to be the' mountains of Gihbba,' so fatal to Saul, (1 Sam. xxxi.) The Sea of Tiberias, or Lake of GenCHAPTER XVI. nesareth, is clearly discovered towards the northeast, and Ver. 19. And Ii will give unto thee the keys of somewhat further in this direction is pointed out the village the lkingdotn of heaven: and whatsoever thou of Saphet, anciently named Bethulia, the city alluded to - shalt hind on earth, shall he hound in heaven; by Jesus Christ in his divine sermon on the mount, from shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; which it is also very conspicuous. and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall " The rest of this glorious panorama comprehends the be loosed in heaven. sublime' Mount of Beatitudes,' upon which that memorable sermon was delivered, together with the route to DamasAs stewards' of a great family, especially of the royal cus, and, lastly, Mount Lebanon, towering in the backhousehold, bore a khe, probably a golden one, in to'-en ground in prodigious grandeur, the summit of which is of their office, the phrase of giving a person the key nat- covered with perpetual snow." —HORNE. urally grew into an expression of raising him to great power. (Comp. Is. xxii. 22, with Rev. iii. 7.) This was with paculiar propriety applicable to the stewards of the Ver. 6. But whoso shall offend one of these little CHAr. 18-20. MATTHEW. 537 ones which believe in me, it were better for lowed, but even commanded, to treat the wretches in theli him that a millsone were haged aout his custody with every kind of cruelty, in order to extort paybim. that a millstone were hanged about his -ment from them, in case they had concealed any of their neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of effects; or, if they had nothing, to wrest the sum owed from the sea. the compassion of their relations and friends, who, to release an unhappy person for whom they had a regard from It was a favourite punishmint in ancient times, to tie a such extreme misery, might be induced to pay the debt: large stone round the neck of a criminal, and then to cast for, let it be observed, that the person o'f the insolvent debtor him into the sea or deep waters. Thus, Appe-Murte, a was absolutely in the power of the creditor, and at his disman of rank, was destroyed in this way, for changing his posal.-CA.NtPBELL. religion, Budhism, for H-indooismn. The punishment is called sa.la,-parceltyc. The millstones in the East are not more than twenty inches in diameter, and three inches Ver. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but thicir, so that there would not be that difficulty which some one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined have supposed in thus despatching criminals. It is common, together, let no man put asunder. when a person is much oppressed, to say, "I had rather have a stone tied round about my neck, and be thrown into Of'a happy couple it is said, "hyaeoei f an the sea, than thus suffer." A wife says to her husband, o a happy couple it is said, " They ae ne lie and oae body." If they are not happy, "CAh'! they are likre the "Rather than beat me thus, tie a stone round my neck, and b ihe a hey are like the throw me into the tank."-ROaERTcS. knife and the victim." "They are like the dog and the cat, or the crow and the bow, or the kite and the serpent." — Ver. 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of ROaERTS. these little ones: for I say unto you, That in Ver. 24. And again I say unto you, It is easier heaven their angels do alw-ays behold the face for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, of my Father which is in heaven., than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom Why is the fact of the angels constantly beholding the of God. face of God in heaven, a reason for not despisingone of I b ~~~~~~~~~This mneta~pYoq' finds a parallel in the -proverb which is Christ's little ones. On this point the commentators, for q s metaphow finds a parnll& in theaproverb which is quoted to showv the d~ifC~dtg of accom~plishing Ray thing. the most part, leave the reader no more enlightened thn an thy found him. e suse the true answer ton be "Just as soon will an elephant pass through the spout of a the-y found himn. We suppose the true answer to be, that a t 7 a kettle." " Ah! the old sinner, he finds it no easy thing to nosture of strict attention, a look of wistful, intense, and ete A teol inerin it no esy it - ~~~~die; his life is lingering, lingering; it caz?~,ot escape; it is obsequious regard, directed to the eye, the countenance, or ie h leinring l eri t ot ea ti like the elephant trying to -et through the spout of a kettle." the hand of a superior, is characteristic of a dutiful servant, — l. teeaTS. " if one intent upon the performance of his master's commands. It is a posture indicative at once of an anxious To pass a camel through the eye of a needle, was a proverbial expression among the nations of high antiquity, dewish to lknow, and a cordial readiness to execute, the will veria eression among the nations of hih antiquity, dcof a lord or ruler. This is apparent from the following in- noting a difficulty which neither the art nor the power of i. 20, And then my mani can surmount. Our Lord condescends to emplgy it in ~~Dstances of scripturre usage:-1 KzDings ihis discourse to the disciples, to show how extremely difililord, 0 king', th~e eyes of/all Isr'ael ar'e upon~ thee, that thou ord, king, e s f l Isrl are ponthee, that thou cult it is for a rich man to forsakle all for the cause of God shouldst tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the and truth, and obtain the blessings of salvation " I sa unto king' after him." Ps. exxiii. 5~, " Behold, as the eyjes of sei'-I king after hint." Ps. cxxiii. 2," Behlld, as the epetos -you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eve of a vaets look torte thVe hand of thteir masters, and as the eyes of a ned needle thian for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait God e,,than for a rich ma to enter into the kin-dom of -upon the Lord our God." Our Saviour accordingly would Many expositors, however, are of opinion, that the ~~~~~~~~~~upon th or urQd. urSviu aallusion is not to the animal of.:nat name, buit to the cable intimate that such was the attitude of the angels in heaven, by which an anchor is made fast to the ship and for camel, by which an anchor is mnade fast to the'ship' and for camel, who are thinistering spirits to the heirs of salvation. Acttliev read tamil, from whmr~ich our word cable is supposed to' ing as a tutelary cohort to the sons of the kingdonm, they be vesended. it is not pehaps easy to determine which be'descended.' It is not pe~haps easy to determine which were always on the alert to undertake their cause. For of these ought to be preferred; and some. nterpreters of this purpose they stood obedient to the beck and bidding of ofsIe o e peo;n o teretes t considerable note have,accordingly adopted both views. their heavenly master. Lik-e devoted servants ready to take their orders from a, bare loolk, a glance of the eye, or The more couon signification o the term, however, a turn of the head, so these guardian spirits were inces- seems rather to contenance the fist view The Talmudi santly on the watch, to learn wvhen and where they should cal writers had a similar proverb concerning him wh'o prola nWthtesedoftemnto when~ tposed to accomplish an impossibility, which they couched be sent, with the speed of the wind, to avenge the wrongs in the following terms: " Thou nit petchance from the in1 the followring terms' "Thou art perchance fromt the and injuries of God's chosen. Seeing then such a prompt city of omboithawere tey sen an e ant trug city of Pomboditha, where they send an elephant through and powerful custody is provided for the little ones of Christ, the eye of a needle. Another Hebrew d mntione the eye of a needle." Another Hebrew adage, mentioned it must be dangerous to despise them, whether in word or by the learned Buxtorf, bears a striking resemblance to deed.-Busts. this: They neither shliow one a golden palm, nor an elephant PVer. 21. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, which enters through the eye of a needle. Both these probo'xy~ of halm boheia s ead verbial expressions were intended to express either a thing how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I extremely difficult, or altogether impracticable to human forgive him? till seven times? power; but our Lord, instead of the elephant, took the cannel, as being an animal better known to the Jews. The This number is in common use, to show a thing has been striking analogy, however, between a cable and a thread often.) done. "Hlave I not told you sevesrtimes to fetch water which is wont to be passed through the peve of a needle and wash sy feet?" "Seven times have Ilbeen to the temple, wvould incline us to embrace the second view. By the He.. but still rmy requests are not granted." "Seven times have brew term (ira) gamel, and the Greek word f,,tXor) kacaeI requestedr ihe father to give me the hand of his daughter, los, the Syrians, the Helenistis Jews, and the Arabians, all but lie refused me: and, therefbre, will not ask him again." understood a ship's cable: and hence, the Assyrians and Have I not forgiven you seven times, and how shall I for- Arabians contended that the word must be so interpreted give you again " —RosEBrTs. in the proverb under consideration. The Talmiudical writers also have a similar adage, which is quoted by Bux Vet. 34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered torf: "The departure of the soul from thy body is diffi. him to the tormentors, till he should pay all cult as the pa.sing of a cable through a small aperture." — PXxToN. that was due unto him. PaxTN. CIlAPTER XX. The. word/.........-n; properly denotes examiner, partic-u- ot The, word daOce~ properly denotes examniner, partin- PVer. 6. And about the eleventh hour he went out, larly one who has it in charge to examine by torture. and found others standing idle, and sit int and found others standing idle, anid saith unt,:, Hence it came to signify jailer, for on such in those day this charge commonly devolved. They were not only al- them, Why stand ye here all the day idfe2 588 MATTHEW. CHAP. 20 -i 7. They say unto him, Because no man hath otus states, that people went before Xerxes passing over hired us. I-He saith unto them, Go ye also into the Hellespont, and burnt all manner of perfumes on the bridges, and strewed the way with myrtles. So did those the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that Jews who believed Christ to be the promised Messiah, and shall ye receive, the king of Israel; they cut down branches of the trees, and strewed them in the way. Sometimes the whole road The most conspicuous building in Hamadanis the Mes- which leads to the capitol of an eastern monarch, for sevjid Jumah, a large mosque now falling into decay, and eral miles, is covered with rich silks over which he rides before it a maidan or square, which serves as a market- into the city. Agreeably to this custom, the multitudes place. Here we observed every morning before the sun spread their garments in the way when the Saviour rode rose, that a numerous band of peasants were collected with in triumph into Jerusalem.-PAxoTON spades in their hands, waiting, as they informed us, to be Campbell is right, " Spread their aMANTL.ES in the way." hired for the day to work in the surrounding fields. This The people of the East have a robe which corresponds custom, which I have never seen in any other part of Asia, with the mantle of an English lady. Its name is sALvI, and forcibly struck me as a most happy illustration of our Sa- how often may it be seen spread on the ground where men viour's parable of the labourers in the vineyard in the 20th of rank have to walk! I Wzas not a little surprised soon chapter of Matthew, particularly when passing by the same after my arrival in the East, when going to visit a native place late in the day, we still found others standing idle, gentleman, to find the path through the garden covered and remembered his words, " Why stand ve here all the with white garments. I hesitated, but was told it was for dayidle 1" as most applicable to their situation: for in put- " my respect." I must walk ON them to show I a\ccepted ting the very same question to them, they answered us, the honour.-ROBERTS. "Because no man hath hired us."-MORIER. Ver. 12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, Vern. I1. And when they had received it, they and cast out all them that sold and bought in murmure'd ao'ainst the cood man of the house. murm d aainst the good man of the house. the temple, and overthrew the tables of the Pay a man ever so liberally, he will still smrmqTr; he money-changers, and the seats of them that sold looks at the money and then at your face, and says, " Po- doves. THaATHU." i. e. not sufficient. I-e tells you a long story about what he has done and suffered, about the great expense he The money-changers were such persons as supplied the has been at to oblige you, and he entreats you for a little Jews, who came from distant parts of Judea, and other more. I ask any. Englishman who has been in Indiaif he parts of the Roman empire, with money, to be received ever met with a Hindoo who was not at ALL times ready to back at their respective homes, or which they had paid MURMUa? —ROEERTS. before they began their journey. Perhaps also they exchanged foreign coins for those current at Jerusalem. The Ver. 16. So the last shall be first, and. the first Talmud and Maimonides inform us that the half-shekel last: for many be called, but few chosen. paid yearly to the temple by all the Jews, (Exod. xxx. 15,) was collected there with great exactness in the month Adar, The Jews never spake of levying troops, but of choosing and that on changing the shekels and other money into them; because all the males, from twenty years old and half-shekels for that purpose, the money-chanigers exacted upwards, being liable to serve, they had always a great a small stated fee, or payment, called kolbon. It was the many more than they wanted. In allusion to the general tables on which they trafficked for this unholy gain which muster of the people, and the selection of a certain number Christ overturned.-HAMMOND. for the service of their country,, our Lord observes, " Man, are called, but few chosen." The great mnass of the CHAPTER XXII. people were called together by sound of trumpet, and on Ver. 2. he kingdom of heaven'is lile unto a passing in review before the officers, those were chosen who 7 r were deemed most fit for service. This is the reason the Hebrews usually'called their soldiers young men, and son. baiburism, chosen. But no man, who felt a disposition: to serve his country, was rejected; though an Israelite was not The hbspitality of the present day, in the East, exactly chosen, he might volunteer his services, and was then en- resembles that of the remotest antiquity. The parable of rolled. -PAxIoN.' the " great supper" is in those countries literally realized. And such was the hospitality of ancient Greece and Rome. CHAPTER XXI. When a person provided an entertainment for his friends Vier. 5. T7ell;ye the daughter of oion, Behold, thy or neighbours, he sent round a number of servants to in5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy vite the guests; these were called vocatores by the Romans, king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon and. A\T- pes by the Greeks. The day when the entertainan ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ment is to be given is fixed some considerable time before; See on Is. 30. 24. and in the evening of the day appointed, a messenger comes to bid the guests to the feast. The custom is thus introduced Ver. 7. And broucht the' ass, and the colt, and put in Luke: "A certain man made a great supper,. and bade them their clothes, and they set many; and sent his servant at smpper time, to say to them on them.their clothes, and they set ]&im thereon; that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready." They were not now asked for the first time; but had alIn later'times also it was customary in those countries ready accepted the invitation, when the dayv was appointed, to make riding more convenient in this manner. Tucher, and were therefore already pledged to attend at the hour who made a pilgrimag e to the holy sepulchre in the last when they might be summoned. They were not taken half of the fifteenth century, gives the following advice unprepared, and could not in consistency and decencyplead to a person who intenlds travelling its Palestine: "Have any prior engagement. They could not now retfuse,'itha coat made at Venice of double cloth: it is very conve- out violating their word and insulting the master of the feast, nient in the Holy Land. You spread it upon the ass, and and therefore justly subjected themselves to punishment. ride on it."-ROSEN-aMULLER. The terms of the parable exactly accord with establislled custom, and contain nothing of the harshness to which Ver. 8'. And a very rgreat multitude spread their infidels object.-PAxTON. garments in the way; others cut down branches firom the tiees, and strewed them in the iway.7 Ver. 4. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have It was a conmmon practice in the East, and one which, Tepared my dinner my ohen and my fatlings on certain great and joyful occasions, has been practiseed and ting in other countries, to strew flowers and branches of trees e killed, and ll things ready come unto in the way of conquerors and renowned princes. Herod- the marriage. CHAP. 23. MAT T HEA. 589 The following extract gives us an interestingaccount "The Persians, in circumstances of grief or joy, visit of a Persian dinner: "On the ground before us was each other with great attention, which is a tribute of duty spread the sofra, a, fine chints cloth, which perfectly in- always expected from persons of inferior condition, espetrenched our legs, and which is used so long unchanged, cially if they be dependant. The guests are ushered into that the accumulated fragments of former meals collect a large room, and served with coffee and tobacco. After into a musty paste, and emit no very savoury smell; but some time the master of the house enters, and his visiters, the Persians are content, for they say that changihg the rising to receive him, continue standing till he has passed sofra brings ill luck. A tray was then placed before each through the whole company and paid his respects to each: guest; on these trays were three fine China bowls, which he then takes his seat, and by signs permits-them to be also were filled with sherbets, two made of sweet liquors, and seated." (Goldsmith's Geography.) In the parable now one of a most exquisite species of lemonade. i There were, referred to, the circumstances of which may reasonably besides, fruits ready cut, plates with elegant little arrange- be supposed conformable to existing customs, it is evidently ments of sweetmeats and confectionary, and smaller cups, implied that the guests were collected together previous to of sweet sherbet; the whole of which were placed most the appearance of the king, who came in to see the guests. symmetrically, and were quite inviting, even by their ap- So also in Luke xiv. 10, in a similar parable, it is said, pearance. In the vases of sherbet were spoons made of "when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; the pear-tree, with very deep bowls, and worked so deli- that when he that bade thee cometlk, he may say unto thee, Go cately, that the long handle just slightly bent when it was up higher." This unquestionably confirms the application carried to the mouth. The pillaws succeeded, three of of the Persian ceremony to the parable first cited. It may which were placed before each two guests; one of plain just be further observed, that in the last-mentioned passage rice, called the chillo, one made of mutton, with raisins and it seems as if it had then been the prevailing practice for almonds; the other of a fowl, and ric'h spices and plums. the master of the house " to pass through the guests, and To this were added various dishes, with rich sauce. Their pay his respects to each of them," as was certainly the cooking, indeed, is mostly composed of sweets. The busi- case in Persia. ness of eating was a pleasure to the Persians, but it was The following extract will show the importance of havmisery to us. They comfortably advanced their chins ing a suitable garment for a marriage feast, and the ofclose to the dishes, and commodiously scooped the rice or fence taken against those who refuse it when presented as other victuals into their mouths with three fingers and the a gift: " The next day, Dec. 3, the king sent to invite the thumb of their right hand; but in vain did we attempt to ambassadors to dine with him once more. The Meheapproach the dish: our tight-kneed breeches, and all the mander told them, it was the custom that they should wear ligaments and buttons of our dress, forbid us; and we were over their own clothes the best of those garments which forced to manage as well as we could, fragments of meat the king had sent them. The ambassadors at first made and rice falling through our fingers all around us." (Mo- some scruple of that compliance: but when they were told rier.)-BURDEaR. that it was a custom observed by all ambassadors, and that no doubt the king would take it very ill at their hands if Ver. 9. Go ye therefore into the highways, and, they presented themselves before him without the marks of as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. his liberality, they at last resolved to do it; and, after their example, all the rest of the retinue." (Abassador's Trav It is as common in the East for a rich man to give a els.)-BUREa t feast to the poor, and the maimed, and the blind, as it is in England for a nobleman to entertain men of his own de- CHAPTER XXIII. gree. Thus, does he wish to gain some temporal or spiritual blessing, he orders his head servant to prepare a feast Ver. 6. And love the uppermost rooms atfeasts, for one or two hundred poor guests. Messengers are then and the chief seats in the synagogues. despatched into the streets and lanes to inform the indigent, that on such a day rice and curry will be given to all who See on Luke 14. 8-11. are there at the appointed time. Long before the hour the At their feasts matters were commonly ordered thus: visiters may be seen beriding their steps towards the house three couches were set in the form of the Greek letter II. of the RASA, or king: there goes the old man, who is scarce- The table was placed in the middle, the lower end whereof ly able to move his palsied limbs, he talks to himself was left open to give access to servants for setting and reabout better days; and there the despised widow moves moving the dishes, and serving the guests. The other with a hesitating step; there the sanJcasi or padcttrutl bold- three sides were enclosed by the couches, whence it got the ly brushes along and scowls upon all who offer the least name of triclinium. The middle couch, which lay along impediment to his progress; there objects suffering under the upper end of the table, and was therefore accounted every possible disease of our nature congregate together, the most honourable place, and that which the Pharisees without a single kindred association, excepting the one are said particularly to have affected, was distinguished which occupies their expectations. The food is ready, by the name 7rwroKXL roa.-CAMPBELL. the guests sit in rows on the grass, (Luke ix. 14,) and the servants begin to hand out the portions in order. Such is Ver. 7. And greetings in the Mharketsant to be the hunger of some that they cannot stay to let the mess get cool, and thus have to suffer the consequences of their impa- called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8. But be not tience; others, upon whom disease or age has made a fatal ye called Rabbi; for one is your Master, even inroad, can scarcely taste the provision; some are of hig Christ, and all ye are brethren. caste, who growl as they eat, at those of lower grades, for having presumed to come near them; and others, on ac- This title (rabbi) began first t be assumed by men of count of the high blood which flows in their veins, are al- learning about the time of. the birth of Christ. Simeon, lowed to take a portion to their homes. What a motley the son of Hillel, who succeeded his fat er as president scene is that, and what a strange contrariety in their talk; of the Sauhedrim, was the first Jew sh rabbi. The title some are bawling out for more food, though they are already was generally conferred with a great deal of ceremony. gorged to the full: others are talking about another feast a person had gone through ie schools, and was which is to be given in such a village, and others who have thought worthy of the degree of rabbi? he was first placed got a sight of the host, are loudly applauding his princely in a chair, a little raised above the company; then were generosity. He is delighted to hear their flattery; it all delivered to him a key and a table-book; the key as a symfalls sweetly on his feelings, for the higher the tone, the bol of the power and autfority conferred upon him to greater the relish. He has gained his object, taramum, i. e. teach others, and the table-book as a symbol of his dilicharity has been attended to; he has been exhilarated with gence in his studies. The key he afterward wore as a adulation, he has got a " name in the street," (Job xviii. 17,) badge of honour, and when lie died it was buried with and the gods have been propitiated.-ROBERTS. him. On this occasion also, the imposition of hands by Ver. 11t. And when the king came in to see the -— qURDTthe delegates of the sanhedrim was practised. (Alting.) guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. Ver. 16. Wo unto you, ye blind glides! which 590 MATTHEW. CHAP. 23 say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is Ver. 24. Ye blind guides! which strain at a gnat, nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the and swallow a camel. gold of the temple, he is a debtor. In these words, he charges them with being extremely With respect to oaths, there came a doctrine into vogue scrupulous about very small matters, while they betrayed a among the Jews, in the time of Christ, which made such a glaring and criminal negligence about things of great imnice distinction between what was and what was not an portance. But as the Pharisees could not literally swallow oath, that illiterate people were really incapable of compre- down a camel, Cajetan supposes a corruption in the text; hending it, or indeed forming any idea of it: and thus a and maintains that our Lord did not mention a camel. but Jew had it in his power to be guilty of the grossest treach- a larger species of fly, which might actually be swallowed ery to his neighbour, even when the latter thdught he had in drinking. Without admitting this, he contends the heard him swear by all that was sacred. Who could sup- words contain no proper antithesis. But as all the ancient pose, for instance, that a Jew did not speak seriously, when versions of this text harmonize with the Greek, a corrup. he swore by the temple. Yet by this doctrine, such an oath tion cannot be admitted. Nor is the objection of any imwas a mere nothing, because the stones of the temple were not portance; for, does not our Lord say, " Whybeholdest thou consecrated. I do liot mean to describe this morality by the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and considerest not the passages from the writings of the rabbins, both because beam that is thine own eye'" Is it usual then for a beam sufficient collections of these have already been made by to be in the eye. Our Lord, who knows all things, knew others, and because they are not only too extensive, but also that a camel cannot be swallowed; but on this very account.oo modern for my purpose, as I have principally to do with the proverb was proper; because, while the Pharisees were it as it stood in the time of Christ. I rather choose to take extremely precise in little things, they readily perpetrated what the Jewish moralists of his day taught, from his own crimes, which, like the camel, were of enormous magnimouth, and to accompany their doctrine with his refutation. tude., The design of our Lord was, not to teach that a The reader who wishes to see passages from the rabbins, camel could be swallowed, but that the minutia of the law may either consult learned commentators on Matt. v. 33- in which they displayed such scrupulous accuracy, as the 37. xxiii. 1; —22, or peruse what Wetstein has collected tithing of mint, anise, and cummin, were as much inferior from them, in rwhose New Testament he will find a pretty to the weightier matters of the law, as a gnat is inferior to copious collection of such passages. a camel.-PAxToN. Christ himself, then, in Matt. xxiii. 16 —22, mentions some specimens of their doctrine, which he finds it neces- Ver. 27. Wo unto you, scribes and Pharisees, sary to controvert. The Pharisees, whomn lie censured, hypocrites.! for ye are like unto whited sepulwere in the wray of saying, " If a man swear by the tem- chres, which indeed appear beautiful outward pie, he is not bound by that oath; but if he swear by the re gold of the temple, he is bound." This was a very para- blt are within full of dead snen's bones, and of doxical distinction; and no one who heard their oaths all uncleanness. 28. Even so ye also outwardly could possibly divine it, unless he happened to be initiated appear righteous unto men, but within ye are into the whole villany of the business. One would nat- l.. rally entertain the very same idea concerning it, which full of hypocrisy and inilqty. 29. unto Christ expresses in his refutation of it, viz. that "the tem- you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ple which consecrates the gold is of greater account, and ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish belongs more immediately to God, than the gold." But the the sepulebres of the righteous. toundation of the refined distinction made by the Pharisees was, that the gold was sanctified, but not the materials of The tombs of the lower orders are constructed of stone, the edifice. Again, the Pharisees said," If a man swear at a small distance from their cities and villages, whereia by the altar, it is no oath; but if he swear by the offering, great extent of ground is allotted for that purpose. Each he is bound;" because, forsooth, the offering was consecra- family has a particular portion of it walled in like a -arted, but the stones of the altar, nothing more than common den, where the bones of their ancestors have remained for stones. But to this doctrine, Jesus, with equal reason, many generations; for, in these enclosures, the graves are makes the following objection: that " the altar which sane- all distinct and separate, having each of them a stone placed tifies the offering is greater than the offering;" and, he upright both at the head and feet, inscribed with the name founds it on this unanswerable argument: " If I appear to of the person who lies there interred; while the intermediswear, and use the lanzuage of an oath, my words, though ate space is either planted with flowers, bordered round perhaps otherwise equivocal, must be understood in the with stone, or paved all over with tiles. The graves of sense whic1 they generally have in oaths. Thus, if I more wealthy citizens are further distinguished by some merely mention heaven, that word may have various mean- square chambers, or cupolas, that are built over them. ings; it may mean heaven, in the physical sense of the term, The sepulcehres of the Jews were made so large, that perthat is, either the btle atmosphere which we behold, or t1hat sons might go into them. The rule for makingthem is this: unknowon matter which fills the remote regions of space he that sells'ground to his neighbour, to make a btryingabove us, and which the ancients-called ether; but neither place, must make a court at the mouth of the cave, six feet of these is God. When, however, I swear by heaven, every by six, according to the bier and those that bury. It was one understands me as regarding heaven in its relation to- into this court that the women, who visited the sepulchre wards God, as his dwelling-place, or as his throne; and of our Lord, entered. Here they could look into the septhinks I forbear protnouncing the name of God, merely ulchre, and the several graves in it, and see every thing from reverential awe. and that, in naming the throne of within. The words of the sacred historian are:' And enGod, I include the idea of him who sitteth upon it; so that tering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man, sitting on if my words are to be explained honestly and grammati- the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they cally, I have really sworn by God. In like manner, if a were affrighted." man swear by the. temple, that is not swearing by the stones These different sorts of tombs and sepulchres. with the or other materials of which the temple is composed, but by very walls likewise of the enclosures, are constantly kept the God who dwelleth in the temple: and thus also, he who clean, whitewashed, and beautified; and by consequence, swears by the altar', is not to understand the bare stones, as continue to this day to be an excellent comment upon tha, such, but as they form an altar, and have offerings made expression of our Saviour's: " Ye are like unto whited upon them; so that he swears by the altar and what is upon sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but it an oath no less solemn and binding, than that most aw- are within full of dead men's bones and rottenness.-MWo fi l oath which is taken amid a sacrifice, bypassingbetween unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye tbh dismembered pieces of the victim." A most rational build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulclres e position; without which we can never, in any compact, of the righteous." It was in one of these chambers, or cube sure of understanding our neighbour's words; not even polas, which were built over the sepulchre, that the demo. though he name the name of God in his oath, and swear niacs, mentioned in the eighth chapter of Matthew, pr:bawithout any mental reservation whatever; for the syllables, bly had their dwelling.-PAxToN. perhaps, might still be susceptible of another signification I -MICHAELIS. Ver. 37. 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kill CIHAP. 23 -25. M A T T H E W. 591 est the prophets, and stonest them which are hasten to the spot. The eagles, kites, and crows, begin to sent unto thee: how often wo uld I have gather- tear at the carcass and attack each other, and the jackals snap at their feathered rivals; thus, though there is enough ed thy children together, even as a hen gather- forsnap all, they each try to hinder the other from eating. eth her chickens under her wings, and ye wVsould There can be no doubt that birds of prey are very usenot! ful in the East, as they carry off the putrid matter which would otherwise infect the air. Hence Europeans do not The Psalmist says, " Hide me under the shadow of thy often destroy such birds, and in the city of Calcutta there wings." "The children of men put their trust pnder the is a law to protect them from being injured. —RERT.s. shadow of thy wings." The word WING primarily signifies PROTrECTION, and not comfot, as some have supposed. They Ver. 41. Two women shall be grinding at the appear to have gained that idea from the comfort which mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. chickens have under the wing of the hen. In the East, hawks, kites, and other birds of prey, are continually on the See on Ex. 11. 5. wing; hence it is difficult to rear chickens, because at every moment they are in danger of being pounced on CHAPTER XXV. and carried off. Hence the eye of the mother is continu- Ver. 4. But the wise took oil in their vessels ally looking up to watch the foes, and no sooner does she with their amps. see them skimming along, than she gives a scream, and the brood for PRcOTECTION run UNDER her WINCS.-ROBERTS. Sir John Chardin informs us, that in many parts of the CHA~PTER X'XIV'. A East, and in particular in the Indies, instead of torches and flarnbeaux, they carry a pot of oil in one hand, and a lamp Ver. 17. Let him which is on the house-top not full of oily rags in the other. This seems to be a very come down to take any thing out of his house. happy illustration of this part of the parable. Hle observes, elsewhere, that they seldom make use of candles in the East,': It was not possible to view this country without calling especially among the great; candles casting but little light, to mind the wonderful events that have occurred in it at and they sitting at a considerable distance from them. Ezek. various periods from the earliest times: more particularly i. 18, represents the light df lamps accordingly as very the sacred life and history of our Redeemer pressed fore- lively.-HARMER. most on our minds. One thing struck me in the form of. 6. And at mi the houses in the town now under our view, which served to corroborate the account of former travellers in this coun- Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to try explaining several passages of scripture, particularly meet him. the following: In Matt. xxiv. 17, our blessed Saviour, in describing the distresses which shortly would overwhelmn An eastern wedding is always celebrated in the night; the land of Judea, tells his disciples,'when the abomina- for though thefortqzunate hour fot performing'some parts of tion of desolation is seen standing in the holy place, let hism the ceremony may be in the day, yet the festivities of the who-is on the house-top not come down to take any thing scene will not take place till:nii'?It. When the bridegroom out )f his house, but fly,' &c. The houses in this country goes forth to'the house of the bride, or when he returns to are all flat-roofed, and communicate with each other: a his own habitation or to that of his father, he is always acperson there might proceed to the city walls and escape companied by numerous friends and dependants, who carry into the country, without coming down into the street." lamps and torches. When he approaches either house the (Willyams's Voyage up the Mediterranean.) Mr. Harmer inmates rush out to meet him, and greet him with their enideavours to illustrate this passage, by referring to the best wishes and congratulations. The path is covered with eastern custom of the staircase being on the outside -of the "garments," and lamps like fire flies sparkle in every dihouse: but Mr. Willyams's representation seems to afford rection.-RosBRTs. a more complete elucidation of the text.-BURDER. A similar custom is observed among the Hindoos. The husband and wife, on the day of their marriage, being both Ver. 18. Neither let him which is in the field re- in the same palanquin, go about seven or eight o'clock at turn back to take his clothes. night, accompanied with all their kindred and friends; the trumpets and drums go before them; and they are lighted The oriental husbandman is compelled, by the extreme by a number of flambeaux; immediately before the palanheat of the climate, to prosecute his labours in the field al- quin walk many women, whose business it is to sing verses, most in a state of nudity. The ardour with which the in which they wish them all manner of prosperity. They farmer urged his labour, even under the milder sky of Italy, march in this equipage through the streets for the space required the same precaution. " Plough naked, and sow of some hours, after which they return to their own house naked," said Virgil; "winter is an inactive time for the where the domestics are in waiting. The whole house is hind." illuminated with small lamps; and many of those flamAurelius Victor informs us, that the Roman messengers, beaux already mentioned are kept ready for their arrival, wrho were sent to Cincinnatus, from Atenutius, the consul. besides those which accompany them, and are carried whom he had delivered from a siege, found him ploughing before the palanquin. These flambeaux are composed of naked, beyond the Tiber. But the truth is, neither the many pieces of old linen, squeezed hald against one anSyrian nor Italian husbandman pursued his labours in the other in a round figure, and thrust down into a mould of field entirely naked, but only stripped off his upper gar- copper. The persons that hold them in one hand, have in ments. An Oriental was said to be naked when these were the other a bottle of the same metal with the copper mould, laid aside. This enables us to understand the meaning of which is full of oil, which they take care to pour out from the charge which our Lord gave his disciples: " Neither time to time upon the linen, which otherwise gives no let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes." light.-PAXTON. The Israelitish peasant when he proceeded to his work in the field, was accustomed to strip off his upper garments, Ver. 7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed and leave them behind in the house, and to resume them their lamps. when his task was finished.-PAxToN. The nuptial lamps, probably, were highly decorated, Ver. 28. For wheresoever the carcass is, there the trimming was to prepare them for burning. The folwill the eagrles be gathered together. lowing account of the celebration of a wedding taken from' O~~~~~~ ~~the Zendavesta, mlay throw some light on this place. "The It has often appeared to me that the sight and scent of day appointed for the marriage, about five o'clock in the birds of prey in the East are keener than those of the same evening, the bridegroom comes to the house of the bride, species in England. Any garbage throwrn from the kitchen, where the mobed, or priest, pronounces, for the first time, or in the wilderness, will soon attract these winged scay- the nuptial benediction: he then brings her to his own tngers. Should there be a dead elephant or any other beast house, gives her some refreshment, and afterward the asin the jungle. vast numbers olf ravenous birds and animals sembly of our relatives and friends reconduct her to her 592 MATTHEW. CHAP. 25-17. father's house.'When she arrives, the mobed repeats the and, had I been sufficiently well-bred, my mouth would nuptial benediction, which is generally done about mid- have opened to receive it. On my pointing to my plate, night; immediately after, the bride, accompanied with a however, he had the goodness to deposite the choice morsel part of' her attending troop, the rest having returned to there. I would not lhave noticed so trivial a circumstance, their own houses, is reconducted to the house of her bus- if it did not exactly illustrate what the Evangelists record band, where she generally arrives about three o'clock in of the Last Supper.-JOWETT. the morning. Nothing can be more brilliant than th6se nuptial ceremonies in India: sometimes the assembly coil- Ver. 30. And when they had sung a hymn, they sists of not less than 2000 persons, all richly dressed with went out into the Mount of Olives. gold and silver tissue; the friends and relatives of the bride, encompassed with their domestics, are all mounted This was the Hallel which the Jews were obliged to on horses richly harnessed. The goods, wardrobe, and sing on the night of the passover. It consisted of six even the bed of the bride, are carried in tritmph. The psalms, the hundred and thirteenth, and the five following husband, richly mounted and magnificedntly dressed, is ac- ones. This they did not sing all at once, but in parts. Juist companied by his friends and relatives; and the friends of before the drinking of the second cup and.eating of the the bride fJollowing him in covered carriages. At inter- lamb they sung the first part; and on mixing the fourth vals, during the procession, guns and rockets are fired, and and last cup they sung the remainder; and said over it the spectacle is rendered grand beyond description by a what th-ey call the blessing of the song, which was Psalm. prodigious number of lighted torches, and by the sound of cxlv. 10. They might, if they would, mix a fifth cup, and a multitude of musical instrumnents."-BuaRDEa. say over it the Gr'eat-Hallel, which was Psalm cxxxvi. but they were not obliged to. —GILL. Ver. 10. And while they went to buy, the bride- they were not obliged t-GILL. groom came; and they that were ready wvent Ver. 34. Jesus said unto him,"Verily I say unto in with him to the marriage.: and the door thee, That this night, before the cock crow, was shut. thou shalt deny me thrice. At a marriage, the procession of which I saw some years ago, the bridegroom came from a distance, and the Ver. 69. Now Peter sat without in the palace: bride lived at Serampore, to which place the bridegroom was to come by water. After waiting two or three hours, and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also at length, near midnight, it was announced, as if in the wast with Jesus of Galilee. very words of scripture, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. All the persons employed now light- The Greek words are more accurately translated by, ed their lamps, and ran with them in their hands to fill up "Peter sat without in the court." This court (aAXi) in their stations in the procession; some of them had lost their which Peter was at the fire in the palace of the highlights, and were unprepared, but it was thent too late to priest, was, according to the usual old and oriental mode seek them, and the cavalcade moved forward to the house of building,;the inner part of the house enclosed on all sides, of the bride. at xyhich place the company entered a large which was not roofed, but was in the open air.-BuRDER. and splendidly illuminated area, before the house, covered with an awning, where a great multitude of friends, dress- CHAPTER XXVII. ed in their best apparel, were seated upon mats. The Ver. 2. And when they had bound him, they led bridegroom was carried in the arms of a friend, and placed hint away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate on a superb seat in the midst of the company, where he sat the governor. a short time, and then went into the house, the door of the governor. which was immediately shut, and guarded by Sepoys. I which was immediately shut, an guarded b Sepoys. The Street of Grief, or Dolorous WYay, derives its appeland others expostulated with the door-keepers, but in vain." (Ward's View of the Hindoos.)-BURDER. lation from its being the supposed site of the street through which the chief priests and elders of the Jews, after binding Ver. 36. Nalked, and ye clothed me: I Nwas sick, Jesus Christ, led him away and delivered him to Pontius and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye Pilate. (Mat. xxvii. 2.) It proceeds from the gate of Saint ancd ye visited me': I wNas in prison, and ye Stephen up to an archway, which appears to have been at came unto me. one time called " the Gate of Judgment," because malefactors were anciently conducted through it to the place of It is more easy in the East to visit imprisoned friends execution. This archway is exhibited in the annexed enthan it is in Europe. Thus Rauwolf tells us, that he was. At the period of the crucifixion, this gate stood allowed at Tripolis, in Syria, to visit his confined friends in the western wall of Jerusalem: but now it is in the cenas often as he liked. "After uwe had gone* through small tre of the city. The wall above the archway is supposed and low doors into the prisons in which they were confin- to have formed a part of the house of Pilate; and the cened, their keepers always willhagly let men in and out; some- tral window is reputed to have been the place whence our times I even remained in the prison with them during the Saviour was shown unto the people. night."-RosENaIULLER. The " Street of Grief" rises with a gradual ascent, beCIHAPTER XXVI. coming narrower towards Calvary, where it terminates. Ver. 18. And he said, GTo into the city to such a It is difficult to pass along it, owing to the stones being Ve.. And he said, o into the city to such a broken up, and it is completely out of order. —HoRNE. man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My [See COMPREtENSIVE COMMENTARY, o01 Ps. 122. 3, and the time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy eng'raving there of an ARCHED STREET in Jerusalem. house with my disciples. Ver. 7. And they took counsel, and bought with When a man believes himself to be near death, he says, them the potters' field, to bury strangers in. "Go tell the priest I am going on my journey, my time is at hand." When dead, it is said of him, " His time has It lay immediately without the wall of the city, on the gone, he has fallen."-ROBERTS. southeast corner, about a mile from the Temple. " On the west side of the valley of Hinnom, is the place anciently Ver. 23. And he answered and said, HEe that dip- called the potters' field, and afterward the field of blood, peth his hand with me in the dish, the same but now campo sancto. It is only a small piece of ground, shall betray me. about thirty yards long, and fifteen broad; one half of which is taken up by a square fabric, built for a charnelSee on John 13. 23. house, that is twelve yards high. Into this building dead The practice which was most revolting to me was this: bodies are let down from the top, there being five holes leit when the master of the house found in the dish any dainty opeil for that purpose, through which they may be seen morsel, he took it out with his fingers, and applied it to my under several degrees of decay."' (Maundrell.) mouth. This was true Syrian courtesy and hospitality; Why a potters' field should be preferred to any other as Ali! ROCK-HEWN TOMB, Petra, Job 3; 4, Jer 49: 10, 16, 20. __________I~~~i litI i l TOMB~ called'of the Kings, ~ Jerusalem. 2 Chi.r 21 20, 32, 83& ARCHED STREET, Jerusalem. not, Pg. l22 3 112.'i TOMBR called'of etho Kings/~Jeruseale. 2 Chro ~21; 2. 32: a3L, A R CHED STR~EET, Jeru~lcm: n oto, 3Ps. 1~22' 3. p, ll~. CHAP7.7 M A T T HE W. 593 a burial-place, may be conjectured from the following ex- transverse beam, both of which, as the ancients affirm, were tract, as in all probability the same causes which prevented united in the form of a Greek and Roman T; a little piece its being convertible to arable or pasture ground, must have of the perpendicular beam, however, generally projected at existed in an equal degree in Palestine. A burial-ground the top, to which the writing, containing the cause of the was one of the few purposes to which it could have been punishment, was affixed. In the middle of the perpendicuapplied. lar poles there was a wooden plug, which projected like a "We travelled eleven hours this day, and the last six horn, on which the person crucified rode or rested, that the without once halting. The ground over which we travelled weight of the body might not tear the hands loose. The seemed strewed over with small pieces of green earthen- cross was erected on the place of execution, and fastened ware, which was so plenty that many bushels could be in the ground; it was generally not high, and the feet of the gathered in the space of a mile. I inquired into the oc- criminal were scarcely four feet above the ground. The casion of it: the information which we received from our person condemned was raised up, quite naked, upon the sheik and others in the caravan, was, that in former ages projecting plug, or pulled up with cords; his hands were the greatest part of this plain was inhabited by potters, as first tied with cords to the transverse beam, and then nailed the soil abounded then, as it does at present, with clay fit on with strong iron nails. Cicero against Verres calls for their use: that they moved their works from place to crucifixion.the most cruel and horrid punishment; and in place, as they consumed the clay, or it suited their con- another place, a punishment which must be far, not only venience. They now make at Bagdad such kinds of from the body of a Roman citizen, but also from his eyes, earthenware, with a green glazing on it. When the sun and even his thoughts. It was, therefore, properly deshines it appears like green glass, which is very hurtful to signed among the Romans only for such as had been guilty the sight. They cannot plough this ground, as it would of murder, highway robbery, rebellion against the governcut the feet of both men and oxen." (Parsons' Travels in ment, and violation of the public tranquillity. A learned Asia.) —BURDER. physician, George Gottlieb Richter, has proved in a treatise dedicated to this subject, that the tortures of crucifixion must Ver. 26. Then released he Barabbas unto them; have been indeed indescribable. Even the unnatural conand when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered strained situation of the body, with the arms stretched him to be crucified. 29. And when they had upward, sometimes for days together, must have been an inexpressible torment, especially as not the slightest motion platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his or convulsion could take place without causing excruciahead, and a -reed in his right hand: and they ting pain over the whole body, particularly in the pierced bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, limbs, and on the back, mangled by previous scourging. saying, Hail Wing of the Jesws i Besides this, the nails were driven through the hands, and saying,'Hail, Kind sometimes through the feet, exactly in places where irriMohammed Zemaun Khan was carried before the king. table nerves and sinews meet, which were partly injured When he had reached the camp, the king ordered Moham- and partly forcibly compressed, by which the most acute med Khan, chief of his camel artillery, to put a mock- pains must have been excited, and constantly increased. crown upon the rebel's head, bazubends or armlets on his As the wounded parts were always exposed to the air, they arms, a sword by his side, to mount him upon an ass, became inflamed. The same also probably occurred in with his face towards the tail; then to parade him through- many other parts, where the circulation of the juices was out the camp, and to exclaim, This is he who wanted to be impeded by the violent- tension of the whole body. As the the king. After this was over, and the people had mocked blood, too, which is impelled from the left ventricle of the and insulted him, he was led before the king, who called heart through tie veins into all parts of the body, did not for his looties, and ordered them to turn him into ridicule, find room enough in the wounded and violently extended by making him dance and make antics against his will: he extremities, it must flow back to the head, which was free, then ordered, that whoever chose might spit in his face. unnaturally extend and oppress the arteries, and thus cause After this he received the bastinado on the soles of his feet, constantly increasing headache. On account of the iiapedwhich was administered by the chiefs of the Cagar tribe, iment of the circulation of the blood in the external parts, and some time after he had his eyes put out.-MORIER. the left ventricle of the heart could not entirely discharge itself of all the blood, and, consequently, not receive all the Ver. 29. And when they had platted a crown of blood which comes from the right ventricle; hence the thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in blood in the lungs had no free vent, by which a dreadful his right hand: and they bowed the knee be- oppression was occasioned; under such constantly increasing tortures, the person crucified lived generally three days, fore him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King sometimes even longer. Hence Pilate did not credit the of the Jews! account that Jesus had expired so soon, and, therefore, questioned the centurion who had kept watch at the cross. Among other circumstances of suffering and ignominy, -ROSENMULLER. which accompanied the death of Christ, it is said that they platted" a crown of thorns, and put it upon his head." Has- Ver. 48. And straightway one of them ran, and selquist says: " The naba or nabka of the Arabians is in all probability the tree which afforded the crown of thorns took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar an put on the head of Christ: it grows very commonly in the put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. East. This plant was very fit for the purpose", for it has many small and sharp spines, which are well adapted to What most tormented crucified persons was, dreadfil give pain; the crown might be easily made of these soft, thirst, which must naturally be occasioned by the heat of round, and pliant branches; and what in my opinion the wounds or fever. Out of a spirit of humanity, one of seems to be the greatest proof' is, that the leaves much re-the oldiers eeping watch, gave Jesus, at his request, a semble those of ivy, as they are of a very deep green. sponge dipped in vinegar. It is probable that they gave Perhaps the enemies of Christ wvould have a plant some: Jesus such vinegar as they had standing there for their what resembling that with which emperors and generals usual drink. An example, in more modern times, of givwere used to be crowned, that there might be calumny even ing, in the East, a sponge dipped in vinegar, to such as in the punishment."-BURDER. were to be executed by slow torture, in order to refresh them, is mentioned by Heberer, in his Description of hi. Ver. 31. And after that they had mocked him, Slavery in Egypt. "When this Greek had hung upon the they took the robe off from him, and put his hook beyond the third day in much pain, one of the keepers was at last prevailed upon, by the presents of his friends, own raiment on him, and led him away to cru- secretly to give him poison upon a. sponge, under the apcify hint. pearance of refreshing him a little with vinegar." —BunRDEn Crucifixion was a very common mode of inflicting the Ver. 51. And, behold, the vail of the temple was punishment of death among several ancient nations, name- rent in twain, from the top to the bottom; and ly, among the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. The cross consisted of a long pole, and a short the earth did quake, and the locks rent. 75 594 MATTHEW. CIHAP. 28. "About one yard and a half distance from the hole in the ancient limits can have been so mucli circumscribed to which the foot of the cross was fixed, is seen that memo- the north as to exclude its site. 2. Further, the original rable cleft in the rock, said to have been made by the earth- sepulchre was undoubtedly a cave: the present offers no quake which happened at the suffering of the God of Na- such appearance, being an insulated pile, constructed or ture, when the rocks rent, and the very graves were opened. cased with distinct slabs of marble. This cleft, as to what now appears of it, is about a span Bishop Heber, however, in his elaborate critique on Dr. wide, at its upper part, and two deep, after which it closes; Clarke's Travels, has shown that these arguments are inbut it opens again below, (as you may see in another chapel conclusive. For. — contiguous' to the side of Calvary,) and runs down to an 1. One of the Discourses of Cyril, patriarch of Jerusaunknown depth in the earth. That this rent was made by lem, incidentally proves two facts; viz., first, that the sepulthe earthquake that happened at our Lord's passion, there chre, as we now see it, was without the ancient wall; and, is only tradition to prove; but that, it is a natural and gen- secondly, that before it was ornamented by the Emperess uine breach, and not counterfeited by any art, the sense Helena, (with whom he was contemporary,) it was a simple and reason of every one that sees it may convince him; cave in the rock. for the sides of it fit like two tallies to each other; and yet it 2. Further, that the present sepulchre, defaced and alterruns in such intricate windings as could not wellbe counter- ed as it is, may really be " the place where the Lord lay," feited by art, nor arrived at by any instruments." (Maundrell.) is likely from the following circumstances: " Forty yards, " The far end of this chapel, called the Chapel of St. John, or thereabouts," says Bishop Heber, "from the upper end is confined with the foot of Calvary, where, on the left of, the sepulchre, the natural rock is visible: and in the side of the altar, there is a cleft in the rock: the insides do place which the priests call Calvary, it is at least as high testify that art had no hand therein, each side to the other as the top of the sepulchre itself. The rock then may have being answerably rugged, and these were inaccessible to' extended as far as the present entrance; and though the the workmen: that before spoken of, in the chapel below, entrance itself is hewn into form, and cased with marble, is a part of this, which reacheth, as they say, to the centre." the adytum yet offers proof that it is not factitious. It is a (Sandys.) —BuREa. trapezium of seven feet by six, neither at right angles to its own entrance, nor to the aisle of the church which con-.Ver. 60. And laid it in his own new tomb, which ducts to it, and in no respect conformable to the external he had hewn out in the ro&k: and he rolled a plan of the tomb. This last is arranged in a workmanlike great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and de- manner, with its frontal immediately opposite the principal nave, and in the same style with the rest of the church. It is shaped something like a horseshoe, and its walls, measThe sepulchres were not only made ih rocks, but had ured from this outer horseshoe to the inner trapezium, vary doors to go in and out at; these doors were fastened with from five to eight feet in thickness, a sufficient space to ada large and broad stone rolled against them. It was at the mit of no inconsiderable density of rock between the outer shutting up of the sepulchre with this stone that mourning and inner coating of marble. This, however, does not apbegan: and after it was shut with this sepulchral stone, it ply to the antechamber, of which the frontal, at least, is was not lawful to open it.-BURDER. probably factitious; and where that indenture in the marble is found which induced Dr. Clarke to believe that the CHAPTER XXVIII. whole thickness of the wall was composed of the same costVer. 6. He is not here; for he is risen, as he ly substance. Now these circumstances afford, we appresaid. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. hend, no inconsiderable grounds for supposing, with Pococke, that it is indeed a grotto above ground: the irreguThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with the Sepulch're it- larity of the shape; the difference between the external and self, is a prominent object of attention to the devout pil- internal plan; the thickness of the walls, so needless, it grim. The ioly Sepulchre, in which, according to an- they are throughout of masonry, all favour this opinion; cient tra4ition, the body of the Redeemer was deposited by nor is the task ascribed to Helena's workmen, of insulating Nicodemus, after he had taken it down from the cross, this rock from that which is still preserved a few yards (John xix. 39-42,) stands a little north of the centre of this distant, at all incredible, when we consider that the labour, church, and is covered by a small oblong quadrilateral while it pleased the taste of their employer, furnished at building of marble, crowned with a tiny cupola standing the same time materials for her intended cathedral." upon pillars, and divided into three compartments. Over 3. Although the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been the entrance to this edifice, the reader will observe a tem- burnt down since Dr. C larke's visit, yet the " rock-built sepporary covering of canvass extended by-means of cords, the ulchre of the Messiah, being of all others the ieast liable to object of which is to prevent the voice of the preacher, who injury, has remained in spite of the devouring element." lectures from the door of the Sepulchre'during\ Passion- The tHoly Sepulchre is a sarcophagus of white marble, week, from being dissipated in the dome above and'iendered destitute of ornament, and slightly tinged with blue; 6 ft. inaudible. The first compartment is an antechamber, which 14 in. long, 3 ft. 0 in. broad, and 2 ft. 14 in. deep, measured may contain six or eight persons: here the pilgrims put off on the outside. It is but indifferently polished, and aptheir shoes from their feet, before they enter upon the holy pears as if it had at one time'been exposed to the pelting of ground within; where, occupying half of the second part the storm and the changes of the seasons, by which it has of the building, i " the place where the Lord lay." (Matt. been considerably disintegrated. Over it are suspended xxviii. 6.) The third compartment is a small chapel ap- twelve massy splendid silver lamps, the gifts of monarchs propriated to the Copts, which is entered from behind, and and princes: these are kept continually burning, in honour which has no internal communication with the others. of the twelve apostles. The sarcophagus occupies about Dr. E. D. Clarke, the traveller, (whose skepticism con- one half of the sepulchral chamber, and extends from one cerning some of the sacred antiquities of Jerusalem was as end of it to the other. A space, not exceeding three feet great as his credulity in others,) was of opinion that the wide, in front of it, is all that remains for the reception of spot now shown as the site of the sepulchre, was not the visiters, so that not more than three or four persons can be place of Christ's interment, from the variance of its present conveniently admitted at a time. Over the sarcophagus is appearance with the accounts in the Gospel. His reasons a large painting, representing Christ bursting the bonds of for disbelief are as follows:-l. The tomb of Christ was in the tomb, and his triumphant ascent out of the grave on the ca garden without the walls of Jerusalem: the structure morning of the resurrection; A Greek or Latin priest alwhich at present bears its name is in the heart of, at least, ways stands here with a silver vase of incense, which he Ihe modern city; and Dr. Clarke is unwilling to believe that waves over the pilgrims.-HORNE. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AMARK. CHAPTER I. Ver. 10. And straightway coming up out of the Ver. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, water, he saw thee heavens opened, and the Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths Spirit like a dove descending upon him. straight. See on Matt. 3. 