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diff --git a/old/63528-0.txt b/old/63528-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d9d33bc..0000000 --- a/old/63528-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,19727 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Class-Book of Old Testament History, by -George Frederick Maclear - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Class-Book of Old Testament History - -Author: George Frederick Maclear - -Release Date: October 22, 2020 [EBook #63528] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CLASS-BOOK OF OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - A CLASS-BOOK OF - OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. - - - Illustration: (‡ Colophon) - - - ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │ │ - │ Transcriber’s Notes │ - │ │ - │ │ - │ Punctuation has been standardized. │ - │ │ - │ Characters in small caps have been replaced by all caps. │ - │ │ - │ Non-printable symbols have been presented in square brackets │ - │ with a description [Leo astrological sign] │ - │ │ - │ Non-printable characteristics have been given the following │ - │ Italic text: --> _text_ │ - │ emphasized text within │ - │ italics --> |text| │ - │ │ - │ This book was written in a period when many words had │ - │ not become standardized in their spelling. Words may have │ - │ multiple spelling variations or inconsistent hyphenation in │ - │ the text. These have been left unchanged unless indicated │ - │ with a Transcriber’s Note. │ - │ │ - │ The symbol ‘‡’ indicates the description in parenthesis has │ - │ been added to an illustration. This may be needed if there │ - │ is no caption or if the caption does not describe the image │ - │ adequately. │ - │ │ - │ Index references have not been checked for accuracy. │ - │ │ - │ Footnotes are identified in the text with a number in │ - │ brackets [2] and have been accumulated in a single section │ - │ at the end of the text. │ - │ │ - │ Transcriber’s Notes are used when making corrections to the │ - │ text or to provide additional information for the modern │ - │ reader. These notes are identified in the text by a ♦ symbol, │ - │ and are accumulated in a single section at the end of the │ - │ book. │ - └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ - - - - - Elementary Theological Class-Books. - - - A CLASS-BOOK - OF - OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY - - - BY - - THE REV. G. F. MACLEAR, D.D. - - WARDEN OF ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE, AND - HONORARY CANON OF CANTERBURY. - LATE HEAD MASTER OF KING’S COLLEGE SCHOOL, LONDON. - - - _WITH MAPS._ - - - London: - MACMILLAN AND CO. - AND NEW YORK. - 1894 - - [_The Right of Translation is reserved._] - - - _First Edition printed January 1865. Second Edition printed - November 1865. Reprinted with slight alterations 1866, - with slight alterations 1868, with slight alterations 1869, - 1871, 1872, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, - 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1892, 1894._ - - - - - NOTICE. - - -THE present Volume forms a Class-Book of Old Testament History from the -Earliest Times to those of Ezra and Nehemiah. - -In its preparation the most recent Authorities[1] have been consulted, -and wherever it has appeared useful, Notes have been subjoined -illustrative of the Text, and, for the sake of more advanced students, -references added to larger Works. - -The Index has been so arranged as to form a concise Dictionary of the -Persons and Places mentioned in the course of the Narrative, while the -Maps, which have been prepared with considerable care at Stanford’s -Geographical Establishment, will, it is hoped, materially add to the -value and usefulness of the Book. - -_London, Christmas, 1864._ - - - - - SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS. - - - BOOK I. - _From the Creation to the Dispersion of Mankind._ - - CHAP. I. The Creation - CHAP. II. The Fall - CHAP. III. The Flood - CHAP. IV. The Confusion of Tongues - CHAP. V. Rise of Idolatry. The Patriarch Job. - - BOOK II. - _The Patriarchal Age._ - - CHAP. I. The Call of Abraham - CHAP. II. Life of Abraham continued - CHAP. III. The History of Isaac - CHAP. IV. Life of Jacob - CHAP. V. History of Joseph - CHAP. VI. Jacob’s Descent into Egypt, and Death of Joseph - NOTE. _Survey of the Patriarchal Age_ - - BOOK III. - _From the Settlement of the Israelites in Egypt - to the Giving of the Law._ - - CHAP. I. The Birth and Call of Moses - CHAP. II. Signs and Wonders in Egypt - CHAP. III. The Last Plague――The Passover――The Exodus - CHAP. IV. The Journey from the Red Sea to Rephidim - CHAP. V. Sinai and the Giving of the Law - CHAP. VI. Moses in the Mount. The Construction of the Golden Calf - - BOOK IV. - _The Mosaic Worship and Polity._ - - CHAP. I. The Tabernacle - NOTE. _History of the Tabernacle_ - CHAP. II. The Priests - CHAP. III. The Sacrifices and Offerings - CHAP. IV. Holy Times and Seasons - CHAP. V. The Great Festivals――The Jewish Calendar - NOTE. _Laws of Purity, &c._ - CHAP. VI. Civil and Moral Laws - - BOOK V. - _From the Departure from Sinai to the Death of Moses._ - - CHAP. I. Kadesh-Barnea and the Mission of the Spies - CHAP. II. The Wanderings――Death of Miriam and Aaron - CHAP. III. Conquest of the East of Jordan――Balaam and Balak - CHAP. IV. War with the Midianites――Death of Moses - NOTE. _His Work and Character_ - - BOOK VI. - _Joshua and the Conquest of Western Palestine._ - - CHAP. I. The Passage of the Jordan, and Fall of Jericho - CHAP. II. Conquest of the Southern and Central Mountains - CHAP. III. Battle of Merom, and Division of the Land - - BOOK VII. - _Period of the Judges._ - - CHAP. I. Events subsequent to the Death of Joshua - CHAP. II. Micah and the Danites――The Tribal War - CHAP. III. Othniel and Ehud, Deborah and Barak - CHAP. IV. Invasion of the Midianites――Gideon - CHAP. V. Abimelech and Jephthah - CHAP. VI. Invasion from the South-west, Samson - - BOOK VIII. - _From the Time of Samuel to the Accession of David._ - - CHAP. I. Eli and Samuel - CHAP. II. Samuel’s Judgeship - CHAP. III. Election of the First King - CHAP. IV. The Battle of Michmash - CHAP. V. Saul and the Amalekites――David and Goliath - CHAP. VI. David’s Life as an Outlaw - CHAP. VII. David at Ziklag――Battle of Mount Gilboa - - BOOK IX. - _The Reigns of David and Solomon._ - - CHAP. I. David’s Reign at Hebron - CHAP. II. David’s Reign at Jerusalem - CHAP. III. David’s Army, his Conquests, his Sin - CHAP. IV. The Rebellion of Absalom - CHAP. V. Close of David’s reign - FOOTNOTE. _David’s Work and Character_ - CHAP. VI. Accession of Solomon - CHAP. VII. The Building of the Temple - CHAP. VIII. Solomon’s reign continued - - BOOK X. - _Kingdoms of Judah and Israel._ - - PART I. - _Period of Mutual Hostility._ - - CHAP. I. The Revolt of the Ten Tribes - CHAP. II. Rehoboam and Abijah, Jeroboam and Nadab - CHAP. III. Asa and Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri - - PART II. - _Period of Mutual Alliance, and Hostility to Syria._ - - CHAP. I. Accession of Ahab――Era of Elijah - CHAP. II. Wars of Ahab and Benhadad - CHAP. III. Murder of Naboth――Battle of Ramoth Gilead - CHAP. IV. Wars of Jehoshaphat. Translation of Elijah - CHAP. V. Jehoshaphat and Jehoram――Era of Elisha - CHAP. VI. Elisha and Naaman――Siege of Samaria - - PART III. - _Renewal of Hostilities; Decline of both Kingdoms - before the power of the Assyrian Empire._ - - CHAP. I. Accession of Jehu - CHAP. II. Athaliah and Joash; Death of Elisha - CHAP. III. Amaziah and Jeroboam II.; Era of Jonah - CHAP. IV. Decline and Captivity of the Kingdom of Israel - CHAP. V. Reign of Hezekiah - CHAP. VI. Reign of Manasseh――Reforms of Josiah - CHAP. VII. Death of Josiah――Captivity of Judah - NOTE. _Duration, Relation, Contrasts of the Two Kingdoms_[441] - - BOOK XI. - _From the Captivity to the Close of the Canon._ - - CHAP. I. Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar - CHAP. II. Reigns of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius - CHAP. III. Rebuilding of the Temple――Esther and Ahasuerus - CHAP. IV. Times of Ezra and Nehemiah――Close of Canon - APPENDIX AND CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES - INDEX - - - MAPS. - - 1. The Dispersion of Noah’s Descendants (Genesis x.) - - 2. A Map of Canaan, Egypt, and Sinai, to illustrate the Patriarchal - History and the Exodus. With Mount Sinai enlarged - - 3. The Holy Land divided among the Twelve Tribes - - 4. Solomon’s Dominions, The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and the - Lands of the Captivities - - - - - BOOK I. - - FROM THE CREATION TO THE DISPERSION OF MANKIND. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE CREATION._ - GEN. I. II. B.C. 4004. - - -_IN the beginning God created the heavens and the earth._ With these -simple but sublime words commences the History contained in the -Scriptures of the Old Testament, teaching us that the Universe did -not exist from all eternity, but owed its origin to the creative act -of God. To us this truth appears so elementary and self-evident that -we can hardly appreciate the dim and uncertain notions on this point, -which the best and wisest of the heathen possessed. Certain it is, -however, they were very much in the dark respecting the origin of the -world. Some philosophers held that it existed from all eternity: others -taught that there are two independent Causes, the one Light, and the -other Darkness, and that out of the unending struggle between them -the Universe had its origin; others imagined that all the marvellous -order and harmony we see around us was the result of Chance; others, -again, conceived that the world was an emanation from Deity, and a -part of Deity. Distinct from all these guesses and conceptions is the -_declaration_ of the Scripture Narrative. It affirms that the world is -not eternal; that it had its origin with time and in time; that it owed -its beginning neither to Chance, nor Necessity, but the Creative will -of a Personal God, infinitely exalted above it, the Maker and Sustainer -of all things. (Comp. Joh. i. 1–3, Rom. xi. 36, 1 Cor. viii. 6, Col. -i. 15, 16, Heb. i. 2, 3). - -The creation, however, of the present order of things was not -instantaneous, but progressive, and took place in six Days, or vast -Periods of time. On the _first_ day light was created, and divided from -the darkness; on the _second_, the firmament, or atmosphere encircling -the globe; on the _third_, a separation was made between the water and -the land, and the surface of the earth was covered with vegetation, -with _the herb yielding seed, and the tree yielding fruit after its -kind_. On the _fourth_, the sun, moon and stars were bidden _to give -light upon the earth, and to be for signs and for seasons, and for days -and years_. On the _fifth_, animal life appeared in its lowest forms, -the waters brought forth the various marine tribes after their kind, -and this was succeeded by the creation of every _winged fowl_. The -_sixth_ day was marked by the production of land animals, _cattle, and -creeping thing, and beast of the earth_, which, like all the preceding -products of Creative Power, received the Divine approval, and were -pronounced to be _very good_. - -But the work of Creation was not yet complete. A being higher than -any yet created was to be called into existence. Accordingly _God said, -Let |us| make MAN in |our| image, after |our| likeness, and let them -have dominion over every living thing, and over all the earth; and the -Lord God formed Man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his -nostrils the breath of life, and Man became a living soul_. Then having -seen that all things He had made were _very good_ God ended His work, -and _rested on the seventh day_, sanctifying it as a day of Rest for -man. (Gen. i. 2–26). - -The language here employed in reference to the creation of man deserves -attention. It teaches us that man did not, as some have taught, slowly -emerge by his own efforts from a brutish state. Unlike other created -objects, he was originally made in the _image_ and _after the likeness_ -of God. Endowed not only with a body, but also with an immortal soul, -he was to combine intellectual power with liberty of will, and the -faculty of conscience. And as he was great himself, so also was the -work to which he was called. His was to be universal dominion _over -the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every -living thing that moveth upon the earth_. As God’s vicegerent, he was -to exercise lordship over nature, and guide it towards its destined -perfection (Gen. i. 26). - -But though the first man ADAM, was endued with those high prerogatives, -he was not destined to attain immediately to the end for which he -was created. His activity was to commence in a particular spot, and -thence to extend in all directions, until all the earth was subdued and -moulded to the will of its Creator. The Almighty, therefore, planted -a garden in a region of the East, corresponding probably to the high -table-land of the modern Armenia, and watered by four streams. Of two -of these, Pison and Gihon, the situation is absolutely unknown, the -others were the Tigris and Euphrates. Here, then, in a spot endued with -everything pleasant to the sight and good for food, man’s work was to -commence. Action and not contemplation only was essential to his nature, -hence a charge was given to him to _dress_ and _keep_ the garden. Nor -amidst everything to gratify his senses and supply material for his -understanding and reflection was he left alone. A responsible being, -_bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh_, was created a _help-meet -for him_. The Lord _caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam_, and taking -one of his ribs, He made thereof a woman, and brought her unto him, -and EVE, _the mother of all flesh_, one with himself in nature and in -origin, was united to him in holy bonds, which HE, Who thus instituted -them in Paradise, afterwards adorned and hallowed with His own presence -and first miracle at Cana of Galilee (Joh. ii. 1; Eph. v. 23–33). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _THE FALL._ - GEN. III. B.C. 4004. - - -OF the life of the first human pair in Paradise we are told but -little. We know, however, that it was not only a state of innocence, -and therefore of happiness, but also, like all human life since, of -_probation_. Besides the charge to dress and keep the fair enclosure -in which they had been placed, our first parents received but one -additional command. It was couched in negative terms, and forbade in -the most distinct and solemn manner possible the eating of the fruit -of a mysterious tree growing in the midst of the Garden, and called the -_tree of knowledge of Good and Evil_. Of the fruit of every other tree -they might eat freely, of the fruit of this tree the Almighty said to -them, _Ye shall not eat, for in the day ye eat thereof ye shall surely -die_. In this single prohibition lay the test of their loyal obedience -to their Creator, on it depended their innocence and their happiness -temporal and eternal. How long they were faithful and obedient we are -not told. But whether the period was long or short, certain it is that -it came to a close. - -The Tree of _the Knowledge of Good and Evil_, implies that Evil was -already present in God’s world, and therefore in part prepares us for -the dark shadow that now gathers round the sacred page. The creation -of man had been watched by a supernatural Being of infinite subtilty -and malignity, the Enemy of God and of all goodness. Respecting this -mysterious Being, though the Sacred Narrative does not gratify our -curiosity with any lengthened details, yet to his existence and his -unceasing hostility to man, it bears direct and explicit testimony. -The name under which the supernatural Tempter appears in the earliest -and latest portions of the Bible is the same (comp. Gen. iii. 1, with -2 Cor. xi. 3; Rev. xii. 9, xx. 2), and though but seldom mentioned in -the Old Testament (Job i., ii.; 1 Chron. xxi. 1; Zech. iii. 1, 2), the -same attributes are uniformly ascribed to him. Created originally good, -like all the works of God, he _abode not in the truth_ (Jn. viii. 44), -but rebelled against his Maker and fell from his high estate (1 Tim. -iii. 6), and henceforth, at the head of numerous other spirits (Matt. -xxv. 41), whom he had dragged down with him in his fall (2 Pet. ii. 4; -Jude 6), he arrayed himself in conscious hostility to the Supreme. - -This Being, then, here called the Serpent, in other places Satan, i.e. -the _Enemy_, and the Devil, i.e. the _Slanderer_, approached the woman, -as being the weaker vessel, for the purpose of seducing her, and so -her husband, from their allegiance to their Creator. With affected -solicitude he began by enquiring, _Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat -of every tree of the garden?_ To this the woman replied by repeating -the Divine prohibition respecting the fruit of one particular tree. -Thereupon the Tempter proceeded to declare that the penalty of death -would not follow the eating of this fruit, nay that the Almighty knew -that in the day they ate thereof, her eyes and those of her husband -would be opened, and they would _become as gods_, knowing good and -evil. A more subtle scheme for shaking her allegiance to the Almighty, -and her confidence in His goodness and His love, could not have been -devised. A prohibition hitherto regarded as a solemn but merciful -warning was now invested with an arbitrary character, and a selfish -motive. In mere envy, so the Tempter affirmed, the Almighty had -denounced an impossible penalty; what she had been taught to observe -as the condition of innocence and happiness was nothing more than the -expedient of One, who grudged His creatures their rightful advancement, -lest they should approach too nearly to Himself[2]. The idea of an -envious God, of a _hard taskmaster_, was thus instilled into the -mind of Eve, sapping the foundations of all real faith and trust, and -rendering the more irresistible the temptation to disobey the command -of Him, who had thus enviously set these bounds to her freewill. In an -evil hour she believed the Tempter’s words, and seeing that the _tree -was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be -desired to make one wise_, she took of the fruit, and did eat, and gave -also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. Thus the fell counsels -of the Tempter were accomplished. Through want of faith in God’s word, -through a longing for independence, through a vain desire to become -gods unto themselves, our first parents were beguiled into sin, and -when _their eyes were opened_, instead of greater happiness they now -experienced the strange and hitherto unknown consciousness of shame, -and degradation, and unmeetness for God’s presence (Gen. iii. 1–7). - -Brief and summary as is the information here given us respecting -the enigma of enigmas, the origin of Evil, it is yet of unspeakable -importance. For it teaches us that Sin is not a part of man’s nature, -but _the fault and corruption_[3] of it, that it did not spring from -his nature by any inevitable necessity, but in consequence of his -yielding to the seductions of a powerful and malignant Foe. He did -not, like his Tempter, choose sin for its own sake, but was _beguiled_ -into it. Hence, though he became liable to all the penal consequences -of his disobedience, though his being was _poisoned_ with sin, yet it -was not _converted_ into sin. He did not lose all remembrance of his -former state of purity and innocence; the shame which overwhelmed him -and made him hide himself from the presence of God, testified to his -consciousness of transgression, and in this sense of guilt lay the -possibility of his restoration[4]. - -For now the Sacred Narrative, while it refuses to gratify our curiosity -respecting a subject which doubtless passes our understanding, proceeds -to do what is for us of far greater practical importance, namely, -to place the inroad of sin in immediate connection with the Divine -Counsels of Redemption. We learn that God in infinite mercy now -intervened between His creatures and their Tempter. For them, indeed, -it remained to taste the bitter fruits of their disobedience and -mistrust. Eve was informed that sorrow and pain must henceforth be the -condition of her existence; _in sorrow should she bring forth children, -her desire should be to her husband, and he should rule over her_ (Gen. -iii. 16). Adam learnt that with himself henceforth nature too must -undergo a change; _thorns and thistles_ must grow upon the face of the -earth, toil must be the price of his existence, and his end the silence -of the grave, for _dust he was, and unto dust he must return_. Even -thus, however, Justice was tempered with sweet Mercy, and Love mingled -blessings with the bitterness of man’s cup. If pain and multiplied -sorrow was to be woman’s lot, yet through pain she was to know a -mysterious joy, and her anguish should be no more remembered, when -she knew that _a man was born into the world_. And if grievous toil -and irksome labour were to be the conditions of man’s existence, yet in -the provision of these effectual antidotes to idleness and many other -sins was truest mercy. But these gracious purposes extended only to -man, they tempered not the judgment denounced on his Seducer. Utterly -_cursed was he above all cattle, and above every beast of the field_. -The very creature, over whom he had seemed to triumph, should prove -his ultimate Conqueror. _I will put enmity_, said the Almighty to the -Tempter, _between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her -seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel_. In -these words we trace the _first_ distinct _Promise_ of man’s ultimate -Redemption. The state of degradation, into which he had suffered -himself to be seduced, was not to last for ever. “In conformity with -the Divine Equity, the deceiver was to be judged by the deceived, the -Conqueror was to be overcome by the conquered[5].” Man need not give -himself up to despair; there was still room for hope; in infinite mercy -the Almighty had espoused his cause, and He would Himself provide a -remedy for his fall. - -We need not venture on any profitless speculations touching the precise -amount of hope the early generations of the human family were likely to -have derived from this first Gospel, this “first Promise” of a Saviour. -In terms it was undoubtedly indefinite. Neither the time, nor the -method, nor the precise mediating cause of man’s deliverance was made -known. It was not revealed whether the promised “Seed” should be one -or many, the collective Race, or a single Deliverer. On these points -greater light was to be shed as time rolled on, and many things were -to be revealed, which now man could not comprehend. But of the final -_Victory_, and of its _certainty_, direct and explicit assurance was -given. “Since religion cannot so much as exist without _hope_, the -earliest intimation of Prophecy was adapted to the support of that -essential feeling in the heart of man. It was clearly a promise of -relief, an antidote to perfect despair. It contained the prediction -that some one should be born of the Seed of the Woman, who ‘should -bruise the head of the Tempter,’ by whom, therefore, the penal effect -of man’s transgression should be in some way reversed. With all its -uncertainty as to the mode in which this End should be effected, the -Promise had within it a principle of _Hope_ and _Encouragement_, and -the materials of a religious trust fitted to keep man still looking to -his Maker[6].” - -In the encouraging assurance thus given to Adam, in this first Promise -of a Saviour, Sacred History finds its definite starting-point, and -the Old Testament becomes a true introduction to the New, because it -reveals the several steps whereby the Divine Wisdom provided for its -fulfilment. From first to last Sacred History is “instinct with life -and hope;” it ever points onward to the future; its key-note is ever -preparation for the Coming of HIM, who was to be the true “Seed of -the Woman,” in whom the Father counselled before the worlds to _gather -together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on -earth_ (Eph. i. 10; Phil. ii. 9, 10). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _THE FLOOD._ - GEN. IV.–IX. B.C. 4004–2348. - - -THOUGH thus assured of ultimate restoration, the first man, as a fallen -being, could not be permitted to remain in the region, which had been -the scene of his trial and his failure. He might take of the fruit of -another Tree, that grew in the midst of the Garden, the _Tree of Life_, -and eat, and live for ever, and thus prevent the possibility of his -recovery. Accordingly he was sent forth from the Garden, at the east of -which were stationed Cherubim, a particular order, in all probability, -of Angels (Comp. Ex. xxv. 17–22; Ezek. i. 5, Rev. iv. 6), while a -_flaming Sword which turned every way_ guarded the approach to the Tree -of Life. - -Thus driven forth from Eden, and re-commencing under new and altered -circumstances their course of probation, Adam and Eve in due time -became the parents of two sons, CAIN (_gotten_, or _acquired_), and -ABEL (_breath_, _transitoriness_). From their earliest years the most -opposite tendencies distinguished the brothers. The mysterious rite -of sacrifice, which meets us at the very threshold of Sacred History, -and which, it is supposed, not without probability, the Almighty -Himself instituted, when He made for the first pair _coats of skins, -and clothed them_ (Gen. iii. 21), became the occasion of a fatal -quarrel between them. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, Abel of -the firstlings of his flock, an offering unto the Lord. The offering -of Abel was accepted, that of Cain rejected. The reason for this -distinction cannot be pronounced with absolute certainty. Either the -offering of Abel was a free and bounteous presentation of the best -that he had, while that of Cain was merely commonplace and perfunctory, -or Abel brought his offering in a spirit of faith, and trustful -acquiescence in a divinely-instituted though mysterious command -(Heb. xi. 4), a motive which the offering of his elder brother lacked. -Whatever was the precise reason of the distinction, it roused all -Cain’s latent jealousy, and he became his brother’s murderer (1 Joh. -iii. 12). For thus shedding _righteous blood_ (Matt. xxiii. 35) he -was condemned by the Almighty to perpetual banishment from the region -of Eden. Fearful of vengeance from the other children of Adam, whose -family we may infer from the mention of Cain’s wife had largely -increased, he feared to depart before he received from the Almighty a -special sign or pledge of security in the land of his banishment[7]. -This having been granted, he removed into the region of Nod (_exile_), -and there became the ancestor of numerous descendants, the heads of -whom are enumerated to the sixth generation, under the names of Enoch, -Irad, Mehu-jael, Methu-sael, and Lamech. In this region, too, he -built the earliest city of which we have any record, and called it -_Enoch_, after the name of his eldest son. The Cainite families were -distinguished for their attention to the development of the arts and -pleasures of life. As Cain built the first city, so Lamech instituted -polygamy, while of his three sons JABAL introduced the nomadic life, -JUBAL the use of musical instruments, and TUBAL-CAIN the art of working -in metals (Gen. iv. 16–24). - -Meanwhile with another son SETH (_substituted_), who had been given -to Adam in place of Abel, commenced a line distinct in its social -and religious tendencies from that of Cain. The heads of this family -are enumerated to the tenth generation under the names of Seth, Enos, -Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. While the -descendants of Cain advanced indeed in civilization, but were addicted -to luxury and violence, the descendants of Seth were distinguished for -pastoral simplicity. They _called upon the name of the Lord_ (Gen. iv. -26); they were the chosen repositories of the Promise of Redemption, -and the witnesses for a God of Righteousness in the midst of a -generation which already began to become corrupt, and in the seen -to forget the unseen. An eminent type of the characteristic virtues -of this line was ENOCH, the son of Jared, _the seventh from Adam_ -(Jude 14). All his life long he walked in closest communion with the -Most High and the spiritual world. Faith (Heb. xi. 5), implicit trust -in a Righteous Ruler of the Universe, was the principle of his life, -and the secret spring of his holiness. One day he vanished from the -society of his fellowmen. _He was not_, for the God whom he served -_took him_ to Himself, and translated him to the unseen world, without -undergoing the penalty of death (Gen. v. 21–24). - -A peculiar feature of this period was the great length to which human -life was prolonged. Adam attained to the age of 930 years, Methuselah -to that of 969, the others nearly as long. From this accrued many -advantages to the race. It tended to promote its speedy increase, it -preserved uninterrupted such knowledge as men were able to acquire, and -pre-eminently the original revelation respecting the one true God, the -remembrance of Paradise, and the hope of ultimate Redemption. But the -great longevity of the men of this period did not tend to hinder their -increasing alienation from the paths of righteousness, and obedience -to the Supreme. Amidst the extreme brevity of the sacred narrative it -is clear that the wickedness of men reached a desperate pitch, _the -earth was filled with violence_, and _all men corrupted their way_ -upon it. At length this alienation from God reached its culminating -point in a catastrophe, to which the Sacred Record attaches a peculiar -and mysterious importance. _When men began to multiply on the face -of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of God saw -the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of -all that they chose._ Whatever be the true meaning of the expression -_sons of God_, whether it refers to the Angels, as some have thought, -or the descendants of Seth, certain it is that a superhuman spirit -of wickedness broke out at this period. From these mixed marriages -sprang men remarkable for strength and power, for violence and arrogant -wickedness, through whom both races speedily became hopelessly corrupt. -The salt even in the line of Seth lost its savour, and _the wickedness -of man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of -his heart was only evil continually_ (Gen. vi. 1–5). - -In this awful crisis one man only found favour with God, NOAH, the -son of Lamech, in whom at his birth, with prophetic glance his father -beheld a pledge of that _rest_ and _comfort_, which the men of faith -felt they so sorely needed from the burden of weary and irksome labour -on _the ground which Jehovah had cursed_ (Gen. v. 29). When Noah -was 500 years old, he became the father of three sons, SHEM, HAM, -and JAPHETH. Like Enoch he was a _righteous and perfect man in his -generation_, and in this age of universal apostasy maintained an -unflinching trust in the Righteous Ruler of the Universe, and at -length, when the cup of man’s iniquity was full, he received intimation -from the Almighty of His intention to bring an awful judgment upon the -world. _Behold I, even I_, said God, _do bring a flood of waters upon -the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from -under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die_. From -the general catastrophe Noah and his family alone were to be preserved, -and he was directed to construct an Ark, a huge vessel of enormous -dimensions, into which, when completed, he was to repair with his wife, -his three sons and their wives, and also two of every species of beasts -and birds accounted “unclean” or unfit for sacrifice, and seven of -every species accounted “clean.” The vessel thus ordered was to be -constructed of gopher-wood, probably cypress, and was to be overlaid -within and without with pitch or bitumen; in length it was to be -300 cubits, in breadth 50, in depth 30. But though the impending -Judgment was thus announced, and a visible pledge of it directed to -be constructed, the Doom itself was not to be as yet. He who afterwards -waited 400 years till the _cup of the iniquity of the Amorites_ was -full, who gave the Ninevites forty days for repentance, now _waited_ -(1 Pet. iii. 20), _with much long-suffering_, for a space of 120 years. - -During this period _according to all that God commanded Noah, so did -he_. Though the things, of which he was warned, _were not yet seen_ -(Heb. xi. 7), nay, must have seemed to the men of his generation in -the extremest degree improbable, _moved with fear_ he yet persevered in -his awful task, and by this act of faith, as well as by his own works, -continued to warn his fellowmen of what was to come. But his warnings -fell on unheeding ears. The men of his generation set at naught all -his counsel and mocked at his reproofs: they _did eat, they drank, they -married wives, they were given in marriage_ (Matt. xxiv. 38; Lk. xvii. -26, 27), until the day of Doom arrived. On the seventeenth day of the -second month of the 600th year of Noah’s life he and his family entered -into the Ark, and _the Lord shut them in_. Then, after a solemn pause -of seven days, the elements of destruction were bidden to do their -work. _The fountains of the great deep were broken up, the windows of -heaven were opened_, and the rain descended, till the waters covered -the highest hills, _and all flesh wherein was the breath of life died, -of fowl, of cattle, of wild beast, and of every creeping thing which -creepeth upon the earth, and every man_. - -In these simple but impressive words the Sacred Narrative describes -the appalling catastrophe. Written for a far higher purpose, it paints -no scenes as a human writer would have done. “We see nothing of the -death-struggle; we hear not the cry of despair; we are not called upon -to witness the frantic agony of husband and wife, of parent and child, -as they fled in terror before the rising waters. Not a word is said -of the sadness of the one righteous man who, safe himself, looked upon -the destruction, which he could not avert. But one impression is left -upon the mind with peculiar vividness, from the very simplicity of the -narrative, and it is that of utter desolation[8].” All flesh died, Noah -only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. For 150 days -the waters prevailed, till at length on the 17th day of the 7th month -the Ark rested on one of the peaks of Ararat. From this time the waters -gradually decreased till the first day of the 10th month, when the tops -of the mountains having begun to appear, Noah sent forth a raven, which -returned not to the Ark. A week afterwards he sent forth a dove, to see -if the waters were abated from the lower and more level country. But -the dove finding _no rest for the sole of her foot_ returned unto the -Ark. Again he waited seven days, and once more sent her forth, when -she returned with a fresh olive-leaf _pluckt off in her mouth_, a sign -that the waters had still further subsided. Yet again, after a similar -interval, Noah sent her forth. This time, however, she did not return, -having found on the earth _a rest for the sole of her foot_, and then -he knew that the awful Judgment had indeed come to a close, and at -the Divine command left the Ark, and set foot on the dry land[9] (Gen. -viii. 1–19). - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES._ - GEN. X.–XI. B.C. 2347–2233. - - -THE first act of Noah on leaving the Ark was to build an altar, and -offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord _of every clean beast, and of every -clean fowl_. His sacrifice was accepted, and now for the first time a -solemn Covenant was ratified between the Almighty and the Patriarch, -to which definite promises were annexed, and “an outward and visible -sign.” From its baptism of water the Earth had risen once more to be -the habitation of man, and Noah and his sons were solemnly assured that -all flesh should never again be cut off by the waters of a Flood, but -that _while the earth remained, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, -summer and winter and day and night should not cease_. Again too the -blessing of Paradise was bestowed, sovereignty and dominion over the -animal creation were assured, and once more men were bidden to _be -fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth_. At the same time -animal food was expressly allowed, while the sanctity of human life was -as solemnly enforced, _whoso shed man’s blood, by man should his blood -be shed_. Of this covenant the Rainbow was the visible pledge, assuring -man that he might enter afresh on his course of probation, nor dread -its interruption by any catastrophe like that with which the earth had -been so lately visited (Gen. ix. 8–17). - -The elevation of the Armenian plateau, in the neighbourhood of which -the Ark had rested, being equidistant between the Black and Caspian -Seas on the north, the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea on the south, -being also the region in which all the great rivers of Western Asia, -the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Araxes, and the Halys take their rise, -formed a natural and convenient centre whence the descendants of Noah -might overspread the whole earth. But on this migration they did not -set out, before an unseemly incident revealed the natural character of -his sons, prophetic of their future destinies. Noah began to practise -agriculture, and planted a vineyard, and through ignorance, as it has -been supposed, of its properties, drank of the wine in excess, and -lay exposed in his tent. Ham, his youngest son, mocked him while he -lay in this condition, but Shem and Japheth, with more filial feeling, -averting their eyes covered their father with a garment. Awaking from -his slumbers Noah became conscious of what his youngest son had done, -and justly angry at the irreverence he had displayed, brake forth into -prophetic utterances of blessing and cursing, foreshadowing the diverse -destinies of the descendants of his family. Upon CANAAN, the fourth -son of Ham, and probably a partaker in his father’s transgression, he -pronounced the doom of perpetual servitude to his brethren[10]. Shem -he declared to be _the chosen one of Jehovah_, from whom the promised -Salvation should proceed, while Japheth, _multiplied_ and _enlarged_ -should _dwell in his tents_[11], and be received as a partaker in his -spiritual privileges. - -With their future destinies thus foretold, the sons of Noah went forth, -and took up their abode for some time on the rich alluvial plain of -Shinar between the Tigris and Euphrates. Here their descendants began -to form a great fraternal community, which it was the more easy to -do, seeing that they all proceeded from the same parental home, and -_had all one language_. But here, in defiance of the Divine command, -which bade them disperse themselves abroad and _replenish the whole -earth_, they resolved to make a City and a huge Tower _whose top might -reach unto heaven_, to serve as a central point of union, and a great -World-Metropolis. But their design was counteracted. The Almighty -interposed, and by confounding their language, so that they could -not understand one another’s speech, rent the closest bond of human -society. Unable to continue the erection of their City and Tower, which -was henceforth called Babel or _Confusion_, they were scattered abroad -over the face of the earth, and thus constrained to fulfil the eternal -designs of Him, who has _determined the times before appointed, and the -bounds of the habitations_ of the sons of men (Acts xvii. 26)[12]. - -Before, however, it leaves them to pursue their own ways, the Sacred -Narrative presents to us a Genealogical Table, in which the names -of the several nations descended from Noah, and their geographical -distribution, have been preserved. With this Table antiquity has handed -down nothing that can be compared for accuracy or comprehensiveness. -“It exposes the fallacies of the mythical genealogies of pagans, -contradicts their fables respecting gods, heroes, and periods -of millions of years, and also affords a firm foundation for -investigations concerning the origin and the traditions of nations.” -From this Table, then, it appears that - -(i) The descendants of JAPHETH (_enlargement_) after leaving the -original cradle of the human race, occupied chiefly _the isles of the -Gentiles_, or the coast-lands of the Mediterranean Sea in Asia Minor -and Europe, and thence spread chiefly in a northerly direction over the -entire European Continent, and a great portion of Asia. Thus GOMER was -the ancestor of the Cymmerians or Cimbri, MAGOG of the Scythians, MADAI -of the Medes, JAVAN of the Ionians and Greek race, TUBAL and MESECH -of the Tibareni and Moschi, two Colchian tribes, and TIRAS of the -Thracians. - -(ii) The descendants of HAM (“_heat_”) proceeded in a southerly -direction, and occupied the whole of Africa, and the Southern -peninsulas of Asia, India, and Arabia. Of his four sons CUSH extended -his settlements from Babylonia to Ethiopia, MIZRAIM colonized Egypt, -PHUT Libya, and CANAAN the land called by his name. - -(iii) The descendants of SHEM established themselves in Central Asia, -and thence extended in an easterly and westerly direction, ARAM -colonising the country afterwards known as Syria, LUD Lydia, ARPHAXAD -Chaldæa, ASSHUR part of Assyria, ELAM Persia, JOKTAN a portion of the -Arabian peninsula (Gen. x. 1–26). - -Thus He, _who hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell -on all the face of the earth_ (Acts xvii. 26), directed the repeopling -of the world by the descendants of Noah. Like prodigal sons they were -to go into far countries, and learn by bitter experience that neither -human strength nor human wisdom can work out _the righteousness of -God_, or win back for man his lost inheritance. But the preservation -of their names in this Table of Nations is a proof that no one of -them was forgotten by a God of Love; that though they might forget Him -He yet guided their destinies, and overruled their counsels only to -the accomplishment of His gracious purposes of Redemption. The Day of -Pentecost in the New Testament corresponds to the Confusion of Tongues -in the Old. Then, not till then, did men hear, each in their tongue -wherein they were born, the Glad Tidings of ONE, very God and very -Man, in whom _there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither bond nor free, -neither male nor female_ (Gal. iii. 28). - - Illustration: THE DISPERSION OF NOAH’S DESCENDANTS - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _RISE OF IDOLATRY――THE PATRIARCH JOB._ - GEN. X. 6–12. JOB. - - -SACRED History does not record many facts connected with the immediate -descendants of Noah. The scene of the Confusion of Tongues continued to -attract around it a large number of the early inhabitants of the world, -and here was established one of the earliest of the great empires -of the earth by NIMROD, a son of Cush, and grandson of Ham. Of great -powers and gigantic stature, he first obtained wide-spread renown by -his exploits as _a mighty hunter_, and the services he rendered the -surrounding populations by ridding them of the terror of noxious and -terrible animals. In process of time, however, he combined with his -exploits as a hunter the conquest of men, and founded a great empire -on the plains of Shinar, the chief towns of which were Babel, Erech -(_Edessa_), Accad (_Nisibis_), and Calneh (_Ctesiphon_). Thence (for -such seems to be the meaning of Gen. x. 11) he extended his dominions -along the course of the Tigris into Assyria, amongst the descendants -of Shem, where he founded a second group of cities, Nineveh, Rehoboth, -Calah, and Resen. At a period when men’s lives were prolonged so far -beyond the period now allotted them, it is probable that this great -conqueror may have carried on his successful invasions for nearly 200 -years, and after death was worshipped under the title of Belus, or Bel, -_the Lord_. Certainly the vast ruins that overspread the site of the -ancient Babylonian empire seem to tell of the days when there were -great heroes in the earth; and to Nimrod the modern Arabs ascribe all -the great works of ancient times, the _Birs-Nimrûd_, near Babylon, -_Tel Nimrûd_, near Baghdad, and the _Mount of Nimrûd_, near Mosul[13]. - -Whether the practice of idolatrous worship was introduced, as some have -supposed, by this great hero of the ancient world, or not, certain it -is that mankind became more and more addicted to idolatry. Though the -knowledge of the one true God, and the promise of salvation, had been -handed down by tradition, and though His invisible attributes, _even -His eternal power and Godhead_, were clearly to be discerned in the -works of creation (Rom. i. 19, 20), yet mankind _glorified Him not -as God, neither were they thankful_. They began _to worship and serve -the creature rather than the Creator_. The sun, moon, and stars, the -principle of fire, even the inferior animals and departed heroes, came -to be regarded with veneration, and usurped the worship due only to -the Supreme. With idolatry came its usual consequences, a deep moral -degeneracy, cruelty, tyranny, and licentiousness. - -One of the earliest allusions to the worship of the heavenly bodies -occurs in the Book of Job (xxxi. 26–28). The age and writer of this -book are alike unknown; by some it is ascribed to Job himself, by -others to Moses, by others to some writer who lived at a still later -period. As, however, the scenes therein described had with great -probability been referred to a period very little removed from that -at which we have now arrived, it may be well to speak of them here. -JOB was an eminent Eastern chief, dwelling in very early times in the -land of Uz (Job i. 1), probably Arabia Deserta, or, as some suppose, -Mesopotamia. Greatest among “the sons of the East,” endowed with -all the riches of his age, he ruled piously and wisely over a happy -and numerous household, having seven sons and three daughters. To -considerable mental attainments he added a moral uprightness, which -preserved him blameless in all the relations of life, and was declared -by the Lord Himself to be _without his like in all the earth, a perfect -and an upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil_ (Job i. 8). -With large and liberal hand he distributed to the necessities of the -poor, so that whenever _the ear heard him then it blessed him, when the -eye saw him it gave witness to him; the blessing of him that was ready -to perish came upon him, and he caused the widow’s heart to sing for -joy_. But in the midst of this almost perfect temporal happiness he was -suddenly overwhelmed with the heaviest misfortunes that can befall the -sons of men. He who slandered God to Eve slandered Job before God, and -affirmed that he did not fear Him for naught; that if he were stripped -of all his possessions he would be as other men, and curse the Lord to -His face (i. 11). To put, therefore, the patriarch’s faith to the most -certain test, the Accuser of mankind received mysterious permission -to cast him down, and try him with the most grievous afflictions. Blow -after blow descended upon him. From being the lord of a numerous and -attached household he suddenly became childless, for the storm of the -desert swept over the house where his sons and daughters were assembled, -and crushed them all beneath its ruins. From being the richest of the -sons of the East he suddenly became a beggar, for the thunderbolt, “the -fire of God,” fell and struck down all his sheep, as they were grazing -quietly with their shepherds, while his camels were carried off by a -band of Chaldean robbers, and his oxen and asses by a horde of Sabeans. -And not only did he become a childless, beggared, ruined man, but upon -his own body the black leprosy of the East set its awful mark, making -him an object hateful and loathsome to look upon. Smitten with sores -_from the sole of his foot even unto his crown_, he sat apart, forsaken -by his friends and even by his wife. But amidst these awful trials his -faith was not prostrated. When the terrible tidings reached him of the -fate of his household he said, in words of sublime resignation, _The -Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of -the Lord_; when his wife, utterly unable to bear up, bade him curse his -Maker and die, he replied, _What? shall we receive good at the hand of -God, and shall we not receive evil?_ (Job i. 21, ii. 10). - -Before long the news of his terrible affliction was noised abroad, -and three of his old friends, Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, -and Zophar of Naamath, came _to mourn with him and to comfort him_. -In their presence Job at length brake forth into desperate words, -and _cursed the day of his birth_ (Job iii. 1). The storm of his soul -was not calmed by the sympathy of his friends. Instead of pouring in -the oil of comfort, they only heightened his griefs by ascribing his -calamities to some great sin, some secret guilt, if not committed by -himself at least by his children, for which he was now punished. A -distinct question was thus propounded, Is great suffering a proof of -great guilt? Job’s friends affirmed it was, and exhorted him to repent -and confess. Job denied, and at great length laboured to refute this -(Job iv. 5–xxxii). At the close of their dialogue, Elihu, another -and younger friend of the patriarch, intervened, to moderate between -the disputants. Unable to solve the problem of Job’s calamities, he -declared that afflictions, even when not the direct consequences of -sin, were intended for good, and he reproved his friend for justifying -himself rather than the Almighty, and speaking unadvisedly of His -works (Job xxxii–xxxvii). At length the Lord Himself condescended to -interpose in the controversy. From the midst of a whirlwind, in words -of incomparable grandeur and sublimity, he silenced the murmurs of -his servant, bidding him reflect on the glory of creation, and learn -from the marvels of the animal kingdom the stupendous power and wisdom -of Him with whom it is useless for a created being to contend (Job -xxxviii–xli). Thereupon, in deep contrition, Job acknowledged his error -and supplicated the Divine pardon for the bitterness and arrogance of -his complaints. This penitent acknowledgment was accepted, and Job’s -three friends were severely reproved for their uncharitable surmises -respecting the origin of his misfortunes. On the intercession, however, -of the patriarch they were pardoned; and He who had suffered him -to be thus sorely tried, when his trials had served the purpose for -which they had been sent, once more showered down upon him the riches -of His goodness, restoring him to still greater prosperity than he had -even enjoyed before, and made him the father of seven sons and three -daughters[14], celebrated for their beauty above all the maidens of the -East. Job survived his altered fortunes upwards of 140 years, and then, -having seen his children to the fourth generation, died in a good old -age, an instructive example of integrity (Ezek. xiv. 14, 20), and of -patience under the most trying calamities (Jas. v. 11). - - - - - BOOK II. - - THE PATRIARCHAL AGE. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE CALL OF ABRAHAM._ - GEN. XI. B.C. 1921. - - -THERE will always, perhaps, be a doubt as to the exact period after -the Flood when Job lived, but there can be no doubt that neither -his constancy nor his faithfulness to the one true God, were the -characteristics of the age succeeding the Flood. Within ten generations -after that event mankind had again become forgetful of their Maker, -and corrupted their way, threatening a fresh outbreak of violence -and irreligion. Now, however, it was not the purpose of the Almighty -to visit the earth with any universal judgment. In the counsels of -Redemption it was His will to select a man, and through him, a nation, -to be His witness upon earth, to withdraw this nation from contact -with the surrounding world, to place it under a special and peculiar -constitution, to entrust to it the guardianship of ancient truths -and of future hopes, and out of it to bring, _in the fulness of time_ -(Gal. iv. 4), the promised Saviour of the human race. - -At this point, then, Sacred History becomes more full, and its stream -hitherto slender widens into a broad river. Mighty empires and great -nations seem for a while to be forgotten, but only because we are now -to be more especially concerned with the history of that particular -nation, in and through which _all nations of the earth were to be -blessed_ (Gen. xii. 3). - -The man selected by the Almighty to be the ancestor of a people -destined to exert so momentous an influence on the salvation of the -world was ABRAHAM, or, as he was first called, _Abram_, the son of -Terah, who lived in the eighth generation from Shem, in Ur of the -Chaldees. Besides Abram, Terah had two other sons, Nahor and Haran, -but Abram, though mentioned first, was in all probability the youngest -of the three. From Ur, which may perhaps be identified with the modern -_Orfah_[15], in upper Mesopotamia, where his family had become tainted -with the generally prevailing idolatry (Josh. xxiv. 2, 14), Terah -removed, and travelling in a southerly direction arrived at Haran or -Charran[16], where he stayed. In this journey he was accompanied by -his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, and his grandson Lot, and -seems to have intended to go into the land of Canaan (Gen. xi. 31), -but this was prevented by his death at Haran, when he had reached the -age of 205. After this event, a still more distinct intimation of the -Divine Will was made to his son Abram, bidding him leave his country, -his kindred, and his father’s house, and go to a land which God would -shew him. _There_, said the Almighty, _I will make of thee a great -nation, and make thy name great, and in thee shall all the families -of the earth be blessed_. Severe as were the hardships which this call -involved, painful as it must have been to flesh and blood to sever -the ties which bound him to his family and his people, Abram did not -refuse to follow the Hand which promised him guidance, protection, -and a mighty future. At the age of 75, with his wife Sarai, his nephew -Lot, and all that he possessed, he left Haran, crossed the Euphrates, -and commenced his journey southward and westward towards the _Land of -Promise_ (Acts vii. 4, 5). - -This country, the future home of the great nation destined to spring -from his loins, was in many respects eminently adapted for its special -mission in the history of the World. In extent, indeed, it was but -a narrow strip of country, but a little larger than the six northern -counties of England, being nearly 180 miles in length[17], and 75 miles -in breadth, and having an area of about 13,600 English square miles. -Bounded on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, on the north by the -mountains of Lebanon, on the east by the Syrian desert, on the south -by the wilderness of Arabia, it was situated at the meeting-point -of the two continents of Asia and Africa, “on the very outpost, on -the extremest western edge of the East.” It was a secluded land. A -wilderness encompassed it on the east and south, mountains shut it in -on the north, and the “Great Sea” which washed its western shore was -the terror rather than the thoroughfare of ancient nations. “Unlike -the coast of Europe, and especially of Greece, it had no indentations, -no winding creeks, no deep havens[18],” but one small port――that of -Joppa――with which to tempt the mariner from the west. But while thus -eminently adapted to be the “silent and retired nursery of the Kingdom -of God[19],” it was in the very centre of the activity of the ancient -world, _in the midst of the nations, and the countries that were round -about it_ (Ezek. v. 5). On the South was the great empire of Egypt, -on the North-east the rising kingdom of Assyria. Neither of these -great nations could communicate with the other without passing through -Palestine, and so learning something of its peculiar institutions and -religion; and when the _fulness of time was come_ no country was better -suited, from its position at the extremest verge of the Eastern World, -to be the starting-point whence the glad tidings of Redemption might -be proclaimed to all nations[20]. Moreover, narrow as were its limits, -and secluded as was its position, it yet presented a greater variety of -surface, scenery and temperature than is to be found in any other part -of the world, and needed not to depend on other countries for anything -that either the luxuries or actual wants of its inhabitants required. -Four broadly marked longitudinal regions divided its surface. (i) First, -there was the _low plain_ of the western sea-coast, broad towards -the south, and gradually narrowing towards the north, famous for the -Shephelah (_the low country_) with its waving corn-fields, and the vale -of Sharon (_level country_), the garden of Palestine. From this was an -ascent to (ii) _a strip of table-land_, every part of which was more or -less undulating, but increasing in elevation from north to south[21], -and broken only by the plain of Jezreel or Esdraelon. To this succeeded -a rapid descent into (iii) _a deep fissure or valley_, through which -the Jordan (_the descender_), the only river of importance in the -country, rushes from its source at the base of Hermon into the Dead -Sea, the surface of which is no less than 1316 feet below that of -the Mediterranean[22]. Hence was a second ascent to (iv) a _strip of -table-land_ on the east similar to that on the west, and seeming with -its range of purple-tinted mountains to overhang Jerusalem itself. -Crowned by the forests and upland pastures of Gilead and Bashan, -this eastern table-land gradually melted into the desert which rolled -between it and the valley of Mesopotamia. Thus within a very small -space were crowded the most diverse features of natural scenery, and -the most varied products. It was _a good land, a land of brooks of -water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, a -land flowing with milk and honey_ (Deut. viii. 7–9; xi. 10–12). The low -plains yielded luxuriant crops of wheat and barley, of rye and maize; -on the table-lands with their equable and moderate climate grew the -vine, the olive, the fig, the almond, the pomegranate; in the tropical -neighbourhood of Jericho flourished the palm-tree and the balsam; while -the noble cedar waved on the mountains of Lebanon. - -Such was the Land, secluded and yet central, narrow and yet wonderfully -diversified alike in its natural features and its products, whither -the Almighty now bade Abram direct his steps. Striking across the -great Syrian desert, the patriarch kept on his southward course, and -having crossed the Jordan, _passed through the land_, till he came -to Shechem[23], situated between the mountains Ebal and Gerizim. This -spot, destined afterwards to be so celebrated, was then only marked -by the majestic oak of Moreh, probably a Canaanitish chief, but its -many fountains, rills, and water-courses[24] made it then, as it ever -has been since, a natural pasture-ground for flocks and herds; and -here Abram halted, and learnt that he had reached the goal of his long -journey. _This land_, said God, _I will give unto thy seed_; and at -Shechem the patriarch built his first altar to the Lord in the “Land -of Promise[25]” (Gen. xii. 6, 7). - -Thence he afterwards removed southward a distance of about twenty -miles, to the strong mountain country east of Bethel, or as it was then -called Luz; one of the finest tracts of the land for pasturage, and -here he erected his second altar unto the Lord. During his sojourn in -this neighbourhood he learnt that, though the heir of mighty promises, -he was not to be exempt from his share of trials and disappointments. -The first that befell him was a grievous famine, caused probably by a -failure of the usual rains; in consequence of which, finding himself -unable to support his numerous dependents, he resolved, though without -direct Divine suggestion, to go down into Egypt, then, as always, the -fertile granary of the neighbouring nations. As he drew near the land -of the mighty Pharaohs, he reflected that the beauty of his wife might -expose her to danger from the sensual, voluptuous Egyptians, and under -the influence of these apprehensions persuaded her to stoop to an -unworthy equivocation, and give herself out as his sister. What he -anticipated came to pass. The princes of Egypt _beheld the woman that -she was fair_, and recommended her to their monarch, by whom she was -taken into his palace, while numerous presents of cattle and sheep were -sent to her supposed brother. But the monarch found that the coming -of the stranger into his palace involved him in serious troubles, _the -Lord plagued Pharaoh with great plagues_, till, having ascertained the -true relation between her and Abram, he sent her back to her husband, -with a strong rebuke to the latter for the deception he had practised. - -How long after this Abram stayed in Egypt we are not told. But at -length his wealth in cattle, and gold and silver, having materially -increased, he quitted the country, and once more took up his abode on -his former camping-ground between Bethel and Ai. Hitherto his nephew -Lot had accompanied him in all his wanderings, but now the increasing -numbers of their flocks and herds generated a quarrel between their -respective herdsmen, and it was plainly necessary that they should -separate. With characteristic generosity Abram bade his nephew take -the first choice, and select for himself, whether on the left hand or -the right, a place for his new abode. From the high mountain-range[26] -to the east of Bethel, where they were then encamped, Lot _lifted up -his eyes_ and looked down upon the wide and well-watered plain south -of the Jordan, then a very _garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt_ -(Gen. xiii. 10) they had so lately left. As yet no terrible convulsion -had effaced the site of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities of the -plain. Fair and fertile the coveted possession stretched onwards unto -Zoar, and in spite of the notorious wickedness of the inhabitants Lot -chose it for his abode, and the two _separated themselves the one from -the other_. Though Abram was thus left to wait alone for the fulfilment -of the Promise, he was not forgotten by the God in whom he trusted. A -more full and more definite promise was now vouchsafed to him. _Lift -up thine eyes_, said the Almighty, _and look from place to place where -thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward; all the -land which thou seest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever; -and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man -can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered_ -(Gen. xiii. 14–17). - -Thus encouraged, _the Friend of God_ (Jas. ii. 23) removed his -tent, and travelling southward took up his abode under the spreading -terebinth[27] of Mamre, an Amorite prince (Gen. xiv. 13, 24), near -Hebron, or as it was then called Kirjath-Arba, _the City of Arba_ -the father of Anak and the progenitor of the giant Anakim (Gen. -xxiii. 2; xxxv. 27; Josh. xiv. 15). While dwelling peacefully in this -neighbourhood, which like all other places he hallowed with an altar to -Jehovah, he received one day unexpected tidings of his nephew Lot. The -chiefs of the five cities in the tropical valley of the Jordan, SODOM, -GOMORRAH, ADMAH, ZEBOIM, and BELAH, had for twelve years been subject -to CHEDORLAOMER, a powerful king of Elam or Mesopotamia. But they had -lately united together to throw off his yoke. Thereupon the King of -Elam, aided by three other confederate chiefs, proceeded to make war -against the southern kings. Sweeping down on a sudden foray, he smote -the countries on the eastern uplands of the Jordan and the southern -region of Mount Seir. Returning thence he ravaged all the country -of the Amalekites, and with his allied chiefs met the kings of Sodom -and Gomorrah in pitched battle in the Vale of Siddim, probably at -the north-west corner of the Dead Sea. The five southern kings were -utterly routed, and with much spoil and many captives the Assyrian -invader commenced his return northwards. It was the news of this -sudden invasion which now reached the ears of Abram. Without losing -a moment he instantly armed his 318 trained servants, and, aided by -the confederate chief Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner, arose -and pursued the Assyrians by night. The latter had in the meantime -reached the neighbourhood of the Sidonian Laish, far up in the northern -mountains. Thither, however, Abram pursued them, and falling upon -them suddenly, while all unconscious of coming danger, he smote them -and chased them to Hobah, on the left of Damascus. Thence, with the -recovered captives, amongst whom was Lot, he returned, and at the -_King’s Dale_, not far from Hebron, was met by the King of Sodom, -accompanied by a mysterious personage, who now meets us for the first -and only time, named MELCHISEDEC, a king of Salem and priest of the -Most High God. The sudden appearance of one thus uniting the kingly -and priestly functions, of whose origin and family we know nothing, -has led to much speculation. Putting aside more improbable conjectures, -we may perhaps conclude that he was an eminent Canaanitish prince in -the line of Ham, who had maintained the pure worship of the One true -God, and who, according to a custom not uncommon in patriarchal times, -was at once king and priest[28]. A sufficient proof of his high dignity -is afforded by the fact that to him the patriarch Abram reverently -gave tithes of all that he had taken in his late successful expedition, -and received his solemn blessing (Heb. vii. 2, 6). Before they parted -the King of Sodom pressed Abram to take a portion of the spoil as his -reward. This, however, the latter with his usual generosity firmly -declined; he would take nothing, _from a thread even to a shoelatchet_ -(Gen. xiv. 23), save only a portion for his allies, the chiefs Aner, -Eshcol, and Mamre, and then returned to the shade of the oak or -terebinth near Hebron. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _LIFE OF ABRAHAM CONTINUED._ - GEN. XV.–XXV. B.C. 1913–1822. - - -WE now enter on another and a different scene in the history of Abram. -He had been victorious over the Assyrian kings; he had gotten him -honour as the prompt avenger of injustice and oppression before the -chiefs of the land in which he was a pilgrim and a sojourner; he had -been solemnly blessed by the _King of Righteousness_; but where was -the fulfilment of the promise for which he had so long been waiting? -He had no son, no single pledge of the mighty nation destined to spring -from his loins. When, therefore, his all-merciful Guide appeared to -him again in vision, to assure him of safety and protection, he could -not restrain the deep sorrow of his heart, and mournfully complained -that in place of a son, _one born in his house_, probably Eliezer of -Damascus, _would be his heir_. On this occasion the Almighty not only -solemnly assured His desponding servant that a son should be born to -him, an earnest of a seed as numerous as the stars of heaven, and that -the land on which he walked should undoubtedly be their inheritance, -but, as in the case of Noah after the Flood, he vouchsafed to him _an -outward and visible sign_ to strengthen and support his faith. He bade -the patriarch take a heifer, a ram, and a she-goat, each three years -old, together with a turtle-dove and a young pigeon, and after dividing -them all, except the birds, to lay them piece by piece over against -the other. Familiar, doubtless, with this ancient method of ratifying -a covenant, Abram did as the Lord had told him, slew the victims, and -laid the divided portions in order. Then from morning until evening -he watched them, and from time to time drove away the birds of prey -which hovered over them. At length the sun went down, and a deep sleep -fell upon him, and a horror of great darkness gathered around him. -Amidst the deepening gloom there appeared to him a Smoking Furnace and -a Burning Lamp passing along the space between the divided victims. -Presently a Voice came to him telling him that _his seed should be a -stranger in a land that was not theirs, that there they should suffer -affliction 400 years; that afterwards, in the fourth generation, when -the cup of the Amorites was full, they should come out with great -substance, return to the spot where the patriarch now was, and enter -on their promised inheritance_. Thus, amidst mingled light and gloom, -the ancestor of the elect nation was warned of the chequered fortunes -which awaited his progeny, while at the same time he was assured of the -ultimate fulfilment of the Promise, and the actual boundaries of the -lands of his inheritance were marked out from the river of Egypt to the -distant Euphrates; and in this confidence Abram was content to _possess -his soul in patience_ (Lk. xxi. 19). - -As yet, it will be observed, it had not been expressly said that his -wife Sarai was the destined mother of the long-promised son. As the -prospect, therefore, of her contributing to the fulfilment of the -Promise became more and more remote, she seems to have concluded that -this honour was not reserved for her, and accordingly persuaded her -husband to take her handmaid, HAGAR, an Egyptian, as a secondary wife, -that by her he might obtain what was denied herself. Abram complied -with her suggestion, and Hagar conceived; but the consequences did -not tend to increase the patriarch’s happiness. In a moment of elation -Hagar mocked her mistress, and Sarai dealt hardly with her, till she -fled from her into the southern wilderness, on the way that led to her -native land. There, as she halted near a fountain of water, an angel -of the Lord met her, and bade her return and submit herself to her -mistress, assuring her at the same time that she should give birth -to a son, whom she was to call ISHMAEL (_whom God hears_). Though the -_son of a bondwoman_ (Gal. iv. 22, 23), no mean future lay before him; -he should become the ancestor of a numerous seed, who, like himself, -would be true roving sons of the desert, _their hand against every man, -and every man’s hand against them_. In remembrance of this incident -Hagar named the fountain _Beer-lahai-roi_, (_the well of the God that -appeareth_), and returned to the tents of Sarah, where, in process of -time she gave birth to Ishmael, when Abram was 86 years old. - -Again thirteen years rolled away, and still the Promise was not -fulfilled. But when hope might almost have ceased to hope, God -appeared once more to Abram, recapitulated the main outline of the -Covenant-Promise, changed his name from Abram (_a high father_), to -ABRAHAM (_the father of a multitude_), and assured him that at length -the long-expected time was well-nigh come. But in prospect of the -peculiar blessing about to be bestowed upon him, he himself, and all -his seed after him, must carry about with them a perpetual pledge of -their covenant relation to Jehovah. The rite of Circumcision must now -be adopted by him, and instead of being the badge of any favoured class -amongst the nation destined to spring from his loins, was, on pain -of excommunication, to be open to the lowliest member of the Hebrew -commonwealth, even to the bond-servant and the stranger. At the same -time it was intimated to the patriarch that his wife Sarai, whose name -also was now changed to SARAH (_princess_), and no other, was to be -the mother of the promised child, that it would be born during the next -year, and be called Isaac (_Laughter_); while Ishmael also, for whom -Abraham had prayed, would not be forgotten, but be a partaker in the -Divine blessing, and become the father of twelve princes, the ancestors -of a great nation. Thereupon Abraham complied with the Divine command, -and was circumcised, together with Ishmael, now thirteen years of age, -and all the male members of his household. - -Shortly after this, as the patriarch sat, in the heat of the day, under -the oak of Mamre, he received a visit from three mysterious Strangers, -whom he entertained with becoming hospitality. The meal over which he -had hastily prepared, one of them inquired for his wife, and formally -announced that within the year she would be the mother of a son. His -words were overheard by Sarah, and she laughed incredulously at the -possibility of such an event, but was thereupon reproved by the Speaker, -and assured in a still more confident manner of the fulfilment of His -word. Then the Three left the tent and turned their steps eastward -towards Sodom. Abraham accompanied them, and on the way one of them, in -whom he recognised no other than the _Angel of the Covenant_, informed -him of the real purport of this visit to the cities where his nephew -Lot had taken up his abode. The sin of these cities was very great, and -their cup was now full; their inhabitants had wearied themselves with -wickedness, and their licentiousness and iniquity called to Heaven for -a visible revelation of Divine wrath, and judgment was now _even at the -door_. Informed of the impending doom the _Friend of God_ drew near, -and with marvellous boldness blended with the deepest humility pleaded -with the Almighty for the guilty cities. Peradventure there might be -found therein at least fifty, or forty-five, or forty, or thirty, or -twenty, or even ten righteous souls, would the _Lord of all the earth -spare_ them for ten’s sake? Thereupon he was assured that if only ten -righteous souls could be found the cities should be spared. While he -was thus pleading with God, the two other angels entered Sodom, and -were hospitably entertained by Lot. But their celestial beauty only -served to excite the wickedness of the inhabitants, who surrounded -Lot’s house, and, in spite of his earnest expostulations, would have -offered them personal violence had they not been suddenly stricken -with blindness. As the night wore on, his visitors assured Lot of the -certain destruction of the city, and warned him to gather together with -all speed every member of his family if he would save them from the -impending judgment. Lot did as he was advised; but his warning was -lost upon his sons-in-law and his daughters-in-law, and he seemed unto -them _as one that mocked_. When the day dawned, the angels broke off -any further delay by laying hold on him, and his wife, and his two -daughters, and having dragged them forth beyond the city, bade them -flee to the neighbouring mountain range if they would not be consumed. -But thither Lot was afraid to flee, and in compliance with his urgent -entreaty was permitted to betake himself to the town of Bela, or Zoar -(_Little_), on the southern extremity of the Dead Sea. The sun rose -as he entered this city of refuge, and then _the Lord rained upon -Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven_, and utterly swept -away by an awful convulsion every trace of the guilty cities and their -inhabitants, the site of which became henceforth a perpetual desolation. -Few as were the remnants of this fearful overthrow, yet one of these -few failed to reach the little city of refuge. In spite of the Angel’s -reiterated warning, Lot’s wife lingered, looked back, and, caught by -the advancing sulphurous tide, was smothered as she stood, and became -a _pillar of salt_ (Gen. xix. 26; Lk. xvii. 32). As for Lot himself, -afraid to dwell even in Zoar, he fled with his two daughters to the -eastern mountains, and became the father of two sons, Moab and Ben-Ammi, -the ancestors of two powerful nations――the Moabites and Ammonites. - -Shortly after this terrible judgment, Abraham left the oak of Mamre, -where he had so long encamped, and journeyed in a southerly direction -towards Gerar, between Kadesh and Shur, at that time the principal seat -of the Philistines, whose chief was known by the hereditary title of -Abimelech, or _Father-King_[29]. Under the same apprehensions which he -had felt when drawing nigh to Egypt, Abraham wished that Sarah should -pass for his sister, and again exposed her to imminent risk. But, -as before, the Lord mercifully intervened, and the Philistine chief -restored his wife to the patriarch, together with ample presents (Gen. -xx. 14–16). At length the time had come for which Abraham, now upwards -of 100 years of age, had so long waited. Either at Gerar or Beersheba, -Sarah gave birth to the _child of promise_, who was duly circumcised -on the eighth day, and named ISAAC (_Laughter_) according to the Divine -command. At the feast given on the occasion of his weaning, Ishmael -mocked, or in some way insulted the child. This act, observed by Sarah, -roused all her animosity, and she demanded the instant dismissal of the -boy and his mother. Though sorely against his will, Abraham, advised -by God, yielded to his wife, and early on the following morning Hagar -and her son were sent away to wander in the wilderness of Beersheba. -In a short time the water in her skin-bottle was spent, and the boy -tormented with thirst seemed at the point of death. Unable to endure -the sight of his sufferings, Hagar laid him under the shade of the -desert shrubs, and sat down about a bowshot off. But the boy was not -thus to die; God heard his cry, and the angel of the Lord called to -Hagar out of heaven, and bade her not despair. At the same time her -eyes were opened to discern a well of water, with which she filled -her bottle and gave the lad drink. Thus his life was preserved, and he -grew and prospered, and dwelt in the wild desert of Paran, near Mount -Sinai, and was renowned for his skill in the use of the bow. Marrying -an Egyptian he became the father of twelve sons and one daughter (Gen. -xxv. 13–15; xxviii. 9; xxxvi. 3), the ancestors of the chief portion of -the wild Arab tribes, living by warlike forays and plunder, _their hand -against every man, and every man’s hand against them_. - -Meanwhile Abraham was living in peace and security, feared and -respected by his Philistine neighbours in the south country, near -Beersheba, when a far keener trial befell him than any he had yet -experienced. The call from his own country, the famine that drove him -into Egypt, the desertion of Lot, the long deferring of the promised -seed, the separation from Ishmael, all these had been sore trials to -flesh and blood. But now, when the hope of his life seemed at length -to have been gained, he was commanded to take _his son, his only -son Isaac_ a three days’ journey into the land of Moriah, and offer -him up as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that should be -shown him. Utterly inexplicable as this command must have seemed, and -indescribably painful to his feelings, the patriarch’s trust in God did -not falter. Assured that He who had called him into being could, if it -pleased Him, _raise up_ his son _even from the dead_ (Heb. xi. 19), he -rose up early in the morning, clave the wood for the sacrifice, saddled -his ass, and with two young men and Isaac commenced his journey. On -the third day he lifted up his eyes, and beheld the spot afar off; -thereupon leaving the young men behind, he laid the wood upon his -son, and with the fire in his hand, and a knife, ascended the mountain -to the spot[30] of which God had told him. Marvelling that no victim -had been brought, but assured that _a lamb would be provided for a -burnt-offering_, Isaac accompanied his father to the summit, and when -the altar had been built and the wood laid thereon, submitted without a -murmur to be bound and placed upon it. Another moment and the father’s -hand was actually outstretched to slay his son, when a voice from -heaven arrested him, and bade him forbear to proceed further, seeing -that the end for which this mysterious trial had been sent was now -gained, for Abraham had not withheld his only son, but given proof of -his willingness to surrender even him to the Divine call. At the same -moment the patriarch looked, and beheld behind him a ram caught in a -thicket by its horns, which he took and offered as a burnt-offering -instead of his son. In memory of this eventful day he named the place -_Jehovah-Jireh_, i.e. _Jehovah will see_ or _provide_, and again -received the assurance of the Divine blessing upon himself and his -future descendants, who should be _multiplied as the stars of heaven, -and as the sand upon the seashore_, and become the channel of blessings -to _all the nations of the earth_. - -This is the culminating point in Abraham’s life. Implicit trust -in the Most High, unfaltering obedience to His will, had never -been more signally displayed, and his faith _was counted to him for -righteousness_ (Rom. iv. 3, 9). From this time his course was calm -and peaceful. Leaving Beersheba he turned northwards, and once more -abode under the oak of Mamre. Here he lost the partner of his long -and eventful career. At the age of 127 (the only instance in which -the age of a woman is recorded in Scripture) Sarah died, and was laid -in the _cave of the field of Machpelah_, a spot now covered by the -Mosque of Hebron, which Abraham bought for 400 shekels of silver, _for -a possession of a burying-place_, of Ephron the Hittite. So deep was -the respect of the children of Heth for _the mighty prince_ who had so -long lived among them, that in spite of the usual Oriental jealousy on -this point they would willingly have permitted him to bury his dead in -the choicest of their own sepulchres. But this Abraham declined, and -the Cave of Machpelah with the surrounding field was made over to him -for a possession for ever[31]. - -Three years afterwards, anxious to prevent an alliance between his son -and any of the Canaanitish nations, he sent the eldest servant of his -house, probably Eliezer of Damascus, into Mesopotamia, to the city of -Nahor his brother, to procure from thence a wife for him. His servant -faithfully discharged his commission, and the piety he displayed -reflecting the goodness of the patriarch himself was rewarded. At -a well outside the city of Haran he met REBEKAH, the daughter of -Bethuel[32] the son of Nahor, going forth with her pitcher on her -shoulder to draw water. In answer to his inquiries she told him who -she was, and conducted him to the house of her brother Laban. There -he recounted all that had befallen his master in the land of his -pilgrimage, and made known the purpose of his errand. Rebekah, when -asked by her brother and mother, announced her readiness to accompany -the servant to the tents of Abraham, and in the course of time became -Isaac’s wife (Gen. xxiv.). - -Before long Abraham himself also married again, and by KETURAH his -second wife, became the father of six children, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, -Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah (Gen. xxv. 2), the ancestors of Arabian and -Midianitish tribes. Lest they should dispute the inheritance with Isaac, -the prudent patriarch, while he yet lived, presented them with gifts, -and sent them away into the south-east country (Gen. xxv. 6) where -their descendants settled along the borders of the Elanitic Gulf in -considerable numbers. And then the _Father of the Faithful, the Friend -of God_, being 175 years old, had reached the term of life allotted to -him. In _a good old age, and full of years_, he was gathered unto his -people, and was laid by Isaac and Ishmael also, who had come up from -the wild desert of Paran to assist in these last sad offices, by the -side of his beloved Sarah, in the cave of Machpelah[33]. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _THE HISTORY OF ISAAC._ - GEN. XXV.–XXVII. B.C. 1822–1760. - - -FOR nineteen years after their marriage Isaac and Rebekah were -childless. But at length, in answer to earnest prayer, Rebekah became -the mother of twin sons, ESAU (_hairy, rough_) and JACOB (_he that -holds by the heel_, or _supplanter_). The bitter enmity afterwards to -exist between the brothers was foreshadowed even before their birth, -and as they grew the difference in their characters became still more -prominent. Esau became a _cunning hunter_, wild and daring, even as -his rough and robust frame betokened, revelling like a true son of the -desert in the excitement of the chase. Jacob, on the other hand, was a -quiet domestic youth, _dwelling in tents_, the favourite of his mother, -while Esau, by a not uncommon caprice of affection, was the favourite -of the gentle retiring Isaac, whose keen relish for savoury food was -gratified by his success in the hunting-field (Gen. xxv. 24–28). - -It is in connection with his favourite pursuit that Esau first attracts -our notice. As the eldest son he had several important privileges. -He held superior rank in the family (Gen. xlix. 3), and would succeed -to a double portion of his father’s property (Gen. xlviii. 22; Deut. -xxi. 17); his also was, in all probability, the priestly office (Num. -viii. 17–19), and the Covenant-Blessing (Heb. xii. 16, 17; Gen. xxvii. -28, 29, 36). These were the privileges of his birthright, and by an -Oriental patriarch were held as dear as life itself. On one occasion -Esau returned faint and weary from the chase, and saw his brother Jacob -preparing some dark red pottage of lentiles[34]. Famished and exhausted, -he longed for the fragrant mess, and implored his brother to let him -have it. Seeing his distress, Jacob determined to avail himself of -it for his own ends, and agreed to give his brother the pottage on -condition that he sold him his birthright. Unable to control the pangs -of hunger, bent on the immediate gratification of his appetite, Esau -was willing to barter all his privileges for a single meal. But words -were not sufficient for his artful brother. He must have an oath -solemnly attesting the exchange. _Swear unto me_, said he, and Esau -swore, and sold his birthright _for one morsel of meat_ (Heb. xii. 16), -and ate and drank, and rose up and went his way[35]. - -At a subsequent period, in consequence of a grievous famine, Isaac -left Lahai-roi, and journeyed southward to Gerar, within the fertile -coast-line of Philistia. While here he received a warning from -the Almighty against going down into Egypt, and was assured of the -continuance of the same blessing which his father had enjoyed (Gen. -xxvi. 1–5). Thus encouraged he continued to dwell at Gerar, but, like -his father, was not always proof against temptations to distrust his -Almighty Protector. He persuaded Rebekah to represent herself as his -sister, and subjected himself to a cutting rebuke from Abimelech for -this unworthy equivocation. At Gerar his wealth increased exceedingly, -and he made the first advance beyond the purely pastoral life. He -_sowed in that land_, and reaped within the year an hundred fold (Gen. -xxvi. 12). But his wealth and prosperity in time provoked the jealousy -of the Philistines, and they stopped up the wells which his father had -dug; nor did the patriarch feel himself secure till he had moved still -further southward to Beersheba. Here, like Abraham before him, he built -an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon His Name, and was rewarded by -a second confirmation of the covenant Promise, while his contentions -with the Philistines were brought to a close, and a mutual compact -ratified between them (Gen. xxvi. 26–31). But his domestic happiness -was not equally secured. To the great grief of both his parents, Esau, -now 40 years of age, contracted an alliance with Judith the daughter -of Beeri, and Bashemath, the daughter of Elon, both of the race of the -Hittites, to whom he afterwards added Mahalath, a daughter of Ishmael -(Gen. xxvi. 34; xxviii. 9). - -Of the greater portion of Isaac’s life at Beersheba the Scripture -narrative tells nothing, nor is any incident recorded till we hear that -_he waxed old and his eyes grew dim so that he could not see_. Then -reminded of the uncertain tenure of life, he resolved by a solemn act -to bestow the patriarchal blessing upon his eldest son. Summoning Esau -before him, he bade him go forth to the hunt and bring him venison -such as he loved, promising the blessing as his reward. His words did -not escape the quick ears of Rebekah. Eager to obtain this important -privilege for her favourite Jacob, she bade him, during the absence -of his brother, slay two kids, with which she prepared savoury meat -such as Isaac loved. Then arraying him in garments belonging to his -brother, and placing the skins upon his hands and neck, she directed -him to go into the presence of his father, and pass himself off as his -wild, rough brother Esau. After some hesitation, Jacob fell in with -her plan, and in the disguise she had prepared presented himself before -his father. But Isaac, though old and dimsighted, was not free from -his suspicions. To Jacob’s assurance that he had been to the chase and -brought of the prey, he replied by enquiring how he had found it so -quickly. Nor did the ready but untruthful answer that the Lord had -brought it to him relieve his mind. _Come near_, said he, _that I may -feel thee, whether thou be my very son Esau or not_. And Jacob went -near, and his father felt him. Another question, and another falsehood -followed; and at length Jacob was bidden to present the venison that he -had taken, and the old man ate and drank, and then bestowed upon him in -all its fulness the Covenant Blessing. He prayed that God would _give -his son of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty -of corn and wine; that He would make people to serve him, and nations -to bow down to him, so that he might be lord over his brethren, and see -his mother’s sons bow down to him, a blessing to all that blessed him, -a curse to all that cursed him_ (Gen. xxvii. 28, 29). - -Thus successful in his shameful artifice, Jacob had scarcely gone forth -from his father’s presence, when the true Esau returned from the chase. -With savoury meat he too presented himself before Isaac, and besought -his blessing. The old man trembled very exceedingly when he heard the -voice of his eldest son, but told him that he had come too late. His -brother, _the Supplanter_, had been before him, and the irrevocable -words had been spoken. With _a great and exceeding bitter cry_ Esau -implored his father for one blessing which perchance might be left; and -at length Isaac assured him that _his dwelling would be of the fatness -of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; but he must live -by his sword and serve his brother, till the day when he too should -gain the dominion, and should shake his brother’s yoke from off his -neck_[36] (Gen. xxvii. 39, 40). - -Enraged at the deception which had been practised upon him, Esau -did not conceal his design of revenging himself by putting Jacob to -death, and only deferred it till the days of mourning for his father -were ended, whose death he deemed to be near at hand. But his dark -threat became known to Rebekah. Anxious to save her favourite son, she -persuaded him to undertake a journey to his uncle Laban at Padan-Aram, -promising, when a few days were over, and his brother’s wrath was -appeased, to send for him again. Without communicating her real motive -in urging this journey, she at the same time secured the acquiescence -of Isaac, by pretending anxiety that Jacob should marry one of the -daughters of Laban, rather than follow his brother’s example, and -contract an alliance among the Hittites. Accordingly Isaac sent for -his son, and bade him go to Padan-Aram, urging him to take thence a -wife from amongst his own kindred, and then consciously and purposely -transferred to him and his seed after him the blessing of Abraham -(Gen. xxviii. 1–5). - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _LIFE OF JACOB._ - GEN. XXVIII.–XXXV. B.C. 1760–1716. - - -THUS solemnly assured of the Covenant Blessing, JACOB bade farewell -to his mother, whom he was never to see again, and set out a solitary -traveller for the Eastern uplands of Aram, where in place of a few -days he was destined to spend many weary years, and amidst many trials -and vicissitudes to find the same measure that he had measured to -his brother measured also to himself. As the sun went down on the -first evening of his journey, he reached the site of one of Abraham’s -encampments, the stony soil[37] near the Canaanite town of Luz. Taking -of the stones that lay around, he put them for his pillow, and lay down -to sleep. As he slept, there appeared to him a vision of the night. A -ladder seemed to rise up from the bare ground on which he lay, and the -top of it reached even unto heaven, and on it he saw angels ascending -and descending. Moreover from above there came the Voice of God -assuring the wanderer of His protection, renewing to him the promise -of Abraham, and encouraging him with the hope of return from exile. -Jacob awoke trembling and afraid, _Surely_, said he, _the Lord is in -this place, and I knew it not; how dreadful is this place! This is -none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven._ Then -rising early, he took the stone that had formed his pillow, poured oil -upon it, and set it up for a memorial, calling the spot BETHEL, the -_House of God_. At the same time he made a solemn vow that, if Jehovah -would indeed sustain him in all his ways, and bring him back as He had -promised, he would not only dedicate the spot as His House, but would -give Him the tenth of all that he possessed (Gen. xxviii. 18–22). - -Then he continued his journey, and striking in a north-easterly -direction, at length reached a well in Padan-Aram, round which were -gathered three flocks with shepherds from Haran. As he was conversing -with them, RACHEL, the daughter of his uncle Laban, approached, and -with true courtesy Jacob went near, rolled the stone from the well’s -mouth, and watered the flocks. He then kissed the maiden, and told -her he was Rebekah’s son, whereupon she ran and told her father, who -welcomed Jacob to the tents of Haran. After a stay of one month, Laban -proposed that the wanderer should serve him as a shepherd, to which -Jacob assented, and promised to serve him seven years on condition -of receiving the hand of Rachel. The seven years passed away, and he -who had _supplanted_ his brother twice, now learnt what it was to be -_supplanted_ himself. On the evening of his marriage Laban substituted -her sister LEAH in place of Rachel; nor was the deceit discovered -till the following morning, when, in answer to Jacob’s reproaches, he -informed him that it was not customary to give the younger before the -elder daughter, and that if he would have Rachel he must serve seven -more years for her. To these hard conditions Jacob assented, and in the -course of time became the father of a numerous family, eleven sons and -one daughter. Of these, REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI, JUDAH, ISSACHAR, ZEBULUN, -and a daughter DINAH, were born to Leah; DAN and NAPHTALI to Bilhah -Rachel’s maid, whom the latter, finding she had no children, gave to -Jacob as a secondary wife; GAD and ASHER to Zilpah, Leah’s maid; and -JOSEPH to Rachel. - -Shortly after the birth of this last son, Jacob having completed his -time of service, proposed to Laban that he should return into his -own country. But the latter, who had found by experience that his -son-in-law had brought a blessing to his house, prevailed upon him to -continue in his service, on condition of receiving a certain portion -of the flocks as his hire. Six years longer, therefore, Jacob staid -with his father-in-law, and prospered, and became himself the owner -of numerous herds. But on Laban’s side the covenant was not strictly -kept. Again and again he changed the wages of his faithful servant, -till at length finding any longer stay rendered impossible by the -envy and jealousy of his father-in-law and his sons, and encouraged by -the Word of Jehovah, Jacob determined to set out for his native land. -Accordingly, availing himself of Laban’s absence at a sheep-shearing, -he gathered together all his goods, and with his wives and family -crossed the river, the great river Euphrates (Gen. xxxi. 21), and set -his face towards the uplands of Gilead, on the east of Jordan. Three -days after his departure, news of his flight reached the ears of Laban, -who forthwith pursued after him a seven days’ journey, and overtook -him as he was encamped in the range of Gilead. Warned by God in a dream -against using any violence towards his son-in-law, Laban contented -himself with reproaching him for his secret flight, hypocritically -complaining that he had not given him time to send him away with -due formality, and accusing him of stealing his household gods, the -_teraphim_ or images, which Rachel had taken and concealed in the -camel’s furniture. After some altercation it was resolved to come to -terms. Stones were gathered together, and set up as a Pillar of Witness, -in token of their agreement that neither party to injure the other -would cross over what was henceforth to be the boundary between their -respective territories; after which Laban returned to his home in the -distant East (Gen. xxxi. 43–55). - -Thus relieved from pressing danger, Jacob continued his journey -westward. The twenty years of exile was over, and he was bound for his -native land. As if to welcome him thither, and to remind him of the -fulfilment of God’s Promise, the angels, whom he had seen twenty years -before in vision at Bethel, now met him in two hosts, to commemorate -which event he named the spot Mahanaim (_two hosts_). He was now on the -brink of the river which divided him from his father’s home, and the -remembrance of his brother Esau and the uncertainty of the reception he -might meet with from him caused the deepest anxiety. Sending messengers -into the land of Seir, he informed his _lord_ Esau of his return -from the land of exile, and of the success that had attended him. The -messengers went, and returned with the alarming intelligence that Esau -was coming to meet him with four hundred men. Jacob’s distress was -extreme, and he poured forth his whole soul in fervent prayer to God -for protection. Then selecting a valuable present from his flocks and -herds, he sent them to meet and propitiate his approaching brother, -and at midnight dispatched his wives and sons, and all that he had, -across the ford Jabbok, but staid himself behind to renew his earnest -supplications for the Divine protection. Through the night, even to the -breaking of the day, there wrestled with him One (Hos. xii. 3, 4), whom -he knew not, and whose Name he could not prevail upon Him to reveal, -but who left upon him a palpable mark of their mysterious conflict, -for He _touched the hollow of his thigh so that it was out of joint_. -But in memory of this same crisis in his life another sign was given -him. His name was changed. No more was he to be called Jacob, the -_Supplanter_. During the long years of his weary exile old things had -passed away, and all things were becoming new. Henceforth he was to -be known as ISRAEL, _the Prince of God_, for _as a Prince had he power -with God and with man, and had prevailed_ (Gen. xxxii. 28). The site -of this memorable conflict Jacob named Peniel (_the face of God_). When -the day broke he looked up, and saw Esau approaching with his retinue. -Thereupon in long procession he went forth to meet him; first advanced -the handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah with their children, then followed -Leah and her children, last of all Rachel and Joseph. Jacob himself -led the way, bowing to the ground seven times until he came near to his -brother, who ran to meet him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him. -The reconciliation was complete. After mutual converse, Esau agreed to -leave to Jacob the land of his inheritance, and retired himself to the -rugged mountains of Seir[38], whence he and his descendants expelled -the aboriginal tribes, and dwelt in their stead in the land henceforth -known as Edom or Idumæa, a race of hunters living by the sword. - -Meanwhile Jacob continued his journey towards the valley of the -Jordan, and for a while settled at Succoth, where he puts up booths -(_Succoth_) for his cattle, as well as a house for himself. Thence -he moved westwards, and crossing the Jordan, advanced into the very -heart of Palestine, and pitched his tent before the city of Shechem. -Of Hamor its chief he subsequently bought a portion of the rich plain, -east of the city, and here he settled down, and, like Abraham before -him, erected an altar to Jehovah. During his stay at this place, which -appears to have been somewhat protracted, an unfortunate occurrence -caused him for a time the greatest anxiety, and eventually drove him -from the neighbourhood. One day, on the occasion, it is not improbable, -of some local festival, Dinah the daughter of Leah, at this time from -thirteen to fifteen years of age, went out _to see the daughters of -the land_, and was dishonoured by Shechem, the Hivite chieftain, in -whose territory the patriarch had settled. His father Hamor thereupon -proposed that his son should pay a certain sum, by way of reparation, -to her father and mother for the injury he had done to the maiden and -marry her, and that this should be followed by a general intermarriage -between the two peoples. To this proposition the brothers of Dinah -assented, but demanded, as the single condition of the treaty, that the -people of Shechem should consent to be circumcised. These terms were -unwittingly accepted by the Shechemites, and three days afterwards, -Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s own brothers, at the head of their households, -attacked the city, slew the chiefs and all the males in the place, -spoiled it of every article of value it contained, and took captive -even the women and little children. This bloody and treacherous act -excited Jacob’s deepest indignation, and shortly afterwards, fearful -lest the neighbouring tribes should gather together and slay him and -all his house, in accordance with a Divine warning, he determined to -repair to Bethel and dwell there and perform the vow, which till now -he seems almost to have forgotten. The journey partook somewhat of a -religious pilgrimage, and was preceded by a general purification on the -part of the patriarch’s followers, and a collection of the _teraphim_ -or strange gods, which had been brought from Mesopotamia, and were now -hidden under an oak at Shechem. Arrived once more at the scene of his -wondrous Vision, Jacob erected an altar, which he called El-Bethel, -and here he was again visited by the Almighty, who renewed to him his -name of Israel, and assured him of his share in the blessings of the -Covenant (Gen. xxxv. 9–15). During his stay at Bethel his intimacy with -his father Isaac, who was still alive, appears to have been renewed; -for we are told that Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and was buried under -an oak, henceforth known as Allon-Bachuth, the _Oak of Tears_. But his -departure from the same place a day’s journey southwards was saddened -by a grievous trial. As he drew near to Ephrath, the Canaanitish name -of Bethlehem, Rachel his favourite wife died in giving birth to a son, -whom she called Ben-oni, _the son of sorrow_, but whom his father named -BENJAMIN, _the son of my right hand_. Over her grave the sorrowing -husband erected a pillar, and moving southward pitched his tent beside -Edar, or _the watch-tower of the flocks_, and subsequently beneath -the oak of Mamre before Hebron, where Isaac died, in the 180th year -of his age, and was committed to the tomb by Jacob and Esau (Gen. -xxxvi. 27–29). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _HISTORY OF JOSEPH._ - GEN. XXXVII.–XLII. B.C. 1727–1707. - - -IT was while he was sojourning in the neighbourhood of Hebron, where, -like his father, he united agricultural with pastoral occupations (Gen. -xxxvii. 7) that the saddest trial of his life befell Jacob. Of all -his sons none was dearer to him than Joseph, the child of his beloved -Rachel. In token of his affection he bestowed upon him _a coat of many -colours_, probably a tunic furnished with sleeves and reaching down -to the ankles, worn by youths of the richer class[39]. By some this -is supposed to indicate his intention of transferring to him, as being -the _eldest son of the favourite Rachel_, the right of primogeniture. -Whether this was so or not, it roused much jealousy and ill-feeling -amongst Joseph’s brothers, already incensed by the circumstance of his -bearing to his father, when seventeen years of age, an evil report of -the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah, with whom he kept the flocks. Another -incident fanned the flame of ill-feeling. Joseph unwittingly told his -brethren of two dreams he had dreamt, in one of which he had seemed to -see them binding sheaves in the field, and lo! his sheaf rose and stood -upright, while their sheaves stood round about and made obeisance -to his sheaf; in the other he beheld the sun, moon, and the eleven -stars making obeisance to him. Even Jacob rebuked his favourite son -for his seeming self-exaltation, _though he observed the saying_ (Gen. -xxxvii. 11). - -After a time an opportunity was presented to the brothers of taking -a cruel revenge. Though Jacob was settled in the vale of Hebron, a -portion of his numerous flocks and herds were kept by his sons on the -rich pasture-grounds near Shechem. Thither on one occasion Jacob sent -his favourite son to see how his brethren fared, and bring him word -again. Joseph set out, and being directed by a man whom he met, to -Dothan[40], or “_the Two Wells_,” a place about twelve miles north of -Shechem, famous for its pasturage, he went thither in quest of them. -From the rising ground, where they were keeping their flocks, the -brothers descried the _Dreamer_ approaching, and straightway resolved -to slay him and cast him into a pit, and then report to his father that -he had been devoured by wild beasts. From actually putting him to death -they were, however, dissuaded by Reuben, and contented themselves with -stripping him of his coat of many colours, and casting him into an -empty cistern, intending probably to let him die by hunger. But when -they had done this, and had sat down to eat, a company of Ishmaelite -or Midianite merchants (for the two names are used interchangeably) -approached, mounted on camels, and bearing spicery and balm, going down -the high road[41] which passed near from Gilead to Egypt. Thereupon -Judah proposed that they should sell him to these traders, and he was -taken up from the pit, and sold to the Ishmaelites, who paid for him -twenty pieces of silver, the usual price of a male slave from five to -twenty years of age. Reuben was not present when the cruel bargain was -struck, and was greatly distressed when, on his return, he found that -his brother was gone. But the others killed a kid, dipped Joseph’s -coat of many colours in its blood, and brought it to Jacob, with the -hypocritical enquiry whether it was his son’s coat or no, and informing -him that they had found it thus smeared with blood. Even Reuben did -not reveal the true state of the case, and Jacob, supposing that his -favourite son had been slain by wild beasts, put sackcloth upon his -loins, and refusing every proffered consolation, mourned for him many -days (Gen. xxxvii. 29–35). - -Meanwhile the Midianitish caravan kept on its southward course, and -eventually reaching Egypt, sold Joseph to POTIPHAR[42], an officer of -Pharaoh, and _Captain of the Executioners_ (Gen. xxxviii. 36 _margin_). -In his house, Joseph though a foreigner and a slave, gradually won the -confidence of his master, who appears to have been a wealthy man, and -possessed of property in the field as well as in the house, so that -before long, in the capacity of overseer, he was entrusted with the -entire possessions of the Egyptian, and the Divine blessing rested upon -his house for Joseph’s sake. - -But this period of happiness and prosperity was destined to come to an -abrupt termination. With the profligacy for which the Egyptian women -were notorious, the wife of Potiphar on one occasion tempted Joseph -to commit adultery with her, and when he resisted all her seductions, -charged him to her husband with the very crime she had ineffectually -tempted him to commit. Thereupon Potiphar, fully believing her story, -without bringing his faithful steward before any public tribunal, cast -him into the prison in his own house. But amidst this grievous trial -Joseph was not forsaken. _The Lord was with him, and gave him favour in -the sight of the keeper of the prison_, who, convinced of his fidelity -and uprightness, entrusted him with the care of all the prisoners there -confined. Amongst these there soon appeared the _Chief of Pharaoh’s -Cupbearers_, and the _Chief of his Bakers_, two high officers of the -Egyptian court, on whom Joseph was specially directed to wait. During -their imprisonment each of them dreamt a dream. The Chief of the -Cupbearers dreamt that _a vine was before him, on which were three -branches; that it was as though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth, -and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes, that of these he took and -pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup which was in his hand, and gave it to -that monarch_. The Chief of the Bakers dreamt that _he had three white -baskets on his head, the uppermost full of all manner of bakemeats for -Pharaoh, which the birds ate out of the baskets on his head_. Convinced -that these dreams portended events of great importance in their lives, -and unable to interpret them, these high officers were filled with -sadness. But Joseph, being informed of the cause, by virtue of his -prophetic gifts interpreted the dreams, and announced to the _Chief of -the Butlers_ that within three days, on the anniversary of Pharaoh’s -birthday, he should be restored to his office, while, within the same -period, his fellow-prisoner would be hanged upon a tree, where _the -birds would eat his flesh from off him_. As he had predicted, so it -came to pass. Within the specified period, the one of these grandees -was executed, and the other restored to his former high position. But -though the Hebrew Captive had told the _Chief of the Butlers_ his own -sad story, in the hour of prosperity the restored grandee forgat his -benefactor, and his touching request that he would intercede with -Pharaoh on his behalf (Gen. xl. 12–23). - -Two more years, therefore, of tedious imprisonment passed over Joseph’s -head, when one night Pharaoh himself was troubled with two mysterious -dreams. In the first he seemed _to stand by the banks of the Nile, and -behold out of it there came seven well-favoured kine and fatfleshed, -and fed in the marsh grass that lined the banks. And behold after them -there came up seven poor, ill-favoured, leanfleshed kine, and they ate -up the seven well-favoured and fat kine, and when they had done so, -it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they were still -as ill-favoured as at the beginning._ In his second dream, the monarch -beheld _seven ears of corn growing upon one stalk, full, fat, and good, -and after them seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind, which -devoured the seven full and fat ears_. Troubled with these visions of -the night he awoke, and sent for all the magicians of Egypt and all -the wise men thereof, and told them his dream, but they were unable -to give him any interpretation. In this difficulty the _Chief of the -Butlers_ bethought him of his youthful benefactor in the prison, and -told Pharaoh what had befallen him there, and how a young man, a Hebrew, -servant to the Captain of the Executioners, had interpreted his dream. -Upon this the monarch sent for Joseph, who was brought into the royal -presence, and having been told the nature of the dreams, informed -Pharaoh that they were sent by the great God to forewarn him of what -He was about to do. The seven good kine and the seven good ears denoted -_seven years of plenty_; the seven thin ill-favoured kine and the seven -empty ears of corn denoted _seven years of very grievous famine_, about -to befall the entire land of Egypt. The doubling of the dreams denoted -that the event was certain and imminent. He advised, therefore, that -without delay the monarch should set over the land a man _discreet and -wise_, with overseers under him, to take up the fifth part of the land -during the seven years of plenty, and lay up corn and food in various -cities against the seven years of famine, which were assuredly to come -(Gen. xli. 14–36). - -This advice found favour in the eyes of Pharaoh, and deeming no other -so well fitted for the post as the interpreter of his dreams, he -appointed him to fill it, and, in token of his freedom, placed on his -hand his own signet ring and a gold collar about his neck, and arraying -him in vestures of fine linen, he caused him to ride in the second -chariot that he had, preceded by heralds crying _Bow the knee_. Joseph -was thus invested with the dignity of an Oriental Vizier, and could act -in the name of the king. Besides these marks of honour, Pharaoh changed -his name to Zaphnath-paaneah[43], or _the Revealer of Secrets_, and -united him in marriage with ASENATH[44], the daughter of Poti-pherah -(_devoted to Ra_, or _the Sun_), priest or prince (Gen. xli. 45 -_margin_) of ON, the later Heliopolis, and the religious capital of -the country. - -Thus at the age of thirty, after thirteen years of painful vicissitudes, -the son of Jacob was elevated to the highest position next to the -sovereign himself in the great kingdom of Egypt. In accordance with -the plan he himself had indicated, he straightway commenced a tour -throughout the land, and during the seven years of plenty bought up a -fifth part of the corn in the country, and laid it up in granaries in -the various cities. During the same period he became the father of two -sons, to whom, though born of an Egyptian wife, he gave Hebrew names, -calling the first-born MANASSEH, “_a Forgetter_;” _for God_, said he, -_hath made me |forget| all my toil and all my father’s house_. The -second he named EPHRAIM, “_Fruitful_;” _for God hath caused me to be -|fruitful| in the land of my affliction_. At the close of the seven -years of plenty, the seven years of dearth drew on, and its effects -were felt not only in Egypt, but in all the neighbouring lands. During -the first part of this period, the wants of the people were relieved -by the abundance which the foresight of the Vizier had stored up. He -opened all his granaries and sold unto the Egyptians, delivering over -the money into Pharaoh’s exchequer. When money failed, barter was -resorted to, and the Egyptians obtained bread in exchange for their -horses, cattle, and flocks. When at length these means were exhausted, -they sold him their land, except that of the priests, who, being -provided from the royal treasury, did not feel the horrors of the -famine. Thus possessed of the entire country, Joseph improved the -opportunity to place the relations between the Egyptian monarch and his -people on a settled and legal footing. He made them, indeed, vassals -of their sovereign, but in place of allowing them to be taxed according -to royal caprice, he disposed of the land to them, on the understanding -that four parts were to be their own, for seed of the field, and for -food for them and their families, while a fifth part was to be paid -annually to the king in place of ground-rent; an arrangement by no -means oppressive, when it is considered that the soil sometimes yielded -thirty-fold, or even a greater increase (Gen. xli. 46–57). - -At an early period during the seven years of famine, ten of Joseph’s -brethren went down into Egypt at the suggestion of their father, and -presented themselves before him with the petition to be allowed to -buy corn. In the Viceroy, second only to the great Pharaoh, they did -not for a moment recognize the boy whom twenty years before they had -lowered into the dry pit at Dothan. But though Joseph knew _them_, -and recognized the fulfilment of his early dreams, he did not reveal -himself to them. Through an interpreter he spake roughly unto them, -pronounced them to be spies who had come down to see the nakedness of -the land, and when they denied the charge, declared they should be -imprisoned till one of them had brought down their youngest brother. -For three days he actually kept them in ward, and finally, on condition -that one remained behind as a hostage, permitted them to return with -corn for their families. Stricken with remorse, and not imagining that -the Viceroy could understand their language, they acknowledged that -their sin had found them out, and recalled the day when they saw the -anguish of their brother, and turned a deaf ear to his beseeching -entreaties that they would not deal hardly with him. Then Simeon -was bound before their eyes, and sad and sorrowful they commenced -their return. But on the road they had fresh cause for alarm and -confusion. On opening their sacks they discovered not only that corn -had been supplied them, but that their money had been restored to -them. Marvelling at this strange circumstance, they reached home, and -recounted to their father all that had befallen them, and how he could -not hope to see Simeon again till they returned with their youngest -brother Benjamin into the presence of the Viceroy of Egypt. On hearing -this hard condition, Jacob burst forth into bitter complaints, and -though Reuben offered the life of his two children as a pledge for -Benjamin’s safe return, absolutely refused to allow him to accompany -them; _his brother_, said he, _is dead, and he is left alone; if -mischief befall him by the way, then shall ye bring down my grey -hairs with sorrow to the grave_ (Gen. xlii. 38). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _JACOB’S DESCENT INTO EGYPT――DEATH OF JOSEPH._ - GEN. XLIII.–L. B.C. 1707–1635. - - -BUT as time went on, and the corn the Brothers had brought from Egypt -was consumed, it became absolutely necessary to go thither a second -time, if they would live and not die. Without Benjamin, however, they -knew the journey would be useless, and Benjamin their father would -not send. At length Judah stood forward as spokesman for the rest, -and offered to bear for ever in his own person the blame, if any evil -befell him, till after a struggle Jacob consented. With a present -of such things as the land afforded, a _little balm, a little honey, -spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds_, with double money also in their -hand, the brothers took Benjamin from his sorrowing father, and once -more commenced their journey to Egypt. Arrived there they were again -presented to the Viceroy, who perceiving that Benjamin was with them, -ordered the steward of his house to conduct them home, and to slay and -make ready, that they might dine with him at noon. Full of fear, the -brothers followed the steward, and on the way informed him of their -surprise, when on their return from their previous visit, they found -their money in their sacks. The steward, however, answered them kindly, -restored Simeon to them, and brought them water to wash their feet. -At noon Joseph returned, and the brothers spread out the present their -father had sent, bowing themselves before him to the earth. After some -questions touching the welfare of the _old man_ they had left in the -land of Canaan, he _lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, -his mother’s son_, and his whole soul yearned towards him, and he -entered into his chamber and wept there. Thence having washed his face -he returned, commanded the attendants to set on bread, and the brothers -sat down ranged each according to his age. Joseph sat at a table by -himself, and the Egyptians in his retinue by themselves; for to eat -bread with the Hebrews was regarded by them as an abomination. Then -from Joseph’s table portions were sent to his brethren, but Benjamin’s -portion was five times as great as any of theirs, and _they drank and -were merry with him_ (Gen. xliii. 34). - -The next morning, as soon as it was light, with sacks replenished, and -rejoicing at the successful termination of their journey, the sons of -Jacob commenced their return to Canaan. But they had proceeded only a -little way from the city, when the Steward of Joseph overtook them, and -charged them with returning evil for all the good they had received, -and stealing the silver _divining cup_[45] (Gen. xliv. 5) belonging to -his master. In the full assurance of their innocence, the brothers not -only denied the charge, but declared their willingness that the guilty -one should die, and the rest become bondmen to the Viceroy. The sacks -were, therefore, taken from the asses, and lo! in Benjamin’s sack, -where it had been purposely placed by Joseph’s command, the cup was -found. Horror-struck at the discovery, the brothers returned to the -house, and flinging themselves on the ground before Joseph, expressed -their resolution to become slaves with Benjamin rather than return -without him to his heart-broken father. In the dialogue that ensued -Judah was again the chief speaker. _God_, he owned, _had found out -their iniquity, and they and he with whom the cup had been found would -become Joseph’s bondmen_. To this, however, Joseph would not consent; -he with whom the cup had been found, he alone need remain behind in -servitude, the rest might return in peace to their father. Then Judah -went near to him, _who was even as Pharaoh_ (Gen. xliv. 18), and in -words of utmost pathos related how in obedience to his command, their -father had with great difficulty been prevailed on to suffer the child -of his old age to accompany them, and how, if he failed to return, -he would certainly die, for his life was bound up in the life of his -favourite son. Nay, more, he continued, he himself had become surety -for the lad, and was now ready, rather than _bring down_ the old man’s -_grey hairs with sorrow to the grave_, to remain alone in the land of -Egypt a bondman unto his lord, if only Benjamin and the rest might -return into the land of Canaan (Gen. xliv. 18–34). - -As Judah proceeded with his moving tale, Joseph could restrain himself -no longer. He desired every man to leave the chamber, and he and his -brethren were left alone. Then, amidst many tears, he at length broke -forth with the astounding words _I am Joseph_, coupling the revelation -with the enquiry _Doth my father yet live?_ But the brothers were too -terrified to answer him a word. Thereupon he bade them come near unto -him, and again assured them that he was _Joseph, their brother_, whom -they had sold to the Midianitish caravan. Let them not, he said, be -grieved that they had sold him into Egypt. God, who orders all things, -had sent him thither before them to preserve their lives, and had made -him _a father unto Pharaoh, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt_. -Instead of repining for the past, let them return to the _old man, -their father_, and tell him of all his glory in Egypt, and bring him -down, and settle, they and their children, their flocks and their herds, -and all that they had, in the goodly country of Goshen, _frontier_. -Having thus at length poured forth his pent up feelings, Joseph fell -upon Benjamin’s neck, and wept, and kissed him, and likewise all his -brethren. Tidings of what had occurred soon reached the ears of Pharaoh, -who readily assented to Joseph’s wish that his father should be -suffered to settle in the land. Waggons were then made ready to bring -him and all that he had; ample provisions were supplied for the journey, -and rich presents bestowed upon all the brothers, but especially on -Benjamin. Then with a parting charge to see that they _fell not out by -the way_ (Gen. xlv. 24), the sons of Jacob returned to their father, -and recounted to him all the strange events that had befallen them. -The long lost Joseph, the son of the beloved Rachel, was _alive_, nay, -_he was governor over all the land of Egypt_. At the first announcement -Jacob’s heart failed him, nor could he believe their words. But when -the waggons that Joseph had provided came in sight, then at length his -spirit revived, and he exclaimed, _It is enough, Joseph my son is yet -alive, I will go and see him before I die_ (Gen. xlv. 28). - -To forsake, however, the familiar pasture grounds of Hebron, to leave -the soil promised to him and to his seed for ever, required of the -patriarch no little resolution. Abraham had gone down to Egypt, but -only to involve himself in great difficulties; Isaac had been on the -point of going thither, when he was restrained by the hand of God -(Gen. xxvi. 2). Did the Divine Blessing rest on that journey, which an -imperious necessity now induced him to essay? Jacob was not long left -in doubt. On reaching Beersheba the Almighty appeared to him in vision, -and bade him lay aside all apprehensions. In Egypt, in the land of the -mighty Pharaohs, He would not fail to protect him, there He would make -him a great nation, and thence in the fulness of time He would bring -his seed back to the _Land of Promise_. Thus encouraged Jacob arose -from Beersheba, and with his sons, their wives, and their little ones, -their herds, their flocks, and all the goods they had gotten in the -land of Canaan, commenced his journey. Judah led the way, and on the -frontier of Egypt the patriarch met his long lost son, and _fell upon -his neck, and wept on his neck a good while_. Arrived in the land -of the Pharaohs, five of Joseph’s brethren were introduced to the -reigning monarch. They told him that they were shepherds, that they -had come down into Egypt in consequence of the severity of the famine, -and requested permission to settle as strangers and foreigners in -Goshen, the most easterly frontier-land of Egypt, and offered to become -guardians of the royal herds. Permission was granted, and Jacob himself -was introduced to Pharaoh, and bestowed his blessing upon the monarch -(Gen. xlvii. 