11. When a man of rank has to pass through a town or vil- CHAPTER II. lage, a messenger is despatched to tell the people to pre Ver. 3. And they ome unto him, n onre the way, and to await his orders. Hence may be seen some sweeping the road, others who "spread their garments in sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. the way," and some who are cutting " down branches from 4. And when they could not come nigh unto the trees" (Matt. xxi. 8) to form arches and festoons where him for the press, they uncovered the roof the great man has to pass. —ROBERTS. where he was; and when they had broken it Ver. 6. And John was clothed with camel's hair, up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; the palsy lay. and he did eat locusts and wild honey. Among other pretended difficulties and absurdities relating to this fact, it has been urged, that, as the uncovering, The Jews were allowed to eat locusts, and when sprinkled or breaking up of the roof, as mentioned by Mark, or the with salt, and fried, they are not unlike our fresh water letting a person down through it, as recorded by Luke, supcray fish. The Acridophagi must have preferred them to poses the breaking up of tiles, spars, rafters, &c., " so," says almost every other species of food, since they derived their the infidel, " it was well if Jesus, and his disciples, escaped name from their eating locusts. We learn from the valua- with only a broken pate, by the falling of the tiles, and if the ble work of Dr. Russel, that the Arabs salt and eat them as rest were not smothered with dust." But if the construction a delicacy. Locusts were accordingly the common food of of an oriental dwellingbe recollected, we shall find nothing John, the precursor of Christ, while he remained in the in the conduct of these men either absurd in itself, or hazwilderness. In feeding on that insect, the Baptist submitted ardous to others. Dr. Shaw contends, that no violence awtas to no uncommon privation, and practised no savage rigour, offered to the roof, and that the bearers only carried the like many of the hermits who inhabited the deserts; but paralytic up to the top of the house, either by forcing their merely followed the abstemious mode of living to which way through the crowd up the staircase, or else by conveythe people were accustomed, in the less frequented parts of ing him over some of the neighbouring terraces, and these, the country. The food upon which he subsisted in the wil- after they had drawn away the oT7y),, or veil, let him'down derness appears to be particularly mentioned, merely to along the side of the roof (through the opening, or imrplevishow that he fared as the poorest of men, and that his man- usn) into the midst of the court before Jesus. But this inner of living corresponded with the meanness of his dress. genious explanation is encumbered with several important Much unnecessary pains have been taken by some squeam- difficulties. The natural and obvious idea which the text ish writers, to prove that the locusts which John used for suggests to the mind is, that the roof of the house was acfood, were the fruit of a certain tree, and not the carcass of tually opened, and the paralytic let down through the tiling, the insects distinguished by that name; but a little inquiry or roof, into the upper apartment, where Jesus was sitting; will fully clear up this matter, and show, that however dis- while an elaborate process of criticism is necessary to,elicit gusting the idea of that kind of meat may appear to us, the the sense of the learned author: this is a circumstance Orientals entertain a different opinion. Many nations in strongly in favour of the common exposition. Besides, he the East, as the Indians of the Bashee islands, the Tonquin- has produced no proof that,TTryq ever signifies a veil, for ese, and the inhabitants of Madagascar, make no scruple which the sacred writers, in particular, employ other words, to eat these insects, of which they have innumerable swarms, as KaXvtpa, Karatr.oica; bhut its usual meaning is the roof, and prefer them to the finest fish. The ancients affirm, that or flat terrace of a house, and, by an easy transition, the in Africa, Syria, Persia, and almost throughout Asia, the. house itself. Nor has he assigned a sufficient reason for people commonly'eat these creatures.. Clenard, in a letter the use of the strong term e(opvCaVVe7, by which he is evifrom Fez, in 1541, assures us, that lie saw wagon loads of dently embarrassed. He endeavours, in the first place, to locusts brought into that city for food. Kirstenius, in his get quit of it altogether, by observing that it is omitted in notes on Matthew, says, he was informed by his Arabic the Cambridge manuscript, and not regarded in the Syriac, master., that he had often seen them on the river Jordan; and some other versions. But conscious it could neither that they were of the same form with ours, but larger; that be expunged,nor disregarded upon such authority, he thinks the inhabitants pluck off their wings and-feet, and hang the "it may be considered as further explanatory of a-rEoriy aaav; rest at their necks till they grow warm and ferment; and or, as in the Persian version, referred either to the letting then they eat them, and think them very good food. A down of the bed, or, preparatory thereto, to the making monk, who had travelled into Egypt, asserts, that he had holes in it for the cords to pass through." But the word.eaten of these locusts, and that in the country they subsist- cannot, with propriety, be considered as a further explanaed on them four months in the year. In Bushire, they are tion of a7reargyaorav; for it has quite a different meaning; it used by the lowest peasantry as food. The Arabs feed on signifies to dig out, to break up, or pluck out, and always in them to this day, and prepare them for use in the following volves the idea of force and violence; but no violence, and manner: They grind them to flour in their handmills, or but very little exertion Was necessary, to fold back the veil, powder them in stone mortars. This flour they mix with which was expanded bji cords over the court. Nor can it water to the consistency of dough, and make thin cakes of be referred to the removal of other obstructions, for when it, which they bake like other bread on a heated girdle; and the veil was removed, no further obstruction remained. It this, observes Hasselquist, serves instead of bread to sup- cannot, in this place, signify to tie the four corners of the port life for want of something better. At other times they bed or bedstead with cords, for it bears no such meaning in boil them in water, and afterward stew them with butter, any other part of the holy scriptures, or in any classic and make a soft of fricassee, which has no bad taste.- author; and since it is more naturally constructed with PAXTON. rTEys than with KepaFfaro,' it ought to be referred to the for 596 MARK. CHAP. 2-6. mer. Pearce, in his Miracles of Jesuis Vindicated, offers an- of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and other solution; according to him, they opened the trap-door, them that wept and waied greatly. which used to be on the top of the houses in Judea, and which lying even with the roof, was a part of it when it was See on Gen. 45. 2. let down and shut. But with regard to this exposition, Parkhurst justly observes, that the most natural interpreta- CHAPTER VI. tion of arocrreyasltv, is to unroof, break up the roof, andt that Ver. 3. Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary the verb is twice used by Strabo, as cited by Elsner and the brother of James and Joses, and of Juda, and Wetstein, in this sense; which also best agrees with the following word EoxpvUaVe7-. The history, as recorded by Simon? -and are not his sisters here with us? the. evangelists Mark and Luke, seems to be this; Jesus, And they were offended at him. after some days absence, returned to Capernaum, and to the house where he used to dwell. And when it was re- It was a common practice, in almost every country, to distin. ported that he was there, the people crowded to the square guish a person firom others of the same name, by giving him court, about which the house was built, in such numbers asurname derived from the trade or occupation of his parent. that there was no room for them, even though they filled The English language furnishes us with examples of this the porch. The men who carried the paralytic, endeavour- in the surnames of Baker, Taylor. Carpenter, and the like; ed to bring him into the court among the crowd; but, find- and what is still more to the point, it is at this day the cusing this impossible, they went up the staircase which led tom in some of the oriental nations, and particularly among from the porch (or possibly came from the terrace of a the Arabs, to distinguish any learned and illustrious man, neighbourring house) to the fiat roof of the house, over the who may chance to be born of parents who follow a particuupper room in which Jesus was, K,,t eo(,pv(avrEg; and having lar trade or art, by giving him the name of such trade or forced up as much both of the tiles or plaster, and of the art as a surname, although he may never have followed it boards on which they were laid, as was necessary for the himself. Thus, if a man of learning happen to be descendpurpose, they let down the paralytic's mattress, la r-wv ed from a dier or a tailor, they call him the tailor's son or %~~,,coly,, through the tiles or roof, into the midst of the room the dier's son, or frequently omitting the word son, simply before Jesus. This operation, under the careful manage- the dier or the tailor. According to this custom, the rement of these men, who must have been anxious not to in- mark of the Jews, in which our Saviour is termed the carcommode the Saviour and his auditory, could be attended penter, may be considered as referring merely to the occuwith no danger. The tiles or plaster might be removed to pation of his reputed father: and that TEKTrW ought to be unanother part of the flat roof, and the boards likewise, as derstood in this place as meaning nothing more than b i-ov they were broken up; and as for the spars, they might be rmKrovos vrdg, the son of the carpenter. This explanation of sufficiently wide to admit the narrow couch of the sick the term is supported by the authority of another evanman, without moving any of them from their places. It gelist, who resolves it by this very phrase." (Mosheim.)may be even inferred from the silence of the two evange- PAxToN. lists, that the company suffered not the least inconvenience; and.the infidel can produce the testimony of no writer in Ver. 8. And commanded them that they should support of his insinuations. But though we were unable to take nothing for their journey, save a staff remove the objection, or silence the ridicule of the unbe-, liever, it is in every respect better to abide by the natural and obvious sense of the passage. Many of the oriental purse. pinces and nobles have a favourite upper chamber to which See on Mat. 10. 9. they retire from the fatigues of state and the hurry of business. To such a retired apartment the Saviour and his Ver. 1. And whosoever shall not receive you, disciples withdrew to celebrate the passover before he suf-, fered.-PAXTIXON..; nor hear you, when ye depart; thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against Ver. 16. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more him eat with publicans and sinners, they said tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and of judgment, than for that city. drinketh with publicans and sinners. When a person is made angry by another, he says, " I At this period there were in the Roman empire two will shake thee off as I do the dust from my sandals." "I classes of men, who might be called publicans, (publicani,have washed my feet; never more shallthey tread that r-sXival.) First, such as farmed the revenues of whole prov-."-RoBERTs inces. These were generally Roman knights, frequently highly respected men, as may be inferred from the picture which Cicero draws of some of them in his speeches for anointed with oil many that were sick, and the Manilianr law and for Plancus. These were properly healed them. called publicani, but they are not mentioned in the Evangelists. They likewise did not collect the taxes themselves; The people of the East give a decided preference to exthey employed for this purpose their freedmen and slaves, teinal applications; hence when they are directed to " eat" to whom they gave as assistants as many natives as was or " drink" medicine, they ask, can they not have something requisite. These sub tax-gatherers were indeed also called to apply outside? For almost every complaint a man will publicans, (pbblliCaC7ni, sX'ai a;) but their proper Latin name smear his body with bruised leaves, or saffron, or ashes of was portitores. Their places were united with great tempta- certain woods, or OILS; and he professes to derive more tions; for as they had farmed the taxes for a fixed sum, they benefit from them than from those medicines which are tried to press as much as possible from individual persons. taken internally: at all events, he knows they cannot do Beside! this, gathering the taxes for a foreign power, is an- him so much harm. It ought to be observed, that they do doubtedly a detested employment in every country, and not attach any miraculous effects to the being" anointed among the natives generally only people of the meanest with oil." —RBERTS. rank; and of a low way of thinking, lend themselves to it. Among the Jews, the ill-will towards people of this class Ver. 21. And when a convenient day was come, was increased by pride and zeal for the iindependence of that Herod, on his birthday, made a supper to the nation; and such of their countrymen as suffered them- his- lords, high captains, and chief estates of selves to be employed in gathering taxes for heathens, they Galilee. considered as apostates to their religion. Publicans and sinners were among their synonymous names.-RoSEN-. sinners were among their synonymous names-RosEN- The Orientals have nearly all their great feasts in the CHAPTERE V.evening: thus, to give a supper is far more common than CHAPTER V. a dinner. Those evening festivals have a very imposing Ver. 38. And he cometh to the house of the ruler effect: what with the torches and lamps, the splendid dresses C1hAr. 9-12. MARK. 597 jewels, processions, the bowers, the flowers, and the music, him for whose sake the cup of water is given. A.9 act of a kind of enchantment takes hold of the feelings, and the benevolence, how small soever. is certainly pleasing in the mind is half bewildered in the scenes.-ROBERTs. sight of God, so far as it proceeds from proper motives, is performed in the appointed manner, and directed to the CHAPTER IX. proper end, and particularly if it be conne'cted with the Ver. 41. For whosoever shall give you a cup of name of his own Son. But to give a cup of water to a disciple in the name of Christ, and because hlie belongs to him, water to d rink, in my name, because ye belong must signify, that it is given in honour of Christ; and this to Christ, verily I say unto you, Hle shall not is the particular reason of the reward which the remunerlose his reward. ative justice of God bestows. An article in the Asiastic Miscellany, quoted by Dr. Clarke in his edition of HarIn the sacred scriptures, bread and water are commonly mer, will set this in a very clear light. In India, the Hlinmentioned as the chief supports of human life; and to pro- doos go sometimes a great way to fetch water, and then vide a sufficient quantity of water, to prepare it for use, boil it, that it may not be hurtful to travellers who are hot; and to deal it out to the thirsty, are still among the princi- and after this, stand from morning till night in some great pal cares of an oriental householder. To furnish travel- road, where there is neither pit nor rivulet, and offer it lers with water is, even in present times, reckoned of so in honour of their gods, to be drunk by the passengers. great importance, that many of the eastern philanthropists Such necessary works of charity in these hot countries. have been at considerable expense to procure them that seem to have been practised among the more pious anei enjoyment. The nature of the climate, and the general humane Jews; and our Lord assures them, that if' they do aspect of the oriental regions, require numerous fountains this in his name, they shall not lose their reward. This to excite and' sustain the languid powers of vegetation; and one circumstance, Dr. Clarke justly remarks, of the Hinthe sun, burning with intense heat in a cloudless sky, de- doos offering the water to the fatigued passengers, in honmands for the fainting inhabitants the verdure, shade, and our of their gods, is a better illustration of our Lord's coolness, which vegetation produces. Hence fountains of words, than all the collections of Mr. Harmer on the subliving water are met with in the towns and villages, in the ject.-PAxTON. fields and gardens, and by the sides of the roads and of the beaten tracks on the mountains; and a cup of cold water CHAPTER X. from these wells, is no contemptible present. Ver. 46. And they came to Jericho: and as he In Arabia, equal attention is paid by the wealthy and Pwent out of Jericho with his disciples, and a benevolent to the refreshment of the traveller. On one of great number of people, blind Bartimeus, the the mountains of Arabia, Niebuhr found three little reservoirs, which are always kept full of fine water for the use of passengers. These reservoirs, which are about two ging'. feet and a half square, and from five to seven feet high, are round, or pointed at the top, of mason's work, having Here again the picture -is teeming with life. See that only a small opening in one of the sides, by which they blind man seated under a shady tree " by the highway pour water into them. Sometimes he found, near these' side," he has occupied the place from infancy. The travplaces of Arab refreshment, a piece of a ground shell, or ellers who are accustomed to pass that way always expect a little scoop of wood for lifting the water. to see the blind beggar; and were he not there they Aould The same attention to the comfort of travellers, is mani- have a sense of discomfort, and anxiously inquire after fested in Egypt, where public buildings are set apart in the cause. So soon as he hears the sound of a footstep he some of their cities, the business of whose inhabitants is to beins t o cry aloud, " The blind! the blind! i remember t/a supply the passenger with water free of expense. Some of blind!" He knows almost every man's voice, and has these houses make a very handsome' appearance; and the "always some question to ask in reference to the family at persons appointed to wait on the passengers, are required home. Should a stranger be passing he inquires, Athb-sa to have some vessels of copper, curiously tinned and filled i. e. Who is that' Those who cannot wall are carried to with water, always ready on the wingow next the street. their wFonted place, as was the man who was " laid daily Some of the Mohammedan villagers in Palestine, not far at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask from Nazareth, brought Mr. Buckinghamn and his party alms of them that entered into the temple." Some cripples bread and water, while on horseback, without even being are carried about in a basket by two men, who have a solicited to do so; and when they halted to accept it, both share of the alms. Sometimes they have tremendous compliments and blessings were mutually interchanged.* as the bearers tae too great a hare of the money Hence a cup of'cold water is a present in the East of much or provisions, which induces the lame man to use his value, though there are some other refreshments of a su- tonge: they, however, generally get the victory v threatperior quality. When Sisera asked a little water to drink, ecing to leave the poor fellow to get home as well as he Jael brought him milk, which she thought he would natural- can. Some of the blind mendicants have not the patience lyprefer; and in the book of Proverbs, the mother df Lemn- to reainin one place: hence they get a person tolead uel instructed him to give strong drink to him that is ready them, and here again they have a constant source of quarto perish, and wine to those that were of heavy heart. Still, el in the suspiions of the one and the rogueries of the however,'the value of a cup of water, though to be num- other. The guide falls into a passion, and abuses the begberet among the simpleAt presents the traveller can re- gar, tells him he is cursed of the gods, and pretends to take ceive, is of great value in those countries. If this be duly his departure; the blind man retorts, and calls him a lozt considered, the declaration of our Lord, "Whosoever cste,a servat of beggars,andtells himheshallnot ha shall give you a cup of water to drink, in my name, any more of his rice. They both having expended al because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, He their hard words, become a little calmer; and afier a few shall not lose his reward," is of greater importance than expostulations, once more approximate, and trudge off in we are apt at first sight to imagine. The general thought PurSUit of their calling.-ROBERTS. is plain to every reader, That no service performed to a disciple of Christ, out of love to his master, although coin- CHAPTER XII. paratively small, shall remain unrewarded; but the inhab- Ver. 1. And he began to speak unto them by itants of more temperate climates are sometimes ready to par think that the instance which our Lord mentions, is rather ables. A cetain ma planted a ineard insignificant. It certainly would not appear so now to an and set a hedge about it, and digged a place for inhabitant of the East, nor did it then, we have reason to the wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it out to believe, appear so to them who heard the Saviour's decla- husbandmen, and went into a far country ration. But the words of Christ evidently contain more than this; they lead up our thoughts to the character of I was particularly struck with the appearance of several small and detached square towers in the midst of vine* "In this, as in most of the other villages, is a hut with a large jar lands, said by our guide to be used as watch-towers, from of water in it, by the road-side, for travellers. When there are io which watchmenlooked out to guard the rroduce of the houses, this jar is generally placed under a fine-tree." (Waddingion'sen looked out to guard the e of the Travels in Ethiopia, p. 35.)-B. lands themselves even in the present day.-B UCKINGAIIM. 598 M MARK. CaAP. 13, 14. CHAPTER XIII. unto thee, That this day, even in this night, beVer. 15. And let him that is on the house-top not fore the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me go down into the house, neither enter therein, thrice. to take any thing out of his house. The cock-crowing was, properly, the time which interSee on Matt. 24. 17. vened between midnight and the morning; whichis evident When the houses were hot contiguous, the staircase, ac- from the words of the evangelist just quoted. Availing cording to the description of some travellers, was conduct- themselves of this circumstance, the Romans divided their ed along the outside of the house; but when they were day and night into various parts, which'they distinguished built close together, it was placed in the porch, or at the by appropriate names. Midnight was the point at which entrance into the court, and continued through one corner their day commenced and terminated; then followed, what of the gallery, or another, to -the top of the house. For they called the inclination of midnight; after that, the the sake of greater privacy, and to prevent the domestic cock-crowing; then the conticinium, -or time of silence, anilnals from daubing the terrace, and by that means when all was still; this was followed by the dawn, which spoiling the water which falls from thence into the cisterns ushered in the morning; and this in its turn was succeeded below the court,, a door was hung on the top of the stair, by the noonday. The Greek term which denotes the cockand kept constantly shut. This door, like most others to crowing, is often used in the plural number, because that'be met with in those countries, is hung, not with hinges, wakeful bird announces more than onqe the approach of but by having the jamb formed at each end into an axle- light. He begins to chant at midnight;' and again raises tree or pivot; of which the uppermost, which is the longest, his warning voice, between midnight and the dawn; which, is to be received into a correspondent socket in the lintel, on this account, is often called the second cock-crowing. while the other falls into a similar cavity in the threshold. Thus Juvenal: Doors with hinges of the same kind are still to be seen in "Quod tamen ad cantum galli facit ille secundi, the East. The stone door, so much admired by Mr. Maun- Proximus ante diem caupo sciet." —(Sat. ix. 1. 106.) drell, is exactly of this fashion, and very common in most The second cock-crowing corresponds with the fourth places. " The staircase is uniformly so contrived, that a watch of the night; for, says Ammianus, he ascended person may go up or come down by it, without entering Mount Casius, from whence, at the second crowing of the into any of the offices or apartments; and by consequence, cock, the rising sun might be first descried. But, according without disturbing the family, or interfering with the busi- to Pliny, from the towering height of Mount Casius, the sun ness of the house. In allusion to this method of building, might be seen at the fourth watch, ascending through the our Lord commands his disciples, when the Roman armies shades of night. But, although the cock crows twice in the. entered Judea, to " flee to the mountains;" and adds, " Let night, yet, when any thing is said to be done at the time of him that is on the house-top not go down into the house, the cock-crowing, without stating whether it is the first or neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house." the second, it must always be understood of the last, which They were commanded to flee from the top of the house to is by way of distinction called the cock-crowing, either bethe mountains, without entering the house; which was im- cause the warning is more loud and cheerful, or because it possible to be done, if the stairs had not been conducted is more useful to mankind, as it rouses them from their along the outside of it, by which they could escape. —PAX- slumbers to the active scenes of life; or, in fine, because TON. the time of the first warning is called by another name, the middle-of the night. Thus, the evangelist Mark agrees Ver. 35. Watch' ye, thv:fore: for ye know not with the uninspired writers of antiquity, in placing the Nw;hen the master of the house cometh, at even, time of the second crowing between the hour of midnight or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in and the morning. And Isidore, asquoted by Bochart, says, it was called the cock-crowing, because then the cock anthe mornmno nounced the approach of day. Hence it is evident he meant See on ch. 14. 30. the time of the second crowing. Horace also refers to the same hour in these lines: CHAPTER XIV. -" Agricolurn laudat juris legumque peritus Ver. 3. And being in Bethany, in the house of Sub galli cantum consultor ubi ostia pulsat."-(Sat.. 1. 10.) Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there cane It appears from these, and many other testimonies, which the learned reader will find in Bochart, that the same time a woman, having an alabaster box of ointment was now called simply, the cock-crowing; and now more of spikenard, very precious; and she brake the expressly, the second cock-crowing: from whence it has box, and poured it on his head. been justly thought, thatMark maybeeasilyreconciledwith the other evangelists, in relation to the time when the aposW'hile the entertainment was going on, the master of the tle Peter thrice denied his Lord. According to Mark, the family, to show his respect for the company, and to prevent Saviour informed his presumptuous disciple, " Before the the hurtful consequences of indulgence, caused the ser- cockrow twice thou shalt deny me thrice." As the Savants in attendance to anoint their heads with precious viour had foretold, the cock' crew after the first, and a seunguents, and perfume the room by burning myrrh, frank- cond time after the third denial; but according to the other incense, and other odours. Hence the act of Mary, in evangelists, the cock did not crow before he denied him anointing the head of her Lord, as he sat at meat in the the third time. The words of Christ, according to Matthew, house of Simon, was agreeable to the established custom are these: " Verily I say unto thee, that this night before of the country, and she did no more on that occasion than the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." In Luke: "I what'the rules of politeness required from his entertainer. tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that It witas at once a signal testimony of her veneration for the thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. In John: Saviour, and a pointed reproof to Simon for his disre- "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake. Verily, verily, spectful omnission. "As Jesus sat at meat, there came a I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied woman, having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, me thrice." But it is no difficult task to reconcile these (or liquid nard, according to the margin,) very precious, different accounts; for the prediction clearly refers to t1and she brake the box and poured it on his head." The time of the second crowing, before when, according to all balsam was contained in a box of alabaster, whose mouth the four evangelists, Peter had thrice denied his Master. was stopped with cotton, upon which melted wax was These phrases, The cock shall not crow, or, Before the,oured so as effectually to exclude the air. When Mary cock shall crow, are the same as if he had said, Before the approached to anoint her Lord, she broke the cement time of the cock-crowing, or the cock shall not give that which secure d the stopple, not the box itself, for this was loud and cheerful alarm, from which the time called em.quite unnecessary; and we know that in the language of phatically the cock-crowing (aXlTceomOs(wV, t) is dated, before the East, the Dpening of a vessel, by breaking the cement thou shalt deny me thrice. No doubt can reasonably be tfat secured:, was called breaking the vessel. —P.XTON. entertained, that Mark, who was the disciple of Peter, recorded the very words of Christ, as he received them from Ver, 30. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily' I'say the apostle. But it was sufficient for the others to mention CHAP. 15. M A R K. 599 the principal fact, that Christ not only bresaw and predict- followers, denied his Lord. Christ was placed at the bar; ed the threefold denial of Peter, but also fixed the time and interrogated by Caiaphas; this being done, Peter dewhen it should happen, before the second crowing. The nied his Master a second time, and again in the space of words of our Lord are certainly to'be understood of the an hour. It will appear to every reflecting and candid second, because this only was simply called the cock-crow- mind, that these transactions must have occupied the greater ing; yet Mark expressly asserts it, and declares also, that part of the night. The despatch which the high-priest and the first denial of Peter preceded the first cock-crowing. his council made, indeed would seem quite extraordinary, Here it may be objected, that between the first and second if we did not consider that the passover, their most solemn crowing, the fourth part of the night commonly intervenes; festival, was just ready to commence, and that the worst which at that time was nearly three hours; for in Judea, at passions of their depraved hearts were now in a state of high tne time of the year when our Lord was crucified, the excitement against the Redeemer.-PAXTON. nights are more than eleven hours in length; but between the first and second denial of Peter, scarcely the half of Ver. 35. And he went forward ai little, and fell on that tilne could have elapsed. This appears from the nar- the ground, and prayed, ofin which it is stated, that the ground, and prayed, that, if it were possirative of the evangelist Luke, in which it is stated, that when the terrified apostle had first denied his Lord to the sible, the hour might pass from him. maid, as he sat by the fire, " A little after, another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, i How often are we reminded of this by the way ip n which am not;," which was the second denial. " Alnd about the the heathen worship their gods! they fall prostrate before space of one hour after, another confidently affirmed, say- the temples and repeat their prayers. In our own chapels ing; Of a truth, this fellow also was with him; for he is a and school rooms, natives sometimes prostrate themselves Galilean." " And Peter denied the third time, and imme-at the time of prayer.-RoBERTS. diately the cock crew." To this objection it may be sufficient to reply, that the statement of the evangelist is ex- Ver. 51. And there followed him a certain young tremely brief; and while Peter endeavoured to clear himself man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked of the charge, many words might pass.on both sides, which ody: and the oun men laid hold on him are not plt on record, and the discussion be protracted through a great part of the night. Nor will it follow from 52. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from the phrase which Luke uses, after a little while, that no them naked. time, or only a very short interval passed, between the first and second denial; for the apostle John, in his gospel, See on Judg. 14. 12. mentions many incidents which happened in that time; Pococke observes, in describing the dresses of the people and the third denial, which Luke says happened about the of Egypt, that " it is almost a general custom among the space of one hour after the second denial, is in Matthew Arabs and Mohammedan natives of the country, to wear a and Mark said to have taken place "a little after." Hence, large blanket, either white or brown, and in summer ablne this phrase may denote a much longer space of time than is and white cotton sheet, which the Christians constantly use commonly supposed. Besides, Luke does not say, that the in the country: putting one corner before, over the left third Aenial happened precisely at the distance of one shoulder, they brlng it behind, and under the right arm, hour, but about the space of one hour, which might there- and so over their bodies, throwing it behind over the left fore be considerably more. In fine, although the fourth shoulder, and so the rightarmisleft bare for action. WVhen part of the night commonly intervenes between the first it is hot, and they are on horseback, they let it fall down on and second crowing, it is not always the case; for it is well the saddle round them: and about Faiume, I particularly known, that these birds do not always crow at stated times. observed, that young people especially, and the poorer sort, "ome cock, therefore, after the third denial of Peter, might had inothing on wthatever but this blanket; and it is probable anticipate the usual time of announcing the approach of the young man was clothed in this manner, who followet morning, by one hour. It may be objected again, when our Saviour when he was taken, having a linen cloth cast Peter denied his Lord, the scribes, the priests, and the elders, about his naked body; and when the young men laid hold were met in the house of Caiaphas, and sitting in judg on him, he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked."ment on the Saviour; while the apostle waited the issue, BURDER. among the servants in the hall. But it is not likely that CHAPTER XV. the council would prolong their sitting -through.so great a Ver. 1. But the chief priests moved the people; part of the night. Who can believe, that so many persons of the first rank among the Jews, would spend almost the that he should rather release Barabbas unto whole night on the judgment-seat, when the cause for which them. they were assembled could, with equal convenience, be referred to another time? But this objection is urged in Another mode of capital punishment, to which the invain; for the fact, that they actually did so, is certain. spired writers refer, is crucifixion. It was used in Greece, This will appear, when it is considered how many things but not so frequently as at Rome. It consisted of two were done that night, before the apostle denied his Lord beams, one of which was placed across the other, in a form the third time. When the evening was come, that is, at the nearly resembling the letter T, but with this difference, setting of the sun, our Lord celebrated the passover with that the transverse beam was fixed a little below the top of h1is disciples; he then washed their feet, and addressed them the straight one. When a person was crucified,. he was on the occasion. After finishing this discourse, he insti- na-iled to the cross as it lay upon the ground, his feet to the tuted the supper; then he reproved his disciples for their upright, and his hands to each side of the transverse beam; contentions with one another about the supremacy. When it was then erected, and the foot of it thrust with violence he had finished this reproof, he sung a hymn, which, ac- into a hole prepared in the ground to receive it. By this cording to the Talmudical writers, consisted of a number means, the body, whose whole weight hung upon the nails of psalms. This act of devotion being ended, he went out which went through the hands and feet, was completely to the mount of Olives,-came to the garden of Gethsemane disjointed, and the sufferer expired by slow and agonizing -withdrew Loom his disciples to pray-and after praying torments. This kind of death, the most cruel, shameful, an hour, he returned to the disciples, whom he found asleep, and accursed that could be devised, was used by the Roand reproved them for their unseasonable indulgence; this mans only for slaves, and the basest of the people. The he did a second, and a third time. In the meantime, Judas malefactors were crucified naked, that is, without their arrived with a numerous party, and apprehended him; upper garments: for it does not appear they were stripped and led. him away, first to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, in of all their clothes, and we know that an Oriental was said whose house, the scribes, the priests, and the elders were to be naked, when he had parted with his upper garments, assembled. Into the hall of judgment, Peter with difficulty which were loosely bound about him with a girdle.-PAX. obtained admission; and, being recognised as one of his TON. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. CHAPTER I. k/tan, or caravaqnsary, which serves as an asylum for all Ver. 78. Throuch the tender mercy of our God; travellers. These houses of reception are always built the day-spring from onhighhah1 * without the precincts of towns, and consist of four wings whereby the ay-sprrom on round a square court, which serve by way of enclosure visited us. for the beasts of burden. The -lodgings are cells, where ou find nothing but bare walls, dust, and sometimes scorA king's minister once said of the daughter of Pande- pions. The keeper of this khan gives the traveller the key yan, after she had been in great trouble on account of the and a mat, and heprovides himself the rest; he must theredanger in which her husband had been placed, " She had fore carry with hif his bed, his kitchen utensils, and even seen the great ocean of darkness, but now she saw the his provisions, for frequently not even bread is to be found rising sun, the day-spring appeared."-RoBERTs. in the villages. On this account the Orientals contrive their equipage in the most simple and portable form. The baggage of a man, who wishes to be completely provided, conVer. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, sists in of carpet, a mattress, a blanket, two saucepans with out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the lids contained within each other, two dishes, two plates, and a coffee-pot, all of copper well tinned; a small wooden city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (be- box for salt and pepper; a round leathern table, which he cause he was of the house and lineage of Da- suspends from the saddle of his horse; small leathern botvid,) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused tles or bags for oil, melted butter, water, and brandy, (if wife, beinog great with child. the travelleI be a Christian,) a pipe, a tinder-box, a cup of cocoa-nut, some rice, dried raisins, dates, Cyprus-cheese, A Jewish virgin legally betrothed, was considered as a and above all, coffee-berries, with a roaster and wooden lawful wife; and by consequence, could not be put awaymortar topoundthem. (Volney.) " The caravansaries are the eastern inns, far different without a bill of divorce. And if she proved unfaithful to " The caravas; forie are the eastern inns, far different her betrothed husband, she was punished as an adulteress; from ours; for they are neither so convenient nor handand her seducer incurred the same punishment as if he had some: they are built square, much like cloisters, being polluted the wife of his neighboiur. This is the reason that usually bjt one story high, for it is rare to see one of two stories. "A wide gate brings you into the court, and in the the angel addressed Joseph, the betrothed husband of Mary, stories. A wide ate brin to the court, and in the in these terms: " Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to midst of the building, in the front; and upon the right and take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived left hand, there is a hall for persons of the best quality to inl her is of the Holoy Ghost." The evangelist Luke gives keep together. On each side of the hall are lodgings for her ithe same title: " And Joseph also went up from Gall-every man by himself. These lodgings are raised all along I- the court, two or three steps high, just behind which are lee unto Bethlehem, to be taxed, with Mary his espoused court, two or three steps hith, just behind which are wflee nto Bethlehem, to be taxed, the stables, where many times it is as good lying as in the chambers. Right against the head of every horse there is Ver. 7. And she brought forth he~r first-born son, a niche with a window into the lodging-chamber, out of andwrappedhimn swaddling-c, a which every man may see that his horse is looked after. and wrapped him in swaaddling-clothes, and laid These niches are usually so large that three men may lie him in a manger; because there was no room in them, and here the servants usually dress their victuals." for them in the inn. (Tavernier.) —BnRDEm. The following graphic sketch will affobrd the reader a It will be proper here to give a full and explicit account still more correct idea of an eastern inn, or caravansary. of the inns or caravansaries of the East, in which travellers "After descending for about two hours, we met with an are accommodated. They are not all alike, some being sim- isolated khan, (inn,) beneath magnificent plantains, on the ply places of rest, by the side of a fountain if possible, and edge of a fountain. It will be proper to describe, once for at a proper distance on the road. Many of these places are all, what is called a khan in Syria, as well as in every nothing more than naked walls; others have an attendant, other eastern country; it is a hut, the walls of which are of who subsists either by some charitable donation, or the be- ill-joined uncemented stones, affording no protection from irevolence of passengers; others are more considerable es- wind or rain; these stones are generally blackened by the tablishments, where families reside, and take care of them, smoke of the hearth, which continually filters through the and furnish the necessary provisions. open spaces. The walls are about seven or eight feet high, ~ "Caravansaries were originally intended for, and are and covered over with pieces of rough wood retaining its now pretty generally applied to the accommodation bf stran- bark and largest branches; the whole is shaded with dry gers and travellers, though, like every other good institu- fagots, answering the purpose of a roof. The inside is tion, sometimes perverted to the purposes of private emol- unpaved, and is, according to the season of the year, a l:ed ument, or public job. They are built at proper distances of dust or of mud. One or two stakes support the roof of through the roads of the Turkish dominions, and afford to leaves, and the traveller's cloak and arms are suspended the indigent or weary traveller an asylum from the inclem- thereon. In one corner is a small hearth raised upon a encvy of the weather: are in general built of the most few rough stones; a charcoal fire is constantly burning solid and durable materials, have commonly one story above upon this hearth, and one or two copper coffee-pots are althe ground-floor, the lower of which is arched, and serves ways full of thick farinaceous coffee, the habitual refreshfor warehouses to store goods, for lodgings, and for stables, ment and only want of the Turks and Arabs. There are while the upper is used merely for lodgings; besides which in general two rooms similar to the one I have described. they are always accommodated with a fountain, and have One or two Arabs are authorized, in return for the tribute cooks-shops and other conveniences to supply the wants of they pay to the pacha, to d9 the honours of the dwelling, lodgers. In Aleppo, the caravansaries are almost exclu- and to sell coffee and barley-flour cakes to the caravans. sively occupied by merchants, to whom they are, like other WThen the traveller reaches the door of these Khans, he houses, rented." (Campbell.) alights from his horse or camel, and removes the straw The poverty of the eastern inns appears from the follow- mats or damask carpets which are to serve him for a bed; ing extract. " There are no inns anywhere; but the cities, they are spread in a corner of the smoking-roonm; he sits and commonly the villages, have a large building'-called a down, calls for coffee, lights his pipe, and waits until his CHAP. 2-4. LUKE. 601 slaves have collected some dry wood to prepare his repast. ance; but that in the evening, when they were about to enThis repast usually consists of two or three cakes, half- camp, every one would join the family to which he belongbaked on a heated pebble, and of some slices of hashed mut- ed. As Jesus i-d not appear when it was growing late, ton, which is boiled with rice in a copper pot. It rarely his parents first sought him where they supposed he happens that rice or mutton can be procured in the khan; would most probably be, among his relations and acthe traveller must then bL satisfied with the cakes and the quaintance; and not finding him, returned to Jerusalem.excellent fresh water whica is always found in the neigh- CAMPBELL. bourhood of khans. The servants, the slaves, the moukres, (camel-leaders,) and the horses, remain round the khan in the open air. There is generally in the neighbourhood Ver. 22. And the Holy Ghost descended in a some noted and long-standing tree, which serves as a bea- bodily shape like a dove upon him; and a voice con to the caravan; this is mostly an immense sycamore fig-tree, such as I have never seen in Europe; it is of the nthe size of the largest oaks, and grows to an older age. Its beloved Sori; in thee I am well pleased. trunk sometimes measures thirty or forty feet in circumfe- See on Mat. 3. 16. rence, and is often larger; its branches, which begin to spread at an elevation of fifteen or twenty feet from the CHAPTER IV. ground, at first extend in a horizontal direction, to an im- Ver. 1. And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, mense distance; the upper branches then group themselves in narrower cones, and resemble from afar our beech-trees. returned from Jordan, and was led by the spirit The shadow of those trees, which Providence seems to have into the wilderness. scattered here and there, as an hospitable cloud over the burning soil of the desert, extends to a great distance from Mr. Maundrell, in his travels in the Holy Land, saw the the trunk; and it is not unusual to see perhaps sixty camels place which was the scene of Christ's temptations, and thus and horses, and as many Arabs, encamped, during the heat describes it: " From this place (the Fountain of the Aposof the day, under the shadow of one of these trees. In this, ties) you proceed in an intricate way among hills and valhowever, as in every thing else, it is painful to notice the leys interchangeably, all of a very barren aspect at present, indifference of eastern people and of their government. but discovering evident signs of the labour of the husbandThese plantains, which should be preserved with care, as man in ancient times. After some hours' travel in this sort inns provided by nature for the wants'of the caravan, are of road, you arrive at the mountainous desert into which our left to the stupid improvidence of those who benefit by their blessed Saviour was led by the spirit to be tempted by the shade; the Arabs light their fires at the foot of the syca- devil. A most miserable dry barren place it is, consistingof more, and the trunks of most of these splendid trees are high rocky mountains, so torn and discrdered as if the earth blackeled and hollowed by the flames of Arab hearths. had suffered some great convulsion, in which its very bowels Our little caravan settled itself under one of those majestic had been turned outward." —BURDER. sycamores, and we passed the night wrapped up in our cloaks, and stretched on a straw mat in a corner of the Ver. 16. And he came to Nazareth, where he l han. (De Lamartine's Pilgrimage.)-B. had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, Ver. 25. And, behold, there was a man in Jeru-gue on the sabbath-day,,er. 1'' a. land stood up for to read. salem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man awas just and devout, waiting for the con- The custom of reading the scriptures publicly was an apsolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was pointment of Moses, according to the Jews. It was also usual to stand at reading the law and the prophets. Some tipon him. parts of the Old Testament were allowed to be read sitting The Jews often used to style the expected Messiah, the or standing; as particularly, the book of Esther. Common consolation; and, may I never see the consolation was a co- raelites, as well as priests and Levites, were allowed to rnion form of swearing among them.-GILL. read the scriptures publicly. Every sabbath-day seven persons read; a priest, a Levite, and five Israelites. And it is Ver. 44. But they, supposing him to have been said to be a known custom to this day, that even an unin the company, went a day's journey; and learned priest reads before the greatest wise man in Israel. -GILL. they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. Ver. 20. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the We are assisted in our view of this subject by the large eyes of all them that were in the synagogue companies which go to and return from the heathen festivals. Ten or twenty thousand sometimes come together to were fastened on him. one ceremony, and it is almost impossible for friends and relations to keep together; hence, in going home, though The third part of the synagogue service was expounding they cannot find each other in the way, they do not give the scriptures and preachin to the people. The posture in themselves any trouble, as they consider it to be a matter of which this was performed, whether in the synagogue or in course to be thus separated.-RoBERTS. other places, was sitting. Accordingly, when our Saviour As at the three great festivals all the men who were able had read the haphtaroth in the synagogue at Nazareth, of which he was a member, having been brought up in that were obliged, and many women chose, at least at the pass- whic he was a menber, having been brouht up in that over, to attend the celebration at Jerusalem, they used, for city, fstead of retiring to his place, he sat down in the their greater security against the attacks of robbers on the desk or pulpit; and it is said that the eyes of all that were road, to travel in large companies. All who came, not onlypresent were fastened upon him, as they perceived by his from the same city, but from the same canton or district, posture that he was going to preach to them. And when made one samcompany. They carried necessaries along with r Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue at Antioch, and made one company. They carried necessaries along with them, and tents for their lodging at night. Sometimes, in sat down, thereby intimating their desire to sieak to the hot: weather, they travelled all night, and rested in the day. people if they might be permitted, the rulers of the synaThis is nearly the manner of travelling in the East to this gogue sent to them, and gave them leave. Acts xiii. 14,15 hour. Such companies they now call caravans; and in -BRDEn. several places have got houses fitted up for their reception, Ver. 23. And he said unto them, Ye will surel called caravansaries. This account of their manner of travelling furnishes a ready answer to the question, How sayunto me this proverb, Physician, heal thy could Joseph and Mary make a day's journey, without dis- self: whatsoever we have heard done in Caper covering before night that Jesus was not in the company? naum, do also here in thy country. In the daytime we may reasonably presume that the travellers would, as occasion, business, or inclination led them. In the same way do the people recriminate on each other. mingle with different patties of their friends or acquaint- "You teach me to reform my life! go, reform your own." 76 002. LUKE. CHAP. 5. "Doctor, go heal yourself, and you shall then heal me." tainous country. And thus any person, coming from Jeru"Yes, yes, the fellow can cure all but his own wife and him- salemh and entering on the Plain of Esdraelon, would, if self]"-RoBEaTS. asking the name of that bold line of mountains which bounds the north side of the plain, be informed that it was Ver. 29. And rose, up, and thrust him out of the'Gebel Nasra,' the Hill of Nazareth; though, in English, we should call them the Mountains of Nazareth. Now the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill spot shown as illustrating Luke iv. 29, is, in fact. on the whereon their city was built, that they might very brow of this lofty, ridge of mountains; in colnparison cast him down headlong. of which, the hill upon which the modern town is built is but a gentle eminence." The Mount of Precipitation, as it is now called, is about This intelligent traveller, therefore, concludes that this a mile and a half distant from Nazareth, according to Dr. mountain maybe the real scene where our Divine Prophet, Richardson, but two miles according to the observations JEsUS, experienced so great a dishonour from' the'men of his made by Mr. Buckingham and the Rev. W. Jowett; though own country and of his own kindred. In a vallev near Dr. E. D. Clarke maintains that the words of the evange- Nazareth is a fountain which bears the name of the Virgin list explicitly prove the situation of the ancient city to have Mary, and where the women are seen passing to and fro been precisely that which is occupied by the modern vil- with pitchers on their heads as in days of old. It is justly lage. Mr. Jowett, however, has (we conceive) clearly remarked that, if there be a spot throughout the. Holy Land shown that the Mount of Precipitation could not be immedi- which was more particularly honoured by the presence of ately contiguous to Nazareth. This village, it will be ob- Mary, we may consider this to be the place; because the served, is situated in a little sloping vale or dell on the side, situation of a copious spring is not liable to chance, and and nearly extends to the foot of a hill, which, though not because the custom of repairing thither to draw water has very loft~y, is rather steep and overhanging. been continued among the female inhabitants of Nazareth " The eye naturally wanders over its summit, in quest of from the earliest period of its history. —-HoRNE. some point from which it might probably be, that the men We ent out to see the hill from which the inhabitants of this place endeavoured to cast our Saviour down, (Luke of Nazareth were for throwing down Christ when he iv. 29;) but in vain: no rock adapted to such an object ap- preached to theu. This is a high stony moulntin, situated pears. At the foot of the hill is a modest simple plain, some gun-shots from Nazareth, consisting of the limestone surrounded by low hills, reaching in length nearly a mile: common here, and full of fine plants. On its top, towards'in breadth, near the city, a hundred and fifty yards; but the south, is a steep rock, which is said to be the spot for farther on, about four hundred yards. On this plain there which the hill is famous: it is terrible to behold, and proper are. a few olive-trees and fig-trees, sufficient, or rather enough to take away the life of a person thrown from it.scarcely sufficient, to make the spot picturesque. Then HASSELQUIST. follows a ravine, which gradually grows deeper and nar- CHAPTER V. rower, till, after walking about another mile, you find yourself in an immense chasm with steep rocks on either Ver. 5. And Simon answering, said unto him,, side, from whence you behold, as it were beneath your feet, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have and before you, the noble Plain of Esdraelon. Nothing taken nothing: nevertheless, at thy word I will can be finer than the apparently immeasurable prospect of et down the ne this plain, bounded to the south by the mountains of Samaria. The elevation of the hills on which the spectator In general, the fishermen of the East prefer the NIGHT to stands in this ravine is very great; and the whole scene, any other time for fishing. Before the sun has gone down when we saw it, was clothed in the most rich mountain- they push off their canoes, or catta-nzraczs, each carrying a blue colour that can be conceived. At this spot, on the lighted torch, and, in the course of a few hours, may be seen right hand of the ravine, is shown the rock to which the men out at sea, or on the rivers, like an illuminated city. They of Nazareth are supposed to have conducted our Lord, for swing the lights about over the sides of the boat, which the the purpose of throwing him down. With the Testament fish no sooner see than they come to the place, and then the in our hands, we endeavoured to examine the probabilities men cast in the hook or the spear, as circumstances may reof the spot: and I confess there is nothing in it which ex- quire. They have many amusing sayings about the folly cites a scruple of incredulity in my mind.' The rock here of the fish in being thus attracted by the glare of a torch.is perpendicular for about fifty feet, down which space it ROERaTs. would be easy to hurl a person who should be unawares brought to the summit; and his perishing would be a very Ver. 19. And when they could not find by what certain consequence. That the spot might be at a considerable distance from the city is an idea not inconsistent with they might bring him in because of the St. Luke's account; for the expression' thrusting' Jesus multitude, they went upon the house-top, and let'out of the city, and leading him to the brow of the hill on him down through the tiling, with his couch, which their ciLy was built,' gives fair scope for imagining, into the midst before Jesus. that, in their rage and debate, the Nazarenes might, without originally intending his murder, press upon him for a con- From the gate of the porch, one is conducted into the siderable distance after they had quitted the synagogue. quadrangular court, which, being exposed to the weather, The distance, as already noticed, from modern Nazareth is paved with stone, in order to carry off the water in the to this spot is scarcely two miles-a space which, in the rainy season. The principal design of this quadrangle is, fury of persecution, might soon be passed over. Or should to give light to the house, and admit the fresh air' into this appear too consider'able, it is by no means certain but that the apartments; it is also the place where the master of Nazareth may at that time have extended through the prin- the house entertains his company, which are seldom or cipal part of the plain, which lies before the modern. town: never honoured with admission'into the inner apartments. in this case, the distance passed over might not exceed a This open space bears a striking resemblance to the imlpnlnile. It remains only to note the expression-' the brow vium or cava adium of the Romans, which was also an of the hill, on which their city was built:' this, according uncovered area, from whence the chambers were lighted. to the modern aspect of the spot, would seem to be the hill For the accommodation of the guests, the pavement is ncrth of the town, on the lower slope of which the town is covered with mats or carpets; and as it is secured against built; but I apprehend the word' hill' to have in this, as it all interruption from the street, is well adapted to public has in very many other passages of scripture, a much larger entertainments. It is called, says Dr. Shaw, the middle sense; denoting sometimes a range of mountains, and in of the house, and literally answers to the ro tEIov of the some instances a whole mountainous district. In all these Evangelist, into which the man afflicted with the palsy cases the singular word'Hill,'' Gebel,' is used, according was let down through the ceiling, with his couch, before to the idiom of the language of this country. Thus,'Gebel Jesus. Hence, he conjectures that our Lord was at this Carmel,' or Mount Carmel, is a range of mountains:'Gebel time instructing the people in the court of one of these Libnan,' or Mount Lebanon, is a mountainous district of houses; and it is by no means improbable that the quadmore than fifty miles in length:' Gebel ez-Zeitun,' the ran-le was to him and his apostles a favourite situation Mount of Olives, is certainly a considerable tract cf moun- while they were engaged in disclosing the mysteries of CHAP. 6, 7. LUKE. 603 redemption. To defend the company from the scorching himself, but do not at once tell him their errand: no, no, sunbeam, or " windy storm and tempest," a veil was ex- they TRY the ground, and make sure of their object, before panded upon ropes from the one side of the parapet wall they disclose their purposes. Should they, however, be ir. t1 the other, which might be folded or unfolded at pleasure. doubt, they have the adroitness to conceal their -plans; and The Psalmist seems to allude either to the tents of' the Be- if asked what they want, they simply reply'' CHUMA," i. e. douins, or to some covering Qf this kind, in that beautiful nothing; they only came to say SALAM, "had not seen the expression of spreading out the heavens like a veil or cur- honoured individual for a long time, and therefore wished tain, We have the same allusion in the sublime strains of to set their eyes on him." When a person desires to gain Isaiah: " It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and a favour, as did the centurion, he sends an elder, a respectthe inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth able person, to state his case, and there is generally an out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a understanding that the messenger, if he succeed, shall share tent to dwell. in."-PAxToN. in the benefit. If flattery, humiliations, and importunities can do any thing, he is sure to gain the point.-ROBERTS. CHAPTER VI. Ver. 38. Give, and it shall be given unto you; Ver. 36. And one of the-Pharisees desired him good measure, pressed down, and shake~n to- that he would eat with him, and he went into gether, and running over, shall men give into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. your bosom. For with the same measure that The tables of the ancient Jews were constructed of three ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you distinct parts, or separate tables, making but one in the again. wnole. One was placed at the upper end crossways, and the two others joined to its ends, one on each side, so as to Instead of the fibula that was used by the Romans, the leave an open space between, by which the attendants could Arabs join together with thread, or with a wooden bod- readily wait at all the three. Round these tables were kin, the two upper corners of this garment; and after hay- placed, not seats, but beds, one to each table i each of these ing placed them first over one of their shoulders, they then beds was called clinius, and three of these'being united to fold the rest of it about their bodies. The outer fold serves surround the three tables made the triclitnin. At the end them frequently instead of an iapron, in which they carry of each clinium was a footstool for the convenience of herbs, loaves, corn, and other articles, and may illustrate mounting up to it. These beds were formed of mattresres, several allusions made to it in scripture: thus, " One of and were supported on frames of wood, often highly ornathe sons of the prophets went out into the field to gather mented. Each guest reclined on his left elbow, using p.inherbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered there of wild cipally his right hand, which was therefore kept at liberty. gourds, his lapfull." And the Psalmist offers up his prayer, The feet of the person reclining being towards the external;hat Jehovah would " render unto his neighbours sevenfold edge of the bed, were much more readily reached by any into their bosom, their reproach." The same allusion oc- body passing than any other part. murs in our Lord's direction to his disciples: " Give, and it The Jews, before they sit down to table, carefully wsh shall be given unto you; good measure,pressed dovn, and. their hands; they consider'this ceremony as essential. shaken together, and running over, shall men give into' After meals, they wiash them again. When the'y sit down your bosom." It was also the fold of this robe which to table, the master of the house, or chief person in the Nehemiah shook before his people, as a significant em- company, taking bread, breaks it, but does not divide it; blem of the manner in which God should deal with the then putting his hand to it he recites this blessing: Blessed man who ventured to violate his oath and promise, to be thou, O Lord, our God, the king of the world, who prorestore the possessions of their impoverished brethren: ducest the bread of the earth. Those present answer,': Also, I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every Amen. Havin- distributed the bread among the guests, he man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth takes the vessel of the wine in his right hand, saying, Blessnot this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied." ed art thou, 0 Lord, our God, king of the world, who -PAxTON. hast produced the fruit of the vine. They then repeat the 23d psalm. They take care that after meals there shall be Ver. 48. He is like a man which built a house, a piece of bread remaining on the table. The master of and di~goed deep, and laid the foundation on a the house orders a glass to be washed, fills it with wine, and elevating it, says, Let us bless him of whose benefits we rock: aud, when the flood arose, the stream have been partaking; the rest answer,- Blessed be he who beat vehemently Upon that house, and could has heaped his favours on us, and by his goodness has now not shake it: for it swas founded upon a rock. fed us. Then he recites a pretty long prayer, wherein lihe thanks God for his many benefits vouchsafed to Israel; beIn the rainy season, the clouds pour down their trea- seeches hii to pity Jerusalem and his temple; to restore the sures at certain intervals with great violence, for three or throne of David; to send Elijah and the Messiah, and to four days together. Such abundant and violent rains, in a deliver them out of their long captivity. They all answer, mountainous country like Judea, by washing away the soil, Amn. They recite Psalm xxiv. 9, 10. Then giving the must often be attended with very serious consequences to glass with the little wife in it to be drank round, he takes the dwellings of the inhabitants, which happen to be what is left, and the table is cleared. These are the cereplaced vwithin the reach of the rapid inundation. At Alep- monies of the modern Jevs.