1–10). - -The period of Jacob’s own sojourning in the _land of Ham_ (Ps. cv. 23) -was limited to seventeen years, at the close of which he had reached -the age of 147, and perceived that his end was nigh. Informed that his -father was sickening, Joseph brought his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh -and placed them before his bedside. _Guiding his hands wittingly_, the -aged patriarch stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s -head, though he was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, -though he was the firstborn. At this Joseph was displeased, and would -have altered the disposition of his father’s hands. But Jacob refused, -and with his hands as they were, bestowed upon the young men and their -father his solemn and abiding blessing. Though born in Egypt, Ephraim -and Manasseh were to be reckoned as his own sons, and would both grow -into great tribes. But as it had been in Jacob’s own case, so would it -be with them; _the younger brother would be greater than the elder, and -his seed should become a multitude of nations_. Then turning to Joseph -the Patriarch bestowed on him a special mark of affection, even _one -portion above his brethren_, a piece of land which with _his sword and -his bow_ he had conquered from the Amorites, probably outside the green -vale of Shechem (Gen. xlviii. 22, Josh. xvii. 14, &c.). - -And now the day drew nigh when the Patriarch’s eventful life must close. -Wishing by virtue of the gift of prophecy, which gained greater power -the nearer he approached the borders of the eternal world, to tell -them that _which should befall them in the last days_, he desired that -his sons might be summoned to his bedside. Obedient to his word, they -gathered round him, and then in prophetic trance “but having his eyes -open,” he beheld the mighty vision of the future, and predicted their -several fortunes in the land, through which he himself had wandered -as a pilgrim for more than one hundred years. First, before him -stood Reuben, over whom in the tents of Laban he had rejoiced as _his -firstborn, his might_, and _the beginning of his strength_. To him -by the law of primogeniture belonged the headship of the family, and -the double inheritance. But he had proved unworthy of his vocation. -_Unstable as water, he should not excel._ Next in order of their -birth came Simeon and Levi. Brethren of one mother, they had been -also brethren in cruelty and deceit. In their conduct towards the -Shechemites they had proved the fierceness of their anger, and the -cruelty of their disposition. Unworthy were they to be the head of a -nation which was to be a blessing and not a curse to all peoples of -the earth, therefore were they to be _divided in Jacob, and scattered -in Israel_. Next came Judah, and to him the patriarch could assign a -portion at least of the blessing of the firstborn. His should be the -pre-eminence in power and dignity, him should _his brethren praise_, -before him should _his father’s children bow down_; his should be the -_Sceptre and the Lawgiver_, nor _from beneath his feet should they ever -depart, till_ SHILOH, _the Peaceable_ or _Peace-maker came_[46] (Gen. -xlix. 1–10). - -Having thus transferred the privileges of the firstborn to Judah and -predicted the fortunes of his other sons, the dying Patriarch once more -solemnly adjured them, as he had already adjured Joseph, not to leave -his bones in Egypt, but to carry them into the land of Hope and Promise, -and lay them in the cave of Machpelah, in the family-grave of his -fathers, and then he _gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded -up the ghost_. Obedient to such reiterated commands, Joseph caused his -father’s body to be embalmed in the Egyptian fashion by the physicians, -and obtained permission from Pharaoh to accompany his remains to the -burial-place he had marked out for them. Then at the head of a numerous -retinue, composed not only of the members of his own family, but also -of the court-officers of Pharaoh, and the grandees of the empire, and -accompanied by chariots and horsemen, he set out. The nearest road -would have been by Gaza, and through the territory of the Philistines. -Instead of this, the funeral procession took a long circuitous route -round Mount Seir[47] and the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and halted -at the threshing-floor of Atad, on the east side of the Jordan, -opposite Jericho. Here seven days were spent in solemn mourning, and so -grievous was the lamentation that the Canaanites of the Jordan valley -called the spot Abel-Mizraim, _the Meadow_, or _the Mourning of the -Egyptians_. Further than this point the Egyptian retinue do not seem -to have proceeded. The sons of Jacob alone crossed the Jordan, into the -land of Canaan, and laid their father in the cave of Machpelah, by the -side of Abram, Isaac, and Sarah (Gen. l. 1–13). - -The funeral over, Joseph and his brethren returned to Egypt. Fearful -now their father was dead that the Viceroy would requite them for all -the evil they had done towards him, the sons of Jacob sent a messenger -to intercede in their behalf. But Joseph calmed their fears, and -assured them of safety and protection. Together, then, they dwelt in -peace and security in the land of Goshen; and Joseph _saw Ephraim’s -children of the third generation, and the children of Machir the son -of Manasseh brought up upon his knees_. At length, when he had reached -the age of 110, perceiving that his end was near, he sent for his -brethren, and having assured them that God would certainly visit them, -and bring them up out of Egypt into the land which He had promised to -their forefathers, and taken an oath of them that they would remove his -bones into the same Good Land, he died, and was embalmed, and laid in -a coffin in Egypt (Gen. l. 26). - - - - - NOTE. - - SURVEY OF THE PATRIARCHAL AGE. - - - WITH the death of Joseph the Patriarchal Age of Israel’s history - may be said to close. The _Family_ had now thrown out many - branches, and was on the point of merging into the _Nation_. - At this juncture, then, it may be well to look back, and review - some of the chief features of Patriarchal Life. - - i. And the first of these that claims attention is its _Nomadic - character_. Unlike the founders of Egypt, of Babylon, of Nineveh, - the Patriarchs were not the builders of cities and towns, but - _pilgrims and sojourners, dwellers in tents_ (Heb. xi. 9). But - they were very different from rude hordes, like the Amalekites - and other “sons of the desert,” abhorring any higher mode - of life. Abraham was no stranger to the highest form of - civilization that his age afforded. He was acquainted with Ur, - with Nineveh, with Damascus, with Egypt; he had left his home in - one of the chief cities of Mesopotamia, not from choice, but in - consequence of a direct personal call from God. Moreover, so far - from regarding his present mode of life as an ultimate end, he - and Isaac and Jacob, were ever looking forward to a time when it - would close, when their descendants should be _settled_ in the - Land of Promise, and become a great _nation_, when the portable - _tent_ should give way to the _city that had foundations_ (Heb. - xi. 10, 13–16; comp. Gen. xxiv. 7; xxviii. 4; xlix. 1–27; l. 24). - Hence, from time to time, as opportunity offered, we see the - wandering life freely and willingly laid aside. Lot settled - in Sodom (Gen. xiii. 10–12); Abraham in Egypt went direct to - Pharaoh’s court (Gen. xii. 14); at Hebron he settled and became - a “prince of God” in the midst of the Hittites (Gen. xxiii. 6); - Isaac not only lived near the Philistines, but occupied a - _house_ opposite the palace (Gen. xxvi. 8), and practised - _agriculture_ (Gen. xxvi. 12); and Joseph’s _dream of the - sheaves_ points out that this was also continued in the time - of Jacob (Gen. xxxvii. 7)[48]. - - ii. The _Family_ was the centre of the Patriarchal commonwealth. - Its head was the source of authority and jurisdiction; he - possessed the power of life and death (Gen. xxxviii. 24); he - united in himself the functions of chief and priest; he offered - the burnt-offering; he had his armed retainers (Gen. xiv. 14; - xlviii. 22; xxxiv. 25; xxxiii. 20); his intercourse with his - wives (for polygamy was not forbidden) was free and unrestrained; - the wife’s consent was asked before wedlock (Gen. xxiv. 57, 58); - love hallowed the relations of Abraham with Sarah, of Isaac with - Rebekah, of Jacob with Leah and Rachel; woman, indeed, did not - occupy the position since conceded to her, but her position - was far from degraded, and the sanctity of the marriage-bond - was defended by severe laws, which made death the punishment - for adultery (Gen. xxxviii. 24). Slavery, it is true, existed, - but in the tents of Abraham the slave was ever treated with - consideration, and not excluded from, but made a partaker - of religious privileges (Gen. xvii. 13). The fidelity and - attachment of Eliezer the steward of Abraham’s house, the - mourning for Deborah Rebekah’s nurse (Gen. xxxv. 8), are - pleasing proofs of the peace that reigned in the Patriarchal - household. - - iii. _Civilization._ The life of the Patriarchs was chiefly - that of the shepherd, and their wealth mainly consisted in - their flocks and their herds. But besides practising agriculture - they were not unacquainted with money and the precious metals. - Abraham paid for the field of Machpelah with coin (Gen. xxiii. - 9–20), and the sons of Jacob took money with them into Egypt - (Gen. xlii. 25, 35); while the gold ring and armlets presented - to Rebekah by Eliezer (Gen. xxiv. 22), the bracelet and signet - ring of Judah (Gen. xxxviii. 18), the ear-rings of Rachel - (Gen. xxxv. 4), the many-coloured coat of Joseph, indicate an - acquaintance with the luxuries of life. - - iv. _Religion._ While other nations were rapidly learning - to deify the powers of nature, the Patriarchs believed not - only in a God above and beyond nature, but in a God Personal, - Omnipotent, and Holy. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - was no mere abstraction, no mere law. He could and did reveal - Himself by angelic appearances, by visions, by dreams; He could - console, strengthen, encourage; He could punish, rebuke, and on - repentance forgive. Abraham, the _Friend of God_ (Jas. ii. 23), - intercedes with Him in behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. xviii. - 23–33); Isaac is warned by Him against going down into Egypt - (Gen. xxvi. 2); Jacob is consoled by Him at Bethel when setting - out into the land of exile (Gen. xxviii. 13–15), and wrestles - with Him by the fords of Jabbok till the break of day (Gen. - xxxii. 24); Joseph believes in His invisible but ever-present - help in prison and in a strange land, and ascribes to Him all - his wisdom in the interpretation of dreams (Gen. xli. 16). - The Divine Promise of a great future Abraham believed under - circumstances of greatest trial, and his faith was _counted to - him for righteousness_ (Rom. iv. 3). Moreover the God of the - Patriarchs was no mere “national or household God.” His sphere - of operation was not restricted to the Patriarchs and their - families; He is the God of all the earth (Gen. xxiv. 3), the - God of Righteousness and Holiness. He punishes the people of - Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. xix. 24, 25); He plagues Pharaoh’s house - (Gen. xii. 17); He is the God of the priest-king Melchizedek - (Gen. xiv. 18), and of the Philistine Abimelech (Gen. xx. 3); He - protects not only Isaac the “child of promise,” but the outcast - Ishmael the “child of the bondwoman” (Gen. xxi. 13); He is with - Joseph in prison, but He sends dreams to Pharaoh, and through - Joseph He saves Egypt from famine (Gen. l. 20). - - v. The _Religious Worship_ of the Patriarchs was in keeping - with the simplicity of their creed. The head of the family - was also the priest of the family. Whenever Abraham, Isaac, or - Jacob, reached any new spot in their pilgrimage, they invariably - erected an altar, generally of stone and on a high situation - (Gen. xxii. 9; xxvi. 25; xxxv. 7); there they called on the - name of Jehovah, there they presented their burnt sacrifice, - there they offered up their prayers. Their history also proves - the existence of offering covenant-sacrifices, and celebrating - covenant-feasts (Gen. xv. 9–18; xxi. 32); the making and paying - of vows (Gen. xxviii. 23); the erection of memorial pillars, and - the consecration of them by pouring upon them oil and wine (Gen. - xxviii. 18); the rite of circumcision (Gen. xvii. 10–14); and - the paying of tithes (Gen. xiv. 20)[49]. - - vi. The _Character of the Patriarchs_ is never represented as - perfect, their faults are freely exposed, theirs is no ideal - history. If we compare the four most eminent amongst them, - we seem to trace in (i) _Abraham_, “the faith that can remove - mountains” in its power and in its fulness, revealing itself - in unfaltering trust and unquestioning obedience under the most - trying circumstances conceivable; in (ii) _Isaac_, the faith - that can possess itself in patience, and discharge the ordinary - duties of life in quietness and waiting; in (iii) _Jacob_, the - violent contest of faith with the flesh, the higher with the - lower nature, till by hard discipline the latter is purified, - and the “Supplanter” becomes the “Prince,” the “Prevailer with - God;” in (iv) _Joseph_, the fidelity and perseverance of faith, - revealed not only in the patient endurance of the most grievous - trials, but in energetic action, and at length crowned with - victory. “He unites in himself the noble trust and resolution of - Abraham, with the quiet perseverance of Isaac, and the careful - prudence of Jacob.” He is moreover an eminent historic type - of Christ, in (1) his persecution and sale by his brethren, - (2) his resisting temptation, (3) his humiliation and exaltation, - (4) his dispensing to a famine-stricken people the bread of life, - (5) in the fulness of his forgiving love[50]. - - - - - BOOK III. - - FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF THE ISRAELITES IN EGYPT - TO THE GIVING OF THE LAW. - - - - - Illustration: A MAP OF CANAAN, EGYPT & SINAI - to illustrate the - PATRIARCHAL HISTORY - and - THE EXODUS. - - Stanford’s Geographical Establishment - London: Macmillan & Co. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE BIRTH AND CALLING OF MOSES._ - EXOD. I.–VI. B.C. 1706–1491. - - -THE district of GOSHEN (_frontier_), also called the _Land of Rameses_ -(Gen. xlvii. 11), where the Israelites were settled during the period -of their sojourn in the land of the Pharaohs, was the most easterly -border-land of Egypt. It was scarcely included within the boundaries of -Egypt proper, and was inhabited by a mixed population of Egyptians and -foreigners (Exod. xii. 38). Eminently a pasture land and adapted to the -rearing of flocks and herds, it included also a considerable portion -of fruit-bearing soil, which owed its fertility to the overflowing of -the Nile, called by the Egyptians Hapi-Mu, _the genius of the waters_, -by the Israelites Sihor, or Shihor, _the black_ (Is. xxiii. 3; Jer. -ii. 18). Touching on the west the green valley of this wondrous river, -and stretching onwards to the yellow sands of the Arabian desert -immediately south of Palestine, it was then, as it has always been, the -most productive part of Egypt, yielding luxuriant crops of wheat and -millet, and abounding in cucumbers and melons, gourds and beans, and -other vegetable growths (Num. xi. 5). - -Sacred History does not reveal to us many particulars respecting the -early portion of the period during which the sons of Jacob sojourned -in _the land of Ham_. We know that they were _fruitful and multiplied -and waxed exceeding mighty_, so that when the time came for them to -go forth from Egypt they could scarcely have numbered less than two -million souls. We need not, however, suppose that these were all the -direct descendants of the seventy immediate relatives of Jacob. When -that Patriarch and his sons went down into Egypt they would naturally -take with them not only their flocks and herds, but their menservants -and maidservants (Gen. xlv. 10, 11). Of the number of these we can -form some calculation by remembering the 318 _trained servants_, who -accompanied Abraham at the rescue of Lot[51] (Gen. xiv. 14); the _great -store of servants_ possessed by Isaac (Gen. xxvi. 13, 14), two-thirds -at least of whom passed into the possession of Jacob, and must be added -to the _two hosts_ which he brought from Mesopotamia (Gen. xxxii. 7, 8). -But even thus their increase was marvellous, and must be ascribed to -the direct superintending Hand of God. The effect, however, of their -stay was perceptible in other respects. They not only increased in -numbers, but became acquainted with many arts and sciences, and thus -fitted for their future national existence. One portion, indeed, of -the nation seems to have retained its pastoral habits even to the -end. The descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (Num. xxxii. 1) -probably tended their large flocks and herds on the eastern border of -Goshen, but others settled in the cities and villages on the confines -of the land of Goshen, and not only adopted more generally agricultural -pursuits (Deut. xi. 10), but became acquainted with many useful arts, -with writing, the working of precious and common metals, the grinding -and engraving of precious stones, with carpentry, byssus-weaving, and -pottery (1 Chr. iv. 14, 21, 23), with fishing, gardening (Num. xi. 5), -and artificial irrigation (Deut. xi. 10)[52]. On the other hand, they -could not fail to become acquainted with forms of religious worship -hitherto utterly unknown to them. Now, for the first time, could -they witness the gorgeous and mysterious ceremonies that attended the -worship of Ra, the “Sun-God,” or of Isis and Osiris. Now, for the first -time, they might behold the incense burnt three times every day[53], -and the solemn sacrifice offered once a month to the sacred black calf -Mnevis at On (_Heliopolis_), or to his rival the bull Apis at Memphis. -Now they saw, as they could scarcely have seen elsewhere, the adoration -of _the creature rather than the Creator_ carried to its furthest point, -and divine honours paid not only to the mighty Pharaoh, the Child, -the representative of the Sun-God, but to almost everything _in the -heaven above, and the earth beneath, and the waters under the earth_, -to the crocodile and the hawk, the cat and the dog, the hippopotamus -and the serpent. That the simple patriarchal faith of the descendants -of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob would suffer from contact with such -diverse forms of idolatry might naturally be expected. The worship -of the sacred calf exercised over them a peculiar fascination. _Your -fathers worshipped other gods in Egypt_, says Joshua afterwards (Josh. -xxiv. 14), _they forsook not the idols of Egypt_, is the accusation of -Ezekiel (Ezek. xx. 7, 8; xxiii. 3). - -But an important event exercised a still greater influence on their -social and religious condition. A change took place in the reigning -dynasty. _There arose a new king over Egypt_ (Ex. i. 8; Acts vii. 18) -_that knew not Joseph_, who regarded with no friendly feelings the -strange community with alien rites and traditions, settled on the -eastern outskirts of his realm. He viewed with alarm their rapid -increase, and dreaded lest, in the event of a war, instead of guarding -his kingdom against, they might join the enemies of Egypt, the roving -tribes of the East, “the terror of the inhabitants of the Nile valley,” -and fight against his own people, and effect their escape from the land. -Accordingly he determined to reduce them to the condition of public -serfs or slaves; and in order to crush their free and independent -spirit, set taskmasters over them, and employed them in gigantic works, -making bricks for his treasure cities, PITHOM and RAAMSES. Day after -day, therefore, their lives were made bitter with hard bondage, while -beneath a burning rainless sky, naked and in gangs, they toiled under -the lash in the quarry or the brick-field. But this expedient did not -produce the effects the monarch desired. The more they were afflicted, -the more this strange people grew and multiplied, and _waxed exceeding -mighty_. Thereupon instructions were given to the Hebrew midwives to -destroy in some secret way every Hebrew man-child. And when this too -proved ineffectual, from the unwillingness of the midwives to obey so -cruel a decree, an order was issued that every Hebrew boy should be -flung into the waters of the Nile. What Abraham had seen in mystic -vision was now fulfilled (Gen. xv. 12); _a horror of great darkness_ -had settled upon his descendants; strangers in a strange land, they -were suffering grievous affliction, they _sighed by reason of their -bondage, and their cry came up unto God_ (Ex. ii. 23). - -But it was at this juncture, when every thing seemed at the worst, -that the future Deliverer of Israel was born. AMRAM, a man of the -house of Levi, married JOCHEBED, a woman of the same tribe, and became -the father of a daughter MIRIAM, a son AARON, and a boy remarkable -from his childhood for peculiar beauty (Ex. ii. 2; Acts vii. 20). For -three months his mother succeeded in eluding the vigilance of Pharaoh’s -inquisitors, and concealing her child. But at the close of that period, -finding further concealment impossible, she constructed an ark or -boat of papyrus stalks, and having protected it with pitch or bitumen, -placed the child therein among the reeds of the Nile. There the mother -left it, but Miriam the sister stood afar off to watch her brother’s -fate. As the ark floated with the stream, the daughter of Pharaoh, -attended by her maidens, came down to bathe in the waters of the sacred -river, and as she walked by the bank, her eye lit upon the basket, and -she sent one of her attendants to fetch it. It was brought, and when -opened, _behold! the babe wept_. Struck with compassion the Egyptian -princess, though she perceived it was _one of the Hebrews’ children_, -determined to rear it for her own. At this moment Miriam approached, -and asked permission to call a nurse for the child. Permission was -given, and Jochebed once more saw her boy restored to her, with the -command to rear it for its preserver. The child grew, and after a while -was brought to the Princess, and she, in memory of its preservation, -named it MOSES, or in its Egyptian form MO-SHE, from _Mo_, “water,” and -_Ushe_, “saved” (Ex. ii. 10). - -The Foundling of the Nile was now formally brought up as the adopted -son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and, in conformity with his high position, -received a suitable education. He became _learned_, St Stephen tells -us (Acts vii. 22), _in all the wisdom of the Egyptians_; in all -therefore, we may believe, that the science of that day could teach -him of arithmetic, writing, astronomy, medicine, and sacred symbolism. -On the same authority we further learn that Moses became mighty not -only _in words, but also in deeds_ (Acts vii. 22). What these _deeds_ -were is not known[54], but it is certain that the Hebrew youth was in -a position to have achieved a splendid career. He might have _enjoyed_ -to the full _the pleasures_ of the Egyptian court (Heb. xi. 25), -and amassed much of its accumulated treasures. But the traditions, -the hopes, the creed of his own nation had not, we may believe, been -concealed from him by his mother. Hence when he came to the age of -forty, chancing to go forth from On or Memphis to the land of Goshen, -he beheld one of his countrymen not only toiling amidst the shadeless -brick-fields, but suffering the bastinado from his Egyptian taskmaster. -Filled with indignation Moses _looked this way and that way_, and -seeing no one by, slew the Egyptian, and hid the corpse in the white -sand of the desert. The next day, seeing two of the Hebrews quarrelling, -he tried to act as arbiter between them. His good offices, however, -were not only rejected by the one he decided to be in the wrong, but he -discovered that the murder of the Egyptian was no secret. He imagined -that his countrymen would have recognised in him a Deliverer sent from -the God of their fathers, but they did not. Before long, news of the -murder reached the ears of Pharaoh, and Moses perceiving that his life -was no longer safe fled from Goshen in a south-easterly direction to -the land of Midian, or the peninsula of Sinai in Arabia, peopled by the -descendants of Abraham by Keturah (Gen. xxv. 2). - -He was sitting on a well in Midian, when he perceived the approach of -the seven daughters of JETHRO[55], the chief and priest of that country, -to draw water for their flocks. They were in the act of filling the -troughs, when certain Arabian shepherds rudely tried to drive them -away. Thereupon, with the same zeal he had shown in behalf of his own -countrymen, Moses intervened, and defended the maidens against the -intruders. Their unusually early return prompted the enquiries of their -father, and led to his introduction to the chivalrous stranger. Moses -was contented to dwell with the Midianitish chief, and kept his flocks, -and afterward married his daughter ZIPPORAH, by whom he became the -father of two sons, GERSHOM (_stranger_) and ELIEZER (_God is my help_). -And here amidst “the granite precipices and silent valleys of Horeb,” -in quiet and seclusion, forty years of his life passed away (Acts -vii. 30). Here, as nowhere else, he could commune alone with God, and -know himself, and learn the lessons of patience and self-control, and -dependence on the Unseen, while the daily duties of his shepherd life -made him acquainted with every path and track and fountain in a region, -which he was afterwards to revisit under such different circumstances. - -Meanwhile, though there was a change of ruler, the lot of the -Israelites experienced no alteration. Still they toiled in cruel -bondage, still their cry went up to the God of their fathers. At length -the time drew near when the Promise made to Abraham was to be fulfilled, -the oppressing nation _judged_, and the people delivered (Gen. xv. 14). -One day Moses was leading the flocks of Jethro some distance from the -spots, where he seems to have usually tended them, _to the back of -the wilderness_, and came to _the mountain of God, even to Horeb_, -when a marvellous sight arrested his attention. He looked, and behold! -before him burning with fire was a bush of wild acacia[56], “the shaggy -thorn-bush of the desert.” But though enveloped in flames, it was -not consumed! It remained unsinged and uninjured by the fiery element -which played around it! Astonished at the prodigy, Moses determined -to draw near and ascertain the cause of this _great sight_, and as -he approached, lo! a Voice, the Voice of God, called unto him out of -the midst of the bush, saying, _Moses, Moses!_ The awe-struck shepherd -answered the Voice, and then was directed to draw not nearer, but take -his shoes from off his feet, for the place on which he stood was _holy -ground_. Moses complied, and hiding his face, for _he dared not look -upon God_, listened, while the Lord spake again, assuring him that He -was the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob; He had not -been unmindful of the sufferings of His people in Egypt; He had seen -their affliction; He had heard their cry; He had come down to deliver -them from their oppressors, and to bring them up into a land _flowing -with milk and honey_, and He had appointed no other than Moses himself -to be their Deliverer, and bring them forth from the land of Egypt. -Filled with awe and misgiving, Moses at first sought in every way to -excuse himself from the tremendous commission. _Who am I_, said he, -_that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the -children of Israel out of Egypt?_ _I will be with thee_, was the reply. -But who was this _I_? When Moses went to the children of Israel, and -assured them of the commission he had received, what was the Name he -was to announce to them as his authority? _Thus shalt thou say unto the -children of Israel_, replied the Almighty, _I AM_――JEHOVAH, the Eternal, -the Self-existent――_hath sent me unto you_ (Ex. iii. 14). - -But this did not satisfy Moses. What outward and visible assurance -could he give the people of his divine mission? This difficulty was -also met. The Lord invested him with a threefold miraculous power, -whereby to attest his authority, alike before the people and before -Pharaoh. First, he should cast his staff, his shepherd’s crook, upon -the ground, and it would become a serpent, and on taking the creature -by the tail it would resume its former state. Then he should put his -hand into his bosom, and it would become leprous, but on returning it -to his bosom would become as his other flesh. Thirdly, if they believed -neither the first nor the second sign, he was to take of the water of -the Sacred Nile, and pour it upon the dry land, and it should become -blood. But now Moses pleaded another obstacle. He was not _eloquent_, -he was _of a slow speech, and a slow tongue_; no words had he wherewith -to bend the awful Pharaoh on his throne. _Who hath made man’s mouth?_ -was the reply; _Who maketh the dumb, the deaf, the blind? Have not I -the Lord? Go, and I will be with thy mouth, I will teach thee what thou -shalt say._ Still Moses made another effort to roll off from himself -the awful responsibility of the commission. _O my Lord_, he cried, -_send, I pray Thee, by the hand Thou shouldest send_. This last proof -of distrust provoked even the Lord to anger, but it was the anger of -Love, the Love that remembers mercy and sustains the weak. The Lord -had already provided a spokesman. Aaron his brother was at this moment -on his way to meet him, and he was known to be able to speak well. -Together, like the Apostles afterwards, the Brothers should go in -before Pharaoh; Aaron should be _instead of a mouth_, and Moses should -be to him _instead of God_, and with his rod he should perform the -prescribed signs. Then, at last, his timidity was removed; he consented -to go, and the object of the Vision of the Burning Bush was thus far -attained (Ex. iv. 1–17). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _SIGNS AND WONDERS IN EGYPT._ - EXOD. IV.–XI. B.C. 1491. - - -THE first step Moses took towards fulfilling the trust thus confided -to him was to request of his father-in-law permission to revisit his -brethren in Egypt. Jethro gave his consent, and then, having received -the Divine assurance that _all the men were dead which sought his life_, -accompanied by Zipporah and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, Moses -commenced his return to Egypt[57]. He had not proceeded far before -he encountered his brother Aaron coming forth to meet him, to whom -he explained their commission, and the signs that were to attest it. -On arriving in the land of Goshen the Brothers gathered together all -the clans of the nation. Aaron, as spokesman, rehearsed _the words -which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of -the people_. His announcement had the desired effect. The Israelites -believed that the Lord God of their fathers had indeed interposed in -their behalf, _and bowed their heads and worshipped_. The next step -was to procure from Pharaoh the necessary permission for the departure -of the people. But now, even as the Almighty had forewarned them, the -difficulties of the Brothers commenced. On presenting themselves before -Pharaoh, and informing him of the will of Jehovah, the God of Israel, -that His people should be permitted to go three days’ journey into the -wilderness, there to offer sacrifice unto Him (Ex. v. 3), the monarch -haughtily asked, _Who is Jehovah, that I should obey His Voice to let -Israel go?_ Conceiving the God of Israel to be merely a national god, -it seemed to him inexplicable that One who had suffered His worshippers -to endure a lengthened and degrading bondage, could demand of him, the -mightiest monarch of the earth, to let His people depart. Concluding, -therefore, that it was only an expedient to excite aspirations for -freedom among the bondslaves, in contemptuous mockery of them and their -God, he ordered that the severity of their toil should be doubled. -Hitherto straw had been found them, wherewith to make bricks for the -treasure-cities and other gigantic works then in progress; but now it -was ordered that they must go and gather straw for themselves, and yet -the tale of bricks must not be diminished; what it was before, that it -was to remain, and to be completed also. To comply with this tyrannical -command was impossible, and the Israelitish officers, who had been -set over the people by the Egyptians were beaten, and their complaints -to Pharaoh were utterly disregarded. This produced a great change -of feeling towards Moses and Aaron, at whose announcement of speedy -deliverance the people had so lately _bowed the head and worshipped_. -They heaped reproaches upon them, and openly charged them with being -the cause of their now accumulated miseries, of _having made their -savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh_ (Ex. v. 1–21). - -Thus the first attempt of Moses to execute his commission ended -in complete failure. In deep dejection he laid before Jehovah the -ineffectual issue of his efforts, and in reply not only received a -second assurance of protection and ultimate triumph, but was told that -as Pharaoh had rejected the _word_ of God, God would now speak to him -in _deeds_, and multiply His _signs and wonders_ in the land of Egypt, -till the Egyptians knew that He was the Lord. But the contest, in which -Moses was now to engage, was not to be fought with _carnal weapons_. -As the accredited servant of Jehovah, he was to contend against the -gods of Egypt, against those arts, the very lifeblood of heathenism, -in which Egypt deemed itself so strong, its magic and necromancy, its -priests and conjurers. Accordingly the Brothers went a second time into -Pharaoh’s presence, and renewed their request. The monarch demanded -a miracle in attestation of their claim. Thereupon Aaron threw down -his rod before the king and his courtiers, and straightway it became a -serpent. But snake-charming was an art in which Egypt bore off the palm -from every other country of the world. Pharaoh, therefore, summoned -his magicians[58], who cast down their rods, and they likewise became -serpents. But though Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods, the monarch -would not acknowledge that his servants had been defeated; he hardened -his heart, and refused to recognise in this miracle an authoritative -warning to let the people go. The “signs,” therefore, were now to -become _Plagues_ (Ex. vii. 8–14). - -(i) Accordingly, on the morrow, at the command of God, Moses made his -appearance before Pharaoh, just as he was going to offer sacrifice to, -or perform his religious ablutions in the sacred waters of the Nile, -the “Father of Life,” the “Father of the Gods[59],” as it was called by -the Egyptians. In words few but decisive he announced the reason of his -coming, and then the word was given; Aaron lifted up his rod, and in a -moment, before the very eyes of the monarch and all his servants, the -waters of the sacred, fructifying river, not only in the stream itself, -but in the “canals and tanks, in the vessels of wood and vessels of -stone, then, as now, used for the filtration of the water from the -sediment of the river bed,” were turned into blood. The fish, though -similarly objects of religious reverence, died in incredible numbers, -and the “Father of Waters,” the source of health and blessing, stank, -nor could the Egyptians drink thereof, for there was blood throughout -all the land of Egypt. But again the magicians were summoned; with -their enchantments, they caused other water, probably obtained by -digging about the river, to assume the same blood-red appearance, and -Pharaoh turned into his house, and hardened his heart, neither _would -he let the people go_ (Ex. vii. 14–25). - -(ii) After an interval, therefore, of seven days, Moses and Aaron -again presented themselves before him, and when their request was -again denied, inflicted the _second_ plague. From the streams, the -rivers, the ponds of Egypt, _Frogs_[60] came up over the whole land, -penetrating into the royal palace, the houses of the courtiers and of -the people, defiling bed-chamber and bed, oven and kneading-trough, -with their loathsome touch. Again the magicians were summoned, and -though they were utterly unable to counteract, they succeeded in -imitating this plague also. Pharaoh was more deeply moved than before; -he not only condescended to beg of Moses and Aaron that they would -intreat Jehovah to remove this plague from his people, but undertook -to allow the Israelites to depart and do sacrifice to the Lord. But -no sooner had the desired deliverance been vouchsafed, than he again -hardened his heart and refused to fulfil his word (Ex. viii. 1–15). - -(iii) For the _third_ time, therefore, Aaron uplifted his rod, and -now, not from the “Father of Waters,” but from the fertile soil of -Egypt itself, came forth innumerable swarms either of _Lice_ or of -_Gnats_[61], which afflicted both man and beast with intolerable -discomfort. This plague all the spells and incantations of the court -magicians were unable to imitate, and they were fain to confess to -Pharaoh, _This is the finger of God_, but he hardened his heart, and -_hearkened not unto them_ (Ex. viii. 16–19). - -(iv) On the morning after, as he went forth to the waters of the river, -which he had lately seen so grievously dishonoured, he was met by -Moses, and refused for the _fourth_ time to relieve the people of their -bondage. On this the servant of Jehovah spake the word, and there came -innumerable _Flies_ of various kinds[62], usually a fearful torment -in Egypt, but now attacking with unwonted fury both man and beast, and -swarming in every house of the Egyptians, while they touched neither -house nor person of the Israelites in Goshen. Such was the intolerable -severity of this plague that Pharaoh so far relented as to permit -the people to sacrifice to Jehovah _in the land itself_, but with the -proviso that they should not leave it. This Moses would not concede. -Therefore the monarch extended his concession to a journey some little -way into the wilderness, but on the removal of the judgment revoked it, -and retained the nation in bondage (Ex. viii. 20–32). - -(v) The _fifth_ Plague was now inflicted. A grievous _Murrain_ broke -out amongst the horses, the asses, the camels, the oxen, the sheep -of the Egyptians, so that all the cattle of Egypt, including not only -the useful beasts, but probably “the sacred goat of Mendes, the ram of -Ammon, the calf of Heliopolis, the bull Apis[63],” died, while in the -land of Goshen, as Pharaoh himself ascertained, there was not one of -the cattle of the Israelites dead. But even this had no effect on his -proud heart (Ex. ix. 1–7). - -(vi) Accordingly Moses and Aaron were commanded to take _handfuls of -ashes of the furnace_, and _sprinkle_ them upwards _towards heaven_, -and on their so doing, _Boils_ and _Blisters_, and other eruptive -disorders, broke forth upon man and upon beast. Even the royal -magicians suffered so terribly from this the _sixth_ plague, that they -_could not stand before Moses_, but the heart of their master was still -hardened, nor would he yield to the will of God (Ex. ix. 8–12). - -(vii) With still greater solemnity, therefore, the coming of the -_Seventh_ Plague was announced to him, and he was warned to send his -servants and gather together such of his cattle as were grazing in -the fields, if he would not have them utterly destroyed by a terrible -_Storm of thunder, lightning, and hail_[64]. By some, who heard the -warning, it was heeded in time, by others it was utterly disregarded. -But it was too surely fulfilled. Moses stretched forth his rod toward -heaven, and on the fair garden of Egypt, with its green meadows -and fields of corn and barley and maize, the storm burst forth with -unwonted fury. _The Lord thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave -His thunder_ (Ps. xviii. 13). _The fire ran along upon the ground_, -the hail rattled, and smote _the vines and fig-trees_ (Ps. cv. 33), -and every herb of the field, and every tree of the field, the barley -then _in the ear_, and the flax then _bolled_ or risen in the stalk, -as also the cattle and herdmen that had not been removed to any place -of shelter. Alarmed beyond measure at this unexampled tempest, Pharaoh -begged Moses to intercede for him, owned this time that he had sinned, -that the Lord was righteous, that he and his people were wicked, and -promised to do all that was required of him. But, as before, when the -fury of the elements was hushed he refused to abide by his word (Ex. -ix. 13–35). - -(viii) And now for the _eighth_ time the release of the people was -demanded, and the monarch was told that, in the event of refusal, -the country, already grievously devastated, should be given up to the -awful ravages of the _Locusts_, which, in numbers, _such as neither his -fathers nor his fathers’ fathers had seen_, should swarm in the palace -and the hut, covering the face of the ground, and eating up whatever -herb or tree had escaped the fury of the late storm. This announcement -filled the Egyptians, already suffering severely, with uttermost alarm. -_Let the people go_, they cried to their king, _that they may serve -the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?_ -Even Pharaoh was fain to lend an ear to this remonstrance. Summoning -Moses and Aaron, he informed them that he was ready to allow such as -were _men_ amongst the Israelites to depart and serve their God, but -their wives and children must remain as a guarantee for their return. -The servants, however, of Jehovah, were not empowered to make this -concession, and the plague began. A strong east wind blew continuously -and brought the locusts, which in dense swarms covered the face of -the land, so that it was darkened and became a desolate wilderness, -without a leaf upon the trees or a blade of grass in the fields[65]. -The obduracy of the monarch now broke down, and was followed by a -brief repentance, which lasted no longer than the west wind which swept -away the locusts; for once more, in the face of an utterly devastated -country and a murmuring people, he refused to hearken to the word of -the Lord (Ex. x. 1–20). - -(ix) Without the pre-announcements, therefore, which had preceded -the infliction of the other plagues, the _ninth_ now appeared in the -shape of _Darkness_[66] so dense _that it might be felt_, which for -three days enveloped the entire land, save only the favoured country -of Goshen. During this period the light of the sun was obscured, an -awful and preternatural gloom shrouded the land, so that the Egyptians -neither could see one another nor rise from their place. At the end -of the three days Pharaoh once more capitulated; all the Israelites, -young and old, might depart, the flocks and herds alone must remain. -These conditions, however, were rejected by Moses, and he was dismissed -from the palace with the warning to take heed that he saw the face of -Pharaoh no more, for _on the day that he saw his face, he should surely -die_ (Ex. x. 21–29). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _THE LAST PLAGUE――THE PASSOVER――THE EXODUS._ - EXOD. XI.–XV. - - -HITHERTO the elements of nature had each in their turn been -commissioned to fight against Pharaoh. In all the preceding plagues -there had been human intervention. The rod or the hand of Moses had -summoned from the sacred river, or the fertile soil, or the rainless -air, or the desert sands of Arabia, the ministers of punishment, and -wrought _signs and wonders in the land of Ham_, and had proved that -the God he served was no mere national god, but was Lord over earth and -air and water, over cattle and man, over tree and herb. But none of the -elements of nature were to bring on Pharaoh God’s _last sore judgment. -At midnight_, said Jehovah, _will I go out into the midst of Egypt, and -all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn -of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the -maid-servant that is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts; -I will execute judgment against all the gods or princes_ (Ex. xiii. 12 -_Marg._) _of Egypt, I am Jehovah_. - -Before, however, this last great blow was struck, involving the -firstborn of the highest and the lowest in one common fate, certain -important preliminaries were to be enacted. It was now the Hebrew -month of Nisan or Abib, the _month of green ears_. On the fourteenth -day of this month it was announced that the last sore judgment would -be inflicted. But on the tenth day of this month, a month to be to -the Israelites henceforth the _beginning of months_, the first month -of their sacred year, the father of every household was to select a -lamb or kid, without blemish, a male of the first year. It was to be -kept till the fourteenth day, and then slain just before the evening -twilight (Ex. xii. 1–6). A portion of the blood was to be sprinkled -with a bunch of hyssop on the two side-posts and the upper door-post -of the houses of the Israelites, and on the selfsame night the lamb, -roast with fire, whole, not a bone being broken, was to be eaten with -unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Of this meal each household was -to partake, with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, their -staves in their hands, in haste like persons in a hurry to depart. Of -the flesh of the lamb nothing was to be allowed to remain until the -morning, and all remnants were to be burnt with fire. And at midnight, -while they were partaking of this mysterious meal, the Lord, they -were told, would _pass through the land of Egypt_, and smite all the -firstborn, both of man and beast, but when He saw the blood sprinkled -on the houses of the Israelites, He would _pass over_ them, and the -plague should not be upon them to their destruction (Ex. xii. 7–12). - -Such was the ordinance of the PASSOVER, a Memorial-Feast to be -celebrated, not on that night only, but throughout all future -generations, and to be kept for a period of seven days, during -which leavened bread was neither to be eaten nor found in any of the -houses of the Israelites. On receiving from Moses the Lord’s commands -respecting this Feast, the elders of Israel, partakers with him of -a like faith in the certainty of the events about to be enacted (Heb. -xi. 28), _bowed their heads and worshipped_. On the tenth day of Nisan, -the Month of Redemption, each household selected a lamb or kid, kept -it till the fourteenth day, slew it, sprinkled the blood upon the -side-posts and the upper door-post of their houses, and at midnight -were eating of it with the prescribed ceremonies, when suddenly the -last and most awful of all the Ten Plagues began. The Lord smote all -the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of the captive -that was in the dungeon unto the firstborn of the mighty Pharaoh -himself, and all the firstborn of cattle. In the darkness of that -awful night the monarch rose up, he and all his servants, and all the -Egyptians, and a loud frantic cry arose throughout the land, for there -was not a house where there was not one dead. Terrified and confounded -the stubborn king could no longer resist the power of Jehovah. He -implored Moses and Aaron, as an act of kindness, to depart with -the utmost speed. And not only he, but all his people joined in -the petition, and pressed upon the Israelites jewels of silver and -jewels of gold, earrings, signet-rings, necklaces, and festal apparel. -Thus furnished by the Egyptians themselves with costly ornaments -befitting the great day of their deliverance[67], the whole host of -the Israelites, numbering 600,000 men capable of bearing arms, besides -women and children and a mixed multitude from the lower orders of the -Egyptians, went forth from RAMESES, and in the darkness and cool of the -night pursued their way (Ex. xii. 37, 38). - -The nearest route to Canaan would have been the usual caravan route, -which runs in a north-easterly direction along the coast of the -Mediterranean, and would not have occupied more than a few days. But -it would have brought the host into collision with the warlike and -powerful nation of the Philistines, and for such an encounter they were -as yet totally unfit. From RAMESES, therefore, which was probably on -the eastern skirts of the Delta in the _Wady Tumeilat_, they proceeded -in a southerly course, and after a day’s journey halted for the first -time at SUCCOTH (Ex. xii. 37), the place of _booths_, “formed by the -luxuriant foliage of tamarisk, sycamore, and palm” at the verge of -the cultivated land of Egypt. The next day’s halt was at _Etham in the -edge of the wilderness_ (Ex. xiii. 20). At this point the Lord Himself -in an outward and visible form assumed the direction of their march, -appearing by day in a Pillar of Cloud, and by night in a Pillar of -Fire. Such a miraculous intervention was indeed needed to confirm the -faith of the host, for instead of being conducted round the northern -extremity of the Red Sea, so as to escape with all speed beyond reach -of their Egyptian oppressors, they were commanded to turn and encamp -before Pihahiroth (_the place of sedge_), between Migdol (a frontier -_Watchtower_) and the western side of the Red Sea over against -Baal-zephon. Here they had scarcely encamped, when lifting up their -eyes the Israelites discerned the terrible horses and chariots of -Pharaoh pursuing after them. Astonished that the people had not made -good their flight into Asia, and deeming them entangled in the land -and shut in by the wilderness, the monarch had directed all his forces -to give chase to the fugitives. In wild alarm the Israelites cried out -to Moses, and already complained of their deliverance from the bondage -of Egypt. But the faith of their leader was not shaken. He bade the -trembling, panic-stricken host stand still and _see the salvation of -the Lord_. - -They had not long to wait. For at this moment the Angel of God, -who went before the host of Israel in the Pillar of Cloud and Fire, -stationed himself behind them so as to deepen the gloom in which the -Egyptians were advancing, and afford light and encouragement to the -Israelites. Simultaneously, Moses advanced towards the Red Sea, either -at the present fords of Suez, or at some point higher up, and stretched -over it his rod. Thereupon a strong East wind began to blow, the waters -were divided, the bottom of the sea was exposed, and amidst walls of -water standing up on either side of them on their right hand and on -their left, the caravan of the Israelites defiled in long procession. -All night the wondrous passage continued, and as the morning broke -they had safely landed on the further shore. Meanwhile their foes, -determined to prevent the second escape of their prey, had rushed on -amidst the pitchy darkness that surrounded them into the same awful -pass. But, at the morning watch, when they had reached the midst of the -sea, the Lord looked upon them from the Pillar of Fire and of the Cloud, -and troubled their hosts, and caused their heavy chariot-wheels to -sink in the sand, so that _they drave them heavily_. In wild confusion -they shouted to one another to turn back, but it was too late. Again -the hand of Moses was uplifted, and straightway the waters, till now -congealed from their lowest depths (Ex. xv. 8), began to break and give -way, and the sea _to return to his strength_. All efforts to escape -were fruitless, fast and furious the sea swept on, the engulphing waves -closed over them, horse and chariot and horseman _sank like lead in the -mighty waters_. Then from the Israelitish leader, and the host which -had stood still and seen the deliverance Jehovah had wrought for them, -there burst forth a noble song of praise and thanksgiving, while Miriam -his sister, and her women, accompanied them with timbrels and dances. -Together they sang the praises of Him who _had triumphed gloriously, -who had cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his host into the sea, and drowned -his chosen captains in the waves, whose right hand become glorious in -power had dashed in pieces the enemy, who had blown with His wind, and -gathered the waters with the blast of His nostrils, and in His mercy -led forth the people which He had redeemed_. (Ex. xv. 1–19. Comp. Ps. -lxxvii. 16–19.) - -Thus, at length, the word of the Most High, which He spake to the -patriarch Abraham at least 400 years before, was fulfilled. The seed -of the Patriarch had grown into a great nation; they had been strangers -in a land that was not theirs; they had suffered cruel affliction and -degradation; but the oppressing nation had been judged, and _with much -substance_ the oppressed had come forth. The jewels of silver and gold -and the festal apparel, which their late tyrants had forced upon them, -well became this their national birthday. Once slaves, they were now -free; once a degraded tribe, they were now an independent people. They -had left behind them Egypt with its grinding tyranny, and its memories -of years of suffering. They had been _baptized unto Moses in the cloud -and in the sea_ (1 Cor. x. 2), their faces were set towards a Promised -Land, their hopes fastened on a glorious Future. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _THE JOURNEY FROM THE RED SEA TO REPHIDIM._ - EXOD. XV.–XIX. B.C. 1491. - - -AND now the ransomed people commenced their journey. Skirting the -eastern shore of the Red Sea, they “entered” the wilderness of Shur -(or Etham, Num. xxxiii. 8), on the western base of the high table-land -which forms the northern portion of the peninsula of Sinai[68]. A three -days’ march brought them to a well, probably _Ain Howâra_, plentifully -supplied, indeed, with water, but so bitter that they could not drink -of it, whence they called it Marah (“_bitterness_”). This was the first -test of their faith in their Invisible Leader, and they proved unequal -to it. They murmured against Moses, saying, _What shall we drink?_ In -his distress Moses turned to the Lord, who bade him cast a tree into -the waters, and they were straightway sweetened. Leaving Marah they -reached ELIM (Wâdy _Ghurundel_, or Wâdy _Useit_), where were twelve -wells of refreshing water, and three-score and ten palmtrees. Here -they probably staid some days, and then passing between vast cliffs, -probably at the mouth of the _Wâdy Tayibeh_, again came in sight of the -deep blue waters of the Red Sea (Num. xxxiii. 10), where they encamped, -and were able for the last time to discern the shadowy line of Egypt, -the land of bondage. Leaving the sea-shore on the fifteenth day of the -second month, they entered the shadeless desert of Sin (Ex. xvi. 1). By -this time the supply of bread they had brought with them from Egypt was -consumed, and the people burst forth into loud murmurings against Moses -and Aaron. _Would God_, they cried, _we had died by the hand of the -Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, and did eat -bread to the full_. Thereupon Moses was commissioned to assure them of -speedy relief, and that very evening dense flocks of quails, immense -numbers of which are found in Arabia Petræa and the adjoining countries, -covered the ground around their encampment (Ex. xvi. 13). Moreover -the next morning, when _the dew had gone up, behold! there lay on the -face of the wilderness a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost, -white, like coriander seed, the taste of which was like wafers made -with honey_. On seeing this curious substance, and not knowing its -origin or properties, the Israelites exclaimed Man-hu, “_What is it?_” -whence the substance hitherto unknown received the name of MANNA (Ex. -xvi. 14–36). - -Two conditions were annexed to the enjoyment of this extraordinary -and unlooked-for blessing. The people were instructed to gather only a -sufficient quantity for the wants of a single day, an omer (about five -pints) each man, and they were to leave none of it until the morning. -Some of them, however, infringed both these conditions, and in both -instances found cause to regret their conduct. Some took the trouble -to gather more than the prescribed quantity, and found that in spite -of their exertions _he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that -gathered little had no lack_. Others _did_ leave some of it until the -morning, but they too found themselves disappointed, for it was in a -state of decomposition and utterly unfit for food. On the sixth day, -however, each man was surprised to find himself able to gather twice -the usual quantity. This circumstance Moses explained to them. The -seventh day was to be observed as a holy SABBATH (_rest_) unto the -Lord, on that day no manna would be found lying on the ground, but -on the sixth day they were to gather twice the usual quantity to make -provision for the deficiency on the Sabbath. This command, however, -was not universally obeyed. Some went out to gather on the Sabbath, -but returned empty-handed. Thus the institution of the Day of Rest -was presented as one of peculiar significance, and a preparation was -made for the more precise legislation respecting it to be afterwards -promulgated. In memory of this miraculous supply of the people’s needs, -Moses directed that an omer of the Manna should be put aside in a -vessel as a memorial to all future generations (Ex. xvi. 32–34; John -vi. 31, 32; 1 Cor. x. 3; Heb. ix. 4). - -After a halt of a week in the wilderness of Sin, and also at two -intermediate stations, DOPHKAH and ALUSH (Num. xxxiii. 12–14), the -positions of which are unknown, the Israelites reached REPHIDIM -(“_places of Rest_”), most probably the _Wâdy Feirân_, and “the finest -valley in the whole peninsula.” Two circumstances distinguished their -encampment in this valley. In consequence of a second failure of water -the murmurings of the people against their leader reached such a pitch, -that they showed signs of a readiness even to stone him with stones. -Again, however, the Lord interposed, and mercifully directed Moses to -strike a rock in Horeb, _i.e._ one of the outer hills in the Sinaitic -group, whereupon a copious stream flowed forth, and refreshed the -thirsty host. In memory of the murmuring of the people, Moses named the -spot MASSAH (“_temptation_”), and MERIBAH (“_strife_”) (Ex. xvii. 7). - -The other circumstance which rendered memorable the encampment at this -spot was of a different nature. One of the main streams of population -occupying at this time the Sinaitic Peninsula, was the powerful tribe -of AMALEK. Their settlements extended from the northern part of the -peninsula, even to the borders of Palestine. They were descended from -Esau, and were governed by a chief, who bore the title, by some deemed -hereditary, of AGAG, the “_Burner_” or “_Destroyer_.” (Comp. Num. xxiv. -7; 1 Sam. xv. 8, 9.) Regarding the encampment of the Israelites in the -rich and fertile valley of Rephidim with no friendly feelings, they -mustered their forces, and treacherously falling upon their exhausted -rear, _smote the hindmost of them and the feeble amongst them, when -they were faint and weary_ (Deut. xxv. 17–19). To repel this attack -Moses directed a young man, whose name is here for the first time -mentioned, JOSHUA, or as he was now called HOSHEA (_salvation_), the -son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, to select a body of men, and go -forth to meet Amalek in the valley. Meanwhile he himself ascended the -hill, whence, probably, the refreshing streams had issued, with the -rod of God in his hand, and accompanied by Aaron and Hur. There within -sight of the battle in the valley below, he stood and stretched forth -his hands in supplication to heaven. So long as his hands remained thus -uplifted, the Israelites made good their superiority over the foe, but -as often as from weariness his hands drooped Amalek prevailed. For a -long time the contest seemed undecided. At length Aaron and Hur, seeing -Moses wearied with his exertions, took a stone and placed it under him, -and stayed up his hands in the attitude of supplication, till the sun -went down, by which time Amalek had sustained a total defeat, and been -smitten with the edge of the sword. This victory and the circumstances -leading to it were too important to be forgotten. On the summit of the -hill, where he had stood in the attitude of prayer, Moses erected an -altar, which he called JEHOVAH-NISSI (_the Lord is my Banner_), and, -by the Divine direction, inscribed in a book the account of Amalek’s -attack, and rehearsed it in the ears of Joshua. Their treacherous -conduct had placed them under the same ban as the nations of Canaan, -and the Lord _would utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from -under heaven_ (Ex. xvii. 14; 1 Sam. xv. 2, 3; 2 Sam. viii. 12). - -Not long afterwards, JETHRO, the father-in-law of Moses, having -heard all that the Lord had done for his kinsman, and of the wonderful -deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, left his tents among the -Midianites and came to meet him, with his daughter Zipporah, and -her two sons Gershom and Eliezer. After mutual salutation, the two -passed into the tent, and Moses recounted to his father-in-law the -marvels of the Exodus, the travail of the people by the way, and -their late deliverance from the sword of Amalek. Jethro rejoiced at -the recital, bestowed upon the Israelites his solemn blessing, and -offered sacrifices to Jehovah, to which and the thanksgiving-feast that -followed, Aaron the future high-priest, and all the elders of Israel -were invited. On the morrow, perceiving Moses occupied from morning -until evening with the administration of justice and the settlement -of disputes among the people, Jethro ventured to remonstrate with him -on the risk he incurred by undertaking unaided so heavy a burden. He -suggested that judges, rulers, and elders, _able men, such as feared -God, and hated covetousness_, should be appointed, who should at stated -seasons see justice done between man and man, and reserve only the -weightier matters for the attention of Moses himself. His wise advice -was adopted, and men were duly appointed to preside over every ten, -every fifty, every hundred, and every thousand of the people, and thus -equalize the burden hitherto sustained by Moses alone (Ex. xviii. 1–27). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _SINAI AND THE GIVING OF THE LAW._ - EXOD. XIX. XX. B.C. 1491. - - -AT length the halt at Rephidim came to an end. In the third month (Ex. -xix. 1), the Israelites once more set out in a southerly direction, -and after ascending winding valleys and rugged passes and staircases -of lofty rocks rising one above the other in long succession, reached -a level plain (probably _Er-Raheh_)[69], in front of which “towered -the massive cliffs of Sinai,” rising “like a huge altar in front of -the whole congregation.” Here in a spot where they could find water and -pasture for their flocks and herds, they pitched their tents _before -the Mount_ (Ex. xix. 2). The natural aspect of everything around them -was of a character calculated to exert a most solemnising influence -upon their feelings. They had reached a kind of “natural sanctuary, not -made with hands,” which for magnificence and grandeur far exceeded any -of those massive Egyptian temples, on which their eyes had rested by -the green valley of the Nile. Far removed from the stir and confusion -of earthly things[70], amidst a scene of desolate grandeur and a -silence unbroken even by the sound of waters or the trickling of rills -down the mountain gorges[71], they experienced everything that the -natural influence of scenery and association could effect towards -fitting their minds for the great and sublime transactions now about -to be enacted between them and the Almighty. They were about to receive -direct communication from the Lord of all the earth, and to learn -why _with an outstretched arm, and signs and great wonders_, they had -been delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and thus led forth into the -wilderness. - -By way of preparation for the great scene, Moses left the congregation -encamped on the plain, and proceeded up the winding steep ascent of -Sinai. On reaching the summit, the Lord called unto him, and made known -His intention of renewing the patriarchal Covenant, which, though it -might seem to have been forgotten during the weary years of bondage -in Egypt, had never been disannulled (Gal. iii. 17), and was now to be -solemnly republished. Like all Covenants, it contained a stipulation -and a promise. If Israel would obey the Voice of Him, who had delivered -them from Egypt, and _borne them on eagles’ wings, and brought them to -Himself_ (Ex. xix. 4), if they would submit themselves to His laws, and -keep His commandments, then, _though all the earth was His_, yet should -they be _a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people_. Jehovah “would -enter into a special relation towards them, He would undertake the -duties and claim the privileges of sovereignty,” while they should be -unto Him _a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation_. It was not a single -and peculiar order that was to be elevated to the high position of a -member of the priest-kingdom, as was the case in Egypt. Every Israelite -was to sustain this relation, and in the midst of a world given up to -idolatry, was called to preserve the knowledge of the one true God, and -exhibit to the nations the spectacle of a people walking in the ways -of Holiness, Righteousness, and Truth. The conditions of this Covenant -Moses made known to the Elders and people of Israel; he laid before -them _all the words which the Lord commanded Him_, and when they had -voluntarily agreed to obey them, he returned with their reply to the -Lord, and was told of the intention of Jehovah to come unto him _in a -thick cloud, that the people might hear him, and believe him for ever_ -(Ex. xix. 9). - -Three days, therefore, were now devoted to preparatory and ceremonial -ablutions, during which the people were commanded to abstain from all -sensual and worldly enjoyments. Then bounds were set round the mountain -on which a God of Holiness was about to appear, lest any of the people -should ascend or even touch it. Of any infringement of this prohibition -death was denounced as the certain penalty, and that not inflicted in -the usual way, lest the executioners should themselves be polluted, but -from a distance with stones and arrows (Ex. xix. 12, 13; Heb. xii. 20). -At length the morning of the third day dawned, and the awful silence -of the mountain-sanctuary was broken by peals of thunder, which echoed -and re-echoed amidst the rocky gorges, while flashes of lightning -lit up the peaks of Sinai, and revealed by their contrast the pitchy -darkness and the thick cloud which had settled upon the mountain-top. -Presently the Voice _as of a Trumpet_ (comp. Rev. i. 10, iv. 1), -sounded exceeding loud, audible even above the crash of the thunder, -so that every soul in the camp trembled. This was the signal God had -made known to Moses, who straightway led forth the people out of the -camp _to meet with God, and they stood at the nether part of the mount_, -which appeared _altogether on a smoke, like the smoke of a furnace_, -enshrouding a mysterious flame in which the Lord descended (Ex. xix. -18). Again the Trumpet pealed with a long-continued blast, and _waxed -louder and louder, and Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice_, -summoning him to meet Him on the top of Sinai. Arrived there, he was -commanded again to warn the people, and even the priests, against -drawing too near, or breaking through the bounds that had been set -about the mount for the purpose of indulging any profane gaze, and -so incurring the inevitable penalty of death (Ex. xix. 21). Moses -therefore returned to the awestruck crowd on the plain below, and -renewed the solemn warning. Then _from out of the midst of the fire, -and the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a great voice_ (Deut. v. -22), JEHOVAH Himself spake to the assembled host _face to face_, and -proclaimed the Ten fundamental Words of the law of the Covenant. Not -as the Lord of the universe, or the Creator of all things, did the Most -High now reveal Himself to the people, but as their Redeemer, who had -_brought them out of the land of Egypt, and from the house of bondage_ -(Ex. xx. 2). (I) _Beside Him_, therefore, they were to have _no other -god_; (II) _of Him_ they were to make no _representation_, or construct -any _graven image_, or any _likeness_ in the form of anything either in -the heaven above or the earth beneath, or the waters under the earth; -(III) for His _Name_ they were to entertain the deepest reverence, nor -profane it by taking it in vain; (IV) His _Day_, the seventh Day, _the -Day of rest_, they were ever to observe; six days they might labour, -and do all their work, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord -their God, no work might be done by the head of the family, or his -son, or his daughter, his manservant, or his maidservant, his cattle, -or the stranger sojourning within his gates. Such was the duty of the -Israelite towards God. But now also the Almighty proclaimed man’s duty -towards his neighbour. He enjoined and connected with a special promise -of temporal prosperity (V) _filial Reverence for Parents_, and forbade -(VI) _Murder_, (VII) _Adultery_, (VIII) _Theft_, (IX) _False Witness_, -and (X) _Covetousness_ (Ex. xx. 1–17). - -These were the Ten Words, the fundamentals of the Divine Law, under -which the Israelites were henceforth called to live, and which they -were to accept as the charter of their constitution. But so great was -their terror, when they heard God thus speaking to them _face to face_, -that they fled, and standing afar off implored Moses to intercede with -the Almighty that they might no more hear His voice, lest they should -die. _Go |thou| near_, said they, _and hear all that the Lord our God -shall say, and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak -unto thee, and we will hear it and do it_ (Deut. v. 27). Their request -found favour in the sight of Jehovah, and Moses was now solemnly -appointed as the Mediator between the Israelites and God. At the same -time, the Lord intimated that He would raise up a still greater PROPHET -than Moses, from the midst of the Israelites, yet like unto him, _that -He would put His words in His mouth, and He should speak unto them all -that He commanded_ (Deut. xviii. 13–19). Accordingly in his capacity -of Mediator, Moses now returned up the mountain, and ascended into the -thick darkness that still abode upon it for the purpose of receiving -the further commands of Jehovah. After remaining there for some time, -he came back to the people. They had on their part already agreed to -enter into covenant with God. But it was necessary that this Covenant -should now be solemnly ratified by them, its provisions read in their -hearing, and formally accepted as the basis of their constitution. -Accordingly Moses first wrote all the words that Jehovah had spoken -in a book, probably a papyrus-roll, and then, having built an altar at -the foot of the mount and set up twelve pillars, he caused calves and -goats to be slain as burnt-offerings and peace-offerings by the hands -of certain selected youths. In the ears of the assembled people he next -read every word of the Law, and when these conditions of the Covenant -had been formally accepted by them, he took the blood of the victims -already slain, together with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop (Heb. -ix. 19–21), sprinkled one half of the blood on the altar, and the roll -containing the Covenant-conditions, and the other half on the people, -saying as he did so, _Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord -hath made with you concerning all these words_. - -But one portion only of the ceremony was complete. The victims had -yielded up their life. The blood, the source of life, had been -sprinkled on the altar and accepted by Jehovah. It was now necessary -that the sacrificers should join in the Covenant-feast. To celebrate -this, Moses, accompanied by Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders, -as representatives of the people, ascended to a level spot near the -summit of Sinai. There they saw the glory of the God of Israel, under -whose feet there was, as it were, _a paved work of a sapphire-stone, -and the body of heaven in its clearness_. But instead of suffering -any harm from such close proximity to the majesty of the Supreme, they -ate and drank in His presence of the Covenant-feast, and thereby were -assured of His mercy and loving-kindness (Ex. xxiv. 9–11). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _MOSES IN THE MOUNT――THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CALF._ - EXOD. XXIV.–XXXIV. B.C. 1491. - - -THUS the Covenant was formally ratified, and the nation solemnly -devoted itself to the service of the God of Israel. Further revelations, -however, awaited Moses, and after committing the charge of the people -to Aaron and Hur (Ex. xxiv. 14), he again went up into the mount -accompanied only by Joshua, his minister and attendant. After an -interval of six days the voice of God summoned him to ascend alone -yet higher into the midst of the cloud that still overhung the mount, -and for forty days and forty nights he there remained in mysterious -converse with Jehovah. During this period the Lord showed him in vision -a representation of the sanctuary (Heb. viii. 5), which He required -should be the solemn place of meeting between Him and the people, and -gave him the necessary instructions for its erection (Ex. xxv.–xxviii.), -together with full particulars respecting the order of its services and -ritual (Ex. xxix. xxx.), as also the names of the two men who were to -be employed in building it, viz. BEZALEEL of the tribe of Judah, and -AHOLIAB of the tribe of Dan (Ex. xxxi. 1–11). At the same time Moses -received two tables of stone, on which the Ten Commandments had been -written by the finger of God. - -While, however, the Israelitish leader had been engaged in solemn -converse with the Supreme, a far different scene had been going on in -the plain below. His prolonged absence had filled the Israelites with -doubt and perplexity. When the glory of the Lord descended upon Sinai, -they had, indeed, felt the mountain quake, they had heard the thunder -roar, they had seen the lightning flash, but of JEHOVAH Himself they -had beheld no form or similitude. Now to believe in One who did not, -like the gods of every other nation round about, reveal Himself under -any palpable figure, was not easy for men who had so long lived amidst -the fascinations of the idolatrous rites of Pagan Egypt. As weeks -therefore passed away, and still no sign appeared of the return of -their leader, the people began to lose their trust in Him whom they had -promised to obey. They wished to break up their long encampment; but -who would go before them, and guide them in the way? Yearning therefore -for some visible representative of Jehovah, and possibly yielding to -the suggestions of some of the Egyptians amongst _the mixed multitude_ -in the camp, they gathered themselves together before Aaron, with the -petition that he _would make them gods to go before them_, for as for -Moses, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, they knew -not what was become of him. Unable to stem the popular clamour, and -taking refuge in an unworthy expediency, Aaron bade them bring him -the golden earrings of their wives, their sons, and their daughters, -and of these he fashioned a calf, probably according to the well-known -form of the Egyptian Apis or Mnevis, whose worship the people must -often have witnessed during their sojourn in the Nile Valley. Then -building an altar he proclaimed a three days’ festival to Jehovah. -Accordingly, with the earliest dawn of the following day, the people -arose, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the image, -exclaiming, _These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the -land of Egypt_, and concluded the ceremony with one of those licentious -orgies, accompanied by song and dance, which were so common amongst -heathen nations (Ex. xxxii. 4; 1 Cor. x. 7). - -It was while they were in the very act of celebrating this idolatrous -festival that Moses, accompanied by Joshua, returned from the presence -of the nation’s invisible King. He had already received Divine -intimation of the apostasy of the people, and in his capacity of -Mediator had already interceded in their behalf. Now with the two -tables of the Law in his hands he descended the Mount. To the ear -of his companion the noise of the host, as it ascended upwards from -the valley below, _sounded like the noise of war in the camp_. But -Moses knew otherwise. _It is not the noise of them that shout for the -mastery_, he replied, _neither is it the voice of them that cry for -being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear_. Then as he -drew near the camp, and beheld with his own eyes the heathenish orgies -that were going on, his feelings overmastered him; his anger waxed -hot, and he cast the Tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath -the Mount. Next advancing towards the senseless image, he seized it, -burnt it with fire, reduced it to powder[72], strewed the ashes on the -neighbouring brook of Horeb, and compelled the people to drink thereof. -Then after sternly rebuking his brother for conniving at so heinous -a sin, he stationed himself at the entrance of the camp, and bade -all, who still remained faithful to Jehovah, gird on their swords, and -without regard to family tie or private friendship, slay the offenders -from gate to gate with the edge of the sword. It was a severe but -necessary test of the fidelity of the people, and the sons of Levi -were found faithful. With a zeal very dissimilar from that which had -animated their forefather at Shechem (Gen. xxxiv. 25, 26), instead -of siding with Aaron, though their tribal leader, they arose and slew -about 3000 of the offenders, thus effacing the blot on the memory -of their tribe, and qualifying themselves for high functions in the -sanctuary (Ex. xxxii. 25–29). - -In order to make an atonement for the people’s sin, Moses, on the next -day, re-ascended the mount, and solemnly interceded with the Almighty -on their behalf. Standing _in the gap_ (Ps. cvi. 23) between a justly -offended God and an erring nation, he offered, if no other way of -forgiveness was possible, freely to surrender his own life, and to -suffer the blotting out of his own name from God’s Book. Eventually -his intercession prevailed. The Almighty promised that the nation -should not be cut off, and that He would send His Angel before them, -who should lead them into the land promised to their forefathers. But -further punishment certainly awaited them; in the day of His visitation, -He would visit their sin upon them, an earnest of which they speedily -experienced in the shape of plagues (Ex. xxxii. 35), with which _the -Lord plagued the people_, because of their sin in _turning His glory -into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay_ (Ps. cvi. 20). - -The announcement of Moses that their journey into the Promised Land was -not to be suspended, but that Jehovah would not go up in their midst, -was received by the people with much lamentation (Ex. xxxiii. 4). Their -sorrow was accepted as a sign of repentance, and Moses caused his own -tent to be pitched at a long distance without the camp, and named it -the _Tent, or Tabernacle of Meeting_ (Ex. xxxiii. 7). Then, accompanied -only by Joshua, he passed through the long line of the people’s tents, -at the doors of which they stood and watched him, and, as he entered -his own, the Cloudy Pillar, which hitherto had rested on the top of -Sinai, descended, and stood before it, and amidst the joyful reverence -of the watching host, the Lord conversed with Moses, _face to face, as -a man speaketh unto his friend_ (Ex. xxxiii. 11). The descent of the -Cloudy Pillar, and its position at the entrance of the tent of Israel’s -leader, though at a distance from the people, was a sign that his -intercession had prevailed. In spite of their recent sin, Jehovah had -not _forgotten to be gracious_, He would fulfil His promise, and the -nation should be led into the land assured to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, -and every one, who sought the Lord, might draw nigh, and consult Him -through His servant Moses in the appointed place of meeting. - -Emboldened by this measure of success, Moses expressed a desire, -since he was the ordained leader of the people, and had found grace in -the sight of God, that he might be permitted to behold the essential -Glory of Him, with whom he was privileged to speak face to face (Ex. -xxxiii. 13). He asked for more than he, or any other finite creature, -could endure. The Face――the essential Majesty――of Jehovah no man could -see and live. But if he ascended the mount on the morrow, and took -precautions that no man or beast appeared in sight, and brought with -him two fresh tables of stone hewn out of the rock, the Lord promised -that he should see so much of His Glory as mortal eye could bear. -Accordingly on the morrow with two fresh-hewn tables he ascended, and -awaited the mysterious revelation. Every precaution had been taken; no -man was allowed to be seen throughout all the mount, no flock or herd -was suffered to feed before it (Ex. xxxiv. 3). Alone, unattended even -by the faithful Joshua, the accepted mediator between the people and -their invisible King stood in a cleft of the rock. And while he stood -“covered with Jehovah’s hand,” the Lord passed by and proclaimed, _The -Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant -in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, -transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, -visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the -children’s children, unto the third and fourth generation_. As Moses -listened to this proclamation of the incommunicable attributes of the -Most High――“Justice and Mercy, Truth and Love”――like Elijah after him -in a cleft of the same jagged rocks (1 K. xix. 9–13), he bowed his head -towards the earth and worshipped, and interceded for a more complete -renewal of the broken covenant between Jehovah and His people. His -prayer was heard. The Covenant was once more renewed, and for a second -period of forty days and forty nights Moses remained in the Divine -Presence, and received fresh instructions respecting the moral and -ceremonial laws of the Theocracy. - -At the close of this period, with the two fresh Tables, inscribed -with the Ten Words, he again returned to the people. On this occasion, -he retained more permanent marks of the awful converse he had been -permitted to hold. Aaron and the elders of the people were afraid -to approach him, for _the skin of his face shone_ with a celestial -radiance, and the reflection of Jehovah’s glory gilded his brow. -The lawgiver himself, not aware of the change that had come over his -features, called unto them, and at length emboldened to approach, they -heard at his mouth all the commands of God. But the unearthly splendour -was not permanent. Lest, therefore, the people should behold the fading -away of this visible credential of his interview with the Supreme, -Moses was in the habit of placing a veil upon his face whenever he -departed from them (Comp. 2 Cor. iii. 13)[73], but removed it as often -as he was permitted to behold the presence of the Lord, and receive -fresh renewals of the celestial radiance. - - - - - BOOK IV. - - THE MOSAIC WORSHIP AND POLITY. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE TABERNACLE._ - EXOD. XXXVI.–XL. B.C. 1490. - - -THE encampment of the Israelites before Sinai continued for more than -a year (Num. i. 1). At this point, then, it will be convenient to group -together and consider the most important of those ordinances which they -now received, and the chief features of the constitution under which -they were called to live. - -The purpose for which the Jewish nation was raised up was of the -most momentous character. In the midst of surrounding idolatry and -moral degeneracy, they were called to preserve intact the doctrine of -_the Unity of God_, to be the guardians of _His gracious promises of -Redemption_, and to exhibit to the world _holiness_ (See Rom. ix. 4, 5). - -The doctrine of the Divine Unity was the kernel of the Mosaic law, and -as such was defended by the sternest and most rigorous enactments. The -Israelites were forbidden even to mention the names of the gods of the -Canaanite nations (Ex. xxiii. 13); they were commanded to burn or -destroy their images, their altars, their sacred groves (Ex. xxiii. 24; -xxxiv. 13); they were to deem accursed the precious metals of which -their idols were composed (Deut. vii. 25), and on no pretence whatever -were they to conclude any treaty or make any marriage with them (Deut. -vii. 2, 3). Relapse into idolatry was to be regarded as the greatest -crime, and whether committed by a city or an individual was to be -punished with unrelenting severity. In the latter case, death by -stoning was the inevitable penalty; in the former, all the inhabitants -were to be put to the sword, the whole spoil was to be collected into a -heap and burnt, and a solemn curse was to be pronounced against any one -who attempted to rebuild it (Deut. xiii. 6–18). No less vigorous were -the enactments against the construction of any representation of the -true God under any form or similitude, whether of man or animal, of -bird or fish or star. - -But while all idolatrous forms of worship were thus rigorously -forbidden, the Almighty condescended to make known to His people the -way in which He was willing to receive their adoration. Stooping to the -infirmities of a nation just delivered from degrading bondage, He took -them by the hand, and provided for the wants of their religious nature -in a way marvellously adapted to their native genius and character, as -also to their previous habits and modes of thought. - -And first, that the Israelites might have a visible assurance of -the Divine presence in their midst, a sanctuary was to be erected, -not according to any model suggested by the people themselves, but -according to a Divine pattern shown to Moses in the Mount (Ex. xxv. 9; -Heb. viii. 5). The Patriarchs had their pillars of stone (Gen. xxviii. -18, 19), or the shade of the consecrated grove (Gen. xxi. 33). The -Egyptian had his huge colossal temples, built of vast granite blocks, -or hewn out of the solid rock. Not such was to be the sanctuary of -Jehovah amongst a people journeying through a wilderness to a Promised -Land. As the nomad chief had his tent in the midst of his tribe, so -Jehovah, as the Head of the Hebrew pilgrim-nation, ordained that a -Tent or _Tabernacle_ should be erected for Him, where He might _meet -and speak unto_ His people, and _they might draw nigh to Him. I will -sanctify_, said God, _the Tabernacle of meeting, ... there will I meet -with ... and will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their -God, and they shall know that I am the Lord their God_ (Ex. xxix. 42–46; -xxx. 6, 36). - -In the erection of this Pavilion-Temple every member of the nation was -invited to take a part, and to contribute either the gold and jewels -of which the Egyptians had been spoiled, or the arts which, as we have -seen, many of the Israelites had learnt from them. While, therefore, -the superintendence of the work was entrusted to two skilful artificers, -BEZALEEL of the tribe of Judah, and AHOLIAB of the tribe of Dan (Ex. -xxxi. 2, 6; xxxv. 34), many of the congregation contributed offerings -of gold and silver and brass, of blue and red and crimson, of fine -linen, and goat-skins, and ram-skins dyed red. Others were despatched -in different directions throughout the fertile valley where they were -encamped, to fell the Shittah or Acacia tree, which grew abundantly in -the neighbourhood of Sinai, and was exactly adapted by its durability -and lightness for the construction of a moveable tent, and while the -workmen prepared it for its different purposes, the women employed -themselves diligently in weaving and spinning blue and crimson hangings, -thus consecrating the arts which they had learnt, while serving as -bondslaves in the houses of the princes of Egypt (Ex. xxxv. 20–35). - -(A) The AREA, or Court, within which the Tabernacle stood, was an -oblong square, 100 cubits[74] in length by 50 in breadth, formed by -curtains of fine linen 5 cubits in height, hanging from pillars of wood -with capitals overlaid with silver and furnished with sockets of brass. -These pillars, 20 on each longer side and 10 on each shorter, were held -together by means of silver rods attached by silver hooks, and were -fastened into the ground by means of pegs of brass. The entrance[75] -was from the east, so as to catch the rays of the rising sun. Here the -curtains extended only 15 cubits from each corner, and the intervening -space with its 4 pillars formed the entrance, and was overhung with -curtains of fine twined linen, of the richest and most brilliant -colours, blue and purple and scarlet. - -In a line with the Entrance and the Tabernacle itself stood (a) THE -ALTAR OF BURNT-SACRIFICE, and (b) THE GREAT LAVER FOR PURIFICATION. - -(a) _The Altar of Burnt-offering_[76] (called in Malachi i. 7, 12, _the -table of the Lord_) was in form a square, 5 cubits long, 5 broad, and -3 high, and was constructed of hollow boards of acacia-wood overlaid -with brass (Ex. xxvii. 4, 5). So long as the Tabernacle was stationed -in any one place, these were probably filled with earth, which thus -formed the upper side or surface, on which the sacrifices were offered. -Each corner of the altar was furnished with horns of acacia-wood -overlaid with brass; to these the victims were fastened, and on them -their blood was sprinkled at the consecration of the priests, and the -sacrifice of the sin-offering (Ps. cxviii. 27; Ex. xxix. 12; Levit. -iv. 7, 18, 25). From each side projected a horizontal ledge, to the -outer edge of which was attached a perpendicular grating of brass, -resting like the Altar upon the ground, for the purpose of catching -any portions of the sacrifice or the fuel that might fall. The ledge, -on which the priests officiated, was approached by a slope of earth, -for the Law forbade the construction of steps leading up to the altar -(Ex. xx. 26). The implements used in the sacrifices, such as pans and -shovels for collecting and removing the ashes, basins for receiving the -blood, fleshhooks for turning the pieces of flesh, were all of brass -(Ex. xxvii. 3; see 1 Sam. ii. 13, 14). - -(b) _The great Laver for purification_ stood between the Altar of -Burnt-offering and the Tabernacle. It was made of the brass from -the metal mirrors belonging to the women who served at the door of -the Tabernacle (Ex. xxxviii. 8), and was probably of a circular form -standing on a basis or foot. In it the flesh of the victims was washed, -as also the hands and feet of the priests, before they performed any -holy function (Ex. xxx. 18–21). - -(B) The TABERNACLE itself was entered, at its eastern side, through a -magnificent curtain, 10 cubits in width, supported on five pillars (Ex. -xxvi.). Its dimensions inside were 30 cubits in length, 10 in breadth, -and 10 in height. It was formed of planks of acacia-wood overlaid with -gold, fixed into the ground by means of two tenons, each fitting into -a socket of silver, resembling the sharp end of a spear. At the top -they were united by bars of acacia-wood, 5 bars to each piece, passing -through golden rings. The roof was formed of several sets of curtains; -the innermost, 10 in number, formed of fine twined linen of various -colours, and adorned with cherubic figures of curious workmanship; -next to these were 11 curtains of goats’ hair; then one of rams’ skins -with the wool on dyed red; and lastly, another of badgers’, or, more -probably, seals’ skins[77]. - -The Tabernacle consisted of two portions, (a) THE HOLY PLACE, and -(b) THE HOLY OF HOLIES (Ex. xxvi. 33, 34: and comp. Heb. ix. 2, 3). - -(a) _The Holy Place_, 20 cubits in length and 10 in height and width, -was divided from the _Holy of Holies_ by a veil of the most costly -materials and the most splendid colours. Without any opening to admit -the light from above, it was illumined only by a _Golden Lamp_ or -_Candlestick_, with _seven_ lights, fed with pure olive oil, kept -burning day and night, and trimmed each morning by a priest with golden -snuffers, who carried away the snuff in golden dishes. From the base, -on which the lamp rested, rose a shaft dividing itself on either side -into three branches, so that it had seven arms, each adorned with -calyxes of almond flowers, apples, and buds of pomegranates or lilies -(Ex. xxv. 31; xxxvii. 17–25; Heb. ix. 2). - -Opposite the Golden Lamp was the _Table of Shewbread_ (Ex. xxv. 23–29), -made of acacia-wood, overlaid with gold, 2 cubits in length, 1 in -breadth, and 1½ in height, and standing on 4 feet. It had a border to -prevent the loaves from falling off, and was furnished with rings and -staves for removal. Belonging to it were cups or spoons for incense, -bowls for wine, dishes for bringing and removing the loaves, all of -gold. These loaves, called also _bread of the face_, being set _before -the face of the Lord_ (Levit. xxiv. 5–9), were twelve in number, -according to the number of the tribes. Baked of the finest meal, flat -and thin, they were placed every Sabbath on the Table in 2 rows, 6 in -each, and sprinkled with incense, and accompanied with libations of -wine in the golden bowls. Here they remained till the next Sabbath, -when they were taken away and replaced by twelve fresh loaves, and -eaten by the priests[78] in the Holy Place, out of which they might not -be carried, the frankincense having been burnt as an oblation on the -Altar of Sacrifice. - -Between the Table of Shewbread and the Golden Lamp and immediately -before[79] the veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies -was the _Golden Altar of Incense_ (Ex. xxx. 1–11). Made of acacia-wood, -in shape a square, 1 cubit in length and breadth and 2 in height, and -ornamented round the middle with a golden wreath, it was furnished, -like the Altar of Burnt-offering, with horns, rings, and staves; but -unlike it was wholly overlaid with _gold_. On it incense, carefully -prepared of four different ingredients (Ex. xxx. 34–38), was placed -by the officiating priest morning and evening, with live coals taken -from the Altar of Burnt-offering, that the smoke of the incense -might perpetually ascend before the Lord. Once a year its horns were -sprinkled with the blood of the sin-offering of the Atonement, and on -no other occasion, except when a sin-offering was presented for the -High-priest or the congregation. - -(b) _The Holy of Holies_, separated, as we have just said, from the -Holy Place by a costly veil supported on a screen of 4 pillars, formed -_a perfect cube_ of 10 cubits in length, breadth, and height. While -the Holy Place, though never penetrated by the daylight, was illumined -by the splendid Golden Lamp, the Holy of Holies was left _in utter -darkness_, symbolical of Him whom _no man hath seen, nor can see_ -(1 Tim. vi. 16). Within this most sacred enclosure neither priests nor -people as a body, but the High-Priest only, and that but once a year, -ever entered. Here stood nothing but the ARK _of the Covenant_ (Ex. -xxv. 10–16). This was an oblong chest of acacia-wood overlaid with the -purest gold within and without, 2½ cubits in length, 1½ in breadth, -1½ in height. It stood on 4 small feet, which were provided with -4 golden rings, through which staves of acacia-wood overlaid with gold -were passed, and which when once inserted were never to be removed. -Within it were placed[80] the two stone tables, on both sides of which -the Decalogue had been inscribed. Round the top ran a crown or wreath -of pure gold, and upon it was the _Mercy-Seat_, of the same dimensions -as the Ark, made not of wood overlaid with gold, but entirely of pure -gold. At either end of the Mercy-Seat rose two golden Cherubim, with -outspread wings and faces turned towards each other, and eyes bent -downwards, as though desirous _to look into_ its mysteries (1 Pet. -i. 12). Neither their size nor their form are distinctly described. By -some they are thought to have been handed down by patriarchal tradition -from those which were placed in Paradise (Gen. iii. 24); by others -to have resembled Egyptian models; while Josephus (_Ant._ III. vi. 5) -declares that they resembled no figures known to men, and that in his -day their form was utterly lost. In Ezekiel (i. 5–13) we find them -likened to compound figures with the head of a man, an ox, a lion, and -an eagle, with four wings, two serving for flight, two to cover the -body, and straight feet inflexible at the knee. It is not improbable -that they represented the manifold powers of nature――created life -in its highest form――their overshadowing wings meeting as in perfect -harmony, their eyes cast downwards towards the Divine Law, over which -seemingly so rigid and unbending was the compassion of ONE _forgiving -iniquity, transgression and sin_[81]. - - - - - NOTE. - - HISTORY OF THE TABERNACLE. - - - SUCH was the Pavilion-Temple which Moses constructed _according - to the pattern shown him in the Mount_. The chief facts - connected with its history are as follows. - - i. During the wanderings in the wilderness it was the one place, - where Jehovah “met His people,” and where from the ineffable - glory above the mercy-seat He revealed His Will. There the - Spirit came upon the 70 elders and they prophesied (Num. xi. - 24, 25); thither Moses and Aaron were summoned on all important - occasions, as on that of the rebellion of Miriam (Num. xii. 4), - of the unfaithfulness of the spies (xiv. 10), of the rebellion - of Korah (xvi. 19), of the sin of Meribah (xx. 6); there on - the death of Moses his successor was solemnly appointed (Deut. - xxxi. 14). - - ii. During the conquest of Canaan it was, probably, moved from - place to place, wherever the host of Israel was encamped. - - iii. Afterwards it was brought to _Shiloh_ (Josh. ix. 27; xviii. - 1; xix. 51), on account, doubtless, of its secluded and central - position, and as being within the territory of the powerful - tribe of Ephraim, to which Joshua belonged, and here it remained - during the entire period of the Judges (comp. Josh. xix. 51; - xxii. 12; Judg. xxi. 21). - - iv. But in the time of Eli, the licentiousness of his sons - stained the sanctity of Shiloh, and degraded the Tabernacle - almost to the level of a heathen temple (1 Sam. ii. 22), while - the capture of the ark by the Philistines (1 Sam. iv. 22) still - further dimmed its glories, and Samuel himself sacrificed at - other places, Mizpeh (1 Sam. vii. 9), Ramah (ix. 12; x. 3), - Gilgal (x. 8; xi. 15). - - v. After this it was for some time settled at _Nob_ (1 Sam. xx. - 1–6), and thither also misfortune followed it: Saul murdered the - priests (1 Sam. xxii. 11–19), and Abiathar fled with the sacred - ephod to David (xxiii. 6). - - vi. In the time of David and Solomon we find it at _Gibeon_ - (1 Chron. xvi. 39; xxi. 29), but the ark was now removed to - Kirjath-jearim, and afterwards, on the capture of Jerusalem, to - that city, where a new Tabernacle was constructed to receive it - (1 Sam. vi. 17; 1 Chron. xv. 1). Its glory now waned more and - more, it became connected with the worship of the high-places - (1 Kings iii. 4), retained only the old altar of burnt-offering - (1 Chron. xxi. 29), and eventually it seems to have been either - taken down, or left to be forgotten and “_vanish away_[82].” - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _THE PRIESTS._ - EX. XXVIII. XXIX. LEV. VIII. IX. NUM. III. IV. - - -PRIOR to the Mosaic period, as has been already noticed[83], the head -of each family and the firstborn appear to have exercised all kinds -of government, ecclesiastical as well as civil, being both kings and -priests in their own houses. - -At the departure, however, from Egypt, it was declared that all -the firstborn were specially sanctified to God in token of the -mercy shown to them there (Ex. xiii. 2), and when Moses received the -Divine commands concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, it was -ordered that from the children of Israel Aaron and his sons should be -specially selected _to minister in the priests’ office_ (Ex. xxviii. 1). -Subsequently, when the whole tribe of Levi displayed such signal zeal -on the occasion of the construction of the golden calf (Ex. xxxii. 26), -that tribe was separated for the service of the sanctuary, and accepted -in the place of the firstborn, as the royal guard to wait on Israel’s -King (Num. i. 47–54; iii. 5–13). - -But though the whole tribe was set apart for these important purposes, -a strictly prescribed order regulated its particular functions to each -branch, of which there were three, (a) THE LEVITES, (b) THE PRIESTS, -(c) THE HIGH-PRIEST. - -(a) _The Levites_ entered on their duties at the age of 30 (Num. iv. -23, 30, 35), and were consecrated, not as the priests, by anointing and -investiture, but by a ceremony of washing accompanied by sacrifices, -after which the elders laid their hands upon them, and Aaron presented -them _as a wave-offering before the Lord_, in token that they were -offered to the Lord by the congregation for the service of the -sanctuary, and handed over by Him to the Priests[84]. Thus occupying -a middle place between the people, who were all ideally _a kingdom -of priests_, and the higher sacerdotal orders, they might approach -nearer to the Tabernacle than the other tribes, but they might not -offer sacrifice, nor burn incense, nor handle the holy vessels of the -Sanctuary, till they were concealed from view (Num. iv. 15). - -The Levites, then, were _the assistants of the priests_, and consisted -of three families or sections, the sons of GERSHON, KOHATH, and MERARI. - -i. The _Kohathites_ held the first rank, as being the family to which -Aaron belonged. It was their duty, on the removal of the Tabernacle, to -bear all the sacred vessels, including the Ark itself, but not before -the priests had concealed them from the profane gaze with a dark blue -pall (Num. iii. 31; iv. 6, 9, 15; Deut. xxxi. 25). - -ii. The _Gershonites_ were charged with the removal of the curtains, -veils, and tent-hangings (Num. iv. 22–26). - -iii. To the _Merarites_ was entrusted the heavier portion of the -Tabernacle furniture, such as the boards, pillars, and bars, and -therefore with the Gershonites they were permitted to use the oxen -and waggons contributed by the congregation, while the Kohathites -were only suffered to remove the sacred vessels on their shoulders -(Num. vii. 1–9). With this arrangement agreed their position in the -encampment in the wilderness. While the place of honour on the east -was occupied by the sons of Aaron, the Kohathites were on the south, -the Gershonites on the west, the Merarites on the north. - -In place of territorial possessions, the Levites received the tithe -of the produce of land and cattle, of which they again gave one-tenth -to the priests (Num. xviii. 24–26). At the close of the wanderings -they would need a more fixed abode, and 48 cities with suburbs of -pasture-land for their flocks and herds were assigned them. Of these -the Levites had 35; Kohath 10; Gershon 13; Merari 12; while the -remaining 13, including the six _Cities of Refuge_, were assigned to -the Priests. - -It was also designed that at the settlement of the nation in the Land -of Promise their functions should be not only diffused as widely as -possible, but should include others besides those of merely assisting -the priests. They were to take the place of the old _household priests_, -to share in all festivals and rejoicings (Deut. xii. 19; xiv. 26, 27; -xxvi. 11), to preserve and transcribe the law (Deut. xvii. 9–12), and -to read it publicly at the Feast of Tabernacles every seventh year -(Deut. xxxi. 9–13). - -(b) The _Priests_ were consecrated to their office with far more -imposing ceremonies than the Levites. After laying aside their old -garments, they washed their bodies with pure water, were anointed with -the holy oil, and then arrayed in their new vestments (Ex. xxix. 4–7). -Themselves _compassed about with infirmity_, they needed to _offer up -sacrifice first for their own sins_ before they could intercede for -others (Heb. v. 2; vii. 27). On the head therefore of a bullock they -solemnly laid their hands, and thus symbolically transferred to it the -guilt that clung to themselves; then in token of their entire devotion -to their solemn calling, a ram was slain as a burnt-offering, and -its blood sprinkled on the altar (Ex. xxix. 10–18; Lev. viii. 18, 19). -Another ram was next slain as a peace-offering, and some of its blood -was smeared on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, -the great toe of the right foot, in token of their intention to devote -every member to the service of Jehovah; and finally, as they were -not only to intercede for the guilt of the people, but to offer their -praises and thanksgiving, sacrificial cakes of unleavened bread with -portions of the sacrifice were placed in their hands, and these they -waved before the Lord (Ex. xxix. 19–24). - -The vestments they wore during their ministrations consisted of fine -linen drawers, and over these a closely-fitting tunic or cassock, -white, woven whole in one piece and broidered, reaching to the feet. -This was confined round the waist by a girdle wrought with needle-work, -exhibiting the three sacred colours, blue, purple, and scarlet, -intermingled with white. Upon their heads they wore a linen tiara in -the form of the calyx of a flower. In all their ministrations they seem -to have been bare-footed. - -Certain qualifications were essential before they could enter on the -discharge of their duties. As the victim was required to be without -blemish, so also was the sacrificer, and in Levit. xxi. 17–21 the -defects are enumerated, which excluded from the priestly office. -During their period of ministration they might drink neither wine nor -strong drink (Levit. x. 9); except in the case of the nearest relatives -they might make no mourning for the dead (Levit. xxi. 1–5); or shave -their heads, or, like the priests of heathen nations, “_make cuttings -in their flesh_,” or otherwise mutilate themselves (Levit. xix. 28; -1 Kings xviii. 28). They were permitted to marry, but might not ally -themselves with one of an alien race, or an unchaste woman, or one -who had been divorced, or the widow of any one but a priest (Lev. xxi. -7, 14). - -Their duties were to keep the fire ever burning on the altar of -burnt-offering both day and night (Levit. vi. 12); to trim and feed -with oil the golden lamp (Ex. xxvii. 20, 21); to offer morning and -evening the regulated sacrifices at the door of the Tabernacle (Ex. -xxix. 38–44); to lay the fresh shewbread on the table every seventh -day (Lev. xxiv. 8); to blow the silver trumpets and proclaim all solemn -days (Num. x. 1–10); to examine the lepers and pronounce whether they -were clean or unclean (Lev. xiii.); to act as judges and expositors -of the law, and teach the people the statutes of the Lord (Lev. x. 11; -Deut. xxxiii. 10). - -A distinct provision was made for their support, and consisted of -(i) one-tenth of the tithes of the whole produce of the country paid -to the Levites (Num. xviii. 21, 26); (ii) the loaves of shewbread -(Levit. xxiv. 9); (iii) the firstfruits of oil, wine, and corn (Num. -xviii. 12); (iv) the redemption-money for the firstborn of man or -beast, five shekels a head, and also for everything devoted (Num. -xviii. 14, 15); (v) the perquisites of the sacrifices, the flesh of -the burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, and trespass-offerings, and -especially the heave-shoulder and the wave-breast (Num. xviii. 8–14; -Levit. x. 12–15); (vi) a fixed portion of the spoils taken in war -(Num. xxxi. 25–47). - -(c) The office of _High-priest_ was conferred first on Aaron, then -on his son Eleazar[85] and his descendants. At some period before the -time of Eli, the succession passed to the line of Ithamar, and there -continued till the time of Solomon, in whose reign it reverted to the -line of Eleazar (1 Sam. ii. 35; 1 Kings ii. 35). - -The same ceremonies accompanied the consecration of the High-priest -as that of the priests, save that the anointing, which in the latter -appears to have been confined to the sprinkling of their garments with -the sacred oil, was more copious in his case, and the oil was poured -upon his head (Lev. viii. 12; Ps. cxxxiii. 2). - -The vestments of the High-priest were far more rich and splendid than -those of the priests. Like the latter he wore the linen drawers, but -in place of the closely-fitting tunic he wore _the robe of the Ephod_, -which was all blue, of woven work, without sleeves, reaching down to -the feet, and drawn over the head through an opening, which was fringed -with a border of woven work to prevent its rending. The skirt of -this robe was set with a trimming of pomegranates of the three sacred -colours, blue, crimson, and purple, with a golden bell between each -pomegranate, designed to give forth a tinkling sound as he went in -and out of the holy place. Immediately above this robe was _the Ephod_ -itself, a short cloak consisting of two parts, one covering the back, -and the other the breast and upper part of the body, wrought with -colours and gold. The two halves were united on the shoulder with two -onyx stones, on each of which were engraved the names of six of the -tribes. It was gathered round the waist by a curious _girdle_ of fine -twined linen, adorned with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet. Just above -the girdle, and attached to the Ephod by rings and ribbons of blue, was -the _Breast-plate_, or the _Breast-plate of Judgment_. This, like the -Ephod, was of cunning work, a square of a span breadth, formed double -so as to make a bag, set with 12 precious stones, in 4 rows, each -engraved with the name of one of the tribes. Within the Breast-plate -was the _Urim and the Thummim_ (_Light_ and _Perfection_, Ex. xxviii. -15–30). Not a word in Scripture explains the meaning of these -mysterious objects, but they were certainly employed in some way now -unknown for ascertaining the Divine will (comp. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6; -Judg. i. 1; xx. 18; 1 Sam. xiv. 3, 18; xxiii. 9; 2 Sam. xxi. 1). Some -identify them with the twelve stones inscribed with the names of the -twelve tribes, and suppose that “the illumination, simultaneous or -successive, of the letters” guided the High-priest to the answer; -others think that within the Breast-plate was a stone or a plate of -gold inscribed with the name of Jehovah, and that by means of this -he was enabled to discern the Divine Voice, as it proceeded from the -glories of the Shechinah. - -Like the other members of the order, the High-priest wore on his head a -tiara, but attached to this by a blue ribbon was a gold plate, on which -was engraved _Holiness to the Lord_ (Ex. xxviii. 36–39; xxxix. 30). - -Some of the functions of the High-priest were peculiar. (i) To him -alone it appertained to enter the Holy of Holies on one day in the -year, the day of Atonement, to sprinkle the blood of the sin-offering -on the mercy-seat, and burn incense within the veil (Lev. xvi.). -On this occasion he did not wear his full pontifical dress, but was -arrayed entirely in fine white linen (Lev. xvi. 4, 32), a custom which -afterwards seems to have undergone some change. (ii) To him alone it -belonged to consult the Divine Oracle (Num. xxvii. 21), and preside -over the Court of Judgment (Deut. xvii. 9). (iii) Even greater purity -and blamelessness was required of him than of the other priests; he -could marry none but a virgin in the first freshness of her youth (Lev. -xxi. 13), and as illegitimacy was an absolute bar to the office, the -importance attached to genealogies was great, and in these the name of -the mother as well as father was registered. - -The office lasted for life, but does not seem to have had any peculiar -emoluments attached to it over and above those enjoyed by the Priests. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _THE SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS._ - EX. XXIX. XXX. LEV. I.–VI. NUM. XV. - - -THE rite of sacrifice so universal in the ancient world came down -to the Israelites from the earliest times, from the days of their -forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the generations that lived -before the Flood, and was regulated by Moses with the utmost precision. - -One rule applied to all sacrifices. They could only be offered on the -_Great Brazen Altar of the Tabernacle_. To offer them on high places, -or spots selected by the caprice of the worshipper was expressly -forbidden (Lev. xvii. 4; Deut. xii. 13, 14), though this rule appears -to have been subsequently relaxed in the case of the prophets (1 Sam. -xiii. 8–14; xvi. 1–5; 1 Kings xviii. 21–40). - -Perhaps the simplest classification of sacrifices is that which -arranges them under the heads of (I) THOSE OFFERED WITHOUT, and -(II) THOSE OFFERED WITH BLOOD. - -I. _Unbloody sacrifices_ will include (a) _First-fruits and Tithes_, -(b) _Meat- and Drink-offerings_, (c) _Incense_. - -(a) _First-fruits and Tithes_ were presented by every Israelite to -the priests in token of gratitude and humble thankfulness to Jehovah, -and consisted of the produce of the land either in its natural state, -as grain, fruit, grapes, wool, or prepared for human use, as meal, -oil, new wine (Ex. xxiii. 19; Num. xviii. 12; Deut. xviii. 4). To the -Levites also was paid the tenth part of all produce of the land and of -cattle (Lev. xxvii. 30–33; Num. xviii. 21–24). - -(b) _Meat- and Drink-offerings_ generally accompanied each other. -The Meat-offering was composed of fine flour seasoned with salt, and -mingled with frankincense and oil, but without leaven. A portion of -the flour and oil the priest placed upon the altar, together with all -the frankincense, and there burnt them, the rest of the flour and oil -becoming his own perquisite. Sometimes cakes of fine flour were offered -with oil and salt, but without leaven or honey (Lev. ii. and vi. 14–23). -A Drink-offering consisted of wine, which was poured at the foot of the -altar; the quantity varying according to the victim, being for a lamb -or kid a quarter of a _hin_ (= 1 gallon, 2 pints); for a ram one-third, -for a bullock one-half (Num. xv. 5, 7, 10; xxviii. 14). By these -offerings, as by those of tithes and first-fruits, the Israelite -acknowledged the undeserved bounty of Jehovah, and dedicated to Him -the best of His gifts, _flour_ the staff of life, _wine_ the symbol -of strengthening and refreshing, _oil_ the symbol of richness. (Comp. -Ps. civ. 15.) - -The Meat-offering might be presented, - -Either (1) by itself as a free-will offering, as in the instance of -(i) _the twelve unleavened cakes on the Table of Shew-bread_, (ii) _the -sheaf of the first-fruits of barley on the second day of the Passover_, -(iii) _the two wheaten loaves at Pentecost_, - -Or (2) together with the Burnt- and Thank-offering, but _not_ with -the Sin- or Trespass-offering; as (I) of _public_ sacrifices, with -(i) the daily morning and evening sacrifice, (ii) the Sabbath-offering, -(iii) the offering at the new moon, (iv) on the great day of Atonement; -(II) of _private_ sacrifices, at (i) the consecration of priests and -Levites, (ii) the cleansing of the leper, (iii) the termination of the -Nazarite vow. - -(c) _Incense_, the last example of an unbloody offering, accompanied -every proper meat-offering, but was also offered daily on the golden -altar in the Holy Place, and on the great day of Atonement was burnt -in the Holy of Holies by the High-priest before the Ark. The greatest -pains were taken in its preparation. It was compounded by the “art of -the apothecary” of four ingredients beaten small[86], stacte, onycha, -galbanum, and pure frankincense (Ex. xxx. 34–36), nor could any other -kind be offered (Ex. xxx. 9). Desecration of this incense by using it -for common purposes was to be punished with death (Ex. xxx. 38). - -II. In reference to the second class of sacrifices, in which the life -of a victim was taken and its blood poured upon the Altar, it is to -be observed that these were limited to the _herd, the flock, and all -clean birds_. All wild and unclean beasts were strictly excluded. The -Israelite was to select only those animals which were _most nearly -connected with man_, and of these, again, such as were _most meek, -innocent, pure, and valuable_, such as oxen, sheep, goats, pigeons, -and turtle-doves[87]. The selected victim was required to be perfect of -its kind and without blemish, not less than eight days old, and usually -a year. If it was blind, or broken, or maimed, or had any defect, as -a wen or scab, it could not be offered (Lev. xxii. 20–27; Deut. xv. -21, 22; xvii. 1). - -Such being the conditions respecting the victim, the offerer was -required first to purify himself by ablutions, and then to bring the -victim to the door of the Tabernacle, _i.e._ to the _Great Brazen Altar -of Burnt-offering_ in the court. There, whatever might be the precise -kind of offering, he was to lay his hand on its head in token of -surrender, dedication, and substitution, and then to slay it _himself_ -(Lev. i. 5). He had now performed his part, all the rest devolved upon -the priest. He began by receiving the blood of the animal in a vessel, -and then sprinkled it in different ways upon the Brazen Altar (Lev. -iv. 6, 7, 25; v. 9), or, as we shall see, in some cases, on the Golden -Altar of Incense, and, on one day in the year, on the Mercy-seat in -the Holy of Holies. He then performed other ceremonies, which varied -according to the nature of the sacrifice. _But uniformly it was -required_ (a) of the _offerer_, (i) to bring his victim to the altar, -(ii) to lay his hand upon it, and (iii) to slay it; (b) of the _priest_, -(i) to receive the blood in a vessel, and (ii) to sprinkle it upon the -altar. - -Of the bloody sacrifices the chief were (a) BURNT-OFFERINGS, -(b) PEACE-OFFERINGS, (c) SIN- AND TRESPASS-OFFERINGS. - -(a) In the case of the _Burnt-offering_, any kind of animal fit for -sacrifice might be offered, but the victim was always required to be -a male, and to be accompanied by a meat-offering. After presentation -at the great altar, imposition of the hands of the sacrificer, and -slaughtering, the priest sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about -(Lev. i. 5, 11). The victim was then flayed, washed with water, and cut -in pieces, and the parts thus divided were laid on the altar upon the -wood, and entirely consumed by fire. - -The _burning by fire_ was the chief point in this class of offering, -and “marked it as an expression of perpetual obligation to complete, -sanctified, self-surrender to Jehovah[88].” Hence it was not presented, -like the sin- and trespass-offerings, upon the commission of any -particular sin, nor like the peace-offerings upon the acceptance of any -special Divine mercies; it embodied the _general idea_ of sacrifice, -and in a sense represented the whole sacrificial institute. Every -morning and evening, therefore, a lamb was sacrificed with its usual -meat- and drink-offering as a burnt-offering on behalf of the whole -covenant people, and the evening victim was to be so slowly consumed -that it might last till the morning, an expressive symbol of that -continual self-dedication to God which is the duty of man[89] (Ex. -xxix. 38–44; Lev. vi. 9–13). - -(b) Of _Peace-offerings_ there were three kinds, representing various -emotions of the offerer, the _thank-offering_, the _freewill gift_, and -the _vow_ (Lev. iii. 1–17; vii. 11–21, 28–36). - -The nature of the offering was left to the sacrificer; it might be -taken from the herd or from the flock, might be male or female, but not -birds (Lev. iii. 1). Like the burnt-offering it was always accompanied -by a meat-offering, which consisted of unleavened cakes mingled with -oil, and leavened bread (Lev. vii. 12, 13). - -The ritual of the Peace-offering was up to a certain point the same -as that of the Burnt-offering. The sacrificer brought his victim -to the Brazen Altar, laid his hands upon it and slew it, while the -priest sprinkled the blood upon the altar; but after this there was -a distinction. The victim was divided, and the priest laid upon the -altar the fat of the kidneys, and the “lobe” or flap of the liver, -and in the case of a sheep the fat tail, and burnt them with fire. He -then separated the right shoulder and breast, and waved them before -the Lord, and they became his portion which he was to eat _in a clean -place_ with his family and friends. The remaining portions of the -victim were then restored to the sacrificer, who the same day feasted -thereon, together with his whole family and his friends (Lev. vii. -15–21; xix. 6; xxii. 30). - -This _Sacrificial Feast_ was peculiar to the _Peace-offerings_, and -indicated that the atonement was complete, that the sin was covered -and cancelled which had separated the offerer from Jehovah, who now -welcomed him to His table, and in this meal gave him a pledge of -reconciliation. “To an Oriental mind two ideas were inseparably united -in the notion of a meal; on the one hand, that of fellowship and -friendship existing among the participators themselves, and also -between them and the provider of the meal; and on the other hand, -that of joy and gladness, so that even the highest and purest joy, -viz. blessedness in the kingdom of heaven is described under the figure -of a meal[90]” (Ps. xxiii. 5; xxxvi. 8; Matt. viii. 11; xxii. 2–13; -Lk. xiv. 16). As the _total consumption by fire_ on the altar was the -culminating point in the burnt-offering, so this _sacrificial feast_ -was that of the peace-offering, which, therefore, whenever presented -with other offerings, was invariably the _last_[91]. (Comp. Ex. xxiv. -5, 11; xxix. 1–32). - -(c) The _Sin-_ and _Trespass-offerings_ were peculiar to the Mosaic -Law, which was _added on account of transgression_ (Gal. iii. 19), and -deepened the knowledge and conviction of sin (Rom. vii. 7, &c.). - -(a) The _Sin-offering_ consisted of _one animal only_, and was -not accompanied by a meat-offering. The victim if offered for the -whole covenant people was _a kid of the goats_ (Lev. xvi. 5, 9, 15; -Num. xxviii. 15, 22, 30); for the priests and Levites at their -consecration _a young bullock_ (Ex. xxix. 11; Numb. viii. 8 ff.); for -the High-priest on the great day of Atonement _a young bullock_ (Lev. -xvi. 3, 6, 11); for the purification of women after childbirth _a young -pigeon or turtle-dove_ (Lev. xii. 6, 8; comp. Lk. ii. 22, 24); for -the cleansing of a leper or a leprous house _a yearling ewe_; or, in -a case of poverty, _a bird for the leper and two for the house_ (Lev. -xiv. 13, 22–49); for an inadvertent transgression of some prohibition, -(a) on the part of the whole congregation or the High-priest, _a young -bullock_, (b) a prince, _a he-goat_, (c) a common man, _a yearling ewe_ -or _kid_ (Lev. iv. 1–35). - -The Ritual of the Sin-offering deserves attention. The offerer brought -the victim to the great altar, laid his hand upon it with a confession -of the sin and a prayer for its expiation, and then slew it. The priest -then dipped his finger in the blood, and in the case of a prince or -individual, sprinkled it seven times on the horns of the Brazen Altar -(Lev. iv. 7, 18, 30, 34); in that of the High-priest and congregation -seven times on the veil before the Ark, and seven times on the horns -of the Golden Altar of Incense (Lev. iv. 6, 17, 25); on the great day -of Atonement, the High-priest himself sprinkled it seven times on and -before the Mercy-seat, and then seven times streaked with it the horns -of the Altar of Incense (Lev. xvi. 14, 15, 19); the rest of the blood -was poured on the ground before the Brazen Altar. After the sprinkling, -the same portions were burnt on the altar, as in the case of the -peace-offerings, and in ordinary cases the rest of the victim was -eaten by the priest in the court of the Tabernacle with only the males -of his family; but any vessels in which the flesh had been boiled -were required, if earthenware, to be broken; if metal, to be carefully -scoured (Lev. vi. 24–30). But in the case of the more important -Sin-offerings, where the blood was sprinkled within the Holy Place, or -the Holy of Holies, the entire carcase, except the altar-pieces, with -the hide, entrails, &c., was conveyed to a clean place without the camp, -and there burnt with fire (Lev. iv. 11, 12, 21; xvi. 27). - -Except when offered for the whole people, or the priests and Levites -at their consecration, Sin-offerings were presented as an atonement -for sins of _culpable weakness and ignorance, negligence and frailty_, -repented of by the unpunished offender, who was thus restored to his -place in the commonwealth. They could not be offered for _presumptuous_, -or _deliberate_ and _unrepented_ sins, such as wilful murder or -adultery, for which the punishment of death was appointed (Num. xv. -30, 31; Deut. xvii. 12; and comp. Heb. x. 26). - -(b) The _Trespass-_ or _Debt-offering_, on the other hand, though -closely connected with the Sin-offering and sometimes offered with it, -as in the case of the leper (Lev. xiv. 12), was always offered for some -_special act_ of sin, and was regarded in the light of reparation to -the Lord for a wrong done to Him. Hence it was presented for sins “in -which the offence given, or the debt incurred by the misdeed, admitted -of some sort of recompence, which could be actually estimated[92].” - -The following cases will illustrate the occasions on which a -trespass-offering could be presented. A leper, on the occasion of -his cleansing, owed a debt-offering to Jehovah, for the time of his -exclusion from the camp; the Nazarite for a temporary suspension of his -vow by touching a dead body (Num. vi. 12); a man, who had inadvertently -appropriated or made away with anything consecrated to the Lord (Lev. v. -15, 16), or unwittingly violated a Divine prohibition (Lev. v. 17, 18), -or denied a trust or any damage sustained by the thing entrusted, or -denied having found some lost article of property, or sworn falsely -in such a matter (Lev. vi. 2 ff.). In these cases, whether the wrong -done was in a matter of property or to the Lord, the damage was made -good with an overplus, generally a fifth of the value, while the -trespass-offering itself was the substitute for the damages due to -the Lord, and assessed by the priest. The victim was, as in the case -of the sin-offering, _one animal only_, and always a ram. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _HOLY TIMES AND SEASONS._ - EXOD. XX. LEVIT. XXIII. XXV. DEUT. XV. XVI. - - -THE Holy Times and Seasons of the Israelites may be arranged under -three heads. - -I. Those that were connected with the _Seventh Day of Rest_, such -as (a) the _Weekly Sabbath_, (b) the _Month-Sabbath_ or _New Moon_, -(c) the _Year-Sabbath_, (d) the _Year of Jubilee_. - -II. The _Day of Atonement_. - -III. The _Great Historical Festivals_; (a) The _Passover_, (b) The -_Feast of Pentecost_ or _Weeks_, (c) The _Feast of Tabernacles_. - -I. Those connected with the _seventh Day of Rest_. - -(a) The observance of the weekly Sabbath, or day of Rest, is not -improbably thought to have been known to the Israelites before the -giving of the Law (Ex. xvi. 22, 23), as, indeed, the words of the -Fourth Commandment, “_Remember_ the Sabbath-day to keep it holy,” seem -to imply (Ex. xx. 8–11, comp. Gen. ii. 1–3). The observance of this -day was appointed for _a perpetual covenant_, as _a sign between God -and the children of Israel for ever_ (Ex. xxxi. 16, 17). It was to -be shared by the whole people with the stranger; and, to complete the -picture of tranquillity, with the animals. Bodily labour was strictly -prohibited: it was unlawful to kindle a fire for cooking food (Ex. -xxxv. 3; Num. xv. 32), or to go out of the camp to gather manna (Ex. -xvi. 22–30). Wilful desecration of the day was punished by stoning -(Ex. xxxi. 14; Num. xv. 35). - -In the Tabernacle-service the daily burnt-offering was doubled (Num. -xxviii. 9), the shew-bread was renewed (Lev. xxiv. 8), and the priestly -course for the week commenced their duties. - -The Sabbath was not regarded as a fast, but a day for rest from -worldly occupation and holy joy; it was ordained by God _for man_ and -the furtherance of his truest and highest interests (Mk. ii. 27, 28). -“The thought of HIM, who is raised above all change, and who after the -completion of the works of Creation rejoiced that everything was very -good; this coupled with the cessation from work was to lead man up to -the contemplation of his own origin from God. As the bodily refreshment -restored his physical energies, so should the consciousness of -union with the Almighty and the Eternal restore the true life to the -soul[93].” - -(b) _The Month-Sabbath_, or _New Moon Festival_, was ushered in by -blowing with the silver trumpets, and by the sacrifice of eleven -victims in addition to the daily offering (Num. x. 10; xxviii. 11, -&c.). Business and trade were in later times suspended (Amos viii. 5), -sacrificial feasts were held (1 Sam. xx. 5–24), and the people resorted -to the prophets for religious instruction (2 Kings iv. 23). - -The New Moon of the _seventh_ month (_Tisri_, October), being the -commencement of the civil year, was observed with still greater -solemnity. It was one of the seven[94] days of Holy Convocation. Not -merely were the trumpets blown at the time of offering the sacrifices, -but it was a day _for the blowing of trumpets_ (Num. xxix. 1–6), whence -its name the _Feast of Trumpets_. In addition to the daily sacrifices, -and the eleven victims offered on the first day of each month, -nine other victims were offered as burnt-offerings with a kid for -a sin-offering[95]. - -(c) During the _Seventh_ or _Sabbatical year_ the land was to lie -fallow, and _enjoy her Sabbaths_ (Ex. xxiii. 10, 11; Lev. xxv. 2–7; -Deut. xv.). No tillage or cultivation of any sort was to be practised, -and the spontaneous produce of the fields, instead of being reaped, was -to be freely gleaned by the poor, the stranger, and even the cattle. By -this rest the land, like man, was to do homage to its Lord and Creator, -and the poorest were to share without stint in those spontaneous -blessings which by His will it brings forth, and the Israelite, -who every seventh day acknowledged God’s claim on his time, thus -acknowledged also His claim upon his land. In Deut. xv. we find that -the seventh year was also to be one of release for debtors. In spite -of the threatenings in Lev. xxvi. the Sabbatical year, as appears from -2 Chron. xxxvi. 20, 21, was greatly neglected; after the return from -the Captivity its observance revived (see 1 Macc. vi. 49)[96]. - -(d) _The Year of Jubilee._ At the end of seven times seven years, that -is, forty-nine entire years, the fiftieth was observed as the year -of _Jubilee_, a word of uncertain meaning. It was proclaimed by the -sound of trumpets on the tenth day of the seventh month, Tisri, the -Day of Atonement. During this year the soil was to lie fallow, as in -the Sabbatical year, but in addition to this, all land that had been -alienated was to return to those to whom it had been allotted at the -original distribution, and all bondmen of Hebrew blood were to be -liberated (Lev. xxv. 8–16, 23–35; xxvii. 16–25). “As the weekly Sabbath -and the Sabbatical year was intended to restore thorough rest to man -and to the land, so the year of _Jubilee_ was designed to raise the -whole people, in respect to their rights and possessions, from the -changeableness of outward circumstances to the unchangeableness of the -Divine appointment; to prevent the inordinate accumulation of wealth -in the hands of a few; to relieve those whom misfortune or fault had -reduced to poverty; to restore that equality in outward circumstances -which was instituted on the first settlement of the land by Joshua; and -to vindicate the right of each Israelite to his part in the Covenant, -which God had made with his fathers respecting the Land of Promise[97].” - -II. _The Day of Atonement_ was observed on the tenth day of the seventh -month, Tisri, as the great day of national humiliation, and for the -expiation of the sins both of the priests and the people. This was the -highest, the most perfect, the most comprehensive of all the acts of -expiation, and not only took place but once in the entire year, but was -performed by the High-priest alone, and that not in the Holy Place but -the Holy of Holies. - -Its celebration is prescribed in Lev. xvi.; xxiii. 26–32; Num. xxix. -7–11. The day was to be regarded as a _high Sabbath_, a day of _holy -Convocation_, on which the Israelites, under pain of extirpation, were -expected to _afflict their souls_ with fasting and mourning. (Comp. -Lev. xvi. 29, 31 with Acts xxvii. 9.) The ritual was as follows. The -High-priest having bathed, arrayed himself not in his gorgeous robes, -but in the white linen garments common to himself and the rest of -the priesthood. As a sacrifice for himself and the priests he brought -a bullock for a Sin-offering, and a ram for a Burnt-offering, which -he had purchased at his own cost; as a sacrifice for the people two -he-goats for a Sin-offering, and a ram for a Burnt-offering, which were -purchased out of the public treasury. The two he-goats he then brought -to the Door of the Tabernacle, _i.e._ to the Brazen Altar, and there -having presented them before the Lord, cast two lots upon them, one -inscribed _for Jehovah_, the other for _Azazel_[98]. This done, as the -head of a priesthood itself _compassed with infirmity_ (Heb. v. 2), he -first proceeded to make atonement for his own order. Accordingly he -slew the bullock, and taking a censer filled with live coals from the -Altar of Burnt-offering and two handfuls of Incense, he passed with -these through the Holy Place onwards behind the veil into the Holy of -Holies, and there threw the incense upon the coals so that the fragrant -cloud might envelope the Mercy-Seat. Then returning to the Brazen Altar -and taking some of the blood of the bullock in a vessel he once more -passed into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it seven times before -the Mercy-Seat, the seat of the glory of Jehovah. Having thus made -expiation for himself and his own order, he slew the goat upon which -the lot _for Jehovah_ had fallen as a Sin-offering for the people, and -sprinkled its blood as he had done that of the bullock. Then on his -return from the Holy of Holies he purified the Holy Place, now solitary -and deserted, by sprinkling the blood of both victims seven times on -the horns of the Golden Altar of Incense, and, as some think, on those -of the Altar of Burnt-offering. - -The purification of the Tabernacle completed, he came forth and laid -both his hands upon the goat, on which the lot _for Azazel_ had fallen, -solemnly confessed over it the sins of the people, and then gave it -to a man chosen for the purpose to be led away into the wilderness, -_into a place not inhabited_, and there let loose. This done, he once -more entered the Tabernacle, bathed, and having arrayed himself in -his gorgeous robes, offered the two rams as a burnt-offering, one for -himself, the other for the people, and at the same time placed upon the -altar the fat of the two sin-offerings[99]. While these were consuming, -the remains of the victims were conveyed outside the camp, nor could -they who were deputed for this office, or the man who had led away the -scape-goat, return into the camp till they had purified themselves and -their clothes with water. - -The distinction between this solemnity and others is very striking. -It took place but once a year, five days before the joyous Feast -of Tabernacles, which testified to the nation’s gratitude for -the preservation of _the seasonable fruits of the earth_. In it -the High-priest alone officiated. Clad not in his gorgeous robes, -but in the simple, pure white robes common to him and the rest of -the priesthood, he made expiation for himself, his order, and the -people,――an atonement for the sins of the whole year. On this day, -and this day only, he entered within the Veil, and sprinkled the blood -before the Mercy-Seat seven times. On this day, and this day only, -the idea of the remission of sin found its highest expression in the -sacrifice of one goat as a sin-offering to Jehovah, and the solemn -confession of the sins of the whole people over another, and its -dismissal laden with its awful typical burden into a far distant and -separated land, _a land not inhabited_, lying, as it were, under the -curse of Jehovah. This solemnity contained the exact antidote to the -sombre and often cruel rites of heathenism. The lots were cast over -both the goats, both were presented to Jehovah at the Door of the -Tabernacle, at _His_ command the Scape-Goat carried away the burden -of the people’s sins into an unknown desert land, _He_ sanctified the -people, and accepted the atonement for the High-priest, the priestly -order, and the entire nation, and the purification of the Place where -He had condescended to meet the Israelites. In the Epistle to the -Hebrews (ix., x.) we have the key to the expressive imagery of this -Great Day in the Jewish year. The fact that once in the year the -High-priest could enter within the Veil, intimated that under a system -of provisional and typical ordinances the way _into the Holiest of -all was not as yet made manifest_. But when the true High-priest, even -Jesus Christ, offered Himself unto death on the Altar of His Cross for -the sins of the whole world, the Veil of the Temple _was rent in twain -from the top to the bottom_ (Matt. xxvii. 51; Mark xv. 38). He died, -He rose again, and, clad not in the resplendent robes of that Divine -Nature He had before the world, but in the garb of our human nature, -He ascended into the Heavenly Sanctuary, the antitype of the Jewish -Sanctuary on earth, and there pleads, and will for ever plead, the -merits of His blood before the throne of God. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _THE GREAT FESTIVALS._ - EXOD. XXIII. 14–17; LEV. XXIII. 1–22; - NUM. XXVIII. 16–31; DEUT. XVI. 1–16. - - -THE great Historical Festivals, at which all males amongst the -Israelites were required to appear before the Lord, were, as has -been said already, (i) _The Passover_; (ii) _The Feast of Weeks or -Pentecost_; (iii) _The Feast of Tabernacles_. - -(i) _The Passover._ The original institution of this Festival has been -already noticed. The directions for its yearly celebration are given in -Ex. xxiii. 14–17; Lev. xxiii. 5–8; Num. xxviii. 16–25; Deut. xvi. 1–8. - -As in Egypt, so now, on the 10th day of _Nisan_ or _Abib_, -corresponding to the close of March or the beginning of April, each -Paschal company, which might not exceed twenty or be less than ten, -was to select a lamb or kid, a male of the first year, and keep it till -the 14th day. If pronounced by the priests to be free from blemish, it -was to be slain _between the evenings_, in the Court of the Tabernacle, -and its blood poured round the Altar of Burnt-offering. It was then, -after being flayed, to be taken to the house where the Paschal Company -intended to assemble, to be roasted with fire, whole and entire without -the breaking of a single bone, and to be eaten with unleavened bread -and bitter herbs. - -The Festival lasted from the 14th to the 21st of Nisan, and during -this period nothing but unleavened bread might be eaten, and all leaven -was to be carefully removed from the house before the 14th. The daily -sacrifices for the nation consisted of (i) a _Burnt-Offering_ of two -bullocks, one ram, seven yearling lambs, accompanied by the usual -meat-offering, and (ii) one goat for a _Sin-Offering_. Thank-offerings, -called by the Jews _Chagigah_, might also be offered by individuals -during the Festival, especially on the 15th, the first day of Holy -Convocation. (Comp. Lev. vii. 29–34; 2 Ch. xxx. 22–44; xxxv. 7.) - -On the 16th the first ripe sheaf of barley was to be brought into the -sanctuary, and there waved by the priest before the Lord, and at the -same time a yearling lamb was offered with a meat- and drink-offering -(see Lev. xxiii. 9–14). Till this sheaf had thus been waved, and -this offering presented, no produce of the now ripening harvest, -whether bread or parched corn, or green ears, might be eaten (Josh. -v. 11, 12)[100]. - -(ii) At the end of seven complete weeks from the 16th of Nisan, the -second day of unleavened bread, commenced _the_ FEAST OF WEEKS (Ex. -xxxiv. 22; Deut. xvi. 10), or of _Harvest_ (Ex. xxiii. 16), or of -_First-fruits_ (Numb. xxviii. 26), or of _Pentecost_ (Acts ii. 1), -from the Greek word for the _fiftieth_ day. - -The passages bearing on it will be found in Ex. xxiii. 16; Lev. xxiii. -15–22; Num. xxviii. 26–31; Deut. xvi. 9–12. - -The Festival lasted but one day, which was kept with a holy Convocation. -Its distinguishing feature was the offering of _two leavened loaves_, -made from the new corn of the now completed harvest, which together -with two lambs as a thank-offering were waved before the Lord. The -especial sacrifices in addition to the daily offering were one young -bullock, two rams, and seven yearling lambs as a _Burnt-offering_ with -the usual meat- and drink-offering, and a goat for a _Sin-offering_; -but thank-offerings might, as at the Passover, be made at pleasure by -individuals. - -The character of the Festival was pre-eminently an expression of -gratitude for the harvest, which commenced with the offering of the -first sheaf of ripe barley at the Passover, and ended with that of -the two loaves now presented and made of the newly-ripened wheat. In -its festive joy the man-servant and maid-servant, the stranger, the -fatherless and the widow were to share with the freeborn Israelite, who -was to be reminded of the bondage in Egypt, and his obligation to keep -the Law[101] (Deut. xvi. 12). - -(iii) The Feast of _Tabernacles_ or of _Ingathering_ (Ex. xxxiv. 22) -was so called as being (i) a feast of thanksgiving for the completion -of the ingathering of fruits and of the vintage, and (ii) as -commemorating the dwelling of the Israelites in tents during their -wanderings in the wilderness (Lev. xxiii. 43). - -The chief passages relating to it are Ex. xxiii. 16; Lev. xxiii. 34–43; -Num. xxix. 13–39; Deut. xvi. 13–15; and compare with these Neh. viii. - -It was celebrated in the autumn on the 15th of the seventh month Tisri, -and lasted seven days, of which the first and last were days of Holy -Convocation. It was the most joyous of all the Festivals. During it the -Israelites were commanded to live in tents or booths of green boughs of -the olive, palm, pine, myrtle, and other trees with thick foliage (Neh. -viii. 15, 16). The burnt-offerings were more numerous at this Feast -than any other, including, besides the sacrifice on each day of 2 rams, -14 lambs, and a kid for a sin-offering, that of 70 bullocks, 13 on the -first day, 12 on the second, and so on to the seventh, when 7 bullocks -only were offered. If the Festival fell in a Sabbatical year, portions -of the Law, chiefly Deuteronomy, were read each day in public (Deut. -xxxi. 10–12; Neh. viii. 18). The most remarkable celebrations of this -Feast were (i) at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings viii. -2, 65); (ii) after the Captivity (Ezra iii. 4; Neh. viii. 17)[102]. - -Later festivals were (i) the Feast of PURIM, or _Lots_, instituted -by Mordecai to commemorate the defeat of Haman’s machinations against -the Jews (Esth. iii. 7–15; ix. 24–26). It began on the 14th day of the -12th month Adar, and lasted two days. (ii) The Feast of DEDICATION, -to commemorate the cleansing of the Temple after its defilement by -Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. xi. 31). Established by Judas Maccabæus, -it was kept on the 25th of the winter month Chisleu, _December_ (Jn. -x. 22), and lasted eight days, being distinguished by the offering of -many sacrifices, a general illumination (hence its name the _Feast of -Lights_), and other rejoicings. - -In Scripture, dates are often fixed by a reference to the seasons -or productions (Num. xiii. 20; 2 Sam. xxi. 9). The following Table, -therefore, is here given, in which the civil and sacred months, their -_approximate_ English equivalents, the various annual feasts, and the -chief features of the seasons are combined. It is assumed that _Abib_ -or _Nisan_ answers to April. (See Article _Month_ in Smith’s _Bib. -Dict._ and Angus’s _Bible Handbook_, p. 270.) - - CALENDAR - Year - ───────── English Seasons - Sacred Month and - Civil Month (nearly) Festivals │ Productions - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - i.│ 7│ ABIB or │April│14. The PASSOVER│ Fall of the _latter_ - │ │ NISAN │ │ │ or _spring_ rain. - │ │ (_green │ │ │ (Deut. xi. 14.) - │ │ ears_) │ │ │ Floods - │ │ Days 30 │ │ │ (Josh. iii. 14). - │ │Exod. xii. 2│ │16. First-fruits│HARVEST - │ │ │ │ of │ Barley ripe at Jericho. - │ │ │ │ barley-harvest│ - │ │ │ │ presented │ Wheat partly in the ear. - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - ii.│ 8│ ZIF │ May │14. _Second │ Barley harvest general - │ │(_blossom_) │ │ Passover_ for │ (Ruth i. 22). - │ │ Days 29 │ │ those who │ - │ │ 1 Kings │ │ could not keep│ Wheat ripens. - │ │ vi. 1 │ │ the first. │ - │ │ │ │ Num. ix. │ - │ │ │ │ 10, 11 │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - iii.│ 9│ SIVAN │ June│ 6. PENTECOST │ Wheat harvest. Summer - │ │ Days 30 │ │ or FEAST OF │ begins. - │ │ Esth. │ │ WEEKS │ No rain from April - │ │ viii. 9. │ │ │ to Sept. (1 Sam. - │ │ │ │ │ xii. 17). - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - iv.│10│ THAMMUZ │ July│ │HOT SEASON. - │ │ Days 29 │ │ │ Heat increases. - │ │ Zec. │ │ │ - │ │ viii. 19 │ │ │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - v.│11│ AB │ Aug.│ │ The streams dry up. - │ │ Days 30 │ │ │ Heat intense. - │ │Esth. vii. 9│ │ │ Vintage (Lev. xxvi. 5). - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - vi.│12│ ELUL │Sept.│ │ Heat still intense - │ │ Days 29 │ │ │ (2 Kin. iv. 18–20). - │ │Neh. vi. 15 │ │ │ Grape harvest general - │ │ │ │ │ (Num. xiii. 23). - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - vii.│ 1│ TISRI or │ Oct.│1. Feast of │SEED TIME - │ │ ETHANIM │ │ _Trumpets_ │ - │ │ Days 30 │ │10. Day of │ Former or early rains - │ │ 1 Kin. │ │ ATONEMENT │ begin (Joel ii. 23). - │ │ viii. 2 │ │15. Feast of │ Ploughing and sowing - │ │2 Chr. v. 3 │ │ TABERNACLES │ begin. - │ │ │ │ First-fruits │ - │ │ │ │ of wine and │ - │ │ │ │ oil (Lev. │ - │ │ │ │ xxiii. 39) │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - viii.│ 2│ BUL │ Nov.│ │ Rain continues. - │ │ (_rain_) │ │ │ - │ │ Days 29 │ │ │ Wheat and barley - │ │ 1 Kin. │ │ │ sown. Vintage in - │ │ vi. 38 │ │ │ N. Palestine. - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - ix.│ 3│ CHISLEU │ Dec.│ │WINTER - │ │ Days 30 │ │25. Feast of │ Winter begins. Snow on - │ │ Neh. i. 1 │ │ _Dedication_ │ the mountains. - │ │ │ │ (1 Macc. │ - │ │ │ │ iv. 52–59) │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - x.│ 4│ THEBETH │ Jan.│ │ Coldest month. Hail, - │ │ Days 29 │ │ │ snow (Josh. x. 11). - │ │Est. ii. 16 │ │ │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - xi.│ 5│ SHEBAT │ Feb.│ │ Weather gradually - │ │ Days 30 │ │ │ becomes warmer. - │ │ Zech. i. 7 │ │ │ - ─────┼──┼────────────┼─────┼────────────────┼───────────────────────── - xii.│ 6│ ADAR │March│ │COLD SEASON - │ │ Days 29 │ │14, 15. Feast of│ Thunder and hail - │ │Esth. iii. 7│ │ _Purim_ │ frequent. - │ │Esth. ix. 27│ │ │ Almond-tree blossoms. - - - - - NOTE. - - _Laws of Purity._ - - - Not altogether unconnected with these regulations respecting - Holy Times and Seasons were other enactments of the Mosaic code, - having for their object the enforcement of ideas of purity and - holiness. _Ye shall be holy unto Me_, was the Divine command; - _for I the Lord thy God am holy, and have severed you from other - people that ye should be Mine_ (Lev. xix. 2; xx. 7). Many of - these regulations were, doubtless, laws of health, tending - to regulate diet, enforce cleanliness, and guard against many - prevalent disorders. But over and above this, they had a higher - object, and formed part of the moral discipline of the elect - nation. - - They regard (i) things unclean to eat; (ii) things unclean to - touch; (iii) unclean matters or conditions[103]. - - i. _Things unclean to eat._ The prohibitions respecting food - follow directly the laws concerning sacrifice. Portions of many - sacrifices, as we have seen, might be eaten. From this eating - the Law passes on to food generally, the nature of which has - “commonly no little influence on the refinement and manners of a - people.” Concerning vegetable eating, no rules are laid down. In - respect to animal food, the laws are clear and precise. (i) Of - _quadrupeds_, the clean were such as _both parted the hoof and - chewed the cud_, all others were unclean. All animals, therefore, - used in sacrifice might be eaten, as also the numerous species - of deer and gazelles (Deut. xiv. 5), but none of the _carnivora_, - or such animals as the camel, coney, hare, or pig. (ii) Of - _birds_ also, all that were offered in sacrifice might be eaten, - such as doves, pigeons, and also quails, but all birds of prey, - and nearly all the water-fowl, were unclean. (iii) Of _Fish_, - those only were clean that had both fins and scales. (iv) All - _Reptiles_ and _Insects_ were unclean, except locusts, and such - as had four legs for walking and two for springing (Lev. xi. - 21, 22; comp. Matt. iii. 4). But the Israelite was also strictly - forbidden to eat anything that died of itself (Ex. xxii. 31), or - was torn by beasts, emphatically the blood of any animal (Gen. - ix. 4; Lev. iii. 17; xvii. 10, 12; Comp. 1 Sam. xiv. 32, 33). - - (ii) _Things unclean to touch._ An Israelite incurred defilement - who touched or handled (i) the dead body of any animal, whether - clean or unclean (Lev. xi. 24–28), (ii) the body, bones, or - grave of a dead man (Num. xix. 11, 13, 16). The latter was - deemed a defilement calling for special purification. The person - was unclean seven days. For his cleansing a young red heifer - was slain outside the camp or town, in the presence of one of - the priests. Some of the blood the priest was then to sprinkle - seven times in the direction of the Sanctuary, to burn the - entire carcase, and cast into the fire cedar-wood, scarlet wool, - and hyssop. The ashes were then collected, and laid up in a - clean place, and a portion mixed with water was to be sprinkled - on whatever had been defiled, man, or place, or vessel. This - ceremony was to be repeated twice, on the third and on the - seventh day. On the latter day the person defiled washed his - clothes, bathed, and was clean at even. But still stricter - regulations were enforced when a priest or a Nazarite had become - defiled (Num. xix. 1–22). - - (iii) _Unclean matters or conditions._ Many are enumerated, but - we need speak of only one, the disease of LEPROSY. This fearful - malady, indigenous in Egypt and Asia Minor, disfiguring the - whole person, and making it horrible to the beholder, was called - by the Jews _the Stroke_, and even by the Greeks the _first-born - son of Death_[104]. It made itself apparent by a white swelling - on the skin, especially on the face, turning the skin white (Ex. - iv. 6), and the hair white or yellow (Lev. xiii. 3, 10, 30), and - producing other disfigurements. The person affected with it was - instantly to repair to the priests (Lev. xiii. 2, 9), whose duty - it was to make a minute examination, and pronounce whether it - was a case of “true leprosy.” If so, the sufferer was pronounced - _utterly unclean_, and forthwith assumed the awful badges of - his sad condition. He rent his clothes, bared his head, put - a covering on his upper lip (Lev. xiii. 45), as though he was - mourning for the dead (Ezek. xxiv. 17, 22), and wherever he - went cried out, _Unclean! unclean!_ An exile from his home, his - family, his friends (Num. v. 2), he was bound to reside without - the camp or city in a separate house by himself, or in the - society of others similarly afflicted (Lev. xiii. 46; 2 Kings - xv. 5; 2 Kings vii. 3; Lk. xvii. 12). No Israelite ever pretended - to effect a cure of this awful malady. The priest could pronounce - upon the symptoms, shut out the sufferer from the congregation, - but he had no power to heal. If, however, the symptoms abated, - and there were any signs of a cure, the sufferer again went to - the priest, who carefully ascertained whether this was the case. - If so, a peculiar ceremony celebrated the healing. It consisted - of two stages, (i) Two birds were taken, one killed by the - priest over running water, the other dipped, together with - cedar-wood, scarlet wool, and hyssop, in its blood, and suffered - to fly away into the open air. The priest then sprinkled the - leper with the blood seven times, and pronounced him clean. - (ii) But before he could return to the society of his fellowmen, - he must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, bathe, and - then present himself at the Sanctuary with a he-lamb as a - _Trespass-offering_, an ewe lamb as a _Sin-offering_, and - a he-lamb as a _Burnt-offering_ with its usual meat-offering. - In cases of poverty two doves or pigeons might be presented - in place of the two latter offerings, but the he-lamb as a - _Trespass-offering_ was indispensable. This was first slain, - and its blood smeared by the priest on the leper’s right ear, - the thumb of his right hand, and the great toe of his right foot. - Consecrated oil was then similarly applied, and poured on his - head, and the other sacrifices offered, at the conclusion of - which atonement was deemed to have been made, and the Leper was - clean (Lev. xiv. 49–53). - - The regulations respecting this fearful malady were no mere - sanitary regulations, for it was not catching from one person - to another (comp. 2 Kings v. 1; viii. 4), and the ordinances - respecting it did not apply to the stranger and the sojourner. - “From the whole host of maladies and diseases which had - broken in upon man’s body, God selected this, the sickness of - sicknesses, that He might thereby testify against that out of - which it and all other sicknesses grew, against SIN, as not - from Him, and as grievous in His sight[105].” It was the outward - and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption, a meet - emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal - disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole - body, of that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man’s inner - nature, and renders him unmeet to enter the Presence of a Pure - and Holy God. - - (iv) Among the _Vows_ known before the time of Moses (and which, - as a general rule, were discouraged by him, comp. Deut. xxiii. - 21–23) was that of the _Nazarite_. The person making this vow - was bound, usually for a certain term, to abstain from wine or - strong drink, from grapes or anything made from the vine, from - cutting the hair of his head, or approaching a corpse, even - that of his nearest relative (Num. vi. 2–7). If he accidentally - touched a corpse, he was obliged on the seventh day to cut - off his hair, and begin his vow afresh on the next day, after - presenting to the priest two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, - one for a sin, and the other for a burnt-offering, and a lamb - as a trespass-offering. At the expiration of his vow, he brought - to the Tabernacle a burnt-, sin-, and thank-offering (Lev. vii. - 12, 13) with a meat- and drink-offering (Num. vi. 15), had the - left shoulder of the thank-offering waved upon his hands by the - priest (Num. vi. 19, 20), and cutting off his hair burnt it in - the fire on the altar. Of Nazarites for life three are mentioned - in Scripture, _Samson_ (the only one actually called a Nazarite, - Judg. xiii. 5), _Samuel_ (1 Sam. i. 11), _John the Baptist_ - (Lk. i. 15). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _CIVIL AND MORAL LAWS._ - EXOD. XXI.–XXIII. DEUT. XIX.–XXIV. - - -HITHERTO we have been concerned with those portions of the Mosaic Law, -which instructed the Israelite in his duty towards God, and the mode in -which He was to be worshipped. We will now turn to the chief of those -which instructed him in his duty as (i) _a member of a family_, and -(ii) _of a nation_. - -(i) The FAMILY RELATIONS include (1) _The mutual duties of Parents and -Children_, (2) _of Husband and Wife_, (3) _of Master and Servant_. - -(1) _The duties of Parents and Children._ Reverence for parents -is enjoined in the Decalogue as the first duty next after those -appertaining to God Himself. _Honour thy father and mother_ is the -first and the only commandment to which a promise of long life and -continuance in the Promised Land is definitely attached (Ex. xx. 12; -Eph. vi. 2), and to smite or revile father or mother is made a capital -offence (Ex. xxi. 15, 17; Lev. xix. 3; xx. 9). In the Patriarchal -times, as we have already seen[106], the authority of the father over -his children was very great. His blessing conferred special benefits, -his curse special injury (Gen. ix. 25, 27; xxvii. 27–40; xlviii. 15, 20; -xlix.). His authority was of great moment, not only in the marriage of -sons (Gen. xxiv. 3), but of daughters, though in the latter case the -consent of the brothers, or at least of the elder brother, was deemed -important (Gen. xxiv. 50, 51; xxxiv. 11). But the Mosaic Law did not -invest the father with the same boundless power as the Greek or Roman -Law[107]. He could not inflict death irresponsibly. The incorrigible -son, whom he could not restrain from flagrant crimes, he might bring -before the elders of the city, who, having obtained the concurrence of -_both_ parents, might sentence him to be stoned to death. But in the -execution of the judgment the whole congregation were required to take -part, in order to promote a more general abhorrence of the sin (Deut. -xxi. 18–21). The father could not disinherit his sons; to the firstborn -he must give two portions, and equal shares to the rest; but in case of -extreme indigence he might sell his children, especially his daughters, -into servitude, or surrender them to creditors as a pledge (Ex. xxi. 7). - -(2) _The Relations of Husband and Wife._ The institution of marriage -was jealously guarded by the Mosaic Law. Adultery ranked next to -murder, and the punishment for both parties was death by stoning (Lev. -xviii. 20; xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22). In deference to the universal -custom of Oriental nations, and the example of the Patriarchs, polygamy -was _allowed_, though by no means _encouraged_, and though frequently -practised by the kings of Israel, was rare in private life (1 Sam. -i. 2). The right of divorce was conceded (Deut. xxiv. 1–4) on account -of _the hardness of the hearts_ of the people (Matt. xix. 8), but a -woman once divorced and marrying again might not return to her first -husband, either on the death of, or when put away by, the second. The -Mosaic Law sanctioned a custom of the Patriarchal age (Gen. xxxviii. 8), -which made it necessary that if a man died childless, his wife should -be taken in marriage by his surviving brother, and it was further -ordained that the firstborn son by such a marriage should succeed -in the name of his brother, that it be not put out in Israel (Deut. -xxv. 5, &c.). The rigour, however, of the old custom was relaxed. If -the brother had children of his own alive, he was exempt; and if he -declared in open court his unwillingness to enter into the marriage, -the duty devolved on the next relation of the deceased husband. (See -Ruth iv. 5–11.) - -(3) _The Relation of Master and Servant._ Slavery existed amongst -the Israelites as amongst all other Eastern nations. Slaves could be -acquired in four ways. (1) They might be taken in war (Num. xxxi. 11, -35; Deut. xx. 14); (2) they might be purchased of parents or former -owners or merchants in time of peace (Gen. xvii. 23; Lev. xxv. 44, 45); -(3) they might have sold themselves in satisfaction for a debt (Lev. -xxv. 39–43; 2 Kings iv. 1); (4) they might be the children of slaves -born in their master’s house. But while slavery was thus recognised -as an institution, it was the aim of the Mosaic Law to mitigate its -evils as much as possible. Thus, not only does it open with a number -of precepts relating to slaves (Ex. xxi. 2–6), but it ever pronounced -them to be equal before God as regarded their spiritual relation, and -freely admitted them to all religious privileges, circumcision (Gen. -xvii. 10–14; Ex. xii. 44), the rest of the Sabbath (Ex. xx. 10), -the festivals (Ex. xii. 44), and gave them an interest in all the -sacrifices offered by the family (Deut. xvi. 11, 14). - -In regard, again, to civil rights, the Hebrew slave was never looked -upon as a mere _thing_ or _chattel_. A master could not chastise a -slave to death without being punished (Ex. xxi. 20, 21), and if he -inflicted bodily mutilation, the slave, whether male or female, might -claim to be free (Ex. xxi. 26, 27). In the seventh year of his service -the Hebrew slave might take up his freedom, leaving, however, his -wife given him by his master during service and her children (Ex. xxi. -3, 4); if he declined to avail himself of this privilege, his master -might take him before the elders, bore his ear with an awl to the door, -and then he was his servant for ever, _i.e._ till the year of Jubilee -(Ex. xxi. 5, 6; Deut. xv. 16, 17). Moreover, as the Israelites when -delivered from Egyptian bondage had not gone forth empty, so the -Hebrew bondslave at his release (which took effect in the Jubilee -year, even though he had not served his full time) was to be furnished -liberally out of the flock, the floor, and the winepress (Deut. xv. -13, 14). Besides bondslaves we also find _hired servants_ among the -Hebrews. They were to be treated kindly, and their wages duly paid (Lev. -xix. 13; Deut. xxiv. 14, 15). Strangers also within the gates, whether -runaway slaves or exiles from their own land, who would naturally be in -extreme want, were to be treated with great kindness, for the Israelite -himself was a _stranger in the land of Egypt_ (Ex. xxii. 21; xxiii. 9). -Together with the poor generally, whether Hebrews or heathens, they -were to have the free enjoyment of the gleaning of the field and -the garden (Lev. xix. 9, 10; xxiii. 22; Deut. xxiv. 19–21), of the -spontaneous produce of the Sabbatical year (Lev. xxv. 5, 6), of the -sacrificial and tithe-feasts (Deut. xiv. 28, 29), and their share at -joyous family festivals, such as marriages, circumcision, the weaning -of children. - -(ii) The Laws affecting the Israelite in his civil capacity may be -arranged in three groups, according as they regarded the sanctity of -(1) _Life_, (2) _Character_, and (3) _Property_. - -(1) _Life._ The Laws protecting the life and person include those -against (a) _premeditated murder_, and (b) _unintentional manslaughter_. - -(a) _Premeditated murder._ The wilful shedder of man’s blood met with -no compassion from the Mosaic Code. The original law at Sinai (Ex. -xxi. 12–14) and the subsequent repetition of it (Deut. xix. 11–13) made -death the inevitable penalty of murder, even as it had been in the days -of Noah (Gen. ix. 6). The murderer was regarded as accursed; for him -the horns of the altar were to be no refuge; he was to be dragged from -them by force to suffer his doom, nor could rank or wealth exempt him -from it, for it was expressly provided that on no pretext whatever -should any ransom be taken (Num. xxxv. 31, 32). Nor was his person only -regarded as accursed, but so long as he remained undiscovered, even -the land was looked upon as polluted. If no efforts could detect the -murderer, the elders of the nearest town were to take a heifer, and -bring it down to a _rough valley, neither eared nor sown_, and there -strike off its head. They were then to wash their hands over it, and in -the presence of the Levites pronounce the following words; _Our hands -have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, -O Lord, unto Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent -blood to Thy people of Israel’s charge_. Thus atonement was to be made -(Deut. xxi. 1–9). - -(b) _Unintentional homicide._ Prior to the Mosaic age, the duty of -avenging blood devolved upon the next of kin, who was called the Goel -or _Avenger_, and together with his office inherited the property of -the deceased. Sometimes a whole family took upon them this duty (2 Sam. -xiv. 7). Amongst the other nations, as the Arab tribes of the present -day, “any bloodshed whatever, whether wilful or accidental, laid the -homicide open to the _duteous_ revenge of the relatives and family of -the slain person, who again in their turn were then similarly watched -and hunted by the opposite party, until a family war of extermination -had legally settled itself from generation to generation, without the -least prospect of a peaceful termination.” It was the aim of the Mosaic -Law, without abolishing this long established custom, to mitigate its -evils as far as possible. Accordingly it was directed that, on the -arrival of the people in the Promised Land, six _Cities of Refuge_ -should be set apart, to which the homicide might fly, if not overtaken -by the _Avenger_. Of these, three were to be on either side of the -Jordan, almost equally remote from each other, and the roads leading -to them were to be kept in a state of perfect repair (Ex. xxi. 13; Num. -xxxv. 11; Deut. xix. 3). They were to be chosen out of the priestly -and Levitical cities, as likely to be inhabited by the most intelligent -portion of the community. On reaching one of them, the case of the -homicide was to be examined by the elders; if they pronounced him -guilty he was to be delivered up to the Avenger; if innocent, an abode -was to be provided him in the city, where he was to remain till the -death of the high-priest, but if found at any time by the Avenger -beyond the limit of protection, 2000 cubits, he was liable to be put to -death. On the demise of the high-priest he might return to the city of -his possession (Num. xxxv. 25, 28)[108]. - -(2) The sacredness of a _man’s character_ was enforced by the -commandment in the Decalogue forbidding _false witness_, and by laws -prohibiting calumny, hatred, partiality in judgment for rich or poor -(Ex. xxiii. 1–3; Lev. xix. 16–18). No exact penalty was enforced, -but it was enjoined that in case of false witness the parties should -be brought before the priests and judges, and if after diligent -inquisition the charge was established, then should be done unto the -slanderer as he had thought to have done unto his brother, that so the -evil might be put away (Deut. xix. 19–21). - -(3) _Property_ was carefully guarded in the Mosaic Law, which forbade -not only stealing, the act, but coveting, the intention. - -(a) _Direct theft_ was punished by restitution. If the stolen goods -were found in the hands of the thief, he was to restore twofold; if -before his detection he had applied them to his own use, he was to -restore five oxen for an ox, four sheep for a sheep (Comp. 2 Sam. -xii. 6); but a still heavier fine was exacted if he had not only sold, -but killed and injured. If unable to pay the fine, he was to be sold -into slavery to a Hebrew master, and serve him till he could pay (Ex. -xxii. 1–4). A night-thief might be resisted even to death (Ex. xxii. 2). -Man-stealing or kidnapping was a capital offence (Ex. xxi. 16). The -crime of removing a neighbour’s landmark was severely reprobated (Deut. -xix. 14; xxvii. 17). - -(b) _Indirect injury through carelessness or other causes._ This -included injury done to property entrusted to another for safe keeping. -If it was stolen and the thief detected, he was to repay double; if he -could not be found, the trustee, on being declared guilty of negligence -by the judges, was to restore twofold. Compensation was also exacted, -where property was injured through a pit being left open, through -cattle straying amongst other cattle or trespassing on another’s land, -or through fire spreading to standing corn (Ex. xxi. 33–36; xxii. 5, 6). -Straying or suffering beasts, even if the property of an enemy, were to -be brought back or relieved (Ex. xxiii. 4, 5). - - _Land._ All land was to be regarded as belonging to God, and - the holders as His tenants. At the conquest of Palestine each - tribe was to have its allotment, and each family its portion, - and these were to remain for ever inalienable (Num. xxvii. 1–11; - xxxvi.; comp. 1 Kings xxi. 3; 2 Kings ix. 25, 26). All sold land, - therefore, was to return to its original owners at the Jubilee, - but might be redeemed by the owner or his representative at any - period before then (Lev. xxv. 13–16, 23–28). - - _Laws of debt._ An Israelite who had fallen into debt from - any cause, might (i) sell himself as a slave to one of his - own nation, with the right of resuming his freedom after six - years, and at the Jubilee recovering his inheritance, (ii) claim - a timely loan (Deut. xv. 1–11), but no usury might be taken - from an Israelite (Ex. xxii. 25–27; Deut. xxiii. 19, 20). Thus - pledges would become frequent, but they might not be cruelly or - ruinously exacted. The handmill, a necessity in every family, - might not be pledged (Deut. xxiv. 6); the cloak must be restored - before nightfall when it became essential (Ex. xxii. 26, 27; - Deut. xxiv. 12, 13); the lender was not to go into the house of - his debtor to claim his pledge, or seize any article he chose; - he was to stand abroad, and the pledge was to be brought out to - him (Deut. xxiv. 10, 11). - - - - - BOOK V. - - FROM THE DEPARTURE FROM SINAI TO THE DEATH OF MOSES. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _KADESH-BARNEA AND THE MISSION OF THE SPIES._ - NUMB. X.–XIV. B.C. 1490. - - -THE period of the encampment of the Israelites at Sinai had now -occupied upwards of a year. The Covenant had been concluded, the Law -had been given, the Tabernacle had been erected, the priests had been -consecrated, and Jehovah dwelt in the midst of His chosen people. It -was now time to think of marching onwards towards Canaan. As, however, -the occupation of that country must of necessity be preceded by its -conquest, an organization of the Israelitish forces was the first duty. -Accordingly, a census was taken of all who were fit for war, or about -twenty years old, and the result gave a total of 603,550 fighting -men (Num. i. 46), to whom if we add the Levites, the women, and the -children, we may conclude that the host numbered altogether between -two and three millions. The first anniversary of the Passover was then -duly celebrated, and on the twentieth day of the second month in the -second year, the Pillar of Cloud moved from off the Tabernacle, and -this signal for departure having been given, the order of the march -was marshalled. - -First, borne by the Kohathites, went the Ark of the Covenant, the -lid of which was the throne of Jehovah, and was overspread by the -Cloudy Pillar (Num. x. 33). Then followed the tribe of Judah, the most -numerous and the strongest of all the tribes, supported by Issachar -and Zebulun, under the standard of a “Lion,” the ensign of Judah. Then -followed the sons of Gershon and Merari, bearing the external portions -of the Tabernacle, the coverings and hangings, the boards, the pillars, -and the sockets. They were succeeded by the tribe of Reuben, flanked by -Gad and Simeon, marching under the common standard of Reuben, a “Man’s -Head.” Next came the rest of the Kohathites, bearing the sacred vessels -of the Sanctuary. Then the tribe of Ephraim, flanked by Benjamin and -Manasseh, under the standard of Ephraim, the figure of an “Ox;” and -the long procession closed with the tribe of Dan, between Naphtali -and Asher, with the standard of Dan, an “Eagle with a Serpent in its -talons.” - -These arrangements having been made, the Silver Trumpets sounded, the -silence of the desert was broken by the shout, _Rise up, Lord, and let -Thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee before -Thee_ (Num. x. 35; comp. Ps. lxviii. 1, 2), and the march began. At -this time there was present in the camp HOBAB, by some supposed to -have been the father-in-law, by others the brother-in-law of Moses. The -Israelitish leader knew how invaluable would be the experience of one -so well acquainted with every track and pass in the terrible wilderness -they were now about to traverse, and he earnestly entreated him to -continue with them, and share the goodness which the Lord would show -to Israel (Num. x. 29). There seems little doubt that Hobab consented -to accompany the people, and to be to them _instead of eyes_ amidst the -dangers of the inhospitable desert[109]. - -In the course of three days the host entered on the sandy plain which -parts the mountain-mass of Sinai from the table-land of the Tîh[110]. -Having for more than a year enjoyed the pleasant encampment before -the Mount of God, they no sooner entered on this arid tract, than -they gave vent to their feelings of discontent. During the journey -from the Red Sea to Sinai God had borne with similar manifestations -of their weakness. But now that they had been brought into nearer and -more visible relations with Him, having the Sanctuary in their midst, -the Ark preceding them, and the Manna dropping upon them from day to -day, their murmurings could not be thus passed over, but brought down -instant rebuke and punishment. On this occasion the Divine displeasure -was marked by the outbreak of a fire on the extreme outskirts of the -encampment, which inflicted considerable damage, and was only removed -by the intercession of Moses, who called the spot TABERAH, or _the -burning_ (Num. xi. 1–3). - -But this judgment had scarcely been removed when the same spirit -of discontent broke out afresh. The _mixed multitude_, which had -accompanied them from Egypt, and soon afterwards the Israelites -themselves, began to complain of the Manna, _this light food_, as -they called it, and lamented the loss of the fish, the cucumbers, -the melons, the leeks, and other vegetables, they had enjoyed in the -fertile valley of the Nile. So loud and general were their complainings, -that Moses despaired of accomplishing the purport of his mission, and -poured out his soul in prayer to God, begging for some relief from the -burden of daily anxiety which weighed him down. In mercy towards His -despairing servant, the Lord bade him select seventy elders, and bring -them to the door of the Tabernacle, and promised to take of the spirit -that was upon him and bestow a portion on them, that they might share -with him the weight of responsibility. He also promised that on the -morrow flesh, such as the people had pined after, should be given them, -and that not for one day only but for a whole month, until it became -even more loathsome to them than the celestial food they had so lately -despised. In obedience to this command, the seventy elders were brought -before the Tabernacle, and the Lord bestowed upon them a portion of -the spirit that was upon the Israelitish leader, and _they prophesied, -and did not cease_. Two of their number, ELDAD and MEDAD, though -selected for this high office, either from accident or some other cause, -did not accompany the rest to the appointed place, and though they -remained in the camp, and at a distance from the Cloudy Pillar, became -inspired with the same spirit. This striking incident was announced -to Moses by Joshua, who, jealous for his master’s honour, thought that -such prophesying ought to be prohibited. But Moses thought otherwise. -_Enviest thou for my sake?_ he replied; _would God that all the Lord’s -people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them_ -(Num. xi. 24–30. Comp. Mk. ix. 38; Lk. ix. 49). - -Shortly afterwards the second promise of the Lord was also fulfilled. -A strong wind brought up a prodigious number of quails from the sea -in the proximity of the Gulf of Akaba, which covered the ground to the -extent of a day’s journey on either side of the camp. For two days and -a night the people were busily occupied in collecting, and spreading -the birds abroad, probably for the purpose of drying them. So they _did -eat and were filled_; for _God gave them of their own desire, they were -not estranged from their lust_ (Ps. lxxviii. 29, 30). But while the -meat was still _between their teeth_, His _wrath fell upon them_, and -He smote them with a severe plague, _and slew the mightiest of them, -even the chosen ones of Israel_ (Ps. lxxviii. 31), and the spot where -they were buried was named KIBROTH HATTAAVAH, the _graves of lust_. - -From this ill-omened encampment the host proceeded in a -north-easterly direction to _Hazeroth_, which is thought to have -been the modern _Ain-el-Huderah_, and to have consisted of the -unenclosed semi-permanent villages, in which the Bedouins are found -to congregate[111]. Here a still severer trial awaited Moses. There -arrived in the camp a Cushite or Ethiopian woman (Num. xii. 1) whom he -had married, and who is identified by some with Zipporah, while others -believe her to have been an Egyptian whom he had espoused previous to -his flight from that country. Hitherto the position of Miriam had been -one of great influence in the camp, and second only to that of Moses -and Aaron (Comp. Micah vi. 4). To her the arrival of the stranger was -most unwelcome, and she feared she would now be deposed from her high -position as a “mother in Israel.” Having, therefore, induced Aaron to -share her views, she openly turned against Moses and maintained that he -was not the sole expositor of Jehovah’s will, that she and Aaron were -of equal authority with him (Num. xii. 1–4). - -With his wonted self-control Moses was content to endure these -reproaches in silence. But the Lord interposed to defend the honour -of His servant. The Pillar of Cloud suddenly appeared before the -Tabernacle, and thither Aaron and Miriam were summoned together with -Moses himself. There in words of stern rebuke the Lord denounced -their hard speeches against His chosen servant. Very different was -his position from that of an ordinary prophet, to whom the Divine -will might be made known by vision or dream. _My servant Moses_, said -Jehovah, _is faithful in all my house. With him will I speak mouth to -mouth, even apparently and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of -the Lord shall he behold; wherefore, then, were ye not afraid to speak -against my servant Moses?_ With this vindication of the true position -of the Hebrew leader the Cloud removed, and Aaron looked on Miriam, -and behold! she had become leprous, _as white as snow_. Thereupon Moses -interceded for her, and the Lord promised that the judgment should -not be permanent, but as unclean she must remain without the camp for -seven days, during which period the host remained at Hazeroth (Num. -xii. 4–16). - -The days of her purification being ended, the Israelites resumed their -march, and striking northwards across the plateau of the Tîh, probably -after several intermediate encampments, reached KADESH or KADESH-BARNEA -(Num. xxxiii. 36). This spot, whether identified with the spring of -_Ain-Kŭdes_, or with _Ain-esh-Shehabeh_ south of _Jebel-el-Mŭkhrah_, or -with _Ain-el-Weibeh_ in the _Arabah_[112], was at the very gates of the -Promised Land. It required but a strenuous and persevering effort to -reach the final goal of their long journey. This effort Moses exhorted -them to make (Deut. i. 20, 21), bidding them not be afraid, but go -up boldly and possess the land, which the Lord God of their fathers -had given them. On this the people proposed (Deut. i. 22) that spies -should first be sent to ascertain the best route, and what cities -ought first to be attacked. Moses consented to this proposal, and with -the Divine concurrence selected twelve princes, one from each tribe, -whom he exhorted to make a thorough search throughout the length and -breadth of the land, and ascertain its character, its products, and its -inhabitants (Deut. i. 23; Num. xiii. 1–20). - -One of the select twelve was HOSHEA, the valiant attendant of Moses, -whose name was now changed to JEHOSHUA or JOSHUA (_God the Saviour_), -a title which well became the future leader of the Israelitish hosts. -It was now _the time of the first ripe grapes_ (Num. xiii. 20), or the -month of September[113]. Setting out from the wilderness of Paran, the -spies traversed the land as far north as Rehob on the way to Hamath, -in the valley of the Orontes, which divides the ranges of Lebanon -and Anti-Lebanon. Then they _ascended by the south_[114], and came to -Hebron, where dwelt Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the gigantic sons of -Anak. In a valley opening on this city, celebrated even now for its -vineyards, they plucked pomegranates, and figs, and a bunch with one -cluster of grapes of such enormous size that it required to be carried -on a staff between two men, whence the valley was named ESHCOL, or -the _Valley of the Cluster_. With these proofs of the fertility of the -land, after an absence of forty days, the spies returned and presented -themselves in the camp at Kadesh before the host assembled to hear -their report. - -The productiveness of the promised land, they said, was sufficiently -attested by the fruits they had brought back. It was, indeed, _a good -land, and flowed with milk and honey_. But the people, it could not -be denied, were strong, and of great stature, and among them were the -sons of Anak, before whom they themselves appeared as grasshoppers -(Num. xiii. 33). They were proceeding to enumerate the chief tribes -whom they had encountered, when Caleb, the Kenezite, of the tribe -of Judah, one of their number, anxious to dispel the feelings of -despondency with which their report was received, broke in with the -advice that the people should make an immediate attack, and promised -them speedy and certain success. But, save the valiant Joshua, he found -no other to support his brave counsels; the rest of the spies dwelt -only on the dangers of the expedition, and their despondency found -but too faithful an echo in the hearts of the people, who burst forth -into lamentation, openly murmured against Moses and Aaron for having -brought them thither, and even proposed to appoint a captain to lead -them back into Egypt. In vain Joshua and Caleb tried to calm the -tumult, and to check the mutiny. The host would listen to nothing, and -even threatened to stone them to death. But at this moment the Glory -of Jehovah appeared before the Tabernacle in the sight of the whole -people. Terrible though most just was His wrath at this signal proof of -faithlessness, in spite of all the signs and wonders He had wrought in -their midst. He threatened to destroy them utterly with pestilence, and -make of Moses a nation greater and mightier than they. But, as before -on Sinai, so now that unselfish leader stood heroically in the gap. -He pleaded earnestly with the justly offended Jehovah; he represented -the joy the rejection of the people would cause to the Egyptians and -the nations of Canaan, who had all heard of _the mighty Hand and the -stretched out Arm_, which had guided them through the wilderness. -Finally, he appealed to the NAME which the Lord Himself had proclaimed -on the top of Sinai[115], _the Lord God, merciful and gracious, -longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth_, and implored the -forgiveness of the people (Num. xiv. 11–19). - -His prayer was heard. The Almighty assured him that the nation, as a -nation, should be preserved, their name should not be utterly blotted -out. But, save Joshua and Caleb, not one of that generation, which -in spite of the wonders they had seen in Egypt and in the wilderness -had refused to trust in God, should enter into the promised Land. For -them, all hope of entry was cut off; every one, from twenty years old -and upwards, should die; their carcases should lie bleaching in the -wilderness (1 Cor. x. 5), while their children, whom they had deemed a -certain prey to the Canaanites, should atone for their faithlessness by -wandering forty years, a year for each day the spies had been engaged -in searching out the land (Num. xiv. 33, 34). As an earnest of this -judgment, the ten spies, who by their faithless despondency had been -the primary cause of the mutiny, were struck with instant death, and -the command was given to the rest of the host to _return into the -wilderness by the way of the Red Sea_. This announcement was received -by the people with universal lamentation, and on the morrow they rose -up, and in spite of the earnest exhortations of Moses (Deut. i. 42, 43), -and the ominous circumstance that the Cloud had not removed from the -Tabernacle, made a wild rush up the steep and difficult pass, probably -_es-Sufah_, leading into the uplands of Southern Palestine, where -they encountered the Amorites (Deut. i. 44), the _highlanders_ of the -mountains, and their old enemies the Amalekites (Num. xiv. 45), by whom -they were driven back, routed and discomfited as far as Hormah (Num. -xiv. 20–45). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _THE WANDERINGS. DEATH OF MIRIAM AND AARON._ - NUMB. XV.–XXI. B.C. 1490–1451. - - -AFTER this signal defeat it was clear that the sentence pronounced -upon the existing generation was irrevocable, and the host remained -for a considerable time at Kadesh (Deut. i. 46). During this period -a formidable conspiracy broke out against the authority of Moses and -Aaron. In their natural state of mortification at recent events, the -people were now more than ever likely to lend a ready ear to those -who whispered that under the auspices of any other than their present -leaders, they might escape from their humiliating doom, and reach the -goal of their hopes. Such fatal advisers soon appeared in the persons -of KORAH, a Kohathite, of the tribe of Levi, and DATHAN, ABIRAM, and ON, -of the tribe of Reuben. The former, jealous probably of the sacerdotal -pre-eminence of the line of Amram, and the latter loth to see their -tribe deprived of their ancestor’s right of primogeniture, conspired, -it is thought, “to place Korah at the head of a priesthood chosen by -popular election, and possibly to restore the tribe of Reuben to the -rights of the firstborn, of which it had been deprived[116].” - -Successful in gaining over to their views 250 princes of the people, -they rose up against Moses and Aaron, and publicly charged them with -_taking too much upon themselves_, and usurping functions which ought -to have been shared by the congregation at large, who were all, every -one of them, _holy unto the Lord_. On hearing these charges Moses -resolved to refer the matter to the Divine decision, and bade Korah -and his company assemble on the morrow with lighted censers before the -Tabernacle. A similar summons was addressed to the Reubenite leaders, -but they flatly refused to attend at the place of meeting, and charged -Moses with having disappointed the hopes of the people, and being -anxious only to make himself a prince over them. Curiosity, however, -induced them to stand at the doors of their tents in full view of the -Tabernacle, where Korah and his associates stood with lighted censers -awaiting the Divine decision (Num. xvi. 1–16). - -Before long the Glory of the Lord appeared, and Moses was instructed -to command that a clear space should be kept round the tents of Korah, -Dathan, and Abiram, and that the people should be careful to touch -nothing belonging to them, lest they should be consumed in their sin. -Then the servant of Jehovah offered to submit his claims to an awful -and infallible test. If the ringleaders in this rebellion _died the -common death of all men, or were visited after the visitation of all -men, then the Lord had not sent him_; but if a new and terrible fate -befell them, and _the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them -up_, then it would be known that they had provoked the Lord. His words -had hardly been uttered, when this awful catastrophe took place. The -earth clave asunder, and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with -everything belonging to them, and at the same time a fire burst forth -and consumed the 250 men, who had presumed to offer incense at the -Sanctuary. Thus this great conspiracy was signally punished, and as a -memorial of the occurrence, Eleazar the son of Aaron was directed to -take the brazen censers of the offenders, and therewith to make plates -for the altar of burnt-sacrifice. - -In spite, however, of this terrible proof of the Divine displeasure, -the very next day saw the people again murmuring against Moses and -Aaron, complaining that they had slain _the people of Jehovah_, and -threatening to break out into a fresh and general mutiny. Thereupon the -Glory of Jehovah once more overshadowed the Tabernacle, and a plague -broke out amongst the host. But at the exhortation of Moses, Aaron -took a lighted censer from off the altar, and standing between the -living and the dead, made an atonement for the people, but not before -14,700 men had by their deaths paid the penalty for their murmuring and -insubordination. Thus the divinely-ordained priesthood of Aaron averted, -while that assumed by Korah only brought destruction upon the host. But -in order that the Aaronic priesthood might be still further attested, -and that for all future generations, another sign was vouchsafed. -Moses was directed to receive from the Prince of each tribe an almond -rod with the name of the tribe inscribed thereon, and to lay these -rods before the Ark in the Holy of Holies, that on the morrow it might -be proved incontestably which tribe had been selected to perform the -priestly functions. Moses obeyed, and on the morrow, when the rods -were removed, behold! that of Levi, on which the name of Aaron had been -inscribed, instead of being dry like the rest, _had brought forth buds, -and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds_. Thus to the confusion of -all other pretenders, the claims of this branch of the tribe of Levi -were confirmed in a way that could not be gainsaid, and the Mystic Rod -was directed to be laid up before the Ark, as a testimony against all -future pretenders, and a pledge of the Divine choice (Num. xvii. 1–11; -Heb. ix. 4). - -From Kadesh the host now _took their journey into the wilderness by -the way of the Red Sea_ (Deut. ii. 1), and for thirty-eight years -continued to wander in the deserts of Paran. This long period of -punishment and humiliation is shrouded by the sacred historian in -profound obscurity. It is probable that Kadesh was for some time a sort -of head-quarters, whence the great mass of the people were scattered -far and wide in smaller or larger groups over the peninsula, while -afterwards encampments were made at different spots, ♦wherever Moses -and the Tabernacle were settled (Num. xxxiii. 19–36). From a comparison -of the four passages[117] of Holy Scripture which alone throw any light -upon this dark period of Israel’s history, Deut. viii. 2–6; Josh. v. -4–9; Ezek. xx. 10–26; Amos v. 25, 26, we infer that it was a period -of “training and temptation, of humiliation and blessing, of natural -wants and supernatural existence;” that the rite of circumcision was -neglected, and the annual celebration of the Passover not kept up, -while the Sabbath also was not strictly observed[118] (Josh. v. 5; Ezek. -xx. 13). Meanwhile, according to the sentence pronounced upon them, all -the men of that generation from twenty years old and upwards died, save -Moses and his brother, and the two faithful spies Joshua and Caleb. - -At the close, however, of this period, the host once more assembled at -Kadesh. Moses was now far advanced in years, and his second approach to -the very threshold of the Promised Land was saddened by two events of a -peculiarly mournful character. First, Miriam his sister, and companion -of his childhood, died, and was buried at Kadesh (Num. xx. 1). But, -however afflicted he may have been at her loss, the conduct of the -people, whom he led, must have grieved him still more. For, again, -on a failure of water, the new generation proved faithless, and brake -forth into murmurings and complainings as violent as their forefathers -at Rephidim. For the second time the ill-omened words of disaffection -sounded in his ears, and roused in him and his brother feelings of -greater irritation than they had ever displayed before. On appealing -to the Lord, they were commanded to assemble the people before the Rock -facing the encampment, and it was promised that it should bring forth -water in obedience to their word. Thereupon the Brothers gathered -the people together before the Rock, but instead of appealing to _it_, -Moses began to speak _unadvisedly_ (Ps. cvi. 32, 33) _to them_, saying, -_Hear now, ye rebels! must we fetch you water out of this rock?_ Then, -instead of doing as he had been instructed, he lifted up his hand, -and with the rod struck the Rock, not once, but twice, on which the -refreshing streams indeed flowed forth abundantly, and supplied the -wants of the people and their cattle, but the fidelity and self-control -of the Brothers, of the Prophet and the Priest, had alike failed, -neither had they sanctified Jehovah in the eyes of the host. (Comp. -Num. xxvii. 14; Deut. xxxiii. 51.) For this sin, whatever may have been -its precise heinousness, the Almighty pronounced on both the Brothers -the sentence of exclusion from the Promised Land. Into it they were -never to enter, or realise with the people they had led the hopes and -anticipations of so many long and weary years. - -But though thus excluded from the goal of his long pilgrimage, -there was on the part of Moses no diminution of the zeal he had ever -displayed in behalf of the people. Always preferring their welfare to -his own, he was ready to lead them _towards_, if he was not to lead -them _into_ the Promised Land, and as a preliminary he sent ambassadors -to the Edomites and Moabites, requesting a free passage through their -territory. But though his messengers recounted the various proofs of -Divine protection which had accompanied the journeyings of the people, -and promised to keep to the highway, and injure neither the fields, the -vineyards, nor the wells, but pay for any water they might use, they -met with a direct refusal. Edom not only forbad them a passage through -his territory, but posted a strong force to guard all the approaches -into it. Thereupon, in obedience to the Divine command, the Israelites -abstained from any retaliation against the descendants of Esau, and -the latter did not openly venture to attack them. But an Amorite tribe -inhabiting the southern highlands of Palestine, under the command of -their chief Arad, fell upon them, and took some of them prisoners. This -roused the spirit of the people; they attacked their foes, and utterly -destroyed them and their cities, naming the spot in memory of the -incident Hormah, or _utter Destruction_ (Num. xxi. 1–4). - -Thus debarred from what would have been the natural route towards -the country east of the Jordan, nothing remained but to march -southward down the Arabah towards the eastern arm of the Red Sea, -and then take a long and wearisome circuit round the territory of -the Edomites. Accordingly they set out, and reached Mount Hor[119], -at the edge of the land of Edom (Num. xxxiii. 37), and the highest -and most conspicuous of the whole range of its sandstone mountains, -overshadowing the mysterious city of Sela, or Petra, _the Rock_. Here -it was intimated to Moses that another of the few remaining links which -connected him with the generation that had come forth from Egypt must -be taken from him. He had already laid Miriam in her desert-grave at -Kadesh; now he was told that on the craggy top of Hor he must leave -his brother, the high-priest Aaron, who in accordance with his recent -sentence must die for his sin at the Waters of Strife. For the last -time, therefore, the Brothers repaired to the Tabernacle, where Aaron -was arrayed in his priestly robes, and then, accompanied by Eleazar -his son, the three ascended the toilsome height in the sight of the -mournful and watching host. Arrived at the summit Moses stripped his -brother of his priestly garments, and put them on Eleazar, and there, -in full view of the desert, the scene of his long pilgrimage, and just -in sight of the utmost borders of the Land of Promise, on the first day -of the fifth month, in the 123rd year of his age, the great High-priest -was gathered to his fathers. Then Moses and Eleazar reverently interred -him in his rocky tomb, and descended from the mount, and Eleazar -ministered “that evening in the familiar garments of him, whom the -people would see no more” (Num. xx. 22–29)[120]. - -Thirty days were spent in mourning for Aaron, and then the host -continued their march down the Arabah, and after encamping at -Ezion-geber at the eastern head of the Red Sea, entered on the sandy, -shadeless waste, which stretched eastward from the mountains of Edom -far on to the Persian Gulf, and was even more terrible than the desert -they had left. This and the thought of the long circuit that awaited -them so wrought upon the spirit of the people, that they again broke -out into bitterest complaints against their leader, their tedious -march, and their food. The region they were now traversing abounded -in _fiery_ or deadly serpents[121], of which the Lord sent many among -the people, and much people of Israel died. But on the manifestation -of a spirit of repentance, Moses, by the Divine command, made a Brazen -Serpent, and fixed it upon a pole in the sight of the congregation, -and all who looked thereon were healed. The symbol of this wonderful -deliverance was long preserved, and was regarded with veneration -as late as the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings xviii. 4), by whom it was -destroyed. The occurrence is also memorable as having suggested one of -the most sacred similitudes of the New Testament, for in His well-known -conversation with Nicodemus, the Saviour likened to the uplifting of -this serpent by Moses His own uplifting upon the Cross, _that whosoever -believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal life_ (John iii. -14, 15). - -After this incident the Israelites resumed their march, and pressing -forward in a northerly direction, skirted the eastern frontier of -Edom, and eventually encamped near the willow-shaded brook or valley -of Zered[122], which ran into the Dead Sea near its south-east corner, -and formed the southern boundary of Moab. Hence they advanced towards -the rushing stream of the Arnon (_swift, noisy_), “dashing through a -deep defile of sandstone rocks,” the first river they had seen since -they left the Nile. Crossing one of its fords, an incident commemorated -in an ancient song (Num. xxi. 14, 15; Deut. ii. 24), they reached a -spot which they called by a name sufficient of itself to indicate that -their weary wanderings were at an end, and that they were approaching a -cultivated land. Needing water, the princes and nobles, at the command -of Moses, dug in the ground with their staves till they reached a cool -refreshing spring. In memory of this grateful discovery they called -the spot BEER-ELIM[123], _the well of the Heroes_, and celebrated their -thanksgiving in a burst of sacred poetry (Num. xxi. 17, 18). They were -now encamped on “the vast range of forest and pasture on the east of -the Jordan.” - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _CONQUEST OF THE EAST OF JORDAN――BALAAM AND BALAK._ - NUM. XXI.–XXIV. B.C. 1451. - - -THE country north of the present encampment of the Israelites from the -Arnon to the Jabbok was at this time possessed by the Amorites. We have -already met with this tribe on the western side of the Jordan (Gen. xiv. -7, 13; xiii. 18; Num. xiii. 29[124]). Tempted by the rich pasture lands -east of this river a colony of them appears to have crossed, and having -driven the Moabites with great slaughter and the loss of many captives -from the country south of the Jabbok (Num. xxi. 26–29), to have made -the wide chasm of the Arnon henceforth the boundary between them. - -The Amorite king at this time was SIHON, and his capital was Heshbon, -twenty miles east of the Jordan, on the parallel of the northern end of -the Dead Sea. Thither the Israelitish leader sent messengers requesting -a peaceful passage through his territory, and promising the same -respect for his land and possessions, which had already been proposed -to the Edomites. But their request was rudely rejected. Sihon would not -allow them even to pass through his borders, but assembled his forces, -and prepared for battle. The Israelites did not decline the engagement, -which took place at Jahaz, probably a short distance south of Heshbon, -and resulted in the total defeat of the Amorites; Sihon himself, his -sons, and all his people were smitten with the sword, his walled towns -Ar and Heshbon, Nophah and Medeba were captured, and his numerous -flocks and herds fell into the hands of the victors, who thus became -masters of the entire country between the Arnon and the Jabbok (Num. -xxi. 27–30). - -Apparently about the same time that Sihon had expelled the Moabites -from the rich territory south of the Jabbok, another Amorite chief -seized the country extending from that river to the foot of Hermon, -and known as the land of Bashan. His name was OG, one of the last -of the giant-race of Rephaim. He ruled over sixty cities, and his -stronghold was a remarkable oval district, about 22 miles from north -to south by 14 from west to east, called by the Hebrews _Argob_, or the -_stony_, afterwards by the Greeks _Trachonitis_, and now _Lejah_. This -extraordinary region has been described as “an ocean of basaltic rocks -and boulders, tossed about in the wildest confusion, and intermingled -with fissures and crevices in every direction, and yet in spite of its -ungainly and forbidding features thickly studded even now with deserted -cities and villages, in all of which the dwellings are solidly built -and of remote antiquity[125].” On a rocky promontory south-west of -this marvellous region, “without water, without access, save over rocks -and through defiles almost impracticable[126],” was the city of Edrei -(_strength_). Here, “as if in the Thermopylæ of his kingdom,” the giant -king of Bashan and all his people resolved to encounter the advancing -hosts of the Israelites, led, it seems probable, by two eminent chiefs -of the tribe of Manasseh, Jair and Nobah. (Comp. Num. xxxii. 41, 42; -Deut. iii. 14.) Like the Amorite chief of Heshbon, Og could not -withstand the valour of the Israelites. He was utterly routed, and -_his threescore cities fenced with high walls, gates and bars_, besides -_unwalled towns a great many_, fell into their hands. A trophy of this -victory, long preserved by the children of Ammon in the city of ♦Rabbah, -was the huge iron bedstead[127] of the Amorite king, nine cubits long, -by four wide; and long afterwards the subjugation of _Sihon king of -the Amorites_, and _Og the king of Bashan, great kings, famous kings, -mighty kings_, was deemed worthy of being ranked with the tokens and -wonders wrought in the land of Egypt, and the overthrow of Pharaoh in -the Red Sea (Ps. cxxxv. 10–12; cxxxvi. 15–21). - -After these two decisive engagements, which made them masters of the -entire country east of the Jordan, from the wide chasm of the Arnon -to the foot of the snow-capped Hermon, the Israelites encamped in the -plains of Shittim, or _the Meadow of the Acacias_, amidst “the long -belt of acacia-groves, which, on its eastern as well as its western -side, line the upper terraces of the Jordan over against Jericho[128].” -South of the Arnon was the little corner of territory occupied by Moab, -who viewed with no little alarm the successes of the Israelites against -such _mighty kings_ as Sihon and Og. _This people_, said BALAK the -king of Moab to the elders of Midian, _lick up all that are round -about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field_. Sensible of the -uselessness of attacking a nation so manifestly under the protection of -an Invisible Power, the two confederate tribes resolved before falling -upon them to place them under an awful curse, which might have the -effect of paralysing their arms[129]. At this time no man was supposed -to have greater power in this way than a famous Prophet named BALAAM, -the son of Beor. He lived far away from the present encampment of -the Israelites at Pethor, beyond the Euphrates, in Aram among _the -mountains of the East_, but his fame had spread across the Assyrian -desert even to the shores of the Dead Sea. His gifts he exercised as a -Prophet of the same God, who had wrought so many miracles in behalf of -the Israelites. If, therefore, he could be persuaded to lay upon them -his powerful ban, their further success the Moabites thought might be -checked, and the children of Lot might not only recover the land of -which they had been deprived by the Amorites, but possibly add to them -the fertile territory the Israelites had so lately won from Sihon and -Og. - -Accordingly, elders both of Moab and Midian, with the rewards of -divination in their hands, were despatched eastward across the Assyrian -desert to intreat the aid of the powerful Prophet. On reaching their -destination and announcing the purport of their errand, Balaam, -uncertain of the lawfulness of complying with it, requested them to -lodge there that night, while he ascertained the will of Jehovah. The -answer he obtained was unfavourable. _Thou shalt not go with them_; -said God, _thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed_. -On the morrow, therefore, he sent the messengers away, bidding them -announce to their master that Jehovah forbade his accompanying them. - -Undeterred by this failure, and possibly informed by his messengers -that the Prophet _himself_ did not seem unwilling to come, the king -of Moab sent a second embassy consisting of princes _more and more -honourable than the last_, to inform him that he would advance him to -very great honour, and do whatever he commanded, if only he would come. -Again, therefore, the toilsome Syrian desert was traversed, and the -messengers preferred their request. But again they seemed to have come -in vain. _If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold_, -said the Prophet, _I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to do less -or more_. But instead of at once sending the messengers away, he bade -them lodge with him that night, while he consulted the Lord a second -time. On this occasion the word of the Lord came to him, and bade him -go, but authorized him to speak nothing more and nothing less than the -very words that should be put into his mouth. Balaam accordingly set -out on his journey, but he was not to accomplish it without receiving -another and a more terrible warning against it and its object. As -he rode upon his ass, the _Angel of the Lord_ stood in the way, with -his sword drawn in his hand. As if in derision of his claims to be a -powerful Seer, the beast alone discerned the celestial Adversary, and -started aside out of the way into a field. On this, Balaam smote it, -and turned it into a path running through some vineyards. But again -the Angel confronted the wilful Prophet, and the frightened ass in its -efforts to avoid him crushed his foot against the wall. Therefore -Balaam struck it a second time, and now, as if in still deeper derision -of one, who claimed to be able to reveal to kings and princes the will -of the Invisible, the dumb beast, in the accents of a man _forbad the -madness of the Prophet_ (2 Pet. ii. 16). On this, Balaam’s eyes were -at length opened, and as he bowed himself down before the Angel, he was -sternly rebuked for his wilfulness, and proposed to turn back rather -than displease the Lord. But since his mind was wholly bent on that -course, he was a second time bidden to proceed, but a second time also -warned against uttering any other words than those which a Divine Power -should put into his mouth. - -The journey was now resumed, and at length the watchmen of Balak -announced to their master that the mighty Prophet was approaching. -Therefore Balak went forth to meet him, and after a brief rebuke of his -delay, conducted his visitor to Kirjath-Huzoth, _the Town of Streets_, -a place in the furthest borders of his kingdom, and possibly of sacred -or oracular reputation[130], where he entertained him at a great feast. -On the next day he conducted him to the high places dedicated to Baal -(Num. xxii. 41) that rose above the encampment of the Israelites, -whence he might gain a view of the utmost part of the people he had -desired him to curse. There by the Prophet’s direction the king erected -seven altars, and on each they offered together a bullock and a ram, -and while Balak with his attendant princes stood by his burnt-offering, -Balaam went forth to _a high place_ (Num. xxiii. 3) to learn the Divine -will. _And God met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth_, and returning -to the expectant king, he declared that it was impossible for him to -curse Jacob and defy Israel, that he could not _curse him whom God had -not cursed, or defy him whom Jehovah had not defied_. - -On hearing this response so entirely opposite to what he had expected, -Balak was highly incensed, but thinking a change of view might have -a different influence on the Prophet’s spirit, he brought him to -Zophim[131], a _cultivated field of the Watchmen_ high up on the range -of Pisgah. Again the altars were built, and the victims slain; again -the king stood by his burnt-sacrifice, and again Balaam went forth _to -meet the Lord_. But still the answer was unfavourable. The steam of -sacrifice could not bend the will of Jehovah; _He was not a man that He -should lie_, or repent of His fixed purpose; what He had said He would -do, what He had spoken He would perform; _in Jacob He had not beheld -iniquity, neither had He seen perverseness in Israel; He had brought -them out of Egypt_, and neither augury nor divination could prevail -against them. - -More incensed than before, the king of Moab burst forth into bitter -complaints against the Prophet, and though the latter reminded him -that he could speak nothing but the word of Jehovah, yet he determined -from one more point to show him the people, that peradventure he might -thence effect the potent curse. He led him up, therefore, to a peak, -where stood the sanctuary of Peor (Num. xxiii. 28), looking toward -Jeshimon or _the waste_, “probably the dreary barren waste of the hills -lying immediately on the east of the Dead Sea.” There the seven altars -were for the third time built, and the victims for the third time slain. -But Balaam was now convinced that Jehovah was pleased only to bless the -people. Without resorting, therefore, any more to useless divinations, -he lifted up his eyes, and looked down upon the tribes encamped in the -acacia groves below him, with their _goodly tents spread out like the -valleys_, or watercourses of the mountains, like the hanging gardens -beside his own great river Euphrates, as _lign-aloes which the Lord had -planted, as cedar trees beside the waters_ (Num. xxiv. 6). And as he -stood, “with tranced yet open gaze” he saw the Vision of the Almighty, -and “in outline dim and vast” beheld the future of the “desert-wearied -tribes” that lay encamped before him “in sight of Canaan[132].” He -beheld them _pouring water from their buckets, their seed in many -waters, their king higher than any Amalekite Agag_ ruling in the -Arabian wilderness south of where he stood. He knew that God had -_brought them forth out of Egypt_, and that their _strength was like -that of the unicorn_. He foresaw them _couched as a lion, and lying -down as a great lion, eating up the nations their enemies, breaking -their bones, and piercing them through with the arrows_ of their -archers. _Blessed was he that blessed them, and cursed was he that -cursed them_ (Num. xxiv. 1–9). - -Balak’s vexation was now increased tenfold. Smiting his hands together -he upbraided the Prophet for his deceit, and in place of advancing him, -as he had intended, to high honour, bade him flee for his life to his -native land. Nor was the other loath to go. But before he went, for he -felt himself still moved by the prophetic spirit, he would _advertise_ -the king of what this mysterious people _would do to his people in the -latter days_ (Num. xxiv. 14). Again, therefore, he took up his parable, -_and saw, but not now,――he beheld but not nigh, a Star_, bright as -any that spangled the Eastern sky, _coming out of Jacob, and a sceptre -rising out of Israel, smiting through the princes of Moab[133], and -destroying_ all their wild warriors _the sons of tumult_[134]. One by -one he saw “the giant forms of empires on their way to ruin;” Edom and -Seir becoming a possession for their enemies; Amalek, then _the first -of the nations, in his latter end perishing for ever_; the Kenites, -then _strong in their dwelling-place, and putting their nest in the_ -neighbouring _rocks_ of En-gedi _wasted and made a prey_; nay even -Israel _carried away captive by Asshur_. And yet once more he saw -woe in store even for Asshur, even for his own native land. Far -in the distant future he saw _ships_ coming _from Chittim_, the -island of Cyprus, _to afflict Asshur and to afflict Eber_, till the -proud kingdoms of the Eastern world, and he who should _afflict_ -them _perished for ever_[135]. And then the Vision closed. The -“true Prophetic light died away,” and the king of Moab, baffled and -disappointed, returned to his people. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _WAR WITH THE MIDIANITES――DEATH OF MOSES._ - NUMB. XXV.–XXXII. DEUT. XXXII. B.C. 1451. - - -BUT though his tongue had pronounced eloquent blessings upon the -people he found he could not curse, Balaam’s heart was filled with -malice against them. Dismissed by the king of Moab without the promised -honours and rewards, he lingered amongst the neighbouring Midianites, -and with the keen hatred of his now hardened heart counselled them -to join the children of Moab in seducing the Israelites from their -allegiance to Jehovah. The festival of Baal-Peor was at hand, and was -celebrated with all the unbridled licentiousness of a heathen orgy. -If the Israelites could be persuaded to join in it, they might, he -suggested, become “as other men,” and the Invisible protection now -vouchsafed would be withdrawn (Num. xxxi. 16). His artful suggestion -was adopted. The festival was celebrated, and the Israelites fell -into the snare. They joined themselves to Baal-Peor, took part in -the hideous rites, and defiled themselves before the Lord. Thus -they brought upon themselves a curse far more real than any that the -divinations of Balaam could have effected. Had such apostasy gone -unpunished, the Strength of Israel would indeed have ceased, and the -counsels of the wily Prophet would have been successful. The crisis -required severe and exemplary visitation. A plague broke out which -swept off upwards of 24,000, and the princes of the tribes, at the -command of Moses, slew the guilty with unsparing vigour, and hanged -them up before the Lord. On this occasion PHINEHAS, the son of Eleazar, -and grandson of Aaron, particularly distinguished himself by his -righteous zeal, which was accepted as an atonement for the people, -and rewarded not only by the cessation of the pestilence, but with -a promise that the priesthood should remain in his family for ever. - -But a terrible vengeance was denounced against the crafty Midianites, -and after a second numbering of the people by Moses and Eleazar, a -Sacred War was proclaimed. A thousand warriors from each tribe, led not -by Joshua, but by Phinehas, and accompanied by the Ark, went forth to -execute the task of righteous retribution. The silver trumpets sounded -the signal for the onset, and the Midianites were utterly routed. Five -of their chiefs, Evi and Rekem, Zur and Hur and Reba, as also all their -males, were put to death; their cities were burnt; their goodly castles -fired; their women and children taken captive; nor did the crafty -prophet escape; _he received the wages of his unrighteousness_, and -perished by the sword (Num. xxxi. 8; 2 Pet. ii. 15). - -The country east of the Jordan, which the Israelites had now wrested -from Sihon and Og, was to a great extent a long table-land of -undulating downs famed for its rich pasturage[136], and clothed with -luxuriant vegetation. It was the forest-land, the pasture-land of -Palestine, _a place for cattle_ (Num. xxxii. 1). Of the tribes of -Israel, as we have already noticed[137], Reuben and Gad were eminently -pastoral, _they had a very great multitude of cattle_ (Num. xxxii. 1). -On the conclusion, therefore, of the Sacred War against the Midianites, -they approached Moses and the elders of Israel with the petition that -they might be allowed to settle down in a region so peculiarly suited -to their requirements. This request seemed to the Israelitish leader -to savour of a desire to shrink from the arduous work which lay before -the nation, and as likely to discourage the people from crossing over -and attempting the conquest of the rugged western country, and he -reproached them for their apparent selfishness and indifference to -the welfare of their brethren. But the two tribes protested their -perfect sympathy with the great national cause; they were ready to -send the flower of their troops across the river, and only wished for -the present _to build sheepfolds for their cattle, and cities for their -little ones_, whither they might return on the conquest of the western -country. This promise was deemed sufficient, and Moses distributed -between them the lately conquered territory, assigning to Reuben -and Gad the kingdom of Sihon from the Arnon to the Jabbok[138], and -intrusting to the half of the warlike tribe of Manasseh, whose warriors -had taken so prominent a part in the conquest of the east of Jordan -(Num. xxxii. 39; Deut. iii. 13–15), the inaccessible heights and -impassible ravines of Bashan, and the almost impregnable tract of -Argob[139], the chief stronghold of the giant Og. - -Meanwhile it had been once and again intimated to the Israelitish -leader that the day drew near, when he must be gathered unto his -fathers. Under the special direction, therefore, of Jehovah, he now -occupied himself with giving final and specific instructions respecting -the future government of the nation. Joshua “his minister” was solemnly -appointed to be his successor; the boundaries of the Promised Land were -definitely marked out (Num. xxxiv.); its cities with their suburbs, -including six “cities of refuge” for the unwitting manslayer, were -assigned to the tribe of Levi (Num. xxxv.), and other necessary -regulations were made. - -For an ordinary leader this would have been enough. But the recent sad -occurrences in the matter of Baal-Peor had only too surely reminded -Moses of the fickle tendencies of the nation, and none knew better -than himself the awful consequences of national apostasy. For the last -time, therefore, he assembled the people together and delivered to -them his final counsels. Commencing with a retrospect of the past forty -years, he reminded them of the _goodness and faithfulness_ which had -always followed them, in spite of their murmurings and discontent, -and the victories they had been enabled to achieve (Deut. i–iv. 43). -He recapitulated the Law given on Mount Sinai, with such additions -or modifications as his own enlarged experience suggested (Deut. -v. 1–xxvi. 19), and appointed a day, on which, at the conclusion of the -conquest, its blessings and curses were to be ratified by the nation -with the most imposing and solemn ceremonies (Deut. xxvii.). He then, -for the last time, enlarged on the exalted vocation of the nation, and -the blessings which would assuredly accompany obedience to the Divine -laws, _in the city and the field, in their basket and their store, -in their going out and their coming in_, and dwelt with no less -earnestness on the terrible punishments which would follow apostasy -and transgression, “in furnishing images for which the whole realm -of nature was exhausted, and which nothing excepting the real horrors -of the Jewish history, the misery of their sieges, the cruelty, the -contempt, the oppressions, which for ages this scattered, despised, and -detested nation have endured, can approach[140]” (Deut. xxviii.–xxx.). - -But oral delivery was not deemed sufficient. He, therefore, wrote out -the Law, with its blessings and its curses, and gave it to the priests, -charging them to place it beside the Ark in the Holy of Holies, and to -read it, in the hearing of all the people, once every seven years, at -the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut. xxxi. 9, 26). Then turning to Joshua, -whom he had already nominated as his successor, he bade him _Be strong -and of a good courage_, assuring him that Jehovah would be with him, -and would make all he did to prosper. But as if to deepen the gloomy -forebodings past experience must have suggested, the Lord Himself not -only announced in the clearest terms the future apostasy of the people -(Deut. xxxi. 16–18), but directed Moses to compose a Song, which the -people were to learn and teach their children, as a testimony against -themselves in the days to come, when they should have turned unto other -gods, and served them, and provoked the Lord, and broken His covenant -(Deut. xxxi. 18, 21; xxxii. 1–43). Having composed this Song of -Witness[141], and pronounced his last solemn blessing, not like Jacob -upon twelve men gathered round his deathbed, but on a mighty nation, on -_the ten thousands of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh_, the aged -Prophet, _whose eye was not dim nor his natural force abated_, was -warned that his hour was come. From the plains of Moab he went up the -mountain of Nebo, to the highest point in the long eastern range over -against Jericho, and there He who called him to his high mission at the -Burning Bush showed him that land, which had been so long sworn to the -sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Eastward and westward, southward and -northward, he surveyed that goodly Land; he saw it all with his eyes -though he was not to set his foot thereon. “Beneath him lay the tents -of Israel ready for the march; and ‘over against’ them, distinctly -visible in its grove of palm-trees, the stately Jericho, key of the -Land of Promise. Beyond was spread out the whole range of the mountains -of Palestine, in its fourfold masses; ‘all Gilead’ with Hermon and -Lebanon in the east and north; the hills of Galilee, overhanging the -lake of Gennesareth; the wide opening where lay the plain of Esdraelon, -the future battle-field of the nations; the rounded summits of Ebal and -Gerizim; immediately in front of him the hills of Judæa, and, amidst -them, seen distinctly through the rents in their rocky walls, Bethlehem -on its narrow ridge, and the invincible fortress of Jebus[142].” Such -was his Pisgah-view, and then all was over. The great Prophet had -served his day and his generation, he had reached his 120th year, -and his work was ended. There, _in the land of Moab_, he died, and He -whom he had served faithfully in all His house, buried him in a valley -or ravine in the land of Moab, over against the idol-sanctuary of -Beth-Peor (Deut. xxxiv. 6), but _no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto -this day_. - - - - - NOTE. - - - Three points in reference to Moses deserve attention: (i) His - work, (ii) His character, (iii) His office. (i) _His work._ - “The Hebrew lawgiver was a man who, considered merely in - an historical light, without any reference to his Divine - inspiration, has exercised a more extensive and permanent - influence over the destinies of his own nation and mankind - at large, than any other individual recorded in the annals of - the world.... To his own nation he was chieftain, historian, - poet, lawgiver. He was more than all these, he was the founder - of their civil existence. Other founders of republics and - distinguished legislators have been, like Numa, already at - the head of a settled and organized community; or have been - voluntarily invested with authority, like Lycurgus and Solon, - by a people suffering the inconvenience of anarchy. Moses had - first to form his own people, to lead them out of captivity, to - train them for forty years in the desert, and bestow on them a - country of their own, before he could create his commonwealth.” - (ii) _His character._ “The word _meekness_ (Num. xii. 3) - which is used in Scripture in reference to his personal - character ‘represents what we should now designate by the word - _disinterested_.’ All that is told of him indicates a withdrawal - of himself, a preference of the cause of his own nation to his - own interests, which makes him the most complete example of - Jewish patriotism.” He joins his countrymen in their degrading - servitude (Ex. ii. 11; v. 4); he forgets himself to avenge their - wrongs (Ex. iv. 13). He wishes that not he only, but all the - nation were gifted alike: _Enviest thou for my sake?_ (Num. xi. - 29.) When the offer is made that the people should be destroyed, - and that he should be made a great nation (Ex. xxxii. 10), - he prays that they may be forgiven――_if not, blot me, I pray - thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written_ (Ex. xxxii. 32). - Even when excluded from realizing the hopes of a lifetime, his - zeal for his people suffers no diminution. (iii) _His office._ - While other prophets saw Jehovah only in visions and dreams, - Moses spake with Him _mouth to mouth_, and was entrusted _with - the whole household of God_ (Heb. iii. 2, 5). He was at once - Deliverer, Lawgiver, Priest, Teacher, Leader, and Judge. His - prophetic gift controlled, pervaded, inspired, and regulated - all these functions, and he was thus an eminent type of a still - greater PROPHET (Deut. xviii. 15, 18) to be raised up to Israel - _from among their brethren_, (i) as a Redeemer of his people; - (ii) as a Mediator between them and God; (iii) as a Teacher and - Lawgiver; (iv) as receiving the fullest communications from God; - (v) as the Revealer of a new name of God; (vi) as the founder - of a new religious society. See Milman’s _History of the Jews_, - I. 214; Article _Moses_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Kurtz’s - _History of the Old Covenant_, III. 478; Davison _On Prophecy_, - pp. 110–112. - - - - - BOOK VI. - - JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF WESTERN PALESTINE. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE PASSAGE OF THE JORDAN AND FALL OF JERICHO._ - JOSH. I.–VI. B.C. 1451. - - -JOSHUA, the son of Nun, of the powerful tribe of Ephraim, had, as we -have seen, been already selected as the successor of Moses, and the -leader of the Israelitish forces. When, therefore, the thirty days of -mourning for that eminent servant of God were ended (Deut. xxxiv. 8), -he was encouraged by the Lord to undertake the task of conquest, which -now devolved upon him, and was assured of complete success, if careful -to observe the commandments of the Law. Accordingly preparations -were made for the enterprise without delay; provisions for three days -were issued to the host, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, -already located on the eastern side of the Jordan, were reminded of -their promise to accompany their brethren, and share the perils and -hardships of the campaign. - - Illustration: THE HOLY LAND - divided among - THE TWELVE TRIBES - - _Stanford’s Geographical Establishment_ - London & Cambridge Macmillan & Co. - -The general distribution of the nations now inhabiting western -Palestine has been already described[143]. Along the valley of the -Jordan, and a large portion of the plain of Esdraelon, as also the -sea-coast, dwelt the CANAANITES proper or _Lowlanders_; the JEBUSITES -held the strong fortress of Jebus (_Jerusalem_); the HITTITES Hebron -and its vicinity; between the HITTITES and the Dead Sea were the -powerful and warlike AMORITES or _Highlanders_; the HIVITES occupied -the country about Gibeon and under Mount Hermon; the PERIZZITES the -high plains under the range of Carmel; while in the extreme north dwelt -a powerful chief, who bore the hereditary name of JABIN, or _the wise_. -His fortress was at Hazor, somewhere on the high ground overlooking -the waters of Merom, a strong and fortified position, and the principal -city of that portion of the land. - -The first step to any complete subjugation of the country was the -capture of the important city of Jericho, situated immediately opposite -the camp of Joshua in a vast grove of noble palm-trees, nearly three -miles broad, and eight miles long, which “must have recalled to the -few survivors of the old generation of the Israelites the magnificent -palm-groves of Egypt, such as may now be seen stretching along the -shores of the Nile at Memphis[144].” It was a fenced city, enclosed -by walls of considerable breadth, was the residence of a king, and not -only contained sheep and oxen, but abounded in silver and gold, and -vessels of brass and iron (Josh. vi. 24). From its position it was the -key of Western Palestine, and “commanded the two main passes into the -Central Mountains.” - -The first act of Joshua, therefore, was to send two spies to -reconnoitre this important place. Setting out from Shittim, or the -_meadows of Acacia_, and crossing the Jordan, they effected their -entrance into the house of a woman named Rahab on the city wall. Their -arrival was not unobserved, and was reported to the king of Jericho. -He sent to Rahab’s house, and demanded their surrender, but she had -already concealed her visitors among the flax-stalks spread out to dry -on the flat roof of her house, and when the king’s messengers arrived, -she informed them that the two men had departed, and advised a speedy -pursuit. Misled by this information, the officers of the king went -after them in all haste, while she came up to the spies upon the roof, -and related what had occurred. The townsfolk, she said, had heard of -the marvellous passage of the Red Sea, and of the defeat of the great -Amorite chiefs on the east of Jordan, and despaired of offering any -effectual resistance to a nation thus visibly protected by a God -powerful _in heaven above, and in earth beneath_ (Josh. ii. 11). These -fears she herself shared, and now offered to assist them (Heb. xi. 31, -Jas. ii. 25) in escaping, by letting them down by a cord from her -window, that they might fly to the “jagged range of the white limestone -mountains[145]” behind the city, and conceal themselves for three days -till their pursuers were returned. As a requital for this kindness she -implored them at the capture of the city, which she regarded as certain, -to spare her life, and the lives of her father and mother, and all -her relatives. To this the spies assented, and having agreed that the -scarlet cord should be bound in the window whence they effected their -escape, to mark out the house to their comrades, and be a pledge of its -security, suffered themselves to be lowered down, and in the course of -three days, after hiding in the mountains, once more crossed the Jordan, -and announced to Joshua the despondency of the people of Jericho. - -Early therefore the next morning the Hebrew leader broke up the -encampment on the upper terraces of Shittim, and descended to the -lower banks of the Jordan, where three days were spent in ceremonial -purifications, and in preparing for the passage of the river. The Ark -was to lead the way borne by the priests, and the people were to follow -at a distance of 2000 cubits, or nearly a mile, and were assured that -the feet of the priests should no sooner rest in the river, than the -waters from the south would be cut off from the waters that came down -from above, and would stand on a heap, thus at once affording a passage, -and a pledge of future and complete victory over all the nations of -Canaan (Josh. iii. 1–13). - -It was now the time of harvest, which ripens three weeks earlier in -the plain of Jericho than in other parts of Palestine; and the Jordan, -at this point three quarters of a mile wide, had overflowed all its -banks[146]. On the 10th of Nisan, the sacred month, and therefore four -days before the Feast of the Passover, the signal for the passage was -given. The priests advanced bearing the Ark, and presently reached the -brim or “broken edge” of Jordan (Josh. iii. 15). But no sooner were -their feet dipped in the water, than far up the river, _in Adam, the -city which is beside Zaretan_, that is, about thirty miles from the -place where the Israelites were encamped, the waters which rushed down -from above _stood and rose up upon a heap_, while those that came down -towards the Salt Sea _failed, and were cut off_ (Josh. iii. 16). Thus -from north to south the waters were _driven backwards_ (Ps. cxiv. 3), -and the dry river-bed was exposed to view. Into it the priests -descended bearing the Ark, and there they stood firm and motionless, as -if on dry ground. Meanwhile, below the spot where they stood, the host, -probably at various points, _hasted and passed over_ (Josh. iv. 10), -led by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, -whose vanguard amounted to 40,000 men ( Josh. iv. 12). When at length -from the deep bed of the river all had ascended to the desert plains -on the further side, Joshua gave the signal to the priests to come -out of the river. Preceded by twelve chiefs of the tribes with twelve -huge stones taken from the bed of the Jordan, which were set up as a -memorial on the upper bank of the Jordan valley, they moved from the -spot where they had stood so long, and no sooner had they reached the -other side than the waters rushed back to their accustomed channel, and -the river overflowed its banks as before (Josh. iv. 18). - -Intelligence of this marvellous event reached the ears not only of the -Amorite mountain-chiefs, but also of the Canaanite lowlanders on the -sea-coast, and filled them with the utmost alarm, _their heart melted, -neither was there spirit in them any more_. No attack, therefore, -was made upon the Israelites, who were left in quiet possession of -their advanced post on the western side of Jordan. Here the rite of -circumcision, so long neglected during their desert wanderings, was -performed, and in memory of this removal of the reproach of their -uncircumcised state, the rising ground of their encampment was called -Gilgal, _rolling away_ (Josh. v. 9). They were now also in a condition -to keep the Passover, which was duly celebrated on the 14th day of -the month at even _on the plains of Jericho_, and the unleavened cakes -prescribed for this Festival were made of the old corn of the land, -and not of the manna, which on the next day entirely ceased, and thus -proved that their desert life was really over (Josh. v. 10–12). - -The capture of Jericho was the next step to be taken, and while Joshua -was, in all probability, deeply meditating thereon, there appeared -to him _a Man with his sword drawn in his hand_, who in answer to the -enquiries of the Israelite leader declared himself to be the _Prince of -the army of Jehovah_[147]. In deep reverence Joshua fell on his face to -the ground, and was bidden to loose his shoes from off his feet, _for -the place on which he stood was holy ground_. Instructions were then -given him respecting the method of the city’s capture. To mark in the -strongest manner the singularity of the campaign, to distinguish it -from anything that had been known before, the great frontier fortress -of the Jordan valley was to fall in a way above all others calculated -to show that _the Lord fought for Israel_. Once a day for six days -the host, preceded by the sacred Ark and seven priests each blowing -a trumpet of ram’s horn, was to march in procession round the city. -On the seventh day the circuit was to be made seven times, at the -conclusion of which the priests were to sound a long blast with the -rams’ horns. This was to be the signal for a general shout, on which -Joshua was assured that the walls of Jericho would fall down flat, and -the host would be enabled to advance every man straight before him into -the doomed city. Once within it, the Israelites were to consider every -thing save the house and family of Rahab as devoted to Jehovah. Man and -woman, young and old, ox and sheep, were to be given up to wholesale -destruction, and the city itself was to be burnt with fire, and all -that was therein, save the vessels of gold and silver, of brass and -iron, which were to be consecrated to the service of Jehovah. - -Accordingly, early the following morning, the strange advance was -ordered. First went a select body of armed men (Josh. vi. 9), then -followed the priests blowing with the trumpets, next the Ark, and -lastly the vanguard. Save the blast of the trumpets, there was no war -cry of the troops, no sound even of human voice. Once a day for six -days the strange procession passed round the city. What the swords of -the Israelites could effect had already been proved in fierce conflicts -with Sihon and Og, but now they hung unused in their sheaths. At -early dawn on the seventh day the same procession went forth, and -compassed the city not once but seven times. The last circuit complete, -the priests sounded a long continued blast, and on a given signal -from Joshua, the _great shout_ of the entire army rose to heaven. -Immediately the walls of Jericho fell down flat, and the host advanced -straight into it, and captured it. In the house of Rahab her father and -mother and other relatives were gathered together as had been agreed, -and having been identified by the spies, were led forth to a place of -safety without the camp of Israel. The rest of the inhabitants without -exception were slain with the edge of the sword; the city was burnt, -and everything was consumed save the vessels of gold and silver, of -brass and iron. And not only was the proud “City of Palm-trees” thus -utterly destroyed, but Joshua imprecated a solemn curse on any one -who attempted to rebuild it, he should lay the foundation _thereof -in his firstborn, and in his youngest son should he set up the gates -of it_[148] (Josh. vi. 26). Thus the first step in the conquest -was brought to a successful end, and the most important town in the -Jordan valley, the key of western Palestine, was in the hands of the -Israelites. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _CONQUEST OF THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS._ - JOSH. VII.–XI. B.C. 1451. - - -THE passes into the central hills being thus secured, Joshua without -delay sent men to reconnoitre the position of AI, a royal city, -strongly posted beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, “at -the head of the ravines running up from the valley of the Jordan.” -The spies reported it as easy of capture, and suggested that two or -three thousand men would be amply sufficient for the undertaking. -Acting on their advice Joshua dispatched the suggested number, who -advanced boldly up the ravine, but only to meet with an unexpected -and disastrous repulse. The men of Ai, strong in their high position, -chased them down the “steep descent” from the gates, and slew about -thirty-six men. - -This unlooked-for reverse excited the profoundest despondency in -the Israelitish camp. Joshua and the elders, with dust upon their -heads, lay till eventide upon the ground before the Ark, which had so -lately been led triumphantly round Jericho, anticipated nothing less -than a general attack of the collected Canaanites, emboldened by the -discomfiture of the people. From this dejection they were roused by -the Voice of the Captain of the Lord’s Host informing them that the -Israelites themselves were the cause of this defeat; they had not kept -themselves from _the accursed thing_ in the devoted city of Jericho, -but had taken and concealed a portion of the spoil, nor till atonement -was made for this sin, could they expect any further success to attend -their arms. - -On the morrow, therefore, all Israel was assembled by their tribes, -and an appeal was made to the sacred Lot to discover the offender. The -tribe of Judah having been taken, its clans, families, and households -were successively led forth, and at length the transgressor was -found in the person of ACHAN, the son of Carmi. Adjured by Joshua -to make a full confession, he owned that from the spoils of Jericho -he had secretly set aside a richly ornamented Babylonish or Assyrian -robe[149], 200 shekels of silver, and a solid wedge of gold weighing -50 shekels, and had hidden them in the ground under his tent. Thither -messengers were sent, and there the stolen property was found, and -spread before the assembled host. Achan was then taken to a valley -south or south-west of Jericho, and there stoned to death, together -with his sons, his daughters, and all his family; their remains -together with his tent, the stolen property, and all his possessions -were then burnt with fire, while a great mound of stones was set up -over the scene of the execution, and the valley was henceforth known -as that of Achor (_trouble_). - -The host was now in a position to resume the attack upon Ai. -Selecting[150] 30,000 men from his forces, Joshua set out from Gilgal, -and on reaching the neighbourhood of the city detached 5,000 men -to place themselves during the night in ambush behind it. Meanwhile -he himself, with the rest of his army, took up his position on an -eminence near the north side of the town. Early the following morning -he descended into the valley, and the king of Ai no sooner detected -them than he advanced with all his forces to the encounter. Thereupon -the Israelites feigned a retreat, and were hotly pursued by their foes -towards the desert of the Jordan[151], while at the signal of Joshua’s -uplifted spear the ambuscade rushed into Ai and set it on fire. The -smoke of their city ascending up to heaven was the first announcement -to the inhabitants of the success of the stratagem practised by the -Israelites. Attacked before and behind they were utterly routed, -and their whole population, numbering 12,000, were put to the sword. -The city itself was sacked and burnt, and its king having been taken -prisoner was hanged upon a tree till sunset, when the body was taken -down, and a huge heap of stones was piled up over his grave. - -After this signal victory the Israelitish leader determined to take -advantage of the terror which the success of his arms had inspired in -the hearts of the Canaanites, and carry out the command of Moses[152] -touching the ratification of the Law with imposing and solemn -ceremonies, on the mountains Ebal and Gerizim (Deut. xxvii.). From Ai, -to the north of which the host had already advanced, Ebal was about -20 miles distant. Thither accordingly the host repaired; an altar of -unhewn stones was erected, and burnt-offerings and peace-offerings were -sacrificed to Jehovah. The stones were then plastered with lime, and -the words of the Law, probably the Ten Commandments, or the Blessings -and Cursings contained in Deut. xxvii. inscribed thereon[153]. Half of -the assembled tribes then ascended the summit of Ebal, the other half -that of Gerizim. In the intermediate valley[154] stood the priests and -Levites with the Ark, surrounded by the elders, officers, and judges, -with Joshua at their head. Of the blessings and cursings of the Law -each was then read aloud by the Levites, and as they read, to each -curse the six tribes on Ebal responded with a unanimous loud _Amen_, -and to each blessing the assembled thousands on Gerizim similarly -testified their acquiescence[155]. - -On their return from this solemn ratification of the Covenant the -Israelites assembled at Gilgal[156]. Here they were met by an embassy -from GIBEON, now _El-Jib_. It was a royal city, situated exactly -“opposite the opening of the pass of Ai,” inhabited by the commercial -Hivites, and was at this time the head of a small group of confederate -cities, _Chephirah_, _Beeroth_, and _Kirjath-jearim_ (Josh. ix. 17). -Alarmed by the successes of Joshua, the Canaanite kings of the hills, -the valleys, and the sea-coast had mustered their forces for a general -attack upon him. In this the Gibeonites had resolved to take no part, -but determined if possible to make a league with the Israelites. For -this purpose they sent ambassadors arrayed in old and tattered garments -and clouted shoes, carrying old sacks upon their asses, dry and mouldy -bread, and goat-skin bottles patched and shrivelled, the better to keep -up the appearance of being toil-worn travellers from a far country -(Josh. ix. 3–13). - -Completely deceived by this wily embassage, without waiting to take -counsel of the Lord, Joshua and the princes concluded a covenant with -them, and solemnly swore that they would spare their lives. Within -three days, however, they arrived in the midst of their cities, and -ascertained that instead of being very far off, they were their near -neighbours. Loud was the murmuring of the people against their chiefs, -when they saw how they had been duped. But the latter nobly determined -to abide by their oaths, and in place of putting the Gibeonites to -death reduced them to the condition of bondmen, and made them _hewers -of wood and drawers of water_ for the congregation, and for the altar -of the Lord[157]. - -Meanwhile news of the capitulation of Gibeon having reached the ears of -the southern kings, they resolved to attack the recreant city, and five -powerful chiefs, the king of JEBUS, the king of HEBRON or KIRJATH-ARBA, -the king of JARMUTH, the king of LACHISH, the king of EGLON, marched -against it, and commenced a regular siege. In their alarm the -Gibeonites sent an urgent message to Joshua at Gilgal, bidding him -_slack not his hand_, but come to their aid with the utmost speed, and -deliver them from their powerful foes. Perceiving that not a moment was -to be lost, Joshua instantly arrayed all his forces, and by a forced -march suddenly burst upon the Amorite kings, as they lay encamped -before the city. Unable to offer any effectual resistance to this -utterly unexpected attack, they were helpless before the Hebrew leader, -and _the Lord who fought for Israel_. Numbers were slaughtered at -Gibeon itself, numbers fled along the rocky ascent leading to Upper -Beth-horon (_the house of Caves_), about four miles distant. Hence, -however, they were chased by the triumphant Israelites along the rough -descent leading to Lower Beth-horon, and thence to Azekah and Makkedah, -when a terrific storm burst forth; _the Lord thundered out of heaven_ -and _cast down great hailstones_ upon the flying Canaanites, _so -that they were more which died with the hailstones than they whom the -children of Israel slew with the sword_ (Josh. x. 11). Standing on -the summit of Upper Beth-horon[158], Joshua watched the foe flying in -helpless confusion towards the western lowlands. The Lord had already -delivered them into his hands, and time only was needed to render the -rout complete and enable his forces to _avenge themselves_ on their -enemies. But the day was far advanced, and he feared the Canaanites -might yet make good their escape. _In the sight_, then, _of all Israel_, -he cried, _Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the -valley of Ajalon_ (_the place of deer_ or _gazelles_). And the Lord, -who fought for Israel, hearkened to the voice of His servant: _the -sun stood still, and the moon stayed_, and in the lengthened afternoon -the pursuit was continued without pause or rest. Arrived at Makkedah, -somewhere in the Shephelah or maritime plain, the five kings hid -themselves in a well-known cave[159] shaded by trees. But thither -also the tide of battle brought the triumphant Joshua, who bade his -followers only pause _to roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, -and set men by it for to keep them_. Longer he would not tarry; intent -upon the pursuit he urged his forces to smite the hindmost of their -foes, and prevent their escaping into their cities. His words were -obeyed, nor till they had made an end of slaying the Canaanites with -a great slaughter did the pursuers return to Makkedah. Here a camp was -formed, and the mouth of the cave having been opened, the five kings -were dragged forth in the sight of Joshua and all the men of Israel. -As they lay prostrate upon the ground, the Israelite leader bade the -captains of the men of war put their feet on their necks, and then -smote them, and slew them, and hanged them upon five trees, until -the evening. Then, as the sun went down upon that memorable day, like -which was _no day before or after it_, they were taken down, and flung -into the cave where they had vainly tried to conceal themselves, great -stones were once more rolled to its mouth, and the royal sepulchre was -closed (Josh. x. 16–27). - -Such was the issue of the eventful battle of Beth-horon. It sealed the -fate of every important city of southern Palestine. One after another, -Makkedah and Libnah, Lachish and Eglon, Hebron and Debir fell before -the victorious Israelites. From one captured city they passed on to -another conquering and to conquer, till they had smitten _all the -country of the hills and of the south, and of the vale, and of the -springs_ from Kadesh-Barnea in the southern desert to the central plain -of Esdraelon (Josh. x. 41). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _BATTLE OF MEROM AND DIVISION OF THE LAND._ - JOSH. XI.