-CALMET. po, the violent rains often wash down stone walls; and Dr. Ver. 38. And stood at his feet behind him weep. Russel mentions a remarkable instance of a hamlet with a his feet wih ter and fig garden, in the Castravan mountains, being suddenly removed by the swvelling waters to a great distance.'It was did wipe.themz with the hairs of her head, and to an event of this kind, which is by no means uncommon kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointin those regions, that our Lord refers.-PAXToN. ment CHAPTER VII. During my travels, I was in the custom of having a lan.. Ver. 3. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto cet always about me, in case of accidents, and when I took him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that this out of my pocket-book, put it into his hands, and told he Twsould come and heal his servant. him it was for himself, he looked at me, and at it, with his month open, as if he hardly comprehended the possibility This is the oriental way of making an inquiry or a propi- of my parting with such a jewel. But.when I repeated the tiation. Does a man wish to know something about another, words, It is yours, he threw himself on the ground, kissed he will not go himself, because that might injure him in my knees and my feet, and wept with a joy that stifled his his future operations; he calls for two or three confidential expression of thanks.-Sia R. K. PORTER. friends, states what he wants to ascertain, and tells them how to proceed. They perhaps first go to some neighbour Ver. 44. And he turned to the woman, and said to gain alL the information they can, and then go to the man unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I enter 604 LUKE. Cn hP. 7-10 ed into thy house, thou gavest me no water for were practised among the people, but to avoid the impedi. my feet: but she hatih wmashed m-y feet with ments occasionedby form and ceremony: and this was the more necessary, since it was a maxim with the Jews, pr.etears, and wiped them with the hairs of her vent every an wit/ a saltation. How persons might thus head. be prevented and hindered will clearly appear in the following extract. " The more noble and educated the man, The first ceremony after the guests arrived at the house the oftener did he repeat his questions. A well-dressed of entertainment, was the salutation performed by the young man attracted my particular attention, as an adept in master of the house, or one appointed in his plece. Among the perseverance and redundancy oi salutation. Accosting the Greeks, this was sometimes done by embracing with an Arab of Augila, he gave him his hand, and detained arms around; -but the most common salutation was by the him a considerable time with his civilities: when the Arab conjunction of their right hands, the right hand being rec- being obliged to advance with greater speed, to come up koned a pledge of fidelity and friendship. Sometimes again with his companions, the youth of Fezzan thought he they kissed the lips, hands, knees, or feet, as the person should appear deficient in good manners if he quitted him deserved more or less respect. The Jews welcomed a sosoon. For near half a milehe Irept runningby his horse, stranger to their house in the same way; for our Lord while all his conversation was, How dost thou fare 3. Well, complains to Simon, that he had given him no kiss; had how art thou thyself. praised be God, thou art arrived in welcomed him to his table with none of the accustomed peace! God grant thee peace! how dost thou do' &c."tokens of respect.-PAxTON. HORNEMAN. Our Lord commanded his disciples to salute no man by Ver. 45. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this wo- w the way. It is not to be supposed, that he would require hath not ceased his followers to violate or neglect an innocent custom, still man, since the time I came in, lhath not ceased lss one of his own precepts; he only directed them to make to kiss my feet. the best use of their time in executing his work. This precaution was rendered necessary by the length of time See that poor woman whose husband has committed which their tedious forms of salutation required. They some crime, for which he is to be taken to the magistrate; begin their salutations at a considerable distance, by bringshe rushes to the injured individual, she casts herself down ing the hand down to the knees, and then carrying it to the and begins to kiss his feet; she touches them with her nose, stomach. They express their devotedness to a person, by her eyes, her ears, and forehead, her long hair is dishevel- holding down the hand; as they do their affection by raisled, and she beseeches the feet of the offended man to forgive in, it afterward to the heart. When they come close toher husband. " Ah! my lord, the gods will then forgive gether, they take each other by the hand in token of friendyou." -" My husband will inifuture be your slave, my chil- ship. The countrypeople at meeting, clap each other's;ren will love you, the people will praise you; forgive, for- hand The countrypeople at meeting, clap each other's dren will love ou, the people will praise you; forgive, for- hands very smartly twenty or thirty times together, without give, my lord." (See on John xii. 3.)-RoBERTS. saying any thing more than, How do ye do'! I wish you give, my lord. (Xee ooCHAPTER IX. 3good health. After this first compliment, many other friendly questions about the health of the family, mentionVer. 59. And he said unto another, Follow me.,ing each of the children distinctly, whose names they know. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury To avoid this useless waste of time, rather than to indicate my Ifather. the meanness in which the disciples were to appear, as Mr. Harmer conjectures, our Lord commanded them to It is considered exceedingly desirable for children to be / avoid the customary salutations of those whom they might with their parents when they die; they then hear their last happen to meet by the way.-PxToN. requests and commands, and also can perform the funeral rites in such a way as none but themselves can do. It is Ver. 19. Behold, I give unto you power to tread just before death, also, that the father mentions his property; on serpents and scorpions, and over all the especially that part which he has concealed in his house, power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any gardens, or fields. It is, therefore, a very common saying, When I have buried my father, I will do this or that." Should a young man be requested to do that which is not See on Ezek. 2. 6. agreeable to his father, he says, "Let me first perform the funeral rites, and then I will do it."-ROBERTS. Ver. 30. And Jesus answering, said, A certain nman went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, Ver. 62. And Jesus said unto him, No man having and fell among thives, which stripped him of..,,.,.and fell among thieves, which stripped him of put his hand to the plough, and looking back, hs raiment, and ounded him, and departed, *D r r A ar4X bshis raiment, and wounded him, and departed, is fit for the kingdom of God.im half dead. leaving him half dead. The plough Used in Syria is so light and simple in its The plogh used in Syria is so liht and simple in This is thus illustrated by't recent traveller who "went construction, that the husbandman is under the necessity of down from Jerusalem to Jericho," under the protection of guiding it with great care, bending over it, and loading it d ow n from Jerusalem to Jericho," under the protection of with his own weight, else the share would glide along the a tribe of Arabian shepherds, and the conduct of two ol surface without aking any incision. His mind should be their number. "After going through the pass, we descendsurface without making any incision. His mind should be ed again into deeper valleys, travelling sometimes on the wholly intent on his work, at once to press the plough into ed again into deeper valleys travelling sometimes on the ground, and direct itin a straight line. "Let the plough-edges of cliffs and precipices, whichthreatened destruction man," said Hesiod, " attend to his charge, and look before him; not turn aside to look on his associates, but make grand and aTful, notuithstanding the forbidding aspect of straight furrows, and have his mind attentive to his work." the barren rocks that everywhere met our view; but it And Pliny: "Unless the ploughman stoop forward" to pres was that sort of grandeur which excited fear and terror, And Pliny: " Unless the ploughman stoop forward" to press, his plough into the soil, and conduct it properly, " he will rather than admiration." turn it aside." To such careful and incessant exertion our " The whole of this road from Jerusalem to tle Jordand Lord alludes in that declaration: " No man having put his held to be the m ero about Palestine and, in hand to the plough, and lookin backdeed, in this portion of it, the very aspect of the scenery is hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingsufficient, on the one hand, to tempt to robbery antid murder, dom of heaven." —PAxToN. and on the other, to occasion a dread of it on those who CHAPTER ~X~. pass that way. It was partly"to prevent any accident happening to us in this early stage of our journey, and partly, Ver. 4. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: perhaps, to calm our fears on that score, that a messenger and salute no man by the way. had been despatched by our guides to an encampment cf their tribe near, desiring them to send an escort to meet us The object of this instruction was to prevent their being at this place. We were met here accordingly, by a band hindered by unnecessary delay in their journey. It was of about twenty persons on foot, all armed with matchlocks, not designed to pi event the usual and proper civilities which and presenting the most ferocious and Iobber-like appear CHAP. 11- 13. LUKE. 605 ance that could be imagined. The effect of this was coed; and from the niches still remaining visible in many heightened by the shouts which they sent forth from hill to places, we had no doubt of its having once been appropriahill, and which were re-echoed through all the valleys, ted to sepulture: but whether any, or which of the prophets while the bold projecting crags of'rock, the dark shadows in were interred here,.even tradition does not suggest, beyond which every thing lay buried below, the towering height the name which it bestows on the place.-BUCKINGHAM. of the cliffs above, and the forbidding desolation which everywhereireigned around, presented a picture that wasCHAPTER XII. quite in harmony throughout all its parts. Ver. 35. Let your loins be girded about, and your " It made us feel most forcibly the propriety of its being lights burning. chosen as the scene of the delightful tale of compassion g which we had before so often admired for its doctrine, in- They who travel on foot are obliged to fasten their gardependently of its loCal beauty. One must be amid these ments at a greater height from their feet than they do at wild and gloomy solitudes, surrounded by an armed band, other times. This is what is understood by girding up their and feel the impatience of the traveller who rushes on to loins. Chardin observes, that "all persons who travel on catch a new view at every pass and turn; one must be foot always gather up their vest, by which they walk more alarmed at the very tramp of the horses' hoofs rebounding commodiously, having the leg and knee unburdened and through the caverned rocks, and at the savage shouts of the disembarrassed by the vest, which they are not when that footmen, scarcely less loud than the echoing thunder pro- hangs over them." After this manner he supposes the duced by the discharge of their pieces in the valleys;-one Israelites were prepared for their going out of Egypt, when must witness all this upon the spot, before the full fobre and they ate the first passover. (Exod. xii. 11 —HARMER. teauty' of the admirable story of the good Samaritan can be perceived. Here, pillage, wounds, death, would be accom- Ver. 55. And when ye see the south wind blow,panied with double terror, from the frightful aspect of every thing around. Here the unfeeling act of pAssing by a fel-re will be heat; and it cometh to low-creature in distress, as the priest and Levite are said to pass. have done, strikes one with horror, as an act almost more than inhuman. And here, too, the compassion of the good This circumstance accords perfectly witfi the relations Samaritan is doubly virtuous, from the purity of the mo- of travellers into Syria, Egypt, and several parts of the tive which must have led to it, in a spot where no eyes were East. When the south wind begins to blow, the sky becomes fixed on him to draw forth the performance of any duty, dark and heavy, the air gray and thick, and the whole atand from the bravery which were necessary to,admit of a mosphere assumes a most alarming aspect. The heat proman's exposing himself by such delay, to the risk of a simi- duced by these southern winds has been compared to that lar fate to that from which he was endeavouring to rescue of a large oven at the moment of drawing out the bread; his fellow-creature."-PAXToN. and to that of a flame blown upon the face of a person standing near the fire which excites it. (Thevenot.)CHAPTER XI. BURDER. Ver. 5. And he said unto them, Which of you CHAPTER XIII. shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at Ver. 7. Then said he unto the dresser of his vinemidnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me yard, Behold, these three years I come seeking three loaves; 6. For a friend of mine in his fruit on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; journeyFis come to me, and I have nothing to why cumbereth it the ground? set before him 2 This similitude, by which Jesus illustrates the patience The eastern journeys are often performed id the night, and forbearance of God towards sinners, is founded, it is on account of the great heat of the day. This is the time true, in the experience of all countries, and we find in it, in which the caravans chiefly travel: the circumstance nothing difficult or unintelligible. But our Saviour probtherefore of the arrival of a friend at midnight is very prob- ably alluded to a certain custom of eastern gardeners, menable.-HARMER. tioned by an Arabian writer, Ibn-al-Uardi, in his work on geography and natural history, called Pearls of TWonderVer. 7. And he from within shall answer and say, ful Things. In the tenth chapter of this work, which Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my treats of some curiosities of the vegetable kingdom, of children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and which the Swedish author, Charles Aurivillius, in a Dis-' give thee. -sertation, published in Upsal, in 1752, has given in Arabic and Latin that part which relates to the cultivation of the See en Eccl. 4. 17. - palm-tree, we find the following observations. Among the diseases to which the palm-tree is subject, is barrenness. Maillet informs us that it is common in Egypt for each But this may be removed by the following means:': You person to sleep in a separate bed. Even the husband and take an axe, and go to the tree xith a friend, to whom you the wife lie in two distinct beds in the same apartment. say,'I will hew this palm down, because it is unfruitful.' Their female slaves also, though several lodge in the same The latter replies,' Do not do it, it will certainly bear fruit chamber, yet have each a separate mattress. Sir John this year.' But the former says,'It cannot be otherwise,' Chardin also observes, that it is usual for a whole family and strikes the trunk three times with the back of the axe. to sleep in the same room, especially those in lower life, The other prevents him, and says,'For God's sake, do laying their beds on the ground. From these circumstances not do it; you certainl ave fruit fro it this year we learn the precise meaning of the reply now referred to: have patience with it, and do not be precipitate; if it bears " He from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the no fruit, then hew it down.' It will then certainly be fruitdoor is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I ful this year, and bear fruit in abundance."-BuRDER. cannot rise and give thee:" it signifies that they were all in bed in the same apartment, not in the same bed.-BuR-, Ver. 32. And he said unto them Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do Ver. 47. Wo unto you! for ye build the sepulchres cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. I shall be perfected. We visited what are called the sepulchres of the pro- At Nice, in Asia, at night, "I heard a mighty noise, as phets, close to the spot where we had halted. We de- if it had been of men, who jeered and mocked us. I asked scended through a circular hole into an excavated cavern what was the matter. I was answered, it was only the of some extent, cut with winding passes, and forming a howling of certain beasts, which the Turks call ciacals, or kind of subterraneous labyrinth. The superincumbent jackals. They are a sort of wolves, somewhat bigger than mass was supported by portions of the rock, left in the foxes, but less than common wolves; yet as greedy and form of walls and irregular pillars, apparently once stuc- devouring as the most ravenous wolves, or foxes, of all. 606 LUKE. CAP. 14, 15. They go in flocks, and seldom hurt man or beast; but get required paces, and then sent home. When he who wishes their food by craft and stealth, more than by open force. to purchase is fully satisfied, he will fix a day for settling Thence it is that the Turks call subtle and crafty persons, the amount and for fetching the animals away.-ROBERTS. especially the Asiatics, by the metaphorical name of ciacals. Their manner is to enter tents, or houses, in the nighttime; Ver. 21. So that servant came, and showed his what is eatable they eat; gnaw leather, shoes, boots; are lord these things. Then the master of the house, as cunning as they are thievish: but in this they are vey bg anry, said to his servant Go out quickly ridiculous, that they discover themselves by the noise they make; for while they are busy in the house, devouring into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring their prey, if any one of their herd without doors chance in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the to howl, they all set up a howling likewise." (Busbequius.) halt, and tile blind. -BURDER. CHAPTER XIV. ~~ While the higher orders in the East commonly affect so much state, and maintain so great a distance from their Ver. 8. When thou art bidden of any man to a inferiors, they sometimes lay aside their solemn and awfui wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest reserve, and stoop to acts of condescension, which are una more honourable mtan than thou be hbidden of known in these parts of the world. It is not an uncommon thing to admit the poor to their tables, when they give a him; 9. And he that bade thee and him come public entertainment. Pococke was present at a great feast and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou in Egypt, where every one, as he had done eating, got up, begin with shame to takle the lowest room. washed his hands, took a draught of water, and retired to 10. ut whe thou art bidden go and sit down make way for others; and so on in a continual succession, 10. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down till the poor came in and ate up all. " For the Arabs," he in the lowest room; that when he,that bade says, nnevet set by any thing that is brought to table, so thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go that when they kill a sheep. they dress it all, call in their up higher: then shalt thou have worship in neighbours and the poor, and finish every thin." The the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. same writer, in another passage, mentions a circumstance the presene of them that sit at meat with thee. which is still more remarkable, that an Arab prince will 11. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be often dine in the street before his door, and call to all that abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be pass, even to beggars, in the usual expression of Bismillah, exalted. r that is, in the name of God, who come and sit down to meat, and when they have done, retire with the usual form of reSee on Mark 9. 39. turning thanks. Hence, in the parable of the great supper, When a Persian comes into an assembly, and has salu-.our Lord describes a scene which corresponded with existted the house, he then measures with his eye the degree of ing customs. When the guests, whom the master of the rank to which he holds himself entitled; he straightway house had invited to the entertainment, refused to come, he wedges himself into the line of guests, without offering "said to his servants, go out quickly into the streets and any apology for the general disturbance which he proda- lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimces. It often happens that persons take a higher seat than ed, and the halt and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, that to which they are entitled. The Persian scribes are it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. -remarkable for theirarrogance in this respect, in which And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highthey seem to bear a striking resemblance to the Jews of the ways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my same profession in the days of our Lord. The master of house may be filled."-PAXTON. the entertainment has, however; the privilege of placing CHAPTER any one as high in the rank of the assembly as he may CHAPTER XV..choose. And Mr.'Morier saw an instance of it at a public Ver. 16. And he would fain have filled his belly entertainment to which he was invited. When the assem- with the husks that the swine did eat: and no bly was nearly' full, the governor of Kashan, a man of humble mien, although of considerable rank, came in and man gave unto him. seated himself at the lowest place; when the master ofifies a husk or the house, after numerous expressions of welcome, pointed pod, wherein the seeds of soliua ants, especially those o with his hand to an upper seat in the assembly, to which the leguminous tribe, are contained is evident. Both the he dese ired him to move, and which he accond strikingly did. Greek and Latin terms signify the fruit of the carob-tree, a These circumstances ftirleish a beautiful and striking il tree very common in the Levant, and in the southern parts lustration of the parable which our Lord uttered when he of Eurpe, as Spain and Italy. This fruit still continues of Europe, as Spain and Italy. This fruit still continues Eaw how those that were invited, chose the highest paces. be used for the same purnose, the feeding of swine. -PAXTo.to be used for the same purpose, the feeding of swine. It is also called St. John's bread, from the opinion that the Ver. 16. Then said -he unto him, A certain man Baptist used it in'the wilderness. Miller says it is mealy, made a great supper, and bade many: 17. And and has a sweetish taste, and that it is eaten by the poorer sort, for it'grows in the common hedges, and is of little acsent his servant at supper-time to say to them count.-CAMPBELL. that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready. Ver. 20. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his faSee on Matt. 22. 2, 3. ther saw him and had compassion, and ran, Ver. 19. And another said, I have bought five and fll on his neck, and kissed him. yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray The Orientals vary their salutation according to the rank thee have me excused. of the persons whom they address. The common method of expressing good-will, is by laying the right hand on the This was not such a trifling affair as some have sup- bosom, and inclining their bodies a little; but when they posed, for it should be remembered it is with oxen only the salute a person of rank, they bow almost to the ground, and Urientals perform all their agricultural labours. Such a kiss the hem of his garment. The two Greek noblemen at thing as a horse in a plough or cart, among the natives, I Scio, who introduced the travellers Egmont and Heyman never saw. A bullock unaccustomed to the yoke is of no to the chamin of Tartary, kissed his robe at their entrance, use; they therefore take the greatest precaution in making and took leave of him with the same ceremony. Sandys such purchases, and they will never close the bargain till waspresent when the grand seignior himself paid his people they have PRovED them in the field. Nor will the good man the usual compliment, by riding in great state through the trust to his own judgment, he will have his neighbours and streets of Constantinople. He saluted the multitude as he friends to assist him. The animals will be tried in plough- moved along, having the right hand constantly on his breast, ing softly, deeply, strongly, and they will be put on all the bowing first to the one side, and then to the other, when the CHAP. 5m —i'7. LU KE. 607 people with a low and respectful voice wished him all was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared happiness and prosperity. Dr. Shaw's account of the Arabian compliment, or common salutation, Peace be unto sumptuously every day. you, agrees with these statements; but he observes further, you, agrees with these statements; buthe observes further, This view will enable the reader to form a correct judgthat inferiors, out Qf deference and respect, kiss the feet, that inferies, ors, the garmf deferencets of their surespect, kriors. The fet ment of the streets of the city of Jerusalem, which (it will the knees, or the garments of their superiors. They fre be seen) are partly open and partly covered. The apartquently kiss the hand also; but this last.seems not to be regarded as a token of equal submission with the others; for ment, which stands over the archway in the distance, forms *D'Arvieux observes, that the women who wait on the Ara- part of what is called " the house of the rich man," who is bian princesses, kiss'their hands when they do them the mentioned in the narrative of St. Luke, (xvi. 19-31.) It is favour not to suffer them to kiss their feet, or the border of one of the best in Jerusalem. The fountain, which is a their robe. prominent feature in our engraving, is executed in bold reAll these forms of salutation appear to have been in lief; although of Saracenic workmanship, it is conjectured general use in the days of our Lord, for he represents a by servant as falling down at the feet of his master, when he tecture introduced by the crusaders. In conimon with the other fountains in Jerusalem, this fountain is supplied from had a favour to ask; and an inferior servant, as paying the ther fountains in Jerusalem, this fountain is supplied from same compliment to the first, who belonged, it would seem, the pools of Solomon, which lie a few miles to the sohto a higher class: " The servant, therefore, fell down and wet of Bethlehem. The water is conducted through a worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me and I small aqueduct, partly under, and partly above ground: it will pay thee all." " And his fellow-servant fell down at his is of excellent quality, but the supply is not sufficiently cofeet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me and pious for the consumption of the inhabitants, who make up I will pay thee all." When Jairus solicited the Saviour to the deficiency from the water supplied by the cisterns which go and heal his daughter, he fell down at his feet: the apos- are flled by the periodical rains.-HORNE. tie Peter, on another occasion, seems to have fallen down [See engraving, and see also COMPREHENSsVE COMMENTARY at his knees, in the same manner as the modern Arabs fall on Ps. 122. 3, acd tle engraving these.] down at the knees of a superior. The woman who was afflicted with an issue of blood, touched the hem of his gar- Ver. 22. And it came to pass, that the beggar ment; and the Syrophenician woman fell down at his feet. died, and was carried by the angels into AbraIn Persia, the salutation among intimate friends is made by ham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was inclining the neck over each other's necks, and then inclining the cheek to cheek; which Mr. Morier thinks is most buried. likely the falling upon the neck and kissing, so frequently mentioned il scripture. —~PAxToN How offensive to good taste, and to the FIGURE of the text, is the notion of some painters, who represent Lazarus Ver. 25.:Now his elder son was in the field: and in heaven asreposing in the bosom of the patriarch. Such as he came and dredw nieh to the house, he attempts have a tendency to lessen that veneration and awe which we owe to subjects of so sacred a nature. This heard music and dancing. world is the legitimate field for the painter, but let him. To express the joy nhich the return of the prodigal af- not presume to desecrate with his pencil the scenes beyond. forded his father, si and dncing was provied as a p A. beloved son, though at a distance, is still said to be in of the entertainment. This expression does not. however the BOSOM of his parents. " The king is indeed very fond denote the dancing of the family and guests; but that of a of that man, he keeps him in his bosom." "Yes, the servant company of persons hired on this occasion for that ver yis a great favourite with his master,'he has a place in his purpose. Such a practice prevailed in some places to express peculiar honour to a friend, or joy upon any special your son to go out of your bosom?" The ideas implied your son to go out of your bosom." The ideas implied occasion. ajor Rooke, in his travels frid om oj ndia through by the term bosom are intense affection, security, and comfort. But objects of endearment are sometimes spoken of Arabia Felix, relates an occurrence which will illustrate fort. But objects of endearment are sometimes spoken of this part of the parable. "Hadje Cassim, who is a Turk, as beinin theEA. "Henotfond of his wife! he keeps and one of the richest merchants in Cairo, had t her in his head." "My husband, you are ever in my ceded -,n my behalf with Ibrahim Bey, at the instance of ved, you are in my eye; my eye is ur his son, who had been on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and came resting-place."-ROBERTS. from J udda in the same ship with me. The father, in celebration of his son's return, gave a most magnificent fete CHAPTER XVII. on the evening of the day of my captivity, and as soon as I Ver.' 6. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a was released, sent to invite me to partake of it, and I ac- grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto thir cordingly went. His company was very numerous, con- - sisting of three or four hundred Turks, who were all sitting sycamine-tree, Be thou plucked up by the root on sofas and benches, smoking their long pipes. The and be thou planted in the sea; and it should room in which they were assembled was a spacious and obey you. lofty hall, in the centre of which was a band of music, compose, ca five Turkish instruments, and some vocal per- The sycamore buds late in the spring, about the latter form-rs as there were no ladies in the assembly, you may end of March, and is therefore called by the ancients, suppose it was not the most lively party in the' world, but arborum sapientissima, the wisest of trees, because it thus being new to me, was for that reason entertaining."-BuR- avoids the nipping frosts to which many others are exposed. DER. I t strikes its large diverging roots deep into the soil; and CHAPTER XVI. on this account our Lord alludes tod it as the most difficult to be footed up and transferred to another situation: " If Ver. 3. Then the steward said within himself,ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from this sycamine-tree, be thou plucked up by the root, and be me the stewardship I cannot dig; to beg I thou planted in the sea, and it should obey you." The exam ashatned treme difficulty with which this tree is transferred from its native spot to another situation, gives to the words of IHow often are we reminded of this passage by beggars our Lord a peculiar force and beauty. The stronger and when we tell them to work. They can scarcely believe more diverging the root'of a tree, the more difficult it must their ears; and the religious mendicants, who swarm in be to pluck it up, and insert it again so as to make it strike every part of the East, look upon you with the most.sover- root and grow; but far more difficult still to plant it in the eign contempt when.you give them such advice. "I work! sea, where the soil is so far below the surface, and where why, I never have done such a thing; I am not able." the restless billows are continually tossing it from one side "Surely, my lord, you are not in earnest; you are joking to another; yet, says our Lord, a task no less difficult than with me."-RoBERTS. this to be accomplished, can the man of genuine faith per. form with a word; for with God nothing is impossible, Ver. 19. There was a certain rich man, which nothing difficult or'laborious.-PAXTON. 608 LUKE. CHAP. 18-23. CHAPTER XVIII. to the judge to complain against you 1" "Let him go, not Ver. 5. Yet, because this widow troubleth me, I a hair of this head will be spoiled by that." "I advise you to take care, for the Vedan has sworn to ruin you." "He! will avenge her, lest by her continual coming the jackal cannot pull out a single hair." " What care I she weary me. for thy anger? thou canst not pull out one hair." "He injure my son i let him-touch- a single hair."-ROBERTS. The word. vrorrtanetv, to weary, properly signifies to beat on the face, and particularly under the eye, so as to make the CHAPTER XXII. parts black and blue. Here it has a metaphorical meaning, Ver. 34. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock and signifies to give great pain, such as arises from severe shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt beating. The meaning therefore is, that the uneasy feelings which this widow raised in the judge's breast, by the thrice deny that thou knowest mc. moving representation which she gave of her distress, af- See on Mark 14. 30. fected him to such a degree that he could not bear it, but to get rid of them resolved to do her justice. The passage Ver. 48. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest understood in this sense has a peculiar advantage, as it thou the Son of Man with a kiss? throws a beautiful light' on our Lord's argument, and lays a proper foundation for the conclusion which it contains. See on 2 Sam. 20. 9. -MACRNIGHT. CHAPTER XIX. Ver. 64. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, Ver. 5. And when Jesus came to the place, he saying, Prophesy: Who is it that smote thee looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for This usage of Christ refers to that sport so ordinary to-day I must ~abide at thy house. among children, called pvtva, in which it is the manner -to-day first to blindfold, then to strike, then to ask who gave the "Zaccheus did not appear to have seen our Saviour before, blow, and not to let the person go till he named the right but he would not be surprised when it was said, " I must man who had struck him. It was used on this occasion abide at thy house." Hospitality may almost be called a to reproach our blessed Lord, and expose him to ridicule. sacred rite in all parts of the East; and, were it not so, IIAMMON. what would become of travellers and pilgrims? In gen- CHAPTER XXIII. eral there are no places for public entertainment, for the Ver. 31. For if they do these things in a green rest-houses and choultries are seldom more than open places to shelter passengers from the sun and rain. View tree, what shall be done in the dry? the stranger passing through a village, he sees a respectable house, and having found out the master, he stands The venerable Mr. Wesley has caught the idea when before him, and puts out his right hand, and says, rara- he says on this passage, "The Jews compare a good man theasi, i. e. a pilgrim or traveller: he is then requested to to a green tree, and a bad man to a dead one." Thus still be seated, and is asked, whence he came, and whither he is an abandoned character, a decided profligate, is called a going? His temporal wants are supplied, and when in- PATTA-MARAM, i. e. a dried or a dead tree.' "Why water dined he pursues his journey.-RoBERTs. that tree?" "Your money, your influence is all wasted there: cease, cease to attend to that dead tree." " The Ver. 40. And he answered and said unto them, I tree is dead, there are no leaves, it will never more give' tell you, that, if these should hold their peace, blossoms or fruit, it is only fit for the fire." A spend1the stones ould immediately cry o1t. thrift or one who has been unfortunate says, "I am a pattae stones ommeately cry out. am, I have been struck by the lightning." A good man is compared to a TALITA-MARAM, i. e. a tree which has Has a man been greatly favoured by another, he says, "spreading shady branches" People may repose there Ah! if I ever forget him the stones will cause me to during the heat of the day: they have defence and comnstumble." " I cease to recollect his goodness! then will fort. Jesus was the " green tree" under whom the Jew the stones make me to stumble and die." The idea appears might have reposed. If, then, they did such things to the to be, they wrill arise up And cause him to fall.-RERTS. green tree," what would be done to themselves, the dry green tree," what would be done to themselves, the dry, CHAPTER XX. ~the leafless trees of the desert? The lightnings of heaven did strike them; the Roman eagles did pounce on them; Ver. 1.8 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone thousands were cut to the ground, and thousands went as shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall slaves to the land of the conquerors.-RBERTS. full, it will grind him to powder. Ver. 48. And all the people that came together HIere is an allusion to the two different ways of stoning to that sight, beholding the things which were among the Jews, the former by throwing a person down done, smote their breasts, and returned. upon a great stone, and the other by letting a stone fall upon hlim.-WHmTBY. I Grief is often far more violent in the East than in EngCHAPTER XXI. land. The frantic mother, bereaved of her son, or the Ver. 18. But there shall not a hair of your hea wife bereft of her husband, BEATS her BREAST as if she inVd'tended to burst a passage to her vitals. I have sometimes perish. been amazed at the blows which in their agony they thus inflict upon themselves. "Alas! alas! that amma (i. e "Well, friend, have you heard that Chinnan has gone lady) will never cease to beat her breasts."-ROBERTS. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. CHAPTER I. fore, since Christ saw him there, Nathaniel knew he could XVer. 15. John bare witness of him, and cried, be no other than the Son of God, and the promised Messiah.' saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me, is preferred before me: for he Ver. 50. Jesus answered and said unto him, Bewas before me. cause I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou - thou shalt see greater Before we reached Mayar, we were met by Mirza Abdul i-tree, believest thou thou shalt see greater Cossim, a confidential officer of the governor of Ispahan, by a hakeem or doctor, one of the learned of the city, and On account of the thick-spreading branches and broad by several other men of respectability. These deputations leaves of the fig-tree, which, in warm eastern countries, were called Peeshwaz, openers of the way, and are one of leaves of the fig-tree, which, in Nvarm eastern countries, the principal modes among the Persians of doing honour to grows much larger and stronger than with us, it was very their guests. The more distinguished the persons sent, and suitable for the purpose of overshadowing those who sat the greater the distance to which they go, so much more under it. Hasselqist, in his Journey from Nazareth to considerablei the d oistncto wh-Oich t g m o Tiberias, says, " We refreshed ourselves in the shade of a considerable is the honour..-MoRIEa. fig-tree, under which was a well, where a shepherd and his Ver. 32, And John bare record, saying, I saw herd had their rendezvous, but without either tent or hut." the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, CHAPTER II. and it abode upon him. Ver. 6. And there were set there six water-pots See on Matt. 3. 16. of stone, after the manner of the purifying of Ver. 42. And he brought him to Jesus. And the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Si- Cana still exists, and was visited a few years ago by Dr. mon the Son of Jona: thou shalt be called Ce- Clarke and his fellow-travellers, who breakfasted there as phas, which is, by interpretation, A stone. they passed through it in their way from Nazareth to Tiberias. He says, "it is worthy of note, that walking among Names were frequently given to preserve the remem- the ruins of a church, we saw large massy stone pots, anbrance of particular circumstances. And, as will ap- swering the description given of the ancient vessels of the pear in the following extract, frequently as contrasts to the country, not preserved nor exhibited as relies, but lying character and condition of those on whom they were im- about, disregarded by the present inhabitants as antiquities posed: " Among the people of the house, who attended us with whose original use they were unacquainted. From here, was a hhabshi, or Abyssinian slave, an old man, of their appearance, and the number of them, it was quite evihideous deformity, entitled Almas, or the diamond. And dent that a practice of keeping water in large stone pots, I observed that at Shiraz, Fassa, and other towns, the Afri- each holding from eighteen to twenty-seven gallons, was can slaves were distinguished by flowery names or epithets, once common in the country." —BuRDR. in proportion to their natural ugliness or offensive smell. Thus, I have known Yasmin, the jessamine; Sumbul, the Ver. 10. And saith unto him, Every man at the hyacinth; Jauher, the jewel; and Makbul, the pleasing, or beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: Ver. 48. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence but thou hast kept the good wine until now. lknowest thou me? Jesus answered and said knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said The Abbe Mariti, speaking of the age of the wines of unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when Cyprus, says, " the oldest wines used in commerce do not thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. exceed eight or ten years. It is not true, as has been reported, that there is some of it a hundred years old; but it The oriental garden displays little method, beauty, or de- is certain that at the birth of a son or a daughter, thefather sign; the whole being commonly no more than a confused causes a jar filled with wine to be buried in the earth, havmedley of fruit-trees, with beds of esculent plants, and even ing first taken the precaution to seal it hermetically; in this plots of wheat and barley sometimes interspersed. The manner it may be kept till these children marry. It is then garden belonging to the governor of Eleus, a Turkish town, placed on the table before the bride and bridegroom, and is on the western border of the Hellespont, which Dr. Chan- distributed among their relations, and the other guests indler visited, consisted only of a very small spot of ground, vited to the wedding." If such a custom prevailed formerwalled in, and containing only two vines, a fig and a pome- ly, it throws great significancy into the assertion of good granate-tree, and a well of excellent water. And it would'ine being first brought out upon guch an occasion; and if seem, the garden of an ancient Israelite could not boast of this supposition is admitted, tends to increase the greatness greater variety; for the grape, the fig, and the pomegran- of the miracle, that notwithstanding what had been drank ate, are almost the only fruits which it produced. This at first was peculiarly excellent, yet that which Christ by fact may perhaps give us some insight into the reason of his divine power produced as an after supplyrwas found to the sudden and irresistible conviction which flashed on the be of a superior quality.-BURDER. mind of Nathaniel, when the Saviour said to him, " When thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee." The good man CHAPTER III. seems to have been engaged in devotional exercises, in a Ver. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and small retired garden, walled in, and concealed from the scrutinizing eyes of men. The place was so smnall, that he thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tel was perfectly certain that no man but himself was there; whence it. cometh, anid whither it goeth: so is and so completely defended, that none could break through, every one that is born of the Spirit. or look over the fernce; and by consequence, that no eye ~was upon him, but the all-seeing eye of God; and, there- When a man is unhappy because he does not understand 77 6!0 JOHN. CIIAP. 4. his circunstances, when things come upon him which can- a theological document, it concentrates so much informa. not be accounted for by himself or by others, it is asked, tion, that a volume might be filled with the illustration it "Do you know whence cometh the wind " "' You say reflects on the history of the Jews, and on the geography you know not how this matter will end: do you know in of their country. All that, can be gathered on these subjects what quarter the present wind will blow the next moment'" from Josephus seemsbut as a comment to illustrate this -ROBERTS. chapter. The journey of our Lord from Judea into Galilee; the cause of it; his passage through the territory of Ver. 29. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: Samaria; his approach to the metropolis of this country; but the friend of the bridegroom, which stand- its name; his arrival at the Amorite field, which terminates the narrow valley of Sichem; the ancient custom of ~~eth adheehhmre iehgelbeashalting at a well; the female employment of drawing wa.of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy there- ter; the disciples sent into the city for food, by which its fore is fulfilled, situation out of the town is obviously implied; the question of the woman referring to existing prejudices, which sepAmong the Jews, in their rites of espousals, there is fre- arated the Jews from the Samaritans; the depth of the well; the oriental allusion contained in the expression, quent mention of a place where, under a covering, it was well; te the oriental allusion contained in the expcustoms there-ssion usual for the bridegroom to discourse familiarly but pri- by ilstrated; the horshp upon lount Gerizim; all thesrevately with his spouse, whereby their affections might be b y occur within the space of twenty versesi; a ld if to these b more knit to one another, in order to marriage, which however were not supposed to be so till the bridegroom, came added what has already been referred to in the remainder cheerfully out of the chspp~ah, or covered place. To this of the saine chapter, we shall, perhaps, consider it as a reDavid refers, (Psalm xix. 5,) when he speaks of the shn, cord, which, in the words of him who sent it, Xwe may lift "' which is a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and up our eyes, and look.2pon, for it is white already to harvest." rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race." It is affirm-ed (Clarke.) that this custom is still observed among the Jews in Ge- "In inquiring for the Bir-el-Yakoab, or Jacob's well, we that this custom is still observed among the Jews in Germany; either before the synagogues in a square place cov- were told by everybody that this was in the town; which ered over, or where there is no synagogue, they throw a sponding with the described place of the well we garment over the bridegroom and& the bride for that pur- were desirous of seeing, led to further explanation; and, pose. While this intercourse is carrying on, the friend of at length, by telling the story attached to it, we found it was the bridegroom stands at the door to hearken, and when known here only by the name of Ber Samarea, or the well of Samaria. Procuring a Christian boy to accompany -s, he hears the bridegroom speak joyfully, (which is an inti-of Samaria. Procuring a Christian boy to accompany us nation that ael is well,) he rejoices himself, and communi- e went out by the eastern gate; and passin through a cates the intelligence to the people assembled, for their sat- continuation of the same valley in which.ablous stands isfaction.-HAMNtOND. thickly covered with olive-trees, we reached the end of it in about a quarter of an hour'on foot, the pass opening into CHAPTER IV. a round and more extensive vale, and the mountains east of the Jordan being in sight. On the right were some Ver. 5. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, Mohammedan buildings; on the sides, at the foot of Mount which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of Gerizim, either mosques or tombs, now called mahmoodeea, ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. and said to stand over Joseph's sepulchre. On the left, at No6. oyv Jacob's well was there. Jesus, there- the foot of Mount Ebal, were several well-hewn grottoes in 6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesusthere- the rocks; some with arched, and others with square doors; -fore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus most probably ancient sepulchres without the old city of on the well: an.d it was about the sixth hour. Sichem, or Sychar. These grottoes were called here khallat rowgh-ban; hut we had no time to examine them. " At one third of an hour'from Naplosa, we came to From hence, in another half of an hour, we reach the well Jacob's well, famous not only on account of its author, of Samaria; it stands at the commencement of the round but much more for that memorable conference which our vale, which is thought to have been the parcel of ground blessed Saviour here had with the woman of Samaria. If bought by Jacob for a hundred pieces of money, which, like it should be questioned whether this be the very well that the narrow valley west of Nablous, is rich and fertile. it is pretended for or not, seeing it may be suspected to stand Over this well stood anciently a large building, erected by too remote from Sychar for women to come so far to draw St. Helena; of which there are now no other remains than water, it is answered, that probably the city extended far- some shafts of granite pillars, all the rest lying in one unther this way in former times than it does now, as may be distinguished -heap of ruins. The mouth of the well itself conjectured'from some pieces of a very thick wall still to had an arched or vaulted building over it; and the only be seen not far from hence. Over the well there stood for-. passage down to it at this moment is by a small hole in the merly a large church, erected by that great and devout roof, scarcely large enough for a moderate sized person to patroness of the Holy Land. the Emperess Helena; but of work himself down through. We lighted a taper here; this the voracity of time, assisted by the hands of the Turks, and taking off my large Turkish clothes, I did not then get has left nothing but a few' foundations remaining: the well down without bruising myself against the sides; nor was I is covered at present with an old stone vault, into which at all rewarded for such an inconvenience by the sight beyou are letdown through.a verystraight hole; and then re- low. Landing on a heap of dirt and rubbish, we saw a moving a broad flat stone, you discover the mouth of the large, flat, oblong stone, which lay almost on its edge, well itself. It is dug in a firm rock, and contains about across the mouth of the well, and left barely space enough three yards in diameter, and thirty-five in depth, five of to see that there was an opening below.'We could not aswhich we found full of water." (Maundrell.) certain its diameter; but, by the time of a stone'sdescent, " The principal object of veneration is Jacob's well, over it was evident that it was of considerable depth, as well which a church was formerly erected. This is situated at as that it was perfectly dry at'this season, the fall of the a small distance from the town, in the road to Jerusalem, stones giving forth a dead and hard sound. Not far from and has been visited by pilgrims of all ages; but particu- the well of Samaria is the bir-yusef, over which is a modern larly since the Christian era, as the place where our Sa-r building; and it is said to be, even at this day, frequented viour revealed himself to the woman of Samaria. This for water from Nablous. The well of Samaria might also spot is so distinctly marked by the evangelist, and so little have been so, therefore, from Sychar, although -that city is liable to uncertainty, from the circumstance of the well it- said not to have extended further east than'the present town; self, and the features of the country, that if no tradition and, indeed, it is no uncommon thing in Syria, as I myself existed for its identity, the site of it could hardly be mis- have often witnessed, for water to be brought from a much taken. Perhaps no Christian scholar ever attentively read greater distance. It is highly probable, therefore, that this the fourth chapter of St. John without being struck with is the identical well at which the interesting conference the numerous internal evidences of truth which crowd upon between Jesus and the woman of Samaria really happened." the mind in its perusal: within so smal'l a compass, it is (Buckingham.N-BURDER. impossible to find in otherr writings so many sources of refection and'of interest. Independenly of its importance as Ver. 6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, there CHAP. 5. JOHN. 611 fore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus Ver. 11. The woman saith unto him, Sir,' thou on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? The learned have been greatly divided in their opinions 2oncerning the true meaning of the particle o-rros in John See on Gen. 24. 20. iv. 6, which is rendered titus, in our version: JEsus, thiere- In those dry countries they find themselves obliged to fore, %eingwea7ried witl hAisjourney, sat THUS On the well: and carry with them great leathern bottles of water, which they ~it wca; about the sixth lhour; which everybody knows with refill from time to time, as they have opportunity; but what the Jews meant noon. But an attention to the usages of the is very extraordinary, in order to be able to do this, they, East, and of antiquity, might, I think, ascertain its meaning in marny places, are obliged to carry lines and buckets Fwith with a good deal of exactness. Our version of the word them. So Thevenot, in giving an account of what he thus, gives no determinate idea. We know, on the con- provided for his journey fromn Egypt to Jerusalem, tells us, trary, ~what is meant by the translation of a celebrated he did not forget "leathern buckets to draw water with." writer, who renders the word by the English term immedi- Rauwolf goes further, for he gives us to understand, that alely, but that translation, I think by no means the happiest the wells of inhabited countries there, as well as in deserts, he has given us. It conveys the idea of extreme weariness: have oftentimes no implements for drawing of water, but but nothing in the after part of the narration leads to such what those bring with them that come thither: for speak-.. an interpretation; nor can I conceive' for what imagin- ing of the well or cistern at Bethlehem, he says, it is a able purpose the circumstance of his immediately throwing good rich.cistern, deep and wide; for which reason, "the himself down near the well, before the woman came up, people that go to dip water are provided with small leathern and which, consequently, it is to be supposed she knew buckets and a line, as is usual in these countries; and so nothing of, is mentioned by the evangelist. Not to say the merchants that go- in caravans through great deserts that the passage cited in proof of this interpretation, Acts into far countries, provide themselves also with these, bexx. 11, which, instead of so he departed, he thought signi- cause in these countries you find more cisterns or wells fled the immediateness of his departure, by no means gives than springs that lie high." In how easy a light does this satisfaction. It is not so expressed in his own translation place the Samaritan woman's talking of the depth of Jacob's of that passage, nor does it appear so to signify. The sim- well, and her remarking that she did not observe that our ple meaning', I apprehend, of the particle is, that JEsUs, Lord had any thing to draw with, though he spoke of prebeing wearied with his journey, sat dowrn by the well, like senting her with water. a person so wearied, as to design to take some repose and Wells and cisterns differ from each other, in that the refreshment there: to which St. John adds, it was about first are supplied with water by springs, the other by rain: the sixth hour. If this be just, the translation should have both are to be found in considerable numbers in Judea, and been something like this: "JESUS therefore being wearied are, according to Rauwolf, more numerous in these counwith his journey, sat down accordingly, or like such a one, tries than springs that lie high, than fountains and brooks by the well. It was about the sixth hour." that are of running water. Some of these have been made The particle certainly expresses conformity to an account for the use of the people that dwell in their neighbourhood., to be given after; so John xxi. 1, JEsus showed himself again some for travellers, and especially those that travel for to his disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and ON THIS WISE lhe devotion. Thevenot found two, made a little before hi. himself referring to the account about to be given. And time for the use of travellers, by Turks of distinction, it sometimes it signifies conformity to an account that had the desert between Cairo and Gaza. And from a history been before given: so John xi. 47, 48, What do we? for D'Herbelot has given us, it appears that the Mohammedarns tlhis man doth many miracles. If we let him THUS alone, after have dug wells in the deserts, for the accommodation ot this manner doing many miracles, all men wtill believe on those that go in pilgrimage to Mecca, their sacred cit', him. So ch. viii. 59, Thlen took they stp stoites to cast at him: where the distance between such places as Nature had but, JESUS hid himself, avnd ewent out of the temple, going made pleasant for them to stop, and take up water at, were through the midst of thlem, and so passed by: passed by, by too great: for he tell us, that Gianabi, a famous Moharnhiding himself after this manner. After this latter manner niedan rebel, filled up with sand all the wells that had been it is to be understood, I think, here: JEsus being wearied dug in the road to Mecca for the benefit of the pilgrims.with his journey, sat down like a weary person by the side HARMER. of the well, and in that attitude the woman found him, preparing to take some repose and repast. The disciples, it is CHAPTER V. said, ver. 8, were gone away into the cilty to buy rmeat; but Ver. 2. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-.it does not at all follow fromi thence that they all went, nor market, a pool, which is called in the Hebre' is it so probable that they did, leaving him alone; but that, on the contrary, some of them stayed with him, rhaking tongue, Bethesda, having five porches such preparations as indicated a design in them to eat bread, or rather bath of water, This was the name of a pool, or rather bath of water, having five porticoes: and so called from the miraculous cures performed there. They still show you "the pool oi Ver. 9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Bethesda, contiguous on one side to St. Stephen's gate, on hinm, How Is it that thou, being a Jew, askest the other to the area of the temple." Maundrell says it is drink of me, which am a Mwoman of Samaria.. a hundred and twenty paces long, forty broad, and at least (for the Jews have no dealings w.ith the Samar- eight deep: at its west end may be'discovered some old (for the Jews have no dealings with the Samar- arches, which are now dammed up. " A little above, we itans.) entered the city at the gate of St. Stephen, where, on each side; a lion retrograde doth stand, called, in time past, In Atleet, on the road from Nablous to Jerusalem, pass- the port of the valley and of the flock, for that the cattle ing out of a gateway similar to the other, at the opposite came in at this gate, which were to be sacrificed in the extremity of the wall, we crossed a marsh, and remounting, temple, and were sold in the market adjoining. On the were proceeding on our way, when some women were dis- left hand is a stone bridge, which passeth at the east end of covered drawing water at a well near the track, and the the north wall into the court of the temple of Solomon; day being hot, I desired my servant to ask if they would the head to the pool of Bethesda, underneath which it (the give me some to driik; but they refused the indulgence, water) had a conveyance, called also probaticum, for tlkat one of them exclaiming, "Shall I give water to a Chris- the sacrifices were therein washed ere delivered to the tian, and make my pitcher filthy, so that I can use it no priests. Now it is a great square profundity, green and more for ever'" This happened within the precincts of uneven at the bottom, into which a barren spring doth drill Samaria, and was a proof how little change the spirit between the stones of the northward wall, and stealeth away of the.people has undergone within the last eighteen cen- alnost undiscovered. The place is for a good depth hewn turies.' These women were young and handsome, with out of the rock; confined above on the north side with a full, dignified, and stately figures: a dark-coloured fillet steep wall, on the west with high buildings, perhaps a part bound the head, and passing under the chin, left the face of the castle of Antonia, where are two doors to descend entirely covered. —MUNRaO'S SUMMER RAMBLE IN SYRIA. by, now all that P-e, half choked with rubbish; and on tht entirel.oee.MN hal.bke. 612 JO HN. CHAP. 6. south with the wall of the court of the temple." (Sandys.) to the time of the apostle whose name it bears, though it -BuDERn. might have been erected on the spot which tradition has marked as the site of his more humble habitation: from Ver. 13. And he that was healed wist not who it hence, they say, too, it was, that the boat pushed off into the was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a lake when the miraculous draught of fishes was taken. Bemultitude being in that place. sides the public buildings already specified are the house of being in that place, the aga, on the rising ground near the northern quarter of the Doddridge translates the word slipped away, and observes town; a small'but good bazar, and two or three coffee sheds. from Casaubon, that it is an elegant metaphor borrowed The ordinary dwellings of the inhabitants are such as are firorno swimming; it well expresses the easy unobserved commonly seen in eastern villages; but are marked by a anner in which Jesus as it were glided, through them, peculiarity, which I witnessed here for the first time. On the terrace of almost every house stands a small square enwhile, like a stream of water, they opened before him, and immediately closed again leaving no trace of the way he closure of reeds, loosely covered with leaves: these I learnt had taken.-BURDER. were resorted to by the heads of families to sleep in during the summer months, when the heat of the nights is intolerVer. 35. He wvas a burning and a shininog 1irht; able, from the low situation of the town, and the unfrequency of cooling breezes. The whole population of /Taand ye were willing for a season to rejoice in bareeah does not exceed two thousand souls, according to his light. the opinion of the best-informed residents. Provisions are not abundant, and therefore generally dear; and fish, when This character of John the Baptist is perfectly conform- occasionally taken by a line from the shore, are sold to the able to the mode of expression adopted by the Jews. It was aga, or to some of the rich Jews, at an exorbitant price.usual with them to call any person who was celebrated for BUCKINGHAIM. ~knowledge, a candle. Thus they say that Shuah, the fatherin-taw of Judah, (Gen. xxxviii. 2,) was the candle or light Ver. 1. After these things Jesus went over the sea of the place where he lived, because he was one of the most of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2. And famous men in the city, enlightening their eyes; hence they a great multitude followed him, because they call a rabbin, the candle of the law, and the lamp of light. -L1GHTFOOT. saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. 3. And Jesus went up into a mounta.il, and there he sat with his disciples. Ver. 1. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. Tiberias, one of the principal cities of Galilee, was erected by the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who gave it this The present town of Tabareeah, as it is now called, is in appellation in honour of the Emperor Tiberius. It was this form of an irregular crescent, and is enclosed towards the Herod wvho beheaded John the Baptist, (Matt. xiv. 3-11,) land by a wall flanked with circular towers: it lies nearly and who sought the life of Christ himself, (Luke xiii. 31.) north and south along the western edge of the lake, and has He probably resided in Tiberias,wvhich may be the reason its eastern front opposed to the water, on the brink of which why the Saviour never visited this place. It was situated it stands, as some of the houses there are almost washed by near the Sea of Galilee, on a plain of singular fertility, the sea. The whole does not appear a mile in circuit, and which was greatly increased by assiduous cultivation. Josecannc't c.n' an more than six hundred separate dwellings, phus describes this region as a perfect paradise, blessed with front the manner in which they are placed. There are a delicious temperature; and producing the fruits of every twon gates visible from without; one near the southern, and climate under heaven, not at stated periods merely, but in the other in the western wall, the latter of which is in one endless succession throughout the year. The neglect of of the round towers, and is the only one now open. There agriculture in modern times has, of course, made it less are appearances also of the tower having been surrounded productive; but the mildness of the climate, and the richby a ditch, but this is now filled up by cultivable soil. The ness of the soil, are still extolled by travellers. When the interior presents but few objects of interest besides the or- Romans made war upon the Jews, Tiberias surrendered dinary habitations, which are. in general, small and mean. without waiting for a siege: on this account the Jews reThere is a mosque, with a dome and minaret, now fre- mained unmolested; and after the destruction of Jerusalem, quented; and another with an octangular tower, now in this city became eminent for its academy, over which a sucruins. The former of these is not far from the gate of en- cession of Jewish doctors presided until the fourth century. trance; the latter is nearer to the beach. There are also In the early ages of Christianity, Tiberias was an episcopal two synagogues of the Jews near the centre of the town, see; in the seventh century it was taken by the Saracens both of them inferior to that of Jerusalem, though similar under the Calif Omar; and though it passed into the in design; and one Christian place of worship, called the hands of the Christians during the crusades, the Mohamhouse of Peter, near the northern quarter, close to the medans regained the possession of it towards the close of water's edge. The last, which has been thought by some the fourteenth century. Widely -scattered ruins of walls to be the oldest place of Christian worship now extant in and other buildings, as well as fragments of columns, indiPalestine, is a vaulted room about thirty feet by fifteen, and cate the ancient extent of Tiberias. The stone of these perhaps fifteen in height; it stands nearly east and west, ruins is described by the Rev. William Jowett as being having its door of entrance at the western front, and its altar "very black, so that there is nothing about them of the irniaediately opposite in a shallow recess. Over the door splendour of antiquity,-nothing but an air of mourning is one small window, and on each side four others, all arched and desolation. In this circumstance they differ so greatly and open. The masonry of the edifice is of an ordinary from the magnificent antiquities of Egypt and Greece, as kind; the pavement within is similar to that used for streets to leave the most sombre impression on the fancy: they are in this country; and the whole is devoid of sculpture or perfectly funereal." other ornament, as far as I could perceive. In a court The modern town of Tiberias, which is delineated in without the house of Peter, I observed, however, a block of our engraving, is by the natives called Tabaria, or Tabastone, on which were the figures of two goats, and two lions reeah; it occupies part of the site of the ancient city, and or tigers, coarsely executed; but whether this ever belong- is situated at a short distance to the east from the Sea of ed to the building itself, no one could inform me. During Galilee. It is surrounded with. walls and towers, which at my visit to this church, norning mass was performed by first view are very imposing; on a nearer approach, howthe abuna, at whose house iVe had lodged; the congrega- ever, their insignificance is apparent. A few cannon tion consisted of only eleven persons, young and old; and would put them down in an instant, though to an assault the furniture and decorations of the altar and the priest from the natives they would present, probably, a very long were exceedingly scanty and poor. This edifice is thought and effectual resistance. One fourth of the space within by the, people here to have been the very house which Peter the walls is stated by Dr. Richardson to be unoccupied by inhabited at the time of his being called from his boat to house or building; and many parts of the town are in a follow Christ. It was evidently constructed, however, for ruined and filthy condition. The population has been coma place of worship, and probably at a period much posterior puted atone thousand five hundred, or two thousand persons; ill~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~=~~I-t-==P~~ _ -'-.-l-~-= —~. —— =- — ~-_-' i' " X=I==l,.....~.~~ =. ===B --... r-__.. ~ -- ~ — ~Ltl TIBERIAk AND SEA OF GALILEE, —John 6:1, W, Page 612. o CHAP. 7-10. JOHN 613 eighty houses are occupied by Christians, and one hundred Depart lence, and go into Judea, that thy disand fifty by Turks, but the largest portion (amounting to ciples also may see the works that thou doest. two hundred) is tenanted by Jews of all nations, who come here tolspend the rest of their days. On the north side of In eastern language it is common to apply the word the town, not far from the lake, there is a Greek church, the brother or sister to those relations who have no right tcl it. architecture of which exhibits much of the character of those in England. Thus, cousins are called " brothers;" i. e. the sacred edifices which were erected by the Emperess Helena: sons of brothers are called brothers; but a daughter, though it is said to occupy the identical spot on which stood the she would be called sister by her cousins, yet her children house of the apostle Peter, who, previously to his becoming a would not be addressed in the same way, but " machda,'" disciple of Jesus Christ, had been a fisherman on the lake. i. e. cousin, would be their proper title. The name sister, To the south of Tiberias lie the celebrated hot baths, the which Abraham gave to his wife, is still given to the same water of which contains a strong solution of muriate of soda, degree of relationship. Gen. xx. 12. " She is the daughter (common salt,) with a considerable intermixture of iron of my father, but not the daughter of my mother."-RoBand sulphur; it emits a powerful sulphureous smell. A ERTS. thermometer placed in different spots where the water gushes out, rose to the various heights of 131, 132, 138, Ver. 38. Ie that believeth on me, as the scripture and 139 degrees of Fahrenheit; in the bath, where it cools hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of after standing some time, its temperature was 110. An hum- living water. ble building is erected over the bath, containing mean apartments, on one side for men, on the other for women: It is said of divine sages, of great goosoos, " Ah! in their it is much frequented as a cure for almost every complaint, heads are kept the rivers of life, or life-giving rivers.' The particularly by the Jews, who have a great veneration for figure in reference to them is, I'doubt not, taken from Siva, a Roman sepulchre excavated in a cliff near the spot, which as the Ganges is said to flow from his head.-ROBERTs. they imagine to be the tomb of' Jacob. About a mile from the town, and exactly in front of the lake, is a chain of CHAPTER IX. rocks, in which are distinctly seen cavities or grottoes thated him, sayin, have resisted the ravages of time. These are uniformly represented to travellers as the places referred to in the ter, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that gospel history, which were the rmesort of miserable and fierce he was born blind. demoniacs, upon one qf whom Jesus Christ wrought a miraculous and instantaneous cure: (Matt. viii. 28. Mark The HIindoos and Ceylonese very commonly attribute v. 2, 3. Luke viii. 37.) their misfortunes to the-transgressions of a former state of The Sea of Galilee, which is seen in the background of existence. I remember being rather struck with the seriour engraving, derives its name from its situation on the ousness of a cripple, who attributed his condition to the uneastern borders of the province of Galilee; it was anciently known fault of his former life. His conjecture was, that called the Sea of Chinnereth, or Chinneroth, (Numb. xxxiv. he had broken the leg of a fowl. Offerings are made with 11. Josh. xii. 3,) from its vicinity to the town of that name. a view to an honourable or happy birth at the nex traimIn 1 Mac. xi. 67, it is called the Water of Gennesar, and migration.-CALLANVAY. in Luke v. 1, the Lake of Gennesaret, from the neighbouring land of that name. Its most common appellation is the Ver. 7. And said.unto him, Go, wash in the pool Sea of Tiberias, from the contiguous town of Tiberias, of Siloam, (which is, by interpretation, Sent.) which has been described in the preceding paragraphs. He y, therefore, washe, and This capacious lake is from twelve to fifteen miles ine e his way, therefore, length, and from six to nine miles in breadth; along the came seeing. shore its depth varies, and in some parts-it may be sixty The following description of the fountain of Siloam is feet. The water is perfectly fresh, and it is used by the in- he followng description of the fountan of Siloam habitants of Tiberias to drink, and for every culinary pur- om the ournal of ssrs. Fisk and Ki, under date pose. The waters of the northern part of this lake abound pri28, 1823. (Missionary Herald, 1824, p. 66. Near with delicious fish. It is remarkable that there is not a the southeast corner of the city, at tile foot of Zion ane single boat of any description on the Sea of Tiberias atof Siloah, (Neh. 3. 15,) present, although it is evident from the gospel history thatflow with agentle murmur from under the holy mountain t it was much navigated in the time of Jesus Christy The io, or rther from under Ophel, ha g Zion on the fish are caught partly by the fishermen going into the water west, and Moriah on the north. The very fountain issues upto their aist, and throwing in a hand-net, adpr from a rock, twenty or thirty feet below the surface of the up to their N-aist, and throwing in a hend-net, and partly ground, to which we descended by two flights of steps;. with casting-nets from the beach; the consequence is, that re a very small quantity only is taken in comparison of what en it flows out without a single murmur, aad appears a very snlall quantity only is takien in comparison of nrhat clear as crystal. From this place it winds its way several might be obtained if boats were employed. This accounts for the circumstance of fish being so dear at Tiberias, as to rods under the mountain, then lakes its appearance with be s~old at the same price per pound as meat. Viewed from a gentle gurgling, and, forming a beautiful rill, takes its Mway height, the water looks, amid the surrounding mountains, doean iato the valley, towards the southeast. We drank of like an immense reservoir; and from the northern part being, covered with volcanic lremains, it has been conjectured found it soft, of a sweetish taste, and pleasant. The foun0that this lake was at one period the crater of a volcano. Ittain is called in scripture thSe' pool of Siloam.' It was to that this lake was at one period the crater of a volcano. It this that the blind man went and washed, and came seeImtr has been compared by travellers to Loch Lomond, in Scot- B he land; and, like the Lake of Windermere, in Westmoreland, - uis. it is often greatly agitated by winds. A strong current'marks CHAPTER X. the passage of the Jordan through this lake; and when this Ver. 1. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enis opposed by contrary winds, which blow here with the force of a hurricane from the southeast, sweeping into the tereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but lake fromnthe mountains, a boisterous sea is instantly raised, climlbeth up some other way, the same is a thief which the small vessels of the country (such as were an- and a robber. ciently in use) were ill qualified to resist. Such a tempest is described in Matt. viii. 24-26, which was miraculously In summer, the flocks were enclosed in folds, to which calmed by Jesus Christ with a word. The broad and ex- allusion is frequently made in the sacred volume. The tended surface of this lake, "covering the bottom of a pro- fold of Polyphemus, the far-famed Sicilian shepherd, was found valley, surrounded by lofty and precipitous eminences, a spacious cave, where his cattle, his sheep, and goats rewhen added to the impression under which every Christian posed. In Persia the shepherds frequently drive their flocks pilgrim approaches, gives to it a character of unparalleled into caverns at night, and enclose them by heaping up walls dignity."- HORNE. of loose stones. But the more common sheepfold was anl CHAPTER VIT. u enclosure in the manner of a building, and constructed of stone and hurdles, or fenced with reeds. It had a large Ver. 3. His brethren, therefore, said unto him, door; or entrance, for admitting the flock, which was closed 614 JOHN. CHAP. 11 with hurJles; and to facilitate the tithing, which was done and producing olive and fig-trees, vines, beans, and ccrn, in the fold, they struck out a little door, so small, that two which, over the whole country, are now ready for harvest. lambs could not escape together. To this entrance, which The tomb supposed to be that of Lazarus is a cave in the is still used in the East, our Lord alludes in this declaration: rock, to which we descended by twenty-six rude steps. At " He that enter~eth not by the door into the sheepfold, but the bottom of these, in a small chamber, "we saw a smal climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a rob- door in the ground; we descended by two large steps, and ber."-PAxroN. stooping through a low passage, about five feet long, entered the tomb, which is not hewed.out of the rock, but built Ver. 3. To him the porter openeth: and the sheep with large stones, and arched: I found it to be seven feet hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep four inches, by eight feet two inches and a half, and ten by name, antd leadeth them out. 4. Ancl when feet high: it is in its original rude state, and belongsto the h putteth forth his own shee, e oeth before Catholics, who say mass in it occasionally; In the tomb he putteth forth his own sheep, he groeth before are two small windows, opening to holes in the rock.them, and the sheep follow him: for theyknow TURNER. his voice. 5. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know Ver. 17. Then when Jesus came, he found that not the voice of strangers. he had lain in the grave four days already. See on Is. 40. 11. It was customary among the Jews to go to the sepulchres Having had my attention directed last night to the words, of their deceased friends, and visit them for three days, for "The sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep so long they supposed that their spirits hovered about them; by name," I asked my man if it was usual in Greece to but when once they perceived that their visage began to give names to the sheep. He informed me that it was, and change, as it would in three days in these countries, all that the sheep obeyed the shepherd when he called them by, hopes of a return to lif.were then at an end. After a revtheir names. This nmorfing I had an opportunity of eri- olution of humours, which in seventy-two hours is comfying the truth of this remark. Passing by a flock of sheep, pl(eted, the body tends naturally to putrefaction; and thereI asked the shepherd the same question which I'had putt t fore Martha had reason to say, that her brother's body my servant, and he gave me the same answer. I then bade (which appears by the context to have been laid m the him to call one of his sheep. He did so, and it instantly sepulchre the same day that he died) would now on the left its pasturage and its companions, and ran up to the fourth day become offensive.-STAClHOUSE. hand of the shepherd with signs of pleasure, and with a prompt obedience. It is also true of the sheep in this coun- er. 19. And many of the Jews came to Martha try, that a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from and Mary, to comfort them concerning their him, for' they know nbot the voice of strangers. The shepherd brother. told. me that many of his sheep were still wild; that they haid not yet learned their names; but that by teaching they The general time of mourning for deceased relations, would all learn them.-HARTLEY'S JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN both among Jews and Gentiles, was seven days. During GREECE:. these days of mourning their friends and neighbours visitVer. 5. And a stranger will they not follow but ed them, in order that by their presence and conversation fer. 5. And a stranger will they not follov, but they might assist them in bearing their loss. Many therewill flee from himn: for they know not the voice fore in so populous a part of the country must have been of strangers. going to and coming from the sisters, while the days of their mourning for Lazarus lasted. The concourse too The oriental shepherd marches before his Ilock to the would be the greater as it was the time of the passover. field, with his rod in his hand and his dogby his side; and Besides, a vast multitude now attended Jesus on his jourthey are so perfectly disciplined, that they follow him ney. This great miracle therefore must have had many wherever he chooses to lead them. To facilitate the man- witnesses.-MACKNIGHT. agement of his charge, he gives names to his sheep, which answer to them, as dogs and horses answer to theirs in Ver. 31. The Jews then which were with her in these parts of the world. The shepherds of Egypt select a the house, and comforted her, when they saw ram to lead the flock, and suspend' a bell from his neck Mary, that she rose up hastily, and went out, that they may follow him with greater ease and certainty.-he PAxToN. followed her, saying She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Ver. 11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12. But he Authors that speak of the eastern people's visiting the that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose tombs of their relations, almost always attribute this to the own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf comminl women; the men, however, sometimes visit them too,'though not so frequently as the other sex, who are more and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the susceptible of the tender emotions of grief, and think that wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep. propriety requires it of them; whereas the men commonly 13. The hirelino- fleeth, because he is a hire- think that such strong expressions of sorrow would misbecome them. We find that some mate friends came from ling, and careth not for the sheep. Jerusalem to condole with Mary and Martha on account of Being wakeful at night, I occasionlly heard noises from the death of their brother Lazarus, who, when they suppothe hills, which our attendants said proceeded from wolves. sed that her rising up and going out of the house was with The lsatchful shepherds shouted, and the sheep probably a view to repair to his grave to weep, " followed her, sayes maped. I was forcibly reminded of the " good shepherd." ing, She goeth'unto the grave to weep there." It is no wonwere the flock near our tent to be forsaken by the shepherd rising up in haste vas to go to for a sin-le night, it would be scattered and devoured.- the grave to weep, for Chardin informs us, that the mournREv. R. OANDERSON'S TOUR IN GREECE. ing in the East does not consist in wearing black clothes, which they call an infernal dress, but in great outcries, in CHAPTER XI. sitting motionless, in being slightly dressed in a brown or er..ow a certain man was sick, named pale habit, in refusing to take any nourishment for eight ofer. 1. Now a certain Hearr was sick, hed days running, as if they were determined to live no longer. Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and Her starting up then with a sudden motion, who,''it was her sister Martha. expected, would have sat still without stirring at all, and her going out of the house, made them conclude that it' Bethany is a miserable village, containing between forty must be to go to the grave to weep there, though, according,and fifty wretched stone huts, and inhabited solely by to the modern Persian ceremonial, it wanted five or six Arabs. It stands on a rocky mountain, well cultivated, days of the usual time for going to weep at the grave: but CIAP. 11-19. JOHN. 615 the Jews possibly might repair thither sooner than the home at the Vudeya-koli," i. e. the morning cock. The Persians do.-HARMER. people attach a high value to those birds which crow with the greatest regularity; and some- of them keep'the time Ver. 38. Jesus, therefore, again groaning in him- with astonishing precision.-ROBERTS. self, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, — and CHAPTER`XVII. a stone lay upon it. 39. Jesus said, Take ye awray the stone. Martha, the sister of him that OVer. 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with was dead, said unto him, Lord, by this time he with the glory which I had stinketh; for he hath been dead. four days.'h1 Jewrish tombs, like those of Macri, havie entrances, Our Lord is undoubtedly here praying to be glorified with his mediato'ial glory. But Lhis was not the glory which were originally closed with a large and broad stone with his med al glory. But th he lory rolled to the door which it was not lawful, in the which he had with the Father before the world was, for rolled to the door, which it was not lawful, in the opinion prior to the creation he did not exist as mediator, and thereof' a Jew, to displace. They were adorned with inscrip- fore could not enjoy a mediator's glory. Consequently the tions and emblematical devices, alluding to particular transactions in the lives of the persons that lie there en- phrase, "which I had with the e the world was," tombed. Thus the place where the dust of Joshua reposed, probably means, " which I had in the divine purpose, which ed T thhere usrepose, thou didst ordain and destine that I should have in the ages was called Timnath-heres, because the image of the sun w l i h b e to come." By a similar diction, Christ is termed "-the was engraved on his sepulchre, in memory of his arresting Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." But he that luminary in his career, till he had gained a complete as not actually slain from the foundation of the world, but victory over the confederate kings. Such significant de- wwas not actually slain from the foundation of the world, but victory over the confederate kings. Such significant devices were common in the East. Cicero says, the tomb of only in the divine purpose. So here, Christ prays to be Archimedes was distinguished by the figure of a stphere put in possession of that honour and glory which the Father from eternity had decreed should redound to him, in virtue and a cylinder. —PAxToN. of his assuming the office of Messiah, and being constituted Ver. \44. And he that was dead came forth, bound Head and Lord of the New Testament dispensation. At han.and fot witha grasdeaaothe, nd h this glory he looks, not with a retrospective, but with an hand and foot withgrave-clothes: and his face anticipative eye. —BusH. was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith CHAPTER XVIII. unto them, Loose him and let him go. unto the em, Loosp~e him, and let him, g.:Ver. 3. Judas then, having received a band of vlen As the Jews did not ake use of coffins, they pld their and officers from the chief priests and Pharidead separately in niches, or little cells, cut into the sides of the caves, or rooms, which they had hewed out of the sees, cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, rock. This form of the Jewish sepulchre suggests an easy and weapons. solution of a difficulty in the resurrection of Lazarus. The sgcred historian states, that when our Lord cried with a Norden, among other particulars, has given some account loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth, he that was dead cane of the lamps and lanterns that they make use of commonly forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes." Upon this at Cairo. "The lamp is of the palm-tree wood, of the circumstance, the enemies of revelation seize with avidity, height of twenty-three inches, and made in a very gross and demand with an air of triumph, How he should come manner. The glass, that hangs in the middle, is half filled out of a grave, who was bound hand and foot with grave- with water and has oil on the top, about three fiagei in clothes. But the answer is easy: the evangelist does not depth. The wick is preserved dry at the bottom of the mean that Lazarus walked out of the sepulchre, but only glass, where they have contrived a place for it, and ascends that he sat up, then putting his legs over the edge of his through a pipe. These lamps do not give much light, yet niche or cell, slid down and stood upright upon the floor they are very commodious, because they are transported all which he might easily do, notwithstanding his arms easily from one place to another. ith reard to the anwere bound close to his body, and his legs were tied straight together, by means of the shroud and rollers with which he made of reeds. It is a collection of five or six glasses, like was swathed. Hence, when he was come forth, Jesus to that of the lamp which has been just described. They ordered his relations to loose him and let him go; a circum- by cords in the middle of the streets, when stance plainly importing the historian's admission that there is any great festival at Cairo, and they put painted Lazarus could not walk till he was unbound.-PAXTON. paper in the place of the reeds. - Were these the lanterns that those who came to take [This interpretation, though plausible and ingenious, Jesus e thes or were the lanterns that those who came t take does not well accord with the letter of the text. From this Ch rist referred to in the parable they such lamps as these that it is not easy to avoid the impression, that in some way he came forth from the inner part to the outer opening of the ratherto suppose that these lanterns are appropriated to the cave, enveloped in his grave-clothes. As to the impossi- Egyptian illuminations, and that Pococke's account of the bility of his walking when thus impeded, we may safely lanterns of this country will give us a better idea of those admit, that if his limbs were thls entirely confined, he was that were anciently made use of at Jerusalem Speaking coni~veyed to the door of the cave, by the same Almighty of the travelling of the people of Egypt, he says, " by night pouwer by which he was raised from the dead.-BUsH.] -they rarely make use of tents, but lie in the open air, having large, lanterns made like a pocket paper lantern, the CHAPTER XIII. bottom and top being of copper tinned over, and instead o1 Ver. 18. I sp~tk not of you all; Iknow whom I paper they are made with linen, which is extended by hoops of wire, so that when it is put together it serves as a candlehave chosen: but, that the scripture may be stick, &c. and they have a contrivance to hang it up,abroad fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lift by means of three staves."-HARMER. up his heel against me. CHAPTER XIX See on Ps. 41. 9. Ver. 2. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, Ver. 38. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down and put it on his head, and they put on hin a thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say purplerobe. unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou There still exists a plant in Palestine, known among bothast denied me thrice. anists by the name of the " Thorn of Christ," supposed to be the shrub which afforded the crown worn by the Saviour See on Mark 14. 30. at his crucifixion. It has many small sharp prickles, well It is very common for people to regulate their time in the adapted to give pain; and as the leaves greatly resemble night by the crowing of the cock: thus, "I did not leave the those of ivy, it is not improbable that the enemies of Mestemple till the.Stmna-koli," i. e. midnight cock. "I left my siah chose it, from its similarity to a plant with which em 616 JOHN.. CHAP. 21. perors and generals were accustomed to be crowned; and The Old Testament historian entirely justifies the account thence, that there might be calumny, insult, and derision, which the evangelist gives of the quantity of spices with meditated in the very act of punishment, which the sacred body of Christ was swathed. The Jews "The mockery of reed and robe, and crown object to the quantity used on that occasion, as unnecessarily Of platted thorns upon his temple pressed."-RussEL. profuse, and even incredible; but it appears from their own writings, that spices were used at such times in great abun-. Ver. 5. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown dance. In the Talmud, it is said, that no less than eighty of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate pounds of spices were consumed at the funeral of Rabbi saith unto them, Behold the man! Gamaliel the elder. And at the funeral of Herod, if we may believe the account of their most celebrated historian, On quitting thechothe Mount of the procession was followed by five hundred of his domestics Olives; our road lay throur h the Via-dolorosa, so called carrying spices. Why then should it be reckoned incredifrom its having been the passage by which Christ was ble that Nicodemus brought of myrrh and aloes about a conducted from the place of his imprisonment to Mount hundred pounds weight, to embalm the body of JesusCalvary. The outer walls of what was once the residence PAXTON. of Pilate, are comprehended in this street. The original CHAPTER XXI. entrance to the palace is blocked up, and the present access is at one of the angles of the court. The portal was for- Ver. 5. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, merly in the centre, and approached by a flight of steps, have ye any meat? They answeredhim, No. which were removed some centuries ago to Rome, and are now in a small chapel near the church of San. Giovanni di Thus did the risen Saviour address himself to his disciLaterano. Very little of this structure is still extant; but ples. In this way, also, do spiritual guides, and men of the Franciscan monks imagine they have actually traced learning, and aged men, address their disciples or dependout the dungeon in which our Saviour was incarcerated, ants. In the Scanda Purana, it is said, " Sooran asked as well as the hall where Cesar's officer proceeded to give Kasipan what he should do l to which he replied, Children, judgment. The place where the Messiah was scourged is I will mention one thing as a security for you, which is, to now a ruined court, on the opposite side of the street; and perform glorious austerity." Again, in the same work, not far from thence, but in a direction nearer to Mount "Thus proceeding, Singa Maggam, who was to him as his Calvary, is the arch which the Latin friars designate " I1 own life, following Velly, took him into his hall, and seatarco d'ecce homo," from the expression of Pilate, as re- ed him, and heartily welcomed him with good words, and corded by St. John xix. 5; upon an eminence between the asked, Children, what are you come for."-ROBERTS. pillars which support the curvature, the Roman governor exhibited this illustrious victim to his deluded countrymen. Ver. 7. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, Between this place and the scene of his crucifixion, Christ aith unto Peter, It i the Lord. is said to have fainted under the weight of the cross. Tradition relates, that he sunk beneath its pressure three times; Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt and the different stages, are supposed to have been actually his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) noted; they are severally designated by two columns, and and did cast himself into the sea. an indenture in the wall.-JoLLIFE. The fishermen in the East, when engaged in their vocaVer. 23. Then the soldiers, when they.had cruci- tion, are generally naked, excepting a small strip of cloth fied Jesus, took his garments, and made four round their loins; so that, without any inconvenience, they parts, to every soldier a part, and also his coat: can cast themselves into the sea-ROBERTS. now. the coat was without seam, woven from 1now the coat was writhout seam, woven from Ver. 18. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When the top throughout. thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and The dress of the Arabs, in this part of the Holy' Land, walkedst whither thou wouldst: but when thou and indeed throughout all Syria, is simple and uniform; it shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, consists ofa blue shirt, descending below the knees, the legs and another shall gird thee, and carry thee and feet being exposed, or the latter sometimes covered hither thou ouldst not. with the ancient cothurnus, or buskin. A cloak is worn of very coarse and heavy camel's-hair cloth, almost universally decorated with broad black and white stripes, passing It was customary in the ancient combats for the vanvertically down the back; this is of one square piece, with quished person to stretch out his hands to the conqueror, holes for the arms; it has a seam down the back; made signifying that he declined the battle, yielded the victory, without this seam, it is considered of greater value. Here, and submitted to the direction of the victor. So, Turnus then, we perhaps behold the form and materials of our Sa- in Virgil viour's garment, for which the soldiers cast lots, being I"Vicisti etvictum tendere palmas' "without seam, woven from the top throughout." It was the AusoImit videre."-En. lib. xii.. 936. most ancient dress of the inhabitants of this country.- "You have overcome, and the, Ausonians have seen thy CLARKE. vanquished foe stretch forth his suppliant hands." To this custom our Lord alludes in his prediction to Peter: Ver. 39. And there came also Nicodemus, (which "'When thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy at the first came to Jesus by night,) and brought hands, and a nother shall gird thee." The a e apostle ofmrr n aosaot unrd was to stretch out his hands as a token of submssion to a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred that power under which he would fall and perish. —Pxpound weight. TON. rHE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. CHAPTER I. phira, and buried her by her husband. No hint is given Ver. 26.. And they gave forth their lots: and the ofa bier in either case. PAXTON. lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered CHAPTER VIII. with the eleven apostles. Ver. 40. But Philip was found at Azotus; and, The account which Grotius gives of the manner in which passing through, he preached in all the cities, lots were cast, seems very probable and satisfactory. He till he came to Cesarea. says, they put their lots into two urns, one of which contained the names of Joseph and Matthias, and the other a The present state of Azotus is thus described by Dr. blank, and the word apostle. In drawing these out of the Wittman:-" Pursuing our route through a delightful urns, the blank came up with the name of Joseph, and the country, we came to Ashdod, called by the Greeks Azotus, lot on which was written the word adpostle came up with and under that name mentioned in the Acts of the Aposthe name of Matthias. This being in answer to their ties, a town of great antiquity, provided with two small prayers, they concluded that Matthias was the man whom entrance gates. In passing through this place we saw the Lord had chosen to the apostleship.-BuRDER. several fragments of columns, capitals, cornices, &c., of CHAPTER IV. - marble. Towards the centre is a handsome mosque, with a minaret. By the Arab inhabitants Ashdod is called Ver. 1. And, as they spake unto the people, the Mezdel. Two miles to the- south, on a hill, is a ruin, priests, and the captain of the temple, and the having in its centre a lofty column still standing entire. Sadducees, came upon them. The delightful verdure of the surrounding plains, together with a great abundance of fine old olive-trees, rendered There was a garrison placed in the tower of Antonia, the scene charmingly picturesque In the villages, tobacfor the guard of the temple. This tower stood in the co, fruits, and vegetables are cultivated abundantly by the northeast torner of the wall, which parted the mountain inhabitants; and the fertile and extensive plains yield an of the house from the city. It was built by Hyrcanus the ample produce of corn. At this time the wheat was just Asmolnean, t-he hifgh-priest. There he himself dwrelt, and comring into ear, the harvest taking place so earlyas towards there he laid up tie holy garments of the priesthood, when- the latter end of April or beginning of May."-BURDER. ever he put them off, having finished the service of the CHAPTER IX. temple. Herod repaired this tower at a great expense, and named it Antonia, in honour of Antony. It was used Ver. 5. And hetaid, Who art thou, Lord? And as the depository of the priest's garments, till the removal the Lord said, I amn Jesus whom thou persecuof Archelaus from his kingdom, and the confiscation of test: it is hard for thee to kick against the his estate. The tower then came into the hands of the Romans, and was kept as a garrison by them. The high- pricks. priest's garments were then kept there under their power, See on Judg. 3. 31. till Vitellius restored them to the Jews. The captain here spoken off was the commander of the company who had Ver. 11. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and the keeping of the castle.-LGHTFOOT., go into the street which is called Straight, and Ver. 34. Neither was there any among them that inquire in the house of Judas, for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of Tarsus, the place of Saul's nativity, was at that time the the things that were sold, 35. And laid them most celebrated school in the world, and, for polite literadown at the apostles' feet: and distribution was ture, far surpassed Athens and Alexandria. Strabo, who,made unto every man accordin o- as hie had need. lived in that age, gives the following account of it: "The made unto every man according as hLe nhad need. inhabitants of this place cherish such a passion for philosoWhen person takes a present or an offering to a priest phy, and all the various branches of polite letters, that they When a person takes a present or an offering to a priest, have greatly excelled Athens and Alexandria, and every or a spiritual guide, or to a distinguished scholar, he does other place in which there are schools and ademe for other place in which there ai'e schools and academies for not give it into the hands of his superior, but places it at philosophy and erudition. But Tarsus differs in this, that his feet. It is called the.pt/a-kcniki, i. e. the feet-offer- those who here devote themselves to the study of literature, ing. Ananias and Sapphira also brought a part of the are all natives of that country: there are not many from forprice of the land, " and laid it at the apostles' feet."-Ron- eignparts who reside here. Nor do the natives of the counERTS. try continue here for life, but they go abroad to finish their CHAPTER V. studies, and when they have perfected themselves they Ver. 6. And the young men arose, wtound him up, choose to live in other places.. There are but few who a Ie out, and hurled hm 11'return home." He also says, that " Rome can best witness and carried him out, and buried him. the great number of learned men, the natives of this city; for it is full of literati from Tarsus and Alexandria."The bier used by the Turks at Aleppo, says Russel, is a BURnER. kind of coffin, much in the form of ours, only the lid rises with a ledge in the middle. Christians, according to the Ver. 34. And Peter said unto him, Eneas, Jesus same author, are carried to the grave in an open bier of the same kind as that used by the people of Nain. But Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy the Jews seem to have conveyed their dead bodies to their bed. And he arose immediately. funerals without any support, as may be inferred from the history of Ananias and his wife Sapphira: " And the Mattresses, or something of that kind, were used for voung men arose, wound him up, and carried him out and sleeping upon. The Israelites formerly lay upon carpets.'uried him." With equal despatch they carried forth Sap- (Amos ii. 8.) Russel says the " beds consist of a mattress 618 THE ACTS. CHAP. 9-12. laid on the floor, and over this a sheet, (in winter a carpet, term, it is admitted, is often employed by writers, both sa-,or some such woollen covering,) the other sheet being sewed cred and profane, to denote merely civil respect; but it canto the quilt. A divan cushion often serves for a pillow and not with propriety be so understood here, because the reason bolster." They do not now keep their beds made; the which the apostle assigned for his refusal, derives all its mattresses are rolled up, carried away, and placed in cup- propriety and force from religious worship: " Stand up; I boards till they are wanted at night. Hence we learn the myself also am a man." But surely it is not inconsistent propriety of our Lord's address to the paralytic," Arise, with the character of a man to receive an extraordinar) take up thy bed, and walk."-HARMiER. token of respect from another. Mr. Harmer thinks the conduct of the apostle John, in throwing himself at the feet Ver. 36. Now there was at Joppa a certain disci- of the angel, is to be viewed m a somewhat different light. pie named Tabitha, which, by interpretation, is " John did nothing at all," says our author, " but what was called Dorcas: this woman was full of good conformable to the usages of his own country, when the works and alms-deeds w1hich she did. *people of it designed innocently to express great reverence and gratitude." But if the apostle meant only tc express, It,was common not only among he Arabs, lbut also by his prostration, the ordinary feelings of civil respect, why did the angel refuse it; and that because he was one among the Greeks, to give their females the names of agree- of his fellow-servants Thatit was actually more than able animals. Tabitha appears to have been a word used civil respect-that it was really divine honours which.John in the Syriac,which being interpreted is Dorcas; that is, an meant in the tumult of his feelings, or from a- mistalken antelope, an animal remarkable for beautiful eyes. On antelope, an animal remarkable for beautiful eyes. On view of the angel's character, to pay, is quite evident from this account it might have been given to the person here view of the an-el's character, to pay, is quite evident from dethis accounted by it might have been given to the person here the charge which the celestial messenger gave him, to rendesignated by it. (Parkhurst.)-BoanDER. der unto God the homage which he intended at this time CHAPTER X. - for him. But surely God is not the proper object of civil Ver. 23. Then called he tem in, and lodged them. respect, but of religious adoration; and therefore, it must AVer. 23]. Tecldeh ina lde'm have been the latter which John intended. Though he was And on the morrow Peter went away with a Jew by descent, an enemy to all idolatry, and a zealous them, and certain brethren from Joppa accom- preacher against it, still he was but a man of like passions palsied him.' with others; and although under the supernatural influence of the Divine Spirit as an apostle, he was not infallible as the people of the East have a general propensity for as- a Christian, and by consequence he was liable, highly fasociates in all their transactions and all their journeys. Has voured as he certainly was, to deviate from the path of duty; a man from a distant village some business to do with you, and had he not at this time done a very imp/roper thing, the he does not, as an Englishman would, come alone; he brings angel had not reproved him, nor used terms so expressive a large company of his neighbours and friends. Go, ask of his abhorrence: " See thou do it noti for I am thy fellowany of them, why have you come l the reply is, (pointing at servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which the same time at the man of business,) " I came because he keep the sayings of this book; worship God." That his did." It is often surprising to see people at a great distance conduct on this memorable occasion had at least a mixture firom their homes, having no other reason than "we came of idolatry, is %vident from the command he receives, to with him." See the man going to a court of justice, he is reserve such homage for Cod alone, to whom it is due.accompanied by a large band of his acquaintances, who PAXTON. canvass all the probabilities of the case, and who have a salvo CHAPTER XII. for every exigency. Perhaps a love of show is one motive; but the desire to have witnesses of what has been said or done, and to have help at hand in case of any emergency, second ward, they came unto the iron gate that are other reasons for their love of company. The Oriental leadeth unto the city; which opened to them is like the granivorous animals of his native deserts, who of his own accod: and they ent out, ad are all, nmore or less, gregarious in their habits; and, as it is, so it was in the most remote antiquity. The Psalmist passed on through one street; and forthwith the says of those who were travelling to the temple at Jerusa- angel departed from him. letm, -"they go from strength to strength;" but the margin has it, " from company to company." Thus did they Cne method of securing the gates of fortified places, stretch on, from one party to another, till they each appear- among the ancients, was to cover them with thick plates of ed before God in his earthly " Zion." In the conduct, there- iron; a custom which is still used in the East, and seems to fore, of Peter and his six companions, in the arrangement be of great antiquity. We learn from Pitts that Algiers of our Divine aster in sending forthhis disciples "by two has five gates, and some of these have two, some three and two," and in very numerous passages of scripture, we other gates within them, and some of them plated all over see the simplicity, caution, and affection of those concerned. with thick iron. The place where the apostle was impris-ROBERTS. oned, seems to have been secured in the same manner; for, says the inspired historian, " When they were past the first Ver. 25. And, as Peter was coming in, Cornelius and.second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth met him, and fell down at his feet, and worship- into the city, which opened to them of its own accord." Pococke, speaking of a bridge not far from Antioch, called pead him. 26. But Peter took him up, saying, the iron bridge, says, there are two towers belonging to it, Stand up; I myself also am a man. the gates of which are covered with iron plates, which he supposes is the reason of the name it bears. Some of their Mr. Harmer contends, that Cornelius the centurion, when gates are plated over with brass; such are the enormous:'he fell down at the feet of the apostle Peter and worshipped gates of the principal mosque at Damascus, formerly the him, did not intend to pay him divine honours, but merely church of John the Baptist. To gates like these, the to salute him with a reverence esteemed the lowest and Psalmist probably refers in these words: " He bhath broken most submissive in the ceremonious East. He allows there the gates of brass;" and the prophet, in that remarkable was something extraordinary in the behaviour of Cornelius, passage, where God promises to go before Cyrus his anointbut no mixture of idolatry.'But it is to be feared the verdict ed,'and "break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunwhich this respectable writer pronounces for the excellent der the bars of iron." Roman, is too favourable. The apostles did not at other But the locks and keys which secure these iron and bratimes refuse the common tokens of respect and civility zen doors, by a singular custom, the very reverse of what from those around them; and if the act of Cornelius meant prevails in the West, are of wood. The bolts of these no more, the refusal cannot be accounted for, upon the com- wooden locks, which are also of wood, are made hollow mon principles of human nature. But the words of the within, which they unlock with wooden keys, about a span evangelist ought to decide the question; he says expressly long, and about the thickness of a thumb. Into this key that Cornelius worshipped him; TpoOreKv 7fE,,, the term which they drive a number of short nails, or strong wires, in such Luke and other inspired writers commonly use to express an order and distance, that they exactly fit others within the the homage which is due onlytothe SuprermeBeing. This lock, an2 r'so turn them as they please. The locks and CHAP. 12-14. THE ACTS. 619 keys which shut the doors and gates In countries adjacent on, a long and immense building, constructed with prodi to Syria, are fabricated of the same materials, and in the gious stones, and standing east and west, made me entertain same form. But those cities which were fortified with a hope that it might be a church-a church of AntiochI moie than ordinary care, had sometimes bars of brass, or It was so; the ground-plan, with the circular end for the iron.. In describing the superior and almost impregnable bema, all remaining! Willingly would I have remained strength of Babylon, which Cyrus was chosen by the Al- hours in the midst of a temple-perhaps one of the very mighty to subdue, the prophet particularly mentions the earliest consecrated to the Saviour; but we were obliged to gates of brass and bars of iron. According to this view, the hasten on. emffhasis of the following passage is much greater perhaps The next thing that attracted our notice were two large than is commonly apprehended: "A brother offended is magnificent arches, a souterrain runnilg far beneath the harder to be won than a strong city; and their contentions hill, aid supporting the platform of a sfiperb temple. A are like the bars of a castle," that are extremely difficult to high wall of immense stones, without cement, next occurred, be removed, both on account of their size, and of the strong part probably of the gate of the city, and near it the groundand durable materials of which they are made.-PAXTON. plan of another building. From hence ran a wall, at least its ruins, along towards the aqueduct, crowning the brow of Vetr. 21. And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in the hill, and abruptly terminating where the hill became so royal apprel, st upo his throne, and made precipitous as to require no defence. The remains of the royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made aqueduct, of which twenty-one archesare perfect, are the an oration unto them. most splendid I ever beheld: the stones, without cement, of the same massy dimensions as in the wall. The view, Josephus gives the following account of this matter, but when near the aqueduct, was enchanting, and well entitled omitting to make any mention of the Tyrians and Sidonians Antioch to its rank of capital of*the province of Pisidia. on the occasion: "In'the third year of Herod's being king In the valley on the left, groves of poplars and weeping wilof all Judea, he exhibited shows to the people in honour of lows seemed to sing the song of the Psalmist, "We hanged the emperor; and he appeared in the theatre at Cesarea, our harps upon the willows," &c. mourning, as at Babylon, dressed in a robe, made all of silver tissue, of admirable for the mnelancholy fate of this once great Christian ity. workmanship.' As the sun was' then rising, the rays of it Not a Christian now resides in it, except a single Greek in coming on his robe, made it shine so bright, that the people the khan. Not a church, nor any priest to officiate, where cried out, Forgive us, if we have hitherto reverenced you Paul and Barnabas, and their successors, converted the only as a man, but from this time we shall acknowledge thousands of idolaters to the true faith! you to be something superior to what is mortal. The king Behind the valley in the east rises a ragged mountain, did not reprove them, nor reject this blasphemous flattery; part of the Paroreia; and in front of the place where I sat and, before he went out of the theatre, he was seized with is the emplacement of the city, where once stood the synapains in his bowels, so as to cry out, I, whom you called gogue, and the mansions that hospitably received the aposyour god, am now going to die! From thence he was car- ties, and those of their persecutors who drove them from nied to his palace immediately, and in the space of five days the'city-all now levelled to the ground! Behind the city, he died of those pains which he first felt in the theatre, in in the middle distance, is seen the modern city or town of the fifty-fourth year of his age, after he had reigned four Yalabatz, the houses intermixed with poplars and other years over Iturea and Abilene, and three more over all trees, in autumnal colouring, and so numerous as to resemJddea."'! The' king generally appoints for the reception of ble a grove rather than a city. Beyond is a plain, bounded ambassadors suech an hour as, according to the season, or by the heights of Taurus, under which appeared a lake, the intended -room of audience, will best enable him to dis- probably of Eyerdir. On the right, in the middle distance play in full sunshine the brilliancy of his jewels. The title also, the plain bounded by mountains, and these overtopped of bright, or resplendent, was acdded to the name of one by the rugged Alpine peaks of Mount Taurus, covered with sovereign, because his regal ornaments, glittering in the snow. In the foreground, the aqueduct, with the plains and sun's rays on a solemn festival, so dazzled the eyes of all groves of Yalabatz appearing through its arches. Behind beholders, that they scarcely could bear the effulgence: us rose an amphitheatre of round low hills, hacked by and some knew not which was the monarch, and which the mountains, naked and lofty. Reserving a fuller examinagreat luminary of day. Thus Theophylact relates, that the tion for the morrow, we returned to our khan, seeing in our Persian king Hormisdas, sitting on his throne, astonish- way an inscription on a fountain, which with the others we ed all spectators by the blazing glories of his.jewels. Jemy- shall notice hereafter.-ARuNDELL. shid, having triumphed over the blacks, and the dives or demons, caused immense quantities of jewels, obtained as Ver. 15. And after the readin g of the law and the spoils from the enemy, to be piled upon his throne, so that all might behold then; as the sun shodne through the win- prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto dows on thost jewels and the gold, his whole palace was il- them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have luminated by their reflected brilliancy. He caused his any word of exhortation for the people, say ot. throne to be placed in such a manner, facing the east, that when the rising sun beamed on his splendid crown, the The custom of reading the law, the Jews say, existed a multitude exclaimed, This is the dawn of a new day." (Sir- hundred and seventy years before the time of Christ. The WV. Ouseley.) —BuDERn.' division of it into sections is ascribed to Ezra. The five books of Moses, here called the law, contained fiftyCHAPTER XIII. three sections, so that by rehding one on each sabbath, and Ver. 14. But, when they aeparted from Perga, two in one day, they read through the whole in the'course they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and ent into f a year, finishing at the feast of tabernacles, which they they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into called "the rejoicing of the law." When AntiochusEpiphthe synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and sat down. anes burnt the book of the law, and forbid the reading we had not seen the aqueduct, the quantity of immense of it, the Jews in the room of it selected some passages out If w ha no sen te ~uedcttheqnatit ofimmnseof the prophets, which they thought camne nearest in words squared blocks of stone and sculptured fragments, which of the prophets, which they thought cam-e nearest in words and sense to the sections of the law, and read them in their we saw all the way to the khan, would have convinced us stead; but when the law was restored again, they still conat once that we were on the site of a great city. We felt ntonce that we wer on the si areat ct Wefet tinued the reading of the prophetic sections; and the'section convinced that we bad attained the great object of our convned tad wer had an the gt cobecrte o o for the day was called the dismission, because usually the journey, and were really on the spot consecrated by the labours and persecution of the apostles Paul and Barnabas. people were dismissed upon it, unless any one stood up and labour~s and persecution of the apostles'Paul and Barnabas. Leaving the tow:n, and going on the north side of it, in the expounded the word of God to them. This is the reason of the message sent to the apostles, "Ye men and brethren, if direction or the aqueduct, we were soon upon an elevated hr plaeau, accurate describe by Srbo byt anie ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."plateau, accurately described by Strabo by the -name of Xoioo. The quantity of ancient pottery, independently of the ruins, told us at once that we were upon the emplace CHAPTER XIV. ment of the city of Anticeh. The superb members of a temple, which, from the th/yssrs on many of"them, evidently Ver. 13. Then the priest of Jupiter; which was belonged to Bac-hus, was the first thing we saw. Passing before their city, brought oxen and garlands 620 THE ACTS. CHAP. 14-18. unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice Ver. 24. Who, having received such a charge, with the people. thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. W\ hen the gods are taken out in procession, their necks aie adorned'with garlands; the priests also:-.wear them at It is generally supposed that these stocks were the cippi, the same time. On all festive occasions men and women or large pieces of wood used among the Romans, which have on their sweet-scented garlands, and the smell of some fot only loaded the legs of prisoners, but sometimes disof them is so strong as to be offensive to an Englishman. tended them in a very painful manner; so that it is highly Does a man of rank offer to adorn you with a garland, it probable the situation of Paul and Silas here might be is a sign of his respect, and must not be refused In the made more painful than that of an offender sitting in the latter part of 1832 I visited the celebrated pagoda o Rami- stocks, as used among us, especially if (as is very possible) seram, (the temple of Ramar:) so soon as I arrived within they lay with their bare backs, so lately scourged, on the a short distance of the gates, a number of dancing girls, hard or dirty ground; which renders their joyful frame, priests, and others, came to meet us with garlands; they expressed by songs of praise, so much the more remarkfirst did me the honour of putting one around my neck, able. Beza explains it of the numelln, in which both the and then presented others for Mrs. Roberts and the chil- feet and the neck were fastened, in the most uneasy posture dren.-RoBETs. that can well be imagined.-PAXTON. CHAPTER XVI. CHAPTER XVIII. Ver. 11. Therefore, loosing from Ti'oas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the abode with them, and wrought: (for by the abode with them, and wrought: (for by their next day to Neapolis. - - next d to Nepolis. occupation they were tent-makers.) The view of the ancient Sichem, now called Napolose, It was a received custom among the Jews for every man, otherwise Neapolis, and Napoleos, surprised us, as we had of what ran or quality soever, to learn some trade or han not expected to find a city of such magnitude in the road to Jerusalem. It seems to be the metropolis of a very rich and dicraft; one of their proverbial expressions is, that whoever teaches not his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief. extensive country, abounding with provisions, and all the ever teaches not his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief. ecessary articles of life, in much greater profusion than In those hot countries, where tents (which were commonly the town of Acre. White bread was exposed for sale in the violence of the weather) were used not only by soldiers, streets, of a quality superior to any that is to be found elsewhere throughout the Levant. The governor of Napolose but by travellers, and others whose business required them received and regaled us with all the magnificence of an to be abroad, a tent-maker was no mean or unprofitable eastern sovereign; refreshments of every kind known in inployment. This custom, so generally practised by the the country, were set beforeus: and, when we supposed the Jews, was adopted also by other nations in the East. Sir list to be exhausted, to.our very great astonishment a most Paul Rycaut observes, that the grand seignior, to whom he sumptuous dinnerwas broughtin. Nothing seemed to gratify was ambassador, was taught to make wooden spoons. The intention of this usage was not merely amusement, but to our host more, than that any of his guests should eat hearti-merely amusement, b furnish the person so instructed with some method of obly; and, to do him justice, every individual of the party furnish the person so instructed with some method of ohought to have possessed the appetite of ten hungry pilgrims, taiing their living, should they ever be reduced to want and to satisfy his wishes in this respect. poverty.-BuRDER. There is nothing in the Holy Land finer than a view of Napolose, from the heights around it. As the traveller descends towards it from the hills, it appears luxuriantly blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said imbosomed in the most delightful and fragrant bowers; half unto them, Your blood be upon your own concealed by rich gardens, and by stately trees collectedinto heads: I am clean: from henceforth I vill go groves, all around the bold and beautiful valley in which it unto the Gentiles. stands. Trade seems to flourish among its inhabitants. Their principal employment is in making soap; but the " The shaking of his coat, a very common act in Turmanufactures of the town supply a very widely extended key, is, no doubt, an act of the same kind and import as neighbourhood, and they are exported to a great distance t of St. Paul who, when the Jews opposed themselves upon camels. In the morning after our arrival, we met and blasphemed, shook his raiment." (Morier.) "Our caravans coming from Grand Cairo; and noticed others caravans coming from Grand Cairo; and noticed others Tchochodar Ibrahim, at sight of this people, immediately reposing in the large olive plantations near the gates.- grasped his chrbine, and shaing the hem of his peosse, made signs to us to be upon our guard." (Clarke.) This Ve~r. 13. lAnld on the Sabbath we wvant out: of the is a sign of caution universal among the Turks.-BuRnDER. city by a river side, where prayer was wont to Ver. 19. And he came to Ephesus, and left them be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the there: but he himself entered into the synawomen which resorted thither. gogue, and reasoned with the Jewrs. The Jewish proseuchme were places of prayer, in some Ephesus was a celebrated city on the western coast of circumstances similar to, in others different from, their Asia Minor, situated between Smyrna and Miletus, on the synagogues; the latter were generally in cities, and were sides and at the foot of a range of mountains which overcovered places; whereas for the most part the proseuche looked a fine plain, watered and fertilized by the river Cayjswere out of the cities, on the banks of rivers, having no cov- ter. Among other splendid edifices which adorned this ering, except, perhaps, the shade of some trees, or covered metropolis of Ionia was the magnificent temple of Diana, galleries. Their vicinity to water was for the convenience which was two hundred and twenty years in building, and of those frequent washings and ablutions which were in- was reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. This troduced among them.-BURDER. edifice having been burnt by the incendiary Herostratus, B. C. 356, in the foolish hope of immortalizing his name, it Vetr. 22. And the multitude rose up too'ether wvas afterward rebuilt with increased splendour at the comagainst them; and the magistrates rent off their mon expense of the Grecian states of Asia Minor. The clothes, and commanded. to beat them. remains of ancient Ephesus have been discovered by learned modern travellers at the Turkish'village of Ayasaluk. It was usual for the Roman magistrates to command the The ruins delineated in our engraving comprise all that is lictors to rend open the clothes of the criminal, that he might supposed now to exist of this far-famed structure, which in the more easily be beaten with rods. No care was taken of the time of St. Paul had lost nothing of its magnificence. the garments on these occasions: but they were suddenly Here was preserved a wooden statue of Diana. which the and with violence rent open. Thus were Paul and Silas credulous Ephesians were taught to believe had fallen from treated in this instance.