–XXI. B.C. 1450–1444. - - -INTELLIGENCE of the decisive battle of Beth-horon before long reached -the ears of that powerful chief in northern Palestine, who has been -already mentioned, JABIN, _the Wise_, whose capital Hazor was the -principal fortress in that part of the country. Determined to make a -last effort to defeat the Israelites he rallied round his standard[160] -not only the chiefs in his own immediate neighbourhood, but from the -plains south of the sea of Galilee, or, as it was then called, _the sea -of Chinnereth_, from the valley of the Jordan, the maritime plain of -Dor, and the as yet unconquered fortress of Jebus. - -Again encouraged by the Lord with the promise of a decisive victory, -Joshua did not shrink from encountering this formidable confederacy. -Setting forth on a forced march, he burst upon the combined armies -of the northern chiefs, as they were encamped by the waters of Merom. -As before, his attack was irresistible. The Lord delivered the vast -hosts of the foe into the hands of Israel, who smote them with great -slaughter, and chased them as far as the friendly city of great Zidon -on the west, and the valley of Mizpeh on the east. This was the first -occasion on which the Israelites encountered the horses and iron -chariots of the Canaanites. According to the special command of their -leader (Josh. xi. 6), they cut the ham-strings of their horses, so as -to render them unfit for further use, and burnt the chariots with fire. -Hazor, the stronghold of Jabin, was captured and burnt, its king and -all its inhabitants were put to the sword, the flocks and herds only -being reserved as spoil for the people. - -The battle of Merom was the last of Joshua’s recorded engagements, but -a long war, considered to have lasted nearly seven years, now occupied -his energies, during which he proved his fidelity to the instructions -given by the great Lawgiver of the nation. _As the Lord commanded Moses -His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua_, till by -the time he had completed his campaigns, six nations and thirty-one -kings had swelled the roll of his triumphs (Josh. xi. 18–23; xii. 24). - -At length, when he was old and stricken in years, he was commanded to -divide the conquered territory among the nine tribes and the half tribe -of Manasseh. - -The mode adopted was twofold. - -1. In some cases individual chiefs claimed particular spots on the -score of their own prowess, or putting themselves at the head of armed -predatory expeditions conquered certain portions with the sword. The -chief instance of this was afforded by the aged compeer of Joshua, -CALEB the son of Jephunneh, who now won distinction and renown for his -own tribe of Judah. Forty-five years had elapsed since as one of the -twelve spies in company with Joshua he had come down the _Valley of the -Cluster_ to Hebron, the fortress of the giant Arba, where they gathered -the enormous bunch of Syrian grapes. On that memorable day Moses had -rewarded his eminent faithfulness by promising him the _land whereon -his feet had trod as an inheritance for himself and his children for -ever_ (Num. xiv. 23, 24; Josh. xiv. 9). This winding _Valley_, then, -_of the Cluster_, this _mountain_ (Josh. xiv. 12) on which rose the -stronghold of the Anakims, was the portion Caleb desired for himself, -and hence with the Divine aid he vowed to drive forth its gigantic -possessors, and take it for his own. - -Joshua willingly granted his request, and the great warrior of the -tribe of Judah went up against the city of Arba, and drove out the sons -of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. Thence he proceeded southward to -DEBIR or Kirjath-sephir[161], _the City of Books_, probably a sacred -oracular place, and promised to give to its successful assailant his -daughter Achsah in marriage. Thereupon OTHNIEL his nephew, or according -to others his younger brother, attacked and took the fortress, and won -the promised prize. On the way to Othniel’s house, Achsah dismounted -from the ass on which she rode, and begged her father to give her some -“better heritage than the dry and thirsty frontier of the desert.” -Below the spot on which rose the newly captured fortress was a bubbling -rivulet, falling into a rich valley. _Thou hast given me_, said she, -_a south land, give me also the bubbling rills_, and he gave her _the -upper and lower bubblings_, and thus Hebron and Debir with the rich -valley below became the inheritance of the great warrior of Judah, and -was long after known by his name (1 Sam. xxv. 3; xxx. 14). - -2. But the more general mode of dividing the conquered land, in -accordance with the Divine instructions, was by casting lots before the -Tabernacle at Shiloh[162], in the presence of Joshua, the High-priest, -and the elders of the nation. As the distribution of the tribes of -REUBEN, GAD, and the half-tribe of MANASSEH on the east of the Jordan -has been already described, we may confine ourselves to those on the -western side, under the threefold division of (a) _The South_, (b) _the -Centre_, (c) _the North_. - - - (a) _The South._ - - i. The most southerly frontier was assigned first to Judah but - afterwards to SIMEON (Josh. xix. 9), and is often called in - Scripture _the South_ (Josh. x. 40; Judg. i. 9). Like Reuben on - the east of Jordan, Simeon was destined to have little influence - on the subsequent history, to be _divided in Jacob and scattered - in Israel_ (Gen. xlix. 5–7), and to be constantly exposed to - the attacks of the Amalekites and other nomadic tribes on its - frontier (comp. 1 Chron. iv. 39–43). - - ii. Next to Simeon on the North was the territory of the lion - tribe of JUDAH, comprising the undulating pasture country of the - South, the fertile lowland of the West, the hill fortresses of - the centre, and the wild desert bordering on the Dead Sea. Part - of his inheritance was fertile, and covered with corn fields and - vineyards (Gen. xlix. 11), part was a wild country, “the lair - of savage beasts,” where amidst caverns, ravines and mountains, - Judah, true to the description in the blessing of Jacob, could - _stoop down and couch as a lion_, guarding the southern frontier - of the Promised Land. - - iii. North-east of Judah was the warlike little tribe (Ps. - lxviii. 27; 1 Sam. ix. 21) of BENJAMIN, famous for its archers - (2 Sam. i. 22), slingers (Judg. xx. 16), and left-handed - warriors (Judg. iii. 15; xx. 16). Its territory was small, being - hardly larger than the county of Middlesex, but its position - was of great importance. Containing numerous rounded hills[163], - which presented favourable sites for strong fortresses, it - commanded the chief passes leading down from the central hills - to the Jordan on the one side, and the plains of Philistia on - the other. In this broken and hilly country the tribe became - warlike and indomitable, _ravening as a wolf_ (Gen. xlix. 27). - - iv. Compressed into the narrow space between the north-western - hills of Judah and the Mediterranean was the tribe of DAN, - containing within the 14 miles from Joppa to Ekron one of the - most fertile tracts in the land, the corn-field and garden of - southern Palestine. But for this rich prize it had to contend - first with the Amorites (Judg. i. 34), and afterwards with the - Philistines (Judg. xiv. &c.), and eventually, as we shall see, - was obliged to seek a new home in the North (Judg. xviii. 27–29). - - - (b) _The Centre._ - - The central portion of the Holy Land, the _Samaria_ of after - ages, was assigned to the two brother tribes of the _house of - Joseph_, EPHRAIM and MANASSEH. Of this territory, which may - be roughly estimated at 55 miles from E. to W., and 70 from - N. to S., and which was about equal in extent to the counties - of Norfolk and Suffolk combined[164], (i) the more southerly - portion was assigned to Joshua’s own tribe of EPHRAIM. It - extended as far south as Ramah and Bethel within a few miles - of Jerusalem, and was rich in fountains and streamlets, in - “wide plains in the hearts of mountains, and continued tracts - of vegetation,” in corn-fields and orchards, _the precious - things of the earth and the fulness thereof_, which the Lawgiver - invoked on _the ten thousands of Ephraim_ (Deut. xxxiii. 13–17), - and of whose father Jacob had said that he should be _a fruitful - bough, a fruitful bough by a well_ (Gen. xlix. 22). (ii) And - as the duty of guarding the northern outposts on the east of - Jordan had been assigned to one half of the tribe of MANASSEH, - so to the remaining half on the west was assigned the duty - of defending the passes into the great plain of Jezreel. Its - territory stretched westwards to the Mediterranean and the - slopes of Carmel, but did not quite reach the Jordan on the East. - - - (c) _The North._ - - The northern portion of the Holy Land, the _Galilee_ of after - times, extending from the range of Carmel to the mountains - of Lebanon, was assigned to four tribes “allied by birth, and - companions on the desert march,” ISSACHAR, ZEBULUN, ASHER, and - NAPHTALI. - - i. The territory of ISSACHAR lay above that of Manasseh, and - exactly consisted of the plain of Esdraelon (the Greek form of - the Hebrew _Jezreel_, = _the seed-plot of God_). The luxuriance - of this plain,――the battle-field of Palestine[165]――is the theme - of every traveller. The soil yielded corn and figs, wine and - oil (1 Chr. xii. 40), the stately palm waved over the villages, - and the very weeds to this day testify to its extraordinary - fertility. Here Issachar rejoiced in his _tents_ (Deut. xxxiii. - 18, 19), couched down as the strong he-ass (Gen. xlix. 14, 15) - used for burden and field-work, and seeing that _rest was good, - and the land that it was pleasant, bowed his shoulder to bear, - and became a servant to the tribute_, which various marauders, - Canaanites (Judg. iv. 3, 7), Midianites, Amalekites (Judg. vi. - 3, 4), Philistines (1 Sam. xxix. 1; xxxi. 7–10) exacted, bursting - through his frontier open both on the east and west, and tempted - by his luxuriant crops[166]. - - ii. Immediately north of Issachar was the allotment of ZEBULUN, - extending from the _Sea of Chinnereth_[167] (afterwards _the - Lake of Gennesareth_) on the east, towards the Mediterranean on - the west. Besides the fertile plain near the fisheries of the - lake, this tribe possessed the _goings out_ (Deut. xxxiii. 18), - the outlet of the plain of Akka, where it could _suck of the - abundance of the seas_. - - iii. The land of NAPHTALI stretched from the Sea of Chinnereth - to the valley which separates the ranges of Lebanon and - Anti-Lebanon, and was one of the most densely wooded districts - of the country; its forests surpassed even those of Carmel, - and the land has been described as a “natural park of oaks and - terebinths.” Its soil also was rich and fertile, _full with the - blessing of the Lord_ (Deut. xxxiii. 23). - - iv. To the West of Naphtali and resting on the sea-shore was - the lot of the tribe of ASHER. It was an important position, - including the creeks and harbours (Judg. v. 17, 18) on the coast, - and commanding all approaches to Palestine from the sea on the - north. Its soil was pre-eminently fertile, and well fulfilled - the blessings of Jacob and Moses. Here Asher could dip his foot - in the _oil_ of his luxuriant olive-groves (Deut. xxxiii. 24), - fatten on the _bread_, the fruit of his rich plains, and the - _royal dainties_ (Gen. xlix. 20), the produce of his vineyards - and pastures, while _for_ or _under his shoes_ (Deut. xxxiii. 25) - was the _iron_ ore of Lebanon, and the _brass_, or copper, of - the neighbouring Phœnician settlements[168]. - - One tribe alone received no share in this allotment. Like Simeon, - but in a different sense, the tribe of LEVI was to be _divided - in Jacob and scattered in Israel_ (Gen. xlix. 7). Devoted to the - service of the sanctuary and sacrificial and other ministrations, - this tribe depended for its maintenance on the tithes of the - produce of land and cattle (Num. xviii.); but besides this, - from each tribe, four cities and their suburban pastures, or - forty-eight in all, were set apart for it, and amongst these - were included the _six cities of Refuge_, three on each side of - the Jordan, - - _On the West._ - - 1. _Kedesh_ in Naphtali. - 2. _Shechem_ in Mt Ephraim. - 3. _Hebron_ in Judah. - - _On the East._ - - 4. _Golan_ in Bashan. - 5. _Ramoth-Gilead_ in Gad. - 6. _Bezer_ in Reuben. - -The division of the Promised Land being thus concluded, and his own -inheritance having been assigned to him at Timnath-serah in Mount -Ephraim, where he built a city and settled amongst the people he had -led so prudently, Joshua summoned the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the -half tribe of Manasseh, and having commended them for their bravery -and fidelity, gave them his blessing, and bade them return to their -own settlements beyond the Jordan (Josh. xxii. 1–6). - -Accordingly these tribes departed. But while yet on the western side -of the river they set up a great Altar, not indeed for burnt-offering -or for sacrifice, which could only be presented at the Brazen Altar of -the Tabernacle at Shiloh (Lev. xvii. 8, 9; Deut. xii. 4–29), but as a -standing witness to all generations, that though parted by that river, -they were not sundered in religion or national interests from their -western brethren. No sooner, however, was the erection of this altar -announced to the other tribes, than they assembled at Shiloh, and -made war upon their brethren, whom they deemed guilty of apostasy. But -first, they prudently resolved to send an embassy, with Phinehas and -ten princes at its head, to try the effect of a friendly expostulation. -Phinehas accordingly set out and laid before them the complaint of -their brethren. What trespass, he asked, was this of which they were -guilty in building this altar? Had they forgotten the judgments the -nation had incurred by their sin in the matter of Baal-Peor, or the -trouble the nation suffered in consequence of the trespass of Achan? -What, then, did they mean by this turning away from following the Lord, -and exposing the whole people to His deserved wrath? - -Startled at this suspicion of faithlessness, the two tribes and a -half reiterated the most solemn protestations of their innocence. The -Altar they had erected was not intended for any sacrificial purposes -whatsoever. It was simply an Altar of Memorial, a Testimony to future -generations that they had the same part and lot in the interests of -the nation as their brethren on the west of Jordan. Even the zealous -Phinehas could not but be satisfied with this explanation. It was -no apostasy or rebellion, but at the worst an error in judgment. And -the embassy returned with the joyful intelligence that there were no -grounds for a quarrel or an appeal to arms, while the two tribes and a -half, having named the altar ED, or a Witness, continued their journey -to their eastern homes, where they settled down in the territories -assigned them by Moses. - -And now at length the land had rest. The tribes east and west of Jordan -established themselves in _the lands of the heathen, and inherited -the labour of the people_ (Ps. cv. 44). Before long Joshua, already -stricken in age, became aware that the day was at hand when he must go -the way of all the earth. Summoning, therefore, the tribes of Israel, -with their elders, their judges, and their officers to Shechem, a spot -consecrated by the remains of Joseph (Josh. xxiv. 33), and the national -acceptance of the blessings and cursings of the law (Josh. viii. 30–35), -he for the last time exhorted the nation to faithfulness to Jehovah. -He reviewed their history from the day that their fathers dwelt on the -other side of the Euphrates in the old time until now, when the Lord -had given them cities which they builded not, vineyards and oliveyards -which they planted not. The call of Abraham, the descent of Jacob into -Egypt, the wonders of the Exodus, the desert wanderings, the conquest -of the Amorites on the east of Jordan, of the Canaanites on this, all -these great events in their history were reviewed, and then the aged -Chief solemnly bade them choose whom they would serve, Jehovah who had -done so great things for them, or the gods of their fathers and of the -nations in whose land they dwelt. Thereupon the people solemnly renewed -the Covenant they had before made on the same spot, and as an abiding -memorial of their promise Joshua set up a Stone Pillar under a sacred -oak of Abraham and Jacob[169], and wrote out the words of the Covenant -in the _Book of the Law of God_ (Josh. xxiv. 26). This done, he bade -every man depart unto his inheritance, and shortly afterwards, at the -age of 110, this devout, blameless, fearless warrior died, and was -buried in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah[170] (Josh. -xxiv. 30). - - - - - BOOK VII. - - PERIOD OF THE JUDGES. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _EVENTS SUBSEQUENT TO THE DEATH OF JOSHUA._ - JUDG. I. B.C. CIRC. 1425. - - -THE position of the Israelites at the death of Joshua was eminently -favourable. A nation of freemen, entrusted at Sinai with the “Oracles -of God,” they were now in possession of the Promised Land. Though their -late leader had not appointed any successor to those extraordinary -functions he had retained throughout his life, a complete form of -government had always obtained amongst them ever since they became a -nation in Egypt. This was mainly kept up by the chiefs of the several -tribes, the heads of the great families or clans, and the heads of -houses. (Comp. Josh. viii. 33; xxiii. 2; xxiv. 1.) God Himself was -their King, and in a sensible and living presence manifested Himself at -the Tabernacle now set up at Shiloh, and revealed His will through the -mediation of the High-priest. - -But though their position was one of great privileges and blessings, -it was none the less one of trial and probation. The purposes for -which the Vine of Israel had been called out of Egypt (Ps. lxxx. 8) and -planted in this goodly land could not be fulfilled without trouble and -exertion. There were enemies without and within their newly-acquired -territory, ready at the first opportunity to attempt its recovery -from their hands. If they were secure from their old oppressors -the Egyptians, yet on the south and south-east the Midianites and -Amalekites were only too likely to attack a people, whose late -victories must have been a continual source of jealousy; while on the -north-east were formidable chiefs, who might, as in the days of their -forefather Abraham[171], sweep down upon the country beyond the Jordan, -and grievously harass the eastern tribes. Moreover, extensive as the -conquests of Joshua had been, they had not achieved nor were they -intended to achieve the entire extirpation of the Canaanites. The -conquered population retained large tracts and important positions in -the very heart of the country. The Philistines retained the fertile -plain of the Shephelah in the south-west; the almost impregnable -fortress of Jebus still remained unconquered on the very border of -Judah; well nigh the entire sea-coast from Dor to Sidon was in the -hands of the Phœnicians; the strong towns of Beth-shean, of Taanach, -and Megiddo were still held by the Canaanites in the fertile plain -of Jezreel; while on the north still lingered formidable remnants of -the great confederacy under Jabin. These nations had _not been driven -out hastily_, but had been left to test and prove the fidelity of the -generation that _had not known the wars of Canaan_ (Judg. ii. 22), and -the duty of subjugating them had been solemnly enforced by Joshua in -his last address to the assembled tribes (Josh. xxiii. 5–10). - -Accordingly we find that all the days of the elders that outlived -Joshua, the nation did not forget its vocation, but carried on the work -to which it had been called (Judg. ii. 7). - -1. Thus _Judah_, whose conquest of Hebron and its vicinity has been -already related, in alliance with the neighbouring tribe of Simeon, -attacked Bezek, slew 10,000 of its Canaanite and Perizzite inhabitants, -and captured its ferocious king Adoni-bezek, whose cruel mutilation of -seventy vassal princes gives us an insight into the character of the -native chiefs, whom Israel was commissioned to expel (Judg. i. 6, 7). -As he had done to others, so Judah did to him. They _cut off his thumbs -and his great toes_, and carried him captive to Jerusalem, _i.e._ -to the Lower City, which was taken, and set on fire. But the Upper -City resisted all their efforts, as afterwards those of the tribe of -Benjamin (Judg. i. 21[172]). They were more successful, however, in -other places, and reduced numerous cities of the Canaanites in the -central mountains, the southern desert, and the low country of the west -(Judg. i. 17, 18). - -2. The powerful house of _Joseph_ was not behind-hand in following the -example of the lion-tribe of Judah. They sent spies to descry the town -of Luz, who seeing a man coming from thence, seized him, but consented -to spare his life and that of his family on condition that he shewed -them the entrance, on ascertaining which, they smote the place with -the edge of the sword. Thus in addition to Shechem, the house of -Joseph became possessed of another spot consecrated by the most sacred -associations, even the town, near which was the stone Pillar their -father Jacob had set up on his way to Padan-Aram, and called the -place Beth-el, _the House of God_ (Judg. i. 22–26). But they were not -similarly successful in expelling the Canaanites from Gezer near lower -Beth-horon (Judg. i. 29), or from their strongholds in the plain of -Jezreel, Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shean. Instead of utterly driving -them out, they put them under tribute, as also the Amorites, who -succeeded in thrusting the children of Dan from the fertile lowland of -the sea-coast into the mountains, to be themselves dispossessed in turn -by the Philistines (Judg. i. 34, 35). - -3. Similar declensions from the strict line of duty marked the conduct -of other tribes. _Zebulun_ contented itself with merely imposing -tribute on the nations within its borders; _Asher_ made no attempt to -expel the powerful Phœnicians on the sea-coast from Accho to Zidon, -or from their more inland settlements; and _Naphtali_ spared the -inhabitants of the fenced cities of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath -(Judg. i. 30–33). This neglect of an obvious duty soon led to worse -results. Contrary to the express commands of the Law, and the repeated -exhortations of Moses and Joshua, the Israelites began to make leagues -with the heathen nations. Leagues with nations led to marriages with -individuals, and these to their natural consequences. Their new -relatives invited the Israelites to their idolatrous festivals, where -the consecrated licentiousness gratified their sensual appetites, and -before long there _arose a generation, which knew not the Lord, nor yet -the works which He had done for Israel_ (Judg. ii. 10). Forgetting Him -who had done so great things for them, they bowed themselves to strange -gods, and practised the worst abominations, even sacrificing their -sons and their daughters to Baal and Ashtaroth (Ps. cvi. 37, 38; Judg. -ii. 13). - -This gradual spread of idolatry, and as a natural consequence, of -moral and social degeneracy, is strikingly illustrated by two incidents -recorded in the last five chapters of the Book of Judges, which seem to -have been inserted for this very purpose as a kind of appendix to that -Book[173]. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _MICAH AND THE DANITES, THE TRIBAL WAR._ - JUDG. XVII.–XXI. B.C. CIRC. 1406. - - -THERE was living about twenty years after the death of Joshua in -Mount Ephraim in central Palestine a man named MICAH, whose mother -one day lost 1100 shekels of silver. So terrible was the curse she -imprecated on the thief, that her son in alarm confessed that he had -abstracted the money. Instead of reproaching him, his mother thereupon -informed him that she had dedicated this sum, probably the savings of -a lifetime[174], to the Lord, to make a graven and a molten image. Upon -this Micah restored the money to his mother, who sent 200 shekels to -a founder for the purpose of fashioning the idol. When made, it was -set up in Micah’s house, and he consecrated one of his sons as priest, -and arrayed him in a sacred vestment, probably made in imitation -of the ephod of the High-priest. Not satisfied, however, with the -ministrations of his son, on the arrival of a young Levite of Bethlehem -in Judæa, travelling, probably, in search of employment as a teacher of -the Law, he persuaded him also to become his priest, and agreed to give -him 10 shekels of silver a-year, suitable sacerdotal vestments, and his -living. On these terms the Levite was content to dwell with him, became -his priest, and _was unto him as one of his sons_. - -Soon after this it happened that the tribe of Dan being still hard -pressed by the Amorites[175], and desirous of an addition to their -territory, sent five spies from two towns in the low country to -discover a new and advantageous settlement. The spies set out, and -on their way came to Mount Ephraim, where they obtained a lodging -in the house of Micah. Recognizing the voice of the young Levite, -they enquired the cause of his presence there, and on ascertaining -the position he held, begged him to ask counsel of Jehovah as to the -success of their expedition. The Levite did so, and the answer was -propitious. Thereupon the spies resumed their journey, and tracking the -Jordan to its source beyond the waters of Merom, came to an eminence -on which rose the town of Laish (_Tell el-Kâdy_), a colony from Sidon, -whose inhabitants, “separated from their mother-city[176] by the huge -mass of Lebanon and half of Anti-Lebanon,” _dwelt quiet and secure_ -(Judg. xviii. 7) in the enjoyment of the warm climate and exquisite -scenery, and tilling the fertile soil irrigated by many streams. - -The spies marked the spot, and on their return bade their brethren -arise, and take possession of a place _where there was no want of -anything that is in the earth_ (Judg. xviii. 10). Upon this, six -hundred Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol girded on their weapons of war, -and went up and encamped at a spot behind Kirjath-jearim, which though -it belonged to Judah, they named Mahaneh-Dan, or _the Camp of Dan_. -Thence they ascended into the mountain-range of Ephraim, and like the -spies before them, drew near the house of Micah. Informed that here -there was an ephod and teraphim, a graven image and a molten image, the -six hundred warriors took their stand by the gateway leading into the -court, and engaged the Levite in conversation, while the spies ascended -into the sanctuary, and stole away the images with the sacerdotal -vestments. On re-appearing, the Levite tried to expostulate, but was -speedily bidden to hold his peace, and without much difficulty suffered -himself to be persuaded that it would be better to accompany them, -and instead of being a priest unto one man, to become a priest _unto a -tribe and a family in Israel_ (Judg. xviii. 19). With such secrecy was -their departure effected, that the Danites had got a good way from the -house of Micah, before the latter became aware of the grievous wrong he -had sustained. Gathering together the inhabitants of the houses, which -had gradually clustered round his idolatrous sanctuary, he pursued -after the roving warriors. But it was in vain that he gave vent to his -grief and rage. The spoilers only mocked him, and bade him take care he -did not lose his life as well as his gods; consequently he was fain to -return to his rifled sanctuary, while the six hundred held on their way -northward. - -Reaching the source of the Jordan far up in the northern mountains, -they found the town of Laish just as the spies had described it. Far -from its mother-city, the careless colony had no deliverer in its -hour of peril. Without warning the spoilers burst upon it, scaled -its walls, set it on fire, and massacred its inhabitants, men, women -and children without mercy. They afterwards rebuilt it, called it -_Dan after the name of Dan their father_, and there set up the images -they had taken from Micah. There too the young Levite, who, it seems, -was no unimportant personage, but no other than Jonathan, the son of -Gershom, the son of the great lawgiver Moses[177], ministered at this -new sanctuary, and his descendants remained till the Captivity (Judg. -xviii. 14–31). - -If any proof were wanting of the association of religious with moral -declension at this period, it is supplied by the biography of another -Levite, which is also given in these concluding chapters of the Book of -Judges. - -2. This Levite, who, like the other, dwelt on the edge of Mount Ephraim, -took him a concubine out of Bethlehem-Judah, who proved faithless, and -returned to her father’s house. On this her husband went in quest of -her, and was received by her father with true Eastern hospitality. As -the fifth day declined after his arrival, resisting the importunities -of his father-in-law who would have had him stay longer, he rose up -to return, and as night fell drew near the town of Jebus, which still -remained in the hands of its Canaanite inhabitants. Rejecting the -advice of his servant to lodge there during the night, he pressed on, -and it was already dark when he reached Gibeah in Benjamin. - -As he was sitting in the streets of the town awaiting an offer of -shelter, an old man approached coming from his work in the fields. His -home, too, was in Mount Ephraim, but he was sojourning at Gibeah, and -taking compassion on the homeless condition of the Levite he brought -him into his house, and gave him a lodging for the night. As they sat -at meat, certain of the lowest inhabitants of the place set upon the -house, and treated the Levite’s concubine with such violence, that -in the morning when he arose he found her lying dead before the door. -Enraged at this savage act he took her home, and there with his knife -divided her together with her bones into twelve pieces, and sent them -among the twelve tribes. This ferocious summons to vengeance roused -all Israel as one man (Judg. xx. 1). Even the tribes beyond the Jordan -assembled with the rest of their brethren, and 400,000 warriors met at -Mizpeh in Benjamin, a fortified eminence a little to the north of Jebus, -and listened to the Levite while he recounted the dark tale of outrage -(Judg. xx. 2–6). - -The recital excited still greater indignation, and all the people _knit -together as one man_ bound themselves by a solemn vow never to return -to their homes till they had taken deep vengeance on the inhabitants -of Gibeah for the disgrace they had brought upon Israel. Messengers -were accordingly sent through the territory of Benjamin demanding their -surrender. This the Benjamites absolutely refused, and making the cause -of Gibeah their own, prepared to encounter the men of Israel with all -their forces, amounting to 26,000, together with the 700 warriors of -Gibeah, chosen men, left-handed, every one of whom _could sling stones -at an hair breadth, and not miss_ (Judg. xx. 16). - -In this juncture, instead of consulting the Divine Will whether they -should embark in this war at all, the indignant tribes having already -decided on the campaign only sought to know who should take the lead. -Judah was the tribe indicated by the Divine response, and in the -engagement that ensued, the Israelites were defeated with a loss of -upwards of 22,000 men. On the day following they renewed the attack, -but only to sustain a second reverse and a loss of 18,000 of their -best troops. In the greatest distress at this double defeat, the eleven -tribes assembled at Bethel, fasted the whole day until the evening, -and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord. Then -Phinehas, who had led the sacred war against the Midianites, enquired -whether a third engagement should be hazarded, and in reply was bidden -to go up, for this time the Lord would deliver Benjamin into their hand -(Judg. xx. 28). - -Thereupon it was resolved to repeat the tactics so successful at Ai. -An ambuscade was planted behind Gibeah, and on the descent of the -Benjamites a flight was feigned to draw them from the town towards -a spot, where the road divided into two paths, the one leading to -Bethel, the other to Gibeah-in-the-Field, probably the modern _Jeba_. -Unconscious of their danger the Benjamites suffered themselves to -be decoyed from the town, and slew about 30 of their foes. Meanwhile -the ambuscade arose, and bursting on the defenceless town, put -the inhabitants to the sword. A great pillar of flame and smoke -signalled to the rest of the army the success of the stratagem, and -the Benjamites at last awakened to their danger fled eastward to the -desert region bordering on the Jordan valley. But their foes now turned, -and inclosing them round about (Judg. xx. 43), trode them down, and -slew 25,000. - -From this indiscriminate massacre only 600 of the Benjamites effected -their escape to the cliff of Rimmon, an inaccessible natural fortress -situated about 7 miles north-east of Gibeah, and overhanging the wild -region bordering on the Jordan. Here they entrenched themselves for a -space of four months, while the eleven tribes not content with firing -and ravaging every town in the territory of Benjamin, bound themselves -by a vow to abstain from all intermarriage with them. Regret, however, -for the almost entire extinction of a tribe in Israel subsequently -softened their hearts, and by a curious stratagem characteristic of -this troubled period, when there _was no king in Israel_, and _every -man did that which was right in his own eyes_ (Judg. xxi. 25), they -enquired whether any city had failed to take part in the late tribal -war. Thereupon it was discovered that Jabesh-gilead, a city on the -east of the Jordan, had sent no forces to aid their brethren. Thither, -therefore, 12,000 men were despatched, with instructions utterly -to destroy the recreant city and massacre every man and married -woman. This ruthless order was executed to the letter, and the entire -population was put to the sword, save 400 virgins, who were given in -marriage to the remnant of Benjamin. These not sufficing for wives, -the Benjamites took advantage of a yearly festival at the sanctuary of -Shiloh, when the daughters of the place assembled to take part in the -sacred dances, and concealing themselves in the neighbouring vineyards, -burst forth upon the unsuspecting maidens and carried off each one a -wife for himself, with whom they returned, repaired their towns, and -dwelt in them (Judg. xxi. 23–25). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _OTHNIEL AND EHUD, DEBORAH AND BARAK._ - JUDG. II.–V. B.C. CIRC. 1406–1296. - - -THE two incidents just recorded are illustrations of the turbulence and -disorder of the period which followed the death of Joshua and of the -elders that outlived Joshua. Forgetful of their vocation, the Chosen -People intermingled with the heathen Canaanites, conformed to their -rites and customs, and so forfeited the protection and blessing of -their Invisible King. He therefore _delivered them into the hands of -spoilers that spoiled them, He sold them to their enemies round about -... and they were greatly distressed_ (Judg. ii. 14, 15). - -But on the first manifestation of repentance, _He regarded their -affliction, He heard their cry_ (Ps. cvi. 44, 45), and raised up -_Deliverers_, who saved them from their enemies. The Hebrew word used -to denote these Deliverers, these Saviours of their country, _Shofet, -Shophetim_[178], and which we have translated _Judge_, is much the same -as the _Suffes, Suffetes_ of the Carthaginians at the time of the Punic -wars. Raised up on extraordinary occasions, like the Dictators in the -history of Rome, they delivered the nation from some pressing danger, -and their power and authority generally terminated with the crisis -which had called them forth. Higher than the princes of the tribes, -vested with extraordinary powers for the emergency, their office was -not hereditary, though we shall see it finally tending in more than -one instance towards fixedness and perpetuity, and in the person of Eli -united with that of the High-priest (Judg. x. 3, 4; xii. 8–14; 1 Sam. -viii. 1–3). - - - _Invasion from the North-east. Othniel._ - -The crisis, which called forth the first of these Deliverers, was the -invasion of the country by _Chushan-rishathaim_, king of Mesopotamia. -From the seat of his dominion between the Euphrates and the Tigris he -extended his conquests so far southward, that the Israelites suffered -grievously from his oppressions for a space of 8 years. At the close -of this period, OTHNIEL, whose valour in attacking Kirjath-sepher -and marriage with the daughter of the famous Caleb have been lately -recorded[179], went out against him and defeated him, and restored rest -to the land for 40 years (Judg. iii. 8–11). - - - _Invasion from the South-east. Ehud._ - -On his death, the people again fell into idolatry, and the Moabites -under EGLON, aided by their old allies the Ammonites and Amalekites, -crossed the Jordan and seized the ruined site of Jericho. From this -vantage ground, Eglon was enabled to extend his dominion at least -over the tribe of Benjamin, from which, if not from other tribes, he -exacted annual tribute for a space of 18 years. This was brought to him -at Jericho, where he would seem to have constructed a palace. On one -occasion, EHUD, the son of Gera, a Benjamite, was selected to command -the party deputed to carry this proof of subjection. Having executed -his commission, he accompanied his men as far back as the _quarries_, -or rather the _graven images_ at Gilgal (Judg. iii. 19, _margin_), -possibly the idol-temples, with which the Moabites had profaned -the associations of that sacred spot. Thence he turned back, and on -pretence of having a message from God to deliver to him, obtained a -private interview with Eglon, as he sat in his _summer parlour_, or -“parlour of cooling” (Judg. iii. 20, _margin_), probably on the roof -of his house, where he might catch the cool breezes that tempered -the tropical heat of the Jordan valley. On entering, Ehud repeated -the purport of his errand, and Eglon bade the attendants instantly -withdraw. Then as he rose from his seat to meet his visitor, Ehud, who -was left-handed like many of his tribe, drew a long two-edged dagger, -which he had made[180] and hidden under his mantle upon his right thigh -(Judg. iii. 16), and stabbed him with such force as to leave the weapon -in his body. Without lingering a moment, he then shut and locked the -doors of the chamber, and fled “through the porch or gallery that ran -round the roof[181],” and passing beyond Gilgal, made for the wooded, -shaggy, hills of Seirath, in the mountains of Ephraim. There he blew a -horn, and roused the Israelites, who rushed down the hills and followed -him in the direction of Jericho. Meanwhile the attendants had opened -the door of Eglon’s chamber, and beheld the corpse lying on the floor. -Panicstricken at this unexpected death of their leader, and still more -by the sudden rising of the Israelites, the Moabites fled towards the -fords of the Jordan. But the Israelites had been beforehand with them, -and suffering none to cross, slew upwards of 10,000 men. - -Rest was now restored at least to the tribe of Benjamin for 80 -years, but in the south-west the Philistines, encouraged probably -by the success of the Moabites, made an inroad, and reduced the -Israelites to great straits (Judg. v. 6). But SHAMGAR, the son of -Anath, was raised up to be a deliverer. Armed with nothing but a long -iron-spiked ox-goad[182], he made a sudden and desperate assault upon -the Philistines, and slew 600 of them, thus obtaining a temporary -respite for his people (Judg. iii. 31). - - - _Invasion from the North. Deborah and Barak._ - -But a more terrible invasion was in store for the nation, which again -on the death of Ehud relapsed into idolatry (Judg. iv. 1). This time -the oppressor came from the north, where under a second JABIN, the -Canaanites, whom Joshua had defeated in his memorable victory at the -waters of Merom, had recovered a portion of their former strength. With -his vast hosts, and his 900 chariots of iron commanded by SISERA his -captain, who resided at _Harosheth of the Gentiles_[183], he overran -the country of the neighbouring tribes, Asher, Naphtali and Zebulun. - -Such was the general prostration and terror that, as had already -been the case in the days of Shamgar, _the highways were unoccupied_, -and the travellers stole from place to place by _crooked, tortuous -by-paths_ (Judg. v. 6). Village life ceased in Israel, and the -peasantry, abandoning the cultivation of the ground, retired for -refuge to the walled towns. But even here they were not secure. There -was _war in the gates_, the place usually devoted to the administration -of justice, and even _in the places of drawing water the noise of the -archers_ could be heard twanging their terrible bows (Judg. v. 8, 11). -No resistance could be offered, for according to a common policy (1 Sam. -xiii. 19–22) there had been a general disarmament of the people, and -_not a spear or shield was to be seen among forty thousand in Israel_ -(Judg. v. 8). The spirit of the nation was completely crushed, and the -second Jabin and Sisera his captain carried on unchecked for upwards -of 20 years those measures, whereby they reduced the Israelites to a -condition of degrading servitude (Judg. iv. 3). - -At length, however, a Deliverer appeared. Under a solitary palm-tree -in the mountain-range of Ephraim between Ramah and Bethel, lived a -prophetess named DEBORAH, who was or had been the wife of Lapidoth. -In the failure of all other leaders she was now regarded by the -oppressed people with the utmost reverence, and _they went up to her -for judgment_ (Judg. iv. 5). Like Joan of Arc in after times, her -whole soul was fired with indignation at the sufferings endured by -her people, and at length from Kadesh-naphtali, a City of Refuge, -not far from Jabin’s capital (Josh. xx. 7; xxi. 32), and therefore -peculiarly animated with hostility to the oppressor, she summoned -BARAK[184] (_lightning_) the son of Abinoam. On the strength of a -Divine commission, she then enjoined him to gather 10,000 men from -his own and the neighbouring tribe of Zebulun to the green summit of -Tabor[185], and promised to draw to the river Kishon in the plain of -Esdraelon the great captain of Jabin’s army with his chariots and his -host, and there deliver them into his hand. Barak declined to undertake -the arduous enterprise, unless the Prophetess promised to accompany him. -To this she assented, but distinctly warned him that the expedition -would not be for his honour; as he was thus willing to lean upon a -woman’s aid, so into the hands of a woman would the Lord deliver the -leader of his enemy’s forces. - -Leaving her seat of judgment, Deborah then accompanied Barak to -Kedesh, and he employed himself in rousing his own tribe of Naphtali -and that of Zebulun to join in the insurrection. Having at length -gathered 10,000 men around his standard he marched, still attended -by the Prophetess, to the high places of Tabor. There he was joined by -portions of other tribes, whom the influence of Deborah had roused to -take part in the great struggle, consisting of the princes of Issachar, -a body of Ephraimites, and detachments from Benjamin and north-eastern -Manasseh (Judg. v. 14, 15). Other tribes, however, came not thus -zealously _to the help of the Lord against the mighty_. Of the two -maritime tribes, Dan on the south clung to his ships in the port of -Joppa, and Asher forgat the perils of his fellows in the creeks and -harbours of his Phœnician allies (Judg. v. 17). The name of Judah is -not even mentioned among the patriot forces. Amongst the tribes across -the Jordan _great was the debate_ as to the course to be pursued. -Reuben preferred to _abide secure among his sheepfolds_[186], and -to _listen to the bleating of his flocks_, and Gad to _linger beyond -Jordan_ in his grassy uplands (Judg. v. 17). But amidst the wavering -of many hearts, Zebulun and Naphtali remained firm, and prepared _to -jeopardize their lives unto the death_ on the high places of Tabor -(Judg. v. 18). - -Meanwhile certain of the Kenites[187], who had separated from the -rest of their tribe in the hill country of Judah (Judg. i. 16), and -now dwelt under the oaks of Zaanaim[188] near Kedesh, informed Sisera -of the sudden movement of Barak towards Tabor (Judg. iv. 11, 12). -Thereupon, without delay he gathered all his forces, and encamped on -the level plain of Esdraelon, between the friendly towns of Taanach -and Megiddo[189], where he was also joined by other Canaanite chiefs -anxious to quell the sudden insurrection (Judg. v. 3, 19). - -At length the heroic Deborah gave the encouraging command to Barak, -_Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into -thine hand_. Probably long before it was light[190] the camp of Barak’s -little army was struck, and the patriot tribes rapidly descending the -winding mountain-path fell upon the hosts of Sisera and threw them -into wild confusion. As they fled in utter dismay along the plain, -not only the troops of Barak, but _the stars in their courses_ (Judg. -v. 20), the elements of heaven, began to fight against the Canaanites. -A furious storm of rain and hail[191] gathered from the east, and -bursting right in their faces, rendered useless the bows of their -archers[192], and swelled into a mighty torrent the rivulets, springs, -and spongy marshes near Megiddo. Before long _the ancient torrent_ -of the _Kishon_ (_twisted_ or _winding_) rose in its bed, and the -plain became an impassable morass[193]. The chariots of Sisera were -now utterly useless. The hoofs of the horses vainly plunging in the -tenacious mud and swollen streams _were broken by means of their -pransings_ (Judg. v. 22). The torrent of the Kishon, now rushing fast -and furious, _swept them away_, and the strength of the Canaanites _was -trodden down_. Stuck fast, entangled, overwhelmed they could not stand -for a moment before the avenging Barak, and not a man made good his -escape to the city of their great leader, _Harosheth of the Gentiles_, -before their pursuers had smitten them with the edge of the sword (Judg. -iv. 16). - -Meantime, while his mother and her attendants were vainly awaiting the -return of his triumphal chariot (Judg. v. 28), Sisera himself fled away -on foot to the friendly tribe of Heber the Kenite beneath the oaks of -Zaanaim, where he hoped for safety from his remorseless pursuers. After -a while he drew near the tent of Jael, Heber’s wife, and chieftainess -of the tribe. She herself had descried him approaching, and went -forth to meet him. _Turn in, my lord_, said she, _turn in to me, fear -not_. And he turned in, and she covered him with a rug or blanket -(Judg. iv. 18). Spent and weary, before he lay down, he asked for a -little water to drink; but she gave him something better than water. -She opened the skin bottle of milk, such as always stands by Arab -tents, she brought forth butter, or “thick curdled milk” in a _lordly -dish_[194], or the bowl used for illustrious strangers, and covered him -again with the rug. - -Thus doubly assured of hospitality Sisera bade her deny his presence -if any enquired after him, and then laid him down and slept. But as she -stood at the tent-door, other thoughts than those of kindness towards -the slumbering chief came over Jael. At length taking one of the wooden -sharp-pointed tent-nails in one hand and a mallet in the other, she -went softly unto him, and smote him with such force that the nail -entered into his temples, and fastened his head to the ground, _for -he was fast asleep and weary, and so he died_. Meanwhile the pursuing -Barak drew near. Him too Jael went forth to meet, and taking him within, -showed him his terrible foe, the captain of the nine hundred iron -chariots, lying dead upon the ground, with the nail driven through his -temples. - -Thus on that day, as the Prophetess had said, God delivered Sisera -into the hand of a woman. Together she and Barak returned from the -battle-field, and chanted responsively a sublime Triumphal Hymn, -celebrating the recent victory over the northern Canaanites, which now -secured to the land rest for 40 years (Judg. v.). - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _INVASION OF THE MIDIANITES. GIDEON._ - JUDG. VI.–VIII. B.C. CIRC. 1256–1249. - - -AS so often before, the effects of this last great deliverance were -but transitory. Again the Israelites relapsed into idolatry, and in -consecrated groves practised all the abominations that disgraced the -worship of Baal. The national punishment they thus drew down upon -themselves was more severe than anything they had yet endured. Since -the sacred war led by Phinehas against the Midianites[195] (Num. xxxi. -1–13), that people had recovered much of their ancient strength, and -now in concert with the Amalekites, and _the children of the East_ -(Judg. vi. 3), or the Arabian tribes beyond the Jordan, they determined -to invade the territory of Israel. Led by two superior chiefs, having -the title of king, ZEBAH and ZALMUNNA, and two inferior chiefs, OREB -and ZEEB (_the Raven and the Wolf_), they poured into the country with -their herds, their flocks, and their camels, like locusts for multitude, -and gradually overran it from the plain of Jezreel down the valley of -the Jordan, and southward as far as Gaza in the fertile Lowlands of -the west. Here they established themselves, destroyed the crops[196], -and for a period of seven years reduced the Israelites to the greatest -straits, so that they left the plains, and fled for refuge to dens or -catacombs, which they cut out of the rocky mountains, to inaccessible -strongholds, and the limestone caves with which Palestine abounds[197] -(Judg. vi. 2). - -As so often before, the Deliverer came from the quarter most exposed -to the ravages of the invaders. At Ophrah, in the hills of western -Manasseh, not far from Shechem, and overlooking the plain of Jezreel, -the head-quarters of the Midianitish host, lived a high-born Abi-ezrite, -a descendant of one of the princely families of Manasseh (Josh. -xvii. 2; Num. xxvi. 30), named JOASH. The invasion had brought not only -impoverishment but dire bereavement into his home. In a skirmish near -the heights of Tabor the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, had slain -all his noble sons save one, GIDEON (Judg. viii. 18, 19). - -On one occasion, as Gideon was threshing wheat, not in the open summer -threshing-floor, but by the winepress[198] near his native Ophrah, to -hide it from the Midianites, an Angel appeared and saluted him with -the words, _The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour_. In reply -Gideon contrasted the present degraded condition of the nation with the -glorious days when Jehovah brought them out of Egypt, and complained -that He had now deserted them, nor was there any hope of deliverance. -Thereupon the Angel informed him that _he_ was the destined Saviour of -his people, that the Lord would be with him, and that he should _smite -the Midianites as one man_ (Judg. vi. 16). Unable to believe that -such a mission could be designed for himself, Gideon requested a sign -to assure him that the Speaker was a messenger of Jehovah, and by -direction of the Angel made ready a kid, and cakes of unleavened bread, -and presented them under the oak. The Angel then bade him lay the -flesh and unleavened cakes upon the rock and pour the broth over them, -and when he had done so touched them with a rod he bore in his hand. -Instantly there rose up fire from the rock, and consumed the offering, -in the midst of which the Angel suddenly disappeared. The fact that -he had thus been permitted to converse face to face with Deity filled -Gideon with alarm, but the Lord reassured him, and he built an altar -there which he called Jehovah-Shalom, or, the _Lord send Peace_, in -memory of the salutation of the Angel (Judg. vi. 24). - -i. Thus solemnly called to be the Deliverer of his countrymen, Gideon -was first commissioned to testify against the idolatrous practices -which had caused the present national degradation. The Lord appeared to -him in a dream, and bade him throw down an altar which his father had -erected in honour of Baal, and cut down a grove he had set up, and then -to build in an orderly manner an altar to Jehovah on the rock where -his meat-offering had been accepted, and sacrifice thereon his father’s -second bullock of seven years old. With the assistance of his servants, -Gideon during the night-time executed this commission, and on the -morrow the townspeople were surprised to find that both altar and grove -had disappeared. Enquiry led to the detection of the offender, and -Joash was bidden to bring forth his son that he might be put to death -for the sacrilege of which he had been guilty. But Joash replied with -much irony that he was truly guilty of impiety who believed that Baal -could not defend himself. _Will ye take upon yourselves_, said he, -_to plead Baal’s cause? let him plead for himself_. A new name, which -Gideon henceforth bore, JERUB-BAAL, or the _Tryer of Baal_, attested -the national acquiescence in the wisdom of his father’s reply (Judg. -vi. 32). - -ii. Tried and not found wanting in moral courage, Gideon was now -directed to carry out the second part of his commission. Blowing a -trumpet he first gathered around him his own clan of Abi-ezer, and -then sending messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and -Naphtali[199], invited the aid of these tribes against the common -enemy. With characteristic caution, however, he requested a further -sign from Jehovah before actually entering upon his arduous task. A -double sign was vouchsafed to him. A fleece of wool, first dripping -with dew while all the soil around was hot and dry, then dry while -all the soil around was damp, convinced him that the Lord would indeed -deliver Israel by his hand. - -By this time upwards of 32,000 of his countrymen had gathered around -him, and with this force he encamped on the slope of Gilboa, near -the spring of Jezreel, henceforth known as the _Spring of_ Harod or -_Trembling_, overlooking the plain of Jezreel covered with the tents of -the Midianites. But the host was too many and too great for God to give -victory thereby. If they were successful with their present numbers -they might vaunt that their own hand had saved them. Proclamation was, -therefore, made that from the _Spring of Trembling_ all who were afraid -to persevere in their arduous enterprise might return to their homes. -Of this permission 22,000 at once availed themselves and went their way. -But another trial was to test the qualifications of the rest. By Divine -command Gideon took the remaining 10,000 of his forces to the spring, -and watched them as they asswaged their thirst. While all the rest -bowed down upon their knees, three hundred _putting their hand to their -mouth, lapped of the water with their tongues as a dog lappeth_ (Judg. -vii. 5, 6). - -These three hundred Gideon set by themselves, the rest he sent away. -Night now drew on, and with his little band, like the same famous -number at Thermopylæ, he was left alone on the brow of the steep -mountain which overlooks the vale of Jezreel, where Midian and Amalek -and all the children of the east lay along like locusts for multitude, -their camels gaily caparisoned, numerous as the sand on the seashore -(Judg. vii. 12). To confirm the faith of Gideon in this great crisis, -God now bade him, attended by Phurah his armour-bearer, drop down from -the height where he was, and go to the host of his enemy. Accordingly -the two crept down cautiously from rock to rock[200] in the still -night to the outskirts of the Midianitish tents, where Gideon overheard -a man tell his fellow how he had dreamt a dream, _and lo! a cake -of |common|[200] barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and -came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that -the tent lay along_. To this recital the other replied, showing the -reputation Gideon had gained even amongst his foes, _This is nothing -else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into -his hands hath God delivered Midian, and all the host_ (Judg. vii. -13, 14). - -The Listener heard the dream and the interpretation, and straightway -knew what he was to do. Returning up the mountain to his faithful three -hundred, he divided them into three companies, and gave to every man a -horn, an earthen pitcher, and a firebrand or torch[201] (Judg. vii. 16, -_margin_) to put therein. Then bidding them follow him, and do exactly -as they saw him do, in the beginning of the middle watch he again stole -down towards the outskirts of the tents of the Midianites, while the -three companies following silently took their places every man round -about the slumbering camp. Then Gideon and his company suddenly blew -their horns, and at this signal 300 horns blew, 300 pitchers crashed, -300 torches blazed, and the always terrible war-cry of the Israelites, -_The Sword of Jehovah and of Gideon_[202], rent the midnight air. In -a moment the Midianites and Amalekites were roused, and thrown into -inextricable confusion and alarm. Amidst the blazing of so many torches, -the crashing of so many pitchers, and the blast of so many trumpets all -on different sides, they imagined themselves attacked by an enormous -force. Filled with uncontrollable terror, they turned their swords -against one another, and then rushed with one accord down the steep -descent towards the Jordan eastward, to Beth-Shittah, _the House of the -Acacia_, and Abel-Meholah, _the Meadow of the Dance_, hotly pursued not -only by the three hundred, but some of the forces of Naphtali, Asher, -and Manasseh, now convinced amidst the returning light of day that -Gideon had indeed achieved a great victory (Judg. vii. 23). - -The Midianites hoped to reach the fords of Beth-barah immediately -under the highlands of Ephraim. But Gideon had already sent messengers -thither, and the Ephraimites were not slow to seize the fords and -intercept the flying foe, but not before a considerable body had -already crossed with the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. But they were -in time to capture the two inferior chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb, the one -at a sharp cliff, the other at a winepress, where they slew them, -and cutting off their heads hurried after Gideon, who with his three -hundred was already on the other side of the Jordan, _faint yet -pursuing_. Annoyed, now the victory was won, that they had not been -summoned to join in the battle, the haughty Ephraimites chode with -him, and manifested great resentment. With rare self-restraint the -victorious Leader asked what after all he had done in comparison with -them. Pointing to the bloody heads of the princes they had slain, he -enquired whether the _grapes_ Ephraim had already _gleaned_ were not -better than the entire _vintage_ of his little clan of Abi-ezer. This -soft answer turned away the wrath of the offended tribe, and the chase -was renewed (Judg. viii. 1–3). - -Two places on the track of the pursuit refused to befriend Gideon. The -men of Succoth[203] on the east of Jordan, near the ford of the torrent -Jabbok, and of Penuel further up the mountains, declined to supply his -nearly exhausted troops with bread, and mocked at him, when he said -he was chasing the kings of Midian. Halting only to threaten them with -vengeance on his return, he hurried on after the enemy. The victorious -Israelites had already slain 120,000, but 15,000 with the two kings had -reached Karkor, far from any towns in the open desert-wastes east of -the Jordan. Here they thought themselves secure, but Gideon ascending -from the valley of the Jordan burst upon them, put them to a complete -rout, and at last captured the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. - -Then in triumph the conqueror returned down the long defiles leading -to the Jordan, followed by his cavalcade of captives mounted on their -gaily decked camels (Judg. viii. 21). As he passed Penuel he razed to -the ground its lofty watchtower, and slew the men of the city. Reaching -Succoth he obtained from a young man of the place a description of -its 77 head-men, and showed them the captive kings, and then “with -the thorny branches of the neighbouring acacia-groves” he beat them -to death. Then pushing westwards he reached his native Ophrah. There -turning to the captive kings[204] and at length revealing the secret -of this long pursuit, he enquired what manner of men they were whom -they had murdered on the green slopes of Tabor. _As thou art, so were -they_, was the reply, _each one resembled the children of a king_. The -remembrance of his brethren, _the sons of his own mother_, filled the -warrior with wrath. Had they shown mercy to them, he would have spared -his prisoners, but now that could not be. Summoning, therefore, his -firstborn Jether, he bade him draw his sword and slay them. But the boy -quailed before those mighty kings, and at their request Gideon himself -took the sword and slew them, and gathered up the golden chains and -crescent-shaped collars and trappings of their camels (Judg. viii. -18–21). - -The immediate effect upon the nation of this deliverance was greater -than that of any other. Not only had the country quietness for 40 -years (Judg. viii. 28), not only did Gideon’s Altar, and the Spring of -Trembling, and the rock Oreb (or the _Raven’s Crag_), and the winepress -of Zeeb remain standing monuments of this great day, when God _made -like a wheel_[205], and drove over the uplands of Gilead _as stubble -before the wind_ (Ps. lxxxiii. 13, 14), like clouds of chaff blown from -the summer threshing-floors, the proud people which had said, _Let us -take to ourselves the pastures of God in possession_ (Ps. lxxxiii. 12), -but for the first time the Israelites offered hereditary royal dignity -to the great conqueror. _Rule thou over us_, said they, _both thou, -and thy son, and thy son’s sons also_. Gideon had the rare self-control -to decline the flattering request. _I will not rule over you_, said he, -_neither shall my son rule over you; Jehovah shall rule over you_. One -request only and a strange one did he make of the grateful tribes, that -they would give him the golden earrings and other ornaments they had -taken from the conquered foe. Willingly into his cloak the people flung -the ornaments, jewels, and chains from the camels’ necks to the weight -of 1700 shekels, and with these Gideon made an ephod, and put it in his -native Ophrah, and all _Israel went a whoring after it_, which thing -became a snare unto Gideon and to his house. Though he declined the -royal dignity, he was addicted to a royal failing. He multiplied wives -and begat 70 sons, and after living to a good old age descended in -peace to the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites[206] -(Judg. viii. 32). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _ABIMELECH AND JEPHTHAH._ - JUDG. IX.–XII. B.C. CIRC. 1249–1188. - - -AFTER the death of Gideon, Jehovah, whose minister he had been for -the deliverance of the people, was again forgotten by the Israelites. -Forgetting Gideon, forgetting Him who had sent Gideon, they made -Baal-Berith, _Baal of the Covenant_, their god, and set up his -sanctuary even in Shechem, though hallowed by the memories of the -patriarchs[207] and the solemn ratification of the Law[208]. - -Meanwhile Gideon’s 70 sons appear to have exercised authority over some -portion of the country. One of them, whose name was ABIMELECH, the son -of a slave a Canaanite native of Shechem, after consultation with his -mother’s brethren and her relatives (Judg. ix. 1), suggested that in -place of the divided authority of his numerous brothers, he, _their -bone and their flesh_ (Judg. ix. 2), should be vested with the supreme -authority. The spirit of clanship was strong. _He is our brother_, -whispered the family to the Shechemites, who at length fell in with the -scheme, and lent Abimelech seventy pieces of silver from the sanctuary -of Baal-Berith. - -With the money he hired a body of men, and going to his father’s house -at Ophrah, murdered all his brethren, save JOTHAM the youngest, who -managed to escape. He was now left alone, and was solemnly anointed -king by the men of Shechem, who thus formally signified their revolt -from the Hebrew commonwealth. Tidings of what was going on reached the -ears of Jotham. Emerging from his hiding-place, he stationed himself on -one of the rocky inaccessible spurs of Mount Gerizim[209], and taking -up his parable from the variegated foliage of the valley below and the -neighbouring forest, bade the men of Shechem listen while he addressed -to them the earliest Parable, that of the Bramble-King. _Once, he said, -the Trees went forth to anoint a king over them. The Olive, the Vine, -the Fig were each asked to accept the royal dignity, but each declined; -the Olive could not leave his fatness, or the Fig-tree his sweetness, -or the Vine the juice of his grapes. Recourse was then had to the -Bramble, which not only accepted the proffered honour, but bade the -other trees put their trust in its shadow, and threatened, if they did -not, that fire should come forth from it and devour even the cedars -of Lebanon._ Jotham then reminded the Shechemites of the services -his father had rendered to the nation, and rebuked them for their -gross ingratitude to his family. If they thought they had done well -in electing Abimelech, the Bramble-King, he bade them rejoice in him; -if not, he hoped a fire might come forth from the king, in whose shadow -they had placed their trust, and destroy him and all who had joined in -electing him. With these words the speaker fled. - -In a short time his words were fulfilled. For three years Abimelech -maintained his supremacy, residing himself at Arumah (Judg. ix. 41), -not far from Shechem, while that place was entrusted to Zebul, his -viceroy. During the joyous season of the vintage[210] (Judg. ix. 27) -Gaal the son of Ebed, a leader of a body of freebooters tried to -persuade the people of Shechem to transfer their allegiance from -Abimelech, who was but half a kinsman, to the Hivite tribe of Hamor. -Intelligence of this movement reached the ears of Zebul, who without -delay sent word to Abimelech, bidding him levy his forces and surprise -the plotters in the city. After a desperate battle Abimelech captured -the place, put the entire population to the sword, and sowed the -ruins of the city with salt (Judg. ix. 45). A remnant, however, of the -insurgents took refuge in the temple of Baal-Berith. Thither Abimelech -pursued them at the head of his followers, whom he commanded on their -way to cut down boughs from the trees on the wooded eminence of Zalmon -(Ps. lxviii. 14) close to the city. These he piled against the hold, -set them on fire, and suffocated and burnt the refugees. From Shechem -he repaired to Thebez[211] (_Tûbas_) and speedily captured the town; -but again the inhabitants took refuge in one of its strong towers, and -there held out. Forcing his way up to it, Abimelech was about to repeat -the stratagem he had found so successful at Shechem (Judg. ix. 52), -when a woman flung a fragment of millstone at his head[212]. Unwilling -to die thus ingloriously, he bade his armour-bearer thrust him through -with his sword, and so expired. - -Other judges now succeeded, of whom TOLA, of the tribe of Issachar, -governed Israel for a space of 23 years at Shamir in Mount Ephraim -(Judg. x. 1, 2); he was succeeded by JAIR of Gilead, who during 22 -years shared his almost regal honours with his thirty sons (Judg. x. -3, 4). - - - _Invasion of the Ammonites; Jephthah._ - -But recent judgments had not the effect of restraining the people from -apostasy. To the worship of Baal and Astarte they now added that of the -gods of Syria, of Zidon, of Moab and Ammon, as also of the Philistines. -The national punishment they thus drew down upon themselves came from -two quarters. On the south-west and along the fertile borders of the -Shephelah the Philistines rose and reduced a portion of the country -to subjection, while the tribes on the east of Jordan fell a prey to -the Ammonites, and for 18 years endured the humiliation of irksome -oppression. Nor were they the only sufferers, for the Ammonites crossed -the Jordan and carried on their ravages even in the territories of -Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim (Judg. x. 6–9). So terrible was the -oppression they now endured, that at length the Israelites were roused -to a deep repentance; finding it in vain to cry unto their false gods -in the day of tribulation, they put them away, and besought Jehovah -if only this once to stretch forth His hand and deliver them. _Grieved -for the misery of Israel_ (Judg. x. 16), the Lord raised up a deliverer -in the person of JEPHTHAH, a base-born native of Gilead. Driven forth -from his father’s house by his legitimate sons, Jephthah had fled -into the land of Tob, somewhere on the east of Gilead, where putting -himself at the head of brave but lawless men, he lived the life of a -freebooter, making incursions from time to time into the territories -of neighbouring tribes, and living on the proceeds of the spoil (Judg. -xi. 1–3). - -Determined to throw off the Ammonitish yoke, the tribes on the east -of Jordan now turned to Jephthah, and promised him the chieftaincy, if -he would undertake to lead them against the enemy. Jephthah consented, -and it was formally agreed that, in the event of success, he should -retain the supreme command. His first step was to send an embassy to -the Ammonites urging the right of the Israelites to the land of Gilead. -This being unsuccessful, he prepared for open war, and traversing -Gilead and Manasseh collected warriors from such places as acknowledged -his authority. But before entering on the campaign, in imitation -probably of heathen customs, and especially of the Ammonites (2 Kin. -iii. 27), he solemnly vowed to offer as a burnt-offering to Jehovah -whatever should first come forth from his house to meet him on his -return from battle. The engagement took place in the forests of Gilead, -and the Ammonites were utterly routed. Twenty cities, from Aroer on the -Arnon to Minnith and Abel Keramim (_the Meadow of the Vineyards_), fell -into the hands of the conqueror (Judg. xi. 33). - -But his rash and heathenish vow cast a deep shadow on his triumphal -return. As he drew near his home in Mizpeh (_the Watch-tower_) of -Gilead, his daughter and only child came forth to meet him with -timbrels and with dances. When the father saw her he rent his clothes, -and with the utmost grief made known to her his vow, from which he -declared he could not go back. But the noble maiden did not decline -the awful sacrifice demanded of her. All she requested was that for -two months she might be allowed to wander with her companions among -the mountain-gorges of her native Gilead, and bewail her virginity. At -the expiration of this period she returned to her father, and Jephthah -without referring the matter to the High-priest, or remembering the -strict commands of the law on this subject[213], his spirit clouded -with gloomy superstition, _did with her according to his vow that he -had vowed_ (Judg. xi. 39). The memory of this awful sacrifice was kept -up by a yearly festival, lasting four days, during which the daughters -of Israel went up into the mountains of Gilead to praise and lament the -death of their heroic sister. - -Jephthah, however, was not long suffered either to enjoy his triumph, -or lament the fatal vow which had stained it. Like Gideon before him, -he had to encounter the complaints of the proud and jealous tribe of -Ephraim for not summoning them to share the glories of the late victory. -In vindication of their absurd claims, they even threatened to burn his -house over his head, and invaded the territory of the Gileadites, whom -they taunted with being _fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and -Manassites_. A second tribal war ensued, in which the men of Ephraim -were thoroughly worsted. Rushing routed to the fords of the Jordan, -they found them already in possession of Jephthah’s forces, who allowed -none to cross that failed to pronounce the word _Shibboleth_[214]. -Upwards of 42,000 revealed their Ephraimite origin by substituting -the simple _s_ for _sh_, and were massacred. The supreme authority, -for which he had covenanted, Jephthah only lived to enjoy for 6 years, -when he died, and was buried in one of the cities of his native land -(Judg. xii. 1–7). - -After him other and obscurer judges rose to display the growing -tendency towards hereditary monarchy. Thus IBZAN of Bethlehem in -Zebulun judged, at least north-western Israel, for 7 years, and -conferred a portion of his dignity on his 30 sons and 30 daughters; -ELON of the same tribe ruled for 10 years; and after him ABDON, of -Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, about 6 miles from Shechem, exercised -the supremacy for 8 years, and was succeeded in a portion of his almost -regal honours by his numerous children (Judg. xii. 8–14). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _INVASION FROM THE SOUTH-WEST. SAMSON._ - JUDG. XIII.–XVI. B.C. 1161–1120. - - -MEANWHILE the Philistines[215] on the south-west had not only -established themselves in the Shephelah, or Low Country, but now -commenced that long and deadly hostility to the Israelites, which -lasted from this time through the reigns of Saul and David, and was -not finally terminated till the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings xviii. 8). -Their oppressions naturally pressed most heavily on the little tribe -of Dan, already hard pushed by the Amorites. From this tribe, then, -the Deliverer came. But unlike others who had been called to the same -office, he was specially set apart for it even before his birth. - -On the high hill of Zorah overlooking the fertile lowlands of Philistia -lived a Danite named Manoah. To his wife, who as yet had no child, it -was announced by an Angel that she was about to become the mother of a -son, whom she was to devote as a Nazarite[216] unto God from his birth; -no razor was ever to come upon his head; wine and strong drink he was -never to touch; and he should _commence_ the deliverance of Israel -from the Philistines (Judg. xiii. 5). These words were announced to -Manoah by his wife, and a second appearance of the Angel was vouchsafed -to assure both parents of the certainty of these events, which was -further confirmed, as in the case of Gideon, by the disappearance -of the Angel in the flames which consumed the Danite’s meat-offering -(Judg. xiii. 20). - -In process of time the child was born, and was named SAMSON, either -_the sunlight_, or _the strong_. As he grew, he became distinguished -for supernatural strength, and from time to time in Mahanah-Dan, the -camp of the famous Six Hundred of his tribe[217], was moved to perform -those exploits which made him the terror of the Philistines. His -first action, however, when come to man’s estate, did not display that -hostility to the national enemy which his parents would naturally have -expected. At Timnath, then in the occupation of the Philistines, he -saw one of the daughters of the place, whom he was resolved to marry. -Very unwillingly did his father and mother give their consent, and -went down from Zorah with their wayward son “through wild rocky gorges” -to the vineyards of Timnath, situated, as was often the case, far from -the village to which they belonged, and amidst rough wadies and wild -cliffs[218]. In one of these Samson encountered a young lion, and, -though he had nothing in his hand, rent it _as he would have rent a -kid_. Thinking little of the circumstance, he did not mention it to his -father and mother, but went with them to Timnath, and talked with the -woman, and she pleased him well. On his second descent through the same -wild rocky pass, he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion, and -discovered amongst the bones a swarm of bees. A portion of the honey -he took himself, and gave a portion to his parents, saying nothing of -his exploit, or the place whence he had obtained the honey. The wedding -festival was celebrated at Timnath, and lasted several days, on one -of which the bridegroom put forth a riddle to his thirty Philistine -“companions,” promising thirty sheets and thirty changes of garments to -any that guessed it, but demanding the same of them if within the days -of the feast they failed to discover it. The young men accepted the -challenge, and Samson put forth his riddle, saying, - - _Out of the eater came forth meat, - Out of the strong came forth sweetness._ - -For three days the Philistine youths tried to unravel it, and failed. -Then they beset Samson’s wife, and threatened to burn her and her -father’s house, if she did not ascertain for them the interpretation. -During the remaining days, therefore, she implored of Samson with -tears the revelation of the secret. At first he was proof against -her entreaties, but on the last day of the feast he told her, and she -revealed it to the thirty Philistines, who came to him in the evening -and said, - - _What is sweeter than honey? - What is stronger than a lion?_ - -_If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle_ -was the giant’s brief reply, and going down to Ashkelon, one of the -five cities of the lords of the Philistines, on the extreme southern -edge of the Mediterranean Sea, he slew thirty men and of the spoil -brought the stipulated reward. - -Then in great wrath he returned to Zorah. But when wheat-harvest -came round, his passion for the woman was somewhat rekindled, and he -resolved to present her with a kid, and now learnt from her father -for the first time, that, probably during his absence at Ashkelon, -thinking he utterly hated her, he had bestowed her upon another. -Thereupon Samson, being enraged, resolved to wreak his vengeance on the -Philistines, and catching, probably in pitfalls and snares, 300 foxes, -he fastened them tail to tail with lighted firebrands in the midst, and -sent them into their cornfields, olive-yards, and vine-yards. Terrible -was the mischief thus inflicted in a country, which even now, “in the -summer months, is one sea of dead-ripe grain, dry as tinder[219].” -At length the Philistines ascertained who was the author of this -destructive conflagration, and went to the house of his late wife, and -burnt her and her father to death. Thereupon Samson avenged himself -by inflicting upon them a great slaughter, and went and took up his -abode on the lofty cliff of Etam, probably not very far from Bethlehem. -Thither the Philistines pursued him, and demanded his surrender of the -men of Judah. So utterly lost to all feelings of honour, so degraded -from its former high estate was this tribe, that 3000 men actually -scaled the rocky cliff, and brought Samson bound with two new cords -to his enemies. On his approach, the Philistines raised a mighty shout. -But at the moment supernatural strength was given to the captive. He -burst his bonds as though they had been cords of flax burnt in the -fire, and seizing the jawbone of an ass, and aided probably by the now -inspirited Israelites, slew a thousand of the Philistines. In memory of -this exploit, he named the place Ramath-Lehi (_the casting away of the -jawbone_). Sore athirst after his exertions, he feared that from sheer -exhaustion he might fall once more into the hands of his foes, but -from a hollow place in Lehi God caused water to issue, and his spirit -reviving he called the spot En-hakkore (_the Spring of the crier_) -(Judg. xv. 16–19). - -Samson is next found at Gaza (_the strong_), which though allotted to -and conquered by Judah ( Josh. xv. 47; Judg. i. 18) had fallen into -the hands of the Philistines, who now encompassed the gate of the city, -intending to capture him in the morning. But at midnight he arose, -and taking the doors of the gate and the two posts, carried them, bar -and all, to the top of the hill before Hebron. After this, he fell -in love with Delilah, a Philistine courtesan, of the valley of Sorek, -apparently near Gaza. This last amour led to his capture and death. For -the enormous reward of 1100 pieces of silver from each lord, equivalent -to 5500 shekels, the five lords of the Philistines persuaded her to -undertake the task of discovering the secret of his great strength. -Three times she importuned him to reveal the mystery, but he succeeded -in putting her off with wiles. Green withes, new ropes, the binding -of his seven clustering locks to the web, all these expedients were -powerless to detain him prisoner, and he escaped with ease from the -hands of the Philistines. The fourth time, however, she succeeded, and -he told her all his heart, revealing the secret of his Nazarite vow. -Accordingly, while he was asleep upon her knees, she caused the seven -locks to be shaved off, and when he awoke the giant found that his -strength had departed from him. The watching Philistines sprang into -the chamber, took him, bored out his eyes, and brought him bound with -brazen fetters to Gaza, where they made him grind in the prison-house -(Judg. xvi. 21). - -Then a day was fixed for a solemn festival in honour of Dagon, their -national deity, half man and half fish[220], to whom the deliverance -of the nation from their dreaded foe was ascribed. In the midst of the -feast, Samson was brought in to make sport for his unfeeling captors. -The temple, where the festival was held, situated probably on a sloping -hill, was full of men and women, and even on the roof upwards of 3000 -were packed together. The blinded giant was led in by a lad, and at his -own request was suffered to feel the pillars on which the temple stood. -Standing there, he prayed that his old strength might for this once -be restored to him, and that he might be enabled to wreak a complete -revenge on his unfeeling enemies. Taking hold of the pillars with both -hands, and praying that he might die with the Philistines, he bowed -himself with all his might, and the temple walls fell in, and crushed -the lords of the Philistines and the assembled crowd. Samson’s body -was extricated from the ruins, and in sad procession was borne by his -brethren and kinsmen “up the steep ascent to his native hills,” and -laid between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial-place of Manoah his father -(Judg. xvi. 31). - -As Judge, Samson’s supremacy had lasted twenty years. The words of -the Angel to his parents had declared that _he should begin to deliver -Israel out of the hand of the Philistines_, and in truth his work -was only begun. Its completeness was marred chiefly by himself. “His -acts were dictated mainly by caprice and the impulse of the moment; he -frittered away the great powers which had been bestowed upon him, and -forgot the Divine call which he had received. Still these incomplete -results may in some measure be fairly ascribed to the character of -his countrymen; they always permitted him to stand unaided and alone, -and even surrendered him to the enemy[221].” The work that he _began_ -needed a very different man to _complete_ it, the spirit of the people -needed renewal, and an internal reformation was essential. - -Before recounting the means whereby this was brought about, the -Sacred Narrative presents us with a little history, which strikingly -illustrates the repose and peacefulness which characterized some -of the calmer intervals in the disturbed period of the Judges. From -Bethlehem-Judah there went forth during a season of famine[222] two -Ephrathites of the place, ELIMELECH and NAOMI, with their sons MAHLON -and CHILION, to seek a home across the Jordan in the land of Moab. Here -Elimelech died, and his two sons married two of the daughters of Moab, -ORPAH and RUTH. - -After a period of about ten years his sons also died, and Naomi -hearing that the famine had ceased in the land of Israel, prepared to -return to her native town accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, whom -no entreaties could induce to remain amongst her own people. It was -the beginning of barley-harvest[223] when they returned, and Ruth went -to glean near Bethlehem in the fields of Boaz, a man of wealth and a -kinsman of Elimelech. The appearance and the story of the beautiful -stranger, which he learnt from the townspeople, attracted the attention -of Boaz to the Moabitess, and he permitted her not only to glean in his -fields, but to share with his labourers the provisions supplied them. -By the advice of her mother-in-law, Ruth afterwards claimed kinship -with the wealthy Boaz, and he was not slow to acknowledge it. A nearer -kinsman, however, was first asked to discharge these duties, which -included not only the redemption of the land that had belonged to -Elimelech, but also the taking of Ruth in marriage _to raise up the -name of the dead upon his inheritance_ (Deut. xxv. 5–10). On his -declining to perform the latter duty, Boaz redeemed the land in the -presence of ten elders of Bethlehem and the assembled people, and -married Ruth, by whom he became the father of Obed, the grandfather -of King David[224]. - -A more pleasing picture of Hebrew country life can hardly be imagined -than the story of “the gleaner Ruth,” illustrating, as it does, “the -friendly relations between the good Boaz and his reapers, the Jewish -land-system, the method of transferring property from one person to -another, the working of the Mosaic Law for the relief of distressed -and ruined families, but above all handing down the unselfishness, the -brave love, the unshaken trustfulness of her, who though not of the -chosen Race was, like the Canaanitess Tamar (Gen. xxxviii. 29; Matt. -i. 3) and the Canaanitess Rahab (Matt. i. 5), privileged to become the -ancestress of David, and so of great David’s greater SON” (Ruth iv. -18–22). - - - - - BOOK VIII. - - FROM THE TIME OF SAMUEL TO THE ACCESSION OF DAVID. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _ELI AND SAMUEL._ - 1 SAM. I.–IV. B.C. CIRC. 1171–1141. - - -DURING the twenty years that Samson judged Israel, the High-priesthood, -diverted for reasons not revealed from the line of Eleazar to the -younger line of Ithamar (1 Chron. vi. 4–15; xxiv. 4), had been filled -by ELI, who henceforth appears to have discharged the united duties of -High-priest and Judge. The Tabernacle with the Ark was now at Shiloh, -where a town had rapidly grown up. Inside the gateway leading up to it -was a “seat” or “throne” (1 Sam. i. 9; iv. 13), on which Eli used to -sit, and thence survey the worshippers as they came up on high days to -the Festivals. - -Year by year, as he sat there, he would see amongst the pilgrims -coming up to the Feast of Tabernacles the family of ELKANAH, a man of -Ramathaim-Zophim[225] in Mount Ephraim. Though a Levite in the line -of Kohath (1 Chron. vi. 27–34), he affords one of the few instances of -polygamy in the ranks of the lower orders. By his wife Peninnah he had -several children; by Hannah, his favourite wife, he had none, which was -to her a source of much trouble, and brought down upon her many taunts -from her rival. On one occasion, as Eli sat on his throne at the gate, -he was led more particularly to notice one of this little family group. -At the close of the sacrificial Feast, unable any longer to endure the -mockery of her rival and her own bitterness of heart, Hannah remained -long in silent prayer at the Sanctuary. The High-priest saw her lips -move, but heard no sound of her voice, as she prayed. Thinking that -she had indulged to excess at the feast, he rebuked her, and bade her -put away her wine from her. Then Hannah told him of her secret grief, -and the aged priest, convinced of his error, quickly made amends by -bestowing upon her his blessing, and expressing a hope that the God of -Israel might grant the petition she had preferred (1 Sam. i. 17). - -The story of the wife of Manoah was, probably, not unknown to Hannah, -and she too prayed that if the Lord would grant her a man-child, she -would devote him as a Nazarite to His service all the days of his life. -Her prayer was heard. Before the Feast of Tabernacles came round again, -she had become the mother of a son, to whom she gave the appropriate -name of SAMUEL, “_the Asked_ or _Heard of God_.” When he was weaned, -she brought him to Shiloh, with three bullocks, an ephah of flour, and -a skin bottle of wine, and having poured forth her thankfulness in an -inspired hymn, presented the boy to Eli, as the child for whom she had -prayed, and whom she now wished to return to the Lord (1 Sam. ii. 1–11). - -In striking contrast with the simplicity and innocence of the young -child, who henceforth waited upon Eli, the two sons of that pontiff, -HOPHNI and PHINEHAS were _sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord_. By -their rapacity and lust they had filled all Israel with loathing and -indignation, so that _men abhorred the offering of the Lord_. But Eli -_restrained them not_, and, as years went on, their wickedness seemed -only to increase in spite of his expostulations. It was a dark day in -Israel, and their conduct gives us a terrible glimpse into the fallen -condition of the chosen people (1 Sam. ii. 12–21). - -Before long the first warning came to Eli. A _man of God_ stood before -him, and after reminding him of the high honour God had conferred -upon him, when He chose him to be His priest, sternly rebuked him -for honouring his sons above their Maker, and announced that instead -of the office remaining in his family, its high functions should be -transferred to another and more faithful line. And not only did he thus -denounce distant punishment but an immediate and speedy pledge of it in -the death on one day of both his sons (1 Sam. ii. 27–36). - -But this warning produced no effect. Eli was old and greyheaded. -However fitted he might have been once for the task of ruling his -family, that day was gone by now. A second warning, therefore, of -coming doom was now given him, not by the mouth of any stranger, but -of the child, whom Hannah had left in the Tabernacle at Shiloh _a loan -unto the Lord_. Clad in a white linen ephod, and the little mantle[226] -reaching to the feet, which his mother brought him from year to year, -his long flowing hair betokening his Nazarite vow, Samuel ministered -before Eli. The degraded state of the priesthood in the hands of -Hophni and Phinehas had made intimations of the Divine Will rare and -precious in those days, _there was no open vision_. But the Lord found -a way to intimate the coming doom of Eli’s house. One night, when the -aged priest had lain down to rest in one of the chambers hard by the -Tabernacle, which was illumined only by the light of the seven-branched -Golden Candlestick, in the early morning, before it was yet light, -a Voice called Samuel and awoke him from his slumber. Thinking Eli -had called him, he went to him, and enquired the cause. But Eli had -not spoken, and bade him lie down again. He did so, and again the -Voice pronounced his name. Once more he ran to the bed-side of the -High-priest, who as before denied that he had called him, and told him -to return to his bed. A third time the Voice pronounced his name, and -then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child, and bade him, -if he heard it again, reply, _Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth_. -Samuel returned to his bed, and when the Voice called to him for the -fourth time, answered as the aged priest had bidden him, and heard -the purport of the mysterious call. _The Lord was about to do a thing -in Israel, at which both the ears of him that heard it should tingle. -Eli’s sons had made themselves vile, and he had not restrained them. -For this iniquity his house was now to be judged and neither sacrifice -nor offering could make atonement; when the Lord began, He would also -make an end._ - -Until the sun was up, Samuel lay still, and forbore to tell Eli what he -had heard. But the High-priest, whose conscience, doubtless, only too -surely whispered what it was, bade him hide nothing from him. And then -the old man, whose eyes were dim that he could not see, listened, while -the child told him every whit. Death awaited his sons, beggary and -desolation his family. _It is the Lord_, was his brief reply, _let Him -do what seemeth Him good_, and in the course of time the warning was -fulfilled. As Samuel grew, the Lord began to reveal Himself more and -more to him. The influence of Eli, already weakened, now dwindled from -day to day. He “decreased” and Samuel “increased,” and the Lord was -with him, and _let none of his words fall to the ground_, so that all -Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that he was established to be -a Prophet, a revealer of the Divine Will (1 Sam. iii. 19–21). - -Meanwhile the strength of the Philistines had recovered from the wounds -it had received from the champion of Dan. Advancing their forces to -Aphek, no great distance from the fortress of Jebus, they attacked -the Israelites, and inflicted on them a loss of 4,000 men. Alarmed at -this reverse, the Israelites resolved to fetch the Ark and take it into -battle, that it might save them out of the hands of their enemies. The -sacred symbol was thereupon removed from the curtains that enclosed it, -and the two sons of Eli accompanied it to the field. _A great shout, so -that the earth rang again_, greeted its arrival in the Israelite camp, -and the Philistines alarmed at the proximity of the _mighty Gods, that -smote the Egyptians with all the plagues_, resolved to sell their lives -dear, rather than become subject to their enemies. Again, therefore, -the battle was joined, and Israel sustained a still more disastrous -defeat. Upwards of 30,000 were slain, amongst whom were Eli’s sons, and -worse than all, the _Ark of God was taken_ (1 Sam. iv. 11). - -On his elevated “seat” by the wayside Eli sat to receive any tidings -from the battle-field, his heart trembling for the sacred Symbol of -which he was the guardian. As the day closed, a young man of the tribe -of Benjamin came running into the town of Shiloh. His clothes were -rent, his hair sprinkled with dust. A wail of lamentation arose from -the people, who no sooner saw him thus attired, than they knew how the -day had gone. Eli heard the noise of the tumult, and enquired the cause. -_I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army_, -said the young man. _And what is there done, my son?_ enquired the -pontiff. _Israel is fled before the Philistines_, was the reply, _and -there hath been also a great slaughter among the people――and thy two -sons, also, Hophni and Phinehas are dead――and the Ark of God is taken_. -No sooner did the last part of his terrible tidings fall from his -mouth, than the aged priest fell _from his seat backwards, and his neck -brake, and he died_. Ninety-eight summers had passed over his head, and -forty years he had judged Israel, and now his doom was come. But still -another death was to mark that dreadful day. The wife of Phinehas -was near to be delivered of her second child. The news reached her -that her husband and her father-in-law were dead, that Israel had been -defeated, that the Ark had been taken. She bowed her head, the pangs of -childbirth came upon her, a son was born, and the women that stood by -tried to cheer her fainting spirits. But in vain. _The Ark of God was -taken_, that was all her mind could realize. With her last breath she -gave the child a name that should be a memorial of that fearful day. -_Call him_ ICHABOD, she said, _The glory is departed from Israel_[227] -(1 Sam. iv. 12–22). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _SAMUEL’S JUDGESHIP._ - 1 SAM. V.–VIII. B.C. 1141–1095. - - -MEANWHILE the Ark was carried by the Philistines in triumph to -Ashdod[228], one of their five confederate cities, and placed in the -Temple of Dagon. But there its sanctity was remarkably vindicated, for -on the morrow that idol was found lying on its face upon the ground. In -vain did its votaries set it up in its place again. The next day saw it -a second time laid prostrate, and not only fallen, but broken, without -head or hands. Moreover while a plague of mice destroyed their crops, -“emerods,” _i.e._ hemorrhoids or piles, tormented their bodies. In -great consternation they, thereupon, removed the Ark to Gath, but there, -too, the same plague broke out, and when they were on the point of -removing it to Ekron, the inhabitants of that city interfered, and -declared they would not admit it within their walls. - -The advice of the priests and diviners was then asked, and they -suggested that the sacred Coffer should be placed in a new cart -drawn by two milch kine, which had never been yoked, and with a -trespass-offering of five golden mice and five golden emerods be sent -back to the Israelites. If the kine of their own accord took the road -to Beth-shemesh, (_house of the Sun_[229]), under the hills of Dan, and -close to the Philistine lowlands, then it would be certain that their -misfortunes were due to the hostility of the Gods of the Israelites, -otherwise it might be concluded that some chance had smitten them. - -The plan was adopted. The Ark was placed in the new cart, together with -the coffer containing the trespass-offerings, and the kine took the -high-road from Ekron to Beth-shemesh, without turning to the right hand -or the left. It was the time of wheat-harvest, and the people of the -town were busy gathering in their corn, when lifting up their eyes -they with joy beheld the Ark, which they had not seen for seven months -(1 Sam. vi. 1). The kine, meanwhile, stopped not till they had reached -the field of Joshua, an inhabitant of the place, where there was a -great stone. Beth-shemesh being a suburb-city, and allotted to the -priests (Josh. xxi. 16; 1 Chr. vi. 59), the Levites residing there -took down the Ark and the coffer, placed them on the great stone, then -clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine as a burnt-offering -to Jehovah, at the close of which ceremony, the five lords of the -Philistines, who had joined the procession, returned to their own -country (1 Sam. vi. 10–16). - -But even this joyous day was not to pass by without a great calamity. -Not content with offering sacrifices, the people of Beth-shemesh -approached the Ark, and though even the priests were not allowed to -touch it, removed the lid, to do which some force must have been used, -and looked into it, for which profanity a considerable number were -stricken with instant death. Messengers were, therefore, dispatched -to Kirjath-jearim (_the fields of the wood_, see Ps. cxxxii. 6), and -thither through the hills the Ark was sent, and placed in the house of -the Levite Abinadab, whose son Eleazar was consecrated to keep it, and -there it remained until the time of David (1 Sam. vii. 1). - -Meanwhile Samuel, of whom we have not heard since he denounced the doom -of the house of Ithamar, was growing up an acknowledged Prophet of the -Lord. In this sad crisis of the nation’s history he now came forward -and convening an assembly at Mizpeh, probably the _Watch-tower_ of -Benjamin, solemnly expostulated with the Israelites on their idolatrous -practices. With fasting and public confession they acknowledged the -righteousness of the late judgments. Water was poured upon the ground, -and the people entered into a covenant to abandon the worship of Baal -and Ashtaroth. From this day Samuel’s career as Judge began, and was -inaugurated by a great victory over the Philistines, who hearing that -the Israelites were recovering from their former depression, once more -gathered together at Mizpeh, prepared to give them battle. At this -crisis, Samuel taking a lamb offered it as a whole burnt-offering for -the nation’s sins, and was thus piously employed when the Philistines -made their onslaught. But at this moment a terrific thunder-storm burst -forth, accompanied, according to Josephus, by an earthquake. Seized -with a sudden panic, the Philistines fled in disorder, and were pursued -with great slaughter by the victorious Israelites as far as Beth-car -(_the house of lambs_), a height to the west of Mizpeh. On the very -spot, where twenty years before the Philistines had gained their most -signal triumph, Samuel now set up a huge stone to commemorate his -victory, and named it Ebenezer, _the Stone of Help_ (1 Sam. vii. 12). - -The subsequent effects of this success were still more apparent. Not -only did the Philistines receive a decided check, but the Amorites also, -the scourge of the little tribe of Dan, made peace with Israel, and -all the cities in the Philistine territory, which had been taken from -the Israelites, from Ekron to Gath, were restored. Samuel’s office as -Judge was now confirmed. Ramah, his birth-place, was his residence, -and here he erected an altar to the Lord, and thence from year to year -went forth in solemn circuit to the old sanctuaries, Bethel, Gilgal, -and Mizpeh, combining with the duties of a Judge the functions also of -a Seer or Prophet, and with all the weight of an Oracle advising in any -of the troubles of national or domestic life (1 Sam. ix. 11, 18, 19). -As years passed on, and he waxed old, his sons JOEL and ABIAH, like -those of Jair and Abdon before him, shared a portion of his judicial -functions, and administered justice in the more southerly portions of -the country. But they did not walk in their father’s footsteps. He who, -when a child, had denounced the terrible doom on Eli for the wickedness -of his sons, lived to see his own sons turning aside after lucre, -exacting excessive usury, and perverting judgment (1 Sam. viii. 3). - -A new and more advanced period in the history of the nation was at hand, -and the supremacy of the Judges was about to close. Samuel, who came -like Numa after Romulus, did not fail to prepare the people for the -new epoch. At Ramah, at Bethel, at Mizpeh, at Gilgal[230] he gathered -together _Schools of the Prophets_, and was the great reformer of the -prophetical order, a work of such importance that he is even classed -with Moses, the great Lawgiver of the nation. (Comp. Ps. xcix. 6; -Acts iii. 24; xiii. 20.) The title, indeed, of “prophet” has occurred -already more than once, and is applied to Abraham (Gen. xx. 7), to -Moses (Deut. xviii. 15–18), to Aaron (Ex. vii. 1), to Miriam (Ex. -xv. 20), to the seventy elders (Num. xi. 24–30), to Deborah[231] (Judg. -iv. 4). But these were isolated cases. It was the work of Samuel to -give permanence and effectiveness to the prophetical functions. - -Promising youths were gathered by him into Schools or Colleges of -Prophets, where they lived together in a society or community, under a -head or leading prophet, whom they called their _Father_ (Comp. 1 Sam. -x. 12; xix. 20), or _Master_ (2 K. ii. 3), while they were termed his -_sons_. Here they employed themselves in studying the Law of Moses; -practised the composition of sacred poetry; and became skilled in -sacred music, _the psaltery, harp, tabret, pipe, and cymbals_ (1 Sam. -x. 5; 2 K. iii. 15; 1 Ch. xxv. 1, 6). They also preserved and copied -historical records, and “gathered up the traditions of their own and -former times.” Their calling was not merely, sometimes not at all, -to predict future events. They were to be forth-speakers for God, to -commune with God, to speak of God, to teach His truth, to declare His -will, and that not only in words, but sometimes in action. Studying the -Law of Moses, and the records of God’s past dealings with their nation, -they were to see the earnest of His presence for rebuke or consolation -in the present. Their vocation required of them to preach morality and -spiritual religion, to denounce oppression and covetousness, injustice -and profligacy, cruelty and idolatry. And while called to reveal God’s -will in each successive crisis of the nation’s history, they were also -specially raised up to fix the eye of their countrymen on the future, -to keep alive the belief in God’s promises of Redemption, and to -foretell the incarnation of Him, in whom all nations were to be blessed. -If they often typified Him, whose appearance they announced and whose -Spirit dwelt in them, in His humiliation, being despised and rejected -by the generation in which they lived, yet from time to time they -typified Him also in His exaltation, for the Lord, whose messengers -they were, stood by them, frequently confirmed their word by miracles, -and punished those who injured them[232]. - -The subsequent position of the Prophetical order at momentous periods -of the national history is strikingly illustrated by the conduct of its -Reformer and Organizer now. The misconduct of Samuel’s sons produced -dissatisfaction and a cry for change. Samuel himself was stricken in -age. He had been a man of peace. One military success and one only had -distinguished his Judgeship. On the west the ever-restless Philistines -gave signs of recovery from their late defeat (1 Sam. x. 5), while -beyond the Jordan Nahash the Ammonite threatened the cities of the -tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (1 Sam. xii. 12). There was no -known general in Israel qualified by his position or powers to take the -command of the nation’s armies, and lead them to battle. The fixed form -of kingly government, which the people saw enjoyed by all the nations -around, which they had themselves partially adopted under Gideon and -Abimelech, under Jair and Abdon, and to which events appeared to have -been rapidly tending, was not yet realized. - -At this juncture, then, the elders and accredited heads of the nation -repaired to Ramah, and on the ground of Samuel’s advanced age, the -misconduct of his sons, and, as we gather from an incidental remark -of Samuel himself afterwards, an apprehended invasion by the Ammonites, -they requested that the form of government might be changed, that -a king might rule over them, like the nations round about (1 Sam. -viii. 5). - -This demand was a shock to Samuel’s feelings, and _the thing displeased -him_. He knew well the abuses such a form of government was too likely -to entail. But he did not reject the petition of the nation. He was -a true mediator between the old order that was changing and the new -order, to which it was destined to give place. He prayed to the Lord -for advice and direction in this great crisis, and his prayer was heard. -Though he had been rightly displeased with the people’s request, though -they had done worse than rejecting him and had rejected their invisible -Ruler, he was directed to hearken to their voice, but he was not to -leave them without warning. He was to _shew them the manner of the king -that should reign over them_ (1 Sam. viii. 9). - -Accordingly Samuel convened an assembly, and faithfully described -the Oriental court and ceremonial, which the election of a king would -inevitably entail; how he would at his own pleasure take their sons -and appoint them to command his chariots and his horses, would set -them to ear his ground and reap his harvest, and fashion his chariots -and instruments of war; how he would take their daughters to be his -confectioners, his cooks, and his bakers; how their property would -cease to be their own, and their fields, their oliveyards and vineyards, -their flocks and herds, their menservants and maidservants would be -required to be at his disposal. Under this despotism he warned them -that a day would come when they would cry unto the Lord, but He would -not hear them (1 Sam. viii. 10–18). - -His words, however, fell on unheeding ears. The pomp and ceremonial -of a court had too many attractions for the nation; without a king -to judge them and fight their battles, they affected to feel isolated -and degraded in the eyes of neighbouring peoples, and a king they were -resolved to have. This answer of the elders Samuel carried back to -the Lord, who again bade him hearken to their voice, and promised the -fulfilment of their wishes, with which assurance they were dismissed to -their several cities[233] (1 Sam. viii. 22). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _ELECTION OF THE FIRST KING._ - 1 SAM. IX. B.C. 1095. - - -THE elders of Israel had not long to wait for the king they so -earnestly desired. Shortly after Samuel’s return to Ramah he received -Divine intimation that on the morrow one would be sent him, whom he was -to anoint to be _captain over the Lord’s people_. Accordingly the next -day, as he was on his way to the high place to give his benediction -at a sacrificial feast, he met two wayfaring men. One was a man of -Benjamin, SAUL the son of Kish, of a noble and handsome mien and -gigantic stature, from his shoulders and upward higher than any of -the people; the other was his servant. In quest of the asses of Saul’s -father, which had strayed, the two had been traversing without success -the central region of Palestine, and now guided by certain maidens of -Ramah, whom they had met at the entrance of the place going out to draw -water, they had resolved to ask the advice of Samuel. - -The Prophet had already noticed the tall handsome stranger, and as he -drew near the Divine Voice assured him that he was the destined Ruler -of His people (1 Sam. ix. 15, 16). When, therefore, Saul enquired for -the Seer’s house, Samuel not only declared that he was the person he -sought, but revealed his mysterious acquaintance with the secret of -his three days’ journey, and bade him lay aside all further anxiety, -for the asses were found. Then, turning to Saul, he added in yet -more mysterious words, _On whom is the desire of Israel? Is it not on -thee, and on all thy father’s house?_ Marvelling at the import of this -significant question addressed to one who belonged to _the smallest -of the tribes of Israel_, and whose family was _the least of all the -families of Benjamin_ (1 Sam. ix. 21), Saul followed the Prophet to the -high place, where with his servant he was made to sit in the chiefest -place among the thirty guests assembled at the sacrificial feast, and -to partake of a special portion which had been reserved for him. - -Thence he returned to the town, and in the evening held further -conversation with Samuel on the house-top of his dwelling. Next morning -at daybreak Samuel roused his guest, and accompanied him some little -way to the end of the town. There the servant was bidden to pass on, -and the two being left alone the Prophet taking a phial of oil poured -it on Saul’s head, and kissed him, and assured him of his election -to be the first King of Israel. To this assurance he added prophetic -intimations of incidents which would occur on Saul’s return homewards, -and which could not fail still further to confirm him in the conviction -that his sudden elevation was indeed of the Lord. Two men would meet -him at Rachel’s sepulchre, and inform him that the asses were found, -and that his father’s anxieties now centred on himself; at the “plain,” -or rather the “oak” of Tabor (1 Sam. x. 3) he would meet three men -going to Bethel carrying gifts of kids, bread, and a skin bottle of -wine; they would salute him, and offer him two loaves of bread, which -he was to receive at their hand; then, thirdly, on reaching _the hill -of God_, probably Gibeah, where the Philistines had posted a garrison, -he would meet a company of the prophets coming down from the high place -with psaltery, tabret, pipe, and harp, whose inspired strains would -so affect him that he would join himself to them, and be turned into -another man. After the fulfilment of these three signs, he was to go -to Gilgal, and there tarry seven days till Samuel’s arrival to offer -sacrifices, and tell him what he should do (1 Sam. x. 8). Then the two -men parted, each of the three signs came to pass, and God gave the son -of Kish _another heart_. Convinced of his call to inaugurate the kingly -period of Israel’s history, his soul rose to the greatness of the -occasion; the strains of the prophetic choir so wrought upon his spirit -that he felt inspired to join them, and his appearance in their society -became the occasion of a well-known proverb, _Is Saul also among the -prophets?_ (1 Sam. x. 12). - -Meanwhile Samuel convened all the people to Mizpeh of Benjamin, and -after again rebuking them for their want of faith in thus hastily -seeking a change of government, bade them present themselves before -the Lord by their tribes and by their thousands, in order that the -sacred lot might decide the election of the king. In solemn order -the tribes passed before him, and the lot fell upon that of Benjamin. -Then the same ceremony was successively repeated with the clans, the -families, the individuals, and in a manner that none could dispute, it -was indicated that Saul the son of Kish was the object of the Divine -choice. But when search was made for him, he was not to be found. Still -unwilling to accept the arduous duties of the kingdom, he had concealed -himself in the circle of baggage round the encampment at Mizpeh. The -search was renewed, and he was brought forth from his hiding-place. As -he advanced into the midst his exalted stature struck the spectators -with admiration, and a universal shout of _Long live the King_ -betokened the nation’s acceptance of its new head (1 Sam. x. 24). - -Left to themselves, the Israelites would, doubtless, have stood -committed to the new form of government, without pausing to insist -on any conditions from their Ruler, well content if he proved as -absolute and irresponsible as those of the nations round about. But the -far-seeing Samuel was wiser than they. Well knowing the bearing of the -transactions of that day on the nation’s future, he not only expounded -to the people the manner of the kingdom as set forth by their great -Lawgiver in the Book of Deuteronomy (xvii. 14–20), but for the sake of -greater security committed the regulations thus accepted to writing, -and laid them up in safe keeping before the Lord, and thus, “under -Divine sanction, and amidst the despotisms of the East, arose the -earliest example of a constitutional monarchy[234].” - -This ceremony concluded, the people returned to their homes, and -Saul retired to Gibeah. Though his elevation had been thus formally -approved, there were not wanting those who, on the score, probably, -of the obscurity of his tribe, and the fact that his capacities were -as yet unknown, expressed much dissatisfaction at his promotion, -questioned his ability to rule them, and brought him none of the usual -presents (1 Sam. x. 27). With rare self-control, however, he held his -peace, and in a short time was enabled to justify the confidence that -had been reposed in him. - -While living in retirement at Gibeah, he received intelligence which -roused all his martial ardour, and for the first time revealed his -talents as a military leader. The Ammonites, recovered from the -defeat they had sustained from Jephthah, had under the leadership of -their king NAHASH laid siege to Jabesh-gilead (See Judg. xxi. 8), the -inhabitants of which place in their terror invited the heathen king -to make a covenant with them, and agreed to serve him. This, with -characteristic haughtiness he declined, except on the condition that he -might put out their right eyes, and thus render them unfit for further -military service. In this strait, the elders of the place requested -seven days’ respite, and meanwhile sent messengers to their brethren -imploring assistance. Saul was driving his herd homewards from the -field, when the sound of wild lamentation in his native town revealed -the danger which threatened the friendly[235] town of Jabesh-gilead. -Immediately _the Spirit of the Lord came upon him_ (1 Sam. xi. 6), -filling him with courage and resolution for the emergency. Taking -a yoke of oxen, he hewed them in pieces, and sent this war-token -throughout all the tribes, summoning them under pain of eternal -disgrace to rally round himself and Samuel and hasten to the rescue -of their brethren. He then bade the messengers return to Jabesh-gilead -with the assurance of succour, _before the sun was hot on the morrow_. -His determined spirit quickly communicated itself to others, and -300,000 from Israel, and 30,000 from Judah gathered round him and the -Prophet. Bezek, a place apparently within a day’s march of Jabesh, -was appointed their head-quarters, and thence dividing his forces into -three companies Saul executed a swift night-march, and burst upon the -Ammonites in the morning watch, who panic-stricken by this unexpected -onslaught were defeated with enormous loss, _so that not two of them -were left together_ (1 Sam. xi. 11). - -This signal success had an instantaneous effect upon the people. The -Israelites hailed Saul as the deliverer of their country, and even -proposed to put to death those who had not at first acknowledged him as -king. With continued self-command, however, he calmed their zeal, and -declined to stain with innocent blood the memory of a day, on which, -as he said with becoming modesty, _not he but Jehovah had wrought -salvation in Israel_. At this juncture, the new ruler having been tried -and not found wanting, Samuel suggested that the people should once -more repair to Gilgal, and there renew the kingdom. Accordingly after -the sacrifice of peace-offerings and amidst great rejoicings Saul was -solemnly inaugurated in his regal functions, while Samuel embraced the -opportunity afforded by so large a gathering to bid farewell to the -people he had ruled so prudently with all his power (1 Sam. xii.). _He -had hearkened_, he said, _to their voice; he had made a king over them. -For himself, he was old and grey-headed, he had walked before them from -his childhood unto that day. Let them now testify if they had ought -against him. Had he defrauded any? Had he oppressed any? Had he taken -any bribe to blind his eyes? If so, he would make ample restoration._ -With one voice the whole people bore witness to the integrity and -uprightness of his public life. Then, like Moses and Joshua, he gave -them his parting counsels, and after exhorting them by the memory of -past mercies and past deliverances to cleave fast to the Lord, and -not forsake His commandments, called on the Lord Himself to ratify -his words by an outward and visible sign. It was the season of -wheat-harvest[236], when thunder and rain seldom or never occurred. -But at the word of Samuel, the sky became black with clouds, the -thunder rolled and the rain fell, bearing witness to the solemnity of -the Prophet’s warnings; who having thus bidden farewell to the people, -henceforth retired from any share in the government, which now devolved -on Saul alone. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _THE BATTLE OF MICHMASH._ - 1 SAM. XIII. XIV. B.C. 1093–1087. - - -IN dismissing Saul from Ramah after their first interview, Samuel, -it will be remembered, had told him that he would pass _a garrison of -the Philistines_ (1 Sam. x. 5; xiii. 3) Recovering from their defeat -at Ebenezer this people had again renewed their old hostilities, and -pitched in the heart of the mountains of Benjamin. Two years after his -accession (1 Sam. xiii. 1), Saul resolved to throw off a yoke which -pressed so severely on the neighbourhood of his native place. Gathering -round him a small standing army of 3,000 men, he placed 1,000 under the -command of his valiant son JONATHAN at Geba[237], while he himself with -2,000 took up a position at Michmash (_Mŭkhmas_) about 7 miles north of -Jerusalem, and along the ridge of intervening heights in the direction -of Bethel. Either at or close to Jonathan’s position was posted a -garrison of the Philistines. For some time the rival forces stood -watching one another, and at length Jonathan in a fit of youthful -ardour fell upon the garrison, and put it to flight. - -Tidings of this event quickly reached the Philistines in their rich -southern plains, who forthwith swarmed with a vast force up through the -passes of Benjamin, while Saul retired to Gilgal, and there summoned a -general gathering of the nation. But in face of the enormous masses of -their foes, the Israelites, seized with a sudden panic, as in the days -of Gideon (Judg. vi. 2), fled for refuge to the natural hiding-places -of the country, to the dens, the inaccessible fastnesses, and the caves -with which it abounded, while some even crossed the Jordan into the -territory of Gad and Gilead (1 Sam. xiii. 7). - -The Philistines now in their turn occupied Michmash, and their -oppression of the Israelites was most grievous. A regular disarmament -was carried out, so that none of the Hebrews had sword or spear save -the king and his son, and their immediate retainers; nay, the very -smiths were removed, and the Hebrews were constrained to go down to -their enemies to get their agricultural implements sharpened. In this -terrible crisis Saul sent messages from Gilgal to Samuel at Ramah, -who promised within seven days to join the king and celebrate solemn -sacrifices, preparatory, probably, to some concerted plan of action. -But the days passed away, and Samuel came not. The Philistines were -collecting in constantly increasing numbers at Michmash, and the -terrified Israelites dropped off more and more, leaving their king -with barely 600 followers. The present posture of affairs imperatively -demanded prudence and caution, and from Samuel the king would, -doubtless, have learnt the Divine will, and He, who had enabled Gideon -with only 300 men to conquer even more numerous foes, would have opened -up some mode of deliverance. But Samuel came not, and Saul, unable to -restrain his impatience, resolved to offer the sacrifices himself. He -had scarcely done so when the Prophet arrived and sternly rebuked him -for his impetuous zeal. _Thou hast done foolishly_, said he, _thou -hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God_, and he proceeded -to intimate that the kingdom, which might have been established in his -family, would not continue, but would be transferred to another (1 Sam. -xiii. 11–14). - -Meanwhile the Philistines continued their oppressive and tyrannical -exactions. Roving bands from their camp went forth in three -directions[238], and committed disastrous depredations, while from -the heights, where they were encamped, Saul and Jonathan, at the head -of their little band, looked down upon a ravaged and terror-stricken -country, unable and afraid to lift a hand against its oppressors. At -length Jonathan resolved to strike another blow. Between the Israelite -position at Geba and the Philistine garrison at Michmash was a distance -of about three miles, part of which consisted of a deep gorge, running -between two sharp jagged rocks, the one called Bozez (_Shining_), -probably from the white chalky cliffs, the other Seneh (_the Thorn_ or -_Acacia_), so called probably from some solitary acacia on its summit. -Above this gorge[239] was the Philistine garrison. Without informing -his father, or communicating his design to any one, except the young -man his armour-bearer, Jonathan resolved to ascend the steep sides of -the ravine, and then to take the conduct of the enemy as an omen for -further operations. If the Philistines came forth and threatened an -attack, they would remain in the valley; if they challenged them to -advance, they would take this as an augury of success, and press on. -Upon their hands and feet, then, the two climbed up, and at length were -detected by the Philistines. _Behold_, they cried in derision, _the -Hebrews come forth out of the holes, where they have hid themselves. -Come up and we will shew you a thing._ The omen was favourable, and -the two pressed on. - -_Strong as a lion, and swift as an eagle_ (2 Sam. i. 23), Jonathan no -sooner reached the summit than he rushed upon his unexpecting foes, -and aided by his armour-bearer, slew at the first onset upwards of -twenty men. Thereupon a sudden and uncontrollable panic seized the -garrison and spread to the camp, and even the marauding hordes in the -neighbourhood. A simultaneous earthquake (1 Sam. xiv. 15) increased -the confusion, and when Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah looked towards the -opposite end of the gorge of Michmash, they beheld the multitudes -_melting away, going and beating down one another_. Unable to explain -the cause of this sudden movement, the king ordered the High-priest -Ahiah to enquire who had left the Israelite camp. On ascertaining that -Jonathan was leading an attack upon the enemy, he would have a second -time consulted the ark of God, but while he was talking, the noise -in the Philistine host grew louder and louder. On this he bade the -High-priest stay his enquiries, and putting himself at the head of his -600 followers, he rushed up the defile, and on reaching the opposite -side found that a general panic had seized the foe, _every man’s hand -was against his fellow, and there was a great discomfiture_ (1 Sam. -xiv. 20). - -It was the signal for a general rising. Even the Israelites in the -Philistine camp turned against their captors, and were quickly joined -by others of their brethren, who till now had remained concealed in the -mountains of Ephraim. Onwards the pursuit swept over the high ground -of Bethel and down the pass of Beth-horon to Ajalon[240]. In the -excitement of the hour, and carried away by that rash impetuosity which -henceforth seemed to mar all his actions, Saul cried to heaven, _Cursed -be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged of -mine enemies_ (1 Sam. xiv. 24). He had not yet encountered his heroic -son, and the fasting people were spent and wearied. Soon the pursuit -lay through a forest bedewed in divers places with the droppings -of wild honey. Overcome with his exertions, which had brought such -glory to the nation, and unaware of his father’s rash adjuration, -Jonathan put forth the end of his staff into a honeycomb, and therewith -refreshed his parched lips. An Israelite saw what he had done, and -revealed the terms of the royal curse. _My father hath troubled the -land_, said he, and once more mingled in the pursuit (1 Sam. xiv. -24–32). - -The day must now have been far advanced, and the host utterly unable -to endure any longer the enforced fast flew upon the spoil, and taking -sheep and oxen slew them on the ground, devouring the fresh carcases -even with the blood[241]. When the news of this infraction of the law -was announced to Saul, he directed that a large stone should be set up -to serve as a kind of altar. Still eager and impetuous, late as it was, -he wished to continue the pursuit and to spoil the Philistines till the -morning light. The more prudent Ahiah suggested that the Divine Will -should first be ascertained. Arrayed in his ephod (1 Sam. xiv. 3), he -consulted, probably, the “Breastplate of Judgment[242],” while the king -enquired of the Lord, _Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt Thou -deliver them into the hand of Israel?_ But no answer was vouchsafed, -the Oracle was dumb. Suspecting there was something to intercept the -Divine response, Saul proposed to ascertain the cause by appealing -to the sacred lot, exclaiming with all his former rashness, _As the -Lord liveth, though the sin be found in Jonathan my son, he shall -surely die_. In solemn silence the chiefs of the host divided; Saul and -Jonathan stood on one side, the people on the other. The lot was cast, -and it was ascertained that the sin lay between the king and his son. -Again the lot was cast, and this time Jonathan was taken. Adjured by -his father, the youthful conqueror confessed that with his staff he had -taken and eaten some honey. Saul declared he would abide by his vow, -and Jonathan would have fallen a victim to the royal rashness, had -not the people interfered. With a determination he dared not oppose, -they declared that not one hair of his head should fall to the ground. -Thus Jonathan was saved; and Saul returned to his native hills, and the -Philistines, defeated and disgraced, to their fertile lowlands (1 Sam. -xiv. 24–46). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _SAUL AND THE AMALEKITES. DAVID AND GOLIATH._ - 1 SAM. XV.–XVII. B.C. 1079–1063. - - -THIS signal victory materially confirmed Saul’s supremacy. Acting no -longer merely on the defensive, he now directed expeditions against -Moab, Ammon, Edom, and even the king of Zobah, a region east of -Cœle-Syria and extending towards the Euphrates. While in the full -tide of his success he received a visit from Samuel, who on the -strength of a Divine command, entrusted him with a commission, which -he was to execute to the very letter. The treacherous hostility of the -powerful tribe of Amalek, when they fell upon the exhausted rear of -the Israelites at their departure from Egypt, had not been forgotten by -God (Ex. xvii. 8, 14; Num. xxiv. 20). Since then they had on more than -one occasion evinced the same hostility[243]. They were now devoted to -utter destruction. _Go and smite Amalek_, ran the Divine commission; -_utterly destroy all that they have; spare them not; slay both man -and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass_ (1 Sam. -xv. 2, 3). - -Thereupon Saul mustered a force of 210,000 at Telaim in southern Judah, -and after warning the Kenites to betake themselves to a place of safety, -he attacked the Amalekites and smote them from Havilah to Shur. All the -people he utterly destroyed, but, in direct violation of the express -instructions he had received, spared all the best of the spoil and Agag -the Amalekite king. Returning from this expedition he set up a _place_, -or, probably, a _monument_ of his victory, at Carmel in the mountainous -country of Judah, and thence repaired to Gilgal. A Divine intimation -had already made known to Samuel how imperfectly the king had executed -his commission, and with a heavy heart he went forth to meet him. With -a haste which betrayed the misgivings of his conscience, Saul no sooner -saw the Prophet than he boasted of his execution of the Divine mandate. -But Samuel was not thus to be deceived. _The bleating of the sheep -and the lowing of oxen_ on all sides revealed but too clearly the lax -interpretation which Saul had chosen to put upon his instructions, -and he only increased his condemnation by trying to throw the blame -of his own shortcomings upon the people, who, he declared, _had spared -the best of the spoil to sacrifice to Jehovah_. The Prophet sternly -reminded him that Jehovah had far more delight in obedience to His -commands than in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and for the second -time intimated that the continuance of his dynasty was forfeited; he -had _rejected the Word of the Lord, and the Lord had rejected him from -being king_ (1 Sam. xv. 12–23). - -With much contrition Saul then confessed his error, and as the Prophet -turned to depart, grasped the skirt of his mantle to induce him to stay. -The mantle rent, and Samuel interpreted the omen; the Lord had _rent -the kingdom_ from its unworthy head, and designed it for _a neighbour -of his_, who was better than he. Without denying the justice of the -sentence, Saul entreated the granting of one concession, imploring -Samuel to _honour him before the elders of his people, and turn with -him and worship Jehovah_. The prophet yielded, and for the last time -the two offered sacrifice together. But if Saul had neglected his -duty, Samuel could not forget the captive king, whom the Divine decree -had devoted to death. He ordered Agag to be brought before him. The -king came forward _delicately_, remarking, as if to disarm hostility, -_surely the bitterness of death is past_. _As thy sword_, rejoined -the Prophet, _hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be -childless among women_; and he hewed him in pieces before the Lord. -The commission of Jehovah thus vindicated, Saul returned to Gibeah, and -Samuel to Ramah, there to mourn for one, whose career, once so hopeful, -was now obscured with such dark forebodings of coming doom (1 Sam. xv. -24–35). - -The sorrow of Samuel for Saul’s shortcomings was real. But he was -before long roused from his grief by a Divine commission to take a horn -of oil and go to Bethlehem, there to anoint another king. Fear lest the -purport of his errand should reach Saul’s ears would have deterred him -from venturing on the journey, but he was bidden to take a heifer and -invite the elders of the town to a sacrificial feast. In obedience to -this command he left Ramah, and proceeded on his way. As he ascended -the long gray hill leading to the village, his approach was discerned -by the elders, who trembled when they saw the venerable Prophet. -_Comest thou peaceably?_ they enquired anxiously. _Peaceably_, was the -reply, and they were bidden to prepare to accompany him to the feast. - -Amongst those invited on this occasion was JESSE, sprung from one of -the oldest families[244] in the place, the son of OBED, and grandson -of the Moabitess RUTH. He was an aged man at this time, and the father -of eight sons, of whom seven now accompanied him to the feast (1 Sam. -xvii. 12). When they were all assembled, and waiting to commence, the -Prophet looked upon the eldest, the tall Eliab, and thought that of a -surety he beheld the Lord’s anointed. But the Divine Voice bade him not -look upon _his countenance_, or _the height of his stature_, for the -Lord, _who looketh not upon the outward appearance but upon the heart_, -had refused him. Then the old man’s second son Abinadab passed before -him, and his third son Shammah, and after them four other sons, but -the Lord had chosen none of them. _Are here all thy children?_ enquired -Samuel. _There remaineth yet the youngest_, said Jesse, _and, behold, -he keepeth the sheep_. _Send and fetch him_, rejoined the Prophet; -_till he come hither, we cannot sit round_ (1 Sam. xvi. 11, _margin_). - -Accordingly a messenger was sent to the sheepfolds, and brought in the -youngest, DAVID (_the beloved_, _the darling_), the Benjamin of Jesse’s -house. With his shepherd’s staff in his hand, his scrip or wallet round -his neck (1 Sam. xvii. 40), a mere stripling beside the tall Eliab, -ruddy or auburn-haired, with fair bright eyes[245], _comely and goodly -to look to_ (1 Sam. xvi. 12, 18), he stood before the Prophet. _Arise, -anoint him, for this is he_, whispered the Divine Voice, and there -in the midst of his brethren and the assembled elders, Samuel poured -upon him the consecrated oil, on which the feast so long delayed was -celebrated, and Samuel rose up and returned to Ramah. (See Ps. lxxviii. -70–72.) - -Meanwhile the Spirit of God, which came upon David from that day -forward, departed from Saul, and _an evil spirit troubled him_ (1 Sam. -xvi. 14). He became moody and liable to fits of sudden phrensy. To -rouse him from this distressing state, his servants advised that a -clever player on the harp should be sent for, that by the charms of -his music he might soothe his spirit. When enquiry was made for such -a minstrel, one of the royal servants mentioned the name of the son of -Jesse as not only cunning in playing, but of tried valour, prudent in -speech, comely in person, and prospered with the blessing of the Lord -(1 Sam. xvi. 18). Saul thereupon sent for him, and Jesse dispatched -him with a humble offering. Even the troubled spirit of the king was -soothed by the music of the future Psalmist of Israel; he loved him, -and made him not only his minstrel but his armour-bearer, and retained -him about his person (1 Sam. xvi. 21). - -When the paroxysms of Saul’s malady abated, David would seem to have -returned to his old occupations on the bleak downs of Bethlehem, where -his faithfulness _in a few things_ fitted him to become a ruler _over -many things_. His shepherd life called into action some of the best -qualities in human nature. Firmness, nerve, energy and constancy were -all required of him, who would in true devotion to this calling, endure -the heat by day and the frost by night (Gen. xxxi. 40), climb narrow -ledges and scale lofty precipices in quest of pasture for his flocks, -and defend them against wild beasts, such as lions and wolves, bears -and panthers, or robbers of the desert. All these tests David had stood. -His strength and courage were well known beyond the boundaries of his -native village. Once during his solitary shepherd life a lion, and at -another time a bear attacked his father’s flock. He fled not like a -“hireling shepherd,” but put his life in his hand, and went after them -and slew them (1 Sam. xvii. 34–37). - -Meanwhile the ever active Philistines had once more risen in arms -against the Israelites. Gathering together their forces they took up a -position on a height, which, probably from being the scene of frequent -sanguinary encounters, was known as Ephes-dammim (_the boundary of -blood_), situated on the frontier hills of Judah between Socoh and -Azekah. Separated from their foes by a deep ravine or glen, Saul and -his followers pitched on the north side of the Valley of Elah[246] -(_the terebinth_). For forty mornings and evenings there descended into -this valley from the camp of the Philistines a giant named GOLIATH of -Gath. Of enormous height and clad in complete armour, he openly defied -any one of the Hebrew host to mortal combat, and offered to stake the -supremacy of either people on the issue. Even the tall majestic Saul -declined the challenge, and, like his people, _was dismayed and greatly -afraid_ (1 Sam. xvii. 11). - -While the two armies thus stood confronting each other, early one -morning David entered the camp, having been bidden by his father to -visit his three eldest brothers, then serving in the army. As he drew -near the outskirts of the camp, the host with the well-known war-cry -was advancing to take up its daily position in battle-array. Hastily -leaving with the keeper of the baggage the provisions which his father -had sent as a present to their captain, he hurried within the lines, -and was in the act of saluting his brethren, when the voice of the -giant was audible calling across the ravine his morning challenge. -David heard his words of haughty defiance, and lost in wonder at the -despondency of the people, listened eagerly to the bystanders, as they -recounted the reward, which the king had promised to bestow on any -one who was willing to accept the giant’s challenge, and slew him in -the fight. Heeding nothing the taunts of his eldest brother ELIAB, who -would have had him mind the few sheep he had left amidst the pastures -of Bethlehem, instead of coming thither to see the battle, he went -from soldier to soldier listening again and again to the account of the -king’s promised reward, till at length his bold defiance of the giant -reached the ears of Saul (1 Sam. xvii. 31). - -Summoned into the royal presence, David declared his readiness to go -forth and encounter his gigantic foe, and at Saul’s request tried on -his armour, which, however, did not fit him, and he speedily put it off -again. Then, choosing five smooth stones from the dry torrent-bed which -ran through the ravine, he placed them in his shepherd’s script, and -with his staff in one hand, and a sling[247] in the other, drew near -the Philistine. The latter enraged at the youthful appearance of his -assailant cursed him by his gods, and threatened _to give his flesh -to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field_. Undismayed David -returned threat for threat, and as his foe drew near, put his hand into -his bag and took thence a stone, which he slang with all his might, -and smote the Philistine in his forehead, _that the stone sank into his -forehead, and he fell upon his face to the earth_. Then without delay -he stood upon the prostrate body, and drawing the giant’s huge sword -from its sheath, finished the work by cutting off his head. The sight -of their champion lying weltering in his blood filled the Philistines -with consternation, and they commenced a precipitate flight. Raising -their well-known war-cry, the Israelites then rushed across the ravine -and up the opposite heights, and chased their foes to the gates of -Ekron and Gath, and spoiled their tents. On their return the youthful -warrior, who had in so signal a manner proved that the Lord saved -not with sword and spear, bearing the head of his gigantic enemy in -his hand, was conducted to Saul’s tent by Abner the king’s uncle and -captain of the host. Some two or three years had probably elapsed since -the days when David soothed Saul’s melancholy with the strains of his -harp, and in his altered visage the king did not recognise his former -minstrel[248]. But he now took him permanently into his service, and -would let him no more return to his father’s house (1 Sam. xviii. 2). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _DAVID’S LIFE AS AN OUTLAW._ - 1 SAM. XVIII.–XXIII. B.C. 1063–1061. - - -THE victory over Goliath was the turning-point in David’s life. -He was now no longer the obscure shepherd of Bethlehem, but the -recognised deliverer of Israel, and the chief of Saul’s men of -war (1 Sam. xviii. 5). Moreover he now became the devoted friend -of Jonathan, the king’s son. The hero of Michmash would naturally -sympathise with the daring shepherd of Bethlehem, and _his soul was -knit with the soul of David_ (1 Sam. xviii. 1; Comp. 2 Sam. i. 26). The -two ratified a solemn vow of undying friendship, and Jonathan bestowed -on his new-found friend almost every article of his attire, not only -the costly robe that he wore, but even his sword, his bow, and his -girdle (1 Sam. xviii. 4). - -But the hour of David’s triumph was the signal for the commencement of -those embittered relations which subsisted between him and Saul till -the day of the latter’s death. As the royal party returned from the -Valley of Elah, they were met by companies of Hebrew maidens, who in -their songs expressed the discerning feelings of the nation, singing, -_Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands_. To the -king this was gall and wormwood; in the youthful warrior he saw that -_other more worthy than himself_, for whom the kingdom was designed, -and _he eyed him from that day and forward_ (1 Sam. xviii. 9). - -As the king’s armour-bearer David did not neglect his musical talents, -and when Saul’s fits of madness were upon him he soothed him with the -strains of his harp. But more than once he did so at the peril of his -life, for in a sudden paroxysm of rage the king flung at him the long -spear he held in his hand, and would have pinned him to the wall, had -he not escaped out of his presence (1 Sam. xviii. 11). Perceiving that -the Divine favour was withdrawn from himself, Saul now became afraid of -David, and in the hope of getting rid of him gave him the command of a -thousand men (1 Sam. xviii. 13), and sent him on several expeditions; -but David’s uniform success and the prudence he displayed only won -for him still more the favour of the people. The king then tried other -expedients. He promised him his eldest daughter MERAB in marriage, -on condition that he fought against the Philistines. David went, and -instead of falling in battle, only covered himself with fresh glory, -but when the time for the marriage came, Merab was given to another -(1 Sam. xviii. 19). - -Meanwhile MICHAL, the king’s second daughter, had fallen in love with -her father’s armour-bearer. As if to bring his previous designs to -a positive fulfilment, Saul named as her dowry proof that David had -slain a hundred of the Philistines. At the head of his men David went, -and slew twice that number, and brought the required proofs of their -death. The marriage was celebrated, and David became captain of the -royal body-guard, second only, if not equal, to Abner. But the king’s -jealousy of his successful rival was only the more increased, and -he went so far as to propose to Jonathan and his servants that David -should be put out of the way, and was only dissuaded by the moving -intercession of Jonathan himself. A partial reconciliation with the -king ensued, and David returned to court. But his life was not more -secure. On one occasion his own vigilance in eluding the royal javelin, -on another the devotion of his wife Michal, alone saved his life. -On the last occasion, the officers charged to put him to death had -actually penetrated into his chamber, but only to find in the bed, in -place of the object of their search, an _image_, or household god, with -the head enveloped in a net of goats’ hair[249]. During the night his -wife had let him down from the window. (Comp. Ps. lix.) - -David now fled away to Naioth[250], the _huts or habitations_ near -Ramah, where he enjoyed a brief respite from danger and anxiety in the -congenial society of the aged Samuel, whom he had not seen since the -occurrence at Bethlehem, and of the company of prophets there gathered -together under his superintendence. News of his hiding-place reached -the ears of Saul, who forthwith sent messengers to take him. But the -sight of the prophets performing their sacred functions under the eye -of the venerable Samuel and their strains of sacred melody so wrought -upon the messengers, that they could not refrain from joining in their -religious exercises. A similar issue attended a second, and even a -third deputation. At length Saul went in person to the great well or -cistern of Sechu, not far from Ramah, and enquired for the Prophet -and the fugitive. But as he drew near the place, he himself could not -resist the prophetic impulse, and for the second time justified the -enquiry, _Is Saul also among the prophets?_ (1 Sam. xix. 24). - -Thus the danger was for the time averted. But this state of suspense -was intolerable, and David felt there was _but a step between him and -death_. Probably by Samuel’s advice, he now obtained a secret interview -with Jonathan at Ezel, a well-known stone near Gibeah. In pathetic -language he poured out his whole soul to his friend, and besought him -to make an effort to ascertain once for all the real feelings of his -father, which he might think had undergone a change after the incidents -at Naioth. The morrow was a festival of the New Moon. Saul would hold -a solemn feast, and at his table would sit Abner and Jonathan, but -David’s place would be vacant. The demeanour of the king on observing -his absence was to be taken as an omen. If he acquiesced in Jonathan’s -explanation that David was absent at a similar festival under the -family roof at Bethlehem, all would be well. If he was wroth, then it -would be certain that the old grudge was not healed, and that evil was -determined against him. A solemn compact was then ratified between the -two. Jonathan undertook to ascertain his father’s mind; David promised -to shew kindness not only to Jonathan himself, but to all his posterity -(1 Sam. xx. 5–10). - -When this compact had been duly ratified, Jonathan suggested an -expedient, whereby the news was to be made known to David. Within three -days he would again repair to the “great stone” with his bow and arrows, -and accompanied by a little lad. He would then shoot three arrows, -as though he shot at a mark, and his words to the lad, which David -would overhear, must decide the point. If he said to the lad, _Behold, -the arrows are on this side of thee, take them_, then David might -come forth, and know that all was well. If he said, _The arrows are -beyond thee_, then he might go his way, certain that the wrath of the -king could not be appeased. The day came, and David repaired to his -hiding-place. In due time Jonathan and his little lad appeared, and the -three arrows were shot as agreed upon, and as the lad ran to pick them -up, he cried, _Is not the arrow beyond thee?_ Then David knew that he -must fly, and, when the lad was gone to carry back the bow and arrows -to Gibeah, rose from his hiding-place, and with passionate embraces -and many tears parted from his friend, who once more commended his -posterity to his care (1 Sam. xx. 35–42). - -David now betook himself to Nob, a sacerdotal city in the tribe -of Benjamin, and situated on an eminence near Jerusalem. Here the -High-priest Ahimelech resided with the Tabernacle, and trembled when -he saw the captain-general of the royal troops approaching alone, and -unattended by his usual retinue. But David disarmed his suspicions -by pretending a secret mission from the king, and in this character -obtained, in the failure of other bread, the sacred[251] loaves of -Shew-bread, which having served their turn in the weekly course, were -about to be replaced by new loaves. With these and the sword of Goliath, -which was brought forth from its receptacle behind the ephod, he fled -away, resolved to seek refuge amongst his enemies the Philistines[252]. - -On his arrival at the court of Achish, king of Gath, he was recognised -by the royal guards as the famous champion of Israel, and the sword he -carried doubtless recalled bitter memories of the Valley of Elah. He -was accordingly thrown into prison[253]. But in this dilemma he changed -his behaviour, scrabbled on the doors of the gates, let his spittle -fall upon his beard, and gave every sign of being insane. The oriental -respect for madness[254] procured him his release, and he was suffered -to depart. - -From the Lowlands of the Philistines he now betook himself to the town -of Adullam (Josh. xv. 35), at the foot of the mountain-range of Judea, -and found a secure retreat in one of the extensive caves, with which -the limestone cliffs of the neighbourhood are pierced[255]. News of his -coming reached Bethlehem (1 Sam. xxii. 1), and straightway his brethren -and all his father’s house, feeling perhaps insecure from Saul’s -vengeance, came down to his stronghold from the Judean hills. These -probably included his nephews, the sons of Zeruiah, JOAB and ABISHAI; -but besides these, were 400 men who joined him from various motives, -some from distress, others to avoid exacting creditors, others from -some private sorrow. Not considering, however, his aged father and -mother secure even in this secluded spot, David hastily crossed the -Jordan, and conveyed them into the friendly territory of Moab, and -there consigned them to the king, who agreed to protect them (1 Sam. -xxii. 3, 4). - -By the advice of his friend the prophet Gad, he now retired to the -forest of Hareth, not far from Adullam. It was probably while he was -here in hold that the sons of Zeruiah performed the memorable exploit -recorded in 2 Sam. xxiii. 14–17, 1 Chr. xi. 16–19. A garrison of the -Philistines had established themselves even in David’s native town -of Bethlehem. One day, sorely tried by thirst, he expressed a longing -for the delicious water of its well near the gate. Upon the word the -three heroes burst through the Philistine forces, and returned with -the much-coveted draught[256]. But their leader would not drink of the -blood of the men that _had gone in jeopardy of their lives_, and poured -it forth as a libation before the Lord. - -Other bands now joined him. Amongst these were eleven mighty men, -_their faces like the faces of lions, their feet as swift as the roes -upon the mountains_ (1 Chr. xii. 8), from the uplands of Gad beyond -Jordan, who swam that river when it had overflowed all its banks (1 Chr. -xii. 15), and found their way to his hold. They were followed by men, -not only from the tribe of Judah, but from that of Benjamin, with their -chief Amasai. This defection of members of Saul’s own tribe at first -excited David’s suspicion, but the straightforward, honest words of -their leader convinced him of their sincerity, and he associated them -in the command of his band of six hundred faithful followers (1 Chr. -xii. 16–18). - -Meanwhile the Philistines attacked Keilah, a town of uncertain -situation in the lowland district of Judah, and robbed the -threshing-floors. At first David’s men, in spite of a Divine assurance -of success, feared to relieve the place, and so incur the hostility -of their powerful foe. A second assurance restored their courage. -Keilah was rescued, and the Philistines defeated with great slaughter. -Whilst here David was joined by another and an important ally in the -person of Abiathar, the son of the high-priest Ahimelech, bearing sad -intelligence. On the day of David’s visit to Nob, there was a stranger -watching intently all that took place between him and the high-priest. -This was Doeg, an Edomite, and the chief of Saul’s herdmen (1 Sam. -xxi. 7). When the king was deploring at Gibeah the defection even of -his own tribe, Doeg poured into the royal ear _his_ version of what -had occurred at Nob. Transported with rage the king sent for Ahimelech, -and all the priests of the line of Ithamar, and charged them with -befriending his enemies. In vain the high-priest repelled the charge. -Saul sentenced the entire body of the priests to instant death, and -gave the signal to his guard to execute it. But they declined to imbrue -their hands in such a bloody murder. Thereupon he called on Doeg, who -straightway obeyed, and falling upon the unresisting priests slew in -one day _fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod_. Not -content with this, the king put the entire population of the place to -the sword, _both men and women, children and sucklings_ (1 Sam. xxii. -19). Such was the sad news which the solitary survivor of the house -of Ithamar now announced to David. _I knew it_, replied the latter, -_I knew it, that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would -surely tell Saul; I have occasioned the death of all the persons of -thy father’s house_[257]. From this day forward Abiathar remained -with David, and having brought with him the high-priest’s ephod, was -enabled by his oracular answers materially to aid David’s movements -on occasions of difficulty or danger. Meanwhile the entry of his rival -_into a town that had gates and bars_ (1 Sam. xxiii. 7) inspired Saul -with the hope of at length capturing David. Summoning his forces, -as if for a regular military expedition, he marched down to Keilah, -to besiege him and his followers. Aware of the king’s secret designs, -David consulted the Divine Will by means of the ephod, and thus -ascertaining the intention of the townspeople to betray him, he and his -men departed, _and went whithersoever they could_ (1 Sam. xxiii. 13). - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - _DAVID AT ZIKLAG. BATTLE OF MOUNT GILBOA._ - 1 SAM. XXIV.–XXXI. B.C. 1061–1056. - - -FROM Keilah David now removed to a stronghold in the wilderness of -Ziph[258], in the highlands of Judah, between Carmel and Juttah, about -three miles south of Hebron. Hither Saul pursued him with ceaseless -zeal, but was utterly unable to discover his hiding-place. Jonathan, -however, sought him out and found him in a neighbouring wood, _and -strengthened his hand in God_, assuring him of his belief that his -father would never find him, that he would live to come to the throne, -and that he himself should be next unto him. The former covenant was -now for the third time ratified, and the two friends parted, never to -meet again (1 Sam. xxiii. 16–18). - -Meanwhile Saul returned to Gibeah, whither messengers from the Ziphites -followed him with news of David’s hiding-place, and offering to betray -him into his hands[259]. Thereupon the king set out, and so close -were the pursuer and pursued on one another’s track, that while David -was climbing down one side of a cliff in the waste pasture ground of -Maon, in the extreme south of Judah, Saul and his men were posted to -intercept them on the other. But the arrival of a messenger, with news -of a sudden inroad of the Philistines, obliged the king to discontinue -the pursuit, and the name of the spot Sela-hammahlekoth, _The Cliff of -Divisions_, long commemorated David’s narrow escape (1 Sam. xxiii. 28). - -Engedi[260], or _The Spring of the Wild Goats_, a town on the western -shore of the Dead Sea, was his next hiding-place, and the scene of an -instance of magnanimity on his part, rare at all times, especially rare -amongst Oriental nations. The panic of the Philistine invasion being -over, Saul advanced to Engedi at the head of 3,000 men, and on one -occasion entered one of the numerous caves of the neighbourhood. David -and his men, seeing but not seen, were concealed in the dark recesses -of the same retreat. Had he listened to the advice of his men, he might -now have surprised and slain his unsuspecting foe, but he contented -himself with cutting off the skirt of the royal robe. Even for this, -however, his heart smote him, and bidding his men remember that the -king was _his master_ and _the Lord’s anointed_ (1 Sam. xxiv. 6), he -refused to permit them to rise up against him. Presently Saul left the -cave, and then David followed, and cried after him, _My lord the king!_ -Saul looked behind him, and David, bowing before him with his face to -the ground, expostulated with him in words of touching beauty, and in -the skirt of his robe bade him behold a pledge of his unwillingness to -do him any harm[261]. Even Saul himself was deeply moved, and lifted -up his voice and wept, frankly acknowledging the generosity of his -rival. He then owned how well he knew David was to be the future -king, and made him solemnly swear not to visit his own ill-will on -his posterity, or destroy his name out of his father’s house. All -this David faithfully undertook to perform, but knowing well the -capriciousness of the king did not quit his stronghold. About this time -the aged prophet Samuel died, and _all the Israelites_ were gathered -together, and lamented him, and buried him within the walls of his own -house at Ramah (1 Sam. xxv. 1). - -The relations of David towards the neighbouring landholders is -strikingly illustrated by an incident which now took place. On the -neighbouring range of Carmel dwelt a rich sheep-master named NABAL. -In these troublous times his shepherds experienced more than usual -difficulty in safely keeping his 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. The -presence, therefore, of David’s valiant men was a matter of no small -importance, for instead of injuring or robbing them, _they were a wall -unto them both by day and by night_ (1 Sam. xxv. 15–17). Hearing that -Nabal was about to shear his sheep, an occasion of much festivity, -David sent ten of his retinue to request a small reward for the -kindness he had ever shewn to his shepherds. This Nabal, who was -notorious for his churlish temper, flatly and insultingly refused. -Enraged at such selfish insolence, David resolved on vengeance. Leaving -200 men to guard the baggage, he marched with the remaining 400 towards -Carmel, and would certainly have inflicted severe punishment on the -churlish sheep-master, had he not on the way encountered his beautiful -and prudent wife ABIGAIL, who, informed of her husband’s uncivil -conduct, had come forth to meet him with a long train of asses laden -with provisions. In language courteous and politic she deprecated his -vengeance, frankly allowing that as for her husband, Nabal (_fool_) -_was his name, and folly was with him_ (1 Sam. xxv. 25). David -consented to desist from his determined revenge, and Abigail returned -to find her lord drinking to excess at the feast. The next morning she -told him of the risk he had run, _and his heart died within him, and -he became as a stone_ (1 Sam. xxv. 37). Smitten with a sudden stroke he -only lingered ten days, when he died. Thereupon David married Abigail, -and besides her, his wife Michal having been bestowed by Saul upon -another, he espoused Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Sam. xxv. 43, 44), a town -in the neighbourhood of the southern Carmel. (See Josh. xv. 56.) - -Returning once more to the old hiding-place in the pasture country of -Ziph, and the neighbouring hill of Hachilah, the secret of his retreat -was again betrayed to Saul by the Ziphites[262], who at the head of -3,000 men went forth to capture David (1 Sam. xxvi. 3). Informed of -his approach, David retired from the hill to the lower ground, the -wood which then covered the country concealing him from view[263]. -Saul advanced to the hill, and there pitched his tent, with Abner his -captain-general, and his forces round about him. Accompanied by his -nephew Abishai, David in the dead of the night penetrated through the -lines to the spot where the king slept within the baggage, his spear -stuck in the ground at his bolster[264]. Again Abishai bade him take -advantage of the opportunity, and asked permission to smite but once -the sleeping king, promising not to smite a second time. But again -David refused, and contented himself with taking the royal spear, and -the cruse of water from his bolster, and passing through the lines of -sleeping warriors went over to the other side, and standing on the top -of a hill afar off, called across the long intervening space to Abner, -who was sunk in heavy sleep after the fatigues of the day. Roused by -the strange voice disturbing the still midnight air, Abner awoke, and -asked who called. Then David reproached him for the little care he -had taken of his master, and in the well-known royal spear and the -cruse of water bade him see a second proof of his generosity towards -an unrelenting foe. Presently Saul himself awoke, and recognised the -voice of David. Again the fugitive pleaded in moving words with the -pursuer, and again Saul, touched to the heart with admiration for his -magnanimous rival, acknowledged his own guilt, and bestowed a blessing -upon him (1 Sam. xxvi. 13–25). - -This last occurrence seems to have convinced David that there was no -hope of any permanent change in the king’s feelings towards himself -(1 Sam. xxvii. 1), and he therefore determined to seek refuge once more -among the Philistines. No longer a solitary fugitive, but accompanied -by his two wives, and his 600 followers with their households, he again -presented himself before the king of Gath. In answer to his petition -for a place in some town in the country[265], Achish assigned to him -and his retinue the town of Ziklag, situated at some distance from -Gath, towards the south or south-east of the Philistine frontier[266] -(1 Sam. xxvii. 5). His stay here lasted over a year and four months, -and during this period he and his men made an expedition against -the Geshurites, Gezrites, and Amalekites, who roamed over the desert -plateau overhanging the Philistian plain, and having carried off -enormous booty, lest the truth should reach the ears of Achish, -saved neither man nor woman alive. The king, however, did hear of the -expedition, but in reply to his enquiries, was assured that it had been -directed against the country south of Judah, and against the south of -the Kenites. Satisfied with this proof of the fidelity of his vassal, -he rejoiced that David had made _his own people Israel utterly to -abhor him_, and deemed it an earnest of still greater services (1 Sam. -xxvii. 8–12). - -Before long the Philistines gathered their armies together for another -and a decisive contest with the Israelites for the supremacy. Achish -and his contingent prepared to take part in the expedition, and as -his vassal, David consented to accompany him with his 600 men. Aphek, -near Jezreel, was fixed upon as the place of rendezvous, and thither, -probably along the sea-coast, the hundreds and thousands of the -Philistines poured up from their fertile lowlands. As David passed on -the way to Aphek, seven valiant chiefs, captains of thousands of the -powerful tribe of Manasseh, instead of joining Saul’s army, preferred -to throw in their lot with him and share his fortunes (1 Ch. xii. -19–21). But the unsuspecting confidence of Achish in his new-found -vassal was not shared by the other Philistine chiefs, and they -protested against David’s followers being allowed to accompany them. -Achish was, therefore, constrained much against his will to dismiss him, -and with the first dawn David set out on his return to Ziklag (1 Sam. -xxix. 11). On arriving there, no town was to be found, nothing but a -mass of burning ruins. During his absence the Amalekites had burst upon -the place, burnt it to the ground, and carried off David’s wives and -those of his retinue, whose faith in their leader, now for the first -and only time, seems to have failed, and in the extremity of their -grief they even threatened to stone him to death. It was a critical -moment, but David’s old trust did not fail him, and he _encouraged -himself in the Lord his God_ (1 Sam. xxx. 6). Abiathar was bidden to -bring the ephod and ascertain the Divine Will. _Shall I pursue after -this troop?_ David enquired. The reply was favourable, and his six -hundred men, accompanied by the chiefs of Manasseh, set out in the -direction of the brook Besor, a wady somewhere in the extreme south of -Judah. Here 200 of his forces were so spent that he was fain to leave -them by the brook, while the remainder pressing on, found in a field an -Egyptian at the point of death, who had neither eaten bread nor drunk -water for three days and three nights. But being supplied by David’s -men with food and drink he revived, revealed that he was a slave of one -of the Amalekite chiefs, and on promise of his life consented to guide -the avengers to their foes. On coming up with them they were found -_spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, drinking, and dancing_ in -honour of their late victory (1 Sam. xxx. 16). The attack was instantly -made, and David smote them from the twilight of the early dawn to the -evening of the next day, till none remained, save only 400 young men, -who effected their escape on camels. With all the captives recovered -and enormous spoil[267] the conqueror returned to Ziklag, and was now -for the first time enabled to requite the kindness of many of his own -tribe, who had protected him during the long period of his wanderings, -and distributed of the spoil to the elders of many friendly towns -(1 Sam. xxx. 26–31). - -Two days after his return news arrived of the utmost importance -respecting the Philistine invasion. With their chariots and horses -the Philistines had pressed forward towards the plain of Esdraelon and -pitched their camp by Shunem[268], on the southern slope of the range -now called Little Hermon, or _Jebel ed Dûhy_, while Saul encamped his -forces on the opposite heights of Mount Gilboa, at _the fountain that -is in Jezreel_[269], on the eastern side of the plain. As he beheld the -masses of his foes passing on by hundreds and thousands, the Israelite -king was filled with the utmost alarm (1 Sam. xxviii. 5). In this -dreadful crisis he felt himself utterly alone. Samuel, his old adviser, -had been sometime dead; the cruel massacre at Nob had alienated from -him the entire priestly body; he enquired of the Lord, but _the Lord -answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets_ -(1 Sam. xxviii. 6). Alone, and distrusted even by his own army, he -bade enquiry be made for a woman _that had a familiar spirit_. After -diligent search it was ascertained that by going a distance of about -7 or 8 miles to Endor, he would find, in one of the dark and gloomy -caverns[270] with which the mountain here is hollowed, a woman who -might serve his purpose. Disguising himself, therefore, and accompanied -by two of his retinue, the unhappy king set out under cover of night. -It was an undertaking perilous in the extreme, and nothing but the -agony of despair would have induced him to venture upon it. Stealing -down the mountain from the camp, the three crossed the shoulder of the -very hill on which the Philistines were entrenched, and made for Endor, -which lay behind Shunem. Reaching the cave, the king told the witch the -object of his coming. He longed to have one more interview with his old -adviser, the prophet Samuel, and desired her by her arts to bring him -up. At first the woman demurred, and pleaded the danger of exciting the -wrath of the king, who in better days had distinguished himself by his -zeal against all magic and sorcery. But her visitor calmed her fears. -She exercised her arts, and the awful form of Samuel, _an old man, -and covered with a mantle_, appeared. Bowing himself with his face to -the earth, Saul made known his deep distress. _The Philistines_, said -he, _make war against me: God is departed from me, and answereth me -no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: I have called thee, that -thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do_ (1 Sam. xxviii. 15). -In reply the Prophet could only inform the king that the Day of Doom -was near. _To-morrow_, said he, _the Lord will deliver Israel with thee -into the hand of the Philistines: and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons -be with me_. This awful sentence utterly prostrated the unhappy king. -He fell _with the fulness of his stature all along upon the earth_ (1 -Sam. xxviii. 20, _marg._). For a day and a night he had eaten nothing, -and now there was no more strength in him. With the utmost difficulty -the woman and his two attendants succeeded in compelling him to partake -of food, and then he rose up, once more crossed the shoulder of the -hill, and reached the heights of Gilboa (1 Sam. xxviii. 21–25). - -The next morning broke, and the Philistines made their onset. The -Israelite leader, with his doom upon him, could do little in such a -crisis. His army was driven up the sides of Gilboa, and as it fled from -the victorious Philistines, numbers were slain on the heights. Resolved -on striking a decisive blow, the Philistine archers and charioteers -followed hard after Saul and his sons. Three of the latter, including -the valiant Jonathan, were slain outright, and Saul himself was sore -wounded. In this extremity he implored of his armour-bearer to thrust -him through with his sword, and put an end to his sufferings. But his -armour-bearer refused, and Saul, taking his own sword, fell upon it -and died, and the other then followed his example. The rout of the -Israelites was now complete, and extended even to the tribes beyond -the Jordan. Even here the Israelites fled from their cities, and _the -Philistines dwelt in them_ (1 Sam. xxxi. 7). - -On the morrow after this disastrous battle, the bodies of Saul and -his three sons were found by the Philistines, when they came to strip -the slain. With savage glee they cut off his head, stripped him of -his armour, and sent it into their own land, to be placed as a trophy -in the temple of Ashtaroth, probably at Ashdod, and fastened his -body and those of his three sons to the wall overhanging the open -space in front of the gate of the Canaanite city of Beth-shan[271]. -On the mountain-range beyond Jordan in full view of Beth-shan[272] -was the town of Jabesh-Gilead, by his heroic relief of which Saul -had inaugurated his reign[273]. Hearing from the fugitives what -had occurred to their king, the grateful inhabitants, mindful of -past services, determined that his remains should not continue thus -dishonoured. Their valiant men arose, crossed the Jordan, and under -cover of night took down his body and those of his sons, buried them -under the terebinth of their native town, and fasted seven days (1 Sam. -xxxi. 13). - -Such was the news David now received at Ziklag from a young Amalekite, -who had been present at the battle. Deeming himself sure of the reward -that greeted the bearer of glad tidings, he had brought with him Saul’s -crown and the bracelet that was on his arm, and pretended to have slain -him at his own request (2 Sam. i. 1–12). But David’s wrath was kindled, -and having sternly rebuked him for touching _the Lord’s anointed_, -he bade one of his young men put him to death, and then burst into a -strain of passionate lamentation over Saul and Jonathan. Forgetting -all that had passed between him and the fallen king, he remembered only -the better features of his character, while towards Jonathan his whole -soul gushed forth in expressions of the tenderest affection (2 Sam. -i. 17–27). - - - - - BOOK IX. - - THE REIGNS OF DAVID AND SOLOMON. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _DAVID’S REIGN AT HEBRON._ - 2 SAM. II.–IV. B.C. 1055–1048. - - -THE hour which the prophet of Ramah had long ago foretold was now come. -The long period of trial and discipline was over. The brave shepherd, -the conqueror of Goliath, the daring but prudent leader of attached -followers was the only one left, to whom the Israelites could look for -guidance in this great crisis of their national history. - -But though the way was open, David did not enter upon it without -seeking the Divine direction. _Shall I go up into any of the cities of -Judah?_ he enquired of the Lord; and the Lord bade him go up to Hebron, -“the ancient sacred city of the tribe of Judah, the burial-place of -the patriarch[274], and the inheritance of Caleb[275].” Accordingly, -leaving Ziklag, he repaired thither with his two wives Ahinoam and -Abigail, and his faithful band of six hundred; and there the chiefs of -Judah, now after a long period of obscurity to become the ruling tribe, -anointed him as their king. His first act after his accession was -to thank the men of Jabesh-Gilead for their bravery in removing the -corpses of Saul and his sons from the walls of Beth-shan (2 Sam. ii. -1–7). - -Of the family of the late king there now remained only ISHBOSHETH his -youngest son, and Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, a child but five -years old. Ishbosheth, according to the law of Oriental succession, -ascended the throne, and, under the protection of his kinsman, the -powerful Abner, established his kingdom at the ancient sanctuary of -Mahanaim[276] on the east of the Jordan, ruling over not only the -eastern tribes, but the territory of Asher, the plain of Esdraelon, -central Ephraim, his own tribe of Benjamin, and eventually over all -Israel (2 Sam. ii. 9), excepting only Judah, which remained faithful -to David. - -The first of many skirmishes between the rival kings took place at -Gibeon, to the heights of which, in their native Benjamin, Abner and -his forces went out from Mahanaim (2 Sam. ii. 12). Thither also, as if -to watch their movements, repaired the three nephews of David, Joab, -Abishai, and Asahel. On the east side of the hill of Gibeon, at the -foot of a low cliff, was a large pool or tank, on either side of which -the rival forces encamped, and, as if to try their respective strength, -Abner proposed that a select body from both sides should engage in -combat. Joab accepted the challenge, and twelve picked champions of the -party of Ishbosheth met an equal number of the warriors of David[277]. -The struggle was desperate; each combatant caught his fellow by the -head, and thrust his sword into his side, and thus all fell dead -together on a spot henceforth called Helkath-hazzurim, the _Field of -Heroes_. This brought on a general engagement, in which the forces -of Ishbosheth were defeated, and Abner himself was fain to fly hotly -pursued by Asahel, the youngest of David’s nephews, and _as light of -foot as a wild roe_ (2 Sam. ii. 18). Abner recognised his fleet pursuer, -and advised him to desist from the chase. But the youth, heeding not, -pressed on, and Abner, turning back upon him, thrust him through with -a spear. - -The bleeding corpse lay in the middle of the road, and was quickly -surrounded by the men of Judah, who as they came up stood still in -mournful astonishment (2 Sam. ii. 23). But the sight of their brother’s -body only roused Joab and Abishai to greater fury, and they pursued -after Abner as far as the hill of Ammah, by the way of the wilderness -of Gibeon, which they reached at sunset. There the men of his own tribe -of Benjamin rallied round the general of Ishbosheth, and stood on the -top of the hill, while he cried to the pursuing Joab, and implored -him not to push matters further. On this Joab gave the signal for -a cessation of the pursuit, and drew off his men, and conveying his -brother’s corpse to Bethlehem, laid it in the ancestral tomb. Then at -daybreak he rejoined David at Hebron, to whom he announced the loss of -only 19 men in the late encounter. Meanwhile Abner returned to Mahanaim, -whence he carried on a series of petty wars with the adherents of David, -in which _David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul -waxed weaker and weaker_ (2 Sam. iii. 1). - -In the course of time a quarrel with his kinsman and general -precipitated the fall of Ishbosheth. Abner had married Rizpah, the -daughter of Aiah, and a concubine of Saul. According to the notions of -Orientals, this very nearly amounted to treason (Comp. 2 Sam. xvi. 21; -xx. 3; 1 K. ii. 13–25), and as such Ishbosheth flung it in the teeth -of his general. Abner replied in words of utmost anger and reproaching -Ishbosheth with the basest ingratitude, straightway began to open -communications with David, who agreed to receive him at Hebron, on -condition that Michal, his former wife, was restored to him. This -condition was complied with, and after sounding the chiefs of Israel -and of his own tribe, Abner with twenty men came to David at Hebron. -A feast greeted his arrival, and he departed with the avowed intention -of _gathering all Israel unto his lord the king_ (2 Sam. iii. 17–21). - -He had hardly departed from the royal presence, when Joab returned from -a foray, and was informed of this unexpected visit. Jealous probably of -a possible rival, and burning with rage against his brother’s murderer, -he remonstrated in no measured terms with David for his imprudence, as -he termed it, in admitting the general of Ishbosheth to an audience -and sending him away in peace. Then, unknown to the king, he sent -messengers after Abner to call him back. Not suspecting treachery the -latter returned to Hebron, and, as he entered the gate, Joab took him -aside, and stabbed him to death, as he had stabbed his brother Asahel. -News of this cruel and treacherous deed roused David’s unbounded -indignation. Unable to punish the assassin, he imprecated on the -house of Joab the most fearful curses, and compelled him to attend the -funeral of his murdered victim, robed in sackcloth, and wearing all the -signs of mourning. He himself fasted till sunset, and as he followed -the bier to the burial-place at Hebron, poured forth a solemn dirge. -This incident gave David an insight into Joab’s unscrupulous character, -which he never forgot. _These men_, he said, _the sons of Zeruiah, be -too hard for me, and I am this day weak though anointed king_ (2 Sam. -iii. 39). - -The death of Abner was the signal for the dissolution of the tottering -kingdom he had supported. On receiving the tidings of his kinsman’s -murder, Ishbosheth’s _hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were -troubled_ (2 Sam. iv. 1). His body-guard was composed of men from his -own tribe of Benjamin, but two divisions of it were commanded by two -men, Baanah and Rechab, who, though descendants of the Canaanitish -natives of Beeroth[278], were reckoned among the Benjamites. In -revenge, it has been suggested, for some injury they had received from -Saul――possibly the slaughter of their Gibeonite kinsmen (Comp. 2 Sam. -xxi. 1, 2)――and certainly with the hope of conciliating the new king -at Hebron, these two resolved to take the life of Ishbosheth. _About -the heat of the day_ (2 Sam. iv. 5), therefore, they entered the palace -under pretence of fetching some wheat piled up near the entrance (2 Sam. -iv. 6), and finding Ishbosheth lying on his bed they stabbed him to -the heart, and cut off his head. Then hurrying all that afternoon and -all night (2 Sam. iv. 7) down the valley of the Jordan, they presented -themselves before David at Hebron with the bloody head in their hands. -But they met with no better reception than the pretended slayer of -Saul. David sternly rebuked them for their cold-blooded _murder of -a righteous person in his own house upon his bed_, and ordered their -instant execution. Their hands and feet were cut off, and their bodies -were suspended over the pool at Hebron, while the head of Ishbosheth -was buried with all honours in the sepulchre of Abner (2 Sam. iv. 8–12). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _DAVID’S REIGN AT JERUSALEM._ - 2 SAM. V.–VII. B.C. 1048–1042. - - -EVERY obstacle was thus removed that had hitherto prevented David’s -assuming the royal power over all the tribes. Ishbosheth was dead, -Abner was dead, Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s only surviving son, was barely -12 years of age. The son of Jesse had long waited for his hour, and at -length it was come. A deputation from all the tribes of Israel (2 Sam. -v. 1) repaired to Hebron, and formally offered him the crown. A solemn -league was then entered into, and for the third time David was anointed -amidst great rejoicings. At Hebron he had reigned for 7½ years over -Judah; he was now king of all Israel. His band of six hundred faithful -followers had rapidly swelled into a great host, _like the host of God_ -(1 Ch. xii. 22). And now not only Dan and Judah and Simeon, not only -Benjamin and Ephraim, not only the tribes beyond the Jordan, Reuben, -Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, flocked around his standard, but -Issachar sent _men that had understanding of the times, to know what -Israel ought to do_ (1 Ch. xii. 32), and Zebulun and Naphtali sent -not only men, but the peculiar products of their rich territory[279] -(1 Ch. xii. 40), while a still more important accession consisted of -4,600 warriors of the Levitical tribe, and 3,700 of the house of Aaron, -headed by Jehoiada, and the youthful but valiant Zadok (1 Ch. xii. -25–28). Upwards of 300,000 choice warriors of the flower of Israel were -thus gathered together _to turn the kingdom of Saul to David_, and join -in celebrating the three days’ festival which greeted his accession to -the throne (1 Ch. xii. 39). - -His first act after his coronation was significant. Saul had been -always content with the obscurity of his native Gibeah, and had cared -little for any central point of union for the tribes. As sovereign over -all Israel, both north and south, David resolved to move the seat of -government from Hebron nearer to the centre of the country. No spot -seemed to present so many advantages as the rocky mass on which rose -the city of the Jebusites[280]. It was neutral ground, on the very -meeting-point of his own tribe and that of Benjamin[281]. The lower -city had been once taken by the warriors of Judah (Judg. i. 8)[282], -but the fortress of the Jebusites, strong in its seemingly impregnable -position, had never been reduced. The presence of so many warriors -from all the tribes was favourable for making an attempt on so renowned -a citadel, and at the head of all his forces David advanced against -it, probably from the south. As before, the lower city appears to have -been easily captured, but again the fortress held out against every -attack[283]. Moreover, so convinced were the Jebusites of the strength -of their castle and of the ancient “everlasting gates” of its rocky -ravines, that they merely manned its walls with _the lame and blind_ -(2 Sam. v. 6), deeming them amply sufficient for the defence. Their -taunts roused the wrath of David, and he promised that whoso first -scaled the rocky sides of the citadel and smote the Jebusite garrison, -should have the post of captain-general of the forces. Thereupon the -agile Joab climbed up first, and as the conqueror of the fastness of -Jebus was rewarded with the post of commander-in-chief, the same office -that Abner had held under Saul. Then, without loss of time, David took -measures for securing his new possession. He enclosed the whole city -with a wall, and connected it with the newly-captured fortress, and -there took up his abode, and thus the Jebusite stronghold became the -_City of David_. - -The effect of the conquest of this celebrated fortress was very great. -The news no sooner reached the court of HIRAM, king of Phœnicia[284], -than he despatched messengers to David with offers of artificers and -materials for constructing a palace, which was accordingly built, and -hither David removed his wives from Hebron, and increased his already -numerous household (2 Sam. v. 13–16). In other quarters the news was -very differently received. The Philistines made two distinct attempts -to crush the new king, of whose powers they were well aware. On the -first occasion they came and encamped their numerous forces in the -valley of Rephaim, or the _Valley of Giants_, south-west of Jerusalem, -and stretching thence half-way to Bethlehem. After duly enquiring -of the Lord, David marched out against them, and swept them away, as -though with a “burst of waters,” whence he named the spot Baal-perazim, -_the Plain of Bursts_ or _Destruction_ (2 Sam. v. 17–20). A second -attempt of the same pertinacious foe met with no better success; they -were entirely routed, and the fame of David _went out into all lands, -and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations_ (1 Chr. xiv. 17). - -His next care was to consecrate his new capital with religious -associations. After consultation with the chiefs of the nation, he -assembled 30,000 from all Israel (2 Sam. vi. 1; 1 Chr. xiii. 1), and -went to Kirjath-jearim, _the Village of Forests_, where the Ark seems -to have remained all through the reign of Saul in the custody of the -Levite Abinadab (1 Sam. vii. 1, 2). The sacred coffer was placed in a -new cart drawn by oxen, and with Uzzah and Ahio the sons of Abinadab -preceding it, was escorted towards Jerusalem amidst great rejoicings, -and the sound of psalteries, cornets, timbrels, and cymbals. On -reaching the threshing-floor of Chidon or Nachon (1 Chr. xiii. 9, -_margin_), the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put forth his hand to hold -the ark. In a moment he fell dead (2 Sam. vi. 7). This untoward -event filled David with alarm; the spot itself was henceforth known as -Perez-uzzah, _the breaking_ or _disaster of Uzzah_ (1 Chr. xiii. 11), -and it was resolved to desist from any further attempt at present to -remove the sacred coffer. Accordingly it was carried aside to the house -of Obed-Edom the Gittite, that is, probably, a native of Gath-Rimmon, -a town of Dan, allotted to the Kohathite Levites, of whom Obed-Edom -was one, where it remained three months (2 Sam. vi. 10, 11; 1 Chr. -xiii. 13). - -Meanwhile David prepared a new Tabernacle at Jerusalem, and hearing -that the presence of the Ark had brought a blessing to the house of -Obed-Edom, he assembled the Levites, and Zadok and Abiathar the two -representatives of the Aaronic family, and bade them prepare for the -duty of removing the sacred symbol. Solemn purifications, neglected on -the previous occasion (1 Chr. xv. 12–14), were now performed, and the -Levites, arranged in orderly divisions with singers and musicians, the -elders of Israel, and captains of the host, set out for the house of -Obed-Edom. On this occasion the Levites, as enjoined in the Law, lifted -it with the long staves passing through the rings of the ark[285], -and raising it upon their shoulders, commenced the joyous procession -(1 Chr. xv. 15). - -When they had advanced six paces (2 Sam. vii. 13), it was clear that -the Lord was this time helping them, and the procession paused to offer -a sacrifice of seven bullocks and seven rams in token of thankfulness -for this proof of the Divine favour. Then the march was resumed amidst -shouting and the joyful sounds of all kinds of music, headed by David -himself in an ephod of linen, and by the singers and Levites arrayed in -white vestments. As they ascended the path leading upwards to the -ancient fortress of the Jebusites, the king, carried away by the -associations of this great day, not only played on a stringed -instrument, but accompanied the music with leaping and dancing. At -length the city was reached, and the gates of the ancient fortress -lifted up their heads, as the symbol of the presence of Jehovah, _the -King of Glory, the Lord strong and mighty_, entered in (Ps. xxiv. 8, 9), -and was placed within the awnings of the new Pavilion-Tent that had -been prepared for it. A series of burnt-offerings and peace-offerings -were then celebrated, and the king blessed the people, and dismissed -them to their homes with ample presents. A single untoward incident -marred this the greatest day in David’s life. As the procession passed -under the windows of her apartments, Michal, the daughter of Saul, -deeming David’s dance undignified, _despised him in her heart_ (2 Sam. -vi. 16), and when at the conclusion of all the gorgeous ceremonial -he entered his house to bless his family (2 Sam. vi. 20), she came -out to meet him, but in place of congratulations taunted him with his -indecorous appearance that day. David replied with great bitterness to -this untimely scoffing, and _Michal had no child unto the day of her -death_ (1 Sam. vi. 23). - -The construction of his own palace and the reception of the Ark within -the folds of a new Tabernacle in Zion, now awoke in the king the desire -to build a more ample and permanent Temple for Jehovah. The design -received the Divine approval, but it was intimated to him by Nathan the -prophet, that as _he was a man of war and blood_ (1 Chr. xxviii. 3), -so peaceful a work would be better reserved for another. The refusal, -however, was accompanied by a promise of the permanence of his dynasty; -the mercy of Jehovah should not be taken from him as it had been from -Saul; a son of his own should carry on the work, and his throne should -be established for ever (2 Sam. vii. 12–17; 1 Chr. xvii. 3–15). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _DAVID’S ARMY, HIS CONQUESTS, HIS SIN._ - 2 SAM. VIII.–XII. 1 CHRON. XVIII.–XX. B.C. 1040–1033. - - -THUS assured of the continuance of his kingdom, David began by a series -of conquests to extend his power beyond the immediate boundaries of his -own people, and to found an imperial dominion, which for the first time -realized the prophetic description contained in the Promise made to his -forefather Abraham (Gen. xv. 18–21). - -As instrumental to these conquests the military organization[286] of -the Israelites was now materially developed, and David was enabled -within ten years after the reduction of the fortress of Jebus to push -his conquests far and wide, and _get him a name like unto the name of -the great men that are in the earth_ (2 Sam. vii. 9). - -1. On the South-west he turned his arms against his old enemies the -_Philistines_, and subdued them, capturing Gath with its _daughter -towns_[287] (1 Chr. xviii. 1). - -2. On the South-east the _Edomites_ felt the weight of his arms. -Together with Joab he carried on a campaign of six months against -them (Comp. 2 Sam. viii. 14 with 1 K. xi. 15), during which period he -put vast numbers to the sword, established garrisons in the country, -and thus became master of the Eastern arm of the Red sea, and the -caravan-routes to the marts and harbours of Arabia[288]. (Comp. Gen. -xxvii. 29, 37, 40; Ps. lx. 6–12.) - -3. On the North-east the kingdom of _Zobah_ had acquired considerable -influence under Hadadezer, son of Rehob. David attacked him as he went -to _recover his border at the river Euphrates_ (2 Sam. viii. 3), and -defeated him with a loss of 1,000 chariots, 700 cavalry, and 20,000 -infantry. Hadadezer’s allies, the Syrians of Damascus, then marched -to his assistance, but they were routed with a loss of 22,000 men, and -became David’s vassals. The wealth of Zobah was considerable. Several -of Hadadezer’s officers carried _shields of gold_ (2 Sam. viii. 7), -that is, probably, “iron or wooden frames overlaid with plates of the -precious metal;” these David brought to Jerusalem, as also large stores -of brass from other Syrian cities (1 Chr. xviii. 7, 8). - -4. On the East of Jordan he had hitherto maintained the most amicable -relations with the king of _Moab_[289] (1 Sam. xxii. 3, 4), but now -from some unexplained cause, he not only attacked and defeated, but -well-nigh extirpated the nation. Two-thirds of the people were put -to death, the rest were reduced to bondage, and paid regular tribute, -while the spoils were treasured up in Jerusalem (2 Sam. viii. 2; -1 Chr. xi. 22). This campaign, in which the valiant Benaiah greatly -distinguished himself (2 Sam. xxiii. 20), fulfilled the prophecy of -Balaam; _a Sceptre had risen out of Israel, and smitten through the -princes of Moab_, and destroyed the city of _Ar_, that is, Rabbath-Moab, -the capital of the children of Lot (Num. xxiv. 17)[290]. - -5. It was, however, from the kindred people of _Ammon_ that the royal -conquests experienced the greatest resistance. During the period -of his wanderings David had received much kindness from Nahash the -king of Ammon, and on his death he sent a royal embassy to offer his -condolences to the new king Hanun. But Hanun’s courtiers persuaded -him that this embassy was really dictated by a wish to spy out his -land, and probably add it to the many others that David had conquered. -Accordingly on the arrival of the ambassadors, Hanun treated them with -the utmost indignity. He shaved off the one half of their beards, cut -off their garments in the middle, and so sent them away (2 Sam. x. 1–3; -1 Chr. xix. 1–4). - -As soon as David was informed of this aggravated insult, he bade his -ambassadors remain at Jericho till the traces of the indignities they -had suffered were removed, and then made preparations for sending Joab -with the “Mighty Men” and the host to take summary vengeance on the -Ammonites. Truly divining the consequences of their folly, the latter -prepared for the impending war by raising a mercenary force of 32,000 -men from the Syrians of Beth-rehob and Zoba, from those owning fealty -to the king of Maacah, a region in the valley of the Jordan south of -Zoba, and from the land of Tob[291]. Aided by these allies the Syrians -awaited the onset of the Hebrews. - -On his arrival Joab, perceiving that he was confronted by two very -considerable armies, divided his forces, and assigned to his brother -Abishai the task of assaulting the Ammonites, while he himself with -a picked body of troops attacked the Syrians, situated a little to -the south of Heshbon. At Medeba the latter were quickly routed, and -the Ammonites, in alarm at their speedy defeat, fled to their capital, -Rabbah[292], now called _Ammân_, situated on a very advantageous -position, and well supplied with water. - -Meanwhile the Syrians beyond the Euphrates, under the command of -Shophach or Shobach, a general of ♦Hadadezer, assembled their forces -with the intention of avenging the repulse sustained by their kindred, -the allies of the Ammonites. Crossing the Euphrates they joined the -Syrians at Helam, the site of which is unknown. The occasion was deemed -of sufficient importance to justify the personal interference of David. -Gathering all Israel and passing over Jordan, he attacked the Syrians, -and defeated them with great slaughter. Shobach himself was slain, -and the allied princes quitted the Syrian confederacy, and became the -tributary vassals of the Hebrew monarch (2 Sam. xi. 15–19; 1 Chr. xix. -10–19). - -Early in the following year the campaign against the Ammonites was -resumed, and the command of the forces, including the royal body-guard -(2 Sam. xi. 1), and the troops of Ephraim and Benjamin as well as Judah -(2 Sam. xi. 11), was again entrusted to Joab, and the army was for the -first time since the disastrous battle of Aphek accompanied by the Ark -and its Levitical guard[293] (2 Sam. xi. 11). On this occasion Rabbah -was the main object of the attack, and after ravaging the country, Joab -drove the Ammonites into their citadel, and commenced a regular siege, -which lasted very nearly two years (2 Sam. xi. 1). - -Meanwhile, critical as was the nature of the campaign, instead of -accompanying the Ark, David lingered behind at Jerusalem, and there -wrought that “deed of shame,” which has left so dark a blot upon his -character, and which threw a gloom over all the rest of his life. One -day on rising from his afternoon repose, he saw from the roof of his -palace a woman of extraordinary beauty, for whom he instantly conceived -a most violent passion. On making enquiry, he discovered that her name -was BATHSHEBA, the daughter of Eliam or Ammiel, and wife of URIAH the -Hittite, who was at that time serving in the army against Rabbah, as -one of the famous “Thirty” (2 Sam. xxiii. 39; 1 Chr. xi. 41). The fact -that she was the wife of one of his most distinguished officers did -not make David hesitate, he sent for her, and committed adultery with -her. As time went on, he found it would be no longer possible to screen -her from the death-punishment of an adulteress. Accordingly, after -vainly trying other and most unworthy expedients to cover his own -guilt, he sent a letter to Joab, bidding him expose this chivalrous and -high-minded officer where the contest was hottest, so as to ensure his -death. The unscrupulous Joab did as he was told, and Uriah fell happily -unconscious of his wife’s dishonour. Joab then sent a trusty messenger -to David to inform him that Uriah was dead, and the days of mourning -for her husband were no sooner over, than the king sent for Bathsheba, -and she became his wife (2 Sam. xi. 14–27). - -But though David had done all this secretly, an all-seeing Eye had -watched each step in this dreadful crime, and punishment quickly -appeared at the door. The prophet Nathan was sent to him, and with -wonderful tact roused the royal attention by the well-known Parable of -the _Rich man and the Poor man’s ewe lamb_. Unsuspecting its purport, -David’s wrath was kindled, and he denounced death as the penalty of -the rich man, and the restoration of the property fourfold[294]. Then -turning to the king the prophet sped his winged arrow, saying, _Thou -art the man_, and announcing the awful penalty. As David had measured -unto others, so should it be measured to him; evil was to rise up -against him out of the bosom of his own family, and _the sword should -never depart from his house_ (2 Sam. xii. 10). - -Unlike other kings of Israel and Judah, unlike any common Eastern -despot, David did not slay or ill-treat the messenger of judgment, -he acknowledged his sin and the justice of the sentence. On this -Nathan went on to tell him that _the Lord had put away his sin_, and -he himself was not to die. But an earnest of future judgments soon -appeared. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto him, -and it died[295]. But in the midst of judgment God remembered mercy; -and in the course of time a second son was born to Bathsheba, whom -Nathan named JEDIDIAH, _beloved of the Lord_, but David himself called -him SOLOMON, _the peaceful one_ (2 Sam. xii. 15–25). - -Meanwhile Joab had been pushing forward the siege of Rabbah, and -eventually succeeded in capturing the _city of waters_, that is, the -lower town, which “contained the perennial stream, which rises in, -and still flows through it[296].” But the citadel, a place of great -strength, still held out. The possession of the perennial stream was, -however, the next step to the capture of the stronghold, and Joab sent -messengers to David bidding him gather the rest of the people, and -come himself, unless he wished him to have the honour of capturing the -place, and calling it after his own name. Accordingly the king set out, -and the fortress was speedily taken. Enraged, it is not improbable, -at the obstinacy of the siege, he wreaked a terrible vengeance on the -inhabitants, some were decapitated, others sawn asunder or crushed -beneath iron instruments, others were passed through the fire in -brick-kilns[297] (2 Sam. xii. 31). The royal crown, “the crown of -Milcom,” weighing a talent of gold with the precious stones, was then -placed on David’s head, and he and his army returned in triumph to -Jerusalem with abundant spoil. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _THE REBELLION OF ABSALOM._ - 2 SAM. XIII.–XX. B.C. 1032–1022. - - -THE reduction of Rabbah was the last of David’s conquests. His kingdom -had reached the limits foretold to the patriarch Abraham, and vied in -extent with some of the great empires of that age. But from this point -dark clouds began to gather round his own personal history, and the -doom denounced by the prophet found its fulfilment. The terrible secret -of his adultery and murder may at first have been known only to a few, -but its results were soon proclaimed upon the housetops. Out of the -numerous harem which, in defiance of the law of the kingdom, he had -multiplied to himself, out of his own household, came the instruments -of his punishment. First, his daughter Tamar was outraged by her -half-brother and his eldest son AMNON. Two years afterwards Amnon -fell a victim to the wrath of Tamar’s own brother ABSALOM (_father of -peace_), who caused him to be murdered at a sheep-shearing festival, -and then, apprehensive of the resentment of David, fled to the court of -Talmai his grandfather, the king of Geshur, a district on the east of -the Jordan south of Mount Hermon (2 Sam. xiii. 36). - -Here he remained secure in its rocky fastnesses for three years, during -which time the soul of David was _consumed_ (2 Sam. xiii. 39, _margin_) -with longing for his favourite son. Perceiving this, Joab availed -himself of the services of a wise woman of Tekoa[298], who sought an -interview with the king, and addressing him in an apologue similar to -that which Nathan had employed, succeeded in obtaining permission for -the exile’s return. Joab, therefore, went to the court of the king of -Geshur, and thence brought back the young prince, who took up his abode -at Jerusalem, but was not suffered to see his father’s face. Twice -he sent a message to David’s general, begging him to intercede in -his behalf with the king, but Joab deemed he had done enough, and -would take no further steps in the matter. Thereupon Absalom caused a -barley-field belonging to Joab, which was near his own estate, to be -set on fire, and the latter, probably fearing further outrage, informed -the king, who consented to see his son, and gave him the kiss of peace -(2 Sam. xiv. 23–33). - -But the ungrateful son was no sooner thus restored, than he began to -form plots against his father. First he surrounded himself with a small -body-guard, with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. -Then, to ingratiate himself with the people, he took his stand by “the -way of the gate[299],” a duty which David appears to have neglected, -and conversed with suitors coming up to the city for judgment, lamented -the delays they would encounter in obtaining a hearing of their causes -(2 Sam. xv. 3), and insinuated how different would be the aspect of -affairs if _he_ was made judge in the land. Young, handsome beyond -compare in Israel (2 Sam. xiv. 25), sprung from a royal house both -on his father and his mother’s side (2 Sam. iii. 3), he made a deep -impression on the people, and his insinuating manners and unusual -condescension stole away their hearts (2 Sam. xv. 6). Since the dark -sin of which he had been guilty, the hold of the king upon the nation -appears to have been weakened, and he had become less fitted for the -more personal and more energetic duties of his position. And now the -powerful tribe of Judah, fretting, it has been suggested, under their -absorption into one great kingdom, or looking for some greater degree -of power under the supremacy of a prince like Absalom, showed signs of -a want of confidence in their sovereign, and in the course of two years -Absalom perceived that matters were ripe for a revolt[300]. - -Under pretence, therefore, of a vow which he had vowed to the Lord -(2 Sam. xv. 7–9), he succeeded in obtaining from David permission to go -to Hebron, the old capital of the tribe of Judah, and repaired thither -accompanied by 200 men from Jerusalem, probably of the chief families, -who were, however, entirely ignorant of his designs. To the same place -also he summoned Ahithophel the Gilonite, the _familiar friend_ and -_counsellor_ of his father, whose advice was deemed to have the value -of a Divine oracle[301]. - -While Absalom was taking these measures, news of the conspiracy and -of the popular feeling reached the royal palace. Instantly, without -offering any resistance, or striking a single blow in defence of his -crown, David resolved on flight. Accompanied by the royal body-guard -and the 600 Gittites, and a vast concourse of people, he left Jerusalem, -and early in the morning crossed the brook Kidron. As far as the city -boundaries he was also followed by the Levites, and the high-priests -Zadok and Abiathar with the Ark. But David had no wish to expose the -sacred symbol to any risk, and the two chiefs of the Levitical tribe -might do him better service at Jerusalem; accordingly they were bidden -to turn back. Then crossing the ravine of the Kidron, with head covered -and unsandalled feet, his retinue manifesting every sign of profound -sorrow, the king ascended the slopes of Olivet, and as he went received -intelligence that his privy counsellor Ahithophel had gone over to -the ranks of his rebellious son. In the defection of this man, his -_equal_[302], his _guide_, his _own familiar friend_, he instantly saw -his danger, and prayed that the counsel of Ahithophel might be _turned -into foolishness_ (2 Sam. xv. 31). - -Reaching the summit of the hill, he encountered Hushai the Archite[303], -_the king’s friend_, with torn robe and dust upon his head. In him -David saw a fitting instrument for counteracting the influence of -Ahithophel, and persuaded him to return to Jerusalem, and undertake -the dangerous task of pretending a devotion to the cause of Absalom, -while really, in conjunction with Zadok and Abiathar and their two -sons, he kept a strict watch over all that occurred. Hushai accordingly -turned back, and David descended the further slopes of Olivet. Here -he met Ziba, the wily servant of Mephibosheth, the son of his old -friend Jonathan, with welcome supplies of wine, bread, and fruit. Ziba -represented that his master was staying behind at Jerusalem, awaiting -any change in his fortunes which the rebellion might bring, and, as -a reward for his services, obtained a ready grant of his estates. At -Bahurim, a little further down the hill, David encountered Shimei, a -Benjamite of the house of Saul, who flung stones at the royal retinue, -and imprecated on them the most furious curses, in which he perhaps -expressed the long pent-up hatred of the family of Saul, as well as -the popular feeling against the author of Uriah’s death. The impetuous -Abishai would have instantly cut off his head, but David stayed his -hand, _Let him curse_, said he, _for the Lord hath bidden him_ (2 Sam. -xvi. 10–12). The way now led into the Jordan valley, and for the first -time the weary retinue halted, and refreshed themselves with Ziba’s -welcome supplies. - -Meanwhile Absalom, with Ahithophel and a numerous retinue, had reached -Jerusalem. There he met Hushai, who saluted him with the words, _Long -live the king_. Even Absalom was startled, and reproached him for his -apparent treachery, but kept him by him. The first step of the usurper, -suggested by Ahithophel, was to take possession of his father’s -harem[304], and so render all reconciliation impossible (Comp. 2 Sam. -iii. 7, 8). - -The course to be next taken was anxiously debated. Ahithophel was for -instant measures, and offered with 12,000 men to head a pursuit after -David that very night, while he was weary and weak-handed. If he smote -the king, he felt sure the whole people would side with Absalom, and -his triumph would be complete. The advice found favour with the usurper, -and the elders about him. But first he resolved to call in Hushai, -and ascertain his opinion. Hushai pronounced the plan imprudent in the -extreme. To attack the king while surrounded by his _mighty men, all -chafing in their minds, as a she bear robbed of her whelps_, was very -dangerous. From a partial defeat the prince had everything to fear, and -the king everything to gain. He counselled, therefore, delay, and the -mustering of the entire national forces from Dan to Beer-sheba. Absalom -approved of this plan, and Ahithophel, probably seeing the certain -effects of such delay, and chagrined at the adoption of another’s -counsel in preference to his own, retired to Giloh, _put his household -in order, and hanged himself_ (2 Sam. xvii. 23). - -Without a moment’s delay Hushai now sought out Zadok and Abiathar, -related all that had occurred in the council, and urged that a -messenger should be instantly sent to David, to bid him not linger in -the Jordan valley, but cross the river with all speed. The two sons -of the high-priests were in concealment at the fountain of En-rogel, -ready for such an errand. A female slave was sent thither to bid them -instantly carry the message to David. They forthwith started, but -narrowly escaped detection. At Bahurim a lad saw them and conveyed -the news to Absalom, and it was only by hiding in a well that they -escaped the vigilance of their pursuers, and announced their errand to -David. Though it must have been midnight, the king instantly crossed -the river, and before the dawn of the following day not one of his -retinue remained on the western side of the Jordan[305]. Mahanaim, the -former capital of Ishbosheth, now became his head-quarters, and here he -mustered his forces, and placed them under the command of Joab, Abishai, -and Ittai, and received a welcome supply of provisions from Shobi, the -son of his old friend Nahash of Rabbah, from Machir of Lodebar, and -Barzillai a wealthy Gileadite. - -Meanwhile Absalom also had mustered his forces, and having entrusted -the command to AMASA, the son of Ithra or Jether by Abigail David’s -sister (2 Sam. xvii. 25), he too crossed the Jordan. The decisive -engagement, which was not long delayed, took place not far from -Mahanaim, in the dense forest of Ephraim, a region still “covered -with thick oaks, and tangled bushes, and thorny creepers growing over -rugged rocks and ruinous precipices[306].” Here the army of Absalom was -utterly routed. Entangled in the thick undergrowth, crushing each other -in remediless ruin, upwards of 20,000 perished in that fatal wood, -which _devoured more people that day than the sword devoured_ (2 Sam. -xviii. 8). Amidst the crowd of fugitives Absalom also fled, and as he -rode on his mule where “the strong arms of the trees spread out so near -the ground that one cannot walk erect beneath them[307],” his long hair -caught in an oak, and he hung suspended from the tree. A man chanced to -see him, and forthwith told Joab. He himself had forborne to touch the -prince, having heard the strict injunctions of the loving David to his -three captains before the battle _to deal tenderly with the young man_. -But Joab had no such scruples; with three darts in his hand he went -to the spot and transfixed him while yet alive. A great pit was then -dug, and into it the corpse was flung, and covered with a great heap of -stones. With the death of the usurper Joab knew the rebellion was at an -end, he therefore sounded the signal of recall, and the battle closed. - -Meanwhile David, who had been sitting at the gate of Mahanaim -anxiously awaiting tidings of the battle, no sooner heard that his son -was dead, than he gave way to the most violent grief. Joab alone dared -to confront him, bidding him bestir himself if he would not see another -popular revolt. Roused at last, the king consented to present himself -at “the gate.” But he could not forget who had given the death-blow -to his favourite son, and even vowed to transfer the chieftaincy of -the troops to Amasa, though he had led the forces on the other side, -and “in this was laid the lasting breach between himself and his -powerful nephew, which neither the one nor the other ever forgave.” -The rebellion ended, the rightful monarch could return to his kingdom. -With a self-control rare in Western no less than Eastern history, every -step in his progress was marked by forgiveness. Shimei was forgiven, -Mephibosheth, proved to have been faithful, was partially reinstated, -and Barzillai rewarded with ample gifts (2 Sam. xix. 16–43). - -But the danger was not yet over. In bringing about the king’s return, -his own tribe of Judah had the largest share. This provoked the old -jealousy of the other tribes[308] (Comp. Judg. viii. 1; xii. 1), while -the Benjamites even took up arms, and placed themselves under the -leadership of Sheba, son of Bichri, a man of Mount Ephraim. Many others -also rallied round him, and when Amasa, the new general-in-chief failed -within three days to muster the forces of Judah, David was afraid lest -more harm should come of this fresh rising than had come from that -of Absalom. Accordingly Abishai with the “Mighty Men” was dispatched -to quell the insurrection, and to pursue after Sheba before he reached -any fortified towns. Taking with him the royal body-guard, Abishai, -accompanied by Joab, set out, and at the great stone of Gibeon -encountered Amasa. Joab’s robe was girded round his waist, and in the -folds was a sword, which “by accident or design protruded from the -sheath.” _Art thou in health, my brother?_ he saluted Amasa, and took -him by the beard as if to kiss him. The other rushed into his embrace, -and was instantly stabbed to the heart, his blood spirting out upon his -cousin’s girdle and sandals. Leaving the body in the road, Joab hurried -on after Sheba, who, rousing the tribes as he passed, had made for Abel -Beth-Maachah[309], a town of some importance far up in the north by the -waters of Merom. Thither Joab rushed in pursuit, threw up an embankment, -and battered the walls. A wise woman saved the town from destruction. -Approaching the wall, she gained a parley with the angry general, who -promised to leave the place, if Sheba was put to death. Thereupon she -returned to her people, and the head of the rebel was soon flung into -Joab’s camp, who straightway sounded a trumpet, and with his troops -returned to Jerusalem (2 Sam. xx. 22). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _CLOSE OF DAVID’S REIGN._ - 2 SAM. XXI.–XXIV. 1 KINGS I. II. B.C. 1022–1015. - - -SHORTLY after David’s restoration, his kingdom was visited for three -years with a grievous famine. Enquiry was made of the Divine Oracle, -and it was discovered to be a punishment for an act of faithlessness -on the part of Saul, who had broken the solemn covenant made by Joshua -with the Gibeonites (Josh. ix. 3–27). In a fit of sudden zeal for the -children of Israel and Judah he had killed some of them, and devised -a general massacre of the rest (2 Sam. xxi. 2, 5). The Gibeonites were -now asked what atonement they were willing to receive for the wrongs -they had suffered. In reply, they demanded neither silver nor gold. -Blood had been spilt, and blood they would have, and nothing would -satisfy them but permission to take seven of Saul’s sons and hang, or -rather crucify, them at Gibeah. Accordingly the two sons of Rizpah, -the daughter of Aiah, and the five sons of Michal, whom they had -borne to Saul, were delivered up, and the Gibeonites crucified them -on the hill of Gibeah. This was done in April, at the beginning of -barley-harvest[310] (2 Sam. xxii. 9), and there the bodies remained -till the periodical rains in October _dropped upon them out of heaven_ -(2 Sam. xxii. 10). All this while, spreading on the rock a coarse -sackcloth robe, Rizpah watched over the blackening corpses, and -_suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the -beasts of the field by night_. The tale of her devoted love at length -was conveyed to David, who had the remains removed, and at the same -time directed that the bones of Saul also and of Jonathan should be -taken from Jabesh-Gilead, and buried in the ancestral sepulchre of -Kish, _after which God was intreated for the land_ (2 Sam. xxi. 14). - -Meanwhile, in consequence probably of the intestine feuds of the -Israelites, the Philistines had recovered sufficient strength to -venture on once more attacking them. David himself went with the host -to battle, and in mortal combat with another descendant of the giant -race was near falling a victim to his rashness, when he was succoured -by the valiant Abishai, and the people, fearful lest _the light of -Israel should be quenched_ (2 Sam. xxi. 17), prevailed upon him to -desist from accompanying them to battle in future. Other attempts were -afterwards made by the Philistines, but the valour of David’s captains -served to keep them in check (2 Sam. xxi. 18–22). - -The Hebrew kingdom had now attained its farthest limits, even those -which God had revealed many centuries before in vision to Abraham (Gen. -xv. 18). Not only had David given a capital to his people, but he had -conquered all the nations on the immediate frontier of his realm. His -kingdom had become like one of the kingdoms of the world[311]. It had -its court, its palace, its splendour, its tributaries. In this hour -of his prosperity the monarch was tempted (1 Chr. xxi. 1) to yield to -pride and self-exaltation, and gave directions to Joab to carry out a -general census of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba. His object, -it has been supposed, was either the levying of a poll-tax or the -formation of a standing army with a view to foreign conquests[312]. -Whatever was his precise motive, it excited the repugnance of the -captains of the host, and even of Joab himself, who not only warned the -king against being _the cause of a trespass in Israel_, but regarded -the royal proposition as actually _abominable_ (1 Chr. xxi. 6). When, -however, he found that nothing would turn the king from his fixed -purpose, he set out, and after the lapse of 9 months and 20 days -reported 800,000 in Israel as fit for military service, and 500,000 in -Judah. But before he had numbered Benjamin or Levi (2 Sam. xxiv. 10) -David’s heart smote him, and Gad, the seer, was commissioned to offer -him the choice of 7 years’ famine, or 3 months’ defeat before his -enemies, or a 3 days’ pestilence. David chose _to fall into the hands -of God rather than into the hands of man_. Thereupon the plague began, -and during three days swept off upwards of 70,000. But when the hand -of the destroying angel was uplifted over Jerusalem, the Lord, _whose -mercies are great_ (2 Sam. xxiv. 14), repented of the evil, and on -the intercession of the king the angel desisted, when he was by the -threshing-floor of Ornan or Araunah, a wealthy Jebusite. By the advice -of Gad David now bought the site of the threshing-floor and a yoke of -oxen, erected there an altar, and offered thereon burnt-offerings and -peace-offerings. Fire descended in testimony of the acceptance of the -sacrifice, and with the cessation of the plague consecrated the rocky -site of the future altar of Solomon’s Temple on Mount Moriah (2 Chr. -iii. 1). - -The remaining years of David’s life were spent in amassing treasures -and materials, and making preparations for the erection of the Temple -(1 Chr. xxii. 5, 14). But even now the truth of the prophet’s words was -forced upon him, that his foes should be those of his own household. -The three eldest of his sons, Amnon, Chileab, and Absalom being dead, -the fourth――ADONIJAH――resolved to put forth his pretensions to the -kingdom. Like Absalom, whom he resembled in personal beauty, he began -by surrounding himself with chariots and horsemen, and succeeded in -drawing over to his side not only the high-priest Abiathar, but even -Joab, the commander-in-chief, whose loyalty at last wavered. Confident -in the support of such old servants of the king, the pretender -proclaimed a great sacrificial festival at the _Stone of Zoheleth_, -south of Jerusalem, near the fountain of En-rogel, and invited to it -all the royal princes, except Solomon, and not a few of the captains -of the royal army (1 K. i. 5–9). - -While they assembled at Zoheleth, Nathan the prophet persuaded -Bath-sheba to seek an interview with the king, and inform him of what -was going on. Bath-sheba did so, and had hardly concluded her tale, -when Nathan himself entered, confirmed her account, and demanded to -know whether Adonijah’s actions had the royal approval. Though old and -feeble, David had sufficient energy to rise to the present emergency, -and solemnly assured Bath-sheba of his unalterable determination that -Solomon should succeed to the throne. Then summoning Zadok and Benaiah -he bade them, together with Nathan, convey Solomon in state down to -Gihon, and there formally anoint and proclaim him king. Accordingly -these officers, accompanied by the royal guards, escorted Solomon -thither, mounted on the royal mule (1 K. i. 38), and there Zadok -anointed him with oil from the sacred horn of the Tabernacle, amidst -the sound of trumpets and loud shouts of _God save the King_. Thence -the new monarch was escorted in triumph back through the city, and -sat on the royal throne amidst general applause, in the sight of his -aged father, who blessed God that during his own lifetime he had been -permitted to behold his successor (1 K. i. 45–48). Intelligence of -these transactions was conveyed to the conspirators, in the midst of -their festivities at En-rogel, by Jonathan the son of Abiathar. They -had already heard the noise of the people shouting as Solomon passed -in procession through the city, and no sooner learnt the cause than, -seized with alarm, they instantly dispersed, and _every man went his -way_ (1 K. i. 49). Dreading the vengeance of the new king, Adonijah now -fled to the Tabernacle, put himself in sanctuary by grasping the horns -of the altar, and refused to quit the spot till Solomon had promised -with an oath to spare his life. The young and politic monarch, on -being informed of this, abstained from binding himself by any oath, -and simply assured Adonijah of safety _so long as he shewed himself a -worthy man_, but threatened him with death, _if wickedness should be -found in him_ (1 K. i. 49–52). On these conditions he quitted his place -of refuge, and, having made obeisance to the new king, returned to the -privacy of his own house (1 K. i. 53). - -The days of David were now rapidly drawing to a close. He therefore -convened a solemn assembly of all the chiefs and elders of his people, -the royal princes, the captains of his army, and his public officers, -and standing up, aged as he was, gave them his last charge, and -exhorted his son to constancy in the service of Jehovah. He then -solemnly delegated to him the accomplishment of the desire of his life, -the erection of the Temple, and committed to him in trust the abundant -materials he had amassed for this purpose, as well as a pattern of the -building, and of everything belonging to it. This address, confirmed -as it was by the sight of the gold and silver, the brass and iron and -precious stones, which the royal prudence had collected, had a great -effect upon the people, and they also joyfully contributed to the -execution of their sovereign’s design. Then, in language of unequalled -pathos and beauty, the aged monarch solemnly thanked God for all His -goodness, and prayed that He would bestow upon his son “a perfect -heart,” enabling him to keep His testimonies and statutes, and build -the Temple for which he had made provision. Amidst sacrifices of -unusual abundance and great feastings and rejoicings, Solomon was then -for the second time anointed king, and received the formal submission -of all the royal princes, and the chiefs of the nation. In another -and more secret interview David gave his son his last counsels, not -only concerning his own deportment as ruler, but also respecting Joab -and Shimei, who were committed to his vigilance, and Barzillai the -Gileadite, who was entrusted to his regard. Then after a reign of -7½ years at Hebron, and of 33 years at Jerusalem, _in a good old age, -full of years, riches, and honour_, the son of Jesse, the Shepherd, -the Warrior, the King, the Psalmist, was gathered to his fathers, and -buried in the city which had been once the fortress of the heathen -Jebusites, but was now the capital of an empire that realised the -loftiest ideal of prophecy, stretching from the “river of Egypt” to -the Euphrates, and from the range of Lebanon to the gulf of Akaba[313]. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _ACCESSION OF SOLOMON._ - 1 KINGS II.–VIII. 1 CHRON. I.–IX. B.C. 1015. - - -THE new king was hardly seated on the throne before he was called -upon to repress with a high hand a second and dangerous attempt of -Adonijah to obtain the kingdom. As is usual in Oriental countries, -the influence of Bath-sheba the queen-mother was very great. To her -Adonijah preferred a request that she would intercede with the king -in obtaining for him the hand of ABISHAG the Shunammite, his father’s -latest wife (1 Kings ii. 17). Bath-sheba sought an interview with -Solomon, who instantly saw in this petition a design upon the throne, -and declaring that Adonijah had forfeited his claim to the indulgence -extended to him after the late rebellion, directed that he should be -put to death by the hand of Benaiah. But he divined that others were -concerned in the insinuating request, and notably the high-priest -Abiathar, and Joab the commander-in-chief. The former, in consideration -of his past services, was not put to death, but simply degraded from -his high office, and ordered to live in retirement at Anathoth, a -Levitical city, about 3 miles north of Jerusalem, whereby the word of -the Lord concerning the house of Eli was fulfilled (1 Sam. ii. 31–33). -News of these events no sooner reached the ears of Joab than he -fled for refuge within the curtains of the Tabernacle at Gibeon, and -caught hold of the horns of the altar. Thither, however, Solomon sent -Benaiah with orders to put him to death. Benaiah went and told his old -companion-in-arms the king’s command. But Joab refused to stir from -sanctuary, and the other returned to the king for fresh instructions. -Solomon bade him not spare, but fall upon him even at the altar, urging -his execution as a just recompense for the murder of Abner and Amasa. -Thereupon he returned once more, and fell upon him at the altar, -and obtained the important post of commander-in-chief, while Zadok -succeeded to the high-priesthood (1 K. ii. 28–34). - -Though David had spared the life of Shimei, he had on his death-bed -cautioned Solomon against him, and now, possibly owing to some -unrecorded symptoms of disaffection, the young king renewed the -concession, but on condition that Shimei confined himself to the -city of Jerusalem, and did not stray beyond the brook Kidron, which -separated him from the road to his old home at Bahurim. For three years -Shimei carefully complied with this condition. But two of his slaves -fleeing to Achish king of Gath, he went thither and brought them back. -This sealed his fate. Intelligence of what he had done was conveyed to -Solomon, who sent for him, and ordered his execution by the hands of -Benaiah (1 K. ii. 36–46). - -Shortly before this last event the king convened a general assembly -of all the notables of the realm at Gibeon, where was not only the -venerable Tabernacle of the Wanderings, but the brazen altar of -burnt-sacrifice (2 Chr. i. 3, 5). There accordingly were gathered -together all the great officers of state, the judges, the governors, -and the chief of the fathers, and a thousand burnt-offerings were -consumed on the Altar. On the night following this solemn ceremonial, -the Lord appeared in vision to Solomon as he slept, and bade him prefer -any petition he desired. Impressed with the magnitude of the office to -which he had been called, as yet _humble in his own sight_, and mindful -of the mercy bestowed upon his father, the young king prayed not for -riches, or honour, or long life, or the life of his enemies, but _for -a wise and understanding heart_, that he might know how to rule his -people. His prayer pleased the Lord, and because he had requested -nothing for himself, He, who is wont to give to the sons of men “more -than they ask or think,” not only promised him wisdom and knowledge, -but assured him that all the blessings he had not asked should be -“added unto him,” including length of days, if he, for his part, took -heed to observe the statutes and commandments of Jehovah, as his father -had done before him (1 K. iii. 6–14). Returning to Jerusalem the king -offered burnt-offerings and thank-offerings to the Lord before the -Ark of the Covenant, and celebrated a sacrificial feast with his whole -court (1 K. iii. 15). - -Very shortly he was called upon to give proof of that sagacity and -clearness of judgment, especially in judicial cases, so much prized -by Orientals. Of two women inhabiting one house together, each had an -infant child. The mother of one overlaid hers while she was asleep, -and rising at midnight, laid it in the bosom of the other woman, taking -her live child in its place. In the morning the latter discovered the -deception that had been practised upon her, and demanded the living -infant. This the other woman refused, claiming it for her own, and -both of them appealed to Solomon, who commanded the living child to -be divided into two halves, one of which should be given to each. -The anguish of the real, and the cruel acquiescence of the pretended -mother in this sentence, decided the point in a moment, and proved -the sagacity of the king. But besides judicial sagacity, Solomon was -eminent for his attainments. He was deeply versed in all the knowledge -of his age, his _wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the -East country, and all the wisdom of Egypt_ (1 K. iv. 30). In the course -of his life he spake 3,000 proverbs, of which a considerable portion -remain in the “Book of Proverbs,” and his Songs, of which the “Song of -Songs” alone survives, were a thousand and five. He spoke or wrote also -of trees, from the lofty cedar of Lebanon to the humble hyssop _that -springeth out of the wall, of beasts, of fowl, of creeping things, and -of fishes_. His fame spread abroad among surrounding nations; and there -came of all people to hear his wisdom (1 K. iv. 34). - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - _THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE._ - 1 KINGS V.–VIII. 2 CHRON. II.–VII. B.C. 1012–1005. - - -MINDFUL of the repeated instructions of his father, Solomon no sooner -received the congratulations of Hiram, king of Tyre, upon his coming to -the throne, than he sent to that monarch requesting that he would let -him have Sidonian artisans, and a supply of cedar wood from the forests -of Lebanon, for the construction of the Temple. Hiram responded with -alacrity to the request, and a regular treaty was entered into between -the two kings. Solomon bound himself to send yearly 20,000 cors[318] -of wheat, and 20 cors of oil to the Phœnicians, while Hiram undertook -to float cedar trees and fir-trees to Joppa, and to send a number of -skilled artificers to Jerusalem. For the purpose of felling the timber, -a levy of 30,000 Israelites was made, who were placed under Adoniram; -10,000 were employed at a time, and relieved each other every month, -spending a month in the mountains of Lebanon, and the other two -months at their own homes (1 K. v. 13, 14). Besides these, 70,000 -were employed as porters, and 80,000 as hewers in the various quarries. -These latter were bondslaves, remnants of the Canaanites, who had not -been expelled from the land. Under the eye of Tyrian master-builders, -they hewed, and squared, and bevelled the stupendous blocks, some -measuring even 17 and 18 feet, for the foundation of the sacred edifice. - -The site, which had been already selected by David, was the eminence -of Moriah, on the east of the city, rendered sacred at once as the -spot where Abraham had offered up Isaac, and where the plague had been -stayed during the last reign[319]. “Its rugged top was levelled with -immense labour; its sides, which to the east and south were precipitous, -were faced with a wall of stone, built up perpendicular from the -bottom of the valley, so as to appear to those who looked down, of most -terrific height; a work of prodigious skill and labour, as the immense -stones were strongly mortised together and wedged into the rock.” - -On this site, after 3 years of preparation, in the 4th year of -Solomon’s reign, and the 480th after the departure from Egypt, the -foundations were laid. No sound of hammer or axe, or any tool of iron, -was heard as the structure rose (1 K. vi. 7). Every beam already cut -and squared, every stone already hewn and bevelled, was laid silently -in its appointed site, - - _Like some tall palm the noiseless fabric sprung_[320]. - -Within a quadrangle formed by a solid wall was an open court, -afterwards known as the _Court of the Gentiles_. Within this, -surrounded by another wall and on a higher[321] level, was the _Court -of the Israelites_, and within this, and on a still higher level, the -_Court of the Priests_. The Temple itself was built on the model of the -ancient Tabernacle, but of more costly and durable materials, and like -it consisted of the Porch, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies[322]. - -(1) The _Porch_ or Hall, which faced the East, was 10 cubits deep -from E. to W., by 20 in width from N. to S., and 30 cubits high[323]. -Either within, or, as some think, on either side of it, rose two -brazen Pillars, the one called JACHIN (_durability_), the other BOAZ -(_strength_), their capitals ornamented with network, chainwork, -and pomegranates. (2) _The Holy Place_, the dimensions of which were -exactly double those in the Tabernacle[324], was 40 cubits long, by -20 wide, and 30 high. Its walls were of hewn stone, wainscotted with -cedar and overlaid with gold[325], and adorned with beautiful carvings -representing cherubim, fruit, and flowers. It was entered by folding -doors, similarly overlaid with gold and richly embossed. The floor -was of cedar, boarded over with planks of fir or cypress; the ceiling -was of fir, but both, as indeed every part, overlaid with gold in the -richest profusion. In the Holy Place, as in the Tabernacle, stood the -golden Altar of Incense, the Table of Shew-bread, and the Candlesticks -of pure gold, five on the right, and five on the left. (3) A rich veil -of the brightest colours separated the Holy Place from _the Holy of -Holies_, which was a perfect cube of 20 cubits. Here was the original -Ark overshadowed by two colossal Cherubim of olive wood overlaid with -gold, 10 cubits in height. These stood at each end, N. and S., and -faced each other, each having two wings expanded, so that one wing of -each touched over the Ark, and the other touched the wall. Outside the -Holy Place stood a great Tank or “Sea” of molten brass, 10 cubits in -diameter, 30 round, 5 high, and capable of holding 2000 baths. It was -supported on 12 oxen, three turned each way, and its rim was ornamented -with blossoms. Besides this there were 10 Lavers, for the purpose of -ablutions, which stood on moveable bases of brass; each side of these -was formed in three panels, and adorned with figures of oxen, lions, -and cherubim. The great Brazen Altar of Burnt-sacrifice, 20 cubits long -and 10 high, stood on the exact site of the threshing-floor of Araunah. - -At length, by the 7th month in the 11th year of Solomon’s reign, the -work was completed, and the king invited the chiefs of the different -tribes, all the notables of the realm, as also the entire priestly and -Levitical body[326], to the solemn dedication. He himself took his seat -on a raised throne of brass; the sacrificers stood before the Altar -of Burnt-offering, surrounded by the choir arrayed in white robes, and -playing on cymbals, psalteries, and harps; while the assembled nation -crowded the courts without. Countless sheep and oxen were first laid -on the brazen altar. Then from under the covering, where David had -placed it, the priests solemnly brought the Ark of the Covenant to -the folding-doors of the Temple. These were opened, and then past the -Table of Shew-bread, and the golden Candlesticks, and the Altar of -Incense, it was conveyed through the Veil to its appointed place, -and the Cherubim spread over it their wings, and “received it, as -it were, under their protection.” At this moment the choir lifted up -their voices _with the trumpets and cymbals, and instruments of music, -and made one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord[327], -whose mercy endureth for ever_, and simultaneously the Temple was -filled with a cloud (1 K. viii. 10, 11), the “Glory” of the Lord -descended, and Jehovah took possession of His new abode. Thereupon the -king, rising on his brazen throne, and kneeling down upon his knees, -spread forth his hands toward heaven, and offered up a solemn and -sublime prayer. As he concluded with the petition, _Arise, O Lord God, -into Thy resting-place, Thou and the Ark of Thy strength_, fire flashed -forth from the “Glory” already filling the Temple, and consumed the -burnt-offerings and the sacrifices (2 Chr. vii. 3), while the priests -stood without, blinded with the excess of splendour, and the people -bowing with their faces to the ground, worshipped and praised the Lord. -The ceremony of dedication lasted seven days, and was succeeded by -the Feast of Tabernacles, which was continued for two weeks, or twice -the usual time[328]. During it, upwards of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 -sheep were partly offered in sacrifice, and partly made the materials -of a great sacrificial feast, from which, on the 23rd day of the 7th -month, the king sent the people away, _glad and merry in heart for the -goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to -Israel His people_ (2 Chr. vii. 10). - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - _SOLOMON’S REIGN CONTINUED._ - 2 KINGS IX.–XI. 2 CHR. VIII. IX. B.C. 1005–975. - - -BEFORE the Temple was thus completed, Solomon had proceeded to -construct other magnificent buildings. Amongst these was a sumptuous -palace for himself, surrounded with beautiful pleasure-grounds, which -stood within the city opposite to the Temple, and occupied 13 years in -building (1 K. vii. 1). Another palace he built for Pharaoh’s daughter, -whom he had espoused, and besides it the house of the forest of -Lebanon[329], 175 ft. long, half that measurement in width, and 50 ft. -high. The roof, which was made of cedar, was supported by 4 rows of -cedar columns, and the whole received light from 3 rows of windows on -each side. Adjoining it were the women’s apartments, a banqueting-hall, -and spacious and luxuriant gardens. - -Other works were designed for use and security; among these were -artificial reservoirs for supplying the city with water, and the -strengthening or repairing of a fortress called Millo (1 K. ix. 15), -already begun by David (2 Sam. v. 9). Solomon also fortified -Baalath[330]; Gezer[331] and the two Beth-horons on the great road -towards the sea-coast; the strong and important post of Hazor[332] -to defend the entrance from Syria and Assyria; Megiddo to guard the -Esdraelon plain; while, for the protection of his eastern caravans, he -built Tadmor, afterwards called _Palmyra_, in the Syrian wilderness, -and Tiphsah or _Thapsacus_[333] on the Euphrates (2 Chr. viii. 3–6). - - Illustration: SOLOMON’S DOMINIONS, - THE - KINGDOMS OF JUDAH & ISRAEL - AND THE - LANDS OF THE CAPTIVITIES. - - London: Macmillan & Co. - -His reign was a period of great commercial activity. On the North-west -the important kingdom of Phœnicia was united with him by the bonds -of a strict alliance. Once only did Hiram, king of Tyre, express any -dissatisfaction with the dealings of his powerful friend. Solomon had -bestowed upon him twenty cities which he had conquered in the land of -Galilee, on the borders of Asher. But when the Tyrian king came forth -to see them, he was much dissatisfied. One of them named Cabul, now -_Kabûl_, about 8 or 9 miles east of _Akka_, in his own Phœnician tongue -denoted _displeasure_, and this name he gave to them all (1 K. ix. -10–13). - -1. But Phœnician enterprise was turned to account in other directions. -Having possession of the Eastern shore of the Red Sea, Solomon -strengthened the ports of Elath and Ezion-geber (_the giant’s -backbone_), and with the assistance of Tyrian shipwrights, constructed -a fleet, which sailed to Ophir[334], and returned with gold, silver, -ivory, and other products (1 K. ix. 26–28). - -2. The Tyrian alliance opened up also the traffic of the Mediterranean. -On every shore washed by this sea Phœnician energy had founded -colonies, and opened trading ports, of which the chief was Tarshish, -or Tartessus――“the Peru of Tyrian adventure[335]”――on the southern -coast of Spain, at this time abounding in gold and silver mines. Hither -Solomon’s fleet sailed in company with that of Hiram, and brought back -every three years of its precious products (1 K. x. 22). - -3. Another important outlet for trade was supplied by Egypt. Not only -had Solomon espoused a daughter of Pharaoh, but in defiance of the -Mosaic Law (Deut. xvii. 16) he exchanged the produce of his own country -for the horses and chariots of Egypt, as also for the linen-yarn, -spun from the flax which the Nile valley yielded in abundance (1 K. -x. 28, 29). - -4. Last, but not least important, was the inland trade of the Arabian -peninsula. Caravans of the native tribes transported on camels the -spices, incense, gold, precious stones, and valuable woods of the -country, especially the almug or sandal, and brought them into the -dominions of Solomon, or, if they were intended for his Tyrian allies, -to Gezer and Beth-horon, whence they were transported to the port of -Joppa. - -But though these several branches of commerce opened up to the Hebrew -kingdom many and various sources of national prosperity, and tended to -multiply the luxuries and magnificence of the court, this prosperity -was on the surface only. Hidden beneath its external splendour were -several cankers, which surely though secretly undermined the true -life of the nation. First of all, this massing of gold and silver, as -doubtless the Jewish Lawgiver had foreseen, could only be brought about -by a process of severe taxation. And while forced to bear burdens heavy -and grievous, the nation saw the tide of commercial profits, instead of -being fairly distributed among the people, flowing only into the royal -exchequer. Secondly, these commercial alliances seriously affected the -nation’s allegiance to Jehovah. In imitation of other Oriental empires -Solomon surrounded himself with a numerous harem, having 700 wives -and 300 concubines (1 K. xi. 1–3). Besides the daughter of Pharaoh, -he espoused women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, -and Hittites, and, as he grew old, they turned away his heart from -the worship of the true God. Three times, indeed, during the year he -celebrated the Festivals of Jehovah (1 K. ix. 25), but the licentious -worship of Baal and Ashtaroth, of Moloch and Chemosh, found its way -even into the Holy City, and their hideous orgies were enacted “hard -by the oracles of God” (1 K. xi. 5–8). - -At first, perhaps, there may have been few signs of weakness in a -fabric so vast and so magnificent. In the figurative language of the -sacred record, _silver was in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar-trees as -sycamores; Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea -in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry_; in the enjoyment -of profound peace, _every man dwelt safely under his vine and under his -fig-tree_. Princes administered the government of various portions of -the empire (1 K. iv. 1–6); officers deputed for the purpose provided -victual for the royal table, and barley and straw for Solomon’s 40,000 -chariot-horses, his 12,000 war-horses (1 K. iv. 26), and his swift -mules; kings and princes of subject-provinces brought in their tribute -at a fixed rate year by year (1 K. x. 25); and when the queen of Sheba -came with her great train from distant Yemen in Arabia to prove the -king with hard questions, and beheld his palace, _and the meat of -his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his -ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers_, and the ascent from -his own palace to the Temple[336], there was no spirit left in her, and -she confessed that the half of his fame and magnificence had not been -told her (1 K. x. 1–9). - -Before long, however, clouds began to gather portending the coming -storm. Once at Gibeon, on the occasion of his accession, again after -the dedication of the Temple (1 K. iii. 5; ix. 2), the Lord had -appeared to Solomon, and on condition that he continued to walk in -the ways of his father, had promised to crown him with prosperity, and -establish his dynasty, but at the same time had warned him that any -apostasy would bring down severe punishment. But promise and warning -had been alike forgotten, and when the Lord appeared for the third -time, it was to announce that the kingdom should be rent from him -(1 K. xi. 9–13). - -i. The quarter, whence danger first threatened, was on the south, -in the land of Edom. When Joab invaded that country during the late -reign, and for six months directed an indiscriminate massacre of the -male population, HADAD, who was of the blood royal, and at that time -a little child, was carried off into Egypt, where he was hospitably -received by the reigning Pharaoh, and rapidly rising in the royal -esteem, obtained the hand of Tahpenes, the sister of the Egyptian -queen. On the death of David and of Joab, he returned from Egypt, and -thirsting to break off the hard yoke of Jacob from the neck of Esau, -organized a revolt in his native land, and began to threaten Solomon’s -communication with the Elanitic Gulf (1 K. xi. 15–22). - -ii. A second adversary appeared in the north-eastern provinces of -the empire. ♦REZIN, the Syrian, the son of Eliadah, flying from the -defeat which his feudal lord Hadadezer, king of Zobah, had sustained -at the hands of David, put himself at the head of a band of adventurers -and seized Damascus. Here he set up a petty kingdom, and _became an -adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon_, and an impediment to the -king’s commerce with Tadmor and the Euphrates (1 K. xi. 23–25). - -iii. But a far more formidable adversary appeared nearer home. When -Solomon was constructing the fortifications of Millo under the citadel -of Zion, he observed the industry and activity of JEROBOAM, already -known as a man of valour, the son of an Ephraimite, named Nebat. -Perceiving his worth, the king not only employed him on the works, -but elevated him to the rank of collector of the taxes from his native -tribe. On one occasion as he was going out of Jerusalem, Jeroboam -encountered the prophet Ahijah of the ancient sanctuary of Shiloh, -and accompanied him to a neighbouring field. When they were alone, the -prophet rent the new outer robe in which he was attired into twelve -pieces, and gave ten of them to Jeroboam, assuring him at the same -time that he should reign over ten of the tribes, and that if he proved -faithful to His laws God would establish his dynasty as he had done -that of David (1 K. xi. 26–39). News of this mysterious intimation in -some way reached the ears of Solomon, and he sought to put Jeroboam -to death, but the latter fled for refuge to the court of Shishak -(_Sheshonk_ I.), a powerful monarch, who was bent on restoring Egypt -to its former greatness. Here he remained during the rest of Solomon’s -reign. Departing from his earlier policy the king had laid the burden -of compulsory labour not only on the remnant of the Canaanites, but -on the Israelites themselves (1 K. v. 13, 14). This increased the old -jealousy of the great house of Joseph, and a man like Jeroboam was -certain at any time to rally round him all the national discontent and -ill-feeling against the once prosperous monarch. - -While the signs of coming danger were thus becoming more and more -evident, Solomon’s reign of 40 years came to a close, B.C. 975. The -hopes he might have inspired when first elevated to the throne had -not been fulfilled. He had, indeed, built the promised Temple; he had -adorned Jerusalem with sumptuous palaces; his wisdom and learning had -attracted the notice and roused the envy of distant monarchs; but he -had not been mindful, save for a short time, while the example of David -and the instructions of his preceptor Nathan were fresh in his memory, -of the vocation to which he had been called. His kingdom exhibited some -of the worst faults of other Oriental monarchies. He had violated each -and all of the fundamental principles of the kingdom as laid down by -the great Lawgiver of his nation. He had encouraged the worst forms -of idolatry, had multiplied wives, had amassed enormous wealth, had -laid heavy burdens on the people, and sated with pomp and splendour -and selfish luxuries, he had confessed the vanity of his life (Eccles. -i. 12–18). The kingdom which Abraham had seen in vision stretching from -the river of Egypt to the gates of Damascus had, indeed, been realized, -but its unity was not destined to survive the reign of the son of -David[337]. - - - - - BOOK X. - - KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. - - - PART I. - - _Period of mutual hostility._ - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _THE REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES._ - 1 KINGS XII. 2 CHRON. X. B.C. 975. - - -REHOBOAM, the successor of Solomon, was 41 years of age when he came -to the throne. Though his title does not seem to have been disputed -at Jerusalem, he deemed it right to obtain a more general and public -recognition, and probably as a concession to the powerful house of -Joseph, convened a solemn assembly of the tribes at Shechem, its -ancient but ruined[338] capital. On his arrival there he encountered -JEROBOAM, who had been summoned from his retreat in Egypt, and now -boldly appeared at the head of a deputation from all the tribes -requesting a remission of the taxes and other heavy burdens, which had -been laid upon the nation during the late reign. Thus directly appealed -to, Rehoboam requested a space of three days for deliberation, and -during this period first consulted the old advisers of his father. They -unanimously suggested that he should accede to the nation’s request, -and lighten its burden. But besides these experienced counsellors -there were young men of rank, who had been the king’s companions, -and were now about his court. They could ill brook any line of policy -that seemed likely to lower the power of their patron, and advised him -to take up the matter with a high hand, and by a firm denial of the -nation’s request put down once and for all any similar demand. In an -evil hour Rehoboam listened to their counsel, and at the end of the -three days, when the envoys, again headed by Jeroboam, were summoned -into his presence, announced to them his final resolve. _My father made -your yoke heavy_, said he in the true spirit of an Oriental despot, -_and I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but -I will chastise you with scorpions_ (1 K. xii. 1–15). - -This senseless reply was no sooner made known to the tribes than it -roused a general spirit of rebellion. _What portion have we in David?_ -exclaimed the great tribe of Ephraim, _and what inheritance in the son -of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David_ -(comp. 2 Sam. xx. 1). The assembly broke up in confusion, and each -man returned to his home. But Rehoboam did not yet discern the full -force of the rising storm. He was unwise enough to send Adoram, who had -been chief receiver of the tribute during the reigns of his father and -grandfather (2 Sam. xx. 24; 1 K. v. 14), to levy the usual dues. But -the fate of his envoy proved the strength of the popular feeling. _All -Israel stoned him with stones, that he died_, and the king himself was -obliged to fly in haste to Jerusalem. His first impulse on his return -was to punish the rebellious tribes, and for this purpose he gathered -together an army of 180,000 men. But his preparations for a civil war -were forbidden by Shemaiah, a man of God, who declared it to be the -will of Jehovah that all hostilities should be laid aside, for the -rending of the kingdom _was from Him_ (1 K. xii. 18–24). Thereupon the -projected war was given up, and the rebellion was complete[339]. - -According to the new division of the land, (i) _The kingdom of Judah_ -included that tribe itself, together with Benjamin, which transferred -to it its allegiance probably because Jerusalem was within its borders, -and, at least eventually, a part if not all of the territory of Simeon -and of Dan. For the present Edom appears to have remained its faithful -vassal, and guarded the caravan trade with Ophir, while Philistia -continued, for the most part, quiet. (ii) _The kingdom of Israel_, -on the other hand, included that of the remaining eight tribes, _i.e._ -Ephraim, and half Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali, -as well as the coast line between Accho and Joppa, on the west of the -Jordan; Reuben, Gad, and the remaining half tribe of Manasseh on the -east of that river. Its vassal states were Moab (2 K. iii. 4), and so -much of Syria as had remained subject to Solomon (1 K. xi. 24)[343]. - -The first act of Jeroboam, on being declared ruler of the Ten Tribes, -was to give a capital to his kingdom. For this purpose he rebuilt and -fortified Shechem. His next step was to secure his dominions against -his powerful northern neighbour, Syria. He, therefore, fortified -Penuel[344] beyond the Jordan, which commanded the fords of Succoth, -and was on the great caravan road leading over Gilead to Damascus. -But it required little reflection to convince him, that so long as the -yearly pilgrimages summoned their thousands and tens of thousands to -Jerusalem, his authority was but nominal. The Levitical class would -constantly require to go up to the City of David in the order of their -courses[345], and the majority of them began to leave his kingdom for -that of Judah. Without a Temple, without the Ark, without a Priesthood, -he felt he could not maintain his power. Within the boundaries, however, -of his realm were two sanctuaries, Bethel in the south, and Dan in the -north. These, after some deliberation (1 K. xii. 28), he resolved to -elevate into seats for national worship, which he hoped might rival -the Temple at Jerusalem. Instead, however, of erecting altars there in -honour of Jehovah, he made two calves of gold, figures probably of Apis -or Mnevis, whose worship he had often witnessed during his residence in -Egypt, and set them up at either sanctuary, with the address, _Behold -thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt_ -(1 K. xii. 28). Moreover, at both places he established a new order of -priests, not taken from the sons of Levi, but from the lowest of the -people, and therefore absolutely dependent on himself, and into this -order any one could obtain admission on sacrificing a young bullock and -seven rams (2 Chr. xiii. 9). - -Having taken these measures, on the 15th day of the eighth month[346] -he proclaimed a solemn Festival of Dedication, and went up to Bethel, -to offer incense in person on the altar. But at this critical moment, -as he was standing there, a man of God from Judah appeared, who boldly -confronted the king, denounced the idolatrous service, and foretold -the desecration of the altar by a future king of the house of Judah, -JOSIAH by name, who would offer upon it the priests of the high-places, -and burn men’s bones upon it (See 2 K. xxiii. 15). Enraged at this -out-spoken defiance, Jeroboam stretched forth his hand, and bade the -bystanders seize the bold stranger. But at the moment his hand became -suddenly paralysed, and at the same time the altar was rent asunder, -and the ashes of the victims were poured out. Now thoroughly alarmed, -the king implored the prophet to intercede with the Lord for him, that -the heavy judgment he had incurred might be removed. The other complied, -and the king’s hand was restored. Grateful for this signal favour, -Jeroboam would now have hospitably entertained the man of God. But -the latter had been sent on a special errand, and his commands had -been precise, and peremptory, neither to eat bread, nor drink water -in a place so openly profaned with idolatry, nor even to return thence -by the same road that he had come. Accordingly he declined the royal -invitation, and went his way (1 K. xiii. 10). - -On the road, however, as he lingered under an oak, he was overtaken -by an old prophet of Bethel, who had heard from his sons of the day’s -occurrences at the festival. His own guilty silence had wellnigh -made him a partaker in the sins of the king, and the bold bearing -of the stranger reminded him of what he himself should have done. -Either, therefore, from a wish to win respect for himself once more by -intercourse with such an accredited messenger of the Most High, or with -the full intention of deceiving him, and so bringing discredit on his -words, he hurried after him, and now announced himself as the bearer -of a distinct Divine command that he should return to Bethel. Overcome -by this solemn declaration, the other accompanied him to the town. But -as they were seated at the meal, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the -guilty host, and the Deceiver was constrained to pronounce the doom -of the Deceived. The man of God had been faithless to the terms of his -commission, and a certain death awaited him, nor should his body ever -come into the sepulchre of his fathers. With his doom upon him he went -his way, and a lion met and slew him (1 K. xiii. 24). - -But though dead, he was yet to speak, and testify to the solemnity of -the mission on which he had been sent. When he was found lying dead on -the road, the lion also was standing there, as well as the ass on which -he had ridden; the beast of prey had not eaten the corpse, nor torn the -ass. Thus the mysterious circumstances of the prophet’s death confirmed -that sign of his authority, which he had weakened during his life; and -the old prophet of Bethel, by laying him in his own sepulchre with all -honour, and charging his sons after his death to bury him beside the -victim of his own deceit, preserved in Jeroboam’s new religious capital -a silent witness against the idolatries there practised (1 K. xiii. -30–32). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _REHOBOAM AND ABIJAH, JEROBOAM AND NADAB._ - 1 KINGS XIII.–XV. 2 CHR. XI.–XIII. B.C. 975–955. - - -THIS warning, however, though confirmed by signs and wonders, had -little or no effect on Jeroboam himself. He persisted in his evil -courses, and his dynasty was destined to pass away, a fact before -long revealed to him under very mournful circumstances. His son ABIJAH -fell sick. In his anxiety to know the fate of the hope of his kingdom, -Jeroboam bade his wife disguise herself, and repair to Shiloh, and -there consult the now blind and aged prophet, who had foretold his -own elevation to the throne. Though she was effectually disguised, and -presented only the gift of an ordinary person, a few loaves, some cakes, -and a cruse of honey, the prophet detected his visitor as soon as he -heard the sound of her feet at the door, and confirmed her worst fears. -In words of utmost sternness he denounced her husband’s idolatries, -and distinctly told her that her son would die. He, indeed, as one in -whom _was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel_, would -descend into the grave mourned and lamented by the whole people. But -no other of his family would thus receive an honourable funeral, and -his death would be but the prelude of the destruction of his father’s -dynasty. With a heavy heart the mother returned, and as she entered -the town of Tirzah, Abijah sickened, and the blind prophet’s words came -true (1 K. xiv. 1–18). - -Meanwhile, the relations between the rival kingdoms had been marked -by continued hostility (1 K. xiv. 30; 2 Chr. xii. 15). The first step -taken by Rehoboam, when the disruption of the kingdom was complete, -was to fortify 15 cities in the neighbourhood of his capital, and in -the southern and south-western portions of Judah (2 Chr. xi. 5–12). -All these he stored with provisions and arms, and placed over them -commandants. During the first three years of his reign he walked in the -ways of the Lord, and was strengthened in upholding the principles of -true religion by numerous bodies of priests and Levites, who flocked -into the territory of Judah from that of Jeroboam, as also by many of -the tribes of Israel, who still remained faithful to the Lord God of -their fathers (2 Chr. xi. 13–17). But soon, like Solomon before him, -he too was found wanting. Surrounding himself with a numerous harem, -he took 18 wives and 60 concubines, by whom he became the father of -numerous sons and daughters. Reserving the throne for Abijah, the son -of Maachah daughter of Absalom, he dispersed the rest of the royal -princes among his fortified cities, and in the splendour of his court -and the security of his now established throne, forgat the law of the -Lord (2 Chr. xii. 1), and set an evil example to his subjects, who -speedily began to build high places, and set up _images and groves -on every high hill, and under every green tree_ (1 K. xiv. 22–24). - -Five years, however, after his accession, his peace was rudely -disturbed. Shishak the Egyptian king, instigated probably by Jeroboam, -whom as we have already seen, he had befriended in exile, advanced -against Judah with 1200 chariots, 60,000 cavalry, and an enormous -host of Libyans, Nubians, and Ethiopians. Having made himself master -of Rehoboam’s fenced cities, he penetrated as far as his capital, -and forced him to purchase an ignominious peace by delivering up the -treasure of the royal palace and the Temple, even to the shields of -gold, which Solomon had made for the purpose of being borne before him -whenever he visited the Temple in state[347] (1 K. x. 16, 17). More -than this the Egyptian monarch did not attempt, as Shemaiah the prophet -had promised would be the case, if the king and his people displayed -signs of real contrition for their idolatries. After this deep -humiliation, the moral condition of Judah seems to have improved, and -the rest of Rehoboam’s reign is not marked by any remarkable event. He -died, B.C. 957, at the age of 58, after a reign of 17 years, and was -succeeded by his son ABIJAH. - -The new king continued the war with Jeroboam, and made a determined -effort to recover the ten tribes. At Mount Zemaraim, in the range of -Ephraim, he confronted with 400,000 troops twice that number of the -enemy; and previously to the battle endeavoured by a solemn address -to win over the subjects of his rival to their former allegiance. He -reminded them of the Divine election of David to the throne of the -entire nation, and the emphatic manner in which the monarchy had been -covenanted to him; he recounted the circumstances under which Jeroboam -had usurped the regal power, and contrasted the idolatrous worship he -had established with the time-honoured ritual of the Temple, and its -divinely-ordained priests. While he thus sought to awaken the loyalty -of the tribes, his rival had posted an ambuscade behind the men of -Judah, who found themselves entrapped. But, nothing daunted, they cried -unto the Lord, and, while the priests sounded with the silver trumpets, -raised a shout, and fell upon the foe. The forces of Jeroboam were -utterly routed, and Abijah succeeded in capturing the towns of Bethel, -Jeshanah, and Ephraim with the surrounding villages. From this signal -defeat the king of Israel never _recovered strength again_ (2 Ch. -xiii. 20), and soon after died, bequeathing his throne to his son -NADAB, while his rival Abijah, after a brief reign of three years, also -died, and was succeeded by his son ASA, B.C. 954. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _ASA AND BAASHA, ELAH, ZIMRI, OMRI._ - 1 KINGS XV. XVI. 2 CHR. XIV.–XVI. B.C. 955–918. - - -THE reign of NADAB was very brief, lasting only two years. As he -was besieging Gibbethon, a town allotted to Dan (Josh. xix. 44), and -afterwards given to the Kohathite Levites (Josh. xxi. 23), but which -was now in the hands of the Philistines, BAASHA, the son of Abijah, -of the house of ♦Issachar, conspired ♦against him, and, usurping -the throne, smote all the house of Jeroboam till he left none that -breathed, thus fulfilling the words of Ahijah, and destroying the first -Israelitish dynasty, B.C. 953. - -Between the new king and Asa constant hostilities were maintained. -The latter, mindful of the conditions on which he held the kingdom, -no sooner ascended the throne, than he commenced a general religious -reform throughout his dominions. He removed the idols his father had -set up, the high places, the images, and the groves; nor did he spare -the idolatrous ritual even of his grandmother Maachah, who held the -special dignity of queen-mother; he removed the symbol of her religion, -and flung the ashes into the brook Kidron. Having thus restored the -worship of Jehovah to something of its former purity, he strengthened -his kingdom by fortifying the frontier towns, and raised and equipped -a large army. He was thus in a condition to confront the enormous host -with which his realm was invaded by Zerah, the Ethiopian, probably -_Osorkon II._[348], the successor of Shishak, and the inheritor of his -quarrel with Rehoboam. The Egyptian host penetrated as far as Mareshah -in the low country of Judah, where they were confronted by Asa, whose -confidence in his God was rewarded by a complete victory, and the -Egyptian host fell back routed as far as Gerar, leaving immense spoils -in the hands of the men of Judah (2 Chr. xiv. 9–15). - -After this signal success, encouraged by the assurances of the prophet -Azariah, Asa resolved to continue his religious reforms, and on his -arrival at Jerusalem convoked an assembly of the tribes of Judah and -Benjamin, as well as of the strangers sojourning amongst them from -Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, and in the 3rd month of the 15th year -of his reign, renewed with solemn sacrifices a national Covenant. _With -a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets_, -the assembly swore fealty to their God and king, and vowed to put to -death all who proved unfaithful to Jehovah (2 Chr. xv. 1–15). - -The peace which his kingdom now enjoyed was soon disturbed by the -hostility of Baasha, who marched against Asa, and having recovered the -territory which he had lost, fortified Ramah, about 6 miles north of -Jerusalem, not only to annoy his enemy, and stop the tide of emigration -from his own kingdom into that of Judah, but also to cut off Asa’s -communications with the central portion of Israel. On this that monarch -resolved to purchase the aid of the king of Syria, Benhadad I.[349], -and persuade him to break off his alliance with his rival. Sending, -therefore, all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the Temple -to the Syrian monarch, he succeeded in inducing him to fling an army -into northern Palestine, which smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-Maachah, -Cinneroth, and all the land of Naphtali. This forced Baasha to withdraw -his forces, and retire to Tirzah; whereupon Asa summoned all Judah, -and having destroyed the works at Ramah, used the stones and timber to -fortify two towers, Geba and Mizpeh, as checks to any similar attempts -in future. This is the first instance of a Hebrew king courting -an alliance with a heathen power in a great crisis of the national -fortunes, and it did not pass unnoticed by the prophetical order. -Hanani the seer denounced such faithless leaning on an arm of flesh, -and foretold that from henceforth he should have wars. The outspoken -rebuke roused the anger of Asa. He flung the bold prophet into prison, -and oppressed some of the people, who probably sympathised in his -denunciations. In other respects he had ruled his kingdom with energy, -loyalty, and piety, and after a severe attack of gout, died in the 41st -year of his reign, and was committed to the tomb amidst general sorrow, -bequeathing his throne to his son JEHOSHAPHAT (2 Chr. xvi. 7–14), -B.C. 914. - -Meanwhile there had been great vicissitudes in the kingdom of Israel. -After destroying the whole house of Jeroboam, Baasha made the beautiful -city of Tirzah[350] his capital, and in spite of the warnings of the -prophet Jehu the son of Hanani (1 K. xvi. 1–7), persisted in walking -in the ways of Jeroboam, _wherewith he made Israel to sin_. His reign -of 24 years was chiefly distinguished by his persistent hostility to -his rival Asa, which cost him, as we have seen, several cities in the -northern part of his dominions, in consequence of Asa’s alliance with -Benhadad. He was succeeded in the year B.C. 930 by his son ELAH; who -had barely reigned for the brief space of a year, when on the occasion -of a riotous feast in the house of his steward at Tirzah, he was -assassinated by ZIMRI, _the captain of half his chariots_, B.C. 929. -The usurper signalized his accession by ruthlessly murdering every -member of the family of Baasha, but had barely occupied the throne for -seven days, when OMRI, captain of the army then besieging Gibbethon, -attacked him at Tirzah. Despairing of aid Zimri anticipated the wishes -of his rival by firing the palace over his head, and perished in the -flames. - -But the claims of the usurper to his blood-stained throne were not -universally acknowledged. Half the people sided with him, and half with -another aspirant, TIBNI the son of Ginath (1 K. xvi. 21). For 5 years -the latter reigned as rival king, and the land was desolated with civil -discord. At length the faction of OMRI prevailed, and Tibni dying, -he became sole king of Israel, and founder of its third dynasty. For -6 years he made Tirzah, though now in ruins, his capital, and then -in spite of its proverbial beauty (Cant. vi. 4) determined to remove -his residence elsewhere. About 6 miles north-west of Shechem was “an -oval-shaped isolated hill, rising by successive terraces 600 feet above -the surrounding plateau, and combining in union not elsewhere found in -Palestine, strength, beauty, and fertility.” This hill Omri purchased -of Shemer, its owner, for two talents of silver, and on its “long -flat top” built a city, which instead of naming after himself, he -called after the name of its owner _Shomrôn_, “the city of Shemer,” -afterwards corrupted into the Chaldee _Shemrin_, and thence into the -Greek _Samaria_[351]. In his new capital Omri reigned 6 years more. A -vigorous and unscrupulous ruler, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord -more than all his predecessors on the throne. He not only courted an -alliance with Benhadad I. and surrendered to him some border towns (1 K. -xx. 34), and admitted a resident Syrian embassy[352] into Samaria, but -gave his son and successor AHAB in marriage to JEZEBEL, the daughter of -Ethbaal, king of Zidon (1 K. xvi. 31), thus introducing the worship of -Baal as the recognised religion of his kingdom. - - - - - KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. - - - PART II. - _Period of mutual alliance, and hostility to Syria._ - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _REIGN OF AHAB. ERA OF ELIJAH._ - 1 KINGS XVII.–XIX. 2 CHR. XVII. B.C. 918–915. - - -THE first act of JEHOSHAPHAT, who succeeded Asa on the throne of Judah, -was to fortify and garrison the fenced cities in his dominions, as well -as the towns in Ephraim, which his father had captured (2 Chr. xvii. 2). -With much zeal for the national faith he next endeavoured to put down -the high places and groves, and sent a commission of princes, priests, -and Levites to traverse the various towns, and instruct the people -out of the Book of the Law (2 Chr. xvii. 6–9). His pious zeal did not -go unrewarded. _The Lord established the kingdom in his hand_, and -gave him peace round about. Not only his own subjects, but even the -Philistines and Arabians brought him tribute (2 Chr. xvii. 5, 11), -which enabled him to build castles and store-cities in Judah, and -maintain a large standing army (2 Chr. xvii. 12–19). - -Meanwhile, very different scenes were enacted in the rival kingdom of -Israel. - -Ithobalus or Ethbaal[353], the father of Ahab’s queen, had once been a -priest of the Phœnician goddess Astarte, and had usurped the throne of -his brother Phalles[354]. Jezebel inherited the spirit of her father, -and quickly acquired the most unbounded influence over her weak-minded -husband, so that he became a mere puppet in her hands. The first effect -of her influence was the establishment of the worship of Baal on the -most extensive scale. Near the palace at Samaria rose a temple in -honour of this Phœnician deity, and an oracular grove, while 450 of -the prophets of Baal, and 400 of Astarte, were supported at the queen’s -table (1 K. xvi. 31, 32, xviii. 19). She also resolved that a worship, -now formally legalized, should be forcibly imposed on her husband’s -subjects, and so great was her severity towards the prophets of -Jehovah, that they were constrained to conceal themselves in caves, -and there eke out a precarious existence (1 K. xviii. 13). While she -thus persecuted the servants of Jehovah, her yielding husband occupied -himself chiefly with indulging a taste for splendid architecture. He -erected several cities, and built an ivory palace; and while Samaria -remained his capital, sought another Tirzah in the beautiful city of -Jezreel, the very name of which, _the seed-plot of God_, indicates the -fertility of the neighbourhood[355]. - -In this crisis of the Israelitish kingdom came forth, sudden as the -lightning, alarming as the thunder, one of the most remarkable men -that Israel ever produced. From the wooded uplands across the Jordan, -“from the country of the rude soldier-judge Jephthah[356],” clad in the -austere garb of the prophets, consisting of a girdle of skin round his -loins, and a sheep-skin “mantle,” his “hair long and thick, and hanging -down his back” (2 K. i. 8), appeared in the palace of Ahab, _Elijah the -Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead_. Without a word of comment or -introduction, he announced in the name of that God, whom the monarch -had insulted, a speedy and awful judgment. _As the Lord God of Israel -liveth, said he, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years but -according to my word[357]._ Having thus boldly delivered his message, -he fled for his life to the brook or torrent-bed of the Cherith, either -amongst his own native hills, or on the west of Jordan and nearer to -Samaria. Here he was for some time miraculously supported by ravens, -which _brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh -in the evening_, while he drank of the water of the brook (1 K. xvii. -1–7). - -After a while the slender streamlet was dried up. Guided by the Divine -direction the prophet now repaired to Zarephath or Sarepta (Lk. iv. -25–29), a Phœnician village on the sea-shore between Tyre and Sidon, -and in the very midst of Phœnician heathenism. As he drew nigh the -place he met the widow, with whom he was to lodge, gathering sticks. -Though she was so poverty-stricken, that she had but a handful of -meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, and the sticks she was -gathering were to make a last meal for her child and herself before -they died, he yet bade her make a little cake for him first, and -assured her that the barrel of meal should not waste, nor the cruse -of oil fail, till the rain returned. Strong in faith, the woman did as -he bade her, and found his words true. For a full year (1 K. xvii. 15, -_margin_) she and her house did eat, nor did their supplies fail. But -before long a sore trouble visited her home. Her son sickened, and -seemed at the point of death. In the agony of her grief she imputed -this trial to the presence of the mysterious prophet. But Elijah -took the boy up to his chamber, and laid him on his own bed; then he -stretched himself three times upon him, and cried mightily to the Lord -that his life might be restored to him. His prayer was heard; _the -soul of the child came into him again, and he revived_, and the prophet -restored him to his mother, who was now convinced that her guest was -a man of God, and _that the word of the Lord in his mouth was truth_ -(1 K. xvii. 8–24). - -Meanwhile, the kingdom of Israel was suffering the most grievous -extremities from the prolonged drought. The earth lay cracked and -parched and barren. Sheep, cattle, horses, perished from want of -water, and from the failure of the crops. So great was the destitution, -that Ahab left his luxurious palace at Samaria, and divided with -Obadiah――his chief domestic officer, and who, at the peril of his life, -remained faithful in his allegiance to Jehovah――the duty of examining -every spring and “nook of the most shaded torrent-bed” to discover -any sign of herbage, wherewith to _save the horses and mules alive, -that they might not lose all the beasts_. While, then, Ahab went one -way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself, suddenly the -latter discerned the prophet standing in the midst of the path. At the -Divine command Elijah had left his retreat at Zarephath, and now bade -the minister of Ahab announce to his master his own return. At first -Obadiah demurred. He feared lest, while he had gone on this mission, -the Spirit of the Lord might summon the prophet in some other direction, -and the king would slay him in his disappointment. But Elijah reassured -him, and he went and told Ahab, and Ahab went to meet the servant -of Jehovah. Few but pointed were the prophet’s words, when he was -confronted with the weak woman-governed king. After sternly denouncing -his idolatries, he commanded him to summon instantly to the top of -Carmel[358] the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Ashtaroth. -Awed by the bearing of the seer, the monarch dared not disobey, and -the prophets, followed by a large concourse of people, repaired to the -appointed spot, at the extreme eastern point of the long Carmel range, -“commanding the last view of the sea behind, and the first view of the -great plain in front[359].” - -It was the crisis in the history of the Ten Tribes. On that day it -was to be proved, once for all, who was supreme, Baal or Jehovah. With -his one attendant Elijah proceeded to the Place of Controversy, and -proposed to the assembled multitudes a decisive test. Let two bullocks -be chosen; let one of them be slain by the priests of Baal, and cut in -pieces; let these be laid upon an altar, with no fire under; let them -then call upon the name of their gods, and _the God that answered by -fire let him be God_. The challenge was accepted. The altar was built; -the victim slain; the pieces laid in order; and the priests of Baal -commenced their incantations. _But there was no voice, neither any that -answered._ Morning passed, and noon came, and still there was no reply. -Meanwhile Elijah suggested to them that they should _cry aloud, for_, -said he, with cutting irony, _he is a god; either he meditateth, or he -is pursuing, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked_. Stung to -the quick, the priests redoubled their invocations. They cried aloud, -_they cut themselves, after their manner, with knives and lancets, till -the blood gushed out upon them_. But prayers, cries, lacerations were -each and all in vain (1 K. xviii. 1–30). - -The hour for the evening-sacrifice now drew near, and Elijah bade the -people approach, and with twelve stones, according to the number of the -tribes of Jacob, repaired an ancient altar on the mountain-top, which -Jezebel probably had caused to be thrown down. Round about it he next -caused a trench to be dug, and having slain his victim, laid it upon -the altar. Then once, twice, and yet again he caused victim and altar -to be drenched with water[360], till it filled even the trench. This -done, the solitary prophet poured forth his whole soul to the God of -Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, praying Him that He would that day -prove that He was indeed the Lord, and that he himself had done all -these things at His word. His prayer was answered. The Fire of the -Lord descended, and consumed the _burnt-sacrifice and the wood, and -the stones and the dust, and licked up even the water that was in the -trench_. The effect on the people was profound. Falling on their faces -to the earth, they with one accord confessed, _Jehovah, He is the God; -Jehovah, He is the God_ (1 K. xviii. 30–39). - -It was the moment for still more decisive measures. Elijah had _bowed -the hearts of the people as one man. Take the prophets of Baal_, he -cried, _let not one of them escape_; and down the steep sides of the -mountain they were brought to the level plain below[361], where flowed -the Kishon. There these troublers of the nation’s peace were slain, and -this stern act of duty done, the prophet bade the king accompany him up -the mountain to join in a sacrificial feast. Then, while Ahab ate and -drank, he himself ascended to a higher level, and on the bare ground, -with his face between his knees, remained wrapt in prayer, having -bidden his servant ascend yet higher, and look towards the blue waters -of the Mediterranean Sea. Six times he came back to his master with -the announcement that he could see nothing. But the seventh time he -returned, saying, _Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, -like a man’s hand_. It was the long-desired sign, “the first that had -for days and months passed across the heavens,” telling of the coming -rain. Instantly the prophet bade the king descend the mountain, prepare -his chariot, and make for his palace. The king obeyed, and meantime the -little cloud had grown and overcast the whole evening sky. Soon a wind -arose and shook the forests of Carmel, and the welcome rain poured down -in torrents. Across the bed of the Kishon Ahab urged his chariot along -the road to Jezreel, while Elijah, girding up his loins and tightening -his hairy mantle about him, ran before the chariot of his sovereign at -least 16 miles to the entrance of the city[362]. - -Thus far the triumph of the Prophet was complete. But now, when victory -seemed to be in the hollow of his hand, at the most critical moment of -his life, his courage failed him. Jezebel, informed of what had taken -place on Carmel, sent a messenger threatening him with certain death, -and Elijah, who had boldly defied multitudes on Carmel, fled before -the face of a woman, in a southerly direction towards Beer-sheba. There -he left his attendant, and went alone a day’s journey into the waste -uninhabited country, which borders on the south of Palestine. Wearied, -disappointed, he requested that he might die, and flinging himself -under a juniper-tree[363] fell asleep. Presently an angel awoke him, -and pointing to a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water, bade -him refresh himself, and in the strength of that meat go still further -southward, to Horeb the Mount of God. - -Arrived there, he remained at least one night in one of the caverns of -the awful mountain-range, and in the morning heard the word of the Lord -enquiring, _What doest thou here, Elijah?_ In reply, the prophet urged -his eminent services for the cause of Jehovah. The children of Israel -had forsaken the covenant, thrown down the Lord’s altars, and slain the -prophets with the sword, he alone was left, and they sought his life -to take it away. In this dejected, murmuring mood he was not fit to -discharge the duties of his office. The Lord, therefore, bade him leave -his cave, and stand before Him face to face upon the mountain, while -He passed by “in all the terror of His most appalling manifestations.” -First, a mighty rushing wind rent the solid mountain, and brake in -pieces the cliffs of Sinai, _but the Lord was not in the wind_. Then an -earthquake shook the rocks, and the mountain trembled with the crash, -_but the Lord was not in the earthquake_. Then a fire blazed forth, and -burned with a consuming heat, _but the Lord was not in the fire_. Then -all was quiet; the convulsion of nature was hushed; and presently there -came _a still, small, Voice_, and as Elijah listened, his face wrapped -in his mantle, he learnt that there was yet something left for him to -do, that he was not the only instrument the Lord could employ. He was -to return, and anoint HAZAEL king over Syria, JEHU the son of Nimshi -king of Israel, and ELISHA of Abel-meholah as his successor in the -prophetical office; and whereas he had complained that he was the only -faithful servant of Jehovah, he now learnt that the Lord had left him -7000 in Israel, _all the knees which had not bowed unto Baal, and every -mouth which had not kissed him_ (1 K. xix. 1–18). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _WARS OF AHAB AND BENHADAD._ - 1 KINGS XX. B.C. 901. - - -OF the three commands thus laid upon him, Elijah straightway proceeded -to execute the last. From Horeb he journeyed to Abel-meholah[364] -(_the Meadow of the Dance_), in the northern part of the Jordan valley. -Here he met ELISHA, the son of Shaphat, apparently a man of substance, -plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him and he with the twelfth. -Casting his well-known mantle upon him, the prophet by this symbolic -action claimed him as his son, and called him to follow him. Lingering -only to bid farewell to his father and mother, and to celebrate a -parting feast with his people, Elisha arose and hurried after the great -Prophet, and became henceforth his constant attendant. - -Meantime Ahab, while he retained Samaria as the capital of his kingdom, -adorned with a palace and park the beautiful city of Jezreel, in the -Esdraelon plain. But ere long this and other instances of his passion -for splendid architecture received a rude check. At the head of a large -army and aided by 32 vassal kings, Benhadad II., king of Syria[365], -laid siege to Samaria. While this was in progress, with true Oriental -haughtiness he made a formal demand of all the silver and gold, the -wives, and children belonging to his enemy. Hoping to disarm hostility, -the servile Ahab replied by a promise of faithful vassalage to the -lord of Syria. But Benhadad, emboldened by this weak compliance, sent -ambassadors with the announcement that on the following day he should -enforce his demand by an actual search of Ahab’s palace. Even the -king of Israel was stung to the quick by this insulting message, and -summoning all the elders of his kingdom he laid the matter before -them. It was resolved to defend Samaria at all risks, and Benhadad -was informed that his demand could not be entertained. On receiving -this reply, the king of Syria sent another message to declare his -intention of laying Samaria level with the ground. _Tell him_, rejoined -Ahab, _Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast himself as he that -putteth it off_, a spirited reply, which filled Benhadad with rage, and -he ordered preparations to be made for an instant assault. - -At this juncture a prophet stood forth, and assured Ahab of a -complete victory over the vast host of his enemy, which should be -achieved by a mere handful of men. In accordance with his suggestion, -the king thereupon numbered the 232 attendants on the “princes of the -provinces[366],” and prepared to send them against the Syrian camp, -while 7,000 of the regular troops followed behind. The little band left -the gates of Samaria and proceeded towards the _pavilions_, or rather -“the tents and booths of branches, boughs, and brushwood, which were -erected for the Syrian chiefs in the camp, as they are still erected -for the Turkish pashas and agas in their expeditions[367].” Though it -was only high noon, Benhadad with his vassal chiefs was carousing over -his wine-cups. But he no sooner heard of the approach of the little -band from the city, than with drunken insolence he ordered that they -should be taken alive, whether they came for peace or war. The force, -however, sent to execute this order found it no easy one, for the 232 -“princes of the provinces” offered a strenuous resistance, and struck -down all who opposed them. This, and the sight of the 7,000 following -behind, filled the Syrian host with a sudden panic, and they fled -precipitately, headed by Benhadad himself on a fleet horse, and pursued -by the victorious Israelites, who inflicted upon them a great slaughter -(1 K. xx. 1–22). - -Thus Samaria was delivered. But the same prophet, who had predicted -the victory, now warned Ahab to be on his guard, for with the return -of spring the enemy would renew the invasion, which duly came to pass. -Annoyed at their late humbling defeat, the Syrians had concluded that -it was owing to the fact that they had attacked in a hilly region a -people, whose gods _were gods of the hills_[368]. They now resolved -to fight in a more level region, and in place of the vassal kings, -who probably had been the first to fly in the late battle, they had -substituted captains, and mustered an army as large as the last. -Accordingly, at the season named by the prophet, they advanced with -a vast host to Aphek[369], a town in the level country, east of the -Jordan, on the military road from Syria to Israel. Hither the army of -Ahab went forth to meet them, and encamped, appearing _like two little -flocks of kids_ in comparison of their formidable foes, who filled -the country round. But again a prophet appeared to encourage Ahab, and -assure him of a second victory. The Syrians had imagined Jehovah to be -merely a god of the _hills_, they should know that he was a god also of -the _valleys_ (1 K. xx. 28). - -For seven days the two armies confronted one another, and then the -battle was joined. The Syrians were utterly routed, and fled in -confusion to Aphek, resolved there to make a stand. But the wall of -the town, in consequence probably of a sudden earthquake, fell with a -terrible crash and buried upwards of 27,000 in the ruins[370]. Benhadad -himself with his immediate attendants escaped, and was advised by -them to throw himself on the mercy of the conqueror. They proposed to -go forth with sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, and -plead for their lives. Mounted in his chariot Ahab received the envoys, -enquired after the welfare of his late dreaded enemy, and called him -his _brother_. The word _brother_ revived the courage of the Syrian -ambassadors, and they were presently bidden to return and usher their -master into Ahab’s presence. Benhadad came, and was invited to take his -place in the chariot by the side of his conqueror. Grateful for this -unexpected clemency, he promised to restore to the king of Israel all -the towns his father had taken from the Israelites, and to permit his -subjects to have a quarter in the Syrian capital, similar to that which -Benhadad’s father had obtained in Samaria (1 K. xx. 34). - -This impolitic clemency to an unrelenting national foe was sternly -rebuked by one of the sons of the prophets. Having caused himself to be -wounded and disguised with a headband, he awaited Ahab’s coming along -the road, and said, _Thy servant went out into the midst of the late -battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and -said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life -be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver; and as thy -servant was busy here and there, he was gone_. Instantly Ahab decided -the matter, and pronounced that he must bear the penalty. On this the -headband was removed, and the king perceived not only that the speaker -was a scholar of the prophets, but understood also the true meaning of -his parable. Because he had spared a man, whom Jehovah had devoted to -utter destruction, the punishment should fall upon him and his people, -which he had failed to execute on Benhadad (1 K. xx. 35–43). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _MURDER OF NABOTH――BATTLE OF RAMOTH-GILEAD._ - 1 KINGS XXI. XXII. 2 CHR. XVIII. B.C. 898. - - -SHORTLY after these events an incident occurred, which brought down -upon Ahab and his house an awful doom. Adjoining his palace at Jezreel -was a vineyard belonging to a native of the place named NABOTH. Eagerly -desirous to add the vineyard to his palace grounds and convert it into -a garden of herbs, Ahab proposed to its owner to purchase it, or give -him in exchange another and even a better piece of ground. This Naboth -stoutly refused to do, alleging his unwillingness to part with the -inheritance of his fathers (Lev. xxv. 23; Num. xxxvi. 8). Annoyed at -this rebuff, the king returned to his palace, and in his vexation flung -himself on his bed, turned away his face, and would eat no bread. While -in this mood he was visited by Jezebel, to whom he explained the cause -of his vexation. She instantly resolved to take the matter into her own -hands, and bade her lord trouble himself no more, _she would give him -the vineyard_. Thereupon she wrote a warrant in Ahab’s name, sealed it -with his seal, and sent it to the elders of the city, directing that, -as if on the occasion of some great calamity, a solemn fast should -be proclaimed; that two men should be set up to charge Naboth with -blasphemy against God and the king, and that then he should be stoned -to death (Exod. xxii. 28; Lev. xxiv. 15, 16). It is a striking proof of -the degeneracy of the nation at this period, that the elders of Jezreel -never for one moment scrupled about carrying out this inhuman order. -Naboth was dragged forth, arraigned, condemned, and stoned together -with his sons (See 2 K. ix. 26), and the elders reported to the queen -that the guilt of blasphemy against Jehovah and His anointed had been -avenged[371]. The vineyard had now lapsed to the crown, and Jezebel -bade her lord go down and take possession of it. But on proceeding -thither, the king found himself confronted by no other than the great -Elijah, who in words of utmost sternness denounced the late cruel -murder, and declared the sentence of the Lord. The king and all his -house should share the fate of Jeroboam and of Baasha; his queen should -be eaten by the dogs at the wall of Jezreel, and dogs should lick -up his own blood on the very spot where they had licked up that of -Naboth. Appalled at this awful sentence, Ahab rent his clothes, put on -sackcloth, fasted, and displayed all the signs of a sincere repentance. -Such as it was, it was accepted, and Elijah was bidden to announce -to him that the punishment should not be inflicted during his own -lifetime, but in his son’s days it would surely descend upon his house -(1 K. xxi. 29). - -Meanwhile the relations between the rival kingdoms of Israel and -Judah had been more peaceful than at any other period, since they had -parted 60 years before at Shechem. Not only were hostilities laid aside, -but an alliance between the sovereigns was cemented by the marriage -of JEHORAM, son of Jehoshaphat, with ATHALIAH, the daughter of Ahab -and Jezebel. Moreover about the 16th year of his reign, B.C. 898, -the king of Judah went on a visit to the court of Israel. He was -received with every mark of distinction, and Ahab slew sheep and oxen -in abundance for him and his retinue (2 Chr. xviii. 2). During this -visit, the king of Israel took occasion to propose to his ally that -they should undertake an expedition for the purpose of recovering -Ramoth-gilead[372], a strong fastness and the key to an important -district east of Jordan, which Benhadad I. had wrested from Omri. -Jehoshaphat expressed his willingness to take part in the expedition, -but proposed that the will of Jehovah should first be ascertained. For -this purpose Ahab summoned about 400 of the prophets of his kingdom, -who all advised him to go up, and assured him that the Lord would -deliver the place into his hands (1 K. xxii. 6). - -But this did not satisfy the king of Judah. He enquired if there was -not a true prophet of Jehovah, at whose mouth they might seek counsel. -Ahab confessed that there was one, MICAIAH, the son of Imlah, but -openly avowed that he hated him, because he never predicted good to -him but only evil[373]. Jehoshaphat, however, overruled the objection, -and Micaiah was summoned from his prison, where he had been confined -by Ahab, probably for some disagreeable prediction. Meanwhile the -two kings, arrayed in their royal robes, sat at the entrance of -Samaria, and the 400 prophets standing before them persisted in their -predictions of success. One of them, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, -even made him horns of iron, and by this symbolic action assured the -kings that they would push the Syrians till they had destroyed them. -But Micaiah had the courage to differ from all. At first, indeed, he -ironically assured the king of success, but, when Ahab adjured him -to speak the truth, he boldly affirmed that the prophets, in whom he -trusted, were all filled with lying spirits, and that he was destined -to fall in the campaign. This outspoken declaration brought down upon -the faithful seer the mockery and scorn of the other prophets, and -still greater severity from Ahab, who ordered him to be sent back to -the city gaol, and there fed on the scantiest fare (1 K. xxii. 27). - -Then the two kings set out on the expedition, and on crossing the -Jordan found that Benhadad and his vassal princes were prepared to -contest the possession of Ramoth. On this Ahab, the more surely to ward -off a fate he too clearly divined, disguised himself, while the king -of Judah went into battle in his royal robes. The contest began, and -the 32 captains of Benhadad, acting on instructions they had received, -bent all their efforts to slay Jehoshaphat, whom they mistook for the -king of Israel. But his voice convinced them that he was not the man -they sought, and they desisted from the pursuit. In spite, however, of -his disguise Ahab could not escape his doom. _A certain man drew a bow -at a venture_, and the arrow pierced the joints of his breast-plate. -That the troops might not be discouraged, he was kept up standing in -his chariot till the evening, when he died. From the battle-field the -corpse was then borne to Samaria, and there interred, while the bloody -chariot was washed in the pool[374] of the city, beside which Naboth -and his sons had been murdered. Without a _shepherd_ and without a -_master_, the people were scattered abroad, and returned home defeated -before their enemies, and the words of Elijah (1 K. xxi. 19), and of -Micaiah (xxii. 17) were fulfilled. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _WARS OF JEHOSHAPHAT――TRANSLATION OF ELIJAH._ - 2 KINGS I. II. 2 CHR. XIX. XX. B.C. 896. - - -ON his return from a campaign, in which he had so nearly lost his life, -JEHOSHAPHAT was sternly rebuked by one of the prophets (2 Chr. xix. 2) -for the guilty alliance he had formed with the court of Israel, and -he resolved henceforth to devote himself to the spiritual and temporal -welfare of his own subjects. Accordingly he went on a second personal -tour through his dominions from Beer-sheba to Mount Ephraim, and strove -to reclaim his people to the worship of Jehovah. He also provided for -the better administration of justice; placed judges in all the fenced -cities, and remodelled the tribunals in his capital. He next turned his -attention to foreign commerce, and at Ezion-geber constructed a fleet -for the purpose of trading in gold with Ophir. In this project he was -aided by AHAZIAH, who had succeeded Ahab on the throne of Israel. But -the unfortunate issue of the enterprise determined him to decline the -proposal of his ally, that the attempt should be renewed (2 Chr. xx. 37; -1 K. xxii. 49, 50). - -The remainder of his reign was not, however, destined to be peaceful. -A vast host of the people of Moab, Ammon, and Edom invaded his -territory, and encamped at Hazazon-tamar or En-gedi[375]. In his alarm, -Jehoshaphat proclaimed a solemn fast throughout his kingdom, assembled -all Judah together with their wives and their children, and offered up -a pathetic petition for the Divine aid. He had hardly concluded, when -the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel a Levite, and one of the sons -of Asaph then in attendance at the Temple, commissioning him to assure -the pious king of a victory on the morrow, which he would only need to -stand still and see. A Psalm of thanksgiving[376] was straightway sung, -and on the morrow the army, preceded by choirs of Levites, left the -Holy City, and at about 12 hours’ distance from Jerusalem came to “the -uneven table-land” of Tekoa, _Tekûa_, abounding in hidden caverns, -clefts, and excavations[377], where David and his men had often hidden -during the period of his wanderings. It was not a locality adapted to -the “sons of the desert,” and the ambushments, for which it afforded so -much opportunity, sadly galled their wild hordes, and the children of -Ammon and Moab turned their swords against their allies from Mount Seir, -and then fell upon one another. On reaching the Watch-tower of Tekoa -the warriors of Judah beheld only a mass of dead bodies, and busied -themselves for three days in stripping them of their rich ornaments, -and gathering up the riches and jewels they had flung away in their -hasty flight. Four days afterwards a Psalm of thanksgiving once more -ascended to Jehovah from the valley of Berachah (_blessing_)[378], and -the army of Jehoshaphat returned in triumph to Jerusalem (2 Chr. xx. -26–28). - -Meanwhile Ahaziah, during his short and troubled reign over Israel, -began to feel the effects of the late disastrous campaign against -Ramoth-Gilead. The Syrians, now masters of the country East of the -Jordan, cut off all communication between his realm and his vassal -the king of Moab. The latter, therefore, rebelled against Israel, and -refused to send his yearly tribute of 100,000 lambs, and 100,000 rams -(2 K. iii. 4). Before he could take measures for punishing this revolt, -Ahaziah fell through a lattice in his palace at Samaria, and sustained -much injury. A devotee to the Phœnician idolatries of his mother, -he sent messengers to the Philistine city of Ekron to enquire of the -oracle of Baal-Zebub (_the lord of flies_), whether he should recover. -On their road thither the messengers encountered Elijah, who, after -reproaching them for consulting a heathen deity instead of Jehovah, -announced that their master would never leave his bed alive. Returning, -they informed Ahaziah of this occurrence, who enquired what kind of man -they had met. Their answer was decisive. In the hairy man, girt with a -girdle of leather about his loins, the king recognised all too clearly -his father’s enemy, and, ill as he was, this only served to kindle his -wrath. Dispatching a captain with 50 men to the recesses of Carmel, -where the prophet seems to have taken up his abode, he demanded his -instant surrender. The soldier went and found Elijah seated on the -mountain. _Man of God_, said he, _the king hath said, Come down. If -I be a man of God_, replied the other, _let fire come down from heaven, -and consume thee and thy fifty men_. With the word the fire descended, -and consumed the captain and his fifty. A similar force was then a -second time dispatched by the king, and they too met the same fate[379]. -A third captain, in an altered tone, implored the prophet to come down, -and Elijah, assured by God of safety, descended and followed him into -the presence of the king, and announced in person his approaching end; -shortly after which Ahaziah died, and was succeeded by his brother -JEHORAM (2 K. i. 2–17). - -This was the last time Elijah confronted any of the family of Ahab. -Once only is he recorded to have expostulated with any of the house -of Judah. Hearing that the son of Jehoshaphat, who seems to have -been entrusted with a portion of the regal power during his father’s -lifetime, was not walking in his father’s ways, but in those of -Ahab and the kings of Israel, he sent a letter to him, denounced his -idolatries, and threatened him with sore judgments (2 Chr. xxi. 12–15). - -Shortly afterwards, though how soon is not certain, he received -intimation of his approaching removal from the earth. From Gilgal, -probably somewhere on the western edge of the hills of Ephraim, -accompanied by Elisha, whom he had vainly tried to persuade to remain -behind, he proceeded to Bethel. There the two were met by certain -of the sons of the prophets, who also had been warned of what was at -hand, and now enquired of Elisha if he knew of the loss he was about -to sustain. Elisha replied that he did, but bade them hold their peace. -Having again vainly tried to induce his faithful attendant to remain -at Bethel, the prophet repaired to Jericho, where another company from -the prophetic school warned his companion, and were similarly enjoined -to keep silence. From Jericho the two then held on their way towards -the Jordan, while 50 of the sons of the prophets ascended the abrupt -heights behind the city[380], which command a view of the plain below, -to watch what would occur. Arrived at the river’s brink, Elijah took -off his prophetic mantle, and, wrapping it together, smote the waters, -which divided “hither and thither,” and the two went over on dry ground. -Once on the other side, the prophet was within the borders of his -native land, and he now enquired of his companion, what he should do -for him before he was taken away. The other asked for a _double portion -of his spirit_. He had asked a hard thing; but still if he looked -steadfastly on his master while he was taken from him, he was told that -his request should be granted, but not otherwise. Still conversing the -two then walked on, till suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire -parted them asunder, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. -With a great and bitter cry Elisha called after him as he ascended, _My -father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!_ -But he was gone, and he saw him no more. In token of grief he thereupon -rent his clothes, and taking up the mantle of his master went back, and -once more stood by the banks of Jordan. Then wrapping the mantle, even -as he had seen the other do, he smote, saying, _Where is the Lord God -of Elijah?_ and the waters again parted “hither and thither,” and he -went over. Meanwhile the sons of the prophets, who had stood watching, -saw him coming towards Jericho, and going down to meet him, bowed -themselves to the ground before him. Contrary to his advice they then -insisted on sending fifty “strong men” to search for Elijah, lest -peradventure the Spirit of the Lord had taken him up, and cast him -upon some mountain, or into some valley. For three days the search -was continued, but they found him not. The work of the most wonderful -character Israel ever produced was over, and he had been summoned to -another world (2 K. ii. 11–18). - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _JEHOSHAPHAT AND JEHORAM――ERA OF ELISHA._ - 2 KINGS II.–IV. B.C. 895. - - -FOR a time Elisha tarried at the now rebuilt Jericho, and here he -performed his second miracle. “Of the two perennial springs which, -rising at the base of the steep hills behind the town, send their -streams across the plain towards the Jordan, scattering, even at the -hottest season, the richest and most grateful vegetation over what -would otherwise be a bare tract of sandy soil[381],” one at least was -at this time noxious and unfit for use. At the urgent request of the -inhabitants Elisha put salt into a new cruse, and poured it into the -spring at its source, and the waters were healed (2 K. ii. 19–22). -Thence he repaired to Bethel, which, though the seat of the school of -the prophets, was, it will be remembered, one of the centres of the -Calf-worship. As the prophet ascended the defile leading into the town, -the youths of the place came forth, and began to revile the gentle -successor of the terrible Elijah. _Go up, bald head!_ was their cry, -alluding, probably, “to the contrast between his closely-trimmed hair -and the shaggy locks of Elijah.” Turning round, the prophet looked -upon them, and cursed them in the name of Jehovah, and from a forest -hard by the road, and haunted by wild beasts, came forth two she-bears, -which tare forty-two of them. Elisha meanwhile passed on to Carmel, -the resort of his late master, and thence returned, and eventually took -up his abode at Samaria (2 K. ii. 25). - -Jehoram, who now reigned in that capital, persisted in his idolatrous -courses, but, possibly owing to the late activity of Elijah, had -removed the image of Baal, and recurred to the old Calf-worship. He -now resolved to take that vengeance on the rebellious Moabites, which -the death of his brother Ahaziah had postponed. Accordingly, having -obtained the promise of the assistance of Jehoshaphat, he numbered his -forces, and set out on the campaign. Instead of crossing the Jordan -above the Dead Sea, and invading Moab from the North, it was resolved -to pass round the southern end of that sea, and thence push forwards -through the northern portion of the territory of Edom, whose king also -promised his aid in the expedition. Accordingly a long and tedious -circuit of 7 days was made, during which the armies suffered the -greatest extremities from the want of water. In this crisis Jehoshaphat -proposed that the advice of some prophet of Jehovah should be sought, -and, enquiry being made, it was found that Elisha was present with, or -in the near neighbourhood of, the armies. The three kings, therefore, -went down to consult him. The prophet evinced no willingness to -befriend the ruler of Israel, but in consideration of the presence of -the pious king of Judah, he relented, and summoned a minstrel before -him. The minstrel played, and in the usual prophetic ecstasy Elisha -directed that dykes should be dug in the valley, which he foretold -would speedily be filled with water sufficient for the host, and he -moreover assured the kings of a speedy victory over their enemies. - -On the next day at early dawn, the hour of offering the meat-offering -at Jerusalem, in consequence probably of a great and sudden fall of -rain in the eastern mountains of Edom[382], water came down and filled -all the dykes, which the armies had dug in the red soil of the valley. -To the Moabites, who had mustered all their forces and awaited the -attack in the border of their territory, the water, glistening in -the rays of the morning sun, appeared to have assumed a red colour -like blood. Thereupon concluding that the confederate kings had turned -their arms against one another, they hastily marched on to gather up -the spoil. But they had no sooner reached their camp, than they were -attacked with great fierceness, and put to a complete rout. As they -fled to their own cities, the confederate kings pursued them, felled -their trees[383], stopped up their wells, filled their choice pieces -of land with stones, and ravaged all their towns, save the impregnable -fortress of Kir-haraseth[384] (_Kerak_), built on a high steep rock and -surrounded by a deep and narrow ravine. There the king of Moab made his -last stand, and with 700 picked men made a desperate attempt to break -through the besieging army. This last hope failing, he ascended the -wall with his eldest son, the heir to his throne, and in sight of the -allied besiegers, killed and burnt him as a propitiatory sacrifice to -his idol Chemosh. This frightful spectacle filled the allied hosts with -such horror that they raised the siege and departed to their own land -(2 K. iii. 20–27). - -During the reign of Jehoram Elisha performed many miracles, the fame of -which could not fail to strengthen the cause of true religion. - -i. A widow of one of the sons of the prophets was in debt, and her -creditor was coming on the morrow to take her two sons and sell them -as slaves. In her extremity she applied to the prophet, and told him -that the only thing she had in her house was a cruse of oil. This -Elisha caused to multiply, till she had filled all the vessels she -could borrow, and thus liquidated the debt (2 K. iv. 1–7). - -ii. The little village of Shunem, in the tribe of Issachar, was a -frequent resort of the Prophet, and a rich woman of the place, at whose -house he stayed, on one occasion, persuaded her husband to permit a -little chamber to be prepared for him, that he might turn in there, -as often as he came that way. One day he came thither attended by -Gehazi his servant, and lodged in the little chamber. Grateful for -this kindness, Elisha enquired if there was anything he could do for -his benefactress; _Should he speak for her to the king, or the captain -of the guard?_ Both these offers the woman declined, alleging that -she _dwelt among her own people_. Thereupon Gehazi whispered that -she had no son, and her husband was old. Elisha promised that in the -ensuing year a son should be born to her. His words were fulfilled, -the boy grew, and in the course of time went to join his father in the -reaping-field. There struck by the fierce rays of the morning sun, he -cried, _My head, my head!_ and was carried home to his mother, on whose -knees he died at noon. In this sad crisis she immediately took the dead -body into the prophet’s chamber, and laid it on the bed. Then with a -single attendant, mounted on an ass, she set out for one of the heights -of Carmel, about 15 or 16 miles distant, where Elisha then was. Her -familiar form attracted the prophet’s attention as from the eminence -he discerned her approaching, and he sent Gehazi to enquire the reason. -But her errand was not to be revealed to the servant, and pressing -on she drew near the spot where the prophet himself was, and flinging -herself before him embraced his feet. The first word about her son -revealed the state of the case, and Elisha instantly bade Gehazi gird -up his loins, and with his staff in his hand hurry with all speed to -Shunem. Gehazi went, and was soon followed by Elisha, and the mother, -who would not leave him. As they drew near the town, they met Gehazi -returning. He had laid the staff upon the face of the child, _but -there was neither voice nor hearing_. Arriving at the house, Elisha -ascended to the well-known chamber, shut the door, and prayed mightily -unto the Lord. Then he stretched himself upon the dead body, and -the flesh of the child grew warm; presently he sneezed seven times -and opened his eyes. Gehazi was thereupon bidden to summon the -Shunammite, who received her boy restored to life, and went her way -(2 K. iv. 8–37)[385]. - -iii. Elisha is next found at Gilgal, at a time when there was a dearth -in the land. The sons of the prophets sat before him, and he bade the -great caldron be set on, and pottage be seethed. Into the caldron one -of the company shred wild gourds and grapes, and when they found out -the contents, all exclaimed, _there is death in the pot_. Thereupon -Elisha bade meal be cast into it, and the pottage was rendered fit for -food (2 K. iv. 38–41). - -iv. While still at Gilgal, Elisha was visited by a man from -Baal-shalisha (See 1 Sam. ix. 4), with 20 barley-loaves, and roasted -ears of corn in his scrip or bag[386]. This moderate supply he ordered -to be distributed amongst the people who were present, to the number -of one hundred, and in reply to his hesitating “servitor” assured him -that there would not only be enough, but that the people _would leave -thereof_, which came to pass; and thus Elisha was enabled to anticipate -the works of Christ (2 K. iv. 42–44). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _ELISHA AND NAAMAN――SIEGE OF SAMARIA._ - 2 KINGS V. VI. B.C. 894–892. - - -BUT Elisha’s fame was soon to overstep the limits of his own country. -The captain of the army of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, at this time was -named NAAMAN (See Lk. iv. 27). He had achieved many victories for his -master, and for personal prowess was held in high honour, being in -close attendance on his sovereign, but _he was a leper_. This frightful -malady which, had he been an Israelite, would have cut him off from all -intercourse with his fellows, does not appear to have laid him under -the same disadvantages in Syria, and he still retained his post as -commander-in-chief. In his harem, waiting on his wife, was a little -Israelitish maid, who had been taken prisoner in one of the forays of -the Syrians over the border. She knew what Elisha could do, and assured -her mistress that, if only Naaman was _with the prophet that was in -Samaria_, he would certainly be cured of his malady. Her words were -told to Naaman, who communicated them to Ben-hadad[387]. The Syrian -king thereupon wrote a letter to Jehoram, king of Israel, and sent -his general with it, accompanied by a large retinue bearing 10 talents -of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and 6 of the rich fabrics, for which -Damascus had always been famous. On reaching Samaria Naaman presented -the letter to Jehoram, who had no sooner read the curt words of the -Syrian king, than he rent his clothes, and exclaimed, _Am I God, to -kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a -man of his leprosy?_ He could only think of one motive for the letter; -_Consider_, said he, _how this man seeketh a quarrel against me_ (2 K. -v. 7). - -News of Naaman’s arrival, of the purport of his coming, and of the -dismay of the king was conveyed to Elisha, who straightway sent to -Jehoram and bade him send his visitor to him, that he might know that -there _was a prophet in Israel_. With his horses, his chariots, and -entire cavalcade, Naaman thereupon came and stood before the door of -the prophet’s dwelling. But instead of coming forth himself, Elisha -simply sent his servant to tell him to go down to the rapid waters -of the Jordan and wash seven times, promising him a certain cure. -The prophet’s independent tone, the neglect to come out to him, -above all his command that he, the native of a city watered by such -famous streams as the Abana and Pharpar[388], should go and wash in -Jordan, was unbearable. Naaman _turned and went away in a rage_. But -his retinue, unwilling to throw up the hopes of their long journey, -succeeded in persuading him to make trial of the prescribed cure. -Naaman accordingly went down and dipped himself seven times in the -rushing stream, and _his flesh came again like the flesh of a little -child, and he was clean_. Full of gratitude for so priceless a boon, -he then returned with his whole retinue to Samaria, and once more stood -before the prophet’s door. This time, however, he not only stood there, -but went in and gratefully acknowledged the power of Israel’s God, -and urged the prophet to receive the present he had brought. This, the -latter absolutely declined, and in spite of Naaman’s urgency, persisted -in his refusal. But one thing the grateful soldier was resolved to have. -If Elisha would not accept his presents, he could not depart from a -land where he had received so great a benefit without two mules’ burden -of its hallowed earth, for the construction, probably, of an altar to -Jehovah. But here a difficulty occurred to him. If he became a servant -of Jehovah, how could he go to the house of Rimmon[389], and bow before -the Syrian god? Elisha’s simple reply was, _Go in peace_, and he went -his way (2 K. v. 1–20). - -The generous conduct, however, of his master had not escaped the notice -of Gehazi, the attendant of Elisha, and the Syrian had not gone any -great distance when he ran after his chariot. Naaman discerned him -hurrying along the road, and alighting enquired if all was well. _All -was well_, the other replied; _but already there had come to his master -from Mount Ephraim, two young men of the sons of the prophets_, for -whom he solicited _a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment_. The -generous Syrian pressed upon him two talents and two changes of raiment, -and sent two of his retinue to bear them to a secret place, whence -Gehazi removed them into the house, and then presented himself before -his master, denying, when questioned, that he had gone anywhere. But -the prophet had marked his wickedness. His heart had gone after him the -whole while, and with righteous sternness he now pronounced upon him -the awful punishment from which Naaman had just been delivered; and _he -went out of his presence a leper as white as snow_ (2 K. v. 27). - -Elisha is next found at Jericho. Here the habitation of the sons of -the prophets had become so small, that they desired to construct a new -dwelling near the Jordan. Accompanied by Elisha they proceeded towards -the river, and began to fell trees in the wood which lined its banks. -As they felled, the head of an axe, which one of them had borrowed, -flew off and sank in the water. He appealed to Elisha, who bade a piece -of wood be flung into the stream, when the iron re-appeared, and was -restored to the borrower (2 K. vi. 1–7). - -Shortly after this, in spite of the cure wrought upon their general, -the Syrians renewed their marauding incursions, and even encamped -in spots which the king of Israel was wont to frequent. Warned by -Elisha, Jehoram was on more than one occasion able to escape the -ambuscades laid for him, which so annoyed Ben-hadad, that he even -suspected treachery among his own retinue. But one of his servants -pointed to the true cause. The informer was no other than the healer -of his general Naaman, and his power was such that he could tell -Jehoram the very words Ben-hadad uttered in his chamber. Thereupon the -king of Syria sent horses and chariots, and a considerable force to -Dothan[390], 6 miles north of Samaria, to capture Elisha. The Syrian -forces completely surrounded the village, and the prophet’s servant -came running in, crying, _Alas! my master, how shall we do?_ Elisha -calmed his fears with the assurance that _they which were with them -were more than they which were with the foe_, and the eyes of the -young man being opened he was enabled to discern the hill, on which -the village was built, filled with horses and chariots of fire ready to -protect his master. At the same moment the Syrian forces were smitten -with blindness, and were easily led away to Samaria; nor were their -eyes opened till they found themselves in the presence of Jehoram. -The first impulse of the king of Israel was to put them to death. But -Elisha dissuaded him from such unworthy conduct, and the men were sent -back to Ben-hadad, who drew off his army, and for a while desisted from -the invasion (2 K. vi. 8–24). - -But the Syrian king could not long brook such a humiliating repulse. -Mustering, therefore, all his troops, he went up and besieged Samaria, -B.C. 892, for a space of 3 years, during which period the inhabitants -were reduced to the direst extremities. Two mothers even agreed to boil -their children for food (Comp. Deut. xxviii. 53, 57). One actually did -so, but the other hid her child lest it should suffer such an awful -fate. This story was told Jehoram, as he one day passed by on the city -wall, and in token of sorrow he put on sackcloth beneath his armour. -But deeming Elisha in some way culpable for the nation’s disasters, he -threatened to take away his life, and sent a messenger to the prophet’s -house, where he sat surrounded by the elders of the city, to carry it -into execution. Before however the messenger’s feet had touched the -threshold, Elisha, warned of his danger, had commanded that he should -be held fast. At this moment Jehoram himself also entered, leaning on -the hand of one of his officers. _This evil_, he burst forth, _is from -Jehovah; why should I wait on Jehovah any more?_ (Comp. Job xxi. 15; -Mal. iii. 14). To which the prophet replied, _Hear the word of Jehovah; -to-morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a -shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. -Nay_, interposed the royal officer, _if Jehovah would make windows -in heaven, this could not be. It will_, replied Elisha; _thou thyself -shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat a morsel thereof_ -(2 K. vii. 2). - -These marvellous and prophetic words were fully verified. In the -twilight of the selfsame evening four lepers who were wont to take -their place at the gate of the city, despairing of life, resolved to -enter the Syrian camp, and brave their fate. Reaching the edge of the -encampment, to their great surprise they found no man there. Alarmed by -a mysterious noise of chariots, horses, and a great host, the Syrians -had concluded that the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians had come -to the aid of the beleaguered city, and had hastily fled, leaving -their camp and everything in it just as it was. Amidst the deepening -gloom the lepers entered a tent, satiated the pangs of hunger, and -then secretly hid a quantity of silver, gold, and raiment. Entering -a second they did the same, and then fearing harm if they concealed -such joyous news, they hastily returned to Samaria, and announced to -the warder at the barred gate (2 K. vii. 10) that they had visited -the Syrian camp, and found nothing but horses tied, and asses tied, -and the tents as they were. The warder carried the news to his chief, -and he communicated it to the king’s household. Though it was midnight -Jehoram was roused, and informed of the strange news. Fearful of a plot -to draw the Israelites away from the city, he ordered two horsemen to -reconnoitre and discover whether it was really true. They made their -way towards the Jordan, and found the road filled with garments and -vessels, which the Syrians had flung away in their precipitate flight. -Their return with this welcome news roused the whole city. Starving -and emaciated, the entire population rushed forth to the gate, and -thence made their way to the Syrian camp. To preserve some degree of -order, the king entrusted the command of the gate to the officer who -had scoffed at the prophecy of Elisha, but so great was the press and -confusion that he was trodden to death by the excited crowd, and before -evening the words of the prophet had been fulfilled to the letter. _Two -measures of barley were sold for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour -for a shekel_, and Samaria was delivered (2 K. vii. 17–20). - - - - - KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. - - - PART III. - _Renewal of mutual hostilities; decline of both kingdoms - before the power of the Assyrian Empire._ - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _ACCESSION OF JEHU._ - 2 KINGS VIII.–X. B.C. 884. - - -AFTER this signal discomfiture Ben-hadad returned to Damascus, and -before long lay prostrate with his last illness. At this time Elisha -was present in the city, and the king being informed of it, sent HAZAEL, -an officer in high position at his court, to enquire whether he should -recover of his disease. With 40 camels’ burden of the choicest products -of the Syrian capital, Hazael presented himself before the prophet, and -preferred his request in the most humble tones. Elisha replied that his -master _might_ indeed recover, but yet that he _would_ not. Wondering -at these ambiguous words, Hazael fixed upon him a long and searching -glance, and the prophet burst into tears. _Why weepeth my lord?_ -enquired the other. And Elisha, who saw in him the destined successor -of Ben-hadad, replied, _Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto -the children of Israel; their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and -their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their -children, and rip up their women with child_. But such a future had -no sorrow for his listener, it was only too good to expect. _What is -thy servant_, he replied, _dog that he is[391], that he should do this -great thing_? The prophet, without making any remark, simply announced -the message Elijah had long ago been bidden to deliver, _Jehovah hath -showed me_, said he, _that thou shalt be king over Syria_ (2 K. viii. -7–13). With these mysterious words sounding in his ears Hazael returned -to his master, and told him but the half of the prophet’s answer. -That day was the last of Ben-hadad’s life. On the morrow he was found -suffocated with a thick cloth dipped in water spread upon his face. -Whether or no Hazael’s hand had done the deed, his path was now -clear[392], and he mounted the Syrian throne[392a]. - -Meanwhile there had been changes in the kingdom of Judah. After -an unsuccessful attempt to quell a rebellion of his vassal, the -king of Edom (2 K. viii. 20; 2 Chr. xxi. 8–10; see Gen. xxvii. 40), -Jehoram died, and was succeeded by AHAZIAH, B.C. 885, the issue of his -father’s ill-starred marriage with the daughter of Jezebel. True to the -traditions of his mother, he signalized his accession by the grossest -idolatries (2 Chr. xxii. 3), but soon, like his rival the king of -Israel, began to feel the hand of the new monarch of Syria, who had -already made an attempt to recover the stronghold of Ramoth-gilead. -In intimate alliance the two kings now crossed the Jordan to defend -the place, and an engagement ensuing, Jehoram was severely wounded, -and forced to return to Jezreel, whither also Ahaziah followed him -(2 K. ix. 28, 29). - -During their absence Elisha, knowing that the time was now come for the -doomed destruction of Ahab’s family, sent a young man, one of the “sons -of the prophets” to Ramoth-gilead, with a horn of oil and a commission -to look out and anoint JEHU the son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, -king over Israel. As one of Ahab’s guards, Jehu, in company with Bidkar, -had ridden behind his master to the fatal plot of Naboth’s vineyard, -and heard the terrible warning of Elijah against his murderer (2 K. -ix. 25). Since then, he had risen to a position of some importance, and -was now well known for his vehemence and activity, as well as his rapid, -furious driving. According to his instructions the young disciple of -the prophets went to Ramoth-gilead, and finding Jehu seated in the -midst of his officers, intimated that he had an errand for his ear -alone. Together the two retired to an inner chamber, and there the -youth having poured the oil on Jehu’s head, and announced the Divine -Will that he should be king over Israel, and utterly exterminate the -whole family of Ahab, opened the door and fled. - -Shortly afterwards Jehu came forth, and rejoined his comrades, who -eagerly enquired the purport of the _mad fellow’s_ visit. At first he -tried to evade the question, but soon revealed all that the other had -said. Instantly the enthusiasm of his hearers was kindled. Recognising -the truth of the prophetic call, they threw off each man his garment, -and placing Jehu on a rude throne or carpet of state, blew the trumpets, -and shouted _Jehu is king_. Then, for everything depended on the -speed of his movements, without losing a moment Jehu drove his chariot -towards the fords of Jordan, and thence direct to Jezreel. From the -tower[393] of the latter city the watchman observed his hurrying -chariot, and announced the fact to Jehoram, who straightway sent a -horseman to enquire, _Is it peace?_ The crafty conspirator detained -the messenger. Then a second horseman was despatched, and he too was -detained. By this time the watchman was better able to distinguish the -advancing charioteer, and pronounced him to be no other than _Jehu, -the son of Nimshi_. Thereupon the chariot of the king of Israel was -made ready, and with Ahaziah, king of Judah, he set out to meet him, -probably expecting tidings of the Syrian war. But he was quickly and -terribly undeceived. His question, _Is it peace, Jehu?_ was met by a -furious denunciation of the idolatries of his mother Jezebel, and in an -instant divining his danger, he turned his chariot towards Jezreel. But -at that moment Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and shot him to -the heart. While he paused to charge Bidkar to take up his corpse and -fling it into the portion of Naboth, Ahaziah, pursued by his soldiers, -fled down the westward plain towards Beth-gan, or the village of -Engannim[394], but was overtaken, and wounded, and died at Megiddo, -whither he managed to escape. - -Jehu’s next step was to make for Jezreel. Here Jezebel, the -queen-mother, still retained her influence, and hearing of the approach -of the conspirator, she resolved to confront him in person. After -the Oriental fashion, _she tired her head and painted her eyes_ with -antimony, and, as Jehu passed beneath the palace, cried out from the -latticed window, _Had Zimri peace, who slew his master[395]?_ On that -Jehu looked up, and called aloud, _Who is on my side? who?_ and two or -three eunuchs looking out, he bade them throw her down; and they threw -her down before his chariot, and her blood was sprinkled partly on the -palace-wall and partly on his horses, while with merciless severity he -trode her underfoot. Then he entered the palace, and ate and drank. But -remembering the fallen queen, he commanded that she should be buried. -His messengers went forth to execute his commands, but when they -reached the open space before the city walls, they found nothing but -her skull, and feet, and the palm of her hands. The dogs, which prowl -about the streets of Eastern cities, had devoured all the rest, and -thus fulfilled the words of Elijah, _In the portion of Jezreel shall -dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel_ (2 K. ix. 36). - -The thoughts of the conqueror now turned towards Samaria. Here resided -the sons and grandsons of Ahab to the number of 70 persons. To the -elders of the city, therefore, he wrote letters, bidding them select -the best and meetest of their master’s sons, set him on his father’s -throne, and fight for their master’s house. This proposition terrified -the servile elders, and they replied that they had no idea of setting -up a rival king, and were perfectly ready to submit in all things to -the usurper’s will. On this, Jehu wrote a second letter, proposing as -a test of their fidelity, that they should send to Jezreel on the next -day the heads of the 70 descendants of Ahab, and then repair thither -themselves. His commands were duly executed, the 70 heads were sent to -Jezreel, and by Jehu’s command placed in two heaps at _the entrance of -the gate_, where they remained all night. In the morning the usurper -went forth, and acknowledged to the awe-struck crowd that he had -conspired against his master, but threw the blame of the slaughter -of Ahab’s descendants on their guardians at Samaria, who had thus -fulfilled the words of Elijah. He then proceeded to exterminate all -the acquaintance of Ahab at Jezreel, the officers of his court, and -the hierarchy of Ashtaroth, and finally set out in person for Samaria -(2 K. x. 12). - -On the road, he first met 42 sons or nephews of the late king of Judah, -and discovering who they were, directed that they too should be put to -death at the _Well of the Shearing-House_, between Jezreel and Samaria. -A little further on he encountered Jehonadab the son of Rechab, of the -race of the Kenites, who had bound his descendants[396] to drink no -wine, to build no houses, to sow no seed, neither to plant nor possess -vineyards, but to adhere to the old nomadic life and dwell in tents -(Jer. xxxv. 6, 7). _Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy -heart?_ exclaimed Jehu, when he saw him. The other assured him that it -was, and was bidden thereupon to ascend his chariot and _come and see -his zeal_ for Jehovah. Thus side by side the two drove into the city, -where the butchery of Ahab’s relatives was renewed, till none were left -remaining. But this was only preparatory to another and still greater -blow. Convening an assembly of the people, Jehu announced his intention -of inaugurating the worship of Baal on a scale of the greatest -magnificence; _Ahab_, said he, _served Baal a little, but Jehu shall -serve him much_. Then, under pain of death, he commanded the entire -hierarchy of Baal and all his worshippers throughout Israel to assemble -in the great temple, which Ahab had built in honour of this god (1 K. -xvi. 32). On the appointed day they came, and the building was filled -from end to end. The sacred vestments, probably of white linen, were -brought forth, the worshippers arrayed in them, the temple cleared of -any chance worshippers of Jehovah, and then Jehu and Jehonadab entered, -and the king himself offered the burnt-offering. He had hardly ended, -when eighty trusty warriors, who had secretly received their orders, -rushed in, and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of the unarmed -and helpless assembly. The huge image of Baal was broken, the smaller -images burnt, and the temple itself converted to the basest uses (2 K. -x. 26, 27). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _ATHALIAH AND JOASH. DEATH OF ELISHA._ - 2 KINGS XI.–XIV. 2 CHR. XXII. XXIII. B.C. 884–839. - - -THUS, after scenes hitherto unparalleled in the history of the Chosen -Nation, Jehu established himself upon the throne, and reigned upwards -of 28 years. Those years are almost a blank to us. All we know is, -that though commended for the destruction of Ahab’s worthless dynasty, -and assured that his descendants to the fourth generation should sit -upon the throne, he persisted in walking in the ways of Jeroboam, and -retained the old calf-worship at Dan and Bethel. But his reign was not -a peaceful one. _The Lord began to cut Israel short_, Hazael attacked -his kingdom, and ravaged the territories of the tribes east of the -Jordan (2 K. x. 33). - -Meanwhile similar scenes of extermination had been enacted even in the -southern kingdom of Judah. On the death of Ahaziah, B.C. 884, ATHALIAH, -the queen-mother, who had probably been entrusted with the royal -functions during his absence at Jezreel, resolved to seize the supreme -power, and for this purpose put to death all the members of the royal -house who had not already perished by the sword of Jehu. From the -general massacre JOASH, the infant son of Ahaziah, alone escaped, and -was concealed by his aunt Jehosheba, wife of Jehoiada the high-priest, -in the house of the Lord for the space of 6 years (2 Chr. xxii. 11, 12). -During this period the usurpation of Athaliah was endured, but in the -seventh year (B.C. 878) her foreign practices having probably disgusted -the nation, the high-priest deemed it an auspicious moment to bring -about a change. Gathering round him all the supporters of the family of -David, he placed a large force of priests and Levites in three bands at -the entrances of the Temple, and armed the “captains of hundreds” with -the consecrated spears and shields placed there by David. Then before -them and a number of the people who favoured his design, he brought -out the infant Joash, and in the presence of all publicly crowned and -anointed him, and presented him with a copy of the Law. The noise of -the people reached the ears of the queen-mother, and she came into the -Temple only to see her grandson already placed on a raised throne, and -invested with regal functions. Jehoiada had given strict orders that -she should not be put to death within the sacred enclosure, and crying -_treason_, she was hurried from the ranges, and slain at the entrance -of the Horse-Gate by the royal palace (2 K. xi. 4–16; 2 Chr. xxiii. -12–15). - -A covenant was then solemnly ratified between the king, high-priest, -and people, by which they bound themselves to be faithful to Jehovah, -and in proof thereof attacked the temple of Baal, which Athaliah had -built, slew its attendant priest Mattan, and broke down the altars -and images. During the lifetime of his aged counsellor, the youthful -sovereign ruled his kingdom prudently, and was blessed with a large -measure of prosperity. In the 23rd year of his reign he commenced a -complete repair of the Temple, which had suffered much during the late -usurpation. Messengers were dispatched throughout his dominions to -levy contributions for the work, which were willingly bestowed both -by princes and people. But on the death of the high-priest, at the -advanced age of 130 years, a change came over the policy and character -of the king. At the suggestion of the princes of Judah, the worship of -Baal and Ashtaroth was revived, and the service of Jehovah neglected. -Prophets were sent to rebuke the king for this apostasy, but their -protests were unavailing. One of them, ZECHARIAH, the son of the late -high-priest, as a penalty for his bold outspoken honesty, was stoned -to death between the Holy Place and the Altar of Burnt-offering[397] -(Matt. xxiii. 35). His last words, _the Lord look upon it and require -it_, were speedily fulfilled. The year had not ended before the Syrian -army commanded by Hazael appeared before Jerusalem (2 K. xii. 17). It -had lately been successful against the Philistine city of Gath, and -now, though small in numbers, was able to defeat a large army of Judah, -and was only prevailed upon to depart by being permitted to carry away -to Damascus all the votive offerings and much of the Temple treasures. -Nor was Joash destined long to survive this disgrace. Afflicted with a -severe illness, probably in consequence of wounds received in the late -engagement, he was suddenly attacked by two of his servants, and slain -in his bed in the fortress of Millo, B.C. 839 (2 K. xii. 20, 21; 2 Chr. -xxiv. 26). - -In addition to their victories over the Philistines, the Syrians -under Hazael had been equally successful against the king of Israel, -JEHOAHAZ, the son of Jehu, reducing him to such a depth of subjection, -that he was compelled to limit his army to 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, -and 10,000 infantry. After an inglorious reign, he bequeathed his -throne to his son JEHOASH or JOASH, B.C. 841, who in spite of the -warnings the nation had already received, persisted in practising -idolatry. During his reign the aged prophet Elisha fell sick, and -Jehoash went to his house and wept over him in the same words that -Elisha himself had used, when he beheld Elijah carried up into heaven, -saying, _O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the -horsemen thereof_! But other thoughts than the prophet’s approaching -end filled the hearts of both. Hazael _was cutting Israel short_, and -ravaging the country far and near. The aged prophet bade the king open -the window eastward towards the hated country, and place an arrow on -the string of his bow. Then, laying his own hands upon the king’s hands, -he bade him shoot, and as the shaft sped from the string, he followed -it with the prophetic blessing, _the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, -and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, thou shalt smite the Syrians -in Aphek till thou hast consumed them_. At the prophet’s command the -king next took the arrows and smote them on the ground three times, and -then stayed. But he did it with no spirit or energy, and the victories -he might have achieved were limited to three (2 K. xiii. 14–19). - -Shortly afterwards Elisha died, but his wonder-working power was not -to cease with his life. He had not been long laid in the tomb when -marauding bands of the Moabites invaded the land. A dead man was about -to be buried in the cemetery, which contained the prophet’s sepulchre. -Seeing the band of spoilers the mourners hastily thrust the corpse into -the receptacle where the prophet lay, and no sooner did it touch his -remains than the _man revived and stood upon his feet_. The victories, -however, which Elisha had promised were realised. Three times was -Jehoash enabled to triumph over the Syrian armies, and recovered the -cities which the Israelites had lost in previous wars (2 K. xiii. 25). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _AMAZIAH AND JEROBOAM II. ERA OF JONAH._ - 2 KINGS XIV. JONAH I.–IV. B.C. 840–758. - - -MEANWHILE AMAZIAH had succeeded to the throne of Judah. His first care -after his accession was to punish the murderers of his father, which -he did with unusual lenity, sparing their children, in accordance with -the true spirit of the Mosaic law (Deut. xxiv. 16; Ezek. xviii. 4, 20). -He next resolved to take vengeance on the revolted Edomites, and for -this purpose summoned to his standard 300,000 of Judah, and, at the -rate of 100 silver talents, hired 100,000 of Israel (2 Chr. xxv. 6). -Warned, however, by a prophet against leading any of the idolatrous -Israelites into battle amongst his own forces, he was induced to -dismiss his mercenaries, who returned home in great anger. With his -own army he then marched against the Edomites, and defeated them with -great slaughter in the Valley of Salt, south of the Dead Sea, capturing -also their rocky fortress-capital Petra or Sela, and flinging 10,000 -of his captives headlong from their native cliffs. But with strange -perversity he now set up in Jerusalem the idols of the very nation he -had just subdued, and paid them religious honours (2 Chr. xxv. 14). -For this apostasy a prophet threatened him with speedy vengeance, and -misfortunes quickly thickened around him. - -The Israelite mercenaries, in revenge for the loss of booty they had -sustained, on their way homewards ravaged many of the towns of Judah. -Smarting under this insult Amaziah was foolish enough to challenge -his rival, the king of Israel, to battle. Jehoash replied by the -contemptuous parable of the _Thistle and the Cedar_, and bade Amaziah -not provoke a contest. The other, however, would not yield, and the -rival armies met at Beth-shemesh[398], on the borders of Dan and -Philistia, and the men of Judah were utterly defeated. Jehoash even -took his rival prisoner, and conveyed him as a captive to Jerusalem, -the walls of which he broke down on the side nearest to his own kingdom -to the extent of 400 cubits, and after rifling the Temple of its -treasures and exacting hostages returned to Samaria. Shortly after this, -however, he died, and bequeathed his throne to his son JEROBOAM II., -B.C. 825, while Amaziah survived him 15 years, at the close of which -period a conspiracy was formed against him, from which he fled to -Lachish, where he was assassinated, and was succeeded by his son -AZARIAH or UZZIAH, B.C. 810 (2 K. xiv. 19, 20). - -The reign of Jeroboam II. which lasted 41 years[399], was the most -prosperous the kingdom of Israel had ever known. The new king did -not simply content himself with repelling the attacks of the Syrian -invaders, but carried the war into their own country, captured their -capital Damascus, and recovered all the old dominion of Israel from -Hamath to the Dead Sea, together with the territory of Moab and Ammon. -These successes had been predicted (2 K. xiv. 25) by the earliest of -the prophets, whose writings as well as words have come down to us, -JONAH, the son of Amittai, of Gath-hepher in Zebulun. The idolatries, -however, of the king called forth the protests of HOSEA, a prophet of -uncertain tribe and birth-place (Hos. i. 1), and AMOS, a herdsman of -Tekoa[400] (Am. i. 1). Those of Amos were keenly resented by Amaziah -the high-priest of Bethel (Am. vii. 10), and he reported him to the -king as having predicted the destruction of the royal house and the -captivity of the nation (Am. vii. 11–17), which, though not fulfilled -in his reign, were only deferred[401]. - -AZARIAH or UZZIAH, the new king of Judah, retained the sceptre for -upwards of 52 years, and was successful in several warlike expeditions. -He subjugated the Philistines, and dismantled Gath and Ashdod, reduced -the Arabians and Mehunims to obedience, and recovered Elath, the famous -port on the Red Sea (2 Chr. xxvi. 2, 7). He also improved the internal -resources of his kingdom, restored the fortifications of Jerusalem, -built military engines, and established a powerful army. Moreover -he devoted himself to the encouragement and protection of husbandry, -building towers and wells for his numerous herds in the low country -and in the plains, and growing vines on the terraces of the mountains -(2 Chr. xxvi. 9–15). But in the hour of prosperity _his heart was -lifted up to his destruction_. Assuming priestly functions, he entered -the Holy Place in the Temple for the purpose of offering incense on the -Golden Altar. This flagrant violation of the Law was resolutely opposed -by the high-priest Azariah and others of the Levitical body, and drew -down upon the king signal punishment. As he stood censer in hand by the -Altar, the leprosy _rose up in his forehead_, and he hurried in alarm -from the sacred enclosure. He was now incapable of discharging the -regal functions[402], and till the day of his death lived in a separate -house, while Jotham his son was entrusted with the regency, and -eventually succeeded him B.C. 758 (2 K. xv. 5; 2 Chr. xxvi. 16–22). - -Meanwhile the great Empire, destined to be the instrument of -punishing the apostate kingdom of Israel, was advancing with gigantic -strides in the path of universal conquest. Beyond the territory of the -Syrians――the scourge of Jehu and his dynasty――was the far more powerful -Empire of the Assyrians, including the whole region watered by the -Tigris and Euphrates, and already augmented by important conquests in -Cappadocia, Armenia, and Babylonia. To Nineveh, its celebrated capital, -the prophet JONAH, already mentioned, was directed to go and denounce -its approaching doom, unless its people repented of their sins. The -prophet shrunk from this arduous commission, and instead of crossing -the Syrian desert, went down to Joppa, and there took ship for Tarshish, -probably Tartessus[403] on the southern coast of Spain (Jon. i. 3). But -during the voyage an awful storm arose, and in their alarm the mariners -threw him at his own request into the sea, where a large fish took -him up, and after three days and three nights flung him forth alive -on the dry land (Matt. xii. 40, xvi. 4; Lk. xi. 30). Thus miraculously -delivered he was a second time bidden to undertake the arduous journey, -and now not daring to disobey arose and went. Suddenly appearing in -the midst of Nineveh[404], clothed in his rough prophet’s robe, he -cried through corridor, and lane, and square, _Yet forty days, and -Nineveh shall be overthrown!_ His mysterious words filled the hearts -of all with fear and consternation, and before long reached the palace, -where the king sat “on his royal throne in the great audience-chamber, -surrounded by all the pomp and magnificence of his court[405].” The -words of the unknown prophet touched even his heart, and _he arose -from his throne, and laid aside his robe from him, and covered himself -with sackcloth, and sat in ashes_ (Jon. iii. 6). Then he proclaimed a -decree that all his people, from the greatest even to the least, should -be covered with sackcloth, and that even the beasts should be put in -mourning[406]. His decree was obeyed, a fast was observed, and the -people of Nineveh, laying aside their revelry and feasting, assumed -the garb of mourning, humbled themselves, turned from their evil way, -and offered up petitions for mercy to the Most High. Their repentance -was accepted, God had pity on the great city, with its 120,000 _persons -that could not discern between their right hand and their left_, and -deferred the judgment. In vain the prophet sat in his booth of woven -boughs, at the east side of the city, waiting for the doom he had -denounced. In vain he complained of the deferring of the punishment. -God was more merciful than man, and for more than another century -Nineveh was to stand unharmed (Jon. iv. 5–11). - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _DECLINE AND CAPTIVITY OF THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL._ - 2 KINGS XV.–XVII. B.C. 773–721. - - -THE death of Jeroboam II., B.C. 783, was the signal for a frightful -state of anarchy in the kingdom of Israel. At length, after an -interregnum of 11 years, ZACHARIAH his son succeeded to the throne -(B.C. 773). His brief reign of six months served only to exhibit -his addiction to idolatrous practices, when he was assassinated by -SHALLUM, and with him the dynasty of Jehu came to an end. The reign -of the usurper was briefer still. For one month only did he retain the -royal power, and then was deposed in his turn by MENAHEM, the son of -Gadi, B.C. 772. Either at the beginning, or at a somewhat later period, -during his reign of 10 years, the new king ordered a promiscuous -massacre of the inhabitants of the country between Tirzah and Thapsacus, -probably for the purpose of inspiring terror into the hearts of -many who were unfavourable to his cause[407] (2 K. xv. 14). A more -significant circumstance during his reign was the appearance of the -Assyrians on the north-eastern frontier of his kingdom. PUL[408], king -of Assyria, having been successful in his expedition against Damascus, -advanced also against Israel, and was only induced to draw off his -forces by a timely gift of 1000 talents of silver, which Menahem wrung -from his people by an assessment of 50 shekels a head from 60,000 -Israelites (2 K. xv. 20). - -Menahem died in peace, bequeathing his throne to his son PEKAHIAH, -B.C. 761, who only reigned for 2 years, and was then assassinated -in his palace by PEKAH, son of Remaliah, a captain of his body-guard, -B.C. 759. The new king displayed far greater energy than his immediate -predecessors. The enormous tribute levied by the King of Assyria had -greatly exhausted the resources of his kingdom. He resolved, by way of -compensation, to ally himself with Syria, and attack the rival kingdom -of Judah. During the vigorous reign of JOTHAM he does not seem to have -been able to carry out the latter part of this design, but on the death -of that monarch, and the accession of his weak son AHAZ, B.C. 742, -he advanced against Jerusalem in alliance with Rezin, king of Syria, -and took a vast number of captives, who were, however, restored by the -advice of the prophet Oded (2 Chr. xxviii. 8–15). So far as the Syrians -were concerned, the expedition was successful. Rezin captured the port -of Elath, drove the Jews out of the place, and settled there a Syrian -colony. But in other respects the unnatural alliance of Israel and -Syria was calamitous. In his extremity, Ahaz resolved to seek the -assistance of TIGLATH-PILESER, the successor of Pul on the Assyrian -throne, and for this purpose sent him a large and valuable present -from the Temple treasures (2 K. xvi. 7). The Assyrian monarch readily -embraced the opportunity of crushing the formidable alliance of Syria -and Israel. Marching against Damascus, B.C. 740, he captured the Syrian -capital, slew Rezin[409], and carried off his subjects to Kir (2 K. -xv. 29). Then turning his arms still further westward, he fell upon the -northern towns in Pekah’s dominions, Ijon, Abel-beth-maachah, Hazor and -others, and carried off the inhabitants to remote districts within his -own dominions[410]. Pekah was now reduced to the position of a humble -vassal of the great Lord of Assyria, and was obliged to abstain from -any further hostilities against Ahaz. - -But that king had purchased this temporary relief at a great cost. -Not only was he obliged to yield up the Temple treasures as tribute -to Tiglath-Pileser, but he had to appear also in person at Damascus -as a vassal of that monarch, and did homage to his protector, and even -to his protector’s gods. _Because_, said he, _the gods of the kings of -Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help -me_, and he not merely conformed to heathen rites, but actually sent -to Urijah, the high-priest at Jerusalem, the pattern of an altar he -had seen in the Syrian capital, and desired that another should be made -like it. The high-priest obeyed, and the idolatrous altar was placed -within the sacred precincts of the Temple, and the king himself offered -sacrifice thereon. Moreover, every city in his dominions shared in the -idolatries of the capital. Everywhere Ahaz _made high places to burn -incense to other gods_, introducing the worst superstitions of the -remotest East, practising necromancy and witchcraft (Isai. viii. 19), -causing his children to pass through the fire in the valley of Hinnom -to Moloch (2 K. xvi. 3), dedicating sacred horses to the Sun, and -raising altars on the housetops for the worship of the heavenly bodies -(2 K. xxiii. 12; 2 Chr. xxviii. 2–4). - -While the Southern kingdom thus seemed bent on rivalling that of -Israel in idolatrous excesses, the fortunes of the latter kingdom -had become more and more gloomy. After a reign of 20 years, Pekah -was assassinated B.C. 737 by HOSHEA the son of Elah, who, after -several years of anarchy, was strong enough to secure the sceptre for -himself, B.C. 730. His reign, indeed, was not so sinful as that of -his predecessors (2 K. xvii. 2), but the doom of Israel was nigh at -hand. He had been on the throne but a few years when Shalmaneser, the -successor of Tiglath-Pileser, invaded his territory, and reduced Israel -to vassalage. This induced Hoshea to open a secret correspondence with -So, _Sabaco I._, king of Egypt. But news of his defection reaching the -ears of the Assyrian monarch, he summoned Hoshea to Damascus to explain -his conduct, and there placed him in prison. Then mustering his forces, -he invaded his territory, and laid siege to Samaria, B.C. 723. Its -natural strength enabled that city to hold out for three years, during -which period Shalmaneser appears to have been obliged to return to -Damascus, in consequence of a successful revolt headed by Sargon, to -whom he forfeited his crown[411]. But this change brought no respite -to the beleaguered capital of Israel. After a protracted resistance -it was captured, B.C. 721, and thus Sargon completed the conquest -which Shalmaneser had begun. Vast numbers of the remaining tribes -were now removed into captivity[412], and located partly in Gozan -or Mygdonia[413], and partly in the cities lately taken from the -Medes. Their place was filled by a foreign population from the more -inland districts of the empire, and colonies from Cuthah, Hamath, and -Sepharvaim, possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities of Israel, whose -existence as an independent kingdom now came to an end for ever. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - _REIGN OF HEZEKIAH._ - 2 KINGS XVIII.–XX. 2 CHRON. XXIX.–XXXII. B.C. 726–698. - - -WHILE the kingdom of Israel thus came to an end, that of Judah seemed -to have taken a fresh lease of vitality. At the close of the wicked -reign of Ahaz, his son HEZEKIAH succeeded to the throne, B.C. 726, -and proved one of the best of the monarchs of the line of David. His -first act after his accession was to set on foot a thorough religious -reformation. He removed the high places, brake down the images, and -even destroyed the Brazen Serpent, the ancient relic of the Wanderings, -which had become an object of idolatrous worship, under the name of -_Nehushtan_[414] (2 K. xviii. 4). He then cleansed and purified the -Temple, and re-opened it with splendid sacrifices, conducted by the -reinstated priests and Levites (2 Chr. xxix. 20–36), and resolved to -celebrate a peculiar Passover, and invite to it all throughout the land -of Palestine, who bore the Hebrew name (2 Chr. xxx. 1–10). - -To this end he dispatched messengers throughout Judah, and northwards -through Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun. The remnant of the once -powerful house of Joseph treated his invitation with scorn, but all -Judah and many of the smaller tribes assembled at Jerusalem, and took -part in the great national rite, which was celebrated at an unusual -but not an illegal period[415], and lasted upwards of 14 days. The -associations awakened by this ancient ordinance roused the people to -a becoming zeal for the true God, and on their return from Jerusalem -a general destruction of idolatrous images and temples was set on foot -throughout Judah and Benjamin, and even some portions of the northern -kingdom (2 Chr. xxxi. 1). - -Seconded in his pious efforts by the noble-minded prophet ISAIAH, the -king proceeded to carry out other religious reforms, and was rewarded -for his zeal by a large measure of prosperity. Venturing to assume the -offensive against the Philistines, he not only recovered the territory -which his father had lost, but gained other important advantages (2 K. -xviii. 7, 8). This success emboldened him to throw off the Assyrian -yoke, and to decline forwarding the usual tribute. The late capture -of Samaria by the Assyrians would render probable a speedy vengeance -for this defection. But the wealthy city of Tyre, now the head of -the Phœnician kingdom, was first to feel the weight of the Assyrian -arms, and its inhabitants made such a stubborn resistance, that after -operations extending over 5 years[416], the design was given up as -impracticable. - -The time thus gained was not thrown away by Hezekiah. He used every -effort to strengthen his capital against the expected invasion; -repaired the walls; built towers; set captains over the host; stopped -up the wells; diverted the water-courses (2 Chr. xxxii. 3, 4); forged -weapons of war; and while most of his people trembled at the certain -coming of the great Assyrian conqueror, and many of his advisers would -have made an alliance with Egypt, the monarch was exhorted by Isaiah -not to lose his confidence in God. At length in the 14th[417] year of -his reign (2 K. xviii. 13), the invader appeared[418]. Sennacherib, the -successor of Sargon, _came up against all the fenced cities of Judah -and took them_ (2 K. xviii. 13). Thereupon Hezekiah thought it prudent -to avert his wrath by a promise of submission, and consented to pay -300 talents of silver and 30 talents of gold, to raise which enormous -sum he was obliged to spoil the Temple of many of its treasures, and -even to strip the gold from the gates (2 K. xviii. 14–16). The respite -thus obtained was only temporary. Two years had barely elapsed before -Sennacherib, resolved to conquer the now flourishing kingdom of Egypt, -commenced a second expedition through the dominions of Judah. While -one of his generals attacked and captured Ashdod, he himself marched -through Palestine, and laid siege to Libnah and Lachish, cities in -the maritime lowland of Judah, and at this time subject to Egypt. From -Lachish, however, he sent the _Tartan_ or his “commander-in-chief,” -the _Rab-saris_ or his “chief eunuch,” and the _Rab-shakeh_, his “chief -cupbearer,” with a large force to Jerusalem, to demand its surrender. -On this occasion, the “chief cupbearer” seems to have been at the -head of the embassy. Standing by _the conduit of the upper pool_ -and speaking in the Hebrew tongue, he proclaimed to the advisers of -Hezekiah and the people assembled on the city walls the message of the -king of Assyria, exhorting them not to look for deliverance from Egypt, -or even to place any confidence in their God, for what god had yet -been able to deliver his land and people out of the hand of his master? -(2 K. xviii. 33, 34). - -By command of Hezekiah his scornful message was received in profound -silence. The king himself, on being informed of the purport of the -Assyrian embassy, with clothes rent and robed in sackcloth, repaired -to the Temple, and sent his minister similarly attired to Isaiah, to -entreat him in his perilous hour to lift up his prayer in behalf of his -people. That undaunted prophet in reply bade his master defy boldly all -the efforts of the enemy. That God, whom the Assyrian had blasphemed, -would avenge His insulted honour; He would _send a blast upon him, -and he should hear a rumour, and should return to his own land, there -to fall by the sword_. These trustful words encouraged both king and -people, and the Assyrian ambassadors finding it impossible to terrify -the capital of Judah into subjection returned to Sennacherib, whom -they found at Libnah, having taken or raised the siege of Lachish (2 K. -xix. 8). - -But while he was thus employed, news reached the ears of that monarch -that Tirhakah, or _Tarakos_, a powerful king of Ethiopia, was on the -march against him. On this he resolved to make one more effort to -terrify Hezekiah into submission, and sent a second embassy to him, -with a letter demanding in the most peremptory terms the surrender -of the city, recapitulating the cities whose gods had been powerless -to deliver them out of his hands, and bidding him dismiss the notion -that he could escape. On receiving this vaunting letter, Hezekiah again -repaired to the Temple, and there spread it before the Lord, entreating -in words of singular pathos and beauty the aid of the God of Israel, -_Who dwelt between the Cherubims_ (2 K. xix. 15). - -His prayer was heard. Isaiah was commissioned to assure the king -that the _Virgin, the daughter of Zion_, might laugh to scorn all the -efforts of the invader. True it was that the Assyrian monarch had laid -waste many cities into ruinous heaps, but it was only because Jehovah -Himself had so willed it, and had raised him up to be an instrument -for the accomplishment of His own purposes. And now He would _put His -hook[419] in_ the Assyrian’s _nose, and His bridle in his lips_, and -turn him back by the way he had come, nor suffer him even to approach -the city, or shoot an arrow there, or cast up a bank against it (2 K. -xix. 32). - -His words were destined to have a speedy and terrible fulfilment. -Having reduced Libnah, Sennacherib appears to have pushed forward -towards Pelusium[420], anxious to crush an Egyptian army under a native -prince, named Sethos, before the dreaded Ethiopian monarch Terhak or -Tirhakah could come to his aid. Within sight of each other the Assyrian -and Egyptian hosts lay down, awaiting the morrow’s battle, but that -very night the angel of the Lord, probably by a sudden pestilence, or -some more awful manifestation of Divine power, poured contempt on all -the pride of the Assyrian monarch. As they slept, a sudden destruction -fell upon his hosts, and when he awoke next morning, behold 185,000 -corpses lay dead in his camp[421]! On this Sennacherib fled with the -shattered remnants of his forces to his own land, where, 17 years -after, or B.C. 680[422], he was assassinated by his sons Adrammelech -and Sharezer, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch his god, -leaving his throne to another son Esarhaddon (2 K. xix. 37). - -At some period after, or as some think, before[423] this signal -deliverance, Hezekiah was seized with a serious illness and was warned -by the prophet Isaiah _to put his house in order_, for the decree had -gone forth that he must die. This announcement caused the greatest -distress to the good king. He had striven to set a good example while -he lived, and had done much to reform his people and their religion, -and now in the very midst of his work he must die! With many tears, -therefore, he turned his face to the wall, and pleaded his case with -God, praying that the prophet’s words might not be so immediately -fulfilled. His prayer was heard. Isaiah was bidden to assure him that -his life would be prolonged for a space of 15 years, and as a sign -to confirm this assurance, the shadow on the great dial of his father -Ahaz went 10 degrees backwards, and by the application of a plaster -of figs, often used medicinally in such cases, his malady was healed. -News of his recovery, and of the astronomical marvel accompanying -it, was conveyed into many lands, and various ambassadors with -letters and gifts came to his court. Amongst the rest came those of -Merodach-Baladan[424], king of Babylon, who with their retinue were -escorted over the royal treasures. For the pride and ostentation with -which he displayed his rich stores, Hezekiah was rebuked by Isaiah, -who foretold that a day was coming, when all these treasures would be -carried away into the country of the very king whose ambassadors had -now come to congratulate him, and that his sons would be compelled to -serve as eunuchs in the Babylonian court (2 K. xx. 17–19). - -The remainder of Hezekiah’s reign appears to have been spent in peace -and security. His treasury was full; the agricultural resources of -the country were developed; various new and useful improvements were -carried out in his capital; and on his death, lamented by all Judah and -Jerusalem, he was buried with especial honour _in the chiefest of the -sepulchres of the sons of David_, B.C. 698 (2 Chr. xxxii. 27–33). - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - _REIGN OF MANASSEH. REFORMS OF JOSIAH._ - 2 KINGS XXI.–XXIII. 2 CHRON. XXXIII.–XXXV. B.C. 698–623. - - -ON the death of Hezekiah, his son MANASSEH succeeded to the throne at a -very early age, having been born in all probability twelve years before -his father’s death, B.C. 710. His mother, whose name was Hephzibah[425] -(_the delightsome one_, Isai. lxii. 4), was descended from one of the -princes of Jerusalem. His own name is remarkable, and was borne by -no one else in the history of the kingdom of Judah. It is the name of -the tribe second only to Ephraim in hostility to Judah, and has been -supposed to have been given to him in remembrance of the fond hope of -his father to unite the remnants of Manasseh and other northern tribes -in a common worship and faith[426]. - -The accession of this king at the early age of 12 years was the signal -for an entire revolution in the religious policy which his father had -so consistently carried out. It has been suggested that the idolatrous -party, which had sided with Ahaz, and had only been repressed during -the reign of Hezekiah, now recovered its old ascendancy, and exercised -a baneful influence over the youthful monarch. Whether this was so or -not, the spirit of loyalty to Jehovah which Hezekiah had evinced was -exchanged for a more general adoption of heathen modes of worship than -had disfigured even the idolatrous days of Ahaz. Not only were the -high places restored, but the worst enormities of Ahab were introduced -into Jerusalem. Altars were erected in honour of Baal and Ashtaroth and -all the host of heaven, even within the sacred precincts of the Temple -(2 Chr. xxxiii. 4, 5). The king himself, not _only observed times, and -used enchantments, and witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, -and with wizards_ (2 Chr. xxxiii. 6), but even dedicated some of his -sons in the fire to Moloch, and slaughtered others (Ez. xxiii. 37–39). -The cries of human victims offered in honour of this hideous deity -of the Ammonites re-echoed throughout the valley of Hinnom, and the -sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were practised with impunity in that city -where Jehovah had said that he would put His Name for ever (2 Chr. -xxxiii. 4). The consequent moral degeneracy was fearful. The old faith -was everywhere neglected and despised. The altar of Jehovah was broken -down (2 Chr. xxxiii. 16), even the ark was displaced (2 Chr. xxxv. 3), -and so systematic was the destruction of the Sacred Books, that fifty -years later the discovery of the Book of the Law was an event exciting -wonder and astonishment (2 K. xxii. 8), while the Sabbath, the sign -between the elect nation and Jehovah, was polluted (Isai. lvi. 2; -lviii. 13), and under the influence of the king and his idolatrous -advisers, the people _did more evil than did the nations whom the Lord -destroyed before the children of Israel_ (2 K. xxi. 9). - -Meanwhile the voice of the prophets was not hushed. Heedless of the -doom they incurred, the Lord’s true servants bore their faithful -testimony against the deeds of the king. They predicted the coming -of such judgments on Judah and Jerusalem, that whoever heard of them, -_both his ears would tingle_ (2 K. xxi. 12). _The line of Samaria and -the plummet of the house of Ahab should be stretched over_ the capital -of Judah, and it should _be wiped as a man wipeth a dish_, and its -people should be _delivered into the hands of their enemies_ (2 K. xxi. -13, 14). These outspoken rebukes met with their natural reward. It was -now, according to the ancient Jewish tradition, that the aged ISAIAH -was _sawn asunder_[427], while of other less known but no less faithful -servants of Jehovah, such numbers were murdered, that the streets of -Jerusalem ran with blood (2 K. xxi. 16). - -Such a policy brought its inevitable punishment. Risings of -the Philistines, Moabites, and Ammonites (Zeph. ii. 4–15; Jer. -xlvii.–xlix.), were speedily followed by an invasion of the territory -of Judah by the Assyrians (2 Chr. xxxiii. 11). The captains of -Esarhaddon, who had crushed the rebellion of Merodach-Baladan, -invested Jerusalem[428], took Manasseh captive, and carried him off to -Babylon[429], where loaded with fetters he was cast into prison. But -in the solitude of his dungeon the Jewish king repented of the awful -wickedness he had committed, and humbled himself greatly before the -God of his fathers, who in His infinite mercy listened to his petitions -for forgiveness. His defection was pardoned by Esarhaddon[430], and he -was permitted to return to Jerusalem (2 Chr. xxxiii. 13). The lessons -learnt in captivity were not forgotten by the restored monarch. He set -himself to effect so much of a religious reformation as his previous -character would allow. The worship of Jehovah was renewed, sacrifices -were once more offered in His honour, and the heathen altars within -the sacred precincts of the Temple were destroyed. But the change was -naturally but partial (2 Chr. xxxiii. 17). During his long reign of -55 years the evil he had done had sunk too deeply to be easily removed. -The recollection of the innocent blood he had shed was never forgotten, -and at his death he was not laid in the sepulchres of the kings, but -_in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza_, B.C. 643 (2 K. -xxi. 26). - -AMON his son now succeeded to the throne, and, after a short reign of -2 years, fell a victim to a conspiracy and was slain in his own palace. -The people, however, put the conspirators to death, and secured the -throne for his son JOSIAH, now only 8 years of age, B.C. 641. Young -as he was, the new king displayed a remarkable spirit of loyalty to -Jehovah, and surpassed even the best of his predecessors in his zeal -for the true faith. In the 12th year of his reign (2 Chr. xxxiv. 3), -B.C. 629, he commenced a great reform. In Jerusalem itself he removed -the altars dedicated to Baal and all the host of heaven, and burnt the -symbol of Ashtaroth at the brook Kidron, and the sacred horses that -had been dedicated to the Sun. He then commenced a personal tour, not -only throughout his own dominions, but throughout Simeon, Ephraim, -Manasseh, and even distant Naphtali (2 Chr. xxxiv. 6). At Bethel he -visited Jeroboam’s chapel, and agreeably to the remarkable prophecy -of the disobedient Prophet, uttered 300 years before[431], broke down -the altar and high places that king had set up, exhumed the bones from -the sepulchres in the neighbouring mount, and scattered them over the -altars. A little further, one of the sepulchres attracted his attention, -and in answer to his enquiries, he learnt that it contained the remains -of the old prophet of Bethel and his victim the man of God from Judah. -On this he directed that the sepulchre should be spared, and the -venerable relics carefully preserved (2 K. xxiii. 15–19). - -Returning to Jerusalem, in the 18th year of his reign he empowered a -special commission to restore the Temple, and to levy contributions -for this purpose. In the course of the repairs, Hilkiah the high-priest -found a roll containing the Book of the Law, probably the Book of -Deuteronomy, which he delivered to Shaphan the scribe, or royal -secretary. By him portions were read in the ears of the king, who -struck with alarm at its awful denunciations, rent his clothes, and -directed that the Divine Will should be instantly consulted, that -the wrath of heaven might not descend on the apostate nation. The -High-priest and the rest thereupon sought the advice of a prophetess -named HULDAH, the wife of Shallum, keeper of the royal wardrobe, who -resided in one of the sacred cloisters of the Temple. In reply, she -assured them that the Divine judgments would certainly be fulfilled, -not indeed in the reign of Josiah, whose early piety had found favour -with Jehovah, but after he had been gathered to his fathers. This -answer was in due course returned to the king, who instantly repaired -to the Temple, and caused the awful denunciations on idolatry to be -publicly read in the ears of the assembled people. The effect was very -great. The people, conscience-stricken and appalled, made a solemn -covenant, and promised to adhere thenceforward to the worship of the -true God, and agreed to a still more thorough reformation. After a -restoration of the ancient Levitical service in the Temple, a national -celebration of the Passover was decreed, and was carried out with a -grandeur and magnificence exceeding anything that had been seen on any -former occasion (2 K. xxiii. 21–23). - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - _DEATH OF JOSIAH. CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH._ - 2 KINGS XXIII. XXIV. 2 CHRON. XXXV. XXXVI. B.C. 623–588. - - -BUT the religious reformations of the pious king could not ward off the -destined destruction of his kingdom. At this period the great Assyrian -empire had considerably declined[432], while the kingdom of Egypt under -a powerful monarch named NECHO[433], had recovered much of its ancient -glory. This king now resolved to gain possession of Carchemish[434], -which commanded the passage of the Euphrates. From motives which cannot -be certainly divined, Josiah resolved to oppose his progress through -his own territory, and, in spite of an embassy from the Egyptian -monarch begging him not to interfere, drew up his forces at Megiddo, -and, as though with a presentiment of his doom, disguised himself -before entering into the battle. His fears were verified; struck by -the Egyptian archers, he was removed from the field to die before -he reached Jerusalem, where he was committed to the grave amidst the -profoundest grief of his people, and especially of the prophet JEREMIAH, -who composed a funeral elegy over this last and best of the kings of -Judah, B.C. 610 (2 Chr. xxxv. 25; Lam. iv. 20). - -His son and successor JEHOAHAZ or SHALLUM (Jer. xxii. 11), only held -the throne for 3 months. On his return from Carchemish, Necho condemned -the land to pay a tribute of 100 talents of silver, and a talent of -gold, and sending for the new king to Riblah[435] in the land of Hamath, -put him in bonds, and thence removed him to Egypt, where he died (2 K. -xxiii. 34). His brother ELIAKIM was now permitted by the Egyptian -monarch to ascend the throne, and in obedience to the same authority -changed his name to JEHOIAKIM. In the 4th year of his reign, or -B.C. 606, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, placed by his father Nabopolassar at the -head of the Assyrian armies, marched forth to avenge the Egyptian -invasion. In a pitched battle at Carchemish (Jer. xlvi. 1–13) he -utterly defeated Pharaoh-Necho, and recovered Cœlesyria, Phœnicia, and -northern Palestine. Then advancing into Judæa he drove all who had no -fenced cities――and amongst the rest the Rechabites (Jer. xxxv. 11)――to -Jerusalem, captured that city, placed Jehoiakim in fetters, rifled the -Temple, and carried off to Babylon some of the sacred vessels, and many -of the principal Hebrew nobles, including DANIEL and his three friends, -Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Dan. i. 1–6). - -On promise, however, of faithfulness to his liege lord Jehoiakim was -suffered to retain his kingly dignity, at least in name, for 3 years -longer. At the close of this period he had the hardihood to try and -throw off the yoke, and rebelled against his suzerain. But this only -involved his kingdom in deeper misery[436]. Unable to take the field in -person, Nebuchadnezzar sent a numerous force against him from his now -subject provinces of Chaldæa and Syria, as well as Moab and Ammon (2 K. -xxiv. 2). These overran the whole country, and reduced it to the lowest -degree of wretchedness and misery. - -During the period of degradation that now ensued, Jehoiakim, either -in a contest with some of his many foes, or owing to a rising of his -oppressed subjects, came to a violent end. His body lay ignominiously -exposed upon the ground, and was buried _with the burial of an ass_, -without pomp or ceremony, _beyond the gates of Jerusalem_, B.C. 599 -(Jer. xxii. 18, 19; xxxvi. 