-BRDERz. heaven, (Acts xix. 35,) and of this temple small silver mood iii~~~~~~~~~~i,!,..' ~~l~~~ l if j I. I]! i If 1~~~~~~~~~~ 1 f t1 I Ie~i~~i Iii E iliii l!~ I1JtlI/1 i CHAP. 19,20. THE ACTS. 621 els were made, and sold to devotees. (Acts. xix. 24.) Nero they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, is said to have plundered this temple of many votive images Great is Diana of the Ephesians. and great sums of gold and silver. This edifice appears to have remained entire in the second century; though the The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, always has been adworship of Diana diminished and sunk into insignificance, mired as one of the noblest pieces of architecture that the in proportion to the extension of Christianity. At a later world has ever produced. It was four hundred and twentyperiod " the temple of the great goddess Diana, whom Asia five Roman feet long, two hundred and twenty broad, and and all the world" worshipped, (Acts xix. 27,) was again supported'by one hundred and twenty-seven columns of destroyed by the Goths and other barbarians; and time has marble, sixty, or as some say, seventy feet high, twentyso completed the havoc made by the hand of man, that this seven of which were beautifully carved. This temple, mighty fabric has almost entirely disappeared. which was at least two hundred years in building, was During three years' residence in this city, (Acts xx.-31,) burnt by one Herostratus, with no other view than to perthe great apostle of the Gentiles was enabled, with divine petuate his memory: however, it was rebuilt, and the last assistance, to establish the faith of Christ, and to found a temple was not inferior, eitho in riches or beauty, to the flourishing Christian church. Of his great care of the former; being adorned by the works of the most famous Ephesian community strong proof is extant in the affect- statuaries of Greece. This latter temple was, according to ing charge which he gave to the elders, whom he had con- Trebellius, plundered and burnt by the Scythians, when vened at Miletus on his return from Macedonia, (Acts xx. they broke into Asia Minor, in the reign of Gallienus, 16-38;) and still more in the epistle which he addressed to about the middle of the third century. The cry of the them from Rome. Ecclesiastical history represents Tim- Ephesian populace was a usual form of praise among the othy to have been the first bishop of Ephesus, but there is Gentiles, when they magnified their gods, for their benefigreater evidence that the apostle John resided here to- cent and illustrious deeds. In Aristides, a similar passage wards the close of his life: here, also, he is supposed to occurs: " There was a great cry, both of those who were have written his Gospel, and to have finally ended his life. present, and of those who were coming, shouting in that Besides the ruins which are delineated in our engraving, well-known form of praise, Great is,Esculapius." (Sir widely scattered and noble remains attest the splendour of R. K. Porter.)-BanDER. the theatre mentioned in Acts xix. 31, the elevated situation of which on Mount Prion accounts for the ease with which'CHAPTER XX. an immense multitude was collected, the loud shouts of Ver. 7. Anrid upon the first day of the week, when whose voices, being reverberated from Mount Corrissus, the disciples came tothr to brak brad, would not a little augment the uproar caused by the populace rushing into the theatre. Paul preachdd unto them, ready to depart on The Ephesian church is the first of the "apocalyptic the morrow; and continued his speech until churches" addressed by the apostle John in the name of Je- midni1ht. sus Christ. "His charge against her is declension in re-;igious fervour, (Rev. ii. 4;) and his threat, in consequence, Bishop Pearce, in his note on this passage, says, "In the (ii. 5,) is- a total extinction of her ecclesiastical brightness. Jewish way of speaking, to break bread is the same as to After a protracted struggle with the sword of Rome and make a meal: and the meal here meant seems to have been the' sophisms of the Gnostics, Ephesus at last gave way. one of those which was called araral, love-feasts. Such of The incipient indifference, censured by the warning voice the heathen as were converted to Christianity were obliged of the prophet, increased to a total forgetfulness; till at to abstain from meats offered to idols, and these were the length the threatenings of the Apocalypse were fulfilled; main support of the poor in the heathen cities. The Chrisand Ephesus sunk with the general overthrow of the Greek tians therefore, who were rich, seem very early to have empire, in the fourteenth century." The plough has pass- begun tile custom of those ararai, love-feasts, which they ed over this once celebrated city: and in March, 1826, when made on every first day of the week, chiefly for the benefit it was visited by the Rev. Messrs. Arundell and Hartley, of the poorer Christians. who, by being such, had lost the green corn was growing in all directions amid the forsaken benefit, which they used to have for their support, of eating ruins: and one solitary individual only was' found, who part of the heathen sacrifices. It was towards the latter bore the name of Christ, instead of its once flourishing end of these feasts, or immediately after them, that the church. Where assembled thousands once exclaimed, Christians used to take bread and wine in remembrance of " Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" the eagle now yells, Jesus Christ, which, from'what attended it, was called the and the jackal moans. The sea having retired from the eucharist, or holy communion.-BuRDER. scene of desolation, a pestilential morass, covered with mud and rushes, has succeeded to the waters, which brought up Ver. 9. And there sat in a window a certain the shipsladen withmerchandise from every country. The young man named Eutychus, being fallen into surrounding country, however, is both fertile and healthy: a deep sleep; and, as Paul was long preachand the adjacent hills would furnish many delightful situations for villages, if the difficulties were removed which ing, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down are thrown in the way of the industrious, cultivator by a from the third loft, and was taken up dead. despotic government, oppressive agas, and wandering banditti.-HORNE. Chardin informs us, that the eastern windows are very large, and even with the floor. It is no wonder Eutychus CHAPT:E:R XIX. might fall out if the lattice was not well fastened, or if it Ver. 11. And God wrought special miracles by was decayed, when, sunk into a deep sleep, he leaned with the hands of Paul: 12. So that from his body all his weight against it.-HARMER. were brougoht unto the sick handkerchiefs or were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or Ver. 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, aprons, anjl the diseases departed from them, And called the elders of thechurch. and called the elders of the'church. and the evil spirits went out of them. The present state of this city is thus given by Dr. ChanAt a short distance, near the road-side, we saw the burial- dler: " Miletus is a very mean place, but still is called Palat, place of a Persian saint, enclosed by very rude walls. or Palatia, the palaces. The principal relic of its former Close to it grew a small bush, upon the branches of which magnificence is a ruined theatre, which is visible afar off, were tied a variety of rags and remnants of garments. The and was a most capacious edifice, measuring 457 feet long. Persians conceive that these rags, from their vicinity to The external face of this vast fabric is marble. On the the saint, acquire peculiar preservative virtues against side of the theatre next the river, is an inscription, in mean sickness; and substituting others, they take bits away, and characters, rudely cut, in which the city Miletus is mentying them about their persons, use them as talismans. tioned seven'times. This is a monument of heretical May not this custom have some distant reference to Acts Christianity. One Basilides, who lived in the second xix. 11, 12.-MORIER. century, was the founder of an absurd sect, called Basilidians and Gnostics, the original proprietors of the many Ver. 28. And when they heard these sayings, gems, with strange devices and inscriptions, intended to 622> THE ACTS. CIIP. 21, 2. be worn as amulets or charms, with which the cabinet of hand unto the people. And when there was the curious now abound. One of the idle tenets was, that made a great silence, he spake unto thenm in the the appellative Jehovah possessed signal virtue and effica- Hebrew tongue. cy. They expressed it by the seven Greek vowels, which they transposed into a variety of combinations. This superstition appears to have prevailed in no small degree at The objectof Paul in beckoning with his hand was to Miletus. In this remain the mysterious name is frequent- obtain silence. See that man who has to address a crowd, ly repeated, and the deity six times invoked: Holy Jeho- and who wishes for silence, he does not begin to bawl.vah, preserve the town of the Milesians, and all the inhab- out, Silence, that would be an affront to them; he lifts up itants! The archangels, also, are summoned to be their his hand to its extreme height, and begins to beckon -with guardians, and the whole city is made the authorof these it, i. e. to move it backward and forward; and then the supplications; from which, thus engraved, it expected, as people say to each other, "pascthe, pasathe," i. e. be silent, may be presumed, to derive lasting prosperity, and a kind be silent-RoBERTs. of talismanical protection. tThe whole site of the town, to CHAPTER a great extent, is spread with rubbish, and overrun with thickets. The vestiges of the heathen city are pieces of Ver. 3. I am, verily, a man which am a Jew, wall, broken arches, and a few scattered pedestals and in- born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought scriptions, a square marble urn, and many wells. One of up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and the pedestals has belonged to a statue of the Emperor Hadrian, who was a friend to the Milesians, as appears from the titles of saviour and benefactor given him. Another law of the fathe:s, and was zealous towards God, supported the statute of the Emperor Severus, and has a as ye all are this day. long inscription, with this curious preamble:'The senate and people of the city of the Milesians, the first settled in This form of expressioi is only used in reference to Ionia, and the mother of many and great cities, both in great saints or great teachers. "He had his holiness at Pontus and Egypt, and various other parts of the world.' the feet of the gooroo, or his learning at the feet of the From the number of forsaken mosques, it is evident that philosopher."-RoBERTS. Mohammedanism has flourished in its turn at Miletus. With' respect to the schools among the Jews it shiould be The history of this place, after the declension of the Greek observed, that, besides the common schools in which chilempire,.is very imperfect. The whole region has under- dren were taught to read the law, they had also academies, gone frequent ravages from the Turks, while possessed of in which their doctors gave comments on the law, and the interior country, and intent on extending their conquests taught the traditions to their pupils. Of this sort were the' westward to the shore. One sultan, in 1175, sent twenty two famous schools of Hillel and Sammai, and the school thousand men, with orders to lay waste the Roman provin- of Gamaliel, who was St. Paul's tutor. In these seminaries ces, and bring him sea-water, sand, and an oar. All the the tutor's chair is said to have been so much raised above cities on the Meander, and on the coast, were then ruin- the level of the floor, on which the pupils sat, that his feet ed; Miletus was again destroyed towards the end of the were even with their heads. Hence St. Paul says, that he thirteenth century, by the conquering Othman."-BuRDER. was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. —BURDEa. CHAPTER XXI. Ver. 22. And they gave him audience unto this Ver. I 11. And when he was come unto us, he took word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and Away with'such a fellow, from the earth; for feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So it is not fit that he should live. 23. And as they shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into dust into the air, 24. The chief captain comthe hands of the Gentiles. manded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; This was significant of what was' to occur to the apostle. bade that he should bhe xamined by scour ng Does a person wish to dissuade another from some project, he acts in such a way as to show what will be the nature of against him. the difficulties or dangers. Thus, should he doubt his personal safety or fear disgrace, he puts off his sandals, to inti- A great similarity appears between the conduct of the mate he will die or be beaten with them. Or he takes off Jews on this occasion, and the behaviour of the peasants in his turban, unfolds it, and ties it around his neck, or gropes Persia, when they go to court to complain cf the governors, as if in the dark, to intimate the difficulty.-RoBERTS. whose oppressions they can no longer endure. "They carry their complaints against their governors by comVer. 21. And they are informed of thee, that thou panies, consisting of several hundreds, and sometimes of a teachest all the Jews which are among the Gen- thousand; they repair to that gate of the palace nearest to which their prince is most likely to be, where they set tiles to forsake Moses, saying, that they oupght themselves to make the most horrid cries, tearing their not to circumcise theit children, neither to walk garments, and throwing dust into the air, at the same time after the customs. demanding justice. The king, upon hearing these cries, sends to know the occasion of them: the people deliver In every part of the world man is too often the slave of their complaints in writing, upon which he lets them know custom; but in all the old countries of the East; where in- that he will commit the cognizance of the affair to such a novations have not been made, the people are most tena- one as he names; in consequence of this, justice is usually ciously wedded to their customs. Ask, Why do you actthus. obtained."-PAXTON. the reply is, " It is'a custom." Their implements of agriculture, their modes of sowing and reaping, their houses, Ver. 25. And as they bound him with' thongs, their furniture, their domestic utensils, their vehicles, their Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is vessels in which they put to sea, their modes of living, and it lawful for ou to scourge a man that is a..heir treatment of the various diseases, are all regulated y by the customs of their fathers. Offer them better imple- Roman, and uncondemned? ments, and better plans for their proceedings, they reply, " Scourging was a very common punishment among the " We cannot leave our customs: your plans are good for Jews. It was inflicted in two ways; with thongs or whips joirselves, ours aregood for ourselves: we cannot alter."- made of ropes or straps of leather; or with rods, twigs, or branches of some. tree. The offender was stripped from his shoulders to his middle, and tied by his arms to a low VeP. 40. And when he had given him license, pillar, that his back might be more fully exposed to tle, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the lash of the executioner, who stood behind him upon a stone, CITAP. 23-28. THE ACTS.!6223 to have more power over him, and scourged him both on the sea, must mean letting it go farther from the ship into the back and breast, in open court, before the face of his the sea. judges. Among the Arabians, the prisoner is placed up- Thirdly, He supposes this ship was like " a large modern right on the ground, with his hands and feet bound to- Egyptian saique, of three hundred and twenty, tons, and gether, while the executioner stands before him, and with a capable of carrying from twenty-four to thirty guns." short stick strikes him with a smart motion on the outside Fourthly, These saiques, he.tells us, " always carry their of his knees. The pain which these strokes produce is anchors at the stern, and never their prow,' contrarily to exquisitely severe, and which no constitution can support our managements; the anchors of St. Paul's ship were, in for any length of time. The Romans often inflicted the like manner, cast out of the stern, ver. 29. punishment of the scourge; the instruments employed were Fifthly, They carry their anchors at some distance from sticks or staves, rods, and whips or lashes. The first were the ship, "by means of the'skiff, in such a manner as alalmost peculiar to the camp; the last were reserved for ways to have one anchor on one side, and the other on the slaves, while rods were applied to citizens, till they were other side, so that the vessel may be between them, lest the removed by the Porcian law.-PAXTON. cables should be entangled with each other." To St. Paul's ship there were four anchors, two on each side. - CHAPTER XXIiI. All these several particulars are contained, though not Ver. 2. And the high-priest Ananias commanded distinctly proposed, in his remarks on the vessel in which e..tei-pris AnaniaSt. Paul was shipwrecked: the curious will probably con-, them that stood by him, to smite him on the sider them. If the mode of navigating eastern ships had mouth. been attended to, it is possible the jocular and lively remarks of some indevout sailors, bordering on profaneness, The Persians smote the criminals who attempted to speak would never have been made upon this part of the narrain their own defence with a shoe, the heel of which was tion of St. Luke; and some clauses would have been differshod with iron; which is quite characteristic of the eastern ently- translated from what we find them in our version.manners, as described in the sacred volume. The shoe was HARMER. also considered as vile, and never allowed to enter sacred or respected places; and to be smitten with it is to be subjected to the last ignominy. Paul was smitten on the Ver. 3. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of mouth by the orders of Ananias: and. the warmth with sticks, and laid thesm on the fire, there came a which the apostle resented the injury, shows his deep sense viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. of the dishonour:'" Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me 4. And when the barbarians sav the venomous after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to beast hang on his hand, they said among themlaw V"-PAXTON. selves, No doubt this man is a murderer, "Call the Ferashes,' exclaimed the king, " and beat these,, rogues till they die." The Ferashes came, and beat them violently; and when they attempted to say any thing in vengeance suffereth not to live. 5. And he their own defence, they smote them on thee mouth with a shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. shoe, the heel of which was. shod with iron. (Morier.) 6. Howbeit, they looked when he should have The shoe was always considered as vile, and never allow- swollen, or fallen ed to enter sacred or respected places; and to be smitten swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but afwith it, is to be subjected to the last ignominy. "As soon ter they had looked,a great. while, and saw no as the ambassador came in, he punished the principal of- harm come to him, they changed their minds, fenders by causing them to be beaten before him; and those and said that he was a auod. who had spoken their minds a little too unreservedly, he smote upon the mouth with a shoe, which in their idiom The certain and speedy destruction which follows the they call kufsh khorden, eating shoe." " By far the great- bite of this creature, clearly proves the seasonable interest of all indignities, and the most insupportable, is to be- position of Almighty power.for the preservation of the hit with a shoe, or one of the pandoufles, which the Hin- apostle Paul. Exasperated by the heat of the fire, the doos commonly wear on their feet. To receive a kick deadly reptile, leaping from the bushwood where it had. from any foot, with a slipper on it,-is an injury of so:l un- concealed itself, fixed the canine teeth, which convey the pardonable a nature, that a man would suffer exclusion -poison into the wound which they had made, in his hand. from his caste who could submit to it without receiving Death must have been the consequence, had not the power some adequate satisfaction. Even to threaten one with the of his God, which long before shut the lions' mouths, that stroke of a slipper is held to be criminal, and to call for they might not hurt the prophet, neutralized the viper's animadversion." (Dubois' Description of the People of deadly poison, and miraculously preserved the valuable India.)-BURDER. life of his servant. The supernatural agency of God is CHAPTER XXVII. clearly taught in these words of the historian: "He shook'off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm;" for he who Ver. 40. And when they had taken up the anchors, had been wounded by a viper, could not be said to have they committed themselves unto the sea, and been exempt from all harm. The disposition of the enloosed the rudder-bands, and hoisted up the raged reptile to take its full revenge, is intimated by the word KaOa7r-euv, to fasten and twine itself about the hand of mainsail'to the wind, and made towards shore. Paul. Some interpreters render the term to seize upon, others to hang from the hand, and others to bite; but acBishop Pococke, in his travels, has explained very partic- cording to Bochart, it properly signifies to bind or intwine, ularly the rqudder-bands mentioned by St. Luke, Acts xxvii. a sense which seems entitled to the preference; for, when 40, and my plan excludes that account from these papers; a serpent fastens on its prey, it endeavours uniformly to but Sir John Chardin has mentioned some other things re- strangle the victim by winding round its body. The viper lating to this ship of St. Paul, which ought not to be omitted. on this memorable occasion exhibited every symptom of First, the eastern people, he tells us, "are wont to leave rage, and put forth all its powers; the deliverance of Paul, their skiffs in the sea, fastened to the stern of their vessels." therefore, was not accidental, nor the effect of his own exThe skiff of this Egyptian ship was towed along, it seems, ertion, but of the mighty power of that Master whom he after the same manner, v. 16, We had much work to come by served, whose voice even the deadly viper is compelled to the boat. obey. This conclusion was in effect drawn by the barbaSecondly, They never, according to him, hoist it into the rians themselves; for when " they had looked a great vessel, it always remains in the water, fastened to the ship. while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their He therefore must suppose the taking it up, nv apavre;, men- minds, and said that he was a god:" they did not hesitate to tioned ver. 17, does not mean hoisting it up into the vessel, attribute his preservation to divine power; they only misas several interpreters have imagined, but drawing it up took his real character, not the true nature of that agency close to the stern of the ship; and the word XaXaaavrct)v, which was able to render the bite of the viper harmless. which we translate, in the thirteenth verse, letting down into This was to them a singular and most unexpected iccur. 624 ROMANS. CHAP. 3-13 rence, for they looked when he should have swollen and They knew, perhaps, what has been lully ascertained, that fallen down dead suddenly. We are informedhby natural the bite of this animal is more pernicious, according to the historians, that under the action of this dreadful poison, the place of its abode, the aliment on which it feeds, its age, the whole body swells to an extraordinary size, and in about heat of the season when the wound is inflicted, and the deseven hours death relieves the hopeless and agonized gree of provocation it has received. On this occasion, it sufferel from his torments. These barbarians, it would must have been exceedingly prdvoked; and the high state seem, had been taught by their own experience, or the tes- of excitement in which the Melitese saw it fastened upon timony of others, that, the poison of this creature proves the hand of the stranger, was, perhaps, the' true and the fatal in a much shorter time, for they waited some time in only reason which induced them to believe the px'Lton he confident expectation of seeing Paul suddenly expire. would produce a sudden effect.-PAXTON. ROMANS. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER XII. Ver. 13. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with Ver. 13. Distributing to the necessity of saints; their tongues they have used deceit; the poison given to hospitality. of asps is under their lips. Hospitality has always been highly esteemed by civilized Of a deceitful man, of one who speaks in smooth language, nations. It has been exercised from the earliest ages of th: it is said, " Ah! at the tip of his tongue is ambrosia, but world. The Old Testament affords numerous instance of under it is poison."-RoBERTS. its being practised in the most free and liberal manner. In the New Testament it is also recommended and enforced. CHAPTER VII. The primitive Christians were so ready in the discharge of this duty, that even the heathens admired them for it. Hospitable as they were to all strangers, they were particularly deliver me from the body of this death? so to those who were of their own faith and communion. In Homer and the ancient Greek writers, we see what Wretchedl man that I am!" " Do I often cry out, in such respect they had for their guests. From these instances we a circumstance, with no better supports and incitements turn with satisfaction to view the kind and friendly dispothan the law can give,' Who shall rescue me, miserable sition of less polished people. Modern travellers often captive as I am, from the body of this death S' from this mention the pleasing reception they met with from those continual burden which I carry about with me; and which among whom they mnade a temporary residence. Volney, is cumbersome and odious as a DEAD CARcAss tied to a living speaking of the Druzes, says, " whoever presents himself body, to be dragged along with it wherever it goes'1" Thus at their door in the quality of a suppliant or passenger, is are the words paraphrased by Dr. Doidldige, to which he sure of being entertained with lodging and food in the most subjoins this note: " It is well known that some ancient generous and unaffected manner. I have often seen the writers mention this as a cruelty practised by some tyrants lowest peasants give the last morsel of bread they had in on miserable captives who fell into their hands; and a more their houses to the hungry traveller. When they have forcible and expressive image of the case represented can- once contracted with their guest the sacred engagement of not surely enter into the mind of man." That such a cru- bread and salt, no subsequent event can make them violate elty was once practised is certain from Virgil: it." " An engagement with a stranger is sometimes accept" Quid memorem infandas cuedes. quid facta tyranni!" &c. ed as an excuse for not obeying the summons of a great man, when no other apology, hardly even that of indisposi-'" Why should I mention his unutterable barbarities. Or, tion, would be ad O' why the tyrant's horrid deeds? May the gods recompense tion, would be admitted." (Russel.) them on his own head and on'.his race. Nay, he even The Hindoos extend their hospitality sometimes to enebound to the living the bodies of the dead, joining together ies, saying, " the tree does not withdraw its shade even from the wood-cuttet."-BunDEa. hands to hands, and face to face, a horrid kind of torture: and them, pining away with gore and putrefaction in this CHAPTER XIII loathed embrace, he thus destroyed with lingering death.". -BURDEra. Ver. 4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be CHAPTER XI. afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: Ver. 24. For if thou wert cut out'of the olive- frad; for he beareth not the sword if vain: for he is the minister' of God, a revenger to tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted execute rath upon him that doeth revil. execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. contrary to nature into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural This is spoken agreeably to the notions and customs of branches, be grafted Into their own olive-tree. the Romans at the time when the apostle wrote. Thu.s Suetonius says, (in Vitell. cap. 15,) that Vitellius gave up This practice is so far contrary to nature, that it is not usual his dagger, which he had taken from his side, to the attendfor a branch of a wild olive-tree to be grafted in a good olive- ing consul, thus surrendering the authority of life and death tree, though a branch of the good is frequently grafted into over the citizens. So the kings of Great Britain are not the wild. Plinv says this latter was frequently practised in only at their inauguration solemnly girt with the sword of Africa. And Kolben tells us, that " long ago, some garden state, but this is afterward carried before theni on public olive slips were carried to the Cape from Holland, and graft- occasions, as a sword is likewise before soine inferior maed on the stocks of the wild olives at Constantia, a setrates among us.-BURDER. ed in the Capian colony." Theoplrastus takes notice of both the abovementioned modes of graftiny olives. —BuRDER. Ver. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, CHAP. I-9. 1 CORINTHIANS. 625 antd make not plrovlsion for the flesh, to fulfil roots, fruit, grain, milk, butter, and honey. They appear the lusts thereof. to be as strong and as healthy as those who live on flesh, and they avoid the "sin" of taking life. They believe that " To be clothed with a person" is a Greek phrase, si-ni- all who take life for the purpose of food'will assuredly go fying to assume the interests of another, to enter into his to one of the seven hels. It has a distresring effect on their views, to imitate him, to be wholly on his side. Chrysostom minds to show them, through a microscope, the animalcules particularly mentions this as a common expression, 0 dctva which exist in the water they drink: for they are convinced Tia JEutva evEduvaro, Such a one hLath put on such a one. So by this they must often destroy life. —ROBERTS. l)ionysius Halicarnassus, speaking of Appius and the rest CHAPTER XVI. U-f the decemviri, says, OVKEtLt crptabovreS aXXa roy TLapKmov,.rt.0.. EvJUo/,soLo-Tthey were no longer the servants of Tar- Ver. 16. Salute one another with a holy kiss. aquin,, but they clothed themselves with him. Eusebius, in his The churches of Christ salute you. Life of Constantine, says of his sons,'they put on their father. The mode of speech is taken from stage-players, Saluting one another on the face, in token of respect and who assume the name and garments of the person whose friendship, was an ancient and common custom among character they represent.-BURDER. both Jews and Gentiles; and was continued for some time among the primitive Christians in their religious assemblies, CH APTER XIV. and particularly at the end of their prayers, before the celeVer. 2. For one believeth that he may eat all bration of the Lord's Supper, to testify their mutual love. things; another, who is weak, eateth herbs. It was therefore called the holy kiss, to distinguish it from that which was merely of the civil kind. By this (mbol Thousands of Hindoos never (to their knowledge) taste they showed that Christians, as such, were equal; because of any thing which has had animal life; and to eat an egg among the Persians and other eastern nations, equals kisswould be as repugnant to their feelings as to eat flesh, be- ed each other on the cheek, but inferiors kissed only the cause it contains the germ of life. They live on herbs, hand of a superior.-BuaRDER. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE CORINTHIANS. CHAPTER I. those persons on the theatre in the after part of the day, to Ver. 23. And base things of the world, and thingas fight either with each other, or with wild beasts, who were....which are despised, hath God choseneaandappointed to certain death, and had not that poor chance of which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and escaping which those brought forth in the morning had. things which are not, to bring to naught things Such kind of spectacles were so common in all the provthat are. inces, that it is no wonder we should find such an allusion here. The words aiErst&v, exhibited, and Osarpov, a spectacle "All things which are not." The venerable Mr. Wes- on the theatre, have in this connexion a beautiful propriety. hey says, " The Jews frequently called the Gentiles'them The whole passage is indeed full of high eloquence, and that are not,' in such supreme contempt did they hold them." finely adapted to move their compassion in favour of those When a man of rank among the Hindoos speaks of low- who were so generously expiring, and sacrificing themcaste persons, of notorious profligates, or of those whom he selves for the public good.-DODDRIDGE. despises, he calls them allcl-tha-varkicl, i. e. those who are not. The term does not refer to life or existence, btut to a quality CHAPTER V. or disposition, and is applied to those who are vile and Ver. 6. Your glorying is not good. Know ye abominable in all things. " My son, my son, go not among them who are not." "Alas! alas! those people are all allz- not, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole tlhda-varkul." When wicked men prosper, it is said, " This lump is the time for those who are not." " Have you heard that those who are not are now acting righteously?" Vulgar This is said of the man who corrupts others; also of a and indecent expressions are also called "words that are bad servant; "the more sour the leaven, the better the not." To address men in the phrase " are not," is provo- bread." When a mother has to administer nauseous mediking beyond measure; their eyes will soon brighten, and eine, she says, " My child, take it; do you not know the their tongue and hands begin to move at the individual who more sour the leaven, the better the bread?" Meaning, thus insults them. The Lord did select the " base things because the potion or powder is offensive, it will produce of the world, and things which are despised hath God better effects.-RoBERTs. chosen, yea, and things wZvich are not, to bring to naught hings that are."-ROBERTS. CHAPTER IX. CHEAPTER. IV. fVer. 7. Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and Ver. 9. For I think that God hath set forth us eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the fock r for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. The wages of the shepherds in the East do not consist 0o ready money, but in a part of the milk of the flocks which In tae word E(Xarovs, last, which the apostle here uses, they tend. Thus Spon says of the shepherds in modern there is a reference to the Roman custom of bringing forth Greece, " These shepherds are poor Albanians, who feed 79 626 1 CORINTHIANS. CIAP. 9. the cattle, and live in huts built of rushes; they have a tenth more than once in the same games, and sometimes on the part of the milk, and of the lambs, which is their whole same day, he might also receive several crowns and palms. wages: the cattle belong to the Turks." The shepherds When the victor had received his reward, a herald, pre. in Ethiopia, also, according to Alvares, have no pay except ceded by a trumpet, conducted him through the stadium, the milk and butter which they obtain from the cows, and and proclaimed aloud his name and country; while the on which they and their families subsist.-RoSENMULLER. delighted multitudes, at the sight of him, redoubled their acclamations and applauses. Vrer. 24. Know ye not, that they which run in a The crown, in the Olympic games, was of wild olive; race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So in the Pythian, of laurel; in the Isthmian or Corinthian, run, that ye may obtain. of pine-tree; and in the Nemuan, of smallage or parsley. r ~fl, Now, most of these were evergreens; yet they would soon Games and combats were instituted by the ancients in grow dry, and crumble into dust. Elsnor produces many honour of their gods; and were celebrated with that view passages, in which the contenders in these exercises are by the most polished and enlightened nations of antiquity rallied by the Grecian wits, on account of the extraordiThe most renowned heroes, legislators, and statesmen, nary pains they took for such trifling rewards and Plato did not think it unbecoming their character and dignity has a celebrated passage, which greatly resembles that of to mingle with the combatants, or contend in the race; the apostle, but by no means equals it in force and beauty: they even reckoned it glorious to share in the exercises, " Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an and meritorious to carry away the prize. The victors incorruptible." The Christian is called to fight the good wer~^crowned with a wreath of laurel in presence of their fight of faith, and to lay hold of eternal life; and to this he is more powerfully stimulated by considering that the of their poets; they were admired, and almost adored by of their poets; they were adlmired, and almost adored by ancient athletm took all their care and pains only for the the innumerable multitudes which flocked to the games sake of obtaining a garland of flouers, or a wreath of from every part of Greece, and many of the adjacent coun- which quickly fades and perishes, possesses little tries. They returned to their own homes ini a triumphal intrinsic value, and only serves to nourish their pride and chariot, and made their entrance into their native city, not vanity, without imparting any solid advantage to themthrough the gates which admitted the vulgar throng, but selves or others; but that which is placed in the view of through a breach in the walls, which were broken down the spiritual combatants, to animate their exertions, and to give them admission; and at the same time to express reward their labours, is no less than a crown of glory the persuasion of their fellow-citizens, that walls are of which never decays: "a crown of infinite worth and durasmall use to a city defended by men of such tried courage tion; an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that faand ability. Hence the surprising ardour which animated deth not away, reserved in heaven for them. More than all the states of Greece to imitate the ancient heroes, and conquerors through him that loved them, and washed fron encircle their brows with wreaths, which rendered them their sins in his own blood; they, too, carry palms in their still more the objects of admiration or envy to succeeding right hands, the appropriate emblems of victory, hardly times, than the victories they had gained, or the laws they contested, and fairly won. " After this I beheld, and, lo. had enacted. But the institutors of those games and com- a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nabats had higher and nobler objects in view than venera- tions and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before tion for the mighty dead, or the gratification of ambition the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, or vanity; it was their design to prepare the youth for the and palms in their hands." But the victory sometimes reprofession of arms; to confirm their health; to improveain ed d oubtful, in consequence of which a lumber of their strength, their vigour, and activity; to inure them to competitors appeared before the judes, and claimed the fatigue; and to render them intrepid in close fight, where, prize; and sometimes a combatant, by dishonourable manin the infancy of the art of war, muscular force commonly agement, endeavoured to gain the victory. The candidecided the victory. dates, who were rejected on such occasions by the judge This statement accounts for the striking allusions which of the games, as not having fairly merited the prize, were the apostle Paul makes in his epistles to these celebrated called by the Greeks aioKtyoi, or disapproved, and which exercises. Such references were calculated to touch the we render cast away, in a passage already quoted from heart of a Greek, and of every one familiarly acquainted Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians: " But I keep under with them, in the liveliest manner, as well as to place my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any before the eve of his mind the most glowing and correct means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be images of spiritual and divine things. No passages in (aioKpoS) a cast-away, rejectedbythe Juge of all theearth, the nervous and eloquent epistles from the pen of Paul, and disappointed of my expected crown-PAToN. have been more admired by critics and expositors, even Ver. 26. Itherefore so run, not as uncertainly; so in mIodern times, than those into which some allusion to these agonistic exercises is introduced; and, perhaps, none fight I, not as one that beateth the air. are calculated to leave a deeper impression on the Christian's mind, or excite a stronger and more salutary influ- In order to attain the greater agility.and dexterity, it ecee on his actions.-PAXTON. was usual for those who intended to box in the games, to exercise their arms with the gauntlet on, when they had no Ver. 25. And every man that striveth for the mas- antagonist near them, and this was called rtopapxa, in tery is temperate in all things. Now they do which a man would of course beat the air. In the foot, t to obtain a corruptible crown bute an in- race, the runners, of whatever number they were, ranged it to obtain a corruptible cron; butwe an in- themselves in a line, after having drawn lots for their corruptible. places. While they waited the signal to start, they practised, by way of prelude, various motions to awaken their The honours and rewards granted to the victors were activity, and to keep their limbs pliable, and in a right of several kinds. They were animated in their course by temper. They kept themselves breathing by small leaps, the rapturous applauses of the countless multitudes that and making little excursions, which were a kind of trial lined the stadium, and waited the issue of the contest-with of their speed and agility; in such exercises, they might eager anxiety; and their success was instantly followed be said with great propriety to'run zncer'ainly, towards by reiterated and long-continued plaudits; but these were no particular point, and with no direct or immediate view only a prelude to the appointed rewards, which, though of to the prize. Both these allusions occur in the declaralittle value in themselves, were accounted the highest hon- tion of the apostle: " I therefore so run, not as uncertainour to which a mortal could aspire. These consisted of ly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air." He did different wreaths of wild olive, pine, parsley, or laurel, not engage in his Christian course as one doubtful in himaccording to the different places where the games were eel- self whether, in pursuing the path of duty, he should have ebrated. After the judges had passed sentence, a public the honour of being crowned at last or not; as they are, herald proclaimed the name of the victor; one of the who know that one only receives the prize; nor did he judges put the crown upon his head, and a branch of palm exercise himself unto godliness, like boxers or wrestlers, into his right hand, which he carried as a token of victo- who sometimes fight in jest, or merely to prepare for'he rious courage and perseverance. As he might be victor combat, or to display their strength and agilityv, while they CHAP. 9-11. 1 CORINTHIANS 627 had no resistance to encounter, no enemy to subdue, no physician, and eventually has free access to their rooms, reward to merit; but he pressed on, fully persuaded that, he has yet great trouble to get a sight of their faces, unless by the grace of God, he should obtain an incorruptible they have a defect there; nay, he can scarcely ask it of'rown from the hands of his Redeemer.-PAxTON. them, though in diseases much may be perceived land judged of by the countenance. Now, as in these countries Ver. 27. But I keep under my body, and bring it modesty requires that women should cover themselves, into subjection' lest that by any means, wben I even when at home, before all men, and particularly behave preached to others, I myself should be a fore young people, it would have been extremely improper, if, when speaking publicly in the congregation, they had cast-away. exposed themselves to everybody's view.-ROSENMiLxLER. See on ver. 25. Ver. 10. For this cause ought the woman to have Like the Grecian combatants, the Christian must be power on her head, because of the angels. wellborn-born, "not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of the Lord, which liveth and abideth for The head-dress of the women is simple: their hair is ever;" he must be free-" a citizen with the saints, and of drawn behind the head, and divided into several tresses: the household of faith;" he must " abstain from fleshly the beauty of this head-dress consists in the thickness, and lusts," and' walk in all the statutes and commandments of in the length of these tresses, which should fall even down the Lord, blameless." Such was Paul; and in this man- to the heels, in default of which they lengthen them with ner he endeavoured to act: "But I keep under my body, tresses of silk. The ends of these tresses they decorate and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when with pearls, and jewels, or ornaments of gold, or silver. I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away." The head is covered under the veil, or kerchief, (coLwvre chef,) The latter part of this verse Doddridge renders, "Lest after only by the end of a small bandeau, shaped into a triangle. having served as a herald, I should be disapproved;" and this bazndeau, which is of various colours, is thin and light. says in a note, "I thought it of importance to retain the The bandelette is embroidered by the needle, or covered primitive sense of these gymnastic expressions." It is well with jewellery, according to the quality of' the wearer. known to those who are at all acquainted with the original, This, is, in my opinion, the ancient tiara, or diadem, of the that the word KraipaE, means to discharge the office of a queens of Persia; only married women wear it; and it is herald, whose business it was to proclaim the conditions of the mark by which it is known that they are under subjecthe games, and display the prizes, to awaken the emulation tion, (c'est MIc la marque d laquelle on reconnoit qu'elles solt and resolution of those who were to contend in them. But sous PUISSANCE-power.) The girls have little ca.s, instead. the apostle intimates, that there was this peculiar circum- of this kerchief, or tiara; they wear no veil at home, but stance attending the Christian contest-that the person who- let two tresses of their hair fall under their cheeks. The proclaimed its laws and rewards to others, was also to en- caps of girls of superior rank are tied with a row of pearls. gage himself; and that there would be a peculiar infamy Girls are not shut up in Persia till they attain the age of and misery in his miscarrying. Adolyos, which we render six or seven years; before that age they go out of the secast-away, signifies.one who is disapproved by the judge of raglio, sometimes with their father, so that they may then the games, as not having fairly deserved the prize.-PAX- be seen. I have seen some wonderfully pretty. They TON. show the neck and bosom; and more beautiful cannot be: CHAPTER X. seen.-CHARDIN. The wearing of a veil by a married woman was a token Ver. 25. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that of her being under power. The Hebrew named'of the veil eat, asking no cquestions for conscience' salke: signifies dependence; great importance was attached to thi28. But if any man say unto you, This is offer- part of dress in the East. " All the women of Persia are ed. in. sariienodls atntohs pleasantly apparelled; when they are abroad in the streets. ed in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake all, both rich and poor, are covered with a "reat veil, or that showed it, and for conscience' sake: for sheet of very fine white cloth, of which one half, like a the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof forehead cloth, comes down to the eyes, and, going over the head, reaches down to the heels, and the other half These verses refer to articles of food which had been muffles up the face below the eyes, and being fastened with presented to the idols, and were afterward sent to the a pin to the left side of the head, falls down to their very shambles to be sold.' The heathen make large presents to shoes, even covering their hands, with which they hold that the temples of grain, fruit, milk, and other eatables, and cloth by the two sides, so that, except the eyes, they are therefore the priests send what they do not require to the covered all over with it. Within doors they have their market to be sold. The fruit called plantain (banana) faces and breasts uncovered; but the Armenian women. in may be known as having been offered to idols by having a their houses, have always one half of their faces covered small piece pinched off one end; and the other articles have with a cloth, that goes athwart their noses, anel hangs over generally some sign by which they may be known. It is their chins and breasts, except the maids of that nation,. however impossible at all times to ascertain the fact, and I who, within doors, cover only the chin, until they are mardoubt not that most Englishmen have at one time or an- ried."-THEVENOT. other eaten things which have been offered to idols. The apostle is very particular in his directions to the Ver. 14. Doth not even nature itself teach you, Christian converts, (v. 27:) " If any of them that believe that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go, whatsoever him is set before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience' sake." We see the converts were not forbidden to go to a See on I Pet. 3. 3. feast,,. c. a family, not a religioius festival; but the phrase, Ver. 15. But if a woman have long hair, it s a "If ye be disposed to go," shows there were doubts and hes- D itations as to whether they ought to go. The moment glory to her: for her hair is given her for a thev found the food had been offered to idols they were to covering. " eat 7lot. -ROBERTS. The eastern ladies are remarkable for the length, and CHAPTER XI. the great number of the tresses of their hair. The men Ver. 5. But every woman that prayeth or prophe- there, on the contrary, wear very little hair on their heads. Lady M. W. Montague thus speaks concerning the hair sieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth of the women: "Their hair hangs at full length behind, her head: for that is even all one as if she divided into tresses, braided with pearl or riband, which were shaven. is always in great quantity. I never saw in my life so inanvyfine heads of hair. In one lady's I have counted one It is still customary to this day in the East, when you hundred and ten of these tresses, all natural; but it must be accidentally meet a woman in her house, that she instantly owned that every kind of beauty is more common hel e covers herself up, and even runs away, and will not appear than with us." The men there, on the contrary, shave all before a man; nay, even if a person lives among them as a the hair off their heads, excepting one lock; and those that 5628 1 CORINTHIANS. CHAP. 14, 15, wear hair are thought effeminate. Both these particulars are ering lp (i. e. the making over) of all adverse dominion mentioned by Chardin, who says, they are agreeable to the into the hands of the Messiah, to whose supremacy we are custom of the East: the men are shaved, the women nour- taught to expect that every thing will finally be made subish their hair with great fondness, which they lengthen, ject."-Busa. by tresses and tufts of silk, down to the heels. The young men who wear their hair in the East, are looked upon as Ver. 32. If after the manner of men I have fought effienminate ancd infamous.-HEARMEaR with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it,CHAPTER XIV. me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; Ver. 7. And even thing(s without life civing sound, for to-morrow we die. whether pipe or harp, except they give a disThe barbarous custom of making men combat with tinction in the sounds, how shall it be known Wild beasts has prevailed in the East down to the most what is piped or harped? 8. For if the trum- modern times. Jurgen Andersen, who visited the states of pet give ai uncertain sound, who shall prepare the great mogul in 1646, gives an account in his Travels, himself to the battle? of such a combat with animals, which he witnessed at Agra, the residence of the great mogul..,His description affords The words of St. Paul, in 1 Cor. xiv. 7, will appear with a lively image of those.bloody spectacles in which ancient the greatest energy, if we consider them as signifying, that Rome took so much pleasure, and to which the above for want of a due distinction of sounds, those by whom a words of the apostle refer. Alamardan-Chan, the govprocession according to the usages of the East should pass, ernor of Cashmire, who sat among the chans, stood up, might be at a loss to know whether they should join them and exclaimed, "It is the will and desire of the great with expressions of gratulation, or in words of lamentation. mogul, Schah Choram, that if there are any valiant heIrwin has given an instance of such a joining in the latter roes who will show their bravery by combating with wild case, where, speaking of the singing in a funeral procession, beasts, arimed with shield and sword, let them come forthat went by his house, he says, " There was an Arabian ward: if they conquer, the mogul will load them with merchant on a visit to us, when the funeral went by; and great favour, and clothe their countenance with gladness." though in company with strangers, he was not ashamed to Upon this three persons advanced, and offered to underrunto the window, and to join audibly inthe devotions of the take the combat. Alamardan-Chan again cried aloud, Arain.".If'a pipe was designed to regulate the expressions " None should have any other weapon than a shield and a that were to be made use of; if it gives an uncertain sound, sword, and whosoever has a breastplate under his clothes, and sometimes seemed to announce a triumph or a wed- should lay it aside and fight honourably." Hereupon a ding, and sometimes a procession on account of the dead, powerful lion was let into the garden, and one of the three how should a bystander know how to behave himself. men abovementioned advanced against him; the lion, on "Even things without life give sound, whether pipe or seeing his enemy, ran violently up to him; the man howharp; except they give a distinction in the sounds, how ever defended himself bravely, and kept off the lion for a shall a man know what is piped or harped?" How shall a good while, till his arms grew tired; the lion then seized man know what the music is designed to produce, congrat- the shield with one paw, and with the other. his antagoulation, or condolence? This is a much stronger sense nist's right arm, so that he was not able to use his weapon; than the supposing, if the sounds were irregular, the apostle the latter, seeing his life in danger, took with his left hand meant it was impossible to tell what dance was intended. his Indian dagger, which he had sticking in his girdle, In truth, such an explanation would not well agree with and thrust it as far as possible into the lion's mouth; the'.e extemporaneousness of eastern dances, for the hearer of lion then let him go; the man however was not idle, but the. music might in that case know what was to be done, cut the lion almost through with one stroke, and after that and all that would follow from it would be, that if the music entirely to pieces. Upon this victory, the common people was irregular, so would the dance be. —FARMER. began to shout, and call out, "Thank God, he has conquered." But the mogul said, smiling, to this conqueror, CHAPTER XV. "Thou art a brave warrior, and hast fought admirably! Ver. 24. Then comelh the end, when he shall But did I not command to fight honourablyonly with shield and sword? But, like a thief, thou hast stolen the life of have delivered up the kinodor to God, even'the lion with thy dagger." And immediately he ordered the'Father; when he shall have put down all two men to rip up his belly, and to place him Uipon an elerule, and all authority, and power. phant, and, as an example to others, to lead him about, which was done on the spot. Soon after a tiger was let If the opinion of the eminent critic, Storr, may be ad- loose; against which a tall, powerful man, advanced with mitted, that the kingdom here said to be delivered up to an air of defiance, as if he would cut the tiger up. The ihe Father is not the kingdom of Christ, but the rule and tiger, however, was far too sagacious and active, for, in dominion of all adverse powers-an opinion rendered very the first attack, he seized the combatant by the neck, tore probable by the following words: " when he shall have put his throat, and then his whole body in pieces. This endIozan, (Gr. done away, abolished) all rule and all author- raged another good fellow, but little, arid of mean appearitv and power," and ver. 25, " till he hath put all enemies ance, from whom one would not have expected it: he' under his feet"-then is the passage of identical import rushed forward like one mad, and the tiger on his part with Rev. xi. 15, referring to precisely the same period: undauntedly flew at his enemy; but the man at the first " And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great attack cut off his two forepaws, so that he fell, and the voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are man cut his body to pieces. Upon this the king cried, become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and " What is your name'" *He answered, " My name is Geyhe shall reign for ever and ever."'It is, therefore, we con- by." Soon after one of the king's servants came and ceivre, but a peculiar mode of denoting the tiansfer, the brought him a- piece of gold brocade, and said, " Geyby, 7eLatcZig tove' of the kingdoms of this world from their for- receive the robe of honour with which the mogul presents mer despotic and antichristian rulers to t-he sovereignty of. you." He took the garment with great reverence, kissed Jesus Christ, the appointed heir and head of all things, it three times, pressing it each time to his eyes and breast, whose kingdom is tobe everlasting.'If this interpretation then held, it up, and in silence put up a prayer for the he correct, wTe are prepared to advance a step farther, and health of the mogul; and when he had concluded it, he suggest that the phrase, he shall have delivered.tp, (Greek, cried, "May God let him become as great as Tamerlane, paradt,) be understood as an instance of the idiom in which from whom he is descended. May he live seven hundred the verb is used without any personal nominative, but has years, and his house continue to eternity!" Upon this he reference to the purzpose of God as expressed in the scrip- was summoned by a chamberlain to go from the garden tures; so that the passage maybe read, "Then cometh the up to the king, and when he came to the entrance, he was end, (i. e. not the close, the final winding up, but the per- received by two chans, who conducted him between them feet development, expansion, completion, consummation to kiss the mogul's feet. And when he was going to reof the divine plans, in regard to this world,) when the pro- tire, the king said to him, " Praised be thou, Geyby-Chan, phetic announcements of the scriptures require the deliv- for thy valiant deeds, and this name. shalt thou keep tr; CHAP. 3-10. 2 CORINTHIANS. 629 eternity. I am your gracious master, and thou art my V.er. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, sla~ve."-RosNMULL*Ea. let him be anathema, maran-atha. CHAPTER XVI. The expression used. by the apostle, " Let him be anatheiai, Ver. 9. For a great door and effectual is opened maran-atha," is so remarkable, that it has attracted general notice. It is usually understood to be a Syriac exclamaunto me, and'there are many adversaries. tion, sign.ifying, " Let him be accursed, when the Lorn, comes." It certainly was not now, for the first time, used The chariot races were the most renowned of all the as a new kind of cursing by the apostle, but was the ap-' exercises used in the games of the ancients, and those plication of a current mode of speech, to the purpose he from which the victors derived the greatest honour; but had in contemplation. Perhaps, therefore, by inspecting the writer can find only one or tWvo allusions-to them in the manners of the East, we- may illustrate the import of the sacred volume, and those involved in some uncertainty, this singular passage: the nearest approach to it that I have One occurs in Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, where been able to discover, is in the following extract from Mr. he informs them of his great success in collecting a church Bruce; and though, perhaps, this does not come up to the at Ephesus: "But I will tarry at Ephesus until pente- full power of the apostle's meaning, yet, probably, it gives cost; for a great door and effect-ual is opened unto me, the idea which was commonly attached to the phrase among and there are many adversaries." The inspired writer, the public. Mr. Bruce had been forced by a pretended it is thought, alludes here to the door of the circus, which- saint, in Egypt, to take him on board his vessel, as it' o was opened to let out the chariots when the races were to carry him to a certain place-whereas Mr. B. meant no begin; and by the word avrtLKEtltEot, which is translated ad- such thing; but, having set him on shore at some little disversaries, but which Doddridge renders oppose'rs, means tance from whence he came, "we slacked our vessel dovwn the same with antagonists, with whom he was to contend the stream a few yards, filling our sails and stretching as in a course. This opposition rendered his presence away. On seeing this, our saint fell into a desperate pasmore necessary to preserve those that were already con- sion, cursing, blaspheming, and stamping with his feet; at verted, and to increase the number, if God should bless every word crying' SHAR ULLAI!' i. e.'MAY GOD SEND, his ministry. Accordingly'a celebrated church wasplanted AND DO JUSTICE!' This appears to be the strongest execraat Ephesus; and so far as we can learn from the tenor of tion this passionate Arab could use, q. d.' To punish you his epistle, there was less to reprove and correct among adequately is out of my power: I remit you to the venthem than in most of the other churches,to which he geance of God.' Is not this the import of anattenza, Mrcawrote.-PAXTON. ran-at/a?" —TAYLOR IN CALMET. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO T.HE CORINTHIANS. CHAPTER III. liquor, the apostle alludes when he speaks of earthen yes. Ver. 11. For if that which is done away vwas glo- sels, literally vessels made of shell.-BURDER.'rious much more that which ~rernaineth is glo- In a Cingalese pottery, I have seen hundreds of erathen rious, much more that whichremaineth is glo- vessels for hoarding money in. They are nearly round, rious. and in size something less than the two fists. They have no opening but a small hole, like that in a till to slip in a This verse, as any who consults the original will see, is coin; and are said to be mostly bought up by children, to undoubtedly susceptible of a much improved rendering. hide the profit of their play in, and other such sums.. — An exact translation would not vary essentially from the CALLAWAY. following:-" For if that which was done away, (was done away) by glory; much more that which remaineth, (re-CHAPTER VI. maineth)in glory." That is, since that which was done away, Ver. 14. Be ye not unequally yoked together with was done away by means of a greater glory and splendour, unbelievers: for what fellowship hath rightethen certainly that which remains must remain glorious. *The reasoning of the apostle may be illustrated thus: If the ousness with unrighteousness? and what cornlight of the stars, which vanishes at the rising of the sun, munion hath light with darkness? was done away by the superior light and brightness of the See on Dent. 22. 10. sun; much more shall the light of the sun, having thus eclipsed that of the stars, remain glorious. So since the CHAPTER X. glory of the gospel has availed to abolish that of the law, the gospel is hereby evinced to be superlatively great, and Ver. 14. For we stretch not ourselves beyond avr dhat of the law will never be able to equal it.-Busa. measure, as though we reached not unto you; CHAPTER IV. / for we are come as far as to you also in p',eachVer. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen ves- ing the gospel of Christ. sels, that the excellency of the power may be'Within the measure and determinate limits of the staof God, and not of us., dium, the athletre were bound to contend for the p ize, which they forfeited without hope of recovery, if they deCups of the most beautiful appearance, and ornamented viated ever so little from the appointed course. In all lusion In the iost costly manner, are formed out of the nautilus. to this inviolable arrangement, the apostle tells the Corin.. Such drinking-vessels are frequent in China. Perhaps to thians, "We will not boast of things without our measure, such beautiful vessels as these, containing the most costly but according to the measure of the rule which God hath 630 2 CORINTHIANS. CHAP. 11, 152. distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For CHAPTER XII we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you; for we are come as far as unto you also, in preaching the gospel of Christ." It may help very much to understand this and the following verses, i; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God with. Hammond, we consider the terms used in them as ago- knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third nislical. In this view of them, the measure of the rule al- heaven. ludes to the path marked out, and bounded by a white line, for racers in the Isthmian games, celebrated among the Corinthians; and so the apostle represents his works in is evident fromn verses 6 and 7'" This is the eastern way preaching th'e gospel as his spiritual race, and the province i the eastern way in which a man modestly speaks of himself. Has an indlto which he was appointed as the compass or stage of aanmoeslyspeaksof himself. Hasanindground, which God had distributed or measured out for vidual performed a great exploit which he does not like to im to run icn. Accordingly, " to boast without his oea mention in plain terms as having been done by himself, he re and to stretch himself eynd his measure refer simply says, in relating the affair, "I know the man who onre, atran beyond or out of his line. eaure, refer to did it." Nan-arevain, i. e. I know. Do people express faoner ran beyond or ollus to that lne. foWe are comt e goas their pleasure or surprise in the presence of a person at far as to you," alludes to him that came foremost to the goal; some work which has been accomplished by hisel ad and " in another man's line," signifies in the province that should they inquire, "who is the man," he will say, " I was marked out for soniebody else, in allusion to the line know him:" he will not say he is the man, because some by which the race was bounded, each of the racers having would perhaps not e disposed to bel; and the the path which he ought'to run chalked out to him, and if would perhaps not he dispose to believe hlm; and the one stepped over into the other's path he extended himself slight intimation conveyed in the terms, I kno natm, is quite sufficient to convince others he is the fortunate individual. over his line. —PAXTON. Should a person receive a favour from an unknown hand, CHAPTER XI. he will make many inquiries; and when he thinks he has'Ver. 19. For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye found him out, he will go to him and talk on the subject, and then, shculd he be right, the individual will say, "I yourselves are wise. know him." But in this way also the people praise themselves, by saying, " I know a man who performed such a The Orientals pay a particular respect to lunatics. penance: I am acquainted with one who gave such gifts "The Arabs," says Poiret, "show a kind of reverence to to the temples: I know one who performed an extraorlunatics according to the principles of their religion. They linary fast, or went on such a dangerous pilgrimnage."look upon them as saints, as beings endowed with peculiar ROBERTS. privileges, and faroured by Heaven. I mlet such a man in the duar (villages of the Bedouin Arabs) of Ali Bey. He Ver. 7. And lest I should be exalted above nmeas-'was quite naked, went into all the tents, and showed himself to the women, without the men being offended at it. It re the would be considered as a criminal action to send away there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the such a man, or to treat him ill. He could eat where he messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should pleased; nothing was denied him. Ali Bey himself bore be exalted above measure. his freedoms and importunities with a degree of indulgence that astonished me." Lempriere says, that in Morocco in- The following communication from a Mr. Stephen, in sane persons form a peculiar class of saints. The Moors a letter to Mrs. Hannah More, presents an interpretation believe that such men are under the especial protection of of this passage, so highly ingenious and plausible, that it is Godt. They consequently find everywhere compassion well entitled to a place in the present woik:and support. To treat their excesses with rigour is thought "When are we to have our new or improved views of St. to be as criminal as to lay h'ands on the person of the em-n- Paul? With such a subject, and such an artist, we may peror. The consequence of this ill-judged humanity is, reasonably be impatient for the exhibition. Does it fall that worthless vagabonds feign lunacy, and commit the within the plan or general character of the work to notice greatest crimes, no one venturing to hinder them. A the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, and to give lunatic of this description went about without restraint in any conjecture as to the infirmity alluded to. I have an i/Morocco, who, under the appearance of being immersed in interpretation of this, which, as far as my reading, or that his devotions, strangled with his rosary several persons of Wilberforce's and some others, goes, is original, and yet who came too near him. Stephen Schultz relates a story it is admitted by them to be as probable, or more so, than of a Fran ciscan monk, who, being pursued by the populace any other of the many conjectures they have seen. For in the streets of Alexandria, saved himself by feigning my own part, I hold it almost demonstrably the true solumadness, dancing and playing strange antics, so that he tion. St. Paul's infirmity was one well known in hot not only escaped the shower of stones that threatened his climates, a chronical ophthalmia. Hence he was what is life, but was treated with the greatest respect. COdmann called blear-eyed, and was often, perhaps, obliged to wear a applies these observations to illustrate the words of the shade. It made his personal presence mean, it was. visiapostle in the above passage. Paul's Adversaries in Co- ble infirmity in his flesh, it hindered his usefulness, and rinth, endeavoured to lessen the reputation he enjoyed, by therefore he besought the Lord anxiously that it might deextolling their own merits. He therefore found it neces- part from him: but was answered,' My grace is sufficient sary to compare his merits with those which these people for thee.' It made it for the most part painful and difficult. assumed. Such self-praise he declares to be folly: but as for him to write. Hence he generally employed an amanit was extorted from him, he requests them to judge favour- uensis, and regarded it as a great matter when he used his ably, or at least to grant him the indulgence which they own pen.'You see how long a letter I have written to afford to a man whose mental faculties were deranged. you with mine own hand.'-' The salutation of me, Paul,'" You are accustomed," says he, " to treat mental weakness written with mine own hand.' It is thought that he might with indulgence, to give proof of your own understanding. abstain from writing to save his strength or time; *why You disregard it, when such an idiot in his madness treats then did he work at tent-making. A man who maintained you as slaves, consumes what is yours, or appropriates to himself by that sedentary labour, might as well have been himself what belongs to you; or is proud and fancies him- at his desk, for we cannot suppose that the wages of a jourself above you; nay, even if he strikes you in the face. neyman tent-maker were greater than those of an amanThis indulgence you will not refuse me, now that I have uensis. It exposed him to contempt and derision among been compelled to be guilty of the weakness of speaking in strangers, and therefore he gives praise to the Galatians, my own praise." that when he preached the gospel to them at the first through The above account of the opinion entertained of lunatics infirmity of the flesh, his temptation, which was in'his by the Orientals, serves to illustrate what is said of David, flesh, they despised not.' That theinfirmity was of a bodiI Sam. xxi. 10, when, to escape the pursuit of Saul, he fled ly kind seems to me quite indisputable. Doddridge, and a_. to Achish, king of the Philistines, but was discovered; then the best commentators, take that aside. It is literally so he feigned himself mad, and thus saved his life. —RosEN- described; and the calling it a' messenger Of Satan' is MULLER.. perfectly consistent with its being a bodily disease. Satan, CHAip. 12. 2 CORINTHIANS. 631 in fifty places. i: represented as the immediate author of " I see a further possible source of this idea in his mind, in corporal defects and maladies. The passages cited show the fact that thorns in the eyes are figuratively used in difit was something visible to others. How could a temptation ferent parts of scripture to signify troubles and temptations, to a partictlar sin be so unless it was complied with It (see Numbers xxxiii. 55, and Joshua xxiii. 13.) Now ii would be derogatory to the character of the apostle, and this metaphor had an affinity with the actual bodily sensaeven of an Antinomian tendency, to suppose this to have tions of the apostle, it was natural he should think of and been the case. The Galatians ought to have despised him, use it; but as natural that he should vary it into the more if in preaching the gospel he had exhibited before them the general term flesh, that he might not confound the prostrength of a temptation by the commission of open sin. per with the metaphorical sense, and be understood to They would have deserved no praise for not despising, but mean that a thorn actually thrust into his eye had produced the reverse;-i. e. for not despising the temptation, if but the disease. for the visible sin, which was its evidence. In short, I "Thismaybethought perhaps too refined. But thestrongam astonished how many pious and judicious commenta- est argument of all remains, and appears to me nearly, if not tors should think this'thorn in the flesh' a thorn in the quite, decisive. It rests upon Galatians iv. 15. After praisconscience. ing them in the preceding verse for not despising his flesh" if it was bodily, it was also some bodily infirmity of an ly infirmity, (whatever that was,) he here subjoins, I bear unsightly appearance, making his'person' or aspect you record, that if it had been possible, ye wouzld have plucked'meanO,' and exposing him to contempt. How' shall we out your own eyes, and have givea them to me. How natural find a more probable hypothesis to suit those and the other this context on my hypothesis! How little so on any preconceptions' He was not lame-witness his great bodily other! Was it a moral infirmity, a temptation shown by activity. its fruits? It might then have pardon, it might have char"Doddridge supposes that the view he had of celestial itable and respectful indulgence, in consideration of the glories might have effected his nervous system, so as to great and good qualities which were seen in the same occasion stammering in his speech, and some ridiculous character; but it could not give rise to such glowing affecdistortion in his countenance. (Exposition, 2 Cor. xii. 7.) tion, such ardour of sympathetic kindness, as these words But it is at least equally probable that those heavenly vis- import. Again, was it a bodily infirmity affecting some ions, or the supernatural light which blinded him at his other member than the eyes' how extremely unnatural conversion, might have left a weakness and disease in the this expression of the sympathy which it produced. Let us organs immediately affected. It is notorious, that after a take, for instance, Doddridge's conjecture,'You saw my severe inflammation in the eyes, they are extremely liable paralytic distortions in my qmouthb and cheeks, you heard my for-a long time, or through life, to a return of the complaint. stammering tonrque,,when I first preached the gospel to you; It may be even presumed from analogy, that unless the but you despised not those infirmities. On the contrary, miracle which restored Paul to sight removed also a na- you would, if it had been possibl.e, have plucked out your tural secondary effect of the temporary injury the organs own eyes and given them to me.' Suppose lameness, or had received, there must have been a predisposition after- some sharp internal disease, (as others have supposed, notward to the complaint which I suppose him to have had. withstanding the visible character of the infirmity,) and the Now that firugality in the use of means which has been incongruity is not much, if at all, less. But if the apostle observed even in the miraculous works of God, may be was speaking of his diseased eyes, which made his aspect supposed to have permitted that predisposition to remain, it unsightly, and prevented perhaps much of the natural efbeing designed that the apostle, for his humiliation and feet of his preaching, to which they nevertheless respectthe exercise of his faith and patience, should have a per- fully listened, and with affectionate sympathy did all they manent infirmity of the flesh to stru'ggle with in future could for his comfort and relief, how natural, how approlife. priate this grateful close of the encomium! Such was " The choice of the metaphor by which St. Paul describes your generous and tender sympathy, that I verily believe his infirmity, also weighs much with me; indeed it first if you could have removed those sufferings of mine, and excited my conjecture. The pain of ophthalmia, when that obstacle to my more perfect usefulness, by taking the severe, exactly resembles the prick of a thorn or pin. I infirmity in my stead, by plucking out your own sound once had it very severely indeed in -the West Indies. It eyes, and transferring them to my use, you would have made me blind in a manner for about three weeks, and been willing to do so. during that time, if a ray of light by any means broke into "If parental fondness for a supposeddiscovery of my own my darkened chamber, it was like a thorn or pin run into does not deceive me, these reasons, when taken together, my-eye, and so I often described it. I felt also the subse- are nearly conclusive. The point to be sure, after all, is quent effect for years, which I suppose to have been ex- of no great importance; but if Mrs. H. More thinks it worth perienced by St. Paul,-a predisposition to inflammation in her while to notice the guesses on this subject at all, here the eyes, which extreme care and timely applications pre- is what I suppose to be a new one, for her consideration." vented frcrm recurring. (Memoirs of Mrs. Hannah More, vol. ii, p. 224.)-.. B THE EPISTLE OF PAUL,, THE APOSTLE, TO THE GALATIANS. CHAPTER II. cure a comfortable living, he says, "Ah! my adversity was Ver.'9. ~And when James, Cephas, and John, who my teacher; it has guided me into this."-ROBERTS. seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that CHAPTER IV. was given unto me, they gave to me and Bar- Ver. 15. Where is then the blessedness ye spake nabas the right hands of fellowship; that we of? for I bear you record, that if it had been, should go unto the heathen, and they unto the possible, ye would have plucked'out your own circumcision. eyes, and have given them to me. "Pillars," i. e. " the principal supporters and defenders "Ah! how great was her love for him; had he asked her, of the gospel." It is said of those who have done much to she would have given him her own eyes." " Dearer, dearer support a temple, or who are zealous in its religious cere- than my own eyes." —ROBEaTs. monies, " They are the pillars of black stone belonging to'he temple."-RoBERTS... CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER III. Ver. 7. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: Ver. 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmas- for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he al.o ter to bring us unto Christ, that we might be reap. justified by faith. The Tamul proverb on this subject is, "virtti-aruppan,:" The Hindoos have some books which they call school- i. e. he reaps what he sowed. " Ah! the wretch, he cast in master, etasariyan, or rather schoolmaster-book, meaning, they cruelties, and is now reaping them." "Yes, yes, he has a wigl teach science without the help of a master. When a large harvest; his lies have produced fruit." "Go, go to man who was formerly in poverty has learned how to pro- thy harvest, fiend."-RoBERTs. T'HE EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE EPHESIANS. CHAPTER II. tius, and proceeded along the Via Triumphalis, and- from Vei. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made thence through the most public places of' the city. The both1 1 11' one, andhathbrokendownthemiddle streets were strewed with flowers, and the altars smoked both one, and hath broken down the middle with incense. First went a numerousbandof music, singwall of partition between us. ing and playing triumphal songs; next were led the oxen to be sacrificed, having their horns gilt, and their heads Some think that this refers to the ancient manner of living adorned with fillets and garlands; then in carriages were among the Gentiles, who always endeavoured to reside in brought the spoils taken from the enemy; also golden some place by themselves, and to have a river or a wall crowns sent by the allied and tributary states. The titles between them and their heathen neighbours. Some others of the vanquished nations were inscribed on wooden frames; refer it to that partition-wall in the temple, which separated and images or representations of the conquered countries the court of the Gentiles from that into which the Jews and cities were exhibited. The captive leaders followed entered, and on which was written, that no alien might in chains, with their children and attendants; after the capgo into it, it being, says Josephus, a sanction of Antiochus, tives came the lictors, having their faces wreathed with that no foreigner should enter within the enclosure of the laurel, followed by a great company of musicians and dantemple.-BuRDER. cers, dressed like satyrs, and wearing crowns of gold; in CHAPTER IV.' the midst of whom was' a pantomime, clothed in a female garb, whose business it was, with his looks and gestures, to Ver. 8. Wherefore he saith, NVhen he ascended insult the vanquished; a long train of-persons followed, up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave carrying perfumes; after them came the general, dressed in gifts unto men. purple, embroidered with gold, with a crown of laurel on his head, a branch of laurel in his right hand, and in his The highest military honour which could be obtained in left an ivory sceptre, with an eagle on the top,.his face the Roman state, was a triumph, or solemn procession, in painted with vermilion, and a golden ball hanging from his which a victorious general and his army advanced through neck on his breast; he stood upright in a gilded chariot, the city, to the capitol. He set out from the Campus Mar- adorned with ivory, and drawn by four white horses, at. CHAP. 6. EPHESIANS. 633 tended by his relations, and a great crowd of citizens, all resist the greatest force. Plutarch reports, that Zoilus, an in white. His children rode in the chariot along with him, artificer, having made a present of two iron brigandines to his lieutenants and military tribunes commonly by his side. Demetrius Poliorcetes, for an experiment of their hardness, After the general followed the consuls and senators on foot; caused an arrow to be shot out of an engine called cata. the whole procession was closed by the victorious army pulta, placed about twenty-.six paces off, which was so far drawn up in order, crowned with laurel, and decorated' from piercing the iron, that it scarcely rased or made the with the gifts which they had received for their valour, least impression upon it. These facts may serve to display singing their own and their general's praises. The trium- the inestimable value of " the breastplate of righteousness," phal procession was not confined to the Romans; the Greeks which the apostle recommends to the hearers of the gospel' had a similar custom, for the conquerors used to make a a piece of spiritual armour which the fiery darts of the devi' procession through the middle of their city, crowned with cannot pierce. The scales of brass, which composed the garlands, repeating hymns and songs, and brandishing their breastplate of the ancient warrior, often reflected the light spears; the captives followed in chains, and all their spoils so as to dazzle the eyes of his antagonist, and strike him were exposed to public view. with terror. The great apostle of the Gentiles alludes to these splen- The military girdle was another piece of defensive ardid triumphal scenes, in his epistle to the Ephesians, where mour; it surrounded the other accoutrements; the sword he mentions the glorious ascension of his Redeemer into was suspended in it, as in modern times in the soldier's heaven: "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity belt; and it was necessary to gird the clothes and armour captive, and gave gifts unto men." These words are a quo- of the combatant together. This was so essential to a wartation from the sixty-eighth Psalm, where David, in Spirit, rior, that among the Greeks, wvvvwOma, to gird, came to be a describes the ascension of AMessiah, in very glowing col- general name for putting on armour. Homer thus introours: " The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even duces Agamemnon commanding the Grecians to arm: thousands of angels; the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive," or an immense number of captives; "Atrides strait commands them all to arm, or gird themrn"thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious selves." We learn from Plutarch, that the Romans had also; that the Lord God might dwell among them. Bless- the same custom; and it prevailed also among the Persians, ed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even for Herodotus relates, that Xerxes having reached Abdera, the God of our salvation; Selah." Knowing the deep im- when he fled from Athens, and thinking himself out of pression which such an allusion is calculated to make on danger, XvEt, 7TV T ovv,, loosed his girdle, that is, put off his the mind of a people familiarly acquainted with triumphal armour. The same phrases occur in many parts of the sascenes, the apostle returns to it in his epistle to the Colos- cred volume, the military belt being not less necessary to the sians, which was written about the same time: "Having Hebrew soldier, on account of his loose and flowing dress. spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them To gird and to arm, are therefore synonymous terms in openly, triumphing over them in it." After obtaining a scripture; for those who are said to be able to put on arcomplete victory over all his enemies, he ascended in splen- mour, are, according to the Hebrew and Septuagint, girt dour and triumph into his Father's presence on the clouds with a girdle; from whence came the expression of girding of heaven, the chariots of the Most High, thousands of holy to the battle. This was the species of girdle which Jonaangels attending in his train; he led the devil and all his than bestowed on David, as one of the pledges of his entire angels', together with sin, the world, and death, as his spoils love and friendship. He stripped himself, not only of his of war, and captives in chains, and exposed them to open wearing apparel, but what a warrior valued at a much contempt and shame, in the view of all his angelic attend- higher price, his military habiliments also, his sword, his ants, triumphing like a glorious conqueror over them, in bow, and his girdle, and gave them to David-. virtue of his cross, upon which he made complete satisfac- The girdle is mentioned by the apostle, in his particular tion for sin, and by his own strength, without the assistance description of the Christian armour, addressed to the church of any creature, destroyed him that had, the power of death, at Ephesus: " Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about that is, the devil. And as mighty princes are accustomed with truth." As warriors are accustomed to gird themto scatter largesses among the people, and reward their selves with a broad belt to keep up their long garments, to companions in arms with a liberal hand, when, laden with bind them and their armour close together, and to fortify the spoils of vanquished nations, they returned in triumph their loins, that they may be stronger, and more fitted for to their capital; so the Conqueror of death and hell, when the labours andfatigues of war; so must believers encomhe ascended far above all heavens, and sat down in the pass themselves with sincerity and uprightness of heart,. midst of the throne, shed forth in vast abundance the and with truth and honesty of conversation, that righteouschoicest blessings of the Spirit upon people of every tongue ness may be the girdle of their loins, and faithfulness the and of every nation.-PAxToN. girdle of their reins, that they may be steady, active, and resolute in every spiritual encounter.-PAxTON. Ver. 26. Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath.PVer. 15. And your feet shod with the preparation go' down upon your wrath. of the gospel of peace. One of the apartments in the houses of some rich men is appropriated to a very curious purpose, viz. when any mem- The legs of the Grecian warrior were defended with bers of the family are an,,ry, they shut themselves up in greaves of brass, copper, or other metals. Potter thinks it this room, called krodhagari, the room of anger, or of the is probable that this piece of armour was at first either peangry. When any individual is gone into this room, the culiar to the Grecians, or at least more generally used by master of the family goes and persuades him or her to come them than any other nations; because we find them so perout. (TWard's View of the I-Iindoos.)-BURERn. petually called by the poet (EVKVTlmESi Axatot) the well-greaved Achaians. But they seem to have been equally common * CHAPTER VI. among the warriors of Canaan, and other eastern countries. Ver. 14 Stand, therefore, having your loins girt* When Goliath appeared in complete armour, and challenVer. 14. Stand, therefore, having your loins gir t ged the armies of Israel to furnish a man able to contend about with truth, and having on the breast- with him in single combat, he wore greaves of brass upon plate of righteousness. his legs. This piece of armour is also recommended by the apostle, in these words,: "And your feet shod with the The breastplate is frequently mentioned in the sacred preparation of the gospel of peace." The soldier is wont volume. It was properly a half corslet, defending the breast, to wear greaves of brass, or a sort of strong boots, to guard as its name imports, but leaving the baclk exposed to the his feet and legs against briers and thorns, the iron spikes enemy. Breastplates were not always formed of the same which the enemy scatters in his way, and the sharp materials; some were made of line or hemp twisted into pointed stones which retard his march; so must the heart small cords, and close set together; but, these were more and life of the Christian be disengaged from worldly frequently used in hunting than in war. The most ap- thoughts, affections, and pursuits, that would hinder him proved breastplates were made of brass, iron, or other met- in his heavenly course; and be filled with holy resolutions, als, which were sometimes so admirably hardened as to by divine grace, to hold on his way, in spite of every hardso 634 PHILIPPIANS. CHAP. 1,2. ship and danger, fortified against the many snares and added the (xs'no) sihara, or round shield; and these three temptations that beset him in his progress, and prepared differed from one another, nearly as the scuttun, clypetus, and for the. assault, from what enemy or quarter soever it may parma, among the Romans. The tsivmne was double the come. weight of the magese, and was carried by the infantry; the The feet were protected with shoes of stout, well-prepar- others, as being more light and manageable, were reserved ed leather, plated or. spiked on the sole, to prevent the for the cavalry. These different shields were also used by combatant from slipping. Moses seems, at least according the Greeks. The great apostle of the Gentiles earnestly reto our translation, to have had some allusion to shoes of this commends this weapon, among others, to the use of the kind, in his farewell address to the tribes: " Thy shoes churches under the present dispensation: "Above all, taking shall be iron and brass, and as thy days, so shall thy strength the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all be." And the apostle Paul, in his description of the spirit- the fiery darts of the wicked."-PAXTON. ual armour: "Having the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." " Not iron," says Calmet, " not Ver. 17. And take the helmet of salvation, and/ steel; but patient investigation, calm inquiry, assiduous, the sword, of the Spirit, which is the word of laborious, lasting; if not rather with firm footing in the God gospel of peace."-PAXTON. The first piece of defensive armour entitled to our notice, Ver. 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, is the helmet, which protected the head. This has been twherewith ye shall be able to quench all the Lrused from the remotest ages by almost every nation of a fiery darts of the wicked. martial spirit. The champion of the Philistines had a helmet of brass upon his head, as had also the king of Israel, See on Ps. 57. 4. who commanded the armies of the living God. This marThe Hebrew soldiers used two kinds of shields, the (; tial cap was also worn by the Persians and Ethiopians in t$ia, and the (~am) ma en. From the middle of the tsina the day of battle. The Grecian helmets, were very often rose a large boss, surrmounted by a dagger, or sharp pointed made of the skins of beasts; but the helmet of the Jewish warrior seems to have been uniformly made of brass or iron; protuberance, which was extremely useful in repelling and to this sort of casque only, the sacred writer seems to missive weapons, and bearing down their enemy when they refer. In allusion to this piece of defensive armour, Paul came to close fight. A shield of this construction was directs the believer to put on for a helmet the hope of salpartly a defensive and partly an offensive weapon. Martial vaton, which secures the bead in ever to put on for a helmet the hope of salseems to allude to the tsilna, in this line: vati'on, which secures the head in every contest, till, through seems to allude to the tsinna in this line: him that loved him, he a complfie rough him that loved him, he gain a eomplete victory over all his " In turbam incideris, cunctos umbone repellet." enemies. That well-grounded hope of eternal life which " Should you get into a crowd, your slave with his boss is attended with ineffable satisfaction, and never disappoints would repel them all." The ancient bucklers generally the soul, like a helmet of brass, shall guard it against fear covered the whole body; for Virgil represents the troops and danger, enable it patiently to endure every hardship, as standing close covered under their bucklers: and fortify it against the most furious and threatening attacks of Satan and all his confederates. Such adversaries, t, clypeiue sub ibe tegu -. ii. i. 2this solid hope is not less calculated to strike with dismay, And in Tyrtkus, the mighty buckler covered the thighs, than was the helmet of an ancient warrior in the day of legs, and breast, belly, and shoulders too. The magen was battle his mortal foes, by its dazzling brightness, its horrifi: a short buckler intended merely for defence, and of great devices of gorgons and chimeras, and its nodding plumes ser rice in the warfare of those days. To these must be which overlooked the dreadful cone.-PAXTON.m IHE EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE PHILIPPIANS. CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. Ver. 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of Ver. 15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, you all, because I have you in my heart; inas- the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of much as both in my bonds, and in the defence a crooked and perverse nation, among whom and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are parta- ye shine. as lights in the world. kers of my grace. This metaphor has an allusion to the buildings which This peculiar -expression intimates, not only that the we call light-houses, the most illustrious of which was apostle cherished for the Philippians the most sincere and raised in the island of Pharos, when Ptolemy Philadelphus ardent affection, but that they were ever in his recollection, built that celebrated tower, on which a bright flame was aland that he was thus animated to promote, in every possible ways kept burning in the night, that mariners might perway, their spiritual benefit and prosperity. If not strictly fectly see their way, and be in no danger of suffering shipsimilar, the following instance may be considered as nearly wreck. Some of these light-houses were constructed in the approaching to this phraseology: " The old man followed form of human figures. The colossus at Rhodes held in us, with his women, to a distance from the village, and, at one hand a flame which enlightened the whole port. These parting, recommended me to his relations.'He is your lights were also sometimes moveable, and were used to dibrother,' he said to his son:' and there,' opening his son's rect the marches of the caravans in the night. Pitts thus waistcoat, and putting his hand upon his bosom,' There let describes them: " They are somewhat like iron stoves, into him be placed.' A way of recommendation much in use which they put short dry wood, which some of the camels in the Arabian desert likewise." (Burckhardt.)-BUnDEnR. are loaded with. Every cotter hath one of these peles CHar. 2. COLOSSIANS. 635 belonging to it, some of which have ten, some twelve were to run several times round it without stopping, and of these lights on their tops, and they are likewise of differ- afterward conclude the race, by regaining the other extrement figures, one perhaps oval, another triangular, or like an ity of the lists-from whence they started. It is therefore N or M, &c. so that every one knows by them his respect- to the foot-race the apostle alludes, when he speaks of the ive cotter. They are carried in the front, and set up in race set before the Christian, which was a straight course, the place where the caravan is to pitch, before that comes to be run only once, and not, as in the other, several times up, at some distance from one another." The meaning without stopping. of the passage from these representations is obvious. " Ye According to some writers, it was at the goal, and not in shine as elevated lights in the dark world about you," that the middle of the course, that the prizes were exhibited; ye may direct those that sail on this dangerous sea, and se- and they were placed in a very conspicuous situation, that cure them from suffertng shipwreck, or guide those who the competitors might be animated by having them always travel through this desert in their way to the city of rest.- in their sight. This accords with the view which the BURDER. apostle gives of the Christian life: " Brethren, I count not CHAPTER II. myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth Ver. 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil-workers, unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark beware of the concision. for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." L'Enfant thinks the apostle here compares our Lord to, The champion of Gath inquired of David, "Am I a dog?" those who stood at the elevated place at the end of the And David, when pursued by the infatuated and cruel Saul, course, calling the racers by their names, and encouraging asked, " After whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog 1" thlm by holding out the crown, to exert themselves with The term NI, i. e..dog, is an expression of sovereign contempt vigour.-PAXTON. for the faithless, the ignoble, and the outcasts. "Never more will I go to the house of that dog." "You call me a Ver. 19. Whose end is destruction, whose god is dog! then (running at him) I will bite thee." "Here, dog, their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, are some bones for thee." "Yes, yes, he will be a dog in who mind earthly things. the next birth."-ROBERTS. When a pandarum is reproved and told to serve the Vet. 14. I press towrards the mark, for the prize gods, he exclaims, "' What! is not the belly the god?" " I of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. will tell you all about him, his god is in his belly." "Belly, belly, nothing to the belly," bawls the beggar at your door. The most remarkable parts of the stadium, were its en- -RoBERTs. trance, middle, and extremity. The entrance was marked CHAPTER IV at first only by a line drawn on the sand, from side to side of the stadium. To prevent any unfair advantage being Ver. 3. And I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, taken by the more vigilant or alert candidates, a cord was help those women which laboured with me in at length stretched in front of the horses or men that were to run; and sometimes the space was railed in with wood. The opening of this barrier was the signal for the racers my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the to start. The middle of the stadium was remarkable, only book of life. by the circumstance of having the prizes allotted to the victors set up there. From this custom, Chrysostom draws a This expression refers to the custom of those cities which fine comparison: "As the judges, in the races and other had registers containing the names of all the citizens, from games, expose in the midst of the stadium, to the view of which the names of infamous persons were erased. Agree. the champions, the crowns which they were to receive; in ably to this we read of names being blotted outof God's book. like manner, the Lord, by the mouth of his prophets, has Rev. iii. 5. Those citizens who were orderly and obedient placed the prizes in the midst of the course, which he de- were continued on the roll, from whence they could easily signs for those who have the courage to contend for them." obtain their title to all the immunities and privileges comAt the extremity of the stadium was a goal, where the mon to all the members of the city; and to be excluded from foot-races ended; but in those of chariots and horses, they these was both disgraceful and injurious.-BuRDER. THE EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE,APOSTLE, TO THE COLOSSIANS. CHAPTER II. was by striking a nail through them. In either of these Ver. 14. Blotting out the handwritinog of ordi-e cases the bond was rendered useless, and ceased te be valid. These circumstances the apostle applies to the death of nances that was against us, which was contra- Christ.-BURDER. ry to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it tond having spoiled principalities nd Ver. 15. And having spoiled principalities and his cross. powers, he made a show of them openly, tri umpiing over them in it. The handwriting, vepioypaoov, signifies a bill or bond whereby a person binds himself to some payment or duty, The most grand and magnificent procession the ancients and which stands in force against him till the obligation is ever beheld was a Roman triumph. After a decisive batdischarged. In these words the apostle alludes to the differ- tle gained, the most illustrious captives in wai, with their ent methods by which bonds formerly were cancelled: one wives and children, were led in fetters before the general's was by blotting or crossing them out with a pen, and another chariot, through the public streets of Rome, scaffolds being 636 1 THESSALONIANS. CIAP. 4, 5.. everywhere erected, and the public places crowded to be- temples were all thrown open, and adorned with garlands; hold the sight. It was also accompanied by vast numbers they were filled with clouds of incense and perfume. The of wagons, full of rich furniture, statues, pictures, plate, spectators were clothed in white garments. Whole heca. vases, and vests, of which they had stripped houses and tombs of' victims were slain, and the most sumptuous enpalaces; carts loaded with the arms they had taken from tertainments were given. The captives, after being publicthe enemy; the coin of the empires they had conquered ly exposed, were generally imprisoned and put to death, or and enslaved: these preceded the triumphal ear. The sold for,slaves.-BuRDER. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE THESSALONIANS. CHAPTER lV. of the first year, day by day, conti;nually. The one lamb Ver. 17. Then we, which are alive cand remain, you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shal be c t up t e wh tm i' shall offer in the evening. This shall be a contiznal burntshall be caught up togetbher with them in the offering throughout your generations." At those stated clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall hours of sacrifice, viz. at nine o'clock in the morning, and we ever be wvith the Lord. at three in the afternoon, the devout Jews used either to go up to the temple to. pray, or to pray in their own houses. See on 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. This duty the apostle would have the Christian disciples still observe; and the word here used, (adialeiptoes, without ceasing, continually,) is applied to their praying statedly, Ver. 8. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, morning and evening. The same rule of interpretation putting on the breastplate of faith and love; will throw light upon numerous other passages of scripand for a helmet, the hope of salvation, ture, which are frequently misapprehended by the English and for a hellnet, the hope of salvation. ureader, such as David's saying that he would " dwell in See on Eph. 6. 17. the house of the Lord for ever;' that he would "bless the Lord at all times;" that he would "meditate in his law Ver. 17. Pray without ceasing. day and night." So Luke ii. 37, it is said of Anna the pro. phetess, that " she deyarted not from the temple, but serves We learn from church history that an ancient sect, called God with fasting and prayers night and day; by which Euchitme, gathered from this and similar passages, that it is implied, not that she took up her permanent abode at the was the duty of Christians to pray literally woithout ceasing, temple, but regularly resorted thither, at stated times, and maki.pg prayer the whole means of salvation and the whole was uncommonly assiduous in her devotions. Compare business of the Christian life. A slight acquaintance with with this, Acts xxvi. 7: " Unto which promise our twelve the idiom of the original languages of the scriptures, will tribes, instantly serving God day and"night, hope to come." enable us to correct this as well as many other errors which This is in accordance with our Saviour's direction, Luke have, at different times, crept into both the practical and xviii. 1, " That men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" speculative theology of the church. It may be laid down i. e. that they should continue in the regular discharge of as a canon of philological interpretation, that adverbs of this duty every day at the appointed times; and that they time expressing perpetuity, sometimes denote only fre- should not desist, though their prayers should not be imquency or regularity at stated times and seasons. This mediately granted. According to the same usage, from will abundantly appear from the following examples: Ex. the apostles' going up to the temple at the stated hours of xxvii. 20, "To cause the lamp to burn alrcays." (Hebrew, prayer, they are said to have been " continually in the temtamid.) That this is not to be taken strictly, but merely ple, blessing and praising God." To this circumstance of as equivalent to, ".-from evening to morning," appears from the temple-worship there is a beautiful allusion, Rev. iv. 8, the ensuing verse: " Aaron and his sons shall order itfrovm where, concerning the four living creatures, it is said, evening to morning." That the lamp of the tabernacle did "They rest not dray nor night, (or at the morning and evennot burn during the day, is evident fromn 1 Sam. iii. 3: ing sacrifices,) saying, Holy, holy, holy,'Lord God Al" Ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord." mighty, which was, and is, and is to come." In the same Again, it is said, Ex. xxviii. 30, "And thou shalt put in sense, Cornelius is said (Acts x. 2)' to have "prayed to the breastplate of judgment, the Urim and the Thummim; God always." And through Christ we are said to " offer and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in unto God the sacrifice of praise continually." And, finally, before the Lord; and Aaron'shall bear the judgment of the in this sense of the words are we to tunderstand all such children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continu- passages as the following, in which the apostle speak, (if ally;" i. e. whenever he went into the inner place of the the unremittingness of his prayers and praises to God on sanctuary, as is clear from the preceding clause, by which the behalf of Christians. Rom. i. 9: " For God is my witthe tword "continually" is to be limited. So 2 Sam. ix. 7, ness that, without ceasing, I make mention of you always David says to Mephibosheth, "Thou shalt eat bread at my in my prayers." Col. i. 3: " Praying alwceays for you." table continually;" i. e. at the stated hours of meals. In 1 Thes. i. 2, 3: " We give thanks to God always for you all, like manner, "to pray without ceasing," is, to pray con- making mention of you in our prayers; remembering,.tantly, morning and evening, at the stated hours of prayer. without ceasing, your work of faith."' 2 Tim. i. 3: 1 I In this precept, the apostle seems to have had reference to thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure the injunction of the Mosaic law, Ex. xxix. 38, 42: " Now conscience, that, without ceasing, I have remembrance of this is that which you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs thee in my prayers night and day."-Busa. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO TIMOTHY. CHAPTER II. and it is certain we can carry nothir.g Ver. 9. In. like manner also, that women adorn out. themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedthemselves in modest apparel, with shame-faced- " My friend, why are you so anxious after this world I ness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or How much did you bring into it 2 How much,vill you gold, or pearls, or costly array. take out l" " Ah! my son, be charitable/to all; recollect, you brought nothing into the world, and be assured you See on 1 Pet. 3. 3. will take nothing out." " That wretch would like to carry CHAPTER VI. his money and lands into the other world." " Tamby, did you bring these fields into the world with you!. No; and Ver. 7. For we brought nothing into this world, they will remain when you are gone."-RoBERTS. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO TIMOTHY. CHAPTER II. which require implicit and exact submission, which neitherVer. 5. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet yield to times nor circumstances, but maintain their suisy. he Anotifa crwn excepts strive law fullyr, p. reme authority, from. age to age, uninterrupted and unimis he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. paired. The combatant who violates these rules forfeits the prize, and is driven from the field with indelible disThose who were designed for the profession of athlets, grace, and consigned to everlasting wo. Hence the great or combatants, frequented from their earliest years the apostle of the Gentiles exhorts his son Timothy strictly to academies maintained for that purpose at the public ex- observe the precepts of the divine law, the rule of his conpense. In these places they were exercised under the di- duct in the hand of the Mediator, without which he can no rection of different masters, who employed the most effectu- more hope to obtain the approbation of God, and the posal methods to inure their bodies for the fatigues of the pub- session of the heavenly crown,.than a combatant in the public games, antd to form them for the combats. The regi- lie games of Greece, who disregards the established rules, men to which they submitted was very hard.and severe. can hope to receive from the hands of his judge the promAt first they had no other nourishment than dried figs, nuts, ised reward: " And if a man also strive for masteries, yet soft cheese, and a gross heavy sort of bread called pala; he not crowned, except he strive lawfully," or according they were absolutely forbid the use of wine, and enjoined to the established laws of the games.-PAxToN. continence. When they proposed to contend in the Olympian games Ver. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God they were obliged to repair to the public gymnasium at having this seal, TheLord Elis, ten months before the solemnity, where they prepared standeth sure, themselves by continual exercises. No man that had omitted knoweth them that are his. And, Let every to present himself at the appointed time, was allowed to put one that nameth the name of Christ, depart in for any of the prizes; nor were the accustomed rewards of from iniquity. victory given to such persons, if by any means they insinuated themselves, and overcame their antagonists; nor would See on Ezel,;. Q A any apology, though seemingly ever so reasonable, serve to excuse their absence. No person that was himself a no- CHAPTER IV. torious criminal, or nearly related to one, was permittedor I am now ready to be offered, and to contend. Further, to prevent underhand dealings; if t. ime of my departuready to be offered, and any person was convicted of bribing his adversary, a severe fine was laid upon him; nor was this alone thought a sufficient guard against unfair contracts and unjust practices, This is an allusion to that universal custom of the world ficient guard against unfair contracts and unjust practices, but the contenders were obliged to swear they had spent of pouring wine or oil on the head of the victim immediately before it was slain: the apostle's emphatical word ten whole months in preparatory exercises i and besides all diately before it was slain: the apostle's emphatical word this, they, their fathers, and their brethren, took a solemn signifies, wine is just now pouring on my head, I am just oath, that they would not by any sinister or unlawful going to be sacrificed to pagan rage and superstition. means endeavour to stop the fair and just proceedings of LACKWALL. the games. The spiritual contest, in which all true Chris- Ver. 7. I have fouht a ood fight, I have finish. tians aim at obtaining a heavenly crown, has its rules also, 7 devised and'enacted by infinite wisdom and goodness, ed 7my course, I have kept the faith: 8. Hence 638 TITUS. CHAP. 2, S. forth there is laid up for me a crown of righte- receive the crown' of life, which the Lord hath promised:o ousness, which the Lord, the righteous Juidge, thatfearhim." The military crowns were- conferred by the general in shall give me at that day: and not to me only, presence of the army; and such as received them, after but unto all them also that love his appearing. a public eulogium on their valour, were placed next his person. The Christian also receives his unmerited reward rhe officers and soldiers also, were rewarded according from the hand of the Captain of his salvation: " e thou to their merit. Among the Romans, the noblest reward faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." which a soldier could receive, was the civic crown, given And like the brave' veteran of ancient times, he is promoto him who had saved the life of a citizen, made of oak ted to a place near his Lord: " To him that overcometh, leaves, and, by order of the general, presented by the per- will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also son who had been saved to his preserver, whom he ever overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne." after respected as a parent. Alluding to this high distinc- The saints must all appear before the judgment-seat of tion, the apostle says to his son Timothy: "I have fought Christ, who will produce the proofs of their fidelity before a good fight-henceforth there is laid up for me a crown assembled worlds, to justify the sentence he is about to pro of righteousness. which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall nounce. Holy angels will applaud the justice of the pro give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them ceeding, and condemned spirits and reprobate men wif also that love his appearing." And lest any one should have nothing to object; then, while he pronounces a sen imagine that the Christian's crown is perishable in its tenee which at once eulogizes their conduct, and announ. nature, and soon fades away, like a crown of oak leaves, ces their honourable acquittal, " Well done, good and faiththe apostle Peter assures the faithful soldier of Christ, ful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord;" he will that his crown is infinitely more valuable and lasting: set upon their heads a crown of purest gold, put a palm "Ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." of victory into their right hand, clothe them in robes of And this account is confirmed by James: " Blessed is the celestial brightness, and place them around his throne: man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall "And so shall they be for ever with the Lord."-PAXTON. THE EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS. CHAPTER II. - going abroad might be supposed to afford an opportunity. Ver. 5. ~T~o be discreet, chaste, Ikeepers at honme, For the same reason it may be apprehended that St. Paul joins the being claste and keepers at lbome together. good, obedient to their own husbands, that the e and keepers at home together.-HAR word of God be not blasphemed. CHAPTERIII. CHAPTER III. Jealousy is so common and powerful among the people Ver. 12. When I shall send Artemas unto thee, of the East, that their wives are very much confined to or their houses. Russel informs us, that "the Turks of Tychicus be diligent to come unto me to Aleppo being very jealous, keep their women as much at Nicopolts: for I have determined there to home as they can, so that it is but seldom that they are al- winter. lowed to visit each other. Necessity, however, obliges the husbands to suffer them to go often to the bagnio, and Concerning the annals of Nicopolis, only a few trifling Mondays and Thursdays are a sort of licensed days for memorials are to be gleaned from the works of historians. them to visit the tombs of their deceased relations, which How soon it enjoyed the light of Christianity is not prefurnishes them with an opportunity of walking abroad in cisely known, but that it was honoured early with the presthe gardens or fields; they have so contrived that almost ence of that great champion of the faith, St. Paul, we may every Thursday in the spring bears the name of some par- infer from his intention expressed to Titus, of spending ticular sheik, (or saint,) whose tomb they must visit on that the winter there, on his return from Macedonia; from day. (Their cemeteries and gardens are out of their whence it is extremely probable that he had many Nicocities in common.) By this means the greatest part of the politan converts already established. Its reign of splenTurkish women of the city get abroad to breathe the fresh dour was but short, for it soon experienced those bitter air at such seasons, unless confined (as is not uncommon) reverses of fortune, which all the other unhappy provinces to their houses by order of the bashaw, and so deprived endured in the decline of the Roman empire. The city even of that little freedom which custom had procured them mentioned by St. Paul could not possibly have been (acfrom their husbands." The prohibitions of the bashaws cording to the surmise of some critics) Nicopolis on the are'designed, or pretended to be designed at least, to pre- Danube, or that of Thrace, for these were both built by vwnt the breach of chastity, for which these liberties of Trajan. (Hughes's Travels in Sicily.)-BURDER. THE EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO THE HEBREWS. CHAPTER I. The ancients sometimes exposed criminals to a particuVer. 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, lar species of torture, by means of a tympanum or drum, on which they were extended in the most violent manner, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righte- and then beaten with clubs, which must have been attendousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. ed with exquisite pain. To this mode of punishment, Doddridge is of opinion the apostle alludes in his epistle to The apostle here cites a passage from the 45th Psalm, the Hebrews, where he describes the sufferings of ancient in which the Psalmist, and not the Most High, is the speaker. believers: "Others were tortured, not accepting deliverConsequently this is not an address of the Father to the ance;" because the word ervtprratvuor7cav, tortured, is not a Son, as might be thought from our present translation. general term, but one which signifies the specific torture of' He saith," should properly be rendered, according to a the tympanum. It is, however, generally understood by common idiom, "it is said," or, if a nominative be sup- interpreters, not as a mode of punishment distinct from plied, " the scripture saith, thy throne, O God," &c. The others, but as a general term for all kinds of capital punsame remark is applicable to the same expression, ver. 7: ishment and violent death; but the opinion of Doddridge "'And of the angels he saith, (it is said,) Who maketh his ought to be preferred, because the original word possesses angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." A simi- a specific character; and the passage viewed in that light lar phraseology occurs, 1 Cor. vii. 16: " What, know ye is precise and impressive.-PxxToN. not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? fbr two, saith he, (i. e. it is said in the scriptures,) shall be one Ver. 37. They were stoned, they were sawn flesh." Rom. xv. 10: "And again he saith, (again it is asunder, were tempted, were slain with the said,) Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people." James iv. 6: " Wherefore he saith, (it is said,) God resisteth the proud, sword;, they wandered about in sheep-skins but giveth grace unto the humble." It may also be re- and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormarked, that the true rendering of the preposition (pros) mented. in, this passage, and in fact the whole context, is not " to," but "of," in respect to," "concerning;" "of, or as to, the The epistle to the Hebrews describes some of the ancient Son, it is said," &c. This import of the original is so sufferers for piety and virtue, as driven out from the sociecommon and so obviously pertinent to the text in this con- ty of their countrymen, and wandering about, like misernexion, that it will be unnecessary to attempt to establish it able outcasts, in deserts and mountains, with no better vestby an array of parallel. passages.-BusH. ments than sheep-skins and goat-skins; referring, probably, to some in the beginning of the opposition made by the CHIAPTER VI. ~Maccabee family, to the attempts of the Syrian princes to Ver. 8. But that which beareth thorns and briers force the Jewish people to abandon the religion of their rs rejected, and is Inigh unto cursinog; whose forefathers, and unite with the heathens in their idolatrous d is to b, D customs. It may be acceptable to the reader to learn, that end is to be burned. there are numbers of such miserable outcasts from common The land, which, notwithstanding the most careful eul- society, in that very country, to this day: not indeed on a tivation, produces nothing but thorns and briers, or noxious religious account, for they are all Mohammedans; but weeds of different kinds, is rejected, or given up as unim- from national prejudices, and distinctions arising from that proveable; its briers, thorns, and brushwood burnt down; source. and then left to be pastured on by the beasts of the field. Doubdan frequently met with such in his peregrinations This seems to be the custom in husbandry, to which the in that country. He sometimes calls them Moors, by which, apostle alludes. The nature of the case prevents us from I apprehend, is meant the descendants from the old natives supposing that he refers to burning in order to further of that country, who inhabited it before the Turks, a branch fertilization. This practice has been common from very of the Tartars, overran these parts of Asia. Some of the early ages. Arabs he met with are not described as in more elegant S-e pe etiam steriles incendere profuit agros, circumstanues: these are another eastern nation, who are Atque levem stipulam crepitantibus urere flammis. attached to'the living in tents, and will by no means be in(Virgil, Geor. i. ver. 84.) duced to dwell in more fixed habitations, and commonly Long practice has a sure improvement found, dwell in deserts, and very retired places. With kindled fires to burn the barren ground; Upon leaving Jerusalem, in order to embark at Joppa, When the light stubble to the.flames resigned, they halted some little time on a short plain, not far from Is driven along, and crackles in the wind." Is driven along, and crackles yden the )- the Holy City, to give time to the caravan to assemble, with which they were to travel: while waiting there, he Ver. 20. Whither the forerunner is for us enter- says, " We saw six Bedouins pass along;" he means these ed, even Jesus, made a high-priest for everafter wandering Arabs; "who had no other dlothing than a sheep-skin on their shoulders, and a rag about their loins, the order of Melchisedec. emaciated and burnt up with the heat, of a horrible as" The forerunner." The metaphorical'allusion here is to peet, their eyes fiery, and each with a great club. These the person who carries the anchor in a boat within the pier people are Arabs, and the greatest robbers in all the coUi head, because there is not water sufficient to take the ship. in.-BURDER. He describes some of the Moors in the neighbourhoo. of Bethlehem, who live in the village where the shepherd, CHAPTER XI. dwelt to whom the angel of the Lord appeared, according Ver. 35. Women received their dead raised to to the tradition of the country, in much the same manner. life again: and others were tortured, not ac- I-Ie says, "it is a poor hamlet, of twenty or twenty-five cepting deliverance; that they might obtain a hovels:" That th was nformed " its inhabitants are some of the poorest and most miserable people of the country. better resurrection. That they saw some who looked like true savages, almost 640 HEBREWS. CHAP. 12. entirely naked, sunburnt, black as a coal, and.shining with him: in the exercise of faith and self-denial, he must " cast the grease and oil with which they rub themselves, horrid off the works of darkness," lay aside all malice and guile, in their countenances, with a surly voice, with which they hypocrisies, and envyings, and evil speakings, inordinate keep mumbling, and terrify those that are not accustomed affections, and worldly cares, and whatever else might obto meet them. More especially when, upon their going to struct his holy profession, damp his spirits, and hinder his visit a certain place td which their devotion led them, they progress in the paths of righteousness. saw four poor miserable Moors running to them across the The olympic games generally opened with races, and fields, huge, frightful creatures, all of them naked and sun- were celebrated at first with no other exercise. The lists ournt, two armed with bows and arrows, the other two with or course where the athlete exercised themselves in run-,udgels, threatening to use them with severity, if they did ning, was at first but one stadium in length, or about six not give them money." hundred feet; and from this measure it took its name, The same scenery is exhibited in other places, and re- and was called the stadium, whatever might be,its extent. presents, I imagine, excepting the violence, an accurate This, in the language of Paul, speaking of the Christians' picture of those poor persecuted I-Iebrews, who wandered course, was " the race which was set before them," deterabout in sheep-skins and goat-skins, destitute of many of the mined by public authority and carefully measured. On comforits of life, emaciated, tormented with the burning each side of the stadium and its extremity, ran an ascent or heat of the sun, and afflicted with many other bitternesses kind of terrace, covered With seats and benches, upon which in that wild and rough state.-HARMER. the spectators were seated, an innumerable multitude collected from all parts of Greece, to which the apostle thus Ver. 38. (Of whom the world was not worthy;) alludes in his figurative description of the Christian life: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, " Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight."-PAXTON. and in dens, and caves of the earth. 39. And these all, having obtained a good report through Ver. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, strifaith, received not the promise. ving against sin. Such places were frequently used as habitations. "In The exercise of boxing was sometimes performed by returning to Achmetchet, we stopped to water our horses combatants, having in their hands balls of stone or lead. in the steppes or plains, where the dwellings were entirely At first their hands and arms were naked and unguarded, subterranean. Nbot a house was to be seen, but there were but afterward surrounded with thongs of leather, called some holes as entrances in the ground, through one of cestus, which were used both as defensive arms, and to anwhich we descended to a cave, rendered almost suffocating noy the enemy, being filled with plummets of lead and by the heat of a stove for dressing the victuals of its poor iron, to add force to the blows. owners. The wall, floor, and roof, were all of the natural This was one of the rudest and most dangerous of the soil." (Clarke.) " At eleven, we arrived on the plain gymnastic combats, because the antagonists ran the hazard and a better road, but being excessively hot, and seeing a either of being disabled, or losing their lives. They somevillage with many low houses, or rather huts, we struck times fell.down dead or dying upon the sand; or they quitted out of our path, and arrived there about noon, when, in- the fight with a countenance so disfigured, that it was not stead of houses, Mwe found them to be caverns, dug in the easy to know themselves; carrying away with them the earth, and vaulted, with only the upper part appearing aboye sad marks of their vigorous resistance, as bruises and conground. The people received us kindly; both men and tusions in the face, the loss of an eye, their teeth knocked horses descended into one of the caverns, and immediately out, their jaws broken, or some more considerable fracture. felt such a comfortable' coolness as was extremely delight- It is to this rude and dangerous exercise the apostle refers ful. The cavern which we were now in was more than one in his reasoning with the Hebrew converts: " Ye have not hundred feet in length, dnd near forty wide, entirely vault- yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." The contest ed the whole way, and very lofty. It was divided into in which they were engaged with their adversaries, had apartments on each side, in some of which were grain, in been severe and of long continuance; they had- sustained others flour, in others oil, all in very large jars, buried no small loss of liberty and property, which they cheerfully half way in the earth: in other divisions were roosts for resigned for the sake of Christ, in hope of a better inheritpoultry; in others cows were kept; in some, goats and ance in heaven; they were in danger of becoming weary sheep; and some served as places to sleep in. The mid- and faint in their minds, from the length of the contest; but die part was kept clear as a passage to each room or divis- though their antagonists had often tried to defeat and foil ion." (Parsons.) —BURDER. them, they had not been permitted to shed their blood, or take away their lives, as they did to many of the saints in CHAPTER XII. preceding ages. The combatant in the public games, who gave up the contest before he had lost a drop of his blood, Ver. 1. VWherefore, seeing owe also are compassed merely because he had received a few contusions, or been about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us roughtly handled by his opponent, would have been infallilay aside every weight, and the sin which doth bly branded with infamy. Not less shameful, and infinitely so easily beset us, and let us run with patience more dangerous, it would have been for any of these Heso easily beset us, and let us run with patience' brews, to flinch from their duty, or desist from their Christhe race that is set before us. tian course, on account of the slighter difficulties and losses they had met with in striving against sin.-PAXTON. The athletme took care to disencumber their bodies of eit every article of clothing which could in any manner hin- er. 6. For whomthe Lord loveth he chasteneth der or incommode them. The pugilists at first used a belt, and scourgeth every son hom he receiveth. with an apron or scarf fastened to it, for their more decent appearance in the combats; but one of the combatants hap- It is said, in the East, of a truly good father, when he is pening to lose the victory by this covering's falling off, obliged to punish his son,modesty was in future sacrificed to convenience, and "Adikac-, oruki; the apron was laid aside. In the foot-race they were Anikam, oru ki." anxious to carry as little weight as possible, and uni- One hand, chastises; formly stripped themselves of all such clothes as, by their One hand, embraces. weight, length, or otherwise, might entangle or retard Showing, that though he is obliged to inflict punishment them in the course. The Christian, also, must" lay aside with one hand, yet in his heart he embraces him with the -vrvy weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset" other. —ROBERTs. THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. CHAPTER II. after a year or so he returns with the proceeds of his jourVer. 2. For if there come unto your assembly a ney-ROBERTS. man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and Ver. 15. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord there come in also a poor man, in vile raiment. will, we shall live, and do this, or that. gy the assembly here mentioned we are not to under- It was a custom among the Jews to begin all things with stand a congregation convened for public worship, as is God. They undertook nothing without this holy and decommonly represented, but a court of judicature, in which vout parenthesis, If God will. They otherwise expressed men are too apt to favour the cause of the rich against the it, if the name please; or, if the name determine so. The poor. The phrase, sit thoude yfotstool, aturallyre- phrase was so common that they abbreviated it, using a poor. The phrase, sit'tktuunder myfootstooil, naturally re- letter for a word. But this was not peculiar tothe Jews; fers to courts of justice, where the judge is commonly ex-letter for a word. Bt this was not pecula r to the Jews alted upon a higher seat than the rest of the people. The it was common with all the eastern people. Few books apostle also says, that such a respect of persons as he here are written in Arabic, but they begin with the word bisspeaks of is contrary to the law, and that those who are inillah-iv the name of God. With the Greeks the expresguilty of it, are convinced of the law as transgresso'rs. Now sion is,: with the Latin, Deo oente-B there was no divine law against distinction of places in CHAPTER V. worshipping assemblies, into those which were more or Ver. 7. Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the less honourable; this must therefore refer to the law of partiality in jucdgment. " Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and. nor honour the person of the mighty." Levit. xix. 15. hath long patience for it, until he receive the The Talmudists say it was a rule, that when a poor man early and lttr rin and a rich man pleaded together in judgment, the rich should not be bid to sit down, and the poor to stand; but In our climate, where it rains at all times of the year, we either both shall sit, or both shall stand. To this rule or have no notion of " early and latter rain;" but nothing is custom the apostle seems to refer, when he insinuates a more natural than this division in a climate like. that of charge against them of saying to the rich man, " Sitthou here Palestine, where in the summer months it seldom or never in a good place, and to the poor, Stand thou there."-JENNINGS. rains. It was not till after the autumnal equinox, about "A man with a gold ring.' By this circumstance the the seed-time, when the Jews began their civil year, that apostle describes a rich man. Among the Romans, those the autumnal or winter rains set in; and these they callec of the senatorial and equestrian orders were distinguished the early rains; the latter rain was that which fell in from the common people by wearing a gold ring. In March and April, towards harvest time. "The ra'in," time the use of them became promiscuous. The ancients says Korte,' which falls in October, November, and Deused to wear but one. —BuRDaR. ceinber, is called the early rain, and that which comes inr March and April, the latter rain. Respecting this latter CHAPTER III, rain-, it is to be observed, that about the time of the greatest Ver. 6. And the tongue 4s a fire, a world of in- heat, there are many years when it rains only a few hours, iquity: so is the tongue amono our members, or half a day, or at the outside two or three days succesthat teetw esively. This rain is extremely propitious to the standing that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire nellu, (rice, resembling our barley,) which is beginning to the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. ripen, and needs nothing more than such a good wetting, The original is very beautiful, and is an allusion to a to make the grain fuller and more solid, and to mature it. vrheel catching fire, as not unfrequently happens, by its This rain, therefore, whichn in the in hot season,on, is rapid motion, spreading its flames around, and at last in- very diffrent from the rain in the rainy seas volving the whole machine in destruction. The true ver- very favourable to the standing corn. In the rainy seasion is, It setteth on fire the wheel of human life, and thus son, at the end of the year, as soon as it begins to rain copifinally destroyeth the whole body. The original word for ously, and the ground is theeby softened, and rendered course, TpXo signifies a wheel.-BuRnER, for the plough, the farmer loses no time to commence his operations and sow his grain."-RosENaIULLER. CH@APTER IV. Ver. 14. Is any sick among you? let him call Ver. 13. Go to now, ye that say, To-day, or to-. for the elders of the church; and let them pray morrow, we will go into such a city, and con- over him, anointing him with oil in the nanme tinue there a year, and buy, and sell, and get gain. of the Lord. The merchants of the East have ever been famous for "In Yemen, the anointing of the body is believed to their trading peregrinations;.and often are we reminded strengthen and protect it from the heat of the sun, by which of the " company of Ishmaelites (who) came from Gilead, the inhabitants of this province, as they wear so little cloth-.with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, ing, are veryliable to suffer. Oil, by closing up the pores of going to carry it down to Egypt." See the young adven- the skin, is supposed to prevent that too copious transpiraturer; he has received a certain sum from his father, and tion whichenfeeblestheframe; perhaps,too, these Arabians goes to another town, where he has relations or friends, think a glistening skin a beauty. When the intense heat and he cautiously commences his business; he never loses comesin, theyalways anointtheirbodieswithoil. AtSana, sight of frugality; and should he, in the course of a few all the Jews, and many of the Mohammedans, have their years, have gained a competency, he relumsns to his native bodies anointed whenever they find themselves indisposed." place, there to husband out his days. But should he not (Niebuhr.) That in some degree explains the direction of prosper, he goes to another town, for his affairs are so ar- the apostle James, the meaning of which will be, to do that ranged in reference to rents and other matters, he finds no solemnly for the purpose of healing, which was often done difficulty in removing. But another trader will not thus medicinally; and accordingly we find Solomon, in many settle; he carries in two or three bags various spices, (which places of his Proverbs, speaking of administering ointmnent, are needed by every family,) and gums, and drugs, or cloth which rejoices the heart, which may be a healing medicine and silk, and muslins, or jewels, or precious stones, and to the navel, &c. —BaRiER. 81 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. CHAPTER I. the negative particle in this text, is a decisive proof that Ver. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible, and un- this is his true meaning; it extends to every member of the and that fadeth not away reserved in sentence; and by consequence, if it prohibit the platting of defiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in hair. it equally prohibits the putting on of apparel. But it heaven for you. never could be his design to forbid women to wear clothes, See on 1 Cor. 9. 25. or to be decently and neatly dressed; therefore, the negative must have only a comparative sense, instructing us in the CHAPTER III. propriety and necessity of attending more to the dispositions Ver. 3. Whose adorning, let it not be that out- of the mind, than to the adorning of the body. And as one' inspired writer cannot, in reality, contradict another, the ward adorning of platting the hair, and of command of Paul must be explained in the same war, not wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. as an absolute, but comparative prohibition: " In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with The eastern females wear their hair, which the prophet shamefacedness and sobriety, not with," or, according to emphatically calls the " instrument of their pride," very this view, rather than with "broidered hair, or gold, or long, and divided into a great number of tresses. In Bar- pearls, or costly array." Where nature has been less bary, the ladies all affect to have their hair hang down to liberal in its ornaments, the defect is supplied by art, and the ground, which, after they have collected into one lock, foreign is procured to be interwoven with the natural hair. they bind and plat with ribands; a piece of finery which The males, on the contrary, shave all the hair of their the apostle marks with disapprobation: " Whose adorning, heads, excepting one lock; and those who wear their hair let it not be that outward adorning of platting the hair, and are stigmatized as effeminate. The apostle's remark on of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel." Not that this subject, corresponds entirely with the custom of the he condemns in absolute terms all regard to neatness and East, as well as with the original design of the Creator: elegance in dress and appearance, but only an undue atten- "Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have tion to these things; his meaning plainly is: " Whose long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have adorning, let it not chiefly consist in that outward adorning long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for of platting the hair, but rather let it be the hidden man of a covering." The men in the East, Chardin observes, are the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the orna- shaved; the women nourish their hair with great fondness, ment of a meek and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight of which they lengthen by tresses, and tufts of silk, down to God, of great price." The way in which the apostle uses the heels.-PAXTON. THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. CHAPTER III. preposition, and properly requires a transitive rendering, er 12 Lookin for and astin unto the coming viz. accelerating, or hastening on, the co?nigo, &c. Thus unVer. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming derstood, the words convey the very interesting and solemn of the day of God, wherein the heavens being intimation, that Christians are not only earnestly to expect on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall the great day of God, the day of the restitution of all things, melt with fervent heat. but by their devoted lives and a pre-eminent sanctity of spirit, they are to be instrumental in expediting its approach. According to their conduct, as marked by all manner of I1 he word " unto" has here been supplied without autho- holy conversation and godliness, or the reverse, will be the rity. The original (spemedontas teen parouesian) exhibits no speediness or the tardiness of itsarrival.-BusH. co til t'd ~~:u~liii~lliilkl liltlll~iiiiill I1IIII~~~~"-~~ Al~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~e HIM d::- i~~~~~~i 8:~gP~j A I;~~~~~~~~~WI~~~~~ THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. Ver. 4. For there are certain men crept in un- are the terms which the apostle Ju(e applies to the ungodly, awares, who were before of old ordained to this who had crept unawares into the church: they were before of old, rpoysypapltavoL, ordained to this condemnation; percondemnation; ungodly men, turning the grace c:iss who must not only give an account of their crimes to of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the G(d, but are proscribed or destined to the punishment only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. which they deserve. In Persia, malefactors were not allowed to look on the king; this was the reason, that as soon Those who were summoned before the courts of justice as Haman was considered a criminal they covered his face. were said to be rpoysypatesvot Est Kpo'ltv, because they were From Pococke we find the custom still continues, for spealkcited to appear, by posting up their names in some public ing of the artifice by which an Egyptian bey was taken off, place; and the judgment ofrthe court was published or de- he says, " A man being brought before him like a malefacclared in writing. Such persons the Romans called pro- tor just taken, with his hands behind him as if tied, and a scriptos, or proscribed, that is, whose names were posted up napkin put over his head, as malefactors commonly have, in writing, in some public place, as persons doomed to die, when he came into his presence, suddenly shot him dead." with a reward offered to any that should kill them. These -PAXTON. THE REVELATION OF JOHN THE DIVINE. CHAPTER I. Smyrna write; These things saith the first and Ver. 9. I John, who also am your brother, and the last, which was dead, and is alive. companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom Smyrna, situated at the extremity of a beautiful bay on and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle the coast of Asia Minor, was one of the principal cities of that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and the ancient region of Ionia: its early history is involved in fer the testimpny of Jesus Christ. some obscurity. According to the geographer Strabo, it derived its name from an Amnazon, so called, who, having conquered Ephesus, had in the first instance transmitted Patmos has an excellent harbour, and the town, being her appellation to that city. The Ephesians afterward situated on the loftiest part of the island, makes a pretty founded the town to which it has since been appropriated-. appearance on entering. The houses, being constructed of Herodotus, however, states that Smyrna origina lyr belongeti a white freestone, have a peculiarly neat aspect. It has to the iEolians, who received into the city some Colophonian been calculated that the town has an elevation of nearly exiles. These subsequently taking advantage of a festival five hundred feet above the level of the sea. In its centre held without the town, to which festival the Smyrnceans reis a large-convent dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, who sorted in great numbers, shut the gates and became masters was banished to this island. Here he wrote his Revela- of the place. From that time Smyrna ceased to be an tion. We saw, in walking to the summit of the hill, the -fEolian city, but was received into the Ionian confederacv. grotto in which he is said to have composed them. The Of all the different cities which laid claim to the honour cf convent has a resident bishop, with a considerable number being the birth-place'of Homer, Smyrna seems to assert of monks, and is a college for the education of young men her claim to that distinction with the greatest zeal an d of the Greek persuasion. In those parts of the island which plausibility. the inhabitants are able to cultivate, we saw several small Though the Smyrnmans successfully resisted the attacks fields, or patches of corn, banked up with stones to prevent of Gyges, king of Lydia, they were subjugated br his dethesoil from being washed away bythe rains. It appeared, scendant, Alyattes; and in consequence of this event the however, to be capable of producing but an inconsiderable city sunk into decay, and was deserted for the space of four quantity of grain. The inhabitants procure sheep and cat- hundred years. Alexander proposed to rebuild it; *whici t'e from the neighbouring islands. The town contains design was carried into effect by Antigonus and Lysimachus, about two hundred houses. The women are to the men in the latter of whom completed the new city; the streets of proportion of five to one. (Wittman.)-BuRERa. which are said to have been remarkably handsome, being well paved, and drawn at right angles. Nulnmerous fine CHAPTER II. porticoes, temples, theatres, and a public library, with the Ver. 1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephe- splendid and lofty acropolis, rendered it one of the'most sus wrrite; These things saith he that holdeth beautiful cities of Ionia. Various grants and privileges were conferred upon the Smyrnuans by the Roman senate, the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh for the part which they had taken during the wars with in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Antiochus and Mithridates. Under the Roman emperors, Smyrna flourished greatly; and its schools of eloquence and See on Acts 18. 19. philosophy were held in considerable iepute. Under the Greek emperors Smyrna experienced great vicissitudes. Ver. 8. And unto the angel of the church in Having been taken by Tzachas, a Turkish chief; towards 644 REVELATION. CHAP. 3. the close of the eleventh century, it was nearly destroyed by nificent arch on the right of our engraving. It: >t partly a Greek fleet uinder the command of John Ducas: the Em- on the slope of the hill, and partly in the plain. On the peror Comne.,us subsequently restored it, but it again suf- summit of the hill, upon the left,:is the Acropolis, on fered very ste erely from a siege which it sustained against which is a castle nearly covering its whole summit, incluthe forces of Tamerlane. Not long after this event it fell ding about eight acres, together with some remains of' a into the hands of the Turks, in whose possession it has re- heathen temple. A neighbouring cemetery has, for ages, mailed ever since. been supplied with marble embellishments from the theatre, Modern Smyrna, by the Turlrs called Ismir, is beauti- which are collected in great profusion to ornament the fully situated at the foot of a lofty mountain, that stretches graves, near to which, if not on that site itself, was once along the shore to a great extent, and has upon its summit placed the celebrated temple of 2Esculapius, which, among the castellated building seen on the right of our engraving, other privileges, had that of an asylum.' Here also are which looks towards the bay. From this elevation the massive ruins of the church of Agios Theologos, conprospect is truly grand; and this is perhaps the finest port jectured to be one of those which the Emperor Theodosius in Asia, as a large fleet might ride in it, and vessels receive caused to be erected. There is another ancient church in and discharge their cargoes close to the shore. Upon this the town, that of Saint Sophia, which, about thirty years'mountain was founded one of those churches which became since, was desecrated by being converted into a Turkish the peculiar care of the apostle John, who addressed to its mosque. The scenery from the Acropolis is grand, but angel (presiding minister or bishop) the solemn admonitions sad. The fine plain before Pergamus, which seems ready in Rev. ii. 8-11. This church is dedicated to Polycarp, the to start into fertility at a touch, is sparingly cultivated, exfirst bishop of Smyrna,. who suffered martyrdom here A. D. cept on the very edges of the town; but that touch is want166, being committed to the flames. The population is ing. The unrestrained flood-courses of the Caicus and its commorly estimated at 100,000 or 110,000; but the Rev. tributary streams have cut the plain into broad sandy veins. John Hartley, who was here in the year 1825, is of opinion In 1828, when this place was visited by Mr. Macfarlane, that it is greatly overcharged. He thinks that Smyrna does a collection, in a Greek school, of about fifty volumes, in not contain many more than 75,000 inhabitants; of whom Romaic, or modern Greek, was called " the library," and about 45,000 are Turks, 10,000 Greeks, 8000 Armenians, represented the ancient store of two hundred thousand 8000 Jews, and less than 1000 Europeans of different na- volumes, which had been formed by the munificent niontions. The English residents may be upwards of one hun- archs of Pergamus: and a dirty little Italian quack, ignodred: they dwell in the British factory, which is very ex- rant and insolent, was head practitioner of medicine in tensive, and isenclosed with gates. The streets are narrow, the city which gave birth to Galen, and of which iEscuand many of the houses, which are built of clay, are low; lapius was the tutelary divinity. The town was as dull as most of them have roofs of pantiles, some of which are flat, the grave, except during the night, when, as it happened while others are gaudily painted. There are twenty to-be the Ramazan of the Turks, there was some stir among mosques: the Greeks have three churches; the Armenians, the Mohammedan portion of the inhabitants.-HORN.. one; the Latins, two; and the Protestants, two: the Jews have eight synagogues. Frank street, where the Euro- Ver. 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what peans reside, and in which many sign-boards are exhibited, the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that is by far the best street in Smyrna: by the English it has give to eat of the hidden been named Bond street; but the Turks call it Ghul Mahala, or the Rose Quarter. manna, and will give him a white stone', and in Smyrna has been subject to several awful visitations. In the stone a new name written, which no man 1743 it was destroyed by fire, and in 1750 by an earthquake; nosveth saving he that receiveth it..n 1 752, 17-58, and 1760, it was depopulated by plague; fire again consumed almost the whole of it in 1763, 1769, and It was a custom among the ancients to. give their votes 1778; and in 1814 there were 40,000 persons cut off by the by white or black stones; with these they condemned the plague. Earthquakes and the plague, indeed, are the great guilty, with those acquitted the innocent. In allusion to calamities ofthis place: the condition of the Christians re- this ancient custom, our Lord promises to give the spiritsiding here (which is not the most secure under the Turk- ual conqueror " a white stone; and in the stone a new ish govern ment) is said to be better than in that of any other name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that reof the sites of the seven churches mentioned in the Apoc- ceiveth it;" the white stone of absolution or approbation, alypse, as if the promise was still in some measure made and inseparably connected with it, a new name of dignity good to Smvrna:-" Fear none of those things which thou and honour, even that of a child of God and heir of glory, shalt suffer......Be thou faithful unto death, and I will which is known only.to himself, or the inhabitants of that give thee a crown of life." (Rev. ii. 10.)-HoRNE.: world to which he shall be admitted, and who have already r eceived it. When sentence of condemnation was proVer. 12. And to the angel of the church in Per- nounced, if the case was capital, the witnesses put their games write; These things saith he which hands on the head of the criminal, and said, Thy blood be -hath the sharp sword with tvo edges. upon thine own head. To this custom the Jews alluded, when they cried out at the trial of Christ, " His blood be on Pergamos, or Pergamus, was the ancient metropolis of us, and on our children." Then was the malefactor led to Mysia, and the residence of the Attalian kings, who col- execution, and none were allowed openly to lament his len:ted here a noble library, containing two hundred thou- misfortune. His hands were secured with cords, and his sand volumes, which was afterward transported to Egypt feet with fetters; a custom which -furnished David with an by Cleopatra, and added to the library at Alexandria. It affecting allusion, in hislamentation over the dust of Abner: is situated on the right bank of the river Calcus, about "Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put in fetters."sixty miles to the north of Smyrna. PAXTON. Against the church at Pergamus was adduced the charge of partial instability; but to its wavering faith was prom- CHAPTER II. ised the all-powerful protection of God. (Rev. ii. 12-17.) Ver. 1. And unto the angel of the church in SarThe errors of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans have been dis write; These things saith lie that hath the purged away; Pergamnus has been preserved from the destroyer; and three thousand Christians, out of a popula- even Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I tion of fourteen or fifteen thousand inhabitants, n cherish know thy works, that thou hast a name, that the rites of their holy religion in the same spot where it thou livest, and art dead. was planted by the Apostle Paul; though the poor Greeks are restricted to one small and mean church, under the Sardis, or Sardes, the capital 6f the country of Lydia, in Acropolis, or citadel of the ancient city, where the hymn Asia, was a city of great antiquity, the founder of which is if praise to their Redeemer is whispered, rather than sung, not certainly known. It was situated in a fertile plain, at for fear of offending the fanatical Turks. the foot of the northern slope of Mount Tmolus; which Numerous ancient ruins of a fortress, a thegtre, and a rears its majestic head in the background of our engraving, naumachia, attest the magnificence of this once royal city. and commands an extensiveview overthe circumjacent coun[he modern town of Bergamo is seen through the mag- try. The river Pactolus, (now an insignificant brook,) which - - -- — C —— ~- - — ~ PERGAMUS.-ReV. 2:12. Page 644. CHaP. 3' REVELATION. 645 is also seen in our view, flowed through the forum. To the Ver. 7. And to the angel of the church in Philasouth of the plain, on which Sardis was erected, stood the delphia write; These things saith he that is temple of Cybele, the fabled mother of the gods, accordinge th th he to pagan mythology: it was a very ancient and magnificent holy,, he that is true, he that hath the key of edifice; constructed of white marble. Of this temple the David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; two noble columns which are delineated in the foreground and shutteth, and no man openeth, of our engraving, together with a few mutilated fragments of other columns scattered on the sward or sunk in it, are Philadelphia was a very considerable city of Lydia, in all that now remain: these columns are buried nearly to the Asia. Minor, which derived its name from its founder, Athalf of their height in the' soil, which has accumulated in the talus Philadelphus, brother of Eumenes, king of Pergamus. valley since their erection, most probably by the destruction It stands in the plain of the Hermus, about midway between of the continually crumbling eminence, on which stood that river and the determination of Mount Tmolus. Bethe acropolis or citadel. The columns which have been sides the Hermus, which divides the plain, numerous brooks destroyed have been blown up by gunpowder, reduced to and rills give beauty, verdure, and fertility, to the neighblocks, and sold to masons and cutters of tombstones: and bourhood; vhich, however, is but little cultivated. as other materials are wanted, the two columns which are This city has, at various times, suffered greatly from yet standing in all probability will be blasted in the same earthquakes. Tacitus mentions it among the towns remanner; and the traveller, who may hereafter visit this spot, stored by Tiberius after a more than ordinary calamity of will vainly seek for a vestige of the Sardeian temple of this kind. (Annal. lib. ii. c. 47.) Not long before the date Cybele.. of the apocalyptic epistle, (Rev. iii. 7 —13) Philadelphia After experiencing various fortunes Sardis became a had suffered so much from earthquakes, that it had been in great and flourishing city in the reign of Crcsus, king of a great measure deserted by its inhabitants, which may, in Lydia, by the fatne of whose riches and hospitality men of some degree, account for the poverty of its church, as detalents and learning were attracted thither. On the over- scribed in that epistle. " Philadelphia appears to have rethrow of'this monarch by Cyrus, B. C. 545, Sardis continued sisted the attacks of the Turks, in 1312, with more success to be the chief town of the Persian dominions in this part than other cities. At a distance from the sea, forgotten by of Asia. On the revolt excited by Aristagoras and His- the emperor, encompassed on all sides by the Turks,'her tieus, the Ionians, with the aid of an Athenian force, sur- valiant citizens defended their religion. and freedom above prised this city, except the citadel, which was defended by fourscore years, and at length capitulated with the proudest a numerous Persian garrison. Though burnttotheground of the Ottong the Greek coloon this occasion, Sardis was again rebuilt; and, soon after nies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect-a the defeat of the Persians at the battle of the Granicus, it column in a scene of ruins." Whatever may be lost of the surrendered to Alexander the Great, who commanded that spirit of Christianity, there is still the form of a Christian the Lydians should regain their liberty, and resume their church in this city, which is now called Allah-Shehr, or ancient laws and usages. During the reigns of the Greek the City of God, by the Turks, and which possesses a few sovereigns in Asia, this city sustained numerous reverses; remains of heathen antiquity. and from Antiochus, the last Iring of Syria, it passed into Philadelphia is now a considerable town, spreading over the possession of the Romans, having surrendered to the the slopes of three or four hills. Many remains of the two Scipios, B. C. 187. Sardis wvas indebted tothe Emperor walls, which once encompassed it, are now standing, but Tiberius for its restoration, after a disastrous earthquake, with large gaps: the materials of its fortifications are small which had reduced it to a heap of ruins. stones with strong cement. The Rev. Mr. Arundell (by We have no information in the New Testament at what whom our view is sketched) is of opinion that these walls time Christianity was planted at Sardis; but probably it was are not much older than the last days of the lower empire, not till after Saint Paul had founded the church at Ephe- if indeed tthey are so ancient. He describes the passage sus; and there can be little doubt that the metropolis of through the streets as being filthy in the extreme; though Lydia is included in St. Luke's declaration, that " all they the view of the place, as the traveller approaches it, is very which dwelt in Asia heard the word' of the Lord Jesus, beautiful. The prospect from the hill is magnificent: highboth Jews and Greeks," (Acts xix. 10,) and also in the sa: ly cultivated gardens and vineyards lie on the back sides of utation of "all the churches of Asia," (1 Cor. xvi. 19.) the town, and before it is one of the richest and most exThis is rendered manifest bythe book of Revelation, where tensiveplains in Asia. Sardis is expressly named among the seven churches of Philadelphia contains about three hundred houses occithat province. When the warning voice was addressed pied by Greeks, and nearly three thousand which are in" UInto the angel" or bishop " of the church in Sardis," it habited by Turks. There are twenty-five churches, in five was evidently in a declining state. (Rev. iii. 1-5.) Sub- only of which divine service is performed once, every sequently, this city became the seat of a bishoprick; and week: in the larger number it is celebrated but once a year. ecclesiastical history mentions more than one council A solitary fragment is shown as the remains of the church as having been held here. of the Apocalypse, dedicated to St. John. —HoRNE. Sartlis continued to be a flourishing city, through the r. 14. And unto th a Roman emperors, to the close of the Byzantine dynasty. In the eleventh century the Turks took possession of it, and, the Laodiceans, write; These things saith the tuwo centuries later, it was nearly destroyed by Tamerlane. Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beThis once-celebrated capital of the Lydian kings is now ginnin of the creation of God. reduced to a wretched village called Sart, consisting of a feuw mud huts occupied by Turkish herdsmen, and erected Laodicea was one of the largest cities in the province of in the midst of extensive ruins; among which Lieut. Col. Phrygia Magna, at the commencement of the Christian Leake observed the remains of a large, Christian church. tera; though, originally, it was an inconsiderable place. "If"' (savs the Rev. Mr. Arundell, who visited this This increase was chiefly owing to the fertility of its surplace in 1833) "' should be asked what impresses the mind rounding soil, and to the munificent bequests and donations most strongly on beholding Sardis, I should reply, its in- of various opulent individuals. Its earlier name was describable solitude, like the darkness in Egypt,-darkness Diospolis; but after it had been enlarged by Antiochus II. that could be felt. So the deep solitude of the spot, once king of Syria, it was called Laodicea, in honour of his the'Lady of kingdoms,' produces a corresponding feeling consort Laodice. Situated on a volcanic eminence, this of desolate abandonment in the mind, which can never be city-was frequently exposed to earthquakes, in common with forgotten. Connect this feeling with the message in the the surrounding towns and villages. Its inhabitants derived Apocalypse to the church of Sardis:-' Thou hast a name great profit from the sale of the fine wools produced by that thou livest, and art dead..... I will come on thee their flocks, which fed in the adjacent plains. as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will In the early age of Christianity, Laodicea pm6ssessed a come upon thee.' (Rev. iii. 1, 3.) And then look around flourishing church, St. Paul's zeal for which is atitsteed tv and ask,' Where are the churches, where are the Chris- the mention which he makes of it in his Epistle to the C6.. tians of Sardis'.' The turnuli beyond the Hermus reply, lossians: —" I would that ye knew what great conflict I have'All des ],' suffering the infliction of the threatened judg- for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have ments ot God." —HoRNE. not seen my face in the flesh." (ii. 1.) And, " when this 646 REVELATION. CHAP. 4-9. epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the intimate that the robes of the Martyrs and Confessors here church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the spoken of, were actually died in the blood of the Lamb, as epistle from Laodicea." (iv. 16.) From the mention here Joseph's coat was in that of the wild beast slain by his made of the epistle from Laodicea, it has been conjectured brethren for the purpose; for this would have made them that the Apostle had written a special letter to the converts red, not white, at least unless we allow the words to do the in that city, whic4h is now lost; but it is with more proba- greatest violence to metaphorical congruity. But the sacred bility supposed that he refers to another of his epistles, either writers are not apt to outrage propriety and congruity in that to the Ephesians, or the first Epistle to Timothy. this manner. In the present case, the idea doubtless is, that The book of the Revelation of St. John contains a severe it was by the blood of Christ, by suffering unto death for rebuke of the Laodiceans for their lukewarmness and his name's sake, by shedding their blood for his cause, worldly-mindedness, and threatens them with that ruin which he graciously accounted as the shedding of his own, which has been so completely accomplished. (Rev. iii. that they had been enabled to make their raiment white, or, 14-19.) In our engraving several arches of a once mag- in other words, had become entitled to be arrayed, by way nificent aqueduct are seen; and the remains of an amphi- of reward. in the white robes of salvation. Their own suftheatre and other edifices attest the ancient splendour and ferings, in connexion with the merits of the Saviour's blood, extent of Laodicea._ Inscribed altars, columns, friezes, and had been the means of conferring this honour upon them. cornices, are dispersed among the houses and burying- The blood of the Lamb was rather the medium by which, grounds. The doom of the church at Laodicea seems to than the fountain in which, their garments had been thus have been more severe and terrible than that of the other blanched into the lustrous and pearly whiteness of the vesapocalyptic churches. Not a single Christian is said to re- ture of the risen, rewarded, and beatified saints.-BUSH. side at Laodicea, which is even more solitary than Ephesus. The latter city has a prospect of a rolling sea or a whiten- Ver. 17. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of ing sail to enliven its decay; the former, sits in widowed the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them loneliness. Its temples are desolate, and the stately edifices of ancient Laodicea are now peopled by wolves and jackals. unto living fountains of waters, and God shall The prayers of the Mohammedan mosque are the only wipe away all tears from their eyes. prayers heard near the yet splendid ruins of the city, on which the prophetic denunciation seems to have been fully See on Ps. 23. 1-3. executed in its utter rejection as a church.-HoaRNE. CHAPTER VIII. CtHAPTER IV. Ver. 4. And the smoke of the incense which came Vet. 10. The four' and twenty elders fall down with the prayers of the saints, ascending up bebefore hinm that sat on the throne, and worship fore God, out of the anel's hand. him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their cro~wn~s before the throne. There is a pagan rite, mentioned by C. Dampier, as practised by the nobility of Tonquin, which greatly illustrates This short expedition was brought to a close by the per- this passage. When they pray with their families, the sonal.submission of Abool Fyze Khan, who, attended by prayer is written upon a paper; and being recited by a propall his court, proceeded to the tents of Nadir Shah, and er officer, is thrown into a fire of coals, where, probably, laid his crown, and other ensigns of royalty, at the feet of incense or some other perfume is thrown at the same time, the conqueror, who assigned him an honourable place in so that the prayer ascends up with the smoke. —DAUBUZ. his assembly, and in a few days afterward restored him to j throne.-MALco LMi's HISTORY OP PERSIA. CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER VII. S Ver. 1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a Ver. 2. And I saw another angel ascending from star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to the east, having the seal of the living God: and him was given the key of the bottomless pit. he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, 2. And he openedthe bottomless pit and there to whom it was given to hurt the earth and arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a the sea. great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. See on Ezek. 9. 2. Commentators at the present day are almost univerVer. 3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sally agreed in regarding the fifth trumpet as symbolisea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the ser- zing and predicting the appearance of the Arabian imvants of our God in their foreheads. postor, his spurious religion, and his Saracen followers. But as it is by no means evident how Mohammed himself See on ch. 13.' 16. can properly be represented as " a star falling from heaven," the usual symbol of an apostate Christian teacher, or Ver. 9. After this, I beheld, and lo, a great mul- of a number of them, we apprehend the design of the Holy titude, which no man could number, of all na- Spirit in this imagery to be, to teach us that Mohammedantions, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ism is to be considered as the fruit or product of a Christian stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, heresy. The star had fallen before the time of the false prophet, in the person of Arius, and other gross heretics; clothed with white robes, and palms in their and as the consequence of their apostacy from the truth, hands. the providence of God so ordered it, that the desolating delusion of Mohammedanism should arise and overspread Sec on John 12. 13, 14, and 1 Cor. 9. 25. some of the fairest portions of the Church. This view of the arch-imposture of Islamism has been taken by some 3. And one of the elders ansvery able writers of modren times, particularly by Mr. unto me, What are these which are arrayed in Whitaker, in his " Origin of Arianism." The grand herewhite robes 2 and whence came they? 14. And sies, therefore, of the Christian church, previous to the time I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said of Mohammed, seem to be here personified in the fallen to me, These are they which came out of great star, and represented as being instrumental in introducing to me, lThese are thKey whih came out Of great this master-plague of error and superstition into the world. tribulation, and have washed their robes, and The poetical machinery of the vision is supposed to be messt~: them white in the blood of the Lamb. taken from the sacred oracular caves of the ancient Pagans, which were often thought to communicate with the In order to 4,:-,rk with absolute precision the meaning of sea, or the great abyss, and which were specially valued, -ne original in w: — latter clause, the preposition " in should when (like that at Delphi) they emitted an intoxicating be translated ";ly." It is not the pu oort of the passage, to vapour: it is used, therefore, with singular pro[ riety in CHAP. 9. REVELATION. 647 foretelling the rise of a religious imposture. There may stand. to it, and be as good as your word. As you go on, possibly be an allusion also to the cave of Hera, whither you will find some religious persons, who live retired in the prophet was wont to retire for the purpose of excogita- monasteries, and propose to themselves to serve God that ting his system, and from which it really emanated. The way: let them alpine, and neither kill them, nor destroy opening of the bottomless pit, therefore, and the letting their monasteries. And you will find another sort of out the vapour and smoke of the infernal regions, aptly people, that belong to the synagogue of Satan, who have represents the wicked and diabolical system of religion, shaven crowns: be sure you cleave their sculls, and give the dense and noxious fumes of the corrupt theology which them no quarter till they either turn Mohammedans, or he broached, and by means of which so large a portion of pay tribute." It has accordingly been noticed, that those Christendom was finally obscured and involved in darkness. parts of the Roman empire which were left untouched by The preternatural darkening of the sun foreshows the these Saracen hordes. were those in which, as it appears eclipse of the true religion; and that of the air prefigures from history, the remnant of the true church of God was the uncontrolled dominion of the powers of darkness. As still found residing: they were only to hurt the men who a striking coincidence with the signs here predicted, it is had not the mark of God on their foreheads.-Busmi. worthy of note, that a remarkable comet immediately preceded the birth of Mohammed; and that an eclipse of the Ver. 5. And to them it was given that they should sun, of extraordinary degree and duration, attended the not kill them, but that they should be tormentfirst announcement of his pretended mission.-Bus. ed five months: and their torment was as the Ver. 3. And there came out of the smoke locusts torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. upon the earth; and unto them was given Mr. Gibbon's undesigned commentary on these words power, as the scorpions of the earth have will show how the commission was fulfilled. "The fair po Wer. option of friendship or submission, or a battle, was proposed to the enemies of Mohammed. If they professed the creed Arabia has long been noted for giving birth to prodi- of Islam, they were admitted to all the temporal and spiritgious swarms of locusts, which often overspread and lay ual benefits of his primitive disciples, and marched under waste the neighbouring countries; and it is remarkable, the same banners, to extend the religion they had embraced. that in a genuine Arabian romance, the locust is intro- The clemency of the prophet was decided by his interests; duced as the national emblem of the Ishmaelites. The yet he seldom trampled on a prostrate enemy, and he seemed symbol, therefore, of the locusts issuing out of the smoke to promise, that on the payment of a tribute, the least guilty strikingly represents the armies of the Saracens, the mar- of his unbelieving subjects might be indulged in their wortial followers of the prophet, first engendered, as it were, ship." The period assigned for the power of the locusts, in amid the fumes of his religion, and then marching forth, this prediction, is "five months." Prophecy has its pecuat his command, to conquer and to proselyte the world. liar mode of computing time. A day for the most part The pages of history must be consulted to learn the devas- stands for a year. Five months, therefore, of thirty days tations of those hosts of destructive Saracens, which, under each, amount, in the computation of prophecy, to one the guidance of Mohammed and his successors, alighted hundred and fifty years. As five literal months is the upon and wasted the apocalyptic earth. Yet, notwithstand- utmost term of the duration of the natural plague of the ing the phantasms that came forth from the pit of the abyss locusts, so the prophetic five months accurately denote the bore a general resemblance to locusts, they were marked period of the main conquests of the Saracen empire, comby several peculiarities, by which they were more per- puting from the appearanrce of Mohammed to the foundafectly adapted to typify the people designed to be thus tion of Bagdad. "Read," says Bishop Newton, " the hisshadowed out. These we shall consider as we proceed.- tory of the Saracens, and you will find that their greatest BUSH. exploits were performed, and their greatest conquests made, within the space of five prophetic months, or one hundred Ver. 4. And it was commanded, them that they and fifty years,-between the year 612, when Mohammed should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither opened the bottomless pit, and began publicly to teach and any green thing, neither any tree; but only propagate his imposture; and the year 762, when Almanthose men which, D hae I no these of on sor built Bagdad, and called it the City of Peace." The those men which have not the seal of God in comparison of the locusts' torments to that of the scorpion their foreheads. will be considered subsequently.-BusH. By the command that they should not hurt the grass, nor Ver. 6. And in those days shall men seek death, the trees, but men only, it is evident that these were not and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, natural, but symbolical locusts; and also that they were and death shall flee f underprovidential control. The same thing appears from other attributes assigned them, which plainly belong to This prediction has usually been considered as awfully the objects signified, and not to the sign; as the human expressive of the hopeless sufferings and despair of eastern face, the woman's hair, the golden crowns, the iron breast- Christendom, under the lawless insults, violences, and opplates. But it is very common in the symbolic diction of pressions, systematically practised by their Saracen masprophecy, to find the literal and the allegorical sense in- ters. We would not deny that this may have been alluded termixed, and that even in the same passage. We are to; yet, as it would seem that men desirous of escaping thus furnished with a clew to the real meaning of the suffering by death, might easily, in a thousand ways, have symbols. By the precept here given, the emblematic lo- accomplished their object, it may be suggested, whether custs were required to act in a manner perfectly dissimilar the Saracens themselves are not the persons here referred to the ravages of natural locusts: and yet how faithfully to, as coveting death in battle, from a view to the honour the command was obeyed, may be inferred from the fol- and the rewards of such a decease. The following passage lowing very remarkable injunction of the Calif Abube- from the Koran, is worthy of special note in this connexker to Yezid, upon setting out on the expedition against ion. " Moreover, ye did sometimes wish for death, before Syria, the first urdertaking of the Saracens in the way of that ye met it." On these words Sale remarks, in a note, foreign conquest. It can scarcely be doubted, that these "that several of Mohammed's followers, who wee not instructions have been preserved, under the providence of present at Beder, wished for an opportunity of obtaining, God, for the express purpose of furnishing an illustration in another action, the like honour as those had gained who of this prophetic text. "Remember," said Abubeker, "that fell martyrs in that event." The import of the language, you are always in the presence of God, on the verge of therefore, may be, that God should give to the Moslem death, in the assurance of judgment, and the hope of par- hosts such an uninterrupted tide of conquests, they should adise. When you fight the battles of the Lord, acquit so uniformly come off victorious in their engagements, and yourselves like men, without turning your backs; but let that with such inconsiderable losses, that numbers, in the not your victory be stained with the blood of women or height of their enthusiasm, should pant in vain for the children. Destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn. glorious privilege of dying in the field of battle. —Bvsi. Cuet down no fruit-trees; nor do any mischief to cattle, only suLc, as you kill to eat When you make any covenant. 1 Ver. 7. And the shapes of the locusts'were Itks 648 REVELATION. CHAP. 9. unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their tions which he maintains; " Therefore the Lord will cut heads were as it were crowns like gold, and off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. their faces were as.the faces of men. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the their faces were as the faces of men. prophet that teacheth lies, lie is the tail." The emblem, therefore, strikingly represents the infliction of spiritual "Arabia," says Gibbon, "is, in the opinion of natural- therefore, ly represents the infliction of spiritual wounds by the propagation of poisonous and deadly eriss, the native country of t~e horse." The horsemanship rors and heresies. And nothing is more evident from the of the Arabs has ever been an object of admiration. " The page of history, than that the Moslem followers of Mohanmartial youth, under the banner of the emir, is ever on med have scattered, like scorpions, the venom of their doehorseback, and in the field, to practise the exercise of the trines behind them; and whether conquering or onqueed, trines behind them; and whether conquering or conquered, bow,' the javelin, and the cimeter." In correspondence, have succeeded in palmin a new creed upon those with therefore, with the hieroglyphic of the prophet, the strength whom theyhave had to do. By this symbol then, w a yof a the aracens consisted very much in theAir numerous plainly taught, that the plague of the allegorical locusts cavalry, andsisted not only in the ravages of war, but in the sucforms the most striking possible emblem of the rapid career cessful propagation of a false religion, of which the doc. of the Saracen armies. "And orn their heads were as it were crowns like gold, trines should be as deleterious in a spiritual point of view, and theiron thes were a s e it w ere crowns liMake gold, as the sting of a scorpion in a natural. In like manner, o int," sayes a pre cept of Mohammed of we aring tn."-Make a when it is said (ch. xii. 3, 4) of the " great red dragon havoin," says a precept of ohammed, of wearing tura- ing seven heads and ten horns, that his tail drew the third aorngt way ofeverbeenthedisti angels." Thed turban, of t part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth," cordingly, has ever been the distinctive head-dress of the the explication is, that the antichristiaa power shadowed Arabs, and their boast has been, that they wore, as their out by this formidable monster should he permitte to common attire, those ornaments whDich among other peo- instil the most pernicious errors into the minds of the pioie are the peculiar of royalty. The notice of the fessed ministers of the truth, and thus bring about their faces of men" seems to be intended merely to afford a entire defection from Christianit clew to the meaning of the emblem; to intimate, that not natural locusts, but human beings, were depicted under VTe. 11. And they had a king over them, which this symbol.-Busa. The Mamalukes wearing their beards long and rough, is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name with grave and stern countenances, having strong and able in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the bodies, used such cunning in all their fights and battles, Greek tongue, he hath his name Apollyon. that after they had given the first charge with their lances, they would by-and-by, with wonderful activity, use their Both these terms signify destroyer'. Since the locusts bows and arrows, casting their targets behind them; and are at once secular conquerors and the propagators of a forthwith the horseman's mace, or crooked cimeter, as the false religion, their king must stand to them in the double manner of the battle or place required. Their horses were relation of a temporal and spiritual'head. Such accorstrong and courageous, in make and swiftness much like dingly were Mohammed and the Califs his successors, unto the Spanish jennets: and that which is of many hardly who must be viewed as jointly constituting the locust-king believed, so docile, that at certain signs or speeches of the Abaddon; for in the usual language of prophecy, a king rider, they would with their'teeth reach him up from the denotes, not any single individual, but a dynasty or kingground a lance, an arrow, or such like thing; and as if' dom. The chief of the locusts, when they first issued they had known the enemy, run upon him with open from the pit of the abyss,' was Mohammed himself; but mouth, and lash at. him with their heels, and had by nature during the allotted period of the wo which they occasioned, and custom learned not to be afraid of any thing. These the reigning destroyer was, of course, the reigning Calif. courageous horses were commonly furnished with silver If, therefore, we were to suppose the genius of IMlohammebridles, gilt trappings, rich saddles, their necks and breast danismn under the Califs to be personified, and this symarmed with plates of iron: the horseman himself was bolical personage to be designated by the most appropriate commonly content with a coat of mail, or a breastplate of title, Abaddon, the destroyer, would be the appellation. iron. The chief and wealthiest of them used head-pieces: As the portion of the prophecy thus far considered, has the rest a linen covering of the head, curiously folded into reference to the origin of Mohammed's iniposture, and to; many wreaths, wherewith they thought themselves safe the rise, progress, and conquests of the Saracens, its earenough against any handy strokes; the common soldiers liest abetters and propagators, so the remaining part anused thrumbed caps, but so thick that no sword could pierce nounces the commencement and career of the Turkish them. —K(nLLEs. power, the principal of its later supporters. —Busa. Ver. 8. And they had hair as the hair of women,. Ver. 13. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, 9. And they had breastplates, as it were breast- which is before God. plates of iron; and the sound of their wings plates of iron; und the sound of their wings It is impossible, from the train of events, and from the was as the sound of chariots of many horses quarter of the world in which we are directed to look for running to battle. the irruption of these prodigious multitudes of horsemen, to mistake to whom the prophecy refers. The four angels The Arabs, as Pliny testifies, wore their beards, or who are described as bound in the regions bordering on rather mustaches, as men, while their hair, like that of the river Euphrates, not in the river itself, are the fcur women, was flowing or platted. The "teeth like those of contemporary sultanies or dynasties, into which the emlions," has reference to the weapons and implements of pire of the Seljukian Turks was divided towards the clos, war; and the "breastplates of iron," to the armour made of the eleventh century: Persia, Kerman, Syria, an:! use of by the Saracen troops in their expeditions. The Rhoum. These sultanies, from differentcauses, were lont "sound of their wings as the sound of chariots of many restrained from extending their conquests beyond wha horses running to battle," is but a part of the same expres- may be geographically termed the Euphratean regions, but sive imagery denoting warlike scenes and preparations. — towards the close of the thirteenth century, the four angels BUEs. on the river Euphrates were loosed in the persons of their existing representatives, the united Ottoman and Seljukian Ver. 10. And they had tails like unto scorpions; Turks. Gibbon, the historian of the Decline and Fall of and there were stings in their tails: and their the Roman Empire, must of necessity be the guide to any power was to hurt men five months. English commentator on this part of the prophietic history. The following is his testimony as to the immense number The interpretation of the symbols of the Apocalypse of the Turkish cavalry: " As the subject nations marched must be sought for in the Old Testament. From the fol- under the standard of the Turks, their cavalqy, bothi men lowing words cf Isaiah (ch. ix. 14, 15) it appears.that the and horses, were proudly computed by millions. On this tail of a beast denotes the false doctrines or the supersti- occasion, the tmyriads of the Turkish hoarse overspread a CHAP. 9. REVELATION. 649 frontier of six hundred miles from Taurus to lrzeroum." already considered. The imagery in the present symbol BUSH. is slightly different'from that of the Saracen locusts, which had the tails of scorpions; but the import is the same. Ver. 17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, Here the tails of the horses terminated in a serpent's and them that sat on them, having breastplates head; and it is not a little remarkable, that the Turks of fire, and of jacinth and brimstone: and the have been in the habit, from the earliest periods of their history, of tying a knot in the extremity of the long flowing heads of the horses' were as the heads of lions; tails of their horses, when preparing for war; so that their and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, resemblance to serpents with swelling heads must have and brimstone. 18. By these three was the been singularly striking. Striking too is the fact, th'at so third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the slight a circumstance should have been adverted to by the historian so often quoted, who thought as little of being smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out an organ to illustrate the predictions of scripture, as the of their mouths. Turks themselves did of being the agents to fulfil them. Speaking of Alp Arslan, the first Turkish invader of the These prophetic characteristics of the Euphratean war- Roman empire, he says, " With his own hands he tied utp riors accord in the most perfect manner with the descrip- his horse's tail, and declared that if he were vanquished, tion which history gives of the Turks. They brought that spot should be the place of his burial." The scope of immense armies into the field, chiefly composed of horse, the hieroglyphic here employed is to predict the propagaand from their first appearance on the great political stage tion of a deadly imposture by the instrumentality of the of nations, their costume has been peculiarly distinguished same warlike power which should achieve such prodiby the colours of scarlet, blue, and yellow, which are here gious conquests. The event has corresponded with the denoted by the terms " fire,"'-jacinth," and " brimstone." prophecy. Like the Saracens of the first wo, the Turks Rycaut's "Present State of the Ottoman Empire," pub- were not merely secular conquerors. They were animalished towards the close of the seventeenth century, will, ted with all the wild fanaticism of a false religion; they satisfy the reader on this point. professed and propagated the same theological system as " And the heads of' the horses were as the heads of lions, their Arabian predecessors; they injured by their doctrines and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brim- no less than by their conquests; and wherever they estabstone." We have here a symbol which is not elsewhere lished their dominion, the Koran'triumphed over the gosto be met with in the scriptures. The prophetic horses pel. Thus writes Mr. Gibbon:" The whole body of the are represented as vomiting out of their mouths " fire, and nation embraced the religion of Mohammed." "Twentysmoke, and brimstone," by which, it is added, " the third five years after the death ofBasil, his successors were sudpart of men was killed."'Mede, Newton, Faber, and most denly assaulted by an unknown race of barbarians, who other eminent expositornsof the Revelation, agree in sup- united the Scythian valour with the fanaticism, of new conposing that the flashes of fire attended by smoke and brim- verts." stone, which seemed to proceed from the mouths of the Sufficient proof has now been afforded, if we mistake not, horses, were in reality the flashes of astillery. The Turks that the appearance of the Arabian prophet in the world, were among the first who turned to account the European and the rise, progress, and results of his imposture, are invention of gunpowder in carrying on their wars. Can- clearly foretold in the sacred volume. Indeed, it would non, the most deadly engine of modern warfare, were not. be easy to specify any admitted subject of prophecy, employed by Mohammed II. in his wars against the Greek upon which history and Providence have thrown a stronger empire; and it is said that he was indebted'to his heavy or clearer light, than that which \ve have been considering. ordnance for the reduction of Constantinople. The pro- Interpreters have been justly struck at the surprising exactphet, therefore, is to be considered as depicting the vision- ness of the delineations, and their perfect accordance with ary scene of a field of battle, in which the cavalry and the details of history. " The prophetic truths," says Dr. artillery are so mingled together, that while flashes of fire Zouch, " comprised in the ninth chapter of the Apocalypse and dense clouds of smoke issued from the cannon, the are, of themselves, sufficieut to stamp the mark of divinity: horses' heads alone would be dimly discerned through the upon that book. When I compare them with the page< of sulphureous mist, and would seem' to the eye of the spec- history,'I am filled with amazement. The Saracens, a tator to belch forth the smoky flames from their own people which did not exist in the time of John, and the mouths. As the design of this striking imagery is to Turks, a nation then utterly unknown, are there described describe the appearances rather than the reality of. things, in language the most appropriate and distinct." If, then, the prophet employs an expression, "in the vision," or the considerations commonly adduced to account for the rather " in vision," i. e. apparently as it seemed, which evi- rise, progress, and reign of Mohammedanism, appear tc be dently conveys the idea that the phantasm of a battle scene inadequate,-if the human causes usually quoted to expa il. was presented to the imagination. We may now see how the astonishing success of Mohammedan imposture to i i)i far history confirms this'interpretation: "Among the im- seem to us to leave many of the phenomena inexplicable, plements of destruction," says Mr. Gibbon, " he (Moham- and the greatest revolution in the world connected with th',t med II.) studied with peculiar care the recent and tremen- history of the Church, stands forth an unsolved problem,-. dous discovery of the Latins; and his artillery? surpassed why should we hesitate to ascribe it directly to the deterwhatever had yet appeared in the world." " The Ottoman minate will and counsel of the Most High, and thus find a artillery thundered on all sides, and the camp and city, clew to all the mysteries connected with it?'Why should the Greeks and Turks, were inlvolved in a cloud of smoke, we be anxious to escape the recognition of a Divine interwhich could only be dispelled by the final deliverance or ference in the rise of this arch-heresy? If we have been destruction of the Roman empire." " The great cannon correct in our interpretation of the preceding predictions of of Mohammed has been separately an important and visible Daniel and John, the Mohammedan delusion is as real and object in the history of the times. But that enormous en- as prominent a subject of prophecy, as any in the whole gine, which required, it is said, seventy yoke of oxen and compass of the Bible. Now, to insist upon the operation of two thousand men to draw it, was flanked by two fellows merely human causes in the production of an event which almost of equal magnitude: the long order of Turkish is truly a subject of prophecy, is in fact to take the governartillery was pointed against the wall; fourteen batteries ment of the world out of the hands of God. And this printhundered at once on the most accessible places; and of ciple pushed to the extreme will inevitably lower and imone of these it is ambiguously expressed, that it was mount- pugn the sure word of prophecy; for it makes God the ed with a hundred and thirty guns, or that it discharged a predicter o'f events over which, at the same time, he has hundred and thirty bullets." —Bus. no special superintendence or control. Such a principle Ver. 19. For their power is in their mouth, and, cannot stand the least examination. When Daniel foretels the fortunes of the four great empires; or when Isaiah in their tails: for their tails were like unto ser- speaks of Cyrus by name, as one who should accomplish pents, and had heads, and with them they do certain great purposes of the Infinite Mind, is it to be suphurt. posed, that the events predicted were to happen exclusive, of Providential agency? As easily and as justly then i c The emblematic import of the tail of a beast we have may acknowledge a special pre-ordainment in the rase,' 82 650 RE L ATIO N. CHAP. 10-21. Mohammed, whose still more formidable dominion and hand, with the name, or some pecuiar character belonging more lasting and more fatal agency in the affairs of men, to their masters; soldiers were marked in the hand with are equally the theme of unquestionable predictions. No the name or character of their general. In the same manadmission of this nature militates with the free agency of ner, it was the custom to stigmatize the worshippers and man, or at all affects the' moral character of his actions. votaries of some false gods. Lucian affirms, that the worThe mere fact that an event is foreknown or foretold by shippers of the Syrian goddess, were all branded with certhe Deity, neither takes away nor weakens the accounta- tain marks, some in the palms of their hands, and others in bility of the agents concerned. Of this, the whole scrip- their necks. To this practice mayibe traced the custom, ture- is full of proofs. But the reflecting reader will de- which became so prevalent among the Syrians, thus to stigsire no further confirmation of so plain a position.-BusuH. matize themselves; and Theodoret is of opinion, that the Jews were forbidden to brand their bodies with stigmata, CHAPTER X. because the idolaters, by that ceremony, used to consecrate Ver. 5. And the angel, which I saw stand upon themselves to their false deities. The marks employed on the sea, and upon the earth, lifted up his hand these occasions were various. Sometimes they contained to heaven, 6. And sare by him that liveth for the name of the god; sometimes his particular ensign, as the thunderbolt of Jupiter, the trident of Neptune, the ivy ever and ever; who created heaven, and the of Bacchus: or they marked themselves with some mystithings that therein are, and the earth, and the cal number, which described the name of the god. Thus thing-s that therein are, and the sea, and the the sun, who was denoted by the number DC VIII, is said things twhich are therein that there should he to have been represented by the two numeral letters XHI. things which are therein, that there should be These three ways of stigmatizing, are all expressed by the time no longer: 7. But in the days of the voice apostle John in the book of Revelation: " And he causeth of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to sound, the-mnystery of God should be finished, receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.' The solemn asseveration of the angel here cited is very The followers of the beast received a mark in their right frequently misunderstood. It contains no intimation of the hand, because they ranged themselves under his banners, actual and absolute cessation of time, for in the part of the ready to support his interests, and extend his dominions prophecy in which it is introduced, the spirit of inspiration with fire and sword; they bore the name of their general, is not speaking of the end of the world, the winding up of the bishop of Rome, Lartvos, and the number of his name, all sublunary concerns, or of any thing pertaining to it, but which is 666. But they also received the mark of slaves of the ushering into the world of a state of triumph and on their foreheads, to denote that they were his absolute glory. The object of the angel is simply to announce be- property, whom he arrogated a right to dispose of accordforehand that this grand event shall take plbace, zwithout ing to his pleasure; who could neither buy nor sell, live lounger delay, under the seventh trumpet. A translation with comfort, nor die in peace, without his permission. that should give the exact scope of the original, would, dis- But they were not only soldiers and slaves; they were also regarding the present punctuation, read thus: " that there devotees, that regarded and acknowledged him as a god should be delay no longer, than unto the days of the voice and even exalted him above all that is called God and is of the seventh angel," &c. The original word for'time' worshipped; in token of which they received a mark in (chronos) is in several instances in the sacred writings used the palm of their hands, or in their foreheads. The pracin the sense of delay, as is also the verb chronizo, formed tice of marking the soldier and the devotee, although of directly from it, as Matt. xxiv. 48, " And if that evil ser- great antiquity, may be traced to one origin, to a custom vant shall say in his heart, My Lord, delayetlh (chronizei) still more ancient, of marking a slave with some peculiar his coming." That the Greek alla, but, is used in the stigma, to prevent him from deserting his master's service, sense of except, thaon, unless, &c. is expressly shown by or rendering his discovery and restoration certain and easy. Schleusner, in his N. T. Lexicon. T he conclusion there-To this custom the prophet Ezekiel refers: " Go through fore may be safely rested in, that the burden of the angel's the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and oath in this place is not that time, considered in itself, should set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and then end, but that the consummation of a certain great that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst event, called the " finishing of the mystery of God," should thereof." Another instance may be mentioned from the not be deferred any longer than to the period of the seventh Revelation: "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trumpet. What this event is, is clearly intimated Rev. xi. trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their 15, " And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great foreheads." In both instances, it is the symbol of protecvoices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are tion and security both to the persons and privileges of the become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ; and he people of God.-PAXTON. shall reign for ever and ever." Butthis is an event which CHAPTER XXI. is certainly to take place during the course of time, and not after its close.-BusH. Ver. 19. And the foundations of the wall of the CHAPTER XIII. city were garnished with all manner of precious Ver. 16. And he causeth all, both small and great, stones. Th first foundation was jasper; the rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark second, sapphire; the third, a;chalcedony; the in their right hand, or in their foreheads. fourth, an emerald. It was a general custom in the East to brand their slaves This is not only a description of what must be exceedin the forehead, as being the most exposed; sometimes in ing beautiful in its appearance, but is moreover manifestly other parts of the body. The common way of stigmatizing corresponding with the mode of building among the ancient was by burning the member with a red-hot iron, marked Romans, who, it is well known, constructed their walls with certain letters, till a fair impression was made, and from the bottom to the top with alternate layers, or rows of then pouring ink into the furrows, that the inscription bricks, and of white stone, and sometimes of black flints. might be more conspicuous. Slaves were often branded Each of these layers was always of a considerable thickwith marks, or letters, as a punishment of their offences; ness, or breadth; and while their different colours formed but the most common design of these marks Was to distin- a beautiful appearance to the eye, and were a most elegant guish them if they should desert their masters. For the kind of ornament, this mode of placing materials of differsame reason, it was common to brand their soldiers, but ent dimensions and substance in alternate rows greatly with this difference; that while slaves were marked in the strengthened the work.-KING. INDEX. BfEL, asking, counsel at, 227. AZOTUS, present state of described, 617.~ BONES of men burrt upon the altar, 258; ABIATHAR, how far concerned in the plot scattered at the grave's mouth, 416; of the against Solomon, 249. BAAL'S PROPHETS. did not ordinarily eat dead burnt, 555, 557. ABIDING under a tree, what, 167. at Jezebel's table, 264; their conduct illus- BOOK, the writing of by an adversary, 351; ABNER'S mode of promoting the interests of trated, 264. oriental, account of, 376. David, 185, 186. BAAL-ZEBUB, god of flies, 274, 583. BOOTY, how divided, 178, 303. ABRAHAM and other patriarchs, pastoral life BABEL, tower of, with what design erect~d, 18. BOSOM, term how used in the East, 109, 384; led by, 19, his entertainment of the angels, BABYLON, prophecies concerning, 457, 513- putting fire in the, 420. 26; compared with a minodern Arab emir, 23; 519. BOTTLES, eastern, described, 129, 411; exLazarus' being carried to his bosom, what BACA, valley of, what place meant by, 397. pressions concerning, 411, 582. nmeant by, 607. BADGER'S SKINS, what meant by, 66. BOW, account of the early use of, 181, 235; ABSALOM'S character and conduct, 217; pil- BAGGAGE, how managed in travelling, 527. treading upon, what meant by, 367; ancientlar, 223. BAKING, mode of in the East, 26, 214; how ly used by the Persians, 456; oriental, how ABSTINENCE from food through vexation, done for families, 501, 528. carried, 565. 176, 271. BALBEC, enormous stones among its ruins, BOW-SHOT, distance of, 28. ADAR, festival of, 323. 234. BOWELS, said to be hot, 250. ADDER, description of the, 399. BALDNESS, made for the dead, 109; use of BOWING to the earth as a token of respect, ADULATION paid to eastern monarchs, 389. term explained, 454. 40, 168. AFFECTIONATE mode of address by fak- BALD-HEAD, phrase how used, 276. BOWLS and dishes of the Arabs, 137. thers, 156. BANNERS, carried in processions, 370; dis- BOXING, exercise of, 640. AGE, reverence for in the East, 168, 347; playing of, phrase how to be understood, 386. BRACELETS of eastern ladies described, 451; ages, the four amuong the Hindoos, 457. BANQUET, where often spread in the East, worn by princes, 180. AHITHOPHEL'S counsel illustrated, 220. 240, 567. BREAD, how eaten in the East, 331; eating of ALABASTER-BOX, breaking of, 598. BAREFOOT, when Orientals walk, 218. the same, apledge of friendship, 376; casting ALIGHTING as a token of respect, 32, 282. BARLEY BREAD, a common eastern dishl139. of upon the waters, 440. ALLIANCES formed by Arab families,33. BASHAN, hill of, what meant by, 388; bulls BREAKFASTS of the orientals described, 445. ALMOND-TREE, natural history of, 486. of, expression how used, 371. BREAKING BREAD, what meant by, 621. ALOE-TREE, described, 98. BATHING, accounted a great luxury in the BRICK, the soil about Babylon peculiarly AMALEK,perpetual war threatened against, 61. East, 206; mode of, 473. adapted to making, 18; employed for buildAMMONITES, David's treatment of, 214; pro-. BATS AND MOLES, allusion to, 450. ing in Egypt, 455; dried, not burnt, 502, 528. phecies concerning, 531. BATTERING-RAM, description of, 309. BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM conducted ANGARII, or Persian messengers, 580. BATTLEMENTS, on the roofs of houses, 117. through the streets, 490. ANGELS, term how applied in the East, 216. BAY-TREE, green, allusion to, 375. BRIERS AND THORNS, teaing with as a ANGER, spoken of as burning, 320. BEAR, furious passions of the female, 221, punishment, 139. ANIMAL FOOD, seldom eaten by the Hindoos, 425; makes a loud noise in parturition, 481; BRIGANDINE, what kind of armour, 503. 625; animals how designated in the East, 161. symbol of the empire of the Medes and Per- BRIMSTONE, burning of, 336; how spoken ol ANKLETS, eastern described, singular cus- sians, 545. in reference to a country, 123. tomn in respect to, 451, 633. BEASTS, fallen, kindly cared for in the Mosaic BROTHER, term how applied in the East, 613. ANOINTING of the body, supposed effects law, 116. BUILDING, remarks on the state of in the of, 641. BEARD, held in great reverence in the East, East, 42.5, 480; on the sand, phrase explain. ANT, natural history of, 420; the white spe- 205; shaving the, a mark of subjection, ed, 581. cies, 580. 206; sometimes died black, 225. BULLOCKS unaccustomed to the yoke, 499. ANTELOPE, account of the, 184, 251, 443, 444; BEATING the breast through grief, 608. BULLS OF BASHAN, expression how used, node of hunting the, 456. BEAUTY, female, eastern notions of, 447; of 371. ANTIOCH in Pisidia, account of, 619. fbrm, highly prized, 542. BUNDLE, term how used, 169. ANTONIA, town of, described, 217. BEDS, eastern, construction and arrangement BURDEN, term howv used in prophecy, 570. APOLOGUES, the Orientals much addicted to of, 274, 421. BURIAL, desired near the tombs of saints, the use of, 130, 254 290. BED-CHAMBER, what meant by in the East, 258; generally without the walls of cities, APPLE-TREE, of little value in the East, 443; 289, 300. 461; sometimes within, 308. apples of gold in pictures of silver, 430. BEDSTEAD of Og, king of Bashan, 103. BURNING TO DEATH, an eastern punish. ARABS, their mode of life, 19; their mode of BEDOUIN ARABS, habits of, 372, 506. ment, 543; of dead bodies, 184; over the warfhre, 23; addicted to plunder, 326; lie in BEES, expressions relative to, 103; how kept dead, 179. wait for caravans, 488; dress of, in the Holy in the East, 160; how their honey deposited, BUTTER, how made in the East, 135, 346,434. Land, 616. 125; opinions of the ancients respecting, 142. ARARAT, mount, description of, 13; ascent BEGGARS, very common in the East, 607. CAIN'S sentence explained, 12 of, 14. BEHEMOTH, what kind of animal, 358-360. CAMEL, much used in travelling in the East, ARBOUR, eastern, account of, 444, 562. BELLS, used upon garments, 68; hung on the 38; remembers an injury long, 138; his ARCHIVES, kept of important events, 311; necks of horses, 569. habits, 139; remarks upon the loading of, sometimes read to princes, 321. BENJAMIN, compared to a wolf, 52. 285; how said to pass through the eye of a ARIEL, why Jerusalem so called, 466. BESIEGED IN WAR, how used to defend needle, 587; Camel's hair, materials of raiARM-HOLES, pillars sewed to, 528. themselves, 489. ment, 576; Camel's milk, value of to the ARMOUR, of eastern warriors described, 161. BESOM OF DESTRUCTION, phrase explain- Arabs, 39; sometimes comnpared to a ship, ARMY, silent approach of compared to dewv, ed, 459. 333. 221; armies of Israel originally footmen, BETHANY, description of its present state, CAMPHIRE, how used in the East, 442. 293; numerousness of ancient, 301. 614. CANA OF GALILEE, by wvhat relics distinARROWS, poisoned, the practise ofusing, 331, BETHIESDA, pool of, 611. guished, 609. 384; shot into an enemy's country, 290; BETHLEHEM, description of, 575. CANAAN, conquest of by the Israelites jinsused for pestilence, 399; term applied to the BIER, use of in funerals, 187, 617. tified, 136; surrounded by dreary deserts, tongue, 491; children sometimes so called, BILES, much dreaded in the East, 327. 103; original fertility of, 105,106. 131. 413; burning, what, 367. BIRDS, employed in ceremonial cleansing, 75; CANCELLING OF HANDWRITING, mode ASCENTS by steps, made in honour of an em- nestling near the altar, 396. of, 635. peror, 255. BIRTH, coming to the, phrase how used, 294; CANDLES, in night encampments, 346. ASHIIES thrown in the air, 55. of a son, season of great festivity, 576. CAPTIVITY, scriptural idea of, 365; captives, ASHKELON, prophecies concerninig, 504, 566. BLACKNESS OF FACE, 521, 572; gathering, howprocured in the East, 531. ASS, account of, 304; peculiar value of in the phrase explained, 553. CARAVAN, description of an eastern, 485, East, 341; saddle, mode of travelling with, BLANKETS, a single one worn, 599. sometimes divided, 39. 279, 280; female, why more valuable than BLACK AND WHITE GARMENTS, when CARAVANSERY OR INN, eastern, 127, 600. the male, 324; wild, description of, 353; used, 305. CARMEL, Mount, description of, 448, 558. wvhite, riding upon by persons of distinction, BLASPHIEMY, deemed as Aheinous crime, 81. CARPETS, spread in honour of idols, 555. 136, 140, 431. BLEMISHES, personal, not allowed in priests, CARVED WORK, Orientals very fond of 253. ASSEMBLY, poor man coming into, 641. 81. CASTING DOWN FROM A ROCK, 3. ASSOCIATES desired by eastern travellers, BLESSING, importance attached to, 32. CATERPILLARS, rough, remarks upon, 305. 618. BLOOD, practice of eating in Abyssinia, 17; 515. ATHLETAE, or combatants, how trained, 637. forbidden to be eaten by the Israelites, 21; CATTLE, apt to wander in travelling,'37. ATTIRE OF HARLOTS, described, 420. mixed with idolatrous sacrifices, 369. CAVALCADE,: eastern, description of, 321. AUGURS, covered with a mantle when con- BLUE, colour of, greatly in esteem among the CAVES, sometimes residence of eastern shep sulted, 176. Jevs, 531. herds, 348; places of concealment, 375; AVENGING the blood of relations, 99, 100. BODIES of executed criminals expm sed, 179. scenes of idolatry, 526; ansl dens places o1 AWAKING one from sleep, 443. BOLSTER, eastern, described, 170. habitation, 640. 652 INDEX. CEDAR-TREE described, 98; of Lebanon, CUPS, beautiful, formed of the Nautilus, 629. EDOM, prophecies concerning, 507, 5I[1, 540. 252, 456, 568. CURES, supposed to be effected by touching EGYPT, land of coiipared with Jndea, 108; CHAFF, custom of burning after winnowing, the part diseased, 281. prophecies concerning. 535. 577. CURSE God and die, phrase illustrated, 328; ELDERS, or Senators, term explained, 331. CHAMBER, prophets', how constructed, 279. cursing in war, 98; term how to be under- ELEPHANTIASIS, perhaps Job's disease, 327. CHANGES of fortune, how described in the stood, 586. EMERODS, severe disease in the East, 123; scriptures, 374. CURTAfN,~ hung before a tent-door, 68. images of, 157. ChAPPING of the earth in the East, 494. CUSTOMS, ancient, held in great reverence ENCAMPMENTS, eastern, how regulated, CHARIOTS, of iron, anciently used in war, in the East, 622. 170, 311. 131; expressions concerning, 275; races of, CUTTING the flesh of the dead, 79; on what ENGEDI, village of, why so called, 168. 629. other occasions practised, 265, 507. ENTRANCE to eastern houses made low, 425. CHEEK, smiting the, 335. CYMBALS, what kind of instruments, 417. ENTREATING a wife by a husband, 337. CHEESE, mode of making in the East, 161. EPHAII borne by two women, Zechaiiah's CHERETHITES AND PELETHITES, what, DAG ON, temple of, how built, 145. vision of explained, 567. 204., DAN, his blessing explained, 50. EPIHIESUS, city of described, 620; temple of CIIERUB, term how applied to Tyre, 535. DANCES, eastern, described, 58, 178, 198; and Diana at, 621. CHILD, people compare themselves to, 250. nmusic, when practised, 164; dancing girl, ESICOL, grapes of, 94. CHILDREN, punished for the sins of fathers, Hincio, ornaments worn by, 450; dancers, ESi'OUSAIS, preecdle marriage by ten or 63; passing through the fire, 108, 290; ear- eastern, solicit money from the company, twelve mnonths, 142; how performed, 370. nestly desired in the East, 142; disgraceful 585. 575, 610: not to have, 343; destroyed by bears, 276; DARKNESS, plague of, 56. EUNUCIIS, black, in the Levant, 502. offered in sacrifice, 278; sold by their pa- DAUGHTERS, how given in marriage, 35; EUPHIRATES, water of muddy, 487. rents, 278' brought uip by nurses, 287; com- sometimes deceit practised, 36; dedicaled EVIL, in the eyes ol, phrase explained,,158; pared to plants, 416; how carried in the to prostitution in the East, 79; of Israelites evil eve, allusions to the, 429. East, 476; piping in the market places, 584; allowed to marry out of their tribes, 102. EXECUJTIONERS, public, the, 167; cxecterm of ehddearnient, 616. DAVID, a man after God's own heart, phrase tions in the East very prompt, 424. CHIOLERA, its ravages in the East, 394. explained, 188, 189; removes the ark, 193, EYES, thrust out as a punishment, 160, 298, CIIURCII of Holy Sepulchre described, 594. 194, 195; kills a lion and a bear, 162; his an- 474, 502; the custom of staining, 287; the CISTERNS and water works of Solomon, de- swer to Achish, 171, 172; released from his sevenr of the Lord, phrase explainecd, 567; scribed, 435. connexion with Achish, 176; his attack upon of carcasses piclked out by ravens, 434; of CITRON-TREE of the East described, 443. the Amalekites, 178; his conduct towards thedove, remrarks upon, 447. CLAY, turned to the seal, phrase explained, Ishbosheth, 182; his dancing considered, 352. 198; his treatment of the Moabites, 201; his FACE, to see one's, phrase how used, 169, CLEAN and unclean beasts, distinction of, victory in the valley of salt, 203; his conduct 216; to put away one's, 248, 334; to entreat 72, 80. towards Uriah, 207, 208; his treatment of the one's, 258; to turn to a holy place in prayer, CLEFT in the rock of Calvary, 594. inhabitants of Rabbah, 212; his alleged in- 254, 367; to put between the knees, 265. CLIENTSHIP, an ancient custom in Arabia, dulgence to hlis children, 215; his conduct FAIRNESS of complexion, how esteemed in 337. towards Joab, 224, 227, 241; towards Mephib- the East, 365. CLODS of the valley, allusion to, 341. osheth, 225; towards Saul's house at the in- FALSE BALANCES, punishment for employCLOTHES, given in pledge, 64; numerous atigation of the Gibennites, 228; tovards ing, 422. suits of, 344; clothed With a person, phrase Shitnei, 224. FAN, eastern, form of, 467. expiained, 625. DAYS, time computed by, 17; ay, great, corm- FARE, scanty, of the Arabs, 423. CLOUDS, precursorsof rain, 266. mon phrase in the East, 35. FATHER, term how used in the East, 455. COACHES filled with female slaves, 320. DAY-SPRING, rising of, 600. FEAR, a prominent effect of heathenism, 291 COAL, quenching of one's, 216. DEAD, how laid out, and mouarned in the East, of wild beasts, its effects, 428. COCKATRICE,' remarks upon the, 481l. 29. FEASTING, from house to house, in turn, COCK-CROWING, time of, 598. DEAD DOG, term of contempt, 168, 635. 324; eastern, lowv conducted, 429.. COFFIN carried round at feasts, 440; not ge- DEAD BODIES, how deposited iatoisbs, 615; FEASTS, given in the East to the poor as well nerally used in the East, 290. dead carcass, tied to living bodies, 624. as the rich, 589, 606; how tables arranged a.t COINED MONEY, great antiquity of, 40. DEAD SEA, account of, 20-22. 589, 603. COLDNESS of the nights in Palestine,, 500. DEATH, personified as having snares, 369. FEET, to be at one's, phrase explained, 135; COMBAT, single, common in ancient times, DECAPITATION, an eastern punishment,180. of travellers, washed in the East, 26; of 163. DECREES, eastern, modles of inaking, 455. criminals secured, 187; and fingers, speakCOMFORTERS visit mourners, 328. DELIVERANCES from danger, how spoken ing with, 420; placed upon the neck of a COMPASSING one's steps, 369. of, 413. conquered enemy, 49,131. COMPLAINTS against oppressors, how con- DEMONIACAL possession believed in in the FEMALES in the East not generally able t1 ducted, 622. East, 584. write, 271. COMPLIMENTARY forms of speech, 216. DESERTS, African, described, 107; of Meso- FESTIVALS, religious, expediency of, 110. CONCEIVING INIQUITY, phrase how used, potamia. great scarcity of water in, 29. FIESDS said to complain of their owners, 351 367. DESOLATE PLACES, what meant by, 328; FIG-TREE, particularly valuable in Canaan CONCUBINE, the Levite's cut to pieces, 146. desolate houses, commern in the East, 458. 55!; grow in orientalgardens, 609. CONEY, what kind of animnal, 409. DEVOTED things not redeemable, 89. FIGIJURES, represepting captivity of Israel, 292 CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL, what meant DEVOTION, apparent, of the Hindoos, 312. FINGERS. dipping in a dish, 592. by the term, 89. DEWS, very copious in the East, 181, 548. FIR-TREE, felliug of with an axe, 458. CONSECRATE, term how used, 68. DIAL OF AHAZ, shadow upon, 296. FIRE, treading or walking on, 291. CONSOLATION, THE, a title of the Messiah, DINNER, aPersian described, 589. FIREBRAND, term how applied in the East. 601.- DISMOUNTING, a token of respect, 169, 635. 567. CONSUMING of the life or soul, 215. DISSOLVER OF DOUBTS, phrase how used, FIRST-BORN, privileges of, 116. COOKING, performed hastily in the East, 176. 544. FISH, in the Red Sea, 92. COOLING, parlours, mode of in the East, DIVINATION by arrows, 530; other modes FISHERMEN prefer the night for fishing, 602, 133. of, 548. FLAGONS, aupporting one with, 443. CORN, parched and roasted, 148; ground at DOGS, licking the blood of the slain, 272, 286; FLESHI-MEAT little eaten in the East, 63, 429. break of day, 187, 441, 498;. how preserved, character of, in Arabia and Africa, 371; re- FLEA, David's comparison of himself to, 172. 263; parched, still used for food, 222; trod- turning to their vomit, phrase explained, FLOATS, eastern manner of constructidon,'den out by oxen, 289; taking off the ears of, 431; term, used by way of reproach, 163. 252, 460. 343; withholding of, in times of scarcity, 423. DOORS, custom of loose women sitting at, FLOCKS in the East kept by women, 129; o! CORNELIUS, whether he intended to pay Pe- 422; of the anicients, how constructed, 431; goats, 269; driven to the shade at. noon, ter divine honours, 618. door keepers in the East, allusion to, 397. 443; nambered daily, 500. CORNERS of a field, left to be gleaned, 81; to DOVE, the, remarks upon the natural his- FLOORS and ceilings in the Ea'st, 253. sit in corner, inark of honour, 556. -lrsote,44 sit in corner, mark of hronour, 556. tory of, 387; conjugal chastity of, 447; dove's FLY OF EGYPT, remarks on tme, 454. CORN-STACKS, destroyed by fire, 64. dung, what rendered it valuable, 283; flying FOOD presented to idols, 627. COTTAGE in a vineyard described, 449. to their windows, 482; Spirit of God likened FOOLISH WOMEN, alluded to by Job, who COURTESANS, heathen, dedicated to tlhe to, 577. meant by them, 328. temple, 561. DRAGONS, or large serpents, 350. FOOT set in a wide place, phrase explained, COURi.TS of eastern houses, 602. DRAUGHTS, intoxicating, given to malefac- 374. COVERED, to be, sign of mourning, 462; cov- tors, 498. FOREHEADS marked by idolaters, 527. ering, the lips, sign of mourning, 531. DREAMS, much thought of in the East, 108. FORERUNNER, term how used, 639. CRACKLING of thorns under a pot, 437. DROMEDARY, remarkable for his swiftness, FOUNTAINS of water, frequently places of CREATION, account of, considered, 10. 482. danger, 136; armies assembled at, 176; stopCRIMINALS, where executed, 394; cast into DRY TREE, bad man compared to, 608. ped in time of war, 310; sealed, phrase exthe sea, 587. DUNGHILL, to embrace, phrase explained, plainted, 445. CRIMSON or scarlet, the favourite colour of 510. FOWLING, mode of in the East, 373. ancient heathen prostitutes, 449. DUST, strewed on the head, 180; licking the, FOXES, particularly fond of grapes, 445, 518; CROCODILES, Egyptian princes compared to, phrase explained, 389. Samson's catching, 143. 536; ways of taking, 537; object of terror to DWELLING DEEP, phrase explained, 510. FRECKLED spots in leprosy, 74. the Egyptians, 332. FROGS, plague of, 54, 410. CROWNS, ancient, remarks upon, 414; em- EAGLE, peculiarities of the, 124; the golden, FRONTLETS, Moses' words concerning ex. ployed at marriages, 445; civic, given as a 529; the baldl, 567. plained, 105. reward to Roman soldiers, 638; of thorns, EARLY RISING, common in the East, 39. FRuIT-TREES, not willingly cut down in She remarks upon, 593. EARS, the digging or opening of, 376; of corn, East, 115. CRUCIFIXION, remarks upon, 593; created plucking of, 119. FUEL, what kind of used in the East, 156; dreadfiul thirst, 593, 599. EATING under the shade of trees, 350; mode scarcity of how compensated, 486, 581. CRUISE, what kind of vessel, 275. of in the.East, 427; early in the morning FUNERAL, attending upon made one unclean, CRYING to the gods in trouble, 372. disgraceful, 440; eaten up, when one said to 89; chariots, described, 286; feasts, in honCUP-BEARER, office of, 213. be, 398. our of the dead 496. INDEX. 653 FIURNAtCE, fiery, mentioned by Daniel, 543. HE-GOATS travel before the flock, 513. JAW-BONE, from which Samson drank, con. FURNITURE of eastern houses, 462. HEALING in his wings, phrase explained, 572. sidered, 144. HiEAT of the day, Orientals repose during, JEALOUSY, very common in the East, 420; GAME, how taken in hunting, 420. 284; in eastern countries often fatal, 279. effects of, 638. ~1AMES asnd combats among the Greeks, 626. HEAP of stones, as sepulchral monuments, JEBUS, speech of the inhabitants of, to David, GARDENS, how watered in the East, 107, 366, 223. explained, 189. 450, 481; oriental, described, 423. HEART, to be placed in one's, 634. JEPHTHAH'S vow considered, 140. GARDENERS, eastern, custom of alluded to, HEATHEN, term how applied in the Scrip- JERICHO, the curse denounced upon him who 606. tures, 366. should rebuild it, 129; state of the country GARLANDS employed on festive occasions, HEAVENS spread out as a curtain, phrase around, 604. 620. explained, 407. JERUSALEM, vast numbers gathered there at GARMENTS taken in pledge, 120; laid down HEBREW, the originatl language, 11; Hebrews the festivals, 65; enthusiasm of pilgrims as carpets, 286; frequently changed in the not a warlike people, 162. uponcoming in sight of, 396; how it could East, 407; the keeping of white, 438. HEDGE placed around one, 324; of thorns, contain so great multitudes, 298; Volney's <1ATES of cities, common places of judica- breaking through, 494. account of approach to, 413. tion, 116, 149: of the daughter of Zion,what HELMET, piece of ancient armour, 162; and JEWELS, the Hebrews' borrowing of the meant by phrase, 368; of fortified places, shield, account of, 624. Egyptians considered, 56; worn in the noshow secured, 618. HELP-MEET, a wife so termed in the East, 11. trils, 422; on the cheeks, 423; worn profuseGIBEON, Solomon's sacrifices at considered, HERBS anrid flowers planted upon graves, 464. ly by Jewish brides, 482. 249. HEROD, Josephus' account of his exhibition JEWS, forbidden by Adrian to enter -JerusaGIBEONITES, senteno6 pronounced against of himself, 619. lenm, 453. them considered, 129. HERMON, mount, the dew upon, 415. JOAB slain by Benaiah, 249. GIDEON'S hastily prepared mineal, 137. HEZEKIAII'S display of his treasures, 297. JOB, structure and scope of the book of, 325. GIFTS, often pompously presented in the HIDDEN treasures, discovery of, 329. JONATHAN'S meeting David in the wood ilEast, 133. HIGHEST seat at entertainments, 606. lustrated, 167. GILEAD, mountains of described, 125. IlGH-WAYS, frequently deserted by travel- JORDAN, the river, described, 20, 127.;1RDLES, how used in travelling, 57; bestow- lers, 136. JOSEPH Compared to a fi'uitiul vine, 51; ed as a mark of estdem, 222; use of in east- HILLS and highl places, anciently the seat of where interred and why, 132. ern dress, 494, 583, 605. worship, 273, 291. JOT or tittle, term explained, 579. GIVING a cup of cold water, 584. HIND, bringing forth her fawn, 353, 373, 495; JOURNEY, when the Arabs begin, 2980; those GLEANING after reapers, 79,147. allusion to feet of, 370; celebrated for affec- of princes, how distinguished, 470. GLOIIYING over one, phrase explained, 55. tion to its mate, 419. JOY, how expressed by females in the East, GNASHING of teeth in rage, 411. HINDOOS believe in numerous gods and de- 289. GOAT, wild, described, 408; symbol of Mace- mons, 585. JUDAH, why compared to a lion, 49; coverdon, 546. HIRING out for bread, 156. inc of,,phrase explained, 461. GOEL, or avenger of blood, 99. HOGS, wild, numnerous and destructive in the JUDEA, remarks on the soil of, 453,'473; landl GOING out to meet a person, 178. East, 394. of desolated according to prophecy, 88, 463, GOLD, quality of how tried, 569. HONEY, found in the rocks in Palestine, 396; 464, 525. GOURD, wild, what, 281; mientioned by Jonah, not always wholesome, 430; comb, delicious- JUNIPER-TREE, account of, 266; coals of, what, 560. ness of, 370. phrase explained, 411. GRAIN, prod uct of Syria, 395; where lodged HOOK in the nose, phrase explained, 469; after winno ing, 551, 577; various kinds of hooks and fish-hooks, 557. KEEPER of the head, phrase how used, 171. sown in Palestine, 468. - HORN, worn by females in the East, 155, 369; KEY, sometimes worn upon tlhe shoulder GRANARIES, marie under ground, 303. also by soldiers, 272, 390. 462; given in token of conferring authority GRAPES, large and abundant in Holy Land, HORNETS, sent as a judgment, 66; very an- 586. 94; juice of trodden out, 125, 140. noying in the East, 101. KID, seething in its mother's milk, 65. GRASS, generally found in the vicinity of wa- HORSES, not allowed to the kings of Israelto KINDRED, laws respecting marriage be ter, 263; grows with great rapidity in the multiply, 112, 307; of conquered enemies, tween, 78. East, 387. how dealt with, 130; brought by Solomon KINGDOM, delivering up the, to tihe Father GRAVE, spoken of as a habitation, 349. from Egypt, 257; the bride in Solomon's 638. GRAVING on the palms of the hands, 475. Song compared to, 442; of the sun, 279; an- IKINGS and princes dishonoured after death GRAY HAIRS, objects of special reverence cient mode of shoeing, 453; sometimnes 309; memory of the good honoured, 309; in the East, 427. painted red, 567; led in the wilderness, 484; how nursing fathers to the church, 476. G.EAVES, military, described, 161, 633. bells hung upon their necks, 569. KISHON, the river, described, 136. GREECE and Persia, prophecies concerning, HIORSE-LEECIHI, remarks upon the, 433. KISSING the beard, 184, 227; the feet, 604; 546. HOfSEMEN spreading themselves, 564. sacred oblations, 267; the hand a token of GREEDY of gain, pLiase explaine d, 418. HOSPITALITY, distinguishing trait of the respect, 350; the wrif.ten decrees of princes, GREEN, how term applied to persons, 405.. Orientals, 351, 588, 608. 429 GRIEF, eastern ihbtde of expressing, 156. HOUSE of burial described, 163; of sheep- KNEAD:NG-TROUGHS, eastern. described GRINDING the face, phrase explained, 450. shearing, what, 288; dedication of, 374. 57, 123. GROVES anciently made use of for temples, HOIISE-TOPS, how constructed, 159 414, 461; KNOWING a person, phrase how used, 332 485. dwelling upon, 427; walking upon, 591. one afar oft; 415. GUESTS, dismissed from feasts with presents, 1-HUNTING, mode of, practise'd in the East. 235 200; how hono'ired at entertainment.s, 244. HUSBANDMEN, in the East, labour almiost LABOURtERS collected for employment, 589. GUIDES in the wildernesses of the East, 90. naked, 591. LACIIHRYMATORiES, used by thie ancients GUITA1R, people of the East very fond of, 350. IItUSHAI'S treachery considered, 218. 534. HtUSKS, import of original term for, 606. LADIES, eastern, veiled when they appear in ITAGAR, circumstances of her sending away hUTS or booths for oriental shepherds, 538. public, 350. considered, 28 HYMN, sung on the night of the Passover, 592. LAMB, emblem of meekness, 480. HAIL, plague of, 55; hailstones of enormous HYSSOP, what kind of plant, 383. LAMENESS and dumnbness, effect of walking size, 130. in deserts, 469. HAIR, hov womn by eastern women, 216, 642; IBEX, or wild goat, described, 408. LAMPS, much used in the East. 257; lamp of evil-doers cut off as a punishment, 317; IBIS, the, particularly venerated in Ezypt, 396. despised, phrase explained, 333; of Cairo standing up throiugh terror, 329; how dress- IDOLS, great number of in India, 450. described, 615. ed by eastern ladies, 451; cutting off in IDIUMEA, vide Edom. LAND of Israelites, not to be permanently rnourmin, 496; woru by females very long, IMAGES. graven and molten, what, 122, 549. sold, 87; division of among heirs, 303; bear. 627, IMAGERY, oriental, remarks upon, 416. ing th'orns and briers, 639. IIANiIMS or doctors, much in esteem in the. IMPRECATION, form of, 268. LANDMARKS, inot to be removed, 1,15, 122. East, 57S. INHERITANCE might be exchanged in Israel, LANGUAGE, the original, what, 11. HAND when saidl to be sealed, 352; hands 271; hiheriting the wind, phrase explained, LAODICEA, account of, 645. stretching out towards an object of devotion, 423. LAP, shaking the; 313. 377, 391; right, accounted more honourable INSOLENCE of Rabshakeh's speech, 293. LAPPING water like a dog, 138. than the left, 391, 410; use of as a signal to INSTRUMENTAL music, employed in reli- LATTICE through which Abaziah fell, 274. servants, 412; lhail joined in hand, phrase gious services, 417. LAUGHING, expression when used by Orienexplained, 407; handr on the head, what in. INTERMENTS of the dead, frequently hurri- tals, 27. dicled tlhereby, seS8. edi in the East, 116. LAYING aside every weiglht, 640. ItlAND'Sh-B READT I, life compared to, 376. INQUIRY, oriental modes of making, 603. LEANING upon one's words, 310; upon the htANGIING npon a pillar, 311; by tihe hiands, IRON, found in Mount Lebanon, 106; and bosom at meals, 395. 522. clay, mixture of in Nebuchadnezzar's vis- LEAVEN, corrupting influence of, 625. HANGINGS, usedt in teuiples, 297; in courts ionary inmage, 543. LEBANON, mount, description of, 103; how andl "ardens, 318. IRONY and satire, common in the East, 353. an object of comparison, 447; fragrant 1TAiNUINS treatment of David's servants, 204. ISHMAEL, the prophecies concerning him odour of its wines, 448, 550; storms and 1IAREMS of the East, considered as sanctu- considered, 24. tempests upon very severe, 466; violence of, aries, 273. ISRAELITES, their land protected while ab- 565; glory of, 471; cedars of, 550. IIAHRE, eastern modes of coolring, 42.3. sent at Jerusalern, 69. LENDING upon usury, 109; upon pledge, 119, ItARNE.SSEI), teri eiplained, 58. ISS A CHAR, his blessing explained,:50. LEPERS obliged to cover their lips, 74; expel. ItARtT and fallow-sdeer, what kind of animal, IVORY, employed as a material for beds in led fr'om camps and cities, 281. 250; panlting for water brooks. 376. the East, 557. LEPROSY described, 73, 74; leprosy in gar ITHAWKS. how dlistinguished, 357. ments, 74; in houses, 75. IIAZAEL'8 murdler of Benhadad considered, JACKALS, devouring human bodies, 387; LETTERS, eastern, form of, 315; usually 285.,further account of, 605. taken by travellers, 313. [tEA) of a r'onq'eredl enemy, how disposed'JACOB'S wages changed by Laban, 37. LEVIATIAN, Job's account of considered, of, 16-I; taking away frornm phrase explained, JAEL, her conduct towards Sisera considered, 360-365. 275; decaipitatetd, how disposed of, 288; of 135; her offering him milk and butter ex- LEVIRATE law explained, 150. tihe way, phrase explaimied, 530. plained, 135. LICE, plague of 55. i654 INDEX. LIFE compared to a story or dream, 398. MURDERER, no satisfaction to be taken for PILLOW of goats' hair, phrase how to be tn LIFTING up the feet, 34; the countenance, 89. the life of, 102. derstood, 166. LIGHTS always burning in Egyptian houses, MUSIC and dancing, usual at entertainments, PIT, criminals cast into, 352; used fory.an h 498. 607; in the night, 467; as an expression of ing wild beasts, 368, 529. LIGHT-HOUSES, allusion to, 634. respect, 279. PITCHERS or jars, used for carrying water LIGHTNINGS, frequent in Syria, 415. MUSTARD-TREE, natural history of, 585. instead of leathern bottles, 139. LILY, eastern, often very mganificent, 581. MUZZLING of oxen, 120. PLOUGH, the Syrian, described, 554, 604. LIP, protrusion of,,a mark of contempt, 371. MY LORD, phrase how used, 30. PLOUGHING, how managed in the East, 117, LIVING WATER, what meant by, 487. MYRRH, allusion to explained, 446. 118; upon the back, 414; often done in winLOCKS, eastern, described, 133, 446. ter, 427. LOCUSTS, account of, 305; operation in lay- NAILS of female captives to be pared, 115; PLUCKING out the right eye, 579. ing their eggs, 564; their destructive ravages, nails fastened by masters of assemblies, POINTS of the compass, how expressed, 108. 551; symbol of the Saracens, 649. 441; fixed in a sure place, 463. POLITENESS of the Orientals, how evincel, LOINS, custom of girding up, 266, 352. NAMES given to women and slaves, 155; how 30. LONG LIFE, especially desired by the Orien- varied in the East, 315; sometimes bestowed POLYGAMY productive of many evils, 36; tals, 484. from occupation, 596; other grounds of be- among the Jews considered, 152. LOOKINGBACK, how understood in the stowment, 609, 618. POMEGRANATE JUICE, employed as a East, 27. NAtMING of the living creatures by Adam, 11. drink, 95. LOTS, casting of among the Orientals, 320,617; NAVEL of infants, allusions to explained,- PORTIONS, custom of sending to friends and employed to settle contentions, 426. 419. to the poor, 316, 322. LUNATICS, highly reverenced in the East. 630. NAZARETH, description of, 576. POTTAGE, people of the East very fond of, LYING upon the left or right side, 525. NAZARITISM, vow of, 155. 32; how made, 281. NEAPOLIS, present state of, 620. POTSHERD, what meant by the term, 327. MACHINE, for throwving stones, 524. NECK, when one said to have hold of, 236. POTTED fleshin use in the East, 222. MAJESTY, how revereneed in the East, 542. NEHEMIAH, expenses of his table, 315. POTTER'S wheel, what, 497; potter's-field, MIAKING bare the arm, phrase explained, NEIGHING, term how used in the East, 489. a burial place for strangers, 592. 478, 479. NET, being comrnpassed in, explained, 337. POURING water on one's hands, 277. MIALE CHILD, birth of, 328; male children NICOPOLIS, present state of, 638. PRAY without ceasing, phrase explained, 636. principally desired in the East, 497. NIGHT, often time for travelling in the East, PRAYERS, frequency ofamnong the Brahmins, MALEFACTORS, not allowed to look at kings, 316, 605; principal time for heathen rites, 384; ascending up before God, 646, 322. 369; for the roaming forth of wild beasts, PRECIOUS stones, forming foundation of MANDRAKES, what they were, 36. 409; night dew very heavy in the East, 138 New Jerusalem, 650. MANNA described, 60. sometimes the season for agricultural labour, PRECIPITATION, mount of at Nazareth de. MANOAH, his history illustrated, 142. 149; often severely cold in the East, 38. scribed, 602. MANTLE, the transfer of, 268; Jewish, an NILE, waters of pleasant to the taste, 53; PRESENTS given in the East at the close of upper garment, 582. changed into blood, 54. a meal, 40; sent to procure help, 260; of MANY DAYS, phrase how used, 249. NINEVEH, description of, 559; prophecies garments, 306; valuable made to governors, MARINERS, eastern, their conduct in a storm, concerning, 563. 571. 559. NO-AMMON in Egypt described, 503. PRISONERS, oriental, miserable condition MIARKS imprinted on the person in honour NORTH WIND, Solomon's allusion to, 430. of, 394; how treated, 501; generally easy to of idols, 124; for other purposes on the NOSTRILS distended in anger, 329. be visited, 592. hands and arms, 474. NUMBERING the people, David's sin in, 236. PRISONS, eastern, described, 502. MARRIAGE FEASTS, sometimes continued NURSES in the East, 31. PROPERTY of executed criminals confiscafor seven days, 143; marriage ceremony ted, 271. performed in the open air, 151; delay of, con- OATH, ceremonies in taking, 254, 288; very PROPHETS, performed on musical instru. sidered by the Hindoos as a disgrace and common among the heathen, 264; doctrines ments, 160; mode of consulting, 259; secalamity, 394; processions, customs con- of the Jews concerning, 590. pulchres of, 605. nected wVith, 592. OBEISANCE made by women to men, 241. PROSEUCH.E, or Jewish places of za':yer, MARRING a land wvith stones, 278. OBLIGATIONS, written, how cancelled, 569. 620. MASTER and scholar, phrase explained, 571. OIL, treasures of, how kept, 303; burnt in PROSTRATION practised in prayer, 590. MATS or carpets employed by the Orientals honour of the dead, 549; how used in sacri- PROVENDER, carried for beasts of burden in prayer, 480. fices, 70; poured upon the head, 415; oil- on a journey, 251. MATTRESSES used for sleeping, 617. olive, what, 68. PROVERBS, or aphorisms, ancient mode of MEAT-OFFERING, what, 70. OINTMENTS in great esteem in the East, 215. conveying instruction, 418. MEDICINES, externally applied, 596. OLDT) AGE, the winter of life, 330. PROVISIONS, how demanded by public ofMEETING friends or guests, the custom of, OLIVE-TREE, utility of, 16; how injured, ficers, 314. 178. 335; grafting of, 624; olives andgrapes, how PSALM 149th, on what occasion composed, MELONS, and other fruits of Egypt, 91. gathered and gleaned, 459. 417. MEN at one's feet, phrase explained, 135. OPENING the mouth in speaking, 579, 328; PUBLICANS, where their houses built, 582; MERCHANTS of the East, for what famous, open hands, 109. office of described, 596. 641. ORACLE,HTebrew, compared with heathen,192. PUFFING at one's enemies, 368. MESHA, his tribute of lambs, 279. ORDAINED to condemnation, phrase ex- PURCHASES, how made in the East, 499. MESSENGERS in the East travel rapidly, 332. plained, 643. PUTTING the life in the hand, 141; putting MICE, the Philistines scourged by, 157. ORNAMEN'TS, Rebecca's considered, 31; on Egypt as a garment, phrase explained, 503. MIDDLE wall of partition, 632. worn by females in the nose, 31; laid off in MILCH camels, very valuable in the East, 39. time of mourning, 312. MUAILS miraculously brounht, 92; Moses' MILETUS, present state of, 621. OSTRICH, natural history of the, 355; dole- account of considered, 18,93, 39l; abound MILITARY operations commenced in the ffil noise of; 561. in Asia, 93. spring, 208. OVENS, eastern described, 70. MIILK, how kept by the Arabs, 129; poured OWL, a bird of evil omen in the East, 457; RABBI, when title began to be used, 589. out at funeral ceremonies, 333; sometimes emblem of desolation, 457. RAINS in Judea described, 123; when fall in afforded by fathers to their offspring, 341; OXEN, view of their services, 300; custom the East, 261, 374; the sound of, 265; somegreat part of the diet of the Orientals, 432. of trying or proving, 600, 606. times falls in neighbourhood of Red Sea, MILLET, account of the plant so called, 525. 387; former and latter, 424, 641; very vin MILLO, a place in Jerusalem, 191. PAINTING the eyes and face, 287. lent in the East, 433, 603; makers of pre MILLS, eastern, described, 91. PALANQUIN, effects of bearing, 535. tended, 495. MIRAGE of the desert, allusions to, 469, 495. PALM-TREE, account of the, 404, 493. RAISING up evil, phrase how to be under MIRRORS, what kind in use in the East, 69, PANTING for the dust, phrase explained, 555. stood, 211. 432. PARENTS, one's, reproached by enemies as RAMAH, city of described, 132. MOAB, prophecies concerning, 505, 507. an expression of anger, 166. RANK and opulence, how distinguishied, 438. MTODEST way of speaking of one's self, 630. PARTING, ceremony used at, 580. RAVENS, made to provide food fobr Eliiah, 261. MOHAMMEDANISM announced by fifth trum- PARTRIDGE, account of the, 171. REACHING beyond one's measure, 629. pet, 646; votaries strict in their religion, 562. PARTURITION of eastern women easy, 53. REAPING, customs connected with in the MOLOCH, children sacrificed to by passing PASSOVER, circumstances of eating the first, East, 147. through the fire, 113. 57. RECORDER, what kind of office, 204. MOMENT, a, Tamul mode of expressing, 374. PASTORAL or wvanderingf tribes in Syria, 494. RECORDS, how preserved in the East, 499. MONEY put up in bags, 289, 334; changers PASTURES carefully guarded, 399. REDEMPTION of land, 87;, of the first born, among the Jews, 583. PATMOS, present state of, 643. 95. MONSOONS, severe in the East, 352. PAVILION, eastern, description of, 268. REED grows abundantly in Egypt, 332; lurkMORDECAI'S demeanour towards Haman PEACOCK, account of the, 256; exceedingly ing places in for wild beasts, 388; sweet illustrated, 321, 323. numerous in the East, 355. smelling, 489. MORTARS, how made in the East, 56, 572; PEARLS, casting before swine, 581. REGISTERING the names of citizens, 6;35. pounding in as a punishment, 432. PELICAN, account of the, 405. RENDING of garnients. phrase explaitned, 436. MIOTHWORM, description of, 329, 341. PERFUMES poured upon the heads of guests, REPII AIM, term for deceased giants, 343. MOUNT HOR' described, 96. 372, 431, 479; boxes of suspended fromn the REPHIDIM, rock of, described, 61. MOURNING, eastern, described, 211, 583; ex- neck, 442; burning of at feasts, 529; per- REPUBLIC, IHebrew,-form of, 89. pressions usual in, 492; mourners, fentale, funted garments, comuton in the East, 34. RESPECT, attitudes and expressions of, I-. hired in the East, 491. PEIRGAMOS, account of, 644. RESURRECTION, Job's anticipalion of, 338; MOUTHI, opening the, wide, 395; of a strange PETRA. ancient city of, described, 554. curious notion of the Jews concerning, 375, woman, phrase explained, 425. PHILADELPHIA tdescribed, 645. 563. MOWINGS, the king's, phrase explained, 557. PIGEONS. building nests in rocks and hollow RETALIATION, Mosaic law ofconsidered, 83. MUD walled buildings, short duration of, 342. places, 507; carrier, still employed in the' RICE, eating one's, how considered, 314. MUJELIBE among the ruins of Babvlon; 458. East. 384, 440. RIDING into houses, 565. MULBERRY, tihe, whether mentioned in PIILAR, or column. a seat by, 289; pillars, RINGS, usually worn in the East, 99; given scripture, 240. term how applied, 632. as a token of affection, 320. I N DEX 655 RIPPING Ip women with ch d, 285, 555. SIGNET worn on the little finger, 478. SYMPATHY of the Orientals with the afflicted[ RIVERS in Arabia, often dry up, 331: cut SILENT praise practised by the Hindoos, 387. 365. among the rocks, 345; fertilizing effects of, SILOAM, fountain of, 241, 613. SYRIANS, precipitate flight of illustrated by 468; drying up of, 477. SIMOOM, account of, 294. parallel case, 284, 285. RIZPAH, her conduct illustrated, 234. SINAI, wilderness and mount of described, ROAD in a wilderness, 473. 62; flaming of trees upon, 63. TABERNACLE, the, resembled an eastern ROBBERS, cunning of eastern, 438. SINGING on a journey, 477. tent, 67. ROBES stripped off to confirm engagements, SINS, the supposed source of all losses and TABLES, for'writing, of great antiquity, 564. 164; washed in the blood of the Lamb, 646. afflictions, 316; term how applied by the TABOR, mount, described, 134, 398, 578, 586. ROCK, the shadow of a, 467. Hindoos, 338. TAIL, how used figuratively, 123. RODS of the Egyptian magicians, 5'; or staff, SITTING at meals, 33; in prayer, 201; on a TAKING hold of instruction, pbrase explain. how mentioned in the scriptures, 280, 366. cushion, 157; at the feet of a teacher, 622. ed, 419. ROOF, breaking up the, account of consider. SKIN for skin, phrase explained, 326; of one's TANNOOR, or oven, eastern, described, 70. ed, 595. teeth, phrase explained, 337. TARES, still sown by enemies in the East, 584. ROSE, very fragrant in the East, 442. SKIRT, spread over as a sign of protection, TARGETS and shields, how to be understood. RUIDDER-BANDS, term explained, 623. 149. 255. RUNNING FAST, sign of news, 224. SLAVES, how used in the East, 64, 104, 399; TARSUS, Paul's birthplace, account of, 617. branded in the forehead, 650; female, gen- TASTING of a pers0n, phrase how employed, SABBATICAL YEAR, law of considered, 88. erally given to a daughter upon her marriage, 375. SABEANS, who they were, 324. 560. TAXES, how levied in Persia, and elsewhere SADDLES, eastern, described, 29. SLEEPING, arrangements in the East, 437, in the East, 250, 391. SALAAM, or salutation of peace, 311. 605. TEARS, drinking of, expression common in SALT, covenant of, 95; the effect of on vege- SLIME-PITS near Sodom, account of, 22. the East, 394. tation, 124; salting, term used for mainte- SMELL of valuable gifts, 171. TEMPLE, Solomon's, mode of building illus. nance, 310; salt plains'of the East dreary SMITING with a shoe on the mouth, 623; the trated, 253. and desolate, 497; salting the bodies of new. hands together, 530. TEMPTATION of Christ, place of, described, born infants, 529. SMOKE, term how applied to an angry man, 577, 601. SALUTATIONS in travelling, 280; of guests 394. TENTS, Turcomans sit at the door of 25; at entertainments, 604; our Lord's direction SMYRNA, account of, 643. custom of living in part of the year, 37, 299; in regard to, 604; mode of, 606. SNAIL, remarks upon the, 385. of the Arabs covered with black, 441. SALUTING or blessing a house, 583; on the SNOW in Salmnon, phrase explained, 388. TENT-PINS, how used in the East, 136. face, 625. SODOM AND GOMORRAH, destruction of THIGH, putting the.. hand under in swearing, SAMARIA, description of, 253. considlered, 27.'36. SAMIEL, the destructive wind so called, 268. SOLDIERS, their valour how excited, 313. THINGS which are not, phrase explained, 625. SANDALS, disgraceful to be beaten with, SOLOMON'S treatment of Adonijah, 249; his THIRST terrible in eastern deserts, 410. 555; custom of loosing from the feet, 577. decision in regard to~the two children, 255; THORNS in the sides, phrase explained, 99; SANHEDRIM, Jewish, 91. splendour of his drinking vessels, 256. and thistles, enemies.compared to, 535; of SARDIS, account of, 644. SON, term how used, 164, 169; numerous in Christ, name of a plant, 615; in the flesh, SAVOURY meats described, 33. families where polygamy is practised, 287. Paul's, what, 630. SCAPE-GOAT, eastern custom respecting, 77. SORCERY, common in the East, 114. THRASHING-FLOORS, how constructed in SCEPTRE and staff, terms how used, 372, 520. SOULS, superstition concerning, 344. the East, 138, 239, 366; thrashing out grain, SCORPION, effects of its sting, 257, 524. SOUNDS, distinction of in a procession, 628; mode of, 465, 472. SCOURGE of the tongue, 330. sound of one's feet at the door, 284. THRONE of Solomon, its magnificence, 255; SCOURGING, a common punishment in the SOUTH WIND, effects of in Egypt, 418; else- similar ones in Persia, 255. East, 622. where, 605. TIIUMBS and toes cut off, 133. SCRIBES, the nature of their olffice, 110; mode SPARROW, habits of the, 407.. THUNDER-STORMS and showers in Syria, of teaching, 578. SPICES, large quantities of employed in 160. SCRIP, a garment used for carrying money, swathing dead bodies, 616; burnt in honour TIBERIAS, its present state, 612. C 1. of the dead, 307.' TIDINGS of victory announced to idols, 300. 0RIPT0URES, custom of reading in public, SPITTING in the face, 94, 121. TIMBRELS descriled, 395. 601, 609. SPOILS of a conquered enemy dedicated to TIMBER, different modes of felling, 531. SEAL set upon the heart, 448. the gods, 166. TIME n'easured by the length of the shadow, SEATS in the streets, 347. SPORT made by prisoners, 145. 332; shall be no longer, phrase explained,650. SEBASTE, the ancient Samaria, described, 465. SPRING~ discovered in the wilderness, 98. TIN mixed with silver, 449. - SECRETS not usually confided to women in STADIUM, description of the ancient, 635. TITLES, flattering, to give to one, 351. the East, 143. STAIRS, secret places of, phrase explained, TOMBS, of lower orders, how constructed, SEE eye to eye, phrase explained. 479. 4441; staircases, how arranged, 598. 590; visited by eastern women, 499, 614; anSEED.TIME, attended with danger to eastern STAFF. shepherd's, allusion to, 372. ciently inhabited, 582; how closed, 615. humsbandmen, 413, 532. STANDARDS of the tribes described, 89; TONGUE, the, compared to, fire, 641. SENNACHERIB, his vain boastings, 456; de- standard-bearer, allusion to, 446. TOOTH, temple of, 235. struction of his army considered, 295. STEPS, taking hold of, 341. TORCHES and flambeaux, when used irm the SEIR, mount, prophecies concerning, 538. STICKS provided for fuel, 263; ancient mode East, 591. SEIPULCHRES, how constructed, 30, 458. of writing upon, 541. TORRENTS, figures taken from, 413. SERPENTS, fiery, or seraphs, described, 97; STOCKS, punishment of described, 334, 620. TOWERS of protection for animals, 308; fig. their bite alluded to, 340; some supposed to STONES, anointed by the ancients, 34; of urative use of the term, 426; in gardens and be deaf, 385; serpent charmers, 385, 438, 490. great size in building, 300; stone pitchers vineyards, 453,488, 597. SERVANTS, in whatmanner orders given to, made use of for baking, 386; white, custom TRADE, every Jew expected to follow one, 40; Jewish, regained their freedom on the of giving, 614. 6o20. seventh year, 110; how treated in the East, STONING to death, 63, 80. TREASUES, how disposed of in the East, 215; scriptural use of the term, 410.' STORK, account of the, 408, 490. 437, 474; practice of hiding in the earth, 585. SETTING the eyes upon one, 405. STREETS; making in Damascus, phrase ex- TREES, often planted about houses, 254; teSEVEN, the number, used for many, 431; plained, 270; having aname in the, 337; one nacious of life in the East, 334; planted in frequent use of that number, 587. in Jerusalem, 592. courtyards, 405; cut down by enemies, 495. SHIADE, essential to oriental luxury, 443. STRIPPING the dead bodies of enemies, 179. TREADING of grapes and olives, 483. SIIADOW, emblem of protection, 95, 399. STREWING flowers and branches of trees TRIUMPH, military, described, 632, 635. SHAKING out the lap, 603. before great men, 588. TROOPS said to be chosen, not levied, 588. SHIAVING, and rending the mantle, 326. STRIKING HANDS, what meant by phrase, TROUGHS, stone, used in childbirth, 53. SHEATH, term how applied to the body, 545. 336. TRUMPETS employed in war, 162. StIEBA'S rebellion, 226. STRETCHING forth the hands, 616. TURBAN, eastern, described, 347. SHEEP, employed in making a covenant, 29; STRIFE between herdsmen, comnmon iffthe TURTLE-DOVE, account of, 390; plaintive" large tails of, 68; shearing of, 169; great fe- East, 20. note of, 526. cundity of, 416; hearing the voice of the STRINGSofAfrican bows, of what made, 548. TUTELARY deities presiding over places, shepherd, 614; folds of, how constructed, STUBBIIE and grass, burning of, 475. 613; skins of and of goats, made into cloth- STIIUMBLING-BLOCK, on what allusion found- TYMPANUM or drum, mode of punishmernt, ina, 639. ed, 455. 639. SIIEMINITH, title of some of the Psalms, SUBJECTS seldom admitted to the tables of TYRE, prophecies concerning, 533. 367. princes, 321. SHEPHERDS in the East accountable for the SUBMISSION, outward tokens of, 269; by UMBRELLA, its use very ancient, 412. flocks under their charge, 38; why the oc- what phrase expressed, 304. UNCLEANNESS, contracted by attending i cupation of offensive to the Egyptians, 48; SUBORNED swvearing in the East, 271. funeral, 89. allusions to, 470; duty of to provide water, SUMMER parlour described, 133; summer UNICORN, what kind of animal intended by 472; figures drawn from the occupation of, fruits, Orientals fond of, 562. the term, 399-404. 372;. Syrian exposed to the seasons, 533. SUEZ, present state of, 273. UPPER CHAMBERS, eastern, descrined, 49K ISHIELD, highily valued by the ancients, 181; SUN, intense heat of in the East, 412. UPPER GARMENTS taken in pledge, 579. uses of, 367; furbishins and anointing, 460. SURETISIIIP,,ceremonlies relating to, 419; USURY and extortion common in the East, S.HILOAH, gentle waters of, 454. very often hazardous, 425. 530. SHIMEI'S conduct illustrated. 220. SWALLOW, remarks on the habits of, 470; UZZAH, the fate of considered, 198. SHIRTS'worn by the Arabs, 143. swallow up, phrase Ihow used, 473; swallowSHITTI'I-WOOD, what, 67. inu one's spittle, 332. VALLEYS filled upp prepare a highway, 483. SHOES, origin of the use of, 23; taken off itn SWARTHINESS of eastern women, 489. VEGETATION short.lived in the East. 398. temples, 53; in the presence of kings, 129; SWEARING by thle head or life of a king, VEHICLES, eastern, of conveyance, 197. also in confimling a bargain, 150. 579. VEILS worn by brides in the East, 32; a token SHOUIDER of a lamb, a luxury, 159. SWORD, bearing the, 624. of subjection, 629. S10WV, characteristic of false religions, 580. SYCAMORE-TREE, accooreint of the, 304, 559, VESSELS, earthen, how made unclean, 73. SICKNESS often ifeigned by Asiatics, 214. 607. VILLAS in eastern gardens, 448. 656 IN IEX. VINE, luxuriance of in Canaan, 49; running WATER-SPOlT, allusions to, 376. the lees, 464; poured from vessel to vessel, over walls, 51; why Joseph (compared to, 51; WEANING children, 27. 506; or oil, pLJured on the head of a victihr hosw ilijured by insects, 123; of Eypt, de- WEARYING one by continual coming, 41, 608. 637. struction of, 393; made to grow about houses, WEAVER, allusion to in Isaiah's prayer, 469. WINE-PRESS, the treading of, 317; re marks 414; how fenced in the East, 429, 438. WEEPING over the dead, 181. on the, 453. VINEGAR, refreshing quality of, 388. WEDDING, mystical, of Christ with his, WINGS, figurative application of term, 428; VINEYARDS injured by cattle in the East, church, 377-383; eastern, when celebrated, symbol of protection, 591. 64; highly valued in Asiatic countries, 270. 591; use of lamps at, 591. WINTER in the Etist, how divided, 444; how VIPER, remarks upon the, 623. WEIGHING griefs and sorrows, 330; a king the inhabitants spend their time during 444; VIRGINS sleeping with the aged, 240;. be- in a balance, 544. winter and sunmner houses, distinction betrolled, how considered, 600. WEIGHTS, divers, forbidden, 121; exactness tween, 556; severity of how relieved, 537. VISITS of the Orientals very ceremonious,301. in required, 424. WIPING Jerusaleml as a dish, phrase explainV()WS to be sacredly performed, 437; of the WELLS, stopping of, how considered in the ed, 271. eastern women, 155. East, 32; furnished with means of wvatering WISDOM'S house with seven pillars, 421. cattle, 25; closed to keep out sand, 34; a WITCH OF ENDOR, Saul's consulting, 173. WADY GI-IARENDEL described, 59. place of concealment, 221; figurative allu- WOLF, habits of the, 489. WAGES of shepherds, 625. sions to, 422; Jacob's visit to, 610, 611. WOMEN, love of, phrase how used, 182; not WALKING upon the roof of a house, 544; WHEELS and living creatures in Ezekiel's admitted to eastern banquets. 318; custom softly, phrase how used, 272. vision explained, 522, 523. of the Persians, exception, 320; womens' WAI.L, term how applied, 169; of Aphek, its WHIP for a horse, allusion to, 430. apartments inviolable, 320; a king gsoing ino, fall explained, 269; a bowing or tottering, al- WHISPERING in the ear, 159. sign of execution to criminlals, 321; woranl, a lusions to, 387; erected around eastern WlFE, addressed by that title, 259; contentions beautiful, compared to a roe, 419; women' dwellinos, 541; offire, plhrase explained, 567. of how represented, 426; wives, mrany not confined in eastern countries, 421; Egyptian, WAR. religiousrices preparatory to, 157. allowed to the kings of Israel, 113; pur- carried on comlllerce, 435; of' Samaria rCsWARRIORS interred in complete armour, 537. chased by dowry; 165; taken with ease in fusing in modern times to give water to WASHING the hands of or from any thing, the East, 207; of deceased emperors how travellers, 611'; seek concealment, 627; 115; the feet, an eastern custom, 170; clothes disposed of, 227; tenlporary, corolninr in the head-dress of, 627. by the side of streams, 221. East, b48. WOODY tracts in the Holy Land, 222, 521. WATCHES in the East, how announced, 483; WHIRLWIND precursor of rain, 278; com- WORDS of the law, how to be revealed, 122. watchmen in the East, 398, 460; stationed in ing from the north, 545. WORMS in the hunlan body, 340. a tower, 223. WILD BEASTS, combats with, 628. WRESTLERS, probable allusion to tke cusWATER carried by womeg ill the East, 30, 31; WILDERNESS of the Red Sea, account of, toms of, 335. litter made sweet, 58; S arce and valuable 486. WRITING, the most ancient way of, 338; on in the East, 96, 466; poured upon the ground, WIND, violent eastern described, 348. stone alluded to, 339; on fine sand, 497: wri. 158; from the well of Bethlehenm, 236; pro.- WINDOW from which persons thrown, 287. tings how sealed in the East, 526. vided by the humane for birds, 423; for the WINE, time of drinking in thd East, 320; red refreshment of travellers, 597; drawn from particularly. esteemed in the East, 391, 429; ZIBA'S present of summer fruits, what, 219 wells by women, 611. tarrying long over, 429; custom of cooling, David's conduct towards, 219. W.TERING a garden, mode of, 294. 430; mixed with water, 449, 478; kept upon ZION, mount, present state of, 561. __.__ -_ — _ =....:_ — ___-.... W-w_.c —PATMOS