30). - -JEHOIACHIN his son, also called JECONIAH and CONIAH, was now placed -upon the throne (2 Chr. xxxvi. 9), but after a reign of 3 months and -10 days, Nebuchadnezzar’s army appeared before Jerusalem, and the -young king and his court surrendered at discretion. The Temple was -again pillaged of such vessels that yet remained, the king himself, -the nobles, and chief artisans were removed to Babylon[437], and none, -save the poorest of the population, were left behind (2 K. xxiv. 8–16). - -MATTANIAH, the uncle of the captive king, was now placed by the -Babylonian monarch in charge of the exhausted kingdom, and took the -name of ZEDEKIAH. In defiance of the dictates of common prudence, -and of the advice of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. xxvii. xxviii.; Comp. -Ezek. xvii. 12–21), he was foolish enough to court an alliance with -Pharaoh-Hophra, or Apries, a new and enterprising monarch in Egypt[438]. -Instantly the Babylonian armies were put in motion, and overran all -Judah, while Jerusalem together with Lachish and Azekah alone held -out. A temporary delay was caused by an effort of the king of Egypt -to relieve his ally, and the necessity of first repulsing the Egyptian -forces. This achieved, the Chaldæans again presented themselves before -the walls of the Holy City, and besieged it for upwards of 16 months. -The wretched inhabitants were reduced to the most fearful straits. -Famine prevailed throughout the city (2 K. xxv. 3); _the tongue of -the sucking child clave to the roof of its mouth for thirst, the young -children cried for bread, and no man brake it unto them_ (Lam. iv. 4); -nobles that had ever before _fed delicately_, searched even _dunghills_ -for any remnants of food that might be found (Lam. iv. 5); and mothers -_boiled their own children_ (Lam. iv. 10). The Lord at last poured upon -the city the cup of His fierce anger for all its iniquities, and its -Day of Doom was come. At length the Chaldæan armies effected a breach -in the strong walls, and made their way into the city. With a few of -his troops Zedekiah effected his escape to Jericho, but was pursued, -captured, and sent to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. Judgment was then -passed upon him (2 K. xxv. 6), and his sons having first been put to -death before his face, his eyes were thrust out[439], and laden with -fetters he was removed to Babylon, B.C. 588. - -Punishment having thus been inflicted on the king, Nebuzar-adan, -an officer high in the confidence of the Babylonian monarch, was -dispatched to Jerusalem, to carry out the complete destruction of -the city. By his orders, the Temple, the royal palace, the houses of -the wealthy, were set on fire; the walls were broken down; the sacred -vessels of the once glorious House of Jehovah were plundered; the -brazen pillars were broken up; the chief priests were put to death; -and the rest with the greater part of the inhabitants were removed -to Babylon. A scanty remnant was permitted to remain in their native -land to be _vine-dressers and husbandmen_ (Jer. lii. 16), under the -superintendence of GEDALIAH, who with a Chaldæan guard (Jer. xl. 1, -2, 5) was stationed at Mizpeh[440] (2 K. xxv. 23; Jer. xl. 6), a strong -fortress 6 miles north of Jerusalem. Declining the offer of a retreat -at Babylon, Jeremiah resolved to share the lot of this miserable -remnant in his own land (Jer. xl. 6). But even the late terrible -misfortunes could not calm the spirit of faction. Gedaliah was -assassinated under circumstances of revolting treachery by ISHMAEL, -a man of royal blood, together with some of the Chaldæan guard (See -2 K. xxv. 25; Jer. xli. 1–10). Johanan, one of the captains of the -army of Judah, who had in vain warned Gedaliah of his danger (Jer. -xl. 13–16), gathered a force and pursued the assassin as far as -Gibeon, but he effected his escape beyond Jordan to the country of -the Ammonites (Jer. xli. 15). Then the little remnant of Jews, fearful -of the vengeance of the Babylonian monarch, contrary to the advice of -Jeremiah (Jer. xlii. 7–22), fled into Egypt, and after first settling -at Tahpanhes (Jer. xliii. 7), were scattered throughout the country -at Migdol, Noph, and Pathros (Jer. xliv. 1), whither also Jeremiah -accompanied them, to share their fortunes and to die[441]. - - - - - BOOK XI. - - FROM THE CAPTIVITY TO THE CLOSE OF THE CANON. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - _DANIEL AND NEBUCHADNEZZAR._ - DAN. I.–III. B.C. CIRC. 606–570. - - -“Nothing,” it has been remarked, “could present a more striking -contrast to their native country than the region into which the Hebrews -were now transplanted. Instead of their irregular and picturesque -mountain-city, crowning its unequal heights, and looking down into -its deep and precipitous ravines, through one of which a scanty -stream wound along, they entered the vast, square, and level city of -Babylon, occupying both sides of the broad Euphrates; while all around -spread immense plains, which were intersected by long straight canals, -bordered by rows of willows. How unlike their national temple――a small -but highly finished and richly adorned fabric, standing in the midst -of its courts on the brow of a lofty precipice――the colossal temple -of the Chaldæan Bel, rising from the plain, with its eight stupendous -stories or towers, one above the other, to the perpendicular height -of a furlong! The palace of the Babylonian king was more than twice -the size of their whole city: it covered eight miles, with its hanging -gardens built on arched terraces, each rising above the other, and rich -in all the luxuriance of artificial cultivation. How different from -the sunny cliffs of their own land, where the olive and the vine grew -spontaneously, and the cool, shady, and secluded valleys, where they -could always find shelter from the heat of the burning noon! No wonder, -then, that in the pathetic words of their own hymn, _By the waters -of Babylon they sat down and wept, when they remembered thee, O -Zion_[442]” (Ps. cxxxvii. 1). - -Thus far removed from their native land, amidst a strange people and -strange rites, and exposed to all the influences of contact with their -conquerors, we might, in the usual order of things, have expected that -the Jews would have ceased to remain a nation at all. But with them it -was not thus to be. The ten tribes, indeed, are never heard of more, -but the remnant of Judah and Benjamin in Babylonia so far from blending -its national life with that of its conquerors, remained a separate -people, and preserved its national institutions. We shall very much -misunderstand their condition, if we suppose that the Jews became -bondsmen or serfs[443]. They were “colonists rather than captives;” -they received grants of land, agricultural or pastoral, out of the -conquered territories at the disposal of Nebuchadnezzar; and so -valuable were their services considered that not a few rose to high -eminence (Dan. ii. 48), and held confidential positions next to the -person of the sovereign. While, moreover, they increased in numbers and -wealth, they retained an internal jurisdiction over their own members; -they kept up amongst themselves distinctions of rank; they preserved -their genealogies (Neh. vii. 5, 6, 64); and although from the absence -of any common centre of worship they could only observe the Mosaic -Law in part[444], still they retained the rite of circumcision, the -distinction of meats, and other points (Comp. Dan. i. 8; Esth. iii. 8). -Nor did the Providence, which had hitherto watched over them, fail -them in the land of exile. The voice of Prophecy, so far from being -hushed, now swelled into louder strains. While JEREMIAH[445] warned -and exhorted them at the outset of this sad period in their history, -EZEKIEL did not fail for 30 years to carry on the same work in the land -of exile itself, while another and one of the most illustrious of their -number rose to the very highest position, and proved the “Moses of the -Captivity,” and the fourth of the greater Prophets. - -In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, B.C. 606, as we have already seen[446], -Nebuchadnezzar had ordered the Chief of the Eunuchs to remove to -Babylon certain select youths of royal descent, who from their talents -seemed likely to be of service in his court. Of these one was DANIEL, -apparently of the blood royal (Dan. i. 3), and gifted with no common -talents (Dan. i. 4). With three other companions of the tribe of Judah, -HANANIAH, MISHAEL, and AZARIAH, he was removed to the Babylonian court, -and there trained for the king’s service in _the learning and language -of the Chaldæans_ (Dan. i. 4). Moreover, in accordance with a common -custom, his name was changed, and he and his three companions were -now known as BELTESHAZZAR, SHADRACH, MESHACH, and ABEDNEGO. During -the three years of their training they were not forgetful of the Law -and Religion of their fathers, and with unusual firmness of character -declined to partake of the daily allowance of meat and wine supplied -them from the royal table, either probably because it was ceremonially -unclean, or had been offered in sacrifice to the Assyrian gods. -Preferring to live on the simplest fare, they yet proved as comely and -well-favoured as though they had been fed on the rarest dainties, and -when brought before Nebuchadnezzar were pronounced to excel in wisdom -and knowledge the wisest men in his empire, and were rewarded with high -positions about his court (Dan. i. 15). - -While they were thus employed, a remarkable circumstance took place. -Nebuchadnezzar dreamt a dream, which exceedingly troubled his spirit. -Summoning the magi and astrologers, he demanded that it should be -instantly interpreted. They promised the interpretation, if they might -be told the dream. But though this had escaped the monarch’s memory, he -reiterated his command; and when told that to obey it was impossible, -issued an edict commanding the instant destruction of all the wise -men throughout his realms. This despotic order was made known to -Daniel by Arioch the “captain of the executioners,” who was charged -to see it carried out. The Jewish exile instantly sought an audience -with the monarch, and having succeeded in gaining time for a fuller -consideration, summoned his three friends, who with fervent prayer to -HIM, “from whom no secrets are hid,” besought a revelation of the dream. -Their prayers were heard, and at a second audience Daniel disclosed the -Vision of the Night. _The monarch had beheld a great Image, the form of -which was terrible. The head was of fine gold, the breast and the arms -of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, the feet -partly iron and partly clay. The excellent brightness of this Image -the monarch had watched, till he suddenly saw a stone cut out of a -mountain without hands smite the feet of the Image till it broke in -pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors, while -the stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth._ Such was -the Vision which Daniel then proceeded to interpret. “The king himself -was this head of gold. To him the God of heaven had given a kingdom, -power, and strength, and glory. After him should arise another kingdom -inferior to his; after that a third kingdom of brass, which should bear -rule over all the earth; to which would succeed a fourth kingdom strong -as iron, breaking in pieces and subduing all things. That kingdom, -with its feet and toes, part of iron and part of clay, would be partly -strong and partly brittle, and its subjects would mingle themselves -with the seed of men, but they would not cleave one to another, even as -iron is not mixed with clay, and would make room for another kingdom, -which God Himself would set up, to break in pieces and consume all the -previous kingdoms, and itself stand for ever[447]” (Dan. ii. 36–45). - -The great Babylonian monarch was profoundly affected by this proof of -superhuman knowledge. He fell down on his face and worshipped Daniel; -commanded that _an oblation and sweet odours_ should be offered unto -him; bestowed on him costly presents, and made him viceroy over the -whole province of Babylon, and supreme over all the wise men of his -empire. In the hour of his prosperity Daniel did not forget his three -companions. By his intercession similar honours were bestowed upon them, -while he himself retained the pre-eminence _in the gate of the king_ -(Dan. ii. 46–49). - -Though on this memorable occasion the new viceroy had been -pre-eminently faithful to the God of his fathers, and by his ascription -of all his wisdom to a higher Power, had made the great monarch -he served acknowledge that there was a God of gods and Lord of lords, -the lesson does not seem to have made a very lasting impression -on Nebuchadnezzar’s mind. In the vast empire he had won by his -arms there were many different nations, with different gods, and -different modes of worship. Over all he was supreme, and with the -true feeling of an Oriental despot it seemed to him only right that -they should all acknowledge his chief deity. This was the great Bel, -or Bel-Merodach[448], “the supreme chief of the gods,” “the king of -the heavens and the earth,” the Jupiter of the Babylonian Pantheon. It -was possibly an image of this god[449], 60 cubits high and 6 broad, and -overlaid with golden plates[450], which he now proceeded to set up on -the plain of Dura, with the command that at the sound of instruments -of music, all his subjects, from the highest to the lowest, should -fall down and worship it, on penalty of being flung into a burning -fiery furnace (Dan. iii. 5, 6). - -In accordance with this edict, all the officers of the court of -Babylon, and the governors of the different provinces who had been -summoned to assist at the ceremony, flocked to the plain of Dura, and -with one consent, as soon as the music sounded, prostrated themselves -before the great dumb image which their lord had set up. But Daniel’s -three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in this hour of trial -remained faithful to the religion of their fathers, neither falling -down nor worshipping with the rest. This act of disobedience to their -master was quickly perceived by many of the native Chaldæans, who -were already filled with jealousy at the elevation of the exiles, and -they were not slow in reporting it to Nebuchadnezzar. On hearing it, -that monarch’s wrath knew no bounds. He summoned them before him; he -reiterated the command he had already issued; he warned them that in -spite of their high position they should certainly suffer the penalty -of their disobedience. But his words were wasted. These three mighty -ones in “the noble army of martyrs” replied that they were not careful -to answer him in this matter; their God could, if such was His will, -deliver them from the fiery furnace, and even if He did not, they would -not serve the monarch’s god, or bow before the Image he had set up -(Dan. iii. 16–18). - -This outspoken refusal filled Nebuchadnezzar with still greater fury. -_The form of his visage was changed_, he bade _the furnace be heated -seven times more than it was wont to be heated_, and ordered the -mightiest captains in his army to bind the three, and fling them into -the fire. His words were obeyed, but at the cost of the lives of his -captains, who fell victims to their zeal, being caught by the raging -flames. Moreover, when he looked to see the three martyrs speedily -reduced to ashes, behold they were observed _loose, walking_ unscathed -in the midst of the fire, accompanied by a Celestial Being, in whom -the monarch discerned none other than a “Son of God!” Thereupon he drew -near to the mouth of the furnace, and bade his intended victims come -forth. And they came forth, and on their bodies, as all attested, the -fire was seen to have _had no power, neither was a hair of their head -singed, neither had the smell of fire passed over them_. Filled with -admiration for their heroic faith, the monarch issued a decree that -all men, far and wide, throughout his empire should revere the God of -these Hebrews, and that every people, nation, or language that spake -word against their God, should _be cut in pieces, and their houses made -a dunghill_ (Dan. iii. 29). - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - _REIGNS OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR, BELSHAZZAR, AND DARIUS._ - DAN. IV.–VI. B.C. 570–538. - - -THOUGH from the incident just recorded Nebuchadnezzar had learnt to -know the greatness of the God of Israel, a still sterner lesson was -needed to teach him his own position in reference to the Most High. He -was by far the greatest of the Babylonian monarchs. His name was known, -his power was dreaded throughout the entire Eastern world. He was the -conqueror of Syria, of Phœnicia, of Tyre, of Palestine. He was the -adorner and beautifier of his native land. He built noble cities; he -raised stately temples; he renovated, fortified, almost rebuilt Babylon; -he constructed quays and breakwaters[451], reservoirs, canals, and -aqueducts on a scale of grandeur and magnificence surpassing everything -of the kind recorded in history[452]. Perhaps no single man ever left -behind him as his memorial, one-half the amount of building which was -erected by this king. The palace he built for himself in Babylon with -its triple walls, its hanging gardens, its plated pillars, was regarded -in his day as one of the wonders of the world, while even at the -present hour[453] it is his name which is stamped upon well-nigh every -brick found amidst the ruins of his capital. Amidst all this earthly -grandeur he had grown and become strong; _his greatness reached unto -heaven, and his dominion to the end of the earth_. Inflated with -pride, he became a god unto himself, and knew not that he was but an -instrument in the hand of Him, _who ruleth in the kingdom of men, and -giveth it to whomsoever He will_ (Dan. iv. 17). - -This was the lesson he had now to learn, and he learned it on this wise. -One night he dreamed a dream which none of his wise men could interpret. -Daniel, therefore, was once more summoned before him, and listened -while the monarch revealed the Vision of the Night. _I saw_, he said, -_and behold a Tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof -was great, reaching unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to the end -of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit much, and -the beasts of the field had shadow under it, the fowls of heaven dwelt -in the boughs thereof, and all flesh fed of it. And, behold! there came -down from heaven a Watcher and a Holy One, who cried out, Hew down the -Tree, and cut off his branches, but leave the stump of his roots in -the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, and let it be wet with -the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts, and let -his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given him, -and let seven times pass over him._ Such was the Vision. What was the -interpretation? Daniel did not disguise it from the monarch. “The Tree -was no other than himself. For him there was a great trial in store. -A day was near, when he would be cast down from his place of power, -would be driven from the society of men, would have his dwelling with -the beasts of the field, until seven times had passed over him and he -revived and knew for a truth that not he, but the Most High ruled in -the kingdom of heaven, and gave dominion and power to whomsoever He -would” (Dan. iv. 1–27). - -Thus a warning was given him, but it was disregarded. Nebuchadnezzar -did not, as Daniel bade, _break off his sins by righteousness, and his -iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor_. Twelve months afterwards he -was walking in that glorious palace which he had made for himself, and -in a moment of overweening pride he cried, _Is not this great Babylon, -that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, -and for the honour of my majesty?_ The words had hardly been spoken, -when his doom came upon him. The thick pall of madness[454] settled -down upon him; the mind of a man departed from him, and that of a beast -entered in. Casting off his robes, he refused the food and habitation -of men; mingling with the cattle in the fields, he remained exposed to -the weather day and night, _till his hair was grown as eagles’ feathers, -and his nails like birds’ claws_[455] (Dan. iv. 33). - -Meanwhile, as seems most probable, his queen Nitocris administered his -kingdom, and at length, after an interval of four, or perhaps seven -years, as he did not scruple to declare in a proclamation addressed to -his people, he came to himself. His understanding came back to him; he -lifted up his eyes to heaven, and blessed the Most High, and praised -and honoured Him that liveth for ever. With his reason, the glory also -of his kingdom returned. His counsellors and his lords sought him and -brought him back to his palace, _and excellent majesty was added unto -him_. Resuming his great works which had been suspended, he “added -fresh wonders in his old age to the marvellous constructions of his -manhood,” and after a reign of 43 years died, B.C. 561, at the advanced -age of 83 or 84, and was succeeded by his son Evil-Merodach. Shortly -after his accession the new king released JEHOIACHIN, king of Judah, -from the prison where he had been confined for 38 years, set his throne -above the throne of the other captive princes at Babylon, and gave -him a daily allowance from the royal table (2 Kings xxv. 27–30). But -in the course of one or two years he was assassinated, and one of -the conspirators, Neriglissar or Nerigassolassar usurped the throne, -B.C. 559, and held the government for 3 years and a half, bequeathing -it to his son Laborosoarchod, B.C. 556. In the course of nine months, -he was succeeded by Nabonadius[456], or Labynetus, B.C. 555. - -Meanwhile the neighbouring kingdom of Media had been the scene of -a great revolution, in which Babylon eventually became involved. -Mandane a daughter of Astyages, who mounted the Median throne B.C. 595, -married Cambyses, a Persian of the royal family of the Achæmenidæ, and -became the mother of CYRUS _the Great_[457]. Alienated by his tyranny -and wearying of his rule a large body of the subjects of Astyages -transferred their affections to this prince, who heading a revolt, -defeated and captured the Median king near Pasargadæ, B.C. 559, and -obtained the supremacy over the combined Medo-Persic empire. At first -the conqueror did not march against Babylon, and Nabonadius formed an -alliance with Crœsus king of Lydia, and employed himself diligently -in strengthening his capital, storing up provisions, and erecting -defensive works. - -But Cyrus gained a complete victory over the Lydian king B.C. 546, and -at the end of about six years appeared before Babylon. After a single -engagement he drove the Babylonians within their defences (Jer. li. 30), -and commenced a regular siege. At this time Nabonadius does not appear -to have been present in his capital, having fled to Borsippa after -the late engagement. But he left behind him a son whom he had a few -years before admitted to a share in the government[458]. This was -_Bil-shar-uzar_, the _Belshazzar_ of the Scripture narrative. This -prince made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, his wives -and concubines, and high estates of the realm, in the midst of which, -heated with wine, he commanded that all the gold and silver vessels, -which his grandfather[459] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the plunder -of Jerusalem, should be brought forth, and from them the assembled -guests drank in honour of their various gods. But in the midst of their -festivities the Fingers of a Man’s Hand were seen to write mysterious -words on the plaister of the palace wall. Instantly all the brightness -of Belshazzar’s countenance vanished, _his thoughts troubled him, -his knees smote one against another_. With loud voice he bade the -astrologers and soothsayers be brought before him, and promised honour, -place, and power to any that would interpret the mystic words. But -this none of the wise men of his realm could do. Amidst the alarm and -confusion, the Queen-mother now entered, and advised that they should -consult Daniel, who seems at this time to have been living in close -retirement. Accordingly he was brought in, and after declining all the -monarch’s promised rewards, sternly rebuked him, for that though he -knew all that his grandfather’s pride had brought down upon him, he -had yet lifted up himself against the Lord of Heaven, and in impious -triumph profaned the sacred vessels once dedicated to that God who -now had sent him this message, MENE, _God hath numbered thy kingdom -and finished it_; TEKEL, _thou art weighed in the balances and found -wanting_; PERES, _thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes -and Persians_ (Dan. v. 25–28). That very night the Prophet’s words -were fulfilled. Having diverted the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus -assaulted the city from the dry bed of the river, captured it, and -slew Belshazzar, B.C. 538, thus fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah -(xxi. 9; xlv. 1) and Jeremiah (li. 31–39). - -Hastening on to other conquests, Cyrus entrusted the captured city -to a viceroy[460], known in Scripture as _Darius the Mede_[461]. -He signalized his accession to power by setting over the kingdom of -Babylon Proper, either as a body of councillors or provincial governors, -120 princes, subject to the authority of three presidents, of whom -Daniel, now far advanced in life, was chief (Dan. vi. 2). Old and -grey-headed, he still remained faithful to the God of his fathers. And -now moved with jealousy at his elevation, the other nobles resolved -to compass his ruin. Unable to accuse him of any failure in the -administration of the kingdom, they persuaded Darius to pass an -irrevocable decree, like the law of the Medes and Persians, ordaining -that for a space of 30 days no one should offer up any petition to -any god or man save to the monarch himself, on penalty of being flung -into a den of lions. This decree Daniel regarded not; steadfast in the -religion of his fathers, he opened the windows of his chamber towards -Jerusalem, and three times a-day, as had been his wont, offered up his -prayers to his God. The nobles now had the opportunity they had coveted, -and they reported his conduct to the king. Sorely against his will, -and after fruitless efforts to deliver him from their malice, Darius -bade the sentence be executed. The aged prophet was flung into the den, -the mouth thereof was closed, and sealed with the royal signet, and -the signet of the lords and princes. Fasting and sleepless the monarch -passed the night, neither were instruments of music brought before -him. Rising early in the morning he sought out the lions’ den, and to -his great joy found that Jehovah had protected His faithful servant, -had sent His angel, and shut the lions’ mouths. Thereupon he ordered -him to be brought forth, and then issued instructions for the immediate -execution of his accusers, who, according to the cruel but usual -Oriental custom, were with their wives and children flung into the -den and torn in pieces. Not content with this, he proclaimed that -throughout his vast empire adoration should be paid to the God of -Daniel, _the living God, steadfast for ever, who worketh signs and -wonders in heaven, and hath delivered His servant from the power of -the lions_ (Dan. vi. 27). - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - _REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. ESTHER AND AHASUERUS._ - EZRA I.–IV. ESTHER I.–X. B.C. 536–479. - - -AT the time when Cyrus thus became the ruler of an empire greater even -than Assyria itself, seventy[462] years had elapsed since the capture -of Jerusalem in the reign of Jehoiakim (Dan. ix. 1, 2). The prosperity -he had already enjoyed under so many sovereigns Daniel still retained -under the new monarch, and it was probably through his influence that -in the first year of his reign, or B.C. 536, Cyrus issued a decree -giving permission to the Jews to return to their native land and -rebuild their Temple. To aid them in so doing he restored to them the -sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalem, and -instructed the pashas throughout the various provinces to afford them -every facility for their return (Ezra i. 1–6). - -The majority, however, of the Jews who had for years been comfortably -settled in the land of exile, and had there risen to affluence and high -positions, preferred to retain their settlements[463], and only 42,360 -attended by 7,337 servants were found willing to return to their native -land. Over this body ZERUBBABEL, the head of the house of Judah, and -grandson of King Jehoiachin, was invested with the supreme authority. -He had held some office in the Babylonian court, and had received the -Chaldæan name of Sheshbazzar. Appointed by Cyrus to the governorship of -Jerusalem, and accompanied by the high-priest JESHUA, and possibly the -prophets HAGGAI and ZECHARIAH, with copious presents of silver and gold -(Ezr. i. 7–11), he set out at the head of the returning colonists and -before long reached Jerusalem[464]. - -Seven months after their return, the Altar of Burnt-sacrifice was -re-erected on its ancient site, and the priests and Levites offered -burnt-offerings and sacrifices. This done, preparations were made by -the _Prince of the Captivity_ for his great work, the rebuilding of the -Temple. A grant of money for this purpose having been already received -from Cyrus, cedar trees were brought from Lebanon to Joppa; masons and -carpenters were hired; and in the 2nd month of the 2nd year of their -return, the foundations of the second Temple were laid, with all the -pomp and ceremonial that circumstances admitted. _The priests in their -apparel with trumpets, the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals_ -(Ezr. iii. 10, 11), sang the same Psalms, to the sound of which the -first Temple had been dedicated, and the people responded with a -great shout, which, however, was well-nigh drowned by the sobs and -lamentations of many, especially the older men, who had beheld the -glories of the former Temple. - -But the good work was not to proceed unopposed. Informed of their -design, the Samaritans requested to be allowed some share in its -promotion. This Zerubbabel and Jeshua unwisely rejected, and the -Samaritans thereupon exhausted every artifice to prevent the completion -of the work. After putting them to various other annoyances, they hired -counsellors to misrepresent them at the court of Persia, and eventually -succeeded in preventing any further progress during the reign of Cyrus, -and of his successors Cambyses and Smerdis, B.C. 525–521 (Ezr. iv. -11–24). - -But in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, B.C. 520, the stirring -words of the prophets HAGGAI and ZECHARIAH (Hag. i. 1–8; Zech. i. 1–6) -roused once more the spirits of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and a fresh and -determined effort was made to complete the work. The Persian satraps -of the province, Tatnai and Shetharboznai, came to Jerusalem, and after -an inspection of the work applied to the Persian court for instructions -whether it was to be permitted to go on (Ezr. v. 6–17). Darius caused -the archives at Ecbatana to be searched, and at length the original -decree of Cyrus being discovered, he reissued it, and at the same time -commanded the Persian satraps instead of offering any molestation to -the Jewish colony, to promote the work to the utmost of their power -(Ezr. vi. 5–13). Thus aided, the Jews pressed forward with such vigour -that, in the 8th year of the reign of Darius, the Temple was completed -and ready for dedication, B.C. 516. This ceremony was performed with -every solemnity, numerous sacrifices were offered, the priests were -redistributed into courses, and the Passover was celebrated with great -rejoicings (Ezr. vi. 15–22). - -During the remainder of the long reign of Darius, the Jews enjoyed -a continuance of peace and tranquillity. But in the year B.C. 485, -AHASUERUS[465], the XERXES of profane history, ascended the Persian -throne. When he had reigned three years, this capricious despot made a -feast for all his nobles at Susa, and on the seventh day of the revels -ordered Vashti his queen to grace the banquet with her presence. With -a due concern for her own dignity the queen declined, which so enraged -her lord that he issued a decree deposing her from her royal station, -and ordering a general levy of beautiful virgins, that he might select -from them a new queen (Esth. ii. 1–4). At this time there was living -at Susa a Jew named Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin (Esth. ii. 5). -Having no child of his own, he had adopted his cousin HADASSAH or -ESTHER, a beautiful orphan. Together with the other virgins she was -brought into the royal harem, and found such favour with the monarch -that in the seventh year of his reign, without enquiring into her -kindred or people, he ordered her to be crowned in place of the deposed -queen (Esth. iii. 16). - -By virtue of his relationship Mordecai, too, shared in the prosperity -of his niece, and became one of those who _sat in the king’s gate_ -(Esth. ii. 41). In this capacity he discovered a plot of the eunuchs to -assassinate the king, which he duly divulged, and they were executed, -while a record of his services was entered in the royal chronicles. But -Mordecai had a rival for the royal favour in the person of HAMAN, an -Agagite, _i.e._ probably a descendant of the ancient Amalekite kings. -Rapidly outstripping all his other competitors, the new favourite was -advanced to the highest position in the kingdom, and was treated with -the utmost reverence by everyone, save Mordecai only. Stung to the -quick at this slight, and having discovered the secret of his rival’s -lineage, Haman resolved to strike a blow against the nation to which -Mordecai belonged. Accordingly he represented to his royal master -that the Jews, scattered and dispersed throughout the provinces of -his empire, were a dangerous and turbulent race, of alien habits and -religion, who ought to be put to death; and from the confiscation of -their property he promised to place in the royal coffers upwards of -10,000 talents of silver. The prospect of so large an increase to his -dilapidated fortunes was eagerly favoured by the reckless despot, and -assenting to the cruel scheme, he placed his signet-ring in the hands -of Haman, who quickly saw that a decree was issued for the wholesale -destruction of the Jewish exiles throughout the Persian dominions, -without regard to sex or age (Esth. iii. 8–15). - -News of what was designed before long reached the ears of Mordecai. -Knowing that he himself was the main cause of this bloodthirsty decree, -he was filled with the utmost alarm, and sat down arrayed in sackcloth -and ashes at the king’s gate. His strange conduct being reported to -Esther, she sent to her relative to ascertain the cause, and then for -the first time learnt the contents of Haman’s edict. In this awful -crisis she resolved to _put her life in her hand_, and to intercede -with the king in behalf of her people. Meanwhile, at her suggestion, -all the Jews at Susa maintained for three days a solemn fast, and then, -arrayed in her royal apparel, and radiant in her beauty, she presented -herself before the king. The captivated monarch stretched forth the -golden sceptre, and invited her to prefer her petition. Let the king -and Haman, she begged, come to a banquet of wine. They came, but -declining to make known her petition for the present, she invited the -two to a similar feast on the following day (Esth. v. 8). - -Overjoyed at these special marks of honour, Haman eagerly recounted -them to his wife and family, but declared that they availed him nothing -so long as his rival was permitted to retain his place at the king’s -gate. They, therefore, advised that a gallows 50 cubits high should -be erected, and that he should request the king’s permission to hang -Mordecai thereon. But that night, the monarch, unable to sleep, ordered -certain of the chronicles to be read before him, and now for the first -time learnt the service the Jewish exile had rendered by revealing -the plot against his own life. In answer to his enquiries, he had just -ascertained that no mark of the royal approval had been bestowed upon -his benefactor, when Haman entered the court in the early morning to -request that execution might be carried out upon his hated rival. The -king enquired what ought to be done to the man he delighted to honour. -Imagining that none but himself could be intended, the favourite -suggested that he should be clad in royal apparel, crowned with the -king’s diadem, and mounted on the royal mule, be conducted through the -streets of Susa by one of the king’s most noble friends. The monarch -approved, and bade him straightway confer all these marks of honour on -no other than Mordecai. Not daring to disobey, he arrayed his rival in -the gorgeous robes of the king, and conducted him through the streets -of the city. Then with a heavy heart he returned home, and recounted -to his family the strange events of the day. A presentiment of coming -doom came over his relatives, but a hasty summons to the royal banquet -cut short their deliberations. For the second time the monarch desired -to learn the queen’s petition, and Esther now revealed the danger of -her nation, and denounced the wicked conspirator. Filled with wrath -Ahasuerus ordered his instant execution, and at the suggestion of one -of the eunuchs he was hanged on the very gallows he had constructed for -his rival (Esth. vii. 7–10). - -But the execution of Haman was but a step in Mordecai’s designs for the -delivery of his nation. The edict for the massacre was still in force, -and couriers had already gone forth with it to the various provinces -of the empire. Its revocation was forbidden by Persian law, but a -second edict empowered the Jews to assume the defensive against their -adversaries, of whom, banding themselves together, they slew 800 at -Susa (Esth. ix. 6, 15), and 75,000 in the various provinces, while -Haman’s ten sons shared their father’s fate (Esth. ix. 12, 16). In -memory of this signal deliverance the Jews to this day celebrate the -Feast of PURIM or _Lots_, in ironical commemoration of their great -enemy, who had resorted to this mode of augury for ascertaining an -auspicious day for executing his bloody design against their nation. -Preceded by a strict fast on the 13th of Adar[466], the festival is -celebrated on the 14th and 15th with great rejoicings. According to -modern usage the book of Esther is read in the Synagogue, and when -the reader comes to the name of Haman, the entire assembly shout, _Let -his name be blotted out, let the name of the ungodly perish_; and the -conclusion of the service is followed by feasting and merriment. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - _TIMES OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH. CLOSE OF THE CANON._ - EZRA VII.–X. NEH. I.–XIII. B.C. 457–415. - - -IN the year B.C. 464 Artaxerxes Longimanus succeeded to the Persian -throne. His reign was favourable to the Jews, and was signalised, B.C. -458, by a fresh migration to Jerusalem headed by EZRA, a descendant -of Hilkiah the high-priest in the time of Josiah. A royal ordinance -empowered him not only to receive contributions from his own nation -scattered throughout Babylonia for the adornment of the Temple at -Jerusalem, but also to establish magistrates and judges throughout -all Judea, and to claim assistance from the various pashas of the -provinces through which he would pass (Ezr. vii. 11–26). Thus aided and -encouraged, Ezra persuaded about 6,000 of his countrymen to take part -in this second migration, amongst whom were many of the priesthood, -both of the higher and lower orders. After a fast of three days at the -river Ahava[467], to supplicate the Divine blessing on the enterprise, -the expedition set out, and, though not escorted by a royal guard, -reached Jerusalem in safety (♦Ezra viii. 32). - -Ezra was well received by the Jewish governors, but was pained to -find much to blame in the conduct of his countrymen. Forgetful of -the commands of the Law, they had in many instances intermarried with -the surrounding heathen tribes. He therefore devoted himself with all -zeal to the correction of these abuses; proclaimed a fast by way of -atonement for past transgressions, and succeeded in inducing many to -put away their strange wives. At the same time he commenced a more -complete reorganization of the people according to the Mosaic Law and -the institutes of David, and, it is not improbable, a revision and -rearrangement of the sacred Books (Ezra x. 1–17). - -But though the Persian monarchs had not been unwilling to render aid -in the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, their policy had hitherto -forbidden the re-erection of the city itself, which still lay exposed -and defenceless, _its walls broken down and its gates burned with fire_ -(Neh. i. 3), the Temple, and a few private dwellings, being the sole -result of 80 years of effort. In the 20th year, however, of Artaxerxes, -or B.C. 444, there arrived at Shusan a deputation from Jerusalem, with -a sad account of the condition of the city, which they laid before -NEHEMIAH, a Jew, probably of the tribe of Judah, who held a high -position amongst the royal cup-bearers. Nehemiah instantly conceived -the patriotic design of quitting the comforts of his present position, -and aiding his countrymen in their difficulties. With fasting and -prayer he sought the blessing of the Most High on his design, and -shortly afterwards, in reply to the enquiries of the king _why his -countenance was so sad_, poured forth the deep desire of his heart, and -begged that he might be allowed to go to Judea, and rebuild the city of -his fathers. Artaxerxes consented[468], on condition that he returned -within a certain period; and having appointed him Tirshatha or governor -of Judea, gave him letters to the pashas of the provinces through -which he would pass, as also to Asaph the keeper of the royal forests, -directing him to supply timber and other necessaries for the work -(Neh. ii. 1–8). - -Thus empowered and guarded by a troop of cavalry, Nehemiah set out -on his journey. On his arrival at Jerusalem he for three days kept -silence as to his intentions, but after a midnight survey of the ruined -condition of the city, openly proclaimed the purport of his visit, and -the royal commission under which he was acting. He advised the instant -rebuilding of the city walls, till which was done the colony could not -but be a reproach to the surrounding tribes, with their city almost -deserted, and the Temple itself falling into decay (Neh. ii. 12–20). - -His project was received with acclamation, and a resolution was formed -to press on with the work without delay. But the coming of the new -governor had reached the ears of the Samaritans, and Sanballat the -Horonite[469], Tobiah an Ammonite, and Geshem an Arabian, employed -every artifice to defeat his designs. Nehemiah, however, was not to be -daunted. His object was to finish the walls in the shortest possible -time, and he therefore directed that while one half of the people -wrought at the work, the other should stand by armed and ready to -defend them, and that the workmen should hold in the one hand a weapon, -and in the other their tools. Thus by dint of incredible exertions, -within the brief space of 52 days Jerusalem was again girded and -enclosed, the walls were rebuilt, the ancient towers set up, and -the gateways were ready for the doors to be swung upon them (Neh. -iv. 13–23). - -Unable to impede by open violence the progress of the enterprise, -Sanballat and his friends resorted to various stratagems to get -Nehemiah out of the city. They began by proposing a conference with the -governor in one of the villages of the plain of Ono in Benjamin. Four -times was the proposition made, and as often declined. Then resort was -had to a still more cunning artifice. Sanballat sent to Nehemiah an -apparently friendly letter, announcing the prevalence of a rumour among -the heathen nations settled in Samaria that he intended Jerusalem to -become the capital of an independent kingdom, and had suborned prophets -to prophesy of himself, _There is a king in Judah_. Such rumours were -sure to reach the Persian court, but might be dissipated by a friendly -conference. At the same time Noadiah a prophetess and others were -bribed to represent to the governor the risk he was running, and to -persuade him to take refuge in the fortress of the Temple. But Nehemiah -saw through their designs, and refused to give them any pretext for -accusing him of conscious guilt (Neh. vi. 1–14). In addition to these -plots the governor had to be on his guard against treachery within -the city itself, where many of the Jewish nobles were carrying on a -secret correspondence with Tobiah, and even espoused his cause. But in -spite of all obstacles the work went on, and the essential part of the -governor’s design, the building of the gates, was accomplished. - -Having thus provided for the external security of the city, Nehemiah -applied himself with equal zeal to the correction of internal abuses. -One of these was the high rate of usury, which those who had any money -at their command, exacted from their poorer brethren. To such an extent -was this the case, that some mortgaged their fields, vineyards, and -houses; others sold or pledged the freedom of their children; while -many borrowed at the most exorbitant rates sufficient to pay the royal -taxes (Neh. v. 1–14). The discovery of this nefarious system roused -the governor’s indignation. Himself noble, generous, and highminded, -he declined even the usual supplies for his own table which former -governors had received; defrayed many expenses out of his own purse; -and even entertained the poorer classes of his countrymen at his own -table (Neh. v. 14–19). With righteous sternness, therefore, he rebuked -the nobles who connived at this disgraceful traffic, and convoking an -assembly demanded that his enslaved country men should be set free, -their debts remitted, and the enormous interest foregone. His rebukes -had their effect. The assembly unanimously announced their willingness -to accede to his demands, and abstain from such conduct in future. -Other measures for the internal welfare of the city were then proceeded -with. The doors having been set up in the gates, the custody of the -city was committed to Hanani, a relative of the governor; a register -of the people was taken, the Law was solemnly read in their hearing by -Ezra (Neh. viii. 1–16), and the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated -with due solemnities, from the 15th to the 22nd of the month Tisri[470]. -Two days afterwards a Fast was proclaimed, and the people made a formal -confession of their national sins, and enumerated the gracious dealings -of the Most High with them, from the Call of Abraham to the return -from the Captivity (Neh. ix. 6–37). At the same time they ratified -a solemn covenant to serve the Lord with all their heart, and keep -the ordinances of the Lord; to avoid intermarriages with heathens; -to observe the Sabbaths and other holy days, and neither buy nor sell -goods thereon; to keep the seventh or Sabbatical year, and remit all -debts during it; to contribute each man one-third of a shekel towards -the support of the Temple-service, and to maintain the customary -first-fruits and tithes (Neh. x. 29–39). - -Having in co-operation with Ezra thus restored the national -institutions, Nehemiah returned to the Persian court, B.C. 432. -During his absence the old abuses again began to creep in; the people -contracted alliances with foreigners, neglected the Sabbath, and -forgot the covenant they had so lately sworn to observe. As soon as -he was informed of this, Nehemiah sought and obtained permission to -revisit once more the scene of his former labours, and as Tirshatha -was invested with renewed powers. Returning after an absence of about -nine years, he found that Eliashib the high-priest had permitted Tobiah -the Ammonite to occupy a large chamber in the Temple, which had before -been used as a store for the frankincense, the holy vessels, and the -tithes of corn, wine, and oil. Thereupon he insisted on the expulsion -of the intruder, and the restoration of the ejected vessels and stores, -over which he appointed a Levitical guard (Neh. xiii. 1–15). He next -introduced measures for the prevention of traffic on the Day of Rest, -and the celebration of mixed marriages, alike amongst the lower and the -higher orders of the people, even deposing from his sacred functions -the high-priest Eliashib for permitting his son Joiada to ally himself -with a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite (Neh. xiii. 15–28). Having -thus completed his second administration, this truly patriotic and -upright governor in all probability returned to Persia about B.C. 413, -and there died. - -With this date closes the History contained in the Scriptures of the -Old Testament. While the mass of the Hebrew people was scattered among -the nations, carrying with them, wherever they went, their Law and -their Institutions, we have seen a remnant, as had indeed been foretold, -restored to their own land, their holy Temple rebuilt, their glorious -City raised from its ruins. Very different, indeed, was their position -now from that which the nation had occupied during the palmy days of -Solomon, when their kingdom stretched from “the river of Egypt” to the -Euphrates, from the mountains of Lebanon to the Red Sea. Different, -too, and far less costly was their Temple in comparison with that which -the artisans of Hiram had built for the Son of David, but in its moral -and spiritual condition the remnant of the nation far excelled the -contemporaries of its greatest king. In the furnace of affliction -it had been thoroughly purified from all tendencies to idolatry. The -dreary years, when _their harps hung upon the willows by the waters of -Babylon_, had not been without their salutary effect upon the people. - -There was no division now in the objects of their worship. No high -places were to be seen crowned with temples dedicated to Baal or -Chemosh; no groves screened with their leafy covert the impure orgies -of ♦Ashtaroth; no drums and cymbals drowned with their horrid clang -the wail of infants in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, as they were passed -through the fire to appease the cruel Moloch. These “oracles” were -“dumb.” The Jew was no longer an idolater. The Divine Unity was now -the central truth of his creed. The Law once neglected was now read, -copied, studied. While Nehemiah had earnestly applied himself to the -civil administration, Ezra[471], and others after him, with no less -zeal devoted their energies to collecting, transcribing, arranging -the Sacred Books. These were ultimately classed under three divisions; -(i) _The Law_, containing the five Books of Moses; (ii) _The Prophets_, -which included the historical and prophetical writings; (iii) _The -Psalms_, or Hagiographa (_sacred writings_), comprising the poetical -works. - -Meanwhile varied as had been the fortunes of the Chosen People, the -Assurance of a Saviour, of God’s purpose of love in the promised Seed, -had never been forgotten. As first made known to man in Paradise, -it did perhaps, as we have seen[472], little more than assure him of -a future interposition in his behalf, without informing him whether -his Redeemer should be one or many, the collective race, or a single -deliverer. But once given, the realization of the Promise becomes the -goal of Sacred History. - -Through one of the sons of Noah[473], it is limited to a particular -race; through the call of Abraham[474] to a particular nation; through -Judah to a particular tribe. When the people flee away from the terrors -of Sinai, Moses predicts the coming of a greater _Prophet_[475], and -a mightier Mediator. When the Sceptre rises from Judah[476]. and David -sits upon his throne, he himself speaks of a Greater King[477], of ONE -he calls his Lord, _who shall sit upon his throne, and of whose kingdom -there shall be no end_. When the mournful close of Solomon’s reign -proves that he could not be the destined king, when his kingdom is -rent in twain, and his subjects become a prey to their enemies, and -are carried off into far distant lands, even then the very sadness of -the Captivity only serves to correct the idea of the Messiah, and the -“Son of David” gives place in the writings of Daniel to the “Son of -Man[478].” Thus each crisis of the nation’s history serves to bring the -Promise within narrower limits, and to illustrate it with fresh details. - -Meanwhile, as time rolls on, and one prophet after another brings -out some new particular, foreshadowing the birth-place[479], or the -offices[480], or the works of the Messiah, another Voice begins to be -heard in the Temple of Prophecy. It is not jubilant and glad, telling -of triumph and of glory, of the subjugation of nations, or the setting -up of a kingdom. It is subdued and mournful. It whispers of suffering -and rejection, of a triumph indeed, but not the triumph of an earthly -conqueror. It speaks of the coming[481] of _a man of sorrows and -acquainted with grief_; of His being _wounded for transgressions -and bruised for iniquities_; of His being _cut off, but not for -Himself_[482]. - -The earliest prophecy had declared that the seed of the woman -should _bruise the Serpent’s head_, but had whispered that the -Serpent would _bruise his heel_. The latest declared that the Messiah -should _triumph_, but also that He should _die_. Thus gradually, but -harmoniously, was the person and work of man’s Redeemer unfolded. - -And at length in _the fulness of time_[483] a Babe was born in -Bethlehem, and laid in a manger. Seed of the Woman, of the race of -Shem, of the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, of the -lineage of David, He lived, He died, He rose again. Prophet like -unto, but infinitely greater than Moses, He gave us a law which shall -never pass away[484]; Priest like unto, but not as Aaron _compassed -about with infirmity_, He offered up on the Altar of His Cross a full, -perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, atonement, and satisfaction for -the sins of the whole world; King like unto, but infinitely higher -than David, He sitteth at the right hand of God, clad in the glorified -nature of the race He came to save, the predicted Redeemer of the Old, -the revealed Deliverer of the New Testament, in _whom there is neither -Jew nor Gentile, neither male nor female, neither bond nor free_[485]. - - - - - APPENDIX. - - - I. - THE PATRIARCHS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS. - - ┌ Iscah - ┌ Haran ──┤ Milcah - │ └ LOT ────────┬ Moab - │ └ Ammon - │ - │ ┌ Laban ────┬ LEAH - TERAH ┤ Nahor ─── Bethuel ────┤ └ RACHEL - │ └ REBEKAH - │ - │ ┌ (of Hagar) - │ │ Ishmael - │ │ ┌ ESAU - └ ABRAHAM ┤ │ ┌ (of Leah) - │ │ │ Reuben - │ │ │ Levi - │ (of Sarah) │ │ Issachar - └ ISAAC ────┤ │ Simeon - │ │ Judah - │ │ Zebulun - │ │ Dinah - └ JACOB ────┤ (of Bilhah) - │ Dan - │ Naphtali - │ (of Zilpah) - │ Gad - │ Asher - │ (of Rachel) - │ JOSEPH ───┬ Ephraim - │ └ Manasseh - └ Benjamin - - - II. - LEVI AND THE PRIESTHOOD. - - ┌ MIRIAM - │ ┌ Nadab - │ AARON ──┤ Abihu - ┌ Kohath ─ Amram ──┤ │ Eleazar ― 16 courses - │ │ └ Ithamar ― 8 courses - LEVI ─┤ │ (of Priests.) - │ └ MOSES - │ Gershon - └ Merari - - - III. - - KINGS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. - - B.C. - Saul 1095 - David 1055 - Solomon 1015 - - Division of the Kingdom, B.C. 975. - - - KINGDOMS OF JUDAH AND ISRAEL. - - LINES OF POLICY. │KINGS OF JUDAH.│B.C.│KINGS OF ISRAEL. DYNASTIES. - ──────────────────┼───────────────┼────┼──────────────────────────── - │ 1 Rehoboam │ 975│ 1 _Jeroboam_ } - │ 2 Abijah │ 958│ } I. - I. │ 3 Asa │ 955│ } - B.C. 975–918 │ │ 954│ 2 Nadab } - Period of mutual │ │ 953│ 3 _Baasha_ } II. - hostility. │ │ 930│ 4 Elah } - │ │ 929│ 5 _Zimri_ III. - │ │ 929│ 6 _Omri_ } - ──────────────────┤ │ 918│ 7 Ahab } - │ 4 Jehoshaphat │ 914│ } IV. - II. │ │ 898│ 8 Ahaziah ] - B.C. 918–884 │ │ 896│ 9 Jehoram } - Period of mutual │ 5 Jehoram │ 892│ - alliance, and │ 6 Ahaziah │ 885│ - hostility to │ 7 (_Athaliah_)│ 884│10 _Jehu_ } - Syria. │ 8 Joash │ 878│ } - │ │ 856│11 Jehoahaz } - ──────────────────┤ │ 841│12 Jehoash } - │ 9 Amaziah │ 839│ } V. - │ │ 825│13 Jeroboam II. } - │10 Uzziah │ 810│ 1st interregnum } - │ │ 783│of about 11 years*} - III. │ │ 773│14 Zachariah } - B.C. 884–588 │ │ 772│15 _Shallum_ VI. - Renewal of mutual │ │ 772│16 _Menahem_ } VII. - hostilities, │ │ 761│17 Pekahiah } - gradual decline │ │ 759│18 _Pekah_ VIII. - of both kingdoms │11 Jotham │ 758│ - before the power │12 Ahaz │ 742│ - of Assyria. │ │ 737│ 2nd interregnum - │ │ 730│19 _Hoshea_ IX. - │13 Hezekiah │ 726│ - │ │ 721│Capture of Samaria - │14 Manasseh │ 698│and captivity of - │15 Amon │ 643│Israel. - │16 Josiah │ 641│ - │17 Jehoahaz │ 610│ - │18 Jehoiakim │ 610│ - │19 Jehoiachin │ 599│ - │ or Coniah │ │ - │20 Zedekiah │ 599│ - │ Jerusalem │ 588│ - │ destroyed │ - - * See Clinton’s _Epitome_, p. 133. - - - IV. - - THE PROPHETS. - - │ │ PERIOD ILLUSTRATED BY THEIR PROPHECIES. - │ PROBABLE ├───────┬──────────────┬────────────────── - GENERAL │ CHRON. │ │ KINGS OF │ KINGS OF - DIVISION. │ ORDER │ B.C. │ ISRAEL. │ JUDAH. - ────────────┼────────────────┼───────┼──────────────┼────────────────── - MAJOR │ PROPHETS. │ │ │ - PROPHETS. │i. _Before the │ │ │ - │ Babylonian │ │ │ - _Four._ │ Captivity._ │ │ │ - 1 Isaiah │*1 Jonah │840–784│Jehoash, │Joash, Amaziah - │ │ │ Jeroboam II.│ - 2 Jeremiah │ 2 Joel │810–795│Jeroboam II. │Joash - 3 Ezekiel │ 3 Amos │810–785│Jeroboam II. │Uzziah - 4 Daniel │ 4 Hosea │800–725│Jeroboam II.– │Uzziah, Jotham, - │ │ │ Hoshea │ Ahaz - │ 5 Isaiah │758–699│Pekahiah– │Ahaz, Hezekiah - │ │ │ Captivity │ - ――― │ 6 Micah │765–698│Menahem– │Uzziah, Jotham, - │ │ │ Captivity │ Ahaz, Hezekiah - │ │ │ │ - MINOR │ii. _Near to │ │ │ - PROPHETS. │ and during │ │ │ - │ the Captivity_│ │ │ - _Twelve_ │ 1 Nahum │720–698│Captivity of │Manasseh, Amon, - │ │ │ Israel │ Josiah - 1 Hosea │ 2 Zephaniah │640–609│ │Josiah, Jehoahaz - 2 Joel │ 3 Habakkuk │612–598│ │Josiah–Zedekiah - 3 Amos │ 4 Jeremiah │628–585│ │Jehoahaz–Captivity - 4 Obadiah │ 5 Daniel │606–534│ │The Captivity - 5 Jonah │†6 Obadiah │588–583│ │Captivity of Judah - 6 Micah │ 7 Ezekiel │595–574│ │Zedekiah, Captivity - 7 Nahum │ │ │ │ - 8 Habakkuk │iii. _After the │ │ │ - 9 Zephaniah│ return from │ │ │ - 10 Haggai │ the Captivity_│ │ │ - 11 Zechariah│ 1 Haggai │520–518│ │The Rebuilding of - 12 Malachi │ │ │ │ the Temple - │ 2 Zechariah │520–510│ │Rebuilding and - │ │ │ │ Dedication - │ 3 Malachi │420–397│ │2nd Reformation - │ │ │ │ of Nehemiah - │ │ │ │Close of the Canon - - * The order of the first six Prophets is much disputed, but the one - above given seems to receive most support. - † By some the prophecies of Obadiah are referred to the reign of - Hezekiah, B.C. 726–698. - - - V. - - ISRAEL IN CONNECTION WITH THE SURROUNDING NATIONS. - - 1. THE LATER ASSYRIAN EMPIRE. - - B.C.│ CONTEMPORANEOUS KINGDOMS. - ├────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬───────────── - │ ASSYRIA. │ BABYLON. │ EGYPT. │ JUDAH. │ ISRAEL. - ────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼───────────── - 742 │TIGLATH- │Nabonassar │ │ │ - │ PILESER │ │ │ │ - │ invades │ │ │ │ - │ Babylon │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 741 │ │ │ │AHAZ │PEKAH - │ │ │ │ │ - 740 │Takes │ │ │ │Pekah - │ tribute │ │ │ │tributary - │ from PEKAH │ │ │ │ - │ Defeats │ │ │ │ - │ Rezin │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 737 │ │ │ │Pays homage │PEKAH slain - │ │ │ │ to Tiglath-│ - │ │ │ │ Pileser at │ - │ │ │ │ Damascus │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 730 │ │ │ │ │HOSHEA - │ │ │ │ │ - 726 │Accession of│Elulæus │ │HEZEKIAH │Submission to - │ SHALMANESER│ │ │ │ Shalmaneser - │ │ │ │ │ (2 K. xvii. 3) - │ │ │ │ │ - 725 │ │ │Sabaco I.? │ │Alliance with - │ │ │ So │ │ So (2 K. - │ │ │ │ │ xvii. 4) - │ │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 723 │Siege of │ │ │ │Siege of - │ Tyre │ │ │ │ Samaria - │ │ │ │ │ - 722 │Rebellion │ │ │ │ - │ of SARGON │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 721 │SARGON takes│Merodach │ │ │Samaria - │ Samaria │ Baladan │ │ │ taken - │ │ │ │ │ - 715 │Attacks │ │Sabaco II.? │ │CAPTIVITY of - │ Arabia │ │ Wars with │ │ ISRAEL - │ │ │ Sargon │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 713 │ │ │ │HEZEKIAH’S - │ │ │ │ illness - │ │ │ │ Embassy of - │ │ │ │ Merodach - │ │ │ │ Baladan - │ │ │ │ - 711 │Takes Ashdod│Attacked by │ │(See p.434 - │ │ Sargon │ │ n.) - │ │ │ │ - 702 │SENNACHERIB │Belybus │ │ - │ expels │ │ │ - │ Merodach │ │ │ - │ Baladan │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 700 │Advances │ │ │First - │ against │ │ │ attack of - │ Philistia │ │ │ Sennacherib - │ and Egypt │ │ │ on - │ │ │ │ Jerusalem―― - │ │ │ │ makes - │ │ │ │ HEZEKIAH - │ │ │ │ tributary - │ │ │ │ - 699?│Defeated │Asshur-Nadin│ │Second - │ before │ │ │ attack - │ Pelusium │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 698 │ │ │ │MANASSEH - │ │ │ │ - 690 │ │ │Tirhakah │ - │ │ │ │ - 680 │Accession of│Esarhaddon │ │ - │ ESARHADDON │ │ │ - │ (2 K. │ │ │ - │ xix. 37) │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 676?│ │Manasseh │ │The captains - │ │ brought to │ │ of - │ │ Babylon │ │ Esarhaddon - │ │ (See p. │ │ remove - │ │ ♦445 n.) │ │ MANASSEH - │ │ │ │ to Babylon - │ │ │ │ - 660?│Assur-bani- │Saosduchinus│ │ - │ pal │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 664 │ │ │Psammetichus│ - │ │ │ │ - 647 │Asshur-emit-│Cinneladanus│ │ - │ ili │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 643 │ │ │ │AMON - │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 630 │Scythian │ │ │JOSIAH - │ invasion │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - 625 │Destruction │Nabopolassar│ │ - │ of Nineveh │ │ │ - │ by Cyaxares│ │ │ - │ │ │ │ - - ⁂ This and the following Tables are framed from those given in - Rawlinson’s Herodotus, Vol. I. pp. 489, 530, Clinton’s Epitome, - and Prideaux’s Connection of Sacred and Profane History. - - - 2. BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. - - B.C.│ BABYLONIA. │ MEDIA. │ EGYPT. │ LYDIA. │ JUDAH. - ────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼───────────── - 625 │Nabopolassar│8th year of │39th year of│Alyattes │15th year of - │ │ Cyaxares │Psammetichus│ │JOSIAH - │ │ │ │ │ - 615 │Cyaxares │ │ │Attacked by │ - │ attacks │ │ │ Cyaxares │ - │ Lydia │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 610 │Makes peace │ │NECO (2 K. │Peace made │ - │ between │ │ xxiii. 28) │ │ - │ Cyaxares │ │ │ │ - │ and │ │ │ │ - │ Alyattes │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 609 │Attacked by │ │Invades │ │JEHOAHAZ - │ Neco │ │ Syria │ │ JEHOIAKIM - │ │ │ Defeats │ │ - │ │ │ JOSIAH │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 606 │Sends │ │Defeated at │ │Submits to - │ Nebuchad- │ │ Carchemish │ │ Nebuchad- - │ nezzar │ │ │ │ nezzar - │ against │ │ │ │ - │ Nico │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 604 │NEBUCHAD- │ │ │ │ - │ NEZZAR │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 602 │ │ │ │ │Rebels - │ │ │ │ │ - 599 │Besieges │ │ │ │ - │ Tyre │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 597 │Besieges │Assists │ │ │JEHOIACHIN - │ Jerusalem │ Nebuchad- │ │ │ 3 mo. - │ │ nezzar │ │ │ ZEDEKIAH - │ │ │ │ │ - 595 │ │Astyages │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 594 │ │ │Psammetichus│ │ - │ │ │ II. │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 588 │Second │ │Apries │ │Attacked by - │ siege of │ │ (Ezek. │ │ Nebuchad- - │ Jerusalem │ │ xvii. 15) │ │ nezzar - │ │ │ │ │ - 586 │Takes │ │ │ │Taken - │ Jerusalem │ │ │ │ prisoner - │ │ │ │ │ - 585 │Takes Tyre │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 581 │Invades │ │ │ │CAPTIVITY - │ Egypt │ │ │ │ of JUDAH - │ │ │ │ │ - 570 │Second │ │Deposed by │ │ - │ Invasion │ │ Nebuchad- │ │ - │ of Egypt │ │ nezzar │ │ - │ │ │ (Jer. xliv.│ │ - │ │ │ 30; Ezek. │ │ - │ │ │ xxix. xxx. │ │ - │ │ │ xxxii.) │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 561 │EVIL- │ │ │ │JEHOIACHIN - │ MERODACH │ │ │ │ released - │ │ │ │ │ - 560 │ │ │ │Crœsus │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 559 │Neriglissar │Defeated by │ │ │ - │ │ Cyrus at │ │ │ - │ │ Pasargadæ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 556 │Laboroso- │ │ │ │ - │ archod │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 555 │Nabonadius, │ │ │ │ - │ Alliance │ │ │ │ - │ with Crœsus│ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 546 │ │ │ │Defeated by │ - │ │ │ │ Cyrus │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 539 │Associated │ │ │ │ - │ with │ │ │ │ - │ BELSHAZZAR │ │ │ │ - │ │ │ │ │ - 538 │Conquered │ │ │ │ - │ by CYRUS │ │ │ │ - - - 3. THE PERSIAN EMPIRE AND GREECE. - - B.C.│ JUDEA. │ PERSIA. │ GREECE. - ────┼─────────────────────┼─────────────────────┼───────────────────── - 537 │ │Supremacy of Cyrus │ - │ │ │ - 536 │Return of the Jews │Decree for the return│ - │The Altar set up │ of the Jews │ - │ │ │ - 534 │Interruption of the │ │ - │ Samaritans │ │ - │ │ │ - 529 │ │Death of Cyrus │ - │ │ │ - 525 │ │Accession of CAMBYSES│ - │ │ │ - 522 │ │DARIUS HYSTASPES │ - │ │ │ - 520 │Prophecies of Haggai │ │ - │ and ZECHARIAH │ │ - │Building of the │ │ - │ Temple resumed │ │ - │ │ │ - 516 │ Temple dedicated │ │ - │ │ │ - 510 │ │ │Expulsion of the - │ │ │ Pisistratidæ - 499 │ │Burning of Sardis by │ - │ │ the Ionians │ - │ │ │ - 493 │ │Darius declares war │ - │ │ against Greece │ - │ │ │ - 490 │ │ │Battle of Marathon - │ │ │ - 485 │ │Accession of XERXES │ - │ │ (_Ahasuerus_) │ - │ │ │ - 480 │ │ │Battle of Salamis - │ │ │ - 479 │ │Returns defeated │ - │ │ from Greece │ - │ │Era of _Esther_ and │ - │ │ _Mordecai_ │ - │ │ │ - 466 │ │ │Battles at the - │ │ │ Eurymedon - │ │ │ - 465 │ │Death of Xerxes │ - │ │ │ - 464 │ │Accession of │Themistocles goes to - │ │ ARTAXERXES │ Persia - │ │ │ - 458 │EZRA comes to │ │ - │ Jerusalem │ │ - │Last prophecies of │ │ - │ ZECHARIAH │ │ - │ │ │ - 449 │ │Artaxerxes makes │Victory of the - │ │ peace with the │ Athenians at Salamis - │ │ Athenians │ in Cyprus - │ │ │ - 444 │NEHEMIAH rebuilds the│ │ - │ walls of Jerusalem │ │ - │Opposition of │ │ - │ Sanballat │ │ - │ │ │ - 433 │ │Nehemiah returns to │ - │ │ Persia │ - │ │ │ - 432 │ │ │Peloponnesian war - │ │ │ begins - │ │ │ - 428 │Return and further │ │ - │ reformations by │ │ - │ NEHEMIAH │ │ - │ │ │ - 423 │ │Accession of DARIUS │ - │ │ NOTHUS │ - │ │ │ - 420 │Prophecies of MALACHI│ │ - │ │ │ - 413?│ │Final return of │ - │ │ Nehemiah │ - - - VI. - - TABLES OF WEIGHTS, MEASURES AND MONEY. - - - 1. _Jewish Weights reduced to English Troy Weight._ - - lbs. oz. dwts. grs. - The gerah, 1/20th of a shekel 0 0 0 12 - Bekah, ½ a shekel 0 0 5 0 - The shekel 0 0 10 0 - The maneh = 60 shekels 2 6 0 0 - The talent = 50 maneh = 3000 shekels 125 0 0 0 - - - 2. _Scripture Measures of Length reduced to English Measure._ - - Eng. - feet. inches. - A digit, Jer. lii. 21 0 0·912 - ┌────┐ - │ 4│ A palm, Exod. xxv. 25 0 3·648 - ├────┼───┐ - │ 12│ 3│ A span, Exod. xxviii. 16 0 10·944 - ├────┼───┼───┐ - │ 24│ 6│ 2│ A cubit, Gen. vi. 15 1 9·888 - ├────┼───┼───┼──┐ - │ 96│ 24│ 12│ 4│ A fathom, Acts xxvii. 28 7 3·552 - ├────┼───┼───┼──┼──┐ - │ 144│ 36│ 18│ 6│1½│ Ezekiel’s reed, Ezek. xl. 3–5 10 11·328 - ├────┼───┼───┼──┼──┼──┐ - │ 192│ 48│ 24│ 8│ 2│1⅓│ An Arabian pole 14 7·104 - ├────┼───┼───┼──┼──┼──┼──┐ - │1920│480│240│80│20│13│10│ Schœnus, or Measuring line, 145 11·040 - └────┴───┴───┴──┴──┴──┴──┘ Ezek. xl. 3 - - - 3. _The Long Scripture Measures._ - - Eng. - miles. paces. feet. - A cubit 0 0 1·824 - ┌─────┐ - │ 400│ A stadium or furlong, Luke xxiv. 13 0 145 4·6 - ├─────┼───┐ - │ 2000│ 5│ A Sabbath day’s journey, Acts i. 12 0 729 3·0 - ├─────┼───┼──┐ - │ 4000│ 10│ 2│ An eastern mile, Matt. v. 41 1 403 1·0 - ├─────┼───┼──┼──┐ - │12000│ 30│ 6│ 3│ A parasang 4 153 3·0 - ├─────┼───┼──┼──┼──┐ - │96000│240│48│24│ 8│ A day’s journey 33 172 4·0 - └─────┴───┴──┴──┴──┘ - - - 4. _Scripture Measures of Capacity for Liquids, - reduced to English Wine Measure._ - - gal. pints. - A caph 0 0·625 - ┌────┐ - │ 1⅓│ A log, Lev. xiv. 10 0 0·833 - ├────┼────┐ - │ 5⅓│ 4│ A cab 0 3·333 - ├────┼────┼───┐ - │ 16 │ 12│ 3│ A hin, Exod. xxx. 24 1 2 - ├────┼────┼───┼──┐ - │ 32 │ 24│ 6│ 2│ A seah 2 4 - ├────┼────┼───┼──┼──┐ - │ 96 │ 72│ 18│ 6│ 3│ A bath, or ephah, 1 Kings vii. 26; - │ │ │ │ │ │ John ii. 7 4 - ├────┼────┼───┼──┼──┼──┐ - │960 │♦720│180│60│30│10│ A kor or homer, - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Ezek. xlv. 14; Isaiah v. 10 75 0 - └────┴────┴───┴──┴──┴──┘ - - - 5. _Scripture Measures of Capacity for things Dry - reduced to English Corn Measure._ - - pks. gal. pints. - A gachal 0 0 0·1416 - ┌────┐ - │ 20│ A cab or chœnix, 2 Kings vi. 25; Rev. vi. 6 0 0 2·8333 - ├────┼────┐ - │ 36│ 1⅘│ An omer, Exod. xvi. 36 0 0 5·1 - ├────┼────┼────┐ - │ 120│ 6 │ 3⅓│ A seah, Matt. xiii. 33 1 0 1 - ├────┼────┼────┼──┐ - │ 360│ 18 │ 10 │ 3│ An ephah, Ezek. xlv. 11 3 0 3 - ├────┼────┼────┼──┼──┐ - │1800│ 90 │ 50 │15│ 5│ A letech, Hos. iii. 2 15 1 7 - ├────┼────┼────┼──┼──┼──┐ - │3600│180 │100 │30│10│ 2│ A homer or kor, Num. - │ │ │ │ │ │ │ xi. 32; Hosea iii. 2. 31 1 6 - └────┴────┴────┴──┴──┴──┘ - - - 6. _Jewish Money reduced to English Standard._ - - £ s. d. - A gerah, Exod. xxx. 0 0 1·3687 - ┌─────┐ - │ 10│ A bekah, Exod. xxxviii. 26 0 1 1·6875 - ├─────┼────┐ - │ 20│ 2│ A shekel, Exod. xxx. 13; Isa. vii. 23 0 2 3·375 - ├─────┼────┼────┐ - │ 1200│ 120│ 60│ A maneh or minah Hebraica 6 16 10·5 - ├─────┼────┼────┼──┐ - │60000│6000│3000│50│ A talent 342 3 9 - └─────┴────┴────┴──┘ - A solidus aureus, or sextula, was worth 0 12 0½ - A siculus aureus, or gold shekel, was worth 1 16 6 - A talent of gold was worth 5475 0 0 - -In the preceding table, silver is valued at 5s. and gold at £4 per oz. - - - - - INDEX. - - - A. - - Aaron - his parentage, 81; - appointed spokesman to Moses, 85; - fashions the calf, 112; - rebuked by Moses, 113; - made the first High-priest, 130; - rebels against Moses, 171; - priesthood of his race confirmed, 178; - excluded from the Promised Land, 180; - his death on Mount Hor, 182 - Abana - river, 412 - Abdon - the judge, 258 - Abednego - at Babylon, 457; - in the fiery furnace, 456 - Abel - his sacrifice, 10; - death of, 11 - Abel Beth-Maachah - death of Sheba at, 343; - its position, 343 - Abel Meholah - meaning of, flight of the Midianites to, 249; - residence of Elisha, 391 - Abiah - son of Samuel, 275 - Abiathar, the priest - joins David, 305; - has charge of the Ark, 326, 338; - rebels against David, 347; - degraded from the Priesthood, 352 - Abigail - David’s wife, 309, 318 - Abihu - the sin of, 131 - Abijah - king of Judah, 376; - defeats Jeroboam, 377 - Abimelech - made king of his tribe, 252; - destroys Shechem, 254; - his death, 255 - Abiram - rebellion of, 176, 177 - Abishai - David’s nephew, 304, 310, 319; - captain of the mighty men, 329, 343; - saves David’s life, 345 - Abner - Saul’s general, 310; - supports Ishbosheth, 319; - kills Asahel, 320; - joins David, 320; - killed by Joab, 321; - effect of his death, 321 - Abraham - the call of, 26, 36; - his descent and abode, 27; - promises to him, 28, 34, 37; - sets out for the Promised Land, 28; - arrives at Shechem, 31; - builds his first altar there, 32; - removes to Bethel, 32; - goes down to Egypt, 33; - returns to Bethel, 33; - separates from Lot, 34; - removes to the oak of Mamre, 34, 44; - rescues Lot, 35; - blessed by Melchizedek, 36; - solemn covenant to him, 37; - his name changed, 38; - entertains three angels, 39; - pleads for Sodom and Gomorrah, 40; - his offering of Isaac, 43; - his subsequent history, 44; - death, and burial at Machpelah, 45; - summary of his character, 76 - Absalom - murders Amnon, 336; - forgiven by David, 336; - his rebellion, 337; - enters Jerusalem, 339; - his defeat and death, 341 - Achan - his transgression and death, 208 - Achish - his policy towards David, 303, 311 - Achor - valley of, 208 - Adam - the creation of, 3; - placed in Paradise, 3; - his life there, 4; - his disobedience, 6; - the curse upon him, 7; - the Promise to him, 8; - his expulsion, 10; - his sons and descendants, 10, 11; - their longevity, 12; - their general wickedness, 12 - Adoni-bezek - his capture, 226 - Adonijah - rebels against David, 347; - his life spared, 348; - his rebellion against Solomon, 350, 351; - put to death, 352 - Adoram - stoned to death, 369 - Adullam - David at, 303 - Agag - chief of the Amalekites, 103; - spared by Saul, 292; - slain by Samuel, 293 - Ahab, king of Israel - married to Jezebel, 381; - effects of her influence on him, 383; - the drought during his reign, 385; - denounced by Elijah, 383, 385, 397; - his wars with Benhadad, 391–395; - his death, 399; - slaughter of his descendants, 421 - Ahasuerus - the Xerxes of history, 471; - chooses Esther for queen, 472; - exalts Mordecai, 474 - Ahaz - king of Judah, 433; - his idolatry, 434 - Ahaziah - king of Israel, 400; - summons Elijah, 403 - Ahaziah - king of Judah, 418 - Ahinoam - David’s wife, 309, 318 - Ahithophel - joins Absalom, 337; - his counsels, 340 - Aholiab - artificer of the tabernacle, 119 - Ai - Abraham settles near, 33; - its position, 207; - reverse of the Israelites there, 207; - its destruction by Joshua, 209 - Altar of Burnt Sacrifice - in the Tabernacle, 120; - in Solomon’s Temple, 357; - its re-erection after the Captivity, 470 - Altar of Incense - in the Tabernacle, 123; - in Solomon’s Temple, 357, 358 - Amalekites - their settlements, 103; - attack the Israelites, 103; - their defeat, 104; - destroyed by Saul, 292; - they burn Ziklag, 312; - David’s vengeance upon them, 313 - Amasa - Absalom’s general, 341; - promoted by David, 342; - slain by Joab, 343 - Amaziah - king of Judah, 427; - taken captive by Jehoash, 428 - Ammonites - their ancestry, 41; - invasion of, 255; - overthrown by Jephthah, 256; - defeated by Saul at Jabesh-Gilead, 284; - David’s conquests over them, 331–335 - Amnon - killed by Absalom, 336 - Amon - king of Judah, 446 - Amorites - their locality, 32, 184, 201; - their total defeat, 185; - their five kings killed by Joshua, 211–213 - Amos - the prophet, 428 - Anak - the sons of, 173, 216 - Animals - prohibited by the Mosaic law, 156 - Aphek - its position, 393; - defeat of the Syrians at, 394 - Araunah, threshing-floor of - purchased by David, 346; - becomes the site of the altar of Burnt Sacrifice, 358 - Ark, Noah’s - its construction and dimensions, 14; - locality of its resting-place, 17 - Ark of the Covenant - in the Tabernacle, 124; - directs the march of the Israelites, 168; - at the passage of the Jordan, 203; - at the destruction of Jericho, 206; - taken by the Philistines, 271; - placed in the Temple of Dagon, 272; - its sanctity vindicated, 273, 274; - given up to the Israelites, 273; - removed to Kirjath-jearim, 274; - removed from thence, 326; - rests with Obed-edom, 326; - its procession to the new tabernacle in Jerusalem, 326; - placed in Solomon’s Temple, 358, 359; - displaced under Manasseh, 444 - Armenia - the probable site of Paradise, 3; - of the Ark’s resting-place, 17 - Army of David - its organization, 329 - Asa - king of Judah, 377; - reforms the religion, 377, 378; - overcomes the Egyptians, 378; - attacked by Baasha, 378; - his alliance with Benhadad, 379 - Asahel - David’s nephew, 319; - killed by Abner, 320 - ♦Asenath - Joseph’s wife, 63 - Ashdod - Philistine city, 259, 263, 272; - the Ark carried there, 272 - Asher - Jacob’s son, 52; - the tribe of, its portion, 220; - its neglect of duty, 221 - Ashkelon - Philistine city, 259, 263; - Samson’s exploit there, 260 - Assyrian Empire - the rise of, 430; - its decline, 448; - table of its connection with Israel, 488 - Athaliah - married to Jehoram, 397; - her usurpation and death, 424 - Atonement - the day of, 146 - Azariah, or Uzziah - king of Judah, 428; - his prosperous reign, 429; - struck with leprosy, 429 - Azazel - explanations of, 147 - - - B. - - Baal, worship of - established by Jezebel, 383; - overthrown by Elijah, 387; - by Jehu, 423 - Baalath - fortified by Solomon, its position, 360 - Baal-Peor - the apostasy at, 193; - the plague there, 193 - Baasha - usurps the throne of Israel, 377; - his hostility to Asa, 378, 379; - murder of his family, 380 - Babel - Tower of, 18; - Town of, founded by Nimrod, 21 - Babylon - captivity of Judah there, 452; - contrasted with Jerusalem, 455; - condition of the Jews there, 455; - taken by Cyrus, 456 - Babylonian Empire - table of its connection with Israel, 488 - Balaam - his country, 187; - sent for to curse Israel, 188; - his failure, 188–192; - his ass speaks, 189; - his prophetic parable, 191, 192; - his wiliness, 193 - Balak - king of Moab, 187; - entreats the aid of Balaam, 188; - his disappointment, 191 - Barak - summoned by Deborah, 238; - overthrows Sisera, 240 - Bashan - the land of, 185 - Bathsheba - David’s sin with, 333; - the mother of Solomon, 334 - Beer-Elim - the Israelites at, 183 - Beersheba - Abraham at, 41; - Isaac at, 48; - Jacob’s vision there, 69 - Belshazzar - the feast of, 466 - Belus, or Bel - first worship of, 21 - Benaiah - his command in David’s army, 329; - kills Adonijah, 352; - Joab, 352; - Shimei, 353 - Benhadad I. - his alliance with Asa, 378; - with Omri, 381 - Benhadad II. - his wars with Ahab, 391–395; - with Jehoram, 414–416; - his death, 418 - Benjamin - birth of, 57; - goes with his brethren to Egypt, 66; - Joseph’s conduct to him there, 66, 67; - the cup found in his sack, 67; - tribe of, its portion, 217; - the war against, 232; - massacre of, 233; - revolt of, against David, 342 - Berachah - valley of, 401 - Bethel - Abram settles near, 32; - its position, 51; - Jacob’s vision and vow there, 51; - its fulfilment, 56; - acquired by the descendants of Joseph, 226; - school of the prophets there, 276; - Jeroboam establishes idolatry there, 372; - Josiah overthrows it, 446 - Beth-horons - the two, 212; - the battle there, 213; - fortified by Solomon, 360 - Beth-shan - situation of, 316; - Saul’s body there, 316 - Beth-shemesh - the ark at, 273; - battle at, between Jehoash and Amaziah, 428 - Bezaleel - artificer of the tabernacle, 119 - Bildad - friend of Job, 24 - Birthright - oriental privileges of, 46 - Boaz - his kindness to Ruth, 265; - marries her, 266 - Brazen Serpent - the uplifting of, 182; - destroyed by Hezekiah, 436 - Breast-plate - of the High-priest, 132 - Burning bush, the - vision of, 84–86 - Burnt-offerings - 137; - ceremonies for, 137; - their symbolical meaning, 137 - - - C. - - Cain - his sacrifice, 10; - murders Abel, 11; - his condemnation, 11; - his descendants, 11; - builds the first city, 11; - sin of his posterity, 12 - Caleb - the faithful spy, 173; - the promise to him, 175; - his portion, 215, 216 - Calendar - of Jewish Months and Seasons, 155 - Calf, the - construction of, 112; - its destruction by Moses, 113 - Canaan - son of Ham, 17; - the land called by his name, 20 - Canaan - the seven nations of, 32, 201 - Canaanites - their locality, 32, 201; - their position at the death of Joshua, 224 - Candlesticks, the golden - in the Tabernacle, 122; - in Solomon’s Temple, 357, 358 - Canon, the - of the Old Testament, close of, 481 - Captain, the - of the Lord’s host, 204, 207 - Captivity, the - period of, 450–469; - its effects on the Jews, 470 - Carmel, Mount - Elijah’s sacrifice there, 386 - Census - of Israelitish forces at Sinai, 167 - commenced by David, 345 - Character - Mosaic laws regarding, 164 - Chedorlaomer - defeated by Abram, 35 - Cherubim - in the Tabernacle, conjectures upon, 124 - Children - Mosaic law regarding, 159 - Christ - typified in Melchizedek, 35; - in Joseph, 76; - in Moses, 199; - in Joshua, 223; - in David, 351 - Circumcision - established, 39; - renewal of, after passing the Jordan, 204 - Cities of Refuge - the institution of, 164; - names of, 220 - Civilization - in the Patriarchal age, 74 - Cluster, Valley of the - 173, 215 - Commandments, the Ten - delivered from Sinai, 108; - written on the Tables of Stone, 111 - Confusion, of Tongues - 16–20; - approximate date of, 19; - its teaching, 20 - Coniah - _see_ Jehoiachin. - Convocation - days of, 144 - Courses - of the priests, 358 - Covenant, the - with Noah, 16; - with Abram, 37; - with Moses on Sinai, 106; - its condition, 107; - its solemn ratification, 110; - broken in absence of Moses, 113; - further renewal of, 116; - its fulfilment under David, 342 - Creation, the - 1–4; - heathen notions of, 1; - Scripture declaration concerning it, 1; - its progressive order, 2 - Cyrus - captures Babylon, 466; - permits the return of the Jews, 469 - - - D. - - Dagon - the Philistine Deity, 263; - the Ark in his temple, 272 - Damascus - Elisha at, 417 - Dan - Jacob’s son, 52; - tribe of, its portion, 218; - dispossessed by the Amorites, 227; - expedition of, to Laish, 229; - oppressed by the Philistines, 259 - Daniel - taken captive to Babylon, 450; - his life there, 457; - interprets the visions of Nebuchadnezzar, 458, 463; - his exaltation, 459; - interprets the writing on the wall, 467; - preserved in the lions’ den, 468 - Darius - viceroy of Babylon, 467 - Dathan - the rebellion of, 176, 177 - David - his genealogy, 294; - anointed by Samuel, 295; - his shepherd life, 295; - slays Goliath, 297; - his friendship with Jonathan, 298, 302, 306; - persecuted by Saul, 300; - flies to Naioth, 301; - to Nob, 303; - seeks refuge with the Philistines, 303, 311; - at Adullam, 303; - Ziklag, 306, 309; - spares Saul at Engedi, 308; - and at Ziph, 309; - his reign over Judah at Hebron, 319; - becomes king of all Israel, 323; - removes to Jerusalem, 325; - his army and its conquests, 329–335; - his deed of shame, 333; - denounced by Nathan, 334; - Absalom rebels, 337; - his flight from Jerusalem, 338; - grief for Absalom, 342; - numbers the people, 346; - the plague sent, 346; - purchases the Temple site, 346; - makes Solomon his successor, 347; - his last charge, and death, 349; - summary of his life, 349; - his character, 350; - a type of Christ, 351 - Day of Atonement, the - 146; - rites observed upon it, 146; - its distinction from other solemn rites, 148; - its typical meaning, 149 - Dead Sea, the - its low level, 30 - Debir - captured by Othniel, 216 - Deborah, the prophetess - summons Barak, 238; - rouses the tribes, 239; - her song of triumph, 242 - Debt - Mosaic laws regarding, 166 - Dedication - the feast of, 154 - Delilah - betrays Samson, 263 - Dinah - Jacob’s daughter, 52; - outrage upon, 55 - Disobedient Prophet, the - 372; - his tomb spared by Josiah, 446 - Divining cups - the use of in Egypt, 67 - Doeg - the treachery of, 305 - Dothan - Joseph sold at, its position, 58, 59; - Elisha’s miracle there, 414 - Drink-offerings, the - 134 - Dura - the plain of, the golden image upon, 460 - - - E. - - Ebal, Mount - the altar there, 209; - ratification of the law there, 210 - Ed - the Altar of, 222 - Edom - Esau so called, 47; - gives the name to a country, 55; - passage through it refused to the Israelites, 181 - Edomites, the - David’s conquests over, 330; - defeated by Amaziah, 427 - Eglon - killed by Ehud, 236 - Egypt - Abram goes there, 33; - Joseph carried there, 54; - the seven years’ famine in, 63; - Joseph’s government of, 63, 64; - Jacob settles there, 69; - its idolatrous worship, 79; - the plagues of, 88, 94–96 - Ehud - kills Eglon, 236 - Ekron - Philistine city, 259, 263, 272; - refuses to receive the Ark, 273 - Elah - king of Israel, 380 - Eldad - the elder, 170 - Elders, the seventy - appointed, 169 - Eleazar - succeeds Aaron as high-priest, 181 - Eli - high-priest and judge, 267; - wickedness of his sons, 269; - rebuked by God, 269; - through Samuel, 270; - his death, 272 - Eliab - David’s brother, 294; - his taunts, 297 - Eliakim - _see_ Jehoiakim. - Elihu - friend of Job, 24 - Elijah - his denunciations to Ahab, 383, 385, 397; - fed by ravens, 384; - his miracles at Zarephath, 389; - overcomes the prophets of Baal, 386; - flies from Jezebel, 389; - his interview with the Lord at Horeb, 390; - calls Elisha, 391; - his interview with Ahaziah, 403; - his translation, 404 - Eliphaz - friend of Job, 24 - Elisha - called by Elijah, 390; - witnesses his translation, 404; - his miracles, 404, 408–410, 413, 426; - cures Naaman, 411; - his sickness and death, 426 - Elkanah - father of Samuel, 267 - Elon - the judge, 258 - Endor - Saul at, 314 - Engedi - David’s generosity at, 308 - Enoch, son of Cain - 11; - the first city named from him, 11 - Enoch, son of Jared - his translation, 12 - Ephod, the - of the high-priest, 131 - Ephraim - Joseph’s son, 63; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 70; - the tribe of, its position, 218; - its rivalry with Judah, 370 - Ephraimites, the - chide Gideon, 249; - their complaint to Jephthah, 257; - massacred by him, 258 - Esau - character of, 46; - sells Jacob his birthright, 47; - his marriage, 48; - threatens Jacob, 50; - his reconciliation to Jacob, 55 - Esdraelon - plain of, its fertility, 219 - Eshcol - the valley, 173, 215 - Esther - queen of Ahasuerus, 472; - intercedes for her nation, 473, 474 - Euphrates - River, 3, 17, 18 - Eve - the creation of, 3; - beguiled by Satan, 5; - the curse upon her, 7; - its mitigation, 8 - Evil - the origin of, 6 - Exodus, the - from Egypt, 96 - Ezekiel - prophecies of, 457 - Ezra - his reforms at Jerusalem, 476 - - - F. - - Fall of man, the - 4–9; - its teaching, 6 - Family - relations in the patriarchal age, 74; - under the Mosaic law, 159 - Famine - seven years’, in Egypt, 63; - three years’, in reign of David, 344 - Feast - of the New Moon, 143; - of Trumpets, 144; - of the Passover, 95, 150; - of Weeks, 152; - of Tabernacles, 153; - of Purim, 154; - of Dedication, 154 - First-born - death of the, 96 - First-fruits and tithes - offerings of, 134 - Flood, the - 10–16; - Scripture account of, 15; - its duration, &c., 15; - numerous heathen traditions of, 16 - Frankincense - description of, 135 - - - G. - - Gad - Jacob’s son, 52; - tribe of, their pastoral character, 78, 194; - the portion of, 195 - Gad, the prophet - David’s friendship with, 301, 304; - his mission to David, 346 - Galilee - position and extent of, 219 - Gath - Philistine city, 259; - the ark removed there, 273 - Gaza - Philistine city, 259, 262; - Samson carries off its gates, 263 - Geba - Jonathan at, 286 - Gedaliah - assassination of, 452 - Gehazi - the sin and punishment of, 413 - Gerizim, Mount - ratification of the law on, 209; - Jotham’s parable from, 253 - Gershonite - section of Levites, 127 - Gezer - probable site of, 361 - Gibeah - outrage at, 231; - taken by the tribes, 233; - Saul’s retirement there, 283 - Gibeon - situation of, 210; - the Tabernacle there, 126; - combat at, 319; - Solomon’s convention there, 353 - Gibeonites, the - embassy of, 210; - its result, 211; - the covenant with them broken by Saul, 344; - their vengeance, 344 - Gideon - the Angel’s message to him, 244; - throws down the altar of Baal, 245; - the sign given him, 246; - his army at the spring of Jezreel, 247; - enters the camp of the Midianites, 247; - his victory over them, 248, 249; - slays their kings, 250; - declines being king, 251; - his ephod, 252 - Gihon, River - 3 - Gilboa, Mount - 313; - the battle there, 315 - Gilgal - encampment at, 204, 210; - school of the prophets there, 276; - inauguration of Saul there, 284; - general gathering at, 286; - Elisha’s miracles at, 410 - Golden Altar - of the Tabernacle, 123 - Golden Lamp - of the Tabernacle, 122 - Goliath - defies the Israelites, 296; - killed by David, 297 - Gomorrah - 34; - its destruction, 41 - Goshen - meaning of the word, 68, 77; - Jacob settles there, 70; - its position and fertility, 77; - escapes the plagues of Egypt, 91, 94 - Greeks - their tradition of the Flood, 16 - - - H. - - Hadad - his revolt against Solomon, 365 - Hagar - gives birth to Ishmael, 38; - dismissed by Abraham to the wilderness, 42 - Haggai - the prophet, 470, 471 - Ham - son of Noah, 14; - mocks his father, 17; - the curse upon him, 18; - its fulfilment, 18; - his descendants and their settlements, 19 - Haman - his jealousy of Mordecai, 472; - his execution, 474 - Hannah - mother of Samuel, 266 - Hanun, king of Ammon - insults David’s embassy, 331 - Haran - its situation, 27; - Jacob serves Laban there, 52 - Hazael, king of Syria - his interview with Elisha, 417; - success against Judah, 425; - and Israel, 425 - Hazor - its position, 201; - its destruction by Joshua, 215; - fortified by Solomon, 361 - Heathens - their notions of the Creation, 1; - their numerous traditions of the Flood, 16 - Hebron - Abram dwells near, 34, 36; - Jacob dwells near, 57, 58; - its conquest by the tribe of Judah, 215; - David king there, 318; - Absalom at, 337 - Heroes of David’s army - 329 - Hezekiah, king of Judah - his religious reforms, 436; - his policy, 437; - contention with Sennacherib, 438–441; - his life prolonged, 441; - his death, 442 - High-priest, the - lineage of, 131; - his vestments, 131; - his peculiar functions, 132 - Hiram or Huram - architect of Solomon’s Temple, 356 - Hiram, king - his embassy to David, 325; - his treaty with Solomon, 355 - Hittites - their locality, 32, 201 - Hivites - their locality, 32, 201 - Hobab - accompanies the Israelites, 168 - Holy Convocation - days of, 144 - Holy of Holies - in the Tabernacle, 123; - in Solomon’s Temple, 357 - Holy Place - of the Tabernacle, 122; - of Solomon’s Temple, 357 - Homicide - Mosaic law regarding, 163 - Hophni, son of Eli - wickedness of, 269; - his death, 271 - Hor, Mount - death and burial of Aaron there, 181 - Horeb - the scene of the burning bush, 84; - Elijah at, 390 - Hosea - the prophet, 428 - Hoshea - king of Israel, 435; - deposed by the Assyrians, 434 - Huldah - the prophetess, 447 - Husbands - Mosaic law regarding, 160 - Hushai - the friend of David, 338; - his policy with Absalom, 339 - - - I. - - Ibzan - the judge, 258 - Ichabod - birth of, 272 - Idolatry - the rise of, 21; - its prevalence under the Judges, 227, 234, 243, 252, 255 - Incense - offering of, 135; - its composition, 135 - Interregnums - in Israel, 432, 435 - Isaac - the promise of, 39; - his birth, 41; - offered by Abraham, 43; - marries Rebekah, 45; - his two sons, 46; - the promise confirmed to him, 47, 48; - his blessing on Jacob, 49; - and on Esau, 49; - his death, 57; - his character, 76 - Isaiah - the prophet, 437; - encourages Hezekiah, 439, 440, 441; - his violent death, 444 - Ishbosheth - succeeds Saul, 319; - quarrels with Abner, 320; - his murder, 321 - Ishmael - the promise concerning him, 38; - is circumcised, 39; - his subsequent history, 42 - Israel - Jacob so named, 54 - Israel, kingdom of - first called so, 342; - its extent and area, 371; - drought in, during Ahab’s reign, 385; - interregnums, 432, 435; - its extinction, 436; - its connection with the surrounding nations, 488 - Israel and Judah - alliance between, 397; - summary of their duration, 453; - of their mutual relations, 453; - of their contrasts, 454 - Israelites, the - in Egypt, their numbers, 78; - their pursuits, 78; - corrupted by its idolatry, 79; - their grievous bondage, 80, 83; - Moses announces himself their deliverer, 86; - their toil increased, 87; - their Exodus, 96; - their numbers at Sinai, 167; - their wanderings in the wilderness, 175; - their position at the death of Joshua, 224; - they demand a king, 278 - Issachar - Jacob’s son, 52; - tribe of, its portion, 219 - - - J. - - Jabal - introducer of nomadic life, 11 - Jabesh Gilead - its destruction, 233; - the Ammonites defeated there, 284; - its position, 316 - Jabin - the country of, 201; - withstands the Israelites, 214; - overcome and killed by Joshua, 215 - Jabin, 2nd - invasion of, 237; - his success, 238; - reverses under Sisera, 240 - Jacob - his disposition, 46; - buys Esau’s birthright, 47; - craftily obtains the blessing, 49; - flies from the wrath of Esau, 50; - his vision and vow at Bethel, 51; - the promise renewed to him, 51, 56, 69; - serves Laban 20 years, 52; - his wives and children, 52; - separates from Laban, 53; - wrestles with the Angel, 54; - name changed to Israel, 54; - reconciled to Esau, 55; - dwells at Shechem, 55; - fulfils his vow at Bethel, 56; - his preference for Joseph, 57; - and grief at his supposed death, 59; - parts with Benjamin, 65; - goes down into Egypt, 69; - settles at Goshen, 70; - blesses his children, 70, 71; - his death, 72; - his burial in the cave of Machpelah, 72; - his character, 76 - Jael - kills Sisera, 242 - Jair - the judge, 255 - Japheth - son of Noah, 13; - the blessing upon, 18; - his descendants and their settlements, 19 - Jebusites - their locality, 32, 201; - their fortress at Jerusalem, 323; - captured by Joab, 325 - Jeconiah - _see_ Jehoiachin. - Jedidiah - a name of Solomon, 334 - Jehoahaz - king of Israel, 425 - king of Judah, taken captive to Egypt, 449 - Jehoash - king of Israel, 426; - his interview with Elisha, 426; - overcomes the Syrians, 426; - captures Amaziah, 428 - Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah or Coniah - king of Judah, carried captive to Babylon, 451; - released from prison, 465 - Jehoiakim, or Eliakim - king of Judah, overcome by Nebuchadnezzar, 450; - his death, 450 - Jehonadab - joins Jehu, 422 - Jehoram, king of Israel - 403; - his idolatry, 406; - overthrows the Moabites, 407; - his wars with the Syrians, 414; - slain by Jehu, 420 - Jehoram, king of Judah - marries Athaliah, 397; - threatened by Elijah, 403; - death of, 418 - Jehoshaphat - king of Judah, 379; - his successful reign, 382; - his alliance with Ahab, 397; - his wars, 400 - Jehu, king of Israel - anointment of, 419; - kills Jehoram, 420; - puts down the worship of Baal, 422; - his reign, 423 - Jephthah - overthrows the Ammonites, 256; - his vow, 256; - sacrifices his daughter, 257; - massacres the Ephraimites, 258 - Jeremiah - the prophet, 449, 457; - his prophecies in the reign of Zedekiah, 451; - shares the lot of his countrymen, 452 - Jericho - its important position, 201; - mission of the spies there, 202; - divine instructions for its capture, 205; - the fall of, 206; - the curse upon rebuilding it, 206; - its fulfilment, 206; - Elisha there, 404, 413 - Jeroboam I. - assured of being king, 366; - his appeal to Rehoboam, 368; - declared king of Israel, 371; - establishes idolatry, 372; - denounced, 372; - defeated by Abijah, 376; - extinction of his race, 377 - Jeroboam II. - king of Israel, his prosperous reign, 428 - Jerusalem - its elevated site, 30; - the city of the Jebusites, 32, 201; - the lower city captured, 226; - its peculiar situation, 323; - the fortress taken, 324; - becomes the city of David, 325; - effects of its conquest, 325; - occupied by Absalom, 339; - invested by Shishak, 370; - taken by Jehoash, 428; - delivered from Sennacherib, 440; - taken by the Assyrians, 445; - by Nebuchadnezzar, 450, 451, 452; - its destruction, 452; - its contrast to Babylon, 455; - rebuilt by Nehemiah, 477 - Jeshua - high-priest at the restoration, 471 - Jesse - genealogy of, 294 - Jethro - father-in-law of Moses, 83; - meets Moses at Rephidim, 104; - his advice, 105 - Jewish - Calendar, the, 155; - weights and measures, 492; - money, 493 - Jews - taken captive to Babylon, 451; - their condition there, 456; - their return to their native land, 469; - effects of their captivity, 470; - their position at the close of the Canon, 481. - _See_ Israelites. - Jezebel - married to Ahab, 381; - her character, 383; - establishes the worship of Baal, 383; - threatens Elijah, 389; - causes Naboth’s murder, 396; - Elijah’s denunciation of her, 397; - its fulfilment, 421 - Jezreel - meaning of the word, 219; - Ahab at, 383, 391; - death of Jezebel at, 421 - Jezreel, the spring of - Gideon’s army at, 247 - Joab - David’s nephew, 304, 319; - kills Abner, 320; - cursed by David, 321; - takes the fortress of Jerusalem, 325; - made commander-in-chief, 325, 329; - kills Absalom, 341; - and Amasa, 343; - rebels against David, 347; - put to death, 352 - Joash, father of Gideon - 244 - Joash, king of Israel - _see_ Jehoash. - Joash, king of Judah - 424; - restores the temple, 425; - his apostasy, 425; - death, 425 - Job - probable country and era of, 22; - his character, 23; - afflicted by Satan, 23; - his resignation, 24; - his three friends, 24; - his contrition and recompence, 25; - his death, 25; - the Book of, uncertainties concerning it, 22, 26 - Joel - son of Samuel, 275 - Jonah - the prophet, 428; - his mission to Nineveh, 430 - Jonathan - at Geba, 286; - his valour at Michmash, 288; - falls under Saul’s curse, 290; - saved by the people, 291; - his friendship for David, 299, 302, 306; - his death, 315; - David’s lament for him, 317 - Joppa - the one port of Palestine, 29 - Jordan, River - its physical features, 30; - the passage of the, 203 - Joseph - son of Jacob and Rachel, 52; - his father’s favourite, 57; - meaning of his coat of many colours, 57; - his dreams, 58; - their fulfilment, 64; - cast into a pit, 58; - sold to the Ishmaelites, 59; - carried into Egypt, 59; - bought by Potiphar, 59; - his prosperity and its termination, 60; - interprets dreams in prison, 61; - and Pharaoh’s, 62; - his exaltation, 62; - his wife and sons, 63; - his government of Egypt, 63, 64; - his conduct to his brethren, 64–67; - makes himself known to them, 68; - sends for Jacob, 68; - their meeting in Egypt, 69; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon him, 70; - buries his father, in the Promised Land, 72; - his death and commandment concerning his bones, 72; - his character, 76; - a type of Christ, 76; - probable place of sepulture of his bones, 210, 222; - conquests of his descendants in the Promised Land, 226 - Joshua - defeats the Amalekites, 104; - ascends Sinai with Moses, 111; - one of the twelve spies, 173; - the promise to him, 175; - assumes the leadership of the Israelitish forces, 200; - crosses the Jordan, 203; - mysterious appearance to him, 204; - his curse upon Jericho, 206; - takes Ai, 209; - his ratification of the Law, 209; - commands the sun to stand still, 212; - his military successes, 215; - his division of the Land, 215; - his inheritance, 220; - his last address to the Tribes, 222; - his death, 222; - a type of Christ, 223; - the position of the Israelites at his death, 224 - Josiah, king of Judah - foretold, 372; - his religious reformations, 446; - restores the Temple, 447; - killed at Megiddo, 449 - Jotham, king of Judah - 430 - Jotham, son of Gideon - his parable, 253 - Jubal - inventor of musical instruments, 11 - Jubilee - the year of, 145 - Judah, Jacob’s son - 52; - pleads with his father, 65; - with Joseph in Egypt, 67; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 71 - Judah, Tribe of - its portion, 217; - its conquest of Hebron, 215; - its subsequent conquests, 226; - its degraded state, 262; - its rivalry with Ephraim, 370 - Judah, Kingdom of - physical geography of, 30; - its area and extent, 370; - its degradation under Jehoiakim, 450; - the captivity of, 452 - Judah and Israel, kingdoms of - alliance between, 397; - summary of their duration, 453; - their mutual relations, 453; - their contrasts, 454 - Judges, Hebrew - word denoting them, 234; - their office and position, 235 - Judges, Book of - purport of its last five chapters, 227 - - - K. - - Kadesh-Barnea - encampment at, 172; - mutiny of Israelites there, 175; - rebellion of Korah at, 176; - the Plague at, 177; - Miriam buried there, 179 - Keilah - rescued by David, 305 - Kerak (Kir-haraseth) - situation of, 407 - Keturah - Abraham’s second wife, 45 - King - the Israelites demand one, 278; - Divine promises concerning, 279; - Saul elected, 282; - regulations of the office, 282 - Kings of Judah and Israel - chronological table of, 486 - Kirjath-jearim - the ark removed to, 274; - fetched thence by David, 326 - Kirjath-sephir - taken by Othniel, 216 - Kishon, River - account of, 241 - Kohathite - section of the Levites, 127 - Korah - rebellion of, 176, 177 - - - L. - - Laban - Jacob’s uncle, 50, 51; - his unfairness towards him, 52 - Laish - 229; - taken by the Danites, 230 - Lamech - institutes Polygamy, 11 - Lamp, the golden - of the Tabernacle, 122 - Land - Mosaic laws regarding, 166 - Land of Promise - description of, 28; - Abram arrives there, 32. - _See_ Palestine. - Laver - for purification, 121 - Law, the - delivered from Sinai, 108; - committed to writing by Moses, 109; - copy of, given by Moses to the Priests, 196; - its ratification by Joshua, 209 - Laws, Mosaic - of purity, 156 - Leah, Jacob’s wife - substituted for Rachel, 52; - her children, 52 - Lepers - Mosaic laws regarding them, 157 - Leprosy - description of, 157 - Levi, Jacob’s son - 52; - attacks Shechem, 56; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 71 - Levi, the sons of - their zeal in the destruction of the Calf, 114, 126; - separated for the Service of the Sanctuary, 126; - the Cities of Refuge assigned to them, 195; - the portion of, 220 - Levi and the Priesthood - genealogical table of, 485 - Levites - their special functions, 127, 128, 354; - the three sections of, 127; - tithes assigned to them, 128; - transgressions of two of them, 221, 231 - Life - Mosaic laws affecting, 162; - the sacredness of, 163 - Longevity of the antediluvians - advantage of, 12 - Lot - nephew of Abram, 27; - accompanies him in his journeys, 33; - they separate, 34; - rescued by Abram, 35; - escapes from Sodom, 40; - his wife perishes, 41 - - - M. - - Machpelah, Cave of - purchased by Abraham, 44; - he is buried there, 45; - and Sarah, 44; - and Jacob, 72 - Mahanaim - origin of its name, 53; - Ishbosheth reigns there, 319; - David retreats to, 341 - Makkedah, the Cave of - 213 - Mamre, the Oak of - Abraham dwells under, 34, 36, 44; - and Isaac and Jacob, 57 - Man - the creation of, 2; - his distinctive position, 3; - the fall of, 4; - his sinfulness before the Flood, 12, 14; - after the Flood, 26 - Manasseh, Joseph’s son - 63; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 70; - the portions of, 195, 218 - Manasseh, king of Judah - his idolatry, 443; - taken captive to Babylon, 445; - his return and repentance, 445 - Manna in the wilderness - conditions regarding it, 102 - Manoah - father of Samson, 259 - Marah - the waters of, 101 - March of the Israelites from Sinai - order of, 168 - Marriage-bond - in the Patriarchal age, 74; - Mosaic law regarding it, 160 - Masters - Mosaic law respecting, 161 - Mattaniah - _see_ Zedekiah. - Measures, Scripture - table of, 493 - Meat-offerings, the - 134 - Medad - the Elder, 170 - Megiddo - a Canaanite stronghold, 226, 240; - position of, 361; - Josiah killed there, 449 - Melchizedek - conjectures concerning him, 35; - blesses Abram, 36; - a type of Christ, 36 - Menahem - king of Israel, 432 - Merab - Saul’s daughter, 300 - Merarite - section of Levites, 128 - Mercy-seat - in the Tabernacle, 124 - Merom - battle of, 214 - Meshach - at Babylon, 457; - in the fiery furnace, 461 - Methuselah - great age of, 12 - Micah - idolatry of, 228 - Micaiah - the prophet, 398 - Michal, David’s wife - her devotion, 301; - is taken from him, 309; - restored, 320; - scoffs at him, 328; - her punishment, 329 - Michmash - occupied by the Philistines, 286; - Saul there, 286; - battle of, 289 - Midian - Moses dwells there, 82 - Midianites - sacred war against, 194; - the invasion of, 243; - overthrown by Gideon, 248, 249 - Mighty men - of David’s army, 329 - Miriam - sister of Moses, 81; - her song at the Red Sea, 99; - rebels against Moses, 171; - struck with leprosy, 172; - her death, 179 - Mizpeh - assembly of the tribes at, 231; - Jephthah at, 257; - Philistines defeated there, 275; - school of the prophets there, 276; - Saul chosen king there, 281; - the station of the Chaldæan Guard, 452 - Moabites - their ancestry, 41; - their territory, 187; - the invasion of under Eglon, 235; - David’s conquest over, 330; - routed by Jehoram, 406 - Money, Jewish - table of, 493 - Month-Sabbath - or New Moon festival, 143 - Moon - the Eastern worship of, 144 - Mordecai - Haman’s jealousy of, 472; - his triumph, 474 - Moriah, Mount - the site of the Temple, 43, 346, 356 - Mosaic Law - the chief features of, 117 - Moses - his parentage, 81; - rescued from the Nile, 81; - meaning of his name, 81; - his education, 81; - flies to Midian, 82; - his life there, 83; - vision of the burning bush, 84; - is called by God, 84; - returns to Egypt, 86; - appears before Pharaoh, 87–94; - works signs and wonders in Egypt, 88–94; - leads out the Israelites, 96; - draws water from the rock, 103; - the covenant renewed to him on Sinai, 106, 116; - receives the two tables of stone, 111; - intercedes for the people, 114; - Miriam and Aaron turn against him, 171; - his position confirmed, 172; - pleads for the people at Kadesh-Barnea, 174, 177; - his sin at the ‘Waters of Strife,’ 180; - appoints Joshua his successor, 195; - his final counsels to the people, 196; - views the promised land from Mount Nebo, 197; - dies, 198; - summary of his career, 198; - a type of Christ, 199 - Murder - Mosaic law regarding, 163 - - - N. - - Naaman - cured of his leprosy, 411 - Nabal - his churlishness to David, 308; - his death, 309 - Naboth - the murder of, 396 - Nadab, Aaron’s son - the sin of, 131 - Nadab, king of Israel - 377 - Nahash - besieges Jabesh-Gilead, 283 - Naomi - mother-in-law of Ruth, 265 - Naphtali - Jacob’s son, 52; - tribe of, its portion, 219; - its neglect of duty, 227; - its firmness under Barak, 239 - Nathan the prophet - confirms the kingdom to David, 328; - denounces his sin, 334 - Nazarites - their vows, 158; - Samson becomes one, 259 - Nebo, Mount - Moses views the Promised Land from, 197 - Nebuchadnezzar - captures Jerusalem, 450, 451, 452; - his visions interpreted by Daniel, 458, 463; - his golden image, 460; - his greatness and power, 462; - stricken with madness, 464; - his recovery and death, 465 - Necho, king of Egypt - overcomes Josiah, 449; - takes Jehoahaz captive, 449; - defeated by Nebuchadnezzar, 449 - Nehemiah - rebuilds Jerusalem, 477; - opposed by Sanballat, 478; - his reforms, 477; - his death, 481 - New Moon festival - or Month-Sabbath, 143 - Nile, the - Moses rescued from, 81; - its position in Egyptian theology, 89; - turned into blood, 89 - Nimrod - the empire of, 21; - worshipped as Bel or Belus, 21 - Nineveh - founded by Nimrod, 21; - Jonah’s mission to, 430 - Noah - his righteousness, 13; - his three sons, 13; - builds the Ark, 14; - saved from the Flood, 15; - leaves the Ark, 16; - his sacrifice, 16; - the covenant made with him, 16; - plants the vine, &c., 17; - his prophecy on his sons, 17; - his descendants and their dispersion, 19 - Nob - David at, 303; - Saul’s massacre of the priests there, 305 - Nomadic character - of the Patriarchal age, 73 - - - O. - - Obed-Edom - the Ark at his house, 326 - Offerings, the - of the Mosaic Law, 133 - Og - king of Bashan, 185; - routed by the Israelites, 186 - Omri - usurps the throne of Israel, 380; - opposed by Tibni, 380; - builds Samaria, 381 - Ophir - conjectures regarding, 362 - Order of the March - from Sinai, 168 - Othniel - takes Kirjath-Sephir, 216; - his exploits, 236 - - - P. - - Palestine - its position and extent, 28; - its adaptation to the Divine purpose, 29; - ancient routes through it, 29; - its physical geography, 30; - its produces and fertility, 31; - its division amongst the twelve tribes, 195, 216–222 - Palmyra - built by Solomon, 361 - Paradise - its probable position, 3; - life of our first parents there, 4 - Paran, deserts of - the long wandering in, 178 - Parents - Mosaic law regarding, 159 - Passover, the - institution of, 95; - rites observed at, 150; - its typical meaning, 151; - celebration of, on the plains of Jericho, 204 - Patriarchal age, the - survey of, 73 - Patriarchs, the - their nomadic life, 73; - their family relations, 74; - civilization, 74; - religion and worship, 76; - their character, 76 - Patriarchs, the twelve - and their descendants, genealogical table of, 485 - Peace offerings - various kinds of, 138; - the ritual observed at, 138; - meaning of, 139 - Pekah - king of Israel, 433; - defeated by the Assyrians, 434 - Pekahiah - king of Israel, 433 - Pentecost - the feast of, 152 - Penuel - fortified by Jeroboam, 371 - Perizzites - their locality, 32, 201 - Persian Empire - table of its connection with Israel, 491 - Pharaoh - his dreams, 61; - interpreted by Joseph, 62; - he exalts Joseph, 62; - receives Jacob’s blessing, 70 - his hardness of heart, 87–94; - lets the Israelites go, 90, 96; - pursues after them, 97; - drowned in the Red Sea, 99 - Pharpar, River - 412 - Philistines, the - their immigration into Palestine, 258; - their five cities, 259; - Samson’s exploits against them, 261–264; - their deities, 263; - they capture the ark, 271; - defeated at Mizpeh, 275; - and by Jonathan at Michmash, 291; - their invasion under Achish, 311; - their victory, at Gilboa, 315; - their defeat in the valley of Rephaim, 325; - David’s conquest over them, 329, 345 - Phinehas, grandson of Aaron - his righteous zeal, 193; - the priesthood settled in his race, 193; - routs the Midianites, 194 - Phinehas, son of Eli - wickedness of, 269; - his death, 271 - Phrygians - their tradition of the Flood, 16 - Pillar of cloud - 67, 98, 167 - Pillar of fire - 97, 98 - Pison, River - 3 - Plague, the - at Kadesh-Barnea, 177; - at Baal-Peor, 193; - in the reign of David, 346 - Plagues - of Egypt, 88–94, 96 - Polygamy - institution of, 11; - Mosaic law regarding it, 160 - Porch - of Solomon’s Temple, 357 - Potiphar - buys Joseph, 59; - etymology of his name, 59; - profligacy of his wife, 60 - Priests, the - their consecration, 128; - their vestments, 129; - the qualifications necessary for, 129; - their duties, 130; - their provision, 130, 134; - their functions and courses, 358 - Prince, the - of the army of Jehovah, appears to Joshua, 204 - Promise, the - to Adam, gradual fulfilment of, 482–484 - Property - Mosaic law respecting, 165 - Prophetical order, the - its duties and position, 276, 277 - Prophet - the disobedient, 373; - his tomb spared by Josiah, 446 - Prophets - the Chronological Table of, 487 - Proverbs - of Solomon, 354 - Psalms - of David, their pre-eminence as sacred poetry, 350 - Pul, king of Assyria - bought off by Menahem, 432 - Purim - the feast of, 154 - Purity - Jewish laws regarding, 156 - - - Q. - - Quails - sent in the wilderness, 170 - - - R. - - Rabbah - trophy of Og there, 186; - its position, 332; - besieged by Joab, 333; - taken by David, 335 - Rachel - her meeting with Jacob, 51; - becomes his wife, 52; - the mother of Joseph, 52; - and of Benjamin, 57; - her death, 57 - Rahab - protects the spies, 202; - preserved at the destruction of Jericho, 206 - Rainbow, the - pledge of the Covenant with Noah, 17 - Ramah - the residence of Samuel, 275; - school of the prophets there, 276 - Rameses - its probable position, 97 - Ramoth-gilead - situation of, 398; - the battle of, 399 - Rebekah - wife of Isaac, 45 - Redemption - the first promise of, 8; - its gradual fulfilment, 482–484 - Red Sea, the - Israelites arrive at, 97; - their passage over it, 98 - Refuge - the cities of, 164; - their names, 220 - Rehoboam - succeeds Solomon, 368; - his impolitic conduit, 369; - the ten tribes revolt from him, 369; - his idolatry, 375; - overcome by Shishak, 376; - his death, 376 - Religion - in the Patriarchal age, 75 - Rephidim - Moses smites the rock there, 103; - the Israelites attacked by the Amalekites at, 103; - Jethro meets Moses there, 104 - Reuben - Jacob’s son, 52; - intercedes for Joseph, 58; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 71; - tribe of, rebels against Moses, 176; - its pastoral pursuits, 78, 194; - its portion, 195 - Revolt - of the ten tribes, 369; - predisposing causes of, 370 - ♦Rezin - revolts against Solomon, 365 - Riblah - position of, 449 - Rimmon, the fortress of - 233 - Rimmon, the Syriac deity - 412 - Rizpah - her sons killed, 344; - her devotion, 344 - Ruth - history of, 265; - its value and interest, 265 - - - S. - - Sabbath, the - institution of, 102; - Mosaic law regarding it, 142 - Sabbatical year, the - 144; - its meaning, 145 - Sacrifice - first institution of, 10; - Noah’s, 16; - Abraham’s, 43; - Elijah’s, 386 - Sacrifices of the Mosaic law - unbloody, 133; - of blood, 137 - Samaria - built by Omri, 381; - its position, 218, 381; - sieges of by Benhadad, 391, 414; - slaughter of priests of Baal there, 422; - besieged by Shalmaneser, 435; - captured by Sargon, 435 - Samson - his birth announced, 259; - his exploits, 260–264; - his riddle, 261; - betrayed by Delilah, 263; - his death, 264 - Samuel - his early dedication to the Lord, 268; - called by God, 270; - recognized as a Prophet, 271; - becomes Judge, 274; - establishes Schools of the Prophets, 276; - meets Saul, 280; - declares him king, 281; - his farewell to the people, 285; - rebukes Saul at Gilgal, 287; - rejects Saul, 292; - anoints David, 295; - his death, 308; - appears to Saul at Endor, 314; - traditionary site of his tomb, 267 - Sanballat - his opposition to Nehemiah, 478 - Sarah - wife of Abraham, 27; - her name changed, 39; - gives birth to Isaac, 41; - her death and burial, 44 - Sargon, king of Assyria - captures Samaria, 435; - ends the kingdom of Israel, 436 - Satan - Scripture testimony respecting, 5; - tempts Eve, 5; - is cursed, 8; - afflicts Job, 25 - Saul - met by Samuel, 280; - anointed, 281; - joins the prophets, 281, 301; - chosen king, 282; - defeats the Ammonites, 284; - assumes the government, 285; - his sin, 287; - rebuked by Samuel, 287; - destroys the Amalekites, 292; - his disobedience, 292; - rejected by Samuel, 292; - his jealousy of David, 299; - his cruelty at Nob, 305; - spared by David, 307; - at Endor, 314; - Samuel’s sentence upon him, 315; - his death, 315; - his body rescued, 316; - his sons crucified, 344 - Saviour, the - first promise of, 8; - its gradual fulfilment, 482–484 - Scape-goat, the - 148; - its meaning, 149 - Schools of the Prophets - established by Samuel, 276; - their object and purpose, 276 - Seir - mountains of, 55 - Sennacherib - invades Judah, 438; - summons Jerusalem, 439; - destruction of his army, 440 - Serpent, the Brazen - 182; - typical of Christ, 183; - destroyed by Hezekiah, 436 - Serpents in the Wilderness - the plague of, 182 - Servants - Mosaic law regarding, 161 - Seth - son of Adam, 11; - his descendants, 12; - their righteousness, 12; - repositories of the promise, 12; - they become corrupt, 13 - Shadrach - at Babylon, 457; - in the fiery furnace, 454 - Shallum - usurps the throne of Israel, 432 - Shalmaneser, king of Assyria - invades Israel, 435 - Shamgar, the Judge - assaults the Philistines, 237 - Sharon, the vale of - its position, 30 - Sheba, Queen of - visits Solomon, 364 - Sheba - revolts against David, 342; - his death, 343 - Shechem - description of, 31; - Abram builds his first altar there, 32; - Jacob’s abode there, 55, 58; - Joseph’s bones buried there, 210, 222; - Joshua assembles the tribes at, 222; - temple of Baal there, 252; - destroyed by Abimelech, 254; - Rehoboam’s convention at, 368; - rebuilt by Jeroboam, 371 - Shem - son of Noah, 13; - the blessing upon, 18; - his descendants and their settlements, 20 - Shew-bread - account of, 122; - obtained by David, 303; - placed in Solomon’s Temple, 357, 358 - Shibboleth - meaning of, 258 - Shiloh - conjectures concerning, 71; - the tabernacle there, 125, 267; - its position, 217; - the rape at, 234; - Samuel ministers there, 268; - Eli dies at, 272; - date of its supposed destruction, 272 - Shimei - curses David, 339; - is forgiven, 342; - put to death, 353 - Shinar - the Plain of, 18; - the site of Nimrod’s Empire, 21 - Shishak - king of Egypt, 366; - overcomes Rehoboam and despoils the Temple, 376 - Sihon, king of the Amorites - opposes the Israelites, 184; - is slain, 185 - Simeon - Jacob’s son, 52; - attacks Shechem, 56; - bound hostage for Benjamin, 64; - Jacob’s dying blessing upon, 71; - tribe of, its portion, 217 - Sinai, Mount - the Israelites encamp before it, 105, 117; - scenery around it, 106; - the Covenant renewed there to Moses, 106, 116; - the Law delivered from, 108; - the ascents of Moses, 111, 116; - events accomplished there, 167 - Sinai, Peninsula of - Moses flies there, 82; - description of it, 100 - Sin-offering, the - 139; - its peculiar ritual, 140; - its intention, 141 - Sisera - Jabin’s captain, 237; - overthrown by Barak, 240; - killed by Jael, 242 - Slavery - in the Patriarchal age, 74; - under the Mosaic law, 161 - Sodom - Lot settles there, 34; - its destruction, 41 - Solomon - the birth of, 334; - proclaimed king, 347; - David’s last charge to him, 348; - his accession, 350; - his prayer for Wisdom, 353; - his judgment, 354; - his proverbs and songs, 354; - commences the Temple, 355; - dedicates it, 358; - his public works, 360; - commercial activity of his reign, 361–363; - bad tendency of this, 363; - his splendour, 364; - his failings, 363, 367; - his troubles, 365; - his death and character, 366; - causes of the dismemberment of his kingdom, 370 - Song of Witness - composed by Moses, 197 - Songs of Solomon - 354 - ‘Sons of God’ - conjectures concerning, 13 - Spies - mission of the twelve, 173; - the faithless ten struck dead, 175; - two sent to Jericho, 201 - Springs in the East - 183 - Succoth - Jacob settles at, 55; - the Israelites first halt there, 97 - - - T. - - Tabernacle, the - pattern of, revealed to Moses, 111, 118, 125; - its construction, 119; - its area, 119; - description of, 121; - its history, 125; - fixed at Shiloh, 216; - David’s new one on Zion, 326 - Tabernacles - the feast of, 153; - its observances, 153; - other customs connected with it, 154 - Table of Shewbread - in the Tabernacle, 122; - in Solomon’s Temple, 357, 358 - Tadmor - built by Solomon, 361 - Tarshish - probable situation of, 362; - Jonah at, 430 - Tekoa - position of, 401 - Temple, the - site of purchased by David, 346, 356; - treasures accumulated for it, 356; - the building of, by Solomon, 355–358; - its dedication, 358, 359; - despoiled by Shishak, 376; - repaired by Joash, 419; - rifled by ♦Jehoash, 425; - despoiled by Nebuchadnezzar, 450, 451; - its destruction, 452; - the rebuilding of, commenced, 469; - its interruption and completion, 470, 471 - Ten Tribes - their revolt, 368 - Terah - father of Abraham, 27 - ♦Tarshish - silver mines of, 362 - Thebez - its position, 255 - Theft - Mosaic law regarding, 165 - Things unclean - forbidden by the Law, 156 - Tiberias - Lake of, 30 - Tibni - rival king to Omri, 380 - Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria - his successes, 433 - Tigris, River - 3, 17, 18 - Tiphsah - position of, 361 - Tirzah - capital of Israel, 380 - Tithes - assigned to the Levites, 128; - and Priests, 134 - Tola the Judge - 255 - Tongues - the confusion of, 16–20 - Tree of Knowledge - 4 - Trespass Offering, the - 141; - occasions for presenting it, 141 - Tribal wars, the - 232, 256 - Trumpets, feast of - 144; - its intention, 144 - Tubal Cain - inventor of metal working, 11 - - - U. - - Unclean - things forbidden by the law, 156 - Ur - probable locality of, 27 - Uriah - David’s treachery to, 333 - Urim, the, and the Thummim - 132 - Uz, the land of - its probable site, 22 - Uzzah - sudden death of, 326 - Uzziah, king of Judah. - _See_ Azariah. - - - V. - - Victims - used for sacrifice, 135; - the requisites of, 136 - - - W. - - Wanderings, the - in the desert, 175–178 - ‘Waters of strife,’ the - 180 - Weeks, the feast of - or Pentecost, 152; - its character, 152 - Weights - Jewish Tables of, 492 - Wells in the East - 183 - Widow’s son, the - raised by Elisha, 409 - Wives - Mosaic law regarding, 160 - Worship, religious - of the Patriarchs, 75 - - - Y. - - Year of Jubilee, the - 145 - Year-Sabbath, the - 144 - - - Z. - - Zachariah, king of Israel - brief reign of, 432 - Zadok the priest - joins David, 323; - has charge of the Ark, 326, 338; - anoints Solomon, 347; - becomes High-priest, 352 - Zarephath - the widow of, 384; - Elijah there, 384 - Zebulun - Jacob’s son, 52; - tribe of, its portion, 219; - its neglect of duty, 227; - its firmness under Barak, 239 - Zechariah - the stoning of, 425 - Zechariah, the prophet - 471 - Zedekiah - the false prophecy of, 398 - Zedekiah or Mattaniah - king of Judah, 451; - taken captive to Babylon, 452 - Zerah - invasion and defeat of by Asa, 378 - Zerubbabel - Governor of Jerusalem at the restoration, 469 - Ziklag - David at, 311 - Zimri - usurps the throne of Israel, 380 - Ziph - David at, 306; - spares Saul there, 310 - Zipporah - wife of Moses, 83 - Zobah - defeated by David, 330 - Zophar - friend of Job, 24 - - - THE END. - - - CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY & SONS, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. - - - - - Footnotes. - - - 1 – The Edition of Dr Robinson’s _Biblical Researches_ - referred to is the second American Edition, 3 Vols. 1860; - that of Dean Stanley’s _Sinai and Palestine_, the 3rd, - 1856. - - 2 – Hence the idea of an _envious_ and jealous God so common - in heathenism, as in Herodotus, I. 32, III. 40, VII. 46. - - 3 – The Ninth Article of the Church of England. - - 4 – Kurtz’s _History of the Old Covenant_, I. 49: “However - weakened and darkened by sin, the divine image in man is - not wholly destroyed (Gen. ix. 6, James iii. 9), and even - after the Fall man continues the offspring of God (Acts - xvii. 28).” - - 5 – Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 48. - - 6 – Davison, _On Prophecy_, p. 55. - - 7 – This seems to be the true meaning of the expression, _the - Lord set a mark upon Cain_. Compare the sign given to - Noah (Gen. ix. 13), to Moses (Ex. iii. 2, 12), to Elijah - (1 Kings xix. 11), to Hezekiah (Isai. xxxviii. 7, 8). - - 8 – Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ Art. _Noah_. - - 9 – The traditions of many nations preserve the recollection - of the Flood. They may be found in the Chaldæan and - Phœnician mythology, among the Persian, Indian, Chinese, - and American nations. The Greeks had their tradition of - Deucalion and Pyrrha. Among the Phrygians was a legend of - a King Annakos or Nannakos in Iconium, who lived to the - age of 400 years, foretold the Flood, and in prospect of - the destruction awaiting them, wept and prayed for his - people. As late as the time of Septimius Severus, a medal - was struck at Apamea commemorating this event. On it is - the representation of a square vessel floating on the - water, and through an opening in it two persons, a man and - a woman, are visible. On the top a bird is perched, while - another is flying towards it carrying a branch between its - feet. In front of the vessel the same pair stand as though - they had just landed on dry ground. On some specimens the - letters ΝΩ or ΝΩΕ have been found. See Kurtz’s _Sacred - History_, p. 56. - - 10 – This prediction that Canaan should become the servant of - Shem is thought to have been primarily fulfilled, when the - nations of Palestine were conquered by Joshua (Josh. xviii. - 10; xxiii. 4; 2 Chron. viii. 7, 8), when Tyre fell before - the arms of Alexander, and, again, when the Carthaginians - were subdued by the Romans. - - 11 – The words _he shall dwell in the tents of Shem_ are - somewhat obscure. If they denote that God would dwell - in his tents, they probably refer to the fact that the - “promised Seed” was restricted to this line, and the - special presence of God with the Jews (Rom. ix. 4, 5); - if they mean that Japheth should dwell in his tents, they - probably point to the occupation of Palestine and the - surrounding countries by the Romans, and in a spiritual - sense to the adoption of the Gentiles into the Church of - God (Eph. iii. 6). - - 12 – An approximate indication of the Time when this Dispersion - took place is afforded in Gen. x. 25, where we find one of - the descendants of Shem named Peleg (“_Division_”), _for - in his days was the earth divided_. - - 13 – Smith’s _Dictionary of the Bible_, Article _Nimrod_. - - 14 – Jemima = _day_ or a _dove_, Kezia = _cassia_, a sweet - aromatic plant, and Keren-Happuch = either _horn of - antimony_, the pigment used by Eastern ladies to colour - the eye-lashes, or, according to the LXX., _horn of - plenty_. - - 15 – Called by the Greeks Edessa, and Callirrhoe, “the - Beautiful Spring,” from a “pool of transparent clearness” - hard by. Others place Ur at _Mugheir_, much further to the - south, and on the right bank of the Euphrates, about six - miles from the present course of the stream. - - 16 – Haran, or Charræ, now _Harrán_, in N.W. Mesopotamia, - situated “on the point of divergence between the great - caravan routes towards the various fords of the Euphrates - and the Tigris,” was afterwards celebrated for its temple - of Luna, the Moon-goddess, and still more as the scene - of the famous defeat of Crassus by the Parthian general - Suræna. Here the descendants of Abraham’s brother Nahor - settled, so that Haran is called _the city of Nahor_ - (Gen. xxiv. 10; xxvii. 43). - - 17 – The distance from London to York or Exeter. The limits - here taken are the parallels of 31° and 33½° north - latitude, and the meridian of 34° to that of 36° east - longitude. “In Palestine, as in Greece, every traveller - is struck with the smallness of the territory. He is - surprised, even after all that he has heard, at passing, - in one long day, from the capital of Judea to that of - Samaria; or at seeing within 8 hours, three such spots - as Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.” Stanley, _Sinai and - Palestine_, 114; see Note 337. - - 18 – Stanley’s _S. and P._ p. 113. - - 19 – Kurtz’s _History of the Old Covenant_, I. 147, 8. - - 20 – “All the _routes_――both by land and water――which connected - the three parts of the ancient world, passed through - Palestine. The commerce between Asia on the one, and - Europe and Africa on the other hand, had its centre in the - great mercantile cities of Phœnicia and Philistia. Towards - the South the ♦Arabah led to the Gulf of Elath, and the - Shephelah to that of Heroopolis, while toward the East the - ordinary caravan road led to the neighbouring Euphrates, - to the Persian Gulf, and thence to the important countries - of Southern Asia. Even the highways which connected Asia - and Africa touched Palestine. A much frequented commercial - route led from Egypt to Gaza, and from Damascus over the - plain of Jezreel to the Phœnician coast.” Kurtz, I. 149. - - 21 – Hence the cities of Judah are higher than the summits of - many mountains of Samaria and Galilee. Thus while Tabor is - 1865 feet above the sea-level, and Carmel 1800, as high as - the Peak in Derbyshire, Jerusalem is 2610 feet, or higher - than Plynlimmon, and Hebron 3029 feet, or nearly as high - as Helvellyn. - - 22 – While the lake of Cinneroth (or as it is called in the - New Testament _Tiberias_), is only 653 feet below the - same level. The two principal features in the course of - the Jordan are its _descent_ and its _sinuosity_. From - its fountain-head it rushes down one continuous plane, - only broken by a series of rapids or precipitous falls, - traversing, in a space of 60 miles of latitude and 4 or 5 - miles of longitude, at least 200 miles. See Smith’s _Bib. - Dict._ Article _Jordan_. - - 23 – “Shechem” (now _Nablous_) = “shoulder,” “ridge,” like - _dorsum_ in Latin, was situated on the “saddle” or - “shoulder” of the heights which divide the waters there - that flow to the Mediterranean on the west and the Jordan - on the east. - - 24 – “Here there are no impetuous torrents, yet there is water; - water, too, in more copious supplies than any where else - in the land; and it is just to its many fountains, rills, - water-courses, that the valley owes its exquisite beauty.” - Van de Velde, I. 386. Stanley, _S. and P._ 142, 235. “The - whole valley,” writes Dr Robinson, “was filled with gardens - of vegetables, and orchards of all kinds of fruits, watered - by fountains, which burst forth in various parts and flow - westwards in refreshing streams,” _Bibl. Res._ II. 275. - - 25 – “_The Canaanite was then in the land_,” Gen. xii. 6. Of - these seven Canaanitish nations, descended from Canaan the - son of Ham (Gen. x. 15–19), (i) the JEBUSITES inhabited - Jerusalem (Jebus) and its neighbourhood (Num. xiii. 29; - Josh. xi. 3; xv. 8, 63); (ii) the HITTITES, Hebron and - its vicinity (Gen. xxiii. 7, 10; Num. xiii. 29); (iii) - the HIVITES were located (a) north of the Jebusites about - Gibeon and Bethel (Josh. xi. 19) and Shechem (Gen. xxxiv. - 2), (b) in the neighbourhood of Hermon (Josh. xi. 3; - Judg. iii. 3); (iv) the AMORITES, or “_highlanders_,” - the most powerful and warlike tribe, occupied the country - (a) between the Hittites and the Dead Sea (Gen. xiv. 7, 13; - Judg. i. 34–36); (b) at a later period, the east of Jordan, - where they founded two great kingdoms, that of Og in - Bashan and Sihon in S. Gilead (Num. xxi. 13–26; Deut. iii. - 8; Judg. xi. 13, &c.); (v) the CANAANITES, “_lowlanders_,” - were distributed along the sea-coast (Gen. xv. 21; Exod. - xxiii. 23; Josh. xi. 3) and the valley of the Jordan - (Num. xiii. 29), thus encircling (vi) the PERIZZITES, who - probably inhabited the high plains of the west country - under the range of Carmel (Gen. xiii. 7; Josh. xi. 3); - the position of (vii) the GIRGASHITES (Gen. x. 16; Deut. - vii. 1) is uncertain. - - 26 – Stanley’s _S. and P._ 218. - - 27 – See Article _Oak_, in Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 28 – For other notices of Melchisedec see Heb. vii. 1–21; - Psalm cx. 4. His relation to Christ, as type and antitype, - consists in the fact that each was a priest, (i) not of - the tribe of Levi, (ii) superior to Abraham, (iii) whose - beginning and end are unknown, (iv) and not only a priest, - but a priest-king, of righteousness and peace. - - 29 – Corresponding to _Padishah_ (_father-king_) the title of - the Persian kings, and _Atâlîh_ (father) the title of the - Khans of Bucharia. Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ Art. _Abimelech_. - - 30 – Either, (1) according to the prevailing belief, the hill - at Jerusalem on which the Temple was afterwards built, or - (2) Mount Gerizim, near Sychem. See Stanley’s _S. and P._ - 251; and compare Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, 474, 475. - - 31 – “The tomb of Machpelah is a proof, standing to this day, - of the long predetermined assurance that the children of - Abraham should inherit the land in which this was their - ancestor’s sole, but most precious possession. It is like - the purchase of the site of Hannibal’s Camp by the strong - faith and hope of the besieged senators of Rome.” Stanley, - _Lectures on the Jewish Church_, p. 40. - - 32 – On the consistent insignificance of Bethuel in this affair, - see Blunt’s _Coincidences_, p. 32. - - 33 – On Abraham’s character, see p. 76. - - 34 – The red lentile is still a favourite article of food in - the East. “I can testify,” writes Dr Thomson, “that when - cooking, it diffuses far and wide an odour extremely - grateful to a hungry man. It was, therefore, no slight - temptation to Esau, returning weary and famished from - an unsuccessful hunt in this burning climate.” _Land and - the Book_, p. 587. See also Robinson, _Bib. Res._ I. 246. - - 35 – From this transaction Esau acquired the name of EDOM, - or “_Red_,” though the name is more usually applied - to the land of his descendants. “The ruddy hue of the - mountain-range given to Esau would at once suggest the - word _Edom_, and cause it to be preferred to the better - known Esau.” Comp. Obad. 8, 9, 21. - - 36 – For the fulfilment compare 2 Kings viii. 20–22; 2 Chron. - xxi. 8–10, and see p. 327. - - 37 – Bethel lay in the direct thoroughfare of Palestine. “... - The track of this thoroughfare winds through an uneven - valley, covered, as with gravestones, by large sheets of - bare rock; some few here and there standing up like the - cromlechs of Druidical monuments.”――Stanley, _S. and P._ - 219. - - 38 – Mount Seir (“rough” or “rugged,” see Jer. xlix. 16, - Obad. 4) extended along the east side of the Arabah, from - the Dead Sea to the Elanitic gulf, and “was originally - inhabited by the Horites, or ‘troglodytes,’ who were - doubtless the excavators of those singular rock-dwellings - found in such numbers in the ravines and cliffs around - Petra.” These Horites were dispossessed by the descendants - of Esau, who gave to the country the name of Edom, and - were divided into tribes under a sheikh or duke (Gen. - xxxvi. 15–19). - - 39 – See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ I. 452 b. - - 40 – Dothan has been discovered by Van de Velde and Dr Robinson, - “still bearing its ancient name, and situated at the S. - end of a plain of the richest pasturage, 4 or 5 miles S. W. - of En-gannim or _Jenîn_, and separated only by a swell or - two of hills from the plain of Esdraelon.”――Smith’s _Bib. - Dict._ - - 41 – Close to the large mound, on which Dothan stood, “is an - ancient road running N. and S., the remains of the massive - pavement of which are still visible. The great road from - _Beisân_ to Egypt also passes near _Dothân_.” Rob. III. - 122. The caravan coming from the spice-district of Gilead - would cross the Jordan below the Sea of Galilee, pass - over the plain of Jezreel, and thence proceed along the - sea-shore to Egypt. Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, 466. - - 42 – Also written Potipherah = the Egyptian PET-P-RA or - PET-PH-RA, “_belonging to the sun_.” Compare Pharaoh = - P-RA or PH-RA, “_the sun_,” as the representative on earth - of the god RA, “_the sun_.” - - 43 – The Greek translation of the Septuagint, which was made - in Egypt, has here the word “_Psonthomphanech_” = “the - preserver of the world” or “of the land.” - - 44 – Asenath, interpreted by some “_the servant of Neith_,” - the Egyptian Minerva. Others take it to be a Hebrew word, - denoting “_storehouse_.” - - 45 – Divining out of cups was practised in Egypt. “The - soothsayer drew his auguries either from the rays of light - which played upon the water in the cup, or threw in pieces - of gold and silver with jewels, and then pretended to see - signs of future events from the figures which appeared on - the surface, after an incantation had been pronounced.” - For instances of a similar mode of divination in the South - Sea Islands, see Kitto’s _Daily Biblical Illustrations_, - I. 424. - - 46 – Comp. Is. ix. 6. Others, not understanding the word to - have a personal reference, translate it “Rest.” - - 47 – “The reason of this may be attributed to political - circumstances, with which we are unacquainted. So - large a procession, attended by an armed guard, would - probably have met with difficulties from the contentious - Philistines. It is a remarkable coincidence, however, - that Jacob’s corpse should have taken, or have been - compelled to take the same road, which his descendants - were afterwards obliged to follow in their journey to - the Promised Land.” Kurtz, _History of the Old Covenant_, - II. 91. Abel-Mizraim is placed by some on the east, by - some on the west of the Jordan. - - 48 – See Kurtz, _History of the Old Covenant_, II. 115. - - 49 – Blunt’s _Scriptural Coincidences_, Pt. I. 1. - - 50 – Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ I. 1140 b. - - 51 – This, with the keepers of his flocks and herds, would make - the adult males in his service certainly not less than 500 - or 600, “implying a household of about 2000.” See Kurtz, - II. 149. - - 52 – Kurtz’s _History of the Old Covenant_, II. 156–161. - - 53 – Stanley’s _Jewish Church_, p. 90. - - 54 – Josephus tells us that he became a distinguished military - commander, and led an expedition against Meroe, and - married an Egyptian princess. _Ant._ Lib. II. 10. 1. - - 55 – Called also Jether “_excellence_,” Ex. iv. 18 (marg.), - Hobab “_beloved_,” Num. x. 29, and Reuel or Raguel, Ex. - ii. 18. - - 56 – “The wild acacia (_Mimosa Nilotica_) under the name of - ‘sont,’ everywhere represents the ‘seneh’ or ‘senna’ of - the Burning Bush.”――Stanley’s _S. and P._ p. 20. - - 57 – On account, however, of the incident related in Ex. - iv. 24–26, Zipporah and her sons returned to Midian. - - 58 – Their names are given in 2 Tim. iii. 8, as _Jannes_ and - _Jambres_. The same names are also found in the Targum and - the Talmud. - - 59 – As Oceanus, or the “Watery Element,” the Nile was a member - of the first Ogdood of the Egyptian theology, and the - opponent of Phtah or the “Element of Fire;” its sacred - emblem was the “tame crocodile.” On the monuments it is - still called the god Nile, “the life-giving Father of - all that exists,” “the Father of the Gods,” &c. “What - the heart is to the body,” says an Egyptian, “the Nile - is to Egypt; it is one with Osiris and the Supreme God.” - Herodotus (II. 90) speaks of priests of the Nile, and at - Nilopolis there was a temple to it. “Flowing, as it did, - between sand and rock, the sole giver and sustainer of - life in that valley of death, it was both in its increment - and its decrease, in its course through vast solitudes and - thronged populations alternately, the most expressive and - suggestive of emblems for a religion which represented - in such marked contrast the realms of creation and - destruction, of Osiris and Typhon.”――See Kurtz, II. 273, 4, - and Article _Nile_ in Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 60 – Frogs were regarded as sacred by the Egyptians; like - the crocodile they were included in the second class - of objects of worship. Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ Article, - _Plagues of Egypt_. - - 61 – The meaning of the Hebrew word is doubtful. The LXX. has - σκῖφες, and the Vulgate _sciniphes_, mosquitos; which - Herodotus (II. 95) mentions as an intolerable plague in - Egypt. Josephus (_Ant._ II. 14. 3) makes them lice; if so, - this would have been especially humiliating to the priests, - who regarded cleanliness as a religious duty. - - 62 – The exact meaning of the Hebrew word is here also unknown: - 1. Some, as the English Version, understand it to denote - _swarms of flies_, but see Margin at Ex. viii. 21; - 2. Others, as the LXX., take it to be the _dog-fly_; - 3. Others, the _beetle_. - - 63 – Stanley’s _Lectures_, p. 119. Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - II. 885. - - 64 – Hail and thunderstorms are by no means of rare occurrence - in Egypt, but by the concurrent testimony of all - travellers mild and harmless in their effects. - - 65 – For a wonderfully vivid description of the ravages of the - locust see Joel ii. 1–11. - - 66 – The horrors of the Egyptian Samoom or _Chamsîn_, which - is regarded by some as the basis of this Plague, has been - described by many travellers. See Robinson’s _Bib. Res._ - I. 207. Kurtz, II. 287. Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ II. 888. - - 67 – Moses had already _before_ the tenth day of Nisan (Ex. - xi. 1–3) notified to the elders (xii. 21) what was to - be done respecting the Departure, and, therefore, ample - preparations had doubtless been made. - - 68 – The triangular peninsula of Sinai, bounded on the west by - the Gulf of Suez, and on the east by the Gulf of Akaba, - consists of three main divisions. (i) The northern part, - the desert of Et-Tîh, or “the Wanderings,” is a high - table-land of limestone, of which the _western_ portion is - called in Scripture _the wilderness of_ SHUR (Ex. xvi. 22), - and the _eastern, the wilderness of_ PARAN. (ii) To this - succeeds a range called _Jebel-et-Tîh_, which extends in - a curved direction from the upper end of the Gulf of Suez - to that of the Gulf of Akaba, and skirts the sea for some - distance on either side. (iii) South of this ridge, and - separated from it by “a narrow plain or belt of sand” - is the great triangular mass of red granite mountains - called the Tôr (_rock_), the approach to which from its - three sides is through rugged passes leading upwards - to the cliffs and mountains, “beginning in a gradual, - but terminating usually in a very steep ascent――almost - a staircase of rock.” Of this mountain-mass the chief - heights are (a) on the N.W. _Jebel-Serbâl_, overlooking - _Wady Feirân_ = Rephidim; (b) in the centre, _Jebel - Katherin_ (5705 ft.) and _Jebel Mousa_ (7560 ft.); (c) on - the S. _Um Shômer_ (8850 ft.). On which summit the Law was - given is uncertain, but not improbably it was the majestic - height of _Ras Sasâfeh_ at the N.W. end of Jebel Mousa, - which overlooks the plain of _Er-Raheh_. The country - between the _Jebel-et-Tîh_ and the Gulf of Suez is called - in Scripture the wilderness of ETHAM (Num. xxxiii. 8); - that between the Gulf and the western base of the Tôr _the - wilderness of_ SIN (Num. xxxiii. 11, 12) = the N. portion - of the present _plain of El-Kâa_, which must be carefully - distinguished from _the wilderness of_ ZIN (Num. xx. 1; - xxxiii. 36), a desert tract between the Dead Sea and the - Gulf of Akaba, now _the Arabah_. - - 69 – See note 68. - - 70 – “If I were to make a model of the end of the world, it - would be from the valley of the convent of Mount Sinai.” - Quoted in Stanley, _S. and P._ 43, n. - - 71 – Stanley, _S. and P._ 14; _Lectures_, p. 140. - - 72 – Probably, if it was a laminated figure, he destroyed the - wooden portion of it with fire, reduced the gold to dust, - and then strewed it upon the water. Kurtz, III. 162. - - 73 – See the LXX. Version of Exod. xxxiv. 30–35, and Alford’s - and Wordsworth’s Notes on 2 Cor. iii. 13. - - 74 – The ordinary cubit was = 18¼ English inches; there was - a shorter one = 15 inches; the Babylonian cubit was = 21 - inches. - - 75 – It seems probable that the Tabernacle did not stand in the - centre of the area, but 20 cubits from N., S., and W., so - that there was a square of 50 cubits in front, where the - sacrifices were offered, and the worshippers assembled. - - 76 – The position of the altar of Burnt-offering was very - striking. It was the first object that confronted the - worshipper on his entrance. The High-priest could not go - into the sanctuary to burn incense before the Lord without - taking live coals from this altar, nor could he enter - and perform his holy functions without being himself - sprinkled with the blood of the victims slain thereon. - See Fairbairn’s _Typology_, II. 282. - - 77 – Seals were numerous on the shores of the Sinaitic - peninsula. Pliny mentions the use of the skins of seals as - a covering for tents, and as a protection from lightning. - The exact meaning, however, of the Hebrew word _tachash_ - is very uncertain. See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ III. 21; - article _Badger_. - - 78 – Comp. Matt. xii. 4; Mark ii. 26; Heb. ix. 2; and, for the - importance of the Shewbread, the words of Abijah (2 Chron. - xiii. 11) - - 79 – In Heb. ix. 4, it is mentioned among the objects within - the _second veil_, and in 1 Kings vi. 22 is said to belong - to the _Oracle_ or _Holy of Holies_. Possibly, from its - position and great typical importance, it was considered - to belong to the “second Tabernacle.” - - 80 – From Heb. xi. 4 it appears that the _pot of manna_ and - _Aaron’s rod that budded_ were also laid up before the Ark. - - 81 – Hardwick’s _Religions of Egypt_, p. 114. - - 82 – See Art. _Tabernacle_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 83 – See p. 75. - - 84 – Kurtz, _Sacrificial Worship of the Old Testament_, 341. - - 85 – NADAB and ABIHU, his two elder sons, having been suddenly - struck dead for presuming to burn incense with common or - _strange_ fire (Levit. x. 1–11). - - 86 – (i) _Stacte_ (Heb. _drops_), probably the gum from the - storax tree, a plant about twelve feet high, like the - quince; (ii) _Onycha_, the name of the covering of a - shell-fish, met with in the Red Sea, yielding a scent not - pleasant in itself, but giving strength and continuance - to other perfumes; (iii) _Galbanum_, resin from a shrub - growing on the Syrian mountains, with a strong and - disagreeable odour, but when mixed with other perfumes, - increasing their sweetness; (iv) _Frankincense_, the - highly prized resin of a small shrub, about ten feet high, - growing in Arabia (Is. lx. 6; Jer. vi. 20), especially - Saba and India. Successive incisions were made in the bark - of the tree, the first yielded the purest and whitest kind, - the succeeding incisions yielding the same, but spotted - with yellow. For the comparison of prayer to incense, see - Ps. cxli. 1, 2; Rev. v. 8; viii. 3, 4. - - 87 – The animals offered by the Greeks and Romans were - generally of the domestic kind, but also included pigs, - dogs, horses, and sometimes even fish, which are mentioned - as pleasing to certain gods. The Hebrew sacrificial - system, therefore, which rejected all animals caught in - the chase, as stags, gazelles, antelopes, could never - have contemplated such a sacrifice as that of the Roman - emperors, who not unfrequently slaughtered for their - hecatombs a hundred lions, and as many eagles. See - Hengstenberg, _On the Sacrifices of Holy Script_. p. 377; - Kurtz, p. 59; Michaelis’ _Laws of Moses_, III. 95. - - 88 – Kurtz’s _Sacrificial Worship_, p. 250. - - 89 – The chief public burnt-offerings were presented at (i) the - daily morning and evening service; (ii) on the Sabbath, - which was double that of every day, with a double meat- - and drink-offering (Num. xxviii. 9, 10); (iii) at the - New Moon, the three great Festivals, the great Day of - Atonement, and the Feast of Trumpets (Num. xxviii. 11). - Private burnt-offerings were appointed (i) for the - consecration of the priests (Ex. xxix. 15); (ii) the - purification of women (Lev. xii. 6–8); (iii) the - cleansing of the leper (Lev. xiv. 10); (iv) removal of - any ceremonial uncleanness (Lev. xv. 15, 30); (v) any - accidental breach, and the conclusion of the Nazarite vow - (Num. vi. 10, 14; and comp. Acts xxi. 26). - - 90 – Bähr’s _Symbolik_ quoted in Kurtz’s _Sacrif. Worship_, - p. 163. - - 91 – From this circumstance also arises the fact that - Peace-offerings were offered on the most magnificent - scale at seasons of great solemnity and rejoicing; _e.g._ - at the inauguration of the Covenant (Ex. xxiv. 5); the - consecration of Aaron and the Tabernacle (Lev. ix. 18); - the solemn reading of the Law on Ebal and Gerizim (Josh. - viii. 31); at the accession of Saul (1 Sam. xi. 15); at - the introduction of the Ark by David into Mt. Zion (2 Sam. - vi. 17); at the dedication of the Temple by Solomon (1 Kin. - viii. 63; ix. 25); at the great Passover of Hezekiah - (2 Chron. xxx. 22); while on two occasions only do we find - them connected with national sorrow (Judg. xx. 26; 2 Sam. - xxiv. 25). - - 92 – See Kurtz’s _Sacrificial Worship_, p. 192; Fairbairn’s - _Typology_, II. 348; Browne’s _Hebrew Antiquities_, - 114, 115. - - 93 – Von Gerlach, _On the Pentateuch_. After the return from - the Captivity the observance of the Sabbath was fenced - about by a multitude of petty prohibitions. Not only - was marketing prohibited (Neh. x. 31; xiii. 15–19), but - travelling beyond a Sabbath-day’s journey, i.e. 2000 paces - or about 6 furlongs, bearing arms even in time of war - (1 Macc. ii. 36), plucking ears of corn, healing the sick, - carrying a bed (comp. Matt. xii. 10; Mk. iii. 2; Lk. vi. 7; - Jn. ix. 14, 16). - - 94 – Of these there were two at the Passover, one at Pentecost, - one at the feast of Trumpets, one on the Day of Atonement, - and two at the feast of Tabernacles. - - 95 – The tendency of the Eastern nations to worship the Moon - was inveterate. In Egypt this luminary, under the name of - Isis, was one of the only two deities which commanded the - reverence of all the Egyptians (Herodotus, II. 42, 47); - in Syria she was worshipped under the name of Ashtaroth - Karnaim, the _horned Astarte_; in Babylonia under the name - of Sin, and called _Lord of the Month_. We see, therefore, - how necessary it was that the Israelites should have, - besides a penal prohibition, some positive preservative - against such worship, and by the blast of the sacred - trumpets and the additional sacrifices be taught to pay - honour to the Eternal One, the Creator and Sustainer of - all things, who _appointed the moon for seasons_ (Ps. - civ. 19). - - 96 – Both Alexander and Julius Cæsar exempted the Jews from - tribute during it. Comp. Joseph. _Ant._ XIV. 10, § 6. - See article _Sabbatical Year_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ At - first sight, it is there observed, the provisions of this - enactment seem impracticable. But it is to be remembered - (i) that the land would actually derive much benefit from - lying fallow at a time when the rotation of crops was - unknown; (ii) in no year was the owner allowed to reap the - whole harvest (Lev. xix. 9; xxiii. 22); and the remainder - would in the fertile soil of Palestine resow itself and - produce a considerable result; (iii) the vines and olives - would naturally yield their fruit; (iv) owners of land - were expected to lay in provision during previous years - (Lev. xxv. 20–22). - - 97 – Von Gerlach, _On the Pentateuch_. - - 98 – This most difficult word is variously explained, as a - designation (i) of the _goat_ itself, and = _the goat - sent away_, or _let loose_, the _scape-goat_; (ii) of the - _place_ to which it was sent, and = _desert places_, or - the name of a mountain near Sinai; (iii) of a _personal - being_ to whom the goat was sent, and = _the apostate, - the unclean_, an evil demon, or the devil himself; (iv) - of the lot cast upon it, = for _complete sending away_, or - _removal of sin_. Of these explanations, No. i. has in its - favour the most ancient authorities; No. ii. the largest - majority of the latest commentators, who compare Isai. - xiii. 22; xxxiv. 14; Lev. xvii. 7; Matt. xii. 43; Lk. - viii. 27; Rev. xviii. 2. - - 99 – And, according to Num. xxix. 7–11, other sacrifices with - the usual meat-offering. - - 100 – The Passover was eminently an Historical Festival. Year - after year, from generation to generation, it was to - recall, as in “a living drama,” the great facts of the - national deliverance, the awful night when there was not - a house in Egypt where there was not one dead, when the - Destroying Angel passed over the houses of the Israelites, - and the people were delivered, not by their own might or - by their own strength, but by the uplifted hand of Jehovah. - It was the nation’s annual Birth-day Feast, the Festival - of Redemption. Its chief features were (i) the offering - of a _single victim_ for each Paschal company; (ii) the - _Paschal Meal_ with which the Festival began; (iii) the - eating of _unleavened bread_ during the whole time it - lasted. - - No other Festival was so full of typical meaning, or - pointed so clearly _to good things to come_ (Heb. x. 1). - (i) It was a Feast of Redemption foreshadowing a future - and greater Redemption (Gal. iv. 4, 5); (ii) The Victim, - a lamb _without blemish and without spot_, was a striking - type of the _Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the - world_ (Jn. i. 29; 1 Cor. v. 7; 1 Pet. i. 19); (iii) Slain - not by the priest but by the head of the Paschal company, - its blood shed and sprinkled on the Altar, roasted whole - without the breaking of a bone, it symbolized Him who - was put to death by the people (Acts ii. 23), whose Blood - during a Paschal Festival was shed on the Altar of His - Cross, whose side the soldier pierced, but brake not His - legs (Jn. xix. 32–36); (iv) Eaten at the sacrificial meal - (peculiar to the peace-offering) with bitter herbs and - unleavened bread (the symbol of purity) it pointed to - that one Oblation of Himself once offered, whereby Christ - has made us at peace with God (Eph. ii. 14, 15), in which - whosoever truly believes must walk in repentance, and - sincerity and truth (1 Cor. v. 7, 8); (v) It was at a - Paschal Supper that its Antitype the Christian Eucharist - was instituted by our Lord. (Matt. xxvi. 17; Mark xiv. 12.) - - 101 – Though nowhere mentioned in Scripture, the later Jews saw - in this Festival a commemoration of the giving of the Law - on Mount Sinai, which is made out from Ex. xix. to have - taken place on the fiftieth day after the departure from - Egypt, and may possibly be hinted at in Deut. xvi. 12. - Certainly Christians in the early ages of the Church - observed the coincidence between the bestowal of the Holy - Spirit on the Apostles at Pentecost (Acts ii. 1), and the - giving of the Law on the same day. “It may have been on - this account that Pentecost was the last Jewish Festival - (as far as we know) which St Paul was anxious to observe - (Acts xx. 16; 1 Cor. xvi. 8), and that _Whitsunday_ - came to be the first annual Festival instituted in the - Christian Church.”――Art. _Pentecost_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 102 – Other customs are alluded to in the New Testament in - connexion with this Feast. (a) On the evening of the first - day the Court of the Women at the Temple was illuminated - with golden candelabra (Jn. viii. 12), accompanied by the - chanting of eleven Psalms, cxx–cxxxi, and the same joyous - ceremony was renewed on each of the seven days. (b) Every - day, at the time of morning sacrifice, the Israelites - in festive attire, and bearing branches in their hands, - repaired to the Temple, and the priest having drawn - water in a golden vessel from the fountain of Siloam, - advanced to the Brazen Altar amidst the sound of trumpets, - and poured it into a vessel on the western side furnished - with small openings at the bottom, and wine into a - similar vessel at the eastern side, whence by pipes it - was conveyed to the Kidron (comp. Jn. vii. 37–39 with - Isai. xii. 3). - - 103 – Browne’s _Hebrew Antiquities_. - - 104 – Æschylus, _Choeph_. 271. - - 105 – Archbp. Trench _On the Miracles_, pp. 210–214. - - 106 – See p. 74. - - 107 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 171. - - 108 – The same respect for the sacredness of human life marked - other regulations. If an ox gored a man to death, it was - to be killed, and if its owner, conscious of its ferocity, - did not keep it in, he was also liable to death, but in - this case a compensation was allowed to be assessed by - the Avenger (Ex. xxi. 29–32). For other offences, such as - cutting, maiming, wounding, assault, the _lex talionis_, - _an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth_, was enforced, - and, in certain cases, compensation for loss of time, - and the expenses of the cure (Ex. xxi. 24, &c. Lev. xxiv. - 19, 20; Deut. xix. 21). - - 109 – For subsequent traces of the descendants of Hobab in - connection with the Israelites, see Judg. i. 16; iv. 11; - 1 Chron. ii. 55; 2 Kings x. 15; Jer. xxxv. 2. See Blunt’s - _Coincidences_, Pt. I. xxii. - - 110 – See note 68. - - 111 – See Robinson, II. 175; Stanley, _S. and P._ 81, 82; - Article _Hazer_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 112 – See Article _Kadesh_ in _Bib. Dict._ See Map. - - 113 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 114 – See p. 30, and note 21. - - 115 – See pp. 115, 116. - - 116 – Kurtz, _History of the Old Covenant_, p. 293. See Blunt’s - _Coincidences_, Pt. I. 75–79. - - 117 – See Kurtz’s _History of the Old Covenant_, III. 310. - - 118 – A recurrence also to idolatry was not uncommon, and - especially the worship of the heavenly bodies. (Comp. Ezek. - xx. 16, with Amos v. 25–29, and Acts vii. 42, 43.) - - 119 – Even now called _Jebel Nebi-Haroûn_, the “Mount of the - prophet Aaron.” Robinson, _Bib. Res._ II. 125. - - 120 – Drew’s _Scripture Lands_, p. 84. - - 121 – “The snakes against which the Brazen Serpent was - originally raised as a protection, were peculiar to the - eastern portion of the Sinaitic desert. There and nowhere - else, and in no other moment of their history, could this - symbol have originated.”――Stanley, _Lectures_, 182. “The - sand on the shore (of the Gulf of _Akaba_) showed traces - of snakes on every hand. They had crowded there in various - directions. Some of the marks appeared to have been made - by animals which could not have been less than two inches - in diameter. My guide told me that snakes were very common - in these regions, and that the fishermen were very much - afraid of them, and put out their fires at night before - going to sleep, because the light was known to attract - them.”――Burckhardt’s _Travels_, II. 814, quoted in Kurtz, - _History of the Old Covenant_, III. 343. - - 122 – Comp. Deut. ii. 13, 18; Isai. xv. 7; Amos vi. 14. - - 123 – “The _well_ of the Hebrew and the Arab is carefully - distinguished from the _spring_. The _spring_ (_ain_) is - the bright, open source――the _eye_ of the landscape, such - as bubbles up among the crags of Sinai, or rushes forth - in a copious stream from En-gedi or from Jericho. But the - _well_ (_beer_) is the deep hole bored far under the rocky - surface by the art of man.... Such wells were the scenes - of the earliest contentions of the shepherd-patriarchs - with the inhabitants of the land; the places of meeting - with the women who came to draw water, ... the natural - halting-places of great caravans, or wayfaring men, - as when Moses gathered together the people to the well - of Moab, which the princes dug with their sceptered - staves.”――Stanley, _S. and P._ 147. - - 124 – See p. 32, note. - - 125 – Porter’s _Syria and Damascus_, II. 220; _Handbook_, II. - 506; Article _Argob_, _Dictionary of the Bible_, p. 42. - - 126 – Article _Edrei_, Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ “Ibrahim Pasha, - flushed with victory, and maddened by the obstinacy of - a handful of Druzes, attempted to follow them into the - _Lejah_, but scarcely a soldier who entered it returned. - Every rock concealed an enemy. From inaccessible nooks - death was dealt out; and thousands of the bravest of - the Egyptian troops left their bones amid the defiles - of the Lejah. The Turks were still less successful in - 1852.”――Porter’s _Handbook_, p. 504. - - 127 – Probably one of the common flat beds used at times on - the housetops in Eastern countries, and made of bars - of iron instead of the usual palm-sticks, Kitto’s _Bib. - Illustrations_, II. 210. Others, however, suppose it - was “sarcophagus of black basalt.”――Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - Stanley’s _Lectures on Jewish History_, p. 216. - - 128 – Stanley, _S. and P._ p. 298. Porter’s _Handbook_, I. 198. - - 129 – “Even at the present day the pagan Orientals, in their - wars, have always their magicians with them to curse their - enemies, and to mutter incantations for their ruin. In - our own war with the Burmese, the generals of the nation - had several magicians with them, who were much engaged in - cursing our troops; but as they did not succeed, a number - of witches were brought for the same purpose.”――Kitto’s - _Bible Illust._ II. 214, where he also quotes such a - formula of imprecation from Macrobius. Comp. also Butler’s - _Sermon on the Character of Balaam_. Blunt’s _Script. - Coincidences_, Pt. I. xxiv. - - 130 – Article _Kirjath-huzoth_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 131 – Porter’s _Handbook_, p. 300. - - 132 – Keble’s _Christian Year_, 2nd Sunday after Easter; - Stanley’s _S. and P._ p. 299. - - 133 – Num. xxiv. 17 _Margin_. - - 134 – Article _Sheth_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 135 – For the version here adopted, and on this early prophecy - of the future rise of the power of Greece and of Europe, - see Dr Pusey’s _Lectures on the Prophet Daniel_, pp. - 58, 59. - - 136 – Stanley, _S. and P._ p. 324. “It is still the favourite - tract of the Bedouin shepherds.” - - 137 – See p. 78. - - 138 – “And the eastern side of the Jordan valley up to the - lake of Chinnereth, or Gennesareth” ( Num. xxxii. 34–38), - Article _Gad_ in _Bib. Dictionary_. - - 139 – Article _Manasseh_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Stanley, - _S. and P._ p. 327. - - 140 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, p. 211. - - 141 – On the expressive figure of _the Rock_, as applied to God - six times in this Song, xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 30, 31, 37, see - Stanley, _Lectures_, 198. - - 142 – Stanley’s _Lectures on Jewish History_, pp. 199, 200; Comp. - also _S. and P._ p. 301. - - 143 – See p. 32, note. - - 144 – Stanley, _S. and P._ p. 307; _Lectures_, p. 235. Its - modern name is _Erîha_, or, as it is more commonly - pronounced, _Rîha_, “a degenerate shoot, both in name and - character, of the ancient Jericho.” One single solitary - palm now timidly rears its head where once stood the - renowned “City of Palm-trees,” Deut. xxxiv. 3; Judg. i. 16; - Rob. _Bib. Res._ I. 552. - - 145 – Stanley, _S. and P._ p. 307. Comp. 2 Kings ii. 7. - - 146 – See the _Calendar_, p. 155. - - 147 – By some the Captain of the Lord’s Host is supposed to have - been a created being, by others an uncreated Angel, the - Son of God. - - 148 – Never again did Jericho become a _fortified city_: as a - _town_, it was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. - xviii. 21), and as such was inhabited (Judg. iii. 13; - 2 Sam. x. 5); but not till the time of Ahab was the attempt - made by the Bethelite Hiel (1 Kings xvi. 34), to make - it once more a fortified city. In his case the curse of - Joshua was fulfilled: his eldest son Abiram died at its - foundation, and his youngest, Segub, when the gates were - set up. - - 149 – Probably a stiff embroidered robe, made in the loom with - the needle and of several colours. See Layard’s _Nineveh_, - II. 319, quoted by Kitto, _Bib. Illustrations_, II. 204. - This seems to indicate the existence of a trade between - Canaan and Mesopotamia. - - 150 – See Keil’s _Commentary on Joshua_, p. 208. And for the - situation of Ai, Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Ai_. - - 151 – Stanley’s _S. and P._ p. 203. - - 152 – See p. 196. - - 153 – “Such writing was common in ancient times: I have seen - numerous specimens of it certainly _more than two thousand - years old_, and still as distinct as when they were first - inscribed on the plaster.” Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, - p. 471, Mill’s _Modern Samaritans_. - - 154 – The acoustic properties of this valley are interesting, - the more so that several times they are incidentally - brought to our notice in Holy Writ (comp. Josh. viii. 33; - Judg. ix. 7). It is impossible to conceive a spot more - admirably adapted for Joshua’s purpose than this one, in - the very centre of the newly acquired land, nor one which - could more exactly fulfil all the required conditions.... - A single voice might be heard by many thousands, shut in - and conveyed up and down by the enclosing hills. In the - early morning we could not only see from Gerizim a man - driving his ass down a path on Mount Ebal, _but could hear - every word he uttered as he urged it on_; and in order to - test the matter more certainly, on a subsequent occasion - two of our party _stationed themselves on opposite - sides of the valley, and with perfect ease recited the - commandments antiphonally_.” Tristram’s _Land of Israel_, - pp. 149, 150. - - 155 – It was probably on this occasion that the Egyptian coffin - containing the embalmed body of their great ancestor - was laid by the two tribes of the house of Joseph in the - _parcel of ground_ near Shechem, _which Jacob bought of - the sons of Hamor_ (Gen. xxxiii. 19; l. 25). - - 156 – Or another place of the same name now called _Jilgilia_, - situated near Bethel in the direct route from Shechem to - Ai. - - 157 – They became “slaves of the Sanctuary,” = Deo donati. Comp. - Ezra viii. 20; 1 Chron. ix. 2; Num. viii. 16, 19. On the - subsequent breaking of this compact by Saul, see 2 Sam. - xxi. 1–5. - - 158 – In this same locality Judas Maccabæus won his first great - victory over the forces of Syria (1 Macc. iii. 16–24), and - later the Roman army under Cestius Gallus was totally cut - up by the insurgent Jews (Joseph. _B. J._ II. 19, 8, 9). - See Stanley’s _S. and P._ p. 212; Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, - Article _Beth-horon_. - - 159 – See Keil _on Joshua_, p. 219; and Article _Makkedah_ in - Smith’s _Bib. Dictionary_. - - 160 – “As the British chiefs were driven to the Land’s End - before the advance of the Saxon, so at this Land’s End of - Palestine the kings were gathered for this last struggle.” - _S. and P._ p. 391. - - 161 – See Keil _on Joshua_, x. 39. The etymology, however, is - not certain. It was also called Kirjath-sannah, _city of - palms_ (Josh. xv. 49). See Wilton’s _Negeb_, 212 _n._ - - 162 – The position of _Shiloh_ is very definitely described in - Judg. xxi. 19, as _on the north side of Bethel, on the - east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to - Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah_. Exactly in the - position here indicated, Dr Robinson found a ruin called - _Seilûn_. “We were,” he says, “on the east of the great - road between Bethel and Shechem, and in passing on towards - the latter place we came, after half-an-hour, to the - village of Lebonah, now _El-Lubban_.” _Bib. Res._ II. 269. - “The selection of the site for the Tabernacle belongs to - this period, and could belong to no other. The place of - the sanctuary was naturally fixed by the place of the Ark. - This was, in the first instance, at Gilgal. But as the - conquerors advanced into the interior, a more central - situation became necessary. This was found in a spot - unmarked by any natural features of strength or beauty, - or by any ancient recollections, recommended only by its - comparative seclusion, near the central thoroughfare of - Palestine, yet not actually upon it.” Stanley, _Lectures - on Jewish History_, p. 278. - - 163 – Gibeon, Gibeah, Geba and Gaba, all mean _hill_; Ramah and - Ramathaim, _eminence_; Mizpah, _a watch-tower_. - - 164 – Article _Ephraim_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 165 – It has been compared to the plain of Stirling, situated - in like manner at the opening of the Scottish Highlands, - and in like manner the scene of almost all the decisive - battles of Scottish history. Stanley’s _S. and P._ - p. 337 _n._ - - 166 – Porter’s _Handbook of Syria and Palestine_, II. 352. - - 167 – By some derived from Cinnoor (κινύρα, _cithara_, a “harp”), - as if in allusion to the oval shape of the lake. - - 168 – Porter’s _Handbook of Syria and Palestine_, II. 363; - Pusey’s _Lectures on Daniel_, p. 294. - - 169 – Keil _on Josh._ xxiv. 26–28. - - 170 – Holy Scripture itself suggests (Heb. iv. 8) the - consideration of Joshua as a type of Christ. The following - amongst many other typical resemblances may be pointed out: - (1) the name common to both; (2) Joshua brings the people - of God into the land of Promise, and divides it among - the tribes; Jesus brings His people into the presence - of God, and assigns to them their mansions; (3) as Joshua - succeeded Moses and completed his work, so the Gospel of - Christ succeeded the Law, announced One by whom all that - believe are justified from all things from which we could - not be justified by the Law of Moses (Acts xiii. 39). See - Article _Joshua_ in Smith’s _Dictionary_; Pearson _on the - Creed_, Art. II. - - 171 – See p. 35. - - 172 – Such is the explanation of Josephus, _Ant._ V. ii. § 2, - who adds that the siege lasted some time. - - 173 – See the marginal date at Judges, chap. xvii. It is to be - observed that (i) Dan was not yet settled, Judg. xviii. 1; - (ii) Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, was living (Judg. - xx. 28), as also the grandson of Moses; (iii) the iniquity - of Gibeah is mentioned, Hos. x. 9, as the first open sin of - Israel in Canaan. See Angus’ _Bible Handbook_, 460 _n._ - - 174 – Kitto’s _Bibl. Illus._ II. 447. - - 175 – See p. 218. - - 176 – Mr Thomson compares it with the soil of the lower portion - of the Mississippi; “even now the region produces large - crops of wheat, barley, maize, sesame, rice, and other - plants, with very little labour ... while horses, cattle, - and sheep fatten on the rich pastures, and large herds - of black buffaloes luxuriate in the streams and in - the deep mire of the marshes.” Thomson’s _Land and the - Book_, p. 214; Robinson, _Bib. Res._ III. 396; Blunt’s - _Coincidences_, Pt. II. 108–110. - - 177 – In the English version the reading is _the son of - Manasseh_ (Judg. xviii. 30), a name probably substituted - out of respect for the great Lawgiver, whose name is - preserved in several Hebrew MSS. and the Vulgate. See - Articles _Micah_, _Jonathan_, _Manasseh_, and _Laish_ in - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 178 – Comp. Livy, XXX. 7; XXVIII. 37; in XXXIII. 46, XXXIV. 61 - they are called _judices_. Stanley’s _Lectures_, p. 292. - - 179 – See p. 216. - - 180 – See Blunt’s _Coincidences_, Pt. II. v. 114–117. - - 181 – Stanley’s _Lectures on Jewish History_, p. 317. - - 182 – “The ploughman still carries his goad――a weapon apparently - more fitted for the hand of the soldier than the peaceful - husbandman. The one I saw was of the ‘oak of Bashan,’ and - measured upwards of 10 feet in length. At one end was an - iron spear, and at the other a piece of the same metal - flattened. One can well understand how a warrior might use - such a weapon with effect in the battle-field.” Porter’s - _Syria and Damascus_, II. 35. Comp. Homer, _Il._ VI. 135. - - 183 – Identified by Thomson with _Harothieh_, the Arabic form - of the Hebrew Harosheth, an enormous double mound about - 8 miles from Megiddo, exactly in the line of the retreat - of the Canaanites, at the entrance of the pass to Esdraelon - from the plain of Acre. “It was,” he writes, “probably - called Harosheth _of the Gentiles_, or _nations_, because - it belonged to those Gentiles of Acre and the neighbouring - plains whom we know from Judg. i. 31 the Hebrews could not - subdue.” _The Land and the Book_, p. 437. - - 184 – Compare the family name of Hannibal, Barca = fulmen belli. - See _Barak_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Joseph. _Ant._ V. 5, - § 2. - - 185 – Probably = _height_, “rising abruptly to a height of - about 1000 ft. from the north-eastern arm of the plain - of Esdraelon, and standing entirely insulated, except on - the W., where a narrow ridge connects it with the hills of - Nazareth.” See Robinson, _Bib. Res._ II. 352. - - 186 – See pp. 78, 194. - - 187 – See note 109. - - 188 – Or the “Oak of the Unloading of Tents,” Stanley’s - _Lectures_, p. 326. “The black tents of the Turkman and - Kurds, strangers like the Kenites, may still be seen - pitched among the oaks and terebinths that encompass the - little plain of Kedesh; proving that after the lapse of - more than 3000 years the state of society in the country - is but little changed.” Porter’s _Handbook of Syria and - Palestine_, II. 444. For the forests of Naphtali, see - p. 219. - - 189 – See p. 226. - - 190 – Thomson, _Land and the Book_, p. 435. - - 191 – Josephus, _Ant._ V. 5, § 4. See Thomson, p. 436. - - 192 – “As in like case in the battle of Cressy.” Stanley’s - _Lectures_, p. 324. - - 193 – “I have seen this stream swollen and rapid, after heavy - rains, when the winter torrents of Galilee and Carmel flow - into it; then it is a river ‘with waters to swim in, a - river that cannot be passed over;’ and I can well imagine - the hosts of Sisera, his chariots and horses, struggling - there.” _Domestic Life in Palestine_, pp. 111, 112. “When - largely swollen during the great rains of winter it is - _spongy_ enough――much easier to find than to get over――I - once crossed through the lower part of Esdraelon ... - and had no little trouble with its _bottomless mire_ - and _tangled grass_.” Thomson, _L. and B._, p. 435; and - compare Van de Velde, I. p. 289. Some of the results of - this battle were nearly reproduced in the battle of Mount - Tabor, April 16, 1799, when many of the fugitive Turks were - drowned in the Kishon. See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article - _Kishon_. - - 194 – See Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 441. - - 195 – See p. 194. - - 196 – “In precisely the same manner do the Bedawîn Arabs, these - modern Midianites, come up the Wady of Jezreel and Wady - Sherrar, _after the people have sown_, and destroy the - increase of the earth; and not only destroy the increase - of the field, but commit wholesale murder, as these - did upon the brethren of Gideon at Tabor.... Both these - valleys are now swarming with these _children of the East_, - come over Jordan to consume the land.” Thomson, _The Land - and the Book_, p. 448; _Domestic Life in Palestine_, pp. - 178, 179. “This is one of the chief causes of the present - poverty of the country.” - - 197 – Stanley, _S. and P._ p. 151; Smith’s _Dict._, Article - _Caves_. - - 198 – “The summer threshing-floors are in the open country, and - on an elevated position, to catch the wind when winnowing - the grain, and of course they would be altogether unsafe - at such a time, while the vineyards are hid away in the - wadies and out on the wooded hills, and thus adapted - for concealment. Indeed, I myself have seen grain thus - concealed in this same country, during the lawless days - of civil war.” Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 448. - - 199 – “It is worthy of remark that the men of Issachar are not - mentioned, and we can from this point readily imagine - the reason. The people of Issachar lived here on this - great plain (Esdraelon), and were, of course, altogether - surrounded by and at the mercy of the Midianites, as these - villages of Sulan, Shŭtta, Zer’in, &c., now are in the - power of these Bedawîn. They therefore _could not_ join - the army of Gideon.” Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, - p. 449; Stanley’s _Lectures_, p. 344. - - 200 – Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 449. - - 201 – The _Zabit_ or _Agha_ of the police at Cairo carries with - him at night “a torch which burns soon after it is lighted, - without a flame, excepting when it is waved through the - air, when it suddenly blazes forth: it therefore answers - the same purpose as our dark lantern. _The burning end_ is - sometimes concealed in a small pot or jar, or covered with - something else, where not required to give light.” Lane’s - _Modern Egyptians_, I. ch. iv.; Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 202 – For similar stratagems, see Liv. xxii. 16; Sall. _de Bell. - Jug._ ch. 99. - - 203 – See p. 55. - - 204 – See Article _Zebah_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Josephus, - _Ant._ V. 6, § 5. - - 205 – Rendered in Isai. xvii. 13 a “_rolling_ thing.” Probably - the allusion is to the wild artichoke which “in growing - throws out numerous branches of equal size and length in - all directions, forming a sort of sphere or globe, a foot - or more in diameter. When ripe and dry in autumn, these - branches become light and dry as a feather, the parent - stem breaks off at the ground, and the wind carries these - vegetable globes whithersoever it pleaseth.... The Arabs - derive one of their many forms of cursing from this plant; - ‘May you be whirled like the ’akkûb (wild artichoke), - before the wind, until you are caught in the thorns, or - plunged into the sea.’” Thomson, _Land and the Book_, - p. 564. - - 206 – For subsequent mention of this deliverance, see 1 Sam. - xii. 11; Ps. lxxxiii. 11; Isai. ix. 4, x. 26; Heb. xi. 32. - - 207 – See pp. 31, 55. - - 208 – See p. 209. - - 209 – “Several lofty precipices of Gerizim literally overhang - the city, any one of which would answer Jotham’s purpose. - Nor would it be difficult to be heard, as everybody knows - who has listened to the _public crier_ of villages on - Lebanon. In the stillness of the evening, after the people - have returned home from their distant fields, he ascends - the mountain-side above the place, or to the roof of some - prominent house, and then _lifts up his voice and cries_ - as Jotham did. Indeed, the people in these mountainous - countries are able, from long practice, so to pitch their - voices as to be heard distinctly at distances almost - incredible. They talk with persons across enormous wadies, - and give the most minute directions, which are perfectly - understood; and in doing this they seem to speak very - little louder than their usual tone of conversation. - Jotham, therefore, might easily be heard by the greater - part of the inhabitants of Shechem.... The very trees - which most abound at Nablous (Shechem) are the olive, the - fig, the vine, and the bramble.” Thomson, _The Land and - the Book_, p. 474; Stanley’s _Lectures_, p. 350; Tristram, - p. 150. - - 210 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 211 – “Situated 13 Roman miles from Shechem, on the road to - Scythopolis. There it still is; its name――_Tubâs_――hardly - changed; the village on a rising ground to the left of - the road, a thriving, compact, and strong-looking place, - surrounded by immense woods of olives.” See Robinson, _Bib. - Res._ III. p. 305; Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Thebez_. - - 212 – See 2 Sam. xi. 21. - - 213 – Lev. xviii. 21; Deut. xii. 31. - - 214 – Signifying 1st _an ear of corn_, and 2ndly _a stream or - flood_. - - 215 – The PHILISTINES, a race of “strangers,” appear to have - made three immigrations into the fertile south-western - Lowland of Palestine, just as there were different - immigrations of Saxons and Danes into England. (i) The - _first_ came from the _Casluhim_ (Gen. x. 14); (ii) the - _second_ and chief from the _Caphtorim_ (Deut. ii. 23; - Jer. xlvii. 4; Am. ix. 7), either from some part of Egypt, - or of Asia Minor and its adjacent islands, probably Crete; - (iii) the _third_ from the _Cherethim_ (1 Sam. xxx. 14). - The earliest immigrants having expelled the _Avim_ (Deut. - ii. 23) had in the time of Abraham and Isaac established a - kingdom, the capital of which was at Gerar, and possessed - a standing army (Gen. xxi. 22; xxvi. 26). After the Exodus, - Gerar disappears from history, and the power of Philistia - is concentrated in five new towns, _Gaza_, _Ashdod_, - _Ashkelon_, _Gath_, _Ekron_, each raised on its slight - eminence above the maritime plain, each possessing its - dependent or “daughter towns” and villages (Josh. xv. - 45–47; 1 Ch. xviii. 1), and each having its own king or - prince, who all consulted and acted as one. “The third - immigration of the _Cherethim_ would account for the - sudden increase of the strength of the Philistines at this - period.” See Pusey, _Comment. on Amos_ ix. 7. - - 216 – See pp. 158, 159. - - 217 – See p. 229. - - 218 – Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 566. - - 219 – Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 552. “So great is the - dread of fire in harvest-time, that the Arabs punish with - death any one who sets fire to a wheat-field, even though - done by accident.” _Ibid._ p. 553. - - 220 – “The five cities of the Philistines divided, as it were, - their idolatry between them; Ashdod being the chief seat - of the worship of _Dagon_; Ashkelon of _Derceto_; Ekron of - _Baal-zebub_; Gaza of the god _Marna_ (‘nature’).” Pusey, - _Comment. on Amos_ i. 8. - - 221 – Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 171. - - 222 – Some think during the judgeship of Ehud, others during - that of Gideon. Kurtz, p. 164. - - 223 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 224 – For David’s subsequent connection with Moab, see p. 303. - - 225 – The situation of Ramathaim = _double eminence_, is - uncertain. “But the place long pointed out as Samuel’s - tomb, and therefore the site of his birth, 1 Sam. - xxv. 1, is the height, most conspicuous of all in the - neighbourhood of Jerusalem, immediately above the town - of Gibeon, known to the Crusaders as ‘Montjoye,’ being - the spot from whence they first saw Jerusalem, now - called _Neby Samwil_, ‘the Prophet Samuel.’” Smith’s - _Bib. Dict._, Article _Ramah_, No. 2. - - 226 – See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Mantle_. - - 227 – According to some, it was now that Shiloh was destroyed. - See Ps. lxxviii. 60 sq., and Jer. vii. 12. - - 228 – “Ashdod, as well as Ekron, have their name from their - strength; Ashdod = _the mighty_, like Valentia; Ekron = - _the firm-rooted_.” Pusey, _Comment. on Amos_ i. 8. - - 229 – A name which suggests an early worship of the Sun there. - In Josh. xix. 41, it is called _Ir-shemesh_. It is now - called _’Ain es-Shems_, about 2 miles from the great - Philistine plain, and 7 from Ekron. Thomson, _Land and - Book_, p. 535. - - 230 – For subsequent notices of such schools at Bethel and - Jericho see 2 Kings ii. 3, 5; at Gilgal, iv. 38; vi. 1; on - Mount Carmel, 1 Kings xviii. 30–42; 2 Kings ii. 25; iv. 25. - - 231 – See also Judg. vi. 8; 1 Sam. ii. 27. - - 232 – See Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 176. - - 233 – It is to be remembered that God had promised to Abraham - that _kings_ should come from him (Gen. xvii. 6); Jacob - had prophesied that the _Sceptre_ should not depart from - Judah till Shiloh came (Gen. xlix. 10); and Moses had - distinctly anticipated, nay, provided for the election of - a king by laying down specific directions concerning the - kingdom (Deut. xvii. 14–20). The elders, therefore, of - Israel might well have inferred that it was the Divine - intention ultimately to give the nation a monarchical - constitution, and consequently that it was their duty - patiently to await the development of the Divine counsels. - See Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 177. - - 234 – According to the law as laid down in the above quotation - from Deuteronomy, (i) The nomination of any Israelite - king rested with Jehovah, whose Will would be made known - through the High-priest, or the voice of a Prophet, or - the sacred lot, a provision which could not fail to remind - him that he was not an irresponsible autocrat, but the - representative and viceroy of Jehovah: (ii) The monarch - must be a native Israelite, not a foreigner, or even - a proselyte: (iii) On his accession he must transcribe - a copy of the Law, that he might know it and keep its - Statutes: (iv) He was forbidden to maintain any large body - of cavalry with a view to aggressive warfare: (v) He was - to eschew the usual accompaniment of Oriental despotism, - a numerous _Harem_, and the excessive accumulation of gold - and silver, which could only be acquired by oppressive - exactions from his subjects. Jahn’s _Heb. Comm._ 64, 65. - - 235 – See p. 232. - - 236 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 237 – Now Jeb’a, see 1 Sam. xiii. 16 (_margin_); Robinson, _Bib. - Res._ I. 441, _n._; Porter’s _Handbook_, p. 214. - - 238 – “East, and west, and north, through the three valleys - which radiate from the uplands of Michmash――to Ophrah on - the north, through the pass of Beth-horon on the west, - and down the ravine of the hyenas, ‘toward the wilderness - of the Jordan on the East.’” Stanley’s _S. and P._ 204; - Robinson, _Bib. Res._ I. 441. - - 239 – The deep gorge of the Wâdy-Suweinît, or Harith. - “Immediately on leaving Jeb’a we descend by a rugged, - zigzag track, apparently intended only for goats, into - Wâdy-es-Suweinît, here tolerably wide, though deep and - rocky. A few hundred yards to the right it contracts to - a narrow ravine, shut in by high, almost perpendicular - cliffs, above which on each side the ground is tolerably - level. This is doubtless the scene of Jonathan’s adventure.” - Porter’s _Handbook_, I. 215; Robinson, I. 440, 441. - - 240 – Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Jonathan_; Stanley’s - _S. and P._ p. 205. - - 241 – See p. 156. - - 242 – See p. 132. - - 243 – Comp. (i.) Num. xiv. 45; (ii.) Judg. iii. 13; (iii.) Judg. - vi. 3. - - 244 – The family belonged to the greatest house in Judah, the - descent being as follows: _Judah_, _Pharez_, _Hezron_, - _Ram_, _Amminadab_, _Nahshon_ (Num. i. 7), _Salmon_, who - married Rahab the Canaanite, _Boaz_, _Obed_, _Jesse_. - (Ruth iv. 18–22; 1 Chr. ii. 5–12.) - - JESSE. - ┌─────────┴─────────┐ - _Eliab._ ┌ ABISHAI. - _Abinadab._ _Zeruiah._ ┤ JOAB. - _Shammah._ └ ASAHEL. - _Nethaneel._ - _Raddai._ _Abigail._ ─ AMASA. - _Ozem._ - [_One not given._ 1 Chr. ii. 15.] - DAVID. - [Comp. 1 Sam. xvi. 7–10 with 1 Chr. ii. 13–17.] - - 245 – Article _David_ in Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 246 – Identified by Robinson with the _Wady es-Sŭmt_. “It took - its name Elah of old from the terebinth, of which the - largest specimen we saw in Palestine still stands in the - vicinity; just as now it takes its name _es-Sumt_ from the - acacias which are scattered in it.”――_Bibl. Dict._ II. 21. - - 247 – In all ages the favourite weapon of the shepherds of Syria. - See Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 572. - - 248 – “We do not know how long a period intervened between the - return of David to his father’s house and his appearance - before the king on the morning of the _duel_ with Goliath. - If it were two or three years, it is possible that David - had, in the meanwhile, suddenly shot up from boyhood to - youth, tall and robust, and his personal appearance might - have so changed as to bear little resemblance to the ruddy - lad who played skilfully on the harp. It is a fact that - lads of this country, particularly of the higher classes, - are often very fair, fullfaced, and handsome, until about - fourteen years of age, but during the next two or three - years a surprising change takes place. They not only - spring into fullgrown manhood as if by magic, but all - their former beauty disappears; their complexion becomes - dark, their features harsh and angular, and the whole - expression of countenance stern, and even disagreeable. - I have often been accosted by such persons, formerly - intimate acquaintances, but who had suddenly grown - entirely out of my knowledge, nor could I, without - difficulty, recognize them.” Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, - p. 569. - - 249 – Used as a protection from gnats. - - 250 – See _Naioth_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ It was now, probably, - that he became acquainted with the prophets _Nathan_ and - _Gad_. - - 251 – See Matt. xii. 3; Mark ii. 23; Luke vi. 3, 4. - - 252 – Compare the histories of Coriolanus and Themistocles. - - 253 – See titles of Psalms xxxiv. and lvi. - - 254 – Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 148. - - 255 – See Robinson, I. 481, 2; Van de Velde, II. 156. - - 256 – Comp. the story of Alexander in the Desert of Gedrosia. - - 257 – Compare Psalms cxl., cxlii. - - 258 – Robinson, _Bib. Res._ I. 492. - - 259 – See Psalm liv. - - 260 – Its original name was Hazazon-Tamar (_the pruning of the - palm_), on account of the palm-groves which surrounded it - (Gen. xiv. 7; 2 Chr. xx. 2). Wilton’s _Negeb_, 120. “We - were now in the ‘wilderness of Engedi,’ where David and - his men lived among ‘the rocks of the wild goats’.... - The whole scene is drawn to the life. On all sides the - country is full of caverns, which might then serve as - lurking-places for David and his men, as they do for - outlaws at the present day.”――Robinson, _Bib. Res._ I. - p. 500. - - 261 – See Psalm lvii. - - 262 – Psalms liv., lvii., lxiii. by their titles relate to this - period, and it has been remarked that “probably these - Psalms made the Psalter so dear to Alfred and to Wallace - during their like wanderings.”――Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Art. - _David_. - - 263 – See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Hachilah_. - - 264 – “I noticed, at all the encampments which we passed, that - the sheikh’s tent was distinguished from the rest by a - tall spear stuck upright in the ground in front of it; and - it is the custom, when a party is out on an excursion for - robbery or for war, that when they halt to rest, the spot - where the chief reclines is thus designated.... The cruse - of water is in exact accordance with the customs of the - people at this day. No one ventures to travel over these - deserts without his cruse of water, and it is very common - to place one at the ‘bolster,’ so that the owner can - reach it during the night. The Arabs eat their dinner - in the evening, and it is generally of such a nature as - to create thirst, and the quantity of water which they - drink is enormous. The _cruse_ is, therefore, in perpetual - demand.”――Thomson’s _L. and B._ 367. - - 265 – Compare the story of the Persian king and Themistocles. - - 266 – Wilton’s _Negeb_, p. 207. - - 267 – “A lasting memorial of this battle was the law, which - traced its origin to the arrangement made by David, - formerly in the attack on Nabal (1 Sam. xxv. 13), and - now again more completely, for the equal division of the - plunder amongst the two-thirds who followed to the field, - and the one-third who remained to guard the baggage” - (1 Sam. xxx. 21–25). Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 268 – See Robinson, _Bib. Res._ II. 325. “Shunem (_Sulem_) - afforded an admirable camping-ground for a large army, - _Jebel ed Dûhy_ rising abruptly behind, and the top - of it commanding a perfect view of the great plain in - every direction, so that there could be no surprise, - nor could their march be impeded, or their retreat cut - off.”――Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, 451. - - 269 – Probably the same as the Spring of Harod or _Trembling_, - at which Gideon’s three hundred lapped (see p. 247), and - “identical with the fountain of Jalûd, a few miles to - the east of the modern village of Jezreel.” Hewitt’s - _Scripture Geography_, p. 33. - - 270 – “The rock on which Endor is built has been hollowed out - by the hand of nature into large caverns, whose dark and - gloomy entrances brought involuntarily to my mind the - witch of the days of Saul.” Van de Velde, II. 383. - - 271 – Beth-shan (now _Beisan_) was one of the Canaanite - strongholds which the Israelites had never taken. (See - p. 225.) Situated on a _tell_ or hill, about 200 ft. - high, on the slope of the range of Gilboa, it was a very - strong position, with nearly perpendicular sides, and was - abundantly supplied with water. Thomson, 455. Stanley, _S. - and P._ 346. - - 272 – Jabesh-gilead “was on the mountain-range east of the - Jordan, _in full view of Beth-shan_, and these brave - men would creep up to the _tell_, without being seen, - while the deafening roar of the noisy cascades leaping - through the deep ravines dividing the city would render - it impossible for them to be heard.” Thomson, _The Land - and the Book_, p. 445. Van de Velde, II. p. 360. - - 273 – See pp. 283, 284. - - 274 – See p. 44. - - 275 – See p. 215. - - 276 – See p. 53. - - 277 – Compare the combat of the Horatii and Curiatii. _Livy_, I. - xxiv., xxv. - - 278 – See p. 210, and Art. _Ishbosheth_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 279 – See p. 219. - - 280 – “The situation of Jerusalem is in several respects - singular amongst the cities of Palestine. Its elevation is - remarkable, occasioned, not from its being on the summit - of one of the numerous hills of Judæa, like most of the - towns and villages, but because it is on the edge of - one of the highest table-lands of the country. Hebron, - indeed, is higher still, by some hundred feet; and from - the south, accordingly, the approach to Jerusalem is by - a slight descent. But from every other side, the ascent - is perpetual; and, to the traveller approaching Jerusalem - from the west or east, it must always have presented the - appearance, beyond any other capital of the then known - world――we may add, beyond any important city that has ever - existed on the earth――of a _mountain city, enthroned on a - mountain fastness_.” (Comp. Ps. lxviii. 15, 16; lxxxvii. 1; - cxxv. 1; lxxvi. 1, 2; lxvi. 4.) But besides being thus - elevated, Jerusalem was separated from the rocky plateau - of which it forms a part by deep and precipitous ravines - on its south-eastern, southern, and western sides, out of - which the rocky slopes of the city “rose like the walls - of a fortress out of its ditches, so that from them it - must have appeared quite impregnable.” “Something of the - same effect is produced by those vast rents which, under - the name of ‘Tago,’ surround or divide Ronda, Alhama, and - Granada, on the table-lands which crown the summits of the - Spanish mountains. But in Palestine, Jerusalem alone is so - entrenched, and from this cause derived, in great measure, - her early strength and subsequent greatness.” Stanley’s - _Sinai and Palestine_, p. 172. Robinson’s _Bib. Res._ I. - 258–260. - - 281 – Stanley’s _Sinai and Palestine_, p. 176. - - 282 – See p. 225, and Kitto’s _Daily Bible Illustr._ III. 340. - - 283 – Joseph. _Ant._ VII. 3. § 1. See Article _Jerusalem_ in - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 183. - - 284 – “It was necessary for the commerce of Phœnicia that she - should enjoy the friendship of whatever power commanded - the great lines of inland traffic, which ran through - Cœle-Syria and Damascus, by Hamath and Tadmor, to the - Euphrates.” Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 97. - Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, pp. 201–205. Heeren’s _Researches_, - II. pp. 116, 117. - - 285 – See p. 124. Blunt’s _Coincidences_, p. 130. - - 286 – i. _The Army._ In early times all males above twenty and - under fifty years of age were required to serve in the - wars, and formed a kind of national militia (Deut. xx. - 5–9). A standing army, as we have already seen, was - first formed at the early part of Saul’s reign (1 Sam. - xiii. 2; xiv. 52). Under David the national forces were - divided into twelve divisions of 24,000 men, each division - commanded by its own officer, and liable to be called on - to serve in their respective months (1 Chr. xxvii. 1–15). - Unlike the armies of the surrounding nations, that of - the Israelites was composed only of infantry, and but few - chariots were as yet introduced (2 Sam. viii. 4). Over the - entire force of the nation JOAB was commander-in-chief by - right of his services before Jebus, and whenever the king - was absent, he led the troops to battle. - - ii. _The Royal Body-guard_, or _the Cherethites and - Pelethites_. To defend the person of the king a force was - now for the first time organized, consisting of foreign - mercenaries, the command of which was entrusted to the - Levite BENAIAH, the son of the high-priest Jehoiada. - (For whose exploits, see 2 Sam. xxiii. 20, 21; 1 Chr. - xi. 22–25.) - - iii. _The Heroes_ or _Mighty Men_. Round the king when - a fugitive in the cave of Adullam had gathered, as we - have seen, a body of six hundred men. This number David - always preserved, but elevated it to a sort of military - Order, with the special title of the GIBBORIM, _Heroes_ - or _Mighty Men_. This body was divided into 3 divisions of - 200 each, and 30 divisions of 20 each. The lowest rank in - this order consisted of the captains of the 30 divisions, - who were known as _the Thirty_; then came the captains of - the three larger divisions, who were known as _the Three_; - and lastly, the commander of the whole force, who was - known as _the Captain of the Mighty Men_, and was at this - time ABISHAI, David’s nephew (2 Sam. xxiii. 8–39; 1 Chr. - xi. 9–47). See Articles _David_ and _Army_ in Smith’s - _Bibl. Dict._ Kitto’s _Bibl. Illustr._ III. pp. 301–304. - - 287 – See note 215. - - 288 – See pp. 49, 50. - - 289 – See p. 304. - - 290 – See p. 192. - - 291 – See p. 256. - - 292 – Already mentioned as the place where the bedstead of the - giant Og was deposited (see p. 186). It was on the road - between Heshbon and Bosra, on the edge of the desert, near - one of the sources of the Jabbok. Afterwards from Ptolemy - Philadelphus (B.C. 285–247) it received the name of - _Philadelphia_, and in the Christian era became the seat - of a bishop and one of the 19 sees of “Palestina Tertia.” - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Rabbah_. - - 293 – See p. 271. - - 294 – See p. 165. - - 295 – To this sad period belong Psalms xxxii. li. - - 296 – “The ruins which now adorn the ‘royal city’ are of a - later Roman date; but the commanding position of the - citadel remains, and the unusual sight of a living stream, - abounding in fish, marks the significance of Joab’s song - of victory――_I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken - the city of waters_.” _Sinai and Palestine_, p. 323. - - 297 – See Kitto’s _Daily Bibl. Illustr._ III. 395. - - 298 – A village about six miles to the south of Bethlehem, the - birthplace of the prophet _Amos_ (Am. i. 1). - - 299 – See p. 238. - - 300 – See the dates in margin, 2 Sam. xv. - - 301 – What was Ahithophel’s motive for this defection is - not stated; but it is to be remembered that he was - the grandfather of Bath-sheba (Comp. 2 Sam. xx. 3 and - xxiii. 34), and was doubtless well aware of the sad fate - of Uriah, his son Eliam’s brother-officer. See Blunt’s - _Coincidences_, p. II. x. pp. 136, 137. Art. _Ahithophel_, - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 302 – See Ps. xli. 9; lv. 12, 13, 20. - - 303 – Probably an inhabitant of Erech, a place of uncertain site. - See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 304 – Compare the account of Abner and Rizpah, p. 320. - - 305 – To this period belong Psalms iii., iv., xlii. - - 306 – Thomson, _The Land and the Book_, p. 490. - - 307 – Ibid. - - 308 – “Now for the first time called _Israel_, as distinct - from Judah. But it is likely that, although it now first - appears, this distinction had actually grown up while - David reigned over Judah only, and Ishbosheth over the - other tribes.” Kitto, _Bibl. Illustr._ III. 424. - - 309 – Sometimes called Abel-maim, _Abel on the waters_ (2 Chr. - xvi. 4). “Taking advantage of an oblong knoll of natural - rock that rises above the surrounding plain, the original - inhabitants raised a high mound sufficiently large for - their city. With a deep ‘trench’ (2 Sam. xx. 15) and - strong wall, it must have been almost impregnable. The - country on every side is most lovely, well watered, and - very fertile. The neighbouring fountains and brooks would - convert any part of this country into a paradise of fruits - and flowers; and such, no doubt, was Abel, when she was - called a ‘mother in Israel.’” (2 Sam. xx. 19.) Thomson, - _The Land and the Book_, p. 217. - - 310 – See Calendar, p. 155, and Article _Rizpah_, in Smith’s - _Bib. Dict._ - - 311 – See Rawlinson’s _Five Great Monarchies_, II. 333, _n._ - - 312 – Jahn’s _Hebrew Commonwealth_, p. 76. - - 313 – The life of David admits of a fivefold division. - (i) His shepherd life at Bethlehem; (ii) His courtier - life with Saul at Gibeah; (iii) His life as an outlaw; - (iv) His Kingly life at Hebron during 7½ years, and - (v) at Jerusalem during 33 years, in all 40. His history - will be ever memorable, whether we regard _the work he - achieved_, or _his own personal character_. - - (i) _His work._ “He had succeeded to a kingdom distracted - with civil dissension, environed on every side, or - occupied by powerful and victorious enemies, without - a capital, almost without an army, without any bond of - union between the tribes. He left a compact and united - state, stretching from the frontier of Egypt to the foot - of Lebanon, from the Euphrates to the sea. He had crushed - the power of the Philistines, subdued or curbed all the - adjacent kingdoms; he had formed a lasting and important - alliance with the great city of Tyre. He had organized - an immense disposable force: every month 24,000 men, - furnished in rotation by the tribes, appeared in arms, - and were trained as the standing militia of the country. - At the head of his army were officers of consummate - experience, and, what was more highly esteemed in the - warfare of the time, of extraordinary personal activity, - strength, and valour[314].” He had also given especial - attention to the management of public worship, as the - most efficacious means of promoting religion and morality, - and, consequently, obedience to the Invisible, Supreme - Monarch. The solemn transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, - at which almost all the people were present, had made - a deep impression on their minds, and had awakened them - to a sincere adoration of Jehovah. These favourable - dispositions he had upheld and strengthened by suitable - regulations in the service of the priests and Levites, - and especially by the instructive and animating Psalms, - which were composed partly by himself, and partly by other - poets and prophets[315]. “In comparison with the hymns - of David, the sacred poetry of all other nations sinks - into mediocrity. They have embodied so exquisitely the - universal language of religious emotion that they have - entered, with unquestioned propriety, into the ritual - of the holier and more perfect religion of Christ. The - songs which cheered the solitudes of the desert caves of - Engedi, or resounded from the voice of the Hebrew people - as they wound along the glens or the hill-sides of Judea, - have been repeated for ages in almost every part of the - habitable world, in the remotest islands of the ocean, - among the forests of America or the sands of Africa[316].” - - (ii) _His character._ Obedience to the Divine commands - was ever with David the axiom of his life, and in every - step he took he shewed the greatest anxiety to act as - God’s servant (2 Sam. ii. 1; 1 Sam. xxiii. 2, 4). All - deliverance from danger, and all victories from first to - last, he ascribed to the Divine aid, and neither in the - hour of danger, nor the more trying hour of prosperity, - did he go after “strange gods,” or introduce any - idolatrous rites. It was, probably, to this feature of his - administration that God referred, when He described him as - _a man after His own heart_ (1 Sam. xiii. 14, Comp. Acts - xiii. 22), rather than to his private virtues. And yet - these were of no mean order. “Shepherd, soldier, poet, - king, the romantic friend, the chivalrous leader, the - devoted father,” he was eminent alike for his exalted - piety, and his noble patriotism. “During a war of seven - years he never lifted his sword against a subject, and - at the end of it he punished no rebels, and remembered no - offence but the murder of his rival (2 Sam. iv. 10–12).” - The adultery with Bath-sheba, the murder of Uriah, the - numbering of the people, with a view, probably, to foreign - conquests, are the deep blots on his fame, and the chief - instances in which he forgot alike himself and his God. - “And yet when we look at the piety of his youth, the depth - of his contrition, the strength of his faith, the fervour - of his devotion, the loftiness and variety of his genius, - the largeness and warmth of his heart, his eminent valour - in any age of warriors, his justice and wisdom as a ruler, - and, above all, his adherence to the worship and will of - God, we may well regard him as a model of kingly authority - and spiritual obedience[317].” - - Moreover, not only was he the ancestor of Christ after the - flesh, not only was the blessing of the Promise expressly - transferred to his family, but in his humiliation and - exaltation, as the king of the people of God, and as the - vanquisher of heathen nations, he was a type of HIM whose - coming he foretold in many of the Psalms, and who is not - called the son of Abraham, or of Jacob, or of Moses, but - the “_Son of David_.” Kurtz’s _Sacred History_, p. 189; - Article _David_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 314 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 305. - - 315 – Jahn’s _Hebrew Commonwealth_, p. 75. - - 316 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 307. - - 317 – Angus, _Bible Handbook_, p. 437; Jahn’s _Hebrew - Commonwealth_, p. 76; Chandler’s _Life of David_, - pp. 582–587. - - 318 – See _Table of Weights and Measures_ in the _Appendix_, - pp. 492, 493. “Each country needed what the other could - supply. The wheat of the plains of Galilee and the - oil of the hill-country of Judah maintained the royal - household of Hiram (Comp. Acts xii. 20); the skill of - the Phœnician artists supplied the want of it among the - Israelites.”――Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, p. 355. - - 319 – See p. 346. Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 311. - - 320 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 315. - - 321 – “These successive terraces were an imitation of the - Assyrian style of architecture, which at this time - prevailed more or less all over Syria, and particularly - at Tyre.” Lewin’s _Jerusalem_, p. 255; Art. _Palace_ in - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 322 – The chief architect of the Temple was Hiram (1 K. vii. - 13, 40), called also Huram in 2 Chr. ii. 13; iv. 11, 16, - an Israelite on his mother’s side, of the tribe of Dan or - Naphtali, by birth a Tyrian. - - 323 – In 2 Chron. iii. 4, the height is said to have been 120 - cubits. See Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. p. 313. - - 324 – See p. 122. - - 325 – “Such a copious use of gold was a practice known to - the Phœnicians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians.” - Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 107. - - 326 – The functions of the priests and Levites had already been - duly arranged by David. (i) The Priests were divided into - 24 courses (1 Chr. xxiv. 1–19; 2 Chr. xxiii. 8; Luke i. 5), - each of which served in rotation for one week, the special - services of the week being assigned by lot (Luke i. 9). - (ii) Of the Levites 24,000 were over the work of the - temple; 6,000 were officers and judges; 4,000 were porters - or sentries, and as such bore arms (1 Chr. ix. 19; 2 Chr. - xxxi. 2); 4,000 formed the choir of singers and musicians. - See Arts. _Priests_ and _Levites_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 327 – Comp. Psalms xxiv, xlvii, xcvii, xcviii, cvi. - - 328 – See p. 153. - - 329 – So called from its cedar pillars. Similarly the halls of - the Nimroud palace “were supported by rows of pillars, - not of stone, but of wood, and the Hall of Lebanon was - supported by 3 rows of cedar pillars, 15 in a row, making - 45 in the whole.” Lewin’s _Jerusalem_, p. 270. Rawlinson’s - _Bampton Lectures_, p. 106. - - 330 – Baalath was a town of Dan near the Philistine plain. For - the two Beth-horons, see p. 212. “The importance of the - road on which the two Beth-horons are situated, the main - approach to the interior of the country from the hostile - districts on both sides of Palestine――Philistia and Egypt - on the west, Moab and Ammon on the east――at once explains - and justifies the frequent fortification of these towns - at different periods of the history. This road is still, - as in ancient times, the great road of communication and - heavy transport between Jerusalem and the sea-coast.” - Robinson’s _Bibl. Res._ II. 252. Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, - Art. _Beth-horon_. - - 331 – The exact site of Gezer has not been found, but it must - have been between the lower Beth-horon and the sea, on the - regular coast-road of communication with Egypt. Smith’s - _Bibl. Dict._ - - 332 – For Hazor see pp. 201, 214. For Megiddo (now _el-Lejjûn_), - see p. 240. It was a principal station on the caravan - route from Egypt to Damascus, “and for a long while - possessed a large khan, mentioned by Maundrell and many - travellers after him.” Van de Velde, I. 353. - - 333 – Tiphsah (= πόρος, “a ford”), the Thapsacus of the Greeks - and Romans, “must have been a place of considerable - trade, the land-traffic between the East and West passing - through it, first on account of its fordway (which was - the lowest upon the Euphrates), and then on account of - its bridge, while it was likewise the point where goods - were both embarked for transport down the stream, and - also disembarked from boats which had come up to it, to be - conveyed on to their final destination by land.” Smith’s - _Bib. Dict._ - - 334 – “A region variously identified with (i) the south of - Arabia, (ii) Sofala on the coast of Africa opposite to - Madagascar, and (iii) India; the first was probably its - locality, though the Jewish fleets may also have visited - India.” Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, p. 357. - - 335 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 322. “Notwithstanding - the long export of silver from the mines of Tartessus by - the Phœnicians, who drew from them the wealth by which - they founded so many powerful colonies, the Carthaginians, - who succeeded the Phœnicians in their possession, derived - from them the revenues by which they were enabled to pay - their mercenary armies. Even in the Roman times 40,000 - men were employed as miners within a circuit of 400 stadia - near Carthagena, and the workings yielded a revenue to the - republic of 20,500 drachmas daily.” Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, - p. 211. - - 336 – “The Palace of Solomon was below the Temple Platform, - and in laying the solid foundations of Millo, provision - had been made for a double passage from the Palace to - the Temple, about 250 ft. long and 42 ft. wide, formed - of bevelled stones, and rising by a gentle incline to - one of the gates of the Inner Temple. This marvellous - subterranean approach, impregnable from its nature to - the ravages of time, still remains, though painfully - disfigured; it is called to this day the Temple of - Solomon.” Lewin’s _Jerusalem_, p. 270. - - 337 – See Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 326–328; Art. - _Solomon_ in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Jahn’s _Hebrew - Commonwealth_, 78, 79; Kitto’s _Daily Bible Illustrations_, - IV. 127–132. - - 338 – See p. 254. - - 339 – The disunion of the kingdom of Solomon, though apparently - sudden, had been brought about by many pre-disposing - causes. From the earliest period there had been a jealous - rivalry between the powerful tribes of Ephraim and Judah, - like that between the houses of York and Lancaster in our - own history. - - For upwards of 400 years the leadership of the nation - had been practically in the hands of Ephraim. From this - tribe had come the great hero Joshua; to it belonged, at - least by his place of birth, the great prophet Samuel; - and though from “little Benjamin” had come the first king, - yet hereditary ties as well as geographical position had - united it to the house of Joseph. Within the boundaries, - moreover, of Ephraim had been the sanctuaries of Shechem - and Shiloh, which would naturally make it the resort of - numbers from all parts of the country. Hence the spirit - of jealousy this tribe was ever ready to evince if any - exploit was performed or advantage gained in which it - had not the lion’s share. Hence its complaints against - Gideon[340], against Jephthah[341], against David[342]. - - But its influence, hitherto so great, began to wane when - the victories of the latter prince exalted the tribe of - Judah to its proud pre-eminence. For seven years Ephraim - supported Ishbosheth’s rival throne at Mahanaim, but when - he died, and David captured Jebus, gave to the nation - a fortress and a capital, and transferred thither the - Tabernacle, the glories of Shechem and of Shiloh began - to vanish away. For a time David’s personal influence - preserved the semblance of union, and many Ephraimites - were in high favour about his person (1 Chr. xii. 30; - xxvii. 10, 14), but the restoration of the king after the - rebellion of Absalom was the signal for an outburst of - the old rivalry, which well-nigh precipitated a disruption - (2 Sam. xx. 1), and when the smouldering feelings of - jealousy were fanned into exasperation by the oppressive - taxation of Solomon and the insane folly of his son, - a leader only was required, like Jeroboam, to make the - separation complete. See Blunt’s _Script. Coincid._ 164–175. - - 340 – See p. 249. - - 341 – See p. 257. - - 342 – See p. 342. - - 343 – “The whole area of Palestine was nearly equal to that - of the kingdom of Holland (13,610 sq. m.), or rather - more than that of the 6 northern counties of England - (13,136 sq. m.). The kingdom of Judah was rather less than - Northumberland, Durham, and Westmoreland (3,683 sq. m.); - the kingdom of Israel was very nearly as large as - Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumberland (9,453 sq. m.).” - See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Article _Kingdom of Israel_. - - 344 – See p. 250. - - 345 – See p. 358, n. - - 346 – The month of the Vintage in Northern Palestine. See the - Calendar, p. 155. - - 347 – “This success is found to have been commemorated by - Shishak on the outside of the great temple of Karnak; and - here in a long list of captured towns and districts, which - Shishak boasts of having added to his dominions, occurs - the ‘_Melchi Yuda_,’ or kingdom of Judah, the conquest - of which by this king is thus distinctly noticed in the - Egyptian records.” Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 126; - Herod. II. p. 376. - - 348 – Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 127. - - 349 – Hadad or Adad was a Syrian god, probably the sun, still - worshipped at Damascus in the time of Josephus (_Ant._ IX. - 4, 6), and from it several Syrian names are derived, as - Hadadezer, i.e. _Hadad has helped_, Ben-Hadad, _worshipper - of Hadad_. - - 350 – “In the territory of Ephraim, the fertile plains and to a - certain extent wooded hills, which have been often noticed - as its characteristic ornaments, at once gave an opening - to the formation of parks and pleasure-grounds similar - to those which were the ‘Paradises’ of Assyrian and - Persian monarchs. One of these was Tirzah (_Tellûzah?_) - of unknown site, but evidently near Shechem, and of - proverbial beauty,” Cant. vi. 4. Stanley’s _S. and P._ 243. - It “was to Shechem what Windsor is to London, and had - been the seat of a Canaanitish king before the conquest of - the country by the Israelites” (Josh. xii. 24). Porter’s - _Handbk._ II. 348. - - 351 – “No better site for a capital could have been selected - in the length and breadth of Palestine, combining a - strong position, rich environs, central situation, and - an elevation sufficient to catch the cool healthy breezes - from the sea.” Porter’s _Handbook_, II. 345. “Situated on - its steep height, in a plain itself girt in by hills, it - was enabled, not less promptly than Jerusalem, to resist - the successive assaults made upon it by the Syrian and - Assyrian armies. The first were baffled altogether, the - second took it only after a three years’ siege, that - is three times as long as that which reduced Jerusalem” - (2 Kings xviii. 10). Stanley, _S. and P._ 244. - - 352 – The meaning of the expression “making streets in Samaria,” - 1 Kings xx. 34. - - 353 – Ithobalus = _Baal with him_, Ethbaal = _with Baal_. - - 354 – Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, p. 362. The date of Ethbaal’s reign - may be given at about B.C. 940–908. Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 355 – See p. 219. - - 356 – See p. 256. - - 357 – That is, for 3 years and 6 months (Comp. Lk. iv. 25). - “The annals of Tyre record a drought of a year’s duration - in the reign of Ithobaal, who continued to reign at Tyre - during a considerable portion of Ahab’s reign in Israel.” - Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, 362; Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, - 128, 129. - - 358 – Carmel, nearly always found with the definite article, = - _the park_, or _the well-wooded place_, and is famous even - now for its “impenetrable brushwood of evergreens and oaks.” - (See Isai. xxxiii. 9, xxxv. 2; Mic. vii. 14; Amos i. 2.) - This well-known ridge, rising at the west end about 600, - and the east about 1600 feet above the sea, stretches from - the Mediterranean inland a little more than 12 miles, and - separates the plain of Esdraelon from the plain of Sharon. - - 359 – Stanley’s _S. & P._ 353. “We descended to the Mohrakah, or - ‘place of sacrifice.’ It is a glade overlooking the plain, - somewhat in the shape of an amphitheatre, and completely - shut in on the north by the well-wooded cliffs down which - we had come. No place could be conceived more adapted by - nature to be that wondrous battle-field of truth. In front - of the principal actors in the scene, with the king and - his courtiers by their side, the thousands of Israel might - have been gathered on the lower slopes, witnesses of the - whole struggle to its stupendous result.” Tristram’s _Holy - Land_, p. 117. - - 360 – Obtained from a neighbouring fountain, Josephus _Ant._ - VIII. 13, § 5, which even now is found close beneath - _el-Mohrakah_ (“the burning”), the spot pointed out - as the scene of this event. “In the upper part of the - amphitheatre to the left is an ancient fountain, overhung - by a few magnificent trees, among them a noble specimen of - the Turkey oak. The reservoir of the spring is stone-built - and square, about 8 ft. deep, and the old steps which - once descended to it may still be traced. The water is of - some depth, and is perennial. This was corroborated by the - existence of molluscs attached to the stones within the - cistern. _In that three years’ drought, when all the wells - were dry, and the Kishon had first sunk to a string of - pools, and then finally was lost altogether, this deep - and shaded spring fed from the roots of Carmel remained._” - Tristram’s _Holy Land_, pp. 117, 118. - - 361 – “Immediately below [the ♦Mohrakah], on the banks of the - Kishon, was a small flat-topped green knoll, ‘Tell Cassis, - ’ _the Mound of the Priests_, marking in its name the very - spot where Elijah slew the prophets of Baal, when he had - brought them down to the brook Kishon.” Tristram’s _Holy - Land_, pp. 117, 118. - - 362 – “This conduct of Elijah, when rightly understood, was - full of important instruction. As God’s minister he had - overwhelmed the king with shame and confusion in the - presence of his subjects. The natural tendency of this - would be to lower him in their eyes, and lessen their - respect for his authority. It was not the intention, - however, to weaken the government, nor to encourage - rebellion. The prophet was, therefore, divinely directed - to give a testimony of respect and honour to the king, - as public and striking as from necessity had been the - opposition and rebuke to his idolatry. The mode of doing - honour to Ahab, by running before his chariot, was in - accordance with the customs of the East, even to this day. - I was reminded of this incident more than 20 years ago at - Jaffa, when Mohammed Aly came to that city with a large - army to quell the rebellion of Palestine. The camp was - on the sand hills south of the city, while Mohammed Aly - stopped inside the walls. The officers were constantly - going and coming, preceded by runners, who always kept - just ahead of the horses, no matter how furiously they - were ridden; and, in order to run with the greater ease, - they not only ‘girded their loins’ very tightly, but also - tucked up their loose garments under the girdle, lest they - should be incommoded by them. This, no doubt, did Elijah.” - Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, p. 485. Kitto’s _Daily - Bible Illustr._ IV. 271, 272. - - 363 – Or rather a species of _broom_ very abundant in the - desert of Sinai, and capable of “affording shade and - protection, both in heat and storm, to travellers.” Smith’s - _Bib. Dict._; Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, p. 611. - - 364 – See p. 249. - - 365 – “In the cuneiform annals of an Assyrian king we have a - very curious and valuable confirmation of the power of - Damascus at this time――of its being under the rule of a - monarch named Benhadad, who was at the head of a great - confederacy of princes, and who was able to bring into - the field, year after year, vast armies, with which he - repeatedly engaged the whole force of Assyria. We have - accounts of three campaigns between the Assyrians on - the one side, and the Syrians, Hittites, Hamathites, and - Phœnicians, united under the command of Benhadad, on the - other, in which the contest is maintained with spirit, - the armies being of a large size, and their composition - and character such as we find described in Scripture.” - Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 130, and notes; - Rawlinson’s _Herod._ I. 464, 465. - - 366 – “Probably _local governors_ or _magistrates_, who took - refuge in Samaria during the invasion, while the ‘young - men’ were their _attendants_.”――Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 367 – See Keil on 1 K. xx. 16. - - 368 – See Kitto’s _Daily Bible Illustr._ IV. pp. 286, 287. - - 369 – Now called _Fîk_, a considerable village on the top of - a mountain (Thomson, p. 388), at the head of the _Wady - Fîk_, 6 miles east of the sea of Galilee, “the great road - between Damascus, Nablous, and Jerusalem, still passing - through the village.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 370 – “This tremendous destruction was caused, as I suppose, - by an earthquake; and after having seen the effects - of the earthquake in Safed and Tiberias, I can easily - understand this narrative. We are not required to limit - the catastrophe to the falling of a single wall; or, - if this be insisted on, we have only to suppose that it - was the wall of the city, and a little consideration will - convince any one familiar with Oriental fortifications - that it might overwhelm a whole army. Those ramparts were - very lofty and massive. An open space was always left along - their base, and this would be packed, from end to end, by - the remnants of Benhadad’s mighty host, and escape from - the falling towers would be impossible. Burckhardt informs - us that the town is built round the base of a hill, in - the shape of a crescent, and this peculiarity of the site - would render the destruction only the more extensive and - inevitable.” Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, p. 389. - - 371 – “The place of execution was by the large tank or reservoir, - which still remains on the slope of the hill of Samaria, - immediately outside the walls.” Article _Naboth_, in - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 372 – “Now _Es-Salt_, situated on a hill, isolated to a great - extent from the loftier mountains round it by deep ravines - on the east and west, which unite on the south. Probably - from its commanding position in the territory of Gad, - as well as its strength, it was chosen by Moses as the - City of Refuge for that tribe (Deut. iv. 43; Josh. xx. 8; - xxi. 38). Afterwards it became the residence of one of - Solomon’s commissariat officers” (1 K. iv. 13). Smith’s - _Bib. Dict._ - - 373 – Comp. Homer, _Il._ I. 106. - - 374 – See p. 397, note. - - 375 – See p. 307, note. - - 376 – See Psalm cxxxvi. 1. Comp. also Ps. xlviii. and xcii., - Joel iii. 2, 12. - - 377 – Van de Velde, II. 30; Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, - p. 606. Tekoa was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chr. xi. 6), was - afterwards the birthplace of the prophet Amos (Am. i. 1), - and gave its name to the adjacent desert on the east - (2 Chr. xx. 20). Robinson, _Bibl. Res._ I. 486, 7. “It - is remarkable that this is the usual route taken in the - present day by such predatory bands from Moab as make - incursions into southern Palestine. They pass round the - southern end of the Dead Sea, then up the road along its - western shore to _Ain-Jidy_, and thence towards Hebron, - Tekoa, and Jerusalem, as the prospects of plunder seem - most inviting.” Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 378 – “The name of _Bereikût_ still survives, attached to - ruins in a valley of the same name, lying between Tekoa - and the main road from Bethlehem to Hebron, a position - corresponding accurately enough with the locality of the - battle as described 2 Chr. xx.” Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 379 – “It was when our Lord and His disciples were on - their journey through this very district from Galilee - to Jerusalem, and when smarting from the churlish - inhospitality of some Samaritan villagers, that――led to it - by the distant view of the heights of Carmel, or, perhaps, - by some traditional name on the road――the impetuous zeal - of James and John, the ‘sons of thunder,’ burst forth, - _Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from - heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?_ For the - answer of our Lord to this question see Lk. ix. 51–56.” - Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 380 – See p. 202. - - 381 – Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ Art. _Elisha_. Ever since the time - of Josephus a large spring N. W. of the present town, and - called _Ain-en-Sultân_, has been pointed out as the spring - in question. - - 382 – See Keil on 2 K. iii. 20. - - 383 – Compare the conduct of the Lacedæmonians in the Megarid, - Thuc. I. 108. - - 384 – The modern _Kerak_ lies about 6 miles from Rabbath-Moab, - and some 10 miles from the Dead Sea. “Its situation is - truly remarkable. It is built upon the top of a steep - hill, surrounded on all sides by a deep and narrow valley, - which again is completely inclosed by mountains rising - higher than the town, and overlooking it on all sides. - It must have been from these surrounding heights that the - Israelite slingers hurled their volleys of stones after - the capture of the place had proved impossible (2 K. - iii. 25).” Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._, Art. _Kir-Moab_. - - 385 – A few years after this event, and before the visit - of Naaman to Samaria (comp. 2 K. viii. 4 with 1, - 2, 3), in consequence of a famine predicted by Elisha, - the Shunammite retired to the rich low lands of the - Philistines. At the close of the dearth she returned to - her native place, to find her house and fields in the - possession of a stranger. Thereupon, with her son, she - repaired to Samaria, and as the king was listening to the - story of _all the great things which Elisha had done_, and - especially the crowning miracle at Shunem, she drew near, - was recognised by Gehazi, and confirmed the wondrous - tale in person. The king, struck by the remarkable - circumstances, ordered her land to be restored to her, - with the value of the fruits of it during her sojourn - amongst the Philistines. “It is still common for even - petty sheikhs to confiscate the property of a person - who is exiled for a time, or who moves away temporarily - from his district; especially is this true of widows - and orphans, and the Shunammite was now a widow.” See - Thomson’s _Land and the Book_, p. 458. - - 386 – These were probably first-fruits and perquisites of - the priests, see p. 134 (a), Numb. xviii. 8, 12; Deut. - xviii. 3, 4. - - 387 – Not “one,” but “he,” Naaman, went in and told his “lord,” - the king, 2 K. v. 4, as in the Vulgate. - - 388 – The ABANA, the Χρυσοῤῥόας of the Greeks, and now the - _Barada_, was the chief river of Damascus and flowed - through it, and was the main source of its beauty and - fertility, having even now 14 villages and 150,000 souls - dependent on it; the PHARPAR, now the _Awaj_, is further - from Damascus, “a small lively river.” Robinson, _Bibl. - Res._ III. 448. - - 389 – “According to Movers (_Phœn._ I. 196, &c.) Rimmon was the - abbreviated form of Hadad-Rimmon (as Peor of Baal-Peor), - Hadad being the sun-god of the Syrians. Combining this - with the pomegranate, which was his symbol, Hadad-Rimmon - would then be the sun-god of the late summer, who ripens - the pomegranate and other fruits, and, after infusing into - them his productive power, dies, and is mourned with _the - mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddon_,” Zech. - xii. 11. Smith’s _Bibl. Dict._ - - 390 – See p. 58, and note 40. - - 391 – See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Art. _Hazael_. - - 392 – The cuneiform inscriptions “mention Hazael as king of - Damascus immediately after Ben-hadad; and Jehu is the - first Israelite king mentioned by name on any inscription - hitherto discovered.” Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, - p. 131; Layard’s _Nineveh_, I. p. 396. - - 392a – “The cuneiform inscriptions show that towards the close - of his reign Ben-hadad was exposed to the assaults of a - great conqueror, who was bent on extending the dominion - of Assyria over Syria and Palestine. Three several attacks - appear to have been made by this prince upon Ben-hadad, - who, though he had the support of the Phœnicians, the - Hittites, and the Hamathites, was unable to offer any - effectual resistance to the Assyrian arms. His troops - were worsted in several engagements, and in one of them - he lost as many as 20,000 men. It may have been these - circumstances which encouraged Hazael to murder him and - seize the throne, which Elisha declared would certainly - one day be his.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Rawlinson’s _Five - Great Monarchies_, II. pp. 361, 362. - - 393 – “Jehu and his party could be seen for at least 6 miles, - and there was time enough to send messenger after - messenger to meet him.” Thomson, _Land and the Book_, - p. 460. - - 394 – In the E. V. translated “the garden-house.” See Stanley, - _S. and P._ p. 349. Robinson places it at _Jenîn_, still - surrounded by the “orchards” and “gardens” which gave its - ancient name. See Van de Velde, I. p. 361. - - 395 – See p. 380. - - 396 – Established, probably, “at or near the town of Jabez in - Judah (1 Chr. ii. 55).” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 397 – On the position of this Altar in reference to the Holy - Place, see above, p. 120. - - 398 – See p. 273. - - 399 – Or 52 years, if the Interregnum be included. - - 400 – See pp. 401 and notes 376‒378. - - 401 – From both these latter prophets we gain several important - hints respecting the moral condition of the kingdom of - Israel at this time. The calf-worship was celebrated with - all its former splendour at Bethel, which was the site - of the royal sanctuary (Am. vii. 13), while the nation - was distinguished for licentiousness, drunkenness, and - oppression of the poor and needy (Am. ii. 7, 8, iv. 1; Hos. - i. 2, iv. 12–14, xiii. 6). See Dr Pusey’s _Introduction to - Hosea_. - - 402 – See p. 157. - - 403 – See p. 362. - - 404 – In our Version the date of this visit is placed in - B.C. 860. Others would place it in the later part of the - reign of Jeroboam II., or about B.C. 780; Rawlinson even - later, B.C. 760–750, during a temporary depression of - the Assyrian power; see the _Five Great Monarchies_, - pp. 390–392, and notes. - - 405 – Rawlinson’s _Five Great Monarchies_, Vol. II. p. 391. - - 406 – “There is a remarkable parallel to this in a Persian - practice mentioned by Herodotus, IX. 24. In the mourning - for Masistius, a little before the battle of Platæa, the - Persian troops not only shaved off their own hair, but - similarly disfigured their horses and their beasts of - burden.” Rawlinson’s _Five Great Monarchies_, II. 276, - note. - - 407 – See Kiel _in loc._, and Art. _Menahem_ in Smith’s _Bib. - Dict._ - - 408 – Called in the Septuagint Phalôch or Phalôs, and in the - Assyrian records _Phal-lukha_ and _Iva-lush_; the annals - of this monarch are scanty; but “in the most important - record we possess of his reign, there is a notice of his - having taken tribute from _Beth-Khumri_, or Samaria, as - well as from Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Idumæa, and Philistia.” - Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 133. - - 409 – This was the occasion of the important prophecy of Isaiah - vii. 1–16. - - 410 – This was the first captivity of any considerable portion - of Israel. See Map. The captives were located in Upper - Mesopotamia on the affluents of the _Bilikh_ and the - _Khabour_, from about ♦Haran to Nisibis, the Gozan of - Scripture. Rawlinson’s _Five Great Monarchies_, II. 398. - - 411 – Rawlinson’s _Five Great Monarchies_, II. 423; _Herodotus_, - Vol. I. p. 473. See Chron. Table in the _Appendix_, p. 488. - - 412 – “It has been usual to ascribe the capture of Samaria to - Shalmaneser; and this is certainly the impression which - the Scriptural narrative leaves. But the assertion is not - made expressly (comp. 2 K. xvii. 3, and xviii. 10), and if - we may trust the direct statement of Sargon, the successor - of Shalmaneser upon the throne, we must consider that he, - and not Shalmaneser, was the actual captor of the city. - Sargon relates that he took Samaria in his first year, - B.C. 721, and carried into captivity 27,280 families. It - would appear, therefore, that Shalmaneser died, or was - deposed, while Hoshea still held out, and that the final - captivity of Israel fell into the reign of his successor.” - Rawlinson’s _Hdtus._ I. 472. No king employed so generally - or on so large a scale, the practice of wholesale - deportation of his subjects as Sargon. See Rawlinson’s - _Five Great Monarchies_, II. p. 423. - - 413 – “As Gaza in Greek became Ca_d_ytis, Ach_z_ib Ec_d_ippa so - M’go_z_an became Myg_d_onia.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 414 – See Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Art. _Nehushtan_. - - 415 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 416 – Kenrick’s _Phœnicia_, p. 378; _Five Great Mon._ II. 405. - - 417 – Or perhaps the 27th, B.C. 700; see Rawlinson’s _Hdtus._ - I. 479 _n._ - - 418 – The route of the Assyrians may be traced in the vivid - language of Isai. x. 28–34. The annals of Sennacherib - contain a full account of this campaign; see Rawlinson’s - _Bampton Lectures_, pp. 142, 143; _Five Great Monarchies_, - II. p. 425. - - 419 – “Properly a _ring_, such as in our country is placed - through the nose of a bull, and similarly used in the - East for leading about lions and other animals, as also - prisoners, as in the case of Manasseh (2 Chr. xxxiii. 11; - A.V. _in the thorns_). See Isai. xxxvii. 29; Ezek. xxix. 4, - xxxviii. 4.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 420 – See for the view here taken, Rawlinson’s _Five Great - Monarchies_, Vol. II. p. 442; _Bampton Lectures_, p. 143. - - 421 – The Egyptians naturally ascribed their deliverance to - the interposition of their own gods. Rawlinson’s _Hdtus._ - Vol. II. p. 141. - - 422 – _Five Great Mon._ Vol. II. p. 445; comp. 2 K. xix. 36. - - 423 – In the opinion of some, Hezekiah’s illness preceded - the first invasion of Sennacherib by several years, and - Merodach-Baladan’s visit is placed by them about the year - B.C. 713, the 14th of Hezekiah (Comp. 2 K. xx. 6; Is. - xxxviii. 5). Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; Rawlinson’s _Hdtus._ - Vol. I. p. 479 _n._ - - 424 – “From the time of Sargon, Merodach-Baladan and his family - were the champions of Babylonian independence, and headed - the popular party in resisting the Assyrian monarchs.” - “The real object of the mission was most likely to effect - a league between Babylon, Judea, and Egypt (Is. xx. 5, 6), - in order to check the growing power of the Assyrians. - Hezekiah’s exhibition of ‘all his precious things’ - would thus have been not a mere display, but a mode of - satisfying the Babylonian ambassadors of his ability to - support the expenses of a war.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; - Rawlinson’s _Herod._ I. 503. - - 425 – See Blunt’s _Scriptural Coincidences_, Pt. III. 5. - - 426 – Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Art. _Manasseh_; and see p. 436. - - 427 – Comp. Heb. xi. 37: but see Art. _Isaiah_ in Smith’s _Bib. - Dict._ - - 428 – Either shortly before or after this visit to Jerusalem, - Esarhaddon invaded Egypt, defeated Tirhakah, took his - capital, and became master of the country as far as Thebes - or Diospolis, the No or No-Amon of Scripture. Rawlinson, - _Five Great Monarchies_, II. p. 475. - - 429 – “One is greatly surprised at first hearing that the - generals of an _Assyrian_ king, on capturing a rebel, - carried him to _Babylon_ instead of Nineveh. ‘What has a - king of Assyria to do with Babylon?’ one naturally asks. - The reply is, that Esarhaddon, and he _only of all the - Assyrian kings_, actually was king of Babylon; that he - built a palace, and occasionally held his court there, and - that consequently a captive was as likely to be brought to - him at that city as at the metropolis of Assyria-Proper.” - Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 145, and _Hdtus._ - Vol. I. p. 482. - - 430 – After the example of Sargon, Esarhaddon “gathered men - from Babylon, Orchoë, Susa, Elymais, Persia, and other - neighbouring regions, and entrusting them to an officer - of high rank, ‘the great and noble Asnapper,’ had them - conveyed to Palestine and settled over the whole country, - which until this time must have been somewhat thinly - peopled.” Comp. Ezra iv. 2, 9, 10; Rawlinson’s _Five Great - Monarchies_, II. p. 477. - - 431 – See p. 372. - - 432 – Partly from dissensions with the _Medes_ (B.C. 634–603), - who were attempting to seize the dominion over the East, - but still more in consequence of the great _Scythian_ - invasion, about B.C. 630, described by Herodotus (I. - civ.–cvi.), Assyria had been greatly weakened, her cities - being desolated, and her palaces dismantled or destroyed. - These Scythian hordes penetrated into Palestine as far as - Ashdod, but were repulsed by Psammetichus, and on their - return a portion, probably attracted by the situation - of Beth-shan (See p. 313), settled there, whence its Greek - name Scythopolis, “the city of the Scythians.” Milman’s - _History of the Jews_, I. 391; Rawlinson’s _Herod._ Vol. I. - 485, _Five Gt. Mon._ II. 512. - - 433 – Called by Manetho _Nechao_, by Herodotus Νεκώς, on the - monuments _Neku_, the son and successor of the first - Psammetichus. His defeat of the Syrians in a great battle - is mentioned by Herod. II. 159, and is said to have taken - place at Magdŏlus (= _Migdal-el_, in the tribe of Naphtali, - Josh. xix. 38), which is identified with the _Magdala_ - of Matt. xv. 39, probably in consequence of a confusion - between this name and Megiddo. Rawlinson’s _Herod._ II. - 246 _n._ - - 434 – Not the classical Circesium, but higher up the Euphrates, - “occupying nearly the site of the later _Mabog_, or - Hierapolis.” Smith’s _Bib. Dict._; _Dict. Geog._ Art. - _Hierapolis_. - - 435 – “At the upper end of the valley of Lebanon, some 35 miles - beyond Baalbec, and about 10 days’ journey from Jerusalem,” - on the great road between Palestine and Babylonia. - Describing the advantages of its position, Dr Robinson - says that it lies “on the banks of a mountain-stream in - the midst of a vast and fertile plain, yielding the most - abundant supplies of forage. From this point the roads - were open either by Aleppo and the Euphrates to Nineveh, - or by Palmyra to Babylon ... by the end of Lebanon and the - coast to Palestine and Egypt, or through the Bŭkâa and the - Jordan valley to the centre of the Holy Land.” Robinson’s - _Bib. Res._ III. 545. - - 436 – For the moral and religious degradation of the country - at this period, see Jer. xix.; Ezek. viii.; for the - king’s vindictive persecution of righteous prophets, Jer. - xxvi.; for his impiety in cutting up the roll containing - Jeremiah’s prophecy, Jer. xxxvi.; for his luxury and - tyranny, as also his selfishness in building splendid - palaces while his kingdom was so impoverished, Jer. xxii. - 13–17. - - 437 – In 2 K. xxiv. 14, 16, the numbers are given as 7,000 - soldiers, 1,000 artificers and smiths, and 2,000 others, - whose occupation is not mentioned. - - 438 – Rawlinson’s _Herod._ Vol. I. 515. For the prophecies of - Jeremiah during the reign of Zedekiah, see chaps. xxi. - xxiv. xxvii. 12–22, xxviii. xxix. xxxii. xxxiii. xxxiv. - xxxvii. xxviii. - - 439 – Thus were fulfilled the apparently contradictory - prophecies in Jer. xxxii. 4, and Ezek. xii. 13. - - 440 – Or Mizpah. For notices of this place on previous occasions, - see pp. 272, 280, 375. - - 441 – Before passing on, a few remarks may here be subjoined - respecting the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, which now - came to an end. - - I. _Their respective duration._ The kingdom of Israel - lasted from B.C. 975 to B.C. 721, or 254 years. The - kingdom of Judah lasted from B.C. 975 to B.C. 588, or 387 - years, thus outliving her more populous and powerful rival - by 133 years. - - II. _Their mutual relations._ These, as we have seen, - were dictated by three different lines of policy:―― - - (i) _Mutual animosity from_ B.C. 975–918. - - The first three kings of Judah, Rehoboam, Abijah, - and Asa, persisted in the hope of regaining their - authority over the Ten Tribes, and for nearly 60 - years there was war between the two kingdoms. - - (ii) _Close alliance, and united hostility to Syria_, - B.C. 918–884. - - With the accession of Jehoshaphat there sprang - up an alliance between the two kingdoms, cemented - by intermarriage, and prompted probably by - the necessity of joint action in resisting the - encroaching power of Syria. - - (iii) _Fresh animosity, and the gradual decline of - both kingdoms before the advancing power of the Assyrian - Empire_, B.C. 884–588. - - The alliance between the kingdoms was rudely - shattered by the accession of Jehu to the throne of - Israel. He put Ahaziah to death, and the hostility - thus begun reached its highest pitch under Amaziah, - Jehoash, and Pekah. - - III. _Their contrasts._ - - 1. _In the kingdom of Judah_, (a) There was always - a fixed capital and a venerated centre of religion; - (b) the army was always subordinate; (c) the succession - was interrupted by no revolution; (d) the priests - remained faithful to the crown. - - 2. _In the kingdom of Israel_, (a) There was no - fixed capital, and no real religious centre; (b) the - army was often insubordinate; (c) the succession was - constantly interrupted, so that out of 19 kings there - were no less than 9 dynasties, each ushered in by - a revolution; (d) the authorized priests left the - kingdom in a body, and the priesthood established by - Jeroboam had no Divine sanction and no promise; it - was corrupt in its very source. Hence in the kingdom - of Israel the _prophets_ were the regular ministers - of God, and, especially during the second of the - two periods above mentioned, their ministry was - distinguished by far more extraordinary events - than in the kingdom of Judah, whose annals offer no - prophetical deeds like those of Elijah and Elisha. See - Arts. _Kingdom of Judah and Israel_ in Smith’s _Bib. - Dict._; Jahn’s _Hebrew Commonwealth_. For the _Table_ - of Kings and Prophets, see the Appendix. - - 442 – Milman’s _History of the Jews_, I. 407, 408. - - 443 – See Jahn’s _Hebrew Commonwealth_, pp. 112, 113. - - 444 – The Psalms which appear to belong to this period are, Psls. - x. xiii.–xv. xxv.–xxvii. xxxvi. xxxvii. xlix. l. liii. - lxvii. lxxvii. lxxx. lxxxviii. lxxxix. xcii. xciii. cxxiii. - cxxx. cxxxvii. - - 445 – See p. 452. - - 446 – See p. 449. - - 447 – An interpretation now generally understood to indicate - (i) the Chaldean, (ii) Medo-Persian, (iii) Macedonian, and - (iv) Roman empires, which last gives way to (v) the kingdom - of Messiah. - - 448 – Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, notes, p. 439; _Herod._ - Vol. I. pp. 628, 629. - - 449 – Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, Art. _Nebuchadnezzar_. Dr Pusey, - on the other hand, writes, “Whether the image was formed - in reminiscence of that emblem of human might, which - Nebuchadnezzar had seen in his dream, and of which the - head was declared to represent himself, or whether it was - himself whom he intended to be worshipped in it, it was - plainly some test of allegiance required of all peoples, - nations, and languages, in his whole empire.” _Lectures - on Daniel_, p. 440. - - 450 – Ibid. p. 442, and the note. - - 451 – Along the shores of the Persian Gulf. Rawlinson’s _Herod._ - Vol. I. p. 513. - - 452 – Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 160 and notes; - _Herod._ Vol. I. pp. 512, 513; Smith’s _Bib. Dict._, - Art. _Nebuchadnezzar_. - - 453 – “I have examined,” says Sir H. Rawlinson, “the bricks - _in situ_, belonging perhaps to a hundred different towns - and cities in the neighbourhood of Baghdad, and I never - found any other legend than that of Nebuchadnezzar, son of - Nabopolassar, king of Babylon.” Nine-tenths of the bricks - amidst the ruins of Babylon are stamped with his name. - Compare his own words as recorded in Dan. iv. 30: “Is not - this great Babylon, _which I have built_?” - - 454 – Probably what the Greeks called Lycanthropy λυκανθρωπία), - wherein the sufferer fancies himself a beast, quits - the haunts of men, and leads the life of a beast. For - instances and details, see Dr Pusey’s _Lectures on Daniel_, - pp. 425–435; Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 165; - _Herod._ Vol. I. p. 516. - - 455 – A sickness of this monarch is mentioned by Berosus, and - in the “Standard Inscription” of Nebuchadnezzar he himself - appears to allude to this mysterious passage of his life: - _For four years ... the seat of my kingdom ... did not - rejoice my heart, in all my dominions I did not build a - high place of power, the precious treasures of my kingdom - I did not lay up. In Babylon, buildings for myself and for - the honour of my kingdom I did not lay out. In the worship - of Merodach, my lord, the joy of my heart, in Babylon the - city of his sovereignty, and the seat of my empire, I did - not sing his praises, I did not furnish his altars with - victims, nor did I clear out the canals._ Rawlinson’s - _Bampton Lectures_, p. 166, and notes. - - 456 – Nabonadius or Nabonnedus = _Nabu-nit_ or _Nabu-nahit_, - i.e. _Nebo blesses_ or _makes prosperous_, known amongst - the Greeks as Labynetus. - - 457 – Recognised by Isaiah as “a shepherd” of the Lord, an - “anointed king” (Is. xliv. 28; xlv. 1). - - 458 – Pusey’s _Lectures on Daniel_, p. 120; Rawlinson’s _Bampton - Lectures_, p. 170. - - 459 – On his accession Nabonadius, it is thought, may have - married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. See Pusey, _Lectures - on Daniel_, p. 402; Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 170. - - 460 – On the delegated authority of this Darius, see Pusey’s - _Lectures on Daniel_, pp. 122, 123; Rawlinson’s _Bampton - Lectures_, p. 171, and notes, p. 445. - - 461 – See Art. _Darius_, in Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ Some identify - him with Astyages; others with Cyaxares II., a son of - Astyages; others with Neriglissar, or with Nabonadius; - “each of these views,” observes Prof. Rawlinson, “has its - difficulties, and perhaps it is the most probable view - that he was a viceroy set up by Cyrus, of whom there is at - present no trace in profane history,” _Bampton Lectures_, - p. 171. - - 462 – Dating, according to Prideaux and Davison (_Lectures on - Prophecy_, VI. 1), from B.C. 606. - - 463 – The Jews who remained and kept up their national - distinctions were called “The Dispersion” (John vii. 35; 1 - Pet. i. 1; James i. 1), and “in course of time they served - a great purpose in diffusing a knowledge of the true God, - and in affording a point for the commencement of the - efforts of the Evangelists of the Christian faith.” - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 464 – The chief effects of the Captivity upon the Jews - were these: (i) The old tendency to idolatry had been - eradicated (Comp. Ezek. xxxvi. 24–28); (ii) There had - sprung up a deep reverence for the letter of the Law, - and for their great Lawgiver Moses; (iii) The love of - agriculture had declined, and had given place to a taste - for commerce and trade; (iv) The vernacular language had - also undergone a change (Neh. viii. 8), the old Hebrew - giving place to the Chaldee. - - 465 – “The name Ahasuerus is undoubtedly the proper Hebrew - equivalent for the Persian word which the Greeks - represented by Xerxes, ... and we are at once struck - with the strong resemblance which his character bears to - that assigned by the classical writers to the celebrated - son of Darius. Proud, self-willed, amorous, careless of - contravening Persian customs; reckless of human life, yet - not actually bloodthirsty; impetuous, facile, changeable, - the Ahasuerus of Esther corresponds in all respects to the - Greek portraiture of Xerxes, which is not the mere picture - of an Oriental despot, but has various peculiarities - which distinguish it even from the other Persian kings.” - Rawlinson’s _Bampton Lectures_, p. 186. - - 466 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 467 – Identified by the latest researches with the modern _Hit_, - on the Euphrates, due East of Damascus, afterwards known - as the Ihi, or Ihi da-kira, “the spring of bitumen.” - Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 468 – “The power of Persia had received by the Athenians a fatal - blow in the victory obtained at Salamis in Cyprus, B.C. - 449. The Great King was obliged to submit to a humiliating - peace, among the articles of which were the abandonment - of the maritime towns, and a stipulation that the Persian - army should not approach within three days’ journey of the - sea. Jerusalem being about this distance from the coast, - and standing so near the line of communication with Egypt, - became a port of the utmost value.” Milman’s _History of - the Jews_, I. p. 435. Jahn’s _Heb. Comm._ p. 142. - - 469 – Either of Horonaim a town of Moab, or of Horon, _i.e._ - Beth-horon; he appears to have held some office at Samaria - under Artaxerxes. Smith’s _Bib. Dict._ - - 470 – See Calendar, p. 155. - - 471 – Westcott’s _The Bible in the Church_, pp. 298, 299. - - 472 – See pp. 8, 9. - - 473 – See p. 18. - - 474 – See pp. 26, 28. - - 475 – See p. 71. - - 476 – See pp. 109, 110. - - 477 – Psalm cx; ii; xlv. - - 478 – Dan. vii. 13. Westcott’s _Introduction to the N. T._ p. 87. - Davidson _On Prophecy_, p. 205. - - 479 – Mic. v. 2; Isai. vii. 14. - - 480 – Zech. vi. 13; Isai. lxi. 1. - - 481 – Isai. liii. Comp. also ix. 6; xl. 1, 12; xlii. 1, 4; - xlix. 5–7; lii, liv. - - 482 – Dan. ix. 26, see Pusey _in loc_. - - 483 – Gal. iv. 4. - - 484 – See Butler’s _Analogy_, Part II. ch. v. - - 485 – Gal. iii. 28. - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes. - - - The following corrections have been made in the text: - - Page 178: - Sentence starting: It is probable that Kadesh.... - – ‘whereever’ replaced with ‘wherever’ - (wherever Moses and the Tabernacle) - - Page 186: - Sentence starting: A trophy of this victory,... - – ‘Rabbath’ replaced with ‘Rabbah’ - (in the city of Rabbah,) - - Page 332: - Sentence starting: Meanwhile the Syrians beyond.... - – ‘Hadarezer’ replaced with ‘Hadadezer’ - (a general of Hadadezer,) - - Page 365: - Sentence starting: REZIN, the Syrian,... - – ‘Rezon’ replaced with ‘Rezin’ - (REZIN, the Syrian,) - - Page 377: - Sentence starting: As he was besieging Gibbethon.... - – ‘Isaachar’ replaced with ‘Issachar’ - (of the house of Issachar) - – ‘againt’ replaced with ‘against’ - (conspired against him) - - Page 476: - Sentence starting: After a fast of three days.... - – ‘Esth.’ replaced with ‘Ezra’ - (Ezra viii. 32)) - - Page 482: - Sentence starting: No high places were to be seen.... - – ‘Astaroth’ replaced with ‘Ashtaroth’ - (the impure orgies of Ashtaroth) - - Page 489: - Sentence starting: Manasseh brought to Babylon.... - – ‘438’ replaced with ‘445’ - (See p. 445 n.) - - Page 492: - Table starting: 4. Scripture Measures.... - – ‘70’ replaced with ‘720’ - │960 │♦720│180│60│30│10│ - - Index Asenath: - – ‘Asenah’ replaced with ‘Asenath’ - (Asenath, Joseph’s wife) - - Index Rezin: - – ‘Rezon’ replaced with ‘Rezin’ - ‘366’ replaced with ‘365’ - (Rezin, revolts against Solomon, 365) - - Index Temple, the: - – ‘Jehohash’ replaced with ‘Jehoash’ - (rifled by Jehoash, 425;) - - Index Tarshish: - – ‘Tharshish’ replaced with ‘Tarshish’ - (Tarshish, silver mines of, 362) - - Footnote 20: - – ‘Araba’ replaced with ‘Arabah’ for consistency - (the Arabah led to the Gulf) - - Footnote 361: - Sentence starting: Immediately below [the Mohrakah].... - – ‘Mokrakah’ replaced with ‘Mohrakah’ - (Immediately below [the Mohrakah]) - - Footnote 410: - Sentence starting: The captives were located.... - – ‘Harran’ replaced with ‘Haran’ - (from about Haran to Nisibis) - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Class-Book of Old Testament History, by -George Frederick Maclear - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CLASS-BOOK OF OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY *** - -***** This file should be named 63528-0.txt or 63528-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/5/2/63528/ - -Produced by Richard Hulse and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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